bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnetic separation of apoptotic cells with lectin‐conjugated microparticles
Authors: Tomin A. , Dumych T. , Kril I. , Antonyuk V. , Chopyak V. , Munoz L. , Stoika R. , Herrmann M. , Bilyy R.
Published: February 2016

Both phosphatidylserine (PS) and oligomannose/desialylated glycans are known to be exposed on the surface of dying cells and used by macrophages to endure effective efferocytosis. Recognition of phosphatidylserine by annexin A5 is widely implicated in various technologies aimed to isolate apoptotic cells. Our recent finding suggested that recognition of phosphatidylserine and apoptotic glycans by macrophages is of complementary nature. Here we developed lectin‐conjugated magnetic microparticles recognizing specific glycans of apoptotic cells and its use for detection and separation of dying cells. We conjugated Narcissus poeticus lectin, specific to oligomannose N‐glycans, and Viscum album agglutinin, specific to desialylated glycans to the surface of superparamagnetic and fluorescent‐superparamagnetic microparticles, and tracked their binding to subpopulations of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes undergoing apoptosis. Glycan targeting microparticles were effectively found on apoptotic cells, while specific lectin inhibitors of carbohydrate nature (like heptylmannoside), displaced dying cells from complexes with microparticles, suggesting a reversible binding. Simultaneous application of microparticles conjugated with annexin A5 and Viscum album agglutinin exhibited additive effect on the efficiency of apoptotic cells removal from population.
Combined action of C60 fullerene with dimethyl‐N‐(benzoyl)amidophosphate or dimethyl‐N‐(phenylsulfonyl)amidophosphate on leukemia L1210 cells in silico and in vitro
Authors: Grynyuk I. I. , Prylutska S. V. , Franskevych D. V. , Trush V. A. , Sliva T. Y. , Slobodyanik M. S. , Hurmach V. V. , Prylutskyy Y. I. , Matyshevska O. P. , Ritter U.
Published: February 2016

The interaction of dimethyl‐N‐(benzoyl)amidophosphate (HCP) and dimethyl‐N‐(phenylsulfonyl)amidophosphate (HSP) compounds and C60 fullerene with DNA was studied by use of molecular modeling. It was demonstrated that DNA‐HCP complex is more stable as compared to the DNA‐HSP one. The ability of C60 fullerene to form a stable complex with minor groove of DNA was shown. Under combined action of 10–5 M C60 fullerene and 2.5 × 10–4 M HCP the viability of leukemia L1210 cells was decreased by 37% in 24 h. The observed cytotoxic effect was intensified in 48 h. HSP compound alone as well as at combined action with C60 fullerene showed no cytotoxic effect.
Almost periodic solutions for neutral‐type neural networks with the delays in the leakage term on time scales
Authors: Wang Pan , Li Yongkun , Ye Yuan
Published: February 2016

In this paper, a class of neutral‐type neural networks with delays in the leakage term on time scales are considered. By using the Banach fixed point theorem and the theory of calculus on time scales, some sufficient conditions are obtained for the existence and exponential stability of almost periodic solutions for this class of neural networks. The results of this paper are new and complementary to the previously known results. Finally, an example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of our results. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prevention and treatment of cancers by immune modulating nutrients
Authors: Janakiram Naveena B. , Mohammed Altaf , Madka Venkateshwar , Kumar Gaurav , Rao Chinthalapally V.
Published: February 2016

Epidemiological and laboratory data support the protective effects of bioactive nutrients in our diets for various diseases. Along with various factors, such as genetic history, alcohol, smoking, exercise, and dietary choices play a vital role in affecting an individual's immune responses toward a transforming cell, by either preventing or accelerating a neoplastic transformation. Ample evidence suggests that dietary nutrients control the inflammatory and protumorigenic responses in immune cells. Immunoprevention is usually associated with the modulation of immune responses that help in resolving the inflammation, thus improving clinical outcome. Various metabolic pathway‐related nutrients, including glutamine, arginine, vitamins, minerals, and long‐chain fatty acids, are important components of immunonutrient mixes. Epidemiological studies related to these substances have reported different results, with no or minimal effects. However, several studies suggest that these nutrients may have immune‐modulating effects that may lower cancer risk. Preclinical studies submit that most of these components may provide beneficial effects. The present review discusses the available data, the immune‐modulating functions of these nutrients, and how these substances could be used to study immune modulation in a neoplastic environment. Further research will help to determine whether the mechanistic signaling pathways in immune cells altered by nutrients can be exploited for cancer prevention and treatment.
Analysis of fluid movement in skeletal muscle using fluorescent microspheres
Authors: Evertz Loribeth Q. , Greising Sarah M. , Morrow Duane A. , Sieck Gary C. , Kaufman Kenton R.
Published: February 2016

Introduction

Regional variability in interstitial fluid pressure confounds use of intramuscular pressure measurement to assess muscle force. It is hypothesized that interstitial flow is dependent on intramuscular pressure. The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility of using fluorescent microspheres to evaluate movement of interstitial fluid in skeletal muscle.

Methods

Two diameters of fluorescent microspheres were injected into the rat tibialis anterior during both static (n = 6) and passively lengthened (10% strain) experimental conditions (n = 6). Microsphere dispersion was evaluated using confocal imaging of transverse muscle sections.

Results

Fluorescent microspheres tracked interstitial fluid while not penetrating the muscle fiber. When compared with the static condition, significantly greater dispersion (P = 0.003) was seen with passively lengthened conditions (17 ± 9% vs. 31 ± 7%, respectively). Dispersion did not differ for the 2 microsphere sizes (P = 0.811).

Conclusions

Fluorescent microspheres track movement of interstitial fluid, and dispersion is dependent on passive lengthening. Muscle Nerve 54: 444–450, 2016
Rapid brain MRI acquisition techniques at ultra‐high fields
Authors: Setsompop Kawin , Feinberg David A. , Polimeni Jonathan R.
Published: February 2016

Ultra‐high‐field MRI provides large increases in signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) as well as enhancement of several contrast mechanisms in both structural and functional imaging. Combined, these gains result in a substantial boost in contrast‐to‐noise ratio that can be exploited for higher‐spatial‐resolution imaging to extract finer‐scale information about the brain. With increased spatial resolution, however, there is a concurrent increased image‐encoding burden that can cause unacceptably long scan times for structural imaging and slow temporal sampling of the hemodynamic response in functional MRI – particularly when whole‐brain imaging is desired. To address this issue, new directions of imaging technology development – such as the move from conventional 2D slice‐by‐slice imaging to more efficient simultaneous multislice (SMS) or multiband imaging (which can be viewed as “pseudo‐3D” encoding) as well as full 3D imaging – have provided dramatic improvements in acquisition speed. Such imaging paradigms provide higher SNR efficiency as well as improved encoding efficiency. Moreover, SMS and 3D imaging can make better use of coil sensitivity information in multichannel receiver arrays used for parallel imaging acquisitions through controlled aliasing in multiple spatial directions. This has enabled unprecedented acceleration factors of an order of magnitude or higher in these imaging acquisition schemes, with low image artifact levels and high SNR. Here we review the latest developments of SMS and 3D imaging methods and related technologies at ultra‐high field for rapid high‐resolution functional and structural imaging of the brain. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Cartesian parametrization for the numerical analysis of material instability
Authors: Mota A. , Chen Q. , Foulk J.W. , Ostien J.T. , Lai Z.
Published: February 2016

We examine four parametrizations of the unit sphere in the context of material stability analysis by means of the singularity of the acoustic tensor. We then propose a Cartesian parametrization for vectors that lie a cube of side length two and use these vectors in lieu of unit normals to test for the loss of the ellipticity condition. This parametrization is then used to construct a tensor akin to the acoustic tensor. It is shown that both of these tensors become singular at the same time and in the same planes in the presence of a material instability. The performance of the Cartesian parametrization is compared against the other parametrizations, with the results of these comparisons showing that in general, the Cartesian parametrization is more robust and more numerically efficient than the others. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Association between the change in body mass index from early adulthood to midlife and subsequent type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Sun Wanwan , Shi Lixin , Ye Zhen , Mu Yiming , Liu Chao , Zhao Jiajun , Chen Lulu , Li Qiang , Yang Tao , Yan Li , Wan Qin , Wu Shengli , Liu Yan , Wang Guixia , Luo Zuojie , Tang Xulei , Chen Gang , Huo Yanan , Gao Zhengnan , Su Qing , Wang Youmin , Qin Guijun , Deng Huacong , Yu Xuefeng , Shen Feixia , Chen Li , Zhao Liebin , Sun Jichao , Ding Lin , Xu Yu , Xu Min , Dai Meng , Wang Tiange , Zhang Di , Lu Jieli , Bi Yufang , Lai Shenghan , Li Donghui , Wang Weiqing , Ning Guang ,   on behalf of the REACTION Study Group
Published: February 2016

Objective

To clarify the quantitative relationship of body mass index (BMI) change from early adulthood to midlife with presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after midlife.

Methods

This study included 120,666 middle‐aged and elderly, whose retrospectively self‐reported body weight at 20 and 40 years and measured height were available. BMI at 20 and 40 years and BMI change in between were defined as early‐adulthood BMI, midlife BMI, and early‐adulthood BMI change.

Results

The odds ratio (OR) for T2DM associated with an 1‐unit increment of early‐adulthood or midlife BMI was 1.08 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07‐1.08) and 1.09 (95% CI, 1.09‐1.10) respectively. In the cross‐tabulation of both early‐adulthood BMI and BMI change, the prevalence of T2DM increased across both variables. Compared with participants with normal early‐adulthood weight and BMI increase/decrease ≤1, the OR (95% CI) for T2DM of participants with early‐adulthood overweight/obesity and BMI increase ≥4 kg/m2 was 3.49 (3.05‐4.00). For participants with early‐adulthood underweight and BMI increase/decrease ≤ 1, the OR (95% CI) was 0.85 (0.75‐0.97). Subgroup analysis according to sex and age showed similar trends.

Conclusions

Early‐adulthood BMI may influence T2DM prevalence after midlife independent of current BMI. T2DM prevalence after midlife was positively associated with early‐adulthood weight gain and inversely related to early‐adulthood weight loss, while early‐adulthood weight loss could not completely negate the adverse effect of early‐adulthood overweight/obesity on diabetes.
The Effects of Paid Family Leave in California on Labor Market Outcomes
Authors: Baum Charles L. , Ruhm Christopher J.
Published: February 2016

Using data from the 1997 cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY‐97), we examine the effects of California's paid family leave program (CA‐PFL) on mothers’ and fathers’ use of leave during the period surrounding child birth, and on the timing of mothers’ return to work, the probability of eventually returning to prechildbirth jobs, and subsequent labor market outcomes. We estimate multivariate difference‐in‐differences regression models that compare changes in the outcomes for new California parents before and after the enactment of CA‐PFL to those for corresponding parents in control states. Our results suggest that CA‐PFL raised leave use by almost five weeks for the average covered mother and two to three days for the corresponding father. Maternal leave‐taking appears to increase in the quarter before the birth and to extend through the two quarters after it. Paternal leave‐taking rises fairly quickly after the birth and is short‐lasting. Rights to paid leave are also associated with higher work and employment probabilities for mothers nine to 12 months after birth, probably because they increase job continuity among those with relatively weak labor force attachments. We also find positive effects of California's program on hours and weeks of work during their child's second year of life.
Biochemical characterization of two haloalkane dehalogenases: DccA from Caulobacter crescentus and DsaA from Saccharomonospora azurea
Authors: Carlucci Lauren , Zhou Edward , Malashkevich Vladimir N. , Almo Steven C. , Mundorff Emily C.
Published: February 2016

Two putative haloalkane dehalogenases (HLDs) of the HLD‐I subfamily, DccA from Caulobacter crescentus and DsaA from Saccharomonospora azurea, have been identified based on sequence comparisons with functionally characterized HLD enzymes. The two genes were synthesized, functionally expressed in E. coli and shown to have activity toward a panel of haloalkane substrates. DsaA has a moderate activity level and a preference for long (greater than 3 carbons) brominated substrates, but little activity toward chlorinated alkanes. DccA shows high activity with both long brominated and chlorinated alkanes. The structure of DccA was determined by X‐ray crystallography and was refined to 1.5 Å resolution. The enzyme has a large and open binding pocket with two well‐defined access tunnels. A structural alignment of HLD‐I subfamily members suggests a possible basis for substrate specificity is due to access tunnel size.
On the satisfaction of backbone‐carbonyl lone pairs of electrons in protein structures
Authors: Bartlett Gail J. , Woolfson Derek N.
Published: February 2016

Protein structures are stabilized by a variety of noncovalent interactions (NCIs), including the hydrophobic effect, hydrogen bonds, electrostatic forces and van der Waals’ interactions. Our knowledge of the contributions of NCIs, and the interplay between them remains incomplete. This has implications for computational modeling of NCIs, and our ability to understand and predict protein structure, stability, and function. One consideration is the satisfaction of the full potential for NCIs made by backbone atoms. Most commonly, backbone‐carbonyl oxygen atoms located within α‐helices and β‐sheets are depicted as making a single hydrogen bond. However, there are two lone pairs of electrons to be satisfied for each of these atoms. To explore this, we used operational geometric definitions to generate an inventory of NCIs for backbone‐carbonyl oxygen atoms from a set of high‐resolution protein structures and associated molecular‐dynamics simulations in water. We included more‐recently appreciated, but weaker NCIs in our analysis, such as n→π* interactions, Cα‐H bonds and methyl‐H bonds. The data demonstrate balanced, dynamic systems for all proteins, with most backbone‐carbonyl oxygen atoms being satisfied by two NCIs most of the time. Combinations of NCIs made may correlate with secondary structure type, though in subtly different ways from traditional models of α‐ and β‐structure. In addition, we find examples of under‐ and over‐satisfied carbonyl‐oxygen atoms, and we identify both sequence‐dependent and sequence‐independent secondary‐structural motifs in which these reside. Our analysis provides a more‐detailed understanding of these contributors to protein structure and stability, which will be of use in protein modeling, engineering and design.
Development of a CO2‐releasing coformulation based on starch, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Beauveria bassiana attractive towards western corn rootworm larvae
Authors: Vemmer Marina , Schumann Mario , Beitzen‐Heineke Wilhelm , French Bryan W , Vidal Stefan , Patel Anant V
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUND

CO2 is known as an attractant for many soil‐dwelling pests. To implement an attract‐and‐kill strategy for soil pest control, CO2‐emitting formulations need to be developed. The aim of the present work was to develop a slow‐release bead system in order to bridge the gap between application and hatching of western corn rootworm larvae.

RESULTS

We compared different Ca‐alginate beads containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae for their potential to release CO2 over a period of several weeks. The addition of starch improved CO2 release, resulting in significantly higher CO2 concentrations in soil for at least 4 weeks. The missing amylase activity was compensated for either by microorganisms present in the soil or by coencapsulation of Beauveria bassiana. Formulations containing S. cerevisiae, starch and B. bassiana were attractive for western corn rootworm larvae within the first 4 h following exposure; however, when considering the whole testing period, the maize root systems remained more attractive for the larvae.

CONCLUSION

Coencapsulation of S. cerevisiae, starch and B. bassiana is a promising approach for the development of attractive formulations for soil applications. For biological control strategies, the attractiveness needs to be increased by phagostimuli to extend contact between larvae and the entomopathogenic fungus growing out of these formulations. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Nanoindentation of single‐crystal Bi2Te3 topological insulators grown with the Bridgman–Stockbarger method
Authors: Lamuta Caterina , Cupolillo Anna , Politano Antonio , Aliev Ziya S. , Babanly Mahammad B. , Chulkov Evgueni V. , Alfano Marco , Pagnotta Leonardo
Published: February 2016

In this work, bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) single crystals were grown from melted polycrystalline Bi–Te material using the Bridgman–Stockbarger method. Crystalline quality and surface chemistry were investigated through X‐ray diffraction analysis and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The mechanical properties were investigated by means of depth‐sensing nanoindentation tests carried out using the continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) technique. In turn, the distribution of material hardness and Young's modulus in the depth direction (i.e., perpendicular to the single crystal basal plane) were resolved and quantitative comparisons with the available data extracted from previous literature works were drawn. It is shown that the obtained single crystals are free of contaminants and/or oxide phases and that the mechanical properties lie between those reported in recent literature for Bi2Te3 polycrystalline thin films and 2D nanosheets.
Inverse Sub‐Structuring Theory for Coupled Product Transport System Based On the Dummy Masses Method
Authors: Wang Jun , Wang Qi‐li , Lu Li‐xin , Wang Zhi‐wei
Published: February 2016

It is of high importance to predict the components frequency response functions (FRFs) for obtaining the coupled product transport system's response. However, the components behaves much differently when coupled with another components compared with that in free state. Inverse sub‐structuring method has been recently proposed and applied for inverse analysis of the dynamical response of coupled product transport system. The component‐level FRFs and the coupling dynamic stiffness are all predicted from only the system‐level FRFs, facilitating the engineering design for product transport system. However, in most engineering application practices, the system‐level FRFs from coupling degrees of freedom may not be measured accurately because of the difficulties of vibration excitation and/or response measurement for the coupled interface between components within the limited accessible space. The aim of this paper is to develop a new FRF‐based indirect inverse sub‐structuring method for the analysis of the dynamic characteristics of a two‐component coupled product transport system without measuring system‐level FRFs at the coupling degrees of freedom. A so‐called dummy masses method is developed and applied for predicting the unmeasured FRFs at the coupling degrees of freedom, and the inverse sub‐structuring approach based on the dummy mass method is derived for inverse analysis of coupled product transport system, which is further verified by a lumped‐mass model, showing exact agreement. Finally, the experiment on a physical prototype of two‐substructure coupled product transport system is performed to further check the accuracy of the suggested method. The new method shows its great application prospect in coupled product transport system.
Relationships between total lightning activity, microphysics and kinematics during the 24 September 2012 HyMeX bow‐echo system
Authors: Ribaud J.‐F. , Bousquet O. , Coquillat S.
Published: February 2016

The structure of a bow‐echo system that crossed southeast France on 24 September 2012 during the first Special Observation Period of the Hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment (HyMeX) is investigated from a three‐dimensional lightning mapping array (LMA), an operational lightning network, and operational polarimetric radar observations. Lightning observations reveal that 97% of flash initiation and 93% of flash propagation occurred within the convective region. Through combining LMA and radar‐derived microphysical data it is also shown that lightning initiation events and propagation mostly occurred in regions containing graupel (initiation = 70%, propagation = 58%), ice (initiation = 22%, propagation = 33%), and to a lesser extent hail (initiation = 6%, propagation = 5%). The detailed analysis of the lightning activity during two periods of contrasted electrical activity suggests that wet hail growth processes and/or charge redistribution within the cloud may have had a negative impact on lightning initiation occurrences and propagation. The most active periods in terms of lightning activity occurred in conjunction with a vigorous, terrain driven, updraught that transported graupel particles above a height of 12 km.
A post‐HF study on the halogen bonding interaction of pyrene with diatomic halogen molecules
Authors: Sütay Berkay , Yurtsever Mine , Yurtsever Ersin
Published: February 2016

We present a detailed SCS‐MP2 study on the potential energy curves (PEC) for interactions between diatomic halogen molecules and pyrene. BSSE corrected CCSD[T] energies at equilibrium distances are computed and compared to CCSD(T) energies. The most stable conformation of these weakly bound van der Waals complexes is almost linear in the perpendicular direction to the pyrene plane. The complexes of highly polarizable bromine and iodine molecules with pyrene are very stable and they carry rather large number of vibrational states. Despite its small size, F2 also forms strong halogen bonding similar to Br2 and I2. The interaction between Cl2 and pyrene is the weakest and it is attributed to the highest polarizability/molar mass ratio of chlorine among the others. I2‐pyrene is found to be the most stable complex due to the strongest mutual polarization effects and is carrying more than 60 vibrational states. Due to the rather large number of electrons in some complexes, the relativistic corrections are also considered. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Analysis and fragmentation mechanisms of hirsutinolide‐type sesquiterpene lactones by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization linear ion trap Orbitrap mass spectrometry
Authors: Girardi Cynthia , Jullian Valérie , Haddad Mohamed , Vansteelandt Marieke , Cabanillas Billy Joel , Kapanda Coco N. , Herent Marie‐France , Quetin‐Leclercq Joëlle , Fabre Nicolas
Published: February 2016

Rationale

Hirsutinolide‐type sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are natural biologically active compounds mainly found in the genus Vernonia. Very few studies have been published about the fragmentation mechanisms of SLs generally and none about hirsutinolides, although they have drawn attention through their biological and taxonomical interest. This work aims to propose a mass spectrometry fragmentation pattern for hirsutinolides in order to detect and to identify them in a botanical extract.

Methods

The fragmentation pathways of six pure hirsutinolides isolated from Pseudelephantopus spiralis were established by positive ion electrospray high‐resolution linear ion trap Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (ESI(+)‐HRMSn). A resolutive, hyphenated ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to diode array detection (DAD) and ESI(+)‐HRMSn method was then implemented to separate and analyze them. The ionization behaviour and diagnostic product ions were investigated by both methods. The UHPLC/DAD‐ESI‐HRMSn method was applied for the dereplication of a plant extract.

Results

For the six standard compounds, the main fragmentation pattern consists first in the loss of the side chain in the C‐8 position followed by the loss of the substituent in the C‐13 position. UHPLC/HRMS analyses of hirsutinolides mainly produced sodiated molecules or [M+H–H2O]+ ions. The high‐abundance product ions at m/z 299 and 259 were established to be the characteristic diagnostic ions of the hirsutinolide core. The analysis of a P. spiralis extract further led to the identification of two putative hirsutinolides.

Conclusions

The UHPLC/DAD‐HRMSn method combining characteristic fragmentation patterns and the profiles of the product ions generated in the MS and MS/MS spectra is an effective technique for characterizing hirsutinolide‐type SLs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of human plasma metabolites across different liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry platforms: Cross‐platform transferable chemical signatures
Authors: Telu Kelly H. , Yan Xinjian , Wallace William E. , Stein Stephen E. , Simón‐Manso Yamil
Published: February 2016

Rationale

The metabolite profiling of a NIST plasma Standard Reference Material (SRM 1950) on different liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) platforms showed significant differences. Although these findings suggest caution when interpreting metabolomics results, the degree of overlap of both profiles allowed us to use tandem mass spectral libraries of recurrent spectra to evaluate to what extent these results are transferable across platforms and to develop cross‐platform chemical signatures.

Methods

Non‐targeted global metabolite profiles of SRM 1950 were obtained on different LC/MS platforms using reversed‐phase chromatography and different chromatographic scales (conventional HPLC, UHPLC and nanoLC). The data processing and the metabolite differential analysis were carried out using publically available (XCMS), proprietary (Mass Profiler Professional) and in‐house software (NIST pipeline).

Results

Repeatability and intermediate precision showed that the non‐targeted SRM 1950 profiling was highly reproducible when working on the same platform (relative standard deviation (RSD) <2%); however, substantial differences were found in the LC/MS patterns originating on different platforms or even using different chromatographic scales (conventional HPLC, UHPLC and nanoLC) on the same platform. A substantial degree of overlap (common molecular features) was also found. A procedure to generate consistent chemical signatures using tandem mass spectral libraries of recurrent spectra is proposed.

Conlusions

Different platforms rendered significantly different metabolite profiles, but the results were highly reproducible when working within one platform. Tandem mass spectral libraries of recurrent spectra are proposed to evaluate the degree of transferability of chemical signatures generated on different platforms. Chemical signatures based on our procedure are most likely cross‐platform transferable. Published in 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Structural elucidation of AgAsS2 glass by the analysis of clusters formed during laser desorption ionisation applying quadrupole ion trap time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Mawale Ravi Madhukar , Alberti Milan , Zhang Bo , Fraenkl Max , Wagner Tomas , Havel Josef
Published: February 2016

Rationale

The structure of AgAsS2 glass, which has a broad range of applications, is still not well understood and a systematic mass spectrometric analysis of AgAsS2 glass is currently not available. Elucidation of the structure should help in the development of this material.

Methods

The AgAsS2 glass was prepared by the melt‐quenched technique. Laser desorption ionisation (LDI) using quadrupole ion trap time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (QIT‐TOFMS) was used to follow the generation of AgmAsnSx clusters. The stoichiometry of the clusters generated was determined via collision‐induced dissociation (CID) and modelling of isotopic patterns. The AgAsS2 glass was characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) spectroscopy.

Results

The LDI of AgAsS2 glass leads to the formation of unary (Ag+/− and As3+) species, 38 binary (AsnSx, AgmSx), and 98 ternary (AgmAsnSx) singly charged clusters. The formation of silver‐rich nano‐grains during AgAsS2 glass synthesis has been identified using TEM analysis and also verified by QIT‐TOFMS.

Conclusions

TOFMS was shown to be a useful technique to study the generation of AgmAsnSx clusters. SEM, TEM and EDX analysis proved that the structure of AgAsS2 glass is ‘grain‐like’ where grains are either: (1) Silver‐rich ‘islands’ (Agm, m up to 39) connected by arsenic and/or sulfur or arsenic sulfide chains or (2) silver sulfide (Ag2S)m (m = 9–20) clusters also similarly inter‐connected. This obtained structural information may be useful for the development of ultra‐high‐density phase‐change storage and memory devices using this kind of glass as a base. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Freezing and fractionation: effects of preservation on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of some limnetic organisms
Authors: Wolf J. Marshall , Johnson Brett , Silver Douglas , Pate William , Christianson Kyle
Published: February 2016

Rationale

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen have become important natural tracers for studying food‐web structure and function. Considerable research has demonstrated that chemical preservatives and fixatives shift the isotopic ratios of aquatic organisms. Much less is known about the effects of freezing as a preservation method although this technique is commonly used.

Methods

We conducted a controlled experiment to test the effects of freezing (–10 °C) and flash freezing (–79 °C) on the carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of zooplankton (Cladocera), Mysis diluviana and Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Subsamples (~0.5 mg) of dried material were analyzed for percentage carbon, percentage nitrogen, and the relative abundance of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C and δ15N values) using a Carlo Erba NC2500 elemental analyzer interfaced to a ThermoFinnigan MAT Delta Plus isotope ratio mass spectrometer.

Results

The effects of freezing were taxon‐dependent. Freezing had no effect on the isotopic or elemental values of Rainbow Trout muscle. Effects on the δ13C and δ15N values of zooplankton and Mysis were statistically significant but small relative to typical values of trophic fractionation. The treatment‐control offsets had larger absolute values for Mysis (δ13C: ≤0.76 ± 0.41‰, δ15N: ≤0.37 ± 0.16‰) than for zooplankton (δ13C: ≤0.12 ± 0.06‰, δ15N: ≤0.30 ± 0.27‰). The effects of freezing were more variable for the δ13C values of Mysis, and more variable for the δ15N values of zooplankton. Generally, both freezing methods reduced the carbon content of zooplankton and Mysis, but freezing had a negative effect on the %N of zooplankton and a positive effect on the %N of Mysis.

Conclusions

The species‐dependencies and variability of freezing effects on aquatic organisms suggest that more research is needed to understand the mechanisms responsible for freezing‐related fractionation before standardized protocols for freezing as a preservation method can be adopted. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A privacy‐preserving multi‐server authenticated key‐agreement scheme based on Chebyshev chaotic maps
Authors: Tan Zuowen
Published: February 2016

The paper presents a password‐based authenticated key‐agreement protocol for multi‐server environments by using Chebyshev chaotic maps. The protocol allows a user to login to different servers via a single password. The proposed scheme has removed the weakness of multi‐server authenticated key‐agreement schemes, which adopt the architecture of two‐level servers. After a user has finished the first login to a service providing server, the control server is not required to be online for the user's subsequent logins. Compared with the related multi‐server authentication schemes, our scheme meets more security requirements, such as mutual authentication, perfect forward security, freedom of password change, scalability of login, resistance to the stolen verifier attacks, resistance to server spoofing attacks, and two‐factor security. Detailed analysis shows that the proposed scheme can resist several kinds of attacks. The proposed scheme is provably secure under the CDH assumption of Chebyshev polynomials in the random oracle model. Furthermore, it offers the user and server with privacy‐preserving, that is, anonymity and untraceability. Any adversary can neither figure out the identities of users or the identities of service providing servers nor link different sessions with a user or a server. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficient chosen ciphertext secure identity‐based encryption against key leakage attacks
Authors: Sun Shi‐Feng , Gu Dawu , Liu Shengli
Published: February 2016

Due to the proliferation of side‐channel attacks, many efforts have been made to construct cryptographic systems that remain provably secure even if part of the secret information is leaked to the adversary. Recently, there have been many identity‐based encryption (IBE) schemes proposed in this context, almost all of which, however, can only achieve chosen plaintext attack (CPA) security. As far as we know, Alwen et al.'s IBE is the unique practical scheme secure against adaptive chosen ciphertext attacks (CCA2) in the standard model. Unfortunately, this scheme suffers from an undesirable shortcoming that the leakage parameter λ and the message length m are subject to λ + m≤ logp − ω(logκ), where κ and p denote the security parameter and the prime order of the underlying group, respectively. Beyond that, the leakage ratio in this scheme is very low, which can just reach 1/6. In this work, we put forward two new IBE schemes, both of which are λ‐leakage‐resilient CCA2 secure in the standard model. Specifically, the first construction is proposed based on Gentry's IBE, which is quite practical and almost as efficient as the original scheme. Moreover, its leakage parameter, λ≤ logp − ω(logκ), is independent of the size of the message space. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first practical leakage‐resilient fully CCA2 secure IBE scheme in the standard model, tolerating up to (logp − ω(logκ))‐bit leakage of the private key and its leakage parameter being independent of the message length. As to the second construction, it is proposed based on the scheme of Alwen et al., which has the same leakage parameter as Alwen et al., but has a better efficiency performance and a higher leakage ratio. As far as we know, it is the first practical and fully CCA2 secure leakage‐resilient IBE scheme with leakage ratio up to 1/4. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal conditions for gas cluster ion beams in studying inorganic interface species: improved chemical information at a ZnO interface
Authors: Sano Naoko , Barlow Anders J. , Tsakonas Costas , Cranton Wayne , Cumpson Peter J.
Published: February 2016

We have observed for the first time a subtle chemical change in the oxidation state of Zn at the interface between a ZnO thin film and a glass substrate using gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) depth‐profiling. A combination of monoatomic and gas clusters was used for etching, allowing the removal of the surface rapidly using the monoatomic ion beam yet still yield a less damaged surface by removing the damaged layer using the argon GCIB as a final step. With this combined method, the depth‐profile shows the transition of Zn from oxide to metal at the interface, which the monoatomic ion source if used alone would damage. This data indicates that the initial layers of the film did not undergo as much oxidation during the deposition compared with the rest of the film; therefore, metallic zinc resulted at the interface. We also examined the ZnO thin film under a range of conditions of argon ion profiling from monoatomic to cluster ions to study the most efficient method for depth‐profiling of multiple layers of inorganic materials. The monoatomic ion beam does not show the transition phenomena at the interface, which was observed in cluster depth‐profiling, probably because of atomic mixing effects. This suggests that care be taken in selection of etch parameters when studying interfaces. We recommend the combination of monoatomic sputtering followed by GCIB etching as the most efficient method for looking at interfaces of inorganic thin layers from the point of view of time taken and minimising damage at interface. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New azidation methods for the functionalization of silicon nitride and application in copper‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC)
Authors: Lange N. , Dietrich P. M. , Lippitz A. , Kulak N. , Unger W. E. S.
Published: February 2016

In this study, a new direct functionalization method of silicon nitride (Si3N4) using azidation and click chemistry is presented. First, amino groups (NHx) were created on a Si3N4 substrate by fluoride etching. These NHx‐terminated Si3N4 surfaces were analyzed by chemical derivatization X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy with 4‐trifluoromethylbenzaldehyde, and a derivatization yield of 20% was concluded. In the second step, freshly prepared NHx surfaces were transformed into azides, which were used immediately in a click reaction with halogenated alkynes. The presented combination of amination, azidation, and click reaction is a promising alternative for common silane‐based Si3N4 functionalization methods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Conversion of Canola Meal into a High‐Protein Feed Additive via Solid‐State Fungal Incubation Process
Authors: Croat Jason R. , Berhow Mark , Karki Bishnu , Muthukumarappan Kasiviswanathan , Gibbons William R.
Published: February 2016

The study goal was to determine the optimal fungal culture to reduce glucosinolates (GLS), fiber, and residual sugars while increasing the protein content and nutritional value of canola meal. Solid‐state incubation conditions were used to enhance filamentous growth of the fungi. Flask trials were performed using 50 % moisture content hexane‐extracted (HE) or cold‐pressed (CP) canola meal with incubation for 168 h at 30 °C. Incubation on HE canola meal Trichoderma reesei (NRRL‐3653) achieved the greatest increase in protein content (23 %), while having the lowest residual levels of sugar (8 % w/w) and GLS (0.4 μM/g). Incubation on CP canola meal Trichoderma reesei (NRRL‐3653), A. pullulans (NRRL‐58522), and A. pullulans (NRRL‐Y‐2311‐1) resulted in the greatest improvement in protein content (22.9, 16.9 and 15.4 %, respectively), while reducing total GLS content from 60.6 to 1.0, 3.2 and 10.7 μM/g, respectively. HE and CP canola meal GLS levels were reduced to 65.5 and 50.7 % by thermal treatments while solid‐state microbial conversion further reduced GLS up to 99 and 98 %, respectively. Fiber levels increased due to the concentration effect of removing oligosaccharides and GLS.
Blood Curse and Belonging in Thailand: Law, Buddhism, and Legal Consciousness
Authors: ENGEL David M.
Published: February 2016

This article takes up Talal Asad’s suggestion that studies of law and religion should reject the modern/non-modern binary and instead consider the “fragmented cultures” and “hybrid selves” associated with constantly changing social circumstances. The article begins with a seemingly bizarre incident that occurred during Thai street protests in March 2010. Tens of thousands of rural demonstrators splashed their own blood on Bangkok’s public buildings to curse the ruling government and its legal and political institutions. An explanation of the demonstrators’ controversial actions is found in their reaction against efforts of the central Thai ruling elite over the past century to modernize Thai law, rationalize its religious administration, and eliminate rival systems in outlying regions. These efforts, in turn, are placed in the context of a centuries-old tradition of law, kingship, and religious purification through which Thai rulers centralized their power and demonstrated their legitimacy. The street protests in 2010 represented a failed attempt by rural workers simultaneously to claim their place in the Thai nation and to challenge its hegemony, to assert their rights under modern law, and to invoke pre-modern legal norms and identities.
A Survey to Determine Decision-Making Styles of Working Paramedics and Student Paramedics
Authors: Jensen J. L. , Bienkowski A. , Travers A.H. , Calder L.A. , Walker M. , Tavares W. , Croskerry P.
Published: February 2016

Objective

Two major processes underlie human decision-making: experiential (intuitive) and rational (conscious) thinking. The predominant thinking process used by working paramedics and student paramedics to make clinical decisions is unknown.

Methods

A survey was administered to ground ambulance paramedics and to primary care paramedic students. The survey included demographic questions and the Rational Experiential Inventory-40, a validated psychometric tool involving 40 questions. Twenty questions evaluated each thinking style: 10 assessed preference and 10 assessed ability to use that style. Responses were provided on a five-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating higher affinity for the style in question. Analysis included both descriptive statistics and t tests to evaluate differences in thinking style.

Results

The response rate was 88.4% (1172/1326). Paramedics (n=904) had a median age of 36 years (IQR 29–42) and most were male (69.5%) and primary or advanced care paramedics (PCP=55.5%; ACP=32.5%). Paramedic students (n=268) had a median age of 23 years (IQR 21–26), most were male (63.1%) and had completed high school (31.7%) or an undergraduate degree (25.4%) prior to paramedic training. Both groups scored their ability to use and favourability toward rational thinking significantly higher than experiential thinking. The mean score for rational thinking was 3.86/5 among paramedics and 3.97/5 among paramedic students (p<0.001). The mean score for experiential thinking was 3.41/5 among paramedics and 3.35/5 among paramedic students (p=0.06).

Conclusion

Working paramedics and student paramedics prefer and perceive that they have the ability to use rational over experiential thinking. This information adds to our current knowledge on paramedic decision-making and is potentially important for developing continuing education and clinical support tools.
On the Spontaneous Emergence of Private Law
Authors: Bertolini Daniele
Published: February 2016

This article provides an explanatory framework of the spontaneous lawmaking (“SL”) process in the area of private law. To illuminate the process of the spontaneous emergence of private law, this paper focuses on three issues: (1) the conditions under which SL is likely to generate efficient norms, (2) the mechanisms that explain the emergence of norms in the absence of centralized enforcing institutions, and (3) the comparative advantages and disadvantages in terms of the efficiency of SL compared to public centralized lawmaking processes. This discussion is organized as follows. Section I defines the scope of the analysis. Section II introduces the relevant analytical tools offered by game theory and transaction-cost economics. Section III identifies the conditions for the spontaneous emergence of efficient norms. Section IV identifies three alternative mechanisms that explain the spontaneous emergence of norms. Section V examines the limitations of SL processes. Finally, Section VI provides examples of SL in the area of private law to demonstrate concretely the analytical potential of the proposed framework.
“A New Philosophy for International Law” and Dworkin’s Political Realism
Authors: Scarffe Eric J.
Published: February 2016

During his career, Ronald Dworkin wrote extensively on an impressive range of issues in moral, political, and legal philosophy, but, like many of his contemporaries, international law remained a topic of relative neglect. His most sustained work on international law is a posthumously published article, “A New Philosophy for International Law” (2013), which displays some familiar aspects of his views in general jurisprudence, in addition to some novel (though perhaps surprising) arguments as well. This paper argues that the moralized account of international law we might have expected is conspicuously missing from this posthumous article; with Dworkin advancing an argument based on a form of political realism instead.
Transverse jet mixing characteristics
Authors: Gevorkyan L. , Shoji T. , Getsinger D. R. , Smith O. I. , Karagozian A. R.
Published: February 2016

This experimental study explores and quantifies mixing characteristics associated with a gaseous round jet injected perpendicularly into cross-flow for a range of flow and injection conditions. The study utilizes acetone planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging to determine mixing metrics in both centreplane and cross-sectional planes of the jet, for a range of jet-to-cross-flow momentum flux ratios ($2\leqslant J\leqslant 41$), density ratios ($0.35\leqslant S\leqslant 1.0$) and injector configurations (flush nozzle, flush pipe and elevated nozzle), all at a fixed jet Reynolds number of 1900. For the majority of conditions explored, there is a direct correspondence between the nature of the jet’s upstream shear layer instabilities and structure, as documented in detail in Getsingeret al.(J. Fluid Mech., vol. 760, 2014, pp. 342–367), and the jet’s mixing characteristics, consistent with diffusion-dominated processes, but with a few notable exceptions. When quantified as a function of distance along the jet trajectory, mixing metrics for jets in cross-flow with an absolutely unstable upstream shear layer and relatively symmetric counter-rotating vortex pair cross-sectional structure tend to show better local molecular mixing than for jets with convectively unstable upstream shear layers and generally asymmetric cross-sectional structures. Yet the spatial evolution of mixing with downstream distance can be greater for a few specific convectively unstable conditions, apparently associated with the initiation and nature of shear layer rollup as a trigger for improved mixing. A notable exception to these trends concerns conditions where the equidensity jet in cross-flow has an upstream shear layer that is already absolutely unstable, and the jet density is then reduced in comparison with that of the cross-flow. Here, density ratios below unity tend to mix less well than for equidensity conditions, demonstrated to result from differences in the nature of higher-density cross-flow entrainment into lower-density shear layer vortices.