bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Peak‐fitting of high resolution ToF‐SIMS spectra: a preliminary study
Authors: Abel M. L. , Shimizu K. , Holliman M. , Watts J. F. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractPeak‐fitting has been performed on a series of peaks obtained by time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) analysis in order to assess whether information may be obtained from this procedure on the samples' characteristics. A variety of samples were examined including a range of treatments for aluminium leading to different surface roughnesses, polymer films with a range of polydispersities, molecular weight (MW) and thicknesses as well as aluminium samples with adsorbed adhesion promoters on the surface. Variation of peak‐fitting was assessed by varying the peak intensity, full width at half maximum (FWHM) and peak asymmetry.Although further studies are needed it is possible to say that the peak width increases with roughness whereas peak asymmetry seems to be related to oxide thickness. Polymer characteristics do not seem to influence the width whereas the peak asymmetry increases either versus MW or polydispersity. A possible assumption is that the peak asymmetry relates to the ion formation processes. Additional work with varying polymer films thickness indicates that both FWHM and peak asymmetry may be related to sample charging and this could be used for assessment of film thicknesses. Finally, peak‐fitting was used to obtain a more reliable peak area when peaks are too close in mass to use current methods. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parametric estimation of quality adjusted lifetime (QAL) distribution in progressive illness–death model
Authors: Pradhan Biswabrata , Dewanji Anup 
Published: February 2009

AbstractIn this work, we consider the parametric estimation of quality adjusted lifetime (QAL) distribution in progressive illness–death models. The main idea of this paper is to derive the theoretical distribution of QAL for the progressive illness–death models, under parametric models for the sojourn time distributions in different states, and then replace the model parameters by their estimates obtained by standard techniques of survival analysis. The method of estimation of the model parameters is also described. A data set of IBCSG Trial V has been analyzed for illustration. Extension to more general illness–death models is also discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nanointerstice‐Driven Microflow
Authors: Chung Seok , Yun Hoyoung , Kamm Roger D. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractTo generate flow in microchannels, various actuation schemes such as electrokinetic, pressure‐driven, and capillary‐driven flow have been suggested. Capillary‐driven flow is widely used in plastic disposable diagnostic platforms due to its simplicity and because it requires no external power. However, plastics such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), generally used in microfluidics, are hydrophobic, which inhibits capillary force generation and requires surface enhancement that deteriorates with age. It is shown that the microchannels made of PMMA lose their acquired hydrophilicity by oxygen plasma treatment in long‐term storage and tend to generate slow capillary flow exhibiting large variability. To promote consistency and drive flow in the microchannel, nanointerstices (NI) are introduced at the side wall of the microchannel, which results in capillary flow that is less dependent on surface characteristics. The results show that NI flow generation can be a useful alternative technique to create long‐term predictable flow in commercialized products with microchannels.
The Actin Polymerization Regulator WAVE2 Is Required for Early Bone Marrow Repopulation by Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Authors: Ogaeri Takunori , Eto Koji , Otsu Makoto , Ema Hideo , Nakauchi Hiromitsu 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
The Rho GTPase family members play essential roles in hematopoiesis. Of these, Rac1 is thought to be required for the appropriate spatial localization of hematopoietic stem and/or progenitor cells (HSPCs) within the bone marrow (BM), whereas Rac2 likely plays a role in BM retention of HSPCs. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying Rac-mediated functions in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), we studied Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family verprolin-homologous proteins (WAVEs), the specific effectors downstream of the Rac GTPases in actin polymerization. We here showed that CD34−/lowc-Kit+Sca-1+lineage− HSCs (CD34−KSL HSCs) express WAVE2 but neither WAVE1 nor WAVE3. Because WAVE2 knockout mice are embryonic-lethal, we utilized HSCs in which the expression of WAVE2 was reduced by small interfering RNA. We found that knockdown (KD) of WAVE2 in HSCs affected neither in vitro colony formation nor cell proliferation but did impair in vivo long-term reconstitution. Interestingly, WAVE2 KD HSCs exhibited unaltered homing but showed poor BM repopulation detected as early as day 5 after transplantation. The mechanistic studies on WAVE2 KD HSCs revealed modest but significant impairment in both cobblestone-like area-forming on stromal layers and actin polymerization upon integrin ligation by fibronectin. These results suggested that WAVE2-mediated actin polymerization, potentially downstream of Rac1, plays an important role in intramarrow mobilization and proliferation of HSCs, which are believed to be crucial steps for long-term marrow reconstitution after transplantation.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Epigenetic Hierarchy Governing Nestin Expression
Authors: Han Dong Wook , Do Jeong Tae , Araúzo-Bravo Marcos J. , Lee Sung Ho , Meissner Alexander , Lee Hoon Taek , Jaenisch Rudolf , Schöler Hans R. 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
Nestin is an intermediate filament protein expressed specifically in neural stem cells and progenitor cells of the central nervous system. DNA demethylation and histone modifications are two types of epigenetic modifications working in a coordinate or synergistic manner to regulate the expression of various genes. This study investigated and elucidated the epigenetic regulation of Nestin gene expression during embryonic differentiation along the neural cell lineage. Nestin exhibits differential DNA methylation and histone acetylation patterns in Nestin-expressing and nonexpressing cells. In P19 embryonic carcinoma cells, activation of Nestin expression is mediated by both trichostatin A and 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine treatment, concomitant with histone acetylation, but not with DNA demethylation. Nestin transcription is also mediated by treatment with retinoic acid, again in the absence of DNA demethylation. Thus, histone acetylation is sufficient to mediate the activation of Nestin transcription. This study proposed that the regulation of Nestin gene expression can be used as a model to study the epigenetic regulation of gene expression mediated by histone acetylation, but not by DNA demethylation.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Navigating China's labyrinth: Singapore government‐linked companies and lessons learned from their experiences
Authors: Qingyang Gu , Chan Sarah 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe government‐linked companies (GLCs) were among the earliest Singapore firms to venture into China and tap into its rapid economic growth. Riding on their expertise in services and manufacturing, the financially strong GLCs have been able to penetrate the mainland market and gain a firm foothold in China. However, their success has not come easy. Many of the GLCs experienced many difficulties and had to learn to deal with the complexities of doing business in the mainland. This article uses an analytical framework to explore the difficulties that the GLCs face, with the Singapore‐Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) as a case study. The article also examines if there has been a change in the business strategies after the SIP experience, offering some useful lessons for companies investing in China. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Retail bank selection in developed and developing countries: A cross‐national study of students' bank‐selection criteria
Authors: Blankson Charles , Omar Ogenyi Ejye , Cheng Julian Ming‐Sung 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThis exploratory research article is concerned with students' selection of retail banks in the United States and Ghana. It is a comparative cross‐national study aimed at revealing the factors determining retail bank selection among students in different environmental settings. The key objective is to establish if there are any significant differences and/or similarities in students' selection of retail banks in developed and developing economies. A similar data‐collection method was employed in the United States and Ghana to facilitate constructive comparison. The results identified four key factors—convenience, competence, recommendation by parents, and free banking and/or no bank charges—to be consistent across the two economies. The recommendation of the study is that in the context of an open and liberalized market environment, retail bank marketing strategies should be standardized irrespective of the national development stage. It concludes that retail bank managers particularly in developing countries should learn to provide consistent and good customer care. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Asian tax review: Tax in troubled times
Authors: Lipsher Laurence E. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe current financial crisis is global in scope and goes very deep. It will get worse before it gets better. Of the nine jurisdictions I cover, none will come out of this unscathed. China is the most likely to emerge as a consuming nation; the others are not yet strong enough to weather this crisis. This article gives brief summaries of the economic outlook for the Asian region and a tentative analysis of how each of the nine areas I report on is likely to navigate through this economic storm.
Secret and joy of configurational mechanics: From foundations in continuum mechanics to applications in computational mechanics
Authors: Steinmann P. , Scherer M. , Denzer R. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractOver the recent years configurational mechanics has developed into a very active and successful topic both in continuum mechanics as well as in computational mechanics. On the continuum mechanics side the basic idea is to consider energy variations that go along with changes of the material configuration. Configurational forces are then energetically dual to these configurational changes. Configurational forces take the interpretation as being the driving forces in the kinetics of defects; like e.g., cracks, inclusions, phase boundaries, dislocations and the like. On the computational side it turns out that a discretisation scheme brings in artificial, discrete configurational forces that indicate in a certain sense the quality, e.g., of a finite‐element mesh. This information can then be used to optimize the nodal material positions. Surprisingly, even driven by energetical arguments, it turns out that a finite element mesh optimized with respect to discrete configurational forces also renders superior results in terms of classical error measures. The manuscript will span the field from the underlying theoretical foundations over the algorithmic challenges to various computational applications.
A framework for Satisfiability Modulo Theories
Authors: Kroening Daniel , Strichman Ofer 
Published: February 2009

Abstract

We present a unifying framework for understanding and developing SAT-based decision procedures for Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT). The framework is based on a reduction of the decision problem to propositional logic by means of a deductive system. The two commonly used techniques,
eager
encodings (a direct reduction to propositional logic) and
lazy
encodings (a family of techniques based on an interplay between a SAT solver and a decision procedure) are identified as special cases. This framework offers the first generic approach for eager encodings, and a simple generalization of various lazy techniques that are found in the literature.
Use of Intraoperative Insulin Assay for the Localisation of Insulinoma
Authors: Scott‐Coombes David , Eatock Fiona , Henley Robert , Luzio Stephen D. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractBackgroundThe curative treatment for patients with insulinoma is the surgical removal of the tumour; however, these tumours are small and therefore their preoperative localisation using ultrasound and CT scans may be difficult.MethodsIntraoperative serum insulin measurements were used as an aid to the surgical management of seven unselected and consecutive presentations of insulinoma.ResultsIn six of the seven cases we were able to demonstrate an increase in the peripheral serum insulin concentration between 3 and 5 min after manual examination of the tumour. In addition, there was a 50% decrease in concentration 10 min after removal of the tumour.ConclusionsWe believe that intraoperative insulin measurements are of use in demonstrating the functionality of tumours localised by intraoperative ultrasound and surgical examination. In addition, they act as an indicator of the completeness of surgery post tumour excision.
Low Temperature Growth of In2O3and InN Nanocrystals on Si(111) via Chemical Vapour Deposition Based on the Sublimation of NH4Cl in In
Authors: Zervos Matthew , Tsokkou Demetra , Pervolaraki Maria , Othonos Andreas 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
Indium oxide (In2O3) nanocrystals (NCs) have been obtained via atmospheric pressure, chemical vapour deposition (APCVD) on Si(111) via the direct oxidation of In with Ar:10% O2at 1000 °C but also at temperatures as low as 500 °C by the sublimation of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) which is incorporated into the In under a gas flow of nitrogen (N2). Similarly InN NCs have also been obtained using sublimation of NH4Cl in a gas flow of NH3. During oxidation of In under a flow of O2the transfer of In into the gas stream is inhibited by the formation of In2O3around the In powder which breaks up only at high temperatures, i.e.T > 900 °C, thereby releasing In into the gas stream which can then react with O2leading to a high yield formation of isolated 500 nm In2O3octahedrons but also chains of these nanostructures. No such NCs were obtained by direct oxidation forT
G < 900 °C. The incorporation of NH4Cl in the In leads to the sublimation of NH4Cl into NH3and HCl at around 338 °C which in turn produces an efficient dispersion and transfer of the whole In into the gas stream of N2where it reacts with HCl forming primarily InCl. The latter adsorbs onto the Si(111) where it reacts with H2O and O2leading to the formation of In2O3nanopyramids on Si(111). The rest of the InCl is carried downstream, where it solidifies at lower temperatures, and rapidly breaks down into metallic In upon exposure to H2O in the air. Upon carrying out the reaction of In with NH4Cl at 600 °C under NH3as opposed to N2, we obtain InN nanoparticles on Si(111) with an average diameter of 300 nm.
Effects of Spacers on Surface Activities and Aggregation Properties of Anionic Gemini Surfactants
Authors: Cao Xulong , Li Zhenquan , Song Xinwang , Cui Xiaohong , Wei Yuping , Cheng Fa , Wang Jun 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThis present article employs four anionic Gemini surfactants with different spacer groups and investigates their physicochemical and aggregation properties. The critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface tension at CMC (γCMC) and C20 of these surfactants have been investigated using the du Nouy ring method. The aggregation number (N) was determined with intrinsic fluorescence quenching method using pyrene as a fluorescence probe and benzophenone as a quencher. Results show that these anionic Gemini surfactants have lower CMC and C20 values compared with those conventional ones and show higher surface activity. As expected, the spacer plays an important role in the aggregation properties of Gemini surfactants. Under experimental conditions, Gemini B–D with an alkoxylated group as spacer has a lower CMC and a higher aggregation number than Gemini A with methylene as spacer. For Gemini B–D, the CMC and aggregation number values decrease with the increasing flexible spacer length. The micropolarity also affects the aggregation of the present anionic Gemini surfactants. The micropolarity of micelle becomes low when the concentration of surfactants increases. Aggregation numbers of surfactants increase and fluorescence intensities decrease with the increasing concentration of NaCl. These results will help us to understand the relationship between the architectures of Gemini surfactants and their various properties in aqueous solution.
Genetic Diversity of Isolated Populations of Indonesian Landraces of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Collected in East Kalimantan on the Island of Borneo
Authors: Thomson Michael J. , Polato Nicholas R. , Prasetiyono Joko , Trijatmiko Kurniawan R. , Silitonga Tiur S. , McCouch Susan R. 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
Although the genetic diversity of rice germplasm has been well characterized globally, few studies have taken an in-depth view of a large number of rice landraces on a local scale. To better understand the relationships between rice genetic diversity and associated geographic and cultural factors, we collected and characterized 183 rice landraces from 18 villages along the Bahau and Kayan rivers in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. A genetic diversity analysis using 30 microsatellite markers detected a clear distinction between the indica and japonica varietal groups (F
st = 0.59), with 80% of the landraces identified as tropical japonica and 20% indica, which largely correlated with the field-level ecotypes: upland japonica and lowland indica. Indigenous knowledge from local farmers was gathered about the names, origins, and uses of the landraces, which provides a rich background to compare with the genetic relationships of these traditional varieties.
Host races inChaetostomella cylindrica(Diptera: Tephritidae): genetic and behavioural evidence
Authors: Smith C.A. , Al-Zein M.S. , Sayar N.P. , Knio K.M. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe highly oligophagous tephritidChaetostomella cylindricainfests the flower heads of six genera and ten species of thistles in Lebanon. It predominantly utilizes two hosts occurring in sympatry,Notobasis syriacaandOnopordum illyricum. Previous work showed that adult flies emerging fromN. syriacafit more closely the description of the species, particularly with respect to the colour and pattern on the mesonotum; furthermore, significant differences were observed between the aculeus shape and length. This study investigates the biology of the immatures and compares adults from the two host races behaviourally and genetically. Larvae of both races fed in a similar way, with each larva destroying 3–10 achenes; however, the oviposition behaviour of females differed. Females of theOnopordum-associated flies laid an average of three eggs per head, and deposited the eggs glued to each others in a cluster, while females of theNotobasis-associated flies deposited their eggs unattached, usually with one egg per head. Subtle differences were also observed in the post-mating behaviour of adult males. DNA sequencing of an amplified fragment of the mitochondrial NADH-dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene revealed 44 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 622 base pairs. A PCR-RFLP method was developed to distinguish the two host-associated populations. Together with previously published morphometric studies, our data show thatC. cylindricaconsists of distinct host races, which seem to be reproductively isolated as two separate genetic lineages were observed.
Comparative flight performance of three important pestAdelphocorisspecies of Bt cotton in China
Authors: Lu Y.H. , Wu K.M. , Wyckhuys K.A.G. , Guo Y.Y. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe massive adoption of Bt cotton throughout China has been accompanied by outbreaks of secondary pests such asAdelphocorisspp. (Heteroptera: Miridae). TheAdelphocorisgroup primarily consists of three species:A. suturalis,A. fasciaticollisandA. lineolatus, which greatly differ in geographical distribution and seasonal dynamics. However, the underlying drivers of these differences remain to be understood. The study of flight behaviour of these three species can yield important insight into their spatial and temporal dynamics and help explain their distribution. We examined flight propensity of the threeAdelphocorisspp. under a range of biological and environmental conditions using a computer-monitored flight-mill. Gender and mating status only had minor effects on flight performance in these species, while age exerted great effects on it. Flight capacity was low for one-day-old adults and increased with age until day 10–13, then gradually decreased afterwards. Temperature and relative humidity affected flight propensity, with 20–23°C and 64–68% RH considered optimal for flight of all three species. Between-species comparisons indicated thatA. suturalisandA. fasciaticollishad similar flight distance and duration, which were significantly greater than forA. lineolatus. Our findings provide crucial information for understanding geographical distribution and seasonal occurrence and for developing regional forecasting and pest management protocols forAdelphocorisspecies.
TRIGONOMETRIC DARBOUX TRANSFORMATIONS AND CALOGERO–MOSER MATRICES
Authors: HAINE LUC , HOROZOV EMIL , ILIEV PLAMEN 
Published: February 2009

AbstractWe characterize in terms of Darboux transformations the spaces in the Segal–Wilson rational Grassmannian, which lead to commutative rings of differential operators having coefficients which are rational functions of ex. The resulting subgrassmannian is parametrized in terms of trigonometric Calogero–Moser matrices.
YANG–BAXTER MAPS AND THE DISCRETE KP HIERARCHY
Authors: KAKEI S. , NIMMO J. J. C. , WILLOX R. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractWe present a systematic construction of the discrete KP hierarchy in terms of Sato–Wilson-type shift operators. Reductions of the equations in this hierarchy to 1+1-dimensional integrable lattice systems are considered, and the problems that arise with regard to the symmetry algebra underlying the reduced systems as well as the ultradiscretizability of these systems are discussed. A scheme for constructing ultradiscretizable reductions that give rise to Yang–Baxter maps is explained in two explicit examples.
A NON-COMMUTATIVE SEMI-DISCRETE TODA EQUATION AND ITS QUASI-DETERMINANT SOLUTIONS
Authors: LI C. X. , NIMMO J. J. C. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractA non-commutative version of the semi-discrete Toda equation is considered. A Lax pair and its Darboux transformations and binary Darboux transformations are found and they are used to construct two families of quasi-determinant solutions.
ON SEPARATION OF VARIABLES AND COMPLETENESS OF THE BETHE ANSATZ FOR QUANTUM N GAUDIN MODEL
Authors: MUKHIN E. , TARASOV V. , VARCHENKO A. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractIn this paper, we discuss implications of the results obtained in [5]. It was shown there that eigenvectors of the Bethe algebra of the quantum N Gaudin model are in a one-to-one correspondence with Fuchsian differential operators with polynomial kernel. Here, we interpret this fact as a separation of variables in the N Gaudin model. Having a Fuchsian differential operator with polynomial kernel, we construct the corresponding eigenvector of the Bethe algebra. It was shown in [5] that the Bethe algebra has simple spectrum if the evaluation parameters of the Gaudin model are generic. In that case, our Bethe ansatz construction produces an eigenbasis of the Bethe algebra.
EXPLICIT SOLUTION FORMULAS FOR THE MATRIX-KP
Authors: SCHIEBOLD CORNELIA 
Published: February 2009

AbstractWe study a non-commutative version of the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equations and construct a family of solutions generalizing naturally the soliton to the non-commutative setting. From this we derive explicit solution formulas as well for the scalar as for the matrix-Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation which still depend on operator parameters.