bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
LRRK2 and vesicle trafficking
Authors: Sanna Giovanna , Del Giudice Maria Grazia , Crosio Claudia , Iaccarino Ciro 
Published: November 2012

Mutations in LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2) (also known as PARK8 or dardarin) are responsible for the autosomal-dominant form of PD (Parkinson's disease). LRRK2 mutations were found in approximately 3–5% of familial and 1–3% of sporadic PD cases with the highest prevalence (up to 40%) in North Africans and Ashkenazi Jews. To date, mutations in LRRK2 are a major genetic risk factor for familial and sporadic PD. Despite the fact that 8 years have passed from the establishment of the first link between PD and dardarin in 2004, the pathophysiological role of LRRK2 in PD onset and progression is far from clearly defined. Also the generation of different LRRK2 transgenic or knockout animals has not provided new hints on the function of LRRK2 in the brain. The present paper reviews recent evidence regarding a potential role of LRRK2 in the regulation of membrane trafficking from vesicle generation to the movement along cytoskeleton and finally to vesicle fusion with cell membrane.
Cellular reprogramming: a new approach to modelling Parkinson's disease
Authors: Hartfield Elizabeth M. , Fernandes Hugo J.R. , Vowles Jane , Cowley Sally A. , Wade-Martins Richard 
Published: November 2012

iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells) offer an unparalleled opportunity to generate and study physiologically relevant cell types in culture. iPSCs can be generated by reprogramming almost any somatic cell type using pluripotency factors such as Oct4, SOX2, Nanog and Klf4. By reprogramming cells from patients carrying disease-associated mutations, and subsequent differentiation into the cell type of interest, researchers now have the opportunity to study disease-specific cell types which were previously inaccessible. In the case of PD (Parkinson's disease), reprogramming is advancing rapidly, and cell lines have been generated from patients carrying mutations in several disease-associated genes, including SNCA (α-synuclein), PARK2 (parkin), PINK1 (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10-induced putative kinase 1), PARK7 (DJ-1) and LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2), as well as idiopathic cases. Functional dopaminergic neurons have been differentiated from these cells and their physiology has been compared with control neurons. Human dopaminergic neurons had been previously inaccessible until post-mortem, when the disease is generally highly progressed into pathology. In comparison, iPSCs provide a living cell model with the potential to study early molecular changes which accumulate in cells and ultimately result in neurodegeneration. Although clear phenotypes have not yet been unambiguously identified in patient-derived dopaminergic neurons, there are suggested aberrations in cellular pathways involved in neurodegeneration. Overall, these cells offer a unique opportunity to study dopaminergic neurons carrying a ‘Parkinsonian genome’. The present review discusses the advances in cellular reprogramming technologies and studies that have been carried out on PD-derived iPSCs and differentiated dopaminergic neurons.
Integration of nutritional support with paediatric HIV care in developing countries.
Authors: Semba R. D. , Pee S. de , Bloem M. W. 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and malnutrition remain major causes of morbidity and mortality among children in developing countries. Malnutrition also exacerbates the clinical course of HIV-infected children by further compromising immunity and increasing the severity of opportunistic infections. This review summarizes current scientific knowledge regarding the role of nutrition in the pathophysiology of HIV infection in children and presents the perspective of integrating nutritional interventions with programmes in resource-limited settings to increase survival of HIV-exposed and -infected children. The three major programming areas for identifying and caring for HIV-infected and HIV-exposed children are: (1) prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, which is the earliest possible detection of HIV-exposure of the child, (2) care for HIV-infected children and (3) treatment of malnourished children, as for many children whose HIV exposure is unknown, malnutrition can be a first sign of HIV infection. Care for HIV-exposed and -infected infants and children requires early diagnosis of HIV exposure and status, especially through PMTCT services, availability of antiretrovirals (ARVs) and nutritional services including growth monitoring, use of specially formulated foods, micronutrient supplementation, vitamin A supplementation, zinc therapy and micronutrient supplementation for the treatment of diarrhoea, use of iodized salt and exclusive breastfeeding according to national guidelines. Given that the scale-up of PMTCT is expected to accelerate in the next several years, basic nutritional interventions should be part of the standard of care of these programmes.
Large magnetoelectric effect and low-loss high relative permittivity in 0–3 CuO/PVDF composite films exhibiting unusual ferromagnetism at room temperature
Authors: Bhadra D , Masud Md G , De S K , Chaudhuri B K 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Flexible magnetoelectric 0–3 composite films formed with high dielectric (ε
r ∼ 104) CuO microparticles in a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer matrix showed multifunctional properties. The films prepared by the hot-moulding technique exhibit low-loss high relative permittivity (ε
eff ∼ 103) with good ferroelectric behaviour (with P–E loop) at the percolation threshold (f
CuO = f
c ∼ 0.25). Dielectric, ferroelectric, magnetic and direct magnetoelectric properties of the composites depend strongly on the CuO filler concentration (f
CuO). Interesting low field magnetoelectric response appears with about 5% decrease in ferroelectric polarization in the insulating composite (f
CuO = 0.20) along with 7.5% increase in the magnetodielectric coefficient under a magnetic field of 6 kG in the semiconducting percolative composite at room temperature. At this field, a maximum magnetoelectric voltage coefficient of 1.45 mV cm−1 Oe−1 was obtained. Even though the CuO sample is paramagnetic at ambient temperature, this typical composite film exhibits weakly ferromagnetic (with M–H loop) behaviour indicating multiferroic character. Our result represents an important step towards practical device applications using the high dielectric and magnetoelectric effects.
Electroluminescence from n-ZnO : Ga/p-GaN heterojunction light-emitting diodes with different interfacial layers
Authors: Zhang Lichun , Li Qingshan , Shang Liang , Zhang Zhongjun , Huang Ruizhi , Zhao Fengzhou 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
n-ZnO : Ga/p-GaN heterojunction light-emitting diodes with different interfacial layers are fabricated by pulsed laser deposition. All the devices demonstrate nonlinear rectifying behaviour. Due to the formation of Ga2O3 interfacial layers, n-ZnO : Ga/p-GaN exhibits strong ultraviolet emission centred at 382 nm and blue emission centred at 423 nm. Compared with a n-ZnO : Ga/MgO/p-GaN light-emitting diode, the turn-on voltage of n-ZnO : Ga/p-GaN with a Ga2O3 interfacial layer drops down to 7.6 V and the ultraviolet emission intensity is enhanced. Detailed electroluminescence mechanisms influenced by the interfacial layer are discussed using the band diagram of heterojunctions.
Composite metamaterial for ballistic electrons
Authors: Dumitriu A , Dragoman D 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
We show that a periodic structure can act as a composite metamaterial for ballistic electrons, allowing charge carrier propagation in energy regions in which the wavenumber is imaginary in both layers that compose the structure. We also calculate the phase and traversal times through this composite metamaterial and compare their energy dependence. Our results allow a generalization of the class of nanostructures similar to metamaterials with negative refractive index in optics.
Mean absorption coefficient of H2O–air–MgCl2/CaCl2/NaCl thermal plasmas
Authors: Hannachi R , Cressault Y , Salem D , Teulet Ph , Béji L , Lakhdar Z Ben 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Under the local thermodynamic equilibrium hypothesis, the mean absorption coefficients (MACs) were calculated for H2O–air–MgCl2/CaCl2/NaCl thermal plasmas in a temperature range from 300 to 30 000 K and at atmospheric pressure. The MACs were computed under the hypothesis of isothermal plasmas which allows a good description of the radiation absorbed in cold regions. In this study, we took into account the absorption radiation resulting from the atomic continuum, molecular continuum, atomic lines and some molecular bands. Free–free transitions (bremsstrahlung) and free–bound (electron–ion recombination and electron attachment) or bound–free transitions in terms of absorption were considered for the calculation of atomic continuum. For bound–bound transitions, natural, resonance, van der Waals, Stark and Doppler effects were taken into account for the line broadenings while the escape factors were used to treat the self-absorption of the resonance lines. Molecular continuum was considered for the main molecules (H2, O2, N2, OH, NO, H2O, N2O, NO2, O3, NO3 and N2O5) whereas we studied only diatomic systems O2, N2, NO and

for the absorption of molecular bands. The influence of the proportion of MgCl2, CaCl2 or NaCl in a water–air mixture was analysed as the effect of the strong self-absorbed resonance lines of the alkaline salts (Ca, Ca+, Na, Na+, Mg, Mg+, Cl and Cl+). Our results show that a low concentration of alkaline salts (less than 1% in molar proportions) in the plasma increased the MACs at low temperatures (T < 10 000 K) due to the resonance lines mainly localized in the near-UV and visible spectral regions in opposition to hydrogen, oxygen or nitrogen species for which 90% of them exist in ultraviolet. In addition to the atomic and molecular continuum, the absorption radiation of molecular bands is important at low temperatures.
Model of a low-pressure radio-frequency inductive discharge in Ar/O2 used for plasma spray deposition
Authors: Lazzaroni C , Baba K , Nikravech M , Chabert P 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
A global (volume-averaged) model of a low-pressure radio-frequency (RF) inductive discharge used for nanostructured zinc oxide thin film deposition, the so-called spray-plasma device, is proposed. The plasma reactor is fed with an admixture of argon and oxygen and the pressure is typically several tens of mTorr. In the first step of the modelling, the injector and the substrate holder are not taken into account, and therefore zinc-containing species are not considered. The global model is based on the numerical integration of the particle balance equations and the electronic power balance equation. The model is first run until the steady state is reached to determine the equilibrium discharge parameters that are the species densities and the electron temperature. A parametric study is carried out varying the gas pressure, the RF power and the O2 fraction in the reactor. A parameter of great importance for the deposition process is the flux of the reactive species on the substrate holder and the model allows a fast exploration of this parameter. For continuous plasmas, the ratio of the reactive species flux to the total positive ion flux can be controlled varying the three basic parameters cited before (pressure, power and dilution). In the last part of the paper, we also investigate pulsed plasmas and the effect of the duty cycle variations on the neutral/ion flux ratio.
A new kind of electro-active polymer composite composed of silicone elastomer and polyethylene glycol
Authors: Liu Haoliang , Zhang Liqun , Yang Dan , Ning Nanying , Yu Yingchun , Yao Lu , Yan Bingyue , Tian Ming 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
In this work, a new kind of electro-active polymer composite composed of silicone and polyethylene glycol (PEG) was prepared by solution blending. Two types of PEG with average molecular weights of 600(PEG600) and 1500(PEG1500) were first blended with liquid silicone (DC3481) separately. Then, the dielectric, electrical, mechanical and electromechanical properties of pure silicone and the silicone/PEG composites were investigated. The silicone/PEG600 composite shows an increased dielectric constant and a decreased Young's modulus, resulting in an improved figure of merit (FOM) and an actuation strain of 11.5% at 40 V µm−1, which is 64% higher than pure silicone. This indicates that the actuation properties of silicone are largely improved by the addition of PEG600. However, for the silicone/PEG1500 composite, a much higher dielectric constant and an increased modulus due to its semi-crystalline structure are obtained, which lead to a decreased FOM and a smaller actuation strain than that of pure silicone. In addition, a comparison between theoretical strain and the corresponding experiment value was made. And the results indicate that not only the FOM, but the dielectric loss and mechanical loss play an important role in the actuation properties.
Atomistic simulation for the size-dependent melting behaviour of vanadium nanowires
Authors: Yang Xiyuan , Hu Wangyu , Liu Fusheng , Li Yan 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Molecular dynamics and the modified analytical embedded atom potential are employed to study the size effect of a V nanowire (NW) on the melting behaviour. It is found that the melting temperature of the NW and its latent heat of fusion are much lower than those of the bulk, and depend strongly on the size. The calculated self-diffusion coefficient indicates that the premelting phenomenon first occurs at the surface and then spreads inwards with increasing temperature. The activation energy Q of the shell decreases as the reciprocal of the diameter increases. The lower activation energy indicates that premelting and melting can take place more easily. Finally, some representative snapshots on the temperature dependence of the cross-section atomic structure reveal that the melting mechanism of a large-sized NW is quite different from that of a small-sized one. For large-sized NWs (>4.0 nm), the surface plays a dominant role in the melting process, which is made up of two stages, i.e. gradual premelting and rapid melting. For small-sized NWs (<3.0 nm), the melting results mainly from the anharmonic effect of crystal lattice vibration, and the surface melting is barely noticeable. When the diameter size of the NWs ranges from 3.0 to 4.0 nm, both foregoing factors have an influence on the melting behaviour, which indicates that the critical diameter of the NW with a different melting mechanism is about 3.0 nm.
Electronegative plasma equilibria with spatially varying ionization
Authors: Kawamura E , Lichtenberg A J , Lieberman M A 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Electronegative inductive discharges in higher pressure ranges typically exhibit strongly localized ionization near the coil structure, with decay of the electron temperature and ionization into the central discharge region. We use a two-dimensional (2D) fluid code with a chlorine feedstock gas to determine the spatial profiles of the particle densities and electron temperature in a cylindrical transformer-coupled plasma device excited by a stove-top coil on top of the plasma chamber. To compare with one-dimensional (1D) analytical models, the 2D results are area-averaged over the radius. The area-averaged ionization frequency ν
iz is found to decay exponentially away from the coils, allowing the ansatz of an exponentially decaying axial variation for ν
iz to be used in a 1D numerical model. The 1D model captures the main features of the axial variations of the area-averaged 2D fluid simulation, indicating that the main diffusion mechanisms act along the axial direction. A simple analytical global discharge model is also developed, accounting for the asymmetric density and ionization profiles. The global model gives the scalings of the ion densities and electron temperature with power and pressure. The 1D and global models are compared with the 2D fluid simulations, showing reasonable agreement.
Nylon-sputtered nanoparticles: fabrication and basic properties
Authors: Polonskyi O , Kylián O , Solař P , Artemenko A , Kousal J , Slavínská D , Choukourov A , Biederman H 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Nylon-sputtered nanoparticles were prepared using a simple gas aggregation cluster source based on a planar magnetron (Haberland type) and equipped with a nylon target. Plasma polymer particles originated in an aggregation chamber and travelled to a main (deposition) chamber with a gas flow through an orifice. The deposited nanoparticles were observed to have a cauliflower-like structure. The nanoparticles were found to be nitrogen-rich with N/C ratio close to 0.5. An increase in rf power from 60 to 100 W resulted in a decrease in mean particle size from 210 to 168 nm whereas an increase in their residence time in the cluster source from 0.7 to 4.6 s resulted in an increase in the size from 73 to 231 nm.
Inadequacy of the Mott–Schottky equation in strongly pinned double Schottky barriers with no deep donors
Authors: Schipani F , Aldao C M , Ponce M A 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
The capacitive behaviour of an intergranular double Schottky barrier in a polycrystalline semiconductor was evaluated. We found that the widely applied version of the Mott–Schottky equation can lead to significant errors. Even though we considered strong Fermi level pinning at the interface and no deep levels, the Mott–Schottky equation can be inadequate leading to huge errors due to voltage splitting at double Schottky barriers. Experiments carried out on ZnO varistors corroborated the main trends of our analysis.
Effect of Ti addition on the structural, mechanical and damping properties of magnetron sputtered Ni–Mn–Sn ferromagnetic shape memory alloy thin films
Authors: Choudhary Nitin , Kaur Davinder 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Titanium (Ti) co-sputtered Ni50.4Mn34.7Sn14.9 films deposited by magnetron sputtering onto Si(1 0 0) substrates at 823 K were investigated. X-ray diffraction profiles revealed the formation of highly (2 2 0)-oriented Ni–Mn–Sn–Ti austenite phase with significant decrease in grain size with increasing Ti power. Hardness (H), elastic modulus (E
r), damping (tan δ), figure of merit (FOM) and coefficient of restitution (e) of the films were evaluated using nanoindentation tests. A significant improvement in the hardness (10.5 GPa) and toughness

(0.040) was observed in the Ni51.0Mn28.2Sn11.0Ti9.7 nanocomposite film as compared with pure Ni50.4Mn34.7Sn14.9films. An impact model, which incorporates material behaviour, is presented that predicts the experimentally observed material quantities, including energy dissipation metrics such as the coefficient of restitution e with high accuracy. The highest damping factor (tan δ = 0.061), high FOM (0.79) with low coefficient of restitution (e = 0.28) quantifies excellent energy dissipation capacity in the Ni51.0Mn28.2Sn11.0Ti9.7 nanocomposite. Temperature dependence of magnetization (M–T) curves showed an increase in martensitic transformation temperatures with increasing Ti content. The Ni–Mn–Sn–Ti composite films exhibit ferromagnetic behaviour at room temperature.
Vibrational and rotational CARS measurements of nitrogen in afterglow of streamer discharge in atmospheric pressure fuel/air mixtures
Authors: Pendleton S J , Montello A , Carter C , Lempert W , Gundersen M A 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
The use of nonequilibrium plasma generated by nanosecond discharges to ignite fuel/air mixtures, known as transient plasma ignition (TPI), has been shown to effectively reduce ignition delay and improve engine performance relative to spark ignition for combustion engines. While this method is potentially useful for many engine applications, at present the underlying physics are poorly understood. This work uses coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) to measure the rotational and vibrational excitation of nitrogen molecules in the discharge afterglow in a variety of fuel/air mixtures outside the limits of combustion in order to elucidate the thermal behaviour of TPI. The time evolution of relative populations of vibrationally excited states of nitrogen in the electronic ground state are reported for each gas mixture; it is shown that generation of these vibrationally excited states is inefficient during the discharge in air but that generation occurs at a high rate roughly 5 µs following the discharge; with the addition of fuels vibrationally excited states are observed during the discharge but an increase in population is still seen at 5 µs. Possible mechanisms for this behaviour are discussed. In addition, rotational temperature increases of at least 500 K are reported for all gas mixtures. The effect of this temperature increase on ignition, reaction rates, and thermal energy pathways are discussed.
The Circadian Clock-Associated Small GTPase LIGHT INSENSITIVE PERIOD1 Suppresses Light-Controlled Endoreplication and Affects Tolerance to Salt Stress in Arabidopsis
Authors: Terecskei Kata , Tóth Réka , Gyula Péter , Kevei Éva , Bindics János , Coupland George , Nagy Ferenc , Kozma-Bognár László 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Circadian clocks are biochemical timers regulating many physiological and molecular processes according to the day/night cycle. The small GTPase LIGHT INSENSITIVE PERIOD1 (LIP1) is a circadian clock-associated protein that regulates light input to the clock. In the absence of LIP1, the effect of light on free-running period length is much reduced. Here, we show that in addition to suppressing red and blue light-mediated photomorphogenesis, LIP1 is also required for light-controlled inhibition of endoreplication and tolerance to salt stress in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We demonstrate that in the processes of endoreplication and photomorphogenesis, LIP1 acts downstream of the red and blue light photoreceptors phytochrome B and cryptochromes. Manipulation of the subcellular distribution of LIP1 revealed that the circadian function of LIP1 requires nuclear localization of the protein. Our data collectively suggest that LIP1 influences several signaling cascades and that its role in the entrainment of the circadian clock is independent from the other pleiotropic effects. Since these functions of LIP1 are important for the early stages of development or under conditions normally experienced by germinating seedlings, we suggest that LIP1 is a regulator of seedling establishment.