bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A few enlarged chloroplasts are less efficient in photosynthesis than a large population of small chloroplasts in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Xiong Dongliang , Huang Jianliang , Peng Shaobing , Li Yong
Published: July 2017

The photosynthetic, biochemical, and anatomical traits of accumulation and replication of chloroplasts (arc) mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana were investigated to study the effects of chloroplast size and number on photosynthesis. Chloroplasts were found to be significantly larger, and the chloroplast surface area exposed to intercellular air spaces (Sc) significantly lower in the mutants than in their wild-types. The decreased Sc and increase cytoplasm thickness in the mutants resulted in a lower mesophyll conductance (gm) and a consequently lower chloroplast CO2 concentration (Cc). There were no significant differences between the mutants and their wild-types in maximal carboxylation rate (Vcmax), maximal electron transport (Jcmax), and leaf soluble proteins. Leaf nitrogen (N) and Rubisco content were similar in both Wassilewskija (Ws) wild-type (Ws-WT) and the Ws mutant (arc 8), whereas they were slightly higher in Columbia (Col) wild-type (Col-WT) than the Col mutant (arc 12). The photosynthetic rate (A) and photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE) were significantly lower in the mutants than their wild-types. The mutants showed similar A/Cc responses as their wild-type counterparts, but A at given Cc was higher in Col and its mutant than in Ws and its mutant. From these results, we conclude that decreases in gm and Cc are crucial to the reduction in A in arc mutants.
Synthesis of 2-arylthio arylcyanamides from 2-iodoaryl isothiocyanates via a one-pot three-component reaction
Authors: Pinapati Srinivasarao , Mandapati Usharani , Tamminana Ramana , Rudraraju Rameshraju
Published: July 2017

Consecutive addition/domino C–S cross-coupling reaction has been developed for the synthesis of 2-arylthio arylcyanamides.
Ganglioside glycosyltransferases are S-acylated at conserved cysteine residues involved in homodimerisation
Authors: Chumpen Ramirez Sabrina , Ruggiero Fernando M. , Daniotti Jose Luis , Valdez Taubas Javier
Published: July 2017

Ganglioside glycosyltransferases (GGTs) are type II membrane proteins bearing a short N-terminal cytoplasmic tail, a transmembrane domain (TMD), and a lumenal catalytic domain. The expression and activity of these enzymes largely determine the quality of the glycolipids that decorate mammalian cell membranes. Many glycosyltransferases (GTs) are themselves glycosylated, and this is important for their proper localisation, but few if any other post-translational modifications of these proteins have been reported. Here, we show that the GGTs, ST3Gal-V, ST8Sia-I, and β4GalNAcT-I are S-acylated at conserved cysteine residues located close to the cytoplasmic border of their TMDs. ST3Gal-II, a GT that sialylates glycolipids and glycoproteins, is also S-acylated at a conserved cysteine located in the N-terminal cytoplasmic tail. Many other GTs also possess cysteine residues in their cytoplasmic regions, suggesting that this modification occurs also on these GTs. S-acylation, commonly known as palmitoylation, is catalysed by a family of palmitoyltransferases (PATs) that are mostly localised at the Golgi complex but also at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane. Using GT ER retention mutants, we found that S-acylation of β4GalNAcT-I and ST3Gal-II takes place at different compartments, suggesting that these enzymes are not substrates of the same PAT. Finally, we found that cysteines that are the target of S-acylation on β4GalNAcT-I and ST3Gal-II are involved in the formation of homodimers through disulphide bonds. We observed an increase in ST3Gal-II dimers in the presence of the PAT inhibitor 2-bromopalmitate, suggesting that GT homodimerisation may be regulating S-acylation
Space–time adaptive processing by enforcing sparse constraint on beam‐Doppler patterns
Authors: Yang Zhaocheng
Published: July 2017

In this Letter, the author proposes a novel space–time adaptive processing (STAP) algorithm by enforcing sparse constraint on the beam‐Doppler patterns for clutter mitigation when the number of training data is limited. By exploiting the sparsity of the beam‐Doppler patterns of the STAP filter, the proposed algorithm formulates the filter design as a mixed l2‐norm and l1‐norm minimisation problem. Moreover, the proposed algorithm develops an adaptive approach to update the regularisation parameter. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the traditional STAP algorithms in a limited sample support.
Duty ratio modulation method to minimise torque and flux linkage ripples for IPMSM DTC system
Authors: Yuan Tianqing , Wang Dazhi , Li Yunlu , Tan Sen , Zhou Shuai
Published: July 2017

The active vector effects on torque and stator flux linkage are different in direct torque control (DTC) system. These differences may cause the over‐compensation or under‐compensation to torque and flux linkage leading to large ripples. Aimed at making sure the system can work in an optimum state, a novel duty ratio modulation strategy minimising the torque and flux linkage ripples is designed. Every sector is divided into five small sectors, and a new switching table is designed. The impact factors and the active factors are first introduced into the DTC system. Subsequently, a novel duty ratio modulation method is derived. The superiority is verified through the simulation results.
Approximate reliability of multi‐state two‐terminal networks by stochastic analysis
Authors: Zhu Peican , Guo Yangming , Lombardi Fabrizio , Han Jie
Published: July 2017

Reliability is an important feature in the design and maintenance of a large‐scale system. Usually, for a two‐terminal network reliability is a measure for the connectivity between the source and sink nodes. Various approaches have been presented to evaluate system reliability; however, they become cumbersome or prohibitive due to the large computational complexity, especially when multiple states are considered for nodes. In this study, a stochastic approach is presented for estimating corresponding reliability. Randomly permuted sequences with fixed numbers of multiple values are generalized from non‐Bernoulli binary sequences to model the multi‐state property. State probabilities are represented by randomly permuted sequences to improve both computational efficiency and accuracy. Stochastic models are then constructed for arcs and nodes with different capacities. The proposed stochastic analysis is capable of predicting reliability at high accuracy and without a need for constructing the commonly‐used but complex multi‐state minimal cut vectors. Non‐exponential distributions and correlated signals are readily handled by the stochastic approach for a general network. Results obtained through the stochastic analysis are compared with exact values and those found by Monte Carlo simulation. The accuracy, efficiency and scalability of the stochastic approach are assessed by evaluating several case studies.
Hypervalent Iodine-Based Activation of Triphenylphosphine for the Functionalization of Alcohols
Authors: Eljo Jasmin , Carle Myriam , Murphy Graham
Published: July 2017

The use of hypervalent iodine reagents as a general tool for the activation of PPh3 and its application to the functionalization of alcohols is reported. Combination of PPh3 with PhICl2 or TolIF2 gives dihalophosphoranes that are characterized by 31P NMR, however, with PhIOAc2, PhI(OTFA)2, or the cyclic chloro(benzoyloxy)iodane, no phosphoranes were observed. Reaction of these iodanes with PPh3 in the presence of primary, secondary, or tertiary alcohols results in either halogenation or acyl-transfer products in moderate to high yield.
Morphological Effect on Wall Shear Stress in Intracranial Aneurysms
Authors: Qiu Tian-Lun , Jin Guo-Liang , Lu Hai-Tao , Bao Wu-Qiao
Published: July 2017

Background and Study Aims Both high and low wall shear stress (WSS) play important roles in the development and rupture of intracranial aneurysms (IAs). This study aimed to determine the morphological factors that affect WSS in the IA and the parent artery.

Material and Methods We studied a total of 66 IAs with three-dimensional imaging. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models were constructed and used to characterize the hemodynamics quantitatively. Aneurysms were grouped according to the mean neck width. The associations among hemodynamics and morphology were analyzed.

Results Aspect ratio was correlated to lowest WSS (r = − 0.576), aneurysm-to-parent vessel (A-P) WSS ratio (r = − 0.500), and lowest-parent vessel (L-P) WSS ratio (r = − 0.575). Height-to-width ratio and height were correlated to WSS. Mean aneurysm WSS (p = 0.023), lowest WSS (p < 0.0001), highest-to-lowest WSS ratio (p = 0.004), L-P WSS ratio (p < 0.0001), highest-parent vessel (H-P) WSS ratio (p = 0.008), A-P WSS ratio (p < 0.001), and height (p < 0.001) were different between the two groups of aneurysms that were divided by the relationship between the diameters of the aneurysms and the necks. Multivariable analysis showed that the lowest WSS (p = 0.028) and A-P WSS ratio (p = 0.001) were independently associated with neck width.

Conclusion Morphological characteristics are associated with IA and parent vessel WSS. Aneurysms with different neck widths have different hemodynamics. These results could help in understanding the progression of IA and in building predictive models for IA rupture.
En Plaque Pituitary Adenoma within a Rathke's Cleft Cyst: Report of Three Cases
Authors: Iplikcioglu Celal , Tokmak Mehmet , Ozek Erdinc , Latifaci Ismail
Published: July 2017

Concomitant pituitary adenomas and Rathke's cleft cysts (RCCs) are rare. These coexisting lesions are difficult to diagnose preoperatively due to their variable signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and position of the RCC. We describe three cases of coexisting pituitary adenoma and RCC, and review the relevant literature. In our cases, the RCCs were relatively large and the en plaque adenomas appeared as enhanced cyst walls on MRI examination. We also report the clinical, radiologic, surgical, and histopathologic findings of each case.
Downregulated Elastin Microfibril Interfacer 1 Expression in the Pulmonary Vasculature of Experimental Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
Authors: Zimmer Julia , Takahashi Toshiaki , Hofmann Alejandro , Puri Prem
Published: July 2017

Aim Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe complication of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling is suggested to be involved in PH development by regulating embryonic angiogenesis, cell proliferation, and cell differentiation. Altered TGFβ signaling has been demonstrated in experimental CDH lungs. Elastin microfibril interfacer 1 (Emilin-1) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein expressed in endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells and known to regulate TGFβ processing and arterial diameter. We designed this study to investigate the pulmonary vascular expression of Emilin-1 in nitrofen-induced CDH rats.

Materials and Methods Following ethical approval (REC913b, REC1103), time-pregnant Sprague Dawley rats received nitrofen or vehicle on gestational day 9 (D9). Fetuses were sacrificed on D21 and divided into CDH group and control group. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (n = 11 each group), Western blot analysis, and confocal microscopy were used to determine the gene and protein expression of Emilin-1.

Main Results Relative Emilin-1 messenger RNA (ribonucleic acid) levels were significantly downregulated in CDH lung tissue compared with controls (CDH: 0.043 ± 0.003; control: 0.067 ± 0.004; p < 0.001). Western blotting confirmed the decreased pulmonary Emilin-1 protein expression in CDH lungs. Confocal microscopy demonstrated a markedly diminished expression of Emilin-1 in the CDH pulmonary vasculature compared with controls.

Conclusion To our knowledge, this study demonstrates for the first time a decreased Emilin-1 gene and protein expression in the pulmonary vasculature of nitrofen-induced CDH. Emilin-1 deficiency through its interaction with TGFß may result in abnormal vascular remodeling resulting in PH in this model.
How Do Axial Scan Orientation Deviations Affect the Measurements of Knee Anatomical Parameters Associated with Patellofemoral Instability? A Simulated Computed Tomography Study
Authors: Xiong Ran , Chen Cheng , Yin Li , Gong Xiaoyuan , Luo Jiangming , Wang Fuyou , Guo Lin , Yang Liu
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this study was to detect the correlation between axial scan orientation discrepancy and the knee anatomical parameters associated with patellofemoral instability during computed tomography (CT) scanning. CT scan data of 16 knees from 16 healthy subjects were retrieved. The reslicing processes were performed to simulate different axial scan orientations generated due to leg adduction/abduction during CT scanning. Eight parameters (tibial tubercle to trochlear groove [TT-TG], tibial tubercle to posterior cruciate ligament [TT-PCL], patellar tilt, lateral trochlear inclination, sulcus angle, trochlear depth, trochlear facet asymmetry, and trochlear condyle asymmetry) of five angles (neutral zero, 4/8 degrees of adduction and 4/8 degrees abduction) were quantified. All eight parameters showed varying degrees of deviations to the different axial scan orientations. TT-TG, patellar tilt, lateral trochlear inclination, and trochlear condyle asymmetry were relatively sensitive to axial scan orientation changes, whereas TT-PCL, sulcus angle, trochlear depth, and trochlear facet asymmetry were relatively insensitive. Although the sensitivities are various, surgeons should be aware of this situation and make necessary corrections.
Rosazea mit eosinophilen Follikulitiden als „presenting sign“ bei einer HIV-infizierten Patientin
Authors: Noll M. , Wurster M. , von den Driesch P.
Published: July 2017

Wir stellen eine 58-jährige Patientin mit disseminierten papulo-pustulösen Hautveränderungen im Gesichts-Halsbereich vor. In der Biopsie zeigte sich eine klassische sog. eosinophile Follikulitis, welche im Verlauf schnell auf die systemische Behandlung mit Antibiotika und lokalem Metronidazol ansprach. Serologisch stellten wir erstmals das Vorliegen einer HIV-Erkrankung fest. Rosazea-artige eosinophile Follikulitiden im Gesichtsbereich können also auch „presenting sign“ einer HIV-Infektion sein.
Die Bedeutung des Migrationshintergrunds für die Gesundheit. Ergebnisse der österreichischen Gesundheitsbefragung (ATHIS 2014)
Authors: Waxenegger Anja , Mayerl Hannes , Rásky Éva , Stolz Erwin , Freidl Wolfgang
Published: July 2017

Hintergrund Die bisherige Forschung zeigt, dass MigrantInnen in vielen Bereichen über eine schlechtere Gesundheit verfügen als Menschen ohne Migrationshintergrund. Ob sich das schlechtere gesundheitliche Abschneiden von MigrantInnen vorwiegend auf deren sozioökonomischen Status (SES) – der im Durchschnitt niedriger ausfällt als jener der nicht-migrantischen Bevölkerung – zurückführen lässt, ist bisher noch unzureichend geklärt. Die vorliegende Arbeit geht der Frage nach, welche Bedeutung das Vorhandensein eines Migrationshintergrunds für verschiedene gesundheitliche Aspekte besitzt, wenn SES und gesundheitsbezogenes Verhalten berücksichtigt werden.

Methode Mit den Daten der aktuellen österreichischen Gesundheitsbefragung (ATHIS 2014) wurden altersadjustierte und nach Geschlecht stratifizierte lineare Regressionsanalysen der Variablen physische Lebensqualität, psychische Lebensqualität, subjektive Gesundheit, Body-Mass-Index (BMI), Kopf-/muskuloskelettale Schmerzen sowie Herz-Kreislauf (HKL)-Erkrankung/Diabetes durchgeführt (n=15748).

Ergebnisse Die in der altersadjustierten Analyse festgestellten Unterschiede zwischen Männern und Frauen mit Migrationshintergrund und Männern und Frauen ohne Migrationshintergrund werden nach Berücksichtigung des SES und des gesundheitsbezogenen Verhaltens überwiegend kleiner. Die größte Erklärungskraft besitzt ein Migrationshintergrund für MigrantInnen aus Herkunftsländern mit einem im Vergleich zu Österreich niedrigeren ungleichheitsadjustierten Human Development Index (IHDI).

Schlussfolgerung Die Ergebnisse lassen darauf schließen, dass gesundheitliche Differenzen zwischen Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund und Menschen ohne Migrationshintergrund zwar nicht vollständig, jedoch zu einem großen Teil durch den SES und das gesundheitsbezogene Verhalten erklärbar sind. Allerdings scheinen für die Gesundheit von MigrantInnen aus Herkunftsländern mit einem im Vergleich zu Österreich niedrigeren Lebensstandard und einer vergleichsweise schwächer ausgeprägten Verteilungsgerechtigkeit weitere Faktoren eine Rolle zu spielen. Gesundheitliche Unterschiede zu Personen ohne Migrationshintergrund lassen sich bei dieser MigrantInnengruppe in vielen Bereichen nicht allein auf Unterschiede im SES und im gesundheitsbezogenen Verhalten zurückführen.
Parallel O(N) Stokes’ solver towards scalable Brownian dynamics of hydrodynamically interacting objects in general geometries
Authors: Zhao Xujun , Li Jiyuan , Jiang Xikai , Karpeev Dmitry , Heinonen Olle , Smith Barry , Hernandez-Ortiz Juan P. , de Pablo Juan J.
Published: July 2017

An efficient parallel Stokes’ solver has been developed for complete description of hydrodynamic interactions between Brownian particles in bulk and confined geometries. A Langevin description of the particle dynamics is adopted, where the long-range interactions are included using a Green’s function formalism. A scalable parallel computational approach is presented, where the general geometry Stokeslet is calculated following a matrix-free algorithm using the general geometry Ewald-like method. Our approach employs a highly efficient iterative finite-element Stokes’ solver for the accurate treatment of long-range hydrodynamic interactions in arbitrary confined geometries. A combination of mid-point time integration of the Brownian stochastic differential equation, the parallel Stokes’ solver, and a Chebyshev polynomial approximation for the fluctuation-dissipation theorem leads to an O(N) parallel algorithm. We illustrate the new algorithm in the context of the dynamics of confined polymer solutions under equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions. The method is then extended to treat suspended finite size particles of arbitrary shape in any geometry using an immersed boundary approach.
Dynamic strength, particle deformation, and fracture within fluids with impact-activated microstructures
Authors: Petel Oren E. , Ouellet Simon
Published: July 2017

The evolution of material strength within several dense particle suspensions impacted by a projectile is investigated and shown to be strongly dependent on the particle material in suspension. For stronger particles, such as silicon carbide, the shear strength of the fluid is shown to increase with the ballistic impact strength. For weaker particles, such as silica, the shear strength of the suspension is found to be independent of impact strength in this dynamic range of tests. A soft-capture technique is employed to collect ejecta samples of a silica-based shear thickening fluid, following a ballistic impact and penetration event. Ejecta samples that were collected from impacts at three different velocities are observed and compared to the benchmark particles using a Scanning Electron Microscope. The images show evidence of fractured and deformed silica particles recovered among the nominally 1 μm diameter monodisperse spheres. There is also evidence of particle fragments that appear to be the result of interparticle grinding. The trends observed in the shear strength estimates are interpreted with regards to the particle damage seen in the ejecta recovery experiments to develop a concept of the impact response of these fluids. The results suggest that particle slip through deformation is likely the dominant factor in limiting the transient impact strength of these fluids. Particularly, particle strength is important in the formation and collapse of dynamically jammed particle contact networks in the penetration process.
Slippery when stretched: New soft, stretchable material provides tunable wetting characteristics
Authors: Butvill Dave
Published: July 2017

Researchers have designed a soft, elastic material whose surface texture – and thus wetting properties – changes upon stretching and relaxing.
Generation of terahertz radiation by intense hollow Gaussian laser beam in magnetised plasma under relativistic-ponderomotive regime
Authors: Rawat Priyanka , Rawat Vinod , Gaur Bineet , Purohit Gunjan
Published: July 2017

This paper explores the self-focusing of hollow Gaussian laser beam (HGLB) in collisionless magnetized plasma and its effect on the generation of THz radiation in the presence of relativistic-ponderomotive nonlinearity. The relativistic change of electron mass and electron density perturbation due to the ponderomotive force leads to self-focusing of the laser beam in plasma. Nonlinear coupling between the intense HGLB and electron plasma wave leads to generation of THz radiation in plasma. Resonant excitation of THz radiation at different frequencies of laser and electron plasma wave satisfies proper phase matching conditions. Appropriate expressions for the beam width parameter of the laser beam and the electric vector of the THz wave have been evaluated under the paraxial-ray and Wentzel-Kramers Brillouin approximations. It is found that the yield of THz amplitude depends on the focusing behaviour of laser beam, magnetic field, and background electron density. Numerical simulations have been carried out to investigate the effect of laser and plasma parameters on self-focusing of the laser beam and further its effect on the efficiency of the generated THz radiation.
On energetic-particle excitations of low-frequency Alfvén eigenmodes in toroidal plasma
Authors: Chen Liu , Zonca Fulvio
Published: July 2017

It is well-known that, within the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) description, there exist two low-frequency Alfvén continuous spectra in toroidal plasma devices, such as tokamaks. The corresponding three accumulation frequencies are the beta-induced Alfvén eigenmode (BAE) frequency, the ion-sound wave (ISW) frequency, and the zero frequency accumulation point at vanishing parallel wave number, k∥ = 0. To form localized discrete eigenmodes, the plasma with a normal magnetic shear must be ideal MHD unstable. The zero-frequency branch then corresponds to the ideal MHD unstable discrete mode, while the BAE and ISW discrete eigenmode frequencies could be significantly shifted away from the respective accumulation frequencies. Energetic-particle (EP) effects can be analyzed and understood as an effective potential well via the generalized fishbone linear dispersion relation. In particular, it is demonstrated that, for an ideal MHD stable plasma, EPs could play the roles of both discretization and destabilization, and their effect is generally non-perturbative. The theoretical results further predict that EPs preferentially excite the BAE branch over the ISW branch. The zero-frequency branch, meanwhile, becomes the well-known fishbone dispersion relation, giving rise to energetic-particle modes. Extensions to the case of reversed magnetic shear as well as the kinetic effects will also be discussed.
Cytocompatible cell encapsulation via hydrogel photopolymerization in microfluidic emulsion droplets
Authors: Xia Bingzhao , Jiang Zhongliang , Debroy Daniel , Li Dongmei , Oakey John
Published: July 2017

Encapsulating cells within biocompatible materials is a widely pursued and promising element of tissue engineering and cell-based therapies. Recently, extensive interest in microfluidic-enabled cell encapsulation has emerged as a strategy to structure hydrogels and establish custom cellular microenvironments. In particular, it has been shown that the microfluidic-enabled photoencapsulation of cells within PEG diacrylate (PEGDA)-based microparticles can be performed cytocompatibly within gas-permeable, nitrogen-jacketed polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic devices, which mitigate the oxygen inhibition of radical chain growth photopolymerization. Compared to bulk polymerization, in which cells are suspended in a static hydrogel-forming solution during gelation, encapsulating cells via microfluidic processing exposes cells to a host of potentially deleterious stresses such as fluidic shear rate, transient oxygen depletion, elevated pressures, and UV exposure. In this work, we systematically examine the effects of these factors on the viability of cells that have been microfluidically photoencapsulated in PEGDA. It was found that the fluidic shear rate during microdroplet formation did not have a direct effect on cell viability, but the flow rate ratio of oil to aqueous solution would impart harmful effects to cells when a critical threshold was exceeded. The effects of UV exposure time and intensity on cells, however, are more complex, as they contribute unequally to the cumulative rate of peroxy radical generation, which is strongly correlated with cell viability. A reaction-diffusion model has been developed to calculate the cumulative peroxy radical concentration over a range of UV light intensity and radiation times, which was used to gain further quantitative understanding of experimental results. Conclusions drawn from this work provide a comprehensive guide to mitigate the physical and biochemical damage imparted to cells during microfluidic photoencapsulation and expands the potential for this technique.
In-situ kinetics study on the growth of expanded austenite in AISI 316L stainless steels by XRD
Authors: Balogh-Michels Zoltán , Faeht Alexander , Kleiner Simon , von Känel Adrian , Rufer Jean-Martin , Dommann Alex , Margraf Patrick , Tschopp Gerhard , Neels Antonia
Published: July 2017

The formation of expanded austenite in Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steels like AISI 316L is not completely understood despite its technological relevance. In this work, we present an in-situ X-ray diffraction study on the growth kinetics of the expanded austenite. We applied a low-temperature nitrocarburizing treatment using a mixture of NH3, N2, H2, and C2H4 gases at atmospheric pressures in a novel and custom built chamber attached to a Bruker D8 Advance diffractometer. The nitrocarburizing temperature was varied between 340 and 440 °C, and the possible effects of the gas amount were also tested. The thickness of the growing layer was determined from the shrinkage of the unmodified austenite peak. The growth rate coefficient was calculated using the linear-parabolic equation. The resulting coefficients follow the Arrhenius law with the activation energy of 165 ± 12 kJ/mol. This value is in good agreement with the diffusion activation energy for heavy interstitials like carbon and nitrogen. The expanded austenite peak was modelled by a multilayer approach, where each 0.5 μm sublayer has a constant lattice parameter. The lattice expansion is analyzed as a function of the Boltzmann-variable (η = 0.5 × t−1/2). The expanded austenite layer in this metric has a constant width. Furthermore by rescaling with the lattice expansion of the first sublayer, it is possible to create a scale-independent master curve. These findings indicate that thickening of the expanded austenite is purely diffusion controlled, while the extent of strain is set by the uptake rate of the gas atoms.
Strong terahertz emission by optical rectification of shaped laser pulse in transversely magnetized plasma
Authors: Singh Ram Kishor , Singh Monika , Rajouria Satish Kumar , Sharma R. P.
Published: July 2017

This communication presents a theoretical model for efficient terahertz (THz) radiation generation by the optical rectification of shaped laser pulse in transversely magnetised ripple density plasma. The laser beam imparts a nonlinear ponderomotive force to the electron and this force exerts a nonlinear velocity component in both transverse and axial directions which have spectral components in the THz range. These velocity components couple with the pre-existing density ripple and give rise to a strong nonlinear current density which drives the THz wave in the plasma. The THz yield increases with the increasing strength of the background magnetic field and the sensitivity depends on the ripple wave number. The emitted power is directly proportional to the square of the amplitude of the density ripple. For exact phase matching condition, the normalised power of the generated THz wave can be achieved of the order of 10−4.
Modulation-doped β-(Al0.2Ga0.8)2O3/Ga2O3 field-effect transistor
Authors: Krishnamoorthy Sriram , Xia Zhanbo , Joishi Chandan , Zhang Yuewei , McGlone Joe , Johnson Jared , Brenner Mark , Arehart Aaron R. , Hwang Jinwoo , Lodha Saurabh , Rajan Siddharth
Published: July 2017

Modulation-doped heterostructures are a key enabler for realizing high mobility and better scaling properties for high performance transistors. We report the realization of a modulation-doped two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the β-(Al0.2Ga0.8)2O3/Ga2O3 heterojunction by silicon delta doping. The formation of a 2DEG was confirmed using capacitance voltage measurements. A modulation-doped 2DEG channel was used to realize a modulation-doped field-effect transistor. The demonstration of modulation doping in the β-(Al0.2Ga0.8)2O3/Ga2O3 material system could enable heterojunction devices for high performance electronics.
Examination of nanosecond laser melting thresholds in refractory metals by shear wave acoustics
Authors: Abdullaev A. , Muminov B. , Rakhymzhanov A. , Mynbayev N. , Utegulov Z. N.
Published: July 2017

Nanosecond laser pulse-induced melting thresholds in refractory (Nb, Mo, Ta and W) metals are measured using detected laser-generated acoustic shear waves. Obtained melting threshold values were found to be scaled with corresponding melting point temperatures of investigated materials displaying dissimilar shearing behavior. The experiments were conducted with motorized control of the incident laser pulse energies with small and uniform energy increments to reach high measurement accuracy and real-time monitoring of the epicentral acoustic waveforms from the opposite side of irradiated sample plates. Measured results were found to be in good agreement with numerical finite element model solving coupled elastodynamic and thermal conduction governing equations on structured quadrilateral mesh. Solid-melt phase transition was handled by means of apparent heat capacity method. The onset of melting was attributed to vanished shear modulus and rapid radial molten pool propagation within laser-heated metal leading to preferential generation of transverse acoustic waves from sources surrounding the molten mass resulting in the delay of shear wave transit times. Developed laser-based technique aims for applications involving remote examination of rapid melting processes of materials present in harsh environment (e.g. spent nuclear fuels) with high spatio-temporal resolution.
Enhancement of spin-orbit torques in Ta/Co20Fe60B20/MgO structures induced by annealing
Authors: Zheng Yuqiang , Wang Tao , Su Xianpeng , Chen Yifei , Wang Ying , Lv Hua , Cardoso Susana , Yang Dezheng , Cao Jiangwei
Published: July 2017

Spin-orbit torques (SOTs) in Ta/CoFeB/MgO structures are studied by harmonic voltage method. The results indicate that both Slonczewski-like (HSL) and field-like (HFL) effective field are enhanced by annealing in the film stacks with various Ta thicknesses. Investigation of the crystallographic phase of the Ta layers and resistance of Hall bar devices suggest that annealing may induce a phase transformation in the Ta layers from the α to the β phase, which results in the enhanced HSL of the annealed samples. Current-induced magnetization switching experiments revealed a corresponding decrease of the switching current in the annealed samples because of their enhanced SOTs.
Native target chemistry during reactive dc magnetron sputtering studied by ex-situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Greczynski G. , Mráz S. , Schneider J. M. , Hultman L.
Published: July 2017

We report x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of native Ti target surface chemistry during magnetron sputtering in an Ar/N2 atmosphere. To avoid air exposure, the target is capped immediately after sputtering with a few-nm-thick Al overlayers; hence, information about the chemical state of target elements as a function of N2 partial pressure pN2 is preserved. Contrary to previous reports, which assume stoichiometric TiN formation, we present direct evidence, based on core-level XPS spectra and TRIDYN simulations, that the target surface is covered by TiNx with x varying in a wide range, from 0.27 to 1.18, depending on pN2. This has far-reaching consequences both for modelling of the reactive sputtering process and for everyday thin film growth where detailed knowledge of the target state is crucial.
Modeling Photovoltaic Performances of BTBPD-PC61BM System via Density Functional Theory Calculations
Authors: Zhao Cai-bin , Tang Zhi-hua , Guo Xiao-hua , Ge Hong-guang , Ma Jian-qi , Wang Wen-liang
Published: July 2017

Designing and fabricating high-performance photovoltaic devices have remained a major challenge in organic solar cell technologies. In this work, the photovoltaic performances of BTBPD-PC61BM system were theoretically investigated by means of density functional theory calculations coupled with the Marcus charge transfer model in order to seek novel photovoltaic systems. Moreover, the hole-transfer properties of BTBPD thin-film were also studied by an amorphous cell with 100 BTBPD molecules. Results revealed that the BTBPD-PC61BM system possessed a middle-sized open-circuit voltage of 0.70 V, large short-circuit current density of 16.874 mA/cm2, large fill factor of 0.846, and high power conversion efficiency of 10%. With the Marcus model, the charge-dissociation rate constant was predicted to be as fast as 3.079×1013 s−1 in the BTBPD-PC61BM interface, which was as 3–5 orders of magnitude large as the decay (radiative and non-radiative) rate constant (108 −1010 s−1), indicating very high charge-dissociation efficiency (∼100%) in the BTBPD-PC61BM system. Furthermore, by the molecular dynamics simulation, the hole mobility for BTBPD thin-film was predicted to be as high as 3.970×10−3 cm2V−1s−1, which can be attributed to its tight packing in solid state.
Diffusion of Formaldehyde on Rutile TiO2(110) Assisted by Surface Hydroxyl Groups
Authors: Guan Da-wei , Wang Rui-min , Jin Xian-chi , Dai Dong-xu , Ma Zhi-bo , Fan Hong-jun , Yang Xue-ming
Published: July 2017

As the photo-dissociation product of methanol on the TiO2 (110) surface, the diffusion and desorption processes of formaldehyde (HCHO) were investigated by using scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and density functional theory (DFT). The molecular-level images revealed the HCHO molecules could diffuse and desorb on the surface at 80 K under UV laser irradiation. The diffusion was found to be mediated by hydrogen adatoms nearby, which were produced from photodissociation of methanol. Diffusion of HCHO was significantly decreased when there was only one H adatom near the HCHO molecule. Furthermore, single HCHO molecule adsorbed on the bare TiO2(110) surface was quite stable, little photo-desorption was observed during laser irradiation. The mechanism of hydroxyl groups assisted diffusion of formaldehyde was also investigated using theoretical calculations.
Preparation of Organic Nanoacid Catalyst for Urethane Formation
Authors: Chen Zi-jian , Zhong Wei-qiang , Tang Dong-lin , Zhang Guang-zhao
Published: July 2017

Metal-free catalysts are preferred during these days in organic synthesis or in polymerizations. Sulfonic acid is reported to be efficient in catalyzing reactions between isocyanates and alcohols. In this work, synthesis of sulfonic acid immobilized organic nanoparticles (nanoacid) and its application in catalyzing urethane formation, are elaborated. The nanoacid can be simply prepared by miniemulsion polymerization with a reactive surfactant, namely sodium 4-((perfluoronon-8-en-1-yl)oxy)benzenesulfonate, followed by an acidification. From the images of scanning electron microscope, the nanoacid obtained is found to be narrowly dispersed and the average diameter is around 90 nm. The measured sulfur content is 0.5%, from which the content of sulfonic acid in the nanoparticles is calculated to be 0.16 mmol/g. When catalyzing urethane formation based on hexamethylene diisocyanate and n-butanol, the nanoacid catalyst exhibits considerable efficiency.
Synthesis of Higher Alcohols from Syngas over Alkali Promoted K-Co-Mo Catalysts Supported on Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Ji Li-li , Li Huan , Zhang Wei , Sun Song , Gao Chen , Bao Jun , Ma Yun-sheng
Published: July 2017

A series of carbon nanotubes-supported K-Co-Mo catalysts were prepared by a sol-gel method combined with incipient wetness impregnation. The catalyst structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption, transmission electron microscopy and H2-TPD, and its catalytic performance toward the synthesis of higher alcohols from syngas was investigated. The as-prepared catalyst particles had a low crystallization degree and high dispersion on the outer and inner surface of CNTs. The uniform mesoporous structure of CNTs increased the diffusion rate of reactants and products, thus promoting the reaction conversion. Furthermore, the incorporation of CNTs support led to a high capability of hydrogen absorption and spillover and promoted the formation of alkyl group, which served as the key intermediate for the alcohol formation and carbon chain growth. Benefiting from these characteristics, the CNTs supported Mo-based catalyst showed the excellent catalytic performance for the higher alcohols synthesis as compared to the unsupported catalyst and activated carbon supported catalyst.
Commercial equine production in New Zealand. 3. The racing and sport industries
Authors: Bolwell Charlotte F. , Rogers Chris W. , Gee Erica K. , Rosanowski Sarah M.
Published: July 2017

The present review examines the commercial production of racing and sport horses in New Zealand, describing the size and scope of the industries, the management and feeding, and the training and wastage of race (Thoroughbred and Standardbred) and sport horses. The number of horses per head of population in New Zealand (30/1000 people) is high by international standards and the main equine industries generate ~2% of national gross domestic product. In New Zealand the Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry dominates organised equestrian activity (economically and numerically). Furthermore, this Thoroughbred bias has an influence on equestrian culture and may explain, in part, the high proportion of Thoroughbred sport horses registered for eventing in New Zealand, which is in contrast to other international sport-horse populations. An understanding of the production, management and structure of the racing and sport industries in New Zealand is paramount to ensure the health and welfare of the equine athlete and the continuing success of the industries.
Frequency-specific directed interactions in the human brain network for language
Authors: Schoffelen Jan-Mathijs , Hultén Annika , Lam Nietzsche , Marquand André F. , Uddén Julia , Hagoort Peter
Published: July 2017

Significance

The brain’s remarkable capacity for language requires bidirectional interactions between functionally specialized brain regions. Although the functional role of individual regions in the brain network for language has been well studied, as of yet little is known about the mechanisms that facilitate the information exchange between these brain regions. In this paper we show that communication between language-relevant areas in the brain is supported by rhythmic neuronal synchronization and that different rhythms reflect the direction of information flow. These findings likely reflect a generic mechanism that allows for dynamic routing of information in a network of task-relevant brain regions during cognitive processing.
A multitude of “lishes”
Authors: Lambert James
Published: July 2017

The present paper deals with portmanteau terms based on the word English, the bulk of which form a varied and extensive nomenclature used to describe hybrids of the English language with other languages. A citation database of over 3,500 entries was created containing 510 separate terms dating from the early 20th century to mid-2016. These figures indicate a widespread interest in the ways in which English hybridises with other languages and becomes localised in various parts of the globe. The results also show a trend of continuing increase in the coining of such terms to be expected in an increasingly globalised world. However, to date there has been no exhaustive examination of names for English-language hybrids. The present paper examines these portmanteau terms with regard to semantics, etymology, history, frequency, and pronunciation, and presents an alphabetical table of the complete set of terms in the Appendix.
Which words are most iconic?
Authors: Winter Bodo , Perlman Marcus , Perry Lynn K. , Lupyan Gary
Published: July 2017

Some spoken words are iconic, exhibiting a resemblance between form and meaning. We used native speaker ratings to assess the iconicity of 3001 English words, analyzing their iconicity in relation to part-of-speech differences and differences between the sensory domain they relate to (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell). First, we replicated previous findings showing that onomatopoeia and interjections were highest in iconicity, followed by verbs and adjectives, and then nouns and grammatical words. We further show that words with meanings related to the senses are more iconic than words with abstract meanings. Moreover, iconicity is not distributed equally across sensory modalities: Auditory and tactile words tend to be more iconic than words denoting concepts related to taste, smell and sight. Last, we examined the relationship between iconicity (resemblance between form and meaning) and systematicity (statistical regularity between form and meaning). We find that iconicity in English words is more strongly related to sensory meanings than systematicity. Altogether, our results shed light on the extent and distribution of iconicity in modern English.
Multimodal-first or pantomime-first?
Authors: Zlatev Jordan , Wacewicz Sławomir , Zywiczynski Przemyslaw , van de Weijer Joost
Published: July 2017

A persistent controversy in language evolution research has been whether language emerged in the gestural-visual or in the vocal-auditory modality. A “dialectic” solution to this age-old debate has now been gaining ground: language was fully multimodal from the start and remains so to this day. In this paper, we show this solution to be too simplistic and outline a more specific theoretical proposal, which we designate as pantomime-first. To decide between the multimodal-first andpantomime-firstalternatives, we review several lines of interdisciplinary evidence and complement it with a cognitive-semiotic experiment. In the study, the participants saw – and then matched to hand-drawn images – recordings of short transitive events enacted by 4 actors in two conditions: visual (only body movement) and multimodal (body movement accompanied by nonlinguistic vocalization). Significantly, the matching accuracy was greater in the visual than the multimodal condition, though a follow-up experiment revealed that the emotional profiles of the events enacted in the multimodal condition could be reliably detected from the sound alone. We see these results as supporting the proposed pantomime-first scenario.
Dynamics of in vivo ASC speck formation
Authors: Kuri Paola , Schieber Nicole L. , Thumberger Thomas , Wittbrodt Joachim , Schwab Yannick , Leptin Maria
Published: July 2017

Activated danger or pathogen sensors trigger assembly of the inflammasome adaptor ASC into specks, large signaling platforms considered hallmarks of inflammasome activation. Because a lack of in vivo tools has prevented the study of endogenous ASC dynamics, we generated a live ASC reporter through CRISPR/Cas9 tagging of the endogenous gene in zebrafish. We see strong ASC expression in the skin and other epithelia that act as barriers to insult. A toxic stimulus triggered speck formation and rapid pyroptosis in keratinocytes in vivo. Macrophages engulfed and digested that speck-containing, pyroptotic debris. A three-dimensional, ultrastructural reconstruction, based on correlative light and electron microscopy of the in vivo assembled specks revealed a compact network of highly intercrossed filaments, whereas pyrin domain (PYD) or caspase activation and recruitment domain alone formed filamentous aggregates. The effector caspase is recruited through PYD, whose overexpression induced pyroptosis but only after substantial delay. Therefore, formation of a single, compact speck and rapid cell-death induction in vivo requires a full-length ASC.
Kunkel Lecture: Fundamental immunodeficiency and its correction
Authors: Nathan Carl
Published: July 2017

“Fundamental immunodeficiency” is the inability of the encoded immune system to protect an otherwise healthy host from every infection that could threaten its life. In contrast to primary immunodeficiencies, fundamental immunodeficiency is not rare but nearly universal. It results not from variation in a given host gene but from the rate and extent of variation in the genes of other organisms. The remedy for fundamental immunodeficiency is “adopted immunity,” not to be confused with adaptive or adoptive immunity. Adopted immunity arises from four critical societal contributions to the survival of the human species: sanitation, nutrition, vaccines, and antimicrobial agents. Immunologists have a great deal to contribute to the development of vaccines and antimicrobial agents, but they have focused chiefly on vaccines, and vaccinology is thriving. In contrast, the effect of antimicrobial agents in adopted immunity, although fundamental, is fragile and failing. Immunologists can aid the development of sorely needed antimicrobial agents, and the study of antimicrobial agents can help immunologists discover targets and mechanisms of host immunity.
Face functors for KLR algebras
Authors: McNamara Peter , Tingley Peter
Published: July 2017

Simple representations of KLR algebras can be used to realize the infinity crystal for the corresponding symmetrizable Kac-Moody algebra. It was recently shown that, in finite and affine types, certain sub-categories of “cuspidal” representations realize crystals for sub-Kac-Moody algebras. Here we put that observation on a firmer categorical footing by exhibiting a corresponding functor between the category of representations of the KLR algebra for the sub-Kac-Moody algebra and the category of cuspidal representations of the original KLR algebra.