bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Death and Consumption
Authors: Gottfried Maaike
Published: March 2015

Death and consumption intersect at the practical need to dispose of a human corpse and the oft‐accompanying ritual. In the modern capitalist West this universal and basic human responsibility has become a multibillion‐dollar industry whose main actors and transactions are sanctioned and regulated by state governments and federal agencies. For many in the United States, the death ritual is located within the purview of the funeral home, a commercial establishment offering services and merchandise related to the legal, practical, religious, and cultural requirements of corpse disposal and bereavement. Guided by religious and cultural standards, many survivors use the presentation of the death ritual as a way to honor the dead, retain social status for the deceased and surviving family, assuage unpleasant emotions about the death, reconcile changing relationships and social roles, and provide comfort and solace to mourners.
Strengthening Health Systems of Developing Countries: Inclusion of Surgery in Universal Health Coverage
Authors: Okoroh Juliet S. , Chia Victoria , Oliver Emily A. , Dharmawardene Marisa , Riviello Robert
Published: March 2015

Introduction

Universal health coverage (UHC) has its roots in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and has recently gained momentum. Out‐of‐pocket payments (OPP) remain a significant barrier to care. There is an increasing global prevalence of non‐communicable diseases, many of which are surgically treatable. We sought to provide a comparative analysis of the inclusion of surgical care in operating plans for UHC in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC).

Methods

We systematically searched PubMed and Google Scholar using pre‐defined criteria for articles published in English, Spanish, or French between January 1991 and November 2013. Keywords included “insurance,” “OPP,” “surgery,” “trauma,” “cancer,” and “congenital anomalies.” World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank, and Joint Learning Network for UHC websites were searched for supporting documents. Ministries of Health were contacted to provide further information on the inclusion of surgery.

Results

We found 696 articles and selected 265 for full‐text review based on our criteria. Some countries enumerated surgical conditions in detail (India, 947 conditions). Other countries mentioned surgery broadly. Obstetric care was most commonly covered (19 countries). Solid organ transplantation was least covered. Cancer care was mentioned broadly, often without specifying the therapeutic modality. No countries were identified where hospitals are required to provide emergency care regardless of insurance coverage. OPP varied greatly between countries. Eighty percent of countries had OPP of 60 % or more, making these services, even if partially covered, largely inaccessible.

Conclusion

While OPP, delivery, and utilization continue to represent challenges to health care access in many LMICs, the inclusion of surgery in many UHC policies sets an important precedent in addressing a growing global prevalence of surgically treatable conditions. Barriers to access, including inequalities in financial protection in the form of high OPP, remain a fundamental challenge to providing surgical care in LMICs.
Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in Children and Adolescents: Long‐Term Follow‐Up and Clinical Characteristics
Authors: Sugino Kiminori , Nagahama Mitsuji , Kitagawa Wataru , Shibuya Hiroshi , Ohkuwa Keiko , Uruno Takashi , Suzuki Akifumi , Akaishi Junko , Masaki Chie , Matsuzu Ken‐ichi , Ito Koichi
Published: March 2015

Background

The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical features and clinical outcomes of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in the pediatric and adolescent population treated in our institution.

Methods

The subjects were 227 PTC patients 20 years of age or under treated initially between 1979 and 2012. Their mean age at diagnosis was 18‐year old (range 7–20 years). Patient characteristics and outcomes in the period before 1999 and the period after 2000 were compared. Cause‐specific survival (CSS) rates and disease‐free survival (DFS) rates were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

Two patients died of their disease and 45 patients had recurrent disease (36 in lymph node, seven in a remnant thyroid, and 11 in the form of distant metastasis). The 10‐, 20‐, and 30‐CSS rates were 99.3, 99.3, and 96.5 %, respectively, and the 10‐, 20‐, and 30‐DFS were 83.6, 70.7, and 64.0 %, respectively. Gender and preoperative lymph node metastasis were identified as significant factors related to DFS in the multivariate analysis. After the year 2000, there were significantly more patients with a small primary tumor size, significantly more patients without distant metastasis at presentation and significantly more patients without extrathyroidal invasion.

Conclusion

The number of patients with advanced cancer has been declining in recent years. Lobectomy with prophylactic unilateral central neck dissection is considered acceptable for patients without the risk factors for recurrence.
From Parent to Child? Transmission of Educational Attainment Within Immigrant Families: Methodological Considerations
Authors: Luthra Renee Reichl , Soehl Thomas
Published: March 2015

One in five U.S. residents under the age of 18 has at least one foreign-born parent. Given the large proportion of immigrants with very low levels of schooling, the strength of the intergenerational transmission of education between immigrant parent and child has important repercussions for the future of social stratification in the United States. We find that the educational transmission process between parent and child is much weaker in immigrant families than in native families and, among immigrants, differs significantly across national origins. We demonstrate how this variation causes a substantial overestimation of the importance of parental education in immigrant families in studies that use aggregate data. We also show that the common practice of “controlling” for family human capital using parental years of schooling is problematic when comparing families from different origin countries and especially when comparing native and immigrant families. We link these findings to analytical and empirical distinctions between group- and individual-level processes in intergenerational transmission.
Christian Colleges and Universities as Moral Communities: The Effects of Institutional Characteristics on Student Religiosity
Authors: Davignon Phil , Thomson Robert A.
Published: March 2015

Research suggests that some Christian colleges function as moral communities that can help sustain religious belief and practice (Hill in J Sci Study Relig 48:515–534, 2009 ). In this paper, we explore several mechanisms by which this phenomenon may occur. Using a survey of college students from 31 institutions belonging to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, we examine how institutional characteristics influence changes in religiosity throughout college, finding that religious homogeneity and the availability of spiritual mentors consistently have significant effects on changes in religious belief and practice. The results are discussed in light of the existing literature on religious homogeneity and pluralism, as well as their implications for administrators at Christian colleges and universities.
Study of circulating IgG antibodies to peptide antigens derived from BIRC5 and MYC in cervical cancer
Authors: Xu Yangchun , Jin Yonglong , Liu Linlin , Zhang Xuan , Chen Yubing , Wei Jun
Published: March 2015

The present study was undertaken to detect circulating IgG antibodies to peptide antigens derived from baculoviral IAP repeat‐containing protein 5 isoform 2 (BIRC5) and myc proto‐oncogene protein (MYC) in cervical cancer. A total of 107 female patients with cervical cancer of stages I and II, and 130 healthy female subjects were recruited for analysis of circulating IgG antibodies to BIRC5 and MYC. Student'st‐test showed significant differences in circulating levels of anti‐BIRC5 IgG (t= −4.27, df = 235,P< 0.0001) and anti‐MYC IgG (t= 3.51, df = 232,P= 0.0005) between the patient group and the control group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.67 with sensitivity of 23.4% against specificity of 90% for the anti‐BIRC5 IgG assay and an AUC of 0.66 with sensitivity of 9.4% against specificity of 90.6% for the anti‐MYC IgG assay. Analysis of quality control samples gave an inter‐assay deviation of 8.9% in the anti‐BIRC5 IgG assay and 9.0% in the anti‐MYC IgG assay. This work suggests that anti‐BIRC5 IgG could serve as a biomarker for early diagnosis of cervical cancer although a panel of such tumor‐associated antigens is needed to develop a highly sensitive test.
Healthcare-Associated Pathogens and Nursing Home Policies and Practices: Results From a National Survey
Authors: Ye Zhiqiu , Mukamel Dana B. , Huang Susan S. , Li Yue , Temkin-Greener Helena
Published: March 2015

OBJECTIVE

To examine the prevalence of healthcare-associated pathogens and the infection control policies and practices in a national sample of nursing homes (NHs).

METHODS

In 2012, we conducted a national survey about the extent to which NHs follow suggested infection control practices with regard to 3 common healthcare-associated pathogens: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, and extended-spectrum β-lactamase producers, and their prevalence in NHs. We adapted a previously used and validated NH infection control survey, including questions on prevalence, admission and screening policies, contact precautions, decolonization, and cleaning practices.

RESULTS

A total of 1,002 surveys were returned. Of the responding NHs, 14.2% were less likely to accept residents with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, with the principal reason being lack of single or cohort rooms. NHs do not routinely perform admission screening (96.4%) because it is not required by regulation (56.2%) and would not change care provision (30.7%). Isolation strategies vary substantially, with gloves being most commonly used. Most NHs (75.1%) do not decolonize carriers of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, but some (10.6%) decolonize more than 90% of residents. Despite no guidance on how resident rooms on contact precautions should be cleaned, 59.3% of NHs report enhanced cleaning for such rooms.

CONCLUSION

Overall, NHs tend to follow voluntary infection control guidelines only if doing so does not require substantial financial investment in new or dedicated staff or infrastructure.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;36(7):759–766
Wine Tasters, Ratings, and En Primeur Prices
Authors: Masset Philippe , Weisskopf Jean-Philippe , Cossutta Mathieu
Published: March 2015

This paper examines the ratings of 12 influential wine critics on the Bordeaux en primeur market over the vintages 2003–2012. We hypothesize that wine experts differ significantly in their rating approach and influence on prices. We find that European critics are less transparent and in general more severe in their scoring than their American counterparts. Experts also appear to reach a relatively strong consensus on overall wine quality but have more diverse opinions on wines that achieve a surprising level of quality given the vintage, the ranking, or the appellation from which they originate. Our evidence also suggests that Robert Parker and Jean-Marc Quarin are the most influential critics, as a 10% surprise in their scores leads to a price increase of around 7%. We further find that their impact is higher for appellations and estates that are not covered by the official 1855 classification and for the best vintages. (JEL Classifications: C60, G11, Q11)
The Incumbency Bonus Revisited: Causes and Consequences of Media Dominance
Authors: Green-Pedersen Christoffer , Mortensen Peter B. , Thesen Gunnar
Published: March 2015

The literature on political actors’ media appearances has repeatedly documented the so-called incumbency bonus (that parties and politicians in government have more media coverage than those in the opposition). This bias is normally attributed to news criteria that reflect political power, such as relevance and the elite status of actors. Supplementing existing perspectives, this study puts forward a new explanation of the incumbency bonus. The article argues that variations in the media dominance of incumbents are the result of the interplay between journalistic norms and political context. Outside election campaigns, political news is driven by the ‘watch dog’ norm. Thus the media focus on societal problems, which produces a critical emphasis on incumbent actors. But when party competition intensifies, either during campaigns or when issues become salient, the norm of objective and impartial journalism results in a more balanced coverage where challengers increase their presence. The argument receives support through multivariate models of incumbent and challenger appearances in Danish radio news broadcasts over a twenty-year period. Finally, in terms of democratic implications, the importance of the watchdog norm challenges the assumption that the incumbency bonus constitutes an electoral asset. Since media dominance is closely related to government responsibility for all kinds of problems, incumbent support is found to dwindle with increased media appearances.
Frugal Modernity: Livelihood and Consumption in Republican China
Authors: Zanasi Margherita
Published: March 2015

This article examines the development of the Chinese discourse on consumption and standards of living from the early twentieth century to the implementation of the New Life Movement in the mid-1930s. During this period, the idea that China's economy was characterized by scarcity rather than growth—and thus was experiencing a different level of development from the industrialized West—caused Chinese intellectuals and officials to question the wisdom of adopting Western-style consumerist habits and “extravagant” standard of living. In this context, they struggled to find a balance between a supposedly universal model of economic modernization and China's particular nation-building and developmental needs. This early twentieth-century debate illustrates how nationalist and developmental perspectives hindered the adoption of liberal models of consumerist economy, marking the beginning of China's uneasy relationship with a free-market economy as well as a growing tension between urban consumerist trends and central planning. It also helped bring about new forms of frugal modernity that were to culminate in the New Life Movement.
Recurrent epistaxis in a nine-year-old boy: benign or malignant?
Authors: Dean H F , Hadjisymeou S , Morrison G , Hore I
Published: March 2015

Objective:

We present the case of a rare cause of epistaxis in a paediatric patient, together with the diagnostic and management challenges associated with this condition.

Case report:

A previously well nine-year-old boy presented with a six-month history of intermittent unilateral epistaxis. Radiological investigation and endoscopic biopsy confirmed a highly malignant nasopharyngeal mass consistent with carcinoma. The tumour continued to grow rapidly. Whilst awaiting intervention, the patient experienced a further significant haemorrhage requiring surgical intervention.

Conclusion:

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a rare cause of epistaxis amongst children in the UK. Early flexible nasendoscopy can help delineate both benign and sinister causes of symptoms in this region.
Rare giant frontal sinus osteoma mimicking fibrous dysplasia
Authors: Exley R P , Markey A , Rutherford S , Bhalla R K
Published: March 2015

Objective:

To present the first report of a giant frontal sinus osteoma treated by excision and single-stage reconstruction with custom-made titanium cranioplasty and left orbital roof prostheses.

Case report:

A 31-year-old man with a history of chronic frontal sinusitis presented with a deforming, painless, midline forehead swelling of 11 years' duration, which had been treated unsuccessfully in Nigeria. Differential diagnosis included both benign and malignant bony tumours. Computerised tomography revealed a giant bony frontal sinus tumour extending beyond the sinus roof and breaching the left orbit, consistent with fibrous dysplasia. Given the extent of the tumour, open craniectomy was performed for surgical extirpation. Histological analysis identified multiple osteomas. This surgical approach achieved excellent cosmesis, with no evidence of recurrence at 12-month follow up.

Conclusion:

Forehead swelling may pose diagnostic and management dilemmas for the ENT surgeon; however, effective management is facilitated by a multidisciplinary approach.
Dissipation of Langmuir waves in the process of their nonlinear conversion into electromagnetic waves
Authors: Erofeev Vasily I.
Published: March 2015

A new equation for the kinetics of nonlinear conversion of Langmuir waves to electromagnetic waves is developed. Based on this, the former vision of Langmuir turbulence energy thermalization via stochastic plasma electron acceleration (Erofeev 2010 J. Fusion Energy29, 337) is adapted to weakly turbulent plasmas in which this three-wave process occurs. Respective analysis of wave energy dissipation is extended to account for previously unrecognized terms in the kinetics of plasma electrons. It is stated that, cumulatively, these terms do not lead to substantial changes in the picture of Langmuir turbulence dissipation in the corresponding nonlinear plasma.
Population dynamics of the harvested clam Anomalocardia brasiliana (Bivalvia: Veneridae) in Cidade Beach, south-east Brazil
Authors: Corte Guilherme Nascimento , Yokoyama Leonardo Querobim , Coleman Ross A. , Amaral A. Cecília Z.
Published: March 2015

Knowledge of the population dynamics and productivity of exploited species is essential to achieve the sustainable development of fisheries, and to ensure sustainable, long-term use of these resources. The venerid clam Anomalocardia brasiliana is harvested as a fishery resource from the French West Indies to Brazil. Yet, the exploitation of this species is not backed by management or regulations based on scientific knowledge. This can result in reduced (or even depleted) A. brasiliana density and biomass. Here, we examined the population dynamics of A. brasiliana over the course of 1 year at Cidade Beach, a sheltered sandy beach located in south-eastern Brazil. Sampling was done monthly from March 2007 to February 2008. The sampled population was predominantly juvenile. Growth and recruitment were continuous, indicating no major fluctuation in limiting factors, such as temperature, salinity and food. Nevertheless, the abundance and the turnover rate (P/B ratio) of A. brasiliana at Cidade were much smaller than the values observed in other areas of occurrence. The mortality was more intense in young individuals, and the peak of individual production occurred in individuals with a 25 mm shell length, suggesting that individuals smaller than this size should not be exploited.
Unpacking the Relationship between Parenting and Poverty: Theory, Evidence and Policy
Authors: La Placa Vincent , Corlyon Judy
Published: March 2015

Policy discourses around child poverty and its causes and effects on families emerged in the 1990s, culminating in the Coalition government's emphasis on the quality of couple relations in improving child outcomes and in reducing child poverty. This article reviews and updates the current evidence base around the relationship between parenting and poverty. Evidence suggests an intricate relationship between complex and mediating processes of, for instance, income, parental stress, disrupted parenting practices and neighbourhoods and environments, as opposed to a simplistic causal relationship between poverty, parenting and child outcomes. The article then proceeds to suggest responses to enhance the evidence and research. Lastly, it considers the implications for child poverty policy, arguing that current responses are too simplistic and do not sufficiently reflect the evidence base.
Flexible and miniaturized power divider
Authors: Burdin François , Podevin Florence , Ferrari Philippe
Published: March 2015

A new flexible and miniaturized power divider (PD), based on the Wilkinson PD topology, is carried out in this paper. Flexibility and size reduction are achieved simultaneously thanks to both an open-stub loading the input port and additional transmission lines (TLines) connecting the output ports to the isolation resistance. Design equations and rules are given. As a proof-of-concept, two PDs working at 2.45 GHz were fabricated and measured. Then, on the basis of the previous developments, a 1:4 power-dividing feeding network was realized. It highlights the high performance and flexibility of the proposed PD. Agreement between simulation and measurement results is very good, for PDs as well as for the feeding network, thus validating the proposed approach. This concept is straightforward to be applied at higher frequencies, in particular in the millimeter-wave range on CMOS technologies, where flexibility in the choice of the TLines characteristic impedances and size reduction are mandatory.
Direct participation: Law school clinics and international humanitarian law
Authors: Blank Laurie R. , Kaye David
Published: March 2015

Law school clinics focused on international humanitarian law (IHL) enable students to participate directly in the development and application of IHL through concrete “real world” work – from training to research and fact-finding, litigation to high-level advocacy, and many spaces in between. These opportunities do far more than just contribute to these students' development as effective, reflective lawyers, certainly a key goal of any clinical environment. Clinical IHL work also matches clinical pedagogy with cutting-edge issues in armed conflict to deepen students' law school experiences and enables them to engage in the IHL goals of promotion, implementation and enforcement.
Getting the Message: The Adaptive Potential of Interpersonal Judgments
Authors: Mayer John D. , Phillips Kimberly G. , Barry Amy
Published: March 2015

According to the Social Message Model, interpersonal judgments are transactions in which judges convey important social messages to the individuals they evaluate (the targets); targets can then respond to the judgments in more or less adaptive ways. We argue that judges’ opinions emerge from their current concerns, be it to promote their own well-being, or to foster group cohesion. Targets of judgments can best interpret the meaning of a judgment they receive by understanding the judge's concerns, competence of the judge, and other qualities of the transaction. We suggest that judges and targets who are better able to reason about the judgment process are likely to change their behaviors more adaptively than people less able to reason in this area.
Psychological Momentum—Not a Statistical but Psychological Phenomenon: Response to Commentary by
Authors: Iso-Ahola Seppo E. , Dotson Charles O.
Published: March 2015

To declare a phenomenon an illusion would require no logical (theoretical) and empirical support for it after exhaustive research. Yet both types of evidence for psychological momentum (PM) abound in the literature, from individual sport performance to mutual fund investing. For example, it is well established that momentum-based investing provides consistent outperformance. However, in their commentary, the authors focus narrowly on one segment of sporting behavior, especially basketball studies, in which “hot hand” has only been tested based on 1 performance criterion—shooting percentages or probabilities—when a true test of “hotness” would require inclusion of multiple performance indicators. These studies are also marred by major theoretical and methodological deficiencies. Coupled with the propositional and provisional nature of scientific knowledge, one is left with no basis for making generalized statements about illusion and randomness of PM. As Gleiser (2014 , p. 44) so eloquently states, “Data without theory is lame; theory without data is blind.” To move forward, we have formulated the theoretical parameters of the phenomenon and show evidence indicating that performance successes not only occur in sequence, but higher-ranked players are able to put together more frequent and more lasting strings of successful performances; they also bounce back more quickly from failures. All in all, PM is alive and well. Its theoretical properties have been put forth for the first time, and empirical evidence is mounting for its effects in various domains of human behavior and performance.
Supramolecular gels with high strength by tuning of calix[4]arene-derived networks
Authors: Lee Ji Ha , Park Jaehyeon , Park Jin-Woo , Ahn Hyo-Jun , Jaworski Justyn , Jung Jong Hwa
Published: March 2015

Supramolecular gels comprised of low-molecular-weight gelators are generally regarded as mechanically weak and unable to support formation of free-standing structures, hence, their practical use with applied loads has been limited. Here, we reveal a technique for in situ generation of high tensile strength supramolecular hydrogels derived from low-molecular-weight gelators. By controlling the concentration of hydrochloric acid during hydrazone formation between calix-[4]arene-based gelator precursors, we tune the mechanical and ductile properties of the resulting gel. Organogels formed without hydrochloric acid exhibit impressive tensile strengths, higher than 40 MPa, which is the strongest among self-assembled gels. Hydrogels, prepared by solvent exchange of organogels in water, show 7,000- to 10,000-fold enhanced mechanical properties because of further hydrazone formation. This method of molding also allows the gels to retain shape after processing, and furthermore, we find organogels when prepared as gel electrolytes for lithium battery applications to have good ionic conductivity.
Charting the complete elastic properties of inorganic crystalline compounds
Authors: de Jong Maarten , Chen Wei , Angsten Thomas , Jain Anubhav , Notestine Randy , Gamst Anthony , Sluiter Marcel , Krishna Ande Chaitanya , van der Zwaag Sybrand , Plata Jose J , Toher Cormac , Curtarolo Stefano , Ceder Gerbrand , Persson Kristin A. , Asta Mark
Published: March 2015

The elastic constant tensor of an inorganic compound provides a complete description of the response of the material to external stresses in the elastic limit. It thus provides fundamental insight into the nature of the bonding in the material, and it is known to correlate with many mechanical properties. Despite the importance of the elastic constant tensor, it has been measured for a very small fraction of all known inorganic compounds, a situation that limits the ability of materials scientists to develop new materials with targeted mechanical responses. To address this deficiency, we present here the largest database of calculated elastic properties for inorganic compounds to date. The database currently contains full elastic information for 1,181 inorganic compounds, and this number is growing steadily. The methods used to develop the database are described, as are results of tests that establish the accuracy of the data. In addition, we document the database format and describe the different ways it can be accessed and analyzed in efforts related to materials discovery and design.
Permeability-controlled optical modulator with Tri-gate metamaterial: control of permeability on InP-based photonic integration platform
Authors: Amemiya Tomohiro , Ishikawa Atsushi , Kanazawa Toru , Kang JoonHyung , Nishiyama Nobuhiko , Miyamoto Yasuyuki , Tanaka Takuo , Arai Shigehisa
Published: March 2015

Metamaterials are artificially structured materials that can produce innovative optical functionalities such as negative refractive index, invisibility cloaking and super-resolution imaging. Combining metamaterials with semiconductors enables us to develop novel optoelectronic devices based on the new concept of operation. Here we report the first experimental demonstration of a permeability-controlled waveguide optical modulator consisting of an InGaAsP/InP Mach-Zehnder interferometer with ‘tri-gate’ metamaterial attached on its arms. The tri-gate metamaterial consists of metal resonator arrays and triple-gate field effect elements. It changes its permeability with a change in the controlling gate voltage, thereby changing the refractive index of the interferometer arm to switch the modulator with an extinction ratio of 6.9 dB at a wavelength of 1.55 μm. The result shows the feasibility of InP-based photonic integrated devices that can produce new functions by controlling their permeability as well as their permittivity.
Assembly of forest communities across East Asia – insights from phylogenetic community structure and species pool scaling
Authors: Feng Gang , Mi Xiangcheng , Eiserhardt Wolf L. , Jin Guangze , Sang Weiguo , Lu Zhijun , Wang Xihua , Li Xiankun , Li Buhang , Sun Ifang , Ma Keping , Svenning Jens-Christian
Published: March 2015

Local communities are assembled from larger-scale species pools via dispersal, environmental filtering, biotic interactions and local stochastic demographic processes. The relative importance, scaling and interplay of these assembly processes can be elucidated by comparing local communities to variously circumscribed species pools. Here we present the first study applying this approach to forest tree communities across East Asia, focusing on community phylogenetic structure and using data from a global network of tropical, subtropical and temperate forest plots. We found that Net Relatedness Index (NRI) and Nearest Taxon Index (NTI) values were generally lower with geographically broad species pools (global and Asian species pools) than with an East Asian species pool, except that global species pool produced higher NTI than the East Asian species pool. The lower NRI for the global relative to the East Asian species pool may indicate an important role of intercontinental migration during the Neogene and Quaternary and climatic conservatism in shaping the deeper phylogenetic structure of tree communities in East Asia. In contrast, higher NTI for the global relative to the East Asian species pool is consistent with recent localized diversification determining the shallow phylogenetic structure.
A random Q-switched fiber laser
Authors: Tang Yulong , Xu Jianqiu
Published: March 2015

Extensive studies have been performed on random lasers in which multiple-scattering feedback is used to generate coherent emission. Q-switching and mode-locking are well-known routes for achieving high peak power output in conventional lasers. However, in random lasers, the ubiquitous random cavities that are formed by multiple scattering inhibit energy storage, making Q-switching impossible. In this paper, widespread Rayleigh scattering arising from the intrinsic micro-scale refractive-index irregularities of fiber cores is used to form random cavities along the fiber. The Q-factor of the cavity is rapidly increased by stimulated Brillouin scattering just after the spontaneous emission is enhanced by random cavity resonances, resulting in random Q-switched pulses with high brightness and high peak power. This report is the first observation of high-brightness random Q-switched laser emission and is expected to stimulate new areas of scientific research and applications, including encryption, remote three-dimensional random imaging and the simulation of stellar lasing.
Characterization of a novel N-acetylneuraminic acid lyase favoring industrial N-acetylneuraminic acid synthesis process
Authors: Ji Wenyan , Sun Wujin , Feng Jinmei , Song Tianshun , Zhang Dalu , Ouyang Pingkai , Gu Zhen , Xie Jingjing
Published: March 2015

N-Acetylneuraminic acid lyase (NAL, E.C. number 4.1.3.3) is a Class I aldolase that catalyzes the reversible aldol cleavage of N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) from pyruvate and N-acetyl-D-mannosamine (ManNAc). Due to the high Neu5Ac cleavage activity in most isozyme forms, the enzyme catalyzes the rate-limiting step of two biocatalytic reactions producing Neu5Ac in industry. We report the biochemical characterization of a novel NAL from a “GRAS” (General recognized as safe) strain C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 (CgNal). Compared to all previously reported NALs, CgNal exhibited the lowest apparent kcat/Km value for Neu5Ac and highest apparent kcat/Km values for ManNAc and pyruvate, which makes CgNal favor industrial Neu5Ac synthesis process in a non-equilibrium condition. The recombinant CgNal reached the highest expression level (480 mg/L culture) and the highest reported yield of Neu5Ac was achieved (194 g/L, 0.63 M). All these unique properties make CgNal a promising biocatalyst for industrial Neu5Ac biosynthesis. Additionally, although showing the best Neu5Ac synthesis activity among the NAL family, CgNal is more related to dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS) by phylogenetic analysis. The activities of CgNal towards both NAL's and DHDPS' substrates are fairly high, which indicates CgNal a bi-functional enzyme. The sequence analysis suggests that CgNal might have adopted a unique set of residues for substrates recognition.
Identification of domestication-related loci associated with flowering time and seed size in soybean with the RAD-seq genotyping method
Authors: Zhou Ling , Wang Shi-Bo , Jian Jianbo , Geng Qing-Chun , Wen Jia , Song Qijian , Wu Zhenzhen , Li Guang-Jun , Liu Yu-Qin , Dunwell Jim M. , Zhang Jin , Feng Jian-Ying , Niu Yuan , Zhang Li , Ren Wen-Long , Zhang Yuan-Ming
Published: March 2015

Flowering time and seed size are traits related to domestication. However, identification of domestication-related loci/genes of controlling the traits in soybean is rarely reported. In this study, we identified a total of 48 domestication-related loci based on RAD-seq genotyping of a natural population comprising 286 accessions. Among these, four on chromosome 12 and additional two on chromosomes 11 and 15 were associated with flowering time and four on chromosomes 11 and 16 were associated with seed size. Of the five genes associated with flowering time and the three genes associated with seed size, three genes Glyma11g18720, Glyma11g15480 and Glyma15g35080 were homologous to Arabidopsis genes, additional five genes were found for the first time to be associated with these two traits. Glyma11g18720 and Glyma05g28130 were co-expressed with five genes homologous to flowering time genes in Arabidopsis and Glyma11g15480 was co-expressed with 24 genes homologous to seed development genes in Arabidopsis. This study indicates that integration of population divergence analysis, genome-wide association study and expression analysis is an efficient approach to identify candidate domestication-related genes.
Modulation of expression of genes involved in glycosaminoglycan metabolism and lysosome biogenesis by flavonoids
Authors: Moskot Marta , Jakóbkiewicz-Banecka Joanna , Kloska Anna , Smolińska Elwira , Mozolewski Paweł , Malinowska Marcelina , Rychłowski Michał , Banecki Bogdan , Węgrzyn Grzegorz , Gabig-Cimińska Magdalena
Published: March 2015

Flavonoids were found previously to modulate efficiency of synthesis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), compounds which are accumulated in cells of patients suffering from mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs). The aim of this work was to determine effects of different flavonoids (genistein, kaempferol, daidzein) used alone or in combinations, on expression of genes coding for proteins involved in GAG metabolism. Analyses with DNA microarray, followed by real-time qRT-PCR revealed that genistein, kaempferol and combination of these two compounds induced dose- and time-dependent remarkable alterations in transcript profiles of GAG metabolism genes in cultures of wild-type human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa). Interestingly, effects of the mixture of genistein and kaempferol were stronger than those revealed by any of these compounds used alone. Similarly, the most effective reduction in levels of GAG production, in both HDFa and MPS II cells, was observed in the presence of genistein, keampferol and combination of these compounds. Forty five genes were chosen for further verification not only in HDFa, but also in MPS II fibroblasts by using real-time qRT-PCR. Despite effects on GAG metabolism-related genes, we found that genistein, kaempferol and mixture of these compounds significantly stimulated expression of TFEB. Additionally, a decrease in MTOR transcript level was observed at these conditions.
Module organization and variance in protein-protein interaction networks
Authors: Lin Chun-Yu , Lee Tsai-Ling , Chiu Yi-Yuan , Lin Yi-Wei , Lo Yu-Shu , Lin Chih-Ta , Yang Jinn-Moon
Published: March 2015

A module is a group of closely related proteins that act in concert to perform specific biological functions through protein–protein interactions (PPIs) that occur in time and space. However, the underlying module organization and variance remain unclear. In this study, we collected module templates to infer respective module families, including 58,041 homologous modules in 1,678 species and PPI families using searches of complete genomic database. We then derived PPI evolution scores and interface evolution scores to describe the module elements, including core and ring components. Functions of core components were highly correlated with those of essential genes. In comparison with ring components, core proteins/PPIs were conserved across multiple species. Subsequently, protein/module variance of PPI networks confirmed that core components form dynamic network hubs and play key roles in various biological functions. Based on the analyses of gene essentiality, module variance and gene co-expression, we summarize the observations of module organization and variance as follows: 1) a module consists of core and ring components; 2) core components perform major biological functions and collaborate with ring components to execute certain functions in some cases; 3) core components are more conserved and essential during organizational changes in different biological states or conditions.
The promotion of angiogenesis induced by three-dimensional porous beta-tricalcium phosphate scaffold with different interconnection sizes via activation of PI3K/Akt pathways
Authors: Xiao Xin , Wang Wei , Liu Dong , Zhang Haoqiang , Gao Peng , Geng Lei , Yuan Yulin , Lu Jianxi , Wang Zhen
Published: March 2015

The porous architectural characteristics of biomaterials play an important role in scaffold revascularization. However, no consensus exists regarding optimal interconnection sizes for vascularization and its scaffold bioperformance with different interconnection sizes. Therefore, a series of disk-type beta-tricalcium phosphates with the same pore sizes and variable interconnections were produced to evaluate how the interconnection size influenced biomaterial vascularization in vitro and in vivo. We incubated human umbilical vein endothelial cells on scaffolds with interconnections of various sizes. Results showed that scaffolds with a 150 μm interconnection size ameliorated endothelial cell function evidenced by promoting cell adhesion and migration, increasing cell proliferation and enhancing expression of platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecules and vascular endothelial growth factor. In vivo study was performed on rabbit implanted with scaffolds into the bone defect on femoral condyles. Implantation with scaffolds with 150 μm interconnection size significantly improved neovascularization as shown by micro-CT as compared to scaffolds with 100 and 120 μm interconnection sizes. Moreover, the aforementioned positive effects were abolished by blocking PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway with LY-294002. Our study explicitly demonstrates that the scaffold with 150 μm interconnection size improves neovascularization via the PI3K/Akt pathway and provides a target for biomaterial inner structure modification to attain improved clinical performance in implant vascularization.
Fingerprints of short-range and long-range structure in BaZr1−xHfxO3 solid solutions: an experimental and theoretical study
Authors: Uarth Fassbender Rafael , Strelow Lilge Tatiane , Cava Sergio , Andrés Juan , Fernando da Silva Luis , Roberto Mastelaro Valmor , Longo Elson , Lucio Moreira Mario
Published: March 2015

A microwave-assisted hydrothermal method was applied to synthesize BaZr1−xHfxO3 (BZHO) solid solutions at a low temperature, 140 °C, and relatively short times, 160 min.
Luminescent properties of 2-mercaptobenzothiazolates of trivalent lanthanides
Authors: Ilichev Vasily A. , Pushkarev Anatoly P. , Rumyantcev Roman V. , Yablonskiy Artem N. , Balashova Tatyana V. , Fukin Georgy K. , Grishin Dmitry F. , Andreev Boris A. , Bochkarev Mikhail N.
Published: March 2015

The bright metal-centered emission of Yb mercaptobenzothiazolates was observed and explained by the redox excitation mechanism.
On the importance of shear dissipative forces in coarse-grained dynamics of molecular liquids
Authors: Izvekov Sergei , Rice Betsy M.
Published: March 2015

In this work we demonstrate from first principles that the shear frictions describing dissipative forces in the direction normal to the vector connecting the coarse-grained (CG) particles in dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) could be dominant for certain real molecular liquids at high-resolution coarse-graining.
The performance and mechanism of Ag-doped CeO2/TiO2 catalysts in the catalytic oxidation of gaseous elemental mercury
Authors: Zhao Songjian , Qu Zan , Yan Naiqiang , Li Zhen , Xu Haomiao , Mei Jian , Quan Fuquan
Published: March 2015

The mechanism of Hg0 oxidation over catalysts at low temperature and at high temperature.
Nanoscale metallogel via self-assembly of self-assembled trinuclear coordination rings: multi-stimuli-responsive soft materials
Authors: Ganta Sudhakar , Chand Dillip Kumar
Published: March 2015

A multi-stimuli-responsive metallogel is obtained by the self-assembly of an already self-assembled trinuclear palladium(ii) based coordination ring of the rare M3L6 composition.
WO3 nanorolls self-assembled as thin films by hydrothermal synthesis
Authors: Vankova S. , Zanarini S. , Amici J. , Cámara F. , Arletti R. , Bodoardo S. , Penazzi N.
Published: March 2015

We report a novel type of WO3 nanostructure, i.e. nanorolls obtained as a self-assembled thin film on a transparent conductive substrate.
Temporal changes in horsebean bioavailability and accumulation after removing extractable oxytetracycline fractions in soils
Authors: Bao Yanyu , Zhou Qixing
Published: March 2015

Extractable fractions of oxytetracycline in soil affect its bioavailability and accumulation in plants.
A hetero-alkali metallic (Na, K) three-dimensional supramolecular assembly based on p-sulfonatothiacalix[4]arene
Authors: Kunda Uma Maheswara Rao , Yamada Manabu , Kimuro Takashi , Katagiri Hiroshi , Kondo Yoshihiko , Hamada Fumio
Published: March 2015

We report here the assembly ofp-sulfonatothiacalix[4]arene with two different alkali metals such as Na and K and it showed direct evidence for several fascinating interactions in supramolecular chemistry.
Inducing glassy magnetism in Co-ferrite nanoparticles through crystalline nanostructure
Authors: Moya Carlos , Salas Gorka , Morales María del Puerto , Batlle Xavier , Labarta Amílcar
Published: March 2015

This work reports on the study of three samples of 8 nm Co-ferrite particles prepared by standard methods based on the thermal decomposition of metal–organic precursors.
Complementing reversed-phase selectivity with porous graphitized carbon to increase the metabolome coverage in an on-line two-dimensional LC-MS setup for metabolomics
Authors: Ortmayr Karin , Hann Stephan , Koellensperger Gunda
Published: March 2015

A novel on-line combination of reversed phase and porous graphitized carbon liquid chromatography increases the versatility in non-targeted metabolomics.
Analysis of bacterial plasmid DNA by solid-phase microextraction
Authors: Nacham Omprakash , Clark Kevin D. , Anderson Jared L.
Published: March 2015

A polymeric ionic liquid sorbent coating is applied in the extraction of two different plasmids from a mixture ofE. colitransformants using solid-phase microextraction.
Nanoparticles for inhibition of in vitro tumour angiogenesis: synergistic actions of ligand function and laser irradiation
Authors: Bartczak Dorota , Muskens Otto L. , Nitti Simone , Millar Timothy M. , Kanaras Antonios G.
Published: March 2015

Inhibition of tumor angiogenesis driven by laser induced nanoparticle hyperthermia using peptide-coated gold nanorods.
Persistent luminescent sub-10 nm Cr doped ZnGa2O4nanoparticles by a biphasic synthesis route
Authors: Srivastava Bhupendra B. , Kuang Anxiu , Mao Yuanbing
Published: March 2015

This communication highlights a simple and facile biphasic synthesis of persistent luminescent sub-10 nm Cr:ZnGa2O4nanoparticles for the first time.
A novel structural Fenton-like nanocatalyst with highly improved catalytic performance for generalized preparation of iron oxide@organic dye polymer core–shell nanospheres
Authors: Zhao Guanghui , Peng Xiaomen , Li Hongping , Wang Jianzhi , Zhou Lincheng , Zhao Tianqi , Huang Zhihao , Jiang Haifei
Published: March 2015

FexOy@FexOy/C nanoparticles as excellent catalysts and precursors could catalyze organic dye molecules to form iron oxide@organic dye polymer core–shell nanospheres.
Magnetocaloric effect and thermal conductivity of Gd(OH)3 and Gd2O(OH)4(H2O)2
Authors: Yang Yan , Zhang Qian-Chong , Pan Yin-Yin , Long La-Sheng , Zheng Lan-Sun
Published: March 2015

The magnetocaloric effect and thermal conductivity of two gadolinium hydroxides, Gd(OH)3 (1) and Gd2O(OH)4(H2O)2 (2), were investigated, respectively, revealing that 1 is the most promising candidate for an ultra-low temperature magnetic refrigeration material.
A rhodium(i)-catalysed formal intramolecular C–C/C–H bond metathesis
Authors: Matsuda Takanori , Yuihara Itaru
Published: March 2015

The rhodium-catalyzed phenylcyclobutane-to-indane transformation proceedsviaconsecutive chelation-assisted C–C bond cleavage and intramolecular C–H bond cleavage.
Red emissive AIE luminogens with high hole-transporting properties for efficient non-doped OLEDs
Authors: Qin Wei , Lam Jacky W. Y. , Yang Zhiyong , Chen Shuming , Liang Guodong , Zhao Weijun , Kwok Hoi Sing , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: March 2015

Bifunctional red AIE fluorophores are utilized as both emitting and hole-transporting layers with good performances in non-doped bilayer EL devices.
Correction: A FRET based pH probe with a broad working range applicable to referenced ratiometric dual wavelength and luminescence lifetime read out
Authors: Meier Robert J. , Simbürger Johann M. B. , Soukka Tero , Schäferling Michael
Published: March 2015

Correction for ‘A FRET based pH probe with a broad working range applicable to referenced ratiometric dual wavelength and luminescence lifetime read out’ by Robert J. Meier et al., Chem. Commun., 2015, DOI: 10.1039/c5cc00144g.
Correction: ATP dephosphorylation can be either enhanced or inhibited by pH-controlled interaction with a dendrimer molecule
Authors: Bazzicalupi Carla , Bianchi Antonio , Giorgi Claudia , Savastano Matteo , Morales-Lara Francisco
Published: March 2015

Correction for ‘ATP dephosphorylation can be either enhanced or inhibited by pH-controlled interaction with a dendrimer molecule’ by Carla Bazzicalupi et al., Chem. Commun., 2015, 51, 3907–3910.
Organic nanoparticles of malachite green with enhanced far-red emission: size-dependence of particle rigidity
Authors: Funada Tomohito , Hirose Takuya , Tamai Naoto , Yao Hiroshi
Published: March 2015

The “rigidity” of malachite green nanoparticles is strongly size-dependent; the smaller the size is, the greater the particle rigidity inside.
Nitric oxide activation by caa3 oxidoreductase from Thermus thermophilus
Authors: Ohta Takehiro , Soulimane Tewfik , Kitagawa Teizo , Varotsis Constantinos
Published: March 2015

We present UV-Raman evidence for the formation of the hyponitrite (HO–NN–O−) species in the binuclear heme a3 Fe–CuB center (νN–N = 1330 cm−1) of caa3 heme-copper oxidoreductase from Thermus thermophilus.