bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The local Yamabe constant of Einstein stratified spaces
Authors: Mondello Ilaria
Published: December 2015

On a compact stratified space

(X,g)

, a metric of constant scalar curvature exists in the conformal class of

g

if the scalar curvature

S_{g}

satisfies an integrability condition and if the Yamabe constant of

X

is strictly smaller than the local Yamabe constant

Y_{ℓ}(X)

. This latter is a conformal invariant introduced in the recent work of K. Akutagawa, G. Carron and R. Mazzeo. It depends on the local structure of

X

, in particular on its links, but its explicit value is unknown. We show that if the links satisfy a Ricci positive lower bound, then we can compute

Y_{ℓ}(X)

. In order to achieve this, we prove a lower bound for the spectrum of the Laplacian, by extending a well-known theorem by A. Lichnerowicz, and a Sobolev inequality, inspired by a result due to D. Bakry. A particular stratified space, with one stratum of codimension 2 and cone angle bigger than

2π

, must be handled separately – in this case we prove the existence of an Euclidean isoperimetric inequality.
The relation of neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, and mean platelet volume with the presence and severity of Behçet's syndrome
Authors: Alan Sevil , Tuna Serpil , Türkoğlu Elif Betül
Published: December 2015

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is associated with chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Although there have been extensive investigations on neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and mean platelet volume (MPV) in many diseases, their roles in BS is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate NLR, PLR, and MPV levels in BS patients and explore their clinical significance. The study included 254 patients with BS and 173 healthy individuals. Age, sex, age of onset, duration of disease, smoking, Behçet activity score, total white blood counts, neutrophil, platelet, and T lymphocyte counts of the patients were recorded. White blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, platelet, NLR, and PLR were significantly higher in patients with BS when compared with healthy controls (all p < 0.001). Lymphocyte counts and MPVs of the BS group were not statistically different from healthy controls (all p > 0.05). In the BS group, PLR and MPV were significantly different among the three severity groups (p = 0.037 and p = 0.016, respectively). We showed that any laboratory markers were not associated with joint, eye, central nervous system, large vessel, or gastrointestinal involvement in BS. NLR was shown to be an independent factor for BS by multivariate analysis. We suggest that NLR can be considered to be a diagnostic criterion of BS given the support of the findings from larger prospective studies.
From the Editor
Authors: Murphy Kevin R.
Published: December 2015

The goal of focal articles in Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice is to present new ideas or different takes on existing ideas and stimulate a conversation in the form of comment articles that extend the arguments in the focal article or that present new ideas stimulated by those articles. The two focal articles in this issue stimulated a wide range of reactions and a good deal of constructive input.
Spatial Models of Politics
Authors: Whitten Guy D.
Published: December 2015

Although political scientists have used spatial statistical models in their research for only about ten years, their use has quickly advanced in terms of both the breadth of substantive areas in which researchers apply them and the sophistication with which they specify and interpret them. The collection of articles in this special edition are indicative of both of these trends. They provide a strong set of examples of how scholars can bring theories about spatial relationships across units into all of the major subfields of the discipline.
Shanghai Chinese
Authors: Chen Yiya , Gussenhoven Carlos
Published: December 2015

Shanghai Chinese (Shanghainese; 上海话) is a Wu dialect (ISO 639-3; code: wuu) spoken in the city of Shanghai (CN-31), one of the four municipalities in the People's Republic of China. Over the last century, the dialect has been heavily influenced by neighbouring dialects spoken in the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, such as Jianghuai Mandarin (江淮官话), the Suzhou Wu dialect (吴语苏州话), and the Ningbo Wu dialect (吴语宁波话), in addition to two other, more distant dialects, Cantonese (广东话) and Northern Mandarin (北方官话). Most native speakers of Shanghai Chinese are in fact descendants of immigrants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces who moved to Shanghai in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. More recently, the position of Shanghai Chinese has been eroded with the influx of immigrants from other parts of the country and the widespread adoption of Standard Chinese.
IPA General Meeting 2015
Authors: Keating Patricia A.
Published: December 2015

The minutes of the IPA General Meeting of 18 August 2011 in Hong Kong as published in the Journal of the International Phonetic Association vol. 41(3) were agreed on as being a correct record.
IPA Treasurer's report for 2011–2014
Authors: Ashby Michael G.
Published: December 2015

The Association has enjoyed a period of financial stability in which strong royalty income from JIPA has been coupled with efficiency savings driven by the Secretary and Treasurer. As a result we have had a surplus in each year, and our total assets have grown by more than 80% over four years. This is despite the continued decline in the value of the euro against sterling, which has reduced the real value of members’ subscriptions by around 15% over the same period.
Not all that clear cut: intraspecific morphological variability inSqualus blainville(Risso, 1827) and implications for identification of the species
Authors: Bonello Juan José , Bonnici Leanne , Ferrari Alice , Cariani Alessia , Schembri Patrick J.
Published: December 2015

Of the three species of the genusSqualusthat occur in the Mediterranean Sea,S. blainvilleandS. megalopsare very difficult to distinguish. This study assesses the variability in morphological features that have been used to differentiate between these species.Squaluswere collected from stations within the 25-nautical mile Fisheries Management Zone around the Maltese Islands; 349 specimens were dissected and categorized into male and female, mature and immature, and individuals were randomly selected from each category to make up a sample of 169 specimens. For each individual, total length and first dorsal fin parameters were measured, and morphology of denticles isolated from the laterodorsal area, of the upper and lower teeth and of the chondrocranium was analysed. The first dorsal spine was shorter that the fin base in 93% of the specimens, which is typical ofS. megalops; this character was not related to either gender or maturity. Chondrocrania with one lateral process (typical ofS. blainville) and two lateral processes (typical ofS. megalops) were present. Teeth from the same individuals showed morphological features that overlap betweenS. blainvilleandS. megalops. Both unicuspid (typical ofS. megalops) and tricuspid denticles (typical ofS. blainville) were observed on the same individuals. Twelve specimens (six having one and six having two lateral chondrocranial processes) were analysed genetically by sequencing of the mtDNA marker Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I (COI). All resulted to beS. blainvilleshowing that intraspecific variability in supposedly diagnostic morphological features is large enough to render these unreliable to tell apart these two species, especially in the field.
MEAN RESIDUAL LIFE FUNCTION FOR ADDITIVE AND MULTIPLICATIVE HAZARD RATE MODELS
Authors: Gupta Ramesh C.
Published: December 2015

This paper deals with the mean residual life function (MRLF) and its monotonicity in the case of additive and multiplicative hazard rate models. It is shown that additive (multiplicative) hazard rate does not imply reduced (proportional) MRLF and vice versa. Necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained for the two models to hold simultaneously. In the case of non-monotonic failure rates, the location of the turning points of the MRLF is investigated in both the cases. The case of random additive and multiplicative hazard rate is also studied. The monotonicity of the mean residual life is studied along with the location of the turning points. Examples are provided to illustrate the results.
The Politics of Ignoring: Protest Dynamics in Late Mubarak Egypt
Authors: Bishara Dina
Published: December 2015

I propose the concept of “ignoring” to capture situations in which government officials appear dismissive (either through inaction or contempt) of popular mobilization. The concept refers not only to actions by regime officials but also captures protesters' perceptions of those actions. Examples of ignoring include not communicating with protesters, issuing condescending statements, physically evading protesters, or acting with contempt toward popular mobilization. Existing conceptual tools do not adequately capture these dynamics. Although repression and concessions have been extensively theorized, scholars lack conceptual tools to understand responses that fall short of both repression and concessions. I introduce the concept of “ignoring” as a useful tool to focus on a subset of actions on the part of regime officials who are the targets of mobilization, with discernible consequences for subsequent mobilization. Drawing on research on the role of emotions in protest politics and on framing and social movements, I argue that ignoring protests can trigger emotional responses that encourage people to engage in protest, such as anger, indignation, and outrage. By integrating protesters' perceptions of the behavior of the targets of mobilization, not just of the security forces, the concept of “ignoring” helps explain protesters' reactions and their future mobilization, in a way that conventional concepts such as tolerance cannot capture. This analysis has important implications for broader theoretical debates on the relationship between regime response to protests and subsequent mobilization. Most importantly, it urges scholars to consider how ignoring can interact with other responses to mobilization, thereby altering the dynamics of the infamous the “concession-repression dilemma.” I use evidence from workers' protests in late Mubarak Egypt to illustrate these dynamics.
Exercise and the immune system: implications for elite athletes and the general population
Authors: Lancaster Graeme I , Febbraio Mark A
Published: December 2015

The February 2016 issue contains a Special Feature on the Effects of exercise on the immune system and metabolism coming into the Olympic year. The role of the immune system in exercise is complex and challenging. Too little exercise can depress the immune system. In contrast, too much exercise can also lead to a compromised immune system. This is a challenge that athletes face as they prepare for competition. Immunology & Cell Biology thanks the coordinators of this Special Feature ‐ Mark Febbraio and Graeme Lancaster ‐ for their planning and input.
Distinct promoter activation mechanisms modulate noise-driven HIV gene expression
Authors: Chavali Arvind K. , Wong Victor C. , Miller-Jensen Kathryn
Published: December 2015

Latent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections occur when the virus occupies a transcriptionally silent but reversible state, presenting a major obstacle to cure. There is experimental evidence that random fluctuations in gene expression, when coupled to the strong positive feedback encoded by the HIV genetic circuit, act as a ‘molecular switch’ controlling cell fate, i.e., viral replication versus latency. Here, we implemented a stochastic computational modeling approach to explore how different promoter activation mechanisms in the presence of positive feedback would affect noise-driven activation from latency. We modeled the HIV promoter as existing in one, two, or three states that are representative of increasingly complex mechanisms of promoter repression underlying latency. We demonstrate that two-state and three-state models are associated with greater variability in noisy activation behaviors and we find that Fano factor (defined as variance over mean) proves to be a useful noise metric to compare variability across model structures and parameter values. Finally, we show how three-state promoter models can be used to qualitatively describe complex reactivation phenotypes in response to therapeutic perturbations that we observe experimentally. Ultimately, our analysis suggests that multi-state models more accurately reflect observed heterogeneous reactivation and may be better suited to evaluate how noise affects viral clearance.
Combined rTMS treatment targeting the Anterior Cingulate and the Temporal Cortex for the Treatment of Chronic Tinnitus
Authors: Kreuzer Peter M. , Lehner Astrid , Schlee Winfried , Vielsmeier Veronika , Schecklmann Martin , Poeppl Timm B. , Landgrebe Michael , Rupprecht Rainer , Langguth Berthold
Published: December 2015

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been proposed as a tinnitus treatment option. Promising results have been obtained by consecutive stimulation of lateral frontal and auditory brain regions. We investigated a combined stimulation paradigm targeting the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) with double cone coil rTMS, followed by stimulation of the temporo-parietal junction area with a figure-of-eight coil. The study was conducted as a randomized, double-blind pilot trial in 40 patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. We compared mediofrontal stimulation with double-cone-coil, (2000 stimuli, 10 Hz) followed by left temporo-parietal stimulation with figure-of-eight-coil (2000 stimuli, 1 Hz) to left dorsolateral-prefrontal-cortex stimulation with figure-of-eight-coil (2000 stimuli, 10 Hz) followed by temporo-parietal stimulation with figure-of-eight-coil (2000 stimuli, 1 Hz). The stimulation was feasible with comparable dropout rates in both study arms; no severe adverse events were registered. Responder rates did not differ in both study arms. There was a significant main effect of time for the change in the TQ score, but no significant time x group interaction. This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of combined mediofrontal/temporoparietal-rTMS-stimulation with double cone coil in tinnitus patients but failed to show better outcome compared to an actively rTMS treated control group.
Accumulation Mechanisms of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Regulatory T Cells in EBV-associated Gastric Carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Na-na , Chen Jian-ning , Xiao Lin , Tang Fang , Zhang Zhi-gang , Zhang Yi-wang , Feng Zhi-ying , Jiang Ye , Shao Chun-kui
Published: December 2015

Approximately 10% of gastric carcinomas are associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and are defined as EBV-associated gastric carcinomas (EBVaGCs). EBVaGCs are known to be accompanied by massive CD8+ cytotoxic T cell (CTL) infiltration; however, adoptive cellular immunotherapy based on EBV-specific CD8+ CTLs has been explored with limited success. Because regulatory T cells (Tregs) are regarded as a critical hurdle in anti-tumour immunity, we assessed the distribution of Tregs in 45 cases of EBVaGC and 45 cases of EBV-negative gastric carcinoma (EBVnGC) with matched clinicopathological parameters by immunohistochemistry. We showed that Tregs were significantly increased in EBVaGC compared to EBVnGC (15.92 ± 11.45/HPF vs. 8.45 ± 6.16/HPF, p = 0.001). In addition, we explored the accumulation mechanisms of Tregs in EBVaGC by using EBV (+) gastric carcinoma cell lines SNU719 and GT39 as ex vivo models. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were co-cultured with EBV (+) gastric carcinoma cell lines, the Treg frequency increased and they underwent phenotypic and functional changes. The enhanced recruitment by CCL22 produced by EBVaGC cells, the decreased emigration due to CCR7 downregulation on the Treg surface, the higher proliferation rate and the lower apoptosis rate of Tregs at tumour sites may promote the accumulation of Tregs in EBVaGC.
Sildenafil Therapy Normalizes the Aberrant Metabolomic Profile in the Comt−/− Mouse Model of Preeclampsia/Fetal Growth Restriction
Authors: Stanley Joanna L. , Sulek Karolina , Andersson Irene J. , Davidge Sandra T. , Kenny Louise C. , Sibley Colin P. , Mandal Rupasri , Wishart David S. , Broadhurst David I. , Baker Philip N.
Published: December 2015

Preeclampsia (PE) and fetal growth restriction (FGR) are serious complications of pregnancy, associated with greatly increased risk of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. These complications are difficult to diagnose and no curative treatments are available. We hypothesized that the metabolomic signature of two models of disease, catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT−/−) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (Nos3−/−) knockout mice, would be significantly different from control C57BL/6J mice. Further, we hypothesised that any differences in COMT−/− mice would be resolved following treatment with Sildenafil, a treatment which rescues fetal growth. Targeted, quantitative comparisons of serum metabolic profiles of pregnant Nos3−/−, COMT−/− and C57BL/6J mice were made using a kit from BIOCRATES. Significant differences in 4 metabolites were observed between Nos3−/− and C57BL/6J mice (p < 0.05) and in 18 metabolites between C57BL/6J and COMT−/− mice (p < 0.05). Following treatment with Sildenafil, only 5 of the 18 previously identified differences in metabolites (p < 0.05) remained in COMT−/− mice. Metabolomic profiling of mouse models is possible, producing signatures that are clearly different from control animals. A potential new treatment, Sildenafil, is able to normalize the aberrant metabolomic profile in COMT−/− mice; as this treatment moves into clinical trials, this information may assist in assessing possible mechanisms of action.
Reading direction causes spatial biases in mental model construction in language understanding
Authors: Román Antonio , Flumini Andrea , Lizano Pilar , Escobar Marysol , Santiago Julio
Published: December 2015

Correlational evidence suggests that the experience of reading and writing in a certain direction is able to induce spatial biases at both low-level perceptuo-motor skills and high-level conceptual representations. However, in order to support a causal relationship, experimental evidence is required. In this study, we asked whether the direction of the script is a sufficiente cause of spatial biases in the mental models that understanders build when listening to language. In order to establish causality, we manipulated the experience of reading a script with different directionalities. Spanish monolinguals read either normal (left-to-right), mirror reversed (right-to-left), rotated downward (up-down), or rotated upward (down-up) texts and then drew the contents of auditory descriptions such as “the square is between the cross and the triangle”. The directionality of the drawings showed that a brief reading experience is enough to cause congruent and very specific spatial biases in mental model construction. However, there were also clear limits to this flexibility: there was a strong overall preference to arrange the models along the horizontal dimension. Spatial preferences when building mental models from language are the results of both short-term and long-term biases.
Dissociating sensory from decision processes in human perceptual decision making
Authors: Mostert Pim , Kok Peter , de Lange Floris P.
Published: December 2015

A key question within systems neuroscience is how the brain translates physical stimulation into a behavioral response: perceptual decision making. To answer this question, it is important to dissociate the neural activity underlying the encoding of sensory information from the activity underlying the subsequent temporal integration into a decision variable. Here, we adopted a decoding approach to empirically assess this dissociation in human magnetoencephalography recordings. We used a functional localizer to identify the neural signature that reflects sensory-specific processes and subsequently traced this signature while subjects were engaged in a perceptual decision making task. Our results revealed a temporal dissociation in which sensory processing was limited to an early time window and consistent with occipital areas, whereas decision-related processing became increasingly pronounced over time and involved parietal and frontal areas. We found that the sensory processing accurately reflected the physical stimulus, irrespective of the eventual decision. Moreover, the sensory representation was stable and maintained over time when it was required for a subsequent decision, but unstable and variable over time when it was task-irrelevant. In contrast, decision-related activity displayed long-lasting sustained components. Together, our approach dissects neuro-anatomically and functionally distinct contributions to perceptual decisions.
Effect of handedness on brain activity patterns and effective connectivity network during the semantic task of Chinese characters
Authors: Gao Qing , Wang Junping , Yu Chunshui , Chen Huafu
Published: December 2015

Increasing efforts have been denoted to elucidating the effective connectivity (EC) among brain regions recruited by certain language task; however, it remains unclear the impact of handedness on the EC network underlying language processing. In particularly, this has not been investigated in Chinese language, which shows several differences from alphabetic language. This study thereby explored the functional activity patterns and the EC network during a Chinese semantic task based on functional MRI data of healthy left handers (LH) and right handers (RH). We found that RH presented a left lateralized activity pattern in cerebral cortex and a right lateralized pattern in cerebellum; while LH were less lateralized than RH in both cerebral and cerebellar areas. The conditional Granger causality method in deconvolved BOLD level further demonstrated more interhemispheric directional connections in LH than RH group, suggesting better bihemispheric coordination and increased interhemispheric communication in LH. Furthermore, we found significantly increased EC from right middle occipital gyrus to bilateral insula (INS) while decreased EC from left INS to left precentral gyrus in LH group comparing to RH group, implying that handedness may differentiate the causal relationship of information processing in integration of visual-spatial analysis and semantic word retrieval of Chinese characters.
Highly Flexible and Conductive Printed Graphene for Wireless Wearable Communications Applications
Authors: Huang Xianjun , Leng Ting , Zhu Mengjian , Zhang Xiao , Chen JiaCing , Chang KuoHsin , Aqeeli Mohammed , Geim Andre K. , Novoselov Kostya S. , Hu Zhirun
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we report highly conductive, highly flexible, light weight and low cost printed graphene for wireless wearable communications applications. As a proof of concept, printed graphene enabled transmission lines and antennas on paper substrates were designed, fabricated and characterized. To explore its potentials in wearable communications applications, mechanically flexible transmission lines and antennas under various bended cases were experimentally studied. The measurement results demonstrate that the printed graphene can be used for RF signal transmitting, radiating and receiving, which represents some of the essential functionalities of RF signal processing in wireless wearable communications systems. Furthermore, the printed graphene can be processed at low temperature so that it is compatible with heat-sensitive flexible materials like papers and textiles. This work brings a step closer to the prospect to implement graphene enabled low cost and environmentally friendly wireless wearable communications systems in the near future.
A functional 4-hydroxybenzoate degradation pathway in the phytopathogen Xanthomonas campestris is required for full pathogenicity
Authors: Wang Jia-Yuan , Zhou Lian , Chen Bo , Sun Shuang , Zhang Wei , Li Ming , Tang Hongzhi , Jiang Bo-Le , Tang Ji-Liang , He Ya-Wen
Published: December 2015

Plants contain significant levels of natural phenolic compounds essential for reproduction and growth, as well as defense mechanisms against pathogens. Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) is the causal agent of crucifers black rot. Here we showed that genes required for the synthesis, utilization, transportation and degradation of 4-hydroxybenzoate (4-HBA) are present in Xcc. Xcc rapidly degrades 4-HBA, but has no effect on 2-hydroxybenzoate and 3-hydroxybenzoate when grown in XOLN medium. The genes for 4-HBA degradation are organized in a superoperonic cluster. Bioinformatics, biochemical and genetic data showed that 4-HBA is hydroxylated by 4-HBA 3-hydroxylase (PobA), which is encoded by Xcc0356, to yield PCA. The resulting PCA is further metabolized via the PCA branches of the β-ketoadipate pathway, including Xcc0364, Xcc0365 and PcaFHGBDCR. Xcc0364 and Xcc0365 encode a new form of β-ketoadipate succinyl-coenzyme A transferase that is required for 4-HBA degradation. pobA expression was induced by 4-HBA via the transcriptional activator, PobR. Radish and cabbage hydrolysates contain 2-HBA, 3-HBA, 4-HBA and other phenolic compounds. Addition of radish and cabbage hydrolysates to Xcc culture significantly induced the expression of pobA via PobR. The 4-HBA degradation pathway is required for full pathogenicity of Xcc in radish.
Carbon monoxide oxidation catalysed by defective palladium chloride: DFT calculations, EXAFS, and in situ DRIRS measurements
Authors: Li Qiaohong , Qiao Luyang , Chen Ruiping , Ma Zuju , Si Rui , Yao Yuangen , Wu Kechen
Published: December 2015

The palladium chloride catalysts are found to be potential high-performance catalysts for carbon monoxide oxidation.
Elucidating the promotional effects of niobia on SnO2for CO oxidation: developing an XRD extrapolation method to measure the lattice capacity of solid solutions
Authors: Xu Xianglan , Liu Fang , Han Xue , Wu Yuanyuan , Liu Wenming , Zhang Rongbin , Zhang Ning , Wang Xiang
Published: December 2015

Using an XRD extrapolation method, the SnO2lattice capacity for Nb2O5is quantified. A Sn–Nb solid solution without excess Nb2O5is promising for CO oxidation.
CO2conversion in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma: N2in the mix as a helping hand or problematic impurity?
Authors: Snoeckx R. , Heijkers S. , Van Wesenbeeck K. , Lenaerts S. , Bogaerts A.
Published: December 2015

For the first time an extensive experimental and computational study was performed on the effect of N2on CO2splitting in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma.
Gadolinium-uptake by aquatic and terrestrial organisms-distribution determined by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Authors: Lingott Jana , Lindner Uwe , Telgmann Lena , Esteban-Fernández Diego , Jakubowski Norbert , Panne Ulrich
Published: December 2015

Imaging of gadolinium distribution in plants and water flea.
Modification of Ag3VO4 with graphene-like MoS2 for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic property and stability
Authors: Zhu Tingting , Huang Liying , Song Yanhua , Chen Zhigang , Ji Haiyan , Li Yeping , Xu Yuanguo , Zhang Qi , Xu Hui , Li Huaming
Published: December 2015

Graphene-like MoS2/Ag3VO4 composites exhibited remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activities for the photodegradation of dyes within a short time compared to pure Ag3VO4.
Exploring excited state properties of 7-hydroxy and 7-methoxy 4-methycoumarin: a combined time-dependent density functional theory/effective fragment potential study
Authors: Ramegowda Mariyappa , Ranjitha Keremegaladoddi N. , Deepika Thalashasana N.
Published: December 2015

Hydrogen bond dynamics, C–OH bond contracting, O–H bond stretching and O–H⋯O HB strengthening reveal the ESHT in 4MU at the S1state.
Correction: Multivalent presentation of carbohydrates by 314-helical peptide templates: synthesis, conformational analysis using CD spectroscopy and saccharide recognition
Authors: Pawar Nitin J. , Diederichsen Ulf , Dhavale Dilip. D.
Published: December 2015

Correction for ‘Multivalent presentation of carbohydrates by 314-helical peptide templates: synthesis, conformational analysis using CD spectroscopy and saccharide recognition’ by Nitin J. Pawar et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2015, 13, 11278–11285.
Electronic and transport properties of graphene with grain boundaries
Authors: Sun Jie , Lin Na , Li Zhenyu , Ren Hao , Tang Cheng , Zhao Xian
Published: December 2015

To understand the effect of grain boundaries (GBs), first principles studies are performed on the electronic structure and transport properties of graphene with four single GBs and two crossed GBs.
Fabrication of an Ag/Fe2O3/ZnO ternary composite with enhanced photocatalytic performance
Authors: Wu Jia-gen , Fang Ting , Cai Ran , Li Shao-yang , Wang Yue , Zhao Cui-e , Wei Ang
Published: December 2015

A novel Ag/Fe2O3/ZnO ternary composite was fabricated using the chemical deposition and photochemical deposition methods.
Application of a multifunctional magnetic mesoporous material for seafood sample clean-up prior to the determination of highly chlorinated polychlorinated biphenyls
Authors: Liu Haibo , Zhang Jiabin , Gan Ning , Chen Yinji , Huang Jie , Cao Yuting , Li Tianhua , Lan Hangzhen
Published: December 2015

In this study, a highly effective clean-up adsorbent was developed for eliminating matrix interferences, especially main organochlorine pesticide residues during the determination of highly chlorinated polychlorinated biphenyls in seafood.
Tough and strong nacre-like composites from hyperbranched poly(amido amine) and clay nanosheets cross-linked by genipin
Authors: Hao Wentao , Zhang Liang , Wang Xiaomin , Wang Jin , Hu Zhenhu , Yang Wen
Published: December 2015

Tough and strong nacre-like composite films were fabricated from hyperbranched poly(amido amine) (HPAMAM) and clay nanosheets with the aid of genipin crosslinking.
The impact of alkanes on the structure of Triton X100 micelles
Authors: Giorgio G. , Colafemmina G. , Mavelli F. , Murgia S. , Palazzo G.
Published: December 2015

Here we investigate the structural evolution of TX100 micelles upon loading with several linear and cyclic alkanes by DLS, PGSE-NMR, 2D NOESY NMR, viscosity measurements, and molecular dynamic simulations.
Clay sediment geopolymerization by means of alkali metal aluminate activation
Authors: Peirce Sara , Santoro Luciano , Andini Salvatore , Montagnaro Fabio , Ferone Claudio , Cioffi Raffaele
Published: December 2015

Alkali metal aluminate activation of a lake sediment has proved to be successful for the formation of geopolymer-based materials.
Activation of persulfate by Co3O4 nanoparticles for orange G degradation
Authors: Zhang Jing , Chen Mengyan , Zhu Liang
Published: December 2015

Nano-Co3O4 was prepared by a precipitation method and successfully applied as a heterogeneous catalyst to activate persulfate (PS).
A facile and green approach for the synthesis of spiro[naphthalene-2,5′-pyrimidine]-4-carbonitrile via a one-pot three-component condensation reaction using DBU as a catalyst
Authors: Rajeswari M. , Saluja Pooja , Khurana Jitender M.
Published: December 2015

A series of novel spiro[naphthalene-2,5′-pyrimidine]-4-carbonitriles were synthesized using 1,3-dimethylbarbituric acid, aldehydes and cyclohexylidene malononitrile in presence of DBU. The structures were confirmed by spectral data and X-Ray crystallography.
Hierarchical zinc oxide nano-tips and micro-rods: hydrothermal synthesis and improved chemi-resistive response towards ethanol
Authors: Das P. , Mondal B. , Mukherjee K.
Published: December 2015

In the present work, a novel hierarchical architecture of zinc oxide has been synthesized through a spherical carbon template assisted two step hydrothermal process.
Three-dimensional sandwich-type graphene@microporous carbon architecture for lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Li Nian-Wu , Yin Ya-Xia , Guo Yu-Guo
Published: December 2015

The hierarchical microporous carbon and graphene stacked materials with high pore volume and ultrahigh surface area were designed for lithium–sulfur batteries.
Dependence of norfloxacin diffusion across bilayers on lipid composition
Authors: Purushothaman Sowmya , Cama Jehangir , Keyser Ulrich F.
Published: December 2015

Antibiotic resistance is a major concern in medicine, and a better understanding of the interactions of antibiotics with the lipid molecules found in bacterial membranes is therefore highly desirable. We study the permeation of the antibiotic norfloxacin across vesicle lipid membranes of variable lipid compositions, and show that norfloxacin permeation is dependent on both the type and relative concentration of lipid molecules in the membrane.
Light induced in situ post-modification of clay-chromophore hybrids for multiple white light emissions
Authors: Jain Ankit , Achari Amritroop , Eswaramoorthy Muthuswamy , George Subi J.
Published: December 2015

In this study, soft clay chromophore hybrids were used to demonstrate a photo-modification strategy, in which one white light standard can be converted into another via in situ generation of a blue emitting chromophore.
A new plasmonic Pickering emulsion based SERS sensor for in situ reaction monitoring and kinetic study
Authors: Ouyang Lei , Li Dingyi , Zhu Lihua , Yang Wenwen , Tang Heqing
Published: December 2015

β-CD modified plasmonic Pickering emulsions were synthesized for interfacial reaction monitoring as well as for kinetic study.
Infant adiposity at birth and early postnatal weight gain predict increased aortic intima-media thickness at 6 weeks of age: a population-derived cohort study
Authors: McCloskey Kate , Burgner David , Carlin John B. , Skilton Michael R. , Cheung Michael , Dwyer Terence , Vuillermin Peter , Ponsonby Anne-Louise ,   on behalf of the BIS investigator group
Published: December 2015

Infant body composition and postnatal weight gain have been implicated in the development of adult obesity and cardiovascular disease, but there are limited prospective data regarding the association between infant adiposity, postnatal growth and early cardiovascular parameters. Increased aortic intima-media thickness (aortic IMT) is an intermediate phenotype of early atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between weight and adiposity at birth, postnatal growth and aortic IMT. The Barwon Infant Study (n=1074 mother–infant pairs) is a population-derived birth cohort. Infant weight and other anthropometry were measured at birth and 6 weeks of age. Aortic IMT was measured by trans-abdominal ultrasound at 6 weeks of age (n=835). After adjustment for aortic size and other factors, markers of adiposity including increased birth weight (β=19.9 μm/kg, 95%CI 11.1, 28.6; P<0.001) and birth skinfold thickness (β=6.9 μm/mm, 95%CI 3.3, 10.5; P<0.001) were associated with aortic IMT at 6 weeks. The association between birth skinfold thickness and aortic IMT was independent of birth weight. In addition, greater postnatal weight gain was associated with increased aortic IMT, independent of birth weight and age at time of scan (β=11.3 μm/kg increase, 95%CI 2.2, 20.3; P=0.01). Increased infant weight and adiposity at birth, as well as increased early weight gain, were positively associated with aortic IMT. Excessive accumulation of adiposity during gestation and early infancy may have adverse effects on cardiovascular risk.
The passing of the peace: the ascension and the death of God
Authors: Rodkey Christopher
Published: December 2015

Is peace possible within a radical Christian perspective? This essay seeks to explore a radicalized notion of peace, an investigation that will also radicalize the doctrine of the ascension of Christ. To do so I begin with Paul Tillich, as a proto-radical theologian, and his understanding of peace, and point to its inadequacies, that is, namely, that Tillich assumes a universalized peace in an epoch yet to come, a peace that is hoped for without an actual faith in this peace. Second, drawing upon the radical theology of Thomas J J Altizer, a radical Christology that places exigency upon the presence of Jesus after the resurrection, as the Pauline “first fruits” or understanding or “Post-Christ”, will emerge. A radical understanding of the ascension will usher a new understanding of peace for the church in a Pentecost age. This article is published as part of a collection dedicated to radical theologies.
Caring for people in the field
Authors: Moore James , Winser Shane , Goodyer Larry , Goodyer Paul , Moore James , Winser Shane , Lalani Akbar , Lalani Christina
Published: December 2015

Organization of a healthy base camp - Expedition health clinics - Field nursing care - Giving drugs - Kitchens and food preparation - Diet - Water purification - Sanitation and latrines
India’s Contemporary Plurilateralism
Authors: Saran Samir
Published: December 2015

India’s multilateral diplomacy has evolved significantly over time, based on its priorities and on structural changes in the international system. Today, India’s domestic imperatives of providing social security and prosperity to its people necessitate peace and stability in its extended neighbourhood and beyond. To this end, India has had to bolster its bilateral and multilateral engagements with some mini-multilateral forums, a new format that can best be described as ‘plurilateralism’. These clubs or groups serve a variety of purposes. They primarily help India recast some assumptions and norms on key debates as it makes the transition from being part of the global opposition to a global agenda-setting role. While India is a member of several such groups, including the G20, this chapter discusses India’s engagement at and with the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa), and RIC (Russia, India and China).
Introduction
Authors: Boettke Peter , Coyne Christopher J.
Published: December 2015

This chapter provides context for the The Oxford Handbook of Austrian Economics. The Handbook was designed to give an overview of the main methodological, analytical, and practical implications of the Austrian school of economics. The contributors provide a brief history of the intellectual tradition of the Austrian school of economics starting with Carl Menger in the late nineteenth century. In tracing this intellectual tradition, the authors provide the necessary background to understand the main methodological, analytical, and practical implications of the Austrian school. They also argue that Austrian economics is a lively and progressive research program in the social sciences.
The Evolution of Property Rights Systems
Authors: Benson Bruce
Published: December 2015

This chapter examines the institutions of a property rights system. It discusses the two ways for institutions of property to be developed: (1) through explicit or implicit bargaining as individuals combine their bilateral and multilateral relationships into communities made up of people with shared values and (2) through the use of “political means” entailing the threat to use violence as one individual or organized group takes scarce resources or the products of those resources from another individual or group through plunder or conquest and extortion. Emphasis is placed on the fact that a positive analysis of the evolution of the institutions of property must account for the influence of the rules adopted voluntarily to facilitate cooperation and those that arise as part of an involuntary transfer process.
On the Origins of Stock Markets
Authors: Stringham Edward
Published: December 2015

Where did stock markets come from? Stock exchanges and the rules and regulations that make stock markets possible were not invented by government but instead emerged from the market. From the world’s first major stock market in seventeenth-century Amsterdam to the world’s second and third major stock markets in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in London and New York, the markets developed over a long period when government officials did not understand them and refused to enforce most contracts in them. Officials viewed most of what went on in stock markets as forms of gambling and passed various prohibitions, yet brokers ignored the prohibitions and developed amazingly sophisticated contracts, including forward contracts, short sales, securitization, hypothecation, and options. Similar to the evolution of money, the stock markets grew out of a series of private choices and can be seen as a quintessential example of spontaneous market order.
The Problem of Rationality
Authors: Rizzo Mario J.
Published: December 2015

This chapter draws on the history of economic thought to elucidate the foundations of the Austrian economics conception of rationality. First, it shows how Austrian subjectivism was originally differentiated from nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century psychologically based economics. Then it shows how the Austrians differentiated themselves from the behaviorist approach that began to affect economics as early as the 1910s but mainly from the 1920s to the 1950s. Finally, drawing on the work of Friedrich Hayek and Alfred Schutz, it shows that the Austrian conception of rationality is not based on introspection and illustrates the differences between an Austrian approach and that of today’s new behavioral economics.
Public Choice and Austrian Economics
Authors: Holcombe Randall G.
Published: December 2015

Austrian economics is a school of thought, while public choice is an area of inquiry, so one way to analyze the two together is to look at how the Austrian school approaches the subject matter of public choice. There are substantial and long-standing areas of commonality between Austrian ideas and the literature in public choice, but most Austrian school contributions to public choice are in the form of critiques of the ideas of public-choice theories rather than the development of an independent Austrian public-choice theory. Public choice analyzes collective decision-making processes, but Austrian economists often assume away collective decision-making issues to focus on knowledge problems that hinder government allocation of resources. For this and other reasons, an Austrian school analysis of collective decision-making processes remains underdeveloped. Austrian economics offers many insights that could be used to develop a more Austrian public-choice theory.
Contemporary Austrian Economics and the New Economic Sociology
Authors: Langrill Ryan Neil , Storr Virgil Henry
Published: December 2015

Contemporary Austrian economics and the new economic sociology have much in common. First, they share intellectual influences, especially Max Weber. Second, they offer similar critiques of neoclassical economics, and both stress the importance of Verstehen. Third, they have complementary conceptions of rational action and of the role of social institutions in shaping rational action. Specifically, these schools agree on a number of key theoretical propositions and empirical approaches, including but not limited to the notions that economic institutions are socially constructed and that actors are neither social automatons nor asocial creatures (actors are embedded). Although there has been some effort to bring the two traditions together because of these similarities between them, more can be done to bring these schools into conversation with each other. This chapter seeks to tease out the connections between the two schools and discuss possible gains from trade between them.
Perceptions of Musical Cosmopolitanism in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-century Europe
Authors: Schneeman Eric
Published: December 2015

This article outlines how nineteenth-century German critics evoked Gluck’s name to justify Meyerbeer’s cosmopolitan career and compositional style. In Gluck in Paris, Burmeister-Lyser fictionalized Gluck’s biography to draw parallels between Gluck’s and Meyerbeer’s tenure in Paris. He also printed a pamphlet defending Meyerbeer’s career and musical style. Lyser and his contemporaries Lewald and Griepenkerl argued that Gluck’s and Meyerbeer’s cosmopolitanism belonged to a nationalistic endeavor to introduce European audiences to the musical innovations of German composers. German critics had further opportunity to draw comparisons between the two composers when Meyerbeer returned to Berlin to conduct Gluck’s Armide at the Hofoper. By focusing on the critical writings of Lyser, Lewald, and Griepenkerl and on reviews of the 1843 production of Armide, this article demonstrates that Meyerbeer was deemed the inheritor of Gluck’s legacy of operatic reform.
Public Prosecution in Japan
Authors: Haley John O.
Published: December 2015

This article discusses the role of public prosecution in Japan’s exemplary record of crime prevention. It begins with an overview of the tripartite process of public prosecution in Japan involving the police, prosecutors, and judges who preside over formal court trials. It then examines the Japanese procuracy and its organization, along with the career paths of public prosecutors. It also highlights the independence of the procuracy from external influences, especially political intervention; public trust in the criminal justice system; and the commitment of judges, prosecutors, and police to truth seeking and obtaining confessions. Finally, the article explains the importance of persuading offenders to accept their accountability to victims in the process of offender correction and community reintegration without incarceration.
Why Is Accurately Labeling Simple Magnitudes So Hard? A Past, Present, and Future Look at Simple Perceptual Judgment
Authors: Donkin Chris , Rae Babette , Heathcote Andrew , Brown Scott D.
Published: December 2015

Absolute identification is a deceptively simple task that has been the focus of empirical investigation and theoretical speculation for more than half a century. Since Miller’s (1956) seminal paper the puzzle of why people are severely limited in their capacity to accurately perform absolute identification has endured. Despite the apparent simplicity of absolute identification, many complicated and robust effects are observed in both response latency and accuracy, including capacity limitations, strong sequential effects and effects of the position of a stimulus within the set. Constructing a comprehensive theoretical account of these benchmark effects has proven difficult, and existing accounts all have shortcomings. We review classical empirical findings, as well as some newer findings that challenge existing theories. We then discuss a variety of theories, with a focus on the most recent proposals, make some broad conclusions about general classes of models, and discuss the challenges ahead for each class.
The Blood–Brain Barrier Creatine Transporter is a Major Pathway for Supplying Creatine to the Brain
Authors: Ohtsuki Sumio , Tachikawa Masanori , Takanaga Hitomi , Shimizu Hidemi , Watanabe Masahiko , Hosoya Ken-ichi , Terasaki Tetsuya
Published: December 2015

Although creatine plays a pivotal role in the storage of phosphate-bound energy in the brain, the source of cerebral creatine is still unclear. The authors examined the contribution made by the creatine transporter (CRT) at the blood–brain barrier in supplying creatine to the brain from blood. An in vivo intravenous administration study suggested that creatine is continuously transported from the blood to the brain against the creatine concentration gradient that exists between brain and blood. Conditionally immortalized mouse brain capillary endothelial cells (TM-BBB) exhibited creatine uptake, which is Na+ and Cl− dependent and inhibited by CRT inhibitors, such as β-guanidinopropionate and guanidinoacetate. Northern blot and immunoblot analyses demonstrated that CRT is expressed in TM-BBB cells and isolated mouse brain microvessels. Moreover, high expression of CRT was observed in the mouse brain capillaries by confocal immunofluorescent microscopy. These results suggest that CRT plays an important role in supplying creatine to the brain via the blood–brain barrier.