bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alcohol misuse in bipolar disorder. A systematic review and meta-analysis of comorbidity rates
Authors: Di Florio A. , Craddock N. , van den Bree M.
Published: September 2013

Aims:

To assess the comorbidity rates of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in bipolar disorder (BD) and to explore possible sources of heterogeneity.

Methods:

Studies were identified through database searches. Meta-analytic techniques were employed to aggregate data on lifetime comorbidity and to explore possible sources of heterogeneity. Funnel plots were used to detect publication bias.

Results:

In clinical studies, AUDs affected more than one in three subjects with BD. Significant heterogeneity was found, which was largely explained by the geographical location of study populations and gender ratio of participants. AUDs affected more than one in five women and two in five men.

Conclusion:

AUDs are highly prevalent in BD. Our study revealed a substantial heterogeneity across studies. Further research including control groups is needed. Patients with BD should be assessed for current and previous AUDs.
Determination of topological structure of ARL6ip1 in cells: Identification of the essential binding region of ARL6ip1 for conophylline
Authors: Kuroda Masahiro , Funasaki Shintaro , Saitoh Tsuyoshi , Sasazawa Yukiko , Nishiyama Shigeru , Umezawa Kazuo , Simizu Siro
Published: September 2013

Conophylline (CNP) has various biological activities, such as insulin production. A recent study identified ADP‐ribosylation factor‐like 6‐interacting protein 1 (ARL6ip1) as a direct target protein of CNP. In this study, we revealed that ARL6ip1 is a three‐spanning transmembrane protein and determined the CNP‐binding domain of ARL6ip1 by deletion mutation analysis of ARL6ip1 with biotinyl‐amino‐CNP. These results suggest that CNP is expected to be useful for future investigation of ARL6ip1 function in cells. Because of the anti‐apoptotic function of ARL6ip1, CNP may be an effective therapeutic drug and/or a novel chemosensitizer for human cancers and other diseases.
Arabidopsis cysteine proteinase inhibitor AtCYSb interacts with a Ca2+‐dependent nuclease, AtCaN2
Authors: Guo Kunyuan , Bu Yuanyuan , Takano Tetsuo , Liu Shenkui , Zhang Xinxin
Published: September 2013

AtCYSb
physically interacts with
AtCaN2
by two hybrid (View interaction)
Hamburg Center for Health Economics
Authors: Schreyögg Jonas , Mitglieder des Hamburg Center for Health Economics
Published: September 2013

Einleitung

Die Universität Hamburg und das Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) gründeten 2010 das Hamburg Center for Health Economics (HCHE). Ziel ist die Anwendung und Weiterentwicklung von empirischen und theoretischen Methoden der Gesundheitsökonomie. Das Zentrum besteht aus sechs gesundheitsökonomischen Lehrstühlen, zwei Juniorprofessuren und zwei Nachwuchsgruppen. Für den weiteren Ausbau erhält das HCHE als eines von vier gesundheitsökonomischen Zentren in Deutschland eine Förderung des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF).
Training tomorrow's laryngologists – head and neck training alone is not sufficient
Authors: De Zoysa N , Amin N , Harries M
Published: September 2013

Background:

Diagnostic ability is essential in laryngology. The UK Higher Surgical Training syllabus includes competencies specific to laryngology. This study aimed to identify the factors in training that lead to a consultant level of laryngology-related diagnostic ability.

Method:

An online test of training experience was constructed using laryngoscopy videos obtained from a specialist UK voice clinic. Participation was aimed at both trainees and trainers via invitation through national ENT forums.

Results:

There were 51 complete responses. Trainees with six months of laryngology experience scored significantly higher than those without this experience (p < 0.001). There was no improvement in score demonstrated for those with head and neck specialty experience without laryngology experience. Trainees who had completed 12 months of laryngology, or 6 months of laryngology coupled with 12 months of head and neck training, scored similarly to their consultant trainers.

Conclusion:

It is recommended that all trainees have at least six months of experience in a specialist voice or laryngology placement prior to gaining the Certificate of Completion of Training.
An epidemiological investigation ofCampylobacterin pig and poultry farms in the Mekong delta of Vietnam
Authors: CARRIQUE-MAS J. J. , BRYANT J. E. , CUONG N. V. , HOANG N. V. M. , CAMPBELL J. , HOANG N. V. , DUNG T. T. N. , DUY D.T. , HOA N. T. , THOMPSON C. , HIEN V. V. , PHAT V. V. , FARRAR J. , BAKER S.
Published: September 2013

Campylobacterare zoonotic pathogens commonly associated with gastroenteritis. To assess the relevance ofCampylobacterin Vietnam, an economically transitioning country in SE Asia, we conducted a survey of 343 pig and poultry farms in the Mekong delta, a region characterized by mixed species farming with limited biosecurity. The animal-level prevalence ofCampylobacterwas 31·9%, 23·9% and 53·7% for chickens, ducks and pigs, respectively.C. jejuniwas predominant in all three host species, with the highest prevalence in pigs in high-density production areas.Campylobacterisolates demonstrated high levels of antimicrobial resistance (21% and 100% resistance against ciprofloxacin and erythromycin, respectively). Multilocus sequence type genotyping showed a high level of genetic diversity withinC. jejuni, and predictedC. coliinter-species transmission. We suggest that on-going intensification of animal production systems, limited biosecurity, and increased urbanization in Vietnam is likely to result inCampylobacterbecoming an increasingly significant cause of human diarrhoeal infections in coming years.
Are the children and adolescents with congenital heart disease living in Southwestern Ontario really overweight and obese?
Authors: Welisch Eva , Rauch Ralf , Seabrook Jamie A. , Filler MA Guido , Norozi Kambiz
Published: September 2013

Objective

To assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children with congenital heart disease and compare them with age-matched healthy children in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.

Methods

We compared the Center of Disease Control weight and body mass index z-scores of 1080 children, aged 2 to 18 years, who presented to our paediatric cardiology outpatient clinic from 2008 to 2010 for congenital heart disease with 1083 healthy controls.

Results

In all, 18.2% of the children with congenital heart disease and 20.8% of healthy children were identified to be either overweight or obese. Overall, the weight category distribution had been similar between the congenital heart disease and healthy control groups, as well as between the congenital heart disease subgroups. There was no difference in normal weight and overweight/obese categories between children with congenital heart disease and healthy children. The underweight category, however, showed a significantly higher prevalence in congenital heart disease compared with healthy children (6.8 and 4.5%, respectively, p = 0.03).

Conclusion

The prevalence of overweight/obesity did not differ in children with congenital heart disease compared with age-matched healthy children; however, it is still high (18.2%). Obesity may represent an additional risk factor for the long-term cardiovascular health of congenital heart disease patients aside from the underlying heart defect.
Does sport have a protective effect against suicide?
Authors: Müller Bettina , Georgi Klaus , Schnabel Axel , Schneider Barbara
Published: September 2013

Aim – The association between sporting activities, or lack there of, and suicidal behaviour has not yet been clarified. The objective of this study was to determine, if sports participation has an impact on risk for completed suicide. Methods – Axis I and Axis II disorders, sociodemographic factors, and current and former sports activities, including various sports disciplines, were assessed by a semi-structured interview by psychological autopsy method in 163 suicides and by personal interview in 396 living population-based control persons. Results – Current sports activities (OR = 0.24, 95%CI, 0.15 to 0.39; OR = 0.27, 95%CI, 0.16 to 0.45) and sports activities at some point in life (OR = 0.33, 95%CI, 0.18 to 0.62; OR = 0.40, 95%CI, 0.23 to 0.68, after adjustment for axis I and II disorders or educational level, each) were associated with decreased suicide risk. Conclusions – Current sports activities and sports activities at some point in life may reduce suicide risk.

Declaration of Interest: Barbara Schneider got research funding as young scientist for the project “Psychopathological, sociodemographic, psychosocial, and work-related risk factors for suicide” from the faculty representative committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main. Furthermore, “Nachlaβ Martha Schmelz”, part of the university foundation of Frankfurt am Main, supported the research project. There was no support from drug companies related to the present paper. Barbara Schneider, Klaus Georgi, and Axel Schnabel are employed at the Goethe-University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine. Bettina Müller is employed at the Markus Hospital, Frankfurt /Main.
The Content and the Form in Amīr Khusraw'sDuval Rānī va Khiẓr Khān
Authors: BEDNAR MICHAEL BORIS
Published: September 2013

Modern scholars approach Amīr Khusraw'sDuval Rānī va Khiẓr Khānas either a historicalmaavīthat relates Delhi Sultanate conquests or as a romanticmaavīthat combines the love story between the crown prince and a Hindu princess with tragedy resulting from their fate. While the content of theDuval Rānī va Khiẓr Khānis well known, the form of the text and its implications for reading both history and romance remains unexplored. Reading the form inverts the historic and romantic division of the text. It reveals the historical elements as romantic panegyric created by Khusraw in praise of the Delhi Sultanate and the romance as a source-based historical biography.
Reassessing the bilingual advantage in theory of mind and its cognitive underpinnings
Authors: NGUYEN THIEN-KIM , ASTINGTON JANET WILDE
Published: September 2013

The present study aimed (a) to determine whether the bilingual advantage in false-belief (FB) understanding is replicated when considering socio-economic status and (b) to assess whether conflict inhibition and/or working memory underpin the advantage, if there is one. Monolingual preschoolers (24 English monolinguals and 24 French monolinguals) and 24 English–French bilingual counterparts received FB, conflict inhibition, working memory, and verbal ability tests. Monolingual and bilingual groups were equivalent on parental income and education, measured through a parental questionnaire. Results indicated that bilinguals significantly outperformed monolinguals on FB, but only after statistically controlling for language proficiency and age. Working memory likely compensated for the potential negative impact of bilinguals’ low language proficiency on FB.
Minimal intervention strategies in logical signaling networks with ASP
Authors: KAMINSKI ROLAND , SCHAUB TORSTEN , SIEGEL ANNE , VIDELA SANTIAGO
Published: September 2013

Proposing relevant perturbations to biological signaling networks is central to many problems in biology and medicine because it allows for enabling or disabling certain biological outcomes. In contrast to quantitative methods that permit fine-grained (kinetic) analysis, qualitative approaches allow for addressing large-scale networks. This is accomplished by more abstract representations such as logical networks. We elaborate upon such a qualitative approach aiming at the computation of minimal interventions in logical signaling networks relying on Kleene's three-valued logic and fixpoint semantics. We address this problem within answer set programming and show that it greatly outperforms previous work using dedicated algorithms.
The problem of dinosaur origins: integrating three approaches to the rise of Dinosauria
Authors: Padian Kevin
Published: September 2013

The problem of the origin of dinosaurs has historically had three dimensions. The first is the question of whether Dinosauria is monophyletic, and of its relationships to other archosaurs. This question was plagued from the beginning by a lack of relevant fossils, an historical burden of confusing taxonomic terms and a rudimentary approach to devising phylogenies. The second dimension concerns the functional and ecological adaptations that differentiated dinosaurs from other archosaurs, a question also marred by lack of phylogenetic clarity and testable biomechanical hypotheses. The third dimension comprises the stratigraphic timing of the origin of dinosaurian groups with respect to each other and to related groups, the question of its synchronicity among various geographic regions, and some of the associated paleoenvironmental circumstances. None of these dimensions alone answers the question of dinosaur origins, and they sometimes provide conflicting implications. Since Dinosauria was named, one or another set of questions has historically dominated academic discussion and research. Paradigms have shifted substantially in recent decades, and current evidence suggests that we are due for more such shifts. I suggest two changes in thinking about the beginning of the “Age of Dinosaurs”: first, the event that we call the (phylogenetic) origin of dinosaurs was trivial compared to the origin of Ornithodira; and second, the “Age of Dinosaurs” proper did not begin until the Jurassic. Re-framing our thinking on these issues will improve our understanding of clade dynamics, timing of macroevolutionary events, and the effects of Triassic climate change on terrestrial vertebrates.
Diet-Induced Obesity Suppresses Expression of Many Proteins at the Blood–Brain Barrier
Authors: Ouyang Suidong , Hsuchou Hung , Kastin Abba J , Wang Yuping , Yu Chuanhui , Pan Weihong
Published: September 2013

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a regulatory interface between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. However, BBB changes in obesity and metabolic syndrome have not been fully elucidated. We hypothesized that obesity reduces energy metabolism in the cerebral microvessels composing the BBB, reflected by downregulation of protein expression and function. We performed comparative proteomic analyses in enriched microvessels from the cerebral cortex of mice 2 months after ingestion of a high-fat diet or regular rodent chow. In mice with diet-induced obesity (DIO), there was downregulation of 47 proteins in the cerebral microvessels, including cytoskeletal proteins, chaperons, enzymes, transport-related proteins, and regulators for transcriptional and translational activities. Only two proteins, involved in messenger RNA (mRNA) transport and processing, were upregulated. The changes of these proteins were further validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), western blotting, and immunofluorescent staining of freshly isolated microvessels, in samples obtained from different batches of mice. The predominant downregulation suggests that DIO suppresses metabolic activity of BBB microvessels. The finding of a hypometabolic state of the BBB in mice at the chronic stage of DIO is unexpected and unprecedented; it may provide novel mechanistic insight into how obesity influences CNS function via regulatory changes of the BBB.
Molecular Alterations in the Hippocampus after Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Han Sang Myung , Wan Hoyee , Kudo Gen , Foltz Warren D , Vines Douglass C , Green David E , Zoerle Tommaso , Tariq Asma , Brathwaite Shakira , D'Abbondanza Josephine , Ai Jinglu , Macdonald R Loch
Published: September 2013

Patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) frequently have deficits in learning and memory that may or may not be associated with detectable brain lesions. We examined mediators of long-term potentiation after SAH in rats to determine what processes might be involved. There was a reduction in synapses in the dendritic layer of the CA1 region on transmission electron microscopy as well as reduced colocalization of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and synaptophysin. Immunohistochemistry showed reduced staining for GluR1 and calmodulin kinase 2 and increased staining for GluR2. Myelin basic protein staining was decreased as well. There was no detectable neuronal injury by Fluoro-Jade B, TUNEL, or activated caspase-3 staining. Vasospasm of the large arteries of the circle of Willis was mild to moderate in severity. Nitric oxide was increased and superoxide anion radical was decreased in hippocampal tissue. Cerebral blood flow, measured by magnetic resonance imaging, and cerebral glucose metabolism, measured by positron emission tomography, were no different in SAH compared with control groups. The results suggest that the etiology of loss of LTP after SAH is not cerebral ischemia but may be mediated by effects of subarachnoid blood such as oxidative stress and inflammation.
Medical image registration based on fast and adaptive bidimensional empirical mode decomposition
Authors: Riffi Jamal , Mohamed Mahraz Adnane , Tairi Hamid
Published: September 2013

Image registration plays a crucial role in several areas, yet iconic registration methods are more efficient than those in geometrical registration, but they require great execution time. Regarding reduction in the execution time of iconic registration, the authors have proposed a new method based on mutual information while exploiting adaptive multiresolution decomposition, bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) in its fast and adaptive version fast and adaptive BEMD (FABEMD). The idea is that instead of registering two images, the authors proceed to registration of the bidimensional intrinsic mode functions (BIMFs) that results from the FABEMD decomposition. The BIMF selected by the authors’ algorithm is characterised by preservation of the general form of the image, and it contains a tone of grey levels lower than that of the original image, thus the number of combinations of the grey levels, used while calculating entropy is reduced, which in turn reduces execution time of the registration.
Multi‐focus image fusion based on non‐subsampled shearlet transform
Authors: Guorong Gao , Luping Xu , Dongzhu Feng
Published: September 2013

In this study, a new multi‐focus image fusion algorithm based on the non‐subsampled shearlet transform (NSST) is presented. First, an initial fused image is acquired by using a conventional multi‐resolution image fusion method. The pixels of those source multi‐focus images, which have smaller square error with the corresponding pixels of the initial fused image, are considered in the focused regions. Based on this principle, the focused regions are determined, and the morphological opening and closing are employed for post‐processing. Then the focused regions and the focused border regions in each source image are identified and used to guide the fusion process in NSST domain. Finally, the fused image is obtained using the inverse NSST. Experimental results show that this proposed method can not only extract more important detailed information from source images, but also avoid the introduction of artificial information effectively. It significantly outperforms the discrete wavelet transform (DWT)‐based fusion method, the non‐subsampled contourlet‐transformbased fusion method and the NSST‐based fusion method (see Miao et al. 2011) in terms of both visual quality and objective evaluation.
Low‐bit depth‐high‐dynamic range image generation by blending differently exposed images
Authors: Jung Jae‐Il , Ho Yo‐Sung
Published: September 2013

Recently, high‐dynamic range (HDR) imaging has taken the centre stage because of the drawbacks of low‐dynamic range imaging, namely detail losses in under‐ and over‐exposed areas. In this study, the authors propose an algorithm for HDR image generation of a low‐bit depth from two differently exposed images. For compatibility with conventional devices, HDR image generations of a large bit depth and bit depth compression are skipped. By using posterior probability‐based labelling, luminance adjusting and adaptive blending, the authors directly blend two input images into one while preserving the global intensity order as well as enhancing its dynamic range. From the experiments on various test images, results confirm that the proposed method generates more natural HDR images than other state‐of‐the‐art algorithms regardless of image properties.
On the selection of radiating elements for compact indoor massive‐multiple input multiple output base stations
Authors: Artiga Xavier , Devillers Bertrand , Perruisseau‐Carrier Julien
Published: September 2013

Massive‐multiple input multiple output (MIMO) was recently proposed as a key solution for improving the performance of multi‐user MIMO in future cellular generations. The main paradigm in this novel MIMO technique is to use a very large number of antenna elements at the base station (BS), which was shown to drastically increase capacity while saving transmission power. However, envisioning indoor BS with such number of antennas it is essential to assess the implementation of compact arrays based on different antenna candidates, which constitutes the main objective of this work. Antenna solutions ranging from miniaturised patches to triple‐polarised radiators are proposed. Characteristics such as return loss and mutual couplings are obtained via full‐wave electromagnetic simulations and as a function of elements density in a given limited BS real estate. The different antenna candidates are compared by computing the signal‐to‐interference plus noise ratio in both noise and interference‐limited regimes and for different multi‐user MIMO precoding strategies. This analysis allows reporting on optimal antenna densities above which performance degrades despite an increasing number of antennas, and identifying the main cause of this limitation for the different antenna types and scenarios. Finally, practical considerations such as antenna miniaturisation, bandwidth and cost are included in the discussion.
Power electronic configuration for the operation of PV system in combined grid‐connected and stand‐alone modes
Authors: Krithiga Subramanian , Gounden Nanjappa Gounder Ammasai
Published: September 2013

A simple photovoltaic (PV) system capable of operating in both grid‐connected mode and stand‐alone mode using multilevel boost converter (MBC) and line commutated inverter (LCI) has been developed for extracting the maximum power and feeding it to a single phase utility grid and stand‐alone system simultaneously. Theoretical analysis of the proposed system is done and the duty ratio of the MBC is estimated for extracting maximum power from PV array. For a fixed firing angle of LCI, the proposed system is able to track the maximum power with the determined duty ratio which remains the same for all irradiations. This is the major advantage of the proposed system which eliminates the use of a separate maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller. Experiments have been conducted on a 80 V, 9.4 A PV array feeding a 110 V single phase grid and a 230 V, 100 W DC motor. The MBC extracts maximum power from the PV array and feeds the major portion of power to the single phase utility grid via LCI and the remaining power to separately excited DC motor. It was found that the theoretical analysis, simulation and experimental results closely correlate with each other and proves the effectiveness of the proposed configuration.
Wideswath synthetic aperture radar ground moving targets indication with low data rate based on compressed sensing
Authors: Zhu Shengqi , Liao Guisheng , Wang Weiwei , Zeng Cao , Yang Dong
Published: September 2013

Wideswath synthetic aperture radar/ground moving targets indication (SAR/GMTI) system increases severely data transmission and storage load. To mitigate this problem, a wideswath GMTI method based on compressed sensing (CS) is proposed. In this method, CS is utilised to process each SAR data sampled sparsely in the azimuth direction for multiple aperture systems after conventional range compression. Then the wavelet transform matrix is used to construct the sparse matrix. Each SAR image is unambiguously achieved by solving l1 norm optimisation problem in the azimuth. The clutter rejection is performed for all spatial SAR images and then moving targets can be well detected. In this way, the data rate together with storage load is reduced, and then the wideswath GMTI can be efficiently realised. Results of real measured and simulated SAR data processing demonstrate the effectiveness of the CS‐based wideswath GMTI.
Gene regulatory network discovery using pairwise Granger causality
Authors: Tam Gary Hak Fui , Chang Chunqi , Hung Yeung Sam
Published: September 2013

Discovery of gene regulatory network from gene expression data can yield a useful insight to drug development. Among the methods applied to time‐series data, Granger causality (GC) has emerged as a powerful tool with several merits. Since gene expression data usually have a much larger number of genes than time points therefore a full model cannot be applied in a straightforward manner, GC is often applied to genes pairwisely. In this study, the authors first investigate with synthetic data how spurious causalities (false discoveries) may arise because of the use of pairwise rather than full‐model GC detection. Furthermore, spurious causalities may also arise if the order of the vector autoregressive model is not high enough. As a remedy, the authors demonstrate that model validation techniques can effectively reduce the number of false discoveries. Then, they apply pairwise GC with model validation to the real human HeLa cell‐cycle dataset. They find that Akaike information criterion is generally most suitable for determining model order, but precaution should be taken for extremely short time series. With the authors proposed implementation, degree distributions and network hubs are obtained and compared with existing results, giving a new observation that the hubs tend to act as sources rather than receivers of interactions.
Human red blood cell behavior under homogeneous extensional flow in a hyperbolic-shaped microchannel
Authors: Yaginuma T. , Oliveira M. S. N. , Lima R. , Ishikawa T. , Yamaguchi T.
Published: September 2013

It is well known that certain pathological conditions result in a decrease of red blood cells (RBCs) deformability and subsequently can significantly alter the blood flow in microcirculation, which may block capillaries and cause ischemia in the tissues. Microfluidic systems able to obtain reliable quantitative measurements of RBC deformability hold the key to understand and diagnose RBC related diseases. In this work, a microfluidic system composed of a microchannel with a hyperbolic-shaped contraction followed by a sudden expansion is presented. We provide a detailed quantitative description of the degree of deformation of human RBCs under a controlled homogeneous extensional flow field. We measured the deformation index (DI) as well as the velocity of the RBCs travelling along the centerline of the channel for four different flow rates and analyze the impact of the particle Reynolds number. The results show that human RBC deformation tends to reach a plateau value in the region of constant extensional rate, the value of which depends on the extension rate. Additionally, we observe that the presence of a sudden expansion downstream of the hyperbolic contraction modifies the spatial distribution of cells and substantially increases the cell free layer (CFL) downstream of the expansion plane similarly to what is seen in other expansion flows. Beyond a certain value of flow rate, there is only a weak effect of inlet flow rates on the enhancement of the downstream CFL. These in vitro experiments show the potential of using microfluidic systems with hyperbolic-shaped microchannels both for the separation of the RBCs from plasma and to assess changes in RBC deformability in physiological and pathological situations for clinical purposes. However, the selection of the geometry and the identification of the most suitable region to evaluate the changes on the RBC deformability under extensional flows are crucial if microfluidics is to be used as an in vitro clinical methodology to detect circulatory diseases.
Integration of TaOx-based resistive-switching element and GaAs diode
Authors: Xu Z. , Tong X. , Yoon S. F. , Yeo Y. C. , Chia C. K. , Dalapati G. K. , Chi D. Z.
Published: September 2013

We report the integration of one selection diode and one resistive-switching memory element (1D1R) structure based on a GaAs diode on germanium-on-insulator on a Si substrate integrated with Cr/TaOx/Al memory element. The 1D1R device showed unipolar resistive-switching with an ON/OFF resistance ratio of over 102 within the voltage range 1.1 V–2.0 V. In the low resistance state, a forward-to-reverse current ratio of 60 was obtained at ±1 V.
Applying electric field to charged and polar particles between metallic plates: Extension of the Ewald method
Authors: Takae Kyohei , Onuki Akira
Published: September 2013

We develop an efficient Ewald method of molecular dynamics simulation for calculating the electrostatic interactions among charged and polar particles between parallel metallic plates, where we may apply an electric field with an arbitrary size. We use the fact that the potential from the surface charges is equivalent to the sum of those from image charges and dipoles located outside the cell. We present simulation results on boundary effects of charged and polar fluids, formation of ionic crystals, and formation of dipole chains, where the applied field and the image interaction are crucial. For polar fluids, we find a large deviation of the classical Lorentz-field relation between the local field and the applied field due to pair correlations along the applied field. As general aspects, we clarify the difference between the potential-fixed and the charge-fixed boundary conditions and examine the relationship between the discrete particle description and the continuum electrostatics.
Nested sampling in the canonical ensemble: Direct calculation of the partition function from NVT trajectories
Authors: Nielsen Steven O.
Published: September 2013

Nested sampling has emerged as a powerful sampling technique to directly compute the partition function of a realistic molecular system. However, it does so with a non-standard sampling of phase space, which excludes the use of molecular dynamics simulations. Here we show how to use the standard canonical (NVT) sampling of phase space to directly compute the partition function. There are two components to the nested NVT sampling procedure. First, the temperatures at which the simulations should be run are chosen sequentially, from high to low, based on a histogram reweighting strategy. Second, a harmonic umbrella biasing potential is added, where necessary, to enhance the sampling. We also show how to evaluate the expectation value of an observable and compute the free energy as a function of an order parameter. NVT sampling procedures are common and readily available in conventional Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics codes. The proposed algorithm is easy to integrate into existing codes, which opens up the nested sampling technique to a wide audience.
Comment on “The application of the thermodynamic perturbation theory to study the hydrophobic hydration” [J. Chem. Phys. 139, 024101 (2013)]
Authors: Graziano Giuseppe
Published: September 2013

It is shown that the behaviour of the hydration thermodynamic functions obtained in the 3D Mercedes-Benz model of water by Mohoric et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 139, 024101 (2013)] is not qualitatively correct with respect to experimental data for a solute whose diameter is 1.5-fold larger than that of a water molecule. It is also pointed out that the failure is due to the fact that the used 3D Mercedes-Benz model of water [A. Bizjak, T. Urbic, V. Vlachy, and K. A. Dill, J. Chem. Phys. 131, 194504 (2009)] does not reproduce in a quantitatively correct manner the peculiar temperature dependence of water density.
Height self-equilibration during the growth of dense nanowire ensembles: Order emerging from disorder
Authors: Sabelfeld K. K. , Kaganer V. M. , Limbach F. , Dogan P. , Brandt O. , Geelhaar L. , Riechert H.
Published: September 2013

We show that the growth kinetics of dense arrays of self-induced GaN nanowires involves the exchange of Ga atoms between nanowires: Ga atoms desorbed from the side surfaces of nanowires readsorb on neighboring nanowires. This process favors the growth of shorter nanowires and gives rise to a narrow nanowire height distribution during the late stages of growth. We propose a stochastic differential equation model which describes the growth of dense nanowire ensembles. The model calculations are in good agreement with the experiments.
Emulating the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve of the human brain with a NiO-based memristor
Authors: Hu S. G. , Liu Y. , Chen T. P. , Liu Z. , Yu Q. , Deng L. J. , Yin Y. , Hosaka Sumio
Published: September 2013

The well-known Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, which describes how information is forgotten over time, can be emulated using a NiO-based memristor with conductance that decreases with time after the application of electrical pulses. Here, the conductance is analogous to the memory state, while each electrical pulse represents a memory stimulation or learning event. The decrease in the conductance with time depends on the stimulation parameters, including pulse height and width and the number of pulses, which emulates memory loss behavior well in that the time taken for the memory to be lost depends on how the information is learned.
Electric-field induced transition of resistive switching behaviors in BaTiO3/Co:BaTiO3/BaTiO3 trilayers
Authors: Li S. , Wei X. H. , Zeng H. Z.
Published: September 2013

Electric-field induced transition of resistive switching behaviors has been demonstrated in BaTiO3/Co:BaTiO3/BaTiO3 trilayers. At low applied bias, the Au/BaTiO3/Co:BaTiO3/BaTiO3/Pt device shows bipolar resistive switching (BRS) behavior, whereas it converts to complementary resistive switching (CRS) at high applied bias due to the depletion of oxygen vacancies in BaTiO3 layer. The Schottky-like emission accompanied by trapping/detrapping process at the interfaces is likely responsible for the BRS and CRS effects in the trilayers. Furthermore, the operating current of the CRS devices can be reduced significantly by decreasing the doped layer.
Operational stability enhancement of low-voltage organic field-effect transistors based on bilayer polymer dielectrics
Authors: She Xiao-Jian , Liu Jie , Zhang Jing-Yu , Gao Xu , Wang Sui-Dong
Published: September 2013

Bilayer polymer dielectrics consisting of hydrophobic thin layers on high-k polyvinylalcohol (PVA) are utilized to realize p-type and n-type low-voltage organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), which show superior mobility and operational stability compared with the devices with PVA single-layer dielectric. The OFETs with top layers containing discrete π-groups, such as polystyrene (PS) and poly(2-vinyl naphthalene) (PVN), show stronger bias stress instability than those with π-group free polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and it is ascribed to slow charge trapping into the π-groups under bias stress. By integrating p-type and n-type low-voltage OFETs based on PMMA/PVA bilayer dielectric, a low-power high-stability complementary inverter is achieved.
Reliability evaluation for electrical collector systems of wind farm using the section enumeration technique
Authors: Xie Kaigui , Yang Hejun , Hu Bo , Yu David
Published: September 2013

Topology has a significant effect on the reliability performance of an electrical collector system (ECS) of wind farms. Novel indices for the reliability of wind farm ECS are presented based on topological features of wind farm ECS in this paper. The concept of the section for a wind farm ECS is defined. The probability table of multistate capacity (PTMC) for a wind turbine generator (WTG) and the Probability Table of the Number of WTG in Up-state (PTNU) for a section can be created. Based on the PTMC and PTNU, PTMC of a wind farm can be established using the state enumeration algorithm and the matrix operations. Therefore, the reliability evaluation model considering effects of wind speed and component failures can be built. The proposed model not only considers the multi-failures of ECS components including failures of cable feeder, WTG, and wind turbine transformer (WTT) but also states of switching devices in failure, disconnection, and switching processes. Four wind farm ECS topologies, i.e., radial topology, single-sided ring topology, double-sided ring topology, and star topology, are implemented. Case studies on the reliability evaluation of wind farm ECS are used to verify the feasibility and validity of the proposed technique.
Magnetic and electronic properties of bimagnetic materials comprising cobalt particles within hollow silica decorated with magnetite nanoparticles
Authors: Okada T. , González-Alfaro Y. , Espinosa A. , Watanabe N. , Haeiwa T. , Sonehara M. , Mishima S. , Sato T. , Muñoz-Noval A. , Aranda P. , Garcia-Hernández M. , Ruiz-Hitzky E.
Published: September 2013

Bimagnetic materials were fabricated by decorating the external surface of rattle-type hollow silica microspheres (which themselves contain metallic cobalt nanoparticles) with magnetite nanoparticles; thus, each magnetic substance was spatially isolated by the silica shell. The amount of magnetite decoration on the co-occluded hollow silica was varied from 1 to 17 mass %. Magnetic and electronic properties of the resulting bimagnetic materials were characterized by superconducting quantum interference device measurements and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, respectively. The ferrous iron in the bimagnetic sample was slightly more oxidized than in the magnetite reference, probably from some charge-transfer because of the SiO2 surface contact, although the overall oxidation state of the samples is very similar to that of magnetite. The temperature dependence of the sample magnetization recorded with Zero Field Cooling and Field Cooling resulted in blocking temperatures for the bimagnetic materials that were close to that of magnetite nanoparticles (176 K) and were lower than that for the bare Co-occluded hollow silica (which was above room temperature). Values of coercive force and exchange bias at 300 K became quite small after decoration with only minimal amounts of magnetite nanoparticles (1–3 mass %) and were lower than those of magnetite. This is the first example of enhancing superparamagnetism by spatial separation of both Co and magnetite magnetic nanoparticles using a thin wall of diamagnetic silica.
Plot size matters: interference from intergenotypic competition in plant phenotyping studies
Authors: Rebetzke Greg J. , Fischer Ralph (Tony) A. , van Herwaarden Anthony F. , Bonnett Dave G. , Chenu Karine , Rattey Allan R. , Fettell Neil A.
Published: September 2013

Genetic and physiological studies often comprise genotypes diverse in vigour, size and flowering time. This can make the phenotyping of complex traits challenging, particularly those associated with canopy development, biomass and yield, as the environment of one genotype can be influenced by a neighbouring genotype. Limited seed and space may encourage field assessment in single, spaced rows or in small, unbordered plots, whereas the convenience of a controlled environment or greenhouse makes pot studies tempting. However, the relevance of such growing conditions to commercial field-grown crops is unclear and often doubtful. Competition for water, light and nutrients necessary for canopy growth will be variable where immediate neighbours are genetically different, particularly under stress conditions, where competition for resources and influence on productivity is greatest. Small hills and rod-rows maximise the potential for intergenotypic competition that is not relevant to a crop’s performance in monocultures. Response to resource availability will typically vary among diverse genotypes to alter genotype ranking and reduce heritability for all growth-related traits, with the possible exception of harvest index. Validation of pot experiments to performance in canopies in the field is essential, whereas the planting of multirow plots and the simple exclusion of plot borders at harvest will increase experimental precision and confidence in genotype performance in target environments.
Individual traits influence vigilance in wild female eastern grey kangaroos
Authors: Edwards A. M. , Best E. C. , Blomberg S. P. , Goldizen A. W.
Published: September 2013

Vigilance is an essential component of antipredator behaviour and is also used to monitor conspecifics, but is traded off against feeding in herbivores. This trade-off can be influenced by variation in many environmental, social and individual traits. Our aim was to test the relationship between individual-level traits, including boldness, body condition and reproductive state, and vigilance, while controlling for environmental and social variables. Using multiple 5-min video samples of 30 foraging, individually recognisable, female eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) at Sundown National Park in Queensland, we investigated individual-level variation in the duration, intensity and target of vigilance behaviour during foraging. On separate occasions, we used flight-initiation distance tests to measure boldness in our kangaroos. Females with longer flight-initiation distances (shyer females) spent more time vigilant, providing preliminary support for studies of animal personality that have suggested that boldness may covary with vigilance. Body condition did not affect the total time spent vigilant, but females in poorer body condition spent more of their vigilance time in low-intensity vigilance. Vigilance patterns were not related to reproductive state, but varied among months and differed between mornings and afternoons, and females spent more time in high-intensity vigilance when further from cover. Even after accounting for all our variables we found that 7% of the variation in total time vigilant and 14% of the variation in vigilance intensity was explained by individual identity. This highlights the importance of individual-level variation in vigilance behaviour.
Structural insight on the recognition of surface-bound opsonins by the integrin I domain of complement receptor 3
Authors: Bajic Goran , Yatime Laure , Sim Robert B. , Vorup-Jensen Thomas , Andersen Gregers R.
Published: September 2013

Significance

Fragments of complement component C3 tag surfaces such as those presented by microbial pathogens or dying host cells for recognition by cells from the innate immune system. Complement receptor (CR) 3 enables efficient binding of complement-tagged surfaces by macrophages and dendritic cells, which eventually transport the CR3-bound material into lymph nodes. The study identifies in atomic details the fragments of CR3 and C3 required for such binding. The structural organization permits concomitant recognition by another complement receptor, namely CR2, expressed on cells of the adaptive immune system, suggesting a structural rationale for the exchange of antigens between leukocytes of the innate and adaptive immune systems critical in the formation of humoral immune responses.
Variation in the interaction between alleles of
HvAPETALA2
and microRNA172 determines the density of grains on the barley inflorescence
Authors: Houston Kelly , McKim Sarah M. , Comadran Jordi , Bonar Nicola , Druka Ilze , Uzrek Nicola , Cirillo Elisa , Guzy-Wrobelska Justyna , Collins Nicholas C. , Halpin Claire , Hansson Mats , Dockter Christoph , Druka Arnis , Waugh Robbie
Published: September 2013

Significance

We show that the characteristic variation in the density of grains observed along the inflorescence (spike) of modern cultivated barley (
Hordeum vulgare
) is the consequence of a perturbed interaction between a microRNA, miR172, and its corresponding binding site in the mRNA of an
APELATA2
(
AP2
)-like transcription factor,
HvAP2
. Our data indicate that variation in the miR172-driven turnover of
HvAP2
regulates the length of a developmental window that is required for elongation of the internodes along the axis of the spike, and this variation results in the striking differences in the size and shape of the barley inflorescence.
The Face Inversion Effect—Parts and Wholes: Individual Features and Their Configuration
Authors: Civile Ciro , McLaren Rossy P. , McLaren Ian P. L.
Published: September 2013

The face inversion effect (FIE) is a reduction in recognition performance for inverted faces (compared to upright faces) that is greater than that typically observed with other stimulus types (e.g., houses). The work of Diamond and Carey, suggests that a special type of configural information, “second-order relational information” is critical in generating this inversion effect. However, Tanaka and Farah concluded that greater reliance on second-order relational information did not directly result in greater sensitivity to inversion, and they suggested that the FIE is not entirely due to a reliance on this type of configural information. A more recent review by McKone and Yovel provides a meta-analysis that makes a similar point. In this paper, we investigated the contributions made by configural and featural information to the FIE. Experiments 1a and1b investigated the link between configural information and the FIE. Remarkably, Experiment 1b showed that disruption of all configural information of the type considered in Diamond and Carey's analysis (both first and second order) was effective in reducing recognition performance, but did not significantly impact on the FIE. Experiments 2 and 3 revealed that face processing is affected by the orientation of individual features and that this plays a major role in producing the FIE. The FIE was only completely eliminated when we disrupted the single feature orientation information in addition to the configural information, by using a new type of transformation similar to Thatcherizing our sets of scrambled faces. We conclude by noting that our results for scrambled faces are consistent with an account that has recognition performance entirely determined by the proportion of upright facial features within a stimulus, and that any ability to make use of the spatial configuration of these features seems to benefit upright and inverted normal faces alike.
5. Thinking about politics: the new boys on the block
Authors: Freeden Michael
Published: September 2013

Ideology is a mode of thinking about politics. However it is not the only mode and in ‘Thinking about politics: the new boys on the block’ alternative modes are considered. Also, morphological analysis is only one means of accessing ideological meaning. Political philosophy has a long history of contributing to political thinking and offers a different perspective to ideology. Another banner under which political thought has been studied has emerged in the form of conceptual history. There are strong affinities between modern conceptual history and the study of ideology.
8. Discursive realities and surrealities
Authors: Freeden Michael
Published: September 2013

Ideological fragmentation and malleability has led to new developments in the theory of ideology. ‘Discursive realities and surrealities’ examines the differing responses to these developments. Some scholars have concentrated on the fragments and this branch of study of the micro-ideologies is discourse analysis. This has drawn on studies in hermeneutics, semantics, and postmodern studies. Others have reactivated the old Marxist scepticism about what lies behind the continual ideological permutations. Post-Marxists and poststructuralists have given new impetus to the study of ideology. They have refused to take any fact, any opinion, any framework, for granted.