bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrophobic ionic liquids as novel extractants for gold(I) recovery from alkaline cyanide solutions
Authors: Yang Xiangjun , Yang Ruisi , Shi Deqiang , Wang Shixiong , Chen Jing , Guo Hong
Published: May 2014

BACKGROUND

Although ionic liquids (ILs) as green solvents have become a focus of research in the field of metal ions separation, little attention has been paid to gold(I) recovery from alkaline cyanide solutions using ILs as extractants. Therefore, this work explores gold(I) extraction using hydrophobic imidazolium‐based ionic liquids.

RESULTS

It was found that an increase in the alkyl group chain substituted on the cation ring of the ionic liquid corresponded with an increase in gold(I) extraction. Almost all of the gold(I) (>98%) was extracted from the aqueous phase into the organic phase using pure [C8mim][PF6] as an extractant. With increased reaction temperature, the gold extraction efficiency also increased. The transfer mechanism of Au(CN)2− into the ionic liquid was proved to be an anion exchange reaction. Most of the gold(I) (>90%) in the [C8mim][PF6] phase could be directly deposited on a copper cathode through electrowinning. Energy dispersive spectrometry analysis and X‐ray diffraction patterns suggested that the yellow deposits on the copper cathode were pure gold. Results of three recycling experiments indicated the excellent stability of the [C8mim][PF6].

CONCLUSION

Ionic liquid extraction followed by direct electrodeposition from the organic phase is a feasible method for gold recovery from alkaline aurocyanide solutions. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Quinolone Analogs 14: Synthesis of Antimalarial 1‐Aryl‐3‐(4‐quinolon‐2‐yl)ureas and Related Compounds
Authors: Kurasawa Yoshihisa , Yoshida Kiminari , Yamazaki Naoki , Sasaki Kenji , Zamami Yoshito , Min Zhao , Togi Atsumi , Ito Hideyuki , Kaji Eisuke , Fukaya Haruhiko
Published: May 2014

The 4‐quinolone‐2‐carbohydrazide 6a was converted into 1‐aryl‐3‐(4‐quinolon‐2‐yl)ureas 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 1‐aryl‐3‐(4‐quinolon‐2‐yl)imidazolidine‐2,4‐diones 9a,9b, and N‐(4‐quinolon‐2‐yl)carbamates 10a,10b via 4‐quinolone‐2‐carbonylazide 7a. The 4‐methoxyquinoline‐2‐carbohydrazide 6b was also transformed into 1‐aryl‐3‐(4‐methoxyquinolin‐2‐yl)ureas 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 1‐aryl‐3‐(4‐methoxyquinolin‐2‐yl)imidazolidine‐2,4‐diones 12a,12b, and N‐(4‐methoxyquinolin‐2‐yl)carbamates 13a,13b via 4‐methoxyquinoline‐2‐carbonylazide 7b. Some of the 1‐aryl‐3‐(4‐quinolon‐2‐yl)ureas 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e showed the in vitro antimalarial activity to chloroquine‐resistant Plasmodium falciparum, wherein IC50 was 0.93 to 4.00 μM.
Quinolone Analogues 15: Synthesis and Antimalarial Activity of 4‐Phenyl‐1‐(1‐triazolylmethyl‐4‐quinolon‐3‐ylcarbonyl)semicarbazide and Related Compounds
Authors: Kurasawa Yoshihisa , Yoshida Kiminari , Yamazaki Naoki , Sasaki Kenji , Zamami Yoshito , Min Zhao , Togi Atsumi , Ito Hideyuki , Kaji Eisuke , Fukaya Haruhiko
Published: May 2014

The 1‐hydrazinocarbonylmethyl‐4‐quinolone‐3‐carboxylate (10) was converted into the 1‐(4‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐ylmethyl)‐4‐quinolone‐3‐carboxylic acid (13), whose reaction with arylcarbaldehydes gave the 1‐(4‐arylmethyleneamino‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐ylmethyl)‐4‐quinolone‐3‐carboxylic acids (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g). Compound 10 was also transformed into the 1‐(4‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐ylmethyl)‐4‐quinolone‐3‐carbohydrazide (15), whose reaction with phenyl isocyanate or phenyl isothiocyanate afforded the 4‐phenyl‐1‐(1‐triazolylmethyl‐4‐quinolon‐3‐ylcarbonyl)semicarbazide (6a) or 4‐phenyl‐1‐(1‐triazolylmethyl‐4‐quinolon‐3‐ylcarbonyl)thiosemicarbazide (6b), respectively. Compounds 6a, 6b showed the in vitro antimalarial activity to chloroquine‐resistant Plasmodium falciparum, wherein their IC50 was 3.89 and 3.91 μM, respectively.
Novel Quinazoline Derivatives Bearing a Sulfapyridine Moiety as Anticancer and Radiosensitizing Agents
Authors: Ghorab Mostafa M. , Ragab Fatma A. , Heiba Helmi I. , Bayomi Ahmad A.
Published: May 2014

Quinazoline derivatives posses many types of biological activities and have recently been reported to show substantial antitumor activity in vitro and/or in vivo. There is a variety of mechanisms for their anticancer activity. The present work reports the possible utility of methyl anthranilate in the synthesis of some new quinazoline derivatives, bearing a substituted sulfonamide moiety. All the newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity against human liver cancer cell line, using doxorubicin as a reference drug. In addition, the most active compounds 14 and 15 were selected and evaluated for their ability to enhance the cell killing effect of γ‐radiation.
Syntheses and Fluorescent Properties of 6‐Methoxy‐2‐oxoquinoline‐3,4‐dicarbonitriles and 6,7‐Dimethoxy‐2‐oxoquinoline‐3,4‐dicarbonitriles
Authors: Enoua Guy Crépin , Lahm Günther , Uray Georg , Stadlbauer Wolfgang
Published: May 2014

4‐Chlorocarbostyrils 3, 12, 17, 24, 26 with methoxy substituents in 6, 7, or 6,7‐position react with potassium cyanide in a p‐toluenesulfinate mediated reaction either to the highly fluorescent and stable 2‐oxoquinoline‐3,4‐dicarbonitriles 6, 27, 29, 30 or at slightly lower temperatures to 4‐monocarbonitriles 5, 13, 18. 4‐Chlorocarbostyril 3 and lithium p‐toluenesulfinate gave pure 4‐toluenesulfonylquinolone 4, which reacted with potassium cyanide either to monocarbonitrile 5 or dicarbonitrile 6, depending on the reaction conditions. 4‐Trifluoromethylquinolones 9 and 19 were prepared for fluorescence comparison from the appropriate methoxyaniline and 4,4,4‐trifluoroacetoacetate.

The fluorescence properties such as emission wavelengths and quantum yields of 6‐methoxyderivatives 4, 5, 6, 9, 13 were studied and compared with those of 7‐methoxy derivatives 18, 19 and 6,7‐dimethoxyderivatives 27, 28, 29, 30. 6,7‐Dimethoxy derivatives show best results, showing long‐waved fluorescence spectra up to 520 nm and acceptable quantum yields up to 0.46 for 3,4‐dicyano derivative 27 excited at 440 nm in acetonitrile.
Recent Advances in the Chemistry and Synthetic Uses of Amino‐1,3,4‐thiadiazoles
Authors: Hamama Wafaa S. , Gouda Moustafa A. , Abd El‐Wahab Marwa H. , Zoorob Hanafi H.
Published: May 2014

Amino‐1,3,4‐thiadiazoles, although scarce in nature, constitute a group of nitrogen and sulfur heterocyclic compounds that have shown significant biological activities. Their transformations into other biologically active compounds have been exploited. This review describes the work on the synthesis and reactions of amino‐1,3,4‐thiadiazoles as well as their biological evaluation.
Convenient Synthesis of 2‐Amino‐4H‐chromenes from Photochemically Generated o‐Quinone Methides and Malononitrile
Authors: Fujiwara Makoto , Sakamoto Masanori , Komeyama Kimihiro , Yoshida Hiroto , Takaki Ken
Published: May 2014

2‐Amino‐4H‐chromenes were synthesized in moderate to good yields by the reaction of o‐quinone methides photochemically generated from o‐(dimethylaminomethyl)phenols with malononitrile. This method was applicable to the synthesis of fluorinated chromenes that were difficult to obtain by other methods. In addition, o‐(hydroxymethyl)phenols could be used for the reaction in the presence of tertiary amine bases.
Quantitative T2* (T2 star) relaxation times predict site specific proteoglycan content and residual mechanics of the intervertebral disc throughout degeneration
Authors: Ellingson Arin M. , Nagel Tina M. , Polly David W. , Ellermann Jutta , Nuckley David J.
Published: May 2014

Degeneration alters the biochemical composition of the disc, affecting the mechanical integrity leading to spinal instability. Quantitative T2* MRI probes water mobility within the macromolecular network, a potentially more sensitive assessment of disc health. We determined the relationship between T2* relaxation time and proteoglycan content, collagen content, and compressive mechanics throughout the degenerative spectrum. Eighteen human cadaveric lumbar (L4–L5) discs were imaged using T2* MRI. The T2* relaxation time at five locations (nucleous pulposus or NP, anterior annulus fibrosis or AF, posterior AF, inner AF, and outer AF) was correlated with sulfated‐glycosaminoglycan (s‐GAG) content, hydroxyproline content, and residual stress and strain at each location. T2* relaxation times were significantly correlated with s‐GAG contents in all test locations and were particularly strong in the NP (r = 0.944; p < 0.001) and inner AF (r = 0.782; p < 0.001). T2* relaxation times were also significantly correlated with both residual stresses and excised strains in the NP (r = 0.857; p < 0.001: r = 0.816; p < 0.001), inner AF (r = 0.535; p = 0.022: r = 0.516; p = 0.028), and outer AF (r = 0.668; p = 0.002: r = 0.458; p = 0.041). These strong correlations highlight T2* MRI's ability to predict the biochemical and mechanical health of the disc. T2* MRI assessment of disc health is a clinically viable tool showing promise as a biomarker for distinguishing degenerative changes. © 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:1083–1089, 2014.
The changing face of obesity: Exposure to and acceptance of obesity
Authors: Robinson Eric , Christiansen Paul
Published: May 2014

Objective

Adiposity has started to become the norm in many western countries. The current studies tested the hypothesis that exposure to heavier body weights will increase the acceptance of obesity, which could further propagate rises in body weight.

Methods

Across three experiments we examined the effect that exposing participants to photographs of either obese or healthy weight males had on later judgments about an obese male. We also tested how obesity exposure impacted upon visual preferences and how accepting participants were of obesity, to examine the mechanisms by which exposure to obesity increases acceptance of heavier body weights.

Results

In Experiment 1, obesity exposure resulted in an obese male being judged more positively, than after exposure to healthy weights. Experiment 2 replicated the effect that obesity exposure had on acceptability and demonstrated this effect was mediated by obesity exposure increasing how much participants liked the way an obese person looked. In Experiment 3, exposure to obesity resulted in participants being more likely to believe that an obese person did not need to lose weight.

Conclusions

Findings across these three studies were consistent and suggest that exposure to adiposity results in an increased acceptance of obesity, by altering visual preferences towards heavier body weights.
Review on impact analysis of FRP composites validated by LS‐DYNA
Authors: Singh Nand Kishore , Singh K. K.
Published: May 2014

In recent decades fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) materials have revolutionized the world of engineering material. It has emerged as a substitute to traditional engineering material because of its aspect ratio. The increase in demand of FRP in various areas such as automotive and aerospace increases the need to do deep and diversified impact analysis of FRP composites. This article is an attempt to review literatures on the impact analysis of FRP composite validated by LS‐DYNA. The effect of projectile characterization, fiber orientation, and cores on the impact behavior of FRP composite has been discussed. An attempt is done to view literature from 1990s to present days. Because of insufficiency of relevant paper (using LS‐DYNA) in 1990s, this review article includes work done from 2000s to present days. Temperature dependency, energy absorbed, contact time, and damage pattern of the FRP laminates, along with future trend of research work in the area of composite are also discussed. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1786–1798, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Fetal subcutaneous tissue measurements in pregnancy as a predictor of neonatal total body composition
Authors: O'Connor Clare , Doolan Anne , O'Higgins Amy , Segurado Ricardo , Sheridan‐Pereiraet Margaret , Turner Michael J. , Stuart Bernard , Kennelly Máireád M.
Published: May 2014

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between prenatal measures of subcutaneous tissue as surrogate markers of fetal nutritional status and correlate them with neonatal total body composition.

Methods

This prospective longitudinal study of 62 singleton pregnancies obtained serial biometry and subcutaneous tissue measurements at 28, 33 and 38 weeks gestation. These measurements were then correlated with neonatal body composition, which was analysed using the PEAPOD™ Infant Body Composition System (Cosmed USA, Concord, CA, USA).

Results

At 38 weeks gestation, fetal abdominal subcutaneous tissue (FAST) in millimetres was significantly associated with infant fat mass at delivery (+64 g per mm of FAST, p < 0.001). Thigh fat (TF) at 28 weeks gestation was associated with infant fat mass at delivery (+79 g/mm TF, p = 0.023). TF at 38 weeks gestation was associated with infant fat mass (+63/mm TF, p = 0.004). TF and FAST at 38 weeks were also predictive of both birth weight and increased abdominal circumference (AC) (p = 0.001) with FAST measurement predicting an additional 5.7 mm in AC per millimetre of FAST (p = 0.002) and TF predicting an additional 6.9 mm per mm of TF (p = 0.002).

Conclusion

We believe that this study further validates the use of prenatal measures of subcutaneous tissue and may help to highlight fetuses at risk of newborn adiposity and metabolic syndrome. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of nursing intervention models on social adaption capability development in preschool children with malignant tumors: a randomized control trial
Authors: Yu Lu , Mo Lin , Tang Yan , Huang Xiaoyan , Tan Juan
Published: May 2014

Objectives

The objectives of this study are to compare the effects of two nursing intervention models on the ability of preschool children with malignant tumors to socialize and to determine if these interventions improved their social adaption capability (SAC) and quality of life.

Methods

Inpatient preschool children with malignant tumors admitted to the hospital between December 2009 and March 2012 were recruited and randomized into either the experimental or control groups. The control group received routine nursing care, and the experimental group received family‐centered nursing care, including physical, psychological, and social interventions. The Infants‐Junior Middle School Student's Social‐Life Abilities Scale was used to evaluate SAC development of participants.

Results

Participants (n = 240) were recruited and randomized into two groups. After the intervention, the excellent and normal SAC rates were 27.5% and 55% in the experimental group, respectively, compared with 2.5% and 32.5% in the control group (p < 0.001). After the intervention, SAC in experimental group was improved compared with before intervention (54.68 ± 10.85 vs 79.9 ± 22.3, p < 0.001). However, no differences in SAC were observed between baseline and after intervention in the control group (54.70 ± 11.47 vs. 52 ± 15.8, p = 0.38).

Conclusion

The family‐centered nursing care model that included physical, psychological, and social interventions improved the SAC of children with malignancies compared with children receiving routine nursing care. Establishing a standardized family–school–community–hospital hierarchical multi‐management intervention model for children is important to the efficacy of long‐term interventions and to the improvement of SAC of children with malignancies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recommended management and recent advances in allergic rhinitis
Authors: Schofield Gill , Farooque Sophie
Published: May 2014

Allergic rhinitis is a common and undertreated condition and is often a precursor to asthma in children. Our Drug review discusses diagnosis, recommended management and recent advances in treatment, followed by sources of further information and an analysis of the prescription data.
How Much Information Do Patients Want or Need
Authors: Givel Jean‐Claude , Meier Benedikt
Published: May 2014

Based on literature and personal experience, this paper address the question of how much information patients want or need prior to surgery. It underlines the importance of not only answering patients’ questions but also making them aware of information available, to help them go through this difficult process. Aspects such as obtaining a second opinion and use of the Internet are also covered.
Advancements in the field of personality development
Authors: De Fruyt Filip , Van Leeuwen Karla
Published: May 2014

A summary is provided what the fields of personality and developmental psychology had to offer each other the past decade, reflected in the eleven contributions enclosed in this special issue. Strengths and opportunities to further advance the field are identified, including the extension of general trait with maladaptive trait models, the use of alternative methods to assess personality, and the adoption of configural approaches to describe traits in individuals, beyond more traditional person‐centered approaches.
Assessing Knowledge and Application of Emergency Risk Communication Principles Among Public Health Workers in China
Authors: Cope James R. , Frost Melinda , Richun Li , Xie Ruiqian
Published: May 2014

Objective

Since 2003, the Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission (formerly the Ministry of Health) has implemented changes to more effectively communicate risk during public health emergencies. In spite of ongoing improvements, provincial and sub-provincial leaders face barriers, such as established modes of operation, lack of training, shortage of trained risk communicators, and limited understanding and willingness of recipients to mitigate risks.

Methods

We assessed the current status of and barriers to risk communication knowledge and practice among public health practitioners in China. We designed the survey questionnaire to capture information related to the risk communication core capacities required by international health regulations and common risk communication principles.

Results

Our findings showed that risk communication training has successfully developed an awareness of risk communication principles and the ability to implement those principles in practice in China.

Conclusions

Future efforts should focus on areas such as a dedicated risk communication workforce, requirements that public health agencies develop a risk communication plan, and additional training for public health practitioners and their partners. It is critical that the infectious diseases prevention and control law be amended to grant provincial and local public health agencies more autonomy to release information. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-7)
Nested contour dynamics models for axisymmetric vortex rings and vortex wakes
Authors: O’Farrell Clara , Dabiri John O.
Published: May 2014

Inviscid models for vortex rings and dipoles are constructed using nested patches of vorticity. These models constitute more realistic approximations to experimental vortex rings and dipoles than the single-contour models of Norbury and Pierrehumbert, and nested contour dynamics algorithms allow their simulation with low computational cost. In two dimensions, nested-contour models for the analytical Lamb dipole are constructed. In the axisymmetric case, a family of models for vortex rings generated by a piston–cylinder apparatus at different stroke ratios is constructed from experimental data. The perturbation response of this family is considered by the introduction of a small region of vorticity at the rear of the vortex, which mimics the addition of circulation to a growing vortex ring by a feeding shear layer. Model vortex rings are found to either accept the additional circulation or shed vorticity into a tail, depending on the perturbation size. A change in the behaviour of the model vortex rings is identified at a stroke ratio of three, when it is found that the maximum relative perturbation size vortex rings can accept becomes approximately constant. We hypothesise that this change in response is related to pinch-off, and that pinch-off might be understood and predicted based on the perturbation responses of model vortex rings. In particular, we suggest that a perturbation response-based framework can be useful in understanding vortex formation in biological flows.
Parent Reports of Treatments and Interventions Used With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): A Review of the Literature
Authors: Carlon Sarah , Stephenson Jennifer , Carter Mark
Published: May 2014

With the increasing number of treatment and intervention options for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in recent years, the number and types of interventions that parents are choosing to use has become of interest. In the present paper, the authors review 41 articles (describing 42 studies) presenting quantitative data on intervention choices of parents of children with ASD. Speech therapy was the most commonly reported intervention for both current and lifetime use. Across the studies, parents were reported to be using a variety of interventions, from those with strong empirical support, such as applied behaviour analysis (ABA), to others that lacked such support, such as dietary interventions. Some differences in the data presented across studies may be attributed to the range of different methodologies used to collect the data. Recommendations for future research, including those related to collecting treatment usage data more consistently, are discussed.
RESPONSE OF CANOLA (Brassica napusL.) AND MUSTARD (B. junceaL.) TO DIFFERENT WATERING REGIMES
Authors: ZELEKE K. T. , LUCKETT D. J. , COWLEY R. B.
Published: May 2014

In arid and semiarid winter crop growing regions of southern Australia, low rainfall, high evaporation, and low soil moisture storage are the limiting factors for crop production. In this region canola (Brassica napusL.) is principally grown in rotation with wheat and pasture species. Some field studies have indicated Indian mustard (Brassica junceaL.) to be more drought tolerant than canola and therefore considered to be better adapted than canola to short season environments. A field experiment was conducted at Wagga Wagga in NSW to determine the effect of two soil moisture regimes on water use efficiency, harvest index, seed and oil quality of cv. Oasis of Indian mustard and cv. Skipton of canola. Significantyear × stressandspecies × stressinteraction effects were observed for grain yield, harvest index, seed weight, biomass water productivity, and grain water productivity. Irrigation during the post flowering period resulted in 50% and 200% increases in canola grain yield in the first year (year with higher in-crop water) and the second year (year with low in-crop water), respectively. For mustard, these values were 7% and 45%, respectively. Stressed mustard resulted in higher grain yield than stressed canola while irrigated canola performed better than irrigated mustard. High mustard biomass production resulted in lowering its harvest index. Generally, the biomass water productivity of mustard was higher than that of canola. Grain yield-based water productivity of stressed mustard was higher than that of stressed canola while irrigated canola had higher water productivity than irrigated mustard. When rainfall and actual evapotranspiration drop below some thresholds, mustard becomes a favourable crop. Generally, effects due to the water treatments (stressed v irrigated) were much larger than the differences due to species.
Is it necessary to split nitrogen fertilization for winter wheat? On-farm research on Luvisols in South-West Germany
Authors: SCHULZ R. , MAKARY T. , HUBERT S. , HARTUNG K. , GRUBER S. , DONATH S. , DÖHLER J. , WEIß K. , EHRHART E. , CLAUPEIN W. , PIEPHO H.-P. , PEKRUN C. , MÜLLER T.
Published: May 2014

Mineral nitrogen (N) fertilization in cereals is commonly split into three or four applications. In order to simplify N fertilization, a single N application either broadcast or placed on the soil surface was compared to conventionally split fertilization for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The 4-year experiment (2007–2010) was performed using a participatory approach on farmers’ fields on deep loamy soils (Luvisols) in South-West Germany.

Grain yield and crude protein contents differed only slightly or not at all between treatments including different N fertilizer types (calcium ammonium nitrate, urea ammonium nitrate solution, urea) and application techniques (broadcast, placed). Furthermore, no differences were found for the yield components ears/m2 and thousand grain weight. Inorganic N in the soil profile after harvest was generally below 40 kg N/ha and did not differ between treatments. In the area where N was placed, mineral N was depleted during the vegetation period.

At the experimental sites a single N application in the period between tillering and stem elongation was sufficient to achieve high yield and quality of winter wheat without increased risk of nitrate leaching. This finding was independent of the method of application or the type of fertilizer.
CONTEXT MATTERS: FOSTERING, ORPHANHOOD AND SCHOOLING IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Authors: HAMPSHIRE KATE , PORTER GINA , AGBLORTI SAMUEL , ROBSON ELSBETH , MUNTHALI ALISTER , ABANE ALBERT
Published: May 2014

A growing body of research suggests that orphanhood and fostering might be (independently) associated with educational disadvantage in sub-Saharan Africa. However, literature on the impacts of orphanhood and fostering on school enrolment, attendance and progress produces equivocal, and often conflicting, results. This paper reports on quantitative and qualitative data from sixteen field-sites in Ghana and Malawi, highlighting the importance of historical and social context in shaping schooling outcomes for fostered and orphaned children. In Malawi, which has been particularly badly affected by AIDS, orphans were less likely to be enrolled in and attending school than other children. By contrast, in Ghana, with its long tradition of ‘kinship fostering’, orphans were not significantly educationally disadvantaged; instead, non-orphaned, purposively fostered children had lower school enrolment and attendance than their peers. Understanding the context of orphanhood and fostering in relation to schooling is crucial in achieving ‘Education for All’.
Reproductive traits and seasonal variability ofMerluccius merlucciusfrom the Tunisian coast
Authors: Khoufi Widien , Ferreri Rosalia , Jaziri Héla , El Fehri Safouène , Gargano Antonella , Mangano Salvatore , Ben Meriem Sadok , Romdhane Mohamed Salah , Bonanno Angelo , Aronica Salvatore , Genovese Simona , Mazzola Salvatore , Basilone Gualtiero
Published: May 2014

Merluccius merlucciusis an economically and ecologically important demersal species inhabiting the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea; however, reproductive knowledge about this species, along the North African coast is still missing. Monthly samples were collected from November 2010 to October 2011 along the North Tunisian coast. Morphometric parameters were measured, and histological preparations of gonadic tissues provided detailed information on the reproductive biology. Ovary maturity data showed a protracted spawning season throughout the year, with peaks in January, April and August. In females ofM. merluccius, seasonal variability in weight and length were noticed, with higher values in the first part of the study period (November–April) than from May to October. Analysing separately these two periods, significant relationships were observed between gonadic maturation indices and the somatic and gonadic indices, suggesting a seasonal differential use of energy intake. From November to May the fish alternate the use of their energy for body growth and reserves for later uses (i.e fat, muscle and liver mass) or for gonadic growth. From June to October the energy is converted mainly into gonad weight and less to somatic growth. The maturity ogives obtained by macroscopic and histological maturity staging methods showed significant differences; however, in both cases the length at first maturity estimates were around 29 cm. Nonetheless, when selecting the main spawning period, theL50estimation was heavily reduced to 24 cm, suggesting careful attention in the selection of the samples to be used specially for fishery management purposes.
Factors influencing the occurrence and vulnerability of the Travancore tortoise Indotestudo travancorica in protected areas in south India
Authors: Deepak V. , Vasudevan Karthikeyan
Published: May 2014

Protected areas in developing tropical countries are under pressure from local demand for resources, and therefore it is essential to monitor rare species and prevent overexploitation of resources. The Travancore tortoise Indotestudo travancorica is endemic to the Western Ghats in southern India, where it inhabits deciduous and evergreen forests. We used multiple-season models to estimate site occupancy and detection probability for the tortoise in two protected areas, and investigated factors influencing this. During 2006–2009 we surveyed 25 trails in four forest types and estimated that the tortoise occupied 41–97% of the habitat. Tortoise presence on the trails was confirmed by sightings of 39 tortoises and 61 instances of indirect evidence of tortoises. There was considerable interannual variation in both direct and indirect evidence of tortoise presence. Although grass marshes represented only a small fraction of the protected areas, they constituted an important foraging ground for the tortoise and should be a focal point for monitoring and protection measures. Human-inhabited enclaves within the protected areas, and consequent furtive hunting, had a negative effect on occupancy by the tortoise, and therefore protected area management should include educating local communities and involving them in monitoring and protecting the species.
A review of parasite studies of commercially important marine fishes in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: REED CECILE C.
Published: May 2014

Scattered records of parasitic species infecting commercially important marine fishes in sub-Saharan Africa are known from just a few countries where concerted efforts have been made by local parasitologists (e.g. Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa). Most of these consist of taxonomic records or general surveys of parasite faunas associated with marine hosts, which may or may not have been of commercial value. Little to no multi-disciplinary research is conducted in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa and hence parasitological data are not commonly used to advise fisheries management procedures. This review summarizes current knowledge on all parasitological research associated with commercially important marine fish species in sub-Saharan Africa.
Immunological characterization of a chimeric form ofSchistosoma mansoniaquaporin in the murine model
Authors: FIGUEIREDO BARBARA CASTRO PIMENTEL , DE ASSIS NATAN RAIMUNDO GONÇALVES , DE MORAIS SUELLEN BATISTONI , MARTINS VICENTE PAULO , RICCI NATASHA DELAQUA , BICALHO RODRIGO MARQUES , PINHEIRO CARINA DA SILVA , OLIVEIRA SERGIO COSTA
Published: May 2014

Aquaporin (SmAQP) is the most abundant transmembrane protein in the tegument ofSchistosoma mansoni. This protein is expressed in all developmental stages and seems to be essential in parasite survival since it plays a crucial role in osmoregulation, nutrient transport and drug uptake. In this study, we utilized the murine model to evaluate whether this protein was able to induce protection against challenge infection withS. mansonicercariae. A chimeric (c) SmAQP was formulated with Freund's adjuvant for vaccination trial and evaluation of the host's immune response was performed. Our results demonstrated that immunization with cSmAQP induced the production of high levels of specific anti-cSmAQP IgG antibodies and a Th1/Th17 type of immune response characterized by IFN-γ, TNF-αand IL-17 cytokines. However, vaccination of mice with cSmAQP failed to reduceS. mansoniworm burden and liver pathology. Finally, we were unable to detect humoral immune response anti-cSmAQP in the sera ofS. mansoni-infected human patients. Our results lead us to believe that SmAQP, as formulated in this study, may not be a good target in the search for an anti-schistosomiasis vaccine.
The VOC as a Company-State: Debating Seventeenth-Century Dutch Colonial Expansion
Authors: Weststeijn Arthur
Published: May 2014

What was seventeenth-century Dutch expansion in Southeast Asia all about? In the traditional historiography, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was predominantly presented as a multinational corporation and non-state colonial actor. Recent research, however, has significantly challenged this view, stressing instead the imperial aspects of VOC rule. This article aims to break new ground by analysing the vocabularies used in seventeenth-century reasoning about Dutch expansion overseas. Focusing on three critics of the VOC from the 1660s and 1670s, Pieter van Dam, Pieter de la Court, and Pieter van Hoorn, the article shows how voices within and outside of the ranks of the Company tried to make sense of the many-faced VOC as a commercial company that was also, in different ways, a state. In an on-going debate that centred on the issues of colonisation, conquest, free trade, and monopoly, the VOC was characterised as a distinctive political body that operated as an overseas extension of the state (Van Dam), as a competitor of the state (De la Court), or as a state as such (Van Hoorn). Following Philip J. Stern's recent analysis of the English East India Company, the VOC should therefore be considered to be a particular political institution in its own terms, which challenged its critics to think about it as a body politic that was neither corporation nor empire, but rather a Company-State.
Killing with Kindness The Benevolent Roots of Violence in Early Virginia
Authors: Rome Alan S.
Published: May 2014

Virginia was founded with a certainty of common humanity that had disastrous consequences for its native peoples. The English established Jamestown in 1607—in what was to become their first permanent settlement in America—with all the mixed motivations of benevolence and grasping desire of any colonial enterprise. Yet they firmly believed the peoples that they found there, whom they called Indians, were as human as themselves. Convinced that they possessed an absolute truth valid for all peoples in all times and places, they desired to embrace and mould these Indians into their own ideal vision of humanity. It was this inclusive embrace of the Indians, and not any cynical attempts to exploit them or to denigrate them as “other,” which led to the destruction of their way of life. The tragedy of the colony was due to the most benevolent of intentions.
Richard Kirby and the Tjaringin Murders A Western Response to the Indonesian Revolution, 1946
Authors: Fettling David
Published: May 2014

On 17 April 1946, seven Australian war crimes investigators left the military perimeter British troops were maintaining around the city of Batavia and travelled into an anarchic, lawless Javanese hinterland, rife with different Indonesian revolutionary militants fighting the Dutch and each other. As they entered the kampong of Tjaringin, north of Bogor, automatic rifle fire hit their car. Two men died immediately; a third was found days later in a nearby ditch, shot in the back of the head. Amid outrage in the Australian press, External Affairs Minister H. V Evatt announced he was sending an Australian judge, Richard Kirby, to investigate the killings. This article analyses Kirby's trip to Indonesia and his approach to the task of locating and bringing to trial the murderers.

Kirby's task was a microcosm of the challenge the West faced in responding to the nationalist uprisings that convulsed postwar Asia. Those uprisings, at times marked by violent antiforeign sentiment, raised for Western nations the spectre of permanent instability and anarchy impeding their interests and influence: O.S.S. officer Peter Dewey's murder in Vietnam the year before had similarly encapsulated this issue for the United States. Yet by the end of the 1940s, Western policymakers had for the most part moved from supporting formal colonialism to supporting the formation of independent states run by Asian nationalists. Australia's support for the Indonesian Republic in its struggle against Dutch rule was an early example of this shift. It so happened that Kirby's 1946 Java mission coincided with a period of backtracking in Australia's progressive attitude to the Indonesian question: indeed, Kirby's minister at times expressed qualms with Kirby's approach.
Line segment-based fast 3D plane extraction using nodding 2D laser rangefinder
Authors: An Su-Yong , Lee Lae-Kyoung , Oh Se-Young
Published: May 2014

Three-dimensional (3D) data processing has applications in solving complex tasks such as object recognition, environment modeling, and robotic mapping and localization. Because using raw 3D data without preprocessing is very time-consuming, extraction of geometric features that describe the environment concisely is essential. In this sense, a plane can be a suitable geometric feature due to its simplicity of extraction and the abundance in indoor environments. This paper presents an online incremental plane extraction method using line segments for indoor environments. Our data collection system is based on a “nodding” laser scanner, so we exploit the incremental nature of its data acquisition in which physical rotation and 3D data processing are conducted in parallel. Line segments defined by two end points become supporting elements that comprise a plane, so a large proportion of scan points can be ignored once the line segments are extracted from each scan slice. This elimination of points reduces the algorithm complexity and computation time. Experiments with the tens of complete scan data sets which were acquired from a typical indoor environment demonstrated that our method was at least three times faster than the state-of-the-art methods.
Kinematic and dynamic analysis of lower-mobility cooperative arms
Authors: Long Philip , Khalil Wisama , Caro Stéphane
Published: May 2014

This paper studies the modeling and analysis of a system with two cooperative manipulators working together on a common task. The task is defined as the transportation of an object in space. The cooperative system is the dual-arm of the humanoid robot Nao, where the serial architecture of each arm has 5 degrees of freedom. The kinematics representing the closed chain system is studied. The mobility of the closed-loop system is analyzed and the nature of the possible motions explored. The stiffness of some motors can be reduced until they behave as passive joints. Certain joints are then chosen as actuated (independent) and the others as passive (dependent). The serial and parallel singular configurations of the system are considered. From the kinematic analysis, admissible and inadmissible minimum actuation schemes are analyzed. Furthermore the dynamic performance of the schemes is compared to find the optimum minimum actuation scheme.
Matching monocular lightweight features using N-gram techniques for topological location identification
Authors: Boal Jaime , Sánchez-Miralles Álvaro , Alvar Manuel
Published: May 2014

In SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping), the topological paradigm provides a more natural and compact solution that scales better with the size of the environment. Computer vision has always been regarded as the ideal sensor technology for topological feature extraction and description and several methods have been proposed in the literature, but they are either time-consuming, require plenty of different sensors, or are very sensitive to perceptual aliasing, all of which limit their application scope.

This paper presents a fast-to-compute collection of features extracted from monocular images, and an adaptive matching procedure for location identification in structured indoor environments inspired by the natural language processing field. Although only dominant vertical lines, color histograms, and a reduced number of keypoints are employed in this paper, the matching framework introduced allows for the incorporation of almost any other type of feature. The results of the experiments carried out in a home and an office environment suggest that the proposed method could be used for real-time topological scene recognition even if the environment changes moderately over time. Due to the combination of complementary features, high precision can be achieved within reasonable computation time by using weaker but faster descriptors.
Suing in a local jurisdictional court in late medieval Catalonia. The case of Caldes de Malavella (1328–1369)
Authors: SALES I FAVÀ LLUÍS
Published: May 2014

This article addresses the question of the effectiveness of court litigation over private contracts. Through a case study of fourteenth-century Caldes de Malavella, in northeastern Catalonia, it provides an instructive example of contract registration and enforcement. A large peasant clientele made use of the institutional framework provided by a compact jurisdictional estate. We also explore the ways in which the court system within this barony was affected by the demands of external jurisdictions. The article concludes that the whole system was efficient in prosecuting breach of contract, in serving broader mercantile strategies, and even in softening tensions among parties.
Testimony, History and Ethics: From the Memory of Jiabiangou Prison Camp to a Reappraisal of the Anti-Rightist Movement in Present-Day China
Authors: Veg Sebastian
Published: May 2014

The memory of the Anti-Rightist Movement has long been a blind spot in Chinese debates, with historiography limited to elite politics and little engagement with the repercussions of the movement at grassroots level. However, the publication of Yang Xianhui's 2003 book,Chronicles of Jiabiangou, marked a turning point. Based on extensive oral history interviews, Yang's book makes a substantive connection between the Anti-Rightist Movement and the establishment of dedicatedlaojiaocamps such as Jiabiangou in Gansu province. Documenting what he claims was a policy of dehumanization, he suggests that intellectuals were far from the only victims of a movement characterized by its extra-legal procedures. Ordinary people were often drawn into it and were more able than intellectuals to resist the legitimizing discourse of loyalty to the Party to which many intellectuals continued to cling. For Yang, the testimonies of the Rightist victims in Jiabiangou provide a fruitful field in which to investigate the breakdown of elementary social trust in society during the Anti-Rightist Movement. Situated ambiguously between oral history and literary intervention, Yang's work has, together with other recent publications such asTombstone, contributed to reopening the debate on Maoism in Chinese society today.
The Age of Constitutions in the Americas
Authors: Mirow M. C.
Published: May 2014

The late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries have been aptly called the “Age of Codifications.” The same period was also the Age of Constitutions. Although a great deal is known about the migration of prenational and transnational legal sources and ideas that led to national codes of civil and criminal law in Europe and the Americas, much less is known about similar processes on the constitutional level. Constitutional historians have been more parochial than their private law counterparts, most likely because of the relationship between constitutions and nations. In the light of independence, nations immediately needed constitutions to solidify gains and to consolidate state power. The study of these processes becomes national narratives, often in conversation with the former colonial power, which are disconnected from more general or regional trends. As Linda Colley's article in this issue illustrates, it is important to step back to view the constitution-making process from an Atlantic perspective that ties the Americas, North and South, into the area of study. The Age of Constitutions in the Americas must include Latin America and the Caribbean.
Next-generation sequencing of southern African Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus isolates reveals a high frequency of M segment reassortment
Authors: GOEDHALS D. , BESTER P. A. , PAWESKA J. T. , SWANEPOEL R. , BURT F. J.
Published: May 2014

Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a bunyavirus with a single-stranded RNA genome consisting of three segments (S, M, L), coding for the nucleocapsid protein, envelope glycoproteins and RNA polymerase, respectively. To date only five complete genome sequences are available from southern African isolates. Complete genome sequences were generated for 10 southern African CCHFV isolates using next-generation sequencing techniques. The maximum-likelihood method was used to generate tree topologies for 15 southern African plus 26 geographically distinct complete sequences from GenBank. M segment reassortment was identified in 10/15 southern African isolates by incongruencies in grouping compared to the S and L segments. These reassortant M segments cluster with isolates from Asia/Middle East, while the S and L segments cluster with strains from South/West Africa. The CCHFV M segment shows a high level of genetic diversity, while the S and L segments appear to co-evolve. The reason for the high frequency of M segment reassortment is not known. It has previously been suggested that M segment reassortment results in a virus with high fitness but a clear role in increased pathogenicity has yet to be shown.
Multivariate analysis of factors affecting the immunogenicity of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in school-age children
Authors: FREEMAN G. , NG S. , PERERA R. A. P. M. , FANG V. J. , IP D. K. M. , LEUNG G. M. , PEIRIS J. S. M. , COWLING B. J.
Published: May 2014

We examined factors affecting the immunogenicity of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccination (TIV) in children using the antibody titres of children participating in a Hong Kong community-based study. Antibody titres of strains included in the 2009–2010 northern hemisphere TIV [seasonal A(H1N1), seasonal A(H3N2) and B (Victoria lineage)] and those not included in the TIV [2009 pandemic A(H1N1) and B (Yamagata lineage)] were measured by haemagglutination inhibition immediately before and 1 month after vaccination. Multivariate regression models were fitted in a Bayesian framework to characterize the distribution of changes in antibody titres following vaccination. Statistically significant rises in geometric mean antibody titres were observed against all strains, with a wide variety of standard deviations and correlations in rises observed, with the influenza type B antibodies showing more variability than the type A antibodies. The dynamics of antibody titres after vaccination can be used in more complex models of antibody dynamics in populations.
Uhl’s anomaly: a difficult prenatal diagnosis
Authors: Vaujois Laurence , van Doesburg Nicolaas , Raboisson Marie-Josée
Published: May 2014

Uhl’s anomaly is an evolutive disease leading to terminal right ventricular failure. The most difficult differential diagnosis at presentation is the Ebstein disease. We describe the evolution of a foetus with Uhl’s anomaly from 21 to 30 weeks of gestation, with progressive reduction in the right ventricular anterior myocardium suggestive of apoptosis, leading to foetal demise.