bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A multi-dimensional Smolyak collocation method in curvilinear coordinates for computing vibrational spectra
Authors: Avila Gustavo , Carrington Tucker
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we improve the collocation method for computing vibrational spectra that was presented in Avila and Carrington, Jr. [J. Chem. Phys. 139, 134114 (2013)]. Using an iterative eigensolver, energy levels and wavefunctions are determined from values of the potential on a Smolyak grid. The kinetic energy matrix-vector product is evaluated by transforming a vector labelled with (nondirect product) grid indices to a vector labelled by (nondirect product) basis indices. Both the transformation and application of the kinetic energy operator (KEO) scale favorably. Collocation facilitates dealing with complicated KEOs because it obviates the need to calculate integrals of coordinate dependent coefficients of differential operators. The ideas are tested by computing energy levels of HONO using a KEO in bond coordinates.
Improvement of the electrical contact resistance at rough interfaces using two dimensional materials
Authors: Hu Jianchen , Pan Chengbin , Li Heng , Shen Panpan , Sun Hui , Duan Huiling , Lanza Mario
Published: December 2015

Reducing the electronic contact resistance at the interfaces of nanostructured materials is a major goal for many kinds of planar and three dimensional devices. In this work, we develop a method to enhance the electronic transport at rough interfaces by inserting a two dimensional flexible and conductive graphene sheet. We observe that an ultra-thin graphene layer with a thickness of 0.35 nm can remarkably reduce the roughness of a sample in a factor of 40%, avoiding the use of thick coatings, leading to a more homogeneous current flow, and extraordinarily increasing the total current compared to the graphene-free counterpart. Due to its simplicity and performance enhancement, this methodology can be of interest to many interface and device designers.
Ballistic rectification of vortex domain wall chirality at nanowire corners
Authors: Omari K. , Bradley R. C. , Broomhall T. J. , Hodges M. P. P. , Rosamond M. C. , Linfield E. H. , Im M.-Y. , Fischer P. , Hayward T. J.
Published: December 2015

The interactions of vortex domain walls with corners in planar magnetic nanowires are probed using magnetic soft X-ray transmission microscopy. We show that when the domain walls are propagated into sharp corners using applied magnetic fields above a critical value, their chiralities are rectified to either clockwise or anticlockwise circulation depending on whether the corners turn left or right. Single-shot focused magneto-optic Kerr effect measurements are then used to demonstrate how, when combined with modes of domain propagation that conserve vortex chirality, this allows us to dramatically reduce the stochasticity of domain pinning at artificial defect sites. Our results provide a tool for controlling domain wall chirality and pinning behavior both in further experimental studies and in future domain wall-based memory, logic and sensor technologies.
An inductively heated hot cavity catcher laser ion source
Authors: Reponen M. , Moore I. D. , Pohjalainen I. , Rothe S. , Savonen M. , Sonnenschein V. , Voss A.
Published: December 2015

An inductively heated hot cavity catcher has been constructed for the production of low-energy ion beams of exotic, neutron-deficient Ag isotopes. A proof-of-principle experiment has been realized by implanting primary 107Ag21+ ions from a heavy-ion cyclotron into a graphite catcher. A variable-thickness nickel foil was used to degrade the energy of the primary beam in order to mimic the implantation depth expected from the heavy-ion fusion-evaporation recoils of N = Z 94Ag. Following implantation, the silver atoms diffused out of the graphite and effused into the catcher cavity and transfer tube, where they were resonantly laser ionized using a three-step excitation and ionization scheme. Following mass separation, the ions were identified by scanning the frequency of the first resonant excitation step while recording the ion count rate. Ion release time profiles were measured for different implantation depths and cavity temperatures with the mean delay time varying from 10 to 600 ms. In addition, the diffusion coefficients for silver in graphite were measured for temperatures of 1470 K, 1630 K, and 1720 K, from which an activation energy of 3.2 ± 0.3 eV could be determined.
Dependence of aggregation behavior on concentration in triblock copolymer solutions: The effect of chain architecture
Authors: Han Xiang-Gang , Zhang Xue-Feng
Published: December 2015

Using the self-consistent field lattice technique, the effects of concentration and hydrophobic middle block length (where the chain length remains constant) on aggregation behavior are studied in amphiphilic symmetric triblock copolymer solutions. The heat capacity peak for the unimer-micelle transition and the distribution peaks for the different degrees of aggregation for micelles and small aggregates (submicelles) are calculated. Analysis of the conducted computer simulations shows that the transition broadness dependence on concentration is determined by the hydrophobic middle block length, and this dependence is distinctly different when the length of the hydrophobic middle block changes. Different size for small aggregates simultaneously appear in the transition region. As temperature decreases, the number of different size small aggregates for the large hydrophobic middle block length first ascends and then descends in aggregation degree order. These results indicate that any transition broadness change with concentration is related to the mechanism of fragmentation and fusion. These results are helpful for interpreting the aggregation process of amphiphilic copolymers at equilibrium.
Graphitic carbon nanospheres: A Raman spectroscopic investigation of thermal conductivity and morphological evolution by pulsed laser irradiation
Authors: Agarwal Radhe , Sahoo Satyaprakash , Chitturi Venkateswara Rao , Katiyar Ram S.
Published: December 2015

Graphitic carbon nanospheres (GCNSs) were prepared by a unique acidic treatment of multi-walled nanotubes. Spherical morphology with a narrow size distribution was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy studies. The room temperature Raman spectra showed a clear signature of D- and G-peaks at around 1350 and 1591 cm−1, respectively. Temperature dependent Raman scattering measurements were performed to understand the phonon dynamics and first order temperature coefficients related to the D- and G-peaks. The temperature dependent Raman spectra in a range of 83–473 K were analysed, where the D-peak was observed to show a red-shift with increasing temperature. The relative intensity ratio of D- to G-peaks also showed a significant rise with increasing temperature. Such a temperature dependent behaviour can be attributed to lengthening of the C-C bond due to thermal expansion in material. The estimated value of the thermal conductivity of GCNSs ∼0.97 W m−1 K−1 was calculated using Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the effect of pulsed laser treatment on the GCNSs was demonstrated by analyzing the Raman spectra of post irradiated samples.
Temperature dependent piezoreflectance study of Mo1−xWxSe2 layered crystals
Authors: Ke T. Y. , Hsu H. P. , Wang Y. P. , Huang Y. S.
Published: December 2015

The temperature dependence of the spectral features in the vicinity of the direct band edge extonic transitions of Mo1−xWxSe2 layered crystals were measured in the temperature range of 25–295 K using a piezoreflectance (PzR) technique. The direct band edge extonic transition energies of Mo1−xWxSe2 were determined from a detailed line-shape fit of the PzR spectra. The PzR characterization has shown tunable extonic transition continuously tuned with the W composition. The parameters that describe the temperature variation of the energies and broadening function of the excitonic transitions are evaluated and discussed.
A dual-heterodyne laser interferometer for simultaneous measurement of linear and angular displacements
Authors: Yan Hao , Duan Hui-Zong , Li Lin-Tao , Liang Yu-Rong , Luo Jun , Yeh Hsien-Chi
Published: December 2015

Picometer laser interferometry is an essential tool for ultra-precision measurements in frontier scientific research and advanced manufacturing. In this paper, we present a dual-heterodyne laser interferometer for simultaneously measuring linear and angular displacements with resolutions of picometer and nanoradian, respectively. The phase measurement method is based on cross-correlation analysis and realized by a PXI-bus data acquisition system. By implementing a dual-heterodyne interferometer with a highly symmetric optical configuration, low frequency noises caused by the environmental fluctuations can be suppressed to very low levels via common-mode noise rejection. Experimental results for the dual-heterodyne interferometer configuration presented demonstrate that the noise levels of the linear and angular displacement measurements are approximately 1 pm/Hz1/2 and 0.5 nrad/Hz1/2 at 1 Hz.
Thermodynamic-state and kinetic-process dependent dual ferromagnetic states in high-Si content FeMn(PSi) alloys
Authors: Li Guijiang , Eriksson Olle , Johansson Börje , Vitos Levente
Published: December 2015

We have found that thermodynamic state and kinetic process co-determine the dual ferromagnetic (FM) orders in high-Si content FeMnP1−xSix (0.25 < x < 0.5). Alloys undergoing high temperature annealing and quenching process prefer a high magnetic moment FM state in a chemically partial disordered structure with low c/a ratio. This mechanism is suggested to be responsible for the often discussed virgin effect as well. A chemically ordered structure obtained by a slow cooling process from a relatively low annealing temperature and the increase in Si content stabilize a metastable lattice with high c/a ratio and FM order with low magnetic moment. The non-simultaneity of the magnetic and structural transitions can be responsible for the occurrence of FM state in the high c/a range. Thus, a c/a ratio that changes from high to low is physically plausible to stabilize the metastable FM order at low temperature. Our theoretical observations indicate that suitable thermodynamic state and kinetic diffusion process is crucial for optimizing magnetocaloric properties and exploring feasible magnetocaloric materials.
Quantum electrical capacitance in epitaxial graphene
Authors: Alisultanov Z. Z. , Rustamova D. M. , Habibulaeva A. M.
Published: December 2015

We used a simple model to investigate the quantum electrical capacitance of epitaxial graphene, which changes abruptly at the boundary between permitted and forbidden energies. We studied a case of a size-quantized substrate. We obtained energy, temperature, and concentration dependences. Some of the results are in satisfactory agreement with the available experimental results. We discuss the renormalization of the Fermi velocity of graphene electrons by the substrate.
Assisted reproduction with gametes and embryos: what research is needed and fundable?
Authors: Seidel George E.
Published: December 2015

Principles for selecting future research projects include interests of investigators, fundability, potential applications, ethical considerations, being able to formulate testable hypotheses and choosing the best models, including selection of the most appropriate species. The following 10 areas of assisted reproduction seem especially appropriate for further research: efficacious capacitation of bovine spermatozoa in vitro; improved in vitro bovine oocyte maturation; decreasing variability and increasing efficacy of bovine superovulation; improved fertility of sexed semen; improving equine IVF; improving cryopreservation of rooster spermatozoa; understanding differences between males in success of sperm cryopreservation and reasons for success in competitive fertilisation; mechanisms of reprogramming somatic cell nuclei after nuclear transfer; regulation of differentiation of ovarian primordial follicles; and means by which spermatozoa maintain fertility during storage in the epididymis. Issues are species specific for several of these topics, in most cases because the biology is species specific.
Type I interferons mediate pancreatic toxicities of PERK inhibition
Authors: Yu Qiujing , Zhao Bin , Gui Jun , Katlinski Kanstantsin V. , Brice Angela , Gao Yan , Li ChangHong , Kushner Jake A. , Koumenis Constantinos , Diehl J. Alan , Fuchs Serge Y.
Published: December 2015

Significance

Inactivating pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) mutations cause pancreatic degeneration and diabetes in patients with Wolcott-Rallison syndrome. Pancreatic injury is also observed in mice upon PERK genetic ablation or treatment with PERK inhibitors. This toxicity (the mechanisms of which are poorly understood) impedes the clinical development of PERK inhibitors, which show promise against cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. Here we demonstrate that activation of type 1 interferon signaling occurs upon PERK ablation and is responsible for pancreatic injury and the loss of exocrine and endocrine tissues and functions. Neutralization of interferon signaling protects the pancreas from deleterious effects of PERK inhibitors. Temporally targeting the interferon pathway may help with the treatment of patients with Wolcott-Rallison syndrome and the use of PERK inhibitors against other diseases.
Vico and Montesquieu: Limits of Pluralist Imagination
Authors: Parekh Bhikhu
Published: December 2015

From Plato onward, western moral and political philosophy has been dominated by a monist impulse manifest in a search for the best way of life, the best form of government, the perfect society, the highest human faculty, the highest or the best religion, the single most reliable way to acquire knowledge of the world, and so on. In ethics it has taken the form of moral monism or the view that one way of life can be rationally shown to be the highest or truly human. This view has commanded the allegiance of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Locke, Mill, Marx, and others. Because monism despises neglected human faculties, virtues, and ways of life and has been a source of much violence and oppression, we cannot hope to provide a coherent theory of human liberation and freedom without developing a coherent theory of moral and cultural pluralism. Although moral monism was challenged from the very beginning by the Sophists, the skeptics, and others, a systematic critique of it was not mounted until the eighteenth century by such writers as Vico, Montesquieu, Montaigne, Herder, and others, who stressed the inevitability and even the desirability of cultural diversity.
The Handicap Principle Is an Artifact
Authors: Huttegger Simon M. , Bruner Justin P. , Zollman Kevin J. S.
Published: December 2015

The handicap principle is one of the most influential ideas in evolutionary biology. It asserts that when there is conflict of interest in a signaling interaction signals must be costly in order to be reliable. While in evolutionary biology it is a common practice to distinguish between indexes and fakable signals, we argue this dichotomy is an artifact of existing popular signaling models. Once this distinction is abandoned, we show one cannot adequately understand signaling behavior by focusing solely on cost. Under our reframing, cost becomes one—and probably not the most important—of a collection of factors preventing deception.
Experiment and Animal Minds: Why the Choice of the Null Hypothesis Matters
Authors: Mikhalevich Irina
Published: December 2015

In guarding against inferential mistakes, experimental comparative cognition errs on the side of underattributing sophisticated cognition to animals, or what I refer to as the underattribution bias. I propose eliminating this bias by altering the method of choosing the default, or null, hypothesis. Rather than choosing the most parsimonious null hypothesis, as is current practice, I argue for choosing the best-evidenced hypothesis. Doing so at once preserves the risk-controlling structure of the current statistical paradigm and introduces a sensitivity to probability-conferring empirical and theoretical information. This analysis illustrates how values like parsimony can covertly shape statistical-experimental design and inference.
Is Organismic Fitness at the Basis of Evolutionary Theory?
Authors: Pence Charles H. , Ramsey Grant
Published: December 2015

Fitness is a central theoretical concept in evolutionary theory. Despite its importance, much debate has occurred over how to conceptualize and formalize fitness. One point of debate concerns the roles of organismic and trait fitness. In a recent addition to this debate, Elliott Sober argues that trait fitness is the central fitness concept, and that organismic fitness is of little value. In this paper, by contrast, we argue that it is organismic fitness that lies at the bases of both the conceptual role of fitness and its role as a measure of evolutionary dynamics.
Deriving General Relativity from String Theory
Authors: Huggett Nick , Vistarini Tiziana
Published: December 2015

Weyl symmetry of the classical bosonic string Lagrangian is broken by quantization, with profound consequences described here (along with a review of string theory for philosophers of physics). Reimposing symmetry requires that the background space-time satisfy the equations of general relativity: general relativity, hence classical space-time as we know it, arises from string theory. We investigate the logical role of Weyl symmetry in this explanation of general relativity: it is not an independent physical postulate but required in quantum string theory, so from a certain point of view it plays only a formal role in the explanation.
Evidence for Causal Mechanisms in Social Science: Recommendations from Woodward’s Manipulability Theory of Causation
Authors: Runhardt Rosa W.
Published: December 2015

In this article I analyze process tracing, a causal mechanism-based technique for testing causal claims in the social sciences that requires one to specify a chain of intervening causes between any putative cause and effect. I argue that one should not only give evidence that the intervening causes are present in a suitable case study, as process tracing methodologists recommend, but also provide counterfactual evidence to show that each link in the chain is genuinely causal. I detail what that counterfactual evidence should consist of, using Woodward’s manipulability theory, and argue that this evidence relies on tentative comparisons to other case studies.
Against Lawton’s Contingency Thesis; or, Why the Reported Demise of Community Ecology Is Greatly Exaggerated
Authors: Linquist Stefan
Published: December 2015

Lawton’s contingency thesis (CT) states that there are no useful generalizations (“laws”) at the level of ecological communities because these systems are especially prone to contingent historical events. I argue that this influential thesis has been grounded on the wrong kind of evidence. CT is best understood in Woodward’s terms as a claim about the instability of certain causal dependencies across different background conditions. A recent distinction between evolution and ecology reveals what an adequate test of Lawton’s thesis would look like. To date, CT remains untested. But developments in genome-level ecology and molecular ecology point in promising directions.
External Validity: Is There Still a Problem?
Authors: Marcellesi Alexandre
Published: December 2015

I first propose to distinguish between two kinds of external validity inferences, predictive and explanatory. I then argue that we have a satisfactory answer to the question of the conditions under which predictive external validity inferences are good. If this claim is correct, then it has two immediate consequences: First, some external validity inferences are deductive, contrary to what is commonly assumed. Second, Steel’s requirement that an account of external validity inference break what he calls the ‘Extrapolator’s Circle’ is misplaced, at least when it comes to predictive external validity inferences.
Luís de Camões
Authors: Alves Hélio J.S.
Published: December 2015

Luís de Camões (b. 1524?–d. 1579/1580) is the first great Western poet to have lived in Africa and Asia and is now widely considered to be a preeminent literary symbol of the beginnings of the globalized world. Often called the “Prince of Poets” in Renaissance Iberia, he wrote almost exclusively in Portuguese. Even though Portuguese was a language of intercontinental trade, politics, and Christian missionary activity from the 15th century, within Europe it never had a comparable impact. The first English translator of Camões, Richard Fanshawe, had to explain in 1655 that the poet shone as one of the greatest in the world, despite writing in “so uncourted a language as that of Portugal.” Ignorance about Portuguese language and culture in European circles overwhelmed curiosity and appreciation, except during times of greater colonial investment (most recently, anticolonial), given Portuguese people’s pioneering knowledge of other continents. This also explains the comparative lack of academic bibliography about Camões in English and in other widely spoken European languages. The poet became best known internationally for Os Lusíadas, an oft-translated epic understood to be about sea travel, exploration, trade, and empire. His vast and varied body of lyric poetry has received less attention outside of Portugal and Brazil, although its impact was felt on past occasions (Wordsworth’s “Scorn not the Sonnet” and the Brownings are well-known cases). The plays were never given the critical attention of the rest of his work and the small output of prose letters even less so. In all four genres, however, it has become increasingly evident that Camões should not be treated in isolation from the rest of Portuguese literary and intellectual culture, as he used to be. Gil Vicente, Bernardim Ribeiro, Sá de Miranda, João de Barros, Francisco de Holanda, Jorge Ferreira de Vasconcelos, Garcia da Orta, Fernão Mendes Pinto, Aquiles Estaço, Heitor Pinto, António Ferreira, Diogo Bernardes, and Jerónimo Corte-Real are some of the major Portuguese 16th-century authors who share, in one way or another, the same ground with Camões. A growing interest in the poet’s inclusion in the wider world of Iberian and European Renaissance literature has also been felt of late. But this has not prevented recent writing from focusing equally on the poet’s peculiar genius.
Prevalence and Clinical Outcomes of Clostridium difficile Infection in the Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Karanika Styliani , Paudel Suresh , Zervou Fainareti N. , Grigoras Christos , Zacharioudakis Ioannis M. , Mylonakis Eleftherios
Published: December 2015

Background.  Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at higher risk for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

Methods. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies from 1983 to 2015 using the PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases to study the prevalence and outcomes of CDI in this patient population. Among the 9146 articles retrieved from the studies, 22 articles, which included a total of 80 835 ICU patients, were included in our final analysis.

Results.  The prevalence of CDI among ICU patients was 2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1%–2%), and among diarrheic ICU patients the prevalence was 11% (95% CI, 6%–17%). Among CDI patients, 25% (95% CI, 5%–51%) were diagnosed with pseudomembranous colitis, and the estimated length of ICU stay before CDI acquisition was 10.74 days (95% CI, 5%–51%). The overall hospital mortality among ICU patients with CDI was 32% (95% CI, 26%–39%), compared with 24% (95% CI, 14%–36%) among those without CDI presenting a statistically significant difference in mortality risk (P = .030). It is worth noting that the length of ICU and hospital stay among CDI patients was significantly longer, compared with non-CDI patients (standardized mean of difference [SMD] = 0.49, 95% CI, .39%–.6%, P = .00 and SMD = 1.15, 95% CI, .44%–1.91%, P = .003, respectively). It is noteworthy that the morbidity score at ICU admission (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II [APACHE II]) was not statistically different between the 2 groups (P = .911), implying that the differences in outcomes can be attributed to CDI.

Conclusions.  The ICU setting is associated with higher prevalence of CDI. In this setting, CDI is associated with increased hospital mortality and prolonged ICU and overall hospital stay. These findings highlight the need for additional prevention and treatment studies in this setting.
Glass Tools in Archaeology
Authors: Martindale Andrew , Jurakic Irena
Published: December 2015

Glass that appears in archaeological contexts outside of the communities of its production and shows use as toolstone for lithic-like industries can be described as remanufactured. Such artifacts are commonly associated with contact encounters, most frequently with European colonial expansion. This article reviews the literature on remanufactured glass and argues that (1) much experimental and analytical work remains to develop coherent identification criteria, especially for expedient forms, and (2) such objects challenge archaeological orthodoxies in the definition of culture and its material manifestations. We argue that objects with manufacturing histories that span cultural contexts are a highly visible illustration of the hybridity in all cultural gestures. Hybridization is not a transaction between disparate, homogenous cultural regimes, but emerges from individual quotidian acts. Culture as a result, is not an entity, but the acceptance of coherence.
Use of Ultrasound to Investigate Glucose Oxidase and Storage Effects on the Rheological Properties of Cooked Asian Noodles
Authors: Daugelaite Daiva , Strybulevych Anatoliy , Scanlon Martin G. , Page John H. , Hatcher David W.
Published: December 2015

This is the first use of a longitudinal ultrasonic technique to address the rheological properties of cooked noodles. Ultrasound (11 MHz) was utilized to investigate the influence of glucose oxidase (GOx) at the 1.5 U/g of flour level on the rheological properties of cooked alkaline noodles before and after 72 h of storage at 4°C. Cooked noodle dough samples were studied by simultaneously conducting stress relaxation and transmission ultrasonic measurements, yielding Peleg's K1 and K2 parameters (initial rate of relaxation and extent of relaxation, respectively) and ultrasonic information on noodle texture properties. Ultrasonic phase velocities and attenuation coefficients did not show significant differences between control and GOx noodles either before or after 72 h of refrigeration. However, refrigerated storage of control and GOx noodles did result in a significant increase in wave velocity and storage modulus (M′) as well as a decrease in attenuation and tanδL (ratio of longitudinal loss modulus to longitudinal storage modulus), indicating increased firmness of noodle structure with storage time. Stress relaxation results on fresh unrefrigerated noodles showed an increase in Peleg's K1 and K2 parameters with GOx addition but did not resolve any significant changes in these parameters after 72 h of storage. This small amount of GOx did not improve cooked noodle texture, although noodle matrix changes during storage were clearly revealed by the noninvasive ultrasonic data.
Vitamin E Homologs and γ‐Oryzanol Levels in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) During Seed Development
Authors: Chen Ming‐Hsuan , Bergman Christine J.
Published: December 2015

Vitamin E homologs (tocopherols and tocotrienols) and γ‐oryzanol have gained significant attention because of their proposed health benefits and ability to increase vegetable oil stability. Changes in the levels of these phytochemicals were examined during seed development. Rapid accumulation of tocopherols, tocotrienols, and γ‐oryzanol occurred during early seed development. During the middle stage of seed development, the levels of tocopherols decreased sharply, and the levels of tocotrienols either stayed the same or decreased slightly, whereas γ‐oryzanol continued to accumulate until maturity. The levels of these compounds remained constant from maturity to 15 days postmaturity. In conclusion, rice grain for nutraceutical and functional food applications should be harvested during its immature stage to obtain the highest amount of tocopherols, whereas the amounts of the other phytochemicals that were studied can be optimized by harvesting grain at maturity.
Quantitation of Amines in Cereal Products: Thermal Processes Are Able to Generate “Biogenic” Amines
Authors: Granvogl Michael
Published: December 2015

On the basis of a derivatization with dansyl chloride prior to LC‐MS/MS measurement, a new quantitation method by means of stable isotope dilution analysis was developed for different amines, such as 2‐ and 3‐methylbutylamine, methylpropylamine, and 2‐phenylethylamine. The method was applied both to different cereal products and to a model system, revealing that the amines stemming from the parent amino acids l‐isoleucine, l‐leucine, l‐valine, and l‐phenylalanine can also be generated by a “thermogenic” pathway besides the well‐established enzymatic formation. A model system simulating the Strecker reaction by heating single amino acids with an α‐dicarbonyl compound (2‐oxopropanal) showed besides the formation of the well‐known desired aroma‐active Strecker aldehydes also the generation of the corresponding Strecker amines, which are undesired in food due to their negative physiological impacts on human health. Thus, a thermal formation of “biogenic” amines was shown, both in cereal‐based foods and in a model system. A contribution of these amines to the overall food aroma is also possible. With this knowledge at hand, mitigation strategies for the formation of amines undesired for health reasons in parallel with a favored generation of the corresponding aroma‐active aldehydes, depending on the processing parameters, can be suggested to food manufacturers.
Management of Valsa Canker on Apple with Adjustments to Potassium Nutrition
Authors: Peng H. X. , Wei X. Y. , Xiao Y. X. , Sun Y. , Biggs A. R. , Gleason M. L. , Shang S. P. , Zhu M. Q. , Guo Y. Z. , Sun G. Y.
Published: December 2015

Valsa canker, caused by the fungus Valsa mali, is one of the most destructive diseases of apple in the primary production areas of China and other East Asian countries. Currently, there are no effective control methods for this disease. We investigated the occurrence of Valsa canker in 24 apple orchards in Shaanxi Province in concert with foliar nutrient analysis, and found that there was a significant negative correlation of leaf potassium (K) content with incidence and severity of Valsa canker. Fertilization experiments showed that increasing tree K content enhanced resistance to pathogen colonization and establishment. Apple trees with leaf K content greater than 1.30% exhibited almost complete resistance to Valsa mali. Field trials demonstrated that increasing K fertilization could significantly reduce disease incidence. Improved management of tree nutrition, especially K content, could effectively control the occurrence and development of Valsa canker.
Host Range of Plasmodiophora brassicae on Cruciferous Crops and Weeds in China
Authors: Ren Li , Xu Li , Liu Fan , Chen Kunrong , Sun Chaochao , Li Jun , Fang Xiaoping
Published: December 2015

Clubroot caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae is an increasingly important soilborne disease in China. The host range of P. brassicae was investigated with 30 cruciferous plants, including 16 crop species, 9 ornamentals, and 5 weeds in field and pot-cultured conditions. In the field, 17 species from five genera produced visible galls, and these included radish, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Orychophragmus violaceus, Sinapis alba, and 13 Brassica crops. In pot-cultured conditions, an additional 13 plant species (11 genera) were determined to be hosts of P. brassicae. Five common weeds were found to be hosts of P. brassicae, including C. bursa-pastoris, Lepidium apetalum, Descurainia sophia, S. alba, and Thellungiella salsuginea. The infection of these plants was confirmed via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers specific to P. brassicae. No galls were found on Matthiola incana roots in the field or in pots and no resting spores of P. brassicae were observed in M. incana roots, although P. brassicae was detected in M. incana roots via PCR. Microscopic examination revealed infection only in the root hairs of M. incana roots. These results suggested that M. incana was highly resistant to P. brassicae in China and could be developed as a bait crop. In total, 297 accessions of oilseed rape were tested in the field, and 3 accessions of Brassica napus and 1 accession of B. juncea were found to be highly resistant to clubroot disease. These resistant resources provide options for managing clubroot in P. brassicae-infested fields.
Structure and Migration in U.S. Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici Populations
Authors: Cowger Christina , Parks Ryan , Kosman Evsey
Published: December 2015

While wheat powdery mildew occurs throughout the south-central and eastern United States, epidemics are especially damaging in the Mid-Atlantic states. The structure of the U.S. Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici population was assessed based on a sample of 238 single-spored isolates. The isolates were collected from 16 locations in 12 states (18 site-years) as chasmothecial samples in 2003 or 2005, or as conidial samples in 2007 or 2010. DNA was evaluated using nine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in four housekeeping genes, and 10 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The SSR markers were variably polymorphic, with allele numbers ranging from 3 to 39 per locus. Genotypic diversity was high (210 haplotypes) and in eight of the site-years, every isolate had a different SSR genotype. SNP haplotypic diversity was lower; although 15 haplotypes were identified, the majority of isolates possessed one of two haplotypes. The chasmothecial samples showed no evidence of linkage disequilibrium (P = 0.36), while the conidial samples did (P = 0.001), but the two groups had nearly identical mean levels of genetic diversity, which was moderate. There was a weakly positive relationship between genetic distance and geographic distance (R2 = 0.25, P = 0.001), indicating modest isolation by distance. Most locations in the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions clustered together genetically, while Southeast locations formed a distinct but adjacent cluster; all of these were genetically separated from Southern Plains locations and an intermediate location in Kentucky. One-way migration was detected at a rate of approximately five individuals per generation from populations west of the Appalachian Mountains to those to the east, despite the fact that the Atlantic states experience more frequent and damaging wheat mildew epidemics. Overall, the evidence argues for a large-scale mosaic of overlapping populations that re-establish themselves from local sources, rather than continental-scale extinction and re-establishment, and a low rate of long-distance dispersal roughly from west to east, consistent with prevailing wind directions.
Somatosensory and Biomechanical Abnormalities in Females With Patellofemoral Pain
Authors: Noehren Brian , Shuping Logan , Jones Aron , Akers David A. , Bush Heather M. , Sluka Kathleen A.
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

Chronic patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a common orthopedic condition for which little is understood of the alterations in pain processing such as hyperalgesia, hypoesthesia, and the relationship of altered knee mechanics to hyperalgesia. We assessed pain, pressure pain thresholds (PPT), detection to light touch, and the relationship of pain and PPTs to knee abduction angle during a stair step down task between females with and without PFP.

Materials and Methods:

Twenty females diagnosed with PFP and 20 age-matched pain-free females participated in this study. Individuals underwent an instrumented assessment of knee mechanics during a stair step down task, PPT and detection of light touch over the center of the patella and lateral retinaculum, and PPT outside painful area over the right elbow.

Results:

The PFP group had significantly lower PPT values at the patella (P=0.02), lateral retinaculum (P=0.001), and at the elbow (P=0.03). There was an elevated threshold to detect light touch over the center of their patella (P=0.04). A significant relationship between both pain (r=−0.49, P=0.03) and PPT values (r=0.65, P=0.004) to the frontal plane knee angle existed in the PFP group which was not present in the control group (r=−0.17, P=0.49) or in the elbow (r=−0.009, P=0.972).

Discussion:

These results suggest that PFP is characterized by an increase in both localized and centralized pain sensitivity that is related to movement mechanics. Thus, PFP has both biomechanical, nociceptive components as well as inferred aspects of altered central sensitization.
Application of a Pattern-based Classification System for Invasive Endocervical Adenocarcinoma in Cervical Biopsy, Cone and Loop Electrosurgical Excision (LEEP) Material: Pattern on Cone and LEEP is Predictive of Pattern in the Overall Tumor
Authors: Djordjevic Bojana , Parra-Herran Carlos
Published: December 2015

A pattern-based classification system has been recently proposed for invasive endocervical adenocarcinoma, which is predictive of the risk of nodal metastases. Identifying cases at risk of nodal involvement is most relevant at the time of biopsy and loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) to allow for optimal surgical planning, and, most importantly, consideration of lymphadenectomy. This study aims to determine the topography of patterns of stromal invasion in invasive endocervical adenocarcinoma with emphasis on patterns in biopsy, cone, and LEEP. Invasive pattern was assessed following the pattern-based classification (Patterns A, B, and C) in 47 invasive endocervical adenocarcinomas treated with hysterectomy or trachelectomy and correlated with pattern of invasion at the tumor surface (2 mm of tumor depth) and on preoperative biopsy and cone/LEEP. Patterns A, B, and C were present in 21.3%, 36.2%, and 42.5% of cases, respectively. Most pattern A cases were Stage IA (90%), whereas most Pattern B and C cases were Stage IB (76.5% and 80%, respectively). Horizontal spread was on average larger in Pattern C (24.1 mm) than in Patterns A and B (7.7 and 12.3 mm, respectively). Pattern at the tumor surface correlated with the overall pattern in 95.7% of cases. Concordance between patterns at cone/LEEP and hysterectomy was 92.8%; the only discrepant case was upgraded from Pattern A on LEEP to C on final excision. Agreement between patterns in biopsy and the overall tumor, however, was only 37.5%. In all discrepant cases, biopsy failed to reveal destructive invasion, which was evident on excision. All discrepant biopsies with pattern A showed glandular complexity resembling exophytic papillary growth but did not meet criteria for destructive invasion. On excision, marked gland confluence with papillary architecture was evident. We conclude that the pattern of invasion on cone/LEEP is a good predictor of pattern of invasion on hysterectomy, particularly if there is destructive invasion (B or C). Thus, pattern-based classification can be successfully applied in these samples to guide definitive surgical treatment. Prediction of the overall pattern based on biopsy material alone appears to be suboptimal. However, glandular confluence and complexity on biopsy, regardless of its size, appears to be associated with destructive invasion in the overall tumor.
Malignant Struma Ovarii With a Predominant Component of Anaplastic Carcinoma
Authors: Fukunaga Masaharu , Ishibashi Tomomi , Koyama Taig , Onoue Kaoru , Kitai Satomi , Tanaka Kuniji , Isonishi Seiji
Published: December 2015

Struma ovarii exhibiting malignant histology are uncommon, and aggressive clinical courses with initial extraovarian spread are even more rare. This report describes a case of malignant struma ovarii with a predominant anaplastic carcinoma component. A 65-yr-old, gravida 2, para 2, female presented with lower abdominal discomfort and pain. She had a 12×10×7.5 cm tumor in the right ovary. Intraoperative diagnosis was high-grade spindle cell tumor. Right salpingo-oophorectomy and hysterectomy were performed. Macroscopically, the tumor invading the right tube was a yellow-white solid mass with focal microcysts containing greenish liquid and focal calcification. The tumor was histologically characterized by a spindle cell and pleomorphic sarcomatous component, and a minor component of benign-looking thyroid tissue with ossification. Immunohistochemically, the sarcomatous component was focally positive for CAM 5.2, EMA, thyroid transcription factor-1, and thyroglobulin, indicating anaplastic carcinoma. The patient was treated with chemotherapy and is alive, yet with tumor, 25 mo after surgery. This is the first case of malignant struma ovarii with a predominant component of anaplastic carcinoma. This type of malignant struma ovarii may lead to diagnostic problems, and sampling and differential diagnosis among sarcomatous ovarian tumors are important for making the correct diagnoses.
Phylotranscriptomic analysis uncovers a wealth of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases variants in echinoderms
Authors: Clouse Ronald M. , Linchangco Gregorio V. , Kerr Alexander M. , Reid Robert W. , Janies Daniel A.
Published: December 2015

Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) help regulate the extracellular matrix (ECM) in animals, mostly by inhibiting matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). They are important activators of mutable collagenous tissue (MCT), which have been extensively studied in echinoderms, and the four TIMP copies in humans have been studied for their role in cancer. To understand the evolution of TIMPs, we combined 405 TIMPs from an echinoderm transcriptome dataset built from 41 specimens representing all five classes of echinoderms with variants from protostomes and chordates. We used multiple sequence alignment with various stringencies of alignment quality to cull highly divergent sequences and then conducted phylogenetic analyses using both nucleotide and amino acid sequences. Phylogenetic hypotheses consistently recovered TIMPs as diversifying in the ancestral deuterostome and these early lineages continuing to diversify in echinoderms. The four vertebrate TIMPs diversified from a single copy in the ancestral chordate, all other copies being lost. Consistent with greater MCT needs owing to body wall liquefaction, evisceration, autotomy and reproduction by fission, holothuroids had significantly more TIMPs and higher read depths per contig. Ten cysteine residues, an HPQ binding site and several other residues were conserved in at least 70% of all TIMPs. The conservation of binding sites and the placement of echinoderm TIMPs involved in MCT modification suggest that ECM regulation remains the primary function of TIMP genes, although within this role there are a large number of specialized copies.
Evolutionary dynamics of a quantitative trait in a finite asexual population
Authors: Débarre Florence , Otto Sarah P.
Published: December 2015

In finite populations, mutation limitation and genetic drift can hinder evolutionary diversification. We consider the evolution of a quantitative trait in an asexual population whose size can vary and depends explicitly on the trait. Previous work showed that evolutionary branching is certain (“deterministic branching”) above a threshold population size, but uncertain (“stochastic branching”) below it. Using the stationary distribution of the population’s trait variance, we identify three qualitatively different sub-domains of “stochastic branching” and illustrate our results using a model of social evolution. We find that in very small populations, branching will almost never be observed; in intermediate populations, branching is intermittent, arising and disappearing over time; in larger populations, finally, branching is expected to occur and persist for substantial periods of time. Our study provides a clearer picture of the ecological conditions that facilitate the appearance and persistence of novel evolutionary lineages in the face of genetic drift.
Genome management and mismanagement—cell-level opportunities and challenges of whole-genome duplication
Authors: Yant Levi , Bomblies Kirsten
Published: December 2015

Whole-genome duplication (WGD) doubles the DNA content in the nucleus and leads to polyploidy. In whole-organism polyploids, WGD has been implicated in adaptability and the evolution of increased genome complexity, but polyploidy can also arise in somatic cells of otherwise diploid plants and animals, where it plays important roles in development and likely environmental responses. As with whole organisms, WGD can also promote adaptability and diversity in proliferating cell lineages, although whether WGD is beneficial is clearly context-dependent. WGD is also sometimes associated with aging and disease and may be a facilitator of dangerous genetic and karyotypic diversity in tumorigenesis. Scaling changes can affect cell physiology, but problems associated with WGD in large part seem to arise from problems with chromosome segregation in polyploid cells. Here we discuss both the adaptive potential and problems associated with WGD, focusing primarily on cellular effects. We see value in recognizing polyploidy as a key player in generating diversity in development and cell lineage evolution, with intriguing parallels across kingdoms.
Merohedral twins revisited: quinary twins and beyond
Authors: Quiquandon Marianne , Gratias Denis , Sirindil Abdullah , Portier Richard
Published: December 2015

A twin is defined as being an external operation between two identical crystals that share a fraction of the atomic structure with no discontinuity from one crystal to the other. This includes merohedral twins, twins by reticular merohedry as well as coherent twins by contact where only the habit plane is shared by the two adjacent crystals (epitaxy). Interesting and original cases appear when the invariant substructure is built with positions belonging to the same {\bb Z}-module as, for example, the quinary twin structure first drawn by Albrecht Dürer [(1525).The Painter's Manual: a Manual of Measurement of Lines, Areas and Solids by Means of Compass and Ruler. Facsimile Edition (1977), translated with commentary by W. L. Strauss. New York: Abaris Books]. This paper will show that the Dürer twins, once defined in five-dimensional space, are simple merohedral twins, in the sense of Georges Friedel, leaving the five-dimensional lattice invariant. This analysis will be generalized to some other higher-order {\bb Z}-modules.