bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential Games with (A) symmetric Players and Heterogeneous Strategies
Authors: Zou Benteng
Published: May 2016

One family of heterogeneous strategies in differential games with (a)symmetric players is developed in which one player adopts an anticipating open-loop strategy and the other adopts a standard Markovian strategy. Via conjecturing principle, the anticipating open-loop strategic player plans her strategy based on the possible updating the rival player may take. These asymmetric strategies should be appropriate choices in some modelling circumstances and they frame one of the infinitely many non-degenerate Markovian Nash Equilibrium. Except the stationary path, this kind of strategy makes the study of short-run trajectory possible, which usually are not subgame perfect. However, the short-run non-perfection may provide very important policy suggestions.
Does Foreign Aid Cause "Dutch Disease"?: Case of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam
Authors: Lar Ni , Taguchi Hiroyuki , Sakurai Hiroaki
Published: May 2016

This paper examined the economic impacts of foreign aid from the Dutch-Disease perspective, focusing on the economies of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam (so-called CLMV). The CLMV were targeted in this study since they have rarely been studied in the literature in this field although their economies have still depended highly on foreign aid. We found no evidence that they have suffered from the Dutch Disease, or rather identified a positive production effect of foreign aid. We speculate that the major use of foreign aid in the CLMV has focused on economic infrastructure, which has given little room for raising consumption and contributed directly to capital accumulation there.
Corrosion Protection of Aluminum Alloy by Sol-Gel Derived Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Pretreatments Based on Epoxy Resin Modified Silane Precursor
Authors: Mahshid Niknahad Mahshid Niknahad , J. Patel Chintankumar , Mannari Vijay
Published: May 2016

Organic-Inorganic hybrid (OIH) derived by sol-gel process have emerged as promising pretreatments alternative to conventional chromate-based systems for aluminum alloys.In this study novel organo-silane precursor has been synthesized from epoxy resin and amino-silane compound and used as the primary component of OIH film. The effects of epoxy and silane functionality and organic inhibitor used in the composition have been studied on corrosion resistance performance of aluminum alloy (3003-H14). The study also investigates the performance of top coat (powder coating) adhesion onto the pretreatment under different cure conditions. The chemical structure of sol-gel precursor (epoxy silane) and the deposited films have been characterized by FTIR analysis. The corrosion protection performance has been studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), D.C. electrochemical polarization measurements, and the accelerated neutral salt spray test (ASTM B117). This study shows that by proper choice of precursor structure, functionality, processing conditions, and corrosion inhibitor amount, it is possible to derive OIH films with corrosion resistance performance comparable to conventional Cr (VI) based pretreatments.
El empleo de estrategias en el aprendizaje de las matemáticas en Enseñanza Secundaria Obligatoria
Authors: Gasco Txabarri Javier
Published: May 2016

El empleo de estrategias en el aprendizaje de las Matemáticas tiene repercusión en el razonamiento y en la resolución de problemas, entre otros aspectos. El objetivo de este estudio es detectar diferencias que se puedan producir en el empleo de dichas estrategias en función del curso académico. Para ello se han recogido datos de 565 estudiantes de 2.º, 3.º y 4.º curso de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO). La herramienta empleada para tal fin ha sido una adaptación del Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Los resultados obtenidos indican un aumento del empleo de la mayoría de estrategias a medida que el curso es superior; la excepción tan solo ocurre en la estrategia de repetición. La investigación previa no es unánime a la hora de definir una tendencia evolutiva del uso de estrategias en el aprendizaje de las Matemáticas en Educación Secundaria. Los datos aportados en este artículo pretenden contribuir a la compresión de la diversidad estratégica del alumnado.
De l’inégalité des intelligences à la médiation intellectuelle. Effets et enjeux propres à une conception politique du savoir
Authors: Beauchemin William-J. , Blémur Daniel , Duguay Nadia , Goulet-Langlois Maxime
Published: May 2016

Dans cet article se rapportant à une pratique de la philosophie, nous interrogeons un présupposé qui conditionne la distribution des capacités intellectuelles dans nos sociétés contemporaines, dites du savoir – en l’occurrence, celui de l’inégalité des intelligences. Que ce soit sur le plan institutionnel (école, université, État) ou sur celui du rapport à soi (autoexclusion, mépris de soi) en passant par les rapports interpersonnels et entre groupes sociaux (non-reconnaissance, exclusion, objectification), il nous semble voir à l’oeuvre dans la société québécoise certains effets négatifs de ce présupposé. Le projet d’une science ouverte et réellement émancipatrice permet de mettre en question ce présupposé. Dans cette perspective, nous proposons une réflexion sur une pratique particulière, la médiation intellectuelle, qui prend non pas l’inégalité, mais l’égalité des intelligences en tant que principe directeur explicite. Nous tâcherons de détailler les diverses dimensions formelles et épistémologiques de cette pratique, en gardant à l’esprit les possibles conséquences d’une telle approche en ce qui a trait au projet d’une science ouverte : une science dont le caractère émancipateur ne se résume pas à ses résultats, mais s’étend également à sa production.
Circulation des savoirs, mobilité internationale et études supérieures. Récit de la mise en place d’une voie favorisant l’insertion universitaire en milieu francophone nord-américain1
Authors: Bernard Marie-Claude
Published: May 2016

Dans un contexte de mobilité internationale, certaines universités recrutent un plus grand nombre d’étudiants et étudiantes en provenance de l’étranger. À la priorité de recrutement s’ajoutent alors les mesures d’accueil et de soutien à la réussite scolaire des nouveaux inscrits lors de leur première année du premier cycle, considérée comme cruciale dans leur parcours universitaire. Parmi les diverses stratégies de soutien déjà à l’oeuvre dans une université canadienne francophone, il est ici question d’un dispositif visant à favoriser leur insertion universitaire : est conçu un cours qui, selon une modalité d’enseignement interactive, vise à surmonter le sentiment d’étrangeté. Il propose une voie favorisant la compréhension des interventions et des outils pédagogiques et la réflexion sur les enjeux des représentations sociales et des stéréotypes culturels. Les étudiants sont amenés à socialiser entre eux tout en construisant leur identité étudiante et leur affiliation universitaire. Ils sont invités à examiner leurs rapports aux savoirs dans un contexte francophone nord-américain qui, selon une approche de formation pragmatique, confère pour d’aucuns un statut utilitaire aux savoirs. Cet article présente le dispositif en décrivant le contexte de mobilité internationale et en identifiant la problématique de la réussite des étudiants universitaires au premier cycle. Cette identification s’arrime avec les besoins et les compétences à développer par les nouveaux inscrits et s’articule par la suite avec le contenu du cours et son approche pédagogique. Dans la discussion, les considérations d’ordre pédagogique s’ouvrent vers celles de l’ordre de la communication interculturelle et soulèvent la question de l’importance des mesures et des stratégies de suivi qui doivent accompagner la mobilité internationale dans le milieu universitaire.
Integrative neuromechanics of crawling in D. melanogaster larvae
Authors: Pehlevan Cengiz , Paoletti Paolo , Mahadevan L
Published: May 2016

Locomotion in an organism is a consequence of the coupled interaction between brain, body and environment. Motivated by qualitative observations and quantitative perturbations of crawling in Drosophila melanogaster larvae, we construct a minimal integrative mathematical model for its locomotion. Our model couples the excitation-inhibition circuits in the nervous system to force production in the muscles and body movement in a frictional environment, thence linking neural dynamics to body mechanics via sensory feedback in a heterogeneous environment. Our results explain the basic observed phenomenology of crawling with and without proprioception, and elucidate the stabilizing role that proprioception plays in producing a robust crawling phenotype in the presence of biological perturbations. More generally, our approach allows us to make testable predictions on the effect of changing body-environment interactions on crawling, and serves as a step in the development of hierarchical models linking cellular processes to behavior.
The E3 ubiquitin ligase ZNRF2 is a substrate of mTORC1 and regulates its activation by amino acids
Authors: Hoxhaj Gerta , Caddye Edward , Najafov Ayaz , Houde Vanessa P , Johnson Catherine , Dissanayake Kumara , Toth Rachel , Campbell David G , Prescott Alan R , MacKintosh Carol
Published: May 2016

The mechanistic Target of Rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) senses intracellular amino acid levels through an intricate machinery, which includes the Rag GTPases, Ragulator and vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase). The membrane-associated E3 ubiquitin ligase ZNRF2 is released into the cytosol upon its phosphorylation by Akt. In this study, we show that ZNRF2 interacts with mTOR on membranes, promoting the amino acid-stimulated translocation of mTORC1 to lysosomes and its activation in human cells. ZNRF2 also interacts with the V-ATPase and preserves lysosomal acidity. Moreover, knockdown of ZNRF2 decreases cell size and cell proliferation. Upon growth factor and amino acid stimulation, mTORC1 phosphorylates ZNRF2 on Ser145, and this phosphosite is dephosphorylated by protein phosphatase 6. Ser145 phosphorylation stimulates vesicle-to-cytosol translocation of ZNRF2 and forms a novel negative feedback on mTORC1. Our findings uncover ZNRF2 as a component of the amino acid sensing machinery that acts upstream of Rag-GTPases and the V-ATPase to activate mTORC1.
Effective enhancement of hydrophilicity of solution indium zinc oxide-based thin-film transistors by oxygen plasma treatment of deposition layer surface
Authors: You Hsin-Chiang , Wang Yu-Chih
Published: May 2016

In this paper, we describe the use of a simple and efficient sol–gel solution method for synthesizing indium zinc oxide (IZO) films for use as semiconductor channel layers in thin-film transistors (TFTs) on p-type silicon substrates. The performance of IZO-based TFTs was investigated, and the effect of oxygen plasma treatment on the surface of dielectric SiN
x
was observed. Oxygen plasma treatment effectively enhanced the electron mobility in IZO-based TFT devices from 0.005 to 1.56 cm2 V−1 s−1, an increase of more than 312 times, and effectively enhanced device performance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the IZO film was performed to clarify element bonding.
Effect of holed reflector on acoustic radiation force in noncontact ultrasonic dispensing of small droplets
Authors: Tanaka Hiroki , Wada Yuji , Mizuno Yosuke , Nakamura Kentaro
Published: May 2016

We investigated the fundamental aspects of droplet dispensing, which is an important procedure in the noncontact ultrasonic manipulation of droplets in air. A holed reflector was used to dispense a droplet from a 27.4 kHz standing-wave acoustic field to a well. First, the relationship between the hole diameter of the reflector and the acoustic radiation force acting on a levitated droplet was clarified by calculating the acoustic impedance of the point just above the hole. When the hole diameter was half of (or equal to) the acoustic wavelength λ, the acoustic radiation force was ∼80% (or 50%) of that without a hole. The maximal diameters of droplets levitated above the holes through flat and half-cylindrical reflectors were then experimentally investigated. For instance, with the half-cylindrical reflector, the maximal diameter was 5.0 mm for a hole diameter of 6.0 mm, and droplets were levitatable up to a hole diameter of 12 mm (∼λ).
Optical proximity correction: A cross road of data flows
Authors: De Bisschop Peter
Published: May 2016

This paper reviews the various data flows that occur in the generation and verification of optical proximity correction (OPC) for an optical lithography photomask. First we review the models that are or can be used in the OPC model-calibration flow, with some emphasis on those models that are not yet standard practice. Through an efficient selection of calibration structures, the data amounts needed for model calibrations can be usually kept reasonably small. This is much less the case in the OPC verification step (computationally first and on-wafer afterwards), where data volumes can be very large. Especially the inspection of printed test wafer, where the printability of large number of structures needs to be assessed throughout the intended process window, currently presents important challenges as “hotspot” detection and printability quantification needs to be combined with a short turn-around time. We will discuss some of the approaches that are being employed to deal with these conflicting requirements.
Structure and magnetic/electrochemical properties of Cu-doped BiFeO3 nanoparticles prepared by a simple solution method
Authors: Khajonrit Jessada , Phumying Santi , Maensiri Santi
Published: May 2016

BiFe1−

x
Cu
x
O3 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) nanoparticles were prepared by a simple solution method. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method analysis using the Barret–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) model, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Magnetization properties were obtained using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) at room temperature. Magnetization was clearly enhanced by increasing Cu content and decreasing particle size. Zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) temperature-dependent magnetization measurements showed that blocking temperature increased with increasing Cu content. Electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and the galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) method. The performance of the fabricated supercapacitor was improved for the BiFe0.95Cu0.05O3 electrode. The highest specific capacitance was 568.13 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and the capacity retention was 77.13% after 500 cycles.
Analyzing and modeling methods for warpages of thin and large dies with redistribution layer
Authors: Dote Aki , Kitada Hideki , Mizushima Yoriko , Nakamura Tomoji , Sakuyama Seiki
Published: May 2016

Analyzing and modeling methods for warpages including cylindrical deformations are discussed in large-area dies with redistribution layers (RDLs) and thin 50-µm-thick Si substrates. The buckling behavior of warpage, a deformation transition from spherical to cylindrical, strongly depends on the lateral sizes of the dies and the RDL structures, and can be calculated using the analytical model of the nonlinear plate theory. The equivalent stress values are introduced to simplify RDL structures by applying the model to measured curvatures of homogeneous patterned samples. Area densities of Cu are a good index for evaluating die warpage even for inhomogeneous patterned RDLs.
The humorous language of street dissent: A discourse analysis of the graffiti of the Gezi Park protests
Authors: Morva Oya
Published: May 2016

Owing to its critical and creative potential, humour has often been used as one of the preferred means of resistance in social and political protests. In addition, the presence of humour is also increasing in the new social movements of recent history. The essential questions that this article aims to answer are how humour functions and what its purpose is amidst a time of numerous and notable social movements. During the 2013 Gezi Park protests in Turkey, the protesters made significant use of humour that specifically targeted the control of the authorities over public life, thus providing a good case with which to study humour in social movements. One form which the protesters used to disseminate humorous messages was graffiti. In this article, the graffiti from the Gezi Park protests is examined using a critical discourse analysis model. In order to achieve the intended aims, Van Dijk’s (1995) understanding of ideological discourse analysis arguing that dominated groups may have ideologies that effectively organise the social representation needed for resistance and change, is taken as a point of departure. However, this work specifically relies on Fairclough’s (1992) three dimensional discourse analysis that covers the object (the text), the process (discursive practice) and the socio-historical conditions (social practice). Research on the language of Gezi graffiti shows that the humorous language of the protesters identified and differentiated the actors of the movement, and it did not only help them to cope with the domination and oppression to which they were subjected, but also increased support for development in the desired direction.
Gelotophobia in practice and the implications of ignoring it
Authors: Platt Tracey , Proyer René T. , Hofmann Jennifer , Ventis W. Larry
Published: May 2016

Over 85 empirical articles investigating the fear of being laughed at have been published. Still, the question “why bother with another inter-individual differences variable?” arises. This quantitative paper based on 240 people, aims to show why gelotophobia has been widely neglected in therapeutic settings and why therapists may not have come across gelotophobes in their practice. Second, examples of extreme case studies involving gelotophobe’s perspective on treatment, exploring the practice and challenges arising in treatments will be given. Finally, an argument why there is a need for the inclusion of gelotophobia awareness for schools and for bullying interventions is proposed. Conclusions are drawn suggesting the importance of inclusion of this phenomenon.
The power of metonymy in humour: stretching contiguous relations across different layers of meaning
Authors: Tabacaru Sabina , Feyaerts Kurt
Published: May 2016

This paper is grounded in Cognitive Linguistics (CL), which sees metonymy as a conceptual phenomenon, in which one conceptual entity (the source) provides mental access to another entity (the target) within the same conceptual domain (Radden & Kövecses 1999), as opposed to metaphor, which is seen as a mapping between different domains (Lakoff 1987). Our view on metonymy slightly deviates from the mainstream CL-approach, as we reinterpret the criterion of the single domain as an epiphenomenon of the conceptually defined contiguous relationship (Feyaerts 1999), which we take to be metonymy’s categorical feature. In this contribution, we analyse the structural role of metonymy in humorous interactional sequences as they occur in the American television-series House M.D. and The Big Bang Theory. As our examples qualify as staged communicative acts, the interpretation of which involves processing meanings on different layers, we use Clark’s (1996) layering model to account for the humorous uses of metonymies and to show that metonymic connections lie at the heart of pragmatic inferencing. In line with – and at the same time extending – earlier work (Feyaerts & Brône 2005) on the potential of metonymic chaining to generate humorous and expressive meanings, this study demonstrates how a metonymic relationship may extend across different layers of meaning – the ‘serious’ discourse base space and a ‘non-serious’ pretence space – to generate a humorous meaning, based on the common ground between the speakers and the audience.
Rapidly increasing macroalgal cover not related to herbivorous fishes on Mesoamerican reefs
Authors: Suchley Adam , McField Melanie D. , Alvarez-Filip Lorenzo
Published: May 2016

Long-term phase shifts from coral to macroalgal dominated reef systems are well documented in the Caribbean. Although the impact of coral diseases, climate change and other factors is acknowledged, major herbivore loss through disease and overfishing is often assigned a primary role. However, direct evidence for the link between herbivore abundance, macroalgal and coral cover is sparse, particularly over broad spatial scales. In this study we use a database of coral reef surveys performed at 85 sites along the Mesoamerican Reef of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, to examine potential ecological links by tracking site trajectories over the period 2005–2014. Despite the long-term reduction of herbivory capacity reported across the Caribbean, the Mesoamerican Reef region displayed relatively low macroalgal cover at the onset of the study. Subsequently, increasing fleshy macroalgal cover was pervasive. Herbivorous fish populations were not responsible for this trend as fleshy macroalgal cover change was not correlated with initial herbivorous fish biomass or change, and the majority of sites experienced increases in macroalgae browser biomass. This contrasts the coral reef top-down herbivore control paradigm and suggests the role of external factors in making environmental conditions more favourable for algae. Increasing macroalgal cover typically suppresses ecosystem services and leads to degraded reef systems. Consequently, policy makers and local coral reef managers should reassess the focus on herbivorous fish protection and consider complementary measures such as watershed management in order to arrest this trend.
Are mountain habitats becoming more suitable for generalist than cold-adapted lizards thermoregulation?
Authors: Ortega Zaida , Mencía Abraham , Pérez-Mellado Valentín
Published: May 2016

Mountain lizards are highly vulnerable to climate change, and the continuous warming of their habitats could be seriously threatening their survival. We aim to compare the thermal ecology and microhabitat selection of a mountain lizard,Iberolacerta galani, and a widely distributed lizard,Podarcis bocagei, in a montane area. Both species are currently in close syntopy in the study area, at 1,400 m above the sea level. We determined the precision, accuracy and effectiveness of thermoregulation, and the thermal quality of habitat for both species. We also compared the selection of thermal microhabitats between both species. Results show thatI. galaniis a cold-adapted thermal specialist with a preferred temperature range of 27.9–29.7 °C, whileP. bocageiwould be a thermal generalist, with a broader and higher preferred temperature range (30.1–34.5 °C). In addition,I. galaniselects rocky substrates whileP. bocageiselects warmer soil and leaf litter substrates. The thermal quality of the habitat is higher forP. bocageithan forI. galani. Finally,P. bocageiachieves a significantly higher effectiveness of thermoregulation (0.87) thanI. galani(0.80). Therefore, these mountain habitat conditions seem currently more suitable for performance of thermophilic generalist lizards than for cold-specialist lizards.
Emotional competence relating to perceived stress and burnout in Spanish teachers: a mediator model
Authors: Rey Lourdes , Extremera Natalio , Pena Mario
Published: May 2016

This study examined direct associations between emotional competence, perceived stress and burnout in 489 Spanish teachers. In addition, a model in which perceived stress mediated pathways linking emotional competence to teacher burnout symptoms was also examined. Results showed that emotional competence and stress were significantly correlated with teacher burnout symptoms in the expected direction. Moreover, mediational analysis indicated that perceived stress partly mediated the relationship between emotional competence and the three dimensions of burnout even when controlling for salient background characteristics. These findings suggest an underlying process by which high emotional competence may increase the capacity to cope with symptoms of burnout, by reducing the experience of stress. Implications of these findings for future research and for working with teachers to prevent burnout are discussed.
On high time‐range resolution observations of PMSE: Statistical characteristics
Authors: Sommer Svenja , Chau Jorge L. , Schult Carsten
Published: May 2016

We present observations of polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSE) with an unprecedented temporal sampling of 2 ms and range resolution down to 75 m. On these time and spatial scales, PMSE exhibit features, like correlation in time and range, that have not been described before. To characterize our high resolution observations, we provide a 4‐D statistical model, based on random processes. In this way we can distinguish between geophysical and instrumental effects on our measurements. In our simulations, PMSE is statistically characterized in frequency, angular space, and inverse altitude. With this model, we are able to reproduce our observations on a statistical basis and estimate the intrinsic spectral width of PMSE. For chosen data sets, such values range between 0.5 Hz and 4 Hz (1.4 ms−1 to 11.2 ms−1). Furthermore, we show that apparent oscillations in time and an apparent high speed motion of the mean scattering center are just representations of the random nature of PMSE measurements on short time scales.
Atmospheric residence times from transpiration and evaporation to precipitation: An age‐weighted regional evaporation tagging approach
Authors: Wei Jianhui , Knoche Hans Richard , Kunstmann Harald
Published: May 2016

The atmospheric water residence time is a fundamental descriptor that provides information on the timescales of evaporation and precipitation. In this study, a regional climate model‐based evaporation tagging algorithm is extended with an age tracer approach to calculate moisture residence times, defined as time between the original evaporation and the returning of water masses to the land surface as precipitation. Our case study addresses how long this time is for the transpired and for the direct evaporated moisture. Our study region is the Poyang Lake region in Southeast China, the largest freshwater lake in the country. We perform simulations covering the period from October 2004 to December 2005. In 2005, 11% of direct evaporated water (10% of transpired water) precipitates locally. Direct evaporated water accounts for 64% and transpired water for 36% of the total tagged moisture with a mean age of around 36 h for both. Considering precipitation, a large proportion (69%) originates from direct evaporated water with a mean atmospheric residence time of 6.6 h and a smaller amount from transpired water with a longer residence time of 10.7 h. Modulated by the East Asian monsoon, the variation of the meteorological conditions, the magnitude of the partitioned moisture, and the corresponding residence time patterns change seasonally and spatially and reveal the different fate of transpired and direct evaporated water in the atmospheric hydrological cycle. We conclude that our methodological approach has the potential to be used for addressing how timescales of the hydrological cycle changes regionally under global warming.
Biogeochemical properties of eddies in the California Current System
Authors: Chenillat Fanny , Franks Peter J. S. , Combes Vincent
Published: May 2016

The California Current System (CCS) has intense mesoscale activity that modulates and exports biological production from the coastal upwelling system. To characterize and quantify the ability of mesoscale eddies to affect the local and regional planktonic ecosystem of the CCS, we analyzed a 10 year‐long physical‐biological model simulation, using eddy detection and tracking to isolate the dynamics of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies. As they propagate westward across the shelf, cyclonic eddies efficiently transport coastal planktonic organisms and maintain locally elevated production for up to 1 year (800 km offshore). Anticyclonic eddies, on the other hand, have a limited impact on local production over their ~6 month lifetime as they propagate 400 km offshore. At any given time ~8% of the model domain was covered by eddy cores. Though the eddies cover a small area, they explain ~50 and 20% of the transport of nitrate and plankton, respectively.
Revealing the early ice flow patterns with historical Declassified Intelligence Satellite Photographs back to 1960s
Authors: Wang Shujie , Liu Hongxing , Yu Bailang , Zhou Guoqing , Cheng Xiao
Published: May 2016

The reconnaissance ARGON satellites collected the earliest images of Antarctica from space dating back to the 1960s, providing valuable historical baseline information for studying polar ice sheets. Those photographs are underutilized for ice motion mapping, due to lack of sufficient ground controls for image orthorectification. In this study, we orthorectified the ARGON photographs by fully exploiting the metric qualities of WorldView satellite images: very high spatial resolution and precise geolocation. Through a case study over Larsen Ice Shelf, we demonstrated that the camera model with bundle block adjustment can achieve geolocation accuracy of better than the nominal resolution (140 m) for orthorectifying ARGON images, with WorldView imagery as ground control source. This allowed us to extend the ice velocity records of Larsen Ice Shelf back into 1960s~1970s for the first time. The retrospective analysis revealed that acceleration of the collapsed Larsen B occurred much earlier than previously thought.
Asperity break after 12 years: The Mw6.4 2015 Lefkada (Greece) earthquake
Authors: Sokos E. , Zahradník J. , Gallovič F. , Serpetsidaki A. , Plicka V. , Kiratzi A.
Published: May 2016

The Mw6.4 earthquake sequence of 2015 in western Greece is analyzed using seismic data. Multiple point source modeling, nonlinear slip patch, and linear slip inversions reveal a coherent rupture image with directivity toward the southwest and several moment release episodes, reflected in the complex aftershock distribution. The key feature is that the 2015 earthquake ruptured a strong asperity, which was left unbroken in between two large subevents of the Mw6.2 Lefkada doublet in 2003. This finding and the well‐analyzed Cephalonia earthquake sequence of 2014 provide strong evidence of segmentation of the major dextral Cephalonia‐Lefkada Transform Fault (CTF), being related to extensional duplex transform zones. We propose that the duplexes extend farther to the north and that the CTF runs parallel to the western coast of Lefkada and Cephalonia Islands, considerably closer to the inhabited islands than previously thought. Generally, this study demonstrates faulting complexity across short time scales (earthquake doublets) and long time scales (seismic gaps).
Statistical study on ultralow‐frequency waves in the magnetotail lobe observed by Cluster
Authors: Wang G. Q. , Zhang T. L. , Volwerk M.
Published: May 2016

Based on Cluster data, we investigate 263 waves with periods between 40 and 150 s (Pi2 band events) and 161 waves with periods between 150 and 600 s (Pc5 band events) in the magnetotail lobe. Our findings are as follows: (1) 90% of the mean wave amplitudes within 40–150 s (150–600 s) are below ~0.25 (0.36) nT for the transverse components and ~0.16 (0.39) nT for the compressional components; (2) 69.6% (35.4%) of the compressional ratios of the waves with periods 40–150 s (150–600 s) are less than 0.5 with the maximum occurrence at ~0.3 (0.8); (3) waves within 40–150 s are more likely to occur in the lobe region close to the plasma sheet; (4) the wave amplitudes and the AE index are weakly correlated; however, the amplitudes tend to be larger when the AE index is larger; and (5) the amplitudes also tend to be larger when the solar wind velocity and the solar wind dynamic pressure or its variations (∆PSW) are larger; the correlation coefficient between the wave amplitudes with periods between 150 and 600 s and ∆PSW is up to ~0.58. We suggest that both dynamic processes in the plasma sheet boundary layer or plasma sheet (inner sources) and solar wind conditions (outer sources) can contribute to the generation of the lobe ULF waves; waves within 40–150 s are affected more by inner sources, while strong ∆PSW can drive compressional waves within 150–600 s in the magnetotail lobe.
Long Distance Enhancement of Nonlinear Optical Properties Using Low Concentration of Plasmonic Nanostructures in Dye Doped Monolithic Sol–Gel Materials
Authors: Chateau Denis , Liotta Adrien , Lundén Hampus , Lerouge Frederic , Chaput Frederic , Krein Douglas , Cooper Thomas , Lopes Cesar , El‐Amay Ali A. G. , Lindgren Mikael , Parola Stephane
Published: May 2016

Monolithic sol–gel silica composites incorporating platinum‐based chromophores and various types of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are prepared and polished to high optical quality. Their photophysical properties are investigated. The glass materials show well‐defined localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorbance from the visible to NIR. No redshifts of the AuNP plasmon absorption peaks due to the increase in nanoparticle doping concentration are observed in the glasses, proving that no or very small SPR coupling effects occur between the AuNPs. At 600 nm excitation, but not at 532 nm, the AuNPs improve the nonlinear absorption performance of glasses codoped with 50 × 10−3 m of a Pt‐acetylide chromophore. The glasses doped with lower concentrations of AuNPs (2–5 μm average distance) and 50 × 10−3 m in chromophore, show a marked improvement in nonlinear absorption, with no or only small improvement for the more highly AuNP doped glasses. This study shows the importance of excitation wavelength and nanoparticle concentration for composite systems employing AuNPs to improve two‐photon absorption of chromophores.
Metal‐Free Oxidative Decarbonylative Hydroalkylation of Alkynes with Secondary and Tertiary Alkyl Aldehydes
Authors: Ouyang Xuan‐Hui , Song Ren‐Jie , Liu Bang , Li Jin‐Heng
Published: May 2016

A new, metal‐free, radical‐mediated oxidative decarbonylative hydroalkylation of various alkynes with secondary and tertiary alkyl aldehydes using di‐tert‐butyl peroxide (DTBP) as oxidant is presented. This method enables the simultaneous formation of a CC bond and a CH bond through a sequence of decarbonylation, radical addition and protonation, and provides a straightforward route for transforming alkynes into alkenes with high compatibility with both alkynes and alkyl aldehydes.

magnified image
Block adaptive kernel principal component analysis for nonlinear process monitoring
Authors: Xie Lei , Li Zhe , Zeng Jiusun , Kruger Uwe
Published: May 2016

On‐line modeling of multivariate nonlinear system based on multivariate statistical methods has been studied extensively due to its industrial requirements. In order to further improve the modeling efficiency, a fast Block Adaptive Kernel Principal Component Analysis algorithm is proposed. Comparing with the existing work, the proposed algorithm (1) does not rely on iterative computation in the calculating process, (2) combines the up‐ and downdating operations to become a single one (3) and describes the adaptation of the Gram matrix as a series of rank‐1 modification. In addition, (4) the updation of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors is of
and high‐precision. The computational complexity analysis and the numerical study show that the derived strategy possesses better ability to model the time‐varying nonlinear variable interrelationships in process monitoring. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 4334–4345, 2016
Mechanistic Studies on the Stereoselectivity of the Serotonin 5‐HT1A Receptor
Authors: Yuan Shuguang , Peng Qian , Palczewski Krzysztof , Vogel Horst , Filipek Slawomir
Published: May 2016

G‐protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in a wide range of physiological processes, and they have attracted considerable attention as important targets for developing new medicines. A central and largely unresolved question in drug discovery, which is especially relevant to GPCRs, concerns ligand selectivity: Why do certain molecules act as activators (agonists) whereas others, with nearly identical structures, act as blockers (antagonists) of GPCRs? To address this question, we employed all‐atom, long‐timescale molecular dynamics simulations to investigate how two diastereomers (epimers) of dihydrofuroaporphine bind to the serotonin 5‐HT1A receptor and exert opposite effects. By using molecular interaction fingerprints, we discovered that the agonist could mobilize nearby amino acid residues to act as molecular switches for the formation of a continuous water channel. In contrast, the antagonist epimer remained firmly stabilized in the binding pocket.
[(Me3Si)Si]3EtGe9Pd(PPh3), a Pentafunctionalized Deltahedral Zintl Cluster: Synthesis, Structure, and Solution Dynamics
Authors: Li Feng , Muñoz‐Castro Alvaro , Sevov Slavi C.
Published: May 2016

The title compound, which has a ten‐atom deltahedral cluster core of Ge9Pd, was synthesized through insertion of Pd(PPh3) into the tetrasubstituted nona‐germanium cluster [(Me3Si)Si]3EtGe9 through a reaction of the latter with Pd(PPh3)4. This first reaction of neutral tetrasubstituted nine‐atom clusters shows that they retain reactivity despite their neutral charge. The Ge9Pd core is the first that incorporates a 5‐connected transition metal other than from Group VI, a noble metal in this case. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction shows that the ten‐atom core is a closo‐cluster with the expected shape of a bicapped square antiprism. 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy show that, in contrast to the parent tetra‐substituted [(Me3Si)Si]3EtGe9, the new compound does not exhibit dynamics. Relativistic DFT calculations are used to explain the differences.
Melt extruded nanocomposites of polybutylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate (PBAT) with phenylbutyl isocyanate modified cellulose nanocrystals
Authors: Morelli Carolina L , Belgacem Naceur , Bretas Rosario E. S. , Bras Julien
Published: May 2016

Traditional commodity polymers are widely used in several disposable or short‐life items and take hundreds of years to decompose in nature. These polymers could be replaced in several uses by biodegradable polymers, like polybutylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate (PBAT) studied in this work. For this, nonetheless, it is necessary to improve some of the PBAT properties, like mechanical resistance and barrier properties. In this work, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were incorporated in PBAT with this intention, through melt extrusion. Aiming to avoid CNC aggregation during the drying and extrusion process, a CNC chemical modification with phenylbutyl isocyanate was done. It was possible to obtain PBAT‐CNC melt extruded composites with an elastic modulus 55% higher and water vapor permeability 63% lower than the values of the pure polymer, without compromising PBAT biodegradation. Therefore, the composites prepared with these enhanced properties have great potential as substitutes for traditional commodity polymers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43678.
Dispersion polymerization of methyl methacrylate with three types of comblike fluorinated stabilizers in supercritical carbon dioxide
Authors: Haruki Masashi , Kodama Yuya , Tachimori Kai , Kihara Shin‐Ichi , Takishima Shigeki
Published: May 2016

Dispersion polymerizations of methyl methacrylate in supercritical carbon dioxide were conducted with three types of comblike fluorinate polymer stabilizers: poly(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10‐heptadecafluorodecyl methacrylate) (PHDFDMA), poly(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8‐tridecafluorooctyl methacrylate) (PTDFOMA), and poly(2,2,3,3,3‐pentafluoropropyl methacrylate) (PPFPMA). The effect of the polymerization pressure was not significant on the mean diameters of the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles from 20 to 40 MPa. However, the coefficients of variation of the particle diameters produced at 20 MPa (
, where
is the number‐basis mean particle diameter), where the heterogeneous phase was found before polymerization, were larger than those produced at 30 and 40 MPa, where the homogeneous phase was found. The mean size of the PMMA obtained with PTDFOMA and PPFPMA strongly depended on the stabilizer concentration compared with that obtained with PHDFDMA. Moreover, the mean size decreased as the carbon dioxide‐philic side chain length increased. As shown by the results of this study, the best stabilizer among the three types of stabilizers for producing PMMA particles was PHDFDMA. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43813.
Missing heritability of complex diseases: Enlightenment by genetic variants from intermediate phenotypes
Authors: Blanco‐Gómez Adrián , Castillo‐Lluva Sonia , del Mar Sáez‐Freire María , Hontecillas‐Prieto Lourdes , Mao Jian Hua , Castellanos‐Martín Andrés , Pérez‐Losada Jesus
Published: May 2016

Diseases of complex origin have a component of quantitative genetics that contributes to their susceptibility and phenotypic variability. However, after several studies, a major part of the genetic component of complex phenotypes has still not been found, a situation known as “missing heritability.” Although there have been many hypotheses put forward to explain the reasons for the missing heritability, its definitive causes remain unknown. Complex diseases are caused by multiple intermediate phenotypes involved in their pathogenesis and, very often, each one of these intermediate phenotypes also has a component of quantitative inheritance. Here we propose that at least part of the missing heritability can be explained by the genetic component of intermediate phenotypes that is not detectable at the level of the main complex trait. At the same time, the identification of the genetic component of intermediate phenotypes provides an opportunity to identify part of the missing heritability of complex diseases.
Optimal design of the Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney‐test
Authors: Bürkner Paul‐Christian , Doebler Philipp , Holling Heinz
Published: May 2016

In scientific research, many hypotheses relate to the comparison of two independent groups. Usually, it is of interest to use a design (i.e., the allocation of sample sizesmandnfor fixed) that maximizes the power of the applied statistical test. It is known that the two‐samplet‐tests for homogeneous and heterogeneous variances may lose substantial power when variances are unequal but equally large samples are used. We demonstrate that this is not the case for the nonparametric Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney‐test, whose application in biometrical research fields is motivated by two examples from cancer research. We prove the optimality of the designin case of symmetric and identically shaped distributions using normal approximations and show that this design generally offers power only negligibly lower than the optimal design for a wide range of distributions.
Gene transcription repression in Clostridium beijerinckii using CRISPR‐dCas9
Authors: Wang Yi , Zhang Zhong‐Tian , Seo Seung‐Oh , Lynn Patrick , Lu Ting , Jin Yong‐Su , Blaschek Hans P.
Published: May 2016

CRISPR‐Cas9 has been explored as a powerful tool for genome engineering for many organisms. Meanwhile, dCas9 which lacks endonuclease activity but can still bind to target loci has been engineered for efficient gene transcription repression. Clostridium beijerinckii, an industrially significant species capable of biosolvent production, is generally difficult to metabolically engineer. Recently, we reported our work in developing customized CRISPR‐Cas9 system for genome engineering in C. beijerinckii. However, in many cases, gene expression repression (rather than actual DNA mutation) is more desirable for various biotechnological applications. Here, we further demonstrated gene transcription repression in C. beijerinckii using CRISPR‐dCas9. A small RNA promoter was employed to drive the expression of the single chimeric guide RNA targeting on the promoter region of amylase gene, while a constitutive thiolase promoter was used to drive Streptococcus pyogenes dCas9 expression. The growth assay on starch agar plates showed qualitatively significant repression of amylase activity in C. beijerinckii transformant with CRISPR‐dCas9 compared to the control strain. Further amylase activity quantification demonstrated consistent repression (65–97% through the fermentation process) on the activity in the transformant with CRISPR‐dCas9 versus in the control. Our results provided essential references for engineering CRISPR‐dCas9 as an effective tool for tunable gene transcription repression in diverse microorganisms. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2739–2743. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A repeat protein‐based DNA polymerase inhibitor for an efficient and accurate gene amplification by PCR
Authors: Hwang Da‐Eun , Shin Yong‐Keol , Munashingha Palinda Ruvan , Park So‐Yeon , Seo Yeon‐Soo , Kim Hak‐Sung
Published: May 2016

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a thermostable DNA polymerase is the most widely applied method in many areas of research, including life sciences, biotechnology, and medical sciences. However, a conventional PCR incurs an amplification of undesired genes mainly owing to non‐specifically annealed primers and the formation of a primer‐dimer complex. Herein, we present the development of a Taq DNA polymerase‐specific repebody, which is a small‐sized protein binder composed of leucine rich repeat (LRR) modules, as a thermolabile inhibitor for a precise and accurate gene amplification by PCR. We selected a repebody that specifically binds to the DNA polymerase through a phage display, and increased its affinity to up to 10 nM through a modular evolution approach. The repebody was shown to effectively inhibit DNA polymerase activity at low temperature and undergo thermal denaturation at high temperature, leading to a rapid and full recovery of the polymerase activity, during the initial denaturation step of the PCR. The performance and utility of the repebody was demonstrated through an accurate and efficient amplification of a target gene without nonspecific gene products in both conventional and real‐time PCRs. The repebody is expected to be effectively utilized as a thermolabile inhibitor in a PCR. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2544–2552. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Optimum alcohol concentration for chain elongation in mixed‐culture fermentation of cellulosic substrate
Authors: Lonkar Sagar , Fu Zhihong , Holtzapple Mark
Published: May 2016

Medium‐chain fatty acids (MCFA, e.g., caproic, heptanoic, caprylic acid) are more valuable than short‐chain fatty acids (SCFA, e.g., acetic, propionic, butyric, valeric acid). SCFAs are major products in methane‐inhibited mixed‐culture anaerobic fermentation. By feeding ethanol to the fermentor, MCFA formation is enhanced through chain elongation. Microorganisms such as Clostridium kluyveri elongate short‐chain acids by combining them with alcohol. Very low ethanol concentration reduces chain elongation rates, whereas very high ethanol concentrations inhibit microorganisms. To maximize MCFA production, different ethanol concentrations were investigated in the mixed‐culture fermentation of office paper and chicken manure. At 10 g/L ethanol concentration, 10 g/L MCFA was formed. High ethanol concentrations (above 40 g/L) inhibit microorganisms resulting in no chain elongation. For chain elongation, propanol was found to be more inhibitory than ethanol. The data suggest that MCFA production will increase by continuously extracting MCFA and maintaining 5–10 g/L ethanol concentration by periodic addition. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2597–2604. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.