bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bismuth Film Voltammetric Sensor on Pyrolyzed Photoresist/Alumina Support for Determination of Heavy Metals
Authors: Rehacek Vlastimil , Hotovy Ivan , Vojs Marian
Published: April 2014

Voltammetric sensors based on bismuth film electrodes are an attractive alternative to other sensors for application in electroanalysis of heavy metals. Bismuth film electrodes can be formed by a similar method on the same substrates as mercury. These systems were used most frequently for simultaneous determination of heavy metals such as Pb, Cd and Zn by anodic stripping voltammetry. Our voltammetric sensor was fabricated on an alumina substrate. A photoresist film prepared by pyrolysis of positive photoresist S‐1813 SP15 on the alumina substrate was used as an electrode support for bismuth film deposition. The influence of the Nafion membrane on the measurement sensitivity of the sensor and mechanical stability of the bismuth film were investigated. The sensor was successfully applied for determination of Pb, Cd and Zn in an aqueous solution in the concentration range of 0.2 to 10 µg L−1 by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry on an in‐situ formed bismuth film electrode with Nafion‐coating. Parameters of the sensor such as sensitivity, linearity, detection limit, repeatability and life‐time were evaluated. In the best case, the detection limits were estimated as 0.07, 0.11 and 0.63 µg L−1 for Pb, Cd and Zn, respectively. Finally, the applicability of the sensor was tested in analysis of Pb, Cd and Zn in real samples of tap and river water using the method of standard additions.
Nanostructured Base Electrochemical Sensor for Simultaneous Quantification and Voltammetric Studies of Levodopa and Carbidopa in Pharmaceutical Products and Biological Samples
Authors: Beitollahi Hadi , Mostafavi Mortaza
Published: April 2014

A novel carbon paste electrode modified with carbon nanotubes and 5‐amino‐2′‐ethyl‐biphenyl‐2‐ol (5AEB) was fabricated. The electrochemical study of the modified electrode, as well as its efficiency for electrocatalytic oxidation of levodopa (LD) and carbidopa (CD), is described. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to investigate the redox properties of this modified electrode at various scan rates. The apparent charge transfer rate constant, ks, and transfer coefficient, a, for electron transfer between 5AEB and CPE were calculated as 17.3 s−1 and 0.5, respectively. Square wave voltammetry (SWV) exhibits a linear dynamic range from 2.5×10−7 to 2.0×10−4 M and a detection limit of 9.0×10−8 M for LD.
Acceleration of self‐consistent field convergence in ab initio molecular dynamics simulation with multiconfigurational wave function
Authors: Okoshi Masaki , Nakai Hiromi
Published: April 2014

The Lagrange interpolation of molecular orbital (LIMO) method, which reduces the number of self‐consistent field iterations in ab initio molecular dynamics simulations with the Hartree–Fock method and the Kohn–Sham density functional theories, is extended to the theory of multiconfigurational wave functions. We examine two types of treatments for the active orbitals that are partially occupied. The first treatment, as denoted by LIMO(C), is a simple application of the conventional LIMO method to the union of the inactive core and the active orbitals. The second, as denoted by LIMO(S), separately treats the inactive core and the active orbitals. Numerical tests to compare the two treatments clarify that LIMO(S) is superior to LIMO(C). Further applications of LIMO(S) to various systems demonstrate its effectiveness and robustness. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Performance of DFT+U method for prediction of structural and thermodynamic parameters of monazite‐type ceramics
Authors: Blanca Romero Ariadna , Kowalski Piotr M. , Beridze George , Schlenz Hartmut , Bosbach Dirk
Published: April 2014

We performed a density functional theory (DFT) study of the monazite‐type ceramics using DFT+U method, where the Hubbard U parameters are derived ab initio, with the main goal in testing the predictive power of this computational method for modeling of f‐electron materials that are of interest in nuclear waste management. We show that DFT+U approach with PBEsol as the exchange‐correlation functional significantly improves description of structures and thermodynamic parameters of lanthanide‐bearing oxides and monazites over commonly used standard DFT (PBE) approach. We found that it is essential to use the Hubbard U parameter derived for a given element and a given structure to reproduce the structural parameters of the measured materials. We obtained exceptionally good description of the structural parameters with U parameter derived using the linear response approach of Cococcioni and de Gironcoli (Phys. Rev. B 2005, 71, 035105). This shows that affordable methods, such as DFT+U with a clever choice of exchange‐correlation functional and the Hubbard U parameter can lead to a good description of f‐electron materials. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hepatitis B virus infection reduces fertilization ability during in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer
Authors: Shi Lin , Liu Shan , Zhao Wanqiu , Zhou Hanying , Ren Wenjuan , Shi Juanzi
Published: April 2014

Whether hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection impairs human infertility is unclear. The present retrospective case–controlled study investigated the impact of HBV on sperm parameters, ovarian stimulation, and outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer. A total of 224 couples with at least one partner being HBsAg‐seropositive undergoing their first IVF and embryo transfer cycle were identified, which included 77 couples with female partners being HBsAg‐seropositive, 136 couples with male partners being HBsAg‐seropositive, and 11 couples with both partners being HBsAg‐seropositive. A total of 448 both HBsAg‐seronegative couples served as controls. The percentage of normal sperm morphology was significantly lower in HBsAg‐seropositive male partners than that in HBsAg‐seronegative male partners (11.9 ± 9.4% vs. 19.0 ± 11.9%, P < 0.01). The duration of infertility was significantly prolonged in HBV‐seropositive patients compared with HBV‐seronegative patients (4.9 vs. 4.1 years, P < 0.01). Couples with female partners being HBsAg‐seropositive had significantly lower top‐quality embryo rate than control group (22.4% vs. 31.6%, P < 0.01). In addition, the fertilization rates in groups with male or female partners being HBsAg‐seropositive were both significantly lower than the matched controls (80.2% vs. 82.8%, P < 0.05; 76.6% vs. 84.3%, P < 0.01, respectively). HBV infection was also found to be associated negatively with fertilization rate by logistic regression analysis (odds ratios: 0.410, 95% confidence interval: 0.186–0.906, P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in clinical pregnancy rates between HBsAg‐seropositive and HBsAg‐seronegative group. These results suggest that chronic HBV infection is likely to represent a significant cause of infertility. J. Med. Virol. 86:1099–1104, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Diversity at Work: The Practice of Inclusion
Authors: Galarraga Francesca
Published: April 2014

Edited by Bernardo M. Ferdman and Barbara R. Deane

San Francisco, CA: Jossey‐Bass, 2013. 672 pages. ISBN: 978‐0‐470‐40133‐0

Reviewed by Francesca Galarraga, MA
Barriers and Resources in Transcultural Interaction Situations of German Municipal Administrations
Authors: Dziuba Hanna , Erlinghagen Mara , Markocinski Agata , Schuette Patricia , Siebold Jona
Published: April 2014

Although potential “barriers” and “bridges” can be identified in translation processes, how can these provide concepts or ideas for organizations and individuals in relation to the topic of cultural diversity? The aim of this article is to answer this question. It is part of current research work within the context of a German project entitled TransVer‐Offensive (TransVer‐Initiative). It seeks to answer the questions, Which barriers and resources in interaction situations become visible under the influence of cultural diversity between various groups of actors within German municipal administrations, and how can these be handled in meaningful ways?
Fetal biometry in the Korean population: reference charts and comparison with charts from other populations
Authors: Kwon Ji Young , Park In Yang , Wie Jeoung Ha , Choe Suyearn , Kim Chan Joo , Shin Jong Chul
Published: April 2014

Objective

The objectives of this article were to construct size charts for fetal biometry in the Korean population and to identify ethnic differences in fetal biometry.

Method

A prospective, cross‐sectional study was performed with 986 fetuses between 15 to 40 weeks of gestation. The following biometric variables were measured: biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), and long bones lengths including the femur, tibia, humerus, and ulna. For each measurement, regression models were fitted to estimate the mean and standard deviation at each gestational age. The calculated centiles were compared with centiles from other populations using Z‐scores.

Results

New charts for the Korean population were presented for the fetal biometric variables. Most of the parameters were similar to those for the Italian population. Also, in comparison with the North American and UK populations, Korean fetuses had greater BPD, HC, and AC in the first half of pregnancy but tended to measure progressively smaller with advancing gestational age. In comparison with the Hong Kong population, Korean fetuses had a longer femur length at any gestational age.

Conclusion

We present size charts for fetal biometry for the Korean population using the recommended methodology, suggesting they are different from what is reported in other ethnicities. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gentrification in Amsterdam: Assessing the Importance of Context
Authors: Hochstenbach Cody , Musterd Sako , Teernstra Annalies
Published: April 2014

This paper investigates the income levels and income developments of in‐migrating, out‐migrating, and sitting households in gentrifying neighbourhoods in Amsterdam over a 10‐year period (1999–2008). First, to analyse these data, this paper discusses the impact of institutional and housing market contexts on the residential‐mobility patterns of households and subsequently discusses the outcomes of gentrification processes. The general Continental‐European context and the specific context of Amsterdam are highlighted in particular. We argue that in highly regulated markets, marginal gentrification can form an important process of neighbourhood upgrading. This contrasts the gentrification stage model. Second, using a unique, individual‐level longitudinal dataset, we show that gentrifying neighbourhoods in Amsterdam arguably form cases of marginal gentrification. Recent in‐migrants possess incomes that are structurally lower than the incomes of sitting residents. However, in‐migrants experience significant incumbent upgrading after moving in, more so than the sitting population. The Amsterdam housing market, dominated by social‐rental housing, is key to explaining these mobility patterns. Yet, a gradual liberalisation of the social‐rental stock could arguably contribute to more mature forms of gentrification. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Migration Decision Making as Complex Choice: Eliciting Decision Weights Under Conditions of Imperfect and Complex Information Through Experimental Methods
Authors: Baláž Vladimir , Williams Allan M. , Fifeková Elena
Published: April 2014

Migration decisions are complex, involving both economic and non‐economic considerations, and are often made in conditions that depart significantly from the idealised information assumptions of many models. This paper uses a three‐stage experimental research design to analyse migrant decision making in the face of complexity and varying information conditions (complete, imperfect, and overloading). It pays particular attention to differences based on previous migration experiences. It focuses on four main issues: (a) the balance between monetary and non‐monetary factors; (b) the computation, via a range of methods, of relative decision weights attached to different factors; (c) the impact of country image in relation to information; and (d) the role of preferences in dealing with missing information. The research examines the decision weights for eight attributes of potential destination countries for a sample of 157 young, educated individuals in Slovakia. The relative advantages and challenges of utilising experimental methods in migration research are illustrated. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterizing synthetic polymers and additives using new ionization methods for mass spectrometry
Authors: El‐Baba Tarick J. , Lutomski Corinne A. , Wang Beixi , Trimpin Sarah
Published: April 2014

RATIONALE

New inlet and vacuum ionization methods provide advantages of specificity, simplicity and speed for the analysis of synthetic polymers and polymer additives directly from surfaces such as fibers using mass spectrometry (MS) on different commercial mass spectrometers (Waters SYNAPT G2, Thermo LTQ Velos).

METHODS

We compare inlet ionization methods with the recently discovered vacuum ionization method. This method, termed matrix assisted ionization vacuum (MAIV), utilizes the matrix 3‐nitrobenzonitrile (3‐NBN) for the analysis of synthetic polymers and additives without additional energy input by simply exposing the matrix:analyte:salt to the vacuum of the mass spectrometer. Matrix:analyte:salt samples can be introduced while dry (surfaces, e.g. glass slides, pipet tips) or slightly wet (e.g. filter paper, pipet tips).

RESULTS

Compounds ionized by these methods can be analyzed in both positive and negative detection modes through cationization or deprotonation, respectively. The dynamic range of the experiment can be enhanced, as well as structural analysis performed, by coupling the vacuum ionization method with ion mobility spectrometry mass spectrometry (IMS‐MS) and tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) fragmentation.

CONCLUSIONS

The specificity of 3‐NBN matrix to ionize small and large nonvolatile analyte molecules by MAIV makes this matrix a good choice for observing low‐abundance additives in the presence of large amounts of synthetic polymer using MS. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isotopic niche (δ13С and δ15N values) of soil macrofauna in temperate forests
Authors: Korobushkin Daniil I. , Gongalsky Konstantin B. , Tiunov Alexei V.
Published: April 2014

RATIONALE

Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is used widely for reconstructing trophic links of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Soil macrofauna form a substantial food source for a range of predators including amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. SIA‐based estimations of their trophic niches require knowledge on the full range of isotopic signatures of potential preys. Considering the extremely high diversity of soil animals, this information is not easy to obtain.

METHODS

We estimated a typical range of the isotopic signatures of soil macrofauna by compiling published and original data on soil macroinvertebrates in 11 temperate forests. We examined whether the baseline correction (i.e. subtracting δ13C or δ15N values of local litter) would decrease the between‐site variability in the δ13C and δ15N values of soil animals. The dataset was subsequently used to estimate the frequency distribution of δ13C and δ15N values in saprophagous and predatory soil animals.

RESULTS

The baseline correction reduced the between‐site variability in δ15N, but not in δ13C values of soil animals. Over 95% of the taxa or individuals examined fell into an isotopic space with uncorrected δ13С values ranging from −27.9 to −22.5‰, and litter‐normalized δ15N values from 0.8 to 9.6‰. Saprophagous and predatory soil animals were on average enriched in13C relative to plant litter by 3.5 and 2.7‰, respectively, which is likely to reflect the importance of saprotrophic microorganisms as the main energy source in soil food webs. The difference in δ15N values between saprophages and predators averaged 2.8‰, which fits the anticipated trophic enrichment per trophic level.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that the range of possible δ15N values of soil macrofauna in temperate forest ecosystems can roughly be predicted based on the δ15N values of plant litter. On the other hand, no site‐specific normalization is usually required when predicting the range of δ13C values of soil macroinvertebrates. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization and sequence determination of pen inks, red sealing inks, and laser toners by TOF‐SIMS and ATR FTIR
Authors: Lee Jihye , Kim Seon Hee , Cho Youn‐Jeong , Nam Yun Sik , Lee Kang‐Bong , Lee Yeonhee
Published: April 2014

Document authentication is one of the most important fields in forensic science and includes analysis of handwriting, seal imprint, and printed materials. In this study, we investigated intersection lines by pen inks, red stamping ink, and laser toner using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF‐SIMS) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FTIR). TOF‐SIMS is very useful when the quantity of the sample is insufficient or the sample is very precious. Each ink showed specific ion peaks from inorganic species such as Al, Si, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Pb and from organic components at a mass range of m/z 200–450 in TOF‐SIMS spectra. ATR FTIR results also revealed different spectra for ink and toner samples. The overlapped area of ballpoint pen writing, red sealing stamping, and laser printing in a document was investigated in order to identify the sequence of recording. The sequence relations for various cases were studied from TOF‐SIMS mapping image and ATR FTIR spectra. This study indicated that TOF‐SIMS and ATR FTIR are useful techniques to determine the sequence of writing and printing under question. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated by a combination of sorafenib and radiotherapy
Authors: Yang Bi‐Ling , Yeh Chun , Hsu Chung‐Te , Chang Tien‐Yu , Wang Chung‐Yih
Published: April 2014

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma has a poor therapeutic outcome and treatment options are limited. Sorafenib, an orally active multikinase inhibitor, is the only systemic drug that has been shown to provide survival benefits in randomized control studies. However, the gains in survival are modest and new treatment strategies are needed. We report here the case of a patient with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma who had an impressive response to a combination of sorafenib and radiotherapy. The treatment was well tolerated with no unexpected toxicities. Post‐treatment imaging showed a satisfactory partial response with regression of the tumor by more than 50%.
Relationship Between Leukocyte Telomere Length and Personality Traits in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Sadahiro R. , Suzuki A. , Enokido M. , Matsumoto Y. , Shibuya N. , Kamata M. , Goto K. , Otani K.
Published: April 2014

Background:

It has been shown that certain personality traits are related to mortality and disease morbidity, but the biological mechanism linking them remains unclear. Telomeres are tandem repeat DNA sequences located at the ends of chromosomes, and shorter telomere length is a predictor of mortality and late-life disease morbidity. Thus, it is possible that personality traits influence telomere length. In the present study, we examined the relationship of leukocyte telomere length with personality traits in healthy subjects.

Subjects and methods:

The subjects were 209 unrelated healthy Japanese who were recruited from medical students at 4th–5th grade. Assessment of personality traits was performed by the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Leukocyte relative telomere length was determined by a quantitative real-time PCR method for a ratio of telomere/single copy gene.

Results:

In the stepwise multiple regression analysis, shorter telomere length was related to lower scores of neuroticism (P < 0.01) and conscientiousness (P < 0.05) of the NEO-PI-R, and lower scores of harm avoidance (P < 0.05) and reward dependence (P < 0.05) of the TCI.

Conclusions:

The present study suggests that leukocyte telomere length is associated with some personality traits, and this association may be implicated in the relationship between personality traits and mortality.
The Schizosaccharomyces pombe Hikeshi/Opi10 protein has similar biochemical functions to its human homolog but acts in different physiological contexts
Authors: Oda Yuumi , Kimura Makoto , Kose Shingo , Fasken Milo B. , Corbett Anita H. , Imamoto Naoko
Published: April 2014

Human Hikeshi (HsHikeshi) is a nuclear import carrier for Hsp70s and is required for cell survival after heat shock. The Hikeshi homolog in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (SpHikeshi/Opi10) localizes to the nuclear rim, interacts with the Hsp70 homolog Ssa2, and mediates its nuclear import in a reconstituted mammalian nuclear transport system. However, SpHikeshi/Opi10 is not required for heat stress response and survival after heat stress. Instead, SpHikeshi/Opi10 is required for the normal expression of stress response genes under optimal conditions and for cell growth during glucose deprivation. Here, the functions of SpHikeshi/Opi10 are discussed and compared to the functions of HsHikeshi.
CK2 phosphorylation of human centrins 1 and 2 regulates their binding to the DNA repair protein XPC, the centrosomal protein Sfi1 and the phototransduction protein transducin β
Authors: Grecu Dora , Assairi Liliane
Published: April 2014

Centrins are calcium‐binding proteins that can interact with several cellular targets (Sfi1, XPC, Sac3 and transducin β) through the same hydrophobic triad. However, two different orientations of the centrin‐binding motif have been observed: W1xxL4xxxL8 for XPC (xeroderma pigmentosum group C protein) and the opposite orientation L8xxxL4xxW1 for Sfi1 (suppressor of fermentation‐induced loss of stress resistance protein 1), Sac3 and transducin β. Centrins are also phosphorylated by several protein kinases, among which is CK2. The purpose of this study was to determine the binding mechanism of human centrins to three targets (transducin β, Sfi1 and XPC), and the effects of in vitro phosphorylation by CK2 of centrins 1 and 2 with regard to this binding mechanism. We identified the centrin‐binding motif at the COOH extremity of transducin β. Human centrin 1 binds to transducin β only in the presence of calcium with a binding constant lower than the binding constant observed for Sfi1 and for XPC. The affinity constants of centrin 1 were 0.10 106
M−1, 249 106
M−1 and 52.5 106
M−1 for Trd, R17‐Sfi1 and P17‐XPC respectively. CK2 phosphorylates human centrin 1 at residue T138 and human centrin 2 at residues T138 and S158. Consequently CK2 phosphorylation abolished the binding of centrin 1 to transducin β and reduced the binding to Sfi1 and XPC. CK2 phosphorylation of centrin 2 at T138 and S158 abolished the binding to Sfi1 as assessed using a C‐HsCen2 T138D‐S158D phosphomimetic form of centrin 2.
Perinatal biomarkers in prematurity: Early identification of neurologic injury
Authors: Andrikopoulou Maria , Almalki Ahmad , Farzin Azadeh , Cordeiro Christina N. , Johnston Michael V. , Burd Irina
Published: April 2014

Over the past few decades, biomarkers have become increasingly utilized as non‐invasive tools in the early diagnosis and management of various clinical conditions. In perinatal medicine, the improved survival of extremely premature infants who are at high risk for adverse neurologic outcomes has increased the demand for the discovery of biomarkers in detecting and predicting the prognosis of infants with neonatal brain injury. By enabling the clinician to recognize potential brain damage early, biomarkers could allow clinicians to intervene at the early stages of disease, and to monitor the efficacy of those interventions. This review will first examine the potential perinatal biomarkers for neurologic complications of prematurity, specifically, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH). It will also evaluate knowledge gained from animal models regarding the pathogenesis of perinatal brain injury in prematurity.
Reforming pharmaceutical regulation: A case study of generic drugs in Brazil
Authors: da Fonseca Elize Massard
Published: April 2014

Brazil is renowned worldwide for its remarkable reforms in pharmaceutical regulation, as the Generic Drug Act that have enhanced access to essential medicines while lowering drug costs. In contrast with analysis of pharmaceutical regulation that invokes international guidelines as inspiration for countries to reformulate their norms or argues that regulations emerge in order to serve the interests of powerful interest groups; this paper focuses on actors’ preferences and demands to explain how Brazil promoted this large-scale regulatory policy. Paradoxically, the generic drug regulation introduced in the name of patients and opposed by local firms given the high cost to adapt its plants and processes, is today opposed by important patient advocacy groups but solidified by the strong support of local and multinational pharmaceutical firms. The paper concludes that the state still matters for pharmaceutical regulation and that pharmaceutical regulation is only partially influenced by non-state actors.
A LEGAL-HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE EU COMPETITION RULES
Authors: Chiriţă Anca D
Published: April 2014

This article aims to review EU competition rules by undertaking a historical purposive interpretation of the drafting process of the Treaty of Rome. It reveals new insights based on a consideration of several historical archives starting with the Schuman plan, the Founding Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community and the negotiations of the Treaty of Rome. Questions of contemporary relevance are explored, relating to the goals of competition law, the historical distinction between ‘object’ and ‘effect’ under Article 101 TFEU, the possibility of an enforcement gap under Article 102 TFEU, the relationship between unfair competition and the prohibition of discrimination and, finally, the broader meaning of competitive distortions.
CHINA'S STATE CAPITALISM AND WORLD TRADE LAW
Authors: Du Ming
Published: April 2014

Melding the power of the state with the power of capitalism, state-owned and state-controlled enterprises continue to control the commanding heights of the Chinese economy even though market-oriented reforms have led to a rapid expansion of the private sector in China. This article reflects on how China's practice of state capitalism challenges the world trading system and how WTO law, as interpreted by WTO Panels and the WTO Appellate Body (AB), addresses these challenges. The article concludes that the WTO Agreement on Subsides and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement) has been interpreted in such a manner that many key features of China's state capitalism could easily be challenged by its trading partners in a WTO-consistent manner. This finding has profound implications for China's domestic economic reforms, especially China's ongoing reforms of its state-owned enterprises and commercial banks.
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT POLICY
Authors: Kleinheisterkamp Jan
Published: April 2014

EU Financial responsibility resulting from investor-state arbitration is a politically sensitive topic that is currently shaping the emerging European international investment policy. What level of protection can foreign investors be granted in future EU investment treaties without compromising EU ‘policy space’? How much review of its regulatory powers by arbitral tribunals, rather than by the CJEU, is the EU willing to accept? Taking the Commission's recent draft Regulation on managing financial responsibility as the starting point, this article analyses the implications that future EU investment agreements may have for the existing safeguards balancing private and public interests in EU law. It discusses the different policy choices in the light of fears that investment treaties may affect the EU policy space. A more scientific and sustainable approach is then suggested for ensuring that future EU agreements provide sufficient clarity regarding the outer bounds of financial responsibility and criteria for liability with the aim of maximizing legal certainty for both investors and host states.
Explaining the Advocacy Agenda: Insights from the Human Security Network
Authors: Carpenter Charli , Duygulu Sirin , Montgomery Alexander H. , Rapp Anna
Published: April 2014

Through a series of focus groups with human security practitioners, we examined how powerful organizations at the center of advocacy networks select issues for attention. Participants emphasized five sets of factors: entrepreneur attributes, adopter attributes, the broader political context, issue attributes, and intranetwork relations. However, the last two were much more consistently invoked by practitioners in their evaluations of specific candidate issues. Scholars of global agenda setting should pay particular attention to how intranetwork relations structure gatekeeper preferences within transnational advocacy spaces because these help constitute perceptions of issues' and actors' attributes in networks.
Age and growth of flathead, Platycephalus indicus from the Persian Gulf (Bandar Abbas, Iran)
Authors: Mohammadikia Dariush , Kamrani Ehsan , Reza Taherizadeh Mohammad , Soleymani Ayoub , Farokhi Ehsan , Momeni Mohammad
Published: April 2014

In a study of the age and growth of Platycephalus indicus, a total of 1106 fish were collected from May 2011 to March 2012 in the coastal waters of Iran, Persian Gulf. The ages of 279 specimens were determined by sectioned otoliths. The ages of the females were estimated to be between 0+ to 7+ , while the ages of the males were from 0+ to 4+. The von Bertalanffy growth curve was well suited to the age/total length data of males and females as follows: Lt = 43.40{1–exp[−0.45(t + 0.328)]} for males, and Lt = 63 {1–exp[−0.50(t + 0.30)]} for females. linf = 43.40, k = 0.45, t0 = −0.328 for females and linf = 63, k = 0.50, t0 = −0.30 for males. The estimated values of natural mortality (M) were M = 0.886 yr−1 for females and 0.736 yr−1 for males, and the estimated Z values were 1.43 yr−1 for females and 1.62 yr−1 for males. The mean value of the gonadosomatic index for males and females was 0.82 ± 0.25 and 2.48 ± 0.59, respectively, in each year. The mean values of the hepatosomatic index (HSI) were 0.89 ± 0.20 for males and 1.28 ± 0.16 for females. The highest HSI values for this location were observed in January, and the lowest were in April.
Comparison of the fatty acid profiles of liver and fat from five Indian Ocean loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta)
Authors: Davidson Bruce Clement , Ayvazyan Anet , Evani Sumedha , Cliff Geremy
Published: April 2014

Many sea turtle species are threatened or endangered according to the IUCN Red List. Loggerhead turtles are protected in South African waters, but are migratory, thus may not be so throughout their range. Five individual turtles were caught in the beach-protecting nets off the Indian Ocean coast and provided liver and adipose samples for lipid and fatty acid analysis as part of a long term programme assessing the lipid profiles of southern Indian Ocean marine organisms. Comparing adipose with liver there was little variation in the saturated, monounsaturated and n6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, but increased n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in adipose compared to liver. These results compared well with data published elsewhere on loggerhead turtles, as well as green turtles, but not other turtle species raised in captivity or other aquatic reptilian species.
Rain forests of central Borneo—threatened by modern development
Authors: Bodmer Richard E. , Mather Robert J. , Chivers David J.
Published: April 2014

Rain forests in Central Kalimantan, Borneo, are under increasing pressure from commercial industry, agricultural projects and transmigration programmes. Our knowledge of the hill forests in central Borneo is virtually non-existent, yet they may disappear before we realize their true value as intact forests. These rapid developments prompted the FFPS to launch the Red Alert Project, which, together with Project Barito Ulu, is investigating ways to promote rain-forest conservation in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
James Harrington on the Hebrew Commonwealth
Authors: Beiner Ronald
Published: April 2014

Living in the post-9/11 world that we do, it is evident that the contemporary world continues to be very much vulnerable to political disruptions emanating from theocratic politics; and in that sense, any secularist hopes that may have been entertained for a political domestication of religion are far from having been fulfilled. That in turn suggests to us that the concerns that animated the great seventeenth-century struggle against clerical power and theocratic authority are enduring ones, and that we have reason to continue to engage intellectually with critics of priestcraft like Hobbes, Harrington, and Spinoza. Within that broader context, this article concerns itself with Harrington in particular, focusing on his efforts in his polemical writings of the late 1650s to draw resources for Erastian politics from a Hobbes-inspired account of the Hebrew republic.
Beliefs about Social Fluidity and Preferences for Social Policies
Authors: JAIME-CASTILLO ANTONIO M. , MARQUÉS-PERALES ILDEFONSO
Published: April 2014

Several studies have shown that attitudes toward social policy are influenced by expectations of social mobility at the individual level and perceptions of social fluidity at the aggregate level. If individuals think of inequalities as the result of inherited disadvantages, they will be more willing to distribute resources from the rich to the poor. However, one important question remains open: How do individuals perceive the distribution of opportunities in society? In this paper we argue that individuals believe a society to be fair if opportunities for reaching the top of the social ladder are equally distributed among the population. That is, the distribution of resources is fair to the extent that individual outcomes do not depend on social origins. To address this issue, we asked a representative sample of individuals in the Spanish region of Andalusia what they think the chances are for persons of different social origins to achieve a high social status. We have found that those who think the chances for reaching the top are unequally distributed are those who support greater government responsibility and oppose meritocracy and competition, as they believe the initial distribution of opportunities to be unfair.
The Cyrenaican Prehistory Project 2012: the fifth season of investigations of the Haua Fteah cave
Authors: Barker Graeme , Bennett Paul , Farr Lucy , Hill Evan , Hunt Chris , Lucarini Giulio , Morales Jacob , Mutri Giuseppina , Prendergast Amy , Pryor Alexander , Rabett Ryan , Reynolds Tim , Spry-Marques Pia , Twati Mohammed
Published: April 2014

The paper reports on the fifth (2012) season of fieldwork of the Cyrenaican Prehistory Project. The primary focus of the season was the continuation of the excavation of the prehistoric occupation layers in the Haua Fteah cave. A small trench (Trench U) was cut into Holocene (Neolithic) sediments exposed on the south wall of Charles McBurney's Upper Trench. Below this, the excavation of Trench M was continued, on the southern side of McBurney's Middle Trench. In previous seasons we had excavated Oranian ‘Epipalaeolithic’ layers dating toc.18,000–10,000 BP (years before the present). In 2012 the excavation continued downwards through Dabban ‘Upper Palaeolithic’ occupation layers, one of which was associated with a post-built structure and likely hearths. There are indications of an occupational hiatus separating the oldest Dabban from the youngest Levallois-Mousterian (Middle Palaeolithic or Middle Stone Age) lithic material. The Deep Sounding excavated by Charles McBurney in 1955 was cleared of backfill to its base, and its south-facing wall was recorded in detail and sampled extensively for materials for dating and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. McBurney believed that he had reached bedrock at the base of the Deep Sounding, but a small sounding (Trench S) cut into the sediments below this level found further, albeit sparse, evidence for human occupation. Whilst the antiquity of ‘Pre-Aurignacian’ human occupation at the site still needs to be resolved, it seems likely to reach back at least to Marine Isotope Stage 5e, the beginning of the last interglacial (c.130,000–115,000 BP). Important finds from the 2012 excavations in terms of the behavioural complexity of the human groups using the cave include a possible worked bone point from a Pre-Aurignacian layer and a granite rubbing stone in a Dabban layer from a source over 600 km from the cave.
Report on the preliminary season of the Lepcis Magna Coastal Survey
Authors: Schörle Katia , Leitch Victoria , Liñeiro Ignacio Crespo , Ahmed Muftah , Rabha Khairi Abd Aselam Ben , Ali Musbah
Published: April 2014

In October-November 2010 a pilot survey was carried out along the coastal landscape west of Lepcis Magna from the Villa of the Odeon. Intensive new building activities, in particular the development of tourist villages and luxury villas, made this archaeological survey particularly urgent. Earlier plans for a longer programme of research over several years were interrupted by the revolution in Libya; however, it is hoped that work can resume in the near future, and in the meantime the first overview of the season is given here. The survey revealed 52 ancient sites, including productive villas, ceramic kilns, sites equipped for oil and/or wine production and fish processing installations. This survey adds to previous archaeological work in the area and highlights the importance, wealth and economic role of the coastline of Lepcis Magna within the Roman Empire: not only do we see dense occupation, but also a wide range of activities, whether agricultural or the exploitation of marine resources. These results are significant for developing our knowledge of the coastal economy of Tripolitania and for helping to characterise the nature of production and how this may be linked to wider Mediterranean trading networks.
Geoarchaeological patterns in the pre-desert and desert ecozones of northern Cyrenaica
Authors: Jones Sacha , Farr Lucy , Barton Huw , Drake Nick , White Kevin , Barker Graeme
Published: April 2014

Geoarchaeological surveys were conducted in northern Cyrenaica in 2009 as part of the TRANS-NAP project. A major objective of the project is to understand the relationship between regional environmental changes and human occupation patterns in northern Cyrenaica over approximately the past 200,000 years. This paper focuses on the results of surveys of the pre-desert and desert ecological zones in the south of the project's study region. The type, density and distribution of Palaeolithic sites were a particular focus of field research in the area. We report data from 42 archaeological sites in the pre-desert and desert zones, concentrating in particular on sites associated with palaeolakes and fan deposits. Analysis of the data reveals several patterns whereby particular archaeological signatures are associated with particular landforms. There is also a broader pattern across the region where sites assigned to the Middle Stone Age (MSA) period are considerably more common than those characteristic of the Late Stone Age (LSA). It is argued that this geographic area is particularly sensitive to changes in global climate and that past occupation patterns during the Palaeolithic were strongly driven by changes in the region's hydrological regime.
The changing funerary world of Roman Cyrene
Authors: Cherstich Luca
Published: April 2014

This paper discusses the deep transformation of the monumental funerary culture of Cyrene during the Roman period. For the first time the problem is analysed in its complex entirety, identifying elements of Roman tombs and looking for possible dating clues. The quantitative data from a survey in the Southern Necropolis are used for a statistical analysis, looking for the relationship between portrait-busts/niches and other burial features. A chronological view of this period in the necropolis is attempted, together with a discussion of the evolution and the cultural significance of tomb-types. The picture is also contextualised within what we know of the socio-historical framework from other sources.
The Cyrenaican Prehistory Project 2011: Late-Holocene environments and human activity from a cave fill in Cyrenaica, Libya
Authors: Hunt Chris O. , Brooks Ian , Meneely John , Brown David , Buzaian Ahmed , Barker Graeme
Published: April 2014

Little is known about late Holocene environmental change in Cyrenaica. The late Holocene sequence in the Haua Fteah, the key regional site, is highly discontinuous and characterised by stable-burning deposits. The geoarchaeology of the late-Holocene cave fill of a small cave, CP1565, located close to the Haua Fteah, is described. The well-stratified sequence, dating from the fourth century AD to the present day, provides a glimpse of life at the bottom of the settlement hierarchy and of changing environments over the last 1600 years, with degraded vegetation and aridity in the ‘Little Ice Age’.
DMP XII: Excavations and Survey of the so-called Garamantian Royal Cemetery (GSC030–031)
Authors: Mattingly David , Abduli Hafed , Ahmed Muftah , Cole Franca , Fenwick Corisande , Fothergill Brooklynne Tyr , Rodriguez Mireya González , Hobson Matthew , Khalaf Nadia , Lahr Marta , Moussa Farès , Nikita Efthymia , Nikolaus Julia , Radini Anita , Ray Nick , Savage Toby , Sterry Martin , Wilson Andrew
Published: April 2014

Survey and excavation by the Burials and Identity team of the Desert Migrations Project (DMP) focused in 2011 on the so-called Royal Cemetery of the Garamantes close to the Jarma escarpment, a few km south of Old Jarma. This Late Garamantian cemetery contains two distinct zones (GSC030 and GSC031) of monumental rectangular stepped tombs, which were plaster-coated and fronted by massive offering tables and stelae. Previous dating evidence has suggested they span the fourth to sixth centuries AD. However, many questions remain about the cemetery and the overall recording of the monuments had hitherto been left incomplete. The 2011 work focused on the excavation of one of the larger monuments in GSC030 and several of the smaller tombs in the neighbouring GSC031, along with an overall survey of both cemetery areas and a detailed record of the stelae and offering tables still present in considerable numbers. In addition, the team made a survey along the escarpment between the Royal Cemetery and Zinkekrā, completing and uniting the various surveys carried out by the DMP around Zinkekrā, Watwāt and the Jarma Escarpment. A survey of foggaras and settlement in the ad-Dīsa embayment was also undertaken.
L'inscription de Qasr al-Hammâm : nouveau déchiffrement et nouvelle lecture de son contexte archéo-historique
Authors: Abdouli Hafed
Published: April 2014

This article is a reassessment of an inscription dated to 473 H. / AD 1080–81 from Qasr al-Hammâm, in the hinterland of Lepcis Magna. The inscription is contextualised within the historical literature of the period and a new reading is proposed; following a careful analysis of the architecture it is suggested that the original plan of the qasr is of medieval date rather than earlier. The inscription appears to corroborate the reliability of Ibn Khaldoūn regarding the settlement of the āl-Sālim tribe in the vicinity of Lepcis: the late eleventh century ‘Émir Sālim’ referred to by Khaldoūn is in all probability the same man as the emir mentioned in the inscription.
Desert Migrations Project XVII: Further AMS Dates for Historic Settlements from Fazzan, South-West Libya
Authors: Sterry M. , Mattingly D. J.
Published: April 2014

A group of 25 new AMS radiocarbon dates for historic-era sites in Fazzan is presented. These provide further confirmation of the construction of numerous fortified villages and castle-like structures (qsur) in two of the main oases belts of Fazzan during the Garamantian period, primarily in the third – sixth centuries AD. Further precision is also provided on the dating of a Garamantian and early Islamic urban centre called Qasr ash-Sharraba and the early modern capital of Fazzan at Murzuq.
Food resource partitioning in syntopic nectarivorous bats on Puerto Rico
Authors: Soto-Centeno J. Angel , Phillips Donald L. , Kurta Allen , Hobson Keith A.
Published: April 2014

Understanding the dietary needs of syntopic species is essential for examining species coexistence and resource partitioning. We analysed stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) to estimate the diet of two putative nectarivorous bats on Puerto Rico, the brown flower bat (Erophylla bombifrons) and the Greater Antillean long-tongued bat (Monophyllus redmani). Isotopic ratios of δ13C and δ15N were obtained from whole blood of both species of bat and tissues of available plant foods and insect prey over 15 wk at the same locality. We used a concentration-dependent Bayesian mixing model to determine probability distributions of feasible dietary contributions for major potential foods used by each species of bat. Additionally, separate dietary estimates were conducted for males and non-reproductive, pregnant and lactating females to determine differences due to reproductive condition. Insects were an important source of protein for M. redmani, whereas E. bombifrons obtained most of its protein from plants. In both species of bat, lactating females had lower assimilated nitrogen than males, suggesting more reliance on plants for protein. We observed no intraspecific differences in assimilated carbon among reproductive conditions. Flight and lactation are energetically expensive and may explain the increased consumption of high-energy foods, such as fruit or nectar, in lactating female bats. Comparison of isotopes between E. bombifrons and M. redmani illustrate the differential use of food resources by these insular syntopic species of bat.
Rings of Frobenius operators
Authors: KATZMAN MORDECHAI , SCHWEDE KARL , SINGH ANURAG K. , ZHANG WENLIANG
Published: April 2014

Let R be a local ring of prime characteristic. We study the ring of Frobenius operators ${\mathcal F}(E)$, where E is the injective hull of the residue field of R. In particular, we examine the finite generation of ${\mathcal F}(E)$ over its degree zero component ${\mathcal F}^0(E)$, and show that ${\mathcal F}(E)$ need not be finitely generated when R is a determinantal ring; nonetheless, we obtain concrete descriptions of ${\mathcal F}(E)$ in good generality that we use, for example, to prove the discreteness of F-jumping numbers for arbitrary ideals in determinantal rings.