bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trapping and assembly of living colloids at water–water interfaces
Authors: Hann Sarah D. , Goulian Mark , Lee Daeyeon , Stebe Kathleen J.
Published: January 2015

We study the assembly of living colloids in a two phase water–water system that provides an environment that can sustain bacteria, providing a new structure with rich potential to confine and structure microbial communities.
Novel AuPd nanostructures for hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene
Authors: Chen Huimei , Huang Jiale , Huang Dengpo , Sun Daohua , Shao Minhua , Li Qingbiao
Published: January 2015

AuPd bimetallic nanoflowers synthesized by a microorganism-mediated method show excellent catalytic performance and durability toward the hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene.
Fabrication of hollow Cu2O@CuO-supported Au–Pd alloy nanoparticles with high catalytic activity through the galvanic replacement reaction
Authors: Yao Wang , Li Fei-Long , Li Hong-Xi , Lang Jian-Ping
Published: January 2015

Cu2O@CuO-supported Au–Pd alloy nanoparticles prepared through the galvanic replacement approach exhibit an excellent catalytic performance in reducing 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol.
N2H: a novel polymeric hydronitrogen as a high energy density material
Authors: Yin Ketao , Wang Yanchao , Liu Hanyu , Peng Feng , Zhang Lijun
Published: January 2015

Based on the first-principles structure search methodology, a hitherto unknown stable polymeric N2H phase is discovered at high pressures.
Tailoring the optical properties of poly(3-hexylthiophene) by emulsion processing using polymeric macrosurfactants
Authors: Fleischli F. D. , Ghasdian N. , Georgiou T. K. , Stingelin N.
Published: January 2015

Here we demonstrate that the use of macrosurfactants in the production of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):water dispersion allows to drastically change the semiconductor's molecular aggregation, leading to pronounced H- or J-like behaviour depending on the macrosurfactant used and the conditions selected to produce the dispersions.
Modelling collision alleviating DCF protocol with finite retry limits
Authors: Madhavi T. , Bhushana Rao G. Sasi
Published: January 2015

IEEE 802.11‐based wireless ad hoc networks are well suited for critical scenarios such as rescue operations during natural calamities, military applications on battle fields and so on where the existing infrastructure fails. In these networks, since nodes have limited battery power, the reduction in packet collision is very important, otherwise the nodes have to spend more energy for packet transmission. In these wireless networks, the packet transmission procedure plays a pivotal role in performance. Several packet transmission procedures represented with Markov chain models have been suggested by the authors to improve the network performance. However, these procedures have not been suitable for dense networks due to the high collision rate. A new packet transmission procedure for the IEEE 802.11 distributed coordination function (DCF) protocol is proposed to reduce the number of collisions and enhance the throughput of wireless networks. A mathematical framework is carried out for transmission probability and performance analysis is presented showing that the new procedure greatly enhances the network performance and as a result can be applied in the design and performance optimisation of wireless network protocols.
Dual time synchronisation method for wireless sensor networks
Authors: Wang Fuqiang , Yu Changbin , Wu Xiaoming , Hu Yifan
Published: January 2015

Time synchronisation plays an important role in time division multiple access (TDMA) wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Existing time synchronisation methods suffer from cumulative time error and the imbalance of time synchronisation precision, and those factors bring fluctuations to nodes’ time and will become worse with the increase of hops, inducing more unstable communication links for sensor nodes. A dual time synchronisation method (DTSM) for WSNs is introduced, which is endowed with the maintenance of two running time sources per node, one for its parent and the other for its sons. This method eliminates the time fluctuations among nodes especially for the nodes with greater hops, so as to obtain more stable links for large‐scale networks. This method is implemented on the SCSC‐RFA1 platform and the results show its validity.
CMOS fully integrated reconfigurable power amplifier with efficiency enhancement for LTE applications
Authors: Tuffery A. , Deltimple N. , Kerhervé E. , Knopik V. , Cathelin P.
Published: January 2015

A fully integrated power amplifier using a power cell switching technique, implemented in 65 nm CMOS technology is presented. The main objective of the proposed architecture is to significantly improve the efficiency at high power back‐off. To do so, distributed active transformers are used as the splitter, the combiner and the DC bias feed to partition the power requirements among the parallelised power cells. An individual cell can be dynamically turned ON/OFF according to the desired output power. At 2.5 GHz, the measured maximum output power is 28.2 dBm and the power‐added efficiency is improved for low level, +3.2 and +4.9% for 18 and 23.7 dBm, respectively.
Microgrid state estimation and control for smart grid and Internet of Things communication network
Authors: Rana M.M. , Li L.
Published: January 2015

Given the significant concerns regarding carbon emissions from fossil fuels, global warming and energy crises, the renewable distributed energy resources (DERs) are having to be integrated in the smart grid (SG). The SG can spread intelligence of the energy distribution and control system from the central unit to long‐distance remote areas, thus enabling accurate state estimation (SE) and wide‐area real‐time monitoring of these intermittent energy sources. In contrast to the traditional methods of SE, a novel approach for SG SE is proposed based on concatenated coding structures, where the grid state is treated as a dynamic outer code and the recursive systematic convolutional code is seen as a concatenated inner code for protecting and redundancy in the system state. Furthermore, Kalman filter (KF)‐based online DERs SE and a discrete‐time linear quadratic regulation method are proposed to control these state deviations for the SG and the Internet of Things (IoTs) communication network, which can exploit the far‐reaching connectivity and privacy of DERs messages. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm achieves 3 dB performance improvement compared with the existing KF.
Non‐iterative method for finding optimised switching sequence to compensate gradient errors in current‐steered DAC
Authors: Li C. , Verhelst M. , Bourdoux A. , Van der Perre L. , Pollin S.
Published: January 2015

A methodology to find the optimised switching sequence for gradient error compensation in the current cell array of current‐steered digital‐to‐analogue converters (DACs) is presented. This new approach is simplified to be non‐iterative and generalised to both linear and quadratic gradient errors. Simulation results show that the approach finds the optimised switching sequence to substantially reduce the nonlinearity of DACs due to the gradient errors.
Investigation of the deposition and thermal behavior of striped phases of unsymmetric disulfide self-assembled monolayers on Au(111): The case of 11-hydroxyundecyl decyl disulfide
Authors: Albayrak Erol , Karabuga Semistan , Bracco Gianangelo , Danışman M. Fatih
Published: January 2015

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of unsymmetric disulfides on Au(111) are used to form mixed SAMs that can be utilized in many applications. Here, we have studied 11-hydroxyundecyl decyl disulfide (CH3–(CH2)9–S–S–(CH2)11–OH, HDD) SAMs produced by supersonic molecular beam deposition and characterized by He diffraction. The film growth was monitored at different temperatures up to a coverage which corresponds to a full lying down phase and the diffraction analysis shows that below 250 K the phase is different from the phase measured above 300 K. During the annealing of the film, two phase transitions were observed, at 250 K and 350 K. The overall data suggest that the former is related to an irreversible phase separation of HDD above 250 K to decanethiolate (–S–(CH2)9–CH3, DTT) and hydroxyundecylthiolate (–S–(CH2)11–OH, MUDT), while the latter to a reversible melting of the film. Above 450 K, the specular intensity shows an increase related to film desorption and different chemisorbed states were observed with energies in the same range as observed for decanethiol (H–S–(CH2)9–CH3, DT) and mercaptoundecanol (H–S–(CH2)11–OH, MUD) SAMs.
Generalized Metropolis acceptance criterion for hybrid non-equilibrium molecular dynamics—Monte Carlo simulations
Authors: Chen Yunjie , Roux Benoît
Published: January 2015

A family of hybrid simulation methods that combines the advantages of Monte Carlo (MC) with the strengths of classical molecular dynamics (MD) consists in carrying out short non-equilibrium MD (neMD) trajectories to generate new configurations that are subsequently accepted or rejected via an MC process. In the simplest case where a deterministic dynamic propagator is used to generate the neMD trajectories, the familiar Metropolis acceptance criterion based on the change in the total energy ΔE, min[1,  exp{ − βΔE}], guarantees that the hybrid algorithm will yield the equilibrium Boltzmann distribution. However, the functional form of the acceptance probability is more complex when the non-equilibrium switching process is generated via a non-deterministic stochastic dissipative propagator coupled to a heat bath. Here, we clarify the conditions under which the Metropolis criterion remains valid to rigorously yield a proper equilibrium Boltzmann distribution within hybrid neMD-MC algorithm.
Analysis and calibration techniques for superconducting resonators
Authors: Cataldo Giuseppe , Wollack Edward J. , Barrentine Emily M. , Brown Ari D. , Moseley S. Harvey , U-Yen Kongpop
Published: January 2015

A method is proposed and experimentally explored for in-situ calibration of complex transmission data for superconducting microwave resonators. This cryogenic calibration method accounts for the instrumental transmission response between the vector network analyzer reference plane and the device calibration plane. Once calibrated, the observed resonator response is analyzed in detail by two approaches. The first, a phenomenological model based on physically realizable rational functions, enables the extraction of multiple resonance frequencies and widths for coupled resonators without explicit specification of the circuit network. In the second, an ABCD-matrix representation for the distributed transmission line circuit is used to model the observed response from the characteristic impedance and propagation constant. When used in conjunction with electromagnetic simulations, the kinetic inductance fraction can be determined with this method with an accuracy of 2%. Datasets for superconducting microstrip and coplanar-waveguide resonator devices were investigated and a recovery within 1% of the observed complex transmission amplitude was achieved with both analysis approaches. The experimental configuration used in microwave characterization of the devices and self-consistent constraints for the electromagnetic constitutive relations for parameter extraction are also presented.
Modeling selective intergranular oxidation of binary alloys
Authors: Xu Zhijie , Li Dongsheng , Schreiber Daniel K. , Rosso Kevin M. , Bruemmer Stephen M.
Published: January 2015

Intergranular attack of alloys under hydrothermal conditions is a complex problem that depends on metal and oxygen transport kinetics via solid-state and channel-like pathways to an advancing oxidation front. Experiments reveal very different rates of intergranular attack and minor element depletion distances ahead of the oxidation front for nickel-based binary alloys depending on the minor element. For example, a significant Cr depletion up to 9 μm ahead of grain boundary crack tips was documented for Ni-5Cr binary alloy, in contrast to relatively moderate Al depletion for Ni-5Al (∼100 s of nm). We present a mathematical kinetics model that adapts Wagner’s model for thick film growth to intergranular attack of binary alloys. The transport coefficients of elements O, Ni, Cr, and Al in bulk alloys and along grain boundaries were estimated from the literature. For planar surface oxidation, a critical concentration of the minor element can be determined from the model where the oxide of minor element becomes dominant over the major element. This generic model for simple grain boundary oxidation can predict oxidation penetration velocities and minor element depletion distances ahead of the advancing front that are comparable to experimental data. The significant distance of depletion of Cr in Ni-5Cr in contrast to the localized Al depletion in Ni-5Al can be explained by the model due to the combination of the relatively faster diffusion of Cr along the grain boundary and slower diffusion in bulk grains, relative to Al.
Contact theorems for anisotropic fluids near a hard wall
Authors: Holovko M. , di Caprio D.
Published: January 2015

In this paper, from the Born-Green-Yvon equation, we formulate a general expression for the contact value of the singlet distribution function for anisotropic fluids near a hard wall. This expression consists of two separate contributions. One is related to the bulk partial pressure for a given orientation of the molecules. The second is related to the anchoring phenomena and is characterized by the direct interaction between the molecules and the wall. Given this relation, we formulate the contact theorems for the density and order parameter profiles. The results are illustrated by the case of a nematic fluid near a hard wall.
Formation and propagation of laser-driven plasma jets in an ambient medium studied with X-ray radiography and optical diagnostics
Authors: Dizière A. , Pelka A. , Ravasio A. , Loupias B. , Falize E. , Kuramitsu Y. , Sakawa Y. , Morita T. , Pikuz S. , Yurchak R. , Koenig M.
Published: January 2015

In this paper, we present experimental results obtained on the LULI2000 laser facility regarding structure and dynamics of astrophysical jets propagating in interstellar medium. The jets, generated by using a cone-shaped target, propagate in a nitrogen gas that mimics the interstellar medium. X-ray radiography as well as optical diagnostics were used to probe both high and low density regions. In this paper, we show how collimation of the jets evolves with the gas density.
Reversal of particle flux in collisional-finite beta tokamak discharges
Authors: Ma J. , Wang G. , Weiland J. , Rafiq T. , Kritz A. H.
Published: January 2015

The mixed gradient method [Zhong et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 265001 (2013)] is adopted and effects of collisions and finite beta are included in the Weiland 9-equation fluid model. The particle flux and particle pinch, obtained using the Weiland anomalous transport fluid model, are compared with Tore Supra experimental results. Particle transport is also studied using predictive simulation data for an experimental advanced superconducting tokamak discharge in which neutral beam heating is utilized. The effects of collisions on particle transport are studied by turning collisions on and off in the Weiland model. It is found that the particle pinch region is related to the mode structure. The particle pinch region coincides with the region where the strong ballooning modes are present due to large gradients. The general properties of the fluid model are examined by finding regions where collisions can enhance the particle pinch.
Two-dimensional simulation research of secondary electron emission avalanche discharge on vacuum insulator surface
Authors: Cai Libing , Wang Jianguo , Zhu Xiangqin , Wang Yue , Zhang Dianhui
Published: January 2015

Based on the secondary electron emission avalanche (SEEA) model, the SEEA discharge on the vacuum insulator surface is simulated by using a 2D PIC-MCC code developed by ourselves. The evolutions of the number of discharge electrons, insulator surface charge, current, and 2D particle distribution are obtained. The effects of the strength of the applied electric field, secondary electron yield coefficient, rise time of the pulse, length of the insulator on the discharge are investigated. The results show that the number of the SEEA electrons presents a quadratic dependence upon the applied field strength. The SEEA current, which is on the order of Ampere, is directly proportional to the field strength and secondary electron yield coefficient. Finally, the electron-stimulated outgassing is included in the simulation code, and a three-phase discharge curve is presented by the simulation, which agrees with the experimental data.
The rational solutions of the mixed nonlinear Schrödinger equation
Authors: He Jingsong , Xu Shuwei , Cheng Yi
Published: January 2015

The mixed nonlinear Schrödinger (MNLS) equation is a model for the propagation of the Alfvén wave in plasmas and the ultrashort light pulse in optical fibers with two nonlinear effects of self-steepening and self phase-modulation(SPM), which is also the first non-trivial flow of the integrable Wadati-Konno-Ichikawa(WKI) system. The determinant representation Tn of a n-fold Darboux transformation(DT) for the MNLS equation is presented. The smoothness of the solution q[2k] generated by T2k is proved for the two cases (non-degeneration and double-degeneration ) through the iteration and determinant representation. Starting from a periodic seed(plane wave), rational solutions with two parameters a and b of the MNLS equation are constructed by the DT and the Taylor expansion. Two parameters denote the contributions of two nonlinear effects in solutions. We show an unusual result: for a given value of a, the increasing value of b can damage gradually the localization of the rational solution, by analytical forms and figures. A novel two-peak rational solution with variable height and a non-vanishing boundary is also obtained.
Similarity solution to three dimensional boundary layer flow of second grade nanofluid past a stretching surface with thermal radiation and heat source/sink
Authors: Hayat T. , Muhammad Taseer , Shehzad S. A. , Alsaedi A.
Published: January 2015

Development of human society greatly depends upon solar energy. Heat, electricity and water from nature can be obtained through solar power. Sustainable energy generation at present is a critical issue in human society development. Solar energy is regarded one of the best sources of renewable energy. Hence the purpose of present study is to construct a model for radiative effects in three-dimensional of nanofluid. Flow of second grade fluid by an exponentially stretching surface is considered. Thermophoresis and Brownian motion effects are taken into account in presence of heat source/sink and chemical reaction. Results are derived for the dimensionless velocities, temperature and concentration. Graphs are plotted to examine the impacts of physical parameters on the temperature and concentration. Numerical computations are presented to examine the values of skin-friction coefficients, Nusselt and Sherwood numbers. It is observed that the values of skin-friction coefficients are more for larger values of second grade parameter. Moreover the radiative effects on the temperature and concentration are quite reverse.
A quantum dot asymmetric self-gated nanowire FET for high sensitive detection
Authors: Shi Zhangchun , Yang Xiaohong , Nie Chenglei , Yin Weihong , Han Qin , Ni Haiqiao , Niu Zhichuan
Published: January 2015

We present a novel device for weak light detection based on self-gated nanowire field effect structure with embedded quantum dots beside the nanowire current channel. The quantum dot with high localization energy will make the device work at high detecting temperature and the nano-channel structure will provide high photocurrent gain. Simulation has been done to optimize the structure, explain the working principle and electrical properties of the devices. The nonlinear current-voltage characteristics have been demonstrated at different temperatures. The responsivity of the device is proven to be more than 4.8 × 106A/W at 50 K.
Loss of autophagy causes a synthetic lethal deficiency in DNA repair
Authors: Liu Emma Y. , Xu Naihan , O’Prey Jim , Lao Laurence Y. , Joshi Sanket , Long Jaclyn S. , O’Prey Margaret , Croft Daniel R. , Beaumatin Florian , Baudot Alice D. , Mrschtik Michaela , Rosenfeldt Mathias , Zhang Yaou , Gillespie David A. , Ryan Kevin M.
Published: January 2015

Significance

It is known that autophagy plays a major role in cellular homeostasis and impaired autophagy has been implicated in various forms of human disease. Here we investigate one way in which autophagy is critically connected to cellular integrity by showing that autophagy loss diminishes DNA repair by the error-free process, homologous recombination. As a result, this causes reliance on the error-prone process of nonhomologous end joining for repair of DNA double-strand breaks, providing one explanation of why autophagy-deficient cells accumulate genomic damage. These findings therefore have important implications for diseases in which autophagy is impaired and for therapeutic strategies designed to inhibit autophagy, particularly if autophagy inhibition is undertaken in combination with agents that cause genomic damage.
Deciphering Hatchery Stock Influences on Wild Populations of Vermont Lake Trout
Authors: Baillie Shauna M. , Blackie Craig , Gerardi Leonard , Bentzen Paul
Published: January 2015

To better understand the influence of hatchery practices on wild populations of Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush, we used a landscape genetic approach to tease apart the population genetic patterns expected due to natural processes versus hatchery stocking, i.e., human‐mediated gene flow. In several lakes across our study area in Vermont, the presence of exogenous mitochondrial DNA haplotypes supported our human‐mediated gene flow hypothesis. Microsatellite DNA analyses showed introgression of hatchery genotypes into the wild populations. Nonetheless, clustering patterns within river drainages and signatures of isolation by distance were consistent with natural postglacial colonization. We conclude that though the genetic makeup of Vermont Lake Trout populations has been influenced by stocking, a lack of genetic bottlenecks and concordance with landscape processes suggests that much of the indigenous genetic diversity remains intact. We were able to attribute departures from expectations based on natural genetic patterns to hatchery introgression in specific lakes. To preserve the adaptive potential of local populations that have persisted since the last ice age, we suggest areas for which hatchery supplementation could be minimized.

Received June 16, 2014; accepted September 12, 2014
The influence of mood on the process and content of encoding future intentions
Authors: Knight Justin B. , Brewer Gene A. , Ball B. Hunter , DeWitt Michael R. , Marsh Richard L.
Published: January 2015

Remembering to perform an intention in the future when some environmental cue is encountered is referred to as event-based prospective memory. The influence of mood on this future-oriented memory is unclear. By experimentally manipulating mood, the current set of experiments sought to examine the influence that differing mood states have on encoding future intentions. Participants were induced into a neutral, positive, or negative mood state at intention formation and returned to their baseline mood before beginning the prospective memory task. Relative to the neutral mood, positive mood facilitated and negative mood impaired intention encoding when neutrally toned cues were used, as evidenced by the proportion of cues subsequently detected. The use of negatively toned cues ameliorated the benefit of the positive mood but not the impairment of the negative mood. Further, reinstatement of the encoding mood during retrieval equated performance for all three mood conditions. Results suggest that encoded mood influences the future accessibility and completion of intended behaviours, perhaps through modulation of associative processing. The current study demonstrates that mood plays a determining role in encoding future intentions.
On the semicontinuity of the mod 2 spectrum of hypersurface singularities
Authors: Borodzik Maciej , Némethi András , Ranicki Andrew
Published: January 2015

We use purely topological methods to prove the semicontinuity of the

mod

2

\mod 2

spectrum of local isolated hypersurface singularities in

C

n
+
1

\mathbb {C}^{n+1}

, using Seifert forms of high-dimensional non-spherical links, the Levine–Tristram signatures and the generalized Murasugi–Kawauchi inequality.
Kif2a depletion generates chromosome segregation and pole coalescence defects in animal caps and inhibits gastrulation of theXenopusembryo
Authors: Eagleson Gerald , Pfister Katherine , Knowlton Anne L. , Skoglund Paul , Keller Ray , Stukenberg P. Todd
Published: January 2015

Characterization of Kif2a in Xenopus embryos identifies new roles for the Kif2a microtubule depolymerase in coordinating cytokinesis and centrosome coalescence. In addition, defects in mitosis can inhibit large-scale developmental movements in vertebrate tissues.
Acquire: an open-source comprehensive cancer biobanking system
Authors: Dowst Heidi , Pew Benjamin , Watkins Chris , McOwiti Apollo , Barney Jonathan , Qu Shijing , Becnel Lauren B.
Published: January 2015

Motivation: The probability of effective treatment of cancer with a targeted therapeutic can be improved for patients with defined genotypes containing actionable mutations. To this end, many human cancer biobanks are integrating more tightly with genomic sequencing facilities and with those creating and maintaining patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and cell lines to provide renewable resources for translational research.

Results: To support the complex data management needs and workflows of several such biobanks, we developed Acquire. It is a robust, secure, web-based, database-backed open-source system that supports all major needs of a modern cancer biobank. Its modules allow for i) up-to-the-minute ‘scoreboard’ and graphical reporting of collections; ii) end user roles and permissions; iii) specimen inventory through caTissue Suite; iv) shipping forms for distribution of specimens to pathology, genomic analysis and PDX/cell line creation facilities; v) robust ad hoc querying; vi) molecular and cellular quality control metrics to track specimens’ progress and quality; vii) public researcher request; viii) resource allocation committee distribution request review and oversight and ix) linkage to available derivatives of specimen.

Availability and Implementation: Acquire implements standard controlled vocabularies, ontologies and objects from the NCI, CDISC and others. Here we describe the functionality of the system, its technological stack and the processes it supports. A test version Acquire is available at https://tcrbacquire-stg.research.bcm.edu; software is available in https://github.com/BCM-DLDCC/Acquire; and UML models, data and workflow diagrams, behavioral specifications and other documents are available at https://github.com/BCM-DLDCC/Acquire/tree/master/supplementaryMaterials.

Contact:  becnel@bcm.edu
Sirolimus Versus Tacrolimus as Primary Immunosuppressant After Renal Transplantation: A Meta-Analysis and Economics Evaluation
Authors: Liu Jin-yu , Song Ming , Guo Min , Huang Feng , Ma Bing-jun , Zhu Lan , Xu Gang , Li Juan , You Ru-xu
Published: January 2015

Sirolimus and tacrolimus are the major immunosuppressants for renal transplantation. Several studies have compared these 2 drugs, but the outcomes were not consistent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and pharmacoeconomics of sirolimus and tacrolimus in the treatment of renal transplantation and provide evidence for the selection of essential drugs. Trials were identified through a computerized literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane controlled trials register, Cochrane Renal Group Specialized Register of randomized controlled trials, and Chinese Biomedical database. Two independent reviewers assessed trials for eligibility and quality and then extracted data. Data were extracted for patient and graft mortality, acute rejection (AR), and adverse events. Dichotomous outcomes were reported as relative risk with 95% confidence intervals. A decision tree model was populated with data from a literature review and used to estimate costs and QALYs gained and incremental cost-effectiveness. Altogether, 1189 patients from 8 randomized controlled trials were included. The results of our analysis were that tacrolimus reduced the risks after renal transplantation of AR and patient withdrawn. Nevertheless, tacrolimus increased the risk of infection. Pharmacoeconomic analysis showed that tacrolimus represented a more cost-effective treatment than does cyclosporine for the prevention of adverse events after renal transplant. Tacrolimus is an effective and safe immunosuppressive agent, and it may be more cost-effective than cyclosporine for the primary prevention of AR in renal transplant recipients. However, it should be noted that such superiority was reversal when the cost of sirolimus and tacrolimus changed.
A new look at sodium channel β subunits
Authors: Namadurai Sivakumar , Yereddi Nikitha R. , Cusdin Fiona S. , Huang Christopher L.-H. , Chirgadze Dimitri Y. , Jackson Antony P.
Published: January 2015

Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels are intrinsic plasma membrane proteins that initiate the action potential in electrically excitable cells. They are a major focus of research in neurobiology, structural biology, membrane biology and pharmacology. Mutations in Navchannels are implicated in a wide variety of inherited pathologies, including cardiac conduction diseases, myotonic conditions, epilepsy and chronic pain syndromes. Drugs active against Navchannels are used as local anaesthetics, anti-arrhythmics, analgesics and anti-convulsants. The Navchannels are composed of a pore-forming α subunit and associated β subunits. The β subunits are members of the immunoglobulin (Ig) domain family of cell-adhesion molecules. They modulate multiple aspects of Navchannel behaviour and play critical roles in controlling neuronal excitability. The recently published atomic resolution structures of the human β3 and β4 subunit Ig domains open a new chapter in the study of these molecules. In particular, the discovery that β3 subunits form trimers suggests that Navchannel oligomerization may contribute to the functional properties of some β subunits.
Pseudomonas zhaodongensis sp. nov., isolated from saline and alkaline soils
Authors: Zhang Lei , Pan Yuanyuan , Wang Kaibiao , Zhang Xiaoxia , Zhang Cheng , Zhang Shuang , Fu Xiaowei , Jiang Juquan
Published: January 2015

Strain NEAU-ST5-21T was isolated from saline and alkaline soils in Zhaodong City, Heilongjiang Province, China. It was aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped and motile with a polar flagellum. It produced yellow–orange colonies with a smooth surface, and grew in the presence of 0–5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 0 %, w/v), at temperatures of 20–40 °C (optimum 28 °C) and at pH 7–11 (optimum pH 7). Phylogenetic analyses based on the separate 16S rRNA gene sequences and concatenated 16S rRNA, gyrB and rpoD gene sequences indicated that strain NEAU-ST5-21T belongs to the genus

Pseudomonas

in the class

Gammaproteobacteria

. The most closely related species is

Pseudomonas xanthomarina

, whose type strain (KMM 1447T) showed gene sequence similarities of 99.0 % for 16S rRNA, 81.8 % for gyrB and 85.0 % for rpoD with strain NEAU-ST5-21T. DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain NEAU-ST5-21T and

P. xanthomarina

DSM 18231T,

Pseudomonas kunmingensis

CGMCC 1.12273T,

Pseudomonas stutzeri

DSM 5190T,

Pseudomonas oleovorans subsp. lubricantis

DSM 21016T,

Pseudomomas chengduensis

CGMCC 2318T,

Pseudomonas alcaliphila

DSM 17744T and

Pseudomonas toyotomiensis

DSM 26169T were 52±0 % to 25±2 %. The DNA G+C content of strain NEAU-ST5-21T was 65 mol%. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c, C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c and C16 : 0, the predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone 9, and polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unknown phospholipid, phosphatidylglycerol, one unknown aminolipid, one unknown lipid and a glycolipid. The proposed name is Pseudomonas zhaodongensis sp. nov., NEAU-ST5-21T ( = ACCC 06362T = DSM 27559T) being the type strain.
Reclassification of Deinococcus xibeiensis Wang et al. 2010 as a heterotypic synonym of Deinococcus wulumuqiensis Wang et al. 2010
Authors: Hong Sunhee , Farrance Christine E. , Russell Anne , Yi Hana
Published: January 2015

Two species of the genus

Deinococcus

, namely

Deinococcus wulumuqiensis

Wang et al. 2010 and

Deinococcus xibeiensis

Wang et al. 2010, were simultaneously proposed and described in the same publication. However, the identical 16S rRNA gene sequence of the two type strains strongly raised the probability of their relatedness at the species level. Thus, the genomic relatedness of the two species of the genus

Deinococcus

was investigated here to clarify their taxonomic status. The high (99.9 %) average nucleotide identity (ANI) between the genome sequences of the two type strains suggested that the two species are synonymous. Additional phenotypic data including enzymic activities and substrate-utilization profiles showed no pronounced differences between the type strains of the two species. Data from this study demonstrated that the two taxa constitute a single species. According to Rule 42 of the Bacteriological Code, we propose that

D. xibeiensis

Wang et al. 2010 should be reclassified as a subjective heterotypic synonym of

D. wulumuqiensis

Wang et al. 2010.
How Australian manufacturing firms perceive and understand the concepts of agility and flexibility in the supply chain
Authors: Fayezi Sajad , Zutshi Ambika , O'Loughlin Andrew
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to address an important question which centres on investigating how do manufacturing businesses perceive and understand the concepts of agility and flexibility in their supply chains (SCs).

Design/methodology/approach

– A case study approach was utilised and data were gathered from semi-structured interviews with ten organisations in the Australian manufacturing sector. Data analysis was conducted using analytic techniques based on, for example, pattern matching and cross-case synthesis.

Findings

– Findings confirmed that there is some ambiguity concerning the understanding of the terms agile and flexible, both within and between organisations. The implications are that there is often little consistency in the way the terms are operationalised and then applied. In this regard, and to inform future research, the paper offers empirically grounded definitions for SC agility and flexibility. Moreover, four propositions are developed and discussed which shed light on the dynamics of agility and flexibility in the SC.

Originality/value

– This is one of the first empirical studies to address some of the apparent inconsistencies between organisational applications of agility and flexibility, and their impact on SC operations.
Establishing a competencies framework for a Caribbean academic library
Authors: Robinson Karlene P , Runcie Rosemarie , Manassi Tanya Marie , Mckoy-Johnson Faith
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to reset the performance bar for the Caribbean professional through the identification and classification of core competencies and skills sets for academic librarians at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus.

Design/methodology/approach

– Competency documents published by various library profession organizations and academic libraries across various geographic regions were content analysed to identify the major skills and competencies of highly skilled professionals.

Findings

– Core competencies selected for The UWI Mona Library are: first, uses professional knowledge and practice to lead staff and manage resources; second, identifies emerging trends and supports innovations; third, demonstrate willingness to embrace change and utilize best practices in service delivery; fourth, analyses situations for appropriate solutions; fifth, interacts positively and effectively with others; sixth, develops an environment that leads and manages change; seventh, manages and mentors staff; eight, sets clear goals and objectives while providing specific performance and feedback.

Research limitations/implications

– The competencies profile developed reflects the unique compositions of competencies required by academic librarians working in a twenty-first century, Caribbean, regional, academic/research environment.

Practical implications

– This framework will effectively guide the exercises of employee selection and succession planning within the library organization. Ensuring that the best employees are selected augurs well for succession planning within an organization.

Social implications

– A competencies profile provides rationale for the provision of transparent employee selection criteria. The framework is intended to set meaningful professional development goals and align those goals with the vision, mission and objectives of organizations.

Originality/value

– This paper presents the English-speaking Caribbean context for core competencies formulation and a listing of required competencies for The UWI, Mona Library professional.
New lessons for leaders about continuous innovation
Authors: Denning Stephen
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– After firms have made a technological breakthrough they need to practice continuous innovation to delight their customers so they will be able to keep dominating those markets in an enduring fashion. This masterclass aims to address the question, “So what’s involved in this rapid innovation?”

Design/methodology/approach

– To answer the question, the author looks first at a primer, What is DevOps? by Mike Loukides. It describes the continuing acceleration in innovation in software development. To illustrate best practice the author looks at the case of Software developer Etsy.

Findings

– In leading firms, instead of management approval being required for all changes, now all improvements that have been fully tested are deployed immediately – Within the broad strategic framework, the staff is authorized to proceed with continuous improvement.

Practical implications

– The reality is that most firms today, whether they know it or not, are already software companies and will steadily become more so. Their competence in dealing with software will be a key part of their competitive edge – or lack thereof.

Originality/value

– For leaders in all markets the lesson is – networked organizations using agile management practices and continuous deployment with a culture of trust, delegation and collaboration are able to move and innovate much more rapidly than traditional managements that are saddled with legacy cultures of hierarchical bureaucracy.
Learning and knowledge: a dream or nightmare for employees
Authors: Newman Nadine , Newman Dunstan
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The paper aims to focus on the issues relating to the concepts of knowledge management (KM) and the learning organization and discusses the relationship between these concepts and the issues of power and control. It looks at Coopey’s (1998) critical review of the “Foucauldian gloom” with regard to the learning organization and helps to assess whether the concept is a dream or a nightmare for the employees and the organizations as a whole. While both concepts have many positive attributes and have helped to transform many organizations, the issues of power, control, trust and empowerment have been overlooked and disregarded. This paper will attempt to answer some of these questions.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper presents an analysis of literature in the field of KM and learning organizations and its relationship with the concepts of power, control and trust.

Findings

– This paper shows that one of the main features of the management of organizational culture is to comprehend and effectively deal with the perceived connection involving knowledge, learning and power in organizations. It notes that while some writers are disproving of the learning perception in research on organizations, they also obscure issues of politics and power in organizations and do not focus on the more important question of whose interests are being provided. To spread democracy and liberation and create a democratic utopia in the learning organization requires more focus on the issue of power in the concepts of the learning organization and KM.

Originality/value

– This paper will bring together research which links learning, knowledge and power. It also builds on the literature in learning and KM and offers essential information to human resource practitioners.
Affirmative action in Israel: Access to academia for the ultra‐orthodox community
Authors: Marcus Shelley , Josman Naomi , Zlotnik Sharon
Published: January 2015

Background/Aim

This article explores the development of a unique, culturally sensitive, designated academic occupational therapy programme for the Ultra‐Orthodox (Haredi) minority in Israel. This normative university environment did not provide the opportunity for Haredi participation due to the lack of consideration of the strong commitment to a modest way of life of this community. This prevented their participation in academia and resultant employment that are necessary for economic advancement of the community.

Method

A follow‐up survey that tracked the programme's graduates’ participation in the workforce was used to determine the success of the initial goal of the establishment of the designated programme.

Results

Slightly above 97% of the respondents worked as occupational therapists during the first year after completing their bachelor's degree. The employment data obtained from the graduates showed that the central goal of the Council of Higher Education has been achieved. The designated culturally adapted occupational therapy programme has provided varied employment opportunities for its graduates in diverse professional environments.

Conclusion

With the implementation of this programme, the occupational therapy department of the University of Haifa has created greater accessibility of the profession to both the occupational therapy providers and the recipients of occupational therapy intervention as well as serve as a model for other communities.
Ministerial Accountability for Departmental Actions Across Westminster Parliamentary Democracies
Authors: Brenton Scott
Published: January 2015

This study examines the convention of individual ministerial responsibility for departmental actions in the four key Westminster countries of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The chain of ministerial responsibility traditionally began in the bureaucratic hierarchy of the public sector up to the minister, who is responsible to the parliament, which is responsible to the people. Many New Public Management reforms changed the roles and responsibilities of senior public servants, which arguably weakened the first link in the chain, despite being premised on increased public sector accountability. Various codes of conduct, guides, manuals, handbooks and legislation, have attempted to codify and clarify politico‐bureaucratic relationships. They have generally captured the complexity of executive accountability and better reflect the original convention, while emphasising the preeminent role of the prime minister in upholding individual ministerial responsibility.
Accountability between Experts and the Public in Times of Risk
Authors: Malet David , Korbitz Mark
Published: January 2015

This article examines the responses of 150 study participants to a simulated bioterrorist attack in Pueblo, Colorado, USA. The study results indicated that, even among members of the public with higher levels of trust in governmental responses, public risk communications indicating minor risk levels would be rejected as insufficient. The data indicates that members of the public seek their own public health information from mass and social media, constraining the ability of emergency management officials to communicate risk levels. Further, it indicates that the public tends to perceive higher risk levels than the evidence warrants, expects service responses in line with their perceptions, and view public officials as not fulfilling their obligations if they respond with less extensive remediation in line with expert opinion. We therefore question whether public pressure on public officials due to scientific illiteracy is contributing to unnecessary costs in disaster management.
Crises and Paradigm Shift
Authors: MACKINTOSH STUART P. M.
Published: January 2015

Crises can force leaders and technocrats together, highlight failures and, more rarely, precipitate changes in ideological worldview and the prevailing consensus. In 2007–8, the worst financial and economic crises since the Great Depression of 1929 caused a paradigm shift in financial and regulatory ideology. G20 leaders and central bankers reasserted collective power and authority over financial markets and global banks to an extent and in a manner not seen since the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971. The retreat of state authority reversed direction. The spell of the ‘mystical Anglo‐Saxon model of liberalisation and deregulation’ was broken. In 2014 the paradigm shift is still underway and still under attack by recalcitrant bank CEOs and their lobbyists, but the shift may be durable—signalling a major change in international regulation of the world's largest financial markets and firms.
Policy Inertia and the Persistence of Systemic Fragility
Authors: MÜGGE DANIEL
Published: January 2015

Many observers have diagnosed a fundamental shift in financial regulation since the 2008 crisis. In contrast, this article argues that changes have mostly been superficial. The ideas underpinning regulation have been adapted rather than overturned. Our financial system remains highly fragile, even if exceptionally loose monetary policy obscures such fragility temporarily. Governments show little appetite to correct the lopsided relationship between the financial sector and the real economy and turn the sector into a reliable engine of prosperity and stability rather than a continued source of systemic risk.