bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The usefulness of nifekalant for activation mapping of premature beat‐triggered atrial fibrillation: Suppression of atrial fibrillation initiation without inhibiting premature beat
Authors: Masuda Masaharu , Okuyama Yuji , Mizuno Hiroya , Minamiguchi Hitoshi , Konishi Shozo , Mishima Tsuyoshi , Ohtani Tomohito , Nanto Shinsuke , Sakata Yasushi
Published: March 2014

A 66‐year‐old man underwent a second ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). Intravenous isoproterenol administration caused the atrial premature beat (APB), triggering AF. The APB originated in the right atrium and invariably initiated AF. Therefore, contact activation mapping could not be performed without frequent electrocardioversion. To prevent the initiation of AF without inhibiting the APB firing, we administered nifekalant intravenously, which facilitated precise activation mapping and ablation of the AF‐triggering APB. The administration of nifekalant may improve clinical outcomes of catheter ablation for AF triggered by non‐pulmonary vein APB, which invariably initiates AF.
Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty Complicated by Metastatic Malignant Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour
Authors: Alwin Li Hok-Yin , Pang-Hei Li , Yiu-Chung Wong , Yuk-Leung Wai
Published: March 2014

Periprosthetic malignancy causing failure of total hip arthroplasty is a rare entity. Metastasis of malignant tumour to the proximity of orthopaedic implants is even more uncommon. We present a case of a 74-year-old female with an infected Austin Moore prosthesis, requiring a two-stage revision total hip arthroplasty. Within 2 years postoperatively, erosion of the lesser trochanter was noted. Further revision surgery was performed with the insertion of a cement spacer. Despite the expectation of an infected prosthesis, intraoperative frozen section showed sarcoma and the final pathology was metastasis of a recurrent gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST). Metastatic GIST to total hip prosthesis had not been reported previously and this case illustrates how intraoperative frozen section can aid diagnosis and management. We also highlighted some diagnostic clues, differentiating this rare diagnosis from septic loosening and osteolysis. Malignant infiltration should be considered as a differential diagnosis in failed total hip arthroplasty, especially in patients with a previous history of malignancy.
Integrating Education for Sustainability in Preservice Teacher Education: A Case Study From a Regional Australian University
Authors: Mills Reece , Tomas Louisa
Published: March 2014

Education for Sustainability (EfS) has been prioritised in the School of Education at James Cook University (JCU), Townsville, Australia. This article presents a case study that explores the ways in which teacher educators integrate EfS in their teaching in the Bachelor of Education (BEd) (Primary) at JCU, and their perceptions of enablers and constraints. Two key findings arose from the analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with four subject coordinators, and their subject outlines: (1) teacher educators at JCU integrate EfS in different ways through their choice of assessment, content and/or pedagogy; and (2) constraints operating at the school level, namely teacher educators’ perceptions and understanding of EfS, were perceived to be salient challenges to the integration of EfS in the program. Vision, leadership and funding at the university level were also identified as enabling factors that warrant further investigation. Findings contribute to existing literature regarding the integration of EfS in preservice teacher education, and serve to inform practice at JCU and universities more broadly.
Drama and Environment: Joining Forces to Engage Children and Young People in Environmental Education
Authors: Curtis David J. , Howden Mark , Curtis Fran , McColm Ian , Scrine Juliet , Blomfield Thor , Reeve Ian , Ryan Tara
Published: March 2014

Engaging and exciting students about the environment remains a challenge in contemporary society, even while objective measures show the rapid state of the world's environment declining. To illuminate the integration of drama and environmental education as a means of engaging students in environmental issues, the work of performance companies Evergreen Theatre, Leapfish and Eaton Gorge Theatre Company, the ecological oratorio Plague and the Moonflower, and a school-based trial of play-building were examined through survey data and participant observations. These case studies employed drama in different ways — theatre-in-education, play-building, and large-scale performance event. The four case studies provide quantitative and qualitative evidence for drama-based activities leading to an improvement in knowledge about the environment and understandings about the consequences of one's actions. In observing and participating in these case studies, we reflect that drama is a means of synthesising and presenting scientific research in ways that are creative and multi-layered, and which excite students, helping maintain their attention and facilitating their engagement.
Professional Standards for Australian Special Education Teachers
Authors: Dempsey Ian , Dally Kerry
Published: March 2014

Although professional standards for Australian teachers were developed several years ago, this country is yet to develop such standards for special education teachers. The lack of standards for the special education profession is associated with the absence of a consistent process of accreditation in Australia and a lack of clarity in the pathways that teachers may pursue to achieve accreditation. In this paper, we review professional standards for special education teachers in the UK and the US, and the related yet limited work completed in Australia. Substantial commonalities across these jurisdictions demonstrate that much of the groundwork has been completed in the important task of developing special education standards in this country.
The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) predicts care need in older Taiwanese: results of a national cohort study
Authors: Tsai Alan C. , Hsu Wei-Chung , Wang Jiun-Yi
Published: March 2014

The present study determined the ability of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) to predict care need in older people. We analysed the datasets of the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging. The 1999 survey containing the MNA items served as the baseline and the 2003 survey served as the endpoint. Of the 4440 participants, 2890 were aged  ≥ 65 years and served as subjects in the present study. After excluding 150 subjects having incomplete data, 2740 were rated for nutritional status with the normalised long-form (LF) and short-form (SF) MNA-Taiwan version 1 (T1) and version 2 (T2) and evaluated with logistic regression analysis for cross-sectional associations of the rated nutritional status with care need, controlled for age, sex, education level, living arrangement and physical activity. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated for evaluating the ability of the MNA to predict care need. After further excluding 250 subjects who had care need at baseline and seventy-six who were lost to follow-up, 2414 were evaluated for the ability of the MNA to predict subsequent care need with logistic regression analysis. The results demonstrated that all the MNA predicted concurrent and subsequent care need well. The OR for needing subsequent care in the ‘at-risk’ and ‘malnourished’ groups were, respectively, 2·04 and 3·33 for the MNA-T1-LF, 2·10 and 5·35 for the MNA-T2-LF, 1·49 and 2·48 MNA-T1-SF, and 1·80 and 3·44 for the MNA-T2-SF (allP< 0·05), and the respective NagelkerkeR2values were 0·190, 0·191, 0·184 and 0·192. In conclusion, all the four MNA have the ability to predict future care need, including the MNA-T2-SF, which appears to have great potential for practical applicability.
Coated zinc oxide improves intestinal immunity function and regulates microbiota composition in weaned piglets
Authors: Shen Junhua , Chen Yan , Wang Zhisheng , Zhou Anguo , He Miao , Mao Lei , Zou Huawei , Peng Quanhui , Xue Bai , Wang Lizhi , Zhang Xiangfei , Wu Shilin , Lv Yong
Published: March 2014

The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that low concentrations of coated ZnO, as a substitute for a high concentration of ZnO (2250 mg Zn/kg), could improve intestinal immunity function and regulate microbiota composition, thus alleviating the incidence of diarrhoea in weaned piglets. A total of eighty-four cross-bred piglets, weaned at an age of 28 (sem 1) d, were allocated randomly, on the basis of average initial body weight (7·72 (sem 0·65) kg), to seven treatment groups as follows: a 250 mg Zn (ZnO)/kg group (low Zn; LZ) and a 2250 mg Zn (ZnO)/kg group (high Zn; HZ) that were offered diets containing ZnO at 250 and 2250 mg Zn/kg, respectively; and five experimental groups in which coated ZnO was added at 250, 380, 570, 760 and 1140 mg Zn/kg basal diet, respectively. The trial lasted 2 weeks. The results indicated that, compared with LZ treatment, supplementation with coated ZnO at 380 or 570 mg Zn/kg reduced (P< 0·05) diarrhoea index, increased (P< 0·05) duodenal villus height and the ratio of villus height:crypt depth, up-regulated (P< 0·05) the gene expression of insulin-like growth factor 1, zonula occludens protein-1, occludin, IL-10 and transforming growth factor β1, and elevated (P< 0·05) secretory IgA concentration in the jejunal mucosa. Microbiota richness and the Shannon diversity index were also decreased (P< 0·05). Furthermore, piglets in the group fed coated ZnO at 380 or 570 mg Zn/kg did not differ from those in the HZ-fed group in relation to the aforementioned parameters. Collectively, a low concentration of coated ZnO (380 or 570 mg Zn/kg) can alleviate the incidence of diarrhoea by promoting intestinal development, protecting the intestinal mucosal barrier from damage, stimulating the mucosal immune system and regulating the microbiota composition.
Host–parasite biology in the real world: the field voles of Kielder
Authors: TURNER A. K. , BELDOMENICO P. M. , BOWN K. , BURTHE S. J. , JACKSON J. A. , LAMBIN X. , BEGON M.
Published: March 2014

Research on the interactions between the field voles (Microtus agrestis) of Kielder Forest and their natural parasites dates back to the 1930s. These early studies were primarily concerned with understanding how parasites shape the characteristic cyclic population dynamics of their hosts. However, since the early 2000s, research on the Kielder field voles has expanded considerably and the system has now been utilized for the study of host–parasite biology across many levels, including genetics, evolutionary ecology, immunology and epidemiology. The Kielder field voles therefore represent one of the most intensely and broadly studied natural host–parasite systems, bridging theoretical and empirical approaches to better understand the biology of infectious disease in the real world. This article synthesizes the body of work published on this system and summarizes some important insights and general messages provided by the integrated and multidisciplinary study of host–parasite interactions in the natural environment.
Toxoplasma gondiiinduce apoptosis of neural stem cells via endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway
Authors: WANG TENG , ZHOU JIE , GAN XIAOFENG , WANG HUA , DING XIAOJUAN , CHEN LINGZHI , WANG YONGZHONG , DU JIAN , SHEN JILONG , YU LI
Published: March 2014

Toxoplasma gondiiis a major cause of congenital brain disease; however, the underlying mechanism of neuropathogenesis in brain toxoplasmosis remains elusive. To explore the role ofT. gondiiin the development of neural stem cells (NSCs), NSCs were isolated from GD14 embryos of ICR mice and were co-cultured with tachyzoites ofT. gondiiRH strain. We found that apoptosis levels of the NSCs co-cultured with 1×106RH tachyzoites for 24 and 48 h significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner, as compared with the control. Western blotting analysis displayed that the protein level of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) was up-regulated, and caspase-12 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) were activated in the NSCs co-cultured with the parasites. Pretreatment with endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) inhibitor (TUDCA) and caspase-12 inhibitor (Z-ATAD-FMK) inhibited the expression or activation of the key molecules involved in the ERS-mediated apoptotic pathway, and subsequently decreased the apoptosis levels of the NSCs induced by theT. gondii.The findings here highlight thatT. gondiiinduced apoptosis of the NSCs through the ERS signal pathway via activation of CHOP, caspase-12 and JNK, which may constitute a potential molecular mechanism responsible for the cognitive disturbance in neurological disorders ofT. gondii.
A regressor-free adaptive impedance controller for robot manipulators without Slotine and Li's modification: theory and experiments
Authors: Kai Chen-Yu , Huang An-Chyau
Published: March 2014

Slotine and Li's modification is a well-known, simple, and elegant approach for robot adaptive control to avoid the feedback of joint accelerations. This paper presents a simple strategy to implement a regressor-free adaptive impedance controller without using Slotine and Li's modification. In the new strategy, the joint acceleration vector and the dynamics of robot are assumed to be unavailable. Their effects are covered by using the function approximation technique so that there is no need for the joint acceleration feedback. The closed-loop stability and boundedness of internal signals are justified by the Lyapunov-like technique. Experimental results for a two-dimensional (2D) robot are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
A direct approach to solving trajectory planning problems using genetic algorithms with dynamics considerations in complex environments
Authors: Abu-Dakka Fares J. , Valero Francisco J. , Suñer Jose Luis , Mata Vicente
Published: March 2014

This paper presents a new genetic algorithm methodology to solve the trajectory planning problem. This methodology can obtain smooth trajectories for industrial robots in complex environments using a direct method. The algorithm simultaneously creates a collision-free trajectory between initial and final configurations as the robot moves. The presented method deals with the uncertainties associated with the unknown kinematic properties of intermediate via points since they are generated as the algorithm evolves looking for the solution. Additionally, the objective of this algorithm is to minimize the trajectory time, which guides the robot motion. The method has been applied successfully to the PUMA 560 robotic system. Four operational parameters (execution time, computational time, end-effector distance traveled, and significant points distance traveled) have been computed to study and analyze the algorithm efficiency. The experimental results show that the proposed optimization algorithm for the trajectory planning problem of an industrial robot is feasible.
Peasant Vulnerability, Rural Masculinity and Physical Education in France, from the Early Twentieth Century to the Libération
Authors: FROISSART TONY , TERRET THIERRY
Published: March 2014

During the first third of the twentieth century in France, negative and stigmatising stereotypes of rurality, inherited mainly from the previous century, were used as arguments to justify recourse to pedagogical innovations in physical education and sport for people living in the countryside. The invention of rural vulnerability led particularly to the setting up of ‘agricultural athletics’ meetings, ‘rural athletic trail runs’ and ‘rural horse events’ by vocational organisations and associations of educators. These initiatives, carried out mainly by economic and political interests, concerned mostly men and thus contributed to defining weakened rural masculinity.

This analysis is based on evidence from articles in regional, national and specialist press, official texts and physical education manuals dealing with bodily training for country people.
War and its Bestiality: Animals and their Fate during the Fighting in France, 1940
Authors: ALEXANDER MARTIN S.
Published: March 2014

The fighting in France and Belgium in May-June 1940 has generated a large literature. Mostly, however, this has concerned itself with military strategy, the triumph of the German operational methods popularly termed ‘Blitzkrieg’, the British evacuation at Dunkirk and the political consequences of defeat for the French. This article re-evaluates the mobilisation of 1939 and the conduct of combat operations in 1940 from a less conventional perspective: that of the animals in France. It explores what happened to the many domestic pets swept up, or left behind, in the flight of Belgian and French civilians southward to escape the invader; the livestock on the farmland of the Somme, Aisne, Oise and Meuse where the battles raged; and the horses which remained central to the transport of men, munitions and supplies on both the French and German sides. It argues that the recovery of the wartime experiences of the fauna of France should be part of a more holistic understanding of war's impact on the natural world and on all, non-humans as well as humans, who inhabit it.
Smallholders, Spinners, Weavers and the ‘scarcity of markets’ in the Flemish Countryside, c. 1780–1850: Motivations behind the Multiplication of Periodic Markets
Authors: RONSIJN WOUTER
Published: March 2014

Between the last decades of the eighteenth century and the middle of the nineteenth century, a large number of new markets were established in the Flemish countryside. The multiplication of rural markets tends to be seen as part of the process of market integration, with rural producers responding to the opportunities provided by increasing external demand, such as that from the growing towns. However, an analysis of the motivation behind new establishments, based on the files treating the requests for new markets, reveals that markets were more often established for entirely different reasons. In this period, markets were expected to permit households to intensify their activities in order to overcome increasing economic difficulties. Developments within rural society, particularly rising population pressure, the need to produce and sell more, and deteriorating informal exchange networks among countrymen, coupled to a decline in demand for rural industrial products, were the main drives behind the multiplication of markets. This contribution shows it is important to pay attention to how new markets and market integration in general fitted within the goals and strategies of the country dwellers themselves.
PORTRAIT, EMPIRE, AND INDUSTRY AT THE BELLE VUE ZOO, MANCHESTER
Authors: Colley Ann C.
Published: March 2014

Belle vue zoo, founded in1836, both celebrated and replicated the industrial surroundings of Manchester. Looking at the Zoo from a distance, people in the mid-nineteenth century would have remarked upon the establishment's dazzling grounds, illuminated either by Belle Vue's own gas works or by the electricity powered by its robust generators. They also would have caught sight of the zoo's buildings, humming with the action of the steam-driven machines within. By utilizing the most up-to-date technology, Belle Vue was an extension of its neighboring manufacturing city.
FISCAL MULTIPLIERS IN A MONETARY UNION UNDER THE ZERO–LOWER–BOUND CONSTRAINT
Authors: Flotho Stefanie
Published: March 2014

This paper analyzes government spending multipliers in a two-country model of a monetary union with price stickiness and home bias in consumption where monetary policy is constrained by the zero lower bound (ZLB) on the nominal interest rate. Government spending multipliers under this constraint are computed and compared with fiscal multipliers in normal times, that is, where the central bank sets the nominal interest rate via a Taylor rule. The trade elasticity and the parameter measuring home bias in consumption play an important role in determining the size of the multiplier. The multipliers are not necessarily large under the ZLB constraint. However, compared with the fiscal multipliers when the central bank sets the nominal interest rate according to a Taylor rule, the multipliers under the ZLB are bigger. Moreover, the persistence parameter of the binding ZLB plays a crucial role.
A GROWTH PERSPECTIVE ON FOREIGN RESERVE ACCUMULATION
Authors: Cheng Gong
Published: March 2014

Based on a dynamic open-economy macroeconomic model, this paper analyzes the motive for foreign reserve accumulation in fast-growing emerging economies. The demand for foreign reserves stems from the interaction between productivity growth and underdevelopment of the domestic financial market. As domestic firms are credit-constrained, domestic saving instruments are necessary to increase their retained earnings in order to invest in capital. The central bank plays the role of a financial intermediary and provides liquid public bonds while investing the bond proceeds abroad in the form of foreign reserves. Foreign reserve accumulation is thus part of a catching-up strategy in an economy facing financial frictions. During economic transition, foreign reserve accumulation is proved to be welfare-improving as long as private capital flows are controlled. This joint strategy enables the central bank to channel sufficient external funding to the domestic economy while keeping domestic interest rates under control to cope with positive productivity shocks.
Bereavement life review improves spiritual well-being and ameliorates depression among American caregivers
Authors: Ando Michiyo , Marquez-Wong Felicia , Simon Gary B. , Kira Haruko , Becker Carl
Published: March 2014

Objective:

The aim of our study was to investigate the utility of bereavement life review (BLR) to elevate spiritual well-being and alleviate depression among Hawaiian-American caregivers, and to identify changes that occur when caring for their loved ones up to the time of death.

Method:

Bereavement life review therapy was provided for 20 bereaved Hawaiian Americans. In the first session, subjects reviewed memories of the deceased with a therapist, who recorded their narratives and collected them into a personal history book. During the second session, subjects discussed the contents of this book. Caregivers completed the Functional Assessment Chronic Illness Therapy–Spiritual (FACIT–Sp) questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-II) pre- and post-intervention. Subjects also described changes in their views that occurred during the caring process in response to questions.

Results:

FACIT–Sp scores significantly increased from 34.1 ± 9.63 to 36.3 ± 10.6 (t = –2.6, p < 0.05, and BDI scores significantly decreased from 11.7 ± 7.7 to 8.8 ± 7.0 (t = 2.27, p < 0.05). Five categories were chosen from the narratives on changes that had occurred during caregiving and due to the deceased death: “Learning from practical caring experience,” “Positive understanding of patients,” “Recognition of appreciation,” “Self-change or growth,” and “Obtaining a philosophy.”

Significance of Results:

These findings show the applicability of bereavement life review therapy for Hawaiian families, including efficacy for spiritual well-being and depression. The comments of the caregivers also indicate the potential of the therapy for identifying the positive aspects of caring for terminally ill patients.
Farmers’ markets’ locavore challenge: The potential of local food production for newly emerged farmers’ markets in Czechia
Authors: Syrovátková Marie , Hrabák Jiří , Spilková Jana
Published: March 2014

The shift toward post-productivist agricultural production in developed countries in recent decades has brought a growing focus on local sustainability and quality food production. This trend has been reflected in the development of a variety of alternative food networks and short food supply chain initiatives. In Czechia, the local and good-quality movement has been significantly represented by the boom in farmers’ markets during the past 2 years. The aim of this paper is to examine the actual potential of the Czech agricultural sector to supply the recently developed network of farmers’ markets. Even though these markets are generally considered to offer farmers better revenues than selling their products to big processors and retail companies, many Czech farmers’ market managers face a lack of potential vendors for their markets. Therefore, we ask if there are producers and self-processors of goods typically sold on farmers’ markets of the appropriate size and legal form in suitable locations in relation to the areas of the biggest demand. The quantitative approach applied was based on the national statistical data on the agricultural sector. It was used to develop a set of indicators which have been displayed in maps and further examined. The results show a high theoretical potential of the Czech agricultural sector to supply farmers’ markets because there are relatively many small farmers producing products sellable on farmers’ markets. In the Czech context, where the tradition of running independent businesses was interrupted by the country's communist past, the lack of experience with private entrepreneurship and marketing among farmers seems to be the main obstacle to broader involvement of farmers on farmers’ markets.
Trust, reciprocity, and a preference for economic freedom: experimental evidence
Authors: MCCANNON BRYAN C.
Published: March 2014

Do those who prefer economic freedom behave differently than those who prefer government intervention? Experiments of the Dictator and Trust games are studied. A survey elicits preference for private solutions to potential market failures. Trust and reciprocation are highest for those who score both high and low on the assessment. In the Dictator Game, there is a strong inverse relationship between one's preference for economic freedom and giving. Thus, the results can be interpreted as those with a strong preference for government intervention altruistically give, while those with a preference for economic freedom give primarily in response to wealth-generating investments.
A 160-GHz system in package for short-range mm-wave applications
Authors: Hamidipour Abouzar , Feger Reinhard , Poltschak Sebastian , Stelzer Andreas
Published: March 2014

This paper proposes a fully integrated 160-GHz transmitter and receiver in package for millimeter-wave applications. The monolithic integrated circuits were designed with a harmonic approach and were fabricated using a SiGe:C HBT production technology with an fTand fmaxof 170 and 250 GHz, respectively. The manufactured 2006 × 1865 µm2bare dies were integrated in 6 × 6 mm2embedded wafer level ball grid array packages, where they were interconnected with highly directional antennas built on the redistribution layer of the packages. With a total frequency multiplication factor of 36 and an active balun at the first stage, the transmitter allows the use of a 4.5-GHz input signal driven from a single-ended signal source [1] and distributed on a standard low-cost printed circuit board. The receiver comprises a Gilbert-cell-based subharmonic mixer with a simulated 1-dB input compression point of −4 dBm, and a minimum double-sideband noise figure of 16.5 dB. The functionality of the proposed system was successfully demonstrated in a quasi-monostatic FMCW radar measurement with a 1-ms up-chirp frequency sweep from 157 to 160 GHz and in a forward-scatter imaging experiment with an 8-GHz frequency ramp from 157 to 165 GHz.
Development and optimization of a fluorescence polarization immunoassay for orbifloxacin in milk
Authors: Mi Tiejun , Liang Xiao , Ding Long , Zhang Suxia , Eremin Sergei A. , Beier Ross C. , Shen Jianzhong , Wang Zhanhui
Published: March 2014

Rapid determination of orbifloxacin residue in milk by an optimized fluorescence polarization immunoassay based on a heterogeneous fluorescent tracer.
Direction of the polymorphic form of entacapone using an electrochemical tuneable surface template
Authors: Kwokal Ana , Roberts Kevin J.
Published: March 2014

At open circuit potentials (OCP) entacapone crystallises onto the surface of a gold nucleation template in its stable polymorphic form A whilst at negative polarization (−150 mV) this behavior is suppressed and the polymorphic form is switched to the formation of the metastable α-form which nucleates at the template's edges.
Adsorption kinetics of diatomic molecules
Authors: Burde Jared T. , Calbi M. Mercedes
Published: March 2014

The adsorption dynamics of diatomic molecules on solid surfaces is examined by using a Kinetic Monte Carlo algorithm.
The V-shaped polar molecules encapsulated into Cs (10528)-C72: stability and nonlinear optical response
Authors: Wang Li-Jie , Zhong Rong-Lin , Sun Shi-Ling , Xu Hong-Liang , Pan Xiu-Mei , Su Zhong-Min
Published: March 2014

The structures, stability and nonlinear optical properties of the encapsulated fullerenes M2N@C72 (M = Sc or Y, N = S or O) and the pristine cage Cs-C72 (10528) were investigated.
Integrated lab-on-chip biosensing systems based on magnetic particle actuation – a comprehensive review
Authors: van Reenen Alexander , de Jong Arthur M. , den Toonder Jaap M. J. , Prins Menno W. J.
Published: March 2014

A review on the use of magnetic particles that are actuated by magnetic fields for integrated lab-on-chip diagnostic assays.
Development of sol–gel processed semi-transparent and self-cleaning superhydrophobic coatings
Authors: Latthe Sanjay S. , Terashima Chiaki , Nakata Kazuya , Sakai Munetoshi , Fujishima Akira
Published: March 2014

The formation of an air-column on a superhydrophobic surface: the superhydrophobic coating is surrounded by blue colored water forming an air column, and water acquires a height of nearly 5 mm around the boundaries of the superhydrophobic coating. This confirms that the superhydrophobic surface strongly repels water and always remains dry.
Baseline correction for Raman spectra using an improved asymmetric least squares method
Authors: He Shixuan , Zhang Wei , Liu Lijuan , Huang Yu , He Jiming , Xie Wanyi , Wu Peng , Du Chunlei
Published: March 2014

The proposed IAsLS method is successfully applied to practical Raman spectral baseline correction.
Palladium-catalyzed R2(O)P directed C(sp2)–H acetoxylation
Authors: Zhang Heng , Hu Rong-Bin , Zhang Xiao-Yu , Li Shi-Xia , Yang Shang-Dong
Published: March 2014

A novel and efficient Pd-catalyzed C–H acetoxylation is described. The approach uses R2(O)P as a directing group to synthesize various substituted 2′-phosphoryl biphenyl-2-OAc compounds.
Thieno[3,4-b]pyrazine-based oligothiophenes: simple models of donor–acceptor polymeric materials
Authors: Wen Li , Heth Christopher L. , Rasmussen Seth C.
Published: March 2014

Thieno[3,4-b]pyrazine-based oligomers have been thoroughly investigated in order to correlate the effects of conjugation length and ‘donor–acceptor’ properties on the resulting optical and electronic properties.
The rapid formation of functional monolayers on silicon under mild conditions
Authors: Ciampi Simone , Luais Erwann , James Michael , Choudhury Moinul H. , Darwish Nadim A. , Gooding J. Justin
Published: March 2014

Rapid grafting of aromatic-conjugated acetylenes on non-oxidized Si(100) electrodes and the importance of the interplay between the solvent's dielectric constant and the adsorbate's electron-scavenging ability.
Ferro- and antiferromagnetic coupling in a chlorido-bridged, tetranuclear Cu(ii) complex
Authors: Grosshauser Michael , Comba Peter , Kim Jee Young , Ohto Keisuke , Thuéry Pierre , Lee Young Hoon , Kim Yang , Harrowfield Jack
Published: March 2014

A binuclear complex of copper(ii) chloride with a heptadentate bispidine-like ligand undergoes dimerisation in the solid state involving chloride bridging and leading to both ferro- and antiferromagnetic coupling of the Cu(ii) centres.
Magnetically controllable 3D microtissues based on magnetic microcryogels
Authors: Liu Wei , Li Yaqian , Feng Siyu , Ning Jia , Wang Jingyu , Gou Maling , Chen Huijun , Xu Feng , Du Yanan
Published: March 2014

Microtissues on the scale of several hundred microns are a promising cell culture configuration resembling the functional tissue units in vivo.
Direct conversion of multilayer molybdenum trioxide to nanorods as multifunctional electrodes in lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Ibrahem Mohammed Aziz , Wu Feng-Yu , Mengistie Desalegn Alemu , Chang Chia-Seng , Li Lain-Jong , Chu Chih Wei
Published: March 2014

One-step direct conversion of bulk MoO3 to nanorods displayed significantly enhanced lithium-ion storage properties with higher reversible capacities.
Atrial natriuretic peptide gene variants and circulating levels: implications in cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Rubattu Speranza , Sciarretta Sebastiano , Volpe Massimo
Published: March 2014

ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide), discovered 30 years ago in rat cardiac atria, has been extensively investigated with regard to physiology, pathophysiology, cardiovascular disease therapeutics and molecular genetic aspects. Besides its diuretic, natriuretic and vasorelaxant effects, novel properties of this hormone have been described. Thus anti-hypertrophic, anti-fibrotic, anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory actions suggest that ANP contributes not only to haemodynamic homoeostasis and adjustments, but has also a role in cardiovascular remodelling. Circulating ANP levels represent a valuable biomarker in cardiovascular diseases. ANP structure is highly conserved among species, indicating a key role in cardiovascular health. Thus an abnormal ANP structure may contribute to an increased risk of disease due to altered functions at either the vascular or cardiac level. Among others, the 2238T>C exon 3 variant has been associated with endothelial cell damage and dysfunction and with an increased risk of acute cardiovascular events, a frameshift mutation within exon 3 has been related to increased risk of atrial fibrillation, and ANP gene variants have been linked to increased risk of hypertension in different ethnic groups. On the other hand, the rs5068 variant, falling within the 3′ UTR and associated with higher circulating ANP levels, has been shown to have a beneficial cardioprotective and metabolic effect. Dissecting out the disease mechanisms dependent on specific ANP molecular variants may reveal information useful in the clinical setting for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic purposes. Furthermore, insights from molecular genetic analysis of ANP may well integrate advancing knowledge on the role of ANP as a significant biomarker in patients affected by cardiovascular diseases.
Wideband micromachined broadside coupled Schiffman phase shifter
Authors: Sutton N.A. , Filipovic D.S.
Published: March 2014

A 15–45 GHz broadside coupled rectangular coaxial line based phase shifter is demonstrated. An analysis, the design, fabrication, measurements and a sensitivity study are conducted and discussed. Amplitude and phase imbalances of <0.25 dB and <2.5°, respectively, are measured. Input port reflection coefficients < −10 dB and an insertion loss below 0.6 dB are also obtained. A conducted sensitivity study shows the small dependence of the device performance on the process variations. The presented results may pave the way for multi‐octave analogue phase shifters and beamformers throughout the millimetre‐wave range.
Block error rate of optical wireless communication systems over atmospheric turbulence channels
Authors: Zhang Qian , Cheng Julian , Karagiannidis George K.
Published: March 2014

Block error rate performance of subcarrier intensity modulation based optical wireless communication systems is analysed over Gamma–Gamma and lognormal atmospheric turbulence channels. The analysis is applicable to non‐coherent binary modulations and coherent binary phase shift keying. The special cases of K‐distributed strong turbulence channel and negative exponential turbulence channel are also considered. The closed‐form expressions of block error rate in the Gamma–Gamma turbulence channels are derived using a series expansion of the modified Bessel function. For the lognormal turbulence channels, the Gauss–Laguerre quadrature method can be used to estimate the block error rate accurately.
Energy efficient beaconing control in delay tolerant networks with multiple destinations
Authors: Wu Yahui , Deng Su , Huang Hongbin
Published: March 2014

The store‐carry‐forward communication mode in delay tolerant networks closely depends on the opportunistic contacts between the nodes. In addition, there is a higher probability that a node can detect others if the beaconing rate is higher (although this consumes more energy). This study studies the optimal beaconing policy to obtain a trade‐off between the performance and the energy consumption. In particular, the authors consider the case with multiple destinations. According to whether the destinations forward the message to others, they study the problem in non‐replicative and replicative cases, respectively. First, a theoretical framework that can evaluate the trade‐off under different beaconing policies is introduced for each case. Then, they formulate an optimisation problem based on these frameworks. Through Pontryagin's maximal principle, they obtain the optimal policies and prove that the optimal policies conform to the threshold form in both cases. The imulations show the accuracy of the theoretical frameworks. The numerical results show that they can obtain a better trade‐off in the replicative case.
Leader‐following consensus of non‐linear multi‐agent systems with jointly connected topology
Authors: Xu Wenying , Cao Jinde , Yu Wenwu , Lu Jianquan
Published: March 2014

The leader‐following consensus of non‐linear multi‐agent systems is investigated in this study. The authors further study this problem without the assumption that the topology among followers is connected or fixed. Based on a representative general non‐linear model, they address such a leader‐following consensus issue from a new perspective and then obtain several basic criteria for the consensus of the non‐linear multi‐agent system. Simultaneously, the simplified conditions of its corresponding linear multi‐agent systems for achieving consensus are derived. Finally, numerical examples are presented to verify the theoretical analysis.
Longitudinal Trends in Equity of Park Accessibility in Yokohama, Japan: An Investigation into the Role of Causal Mechanisms
Authors: Yasumoto Shinya , Jones Andrew , Shimizu Chihiro
Published: March 2014

Despite an increasing interest in issues surrounding environmental equity, much research evidence to date is based on studies adopting cross-sectional approaches which do not adequately capture the processes and mechanisms generating inequities. Longitudinal studies may better inform policy measures to remedy inequity between populations, but the few that have been undertaken have mostly been focused solely on environmental risks—ignoring access to amenities. As a case study, we adopt a longitudinal approach in this work to investigate the association between sociodemographic indicators and public park provision over an eighteen-year period in the city of Yokohama, Japan. We show that inequities in park provision are present over the whole time period. Hedonic modelling shows that park accessibility is positively associated with house and land prices in the city. Our results suggested some, relatively weak, evidence of two causal processes: New parks are located in more affluent communities; yet new parks also appear to encourage further move-in of affluent populations. We suggest that park provision by administrative authorities in less-affluent neighbourhoods may be required to maintain equity in access to these valuable community resources. Economic incentives, such as subsidy provision, may have a role to play to encourage park provision by developers.
Gratitude and Hospitality: Tamil Refugee Employment in London and the Conditional Nature of Integration
Authors: Healey Ruth L
Published: March 2014

Refugees are often one of the most economically and socially excluded groups in host countries. The policy of integration attempts to address different elements of exclusion, yet relatively little research has considered what integration means to the refugees themselves. This paper explores one key area for supporting integration: Employment. Understandings of integration are advanced by exploring how a group of twenty-six Tamil refugees and nineteen people who worked with refugees in the UK perceived an underlying rhetoric of anticipated gratitude within the policies around refugees. These perspectives are theorised within a framework of hospitality. The participants believed that refugees were expected to be grateful to the host society, and subsequently felt a debt for what the host society had given them: safety and education. However, they also identified frustration towards the host society where they felt marginalised or discrimination. It is possible to analyse employment as both an opportunity to give back, and something for which to be grateful. However, gratitude may not necessarily be felt towards the host society. If employment is found through the ethnic community, gratitude is likely to be concentrated there, rather than in the wider society. For the refugee participants in this research, asylum is a debt which can rarely be fully repaid, leaving them to seek acceptance and respect beyond the tolerance they are offered.
To feel the truth
Authors: Murray David A.B.
Published: March 2014

In this paper I explore how adjudicators in the Canadian refugee determination system assess sexual orientation refugee claims. By focusing on discourse and terminology of questions utilized in the hearing (in which the refugee claimant answers questions posed by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) Member), I will outline how these questions contain predetermined social knowledge and thus operate as a cultural formation through which particular arrangements of sexual and gendered practices and identities are privileged. However, documents and interviews with IRB staff reveal the presence of a ‘gut feeling’ or ‘sixth-sense’ in determining the credibility of a claimant’s sexual orientation. While some may argue that these feelings represent a level of sensitivity that humanizes the decision making process, I argue that they reveal adjudicators’ application of their own understandings and feelings about ‘authentic’ sexual identities and relationships derived from specific cultural, gendered, raced and classed experiences, which, in effect, re-inscribe a homonormative mode of gatekeeping that may have profound consequences for a claimant whose narrative and/or performance fails to stir the appropriate senses.
“Coming out of the shadows” and “undocuqueer”
Authors: Seif Hinda
Published: March 2014

Coming out of the shadows is a powerful strategy of the undocumented youth movement, yet there has been little analysis of the ways that young immigrants have adapted lesbian and gay speech. This article examines three key language developments of this movement that intersect with LGBTQ language: (1) coming out of the shadows; (2) coming out as both undocumented and LGBTQ; and (3) use of the term “undocuqueer.” This analysis is based on observation and discourse analysis of coming out rallies and other activities of Mexican origin members of Chicago’s Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL) and other immigrant youth organizations in Illinois between 2010 and 2013. These linguistic innovations reflect the leadership of women and queer people in undocumented youth organizing. Armed with language, activists are developing a confrontational queer youth politics of immigration that challenges both “homonormativity” (Duggan 2002) and citizenship orthodoxies. Queer Latina/o immigrant youth use the language of sexuality for self-realization, political mobilization, and coalition-building. As more LGBTQ youth of color publicly embrace their non-normative sexualities, they may creatively use language for social justice centered in their intersectional experiences.
Sexual adjudications and queer transpositions
Authors: Howe Cymene
Published: March 2014

Each of the articles included in this special issue of theJournal of Language and Sexualityasks us to imagine queer im/migration, asylum and sexual citizenship in multiple dimensions and to probe the discursive operations that establish the parameters of sexual subjectivity. This review article argues that these processes are illustrative of “sexual adjudication:” the discursive coordinates, legal logics and linguistic sensibilities that produce the category of the sexual migrant, the sexual refugee and the sexual asylum seeker. The discussions featured here engage questions of how sexual epistemics work in both sending and receiving countries, as well as the role of borders in constituting narratives of sexual subjectivity. In addition to analyzing the theoretical overlaps and reciprocal conversations between the articles included in the special issue, this essay provides a historical, comparative context by situating these discussions within larger theoretical and terminological questions regarding queer im/migration, asylum and subjectivity.
Vers une historiographie des politiques des traductions en Belgique durant la période française
Authors: D’hulst Lieven , Schreiber Michael
Published: March 2014

The language policy of the French Revolution is known today especially for the imposition of the national language and the oppression of dialects and regional languages in France. This pilot study focuses on a less-known phenomenon of that period: translation policy. From 1790 on, several decrees stipulated the translation of national laws and decrees into the regional languages of France and some languages of other European countries. We will illustrate this translation policy focusing on translations of political and administrative texts from French into Flemish in Belgium (which was annexed by the French Republic in 1795 and remained French until the end of the Napoleonic era). We will not only try to shed some light on the conditions under which the translations published in Belgium were produced, but also analyze some typical examples drawn from different genres.
How devoted can translators be?
Authors: Buzelin Hélène
Published: March 2014

In a seminal contribution published in Target in 1998, Daniel Simeoni argued for a habitus-governed model of explanation for translation and suggested that subservience might be a defining feature of this habitus, a primordial norm. The objective of the present article is twofold. First, it aims to recontextualize the ‘subservience hypothesis’ by shedding light on the empirical work underlining it. Second, following the approach developed in Simeoni (2001), the author tests again the hypothesis through textual analysis, by studying the early translation history into French of a textbook entitled Marketing Management by Philip Kotler. The author explores to what extent traces of the primordial norm, as defined by Simeoni (2001), can be found in the first four French editions of this scholarly text produced over the period (1967–1981), two of which were signed by a professional translator and the others by a marketing scholar.