Strain- and Adsorption-Dependent Electronic States and Transport or Localization in Graphene

The chapter generalizes results on influence of uniaxial strain and adsorption on the electron states and charge transport or localization in graphene with different configurations of imperfections (point defects): resonant (neutral) adsorbed atoms either oxygen- or hydrogen-containing molecules or functional groups, vacancies or substitutional atoms, charged impurity atoms or molecules, and distortions. To observe electronic properties of graphene-admolecules system, we applied electron paramagnetic resonance technique in a broad temperature range for graphene oxides as a good basis for understanding the electrotransport properties of other active carbons. Applied technique allowed observation of possible metal-insulator transition and sorption pumping effect as well as discussion of results in relation to the granular metal model. The electronic and transport properties are calculated within the framework of the tight-binding model along with the Kubo-Greenwood quantum-mechanical formalism. Depending on electron density and type of the sites, the conductivity for correlated and ordered adsorbates is found to be enhanced in dozens of times as compared to the cases of their random distribution. In case of the uniaxially strained graphene, the presence of point defects counteracts against or contributes to the band-gap opening according to their configurations. The band-gap behaviour is found to be nonmonotonic with strain in case of a simultaneous action of defect ordering and zigzag deformation. The amount of localized charge carriers (spins) is found to be correlated with the content of adsorbed centres responsible for the formation of potential barriers and, in turn, for the localization effects. Physical and chemical states of graphene edges, especially at a uniaxial strain along one of them, play a crucial role in electrical transport phenomena in graphene-based materials.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figure

Embedded Microbubbles for Acoustic Manipulation of Single Cells and Microfluidic Applications.

Acoustically excited microstructures have demonstrated significant potential for small-scale biomedical applications by overcoming major microfluidic limitations. Recently, the application of oscillating microbubbles has demonstrated their superiority over acoustically excited solid structures due to their enhanced acoustic streaming at low input power. However, their limited temporal stability hinders their direct applicability for industrial or clinical purposes. Here, we introduce the embedded microbubble, a novel acoustofluidic design based on the combination of solid structures (poly(dimethylsiloxane)) and microbubbles (air-filled cavity) to combine the benefits of both approaches while minimizing their drawbacks. We investigate the influence of various design parameters and geometrical features through numerical simulations and experimentally evaluate their manipulation capabilities. Finally, we demonstrate the capabilities of our design for microfluidic applications by investigating its mixing performance as well as through the controlled rotational manipulation of individual HeLa cells

Human aging is characterized by focused changes in gene expression and deregulation of alternative splicing

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordSummary: Aging is a major risk factor for chronic disease in the human population, but there are little human data on gene expression alterations that accompany the process. We examined human peripheral blood leukocyte in-vivo RNA in a large-scale transcriptomic microarray study (subjects aged 30-104years). We tested associations between probe expression intensity and advancing age (adjusting for confounding factors), initially in a discovery set (n=458), following-up findings in a replication set (n=240). We confirmed expression of key results by real-time PCR. Of 16571 expressed probes, only 295 (2%) were robustly associated with age. Just six probes were required for a highly efficient model for distinguishing between young and old (area under the curve in replication set; 95%). The focused nature of age-related gene expression may therefore provide potential biomarkers of aging. Similarly, only 7 of 1065 biological or metabolic pathways were age-associated, in gene set enrichment analysis, notably including the processing of messenger RNAs (mRNAs); [P<0.002, false discovery rate (FDR) q<0.05]. This is supported by our observation of age-associated disruption to the balance of alternatively expressed isoforms for selected genes, suggesting that modification of mRNA processing may be a feature of human aging. © 2011 The Authors. Aging Cell © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland.National Institute for Health Research (NIHR

The adaptation of the Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW) for European Portuguese

This study presents the adaptation of the Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW; Bradley & Lang, 1999a) for European Portuguese (EP). The EP adaptation of the ANEW was based on the affective ratings made by 958 college students who were EP native speakers. Participants assessed about 60 words by considering the affective dimensions of valence, arousal, and dominance, using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) in either a paper-and-pencil and a web survey procedures. Results of the adaptation of the ANEW for EP are presented. Furthermore, the differences between EP, American (Bradley & Lang, 1999a), and Spanish (Redondo, Fraga, Padrón, & Comesaña, 2007) standardizations were explored. Results showed that the ANEW words were understood in a similar way by EP, American, and Spanish subjects, although some sex and cross-cultural differences were observed. The EP adaptation of the ANEW is shown to be a valid and useful tool that will allow researchers to control and/or manipulate the affective properties of stimuli as well as to develop cross-linguistic studies. The normative values of EP adaptation of the ANEW can be downloaded at http://brm.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.COMPETE - Programa Operacional Factores de CompetitividadeFundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional - FEDERQuadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional - QRENFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - research project “Procura Palavras (P-Pal ): A software program for deriving objective and subjective psycholinguistic indices for European Portuguese words

Positive words carry less information than negative words

We show that the frequency of word use is not only determined by the word length \cite{Zipf1935} and the average information content \cite{Piantadosi2011}, but also by its emotional content. We have analyzed three established lexica of affective word usage in English, German, and Spanish, to verify that these lexica have a neutral, unbiased, emotional content. Taking into account the frequency of word usage, we find that words with a positive emotional content are more frequently used. This lends support to Pollyanna hypothesis \cite{Boucher1969} that there should be a positive bias in human expression. We also find that negative words contain more information than positive words, as the informativeness of a word increases uniformly with its valence decrease. Our findings support earlier conjectures about (i) the relation between word frequency and information content, and (ii) the impact of positive emotions on communication and social links.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures, 3 table

Externalizing behavior in early childhood and body mass index from age 2 to 12 years: longitudinal analyses of a prospective cohort study

Background: Some evidence suggests that obesity and behavior problems are related in children, but studies have been conflicting and have rarely included children under age 4. An association between behavior problems in early childhood and risk for obesity could suggest that a common set of factors contribute to both. Our research objectives were to determine the extent to which externalizing behavior in early childhood is related to body mass index (BMI) in early childhood and through age 12, and to evaluate whether these associations differ by sex and race. Methods: Data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development were analyzed. Externalizing behaviors at 24 months were assessed by mothers using the Child Behavior Checklist. BMI was calculated from measured height and weight assessed 7 times between age 2 and 12 years. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess associations between 24 month externalizing behavior and BMI from 2 to 12 years, calculate predicted differences in BMI, and evaluate effect modification. Results: Externalizing behavior at 24 months was associated with a higher BMI at 24 months and through age 12. Results from a linear mixed effects model, controlling for confounding variables and internalizing behavior, predicted a difference in BMI of approximately 3/4 of a unit at 24 months of age comparing children with high levels of externalizing behavior to children with low levels of externalizing behavior. There was some evidence of effect modification by race; among white children, the average BMI difference remained stable through age 12, but it doubled to 1.5 BMI units among children who were black or another race. Conclusions: Our analyses suggest that externalizing behaviors in early childhood are associated with children's weight status early in childhood and throughout the elementary school years, though the magnitude of the effect is modest.https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-10-4

Just a wind-up? Ethnicity, religion and prejudice in Scottish football-related comedy

This article probes how media representations of football in Scotland sustain the hegemonic ideologies associated with ethnicity and religion. The paper probes the football-related comedy output of one radio programme; radio output and football comedy are both neglected cultural material in studies of sport in Scotland. It argues that ambiguity and allusive language in comedy construct multiple interpretative possibilities that can demean the social and cultural identity of particular groups in society. The discussion analyses specific sketches from the Scottish radio comedy show Watson's Wind Up. It is concluded that although humorous, these sketches reveal how ideas, myths and stereotypes that coalesce round Celtic FC and the Irish-descended and Catholic communities in Scotland reinforce and sustain anti-Irish and anti-Catholic bigotry

Integrating personality research and animal contest theory: aggressiveness in the green swordtail <i>Xiphophorus helleri</i>

&lt;p&gt;Aggression occurs when individuals compete over limiting resources. While theoretical studies have long placed a strong emphasis on context-specificity of aggression, there is increasing recognition that consistent behavioural differences exist among individuals, and that aggressiveness may be an important component of individual personality. Though empirical studies tend to focus on one aspect or the other, we suggest there is merit in modelling both within-and among-individual variation in agonistic behaviour simultaneously. Here, we demonstrate how this can be achieved using multivariate linear mixed effect models. Using data from repeated mirror trials and dyadic interactions of male green swordtails, &lt;i&gt;Xiphophorus helleri&lt;/i&gt;, we show repeatable components of (co)variation in a suite of agonistic behaviour that is broadly consistent with a major axis of variation in aggressiveness. We also show that observed focal behaviour is dependent on opponent effects, which can themselves be repeatable but were more generally found to be context specific. In particular, our models show that within-individual variation in agonistic behaviour is explained, at least in part, by the relative size of a live opponent as predicted by contest theory. Finally, we suggest several additional applications of the multivariate models demonstrated here. These include testing the recently queried functional equivalence of alternative experimental approaches, (e. g., mirror trials, dyadic interaction tests) for assaying individual aggressiveness.&lt;/p&gt

The Second Transmembrane Domain of P2X7 Contributes to Dilated Pore Formation

Activation of the purinergic receptor P2X7 leads to the cellular permeability of low molecular weight cations. To determine which domains of P2X7 are necessary for this permeability, we exchanged either the C-terminus or portions of the second transmembrane domain (TM2) with those in P2X1 or P2X4. Replacement of the C-terminus of P2X7 with either P2X1 or P2X4 prevented surface expression of the chimeric receptor. Similarly, chimeric P2X7 containing TM2 from P2X1 or P2X4 had reduced surface expression and no permeability to cationic dyes. Exchanging the N-terminal 10 residues or C-terminal 14 residues of the P2X7 TM2 with the corresponding region of P2X1 TM2 partially restored surface expression and limited pore permeability. To further probe TM2 structure, we replaced single residues in P2X7 TM2 with those in P2X1 or P2X4. We identified multiple substitutions that drastically changed pore permeability without altering surface expression. Three substitutions (Q332P, Y336T, and Y343L) individually reduced pore formation as indicated by decreased dye uptake and also reduced membrane blebbing in response to ATP exposure. Three others substitutions, V335T, S342G, and S342A each enhanced dye uptake, membrane blebbing and cell death. Our results demonstrate a critical role for the TM2 domain of P2X7 in receptor function, and provide a structural basis for differences between purinergic receptors. © 2013 Sun et al