bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Landau–Zener type surface hopping algorithms
Authors: Belyaev Andrey K. , Lasser Caroline , Trigila Giulio
Published: June 2014

A class of surface hopping algorithms is studied comparing two recent Landau–Zener (LZ) formulas for the probability of nonadiabatic transitions. One of the formulas requires a diabatic representation of the potential matrix while the other one depends only on the adiabatic potential energy surfaces. For each classical trajectory, the nonadiabatic transitions take place only when the surface gap attains a local minimum. Numerical experiments are performed with deterministically branching trajectories and with probabilistic surface hopping. The deterministic and the probabilistic approach confirm the affinity of both the LZ probabilities, as well as the good approximation of the reference solution computed by solving the Schrödinger equation via a grid based pseudo-spectral method. Visualizations of position expectations and superimposed surface hopping trajectories with reference position densities illustrate the effective dynamics of the investigated algorithms.
Role of phonon scattering by elastic strain field in thermoelectric Sr1−xYxTiO3−δ
Authors: Bhattacharya S. , Mehdizadeh Dehkordi A. , Tennakoon S. , Adebisi R. , Gladden J. R. , Darroudi T. , Alshareef H. N. , Tritt T. M.
Published: June 2014

Perovskite-type SrTiO3−δ ceramics are multifunctional materials with significant potential as n-type thermoelectric (TE) materials. The electronic and thermal transport properties of spark plasma sintered polycrystalline Sr1−xYxTiO3−δ (x = 0.05, 0.075, 0.1) ceramics are systematically investigated from (15–800) K. The Sr0.9Y0.1TiO3−δ simultaneously exhibits a large Seebeck coefficient, α > −80 μV/K and moderately high electrical resistivity, ρ ∼ 0.8 mΩ-cm at a carrier concentration of ∼1021 cm−3 at 300 K resulting in a high TE power factor defined herein as (α2σT) ∼ 0.84 W/m-K at 760 K. Despite the similar atomic masses of Sr (87.6 g/mol) and Y (88.9 g/mol), the lattice thermal conductivity (κL) of Sr1−xYxTiO3−δ is significantly reduced with increased Y-doping, owing to the smaller ionic radii of Y3+ (∼1.23 Å, coordination number 12) compared to Sr2+ (∼1.44 Å, coordination number 12) ions. In order to understand the thermal conductivity reduction mechanism, the κL in the Sr1−xYxTiO3−δ series are phenomenologically modeled with a modified Callaway's equation from 30–600 K. Phonon scattering by elastic strain field due to ionic radii mismatch is found to be the prominent scattering mechanism in reducing κL of these materials. In addition, the effect of Y-doping on the elastic moduli of Sr1−xYxTiO3−δ (x = 0, 0.1) is investigated using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, which exhibits an anomaly in x = 0.1 in the temperature range 300–600 K. As a result, the phonon mean free path is found to be further reduced in the Sr0.9Y0.1TiO3−δ compared to that of SrTiO3−δ, resulting in a considerably low thermal conductivity κ ∼ 2.7 W/m-K at 760 K. Finally, we report a thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) ∼ 0.3 at 760 K in the Sr0.9Y0.1TiO3−δ, the highest ZT value reported in the Y-doped SrTiO3 ceramics thus far.
Transient lateral photovoltaic effect in patterned metal-oxide-semiconductor films
Authors: Cascales J. P. , Martínez I. , Díaz D. , Rodrigo J. A. , Aliev F. G.
Published: June 2014

The time dependent transient lateral photovoltaic effect has been studied with μs time resolution and with chopping frequencies in the kHz range, in lithographically patterned 21 nm thick, 5, 10, and 20 μm wide, and 1500 μm long Co lines grown over naturally passivated p-type Si (100). We have observed a nearly linear dependence of the transitorial response with the laser spot position. A transitorial response with a sign change in the laser-off stage has been corroborated by numerical simulations. A qualitative explanation suggests a modification of the drift-diffusion model by including the influence of a local inductance. Our findings indicate that the microstructuring of position sensitive detectors could improve their space-time resolution.
Communication: Chemical functionality of interfacial water enveloping nanoscale structural defects in proteins
Authors: Fernández Ariel
Published: June 2014

Building upon a non-Debye multiscale treatment of water dielectrics, this work reveals the biochemical role of interfacial water enveloping nanoscale structural defects in soluble proteins, asserting its role as a chemical base. This quasi-reactant status is already implied by the significant concentration of structural defects in the vicinity of an enzymatically active site, delineating their role as promoters or enhancers of catalytic activity.
Four types of (super)conformal mechanics: D-module reps and invariant actions
Authors: Holanda N. L. , Toppan F.
Published: June 2014

(Super)conformal mechanics in one dimension is induced by parabolic or hyperbolic/trigonometric transformations, either homogeneous (for a scaling dimension λ) or inhomogeneous (at λ = 0, with ρ an inhomogeneity parameter). Four types of (super)conformal actions are thus obtained. With the exclusion of the homogeneous parabolic case, dimensional constants are present. Both the inhomogeneity and the insertion of λ generalize the construction of Papadopoulos [Class. Quant. Grav. 30, 075018 (2013); e-print arXiv:1210.1719]. Inhomogeneous D-module reps are presented for the d = 1 superconformal algebras osp(1|2), sl(2|1), B(1, 1), and A(1, 1). For centerless superVirasoro algebras, D-module reps are presented (in the homogeneous case for ${\cal N}=1,2,3,4$N=1,2,3,4; in the inhomogeneous case for ${\cal N}=1,2,3$N=1,2,3). The four types of d = 1 superconformal actions are derived for ${\cal N}=1,2,4$N=1,2,4 systems. When ${\cal N}=4$N=4, the homogeneously induced actions are D(2, 1; α)-invariant (α is critically linked to λ); the inhomogeneously induced actions are A(1, 1)-invariant.
Polarization dependent formation of femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures near stepped features
Authors: Murphy Ryan D. , Torralva Ben , Adams David P. , Yalisove Steven M.
Published: June 2014

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) are formed near 110 nm-tall Au microstructured edges on Si substrates after single-pulse femtosecond irradiation with a 150 fs pulse centered near a 780 nm wavelength. We investigate the contributions of Fresnel diffraction from step-edges and surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation to LIPSS formation on Au and Si surfaces. For certain laser polarization vector orientations, LIPSS formation is dominated by SPP excitation; however, when SPP excitation is minimized, Fresnel diffraction dominates. The LIPSS orientation and period distributions are shown to depend on which mechanism is activated. These results support previous observations of the laser polarization vector influencing LIPSS formation on bulk surfaces.
One-dimensional full wave simulation on XB mode conversion in electron cyclotron heating
Authors: Kim S. H. , Lee H. Y. , Jo J. G. , Hwang Y. S.
Published: June 2014

The XB mode conversion in electron cyclotron resonance frequency heating has been studied in detail through 1D full wave simulation. The field pattern depends on the density scale length, and the wave absorption near upper hybrid resonance is maximized beyond the R(X) mode cutoff density for optimized density scale length. The simulated mode conversion efficiency has been compared with that of an analytic formula, showing good agreements except for the phase dependent term of the X wave. The mode conversion efficiency is calculated for oblique injections as well, and it is found that the efficiency decreases as the injection angles increases. Short magnetic field scale length is confirmed to relax the short density scale length condition maximizing the XB mode conversion efficiency. Finally, the simulation code is used to analyze the mode conversion and power absorption of a pre-ionization plasma in versatile experiment spherical torus.
Strain tunable ferroelectric and dielectric properties of BaZrO3
Authors: Zhang Yajun , Liu Man , Wang Jie , Shimada Takahiro , Kitamura Takayuki
Published: June 2014

The crucial role of epitaxial (in-plane) strain on the structural, electronic, energetic, ferroelectric, and dielectric properties of BaZrO3 (BZO) is investigated using density-functional theory calculations. We demonstrate that the BZO crystal subjected to a critical compressive (or tensile) strain exhibits non-trivial spontaneous polarization that is higher than that of well-known ferroelectrics BaTiO3, while the BZO crystal is essentially paraelectric in the absence of strain. The electronic structure and Born-effective-charge analyses elucidate that the strain-induced paraelectric-to-ferroelectric transition is driven by the orbital hybridization of d-p electrons between zirconium and oxygen. Through the strain-induced paraelectric-to-ferroelectric phase transition, the dielectric response of BZO is significantly enhanced by the in-plane strain. The tensile strain increases the in-plane dielectric constant by a factor of seven with respect to that without the strain, while the compression tends to enhance the out-of-plane dielectric response. Therefore, strain engineering makes BZO an important electromechanical material due to the diversity in ferroelectric and dielectric properties.
Wireless Josephson amplifier
Authors: Narla A. , Sliwa K. M. , Hatridge M. , Shankar S. , Frunzio L. , Schoelkopf R. J. , Devoret M. H.
Published: June 2014

Josephson junction parametric amplifiers are playing a crucial role in the readout chain in superconducting quantum information experiments. However, their integration with current 3D cavity implementations poses the problem of transitioning between waveguide, coax cables, and planar circuits. Moreover, Josephson amplifiers require auxiliary microwave components, like directional couplers and/or hybrids, that are sources of spurious losses and impedance mismatches that limit measurement efficiency and amplifier tunability. We have developed a wireless architecture for these parametric amplifiers that eliminates superfluous microwave components and interconnects. This greatly simplifies their assembly and integration into experiments. We present an experimental realization of such a device operating in the 9–11 GHz band with about 100 MHz of amplitude gain-bandwidth product, on par with devices mounted in conventional sample holders. The simpler impedance environment presented to the amplifier also results in increased amplifier tunability.
Phase control and fast start-up of a magnetron using modulation of an addressable faceted cathode
Authors: Browning J. , Fernandez-Gutierrez S. , Lin M. C. , Smithe D. N. , Watrous J.
Published: June 2014

The use of an addressable, faceted cathode has been proposed as a method of modulating current injection in a magnetron to improve performance and control phase. To implement the controllable electron emission, five-sided and ten-sided faceted planar cathodes employing gated field emitters are considered as these emitters could be fabricated on flat substrates. For demonstration, the conformal finite-difference time-domain particle-in-cell simulation, as implemented in VORPAL, has been used to model a ten-cavity, rising sun magnetron using the modulated current sources and benchmarked against a typical continuous current source. For the modulated, ten-sided faceted cathode case, the electrons are injected from three emitter elements on each of the ten facets. Each emitter is turned ON and OFF in sequence at the oscillating frequency with five emitters ON at one time to drive the five electron spokes of the π-mode. The emitter duty cycle is then 1/6th the Radio-Frequency (RF) period. Simulations show a fast start-up time as low as 35 ns for the modulated case compared to 100 ns for the continuous current cases. Analysis of the RF phase using the electron spoke locations and the RF magnetic field components shows that the phase is controlled for the modulated case while it is random, as typical, for the continuous current case. Active phase control during oscillation was demonstrated by shifting the phase of the electron injection 180° after oscillations started. The 180° phase shift time was approximately 25 RF cycles.
Evaluating rates of technology adoption and milking practices on New Zealand dairy farms
Authors: Edwards J. P. , Dela Rue B. T. , Jago J. G.
Published: June 2014

This study assessed technology use and evaluated rates of technology adoption and milking practices on New Zealand dairy farms. Industry surveys were conducted in 2008 and 2013, when farmers were asked a series of questions relating to their physical farm details, their role in the business, their attitudes towards technology, the technologies they had on-farm and their levels of satisfaction. In total, 532 and 500 respondents were questioned in the two surveys, respectively, with a similar representation of rotary and herringbone dairies. Questions relating to attitudes towards new technologies were subjected to a cluster analysis using the 2013 dataset. Farmers were classified into two categories, ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ adopters. Fast adopters are more likely to have a rotary, with a larger farm and more cows. The most common technology in herringbone dairies is automatic vat washing and in rotary dairies automatic cluster removers (ACR). Rotary dairies equipped with ACR, automatic drafting and automatic teat spraying achieve greater labour utilisation (cows/labour unit). Around half of farmers with herringbone dairies sometimes or always wait for slow-milking cows to milk out and 85% of farmers do not know the their ACR settings, highlighting significant potential to improve milking efficiency. Overall, technology is associated with greater labour utilisation. However, the benefits of each technology should be scrutinised to ensure appropriate investment decisions are made by farmers.
The First Aziridinylguanidinates: New Precursors for Potentially Volatile Metal Guanidinates
Authors: Tutacz Peter , Syre Ronny , Hrib Cristian G. , Hilfert Liane , Frenzel Nancy , Burte Edmund P. , Kühling Marcel , Edelmann Frank T.
Published: June 2014

The first lithium-aziridinylamidinates, Li[(C2H4N)C(NR)2]·THF (R = iPr (3), Cy (4); iPr = isopropyl, Cy = cyclohexyl), have been prepared by addition of N-aziridinyllithium, C2H4NLi (2), to either N,N′-diisopropylcarbodiimide or N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The cyclohexyl derivative 4 was crystallised from both diethyl ether (Et2O) and THF to afford the crystalline solvent adducts {Li[(C2H4N)C(NR)2]·S}2 (4: S = THF; 4a: S = Et2O) which were structurally characterised by X-ray diffraction. In the solid state, these lithium-aziridinylamidinates comprise ladder-type dimeric molecular structures.
Turn-taking
Authors: Casillas Marisa
Published: June 2014

Conversation is a structured, joint action for which children need to learn a specialized set skills and conventions. Because conversation is a primary source of linguistic input, we can better grasp how children become active agents in their own linguistic development by studying their acquisition of conversational skills. In this chapter I review research on children’s turn-taking. This fundamental skill of human interaction allows children to gain feedback, make clarifications, and test hypotheses at every stage of development. I broadly review children’s conversational experiences, the types of turn-based contingency they must acquire, how they ask and answer questions, and when they manage to make timely responses.
Conversation Analysis and pragmatic development
Authors: Filipi Anna
Published: June 2014

In this study the methods and findings of Conversation Analysis are applied to the examination of three interactions between young children aged 12 to 14 months in the context of a parent working to establish joint attention, working to get beyond joint attention and affirming a child action. The close attention to the micro details of the talk and what a child does in the next turn allow for a rich analysis and understanding about the pragmatic skills needed to initiate, respond and keep a conversation going. The study argues that such close attention to the minutiae of talk is necessary if we are to understand how the child works to engage successfully in co-creating and managing interaction, and in the process, what she learns about both language and interaction as she accumulates experience.
Learning conventions and conventionality through conversation
Authors: Callanan Maureen A. , Siegel Deborah R.
Published: June 2014

Despite assumptions that children learn linguistic and behavioral conventions through socialization, a systematic account of this developmental process is lacking. We ask how well existing evidence supports a sociocultural account explaining how children learn what is conventional, and that meanings are conventional. Specifically, we consider empirical support for two hypotheses: that parents provide systematic cues regarding conventions and conventionality to children, and that children learn from these cues. Considering research involving conventional word meanings, object uses, and social behaviors, we find impressive support for both hypotheses. Parent-child conversations may support children’s expectation that people within a community tend to know and use the same words, and have similar knowledge and expectations. Finally we discuss ongoing controversies and future research ideas.
The production and comprehension of referring expressions
Authors: Graf Eileen , Davies Catherine
Published: June 2014

In this chapter, we provide a developmental outline of the emergence of referential skills during early childhood. We first briefly outline the major theoretical frameworks of reference as based on the adult literature and also introduce the growing body of developmental work. In two subsequent sections, we focus on typically developing children’s comprehension and production skills, respectively. Next, we look to clinical populations, summarising research on referential skills in children with autism spectrum disorders. We conclude by outlining a developmental sketch of children’s referential skills, considering some of the current debates within the development of reference.
Scalar Implicature
Authors: Katsos Napoleon
Published: June 2014

Children younger than 5½ years of age do not draw inferences based on the quantity of information expressed (e.g. the inference that ‘some of the animals are sleeping’ implies ‘not all the animals are sleeping’) at the rates that adults do. Explanations of this difficulty include limited processing resources, shallow lexical entries and lack of adult-like expectations of informativeness. I review experimental evidence and theoretical accounts of the development of the ability to draw these inferences with the aim (a) to highlight links between potentially related phenomena (such as these inferences and word learning), and (b) to outline a novel account which makes predictions about the underlying mechanisms and age of acquisition of these inferences.
Narrative Development across Cultural Contexts
Authors: Carmiol Ana M. , Sparks Alison
Published: June 2014

Children learn the pragmatic conventions of storytelling during family reminiscing. This chapter discusses differences in narrative development and narrative practices observed during reminiscing in two different cultural groups: children from mainstream, white, Anglo, middle-class families and Latino children and their families. Our review indicates both groups differ with respect to the way they structure, contextualize and evaluate their narratives. Different from European communities, Latinos deemphasize the chronological structuring of their stories. Children in both cultures learn to contextualize information within a narrative, but Latinos emphasize the contextualization of characters, usually their relatives. Both groups introduce evaluation while storytelling, through the use of different strategies. Implications of these differences for the educational context are pointed out.
Crosslinguistic and crosscultural approaches to pragmatic development
Authors: Küntay Aylin C. , Nakamura Keiko , Ateş-Şen A. Beyza
Published: June 2014

Pragmatic development involves learning to use linguistic code and non-linguistic action in a well-integrated way in relation to an ongoing interaction. Given how different languages encode meaning distinctions differently and how different cultures might organize social interactions differently, comparative studies are crucially relevant for understanding pragmatic development. This chapter focuses on currently available crosslinguistic and crosscultural research about (1) nonverbal interaction, (2) referential communication, (3) speech acts and politeness, and (4) extended discourse such as conflicts. We also including a section on how children learning different languages are socialized to use language in varied ways by families, peers and schools. Future directions are suggested on the basis of this current research.
Assessing pragmatic language functioning in young children
Authors: O’Neill Daniela K.
Published: June 2014

This chapter highlights the growing need and importance of assessing young children’s pragmatic language abilities given such factors as the increasing recognition of disproportionate difficulties in pragmatics among different clinical groups, the rise of more usage-based and functional approaches to language acquisition and competence, and evidence of significant, negative long-term outcomes relating to early pragmatic language impairment. Yet, at the same time, the development of pragmatic measures, and the assessment of pragmatics, is fraught with some quite unique challenges. Some of these challenges will be illustrated with respect to my own experience of developing the Language Use Inventory (LUI), a standardized parent-report measure designed to assess early language use and pragmatics in 18- to 47-month–old children.
Further validation of unsaturated long-chain fatty acids as inhibitors for oxidized low-density lipoprotein binding to CD36 via assays with synthetic CD36 peptide-cross-linked plates
Authors: Kozai Yuki , Tsuzuki Satoshi , Takai Marie , Eguchi Ai , Matsumura Shigenobu , Inoue Kazuo , Fushiki Tohru
Published: June 2014

We recently obtained evidence that unsaturated long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) (e.g. oleic acid) inhibit binding of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDLs) to CD36. In the present study, we validated this prediction by examining inhibition by unsaturated LCFAs of Alexa-fluor-labeled oxLDL binding to multiwell plates onto which a synthetic CD36 peptide is covalently immobilized via thiol–maleimide coupling.
A simple and rapid method for visualization of male meiotic chromosomes in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Li Junhua , Yuan Jinhong , Zhao Xiting , Zhang Xiaoli , Li Mingjun
Published: June 2014

Meiotic chromosomes are of basic interest to the geneticist and cell biologist who study their behavior. A rapid and highly repeatable method for visualization of meiotic chromosomes is useful. Here we describe a fast staining protocol for Arabidopsis male meiotic chromosomes. Meiocytes were squashed into a labeling buffer, the chromosome morphology could be analyzed using fluorescence without any additional treatment.
Comparison of hydrophilic variation and bioethanol production of furfural residues after delignification pretreatment
Authors: Bu Lingxi , Tang Yong , Xing Yang , Zhang Weiming , Shang Xinhui , Jiang Jianxin
Published: June 2014

Furfural residue (FR) is a waste lignocellulosic material with enormous potential for bioethanol production. In this study, bioethanol production from FR after delignification was compared. Hydrophilic variation was measured by conductometric titration to detect the relationship between hydrophilicity and bioethanol production. It was found that ethanol yield increased as delignification enhanced, and it reached up to 75.6% of theoretical yield for samples with 8.7% lignin. The amount of by-products decreased as delignification increased. New inflection points appeared in conductometric titration curves of samples that were partially delignified, but they vanished in the curves of the highly delignified samples. Total charges and carboxyl levels increased after slight delignification, and they decreased upon further delignification. These phenomena suggested some new hydrophilic groups were formed during pretreated delignification, which would be beneficial to enzymatic hydrolysis. However, some newly formed groups may act as toxicant to the yeast during simultaneous saccharification and fermentation.
(2-Nitroethyl)benzene: a major flower scent from the Japanese loquat Eriobotrya japonica [Rosales: Rosaceae]
Authors: Kuwahara Yasumasa , Ichiki Yayoi , Morita Masashi , Asano Yasuhisa
Published: June 2014

(2-Nitroethyl)benzene was identified as a major component of the flower scent of the Japanese loquat Eriobotrya japonica [Rosales: Rosaceae], together with p-methoxybenzaldehyde and methyl p-methoxybenzoate. The corresponding volatiles from chopped leaves did not contain these three compounds. This is the first time that 1-nitro-2-phenyl-ethane has been demonstrated to be a natural product among Japanese plants, although two Japanese millipedes are known to possess the same aromatics.
Ethanol stress impairs protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum and activates Ire1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Miyagawa Ken-Ichi , Ishiwata-Kimata Yuki , Kohno Kenji , Kimata Yukio
Published: June 2014

Impaired protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) evokes the unfolded protein response (UPR), which is triggered in budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, by the ER-located transmembrane protein Ire1. Here, we report that ethanol stress damages protein folding in the ER, causing activation of Ire1 in yeast cells. The UPR likely contributes to the ethanol tolerance of yeast cells.
Diallyl trisulfide induces apoptosis in Jurkat cells by the modification of cysteine residues in thioredoxin
Authors: Watanabe Kazunari , Hosono Takashi , Watanabe Kazuhiro , Hosono-Fukao Tomomi , Ariga Toyohiko , Seki Taiichiro
Published: June 2014

We reported the regulation of protein function by oxidative modification of the specific cysteine residue(s) by diallyl trisulfide (DATS). In this study, we examined if DATS modifies the cysteine residue of thioredoxin (Trx) by urea-polyacryl amide gel electrophoresis. DATS modified two specific cysteine residues in Trx and this oxidative modification of cysteine residues would be sole causative of the apoptosis induced by DATS in leukemic cells.
Molecular cloning, purification, and biochemical characterization of recombinant isocitrate dehydrogenase from Streptomyces coelicolor M-145
Authors: Takahashi-Iñiguez Tóshiko , Cruz-Rabadán Saul , Miguel Burciaga-Cifuentes Luis , Elena Flores María
Published: June 2014

Isocitrate dehydrogenase is a key enzyme in carbon metabolism. In this study we demonstrated that SCO7000 of Streptomyces coelicolor M-145 codes for the isocitrate dehydrogenase. Recombinant enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli had a specific activity of 25.3 μmoles/mg/min using NADP+ and Mn2+ as a cofactor, 40-times higher than that obtained in cell-free extract. Pure IDH showed a single band with an apparent Mr of 84 KDa in SDS-PAGE, which was also recognized as His-tag protein in the Western blot. Unexpectedly, in ND-PAGE conditions showed a predominant band of ~168 KDa that corresponded to the dimeric form of ScIDH. Also, zymogram assay and analytical gel filtration reveal that dimer was the active form. Kinetic parameters were 1.38, 0.11, and 0.109 mM for isocitrate, NADP, and Mn2+, respectively. ATP, ADP, AMP, and their mixtures were the main ScIDH activity inhibitors. Zn2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and Cu+ had inhibitory effect on enzyme activity.
Liver X receptor activation protects against inflammation and enhances autophagy in myocardium of neonatal mouse challenged by lipopolysaccharides
Authors: Liu Peng , He Siyi , Gao Junwei , Li Jingwei , Fan Xiaotang , Xiao Ying-Bin
Published: June 2014

Liver X receptors (LXRs) has been emerged as negative regulators of cardiomyocytic inflammation. The cellular process of autophagy is believed to play a protective role in myocardium during the inflammatory status. In this study, we investigated the role of LXRs agonist TO901317 (TO) on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced myocardial inflammation and autophagy. The results showed that TO pretreatment significantly reduced the LPS-induced infiltration of inflammatory cells, elevation of NF-κB protein, TNF-α, and IL-6 mRNA levels in the myocardium. Moreover, LPS stimulated autophagy in neonatal mice heart, and this effect was further enhanced by TO pretreatment as evidenced by increased LC3-II/GAPDH ratio increment. Furthermore, TUNEL assay revealed LPS stimulation also increased the number of apoptotic cells in the myocardium, and the increment was inhibited by TO pretreatment. Our findings suggested that attenuation of inflammation and apoptosis, and enhancement of autophagy by TO may contribute to the protection of myocardium under inflammatory condition.
Effect of nodakenin on atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions
Authors: Park Sae-Jin , Cha Hae-Sim , Lee Yong-Hyeon , Kim Wan-Joong , Kim Dae-Hyun , Kim Eok-Cheon , Lee Kwang-Ho , Kim Tack-Joong
Published: June 2014

Nodakenin, derived from the roots of Angelica gigas Nakai, is an important natural resource and medicinal material with anti-allergic and anti- inflammatory activities. We have previously shown that nodakenin inhibits IgE/Ag-induced degranulation in mast cells. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of nodakenin on 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD)- like skin lesions in ICR mice. Scratching behavior, skin severity score, blood IgE level, and skin thickness were improved in DNCB-induced AD-like ICR mice. Our results showed that nodakenin suppressed the increase of AD-like skin lesions in ICR mice. These results suggest that nodakenin may be a potential therapeutic resource for AD as well as an adjunctive agent to control itching associated with AD.
Emotion-Specific Load Disrupts Concomitant Affective Processing
Authors: Vermeulen Nicolas , Niedenthal Paula M. , Pleyers Gordy , Bayot Marie , Corneille Olivier
Published: June 2014

Findings in the neuroimaging literature suggest that separate brain circuitries are involved when individuals perform emotional compared to nonemotional working memory (WM) tasks. Here we test this hypothesis with behavioural measures. We predicted that the conceptual processing of affect would be disrupted more by concurrent affective than nonaffective load. Participants performed a conceptual task in which they verified affective versus sensory properties of concepts, and a second, concurrent, working memory ( n-back) task in which the target stimuli were facial expressions. Results revealed that storing and updating affective (as compared with identity) features of facial expressions altered performance more for affective than for sensory properties of concepts. The findings are supportive of the ideas that affective resources exist and that these resources are specifically used during the processing and representation of affective properties of objects and events.
Japanese Suicide
Authors: Atkins Paul S.
Published: June 2014

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. Please check back later for the full article.

Suicide in Japan has a relationship with various belief systems, including secular belief systems, such as Bushidō (‘the way of the warrior’) and emperor worship, as well as religious systems, such as Shintō, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity, from the earliest times to the early twenty-first century.

Cultural and religious environments in Japan have tended to take a neutral or even positive attitude toward suicide to some extent, similar to that seen elsewhere, for example, in ancient Rome, but in contrast to the stigma attached to suicide by the Abrahamic religions.

Iconized Japanese practices of suicide, including seppuku/harakiri (ritualized self-disembowelment), junshi (suicide for the purposes of following one’s lord in death), shinjū (double suicide or murder–suicide by lovers), and the kamikaze of World War II (lit. “divine winds,” usually referred to as tokkōtai “special attack units” in Japanese) show the links between suicide in Japan and the construction of Japanese identity and are further expanded upon in literary and dramatic texts, in addition to religious and philosophical treatises and historical records. Suicide in Japan also intersects and overlaps with other forms of violence, such as warfare, capital punishment, and murder.

In addition to causes and motives, of interest are preferred or unusual methods of suicide in Japan, their distinctive aspects in comparison with other cultures, and the symbolic and ritual elements of Japanese suicide.
African American Islam
Authors: Berg Herbert
Published: June 2014

The first Muslims arrived in the American colonies and later in the United States as African slaves. Although a few and noteworthy Muslim American slaves left written records of their lives, Islam was largely extinguished by the white slave owners. Sectarian and racial forms of Islam were introduced into the United States, particularly within urban African American communities, by Ahmadiyya missionaries and the Moorish Science Temple. The rise of the Nation of Islam under Wali Fard Muhammad and Elijah Muhammad and its bifurcation under the latter’s son, Warith Deen Mohammed, and Louis Farrakhan deserve special attention, as do the initial appeal of the Nation of Islam’s racial formulation of Islam and, decades later, the willingness of most of its members to move to Sunni orthodoxy after Elijah Muhammad’s death. The second major, though not entirely separate, strand of Islam in the United States, though often interacting or competing with the first, comes from Muslim immigrants. This group brings unique issues, such as living in a largely Christian society, competing with the Nation of Islam, refuting stereotypes in the media and popular culture, finding a political voice, and coping with post-9/11 Islamophobia, all leading to the consideration of the prospects for a uniquely “American Islam” that reflects U.S. pluralism and (supposed) separation of “church and state.”
Papiliotrema siamense f.a., sp. nov., a yeast species isolated from plant leaves
Authors: Surussawadee Janjira , Khunnamwong Pannida , Srisuk Nantana , Limtong Savitree
Published: June 2014

Two strains representing a novel species were isolated from the external surface of a sugar cane leaf (DMKU-SP85T) and tissue of a rice leaf (DMKU-RE97) collected in Thailand. On the basis of morphological, biochemical, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, and sequence analysis of the D1/D2 region of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the two strains were determined to represent a novel species of the genusPapiliotremaalthough sexual reproduction was not observed. The sequences of the D1/D2 region of the LSU rRNA gene and ITS region of the two strains were identical, but differed from those of the type strain ofCryptococcus nemorosusby 0.6 % nucleotide substitutions (four nucleotide substitutions out of 597 nucleotides) in the D1/D2 region of the LSU rRNA gene and 1.8 % nucleotide substitutions (nine nucleotide substitutions out of 499 nucleotides) in the ITS region. The namePapiliotrema siamensef.a., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DMKU-SP85T( = BCC 69499T = CBS 13330T).
Matching Patterns of Gene Expression to Mechanical Stiffness at Cell Resolution through Quantitative Tandem Epifluorescence and Nanoindentation
Authors: Milani Pascale , Mirabet Vincent , Cellier Coralie , Rozier Frédérique , Hamant Olivier , Das Pradeep , Boudaoud Arezki
Published: June 2014

Cell differentiation has been associated with changes in mechanical stiffness in single-cell systems, yet it is unknown whether this association remains true in a multicellular context, particularly in developing tissues. In order to address such questions, we have developed a methodology, termed quantitative tandem epifluorescence and nanoindentation, wherein we sequentially determine cellular genetic identity with confocal microscopy and mechanical properties with atomic force microscopy. We have applied this approach to examine cellular stiffness at the shoot apices of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants carrying a fluorescent reporter for the CLAVATA3 (CLV3) gene, which encodes a secreted glycopeptide involved in the regulation of the centrally located stem cell zone in inflorescence and floral meristems. We found that these CLV3-expressing cells are characterized by an enhanced stiffness. Additionally, by tracking cells in young flowers before and after the onset of GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN expression, we observed that an increase in stiffness coincides with this onset. This work illustrates how quantitative tandem epifluorescence and nanoindentation can reveal the spatial and temporal dynamics of both gene expression and cell mechanics at the shoot apex and, by extension, in the epidermis of any thick tissue.
3-Bromo-N-(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)propanamide
Authors: Abo-Amer Anwar , Al-Refai Mahmoud , Puddephatt Richard J. , Ali Basem F.
Published: June 2014

The title compound, C17H26BrNO, exhibits a small twist between the amide residue and the benzene ring [C—N—C—C torsion angle = 29.4 (5)°]. In the crystal, the amido NH group is involved in N—H...O hydrogen bonding, which connects molecules into chains parallel to thecaxis.
N-[(1-Benzoylpiperidin-4-yl)methyl]benzamide
Authors: Prathebha K. , Reuben Jonathan D. , Shanmugam Sathya , Usha G.
Published: June 2014

In the title compound, C20H22N2O2, the piperidine ring adopts a chair conformation. The phenyl rings are inclined to one another by 80.1 (1)° and make dihedral angles of 46.1 (1) and 40.2 (1)° with the mean plane of the piperidine ring. In the crystal, pairs of N—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules into inversion dimers. C—H...O interactions further link the molecules, forming a three-dimensional supramolecular network.
2-[(Pyridin-2-yl)amino]pyridinium 2,4,6-trinitrophenolate
Authors: Ohui Kateryna A. , Golenya Irina A. , Bokach Nadezhda A.
Published: June 2014

In the cation of the title salt, C10H10N3+·C6H2N3O7−, the pyridine and pyridinium rings are linked by an intramolecular N—H...N hydrogen bond and are approximately coplanar, with a dihedral angle between their planes of 4.24 (6)°. In the crystal, the cations and anions are linked through N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming supramolecular chains propagating along thec-axis direction. π–π stacking is observed between neighbouring chains, the centroid–centroid distances being 3.7638 (11) (between pyridinium rings) and 3.5331 (11) Å (between benzene rings).
8-Fluoro-4-oxo-4H-chromene-3-carbaldehyde
Authors: Ishikawa Yoshinobu
Published: June 2014

In the title compound, C10H5FO3, the non-H atoms of the 8-fluorochromone unit are essentially coplanar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0259 Å), with a largest deviation from the mean plane of 0.0660 (12) Å for the chromone carbonyl O atom. The formyl group is twisted with respect to the attached ring [C—C—C—O torsion angles = −11.00 (19) and 170.81 (11)°]. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviaweak C—H...O hydrogen bonds along theaaxis and [-101], forming corrugated layers parallel to (010). In addition, π–π stacking interactions [centroid–centroid distance between the planes of the pyran and benzene rings = 3.519 (2) Å] are observed between these layers.
3-(Adamantan-1-yl)-4-benzyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione
Authors: Al-Omary Fatmah A. M. , Ghabbour Hazem A. , El-Emam Ali A. , Chidan Kumar C. S. , Fun Hoong-Kun
Published: June 2014

The title compound, C19H23N3S, is a functionalized triazoline-3-thione derivative. The benzyl ring is almost normal to the planar 1,2,4-triazole ring (r.m.s. deviation = 0.007 Å) with a dihedral angle of 86.90 (7)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by pairs of N—H...S hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers that encloseR22(8) loops. The crystal packing is further stabilized by weak C—H...π interactions that link adjacent dimeric units into supramolecular chains extending along thea-axis direction.
6-[(2-Methylphenyl)sulfanyl]-5-propylpyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione
Authors: Haress Nadia G. , Ghabbour Hazem A. , El-Emam Ali A. , Chidan Kumar C. S. , Fun Hoong-Kun
Published: June 2014

In the title pyrimidine-2,4-dione derivative, C14H16N2O2S, the dihedral angle between the six-membered rings is 77.81 (10)°. The molecule is twisted about the Cp—S (p = pyrimidine) bond, with a C—S—C—N torsion angle of −59.01 (17)°. An intramolecular C—H...S hydrogen bond generates anS(5) ring motif. In the crystal, bifurcated acceptor N—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds generate inversion-related dimers incorporatingR21(9) andR22(8) loops. These dimers are connected into a chain extending along thea-axis direction by a second pair of inversion-related N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming anotherR22(8) loop. The crystal structure is further stabilized by weak intermolecular C—H...π interactions, generating a three-dimensional network.
1-{3-(4-Chlorophenyl)-5-[4-(propan-2-yl)phenyl]-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl}ethanone
Authors: Narayana B. , Salian Vinutha V. , Sarojini Balladka K. , Jasinski Jerry P.
Published: June 2014

In the title compound, C20H21ClN2O, the dihedral angles between the pyrazole ring (r.m.s. deviation = 0.049 Å) and the benzene and chlorobenzene rings are 84.65 (10) and 3.35 (10)°, respectively. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of weak C—H...O interactions generateR22(16) loops. Weak π–π stacking interactions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.8490 (11) Å] are also observed.
N-(2-Allyl-4-ethoxy-2H-indazol-5-yl)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide. Corrigendum
Authors: Chicha Hakima , Rakib El Mostapha , Bouissane Latifa , Viale Maurizio , Saadi Mohamed , El Ammari Lahcen
Published: June 2014

The affiliation address of one of the authors in the paper by Chichaet al.[Acta Cryst.(2014), E70, o624] is corrected.
Bis(4-aminopyridinium) dichromate(VI)
Authors: Trabelsi Sonia , Roisnel Thierry , Dhaouadi Hassouna , Marouani Houda
Published: June 2014

The asymmetric unit of the title salt, (C5H7N2)2[Cr2O7], contains four independent cations and two independent dichromate anions. The crystal structure consists of discrete dichromate anions with an eclipsed conformation stacked in layers parallel to (010) aty= 1/4 andy= 3/4. These layers are linkedvia4-aminopyridinium cations by N—H...O and weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional supramolecular network. In addition, π–π interactions are present in this structure; the shortest distance separating mean planes through 4-aminopyridinium cations is 3.679 (6) Å.
The solid solution K3.84Ni0.78Fe3.19(PO4)5
Authors: Strutynska Nataliia Yu. , Ogorodnyk Ivan V. , Livitska Oksana V. , Baumer Vyacheslav N. , Slobodyanik Nikolay S.
Published: June 2014

The title compound, tetrapotassium tetra[nickel(II)/iron(III)] pentakis(orthophosphate), K3.84Ni0.78Fe3.19(PO4)5, has been obtained from a flux. The structure is isotypic with that of K4MgFe3(PO4)5. The three-dimensional framework is built up from (Ni/Fe)O5trigonal bipyramids with a mixed Fe:Ni occupancy of 0.799 (8):0.196 (10) and isolated PO4tetrahedra, one of which is on a general position and one of which has -4.. site symmetry. Two K+cations are statistically occupied and are distributed over two positions in hexagonally shaped channels that run parallel to [001]. One K+cation [occupancy 0.73 (3)] is surrounded by nine O atoms, while the other K+cation [occupancy 0.23 (3)] is surrounded by eight O atoms.
MARTINI bead form factors for the analysis of time-resolved X-ray scattering of proteins
Authors: Niebling Stephan , Björling Alexander , Westenhoff Sebastian
Published: June 2014

Time-resolved small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS) methods probe the structural dynamics of proteins in solution. Although technologically advanced, these methods are in many cases limited by data interpretation. The calculation of X-ray scattering profiles is computationally demanding and poses a bottleneck for all SAXS/WAXS-assisted structural refinement and, in particular, for the analysis of time-resolved data. A way of speeding up these calculations is to represent biomolecules as collections of coarse-grained scatterers. Here, such coarse-graining schemes are presented and discussed and their accuracies examined. It is demonstrated that scattering factors coincident with the popular MARTINI coarse-graining scheme produce reliable difference scattering in the range 0 < q < 0.75 Å−1. The findings are promising for future attempts at X-ray scattering data analysis, and may help to bridge the gap between time-resolved experiments and their interpretation.
Double hexagonal close-packed structure revealed in a single colloidal crystal grain by Bragg rod analysis
Authors: Meijer J.-M. , Shabalin A. , Dronyak R. , Yefanov O. M. , Singer A. , Kurta R. P. , Lorenz U. , Gorobstov O. , Dzhigaev D. , Gulden J. , Byelov D. V. , Zozulya A. V. , Sprung M. , Vartanyants I. A. , Petukhov A. V.
Published: June 2014

A coherent X-ray diffraction study of a single colloidal crystal grain composed of silica spheres is reported. The diffraction data contain Bragg peaks and additional features in the form of Bragg rods, which are related to the stacking of the hexagonally close-packed layers. The profile of the Bragg rod shows distinct intensity modulations which, under the specific experimental conditions used here, are directly related to the stacking sequence of the layers. Using a model for the scattered intensity along the Bragg rod for an exact stacking sequence of a finite number of hexagonally close-packed layers, it is found that a double hexagonal close-packed stacking sequence is present in the colloidal crystal grain. This analysis method opens up ways to obtain crucial structural information from finite-sized crystalline samples by employing advanced third-generation X-ray sources.
The α–β phase transition in volcanic cristobalite
Authors: Damby David E. , Llewellin Edward W. , Horwell Claire J. , Williamson Ben J. , Najorka Jens , Cressey Gordon , Carpenter Michael
Published: June 2014

Cristobalite is a common mineral in volcanic ash produced from dome-forming eruptions. Assessment of the respiratory hazard posed by volcanic ash requires understanding the nature of the cristobalite it contains. Volcanic cristobalite contains coupled substitutions of Al3+ and Na+ for Si4+; similar co-substitutions in synthetic cristobalite are known to modify the crystal structure, affecting the stability of the α and β forms and the observed transition between them. Here, for the first time, the dynamics and energy changes associated with the α–β phase transition in volcanic cristobalite are investigated using X-ray powder diffraction with simultaneous in situ heating and differential scanning calorimetry. At ambient temperature, volcanic cristobalite exists in the α form and has a larger cell volume than synthetic α-cristobalite; as a result, its diffraction pattern sits between ICDD α- and β-cristobalite library patterns, which could cause ambiguity in phase identification. On heating from ambient temperature, volcanic cristobalite exhibits a lower degree of thermal expansion than synthetic cristobalite, and it also has a lower α–β transition temperature (∼473 K) compared with synthetic cristobalite (upwards of 543 K); these observations are discussed in relation to the presence of Al3+ and Na+ defects. The transition shows a stable and reproducible hysteresis loop with α and β phases coexisting through the transition, suggesting that discrete crystals in the sample have different transition temperatures.