bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Principles-Based Regulations: A Model for Legal Reform in the Nigerian Insurance Industry
Authors: Oyetayo Yeside
Published: March 2015

The development of global standards has led to a convergence in domestic regulations in the financial services sectors. Principles-based regulations (PBRs) have become essential for effective regulatory efforts in insurance and other financial services because of their flexibility, support for regulatory efficiency and the development of a good compliance culture amongst the regulated. The legal framework of the Nigerian insurance industry mainly contains prescriptive and performance-based regimes that have become ineffective as regulatory strategies. This article recommends the adoption of PBRs from available models found in international standard setting organizations such as the International Association of Insurance Supervisors, other jurisdictions such as the UK's Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority, together with international trade regimes such as the General Agreement on Trade in Services. It reviews aspects of Nigerian insurance industry regulations supporting PBRs and highlights laws not supportive of PBRs and therefore requiring reform.
A Troubled Vernacular: Legibility and Presence in Indonesian Activist Art
Authors: Lee Doreen
Published: March 2015

Activist art and political resistance became popular aesthetics in the work of Indonesian artists after the fall of the New Order in 1998. In subsequent years, more art alternatives have emerged in cities and small towns across Indonesia, including diverse and vernacular modes of artistry such as street art and community-based international festivals. Where artists formerly focused their energies on critiquing the state, present art initiatives have become far more diffuse, counter-establishment, and localized in their approach. Local artists started the Jogja mural movement to rebrand Yogyakarta as a city of murals, while Jatiwangi Art Factory, an arts collective founded in a semi-industrialized village in West Java, has become a haven for performance arts and community-based projects for Indonesians and foreign artists in residence. This article looks at such experiments of legibility and presence as a new means of redefining publics and broadening the domain of political participation in Indonesia.
Colonizing the Sacred: Allahabad and the Company State, 1797–1857
Authors: Zaman Faridah
Published: March 2015

This article rethinks the complicated encounter between the East India Company and the built heritage of India in the early nineteenth century. Through an extended case study of the imperial mosque in Allahabad, which was periodically subject to British intervention over some sixty years, it traces vicissitudes in attitudes towards history, religion, and the social existence of Muslims in India generally and Allahabad in particular. The article argues for the need to look beyond the narrative of Britain's relationship with architecture as artefact or heritage—a relationship that took on institutional form in the 1860s—to the comparatively less familiar story of the Company State's prolonged and serious interest in the built environment, and specifically religious buildings, as part of the political economy of its rule. It demonstrates that such an interest was simultaneously a logical outcome of and a tension within the legitimating discourses that the Company State fashioned during the last half-century of its rule in India.
Sphingolipid transfer proteins defined by the GLTP-fold
Authors: Malinina Lucy , Simanshu Dhirendra K. , Zhai Xiuhong , Samygina Valeria R. , Kamlekar RaviKanth , Kenoth Roopa , Ochoa-Lizarralde Borja , Malakhova Margarita L. , Molotkovsky Julian G. , Patel Dinshaw J. , Brown Rhoderick E.
Published: March 2015

Glycolipid transfer proteins (GLTPs) originally were identified as small (~24 kDa), soluble, amphitropic proteins that specifically accelerate the intermembrane transfer of glycolipids. GLTPs and related homologs now are known to adopt a unique, helically dominated, two-layer ‘sandwich’ architecture defined as the GLTP-fold that provides the structural underpinning for the eukaryotic GLTP superfamily. Recent advances now provide exquisite insights into structural features responsible for lipid headgroup selectivity as well as the adaptability of the hydrophobic compartment for accommodating hydrocarbon chains of differing length and unsaturation. A new understanding of the structural versatility and evolutionary premium placed on the GLTP motif has emerged. Human GLTP-motifs have evolved to function not only as glucosylceramide binding/transferring domains for phosphoinositol 4-phosphate adaptor protein-2 during glycosphingolipid biosynthesis but also as selective binding/transfer proteins for ceramide-1-phosphate. The latter, known as ceramide-1-phosphate transfer protein, recently has been shown to form GLTP-fold while critically regulating Group-IV cytoplasmic phospholipase A2activity and pro-inflammatory eicosanoid production.
Plasma expansion dynamics in the presence of a relativistic electron beam
Authors: Benkhelifa El-Amine , Djebli Mourad
Published: March 2015

The dynamics of an electron–ion plasma is studied when a mono-energetic relativistic electron beam penetrates the expanding plasma. Combined effects of thermal pressure and ambipolar electrostatic potential are considered for fully relativistic multi-fluids model where the quasi-neutrality assumption is used for a beam–plasma system. Relativistic effects are considered for both density and velocity of the beam fluid. Ion acceleration is depicted through a spike-like structure resulting from non-local charge separation and associated with the beak-down of quasi-neutrality. The beam initial speed is found to enhance the spike amplitude and change its position. Moreover, relativistic effects are particularly found significant for a non-thermal plasma.
RISK MODELS IN INSURANCE AND EPIDEMICS: A BRIDGE THROUGH RANDOMIZED POLYNOMIALS
Authors: Lefèvre Claude , Picard Philippe
Published: March 2015

The purpose of this work is to construct a bridge between two classical topics in applied probability: the finite-time ruin probability in insurance and the final outcome distribution in epidemics. The two risk problems are reformulated in terms of the joint right-tail and left-tail distributions of order statistics for a sample of uniforms. This allows us to show that the hidden algebraic structures are of polynomial type, namely Appell in insurance and Abel–Gontcharoff in epidemics. These polynomials are defined with random parameters, which makes their mathematical study interesting in itself.
Susceptibility effects of GABA receptor subunit alpha-2 (GABRA2) variants and parental monitoring on externalizing behavior trajectories: Risk and protection conveyed by the minor allele
Authors: Trucco Elisa M. , Villafuerte Sandra , Heitzeg Mary M. , Burmeister Margit , Zucker Robert A.
Published: March 2015

Understanding factors increasing susceptibility to social contexts and predicting psychopathology can help identify targets for prevention. Persistently high externalizing behavior in adolescence is predictive of psychopathology in adulthood. Parental monitoring predicts low externalizing behavior, yet youth likely vary in the degree to which they are affected by parents. Genetic variants of GABA receptor subunit alpha-2 (GABRA2) may increase susceptibility to parental monitoring, thus impacting externalizing trajectories. We had several objectives: (a) to determine whether GABRA2 (rs279827, rs279826, rs279858) moderates the relationship between a component of parental monitoring, parental knowledge, and externalizing trajectories; (b) to test the form of this interaction to assess whether GABRA2 variants reflect risk (diathesis–stress) or susceptibility (differential susceptibility) factors; and (c) to clarify GABRA2 associations on the development of problem behavior. This prospective study (N = 504) identified three externalizing trajectory classes (i.e., low, decreasing, and high) across adolescence. A GABRA2 × Parental Monitoring effect on class membership was observed, such that A-carriers were largely unaffected by parental monitoring, whereas class membership for those with the GG genotype was affected by parental monitoring. Findings support differential susceptibility in GABRA2.
Analysis of Gill Structure from a Fresh Water Fish (Heteropneustes fossilis) Exposed to Bleached Sulfite Pulp Mill Effluents
Authors: Dey Sudip , Rajguru Utpal , Pathak Dinesh Chandra , Goswami Umesh C.
Published: March 2015

The present communication reports toxic effects of bleached sulfite pulp mill effluents in fish (Heteropneustes fossilis) gills, with optical, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy. The general adverse effects include dilation of the primary lamellar wall, curling of secondary lamellar terminals, displacement of epithelial cell layers, degeneration of secondary lamella, deposition of mucous, and severe congestion in the gill arch. The significant shortening of secondary lamellae, widening of lamellar tips, and significant decrease in the number of mitochondria in chloride cells as compared to controls are some specific effects of bleached sulfite pulp mill effluents. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated tearing of tissues in gill lamellae and arches. Transmission electron microscopy revealed membrane distortion of mitochondria in chloride cells, loss of uniformity of microvilli in pavement cells, and abnormalities in nuclear shape in different cells of effluent-exposed fish gills. Toxicity of the bleached sulfite pulp mill effluents and its impact on fish are discussed in the light of existing literature. Further, the importance of microscopy in toxicological evaluation of environmental pollutants is emphasized in view of its specific application potential.
Max UversusHumanomics: a critique of neo-institutionalism
Authors: McCLOSKEY DEIRDRE NANSEN
Published: March 2015

‘Institutions’ do not mean the same thing to Samuelsonian economists as they mean to other people. North's ‘rules of game’, like chess, dominates, even when it is claimed that ‘informal institutions’ are allowed into the tale. The tale is that institutions were once clotted, and then became unclotted, and the Great Enrichment occurred. But the enrichment was by a factor of upwards of a hundred, which cannot be explained by routine movements to an efficient equilibrium. And changes of institutions did not in fact happen much in England. Ethics changed, not laws and procedures. For presently poor countries, too, it will not suffice, as the World Bank and Acemoglu recommend, to add institutions and stir. Economies rely on ethics, which neo-institutionalists, being at heart Samuelsonian, have not wanted to admit. Ideas matter. Indeed, metaphors and stories matter, as in Searle's account.
Application of RH and LH sections for reduction of coupling coefficients in two-section asymmetric directional couplers
Authors: Sorocki Jakub , Staszek Kamil , Piekarz Ilona , Wincza Krzysztof , Gruszczynski Slawomir
Published: March 2015

A method allowing for reduction of coupling coefficients required for realization of two-section asymmetrical coupled-line directional couplers has been proposed. It has been shown that by connecting uncoupled left-handed and right-handed transmission lines between two coupled-line sections one can obtain greater design flexibility of the resulting circuit, simultaneously with the coupling reduction in coupled-line sections. Moreover, the proposed circuit features the properties of two-section asymmetric directional couplers offering wide operational bandwidth. The theoretical analysis has been verified by measurements of a 3 dB directional coupler operating at the center frequency f0 = 1.5 GHz having coupling imbalance δC = ±0.4 dB and bandwidth 0.75–2.3 GHz.
Homology and enzymatic requirements of microhomology-dependent alternative end joining
Authors: Sharma S , Javadekar S M , Pandey M , Srivastava M , Kumari R , Raghavan S C
Published: March 2015

Nonhomologous DNA end joining (NHEJ) is one of the major double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways in higher eukaryotes. Recently, it has been shown that alternative NHEJ (A-NHEJ) occurs in the absence of classical NHEJ and is implicated in chromosomal translocations leading to cancer. In the present study, we have developed a novel biochemical assay system utilizing DSBs flanked by varying lengths of microhomology to study microhomology-mediated alternative end joining (MMEJ). We show that MMEJ can operate in normal cells, when microhomology is present, irrespective of occurrence of robust classical NHEJ. Length of the microhomology determines the efficiency of MMEJ, 5 nt being obligatory. Using this biochemical approach, we show that products obtained are due to MMEJ, which is dependent on MRE11, NBS1, LIGASE III, XRCC1, FEN1 and PARP1. Thus, we define the enzymatic machinery and microhomology requirements of alternative NHEJ using a well-defined biochemical system.
Analysing human neural stem cell ontogeny by consecutive isolation of Notch active neural progenitors
Authors: Edri Reuven , Yaffe Yakey , Ziller Michael J. , Mutukula Naresh , Volkman Rotem , David Eyal , Jacob-Hirsch Jasmine , Malcov Hagar , Levy Carmit , Rechavi Gideon , Gat-Viks Irit , Meissner Alexander , Elkabetz Yechiel
Published: March 2015

Decoding heterogeneity of pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived neural progeny is fundamental for revealing the origin of diverse progenitors, for defining their lineages, and for identifying fate determinants driving transition through distinct potencies. Here we have prospectively isolated consecutively appearing PSC-derived primary progenitors based on their Notch activation state. We first isolate early neuroepithelial cells and show their broad Notch-dependent developmental and proliferative potential. Neuroepithelial cells further yield successive Notch-dependent functional primary progenitors, from early and midneurogenic radial glia and their derived basal progenitors, to gliogenic radial glia and adult-like neural progenitors, together recapitulating hallmarks of neural stem cell (NSC) ontogeny. Gene expression profiling reveals dynamic stage-specific transcriptional patterns that may link development of distinct progenitor identities through Notch activation. Our observations provide a platform for characterization and manipulation of distinct progenitor cell types amenable for developing streamlined neural lineage specification paradigms for modelling development in health and disease.
Targeted diversity generation by intraterrestrial archaea and archaeal viruses
Authors: Paul Blair G. , Bagby Sarah C. , Czornyj Elizabeth , Arambula Diego , Handa Sumit , Sczyrba Alexander , Ghosh Partho , Miller Jeff F. , Valentine David L.
Published: March 2015

In the evolutionary arms race between microbes, their parasites, and their neighbours, the capacity for rapid protein diversification is a potent weapon. Diversity-generating retroelements (DGRs) use mutagenic reverse transcription and retrohoming to generate myriad variants of a target gene. Originally discovered in pathogens, these retroelements have been identified in bacteria and their viruses, but never in archaea. Here we report the discovery of intact DGRs in two distinct intraterrestrial archaeal systems: a novel virus that appears to infect archaea in the marine subsurface, and, separately, two uncultivated nanoarchaea from the terrestrial subsurface. The viral DGR system targets putative tail fibre ligand-binding domains, potentially generating >1018 protein variants. The two single-cell nanoarchaeal genomes each possess ≥4 distinct DGRs. Against an expected background of low genome-wide mutation rates, these results demonstrate a previously unsuspected potential for rapid, targeted sequence diversification in intraterrestrial archaea and their viruses.
High-resolution vector microwave magnetometry based on solid-state spins in diamond
Authors: Wang Pengfei , Yuan Zhenheng , Huang Pu , Rong Xing , Wang Mengqi , Xu Xiangkun , Duan Changkui , Ju Chenyong , Shi Fazhan , Du Jiangfeng
Published: March 2015

The measurement of the microwave field is crucial for many developments in microwave technology and related applications. However, measuring microwave fields with high sensitivity and spatial resolution under ambient conditions remains elusive. In this work, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a scheme to measure both the strength and orientation of the microwave magnetic field by utilizing the quantum coherent dynamics of nitrogen vacancy centres in diamond. An angular resolution of 5.7 mrad and a sensitivity of 1.0 μT Hz−1/2are achieved at a microwave frequency of 2.6000 GHz, and the microwave magnetic field vectors generated by a copper wire are precisely reconstructed. The solid-state microwave magnetometry with high resolution and wide frequency range that can work under ambient conditions proposed here enables unique potential applications over other state-of-art microwave magnetometry.
Fibronectin localization and fibrillization are affected by the presence of serum in culture media
Authors: Siani Alessandro , Khaw Rong R. , Manley Oliver W. G. , Tirella Annalisa , Cellesi Francesco , Donno Roberto , Tirelli Nicola
Published: March 2015

In vitro models of fibrotic phenomena are often based on the fibroblast-myofibroblast transition as the contraction-triggering cellular event. There are, however, multiple sources of concern regarding the appropriateness of such models; a first and widely investigated issue is the often inappropriate nature of the interactions between mesenchymal cells and surrounding/underlying matrix/substrate. A second set of problems concerns the composition of the fluid phase, which includes both dispersed/dissolved paracrine messengers and matrix elements. In this study, we have focused on the effects that serum may generate. We have observed that A) serum causes high variability in the expression of typical markers of myofibroblast differentiation (ED-A fibronectin and α-Smooth Muscle Actin) upon treatment with TGF-β1; this is probably due to intrinsic variability of cytokine concentrations in different batches of serum. B) the fibrillization of endogenous fibronectin is partially hampered and its localization changed from ventral (on the substrate) to dorsal (upper surface); the latter morphology appears to be largely overlooked in literature, even though it may have a significant role in terms of mechanotransductive signaling. This quite dramatic change possibly occurs as a result of competition with serum proteins, although our data seem to rule out a direct role of serum fibronectin.
Excellent spin transport in spin valves based on the conjugated polymer with high carrier mobility
Authors: Li Feng , Li Tian , Chen Feng , Zhang Fapei
Published: March 2015

Organic semiconductors (OSCs) are characteristic of long spin-relaxation lifetime due to weak spin-orbit interaction and hyperfine interaction. However, short spin diffusion length and weak magnetoresistance (MR) effect at room temperature (RT) was commonly found on spin valves (SVs) using an organic spacer, which should be correlated with low carrier mobility of the OSCs. Here, N-type semiconducting polymer P(NDI2OD-T2) with high carrier mobility is employed as the spacer in the SV devices. Exceedingly high MR ratio of 90.0% at 4.2 K and of 6.8% at RT are achieved, respectively, via improving the interface structure between the polymer interlayer and top cobalt electrode as well as optimal annealing of manganite bottom electrode. Furthermore, we observe spin dependent transport through the polymeric interlayer and a large spin diffusion length with a weak temperature dependence. The results indicate that this polymer material can be used as a good medium for spintronic devices.
Field emission luminescence of nanodiamonds deposited on the aligned carbon nanotube array
Authors: Fedoseeva Yu. V. , Bulusheva L. G. , Okotrub A. V. , Kanygin M. A. , Gorodetskiy D. V. , Asanov I. P. , Vyalikh D. V. , Puzyr A. P. , Bondar V. S.
Published: March 2015

Detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) were deposited on the surface of aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by immersing a CNT array in an aqueous suspension of NDs in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The structure and electronic state of the obtained CNT–ND hybrid material were studied using optical and electron microscopy and Infrared, Raman, X-ray photoelectron and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. A non-covalent interaction between NDs and CNT and preservation of vertical orientation of CNTs in the hybrid were revealed. We showed that current-voltage characteristics of the CNT–ND cathode are changed depending on the applied field; below ~3 V/µm they are similar to those of the initial CNT array and at the higher field they are close to the ND behavior. Involvement of the NDs in field emission process resulted in blue luminescence of the hybrid surface at an electric field higher than 3.5 V/µm. Photoluminescence measurements showed that the NDs emit blue-green light, while blue luminescence prevails in the CNT–ND hybrid. The quenching of green luminescence was attributed to a partial removal of oxygen-containing groups from the ND surface as the result of the hybrid synthesis.
Reduction of nutrients, microbes and personal care products in domestic wastewater by a benchtop electrocoagulation unit
Authors: Symonds E. M. , Cook M. M. , McQuaig S. M. , Ulrich R. M. , Schenck R. O. , Lukasik J. O. , Van Vleet E. S. , Breitbart M.
Published: March 2015

To preserve environmental and human health, improved treatment processes are needed to reduce nutrients, microbes and emerging chemical contaminants from domestic wastewater prior to discharge into the environment. Electrocoagulation (EC) treatment is increasingly used to treat industrial wastewater; however, this technology has not yet been thoroughly assessed for its potential to reduce concentrations of nutrients, a variety of microbial surrogates and personal care products found in domestic wastewater. This investigation's objective was to determine the efficiency of a benchtop EC unit with aluminum sacrificial electrodes to reduce concentrations of the aforementioned biological and chemical pollutants from raw and tertiary-treated domestic wastewater. EC treatment resulted in significant reductions (p < 0.05, α = 0.05) in phosphate, all microbial surrogates and several personal care products from raw and tertiary-treated domestic wastewater. When wastewater was augmented with microbial surrogates representing bacterial, viral and protozoan pathogens to measure the extent of reduction, EC treatment resulted in up to 7-log10 reduction of microbial surrogates. Future pilot and full-scale investigations are needed to optimize EC treatment for the following: reducing nitrogen species, personal care products and energy consumption; elucidating the mechanisms behind microbial reductions; and performing life cycle analyses to determine the appropriateness of implementation.
Design of a PDZbody, a bivalent binder of the E6 protein from human papillomavirus
Authors: Karlsson O. Andreas , Ramirez Juan , Öberg Daniel , Malmqvist Tony , Engström Åke , Friberg Maria , Chi Celestine N. , Widersten Mikael , Travé Gilles , Nilsson Mikael T. I. , Jemth Per
Published: March 2015

Chronic infection by high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) strains may lead to cancer. Expression of the two viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 is largely responsible for immortalization of infected cells. The HPV E6 is a small (approximately 150 residues) two domain protein that interacts with a number of cellular proteins including the ubiquitin ligase E6-associated protein (E6AP) and several PDZ-domain containing proteins. Our aim was to design a high-affinity binder for HPV E6 by linking two of its cellular targets. First, we improved the affinity of the second PDZ domain from SAP97 for the C-terminus of HPV E6 from the high-risk strain HPV18 using phage display. Second, we added a helix from E6AP to the N-terminus of the optimized PDZ variant, creating a chimeric bivalent binder, denoted PDZbody. Full-length HPV E6 proteins are difficult to express and purify. Nevertheless, we could measure the affinity of the PDZbody for E6 from another high-risk strain, HPV16 (Kd = 65 nM). Finally, the PDZbody was used to co-immunoprecipitate E6 protein from HPV18-immortalized HeLa cells, confirming the interaction between PDZbody and HPV18 E6 in a cellular context.
Integrating Clinical Indexes into Four-Diagnostic Information Contributes to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Syndrome Diagnosis of Chronic Hepatitis B
Authors: Kang Hong , Zhao Yu , Li Chao , Chen Yujia , Tang Kailin , Yang Linlin , Ma Chao , Peng Jinghua , Zhu Ruixin , Liu Qi , Hu Yiyang , Cao Zhiwei
Published: March 2015

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment has been commonly used to treat Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) in Asian countries based on TCM syndrome diagnosis, also called “ZHENG”. The syndrome is identified through the four-diagnostic methods, with certain degree of subjectivity and ambiguity from individual doctors. Normally those CHB patients also receive series of parameters from modern clinical examination, while they are routinely believed to be unrelated with the TCM syndrome diagnosis. In this study, we investigated whether these biomedical indexes in modern medicine could be beneficial to TCM syndrome diagnostics in an integrative way. Based on 634 patient samples from health controls and three subtypes of CHB syndromes, a two-view based hierarchical classification model was tested for TCM syndromes prediction based on totally 222 parameters integrated from both TCM practice and modern clinical tests. The results indicated that the performance of syndrome classification based on a proper integration of TCM and modern clinical indexes was significantly higher than those based on one view of parameters only. Furthermore, those indexes correlated with CHB syndrome diagnosis were successfully identified for CM indexes and biochemical indexes respectively, where potential associations between them were hinted to the MAPK signaling pathway.
Temperature driven p–n–p type conduction switching materials: current trends and future directions
Authors: Guin Satya N. , Biswas Kanishka
Published: March 2015

In the present perspective, we highlight the key concepts, present the current fundamental understanding and show the latest developments in the field of p–n–p type conduction switching materials. Near room temperature p–n–p type conduction switching can have potential applications in diodes or transistor devices that operate reversibly upon temperature or voltage change.
Regenerating the cell resistance of micromolded PEG hydrogels
Authors: Heath Daniel E. , Sharif Abdul Rahim Mohamed , Ng Chee Ping , Rhoads Mary G. , Griffith Linda G. , Hammond Paula T. , Chan-Park Mary B.
Published: March 2015

Micromolded hydrogels lose non-fouling properties enabling cell adhesion and migration on the gel (left). We develop a method to regenerate the cell resistance of the gels resulting in robust resistance to cell adhesion (right).
Magnetic/NIR-responsive drug carrier, multicolor cell imaging, and enhanced photothermal therapy of gold capped magnetite-fluorescent carbon hybrid nanoparticles
Authors: Wang Hui , Cao Guixin , Gai Zheng , Hong Kunlun , Banerjee Probal , Zhou Shuiqin
Published: March 2015

Multifunctional hybrid nanoparticles have been developed for biomedical applications, including magnetic/NIR-responsive drug release, multicolor cell imaging, and enhanced photothermal therapy.
A naturally derived dextran–peptide vector for microRNA antagomir delivery
Authors: Tang Qiong , Lei Xia , Cao Bin , Sun Bingbing , Zhang Yanqiao , Cheng Gang
Published: March 2015

A dextran–peptide hybrid, Dex10-R5H5(40%), was developed to deliver microRNAs. Antagomir-149s delivered by Dex10-R5H5(40%) were efficiently internalized by cells and escaped from endosomes. Antagomir-149 reduced the level of miRNA-149 by 76%.
Large scale preparation of graphene quantum dots from graphite oxide in pure water via one-step electrochemical tailoring
Authors: Deng Jianhui , Lu Qiujun , Li Haitao , Zhang Youyu , Yao Shouzuo
Published: March 2015

A novel electrochemical synthesis for graphene quantum dots (GQD) on a large scale from graphite oxide (GO) in pure water has been proposed.
A seed-less method for synthesis of ultra-thin gold nanosheets by using a deep eutectic solvent and gum arabic and their electrocatalytic application
Authors: Tohidi Maryam , Mahyari Farzaneh Aghakhani , Safavi Afsaneh
Published: March 2015

Ultra-thin and large gold nanosheets were easily synthesized by using a deep eutectic solvent as a reducing and directing agent with gum arabic as a stabilizer and shape-controlling agent through a seed-less protocol.
pFe3+ determination of multidentate ligands by a fluorescence assay
Authors: Ma Yongmin , Zhou Tao , Hider Robert C.
Published: March 2015

pFe value of a multidentate ligand is related to the fluorescence of an added probe in the presence of iron.
Development of a fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of avermectins using a fluorescent single-domain antibody
Authors: Chen Min , Ding Shuangyang , Wen Kai , Xie Sanlei , Wang Qi , Pei Xingyao , Xie Jie , Wang Zhanhui , Jiang Haiyang
Published: March 2015

A schematic diagram of the FLISA based on a fluobody for the determination of AVMs. Note: FLISA, fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay; GFP, green fluorescent protein; fluobody, fluorescent single-domain antibody; ABM, abamectin; OVA, ovalbumin; and AVMs, avermectins.
Developing a nanostructure electrochemical sensor for simultaneous determination of cysteine and tryptophan
Authors: Benvidi Ali , Ansaripour Mohammad M. , Rajabzadeh Nooshin , Zare Hamid R. , Mirjalili Bi-Bi Fatemeh
Published: March 2015

A modified carbon paste electrode was prepared based on a newly synthesized compound 14-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-14-H-dibenzo[a,j]-xanthene and multi-wall carbon nanotubes for simultaneous determination of cysteine and tryptophan.
Utilisation of a lithium boryl as a reducing agent in low oxidation state group 15 chemistry: synthesis and characterisation of an amido-distibene and a boryl-dibismuthene
Authors: Dange Deepak , Davey Amelia , Abdalla Joseph A. B. , Aldridge Simon , Jones Cameron
Published: March 2015

The first examples of an amido-distibene and a boryl dibismuthene (see picture) have been prepared by reaction of a lithium boryl complex with extremely bulky amido-group 15 dihalide precursor compounds.
Methyl-branched lipids promote the membrane adsorption of α-synuclein by enhancing shallow lipid-packing defects
Authors: Garten Matthias , Prévost Coline , Cadart Clotilde , Gautier Romain , Bousset Luc , Melki Ronald , Bassereau Patricia , Vanni Stefano
Published: March 2015

Reconstitution experiments on Giant Unilamellar Vesicles and Molecular Dynamics Simulations indicate that alpha-synuclein binds to neutral flat membranes in the presence of methyl-branched lipids.
CO oxidation catalysed by Pd-based bimetallic nanoalloys
Authors: Palagin Dennis , Doye Jonathan P. K.
Published: March 2015

Density functional theory based global geometry optimization has been used to demonstrate the crucial influence of the geometry of the catalytic cluster on the energy barriers for the CO oxidation reaction over Pd-based bimetallic nanoalloys.
Formation of fluorescent polydopamine dots from hydroxyl radical-induced degradation of polydopamine nanoparticles
Authors: Lin Jia-Hui , Yu Cheng-Ju , Yang Ya-Chun , Tseng Wei-Lung
Published: March 2015

Fluorescent polydopamine dots were prepared through hydroxyl radical-mediated degradation of polydopamine nanoparticles.
Biobased catalyst in biorefinery processes: sulphonated hydrothermal carbon for glycerol esterification
Authors: de la Calle Carlos , Fraile José M. , García-Bordejé Enrique , Pires Elísabet , Roldán Laura
Published: March 2015

The better performance of sulphonated hydrothermal carbon (SHTC) in glycerol esterification is attributed to cooperative effects. High conversions and high selectivity towards triesters are achieved and SHTC could be reused after regeneration.
The advantages of covalently attaching organometallic catalysts to a carbon black support: recyclable Rh(i) complexes that deliver enhanced conversion and product selectivity
Authors: Tregubov Andrey A. , Walker D. Barney , Vuong Khuong Q. , Gooding J. Justin , Messerle Barbara A.
Published: March 2015

A bidentate Rh(i) coordination complex was covalently anchored to a carbon black support. The resultant hybrid catalyst was found to be active for both hydroamination and dihydroalkoxylation reactions and was readily recycled.
Synthesis and characterization of copper(ii) complexes with multidentate ligands as catalysts for the direct hydroxylation of benzene to phenol
Authors: Wu Li , Zhong Wei , Xu Beibei , Wei Zhenhong , Liu Xiaoming
Published: March 2015

Like iron(iii) complexes, copper(ii) complexes catalyse the direct hydroxylation of benzene to phenol with H2O2 as the oxidant and their catalytic efficiency correlates with the reduction potentials of the copper(ii) complexes.
Alluaudite Na2Co2Fe(PO4)3as an electroactive material for sodium ion batteries
Authors: Essehli R. , Belharouak I. , Ben Yahia H. , Maher K. , Abouimrane A. , Orayech B. , Calder S. , Zhou X. L. , Zhou Z. , Sun Y-K.
Published: March 2015

Na2Co2Fe(PO4)3crystallizes with the alluaudite-type structure (S.G.C2/c) and plays a dual anode/cathode behavior in sodium ion batteries.
Syngas production by high temperature steam/CO2 coelectrolysis using solid oxide electrolysis cells
Authors: Chen Xinbing , Guan Chengzhi , Xiao Guoping , Du Xianlong , Wang Jian-Qiang
Published: March 2015

High temperature (HT) steam/CO2 coelectrolysis with solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) using the electricity and heat generated from clean energies is an important alternative for syngas production without fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Herein, reaction characteristics and the outlet syngas composition of HT steam/CO2 coelectrolysis under different operating conditions, including distinct inlet gas compositions and electrolysis current densities, are systematically studied at 800 °C using commercially available SOECs. The HT coelectrolysis process, which has comparable performance to HT steam electrolysis, is more active than the HT CO2 electrolysis process, indicating the important contribution of the reverse water-gas shift reaction in the formation of CO. The outlet syngas composition from HT steam/CO2 coelectrolysis is very sensitive to the operating conditions, indicating the feasibility of controlling the syngas composition by varying these conditions. Maximum steam and CO2 utilizations of 77% and 76% are achieved at 1.0 A cm−2 with an inlet gas composition of 20% H2/40% steam/40% CO2.
Ti-containing mesoporous silica packed microcolumn separation/preconcentration combined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for the determination of trace Cr, Cu, Cd and Pb in environmental samples
Authors: Cui Chao , Peng Hanyong , Zhang Yanan , Nan Kai , He Man , Chen Beibei , Hu Bin
Published: March 2015

Solid phase extraction with Ti-containing mesoporous silica as adsorbent combined with ICP-MS for trace metal analysis in environmental samples.
A single inlet two-stage acoustophoresis chip enabling tumor cell enrichment from white blood cells
Authors: Antfolk Maria , Antfolk Christian , Lilja Hans , Laurell Thomas , Augustsson Per
Published: March 2015

2D-acoustic pre-alignment and subsequent acoustophoretic separation yields clinically relevant throughput and high recovery. Operating principle, numerical simulations and characterization.
Designed two-step morphological transformation: a new strategy to synthesize uniform metalloporphyrin-containing coordination polymer particles
Authors: Sun Yu , Yoo Bongyoung
Published: March 2015

Uniform metalloporphyrin-containing coordination polymer particles were synthesized from seed structures by designed two-step morphological transformation.
Chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective Heck–Matsuda arylation of allylic alcohols under mild conditions
Authors: Chaudhari Tohasib Yusub , Hossian Asik , Manna Manash Kumar , Jana Ranjan
Published: March 2015

Chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective Heck–Matsuda arylation of allylic and cinnamyl alcohols with inexpensive and readily available arenediazonium salts is reported.
Thin film nanocomposite embedded with polymethyl methacrylate modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes for CO2 removal
Authors: Wong K. C. , Goh P. S. , Ng B. C. , Ismail A. F.
Published: March 2015

Thin film nanocomposite loaded with milled polymethyl methacrylate grafted multi-walled carbon nanotubes achieved 29%, 47% and 9% increment in CO2 permeance, CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 selectivity respectively compared to its thin film composite counterpart.
Simultaneous quantification of multiple volatile active components in rat plasma using a headspace-solid phase dynamic extraction method coupled to gas chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy: application in a pharmacokinetic study of Longhu Rendan pills
Authors: Wang Tian-Ming , Ding Li-Qing , Jin Hua-Jia , Shi Rong , Wu Jia-Sheng , Zhu Li , Jia Yi-Qun , Ma Yue-Ming
Published: March 2015

A HS-SPDE-GC-MS/MS method for investigating pharmacokinetics of l-menthol, borneol, isoborneol, and camphor in rat plasma after oral administration of LRPs.
Formation of PbO hexagonal nanosheets and their conversion into luminescent inorganic–organic perovskite nanosheets: growth and mechanism
Authors: Shakya Suman , Prakash G. Vijaya
Published: March 2015

Formation of luminescent inorganic–organic perovskites structured hexagonal nanosheets by intercalation strategy.
(Carboxy-3-oxopropylamino)-3-propylsilylcellulose as a novel organocatalyst for the synthesis of substituted imidazoles under solvent-free conditions
Authors: Salimi Mehri , Nasseri Mohammad Ali , Chapesshloo Tayyebeh Daliran , Zakerinasab Batol
Published: March 2015

(Carboxy-3-oxopropylamino)-3-propylsilylcellulose (COPAPSC), a novel organocatalyst, has been prepared by a synthesis grafting of –COOH functionalized organosilanes on a cellulose using surface hydroxyl groups as anchor points.
Oleic acid: a benign Brønsted acidic catalyst for densely substituted indole derivative synthesis
Authors: Ganesan Asaithampi , Kothandapani Jagatheeswaran , Nanubolu Jagadeesh Babu , Ganesan Subramaniapillai Selva
Published: March 2015

Oleic acid was identified to catalyse bis(indolyl)methane and densely functionalized 4H-chromene, spirooxindole and spiro[indoline-3,4′-pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole] derivative synthesis in good to excellent yields.
Facile “on water” domino reactions for the expedient synthesis of 2H-thiopyrano[2,3-b]quinolines
Authors: Kumar Sundaravel Vivek , Muthusubramanian Shanmugam , Perumal Subbu
Published: March 2015

A facile synthesis of novel 3-nitro-2-aryl-2H-thiopyrano[2,3-b]quinolines from the domino reactions of 2-mercaptoquinoline-3-carbaldehyde and substituted β-nitrostyrenes in the presence of triethylamine (TEA) in water is described.
Two-dimensional ultrathin ZnCo2O4 nanosheets: general formation and lithium storage application
Authors: Zhu Youqi , Cao Chuanbao , Zhang Junting , Xu Xingyan
Published: March 2015

2D multicomponent transition-metal oxide nanosheets are synthesized on a large scale via a general method. Ultrathin ZnCo2O4 nanosheets exhibit high lithium storage capacity, excellent cycling stability, and good high-rate capability.
Electronic structure and photocatalytic activity of wurtzite Cu–Ga–S nanocrystals and their Zn substitution
Authors: Kandiel Tarek A. , Anjum Dalaver H. , Sautet Philippe , Le Bahers Tangui , Takanabe Kazuhiro
Published: March 2015

Stoichiometric and gallium-rich wurtzite Cu–Ga–S ternary nanocrystals with and without Zn substitution were synthesized and their electronic structure and photocatalytic activities were investigated.
Control of free volume through size exclusion in the formation of smectic C phases for display applications
Authors: Mandle R. J. , Davis E. J. , Sarju J. P. , Stock N. , Cooke M. S. , Lobato S. A. , Cowling S. J. , Goodby J. W.
Published: March 2015

Ferroelectric liquid crystals are of interest in display devices because of their bistable operation and fast response times.
The resilient hybrid fiber sensor network with self-healing function
Authors: Xu Shibo , Liu Tiegen , Ge Chunfeng , Chen Qinnan , Zhang Hongxia
Published: March 2015

This paper presents a novel resilient fiber sensor network (FSN) with multi-ring architecture, which could interconnect various kinds of fiber sensors responsible for more than one measurands. We explain how the intelligent control system provides sensors with self-healing function meanwhile sensors are working properly, besides each fiber in FSN is under real-time monitoring. We explain the software process and emergency mechanism to respond failures or other circumstances. To improve the efficiency in the use of limited spectrum resources in some situations, we have two different structures to distribute the light sources rationally. Then, we propose a hybrid sensor working in FSN which is a combination of a distributed sensor and a FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating) array fused in a common fiber sensing temperature and vibrations simultaneously with neglectable crosstalk to each other. By making a failure to a working fiber in experiment, the feasibility and effectiveness of the network with a hybrid sensor has been demonstrated, hybrid sensors could not only work as designed but also survive from destructive failures with the help of resilient network and smart and quick self-healing actions. The network has improved the viability of the fiber sensors and diversity of measurands.
Ab initio calculations of the electronic structure of the low-lying states for the ultracold LiYb molecule
Authors: Tohme Samir N. , Korek Mahmoud , Awad Ramadan
Published: March 2015

Ab initio techniques have been applied to investigate the electronic structure of the LiYb molecule. The potential energy curves have been computed in the Born–Oppenheimer approximation for the ground and 29 low-lying doublet and quartet excited electronic states. Complete active space self-consistent field, multi-reference configuration interaction, and Rayleigh Schrödinger perturbation theory to second order calculations have been utilized to investigate these states. The spectroscopic constants, ωe, Re, Be, …, and the static dipole moment, μ, have been investigated by using the two different techniques of calculation with five different types of basis. The eigenvalues, Ev, the rotational constant, Bv, the centrifugal distortion constant, Dv, and the abscissas of the turning points, Rmin and Rmax, have been calculated by using the canonical functions approach. The comparison between the values of the present work, calculated by different techniques, and those available in the literature for several electronic states shows a very good agreement. Twenty-one new electronic states have been studied here for the first time.
Water uptake profile in a model ion-exchange membrane: Conditions for water-rich channels
Authors: Herbst Daniel C. , Witten Thomas A. , Tsai Tsung-Han , Coughlin E. Bryan , Maes Ashley M. , Herring Andrew M.
Published: March 2015

Ionic conductivity in a polymeric fuel cell requires water uptake. Previous theoretical studies of water uptake used idealized parameters. We report a parameter-free prediction of the water-swelling behavior of a model fuel cell membrane. The model polymers, poly(methyl-butylene)-block-poly(vinylbenzyl-trimethylamine), form lamellar domains that absorb water in humid air. We use the Scheutjens-Fleer methodology to predict the resulting change in lamellar structure and compare with x-ray scattering. The results suggest locally uniform water distributions. However, under conditions where a PVBTMA and water mixture phase-separate, the two phases arrange into stripes with a dilute stripe sandwiched between two concentrated stripes. A small amount of water enhances conductivity most when it is partitioned into such channels, improving fuel-cell performance.
The influence of the excitation pulse length on ultrafast magnetization dynamics in nickel
Authors: Fognini A. , Salvatella G. , Gort R. , Michlmayr T. , Vaterlaus A. , Acremann Y.
Published: March 2015

The laser-induced demagnetization of a ferromagnet is caused by the temperature of the electron gas as well as the lattice temperature. For long excitation pulses, the two reservoirs are in thermal equilibrium. In contrast to a picosecond laser pulse, a femtosecond pulse causes a non-equilibrium between the electron gas and the lattice. By pump pulse length dependent optical measurements, we find that the magnetodynamics in Ni caused by a picosecond laser pulse can be reconstructed from the response to a femtosecond pulse. The mechanism responsible for demagnetization on the picosecond time scale is therefore contained in the femtosecond demagnetization experiment.
Quantum Monte Carlo estimation of complex-time correlations for the study of the ground-state dynamic structure function
Authors: Rota R. , Casulleras J. , Mazzanti F. , Boronat J.
Published: March 2015

We present a method based on the path integral Monte Carlo formalism for the calculation of ground-state time correlation functions in quantum systems. The key point of the method is the consideration of time as a complex variable whose phase δ acts as an adjustable parameter. By using high-order approximations for the quantum propagator, it is possible to obtain Monte Carlo data all the way from purely imaginary time to δ values near the limit of real time. As a consequence, it is possible to infer accurately the spectral functions using simple inversion algorithms. We test this approach in the calculation of the dynamic structure function S(q, ω) of two one-dimensional model systems, harmonic and quartic oscillators, for which S(q, ω) can be exactly calculated. We notice a clear improvement in the calculation of the dynamic response with respect to the common approach based on the inverse Laplace transform of the imaginary-time correlation function.
Analytic second derivative of the energy for density functional theory based on the three-body fragment molecular orbital method
Authors: Nakata Hiroya , Fedorov Dmitri G. , Zahariev Federico , Schmidt Michael W. , Kitaura Kazuo , Gordon Mark S. , Nakamura Shinichiro
Published: March 2015

Analytic second derivatives of the energy with respect to nuclear coordinates have been developed for spin restricted density functional theory (DFT) based on the fragment molecular orbital method (FMO). The derivations were carried out for the three-body expansion (FMO3), and the two-body expressions can be obtained by neglecting the three-body corrections. Also, the restricted Hartree-Fock (RHF) Hessian for FMO3 can be obtained by neglecting the density-functional related terms. In both the FMO-RHF and FMO-DFT Hessians, certain terms with small magnitudes are neglected for computational efficiency. The accuracy of the FMO-DFT Hessian in terms of the Gibbs free energy is evaluated for a set of polypeptides and water clusters and found to be within 1 kcal/mol of the corresponding full (non-fragmented) ab initio calculation. The FMO-DFT method is also applied to transition states in SN2 reactions and for the computation of the IR and Raman spectra of a small Trp-cage protein (PDB: 1L2Y). Some computational timing analysis is also presented.
A bimodality trap in model projections
Authors: Santitissadeekorn Naratip , Jones Chris
Published: March 2015

We expose a phenomenon that can occur in the process of joint state and parameter estimation. Such estimation is crucial in tuning parameters for climate models and offline parameterizations used in the models. We show how a bimodal distribution can temporarily appear during this process and that a scheme relying on linear and Gaussian approximations may cause it to get trapped in the wrong mode and hence lead to faulty estimation. We propose a practical and effective resolution using a two-stage filtering process.