bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A striking reduction of simple loudness adaptation in autism
Authors: Lawson Rebecca P. , Aylward Jessica , White Sarah , Rees Geraint
Published: November 2015

Reports of sensory disturbance, such as loudness sensitivity or sound intolerance, are ubiquitous in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but a mechanistic explanation for these perceptual differences is lacking. Here we tested adaptation to loudness, a process that regulates incoming sensory input, in adults with ASD and matched controls. Simple loudness adaptation (SLA) is a fundamental adaptive process that reduces the subjective loudness of quiet steady-state sounds in the environment over time, whereas induced loudness adaptation (ILA) is a means of generating a reduction in the perceived volume of louder sounds. ASD participants showed a striking reduction in magnitude and rate of SLA relative to age and ability-matched typical adults, but in contrast ILA remained intact. Furthermore, rate of SLA predicted sensory sensitivity coping strategies in the ASD group. These results provide the first evidence that compromised neural mechanisms governing fundamental adaptive processes might account for sound sensitivity in ASD.
Habitual Sleep Duration and Risk of Childhood Obesity: Systematic Review and Dose-response Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
Authors: Ruan Huijuan , Xun Pengcheng , Cai Wei , He Ka , Tang Qingya
Published: November 2015

A meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies found that shorter-time sleep was correlated with increased risk of obesity in children. However, findings from prospective cohort studies were inconsistent. PubMed and other data resources were searched through May 2015. Twenty-five eligible studies were identified including 56,584 children and adolescents with an average 3.4-year follow-up. Compared with children having the longest sleep duration (~12.2 hours), kids with the shortest sleep duration (~10.0 hours) were 76% more likely to be overweight/obese (pooled odds ratio [OR]: 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.39, 2.23); and had relatively larger annual BMI gain (pooled β coefficient: 0.13; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.25 kg/m2). With every 1 hour/day increment in sleep duration, the risk of overweight/obesity was reduced by 21% (OR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.89); and the annual BMI gain declined by 0.05 kg/m2 (β = −0.05; 95% CI: −0.09, −0.01). The observed associations were not appreciably modified by region, baseline age or the length of follow-up. Accumulated literature indicates a modest inverse association between sleep duration and the risk of childhood overweight/obesity. Further research is needed to determine the age and gender specified optimal hours of sleep and ideal sleep pattern with respect to obesity prevention in children.
Green synthesis of in situ electrodeposited rGO/MnO2 nanocomposite for high energy density supercapacitors
Authors: Rusi  , Majid S. R.
Published: November 2015

This paper presents the preparation ofin situelectrodeposited rGO/MnO2nanocomposite as a binder-free electrode for supercapacitor application. The work describes and evaluates the performance of prepared electrode via green and facile electrodeposition technique ofin siturGO/MnO2-glucose carbon nanocomposites. The carbon content in the composite electrode increased after GO and D (+) glucose solution has been added in the deposition electrolyte. This study found that a suitable concentration of D (+) glucose in the deposition electrolyte can slow down the nucleation process of MnO2particles and lead to uniform and ultrathin nanoflakes structure. The optimize electrode exhibited low transfer resistance and resulted on excellent electrochemical performance in three electrolyte systems viz. Na2SO4, KOH and KOH/K3Fe(CN)6redox electrolytes. The optimum energy density and power density were 1851 Whkg−1and 68 kWkg−1at current density of 20 Ag−1in mixed KOH/K3Fe(CN)6electrolyte.
An integrative quantifier of multistability in complex systems based on ecological resilience
Authors: Mitra Chiranjit , Kurths Jürgen , Donner Reik V.
Published: November 2015

The abundance of multistable dynamical systems calls for an appropriate quantification of the respective stability of the (stable) states of such systems. Motivated by the concept of ecological resilience, we propose a novel and pragmatic measure called ‘integral stability’ which integrates different aspects commonly addressed separately by existing local and global stability concepts. We demonstrate the potential of integral stability by using exemplary multistable dynamical systems such as the damped driven pendulum, a model of Amazonian rainforest as a known climate tipping element and the Daisyworld model. A crucial feature of integral stability lies in its potential of arresting a gradual loss of the stability of a system when approaching a tipping point, thus providing a potential early-warning signal sufficiently prior to a qualitative change of the system’s dynamics.
Eryptosis Indices as a Novel Predictive Parameter for Biocompatibility of Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles on Erythrocytes
Authors: Ran Qian , Xiang Yang , Liu Yao , Xiang Lixin , Li Fengjie , Deng Xiaojun , Xiao Yanni , Chen Li , Chen Lili , Li Zhongjun
Published: November 2015

Fe3O4magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4-MNPs) have been widely used in clinical diagnosis. Hemocompatibility of the nanoparticles is usually evaluated by hemolysis. However, hemolysis assessment does not measure the dysfunctional erythrocytes with pathological changes on the unbroken cellular membrane. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of suicidal death of erythrocytes (i.e. eryptosis indices) as a novel predictive and prognostic parameter and to determine the impact of Fe3O4-MNPs on cellular membrane structure and the rheology properties of blood in circulation. Our results showed that phosphatidylserine externalization assessment was significantly more sensitive than classical hemolysis testing in evaluating hemocompatibility. Although no remarkable changes of histopathology, hematology and serum biochemistry indices were observedin vivo, Fe3O4-MNPs significantly affected hemorheology indices including erythrocyte deformation index, erythrocyte rigidity index, red blood cell aggregation index and erythrocyte electrophoresis time, which are related to the mechanical properties of the erythrocytes. Oxidative stress induced calcium influx played a critical role in the eryptotic activity of Fe3O4-MNPs. This study demonstrated that Fe3O4-MNPs cause eryptosis and changes in flow properties of blood, suggesting that phosphatidylserine externalization can serve as a predictive parameter for hemocompatibility assay.
Genetic variations in STAT4,C2,HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQ associated with risk of hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis
Authors: Jiang De-Ke , Ma Xiao-Pin , Wu Xiaopan , Peng Lijun , Yin Jianhua , Dan Yunjie , Huang Hui-Xing , Ding Dong-Lin , Zhang Lu-Yao , Shi Zhuqing , Zhang Pengyin , Yu Hongjie , Sun Jielin , Lilly Zheng S. , Deng Guohong , Xu Jianfeng , Liu Ying , Guo Jinsheng , Cao Guangwen , Yu Long
Published: November 2015

Recent genome-wide associated studies (GWASs) have revealed several common loci associated with the risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV)- or hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We selected 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified through GWASs on HBV- or HCV-related HCC and genotyped them in two independent Chinese cohorts of chronic HBV carriers, including 712 LC cases and 2601 controls. The association of each SNP with the risk of HBV-related LC was assessed by meta-analysis of the two cohorts. Of the 12 SNPs reported in HBV-related HCC GWASs, five SNPs (rs7574865 in STAT4, rs9267673 near C2, rs2647073 and rs3997872 near HLA-DRB1 and rs9275319 near HLA-DQ), were found to be significantly associated with the risk of HBV-related LC (rs7574865: P = 1.79 × 10−2, OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.03–1.34; rs9267673: P = 4.91 × 10−4, OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.15–1.63; rs2647073: P = 3.53 × 10−5, OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.29–2.06; rs3997872: P = 4.22 × 10−4, OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.32–2.62; rs9275319: P = 1.30 × 10−2, OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.06–1.64). However, among the three SNPs associated with the risk of HCV-related HCC in previous GWASs, none of them showed significant association with the risk of HBV-related LC. Our results suggested that genetic variants associated with HBV-related hepatocarcinogenesis may already play an important role in the progression from CHB to LC.
Inhibition of actin polymerization in the NAc shell inhibits morphine-induced CPP by disrupting its reconsolidation
Authors: Li Gongying , Wang Yanmei , Yan Min , Xu Yunshuai , Song Xiuli , Li Qingqing , Zhang Jinxiang , Ma Hongxia , Wu Yili
Published: November 2015

Drug-associated contextual cues contribute to drug craving and relapse after abstinence, which is a major challenge to drug addiction treatment. Previous studies showed that disrupting memory reconsolidation impairs drug reward memory. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Although actin polymerization is involved in memory formation, its role in the reconsolidation of drug reward memory is unknown. In addition, the specific brain areas responsible for drug memory have not been fully identified. In the present study, we found that inhibiting actin polymerization in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell, but not the NAc core, abolishes morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) by disrupting its reconsolidation in rats. Moreover, this effect persists for more than 2 weeks by a single injection of the actin polymerization inhibitor, which is not reversed by a morphine-priming injection. Furthermore, the application of actin polymerization inhibitor outside the reconsolidation window has no effect on morphine-associated contextual memory. Taken together, our findings first demonstrate that inhibiting actin polymerization erases morphine-induced CPP by disrupting its reconsolidation. Our study suggests that inhibition of actin polymerization during drug memory reconsolidation may be a potential approach to prevent drug relapse.
Surfactant modulated aggregation induced enhancement of emission (AIEE)—a simple demonstration to maximize sensor activity
Authors: Bhowmick Rahul , Saleh Musha Islam Abu , Katarkar Atul , Chaudhuri Keya , Ali Mahammad
Published: November 2015

A rhodamine-based chemosensor, L3, selectively and rapidly recognizes Hg2+ ions in the presence of all biologically relevant metal ions and toxic heavy metals with a detection limit of 78 nM along with possessing cytoplasmic cell imaging applications.
Effects of the poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel crosslinking mechanism on protein release
Authors: Lee Soah , Tong Xinming , Yang Fan
Published: November 2015

Poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel crosslinking mechanism has a differential effect on controlling protein release.
Synthesis of geminal bis- and tristriazoles: exploration of unconventional azide chemistry
Authors: Erhardt Hellmuth , Mohr Fabian , Kirsch Stefan F.
Published: November 2015

A range of geminal bis- and tristriazoles are presented.
Interaction between palladium-doped zerovalent iron nanoparticles and biofilm in granular porous media: characterization, transport and viability
Authors: Basnet Mohan , Gershanov Alexander , Wilkinson Kevin J. , Ghoshal Subhasis , Tufenkji Nathalie
Published: November 2015

Transport of reactive Pd-NZVI particles in subsurface environments is limited in the presence of biofilm on aquifer grains.
Spent turmeric reduces fat mass in rats fed a high-fat diet
Authors: Han Kyu-Ho , Lee Chang-Hyun , Kinoshita Mikio , Oh Chan-Ho , Shimada Ken-ichiro , Fukushima Michihiro
Published: November 2015

The industrial waste product spent turmeric remarkably reduced obesity in rats fed a high-fat diet. The mesentery adipocyte' size in rats fed a STP diet was smaller than that in rats fed a control diet with or without antibiotic cocktail.
Chemogenomic analysis of neuronal differentiation with pathway changes in PC12 cells
Authors: Lin Jack Yu-Shih , Wu Chien Liang , Liao Chia Nan , Higuchi Akon , Ling Qing-Dong
Published: November 2015

The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database creates networks from interrelations between molecular biology and underlying chemical elements.
The mechanism and kinetic studies on oxidation reaction of acetofenate initiated by HOx, NO3, O3, and Cl radicals
Authors: Kang Lingyan , Zhang Chenxi , Sun Xiaomin
Published: November 2015

The chemical reaction of acetofenate (AF) in the atmosphere.
Nanoscale surface conductivity analysis of plasma sputtered carbon thin films
Authors: Javid Amjed , Kumar Manish , Han Jeon Geon
Published: November 2015

The present work demonstrates the phenomenon of nanoscale surface conductivity variation in various plasma conditions of sputtering induced carbon thin films.
Azo-bridged covalent porphyrinic polymers (Azo-CPPs): synthesis and CO2 capture properties
Authors: Tao Liming , Niu Fang , Zhang Di , Liu Jingang , Wang Tingmei , Wang Qihua
Published: November 2015

“N2-phobic” azo and porhpyrinic groups leading to high CO2/N2 selectivity at high temperature.
Titanium aminophosphates: synthesis, characterization and orange G dye degradation studies
Authors: Rajini Anumula , Nookaraju Muralasetti , Chirra Suman , Adepu Ajay Kumar , Venkatathri Narayanan
Published: November 2015

A group of titanium aminophosphate catalysts are synthesized and characterized in detail, and their catalytic application towards orange G dye degradation is studied.
Reduced N/Ni-doped TiO2 nanotubes photoanodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting
Authors: liu Qiang , Ding Dongyan , Ning Congqin , Wang Xuewu
Published: November 2015

This work reports the facile synthesis of reduced N/Ni-doped TiO2 nanotubes photoanodes and their photocatalytic activity application.
Correction: Unique post-translational oxime formation in the biosynthesis of the azolemycin complex of novel ribosomal peptides from Streptomyces sp. FXJ1.264
Authors: Liu Ning , Song Lijiang , Liu Minghao , Shang Fei , Anderson Zoe , Fox David J. , Challis Gregory L. , Huang Ying
Published: November 2015

Correction for ‘Unique post-translational oxime formation in the biosynthesis of the azolemycin complex of novel ribosomal peptides from Streptomyces sp. FXJ1.264’ by Ning Liu et al., Chem. Sci., 2015, DOI: 10.1039/c5sc03021h.
Surface ligand-mediated isolated growth of Pt on Pd nanocubes for enhanced hydrogen evolution activity
Authors: Ren Fumin , Lu Haiyuan , Liu Haotian , Wang Zheng , Wu Yuen , Li Yadong
Published: November 2015

Br− ions can affect the growth mode of Pt on a Pd substrate. When Br− ions adsorb on some sites of the Pd cube, the newly formed Pt atoms tended to grow on the Br− free area, facilitating island growth mode. Otherwise, without Br− ions, because of the relatively high diffusion rate between Pt and Pd, Pt atoms can epitaxially deposit on the whole surface of the Pd nanocubes, forming a layered growth mode structure.
A new surface-bound molecular switch based on the photochromic dimethyldihydropyrene with light-driven release of singlet oxygen properties
Authors: Bakkar Assil , Cobo Saioa , Lafolet Frédéric , Saint-Aman Eric , Royal Guy
Published: November 2015

A pyridinium-substituted dimethyldihydropyrene photo-switch immobilized onto an ITO surface acts as a singlet oxygen carrier and supplier.
Bacterial and plant HAD enzymes catalyse a missing phosphatase step in thiamin diphosphate biosynthesis
Authors: Hasnain Ghulam , Roje Sanja , Sa Na , Zallot Rémi , Ziemak Michael J. , de Crécy-Lagard Valérie , Gregory Jesse F. , Hanson Andrew D.
Published: November 2015

The penultimate step of thiamin diphosphate (ThDP) synthesis in plants and many bacteria is dephosphorylation of thiamin monophosphate (ThMP). Non-specific phosphatases have been thought to mediate this step and no genes encoding specific ThMP phosphatases (ThMPases) are known. Comparative genomic analysis uncovered bacterial haloacid dehalogenase (HAD) phosphatase family genes (from subfamilies IA and IB) that cluster on the chromosome with, or are fused to, thiamin synthesis genes and are thus candidates for the missing phosphatase (ThMPase). Three typical candidates (from Anaerotruncus colihominis, Dorea longicatena and Syntrophomonas wolfei) were shown to have efficient in vivo ThMPase activity by expressing them in an Escherichia coli strain engineered to require an active ThMPase for growth. In vitro assays confirmed that these candidates all preferred ThMP to any of 45 other phosphate ester substrates tested. An Arabidopsis thaliana ThMPase homologue (At4g29530) of unknown function whose expression pattern and compartmentation fit with a role in ThDP synthesis was shown to have in vivo ThMPase activity in E. coli and to prefer ThMP to any other substrate tested. However, insertional inactivation of the At4g29530 gene did not affect growth or the levels of thiamin or its phosphates, indicating that Arabidopsis has at least one other ThMPase gene. The Zea mays orthologue of At4g29530 (GRMZM2G035134) was also shown to have ThMPase activity. These data identify HAD genes specifying the elusive ThMPase activity, indicate that ThMPases are substrate-specific rather than general phosphatases and suggest that different evolutionary lineages have recruited ThMPases independently from different branches of the HAD family.
Enhancement of the output power of terahertz folded waveguide oscillator by two parallel electron beams
Authors: Li Ke , Liu Wenxin , Wang Yong , Cao Miaomiao , Liao Suying
Published: November 2015

A novel two-beam folded waveguide (FW) oscillator is presented for the purpose of gaining higher power with a small-size circuit compared with the normal FW oscillator. The high-frequency characteristics of the two-beam FW, including dispersion and interaction impedance, were investigated by the numerical simulation and compared with the one-beam FW. The radio-frequency loss of the two-beam FW was also analyzed. A 3-D particle-in-cell code CHIPIC was applied to analyze and optimize the performance of a G-band two-beam FW oscillator. The influences of the distance between the two beam tunnels, beam voltage, the number of periods, magnetic field, radius of beam tunnel, and the packing ratio on the circuit performance are investigated in detail. Compared with a one-beam circuit, a larger output power of the two-beam circuit with the same beam power was observed by the simulation. Moreover, the start-oscillation current of two-beam circuit is much lower than the one-beam circuit with better performance. It will favor the miniaturized design of the high-power terahertz oscillator.
Simulation of ion beam injection and extraction in an EBIS
Authors: Zhao L. , Kim J. S.
Published: November 2015

An example simulation of Au+ charge breeding using FAR-TECH’s integrated EBIS (electron beam ion source) modeling toolset is presented with the emphasis on ion beam injection and extraction. The trajectories of injected ions are calculated with PBGUNS (particle beam gun simulation) self-consistently by including the space charges from both ions and electrons. The ion beam, starting with initial conditions within the 100% acceptance of the electron beam, is then tracked by EBIS-PIC (particle-in-cell EBIS simulation code). In the trap, the evolution of the ion charge state distribution is estimated by charge state estimator. The extraction of charge bred ions is simulated with PBGUNS. The simulations of the ion injections show significant ion space charge effects on beam capture efficiency and the ionization efficiency.
Hypercontractivity and the logarithmic Sobolev inequality for the completely bounded norm
Authors: Beigi Salman , King Christopher
Published: November 2015

We develop the notions of hypercontractivity (HC) and the log-Sobolev (LS) inequality for completely bounded norms of one-parameter semigroups of super-operators acting on matrix algebras. We prove the equivalence of the completely bounded versions of HC and LS under suitable hypotheses. We also prove a version of the Gross lemma which allows LS at general q to be deduced from LS at q = 2.
Castellated tiles as the beam-facing components for the diagnostic calorimeter of the negative ion source SPIDER
Authors: Peruzzo S. , Cervaro V. , Dalla Palma M. , Delogu R. , De Muri M. , Fasolo D. , Franchin L. , Pasqualotto R. , Pimazzoni A. , Rizzolo A. , Tollin M. , Zampieri L. , Serianni G.
Published: November 2015

This paper presents the results of numerical simulations and experimental tests carried out to assess the feasibility and suitability of graphite castellated tiles as beam-facing component in the diagnostic calorimeter of the negative ion source SPIDER (Source for Production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from Radio frequency plasma). The results indicate that this concept could be a reliable, although less performing, alternative for the present design based on carbon fiber composite tiles, as it provides thermal measurements on the required spatial scale.
Treating electrostatics with Wolf summation in combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical simulations
Authors: Ojeda-May Pedro , Pu Jingzhi
Published: November 2015

The Wolf summation approach [D. Wolf et al., J. Chem. Phys. 110, 8254 (1999)], in the damped shifted force (DSF) formalism [C. J. Fennell and J. D. Gezelter, J. Chem. Phys. 124, 234104 (2006)], is extended for treating electrostatics in combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) molecular dynamics simulations. In this development, we split the QM/MM electrostatic potential energy function into the conventional Coulomb r−1 term and a term that contains the DSF contribution. The former is handled by the standard machinery of cutoff-based QM/MM simulations whereas the latter is incorporated into the QM/MM interaction Hamiltonian as a Fock matrix correction. We tested the resulting QM/MM-DSF method for two solution-phase reactions, i.e., the association of ammonium and chloride ions and a symmetric SN2 reaction in which a methyl group is exchanged between two chloride ions. The performance of the QM/MM-DSF method was assessed by comparing the potential of mean force (PMF) profiles with those from the QM/MM-Ewald and QM/MM-isotropic periodic sum (IPS) methods, both of which include long-range electrostatics explicitly. For ion association, the QM/MM-DSF method successfully eliminates the artificial free energy drift observed in the QM/MM-Cutoff simulations, in a remarkable agreement with the two long-range-containing methods. For the SN2 reaction, the free energy of activation obtained by the QM/MM-DSF method agrees well with both the QM/MM-Ewald and QM/MM-IPS results. The latter, however, requires a greater cutoff distance than QM/MM-DSF for a proper convergence of the PMF. Avoiding time-consuming lattice summation, the QM/MM-DSF method yields a 55% reduction in computational cost compared with the QM/MM-Ewald method. These results suggest that, in addition to QM/MM-IPS, the QM/MM-DSF method may serve as another efficient and accurate alternative to QM/MM-Ewald for treating electrostatics in condensed-phase simulations of chemical reactions.
Signal acquisition module design for multi-channel surface magnetic resonance sounding system
Authors: Lin Tingting , Chen Wuqiang , Du Wenyuan , Zhao Jing
Published: November 2015

To obtain a precise 2D/3D image of fissure or karst water, multi-channel magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) systems using edge-to-edge or overlapping receiving coils are needed. Thus, acquiring a nano-volt signal for a small amount of the aquifer and suppressing the mutual coupling between adjacent coils are two important issues for the design of the signal acquisition module in the system. In the present study, we propose to use a passive low pass filter, consisted of a resistance (R) and capacitance (C), to inhibit the mutual coupling effects of the coils. Four low-noise operational amplifiers LT1028, OPA124, AD745, and OP27 were compared with respect to achieving the lowest system noise. As a result, 3 pieces of LT1028 were chosen and connected in parallel to serve as preamplifier, with a sensitivity of 1.4 nV/√Hz at 2 kHz. Experimental results are presented for 2D MRS groundwater investigations conducted in the suburb of Changchun, China. The inversion result is consistent with the result of drilling log, suggesting that the signal acquisition module is well developed.
Off-line commissioning of EBIS and plans for its integration into ATLAS and CARIBU
Authors: Ostroumov P. N. , Barcikowski A. , Dickerson C. A. , Mustapha B. , Perry A. , Sharamentov S. I. , Vondrasek R. C. , Zinkann G.
Published: November 2015

An Electron Beam Ion Source Charge Breeder (EBIS-CB) has been developed at Argonne to breed radioactive beams from the CAlifornium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) facility at Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS). The EBIS-CB will replace the existing ECR charge breeder to increase the intensity and significantly improve the purity of reaccelerated radioactive ion beams. The CARIBU EBIS-CB has been successfully commissioned offline with an external singly charged cesium ion source. The performance of the EBIS fully meets the specifications to breed rare isotope beams delivered from CARIBU. The EBIS is being relocated and integrated into ATLAS and CARIBU. A long electrostatic beam transport system including two 180° bends in the vertical plane has been designed. The commissioning of the EBIS and the beam transport system in their permanent location will start at the end of this year.
Note: A kinematic shaker system for high amplitude, low frequency vibration testing
Authors: Swaminathan Anand , Poese Matthew E. , Smith Robert W. M. , Garrett Steven L.
Published: November 2015

This note describes a shaker system capable of high peak-velocity, large amplitude, low frequency, near-sinusoidal excitation that has been constructed and employed in experiments on the inhibition of Rayleigh-Bénard convection using acceleration modulation. The production of high peak-velocity vibration is of interest in parametric excitation problems of this type and reaches beyond the capabilities of standard electromagnetic shakers. The shaker system described employs a kinematic linkage to two counter-rotating flywheels, driven by a variable-speed electrical motor, producing peak-to-peak displacements of 15.24 cm to a platform mounted on two guide rails. In operation, this shaker has been demonstrated to produce peak speeds of up to 3.7 m/s without failure.
Plasmon mediated cathodic photocurrent generation in sol-gel synthesized doped SrTiO3 nanofilms
Authors: Sugavaneshwar Ramu Pasupathi , Chen Kai , Lakshminarayana Gandham , Ishii Satoshi , Dao Thang Duy , Umezawa Naoto , Nagao Tadaaki
Published: November 2015

Thin films of SrTiO3 (STO) and Rh-doped SrTiO3 (Rh-STO) were synthesized by sol-gel method and loaded with Ag nanoparticles. Pristine STO films exhibited anodic photocurrent while Rh-STO exhibited cathodic photocurrent. An enhancement in the overall cathodic photocurrent is observed with Ag nanoparticle loading and an additional enhancement in the visible light range is seen from the incident photon-to-current efficiency spectrum due to synergetic effect of Rh doping and Ag loading in STO.
Wildland fire limits subsequent fire occurrence
Authors: Parks Sean A. , Miller Carol , Holsinger Lisa M. , Baggett L. Scott , Bird Benjamin J.
Published: November 2015

Several aspects of wildland fire are moderated by site- and landscape-level vegetation changes caused by previous fire, thereby creating a dynamic where one fire exerts a regulatory control on subsequent fire. For example, wildland fire has been shown to regulate the size and severity of subsequent fire. However, wildland fire has the potential to influence other properties of subsequent fire. One of those properties – the extent to which a previous wildland fire inhibits new fires from igniting and spreading within its perimeter – is the focus of our study. In four large wilderness study areas in the western United States (US), we evaluated whether or not wildland fire regulated the ignition and spread (hereafter occurrence) of subsequent fire. Results clearly indicate that wildland fire indeed regulates subsequent occurrence of fires ≥ 20 ha in all study areas. We also evaluated the longevity of the regulating effect and found that wildland fire limits subsequent fire occurrence for nine years in the warm/dry study area in the south-western US and over 20 years in the cooler/wetter study areas in the northern Rocky Mountains. Our findings expand upon our understanding of the regulating capacity of wildland fire and the importance of wildland fire in creating and maintaining resilience to future fire events.
Entrepreneurial intention of engineering students and associated influence of contextual factors / Intención emprendedora de los estudiantes de ingeniería e influencia de factores contextuales
Authors: Morales-Alonso Gustavo , Pablo-Lerchundi Iciar , Núñez-Del-Río María-Cristina
Published: November 2015

This research explores the incidence of individual and contextual factors on the entrepreneurial intention of engineering students, as they are called to be the founders of new technology-based firms, which are required for the generation of economic growth and employment. A quantitative study comprising 1,004 engineering and architecture students has been conducted, in which both contextual factors (perception of economic-administrative barriers and unemployment rates) and antecedents of entrepreneurial intention from Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour have been examined. Results show that individuals with a high entrepreneurial intention show a favourable attitude towards the behaviour and see themselves capable of undertaking an entrepreneurial behaviour. Perception of social support, although strong, is not such a relevant factor. Regarding contextual factors, these do not discourage individuals with high entrepreneurial intention. Last, the role played by unemployment rates is unclear. Consequently, technical universities and governments, in their social responsibility to foster entrepreneurship in future young professionals, should take these factors into account to promote an encouraging climate for the development of an entrepreneurial spirit.
Siglec-9 modulated IL-4 responses in the macrophage cell line RAW264
Authors: Higuchi Hiroshi , Shoji Toru , Murase Yusuke , Iijima Shinji , Nishijima Ken-ichi
Published: November 2015

Siglecs, an immunoglobulin-like lectin family that recognizes the sialic acid moiety, regulate various aspects of immune responses. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Siglecs on the macrophage cell line RAW264, which was stimulated with interleukin-4 (IL-4). The induction of arginase-1 (Arg1) by IL-4 was stronger in Siglec-9-expressing cells than in mock cells. Mutations in the cytoplasmic tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs in Siglec-9 markedly reduced the expression of Arg1. The phosphorylation of Akt by IL-4 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) without IL-4 was stronger in Siglec-9-expressing cells, indicating the enhanced activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI-3K) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/ERK pathways, respectively. The enhanced expression of Arg1 was inhibited by MEK inhibitors, but not by PI-3K inhibitor. These results indicate that Siglec-9 affects several different signaling pathways in IL-4-stimulated macrophages, which resulted in enhanced induction of Arg1 in Siglec-9-expressing RAW264 cells.
Mcl-1 involvement in mitochondrial dynamics is associated with apoptotic cell death
Authors: Morciano Giampaolo , Giorgi Carlotta , Balestra Dario , Marchi Saverio , Perrone Daniela , Pinotti Mirko , Pinton Paolo
Published: November 2015

The B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family proteins are critical regulators of apoptosis and consist of both proapoptotic and antiapoptotic factors. Within this family, the myeloid cell leukemia factor 1 (Mcl-1) protein exists in two forms as the result of alternative splicing. The long variant (Mcl-1L) acts as an antiapoptotic factor, whereas the short isoform (Mcl-1S) displays proapoptotic activity. In this study, using splice-switching antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), we increased the synthesis of Mcl-1S, which induced a concurrent reduction of Mcl-1L, resulting in increased sensitivity of cancer cells to apoptotic stimuli. The Mcl-1 ASOs also induced mitochondrial hyperpolarization and a consequent increase in mitochondrial calcium (Ca2+) accumulation. The high Mcl-1S/L ratio correlated with significant hyperfusion of the entire mitochondrial network, which occurred in a dynamin-related protein (Drp1)–dependent manner. Our data indicate that the balance between the long and short variants of the Mcl-1 gene represents a key aspect of the regulation of mitochondrial physiology. We propose that the Mcl-1L/S balance is a novel regulatory factor controlling the mitochondrial fusion and fission machinery.
Analyzing the dynamics of cell cycle processes from fixed samples through ergodic principles
Authors: Wheeler Richard John
Published: November 2015

Tools to analyze cyclical cellular processes, particularly the cell cycle, are of broad value for cell biology. Cell cycle synchronization and live-cell time-lapse observation are widely used to analyze these processes but are not available for many systems. Simple mathematical methods built on the ergodic principle are a well-established, widely applicable, and powerful alternative analysis approach, although they are less widely used. These methods extract data about the dynamics of a cyclical process from a single time-point “snapshot” of a population of cells progressing through the cycle asynchronously. Here, I demonstrate application of these simple mathematical methods to analysis of basic cyclical processes—cycles including a division event, cell populations undergoing unicellular aging, and cell cycles with multiple fission (schizogony)—as well as recent advances that allow detailed mapping of the cell cycle from continuously changing properties of the cell such as size and DNA content. This includes examples using existing data from mammalian, yeast, and unicellular eukaryotic parasite cell biology. Through the ongoing advances in high-throughput cell analysis by light microscopy, electron microscopy, and flow cytometry, these mathematical methods are becoming ever more important and are a powerful complementary method to traditional synchronization and time-lapse cell cycle analysis methods.
Big Data inCaenorhabditis elegans:quo vadis?
Authors: Hutter Harald , Moerman Donald
Published: November 2015

A clear definition of what constitutes “Big Data” is difficult to identify, but we find it most useful to define Big Data as a data collection that is complete. By this criterion, researchers on Caenorhabditis elegans have a long history of collecting Big Data, since the organism was selected with the idea of obtaining a complete biological description and understanding of development. The complete wiring diagram of the nervous system, the complete cell lineage, and the complete genome sequence provide a framework to phrase and test hypotheses. Given this history, it might be surprising that the number of “complete” data sets for this organism is actually rather small—not because of lack of effort, but because most types of biological experiments are not currently amenable to complete large-scale data collection. Many are also not inherently limited, so that it becomes difficult to even define completeness. At present, we only have partial data on mutated genes and their phenotypes, gene expression, and protein–protein interaction—important data for many biological questions. Big Data can point toward unexpected correlations, and these unexpected correlations can lead to novel investigations; however, Big Data cannot establish causation. As a result, there is much excitement about Big Data, but there is also a discussion on just what Big Data contributes to solving a biological problem. Because of its relative simplicity, C. elegans is an ideal test bed to explore this issue and at the same time determine what is necessary to build a multicellular organism from a single cell.
Cell cycle Start is coupled to entry into the yeast metabolic cycle across diverse strains and growth rates
Authors: Burnetti Anthony J. , Aydin Mert , Buchler Nicolas E.
Published: November 2015

Cells have evolved oscillators with different frequencies to coordinate periodic processes. Here we studied the interaction of two oscillators, the cell division cycle (CDC) and the yeast metabolic cycle (YMC), in budding yeast. Previous work suggested that the CDC and YMC interact to separate high oxygen consumption (HOC) from DNA replication to prevent genetic damage. To test this hypothesis, we grew diverse strains in chemostat and measured DNA replication and oxygen consumption with high temporal resolution at different growth rates. Our data showed that HOC is not strictly separated from DNA replication; rather, cell cycle Start is coupled with the initiation of HOC and catabolism of storage carbohydrates. The logic of this YMC–CDC coupling may be to ensure that DNA replication and cell division occur only when sufficient cellular energy reserves have accumulated. Our results also uncovered a quantitative relationship between CDC period and YMC period across different strains. More generally, our approach shows how studies in genetically diverse strains efficiently identify robust phenotypes and steer the experimentalist away from strain-specific idiosyncrasies.
Single-cell phenomics in budding yeast
Authors: Ohya Yoshikazu , Kimori Yoshitaka , Okada Hiroki , Ohnuki Shinsuke
Published: November 2015

The demand for phenomics, a high-dimensional and high-throughput phenotyping method, has been increasing in many fields of biology. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a unicellular model organism, provides an invaluable system for dissecting complex cellular processes using high-resolution phenotyping. Moreover, the addition of spatial and temporal attributes to subcellular structures based on microscopic images has rendered this cell phenotyping system more reliable and amenable to analysis. A well-designed experiment followed by appropriate multivariate analysis can yield a wealth of biological knowledge. Here we review recent advances in cell imaging and illustrate their broad applicability to eukaryotic cells by showing how these techniques have advanced our understanding of budding yeast.
Fingers-of-God effect of infalling satellite galaxies
Authors: Hikage Chiaki , Yamamoto Kazuhiro
Published: November 2015

Non-linear redshift-space distortion known as the Fingers-of-God (FoG) effect is a major systematic uncertainty in redshift-space distortion studies conducted to test gravity models. The FoG effect has been usually attributed to the random motion of galaxies inside their clusters. When the internal galaxy motion is not well virialized, however, the coherent infalling motion towards the cluster centre generates the FoG effect. Here, we derive an analytical model of the satellite velocity distribution due to the infall motion combined with the random motion. We show that the velocity distribution becomes far from Maxwellian when the infalling motion is dominant. We use simulated subhalo catalogues to find that the contribution of infall motion is important to massive subhaloes and that the velocity distribution has a top-hat like shape as expected from our analytic model. We also study the FoG effect due to infall motion on the redshift-space power spectrum. Using simulated mock samples of luminous red galaxies constructed from haloes and massive subhaloes in N-body simulations, we show that the redshift-space power spectra can differ from expectations when the infall motion is ignored.
Suzaku monitoring of the Wolf–Rayet binary WR 140 around periastron passage: An approach for quantifying the wind parameters
Authors: Sugawara Yasuharu , Maeda Yoshitomo , Tsuboi Yohko , Hamaguchi Kenji , Corcoran Michael , Pollock Andy M. T. , Moffat Anthony F. J. , Williams Peredur M. , Dougherty Sean , Pittard Julian
Published: November 2015

Suzaku observations of the Wolf–Rayet (W–R) binary WR 140 (WC7pd+O5.5fc) were made at four different times around periastron passage in 2009 January. The spectra changed in shape and flux with the phase. As periastron approached, the column density of the low-energy absorption increased, which indicates that the emission from the wind–wind collision plasma was absorbed by the dense W–R wind. The spectra can be mostly fitted with two different components: a warm component with kBT = 0.3–0.6 keV and a dominant hot component with kBT ∼ 3 keV. The emission measure of the dominant, hot component is not inversely proportional to the distance between the two stars. This can be explained by the O star wind colliding before it has reached its terminal velocity, leading to a reduction in its wind momentum flux. At phases closer to periastron, we discovered a cool plasma component in a recombining phase, which is less absorbed. This component may be a relic of the wind–wind collision plasma, which was cooled down by radiation, and may represent a transitional stage in dust formation.
Sub-tomogram averaging in RELION
Authors: Bharat Tanmay A.M. , Scheres Sjors H.W.
Published: November 2015

Electron cryo-tomography (cryo-ET) and sub-tomogram averaging allow structure determination of macromoleculesin situ,and are gaining in popularity for initial model generation for single-particle analysis. We describe herein, a protocol for sub-tomogram averaging from cryo-ET data using the RELION software. We describe how to calculate newly developed three-dimensional models for the contrast transfer function and the missing wedge of each sub-tomogram, and how to use these models for regularized-likelihood refinement. This approach has been implemented in the existing workflow for single-particle analysis, so that users may conveniently tap into existing capabilities of the RELION software. As example applications, we present analyses of purified hepatitis B capsid particles andS. cerevisiae80S ribosomes. In both cases, we show that following initial classification, sub-tomogram averaging in RELION allowsde novogeneration of initial models, and provides high-resolution maps where secondary structure elements are resolved.
Hydroxide Once or Twice? A combined Neutron Crystallographic and Quantum Chemical Study of the Hydride Shift in D-Xylose Isomerase
Authors: Challacombe Matt , Bock Nicolas , Langan Paul , Kovalevsky Andrey
Published: November 2015

The hydride shift mechanism of D-Xylose Isomerase converts D-glucose to D-fructose. In this work, we compute features of a “hydroxide once” mechanism for the hydride shift with quantum chemical calculations based on the 3KCO (linear) and 3KCL (cyclic) X-ray/neutron structures. The rigid boundary conditions of the active site “shoe-box”, together with ionization states and proton orientations, enables large scale electronic structure calculations of the entire active site with greatly reduced configuration sampling. In the reported hydroxide once mechanism, magnesium in the 2A ligation shifts to position 2B, ionizing the O2 proton of D-glucose, which is accepted by ASP-287. In this step a novel stabilization is discovered; the K183/D255 proton toggle, providing a ∼10 kcal/mol stabilization through inductive polarization over 5Å. Then, hydride shifts from glucose-O2 to glucose-O1 (the interconversion) generating hydroxide (once) from the catalytic water. This step is consistent with the observation of hyroxide in structure 3CWH, which we identify as a branch point. From this branch point, we find several routes to the solvent-free regeneration of catalytic water that is strongly exothermic (by ∼20 kcal/mol), yielding one additional hydrogen bond more than the starting structure. This non-Michaelis behavior, strongly below the starting cyclic and linear total energy, explains the observed accumulation of hydroxide intermediate -- we postulate that forming permissive ionization states, required for cyclization, may be the rate limiting step. In all, we find eight items of experimental correspondence supporting features of the putative hydroxide once mechanism.
Crystal structure of (ethoxyethylidene)dimethylazanium ethyl sulfate
Authors: Tiritiris Ioannis , Saur Stefan , Kantlehner Willi
Published: November 2015

In the title salt, C6H14NO+·C2H5SO4−, the C—N bond lengths in the cation are 1.2981 (14), 1.4658 (14) and 1.4707 (15) Å, indicating double- and single-bond character, respectively. The C—O bond length of 1.3157 (13) Å shows double-bond character, indicating charge delocalization within the NCO plane of the iminium ion. In the crystal, C—H...O hydrogen bonds between H atoms of the cations and O atoms of neighbouring ethyl sulfate anions are present, generating a three-dimensional network.
Crystal structure of 9,10-bis(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)-9,10-dihydroanthracene
Authors: Ren Yi , Lee Semin , Bertke Jeffery A. , Moore Jeffrey S.
Published: November 2015

The crystal structure of the well-studied 9,10-bis(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)-9,10-dihydroanthracene molecule, C20H12S4, (I), also known as exTTF, is reported. The molecular structure of (I) consists of a dihydroanthracene moiety with two 1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene substituents. This is a saddle-shaped molecule, which interacts with a close neighbor through various π–π and C—H...π contacts to form a `dimer'. These `dimers' interact through a series of C—H...S and C—H...π contacts to construct a complex three-dimensional extended structure.
The impact of irrelevant auditory facial descriptions on memory for target faces: implications for eyewitness memory
Authors: Marsh John E. , Demaine Jack , Bell Raoul , Skelton Faye C. , Frowd Charlie D. , Röer Jan P. , Buchner Axel
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential susceptibility of eyewitness memory to the presence of extraneous background speech that comprises a description consistent with, or at odds with, a target face.

Design/methodology/approach

– A between-participants design was deployed whereby participants viewed an unfamiliar target face in the presence of quiet, or extraneous to-be-ignored speech comprising a verbal description that was either congruent or incongruent with the target face. After a short distractor task, participants were asked to describe the target face and construct a composite of the face using PRO-fit software. Further participants rated the likeness of the composites to the target.

Findings

– Recall of correct facial descriptors was facilitated by congruent to-be-ignored speech and inhibited by incongruent to-be-ignored speech compared to quiet. Moreover, incorrect facial descriptors were reported more often in the incongruent speech condition compared with the congruent speech and quiet conditions. Composites constructed after exposure to incongruent speech were rated as worse likenesses to the target than those created after exposure to congruent speech and quiet. Whether congruent speech facilitated or impaired composite construction was found to depend on the distinctiveness of the target face.

Practical implications

– The results suggest that the nature of to-be-ignored background speech has powerful effects on the accuracy of information verbally reported from having witnessed a face. Incongruent speech appears to disrupt the recognition processes that underpin face construction while congruent speech may have facilitative or detrimental effects on this process, depending on the distinctiveness of the target face.

Originality/value

– This is one of the first studies to demonstrate that extraneous speech can produce adverse effects on the recall and recognition of complex visual information: in this case, the appearance of a human face.