bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers synthesized by surface‐initiated reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization for the enrichment and determination of synthetic estrogens in aqueous solution
Authors: Chen Fangfang , Zhang Jingjing , Wang Minjun , Kong Jie
Published: May 2015

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers have attracted significant interest because of their multifunctionality of selective recognition of target molecules and rapid magnetic response. In this contribution, magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers were synthesized via surface‐initiated reversible addition addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization using diethylstilbestrol as the template for the enrichment of synthetic estrogens. The uniform imprinted surface layer and the magnetic property of the magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers favored a fast binding kinetics and rapid analysis of target molecules. The static and selective binding experiments demonstrated a desirable adsorption capacity and good selectivity of the magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers in comparison to magnetic non‐molecularly imprinted polymers. Accordingly, a corresponding analytical method was developed in which magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers were employed as magnetic solid‐phase extraction materials for the concentration and determination of four synthetic estrogens (diethylstilbestrol, hexestrol, dienestrol, and bisphenol A) in fish pond water. The recoveries of these synthetic estrogens in spiked fish pond water samples ranged from 61.2 to 99.1% with a relative standard deviation of lower than 6.3%. This study provides a versatile approach to prepare well‐defined magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers sorbents for the analysis of synthetic estrogens in water solution.
Bernstein numbers of embeddings of isotropic and dominating mixed Besov spaces
Authors: Nguyen Van Kien
Published: May 2015

The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the decay of Bernstein numbers of the embedding from into the space . The asymptotic behaviour of Bernstein numbers of the identity will be also considered.
Exact Analytical Solution for Large‐Amplitude Oscillatory Shear Flow
Authors: Saengow Chaimongkol , Giacomin Alan Jeffrey , Kolitawong Chanyut
Published: May 2015

When polymeric liquids undergo large‐amplitude shearing oscillations, the shear stress responds as a Fourier series, the higher harmonics of which are caused by fluid nonlinearity. Previous work on large‐amplitude oscillatory shear flow has produced analytical solutions for the first few harmonics of a Fourier series for the shear stress response (none beyond the fifth) or for the normal stress difference responses (none beyond the fourth) [JNNFM,166, 1081 (2011)], but this growing subdiscipline of macromolecular physics has yet to produce an exact solution. Here, we derive what we believe to be the first exact analytical solution for the response of the extra stress tensor in large‐amplitude oscillatory shear flow. Our solution, unique and in closed form, includes both the normal stress differences and the shear stress for both startup and alternance. We solve the corotational Maxwell model as a pair of nonlinear‐coupled ordinary differential equations, simultaneously. We choose the corotational Maxwell model because this two‐parameter model (η0andλ) is the simplest constitutive model relevant to large‐amplitude oscillatory shear flow, and because it has previously been found to be accurate for molten plastics (when multiple relaxation times are used). Byrelevantwe mean that the model predicts higher harmonics. We find good agreement between the first few harmonics of our exact solution, and of our previous approximate expressions (obtained using the Goddard integral transform). Our exact solution agrees closely with the measured behavior for molten plastics, not only at alternance, but also in startup.
Rapid volumetric t1 mapping of the abdomen using three‐dimensional through‐time spiral GRAPPA
Authors: Chen Yong , Lee Gregory R. , Aandal Gunhild , Badve Chaitra , Wright Katherine L. , Griswold Mark A. , Seiberlich Nicole , Gulani Vikas
Published: May 2015

Purpose

To develop an ultrafast T1 mapping method for high‐resolution, volumetric T1 measurements in the abdomen.

Methods

The Look‐Locker method was combined with a stack‐of‐spirals acquisition accelerated using three‐dimensional (3D) through‐time spiral GRAPPA reconstruction for fast data acquisition. A segmented k‐space acquisition scheme was proposed and the time delay between segments for the recovery of longitudinal magnetization was optimized using Bloch equation simulations. The accuracy of this method was validated in a phantom experiment and in vivo T1 measurements were performed with 35 asymptomatic subjects on both 1.5 Tesla (T) and 3T MRI systems.

Results

Phantom experiments yielded close agreement between the proposed method and gold standard measurements for a large range of T1 values (200 to 1600 ms). The in vivo results further demonstrate that high‐resolution T1 maps (2 × 2 × 4 mm3) for 32 slices can be achieved in a single clinically feasible breath‐hold of approximately 20 s. The T1 values for multiple organs and tissues in the abdomen are in agreement with the published literature.

Conclusion

A high‐resolution 3D abdominal T1 mapping technique was developed, which allows fast and accurate T1 mapping of multiple abdominal organs and tissues in a single breath‐hold. Magn Reson Med 75:1457–1465, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Developing a Tailored Smoking Cessation Intervention for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Authors: Aimer Pip , Stamp Lisa K. , Stebbings Simon , Cameron Vicky , Kirby Sandra , Croft Suzanne , Treharne Gareth J.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

Smoking is associated with an increased risk of comorbidities in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may reduce the efficacy of anti‐rheumatic therapies. Smoking cessation is therefore an important goal in RA. Our previous qualitative research identified five RA‐related barriers to smoking cessation: lack of support; limited knowledge of the relationship between smoking and RA; uncontrolled pain; inability to exercise; and using smoking as a coping strategy. The aim of this article is to describe the process of developing a smoking cessation intervention for RA patients based on these themes.

Methods

A comprehensive review of the literature on smoking cessation was undertaken. A tailored smoking cessation programme was designed to address each RA‐specific barrier. A meeting was convened with key staff of Arthritis New Zealand to develop a consensus on feasible design to deliver a smoking cessation programme based on existing best practice and smoking cessation resources, and tailored within existing Arthritis New Zealand service delivery frameworks.

Results

A three‐month intervention was designed to be delivered by trained arthritis educators, with the following key components: nicotine replacement therapy for eight weeks; a telephone or face‐to‐face interview with each patient to determine their individual specific RA‐related barriers to smoking cessation; and individualized education and support activities which addressed these barriers. The intervention also included three follow‐up telephone calls; a support website; and 12 weekly smoking cessation advice emails.

Conclusions

A RA‐specific smoking cessation invention was developed, matching support to specific issues within each patient's experience. A pilot study is in progress to evaluate the programme's efficacy. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bi‐component T2* analysis of bound and pore bone water fractions fails at high field strengths
Authors: Seifert Alan C. , Wehrli Suzanne L. , Wehrli Felix W.
Published: May 2015

Osteoporosis involves the degradation of the bone's trabecular architecture, cortical thinning and enlargement of cortical pores. Increased cortical porosity is a major cause of the decreased strength of osteoporotic bone. The majority of cortical pores, however, are below the resolution limit of MRI. Recent work has shown that porosity can be evaluated by MRI‐based quantification of bone water. Bi‐exponential T2* fitting and adiabatic inversion preparation are the two most common methods purported to distinguish bound and pore water in order to quantify matrix density and porosity. To assess the viability of T2* bi‐component analysis as a method for the quantification of bound and pore water fractions, we applied this method to human cortical bone at 1.5, 3, 7 and 9.4 T, and validated the resulting pool fractions against micro‐computed tomography‐derived porosity and gravimetrically determined bone densities. We also investigated alternative methods: two‐dimensional T1–T2* bi‐component fitting by incorporation of saturation recovery, one‐ and two‐dimensional fitting of Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (CPMG) echo amplitudes, and deuterium inversion recovery. The short‐T2* pool fraction was moderately correlated with porosity (R2 = 0.70) and matrix density (R2 = 0.63) at 1.5 T, but the strengths of these associations were found to diminish rapidly as the field strength increased, falling below R2 = 0.5 at 3 T. The addition of the T1 dimension to bi‐component analysis only slightly improved the strengths of these correlations. T2*‐based bi‐component analysis should therefore be used with caution. The performance of deuterium inversion recovery at 9.4 T was also poor (R2 = 0.50 vs porosity and R2 = 0.46 vs matrix density). The CPMG‐derived short‐T2 fraction at 9.4 T, however, was highly correlated with porosity (R2 = 0.87) and matrix density (R2 = 0.88), confirming the utility of this method for independent validation of bone water pools. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrical activity of (100) n‐type diamond with full donor site incorporation of phosphorus
Authors: Pinault‐Thaury Marie‐Amandine , Stenger Ingrid , Jomard François , Chevallier Jacques , Barjon Julien , Traore Aboulaye , Eon David , Pernot Julien
Published: May 2015

In a previous work, we discovered a new set of growth parameters for fabricating (100) homoepitaxial phosphorus‐doped n‐type diamond with unique properties: full incorporation of phosphorus donors in substitutional sites together with a low surface roughness. In this work, a planar type Schottky barrier diode has been fabricated on the epilayer and C–V characteristics were measured. From the capacitance properties, the net donor density and the Schottky barrier height were experimentally determined to be ∼3.1 × 1016 cm−3 and ∼4.65 eV, respectively. The phosphorus electrical activity in our (100) n‐type diamond epilayer is discussed in comparison with previous works on the (100) and (111) orientations.
An Effect of Oak‐Wood Extract (Robuvit®) on Energy State of Healthy Adults—A Pilot Study
Authors: Országhová Zuzana , Waczulíková Iveta , Burki Carolina , Rohdewald Peter , Ďuračková Zdeňka
Published: May 2015

The purpose of our study was to examine the psychological benefits of the treatment with Robuvit® (Horphag Research Ltd.) – polyphenolic extract obtained from the wood of oak Quercus robur – on the healthy elderly individuals using energy subscale scores of the Activation – Deactivation Adjective Check List. Analysis was focused on the comparison of pre‐post treatment effect of Robuvit on symptoms of fatigue. In the total group of volunteers, significant increase of average question scores was found in three of four subscales of feelings (energy, tiredness, and tension) after 4 weeks of Robuvit administration. Effects of extract were observed mainly after stratification of total group of volunteers according to the level of feeling at the pre‐treatment questionnaire. Our results demonstrate positive effect of Robuvit on mental and energy level in healthy human without any unwanted side effects. © 2015 The Authors Phytotherapy Research Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Management of refractory chylothorax in pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis
Authors: Ellender Claire M. , Williams Trevor J. , Gooi Julian , Snell Gregory I. , Whitford Helen M.
Published: May 2015

This case reports the successful management of chylothorax in a non‐transplanted patient with pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (pLAM). Prolonged initial therapy failed, including total parenteral nutrition, pleural drainage, surgical pleurodesis, and pleurectomy. Commencement of sirolimus 2 mg daily (2 mg alternating days had failed) led to resolution of chylothorax after 20 days. Discontinuation of sirolimus for abdominal surgery led to recurrence of the chylothorax. Reinstitution of sirolimus led to rapid resolution of the effusion, stabilization of lung function, and there has been no recurrence in the ensuing 4 years. We conclude that sirolimus should be considered in the management of pLAM‐related chylothorax, perhaps before surgical intervention.
Assessing Systemic Risk to Cloud‐Computing Technology as Complex Interconnected Systems of Systems
Authors: Haimes Yacov Y. , Horowitz Barry M. , Guo Zhenyu , Andrijcic Eva , Bogdanor Joshua
Published: May 2015

This paper presents a methodology for modeling cloud‐computing technology (CCT), its users, and, most important, would‐be malicious intruders as complex interdependent and interconnected systems of systems (S‐o‐S). The paper posits and demonstrates that due to the inherent structure of CCT as S‐o‐S, users of public CCT are at a higher risk of unlawful intrusion than users of non‐CCT systems. At the same time, the flexibility and the agility of CCT S‐o‐S provide advantages relative to most non‐CCT S‐o‐S. The need is for the CCT community to employ these advantages as an integral part of its cyber security strategy. Our analysis builds on the following theory and methodology: we consider CCT and its users as complex interconnected hardware and software subsystems that interact as S‐o‐S through shared states, resources, and subsystems, which are connected in series (rather than in parallel, as is the case for most non‐CCT systems); exploiting the serial connectivity of CCT S‐o‐S, we use fault‐tree analysis to demonstrate the resulting unreliability of CCT S‐o‐S; building on the published literature, we incorporate Pareto‐optimal frontiers to compare the risks faced by security‐conscious users of CCT (e.g., large corporations) versus those faced by cost‐conscious users (e.g., small or startup companies); and we show that users of CCT as S‐o‐S are at a higher risk than users of non‐CCT systems for certain assumptions and types of cyber attacks. The paper is structured as follows: Part A outlines the characteristics of CCT S‐o‐S, addresses the inherent vulnerability of CCT S‐o‐S to cyber intrusion and attack, and provides a brief literature review; Part B offers a rationale for modeling CCT as interconnected and interdependent S‐o‐S; Part C demonstrates, through the use of fault‐tree analysis, the higher risk faced by CCT and its users as complex S‐o‐S; Part D presents an economic analysis of the security of CCT as S‐o‐S; and Part E offers conclusions and lessons learned.
Qualitative Exploration of an Effective Depression Literacy Fotonovela with at Risk Latina Immigrants
Authors: Hernandez Maria Y. , Organista Kurt C.
Published: May 2015

While depression is prevalent among immigrant Latinas, mental health literacy is low. Culturally tailored health narratives can improve mental health literacy and are now increasingly featured in Spanish language fotonovelas (i.e., booklets in a comic book format with posed photographs and dialogue bubbles). The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore why a depression literacy fotonovela proved effective with Latina immigrants at risk for depression in a quantitative randomized control study. This study is the qualitative companion of the previously published quantitative piece of a mixed methods study, the latter revealing posttest improvements in depression knowledge, self‐efficacy to identify the need for treatment, and decreased stigma towards mental health care (Hernandez and Organista in Am J Community Psychol 2013. doi:10.1007/s10464‐013‐9587‐1). Twenty‐five immigrant Latinas participated in structured interviews, in the current qualitative study, 3 weeks after participating in the quantitative study. Results suggest depression literacy improved because participants evidenced high recall of the storyline and characters, which they also found appealing (e.g., liked peer and professional support offered to depressed main character). Further, identification with the main character was reflected in participants recalling similar circumstances impacting their mental health. Despite some improvement, stigma related to depression and its treatment remained for some women. Future research for the improvement of health literacy tools is discussed.
Experiences of Women Who Underwent Predictive BRCA 1/2 Mutation Testing Before the Age of 30
Authors: Brunstrom Kate , Murray Alexandra , McAllister Marion
Published: May 2015

This qualitative interview study focuses on the experiences of a sample of British female BRCA 1/2 carriers who had predictive testing before the age of 30, which is the minimum age for breast screening in the UK. Following appropriate informed consent procedures participants were recruited through the Cancer Genetics Service for Wales. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted face‐to‐face with seven participants, transcribed in full and analyzed using thematic analysis. The motives for testing and perceived advantages described by participants were similar to those identified in previous studies with older participants, such as increased awareness and knowledge and feeling more in control. However some of the perceived disadvantages were specific to younger women, including feeling pressured to make important life decisions earlier than they would have liked, such as about family planning and risk reducing surgery. Participants also reported feeling abandoned or forgotten because of lack of ongoing clinical contact, or feeling “stuck waiting” for screening to begin. However, none felt that these disadvantages were a reason to regret having testing. Findings in this small study suggest that having BRCA 1/2 predictive testing can have positive outcomes for young women even though they may be unable to access interventions such as breast screening. However it may be helpful to encourage young women during pre‐test counseling to explore the decisions and choices they may face. These young women could benefit from ongoing support and follow up and increased interaction with healthcare professionals.
Online field experiments: a selective survey of methods
Authors: Chen Yan , Konstan Joseph
Published: May 2015

The Internet presents today’s researchers with unprecedented opportunities to conduct field experiments. Using examples from Economics and Computer Science, we present an analysis of the design choices, with particular attention to the underlying technologies, in conducting online field experiments and report on lessons learned.
Cyber victimization by peers: Prospective associations with adolescent social anxiety and depressive symptoms
Authors: Landoll Ryan R. , La Greca Annette M. , Lai Betty S. , Chan Sherilynn F. , Herge Whitney M.
Published: May 2015

Peer victimization that occurs via electronic media, also termed cybervictimization, is a growing area of concern for adolescents. The current study evaluated the short‐term prospective relationship between cybervictimization and adolescents' symptoms of social anxiety and depression over a six‐week period. Participants were 839 high‐school aged adolescents (14–18 years; 58% female; 73% Hispanic White), who completed measures of traditional peer victimization, cybervictimization, depression, and social anxiety at two time points. Findings supported the distinctiveness of cybervictimization as a unique form of peer victimization. Furthermore, only cybervictimization was associated with increased levels of depressive symptoms over time, and only relational victimization was associated with increased social anxiety over time, after controlling for the comorbidity of social anxiety and depression among youth. Cybervictimization appears to be a unique form of victimization that contributes to adolescents' depressive symptoms and may be important to target in clinical and preventive interventions for adolescent depression.
Relationships between perceived teachers' controlling behaviour, psychological need thwarting, anger and bullying behaviour in high‐school students
Authors: Hein Vello , Koka Andre , Hagger Martin S.
Published: May 2015

We tested a model of the associations between students' perceptions of their physical education teacher's controlling behaviour, perceptions of basic psychological need thwarting, anger and bullying behaviour. School students (N = 602; M age = 12.88, SD = 1.37) from 10 schools completed measures of perceived teachers' controlling behaviour and perceived thwarting of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in physical education context and self‐reported bullying and anger. A well‐fitting structural equation model demonstrated that students' perceptions of the negative conditional regard and intimidation exhibited by the teacher had significant indirect effect on students' feelings of anger and bullying behaviour through the perceived psychological need thwarting in physical education. Findings suggest that physical education teachers who avoid the use of negative conditional regard and intimidation in their classes have students who perceive less need thwarting and report less bullying behaviour.
Non-scanning systems for far-infrared radiation detection from laser-induced plasmas
Authors: Li Chun , Liao Guo-Qian , Li Yu-Tong
Published: May 2015

With the development of ultraintense terawatt (TW) and petawatt (PW) laser systems, powerful terahertz (THz) radiation from laser–plasma interactions has been reported. Plasma-based THz systems, which are usually operated at extremely low repetition rates, call for single-shot diagnostics. In this paper, various state-of-the-art single-shot detection methods are introduced or designed for measurements and applications involved in high-power plasma-based THz sciences.
Diagnostic Errors that Lead to Inappropriate Antimicrobial Use
Authors: Filice Gregory A. , Drekonja Dimitri M. , Thurn Joseph R. , Hamann Galen M. , Masoud Bobbie T. , Johnson James R.
Published: May 2015

OBJECTIVE

We found previously that inappropriate inpatient antimicrobial use was often attributable to erroneous diagnoses. Here, we detail diagnostic errors and their relationship to inappropriate antimicrobial courses.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study

SETTING

Veterans Affairs hospital

PATIENTS

A cohort of 500 randomly selected inpatients with an antimicrobial course

METHODS

Blinded reviewers judged the accuracy of the initial provider diagnosis for the condition that led to an antimicrobial course and whether the course was appropriate.

RESULTS

The diagnoses were correct in 291 cases (58%), incorrect in 156 cases (31%), and of indeterminate accuracy in 22 cases (4%). In the remaining 31 cases (6%), the diagnosis was a sign or symptom rather than a syndrome or disease. The odds ratio of a correct diagnosis was 4.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2–8.5) if the index condition was related to the reason for admission. When the diagnosis was correct, 181 of 292 courses (62%) were appropriate, compared with only 10 of 208 (5%) when the diagnosis was incorrect or indeterminate or when providers were treating a sign or symptom rather than a syndrome or disease (P<.001). Among the 309 cases in which antimicrobial courses were not appropriate, reasons varied by diagnostic accuracy; in 81 of 111 cases (73%) with a correct diagnosis, incorrect antimicrobial(s) were selected; in 166 of 198 other cases (84%), antimicrobial therapy was not indicated.

CONCLUSIONS

Diagnostic accuracy is important for optimal inpatient antimicrobial use. Antimicrobial stewardship strategies should help providers avoid diagnostic errors and know when antimicrobial therapy can be withheld safely.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;36(8):949–956
Flow of a Hydromagnetic Viscous Fluid between Parallel Disks with Slip
Authors: Khan N. , Sajid M. , Mahmood T.
Published: May 2015

The present paper is devoted to the investigation of steady MHD axi-symmetric flow between two infinite stretching disks with slip effects. Our attention lies in obtaining the similarity solutions of the governing partial differential equations. The transformed boundary value problem is solved analytically for a series solution using homotopy analysis method. The convergence of the obtained solution is established and fluid velocity and pressure are analyzed for various set of parameter values. The obtained results are valid for both moderate and large values of Reynolds number.
A One-Continuum Approach for Mutual Interaction of Fluids and Structures
Authors: Farahbakhsh I. , Ghassemi H. , Sabetghadam F.
Published: May 2015

A new simulation method for solving fluid-structure two-way coupling problems has been developed. All the basic equations are numerically solved on a fixed Cartesian grid using a finite difference scheme. A new definition of velocity-vorticity formulation aids us to introduce an immersed boundary method that does not require a force term to impose the no-slip condition on the solid boundaries. The proposed method is easy to implement and apply for two-way fluid-structure interaction problems. The dynamics of a falling and rising circular cylinder in a quiescent fluid as well as the motion of a circular cylinder in a lid-driven cavity are considered to evaluate the capabilities of the presented method.
New England's Fortune: An Inheritance of Black Bodies and Bones
Authors: FOREMAN P. GABRIELLE
Published: May 2015

Histories of emancipation find ballast in the moments we memorialize. This piece tracks possessive investments and emancipatory challenges with origins in eighteenth-century New England. In the face of Connecticut's 1784 gradual manumission Act, slaveholders in a New England town protected their family's interests by transforming their human property into intellectual property. In 1798 an enslaved man named Fortune was dissected after his death by his owner, Dr. Preserved Porter, and the skeleton exhibited as a symbol of medical and social capital. Renamed Larry, the bones paid professional dividends for more than a century afterward, and were rearticulated in 1930s Europe before becoming the most popular exhibit at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut. This article fleshes out the buried histories of dis(re)membered black subjects by examining white ownership and display of black bodies after death. By unearthing the relationship between medical knowledge generation and white uses of black bodies, I illustrate how white knowledge and status is indebted not only to black labor in life but also to the work that black bodies continued to do in the name of medical “progress.” This essay interrogates the politics of black death and dissection and the contemporary complexities of historical recovery and resuscitation.
“It Will Come at Last”: Acts of Emancipation in the Art, Culture and Politics of the Black Diaspora
Authors: SWEENEY FIONNGHUALA
Published: May 2015

For enslaved African Americans in the antebellum period, emancipation was writ large as the most pressing of political imperatives stemming from the most fundamental obligations of justice and humanity. That it could be achieved individually was clear from the activities of countless runaways, fugitives and cultural and political activists, Douglass and Jacobs included, who escaped territories of enslavement to become self-emancipated subjects on free soil. That it could be achieved collectively was evidenced by the success of the Haitian Revolution, with its army of enslaved and free black persons. This piece explores the ways in which emancipation is understood 150 years after US Emancipation at the end of the Civil War, and provides an introduction to the new scholarship on the many acts of emancipation, memorialization and practices of freedom discussed in this special issue.
A Visual Call to Arms against the “Caracature [sic] of My Own Face:” From Fugitive Slave to Fugitive Image in Frederick Douglass's Theory of Portraiture
Authors: BERNIER CELESTE-MARIE
Published: May 2015

Self-emancipated author, activist and philosopher turned art historian, Frederick Douglass spent a lifetime visualizing back to a white dominant schema intent on trading in racist grotesques of socially determinist and politically reductive contortions of black bodies and souls. Across his photographic and fine-art portraits, he endorsed a revisionist aesthetic theory and carved out an alternative iconographic space within which to expose, debunk and demythologize the racist claim that “Negroes look all like.” Douglass's visual aesthetic took as its starting point the formal, political and ideological importance of representing black subjects as psychologically complex individuals rather than as generic types. At the heart of Douglass's theory of portraiture was his conviction that all likenesses of African American subjects must do justice to “the face of the fugitive slave” by conveying the “inner” via the “outer man,” and thereby privilege emotional depth rather than physical surface in order to extrapolate a full gamut of lived realities otherwise annihilated out of existence. Douglass worked extensively with the signifying possibilities of his own physiognomy as a representative test case by which to bear witness to the interior complexities of black subjects missing from, or remaining fugitives at large within, white artists' surface-only renderings.
Recent Music History Scholarship: Pleasures and Drawbacks
Authors: COHEN HARVEY G.
Published: May 2015

We academics who write about music, something often eminently enjoyable, are privileged people. It doesn't mean that we sit around spending an inordinate amount of time grooving to various recordings, although this kind of activity is not unknown to exist. Many historians fall in love with their subject matter to some extent, while keeping a sense of impartiality in their work, but perhaps with music this affection is easier to cultivate compared to other subjects. During my two decades in academia, I have noticed that some seem to want to justify their working in such a field by infusing their writing with impenetrable jargon and theory known only to a few hundred fellow travellers, making the research they publish largely indecipherable to the general reading public. It's as if they're intimating that there must be an existential price to pay for daring to write about a subject that some (incorrectly) see as only pleasurable, that obfuscation needs to be applied to make work about music seem sufficiently serious for academics to justify doing it.
Ethnic Inequality and the Dismantling of Democracy: A Global Analysis
Authors: Houle Christian
Published: May 2015

Does inequality between ethnic groups destabilize democracies? While the literature largely agrees that inequality harms democracies, previous studies typically focus on the overall level of inequality in a society, leaving unanswered questions about the effect of inequality between ethnic groups. This article fills this gap and argues that inequality between ethnic groups harms the consolidation of democracy but that its effect is strongest when inequality within groups is low. Using group- and country-level data from more than seventy-one democracies and 241 ethnic groups worldwide, the author conducts the first cross-national test to date of the effect of ethnic inequality on transitions away from democracy. Results provide support for the hypothesis: when within-ethnic-group inequality (WGI) is low, between-ethnic-group inequality (BGI) harms democracy, but when WGI is high, BGI has no discernable effect.
INTRODUCTION TO THE SYMPOSIUM ON EQUALITY VERSUS PRIORITY
Authors: Voorhoeve Alex
Published: May 2015

This symposium publishes for the first time three key contributions to the debate on the nature and importance of the distinction between egalitarianism (the view that it is in itself bad, when and because it is unfair, for some to be worse off than others) and prioritarianism (the view that each person's welfare has diminishing marginal moral value and that the moral value of a person's welfare depends only on that person's level of welfare, and not on how anyone else fares). These papers were commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000. They were intended for publication in a WHO volume which has not yet materialized, and this has hindered access to these important papers. Permission was therefore secured from the WHO to publish them here.
Protest Leadership and State Boundaries: Protest Diffusion in Contemporary China
Authors: Zhang Wu
Published: May 2015

How does protest spread in contemporary China? This paper analyses one case of cross-firm protest and two cases of cross-village protest in order to demonstrate a mechanism for protest diffusion, a topic rarely studied in the existing literature. It argues that central policies, protest leadership and a connective structure that links protest leaders and followers enable people with shared economic interests to protest together. Protests emerged when protest leaders, who were trained politically by the state and enjoyed moral standing in a small community, started popularizing policy documents among followers. Protest diffusion occurred when representatives from each participating unit coordinated with one another and coalesced around the core leaders, who decided tactics for the entire protest. The protestors, however, did not form coalitions across different administrative boundaries. Thus, protest leaders did play a decisive role in the spreading of a protest. However, the state also moulded and restricted the scale of the diffusion.
Monte Carlo Simulation of Characteristic Secondary Fluorescence in Electron Probe Microanalysis of Homogeneous Samples Using the Splitting Technique
Authors: Petaccia Mauricio , Segui Silvina , Castellano Gustavo
Published: May 2015

Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) is based on the comparison of characteristic intensities induced by monoenergetic electrons. When the electron beam ionizes inner atomic shells and these ionizations cause the emission of characteristic X-rays, secondary fluorescence can occur, originating from ionizations induced by X-ray photons produced by the primary electron interactions. As detectors are unable to distinguish the origin of these characteristic X-rays, Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport becomes a determinant tool in the study of this fluorescence enhancement. In this work, characteristic secondary fluorescence enhancement in EPMA has been studied by using the splitting routines offered by PENELOPE 2008 as a variance reduction alternative. This approach is controlled by a single parameter NSPLIT, which represents the desired number of X-ray photon replicas. The dependence of the uncertainties associated with secondary intensities on NSPLIT was studied as a function of the accelerating voltage and the sample composition in a simple binary alloy in which this effect becomes relevant. The achieved efficiencies for the simulated secondary intensities bear a remarkable improvement when increasing the NSPLIT parameter; although in most cases an NSPLIT value of 100 is sufficient, some less likely enhancements may require stronger splitting in order to increase the efficiency associated with the simulation of secondary intensities.
Rise to modern levels of ocean oxygenation coincided with the Cambrian radiation of animals
Authors: Chen Xi , Ling Hong-Fei , Vance Derek , Shields-Zhou Graham A. , Zhu Maoyan , Poulton Simon W. , Och Lawrence M. , Jiang Shao-Yong , Li Da , Cremonese Lorenzo , Archer Corey
Published: May 2015

The early diversification of animals (∼630 Ma), and their development into both motile and macroscopic forms (∼575–565 Ma), has been linked to stepwise increases in the oxygenation of Earth’s surface environment. However, establishing such a linkage between oxygen and evolution for the later Cambrian ‘explosion' (540–520 Ma) of new, energy-sapping body plans and behaviours has proved more elusive. Here we present new molybdenum isotope data, which demonstrate that the areal extent of oxygenated bottom waters increased in step with the early Cambrian bioradiation of animals and eukaryotic phytoplankton. Modern-like oxygen levels characterized the ocean at ∼521 Ma for the first time in Earth history. This marks the first establishment of a key environmental factor in modern-like ecosystems, where animals benefit from, and also contribute to, the ‘homeostasis’ of marine redox conditions.
Commingling effect of gynoid and android fat patterns on cardiometabolic dysregulation in normal weight American adults
Authors: Okosun I S , Seale J P , Lyn R
Published: May 2015

Aim:

To determine the independent and commingling effect of android and gynoid percent fat (measured using Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) on cardiometabolic dysregulation in normal weight American adults.

Methods:

The 2005–2006 data (n=1802) from the United States National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys (NHANES) were used in this study. Associations of android percent fat, gynoid percent fat and their joint occurrence with risks of cardiometabolic risk factors were estimated using prevalence odds ratios from logistic regression analyses.

Results:

Android-gynoid percent fat ratio was more highly correlated with cardiometabolic dysregulation than android percent fat, gynoid percent fat or body mass index. Commingling of android and gynoid adiposities was associated with much greater odds of cardiometabolic risk factors than either android or gynoid adiposities. Commingling of android and gynoid adiposities was associated with 1.75 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.42–2.93), 1.48 (95% CI=1.32–1.91), 1.61 (95% CI=1.50–1.89), 3.56 (95% CI=2.91–4.11) and 1.86 (95% CI=1.49–1.96) increased odds of elevated glucose, elevated blood pressure, elevated low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, elevated triglyceride and low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, respectively.

Conclusions:

Normal weight subjects who present with both android and gynoid adiposities should be advised of the associated health risks. Both android and gynoid fat accumulations should be considered in developing public health strategies for reducing cardiometabolic disease risk in normal weight subjects.
The oncogenic role of the cochaperone Sgt1
Authors: Ogi H , Sakuraba Y , Kitagawa R , Xiao L , Shen C , Cynthia M A , Ohta S , Arnold M A , Ramirez N , Houghton P J , Kitagawa K
Published: May 2015

Sgt1/Sugt1, a cochaperone of Hsp90, is involved in several cellular activities including Cullin E3 ubiqutin ligase activity. The high level of Sgt1 expression in colorectal and gastric tumors suggests that Sgt1 is involved in tumorigenesis. Here, we report that Sgt1 is overexpressed in colon, breast and lung tumor tissues and in Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma xenografts. We also found that Sgt1 heterozygous knockout resulted in suppressed Hras-mediated transformation in vitro and tumor formation in p53−/− mouse embryonic fibroblast cells and significantly increased survival of p53−/− mice. Moreover, depletion of Sgt1 inhibited the growth of Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma cells and destabilized EWS-FLI1 and PAX3-FOXO1 oncogenic fusion proteins, respectively, which are required for cellular growth. Our results suggest that Sgt1 contributes to cancer development by stabilizing oncoproteins and that Sgt1 is a potential therapeutic target.
Unraveling novel TF-miRNA regulatory crosstalk in metastasis of Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Authors: Samantarrai Devyani , Sahu Mousumi , Roy Jyoti , Mohanty Bedanta Ballav , Singh Garima , Bhushan Chandra , Mallick Bibekanand
Published: May 2015

Cancer metastasis is a disease of extreme clinical relevance, as it is responsible for more than 90% of cancer-associated mortality. The molecular mechanism and critical regulators involved in this complex multi-stage process of metastasis is poorly deciphered in soft tissue sarcomas (STS), a heterogeneous group of rare tumors with high metastatic potential. Therefore, we aimed at identifying miRNA and transcription factor (TF) regulatory networks and paths in STS metastasis. We integrated mRNA and miRNA expression profiles with curated regulations (TF→gene, TF→miRNA, miRNA→gene) from different databases and constructed a potentially active regulatory sub-network in STS metastasis. From functional and topological analysis, we found nine novel regulators of Notch signaling sub-network which are conjectured to play critical role in metastasis of STS. This illustrated that the sub-network is promising for identification of critical regulators. Further analysis deploying our developed tool ‘RiNAcyc’ and computing coverage ratio of known STS associated genes and miRNAs identified a 15 node active path. This potential path highlights the crucial role of BMP2, hsa-miR-24, AP2 and MYC as the up-stream regulators of the path and hsa-miR-215 and TYMS as potential indicator of chemotherapeutic benefit in STS metastasis.
In vitro properties of designed antimicrobial peptides that exhibit potent antipneumococcal activity and produces synergism in combination with penicillin
Authors: Le Cheng-Foh , Yusof Mohd Yasim Mohd , Hassan Hamimah , Sekaran Shamala Devi
Published: May 2015

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a promising class of novel antimicrobial agents owing to their potent antimicrobial activity. In this study, two lead peptides from unrelated classes of AMPs were systematically hybridized into a series of five hybrid peptides (DM1- DM5) with conserved N- and C-termini. This approach allows sequence bridging of two highly dissimilar AMPs and enables sequence-activity relationship be detailed down to single amino acid level. Presence of specific amino acids and physicochemical properties were used to describe the antipneumococcal activity of these hybrids. Results obtained suggested that cell wall and/or membrane targeting could be the principal mechanism exerted by the hybrids leading to microbial cell killing. Moreover, the pneumocidal rate was greater than penicillin (PEN). Combination treatment with both DMs and PEN produced synergism. The hybrids were also broad spectrum against multiple common clinical bacteria. Sequence analysis showed that presence of specific residues has a major role in affecting the antimicrobial and cell toxicity of the hybrids than physicochemical properties. Future studies should continue to investigate the mechanisms of actions, in vivo therapeutic potential and improve rational peptide design based on the current strategy.
Two-Dimensional Wavelike Spinel Lithium Titanate for Fast Lithium Storage
Authors: Liu Jiehua , Wei Xiangfeng , Liu Xue-Wei
Published: May 2015

Safe fast-charging lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have huge potential market size on demand according to their shortened charging time for high-power devices. Zero-strain spinel Li4Ti5O12 is one of ideal candidates for safe high-power batteries owing to its good cycling performance, low cost and safety. However, the inherent insulating characteristic of LTO seriously limits its high-rate capability. In this work, we successfully synthesize novel wavelike spinel LTO nanosheets using a facile ‘co-hydrolysis’ method, which is superior to molten-salt approach and traditional solvothermal method in some respects. The unique 2D structures have single-crystal framework with shortened path for Li ion transport. As a result, the N-doped 2D wavelike LTO with 0.6 wt.% of ‘carbon joint’ not only exhibits exciting capacity of ~180 and ~150 mA h g−1 for fast lithium storage at high discharge/charge rates of 1.7 and 8.5 A g−1 (10C and 50C) respectively, but also shows excellent low-temperature performance at −20°C. In addition, the cost may be further decreased due to recycled functional reagents. This novel nanostructured 2D LTO anode material makes it possible to develop safe fast-charging high-power lithium ion batteries.
Strain in a silicon-on-insulator nanostructure revealed by 3D x-ray Bragg ptychography
Authors: Chamard V. , Allain M. , Godard P. , Talneau A. , Patriarche G. , Burghammer M.
Published: May 2015

Progresses in the design of well-defined electronic band structure and dedicated functionalities rely on the high control of complex architectural device nano-scaled structures. This includes the challenging accurate description of strain fields in crystalline structures, which requires non invasive and three-dimensional (3D) imaging methods. Here, we demonstrate in details how x-ray Bragg ptychography can be used to quantify in 3D a displacement field in a lithographically patterned silicon-on-insulator structure. The image of the crystalline properties, which results from the phase retrieval of a coherent intensity data set, is obtained from a well-controlled optimized process, for which all steps are detailed. These results confirm the promising perspectives of 3D Bragg ptychography for the investigation of complex nano-structured crystals in material science.
Spatial mapping of the biologic effectiveness of scanned particle beams: towards biologically optimized particle therapy
Authors: Guan Fada , Bronk Lawrence , Titt Uwe , Lin Steven H. , Mirkovic Dragan , Kerr Matthew D. , Zhu X. Ronald , Dinh Jeffrey , Sobieski Mary , Stephan Clifford , Peeler Christopher R. , Taleei Reza , Mohan Radhe , Grosshans David R.
Published: May 2015

The physical properties of particles used in radiation therapy, such as protons, have been well characterized and their dose distributions are superior to photon-based treatments. However, proton therapy may also have inherent biologic advantages that have not been capitalized on. Unlike photon beams, the linear energy transfer (LET) and hence biologic effectiveness of particle beams varies along the beam path. Selective placement of areas of high effectiveness could enhance tumor cell kill and simultaneously spare normal tissues. However, previous methods for mapping spatial variations in biologic effectiveness are time-consuming and often yield inconsistent results with large uncertainties. Thus the data needed to accurately model relative biological effectiveness to guide novel treatment planning approaches are limited. We used Monte Carlo modeling and high-content automated clonogenic survival assays to spatially map the biologic effectiveness of scanned proton beams with high accuracy and throughput while minimizing biological uncertainties. We found that the relationship between cell kill, dose and LET, is complex and non-unique. Measured biologic effects were substantially greater than in most previous reports, and non-linear surviving fraction response was observed even for the highest LET values. Extension of this approach could generate data needed to optimize proton therapy plans incorporating variable RBE.
Substantial improvement of perovskite solar cells stability by pinhole-free hole transport layer with doping engineering
Authors: Jung Min-Cherl , Raga Sonia R. , Ono Luis K. , Qi Yabing
Published: May 2015

We fabricated perovskite solar cells using a triple-layer of n-type doped, intrinsic and p-type doped 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis(N,N′-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD) (n-i-p) as hole transport layer (HTL) by vacuum evaporation. The doping concentration for n-type doped spiro-OMeTAD was optimized to adjust the highest occupied molecular orbital of spiro-OMeTAD to match the valence band maximum of perovskite for efficient hole extraction while maintaining a high open circuit voltage. Time-dependent solar cell performance measurements revealed significantly improved air stability for perovskite solar cells with the n-i-p structured spiro-OMeTAD HTL showing sustained efficiencies even after 840 h of air exposure.