bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration of solar generation into electricity markets: an Australian National Electricity Market case study
Authors: Gilmore Joel , Vanderwaal Ben , Rose Ian , Riesz Jenny
Published: December 2014

Historically, solar photovoltaic (PV) generation has been able to claim a significant ‘premium’ in revenues over other generation types because of its correlation in operation with peak demand (and therefore high priced) periods. However, similar to many international markets, recent conditions in the Australian National Electricity Market, including low demand, high levels of rooftop PV generation and oversupply of capacity, are found to have eliminated the revenue premium for solar. Half‐hourly modelling to 2030 illustrates that historical premiums are unlikely to resurface. Storage is shown to increase solar revenues at high penetrations, but can have a detrimental effect on solar revenues at lower solar penetration levels. Therefore at high solar penetration levels, solar generators will be incentivised to develop storage assets, since they can capture additional portfolio market benefits by minimising the decline in solar premiums because of the merit order effect. In contrast, most other market participants will find storage detrimental to revenues because of increasing competition during high priced periods, and will therefore have less incentive to include storage in their portfolios.
Assessment of a low‐profile planar antenna for a wireless sensor network monitoring the local water distribution network
Authors: Herbert Steven , Loh Tian‐Hong , Wassell Ian
Published: December 2014

This study presents an assessment on the suitability of a low‐profile planar antenna for a wireless sensor network (WSN) application monitoring the water supply at fire hydrants (FHs). The antenna must have a low profile so that it can be mounted on the FH lid; it must have an omnidirectional radiation pattern so that it can communicate with base stations at low elevations; and it must operate in the 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band. Measurements show that for the majority of the 2.4 GHz ISM band, the antenna has a return loss of at least −10 dB and efficiency greater than 60%. For the FH WSN assessment, the antenna was deployed as a transmitter mounted on the FH lid above the underground FH chamber and a vertically polarised monopole antenna mounted on a mast at various specified heights above ground level was used to measure the received power as a function of distance. The path loss results were compared with those from a previous deployment, where the FH antenna was located in the FH chamber, and it is found that using the low‐profile antenna reduced the path loss by at least 10 dB over the measured transmitter and receiver separation.
Rewriting the rules of kirigami
Authors: Smart Ashley G.
Published: December 2014

Practiced on a lattice instead of paper, the art of cutting, folding, and pasting takes on new scientific significance.
Brilliant new x-ray source is up and running at Brookhaven
Authors: Kramer David
Published: December 2014

The National Synchrotron Light Source II will produce intense beams to reveal details of complex materials.
The origin of quark color
Authors: Greenberg O. W.
Published: December 2014

Some 50 years ago, just for fun, I began playing around with different types of particle statistics. Those investigations led to a surprising application.
Quantum black holes
Authors: Dvali Georgi
Published: December 2014

Living in a middle ground between the light fundamental entities of particle physics and the massive black holes of astrophysics are objects that trap light but don’t obey classical rules.
Aldosterone Levels, Aortic Stiffness, and Wave Reflection in Essential Hypertensive Patients
Authors: Tzamou Vanessa , Kyvelou Stella-Maria , Karpanou Eva , Petras Dimitrios , Vyssoulis Gregory
Published: December 2014

BACKGROUND

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the grade of arterial stiffening, in relation to aldosterone (ALDO) and plasma renin activity (PRA) levels, in essential never-treated hypertensive patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We studied 1,330 consecutive patients without clinical and/or laboratory findings of primary or secondary aldosteronism. Arterial stiffness indices Aix75 and carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVc-f) were measured and a 24-hour urine collection for ALDO was carried out to classify patients with low ALDO <12 mcg/24 hours and high ALDO >12 but <24 mcg/24 hours. Patients were divided according to PRA (high PRA > 1ng/ml/hour, low PRA < 1ng/ml/hour) and ALDO levels (high ALDO > 12 but <24 mcg/24 hours, low ALDO < 12 mcg/24 hours) in four groups. Also patients were grouped according to serum ALDO quartiles, 24-hour urine ALDO quartiles, PRA quartiles, and serum ALDO/PRA quartiles.

RESULTS

Patients were classified in 4 groups: group I (high ALDO and low PRA), group II (high ALDO and high PRA), group III (low ALDO and low PRA), and finally group IV (low ALDO and high PRA). PWVc-f and AoAIx75 were significantly higher in group I followed by group II, III, and IV (P < 0.001). Comparison of arterial stiffness indices according to PRA quartiles and PWVc-f and AoAIx75 showed significantly higher in the 1st quartile compared to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, respectively (P < 0.001). PWVc-f and AoAIx75 were also compared among the four quartiles of aldosterone-renin ratio and they were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the 4th quartile followed by the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Arterial stiffness indices are higher among essential hypertensive patients with high normal serum and urine ALDO levels, pointing to a causal relationship between renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system activation and large artery properties.
Hypertension in Reproductive-Aged Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Association With Obesity
Authors: Joham Anju E. , Boyle Jacqueline A. , Zoungas Sophia , Teede Helena J.
Published: December 2014

BACKGROUND

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder with metabolic complications, yet the prevalence of hypertension is unclear. We aim to assess hypertension prevalence and the impact of obesity in women reporting PCOS compared to those not reporting PCOS.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from a large longitudinal study, the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH). Women from the general community were randomly selected from the national health insurance database. Standardized data collection occurred at 6 survey time points. Data from Survey 4 in 2006 (n = 8,612, age: 28–33 years) were examined for this study. The main outcome measures studied were self-reported PCOS and hypertension.

RESULTS

Reported PCOS prevalence was 5.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 5.3%–6.4%). Women with PCOS had higher body mass index (BMI). Hypertension prevalence was 5.5% (95% CI: 3.3–7.7) in women reporting PCOS and 2.0% (95% CI: 1.6–2.3) in women not reporting PCOS (P < 0.001). Hypertension was associated with BMI (odds ratio: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.05–1.10, P < 0.001) with a trend towards an association with PCOS (P = 0.09). On subgroup analysis, hypertension was not associated with BMI in women reporting PCOS but was associated in those not reporting PCOS.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large community-based cohort, we note increased prevalence of hypertension and higher BMI in young women reporting PCOS. BMI association with hypertension appeared clear in women not reporting PCOS. Yet in women with PCOS, hypertension appeared to not be associated with BMI, akin to observations on diabetes risk in PCOS, suggesting that metabolic abnormalities in PCOS may be independent of BMI.
A Consensus Development Conference Model for Establishing Health Policy for Surveillance and Screening of Antimicrobial-Resistant Organisms
Authors: Buick Steve , Joffe A. Mark , Taylor Geoffrey , Conly John
Published: December 2014

The Canadian Consensus Development Conference on Surveillance and Screening for Antimicrobial-Resistant Organisms (AROs) was sponsored by the Alberta Ministry of Health to provide evidence to update policies for ARO screening in acute care settings. A rigorous evidence-based literature review completed before the conference concluded that that neither universal nor targeted screening of patients was associated with a reduction in hospital-acquired ARO colonization, infection, morbidity, or mortality. Leading international clinicians, scientists, academics, policy makers, and administrators presented current evidence and clinical experience, focusing on whether and how hospitals should screen patients for AROs as part of broader ARO control strategies. An unbiased and independent “jury” with a broad base of expertise from complementary disciplines considered the evidence and released a consensus statement of 22 recommendations. Policy highlights included developing an integrated “One Health” strategy, fully resourcing basic infection control practices, not performing universal screening, and focusing original research to determine what works.
NY Serpentis: SU UMa-type nova in the period gap with diversity of normal outbursts
Authors: Pavlenko Elena P. , Kato Taichi , Antonyuk Oksana I. , Ohshima Tomohito , Hambsch Franz-Josef , Antonyuk Kirill A. , Sosnovskij Aleksei A. , Baklanov Alex V. , Shugarov Sergey Yu. , Pit Nikolaj V. , Nakata Chikako , Masi Gianluca , Nakajima Kazuhiro , Maehara Hiroyuki , Dubovsky Pavol A. , Kudzej Igor , Andreev Maksim V. , Kuznyetsova Yuliana G. , Vasiliskov Kirill A.
Published: December 2014

We present a photometric study of NY Ser, an in-the-gap SU UMa-type nova, in 2002 and 2013. We determined the duration of its superoutburst and the mean period of its superhump are 18 d and 0.10458 d, respectively. We detected in 2013 that NY Ser showed two distinct states separated by a superoutburst. A state of rather infrequent normal outbursts lasted at least 44 d before the superoutburst, and a state of frequent outbursts started immediately after the superoutburst and lasted at least 34 d. Unlike a typical SU UMa star with a bimodal distribution of outburst duration, NY Ser displayed a diversity of normal outbursts. In the state of infrequent outbursts, we detected a wide ∼ 12 d outburst accompanied by 0.098 d orbital modulation but without superhumps ever established in NY Ser. We classified this as a “wide normal outburst.” The orbital period was dominant both in quiescence and during normal outbursts in this state. In the state of the most frequent normal outbursts, the 0.10465 d positive superhump period was dominant and coexisted with the orbital modulation. In 2002 we detected the normal outburst of “intermediate” 5–6 d duration that was also accompanied by orbital modulations.
DNA-guided establishment of canonical nucleosome patterns in a eukaryotic genome
Authors: Beh Leslie Y. , Kaplan Noam , Müller Manuel M. , Muir Tom W. , Landweber Laura F.
Published: December 2014

A conserved hallmark of eukaryotic chromatin architecture is the distinctive array of well-positioned nucleosomes downstream of transcription start sites (TSS). Recent studies indicate thattrans-acting factors establish this stereotypical array. Here, we present the first genome-widein vitroandin vivonucleosome maps for the ciliateTetrahymena thermophila. In contrast with previous studies in yeast, we find that the stereotypical nucleosome array is preserved in thein vitroreconstituted map, which is governed only by the DNA sequence preferences of nucleosomes. Remarkably, this averagein vitropattern arises from the presence of subsets of nucleosomes, rather than the whole array, in individualTetrahymenagenes. Variation in GC content contributes to the positioning of these sequence-directed nucleosomes, and affects codon usage and amino acid composition in genes. We propose that these ‘seed’ nucleosomes may aid the AT-richTetrahymenagenome – which is intrinsically unfavorable for nucleosome formation – in establishing nucleosome arraysin vivoin concert withtrans-acting factors, while minimizing changes to the coding sequences they are embedded within.
Division of Labor in Hand Usage Is Associated with Higher Hand Performance in Free-Ranging Bonnet Macaques, Macaca radiate
Authors: Mangalam Madhur , Desai Nisarg , Singh Mewa
Published: December 2014

Lateral asymmetries in body, brain, and cognition are ubiquitous among organisms. Asymmetries in motor-action patterns are a central theme of investigation, among others, as they are likely to have shaped primate evolution, and more specifically, their motor dexterity. Using an adaptationist approach one would argue that these asymmetries were evolutionarily selected because no bilateral organism can maneuver in three-dimensional space unless any one side becomes dominant and always takes the lead. However, which side becomes dominant is beyond the scope of this hypothesis as there is no apparent advantage or disadvantage associated with either the left or the right side. Both the evolutionary origin and adaptive significance of asymmetries in motor-action patterns remain largely unexplored. In the present study, we mathematically model how an asymmetry at a lower level could stimulate as well as govern asymmetries at the next higher level, and this process might reiterate; ultimately lateralizing the whole system. We then show by comparing two systems: one incorporating symmetric and the other incorporating asymmetric motor-action patterns, that (a) the asymmetric system performs better than the symmetric one in terms of time optimization, and (b) as the complexity of the task increases the advantage associated with asymmetries in the motor-action patterns increases. Our minimal model theoretically explains how lateral asymmetries could appear and evolve in a biological system using a systems theory approach.
Leukoderma in patients with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Kuriyama Sachiko , Kasuya Akira , Fujiyama Toshiharu , Tatsuno Kazuki , Sakabe Jun‐ichi , Yamaguchi Hayato , Ito Taisuke , Tokura Yoshiki
Published: December 2014

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is occasionally associated with vitiligo, however, the incidence and conditions of vitiligo or leukoderma, and the characteristics of concurrent AD, remain unclear. We conducted a prospective observational study to investigate the leukoderma‐related clinical manifestations and bioparameters of AD. Because vitiligo in AD lesions is occasionally associated with inflammation, we used leukoderma in this study. Enrolled were all AD patients who had been followed up in our AD outpatient clinic and visited within the previous 4 months. During this period, we carefully inspected whether the patients had leukoderma. Eight of 52 patients had leukoderma (15.4%) and were designated as the leukoderma group, and the remaining 44 patients comprised the non‐leukoderma group. While the ages were statistically not different between the two groups, female preponderance was significantly observed in the leukoderma group. The leukoderma patients tended to have higher values of SCORAD, CCL17/thymus and activation regulated chemokine and lactate dehydrogenase than the non‐leukoderma patients. The leukoderma group was also characterized by a lower frequency of allergic rhinitis and a higher frequency of prurigo lesions. Thus, despite the possession of high AD severity, the leukoderma patients may possibly retain a relatively T‐helper 1‐skewing state in relation to the development of leukoderma and less association with rhinitis.
Differences in thallus chemistry are related to species‐specific effects of biocrust‐forming lichens on soil nutrients and microbial communities
Authors: Delgado‐Baquerizo Manuel , Gallardo Antonio , Covelo Felisa , Prado‐Comesaña Ana , Ochoa Victoria , Maestre Fernando T.
Published: December 2014

It is well‐known that vascular plants have species‐specific effects on soil properties. However, little is known on how individual species forming biocrusts, communities dominated by lichens, mosses and cyanobacteria that are prevalent in many ecosystems world‐wide, affect microbial communities and soil variables related to nutrient cycling.

We evaluated the relationship of six biocrust‐forming lichens (Buellia epipolia, Diploschistes diacapsis, Fulgensia subbracteata, Psora decipiens, Squamarina cartilaginea and Squamarina lentigera) with microbial abundance and multiple variables associated with soil nitrogen (N), carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) cycling and storage. We also evaluated whether the composition of lichen tissues (contents in C, N, P and polyphenols) is related to the C, N, P availability and microbial abundance in soils. Finally, we assessed what lichen species positively and negatively relate to soil fertility compared to bare ground areas without biocrusts.

We found contrasted C, N, P availability and soil microbial abundance under the different biocrust‐forming lichens. Interestingly, inorganic P and amino acids were the most important factors differentiating lichen microsites. These differences in nutrient availability seem to be related to the C, N and P composition of the lichen tissues. For example, soils under D. diacapsis and P. decipiens, which had the lowest and highest C, N and P contents in their tissues, respectively, had the lowest and highest nutrient availability, respectively. We also found contrasted soil microbes abundance under the different soil lichens. For instance, F. subbracteata and D. diacapsis were negatively related to the abundance of bacteria compared to bare ground areas.

Our results support the idea that, as found with vascular plants, biocrust‐forming lichens have species‐specific effects on soil microbial communities and C, N and P cycling. Thus, continuing considering biocrusts as a unique entity will only add confusion to our knowledge of how they control nutrient availability and microbial abundance in the ecosystems where this key community is prevalent.
Detection and evolutionary analysis of picobirnaviruses in treated wastewater
Authors: Zhang Shiwei , Bai Ru , Feng Run , Zhang Hongxun , Liu Lixin
Published: December 2014

Wastewater contains numerous viruses. In this study, picobirnaviruses (PBVs) were detected in the stream of a wastewater treatment plant in Changsha, Hunan province, China, and evolutionary analysis of the isolated PBVs was performed. The phylogenetic tree revealed that the PBVs were highly divergent and could be classified into six distinct groups according to their hosts. Among these groups, pairwise comparison of the six groups revealed that the nucleotide distance of group 4 (bootstrap value = 0.92; nucleotide identity = 94%) was the largest. Thus, group 4 might represent a new division of PBVs. Comprehensive analysis of the obtained PBV sequences to investigate their evolutionary history and phylodynamics revealed that group 5 (PBVs from monkey) exhibited maximum polymorphism (K = 30.582, S = 74, η = 98, Pa = 47) and lowest nucleotide substitutions per site per year (6.54E‐3 subs per site per year), except group 4. Maximum clade credibility tree indicated that group 5 appeared earlier than the other groups. In conclusion, this study detected PBVs in treated wastewater in China, and identified a new PBV group. Furthermore, among these PBVs, group 5 was found to survive longer and present a balance between PBVs and their monkey host.
Metformin and its Effects on Myocardial Dimension and Left ventricular hypertrophy in Normotensive patients with Coronary Heart Disease (The MET‐REMODEL Study): Rationale and Design of the MET‐REMODEL Study
Authors: Mohan Mohapradeep , McSwiggan Stephen , Baig Fatima , Rutherford Lynn , Lang Chim C.
Published: December 2014

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common and independent risk factor for cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Controlling blood pressure is the standard approach to the management of LVH, but this is only partially effective as LVH also persists in normotensive patients. Apart from blood pressure (BP), other main risk factors associated with LVH are insulin resistance (IR) and central obesity. The diabetic medication, Metformin, reduces IR and aids weight loss and may therefore regress LVH. The MET REMODEL study will investigate the ability of Metformin to regress LVH in 64 patients with CAD. The MET‐REMODEL trial is a single‐center, phase IV, double blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of Metformin in regression of the independent cardiac risk factor of LVH in patients with CAD who are insulin resistant. A minimum of 64 adults with a history of CAD with LVH and IR will be randomized into two groups to receive, either Metformin XL or placebo. The primary endpoint of this trial is to investigate any change in left ventricular mass index. Secondary endpoints include changes to insulin resistance measured using fasting insulin resistance index (FIRI), obesity, LV size, and function and improvement in endothelial function. A positive result will assist clinicians to identify a new mechanism for LVH regression by administering Metformin XL. This may also lead to investigating the mortality benefit of Metformin in patients with CAD and LVH.
Tolerogenic dendritic cells: role and therapeutic implications in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Mok Mo Yin
Published: December 2014

Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen presenting cells that activate T cells and determine the outcome of immune response. In addition to their important function in defense against pathogens, DCs are increasingly recognized as playing a crucial role in the regulation of immune tolerance. Plasticity of DCs with different maturity status and functions enable them to be exploited as potential cell‐based therapy to restore immune tolerance in autoimmune diseases. Various ex vivo methods have been developed to generate stable tolerogenic DCs that are able to induce and maintain regulatory T cell homeostasis. The beneficial effect of tolerogenic DCs have been studied in murine autoimmune models with promising results. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic multi‐systemic autoimmune disease characterized by autoantibody production and deposition of immune complexes in organs. There are evidences that dysregulated DCs play a pivotal role in the initiation and perpetuation of lupus disease. Peripheral blood monocytes in SLE patients were found to have active phenotype with accelerated differentiation into DCs efficient in antigen presentation. Plasmacytoid DCs in SLE patients produce high levels of interferon‐alpha, the signature cytokine of this disease, that cause a positive feedback loop in the amplification of activation of innate and adaptive immunity. Furthermore, manipulation of DCs via toll‐like receptor knockout in a murine lupus model leads to alteration in disease severity and survival. Thus, tolerogenic DCs may appear as a potential cell‐based therapeutic option in SLE.
P2Y2 receptor activation decreases blood pressure via intermediate conductance potassium channels and connexin 37
Authors: Dominguez Rieg J. A. , Burt J. M. , Ruth P. , Rieg T.
Published: December 2014

Aims

Nucleotides are important paracrine regulators of vascular tone. We previously demonstrated that activation of P2Y2 receptors causes an acute, NO‐independent decrease in blood pressure, indicating this signalling pathway requires an endothelial‐derived hyperpolarization (EDH) response. To define the mechanisms by which activation of P2Y2 receptors initiates EDH and vasodilation, we studied intermediate‐conductance (KCa3.1, expressed in endothelial cells) and big‐conductance potassium channels (KCa1.1, expressed in smooth muscle cells) as well as components of the myoendothelial gap junction, connexins 37 and 40 (Cx37, Cx40), all hypothesized to be part of the EDH response.

Methods

We compared the effects of a P2Y2/4 receptor agonist in wild‐type (WT) mice and in mice lacking KCa3.1, KCa1.1, Cx37 or Cx40 under anaesthesia, while monitoring intra‐arterial blood pressure and heart rate.

Results

Acute activation of P2Y2/4 receptors (0.01–3 mg kg−1 body weight i.v.) caused a biphasic blood pressure response characterized by a dose‐dependent and rapid decrease in blood pressure in WT (maximal response % of baseline at 3 mg kg−1: −38 ± 1%) followed by a consecutive increase in blood pressure (+44 ± 11%). The maximal responses in KCa3.1−/− and Cx37−/− were impaired (−13 ± 5, +17 ± 7 and −27 ± 1, +13 ± 3% respectively), whereas the maximal blood pressure decrease in response to acetylcholine at 3 μg kg−1 was not significantly different (WT: −53 ± 3%; KCa3.1−/−: −52 ± 3; Cx37−/−: −53 ± 3%). KCa1.1−/− and Cx40−/− showed an identical biphasic response to P2Y2/4 receptor activation compared to WT.

Conclusions

The data suggest that the P2Y2/4 receptor activation elicits blood pressure responses via distinct mechanisms involving KCa3.1 and Cx37.
The Social Psychology of the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election: An Introduction
Authors: Lanning Kevin
Published: December 2014

This essay introduces Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy's collection of papers on the social psychology of the 2012 election, framing it in terms of two prior collections. The papers are described as reflecting four themes: President or Barack Obama's path from outsider to incumbent, the nation's shift toward increasingly racialized politics, contemporary perceptions of “Americanness,” and the role of moral values in political engagement.
The early history of the eosinophil
Authors: Kay A. B.
Published: December 2014

In 1879 Paul Ehrlich published his technique for staining blood films and his method for differential blood cell counting using coal tar dyes and mentions the eosinophil for the first time. Eosin is a bright red synthetic dye produced by the action of bromine on fluorescein and stains basic proteins due to its acidic nature. It was discovered in 1874 by Heinrich Caro, Director of the German chemical company Badische Anilin‐ und Soda‐Fabrik. Ehrlich introduced the term ‘eosinophil’ to describe cells with granules (which he called alpha‐granules) having an affinity for eosin and other acid dyes. He also observed black‐staining, indulinophilic, beta‐granules in bone marrow‐derived eosinophils, which were probably immature crystalloid granules in eosinophil myelocytes. Ehrlich described the features of the alpha‐granule and the cell's distribution in various species and tissues. He speculated correctly that the alpha‐granule contents were secretory products and described several causes of eosinophilia including asthma, various skin diseases, helminths and reactions to medications. However, the cell was almost certainly observed by others before Ehrlich. In 1846 Thomas Wharton Jones (1808–1891) described ‘granule blood cells’ in the lamprey, frog, fowl, horse, elephant and man. He ‘borrowed’ the term granule cell from Julius Vogel (1814–1880) who had observed similar cells in inflammatory exudates. Vogel in turn was aware of the work of the Gottlieb (Théophile) Gluge (1812–1898) who used the term ‘compound inflammatory globules’ to describe cells in pus and serum. Almost 20 years before Ehrlich developed his staining methods, Max Johann Sigismund Schultze (1825–1874) performed functional experiments on coarse granular cells using a warm stage microscopic technique and showed they had amoeboid movement and phagocytic abilities. Although these early investigators recognised distinct granular cells Ehrlich's use of stains was a landmark contribution, which heralded modern studies on eosinophils and other blood leucocytes.
Conservation planning in agricultural landscapes: hotspots of conflict between agriculture and nature
Authors: Shackelford Gorm E. , Steward Peter R. , German Richard N. , Sait Steven M. , Benton Tim G.
Published: December 2014

Aim

Conservation conflict takes place where food production imposes a cost on wildlife conservation and vice versa. Where does conservation impose the maximum cost on production, by opposing the intensification and expansion of farmland? Where does conservation confer the maximum benefit on wildlife, by buffering and connecting protected areas with a habitable and permeable matrix of crop and non‐crop habitat? Our aim was to map the costs and benefits of conservation versus production and thus to propose a conceptual framework for systematic conservation planning in agricultural landscapes.

Location

World‐wide.

Methods

To quantify these costs and benefits, we used a geographic information system to sample the cropland of the world and map the proportion of non‐crop habitat surrounding the cropland, the number of threatened vertebrates with potential to live in or move through the matrix and the yield gap of the cropland. We defined the potential for different types of conservation conflict in terms of interactions between habitat and yield (potential for expansion, intensification, both or neither). We used spatial scan statistics to find ‘hotspots’ of conservation conflict.

Results

All of the ‘hottest’ hotspots of conservation conflict were in sub‐Saharan Africa, which could have impacts on sustainable intensification in this region.

Main conclusions

Systematic conservation planning could and should be used to identify hotspots of conservation conflict in agricultural landscapes, at multiple scales. The debate between ‘land sharing’ (extensive agriculture that is wildlife friendly) and ‘land sparing’ (intensive agriculture that is less wildlife friendly but also less extensive) could be resolved if sharing and sparing were used as different types of tool for resolving different types of conservation conflict (buffering and connecting protected areas by maintaining matrix quality, in different types of matrix). Therefore, both sharing and sparing should be prioritized in hotspots of conflict, in the context of countryside biogeography.
Influence of methyl mercaptan on the repair bond strength of composites fabricated using self‐etch adhesives
Authors: Yokokawa Miho , Rikuta Akitomo , Tsujimoto Akimasa , Tsuchiya Kenji , Shibasaki Syo , Matsuyoshi Saki , Miyazaki Masashi
Published: December 2014

The influence of methyl mercaptan on the repair bond strength of composites fabricated using self‐etch adhesives was investigated. The surface free‐energies were determined by measuring the contact angles of test liquids placed on composites that had been immersed in different concentrations of methyl mercaptan (0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 M). To determine the repair bond strength, self‐etch adhesives were applied to the aged composite, and then newly added composites were condensed. Ten samples of each specimen were subjected to shear testing at a crosshead speed of 1.0 mm min−1. Samples were analyzed using two‐way anova followed by Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) test. Although the dispersion force of the composites remained relatively constant, their polar force increased slightly as the concentration of methyl mercaptan increased. The hydrogen‐bonding forces were significantly higher after immersion in 1.0 M methyl mercaptan, leading to higher surface‐free energies. However, the repair bond strengths for the repair restorations prepared from composites immersed in 1.0 M methyl mercaptan were significantly lower than for those immersed in 0.01 and 0.10 M methyl mercaptan. Considering the results of this study, it can be concluded that the repair bond strengths of both the aged and newly added composites were affected by immersion in methyl mercaptan solutions.
An A1–A1 mutant with improved binding and inhibition of β2GPI/antibody complexes in antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Kolyada Alexey , Karageorgos Ioannis , Mahlawat Pardeep , Beglova Natalia
Published: December 2014

β2 glycoprotein I (β2GPI) is the most common antigen for autoimmune antibodies in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Thrombosis is a clinical feature of APS. We created a molecule (A1–A1) that consists of two identical β2GPI‐binding modules from ApoE receptor 2 (ApoER2). A1–A1 binds to β2GPI/antibody complexes, preventing their association with ApoER2 and anionic phospholipids, and reducing thrombus size in the mouse model of APS. Here, we describe a mutant of A1–A1 (mA1–A1ND) with improved affinity for β2GPI. mA1–A1ND inhibits the binding of β2GPI to cardiolipin in the presence of anti‐β2GPI antibodies, and inhibits the binding to phospholipids in plasma samples of APS patients, affecting the clotting time. Reduction of the clotting time demonstrates the presence of soluble β2GPI/antibody complexes in patients' plasma. These complexes either already exist in patients' plasma or form rapidly in the proximity to phospholipids. All members of the low‐density lipoprotein receptor family bind β2GPI. Modeling studies of A1 in a complex with domain V of β2GPI (β2GPI‐DV) revealed two possible modes of interaction of a ligand‐binding module from lipoprotein receptors with β2GPI‐DV. In both orientations, the ligand‐binding module interferes with binding of β2GPI to anionic phospholipids; however, it interacts with two different but overlapping sets of lysine residues in β2GPI‐DV, depending on the orientation.
Moss δ13C: an accurate proxy for past water environments in polar regions
Authors: Bramley‐Alves Jessica , Wanek Wolfgang , French Kristine , Robinson Sharon A.
Published: December 2014

Increased aridity is of global concern. Polar regions provide an opportunity to monitor changes in bioavailable water free of local anthropogenic influences. However, sophisticated proxy measures are needed. We explored the possibility of using stable carbon isotopes in segments of moss as a fine‐scale proxy for past bioavailable water. Variation in δ13C with water availability was measured in three species across three peninsulas in the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica and verified using controlled chamber experiments. The δ13C from Antarctic mosses accurately recorded long‐term variations in water availability in the field, regardless of location, but significant disparities in δ13C between species indicated some make more sensitive proxies. δ13CSUGAR derived from living tissues can change significantly within the span of an Antarctic season (5 weeks) in chambers, but under field conditions, slow growth means that this technique likely represents multiple seasons. δ13CCELLULOSE provides a precise and direct proxy for bioavailable water, allowing reconstructions for coastal Antarctica and potentially other cold regions over past centuries.
Biomass feedstock preprocessing and long‐distance transportation logistics
Authors: Lin Tao , Rodríguez Luis F. , Davis Sarah , Khanna Madhu , Shastri Yogendra , Grift Tony , Long Steve , Ting K. C.
Published: December 2014

Biomass‐based biofuels have gained attention because they are renewable energy sources that could facilitate energy independence and improve rural economic development. As biomass supply and biofuel demand areas are generally not geographically contiguous, the design of an efficient and effective biomass supply chain from biomass provision to biofuel distribution is critical to facilitate large‐scale biofuel development. This study compared the costs of supplying biomass using three alternative biomass preprocessing and densification technologies (pelletizing, briquetting, and grinding) and two alternative transportation modes (trucking and rail) for the design of a four‐stage biomass–biofuel supply chain in which biomass produced in Illinois is used to meet biofuel demands in either California or Illinois. The BioScope optimization model was applied to evaluate a four‐stage biomass–biofuel supply chain that includes biomass supply, centralized storage and preprocessing (CSP), biorefinery, and ethanol distribution. We examined the cost of 15 scenarios that included a combination of three biomass preprocessing technologies and five supply chain configurations. The findings suggested that the transportation costs for biomass would generally follow the pattern of coal transportation. Converting biomass to ethanol locally and shipping ethanol over long distances is most economical, similar to the existing grain‐based biofuel system. For the Illinois–California supply chain, moving ethanol is $0.24 gal−1 less costly than moving biomass even in densified form over long distances. The use of biomass pellets leads to lower overall costs of biofuel production for long‐distance transportation but to higher costs if used for short‐distance movement due to its high capital and processing costs. Supported by the supply chain optimization modeling, the cellulosic‐ethanol production and distribution costs of using Illinois feedstock to meet California demand are $0.08 gal−1 higher than that for meeting local Illinois demand.
Fell‐Muir Lecture: Syndecans: from peripheral coreceptors to mainstream regulators of cell behaviour
Authors: Couchman John R. , Gopal Sandeep , Lim Hooi Ching , Nørgaard Steffen , Multhaupt Hinke A.B.
Published: December 2014

In the 25 years, as the first of the syndecan family was cloned, interest in these transmembrane proteoglycans has steadily increased. While four distinct members are present in mammals, one is present in invertebrates, including C. elegans that is such a powerful genetic model. The syndecans, therefore, have a long evolutionary history, indicative of important roles. However, these roles have been elusive. The knockout in the worm has a developmental neuronal phenotype, while knockouts of the syndecans in the mouse are mild and mostly limited to post‐natal rather than developmental effects. Moreover, their association with high‐affinity receptors, such as integrins, growth factor receptors, frizzled and slit/robo, have led to the notion that syndecans are coreceptors, with minor roles. Given that their heparan sulphate chains can gather many different protein ligands, this gave credence to views that the importance of syndecans lay with their ability to concentrate ligands and that only the extracellular polysaccharide was of significance. Syndecans are increasingly identified with roles in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including tumour progression, vascular disease, arthritis and inflammation. This has provided impetus to understanding syndecan roles in more detail. It emerges that while the cytoplasmic domains of syndecans are small, they have clear interactive capabilities, most notably with the actin cytoskeleton. Moreover, through the binding and activation of signalling molecules, it is likely that syndecans are important receptors in their own right. Here, an overview of syndecan structure and function is provided, with some prospects for the future.
White Light Emission from Sr2LiSiO4F:Sm3+,Tb3+ Phosphors Under Near‐UV Light Excitation
Authors: Xie Mubiao , Zhu Guoxian , Zeng Lihua , Xie Feifei , Liang Chunyan , Zhou Xiaoping
Published: December 2014

The Tb3+/Sm3+ codoped Sr2LiSiO4F white emitting phosphors were synthesized by a solid‐state reaction technique at high temperature. The X‐ray diffraction patterns, photoluminescence properties, and decay behaviors have been investigated. The Tb3+ emissions (blue and green) and Sm3+ emissions (orange) are both observed in the codoped samples Sr2LiSiO4F: 0.05Sm3+, xTb3+ by near‐UV light (370 nm) exciting. The white emission has been obtained by adjusting Tb3+ doping concentration at 5% (x = 0.05). These luminescent powders are expected to be a potential candidate as white emitting phosphor for near‐ultraviolet InGaN‐based white light‐emitting diodes.
Synthesis and Characterization of Alumina Sol and Its Use as Binder in No Cement High‐Alumina Refractory Castables
Authors: Singh Akhilesh Kumar , Sarkar Ritwik
Published: December 2014

Alumina sol was prepared from inorganic precursors and characterized for its solid content, particle size analysis, DSC‐TG, phase formation on calcination, etc. The sol was used as sole binder in high‐alumina refractory castables, with different particle size distributions (PSDs), by varying distribution coefficients as per Dinger and Funk model. The castables were processed conventionally and characterized for physical and mechanical properties after heat treatment at various temperatures. Reasonable strength was obtained for the sintered castables, and no impurity phase was found in the matrix phase of the castables.
Preparation and Performance Study of Sialon‐Si3N4‐SiC Composite Ceramics for Concentrated Solar Power
Authors: Xu Xiaohong , Lao Xinbin , Wu Jianfeng , Rao Zhenggang , Zhou Yang , He Dezhi , Liu Yi
Published: December 2014

For lowering the sintering temperature of silicon carbide ceramics used for solar thermal energy storage technology, O'‐Sialon and silicon nitride were employed as composite phases to construct Sialon‐Si3N4‐SiC composite ceramics. The composite ceramics were synthesized using SiC, Si3N4, quartz, and different alumina sources as starting materials with noncontact graphite‐buried sintering method. Influences of alumina sources on the physical properties and thermal shock resistance of the composites were studied. The results revealed that the employment of O'‐Sialon and silicon nitride could decrease the sintering temperature greatly to 1540°C. The optimum formula G2 prepared from mullite as alumina source achieved the best performances: 66.7 MPa of bending strength, 10.0 W/(m·K) of thermal conductivity. The composition parameter x = 0.4 of O'‐Sialon decreased to 0.04 after 30 cycles thermal shock, and the bending strength increased with a rate of 11.0% due to the increase of O'‐Sialon grain size, and the optimization of microstructure caused by the transformation of O'‐Sialon grains and densification within the samples. The good thermal shock resistance makes the composites suitable for the use as thermal storage materials of concentrated solar power generation.
Basophils inhibit proliferation of CD4+T cells in autologous and allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions and limit disease activity in a murine model of graft versus host disease
Authors: Hermann Fabian J. , Rodriguez Gomez Manuel , Doser Kristina , Edinger Matthias , Hoffmann Petra , Schiechl Gabriela , Talke Yvonne , Göbel Nicole , Schmidbauer Kathrin , Syed Shahzad N. , Brühl Hilke , Mack Matthias
Published: December 2014

Basophils are known to modulate the phenotype of CD4+ T cells and to enhance T helper type 2 responses in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we demonstrate that murine basophils inhibit proliferation of CD4+ T cells in autologous and allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions. The inhibition is independent of Fas and MHC class II, but dependent on activation of basophils with subsequent release of interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) and IL‐6. The inhibitory effect of basophils on T‐cell proliferation can be blocked with antibodies against IL‐4 and IL‐6 and is absent in IL‐4/IL‐6 double‐deficient mice. In addition, we show that basophils and IL‐4 have beneficial effects on disease activity in a murine model of acute graft‐versus‐host disease (GvHD). When basophils were depleted with the antibody MAR‐1 before induction of GvHD, weight loss, GvHD score, mortality and plasma tumour necrosis factor levels were increased while injection of IL‐4 improved GvHD. Basophil‐depleted mice with GvHD also have increased numbers of CD4+ T cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes. Our data show for the first time that basophils suppress autologous and allogeneic CD4+ T‐cell proliferation in an IL‐4‐dependent manner.
Metabolic requirements for neutrophil extracellular traps formation
Authors: Rodríguez‐Espinosa Oscar , Rojas‐Espinosa Oscar , Moreno‐Altamirano María Maximina Bertha , López‐Villegas Edgar Oliver , Sánchez‐García Francisco Javier
Published: December 2014

As part of the innate immune response, neutrophils are at the forefront of defence against infection, resolution of inflammation and wound healing. They are the most abundant leucocytes in the peripheral blood, have a short lifespan and an estimated turnover of 1010 to 1011 cells per day. Neutrophils efficiently clear microbial infections by phagocytosis and by oxygen‐dependent and oxygen‐independent mechanisms. In 2004, a new neutrophil anti‐microbial mechanism was described, the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) composed of DNA, histones and anti‐microbial peptides. Several microorganisms, bacterial products, as well as pharmacological stimuli such as PMA, were shown to induce NETs. Neutrophils contain relatively few mitochondria, and derive most of their energy from glycolysis. In this scenario we aimed to analyse some of the metabolic requirements for NET formation. Here it is shown that NETs formation is strictly dependent on glucose and to a lesser extent on glutamine, that Glut‐1, glucose uptake, and glycolysis rate increase upon PMA stimulation, and that NET formation is inhibited by the glycolysis inhibitor, 2‐deoxy‐glucose, and to a lesser extent by the ATP synthase inhibitor oligomycin. Moreover, when neutrophils were exposed to PMA in glucose‐free medium for 3 hr, they lost their characteristic polymorphic nuclei but did not release NETs. However, if glucose (but not pyruvate) was added at this time, NET release took place within minutes, suggesting that NET formation could be metabolically divided into two phases; the first, independent from exogenous glucose (chromatin decondensation) and, the second (NET release), strictly dependent on exogenous glucose and glycolysis.
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT‐1) plays a critical role in control of Trypanosoma cruzi infection
Authors: Kulkarni Manjusha M. , Varikuti Sanjay , Terrazas Cesar , Kimble Jennifer L. , Satoskar Abhay R. , McGwire Bradford S.
Published: December 2014

The control of Trypanosoma cruzi infection is related to interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) activation leading to intracellular clearance of parasites. The transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT‐1) is a key mediator of IFN‐γ intracellular signalling and knockout of this protein leads to susceptibility to several intracellular microbes. To determine the role of STAT‐1 in host susceptibility to T. cruzi infection we compared the survival, parasite loads and balance of IFN‐γ and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) responses between wild‐type and STAT‐1 knockout mice. We found that the lack of STAT‐1 resulted in a more robust infection, leading to higher levels of blood and tissue parasites and markedly reduced survival. In addition, infected STAT‐1 knockout mice had higher systemic levels of both IFN‐γ and IL‐10, suggesting that the absence of STAT‐1 leads to a disequilibrium of pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory cytokines. Analysis of spleen cells indicates that CD4, CD8 cells generate IFN‐γ and natural killer cells express IL‐13 in STAT‐1 knockout animals. The production of IL‐17 is particularly enhanced in the absence STAT‐1 expression but did not reduce mortality. Overall these results indicate that STAT‐1 is important for the control of T. cruzi infection in mice.