bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of a Tetranuclear Copper(II) Coordination Compound Constructed of a Multi‐carboxylate Ligand and 2,2′‐Bipyridine
Authors: Jiang Xiang , Xia Hua , Zhu Yu‐Fang , Huang Chao‐Xin , Liao Yu‐Hai
Published: September 2011

A novel inorganic‐organic hybrid compound [Cu2(TTHA)(bpy)2(H2O)]2·6H2O (TTHA = 1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4,6‐ triamine hexaacetic acid; bpy = 2,2′‐bipyridine) was synthesized and characterized. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic space group P$\bar{1}$ with cell dimensions of a = 10.4837(14) Å, b = 13.0935(17) Å, c = 16.183(2) Å, α = 93.386(2)°, β = 96.181(2)°, γ = 92.570(2)°, V = 2201.7(5) Å3 and Z = 1. Single‐crystal X‐ray analysis shows that the structure is made up by a strictly planar CuO2Cu ring with monoatomic bridging carboxylate oxygen atoms and a Cu–Cu distance of 3.458 Å. The 3D supermolecular network is constructed by three kinds of interactions including coordinate covalent bonds, hydrogen bonds, and π–π staking interactions. Thermogravimetric analysis, IR spectrum, and PXRD of the compound are given. The variable‐temperature magnetic susceptibility analysis of this compound (2–300 K) shows a weak ferromagnetic magnetic exchange interaction with 2J = 2.23 cm–1.
Bis([5]trovacenyl)dichalcogenides: Synthesis, Structure, and Study of Intramolecular Communication
Authors: Elschenbroich Christoph , Lu Feng , Burghaus Olaf , Harms Klaus , Pebler Jürgen
Published: September 2011

The paramagnetic bis(5trovacenyl)dichalcogenides(η7‐C7H7)V(η5‐C5H4‐E–E–η5‐C5H4)V(η7‐C7H7) 2·· (E = S), 3·· (E = Se), and 4·· (E = Te) were prepared by a novel path in which the elemental chalcogen atoms serve as suppliers of the hetero‐atoms and as oxidants in the final step. Compounds 2·· and 4·· were analyzed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analyses. Cyclic voltammetry revealed that redox splitting in 2··–4·· is not resolved, i.e. the potential difference of successive redox steps is less than 70 mV. Compound 2·· was studied in detail by EPR spectroscopy and magnetic susceptometry. EPR spectroscopy clearly demonstrated spin exchange coupling of two unpaired electrons, which reside in vanadium centered orbitals (51V, I = 7/2), |JEPR(2··)| = 0.65 cm–1. The considerably larger value Jχ(2··) = –1.36 cm–1 was obtained from magnetic susceptometry. This apparent discrepancy is discussed, based on a comparison of the spacers –S–S–,–CH2–CH2–, and –C(CH3) = C(CH3)–.
General Surgery in Patients With a Bleeding Diathesis: How We Do It
Authors: Aryal Kamal R. , Wiseman D. , Siriwardena Ajith K. , Bolton‐Maggs Paula H. B. , Hay Charles R. M. , Hill James
Published: September 2011

Background

This study was undertaken to assess perioperative management, postoperative complications, and the adequacy of perioperative plasma factor levels in a regional hemophilia center.

Methods

A total of 113 consecutive patients (75 men, 38 women; median age 48 years, range 18–86 years) with bleeding disorders undergoing general surgical and endoscopic procedures (144 procedures: 15 urgent, 129 elective) were reviewed. The episodes were identified from a prospectively collected database at a regional hemophilia center from 1998 to the end of 2008. In all, 46% of the surgical patients had hemophilia A, 38% had von Willebrand disease, 6% had hemophilia B, 5% had factor XI deficiency, and 4% had other disorders.

Results

Procedures carried out were endoscopic in 40%, minor in 25%, and intermediate and major in 35%. There were two postoperative deaths, both in patients undergoing urgent major procedures. Postoperative complications occurred after 7.6% (4.0% hemorrhagic, 3.6% nonhemorrhagic) of the procedures. Four of six patients with postoperative hemorrhage required further operative intervention. The median dose of clotting factor for Hemophilia A patients was 2240 U for endoscopic procedures, 7500 U for minor procedures, and 23,500 U for intermediate/major procedures. In hemophiliacs, the mean preoperative plasma factor level attained was 129 IU/dl (SD 16) in patients who developed postoperative hemorrhagic complications and 125 IU/dl (SD 37) in those who did not have bleeding, indicating that in no case was hemorrhage attributable to inadequate factor replacement.

Conclusions

General surgical and endoscopic procedures can be performed with low morbidity and mortality rates when there is appropriate factor replacement and good support from the hemophilia team.
Critical reflection and abyssal trapping of near-inertial waves on a β-plane
Authors: Winters Kraig B. , Bouruet-Aubertot Pascale , Gerkema Theo
Published: September 2011

We consider near-inertial waves continuously excited by a localized source and their subsequent radiation and evolution on a two-dimensional $\ensuremath{\beta} $-plane. Numerical simulations are used to quantify the wave propagation and the energy flux in a realistically stratified ocean basin. We focus on the dynamics near and poleward of the inertial latitude where the local value of the Coriolis parameter $f$ matches the forcing frequency $\sigma $, contrasting the behaviour of waves under the traditional approximation (TA), where only the component of the Earth’s rotation aligned with gravity is retained in the dynamics, with that obtained under the non-traditional approach (non-TA) in which the horizontal component of rotation is retained. Under the TA, assuming inviscid linear wave propagation in the WKB limit, all energy radiated from the source eventually propagates toward the equator, with the initially poleward propagation being internally reflected at the inertial latitude. Under the non-TA however, these waves propagate sub-inertially beyond their inertial latitude, exhibiting multiple reflections between internal turning points that lie poleward of the inertial latitude and the bottom. The numerical experiments complement and extend existing theory by relaxing the linearity and WKB approximations, and by illustrating the time development of the steadily forced flow and the spatial patterns of energy flux and flux divergence. The flux divergence of the flow at both the forcing frequency and its first harmonic reveal the spatial patterns of nonlinear energy transfer and highlight the importance of nonlinearity in the vicinity of near-critical bottom reflection at the inertial latitude of the forced waves.
A conundrum in conversion
Authors: Llewellyn Smith Stefan G.
Published: September 2011

Maintaining the stratification of the ocean requires deep mixing. Part of the energy that provides this mixing is transferred over topography from the surface tides into the internal tides. Numerous theoretical, numerical and experimental studies have aimed at quantifying the energy transfer of this conversion mechanism. Maas (J. Fluid Mech., this issue, vol. 684, 2011, pp. 5–24) constructs model topographies with localized response and no energy transfer into the propagating internal tide, a surprising result that raises questions about models of tidal conversion.
Bounded dam-break flows with tailwaters
Authors: Goater Alexander J. N. , Hogg Andrew J.
Published: September 2011

The gravitationally driven collapse of a reservoir into an initially stationary layer of fluid, termed the tailwater, is studied using the nonlinear shallow water equations. The motion is tackled using the hodograph transformation of the governing equation which allows the solutions for velocity and depth of the shallow flowing layer to be constructed by analytical techniques. The front of the flow emerges as a bore across which the depth of the fluid jumps discontinuously to the tailwater depth. The speed of the front is initially constant, but progressively slows once the finite extent of the reservoir begins to influence the motion. There then emerges a variety of phenomena depending upon the depth of the tailwater relative to the initial depth of the reservoir. Provided that the tailwater is sufficiently deep, a region of quiescent fluid emerges adjacent to the rear wall of the reservoir, followed by a region within which the velocity is negative. Also it is shown that for non-vanishing tailwater depths, continuous solutions for the velocity and height of the flowing layer breakdown after a sufficient period and develop an interior bore, the location and time of inception of which are calculated directly from quasi-analytical solutions.
Determination of fluoride concentration in powdered milk in Iran 2010
Authors: Hossein Mahvi Amir , Ghanbarian Maryam , Ghanbarian Marjan , Khosravi Ahmad , Ghanbarian Masoud
Published: September 2011

High concentrations of fluoride (F) in powdered milk (formula milk) can have adverse health effects on the body. The F concentration in powdered milk was analysed in Iran in 2010. A total of twelve commercial brands of highly consumed powdered milk were selected to analyse the F content through the standard F ion-selective electrode method. From each brand, three samples with different production dates were selected. The means and standard deviation for F concentration in all the samples was 1·73 (sd 0·3) μg F/g. The minimum and maximum F content in powdered milk brands Humana2 and Humana3 was 1·32 (sd 0·1) and 2·36 (sd 0·3) μg F/g, respectively. The study revealed that there was no significant difference in F concentration in the samples that belonged to various dates. Humana3 had a high F concentration (with an average of 2·36 (sd 0·3) μg F/g), which can be a risk factor for increased dental fluorosis, especially when being prepared using water with a high content of F.
Determinants of bioelectrical phase angle in disease
Authors: Stobäus Nicole , Pirlich Matthias , Valentini Luzia , Schulzke Jörg Dieter , Norman Kristina
Published: September 2011

Phase angle (PhA), a parameter of bioelectrical impedance analysis, is a well-known predictor of morbidity and mortality in various diseases. The causes of decreased PhA are, however, not yet completely understood. We therefore investigated determinants of PhA in 777 hospitalised patients in a retrospective analysis. PhA was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis at 50 KHz. Subjective global assessment (SGA) was used to evaluate nutritional status. Age, sex, BMI as well as nutritional status (SGA), benign or malignant disease and C-reactive protein (CRP) were investigated as potential determinants of PhA and standardised PhA (SPhA) = (observed PhA − mean PhA of reference values)/standard deviation of reference values in a general linear model regression analysis. Next to age (estimated effect size, 46·6 %; P < 0·0001), malnutrition (39·1 %; P < 0·0001) emerged as a major PhA determinant in our study population. Moreover, sex (6·4 %; P < 0·0001), CRP (4·4 %; P < 0·0001) and BMI (3·5 %; P < 0·0001) exhibited a significant influence on PhA, whereas malignant disease showed no significant effect in this model. The only significant determinants of SPhA were malnutrition (85·4 %; P < 0·0001) and inflammation (9·6 %; P < 0·0001). In conclusion, next to the established predictors, malnutrition and inflammation have a strong impact on PhA in sick individuals, which partly explains its prognostic power. When investigating the SPhA, only malnutrition and inflammation were found to be significant predictors, as a result of which the SPhA is considered a more suitable indicator of nutritional and health status.
Application of NMR-based metabonomics suggests a relationship between betaine absorption and elevated creatine plasma concentrations in catheterised sows
Authors: Yde Christian Clement , Westerhuis Johan A. , Bertram Hanne Christine , Bach Knudsen Knud Erik
Published: September 2011

The objective of the present explorative study was to determine the absorption dynamics when feeding diets varying in types and levels of dietary fibre in a catheterised animal model. A total of six sows were fed a diet low in fibre (LF), a diet high in soluble fibre and a diet high in insoluble fibre in a repeated 3 × 3 cross-over design. Plasma samples were collected from the mesenteric artery and the portal vein to determine different absorption phases by1H NMR spectroscopy-based metabonomics. Time profiles were determined for plasma levels of specific metabolites and for the absorption of these metabolites from the small intestine. The LF diet resulted in a higher betaine concentration in the blood than the two high-fibre diets (P = 0·008). This leads to higher plasma concentrations of methionine (P = 0·0028) and creatine (P = 0·020) of endogenous origin. In conclusion, the use of NMR spectroscopy for measuring nutrient uptake in the present study elucidated the relationship between betaine uptake and elevated creatine plasma concentrations.
Some Kantian Reflections on a World Republic
Authors: Höffe Otfried
Published: September 2011

Liberal democracy has long been recognized ‘in principle’ as the political project of modern times. This is not a political philosophy of which we can say that it has followed the words of Hegel and taken flight only with the falling of the dusk. Rather it is a philosophy which observes the Aristotelian maxim that ‘the end aimed at is not knowledge but action’, and therefore concerns itself with a perspective from which the thought of its own recognition is still in question. This thought is the one of international order. Here the figure of Kant steps forth in the role of philosophical and political avant-garde.
Kant's Cosmopolitan Law: World Citizenship for a Global Order
Authors: Kleingeld Pauline
Published: September 2011

In debates over the conditions for a just world order, one hears frequent appeals to Kant's call for states to unite in a federation. Given the force of Kant's arguments and their influence on the shape of such institutions as the League of Nations and the United Nations, this is certainly justified. But an essential part of what Kant saw as necessary for a global legal order is usually neglected. What is overlooked is Kant's emphasis on the status of individuals under what he calls ‘cosmopolitan law’. Cosmopolitan law is concerned not with the interaction between states, but with the status of individuals in their dealings with states of which they are not citizens. Moreover, it is concerned with the status of individuals as human beings, rather than as citizens of states. In Kant's political theory, cosmopolitan law (Weltbürgerrecht) is the third category of public law, in addition to constitutional law and international law. Its core is what Kant calls a right to hospitality. He argues that states and individuals have the right to attempt to establish relations with other states and their citizens, but not a right to enter foreign territory. States have the right to refuse visitors, but not violently, and not if it leads to their destruction. This implies an obligation to refrain from imperialist intrusions and to provide safe haven for refugees.
Kant's Psychologism, Part I
Authors: Waxman Wayne
Published: September 2011

In this paper, I shall argue that the most moderate and balanced way to view Kant's transcendental philosophy is as a species of psychological investigation analogous to Hume's, but refounded on a doctrine of pure (a priori) sensibility, such as Hume never allowed himself (and may never even have thought of). This might seem to fly in the face of what many interpreters of Kant deem conventional wisdom: that the burden of proof is on one who claims that psychology is essential to transcendental philosophy. On this view, there is to be found in Kant ‘a more austere strictly transcendental philosophy’, which needs to be carefully distinguished from the psychological doctrines in which it is enmeshed; and they would insist on being convinced of the contrarybeforeabandoning a position that, in their eyes, is the most moderate and balanced an interpreter of Kant can adopt. My purpose in this two-part essay is to urge them to think again. For while there can be no question of Kant's opposition to empiricism, it is equally certain that his praise for Hume was never freer or more unreserved than in respect of the latter's psycho-genetic approach to cognition. So, rather than supposing that Kantipso factorejected solutions to philosophical problems grounded on psychology when he rejected Hume's empiricism, it seems to me that the more moderate and balanced interpretive approach is tobeginby supposing that Kant's transcendental philosophy is a species of philosophical psychology in the same mould as Hume's, differing from itonlyby virtue of involving a priori syntheses of a manifold of a priori intuition.
Intellectualism, Relational Properties and the Divine Mind in Kant's Pre-Critical Philosophy
Authors: Insole Christopher
Published: September 2011

I demonstrate that the pre-Critical Kant is essentialist and intellectualist about the relational properties of substances. That is to say, God can choose whether or not to create a substance, and whether or not to connect this substance with other substances, so as to create a world: but God cannot choose what the nature of the relational properties is, once the substance is created and connected. The divine will is constrained by the essences of substances. Nonetheless, Kant considers that essences depend upon God, in that they depend upon the divine intellect. I conclude by gesturing towards some possible implications of this interpretation, when considering the role that might be played by God – both historically and conceptually – in relation to the notion of ‘laws of nature’, and when understanding Kant's transcendental idealism and his Critical conception of freedom.
The Idea of the Systematic Unity of Nature as a Transcendental Illusion
Authors: Pickering Mark
Published: September 2011

The Appendix to the Transcendental Dialectic of Kant's firstCritiqueis notorious for two reasons. First, it appears to contradict itself in saying that the idea of the systematic unity of nature is and is not transcendental. Second, in the passages in which Kant appears to espouse the former alternative, he appears to be making a significant amendment to his account of the conditions of the possibility of experience in the Transcendental Analytic. I propose a solution to both of these difficulties. With regard to the first, I argue that Kant does not contradict himself. With regard to the second, I argue that Kant is not making any change to his view of the conditions of the possibility of experience espoused in the Transcendental Analytic. The underlying cause of these apparent problems is also their solution: the transcendental illusion that nature is necessarily systematic.
AN EIGENSPACE OF LARGE DIMENSION FOR A HECKE ALGEBRA ON AN BUILDING
Authors: MANTERO A. M. , ZAPPA A.
Published: September 2011

Let Δ be an affine building of type $\tilde A_2$ and let 𝔸 be its fundamental apartment. We consider the set 𝕌0 of vertices of type 0 of 𝔸 and prove that the Hecke algebra of all W0-invariant difference operators with constant coefficients acting on 𝕌0 has three generators. This property leads us to define three Laplace operators on vertices of type 0 of Δ. We prove that there exists a joint eigenspace of these operators having dimension greater than ∣W0 ∣. This implies that there exist joint eigenfunctions of the Laplacians that cannot be expressed, via the Poisson transform, in terms of a finitely additive measure on the maximal boundary Ω of Δ.
Opportunities and challenges in the characterization of composite materials in waveguides
Authors: Sjöberg D. , Larsson C.
Published: September 2011

The effective properties of a composite material can be computed from knowledge of the component materials and the geometry of the microstructure. To verify these results at a certain frequency, wave scattering experiments can be performed, where typically reflection and transmission data are recorded and subsequently analyzed in a theoretical scattering model to extract material data. In this paper, we show that the wave scattering experiment is more closely related to the wave parameters (wave number and wave impedance), than to the material parameters (permittivity and permeability). We focus on anisotropic materials, demonstrate a method to extract the effective permittivity of such materials, and show the importance of knowledge of the anisotropy direction in order to interpret the data.
Robustness of joint interpretation of sequential pumping tests: Numerical and field experiments
Authors: Huang Shao‐Yang , Wen Jet‐Chau , Yeh Tian‐Chyi J. , Lu Wenxi , Juan Hsiang‐Lan , Tseng Chung‐Min , Lee Ju‐Huang , Chang Kuo‐Chyang
Published: September 2011

Three conceptual models are evaluated for estimating transmissivity (T) fields using data from sequential pumping tests at a field site and data from similar tests simulated in a synthetic aquifer. The three approaches are (1) an equivalent homogeneous approach, (2) a heterogeneous approach based on a single pumping test, and (3) a heterogeneous approach based on joint interpretation of the sequential pumping tests (i.e., hydraulic tomography, HT). They are evaluated on the basis of their abilities to obtain representative estimates of the T field of the aquifer and, more importantly, on the ability of their estimates to predict drawdown distributions in the aquifer induced by independent validation pumping tests. Results show that the first approach yields scenario‐dependent T estimates, which vary with the location of the pumping well. Independent validation tests show that the predicted drawdowns in both aquifers are biased and dispersed. While the second approach produces scenario‐dependent T spatial distributions capturing the general pattern of the aquifer, the T fields consistently yield better drawdown predictions than those based on the first approach. Lastly, the joint interpretation approach reduces the scenario dependence of the T estimates and improves the quality of the T estimates as more data sets from sequential pumping tests are included. More importantly, the resultant T estimates lead to the best prediction of different flow events. The robustness of the joint interpretation is then elucidated.
Bayesian sediment transport model for unisize bed load
Authors: Schmelter M. L. , Hooten M. B. , Stevens D. K.
Published: September 2011

Fluvial sediment transport studies have long underscored the difficulty in reliably estimating transport model parameters, collecting accurate observations, and making predictions because of measurement error, natural variability, and conceptual model uncertainty. Thus, there is a need to identify modeling frameworks that accommodate these realities while incorporating functional relationships, providing probability‐based predictions, and accommodating for conceptual model discrimination. Bayesian statistical approaches have been widely used in a number of disciplines to accomplish just this, yet applications in sediment transport are few. In this paper we propose and demonstrate a Bayesian statistical approach to a simple sediment transport problem as a means to overcome some of these challenges. This approach provides a means to rigorously estimate model parameter distributions, such as critical shear, given observations of sediment transport; provides probabilistically based predictions that are robust and easily interpretable; facilitates conceptual model discrimination; and incorporates expert judgment into model inference and predictions. We demonstrate a simple unisize sediment transport model and test it against simulated observations for which the “true” model parameters are known. Experimental flume observations were also used to assess the proposed model's robustness. Results indicate that such a modeling approach is valid and presents an opportunity for more complex models to be built in the Bayesian framework.
The interaction of the second Kunitz-type domain (KD2) of TFPI-2 with a novel interaction partner, prosaposin, mediates the inhibition of the invasion and migration of human fibrosarcoma cells
Authors: Xu Chundi , Deng Fenge , Mao Zuohua , Zhang Jing , Wang Huijun , Wang Jiping , Mu Jingui , Deng Shanshan , Ma Duan
Published: September 2011

TFPI-2 (tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2) has recently been recognized as a new tumour suppressor gene. Low expression of this protein in several types of cancers allows for enhanced tumour growth, invasion and metastasis. To investigate the molecular mechanism responsible for the tumour-suppressor effects of TFPI-2, we performed yeast two-hybrid analysis and identified PSAP (prosaposin) as a TFPI-2-interacting partner. This interaction was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence. The region of TFPI-2 that interacts with PSAP is located in the KD2 (Kunitz-type domain 2). Further study showed that PSAP does not affect the function of TFPI-2 as a serine proteinase inhibitor, but that TFPI-2 could inhibit the invasion-promoting effects of PSAP in human HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells. The results of the present study revealed that TFPI-2 interacts with PSAP, which may play an important role in the physiology and pathology of diseases such as cancer.
PDZ domains: the building blocks regulating tumorigenesis
Authors: Subbaiah Vanitha Krishna , Kranjec Christian , Thomas Miranda , Banks Lawrence
Published: September 2011

Over 250 PDZ (PSD95/Dlg/ZO-1) domain-containing proteins have been described in the human proteome. As many of these possess multiple PDZ domains, the potential combinations of associations with proteins that possess PBMs (PDZ-binding motifs) are vast. However, PDZ domain recognition is a highly specific process, and much less promiscuous than originally thought. Furthermore, a large number of PDZ domain-containing proteins have been linked directly to the control of processes whose loss, or inappropriate activation, contribute to the development of human malignancies. These regulate processes as diverse as cytoskeletal organization, cell polarity, cell proliferation and many signal transduction pathways. In the present review, we discuss how PBM–PDZ recognition and imbalances therein can perturb cellular homoeostasis and ultimately contribute to malignant progression.
Structure and properties of the Ca2+-binding CUB domain, a widespread ligand-recognition unit involved in major biological functions
Authors: Gaboriaud Christine , Gregory-Pauron Lynn , Teillet Florence , Thielens Nicole M. , Bally Isabelle , Arlaud Gérard J.
Published: September 2011

CUB domains are 110-residue protein motifs exhibiting a β-sandwich fold and mediating protein–protein interactions in various extracellular proteins. Recent X-ray structural and mutagenesis studies have led to the identification of a particular CUB domain subset, cbCUB (Ca2+-binding CUB domain). Unlike other CUB domains, these harbour a homologous Ca2+-binding site that underlies a conserved binding site mediating ionic interaction between two of the three conserved acidic Ca2+ ligands and a basic (lysine or arginine) residue of a protein ligand, similar to the interactions mediated by the low-density lipoprotein receptor family. cbCUB-mediated protein–ligand interactions usually involve multipoint attachment through several cbCUBs, resulting in high-affinity binding through avidity, despite the low affinity of individual interactions. The aim of the present review is to summarize our current knowledge about the structure and functions of cbCUBs, which represent the majority of the known CUB repertoire and are involved in a variety of major biological functions, including immunity and development, as well as in various cancer types. Examples discussed in the present review include a wide range of soluble and membrane-associated human proteins, as well as some archaeal and invertebrate proteins. The fact that these otherwise unrelated proteins share a common Ca2+-dependent ligand-binding ability suggests a mechanism inheri-ted from very primitive ancestors. The information provided in the present review should stimulate further investigations on the crucial interactions mediated by cbCUB-containing proteins.
Exploring Co2MnAl Heusler compound for anomalous Hall effect sensors
Authors: Vilanova Vidal E. , Stryganyuk G. , Schneider H. , Felser C. , Jakob G.
Published: September 2011

Sets of Heusler compound Co2MnAl thin films were grown on MgO (100) and Si (100) substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Composition, magnetic, and transport properties were studied systematically for samples deposited at different conditions. In particular, the anomalous Hall effect resistivity presents an extraordinarily temperature independent behavior in a moderate magnetic field range from 0 to 0.6 T. We analyzed the off-diagonal transport at temperatures up to 300 °C. Our data show the suitability of the material for Hall sensors working well above room temperature.
Size-dependent model for thin film and nanowire thermal conductivity
Authors: McGaughey Alan J. H. , Landry Eric S. , Sellan Daniel P. , Amon Cristina H.
Published: September 2011

We present an analytical model for the size-dependence of thin film and nanowire thermal conductivity and compare the predictions to experimental measurements on silicon nanostructures. The model contains no fitting parameters and only requires the bulk lattice constant, bulk thermal conductivity, and an acoustic phonon speed as inputs. By including the mode-dependence of the phonon lifetimes resulting from phonon-phonon and phonon-boundary scattering, the model captures the approach to the bulk thermal conductivity of the experimental data better than gray models based on a single lifetime.
Electronic structure of the nitride-like structures formed on platinum and titanium nanoclusters
Authors: Grishin M. , Gatin A. , Kharitonov V. , Shub B.
Published: September 2011

The molecular nitrogen adsorption on single titanium and platinum nanoclusters was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy with the “inverted” mode of spectroscopic measurements. Certain physical characteristics of electron structure of surface covered with adsorbed nitrogen were discovered.
Human sweet taste receptor mediates acid-induced sweetness of miraculin
Authors: Koizumi Ayako , Tsuchiya Asami , Nakajima Ken-ichiro , Ito Keisuke , Terada Tohru , Shimizu-Ibuka Akiko , Briand Loïc , Asakura Tomiko , Misaka Takumi , Abe Keiko
Published: September 2011

Miraculin (MCL) is a homodimeric protein isolated from the red berries of
Richadella dulcifica
. MCL, although flat in taste at neutral pH, has taste-modifying activity to convert sour stimuli to sweetness. Once MCL is held on the tongue, strong sweetness is sensed over 1 h each time we taste a sour solution. Nevertheless, no molecular mechanism underlying the taste-modifying activity has been clarified. In this study, we succeeded in quantitatively evaluating the acid-induced sweetness of MCL using a cell-based assay system and found that MCL activated hT1R2-hT1R3 pH-dependently as the pH decreased from 6.5 to 4.8, and that the receptor activation occurred every time an acid solution was applied. Although MCL per se is sensory-inactive at pH 6.7 or higher, it suppressed the response of hT1R2-hT1R3 to other sweeteners at neutral pH and enhanced the response at weakly acidic pH. Using human/mouse chimeric receptors and molecular modeling, we revealed that the amino-terminal domain of hT1R2 is required for the response to MCL. Our data suggest that MCL binds hT1R2-hT1R3 as an antagonist at neutral pH and functionally changes into an agonist at acidic pH, and we conclude this may cause its taste-modifying activity.
Protein delivery using engineered virus-like particles
Authors: Kaczmarczyk Stanislaw J. , Sitaraman Kalavathy , Young Howard A. , Hughes Stephen H. , Chatterjee Deb K.
Published: September 2011

Over the years, researchers have developed several methods to deliver macromolecules into the cytosol and nucleus of living cells. However, there are limitations to all of these methods. The problems include (
i
) inefficient uptake, (
ii
) endosomal entrapment, (
iii
) delivery that is restricted to certain cell types, and (
iv
) damage to cells in the delivery process. Retroviral vectors are often used for gene delivery; however, integration of the genome of retroviral vector into the host genome can have serious consequences. Here we describe a safe alternative in which virus-like particles (VLPs), derived from an avian retrovirus, are used to deliver protein to cells. We show that these VLPs are a highly adaptable platform that can be used to deliver proteins either as part of Gag fusion proteins (intracellular delivery) or on the surface of VLPs. We generated VLPs that contain Gag-Cre recombinase, Gag-Fcy::Fur, and Gag-human caspase-8 as a proof-of-concept and demonstrated that the encapsidated proteins are active in recipient cells. In addition, we show that murine IFN-γ and human TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand can be displayed on the surface of VLPs, and that these modified VLPs can cause the appropriate response in cells, as evidenced by phosphorylation of STAT1 and induction of cell death, respectively.
PI3Kγ within a nonhematopoietic cell type negatively regulates diet-induced thermogenesis and promotes obesity and insulin resistance
Authors: Becattini Barbara , Marone Romina , Zani Fabio , Arsenijevic Denis , Seydoux Josiane , Montani Jean-Pierre , Dulloo Abdul G. , Thorens Bernard , Preitner Frédéric , Wymann Matthias P. , Solinas Giovanni
Published: September 2011

Obesity is associated with a chronic low-grade inflammation, and specific antiinflammatory interventions may be beneficial for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related diseases. The lipid kinase PI3Kγ is a central proinflammatory signal transducer that plays a major role in leukocyte chemotaxis, mast cell degranulation, and endothelial cell activation. It was also reported that PI3Kγ activity within hematopoietic cells plays an important role in obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance. Here, we show that protection from insulin resistance, metabolic inflammation, and fatty liver in mice lacking functional PI3Kγ is largely consequent to their leaner phenotype. We also show that this phenotype is largely based on decreased fat gain, despite normal caloric intake, consequent to increased energy expenditure. Furthermore, our data show that PI3Kγ action on diet-induced obesity depends on PI3Kγ activity within a nonhematopoietic compartment, where it promotes energetic efficiency for fat mass gain. We also show that metabolic modulation by PI3Kγ depends on its lipid kinase activity and might involve kinase-independent signaling. Thus, PI3Kγ is an unexpected but promising drug target for the treatment of obesity and its complications.
Genomic and physiological footprint of theDeepwater Horizonoil spill on resident marsh fishes
Authors: Whitehead Andrew , Dubansky Benjamin , Bodinier Charlotte , Garcia Tzintzuni I. , Miles Scott , Pilley Chet , Raghunathan Vandana , Roach Jennifer L. , Walker Nan , Walter Ronald B. , Rice Charles D. , Galvez Fernando
Published: September 2011

The biological consequences of theDeepwater Horizonoil spill are unknown, especially for resident organisms. Here, we report results from a field study tracking the effects of contaminating oil across space and time in resident killifish during the first 4 mo of the spill event. Remote sensing and analytical chemistry identified exposures, which were linked to effects in fish characterized by genome expression and associated gill immunohistochemistry, despite very low concentrations of hydrocarbons remaining in water and tissues. Divergence in genome expression coincides with contaminating oil and is consistent with genome responses that are predictive of exposure to hydrocarbon-like chemicals and indicative of physiological and reproductive impairment. Oil-contaminated waters are also associated with aberrant protein expression in gill tissues of larval and adult fish. These data suggest that heavily weathered crude oil from the spill imparts significant biological impacts in sensitive Louisiana marshes, some of which remain for over 2 mo following initial exposures.
An algorithm-based topographical biomaterials library to instruct cell fate
Authors: Unadkat Hemant V. , Hulsman Marc , Cornelissen Kamiel , Papenburg Bernke J. , Truckenmüller Roman K. , Carpenter Anne E. , Wessling Matthias , Post Gerhard F. , Uetz Marc , Reinders Marcel J. T. , Stamatialis Dimitrios , van Blitterswijk Clemens A. , de Boer Jan
Published: September 2011

It is increasingly recognized that material surface topography is able to evoke specific cellular responses, endowing materials with instructive properties that were formerly reserved for growth factors. This opens the window to improve upon, in a cost-effective manner, biological performance of any surface used in the human body. Unfortunately, the interplay between surface topographies and cell behavior is complex and still incompletely understood. Rational approaches to search for bioactive surfaces will therefore omit previously unperceived interactions. Hence, in the present study, we use mathematical algorithms to design nonbiased, random surface features and produce chips of poly(lactic acid) with 2,176 different topographies. With human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) grown on the chips and using high-content imaging, we reveal unique, formerly unknown, surface topographies that are able to induce MSC proliferation or osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, we correlate parameters of the mathematical algorithms to cellular responses, which yield novel design criteria for these particular parameters. In conclusion, we demonstrate that randomized libraries of surface topographies can be broadly applied to unravel the interplay between cells and surface topography and to find improved material surfaces.
mTOR links incretin signaling to HIF induction in pancreatic beta cells
Authors: Van de Velde Sam , Hogan Meghan F. , Montminy Marc
Published: September 2011

Under feeding conditions, the incretin hormone GLP-1 promotes pancreatic islet viability by triggering the cAMP pathway in beta cells. Increases in PKA activity stimulate the phosphorylation of CREB, which in turn enhances beta cell survival by upregulating IRS2 expression. Although sustained GLP-1 action appears important for its salutary effects on islet function, the transient nature of CREB activation has pointed to the involvement of additional nuclear factors in this process. Following the acute induction of CREB-regulated genes, cAMP triggers a second delayed phase of gene expression that proceeds via the HIF transcription factor. Increases in cAMP promote the accumulation of HIF1α in beta cells by activating the mTOR pathway. As exposure to rapamycin disrupts GLP-1 effects on beta cell viability, these results demonstrate how a pathway associated with tumor growth also mediates salutary effects of an incretin hormone on pancreatic islet function.
Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for PAT protein detection in genetically modified rape
Authors: Wen-Tao Xu , Kun-Lun Huang , Ai-Ke Deng , Yun-Bo Luo
Published: September 2011

We have developed and applied an immunoassay method to detect genetically modified (GM) rape containing phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT). The purified PAT was identified by Western blotting and enzymic activity analysis. The polyclonal antibody against purified PAT protein was obtained and purified by both a saturated ammonium sulphate method and protein A-Sepharose 4B. The sensitivity and cross-reactivity of the polyclonal antibody has been demonstrated in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The result of the ELISA for antiserum sensitivity was about 2×10−5mg/ml and the cross-reactivity determined experimentally showed a high degree of specificity for the antiserum used, because values were all less than 0.1%. Detection of transgenic plants was evaluated using two transgenic rape lines (MS1/RF1 and MS8/RF3) which could be easily distinguished by ELISA.
Differential Survival amongsSOD‐1*Genotypes in Chinook Salmon
Authors: Hayes Michael C. , Reisenbichler Reginald R. , Rubin Stephen P. , Wetzel Lisa A. , Marshall Anne R.
Published: September 2011

Differential survival and growth were tested in Chinook salmonOncorhynchus tshawytschaexpressing two common alleles,*–100and*–260, at the superoxide dismutase locus (sSOD‐1*). These tests were necessary to support separate studies in which the two alleles were used as genetic marks under the assumption of mark neutrality. Heterozygous adults were used to produce progeny with–100/–100, –100/–260, and–260/–260genotypes that were reared in two natural streams and two hatcheries in the states of Washington and Oregon. The latter also were evaluated as returning adults. In general, the genotype ratios of juveniles reared at hatcheries were consistent with high survival and little or no differential survival in the hatchery. Adult returns at one hatchery were significantly different from the expected proportions, and the survival of the–260/–260genotype was 0.56–0.89 times that of the–100/–100genotype over four year‐classes. Adult returns at a second hatchery (one year‐class) were similar but not statistically significant: survival of the–260/–260genotype relative to the–100/–100genotype was 0.76. The performance of the heterozygote group was intermediate at both hatcheries. Significant differences in growth were rarely observed among hatchery fish (one year‐class of juveniles and one age‐class of adult males) but were consistent with greater performance for the–100/–100genotype. Results from two groups of juveniles reared in streams (one year‐class from each stream) suggested few differences in growth, but the observed genotype ratios were significantly different from the expected ratios in one stream. Those differences were consistent with the adult data; survival for the–260/–260genotype was 76% of that of the–100/–100genotype. These results, which indicate nonneutrality amongsSOD‐1*genotypes, caused us to modify our related studies and suggest caution in the interpretation of results and analyses in which allozyme marks are assumed to be neutral.
An Expanded Role for the Mailes Committee
Authors: Schulz Ann T.
Published: September 2011

Seven years ago, a political report published by Echo of Iran raised the issue of the difficulty with which the Iranian political elite distinguishes between criticism and subversion. There is still only a hazy boundary separating treason from the lesser evil. Just one example of this level of debate was the suggestion by the “opposition” Mardom Party Newspaper that to attribute administrative misdemeanors to either ministers or to the Imperial Inspectorate was to commit treason.

One of the distressing effects of the failure to make this distinction in contemporary Iran is that a generation may appear which is loyal to the monarchy but which holds attitudes counter-productive to the espoused long-run political goals of the Shah. The attitudes to which I refer include the rejection of policy-oriented political activity and a flexible bargaining stance in the resolution of social problems. This writer met a number of young people in Iran who saw general disorder as the only alternative to the tight rein with which the Shah attempts to guide political activity.
Economic Change and Economic Resiliency in 19th Century Persia
Authors: McDaniel Robert A.
Published: September 2011

The history of Iran, in the years just before World War I is dominated by a general institutional crisis called the Persian Constitutional Revolution. Although the narrative line most often followed through those years is a sequence of political and military encounters, the revolution was in fact a systemic crisis which affected nearly all of the institutions that contained the Persian people. Like all revolutions, however, it had its own idea of what it was up to; in fact, it had several. In common with other modern revolutions, it held the principle to be self-evident that through the revolution a new freedom was being created and a corrupt tyranny destroyed. Such views were, of course,rationales not interpretations of history, but like the latter they extended backward in time to describe the period before the revolution. In short, they explained not only what the revolutionaries themselves were doing, but what much of the history of Qajar Persia amounted to.
Structural Impediments to Change in the Qazvin Bazaar
Authors: Rotblat Howard J.
Published: September 2011

The belief that entrepreneurship, i.e., the predisposition towards risk-taking and innovative behavior in commercial situations, is the key factor in economic development is still widely held by social scientists and developmental planning experts. Based upon the theoretical positions of economists, such as Schumpeter, entrepreneurial historians and many sociologists, the occurrence of economic development is explained by the presence of individuals whose actions promote capital accumulation, rational allocation of resources, and the like for their own benefit and, as a consequence, for the benefit of society. Often intertwined is the belief that the shaping force behind the structure of society and its processes of change are values exemplified by Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, the classic statement of this position.
Family Planning in Iran: Results of a Survey and a Mass Media Campaign
Authors: Lieberman Samuel S.
Published: September 2011

This article presents some of the general findings and, in particular, the information on family planning practice in Isfahan City and Ostan compiled in two phases of the Isfahan Communications Project (ICP). In terms of information generated, the project had two main stages: (1) the ostan-wide sample presurvey (May, 1970), and (2) the ostan-wide mass media campaign (August, 1970-March, 1971). The presurvey was made to obtain demographic information and data on the knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) of family planning among the population and their exposure to the various media. The media campaign was directed at those couples who because of their media behavior and previous experiences with contraception were thought to be predisposed to adopt modern family planning methods.
The Ornament of the Saints: The Religious Situation in Iran in Pre-Safavid Times
Authors: Schimmel Annemarie
Published: September 2011

Shortly after the year 1000, Abū Nuᶜaym al-Iṣfahānī (948-1037), the author of a historical study about his hometown, called a ten volume work on Muslim hagiography with a poignant title, Ḥilyat al-auliyā, “The Ornament of the Saints.” At that moment, the learned and pious author, grandson of a noted aesthetic, could scarcely foresee that Iran would indeed deserve the epithet of being “decorated by saints” during the centuries to come even more than before Abū Nuᶜaym's lifetime. Therefore, it seems not improper to take this charming title as a starting point for some deliberations about the religious situation in early Muslim Iran.

Abū Nuᶜaym was one of the numerous disciples of Ibn Khafīf, the great saint of Fars who died, a centenarian, in 982 in his hometown Shiraz. We may single out this mystic for our purpose to give a short survey of pre-Safavid religious life in Iran.
Stylistic Tendencies at the Time of Shah ᶜabbas
Authors: Ettinghausen Richard
Published: September 2011

Among the many creative periods in the artistic history of Isfahan, two are outstanding: that of the Seljuqs in the eleventh and twelfth centuries and that of Shāh ᶜAbbās I (1587-1629). But, while the Seljuq period is primarily represented by one monument, the Masjid-i Jamīᶜ, that of Shāh ᶜAbbās is mirrored not only by many important buildings of great aesthetic appeal, but by the decorative arts, paintings, and drawings as well. Indeed, it presents itself in such a characteristic manner that one can readily compare it with any of the great artistic periods of Western art, such as the Gothic or Baroque ages, where architecture, sculpture, painting and the decorative arts are all unmistakably stamped with the specific imprint of the time.