bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute fluoxetine modulates emotional processing in young adult volunteers
Authors: Capitão L. P. , Murphy S. E. , Browning M. , Cowen P. J. , Harmer C. J.
Published: July 2015

Background

Fluoxetine is generally regarded as the first-line pharmacological treatment for young people, as it is believed to show a more favourable benefit:risk ratio than other antidepressants. However, the mechanisms through which fluoxetine influences symptoms in youth have been little investigated. This study examined whether acute administration of fluoxetine in a sample of young healthy adults altered the processing of affective information, including positive, sad and anger cues.

Method

A total of 35 male and female volunteers aged between 18 and 21 years old were randomized to receive a single 20 mg dose of fluoxetine or placebo. At 6 h after administration, participants completed a facial expression recognition task, an emotion-potentiated startle task, an attentional dot-probe task and the Rapid Serial Visual Presentation. Subjective ratings of mood, anxiety and side effects were also taken pre- and post-fluoxetine/placebo administration.

Results

Relative to placebo-treated participants, participants receiving fluoxetine were less accurate at identifying anger and sadness and did not show the emotion-potentiated startle effect. There were no overall significant effects of fluoxetine on subjective ratings of mood.

Conclusions

Fluoxetine can modulate emotional processing after a single dose in young adults. This pattern of effects suggests a potential cognitive mechanism for the greater benefit:risk ratio of fluoxetine in adolescent patients.
A metastructural model of mental disorders and pathological personality traits
Authors: Wright A. G. C. , Simms L. J.
Published: July 2015

Background

Psychiatric co-morbidity is extensive in both psychiatric settings and the general population. Such co-morbidity challenges whether DSM-based mental disorders serve to effectively carve nature at its joints. In response, a substantial literature has emerged showing that a small number of broad dimensions – internalizing, externalizing and psychoticism – can account for much of the observed covariation among common mental disorders. However, the location of personality disorders within this emerging metastructure has only recently been studied, and no studies have yet examined where pathological personality traits fit within such a broad metastructural framework.

Method

We conducted joint structural analyses of common mental disorders, personality disorders and pathological personality traits in a sample of 628 current or recent psychiatric out-patients.

Results

Bridging across the psychopathology and personality trait literatures, the results provide evidence for a robust five-factor metastructure of psychopathology, including broad domains of symptoms and features related to internalizing, disinhibition, psychoticism, antagonism and detachment.

Conclusions

These results reveal evidence for a psychopathology metastructure that (a) parsimoniously accounts for much of the observed covariation among common mental disorders, personality disorders and related personality traits, and (b) provides an empirical basis for the organization and classification of mental disorder.
Minimal clinically important difference on the Beck Depression Inventory - II according to the patient's perspective
Authors: Button K. S. , Kounali D. , Thomas L. , Wiles N. J. , Peters T. J. , Welton N. J. , Ades A. E. , Lewis G.
Published: July 2015

Background

The Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition (BDI-II) is widely used in research on depression. However, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is unknown. MCID can be estimated in several ways. Here we take a patient-centred approach, anchoring the change on the BDI-II to the patient's global report of improvement.

Method

We used data collected (n= 1039) from three randomized controlled trials for the management of depression. Improvement on a ‘global rating of change’ question was compared with changes in BDI-II scores using general linear modelling to explore baseline dependency, assessing whether MCID is best measured in absolute terms (i.e. difference) or as percent reduction in scores from baseline (i.e. ratio), and receiver operator characteristics (ROC) to estimate MCID according to the optimal threshold above which individuals report feeling ‘better’.

Results

Improvement in BDI-II scores associated with reporting feeling ‘better’ depended on initial depression severity, and statistical modelling indicated that MCID is best measured on a ratio scale as a percentage reduction of score. We estimated a MCID of a 17.5% reduction in scores from baseline from ROC analyses. The corresponding estimate for individuals with longer duration depression who had not responded to antidepressants was higher at 32%.

Conclusions

MCID on the BDI-II is dependent on baseline severity, is best measured on a ratio scale, and the MCID for treatment-resistant depression is larger than that for more typical depression. This has important implications for clinical trials and practice.
Exotic origins: the emblematic biogeographies of early modern scaly mammals
Authors: Lawrence Natalie
Published: July 2015

Exotic natural objects brought to Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were mutable and malleable things. They were constructed and assimilated into European world-views in a reciprocal process of change as they moved around early modern Europe. In particular, the provenance of natural objects and the associated rich symbolic resonances were central to their natural histories. The distinctions between Orient and Occident had divided the world since antiquity and were given a range of new senses in this period. The location of these two ‘Indies’, and their relationship to one another, were neither static nor always geographically defined. This article focuses on two rich examples of this natural historical construction in relation to images of the Indies: the Old World pangolin, or scaly anteater, and its New World counterpart, the armadillo. Initially, pangolins were understood as East Indian ‘scaly lizards’, armadillos as West Indian. But from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, their geographical identities and symbolic associations were entangled as these creatures came to embody colonial anxieties and resonances. The ‘India’ of the scaly lizard became the ‘Indies’ of the scaled mammals, both East and West. Examining the reception and treatment of examples such as these in European cabinets and natural histories, offers new insights into European relationships with regions of the world seen as distant and wonderfully bountiful.
Consuls-of-State and the Redemption of Slaves: The Dutch Republic and the Western Mediterranean, 1616–1651
Authors: Heinsen-Roach Erica
Published: July 2015

At the end of the sixteenth century, the Dutch Republic developed a trade empire of global proportions. The Dutch government played a substantial role in building and sustaining merchant enterprises by allowing chartered companies to act on its behalf. In the Mediterranean, however, the authorities relied on a variety of commercial-diplomatic agents to promote commerce. This article argues that Dutch consuls in the western Mediterranean transformed from merchant-consuls into state-representatives and played a crucial role in sustaining diplomatic relations with states in the Maghreb. By comparing the conditions under which consuls liberated captives in Algiers and Morocco during the first half of the seventeenth century, the article examines how consuls continuously had to adjust their mission to the interests of different institutions and individuals. The article concludes that the expansion of Dutch global commerce in the Mediterranean did not evolve according to a standard script but in consuls’ interactions with local conditions and customary practices. The article contributes to the New Diplomatic History that emphasizes how successful diplomatic relations in the early modern world depended on a range of different diplomatic actors who created forms of state diplomacy beyond treaty making and alliances.
Interests, Institutions, and Identity: Strategic Adaptation and the Ethno-evolution of Minh Hương (Central Vietnam), 16th–19th Centuries
Authors: Wheeler Charles
Published: July 2015

Minh Hương—often translated as ‘Ming Refugees’, became a powerful interest group in Vietnamese commerce, colonization, and politics between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Curiously, they remain understudied and misunderstood by both Vietnamese and Overseas Chinese specialists. This results from confusion about Minh Hương identity and origins, which this article addresses by analyzing the evolution of the group’s identity and the interests and institutions that shaped it. Far from static, Minh Hương identity formed, metamorphosed, and all but disappeared due to the interplay between changing circumstances and adaptive responses that continually reshaped the content of Minh Hương identity whenever “outside” circumstances challenged them. In this way, the Minh Hương evolved from its merchant diaspora origins into a powerful merchant-bureaucratic class that exploited the institutions that Vietnamese matrilineage and Chinese patrilineage afforded them in order to advance its commercial and political interests. When their status eroded in the nineteenth century, the Minh Hương redefined their group as a minority ethnicity in defense of diminishing rights. Far from the powerless refugee minority image their name implies, their behaviour so reminiscent of merchant cultures from the Sogdians to the Swahili, the Minh Hương deserves greater consideration in the literature on merchant cultures in world history.
Studies of ablated plasma and shocks produced in a planar target by a sub-nanosecond laser pulse of intensity relevant to shock ignition
Authors: Badziak J. , Antonelli L. , Baffigi F. , Batani D. , Chodukowski T. , Cristoforetti G. , Dudzak R. , Gizzi L.A. , Folpini G. , Hall F. , Kalinowska Z. , Koester P. , Krousky E. , Kucharik M. , Labate L. , Liska R. , Malka G. , Maheut Y. , Parys P. , Pfeifer M. , Pisarczyk T. , Renner O. , Rosiński M. , Ryć L. , Skala J. , Smid M. , Spindloe C. , Ullschmied J. , Zaraś-Szydłowska A.
Published: July 2015

The effect of laser intensity on characteristics of the plasma ablated from a low-Z(CH) planar target irradiated by a 250 ps, 0.438 µm laser pulse with the intensity of up to 1016W/cm2as well as on parameters of the laser-driven shock generated in the target for various scale-lengths of preformed plasma was investigated at the kilojoule Prague Asterix Laser System (PALS) laser facility. Characteristics of the plasma were measured with the use of 3-frame interferometry, ion diagnostics, an X-ray spectrometer, andKαimaging. Parameters of the shock generated in a Cl doped CH target by the intense 3ω laser pulse were inferred by numerical hydrodynamic simulations from the measurements of craters produced by the shock in the massive Cu target behind the CH layer. It was found that the pressure of the shock generated in the plastic layer is relatively weakly influenced by the preplasma (the pressure drop due to the preplasma presence is ~10–20%) and at the pulse intensity of ~1016W/cm2the maximum pressure reaches ~80–90 Mbar. However, an increase in pressure of the shock with the laser intensity is slower than predicted by theory for a planar shock and the maximum pressure achieved in the experiment is by a factor of ~2 lower than predicted by the theory. Both at the preplasma absence and presence, the laser-to-hot electrons energy conversion efficiency is small, ~1% or below, and the influence of hot electrons on the generated shock is expected to be weak.
Achilles Comes to Palestine: Border Crossings’ This Flesh is Mine
Authors: Walling Michael
Published: July 2015

In April 2014, Michael Walling, Artistic Director of Border Crossings, worked in Palestine with a company of actors drawn partly from the UK and partly from the Ramallah-based Ashtar Theatre on a production of This Flesh is Mine, by Brian Woolland, Using the Iliad as a starting point, the play was set partly in a classical and partly in a modern world. In this article Michael Walling discusses how the production engaged with the contemporary Palestinian situation in terms of space, voice, and the body. He describes how the rehearsal process in Ramallah informed staging and textual decisions, and how questions of design, casting, and acting style came to carry political significance in relation to the Palestinian context, both as performed in Ramallah and in London. This Flesh is Mine was a coproduction by Border Crossings, Ashtar, and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and was funded by the Anna Lindh Foundation, Arts Council England, and the British Council.
COINTEGRATING POLYNOMIAL REGRESSIONS: FULLY MODIFIED OLS ESTIMATION AND INFERENCE
Authors: Wagner Martin , Hong Seung Hyun
Published: July 2015

This paper develops a fully modified OLS (FM-OLS) estimator for cointegrating polynomial regressions, i.e., regressions that include as explanatory variables deterministic variables, integrated processes, and integer powers of integrated processes. The stationary errors are allowed to be serially correlated and the regressors are allowed to be endogenous. The paper extends the fully modified estimator of Phillips and Hansen (1990) from cointegrating regressions to cointegrating polynomial regressions. The FM-OLS estimator has a zero-mean Gaussian mixture limiting distribution that allows for standard asymptotic inference. Wald and LM specification tests as well as a KPSS-type test for cointegration are derived. The theoretical analysis is complemented by a simulation study which shows that this FM-OLS estimator, as well as tests based upon it, perform well in the sense that the performance advantages over OLS are largely similar to the performance advantages of FM-OLS over OLS in standard cointegrating regressions.
Cancer patients' emotional distress, coping styles and perception of doctor-patient interaction in European cancer settings
Authors: Meggiolaro Elena , Berardi Maria Alejandra , Andritsch Elisabeth , Nanni Maria Giulia , Sirgo Agustina , Samorì Elena , Farkas Clemens , Ruffilli Federica , Caruso Rosangela , Bellé Marta , Juan Linares Eva , de Padova Silvia , Grassi Luigi
Published: July 2015

Objective:

As a part of a European study, we cross-culturally examined the rate of emotional distress and maladaptive coping and their association with cancer patients' satisfaction with their interactions with the physician responsible for their care.

Methods:

Cancer patients (n = 302) from one Middle European (Austria) and two Southern European (Italy, Spain) countries completed the NCCN Distress Thermometer (DT), the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer (Mini-MAC) Anxious Preoccupation (AP) and Hopelessness (H) sub-scales, and the Physician Patient Satisfaction with Doctors Questionnaire (PSQ).

Results:

The prevalence of emotional distress (DT caseness) was 60% (26.1% mild, 18.8% moderate, and 14.9% severe distress). Maladaptive coping (Mini-MAC cases) was found in 22.8% (hopeless cases), and 22.5% (anxious preoccupation cases). PSQ-MD was significantly correlated with Mini-MAC/H and Mini-Mac/AP, while PSQ-PS was negatively correlated with Mini-MAC/H. DT cases and those with higher levels of hopelessness reported higher scores on PSQ-MD and lower on PSQ-PS than non-cases. Some differences were found between countries both as far as patients' coping and perception of the interaction with doctors. In hierarchical multiple regression analysis, after adjusting for socio-demographic and medical variables, Mini-MAC/H significantly predicted the scores on PSQ-MD (positive direction) and PSQ-PS (negative direction).

Significance of results:

The study confirms that about one out of three cancer patients have moderate to high level of emotional distress and about one out of four, clinically significant maladaptive coping. Also, patients showing hopelessness and distress tended to perceive their doctors as both disengaged and less supportive. These results highlights the need for physicians to monitor their patient's level of distress and coping mechanisms and to adjust their own relational and communication style according to patients' psychological condition. Also, cross-cultural issues should be taken into account when exploring psychosocial variables and cancer patients' perception of and satisfaction with the interaction with their doctors.
First records from the Ligurian Sea of the cold water species Okenia aspersa and Doto koenneckeri (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia)
Authors: Betti Federico , Cattaneo-Vietti Riccardo , Bava Simone
Published: July 2015

Okenia aspersais a north-eastern Atlantic species, only previously recorded asOkenia quadricornisfrom the Malta Archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, and in juvenile forms, from Sicily and the Gulf of Naples. A second adult specimen is recorded in the present paper, which was found along the Noli Cape coast, in the western Ligurian Sea (Italy). It was found on pebbles at a depth of 10 m. In the same area, at a depth of 5.5 m, two specimens ofDoto koenneckeriand three of their egg masses were found. This species, also described from Norway and Ireland, was only previously known to occur in the Mediterranean Sea off Spain and France. It is likely that the cold winter temperatures of the Ligurian Sea allowed this species to live and reproduce.
A new pygmy species of box jellyfish (Cubozoa: Chirodropida) from sub-tropical Australia
Authors: Gershwin Lisa-Ann , Ekins Merrick
Published: July 2015

Tropical box jellyfish include some of the world's most venomous animals, leading researchers and the media to wonder whether changes in climate may drive these species into sub-tropical waters. The discovery, therefore, of small box jellyfish in the waterways of the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast of south-east Queensland raised concern. This pygmy species proved to be new to science, separated from other species in the genusChiropsellaby its very small size; its semi-circular phacellae; very shallow, coalesced gastric saccules; its peculiar, long pedalia where the ‘palm’ is greatly reduced and the non-opposing ‘fingers’ branch off together at the same level; and a knee-like bend of the pedalial canal. The residential canal/river habitat of this species of chirodropid raises the question of whether this area is also suitable for habitation by the larger, more virulent chirodropids such as the so-called ‘deadly box jellyfish’,Chironex fleckeri. This new species,Chiropsella saxonisp. nov., brings the total number of chirodropid species described from Australian waters to five.
Aberrantly plumaged White-chinned Petrels Procellaria aequinoctialis in the Brazilian waters, south-west Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Frainer Guilherme , Daudt Nicholas W. , Carlos Caio J.
Published: July 2015

We report on three aberrantly plumaged White-chinned PetrelsProcellaria aequinoctialisfrom the Brazilian Economic Exclusive Zone in the south-west Atlantic Ocean – the first reports based upon tangible evidence for the region. Two of them showed a low degree of colour aberration (some white around the eyes and on the upper-wing coverts), whereas the third exhibited the highest degree of plumage aberration so far reported for the species: a plumage mostly white with brown freckles on the upper- and under-parts, head and nape. We also commented on problems related to at-sea identification of aberrantly plumaged seabirds.
First record of the family Dexaminidae and species Guernea (Prinassus) nordenskioldi in the west Spitsbergen fjords (Svalbard, Greenland Sea)
Authors: Legeżyńska Joanna , Deja Kajetan , Włodarska-Kowalczuk Maria
Published: July 2015

Three species of dexaminid amphipods are currently known from the Arctic, but none of them have been hitherto recorded in the west Spitsbergen fjords (Svalbard). In 2010, four individuals of dexaminidGuernea (Prinassus) nordenskioldiwere sampled for the first time in the mouth of Isfjorden, a large fjord system located at 78°N. The species was originally described by Hansen (1888) from West Greenland and since then it has been collected in a number of locations showing almost circumarctic distribution. This study represents the first record of the family Dexaminidae and the speciesG. (P.) nordenskioldifrom west Spitsbergen (Greenland Sea).
First record of vertebral anomalies in some members of the genus Pampus (family: Stromateidae) collected from Guangdong, China and from the Kii Peninsula, Honshu Island, Japan
Authors: Jawad Laith , Liu Jing
Published: July 2015

Vertebral deformity and fusion are reported in fourPampusspecies,Pampus cinereus, Pampus echinogaster, Pampus liuorumandPampus punctatissimus(family: Stromateidae) collected from Guangdong, China and from the Kii Peninsula, Honshu Island, Japan. All abnormalities were found in the caudal region of the vertebral column of the four specimens ofPampusexamined, which included cases of missing vertebrae, lordosis and deformed centra. In addition, minor anomalies were also noticed in the abnormal specimen ofPampus liuorum. Possible causes such as genetic and epigenetic factors may be implicated in this anomaly.
FV-162 is a novel, orally bioavailable, irreversible proteasome inhibitor with improved pharmacokinetics displaying preclinical efficacy with continuous daily dosing
Authors: Wang Z , Dove P , Wang X , Shamas-Din A , Li Z , Nachman A , Oh Y J , Hurren R , Ruschak A , Climie S , Press B , Griffin C , Undzys E , Aman A , Al-awar R , Kay L E , O'Neill D , Trudel S , Slassi M , Schimmer A D
Published: July 2015

Approved proteasome inhibitors have advanced the treatment of multiple myeloma but are associated with serious toxicities, poor pharmacokinetics, and most with the inconvenience of intravenous administration. We therefore sought to identify novel orally bioavailable proteasome inhibitors with a continuous daily dosing schedule and improved therapeutic window using a unique drug discovery platform. We employed a fluorine-based medicinal chemistry technology to synthesize 14 novel analogs of epoxyketone-based proteasome inhibitors and screened them for their stability, ability to inhibit the chymotrypsin-like proteasome, and antimyeloma activity in vitro. The tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamic activity, and antimyeloma efficacy of our lead candidate were examined in NOD/SCID mice. We identified a tripeptide epoxyketone, FV-162, as a metabolically stable, potent proteasome inhibitor cytotoxic to human myeloma cell lines and primary myeloma cells. FV-162 had limited toxicity and was well tolerated on a continuous daily dosing schedule. Compared with the benchmark oral irreversible proteasome inhibitor, ONX-0192, FV-162 had a lower peak plasma concentration and longer half-life, resulting in a larger area under the curve (AUC). Oral FV-162 treatment induced rapid, irreversible inhibition of chymotrypsin-like proteasome activity in murine red blood cells and inhibited tumor growth in a myeloma xenograft model. Our data suggest that oral FV-162 with continuous daily dosing schedule displays a favorable safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetic profile in vivo, identifying it as a promising lead for clinical evaluation in myeloma therapy.
Epigenetic silencing of Oct4 by a complex containing SUV39H1 and Oct4 pseudogene lncRNA
Authors: Scarola Michele , Comisso Elisa , Pascolo Rhena , Chiaradia Riccardo , Maria Marion Rosa , Schneider Claudio , Blasco Maria A. , Schoeftner Stefan , Benetti Roberta
Published: July 2015

Pseudogene-derived, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as epigenetic regulators of gene expression. Here we present a panel of new mouseOct4pseudogenes and demonstrate that the X-linkedOct4pseudogeneOct4P4critically impacts mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) self-renewal. SenseOct4P4transcription produces a spliced, nuclear-restricted lncRNA that is efficiently upregulated during mESC differentiation.Oct4P4lncRNA forms a complex with the SUV39H1 HMTase to direct the imposition of H3K9me3 and HP1α to the promoter of the ancestralOct4gene, located on chromosome 17, leading to gene silencing and reduced mESC self-renewal. TargetingOct4P4expression in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts causes the re-acquisition of self-renewing features of mESC. We demonstrate thatOct4P4lncRNA plays an important role in inducing and maintaining silencing of the ancestralOct4gene in differentiating mESCs. Our data introduces a sense pseudogene–lncRNA-based mechanism of epigenetic gene regulation that controls the cross-talk between pseudogenes and their ancestral genes.
Synthesis of quasi-free-standing bilayer graphene nanoribbons on SiC surfaces
Authors: Oliveira, Myriano H. , Lopes Joao Marcelo J. , Schumann Timo , Galves Lauren A. , Ramsteiner Manfred , Berlin Katja , Trampert Achim , Riechert Henning
Published: July 2015

Scaling graphene down to nanoribbons is a promising route for the implementation of this material into devices. Quantum confinement of charge carriers in such nanostructures, combined with the electric field-induced break of symmetry in AB-stacked bilayer graphene, leads to a band gap wider than that obtained solely by this symmetry breaking. Consequently, the possibility of fabricating AB-stacked bilayer graphene nanoribbons with high precision is very attractive for the purposes of applied and basic science. Here we show a method, which includes a straightforward air annealing, for the preparation of quasi-free-standing AB-bilayer nanoribbons with different widths on SiC(0001). Furthermore, the experiments reveal that the degree of disorder at the edges increases with the width, indicating that the narrower nanoribbons are more ordered in their edge termination. In general, the reported approach is a viable route towards the large-scale fabrication of bilayer graphene nanostructures with tailored dimensions and properties for specific applications.
Effect of ethnicity on glycaemic index: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wolever T M S , Giddens J L , Sievenpiper J L
Published: July 2015

Objectives:

Low glycaemic index (GI) foods are recommended to improve glycaemic control in diabetes; however, Health Canada considers that GI food labeling would be misleading and unhelpful, in part, because selected studies suggest that GI values are inaccurate due to an effect of ethnicity. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the GI of foods when measured in Caucasians versus non-Caucasians.

Methods:

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases for relevant articles. GI differences were aggregated using the generic inverse variance method (random effects model) and expressed as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Study quality was assessed based on how well studies complied with official international GI methodology.

Results:

Review of 1288 trials revealed eight eligible studies, including 28 comparisons of GI among 585 non-Caucasians and 971 Caucasians. Overall, there was borderline significant evidence of higher GI in non-Caucasians than Caucasians (MD, 3.3 (95% CI, −0.1, 6.8); P=0.06) with significant heterogeneity (I2, 46%; P=0.005). The GI of eight types of rice was higher in non-Caucasians than Caucasians (MD, 9.5 (95% CI, 3.7, 23.1); P=0.001), but there was no significant difference for the other 20 foods (MD, 1.0 (95% CI, −2.5, 4.6); P=0.57). MD was significantly greater in the four low-quality studies (nine comparisons) than the four high-quality studies (19 comparisons; 7.8 vs 0.7, P=0.047).

Conclusions:

With the possible exception of rice, existing evidence suggests that GI values do not differ when measured in Caucasians versus non-Caucasians. To confirm these findings high-quality studies using a wide range of foods are required.
NiO-Microflower Formed by Nanowire-weaving Nanosheets with Interconnected Ni-network Decoration as Supercapacitor Electrode
Authors: Ci Suqing , Wen Zhenhai , Qian Yuanyuan , Mao Shun , Cui Shumao , Chen Junhong
Published: July 2015

We propose a ‘weaving’ evolution mechanism, by systematically investigating the products obtained in controlled experiments, to demonstrate the formation of Ni-based ‘microflowers’ which consists of multiple characteristic dimensions, in which the three dimensional (3D) NiO ‘microflower’ is constructed by a two-dimensional (2D) nanosheet framework that is derived from weaving one-dimensional (1D) nanowires. We found such unique nanostructures are conducive for the generation of an electrically conductive Ni-network on the nanosheet surface after being exposed to a reducing atmosphere. Our study offers a promising strategy to address the intrinsic issue of poor electrical conductivity for NiO-based materials with significant enhancement of utilization of NiO active materials, leading to a remarkable improvement in the performance of the Ni-NiO microflower based supercapacitor. The optimized Ni-NiO microflower material showed a mass specific capacitance of 1,828 F g−1 and an energy density of 15.9 Wh kg−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. This research not only contributes to understanding the formation mechanism of such ‘microflower’ structures but also offers a promising route to advance NiO based supercapacitor given their ease of synthesis, low cost and long-term stability.
Numerical and experimental investigation of light trapping effect of nanostructured diatom frustules
Authors: Chen Xiangfan , Wang Chen , Baker Evan , Sun Cheng
Published: July 2015

Recent advances in nanophotonic light-trapping technologies offer promising solutions in developing high-efficiency thin-film solar cells. However, the cost-effective scalable manufacturing of those rationally designed nanophotonic structures remains a critical challenge. In contrast, diatoms, the most common type of phytoplankton found in nature, may offer a very attractive solution. Diatoms exhibit high solar energy harvesting efficiency due to their frustules (i.e., hard porous cell wall made of silica) possessing remarkable hierarchical micro-/nano-scaled features optimized for the photosynthetic process through millions of years of evolution. Here we report numerical and experimental studies to investigate the light-trapping characteristic of diatom frustule. Rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) methods are employed to investigate the light-trapping characteristics of the diatom frustules. In simulation, placing the diatom frustules on the surface of the light-absorption materials is found to strongly enhance the optical absorption over the visible spectrum. The absorption spectra are also measured experimentally and the results are in good agreement with numerical simulations.
In-situ observation for growth of hierarchical metal-organic frameworks and their self-sequestering mechanism for gas storage
Authors: Hyo Park Jung , Min Choi Kyung , Joon Jeon Hyung , Jung Choi Yoon , Ku Kang Jeung
Published: July 2015

Although structures with the single functional constructions and micropores were demonstrated to capture many different molecules such as carbon dioxide, methane and hydrogen with high capacities at low temperatures, their feeble interactions still limit practical applications at room temperature. Herein, we report in-situ growth observation of hierarchical pores in pomegranate metal-organic frameworks (pmg-MOFs) and their self-sequestering storage mechanism, not observed for pristine MOFs. Direct observation of hierarchical pores inside the pmg-MOF was evident by in-situ growth X-ray measurements while self-sequestering storage mechanism was revealed by in-situ gas sorption X-ray analysis and molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that meso/macropores are created at the early stage of crystal growth and then enclosed by micropore crystalline shells, where hierarchical pores are networking under self-sequestering mechanism to give enhanced gas storage. This pmg-MOF gives higher CO2 (39%) and CH4 (14%) storage capacity than pristine MOF at room temperature, in addition to fast kinetics with robust capacity retention during gas sorption cycles, thus giving the clue to control dynamic behaviors of gas adsorption.
Metallosupramolecular Soft Materials: Metallogels
Authors: Po Charlotte , Yam Vivian Wing-Wah
Published: July 2015

With the involvement of transition metal centres in the gel structures, metallogels have demonstrated unique and interesting properties, which could hardly be achieved by organic compounds alone. Over the years, highly phosphorescent, catalytic, magnetic and multi-stimuli-responsive metallogels have been reported. In addition, with the incorporation of d10 and d8 metal complexes, as exemplified by Au(i), Au(iii) and Pt(ii), metal–metal interactions have also been utilized to tune the gel properties. Drastic colour and emission changes are usually observed when there is formation or disruption of metal–metal interactions during sol–gel transitions upon the introduction of external stimuli. The drastic colour or emission changes are useful to report the subtle changes in the microenvironment and the packing of the gelator molecules, thus giving valuable information for the more rational design of gelators. The recent development of metallogels involving the use of transition metals is reviewed in this chapter. The special structural, spectroscopic and stimuli-responsive behaviour of the metallogels are highlighted.
Metallosupramolecular Materials for Electronic Applications: Molecular Boolean Computation
Authors: Daly Brian , Ling Jue , de Silva A. Prasanna
Published: July 2015

It is an exciting era for molecular computation because molecular logic gates are being pushed in new directions. The use of sulfur rather than the commonplace nitrogen as the key receptor atom in metal ion sensors is one of these directions; plant cells coming within the jurisdiction of fluorescent molecular thermometers is another, combining photochromism with voltammetry for molecular electronics is yet another. Two-input logic gates benefit from old ideas such as rectifying bilayer electrodes, cyclodextrin-enhanced room-temperature phosphorescence, steric hindrance, the polymerase chain reaction, charge transfer absorption of donor–acceptor complexes and lectin–glycocluster interactions. Furthermore, the concept of photo-uncaging enables rational ways of concatenating logic gates. Computational concepts are also applied to potential cancer theranostics and to the selective monitoring of neurotransmitters in situ. Higher numbers of inputs are also accommodated with the concept of functional integration of gates, where complex input–output patterns are sought out and analysed. Molecular emulation of computational components such as demultiplexers and parity generators/checkers are achieved in related ways. Complexity of another order is tackled with molecular edge detection routines.
Metallosupramolecular Materials for Energy Applications: Light Harvesting
Authors: Praveen Vakayil K. , Ajayaghosh Ayyappanpillai
Published: July 2015

Excitation energy transfer, a key process in natural light harvesting systems, has been extensively investigated with the help of synthetic molecular and supramolecular systems. The knowledge gathered from these studies has contributed to the development of novel energy harvesting materials that could find applications in nano-electronics and photonics, of which metallosupramolecular assemblies are one such class. In this chapter, the exciting developments in the use of metallosupramolecular materials in energy applications such as light harvesting are described. Emphasis is given to the state-of-the-art summary in the design and properties of metal–organic frameworks, self-assembled coordination polymers and metallogels, which all have prospects for light harvesting applications.
Metallosupramolecular Assemblies for Application as Photocatalysts for the Production of Solar Fuels
Authors: Dini Danilo , Pryce Mary T. , Schulz Martin , Vos Johannes G.
Published: July 2015

In this chapter the supramolecular design principles required for the preparation of molecular photocatalysts for the generation of hydrogen and the reduction of CO2 into useful chemical feedstocks are discussed. An overview on the importance of the experimental conditions used and the parameters to assess the efficiency of the photocatalytic systems are also included. A series of compounds will be discussed to outline the general principles and illustrate how subtle differences in reaction conditions or indeed in the chemical composition of the photosensitiser or the catalytic centre can affect the photocatalytic efficiency or the product ratio obtained. Conclusions about the resulting structure–property relationships will be drawn.
Simultaneous determination of eight ginsenosides in Zibu Piyin Recipe using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)
Authors: Xu Hui-Ying , Xiang Hong , Zhan Li-Bin , Zhang Lin , Sun Xiao-Xin
Published: July 2015

A simple, sensitive, selective, and reliable UPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous detection and quantification of eight compounds found in Zibu Piyin Recipe (ZBPYR).
Determination of 3-(4′-methylbenzylidene)camphor and its metabolite 3-(4′-carboxybenzylidene)camphor in human semen by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Tarazona Isuha , Chisvert Alberto , León Zacarías , Salvador Amparo
Published: July 2015

An analytical method to determine MBC and CBC in human semen has been developed, validated and applied to real samples.
An eco-friendly cellular phase microextraction technique based on the use of green microalgal cells for trace thallium species determination in natural water samples
Authors: Escudero Leticia B. , García Carolina B. , da Silva Stela M. , Barón Jorge H.
Published: July 2015

The selective biosorption of Tl(iii) species on green microalgal cells as a fundamental strategy for developing an efficient microextraction procedure for trace Tl speciation analysis in water samples.
Combination of a poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene) electrode in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate with centri-voltammetry
Authors: Tepeli Yudum , Aslan Sema , Sezer Esma , Anik Ulku
Published: July 2015

A poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) electrode was prepared by electropolymerization of 3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Then this electrode was combined with centri-voltammetry for the first time and applied for dopamine (DA) detection.
The remarkable activity and stability of a dye-sensitized single molecular layer MoS2ensemble for photocatalytic hydrogen production
Authors: Jia Tiantian , Li Molly M. J. , Ye Lin , Wiseman Sam , Liu Guoliang , Qu Jin , Nakagawa Keizo , Tsang S. C. Edman
Published: July 2015

Single layer MoS2synthesized by exfoliation with Li is demonstrated to take up the dye molecule, Eosin Y, with strong binding affinityviasulfur vacancies.
Highly efficient and selective photocatalytic reduction of nitroarenes using the Ni2P/CdS catalyst under visible-light irradiation
Authors: Gao Wen-Zheng , Xu Yong , Chen Yong , Fu Wen-Fu
Published: July 2015

A highly efficient Ni2P/CdS photocatalytic system in water for selective nitro reduction to amino organics and the reaction mechanism were presented clearly.
High-rate performance of a mixed olivine cathode with off-stoichiometric composition
Authors: Kim Jae Chul , Li Xin , Kang Byoungwoo , Ceder Gerbrand
Published: July 2015

By controlling off-stoichiometry, LiFe0.6Mn0.4PO4with non-crystalline surface phases is formed, enabling the material to achieve high power density.
Brilliant glyconanocapsules for trapping of bacteria
Authors: Yan Xibo , Sivignon Adeline , Alcouffe Pierre , Burdin Béatrice , Favre-Bonté Sabine , Bilyy Rostyslav , Barnich Nicolas , Fleury Etienne , Ganachaud François , Bernard Julien
Published: July 2015

n-Heptyl α-d-mannose-functionalized nanocapsules are prepared by the Shift'N'Go process and post-modified to ensure aggregation and efficient removal of bacteria.
Transiently responsive protein–polymer conjugates via a ‘grafting-from’ RAFT approach for intracellular co-delivery of proteins and immune-modulators
Authors: Vanparijs N. , De Coen R. , Laplace D. , Louage B. , Maji S. , Lybaert L. , Hoogenboom R. , De Geest B. G.
Published: July 2015

‘Grafting-from’ RAFT polymerization is used to synthesize protein–polymer conjugates that change from the soluble to the aggregated state in response to temperature, but become fully soluble by acid triggered hydrolysis.
3D hierarchically mesoporous Cu-doped NiO nanostructures as high-performance anode materials for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Ma Jingyun , Yin Longwei , Ge Tairu
Published: July 2015

We report on the rational design and synthesis of three dimensional (3D) Cu-doped NiO architectures with an adjustable chemical component, surface area, and hierarchically porous structure as anodes for lithium ion battery.
A metal–organic framework based on cyclotriphosphazene-functionalized hexacarboxylate for selective adsorption of CO2and C2H6over CH4at room temperature
Authors: Ling Yajing , Song Chengling , Feng Yunlong , Zhang Mingxing , He Yabing
Published: July 2015

A new MOF constructed from a flexible cyclotriphosphazene-functionalized hexacarboxylate exhibits selective adsorption of CO2and C2H6over CH4at room temperature.
Dilute nitric or nitrous acid solution containing halide ions as effective media for pure gold dissolution
Authors: Hojo Masashi , Yamamoto Masahiko , Okamura Kei
Published: July 2015

Bromide salts are more effective than chloride salts in gaining the ability of dissolving gold in dilute aqueous nitric acid solution. At 60 °C, a piece of gold-wire (ca. 20 mg) is dissolved in 20 mL of as low as 0.10 mol L−1 HNO3 solution containing 1.0–5.0 mol L−1 NaBr and the dissolution rate constant, log(k/s−1), increases linearly with increasing NaBr concentration.
Evolution of magnetization due to asymmetric dimerization: theoretical considerations and application to aberrant oligomers formed by apoSOD12SH
Authors: Sekhar Ashok , Bain Alex D. , Rumfeldt Jessica A. O. , Meiering Elizabeth M. , Kay Lewis E.
Published: July 2015

A set of coupled differential equations is presented describing the evolution of magnetization due to an exchange reaction whereby a pair of identical monomers form an asymmetric dimer.
Computational screening for effective Ge1−xSix nanowire photocatalyst
Authors: Tan Teck L. , Ng Man-Fai
Published: July 2015

Band edges of GeSi core–shell structures versus the size and the composition compared to various redox reaction potentials for water-splitting reaction.
A novel conception for spontaneous transversions caused by homo-pyrimidine DNA mismatches: a QM/QTAIM highlight
Authors: Brovarets' Ol'ha O. , Hovorun Dmytro M.
Published: July 2015

T·T(w) and C·C(w) DNA mismatches with wobble (w) geometry stay in slow tautomeric equilibrium with short Watson–Crick (WC) mispairs, which explains how the wobble mismatches acquire enzymatically competent WC-like conformations, thereby producing thermodynamically non-equilibrium spontaneous transversions.
Viedma ripening: a reliable crystallisation method to reach single chirality
Authors: Sögütoglu Leyla-Cann , Steendam René R. E. , Meekes Hugo , Vlieg Elias , Rutjes Floris P. J. T.
Published: July 2015

This tutorial review covers the basic principles behind asymmetric crystallisation processes, with an emphasis on Viedma ripening, and shows that to date many organic molecules can be obtained this way in enantiopure solid form.
Subtle effects of ligand backbone on the efficiency of iron-diphos catalysed Negishi cross-coupling reactions
Authors: Clifton Jamie , Habraken Evi R. M. , Pringle Paul G. , Manners Ian
Published: July 2015

Readily available and modifiable diphosphines with a thiophene backbone produce more efficient iron catalysts for Negishi cross-coupling than analogues with a phenylene backbone.
Gold nanoparticle decorated graphene sheet-polypyrrole based nanocomposite: its synthesis, characterization and genosensing application
Authors: Tiwari Ida , Gupta Mandakini , Pandey Chandra Mouli , Mishra Vandini
Published: July 2015

Synthesis of gold nanoparticle (GNP) decorated-graphene sheets (GO-GNPs) using the template of graphene oxide (GO) by a one-pot solution-based method.
Synthesis of carboxylate-bridged iron–thiolate clusters from alcohols/aldehydes or carboxylate salts
Authors: Dong Xiaoliang , Liu Litao , Zhou Yuhan , Liu Jun , Zhang Yixin , Chen Yanhui , Qu Jingping
Published: July 2015

Carboxylate-bridged iron–thiolate clusters were formed from alcohols/aldehydes in air or sodium carboxylates at room temperature.
Facile synthesis of porous Bi2WO6 nanosheets with high photocatalytic performance
Authors: Sun Qi , Jia Xiangrui , Wang Xuefei , Yu Huogen , Yu Jiaguo
Published: July 2015

A facile in situ ion-exchange reaction of WO42− on the Bi(NO3)3 solid surface was developed to prepare porous Bi2WO6 nanosheets.
Mechanistic understanding of CoO-catalyzed hydrogen desorption from a LiBH4·NH3–3LiH system
Authors: Zhang Yi , Liu Yongfeng , Zhang Xin , Li You , Gao Mingxia , Pan Hongge
Published: July 2015

Addition of CoO significantly reduces the dehydrogenation temperature and accelerates the dehydrogenation rate of the LiBH4·NH3–3LiH system.
Particle suspension reactors and materials for solar-driven water splitting
Authors: Fabian David M. , Hu Shu , Singh Nirala , Houle Frances A. , Hisatomi Takashi , Domen Kazunari , Osterloh Frank E. , Ardo Shane
Published: July 2015

Reactor and particle design considerations of particle suspension reactors for solar photoelectrochemical water splitting.
Barley malt increases hindgut and portal butyric acid, modulates gene expression of gut tight junction proteins and Toll-like receptors in rats fed high-fat diets, but high advanced glycation end-products partially attenuate the effects
Authors: Zhong Yadong , Teixeira Cristina , Marungruang Nittaya , Sae-Lim Watina , Tareke Eden , Andersson Roger , Fåk Frida , Nyman Margareta
Published: July 2015

Barley malt has been shown to give high levels of butyric acid in the cecum and serum of rats.
A computational method for the identification of new candidate carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic chemicals
Authors: Chen Lei , Chu Chen , Lu Jing , Kong Xiangyin , Huang Tao , Cai Yu-Dong
Published: July 2015

Several new candidate carcinogenic/non-carcinogenic chemicals obtained by our method exhibit structural dissimilarity with validated carcinogenic/non-carcinogenic chemicals.
Advances in graphene-based semiconductor photocatalysts for solar energy conversion: fundamentals and materials engineering
Authors: Xie Xiuqiang , Kretschmer Katja , Wang Guoxiu
Published: July 2015

This review summarizes advances in the understanding of graphene functions for photocatalytic activity enhancement and methodologies to regulate the electron transfer efficiency in graphene-based composite photocatalysts.
Aggregation of inorganic nanoparticles mediated by biomimetic oligomers
Authors: Tigger-Zaborov Hagar , Maayan Galia
Published: July 2015

The assembly of nanoparticles mediated by biomimetic oligomers enables tuning of their overall structure. These assemblies represent a unique combination between biocompatibility and spectroscopic properties towards the development of various applications.
Regioselective synthesis of nitrosoimidazoheterocycles using tert-butyl nitrite
Authors: Monir Kamarul , Ghosh Monoranjan , Jana Sourav , Mondal Pallab , Majee Adinath , Hajra Alakananda
Published: July 2015

A simple and practical method has been developed for the regioselective nitrosylation of imidazopyridines via C(sp2)–H bond functionalization using tert-butyl nitrite under mild reaction conditions.
Polymeric palladium-mediated carbene polymerization
Authors: Li Feifei , Xiao Longqiang , Liu Lijian
Published: July 2015

A newly-developed metal-carbene radical polymerization mechanism is proposed for poly(imidazole-Pd)-mediated carbene polymerization, which could produce stereoregular polycarbenes besides atactic polycarbenes.