bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glucose‐Responsive Supramolecular Vesicles Based on Water‐Soluble Pillar[5]arene and Pyridylboronic Acid Derivatives for Controlled Insulin Delivery
Authors: Gao Lei , Wang Tingting , Jia Keke , Wu Xuan , Yao Chenhao , Shao Wei , Zhang Dongmei , Hu Xiao‐Yu , Wang Leyong
Published: March 2017

The stimuli‐responsive behavior of supramolecular nanocarriers is crucial for their potential applications as smart drug delivery systems. We hereby constructed a glucose‐responsive supramolecular drug delivery system based on the host–guest interaction between a water‐soluble pillar[5]arene (WP5) and a pyridylboronic acid derivative (G) for insulin delivery and controlled release under physiological conditions. The approach represents the ideal treatment of diabetes mellitus. The drug loading and in vitro drug release experiments demonstrated that large molecular weight insulin could be encapsulated into the vesicles with high loading efficiency, which, to our knowledge, is the first example of small‐size supramolecular vesicles with excellent encapsulation capacity of a large protein molecule. Moreover, FITC‐labeled insulin was used to evaluate the release behavior of insulin, and it was demonstrated that high glucose concentration could facilitate the quick release of insulin, suggesting a smart drug delivery system for potential application in controlled insulin release only under hyperglycemic conditions. Finally, we demonstrated that these supramolecular nanocarriers have good cytocompatibility, which is essential for their further biomedical applications. The present study provides a novel strategy for the construction of glucose‐responsive smart supramolecular drug delivery systems, which has potential applications for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
Saposin B Binds the Lipofuscin Bisretinoid A2E and Prevents its Enzymatic and Photooxidation
Authors: Tinklepaugh Jay , Smith Britannia M. , Nie Yan , Moody Kelsey , Grohn Kris , Bou‐Abdallah Fadi , Doyle Robert P.
Published: March 2017

Vitamin A based bisretinoid accumulation is a major focus in the study of macular degeneration. Whether specific endogenous lysosomal proteins can bind A2E, a pronounced bisretinoid in lipofuscin granules in retinal pigment epithelial cells, and interfere with enzymatic or photoinduced oxidation of such, has not been explored. Herein, using fluorescence and electronic absorption spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that Saposin B, a critical protein in the degradation of sulfatides and “flushing” of lipids, can bind A2E, preventing its H2O2‐dependent enzymatic oxidation by horseradish peroxidase and photooxidation by blue light (λ=450–460 nm).
Temporal variation in plant neighborhood effects on the defoliation of primary and secondary hosts by an insect pest
Authors: Bognounou Fidèle , De Grandpré Louis , Pureswaran Deepa S. , Kneeshaw Daniel
Published: March 2017

Plant neighborhood effects on herbivore damage have been observed in many systems although few studies have assessed the different component effects of the neighborhood (conspecific neighbors vs. heterospecific neighbors) on defoliation. No earlier studies have monitored how temporal scale influences neighborhood effects. We tested hypotheses on resource concentration/dilution and associational effects in the eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana)–forest system over a 10‐yr period across different stands including stands dominated by highly vulnerable hosts (balsam fir), stands dominated by a species with low vulnerability (black spruce), and mixed composition stands (fir and spruce). We observed persistent resource concentration effects on the primary host (balsam fir) during the increasing phase of the outbreak in balsam fir‐dominated and mixed stands, while both resource dilution and associational susceptibility effects were observed on the secondary host (black spruce) and the strength of associational susceptibility increased with an increase in resource dilution. We did not observe associational effects on the primary host in mixed and secondary host‐dominated stands but in stands dominated by the primary host, we observed associational resistance when the resource was highly depleted. Therefore, the complexity of neighborhood effects suggests that future studies should consider the separate effects of conspecific and heterospecific neighbors, as well as changes through time in order to predict herbivore damage in different systems, and provide better preventive and reactive strategies to manage herbivore outbreaks.
Contrasting patterns of diversity of abundant and rare bacterioplankton in freshwater lakes along an elevation gradient
Authors: Li Huabing , Zeng Jin , Ren Lijuan , Wang Jianjun , Xing Peng , Wu Qinglong L.
Published: March 2017

Bacterial communities comprise large numbers of species and normally include a few abundant taxa and many rare taxa. These two subcommunities may have fundamentally different ecological roles, and it is not clear whether their diversity patterns along elevation gradients vary. In this study, we investigated the diversity of bacterioplankton and their subcommunities, i.e., abundant and rare bacterioplankton, in lakes across gradual elevations from 525 m to 4652 m at Siguniang Mountain in western China via the high‐throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Elevation showed strong influence on bacterioplankton community composition (BCC) and that the dissimilarity of BCC increased with increasing differences in elevation. However, the elevational distance‐decay rate of abundant bacterioplankton was higher than that of rare bacterioplankton. Abundant bacterioplankton were more sensitive to changes of environmental factors than rare bacterioplankton. We observed a marginal increase in alpha diversity, estimated as operational taxonomic unit richness and phylogenetic diversity, of overall bacterioplankton with increasing elevation. The alpha diversity of abundant bacterioplankton decreased monotonically with elevation; in contrast, the alpha diversity of rare bacterioplankton increased monotonically with elevation. Null model tests indicated that environmental filtering played a dominant role in overall bacterioplankton community assembly along the elevation gradient, while there was decreased contribution of environmental selection to rare bacterioplankton in smaller lakes at higher elevation. Our results revealed that abundant bacterioplankton followed the general elevation diversity theory commonly found for plants and animals in freshwater lakes, whereas rare bacterioplankton did not follow this tenet.
Stability Dependence on Redox–active Site Structure in Free Catechol‐ or Hydroquinone–substituted Polypyridylruthenium(II) Complexes
Authors: Oyama Dai , Kido Masato , Abe Ryosuke , Takase Tsugiko
Published: March 2017

Polypyridylruthenium(II) complexes with redox‐active, structurally isomeric catechol or hydroquinone units were newly prepared to examine the structure‐stability relationships in the redox‐active sites. A marked difference based on the structure of the active site was confirmed with respect to the formation of the oxidized forms, i. e. the quinone complexes: only the para‐isomer was completely converted into the corresponding quinone form. The conversion of RuII to RuIII was not observed. Redox‐mediated interconversion between the hydroquinone and para‐quinone units is also reported.
Current Density and Heating Patterns in Organic Solar Cells Reproduced by Finite Element Modeling
Authors: Öttking Rolf , Roesch Roland , Fluhr Daniel , Muhsin Burhan , Schubert Ulrich S. , Hoppe Harald
Published: March 2017

We developed a finite element model of a finger structure polymer solar cell in conventional architecture in order to investigate current pathways and dissipative power losses. The model is of purely resistive nature, as this is sufficient to describe the effects under consideration.

The model simulations yield the spatial distribution of the current densities, potentials and the according dissipative losses. In particular, the current pathways are spread out from the entire length of the top contact towards the entire width of the ground contact, running along the electric potential gradient. On the other hand, current crowding appears at the foremost part of the top electrode, resulting in a respective concentration of the resistive loss in this vicinity.

The overall behavior of the current, mostly steers the resistive behavior of the device and is a delicate consequence of the interplay between the individual layer properties, namely the resistivities and layer thicknesses in combination.

All this provides a first step towards a detailed quantitative description of the losses, depending on the geometrical cell design. The dissipative loss, in turn, is the origin of heat, which is observable by lock‐in thermography experiments, which are aimed to be reproduced by simulation.
Nervous system development and regeneration in freshwater planarians
Authors: Ross Kelly G. , Currie Ko W. , Pearson Bret J. , Zayas Ricardo M.
Published: March 2017

Planarians have a long history in the fields of developmental and regenerative biology. These animals have also sparked interest in neuroscience due to their neuroanatomy, spectrum of simple behaviors, and especially, their almost unparalleled ability to generate new neurons after any type of injury. Research in adult planarians has revealed that neuronal subtypes homologous to those found in vertebrates are generated from stem cells throughout their lives. This feat is recapitulated after head amputation, wherein animals are capable of regenerating whole brains and regaining complete neural function. In this review, we summarize early studies on the anatomy and function of the planarian nervous system and discuss our present knowledge of the molecular mechanisms governing neurogenesis in planarians. Modern studies demonstrate that the transcriptional programs underlying neuronal specification are conserved in these remarkable organisms. Thus, planarians are outstanding models to investigate questions about how stem cells can replace neurons in vivo. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e266. doi: 10.1002/wdev.266

This article is categorized under:

Adult Stem Cells, Tissue Renewal, and Regeneration > Regeneration

Comparative Development and Evolution > Model Systems
Beyond HR Competencies: Removing Organizational Barriers to Maximize the Strategic Effectiveness of HR Professionals
Authors: Geimer Jennifer L. , Zolner Margaret , Allen Kristin Sanderson
Published: March 2017

The central question posed by Schiemann and Ulrich (2017) focuses on what human resources (HR) leaders need to know or do to deliver business results in the new work environment. Although understanding the knowledge and capabilities that successful HR professionals need is critical, the focal article places an overemphasis on the characteristics of individual HR leaders alone, without fully exploring the environmental inhibitors of their strategic effectiveness. In this commentary, we argue that competencies and the environment must be given equal attention to maximize impact on business and talent outcomes. We first describe the strategic competency gap among HR professionals and discuss four key organizational barriers that impede the strategic impact of HR on the business. We then offer recommendations for how industrial–organizational (I-O) psychologists and HR leaders can help remove these barriers to maximize strategic effectiveness.
Does Intentionality Matter? An Exploration of Discrimination With Ambiguous Intent
Authors: Gardner Danielle M. , Ryan Ann Marie
Published: March 2017

Although intentionality may be a valuable spectrum on which to categorically distinguish instances of discrimination, we consider whether or not differences on this construct actually reveal differing impacts for targets. Specifically, we wonder whether intentionality is very relevant to the experiences of targets of discrimination or whether the negative consequences stemming from the discriminatory interactions occur regardless of the perpetrator's intent. Further, we explore the potential consequences related to a target attempting to confront discrimination of ambiguous intent. Finally, we discuss discrimination of ambiguous intent from the perspective of the perpetrator, outlining theories related to intentional versus unintentional subtle discrimination.
The Subtleties of Subtle Discrimination: An Interesting but Incomplete Picture
Authors: Daniels Shanna R. , Perrewé Pamela L. , Ferris Gerald R.
Published: March 2017

The focal article on subtle discrimination provided by Jones, Arena, Nittrouer, Alonso, and Lindsey (2017) examines questions about the difference between overt and subtle discrimination and the conditions under which discrimination might vary by subtlety, formality, and intentionality. The authors suggest that a dynamic perspective of subtle discrimination would provide a more comprehensive understanding of its correlates. This article addresses two concerns regarding the authors’ proposition to move toward a dynamic model of subtle discrimination. The first concerns definitional issues and overlapping continuums that need to be more clearly distinguished in the model. The second addresses the lack of a theoretically derived process model.
Subtle Discrimination in the Service Sector
Authors: Yazejian Amanda A. , Morganson Valerie J. , Cornelius Andrea M.
Published: March 2017

A hotel concierge notices that her White female coworker earns higher tips from guests and wonders whether this disparity is attributable to race. A financial service specialist working at a bank considers whether his age is the reason why customers in need of consultation approach his younger coworkers more often. As these examples indicate, Jones, Arena, Nittrouer, Alonso, and Lindsey's (2017) multidimensional framework extends to customer service contexts. In the sections that follow, we contextualize and extend many of Jones et al.’s arguments to the customer service industry, providing implications for both research and practice.
Christian Magicians, Jewish Magical Idioms, and the Shared Magical Culture of Late Antiquity
Authors: Boustan Ra‘anan , Sanzo Joseph E.
Published: March 2017

Some time in the late-fifth or early-sixth century CE, a ritual practitioner—operating in the environs of Oxyrhynchus, Egypt—created a protective amulet that reads, “Hôr, Hôr, Phôr, Elôei, Adônai, Iaô, Sabaôth, Michaêl, Jesus Christ. Help us and this house. Amen” (Ὡρ, Ὡρ, Φωρ, Ἐλωεί, Ἀδωναί, Ἰάω, Σαβαώθ, Μιχαήλ, Ἰεσοῦ Χριστέ· Βοήθι ἡμῖν καὶ τούτῳ οἴκῳ. ἀμήν). Each of the names used in the first part of this amulet, known as P.Oxy. VIII 1152 (=PGM P6a), is familiar from other ritual objects from late antiquity (approx. fourth to seventh centuries CE). But the juxtaposition of these divine names on a single amulet presents us with a puzzle: did the ritual expert who created this artifact or his client perceive there to be a difference, tension, or even contradiction between Jesus Christ and the other names listed? Or, alternatively, would they have conceptualized all of these names as belonging equally within what they would have thought of as the “Christian tradition” or some other tradition?
Can trainees design and deliver a national audit of epistaxis management? A pilot of a secure web-based audit tool and research trainee collaboratives
Authors: Mehta N , Williams R J , Smith M E , Hall A , Hardman J C , Cheung L , Ellis M P , Fussey J M , Lakhani R , McLaren O , Nankivell P C , Sharma N , Yeung W , Carrie S , Hopkins C
Published: March 2017

Objective:

To investigate the feasibility of a national audit of epistaxis management led and delivered by a multi-region trainee collaborative using a web-based interface to capture patient data.

Methods:

Six trainee collaboratives across England nominated one site each and worked together to carry out this pilot. An encrypted data capture tool was adapted and installed within the infrastructure of a university secure server. Site-lead feedback was assessed through questionnaires.

Results:

Sixty-three patients with epistaxis were admitted over a two-week period. Site leads reported an average of 5 minutes to complete questionnaires and described the tool as easy to use. Data quality was high, with little missing data. Site-lead feedback showed high satisfaction ratings for the project (mean, 4.83 out of 5).

Conclusion:

This pilot showed that trainee collaboratives can work together to deliver an audit using an encrypted data capture tool cost-effectively, whilst maintaining the highest levels of data quality.
Liana dynamics reflect land-use history and hurricane response in a Puerto Rican forest
Authors: Hogan J. Aaron , Mayorquín Silvette , Rice Katherine , Thompson Jill , Zimmerman Jess K. , Brokaw Nicholas
Published: March 2017

We studied lianas in a subtropical wet forest in Puerto Rico to understand how hurricane impacts and past human land-uses interact to affect liana dynamics over a 14-year period. We compared a high-intensity land-use area, where the forest that had been cleared, and used for subsistence agriculture before being abandoned in 1934 then regrew to a low-intensity land-use area, in which there had been only some selective experimental logging by the USDA Forest Service in the 1940s. Prior to our study, both areas were strongly affected by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and again damaged to a lesser degree by Hurricane Georges in 1998, increasing canopy openness and subsequently increasing tree stem densities. Between 2001 and 2015, changes in the light environment and the recovery of forest structure resulted in roughly a 50% reduction in tree stem densities in the high-intensity land-use area, as recruited saplings naturally thinned. In this area, liana abundance increased by 103%, liana biomass tripled, and occupancy of trees by lianas grew by nearly 50%. In the low-intensity land-use area, juvenile stem densities were stable, and resultantly liana abundance only increased by 33%, liana biomass rose 39%, and the occupancy of trees was constant. Liana flower and fruit production increased over the 14-year interval, and these increases were much greater in the high-intensity land-use quadrats. Results of this study do show how rapid forest tree successional dynamics coincide with liana increases, but the confounding of hurricane effects of disturbance at our site, prevent us from asserting that the increases in liana density and biomass can be attributed to the same causes as those in forests elsewhere in the Neotropics.
Parent-parent and parent-offspring distances inSpondias radlkoferiseeds suggest long-distance pollen and seed dispersal: evidence from latrines of the spider monkey
Authors: Arroyo-Rodríguez Víctor , Aguilar-Barajas Esther , González-Zamora Arturo , Rocha-Ramírez Víctor , González-Rodríguez Antonio , Oyama Ken
Published: March 2017

Pollen and seed dispersal are key ecological processes, directly impacting the spatial distribution, abundance and genetic structure of plant populations; yet, pollen- and seed-dispersal distances are poorly known. We used molecular markers to identify the parental origin (n = 152 adult trees) of 177Spondias radlkoferi(Anacardiaceae) seeds deposited by the spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) in latrines located beneath 17 sleeping-trees in two continuous forest sites (CF) and two forest fragments (FF) in the Lacandona rain forest, Mexico. We estimated mean parent-offspring (PO) distances per latrine and, for those seeds (54% of seeds) with more than one candidate parent (i.e. the potential maternal and parental parents), we also estimated parent-parent (PP) distances per latrine, and tested if PO and PP distances differed between forest types. Global PO and PP distances per latrine averaged 682 m (range = 83–1741 m) and 610 m (range = 74–2339 m), respectively, and did not differ significantly between CF and FF. This suggests that pollen dispersal is extensive in both forest types and that long seed dispersal distances (>100 m) are common, thus supporting the hypothesis that the spider monkey is an effective seed disperser ofS. radlkoferiin continuous and fragmented forests.
Not committing has its advantages: facilitating children's comprehension of object filler–gap dependencies is one of them
Authors: BENTEA ANAMARIA , DURRLEMAN STEPHANIE
Published: March 2017

Two studies assess French-speaking children's comprehension of object filler–gap dependencies, with the goal of investigating whether the degree of specificity/set-restriction of the fronted object or the intervening subject modulates comprehension. We tease apart the predictions of various accounts attributing children's difficulties to (i) similarities between the object and the intervening subject (Gordonet al., 2001, 2004), particularly when both constituents share a structural +NP feature (Friedmannet al., 2009); (ii) increased processing cost determined by an operation of set-restriction (Goodluck 2010); and (iii) the tendency to incrementally interpret sentences and the subsequent difficulty in revising an early commitment to an agent/subject-first analysis (Trueswellet al., 1999). Our results support the incremental processing view as they reveal that only a less specific fronted object, but not a less specific intervener, enhances comprehension. This suggests that referentially ambiguous objects alleviate children from an erroneous initial interpretive commitment to an agent/subject-first structure.
Perennial grain on a Midwest Alfisol shows no sign of early soil carbon gain
Authors: Sprunger Christine D. , Culman Steve W. , Robertson G. Philip , Snapp Sieglinde S.
Published: March 2017

Perennial grain crops are expected to sequester soil carbon (C) and improve soil health due to their large and extensive root systems. To examine the rate of initial soil C accumulation in a perennial grain crop, we compared soil under perennial intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) with that under annual winter wheat 4 years after the crops were first planted. In addition, we tested the effect of three nitrogen (N) sources on C pools: Low available N (Low N (Organic N); 90 kg N ha−1 poultry litter), moderately available N (Mid N; 90 kg N ha−1 urea) and high available N (High N; 135 kg N ha−1 urea). We measured aboveground C (grain + straw), and coarse and fine root C to a depth of 1 m. Particulate organic matter (POM-C), fractionated by size, was used to indicate labile and more stabilized soil C pools. At harvest, IWG had 1.9 times more straw C and up to 15 times more root C compared with wheat. There were no differences in the size of the large (6 mm–250 µm) or medium (250–53 µm) POM-C fractions between wheat and IWG (P > 0.05) in surface horizons (0–10 cm). Large POM-C under IWG ranged from 3.6 ± 0.3 to 4.0 ± 0.7 g C kg soil−1 across the three N rates, similar to wheat under which large POM-C ranged from 3.6 ± 1.4 to 4.7 ± 0.7 g C kg soil−1. Averaged across N level, medium POM-C was 11.1 ± 0.8 and 11.3 ± 0.7 g C kg soil−1 for IWG and wheat, respectively. Despite IWG's greater above and belowground biomass (to 70 cm), POM-C fractions in IWG and wheat were similar. Post-hoc power analysis revealed that in order to detect differences in the labile C pool at 0–10 cm with an acceptable power (~80%) a 15% difference would be required between wheat and IWG. This demonstrates that on sandy soils with low cation exchange capacity, perennial IWG will need to be in place for longer than 4 years in order to detect an accumulated soil C difference > 15%.
Autogynephilia and the Typology of Male-to-Female	Transsexualism
Authors: Lawrence Anne A.
Published: March 2017

Abstract. Sexual scientists have recognized for over a century that biologic males who seek sex reassignment – male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals – are not a homogeneous clinical population but comprise two or more distinct subtypes with different symptoms and developmental trajectories. The most widely used typologies of MtF transsexualism have been based on sexual orientation and have distinguished between persons who are androphilic (exclusively sexually attracted to males) and those who are nonandrophilic (sexually attracted to females, both males and females, or neither gender). In 1989, psychologist Ray Blanchard proposed that most nonandrophilic MtF transsexuals display a paraphilic sexual orientation called autogynephilia, defined as the propensity to be sexually aroused by the thought or image of oneself as a woman. Studies conducted by Blanchard and colleagues provided empirical support for this proposal, leading to the hypothesis that almost all nonandrophilic MtF transsexuals are autogynephilic, whereas almost all androphilic MtF transsexuals are not. Blanchard’s ideas received increased attention in 2003 after they were discussed in a book by psychologist J. Michael Bailey. The concept of autogynephilia subsequently became intensely controversial among researchers, clinicians, and MtF transsexuals themselves, causing widespread repercussions. This article reviews the theory of autogynephilia, the evidence supporting it, the objections raised by its critics, and the implications of the resulting controversy for research and clinical care.
Prevalence of polymorphisms in OPG, RANKL and RANK as potential markers for Charcot arthropathy development
Authors: Bruhn-Olszewska Bożena , Korzon-Burakowska Anna , Węgrzyn Grzegorz , Jakóbkiewicz-Banecka Joanna
Published: March 2017

Charcot arthropathy is one of the most serious complications of diabetic foot syndrome that leads to amputation of the affected limb. Since there is no cure for Charcot arthropathy, early diagnosis and implementation preventive care are the best available treatment. However, diagnosis is hindered by obscure clinical picture of the disease and lack of molecular markers for its early detection. Results of recent research suggest that OPG-RANKL-RANK axis regulating bone metabolism can be associated with Charcot arthropathy and that SNPs in OPG gene are associated with the disease. Here we report the results of comprehensive analysis of ten SNPs in OPG, RANKL and RANK genes in 260 subjects divided into diabetes, neuropathy and Charcot arthropathy groups. Besides genotype analysis we performed linkage disequilibrium and hierarchical clustering to obtain information about correlation between SNPs. Our results show that OPG 245T/G (rs3134069) and OPG 1217C/T (rs3102734) polymorphisms co-occur in patients with Charcot arthropathy (r2 = 0.99). Moreover, hierarchical clustering revealed a characteristic profile of all SNPs in Charcot arthropathy and neuropathy, which is distinct from control group. Our results suggest that analysis of multiple SNPs can be used as potential marker of Charcot arthropathy and provide insight into possible molecular mechanisms of its development.
Voltage control of magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial Ru/Co2FeAl/MgO heterostructures
Authors: Wen Zhenchao , Sukegawa Hiroaki , Seki Takeshi , Kubota Takahide , Takanashi Koki , Mitani Seiji
Published: March 2017

Voltage control of magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) in magnetic heterostructures is a key technology for achieving energy-efficiency electronic devices with ultralow power consumption. Here, we report the first demonstration of the VCMA effect in novel epitaxial Ru/Co2FeAl(CFA)/MgO heterostructures with interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). Perpendicularly magnetized tunnel junctions with the structure of Ru/CFA/MgO were fabricated and exhibited an effective voltage control on switching fields for the CFA free layer. Large VCMA coefficients of 108 and 139 fJ/Vm for the CFA film were achieved at room temperature and 4 K, respectively. The interfacial stability in the heterostructure was confirmed by repeating measurements. Temperature dependences of both the interfacial PMA and the VCMA effect were also investigated. It is found that the temperature dependences follow power laws of the saturation magnetization with an exponent of ~2, where the latter is definitely weaker than that of conventional Ta/CoFeB/MgO. The significant VCMA effect observed in this work indicates that the Ru/CFA/MgO heterostructure could be one of the promising candidates for spintronic devices with voltage control.
Visible light focusing flat lenses based on hybrid dielectric-metal metasurface reflector-arrays
Authors: Fan Qingbin , Huo Pengcheng , Wang Daopeng , Liang Yuzhang , Yan Feng , Xu Ting
Published: March 2017

Conventional metasurface reflector-arrays based on metallic resonant nanoantenna to control the wavefront of light for focusing always suffer from strong ohmic loss at optical frequencies. Here, we overcome this challenge by constructing a non-resonant, hybrid dielectric-metal configuration consisting of TiO2 nanofins associated with an Ag reflector substrate that provides a broadband response and high polarization conversion efficiency in the visible range. A reflective flat lens based on this configuration shows an excellent focusing performance with the spot size close to the diffraction limit. Furthermore, by employing the superimposed phase distribution design to manipulate the wavefront of the reflected light, various functionalities, such as multifocal and achromatic focusing, are demonstrated for the flat lenses. Such a reflective flat lens will find various applications in visible light imaging and sensing systems.
Janus-faced Acrolein prevents allergy but accelerates tumor growth by promoting immunoregulatory Foxp3+ cells: Mouse model for passive respiratory exposure
Authors: Roth-Walter Franziska , Bergmayr Cornelia , Meitz Sarah , Buchleitner Stefan , Stremnitzer Caroline , Fazekas Judit , Moskovskich Anna , Müller Mario A. , Roth Georg A. , Manzano-Szalai Krisztina , Dvorak Zdenek , Neunkirchner Alina , Jensen-Jarolim Erika
Published: March 2017

Acrolein, a highly reactive unsaturated aldehyde, is generated in large amounts during smoking and is best known for its genotoxic capacity. Here, we aimed to assess whether acrolein at concentrations relevant for smokers may also exert immunomodulatory effects that could be relevant in allergy or cancer. In a BALB/c allergy model repeated nasal exposure to acrolein abrogated allergen-specific antibody and cytokine formation, and led to a relative accumulation of regulatory T cells in the lungs. Only the acrolein-treated mice were protected from bronchial hyperreactivity as well as from anaphylactic reactions upon challenge with the specific allergen. Moreover, grafted D2F2 tumor cells grew faster and intratumoral Foxp3+ cell accumulation was observed in these mice compared to sham-treated controls. Results from reporter cell lines suggested that acrolein acts via the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor which could be inhibited by resveratrol and 3′-methoxy-4′-nitroflavone Acrolein- stimulation of human PBMCs increased Foxp3+ expression by T cells which could be antagonized by resveratrol. Our mouse and human data thus revealed that acrolein exerts systemic immunosuppression by promoting Foxp3+ regulatory cells. This provides a novel explanation why smokers have a lower allergy, but higher cancer risk.
Topology Optimisation of Wideband Coaxial-to-Waveguide Transitions
Authors: Hassan Emadeldeen , Noreland Daniel , Wadbro Eddie , Berggren Martin
Published: March 2017

To maximize the matching between a coaxial cable and rectangular waveguides, we present a computational topology optimisation approach that decides for each point in a given domain whether to hold a good conductor or a good dielectric. The conductivity is determined by a gradient-based optimisation method that relies on finite-difference time-domain solutions to the 3D Maxwell’s equations. Unlike previously reported results in the literature for this kind of problems, our design algorithm can efficiently handle tens of thousands of design variables that can allow novel conceptual waveguide designs. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach by presenting optimised transitions with reflection coefficients lower than −15 dB over more than a 60% bandwidth, both for right-angle and end-launcher configurations. The performance of the proposed transitions is cross-verified with a commercial software, and one design case is validated experimentally.
Global preamplification simplifies targeted mRNA quantification
Authors: Kroneis Thomas , Jonasson Emma , Andersson Daniel , Dolatabadi Soheila , Ståhlberg Anders
Published: March 2017

The need to perform gene expression profiling using next generation sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) on small sample sizes and single cells is rapidly expanding. However, to analyse few molecules, preamplification is required. Here, we studied global and target-specific preamplification using 96 optimised qPCR assays. To evaluate the preamplification strategies, we monitored the reactions in real-time using SYBR Green I detection chemistry followed by melting curve analysis. Next, we compared yield and reproducibility of global preamplification to that of target-specific preamplification by qPCR using the same amount of total RNA. Global preamplification generated 9.3-fold lower yield and 1.6-fold lower reproducibility than target-specific preamplification. However, the performance of global preamplification is sufficient for most downstream applications and offers several advantages over target-specific preamplification. To demonstrate the potential of global preamplification we analysed the expression of 15 genes in 60 single cells. In conclusion, we show that global preamplification simplifies targeted gene expression profiling of small sample sizes by a flexible workflow. We outline the pros and cons for global preamplification compared to target-specific preamplification.
‘Triangulation:’ an expression for stimulating metacognitive reflection regarding the use of ‘triplet’ representations for chemistry learning
Authors: Thomas Gregory P.
Published: March 2017

Concerns persist regarding high school students' chemistry learning. Learning chemistry is challenging because of chemistry's innate complexity and the need for students to construct associations between different, yet related representations of matter and its changes. Students should be taught to reason about and consider chemical phenomena using ‘triplet’ representations. A meta-language to discuss chemistry learning with students regarding these representations and their use is therefore necessary. This paper reports on a classroom intervention in which the teacher used the term ‘triangulation’ as an expression to stimulate metacognitive reflection in students to consider the importance and use of these representations for their learning of chemistry. Students understood and could elaborate the meaning of triangulation. However, their views of the importance and reported use of cognitive processes associated with it varied across individuals. Despite the variation, this study highlights the potential of developing students' metacognition by explicitly engaging them in considering means of representing the chemistry subject material they are being asked to learn, and how they might learn it using strategies and activities that are aligned with the nature of that material.
Syntheses and kinetic studies of cyclisation-based self-immolative spacers
Authors: Huvelle Steve , Alouane Ahmed , Le Saux Thomas , Jullien Ludovic , Schmidt Frédéric
Published: March 2017

Photochemical activation has allowed the precise determination of the disassembly times of cyclisation-based self-immolative spacers. Results confirmed large differences with previously studied elimination-based self-immolative spacers.
ZnBr2-Mediated oxidative spiro-bromocyclization of propiolamide for the synthesis of 3-bromo-1-azaspiro[4.5]deca-3,6,9-triene-2,8-dione
Authors: He Yicheng , Qiu Guanyinsheng
Published: March 2017

ZnBr2-Mediated oxidative ipso-bromocyclization of N-arylpropoilamide was utilized herein for the synthesis of 3-bromo-1-azaspiro[4.5]deca-3,6,9-triene-2,8-dione with high efficiency and a broad tolerance for functional groups.
Results on finite‐time boundedness and finite‐time control of non‐linear quadratic systems subject to norm‐bounded disturbances
Authors: Bhiri Bassem , Delattre Cedric , Zasadzinski Michel , Abderrahim Kamel
Published: March 2017

The present study investigates the synthesis of sufficient conditions for finite‐time boundedness and stabilisation of non‐linear quadratic systems with exogenous disturbances. For this purpose, the usefulness of combining the notion of annihilator with a version of Finsler's lemma has been investigated. The obtained design conditions are expressed in terms of a set of state‐dependent linear matrix inequalities. Several numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the authors' approach.
Radar emitter classification for large data set based on weighted‐xgboost
Authors: Chen Wenbin , Fu Kun , Zuo Jiawei , Zheng Xinwei , Huang Tinglei , Ren Wenjuan
Published: March 2017

Radar emitter classification (REC) is very important in both civil and military fields. It becomes more and more difficult to classify the intercepted radar signals with the increasing complexity of radar signals. An efficient classification method using weighted‐xgboost (w‐xgboost) model for the complex radar signals is proposed in this study. The xgboost method is widely used by data scientists and performs very well in many machine learning projects. The authors use a large data set which consists of different types of attributes (such as continuous data, categorical data, and discrete data) to train the model. A smooth weight function is introduced to solve the data deviation problem. Experiment results show that the authors’ w‐xgboost method achieves a better performance than several existing machine learning algorithms on the test set.
Nanostructure evolution of as‐cast magnesium alloy induced by ultrasonic impacting and rolling
Authors: Liu Yu , Zhang Yanjun , Zhao Xiaohui
Published: March 2017

The surface nanostructure evolution of as‐cast AZ31B magnesium alloy subjected to ultrasonic impacting and rolling process was investigated. Results show that deformation twinning greatly emerges in early stage to coordinate with deformation. As strain increases, interactions between twin and dislocation and dislocation itself occur. Dynamic recrystallisation is induced with nucleation sites originating from grain boundary intersections with serious dislocation pile‐up. Larger β‐particles serve as nucleation sites of dislocation sources and small‐sized substructures. With further refinement, β‐particles get smaller and unevenly distributed, yet a number of particles approximately locating in line can still intercept dislocations, making them turn into sub‐boundaries. The final grains with high angle boundaries are refined to 150–200 nm compared with the initial size of ∼500 μm.
Stability and function of a putative microtubule-organizing center in the human parasiteToxoplasma gondii
Authors: Leung Jacqueline M. , He Yudou , Zhang Fangliang , Hwang Yu-Chen , Nagayasu Eiji , Liu Jun , Murray John M. , Hu Ke
Published: March 2017

The organization of the microtubule cytoskeleton is dictated by microtubule nucleators or organizing centers. Toxoplasma gondii, an important human parasite, has an array of 22 regularly spaced cortical microtubules stemming from a hypothesized organizing center, the apical polar ring. Here we examine the functions of the apical polar ring by characterizing two of its components, KinesinA and APR1, and show that its putative role in templating can be separated from its mechanical stability. Parasites that lack both KinesinA and APR1 (ΔkinesinAΔapr1) are capable of generating 22 cortical microtubules. However, the apical polar ring is fragmented in live ΔkinesinAΔapr1 parasites and is undetectable by electron microscopy after detergent extraction. Disintegration of the apical polar ring results in the detachment of groups of microtubules from the apical end of the parasite. These structural defects are linked to a diminished ability of the parasite to move and invade host cells, as well as decreased secretion of effectors important for these processes. Together the findings demonstrate the importance of the structural integrity of the apical polar ring and the microtubule array in the Toxoplasma lytic cycle, which is responsible for massive tissue destruction in acute toxoplasmosis.
Tradition and Innovation
Authors: Pollmann Karla
Published: March 2017

This chapter examines the notion of early Christian literature as an amalgamation of old and new forms and concepts. This chimes with the modern definition of literary genres as open systems with fluid boundaries, consisting of a set of characteristics which can overlap; thus, one work can potentially be classified under more than just one literary genre. The principles advocated in modern literary theory, especially ‘family resemblance’ and participation instead of essentialism, are useful to accommodate historical changes of a literary genre, as well as the formation of hybrid genres for which both the Hellenistic Age and Late Antiquity are famous. The chapter concludes that the cultural transfer achieved by early Christian writers is as much about remembering as about forgetting the past in order to free capacity for a new world-view.
Reappropriation and Disavowal
Authors: Pollmann Karla
Published: March 2017

Two rivalling traditions constituted the self-awareness of Christian intellectuals up to the sixth century: (1) the (originally pagan) tradition of education and knowledge as represented by the liberal arts; (2) a Christian tradition of prophetical truth as conveyed by the Scriptures which surpasses all human knowledge. This is illustrated by Cassiodorus and Venantius Fortunatus, two representative figures of the sixth century, a time when classical education threatened to perish. The chapter concludes that in the sixth century there is no uniform response to the feeling of political, social, cultural, and intellectual crises. While either continuity or discontinuity with the past authorities could be claimed, eventually both tendencies converge in order to create a Christian self-awareness and cultural identity that is satisfied by its own horizon as the new and only norm, resting on canonical authority.
Jesus Christ and Dionysus
Authors: Pollmann Karla
Published: March 2017

The cento Christus patiens takes about one-third of its c.2,600 iambic trimeters from tragedies by Euripides, telling in dramatic form the story of Christ’s Passion, death, and resurrection. This chapter argues that for metrical and lexical reasons the cento’s much disputed authorship has to be decided against Gregory of Nazianzus and in favour of a twelfth-century Byzantine author. An analysis of the adaptation of the Euripidean verses demonstrates the cento not to be viewed as mere learned play. The aim of this centonic transformation is to reveal the true, hidden sense of the famous pagan original, by employing various different modes of transferral and alteration, which confirms the findings in Chapter 4. The chapter’s groundbreaking contribution consists in elaborating the cento’s ultimate and highly original goal to contrast the vindictive pagan destroyer Dionysus with the merciful redeemer Jesus Christ in this Christian anti-tragedy with its new and different world-view.
Introduction
Authors: O’Rourke Kevin Hjortshøj , Williamson Jeffrey Gale
Published: March 2017

The fact that modern industry originated in Britain, and spread initially to Northwest Europe and North America, implied a dramatic divergence in living standards between the industrial ‘West’ and a non-industrial ‘Rest’. This industrial divergence is visibly unravelling today, as Third World economies converge industrially on the rich economies of Europe and North America. This phenomenon has been the subject of much research. Less appreciated, however, are the deep historical roots of this convergence, and in particular of the spread of modern industry to the global periphery. This chapter provides an introduction to the book, which fills this gap by providing a systematic, comparative, historical account of the spread of modern manufacturing beyond its traditional heartland to what we call the poor periphery. The chapter highlights the roles of factor endowments, the international context, luck, and economic policy in determining the timing and extent of manufacturing growth.
Industrialization and De-industrialization in Southeast Europe, 1870–2010
Authors: Kopsidis Michael , Ivanov Martin
Published: March 2017

Industrial growth in Southeast Europe took off only after the Second World War, even though modern manufacturing had started at the very end of the nineteenth century. This chapter shows that before 1945 the Balkans had already undergone fundamental modernization, making rapid industrialization possible after the Second World War. Furthermore, the industrial take-off during 1950–75 occurred under very different economic systems. By the mid-1970s, all Southeast European countries seemed to be on the way to becoming mature, diversified industrial economies. However, quite the opposite occurred. Modern manufacturing across Southeast Europe plunged into crisis, which became full de-industrialization during the 1990s. Finally, the chapter offers an explanation for why all industrialization efforts in the region ultimately failed, based on the interaction between endogenous factors, such as wrong strategic decisions taken by domestic elites, and exogenous factors, such as adverse global developments.
Spin liquids and frustrated magnetism
Authors: Chalker John T.
Published: March 2017

Two important markers in the history of research on spin liquids and frustrated magnetism are Anderson’s suggestion, over 40 years ago, of the resonating valence bond state as an alternative to Néel order and Ramirez’ influential review, some 20 years ago, of strongly frustrated magnets. There has been a tremendous amount of progress since then, but much remains to be done, especially in identifying experimental examples of spin liquids and understanding their properties. These lecture notes aim to provide an introduction to the field that links understanding of the classical statistical physics of these systems with approaches to their quantum mechanics.
Fractional Abelian topological phases of matter for fermions in two-dimensional space
Authors: Mudry Christopher
Published: March 2017

These lecture notes start by revisiting the definition of non-interacting topological phases of matter for fermions, placing some of the recurrent concepts that arise in other presentations at the Les Houches school on a time line beginning in 1931. They then focus exclusively on two-dimensional realizations of fractional topological insulators. The tenfold way for non-interacting fermions in the presence of local interactions and static local disorder is rederived. Attention is then turned to determining whether interactions between fermions can produce topological phases of matter with protected boundary states that are not captured by the tenfold way.
A Dictionary of Anaesthesia
Authors: Shorthouse James
Published: March 2017

Over 170 entries

A Dictionary of Anaesthesia clearly defines and describes essential terms relating to the science and practice of anaesthesia. These entries include the specific drugs that anaesthetists utilize, the techniques they apply to induce anaesthesia, the equipment and monitoring they use during surgery, and problems or emergencies that can arise during the process. In addition, a comprehensive weblinks section is provided with hyperlinks to important professional and educational material in the world of anaesthesia. New to the second edition is the inclusion of a number of schematic diagrams that accompany and enhance selected entries within the dictionary. All of the entries have been categorized according to the latest Oxford Taxonomy classification system, allowing for optimal search and reference facilities. These entries expand on and provide links to the coverage of the topic already present in Oxford Reference’s general medical dictionaries. Recently updated to include significant advances in the field of anaesthesia, the second edition of this dictionary provides an authoritative and specialist source of reference and teaching for students and practitioners.