bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tight‐binding model for the electronic and optical properties of nitride‐based quantum dots
Authors: Schulz S. , Mourad D. , Schumacher S. , Czycholl G. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractTwo slightly different, efficient tight‐binding (TB) models for the description of the electronic properties of nitride‐based semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have been developed and applied to the calculation of the electronic one‐particle spectrum of these structures. Using these one‐particle QD‐states, dipole and Coulomb matrix elements can be calculated, from which the optical properties of these systems can be obtained. These TB calculations have been performed for nitride‐based QDs with a cubic zincblende structure and those with a wurtzite crystal structure. In this paper, we discuss the general methodology used and the results obtained for the electronic one‐particle states and energies, for the dipole and Coulomb matrix elements, and for the excitonic optical emission and absorption spectra.
Magnetic vortex core reversal by rotating magnetic fields generated on micrometer length scales
Authors: Curcic Michael , Stoll Hermann , Weigand Markus , Sackmann Vitalij , Juellig Patrick , Kammerer Matthias , Noske Matthias , Sproll Markus , Van Waeyenberge Bartel , Vansteenkiste Arne , Woltersdorf Georg , Tyliszczak Tolek , Schütz Gisela 
Published: July 2011

AbstractUnidirectional switching of the magnetic vortex core can be achieved in micron‐sized ferromagnetic platelets by excitation of the gyrotropic mode of the vortex structure with in‐plane rotating magnetic fields. Circulating fields with a switchable sense of rotation (clockwise, CW or counter clockwise, CCW) have been generated on a micrometer length scale at frequencies up to 1 GHz by two orthogonal electric RF currents with 90° phase shift flowing through crossed but not isolated striplines. Decoupling of these currents is realized by balanced symmetric RF sources. The amplitudes of the rotating magnetic fields and their spatial distributions are calculated and the stripline geometry is discussed. By taking advantage of this technique, unidirectional vortex core reversal by excitation with CW or CCW rotating magnetic fields has been observed by time resolved scanning transmission X‐ray microscopy. An area with reversed magnetization, the “dip,” was observed near the vortex core before vortex core reversal.
Delay‐dependent exponential H ∞  filtering for discrete‐time switched delay systems
Authors: Wang Dong , Shi Peng , Wang Jianliang , Wang Wei 
Published: July 2011

SUMMARYIn this paper, the problem of delay‐dependent exponential H ∞  filtering for discrete‐time switched delay systems is investigated under average dwell time switching signals. Time delay under consideration is interval time‐varying in the states. By introducing a proper factor to construct a novel Lyapunov‐Krasovskii function and using average dwell time approach, sufficient conditions for the solvability of this problem, dependent on the upper and lower bounds of time‐varying delay, are obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed results. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
State feedback control of a class of high‐order stochastic nonlinear systems
Authors: Li Wuquan , Jing Yuanwei , Zhang Siying 
Published: July 2011

SUMMARYThis paper poses and solves a new problem of state feedback stabilization for a class of high‐order stochastic nonlinear systems in which the power order restriction and growth condition are relaxed to a more general form. Based on the ideas of the homogeneous systems theory and the adding of a power integrator technique, a state feedback controller is constructed to ensure that the equilibrium at the origin of the closed‐loop system is globally asymptotically stable in probability and that the problem of inverse optimal stabilization in probability is solved. The efficiency of the state feedback controller is demonstrated by a simulation example. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tuning functions‐based robust adaptive tracking control of a class of nonlinear systems with time delays
Authors: Zhang Zhengqiang , Lu Junwei , Xu Shengyuan 
Published: July 2011

SUMMARYIn this paper, an adaptive backstepping tracking control scheme is proposed for a class of nonlinear state time‐varying delay systems, which are subject to parametric uncertainties and external disturbances. The bounds of the time delays and their derivatives are assumed to be unknown. Tuning functions method is exploited to construct the control law and adaptive laws. Unknown time‐varying delays are compensated by using appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional. It is shown that the proposed controller can guarantee the boundedness of all the closed‐loop signals. The tracking performance can be adjusted by choosing suitable design parameters. At the end, a simulation example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the design procedure. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In vivo injectable gels for tissue repair
Authors: Hilborn Jons 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe desire to reduce healthcare costs while improving outcomes drives minimally invasive methods to replacing traditional surgical procedures. Various treatments that would previously have needed open‐type surgeries can be carried out using endoscopes, catheters, and needles. These advantages have become especially obvious for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine with in vivo gel injectable nanomaterials. In this review, the state of the art in this rapidly developing field is given. This is done by contrasting functional evaluation in vitro with in vivo followed by describing (1) synthetic materials, (2) the body's own polymers, (3) polymers in nature, (4) self‐assembled peptides, and (5) new innovations and combinations. With increased understanding of the relationship between material characteristics and the outcome in vivo more rational design criteria are emerging . WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2011 3 589–606 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.91This article is categorized under:

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanotechnology in Tissue Repair and Replacement
Subjective well-being in European countries—on the age-specific impact of physical activity
Authors: Pawlowski Tim , Downward Paul , Rasciute Simona 
Published: July 2011

Abstract
As an attempt to measure the ‘experienced’ utility of individuals in economics, the investigation of individuals’ subjective well-being (SWB) was pioneered by Van Praag and Frijters (1999) and Kahneman et al. (1999). Since then, a number of studies has analysed the factors associated with SWB and policy makers are now recognising the importance of SWB as a policy target, with the implication being that one could target its factors associated with increase in the overall SWB in countries. However, despite its significance to economies, and increasing policy relevance, investigations on the impact of sport and physical activity on SWB are relatively rare [e.g. Rasciute and Downward in Kyklos 63(2):256–270, 2010]. More specifically, despite sports participation and engagement in physical activity having a strong age-specific profile (Breuer et al. in Eur Rev Aging Phys Act 7:61–70, 2010; Hinrichs et al. in Eur J Sport Soc 6(1):49–57, 2010; Mechling and Netz in European Rev Aging Physical Activity 6(2):89–97, 2009), there is no study that investigates whether the magnitude of this impact is age-specific. Consequently, this paper seeks to make a unique contribution to the existing literature by exploring the age-specific effects of physical activity on SWB for a broad cross-section of 19 European countries. Overall, the results suggest that engagement in physical activity generally contributes to the SWB of individuals on a European level but that significant age-specific differences exist.
PRODUCTS OF BASE-κ-PARACOMPACT SPACES AND COMPACT SPACES
Authors: MOU LEI 
Published: July 2011

AbstractLet λ be a regular ordinal with λ≥ω1. Then we prove that (λ+1)×λ is not base-countably metacompact. This implies that base-κ-paracompactness is not an inverse invariant of perfect mappings, which answers a question asked by Yamazaki.
REVERSIBLE SKEW GENERALIZED POWER SERIES RINGS
Authors: NASR-ISFAHANI A. R. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractIn this note we show that there exist a semiprime ring R, a strictly ordered artinian, narrow, unique product monoid (S,≤) and a monoid homomorphism ω:S⟶End(R) such that the skew generalized power series ring R[[S,ω]] is semicommutative but R[[S,ω]] is not reversible. This answers a question posed in Marks et al. [‘A unified approach to various generalizations of Armendariz rings’, Bull. Aust. Math. Soc.81 (2010), 361–397].
BOUNDS FOR ODD k-PERFECT NUMBERS
Authors: CHEN SHI-CHAO , LUO HAO 
Published: July 2011

AbstractLet k≥2 be an integer. A natural number n is called k-perfect if σ(n)=kn. For any integer r≥1, we prove that the number of odd k-perfect numbers with at most r distinct prime factors is bounded by (k−1)4r3.
Mutual interactions between an invasive bark beetle and its associated fungi
Authors: Wang B. , Salcedo C. , Lu M. , Sun J. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractInteractions between invasive insects and their fungal associates have important effects on the behavior, reproductive success, population dynamics and evolution of the organisms involved. The red turpentine beetle (RTB), Dendroctonus valens LeConte (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), an invasive forest pest in China, is closely associated with fungi. By carrying fungi on specialized structures in the exoskeleton, RTB inoculates fungi in the phloem of pines (when females dig galleries for egg laying and when males join them for mating). After eggs hatch, larvae gregariously feed on the phloem colonized by the fungi. We examined the effects of five isolates of RTB associated fungi (two from North America, Leptographium terebrantis and L. procerum, and three from China, Ophiostoma minus, L. sinoprocerum and L. procerum) on larval feeding activity, development and mortality. We also studied the effects of volatile chemicals produced in the beetle hindgut on fungal growth. Ophiostoma minus impaired feeding activity and reduced weight in RTB larvae. Leptographium sinoprocerum, L. terebrantis and L. procerum did not dramatically influence larval feeding and development compared to fungi-free controls. Larval mortality was not influenced by any of the tested fungi. Hindgut volatiles of RTB larvae, verbenol, myrtenol and myrtenal, inhibited growth rate of all the fungi. Our results not only show that D. valens associated fungus, O. minus, can be detrimental to its larvae; but, most importantly, they also show that these notorious beetles have an outstanding adaptive response evidenced by the ability to produce volatiles that inhibit growth of harmful fungus.
Auditory and vestibular hair cell stereocilia: relationship between functionality and inner ear disease
Authors: Ciuman R R 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe stereocilia of the inner ear are unique cellular structures which correlate anatomically with distinct cochlear functions, including mechanoelectrical transduction, cochlear amplification, adaptation, frequency selectivity and tuning. Their function is impaired by inner ear stressors, by various types of hereditary deafness, syndromic hearing loss and inner ear disease (e.g. Ménière's disease). The anatomical and physiological characteristics of stereocilia are discussed in relation to inner ear malfunctions.
Confucian Constitutionalism: Mencius and Xunzi on Virtue, Ritual, and Royal Transmission
Authors: Kim Sungmoon 
Published: July 2011

AbstractBy examining Xunzi's and Mencius's contrary reactions toward royal transmission by individual merit or “abdication” (shanrang禪讓), this article attempts to reveal the distinctive features of their respective political theories, which I reconstruct in terms oflizhiconstitutionalism anddezhiconstitutionalism. Resisting the conventional tendency to capture Mencius's and Xunzi's political theories in such dichotomous terms as idealism and realism, this paper draws attention to the complex mixture of idealism and realism found in both thinkers' constitutional political theories and identifies such common ground in terms of “Confucian constitutionalism.” This paper presents Mencius's idealistic defense of abdication and his realistic resolution of the constitutional crisis latent in it, then it examines Xunzi's refutation of the three conventional rationalizations of abdication, and it concludes by recapitulating the common Confucian constitutionalist ground that Mencius and Xunzi shared and discussing its implications for the study of constitutional theory.
Liberal Realism: A Liberal Response to the Realist Critique
Authors: Sleat Matt 
Published: July 2011

AbstractIn recent years a powerful body of literature has emerged that challenges contemporary liberal thought on a series of related fronts, which can usefully be described as “realist.” This article focuses on the realist criticism of the dominant liberal account of legitimacy and explores the possibility of developing a political theory that can overcome this challenge while remaining distinctively liberal (hence “liberal realism”). Drawing on the work of a wide range of thinkers who fall outside of the standard Rawlsian tradition in contemporary liberal thinking, the article pursues three different directions in which a theory of liberal realism might be developed—negative, minimal, and partisan—and explores the advantages and shortcomings of each. It attempts to further demonstrate the salience and force of the realist challenge to liberal legitimacy and the need for liberalism to develop an adequate response to it, and offers some proposals concerning the appropriate theoretical framework for doing so.
Modernisation and filial piety among traditional family care-givers: a study of Arab-Israelis in cultural transition
Authors: KHALAILA RABIA , LITWIN HOWARD 
Published: July 2011

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper was to examine the association of modernisation and filial piety among adult children care-givers of elderly Arab parents in Israel, and to identify factors that mediate the association. Cross-sectional data were collected in 2006–07 through structured interviews with 250 randomly sampled Arab-Israeli adult children care-givers. Hierarchical regression was then applied to the study variables in the respondents’ scores on a culturally relevant filial piety scale. The results revealed a negative correlation between modernisation, as measured by individualistic lifestyle and level of urbanisation, and filial piety scores. The association between individualistic lifestyle and filial piety was partially mediated by perceived care-giver burden. Given the observed trends, programme and policy planners should establish more services that are uniquely suited to the needs of a changing Arab society, in order to provide culturally relevant long-term support for the family network in a period of accelerated modernisation.
Quality Assurance Testing for Modern Optical Imaging Systems
Authors: Stack Robert F. , Bayles Carol J. , Girard Anne-Marie , Martin Karen , Opansky Cynthia , Schulz Katherine , Cole Richard W. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe days of being able to ascertain instrument performance by simply peering through the eye pieces at a specimen are gone. However, users and granting agencies need to be confident that data collected on these instruments is uniform and quantifiable both over time and between instruments. Ideally, a LASER should not fluctuate, illumination should be completely uniform, and colors should be perfectly aligned. To check the current performance of imaging equipment, we conducted a worldwide research study utilizing three image-based tests: long-/short-term illumination stability, co-registration of signals across various wavelengths, and field illumination uniformity. To differentiate between “acceptable” and “unacceptable” performance, the deviation in illumination power could not exceed 10% (long term) or 3% (short term), the difference in the center-of-mass of imaged multicolored beads could not exceed >1 pixel between different wavelengths, and field illumination values could not exceed 10% (horizontal) or 20% (diagonal) deviation. This study established the current state of microscope performance through simple, efficient, and robust tests, while defining relative standards to assist cores in maintaining their instruments in optimal operating conditions. We developed cross-platform performance standards that will improve the validity of quantitative measurements made using various light microscopes.
Proteomic insights into the lifestyle of an environmentally relevant marine bacterium
Authors: Christie-Oleza Joseph Alexander , Fernandez Bernard , Nogales Balbina , Bosch Rafael , Armengaud Jean 
Published: July 2011

Abstract
In terms of lifestyle, free-living bacteria are classified as either oligotrophic/specialist or opportunist/generalist. Heterogeneous marine environments such as coastal waters favour the establishment of marine generalist bacteria, which code for a large pool of functions. This is basically foreseen to cope with the heterogeneity of organic matter supplied to these systems. Nevertheless, it is not known what fraction of a generalist proteome is needed for house-keeping functions or what fraction is modified to cope with environmental changes. Here, we used high-throughput proteomics to define the proteome of Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3, a model marine generalist bacterium of the Roseobacter clade. We evaluated its genome expression under several natural environmental conditions, revealing the versatility of the bacterium to adapt to anthropogenic influence, poor nutrient concentrations or the presence of the natural microbial community. We also assayed 30 different laboratory incubations to increase proteome coverage and to dig further into the functional genomics of the bacterium. We established its core proteome and the proteome devoted to adaptation to general cellular physiological variations (almost 50%). We suggest that the other half of its theoretical proteome is the opportunist genetic pool devoted exclusively to very specific environmental conditions.
Phylogeny and fitness of Vibrio fischeri from the light organs of Euprymna scolopes in two Oahu, Hawaii populations
Authors: Wollenberg Michael S , Ruby Edward G 
Published: July 2011

Abstract
The evolutionary relationship among Vibrio fischeri isolates obtained from the light organs of Euprymna scolopes collected around Oahu, Hawaii, were examined in this study. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on a concatenation of fragments of four housekeeping loci (recA, mdh, katA, pyrC) identified one monophyletic group (‘Group-A’) of V. fischeri from Oahu. Group-A V. fischeri strains could also be identified by a single DNA fingerprint type. V. fischeri strains with this fingerprint type had been observed to be at a significantly higher abundance than other strains in the light organs of adult squid collected from Maunalua Bay, Oahu, in 2005. We hypothesized that these previous observations might be related to a growth/survival advantage of the Group-A strains in the Maunalua Bay environments. Competition experiments between Group-A strains and non-Group-A strains demonstrated an advantage of the former in colonizing juvenile Maunalua Bay hosts. Growth and survival assays in Maunalua Bay seawater microcosms revealed a reduced fitness of Group-A strains relative to non-Group-A strains. From these results, we hypothesize that there may exist trade-offs between growth in the light organ and in seawater environments for local V. fischeri strains from Oahu. Alternatively, Group-A V. fischeri may represent an example of rapid, evolutionarily significant, specialization of a horizontally transmitted symbiont to a local host population.
Active and total microbial communities in forest soil are largely different and highly stratified during decomposition
Authors: Baldrian Petr , Kolařík Miroslav , Štursová Martina , Kopecký Jan , Valášková Vendula , Větrovský Tomáš , Žifčáková Lucia , Šnajdr Jaroslav , Rídl Jakub , Vlček Čestmír , Voříšková Jana 
Published: July 2011

Abstract
Soils of coniferous forest ecosystems are important for the global carbon cycle, and the identification of active microbial decomposers is essential for understanding organic matter transformation in these ecosystems. By the independent analysis of DNA and RNA, whole communities of bacteria and fungi and its active members were compared in topsoil of a Picea abies forest during a period of organic matter decomposition. Fungi quantitatively dominate the microbial community in the litter horizon, while the organic horizon shows comparable amount of fungal and bacterial biomasses. Active microbial populations obtained by RNA analysis exhibit similar diversity as DNA-derived populations, but significantly differ in the composition of microbial taxa. Several highly active taxa, especially fungal ones, show low abundance or even absence in the DNA pool. Bacteria and especially fungi are often distinctly associated with a particular soil horizon. Fungal communities are less even than bacterial ones and show higher relative abundances of dominant species. While dominant bacterial species are distributed across the studied ecosystem, distribution of dominant fungi is often spatially restricted as they are only recovered at some locations. The sequences of cbhI gene encoding for cellobiohydrolase (exocellulase), an essential enzyme for cellulose decomposition, were compared in soil metagenome and metatranscriptome and assigned to their producers. Litter horizon exhibits higher diversity and higher proportion of expressed sequences than organic horizon. Cellulose decomposition is mediated by highly diverse fungal populations largely distinct between soil horizons. The results indicate that low-abundance species make an important contribution to decomposition processes in soils.
Symmetric dimethylarginine is a marker of detrimental outcome in the acute phase after ischaemic stroke: role of renal function
Authors: Lüneburg Nicole , von Holten Rouven-Alexander , Töpper Rudolf F. , Schwedhelm Edzard , Maas Renke , Böger Rainer H. 
Published: July 2011

Methylarginines have been shown to interfere with NO (nitric oxide) formation by inhibiting NOS (NO synthase)–ADMA (asymmetric dimethylarginine) and cellular L-arginine uptake into the cell [ADMA and SDMA (symmetric dimethylarginine)]. In a recent study, elevation of SDMA was related to long-term mortality in patients recruited 30 days after a stroke event. In the present study, we aimed at investigating the association of SDMA and adverse clinical outcome in the early phase (first 30 days) after acute ischaemic stroke. A total of 137 patients were recruited immediately upon admission to the emergency unit with an acute ischaemic stroke. Plasma levels of methylarginines were determined by a validated LC–MS/MS (liquid chromatography–tandem MS) method. Patients were prospectively followed for 30 days. A total of 25 patients (18.2%) experienced the primary composite endpoint [death, recurrent stroke, MI (myocardial infarction) and rehospitalization]. SDMA plasma levels were significantly higher in stroke patients compared with patients without event (0.89±0.80 compared with 0.51±0.24 μmol/l; P&lt;0.001). SDMA levels were significantly correlated with markers of renal function. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis demonstrated that cumulative survival decreased significantly with ascending tertiles of SDMA (P&lt;0.001). Our study provides the first data indicating that SDMA is strongly associated with adverse clinical outcome during the first 30 days after ischaemic stroke. Our results strengthen the prognostic value of renal function in patients with stroke and confirm the hypothesis that SDMA is a promising marker for renal function.