bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remote monitoring of building oscillation modes by means of real-time Mid Infrared Digital Holography
Authors: Poggi Pasquale , Locatelli Massimiliano , Pugliese Eugenio , Delle Donne Dario , Lacanna Giorgio , Meucci Riccardo , Ripepe Maurizio
Published: April 2016

Non-destructive measurements of deformations are a quite common application of holography but due to the intrinsic limits in the interferometric technique, those are generally confined only to small targets and in controlled environment. Here we present an advanced technique, based on Mid Infrared Digital Holography (MIR DH), which works in outdoor conditions and provides remote and real-time information on the oscillation modes of large engineering structures. Thanks to the long wavelength of the laser radiation, large areas of buildings can be simultaneously mapped with sub-micrometric resolution in terms of their amplitude and frequency oscillation modes providing all the modal parameters vital for all the correct prevention strategies when the functionality and the health status of the structures have to be evaluated. The existing experimental techniques used to evaluate the fundamental modes of a structure are based either on seismometric sensors or on Ground-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (GbSAR). Such devices have both serious drawbacks, which prevent their application at a large scale or in the short term. We here demonstrate that the MIR DH based technique can fully overcome these limitations and has the potential to represent a breakthrough advance in the field of dynamic characterization of large structures.
Experimental investigation of the information entropic Bell inequality
Authors: Cao Lian-Zhen , Zhao Jia-Qiang , Liu Xia , Yang Yang , Li Ying-De , Wang Xiao-Qin , Chen Zeng-Bing , Lu Huai-Xin
Published: April 2016

Inequalities of information entropic play a fundamental role in information theory and have been employed effectively in finding bounds on optimal rates of various information-processing tasks. In this paper, we perform the first experimental demonstration of the information-theoretic spin-1/2 inequality using the high-fidelity entangled state. Furthermore, we study the evolution of information difference of entropy when photons passing through different noisy channels and give the experimental rules of the information difference degradation. Our work provides an new essential tool for quantum information processing and measurement and offers new insights into the dynamics of quantum correlation in open systems.
Genome-wide generation and use of informative intron-spanning and intron-length polymorphism markers for high-throughput genetic analysis in rice
Authors: Badoni Saurabh , Das Sweta , Sayal Yogesh K. , Gopalakrishnan S. , Singh Ashok K. , Rao Atmakuri R. , Agarwal Pinky , Parida Swarup K. , Tyagi Akhilesh K.
Published: April 2016

We developed genome-wide 84634 ISM (intron-spanning marker) and 16510 InDel-fragment length polymorphism-based ILP (intron-length polymorphism) markers from genes physically mapped on 12 rice chromosomes. These genic markers revealed much higher amplification-efficiency (80%) and polymorphic-potential (66%) among rice accessions even by a cost-effective agarose gel-based assay. A wider level of functional molecular diversity (17–79%) and well-defined precise admixed genetic structure was assayed by 3052 genome-wide markers in a structured population of indica, japonica, aromatic and wild rice. Six major grain weight QTLs (11.9–21.6% phenotypic variation explained) were mapped on five rice chromosomes of a high-density (inter-marker distance: 0.98 cM) genetic linkage map (IR 64 x Sonasal) anchored with 2785 known/candidate gene-derived ISM and ILP markers. The designing of multiple ISM and ILP markers (2 to 4 markers/gene) in an individual gene will broaden the user-preference to select suitable primer combination for efficient assaying of functional allelic variation/diversity and realistic estimation of differential gene expression profiles among rice accessions. The genomic information generated in our study is made publicly accessible through a user-friendly web-resource, “Oryza ISM-ILP marker” database. The known/candidate gene-derived ISM and ILP markers can be enormously deployed to identify functionally relevant trait-associated molecular tags by optimal-resource expenses, leading towards genomics-assisted crop improvement in rice.
Doxorubicin resistant cancer cells activate myeloid-derived suppressor cells by releasing PGE2
Authors: Rong Yuan , Yuan Chun-Hui , Qu Zhen , Zhou Hu , Guan Qing , Yang Na , Leng Xiao-Hua , Bu Lang , Wu Ke , Wang Fu-Bing
Published: April 2016

Chemotherapies often induce drug-resistance in cancer cells and simultaneously stimulate proliferation and activation of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs) to inhibit anti-tumor T cells, thus result in poor prognosis of patients with breast cancers. To date, the mechanism underlying the expansion of MDSCs in response to chemotherapies is poorly understood. In the present study, we used in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal studies to demonstrate that doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cells secret significantly more prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) than their parental doxorubicin-sensitive cells. The secreted PGE2 can stimulate expansion and polymerization of MDSCs by directly target to its receptors, EP2/EP4, on the surface of MDSCs, which consequently triggers production of miR-10a through activating PKA signaling. More importantly, activated MDSCs can inhibit CD4+CD25− T cells as evidenced by reduced proliferation and IFN-γ release. In order to determine the molecular pathway that involves miR-10a mediated activation of MDSCs, biochemical and pharmacological studies were carried out. We found that miR-10a can activate AMPK signaling to promote expansion and activation of MDSCs. Thus, these results reveal, for the first time, a novel role of PGE2/miR-10a/AMPK signaling axis in chemotherapy-induced immune resistance, which might be targeted for treatment of chemotherapy resistant tumors.
Metal - Insulator Transition Driven by Vacancy Ordering in GeSbTe Phase Change Materials
Authors: Bragaglia Valeria , Arciprete Fabrizio , Zhang Wei , Mio Antonio Massimiliano , Zallo Eugenio , Perumal Karthick , Giussani Alessandro , Cecchi Stefano , Boschker Jos Emiel , Riechert Henning , Privitera Stefania , Rimini Emanuele , Mazzarello Riccardo , Calarco Raffaella
Published: April 2016

Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are unique compounds employed in non-volatile random access memory thanks to the rapid and reversible transformation between the amorphous and crystalline state that display large differences in electrical and optical properties. In addition to the amorphous-to-crystalline transition, experimental results on polycrystalline GeSbTe alloys (GST) films evidenced a Metal-Insulator Transition (MIT) attributed to disorder in the crystalline phase. Here we report on a fundamental advance in the fabrication of GST with out-of-plane stacking of ordered vacancy layers by means of three distinct methods: Molecular Beam Epitaxy, thermal annealing and application of femtosecond laser pulses. We assess the degree of vacancy ordering and explicitly correlate it with the MIT. We further tune the ordering in a controlled fashion attaining a large range of resistivity. Employing ordered GST might allow the realization of cells with larger programming windows.
Applying Nanoscale Kirkendall Diffusion for Template-Free, Kilogram-Scale Production of SnO2 Hollow Nanospheres via Spray Drying System
Authors: Cho Jung Sang , Ju Hyeon Seok , Kang Yun Chan
Published: April 2016

A commercially applicable and simple process for the preparation of aggregation-free metal oxide hollow nanospheres is developed by applying nanoscale Kirkendall diffusion to a large-scale spray drying process. The precursor powders prepared by spray drying are transformed into homogeneous metal oxide hollow nanospheres through a simple post-treatment process. Aggregation-free SnO2hollow nanospheres are selected as the first target material for lithium ion storage applications. Amorphous carbon microspheres with uniformly dispersed Sn metal nanopowder are prepared in the first step of the post-treatment process under a reducing atmosphere. The post-treatment of the Sn-C composite powder at 500 °C under an air atmosphere produces carbon- and aggregation-free SnO2hollow nanospheres through nanoscale Kirkendall diffusion. The hollow and filled SnO2nanopowders exhibit different cycling performances, with their discharge capacities after 300 cycles being 643 and 280 mA h g−1, respectively, at a current density of 2 A g−1. The SnO2hollow nanospheres with high structural stability exhibit superior cycling and rate performances for lithium ion storage compared to the filled ones.
Identification of a major IP5 kinase in Cryptococcus neoformans confirms that PP-IP5/IP7, not IP6, is essential for virulence
Authors: Li Cecilia , Lev Sophie , Saiardi Adolfo , Desmarini Desmarini , Sorrell Tania C. , Djordjevic Julianne T.
Published: April 2016

Fungal inositol polyphosphate (IP) kinases catalyse phosphorylation of IP3 to inositol pyrophosphate, PP-IP5/IP7, which is essential for virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans. Cryptococcal Kcs1 converts IP6 to PP-IP5/IP7, but the kinase converting IP5 to IP6 is unknown. Deletion of a putative IP5 kinase-encoding gene (IPK1) alone (ipk1Δ) and in combination with KCS1 (ipk1Δkcs1Δ), profoundly reduced virulence in mice. However, deletion of KCS1 and IPK1 had a greater impact on virulence attenuation than that of IPK1 alone. ipk1Δkcs1Δ and kcs1Δ lung burdens were also lower than those of ipk1Δ. Unlike ipk1Δ, ipk1Δkcs1Δ and kcs1Δ failed to disseminate to the brain. IP profiling confirmed Ipk1 as the major IP5 kinase in C. neoformans: ipk1Δ produced no IP6 or PP-IP5/IP7 and, in contrast to ipk1Δkcs1Δ, accumulated IP5 and its pyrophosphorylated PP-IP4 derivative. Kcs1 is therefore a dual specificity (IP5 and IP6) kinase producing PP-IP4 and PP-IP5/IP7. All mutants were similarly attenuated in virulence phenotypes including laccase, urease and growth under oxidative/nitrosative stress. Alternative carbon source utilisation was also reduced significantly in all mutants except ipk1Δ, suggesting that PP-IP4 partially compensates for absent PP-IP5/IP7 in ipk1Δ grown under this condition. In conclusion, PP-IP5/IP7, not IP6, is essential for fungal virulence.
Forced transport of self-propelled particles in a two-dimensional separate channel
Authors: Wu Jian-chun , Ai Bao-quan
Published: April 2016

Transport of self-propelled particles in a two-dimensional (2D) separate channel is investigated in the presence of the combined forces. By applying an ac force, the particles will be trapped by the separate walls. A dc force produces the asymmetry of the system and induces the longitudinal directed transport. Due to the competition between self-propulsion and the combined external forces, the transport is sensitive to the self-propelled speed and the particle radius, thus one can separate the particles based on these properties.
A three-dimensional accordion-like metal–organic framework: synthesis and unconventional oriented growth on a surface
Authors: Haraguchi Tomoyuki , Otsubo Kazuya , Sakata Osami , Kawaguchi Shogo , Fujiwara Akihiko , Kitagawa Hiroshi
Published: April 2016

We describe the synthesis and thin film fabrication of a new metal–organic framework (MOF), Fe(H2O)2(bpy)[Pt(CN)4]·H2O (bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine), with a three-dimensional accordion-like structure.
Engineering the proton conductivity of metal–organic hybrid materials by varying the coordination mode of the ligand
Authors: Liu Bai-Ling , Zang Hong-Ying , Tan Hua-Qiao , Wang Yong-Hui , Li Yang-Guang
Published: April 2016

We report the adjustment of proton conductivity by varying the coordination mode of a ligand.
An investigation of the effect of carbon support on ruthenium/carbon catalysts for lactic acid and butanone hydrogenation
Authors: Jones Daniel R. , Iqbal Sarwat , Kondrat Simon A. , Lari Giacomo M. , Miedziak Peter J. , Morgan David J. , Parker Stewart F. , Hutchings Graham J.
Published: April 2016

A series of ruthenium catalysts supported on two different carbons were tested for the hydrogenation of lactic acid to 1,2-propanediol and butanone to 2-butanol.
Complexes of Group 2 dications with soft thioether- and selenoether-containing macrocycles
Authors: Levason William , Pugh David , Purkis Jamie M. , Reid Gillian
Published: April 2016

A new route to cationic complexes of Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba with 18-membered ring O4S2, O4Se2and O2S4donor macrocycles from metal acetonitrile complexes with weakly coordinating [BArF]−anions is described.
A UV-sensitive hydrogel based combinatory drug delivery chip (UV gel-Drug Chip) for cancer cocktail drug screening
Authors: Chen Ying-Ting , Goudar Venkanagouda S. , Wu Ren-Guei , Hsieh Hsin-Yi , Yang Chung-Shi , Chang Hwan-You , Lee Gwo-Bin , Ho Chih-Ming , Tseng Fan-Gang
Published: April 2016

Photosensitive PEGDA hydrogel based platform for high dynamic range testing of combinatorial cocktail drug screening by using FSC method for colon cancer.
Three dimensional manganese oxide on carbon nanotube hydrogels for asymmetric supercapacitors
Authors: Cheng Hanlin , Duong Hai M. , Jewell Daniel
Published: April 2016

Three dimensional manganese oxide on a CNT hydrogel has been developed with a satisfactory electrochemical performance.
Novel trinitroethanol derivatives: high energetic 2-(2,2,2-trinitroethoxy)-1,3,5-triazines
Authors: Gidaspov Alexander A. , Zalomlenkov Vladimir A. , Bakharev Vladimir V. , Parfenov Victor E. , Yurtaev Evgeniy V. , Struchkova Marina I. , Palysaeva Nadezhda V. , Suponitsky Kyrill Yu , Lempert David B. , Sheremetev Aleksei B.
Published: April 2016

The multicomponent reaction of 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine with potassium trinitromethane and trinitroethanol was exploited for the first synthesis of the hetaryl trinitroethyl ethers.
Edge agreement of multi‐agent system with quantised measurements via the directed edge Laplacian
Authors: Zeng Zhiwen , Wang Xiangke , Zheng Zhiqiang
Published: April 2016

This work explores the edge agreement problem of second‐order non‐linear multi‐agent systems under quantised measurements. Under the edge agreement framework, the authors introduce an important concept about the essential edge Laplacian and also obtain a reduced model of the edge agreement dynamics based on the spanning tree subgraph. The quantised edge agreement problem of second‐order non‐linear multi‐agent systems is studied, in which both uniform and logarithmic quantisers are considered. The authors do not only guarantee the stability of the proposed quantised control law, but also reveal the explicit mathematical connection of the quantised interval and the convergence properties for both uniform and logarithmic quantisers, which has not been addressed before. Particularly, for uniform quantisers, they provide the upper bound of the radius of the agreement neighborhood and indicate that the radius increases with the quantisation interval. While for logarithmic quantisers, the agents converge exponentially to the desired agreement equilibrium. In addition, the authors figure out the relationship of the quantisation interval and the convergence speed and also provide the estimates of the convergence rate. Finally, simulation results are given to verify the theoretical analysis.
Hybrid control of stochastic chaotic system based on memristive Lorenz system with discrete and distributed time‐varying delays
Authors: Zhang Bo , Deng Feiqi , Zhao Xueyan , Zhang Chaolong
Published: April 2016

This study investigates the problem of hybrid control of stochastic chaotic system based on memristive Lorenz system with discrete and distributed time‐varying delays. First of all, the stochastic switched chaotic system is proposed based on Lorenz system modelled by piecewise linear memristor. Then, a novel hybrid controller is designed and the criteria are established to guarantee that the trivial solution of the corresponding stochastic system is exponentially stable in mean square. Furthermore, a novel technique is proposed to handle the problem of the difference, which cannot be depicted directly by stochastic Newton–Leibniz formula, between two state values of different instants between which there may exist impulse instants. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the efficiency and feasibility of the presented method.
Efficient and high‐performance pedestrian detector implementation for intelligent vehicles
Authors: Said Yahia , Atri Mohamed
Published: April 2016

Human detection is exploited as a key operation in many applications such as automotive safety, intelligent vehicles, assisted living, and video surveillance. Consequently, there is a significant advancement in this area of research in the past years and a vast literature. In this study, the authors propose a pedestrian detection system which relies on sliding covariance matrix feature descriptor combined with a support vector machine classifier. The proposed framework is implemented onto field programmable gate array prototyping boards. Experimental results using the standard Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) pedestrian benchmark dataset show that the proposed architecture achieved outstanding processing performances with high detection accuracy when compared with state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Dynamics of restricted three and four vortices problem on the plane
Authors: Andrade J. , Boatto S. , Vidal C.
Published: April 2016

The dynamics of a test particle (a particle with zero vorticity) advected by the velocity field of N point-vortices with vorticities Γj,  j = 1, …N, is considered. Making an analogy with similar studies in celestial mechanics, we call such a study a “restricted N-vortex problem” or (N + 1)-vortex problem. In particular, we study and characterize the global planar dynamics of some restricted 3 and 4-vortex problems, as a function of the vorticities Γj of the vortices.
On overdamping phenomena in gyroscopic systems composed of high-loss and lossless components
Authors: Figotin Alexander , Welters Aaron
Published: April 2016

Using a Lagrangian framework, we study overdamping phenomena in gyroscopic systems composed of two components, one of which is highly lossy and the other is lossless. The losses are accounted by a Rayleigh dissipation function. As we have shown previously, for such a composite system, the modes split into two distinct classes, high-loss and low-loss, according to their dissipative behavior. A principal result of this paper is that for any such system, a rather universal phenomenon of selective overdamping occurs. Namely, first of all, the high-loss modes are all overdamped, i.e., non-oscillatory, as are an equal number of low-loss modes. Second of all, the rest of the low-loss modes remain oscillatory (i.e., the underdamped modes), each with an extremely high quality factor (Q-factor) that actually increases as the loss of the lossy component increases. We prove that selective overdamping is a generic phenomenon in Lagrangian systems with gyroscopic forces and gives an analysis of the overdamping phenomena in such systems. Moreover, using perturbation theory, we derive explicit formulas for upper bound estimates on the amount of loss required in the lossy component of the composite system for the selective overdamping to occur in the generic case and give Q-factor estimates for the underdamped modes. Central to the analysis is the introduction of the notion of a “dual” Lagrangian system and this yields significant improvements on some results on modal dichotomy and overdamping. The effectiveness of the theory developed here is demonstrated by applying it to an electric circuit with a gyrator element and a high-loss resistor.
Performance of indirectly driven capsule implosions on the National Ignition Facility using adiabat-shaping
Authors: Robey H. F. , Smalyuk V. A. , Milovich J. L. , Döppner T. , Casey D. T. , Baker K. L. , Peterson J. L. , Bachmann B. , Berzak Hopkins L. F. , Bond E. , Caggiano J. A. , Callahan D. A. , Celliers P. M. , Cerjan C. , Clark D. S. , Dixit S. N. , Edwards M. J. , Gharibyan N. , Haan S. W. , Hammel B. A. , Hamza A. V. , Hatarik R. , Hurricane O. A. , Jancaitis K. S. , Jones O. S. , Kerbel G. D. , Kroll J. J. , Lafortune K. N. , Landen O. L. , Ma T. , Marinak M. M. , MacGowan B. J. , MacPhee A. G. , Pak A. , Patel M. , Patel P. K. , Perkins L. J. , Sayre D. B. , Sepke S. M. , Spears B. K. , Tommasini R. , Weber C. R. , Widmayer C. C. , Yeamans C. , Giraldez E. , Hoover D. , Nikroo A. , Hohenberger M. , Gatu Johnson M.
Published: April 2016

A series of indirectly driven capsule implosions has been performed on the National Ignition Facility to assess the relative contributions of ablation-front instability growth vs. fuel compression on implosion performance. Laser pulse shapes for both low and high-foot pulses were modified to vary ablation-front growth and fuel adiabat, separately and controllably. Three principal conclusions are drawn from this study: (1) It is shown that reducing ablation-front instability growth in low-foot implosions results in a substantial (3-10X) increase in neutron yield with no loss of fuel compression. (2) It is shown that reducing the fuel adiabat in high-foot implosions results in a significant (36%) increase in fuel compression together with a small (10%) increase in neutron yield. (3) Increased electron preheat at higher laser power in high-foot implosions, however, appears to offset the gain in compression achieved by adiabat-shaping at lower power. These results taken collectively bridge the space between the higher compression low-foot results and the higher yield high-foot results.
A novel model for calculating the inter-electrode capacitance of wedge-strip anode
Authors: Zhao Airong , Ni Qiliang
Published: April 2016

The wedge strip anode (WSA) detector has been widely used in particle detection. In this work, a novel model for calculating the inter-electrode capacitance of WSA was proposed on the basis of conformal transformations and the partial capacitance method. Based on the model, the inter-electrode capacitance within a period was calculated besides the total inter-electrode capacitance. As a result, the effects of the WSA design parameters on the inter-electrode capacitance are systematically analyzed. It is found that the inter-electrode capacitance monotonically increases with insulated gap and substrate permittivity but not with the period. In order to prove the validation of the model, two round WSAs were manufactured by employing the picosecond laser micro-machining technology. It is found that 9%–15% errors between the theoretical and experimental results can be obtained, which is better than that obtained by employing ANSYS software.
Enhancing magnetoelectric effect in multiferroic composite bilayers via flexoelectricity
Authors: Zhang Chunli , Zhang Lingli , Shen Xudong , Chen Weiqiu
Published: April 2016

We employ the flexoelectricity to enhance the magnetoelectric (ME) (coupling) effect in multiferroic (MF) composites and structures. An analytical model is presented to predict the ME effect in a MF composite bilayer consisting of piezomagnetic and piezoelectric layers. The flexoelectric effect in the piezoelectric layer is taken into account. The static ME effect in the MF composite bilayer with free boundary conditions is investigated. The results indicate that flexoelectricity can dramatically enhance the ME effect in multiferroic composites and structures.
Null polarimetry near shot noise limit at 1 Hz
Authors: He Dechao , Xie Boya , Feng Sheng
Published: April 2016

We describe the principle and report on the realization of a null polarimeter with two demonstrated features: (1) the sensitivity of the system is near shot noise limit and (2) quasi-stationary signals at 1 Hz can be measured without signal modulation. The achieved single-pass sensitivity is 7 × 10−9 rad/Hz with a pair of Glan-Taylor polarizers, which should be of great interest for experiments such as observation of vacuum magnetic birefringence and search for new particles. The system is brought near its shot noise limit by appropriate polarization control and coherent heterodyne detection of light, resulting in a sensitivity improvement by two orders of magnitude in comparison with the case of no control on light polarization.
Spectroscopic ellipsometry-based study of optical properties of amorphous and crystalline ZnSnO alloys and Zn2SnO4 thin films grown using sputtering deposition: Dielectric function and subgap states
Authors: Ko Kun Hee , So Hyeon Seob , Jung Dae Ho , Park Jun Woo , Lee Hosun
Published: April 2016

We investigated the optical properties of amorphous and crystalline zinc tin oxide (ZTO) thin films grown on SiO2/Si substrates with varying compositions via a co-sputtering deposition method at room temperature. The co-sputtering targets consist of SnO2 and ZnO. By varying the relative power ratio of the two targets, we demonstrate the ability to control the Sn and Zn composition of the resulting ZTO thin films. The ratio of [Sn]/([Sn] + [Zn]) atomic compositions was estimated at 11%, 29%, 42%, 54%, and 60%. Using a 600 °C annealing process, the as-grown amorphous ZTO films were transformed into crystalline ZTO films. The dielectric functions were obtained based on the measured ellipsometric angles, ψ and Δ. We determined the dielectric functions, absorption coefficients, and optical gap energies of ZTO thin films with varying compositions. The dielectric functions, absorption coefficients, and optical gap energies of amorphous and crystalline Zn2SnO4 thin films were obtained at 29 at. % of Sn. Subgap states at 1.6 eV (A) and 2.8 eV (B) of ZnSnO alloys and Zn2SnO4 films were found in the imaginary part of the dielectric function spectra. The subgap state intensities were reduced via a nitrogen gas annealing. Possible origins of the observed subgap states will be discussed.
High pressure-assisted transfer of ultraclean chemical vapor deposited graphene
Authors: Chen Zhiying , Ge Xiaoming , Zhang Haoran , Zhang Yanhui , Sui Yanping , Yu Guanghui , Jin Zhi , Liu Xinyu
Published: April 2016

We develop a high pressure-assisted (approximately 1000 kPa) transfer method to remove polymer residues and effectively reduce damages on the surface of graphene. By introducing an ethanol pre-dehydration technique and optimizing temperature, the graphene surface becomes nearly free of residues, and the quality of graphene is improved obviously when temperature reaches 140 °C. The graphene obtained using the high pressure-assisted transfer method also exhibits excellent electrical properties with an average sheet resistance of approximately 290 Ω/sq and a mobility of 1210 cm2/V·s at room temperature. Sheet resistance and mobility are considerably improved compared with those of the graphene obtained using the normal wet transfer method (average sheet resistance of approximately 510 ohm/sq and mobility of 750 cm2/V·s).
Using electric pulse and laser to trigger a sharp and nonvolatile change of lateral photovoltage in nano-carbon film
Authors: Gan Zhikai , Zhou Peiqi , Huang Xu , Mei Chunlian , Zhang Ke , Wang Hui
Published: April 2016

A greatly enhanced lateral photovoltage (LPV) triggered by electric pulse has been observed in nano-carbon oxide semiconductor (COS) structures. The original maximal output signal of lateral photovoltage achieved in these structures is 9.8 mV. However, by combining the application of a 60 V voltage pulse with laser illumination, the LPV can reach a very high value of 183 mV and the change ratio after 60 V pulse is nearly 1800%. In addition, the states of these light and electric-pulse triggered COSs are permanently changed, showing a non-volatile characteristic. We attribute this phenomenon to the trapping effect of stimulated electrons in COSs. The work suggests an approach for tailoring LPV-based devices by electric pulse and will be useful for the development of electric pulse modulated photodetectors.
Low amplified spontaneous emission threshold and suppression of electroluminescence efficiency roll-off in layers doped with ter(9,9′-spirobifluorene)
Authors: Inoue Munetomo , Matsushima Toshinori , Adachi Chihaya
Published: April 2016

We demonstrate that ter(9,9′-spirobifluorene) (TSBF) doped in a host matrix layer of 4,4′-bis(carbazol-9-yl)biphenyl (CBP) shows a low amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) threshold (Eth = 1.0 μJ cm−2) and suppressed electroluminescence efficiency roll-off at high current densities (no roll-off up to 100 mA cm−2). One origin of the low ASE threshold is that the TSBF-doped CBP layer possesses a very large radiative decay constant (kr = 1.1 × 109 s−1). Singlet–triplet annihilation is almost suppressed in the TSBF-doped CBP layer, which can be ascribed to the small overlap between the emission and triplet absorption of TSBF. Also, the small energy level difference between TSBF and CBP minimizes carrier trapping in TSBF, leading to the suppression of singlet–polaron annihilation. TSBF showed one of the lowest Eth and the most suppressed efficiency roll-off among organic laser dyes investigated in this study and, therefore, is believed to be a promising candidate to realize electrically pumped organic semiconductor laser diodes in the future.
Reactor conversions need time, not more money
Authors: Kramer David
Published: April 2016

DOE says it will be 2032 before highly enriched uranium is supplanted in all US research reactors.
Does the whale shark aggregate along the Western Australian coastline beyond Ningaloo Reef?
Authors: Norman Bradley M. , Reynolds Samantha , Morgan David L.
Published: April 2016

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) seasonally aggregate at Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef in the austral autumn and winter, but their occurrence beyond this region during spring and summer remains elusive. The aggregation at Ningaloo Reef coincides with a pulse of productivity following mass coral spawning in early autumn, with the population during this period dominated by juveniles that amass for feeding purposes. To investigate their movement patterns beyond Ningaloo Reef, whale sharks were fitted with SPOT (n = 13) or SPLASH (n = 1) tags between April and September (2010–14). Tagged whale sharks ranged in total length from 3 to 9 m. Each whale shark was also photographed for its subsequent identification using Wildbook for Whale Sharks, and their years of residency at Ningaloo Reef determined. Temporal and spatial observations of whale shark sightings were also determined through the conducting of interviews with people throughout 14 coastal towns along the Western Australian coastline, as well as through historical sightings and the Wildbook database. Satellite tracking revealed that all sharks remained relatively close to the Western Australian coast, travelling a mean minimum distance of 1667 (±316, s.e.) km. Public reports, coupled with satellite tracking, demonstrated that whale sharks inhabit most of the Western Australian coast (from 35°S to 12°S), and that seasonal migrations beyond Ningaloo Reef may be to the north or south and may similarly be associated with areas of increased productivity.
Twist-open mechanism of DNA damage recognition by the Rad4/XPC nucleotide excision repair complex
Authors: Velmurugu Yogambigai , Chen Xuejing , Slogoff Sevilla Phillip , Min Jung-Hyun , Ansari Anjum
Published: April 2016

Significance

Impairment of global genome nucleotide excision repair (NER) leads to extreme sun sensitivity and predisposition to cancers. The xeroderma pigmentosum C (XPC) complex senses diverse environmentally induced DNA lesions from predominantly normal DNA, and initiates NER by recruiting downstream factors. Using unique fluorescent approaches, this study unveils previously unresolved DNA dynamics during lesion recognition by radiation-sensitive 4 (Rad4; yeast XPC ortholog) and demonstrates that Rad4 nonspecifically deforms (“twists”) the DNA before specifically recognizing (“opening”) target lesions. These results mark the first observation, to our knowledge, of DNA distortional dynamics that reflect a nonspecific search/interrogation process by a DNA repair protein that relies entirely on DNA deformability to recognize its lesions, and provides keys to understanding the protein’s ability to search rapidly and yet also reliably recognize diverse lesions.
Molecular basis for universal HLA-A*0201–restricted CD8
+
T-cell immunity against influenza viruses
Authors: Valkenburg Sophie A. , Josephs Tracy M. , Clemens E. Bridie , Grant Emma J. , Nguyen Thi H. O. , Wang George C. , Price David A. , Miller Adrian , Tong Steven Y. C. , Thomas Paul G. , Doherty Peter C. , Rossjohn Jamie , Gras Stephanie , Kedzierska Katherine
Published: April 2016

Significance

Influenza is a rapidly spreading acute respiratory infection that causes profound morbidity and mortality. Established CD8
+
T-lymphocyte (CTL) immunity directed at conserved viral regions provides protection against distinct influenza A viruses (IAVs). In this study, we show that public T-cell receptors (TCRs) specific for the most prominent human CTL epitope (M1
58–66
restricted by HLA-A*0201) are capable of recognizing sporadically emerging variant IAVs. We also identify the structural mechanisms that enable promiscuous TCR recognition in this context. Our analysis suggests that preexisting cross-reactive TCRs may limit the spread of newly emerging pandemic IAVs.
The translatability into Italian of the German stance marking modal particles wohl, eben and ja
Authors: Weerning Marion
Published: April 2016

Contrary to Italian and many other languages, German has a linguistic means to mark the speaker’s stance: the so-called modal particles, such as wohl, eben and ja. This paper examines their occurrence in a German novel and their possible translations in its Italian version. It analyses their complex meaning arising from the intertwined relations between speaker – hearer – state of affairs as the three key entities of stance they mark and the textual or situational context, concluding that they have only covert epistemic and evidential features. This cross-linguistic analysis proves that it is impossible not only to translate them, but also to draw a clear borderline between epistemicity and evidentiality.
Use of a Structured Approach to the Analysis of Management Options and Value of Information for a Recreationally Exploited Fish Population: A Case Study of Walleyes in Saginaw Bay
Authors: Fielder David G. , Jones Michael L. , Bence James R.
Published: April 2016

Saginaw Bay Walleyes Sander vitreus contribute to fisheries throughout Lake Huron including a recreational fishery and by-kill stemming from the state-licensed commercial fishery in the bay. Two critical uncertain states of nature exist concerning the true magnitude (catchability) of the by-kill and the future of Alewives Alosa pseudoharengus in Lake Huron, the latter being a strong determinant of Walleye recruitment. After consulting with fishery managers, a stochastic simulation model was developed and used to evaluate management options for the recreational fishery in the form of a decision analysis and the value of information for improved estimates of by-kill magnitude. Decision analysis sought to identify the maximum sustainable recreational harvest. Sustainable harvest was defined as the average across 250 stochastic simulations for each management option considered while penalizing any simulation year with a value of zero if sustainability criteria were exceeded. Decision analysis indicated that sustainable harvest would be maximized if recreational fishing mortality were increased 50% from recent levels. Realizing this potential, however, would require more intensive management to ensure that desired levels of fishing mortality occurred. Choices by managers for allocating surplus harvest are a matter of policy, but concerns over maintaining predation pressure on Alewives to suppress their resurgence may be reasons to manage conservatively by electing instead to maintain a higher predator abundance. The value of information analysis revealed that the improvement in the recreational fishery warrants investment in further research on the uncertainty over by-kill catchability.

Received June 25, 2015; accepted November 20, 2015 Published online March 31, 2016
Spawn Timing and Redd Morphology of Anadromous Coastal Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii in a Tributary of South Puget Sound, Washington
Authors: Losee James P. , Phillips Larry , Young William C.
Published: April 2016

Spawn timing information for Coastal Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii is typically limited to counts of adult fish at traps and tagging studies based on few samples. These types of data have suggested a protracted spawning period that occurs between November and March. We sought to determine the spawn timing and describe the redd morphology of anadromous Coastal Cutthroat Trout in a typical coastal stream of southern Puget Sound, Washington. Skookum Creek was surveyed for live and dead Coastal Cutthroat Trout and redds once weekly from early October to early June during six spawning season (2008–2014). In total, 148 live adults and 544 redds were observed. The timing of redd construction was highly variable among years, with 50% of redd detections occurring by as early as February 13 or as late as April 27. Measurements were collected from individual redds to describe redd morphology and the habitat type utilized by spawning Coastal Cutthroat Trout. Redds were typically found in substrate composed of small gravel (1.3–3.8 cm) and large gravel (3.8–7.6 cm) and in water with an average velocity of 0.60 m/s. The pit within redds averaged 0.43 m wide × 0.48 m long. Information from this study may provide new insights that will allow fisheries managers to begin developing a species-specific approach to monitoring anadromous Coastal Cutthroat Trout.

Received July 2, 2015; accepted December 2, 2015 Published online March 31, 2016
Characterization of NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase isozymes from a psychrophilic bacterium, Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H
Authors: Suzuki Kaori , Takada Yasuhiro
Published: April 2016

NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) isozymes of a psychrophilic bacterium, Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H, were characterized. The coexistence of monomeric and homodimeric IDHs in this bacterium was confirmed by Western blot analysis, the genes encoding two monomeric (IDH-IIa and IDH-IIb) and one dimeric (IDH-I) IDHs were cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the three IDH proteins were purified. Both of the purified IDH-IIa and IDH-IIb were found to be cold-adapted enzymes while the purified IDH-I showed mesophilic properties. However, the specific activities of IDH-IIa and IDH-IIb were lower even at low temperatures than that of IDH-I. Therefore, IDH-I was suggested to be important for the growth of this bacterium. The results of colony formation of E. coli transformants carrying the respective IDH genes and IDH activities in their crude extracts indicated that the expression of the IDH-IIa gene is cold-inducible in the E. coli cells.
Metabolic abnormalities induced by mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle of the renal carcinoma Eker (TSC2+/−) rat model
Authors: Aizawa Yumi , Shirai Tomomi , Kobayashi Toshiyuki , Hino Okio , Tsujii Yoshimasa , Inoue Hirofumi , Kazami Machiko , Tadokoro Tadahiro , Suzuki Tsukasa , Kobayashi Ken-Ichi , Yamamoto Yuji
Published: April 2016

Tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) is a mediator of insulin signal transduction, and a loss of function in TSC2 induces hyperactivation of mTORC1 pathway, which leads to tumorigenesis. We have previously demonstrated that Eker rat model, which is heterozygous for a TSC2 mutation, exhibits hyperglycemia and hyperketonemia. The present study was to investigate whether these changes also can affect metabolism in skeletal muscle of the Eker rat. Wild-type (TSC2+/+) and Eker (TSC2+/−) rats underwent an oral glucose tolerance test, and the latter showed decrease in whole-body glucose utilization. Additionally, reductions in the expression of glycolysis-, lipolysis-, and ketone body-related genes in skeletal muscle were observed in Eker rats. Furthermore, ATP content and mitochondrial DNA copy number were lower in skeletal muscle of Eker rats. These data demonstrate that heterozygous to mutation TSC2 not only affects the liver metabolism, but also skeletal muscle metabolism, via mitochondrial dysfunction.
The role of think tanks in influencing policy-making in Israel
Authors: Din Heba Gamal El
Published: April 2016

This paper examines the emergence and role of research think tanks in Israel, particularly with regard to their influence on policy-making. The establishment of the first think tanks coincided with the founding of the state, with their numbers increasing since the 1990s. This paper attempts to map these Israeli think tanks, which are classified under four categories: government, private or independent think tanks, political party think tanks, and academic think tanks (‘universities without students’). The paper is divided into two themes. The first considers the core issues of their interest against the existence of these think tanks in the Israeli parliamentary political system. The second applies both the quantitative and the qualitative features of these think tanks in an attempt to discover the extent of their influence within the process of decision-making in Israel.
Arab contemporary political thought: secularist or theologist?
Authors: Corm Georges
Published: April 2016

This paper constitutes an attempt to show the large diversity of Arab culture and the various stages through which Arab political thought has developed since the reign of Muhammad Ali in Egypt in the early 19th century up to the present. This panorama of the various schools of political thought shows the impact of the constantly changing geopolitical environment on Arab thinkers. It also shows that essentialist attempts to analyze and grasp the ‘Arab mind’ through a single factor and, namely, through the structure of Muslim theology and laws (sharia) are not successful and lead to impoverishing the richness of both Arab culture and political thought.
Core fusion power gain and alpha heating in JET, TFTR, and ITER
Authors: Budny R.V. , Cordey J.G.
Published: April 2016

Profiles of the ratio of fusion power and the auxiliary heating power q

DT
are calculated for the TFTR and JET discharges with the highest neutron emission rates, and are predicted for ITER. Core values above 1.3 for JET and 0.8 for TFTR are obtained. Values above 20 are predicted for ITER baseline plasmas.
calendar, Roman
Authors: Rüpke Jörg
Published: April 2016

The Roman calendar developed from a group of Italian luni-solar calendars into a purely solar calendar at the end of the 4th century bce in the context of a political and juridical codification. The resulting graphic form of the fasti was unique in its documentation of all the days of the year. At Rome, it served as a frame for religious and historical data. The complex form of intercalation was reduced by C. Iulius Caesar to a single day, fixing new length of months and establishing a stable relationship with astronomic phenomena. In this shape, and stripped from its urban contents to a technical and emperor-related instrument, it served as a universal point of reference, into which all local calendars made themselves translatable. Despite its many religious associations, it thus survived into Christian Late Antiquity and into today’s widespread “Gregorian calendar.”
Cassiodorus, Roman magistrate, author of political and religious works, c. 485–c. 580 CE
Authors: Bjornlie M. Shane
Published: April 2016

Cassiodorus was a prominent participant in the political, intellectual, and religious life of 6th-century ce Italy, and a learned scholar of the classical and Christian traditions. As a member of the administration of the Gothic government under Theoderic and his successors, he advanced through what may be considered the late-Roman cursus honorum. He was also witness to the dramatic political and religious debates of the day, including volatile interactions between the royal court at Ravenna, the Senate at Rome, and the emperor in Constantinople. Justinian’s Gothic War in Italy effectively ended his political career, after which he first became an exile in Constantinople, and then the founder of a school for Christian learning (Vivarium) on his ancestral estates in southern Italy. The literary works that he produced span the spectrum of his personal experiences and attest to the intellectual and cultural range of people living during the 6th century: panegyrics, a chronicle, ethnography, letters, treatises on reading, grammars, Christian exegesis, and ecclesiastical history.
clocks
Authors: Hannah Robert
Published: April 2016

Time, or the passage of time, was told through a variety of means in antiquity—via one’s own body, through the actual or calculated movement of celestial bodies (sun, moon, and stars), and by means of artificial instruments, including sundials, water clocks, and various forms of timers. While the natural or built environments could provide large-scale, immobile backdrops to aid with telling the time, there were also miniature instruments that could be carried by hand around the known world with remarkable confidence in their accuracy. And while the simplest form of timing might be provided by one’s own body—such as through its hunger or its shadow—there were also artificial mechanisms of such extraordinary ingenuity and complexity that their like would not be seen for another millennium, and whose remains still elude complete explanation.
diagnosis
Authors: King Daniel
Published: April 2016

Diagnosis is the complex process of recognising and explaining a patient's symptoms and diseases, which combines assumptions about scientific knowledge, cultural understandings of the body, and social interaction between doctors and patients. Across the ancient world, a number of different approaches to diagnosis emerged. Most famously, within the Hippocratic Corpus a naturalistic understanding of illness was championed, which promoted close observation of both symptoms and contextual data to differentiate between various diseases and explain their origins. Later periods saw the emergence of new techniques for examining the body, especially the examination of the pulse and urine. These were themselves predicated on increasingly precise understandings of human anatomy. Simultaneously, different medical approaches—promoted by Empiricists and Methodists—adopted distinct approaches to both the causal explanation of diseases as well as the process of examining the symptoms and signs of disease, which underpinned different practices of diagnosis.