bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Ra isotopes to deduce rapid transfer of sediment-derived inputs off Kerguelen
Authors: Sanial V. , van Beek P. , Lansard B. , Souhaut M. , Kestenare E. , d'Ovidio F. , Zhou M. , Blain S.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. The Southern Ocean is known as the largest High-Nutrient, Low-Chlorophyll (HNLC) region of the global ocean due to iron limitation. However, a large phytoplankton bloom develops annually downstream of the Kerguelen Islands, which is sustained partly by iron released from the sediments deposited onto the margins. In the framework of the KEOPS-2 project, we used radium isotopes (224Ra, T1/2 = 3.66 d; 223Ra, T1/2 = 11.4 d; 228Ra, T1/2 = 5.75 yr) to provide information on the origin of iron fertilization and on the timescales of the transfer of sediment-derived inputs (including iron and other micronutrients) towards offshore waters. Significant 223Ra and 223Ra activities were found in the near vicinity of the Kerguelen Islands, in agreement with the short half-lives of these isotopes. Significant 224Ra and 223Ra activities were also detected up to 200 km downstream of the islands and more unexpectedly in offshore waters south of the Polar Front. These observations thus clearly indicate (i) that the sediment-derived inputs are rapidly transferred towards offshore waters (on timescales in the order of several days up to several weeks) and (ii) that the Polar Front is not a physical barrier for the chemical elements released from the sediments of Kerguelen Plateau. The Ra dataset suggests that iron and other micronutrients released by the shallow sediments of the Kerguelen margins may contribute to fuel the phytoplankton bloom downstream of the islands, despite the presence of the Polar Front. However, the heterogeneous distribution of the 224Ra and 223Ra activities in surface waters suggests that this supply across the front is not a continuous process, but rather a process that is highly variable in space and time.
Morphology of the Kosi megafan channels
Authors: Gaurav K. , Métivier F. , Devauchelle O. , Sinha R. , Chauvet H. , Houssais M. , Bouquerel H.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. We study the morphology of streams flowing on the alluvial megafan of the Kosi River in north Bihar, India. All streams develop on a uniform sandy sediment and under a similar climate, allowing for statistically significant comparisons. Our data set includes both channels from the braid of the Kosi River and channels from isolated single-thread rivers. Using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, we measure the width, depth and water discharge of the channels. Their average slope is also acquired with a kinematic GPS. These morphological characteristics are strongly correlated with the discharge. However, rescaling the data according to the threshold channel theory removes most of this dependency. The rescaled data suggest that the threads of the Kosi River braid are morphologically similar to isolated channels.
Hydroclimatic regimes: a distributed water-balance framework for hydrologic assessment, classification, and management
Authors: Weiskel P. K. , Wolock D. M. , Zarriello P. J. , Vogel R. M. , Levin S. B. , Lent R. M.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Runoff-based indicators of terrestrial water availability are appropriate for humid regions, but have tended to limit our basic hydrologic understanding of drylands – the dry-subhumid, semiarid, and arid regions which presently cover nearly half of the global land surface. In response, we introduce an indicator framework that gives equal weight to humid and dryland regions, accounting fully for both vertical (precipitation + evapotranspiration) and horizontal (groundwater + surface-water) components of the hydrologic cycle in any given location – as well as fluxes into and out of landscape storage. We apply the framework to a diverse hydroclimatic region (the conterminous USA) using a distributed water-balance model consisting of 53 400 networked landscape hydrologic units. Our model simulations indicate that about 21% of the conterminous USA either generated no runoff or consumed runoff from upgradient sources on a mean-annual basis during the 20th century. Vertical fluxes exceeded horizontal fluxes across 76% of the conterminous area. Long-term-average total water availability (TWA) during the 20th century, defined here as the total influx to a landscape hydrologic unit from precipitation, groundwater, and surface water, varied spatially by about 400 000-fold, a range of variation ~100 times larger than that for mean-annual runoff across the same area. The framework includes but is not limited to classical, runoff-based approaches to water-resource assessment. It also incorporates and reinterprets the green- and blue-water perspective now gaining international acceptance. Implications of the new framework for several areas of contemporary hydrology are explored, and the data requirements of the approach are discussed in relation to the increasing availability of gridded global climate, land-surface, and hydrologic data sets.
The use of taxation records in assessing historical floods in South Moravia, Czech Republic
Authors: Brázdil R. , Chromá K. , Řezníčková L. , Valášek H. , Dolák L. , Stachoň Z. , Soukalová E. , Dobrovolný P.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Since the second half of the 17th century, tax relief has been available to farmers and landowners to offset flood damage to property (buildings) and land (fields, meadows, pastures, gardens) in South Moravia, Czech Republic. Historically, the written applications for this were supported by a relatively efficient bureaucratic process that left a clear data trail of documentation, preserved at several levels: in the communities affected, in regional offices, and in the Moravian Land Office, all of which are to be found in estate and family collections in the Moravian Land Archives in the city of Brno, the provincial capital. As well as detailed information about damage done and administrative responses to it, data are often preserved as to the flood event itself, the time of its occurrence and its impacts, sometimes together with causes and stages. The final flood database based on taxation records is used here to describe the temporal and spatial density of both flood events and the records themselves. The information derived is used to help create long-term flood chronologies for the rivers Dyje, Jihlava, Svratka and Morava, combining floods interpreted from taxation records with other documentary data and floods derived from later systematic hydrological measurements (water levels, discharges). Common periods of higher flood frequency appear largely in the periods 1821–1850 and 1921–1950, although this shifts to several other decades for individual rivers. A number of uncertainties are inseparable from flood data taxation records: their spatial and temporal incompleteness; the inevitable limitation to larger-scale damage and restriction to the summer half-year; and the different characters of rivers, including land-use changes and channel modifications. Taxation data have considerable potential for extending our knowledge of past floods for the rest of the Czech Republic, not to mention other European countries in which records have survived.
Meteorological effects in the lower ionosphere as based on VLF/LF signal observations
Authors: Rozhnoi A. , Solovieva M. , Levin B. , Hayakawa M. , Fedun V.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Very low and low frequency (VLF/LF) data recorded in the Far Eastern stations Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (158.92° E, 53.15° N), Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (142.75° E, 46.95° N) and Yuzhno-Kurilsk (145.861° E, 44.03° N) are investigated to study the meteorological effects in the lower ionosphere. The results demonstrate the sensitivity of the VLF/LF signals to the variations of atmospheric pressure, humidity, wind velocity and temperature, and the VLF/LF record at the station of Yuzhno-Kurilsk is found to be most sensitive to those variations of atmospheric parameters. The region under consideration is characterized by high winter cyclonic activity in mid-latitudes and strong summer and autumn typhoon activity in low latitudes. VLF/LF signal variations during eight tropical cyclones (TCs) with different intensity are considered. Negative nighttime anomalies in the signal amplitude that are most probably caused by TC activity are found for six events. Those anomalies are observed during 1–2 days when TCs move inside the sensitivity zones of the subionospheric paths. Perturbations of the VLF signal observed during two TCs can be caused by both the TC influence and seismic activity, but no correlation between TC intensity and magnitude of the signal anomalies is found. Spectral analysis of the typhoon-induced disturbed signals revealed the fluctuations with time periods in the range of 7–16 and 15–55 min that corresponds to the range of internal gravity waves periods.
Geological and geophysical characterization of the south-eastern side of the High Agri Valley (southern Apennines, Italy)
Authors: Giocoli A. , Stabile T. A. , Adurno I. , Perrone A. , Gallipoli M. R. , Gueguen E. , Norelli E. , Piscitelli S.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. In the frame of a national project funded by Eni S.p.A. and developed by three institutes of the National Research Council (the Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis, the Institute of Research for Hydrogeological Protection and the Institute for Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment), a multidisciplinary approach based on the integration of satellite, aero-photogrammetric and in situ geophysical techniques was applied to investigate an area located in the Montemurro territory in the south-eastern sector of the High Agri Valley (Basilicata Region, southern Italy). This paper reports the results of the in situ geophysical investigation. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) by earthquakes and ambient noise measurements were carried out in the study area. The results were supported by interpretation of aerial photos, geological field surveys, morphotectonic investigation and borehole data. The joint analysis of geological, ERT and HVSR data allowed us to (1) show the shallow geological and structural setting, (2) detect the geometry of the different lithological units and their mechanical and dynamical properties, (3) image a previously unmapped fault beneath suspected scarps/warps and (4) characterize the geometry of an active landslide that caused damages to structures and infrastructures.
The impact of ice layers on gas transport through firn at the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) site, Greenland
Authors: Keegan K. , Albert M. R. , Baker I.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Typically, gas transport through firn is modeled in the context of an idealized firn column. However, in natural firn, imperfections are present, which can alter transport dynamics and therefore reduce the accuracy of reconstructed climate records. For example, ice layers have been found in several firn cores collected in the polar regions. Here, we examined the effects of two ice layers found in a NEEM, Greenland firn core on gas transport through the firn. These ice layers were found to have permeability values of 3.0 and 4.0 × 10−10 m2, and are therefore not impermeable layers. However, the shallower ice layer was found to be significantly less permeable than the surrounding firn, and can therefore retard gas transport. Large closed bubbles were found in the deeper ice layer, which will have an altered gas composition than that expected because they were closed near the surface after the water phase was present. The bubbles in this layer represent 12% of the expected closed porosity of this firn layer after the firn-ice transition depth is reached, and will therefore bias the future ice core gas record. The permeability and thickness of the ice layers at the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) site suggest that they do not disrupt the firn-air concentration profiles and that they do not need to be accounted for in gas transport models at NEEM.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the Right to Privacy in the Digital Age
Authors: Chander Anupam , Land Molly
Published: October 2014

Although it provides limited normative guidance, the General Assembly’s recent resolution, “The right to privacy in the digital age,” signals both renewed international interest in the human right to privacy as well as a commitment by United Nations (UN) institutions to explore the meaning of this right in the digital age.
Federico García Lorca and Pablo Neruda's Odes to Walt Whitman:
Authors: Rumeau Delphine
Published: October 2014

This article investigates the relation between two poems titled “Oda a Walt Whitman,” one by Federico García Lorca (Poeta en Nueva York), the other by Pablo Neruda (Nuevas odas elementales). Both odes pay a tribute to Whitman, but also deviate from eulogy and provide a frame for a very critical depiction of contemporary America, thus mixing praise and disparagement. García Lorca and Neruda both appropriate Whitman's poetry, though they differ in the use they make of it. Furthermore, these odes should really be read as an ensemble by two poets who were once very close. The first time they met in 1933, they improvised a two-voiced speech, a “discurso al alimón,” in honor of Rubén Darío—who incidentally happens to have written a sonnet on Whitman. Neruda's “Oda a Walt Whitman” is not only an address to Whitman but also a response to García Lorca, a “poem al alimón,” so to speak. The odes really are a contrapuntal composition, since the voice of Darío echoes in the distance. Whitman is thus not only the addressee of the odes, but also a great mediator enabling García Lorca and Neruda's dialogue.
CONTRIBUIÇÕES PARA A PROPOSTA DE UMA POLÍTICA MUNICIPAL DE PAGAMENTO POR SERVIÇOS AMBIENTAIS: O CASO DE BOTUCATU/SP
Authors: Leal Mariana Santos , Ribas Luiz César
Published: October 2014

Serviços Ambientais são os serviços prestados pelos ecossistemas que contribuem para a sustentação da vida e a manutenção do meio ambiente, e os Pagamentos por Serviços Ambientais (PSA) são mecanismos de remuneração aos prestadores de serviços ambientais por parte daqueles que se beneficiam dos mesmos. Botucatu é um município do estado de São Paulo com um grande potencial para implantação de PSA e sem atividades na área. Portanto, devido a essa demanda, por meio de um estudo comparativo de projetos de PSA, nas escalas federal e estadual, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo a análise, a seleção e a proposição de critérios, contribuindo assim com a criação de uma proposta de política de PSA para o município de Botucatu.Palavras-chave: Recursos hídricos; projeto produtor de água; projeto mina d’água. AbstractContributions to a municipal policy proposal for environmental services payment: the case of Botucatu/SP. Environmental services are the ones done by the nature, that supports both the life and the environment. Payments for Environmental Services (PES) are financial transfers by beneficiaries of environmental services for the ones who provide such services due to conservation practices. Botucatu is a city in São Paulo State with a great potential for PES. Therefore, this paper develops a comparative study of PES projects in Federal and State ranges, aiming to analyze, select and propose criteria in order to contribute to the creation of a PES policy for the city.Keywords: Water resources; water producer project; headwater project.
CRESCIMENTO DA CANDEIA PELA ADUBAÇÃO MINERAL E ORGÂNICA EM REJEITO DA MINERAÇÃO DE QUARTZITO
Authors: Amaral Cristiany Silva , Silva Enilson De Barros , Pereira Israel Marinho , Nardis Bárbara Olinda , Gonçalves Neubert Homem
Published: October 2014

A mineração tem promovido um grande aumento na ocorrência de áreas degradadas advindas de atividades mineradoras no Brasil. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o crescimento da candeia sob a influência da adubação mineral e orgânica quando cultivada em rejeito da mineração de quartzito. Conduziu-se um experimento em casa de vegetação em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de cinco combinações de adubação orgânica (AO) e mineral (AM) e um tratamento adicional do rejeito sem AO e AM (Controle). As combinações foram: 0%AO/100%AM; 25%AO/75%AM; 50%AO/50%AM; 75%AO/25%AM; 100%AO/0%AM. As doses de 100% de AM e AO foram de 0,15 gde N, 0,32 gde P2O5, 0,18 g de K2O e 5 g de esterco de curral por dm³ de rejeito. A candeia respondeu positivamente à adubação mineral e orgânica com as doses recomendadas de 0,075 g N, 0,16 g P2O5 e 0,09 g K2O e 2,5 g de esterco de curral, por dm3 de rejeito da mineração de quartzito. O acúmulo de nutrientes na espécie candeia foi na seguinte ordem na parte aérea: K > N > P > Ca > Mg >S > Mn > Fe > B > Zn > Cu.Palavras-chave: Área degradada; teor adequado; estado nutricional; espécie nativa. AbstractGrowth of Eremanthus erythropappus by mineral and organic fertilization on mining reject of quartzite. There is a large increase of degraded areas as result of mining activities in Brazil. This research aims to evaluate growth of the Eremanthus erythropappus on mining reject of quartzite, under the influence of mineral and organic fertilizer. We developed an experiment in a greenhouse, in completely randomized design with four replications. The treatments consisted of five combinations of mineral (MF) and organic (OF) fertilizer, and an additional treatment of mining reject without MF and OF (witness). The combinations were as follows: 0%OF/100%MF; 25%OF/75%MF; 50%OF/50%MF; 75%OF/25%MF; 100%OF/0% MF. Doses of 100% MF and OF were: 0,15 g of N, 0,32 g of P2O5, 0,18 g of K2O, and 5 g of bovine manure per dm³ of mining rejects. The Eremanthus erythropappus responded to mineral fertilization with recommended doses of 0,075 g N, 0,16 g P2O5 and 0,09 g K2O and 2,5 g of bovine manure per dm³ of mining reject of quartzite. The accumulation of nutrients in the species Eremanthus erythropappus on the shoot was as follows: K > N > P > Ca > Mg >S > Mn > Fe > B > Zn > Cu.Keywords: Degraded area; nutritional status; nutrients accumulation; native species.
Quality Assurance in Africa: Towards a Continental Higher Education and Research Space
Authors: Shabani Juma , Okebukola Peter , Oyewole Olusola
Published: October 2014

This article is a critical review of quality assurance in higher education in Africa with the purpose of identifying recent results, challenges still to be faced, and actions required to forcefully move towards the construction of an African higher education and research space (AHERS). The article identifies factors responsible for the decline in quality and proposes an integrated and holistic conceptual framework for analysing quality assurance. It reviews the various initiatives implemented in recent years and identifies, among the results, the establishment of new quality assurance agencies, the creation of a regional quality assurance system in East Africa, the strengthening of institutional development capacities, and capacity building in competencies-based curriculum reform. Challenges include the limited human capacity of quality assurance agencies, ineffectiveness in implementing harmonisation strategies, and the lack of tools required to compare qualifications. The article concludes with recommendations on promoting student and staff mobility to help realise the creation of AHERS. Cet article est une critique de l’assurance qualité de l’enseignement supérieur en Afrique. Il a pour objectif d’identifier les récentes études, les défis à relever, et les actions nécessaires pour provoquer la création d’un Espace Africain pour l’Enseignement Supérieur et la Recherche (AHERS). Cet article identifie les facteurs à l’origine du déclin de la qualité et propose un cadre théorique holistique complet pour analyser l’assurance qualité. Il critique les différentes initiatives mises en place ces dernières années et s’attarde plus spécifiquement sur la fondation de nouvelles agences chargées de l’assurance qualité, la création d’un système régional d’assurance qualité en Afrique de l’Est, le renforcement des capacités de développement des institutions, et le développement des capacités nécessaires pour établir une réforme des programmes axée sur les compétences. La capacité humaine limitée des agences d’assurance qualité, l’inefficacité quant à l’implémentation des stratégies d’harmonisation et le manque d’outils pour comparer les diplômes font partie des difficultés majeures. Nous terminons cet article en encourageant la mobilité des étudiants et des professeurs pour provoquer la création d’un Espace Africain pour l’Enseignement Supérieur et la Recherche.
slew
Authors: Conroy Kevin
Published: October 2014

A look at the word 'slew'.
Les mutations juridiques de la famille en France
Authors: Ouedraogo Richard
Published: October 2014

La législation française en matière familiale est en pleine ébullition depuis quelques mois. Le changement de majorité parlementaire, intervenu en mai 2012, accélère la cadence des réformes : ouverture du mariage aux couples de personnes de même sexe, suppression du contrat de responsabilité parentale, expérimentation de la médiation familiale dans les conflits portant sur l’exercice de l’autorité parentale, projet de révision du quotient familial pour l’octroi des allocations aux familles les moins aisées, etc. Puisque le temps de l’action politique en vue de la réalisation des promesses électorales ne laisse pas forcément de place à celui de la réflexion doctrinale, on constate que la doctrine semble dépassée, à l’heure actuelle, par ce rythme effréné de la production normative. Or, la famille comme objet « politique », au sens le plus noble, est aussi une institution juridique. Elle a donc vocation, avant toute réforme législative, à être placée au centre de la « discussion » des juristes, pour une mise au point critique des enjeux théoriques et pratiques. La présente analyse se propose par conséquent de dresser un état des lieux (non exhaustif) d’une institution qui a, depuis 40 ans, été appropriée, voire instrumentalisée par le ou les politiques, qui ont parfois ignoré les mises en garde de la doctrine sur certaines incohérences constatées ça et là dans notre droit du couple, ainsi que dans les mutations sociologiques en matière de filiation et d’autorité parentale.
The future of Managed Aquifer Recharge in Italy: the European FPVII MARSOL Project and the European Innovation Partnership on Water Mar to Market
Authors: Rossetto Rudy , Bonari Enrico
Published: October 2014

Water scarcity, especially in the Mediterranean rim, poses the relevant issue of water saving in human activities and of finding new sources of water, also for agro-ecosystem maintenance. Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques constitute a promising solution to the above-mentioned issue. In this contribution, we discuss the state of MAR application in Italy also in relation to some projects co-funded by the European Union. Some ideas for the large scale application of these techniques for non-conventional water use are presented.
Groundwater conservation and monitoring activities in the middle Brenta River plain (Veneto Region, Northern Italy): preliminary results about aquifer recharge
Authors: Sottani Andrea , Vielmo Alberto
Published: October 2014

In the middle Brenta River plain there is a unconfined aquifer that represents an important groundwater resource in Veneto region. In this area the main groundwater recharge factor is related to the stream seepage: the water dispersion from the Brenta river is active with variable intensity from the foothill to the alignment Nove di Bassano - Cartigliano (Province of Vicenza). In order to mitigate the expected groundwater effects, due to future important waterworks withdrawals provided by the regional water resources management plans, an experimental project of Managed Aquifer Recharge has started, by means of the realization of some river transversal ramps. The construction of pilot works, partially completed, were preceded by a specific hydrogeological monitoring program, aimed to the evaluation of the effectiveness of the MAR actions in terms of comparison between pre-and post-operam conditions. Thanks to the development of a site-specific methodology, aimed to the quantification of the artificial infiltration rate, and after some years of monitoring controls of the hydrological and hydrogeological regimes, it is now possible to evaluate the extent and the rate of the recharge effects in groundwater due to ramps realization. The monitoring plan will be continued in the medium-long term. Some innovative approaches, based for example on the use of groundwater temperature measurements as recharge tracer, will help to validate the preliminary results.
A preliminary assessment of the Normative Framework regulating MAR schemes in Europe: the EU Directives and their Implementation in nine National Legislations
Authors: Bonfanti Matteo E. , Capone Francesca
Published: October 2014

The use of MAR schemes within the European Union is not a new phenomenon, on the contrary it dates back to the beginning of the XIX century. Despite being widely adopted and currently the object of extensive studies, this tool is not soundly regulated and so far very little research has been conducted on the normative framework regulating MAR at the regional and at the national level. This paper draws upon the findings of a Report which represents one of the deliverables identified by MARSOL, a EU FP7 project launched in December 2013 that aims at demonstrating that MAR shall be regarded as a viable approach to address the predicted water shortages over the long term. Through a survey which involved a number of national experts, the researchers involved in the drafting of the Report have collected relevant data concerning the national legal frameworks of nine EU countries that adopt MAR schemes. The results of the questionnaire have been processed using a qualitative and comparative approach and have been duly included in the legal analysis, which covers the implementation at the national level of the two EU Directives relevant for MAR Schemes, i.e. the Water Framework Directive and its “daughter”, the Groundwater Directive. This paper shall be considered as the outcome of a preliminary investigation which covered only a limited number of European countries, it is expected that the research will be carried out as to include a larger number of EU Member States (MSs), alongside the most relevant extra EU countries.
Forested infiltration areas (FIA); principles, experiences, perspectives
Authors: Mezzalira G. , Niceforo U. , Gusmaroli G.
Published: October 2014

This paper illustrates the origin and the main features of a Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) measure known as Forested Infiltration Area (FIA), conceived by Veneto Agricoltura in 2007 and currently implemented at 7 pilot sites over the Vicenza Upper Plain in the Veneto region, with the financial and technical support of several public and private partners. In particular the outputs of the first recharge season (2013-2014) of two demonstrative FIA are presented and discussed (plants realized in 2013 by Consorzio di Bonifica Brenta within the framework of the Life Project AQUOR). The main peculiarities of the FIA measures are the multifunctionality guaranteed by the integration of hydraulic and biologic aspects, the high environmental compatibility and the friendly design and management.
Imagens do pai no cinema: clínica da cultura contemporânea
Authors: Fatini João Angelo
Published: October 2014

Neste livro o psicanalista João Angelo Fantini discute questões como a violência, a transgressão e os sintomas encontrados na clínica atual, tendo como pano de fundo as formas como a figura do pai é encenada em diversas produções cinematográficas nesta passagem e início de século, especialmente aquelas que obtiveram grande público, como Matrix, Clube da Luta, Beleza Americana, Central do Brasil, De olhos bem fechados, entre outras. Partindo de Freud e Lacan, o autor realiza uma clínica da cultura, interligando imagens e conceitos em um percurso que aborda desde as origens históricas do lugar do pai na cultura até as questões contemporâneas do ciberespaço, abrindo novas perspectivas para entender os dilemas da constituição do sujeito em um mundo regido pelo império imagético. Destinada aos interessados em cinema, mídias e na cultura em geral, esta obra foi escrita não apenas para os iniciados em psicanálise, mas para todos os leitores que não podem prescindir de um estudo aberto sobre as sociedades do nosso tempo.
Allosteric signalling in the outer membrane translocation domain of PapC usher
Authors: Farabella Irene , Pham Thieng , Henderson Nadine S , Geibel Sebastian , Phan Gilles , Thanassi David G , Delcour Anne H , Waksman Gabriel , Topf Maya
Published: October 2014

PapC ushers are outer-membrane proteins enabling assembly and secretion of P pili in uropathogenic E. coli. Their translocation domain is a large β-barrel occluded by a plug domain, which is displaced to allow the translocation of pilus subunits across the membrane. Previous studies suggested that this gating mechanism is controlled by a β-hairpin and an α-helix. To investigate the role of these elements in allosteric signal communication, we developed a method combining evolutionary and molecular dynamics studies of the native translocation domain and mutants lacking the β-hairpin and/or the α-helix. Analysis of a hybrid residue interaction network suggests distinct regions (residue ‘communities’) within the translocation domain (especially around β12–β14) linking these elements, thereby modulating PapC gating. Antibiotic sensitivity and electrophysiology experiments on a set of alanine-substitution mutants confirmed functional roles for four of these communities. This study illuminates the gating mechanism of PapC ushers and its importance in maintaining outer-membrane permeability.
Identification of human TERT elements necessary for telomerase recruitment to telomeres
Authors: Schmidt Jens C , Dalby Andrew B , Cech Thomas R
Published: October 2014

Human chromosomes terminate in telomeres, repetitive DNA sequences bound by the shelterin complex. Shelterin protects chromosome ends, prevents recognition by the DNA damage machinery, and recruits telomerase. A patch of amino acids, termed the TEL-patch, on the OB-fold domain of the shelterin component TPP1 is essential to recruit telomerase to telomeres. In contrast, the site on telomerase that interacts with the TPP1 OB-fold is not well defined. In this study, we identify separation-of-function mutations in the TEN-domain of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) that disrupt the interaction of telomerase with TPP1 in vivo and in vitro but have very little effect on the catalytic activity of telomerase. Suppression of a TEN-domain mutation with a compensatory charge-swap mutation in the TEL-patch indicates that their association is direct. Our findings define the interaction interface required for telomerase recruitment to telomeres, an important step towards developing modulators of this interaction as therapeutics for human disease.
Smads as muscle biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Si Ying , Cui Xianqin , Kim Soojin , Wians Robert , Sorge Robert , Oh Shin J. , Kwan Thaddeus , AlSharabati Mohammad , Lu Liang , Claussen Gwen , Anderson Tina , Yu Shaohua , Morgan Dylan , Kazamel Mohamed , King Peter H.
Published: October 2014

Objective

To identify molecular signatures in muscle from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that could provide insight into the disease process and serve as biomarkers.

Methods

RNA sequencing was performed on ALS and control muscle samples to identify Smad family members as potential markers of disease. Validation studies were performed in a cohort of 27 ALS patients and 33 controls. The markers were assessed in the G93A superoxide dismutase (SOD)1 mouse at different stages of disease and in a model of sciatic nerve injury.

Results

Smad8, and to a lesser extent Smad1 and 5, mRNAs were significantly elevated in human ALS muscle samples. The markers displayed a remarkably similar pattern in the G93A SOD1 mouse model of ALS with increases detected at preclinical stages. Expression at the RNA and protein levels as well as protein activation (phosphorylation) significantly increased with disease progression in the mouse. The markers were also elevated to a lesser degree in gastrocnemius muscle following sciatic nerve injury, but then reverted to baseline during the muscle reinnervation phase.

Interpretation

These data indicate that Smad1, 5, 8 mRNA and protein levels, as well as Smad phosphorylation, are elevated in ALS muscle and could potentially serve as markers of disease progression or regression.
Adaptive sliding mode observer design for a class of uncertain systems
Authors: Liu Wen‐Jeng
Published: October 2014

State feedback method is quite popular in control engineering field. However, some popular properties of state feedback approach cannot be used while any of the system states cannot be obtained beforehand. Therefore, this paper proposes a new observer design for a class of uncertain systems through sliding mode control theory. Based on strictly positive real concept, the stability of the equivalent error system is verified. Further, by using the generalized matrix inverse approach, the proposed switching term can drive the error states to zero, and it ensures the global reaching condition of the sliding mode of the error system. Moreover, the presented sliding mode observer is proposed to possess the invariance property to the uncertainty and/or external disturbance. Furthermore, the developed sliding mode observer is extended to release the limitation of knowing the bounds of the lumped perturbations in advance. That is, not only a new sliding mode observer but also a new adaptive sliding mode observer is proposed in this paper. Finally, three examples are illustrated to demonstrate the validity of the proposed sliding mode observer and the proposed adaptive sliding mode observer. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tailoring Electron‐Transfer Barriers for Zinc Oxide/C60 Fullerene Interfaces
Authors: Schulz Philip , Kelly Leah L. , Winget Paul , Li Hong , Kim Hyungchul , Ndione Paul F. , Sigdel Ajaya K. , Berry Joseph J. , Graham Samuel , Brédas Jean‐Luc , Kahn Antoine , Monti Oliver L. A.
Published: October 2014

The interfacial electronic structure between oxide thin films and organic semiconductors remains a key parameter for optimum functionality and performance of next‐generation organic/hybrid electronics. By tailoring defect concentrations in transparent conductive ZnO films, we demonstrate the importance of controlling the electron transfer barrier at the interface with organic acceptor molecules such as C60. A combination of electron spectroscopy, density functional theory computations, and device characterization is used to determine band alignment and electron injection barriers. Extensive experimental and first principles calculations reveal the controllable formation of hybridized interface states and charge transfer between shallow donor defects in the oxide layer and the molecular adsorbate. Importantly, it is shown that removal of shallow donor intragap states causes a larger barrier for electron injection. Thus, hybrid interface states constitute an important gateway for nearly barrier‐free charge carrier injection. These findings open new avenues to understand and tailor interfaces between organic semiconductors and transparent oxides, of critical importance for novel optoelectronic devices and applications in energy‐conversion and sensor technologies.
Jojoba oil biorefinery using a green catalyst. Part I: Simulation of the process
Authors: Sánchez Marcos , Marchetti Jorge M. , Boulifi Noureddin El , Martínez Mercedes , Aracil José
Published: October 2014

In this paper, the concept of a biorefinery is focused on the use of jojoba oil together with a catalyst produced from waste derived from the fish industry to obtain jojobyl alcohols as a main product and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) as co‐product. The overall process is divided into three steps: a transesterification step, crystallization step, and a purification step. For the study of this process, two different simulation softwares were used to run the mass and energy balances. In addition, the main properties of transesterified jojoba oil, jojobyl alcohols, and FAME were also determined. On one hand, the jojobyl alcohols (11‐eicosenol, 13‐docosenol, and 15‐tetracosenol), which are obtained through two‐step crystallizations, have many pharmaceutical applications and a high added value as a main product. From these results, it is concluded that the FAME obtained as a co‐product during the process is not suitable to be sold as biodiesel, but it might be used in the biorefinery to produce electricity, making the overall process energy more efficient. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
A novel system of galangin–potassium permanganate–polyphosphoric acid for the determination of tryptophan and its chemiluminescence mechanism
Authors: Li Li , Guo Ruibin , Zhang Dongxia , Du Xinzhen
Published: October 2014

A novel galangin–potassium permanganate (KMnO4)–polyphosphoric acid (PPA) system was found to have an outstanding response to tryptophan (Trp). Trp determination using this KMnO4–PPA system was enhanced significantly in the presence of galangin. A highly sensitive flow‐injection chemiluminescence (CL) method to determine Trp was developed based on the CL reaction of galangin–KMnO4–Trp in PPA media. The presence of galangin, a member of the flavonol class of flavonoid complexes, greatly increased the luminous intensity of Trp in KMnO4–PPA systems. Under optimized conditions, Trp was determined in the 0.05–10 µg/mL range, with a detection limit (3σ) of 5.0 × 10−3 µg/mL. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was 1.0% for 11 replicate determinations of 1.0 µg/mL Trp. Two synthetic samples were determined selectively with recoveries of 98.4–100.1% in the presence of other amino acids. The possible mechanism is summarized as follows: excited states of Mn(II)* and Mn(III * types are the main means of generating chemical luminescent species, and Trp concentration and luminescence intensity have a linear relationship, which enables quantitative analysis. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The M1 Phase of MoVTeNbO as a Catalyst for Olefin Metathesis and Isomerization
Authors: Amakawa Kazuhiko , Kolen'ko Yury V. , Schlögl Robert , Trunschke Annette
Published: October 2014

Polycrystalline MoVTeNb oxide composed of the M1 phase was studied in the transformation of propene at reaction temperatures between 323 and 573 K in the absence of oxygen and water. Surprisingly, the catalyst showed considerable activity in propene metathesis to ethene and 2‐butenes, which was attributed to partial reduction of the catalyst surface under the reaction conditions. The multifunctionality of the M1 phase, which is known as a selective catalyst for the direct oxidation of propane to acrylic acid, was furthermore reflected in the formation of 1‐butene and isobutene owing to C4 isomerization. This study demonstrates the diversity of the M1 phase as a catalyst, which is based on surface dynamics and structural stability, and further improves the understanding of the complex reaction network of short‐chain hydrocarbons over MoVTeNbO M1 catalysts.
Flawed assumptions used to defend screening mammography
Authors: Bleyer Archie , Thomas Charles R. , Baines Cornelia , Miller Anthony B.
Published: October 2014

Exaggerating the current benefit of screening mammography and minimizing its harms are readily accomplished by the application of assumptions based on data one‐quarter to half of a century old, and they are neither reliable for predicting what is happening today nor appropriate for the treatment advances that have happened since. Helvie and colleagues are culpable of this conduct.
Cation‐Coupled Bicarbonate Transporters
Authors: Aalkjaer Christian , Boedtkjer Ebbe , Choi Inyeong , Lee Soojung
Published: October 2014

Cation‐coupled HCO3−transport was initially identified in the mid‐1970s when pioneering studies showed that acid extrusion from cells is stimulated by CO2/HCO3−and associated with Na+and Cl−movement. The first Na+‐coupled bicarbonate transporter (NCBT) was expression‐cloned in the late 1990s. There are currently five mammalian NCBTs in the SLC4‐family: the electrogenic Na,HCO3‐cotransporters NBCe1 and NBCe2 (SLC4A4andSLC4A5gene products); the electroneutral Na,HCO3‐cotransporter NBCn1 (SLC4A7gene product); the Na+‐driven Cl,HCO3‐exchanger NDCBE (SLC4A8gene product); and NBCn2/NCBE (SLC4A10gene product), which has been characterized as an electroneutral Na,HCO3‐cotransporter or a Na+‐driven Cl,HCO3‐exchanger. Despite the similarity in amino acid sequence and predicted structure among the NCBTs of the SLC4‐family, they exhibit distinct differences in ion dependency, transport function, pharmacological properties, and interactions with other proteins. In epithelia, NCBTs are involved in transcellular movement of acid‐base equivalents and intracellular pH control. In nonepithelial tissues, NCBTs contribute to intracellular pH regulation; and hence, they are crucial for diverse tissue functions including neuronal discharge, sensory neuron development, performance of the heart, and vascular tone regulation. The function and expression levels of the NCBTs are generally sensitive to intracellular and systemic pH. Animal models have revealed pathophysiological roles of the transporters in disease states including metabolic acidosis, hypertension, visual defects, and epileptic seizures. Studies are being conducted to understand the physiological consequences of genetic polymorphisms in theSLC4‐members, which are associated with cancer, hypertension, and drug addiction. Here, we describe the current knowledge regarding the function, structure, and regulation of the mammalian cation‐coupled HCO3−transporters of the SLC4‐family. © 2014 American Physiological Society.Compr Physiol4:1605‐1637, 2014.
Provably secure and pairing‐free identity‐based handover authentication protocol for wireless mobile networks
Authors: Islam SK Hafizul , Khan Muhammad Khurram
Published: October 2014

This study presented an efficient design of identity‐based handover authentication protocol for wireless mobile networks under the prime‐order elliptic curve cryptosystem. The present work does not include the time‐consuming and expensive bilinear pairing and map‐to‐point hash functions. The proposed protocol is analyzed in the random oracle model and also demonstrated to have other security properties, including protection against replay attack and denial‐of‐service attack, user anonymity and unlinkability, subscription validation, conditional privacy preservation, and mutual authentication. Our handover authentication protocol is examined to be more efficient from the size of the security parameter and computation costs than the previous protocols. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Non‐Nuclear Attractor in a Molecular Compound under External Pressure
Authors: Wu Lai‐Chin , Jones Cameron , Stasch Andreas , Platts James A. , Overgaard Jacob
Published: October 2014

The dimeric magnesium(I) compound [{(DipNacnac)Mg}2] [1, DipNacnac = (DipNCMe)2CH, Dip = 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl] has previously been shown to exhibit a non‐nuclear attractor (NNA) between the two Mg atoms in the molecular ground state by both experimental and theoretical electron‐density studies. To study the stability and characteristics of this topological entity, we have determined the molecular structure of1in the pressure range from 0.4 to 1.9 GPa by high‐pressure single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The central Mg–Mg bond contracts significantly in this range to 97 % of the value at ambient pressure and a temperature of 100 K. High‐level single‐point theoretical calculations with the resulting atomic coordinates show that the NNA is persistently present in the topology at all pressures and that the difference between the value of the electron density at the NNA and the Mg–NNA bond critical point (bcp) is close to a maximum at the Mg–Mg separation that is found experimentally.
Zirconocene Complexes as Catalysts for the Cycloaddition of CO2 to Propylene Oxide
Authors: Kim So Han , Ahn Duseong , Kang Yi Young , Kim Min , Lee Ki‐Soo , Lee Junseong , Park Myung Hwan , Kim Youngjo
Published: October 2014

Six zirconocene derivatives were systematically designed; one of the cyclopentadienyl (Cp) ligands of zirconocene dichloride [Cp2ZrCl2] was silylated and this group was then incrementally increased in size; furthermore, one derivative with a 4,4′‐disilylbiphenyl bridge between the two zirconocene fragments was prepared. One zirconium complex was characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. All zirconium complexes were effective catalysts for the cycloaddition of CO2 to propylene oxide. Two complexes containing a biphenyl group attached to a SiMe2 group showed higher activity than the other complexes. In addition, the dinuclear complex containing the biphenylenebis(dimethylsilyl) bridge showed the highest activity among all the zirconium complexes reported. Furthermore, these complexes are the first examples of zirconocene catalytic systems for the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 to propylene oxide.
Tunnel spoil – New technologies on the way from waste to raw material / Tunnelausbruch – Neue Technologien für den Weg vom Abfall zum Rohstoff
Authors: Erben Hartmut , Galler Robert
Published: October 2014

Considering the increasing shortage of resources, the reuse of material excavated from tunnels is the order of the day, which is being followed by clients, consultants and contractors as well as lawmakers. In addition to the creation of a legal situation to enable efficient and unbureaucratic reuse, further technical developments are also required in relation to material analysis to enable an immediate characterisation of the material at the face according to the decisive parameters for reuse. The linking of these results with a raw material database, in which the results of the material analyses are stored, represents a step towards modern, web‐based handling of mineral raw materials.

Die Wiederverwertung von Tunnelausbruchmaterial ist in Anbetracht zunehmender Rohstoffverknappung ein Gebot der Stunde, das es sowohl von Auftraggebern, Planern und Baufirmen als auch dem Gesetzgeber selbst zu verfolgen gilt. Neben der Schaffung einer rechtlichen Situation, die eine effiziente und unbürokratische Verwertung ermöglicht, sind auch technische Weiterentwicklungen in Bezug auf eine Materialanalyse gefordert, die eine Charakterisierung des Ausbruchmaterials sofort am Anfallort nach den für eine Verwertung entscheidenden Parametern ermöglicht. Die Verknüpfung dieser Resultate mit einer Rohmaterialdatenbank, die mit den Ergebnissen der Materialanalyse gespeist wird, stellt den Schritt zu einem modernen, webbasierten Handel mit mineralischen Rohstoffen dar.