bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occupancy-elevation grid: an alternative approach for robotic mapping and navigation
Authors: Souza Anderson , Gonçalves Luiz M. G.
Published: April 2015

This paper proposes an alternative environment mapping method for accurate robotic navigation based on 3D information. Typical techniques for 3D mapping using occupancy grid require intensive computational workloads in order to both build and store the map. This work introduces an Occupancy-Elevation Grid (OEG) mapping technique, which is a discrete mapping approach where each cell represents the occupancy probability, the height of the terrain and its variance. This representation allows a mobile robot to know with an accurate degree of certainty whether a place in the environment is occupied by an obstacle and the height of such obstacle. Thus, based on its hardware characteristics, it can make calculations to decide if it is possible to traverse that specific place. In general, the map representation introduced can be used in conjunction with any kind of distance sensor. In this work, we use laser range data and stereo system data with a probabilistic treatment. The resulting maps allow the execution of tasks as decision making for autonomous navigation, exploration, localization and path planning, considering the existence and the height of the obstacles. Experiments carried out with real data demonstrate that the proposed approach yields useful maps for autonomous navigation.
Aberrant White Matter Networks Mediate Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Silent Lacunar Infarcts in Basal Ganglia Territory
Authors: Tang Jinfu , Zhong Suyu , Chen Yaojing , Chen Kewei , Zhang Junying , Gong Gaolang , Fleisher Adam S , He Yong , Zhang Zhanjun
Published: April 2015

Silent lacunar infarcts, which are present in over 20% of healthy elderly individuals, are associated with subtle deficits in cognitive functions. However, it remains largely unclear how these silent brain infarcts lead to cognitive deficits and even dementia. Here, we used diffusion tensor imaging tractography and graph theory to examine the topological organization of white matter networks in 27 patients with silent lacunar infarcts in the basal ganglia territory and 30 healthy controls. A whole-brain white matter network was constructed for each subject, where the graph nodes represented brain regions and the edges represented interregional white matter tracts. Compared with the controls, the patients exhibited a significant reduction in local efficiency and global efficiency. In addition, a total of eighteen brain regions showed significantly reduced nodal efficiency in patients. Intriguingly, nodal efficiency–behavior associations were significantly different between the two groups. The present findings provide new aspects into our understanding of silent infarcts that even small lesions in subcortical brain regions may affect large-scale cortical white matter network, as such may be the link between subcortical silent infarcts and the associated cognitive impairments. Our findings highlight the need for network-level neuroimaging assessment and more medical care for individuals with silent subcortical infarcts.
LRH-1 mediates anti-inflammatory and antifungal phenotype of IL-13-activated macrophages through the PPARγ ligand synthesis
Authors: Lefèvre Lise , Authier Hélène , Stein Sokrates , Majorel Clarisse , Couderc Bettina , Dardenne Christophe , Eddine Mohamad Ala , Meunier Etienne , Bernad José , Valentin Alexis , Pipy Bernard , Schoonjans Kristina , Coste Agnès
Published: April 2015

Liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1) is a nuclear receptor involved in the repression of inflammatory processes in the hepatointestinal tract. Here we report that LRH-1 is expressed in macrophages and induced by the Th2 cytokine IL-13 via a mechanism involving STAT6. We show that loss-of-function of LRH-1 in macrophages impedes IL-13-induced macrophage polarization due to impaired generation of 15-HETE PPARγ ligands. The incapacity to generate 15-HETE metabolites is at least partially caused by the compromised regulation of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1. Mice with LRH-1-deficient macrophages are, furthermore, highly susceptible to gastrointestinal and systemic Candida albicans infection. Altogether, these results identify LRH-1 as a critical component of the anti-inflammatory and fungicidal response of alternatively activated macrophages that acts upstream from the IL-13-induced 15-HETE/PPARγ axis.
Connecting the oxidation of soot to its redox cycling abilities
Authors: Antiñolo María , Willis Megan D. , Zhou Shouming , Abbatt Jonathan P.D.
Published: April 2015

Although it is known that soot particles are emitted in large quantities to the atmosphere, our understanding of their environmental effects is limited by our knowledge of how their composition is subsequently altered through atmospheric processing. Here we present an on-line mass spectrometric study of the changing chemical composition of hydrocarbon soot particles as they are oxidized by gas-phase ozone, and we show that the surface-mediated loss rates of adsorbed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soot are directly connected to a significant increase in the particle redox cycling abilities. With redox cycling implicated as an oxidative stress mechanism that arises after inhalation of atmospheric particles, this work draws a quantitative connection between the detailed heterogeneous chemistry occurring on atmospheric particles and a potential toxic mechanism attributable to that aerosol.
Copy Number Variants and Genetic Polymorphisms in TBX21, GATA3, Rorc, Foxp3 and Susceptibility to Behcet's Disease and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Syndrome
Authors: Liao Dan , Hou Shengping , Zhang Jun , Fang Jing , Liu Yunjia , Bai Lin , Cao Qingfeng , Aize Kijlstra  , Yang Peizeng
Published: April 2015

This study aimed to investigate the role of genetic variants including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variants (CNVs) of TBX21, GATA3, Rorc and Foxp3 genes in Behcet's disease (BD) and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome in a Chinese Han population. Genotyping of 25 SNPs was performed by iPLEX system (Sequenom) or polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). TaqMan real time PCR was used to assess CNVs. The expression of Rorc and Foxp3 were examined by real-time PCR and cytokine production was measured by ELISA. High Rorc CNV was associated with the susceptibility to BD (P = 8.99 × 10−8, OR = 3.0) and low Foxp3 CNV predisposed to BD in female patients (P = 1.92 × 10−5, OR = 3.1). CNVs for the investigated genes were not altered in VKH syndrome. Further functional studies demonstrated that the relative mRNA expression levels of Rorc were increased in individuals with high Rorc copy number, but not for Foxp3. Increased production of IL-1β and IL-6 was found in individuals carrying a high CNV of Rorc. Our study showed that high CNVs of Rorc and low CNVs of Foxp3 confer risk for BD but not for VKH syndrome. The tested 25 SNPs in TBX21, GATA3, Rorc and Foxp3 did not associate with BD and VKH syndrome.
E. coli OxyS non-coding RNA does not trigger RNAi in C. elegans
Authors: Akay Alper , Sarkies Peter , Miska Eric A.
Published: April 2015

The discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) in C. elegans has had a major impact on scientific research, led to the rapid development of RNAi tools and has inspired RNA-based therapeutics. Astonishingly, nematodes, planaria and many insects take up double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) from their environment to elicit RNAi; the biological function of this mechanism is unclear. Recently, the E. coli OxyS non-coding RNA was shown to regulate gene expression in C. elegans when E. coli is offered as food. This was surprising given that C. elegans is unlikely to encounter E. coli in nature. To directly test the hypothesis that the E. coli OxyS non-coding RNA triggers the C. elegans RNAi pathway, we sequenced small RNAs from C. elegans after feeding with bacteria. We clearly demonstrate that the OxyS non-coding RNA does not trigger an RNAi response in C. elegans. We conclude that the biology of environmental RNAi remains to be discovered.
Independent Controls of Differently-Polarized Reflected Waves by Anisotropic Metasurfaces
Authors: Ma Hui Feng , Wang Gui Zhen , Kong Gu Sheng , Cui Tie Jun
Published: April 2015

We propose a kind of anisotropic planar metasurface, which has capacity to manipulate the orthogonally-polarized electromagnetic waves independently in the reflection mode. The metasurface is composed of orthogonally I-shaped structures and a metal-grounded plane spaced by a dielectric isolator, with the thickness of about 1/15 wavelength. The normally incident linear-polarized waves will be totally reflected by the metal plane, but the reflected phases of x- and y-polarized waves can be controlled independently by the orthogonally I-shaped structures. Based on this principle, we design four functional devices using the anisotropic metasurfaces to realize polarization beam splitting, beam deflection and linear-to-circular polarization conversion with a deflection angle, respectively. Good performances have been observed from both simulation and measurement results, which show good capacity of the anisotropic metasurfaces to manipulate the x- and y-polarized reflected waves independently.
Core chemistry and skeletal rearrangements of porphyrinoids and metalloporphyrinoids
Authors: Szyszko Bartosz , Latos-Grażyński Lechosław
Published: April 2015

Porphyrin core alteration allows for the exploration of porphyrin-like or porphyrin-unlike coordination chemistry and provides an insight into reactions inside particularly shaped macrocyclic architecture including metal-mediated structural transformations.
MnO2 nanosheets based fluorescent sensing platform with organic dyes as a probe with excellent analytical properties
Authors: Wang Chunxia , Zhai Wanying , Wang Yuexiang , Yu Ping , Mao Lanqun
Published: April 2015

A novel strategy to use organic dyes, instead of emissive nanoparticles, as the probe to construct a biosensing platform based on manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanosheets with excellent analytical properties is developed.
Ingredient authentication of commercial Xihuangcao herbal tea by a microscopic technique combined with UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS
Authors: Wong Lai Lai , Liang Zhitao , Chen Hubiao , Zhao Zhongzhen
Published: April 2015

A fast, accurate and practical method, which uses a microscopic technique combined with UPLC-MS to identify a complex herb tea mixture with unknown ingredients.
Highly emissive, solution-processable and dynamic Eu(iii)-containing coordination polymers
Authors: Duerrbeck Andre , Gorelik Sergey , Hobley Jonathan , Wu Ji'En , Hor Andy , Long Nicholas
Published: April 2015

Preparation of new soluble dynamic coordination networks based on Eu(iii) and a new, rigid ditopic pybox-related ligand.
Self-diffusion in nanocrystalline alloys
Authors: Kaszkur Zbigniew , Juszczyk Wojciech , Łomot Dariusz
Published: April 2015

Operando PXRD shows slow diffusion kinetics of controllable, reversible segregation in a PdAg nanoalloy that is explained by atomistic modeling.
Highly efficient nano-sized TS-1 with micro-/mesoporosity from desilication and recrystallization for the epoxidation of biodiesel with H2O2
Authors: Wilde N. , Pelz M. , Gebhardt S. G. , Gläser R.
Published: April 2015

The epoxidation of the unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) in biodiesel with H2O2was investigated at 323 K in the liquid phase over microporous nano-sized TS-1 as well as micro-/mesoporous nano-sized TS-1.
Synchrotron-based X-ray spectromicroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate the redox properties of lead chromate pigments under the effect of visible light
Authors: Monico Letizia , Janssens Koen , Cotte Marine , Romani Aldo , Sorace Lorenzo , Grazia Chiara , Brunetti Brunetto Giovanni , Miliani Costanza
Published: April 2015

The redox properties of chrome yellows under visible and monochromatic light exposure are studied using UV-vis, SR μ-XRF/μ-XANES and EPR spectroscopies.
Comparative membrane proteomics: a technical advancement in the search of renal cell carcinoma biomarkers
Authors: Raimondo Francesca , Corbetta Samuele , Savoia Andrea , Chinello Clizia , Cazzaniga Marta , Rocco Francesco , Bosari Silvano , Grasso Marco , Bovo Giorgio , Magni Fulvio , Pitto Marina
Published: April 2015

Set-up of a specific protocol for membrane protein analysis, applied to label free, comparative proteomics of renal cell carcinoma microdomains.
Synthetic small molecules that induce neuronal differentiation in neuroblastoma and fibroblast cells
Authors: Halder Debasish , Kim Gun-Hee , Shin Injae
Published: April 2015

Imidazole-based synthetic small molecules promote neurogenesis in readily available and simply manageable neuroblastoma and fibroblast cells.
Synthesis and antitumor mechanisms of a copper(ii) complex of anthracene-9-imidazoline hydrazone (9-AIH)
Authors: Qin Qi-Pin , Liu Yan-Cheng , Wang Hai-Lu , Qin Jiao-Lan , Cheng Feng-Jie , Tang Shang-Feng , Liang Hong
Published: April 2015

A new anthracycline derivative, anthracene-9-imidazoline hydrazone (9-AIH), was synthesized and selected as an antitumor ligand to afford a copper(ii) complex of 9-AIH, cis-[CuIICl2(9-AIH)] (1). Complex 1 was structurally characterized by IR, elemental analysis, ESI-MS and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. By MTT assay, it was revealed that 1 showed overall a higher in vitro cytotoxicity than 9-AIH towards a panel of human tumour cell lines, with IC50 values from 0.94–3.68 μM, in which the BEL-7404 cell line was the most sensitive to 1. By spectral analyses and gel electrophoresis, the DNA binding affinity of 9-AIH and 1 was determined. 9-AIH was suggested to bind with DNA in an intercalative mode, with a quenching constant of 1.04 × 104 M−1 on the EB–DNA complex. While for 1, both intercalative and covalent binding modes were suggested. By flow cytometry, 1 was found to block the cell cycle of BEL-7404 cells in a dose-dependent mode, in which it induced the G2/M phase arrest at 0.5 μM and induced the S phase arrest at higher concentrations of 1.0 or 2.0 μM. From the cellular morphological observations under different fluorescence probe staining, a dose-dependent manner of 1 to induce cell apoptosis in the late stage was suggested. Comparatively, equivalent apoptotic cells, respectively, in the early and late stages were found when incubated with 2.0 μM of 9-AIH. The mitochondrial membrane potential measured by JC-1 staining and the ROS generation in cells detected using a DCFH-DA probe suggested that the cell apoptosis induced by 1 might undergo the ROS-related mitochondrial pathway. Accordingly, the mutant p53 expression was found to be suppressed and the caspase cascade (caspase-9/3) was consequently activated by 1. This action mechanism for 1 in the BEL-7404 cells was unique and was not found in the presence of 9-AIH under the same conditions, indicating their different antitumor mechanism. Furthermore, the in vivo acute toxicity of 1 tested on mice indicated that 1 should be a high cytotoxic antitumor agent, with the LD50 value in the range of 32–45 mg kg−1, which is much higher than that of 9-AIH. From the above results, the central Cu(ii) of 1 in the coordinated mode with 9-AIH was believed to play a key role in exerting both the high cytotoxicity and the effective antitumor mechanism.
One-pot synthesis of Pt hollow spheres and their performance on electrochemical catalysis
Authors: Lin Guanhua , Lu Wensheng
Published: April 2015

The facile synthesis of Pt hollow spheres with variable sizes was achieved using a surfactant with a long hydrophobic tail.
Structural revision of glabramycins B and C, antibiotics from the fungus Neosartorya glabra by DFT calculations of NMR chemical shifts and coupling constants
Authors: Li Yang
Published: April 2015

The 13C NMR spectra and vicinal proton–proton coupling constants of two tricyclic macrolactone natural products were analyzed using computational methods, which resulted in their structural revisions.
Degradation of p-chloroaniline by FeO3−xH3−2x/Fe0 in the presence of persulfate in aqueous solution
Authors: Hussain Imtyaz , Zhang Yongqing , Huang Shaobin , Gao Qunyu
Published: April 2015

Sulfate radical based advanced oxidation processes are promising techniques for the removal of organic compounds in aqueous solutions.
Preparation and characterization of a new cement-based composite with sulfur polymer
Authors: Yu Seunggun , Kwon Hyuk , Noh Hyuk Rae , Park Bo-In , Park No Kyung , Choi Heon-Jin , Choi Sung-Churl , Kim Goo Dae
Published: April 2015

A new cement-based composite with sulfur polymer was developed by mixing cement, sand, molten sulfur polymer and water at a low temperature of approximately 55 °C, resulting in enhanced compressive strength and impermeability.
Ignition of hydrothermal flames
Authors: Reddy Sivamohan N. , Nanda Sonil , Hegde Uday G. , Hicks Michael C. , Kozinski Janusz A.
Published: April 2015

The operating parameters influence the ignition and stability of premixed and diffusion limited hydrothermal flames in continuous and semi-continuous modes.
Synthesis and characterization of fluorescent chitosan–ZnSe/ZnS nanoparticles for potential drug carriers
Authors: Li Yeping , Xu Jingbo , Xu Yun , Huang Liying , Wang Junli , Cheng Xiaonong
Published: April 2015

The objective of the study is to describe a new approach of combining quantum dots into chitosan as an anti-cancer drug carrier.
Effect of alginate coating enriched with 6-gingerol on the shelf life and quality changes of refrigerated red sea bream (Pagrosomus major) fillets
Authors: Cai Luyun , Wang Yanbo , Cao Ailing , Lv Yanfang , Li Jianrong
Published: April 2015

The study aimed to determine the shelf life and quality changes of red sea bream which is coated by using sodium alginate (SA) enriched with 6-gingerol (GR) during 20 days of refrigerated storage (4 ± 1 °C).
Lipase immobilized in microemulsion based organogels (MBGs) as an efficient catalyst for continuous-flow esterification of protected fructose
Authors: Sutili Felipe K. , Nogueira Daniel de O. , Leite Selma G. F. , Miranda Leandro S. M. , de Souza Rodrigo O. M. A.
Published: April 2015

Sugar-based surfactants are important esters for the cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industries due to their intrinsic properties.
Effect of A/B-site substitution on oxygen production performance of strontium cobalt based perovskites for CO2 capture application
Authors: Shen Qiuwan , Zheng Ying , Luo Cong , Ding Ning , Zheng Chu-Guang , Thern Marcus
Published: April 2015

Oxy-fuel combustion is one of the proposed technologies which have the potential to achieve zero CO2 emission.
Single-step shaping of fluorescent polymer beads by a reverse breath figure approach
Authors: Galeotti F. , Kozma E. , Mróz W. , Kutrzeba-Kotowska B.
Published: April 2015

A fast and facile approach is proposed to decorate a substrate with micrometric fluorescent polymer beads of many different materials.
A multifunctional fullerene interlayer in colloidal quantum dot-based hybrid solar cells
Authors: Nam Minwoo , Park Joongpill , Lee Keekeun , Kim Sang-Wook , Ko Hyungduk , Han Il Ki , Ko Doo-Hyun
Published: April 2015

We describe a new platform for developing high-efficiency polymer-colloidal quantum dot hybrid solar cells employing a multifunctional fullerene interlayer.
One-pot synthesis of sandwich-like reduced graphene oxide@CoNiAl layered double hydroxide with excellent pseudocapacitive properties
Authors: Huang Peipei , Cao Changyan , Sun Yongbin , Yang Shuliang , Wei Fang , Song Weiguo
Published: April 2015

Sandwich-like nanocomposites with cobalt nickel aluminum layered double hydroxide growth on both sides of reduced graphene oxide show excellent pseudocapacitive properties.
Computational toxicology, friend or foe?
Authors: Greene Nigel , Pennie William
Published: April 2015

Computational approaches offer the attraction of being both fast and cheap to run being able to process thousands of chemical structures in a few minutes. As with all new technology, there is a tendency for these approaches to be hyped up and claims of reliability and performance may be exaggerated. So just how good are these computational methods?
Plastisch-chirurgische Therapieoptionen bei der nekrotisierenden Fasziitis
Authors: Altmann S. , Meyer F. , Infanger M. , Damert H.-G.
Published: April 2015

Unter einer nekrotisierenden Fasziitis (NF) versteht man eine seltene und lebensbedrohliche Infektion des Subkutangewebes und der Faszien. Charakteristisch ist die rasche Progredienz der Erkrankung im Zusammenhang mit einem starken inadäquaten Schmerz im betroffenen Areal. Da sowohl die Laborparameter als auch die Bildgebung unspezifisch sind, wird die Diagnose klinisch gestellt. Bereits bei Verdacht muss ein sofortiges radikales Débridement erfolgen, ergänzt durch eine intensivmedizinische Betreuung mit gezielter Antibiotikagabe. Nach Stabilisierung des Allgemeinzustands und der Wundsituation ist eine Defektdeckung und Rekonstruktion der Weichteile durch plastisch-chirurgische Maßnahmen möglich.
Scaling and scale invariance of conservation laws in Reynolds transport theorem framework
Authors: Haltas Ismail , Ulusoy Suleyman
Published: April 2015

Scale invariance is the case where the solution of a physical process at a specified time-space scale can be linearly related to the solution of the processes at another time-space scale. Recent studies investigated the scale invariance conditions of hydrodynamic processes by applying the one-parameter Lie scaling transformations to the governing equations of the processes. Scale invariance of a physical process is usually achieved under certain conditions on the scaling ratios of the variables and parameters involved in the process. The foundational axioms of hydrodynamics are the conservation laws, namely, conservation of mass, conservation of linear momentum, and conservation of energy from continuum mechanics. They are formulated using the Reynolds transport theorem. Conventionally, Reynolds transport theorem formulates the conservation equations in integral form. Yet, differential form of the conservation equations can also be derived for an infinitesimal control volume. In the formulation of the governing equation of a process, one or more than one of the conservation laws and, some times, a constitutive relation are combined together. Differential forms of the conservation equations are used in the governing partial differential equation of the processes. Therefore, differential conservation equations constitute the fundamentals of the governing equations of the hydrodynamic processes. Applying the one-parameter Lie scaling transformation to the conservation laws in the Reynolds transport theorem framework instead of applying to the governing partial differential equations may lead to more fundamental conclusions on the scaling and scale invariance of the hydrodynamic processes. This study will investigate the scaling behavior and scale invariance conditions of the hydrodynamic processes by applying the one-parameter Lie scaling transformation to the conservation laws in the Reynolds transport theorem framework.
Simulation of circularly polarized luminescence spectra using coupled cluster theory
Authors: McAlexander Harley R. , Crawford T. Daniel
Published: April 2015

We report the first computations of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) rotatory strengths at the equation-of-motion coupled cluster singles and doubles (EOM-CCSD) level of theory. Using a test set of eight chiral ketones, we compare both dipole and rotatory strengths for absorption (electronic circular dichroism) and emission to the results from time-dependent density-functional theory (TD-DFT) and available experimental data for both valence and Rydberg transitions. For two of the compounds, we obtained optimized geometries of the lowest several excited states using both EOM-CCSD and TD-DFT and determined that structures and EOM-CCSD transition properties obtained with each structure were sufficiently similar that TD-DFT optimizations were acceptable for the remaining test cases. Agreement between EOM-CCSD and the Becke three-parameter exchange function and Lee-Yang-Parr correlation functional (B3LYP) corrected using the Coulomb attenuating method (CAM-B3LYP) is typically good for most of the transitions, though agreement with the uncorrected B3LYP functional is significantly worse for all reported properties. The choice of length vs. velocity representation of the electric dipole operator has little impact on the EOM-CCSD transition strengths for nearly all of the states we examined. For a pair of closely related β, γ-enones, (1R)-7-methylenebicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one and (1S)-2-methylenebicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-7-one, we find that EOM-CCSD and CAM-B3LYP agree with the energetic ordering of the two possible excited-state conformations, resulting in good agreement with experimental rotatory strengths in both absorption and emission, whereas B3LYP yields a qualitatively incorrect result for the CPL signal of (1S)-2-methylenebicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-7-one. Finally, we predict that one of the compounds considered here, trans-bicyclo[3.3.0]octane-3,7-dione, is unique in that it exhibits an achiral ground state and a chiral first excited state, leading to a strong CPL signal but a weak circular dichroism signal.
A nonlinear analysis of the terahertz serpentine waveguide traveling-wave amplifier
Authors: Li Ke , Liu Wenxin , Wang Yong , Cao Miaomiao
Published: April 2015

A nonlinear model for the numerical simulation of terahertz serpentine waveguide traveling-wave tube (SW-TWT) is described. In this model, the electromagnetic wave transmission in the SW is represented as an infinite set of space harmonics to interact with an electron beam. Analytical expressions for axial electric fields in axisymmetric interaction gaps of SW-TWTs are derived and compared with the results from CST simulation. The continuous beam is treated as discrete macro-particles with different initial phases. The beam-tunnel field equations, space-charge field equations, and motion equations are combined to solve the beam-wave interaction. The influence of backward wave and relativistic effect is also considered in the series of equations. The nonlinear model is used to design a 340 GHz SW-TWT. Several favorable comparisons of model predictions with results from a 3-D Particle-in-cell simulation code CHIPIC are presented, in which the output power versus beam voltage and interaction periods are illustrated. The relative error of the predicted output power is less than 15% in the 3 dB bandwidth and the relative error of the saturated length is less than 8%.The results show that the 1-D nonlinear analysis model is appropriate to solve the terahertz SW-TWT operation characteristics.
Local regulation of interchange turbulence in a dipole-confined plasma torus using current-collection feedback
Authors: Roberts T. M. , Mauel M. E. , Worstell M. W.
Published: April 2015

Turbulence in plasma confined by a magnetic dipole is dominated by interchange fluctuations with complex dynamics and short spatial coherence. We report the first use of local current-collection feedback to modify, amplify, and suppress these fluctuations. The spatial extent of turbulence regulation is limited to a correlation length near the collector. Changing the gain and phase of collection results in power either extracted from or injected into the turbulence. The measured plasma response shows some agreement with calculations of the linear response of global interchange-like MHD and entropy modes to current-collection feedback.
Remote optical sensing on the nanometer scale with a bowtie aperture nano-antenna on a fiber tip of scanning near-field optical microscopy
Authors: Atie Elie M. , Xie Zhihua , El Eter Ali , Salut Roland , Nedeljkovic Dusan , Tannous Tony , Baida Fadi I. , Grosjean Thierry
Published: April 2015

Plasmonic nano-antennas have proven the outstanding ability of sensing chemical and physical processes down to the nanometer scale. Sensing is usually achieved within the highly confined optical fields generated resonantly by the nano-antennas, i.e., in contact to the nanostructures. In this paper, we demonstrate the sensing capability of nano-antennas to their larger scale environment, well beyond their plasmonic confinement volume, leading to the concept of “remote” (non contact) sensing on the nanometer scale. On the basis of a bowtie-aperture nano-antenna (BNA) integrated at the apex of a SNOM (Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy) fiber tip, we introduce an ultra-compact, moveable, and background-free optical nanosensor for the remote sensing of a silicon surface (up to distance of 300 nm). Sensitivity of the BNA to its large scale environment is high enough to expect the monitoring and control of the spacing between the nano-antenna and a silicon surface with sub-nanometer accuracy. This work paves the way towards an alternative class of nanopositioning techniques, based on the monitoring of diffraction-free plasmon resonance, that are alternative to nanomechanical and diffraction-limited optical interference-based devices.
Sustainable energy options for a low carbon demonstration city project in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Bin Ye , Jingjing Jiang , Lixin Miao , Peng Yang
Published: April 2015

Urban areas are the key drivers of energy usage and the associated carbon emissions. Due to the rapid economic development and urbanization process, China has faced increasing pressure on energy supply and carbon emission issues. It is urgent for China to change from the current coal-based high carbon intensity power supply structure. In this context, China has planned to utilize an undeveloped area in Shenzhen to become a low-carbon development demonstration project. The purpose of this paper is to propose the best combination of technology for electricity generation, involving a mix of renewable energy resources, to satisfy electrical needs and, at the same time, minimize carbon emissions from power generation in the low carbon demonstration area. The optimal renewable energy system configuration was determined based on the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable model. The simulation results show that costs of energy for the three scenarios considered are $0.187/kW h, $0.128/kW h, and $0.150/kW h, respectively; annual carbon emissions for the three scenarios are 96 702 tons, 89 836 tons, and 78 065 tons, respectively. Given the economic advantage, scenario 2 is a suitable choice for the first phase of the international low carbon city (ILCC). With reinforced carbon emissions controls and a rising carbon allowance price, scenario 3 can be adopted in the second and third phase of the ILCC construction.
MOZ and BMI1 play opposing roles during
Hox
gene activation in ES cells and in body segment identity specification in vivo
Authors: Sheikh Bilal N. , Downer Natalie L. , Phipson Belinda , Vanyai Hannah K. , Kueh Andrew J. , McCarthy Davis J. , Smyth Gordon K. , Thomas Tim , Voss Anne K.
Published: April 2015

Significance

The body is patterned in the anterior–posterior axis by the correct spatial and temporal expression of
Hox
genes during embryonic development. One mechanism critical for the precise spatiotemporal expression of
Hox
genes is the chromatin state. While changes in chromatin conformation during the activation of
Hox
genes have been well described, the importance of the factors that in turn regulate chromatin remains enigmatic and controversial. In the current study, we investigate the role of two critical chromatin regulators, MOZ and BMI1, during
Hox
gene activation and in specifying body segment identity. We establish the importance of MOZ and BMI1 during the initial activation of
Hox
genes in ES cells and in correctly specifying body segment identity during embryonic development.
Capture and Brief Invasive Procedures Using Electronarcosis Does Not Appear to Affect Postrelease Habits in Male Atlantic Sturgeon During the Spawning Season
Authors: Balazik Matthew T.
Published: April 2015

With advances in technology and demand for life history information, researchers are increasingly conducting invasive procedures on fish that require an anesthetic. This study examined the effectiveness of electronarcosis as a field anesthetic on Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus during the spawning season in the James River, Virginia. Concerns about sampling Atlantic Sturgeon during spawning runs prompted our examining whether movements after capture, narcosis, and tagging were noticeably modified. An electronarcosis system, which consisted of a power supply, fiberglass tank, and hardware cloth, were set up both on land and on a sampling boat. During the spawning season Atlantic Sturgeon were caught and implanted with Vemco V16 telemetry tags using electronarcosis as an anesthetic. Anesthesia induction, surgery, and recovery averaged 5 min. Telemetry data from the tagging year was compared with returning fish tagged in previous years. This showed movements during the spawning season and spawning exit dates were similar between the two groups, suggesting that electronarcosis was effective and time-efficient for conducting invasive procedures. Capturing and implanting transmitters in Atlantic Sturgeon during spawning runs does not appear to modify spawning movements. Managers may benefit from targeting adult Atlantic Sturgeon and other iteroparous anadromous fishes in rivers during spawning periods, which is typically very efficient due to high densities of fish during that period.

Received February 21, 2014; accepted December 31, 2014
Reservoir Rehabilitations: Seeking the Fountain of Youth
Authors: Pegg Mark A. , Pope Kevin L. , Powell Larkin A. , Turek Kelly C. , Spurgeon Jonathan J. , Stewart Nathaniel T. , Hogberg Nick P. , Porath Mark T.
Published: April 2015

Aging of reservoirs alters the functions, and associated services, of these systems through time. The goal of habitat rehabilitation is often to alter the trajectory of the aging process such that the duration of the desired state is prolonged. There are two important characteristics in alteration of the trajectory—the amplitude relative to current state and the subsequent rate of change, or aging—that ultimately determine the duration of extension for the desired state. Rehabilitation processes largely fall into three main categories: fish community manipulation, water quality manipulation, and physical habitat manipulation. We can slow aging of reservoirs through carefully implemented management actions, perhaps even turning back the hands of time, but we cannot stop aging. We call for new, innovative perspectives that incorporate an understanding of aging processes in all steps of rehabilitation of reservoirs, especially in planning and assessing.

El envejecimiento de los reservorios altera las funciones y los servicios que están asociados a estos ecosistemas. El objetivo de la rehabilitación de hábitats suele ser alterar la trayectoria del proceso de envejecimiento de manera tal que prolonga la duración de un estado deseable del sistema. Existen dos características importantes cuando se altera dicha trayectoria -amplitud relativa del estado actual y la subsecuente tasa de cambio, o envejecimiento- que últimamente determinan la duración del estado deseado. La mayoría de los procesos de rehabilitación caen en tres grandes categorías: manipulación de comunidades ícticas, manipulación de la calidad del agua y manipulación del hábitat físico. Es posible retardar el envejecimiento de los reservorios implementando cuidadosamente medidas de manejo, e incluso tal vez regresando el tiempo, pero no es posible detener el envejecimiento. Aquí se hace referencia a perspectivas novedosas que incorporan la comprensión del proceso de envejecimiento en todos los pasos de la rehabilitación de reservorios, particularmente en lo que se refiere a planeación y evaluación.
A new aliphatic alcohol and cytotoxic chemical constituents from Acorus gramineus rhizomes
Authors: Kim Ki Hyun , Kang Hee Rae , Eom Hee Jeong , Kim Chung Sub , Choi Sang Un , Lee Kang Ro
Published: April 2015

A new aliphatic alcohol, (2R,6R)-oct-7-ene-2,6-diol (1), and seven other known compounds (2-8) were isolated from Acorus gramineus rhizomes. The structure of 1 was elucidated by a combination of extensive spectroscopic analyses, including 2D NMR, HR-MS, and the modified Mosher’s method. Compounds 3-8 displayed consistent antiproliferative activities against the cell lines tested with IC50 values ranging from 7 to 48 μm.
Thinking about the future can cause forgetting of the past
Authors: Ditta Annie S. , Storm Benjamin C.
Published: April 2015

People are able to imagine events in the future that have not yet happened, an ability referred to as episodic future thinking. There is now compelling evidence that episodic future thinking is accomplished via processes similar to those that underlie episodic retrieval. Drawing upon work on retrieval-induced forgetting, which has shown that retrieving some items in memory can cause the forgetting of other items in memory, we show that engaging in episodic future thinking can cause related autobiographical memories (Experiments 1–3) and episodic event descriptions (Experiments 3–4) to become less recallable in the future than they would have been otherwise. This finding suggests that episodic future thinking can serve as a memory modifier by changing the extent to which memories from our past can be subsequently retrieved.
Molecular and Functional Significance of Ca2+‐Activated Cl− Channels in Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle
Authors: Leblanc Normand , Forrest Abigail S. , Ayon Ramon J. , Wiwchar Michael , Angermann Jeff E. , Pritchard Harry A. T. , Singer Cherie A. , Valencik Maria L. , Britton Fiona , Greenwood Iain A.
Published: April 2015

Increased peripheral resistance of small distal pulmonary arteries is a hallmark signature of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and is believed to be the consequence of enhanced vasoconstriction to agonists, thickening of the arterial wall due to remodeling, and increased thrombosis. The elevation in arterial tone in PH is attributable, at least in part, to smooth muscle cells of PH patients being more depolarized and displaying higher intracellular Ca2+ levels than cells from normal subjects. It is now clear that downregulation of voltage‐dependent K+ channels (e.g., Kv1.5) and increased expression and activity of voltage‐dependent (Cav1.2) and voltage‐independent (e.g., canonical and vanilloid transient receptor potential [TRPC and TRPV]) Ca2+ channels play an important role in the functional remodeling of pulmonary arteries in PH. This review focuses on an anion‐permeable channel that is now considered a novel excitatory mechanism in the systemic and pulmonary circulations. It is permeable to Cl− and is activated by a rise in intracellular Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+‐activated Cl− channel, or CaCC). The first section outlines the biophysical and pharmacological properties of the channel and ends with a description of the molecular candidate genes postulated to encode for CaCCs, with particular emphasis on the bestrophin and the newly discovered TMEM16 and anoctamin families of genes. The second section provides a review of the various sources of Ca2+ activating CaCCs, which include stimulation by mobilization from intracellular Ca2+ stores and Ca2+ entry through voltage‐dependent and voltage‐independent Ca2+ channels. The third and final section summarizes recent findings that suggest a potentially important role for CaCCs and the gene TMEM16A in PH.
Charles Johnson
Authors: Byerman Keith
Published: April 2015

Charles Richard Johnson (b. 1948) was born in Evanston, Illinois. He demonstrated a talent for drawing at an early age and later established his first reputation as a cartoonist, both in college and on PBS. His first two book-length publications were cartoon collections in which he engaged the assumptions of the black arts movement. He majored in journalism at Southern Illinois University, where he also worked with the novelist John Gardner. Under Gardner’s influence, he wrote six novels that were not published. He then earned a master’s degree in philosophy while continuing his work with Gardner. He went on to a PhD program in philosophy and aesthetics at SUNY–Stony Brook. He joined the faculty of the University of Washington in 1976, where he remained his entire career. Though his early writing did not earn him much of a popular or critical reputation, it did establish certain concepts that have remained consistent throughout his career. His first published fiction was Faith and the Good Thing, a novel that linked philosophy, black folklore, surrealism, and realism in taking its female protagonist from the rural South to the streets of Chicago and back again. In his second novel, Oxherding Tale, he added Buddhism to the mix in the creation of the first of his neo-slave narratives; it is based on the oxherding tales of Zen Buddhist writing and painting. A high point in his career was reached with Middle Passage in 1990, which won the National Book Award. For this work, he conducted research on sea narratives, going back to ancient times. He joins this tradition with the slave narrative and philosophy, as the protagonist voluntarily joins the crew of a slave ship on its journey to and from Africa, where they take captive members of an African tribe that lacks Western perspectives on identity and material reality. His fourth novel, Dreamer, applies these concerns to a story of the end of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Johnson creates a double who trained as a Buddhist monk but has become cynical in part because of his war experiences. Johnson’s interests in spirituality, race, and philosophy are also reflected in his three volumes of short fiction, his documentary work Africans in America, his work as an editor, and his collection of photographs of King. These same topics have also limited his audience because his attention to ideas does not make him an easy fit in the marketing of African American literature. Despite these limitations, he has received a MacArthur Award, and his work has been translated into several languages.
The Very precise Echelle SpectroPolarimeter on the Araki telescope (VESPolA)
Authors: Arasaki Takayuki , Ikeda Yuji , Shinnaka Yoshiharu , Itose Chisato , Nakamichi Akika , Kawakita Hideyo
Published: April 2015

We report on the construction of a high-resolution spectropolarimeter, the Very precise Echelle SpectroPolarimeter on the Araki telescope (VESPolA). The instrument operates in the visible spectral range, i.e., 400–850 nm, and is mounted on the 1.3 m Araki telescope at the Koyama Astronomical Observatory of Kyoto Sangyo University (Kyoto, Japan). It employs an echelle-type spectrograph and a non-ripple super-achromatic half-wave plate, resulting in high polarimetric accuracy of δP < 0.1% for linear polarization with a spectral resolution of R = 8000 at the central wavelengths and a wide wavelength coverage of δλ = 150–250 nm in a single exposure. VESPolA is designed for 1–2 m telescopes that have a Cassegrain focus. This configuration provides a dozen polarization line profiles of various nuclear species from the target spectra simultaneously, and we can therefore obtain complementary information on both the geometry and the velocity field of the nebular emission lines from the circumstellar envelopes. We evaluated the performance of our system by observing a spectroscopic standard star and several polarization standard stars during 2012–2013. VESPolA achieved a spectral resolution 7750 < R < 8250, with a polarimetric accuracy of δP < 0.1% for linear polarization and a limiting magnitude of mv = 7.8 mag with δP < 0.1% and an integration time of 4 hr. We show preliminary results of variable stars P Cyg, β Lyr, and VY CMa. We observed polarization profiles across the Hα and He lines, as well as the TiO absorption bands, which indicate a complex spatial distribution and velocity field of the surrounding gaseous nebulae.
Cost–benefit analysis of the mechanisms that enable migrating cells to sustain motility upon changes in matrix environments
Authors: Tozluoglu Melda , Mao Yanlan , Bates Paul A. , Sahai Erik
Published: April 2015

Cells can move through extracellular environments with varying geometries and adhesive properties. Adaptation to these differences is achieved by switching between different modes of motility, including lamellipod-driven and blebbing motility. Further, cells can modulate their level of adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) depending on both the level of force applied to the adhesions and cell intrinsic biochemical properties. We have constructed a computational model of cell motility to investigate how motile cells transition between extracellular environments with varying surface continuity, confinement and adhesion. Changes in migration strategy are an emergent property of cells as the ECM geometry and adhesion changes. The transition into confined environments with discontinuous ECM fibres is sufficient to induce shifts from lamellipod-based to blebbing motility, while changes in confinement alone within a continuous geometry are not. The geometry of the ECM facilitates plasticity, by inducing shifts where the cell has high marginal gain from a mode change, and conserving persistency where the cell can continue movement regardless of the motility mode. This regulation of cell motility is independent of global changes in cytoskeletal properties, but requires locally higher linkage between the actin network and the plasma membrane at the cell rear, and changes in internal cell pressure. In addition to matrix geometry, we consider how cells might transition between ECM of different adhesiveness. We find that this requires positive feedback between the forces cells apply on the adhesion points, and the strength of the cell–ECM adhesions on those sites. This positive feedback leads to the emergence of a small number of highly adhesive cores, similar to focal adhesions. While the range of ECM adhesion levels the cell can invade is expanded with this feedback mechanism; the velocities are lowered for conditions where the positive feedback is not vital. Thus, plasticity of cell motility sacrifices the benefits of specialization, for robustness.
Mechanical properties for irradiated face-centred cubic nanocrystalline metals
Authors: Xiao X. Z. , Song D. K. , Chu H. J. , Xue J. M. , Duan H. L.
Published: April 2015

In this paper, a self-consistent plasticity theory is proposed to model the mechanical behaviours of irradiated face-centred cubic nanocrystalline metals. At the grain level, a tensorial crystal model with both irradiation and grain size effects is applied for the grain interior (GI), whereas both grain boundary (GB) sliding with irradiation effect and GB diffusion are considered in modelling the behaviours of GBs. The elastic-viscoplastic self-consistent method with considering grain size distribution is developed to transit the microscopic behaviour of individual grains to the macroscopic properties of nanocrystals (NCs). The proposed theory is applied to model the mechanical properties of irradiated NC copper, and the feasibility and efficiency have been validated by comparing with experimental data. Numerical results show that: (i) irradiation-induced defects can lead to irradiation hardening in the GIs, but the hardening effect decreases with the grain size due to the increasing absorption of defects by GBs. Meanwhile, the absorbed defects would make the GBs softer than the unirradiated case. (ii) There exists a critical grain size for irradiated NC metals, which separates the grain size into the irradiation hardening dominant region (above the critical size) and irradiation softening dominant region (below the critical size). (iii) The distribution of grain size has a significant influence on the mechanical behaviours of both irradiated and unirradiated NCs. The proposed model can offer a valid theoretical foundation to study the irradiation effect on NC materials.