bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peripartum and neonatal outcomes of small‐for‐gestational‐age infants with gastroschisis
Authors: Girsen Anna I. , Do Samantha , Davis Alexis S. , Hintz Susan R. , Desai Arti K. , Mansour Trina , Merritt T. Allen , Oshiro Bryan T. , El‐Sayed Yasser Y. , Blumenfeld Yair J.
Published: January 2015

Objectives

Neonates with gastroschisis are often small for gestational age (SGA) based on population nomograms. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of SGA on perinatal and neonatal outcomes in cases of gastroschisis.

Methods

This is a retrospective study of neonates with prenatally diagnosed gastroschisis from two academic centers between 2008 and 13. Perinatal and neonatal outcomes of neonates with SGA at birth were compared with appropriate‐for‐gestational‐age (AGA) neonates. The primary composite outcome was defined as any of the following: neonatal sepsis, short bowel syndrome at discharge, prolonged mechanical ventilation (upper quartile for the cohort), bowel atresia or death.

Results

We identified 112 cases of gastroschisis, 25 of whom (22%) were SGA at birth. There were no differences in adverse peripartum outcomes between SGA and AGA infants. No difference was found in the primary composite neonatal outcome (52% vs 36%, p = 0.21), but SGA infants were more likely to have prolonged mechanical ventilation (44% vs 22%, p = 0.04) and prolonged length of stay (LOS) (52% vs 22%, p = 0.007). After adjusting for GA at delivery, SGA remained associated with prolonged LOS (OR = 4.3, CI: 1.6–11.8).

Conclusion

Among infants with gastroschisis, SGA at birth is associated with a fourfold increase in odds for prolonged LOS, independent of GA. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determinants of first trimester combined test participation within the central region of the Netherlands
Authors: Crombag Neeltje M. T. H. , Schielen Peter C. J. I. , Hukkelhoven Chantal W. , Iedema Rita , Bensing Jozien M. , Visser Gerard H. A. , Stoutenbeek Philip , Koster Maria P. H.
Published: January 2015

Objective

Our objective is to study the association between potentially influential determinants and first‐trimester combined test (FCT) uptake rates in the central region of the Netherlands.

Methods

Data were extracted from the national prenatal screening database Peridos and the Netherlands Perinatal Registry and compared at the level of the health care provider. Univariable and multivariable linear regression analysis was used to determine the effect of determinants (maternal age, parity, socio‐economic status (SES), mode of conception, ethnicity and urbanisation) on uptake.

Results

Prenatal screening data were available for 24 657 women and overall uptake rate was 25.7%. The strongest association with FCT uptake was found for advanced maternal age (β 2.2; 95% CI [1.7, 2.8]). Grand multiparity had a significantly negative association with FCT uptake (β −4.3; 95% CI [−5.9, −2.7]). Positive associations were found for very high urbanisation (β 0.3; 95% CI [0.1, 0.4]) and high SES (β 0.2; 95% CI [0.0, 0.3]).

Conclusion

Advanced maternal age is strongly associated with participation in prenatal testing. The role of age related risk perception should be incorporated in future policy making to support women in informed and autonomous decision making. The negative association of grand multiparity and FCT might be religion based but requires further research. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relationship between hippocampal atrophy and neuropathology markers: A 7T MRI validation study of the EADC‐ADNI Harmonized Hippocampal Segmentation Protocol
Authors: Apostolova Liana G. , Zarow Chris , Biado Kristina , Hurtz Sona , Boccardi Marina , Somme Johanne , Honarpisheh Hedieh , Blanken Anna E. , Brook Jenny , Tung Spencer , Kraft Emily , Lo Darrick , Ng Denise , Alger Jeffry R. , Vinters Harry V. , Bocchetta Martina , Duvernoy Henri , Jack Clifford R. , Frisoni Giovanni B. ,   EADC‐ADNI Working Group on the Harmonized Protocol for Manual Hippocampal Segmentation, Bartzokis George , Csernansky John G. , de Leon Mony J. , deToledo‐Morrell Leyla , Killiany Ronald J. , Lehericy Stephane , Malykhin Nikolai , Pantel Johannes , Pruessner Jens C. , Soininen Hilkka , Watson Craig
Published: January 2015

Objective

The pathologic validation of European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Center Harmonized Hippocampal Segmentation Protocol (HarP).

Methods

Temporal lobes of nine Alzheimer's disease (AD) and seven cognitively normal subjects were scanned post‐mortem at 7 Tesla. Hippocampal volumes were obtained with HarP. Six‐micrometer‐thick hippocampal slices were stained for amyloid beta (Aβ), tau, and cresyl violet. Hippocampal subfields were manually traced. Neuronal counts, Aβ, and tau burden for each hippocampal subfield were obtained.

Results

We found significant correlations between hippocampal volume and Braak and Braak staging (ρ = −0.75, P = .001), tau (ρ = −0.53, P = .034), Aβ burden (ρ = −0.61, P = .012), and neuronal count (ρ = 0.77, P < .001). Exploratory subfield‐wise significant associations were found for Aβ in Cornu Ammonis (CA)1 (ρ = −0.58, P = .019) and subiculum (ρ = −0.75, P = .001), tau in CA2 (ρ = −0.59, P = .016), and CA3 (ρ = −0.5, P = .047), and neuronal count in CA1 (ρ = 0.55, P = .028), CA3 (ρ = 0.65, P = .006), and CA4 (ρ = 0.76, P = .001).

Conclusions

The observed associations provide pathological confirmation of hippocampal morphometry as a valid biomarker for AD and pathologic validation of HarP.
Numerical simulation of jets generated by a sphere moving vertically in a stratified fluid
Authors: Hanazaki H. , Nakamura S. , Yoshikawa H.
Published: January 2015

The flow past a sphere moving vertically at constant speeds in a salt-stratified fluid is investigated numerically at moderate Reynolds numbers $\mathit{Re}$. Time development of the flow shows that the violation of density conservation is the key process for the generation of the buoyant jet observed in the experiments. For example, if the sphere moves downward, isopycnal surfaces are simply deformed and dragged down by the sphere while the density is conserved along the flow. (The flow pattern is inverted if the sphere moves upward. Some explanations are given in the introduction.) Then, the flow will never become steady. As density diffusion becomes effective around the sphere surface and generates a horizontal hole in the isopycnal surface, fluid with non-conserved density is detached from the isopycnal surface and moves upward to generate a buoyant jet. These processes will constitute a steady state near the sphere. With lengths scaled by the sphere diameter and velocities by the downward sphere velocity, the duration of density conservation at the rear/upper stagnation point, or the maximum distance that the isopycnal surface is dragged downward, is proportional to the Froude number $\mathit{Fr}$, and estimated well by ${\rm\pi}\mathit{Fr}$ for $\mathit{Fr}\gtrsim 1$ and $\mathit{Re}\gtrsim 200$, corresponding to a constant potential energy.  The radius of a jet defined by the density and velocity distributions, which would have correlations with the density and velocity boundary layers on the sphere, is estimated well by $\sqrt{\mathit{Fr }/2\mathit{Re }\mathit{ Sc}}$ and $\sqrt{\mathit{Fr }/2\mathit{Re}}$ respectively for $\mathit{Fr}\lesssim 1$, where $\mathit{Sc}$ is the Schmidt number. Numerical results agree well with the previous experiments, and the origin of the conspicuous bell-shaped structure observed by the shadowgraph method is identified as an internal wave.
COI barcode based species-specific primers for identification of five species of stored-product pests from genus Cryptolestes (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae)
Authors: Varadínová Z. , Wang Y. J. , Kučerová Z. , Stejskal V. , Opit G. , Cao Y. , Li F. J. , Li Z. H.
Published: January 2015

Flat grain beetles of the genus Cryptolestes (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae) are one of the economically most important stored-product pests which feed on many kinds of agricultural products, especially grains. Nine of more than 40 described Cryptolestes species are recognized as stored-product pests and two of the pest species have a cosmopolitan distribution. Given the rapid growth in global trade of food products, ecological barriers to the spread of pests are easily overcome. Therefore, development of reliable systems for routine quarantine inspection and early infestation detection is vital. In the present study, we established a new rapid and accurate cytochrome c oxidase subunit I-based system for molecular identification of five common stored-product Cryptolestes species, namely, Cryptolestes capensis, Cryptolestes ferrugineus, Cryptolestes pusilloides, Cryptolestes pusillus and Cryptolestes turcicus. Five species-specific primer pairs for traditional uniplex polymerase chain reaction assay are described and their specificity and sensitivity for the identification process is evaluated using larval samples of 12 different populations from three continents (Asia, Europe and North America).
Territoriality and State Succession in Cultural Heritage
Authors: Jakubowski Andrzej
Published: January 2015

The international legal discourse on the topic of state succession in cultural property has long been dominated by the concept of territoriality—the territorial provenance (origin) of cultural assets. This traditional reasoning was essentially rooted in the idea of the European nation-state. In the last 50 years, the principle of territoriality has also become accommodated within the framework of the preservation of cultural heritage. Yet such territorial and protective approaches do not take into account the value of cultural heritage for society, that is, groups and individuals that have created or maintained a given heritage. This article attempts to explore the potential clash between the principles of territoriality and human rights, with respect to state succession in cultural heritage matters. In this context, it deals with some recent ongoing interstate negotiations on the allocation of and access to cultural property with respect to post–World War II developments in state succession among Poland, Germany, and Ukraine.
The relationship between childhood adversity and food insecurity: ‘It’s like a bird nesting in your head’
Authors: Chilton Mariana , Knowles Molly , Rabinowich Jenny , Arnold Kimberly T
Published: January 2015

Objective

Adverse childhood experiences, including abuse, neglect and household instability, affect lifelong health and economic potential. The present study investigates how adverse childhood experiences are associated with food insecurity by exploring caregivers’ perceptions of the impact of their childhood adversity on educational attainment, employment and mental health.

Design

Semi-structured audio-recorded in-person interviews that included (i) quantitative measures of maternal and child health, adverse childhood experiences (range: 0–10) and food security using the US Household Food Security Survey Module; and (ii) qualitative audio-recorded investigations of experiences with abuse, neglect, violence and hunger over participants’ lifetimes.

Setting

Households in Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Subjects

Thirty-one mothers of children <4 years old who reported low or very low household food security.

Results

Twenty-one caregivers (68 %) reported four or more adverse childhood experiences, and this severity was significantly associated with reports of very low food security (Fisher’s exactP=0·021). Mothers reporting emotional and physical abuse were more likely to report very low food security (Fisher’s exactP=0·032). Qualitatively, participants described the impact of childhood adverse experiences with emotional and physical abuse/neglect, and household substance abuse, on their emotional health, school performance and ability to maintain employment. In turn, these experiences negatively affected their ability to protect their children from food insecurity.

Conclusions

The associations between mothers’ adverse experiences in childhood and reports of current household food security should inspire researchers, advocates and policy makers to comprehensively address family hardship through greater attention to the emotional health of caregivers. Programmes meant to address nutritional deprivation and financial hardship should include trauma-informed approaches that integrate behavioural interventions.
The malignant phenotype in breast cancer is driven by eIF4A1-mediated changes in the translational landscape
Authors: Modelska A , Turro E , Russell R , Beaton J , Sbarrato T , Spriggs K , Miller J , Gräf S , Provenzano E , Blows F , Pharoah P , Caldas C , Le Quesne J
Published: January 2015

Human mRNA DeXD/H-box helicases are ubiquitous molecular motors that are required for the majority of cellular processes that involve RNA metabolism. One of the most abundant is eIF4A, which is required during the initiation phase of protein synthesis to unwind regions of highly structured mRNA that would otherwise impede the scanning ribosome. Dysregulation of protein synthesis is associated with tumorigenesis, but little is known about the detailed relationships between RNA helicase function and the malignant phenotype in solid malignancies. Therefore, immunohistochemical analysis was performed on over 3000 breast tumors to investigate the relationship among expression of eIF4A1, the helicase-modulating proteins eIF4B, eIF4E and PDCD4, and clinical outcome. We found eIF4A1, eIF4B and eIF4E to be independent predictors of poor outcome in ER-negative disease, while in contrast, the eIF4A1 inhibitor PDCD4 was related to improved outcome in ER-positive breast cancer. Consistent with these data, modulation of eIF4A1, eIF4B and PCDC4 expression in cultured MCF7 cells all restricted breast cancer cell growth and cycling. The eIF4A1-dependent translatome of MCF7 cells was defined by polysome profiling, and was shown to be highly enriched for several classes of oncogenic genes, including G-protein constituents, cyclins and protein kinases, and for mRNAs with G/C-rich 5′UTRs with potential to form G-quadruplexes and with 3′UTRs containing microRNA target sites. Overall, our data show that dysregulation of mRNA unwinding contributes to the malignant phenotype in breast cancer via preferential translation of a class of genes involved in pro-oncogenic signaling at numerous levels. Furthermore, immunohistochemical tests are promising biomarkers for tumors sensitive to anti-helicase therapies.
Osmotic pressure induced tensile forces in tendon collagen
Authors: Masic Admir , Bertinetti Luca , Schuetz Roman , Chang Shu-Wei , Metzger Till Hartmut , Buehler Markus J. , Fratzl Peter
Published: January 2015

Water is an important component of collagen in tendons, but its role for the function of this load-carrying protein structure is poorly understood. Here we use a combination of multi-scale experimentation and computation to show that water is an integral part of the collagen molecule, which changes conformation upon water removal. The consequence is a shortening of the molecule that translates into tensile stresses in the range of several to almost 100 MPa, largely surpassing those of about 0.3 MPa generated by contractile muscles. Although a complete drying of collagen would be relevant for technical applications, such as the fabrication of leather or parchment, stresses comparable to muscle contraction already occur at small osmotic pressures common in biological environments. We suggest, therefore, that water-generated tensile stresses may play a role in living collagen-based materials such as tendon or bone.
Structure and boosting activity of a starch-degrading lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase
Authors: Lo Leggio Leila , Simmons Thomas J. , Poulsen Jens-Christian N. , Frandsen Kristian E. H. , Hemsworth Glyn R. , Stringer Mary A. , von Freiesleben Pernille , Tovborg Morten , Johansen Katja S. , De Maria Leonardo , Harris Paul V. , Soong Chee-Leong , Dupree Paul , Tryfona Theodora , Lenfant Nicolas , Henrissat Bernard , Davies Gideon J. , Walton Paul H.
Published: January 2015

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are recently discovered enzymes that oxidatively deconstruct polysaccharides. LPMOs are fundamental in the effective utilization of these substrates by bacteria and fungi; moreover, the enzymes have significant industrial importance. We report here the activity, spectroscopy and three-dimensional structure of a starch-active LPMO, a representative of the new CAZy AA13 family. We demonstrate that these enzymes generate aldonic acid-terminated malto-oligosaccharides from retrograded starch and boost significantly the conversion of this recalcitrant substrate to maltose by β-amylase. The detailed structure of the enzyme’s active site yields insights into the mechanism of action of this important class of enzymes.
An attenuated total reflection (ATR) and Raman spectroscopic investigation into the effects of chloroquine on Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells
Authors: Kozicki M. , Creek D. J. , Sexton A. , Morahan B. J. , Wesełucha-Birczyńska A. , Wood B. R.
Published: January 2015

Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy were used to compare chloroquine (CQ)-treated and untreated cultured Plasmodium falciparum-infected human red blood cells (iRBCs).
A new method for wavelength interval selection that intelligently optimizes the locations, widths and combinations of the intervals
Authors: Deng Bai-Chuan , Yun Yong-Huan , Ma Pan , Lin Chen-Chen , Ren Da-Bing , Liang Yi-Zeng
Published: January 2015

An interval selection method that combines global and local searches to optimize locations, widths and combinations of the intervals.
A novel excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) dye with unique near-IR keto emission and its application in detection of hydrogen sulfide
Authors: Xu Pengfei , Gao Tang , Liu Meihui , Zhang Hailiang , Zeng Wenbin
Published: January 2015

A new NIR fluorescent probe HBTP-S was developed for detection of hydrogen sulfide based on an excited state intramolecular proton transfer mechanism.
Guanidinium-pendant oligofluorene for rapid and specific identification of antibiotics with membrane-disrupting ability
Authors: Chen Hui , Wang Bing , Zhang Jiangyan , Nie Chenyao , Lv Fengting , Liu Libing , Wang Shu
Published: January 2015

A new method based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer was developed for specifically screening membrane-disrupting antibiotics.
Facile synthesis of magnetic homochiral metal–organic frameworks for “enantioselective fishing”
Authors: Chang Cui-Lan , Qi Xiao-Yue , Zhang Jiang-Wei , Qiu Ya-Ming , Li Xian-Jiang , Wang Xin , Bai Yu , Sun Jun-Liang , Liu Hu-Wei
Published: January 2015

Magnetic functionalized homochiral metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were prepared and applied to efficient enantioselective fishing of chiral drug intermediates.
Single-ion magnet behaviour of heptacoordinated Fe(ii) complexes: on the importance of supramolecular organization
Authors: Bar Arun Kumar , Pichon Céline , Gogoi Nayanmoni , Duhayon Carine , Ramasesha S. , Sutter Jean-Pascal
Published: January 2015

Supramolecular organization is shown to contribute to the magnetization dynamics of mononuclear SMMs, leading to the first example of single-ion magnet behaviour of Fe(ii) in a D5h surrounding.
A facile electrochemical route to the preparation of uniform and monoatomic copper shells for gold nanoparticles
Authors: Gründer Y. , Ramasse Q. M. , Dryfe R. A. W.
Published: January 2015

Monoatomic copper shells are electrodeposited onto gold nanoparticles without the presence of a solid substrate.
Fluorescent and colorimetric ion probes based on conjugated oligopyrroles
Authors: Ding Yubin , Tang Yunyu , Zhu Weihong , Xie Yongshu
Published: January 2015

In this tutorial review, the design strategies, syntheses, and ion sensing properties of conjugated oligopyrroles are described.
Gold nanoparticles functionalised with fast water exchanging Gd3+ chelates: linker effects on the relaxivity
Authors: Ferreira Miguel F. , Gonçalves Janaina , Mousavi Bibimaryam , Prata Maria I. M. , Rodrigues Sérgio P. J. , Calle Daniel , López-Larrubia Pilar , Cerdan Sebastian , Rodrigues Tiago B. , Ferreira Paula M. , Helm Lothar , Martins José A. , Geraldes Carlos F. G. C.
Published: January 2015

Linker length has little effect on the relaxivity of Gd3+ chelates immobilized onto gold nanoparticles.
Phase modulation nanoscopy: a simple approach to enhanced optical resolution
Authors: Pal Robert
Published: January 2015

A new modular super-resolution technique called Phase Modulation Nanoscopy (PhMoNa) has been developed in order to break the optical diffraction barrier in Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (LSCM). This technique is based on using spatially modulated illumination intensity, whilst harnessing the fluorophore's non-linear emission response. It allows experimental resolution in both lateral and axial domains to be improved by at least a factor of 2. The work is in its initial phase, but by using a custom built Electro Optical Modulator (EOM) in conjunction with functionalised Ln(iii) complexes as probes, a sub-diffraction resolution of ∼60 nm was achieved of selected cellular organelles in long term live cell imaging experiments.
Towards the electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into methanol
Authors: Albo J. , Alvarez-Guerra M. , Castaño P. , Irabien A.
Published: January 2015

Electrocatalysis for carbon dioxide conversion into methanol.
Metal-free TBAI-catalyzed arylsulfonylation of activated alkenes with sulfonylhydrazides
Authors: Yu Wubin , Hu Peizhu , Fan Yuanyuan , Yu Congyao , Yan Xinhuan , Li Xiaoqing , Xu Xiangsheng
Published: January 2015

An efficient approach to isoquinoline-1,3(2H,4H)-dione derivatives through metal-free oxidative arylsulfonylation of α,β-unsaturated imides with sulfonylhydrazides is developed.
Fabrication of a highly elastic nanocomposite hydrogel by surface modification of cellulose nanocrystals
Authors: Yang Dong , Peng Xinwen , Zhong Linxin , Cao Xuefei , Chen Wei , Wang Sha , Liu Chuanfu , Sun Runcang
Published: January 2015

A new and efficient strategy was first employed to fabricate highly elastic nanocomposite hydrogels by surface modification of cellulose nanocrystals.
Copolymers based on telechelic benzoxazine with a reactive main-chain and anhydride: monomer and polymer synthesis, and thermal and mechanical properties of carbon fiber composites
Authors: Liu Jia , Scott Chris , Winroth Scott , Maia Joao , Ishida Hatsuo
Published: January 2015

Enhanced thermomechanical properties of polybenzoxazine based on allylamine-terminated oligomeric benzoxazine (Allyl-oligomer) are obtained by copolymerizing the oligomer with maleic anhydride (MA) in the presence of a free radical initiator.
Vanadium pentoxide 1-D nanostructures applied to dye removal from aqueous systems by coupling adsorption and visible-light photodegradation
Authors: Avansi Waldir , de Mendonça Vagner R. , Lopes Osmando F. , Ribeiro Caue
Published: January 2015

This paper evaluates the photocatalytic and dye adsorption properties of highly crystalline orthorhombic vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures, such as nanowires and nanorods, synthesized by a hydrothermal method.
Oriented crystallization of a β-Quartz Solid Solution from a MgO/Al2O3/SiO2 glass in contact with tetragonal ZrO2 ceramics
Authors: Berndt Sabrina , Gawronski Antje , Patzig Christian , Wisniewski Wolfgang , Höche Thomas , Rüssel Christian
Published: January 2015

Crystal nucleation and growth are studied at the air/glass and glass/ceramic interface of a MgO/Al2O3/SiO2 glass in contact to a ZrO2 ceramic. Mullite and additional crystal phases including a highly oriented layer of a β-quartz solid solution occur.
Preparation of iodonium ylides: probing the fluorination of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with a fluoroiodane
Authors: Geary Gemma C. , Hope Eric G. , Singh Kuldip , Stuart Alison M.
Published: January 2015

The isolated iodonium ylide has been reacted successfully with TREAT-HF, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid and p-toluenesulfonic acid to form the 2-fluoro-, 2-chloro-, 2-acetyl- and 2-tosyl-1,3-ketoesters respectively.
Positive and negative allosteric effects of thiacalix[4]arene-based receptors having urea and crown-ether moieties
Authors: Tomiyasu Hirotsugu , Zhao Jiang-Lin , Ni Xin-Long , Zeng Xi , Elsegood Mark R. J. , Jones Beth , Redshaw Carl , Teat Simon J. , Yamato Takehiko
Published: January 2015

Allosteric binding behaviors of heteroditopic receptors bearing the 1,3-alternateconformation based thiacalix[4]arene have been evaluated by absorption and1H NMR titration experiments.
Fabrication of ultraviolet-responsive microcapsules via Pickering emulsion polymerization using modified nano-silica/nano-titania as Pickering agents
Authors: Chen Kunlin , Zhou Shuxue
Published: January 2015

UV-responsive microcapsules were prepared via O/W Pickering emulsion templates using SiO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles as Pickering agents.
Bidirectional regulation of zinc embedded titania nanorods: antibiosis and osteoblastic cell growth
Authors: Cheng Haoyan , Mao Lin , Wang Lele , Hu Hao , Chen Yangyang , Gong Zheni , Wang Chengjun , Chen Jisheng , Li Rui , Zhu Zhihong
Published: January 2015

A bifunctional regulation in antibiosis and osteoblastic cell growth is achieved by well-organized TiO2–Zn nanoarrays.
Correction: Studies towards asymmetric synthesis of 4(S)-11-dihydroxydocosahexaenoic acid (diHDHA) featuring cross-coupling of chiral stannane under mild conditions
Authors: Wang Rui , He Anyu , Ramu Errabelli , Falck John R.
Published: January 2015

Correction for ‘Studies towards asymmetric synthesis of 4(S)-11-dihydroxydocosahexaenoic acid (diHDHA) featuring cross-coupling of chiral stannane under mild conditions’ by Rui Wang et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2015, DOI: 10.1039/c4ob02324b.
Phosphorus- and nitrogen-co-doped particleboard based activated carbon in supercapacitor application
Authors: Shang T. X. , Cai X. X. , Jin X. J.
Published: January 2015

The improvement of electrochemical performances mainly due to the effect of pseudocapacitance that originated from rich and tunable surface group by co-doping of phosphorus and nitrogen.
Correction: Melamine in breast milk
Authors: Yurdakok Begum , Filazi Ayhan , Ekici Husamettin , Celik Tolga Hasan , Sireli Ufuk Tansel
Published: January 2015

Correction for ‘Melamine in breast milk’ by Begum Yurdakok et al., Toxicol. Res., 2014, 3, 242–246.
Critical Thinking About Fables: Examining Language Production and Comprehension in Adolescents
Authors: Nippold Marilyn A. , Frantz-Kaspar Megan W. , Cramond Paige M. , Kirk Cecilia , Hayward-Mayhew Christine , MacKinnon Melanie
Published: January 2015

Purpose

This study was designed primarily to determine if a critical-thinking task involving fables would elicit greater syntactic complexity than a conversational task in adolescents. Another purpose was to determine how well adolescents understand critical-thinking questions about fables.

Method

Forty adolescents (
N
= 20 boys and 20 girls; mean age = 14 years) with typical language development answered critical-thinking questions about the deeper meanings of fables. They also participated in a standard conversational task. The syntactic complexity of their responses during the speaking tasks was analyzed for mean length of communication unit (MLCU) and clausal density (CD).

Results

Both measures of syntactic complexity, MLCU and CD, were substantially greater during the critical-thinking task compared with the conversational task. It was also found that the adolescents understood the questions quite well, earning a mean accuracy score of 80%.

Conclusions

The critical-thinking task has potential for use as a new type of language-sampling tool to examine language production and comprehension in adolescents.
Surface tension of electrolyte interfaces: Ionic specificity within a field-theory approach
Authors: Markovich Tomer , Andelman David , Podgornik Rudi
Published: January 2015

We study the surface tension of ionic solutions at air/water and oil/water interfaces by using field-theoretical methods and including a finite proximal surface-region with ionic-specific interactions. The free energy is expanded to first-order in a loop expansion beyond the mean-field result. We calculate the excess surface tension and obtain analytical predictions that reunite the Onsager-Samaras pioneering result (which does not agree with experimental data), with the ionic specificity of the Hofmeister series. We derive analytically the surface-tension dependence on the ionic strength, ionic size, and ion-surface interaction, and show consequently that the Onsager-Samaras result is consistent with the one-loop correction beyond the mean-field result. Our theory fits well a wide range of salt concentrations for different monovalent ions using one fit parameter per electrolyte and reproduces the reverse Hofmeister series for anions at the air/water and oil/water interfaces.
Low frequency noise of ZnO based metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors
Authors: Klüpfel F. J. , von Wenckstern H. , Grundmann M.
Published: January 2015

The low frequency noise of metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs) based on ZnO:Mg thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition on a-plane sapphire was investigated. In order to distinguish between noise generation in the bulk channel material, at the semiconductor surface, and at the gate/channel interface, ohmic ZnO channels without gate were investigated in detail, especially concerning the dependency of the noise on geometrical variations. The experiments suggest that the dominating 1/f noise in the frequency range below 1 kHz is generated within the bulk channel material, both for bare ZnO channels and MESFETs.
Combined magnetic screen made of Bi-2223 bulk cylinder and YBCO tape rings—Modeling and experiments
Authors: Tomków Ł. , Ciszek M. , Chorowski M.
Published: January 2015

Recent advances in the measurements with sensitive magnetic field sensors made the issue of magnetic shielding important. The application of high temperature superconductors allows to obtain full shielding in zero field cooling conditions for DC and low frequency magnetic fields by the means of the Meissner effect. However, currently used conventional bulk magnetic shields maintain full shielding only in low magnetic fields—up to approximately 10 mT. In this paper, it is proposed to apply an additional screen made of a coated superconducting tape in order to increase the magnetic field interval of full shielding region. Computer model of such set of screens was created in Matlab and validated experimentally. Improvement of shielding quality was observed experimentally and calculated with the model.
Mechanical anisotropy at the nanoscale in amorphous solids
Authors: Luo Yun , Li Qi-Kai , Li M.
Published: January 2015

Amorphous solids are randomly disordered without any long-range periodic atomic arrangement and thus appear isotropic. Here, we show in metallic glasses that this view does not hold at small scales: Strong mechanical anisotropy emerges when the sample size decreases below about 15 nm as shown by the marked deviation in stress-strain relations as well as elastic modulus along different loading directions. The size induced mechanical anisotropy is naturally related to structural anisotropy that is absent before loading. The anisotropic stress and modulus versus the size yield different scaling exponents in different stages of deformation, hinting at different deformation mechanisms. The size effect discovered here points to the existence of intrinsic heterogeneity defined by the anisotropy, which may play an important role in structure-property relations in amorphous solids.
Large self-biased magnetoelectric response in four-phase heterostructure with multiple low-frequency peaks
Authors: Zhang Hao , Lu Caijiang , Sun Zhixue
Published: January 2015

This paper develops a self-biased magnetoelectric (ME) heterostructure FeCuNbSiB/Terfenol-D/Be-bronze/Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) by sandwiching a nonmagnetic elastic Be-bronze plate between an piezoelectric PZT plate and a magnetization-graded FeCuNbSiB/Terfenol-D layer. The Be-bronze plate severs as the resonance frequency determining element of the ME heterostructure. By using the magnetization-graded magnetostrictive layer and the elastic Be-bronze plate, seven large peaks of ME response with magnitudes of 0.3–10 (V/cm Oe) in 1–70 kHz range are observed at zero-biased magnetic field. This demonstrates that the proposed multi-peak self-biased heterostructure may be useful for multifunctional devices such as multi-frequency energy harvesters or low-frequency ac magnetic field sensors.
Plasma enhanced multistate storage capability of single ZnO nanowire based memory
Authors: Lai Yunfeng , Xin Pucong , Cheng Shuying , Yu Jinling , Zheng Qiao
Published: January 2015

Multiple-state storage (MSS) is common for resistive random access memory, but the effects of plasma treatment on the MSS and the switching properties have been scarcely investigated. We have demonstrated a stable four-state storage capability of single zinc oxide nanowire (ZnO NW) treated by argon plasma. The electrical switching is attributed to the electron trapping and detrapping from the oxygen vacancies (Vos). The MSS relates to the electrical-thermal induced distribution of the Vos which determines electron transport behavior to show different resistance states. Additionally, programming (set and reset) voltages decrease with plasma treatment due to the thickness modulation of the interface barrier.
Simulated pressure-induced blue-shift of phase-matching region and nonlinear optical mechanism for K3B6O10X (X = Cl, Br)
Authors: Zhang Bingbing , Lee Ming-Hsien , Yang Zhihua , Jing Qun , Pan Shilie , Zhang Min , Wu Hongping , Su Xin , Li Cheng-Shun
Published: January 2015

Birefringence plays a great role in phase matching of the nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals. Small birefringence restricts various crystals from achieving deep-ultraviolet laser output although they exhibit short UV cutoff edges and high second-harmonic generation (SHG) intensities. An access to achieve deeper coherent light output through external pressure on NLO crystal, K3B6O10Cl is proposed and demonstrated through computer experiment based on the first principles theory. The “hot spot” in structure that determine the SHG effects and birefringence were highlighted. The shortest achievable phase-matching wavelengths are predicted based on calculated refractive indices. It is found that the quasi-planar (B6O10)2− group is the dominant contributing unit to optical anisotropy. The pressure-induced increase of polarizability anisotropy of (B6O10)2− group can notably enlarge birefringence which extends the shortest achievable wavelength of K3B6O10Cl frequency conversion. The results show that pressure engineering may be a promising scheme to overcome the drawback of small birefringence of some NLO crystals.
The photoluminescence and structural properties of (Ce, Yb) co-doped silicon oxides after high temperature annealing
Authors: Heng C. L. , Li J. T. , Su W. Y. , Yin P. G. , Finstad T. G.
Published: January 2015

We studied the photoluminescence (PL) and structural properties of Ce and Yb co-doped silicon oxide films after high temperature annealing. The PL spectra of Ce3+ and Yb3+ ions were sensitive to the structural variation of the films, and the Yb PL intensities were significantly enhanced especially upon 1200 °C annealing. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, indicated that rare earth silicates and the CeO2 phase had formed in the oxides. The proportions of the phases varied with the “nominal Si-richness” of the films. Energy transfer from the excited Ce3+ to Yb3+ can be inferred from both PL excitation and decay spectra.
High-sensitive switchable photodetector based on BiFeO3 film with in-plane polarization
Authors: Xing Jie , Guo Er-Jia , Dong Jingjing , Hao Huiying , Zheng Zhiyuan , Zhao Changchun
Published: January 2015

A high-sensitive and fast-response photodetector based on BiFeO3 (BFO) ferroelectric thin film is fabricated using coplanar electrode configuration. A large photocurrent/dark current ratio is found up to two orders of magnitude at 1 V bias. Enhanced photocurrent and rectification behavior of the photodetector are observed after applying high voltage pulses to the BFO film. The short-circuit current varies systematically with the poling process and increases linearly with the light density. On the contrary, the open-circuit voltage keeps as a constant during the measurements. We attribute these behaviors to the depolarization field and the interfacial fields at the film-electrode interfaces. The BFO device presents a peak response of 0.15 mA/W at 365 nm and the response speed is on the order of tens of nanoseconds. Our work highlights the potential application of photodetector based on the ferroelectric materials.
First-principle natural band alignment of GaN / dilute-As GaNAs alloy
Authors: Tan Chee-Keong , Tansu Nelson
Published: January 2015

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations with the local density approximation (LDA) functional are employed to investigate the band alignment of dilute-As GaNAs alloys with respect to the GaN alloy. Conduction and valence band positions of dilute-As GaNAs alloy with respect to the GaN alloy on an absolute energy scale are determined from the combination of bulk and surface DFT calculations. The resulting GaN / GaNAs conduction to valence band offset ratio is found as approximately 5:95. Our theoretical finding is in good agreement with experimental observation, indicating the upward movements of valence band at low-As content dilute-As GaNAs are mainly responsible for the drastic reduction of the GaN energy band gap. In addition, type-I band alignment of GaN / GaNAs is suggested as a reasonable approach for future device implementation with dilute-As GaNAs quantum well, and possible type-II quantum well active region can be formed by using InGaN / dilute-As GaNAs heterostructure.
The Multiple Properties of Gliotoxin and Other Epipolythiodioxopiperazine Metabolites
Authors: Waring Paul , Chai Christina L. L.
Published: January 2015

The bridged disulfide ring of the fungal metabolite gliotoxin presents both synthetic challenges and confers the molecule with a variety of interesting biological activities. This review summarises recent synthetic strategies used to insert the disulfide and polysulfide bridge across the diketopiperazine ring and briefly describes the limited structure–activity data available for this class of molecule which clearly shows the presence of the disulfide bridge dominates their biological activities. The review also covers possible cellular targets of these toxins, the possible role for the disulfide bridge in toxicity and cellular uptake mechanisms, and the nature of the cell death induced by the epipolythiopiperazinedione toxins. The potential role of this simple molecule as a diagnostic marker for invasive aspergillosis is also discussed.
Fidelity of implementation: bringing written curriculum materials into the equation
Authors: Superfine Alison Castro , Marshall Anne Marie , Kelso Cathy
Published: January 2015

Fidelity of curriculum implementation (FOI) is an important area of research because of the critical role it plays in understanding how and why curriculum materials work and how they can be improved. This analysis explores written features within the Math Trailblazers curriculum that may influence the ways teachers implement mathematics curriculum materials. In particular, we examine FOI data from prior research in order to identify features within the materials themselves that may influence why teachers adhere to the intended curriculum to varying degrees. This paper reports on our analysis of examining five whole number lessons previously analysed for level of FOI alongside an analysis scale of written curriculum features. Our purpose in this analysis is to examine features of the written curriculum that potentially mediate teachers’ implementation of the materials in line with the intended curriculum. In doing so, our analysis further emphasises the critical role teachers play in curriculum implementation, and thus may provide some insight for curriculum developers as they consider ways in which to design the written curriculum that increase the likelihood that teachers will adhere to the intended curriculum.
The Unity of Fitness
Authors: Abrams Marshall
Published: January 2015

It has been argued that biological fitness cannot be defined as expected number of offspring in all contexts. Some authors argue that fitness therefore merely satisfies a common schema or that no unified mathematical characterization of fitness is possible. I argue that comparative fitness must be relativized to an evolutionary effect; thus relativized, fitness can be given a unitary mathematical characterization in terms of probabilities of producing offspring and other effects. Such fitnesses will sometimes be defined in terms of probabilities of effects occurring over the long term, but these probabilities nevertheless concern effects occurring over the short term.
On the Locality of Data and Claims about Phenomena
Authors: Leonelli Sabina
Published: January 2015

Bogen and Woodward characterizeddataas embedded in the context in which they are produced (‘local’) andclaims about phenomenaas retaining their significance beyond that context (‘nonlocal’). This view does not fit sciences such as biology, which successfully disseminate data via packaging processes that include appropriate labels, vehicles, and human interventions. These processes enhance the evidential scope of data and ensure that claims about phenomena are understood in the same way across research communities. I conclude that the degree of locality of both data and claims about phenomena varies depending on the packaging used to make them travel and on the research setting in which they are used.
Apparently competing motivations in morphosyntactic variation
Authors: Mondorf Britta
Published: January 2015

With the revived interest in variation there has been growing readiness to incorporate competing motivations into linguistic theory‐building. Previous work (Mondorf 2009a) has shown that English comparatives are a showcase of grammatical variation, in which what looks like competing motivations at first glance turns out to be an emergent division of labour between synthetic and analytic means of expressing comparison. Analyticity is resorted to if explicitness is required because of an increased processing effort. Syntheticity is preferred in easy‐to‐process environments. This chapter discusses whether this claim extends to other synthetic–analytic contrasts: Spanish future alternation (comeré vs. voy a comer), English future alternation (She'll stay vs. She's going to stay), English genitive alternation (the topic's relevance vs. the relevance of the topic), English mood alternation (if he agree‐Ø vs. if he should agree) or German past tense alternation (sie brauchte…vs. sie hat…gebraucht), etc.
Roots in transitivity alternations
Authors: Alexiadou Artemis
Published: January 2015

The chapter investigates the interaction between non-active morphology and the ‘afto’-prefix, which has been called a reflexivizer. The main point of this chapter is that we need to distinguish between reflexivizers and triggers of reflexive interpretation. Reflexivizers are functions that turn relations into reflexive predicates. Triggers of reflexive interpretation bring about such an interpretation only when combined with a Voice structure that lacks an external argument. This is a reflexivization strategy only available in languages that have a semantically weak, underspecified, valency reducing morphology, such as Greek.
Building scalar changes
Authors: Hovav Malka Rappaport
Published: January 2015

Change of state verbs and verbs of directed motion are shown to share interpretive properties and argument realization properties which are claimed to follow from the fact that they both lexically encode, or lexicalize, as scale. The semantic core of each verb in both classes is a stative scalar attribute, and the events in the denotation of the verb involve a change in the value of that scalar attribute. There is a similar typology of scalar attributes which form the core of both classes. In contrast, incremental theme verbs, which have also been claimed to be associated with a scale, do not show the same interpretive and argument realization properties. This is claimed to follow from the fact that the scale associated with these verbs is introduced by the direct object and not lexicalized by the verb.
Position Bias in Best‐worst Scaling Surveys: A Case Study on Trust in Institutions
Authors: Campbell Danny , Erdem Seda
Published: January 2015

This paper investigates the effect of items’ physical position in the best‐worst scaling technique. Although the best‐worst scaling technique has been widely used in many fields, the literature has largely overlooked the phenomenon of consumers’ adoption of processing strategies while making their best‐worst choices. We examine this issue in the context of consumers’ trust in institutions to provide information about a new food technology, nanotechnology, and its use in food processing. Our results show that approximately half of the consumers used position as a schematic cue when making choices. We find the position bias was particularly strong when consumers chose their most trustworthy institution compared to their least trustworthy institution. In light of our findings, we recommend that researchers in the field be aware of the possibility of position bias when designing best‐worst scaling surveys. We also encourage researchers who have already collected best‐worst data to investigate whether their data shows such heuristics.
Bias in microRNA functional enrichment analysis
Authors: Bleazard Thomas , Lamb Janine A , Griffiths-Jones Sam
Published: January 2015

Motivation: Many studies have investigated the differential expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in disease states and between different treatments, tissues and developmental stages. Given a list of perturbed miRNAs, it is common to predict the shared pathways on which they act. The standard test for functional enrichment typically yields dozens of significantly enriched functional categories, many of which appear frequently in the analysis of apparently unrelated diseases and conditions.

Results: We show that the most commonly used functional enrichment test is inappropriate for the analysis of sets of genes targeted by miRNAs. The hypergeometric distribution used by the standard method consistently results in significant P-values for functional enrichment for targets of randomly selected miRNAs, reflecting an underlying bias in the predicted gene targets of miRNAs as a whole. We developed an algorithm to measure enrichment using an empirical sampling approach, and applied this in a reanalysis of the gene ontology classes of targets of miRNA lists from 44 published studies. The vast majority of the miRNA target sets were not significantly enriched in any functional category after correction for bias. We therefore argue against continued use of the standard functional enrichment method for miRNA targets.

Availability and implementation: A Python script implementing the empirical algorithm is freely available at http://sgjlab.org/empirical-go/.

Contact:  sam.griffiths-jones@manchester.ac.uk or janine.lamb@manchester.ac.uk

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.