bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phosphine‐Free, Low‐Temperature Synthesis of Tetrapod‐Shaped CdS and Its Hybrid with Au Nanoparticles
Authors: Du Yaping , Chen Bo , Yin Zongyou , Liu Zhengqing , Zhang Hua
Published: October 2014

Tetrapod‐shaped CdS colloidal nanocrystals are synthesized using a facile, phosphine‐free synthesis approach at low temperature. The arm length and diameter of CdS tetrapods can be easily tuned by using different source of sulphureous precursors, i.e., sulfur powder, thioacetamide, and sodium diethyldithiocarbamate. Moreover, the growth of Au nanoparticles onto CdS to form metal–semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals is also demonstrated. The tetrapod‐shaped CdS nanocrystals exhibit strong arm‐diameter‐dependent absorption and photoluminescence characteristics. Importantly, the as‐obtained CdS tetrapods exhibit promising photocatalytic activity for the water‐splitting reaction in photoelectrochemical cells.
Land use impact assessment in the construction sector: an analysis of LCIA models and case study application
Authors: Allacker Karen , Souza Danielle Maia de , Sala Serenella
Published: October 2014

Purpose

Land use is a potentially important impact category in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of buildings. Three research questions are addressed in this paper: Is land use a decisive factor in the environmental impact of buildings?; Is it important to include the primary land use of buildings in the assessment?; and How does the environmental performance of solid structure and timber frame dwellings differ when assessed by distinct available models for quantifying land use impacts?

Methods

This paper compares several operational land use impact assessment models, which are subsequently implemented in an LCA case study comparing a building constructed using timber frame versus a solid structure. Different models were used for addressing the different research questions.

Results and discussion

The results reveal that contrasting decisions may be supported by LCA study results, depending on whether or not and how land use is included in the assessment. The analysis also highlights the need to include the building land footprint in the assessment and to better distinguish building locations in current land use impact assessment models.

Conclusions

Selecting land use assessment models that are most appropriate to the goals of the study is recommended as different models assess different environmental issues related to land use. In general, the combination of two land use assessment methods for buildings is recommended, i.e. soil organic matter (SOM) of Milà i Canals and Eco-indicator 99.
Family and peer support matter for precoital and coital behaviors among adolescents in Lima
Authors: Bayer Angela M. , Cabrera Lilia Z. , Gilman Robert H. , Hindin Michelle J. , Tsui Amy O.
Published: October 2014

We analyzed the association between sub‐scales developed with adolescents and the outcomes of precoital behaviors and vaginal sex in Lima, Peru. Adolescent participants in key informant sessions operationalized concepts identified during qualitative concept mapping into several sub‐scales. Face and content validity testing and pilot application with respondent debriefing were used to refine the sub‐scales. Three hundred 15–17 year olds were surveyed about the sub‐scales, socio‐demographics and sexual behaviors. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed six sub‐scales, self‐image, goals and decision‐making, family education, parental rules/control, school support and peer support, which we regressed on the outcomes. Twice as many males as females reported more than three precoital behaviors and vaginal sex. Higher peer support reduced the likelihood of vaginal sex and precoital behaviors and higher family education reduced precoital behaviors. Results affirm the importance of including adolescents in the entire research process and of sex education with family‐ and peer‐based strategies.
The effects of affect, processing goals and temporal distance on information processing: Qualifications on temporal construal theory
Authors: Chen Fangyuan , Wyer Robert S.
Published: October 2014

According to temporal construal theory (Trope & Liberman, 2003, 2010), people are likely to evaluate a product on the basis of global, high‐level criteria (e.g., the intrinsic desirability of its features) if they consider it for future consumption but consider situation‐specific (e.g., feasibility‐related) criteria if they consider it for immediate use. However, this may be true only when people are unmotivated to assess the implications of all of the information they have available, and this motivation, in turn, is a function of both their mood and the goal they happen to be pursuing. When individuals' objective is to make a good decision, the theory's implications are more likely to be supported when they are happy (and believe they have enough information to make a good judgment) than when they are sad. When their goal is to enjoy themselves, however, the theory is more strongly supported when they are sad (and are unmotivated to engage in extensive processing) than when they are happy.
Operationalizing Public Health Skills to Resource Poor Settings: Is This the Achilles Heel in the Ebola Epidemic Campaign?
Authors: Burkle Frederick M.
Published: October 2014

Sustainable approaches to crises, especially non-trauma-related public health emergencies, are severely lacking. At present, the Ebola crisis is defining the operational public health skill sets for infectious disease epidemics that are not widely known or appreciated. Indigenous and foreign medical teams will need to adapt to build competency-based curriculum and standards of care for the future that concentrate on public health emergencies. Only by adjusting and adapting specific operational public health skill sets to resource poor environments will it be possible to provide sustainable prevention and preparedness initiatives that work well across cultures and borders.(Diaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-3)
Vorticity generation and conservation for two-dimensional interfaces and boundaries
Authors: Brøns M. , Thompson M. C. , Leweke T. , Hourigan K.
Published: October 2014

The generation, redistribution and, importantly, conservation of vorticity and circulation is studied for incompressible Newtonian fluids in planar and axisymmetric geometries. A generalised formulation of the vorticity at the interface between two fluids for both no-slip and stress-free conditions is presented. Illustrative examples are provided for planar Couette flow, Poiseuille flow, the spin-up of a circular cylinder, and a cylinder below a free surface. For the last example, it is shown that, although large imbalances between positive and negative vorticity appear in the wake, the balance is found in the vortex sheet representing the stress-free surface.
Homogeneous swarm of high-Reynolds-number bubbles rising within a thin gap. Part 2. Liquid dynamics
Authors: Bouche Emmanuella , Roig Véronique , Risso Frédéric , Billet Anne-Marie
Published: October 2014

The agitation of the liquid phase has been investigated experimentally in a homogeneous swarm of bubbles rising at high Reynolds number within a thin gap. Owing to the wall friction, the bubble wakes are strongly attenuated. Consequently, liquid fluctuations result from disturbances localized near the bubbles and direct interactions between them. The signature of the average wake rapidly fades and the probability density function of the fluctuations becomes Gaussian as the gas volume fraction $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}\alpha $ increases. The energy of the fluctuations scales differently with $\alpha $ depending on the direction, indicating that hydrodynamic interactions are different in the horizontal and vertical directions. The spatial spectrum shows that the length scales of the fluctuations are independent of $\alpha $ and exhibits a $k^{-3}$ subrange, which results from localized random flow disturbances of various sizes. Comparisons with the dynamics of the gas phase show that liquid and bubble agitations are driven by the same mechanism in the vertical direction, whereas they turn out to be almost uncoupled in the horizontal direction. Comparisons with unconfined flows show that the generation of liquid fluctuations is very different. However, the cause of the $k^{-3}$ spectral subrange is the same for confined flows as for the spatial fluctuation of unconfined flows.
The inference of affective meanings: an experimental study
Authors: ROSSI DANIELA , DOMINICY MARC , KOLINSKY RÉGINE
Published: October 2014

abstract

Communicating information about our affective states is an important aspect of utterance meaning. Affective meanings can be expressed either explicitly or in an implicit way, for example by using particular linguistic structures likeCreative Total Reduplication(CTR), the intentional and immediate repetition of a word (“It’s alittle littlecat”). We claim that, in addition to its explicit meaning (‘very little’), CTR conveys an affective meaning reflecting the speaker’s evaluation of the world as good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant (“It’s acute littlecat”). The experiment reported here used a verification task with judgments of consistency. It aimed at verifying two hypotheses: first, the presence of CTR generates valued affective inferences; second, affective inferences are generated faster with CTR than with thesimplex(i.e., non-reduplicated) form. Results strongly confirm the first hypothesis and disconfirm the second.
THE CASE OF WILLIAM YALE: CAIRO’S SYRIANS AND THE ARAB ORIGINS OF AMERICAN INFLUENCE IN THE POST-OTTOMAN MIDDLE EAST, 1917–19
Authors: Reibman Max
Published: October 2014

This article explores the American role in the Syrian political scene in Cairo toward the end of World War I and in its immediate aftermath. It challenges the absence of the United States and of American actors as primary players in much of the historical writing on the Middle East in this period. It illuminates a neglected episode of regional American diplomacy, argues that the United States was not relegated to the periphery in local debates surrounding the dismemberment of Ottoman Syria, and emphasizes the broader uncertainties that characterized the competition for Mandate territories in the Middle East prior to 1920. In doing so, it takes a close look at the long-forgotten reports of William Yale, the U.S. State Department's “Special Agent” in Cairo in late 1917, and situates them within evolving trends in Syrian-Arab politics. Yale, who surfaced in Egypt after serving with Standard Oil in Palestine, was the key Arabic-speaking American “on the spot” and proved to be an astute if imperfect observer of the diversity of Syrian national sentiment. A survey of his reports allows for a new perspective on Cairo's Syrians and their pragmatic and ideological turn toward the United States as World War I unfolded. Alienated from Britain and France, they looked increasingly to the United States, and the appeal of a postwar American trusteeship over Syria gained currency among émigré intellectuals and aspiring powerbrokers.
Impact of depth of placement of mineral fertilizer micro-dosing on growth, yield and partial nutrient balance in pearl millet cropping system in the Sahel
Authors: IBRAHIM A. , PASTERNAK D. , FATONDJI D.
Published: October 2014

A study was carried out in the rainy seasons of 2008 and 2009 in Niger to investigate the effects of fertilizer micro-dosing on root development, yield and soil nutrient exploitation of pearl millet. Different rates of diammonium phosphate (DAP) were applied to the soil at different depths and it was found that although micro-dosing with DAP increased grain yield over the unfertilized control to a similar level as broadcast DAP, doubling the micro-dosage did not increase it further. Increasing the depth of fertilizer application from 5 to 10 cm resulted in significant increases in root length density, and deep application of fertilizer resulted in higher yields, although the increases were generally not significant. It was postulated that the positive effect of micro-dosing resulted from better exploitation of soil nutrients because of the higher root volume. Levels of nutrients exported from the soil were at least as high in plants receiving micro-dosing as the unfertilized control, and plants receiving micro-dosing exported 5–10 times more phosphorus from the soil than the amount added through fertilization.
PATTERN OF CONSANGUINITY AND INBREEDING COEFFICIENT IN SARGODHA DISTRICT, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN
Authors: HINA SAIRA , MALIK SAJID
Published: October 2014

Consanguinity is widespread in Pakistan. The majority of studies on consanguinity in Pakistan have been carried out in urban metropolitan areas, and data on rural populations are scarce. The present cross-sectional study was conducted in Sargodha district, upper Punjab, Pakistan where the majority of the population reside in rural areas. A random sample of 1800 married females belonging to sixtehsilsof Sargodha district was obtained and differentials in consanguinity rates and inbreeding coefficient (F) were investigated. The consanguinity rate was calculated to be 56.72% and the inbreeding coefficient was 0.0348. First cousin unions had the highest representation (49.11% of all marriages), and marriages up to distantly related/Biradariconstituted 67.94% of all marriages. Among the sixtehsils, consanguinity rates ranged from 50.38% in Bhalwal to 62.88% in Sillanwali. A high rate of consanguinity was observed in subjects speaking the Punjabi language, those with self-arranged/arranged-love marriages and those engaged in professional jobs. With respect to the occupation of husbands the highest consanguinity rate was found among landowners (77.59%;F=0.0539) and businessmen (62.62%;F=0.0377). However, consanguinity did not appear to be associated with rural/urban origin or literacy level. The data showed a wide variation in consanguinity rate and inbreeding coefficient across socio-demographic strata in the Sargodha district population. A comparison of Sargodha with other populations of Punjab also showed regional heterogeneity in the pattern of consanguinity, warranting further studies.
Rapeseed and sunflower oilcake as supplements for dairy sheep: animal performance and milk fatty acid concentrations
Authors: Amores Gustavo , Virto Mailo , Nájera Ana Isabel , Mandaluniz Nerea , Arranz Josune , Bustamante María Angeles , Valdivielso Izaskun , Ruiz de Gordoa Juan Carlos , García-Rodríguez Aser , Barron Luis JR , de Renobales Mertxe
Published: October 2014

The influence of different amounts of oilseed cake (rapeseed and sunflower) on animal production parameters and fatty acid (FA) concentrations of the milk was studied in a Latxa dairy sheep experimental flock, both in winter (50% oilcakes; indoor feeding) and in spring (30% oilcakes; part-time grazing). The two different levels of the oilcakes tested did not affect animal production parameters or milk yield. Milk fat content and the fat/protein ratio decreased significantly with 30 and 50% sunflower cake. Yet, fat/protein ratio values were within the range for cheesemaking. Both levels of either type of oilcake tested significantly increased the concentrations of nutritionally interesting FA (CLA isomer C18:2cis-9,trans-11, vaccenic, oleic, and total unsaturated FA), while simultaneously decreasing the concentration of atherogenic FA. The atherogenicity indexes of milks from ewes fed 50 or 30% of either oilcake were significantly lower than those of their corresponding control. The use of cakes in winter increased the concentration of nutritionally interesting FA to the values obtained with part-time grazing.
Unmaking an exception: A critical genealogy of US exceptionalism
Authors: HUGHES DAVID
Published: October 2014

US exceptionalism is a hot topic in contemporary political discourse in the United States and in recent years it has attracted increasing attention from International Relations (IR) scholars. Unfortunately, however, analysis of US exceptionalism in has been compromised by its failure to historicise the concept and by its reliance on myths cultivated in other disciplines. This article offers a critical genealogy of US exceptionalism in order to expose it for what it is: a discourse that works to legitimate the United States' exceptions to domestic and international law in the minds of its citizens and foreign observers.
Epidemiological features of pertussis resurgence based on community populations with high vaccination coverage in China
Authors: HUANG H. , ZHU T. , GAO C. , GAO Z. , LIU Y. , DING Y. , SUN J. , GUO L. , LIU P. , CHEN D. , WANG L. , WU S. , ZHANG Y.
Published: October 2014

Active symptom surveillance was applied to three selected communities ( 160 147 persons) in Tianjin from 2010 to 2012. We examined 1089 individuals showing pertussis-like symptoms, of which 1022 nasopharyngeal specimens were tested for pertussis by polymerase chain reaction and 802 sera for anti-pertussis toxin antibodies. Of the total cases tested, 113 were confirmed, and their demographic, clinical, and vaccination-related data were collected. The annual incidence was 23·52 cases/100 000 persons among communities, which was 16·22 times that obtained via hospital reports for the same period (P< 0·001). The actual incidence in the 15–69 years age group was most significantly underestimated by hospitals, given that it was 43·08 times that of the reported hospital rate. Among the cases aged <15 years, 84·5% were individuals who had been fully vaccinated. The misdiagnosis rate was as high as 94·69%, and only 5·31% of the confirmed pertussis cases were properly diagnosed as pertussis at their first medical visit. Pertussis incidence in China has been severely underestimated and this was in part due to a high misdiagnosis rate. Adolescents and adults have become new high-risk populations. Future work should focus on reinforcing immunization programmes, especially among adolescents and adults.
Parental motivation to change body weight in young overweight children
Authors: Taylor Rachael W , Williams Sheila M , Dawson Anna M , Haszard Jillian J , Brown Deirdre A
Published: October 2014

Objective

To determine what factors are associated with parental motivation to change body weight in overweight children.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Dunedin, New Zealand.

Subjects

Two hundred and seventy-one children aged 4–8 years, recruited in primary and secondary care, were identified as overweight (BMI≥85th percentile) after screening. Parents completed questionnaires on demographics; motivation to improve diet, physical activity and weight; perception and concern about weight; parenting; and social desirability, prior to being informed that their child was overweight. Additional measures of physical activity (accelerometry), dietary intake and child behaviour (questionnaire) were obtained after feedback.

Results

Although all children were overweight, only 42 % of parents perceived their child to be so, with 36 % indicating any concern. Very few parents (n25, 8 %) were actively trying to change the child’s weight. Greater motivation to change weight was observed for girls compared with boys (P=0·001), despite no sex difference in BMIZ-score (P=0·374). Motivation was not associated with most demographic variables, social desirability, dietary intake, parenting or child behaviour. Increased motivation to change the child’s weight was observed for heavier children (P<0·001), those who were less physically active (P=0·002) and more sedentary (P<0·001), and in parents who were more concerned about their child’s weight (P<0·001) or who used greater food restriction (P<0·001).

Conclusions

Low levels of parental motivation to change overweight in young children highlight the urgent need to determine how best to improve motivation to initiate change.
CULTURE, PSYCHE AND STATE POWER
Authors: ZIMMERMAN ANDREW
Published: October 2014

The discipline of anthropology has perhaps always been especially close to the exercise of state power, but, in the last two-thirds of the twentieth century, the nature of both anthropology and state power changed dramatically. This was a period when many anthropologists distanced themselves from earlier evolutionist accounts that traced a generalized human development from “primitive” to “civilized.” This evolutionist anthropology, as many scholars have shown, reflected and justified a range of imperialist practices by presenting European conquest as bringing progress to societies existing in a noncontemporary present. Two of the most important variants of post-evolutionist anthropology are the cultural relativism associated with Franz Boas (1858–1942) and the sociological universalism associated with Emile Durkheim (1858–1917). The state power that evolutionist anthropology had once supported also changed radically over the same period. The forms of domination exercised by the global North over the global South gradually shifted from direct colonial rule to the combination of military intervention and economic control that characterizes the postcolonial period. Anthropology, Talal Asad has written, is “rooted in an unequal power encounter between the West and Third World . . . an encounter in which colonialism is merely one historical moment.” Internally, the social welfare state continued its remarkable growth but also, in the 1960s and 1970s, faced challenges from those who rejected the patriarchy and heteronormativity that it often presupposed and reinforced. The two books under review reveal how new types of anthropology in the United States and France came to serve these new forms of state power in the twentieth century. In both cases anthropology adapted to these new political conditions by incorporating psychoanalysis to posit an especially strong bond between individual and culture that produced what one contemporary called an “oversocialized conception of man.”
Institutionalizing passion in world politics: fear and empathy
Authors: Crawford Neta C.
Published: October 2014

Emotions are a ubiquitous intersubjective element of world politics. Yet, passions are often treated as fleeting, private, reactive, and not amenable to systematic analysis. Institutionalization links the private and individual to the collective and political. Passions may become enduring through institutionalization, and thus, as much as characterizing private reactions to external phenomena, emotions structure the social world. To illustrate this argument, I describe how fear and empathy may be institutionalized, discuss the relationship between these emotions, and suggest how empathy may be both a mirror and potential antidote to individual and institutionalized fear.
SELF-REFERENCE IN ARITHMETIC II
Authors: HALBACH VOLKER , VISSER ALBERT
Published: October 2014

In this sequel toSelf-reference in arithmetic Iwe continue our discussion of the question: What does it mean for a sentence of arithmetic to ascribe to itself a property? We investigate how the properties of the supposedly self-referential sentences depend on the chosen coding, the formulae expressing the properties and the way a fixed point for the expressing formulae are obtained. In this second part we look at some further examples. In particular, we study sentences apparently expressing their Rosser-provability, their own${\rm{\Sigma }}_n^0$-truth or their own${\rm{\Pi }}_n^0$-truth. Finally we offer an assessment of the results of both papers.
Value Pluralism and Monotheism
Authors: Crowder George
Published: October 2014

How far can monotheism be reconciled with the pluralism characteristic of modern societies? In this article, I focus on the “value pluralism” of Isaiah Berlin, which I suggest captures a deeper level of plurality than Rawls's more familiar version of pluralism. However, some critics have objected that Berlinian pluralism is too controversial an idea in which to ground liberalism because it is profoundly at odds with the monotheism professed by so many citizens of a modern society. I argue that monotheists can be value pluralists as long as they do not insist that their faith is superior to all others. This pluralist position is exemplified by elements of the interfaith movement, according to which many religions are recognized as having roughly equal value. I also argue that a value-pluralist approach to religious accommodation, if it can be achieved, may be more stable than the uneasy combination of disapproval and restraint involved in the more orthodox solution to conflict among religions, toleration.
Primitive Accumulation and ‘Progress’ in Southeast Asia: The Diverse Legacies of a Common(s) Tragedy
Authors: Sidel John T.
Published: October 2014

More than any other scholar, James C. Scott has drawn attention to the significance of what Marx termed ‘primitive accumulation’ in the historical transformation of the societies of Southeast Asia. Taking Scott's work as its point of departure, this article sketches the broad contours of primitive accumulation across the region from the mid-nineteenth century up through the early twentieth century. The article shows how primitive accumulation unfolded in different ways in different parts of Southeast Asia and suggests how the different modalities of primitive accumulation have continued to shape the trajectories and parameters of politics across the region to this day.
Impact of conditional deletion of the pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family member BIM in mice
Authors: Herold M J , Stuchbery R , Mérino D , Willson T , Strasser A , Hildeman D , Bouillet P
Published: October 2014

The pro-apoptotic BH3-only BCL-2 family member BIM is a critical determinant of hematopoietic cell development and homeostasis. It has been argued that the striking hematopoietic abnormalities of BIM-deficient mice (accumulation of lymphocytes and granulocytes) may be the result of the loss of the protein throughout the whole animal rather than a consequence intrinsic to the loss of BIM in hematopoietic cells. To address this issue and allow the deletion of BIM in specific cell types in future studies, we have developed a mouse strain with a conditional Bim allele as well as a new Cre transgenic strain, Vav-CreER, in which the tamoxifen-inducible CreER recombinase (fusion protein) is predominantly expressed in the hematopoietic system. We show that acute loss of BIM in the adult mouse rapidly results in the hematopoietic phenotypes previously observed in mice lacking BIM in all tissues. This includes changes in thymocyte subpopulations, increased white blood cell counts and resistance of lymphocytes to BIM-dependent apoptotic stimuli, such as cytokine deprivation. We have validated this novel conditional Bim knockout mouse model using established and newly developed CreER strains (Rosa26-CreER and Vav-CreER) and will make these exciting new tools for studies on cell death and cancer available.
c-Rel is a critical mediator of NF-κB-dependent TRAIL resistance of pancreatic cancer cells
Authors: Geismann C , Grohmann F , Sebens S , Wirths G , Dreher A , Häsler R , Rosenstiel P , Hauser C , Egberts J-H , Trauzold A , Schneider G , Sipos B , Zeissig S , Schreiber S , Schäfer H , Arlt A
Published: October 2014

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents one of the deadliest malignancies with an overall life expectancy of 6 months despite current therapies. NF-κB signalling has been shown to be critical for this profound cell-autonomous resistance against chemotherapeutic drugs and death receptor-induced apoptosis, but little is known about the role of the c-Rel subunit in solid cancer and PDAC apoptosis control. In the present study, by analysis of genome-wide patterns of c-Rel-dependent gene expression, we were able to establish c-Rel as a critical regulator of tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis in PDAC. TRAIL-resistant cells exhibited a strong TRAIL-inducible NF-κB activity, whereas TRAIL-sensitive cells displayed only a small increase in NF-κB-binding activity. Transfection with siRNA against c-Rel sensitized the TRAIL-resistant cells in a manner comparable to siRNA targeting the p65/RelA subunit. Gel-shift analysis revealed that c-Rel is part of the TRAIL-inducible NF-κB complex in PDAC. Array analysis identified NFATc2 as a c-Rel target gene among the 12 strongest TRAIL-inducible genes in apoptosis-resistant cells. In line, siRNA targeting c-Rel strongly reduced TRAIL-induced NFATc2 activity in TRAIL-resistant PDAC cells. Furthermore, siRNA targeting NFATc2 sensitized these PDAC cells against TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Finally, TRAIL-induced expression of COX-2 was diminished through siRNA targeting c-Rel or NFATc2 and pharmacologic inhibition of COX-2 with celecoxib or siRNA targeting COX-2, enhanced TRAIL apoptosis. In conclusion, we were able to delineate a novel c-Rel-, NFATc2- and COX-2-dependent antiapoptotic signalling pathway in PDAC with broad clinical implications for pharmaceutical intervention strategies.
Serpina3n accelerates tissue repair in a diabetic mouse model of delayed wound healing
Authors: Hsu I , Parkinson L G , Shen Y , Toro A , Brown T , Zhao H , Bleackley R C , Granville D J
Published: October 2014

Chronic, non-healing wounds are a major complication of diabetes and are characterized by chronic inflammation and excessive protease activity. Although once thought to function primarily as a pro-apoptotic serine protease, granzyme B (GzmB) can also accumulate in the extracellular matrix (ECM) during chronic inflammation and cleave ECM proteins that are essential for proper wound healing, including fibronectin. We hypothesized that GzmB contributes to the pathogenesis of impaired diabetic wound healing through excessive ECM degradation. In the present study, the murine serine protease inhibitor, serpina3n (SA3N), was administered to excisional wounds created on the dorsum of genetically induced type-II diabetic mice. Wound closure was monitored and skin wound samples were collected for analyses. Wound closure, including both re-epithelialization and contraction, were significantly increased in SA3N-treated wounds. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses of SA3N-treated wounds revealed a more mature, proliferative granulation tissue phenotype as indicated by increased cell proliferation, vascularization, fibroblast maturation and differentiation, and collagen deposition. Skin homogenates from SA3N-treated wounds also exhibited greater levels of full-length intact fibronectin compared with that of vehicle wounds. In addition, GzmB-induced detachment of mouse embryonic fibroblasts correlated with a rounded and clustered phenotype that was prevented by SA3N. In summary, topical administration of SA3N accelerated wound healing. Our findings suggest that GzmB contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetic wound healing through the proteolytic cleavage of fibronectin that is essential for normal wound closure, and that SA3N promotes granulation tissue maturation and collagen deposition.
Global abundance of planktonic heterotrophic protists in the deep ocean
Authors: Pernice Massimo C , Forn Irene , Gomes Ana , Lara Elena , Alonso-Sáez Laura , Arrieta Jesus M , del Carmen Garcia Francisca , Hernando-Morales Victor , MacKenzie Roy , Mestre Mireia , Sintes Eva , Teira Eva , Valencia Joaquin , Varela Marta M , Vaqué Dolors , Duarte Carlos M , Gasol Josep M , Massana Ramon
Published: October 2014

The dark ocean is one of the largest biomes on Earth, with critical roles in organic matter remineralization and global carbon sequestration. Despite its recognized importance, little is known about some key microbial players, such as the community of heterotrophic protists (HP), which are likely the main consumers of prokaryotic biomass. To investigate this microbial component at a global scale, we determined their abundance and biomass in deepwater column samples from the Malaspina 2010 circumnavigation using a combination of epifluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. HP were ubiquitously found at all depths investigated down to 4000 m. HP abundances decreased with depth, from an average of 72±19 cells ml−1 in mesopelagic waters down to 11±1 cells ml−1 in bathypelagic waters, whereas their total biomass decreased from 280±46 to 50±14 pg C ml−1. The parameters that better explained the variance of HP abundance were depth and prokaryote abundance, and to lesser extent oxygen concentration. The generally good correlation with prokaryotic abundance suggested active grazing of HP on prokaryotes. On a finer scale, the prokaryote:HP abundance ratio varied at a regional scale, and sites with the highest ratios exhibited a larger contribution of fungi molecular signal. Our study is a step forward towards determining the relationship between HP and their environment, unveiling their importance as players in the dark ocean’s microbial food web.
UV photodissociation of trapped ions following ion mobility separation in a Q-ToF mass spectrometer
Authors: Bellina Bruno , Brown Jeffery. M. , Ujma Jakub , Murray Paul , Giles Kevin , Morris Michael , Compagnon Isabelle , Barran Perdita. E.
Published: October 2014

An ion mobility mass spectrometer has been modified to allow optical interrogation of ions with different mass-to-charge ratios and/or mobilities.
Analysis of volatile compounds in Capsicum spp. by headspace solid-phase microextraction and GC × GC-TOFMS
Authors: Bogusz Junior Stanislau , Março Paulo Henrique , Valderrama Patrícia , Damasceno Flaviana Cardoso , Aranda Maria Silvana , Zini Cláudia Alcaraz , Caramão Elina Bastos , Tavares Melo Arlete Marchi , Filho José Teixiera , Godoy Helena Teixeira
Published: October 2014

A suitable method based on HS-SPME, GC × GC-TOFMS and a chemometric approach was used aiming the investigation of the volatile fraction of Capsicum peppers.
Effect of composition deviation on the microstructure and luminescence properties of Nd:YAG ceramics
Authors: Qin Haiming , Jiang Jun , Jiang Haochuan , Sang Yuanhua , Sun Dehui , Zhang Xinhai , Wang Jiyang , Liu Hong
Published: October 2014

Non-stoichiometric compositions lead to microstructures different from that of stoichiometric Nd:YAG. Nanograins of excess Al2O3 remain inside the Nd:YAG grains in Al2O3-excess ceramics, while Y-rich compounds recrystallize at the Nd:YAG grain boundaries in Y2O3-excess ceramics.
Charge storage properties of biopolymer electrodes with (sub)tropical lignins
Authors: Admassie Shimelis , Nilsson Ting Yang , Inganäs Olle
Published: October 2014

The electrochemical and charge storage properties of different lignins inside biopolymer electrodes were studied and correlated with the chemical variations of the lignins as indicated from the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data.
Light yield sensitization by X-ray irradiation of the BaAl4O7:Eu2+ceramic scintillator obtained by full crystallization of glass
Authors: Patton Gaël , Moretti Federico , Belsky Andrei , Al Saghir Kholoud , Chenu Sébastien , Matzen Guy , Allix Mathieu , Dujardin Christophe
Published: October 2014

We report the scintillation properties and light yield sensitization by X-rays of BaAl4O7:Eu2+, a transparent polycrystalline ceramic prepared by full and congruent crystallization of glass.
A viologen phosphorus dendritic molecule as a carrier of ATP and Mant-ATP: spectrofluorimetric and NMR studies
Authors: Szulc Aleksandra , Zablocka Maria , Coppel Yannick , Bijani Christian , Dabkowski Wojciech , Bryszewska Maria , Klajnert-Maculewicz Barbara , Majoral Jean-Pierre
Published: October 2014

A viologen phosphorus dendritic molecule is able to create non-covalent interactions with model molecules of drugs belonging to the group of nucleoside analogues.
Highly reproducible planar Sb2S3-sensitized solar cells based on atomic layer deposition
Authors: Kim Dae-Hwan , Lee Sang-Ju , Park Mi Sun , Kang Jin-Kyu , Heo Jin Hyuck , Im Sang Hyuk , Sung Shi-Joon
Published: October 2014

A high-quality Sb2S3 thin-absorber with controllable thickness was reproducibly formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique.
A novel hollowed CoO-in-CoSnO3 nanostructure with enhanced lithium storage capabilities
Authors: Guan Cao , Li Xianglin , Yu Hong , Mao Lu , Wong Lydia Helena , Yan Qingyu , Wang John
Published: October 2014

The search for well-defined porous/hollowed metal oxide nanocomposites for high performance energy storage is promising.
Continuous flow reactive distillation process for biodiesel production using waste egg shells as heterogeneous catalysts
Authors: Niju S. , S. Begum K. M. Meera , Anantharaman N.
Published: October 2014

A laboratory scale continuous flow jacketed reactive distillation (RD) unit was developed to evaluate the performance of calcium oxide (CaO) derived from egg shells as a heterogeneous catalyst for transesterification of waste frying oil.
Investigation of the continuous flow sorption of heavy metals in a biomass-packed column: revisiting the Thomas design model for correlation of binary component systems
Authors: Soetaredjo Felycia E. , Kurniawan Alfin , Ong L. K. , Widagdyo Dimas R. , Ismadji Suryadi
Published: October 2014

A new column model based on the semi-empirical modification of the original Thomas model was proposed in this study for the correlation of the breakthrough curves for adsorption of bicomponent heavy metals onto biomass-packed column.
Insight into magnetite nanoparticle phase evolution in solvothermal synthesis through a simple method based on iron chloride and metallic iron
Authors: Silva F. B. F. , Paris E. C. , da Costa G. M. , Ribeiro C.
Published: October 2014

This paper presents the development and optimization of the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles by a solvothermal method with benzyl alcohol using iron(iii) chloride hexahydrate as a metallic precursor in the substitution of iron(iii) acetylacetonate.
A disposable biofilm-modified amperometric biosensor for the sensitive determination of pesticide biotoxicity in water
Authors: Qian Jun , Li Jiuming , Fang Deyu , Yu Yuan , Zhi Jinfang
Published: October 2014

A novel, disposable and sensitive whole cells biosensor based on permeabilizedS. cerevisiaehas been fabricated for the biotoxicity assessment of pesticides in wastewater.
Peptide-modified conducting polymer as a biofunctional surface: monitoring of cell adhesion and proliferation
Authors: Oyman Gizem , Geyik Caner , Ayranci Rukiye , Ak Metin , Odaci Demirkol Dilek , Timur Suna , Coskunol Hakan
Published: October 2014

A designed bio-functional surface is a promising candidate forcell-culture-on-a-chipapplications.
Hierarchical carbon-nanotube/quartz-fiber films with gradient nanostructures for high efficiency and long service life air filters
Authors: Li Peng , Wang Chunya , Li Zheng , Zong Yichen , Zhang Yingying , Yang Xudong , Li Shuiqing , Wei Fei
Published: October 2014

“Gradient nano-structure filtration” for the simultaneous enhancement of filtration efficiency and service life of air filters.
Antitumor efficacy of a PLGA composite nanofiber embedded with doxorubicin@MSNs and hydroxycamptothecin@HANPs
Authors: Chen Mengxia , Feng Wei , Lin Si , He Chuanglong , Gao Yu , Wang Hongsheng
Published: October 2014

A co-delivery system with two or more anticancer drugs has been proposed to minimize the dosage of drug and to achieve the synergistic therapeutic effect in cancer therapy.
Convenient synthesis of substituted tetrahydrofuran via Lewis base catalyzed [3 + 2] domino reactions
Authors: Liu Yufen , Zhang Qi , Du Yanlong , Yu Aimin , Zhang Kui , Meng Xiangtai
Published: October 2014

A DABCO catalyzed domino reaction between 3-oxo-4-(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene) butanoates and allenoates furnished 2,3,5-substituted tetrahydrofuran furan derivatives bearing oxindole moiety and two exocyclic double bonds in high yield.
Unique impact behavior and toughening mechanism of the polypropylene and poly(ethylene-co-octene) alternating multilayered blends with superior toughness
Authors: Li Chunhai , Yang Shuo , Wang Jianfeng , Guo Jiwei , Wu Hong , Guo Shaoyun
Published: October 2014

In this study, the alternating multilayered PP/POE blends with different layers were successfully fabricated by micro-co-extrusion. The notable improvement of toughness in the alternating multilayered blends is ascribed to the synergetic effects of the interfaces delaminations, craze deflection, larger subcritical damage zone during the fracture process.
Segregated polymeric nanocomposites with tunable three-dimensional network of nanoparticles by controlling the dispersion and distribution
Authors: Geng Bing , Wang Yu , Li Bin , Zhong Wei-Hong
Published: October 2014

A facile and robust emulsion approach for fabrication of segregated polymeric nanocomposites with controllable nanoparticle dispersion/distribution is described.
Structural variation from heterometallic heptanuclear or heptanuclear to cubane clusters based on 2-hydroxy-3-ethoxy-benzaldehyde: effects of pH and temperature
Authors: Zhang Shu-Hua , Zhao Ru-Xia , Li Gui , Zhang Hai-Yang , Zhang Chun-Lian , Muller Gilles
Published: October 2014

Five novel clusters were reported, with results showing that pH and reaction temperatures have a key role in the self-assembly process.
Stabilizing reconstruction induced by O protrusions of the ZnO (0001) polar surface
Authors: Li Yu , Huang Bolong , Zhang Rui-Qin , Lin Zijing , Van Hove Michel A.
Published: October 2014

We demonstrated O extrusion to be a universal reconstruction behavior on the Zn-terminated (0001) surface (with or without terraces) to compensate the well-known instability of such a polar surface.
Student use of energy concepts from physics in chemistry courses
Authors: Nagel Megan L. , Lindsey Beth A.
Published: October 2014

This paper describes an interdisciplinary investigation of students' usage of ideas about energy from physics in the context of introductory chemistry. We focus on student understanding of the idea that potential energy is a function of distance between interacting objects, a concept relevant to understanding potential energy in both physical and chemical contexts. Data from student responses to written surveys and focus-group interviews reveal that students do not spontaneously make connections between ideas they have about energy from physics classes and the understanding of energy that they develop in chemistry. We describe the development of a sequence of questions that appears to aid students in drawing these connections appropriately. We also document students' as they are confronted with and struggle to resolve the mismatch between their energy ideas from physics and chemistry.
Non-equilibrium cobalt(iii) “click” capsules
Authors: Symmers P. R. , Burke M. J. , August D. P. , Thomson P. I. T. , Nichol G. S. , Warren M. R. , Campbell C. J. , Lusby P. J.
Published: October 2014

Constitutionally non-dynamic cobalt(iii) tetrahedral capsules have been prepared using an assembly-followed-by-oxidation protocol.
Facile, continuous and large-scale synthesis of CL-20/HMX nano co-crystals with high-performance by ultrasonic spray-assisted electrostatic adsorption method
Authors: Gao Bing , Wang Dunju , Zhang Juan , Hu Yingjie , Shen Jinpeng , Wang Jun , Huang Bing , Qiao Zhiqiang , Huang Hui , Nie Fude , Yang Guangcheng
Published: October 2014

Energetic CL-20/HMX nano co-crystals of about 50 nm with high-performance are synthesized by USEA method.
Missing-in-Metastasis regulates cell motility and invasion via PTPδ-mediated changes in SRC activity
Authors: Chaudhary Fauzia , Lucito Robert , Tonks Nicholas K.
Published: October 2014

MIM (Missing-in-Metastasis), also known as MTSS1 (metastasis suppressor 1), is a scaffold protein that is down-regulated in multiple metastatic cancer cell lines compared with non-metastatic counterparts. MIM regulates cytoskeletal dynamics and actin polymerization, and has been implicated in the control of cell motility and invasion. MIM has also been shown to bind to a receptor PTP (protein tyrosine phosphatase), PTPδ, an interaction that may provide a link between tyrosine-phosphorylation-dependent signalling and metastasis. We used shRNA-mediated gene silencing to investigate the consequences of loss of MIM on the migration and invasion of the MCF10A mammary epithelial cell model of breast cancer. We observed that suppression of MIM by RNAi enhanced migration and invasion of MCF10A cells, effects that were associated with increased levels of PTPδ. Furthermore, analysis of human clinical data indicated that PTPδ was elevated in breast cancer samples when compared with normal tissue. We demonstrated that the SRC protein tyrosine kinase is a direct substrate of PTPδ and, upon suppression of MIM, we observed changes in the phosphorylation status of SRC; in particular, the inhibitory site (Tyr527) was hypophosphorylated, whereas the activating autophosphorylation site (Tyr416) was hyperphosphorylated. Thus the absence of MIM led to PTPδ-mediated activation of SRC. Finally, the SRC inhibitor SU6656 counteracted the effects of MIM suppression on cell motility and invasion. The present study illustrates that both SRC and PTPδ have the potential to be therapeutic targets for metastatic tumours associated with loss of MIM.
Cooperative control of multi‐missile systems
Authors: Wang Yongji , Dong Shuai , Ou Liuli , Liu Lei
Published: October 2014

This study addresses the cooperative control problem of multi‐missile systems. It proposed a two‐stage control strategy, aiming at simultaneous attack from a group of missiles at a static target. The first stage adopts a special distributed consensus protocol in order for all missiles to asymptotically achieve a consensus of states. During the second stage, the local sightline control law allows the missiles to independently reach the target. The dynamic equation of the missile agent is normalised to a quasi‐double‐integrator model which is convenient for designing the consensus protocol. The proposed strategy is suitable for missiles of different speeds that have been self‐organised without air operations centres. Two convincing simulation results are given to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method.
Distributed observer‐based coordination for multiple Lagrangian systems using only position measurements
Authors: Yang Qingkai , Fang Hao , Chen Jie , Wang Xueyuan
Published: October 2014

This study addresses the distributed coordination problem for multiple Lagrangian systems under a directed graph. Two cases are considered, namely, the distributed tracking control problem with a dynamic leader and the leaderless synchronisation problem. To overcome the difficulty that only positions are measured, a kind of new distributed observer is designed to estimate the velocity for each follower. The velocity observer is updated using only position information from the agent itself and from its neighbours. Based on the outputs of the observer, the distributed control protocols are proposed, respectively, such that the tracking errors locally exponentially converge to zero in the tracking scenario and the agents synchronise in the leaderless synchronisation scenario. Furthermore, the stability of the overall scheme is discussed under the directed interaction graphs that contain a directed spanning tree. Finally, cooperative simulations are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed observer and control algorithms.
Stability and stabilisation of context‐sensitive probabilistic Boolean networks
Authors: Chen Hao , Sun Jitao
Published: October 2014

In this study, the authors consider the stability and stabilisation issues of context‐sensitive probabilistic Boolean networks. Firstly, the algebraic form of the system is obtained by using the semi‐tensor product method. Then, some sufficient conditions for the stability and stabilisation of the system are presented, respectively. At last, an illustrative example is given.