bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY ELEMENTS IN MANILIUS'ASTRONOMICA
Authors: Lowe Dunstan
Published: June 2014

Mud and stars make a strange mixture, yet here in brief is Manilius' universe, in which the rarefied heavens regulate the coarse earth. As shown by the recent spate of critical attention to theAstronomica, his various intellectual resources—astronomical calculation, mythology, astrological lore and Stoic physics—, while not forming a unified dogma, are less muddled than previously thought. He switches between these different discourses (or as it were, idioms) in pursuit of his own cherished goal: an optimistic eulogy to a fatalistic cosmos in which the study of the heavens holds supreme interest and value. Manilius' discipline is the most specialised and mathematical, as well as the most novel, of all Roman didactic poets. He therefore takes a decidedly concrete approach to the inevitable balancing act between technical content and poetic form, as is immediately obvious in his self-portrait as a priest-poetuatestending the twin altar-fires of poem and subject (carminis et rerum, 1.22). The proposal of this paper will be that the division between poetic and technical corresponds far more profoundly with Manilius' dualistic universe (mundus), in which the realm of the hierophantic astronomer and natural philosopher is the sky (caelum) and that of the mythological poet is the earth (terra). Likewise, the constellations are both cosmic stars (stellae) and mythic signs (signa). Because the cosmos is a dynamic system, terrestrial inconstancy—violence, mortality and mess of all kinds—interferes with the absolute constancy of the celestial clockwork. The paradigm for such interference is catasterism, the translation of something mortal into stars. It turns the constellations into duck-rabbits: from one perspective they are eternal parts in the machinery of fate; from the other, vestiges of mortal beings or objects, which are often of dubious and even monstrous provenance. In this article I propose that Manilius' fundamental view is that the stars represent order and the earth chaos, a conviction partly expressed through Stoic doctrine and partly through poetic tropes. He frequently uses the imagery of the four elements to divide the superior realm of air and fire from the inferior realm of water and earth. Significant themes contributing towards this include Gigantomachy, cosmic vapours, the planets, and the figure of the Whale (Cetus) in the Andromeda story near the close of the poem.
Identification of those most likely to benefit from a low-glycaemic index dietary intervention in pregnancy
Authors: Walsh Jennifer M. , Mahony Rhona M. , Canty Gillian , Foley Michael E. , McAuliffe Fionnuala M.
Published: June 2014

The present study is a secondary analysis of the ROLO study, a randomised control trial of a low-glycaemic index (GI) diet in pregnancy to prevent the recurrence of fetal macrosomia. The objectives of the present study were to identify which women are most likely to respond to a low-GI dietary intervention in pregnancy with respect to three outcome measures: birth weight; maternal glucose intolerance; gestational weight gain (GWG). In early pregnancy, 372 women had their mid-upper arm circumference recorded and BMI calculated. Concentrations of glucose, insulin and leptin were measured in early pregnancy and at 28 weeks. At delivery, infant birth weight was recorded and fetal glucose, C-peptide and leptin concentrations were measured in the cord blood. Women who benefited in terms of infant birth weight were shorter, with a lower education level. Those who maintained weight gain within the GWG guidelines were less overweight in both their first and second pregnancies, with no difference being observed in maternal height. Women who at 28 weeks of gestation developed glucose intolerance, despite the low-GI diet, had a higher BMI and higher glucose concentrations in early pregnancy with more insulin resistance. They also had significantly higher-interval pregnancy weight gain. For each analysis, women who responded to the intervention had lower leptin concentrations in early pregnancy than those who did not. These findings suggest that the maternal metabolic environment in early pregnancy is important in determining later risks of excessive weight gain and metabolic disturbance, whereas birth weight is mediated more by genetic factors. It highlights key areas, which warrant further interrogation before future pregnancy intervention studies, in particular, maternal education level and inter-pregnancy weight gain.
Ultrasonographic findings in the ovine udder during involution
Authors: Petridis Ioannis G , Gouletsou Pagona G , Barbagianni Marianna S , Amiridis George S , Brozos Christos , Valasi Irene , Fthenakis George C
Published: June 2014

The objective of the study was to record, by means of ultrasonographic examination, changes occurring in the udder of ewes during involution and to compare differences between progressive or abrupt udder drying-off. In group A ewes, udder drying-off took place progressively during a period of 22 d; ewes were milked twice daily for the last time on day(D) 0; then, they were hand-milked once daily for a week (D1–D7), which was followed by another week during which ewes were hand-milked once every 2 d (D9, D11, D13), followed by a third week during which ewes were hand-milked once every 3 d (D16, D19, D22). In group B ewes, the procedure took place abruptly; ewes were milked twice daily for the last time on D0 and no milking was carried out after that. B-mode and Doppler ultrasonographic examination of the udder of all ewes was performed throughout the drying-off procedure. Appropriate data management and analysis were performed. Progressive changes of the various parameters evaluated throughout the study period were significant in both groups (P<0·005). Gray-scale results of mammary parenchyma progressively decreased during the study and differed significantly between group A and group B (P=0·049). A temporary increase in cistern volume was evident after cessation of lactation, but differences were not significant between the two groups (P>0·3). Diameter of the external pudendal artery progressively decreased during the study and differed significantly between the two groups (P=0·037). Both resistance index and pulsatility index progressively increased throughout the study period in both groups; for both parameters, differences between the two groups were significant (P<0·0005). B-mode ultrasonographic examination indicated differences in remodelling of the extracellular matrix in relation to the procedure for udder drying-off. Volume of the gland cistern did not appear to be affected by the procedure for udder drying-off. Doppler ultrasonographic examination confirmed that blood flow during initiated involution was lower than during a progressive procedure for drying-off.
Craniofacial anthropometry in newborns of Sikkimese origin
Authors: Sinha P , Tamang B K , Chakraborty S
Published: June 2014

Background:

Head and face dimensions vary according to race and geographical zone. Hereditary factors also greatly affect the size and shape of the head. There are important medical applications of craniofacial data specific to different racial and ethnic groups.

Methods:

Various cranial and facial anthropometric parameters were assessed in singleton, healthy, full-term newborns of Sikkimese origin in a tertiary care hospital in Sikkim, India. The data were then analysed to determine statistically significant differences between sexes.

Results:

Forty-five newborns were included in the study. Both male and female newborns were observed to be hyperbrachycephalic and hyperleptoprosopic. The only significant difference between the sexes was in commissural length, which was observed to be greater in male newborns.

Conclusion:

Craniofacial parameters in Sikkimese newborns vary in comparison with those of other newborns from around the world. Larger studies are needed in order to reveal sex-related variations. Similar studies on various racial groups in North-East India are needed to establish standards for populations with East Asian features.
Left edge topics in Russian and the processing of anaphoric dependencies
Authors: POLINSKY MARIA , POTSDAM ERIC
Published: June 2014

This paper investigates the cost of processing syntactic versus extra-syntactic dependencies. The results support the hypothesis that syntactic dependencies require less processing effort than discourse-derived dependencies do (Reuland 2001, 2011; Koornneef 2008). The point is made through the analysis of a novel paradigm in Russian in which a preposed nominal stranding a numeral can show number connectivity (paucal) with a gap following the numeral or can appear in a non-agreeing (plural) form, as incathedral-paucal/plural,there were three.paucal__. Numerous syntactic diagnostics confirm that when there is number connectivity, the nominal has been fronted via A′-movement, creating a syntactic A′-chain dependency. In the absence of connectivity, the construction involves a hanging topic related via discourse mechanisms to a base-generated null pronoun. The constructions constitute a minimal pair and Reuland's proposals correctly predict that the A′-movement construction will require less processing effort compared to the hanging topic construction. A self-paced reading study for contrasting pairs as in the above example showed a statistically significant slow-down after the gap with the hanging topic as opposed to the moved nominal. We take this to support the claim that a syntactic A′-chain is more easily processed than an anaphoric dependency involving a null pronoun, which must be resolved by discourse-based mechanisms.
Degree achievements, telicity and the verbal prefixmeN-in Malay
Authors: SOH HOOI LING , NOMOTO HIROKI
Published: June 2014

One issue in the analysis of degree achievements is whether or not what are called degree achievements are in fact achievements (Hay, Kennedy & Levin 1999, Kearns 2007, Rothstein 2008a). In this paper, we offer evidence from Malay that they are. Our evidence involves findings about the aspectual effect of the verbal prefixmeN-in degree achievement sentences, which may receive a natural account under an approach where degree achievements are lexically specified as achievements, but are difficult to explain if they are not. We propose thatmeN-merges with a verbal projection (VP) that describes eventualities with stages, in the sense of Landman (1992, 2008). This requirement explainsmeN-'s apparent effect on telicity in degree achievement sentences and the absence of such an effect in non-degree achievement sentences. It also accounts for the restricted distribution ofmeN-in stative sentences (Soh & Nomoto 2009) and regular achievement sentences. While certain aspectual parallels exist between the verbal prefixmeN-and the English progressive, we argue thatmeN-is not a progressive marker, and that the parallels with the English progressive are due to the subcategorization requirement ofmeN-, which makes event stages more prominent in sentences withmeN-compared to ones without. Our analysis supports the treatment ofmeN-as a light verb (v) (Aldridge 2008; Nomoto 2008, 2011; Sato 2012), rather than a marker of voice (Voice) (Cole, Hermon & Yanti 2008).
Hiding strategies for a mobile robot in hostile obstacle strewn environments
Authors: Marzouqi Mohamed. S. , Jarvis R. A.
Published: June 2014

A robot working in a hostile environment should be equipped with the necessary risk-avoidance intelligence to survive and accomplish an assigned mission. Covert robotics is a relatively new field in which covert navigation abilities are developed for robots to carry out a mission with minimal potential observation from known or unknown vantage points, with occluding obstacles as the only means of maintaining covertness. The ability to ‘hide’ in order to minimize the risk of being detected is the focus of this paper. A number of strategies are presented that deal with various assumptions about the environment and the hostile observers' locations. The hiding strategies presented for different cases ensure choosing a proper hiding point while taking into account the risk of the chosen path to it.
Multi-objective optimal design based kineto-elastostatic performance for thedeltaparallel mechanism
Authors: Bounab Belkacem
Published: June 2014

This paper addresses the dimensional-synthesis-based kineto-elastostatic performance optimization of thedeltaparallel mechanism. For the manipulator studied here, the main consideration for the optimization criteria is to find the maximum regular workspace where the robotdeltamust posses high stiffness and dexterity. The dexterity is a kinetostatic quality measure that is related to joint's stiffness and control accuracy. In this study, we use the Castigliano's energetic theorem for modeling the elastostatic behavior of thedeltaparallel robot, which can be evaluated by the mechanism's response to external applied wrench under static equilibrium. In the proposed formulation of the design problem, global structure's stiffness and global dexterity are considered together for the simultaneous optimization. Therefore, we formulate the design problem as a multi-objective optimization one and, we use evolutionary genetic algorithms to find all possible trade-offs among multiple cost functions that conflict with each other. The proposed design procedure is developed through the implementation of thedeltarobot and, numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed design method to enhancing kineto-elastostatic performance of the studied manipulator's structure.
EFFECTIVENESS OF WEARABLE DEFIBRILLATORS: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND QUALITY OF EVIDENCE
Authors: Uyei Jennifer , Braithwaite R. Scott
Published: June 2014

Objectives: The objectives of this systematic literature review were to identify all published literature on wearable defibrillators, assess the wearable defibrillator's efficacy and effectiveness in general and among specific patient groups, including post-myocardial infarction, post coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, and ischemic cardiomyopathy, and to evaluate the quality of evidence.

Methods: The search and synthesis was informed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, and the quality of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation and the Newcastle Ottawa Scale.

Results: A total of thirty-six articles and conference abstracts from thirty-three studies were included in the review. It appears that wearable defibrillator use compared with no defibrillator use reduces the chance of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) associated deaths by an absolute risk reduction of approximately 1 percent, achieved by averting approximately 4/5th of all VT/VF associated deaths. The quality of evidence was low to very low quality, such that our confidence in the reported estimates is weak.

Conclusions: To validate beneficial results, further investigation using robust study designs conducted by independent researchers is warranted.
Editorial: The Global Will (Not) Be Represented
Authors: CANNING CHARLOTTE
Published: June 2014

As I read these articles over, I am struck yet again at how many connections I find among them. I have come to think of this issue of Theatre Research International as the unintended special issue. But special issue on what? Overall, I think that taken together the articles are a primer on the challenges, possibilities and imperatives of representing globalization in live performance. But there are other connections as well. The economics and geopolitics of neoliberalism undergird all four explorations, especially as they provoke human migration and upend traditional arts-funding paradigms. What exactly constitutes ‘local’ is also very much an open question for all the authors. Whether it is because the performances are perceived as ‘from here’ or ‘from away’, or because the audiences and the artists do not share a common nation, local is revealed as a very unstable concept.
The Politics and Poetics of Listening: Attending Headphone Verbatim Theatre in Post-Cronulla Australia
Authors: WAKE CAROLINE
Published: June 2014

This article analysesStories of Love & Hate, a headphone verbatim play produced in the aftermath of the Cronulla Riots in Sydney, Australia. While verbatim theatre typically invites audiences to listen therapeutically,Stories of Love & Hateenacts and enables two alternative forms of listening. First, it enacts the paradoxical mode of ‘ethical eavesdropping’; second, it enables the metatheatrical mode of ‘mediatized listening’. In doing so, the play asks spectators to reconsider whom they listen to and how. It also asks scholars to reconsider claims that verbatim theatre gives voice to those who go unheard by the media. Instead, the article argues that in the case ofStories of Love & Hate, headphone verbatim theatre enables the audience to listen to how the media listen.
Reimagining the Wheel: The Implications of Cultural Diversity for Mainstream Theatre Programming in Australia
Authors: FLEMING JOSEPHINE , EWING ROBYN , ANDERSON MICHAEL , KLIEVE HELEN
Published: June 2014

Profound demographic shifts in Australia's population are raising fundamental questions about how we reimagine the practices of our mainstream cultural institutions. The ability and the willingness of these institutions to reconceptualize their work in ways that encompass a diversity of traditions and tastes are critical. The paper draws on Pierre Bourdieu's notions of distinctions and taste to examine the influence of cultural identification on the choices that young people make about attending live theatre. The paper includes findings from a large Australian study, TheatreSpace, which examined why young people chose to engage or not to engage with theatre. In New South Wales nearly 40 per cent of the 726 young participants spoke a language other than English at home. Most were attending with their schools, many with no history of family attendance. This paper highlights significant issues about cultural relevance, accessibility and the often unintended challenges and confrontations that theatre can present to young first-generation Australians.
English genitive variation – the state of the art
Authors: ROSENBACH ANETTE
Published: June 2014

This article is a survey of quantitative research on the choice between thes-genitive and theof-genitive in English. It provides a detailed and critical review of the methodological problems and advances as well as major findings and how these have been treated in theoretical frameworks. The article concludes with a discussion of objectives and challenges for future research. It is argued that research into English genitive variation not only enhances our knowledge of this specific case of syntactic variation but also helps us to further understand the mechanisms of syntactic alternations in general.
Quirky quadratures: on rhythm and weight as constraints on genitive variation in an unconventional data set
Authors: EHRET KATHARINA , WOLK CHRISTOPH , SZMRECSANYI BENEDIKT
Published: June 2014

This article explores measures, operationalisations and effects of rhythm and weight as two constraints on the variation between thes-genitive and theof-genitive. We base the analysis on interchangeable genitives in the news and letters sections of ARCHER (A Representative Corpus of Historical English Registers), which covers the period between 1650 and 1999. Thus, we are ultimately concerned with the applicability of two factors that have their roots in speech (rhythm: phonology; weight: online processing) to an ‘unconventional’, written data set with a historical dimension. As for weight, we focus on the comparison of simple single-constituent and more complex multi-constituent measurements. Our notion of rhythm centres on the ideally even distribution of stressed and unstressed syllables. We find that in our data set, both rhythm and weight show theoretically unexpected quadratic effects: rhythmically better-behaveds-genitives are not necessarily preferred overof-genitives, and short constituents exhibit odd weight effects. In conclusion, we argue that while rhythm is only a minor player in our data set, the quadratic quirks it exhibits should inspire further study. Weight, on the other hand, is a crucial factor which, however, likewise comes with measurement and modelling complications.
HEALTH CYCLES AND HEALTH TRANSITIONS
Authors: Chakraborty Shankha , Papageorgiou Chris , Sebastián Fidel Pérez
Published: June 2014

We study the dynamics of poverty and health in a model of endogenous growth and rational health behavior. Population health depends on the prevalence of infectious diseases that can be avoided through costly prevention. The incentive to do so comes from the negative effects of ill health on the quality and quantity of life. The model can generate a poverty trap where infectious diseases cycle between high and low prevalence. These cycles originate from the rationality of preventive behavior in contrast to the predator–prey dynamics of epidemiological models. We calibrate the model to reflect sub-Saharan Africa's recent economic recovery and analyze policy alternatives. Unconditional transfers are found to improve welfare relative to conditional health-based transfers: at low income levels, income growth (quality of life) is valued more than improvements to health (quantity of life).
Gender conflict resolution in Spanish–Basque mixed DPs
Authors: PARAFITA COUTO M. CARMEN , MUNARRIZ AMAIA , EPELDE IRANTZU , DEUCHAR MARGARET , OYHARÇABAL BEÑAT
Published: June 2014

This study analyzes gender assignment in Spanish–Basque mixed nominal constructions with nouns in Basque (a language that lacks gender) and determiners in Spanish (a language that marks gender) by using a multi-task approach: (i) naturalistic data, (ii) an elicitation task, and (iii) an auditory judgment task. Naturalistic data suggest cross-language effects under which a morphological marker of Basque (-a determiner) is interpreted as a morphophonological expression of gender marking in Spanish. A preference for feminine determiners was observed in the judgment task, which differs from the masculine default trend observed in Spanish–English bilinguals (Jake, Myers-Scotton & Gross, 2002). Our results point to feminine gender as default in Spanish–Basque mixed DPs, indicating that the resources that bilinguals use for gender assignment can be different from those of monolinguals. We argue that this is an outcome of interacting processes which take place at the interfaces (lexicon, phonology, morphosyntax) of both languages, resulting in cross-language effects.
ERP indices of vowel processing in Spanish–English bilinguals
Authors: HISAGI MIWAKO , GARRIDO-NAG KAREN , DATTA HIA , SHAFER VALERIE L.
Published: June 2014

This study examined behavioral and neurophysiological indices of discrimination of an English vowel contrast [ɪ–ɛ] by early and late bilingual Spanish–English speakers, compared to monolingual English speakers. Electrophysiological measures (Mismatched Negativity – MMN) and behavioral measures (AX discrimination and forced-choice identification) were employed to examine perception of a nine-step vowel continuum, re-synthesized from natural tokens. Results revealed that (i) both monolingual and early bilinguals showed similar behavioral perception while late bilinguals performed more poorly on all behavioral tasks; and (ii) monolinguals showed robust evidence of discrimination (MMN) at a pre-attentive level that was significantly larger than found for either early or late bilinguals. These findings suggested that early input of English vowels to bilinguals did not necessarily lead to robust, automatic processing, as measured at a more attention-independent neural level; but earlier experience with a second language allowed for native-like speech perception measured with behavioral tasks.
“A Joyous Star-Spangled-Bannerism”: Emma Juch, Opera in English Translation, and the American Cultural Landscape in the Gilded Age
Authors: TURNER KRISTEN M.
Published: June 2014

Soprano Emma Juch (1860–1939), famous in the 1880s and 1890s, combined singing in concerts and festivals with a short English-language operatic career. Because Juch exemplifies a typical prima donna of the late nineteenth century, her life provides a perspective on the American cultural landscape that a focus on star performers cannot capture. Like all female singers, she had to negotiate between competing stereotypes about divas and the nineteenth-century distrust of women who led public lives. In response to these pressures, she constructed an image of a vigorous American singer who nevertheless understood her expected role in society. During the Gilded Age, opera's place in American culture was changing. Foreign-language opera became increasingly associated with wealth, the highest performance quality, and sometimes even cultural and moral uplift, whereas English-language opera suggested popular entertainment for the middle class and mediocre performance standards. The American Opera Company and Juch's own Emma Juch English Grand Opera Company attempted to fight against these assumptions and center opera in English performed by native singers as an important component of a distinctly American musical tradition. She was unsuccessful, however, and Juch's career, which began with great promise, lost momentum after her opera troupe folded and she slid into obscurity.
Implémentation de l'ultrasonographie ciblée dans une unité de soins critiques
Authors: Tagan Damien , Beaulieu Yanick
Published: June 2014

Den Ultraschall in der täglichen Praxis zu nutzen, wird von Intensiv- und Notfallmedizinern nicht mehr in Frage gestellt. Es gilt als unentbehrliches Werkzeug für die Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin. Nach Überwindung der technologischen und politischen Hindernisse ist jetzt die Herausforderung, die Technik in Intensiv- und Notfallstationen zu implementieren. Hier geben wir einige Empfehlungen auf der Grundlage unserer Erfahrungen der letzten fünfzehn Jahre.
Ochratoxin A induced early hepatotoxicity: new mechanistic insights from microRNA, mRNA and proteomic profiling studies
Authors: Qi Xiaozhe , Yang Xuan , Chen Siyuan , He Xiaoyun , Dweep Harsh , Guo Mingzhang , Cheng Wen-Hsing , Xu Wentao , Luo Yunbo , Gretz Norbert , Dai Qiu , Huang Kunlun
Published: June 2014

The mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) is found widely in agricultural commodities. OTA can induce various toxicities. In this study, rats were gavaged with OTA for different weeks. Then, the expression of microRNAs, mRNAs and proteins were measured in the rat livers treated with OTA for 13 weeks. Our sequencing data suggests that the medial and the high doses of OTA exert different effects on livers. Five distinctive pathways were induced after OTA treatment as collectively demonstrated at miRNA, mRNA and protein levels. Two (primary bile acid biosynthesis and metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450) are directly associated with liver damage, whereas the remaining pathways (arginine and proline metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism and PPAR signaling pathway) cause metabolic disease. This study reveals OTA-induced early hepatotoxicity for the first time by combining multi-omics methods. The novel metabolic pathways may contribute to the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases later in life.
High-pressure polymorphs of ZnCO3: Evolutionary crystal structure prediction
Authors: Bouibes A. , Zaoui A.
Published: June 2014

The high-pressure behavior of zinc carbonate ZnCO3has been investigated using universal structure prediction method together with the density functional theory. In order to explore all possible structures under pressure, separate calculations at high pressure are done here with increasing number of formula units in the unit cell. Two pressures induced phase transitions were considered. The first one occurs at 78 GPa and the second one at 121 GPa. The most stable ZnCO3at ambient condition corresponds to the space group R-3c (phase I), which is in favorable agreement with experiment. The structure with C2/m space group (phase II) becomes stable between 78 GPa and 121 GPa. Finally, the structure with the space group P212121(phase III) becomes the most stable when the pressure achieves 121 GPa. Some mechanical properties of R-3c structure were –additionally- calculated and compared with the experimental and previous theoretical data. The resulting behaviors support our findings and confirm the obtained phase transition. Besides, from the analysis of the electronic charge density it comes that at 78 GPa, new bond between oxygen and zinc is formed, what is likely the main cause behind the phase transition.
Density functional calculations of extended, periodic systems using Coulomb corrected molecular fractionation with conjugated caps method (CC-MFCC)
Authors: Brinkmann Levin , Heifets Eugene , Kantorovich Lev
Published: June 2014

A consistent DFT based formulation of the order-N molecular fractionation with conjugated caps method in which a molecular system is calculated considering a set of finite fragments, is proposed. Here we apply the method and test its performance on a periodic metal–organic framework system.
Nanomechanical spectroscopy of synthetic and biological membranes
Authors: Lü Junhong , Yang Ju , Dong Mingdong , Sahin Ozgur
Published: June 2014

Atomic force microscopy based high-speed nanomechanical analysis can identify components of complex heterogeneous synthetic and biological membranes.
A cascade amplification strategy based on rolling circle amplification and hydroxylamine amplified gold nanoparticles enables chemiluminescence detection of adenosine triphosphate
Authors: Wang Ping , Zhang Tonghuan , Yang Taoyi , Jin Nan , Zhao Yanjun , Fan Aiping
Published: June 2014

A chemiluminescent biosensor for ATP was developed by taking advantage of the ATP-dependent enzymatic reaction, the powerful signal amplification capability of rolling circle amplification, and hydroxylamine-amplified gold nanoparticles.
TEM study on HgIn2Te4 precipitates in Hg3In2Te6 crystals grown by the Bridgman method
Authors: Luo Lin , Jie Wanqi , Xu Yadong , He Yihui , Xu Lingyan , Fu Li
Published: June 2014

HgIn2Te4 precipitates, which coexist with Hg5In2Te8 in Hg3In2Te6 crystals, have three variants with growth directions along <100>m of the Hg3In2Te6 crystals.
Green synthesis of Fe3O4 nanoparticles with controlled morphologies using urease and their application in dye adsorption
Authors: Shi Haitang , Tan Longfei , Du Qijun , Chen Xue , Li Linlin , Liu Tianlong , Fu Changhui , Liu Huiyu , Meng Xianwei
Published: June 2014

This paper describes a green method which employs urease for the preparation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and explores their application in dye adsorption.
Improvements in the detection and characterization of engineered nanoparticles using spICP-MS with microsecond dwell times
Authors: Montaño M. D. , Badiei H. R. , Bazargan S. , Ranville J. F.
Published: June 2014

The utilization of microsecond dwell times allows for the detection of multiple elements within a single particle.
Dynamic amplification of light signals in photorefractive ferroelectric liquid crystalline mixtures
Authors: Sasaki Takeo , Kajikawa Satoshi , Naka Yumiko
Published: June 2014

The photorefractive effect in photoconductive ferroelectric liquid crystals that contain photoconductive chiral compounds was investigated. Terthiophene compounds with chiral structures were chosen as the photoconductive chiral compounds, and they were mixed with an achiral smectic C liquid crystal. The mixtures exhibit the ferroelectric chiral smectic C phase. The photorefractivity of the mixtures was investigated by two-beam coupling experiments. It was found that the ferroelectric liquid crystals containing the photoconductive chiral compound exhibit a large gain coefficient of over 1200 cm−1and a fast response time of 1 ms. Real-time dynamic amplification of an optical image signal of over 30 fps using the photorefractive ferroelectric liquid crystal was demonstrated.
Low cost lab-on-a-chip prototyping with a consumer grade 3D printer
Authors: Comina Germán , Suska Anke , Filippini Daniel
Published: June 2014

Versatile prototyping of 3D printed lab-on-a-chip devices, supporting different forms of sample delivery, transport, functionalization and readout, is demonstrated with a consumer grade printer, which centralizes all critical fabrication tasks.
Synthesis and photophysical characterisation of new fluorescent triazole adenine analogues
Authors: Lawson Christopher P. , Dierckx Anke , Miannay Francois-Alexandre , Wellner Eric , Wilhelmsson L. Marcus , Grøtli Morten
Published: June 2014

Novel fluorescent triazole adenine derivatives have been synthesised and their photo-physical properties characterised.
The effect of LiNTf2 on the propagation rate coefficient of methyl methacrylate
Authors: Noble Benjamin B. , Smith Leesa M. , Coote Michelle L.
Published: June 2014

LiNTf2 catalyses the propagation step of methyl methacrylate radical polymerization but this catalysis hinders stereocontrol.
Novel hybrid micro-supercapacitor based on conducting polymer coated silicon nanowires for electrochemical energy storage
Authors: Aradilla David , Bidan Gérard , Gentile Pascal , Weathers Patrick , Thissandier Fleur , Ruiz Vanesa , Gómez-Romero Pedro , Schubert Thomas J. S. , Sahin Hülya , Sadki Saïd
Published: June 2014

The development of a novel hybrid symmetric micro-supercapacitor based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) coated silicon nanowires using an ionic liquid PYR13TFSI as an electrolyte has been demonstrated.
Liquid–liquid/solid three-phase high-speed counter-current chromatography based on O-carboxymethyl chitosan-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes as solvent additive
Authors: Liu Yanjuan , Liu Yongfeng , Wang Gaohong , Di Duolong
Published: June 2014

A new liquid–liquid/solid three phase HSCCC system was established based on O-carboxymethyl chitosan-functionalized multi-walled carbon nano tubes as additive of biphasic solvent system.
Quaternary ammonium salt as alkylation agent in three-component reactions for the synthesis of benzothiazoles in water
Authors: Pan Lei , Yu Lintao , Wu Zhiqing , Li Zhengkai , Xiang Haifeng , Zhou Xiangge
Published: June 2014

Substituted benzothiazoles are synthesized by metal-catalyst-free three-component reactions of o-iodoaniline, quaternary ammonium salt, and sulfur powder in water with moderate-to-excellent yields up to 95%.
Improving the cycling performance of LiFePO4 cathode material by poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiopene) coating
Authors: Cíntora-Juárez D. , Pérez-Vicente C. , Ahmad Shahzada , Tirado J. L.
Published: June 2014

LiFePO4 composite cathode materials with PEDOT [poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiopene)] were prepared by electropolymerization or by blending methods.
Elucidation of the reaction mechanism upon lithiation and delithiation of Cu0.5TiOPO4
Authors: Bleith Peter , Valla Maxence , Novák Petr , Villevieille Claire
Published: June 2014

The reaction mechanism of Cu0.5TiOPO4upon lithiation and delithiation was elucidated by XAS,31P-NMR, XRD, EDX, and electrochemical methods. The material reacts with a combined insertion and conversion process, forming first LiTiOPO4+ Cu. Afterwards, Ti4+is reduced reversibly in an insertion reaction followed by a conversion reaction leading to amorphisation while titanium is reduced below 2+.
High performance lithium–sulfur batteries: advances and challenges
Authors: Xu Guiyin , Ding Bing , Pan Jin , Nie Ping , Shen Laifa , Zhang Xiaogang
Published: June 2014

This feature article reviews the recent progress of Li–S batteries to advance their practical uses.
Slightly hydrogenated TiO2 with enhanced photocatalytic performance
Authors: Yan Yong , Han Moyan , Konkin Alexander , Koppe Tristan , Wang Dong , Andreu Teresa , Chen Ge , Vetter Ulrich , Morante Joan Ramón , Schaaf Peter
Published: June 2014

Slightly hydrogenated white TiO2 nanoparticles show enhanced photocatalytic performance due to their increased surface defects, while gray or black H-TiO2 nanoparticles display much worse catalytic performances due to the formation of bulk defects.
Evaluation of changes in monoamine levels and apoptosis induced by cyfluthrin in rats
Authors: Guvenc Dilek , Aksoy Abdurrahman , Gacar Ayhan , Atmaca Enes , Das Kursad Y. , Guvenc Tolga
Published: June 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate monoamine and mitochondrial cytochrome c levels and lipid peroxidation in adult male rats treated with cyfluthrin (14 mg kg−1dose; approximately 1/10 of the LD50value) for 14 days. This study also examined cyfluthrin induced-apoptosisviathe signaling proteins Bcl-2, caspase-9 and caspase-3, and possible anti-apoptotic effects of Alfa-basic crystallin.
Ca2+-stabilized adhesin helps an Antarctic bacterium reach out and bind ice
Authors: Vance Tyler D. R. , Olijve Luuk L. C. , Campbell Robert L. , Voets Ilja K. , Davies Peter L. , Guo Shuaiqi
Published: June 2014

The large size of a 1.5-MDa ice-binding adhesin [MpAFP (Marinomonas primoryensis antifreeze protein)] from an Antarctic Gram-negative bacterium, M. primoryensis, is mainly due to its highly repetitive RII (Region II). MpAFP_RII contains roughly 120 tandem copies of an identical 104-residue repeat. We have previously determined that a single RII repeat folds as a Ca2+-dependent immunoglobulin-like domain. Here, we solved the crystal structure of RII tetra-tandemer (four tandem RII repeats) to a resolution of 1.8 Å. The RII tetra-tandemer reveals an extended (~190-Å × ~25-Å), rod-like structure with four RII-repeats aligned in series with each other. The inter-repeat regions of the RII tetra-tandemer are strengthened by Ca2+ bound to acidic residues. SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering) profiles indicate the RII tetra-tandemer is significantly rigidified upon Ca2+ binding, and that the protein's solution structure is in excellent agreement with its crystal structure. We hypothesize that >600 Ca2+ help rigidify the chain of ~120 104-residue repeats to form a ~0.6 μm rod-like structure in order to project the ice-binding domain of MpAFP away from the bacterial cell surface. The proposed extender role of RII can help the strictly aerobic, motile bacterium bind ice in the upper reaches of the Antarctic lake where oxygen and nutrients are most abundant. Ca2+-induced rigidity of tandem Ig-like repeats in large adhesins might be a general mechanism used by bacteria to bind to their substrates and help colonize specific niches.
Resolving epidemic network failures through differentiated repair times
Authors: Fagertun Anna Manolova , Ruepp Sarah Renée , Manzano Marc
Published: June 2014

In this study, the authors investigate epidemic failure spreading in large‐scale transport networks under generalised multi‐protocol label switching control plane. By evaluating the effect of the epidemic failure spreading on the network, they design several strategies for cost‐effective network performance improvement via differentiated repair times. First, they identify the most vulnerable and the most strategic nodes in the network. Then, via extensive event‐driven simulations they show that strategic placement of resources for improved failure recovery has better performance than randomly assigning lower repair times among the network nodes. They believe that the event‐driven simulation model can be highly beneficial for network providers, since it could be used during the network planning process for facilitating cost‐effective network survivability design.
Design, analysis and implementation of real‐time harmonics elimination: a generalised approach
Authors: Makhlouf Badr , Bouchhida Ouahid , Nibouche Mokhtar
Published: June 2014

It is not a secret that the problem of harmonics and switching frequency can have a dreadful impact on switching power converters. To counter this problem, a variety of methods have been developed over the years. In this study, a novel method for controlling/eliminating harmonics in switching converters, based on real‐time harmonic control, is suggested. The proposed method allows a complete control of the number of eliminated harmonics, as well as the fundamental. The method adopts a modulation strategy using a modified sine carrier. To determine the inverter's optimal switching angles, the well‐established particle swarm optimisation algorithm is used. In order to assess the performance of the proposed approach, simulations are carried out. The validity of the method is demonstrated using the digital signal processor based dSPACE environment. The experimental results are very satisfactory and clearly prove the validity of the proposed approach.
Synthesis and Photoreaction of 2-Amino-3-cyano-4-aryl-4H-pyrans
Authors: Sun Wuji , Jiang Yangye , Yan Hong , Song Xiuqing
Published: June 2014

A series of 2-amino-3-cyano-4-aryl-4H-pyrans (1) were synthesised by reacting malononitrile, ethyl acetoacetate, and aromatic aldehydes under ultrasound irradiation. The photochemical properties, including the photostability and photoreaction of 1, were investigated in conventional solvents. The results indicated that compounds 1 were unstable and underwent a photoreaction to the 1,3-butadienes under irradiation with UV light. A mechanism for the photoreaction is proposed and investigated using electron spin resonance spectroscopic techniques. The 1,3-butadiene structures were determined by 1H and 13C NMR spectra, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.
Impacts of landform, land use and soil type on soil chemical properties and enzymatic activities in a Loessial Gully watershed
Authors: Hao Yajun , Chang Qingrui , Li Linhai , Wei Xiaorong
Published: June 2014

Understanding the relationships among soil properties and, in turn, their relationships with landform, land use and soil type is essential for assessing soil quality and soil productivity. In this study, we examined the differences in the chemical properties and enzymatic activities of soils in a variety of landforms (plateau land, sloping land, terraced land and gully bottoms), land uses (woodland, grassland, cropland and orchard) and soil types (Chernozems, Cambisols and Regosols) in a gully watershed on the Loess Plateau, China. In total, 202 samples of surface soil (0–20 cm) were collected from different representative landscape units of the watershed. The chemical properties and enzymatic activities of the soils were measured. The results showed that chemical properties and enzymatic activities of the soils were all significantly influenced by landform, land use and soil type. There were interactive effects between landform and soil type. Soil pH varied the least, while invertase activity varied the most with landscape conditions. Soil pH, cation exchange capacity, organic carbon and total nitrogen contents, and enzymatic activities were all highest on plateau land and lowest on terraced land. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents and alkaline phosphatase and invertase activities were higher in Chernozems than in Regosols, but the opposite trend was noted for pH, cation exchange capacity and catalase activity. Significantly higher values for most soil properties or enzymatic activities occurred in combinations including plateau land, Chernozems or Regosols. Soil pH was significantly lower in woodland soils than for other land uses, whereas the other properties had higher values in grassland and woodland soils than in orchard soils. The results from this study indicate the roles of landform, land use and soil type on the spatial patterns of chemical properties and enzymatic activities of soils and suggest that crops and orchards should be arranged on plateau land, and grasses and woodland on terraced and sloping land, respectively, for better economic and ecological efficiency in the area.
The diet of Pacific gulls (Larus pacificus) breeding at Seal Island in northern Bass Strait
Authors: Leitch Tamara N. , Dann Peter , Arnould John P. Y.
Published: June 2014

The endemic Pacific gull (Larus pacificus) is Australia’s largest larid, and though little is currently known of its foraging ecology, its size and wide distribution suggest that it may play an important role within the marine environment. In the present study, regurgitate pellets collected from Seal Island in northern Bass Strait were used to compare intra- and interannual trends in diet composition. The main taxa identified in pellets were the common diving-petrel (Pelecanoides urinatrix), leatherjacket species (Family Monacanthidae), short-tailed shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris) and mirror bush (Coprosma repens). Analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) identified no significant differences in numerical abundance of the dominant prey species between years, suggesting that the prey base in this region is temporally consistent or that the gulls consume low enough numbers to be unaffected by fluctuation in prey populations. Diving-petrels were consumed in consistently high numbers, suggesting the gulls may be an important predator of this species, or that the gulls are particularly skilled at foraging for them.
Combination of bexarotene and the retinoid CD1530 reduces murine oral-cavity carcinogenesis induced by the carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide
Authors: Tang Xiao-Han , Osei-Sarfo Kwame , Urvalek Alison M. , Zhang Tuo , Scognamiglio Theresa , Gudas Lorraine J.
Published: June 2014

Significance

Oral-cavity squamous-cell carcinoma is one of the most common human cancers in the world. About 60–70% of oral-cavity carcinoma cases are diagnosed only after the tumors have become locally advanced. Therefore, in addition to treatment, prevention of oral cancer is a very important goal. In this study, we found that the combination of the drugs bexarotene and CD1530 was more effective than either drug alone in preventing oral carcinogenesis in our mouse model of human oral and esophageal cancers. We envision that the combination of bexarotene and CD1530 could potentially be applied to humans at a high risk for oral cancer, as a very effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of human oral cancer.
Probing nuclear pore complex architecture with proximity-dependent biotinylation
Authors: Kim Dae In , KC Birendra , Zhu Wenhong , Motamedchaboki Khatereh , Doye Valérie , Roux Kyle J.
Published: June 2014

Significance

Proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) is a readily accessible method for identifying protein associations that occur in living cells. Fusion of a promiscuous biotin ligase to a bait protein for expression in live cells enables covalent biotin labeling, and thus identification, of proteins proximate to the bait. Here we used BioID to probe the organization of the nuclear pore complex, a large structure that regulates molecular transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm. These studies enhance our understanding of major subcomplexes within the nuclear pore complex and demonstrate the utility of BioID for studying the organization of large protein assemblies. Additionally, we have measured the labeling radius of BioID, thus enabling the rational application of this method and more meaningful data interpretation.
Notch regulation of myogenic versus endothelial fates of cells that migrate from the somite to the limb
Authors: Mayeuf-Louchart Alicia , Lagha Mounia , Danckaert Anne , Rocancourt Didier , Relaix Frederic , Vincent Stéphane D. , Buckingham Margaret
Published: June 2014

Significance

During embryonic development, multipotent stem cells progressively acquire specific cell fates. The somite is an embryological structure that gives rise to different mesodermal cell types, including skeletal muscle and vascular cells of blood vessels. We show by genetic manipulation that the Notch signaling pathway promotes a vascular cell-fate choice at the expense of skeletal muscle in the mouse somite. Pax3
+
cells in the adjacent somites give rise to myogenic and endothelial cells in the limbs. Gain-of-function or inhibition of Notch signaling affects this cell-fate choice prior to the migration of these somite-derived cells into the limb. This embryological role of Notch is of potential therapeutic relevance to deriving stem cells for tissue repair.