bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stability Modeling of Water‐Based Surfactant Covered Micro‐bubble Fluids
Authors: Alizadeh Ali , Khamehchi Ehsan
Published: November 2015

Currently, due to the decrease in easy access to crude oil reservoirs, oil and gas industries have focused on production from heavy oil and depleted reservoirs. In recent years, micro‐bubble fluids with surfactant and polymer layers around the bubbles are investigated as a part of drilling fluids and their positive effect on the formation damage is proven. Stability of the bubbles in the fluid is very important, and the optimum surfactant and polymer types should be chosen at optimum concentrations. In this work, an attempt is made to analyze the stability of bubbles of the drilling fluid, based on the diffusive mass transfer concept. Mass transfer and interfacial mass transfer coefficients become more important when surfactant concentration gradient exists in micro‐bubble layers. Interfacial mass transfer coefficients have an important effect on mass transfer phenomena in Aphron fluids system; so, the precise selection of these coefficients results in the conformity of modeling and experiments. We can say that reducing the mass transfer rate from bubble layers will result in stable bubbles in the fluid and, thus, the efficiency of the fluid during drilling will not decrease. It is shown that the interfacial mass transfer coefficient decreases with an increase in surfactant concentration.
The development of surgical sperm extraction and new challenges to improve the outcome
Authors: Enatsu Noritoshi , Chiba Koji , Fujisawa Masato
Published: November 2015

Surgical sperm extraction with intracytoplasmic sperm injection has become widespread worldwide and is regarded as the sole option for patients with azoospermia. However, the sperm retrieval rate remains unsatisfactorily low, particularly for men with non‐obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Therefore, the technical challenges associated with improving the sperm retrieval rate for men with NOA are being addressed. The most successful method developed to date is microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro‐TESE), which is rapidly becoming recognized as a useful technique due to its relatively high sperm retrieval rate and low complication rate. However, even with micro‐TESE, the sperm retrieval rate for men with NOA remains at 30–60 %, with an even lower birth rate. The technical challenges associated with improving the outcomes of surgical sperm extraction are being approached through the use of ultrasound and optimal surgical devices such as narrow band imaging, multiphoton microscopy, and optical coherent tomography. In addition to the difficulties related to searching for sperm, medical treatments that induce spermatogenesis remain controversial. For example, varicocele repair prior to surgical sperm extraction and hormonal therapy before and after TESE have been extensively examined. We herein briefly summarized the development process in surgical sperm extraction up to the present and technical challenges to improve the outcomes of surgical sperm extraction.
Trends in incidentie, prognose en sterfte bij spierinvasief blaascarcinoom
Authors: Aben Katja K.H. , van der Heijden A. G. , Kiemeney Lambertus A.L.M.
Published: November 2015

Samenvatting

Er is een licht dalende trend waarneembaar in het risico voor Nederlandse mannen om met een spierinvasief blaascarcinoom (muscle-invasive bladder cancer, MIBC) gediagnosticeerd te worden en om aan de ziekte te overlijden. Voor vrouwen is het tegenovergestelde het geval. Deze trends hebben voornamelijk te maken met veranderingen in het rookpatroon enkele decennia geleden. Opvallend is dat de laatste decennia de vijfjaarsoverleving van het spierinvasief blaascarcinoom niet is verbeterd, hoewel de postoperatieve sterfte wel lager is geworden. Patiënten onder de 75 jaar met een cT2–cT4aN0M0-tumor worden overwegend met cystectomie behandeld en, in toenemende mate, ook met neoadjuvante chemotherapie. Bij patiënten met een dergelijke tumor, die ouder zijn dan 75 jaar, heeft radiotherapie en ‘geen therapie met curatieve intentie’ nog de overhand.
Balancing Early Aggression Against Risk of Progression in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Duquette Pierre , Giacomini Paul S. , Bhan Virender , Hohol Marika , Schecter Robyn
Published: November 2015

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disease characterized by focal and diffuse inflammation of the central nervous system resulting in significant physical and cognitive disabilities. Disease-modifying therapies targeting the dysfunctional immune response are most effective in the first few years after disease onset, indicating that there is a limited time window for therapy to influence the disease course. No evidence of disease activity is emerging as a new standard for treatment response and may be associated with improved long-term disability outcomes. An aggressive management strategy, including earlier use of more potent immunomodulatory agents and close monitoring of the clinical and radiologic response to treatment, is recommended to minimize early brain volume loss and slow the progression of physical and cognitive impairments in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
On a family of self-affine sets: Topology, uniqueness, simultaneous expansions
Authors: HARE KEVIN G. , SIDOROV NIKITA
Published: November 2015

Let$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{1},\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{2}>1$and$T_{i}(x,y)=((x+i)/\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{1},(y+i)/\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{2}),i\in \{\pm 1\}$. Let$A:=A_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{1},\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{2}}$be the unique compact set satisfying$A=T_{1}(A)\cup T_{-1}(A)$. In this paper, we give a detailed analysis of$A$and the parameters$(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{1},\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{2})$where$A$satisfies various topological properties. In particular, we show that if$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{1}<\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{2}<1.202$, then$A$has a non-empty interior, thus significantly improving the bound from Dajaniet al[Self-affine sets with positive Lebesgue measure.Indag. Math. (N.S.)25(2014), 774–784]. In the opposite direction, we prove that the connectedness locus for this family studied in Solomyak [Connectedness locus for pairs of affine maps and zeros of power series.Preprint, 2014, arXiv:1407.2563] is not simply connected. We prove that the set of points of$A$which have a unique address has positive Hausdorff dimension for all$(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{1},\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{2})$. Finally, we investigate simultaneous$(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{1},\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{2})$-expansions of reals, which were the initial motivation for studying this family in Güntürk [Simultaneous and hybrid beta-encodings.Information Sciences and Systems, 2008. CISS 2008. 42nd Annual Conference2008, pp. 743–748].
Counter-examples to an infinitesimal version of the Furstenberg conjecture
Authors: KLOECKNER BENOÎT R.
Published: November 2015

In this paper we observe that one of our main results in ‘Optimal transport and dynamics of circle expanding maps acting on measures’ [Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys.33(2) (2013), 529–548] has an interesting consequence: an infinitesimal version of the Furstenberg conjecture is false in a very strong way. More precisely, we find deformations of the Lebesgue measure on the circle which are first-order invariant simultaneously for all integer multiplications modulo 1. We also correct an error in a lemma of the mentioned article. Both the proof and the statement must be corrected, but the main results of the article are not affected.
On multicorns and unicorns II: bifurcations in spaces of antiholomorphic polynomials
Authors: MUKHERJEE SABYASACHI , NAKANE SHIZUO , SCHLEICHER DIERK
Published: November 2015

Themulticornsare the connectedness loci of unicritical antiholomorphic polynomials$\bar{z}^{d}+c$. We investigate the structure of boundaries of hyperbolic components: we prove that the structure of bifurcations from hyperbolic components of even period is as one would expect for maps that depend holomorphically on a complex parameter (for instance, as for the Mandelbrot set; in this setting, this is a non-obvious fact), while the bifurcation structure at hyperbolic components of odd period is very different. In particular, the boundaries of odd period hyperbolic components consist only of parabolic parameters, and there are bifurcations between hyperbolic components along entire arcs, but only of bifurcation ratio 2. We also count the number of hyperbolic components of any period of the multicorns. Since antiholomorphic polynomials depend only real-analytically on the parameters, most of the techniques used in this paper are quite different from the ones used to prove the corresponding results in a holomorphic setting.
Unusual brachiopod fauna from the Middle Triassic algal meadows of Mt. Svilaja (Outer Dinarides, Croatia)
Authors: Halamski Adam T. , Bitner Maria Aleksandra , Kaim Andrzej , Kolar-Jurkovšek Tea , Jurkovšek Bogdan
Published: November 2015

Ladinian deposits at Mt. Svilaja in Dalmatia (Outer Dinarides, Croatia) yielded an abundant brachiopod fauna of low diversity interpreted as a parautochthonous assemblage representing an ecosystem of dasycladacean submarine meadow. The fauna consists of four named species and one left in open nomenclature. The most common is the spiriferinideFlabellocyrtia flabellulumChorowicz and Termier, 1975 (Spiriferinida) accounting for more than 70% of the material. The athyridideCassianospira humboldtii(von Klipstein, 1845) is the only species known from elsewhere (Anisian of Southern Alps). The new species of SpiriferinidaThecocyrtella dagysiiHalamski, Bitner, Kaim, Kolar-Jurkovšek, and Jurkovšek n. sp. differs from other representatives of the genus in having a deep ventral sulcus.Albasphe albertimagniHalamski, Bitner, Kaim, Kolar-Jurkovšek, and Jurkovšek n. gen. n. sp. is a new brachiopod that possesses a dorsal septum with an intra-septal cavity and dorsal submarginal ridges, both features in common with AalenianZellaniaMoore, 1855 from which it differs in lack of the ventral septum and of ventral submarginal ridges. They are interpreted as members of a sparsely recorded paedomorphic evolutionary line of terebratulides with secondarily lost loop, described formally herein as Gwyniidina Halamski and Bitner n. subordo and subdivided into newly emended Dispheniidae Grant, 1988 (Dispheniinae Grant, 1988 with the only genusDispheniaand Albasphinae Halamski and Bitner n. subfam. withAlbaspheandZellania) and Gwyniidae MacKinnon, 2006 (including RecentGwyniaandSimpliciforma). In contrast to previous interpretations, the trocholophe lophophore ofGwyniais interpreted herein as secondarily simplified.
COUNTING ON EPIC: MATHEMATICAL POETRY AND HOMERIC EPIC IN ARCHIMEDES' CATTLE PROBLEM
Authors: Leventhal Max
Published: November 2015

In 1773, the celebrated enlightenment thinker G.E. Lessing discovered in Wolfenbüttel's Herzog August Library a manuscript which contained a previously unknown Ancient Greek poem. The manuscript identified the author as Archimedes (c.287-212 BCE), and the work became known as the Cattle Problem (henceforth CP). On the surface, its twenty-two couplets capitalise on Homer's depiction of the ‘Cattle of the Sun’ in Book 12 of the Odyssey and its numerical aspect. A description of the related proportions of black, white, brown and dappled herds of cattle, which are then configured geometrically on Sicily, creates a strikingly colourful image. The author's decision to encode a number into the figure of the Cattle of the Sun styles the poem as a response to, and expansion of, Homer's scene. Reading through the work, though, it becomes clear that the mathematics is more complex than that of Homer's Odyssey.
Fatty acid profiles of milk andMinas frescalcheese from lactating grazed cows supplemented with peanut cake
Authors: Cerutti Weiler Giacomazza , Viegas Julio , Barbosa Analívia Martins , Oliveira Ronaldo Lopes , Dias Carina Anunciação , Costa Emellinne Souza , Nornberg José Laerte , de Carvalho Gleidson Giordano Pinto , Bezerra Leilson Rocha , Silveira Alisson Minozzo
Published: November 2015

Milk andMinas frescalcheese were evaluated from crossbred Holstein × Gir cows that were fed diets enriched with 0, 33, 66 and 100% inclusion levels of palm kernel cake in a concentrated supplement in replace of soybean meal. Eight crossbred lactating cows were distributed (four animals × four treatments × four periods) in the experimental design of double 4 × 4 Latin squares. The capric (C : 10,P= 0·0270), undecylic (C : 11,P= 0·0134), and lauric (C : 12,P= 0·0342) saturated fatty acid concentrations and CLA (C18 : 2c9t11,P= 0·0164) of the milk fat decreased linearly with an increasing percentage of peanut cake in the diet. The increased peanut cake content (100%) in the diet was associated with a linear decrease in C : 10 (P= 0·0447), C : 12 (P= 0·0002), mirystic (C : 14,P< 0·0001) and palmitic (C : 16,P< 0·0001) saturated fatty acid concentrations and an increase in arachidic, lignoceric, palmitoleic and elaidic acid levels in theMinas frescalcheese fat made from the milk. Both the milk and theMinas frescalcheese showed a linear decrease in the concentration of monosaturated fatty acids (P< 0·0001), atherogenicity index, and thrombogenicity index (P< 0·05), while the hypocholesterolaemic: hypercholesterolaemic and omega 6: omega 3 (P> 0·05) ratios were not influenced by the different peanut cake levels. The inclusion of up to 100% peanut cake as a substitution for soybean meal in the concentrate of grazing lactating cows resulted in changes in the nutritional quality of their milk products, as indicated by the increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids and the decrease of saturated fatty acids (lauric, myristic, and palmitic).
INDUCTION, DEDUCTION, AND JAMES MILL'S “GOVERNMENT”
Authors: LOIZIDES ANTIS
Published: November 2015

In his biography of James Mill, Alexander Bain made a number of claims with regard to Mill's essay “Government” (1820). First, the essay was a catalyst in the movement for reform, making “in all probability . . . our political history very different from what it might otherwise have been.” Second, the essay provided a unique opportunity for Mill to expound on “the whole theory of Government in a compact shape.” Third, as far as his “Logic of Politics” was concerned, Mill depended on the deductive method—the method of geometry—having quickly discarded the applicability of inductive logic in politics. In this article, I take issue with the last claim.
From Fiscal Compact to Fiscal Union? New Rules for the Eurozone
Authors: Calliess Christian
Published: November 2015

As a consequence of the British veto a reform of the EU Treaty, with the aim to strengthen the stability of the eurozone by transferring new competences in the field of fiscal and economic policies, became impossible. Therefore an international Treaty, the so called Fiscal Compact, was concluded among 25 Member States of the EU. The contribution deals with the complex relationship between both Treaties, especially with the institutional arrangement. It argues that the Fiscal Compact is in comparison to the adopted secondary legislation, the so called Six Pack, of a rather symbolic nature. The more important is the legal link between Fiscal Compact and the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), which makes stability a precondition for European solidarity. European control of stability might interfere with the budget sovereignty of national parliaments but as stability is, since the Treaty of Maastricht, a legally binding principle of the European Monetary Union, its more efficient control is in line with former transfer of competence. Not least budget sovereignty is lost if an over-indebted Member State’s choice is just between sovereign default and financial aid by the ESM. A fully fledged European control of the national budget is therefore in the last resort legitimate.
The Court of Justice as a Labour Court
Authors: Davies ACL
Published: November 2015

Many legal systems have specialist labour courts with jurisdiction over individual employment disputes or collective labour disputes or both. The literature identifies a number of possible justifications for the use of specialist labour courts. This chapter will engage in a critical examination of this literature in order to develop a framework for analysing the performance of courts (whether specialist or otherwise) in deciding labour law cases. We shall then apply that framework to some of the recent case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Protection Against Acts Harmful to Human Health and the Environment Adopted by the EU Institutions
Authors: de Sadeleer Nicolas , Poncelet Charles
Published: November 2015

This chapter examines whether the EU has duly implemented its obligations regarding access to justice in environmental matters. On the one hand, EU courts remain hardly accessible to individuals seeking to challenge acts harmful to human health and the environment adopted by the EU institutions. In this regard, the Lisbon amendment of the standing requirements for non-privileged applicants has not radically changed the situation. In the light of recent decisions of the General Court, it appears that the latter has as yet resorted to a restrictive interpretation of the new prerequisites laid down in Article 263(4) TFEU. On the other hand, the internal review mechanism of EU environmental measures as provided for under secondary law does not live up to its objective of enhancing legal protection. In addition to the limited scope thereof, the EU institutions have shown much reluctance to be challenged. Therefore, it may be concluded that EU citizens are not provided with effective remedies. This represents a significant issue given the essential enforcement deficit of environment law. Arguably the EU legal system scarcely complies with the letter and the spirit of the Århus Convention with respect to access to justice.
The Fight against Terrorism, Fundamental Rights and the EU Courts: The Unsolved Conundrum
Authors: Nanopoulos Eva
Published: November 2015

Using the example of anti-terrorism measures, this chapter looks at the difficulties experienced by the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) in reconciling the conflicting demands of fundamental rights protection and public security. It shows that under the current arrangements, the CJEU cannot have regard to information which has not gone through a proper adversarial hearing, even in cases where disclosure of the relevant information will jeopardise the public interest. The chapter thus envisages the possibility for reform. It examines, in particular, the special advocate procedure and the sort of difficulties that its transposition in the EU context would give rise to.
European Fundamental Rights and the Member States: From ‘Selective’ to ‘Total’ Incorporation?
Authors: Schütze Robert
Published: November 2015

In parallel with American constitutional thought, there exists a doctrine of incorporation in the European legal order. European fundamental rights will thus not exclusively limit the European institutions. They may—in certain situations—equally apply to the public authorities of the Member States. This chapter looks at the incorporation doctrine across the three sources of European fundamental rights. With three distinct sources of fundamental rights, the constitutional principles governing the European incorporation doctrine are unsurprisingly more complex than the American incorporation doctrine. What are the similarities and dissimilarities between the European and the American incorporation doctrine? The Union presently favours selective over total incorporation. In this respect, it emulates the American constitutional order. Yet the European doctrine nonetheless differs strikingly from the classic American doctrine. For unlike the latter, the European legal order has not made incorporation dependent on the type of fundamental right at issue. The European doctrine has, by contrast, made the incorporation of Union fundamental rights into national legal orders dependent on the type of Member State action.
Securing Trust in the Court of Justice of the EU: The Influence of the Advocates General
Authors: Albors-Llorens Albertina
Published: November 2015

This chapter examines the influence of the Advocates General in promoting trust in the work of the Court of Justice of the European Union. While it accepts that it may be difficult to quantify this influence—given the non-binding nature of the Opinions—it argues that the work of the Advocates General has an impact in securing confidence in the Court. This conclusion is supported by an examination of three possible levels of the influence exerted by the Advocates General, which are considered in the chapter in descending order of abstraction. The first and most abstract dimension of this influence is that provided by the institutional characteristics of the office of Advocate General and the role associated to it. The second dimension is the general contribution of the Opinions to the development of the case law. Finally, the chapter looks at the contribution of the Advocates General in the specific context of cases involving conflicting rights and interests and particularly in cases where fundamental human rights collide with essential Treaty objectives and freedoms—like the free movement of goods or persons—an area where trust in the work of the Court is crucial to ensure the legitimacy of the Union.
The Advocate General: Bringing Clarity to CJEU Decisions? A Case-Study of Mangold and Kücükdeveci
Authors: Ćapeta Tamara
Published: November 2015

The question at the centre of focus in this chapter is whether the Advocate Generals’ (AGs’) Opinions contribute to the clarity of the Court’s decisions and thus increase its legitimacy. Methodologically, it analyses the cases of Mangold and Kücükdeveci and the pertaining AGs’ Opinions. It also looks at the Opinions of other AGs in other cases that commented upon either of these two judgments. It concludes that due to the lack of response by the Court to the arguments offered by its AGs, their Opinions have a very weak capacity to clarify unreasoned parts of the judgment to the general public beyond the Court. Thus the only real beneficiary of the Opinions is the academic community.
Advocate Generals’ Opinions or Separate Opinions? Judicial Engagement in the CJEU
Authors: Turenne Sophie
Published: November 2015

In this article, we challenge that assumption that the Court of Justice of the European Union does not need to accommodate dissenting opinions because the necessary arguments and policy perspectives can be outlined in the AG’s Opinion. We examine the greater legitimacy that may be gained from permitting dissenting and concurring opinions in cases which involve the determination of fundamental rights before the Court. We ultimately argue that our discussion on the quality of judgments is closely related to a discussion on the selection process and criteria for membership of the Court. In the current context, however, the AG’s Opinions continue to provide a more robust field for articulating national and European norms and a larger space for interpretive innovation than the Court’s ordinary forum.
Longitudinal Study of Cognitive Variables in Women with Schizophrenia: 31-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Sanguino-Andrés Rosa , López-Villalobos José Antonio , González-Pablos Emilio , Guarido-Rivera Violeta , González-Sanguino Clara , López-Sánchez María Victoria , Vaquero-Casado Mercedes
Published: November 2015

Objective: To longitudinally analyze the course of cognitive dimensions in schizophrenic women over a period of 31 years. Method: Accidental sampling. Developmental longitudinal design. Diagnosis according to the ICD-10. Thirty institutionalized women were evaluated using the WAIS on three separate occasions (in 1981, 1997, and 2012). The data were analyzed using a repeated measures split-plot method. Results: Patients scored one to two standard deviations below the average on the WAIS. At all three evaluation times, they scored consistently, significantly worse on Performance IQ scales than on Verbal IQ in the following sequence: Processing Speed (PS) < Perceptual Organization (PO) < Working Memory (WM) < Verbal Comprehension (VC). Longitudinally, there was a significant, linear average trend that was stable between the first and second assessments, with a significant drop in scores at the third evaluation on Performance IQ (η2= .586) and Verbal IQ scales (η2= .299). The same trend was observed in PS (η2= .655) and WM (η2= .438), while PO decreased across the three evaluations (η2= .509) and no difference in VC was found (η2= .126). Conclusion: Patients with schizophrenia presented with a low cognitive level. Longitudinally, they had a stable, differential profile of WAIS factors until late life, when performance dropped significantly.
Social Skills Questionnaire for Argentinean College Students (SSQ-U) Development and Validation
Authors: Morán Valeria E. , Olaz Fabián O. , Del Prette Zilda A. P.
Published: November 2015

In this paper we present a new instrument called Social Skills Questionnaire for Argentinean College Students (SSQ-U). Based on the adapted version of the Social Skills Inventory - Del Prette (SSI-Del Prette) (Olaz, Medrano, Greco, & Del Prette, 2009), we wrote new items for the scale, and carried out psychometric analysis to assess the validity and reliability of the instrument. In the first study, we collected evidence based on test content through expert judges who evaluated the quality and the relevance of the items. In the second and third studies, we provided validity evidence based on the internal structure of the instrument using exploratory (n = 1067) and confirmatory (n = 661) factor analysis. Results suggested a five-factor structure consistent with the dimensions of social skills, as proposed by Kelly (2002). The fit indexes corresponding to the obtained model were adequate, and composite reliability coefficients of each factor were excellent (above .75). Finally, in the fourth study, we provided evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The obtained results allow us to conclude that the SSQ-U is the first valid and reliable instrument for measuring social skills in Argentinean college students.
Reverse transcriptase genes are highly abundant and transcriptionally active in marine plankton assemblages
Authors: Lescot Magali , Hingamp Pascal , Kojima Kenji K , Villar Emilie , Romac Sarah , Veluchamy Alaguraj , Boccara Martine , Jaillon Olivier , Iudicone Daniele , Bowler Chris , Wincker Patrick , Claverie Jean-Michel , Ogata Hiroyuki
Published: November 2015

Genes encoding reverse transcriptases (RTs) are found in most eukaryotes, often as a component of retrotransposons, as well as in retroviruses and in prokaryotic retroelements. We investigated the abundance, classification and transcriptional status of RTs based on Tara Oceans marine metagenomes and metatranscriptomes encompassing a wide organism size range. Our analyses revealed that RTs predominate large-size fraction metagenomes (>5 μm), where they reached a maximum of 13.5% of the total gene abundance. Metagenomic RTs were widely distributed across the phylogeny of known RTs, but many belonged to previously uncharacterized clades. Metatranscriptomic RTs showed distinct abundance patterns across samples compared with metagenomic RTs. The relative abundances of viral and bacterial RTs among identified RT sequences were higher in metatranscriptomes than in metagenomes and these sequences were detected in all metatranscriptome size fractions. Overall, these observations suggest an active proliferation of various RT-assisted elements, which could be involved in genome evolution or adaptive processes of plankton assemblage.
Bacterial predation in a marine host-associated microbiome
Authors: Welsh Rory M , Zaneveld Jesse R , Rosales Stephanie M , Payet Jérôme P , Burkepile Deron E , Thurber Rebecca Vega
Published: November 2015

In many ecological communities, predation has a key role in regulating community structure or function. Although predation has been extensively explored in animals and microbial eukaryotes, predation by bacteria is less well understood. Here we show that predatory bacteria of the genus Halobacteriovorax are prevalent and active predators on the surface of several genera of reef-building corals. Across a library of 198 16S rRNA samples spanning three coral genera, 79% were positive for carriage of Halobacteriovorax. Cultured Halobacteriovorax from Porites asteroides corals tested positive for predation on the putative coral pathogens Vibrio corallyticus and Vibrio harveyii. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that Halobacteriovorax’s interactions with other bacteria are influenced by temperature and inorganic nutrient concentration, and further suggested that this bacterial predator’s abundance may be driven by prey availability. Thus, animal microbiomes can harbor active bacterial predators, which may regulate microbiome structure and protect the host by consuming potential pathogens.
A monotopic aluminum telluride with an Al=Te double bond stabilized by N-heterocyclic carbenes
Authors: Franz Daniel , Szilvási Tibor , Irran Elisabeth , Inoue Shigeyoshi
Published: November 2015

Aluminum chalcogenides are mostly encountered in the form of bulk aluminum oxides that are structurally diverse but typically consist of networks with high lattice energy in which the chalcogen atoms bridge the metal centres. This makes their molecular congeners difficult to synthesize because of a pronounced tendency for oligomerization. Here we describe the isolation of the monotopic aluminum chalcogenide (LDipN)AlTe(LEt)2 (LDip=1,3-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazolin-2-imine, LEt=1,3-diethyl-4,5-dimethyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene). Unique features of (LDipN)AlTe(LEt)2 are the terminal position of the tellurium atom, the shortest aluminum–tellurium distance hitherto reported for a molecular complex and the highest bond order reported for an interaction between these elements, to the best of our knowledge. At elevated temperature (LDipN)AlTe(LEt)2 equilibrates with dimeric {(LDipN)AlTe(LEt)}2 in which the chalcogen atoms assume their common role as bridges between the metal centres. These findings demonstrate that (LDipN)AlTe(LEt)2 comprises the elusive Al=Te double bond in the form of an N-heterocyclic carbene-stabilized species.
Erratum: Coherence in the presence of absorption and heating in a molecule interferometer
Authors: Cotter J. P. , Eibenberger S. , Mairhofer L. , Cheng X. , Asenbaum P. , Arndt M. , Walter K. , Nimmrichter S. , Hornberger K.
Published: November 2015

Nature Communications 6: Article number: 7336 (2015); Published: 11 June 2015; Updated: 27 November 2015 In Fig. 4c of this article, the second-last data point and the red-dashed fit were accidentally altered during the production process. The correct version of the figure appears below. Figure 4
Erratum: Autophagy and endosomal trafficking inhibition by Vibrio cholerae MARTX toxin phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate-specific phospholipase A1 activity
Authors: Agarwal Shivani , Kim Hyunjin , Chan Robin B. , Agarwal Shivangi , Williamson Rebecca , Cho Wonhwa , Di Paolo Gilbert , Satchell Karla J. F.
Published: November 2015

Nature Communications 6: Article number: 8745 (2015); Published: 26 October 2015; Updated: 27 November 2015 The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Gilbert Di Paolo, which was incorrectly given as Gilbert D. Paolo. This has now been corrected in both thePDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Switching operation and degradation of resistive random access memory composed of tungsten oxide and copper investigated using in-situ TEM
Authors: Arita Masashi , Takahashi Akihito , Ohno Yuuki , Nakane Akitoshi , Tsurumaki-Fukuchi Atsushi , Takahashi Yasuo
Published: November 2015

In-situ transmission electron microscopy (in-situ TEM) was performed to investigate the switching operation of a resistive random access memory (ReRAM) made of copper, tungsten oxide and titanium nitride (Cu/WOx/TiN). In the first Set (Forming) operation to initialize the device, precipitation appeared inside the WOx layer. It was presumed that a Cu conducting filament was formed, lowering the resistance (on-state). The Reset operation induced a higher resistance (the off-state). No change in the microstructure was identified in the TEM images. Only when an additional Reset current was applied after switching to the off-state could erasure of the filament be seen (over-Reset). Therefore, it was concluded that structural change relating to the resistance switch was localized in a very small area around the filament. With repeated switching operations and increasing operational current, the WOx/electrode interfaces became indistinct. At the same time, the resistance of the off-state gradually decreased. This is thought to be caused by Cu condensation at the interfaces because of leakage current through the area other than through the filament. This will lead to device degradation through mechanisms such as endurance failure. This is the first accelerated aging test of ReRAM achieved using in-situ TEM.
Sequential Single Shot X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy at the SACLA Free Electron Laser
Authors: Lehmkühler Felix , Kwaśniewski Paweł , Roseker Wojciech , Fischer Birgit , Schroer Martin A. , Tono Kensuke , Katayama Tetsuo , Sprung Michael , Sikorski Marcin , Song Sanghoon , Glownia James , Chollet Matthieu , Nelson Silke , Robert Aymeric , Gutt Christian , Yabashi Makina , Ishikawa Tetsuya , Grübel Gerhard
Published: November 2015

Hard X-ray free electron lasers allow for the first time to access dynamics of condensed matter samples ranging from femtoseconds to several hundred seconds. In particular, the exceptional large transverse coherence of the X-ray pulses and the high time-averaged flux promises to reach time and length scales that have not been accessible up to now with storage ring based sources. However, due to the fluctuations originating from the stochastic nature of the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) process the application of well established techniques such as X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) is challenging. Here we demonstrate a single-shot based sequential XPCS study on a colloidal suspension with a relaxation time comparable to the SACLA free-electron laser pulse repetition rate. High quality correlation functions could be extracted without any indications for sample damage. This opens the way for systematic sequential XPCS experiments at FEL sources.
Semi-reciprocal polarization maintaining fibre coupler with distinctive transmission characteristics
Authors: Wang Xinyue , Thomas Freya , Wang Ziyu
Published: November 2015

Optical couplers are very important devices in optical communication systems and optical sensor systems. Several types of optical couplers with different materials or different transmission characteristics have been reported. Here we propose a semi-reciprocal polarization maintaining fibre coupler with unique transmission characteristics, which is distinct from conventional polarization maintaining fibre couplers and polarization beam splitters and investigate the characteristics of the coupler theoretically and experimentally. The experimental results show that for circularly and elliptically polarized input light, the proposed coupler will act both as an in-line polariser and a conventional polarization maintaining fibre coupler. The output polarization extinction ratio of the transmission arm is 31.79 dB at a centre wavelength of 841 nm. For linearly polarized input light, the coupler will merely act as a conventional 3 dB polarization maintaining fibre coupler. The unique features of the proposed coupler enables the removal of polarisers from optical sensor systems and coherent optical communication systems and reduces the insertion loss and production cost of the optical path. Therefore there is wide application for this device in optical sensor systems and optical communication systems.
Extreme events in multilayer, interdependent complex networks and control
Authors: Chen Yu-Zhong , Huang Zi-Gang , Zhang Hai-Feng , Eisenberg Daniel , Seager Thomas P. , Lai Ying-Cheng
Published: November 2015

We investigate the emergence of extreme events in interdependent networks. We introduce an inter-layer traffic resource competing mechanism to account for the limited capacity associated with distinct network layers. A striking finding is that, when the number of network layers and/or the overlap among the layers are increased, extreme events can emerge in a cascading manner on a global scale. Asymptotically, there are two stable absorption states: a state free of extreme events and a state of full of extreme events and the transition between them is abrupt. Our results indicate that internal interactions in the multiplex system can yield qualitatively distinct phenomena associated with extreme events that do not occur for independent network layers. An implication is that, e.g., public resource competitions among different service providers can lead to a higher resource requirement than naively expected. We derive an analytical theory to understand the emergence of global-scale extreme events based on the concept of effective betweenness. We also articulate a cost-effective control scheme through increasing the capacity of very few hubs to suppress the cascading process of extreme events so as to protect the entire multi-layer infrastructure against global-scale breakdown.
Control and Manipulation of Nano Cracks Mimicking Optical Wave
Authors: Suh Young D. , Yeo Junyeob , Lee Habeom , Hong Sukjoon , Kwon Jinhyeong , Kim Kyunkyu , Ko Seung Hwan
Published: November 2015

Generally, a fracture is considered as an uncontrollable thus useless phenomenon due to its highly random nature. The aim of this study is to investigate highly ordered cracks such as oscillatory cracks and to manipulate via elaborate control of mechanical properties of the cracking medium including thickness, geometry and elastic mismatch. Specific thin film with micro-sized notches was fabricated on a silicon based substrate in order to controllably generate self-propagating cracks in large area. Interestingly, various nano-cracks behaved similar to optical wave including refraction, total internal reflection and evanescent wave. This novel phenomena of controlled cracking was used to fabricate sophisticated nano/micro patterns in large area which cannot be obtained even with conventional nanofabrication methods. We also have showed that the cracks are directly implementable into a nano/micro-channel application since the cracks naturally have a form of channel-like shape.
Probing protein interactions in living mammalian cells on a microtubule bench
Authors: Boca Mirela , Kretov Dmitry A. , Desforges Bénédicte , Mephon-Gaspard Alix , Curmi Patrick A. , Pastré David
Published: November 2015

Microtubules are μm-long cylinders of about 25 nm in diameter which are present in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. Here, we have developed a new method which uses these cylindrical structures as platforms to detect protein interactions in cells. The principle is simple: a protein of interest used as bait is brought to microtubules by fusing it to Tau, a microtubule-associated protein. The presence of a protein prey on microtubules then reveals an interaction between bait and prey. This method requires only a conventional optical microscope and straightforward fluorescence image analysis for detection and quantification of protein interactions. To test the reliability of this detection scheme, we used it to probe the interactions among three mRNA-binding proteins in both fixed and living cells and compared the results to those obtained by pull-down assays. We also tested whether the molecular interactions of Cx43, a membrane protein, can be investigated with this system. Altogether, the results indicate that microtubules can be used as platforms to detect protein interactions in mammalian cells, which should provide a basis for investigating pathogenic protein interactions involved in human diseases.
Therapeutic window of globular adiponectin against cerebral ischemia in diabetic mice: the role of dynamic alteration of adiponectin/adiponectin receptor expression
Authors: Song Wenying , Guo Fan , Zhong Haixing , Liu Lixin , Yang Rui , Wang Qiang , Xiong Lize
Published: November 2015

Recent studies have demonstrated that adiponectin (APN) attenuates cerebral ischemic/reperfusion via globular adiponectin (gAD). However, the therapeutic role of gAD in cerebral ischemic injury in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) remains unclear. Our results showed that gAD improved neurological scores and reduced the infarct volumes in the 8-week T1DM (T1DM-8W) mice, but not in the 2-week T1DM (T1DM-2W) mice. Moreover, the ischemic penumbra APN levels increased and peaked in T1DM-2W mice and reduced to normal in T1DM-8W mice, while the APN receptor 1 (AdipoR1) expression change was the opposite. Administration of rosiglitazone in T1DM-2W mice up-regulated the expression of AdipoR1 and restored the neuroprotection of gAD, while intracerebroventricular injection of AdipoR1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) in T1DM-8W mice reversed it. Furthermore, the expression of p-PERK, p-IRE1 and GRP78 were increased whereas the expressions of CHOP and cleaved caspase-12 as well as the number of apoptotic neurons were decreased after gAD treatment in T1DM-8W mice. These beneficial effects of gAD were reversed by pretreatment with AdipoR1 siRNA. These results demonstrated a dynamic dysfunction of APN/AdipoR1 accompanying T1DM progression. Interventions bolstering AdipoR1 expression during early stages and gAD supplementation during advanced stages may potentially reduce the cerebral ischemic injury in diabetic patients.
In Vivo Voltage-Sensitive Dye Imaging of Subcortical Brain Function
Authors: Tang Qinggong , Tsytsarev Vassiliy , Liang Chia-Pin , Akkentli Fatih , Erzurumlu Reha S. , Chen Yu
Published: November 2015

The whisker system of rodents is an excellent model to study peripherally evoked neural activity in the brain. Discrete neural modules represent each whisker in the somatosensory cortex (“barrels”), thalamus (“barreloids”) and brain stem (“barrelettes”). Stimulation of a single whisker evokes neural activity sequentially in its corresponding barrelette, barreloid and barrel. Conventional optical imaging of functional activation in the brain is limited to surface structures such as the cerebral cortex. To access subcortical structures and image sensory-evoked neural activity, we designed a needle-based optical system using gradient-index (GRIN) rod lens. We performed voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDi) with GRIN rod lens to visualize neural activity evoked in the thalamic barreloids by deflection of whiskers in vivo. We stimulated several whiskers together to determine the sensitivity of our approach in differentiating between different barreloid responses. We also carried out stimulation of different whiskers at different times. Finally, we used muscimol in the barrel cortex to silence the corticothalamic inputs while imaging in the thalamus. Our results show that it is possible to obtain functional maps of the sensory periphery in deep brain structures such as the thalamic barreloids. Our approach can be broadly applicable to functional imaging of other core brain structures.
Noise-assisted energy transport in electrical oscillator networks with off-diagonal dynamical disorder
Authors: León-Montiel Roberto de J. , Quiroz-Juárez Mario A. , Quintero-Torres Rafael , Domínguez-Juárez Jorge L. , Moya-Cessa Héctor M. , Torres Juan P. , Aragón José L.
Published: November 2015

Noise is generally thought as detrimental for energy transport in coupled oscillator networks. However, it has been shown that for certain coherently evolving systems, the presence of noise can enhance, somehow unexpectedly, their transport efficiency; a phenomenon called environment-assisted quantum transport (ENAQT) or dephasing-assisted transport. Here, we report on the experimental observation of such effect in a network of coupled electrical oscillators. We demonstrate that by introducing stochastic fluctuations in one of the couplings of the network, a relative enhancement in the energy transport efficiency of 22.5 ± 3.6% can be observed.
Impaired ATP6V0A2 expression contributes to Golgi dispersion and glycosylation changes in senescent cells
Authors: Udono Miyako , Fujii Kaoru , Harada Gakuro , Tsuzuki Yumi , Kadooka Keishi , Zhang Pingbo , Fujii Hiroshi , Amano Maho , Nishimura Shin-Ichiro , Tashiro Kosuke , Kuhara Satoru , Katakura Yoshinori
Published: November 2015

Many genes and signaling pathways have been found to be involved in cellular senescence program. In the present study, we have identified 16 senescence-associated genes by differential proteomic analysis of the normal human diploid fibroblast cell line, TIG-1 and focused on ATP6V0A2. The aim of this study is to clarify the role of ATP6V0A2, the causal gene for ARCL2, a syndrome of abnormal glycosylation and impaired Golgi trafficking, in cellular senescence program. Here we showed that ATP6V0A2 is critical for cellular senescence; impaired expression of ATP6V0A2 disperses the Golgi structure and triggers senescence, suggesting that ATP6V0A2 mediates these processes. FITC-lectin staining and glycoblotting revealed significantly different glycosylation structures in presenescent (young) and senescent (old) TIG-1 cells; reducing ATP6V0A2 expression in young TIG-1 cells yielded structures similar to those in old TIG-1 cells. Our results suggest that senescence-associated impaired expression of ATP6V0A2 triggers changes in Golgi structure and glycosylation in old TIG-1 cells, which demonstrates a role of ATP6V0A2 in cellular senescence program.
Constraints on natural global atmospheric CO2 fluxes from 1860 to 2010 using a simplified explicit forward model
Authors: Hellevang Helge , Aagaard Per
Published: November 2015

Land-use changes until the beginning of the 20th century made the terrestrial biosphere a net source of atmospheric carbon. Later, burning of fossil fuel surpassed land use changes as the major anthropogenic source of carbon. The terrestrial biosphere is at present suggested to be a carbon sink, but the distribution of excess anthropogenic carbon to the ocean and biosphere sinks is highly uncertain. Our modeling suggest that land-use changes can be tracked quite well by the carbon isotopes until mid-20th century, whereas burning of fossil fuel dominates the present-day observed changes in the isotope signature. The modeling indicates that the global carbon isotope fractionation has not changed significantly during the last 150 years. Furthermore, increased uptake of carbon by the ocean and increasing temperatures does not yet appear to have resulted in increasing the global gross ocean-to-atmosphere carbon fluxes. This may however change in the future when the excess carbon will emerge in the ocean upwelling zones, possibly reducing the net-uptake of carbon compared to the present-day ocean.
High field superconducting properties of Ba(Fe1−xCox)2As2 thin films
Authors: Hänisch Jens , Iida Kazumasa , Kurth Fritz , Reich Elke , Tarantini Chiara , Jaroszynski Jan , Förster Tobias , Fuchs Günther , Hühne Ruben , Grinenko Vadim , Schultz Ludwig , Holzapfel Bernhard
Published: November 2015

In general, the critical current density,Jc, of type II superconductors and its anisotropy with respect to magnetic field orientation is determined by intrinsic and extrinsic properties. The Fe-based superconductors of the ‘122’ family with their moderate electronic anisotropies and high yet accessible critical fields (Hc2andHirr) are a good model system to study this interplay. In this paper, we explore the vortex matter of optimally Co-doped BaFe2As2thin films with extended planar andc-axis correlated defects. The temperature and angular dependence of the upper critical field is well explained by a two-band model in the clean limit. The dirty band scenario, however, cannot be ruled out completely. Above the irreversibility field, the flux motion is thermally activated, where the activation energyU0is going to zero at the extrapolated zero-kelvinHirrvalue. The anisotropy of the critical current densityJcis both influenced by theHc2anisotropy (and therefore by multi-band effects) as well as the extended planar and columnar defects present in the sample.