bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Big data in the new media environment
Authors: O'Donnell Matthew Brook , Falk Emily B. , Konrath Sara
Published: February 2014

Bentley et al. argue for the social scientific contextualization of “big data” by proposing a four-quadrant model. We suggest extensions of theeast–west(i.e., socially motivated versus independently motivated) decision-making dimension in light of findings from social psychology and neuroscience. We outline a method that leverages linguistic tools to connect insights across fields that address the individuals underlying big-data media streams.
Modesty can be constructive: Linking theory and evidence in social science
Authors: Durlauf Steven N.
Published: February 2014

This commentary argues that Bentley et al.’s mapping of shifts in collective human behavior provides a novel vision of how social science theory can inform large data set analysis.
It's distributions all the way down!: Second order changes in statistical distributions also occur
Authors: Keane Mark T. , Gerow Aaron
Published: February 2014

The textual, big-data literature misses Bentley et al.’s message on distributions; it largely examines the first-order effects of how a single, signature distribution can predict population behaviour, neglecting second-order effects involving distributional shifts, either between signature distributions or within a given signature distribution. Indeed, Bentley et al. themselves under-emphasise the potential richness of the latter, within-distribution effects.
Using big data to predict collective behavior in the real world
Authors: Moat Helen Susannah , Preis Tobias , Olivola Christopher Y. , Liu Chengwei , Chater Nick
Published: February 2014

Recent studies provide convincing evidence that data on online information gathering, alongside massive real-world datasets, can give new insights into real-world collective decision making and can even anticipate future actions. We argue that Bentley et al.’s timely account should consider the full breadth, and, above all, the predictive power of big data.
Independent decisions are fictional from a psychological perspective
Authors: Pfister Hans-Rüdiger , Böhm Gisela
Published: February 2014

Contrasting independent with socially influenced decision making does not capture crucial differences in decision making. Independence is fictional, and social influences substantially permeate preference construction. A distinction between deliberate and intuitive decision making would be more useful, and the problem in the big-data era is deciding when it is better to rely on deliberation and when to trust one's intuitions.
Economics is all over the map
Authors: Ross Don
Published: February 2014

Bentley et al. say that economics is the science of their map's northwest quadrant, where choice is individual and transparent. This accepts the picture of the discipline common among behavioral economists who aim to drag economics southward but not eastward. In fact, leading economics journals regularly publish models located in all four quadrants, and the prominence of work from the eastern zone is increasing.
Interaction between social influence and payoff transparency
Authors: Zhou Xinyue , Xie Wenwen , Ye Maolin
Published: February 2014

Social influence and payoff transparency interact with each other to influence decision making. Social influence masks payoff transparency, and lacking transparency drives people to seek social influence. Moreover, our survey supports our claim by showing that social influence and payoff transparency correlate with each other (r(53) = –.71). Bentley et al.’s model can be revised to accommodate the covariance.
More on maps, terrains, and behaviors
Authors: Bentley R. Alexander , O'Brien Michael J. , Brock William A.
Published: February 2014

In a recent New York Times column (April 15, 2013), David Brooks discussed how the big-data agenda lacks a coherent framework of social theory – a deficiency that the Bentley, O'Brien, and Brock (henceforth BOB) model was meant to overcome. Or, stated less pretentiously, the model was meant as a first step in that direction – a map that hopefully would serve as a minimal, practical, and accessible framework that behavioral scientists could use to analyze big data. Rather than treating big data as a record of, and also a predictor of, where and when certain behaviors might take place, the BOB model is interested in what big data reveal about how decisions are being made, how collective behavior evolves from daily to decadal time scales, and how this varies across communities.
Satisfaction with daily activities after retirement in Europe
Authors: BONSANG ERIC , VAN SOEST ARTHUR
Published: February 2014

This paper analyses the determinants of satisfaction with daily activities among retirees aged 65 years or older in 11 European countries. We use data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe on self-assessed satisfaction with daily activities and anchoring vignettes to correct for potential differences in response scales across countries and socio-demographic groups. On average, retired Europeans appear to be satisfied with their daily activities, but there are large differences across countries: respondents from Northern countries tend to be more satisfied than individuals from Central European or Mediterranean countries. Our analysis shows that correcting for response scale differentials alters the country ranking for satisfaction with daily activities but hardly affects the conclusions on the factors driving within-country differences between socio-demographic groups.
Theological construction in the offices in honour of St Knud Lavard
Authors: PETERSEN NILS HOLGER
Published: February 2014

This article discusses the theology of the late twelfth-century offices in honour of the Danish patron saint Knud Lavard, asking to what extent this theology can be seen to have been underlined in musical representations. Altogether, there is surprisingly little war imagery in the offices. Although Knud Lavard was a military leader, adux, and is presented in the offices as amiles Christi,and although some formulations in the office can be read to construct him as a crusader, his mildness and his passive suffering are much more emphasized. Indeed, the theological tenor is that of a Christ-like martyr being slaughtered without resistance. The emphasis is thus on suffering as a consequence of evil and unprovoked aggression, verbally as well as musically. This will be underscored by textual as well as musical analysis of central parts of the offices, focusing on the relationship between the responsories and the homiletic readings of the last Nocturns of Matins, which so far have not been much discussed in scholarship, taking also the sequence for the Translation Mass,Diem festum veneremur, into consideration.
Feeling Another's Pain: Sympathy and Psychology Saga Style
Authors: Miller William Ian
Published: February 2014

Progress is hardly a given in the humanities or the suspect sciences. In many ways we are not quite as astute as our grandparents, and they not as much as theirs, and so forth in an infinite entropic regress. Would I trade Montaigne or Stendhal's psychological acumen for even the best work that comes from social psychology departments? In this short essay I want to show just how good some medieval people, medieval Icelanders to be exact, were at understanding the mental and emotional states of others, and if of others then presumably, though not necessarily, also of themselves. And I hope to show in some ways they were rather more sophisticated than we are.
The Sea: Challenge and Stimulus in the Middle Ages
Authors: Jahnke Carsten
Published: February 2014

The sea presented an important economic opportunity in the Middle Ages. The unpredictable risks of sea transport, the incalculability of time and distances opened a chance to those that were able to bridge the sea constantly and regularly and who were able to reduce the transaction costs most efficiently: the merchants of the late medieval ‘German Hansa’. The article will give a short introduction to the mechanisms and principles of international hanseatic trade in the Middle Ages.
The Organisation of Global Trade: the Monopoly Companies, 1600–1800
Authors: Emmer Pieter
Published: February 2014

In the early modern period (1500–1800), shipping and trade within Europe were the domain of individual merchants and small companies organised on a temporary basis. Outside Europe, however, new financial and commercial institutions such as permanent joint stock companies came into existence in order to limit the risks. These large institutions played an important role in inter-continental trade and shipping, albeit that their role in Asia differed from that in the Atlantic, where small companies as well as individual merchants remained the dominant form of organisation. In addition, privateers played an important role in the Atlantic economy in times of war while piracy could flourish in those parts of the overseas world where the Iberian trade circuits bordered on those of France, England and the Dutch republic. The conclusion points to the fact that a direct link between the overseas expansion of Europe and its industrialisation might be difficult to construct, but that the creation of long distance trading companies created the institutional environment that must have facilitated Europe's rapid economic growth after the middle of the eighteenth century.
Risks of neurobehavioral teratogenicity associated with prenatal exposure to valproate monotherapy: a systematic review with regulatory repercussions
Authors: Gentile Salvatore
Published: February 2014

Beyond its formal indications (epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and migraine), valproate sodium (VPA) is widely used in a number of other clinical conditions. Recently, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning regarding a decrease in IQ scores in children prenatally exposed to the drug. For patients with migraine, the pregnancy labeling of VPA will be changed from Category “D” to “X.” VPA products will remain in pregnancy category “D” for treating epilepsy and manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder. Thus, this article aims to assess (through a computerized Medline/PubMed search) the neurobehavioral teratogenicity of valproate monotherapy, in order to evaluate alternative regulatory decisions. Reviewed information suggests a detrimental impact of antenatal valproate exposure on the global child neurodevelopment. Affected areas include not just reduced IQ scores, but also behavioral problems and a potential increase in the risk for a future diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. An increased risk of developing autism-spectrum disorders has also been reported. Thus, in my opinion, VPA should be assigned definitively to the Category “X,” independent of any considerations about its clinical indications, and should be strictly avoided during pregnancy, due to the demonstrated risk of both neurobehavioral and neurocognitive teratogenicity.
The psychopharmacology of violence: making sensible decisions
Authors: Citrome Leslie , Volavka Jan
Published: February 2014

Violent behavior associated with mental disorders is a common reason for admission to a psychiatric inpatient unit. Once hospitalized, patients may continue to be intermittently agitated and have persistent aggressive behaviors, preventing their discharge back into the community. Managing agitation quickly with effective pharmacological agents can avoid further escalation to aggression and violence. In the acute setting, this usually involves the parenteral use of antipsychotics, with or without benzodiazepines. Within the past decade, short-acting intramuscular formulations of second-generation antipsychotics have become available and provide a means to induce calm with a substantially lower risk of acute dystonia or akathisia compared with haloperidol. New alternative formulations that avoid injections include inhalation and sublingual administration. Longer-term management of persistent aggressive behavior by reducing the frequency and intensity of future episodes of agitation is more complex. In contrast to agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar mania, no agents have yet been approved by regulatory agencies for the treatment of persistent aggressive behavior. The strongest evidence supports the use of clozapine as an antihostility agent, followed by olanzapine. Adjunctive strategies with anticonvulsants and beta-adrenergic agents may also be worthwhile to consider.
ON HART'S CATEGORY MISTAKE
Authors: Green Michael S.
Published: February 2014

This essay concerns Scott Shapiro's criticism that H.L.A. Hart's theory of law suffers from a “category mistake.” Although other philosophers of law have summarily dismissed Shapiro's criticism, I argue that it identifies an important requirement for an adequate theory of law. Such a theory must explain why legal officials justify their actions by reference to abstract propositional entities, instead of pointing to the existence of social practices. A virtue of Shapiro's planning theory of law is that it can explain this phenomenon. Despite these sympathies, however, I end with the suggestion that Shapiro's criticism of Hart, as it stands, is incomplete. Careful attention to Hart's notion of the internal point of view indicates that he was aware that legal justification ends with abstract objects, not practices, and that he offered his own explanation of this phenomenon.
Aftershock: A science–art collaboration through sonification
Authors: Barrett Natasha , Mair Karen
Published: February 2014

We are immersed in a wonderful cacophony of sound. Sustained and intermittent pings, cracks, burrs, plops and tingles jostle for position in our heads. High-pitched delicate cascades contrast starkly with deep thunder like rumbles that seem to permeate our entire bodies. We are exploring a fragmenting fault zone from the inside, a dynamic geological process brought to our ears through sonification and science–art collaboration: the interactive sound art installation Aftershock. Aftershock (2011) is the result of the collaboration between composer Natasha Barrett, associate professor of geosciences Karen Mair and the Norwegian Centre for the Physics of Geological Processes (PGP) at the University of Oslo. In this paper we discuss how a scientist and an artist collaborated through sonification, the artistic results of this approach and how new compositional methods and aesthetical frameworks emerged.
Alvin Lucier'sMusic for Solo Performer: Experimental music beyond sonification
Authors: Straebel Volker , Thoben Wilm
Published: February 2014

Alvin Lucier'sMusic for Solo Performer(1965), often referred to as the ‘brain wave piece’, has become a key work of experimental music. Its setup, in which the brain waves of a solo performer are made to excite percussion instruments, has given the work a central place in the discourse on artistic sonification. However, only a small number of the authors making reference to the work seem to have studied the score, and even fewer have given thought to the score's implications for performance practice and aesthetic reflection. This paper pays detailed attention to these yet overlooked aspects, drawing on accounts of early performances as well as the authors’ participation in a 2012 performance led by the composer. We also trace the history of live-electronic equipment used forMusic for Solo Performerand discuss the work's reception in sonification research.
Interactive Sonification for Data Exploration: How listening modes and display purposes define design guidelines
Authors: Grond Florian , Hermann Thomas
Published: February 2014

The desire to make data accessible through the sense of listening has led to ongoing research in the fields of sonification and auditory display since the early 1990s. Coming from the disciplines of computer sciences and human computer interface (HCI), the conceptualisation of sonification has been mostly driven by application areas and methods. On the other hand, the sonic arts, which have always participated in the auditory display community, have a genuine focus on sound. Despite these close interdisciplinary relationships between communities of sound practitioners, a rich and sound- or listening-centred concept of sonification is still missing for design guidelines. Complementary to the useful organisation by fields of application, a proper conceptual framework for sound needs to be abstracted from applications and also to some degree from tasks, as both are not directly related to sound. As an initial approach to recasting the thinking about sonification, we propose a conceptualisation of sonifications along two poles in which sound serves either anormativeor adescriptivepurpose. According to these two poles, design guidelines can be developed proper to display purposes and listening modes.
Embodied Aesthetics in Auditory Display
Authors: Roddy Stephen , Furlong Dermot
Published: February 2014

Aesthetics are gaining increasing recognition as an important topic in auditory display. This article looks to embodied cognition to provide an aesthetic framework for auditory display design. It calls for a serious rethinking of the relationship between aesthetics and meaning-making in order to tackle the mapping problem which has resulted from historically positivistic and disembodied approaches within the field. Arguments for an embodied aesthetic framework are presented. An early example is considered and suggestions for further research on the road to an embodied aesthetics are proposed. Finally a closing discussion considers the merits of this approach to solving the mapping problem and designing more intuitively meaningful auditory displays.
LIQUIDITY SHOCKS, EQUITY-MARKET FRICTIONS, AND OPTIMAL POLICY
Authors: Dellas Harris , Diba Behzad , Loisel Olivier
Published: February 2014

In this paper, we study the positive and normative implications of financial shocks in a standard New Keynesian model that includes banks and frictions in the market for bank capital. We show how such frictions influence materially the effects of bank liquidity shocks and the properties of optimal policy. In particular, they limit the scope for countercyclical monetary policy in the face of these shocks. A fiscal policy instrument can complement monetary policy by offsetting the balance-sheet effects of these shocks, and jointly optimal policies attain the same equilibrium that monetary policy (alone) could attain in the absence of equity-market frictions.
Wet-STEM Tomography: Principles, Potentialities and Limitations
Authors: Masenelli-Varlot Karine , Malchère Annie , Ferreira José , Heidari Mezerji Hamed , Bals Sara , Messaoudi Cédric , Marco Garrido Sergio
Published: February 2014

The characterization of biological and inorganic materials by determining their three-dimensional structure in conditions closer to their native state is a major challenge of technological research. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) provides access to the observation of hydrated samples in water environments. Here, we present a specific device for ESEM in the scanning transmission electron microscopy mode, allowing the acquisition of tilt-series suitable for tomographic reconstructions. The resolution which can be obtained with this device is first determined. Then, we demonstrate the feasibility of tomography on wet materials. The example studied here is hydrophilic mesoporous silica (MCM-41). Finally, the minimum thickness of water which can be detected is calculated from Monte Carlo simulations and compared with the resolution expected in the tomograms.
Regional self-reliance of the Northeast food system
Authors: Griffin Timothy , Conrad Zach , Peters Christian , Ridberg Ronit , Tyler Ellen Parry
Published: February 2014

Farms producing similar products have become increasingly concentrated geographically over the past century in the United States (US). Due to the concentration of food production, a disruption in key production areas may reduce the availability of certain foods nationwide. For example, climate change poses such a threat, with projections of altered precipitation patterns, increased temperature and pest outbreaks, which may result in reduced crop yields and geographic shifts in crop adaptation. Analyses of the degree to which US regions can satisfy the food needs of their resident populations—a concept we refer to as regional self-reliance (RSR)—are therefore warranted. We focus on the Northeast region because of its high population density and declining agricultural landbase. Our objectives are to: (1) determine how agricultural land is used in the Northeast region; (2) determine the variety and amount of foods produced; and (3) analyze the relationship between food consumption and agricultural output. Annual (2001–2010) data on land area, yield and output of all crops and major livestock categories, as well as seafood landings, were catalogued. National annual (2001–2009) data on food availability were used as a proxy for estimates of food consumption, and these data were downscaled to a regional level and compared with regional production data in order to estimate RSR. In the Northeast region, approximately 65% of land in farms contributed directly to the food supply from 2001 to 2010, although this varied significantly across states. Just over one-half of all land in farms in the region was devoted to the production of livestock feed. The region produced >100 food crops annually from 2001 to 2009, and vegetables represented the majority of food crop production by weight. Chicken accounted for the largest weight of meat products produced. Compared to the Northeast region's share (~6%) of total land in farms in the nation, it accounted for disproportionately higher amounts of the national production of dairy (16%), eggs (13%), chicken (9%), lamb (7%) and vegetables (7%). However, the region accounted for ~22% of the national population and therefore produced a disproportionately low share of food on a per capita basis. RSR for plant-based foods was lowest for pulses (7%) and highest for vegetables (26%). There are four specific factors in the RSR in our analysis, each of which could result in substantial shifts (upward or downward) of the RSR in the future: land used for agriculture, crop (or animal) productivity, population and dietary preferences.
nutritionDay – eine Aktion gegen Mangelernährung
Authors: Schindler Karin , Kosak Sigrid , Schütz Tatjana , Volkert Dorothee , Hürlimann Barbara , Ballmer Peter , Hiesmayr Michael
Published: February 2014

nutritionDay ist ein weltweites Projekt mit dem Ziel ein genaues Bild über Ernährungsrisikofaktoren, Ernährungsstatus, Ernährungspraxis und Outcome in Krankenhäusern, Intensivstationen und Pflegeheimen zu bekommen. Gleichzeitig ermöglicht nutritionDay einen Vergleich zwischen Stationen der gleichen Fachrichtung im Sinne des Benchmarking. Die Datenerhebung erfolgt einmal jährlich seit 2006 in 32 Sprachen. Insgesamt haben 4'877 Stationen mit 151'666 Patienten aus 51 Ländern teilgenommen. In Krankenhäusern hatten 8.1 % einen BMI < 18.5, 45.4 % hatten Gewicht verloren in den letzten 3 Monaten und 49.9 % hatten in der letzten Woche nicht normal gegessen. 41.5 % hatten am nutritionDay die ganze Mahlzeit gegessen und 14 % aßen gar nichts. Gewichtsverlust erhöht die Mortalität (OddsRatio 2.76 [2.50, 3.05]) ebenso wie vermindertes Essen in der Vorwoche (OddsRatio 6.17 [5.54, 6.88]) oder am nutritionDay (OddsRatio 7.66 [6.72, 8.74]). Mangelnder Appetit ist die häufigste Ursache für weniger Essen. Weniger als ein Drittel der Patienten, die nichts essen erhalten eine künstliche Ernährung. Krankheits-assoziierte Mangelernährung ist häufig und mit einer deutlichen Erhöhung eines ungünstigen Krankheitsverlaufs verbunden. nutritionDay ist ein einfaches Messinstrument zur strukturierten Erfassung von Symptomen der Mangelernährung und unterstützt das lokale Benchmarking im Ernährungsbereich.
Sarkopenie
Authors: Sieber Cornel C.
Published: February 2014

Der Begriff Sarkopenie steht für den alters-bedingten Verlust von Muskelmasse und ist eng mit dem im Alter so häufigen „Frailty-Syndrom“ assoziiert. Die Suche nach einer Sarkopenie – die Kombination einer reduzierten Muskelmasse und -funktion oder -kraft – gehört heute zum Basisarmentarium der Diagnostik in der Geriatrie. Pathophysiologisch sind wie immer bei geriatrischen Syndromen multiple Faktoren involviert, wobei ein niederschwelliger Entzündungszustand sicher eine prädominante Rolle spielt. Eine Differenzierung zur Kachexie ist wichtig, als Letztere nur sehr schwer auf ernährungs-therapeutische Interventionen anspricht. Viele Fragen bleiben sowohl zur Pathogenese wie auch zur Diagnostik und Therapie noch offen, vorab die Bedeutung der sarkopenischen Obesitas, die quantitativ bei älteren Menschen rasch zunimmt.
Mangelernährung im Zeitalter von DRG
Authors: Vonzun Nick , Rühlin Maya , Sterchi Anna
Published: February 2014

Die Mangelernährung hat in den Spitälern bedeutende medizinische und ökonomische Folgen. Der negative Einfluss von Mangelernährung auf die Lebensqualität und auf viele weitere relevante Faktoren, wie Morbidität, Mortalität, Therapietoleranz und Spitalaufenthaltsdauer, ist aufgrund der heute zur Verfügung stehenden medizinischen Literatur gesichert. Trotzdem wird die Mangelernährung bei Patienten oft unterschätzt und weder als eigenständige Diagnose erkannt noch erfasst und als solche therapiert. Gründe dafür liegen insbesondere in einer ungenügenden ernährungsspezifischen Ausbildung und Sensibilisierung des medizinischen Personals gegenüber der Problematik [1, 2]. Als Folge davon wird an vielen Spitälern kein systematisches Risikoscreening für Mangelernährung durchgeführt. Die Einführung des neuen schweizerischen Fallpauschalensystems SwissDRG (Swiss Diagnosis Related Groups) im Januar 2012 bot die Chance, die standardisierte Erfassung der Mangelernährung, deren Dokumentation in der Krankengeschichte und präzise Codierung als eigenständige Diagnose voranzubringen und gleichzeitig auch die spezifische Therapie zu erfassen.
Recombinant Human Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Phase II Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Helmy Adel , Guilfoyle Mathew R , Carpenter Keri LH , Pickard John D , Menon David K , Hutchinson Peter J
Published: February 2014

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the commonest cause of death and disability in those aged under 40 years. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1ra) is an endogenous competitive antagonist at the interleukin-1 type-1 receptor (IL-1R). Antagonism at the IL-1R confers neuroprotection in several rodent models of neuronal injury (i.e., trauma, stroke and excitotoxicity). We describe a single center, phase II, open label, randomized-control study of recombinant human IL1ra (rhIL1ra, anakinra) in severe TBI, at a dose of 100 mg subcutaneously once a day for 5 days in 20 patients randomized 1:1. We provide safety data (primary outcome) in this pathology, utilize cerebral microdialysis to directly determine brain extracellular concentrations of IL1ra and 41 cytokines and chemokines, and use principal component analysis (PCA) to explore the resultant cerebral cytokine profile. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist was safe, penetrated into plasma and the brain extracellular fluid. The PCA showed a separation in cytokine profiles after IL1ra administration. A candidate cytokine from this analysis, macrophage-derived chemoattractant, was significantly lower in the rh I Lira-treated group. Our results provide promising data for rhIL1ra as a therapeutic candidate by showing safety, brain penetration and a modification of the neuroinflammatory response to TBI by a putative neuroprotective agent in humans for the first time.
Positive exchange-bias and giant vertical hysteretic shift in La0.3Sr0.7FeO3/SrRuO3 bilayers
Authors: Rana Rakesh , Pandey Parul , Singh R. P. , Rana D. S.
Published: February 2014

The exchange-bias effects in the mosaic epitaxial bilayers of the itinerant ferromagnet (FM) SrRuO3 and the antiferromagnetic (AFM) charge-ordered La0.3Sr0.7FeO3 were investigated. An uncharacteristic low-field positive exchange bias, a cooling-field driven reversal of positive to negative exchange-bias and a layer thickness optimised unusual vertical magnetization shift were all novel facets of exchange bias realized for the first time in magnetic oxides. The successive magnetic training induces a transition from positive to negative exchange bias regime with changes in domain configurations. These observations are well corroborated by the hysteretic loop asymmetries which display the modifications in the AFM spin correlations. These exotic features emphasize the key role of i) mosaic disorder induced subtle interplay of competing AFM-superexchange and FM double exchange at the exchange biased interface and, ii) training induced irrecoverable alterations in the AFM spin structure.
Influence of stress in GaN crystals grown by HVPE on MOCVD-GaN/6H-SiC substrate
Authors: Zhang Lei , Yu Jiaoxian , Hao Xiaopeng , Wu Yongzhong , Dai Yuanbin , Shao Yongliang , Zhang Haodong , Tian Yuan
Published: February 2014

GaN crystals without cracks were successfully grown on a MOCVD-GaN/6H-SiC (MGS) substrate with a low V/III ratio of 20 at initial growth. With a high V/III ratio of 80 at initial growth, opaque GaN polycrystals were obtained. The structural analysis and optical characterization reveal that stress has a great influence on the growth of the epitaxial films. An atomic level model is used to explain these phenomena during crystal growth. It is found that atomic mobility is retarded by compressive stress and enhanced by tensile stress.
Development of a stability indicating HPLC-DAD method for the simultaneous determination of mometsone furoate and salicylic acid in an ointment matrix
Authors: Youssef Rasha M. , Korany Mohamed A. , Afify Mostafa A.
Published: February 2014

A stability-indicating method for the simultaneous determination of mometsone furoate and salicylic acid in a combined dosage form.
Fate of a novel strobilurin fungicide pyraoxystrobin in flooded soil
Authors: Yang Tilong , Xu Chao , Liu Xunyue , Chen Xia , Zhang Jianbo , Ding Xingcheng
Published: February 2014

The mineralization and degradation of pyraoxystrobin was negligible and a large proportion of pyraoxystrobin can persist in flooded soil.
Composition and sources of fine particulate matter across urban and rural sites in the Midwestern United States
Authors: Kundu Shuvashish , Stone Elizabeth A.
Published: February 2014

The composition and sources of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were investigated in rural and urban locations in Iowa, located in the agricultural and industrial Midwestern United States, from April 2009 to December 2012.
Mechanochemical synthesis and characterisation of cocrystals and metal organic compounds
Authors: Tröbs L. , Emmerling F.
Published: February 2014

The mechanochemical synthesis of two model compounds, a metal organic framework (H2Im)[Bi(1,4-bdc)2] (bdc = benzene dicarboxylate, H2Im = imidazole cation)) and a cocrystal (carbamazepine : indometacin 1 : 1) were followed ex situ using a combination of two analytical methods. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy data were evaluated for the synthesis of the metal organic framework. The XRD measurements and REM images were analysed for the synthesis of the cocrystal. The measurements revealed that both model compounds were synthesised within minutes. The metal organic framework (H2Im)[Bi(1,4-bdc)2] is synthesised via an intermediate structure. The cocrystal carbamazepine : indometacin 1 : 1 is formed within a few seconds. The crystallite size decreases during the further milling treatment.
An efficient synthesis of (NH)-phenanthridinones via ligand-free copper-catalyzed annulation
Authors: Chen Yan-Fu , Wu Yi-Sheng , Jhan Yu-Huei , Hsieh Jen-Chieh
Published: February 2014

An efficient and concise procedure for the ligand-free copper-catalyzed cascade reaction of C–O and C–N bond coupling was developed to afford various (NH)-phenanthridinones.
1H Pure Shift DOSY: a handy tool to evaluate the aggregation and solvation of organolithium derivatives
Authors: Hamdoun G. , Sebban M. , Cossoul E. , Harrison-Marchand A. , Maddaluno J. , Oulyadi H.
Published: February 2014

The first successful application of 1H PS-DOSY for a quantitative estimation of the degree of solvation and aggregation state of organolithium derivatives.
Heterometal–organic framework with pcu net constructed from mixed linear ligands
Authors: Fang Wei-Hui , Yang Guo-Yu
Published: February 2014

Cooperation of two linear organic ligands under hydrothermal conditions results in the formation of a porous heterometal–organic framework with two types of channels.
The critical role of interfacial dynamics in the stability of organic photovoltaic devices
Authors: Grancini G. , De Bastiani M. , Martino N. , Fazzi D. , Egelhaaf H.-J. , Sauermann T. , Antognazza M. R. , Lanzani G. , Caironi M. , Franco L. , Petrozza A.
Published: February 2014

By combining optical and magnetic spectroscopy we found that the long-lived emissive interfacial CT state is responsible for the generation of reactive and harmful species, affecting the robustness of the photovoltaic active layer.
The scalability in the mechanochemical syntheses of edge functionalized graphene materials and biomass-derived chemicals
Authors: Blair Richard G. , Chagoya Katerina , Biltek Scott , Jackson Steven , Sinclair Ashlyn , Taraboletti Alexandra , Restrepo David T.
Published: February 2014

Mechanochemical approaches to chemical synthesis offer the promise of improved yields, new reaction pathways and greener syntheses. Scaling these syntheses is a crucial step toward realizing a commercially viable process. Although much work has been performed on laboratory-scale investigations little has been done to move these approaches toward industrially relevant scales. Moving reactions from shaker-type mills and planetary-type mills to scalable solutions can present a challenge. We have investigated scalability through discrete element models, thermal monitoring and reactor design. We have found that impact forces and macroscopic mixing are important factors in implementing a truly scalable process. These observations have allowed us to scale reactions from a few grams to several hundred grams and we have successfully implemented scalable solutions for the mechanocatalytic conversion of cellulose to value-added compounds and the synthesis of edge functionalized graphene.
Retracted Article: Water-soluble multidentate polymers compactly coating Ag2S quantum dots with minimized hydrodynamic size and bright emission tunable from red to second near-infrared region
Authors: Gui Rijun , Wan Ajun , Liu Xifeng , Yuan Wen , Jin Hui
Published: February 2014

Water-soluble multidentate polymer-stabilized Ag2S quantum dots with minimized hydrodynamic size were prepared, and exhibited bright and tunable photoluminescence emission.
Ionic liquid based vibrational energy harvester by periodically squeezing the liquid bridge
Authors: Kong Weijie , Cao Pengfei , He Xiaodong , Yu Long , Ma Xiangyuan , He Yude , Lu Liujin , Zhang Xiaoping , Deng Youquan
Published: February 2014

An ionic liquid based vibrational energy harvester is stable over a wide temperature range (up to 100 °C) and the generated power can be improved by rationally choosing the ionic liquids.
Toxicity of various kinds of ionic liquids towards the cell growth and end product formation of the probiotic strain, Propionibacterium freudenreichii
Authors: Hajfarajollah Hamidreza , Mokhtarani Babak , sharifi Ali , Mirzaei Mojtaba , Afaghi Ali
Published: February 2014

The effect of different concentrations of [HMIM][PTS] on the cell growth ofPropionibacterium freudenreichii.
Phosphorus(v) tetraazaporphyrins: porphyrinoids showing an exceptionally strong CT band between the Soret and Q bands
Authors: Furuyama Taniyuki , Yoshida Takuya , Hashizume Daisuke , Kobayashi Nagao
Published: February 2014

Phosphorus(v) tetraazaporphyrins which absorb over the complete UV-visible region have been synthesized for the first time.
Polypeptide-engineered physical hydrogels designed from the coiled-coil region of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein for three-dimensional cell culture
Authors: Yao Ming-Hao , Yang Jie , Du Ming-Shuo , Song Ji-Tao , Yu Yong , Chen Wei , Zhao Yuan-Di , Liu Bo
Published: February 2014

A class of physical hydrogels photo-cross-linked from multi-branched photopolymeriized monomers based on the self-assembly of coiled-coil polypeptide P is developed.
In vitrocharacterization of bacterial and chloroplast Hsp70 systems reveals an evolutionary optimization of the co-chaperones for their Hsp70 partner
Authors: Veyel Daniel , Sommer Frederik , Muranaka Ligia Segatto , Rütgers Mark , Lemaire Stéphane D. , Schroda Michael
Published: February 2014

The chloroplast Hsp70 (heat-shock protein of 70 kDa) system involved in protein folding in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii consists of HSP70B, the DnaJ homologue CDJ1 and the GrpE-type nucleotide-exchange factor CGE1. The finding that HSP70B needs to be co-expressed with HEP2 (Hsp70 escort protein 2) to become functional allowed the reconstitution of the chloroplast Hsp70 system in vitro and comparison with the homologous Escherichia coli system. Both systems support luciferase refolding and display ATPase and holdase activities. Steady-state activities are low and strongly stimulated by the co-chaperones, whose concentrations need to be balanced to optimally support luciferase refolding. Although the co-chaperones of either system generally stimulate ATPase and folding-assistance activities of the other, luciferase refolding is reduced ~10-fold and <2-fold if either Hsp70 is supplemented with the foreign DnaJ and GrpE protein respectively, suggesting an evolutionary specialization of the co-chaperones for their Hsp70 partner. Distinct features are that HSP70B's steady-state ATPase exhibits ~20-fold higher values for Vmax and Km and that the HSP70B system displays a ~6-fold higher folding assistance on denatured luciferase. Although truncating up to 16 N-terminal amino acids of CGE1 does not affect HSP70B's general ATPase and folding-assistance activities in the physiological temperature range, further deletions hampering dimerization of CGE1 via its N-terminal coiled coil do.
Angiotensin-(1–7) and angiotensin-(1–9): function in cardiac and vascular remodelling
Authors: McKinney Clare A. , Fattah Caroline , Loughrey Christopher M. , Milligan Graeme , Nicklin Stuart A.
Published: February 2014

The RAS (renin–angiotensin system) is integral to cardiovascular physiology; however, dysregulation of this system largely contributes to the pathophysiology of CVD (cardiovascular disease). It is well established that AngII (angiotensin II), the main effector of the RAS, engages the AT1R (angiotensin type 1 receptor) and promotes cell growth, proliferation, migration and oxidative stress, all processes which contribute to remodelling of the heart and vasculature, ultimately leading to the development and progression of various CVDs, including heart failure and atherosclerosis. The counter-regulatory axis of the RAS, which is centred on the actions of ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) and the resultant production of Ang-(1–7) [angiotensin-(1–7)] from AngII, antagonizes the actions of AngII via the receptor Mas, thereby providing a protective role in CVD. More recently, another ACE2 metabolite, Ang-(1–9) [angiotensin-(1–9)], has been reported to be a biologically active peptide within the counter-regulatory axis of the RAS. The present review will discuss the role of the counter-regulatory RAS peptides Ang-(1–7) and Ang-(1–9) in the cardiovascular system, with a focus on their effects in remodelling of the heart and vasculature.
On Hilbert transform methods for low frequency oscillations detection
Authors: Lauria Davide , Pisani Cosimo
Published: February 2014

This study tackles the issue of electromechanical modes identification through a measurement‐based methodology employing a novel signal decomposition theorem based upon the Hilbert transform. The methodology aims to answer in a simpler and more pragmatic manner to the main weaknesses of the Hilbert–Huang transform with respect to the major refinements in the relevant literature. These weak points are discussed with sufficient detailed degree in the study. The main contribution of this study consists in combining a recent signal decomposition theorem for separating an assigned signal into elemental ones, each of them characterised by a single frequency component and a robust preliminary non‐linear spectral analyser, named Lp periodogram. This procedure's results are very appropriate for analysing some critical cases of electromechanical oscillations, because of the Lp periodogram robustness against heavy‐tailed noise and also its intrinsic ability in estimating closely spaced frequency components. The proposed approach is found to be inherently simple, reliable and consistent in performance as well as characterised by low computational burden. Some numerical applications validate the methodology and assess its own performance on synthetic signals, near real‐life signals acquired by IEEE test networks and on a real measured signal from a wide‐area monitoring system currently in operation.
Orientation and tunneling in monolayer methane: CHD3 physisorbed onto NaCl(100)
Authors: Davis Kent A. , Ewing George E.
Published: February 2014

Polarized infrared spectra of CHD3 adsorbed on NaCl(100) in the temperature range 5 to 33 K are reported. Doublet features are observed in the ν1 and ν4 spectral regions. Analysis of the ν1 doublet reveals one transition dipole perpendicular to the surface and another transition dipole at 70±15° from the surface normal. These features are assigned to the C–H stretching vibrations of molecules oriented in a tripod conformation with the hydrogen in the “top” position (H-up) and in a tripod with the hydrogen in one of the “base” positions (H-down), respectively. The fraction of H-up orientational isomers increases with decreasing temperature. It is shown that an energy splitting between H-up and H-down orientational isomers of 6.9±0.5 cm−1 can explain the temperature dependence. Several possible explanations of the energy splitting are explored. Tunneling between orientational isomers is shown to be the only mechanism of reorientation consistent with the observed conversion time scale.
Finite element analysis of a ferrite-core inductor with direct current bias current using an equivalent-circuit model of dynamic hysteretic properties
Authors: Ito S. , Mifune T. , Matsuo T. , Suzuki M. , Kawano K.
Published: February 2014

The finite element (FE) modeling of a ferrite-core device is discussed. Measured properties of Ni-Zn ferrite ring cores show that even though the AC ferrite property is similar to that caused by the eddy-current field, the FE eddy-current analysis using an equivalent electrical conductivity cannot, in practice, represent the AC property. An equivalent-circuit model which describes AC/DC ferrite properties is applied to FE magnetic field analysis of a ferrite-core inductor. The simulated AC property with/without DC bias agrees with the measured one.
Enhanced-locality fiber-optic two-photon-fluorescence live-brain interrogation
Authors: Fedotov I. V. , Doronina-Amitonova L. V. , Sidorov-Biryukov D. A. , Fedotov A. B. , Anokhin K. V. , Kilin S. Ya. , Sakoda K. , Zheltikov A. M.
Published: February 2014

Two-photon excitation is shown to substantially enhance the locality of fiber-based optical interrogation of strongly scattering biotissues. In our experiments, a high-numerical-aperture, large-core-are fiber probe is used to deliver the 200-fs output of a 100-MHz mode-locked ytterbium fiber laser to samples of live mouse brain, induce two-photon fluorescence of nitrogen–vacancy centers in diamond markers in brain sample. Fiber probes with a high numerical aperture and a large core area are shown to enable locality enhancement in fiber-laser–fiber-probe two-photon brain excitation and interrogation without sacrificing the efficiency of fluorescence response collection.
Surface plasmons of a graphene parallel plate waveguide bounded by Kerr-type nonlinear media
Authors: Hajian H. , Soltani-Vala A. , Kalafi M. , Leung P. T.
Published: February 2014

The exact dispersion relations of the transverse magnetic surface plasmons (SPs) supported by a graphene parallel plate waveguide (PPWG), surrounded on one or both sides by Kerr-type nonlinear media, are obtained analytically. It is shown that if self-focusing nonlinear materials are chosen as the surrounding media, the SPs localization length (LL) is decreased, while their propagation length (PL) remains unchanged, as compared to those of a typical graphene PPWG. Moreover, PL and LL of the SPs are considerably affected by adjusting nonlinear parts of the dielectric permittivities of the nonlinear media. It is found that using an appropriate defocusing nonlinear material as a substrate of the graphene PPWG, which is surrounded on one side by the nonlinear medium, leads to noticeable enhancement of the propagation and localization characteristics of the surface plasmons. The results presented here can be useful for enhancing capabilities of plasmonic devices based on the graphene PPWG for sensing and waveguide applications.
The effect of the exchange-correlation functional on H2 dissociation on Ru(0001)
Authors: Wijzenbroek M. , Kroes G. J.
Published: February 2014

The specific reaction parameter (SRP) approach to density functional theory (DFT) has enabled a chemically accurate description of reactive scattering experiments for activated H2–metal systems (H2 + Cu(111) and Cu(100)), but its application has not yet resulted in a similarly accurate description of non-activated or weakly activated H2-metal systems. In this study, the effect of the choice of the exchange-correlation functional in DFT on the potential energy surface and dynamics of H2 dissociation on Ru(0001), a weakly activated system, is investigated. In total, full potential energy surfaces were calculated for over 20 different functionals. The functionals investigated include functionals incorporating an approximate description of the van der Waals dispersion in the correlation functional (vdW-DF and vdW-DF2 functionals), as well as the revTPSS meta-GGA. With two of the functionals investigated here, which include vdW-DF and vdW-DF2 correlation, it has been possible to accurately reproduce molecular beam experiments on sticking of H2 and D2, as these functionals yield a reaction probability curve with an appropriate energy width. Diffraction probabilities computed with these two functionals are however too high compared to experimental diffraction probabilities, which are extrapolated from surface temperatures (Ts) ⩾ 500 K to 0 K using a Debye–Waller model. Further research is needed to establish whether this constitutes a failure of the two candidate SRP functionals or a failure of the Debye–Waller model, the use of which can perhaps in future be avoided by performing calculations that include the effect of surface atom displacement or motion, and thereby of the experimental Ts.
Improvement of the grid-connect current quality using novel proportional-integral controller for photovoltaic inverters
Authors: Cheng Yuhua , Chen Kai , Bai Libing , Yang Jing
Published: February 2014

Precise control of the grid-connected current is a challenge in photovoltaic inverter research. Traditional Proportional-Integral (PI) control technology cannot eliminate steady-state error when tracking the sinusoidal signal from the grid, which results in a very high total harmonic distortion in the grid-connected current. A novel PI controller has been developed in this paper, in which the sinusoidal wave is discretized into an N-step input signal that is decided by the control frequency to eliminate the steady state error of the system. The effect of periodical error caused by the dead zone of the power switch and conduction voltage drop can be avoided; the current tracking accuracy and current harmonic content can also be improved. Based on the proposed PI controller, a 700 W photovoltaic grid-connected inverter is developed and validated. The improvement has been demonstrated through experimental results.