bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural and geochronological constraints on the Pan‐African tectonic evolution of the northern Damara Belt, Namibia
Authors: Lehmann Jérémie , Saalmann Kerstin , Naydenov Kalin V. , Milani Lorenzo , Belyanin George A. , Zwingmann Horst , Charlesworth Guy , Kinnaird Judith A.
Published: November 2015

The Pan‐African Orogen formed by convergence of numerous continental blocks during the Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian. This convergence eventually led to amalgamation of Gondwana, a supercontinent crosscut by a network of highly oblique linear orogenic belts that locally intersect each other, as in NW Namibia, where the NNW trending Kaoko Belt joins the NE trending Damara Belt. The northern Damara Belt has preserved well three regional Pan‐African tectonic events due to the dominance of weak Neoproterozoic marine sediments (Damara Supergroup) that have been affected by low‐grade metamorphism. A newly discovered early N‐S horizontal contraction, dated by 40Ar/39Ar at ~590 Ma, is tentatively linked to convergence between the Congo and Kalahari cratons. This was superseded by collision between the Congo and Rio de la Plata cratons between 580 and 530 Ma that thickened and exhumed the orogenic crust of the Kaoko Belt and produce upper crustal N‐S oriented folds of earlier fold trains and associated axial planar schistosities in the northern Damara Belt. A switch from E‐W to NW‐SE horizontal shortening occurred at ~530 Ma as a result of collision with the Kalahari Craton, triggering extensive syn‐orogenic magmatism in the entire Damara Belt. During this last event, southward indentation and underthrusting of the Congo Craton promontory below the Neoproterozoic cover sequences produced a deformation front in the northern Damara Belt. Our results show that highly oblique convergent processes competed over a period of ~120 Ma to build Gondwana in Namibia during the late Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian.
Political Economy
Authors: Mosco Vincent
Published: November 2015

Political economy examines power, particularly how it shapes the ways resources are produced, exchanged, and consumed. The central characteristics of a political economy approach include an interest in social change, including major historical transformations such as the transition from industrial to informational capitalism. Political economists also pay close attention to how social totalities are created and disrupted by social class, gender, and racial divisions. The approach focuses as well on social values, particularly freedom and democracy that guide, or should guide, social behavior. Finally, political economists are committed to praxis, or using research to influence society. Political economists of communication have examined the power of media corporations and the impact of commercialism. They also focus on the role of the media and the state in promoting and opposing social divisions.
Public/Private Distinction
Authors: Miège Bernard , Salles Chloé
Published: November 2015

The distinction between public and private is one of the founding elements of the liberal‐democratic political thought and legal systems of many countries. As it has always been, it is the subject of many discussions, but these discussions now appear to be more pragmatic than they were before. Almost simultaneous interpenetration of public and private domains and an increase in resources available to individuals and organizations are promoting the disruption of what traditionally distinguished them. From an information and communication science point of view, this entry questions this distinction according to three perspectives, namely: the emergence of a social sphere; the importance of mediatization through the use of ICT tools; and the strong trends marking the public, societal, and political spheres, emphasizing the limits and the nonrelevance of the distinction itself.
Social Capital
Authors: Herreros Francisco
Published: November 2015

This essay defines social capital as resources embedded in social networks, in contrast to other definitions that stress values and beliefs as social capital. It also analyses the sources of social capital and its consequences for the wider society. Finally, it discusses the contentious role of trust in social capital, claiming that, although trust itself cannot be considered social capital, systems of mutual trust within social networks can indeed help agents to mobilize resources of social capital.
Discourse Ethics
Authors: Rehg William
Published: November 2015

Discourse ethics represents a recent innovation in neo‐Kantian moral theory that was first advanced by German critical theorists in the 1970s, most notably Jürgen Habermas and Karl‐Otto Apel. Also known as “communicative ethics,” discourse ethics distinguishes itself from parallel initiatives, such as that of John Rawls, by its insistence that valid moral norms must emerge from real dialogues that satisfy demanding conditions of reasonable argumentation. Discourse‐ethical considerations have informed research on deliberative democracy, cosmopolitanism, legal adjudication, and participatory policy studies in technology, environmental governance, urban planning, and management,inter alia.
European Public Sphere
Authors: Adam Silke
Published: November 2015

Political communication scholars have investigated whether a public sphere emerges that adapts to the new supra‐ and intergovernmental European reality in the course of European Union integration. Such European public sphere(s) might linkEUpolitics to citizens. The entry discusses not only how such Europeanized public sphere might affect the quality of democracy as well as the political process but also what a European public sphere could look like and how we might measure it. Our empirical knowledge on the existence or nonexistence of a European Public Sphere is summarized in five theses. The article concludes with future paths for research.
Liberalism
Authors: Giorgini Giovanni
Published: November 2015

Liberalism is a political doctrine as well as a system of beliefs and values centered on a specific view of the human being conceived as free and rational and endowed by nature with certain rights; a political doctrine which is amenable to be translated into laws and institutions (the liberal state). This entry examines the conceptual and linguistic problems in defining liberalism; its historical origin in the wars of religion in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries; its philosophical and political tenets; and some of the key figures in its development.
Individualism
Authors: Fuchs Dieter
Published: November 2015

Individualism is understood as a worldview in which the individual is central and has absolute priority over every type of collectivism. It is a central concept in political philosophy as well as in the social sciences and in comparative cultural research. In political philosophy the normative value of each individual and the related idea of autonomy and privacy are emphasized. In comparative cultural research individualism is at the opposite pole to collectivism and different measurements of individualism–collectivism are used for a multitude of empirical studies of cultural comparison. The most complex approach in comparative cultural research in which individualism is included is that of Schwartz.
International Relations
Authors: Dell'Orto Giovanna
Published: November 2015

This entry provides an overview of the growing scholarly exploration of the intersections of communication and international relations. After a review of the role communication plays in major theories of international relations, it focuses on how communication, especially journalism and news media, affects relations between states at the systemic level. Since the 1990s, both the increasing use of constructivist paradigms in international relations and the information revolution ushered in by digital media have put communication at the center of efforts to understand state actions in an interconnected world.
Public Opinion Polls
Authors: Donsbach Wolfgang
Published: November 2015

The entry describes the methodological and theoretical foundations as well as some societal and political issues around public opinion polls. After a brief historical account of the elements that have led to modern public opinion research, this entry addresses problems of validity and accuracy, particularly in the context of election polls. The author then describes citizens' relationship to the polls in terms of their cooperativeness and in terms of possible effects of published opinion polls on the electorate. The use of polls by politicians and governments is regarded under the notion ofresponsiveness. The entry concludes with a critical outlook on the future of opinion polls in democracies.
Political Communication Research in North America
Authors: Gingras Anne‐Marie
Published: November 2015

Modern political communication was born in North America in a context of two world wars and a cold war, the development of new technologies, and the emergence of the public relations industry. In the early 20th century, the dominant paradigm focused on persuasion and propaganda at a time when people were considered incompetent citizens. In the 1950s and 1960s, the most notable impact of the media appeared to be reinforcement and not persuasion. In the 1970s and the 1980s, the bulk of research tried to rebut the minimal effect theory of the media. The impact of the media remains an open question. Political communication research thrives in various disciplines and has expanded toward behavioral and cognitive studies as well as relationships between the political realm and the media, civil society and the media, and political economy and public policy in information and communication.
Consultant, Political
Authors: Thurber James A. , Ray Aaron D.
Published: November 2015

This article gives an overview of the role of political consultants. It reviews theories and recent research findings focusing on the activities of political consultants and the relationship between political consultants, candidates, and political parties. Special attention is paid to growth in the profession, the changing media environment, and the evolving relationship between consultants and political parties.
Mediatization
Authors: StröMbäck Jesper
Published: November 2015

The mediatization of politics refers to a multidimensional and long‐term process through which the importance of media and their spillover effects on political processes, institutions, organizations, and actors have increased. Two key concepts within the theoretical framework of the mediatization of politics are political logic and media logic. While polity, policy, and politics shape political logic, media logic is shaped by professionalism, commercialism, and media technology. Media influence in the context of mediatization refers to all activities and processes that are influenced, altered, shaped, or structured by media and the perceived need of individuals, organizations, and social systems to communicate with or through media. Media influence is thus a broader concept, transcending but also including media effects.
Political Management
Authors: Johnson Dennis W.
Published: November 2015

Political managementis the term used to embrace the study of applied politics. Political science, political communication, and political marketing are also fields that study politics, but they do so from defined and evolving theoretical frames of reference. Political management is a more descriptive and applicative field, still evolving its theoretical underpinnings (Dulio, 2004). The first academic program to use the termpolitical managementwas George Washington University in the United States, with its Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM); its faculty were designated as professors of political management. The GSPM political management program was established in 1986 in New York in 1986 and its founding dean was F. Christopher Arterton. The GSPM relocated to Washington, D.C., in 1993 and became an integral part of George Washington University in 1995.
Image, Political
Authors: Mcnair Brian
Published: November 2015

Political communication scholars, journalists, and political actors alike argue that the political process, and deliberative democracy (democracy founded on informed discussion inclusive of citizens), have lost their rational authenticity in that image and media spectacle have become more central to public opinion formation and electoral outcomes than policy. This entry examines the validity of that perception, and the extent to which “image” has emerged as a more significant factor in the political process.
Partisanship
Authors: Eilders Christiane
Published: November 2015

In political communication the concept of partisanship refers to the open support of a political party or political goal by or in the media as well as the selection and use of media offerings on the basis of preferences. In media content partisanship mostly entails formally stated endorsements of a political party or candidate in election campaigns as well as editorials that clearly take sides on political issues. If the norm of separation of fact and opinion is violated, however, partisanship might also pertain to news provision as such. It manifests itself through both the selective emphasis on particular political actors and issues, and through a favorable coverage of actors, events, and positions at the expense of others. Partisanship is frequently associated with poor media performance because it collides with the regime of objectivity in journalism. Under conditions of easy access to a multitude of partisan opinions, such as via the Internet, partisanship in media use fosters the emergence of echo chambers. Yet, partisanship also contributes to diversity and provides orientation to media users.
Media Effects Theory
Authors: Borah Porismita
Published: November 2015

Media effects include theories that explain how the mass media influence the attitudes and perceptions of audience members. First, this entry touches on the history of media effects. Second, it gives an overview of the main theories in this area. Finally, using three of the most recent theories within media effects, namely framing effects, agenda‐setting, and priming, the entry explains media effects theory and the psychological mechanisms involved in these three theories.
Politainment
Authors: Riegert Kristina , Collins Sue
Published: November 2015

The term politainment refers to the intertwining of politics and entertainment, and encompasses two processes: (1) political entertainment—how the entertainment industry exploits political topics in various entertainment formats; and (2) entertaining politics—how political actors capitalize on their celebrity (staging photo‐ops, party convention spectacle, talk‐show appearances, etc.) in order to enhance their images and to promote certain issues. When broadly defined, politainment moves beyond its association with infotainment to consider popular culture as a potential space for political insight and activity, and to acknowledge entertainment formats as sources of political knowledge, value orientation, and civic engagement. As a growing body of international scholarship attests, new hybrid media formats increasingly engage “political reality” across genres, conventional and new, in new television formats such as political satire and realityTV, fictionalized realism (in film, television, telenovelas, and interactive video games), and new variations of the celebrity media event genre. Such research recognizes that pleasures found in popular cultural formats of everyday life can also be ways of cultivating audiences' conscious motivations for political participation.
Cultural Studies
Authors: Thomas Tanja , Kruse Merle‐Marie
Published: November 2015

For more than five decades, cultural studies has developed theoretical, conceptual, and methodological approaches in order to engage with the political relevance of culture, namely with questions of power, of subordination and resistance, hegemony, and subalternity. Focusing on aspects connected to “the politics of culture or the culture of politics” (Stuart Hall), cultural studies' key contribution to the research area of political communication is its interest in a rearticulation both of “the political” as well as of “communication,” which has produced a markedly different and expanded model of political communication. Within the ongoing debate among cultural studies scholars, repoliticization is a keyword. It is, for example, part of the debate on the institutionalization of cultural studies and its political relevance, the debate on cultural studies bridging theoretical knowledge production and political/pedagogic practices, and the debate about the political relevance of cultural studies' research agendas. Consequently, cultural studies offers a wide variety of theoretical and practical approaches that are worth taking into account when researching “the political” in political communication. As such, cultural studies has become a vital and vitalizing paradigm for rethinking “the political.”
Intercultural Theory
Authors: Liu James H.
Published: November 2015

Intercultural theory may be derived from several independent lines of research. The area of intercultural communications focuses on speakers' effectiveness in fulfilling their intentions to achieve certain outcomes during social interaction, and is thought to be a function of speaker motivations and identity, and influenced by stereotypes. Several major theorists and theories are reviewed, including Gudykunst's (1995) anxiety/uncertainty management theory, Gallois and colleagues' work on communication accommodation theory (CAT), derived from self‐categorization theory, and Ting‐Toomey's work on identity negotiation. Another line of investigation is cross‐cultural psychology, which has generated taxonomies of cultural difference, where countries can be placed in certain locations on dimensions of cultural variability: political communication is fraught with uncertainty about differences in meaning for people from societies with large cultural distances between them (e.g. higher power versus low‐power distance countries). Anthropologists are more reluctant to identify culture with country, and global theorists similarly emphasize pluralism within countries as alternative sources of variance in cultural communications patterns. Moscovici's theory of social representations is introduced as a mid‐level approach, to thinking about culture as the construction of shared meanings assembled by communities of people interacting at different scales, from local to national to international.
Persuasion, Political
Authors: Richey Sean
Published: November 2015

This entry gives an overview of the long‐standing literature on political persuasion. It examines the traditional research as well as newer ways to test persuasion, focusing on sender, medium, and receiver. It posits that the minimal effects paradigm from media studies is the best way to conceive of the broad concept of political persuasion. It considers several styles of communication media.
Political Efficacy
Authors: Yıldırım Kerem
Published: November 2015

This entry traces the historical development of the concept political efficacy to early voting behavior research and follows the increasing level of conceptual precision over time. Then, describes operationalization of the concept as well as some likely limitations related to it. Special attention is paid to the relationship of political efficacy to government responsiveness and media use. Lastly, directions for future research are highlighted, focusing on the impact of the Internet, social media, and institutionalism.
Strategic communication
Authors: Conrad Charles , Terry Andrea
Published: November 2015

The first decade of the 21st century has witnessed an explosion of interest in strategic communication, broadly defined as the purposeful use of symbols to achieve individual, organizational, and/or political goals. Strategic communication has long been a central topic in the academic disciplines of marketing, advertising, journalism, and public relations, and to the professions associated with these fields. By the 1980s it also had become a major focus in management, sociology, and political science, as connections were forged between it and processes of managerial decision‐making, developing and exercising political influence, and creating, transforming, and legitimizing preferred social structures and cultural assumptions. The purpose of this entry is to briefly outline developments in strategic communication as it relates to communication theory and practice, organizational theory and practice, and polity‐level theory and practice, and to suggest areas of further integration.
State/Statehood
Authors: Peruzzotti Enrique
Published: November 2015

The concept of the modern state is the product of complex historical processes that gave birth to a novel form of institutionalization of political power characterized by the existence of a single and legally regulated structure of political sovereignty that has supreme jurisdiction over a territory and its population. This article traces such development, analyzing the different state configurations that preceded the formation of contemporary democratic states as well as the challenges confronted by nation‐states in contemporary times.
Popularization of Politics
Authors: Street John
Published: November 2015

The popularization of politics refers to many processes, rather than one, but in essence it highlights the way in which politics is invested with the styles and platforms of popular culture. It can be seen as a product of neoliberalism and the mediatization of politics, although it also predates both. Political movements have traditionally sought to present themselves as “popular” in both cultural and political terms for many centuries. The popularization of politics can also be associated with the rise of so‐called “celebrity politics”. This article suggests that the idea best be understood against the background of the “unpopularity of politics” and the “mediatization of politics,” and as differentiated by genres of “popularization.”
Political Communication Research
Authors: Soha Michael , Meyrowitz Joshua
Published: November 2015

Political communication, both as a field of study and in practice, is changing rapidly in the digital age. In the face of major transformations in communication technology, such as the transition from a system dominated by mass media to networked, digital media, tenets of political communication research are ripe for reexamination. This article summarizes the past trajectory and development of political communication as a research subject, with the goal of exploring areas where research could expand further to address recent changes in patterns of communication. Five core perspectives that have been dominant in political communication research are outlined and discussed, along with new challenges for the field in the digital era. Within the context of the shifting paradigm from mass to networked communication, key emergent issues and areas of political communication research are examined including: digital news and information flows, anti‐institutional politics, online publics and fragmentation of the public sphere, shifting relationships between political actors and constituents, changing perceptions of leaders through social media, the blurring of entertainment and politics in viral and other media, and the emergence of a global networked public arena.
Revolution
Authors: Pasquino Gianfranco
Published: November 2015

Revolutions are fundamental changes, mostly irreversible and entailing violence, that profoundly transform the political, the social, and the economic spheres of society. All revolutions have been the product of political frustrations felt by several large sectors of society after a period of rising expectations that could no longer be satisfied. Also major unachieved reforms lead to revolutionary situations where a sort of fever will affect society. Revolutions entail a violent clash of challengers attacking the state. Revolutionary attempts are successful when the ruling elite loses its cohesion and when the armed forces are divided and decide not to fight back. There have been six victorious revolutions: the American (1776), the French (1789), the Mexican (1910), the Soviet (1917), the Chinese (1949), and the Cuban (1959). They have all institutionalized themselves and have led to strong state authorities. None of them has been reversed. The sheer passing of time prevents a return to the previous regime. The collapse of the Soviet Union has not reinstated the defeated social classes, but has opened the way to a new form of authoritarianism. If cohesion of the challengers is the most important condition for a revolutionary outcome, our times, characterized by pluralism of all kinds and by failed states exposed to the attacks of violent, often ethnic gangs, do not seem to be conducive to revolutionary occurrences.
Cinema, Political
Authors: Farinotti Luisella
Published: November 2015

The essay analyses the conjunction between cinema and politics, describing its correlation with the great historical processes of the 20th century. The reconstruction of the main experiences of political cinema—the Soviet avant‐garde; regime cinema under Nazism and Fascism; the democratic reeducation intent carried out through cinema in the postwar era; the militant cinema of the 1970s—is accompanied by analysis of the theoretical debate which follows and often leads the cinematic practice. The political intent of cinema cannot be measured so much, or exclusively, by the contents of a film, as by the representational machine: Cinema itself is interpreted as an ideological apparatus, and its strength has to be evaluated by its ability to shape and to create an image of power.
Anarchism
Authors: Pasquino Gianfranco
Published: November 2015

Anarchism is a set of principles regarding the relationships, on one hand, between power and men and women and, on the other, within the community of men and women. Anarchism is characterized by the rejection of all forms of power and by the search for justice. Though there is no anarchist blueprint, justice is the goal to be obtained in societies organized in a federalist, communal, decentralized, and cooperative way. Violence, “the propaganda of the deed,” can be directed against the (oppressive) rulers, but education is the best means to achieve a just society. Quite important for about one century, 1840–1940, anarchism survives in fragments to be found in all shades of libertarian thought and in some antiglobal fringes.
Intimate partner violence perpetrated by young adult women against men in Ukraine: Examining individual, familial, and cultural factors
Authors: Balabukha Iryna , Krishnakumar Ambika , Narine Lutchmie
Published: November 2015

We examined the role of financial strain, parent‐to‐parent violence, parent‐to‐child violence, emotional distress, and alcohol use in intimate partner violence perpetrated by young adult women against men in Ukraine. The moderating role of acceptability of intimate partner violence and violence‐related laws and regulations was also examined. Four hundred and six full‐time female university students from four universities in Ukraine participated in the study. We found that emotional distress, parent‐to‐parent, and parent‐to‐child violence mediated the link between financial strain and intimate partner violence perpetrated by women on men. However, we found limited support for the moderating role of acceptability of intimate partner violence and violence‐related laws and regulations in the relationship between individual and familial factors on intimate partner violence. The findings from this investigation suggest that there is a distinct need for supporting families and individuals in dealing with issues of intimate partner violence directed by women against men in Ukraine. Aggr. Behav. 42:380–393, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
α‐Cyanation of Aromatic Tertiary Amines using Ferricyanide as a Non‐Toxic Cyanide Source
Authors: Nauth Alexander M. , Otto Nicola , Opatz Till
Published: November 2015

The reaction of aromatic tertiary amines with potassium ferricyanide directly provides the useful α‐amino nitriles. The inexpensive iron complex functions both as an oxidant and as a cyanide source. The presence of molecular oxygen speeds up the reaction which can be performed in aqueous tert‐butanol or even in ethanol‐based mixtures like Tequila. While amine cyanations usually employ highly toxic cyanide sources, potassium ferricyanide is even less toxic than table salt. No expensive metal complexes are required as catalysts and the co‐product of the cyanation, Prussian blue, has no known toxicity and is rather used as an antidote.

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The Applications of (Para)formaldehyde in Metal‐Catalyzed Organic Synthesis
Authors: Li Wanfang , Wu Xiao‐Feng
Published: November 2015

Paraformaldehyde (PFA), with the chemical formula CxHyOz, an infinite solid form of formaldehyde, is a very useful reagent in classical organic reactions. Numerous applications have been explored both in the chemical industry and organic chemistry research laboratories. In this general review, we have summarized the main achievements in the use of paraformaldehyde in organic reactions with transition metals as the catalysts. In these methodologies, paraformaldehyde has been applied as methylene blocks, hydroxymethylation reagents, CO source, syngas surrogate, hydrogen donor or acceptor, formylation and methylation reagents. Additionally, in order to make this review systematic, recent reported organocatalyzed transformations of paraformaldehyde have been included as well.

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Asymmetrische Brønsted‐Säure‐katalysierte Synthese von Triarylmethanen – Aufbau von Communesin‐ und Spiroindolin‐Gerüsten
Authors: Liao Hsuan‐Hung , Chatupheeraphat Adisak , Hsiao Chien‐Chi , Atodiresei Iuliana , Rueping Magnus
Published: November 2015

Aza‐ortho‐Chinonmethide ermöglichen eine effiziente asymmetrische Synthese Naturstoff‐inspirierter Indolgerüste mit quartärem Stereozentrum. Mit diesem Ansatz konnten diverse Communesin‐ und Spiroindolin‐Gerüste unter milden Reaktionsbedingungen mit hohen Enantioselektivitäten erzeugt werden, wobei Regiodivergenz durch Variation des Substitutionsmusters erzielt werden kann.
Copper(II)–diaminosarcophagine‐functionalized SBA‐15: a heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the synthesis of benzimidazole, benzoxazole and benzothiazole derivatives under solvent‐free conditions
Authors: Bardajee Ghasem Rezanejade , Mohammadi Marzieh , Kakavand Nahale
Published: November 2015

Solvent‐free organic reactions were studied over periodic mesoporous silica (SBA‐15) containing a Cu(II) organometallic complex. This heterogeneous catalyst was achieved by coordination of Cu(II) ions with the diaminosarcophagine ligand and then its grafting onto the surface of SBA‐15. This catalyst displayed ordered mesoporous channels, which implies an extremely high dispersion of the Cu(II) complex and the convenient diffusion of reactant molecules into the pore channels. Therefore, this catalyst can offer high activity and also facile separation or recycling when compared with its homogeneous counterparts. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microbial cellulose as a support for photocatalytic oxidation of toluene using TiO2 nanoparticles
Authors: Rezaee Abbas , Pourtagi Golamhossin , Hossini Hooshyar , Loloi Mahshid
Published: November 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of toluene degradation using impregnated microbial cellulose (MC) with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (MC/TiO2). The effects of the initial toluene concentration and ultraviolet (UV) source on the degradation efficiency of toluene have been evaluated. The experimental results showed that the rate of toluene degradation decreased with an increasing of the inlet toluene concentration. After 40 min reaction time, the decomposition rate (%) of toluene decreased from 72.3% to 36.02% for experiments conducted at 100 and 500 ppm, respectively. The degradation efficiency of toluene decreased with application of UVA source instead of UVC source. The toluene degradation efficiency (%) reached to 87.79% and 76.87% for UVC and UVA irradiation, respectively. At initial toluene concentration of 100 mg/L, toluene degradation efficiency for photocatalysis and photolysis processes were 70.2% and 10.65%, respectively; indicating that the photocatalytic degradation efficiency is significantly higher than that of photolytic degradation efficiency. Furthermore, photocatalytic degradation kinetics of toluene was studied and the rates of degradation were found to conform to pseudo‐second‐order kinetic. As shown in the present study, impregnation of TiO2 nanoparticles on MC/TiO2 significantly increases toluene removal for short exposure time. It can be concluded that the MC acted as a local toluene concentrator by adsorbing pollutants from the air stream, and thereby diffusing them to the TiO2 nanoparticles for photodegradation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43051.
A Versatile Anisometric Metallic Supercrystal with Controllable Orientation on a Chip as a Stable and Reliable Label‐Free Biosensor
Authors: Qiu Li , Wang Wei Qiang , Zhang Nan Nan , Jia Hao Wei , Wang Jin , Ge Hong Hua
Published: November 2015

Based on anisometric noble‐metal nanocrystals, a universal fabrication protocol for preparing 3D supercrystals with controlled orientation on a chip has been developed. A comparison of the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) behavior of 3D nanorod supercrystals aligned vertically and parallel to the chip indicates that the SERS‐enhancing ability and reproducibility of the former is superior to the latter. The 3D nanorod supercrystals aligned vertically to the chip have been utilized as highly sensitive SERS substrates for the label‐free discrimination of Gram‐positive and ‐negative bacteria. Furthermore, to strengthen the stability of the supercrystal substrate for assays of bacteria in biosamples, a coating of the antibiotic vancomycin can dramatically increase adhesion of bacteria on a nanointerface and simultaneously improve the SERS response of bacteria to achieve a layer‐by‐layer assembled, stable, and reliable biosensor for bacteria.
A new validated HPLC method for the determination of sulforaphane: application to study pharmacokinetics of sulforaphane in rats
Authors: Ong Chau , Elbarbry Fawzy
Published: November 2015

A simple, accurate and reproducible high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed and validated for the quantification of sulforaphane (SF) in rat plasma. The method involves a simple liquid–liquid extraction procedure to extract both SF and 7‐hyrdoxycoumarin, the internal standard. The chromatographic analysis was achieved on a Shimadzu LC 20A HPLC system equipped with a Zorbax Eclipse XDB C18 column and an isocratic mobile phase consisting of 10 mm KH2PO4 (pH 4.5) and acetonitrile HPLC grade (40:60, v/v) run at a flow rate of 1 mL/min for 10 min. The UV detection wavelength was set at 202 nm. The method exhibited good linearity (R2 > 0.999) over the assayed concentration range (0.05–2 μg/mL) and demonstrated good intra‐ and inter‐day precision and accuracy (relative standard deviations and the deviation from predicted values were <15%). This method was also successfully applied for studying the pharmacokinetics of SF in spontaneously hypertensive rats following single oral dietary doses of SF. The pharmacokinetics of SF show linear behavior at the dose range investigated in this study. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simple HPLC‐UV for the quantification of a new leishmanicidal candidate (E)‐1‐4(trifluoromethyl) benzylidene)‐5‐(2‐4‐dichlorozoyl) carbonylhydrazine (LASSBio‐1736) in rat plasma for pharmacokinetics assessment
Authors: Moraes Barbra Katyuschya Sanches , Bajerski Lisiane , Parisotto Alcides , Silva Carlos Eduardo da Rosa , Alves Marina Amaral , Barreiro Eliezer de Jesus , Freddo Rodrigo José , Dalla Costa Teresa , Lima Lídia Moreira , Haas Sandra Elisa
Published: November 2015

In this study, a sensitive HPLC‐UV assay was developed and validated for the determination of LASSBio‐1736 in rat plasma with sodium diclofenac as internal standard (IS). Liquid–liquid extraction using acetonitrile was employed to extract LASSBio‐1736 and IS from 100 μL of plasma previously basified with NaOH 0.1 M. Chromatographic separation was carried on Waters Spherisorb®S5 ODS2 C18 column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) using an isocratic mobile phase composed by water with triethylamine 0.3% (pH 4), methanol and acetonitrile grade (45:15:40, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Both LASSBio‐1736 and IS were eluted at 4.2 and 5 min, respectively, with a total run time of 8 min only. The lower limit of quantification was 0.2 μg/mL and linearity between 0.2 and 4 μg/mL was obtained, with an R2 > 0.99. The accuracy of the method was >90.5%. The relative standard deviations intra and interday were <6.19 and <7.83%, respectively. The method showed the sensitivity, linearity, precision, accuracy and selectivity required to quantify LASSBio‐1736 in preclinical pharmacokinetic studies according to the criteria established by the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Removing the Active‐Site Flap in Lipase A from Candida antarctica Produces a Functional Enzyme without Interfacial Activation
Authors: Wikmark Ylva , Engelmark Cassimjee Karim , Lihammar Richard , Bäckvall Jan‐E.
Published: November 2015

A mobile region is proposed to be a flap that covers the active site of Candida antarctica lipase A. Removal of the mobile region retains the functional properties of the enzyme. Interestingly interfacial activation, required for the wild‐type enzyme, was not observed for the truncated variant, although stability, activity, and stereoselectivity were very similar for the wild‐type and variant enzymes. The variant followed classical Michaelis–Menten kinetics, unlike the wild type. Both gave the same relative specificity in the transacylation of a primary and a secondary alcohol in organic solvent. Furthermore, both showed the same enantioselectivity in transacylation of alcohols and the hydrolysis of alcohol esters, as well as in the hydrolysis of esters chiral at the acid part.
Robust Cluster Building Unit: Icosanuclear Heteropolyoxocopperate Templated by Carbonate
Authors: Liu Fu‐Ling , Kozlevčar Bojan , Strauch Peter , Zhuang Gui‐Lin , Guo Ling‐Yu , Wang Zhi , Sun Di
Published: November 2015

The encapsulation of carbonate derived from atmospheric CO2 has resulted in an icosanuclear heteropolyoxocopperate, isolated as a metal–organic 1D chain, 2D sheet, or 3D framework, in which the Cu20 nanocluster represents the first eight‐capped α‐Keggin polyoxometalate with the late‐transition‐metal CuII as the polyatom, CO32− as the heteroanion, and OH− and suc2− or glu2− (H2suc=succinic acid; H2glu=glutaric acid) as the terminal ligands, which suggests a conceptual similarity to classical polyoxometalates. Even in the presence of competitive SO42− in the assembly system, the CO32− anion is still captured as a template to direct the formation of the Cu20 nanocluster, which indicates the stronger templation ability of CO32− compared with SO42−. When other aliphatic dicarboxylates, such as glutaric acid, were used as ligands, the CO32−‐templated Cu20 nanocluster was maintained and acted as a cluster building unit (CBU) to be linked by two glutarate bridges to generate a distinct 1D metal–organic chain. This report presents not only a rare example of a huge anion‐templated transition‐metal cluster, but also its use as a robust CBU to construct novel coordination architectures. Variable‐temperature magnetic susceptibility studies revealed that an antiferromagnetic interaction exists within the Cu20 nanocluster. The correlation between the coordination structure and the electron paramagnetic resonance spectra recorded of both powder and single‐crystal samples are discussed in detail.
Emulsification at the Liquid/Liquid Interface: Effects of Potential, Electrolytes and Surfactants
Authors: Chowdhury Mehrin , Kataky Ritu
Published: November 2015

Emulsification of oils at liquid/liquid interfaces is of fundamental importance across a range of applications, including detergency. Adsorption and partitioning of the anionic surface active ions at the interface between two immiscible solutions is known to cause predictable chaos at the transfer potential region of the surfactant. In this work, the phenomenon that leads to the chaotic behaviour shown by sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) at the water/1,2‐dichloroethane interface is applied to commercial surfactants and aqueous/glyceryl trioleate interface. Electrochemical methods, electrocapillary curves, optical microscopy and conductivity measurements demonstrated that at 1.5 mm of SDBS, surfactants are adsorbed at the interface and assemble into micelles, leading to interfacial instability. As the concentration of the anionic surfactant was enhanced to 8 and 13.4 mm, the Marangoni effect and the interfacial emulsification became more prominent. The chaotic behaviour was found to be dependent on the surfactant concentration and the electrolytes present.
A comparative study on microstructure, texture, rheology, and crystallization kinetics of palm‐based diacylglycerol oils and corresponding palm‐based oils
Authors: Xu Yayuan , Wei Changqing , Zhao Xiaoqing , Lu Chen , Dong Cao
Published: November 2015

Palm based diacylglycerol (P‐DAG) oils not only have health‐enhancing properties but also have distinct physicochemical characteristics. However, comprehensive information on the microstructure, rheology, and crystallization properties of P‐DAG oils have yet to be conducted. Thus, P‐DAG oils produced from palm stearin (PS), palm mid fraction (PMF), palm oil (PO), and palm olein (POL) were compared with corresponding palm based oils (P‐oils) in terms of SFC, crystallization properties, rheology, hardness, and microstructure. On the basis of Avrami constant (k) and exponent (n), P‐DAG oils showed higher nucleation and crystallization rate than P‐oils and displayed no spherulitic crystal growth at all examined supercoolings. The complex modulus and phase angle indicated P‐DAG oils except palm stearin DAG (PS‐DAG) appeared to show more strengthening network structure and more solid‐like nature compared to corresponding P‐oils. Substantial changes in crystals size and shape were detected in morphological images of P‐DAG oils excluding PS‐DAG compared to corresponding P‐oils. Nevertheless, all P‐DAG oils showed extremely similar microstructural images with compact structures of very small needle‐like crystals.

Practical applications: This study provides valuable information about the microstructure, texture, rheology as well as the crystallization kinetics of palm‐based diacylglycerol oils. These informative data will contribute to exploitation and application of P‐DAG oils in plastic fat products in the future, which exhibited not only nutritional properties to treat obesity but also distinct physicochemical characteristics.

Palm based diacylglycerol (P‐DAG) oils were produced from palm stearin, palm mid fraction, palm oil, and palm olein. A comprehensive information on solid fat content, crystallization properties, rheology, hardness, and microstructure of P‐DAG oils were conducted in comparison with corresponding palm based oils (P‐oils). Summarily, substantial differences in these properties of P‐DAG oils were detected compared to corresponding P‐oils.
A novel orally administered trimebutine compound (GIC‐1001) is anti‐nociceptive and features peripheral opioid agonistic activity and Hydrogen Sulphide‐releasing capacity in mice
Authors: Cenac N. , Castro M. , Desormeaux C. , Colin P. , Sie M. , Ranger M. , Vergnolle N.
Published: November 2015

Background

Trimebutine maleate, a noncompetitive spasmolytic agent with some affinity for peripheral μ‐ and κ‐opioid receptors has been evaluated as a treatment in a limited number of patients undergoing sedation‐free full colonoscopy. The efficiency of such treatment was comparable to sedation‐based colonoscopies to relieve from pain and discomfort.

Methods

A new and improved trimebutine salt capable of releasing in vivo hydrogen sulphide (H2S), a gaseous mediator known to reduce nociception, has been developed. This drug salt (GIC‐1001) is composed of trimebutine bearing a H2S‐releasing counterion (3‐thiocarbamoylbenzoate, 3TCB), the latter having the ability to release H2S. GIC‐1001 has been tested here in a mouse model of colorectal distension.

Results

In mice, while orally given trimebutine (the maleate salt, non‐H2S‐releaser) only slightly reduced the nociceptive response to increasing pressures of colorectal distension, oral administration of GIC‐1001 (the H2S‐releaser) was able to significantly reduce nociceptive response to all noxious stimuli, in a dose‐dependent manner. This effect of GIC‐1001 was significantly better than the effects of its parent compound trimebutine administered at equimolar doses.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results demonstrated increased antinociceptive properties for GIC‐1001 compared to trimebutine, suggesting that this compound would be a better option to relieve from visceral pain and discomfort induced by lumenal distension.
Morphological response of a barrier island system on a catastrophic event: the AD 1634 North Sea storm
Authors: Fruergaard Mikkel , Kroon Aart
Published: November 2015

The AD 1634 North Sea storm is one of the most catastrophic storms along the Wadden Sea coast of Denmark. In this study we show how pre‐1634 storm morphology exerted a strong control on the resulting post‐storm coastal morphology. Erosional responses associated with the storm were barrier breaching, dune scarping and shoreface erosion and accretionary responses were washover deposition, shoreface healing and barrier‐island formation. Local sediment sources appeared to have a particularly strong influence on post‐storm coastal evolution and allowed a very rapid formation of a barrier shoal which resulted in several kilometres of coastal progradation. Sediment budgets suggest that formation of the barrier shoal was possible, but the sediment transport rates in the decades after the 1634 storm, must have been two to three times higher than present‐day rates. The study demonstrates that catastrophic storms are capable of moving large amounts of sediments over relatively short time‐periods and can create barrier shoals, whereas moderate storms mostly rework the shoal or barrier and create more local erosion and/or landward migration. Catastrophic storms substantially influence long‐term and large‐scale coastal evolution, and storms may positively contribute to the sediment budget and promote coastal progradation in coastal areas with longshore sediment convergence. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Subglacial processes from drumlins in Clew Bay, western Ireland
Authors: Knight Jasper
Published: November 2015

Interpretation of subglacial processes and environments can be usefully informed by the stratigraphy and structures of sediments preserved within drumlins, and the down‐ice variability of these sediments. Drumlins in Clew Bay, western Ireland, were formed by westward late Pleistocene ice flow onto the Atlantic shelf, but the depositional processes and environments of these sediments remain uncertain. This study describes and interprets the drumlin stratigraphy and sediment properties and structures from two drumlins on the south side of Clew Bay. Drumlin sediments are dominated by massive to stratified diamicton deposited subglacially by deformation of flows of varying rheology. Folds, shears and clastic dikes within the sediments suggest active subglacial water flow related to variations in ice flow and ice‐bed coupling. The distal ends of the drumlins are dominated by stratified diamicton and gravel units with sandy interbeds. These sediments reflect deposition in a leeside subglacial cavity formed coevally with bedform development. A model is proposed that can account for sediment stratigraphic patterns and drumlin formation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.