bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevention of Dielectric Breakdown of Nanopore Membranes by Charge Neutralization
Authors: Matsui Kazuma , Yanagi Itaru , Goto Yusuke , Takeda Ken-ichi
Published: December 2015

To achieve DNA sequencing using a solid-state nanopore, it is necessary to reduce the electric noise current. The noise current can be decreased by reducing the capacitance (C) of the nanopore device. However, we found that an electric-charge difference (ΔQ) between the electrolyte in one chamber and the electrolyte in another chamber occurred. For low capacitance devices, this electric-charge imbalance can lead to unexpectedly high voltage (ΔV = ΔQ/C) which disrupted the membrane when the two electrolytes were independently poured into the chambers. We elucidated the mechanism for the generation of initial defects and established new procedures for preventing the generation of defects by connecting an electric bypass between the chambers.
Variance-corrected Michaelis-Menten equation predicts transient rates of single-enzyme reactions and response times in bacterial gene-regulation
Authors: Pulkkinen Otto , Metzler Ralf
Published: December 2015

Many chemical reactions in biological cells occur at very low concentrations of constituent molecules. Thus, transcriptional gene-regulation is often controlled by poorly expressed transcription-factors, such as E.coli lac repressor with few tens of copies. Here we study the effects of inherent concentration fluctuations of substrate-molecules on the seminal Michaelis-Menten scheme of biochemical reactions. We present a universal correction to the Michaelis-Menten equation for the reaction-rates. The relevance and validity of this correction for enzymatic reactions and intracellular gene-regulation is demonstrated. Our analytical theory and simulation results confirm that the proposed variance-corrected Michaelis-Menten equation predicts the rate of reactions with remarkable accuracy even in the presence of large non-equilibrium concentration fluctuations. The major advantage of our approach is that it involves only the mean and variance of the substrate-molecule concentration. Our theory is therefore accessible to experiments and not specific to the exact source of the concentration fluctuations.
Busulfan and cyclosphamide induce liver inflammation through NLRP3 activation in mice after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Qiao Jianlin , Huang Yujin , Xia Yuan , Chu Peipei , Yao Haina , Xu Linyan , Qi Kunming , Liu Yun , Xu Kailin , Zeng Lingyu
Published: December 2015

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of NLRP3 inflammasome on BU/CY-induced liver inflammation in mice after HSCT. HSCT mice model was established through infusion of 5 × 106 bone marrow mononuclear cells after conditioned with BU/CY. On day 7, 14, 21 and 28 after HSCT, mice were sacrificed for analysis of liver inflammation, cytokine secretion, NLRP3 expression and caspase-1 activation as well as release of ATP and high-mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1). Furthermore, NLRP3 selective inhibitor (BAY 11-7082) was administrated into mice after HSCT to evaluate its effects on liver inflammation. Severe liver inflammation and damage with elevated secretion of IL-1β and IL-18 were found in mice after HSCT. Meanwhile, elevated expressions of NLRP3 and caspase-1 activation in liver were found. In addition, increased release of ATP and HMGB1 were observed. Selective inhibition of NLRP3 decreased caspase-1 activation and secretion of IL-1β and IL-18. Furthermore, NLRP3 inhibition also reduced infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils and improved liver function. In conclusion, NLRP3 was involved in BU/CY-induced liver inflammation after HSCT and selectively inhibited it ameliorated liver inflammation and improved liver function, suggesting targeting NLRP3 might be a new approach in the prophylaxis of liver inflammation after HSCT.
Muscle networks: Connectivity analysis of EMG activity during postural control
Authors: Boonstra Tjeerd W. , Danna-Dos-Santos Alessander , Xie Hong-Bo , Roerdink Melvyn , Stins John F. , Breakspear Michael
Published: December 2015

Understanding the mechanisms that reduce the many degrees of freedom in the musculoskeletal system remains an outstanding challenge. Muscle synergies reduce the dimensionality and hence simplify the control problem. How this is achieved is not yet known. Here we use network theory to assess the coordination between multiple muscles and to elucidate the neural implementation of muscle synergies. We performed connectivity analysis of surface EMG from ten leg muscles to extract the muscle networks while human participants were standing upright in four different conditions. We observed widespread connectivity between muscles at multiple distinct frequency bands. The network topology differed significantly between frequencies and between conditions. These findings demonstrate how muscle networks can be used to investigate the neural circuitry of motor coordination. The presence of disparate muscle networks across frequencies suggests that the neuromuscular system is organized into a multiplex network allowing for parallel and hierarchical control structures.
Substrate specificity, kinetic properties and inhibition by fumonisin B1 of ceramide synthase isoforms from Arabidopsis
Authors: Luttgeharm Kyle D. , Cahoon Edgar B. , Markham Jonathan E.
Published: December 2015

Ceramides are organizing components of sphingolipids in the eukaryotic cell. Three ceramide synthase isoforms are found in Arabidopsis thaliana each with specific substrate preferences and sensitivity to inhibitors and activators.
Vocabulary Skills of Spanish-English Speaking Elementary Students: A Pilot Study
Authors: Brice Alejandro , Leung Cynthia , Gorman Brenda K.
Published: December 2015

Introduction

Bilingualism is the norm worldwide. Despite the fact that nearly one in five individuals (17.9%; U.S. Census Bureau, 2007) speaks another language other than English in the home, knowledge regarding the nature of bilingualism and school performance, particularly vocabulary skills in bilingual children, is still needed.

Purpose

This study investigated vocabulary skills of bilingual, Spanish-English speaking students enrolled in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades.

Methods

Fifteen Spanish-English speaking students were administered English and Spanish receptive and expressive vocabulary measures. Total conceptual vocabulary scores were also obtained for both the English and Spanish measures.

Results

Results indicated significant differences for 3rd and 5th grade groups on the Spanish expressive vocabulary measure and also on the expressive total conceptual vocabulary measure.

Conclusions

The bilingual students, although the majority had been mainstreamed and exited from ESOL classes and services, appeared to be still acquiring English vocabulary skills and may have not attained complete cognitive academic English language proficiencies. Therefore, it is possible that incomplete vocabulary skills may affect overall academic language skills and overall academic performance. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) must strive to maintain native language skills that facilitate reading comprehension and English academic success.
Spanish for the Audiologist: Is There an App for That?
Authors: Abreu Rosa , Adriatico Terry
Published: December 2015

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people, 5 years of age and older speaking a language other than English at home has more than doubled within the last three decades. Spanish speakers are prominent in these numbers. Additionally, 41% report speaking English less than “very well.” We can surmise from this data that a significant number of patients/families seeking hearing health services from audiologists may have limited English proficiency or a language barrier. In contrast, according to ASHA demographics, the majority of audiologists in the United States are monolingual and speak primarily English.

Audiology, a discipline with communication at its heart, is in a distinctive position to continue to provide high-quality, accessible, culturally sensitive services, regardless of language barriers. Ten audiologists in northern NJ volunteered to try a real time translation mobile app (Google Translate App) and document their experiences with the use of this tool with their Spanish-speaking patients/families. Results suggest that a mobile translation app may be a viable option to address language barriers in the audiology practice when professional and/or ad-hoc interpreters are not available. Technology driven solutions can then be applied to customize the translation apps to the specific needs of the audiology practice (e.g., vernacular used in adult vs. pediatric populations, or vestibular vs. rehabilitation terminology). Healthcare literacy is also addressed in the content of patient education and cultural competence.
Repetitive control‐based single‐phase bidirectional rectifier with enhanced performance
Authors: Pandove Gitanjali , Trivedi Ashutosh , Singh Mukhtiar
Published: December 2015

In this study, a single‐phase pulse‐width modulation rectifier with regenerative capability has been presented. Here, the main purpose is to achieve unity power factor with least harmonics on AC‐side source current while having regulated DC voltage at output. It is very difficult to achieve aforementioned goals with commonly used proportional–integral (PI) regulators due to their limited control bandwidth, especially under rapidly varying input AC and dynamic load conditions. The disturbances on DC side are mainly due to double frequency ripple components, which are periodic in nature and are very much prominent in single‐phase rectification. The problem may be further exaggerated due to the presence of periodic noise/disturbances in input AC supply. Hence, a repetitive controller (RC) is designed, which is well known for its capabilities in tracking periodic disturbances. The systematic design and modelling of stable RC controller based on internal model principle theory has been presented. The proposed control technique has been developed and simulated in MATLAB/SimPower System. The experimental results have been presented and analysed in detail to validate the performance of the proposed RC control technique in comparison with its PI counterpart.
Josephson systems based on ballistic point contacts between single-band and multi-band superconductors
Authors: Yerin Y. S. , Kiyko A. S. , Omelyanchouk A. N. , Il'ichev E.
Published: December 2015

The Josephson effect in ballistic point contacts between single-band and multi-band superconductors was investigated. It was found that in the case of Josephson junctions formed by a single-band and an s±-wave two-band superconductor as well as by a single-band and a three-band superconductor the junctions become frustrated, showing the φ-contact properties. Depending on the ground state of a three-band superconductor with time-reversal symmetry breaking, the Josephson junction can have from one to three energy minima, some of which can be locally stable. We also study the behavior of a dc SQUID based on the Josephson junctions between single-band and multi-band superconductors. Some features on the dependences of the critical current and the total magnetic flux on the applied flux of a dc SQUID based on the Josephson point contacts between a single-band superconductor and an s±-wave superconductor, three-band superconductor with broken time-reversal symmetry and three-band superconductor without broken time-reversal symmetry as compared to the conventional dc SQUIDs based on single-band superconductors were found. The results can be used as an experimental tool to detect the existence of multi-band structure and time-reversal symmetry breaking.
Isolation of a Josephson qubit from the electromagnetic environment
Authors: Shnyrkov V. I. , Korolev A. M. , Turutanov O. G. , Shulga V. M. , Lyakhno V. Yu. , Serebrovsky V. V.
Published: December 2015

We consider two aspects of isolation of a Josephson flux (charge-flux) qubit from the external dissipative electromagnetic environment: (i) selecting an optimal topology of the superconducting qubit circuit and (ii) passive filtering of Planck radiation at the input of the qubit-state detection circuit. When reading the state of a macroscopic quantum object (“Schrödinger's cat”) with the weak continuous measurement technique, the coupling to the environment, both direct and through the connected circuits, is the cause of the rapid loss of coherence of the superposition states. The coefficients of coupling to the external electromagnetic environment are discussed, as well as the problem of their minimization for flat (2D) and bulk (3D) designs of the qubit quantization loops. The analysis of the characteristics of low-temperature combined broadband filters designed to effectively reduce the electromagnetic noise in the control and measurement circuits is carried out. It is shown experimentally that a cryogenic Cu–CuO powder filter installed directly into the measuring circuit results in a significant suppression of the back action of a cooled HEMT amplifier to the qubit.
Efficient yet accurate approximations for ab initio calculations of alcohol cluster thermochemistry
Authors: Umer Muhammad , Kopp Wassja A. , Leonhard Kai
Published: December 2015

We have calculated the binding enthalpies and entropies of gas phase alcohol clusters from ethanol to 1-decanol. In addition to the monomers, we have investigated dimers, tetramers, and pentamers. Geometries have been obtained at the B3LYP/TZVP level and single point energy calculations have been performed with the Resolution of the Identity-MP2 (RIMP2) method and basis set limit extrapolation using aug-cc-pVTZ and aug-cc-pVQZ basis sets. Thermochemistry is calculated with decoupled hindered rotor treatment for large amplitude motions. The results show three points: First, it is more accurate to transfer the rigid-rotor harmonic oscillator entropies from propanol to longer alcohols than to compute them with an ultra-fine grid and tight geometry convergence criteria. Second, the computational effort can be reduced considerably by using dimerization energies of longer alcohols at density functional theory (B3LYP) level plus a RIMP2 correction obtained from 1-propanol. This approximation yields results almost with the same accuracy as RIMP2 — both methods differ for 1-decanol only 0.4 kJ/mol. Third, the entropy of dimerization including the hindered rotation contribution is converged at 1-propanol with respect to chain length. This allows for a transfer of hindered rotation contributions from smaller alcohols to longer ones which reduces the required computational and man power considerably.
Quantum control of isomerization by robust navigation in the energy spectrum
Authors: Murgida G. E. , Arranz F. J. , Borondo F.
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we present a detailed study on the application of the quantum control technique of navigation in the energy spectrum to chemical isomerization processes, namely, CN–Li⇆ Li–CN. This technique is based on the controlled time variation of a Hamiltonian parameter, an external uniform electric field in our case. The main result of our work establishes that the navigation involved in the method is robust, in the sense that quite sizable deviations from a pre-established control parameter time profile can be introduced and still get good final results. This is specially relevant thinking of a experimental implementation of the method.
Hopping conduction in p-type MoS2 near the critical regime of the metal-insulator transition
Authors: Park Tae-Eon , Suh Joonki , Seo Dongjea , Park Joonsuk , Lin Der-Yuh , Huang Ying-Sheng , Choi Heon-Jin , Wu Junqiao , Jang Chaun , Chang Joonyeon
Published: December 2015

We report on temperature-dependent charge and magneto transport of chemically doped MoS2, p-type molybdenum disulfide degenerately doped with niobium (MoS2:Nb). The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity is characterized by a power law, ρ(T) ∼ T−0.25, which indicates that the system resides within the critical regime of the metal-insulator (M-I) transition. By applying high magnetic field (∼7 T), we observed a 20% increase in the resistivity at 2 K. The positive magnetoresistance shows that charge transport in this system is governed by the Mott-like three-dimensional variable range hopping (VRH) at low temperatures. According to relationship between magnetic-field and temperature dependencies of VRH resistivity, we extracted a characteristic localization length of 19.8 nm for MoS2:Nb on the insulating side of the M-I transition.
Bursting behaviour in coupled Josephson junctions
Authors: Hongray Thotreithem , Balakrishnan J. , Dana Syamal K.
Published: December 2015

We report an interesting bow-tie shaped bursting behaviour in a certain parameter regime of two resistive-capacitative shunted Josephson junctions, one in the oscillatory and the other in the excitable mode and coupled together resistively. The burst emerges in both the junctions and they show near-complete synchronization for strong enough couplings. We discuss a possible bifurcation scenario to explain the origin of the burst. An exhaustive study on the parameter space of the system is performed, demarcating the regions of bursting from other solutions.
Formation of spiral waves with substructure in a bursting media
Authors: Jiang Huijun , Hou Zhonghuai
Published: December 2015

Formation of spiral waves in a bursting media is investigated. Due to the multiple timescale oscillation of the local dynamics, an interesting substructure of traveling wave (STW) is observed in the spiral arm. As a result of the special moving media formed by neurons in the spiral arm, STWs propagate from the spiral tip to far field with an increasing wave length and move faster along the front of the spiral arm than along the back, leading to the formation of fragments in STWs. Moreover, we find that a sharp change of stimulus current can lead to backfiring of STWs, which may break the spiral wave front and further result in the formation of a multi-spiral pattern.
Note on one-fluid modeling of low-frequency Alfvénic fluctuations in a solar wind plasma with multi-ion components
Authors: Nariyuki Y. , Umeda T. , Suzuki T. K. , Hada T.
Published: December 2015

A simple point of view that non-zero Alfvén ratio (residual energy) appears as a consequence of one-fluid modeling of uni-directional Alfvén waves in a solar wind plasma is presented. Since relative speeds among ions are incorporated into the one-fluid model as a pressure anisotropy, the Alfvén ratio can be finite due to the decrease in the phase velocity. It is shown that a proton beam component typically found in the solar wind plasma can contribute to generating non-zero Alfvén ratio observed in the solar wind plasma. Local equilibrium velocity distribution functions of each ion component are also discussed by using maximum entropy principle.
Lempel-Ziv complexity analysis of one dimensional cellular automata
Authors: Estevez-Rams E. , Lora-Serrano R. , Nunes C. A. J. , Aragón-Fernández B.
Published: December 2015

Lempel-Ziv complexity measure has been used to estimate the entropy density of a string. It is defined as the number of factors in a production factorization of a string. In this contribution, we show that its use can be extended, by using the normalized information distance, to study the spatiotemporal evolution of random initial configurations under cellular automata rules. In particular, the transfer information from time consecutive configurations is studied, as well as the sensitivity to perturbed initial conditions. The behavior of the cellular automata rules can be grouped in different classes, but no single grouping captures the whole nature of the involved rules. The analysis carried out is particularly appropriate for studying the computational processing capabilities of cellular automata rules.
Temporally resolved second-order photon correlations of exciton-polariton Bose-Einstein condensate formation
Authors: Adiyatullin Albert F. , Anderson Mitchell D. , Busi Pierre V. , Abbaspour Hadis , André Régis , Portella-Oberli Marcia T. , Deveaud Benoit
Published: December 2015

Second-order time correlation measurements with a temporal resolution better than 3 ps were performed on a CdTe microcavity where spontaneous Bose-Einstein condensation is observed. After the laser pulse, the nonresonantly excited thermal polariton population relaxes into a coherent polariton condensate. Photon statistics of the light emitted by the microcavity evidences a clear phase transition from the thermal state to a coherent state, which occurs within 3.2 ps after the onset of stimulated scattering. Following this very fast transition, we show that the emission possesses a very high coherence that persists for more than 100 ps after the build-up of the condensate.
On-chip assay of the effect of topographical microenvironment on cell growth and cell-cell interactions during wound healing
Authors: An Yanfei , Ma Chao , Tian Chang , Zhao Lei , Pang Long , Tu Qin , Xu Juan , Wang Jinyi
Published: December 2015

Wound healing is an essential physiological process for tissue homeostasis, involving multiple types of cells, extracellular matrices, and growth factor/chemokine interactions. Many in vitro studies have investigated the interactions between cues mentioned above; however, most of them only focused on a single factor. In the present study, we design a wound healing device to recapitulate in vivo complex microenvironments and heterogeneous cell situations to investigate how three types of physiologically related cells interact with their microenvironments around and with each other during a wound healing process. Briefly, a microfluidic device with a micropillar substrate, where diameter and interspacing can be tuned to mimic the topographical features of the 3D extracellular matrix, was designed to perform positional cell loading on the micropillar substrate, co-culture of three types of physiologically related cells, keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, as well as an investigation of their interactions during wound healing. The result showed that cell attachment, morphology, cytoskeleton distribution, and nucleus shape were strongly affected by the micropillars, and these cells showed collaborative response to heal the wound. Taken together, these findings highlight the dynamic relationship between cells and their microenvironments. Also, this reproducible device may facilitate the in vitro investigation of numerous physiological and pathological processes such as cancer metastasis, angiogenesis, and tissue engineering.
Extended and quasi-continuous tuning of quantum cascade lasers using superstructure gratings and integrated heaters
Authors: Bidaux Yves , Bismuto Alfredo , Tardy Camille , Terazzi Romain , Gresch Tobias , Blaser Stéphane , Muller Antoine , Faist Jerome
Published: December 2015

In this work, we demonstrate broad electrical tuning of quantum cascade lasers at 9.25 μm, 8.5 μm, and 4.4 μm in continuous wave operation using Vernier-effect distributed Bragg reflectors based on superstructure gratings. Integrated micro-heaters allow to switch from one Vernier channel to the other, while predictable and mode-hop free tuning can be obtained in each channel modulating the laser current with a side mode suppression ratio as high as 30 dB. The resulting device behaves effectively as a switchable multicolour tunable source. Tuning up to 6.5% of the central wavelength is observed. To prove the importance of the developed devices for high resolution molecular spectroscopy, a N2O absorption spectrum has been measured.
Forced convective heat transfer to Sisko fluid flow past a stretching cylinder
Authors: Khan Masood , Malik Rabia
Published: December 2015

The numerical solutions are investigated for the forced convection heat transfer resulting from MHD flow of an electrically conducting Sisko fluid over an impermeable continuously stretching cylinder in its axial direction. The convective boundary conditions along with the viscous dissipation are considered. The governing equations are transformed using the local-similarity transforms and then solved numerically by using shooting technique. It is found from the analysis that the temperature is smaller in case of flow over a flat plate than that of cylinder. Further, influence of the pertinent parameters is more prominent for the shear thinning fluid compared to the shear thickening fluid. The validation of present numerical results is affirmed by presenting a comparison with the series solutions obtained by the homotopy analysis method as well as some existing literature.
Effects of transverse magnetic field with variable thermal conductivity on tangent hyperbolic fluid with exponentially varying viscosity
Authors: Salahuddin T. , Malik M. Y. , Hussain Arif , Bilal S. , Awais M.
Published: December 2015

The purpose of present analysis is to examine the effects of temperature dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity on MHD stagnation point flow over a stretching cylinder. The momentum and the temperature equations are modeled by using tangent hyperbolic fluid and the effect of viscous dissipation is also considered. The requisite partial differential equations are metamorphosed into ordinary differential equations by using similarity transformations. The succeeding ordinary differential equations are solved by using shooting method. The physical behavior of non-dimensional parameters for momentum and temperature profiles is deliberated through graphs. The numerical values of skin friction coefficient and local Nusselt number are calculated in order to recognize the behavior of fluid near the surface. The comparison with previous literature is completed in order to check the accuracy of the present work. It is found the velocity reduces with increasing power law index, Weissenberg number, Hartmann number and variable viscosity parameter. With the increasing values of curvature parameter, velocity is found to increase. Variable thermal conductivity parameter and Prandtl number shows opposite behavior for temperature profile.
Lockean Money, Indigenism and Globalism
Authors: Zack Naomi
Published: December 2015

There are no nations, there are no peoples …. There is only one wholistic system of systems, one vast, interwoven, interacting, multivariant, multinational domain of dollars. It is the international system of currency which determines the totality of life on this planet. That is the natural order of things today.

—Clarence Jenson Network, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, 1976

When the seats of power and authority have been attained, there should be no more poetic license.

—J. M. Keynes
Time, Modernity, and Destructive Habits of Thought
Authors: Leaman Oliver
Published: December 2015

The notion of time seems to be politically quite neutral, merely a concept of something that exists in much the same way that the weather exists. We can, of course, adopt different attitudes to the weather, but there does not seem to be any great political relevance in those attitudes. Yet when one thinks about the nature of time it is clear that attitudes to it are important socially. If one experiences time as a container that inexorably directs our lives in particular ways, because we are in it, we shall place little reliance on our individual efforts to accomplish anything that runs contrary to what is often called the “river of time.” What are often called pre-modem attitudes to time are taken to be characterized in this way, where agents were ultimately pessimistic of their ability to do anything really different. In the words of Kohelet in the Bible, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes1:9). That is taken to mean that there is pattern to what takes place in our world, and that pattern is beyond the power of human beings to alter.
A Singular and Representative Life: Personal Memory and Systematic Harms
Authors: Campbell Sue
Published: December 2015

Philosophers have regarded memory of the events of one's own past, which I will call experiential memory, as importantly personal and have written with conviction about the value of personal memory. Annette Baier writes: “Out of a large range of acts, attitudes, and postures … intending and remembering have a central role to play in any adequate philosophy of mind …. Both intentions and memories are, in a special way, personal.” Mary Warnock writes that while all creatures learn from experience and thus have memory, “[h]umans have another capacity which is to reflect on their lives and histories. This is the kind of memory thatmustbe thought of as mental, not physical, for it must be experienced, and experienced privately within the mind of each one of us. I cannot have your memory.”

In a tradition of theorizing about memory deriving from Locke, we value experiential memory as fundamental to developing a sense of self as unified and continuous and to developing moral capacities for accountability and self-knowledge. What I find particularly interesting in Warnock's description of memory is the forceful linking of value to uniqueness through reference to what cannot be shared.
Isomaltodextrin, a highly branched α-glucan, increases rat colonic H2 production as well as indigestible dextrin
Authors: Nishimura Naomichi , Tanabe Hiroki , Yamamoto Tatsuro
Published: December 2015

Colonic hydrogen (H2) protects against inflammation-induced oxidative stress. We examined the effect of a new highly branched α-glucan, isomaltodextrin (IMD), on colonic H2 production in rats. Rats were fed a 16.7% IMD, 8.8% indigestible dextrin (ID), or 10.4% high amylose cornstarch diet (Expt. 1), were fed diets containing 3.3–16.7% IMD (Expt. 2), or were fed diets containing 16.7% IMD or 5.2% fructooligosaccharide (FOS) (Expt. 3), for 14 days. Compared with the control group, feeding IMD or other α-glucans dose dependently and significantly increased H2 excretion and portal H2 concentration. The ability of IMD to increase H2 production was not inferior to that of FOS. The cecal Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in the IMD group was 5–14% of that in the control group. The cecal abundance of bifidobacteria was significantly greater in the IMD group than in the control group. Taken together, IMD, as well as other α-glucans, significantly increased colonic H2 production in a dose-dependent manner.
How-Possibly Explanations in (Quantum) Computer Science
Authors: Cuffaro Michael E.
Published: December 2015

A primary goal of quantum computer science is to find an explanation for the fact that quantum computers are more powerful than classical computers. In this paper I argue that to answer this question is to compare algorithmic processes of various kinds and to describe the possibility spaces associated with these processes. By doing this, we explain how it is possible for one process to outperform its rival. Further, in this and similar examples little is gained in subsequently asking a how-actually question. Once one has explained how-possibly, there is little left to do.
Stanford’s Unconceived Alternatives from the Perspective of Epistemic Obligations
Authors: Sample Matthew S.
Published: December 2015

Kyle Stanford’s reformulation of the problem of underdetermination has the potential to highlight the epistemic obligations of scientists. Stanford, however, presents the phenomenon of unconceived alternatives as a problem for realists, despite critics’ insistence that we have contextual explanations for scientists’ failure to conceive of their successors’ theories. I propose that responsibilist epistemology and the concept of “role oughts,” as discussed by Lorraine Code and Richard Feldman, can pacify Stanford’s critics and reveal broader relevance of the “new induction.” The possibility of unconceived alternatives pushes us to question our contemporary expectation for scientists to reason outside of their historical moment.
Confirmation Measures and Sensitivity
Authors: Vassend Olav B.
Published: December 2015

Stanley Stevens draws a useful distinction among ordinal scales, interval scales, and ratio scales. Most recent discussions of confirmation measures have proceeded on the ordinal level of analysis. In this article, I give a more quantitative analysis. In particular, I show that the requirement that our desired confirmation measure be at least an interval measure naturally yields necessary conditions that jointly entail the log-likelihood measure. Thus, I conclude that the log-likelihood measure is the only good candidate interval (or ratio) measure.
Coherence, Muller’s Ratchet, and the Maintenance of Culture
Authors: Abrams Marshall
Published: December 2015

I investigate the structure of an argument that culture cannot be maintained in a population if each individual learns only from a single person. This appears to conflict with (1) many models of cultural transmission and (2) real-world cases. I resolve the first problem by showing that one of the models central to the argument is conceptually analogous and mathematically equivalent to one used to investigate the evolution of sexual reproduction. I resolve the second by arguing that probabilistic models of epistemological coherence can be reinterpreted as models of support between cultural variants—illustrating the idea with a new model.
The Brain’s Heterogeneous Functional Landscape
Authors: McCaffrey Joseph B.
Published: December 2015

Multifunctionality poses significant challenges for human brain mapping. Cathy Price and Karl Friston argue that brain regions perform many functions in one sense and a single function in another. Thus, neuroscientists must revise their “cognitive ontologies” to obtain systematic mappings. Colin Klein draws a different lesson from these findings: neuroscientists should abandon systematic mappings for context-sensitive ones. I claim that neither account succeeds as a general treatment of multifunctionality. I argue that brain areas, like genes or organs, are multifunctional in different ways. I call this the “functional heterogeneity hypothesis.” I contend that different multifunctional parts require different mapping strategies.
Open Empirical and Methodological Issues in the Individualism-Holism Debate
Authors: Kincaid Harold
Published: December 2015

I first briefly argue that some issues in the individualism-holism debate have been fairly clearly settled and others are still plagued by unclarity. The main argument of the article is that there is a set of clear empirical issues around the holism-individualism debate that are central problems in current social science research. Those include questions about when we can be holist and how individualist we can be in social explanation.
Mechanistic Explanation of Biological Processes
Authors: Skillings Derek John
Published: December 2015

Biological processes are often explained by identifying the underlying mechanisms that generate a phenomenon of interest. I characterize a basic account of mechanistic explanation and then present three challenges to this account, illustrated with examples from molecular biology. The basic mechanistic account (1) is insufficient for explaining nonsequential and nonlinear dynamic processes, (2) is insufficient for explaining the inherently stochastic nature of many biological mechanisms, and (3) fails to give a proper framework for analyzing organization. I suggest that biological processes are best approached as a multidimensional gradient—with some processes being paradigmatic cases of mechanisms and some being marginal cases.
Unification and the Quantum Hypothesis in 1900–1913
Authors: Kao Molly
Published: December 2015

In this article, I consider some of the first appearances of a hypothesis of quantized energy between the years 1900 and 1913 and provide an analysis of the nature of the unificatory power of this hypothesis in a Bayesian framework. I argue that the best way to understand the unification here is in terms of informational relevance: on the assumption of the quantum hypothesis, phenomena that were previously thought to be unrelated turned out to yield information about one another on the basis of agreeing measurements of the numerical value of Planck’s constant.
What Theories Are Tested in Clinical Trials?
Authors: Hey Spencer Phillips
Published: December 2015

John Worrall and Nancy Cartwright have both argued that randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are “testing the wrong theory.” They claim that RCTs are designed to test inferences about the causal relationships in the study population, but this does not guarantee a justified inference about the causal relationships in the more diverse population in clinical practice. In this article I argue that the epistemology of theory testing in trials is more complicated than either Worrall’s or Cartwright’s accounts suggest. I illustrate this more complex theoretical structure with case studies in medical theory testing from Alzheimer’s research and anticancer drugs in personalized medicine.
Coarse-Graining as a Route to Microscopic Physics: The Renormalization Group in Quantum Field Theory
Authors: Li Bihui
Published: December 2015

The renormalization group (RG) has been characterized as merely a coarse-graining procedure that does not illuminate the microscopic content of quantum field theory (QFT) but merely gets us from that content, as given by axiomatic QFT, to macroscopic predictions. I argue that in the constructive field theory tradition, RG techniques do illuminate the microscopic dynamics of a QFT, which are not automatically given by axiomatic QFT. RG techniques in constructive field theory are also rigorous, so one cannot object to their foundational import on grounds of lack of rigor.
Arithmetic positivity on toric varieties
Authors: Burgos Gil José , Moriwaki Atsushi , Philippon Patrice , Sombra Martín
Published: December 2015

We continue the study of the arithmetic geometry of toric varieties started by J. Burgos Gil, P. Philippon, and M. Sombra in 2011. In this text, we study the positivity properties of metrized

R

\mathbb {R}

-divisors in the toric setting. For a toric metrized

R

\mathbb {R}

-divisor, we give formulae for its arithmetic volume and its

χ
\chi

-arithmetic volume, and we characterize when it is arithmetically ample, nef, big or pseudo-effective, in terms of combinatorial data. As an application, we prove a higher-dimensional analogue of Dirichlet’s unit theorem for toric varieties, we give a characterization for the existence of a Zariski decomposition of a toric metrized

R

\mathbb {R}

-divisor, and we prove a toric arithmetic Fujita approximation theorem.
The Impact of Oat Quality on White Salted Noodles Containing Oat Flour
Authors: Mitra Sabori , James Anthony Paul , Fenton Haelee Kim , Cato Larisa , Solah Vicky Ann
Published: December 2015

This research compared the physicochemical properties of six milling oat cultivars from Western Australia over two growing seasons (2011 and 2012). Variations among the cultivars in physicochemical properties, particularly β‐glucan content, were assessed to determine their suitability for incorporation into white salted noodles at a level of 30% of the flour component. The average across six oat cultivars grown in 2012 was significantly higher (P < 0.05) for protein content, lipid content, and volume of smaller sized particles (<100 µm) and significantly lower for ash content, starch damage, and volume of larger particles (>100 µm) in comparison with the average across the same oat cultivars grown in 2011. The year of cultivation by cultivar interaction was significant (P < 0.05) for ash content, protein content, β‐glucan content, starch damage, and particle size. Oat cultivar Mitika had the highest peak viscosity for 100% oat flour (whole groat) and 30% oat–wheat (OW) flour blend, which may be owing to lower amylose percentage, high protein content, and greater volume of smaller particles. The effect of growing season had greater impact on OW noodle firmness than the genetic effect of cultivars. The eating and cooking quality attributes of OW noodles, such as color, color stability, firmness, and cooking solid loss were superior for those incorporated with 2012 oat flour (whole groat) compared with 2011 oat flour. Among the six oat cultivars, Williams produced noodles with poor cooking and eating quality, and Mitika was easier to handle during processing and produced noodles with superior brightness and color stability in comparison with other oat cultivars evaluated.
Preparation and Characterization of Starch Particles for Use in Pickering Emulsions
Authors: Saari Hisfazilah , Heravifar Katayoun , Rayner Marilyn , Wahlgren Marie , Sjöö Malin
Published: December 2015

Particle‐stabilized emulsions, called Pickering emulsions, can be produced by using starch particles. In this work we studied how the properties of the starch particles affect the droplet size and creaming of such emulsions. In the study, various sizes of starch particles were generated by two different methods and used to stabilize Pickering emulsions. Sedimentation according to Stokes’ law was used to separate small and large starch granules. Acid hydrolysis was another method used to obtain smaller particles. All samples were modified with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) to increase their hydrophobicity with a level of OSA substitution between 1.8 and 3.1%. The size of starch particles was the main factor influencing emulsion droplet sizes. Furthermore, the droplet size decreased as the starch concentration increased. Using small starch particles with sizes <10 μm produced stable emulsions with smaller droplet size compared with larger sizes of starch particles, >10 μm. When subjected to acid hydrolysis, smaller starch particles were generally obtained, which could subsequently create smaller emulsion droplets. The emulsion index increased for the acid‐hydrolyzed starch owing to the size reduction of starch particles. The shape of the starch seemed to have a minor impact on the droplet size and the creaming of Pickering emulsions.
Quality Requirements of Soft Red Winter Wheat for Making Northern‐Style Chinese Steamed Bread
Authors: Ma Fengyun , Baik Byung‐Kee
Published: December 2015

Flours of 19 soft red winter (SRW) wheat varieties having protein contents of 6.6–9.9% were used to determine the suitability of SRW wheat for making northern‐style Chinese steamed bread (CSB) and the influences of flour characteristics on the quality attributes of CSB. Fourteen varieties produced CSB of acceptable to good quality with a total score greater than 70. Both protein content and dough strength‐related parameters, including sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation (SDSS) volume, wet and dry gluten contents, and midline peak time (MPT), were significantly associated with the quality attributes of CSB. The rapid viscosity analyzer setback value exhibited significant negative correlations with specific volume, smoothness, crumb structure, and total score of CSB. Stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that 89% of variability in total scores of CSB could be predicted from SDSS volume, wet gluten content, and MPT. Contributions of high‐molecular‐weight glutenin subunits 7*+8 and 5+10 to flour characteristics, specific volume, stress relaxation score, and total score of CSB were greater than those of their counterpart allelic variations. Absence of the 1B/1R translocation in SRW wheat varieties was desirable for the production of CSB.
Analysis of Alkylresorcinols in Wheat Germ Oil and Barley Germ Oil via HPLC and Fluorescence Detection: Cochromatography with Tocols
Authors: Moreau Robert A. , Fang Xuezhi
Published: December 2015

Alkylresorcinols are long‐chain phenolic compounds that have been reported to be localized in the outer layers of the kernels of wheat, rye, barley, and other grains. A sensitive HPLC method with fluorescence detection was recently reported for the quantitative analysis of alkylresorcinols in cereal grains and products. Using this new HPLC method we report for the first time that wheat germ oil contains moderate levels of alkylresorcinols, approximately 800–1,500 µg per gram of oil. We also found that commercial wheat germ oil and some experimental samples of wheat germ oil and barley germ oil also contained three unknown peaks. Upon further evaluation of these peaks it was found that the peaks appeared to be tocopherols (one peak of α‐tocopherol, one peak of δ‐tocopherol, and a peak with the combination of β‐ and γ‐tocopherol), even though the excitation and emission wavelengths for alkylresorcinols (excitation 274 nm and emission 300 nm) are different than those for tocols (excitation 294 nm and emission 326 nm). We also found that with this HPLC system one alkylresorcinol, AR17, had the same retention time (7.6 min) as δ‐tocotrienol and that another alkylresorcinol, AR19, had the same retention time (10.8 min) as α‐tocotrienol.
Storage Conditions Affecting Increase in Falling Number of Soft Red Winter Wheat Grain
Authors: Ji Taehyun , Baik Byung‐Kee
Published: December 2015

Falling number (FN) of wheat grain, a measure of preharvest sprouting, tends to increase during storage; however, grain and storage conditions that impact FN changes are poorly understood. Wheat grain samples of varying FN from several cultivars were obtained by artificial sprouting, by incubating wheat stalks, or directly from the field and were used to determine the effects of cultivar, storage temperature, grain moisture content, and initial FN on changes in FN and α‐amylase activity. Increases in FN of artificially sprouted grain during storage were affected by temperature but not evidently by grain moisture in the range of 10.0–13.0%. The FN of artificially sprouted grain increased when stored at 5, 23, and 35°C for 20 weeks by averages of 9.4, 24.1, and 34.4, respectively. The influences of storage temperature and initial FN of grain obtained from incubated stalks were different between cultivars when stored for 8 weeks. Wheat grain obtained directly from the field also exhibited significant increases in FN during 8 weeks of storage at 5, 23, and 35°C with average increases of 10.0, 27.1, and 38.5, respectively. The impact of α‐amylase activity on the increase in FN during storage was evident only for field‐harvested grain of varying FN. α‐Amylase activity exhibited a negative logarithmic relationship (R2 = 0.87) with FN in field‐harvested grain. The magnitude of the changes in α‐amylase activity varied by cultivar.