bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of locally run conservation initiatives in north-east Peru
Authors: Shanee Noga , Shanee Sam , Horwich Robert H.
Published: May 2014

Amazonas and San Martin are two of the most densely populated regions in rural Peru and have some of the highest deforestation rates in the country. They are also home to many threatened and endemic species and are considered a high priority for conservation. Under Peruvian law individuals and community groups can create private conservation areas and conservation concessions, and we evaluated the successes and challenges experienced in the creation and management of such areas, using direct observation, questionnaires and key-informant interviews. Our results show that far from being a problem for conservation many rural communities are actively promoting or participating in conservation initiatives on a local scale with landscape-level impacts. These initiatives include land protection, hunting control and reduced deforestation, thus providing effective solutions to threats. The main obstacles we identified in relation to such campesino (peasant farmer) conservation initiatives were the lack of access to support from governmental and non-governmental institutions and to economic resources to fund the extensive bureaucratic processes of registering protected areas. Many campesino communities bypass these restrictions through informal conservation initiatives.
Pension Confusion, Uncertainty and Trust in Scotland: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: WEBB ROB , WATSON DUNCAN , RING PATRICK , BRYCE CORMAC
Published: May 2014

In the context of the new automatic enrolment requirements for all eligible employees to make pension provision for their employees, and the importance of trust in pension provision, this article utilises data from the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, which, in its 2005 wave, asked correspondents specific questions regarding pension provision. We integrate two different empirical approaches in order to achieve a more robust understanding of pension confusion in Scotland. We find that pension confusion is dominated by pension uncertainty and myopia, but these may be reduced for those working in the financial sector. We consider the implications of these findings for the relationship of trust between employers and their employees, as well as for trust in government pension policy more generally.
Using China at Home: Knowledge Production and Gender in the Swedish East India Company, 1730-1800
Authors: Hellman Lisa
Published: May 2014

The Swedish East India Company has been studied mainly from an economic standpoint, but throughout the eighteenth century its employees played a crucial role in Swedish knowledge production on China. This article studies travel writings, speeches, and eulogies by the employees of the Swedish East India Company, noting in which ways they produced knowledge on China, and discusses reasons for choosing these particular ways. The company employees' production of knowledge is found to have strong links with their constructions of masculinity. Consequently, this article discusses the political implications of a connection between masculinity and knowledge for men employed in a non-colonial East India Company from a militarily weak country, and the role that the perceived and presented knowledge of China and its inhabitants played in this intertwining of gender construction, natural history, and power.
The Lighthouse at the End of the World Illuminating the French and British Empires
Authors: Levitt Theresa
Published: May 2014

On November 15, 1865, the French inhabitants of New Caledonia gathered together with a number of the island's natives to celebrate the lighting of the lighthouse. It was scheduled to coincide with the saint day of the Empress Eugénie, and the imperial vision rang loudly through Governor Guillain's inaugural address that evening

If, transporting ourselves in thought into the different regions of the civilized world, we examine the events transpiring there, the most magnificent panorama is unrobed before our eyes. Everywhere,—and this will be the glory of our epoch,—everywhere, great works are being executed to bring the peoples together, to multiply their relations, to prepare, in a word, that universal brotherhood, destined and reserved by Providence for future generations.

Universal brotherhood may seem like a tall order for a lighthouse, but Guillain was a man who liked to dream big. He had arrived in 1862 as governor of New Caledonia and director of the prison France hoped to establish there, but he really envisioned himself as an enlightened technocrat engineering a perfect society on his unspoiled island paradise.
Forced Labour in the “Gorgulho Years”: Understanding Reform and Repression in Rural São Tomé e Príncipe, 1945–1953
Authors: Keese Alexander
Published: May 2014

The crossroads of nationalist historiographies in sub-Saharan Africa and of the history of developmentalist attempts that characterise the European late colonial states, have left us with very incomplete images of important trajectories. In the seemingly more “liberal” large colonial empires—notably the French and British—sails were set by 1945 towards a policy of investment and economic change. Some of the scholarly debates question whether this investment was genuine or just a last resort to avoid (rapid) decolonisation; others put the emphasis on inadequate routines of development implemented in these territories, many of which have apparently been continued since decolonisation.

In this context, we encounter a clear lack of understanding about how decisions made by individual actors on the administrative level interacted with the larger panorama of social conditions in colonial territories, and of the consequences that these interactions had for the paths towards decolonisation. For a smaller empire such as the Belgian colony of Congo-Léopoldville, these processes are still more obscure; and for the colonies ruled by authoritarian metropoles, as in the cases of territories under Spanish and Portuguese rule, stagnation and absence of change are often taken for granted. In other words, these territories, which were under the rule of metropoles regarded as rather weak in economic terms, are treated as unrepresentative of the broader, European movement towards change in colonial policies. However, the conditions of change towards economic and social modernisation in this latter group of empires, even when inhibited by lack of funding and weak professionalisation of the administration, are frequently very telling for the broader range of challenges that the late colonial states faced.
Dynamics and vibration analysis of the interface between a non-rigid sphere and omnidirectional wheel actuators
Authors: Weiss A. , Langlois R. G. , Hayes M. J. D.
Published: May 2014

This paper presents analysis of the dynamics and vibration of an orientation motion platform utilizing a sphere actuated by omnidirectional wheels. The purpose of the analysis is to serve as a design tool for the construction of a six-degree-of-freedom motion platform with unlimited rotational motion. The equations of motion are presented taking flexibility of the system into account. The behaviour of the system is illustrated by sample configurations with a range of omnidirectional wheel types and geometries. Vibration analysis follows, and sensitivity to various parameters is investigated. It is determined that the geometry of omnidirectional wheels has a significant effect on the behaviour of the system.
Introduction: law courts, contracts and rural society in Europe, 1200–1600
Authors: BRIGGS CHRIS
Published: May 2014

Private contracts of many different kinds were at the heart of the rural economy in medieval and early modern Europe. This article considers some of the key issues involved in the study of those contracts, and of the institutions that facilitated their registration and enforcement. Drawing on examples from medieval England as well as the articles in this special issue of the journal, it is argued that complex and effective ‘public-order’ structures for contract registration and enforcement – principally various kinds of law court – were ubiquitous in European villages and small towns in this era.
On the home court advantage. Participation of locals and non-residents in a village law court in sixteenth-century Holland
Authors: ZUIJDERDUIJN JACO
Published: May 2014

Rural law courts are sometimes believed to have contributed to juridical fragmentation, which led to coordination failures and, hence, to high transaction costs. We present a case study of the village law court of Mijnsheerenland, and pay particular attention to the question of whether non-residents expected villagers to have a ‘home court’ advantage. Our analysis of default risk premiums demanded by participants in various exchanges does not indicate this was the case. We argue that this was caused by one of the peculiarities of the juridical system of Holland, which was fragmented but nevertheless uniform because of the dominance of public courts under central control of the ruler.
Village court records and peasant credit in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Poland
Authors: GUZOWSKI PIOTR
Published: May 2014

In fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Poland, village courts facilitated the registration of a variety of private transactions among peasants. This article uses the surviving court books of this period to explore the courts' development and functions, and to analyse the numerous peasant credit contracts found in their records. The aim of the article is to show that in late medieval and early modern Poland the village courts provided a well-established system for registering peasant transactions, and that this played an important role in the development of credit and land markets.
The Right to Asylum: Britain's 1905 Aliens Act and the Evolution of Refugee Law
Authors: Bashford Alison , McAdam Jane
Published: May 2014

From the 1880s, states and self-governing colonies in North and South America, across Australasia, and in southern Africa began introducing laws to regulate the entry of newly defined “undesirable immigrants.” This was a trend that intensified exclusionary powers originally passed in the 1850s to regulate Chinese migration, initially in the context of the gold rushes in California and the self-governing colony of Victoria in Australia. The entry and movement of other populations also began to be regulated toward the end of the century, in particular the increasing number of certain Europeans migrating to the United States. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that Britain followed this legal trend with the introduction of the 1905 Aliens Act, although it was a latecomer when situated in the global context, and certainly within the context of its own Empire. The Aliens Act was passed in response to the persecution of Eastern European Jews and their forced migration, mainly from the Russian Empire into Britain. It defined for the first time in British law the notion of the “undesirable immigrant,” criteria to exclude would-be immigrants, and exemptions from those exclusions. The Aliens Act has been analyzed by historians and legal scholars as an aspect of the history of British immigration law on the one hand, and of British Jewry and British anti-Semitism on the other. Exclusion based on ethnic and religious grounds has dominated both analyses. Thus, the Act has been framed as the major antecedent to Britain's more substantial and enduring legislative moves in the 1960s to restrict entry, regulate borders, and nominate and identify “undesirable” entrants effectively (if not explicitly) on racial grounds.
Validation of three geolocation strategies for health-facility attendees for research and public health surveillance in a rural setting in western Kenya
Authors: STRESMAN G. H. , STEVENSON J. C. , OWAGA C. , MARUBE E. , ANYANGO C. , DRAKELEY C. , BOUSEMA T. , COX J.
Published: May 2014

Understanding the spatial distribution of disease is critical for effective disease control. Where formal address networks do not exist, tracking spatial patterns of clinical disease is difficult. Geolocation strategies were tested at rural health facilities in western Kenya. Methods included geocoding residence by head of compound, participatory mapping and recording the self-reported nearest landmark. Geocoding was able to locate 72·9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 67·7–77·6] of individuals to within 250 m of the true compound location. The participatory mapping exercise was able to correctly locate 82·0% of compounds (95% CI 78·9–84·8) to a 2 × 2·5 km area with a 500 m buffer. The self-reported nearest landmark was able to locate 78·1% (95% CI 73·8–82·1) of compounds to the correct catchment area. These strategies tested provide options for quickly obtaining spatial information on individuals presenting at health facilities.
Preponderance of toxigenicEscherichia coliin stool pathogens correlates with toxin detection in accessible drinking-water sources
Authors: IGBOKWE H. , BHATTACHARYYA S. , GRADUS S. , KHUBBAR M. , GRISWOLD D. , NAVIDAD J. , IGWILO C. , MASSON-MEYERS D. , AZENABOR A. A.
Published: May 2014

Since early detection of pathogens and their virulence factors contribute to intervention and control strategies, we assessed the enteropathogens in diarrhoea disease and investigated the link between toxigenic strains ofEscherichia colifrom stool and drinking-water sources; and determined the expression of toxin genes by antibiotic-resistantE. coliin Lagos, Nigeria. This was compared with isolates from diarrhoeal stool and water from Wisconsin, USA. The new Luminex xTAG GPP (Gastroplex) technique and conventional real-time PCR were used to profile enteric pathogens andE. colitoxin gene isolates, respectively. Results showed the pathogen profile of stool and indicated a relationship betweenE. colitoxin genes in water and stool from Lagos which was absent in Wisconsin isolates. The Gastroplex technique was efficient for multiple enteric pathogens and toxin gene detection. The co-existence of antibiotic resistance with enteroinvasiveE. colitoxin genes suggests an additional prognostic burden on patients.
Construction and evaluation of event graphs
Authors: GLAVAŠ GORAN , ŠNAJDER JAN
Published: May 2014

Events play an important role in natural language processing and information retrieval due to numerous event-oriented texts and information needs. Many natural language processing and information retrieval applications could benefit from a structured event-oriented document representation. In this paper, we proposeevent graphsas a novel way of structuring event-based information from text. Nodes in event graphs represent the individual mentions of events, whereas edges represent the temporal and coreference relations between mentions. Contrary to previous natural language processing research, which has mainly focused on individual event extraction tasks, we describe a complete end-to-end system for event graph extraction from text. Our system is a three-stage pipeline that performs anchor extraction, argument extraction, and relation extraction (temporal relation extraction and event coreference resolution), each at a performance level comparable with the state of the art. We presentEvExtra, a large newspaper corpus annotated with event mentions and event graphs, on which we train and evaluate our models. To measure the overall quality of the constructed event graphs, we propose two metrics based on the tensor product between automatically and manually constructed graphs. Finally, we evaluate the overall quality of event graphs with the proposed evaluation metrics and perform a headroom analysis of the system.
Does Catastrophizing of Bodily Sensations Maintain Health-Related Anxiety? A 14-Day Daily Diary Study with Longitudinal Follow-Up
Authors: Gautreau Chantal M. , Sherry Simon B. , Sherry Dayna L. , Birnie Kathryn A. , Mackinnon Sean P. , Stewart Sherry H.
Published: May 2014

Background: Health anxiety is common, impairing, and costly. The role of catastrophizing of bodily sensations (i.e. rumination about, overconcern with, and intolerance of bodily sensations) in maintaining health-related anxiety (i.e. anxiety about perceived health problems) is important, but understudied, in the health anxiety literature. Aims: The present study investigates the role of catastrophizing of bodily sensations as a maintenance factor for health-related anxiety over time. Method: Undergraduates (n = 226 women; n = 226 men) completed a baseline assessment, 14-day daily diary study, and 14-day longitudinal follow-up. Results: Path analysis indicated catastrophizing of bodily sensations maintains health-related anxiety from one month to the next in both men and women. Conclusions: The present study bridges an important gap between theory and evidence. Results support cognitive behavioral theories and extend cross-sectional research asserting catastrophizing of bodily sensations maintains health-related anxiety over time. A cyclical, self-perpetuating pattern was observed in the present study wherein catastrophizing of bodily sensations and health-related anxiety contribute to one another over time. Results also suggest targeting catastrophizing of bodily sensations may reduce health-related anxiety.
Detecting Everyday Action Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease Using a Nonimmersive Virtual Reality Kitchen
Authors: Allain Philippe , Foloppe Déborah Alexandra , Besnard Jérémy , Yamaguchi Takehiko , Etcharry-Bouyx Frédérique , Le Gall Didier , Nolin Pierre , Richard Paul
Published: May 2014

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes impairments affecting instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Transdisciplinary research in neuropsychology and virtual reality has fostered the development of ecologically valid virtual tools for the assessment of IADL, using simulations of real life activities. Few studies have examined the benefits of this approach in AD patients. Our aim was to examine the utility of a non-immersive virtual coffee task (NI-VCT) for assessment of IADL in these patients. We focus on the assessment results obtained from a group of 24 AD patients on a task designed to assess their ability to prepare a virtual cup of coffee, using a virtual coffee machine. We compared performance on the virtual task to an identical daily living task involving the actual preparation of a cup of coffee, as well as to global cognitive, executive, and caregiver-reported IADL functioning. Relative to 32 comparable, healthy elderly (HE) controls, AD patients performed worse than HE controls on all tasks. Correlation analyses revealed that NI-VCT measures were related to all other neuropsychological measures. Moreover, regression analyses demonstrated that performance on the NI-VCT predicted actual task performance and caregiver-reported IADL functioning. Our results provide initial support for the utility of our virtual kitchen for assessment of IADL in AD patients. (JINS, 2014,20, 1–10)
Association between home availability and vegetable consumption in youth: a review
Authors: Cook Lauren T , O’Reilly Gillian A , DeRosa Christine J , Rohrbach Louise Ann , Spruijt-Metz Donna
Published: May 2014

Objective

To systematically review literature examining the association between vegetable home availability and vegetable intake in youth.

Design

Articles were identified through December 2012 using a search of PubMed, PsychINFO and OVID/Medline databases, using the following keywords in varying combinations: home, environment, availability, vegetable, intake, consumption, children. Quantitative studies examining home vegetable availability and vegetable intake in children and adolescents were included. Fifteen studies were included that met inclusion criteria.

Setting

Studies were conducted in the USA (n 8), Australia (n 1), Greece (n 1), Iceland (n 1), Denmark (n 1), the UK (n 1), the Netherlands (n 1) and a combination of nine European countries (n 1).

Subjects

Various populations of children and adolescents were examined.

Results

Seven of the studies (47 %) found a positive association between vegetable availability and intake, with the others reporting null findings. There were no clear patterns of association by study design, age of subjects included, comprehensiveness of measures, or inclusion of covariates in analyses. Child report of home availability was associated with child vegetable intake (n 6, all found a positive association), while parent report of home availability was only minimally associated (n 9, one found a positive association; P=0·001 from post hoc Fisher’s exact test comparing parent v. child report).

Conclusions

Parent perception of availability may be closer to truth, given the parental role in food shopping and preparation. Therefore, to impact child vegetable intake, absolute availability may not be as important as child perception of vegetables in the home. Child perception of availability may be altered by level of familiarity with vegetables.
Three-Dimensional Fiber Segment Orientation Distribution Using X-Ray Microtomography
Authors: Tausif Muhammad , Duffy Brian , Grishanov Sergei , Carr Hamish , Russell Stephen J.
Published: May 2014

The orientation of fibers in assemblies such as nonwovens has a major influence on the anisotropy of properties of the bulk structure and is strongly influenced by the processes used to manufacture the fabric. To build a detailed understanding of a fabric’s geometry and architecture it is important that fiber orientation in three dimensions is evaluated since out-of-plane orientations may also contribute to the physical properties of the fabric. In this study, a technique for measuring fiber segment orientation as proposed by Eberhardt and Clarke is implemented and experimentally studied based on analysis of X-ray computed microtomographic data. Fiber segment orientation distributions were extracted from volumetric X-ray microtomography data sets of hydroentangled nonwoven fabrics manufactured from parallel-laid, cross-laid, and air-laid webs. Spherical coordinates represented the orientation of individual fibers. Physical testing of the samples by means of zero-span tensile testing and z-directional tensile testing was employed to compare with the computed results.
Purpose-based or knowledge-based intention for collective wrongdoing in international criminal law?
Authors: Fisher Kirsten J.
Published: May 2014

Due to the distinct nature of international crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity originating out of and contributing to the pervasive collective character of mass atrocity, the appropriatemens reafor individual commission of these crimes is difficult to pin down. Themens reafor these international crimes has been deliberated, disputed and inconsistently applied, leaving what it means for individuals to intend to commit crimes of mass atrocity mired in confusion. This paper explores the meaning of intentional commission of collective crime, and demonstrates that from both philosophical and legal perspectives, acting intentionally in the context of mass atrocity can be interpreted in different ways, resulting in a condition of international criminal law which is at risk of unpredictability and expressive uncertainty. The paper endorses purpose-based, rather than knowledge-based, intent as the appropriate standard in the context of international crimes by arguing that mere knowledge of outcomes is insufficient.
Reframing the debate: the debt relief initiative and new normative values in the governance of third world debt
Authors: Tan Celine
Published: May 2014

The introduction of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative in 1996 established landmark legal and policy innovations both in the regulatory landscape of sovereign debt and in the framework of international development finance. As the HIPC framework draws to a close, this paper reviews the impact of this initiative on the regulation of sovereign debt, in particular the governance of third world debt. The paper considers the implications of the initiative's explicit link between debt restructuring and development policy and its incorporation of non-traditional normative values, such as poverty reduction and participatory development, into the legal and political discourse of sovereign debt. The paper argues that while the changes which brought about the HIPC initiative have led to a number of key initiatives to reform the governance of third world debt, they have also had the contradictory effect of reinforcing the core disciplinary discourses and pre-existing practices of the sovereign debt regime.
Selbstregulation von Emotionen als Schutzfaktor gegen gesundheitliche Auswirkungen von Mobbing
Authors: Wojdylo Kamila , Baumann Nicola , Kuhl Julius , Horstmann Juliana
Published: May 2014

Hintergrund: Der Zusammenhang zwischen Gesundheitsbeeinträchtigungen und Mobbing ist vielfach untersucht. Wenige Erkenntnisse liegen über die Bedeutung von selbstregulatorischen Mechanismen für die Gesundheit von Mobbingbetroffenen vor. Fragestellung: Unterscheiden sich niedrig handlungsorientierte Mobbingbetroffene hinsichtlich der Stärke gesundheitlicher Symptome von hoch handlungsorientierten? Methode: An der Untersuchung nahmen 35 von Mobbing betroffene Patienten einer psychosomatischen Fachklinik teil. Variablen wurden mit standardisierten Verfahren (Mobbingfragebogen, Hakemp, SCL-90-R) untersucht. Ergebnisse: Eine höhere Vielfalt konkreter Mobbinghandlungen bei niedriger selbstregulatorischer Kompetenz (Lageorientierung) ging mit einer signifikant erhöhten allgemeinen Symptombelastung einher. Bei hoher selbstregulatorischer Kompetenz (Handlungsorientierung) zeigte sich demgegenüber unabhängig von der Mobbingvielfalt eine vergleichsweise niedrige allgemeine Symptombelastung. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Fähigkeit zur selbstgesteuerten Regulation von Emotionen scheint vor den gesundheitlichen Beeinträchtigungen, die mit einem sozialen Stressor wie Mobbing assoziiert sind, zu schützen.
Strategien der Emotionsregulation bei sozial ängstlichen Kindern und Jugendlichen
Authors: Lange Sarah , Tröster Heinrich
Published: May 2014

Theoretischer Hintergrund: Bisherige Studien lassen vermuten, dass Kinder und Jugendliche mit sozialer Angststörung nicht nur emotionale Kompetenzdefizite in der Erkennung und im Ausdruck von Emotionen aufweisen, sondern auch Schwierigkeiten bei der Emotionsregulation bestehen. Fragestellung: Unterscheiden sich Kinder und Jugendliche mit sozialer Angststörung und sozial nicht ängstliche Kinder und Jugendliche in ihren adaptiven und maladaptiven Emotionsregulationsstrategien? Methode: Erhebung der Emotionsregulationsstrategien von sozial ängstlichen (mit und ohne Diagnose, n = 59 vs. n = 36) und sozial nicht ängstlichen Kindern und Jugendlichen (n = 146) mittels standardisiertem Fragebogen FEEL-KJ. Ergebnisse: Kinder und Jugendliche mit sozialer Angststörung berichten von signifikant weniger adaptiven und mehr maladaptiven Emotionsregulationsstrategien im Vergleich zu einer Kontrollgruppe. Schlussfolgerungen: Auffälligkeiten in der Regulierung negativer Emotionen scheinen mit sozialen Ängsten assoziiert zu sein.
Prognostic significance of low DICER expression regulated by miR-130a in cervical cancer
Authors: He L , Wang H-Y , Zhang L , Huang L , Li J-D , Xiong Y , Zhang M-Y , Jia W-H , Yun J-P , Luo R-Z , Zheng M
Published: May 2014

Dicer is crucial for the maturation of microRNAs (miRNAs) and its dysregulation may contribute to tumor initiation and progression. The study explored the clinical implications of Dicer and its post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs in cervical cancer. qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry investigated Dicer mRNA and protein levels in cervical cancer tissues. The relationship between Dicer expression and survival was analyzed. MiRNA target prediction identified miRNAs that might target Dicer. Luciferase reporter and gain- or loss-of-function assays were performed. The results showed that 36.7% of cervical cancer cases showed low expression of Dicer mRNA and 63.3% cases showed high expression. At the protein level, 51% cases showed negative expression and 49% cases showed positive expression. Dicer mRNA and protein expressions were significantly associated with distant metastasis and recurrence in cervical cancer (P=0.002 and P=0.012, respectively). Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that low Dicer expression (P=0.016) and tumor stage (P=0.047) were independent predictors. Among the miRNAs predicted to target Dicer, 10 were detected by RT-PCR; their expressions were significantly higher in cervical cancers with lower Dicer expression than in those with higher Dicer expression and were negatively correlated with Dicer expression level (P<0.05). In vitro experiments demonstrated that miR-130a directly targeted Dicer mRNA to enhance migration and invasion in SiHa cells. Finally, survival analysis indicated that higher expression of miR-130a was significantly associated with poor disease-free survival. Taken together, Dicer expression regulated by miR-130a is an important potential prognostic factor in cervical cancer.
Experimental and theoretical investigation of the magnetic and photoconductive nature of a novel two-dimensional, mixed-valence bis(2-thioxo-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolato)nickelate molecular solid
Authors: Yang Hao , Liu Jian-Lan , Zhou Lan-Cheng , Ren Xiao-Ming
Published: May 2014

A novel, two-dimensional mixed-valence [Ni(dmit)2] molecular solid shows a rapid, clear and stable response of photoconductivity under UV irradiation.
Microarray-based resonance light scattering assay for detecting DNA methylation and human DNA methyltransferase simultaneously with high sensitivity
Authors: Ma Lan , Su Min , Li Tao , Wang Zhenxin
Published: May 2014

A microarray-based resonance light scattering assay has been proposed for sensitively detecting DNA methylation and DNA methyltransferase.
Additive-free synthesis of V4O7 hierarchical structures as high performance cathodes for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Wang Xinran , Zheng Shili , Mu Xuechao , Zhang Yi , Du Hao
Published: May 2014

A V4O7 nanocross was first solvothermally-synthesized with improved cathode stability for lithium-ion batteries.
Molecular encoder–decoder based on an assembly of graphene oxide with dye-labelled DNA
Authors: He Yi , Chen Yuting , Li Chongying , Cui Hua
Published: May 2014

A general strategy was developed to fabricate 2-to-1, 4-to-2 and 8-to-3 molecular encoders and a 1-to-2 decoder by assembling graphene oxide with various dye-labeled DNAs.
A photothermal cell viability-reporting theranostic nanoprobe for intraoperative optical ablation and tracking of tumors
Authors: Wu Shuqi , Han Shoufa , Han Jiahuai , Su Xinhui
Published: May 2014

A photothermal acid-responsive nanoprobe was developed for intraoperative detection and photothermal killing of tumors, and tracking of therapeutic effects.
Stable amorphous calcium oxalate: synthesis and potential intermediate in biomineralization
Authors: Hajir Myriam , Graf Robert , Tremel Wolfgang
Published: May 2014

Amorphous calcium oxalate nanoparticles with sizes of 10–30 nm were synthesized at room temperature by the hydrolysis of a dimethyl oxalate from ethanol solution.
Ambient pressure aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition of (CH3NH3)PbBr3, an inorganic–organic perovskite important in photovoltaics
Authors: Lewis David J. , O'Brien Paul
Published: May 2014

The inorganic–organic perovskite (CH3NH3)PbBr3, which is potentially important in photovoltaics, has been deposited using aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD).
A combined stretching–tilting mechanism produces negative, zero and positive linear thermal expansion in a semi-flexible Cd(ii)-MOF
Authors: Lama Prem , Das Raj Kumar , Smith Vincent J. , Barbour Leonard J.
Published: May 2014

A combined stretching–tilting mechanism in a Cd(ii)-MOF displays an unusual combination of thermal expansion (TE) behaviour – i.e. negative, zero and positive, which is a rare occurrence for metal–organic frameworks (MOFs).
Biomass derived furfural-based facile synthesis of protected (2S)-phenyl-3-piperidone, a common intermediate for many drugs
Authors: Koh P.-F. , Wang P. , Huang J.-M. , Loh T.-P.
Published: May 2014

The efficient conversion of rice straw into a key intermediate to access various drugs has been developed.
Steric matching and the concentration induced self-assembled structural variety of 2,7-bis(n-alkoxy)-9-fluorenone at the aliphatic solvent/graphite interface
Authors: Miao Xinrui , Xu Li , Cui Lihua , Deng Wenli
Published: May 2014

The self-assembly F–OCn displays structural polymorphism depending on the change of solution concentration at the aliphatic solvent/graphite interface.
Reduced graphene oxide modified highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays photoelectrode with enhanced photoelectrocatalytic performance under visible-light irradiation
Authors: Zhai Chunyang , Zhu Mingshan , Lu Yongtao , Ren Fangfang , Wang Caiqin , Du Yukou , Yang Ping
Published: May 2014

Enhanced photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of methyl orange pollutants based on graphene modified highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays under visible-light irradiation.
Enhanced BaZrO3 mechanosynthesis by the use of metastable ZrO2 precursors
Authors: Sherafat Z. , Antunes I. , Almeida C. , Frade J. R. , Paydar M. H. , Mather G. C. , Fagg D. P.
Published: May 2014

Enhanced mechanochemical preparation of BaZrO3 can be achieved upon milling mixtures of barium peroxide with metastable tetragonal ZrO2 precursors.
Polypyrrole-functionalized ruthenium carbene catalysts as efficient heterogeneous systems for olefin epoxidation
Authors: Dakkach Mohamed , Fontrodona Xavier , Parella Teodor , Atlamsani Ahmed , Romero Isabel , Rodríguez Montserrat
Published: May 2014

New Ru-pyrrole complexes are described among which a Ru-OH2complex that has been anchored onto graphite supports and tested in olefin epoxidation, displaying up to several thousand TON values.
Ferrocenylpyrazolyl palladium complexes as catalysts for the polymerisation of 1-heptene and 1-octene to highly branched polyolefins
Authors: Obuah Collins , Munyaneza Apollinaire , Guzei Ilia A. , Darkwa James
Published: May 2014

(Ferrocenylpyrazolyl)palladium complexes that catalyse the polymerization of 1-heptene and 1-octene to highly branched polyolefins are reported.
Observation of magnetoelectric coupling and local piezoresponse in modified (Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3–BaTiO3–CoFe2O4 lead-free composites
Authors: Ramana E. Venkata , Figueiras F. , Graça M. P. F. , Valente M. A.
Published: May 2014

Lead-free particulate multiferroic composites of [0.94(Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3–0.06 BaTiO3]:(Co0.6Zn0.4)(Fe1.7Mn0.3)O4 were synthesized and magnetoelectric (ME) properties were studied. The figure indicates scanning probe microscopic images of composites.
Tailoring ionic liquid catalysts: structure, acidity and catalytic activity of protonic ionic liquids based on anionic clusters, [(HSO4)(H2SO4)x]− (x = 0, 1, or 2)
Authors: Matuszek Karolina , Chrobok Anna , Coleman Fergal , Seddon Kenneth R. , Swadźba-Kwaśny Małgorzata
Published: May 2014

The speciation of a family of inexpensive, easily prepared protonic ionic liquids, their physico-chemical properties and their performance as catalysts in the model esterification reaction have been correlated.
Insights into biphasic oxidations with hydrogen peroxide; towards scaling up
Authors: Bishopp Simon D. , Scott Janet L. , Torrente-Murciano Laura
Published: May 2014

The combination of chemical and engineering solutions with a near 100% hydrogen peroxide use, makes, for the first time, the green oxidation of alkenes attractive for large-scale industrial applications.
Metal-mediated DNA damage and cell death: mechanisms, detection methods, and cellular consequences
Authors: Angelé-Martínez Carlos , Goodman Craig , Brumaghim Julia
Published: May 2014

Metal ions cause various types of DNA damage by multiple mechanisms, and this damage is a primary cause of cell death and disease.
DABCO-mediated isocyanide-based multicomponent reaction: synthesis of highly substituted cyclopentenes
Authors: Wen Li-Rong , Lan Ming-Chao , Yuan Wen-Kui , Li Ming
Published: May 2014

Highly substituted cyclopentenes can be accessed rapidly from isocyanides, aldehydes and malononitrile or ethyl cyanoacetate (AB2C2) using DABCO as a catalyst under solvent-free conditions at 40 °C within 30 min.
Vibro-levitation and inverted pendulum: parametric resonance in vibrating droplets and soft materials
Authors: Ramachandran Rahul , Nosonovsky Michael
Published: May 2014

The separation of motion technique provides insights on how vibro-levitation of droplets and soft materials including cornstarch is related with the vibro-stabilization of an inverted pendulum and the “Indian rope trick”.
Graphene-wrapped chromium-MOF(MIL-101)/sulfur composite for performance improvement of high-rate rechargeable Li–S batteries
Authors: Zhao Zhenxia , Wang Sha , Liang Rui , Li Zhong , Shi Zhicong , Chen Guohua
Published: May 2014

A graphene/chromium-MOF(MIL-101) composite is proposed to serve as a sulfur host for stabilized Li–S batteries.
Combined inhibition of caspase 3 and caspase 7 by two highly selective DARPins slows down cellular demise
Authors: Flütsch Andreas , Ackermann Rafael , Schroeder Thilo , Lukarska Maria , Hausammann Georg J. , Weinert Christopher , Briand Christophe , Grütter Markus G.
Published: May 2014

Caspases play important roles during apoptosis, inflammation and proliferation. The high homology among family members makes selective targeting of individual caspases difficult, which is necessary to precisely define the role of these enzymes. We have selected caspase-7-specific binders from a library of DARPins (designed ankyrin repeat proteins). The DARPins D7.18 and D7.43 bind specifically to procaspase 7 and active caspase 7, but not to other members of the family. Binding of the DARPins does not affect the active enzyme, but interferes with its activation by other caspases. The crystal structure of the caspase 7–D7.18 complex elucidates the high selectivity and the mode of inhibition. Combining these caspase-7-specific DARPins with the previously reported caspase-3-inhibitory DARPin D3.4S76R reduces the activity of caspase 3 and 7 in double-transfected HeLa cells during apoptosis. In addition, these cells showed less susceptibility to TRAIL (tumour-necrosis-factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand)-induced apoptosis in living cell experiments. D7.18 and D7.43 are therefore novel tools for in vitro studies on procaspase 7 activation as well as for clarifying the role of its activation in different cellular processes. If applied in combination with D3.4S76R, they represent an excellent instrument to increase our understanding of these enzymes during various cellular processes.
Prediction of high- and low-affinity quinol-analogue-binding sites in the aa3 and bo3 terminal oxidases from Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli
Authors: Bossis Fabrizio , De Grassi Anna , Palese Luigi Leonardo , Pierri Ciro Leonardo
Published: May 2014

Haem–copper oxidases are the terminal enzymes in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic respiratory chains. They catalyse the reduction of dioxygen to water and convert redox energy into a transmembrane electrochemical proton gradient during their catalytic activity. Haem–copper oxidases show substantial structure similarity, but spectroscopic and biochemical analyses indicate that these enzymes contain diverse prosthetic groups and use different substrates (i.e. cytochrome c or quinol). Owing to difficulties in membrane protein crystallization, there are no definitive structural data about the quinol oxidase physiological substrate-binding site(s). In the present paper, we propose an atomic structure model for the menaquinol:O2 oxidoreductase of Bacillus subtilis (QOx.aa3). Furthermore, a multistep computational approach is used to predict residues involved in the menaquinol/menaquinone binding within B. subtilis QOx.aa3 as well as those involved in quinol/quinone binding within Escherichia coli QOx.bo3. Two specific sequence motifs, R70GGXDX4RXQX3PX3FX[D/N/E/Q]X2HYNE97 and G159GSPX2GWX2Y169 (B. subtilis numbering), were highlighted within QOx from Bacillales. Specific residues within the first and the second sequence motif participate in the high- and low-affinity substrate-binding sites respectively. Using comparative analysis, two analogous motifs, R71GFXDX4RXQX8[Y/F]XPPHHYDQ101 and G163EFX3GWX2Y173 (E. coli numbering) were proposed to be involved in Enterobacteriales/Rhodobacterales/Rhodospirillales QOx high- and low-affinity quinol-derivative-binding sites. Results and models are discussed in the context of the literature.
Fabrication and characterisation of ultrafine leather powder: a functional reinforcement containing SiO2 particles
Authors: Li Chongyi , Xue Feng , Ding Enyong
Published: May 2014

The water‐based dispersion of ultrafine leather fibres was firstly prepared in the authors' laboratory by high‐pressure homogenisation. The hybridisation method of ultrafine leather fibres and SiO2 particles was used to eliminate the serious agglomeration of ultrafine leather fibres, and finally the dry hybrid leather powder (HLP) was obtained successfully. The morphology of the HLP was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The micrograph of SEM revealed that the leather fibres were coated with a layer of scattered SiO2 particles and still maintained their intrinsic fibrous structures. Surface element analysis (energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry) confirmed that the SiO2 particles were anchored on the surface of the leather fibres. Furthermore, the formation of bonding effect between the leather fibres and the SiO2 particles was also demonstrated by X‐ray photoelectron spectrometry measurement. The obtained leather fibres were observed to be approximately less than 30 μm in length and 70 nm in width. X‐ray diffraction analysis and thermogravimetric analysis were also used to investigate the characterisation of ultrafine leather powders, and one of the results showed that the HLP had greater thermal stability than leather shavings.
Quantum oscillations as the tool for study of new functional materials (Review Article)
Authors: Gusynin V. P. , Loktev V. M. , Luk'yanchuk I. A. , Sharapov S. G. , Varlamov A. A.
Published: May 2014

We present an overview of our recent results on quantum magnetic oscillations in new functional materials. We begin with the Lifshitz and Kosevich approach for quasi-2D layered materials and obtain general formulas for the oscillatory parts of the grand thermodynamic potential and magnetization. Then we consider the oscillations of the Nernst–Ettingshausen coefficient which consists of thermal and magnetization parts. The difference between normal and Dirac carriers is also discussed. To conclude we consider a model for multilayer grapheme which allows to calculate exactly the Berry phase which remains undetermined in the Lifshitz–Kosevich approach. The magnetic oscillations of the density of states and capacitance for different number of the carbon layers are described.
Quantum phenomena in transport measurements of topological insulator nanostructures (Review Article)
Authors: Fang Lei , Kwok Wai-Kwong
Published: May 2014

We review the recent experimental advances on quantum phenomena in transport measurements of topological insulators with emphasis on quantum oscillation, weak antilocalization and Aharonov–Bohm effect and Altshuler–Aronov–Spivak effect. Following a brief introduction on the topic, we discuss the identification of the topological surface state based on quantum phenomena. Research prospect of topological insulators is described at the end of this article.
Electronic structure, Fermi surface and dHvA effect in YIn3, LuIn3, and YbIn3
Authors: Antonov V. N.
Published: May 2014

The electronic structure, Fermi surface, angle dependence of the cyclotron masses and extremal cross sections of the Fermi surface of RIn3 (R = Y, Lu, and Yb) compounds were investigated from first principles using the fully relativistic Dirac linear muffin-tin orbital method. The effect of the spin-orbit (SO) interaction and Coulomb repulsion U in a frame of the LDA + SO + U method on the Fermi surface, orbital dependence of the cyclotron masses, and extremal cross sections of the Fermi surface are examined in details. A good agreement with experimental data of cyclotron masses and extremal cross sections of the Fermi surface was achieved.
Natural orbital functional theory and pairing correlation effects in electron momentum density
Authors: Barbiellini B.
Published: May 2014

Occupation numbers of natural orbitals capture the physics of strong electron correlations in momentum space. A natural orbital density functional theory based on the antisymmetrized geminal product provides these occupation numbers and the corresponding electron momentum density. A practical implementation of this theory approximates the natural orbitals by the Kohn–Sham orbitals and uses a mean-field approach to estimate pairing amplitudes leading to corrections for the independent particle model. The method is applied to weakly doped La2CuO4.
Probing the Fermi surface by positron annihilation and Compton scattering
Authors: Dugdale S. B.
Published: May 2014

Positron annihilation and Compton scattering are important probes of the Fermi surface. Relying on conservation of energy and momentum, being bulk sensitive and not limited by short electronic mean-free-paths, they can provide unique information in circumstances when other methods fail. Using a variety of examples, their contribution to knowledge about the electronic structure of a wide range of materials is demonstrated.
Crossover from the weak to strong-field behavior of the longitudinal interlayer magnetoresistance in quasi-two-dimensional conductors
Authors: Grigoriev A. D. , Grigoriev P. D.
Published: May 2014

We investigate the monotonic growth of longitudinal interlayer magnetoresistance R¯zz(Bz), analytically and numerically in the self-consistent Born approximation. We show that in a weak magnetic field the monotonic part of R¯zz(Bz) is almost constant and starts to grow only above the crossover field Bc, when the Landau levels (LL) become isolated, i.e., when the LL separation becomes greater than the LL broadening. In higher field Bz ≫ Bc, R¯zz(Bz) ∝ Bz1/2 in agreement with previous works.
Laser induced rovibrational cooling of the linear polyatomic ion $\text{C}_2\text{H}_2^+$C2H2+
Authors: Deb Nabanita , Heazlewood Brianna R. , Rennick Christopher J. , Softley Timothy P.
Published: May 2014

The laser-induced blackbody-assisted rotational cooling of a linear polyatomic ion, \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}${\rm C}_{2}{\rm H}_2^+$\end{document}C2H2+, in its 2Π ground electronic state in the presence of the blackbody radiation field at 300 K and 77 K is investigated theoretically using a rate-equations model. Although pure rotational transitions are forbidden in this non-polar species, the ν5 cis-bending mode is infrared active and the (1-0) band of this mode strongly overlaps the 300 K blackbody spectrum. Hence the lifetimes of state-selected rotational levels are found to be short compared to the typical timescale of ion trapping experiments. The ν5 (1-0) transition is split by the Renner-Teller coupling of vibrational and electronic angular momentum, and by the spin-orbit coupling, into six principal components and these effects are included in the calculations. In this paper, a rotational-cooling scheme is proposed that involves simultaneous pumping of a set of closely spaced Q-branch transitions on the 2Δ5/2 − 2Π3/2 band together with two Q-branch lines in the 2Σ+ − 2Π1/2 band. It is shown that this should lead to >70% of total population in the lowest rotational level at 300 K and over 99% at 77 K. In principle, the multiple Q-branch lines could be pumped with just two broad-band (∼Δν = 0.4–3 cm−1) infrared lasers.