bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supporting personal security using participatory sensing
Authors: Carreño Pablo , Gutierrez Francisco J. , Ochoa Sergio F. , Fortino Giancarlo
Published: December 2014

Personal security is an open problem in large cities. After several attempts to reduce violence and crime, there seems to be an agreement that preventive actions are the best way to address this problem. Trying to help deal with that challenge, this paper proposes a mobile collaborative application, named Personal Guardian, which is used by civilians while walking in urban areas. The application is focused on crime prevention and it implements participatory sensing to help people be aware of the risks that appear to exist in a certain place at a certain time. Based on that information, citizens can take appropriate and on‐time preventive actions. The system is supported by a human‐centric wireless sensor network, and it is complementary to the security solutions already used by public and private organizations. The system architecture and its main components are described, and the main requirements and design decisions are also discussed. A preliminary evaluation of the solution was conducted to determine its strengths and weaknesses in terms of quality of service. The obtained results indicate that the information feeding process is more relevant for end‐users than the unattended delivery of awareness information about their personal security. In addition, this former capability does not require to be adjusted to the end‐users' context. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Doubly Renewable Cellulose Polymer for Water‐Based Coatings
Authors: Tristram Cameron J. , Mason Jennifer M. , Williams D. Bradley G. , Hinkley Simon F. R.
Published: December 2014

Invited for this month′s cover is the Industrial Formulations group at the Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington. The image depicts plant matter being converted into a novel cellulose ester and, in turn, into a paint formulation suitable for architectural coatings. The Full Paper itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.201402590
Synergistic Effect between Defect Sites and Functional Groups on the Hydrolysis of Cellulose over Activated Carbon
Authors: Foo Guo Shiou , Sievers Carsten
Published: December 2014

The chemical oxidation of activated carbon by H2O2 and H2SO4 is investigated, structural and chemical modifications are characterized, and the materials are used as catalysts for the hydrolysis of cellulose. Treatment with H2O2 enlarges the pore size and imparts functional groups such as phenols, lactones, and carboxylic acids. H2SO4 treatment targets the edges of carbon sheets primarily, and this effect is more pronounced with a higher temperature. Adsorption isotherms demonstrate that the adsorption of oligomers on functionalized carbon is dominated by van der Waals forces. The materials treated chemically are active for the hydrolysis of cellulose despite the relative weakness of most of their acid sites. It is proposed that a synergistic effect between defect sites and functional groups enhances the activity by inducing a conformational change in the glucan chains if they are adsorbed at defect sites. This activates the glycosidic bonds for hydrolysis by in‐plane functional groups.
Erweiterte Anwendungsgrenzen von DIN EN 1996‐3/NA für Ziegelmauerwerk bei weit gespannten, teilaufliegenden Decken
Authors: Graubner Carl‐Alexander , Schmitt Michael , Förster Valentin
Published: December 2014

Aus Sicht der Mauerwerksindustrie sind gewisse Randbedingungen, welche für das vereinfachte Nachweisverfahren nach DIN EN 1996‐3/NA gelten, nicht mehr aktuell und praxisgerecht. Durch veränderte Systemparameter wie vergrößerte Deckendicken ergeben sich zum Teil günstigere Eingangswerte für die Bestimmung der zulässigen Traglast von Mauerwerkswänden. In der Baupraxis kommen immer häufiger mehrfeldrige Decken großer Stützweite zum Einsatz, bei denen die maximal zulässige Deckenspannweite nach DIN EN 1996‐3/NA nicht eingehalten ist. Neben den Anforderungen an das Mauerwerk sind Beschränkungen nach DIN EN 1992‐1‐1/NA in Form von Durchbiegungsbegrenzungen an die Stahlbetondecke zu beachten, welche gleichzeitig die Verdrehungen am Wand‐Decken‐Knoten limitieren und damit die Wandbeanspruchung eingrenzen. Um dem Tragwerksplaner eine einfache und wirtschaftliche Bemessung zu ermöglichen, wird aufgezeigt, bis zu welchen Deckenspannweiten das vereinfachte Nachweisverfahren nach DIN EN 1996‐3/NA verwendet werden kann, wenn einseitig eingespannte Stahlbetondecken vorliegen. Mit einer systematisch durchgeführten Parameterstudie unter Zuhilfenahme des vereinfachten und genaueren Nachweisverfahrens nach DIN EN 1996/NA und Vergleich der Bemessungsergebnisse wird dokumentiert, dass auch Wand‐Decken‐Systeme mit Deckenspannweiten größer als 6,0 m, die mit Hilfe des vereinfachten Nachweisverfahrens bemessen werden, gegenüber einer Bemessung mit dem genaueren Nachweisverfahren auf der sicheren Seite liegen.

Enhanced application limits of DIN EN 1996‐3/NA for the design of brick masonry in case of partially supported long‐span floors. From masonry industry’s point of view certain boundary conditions – e.g. the permissible span of floors ‐ which limit the application of the simplified calculation method according to DIN EN 1996‐3/NA do not match in practice. Modern buildings often have thicker floors which lead to more advantageous conditions when determining the load bearing capacity of masonry walls. Nowadays multi‐span floors with longer spans exceeding the restrictions of DIN EN 1996‐3/NA are more often applied. In addition to the requirements of the masonry standard concerning the carrying behavior of wall‐floor‐joints, a regulation exists in the concrete code (DIN EN 1992‐1‐1/NA) limiting the admissible deflection of reinforced concrete floors and simultaneously restricting the rotation of the floor at the support. In order to enable structural engineers a simple design of masonry walls in case of one‐sided restrained floors with larger distances between supports, it is shown up to which span width the simplified calculation method according to DIN EN 1996‐3/NA can be applied. A systematic parameter study of wall‐floor‐systems with spans exceeding 6.0 m demonstrated, that a design with DIN EN 1996‐3/NA provides conservative results compared to the more precise calculation method according to DIN EN 1996‐1‐1/NA.
Bemessung von Mauerwerk im Brandfall nach DIN EN 1996‐1‐2/NA und nach allgemeinen bauaufsichtlichen Zulassungen
Authors: Schlundt Andreas , Meyer Udo
Published: December 2014

DIN EN 1996‐1‐2 schreibt in Verbindung mit dem nationalen Anhang den bekannten Status von DIN 4102‐4 im Wesentlichen fort. Dieser Beitrag erläutert die neu definierten Ausnutzungsfaktoren sowie die Regelungen in bauaufsichtlichen Zulassungen und zeigt das einfache, grundsätzliche Vorgehen bei der Brandschutzbemessung anhand von Beispielen.

Structural design of masonry for fire resistance according to DIN EN 1996‐1‐2/NA and according to general technical approvals. The well known rules for fire design from DIN 4102‐4 are transferred with no major differences to DIN EN 1996‐1‐2 together with the corresponding National Annex. This paper highlights the definitions of the new utilization factors as well as rules in the relevant national technical approvals. Examples show the practical fire design with tabulated data according to the new standard.
Broad implications for respiratory sinus arrhythmia development: Associations with childhood symptoms of psychopathology in a community sample
Authors: Patriquin Michelle A. , Lorenzi Jill , Scarpa Angela , Calkins Susan D. , Bell Martha Ann
Published: December 2014

Replicating the group‐based developmental trajectory methodology from our prior study (Patriquin, Lorenzi, Scarpa, & Bell. 2014. Developmental Psychobiology, 56, 317‐326), the current study examines the development of baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) across a new, larger cohort of typically developing children at 5, 10, 24, 36, and 48 months of age and examines the trajectory relationship with symptoms of childhood psychopathology. Group‐based developmental trajectory modeling replicated our prior findings of a two‐group model fit: a “High RSA” and “Low RSA” group. The “Low RSA” group, which demonstrated lower baseline RSA across all time points, had significantly more childhood problems at 48 months, namely increased withdrawal, aggressive behavior, pervasive developmental problems, and oppositional defiant problems. All participants for whom there were developmental or autism spectrum concerns (n = 6; based on maternal report at 48 months) were allocated to the Low RSA trajectory group. These results suggest that consistent developmental trajectories of RSA may point to protective factors (i.e., high RSA) against developing symptoms of childhood psychopathology. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 57: 120–130, 2015.
4P: fast computing of population genetics statistics from large DNA polymorphism panels
Authors: Benazzo Andrea , Panziera Alex , Bertorelle Giorgio
Published: December 2014

Massive DNA sequencing has significantly increased the amount of data available for population genetics and molecular ecology studies. However, the parallel computation of simple statistics within and between populations from large panels of polymorphic sites is not yet available, making the exploratory analyses of a set or subset of data a very laborious task. Here, we present 4P (parallel processing of polymorphism panels), a stand‐alone software program for the rapid computation of genetic variation statistics (including the joint frequency spectrum) from millions of DNA variants in multiple individuals and multiple populations. It handles a standard input file format commonly used to store DNA variation from empirical or simulation experiments. The computational performance of 4P was evaluated using large SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) datasets from human genomes or obtained by simulations. 4P was faster or much faster than other comparable programs, and the impact of parallel computing using multicore computers or servers was evident. 4P is a useful tool for biologists who need a simple and rapid computer program to run exploratory population genetics analyses in large panels of genomic data. It is also particularly suitable to analyze multiple data sets produced in simulation studies. Unix, Windows, and MacOs versions are provided, as well as the source code for easier pipeline implementations.
Forest canopy structural controls over throughfall affect soil microbial community structure in an epiphyte‐laden maritime oak stand
Authors: Rosier Carl L. , Van Stan John T. , Moore Leslie Dean , Schrom Joshua O. S. , Wu Tiehang , Reichard James S. , Kan Jinjun
Published: December 2014

Identifying spatiotemporal influences on soil microbial community (SMC) structure is critical to our understanding of patterns in biogeochemical cycling and related ecological services (e.g. plant community structure, water quality, and response to environmental change). Because forest canopy structure alters the spatiotemporal patterning of precipitation water and solute supplies to soils (via ‘throughfall’), is it possible that changes in SMC structure could arise from modifications in canopy elements? Our study investigates this question by monitoring throughfall water and dissolved ion supply to soils beneath a continuum of canopy structure: from large gaps (0% cover), to bareQuercus virginianaMill. (southern live oak) canopy (~50–70%), to heavyTillandsia usneoidesL. (Spanish moss) canopy (>90% cover). Throughfall water supply diminished with increasing canopy cover, yet increased wash off/leaching of Na+, Cl‐, PO43‐, and SO42‐from the canopy to the soils. Presence ofT. usneoidesdiminished throughfall NO3‐, but enhanced NH4+, concentrations supplied to subcanopy soils. The mineral soil horizon (0–10 cm) sampled in triplicate from locations receiving throughfall water and solutes from canopy gaps, bare canopy, andT. usneoides‐laden canopy significantly differed in soil chemistry parameters (pH, Ca2+, Mg2+, and cation‐exchange capacity). Polymerase chain reaction denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis banding patterns beneath similar canopy covers (experiencing similar throughfall dynamics) also produced high similarities per analyses of similarity and clustered together when analysed by nonmetric multidimensional scaling. These results suggest that modifications of forest canopy structures are capable of affecting mineral soil horizon SMC structure via throughfall when canopies' biomass distribution is highly heterogeneous. As SMC structure, in many instances, relates to functional diversity, we suggest that future research seek to identify functional diversity shifts (e.g. nitrogen transformation) in response to canopy structural alterations of throughfall water/solute concentration. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
APOBEC3 enzymes restrict marginal zone B cells
Authors: Beck‐Engeser Gabriele B. , Winkelmann Rebecca , Wheeler Matthew L. , Shansab Maryam , Yu Philipp , Wünsche Sarah , Walchhütter Anja , Metzner Mirjam , Vettermann Christian , Eilat Dan , DeFranco Anthony , Jäck Hans‐Martin , Wabl Matthias
Published: December 2014

In general, a long‐lasting immune response to viruses is achieved when they are infectious and replication competent. In the mouse, the neutralizing antibody response to Friend murine leukemia virus is contributed by an allelic form of the enzyme Apobec3 (abbreviated A3). This is counterintuitive because A3 directly controls viremia before the onset of adaptive antiviral immune responses. It suggests that A3 also affects the antibody response directly. Here, we studied the relative size of cell populations of the adaptive immune system as a function of A3 activity. We created a transgenic mouse that expresses all seven human A3 enzymes and compared it to WT and mouse A3‐deficient mice. A3 enzymes decreased the number of marginal zone B cells, but not the number of follicular B or T cells. When mouse A3 was knocked out, the retroelement hitchhiker‐1 and sialyl transferases encoded by genes close to it were overexpressed three and two orders of magnitude, respectively. We suggest that A3 shifts the balance, from the fast antibody response mediated by marginal zone B cells with little affinity maturation, to a more sustained germinal center B‐cell response, which drives affinity maturation and, thereby, a better neutralizing response.
Controlled Regioselective Amination of Peryleneimides
Authors: George Lijo , Ahmed Zafar , Lemmetyinen Helge , Efimov Alexander
Published: December 2014

Perylenediimides (PDIs) and perylenemonoimide diesters (PMIs) can be selectively substituted at the 1,6‐ or 7,12‐ positions of the bay region, respectively, by direct amination reactions. The reactions proceed by the formation of a perylene radical anion and its subsequent oxidation, and the yields range from 20–97 %. The amination can be tuned to obtain either mono‐ or disubstituted perylenes by varying the oxidants involved. The presence of the imide cycle is crucial for the transformation, although the amination occurs regioselectively at the bay‐region positions distant from the imide cycle.
Electrochemical Detection of a Cancer Biomarker mir‐21 in Cell Lysates Using Graphene Modified Sensors
Authors: Kilic Tugba , Erdem Arzum , Erac Yasemin , Seydibeyoglu M. Ozgur , Okur Salih , Ozsoz Mehmet
Published: December 2014

In the present study, the voltammetric and impidimetric detection of microRNA‐21, mir‐21 from cell lysates was investigated for the first time by using graphene modified disposable pencil graphite electrodes (GME). The surface characterization of GME was performed via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Upon passive adsorption of inosine substituted antimicroRNA‐21, antimir‐21 probe, InP, onto the surface of GME and then solid phase hybridization of InP with mir‐21, the target, the electrochemical detection was performed by using Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV) and EIS techniques. This developed biosensor, GME has presented a 2.77 times lower detection limit of 2.09 µg/mL (3.12 pmol) with respect to unmodified pencil graphite electrode (GE). Moreover it is capable of analyzing mir‐21 in the cell lysates of mir‐21 positive breast cancer cell line (MCF‐7) contrast to mir‐21 negative hepatoma cell line (HUH‐7). The proposed electrochemical yes‐no system does not require any purification and/or amplification step prior to fast detection of mir‐21 from real samples.
Fabrication of Nickel Tetrasulfonated Phthalocyanine Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes on Activated Glassy Carbon Electrode for the Detection of Dopamine
Authors: Karuppiah Chelladurai , Devasenathipathy Rajkumar , Chen Shen‐Ming , Arulraj Danial , Palanisamy Selvakumar , Mani Veerappan , Vasantha V. S.
Published: December 2014

The nickel tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (NiTsPc) functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposite was prepared by a simple sonochemical method. Here, NiTsPc served as a dispersing agent for MWCNT via ππ interaction between MWCNT and NiTsPc. The activated glassy carbon electrode (AGCE) modified with MWCNT‐NiTsPc composite exhibited a good electrocatalytic ability toward dopamine and displayed a good linear dependence in the concentration range of 20 nM–1.384 mM with a sensitivity of 0.17 µA µM−1 cm−2. The detection limit is 1 nM based on the signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3.
Plant extract enhances the viability of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Lactobacillus acidophilus in probiotic nonfat yogurt
Authors: Michael Minto , Phebus Randall K. , Schmidt Karen A.
Published: December 2014

A commercial plant extract (prepared from olive, garlic, onion and citrus extracts with sodium acetate (SA) as a carrier) was evaluated to extend the viability of yogurt starter and probiotic bacteria as a means to enhance the shelf life of live and active culture, probiotic nonfat yogurt. Yogurts prepared from three different formulas (0.5% plant extract, 0.25% SA, or no supplement) and cultures (yogurt starter plus Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, or both probiotics) were assessed weekly during 29 days of storage at 5°C. Supplemented yogurt mixes had greater buffering capacities than non‐supplemented yogurt mixes. At the end of storage, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and L. acidophilus counts in supplemented yogurts were greater compared with non‐supplemented yogurts. Supplementation did not affect Streptococcus thermophilus and B. animalis counts. Hence the greater buffering capacity of yogurt containing plant extract could enhance the longevity of the probiotics, L. bulgaricus and L. acidophilus, during storage.
South Asian older adults with memory impairment: improving assessment and access to dementia care
Authors: Giebel Clarissa M. , Zubair Maria , Jolley David , Bhui Kamaldeep Singh , Purandare Nitin , Worden Angela , Challis David
Published: December 2014

Objective

With increasing international migration, mental health care of migrants and ethnic minorities is a public health priority. South Asian older adults experience difficulties in accessing services for memory impairment, dementia and mental illness. This review examines barriers and facilitators in the pathway to culturally appropriate mental health care.

Methods

Web of Knowledge, Pubmed and Ovid databases were searched for literature on South Asian older adults or their family carers, their understandings of mental illness and dementia and their pattern of service use. Dates were from 1984 to 2012. Abstracts were assessed for relevance, followed by detailed reading of salient papers. Three researchers rated the quality of each included study. A narrative synthesis was undertaken of extracted and charted data.

Results

Eighteen studies met the eligibility criteria for the review. South Asians and health professionals highlighted several difficulties which deterred help seeking and access to care: a lack of knowledge of dementia and mental illness, and of local services; stigma; culturally preferred coping strategies; and linguistic and cultural barriers in communication and decision making.

Conclusions

To improve access for these groups, service users and providers need to be better informed; services need to be more culturally tailored, sometimes employing staff with similar cultural backgrounds; and health professionals can benefit from dementia education and knowledge of local services. These factors are key to the delivery of the National Dementia Strategy in England. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Flavan‐3‐ols, anthocyanins, and inflammation
Authors: Mena Pedro , Domínguez‐Perles Raúl , Gironés‐Vilaplana Amadeo , Baenas Nieves , García‐Viguera Cristina , Villaño Débora
Published: December 2014

The process of inflammation constitutes a reactive response of the organism to tissue damage and is an important factor making part of a number of degenerative pathologies as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, all of them comprised in the metabolic syndrome. There is an increasing interest in plant products rich in flavan‐3‐ols and anthocyanins because of their potential beneficial effects observed in epidemiological studies against inflammatory‐related diseases. Their anti‐inflammatory effects are exerted by modulation of cell redox status and inhibition of signaling pathways as NF‐κB activation. The effects depend on their concentrations in target tissues and hence the bioavailability pathways followed by each particular compound. In this sense, in vitro studies performed with parental compounds at doses exceeding to those found in vivo may be drawing erroneous conclusions about their real efficacy. Contradictory results have been observed in human intervention trials, which may be ascribed to the type of population studied, length of study, source of flavan‐3‐ol/anthocyanin, and dose provided. Human studies are required to confirm the positive effects found in vitro and in animal models. Future research should be focused on the understanding of dose/flavonoid intake–response relationship with pharmacokinetic studies, evaluating proper biomarkers of intake. Long‐term dietary interventions are necessary to observe effects on markers of late activation as well as the possible preventive effects of these compounds on long‐term inflammation‐related diseases. © 2014 IUBMB Life, 66(11):745–758, 2014
Differential effects of cocaine on extracellular signal‐regulated kinase phosphorylation in nuclei of the extended amygdala and prefrontal cortex of psychogenetically selected roman high‐ and low‐avoidance rats
Authors: Giorgi Osvaldo , Corda Maria G. , Sabariego Marta , Giugliano Valentina , Piludu Maria A. , Rosas Michela , Acquas Elio
Published: December 2014

Roman high (RHA)‐ and low (RLA)‐avoidance rats are selectively bred for rapid vs. poor acquisition of active avoidance, respectively, and differ markedly in emotional reactivity, coping style, and behavioral and neurochemical responses to morphine and psychostimulants. Accordingly, acute cocaine induces more robust increments in locomotion and dopamine output in the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) of RHA than of RLA rats. Cocaine induces short‐ and long‐term neuronal plasticity via activation of the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. This study compares the effects of acute cocaine on ERK phosphorylation (pERK) in limbic brain areas of Roman rats. In RHA but not RLA rats, cocaine (5 mg/kg) increased pERK in the infralimbic prefrontal cortex and AcbSh, two areas involved in its acute effects, but did not modify pERK in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex and Acb core, which mediate the chronic effects of cocaine. Moreover, cocaine failed to affect pERK immunolabeling in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis pars lateralis and central amygdala of either line but increased it in the basolateral amygdala of RLA rats. These results extend to pERK expression previous findings on the greater sensitivity to acute cocaine of RHA vs. RLA rats and confirm the notion that genetic factors influence the differential responses of the Roman lines to addictive drugs. Moreover, they support the view that the Roman lines are a useful tool to investigate the molecular underpinnings of individual vulnerability to drug addiction. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Brain transient receptor potential channels and stroke
Authors: Zhang Eric , Liao Ping
Published: December 2014

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels have been increasingly implicated in the pathological mechanisms of CNS disorders. TRP expression has been detected in neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and ependymal cells as well as in the cerebral vascular endothelium and smooth muscle. In stroke, TRPC3/4/6, TRPM2/4/7, and TRPV1/3/4 channels have been found to participate in ischemia‐induced cell death, whereas other TRP channels, in particular those expressed in nonneuronal cells, have been less well studied. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the expression and functions of the TRP channels in various cell types in the brain and our current understanding of TRP channels in stroke pathophysiology. In an aging society, the occurrence of stroke is expected to increase steadily, and there is an urgent requirement to improve the current stroke management strategy. Therefore, elucidating the roles of TRP channels in stroke could shed light on the development of novel therapeutic strategies and ultimately improve stroke outcome. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Successional Trajectory Over 10 Years of Vegetation Restoration of Abandoned Slope Croplands in the Hill‐Gully Region of the Loess Plateau
Authors: Kou Meng , Jiao Juying , Yin Qiulong , Wang Ning , Wang Zhijie , Li Yujin , Yu Weijie , Wei Yanhong , Yan Fangchen , Cao Binting
Published: December 2014

Revegetation has been the primary management approach for solving the problems caused by severe soil erosion in the Loess Plateau. The objectives of this work were to explore the successional trajectory of the different types of restoration and discuss their potential effectiveness for the control of soil erosion. The presence and coverage of plants in 40 permanent plots were investigated during two periods (2003–2006 and 2013). The naturally and artificially revegetated communities studied in the two surveys were classified using two‐way indicator species analysis, and their relationships were analyzed using detrended correspondence analysis. Under natural revegetation, the communities succeed in the following order: annual plants → perennial plants → short rhizome tufts and subshrubs. Under artificial revegetation, succession was interrupted by artificial planting, and a Gramineae herb layer persisted through the years with few changes in species composition. Additionally, species richness, diversity, and evenness increased, while ecological dominance decreased during succession in both revegetation types. Succession rate was rapid at the initial stage and then slowed down gradually. Succession followed different trajectories under natural and artificial revegetation, and based on the potential effects of the two approaches on soil erosion and soil desiccation, we suggest that natural revegetation is preferable over artificial revegetation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhancement of single‑photon emission from nitrogen‑vacancy centers with TiN/(Al,Sc)N hyperbolic metamaterial
Authors: Shalaginov Mikhail Y. , Vorobyov Vadim V. , Liu Jing , Ferrera Marcello , Akimov Alexey V. , Lagutchev Alexei , Smolyaninov Andrey N. , Klimov Vasily V. , Irudayaraj Joseph , Kildishev Alexander V. , Boltasseva Alexandra , Shalaev Vladimir M.
Published: December 2014

The broadband enhancement of single‑photon emission from nitrogen‐vacancy centers in nanodiamonds coupled to a planar multilayer metamaterial with hyperbolic dispersion is studied experimentally. The metamaterial is fabricated as an epitaxial metal/dielectric superlattice consisting of CMOS‐compatible ceramics: titanium nitride (TiN) and aluminum scandium nitride (AlxSc1‐xN). It is demonstrated that employing the metamaterial results in significant enhancement of collected single‑photon emission and reduction of the excited‐state lifetime. Our results could have an impact on future CMOS‐compatible integrated quantum sources.

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Semiconductor Polymer Dots Induce Proliferation in Human Gastric Mucosal and Adenocarcinoma Cells
Authors: Li Shouying , Chen Jia , Chen Geng , Li Qiong , Sun Kai , Yuan Zhen , Qin Weiping , Xu Hong , Wu Changfeng
Published: December 2014

We investigated the cellular uptake behavior and cell viability of semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) on human gastric adenocarcinoma (SGC‐7901) cells and human gastric mucosal (GES‐1) cells. MTT studies indicate the Pdot treatment induces obvious cell proliferation in both types of cell lines. We performed further investigations such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) change, which indicate that the cell proliferation is in good agreement with the increase in the ROS and MMP levels. Moreover, expression of protein kinase B (Akt) decreased as the Pdot concentration increases, but the expression of protein dual‐phosphorylated Erk (p‐Erk) and phosphorylated c‐Jun N‐terminal kinases (p‐JNK) were increased. These effects indicated that the Pdots could promote the growth of SGC‐7901 cells and GES‐1 cells by appropriately regulating the expressions of protein Akt, p‐Erk, and p‐JNK.
Electron spin relaxation times and rapid scan EPR imaging of pH‐sensitive amino‐substituted trityl radicals
Authors: Elajaili Hanan B. , Biller Joshua R. , Tseitlin Mark , Dhimitruka Ilirian , Khramtsov Valery V. , Eaton Sandra S. , Eaton Gareth R.
Published: December 2014

Carboxy‐substituted trityl (triarylmethyl) radicals are valuable in vivo probes because of their stability, narrow lines, and sensitivity of their spectroscopic properties to oxygen. Amino‐substituted trityl radicals have the potential to monitor pH in vivo, and the suitability for this application depends on spectral properties. Electron spin relaxation times T1 and T2 were measured at X‐band for the protonated and deprotonated forms of two amino‐substituted triarylmethyl radicals. Comparison with relaxation times for carboxy‐substituted triarylmethyl radicals shows that T1 exhibits little dependence on protonation or the nature of the substituent, which makes it useful for measuring O2 concentration, independent of pH. Insensitivity of T1 to changes in substituents is consistent with the assignment of the dominant contribution to spin lattice relaxation as a local mode that involves primarily atoms in the carbon and sulfur core. Values of T2 vary substantially with pH and the nature of the aryl group substituent, reflecting a range of dynamic processes. The narrow spectral widths for the amino‐substituted triarylmethyl radicals facilitate spectral‐spatial rapid scan electron paramagnetic resonance imaging, which was demonstrated with a phantom. The dependence of hyperfine splittings patterns on pH is revealed in spectral slices through the image. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An artificial boundary approach for unbounded transient seepage problems
Authors: Chen Biguang , Song Erxiang
Published: December 2014

A new artificial boundary approach for transient seepage problems in unbounded domain is presented. The artificial boundary condition at the truncated boundary is derived from the analytical solutions for transient seepage problems in one dimension, including solutions, respectively, for flow in one‐dimensional infinite space and for radial flow in an infinite layer, and then it is tentatively applied for some two dimensional problems in addition to the one‐dimensional problems mentioned above. The boundary conditions derived relate the time‐dependent boundary flux with the time derivative of the hydraulic head at the truncated boundary, which makes the implementation much easier compared with the infinite element method. The accuracy and efficiency of the artificial boundary are validated by several numerical examples, which shows that the proposed boundary can give very good results for one‐dimensional transient seepage problems, as expected, whereas reasonable results can be also obtained for two‐dimensional problems, such as two‐dimensional axisymmetric flow and flow in an infinite plane. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐resolution localized spatiotemporal encoding correlated spectra under inhomogeneous magnetic fields via asymmetrical gradient encoding/decoding
Authors: Wei Zhiliang , Lin Liangjie , Wang Chuchu , Yang Jian , Liu Guangcao , Zhong Jianhui , Lin Yanqin , Chen Zhong
Published: December 2014

Applications of conventional localized nuclear magnetic resonance correlated spectroscopy are restrained by long acquisition times and poor performance under inhomogeneous magnetic fields. Here, a method that combines the spatiotemporal encoding technique with the localization technique and implements the encoding and decoding in unison with suitable asymmetrical gradients is proposed to obtain high‐resolution localized correlated spectra under inhomogeneous fields in greatly reduced times. Experiments on phantom solutions prove its insensitivity to linear field inhomogeneities along three orthogonal axes. Moreover, this method is applied to adipose study of marrow tissue with resolution improvements. The proposed method may offer promising perspectives for fast analyses of biological tissues. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mid‐infrared Fiber Optics for 1 — 18 μm Range
Authors: Artyushenko Viacheslav , Bocharnikov Alexey , Sakharova Tatiana , Usenov Iskander
Published: December 2014

Development of infrared (IR) fibers and hollow waveguides (HWGs) was in good progress to meet growing market demands for laser power delivery, flexible IR‐imaging and remote process‐spectroscopy in spectral range from 1 to 18 μm. Parameters of IR‐glass fibers, polycrystalline IR‐fibers (PIR‐fibers) from silver halides and HWGs are compared to enable optimal choice for the production of IR‐cables, spectroscopy probes and multispectral bundles (Fig. 1).
Enabling Endomicroscopy Using GRIN‐Microoptics
Authors: Messerschmidt Bernhard , Matz Gregor
Published: December 2014

Gradient‐index (GRIN) microlenses with their plane optical surfaces are frequently used to set up microoptical systems for a variety of microscopic imaging applications in an endoscopic environment where a flexible miniature imaging probe device is positioned at the tissue of interest. This may be a living organ of a patient in hospital accomplished via an endoscopic port, or a living tissue as part of an in‐vivo research investigation in a chronic disease development. Especially advantageous are the plane optical surfaces of the GRIN lenses allowing an easy integration and assembly with other plane optical components as prisms, beam splitters or fibers to form a rather complex imaging system in miniature size of a few millimeters without the need of optical refraction to an air space.
Chinese Laser Technology, Industry and Market
Authors: Zhu Xiao , Wang Jiayu
Published: December 2014

China is playing an important role and nearly the largest market in laser industry. In China there are more than one thousand laser companies and four large laser industry clusters. National research institutes and universities provide laser technology and industry focuses mainly on the development of laser equipment and machine. The total revenue of laser material processing reached 40 billion Yuan (about 6.5 billion US Dollars) in 2013. This article gives a brief review of the current status and outlook of Chinese laser industry.
Asthma and COPD proteomics: Current approaches and future directions
Authors: Terracciano Rosa , Pelaia Girolamo , Preianò Mariaimmacolata , Savino Rocco
Published: December 2014

Although asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD represent the two most common chronic respiratory diseases worldwide, the mechanisms underlying their pathobiology need to be further elucidated. Presently, differentiation of asthma and COPD are largely based on clinical and lung function parameters. However, the complexity of these multifactorial diseases may lead to misclassification and to inappropriate management strategies. Recently, tremendous progress in MS has extended the sensitivity, accuracy, and speed of analysis, enabling the identification of thousands of proteins per experiment. Beyond identification, MS has also greatly implemented quantitation issues allowing to assess qualitative–quantitative differences in protein profiles of different samples, in particular diseased versus normal. Herein, we provide a summary of recent proteomics‐based investigations in the field of asthma/COPD, highlighting major issues related to sampling and processing procedures for proteomic analyses of specific airway and parenchymal specimens (induced sputum, exhaled breath condensate, epithelial lining fluid, bronchoalveolar and nasal lavage fluid), as well as blood‐derived specimen (plasma and serum). Within such a context, together with current difficulties and limitations mainly due to lack of general standardization in preanalytical sampling procedure, our discussion will focus on the challenges and possible benefits of proteomic studies in phenotypic stratification of asthma and COPD.
Quantitation with chemical tagging reagents in biomarker studies
Authors: Westbrook Jules A. , Noirel Josselin , Brown Janet E. , Wright Phillip C. , Evans Caroline A.
Published: December 2014

Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ), Tandem Mass Tags (TMT) and related chemical tag reagents provide analytical platforms for quantitative proteomics applied to clinical samples. In this Viewpoint article, applications for discovery and targeted modes are discussed with an emphasis on study design and technical considerations in biomarker analysis. The evolution and promise of emerging, related strategies are also discussed. It should be noted that iTRAQ and TMT users contributed to the key debates in the biomarker field, to define strategies for biomarker discovery for identification of clinical biomarkers, and continue to inform design of verification and validation assays via implementation of non‐isobaric variants for targeted analyses.
Rapid analysis of forensic samples using an atmospheric solid analysis probe interfaced to a linear ion trap mass spectrometer
Authors: Jagerdeo Eshwar , Clark Jay A. , Leibowitz Jeffrey N. , Reda Louis J.
Published: December 2014

RATIONALE

This paper highlights the simplicity of interfacing an Atmospheric Solid Analysis Probe (ASAP) to a Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer and shows that this technique can be used for the rapid generation of high‐quality data from a range of sample types with minimal or no sample preparation.

METHODS

For a solid sample or surface deposit, the process entails rubbing a capillary melting tube a few times on the sample to transfer material to the capillary surface and then introducing it into the source of the mass spectrometer. Similarly, for a liquid sample, a capillary tube is dipped into the sample to just coat the surface or a few microliters may be applied to the tip of a capillary before being analyzed by Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization in both positive and negative mode.

RESULTS

A rodenticide containing brodifacoum, black tar heroin and its impurities (morphine, codeine, noscapine, papaverine, and monoacetylmorphine), crack cocaine and 1‐methylaminoanthraquinone dyestuff were successfully analyzed directly without any sample preparation. All compounds were detected using full scan mass spectrometry (MS), followed by confirmation by MS/MS. Preliminary results suggest that this technique could be used for quantitation.

CONCLUSIONS

Interfacing the ASAP to an ion trap mass spectrometer allows the ability to perform full scan, MSn experiments, and rapid positive/negative switching from a single sample introduction. Because of these features, this instrument is very useful for rapid, routine analysis and for confirmation with the use of in‐house MS/MS libraries. Published in 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
1D Copper Nanostructures: Progress, Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Bhanushali Sushrut , Ghosh Prakash , Ganesh Anuradda , Cheng Wenlong
Published: December 2014

One‐dimensional noble metal nanostructures are important components in modern nanoscience and nanotechnology due to their unique optical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties. However, their cost and scalability may become a major bottleneck for real‐world applications. Copper, being an earth‐abundant metallic element, is an ideal candidate for commercial applications. It is critical to develop technologies to produce 1D copper nanostructures with high monodispersity, stability and oxygen‐resistance for future low‐cost nano‐enabled materials and devices. This article covers comprehensively the current progress in 1D copper nanostructures, most predominantly nanorods and nanowires. First, various synthetic methodologies developed so far to generate 1D copper nanostructures are thoroughly described; the methodologies are in conjunction with the discussion of microscopic, spectrophotometric, crystallographic and morphological characterizations. Next, striking electrical, optical, mechanical and thermal properties of 1D copper nanostructures are highlighted. Additionally, the emerging applications of 1D copper nanostructures in flexible electronics, transparent electrodes, low cost solar cells, field emission devices are covered, amongst others. Finally, there is a brief discussion of the remaining challenges and opportunities.
Ternary Sn–Ti–O Based Nanostructures as Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Wang Hongkang , Huang He , Niu Chunming , Rogach Andrey L.
Published: December 2014

SnOx (x = 0, 1, 2) and TiO2 are widely considered to be potential anode candidates for next generation lithium ion batteries. In terms of the lithium storage mechanisms, TiO2 anodes operate on the base of the Li ion intercalation–deintercalation, and they typically display long cycling life and high rate capability, arising from the negligible cell volume change during the discharge–charge process, while their performance is limited by low specific capacity and low electronic conductivity. SnOx anodes rely on the alloying–dealloying reaction with Li ions, and typically exhibit large specific capacity but poor cycling performance, originating from the extremely large volume change and thus the resultant pulverization problems. Making use of their advantages and minimizing the disadvantages, numerous strategies have been developed in the recent years to design composite nanostructured Sn–Ti–O ternary systems. This Review aims to provide rational understanding on their design and the improvement of electrochemical properties of such systems, including SnOx–TiO2 nanocomposites mixing at nanoscale and nanostructured SnxTi1‐xO2 solid solutions doped at the atomic level, as well as their combinations with carbon‐based nanomaterials.
Toward the adaptation of component‐based architectures by model transformation: behind smart user interfaces
Authors: Criado Javier , Rodríguez‐Gracia Diego , Iribarne Luis , Padilla Nicolás
Published: December 2014

Graphical user interfaces are not always developed for remaining static. There are GUIs with the need of implementing some variability mechanisms. Component‐based GUIs are an ideal target for incorporating this kind of operations, because they can adapt their functionality at run‐time when their structure is updated by adding or removing components or by modifying the relationships between them. Mashup user interfaces are a good example of this type of GUI, and they allow to combine services through the assembly of graphical components. We intend to adapt component‐based user interfaces for obtaining smart user interfaces. With this goal, our proposal attempts to adapt abstract component‐based architectures by using model transformation. Our aim is to generate at run‐time a dynamic model transformation, because the rules describing their behavior are not pre‐set but are selected from a repository depending on the context. The proposal describes an adaptation schema based on model transformation providing a solution to this dynamic transformation. Context information is processed to select at run‐time a rule subset from a repository. Selected rules are used to generate, through a higher‐order transformation, the dynamic model transformation. This approach has been tested through a case study which applies different repositories to the same architecture and context. Moreover, a web tool has been developed for validation and demonstration of its applicability. The novelty of our proposal arises from the adaptation schema that creates a non pre‐set transformation, which enables the dynamic adaptation of component‐based architectures. Copyright © 2014 Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of operating conditions on size and morphology of amylose nanoparticles prepared by precipitation
Authors: Dong Yan , Chang Yanjiao , Wang Qian , Tong Jin , Zhou Jiang
Published: December 2014

Nano‐sized amylose particles were prepared by precipitating amylose solution (using DMSO/water mixture as solvent) with absolute ethanol. Effects of operating conditions, including temperature and solvent composition for preparing amylose solution, amylose concentration, ethanol amount used for precipitating, and mode of agitation during precipitation, on size of amylose nanoparticles were investigated. The results of dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation showed that all the above operating conditions have great impact on size of regenerated amylose particles. By increasing amylose solution preparation temperature and DMSO/water volume ratio in solvent, regenerated amylose particles can be tuned from micro to nanometer. Through adjusting operating parameters, such as increasing the amount of ethanol used for precipitating, decreasing amylose solution concentration and using ultrasonic agitating during precipitation, amylose nanoparticles could be further reduced to 160 nm.
Effects of hydrocolloids on corn starch retrogradation
Authors: He Huizi , Zhang Yayuan , Hong Yan , Gu Zhengbiao
Published: December 2014

In this work, three kinds of hydrocolloids were used to investigate the effect of short‐term and long‐term retrogradation of corn starch to understand the mechanism of the hydrocolloid action on starch granules. Various analytical techniques, including the rapid viscosity analyzer, rheometer, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dispersion stability analyzer, were used to determine the gelatinization and phase separation behavior and to understand the effect of hydrocolloids on the mechanism of starch retrogradation. DSC revealed that short‐term retrogradation of amylose was retarded and restricted by xanthan gum. The X‐ray diffraction indicated that the xanthan gum could prevent the recrystallization of amylopectin. The stability analysis, which was performed with the Turbiscan Easy Soft software, clearly suggested that addition of xanthan and guar gum can strongly stabilize the corn starch; this was quantified using the Turbiscan stability index. Thus, our results showed that xanthan and guar gum can improve the stability of corn starch/hydrocolloid systems.
Sekundärneutralteilchen‐Massenspektrometrie (SNMS)
Authors: Passlack Sven , Kopnarski Michael
Published: December 2014

Wegen ihres quantitativen Charakters und der erzielbaren hohen Tiefenauflösung ist insbesondere die Sekundärneutralteilchen‐Massenspektrometrie (SNMS) ein geeignetes Verfahren zur Charakterisierung von Pulvern, Stäuben und anderen Partikelproben. Es wird gezeigt, welchen Beitrag die Methode leisten und wie man bei der Analyse von Partikelproben vorgehen kann. Nach einer kurzen Einführung in das Messprinzip von SNMS erläutern wir anhand ausgewählter Beispiele einige Besonderheiten im Zusammenhang mit der Analyse von Partikelproben. Schließlich wird gezeigt, wie ohne Lateralauflösung sogar nanoskalige Partikel im Größenbereich von nur einigen Nanometern untersucht werden können.