bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
3D graphene network@WO3 nanowire composites: a multifunctional colorimetric and electrochemical biosensing platform
Authors: Ma Ye , Zhao Minggang , Cai Bin , Wang Wei , Ye Zhizhen , Huang Jingyun
Published: July 2014

Combining colorimetric and electrochemical methods in one device, a recyclable freestanding 3D biosensor could detect H2O2, ascorbic acid and dopamine.
Fabrication of nickel-foam-supported layered zinc–cobalt hydroxide nanoflakes for high electrochemical performance in supercapacitors
Authors: Yuan Peng , Zhang Ning , Zhang Dan , Liu Tao , Chen Limiao , Liu Xiaohe , Ma Renzhi , Qiu Guanzhou
Published: July 2014

Nickel foam supported Zn–Co hydroxide nanoflakes were fabricated by a facile solvothermal method, which exhibited excellent specific capacitance and remarkable cycling stability as electrode materials in supercapacitors.
Cu-Catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura reactions of primary and secondary benzyl halides with arylboronates
Authors: Sun Yan-Yan , Yi Jun , Lu Xi , Zhang Zhen-Qi , Xiao Bin , Fu Yao
Published: July 2014

A copper-catalyzed coupling of arylboronates with primary and secondary benzyl halides with β hydrogens or steric hindrance is described.
Homogenous four-petal flower structure formation from metalloporphyrin self-assembly and its reversible transformation into an octahedron structure
Authors: Sun Yu , Yoo Bongyoung
Published: July 2014

For the first time, a uniform four-petal flower structure has been fabricated and its reversible transformation to an octahedron structure has been discovered.
Electronic stability and electron transport properties of atomic wires anchored on the MoS2 monolayer
Authors: Kumar Ashok , Banyai Douglas , Ahluwalia P. K. , Pandey Ravindra , Karna Shashi P.
Published: July 2014

The stability, electronic structure, and electron transport properties of metallic monoatomic wires anchored on the MoS2 monolayer are investigated within the density functional theory.
Enyne [4 + 4] photocycloaddition with polycyclic aromatics
Authors: Khatri Buddha B. , Kulyk Svitlana , Sieburth Scott McN.
Published: July 2014

Polycyclic aromatics undergo [4 + 4] photocycloaddition to give tricyclic polyene products.
Pore formation mechanism of β nucleated polypropylene stretched membranes
Authors: Wu Tong , Xiang Ming , Cao Ya , Kang Jian , Yang Feng
Published: July 2014

Schematic diagram of pore formation mechanism of β-PP during stretching at 25 °C and 90 °C.
Thermal analysis of aqueous urea ammonium nitrate alternative fuel
Authors: Dana Alon Grinberg , Shter Gennady E. , Grader Gideon S.
Published: July 2014

TGA/DTA/MS and DSC under high pressure of aqueous urea ammonium nitrate alternative fuel is reported.
Study of different-sized sulfur-free expandable graphite on morphology and properties of water-blown semi-rigid polyurethane foams
Authors: Luo Wei , Li Yi , Zou Huawei , Liang Mei
Published: July 2014

In this paper, EG with different nominal particle sizes (70 μm, 430 μm and 960 μm) and different loadings from 0 to 50 pphp were considered to investigate the effect of expandable graphite on the morphology and properties of water-blown semi-rigid polyurethane foams (SPFs).
The solvent dynamics at pore surfaces in molecular gels studied by field-cycling magnetic resonance relaxometry
Authors: Tritt-Goc Jadwiga , Rachocki Adam , Bielejewski Michał
Published: July 2014

Surface induced interactions in physical gels described by the reorientation mediated by translational displacement (RMTD) model.
Pathways of cylindrical orientations in PS-b-P4VP diblock copolymer thin films upon solvent vapor annealing
Authors: Gowd E. Bhoje , Koga Tadanori , Endoh Maya K. , Kumar Kamlesh , Stamm Manfred
Published: July 2014

Pathways that control the orientations of cylindrical microdomains formed in PS-b-P4VP thin films upon annealing in different solvent vapors were clarified using time-resolvedin situGISAXS andex situscanning force microscopy.
Adaptive preamble‐sampling techniques for receiver‐based medium access control protocols in lossy wireless sensor networks
Authors: Akhavan Mohammad Reza , Choobkar Sabrieh , Aijaz Adnan , Aghvami Abdol‐Hamid
Published: July 2014

In preamble‐sampling medium access control (PS‐MAC) protocols, nodes spend most of their time in sleep mode, and wake up for a short duration every checking interval (CI) to check the channel for an ongoing transmission. To avoid deafness, each data packet is preceded by a preamble with the same length as CI, to make sure that all potential receivers detect the preamble. In this work, the authors extend the idea of receiver‐based medium access control (MAC) protocol in which all potential neighbour nodes obtain the data frame. They propose and evaluate adaptive preamble MAC and adaptive sampling MAC in PS‐MAC with multiple receiver nodes. The analytical and numerical results demonstrate how proposed adaptive PS‐MAC outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art sender‐based and receiver‐based PS‐MAC protocols in terms of energy, while maintaining the comparable reliability in data delivery. In addition, overall lifetime of the involved sensor nodes has increased significantly.
Low-temperature magnetic behavior of the organic-based magnet Na[FeO6(C10H6N)3]
Authors: Dyakonov V. P. , Zubov E. , Aksimentyeva E. , Dyakonov K. , Piechota S. , Szymczak H.
Published: July 2014

The static and dynamic aspects of magnetic behavior of the complex of iron with 1-nitroso-2-naphthol Na[FeO6(C10H6N)3] as a function of temperature, frequency and magnetic field have been analysed. The ac susceptibility (χac) and dc magnetization (Mdc) were measured over a temperature range of 1.5–200 K in external magnetic field up to 90 kOe and over a frequency range of 95–2000 Hz. The experimental data indicate the absence of magnetic long range order in this complex. The magnetization does not reach a saturation in field of 90 kOe at 1.5 K. At low temperatures, the following characteristic peculiarities of magnetic behavior of complex studied have been found, namely: cusp-like anomalies in the ac susceptibility and zero field cooled (ZFC) magnetization at Tcusp = 17 K; frequency dependence of the Tcusp temperature; remanence and time-dependent relaxation of ZFC magnetization. Attempts were made to compare the χac and Mdc anomalies in complex studied with those of other magnetic systems. Comparison of characteristic peculiarities of magnetic behavior of the spin-glasses and superparamagnets was also performed. Although superparamagnetic behavior should not be completely ruled out as an explanation of the freezing phenomena in sample studied, the analysis of experimental results strongly suggests that the spin-glasslike behavior is a more consistent explanation.
Reconstruction of 2D x-ray radiographs at the National Ignition Facility using pinhole tomography (invited)
Authors: Field J. E. , Rygg J. R. , Barrios M. A. , Benedetti L. R. , Döppner T. , Izumi N. , Jones O. , Khan S. F. , Ma T. , Nagel S. R. , Pak A. , Tommasini R. , Bradley D. K. , Town R. P. J.
Published: July 2014

Two-dimensional radiographs of imploding fusion capsules are obtained at the National Ignition Facility by projection through a pinhole array onto a time-gated framing camera. Parallax among images in the image array makes it possible to distinguish contributions from the capsule and from the backlighter, permitting correction of backlighter non-uniformities within the capsule radiograph. Furthermore, precise determination of the imaging system geometry and implosion velocity enables combination of multiple images to reduce signal-to-noise and discover new capsule features.
Spatial-decomposition analysis of electrical conductivity in concentrated electrolyte solution
Authors: Tu Kai-Min , Ishizuka Ryosuke , Matubayasi Nobuyuki
Published: July 2014

A framework for analyzing the electrical conductivity is proposed on the basis of the Green-Kubo formula. The conductivity is decomposed into the contributions from the ionic species in the electrolyte solution to enable the determination of the transport number, and is further expressed as a sum of the autocorrelation term of the Nernst-Einstein form and the cross-correlation term describing the two-body motions of ions. The spatial decomposition is then conducted for the cross-correlation term by formulating an integral expression over the ion-pair distance to bridge the static picture of ion pairing and the dynamic picture of correlated motions. The present framework is applied to 1 m aqueous solution of NaCl using molecular dynamics simulation. The electrical conductivity and the transport number are computed in agreement with the experimental, and the cross-correlation term is seen to cancel the Nernst-Einstein term by 40%. The spatial decomposition of the time correlation functions for ion motions shows that the Na+-Cl− pair in the first coordination shell moves together and that the like-ion pairs also have positive correlations due to the bridging effect by counter ions. The extent of localization is further analyzed for the cross-correlation effect on the conductivity by introducing a cutoff to the integral expression of spatial decomposition over the ion-pair distance. It is found that the contribution from the cross correlation is localized in the first coordination shell of the Na+-Cl− pair.
FDE-vdW: A van der Waals inclusive subsystem density-functional theory
Authors: Kevorkyants Ruslan , Eshuis Henk , Pavanello Michele
Published: July 2014

We present a formally exact van der Waals inclusive electronic structure theory, called FDE-vdW, based on the Frozen Density Embedding formulation of subsystem Density-Functional Theory. In subsystem DFT, the energy functional is composed of subsystem additive and non-additive terms. We show that an appropriate definition of the long-range correlation energy is given by the value of the non-additive correlation functional. This functional is evaluated using the fluctuation–dissipation theorem aided by a formally exact decomposition of the response functions into subsystem contributions. FDE-vdW is derived in detail and several approximate schemes are proposed, which lead to practical implementations of the method. We show that FDE-vdW is Casimir-Polder consistent, i.e., it reduces to the generalized Casimir-Polder formula for asymptotic inter-subsystems separations. Pilot calculations of binding energies of 13 weakly bound complexes singled out from the S22 set show a dramatic improvement upon semilocal subsystem DFT, provided that an appropriate exchange functional is employed. The convergence of FDE-vdW with basis set size is discussed, as well as its dependence on the choice of associated density functional approximant.
Summing over trajectories of stochastic dynamics with multiplicative noise
Authors: Tang Ying , Yuan Ruoshi , Ao Ping
Published: July 2014

We demonstrate that previous path integral formulations for the general stochastic interpretation generate incomplete results exemplified by the geometric Brownian motion. We thus develop a novel path integral formulation for the overdamped Langevin equation with multiplicative noise. The present path integral leads to the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation, and naturally generates a normalized transition probability in examples. Our result solves the inconsistency of the previous path integral formulations for the general stochastic interpretation, and can have wide applications in chemical and physical stochastic processes.
Longitudinal spin dynamics in nickel fluorosilicate
Authors: Galkina E. G. , Ivanov B. A. , Butrim V. I.
Published: July 2014

The presence of single-ion anisotropy leads to the appearance of the effect of quantum spin reduction. As a consequence, purely longitudinal magnetization dynamics arises, which involves coupled oscillations of the mean spin modulus and the quadrupole mean values constructed on spin operators. In nickel fluorosilicate, the effect of quantum spin reduction may be controlled by changing pressure. The study of nonlinear longitudinal spin dynamics and the analysis of possible photomagnetic effects showed that this compound is a convenient model system to implement switching of the magnetization direction by femtosecond laser pulses.
Interrelation of superconductivity and magnetism in FeSe1−xTex compounds. Pressure effects
Authors: Panfilov A. S. , Pashchenko V. A. , Grechnev G. E. , Desnenko V. A. , Fedorchenko A. V. , Bludov A. N. , Gnatchenko S. L. , Chareev D. A. , Mitrofanovа E. S. , Vasiliev A. N.
Published: July 2014

The effect of isotropic pressures P up to 5 kbar on the superconducting transition temperature Tc of the FeSe1−xTex system (x = 0, 0.85, 0.88, 0.90) is studied. For the first time, a change in the sign of the effect of pressure on Tc on going from FeSe to the tellurium-rich alloys is observed. This makes it possible to specify more precisely the form of the dependence of the pressure derivative dTc/dP on composition in this system. This dependence is compared with first principles calculations of the electron structure and magnetism of FeSe, FeTe, and FeSe0.5Te0.5 as functions of pressure, as well as with our earlier experimental data on the effect of pressure on the magnetic susceptibility of the normal state in FeSe and FeTe. This comparison is indicative of a competitive interrelationship between superconductivity and magnetism in tellurium rich FeSe1−xTex compounds.
Cyclotron resonance in quasi-two-dimensional metals in a tilted magnetic field
Authors: Peschansky V. G. , Stepanenko D. I.
Published: July 2014

The cyclotron resonance in a tilted magnetic field in quasi-two-dimensional organic metals is studied under conditions of strong spatial dispersion. It is shown that, as opposed to ordinary metals in quasi-two-dimensional conductors, a periodic dependence of the impedance on the reciprocal of the magnetic field shows up in the first approximation with respect to the small parameter equal to the ratio of the depth of the skin layer to the electron Larmor radius. Under resonance conditions in the collisionless limit the conductivity has a square-root singularity, while the amplitude of the oscillations in the impedance increases as the anisotropy parameter of the Fermi surface decreases.
Evidence of scaling in the high pressure phonon dispersion relations of some elemental solids
Authors: Srivastava Divya , Waghmare Umesh V. , Sarkar Subir K.
Published: July 2014

First principles searches are carried out for the existence of an asymptotic scaling law for the zero temperature phonon dispersion relation of several elemental crystalline solids in the high pressure regime. The solids studied are Cu, Ni, Pd, Au, Al, and Ir in the face-centered-cubic (fcc) geometry and Fe, Re, and Os in the hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) geometry. At higher pressures, the dependence of the scale of frequency on pressure can be fitted well by a power law. Elements with a given crystalline geometry have values of the scaling exponent very close to each other (0.32 for fcc and 0.27 for hcp – with a scatter below five percent of the average).
Construction of a solenoid used on a magnetized plasma experiment
Authors: Klein S. R. , Manuel M. J.-E. , Pollock B. B. , Gillespie R. S. , Deininger M. , Kuranz C. C. , Keiter P. A. , Drake R. P.
Published: July 2014

Creating magnetized jets in the laboratory is relevant to studying young stellar objects, but generating these types of plasmas within the laboratory setting has proven to be challenging. Here, we present the construction of a solenoid designed to produce an axial magnetic field with strengths in the gap of up to 5 T. This novel design was a compact 75 mm × 63 mm × 88 mm, allowing it to be placed in the Titan target chamber. It was robust, surviving over 50 discharges producing fields ≲ 5 T, reaching a peak magnetic field of 12.5 T.
Polymerization of nitrogen in cesium azide under modest pressure
Authors: Wang Xiaoli , Li Jianfu , Zhu Hongyang , Chen Li , Lin Haiqing
Published: July 2014

Alkali metal azides can be used as starting materials in the synthesis of polymeric nitrogen, a potential high-energy-density material. The structural evolutionary behaviors of nitrogen in CsN3 have been studied up to 200 GPa using particle swarm optimization structure search combining with density functional theory. Three stable new phases with C2/m, P21/m, and P-1 structure at pressure of 6, 13, and 51 GPa are identified for the first time. The phase transition to chain like structure (P-1 phase) occurs at a modest pressure 51 GPa, the azide ions N3− (linear chains of three N atoms with covalent bonds and interact weakly with each other) begin to show remarkable polymeric N properties in the CsN3 system. Throughout the stable pressure range, the structure is metallic and consists of N atoms in sp2 hybridizations. Our study completes the structural evolution of CsN3 under pressure and reveals that the introduced Cs atoms are responsible for the decreased synthesis pressure comparing to pure molecular nitrogen under compression.
Investigation of p-channel and n-channel junctionless gate-all-around polycrystalline silicon nanowires with silicon nanocrystals nonvolatile memory
Authors: Yeh Mu-Shih , Wu Yung-Chun , Chung Ming-Hsien , Jhan Yi-Ruei , Chang-Liao Kuei-Shu , Liu Kuan-Cheng , Wu Min-Hsin , Hung Min-Feng
Published: July 2014

This work presents p-channel and n-channel junctionless (JL) polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) nanowires gate-all-around (GAA) nonvolatile memory (NVM) devices with silicon nanocrystals charge trapping layer. Experimental results indicate that the n-channel device has better programming efficiency and p-channel device has better erasing efficiency. For p-channel device, an extrapolation of the memory window to 10 yr demonstrates that 95% of the stored charge can be retained at high temperature of 85 °C. Such the p-channel and n-channel JL-GAA NVMs are feasible for use in system-on-panel (SOP) and 3-D stacked flash memory applications.
Drought tolerances of three stem-succulent halophyte species of an inland semiarid salt lake system
Authors: Marchesini Victoria A. , Yin Chuanhua , Colmer Timothy D. , Veneklaas Erik J.
Published: July 2014

Succulent halophytes of the genus Tecticornia are dominant in salt marshes of inland lakes of Australia. We assessed the drought responses of a C4 species, Tecticornia indica subsp. bidens (Nees) K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson, and two C3 species, Tecticornia auriculata Paul G.Wilson (K.A.Sheph. & Paul G.Wilson) and Tecticornia medusa (K.A.Sheph. & S.J.van Leeuwen) that occur in the Fortescue Marsh, north-west Australia. In a glasshouse experiment, the three species were grown individually and in different combinations, with varying number of plants per pot to achieve comparable dry-down rates among pots. Prior to the imposition of drought (by withholding water) the three species showed differences in dry mass and physiological variables. As the soil dried out, the three species showed similar reductions of transpiration, osmotic potential and photochemical efficiency. Shoot growth was depressed more than root growth. Tissue water loss from portions of the succulent shoots accounted for ~30% of transpiration during severe drought stress. There was no osmotic adjustment. Shoot tissue concentrations of Na+ and Cl– tended to increase during drought, and those of K+ decreased; however, these changes were not always statistically significant. Chlorophyll concentration decreased but betacyanin concentration increased. Despite occupying distinct positions in a water and salinity gradient, the three Tecticornia species had remarkably similar responses to soil water deficit.
Effects of ingesting highly branched cyclic dextrin during endurance exercise on rating of perceived exertion and blood components associated with energy metabolism
Authors: Furuyashiki Takashi , Tanimoto Hidenori , Yokoyama Yasuhiro , Kitaura Yasuyuki , Kuriki Takashi , Shimomura Yoshiharu
Published: July 2014

We compared the effect of relatively low doses (15 g) of highly branched cyclic dextrin (HBCD) with that of maltodextrin during endurance exercise on the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in a crossover, double-blind study of healthy volunteers. The RPE increased during exercise and its increase was significantly less at 30 and 60 min after ingesting HBCD than maltodextrin.
Color and side preferences in Palestine sunbirds (Nectarinia osea)
Authors: Kaczorowski Rainee L. , Blumenfeld Gali , Koplovich Avi , Markman Shai
Published: July 2014

Floral color is an important cue that converged in many ornithophilous flowers and can be used by nectarivorous birds to make foraging decisions. Wild ornithophilous flowers are frequently red, although they are more often yellow in Israel. The Palestine sunbird (Nectarinia osea) is the only nectarivorous bird in Israel and surrounding Mediterranean areas. Given the prevalence of yellow flowers in their habitats (along with sunbirds' expected sensitivity increase in this region of color vision), we predicted that Palestine sunbirds prefer yellow food sources over red. We examined sunbird foraging behavior when they were presented simultaneously with a yellow and red feeder, each containing the same quantity and quality of food. We investigated whether sunbirds had a side bias in the color preference experiment, but also in a separate experiment where both feeders were white. Sunbirds did not exhibit a significant color bias, while they did have a significant preference for a particular side of the cage. Location appears to be a more important cue than color to Palestine sunbirds, likely because location can offer information on the most rewarding plants and recently depleted flowers. However, color may still provide useful information that could influence foraging decisions in different contexts.
Network-based analysis of genotype–phenotype correlations between different inheritance modes
Authors: Hao Dapeng , Li Chuanxing , Zhang Shaojun , Lu Jianping , Jiang Yongshuai , Wang Shiyuan , Zhou Meng
Published: July 2014

Motivation: Recent studies on human disease have revealed that aberrant interaction between proteins probably underlies a substantial number of human genetic diseases. This suggests a need to investigate disease inheritance mode using interaction, and based on which to refresh our conceptual understanding of a series of properties regarding inheritance mode of human disease.

Results: We observed a strong correlation between the number of protein interactions and the likelihood of a gene causing any dominant diseases or multiple dominant diseases, whereas no correlation was observed between protein interaction and the likelihood of a gene causing recessive diseases. We found that dominant diseases are more likely to be associated with disruption of important interactions. These suggest inheritance mode should be understood using protein interaction. We therefore reviewed the previous studies and refined an interaction model of inheritance mode, and then confirmed that this model is largely reasonable using new evidences. With these findings, we found that the inheritance mode of human genetic diseases can be predicted using protein interaction. By integrating the systems biology perspectives with the classical disease genetics paradigm, our study provides some new insights into genotype–phenotype correlations.

Contact:  haodapeng@ems.hrbmu.edu.cn or biofomeng@hotmail.com

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Repair of O6-methylguanine adducts in human telomeric G-quadruplex DNA by O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase
Authors: Hellman Lance M. , Spear Tyler J. , Koontz Colton J. , Melikishvili Manana , Fried Michael G.
Published: July 2014

O 6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) is a single-cycle DNA repair enzyme that removes pro-mutagenic O6-alkylguanine adducts from DNA. Its functions with short single-stranded and duplex substrates have been characterized, but its ability to act on other DNA structures remains poorly understood. Here, we examine the functions of this enzyme on O6-methylguanine (6mG) adducts in the four-stranded structure of the human telomeric G-quadruplex. On a folded 22-nt G-quadruplex substrate, binding saturated at 2 AGT:DNA, significantly less than the ∼5 AGT:DNA found with linear single-stranded DNAs of similar length, and less than the value found with the telomere sequence under conditions that inhibit quadruplex formation (4 AGT:DNA). Despite these differences, AGT repaired 6mG adducts located within folded G-quadruplexes, at rates that were comparable to those found for a duplex DNA substrate under analogous conditions. Repair was kinetically biphasic with the amplitudes of rapid and slow phases dependent on the position of the adduct within the G-quadruplex: in general, adducts located in the top or bottom tetrads of a quadruplex stack exhibited more rapid-phase repair than did adducts located in the inner tetrad. This distinction may reflect differences in the conformational dynamics of 6mG residues in G-quadruplex DNAs.
Elucidating the crystal structure of the antimalarial drug (±)-mefloquine hydrochloride: a tetragonal hydrated species
Authors: Mendes do Prado Vânia , Cardoso Seiceira Rafael , Pitaluga Jr Altivo , Andrade-Filho Tarciso , Andrade Alves Wendel , Reily Rocha Alexandre , Furlan Ferreira Fabio
Published: July 2014

Albeit widely studied, the structure of the antimalarial drug (±)-mefloquine hydrochloride is still a controversial issue. A combination of X-ray powder diffraction, theoretical calculations and Fourier transform–infrared spectroscopy is used to unambiguously determine the crystal structure of the molecule in its active pharmaceutical ingredient. It is demonstrated that water is incorporated into the structure, leading to a hydrated form and, most importantly, to significant differences in both structure and bonding. Such changes can lead to significant differences in biological activity.
Development of an integrated model for RFID extension
Authors: Alamgir Hossain Mohammad
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– In the literature, a number of models have been developed that explain the adoption behavior of a technological innovation. Similarly, most research explaining the continuance behavior of an information system (IS) ignores the adoption processes. It is observed that researchers seem uninterested in explaining the extension of an IS. The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated model that explains the adoption, continuance, and extension of a technological innovation – taking radio frequency identification (RFID) as the case.

Design/methodology/approach

– Motivated by the exploratory nature of the current research, a qualitative field-study approach is adopted.

Findings

– Technology-organization-environment (TOE) factors influence RFID adoption while continuance is dependent on confirmation from the initial adoption. Finally, the extension decision is influenced by the TOE factors, self-efficacy, and situational factors.

Research limitations/implications

– The research was conducted in eight livestock farms in Western Australia and hence the factors explored can be location specific. This is the first methodological initiative explaining the extension behavior of a technological innovation.

Practical implications

– IS researchers may gain insight toward understanding the diffusion of innovation in the agricultural sector while agricultural agencies and farms can use the findings for their extension plan.

Originality/value

– This study is a single initiative developing an integrated model that explains the adoption diffusion of a technological innovation.
Financial malpractices and stock market development in Nigeria
Authors: Thompson Ojo Ade , Felix Ayadi Olusegun
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate if the prevalence of corruption and other unwholesome financial practices in Nigeria contributed substantially to the stunted growth of the capital market in general, and the stock market in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper employed Gregory–Hansen cointegration approach to test the long-run equilibrium relationship between the occurrence of predatory banking practices and stock market capitalization in Nigeria.

Findings

– There exists a long-run equilibrium relationship between bank fraud and stock market capitalization but with a structural break in 2005.

Practical implications

– There is an urgent need to overhaul and re-assess from time to time the existing systems of internal checks and controls in banks, as well as other financial institutions in Nigeria.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first to empirically test the long-run equilibrium relationship between bank fraud and stock market capitalization in Nigeria.
Price presentation effects on green purchase intentions
Authors: Lee Weisstein Fei , Asgari Mohammadreza , Siew Shir-Way
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the effect of price promotion presentation formats on consumers’ green purchase intentions across various levels of greenness. Despite the increasing awareness of environmental issues and green products among consumers, there is a gap between their green attitude and purchase intentions. Previous studies show that consumers’ degree of greenness varies and that price plays an important role in their green consumption decision-making.

Design/methodology/approach

– Two between-subject experiments with 236 participants were used to examine our hypotheses and conceptual model.

Findings

– The results show that different formats of price promotion presentations influence consumers’ purchase perceptions differently. Consumers with a high degree of greenness are attracted to promotions emphasizing gain, while those with a low degree of greenness prefer promotions underlining reduced loss. In addition, medium-greenness consumers show similar reactions to both formats. Our studies further demonstrate that consumers’ perceived value mediates the moderated effects of perceived quality and perceived savings on green purchase intentions.

Practical implications

– This research helps marketers better design price promotions, taking into account the various levels of consumers’ greenness. The focus of reduced loss or gain of the promotional programs should be targeted at consumers with different levels of greenness.

Originality/value

– This is the first paper to examine the role of price promotion presentation formats in consumer decision-making regarding green consumption. The study provides new insights concerning how to design price promotions to enhance the green purchase intentions of consumers.
Educating professionals
Authors: Lubbe Ilse
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to describe the multiplicity of the role of the Accounting academic as a knowledge agent: in terms of the discovery of new knowledge and its recontextualisation into pedagogy, as well as effective teaching and learning in the field of Accounting.

Design/methodology/approach

– Through a literature review and the collection of qualitative data (using purposive sampling), this study describes the Accounting academic’s role as a knowledge agent, as viewed by Accounting academics and professional accountants, with the aim of providing insight into the tensions that exist in the education of professionals.

Findings

– The data collected in this study indicate that Accounting academics find themselves torn between their different roles: those of researcher and teacher. Accounting academics do not feel valued in their role as teachers, as at the university, more emphasis is placed and promotion is based on research, yet the Accounting profession places more value on their teaching and scholarship role.

Practical implications

– There is an urgent need in professional Accounting education (trapped within a multiple principal paradigm) for some fundamental re-thinking of the focal point of research, and the knowledge agency of academe, particularly within a developing economy, such as South Africa.

Originality/value

– The value of this paper is in its identification and description of the tensions experienced in the education of professional accountants. The university and profession are urged to value, acknowledge and reward the multiple roles of Accounting academics.
Police students’ social background, attitudes and career plans
Authors: Bringsrud Fekjær Silje
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to compare the social background of Norwegian and Swedish police students. Are there differences in the students’ social background, and if so, are such differences reflected in different attitudes and career plans among the students?

Design/methodology/approach

– The questions are explored on the basis of survey data on all Norwegian and Swedish police students who started their education in 2009 (n=737). The methods employed are cross-tabular analysis and multivariate linear regression.

Findings

– The results show that a larger proportion of Norwegian police students have highly educated parents, compared to the Swedish. However, students’ social background does not seem to be important for their orientation towards theory and knowledge or their plans for doing operational police work.

Practical implications

– An important question for the future's police educators is whether a study with a formal bachelor status will attract a different type of students. These results show that the Norwegian police education with a formal bachelor degree attracts more students with highly educated parents, but the importance of attracting students with a given social background to the police profession seems to be limited.

Originality/value

– There are no previous comparative studies on recruitment to police education, or studies of police recruitment that focus especially on the importance of social background.
Increased intravitreal adenosine 5′‐triphosphate, adenosine 5′‐diphosphate and adenosine 5′‐monophosphate levels in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Loukovaara Sirpa , Sahanne Sari , Jalkanen Sirpa , Yegutkin Gennady G.
Published: July 2014

Purpose

Extracellular purines play important role in ocular physiology, diabetes, vascular remodelling and adaptation to inflammation. This study was aimed to evaluate intravitreal purine levels in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and other non‐vascular vitreoretinal eye diseases.

Methods

Vitreous samples were collected at the start of the three‐port pars plana vitrectomy. Study group comprised 55 eyes operated due to sight‐threatening forms of DR, including eyes of 24 patients with proliferative DR. Of the 143 non‐diabetic controls, 112 had rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and 31 macular hole or pucker. Intravitreal purine concentrations were determined using a combination of bioluminescent [adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP), adenosine 5′‐diphosphate (ADP)] and fluorometric [adenosine 5′‐monophosphate (AMP), adenosine, inosine] enzyme‐coupled sensing assays.

Results

Compared with non‐diabetic controls, DR eyes contained significantly higher (p < 0.01) concentrations of ATP (4.2 ± 0.6 versus 34.5 ± 13.7 nm; mean ± SEM), ADP (19.5 ± 2.7 versus 43.7 ± 14.5 nm) and AMP (1290 ± 115 versus 1876 ± 190 nm). Intravitreal adenosine and inosine levels varied within submicromolar to low micromolar range, and their concentrations did not differ between the groups studied.

Conclusions

High concentrations of intravitreal nucleotides ATP, ADP and AMP may be related to the pathogenesis of sight‐threatening forms of DR.
Pet ownership is associated with increased risk of non‐atopic asthma and reduced risk of atopy in childhood: findings from a UK birth cohort
Authors: Collin S. M. , Granell R. , Westgarth C. , Murray J. , Paul E. , Sterne J. A. C. , John Henderson A.
Published: July 2014

Background

Studies have shown an inverse association of pet ownership with allergy but inconclusive findings for asthma.

Objective

To investigate whether pet ownership during pregnancy and childhood was associated with asthma and atopy at the age of 7 in a UK population‐based birth cohort.

Methods

Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were used to investigate associations of pet ownership at six time points from pregnancy to the age of 7 with asthma, atopy (grass, house dust mite, and cat skin prick test) and atopic vs. non‐atopic asthma at the age of 7 using logistic regression models adjusted for child's sex, maternal history of asthma/atopy, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and family adversity.

Results

A total of 3768 children had complete data on pet ownership, asthma, and atopy. Compared with non‐ownership, continuous ownership of any pet (before and after the age of 3) was associated with 52% lower odds of atopic asthma [odds ratio (OR) 0.48, 95% CI 0.34–0.68]. Pet ownership tended to be associated with increased risk of non‐atopic asthma, particularly rabbits (OR 1.61, 1.04–2.51) and rodents (OR 1.86, 1.15–3.01), comparing continuous vs. non‐ownership. Pet ownership was consistently associated with lower odds of sensitization to grass, house dust mite, and cat allergens, but rodent ownership was associated with higher odds of sensitization to rodent allergen. Differential effects of pet ownership on atopic vs. non‐atopic asthma were evident for all pet types.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Pet ownership during pregnancy and childhood in this birth cohort was consistently associated with a reduced risk of aeroallergen sensitization and atopic asthma at the age of 7, but tended to be associated (particularly for rabbits and rodents) with an increased risk of non‐atopic asthma. The opposing effects on atopy vs. non‐atopic asthma might be considered by parents when they are deciding whether to acquire a pet.
Oral immunotherapy for food allergy: mechanisms and role in management
Authors: Nowak‐Węgrzyn A. , Albin S.
Published: July 2014

With the emergence of food allergy as an important public health problem, it has become clear that there is an unmet need in regard to treatment. In particular, IgE‐mediated food allergy that is associated with risk of fatal anaphylaxis has been the subject of multiple studies in the past decade. The growing body of evidence derived from multiple centres and various study designs indicates that for IgE‐mediated food allergy, immunomodulation through food immunotherapy is possible; however, the extent of protection afforded by such treatment is highly variable. At this time, the capacity for food immunotherapy to restore permanent tolerance to food has not been demonstrated conclusively. This review will discuss these topics as they apply to the most important studies of food oral immunotherapy.
Dynamin inhibition interferes with inflammasome activation and cytokine gene expression inStreptococcus pyogenes-infected human macrophages
Authors: Latvala S , Mäkelä S M , Miettinen M , Charpentier E , Julkunen I
Published: July 2014

In the present study, we have analysed the ability of Streptococcus pyogenes [Group A streptococcus (GAS)] to activate the NACHT-domain-, leucine-rich repeat- and PYD-containing protein 3 (NALP3) inflammasome complex in human monocyte-derived macrophages and the molecules and signalling pathways involved in GAS-induced inflammatory responses. We focused upon analysing the impact of dynamin-dependent endocytosis and the role of major streptococcal virulence factors streptolysin O (SLO) and streptolysin S (SLS) in the immune responses induced by GAS. These virulence factors are involved in immune evasion by forming pores in host cell membranes, and aid the bacteria to escape from the endosome–lysosome pathway. We analysed cytokine gene expression in human primary macrophages after stimulation with live or inactivated wild-type GAS as well as with live SLO and SLS defective bacteria. Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)-10 cytokines were produced after bacterial stimulation in a dose-dependent manner and no differences in cytokine levels were seen between live, inactivated or mutant bacteria. These data suggest that streptolysins or other secreted bacterial products are not required for the inflammatory responses induced by GAS. Our data indicate that inhibition of dynamin-dependent endocytosis in macrophages attenuates the induction of IL-1β, TNF-α, interferon (IFN)-β and CXCL-10 mRNAs. We also observed that pro-IL-1β protein was expressed and efficiently cleaved into mature-IL-1β via inflammasome activation after bacterial stimulation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that multiple signalling pathways are involved in GAS-stimulated inflammatory responses in human macrophages.
Complement activation patterns in atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome during acute phase and in remission
Authors: Volokhina E B , Westra D , van der Velden T J A M , van de Kar N C A J , Mollnes T E , van den Heuvel L P
Published: July 2014

Atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS) is associated with (genetic) alterations in alternative complement pathway. Nevertheless, comprehensive evidence that the complement system in aHUS patients is more prone to activation is still lacking. Therefore, we performed a thorough analysis of complement activation in acute phase and in remission of this disease. Complement activation patterns of the aHUS patients in acute phase and in remission were compared to those of healthy controls. Background levels of complement activation products C3b/c, C3bBbP and terminal complement complex (TCC) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) plasma. In vitro-triggered complement activation in serum samples was studied using zymosan-coating and pathway-specific assay. Furthermore, efficiencies of the C3b/c, C3bBbP and TCC generation in fluid phase during spontaneous activation were analysed. Patients with acute aHUS showed elevated levels of C3b/c (P < 0·01), C3bBbP (P < 0·0001) and TCC (P < 0·0001) in EDTA plasma, while values of patients in remission were normal, compared to those of healthy controls. Using data from a single aHUS patient with complement factor B mutation we illustrated normalization of complement activation during aHUS recovery. Serum samples from patients in remission showed normal in vitro patterns of complement activation and demonstrated normal kinetics of complement activation in the fluid phase. Our data indicate that while aHUS patients have clearly activated complement in acute phase of the disease, this is not the case in remission of aHUS. This knowledge provides important insight into complement regulation in aHUS and may have an impact on monitoring of these patients, particularly when using complement inhibition therapy.
Quantitative Evaluation of Translational Medicine Based on Scientometric Analysis and Information Extraction
Authors: Zhang Yin , Diao Tianxi , Wang Lei
Published: July 2014

Designed to advance the two‐way translational process between basic research and clinical practice, translational medicine has become one of the most important areas in biomedicine. The quantitative evaluation of translational medicine is valuable for the decision making of global translational medical research and funding. Using the scientometric analysis and information extraction techniques, this study quantitatively analyzed the scientific articles on translational medicine. The results showed that translational medicine had significant scientific output and impact, specific core field and institute, and outstanding academic status and benefit. While it is not considered in this study, the patent data are another important indicators that should be integrated in the relevant research in the future.
Evidence for genetic distinction among sympatric ecotypes of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in south‐western Alaskan lakes
Authors: May‐McNally Shannan L. , Quinn Thomas P. , Woods Pamela J. , Taylor Eric B.
Published: July 2014

Resource polymorphism may play an important role in the process of speciation. The Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) exhibits great phenotypic and genetic diversity across its range, making it an ideal species for studies of resource polymorphism and divergence. Here, we investigated genetic variation at 11 microsatellite loci among 287 Arctic char from five isolated yet proximate postglacial lakes in south‐western Alaska that were previously examined for resource polymorphism. Significant differences in pairwise FST were detected among all lakes (range from 0.05 to 0.28, all P < 0.02). In one lake (Lower Tazimina Lake), we found evidence for two genetic groups of char and for significant differences in the distribution of microsatellite variability among at least two of the three previously described body size morphotypes (‘large’‐, ‘medium’‐, and ‘small’‐bodied char; maximum FST = 0.09; differences in admixture proportions). We also found a significant association between genetic admixture proportions and gill raker counts among body size morphs (r = −0.73, P < 0.001). Our data represent the first record of genetically distinct sympatric morphs of Arctic char in Alaska and provide further evidence that differences in morphology associated with feeding (gill rakers) and growth trajectories reflect niche diversification and promote genetic divergence in Holarctic populations of Arctic char.
Fabrication of Lead Titanate PbTiO3 Nanofiber Mats Via Electrospinning
Authors: Šutka Andris , Timusk Martin , Kisand Vambola , Šutka Anna , Dauksta Edvins
Published: July 2014

We report an electrospinning approach to producing PbTiO3 polycrystalline nanofibers. The influence of the polymer concentration in the solution on the obtainable PbTiO3 nanofiber morphology was investigated. Nanofibers were characterized by high‐resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR‐SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. After annealing at 500°C for 3 h, the continuous structure of nanofibers remained intact. Only tetragonal PbTiO3 was identified by Raman spectroscopy. Piezoelectric behavior of PbTiO3 nanofiber mats was demonstrated by making a nanomat‐based voltage generator with peak output voltage >1 V.
Assessment of antioxidant capacity of energy drinks, energy gels and sport drinks in comparison with coffee and tea
Authors: Diamantini Giuseppe , Pignotti Silvio , Antonini Elena , Chiarabini Andrea , Angelino Donato , Ninfali Paolino
Published: July 2014

Antioxidant capacities of energy drinks (ED) and energy gels (EG) were evaluated by means of Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC), Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC), Ferric‐ion Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and 2,2‐Diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. Values obtained by the four methods linearly correlated and a ranking scale of their antioxidant contributes was drawn. The ORAC values per serving of ED and EG ranged between 100–7610 and 26–404 μmol Trolox Equivalents (TE), respectively, and correlated linearly with the total phenols (TP). TP and ORAC values of ED and EG were compared with a number of coffee, tea and sport drinks (SDR) samples. In coffees and teas, ORAC values ranged from 603 to 2954 and from 594 to 2587 μmol TE per serving, respectively. In SDR, ORAC values ranged between 420 and 1445 μmol TE per serving. The ORAC/TP and ORAC/Kcal ratios were also used to compare antioxidant capacities of the beverages and an optimal range for these ratios was discussed and proposed. Overall, our results supply new information to producers for a better formulation of antioxidant mixtures in ED and EG and also suggest advice to consumers concerning the choice of energy beverages.