bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Explaining gender differences in self-regulated driving: what roles do health limitations and driving alternatives play?
Authors: BARRETT ANNE E. , GUMBER CLAYTON , DOUGLAS RACHEL
Published: June 2017

One of the strongest and most consistent predictors of self-regulated driving is gender, with women more likely than men to limit their driving in situations like bad weather or at night. However, studies have focused more on documenting these gender patterns than on explaining the processes underlying them, which may vary in their implications for transportation, health and ageing policy. Our study addresses this issue by examining two potential explanations for women's greater likelihood of self-regulated driving: their greater health limitations and use of driving alternatives. Using a nationally representative sample of older Americans (2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study, N = 4,842), we conducted logistic regressions predicting driving under four limitations: alone, at night, in rain or other bad weather and on highways. Our results provide stronger support for the driving alternatives explanation, especially women's greater reliance on rides from family and friends. Health limitations do contribute to explaining one of the self-regulated driving behaviours – avoiding driving alone. Our findings suggest that willingness to use driving alternatives is part of transitioning from driving. However, the relatively low use of all the alternatives we examined points to the importance of better understanding older adults’ transportation needs and preferences, including their gendered dimensions.
Mapping Eurasia in an Open World: How the Insularity of Russia’s Geopolitical and Civilizational Approaches Limits Its Foreign Policies
Authors: Katzenstein Peter J. , Weygandt Nicole
Published: June 2017

Russia’s Eurasian view of the world brings together anti-Western and state-centric elements. Placed at the center of its own geo-political sphere of influence and civilizational milieu, Russia’s worldview is self-contained and insular. What Russian policy slights is the global context in which its primacy over a heterogeneous Eurasia is embedded and which, when disregarded, can impose serious costs. This paper traces the broad contours of Russia’s geopolitical and civilizational Eurasianism, linking it to earlier scholarship on regions and civilization. We also explore selected aspects of Russia’s foreign security (Crimea and Ukraine) and economic (energy) policies as well as the constraints they encounter in an increasingly global world that envelops Russia and Eurasia in a larger context.
Trump and the Populist Authoritarian Parties:The Silent Revolutionin Reverse
Authors: Inglehart Ronald , Norris Pippa
Published: June 2017

Growing up taking survival for granted makes people more open to new ideas and more tolerant of outgroups. Insecurity has the opposite effect, stimulating an Authoritarian Reflex in which people close ranks behind strong leaders, with strong in-group solidarity, rejection of outsiders, and rigid conformity to group norms. The 35 years of exceptional security experienced by developed democracies after WWII brought pervasive cultural changes, including the rise of Green parties and the spread of democracy. During the past 35 years, economic growth continued, but virtually all of the gains went to those at the top; the less-educated experienced declining existential security, fueling support for Populist Authoritarian phenomena such as Brexit, France’s National Front and Trump’s takeover of the Republican party. This raises two questions: (1) “What motivates people to support Populist Authoritarian movements?” And (2) “Why is the populist authoritarian vote so much higher now than it was several decades ago in high-income countries?” The two questions have different answers. Support for populist authoritarian parties is motivated by a backlash against cultural change. From the start, younger Postmaterialist birth cohorts supported environmentalist parties, while older, less secure cohorts supported authoritarian xenophobic parties, in an enduring intergenerational value clash. But for the past three decades, strong period effects have been working to increase support for xenophobic parties: economic gains have gone almost entirely to those at the top, while a large share of the population experienced declining real income and job security, along with a large influx of immigrants and refugees. Cultural backlash explains why given individuals support Populist Authoritarian movements. Declining existential security explains why support for these movements is greater now than it was thirty years ago.
A Discussion of Aida H. Hozic and Jacqui True’s Scandalous Economics: Gender and the Politics of Financial Crises
Authors: Strolovitch Dara Z.
Published: June 2017

“Critical analyses of the global financial crisis of 2008 (GFC) have neglected the ways in which structural inequalities around gender and race factor into (and indeed make possible) the current economic order. Scandalous Economics breaks new ground by arguing that an explicitly gendered approach to the GFC and its ongoing effects can help us to understand both the root causes of the crisis and the failure to significantly reform financial institutions and macroeconomic models.” These words, from the blurb on the back cover of Scandalous Economics, nicely summarize the book’s topic and the general approach to it. Because the book contains contributions from a number of the top political scientists writing about the gendering of political economy, and because this topic is such an important one, we have invited a range of political scientists to comment on the book and on the broader theme of the gendering of political economy.
A Discussion of Lawrence R. Jacobs and Desmond King's Fed Power: How Finance Wins
Authors: Block Fred
Published: June 2017

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, political scientists have been paying more careful attention to the role of banking institutions as economic but also political institutions whose financial decisions involve the exercise of power and shape the conditions under which governmental decisions are made. Because the United States is still the world’s preeminent global economic power, the U.S. Federal Reserve looms particularly large in efforts to understand the financial roots of contemporary politics. Lawrence R. Jacobs and Desmond King’s Fed Power: How Finance Wins (Oxford University Press, 2016) is a major effort to analyze these questions, and so we have invited a cast of prominent political scientists to comment on the book as an account of “how finance wins.”
A Discussion of Katherine J. Cramer's The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker
Authors: Davis Darren
Published: June 2017

The policies of Republican Governor Scott Walker have come to symbolize a resurgent assault on the public sector, and on public employee unions in particular, by the Republican Party. The fact that this is happening in Wisconsin, the state that in the last century was considered the “laboratory of Progressivism,” makes the politics surrounding these policies all the more compelling. In The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker, Katherine J. Cramer analyzes the “politics of resentment” surrounding these developments. Employing an ethnographic “method of listening,” Cramer furnishes thick description of the political language employed by rural Wisconsinites, and proceeds to develop an interpretive theory of “political resentment” that illuminates the reasons why lower-class citizens so strongly oppose public policies seeking to offset social and economic inequality. The book is important methodologically and politically. We have thus invited a range of social and political scientists to comment on the book as a work of political science and as a diagnosis of the current political moment.
A Discussion of Katherine J. Cramer's The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker
Authors: Schildkraut Deborah J.
Published: June 2017

The policies of Republican Governor Scott Walker have come to symbolize a resurgent assault on the public sector, and on public employee unions in particular, by the Republican Party. The fact that this is happening in Wisconsin, the state that in the last century was considered the “laboratory of Progressivism,” makes the politics surrounding these policies all the more compelling. In The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker, Katherine J. Cramer analyzes the “politics of resentment” surrounding these developments. Employing an ethnographic “method of listening,” Cramer furnishes thick description of the political language employed by rural Wisconsinites, and proceeds to develop an interpretive theory of “political resentment” that illuminates the reasons why lower-class citizens so strongly oppose public policies seeking to offset social and economic inequality. The book is important methodologically and politically. We have thus invited a range of social and political scientists to comment on the book as a work of political science and as a diagnosis of the current political moment.
A Discussion of Péter Krasztev and Jon Van Til’s
The Hungarian Patient: Social Opposition to an Illiberal
Democracy
Authors: Wittenberg Jason
Published: June 2017

In the wake of the Revolutions of 1989, Hungary was long considered one of the
“success stories” of post-communist transition to liberal
democracy. Yet in recent years the Hungarian government, under the leadership of
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has pioneered a new conception of
“illiberal democracy.” In a July 2014 speech, Orban indeed
declared that “the era of liberal democracies is over.”
Similar declarations can be heard in other parts of post-communist Eastern
Europe. The Hungarian Patient: Social Opposition to an Illiberal
Democracy, is a collection of essays by Hungarian social scientists
and intellectuals reflecting on both the sources of this emergent illiberalism
and the sources of opposition to it. Because it is important for American
political scientists to understand the way their colleagues in other parts of
the world reflect on the challenges of democracy, and because the Hungarian
situation is significant for the future of Europe and the EU, we have invited a
wide range of scholars to comment on the book and on its topic—the
significance of the emergence of “illiberal democracy” in
Hungary and in Europe.
Managing Muslims: imperial Japan, Islamic policy, and Axis connections during the Second World War
Authors: Hammond Kelly A.
Published: June 2017

Probing into Japan’s quest to legitimize itself within the Islamic sphere, this article examines some of the lessons that imperial Japan hoped to learn from the Germans and the Italians regarding their respective handling of Muslim populations in the Middle East and North Africa. For their part, Muslims living under Japanese occupation on the mainland often benefited from Axis cooperation and were able to create relationships with Muslims beyond China. In the article, I posit that Japanese militarists used their Axis connections as a powerful rhetorical tool to position themselves as liberators from Western imperialism and communism throughout Asia. I also argue that, by examining intellectual currents circulating Eurasia through Axis-facilitated connections, we glean a more nuanced understanding of global anti-colonial movements among Muslim populations from the Maghreb to Manila in the post-war era.
Long noncoding RNA CRNDE stabilized by hnRNPUL2 accelerates cell proliferation and migration in colorectal carcinoma via activating Ras/MAPK signaling pathways
Authors: Jiang Huijuan , Wang Yiqing , Ai Meiling , Wang Haowei , Duan Zhijiao , Wang Huanan , Zhao Li , Yu Jiang , Ding Yanqing , Wang Shuang
Published: June 2017

Recent studies have furthered our understanding of the function of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in numerous biological processes, including cancer. This study investigated the expression of a novel lncRNA, colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed (CRNDE), in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) tissues and cells by real-time RT-PCR and in situ hybridization, and its biological function using a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments to determine its potential as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target. CRNDE was found to be upregulated in primary CRC tissues and cells (P<0.05), and the upregulation of CRNDE expression is a powerful predictor of advanced TNM stage (P<0.05) and poor prognosis for CRC patients (P=0.002). The promoting effects of CRNDE on the cell proliferation, cell cycling and metastasis of CRC cells were confirmed both in vitro and in vivo by gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments. Mechanistically, it was demonstrated that CRNDE could form a functional complex with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U-like 2 protein (hnRNPUL2) and direct the transport of hnRNPUL2 between the nucleus and cytoplasm. hnRNPUL2 that was accumulated in the cytoplasm could interact with CRNDE both physically and functionally, increasing the stability of CRNDE RNA. Moreover, gene expression profile data showed that CRNDE depletion in cells downregulated a series of genes involved in the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Collectively, these findings provide novel insights into the function and mechanism of lncRNA CRNDE in the pathogenesis of CRC and highlight its potential as a therapeutic target for CRC intervention.
Magnetic forces enable controlled drug delivery by disrupting endothelial cell-cell junctions
Authors: Qiu Yongzhi , Tong Sheng , Zhang Linlin , Sakurai Yumiko , Myers David R. , Hong Lin , Lam Wilbur A. , Bao Gang
Published: June 2017

The vascular endothelium presents a major transport barrier to drug delivery by only allowing selective extravasation of solutes and small molecules. Therefore, enhancing drug transport across the endothelial barrier has to rely on leaky vessels arising from disease states such as pathological angiogenesis and inflammatory response. Here we show that the permeability of vascular endothelium can be increased using an external magnetic field to temporarily disrupt endothelial adherens junctions through internalized iron oxide nanoparticles, activating the paracellular transport pathway and facilitating the local extravasation of circulating substances. This approach provides a physically controlled drug delivery method harnessing the biology of endothelial adherens junction and opens a new avenue for drug delivery in a broad range of biomedical research and therapeutic applications.
Human LACC1 increases innate receptor-induced responses and a LACC1 disease-risk variant modulates these outcomes
Authors: Lahiri Amit , Hedl Matija , Yan Jie , Abraham Clara
Published: June 2017

Functional consequences for most inflammatory disease-associated loci are incompletely defined, including in the LACC1 (C13orf31) region. Here we show that human peripheral and intestinal myeloid-derived cells express laccase domain-containing 1 (LACC1); LACC1 is expressed in both the cytoplasm and mitochondria. Upon NOD2 stimulation of human macrophages, LACC1 associates with the NOD2-signalling complex, and is critical for optimal NOD2-induced signalling, mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) production, cytokine secretion and bacterial clearance. LACC1 constitutively associates with succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) subunit A, and amplifies pattern recognition receptor (PRR)-induced SDH activity, an important contributor to mtROS production. Relative to LACC1 Ile254, cells transfected with Crohn’s disease-risk LACC1 Val254 or LACC1 with mutations of the nearby histidines (249,250) have reduced PRR-induced outcomes. Relative to LACC1 Ile254 carriers, Val254 disease-risk carrier macrophages demonstrate decreased PRR-induced mtROS, signalling, cytokine secretion and bacterial clearance. Therefore, LACC1 is critical for amplifying PRR-induced outcomes, an effect that is attenuated by the LACC1 disease-risk variant.
Origin of the crossover from polarons to Fermi liquids in transition metal oxides
Authors: Verdi Carla , Caruso Fabio , Giustino Feliciano
Published: June 2017

Transition metal oxides host a wealth of exotic phenomena ranging from charge, orbital and magnetic order to nontrivial topological phases and superconductivity. In order to translate these unique materials properties into device functionalities these materials must be doped; however, the nature of carriers and their conduction mechanism at the atomic scale remain unclear. Recent angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy investigations provided insight into these questions, revealing that the carriers of prototypical metal oxides undergo a transition from a polaronic liquid to a Fermi liquid regime with increasing doping. Here, by performing ab initio many-body calculations of angle-resolved photoemission spectra of titanium dioxide, we show that this transition originates from non-adiabatic polar electron–phonon coupling, and occurs when the frequency of plasma oscillations exceeds that of longitudinal-optical phonons. This finding suggests that a universal mechanism may underlie polaron formation in transition metal oxides, and provides a pathway for engineering emergent properties in quantum matter.
DNA Backbone Sulfur-Modification Expands Microbial Growth Range under Multiple Stresses by its anti-oxidation function
Authors: Yang Yan , Xu Guanpeng , Liang Jingdan , He Ying , Xiong Lei , Li Hui , Bartlett Douglas , Deng Zixin , Wang Zhijun , Xiao Xiang
Published: June 2017

DNA phosphorothioate (PT) modification is a sulfur modification on the backbone of DNA introduced by the proteins DndA-E. It has been detected within many bacteria isolates and metagenomic datasets, including human pathogens, and is considered to be widely distributed in nature. However, little is known about the physiological function of this modification, and thus its evolutionary significance and application potential remains largely a mystery. In this study, we focused on the advantages of DNA PT modification to bacterial cells coping with environmental stresses. We show that the mesophile Escherichia coli and the extremophile Shewanella piezotolerans both expanded their growth ranges following exposure to extreme temperature, salinity, pH, pressure, UV, X-ray and heavy metals as a result of DNA phophorothioation. The phophorothioated DNA reacted to both H2O2 and hydroxyl radicals in vivo, and protected genomic DNA as well as sensitive enzymes from intracellular oxidative damage. We further demonstrate that this process has evolved separate from its associated role in DNA restriction and modification. These findings provide a physiological role for a covalent modification widespread in nature and suggest possible applications in biotechnology and biomedicine.
Comparative genomics and transcriptomics of Escherichia coli isolates carrying virulence factors of both enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic E. coli
Authors: Hazen Tracy H. , Michalski Jane , Luo Qingwei , Shetty Amol C. , Daugherty Sean C. , Fleckenstein James M. , Rasko David A.
Published: June 2017

Escherichia colithat are capable of causing human disease are often classified into pathogenic variants (pathovars) based on their virulence gene content. However, disease-associated hybridE. coli, containing unique combinations of multiple canonical virulence factors have also been described. Such was the case of theE. coliO104:H4 outbreak in 2011, which caused significant morbidity and mortality. Among the pathovars of diarrheagenicE. colithat cause significant human disease﻿ are the enteropathogenicE. coli(EPEC) and enterotoxigenicE. coli(ETEC). In the current study we use comparative genomics, transcriptomics, and functional studies to characterize isolates that contain virulence factors of both EPEC and ETEC. Based on phylogenomic analysis, these hybrid isolates are more genomically-related to EPEC, but appear to have acquired ETEC virulence genes. Global transcriptional analysis using RNA sequencing, demonstrated that the EPEC and ETEC virulence genes of these hybrid isolates were differentially-expressed under virulence-inducing laboratory conditions, similar to reference isolates. Immunoblot assays further verified that the virulence gene products were produced and that the T3SS effector EspB of EPEC, and heat-labile toxin of ETEC were secreted. These findings document the existence and virulence potential of anE. colipathovar hybrid that blurs the distinction betweenE. colipathovars.
ARC6-mediated Z ring-like structure formation of prokaryote-descended chloroplast FtsZ in Escherichia coli
Authors: Irieda Hiroki , Shiomi Daisuke
Published: June 2017

Plant chloroplasts proliferate through binary fission, and the stromal-side molecules that are involved in chloroplast division are bacterial derivatives. As in bacteria, the prokaryotic tubulin homolog FtsZ assembles into a ring-like structure (Z ring) at mid-chloroplast, and this process is followed by constriction. However, the properties of chloroplast FtsZs remain unclarified. Here, we employed Escherichia coli as a novel heterologous system for expressing chloroplast FtsZs and their regulatory components. Fluorescently labelled Arabidopsis FtsZ2 efficiently assembled into long filaments in E. coli cells, and artificial membrane tethering conferred FtsZ2 filaments with the ability to form Z ring-like structures resembling the bacterial Z ring. A negative regulator of chloroplast FtsZ assembly, ARC3, retained its inhibitory effects on FtsZ2 filamentation and Z ring-like structure formation in E. coli cells. Thus, we provide a novel heterologous system by using bacterial cells to study the regulation of the chloroplast divisome. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the FtsZ2-interacting protein ARC6, which is a potential candidate for Z ring tethering to the chloroplast inner envelope membrane, genuinely targeted FtsZ2 to the membrane components and supported its morphological shift from linear filaments to Z ring-like structures in a manner dependent on the C-terminal ARC6-interacting domain of FtsZ2.
Hydrostatic pressure effects on the static magnetism in Eu(Fe0.925Co0.075)2As2
Authors: Jin W. T. , Sun J.-P. , Ye G. Z. , Xiao Y. , Su Y. , Schmalzl K. , Nandi S. , Bukowski Z. , Guguchia Z. , Feng E. , Fu Z. , Cheng J.-G.
Published: June 2017

EuFe2As2-based iron pnictides are quite interesting compounds, due to the two magnetic sublattices in them and the tunability to superconductors by chemical doping or application of external pressure. The effects of hydrostatic pressure on the static magnetism in Eu(Fe0.925Co0.075)2As2 are investigated by complementary electrical resistivity, ac magnetic susceptibility and single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements. A specific pressure-temperature (P-T) phase diagram of Eu(Fe0.925Co0.075)2As2 is established. The structural phase transition, as well as the spin-density-wave order of Fe sublattice, is suppressed gradually with increasing pressure and disappears completely above 2.0 GPa. In contrast, the magnetic order of Eu sublattice persists over the whole investigated pressure range up to 14 GPa, yet displaying a non-monotonic variation with pressure. With the increase of the hydrostatic pressure, the magnetic state of Eu evolves from the canted antiferromagnetic structure in the ground state, via a pure ferromagnetic structure under the intermediate pressure, finally to an “unconfirmed” antiferromagnetic structure under the high pressure. The strong ferromagnetism of Eu coexists with the pressure-induced superconductivity around 2 GPa. Comparisons between the P-T phase diagrams of Eu(Fe0.925Co0.075)2As2 and the parent compound EuFe2As2 were also made.
Investigation of material removal in inner-jet electrochemical grinding of GH4169 alloy
Authors: Li Hansong , Niu Shen , Zhang Qingliang , Fu Shuxing , Qu Ningsong
Published: June 2017

Electrochemical grinding (ECG) is a low-cost and highly efficient process for application to difficult-to-machine materials. In this process, the electrolyte supply mode directly affects machining stability and efficiency. This paper proposes a flow channel structure for an abrasive tool to be used for inner-jet ECG of GH4169 alloy. The tool is based on a dead-end tube with electrolyte outlet holes located in the sidewall. The diameter and number of outlet holes are determined through numerical simulation with the aim of achieving uniform electrolyte flow in the inter-electrode gap. Experiments show that the maximum feed rate and material removal rate are both improved by increasing the diamond grain size, applied voltage, electrolyte temperature and pressure. For a machining depth of 3 mm in a single pass, a feed rate of 2.4 mm min−1 is achieved experimentally. At this feed rate and machining depth, a sample is produced along a feed path under computer numerical control, with the feed direction changing four times. Inner-jet ECG with the proposed abrasive tool shows good efficiency and flexibility for processing hard-to-cut metals with a large removal depth.
Platelet distribution width correlates with prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Cui Ming-ming , Li Na , Liu Xing , Yun Zhi-yuan , Niu Ye , Zhang Yong , Gao Boning , Liu Tiemin , Wang Rui-tao
Published: June 2017

Platelets play a multifaceted role in cancer progression and metastasis. Mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) are commonly used platelet parameters from routine blood test. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between platelet indices and prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 270 patients who were diagnosed with NSCLC between January 2009 and December 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients’ characteristics and hematologic tests data at initial diagnosis were collected. The overall survival rate was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. The prognostic analysis was carried out with univariate and multivariate Cox regressions model. Reduced PDW was significantly correlated with T stage, N stage, TNM stage, and histological type of the disease. Moreover, survival analysis showed that the overall survival of patients with PDW ≥ 16.3% was significantly longer than that of those with PDW < 16.3% (P < 0.001). In multivariate Cox regression model, age, sex, TNM stage, and PDW were identified as independent prognostic factors for overall survival (for PDW, P < 0.001). In conclusion, reduced PDW is an unfavorable predictive factor of NSCLC patient survival. Further studies are warranted.
A sex-specific reconstitution bias in the competitive CD45.1/CD45.2 congenic bone marrow transplant model
Authors: Jafri Salema , Moore Stephen D. , Morrell Nicholas W. , Ormiston Mark L.
Published: June 2017

Allelic variants of the pan-haematopoietic cell marker CD45, identified as CD45.1 and CD45.2, have been established as a marker system to track haematopoietic cells following congenic mouse bone marrow transplants. Despite the frequent use of this model for studying the impact of genetic modifications on relative differentiation potential, it is now evident that a bias exists in CD45.1 versus CD45.2 cell reconstitution. While this bias has been demonstrated by reduced reconstitution potential in B cells of CD45.1 origin, differences in the development of other lymphocytes, as well as the impact of sex on this bias, remain uncertain. We performed bone marrow transplants with wild-type CD45.1 and CD45.2 donor cells, and characterised haematopoietic cell reconstitution in dual-expressing CD45.1/2 host mice. We report an increase in CD45.2 reconstitution in the bone marrow that persists in the spleen, thymus and blood. Through the use of CD45.1/2 hosts, we demonstrate the intrinsic bias towards CD45.2 reconstitution is independent of an immunogenic response to the CD45.1 epitope. Furthermore, we identify a sex-specific difference in reconstitution efficiencies, with female mice exhibiting a greater bias towards CD45.2 reconstitution than males. This work sheds new light on the limitations of the CD45.1/CD45.2 congenic system for tracking lymphocyte development.
A novel, simple and rapid route to the synthesis of boron cabonitride nanosheets: combustive gaseous unfolding
Authors: Jalaly Maisam , José Gotor Francisco , Semnan Masih , Jesús Sayagués María
Published: June 2017

The ternary compound boron carbonitride (BCN) was synthesized in the form of few-layer nanosheets through a mechanically induced self-sustaining reaction (MSR). Magnesium was used to reduce boron trioxide in the presence of melamine in a combustive manner. The process to form the nanostructured material was very rapid (less than 40 min). The prepared powder was investigated by various techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR), Micro-Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The thermal stability and the optical behavior of the BCN nanosheets were also studied by thermal analysis and UV-vis spectroscopy, respectively. The formation mechanism of the nanosheet morphology was described in detail.
Genome-wide analyses of SWEET family proteins reveal involvement in fruit development and abiotic/biotic stress responses in banana
Authors: Miao Hongxia , Sun Peiguang , Liu Qing , Miao Yulu , Liu Juhua , Zhang Kaixing , Hu Wei , Zhang Jianbin , Wang Jingyi , Wang Zhuo , Jia Caihong , Xu Biyu , Jin Zhiqiang
Published: June 2017

Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporters (SWEET) are a novel type of sugar transporter that plays crucial roles in multiple biological processes. From banana, for the first time, 25 SWEET genes which could be classified into four subfamilies were identified. Majority of MaSWEETs in each subfamily shared similar gene structures and conserved motifs. Comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of two banana genotypes revealed differential expression patterns of MaSWEETs in different tissues, at various stages of fruit development and ripening, and in response to abiotic and biotic stresses. More than 80% MaSWEETs were highly expressed in BaXi Jiao (BX, Musa acuminata AAA group, cv. Cavendish), in sharp contrast to Fen Jiao (FJ, M. acuminata AAB group) when pseudostem was first emerged. However, MaSWEETs in FJ showed elevated expression under cold, drought, salt, and fungal disease stresses, but not in BX. Interaction networks and co-expression assays further revealed that MaSWEET-mediated networks participate in fruit development signaling and abiotic/biotic stresses, which was strongly activated during early stage of fruit development in BX. This study provides new insights into the complex transcriptional regulation of SWEETs, as well as numerous candidate genes that promote early sugar transport to improve fruit quality and enhance stress resistance in banana.
Supramolecular Amphiphiles Based on Multiple Hydrogen Bonds
Authors: Kimizuka N.
Published: June 2017

The molecular design principles, characteristics and development of supramolecular amphiphiles are summarized. Supramolecular amphiphiles are designed by using multiple hydrogen bonding as an essential source of noncovalent interactions in aqueous self-assembly. The supramolecular amphiphiles considered here are composed of molecular pairs designed to acquire enhanced amphiphilicity, i.e., the ability to form stable and ordered molecular assemblies on the formation of multiple—and when more appropriate complementary—hydrogen bonds. These hydrogen bonding mediated amphiphiles further hierarchically self-assemble in a given environment. Their secondary and higher assembly architectures are greatly influenced by the dispersed media via solvophilic–solvophobic interactions.
Amino acid functionalisation using the 2-phosphaethynolate anion. A facile route to (phosphanyl)carbonyl-amino acids
Authors: Faria E. N. , Jupp A. R. , Goicoechea J. M.
Published: June 2017

We describe the reactivity of the 2-phosphaethynolate anion (PCO−) towards enantiomerically pure α-amino acids (AAs) resulting in the formation of novel salts of phosphinecarboxamides bearing chiral functionalities.
Atomic charges of sulfur in ionic liquids: experiments and calculations
Authors: Fogarty Richard M. , Rowe Rebecca , Matthews Richard P. , Clough Matthew T. , Ashworth Claire R. , Brandt Agnieszka , Corbett Paul J. , Palgrave Robert G. , Smith Emily F. , Bourne Richard A. , Chamberlain Thomas W. , Thompson Paul B. J. , Hunt Patricia A. , Lovelock Kevin R. J.
Published: June 2017

A wide variety of experimental and computational methods are used to probe sulfur atomic charges in ionic liquids.
Selective hydrogenolysis and hydrogenation using metal catalysts directly modified with metal oxide species
Authors: Tomishige Keiichi , Nakagawa Yoshinao , Tamura Masazumi
Published: June 2017

Excellent reduction catalysis arises from direct bonds between noble metals and reducible metal oxide.
Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for multi-elemental determination in dried blood spots
Authors: Moreda-Piñeiro Jorge , Cantarero-Roldán Alicia , Moreda-Piñeiro Antonio , Cocho José Ángel , Bermejo-Barrera Pilar
Published: June 2017

An approach by laser ablation (LA) coupled with inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for multi-element determination in whole blood is described.
Biosynthetic considerations of triscatechol siderophores framed on serine and threonine macrolactone scaffolds
Authors: Reitz Zachary L. , Sandy Moriah , Butler Alison
Published: June 2017

The biosyntheses of a family of enterobactin variants – amino acid substitution, insertion, and derivatization, and macrolactone expansion – is reviewed.
Pyridoxal conjugated gold nanoparticles for distinct colorimetric detection of chromium(iii) and iodide ions in biological and environmental fluids
Authors: Bothra Shilpa , Kumar Rajender , Sahoo Suban K.
Published: June 2017

We developed pyridoxal conjugated gold nanoparticles (CAPy-AuNPs) for the selective colorimetric detection of Cr3+ and iodide ions in an aqueous medium.
Ni3Co/G alloy as an earth-abundant robust and stable electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Saha Soumen , Ojha Kasinath , Sharma Manu , Ganguli Ashok K.
Published: June 2017

Nickel-rich nickel–cobalt–graphene alloy was fabricated with outstanding catalytic activity and stability towards HER in alkaline media.
Fe2O3/Al2O3microboxes for efficient removal of heavy metal ions
Authors: Ravindranath Rini , Roy Prathik , Periasamy Arun Prakash , Chen Yu-Wen , Liang Chi-Te , Chang Huan-Tsung
Published: June 2017

Pictorial representation of removal of mercury ions using Fe2O3/Al2O3MOFs.
A quaternary TiO2/ZnO/RGO/Ag nanocomposite with enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance
Authors: K. S. Divya , Xavier Marilyn Mary , P. V. Vandana , V. N. Reethu , Mathew Suresh
Published: June 2017

Synthesis and photocatalytic application of a quaternary TiO2/ZnO/RGO/Ag nanocomposite under visible light.
Transcritical CO2 extraction of electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries: optimization of the recycling process and quality–quantity variation
Authors: Mu Deying , Liu Yuanlong , Li Ruhong , Ma Quanxin , Dai Changsong
Published: June 2017

A highly-selective electrolyte recovery method-transcritical CO2 extraction—was presented which combined the extraction and separation processes together.
The magnetic proximity effect and electrical field tunable valley degeneracy in MoS2/EuS van der Waals heterojunctions
Authors: Liang Xiao , Deng Longjiang , Huang Fei , Tang Tingting , Wang Chuangtang , Zhu Yupeng , Qin Jun , Zhang Yan , Peng Bo , Bi Lei
Published: June 2017

Valley degeneracy is lifted by the magnetic proximity effect in MoS2/EuS vdW heterojunctions and controlled by the electrical field.
Correction: Punica granatum (pomegranate) peel extract exerts potent antitumor and anti-metastasis activity in thyroid cancer
Authors: Li Yujue , Ye Tinghong , Yang Fangfang , Hu Mingxing , Liang Libo , He He , Li Zhipeng , Zeng Anqi , Li Yali , Yao Yuqin , Xie Yongmei , An Zhenmei , Li Shuangqing
Published: June 2017

Correction for ‘Punica granatum (pomegranate) peel extract exerts potent antitumor and anti-metastasis activity in thyroid cancer’ by Yujue Li et al., RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 84523–84535.
A past and present overview of macrophage metabolism and functional outcomes
Authors: Curi Rui , de Siqueira Mendes Renata , de Campos Crispin Luiz Aurélio , Norata Giuseppe Danilo , Sampaio Sandra Coccuzzo , Newsholme Philip
Published: June 2017

In 1986 and 1987, Philip Newsholme et al. reported macrophages utilize glutamine, as well as glucose, at high rates. These authors measured key enzyme activities and consumption and production levels of metabolites in incubated or cultured macrophages isolated from the mouse or rat intraperitoneal cavity. Metabolic pathways essential for macrophage function were then determined. Macrophages utilize glucose to generate (i) ATP in the pathways of glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, (ii) glycerol 3-phosphate for the synthesis of phospholipids and triacylglycerols, (iii) NADPH for the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and (iv) ribose for the synthesis of RNA and subsequently production and secretion of protein mediators (e.g. cytokines). Glutamine plays an essential role in macrophage metabolism and function, as it is required for energy production but also provides nitrogen for synthesis of purines, pyrimidines and thus RNA. Macrophages also utilize fatty acids for both energy production in the mitochondria and lipid synthesis essential to plasma membrane turnover and lipid meditator production. Recent studies utilizing metabolomic approaches, transcriptional and metabolite tracking technologies have detailed mitochondrial release of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) intermediates (e.g. citrate and succinate) to the cytosol, which then regulate pro-inflammatory responses. Macrophages can reprogramme their metabolism and function according to environmental conditions and stimuli in order to polarize phenotype so generating pro- or anti-inflammatory cells. Changes in macrophage metabolism result in modified function/phenotype and vice versa. The plasticity of macrophage metabolism allows the cell to quickly respond to changes in environmental conditions such as those induced by hormones and/or inflammation. A past and present overview of macrophage metabolism and impact of endocrine regulation and the relevance to human disease are described in this review.
Masked Visual Analysis: Minimizing Type I Error in Visually Guided Single-Case Design for Communication Disorders
Authors: Byun Tara McAllister , Hitchcock Elaine R. , Ferron John
Published: June 2017

Purpose

Single-case experimental designs are widely used to study interventions for communication disorders. Traditionally, single-case experiments follow a response-guided approach, where design decisions during the study are based on participants' observed patterns of behavior. However, this approach has been criticized for its high rate of Type I error. In masked visual analysis (MVA), response-guided decisions are made by a researcher who is blinded to participants' identities and treatment assignments. MVA also makes it possible to conduct a hypothesis test assessing the significance of treatment effects.

Method

This tutorial describes the principles of MVA, including both how experiments can be set up and how results can be used for hypothesis testing. We then report a case study showing how MVA was deployed in a multiple-baseline across-subjects study investigating treatment for residual errors affecting rhotics. Strengths and weaknesses of MVA are discussed.

Conclusions

Given their important role in the evidence base that informs clinical decision making, it is critical for single-case experimental studies to be conducted in a way that allows researchers to draw valid inferences. As a method that can increase the rigor of single-case studies while preserving the benefits of a response-guided approach, MVA warrants expanded attention from researchers in communication disorders.
Reliability evaluation of WAMS using Markov‐based graph theory approach
Authors: Rana Ankur Singh , Thomas Mini S. , Senroy Nilanjan
Published: June 2017

The reliability analysis of a power system‐wide area measurement system (WAMS) is presented based on a Markov graph theoretic approach. Initially, a phasor measurement unit is considered wherein a state‐space model is used to denote state transitions due to various component failures. This model is then expanded to include different common cause failures and component redundancies. The approach is extended to a regional WAMS and further the impact of the nature and type of communication network of the complete WAMS on the overall system reliability is investigated. The evolution of the overall reliability due to the ageing of individual components is also studied. Finally, sample calculations are presented for the WAMS system currently under consideration in India.
CRF-PEPICO: Double velocity map imaging photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy for reaction kinetics studies
Authors: Sztáray Bálint , Voronova Krisztina , Torma Krisztián G. , Covert Kyle J. , Bodi Andras , Hemberger Patrick , Gerber Thomas , Osborn David L.
Published: June 2017

Photoelectron photoion coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy could become a powerful tool for the time-resolved study of multi-channel gas phase chemical reactions. Toward this goal, we have designed and tested electron and ion optics that form the core of a new PEPICO spectrometer, utilizing simultaneous velocity map imaging for both cations and electrons, while also achieving good cation mass resolution through space focusing. These optics are combined with a side-sampled, slow-flow chemical reactor for photolytic initiation of gas-phase chemical reactions. Together with a recent advance that dramatically increases the dynamic range in PEPICO spectroscopy [D. L. Osborn et al., J. Chem. Phys. 145, 164202 (2016)], the design described here demonstrates a complete prototype spectrometer and reactor interface to carry out time-resolved experiments. Combining dual velocity map imaging with cation space focusing yields tightly focused photoion images for translationally cold neutrals, while offering good mass resolution for thermal samples as well. The flexible optics design incorporates linear electric fields in the ionization region, surrounded by dual curved electric fields for velocity map imaging of ions and electrons. Furthermore, the design allows for a long extraction stage, which makes this the first PEPICO experiment to combine ion imaging with the unimolecular dissociation rate constant measurements of cations to detect and account for kinetic shifts. Four examples are shown to illustrate some capabilities of this new design. We recorded the threshold photoelectron spectrum of the propargyl and the iodomethyl radicals. While the former agrees well with a literature threshold photoelectron spectrum, we have succeeded in resolving the previously unobserved vibrational structure in the latter. We have also measured the bimolecular rate constant of the CH2I + O2 reaction and observed its product, the smallest Criegee intermediate, CH2OO. Finally, the second dissociative photoionization step of iodocyclohexane ions, the loss of ethylene from the cyclohexyl cation, is slow at threshold, as illustrated by the asymmetric threshold photoionization time-of-flight distributions.
QM/MM nonadiabatic dynamics simulations on photoinduced Wolff rearrangements of 1,2,3-thiadiazole
Authors: Liu Xiang-Yang , Fang Ye-Guang , Xie Bin-Bin , Fang Wei-Hai , Cui Ganglong
Published: June 2017

The photoinduced rearrangement reaction mechanism of 1,2,3-thiadiazole remains experimentally elusive. Two possible mechanisms have been proposed to date. The first is a stepwise mechanism via a thiocarbene intermediate; the second is an excited-state concerted rearrangement mechanism. Herein we have adopted both the electronic structure calculations and nonadiabatic dynamics simulations to study the photoinduced rearrangement reactions of 1,2,3-thiadiazole in the S2, S1, and S0 states in solution. On the basis of QM(CASPT2)/MM [quantum mechanics(complete active space self-consistent field second-order perturbation theory)/molecular mechanics] calculations, we have found that (1) the thiocarbene intermediate is not stable; thus, the stepwise mechanism should be unfavorable; (2) the excited-state decay from the S2 via S1 to S0 state is ultrafast and completed within ca. 200 fs; therefore, both the S2 and S1 states should not have a long enough time for the excited-state rearrangements. Instead, we have computationally proposed a modified photoinduced rearrangement mechanism. Upon irradiation, the S2 state is first populated (114.0 kcal/mol), followed by an ultrafast S2 → S1 → S0 excited-state decay along the S–N bond fission, which eventually leads to a very “hot” intermediate with the S–N bond broken (18.3 kcal/mol). Then, thermal rearrangements to thioketene, thiirene, and ethynethiol occur in a concerted asynchronous way. This mechanistic scenario has been verified by full-dimensional trajectory-based nonadiabatic dynamics simulations at the QM(CASPT2)/MM level. Finally, our present computational work provides experimentally interesting mechanistic insights into the photoinduced rearrangement reactions of cyclic and acyclic diazo compounds.
Multiscale modeling of electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes based polymer nanocomposites
Authors: Khromov K. Yu. , Knizhnik A. A. , Potapkin B. V. , Kenny J. M.
Published: June 2017

In this work, we applied multiscale modeling to investigate electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube (CNT) enhanced polymer composites. The multiscale approach is based on a combination of first-principles calculations of contact resistance between CNTs using Green's functions approach and statistical calculation of CNTs ensemble conductivity using the Monte Carlo percolation model. The results of first-principles calculations show strong dependence of contact resistance between CNTs on the angle φ between nanotubes axes: for (5,5) CNTs contact resistance increases by two orders of magnitude as φ changes from φ=0 to φ=π/4. This angular dependence of contact resistance has strong influence on conductivity of CNTs ensemble, decreasing composite conductivity by about an order of magnitude. We stress that obtained conductivity is the upper theoretical limit for an ideal CNT composite, and experimental data with larger values of conductivity should be attributed to positive influence of some non-idealities in composite.
Large dataset test of Birch's law for sound propagation at high pressure
Authors: Roy Umesh C. , Sarkar Subir K.
Published: June 2017

Birch's law, prescribing a linear dependence of elastic wave speed on the density in a given material, is an important tool in understanding the composition and thermodynamic conditions of the planetary interior. However, data from direct measurements of elastic wave speed usually have too much of scatter to permit a precise test of this law. Here, we use data from experimental measurements as well as ab initio density-functional-theory based calculations existing in the literature, supplemented by our own data of the latter type for elemental solids, for such a test. Using many such datasets, we show that, although Birch's law is satisfied fairly well in all the cases, the product of elastic wave speed and one-third power of density satisfies linear dependence on density consistently and more accurately than the speed alone. This opens the possibility of more reliable extrapolation of low density velocity data to the higher densities—the primary application of Birch's law.