bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Conduction Threshold in Accumulation-Mode InGaZnO Thin Film Transistors
Authors: Lee Sungsik , Nathan Arokia 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe onset of inversion in the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) takes place when the surface potential is approximately twice the bulk potential. In contrast, the conduction threshold in accumulation mode transistors, such as the oxide thin film transistor (TFT), has remained ambiguous in view of the complex density of states distribution in the mobility gap. This paper quantitatively describes the conduction threshold of accumulation-mode InGaZnO TFTs as the transition of the Fermi level from deep to tail states, which can be defined as the juxtaposition of linear and exponential dependencies of the accumulated carrier density on energy. Indeed, this permits direct extraction and visualization of the threshold voltage in terms of the second derivative of the drain current with respect to gate voltage.
Specific LED-based red light photo-stimulation procedures improve overall sperm function and reproductive performance of boar ejaculates
Authors: Yeste Marc , Codony Francesc , Estrada Efrén , Lleonart Miquel , Balasch Sam , Peña Alejandro , Bonet Sergi , Rodríguez-Gil Joan E. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe present study evaluated the effects of exposing liquid-stored boar semen to different red light LED regimens on sperm quality and reproductive performance. Of all of the tested photo-stimulation procedures, the best pattern consisted of 10 min light, 10 min rest and 10 min of further light (10-10-10 pattern). This pattern induced an intense and transient increase in the majority of motility parameters, without modifying sperm viability and acrosome integrity. While incubating non-photo-stimulated sperm at 37 °C for 90 min decreased all sperm quality parameters, this reduction was prevented when the previously-described light procedure was applied. This effect was concomitant with an increase in the percentage of sperm with high mitochondrial membrane potential. When sperm were subjected to ‘in vitro’ capacitation, photo-stimulation also increased the percentage of sperm with capacitation-like changes in membrane structure. On the other hand, treating commercial semen doses intended for artificial insemination with the 10-10-10 photo-stimulation pattern significantly increased farrowing rates and the number of both total and live-born piglets for parturition. Therefore, our results indicate that a precise photo-stimulation procedure is able to increase the fertilising ability of boar sperm via a mechanism that could be related to mitochondrial function.
Circular RNA Related to the Chondrocyte ECM Regulates MMP13 Expression by Functioning as a MiR-136 ‘Sponge’ in Human Cartilage Degradation
Authors: Liu Qiang , Zhang Xin , Hu Xiaoqing , Dai Linghui , Fu Xin , Zhang Jiying , Ao Yingfang 
Published: March 2016

AbstractCircular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in the development of various diseases, but there is little knowledge of circRNAs in osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of study was to identify circRNA expression in articular cartilage and to explore the function of chondrocyte extracellular matrix (ECM)-related circRNAs (circRNA-CER) in cartilage. To identify circRNAs that are specifically expressed in cartilage, we compared the expression of circRNAs in OA cartilage with that in normal cartilage. Bioinformatics was employed to predict the interaction of circRNAs and mRNAs in cartilage. Loss-of-function and rescue experiments for circRNA-CER were performed in vitro. A total of 71 circRNAs were differentially expressed in OA and normal cartilage. CircRNA-CER expression increased with interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor levels in chondrocytes. Silencing of circRNA-CER using small interfering RNA suppressed MMP13 expression and increased ECM formation. CircRNA-CER could compete for miR-136 with MMP13. Our results demonstrated that circRNA-CER regulated MMP13 expression by functioning as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) and participated in the process of chondrocyte ECM degradation. We propose that circRNA-CER could be used as a potential target in OA therapy.
Colour and pattern change against visually heterogeneous backgrounds in the tree frog Hyla japonica
Authors: Kang Changku , Kim Ye Eun , Jang Yikweon 
Published: March 2016

AbstractColour change in animals can be adaptive phenotypic plasticity in heterogeneous environments. Camouflage through background colour matching has been considered a primary force that drives the evolution of colour changing ability. However, the mechanism to which animals change their colour and patterns under visually heterogeneous backgrounds (i.e. consisting of more than one colour) has only been identified in limited taxa. Here, we investigated the colour change process of the Japanese tree frog (Hyla japonica)against patterned backgrounds and elucidated how the expression of dorsal patterns changes against various achromatic/chromatic backgrounds with/without patterns. Our main findings are i) frogs primarily responded to the achromatic differences in background, ii) their contrasting dorsal patterns were conditionally expressed dependent on the brightness of backgrounds, iii) against mixed coloured background, frogs adopted intermediate forms between two colours. Using predator (avian and snake) vision models, we determined that colour differences against different backgrounds yielded perceptible changes in dorsal colours. We also found substantial individual variation in colour changing ability and the levels of dorsal pattern expression between individuals. We discuss the possibility of correlational selection on colour changing ability and resting behaviour that maintains the high variation in colour changing ability within population.
MiR-590-5p Inhibits Oxidized- LDL Induced Angiogenesis by Targeting LOX-1
Authors: Dai Yao , Zhang Zhigao , Cao Yongxiang , Mehta Jawahar L. , Li Jun 
Published: March 2016

AbstractOxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is, at least in part, responsible for angiogenesis in atherosclerotic regions. This effect of ox-LDL has been shown to be mediated through a specific receptor LOX-1. Here we describe the effect of miR-590-5p on ox-LDL-mediated angiogenesis in in vitro and in vivo settings. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transfected with miR-590-5p mimic or inhibitor followed by treatment with ox-LDL. In other experiments, Marigel plugs were inserted in the mice subcutaneous space. Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that miR-590-5p mimic (100 nM) inhibited the ox-LDL-mediated angiogenesis (capillary tube formation, cell proliferation and migration as well as pro-angiogenic signals- ROS, MAPKs, pro-inflammatory cytokines and adhesion-related proteins). Of note, miR-590-5p inhibitor (200 nM) had the opposite effects. The inhibitory effect of miR-590-5p on angiogenesis was mediated by inhibition of LOX-1 at translational level. The inhibition of LOX-1 by miR-590-5p was confirmed by luciferase assay. In conclusion, we show that MiR-590-5p inhibits angiogenesis by targeting LOX-1 and suppressing redox-sensitive signals.
Low-Power Light Guiding and Localization in Optoplasmonic Chains Obtained by Directed Self-Assembly
Authors: Ahn Wonmi , Zhao Xin , Hong Yan , Reinhard Björn M. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractOptoplasmonic structures contain plasmonic components embedded in a defined photonic environment to create synergistic interactions between photonic and plasmonic components. Here, we show that chains of optical microspheres containing gold nanoparticles in their evanescent field combine the light guiding properties of a microsphere chain with the light localizing properties of a plasmonic nanoantenna. We implement these materials through template guided self-assembly and investigate their fundamental electromagnetic working principles through combination of electromagnetic simulations and experimental characterization. We demonstrate that optoplasmonic chains implemented by directed self-assembly achieve a significant reduction in guiding losses when compared with conventional plasmonic waveguides and, at the same time, retain the light localizing properties of plasmonic antennas at pre-defined locations. The results reinforce the potential of optoplasmonic structures for realizing low-loss optical interconnects with high bandwidth.
Effect and potential mechanism of action of sea cucumber saponins on postprandial blood glucose in mice
Authors: Fu Xueyuan , Wen Min , Han Xiuqing , Yanagita Teruyoshi , Xue Yong , Wang Jingfeng , Xue Changhu , Wang Yuming 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
Postprandial blood glucose control is the major goal in the treatment of diabetes. Here, we investigated the effect of sea cucumber saponins (SCSs) on postprandial blood glucose levels. SCS inhibited yeast as well as rat intestinal α-glucosidase activity in a dose-dependent manner and showed better inhibition of yeast α-glucosidases compared to the positive control. Further studies were performed using ICR mice treated with SCS and starch or SCS alone by oral gavage. Unexpectedly, SCS increased postprandial blood glucose levels a short time (1 h) after oral gavage. The serum corticosterone (CORT) level showed a consistent correlation with glucose levels. In vitro experiments confirmed that SCS treatment increased the secretion of CORT in the Y1 adrenal cell line. Overall, these studies demonstrated that SCS gavage could inhibit α-glucosidase activity but cannot attenuate postprandial blood glucose level within short time periods. The underlying mechanisms are probably related to increased serum CORT levels.
Molecular characterization and expression of metallothionein from freshwater pearl mussel, Hyriopsis schlegelii
Authors: Wang Chengyuan , Sheng Junqing , Hong Yijiang , Peng Kou , Wang Junhua , Wu Di , Shi Jianwu , Hu Beijuan 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
Two metallothionein genes (HsMT1 and HsMT2) were first identified and described from Hyriopsis schlegelii. The open reading frame of HsMT1 and HsMT2 were 216 and 222 bp, encoding a protein of 71 and 73 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequences showed they contained parts of typical MT characteristics, apart from HsMT2 lacked Cys–Cys motifs. The phylogenetic tree showed HsMT1 shared a high similarity with that of other molluscs, but HsMT2 was split into a distinct group separated from known molluscan MTs. HsMT1 exhibited constitutive expression in all examined tissues and the highest expression occurred in hepatopancreas, however, nearly all HsMT2 was just detected in gonad. After Cd exposure, their mRNA levels presented similar expression patterns. The transgenic bacteria of HsMT1 showed higher tolerance than HsMT2 in Cd environment. It was implied that HsMT1 and HsMT2 were involved in metal response but HsMT2 might have other physiological functions.
National income inequality and self-rated health: the differing impact of individual social trust across 89 countries
Authors: Rözer Jesper , Kraaykamp Gerbert , Huijts Tim 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT
The well-known Income Inequality Hypothesis suggests that income disparities in a country are detrimental for people's health. Empirical studies testing this hypothesis so far have found mixed results. In this study, we argue that a reason for these mixed findings may be that high national income inequality mostly harms individuals with high levels of social trust. We employ data of the World Value Survey and European Value Survey, using information on 393,761 respondents within 89 countries. Multilevel regression analyses, across countries and within countries across time, confirm findings from earlier studies that there is a negative association between national income inequality and self-rated health. Our results also reveal that national income inequality is especially detrimental for trustful citizens: while the effect of income inequality is nearly absent among people with low social trust it is negative among people with high social trust.
Empirically Evaluating the Countermajoritarian Difficulty
Authors: Kastellec Jonathan P. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractI conduct a quantitative evaluation of the “countermajoritarian difficulty” by examining the relationship between public opinion, state policy, and judicial review in constitutional challenges to state abortion statutes in the period before Roe v. Wade. I find that state and lower federal court judges tended to invalidate statutes in states with high levels of public support for moving policy away from the status quo, and judges did not strike down statutes in states where majorities firmly supported the status quo. These results suggest the importance of creating a role for state and lower federal courts in evaluating the countermajoritarian difficulty.
Constructing and Disputing Brand National Identity in Marketing Discourse
Authors: Kelly-Holmes Helen 
Published: March 2016

AbstractCountry-of-origin appeals create national identities for brands, thereby exploiting positive country-specific expertise. As a result of such marketing discourses, which utilize essentialized territory-language linkages, such practices become enregistered for consumers, and these linguistic fetishes are available as semiotic resources for the national identity branding of products. Contemporary consumers can play a role in creating, maintaining, and possibly challenging the national identity branding of products. This article reports on a recent campaign by brewer Stella Artois that used French to emphasize the brand’s Belgian origins and on consumers’ disputing this usage in a discussion of the campaign on YouTube. The case illustrates the stability of the semiotic resources of national identity branding and who is and is not allowed to use them and for which purposes. This becomes apparent when transgressing these unwritten rules is sanctioned by the audience for the ad, who seek restoration of predictability and stability in relation to borders and branding.
Judges Discover Politics
Authors: Bakiner Onur 
Published: March 2016

AbstractWhen do judges initiate public action outside the courtroom? What kinds of political activities do they engage in? What are the consequences of their interactions with social and political actors? This article investigates judges’ efforts to influence law and policy as opinion leaders, protesters, and network builders. In light of recent devevelopments in Turkey, I argue that intrajudicial conflict, that is, the increasing salience of hitherto dormant tensions inside the judiciary, is the primary source of off-bench judicial mobilization. Participants in off-bench judicial mobilization seek to maintain, reform, or transform judicial institutions in ways that enhance their ideational and strategic goals.
The Nation Brand Regime: Nation Branding and the Semiotic Regimentation of Public Communication in Contemporary Macedonia
Authors: Graan Andrew 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis article analyzes the forms of metasemiotic regimentation that are inherent to any nation-branding project and examines their implications for the organization of publics and governance. Focusing on a state-sponsored nation-branding project undertaken in the Republic of Macedonia, the article argues that nation-branding strategies are best understood as interventions within and across public spheres. As illustrated in the article, the nation-branding project that developed around Skopje 2014—a spectacular urban renovation plan that transformed Macedonia’s capital—included both a public relations effort that targeted several external publics and also a campaign to shape how Macedonia was represented internal to the Macedonian public sphere. This inward-facing aspect of nation branding in Macedonia manifested through metapragmatic discourses that ascribed meaning to public speech and conduct based on their imagined impact on the nation-branding project. In analyzing how government-produced media sought to interpellate Macedonians as responsible for “living the brand,” the article interrogates how logics of nation branding can organize new demands on how and to whom one performs national identity and argues that such coordinated efforts to regulate public communication constitute a wider program of economic and social governance that can be glossed as a “nation brand regime.”
Legal Mobilization under Neo-corporatist Governance
Authors: Vanhala Lisa 
Published: March 2016

AbstractExisting theory suggests that under neo-corporatist governance, civil society groups are less likely to take the state to court. However, a comparative analysis of the use of legal strategies across a number of environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) in France presents a counterintuitive finding. Drawing on new data on more than 200 cases taken by these ENGOs, the analysis finds that the groups that are most incorporated in policy making are also the most active litigants against the Environment Ministry in the Conseil d’Etat. This article tests a number of theoretical explanations to account for this result. It finds that the neo-corporatization of the rules determining access to justice as well as the presence of certain agent-level characteristics helps to explain when and why groups mobilize the law.
Rebranding Belfast: Chromatopes of (Post-)Conflict
Authors: Moore Robert 
Published: March 2016

AbstractIn 2007, Belfast City Council contracted with a London-based branding consultancy to develop a new brand identity for the city. The result was a new logo (a heart-shaped letter B), a bespoke typeface, and a set of brand guidelines designed to reflect “Belfast’s coming of age, the turning of a new page and the new shared enthusiasm which is palpable to all those who experience the city.” A key element of the rebranding was an official palette of sixteen colors to be deployed in association with the logo. Nonprimary hues with low saturation predominate in the new color scheme, which is overlaid upon a complex preexisting system of vivid sectarian color contrasts that mark, among other things, the partitioning of space in a “divided city.” Drawing on recent work in the semiotic anthropology of branding, the article shows that the rebranding of Belfast is part of a larger effort to frame recent histories of ethno-sectarian conflict in terms of “cultural” diversity.
Jeremiad or Weapon of Words?
Authors: Bryan Amanda C. , Ringsmuth Eve M. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractUnable to directly control the policy articulated by the Supreme Court, dissenting justices are faced with the challenge of finding alternative ways to pursue their policy goals. We argue that one strategy available to them is to use their power over the language of a dissenting opinion to increase the media attention paid to a case. Our results show that cases with negative dissents attract more media coverage, which creates a variety of mechanisms through which a dissenter’s policy preferences could be realized, such as inducing Congress to take action, influencing public debate on the issue, and provoking further litigation. This finding ultimately suggests that dissenters, while disadvantaged, are not powerless to affect legal policy.
Comparison of air kerma measurements for tungsten anode based mammography x-ray beam qualities (EURAMET.RI(I)-S4.1)
Authors: Csete I , Büermann L , Gomola I 
Published: March 2016

A comparison of the air kerma standards for x-radiation qualities used in mammography was performed between the PTB and the IAEA. Two reference-class ionization chamber types Radcal RC6M and Magna A650 of the IAEA and tungsten anode based beam qualities with Mo and Al external filtrations (W+Mo, W+Al) established at both laboratories were selected for the comparison. The calibration coefficients, N

K_air, were determined for the transfer chambers at the PTB in May 2015 and before and after this at the IAEA Dosimetry Laboratory. The results show good agreement, to be well within the 0.55 % standard uncertainty of the comparison. Correction factors to determine N

K_air for these beam qualities based on calibration in RQR-M mammography beam qualities, established according to the IEC 61267 standard, were also calculated for the Radcal RC6M, 10X5-6M, and Magna A650 types of chambers.

Main text

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.
The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCRI, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
Dynamics of three-dimensional radiative structures during RMP assisted detached plasmas on the large helical device and its comparison with EMC3-EIRENE modeling
Authors: Pandya Shwetang N. , Peterson Byron J. , Kobayashi Masahiro , Ida Katsumi , Mukai Kiyofumi , Sano Ryuichi , Miyazawa Junichi , Tanaka Hirohiko , Masuzaki Suguru , Akiyama Tsuyoshi , Motojima Gen , Ohno Noriyasu 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
The resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) island introduced in the stochastic edge of the large helical device (LHD) plasma plays an important role in the stabilization of the plasma detachment (Kobayashi et al 2013 Nucl. Fusion
53 093032). The plasma enters in the sustained detachment phase in the presence of an RMP once the line averaged density exceeds a critical value with a given input power. During detachment the enhanced radiation from the stochastic edge of the LHD undergoes several spatiotemporal changes which are studied quantitatively by an infrared imaging video bolometer (IRVB) diagnostic. The experimental results are compared qualitatively and quantitatively with the radiation predicted by the 3D transport simulation with fluid model, EMC3-EIRENE. A fair amount of qualitative agreement, before and after the detachment, is reported. The issue of overestimated radiation from the model is addressed by changing the free parameters in the EMC3-EIRENE code till the total radiation and the radiation profiles match closely, within a factor of two with the experimental observations. A better quantitative match between the model and the experiment is achieved at higher cross-field impurity diffusion coefficient and lower sputtering coefficient after the detachment. In this article a comparison, the first of its kind, is established between the quantified radiation from the experiments and the synthetic image obtained from the simulation code. This exercise is aimed towards validating the model assumptions against the experimentally measured radiation.
Progress of long pulse discharges by ECH in LHD
Authors: Yoshimura Y. , Kasahara H. , Tokitani M. , Sakamoto R. , Ueda Y. , Ito S. , Okada K. , Kubo S. , Shimozuma T. , Igami H. , Takahashi H. , Tsujimura T.I. , Makino R. , Kobayashi S. , Mizuno Y. , Akiyama T. , Ashikawa N. , Masuzaki S. , Motojima G. , Shoji M. , Suzuki C. , Tanaka H. , Tanaka K. , Tokuzawa T. , Tsuchiya H. , Yamada I. , Goto Y. , Yamada H. , Mutoh T. , Komori A. , Takeiri Y. 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
Using ion cyclotron heating and electron cyclotron heating (ECH), or solo ECH, trials of steady state plasma sustainment have been conducted in the superconducting helical/stellarator, large helical device (LHD) (Ida K et al 2015 Nucl. Fusion
55 104018). In recent years, the ECH system has been upgraded by applying newly developed 77 and 154 GHz gyrotrons. A new gas fueling system applied to the steady state operations in the LHD realized precise feedback control of the line average electron density even when the wall condition varied during long pulse discharges. Owing to these improvements in the ECH and the gas fueling systems, a stable 39 min discharge with a line average electron density n
e_ave of 1.1  ×  1019 m−3, a central electron temperature T
e0 of over 2.5 keV, and a central ion temperature T
i0 of 1.0 keV was successfully performed with ~350 kW EC-waves. The parameters are much improved from the previous 65 min discharge with n
e_ave of 0.15  ×  1019 m−3 and T
e0 of 1.7 keV, and the 30 min discharge with n
e_ave of 0.7  ×  1019 m−3 and T
e0 of 1.7 keV.