bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of a method for the determination of nicotinic acid in human plasma using liquid chromatography-negative electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry and its application to a bioequivalence study
Authors: Huang Wei-Hua , Hu Kai , Shao Li , Chen Yao , Zhang Wei , Zhou Hong-Hao , Tan Zhi-Rong
Published: August 2014

For 60 years, nicotinic acid (NA) has been used as a potent vitamin in milligram doses while NA in gram doses has been administrated as a broad-spectrum lipid drug potent.
General chelating action of copper, zinc and iron in mammalian cells
Authors: Bertuchi Fernanda R. , Papai Rodrigo , Ujevic Maximiliano , Gaubeur Ivanise , Cerchiaro Giselle
Published: August 2014

The high-accuracy determination of trace metals in biological systems is a crucial step for the elucidation of their role in these systems.
19F magnetic resonance probes for live-cell detection of peroxynitrite using an oxidative decarbonylation reaction
Authors: Bruemmer Kevin J. , Merrikhihaghi Sara , Lollar Christina T. , Morris Siti Nur Sarah , Bauer Johannes H. , Lippert Alexander R.
Published: August 2014

We have developed19F NMR probes for non-invasive monitoring of ONOO−produced by A549 cells using novel oxidative decarbonylation chemistry.
A click chemistry strategy for visualization of plant cell wall lignification
Authors: Tobimatsu Yuki , Wouwer Dorien Van de , Allen Eric , Kumpf Robert , Vanholme Bartel , Boerjan Wout , Ralph John
Published: August 2014

Monolignol mimics bearing chemical reporter tags and bioorthogonal click chemistry were commissioned to visualize plant cell wall lignins in vivo.
CH-activating oxidative hydroxylation of 1-tetralones and related compounds with high regio- and stereoselectivity
Authors: Roiban Gheorghe-Doru , Agudo Rubén , Ilie Adriana , Lonsdale Richard , Reetz Manfred T.
Published: August 2014

Mutants of P450-BM3 evolved by directed evolution are excellent catalysts in the CH-activating oxidative hydroxylation of 1-tetralone derivatives and of indanone, with unusually high regio- and enantioselectivity being observed.
Mutual transformation between crystalline phases and dielectric properties of coordination polymers with the formula [Cd(N-methylimidazole)2(H2O)x(glutarate)]·nH2O (x = 0 or 1; n = 0 or 4)
Authors: Xue Chen , Xu Heng , Huang Rong-Yi , Ren Xiao-Ming
Published: August 2014

Two pseudo-polymorphs obtained through controlling the crystallization temperature are mutual transformable via absorbing or losing water.
Low-temperature crystal growth of aluminium-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles in a melted viscous liquid of alkylammonium nitrates for fabrication of their transparent crystal films
Authors: Kaneko Hiroki , Togashi Takanari , Naka Takashi , Ishizaki Manabu , Kanaizuka Katsuhiko , Sakamoto Masatomi , Kurihara Masato
Published: August 2014

Highly transparent AZO films have been successfully fabricated via crystal growth of AZO nanoparticles in a melted isopropylammonium nitrate medium.
Succinic acid in aqueous solution: connecting microscopic surface composition and macroscopic surface tension
Authors: Werner Josephina , Julin Jan , Dalirian Maryam , Prisle Nønne L. , Öhrwall Gunnar , Persson Ingmar , Björneholm Olle , Riipinen Ilona
Published: August 2014

The water–vapor interface of aqueous solutions of succinic acid, where pH values and bulk concentrations were varied, has been studied using surface sensitive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.
Energetic requirements of iridium(iii) complex based photosensitisers in photocatalytic hydrogen generation
Authors: Fan Shengqiang , Zong Xu , Shaw Paul E. , Wang Xin , Geng Yan , Smith Arthur R. G. , Burn Paul L. , Wang Lianzhou , Lo Shih-Chun
Published: August 2014

Hydrogen generation is observed when excited Ir(iii) complexes (PS*) are reduced by the sacrificial agent (SA), which occurs when E(PS*/PS−) and E(SA+/SA) is >0.2 V.
Characterization of gas phase WC2+: a thermodynamically stable carbide dication
Authors: Sabor S. , Touimi Benjelloun A. , Mogren Al Mogren M. , Hochlaf M.
Published: August 2014

Drastic changes in the shape of the potential of WC2+ upon consideration of spin–orbit effects.
Monoclinic hafnium oxynitride supported on reduced graphene oxide to catalyse the oxygen reduction reaction in acidic media
Authors: Chisaka M. , Sasaki H. , Muramoto H.
Published: August 2014

Nitrogen-doped monoclinic-HfO2 nanoparticles were incorporated onto reduced graphene-oxide-sheets via hydrothermal-treatment to show excellent oxygen reduction reaction activity in acidic media.
Symmetry-breaking in the endofullerene H2O@C60 revealed in the quantum dynamics of ortho and para-water: a neutron scattering investigation
Authors: Goh Kelvin S. K. , Jiménez-Ruiz Mónica , Johnson Mark R. , Rols Stéphane , Ollivier Jacques , Denning Mark S. , Mamone Salvatore , Levitt Malcolm H. , Lei Xuegong , Li Yongjun , Turro Nicholas J. , Murata Yasujiro , Horsewill Anthony J.
Published: August 2014

The splitting of the ortho-H2O ground state is clearly revealed by inelastic neutron scattering.
Dehydrogenation of propane over PtSnAl/SBA-15 catalysts: Al addition effect and coke formation analysis
Authors: Fan Xiaoqiang , Li Jianmei , Zhao Zhen , Wei Yuechang , Liu Jian , Duan Aijun , Jiang Guiyuan
Published: August 2014

Addition of Al to PtSnAl/SBA-15 catalysts inhibits the reduction of SnOx and changes the acidity, which results in different coke formation rates.
Novel (cyanamide)ZnIIcomplexes and zinc(ii)-mediated hydration of the cyanamide ligands
Authors: Smirnov Andrey S. , Butukhanova Ekaterina S. , Bokach Nadezhda A. , Starova Galina L. , Gurzhiy Vladislav V. , Kuznetsov Maxim L. , Kukushkin Vadim Yu.
Published: August 2014

The ZnII-mediated hydration of cyanamides does not require any co-catalyst.
Synthesis, structure and catalytic activity of a gold(i) complex containing 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene monoxide
Authors: Hahn Christine , Cruz Leticia , Villalobos Amanda , Garza Liliana , Adeosun Samuel
Published: August 2014

A bisphosphine monoxide gold(i) complex, synthesized by a new protocol, is a highly active catalyst for the hydroarylation of ethylpropiolate.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cell-based metabolomic profiling of a chronic unpredictable mild stress rat model of depression
Authors: Li Juan , Tang Ge , Cheng Ke , Yang Deyu , Chen Guanghui , Liu Zhao , Zhang Rufang , Zhou Jingjing , Fang Liang , Fang Zheng , Du Xiangyu , Xie Peng
Published: August 2014

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating mood disorder with various etiopathological hypotheses.
Discovering the secondary metabolite potential encoded within entomopathogenic fungi
Authors: Gibson Donna M. , Donzelli Bruno G. G. , Krasnoff Stuart B. , Keyhani Nemat O.
Published: August 2014

This highlight discusses the secondary metabolite potential of the insect pathogensMetarhiziumandBeauveria, including a bioinformatics analysis of secondary metabolite genes for which no products are yet identified. (Top picture is a mole cricket infected withBeauveria bassianaand the bottom picture is a wasp infected withBeauveria bassiana.)
Substoichiometric two-dimensional molybdenum oxide flakes: a plasmonic gas sensing platform
Authors: Alsaif Manal M. Y. A. , Field Matthew R. , Murdoch Billy J. , Daeneke Torben , Latham Kay , Chrimes Adam F. , Zoolfakar Ahmad Sabirin , Russo Salvy P. , Ou Jian Zhen , Kalantar-zadeh Kourosh
Published: August 2014

Two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum oxides at their various stoichiometries are promising candidates for generating plasmon resonances in visible light range and hence form efficient plasmonic gas sensing platforms.
High electrochemical performance based on the TiO2 nanobelt@few-layered MoS2 structure for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Mao Minglei , Mei Lin , Guo Di , Wu Lichen , Zhang Dan , Li Qiuhong , Wang Taihong
Published: August 2014

We report a facile approach to prepare few-layered MoS2 nanosheet coated TiO2 nanobelts for lithium ion batteries. The TiO2@MoS2 structure exhibits a reversible capacity of 710 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles with highly stable capacity retention, and bears good rate capability.
Cycloreversion of β-lactams via photoinduced electron transfer
Authors: Pérez-Ruiz Raúl , Sáez Jose A. , Jiménez M. Consuelo , Miranda Miguel A.
Published: August 2014

With DABCO as an electron donor, photoinduced cycloreversion of β-lactams leads to olefins through 1,4-radical anions and 1,4-biradicals as intermediates.
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 4′-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin derivatives as novel tubulin and histone deacetylase dual inhibitors
Authors: Zhang Xuan , Zhang Jie , Su Mingbo , Zhou Yubo , Chen Yi , Li Jia , Lu Wei
Published: August 2014

In this study, we have designed and synthesized a class of 4′-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin derivatives as tubulin–HDAC dual inhibitors.
Temperature sensitive optical properties of exciton and room-temperature visible light emission from disordered Cu2O nanowires
Authors: Wang Peng , Zhao Xinhong , Li Hairong , Li Lingshan , Li Jing , Ma Guofu , Chang Jingxian
Published: August 2014

The excitonic emission of the Cu2O nanowires are demonstrated, and a visible white light is observed for the first time.
Enhancing damping properties of epoxy resins using silicone macromolecule intercalated montmorillonite clay
Authors: Yang Chen , Dingyang Yao , Huawei Zou , Mei Liang
Published: August 2014

Flexible silicone macromolecules have been inserted into OMMT and the constrained layer damping structure has been prepared successfully in the nanocomposites.
Two roaming pathways in the photolysis of CH3CHO between 328 and 308 nm
Authors: Lee Kin Long K. , Quinn Mitchell S. , Maccarone Alan T. , Nauta Klaas , Houston Paul L. , Reid Scott A. , Jordan Meredith J. T. , Kable Scott H.
Published: August 2014

We attribute the two product-state distributions previously seen in CH3CHO photodissociation to CH3-roaming and H-roaming, unifying all previous experimental results.
Photoactivation of core–shell titania coated upconversion nanoparticles and their effect on cell death
Authors: Idris Niagara Muhammad , Lucky Sasidharan Swarnalatha , Li Zhengquan , Huang Kai , Zhang Yong
Published: August 2014

Titania-coated upconversion nanoparticles convert 980 nm to UV light for activation of coated titania to generate reactive oxygen species against cells.
Mixed H2 /H∞ control of time‐varying stochastic discrete‐time systems under uniform detectability
Authors: Sheng Li , Zhang Weihai , Gao Ming
Published: August 2014

This study is concerned with the infinite horizon H2 /H∞ control of time‐varying stochastic discrete‐time systems with state and disturbance dependent noise. The notion of uniform detectability for time‐varying stochastic discrete‐time systems is introduced, and some good properties are derived. Under uniform detectability, a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of time‐varying stochastic H2 /H∞ control is presented, which transforms the design of H2 /H∞ control into the solvability of coupled time‐varying matrix‐valued equations. Finally, an iterative algorithm is proposed to solve the coupled time‐varying matrix‐valued equations, and a numerical example is provided to show the effectiveness of the obtained results.
Design and advanced control strategies of a hybrid energy storage system for the grid integration of wind power generations
Authors: Wang Shu , Tang Yuejin , Shi Jing , Gong Kang , Liu Yang , Ren Li , Li Jingdong
Published: August 2014

Energy storage (ES) has become increasingly important in modern power system, whereas no single type of ES element can satisfy all diverse demands simultaneously. This study proposes a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) based on superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) and battery because of their complementary characteristics for the grid integration of wind power generations (WPG). This study investigates the mathematical model and the topology of the proposed HESS, which is equipped with a grid‐side DC/AC converter, a battery buck/boost converter and a SMES DC chopper. The advanced control strategies comprised of device level and system level are designed. The control strategy for the converters which can be considered as device level is briefly discussed. The significant contribution of this study is proposing a novel system‐level control strategy for reasonable and effective power allocation between SMES and battery. According to the control objectives, a fuzzy logic controller optimised with genetic algorithm is adopted. The detailed controller designs are described, meanwhile system stability and HESS operation performance are evaluated. MATLAB simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategies.
Fluctuating hydrodynamics of multicomponent membranes with embedded proteins
Authors: Camley Brian A. , Brown Frank L. H.
Published: August 2014

A simulation method for the dynamics of inhomogeneous lipid bilayer membranes is presented. The membrane is treated using stochastic Saffman-Delbrück hydrodynamics, coupled to a phase-field description of lipid composition and discrete membrane proteins. Multiple applications are considered to validate and parameterize the model. The dynamics of membrane composition fluctuations above the critical point and phase separation dynamics below the critical point are studied in some detail, including the effects of adding proteins to the mixture.
Non-adiabatic processes in the charge transfer reaction of O2 molecules with potassium surfaces without dissociation
Authors: Krix David , Nienhaus Hermann
Published: August 2014

Thin potassium films grown on Si(001) substrates are used to measure internal chemicurrents and the external emission of exoelectrons simultaneously during adsorption of molecular oxygen on K surfaces at 120 K. The experiments clarify the dynamics of electronic excitations at a simple metal with a narrow valence band. X-ray photoemission reveals that for exposures below 5 L almost exclusively peroxide K2O2 is formed, i.e., no dissociation of the molecule occurs during interaction. Still a significant chemicurrent and a delayed exoelectron emission are detected due to a rapid injection of unoccupied molecular levels below the Fermi level. Since the valence band width of potassium is approximately equal to the potassium work function (2.4 eV) the underlying mechanism of exoemission is an Auger relaxation whereas chemicurrents are detected after resonant charge transfer from the metal valence band into the injected level. The change of the chemicurrent and exoemission efficiencies with oxygen coverage can be deduced from the kinetics of the reaction and the recorded internal and external emission currents traces. It is shown that the non-adiabaticity of the reaction increases with coverage due to a reduction of the electronic density of states at the surface while the work function does not vary significantly. Therefore, the peroxide formation is one of the first reaction systems which exhibits varying non-adiabaticity and efficiencies during the reaction. Non-adiabatic calculations based on model Hamiltonians and density functional theory support the picture of chemicurrent generation and explain the rapid injection of hot hole states by an intramolecular motion, i.e., the expansion of the oxygen molecule on the timescale of a quarter of a vibrational period.
Multi-property characterization chamber for geophysical-hydrological investigations of hydrate bearing sediments
Authors: Seol Yongkoo , Choi Jeong-Hoon , Dai Sheng
Published: August 2014

With the increase in the interest of producing natural gas from methane hydrates as well as potential risks of massive hydrate dissociation in the context of global warming, studies have recently shifted from pure hydrate crystals to hydrates in sediments. Such a research focus shift requires a series of innovative laboratory devices that are capable of investigating various properties of hydrate-bearing sediments (HBS). This study introduces a newly developed high pressure testing chamber, i.e., multi-property characterization chamber (MPCC), that allows simultaneous investigation of a series of fundamental properties of HBS, including small-strain stiffness (i.e., P- and S-waves), shear strength, large-strain deformation, stress-volume responses, and permeability. The peripheral coolant circulation system of the MPCC permits stable and accurate temperature control, while the core holder body, made of aluminum, enables X-ray computer tomography scanning to be easily employed for structural and morphological characterization of specimens. Samples of hydrate-bearing sediments are held within a rubber sleeve inside the chamber. The thick sleeve is more durable and versatile than thin membranes while also being much softer than oedometer-type chambers that are incapable of enabling flow tests. Bias introduced by the rubber sleeve during large deformation tests are also calibrated both theoretically and experimentally. This system provides insight into full characterization of hydrate-bearing sediments in the laboratory, as well as pressure core technology in the field.
A novel solution to the gated x-ray detector gain droop problem
Authors: Oertel J. A. , Archuleta T. N.
Published: August 2014

Microchannel plate (MCP), microstrip transmission line based, gated x-ray detectors used at the premier ICF laser facilities have a drop in gain as a function of mircostrip length that can be greater than 50% over 40 mm. These losses are due to ohmic losses in a microstrip coating that is less than the optimum electrical skin depth. The electrical skin depth for a copper transmission line at 3 GHz is 1.2 μm while the standard microstrip coating thickness is roughly half a single skin depth. Simply increasing the copper coating thickness would begin filling the MCP pores and limit the number of secondary electrons created in the MCP. The current coating thickness represents a compromise between gain and ohmic loss. We suggest a novel solution to the loss problem by overcoating the copper transmission line with five electrical skin depths (∼6 μm) of Beryllium. Beryllium is reasonably transparent to x-rays above 800 eV and would improve the carrier current on the transmission line. The net result should be an optically flat photocathode response with almost no measurable loss in voltage along the transmission line.
Annealing-insensitive “black silicon” with high infrared absorption
Authors: Peng Yan , Chen Xiangqian , Zhou Yunyan , Xu Gongjie , Cai Bin , Zhu Yiming , Xu Jian , Henderson Ron , Dai Jianming
Published: August 2014

A black silicon structure with high-aspect-ratio surface spikes was designed and fabricated in vacuum, resulting in absorptance >90% over the range of 200–2500 nm. It is demonstrated that annealing, an essential step in the fabrication of semiconductor devices, has almost no effect on the infrared absorption of this material, while the infrared absorption of an identical structure fabricated in a SF6 drops dramatically after the annealing process. The characteristic of high infrared absorption and annealing-insensitivity is attributed to both the high-aspect-ratio structure and the phosphor-doped low impedance silicon. These results are important for the fabrication of highly efficient optoelectronic devices.
Note: CO2-mineral dissolution experiments using a rocking autoclave and a novel titanium reaction cell
Authors: Purser Gemma , Rochelle Christopher A. , Wallis Humphrey C. , Rosenqvist Jörgen , Kilpatrick Andrew D. , Yardley Bruce W. D.
Published: August 2014

A novel titanium reaction cell has been constructed for the study of water-rock-CO2 reactions. The reaction cell has been used within a direct-sampling rocking autoclave and offers certain advantages over traditional “flexible gold/titanium cell” approaches. The main advantage is robustness, as flexible cells are prone to rupture on depressurisation during gas-rich experiments. The reaction cell was tested in experiments during an inter-laboratory comparison study, in which mineral kinetic data were determined. The cell performed well during experiments up to 130 °C and 300 bars pressure. The data obtained were similar to those of other laboratories participating in the study, and also to previously published data.
Phonon thermal transport through tilt grain boundaries in strontium titanate
Authors: Zheng Zexi , Chen Xiang , Deng Bowen , Chernatynskiy Aleksandr , Yang Shengfeng , Xiong Liming , Chen Youping
Published: August 2014

In this work, we perform nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to study phonon scattering at two tilt grain boundaries (GBs) in SrTiO3. Mode-wise energy transmission coefficients are obtained based on phonon wave-packet dynamics simulations. The Kapitza conductance is then quantified using a lattice dynamics approach. The obtained results of the Kapitza conductance of both GBs compare well with those obtained by the direct method, except for the temperature dependence. Contrary to common belief, the results of this work show that the optical modes in SrTiO3 contribute significantly to phonon thermal transport, accounting for over 50% of the Kapitza conductance. To understand the effect of the GB structural disorder on phonon transport, we compare the local phonon density of states of the atoms in the GB region with that in the single crystalline grain region. Our results show that the excess vibrational modes introduced by the structural disorder do not have a significant effect on phonon scattering at the GBs, but the absence of certain modes in the GB region appears to be responsible for phonon reflections at GBs. This work has also demonstrated phonon mode conversion and simultaneous generation of new modes. Some of the new modes have the same frequency as the initial wave packet, while some have the same wave vector but lower frequencies.
The effects of layering in ferroelectric Si-doped HfO2 thin films
Authors: Lomenzo Patrick D. , Takmeel Qanit , Zhou Chuanzhen , Liu Yang , Fancher Chris M. , Jones Jacob L. , Moghaddam Saeed , Nishida Toshikazu
Published: August 2014

Atomic layer deposited Si-doped HfO2 thin films approximately 10 nm thick are deposited with various Si-dopant concentrations and distributions. The ferroelectric behavior of the HfO2 thin films are shown to be dependent on both the Si mol. % and the distribution of Si-dopants. Metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor capacitors are shown to exhibit a tunable remanent polarization through the adjustment of the Si-dopant distribution at a constant Si concentration. Inhomogeneous layering of Si-dopants within the thin films effectively lowers the remanent polarization. A pinched hysteresis loop is observed for higher Si-dopant concentrations and found to be dependent on the Si layering distribution.
Temperature dependent thermopower and electrical conductivity of Te nanowire/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrene sulfonate) microribbons
Authors: Ma S. , Anderson K. , Guo L. , Yousuf A. , Ellingsworth E. C. , Vajner C. , Wang H.-T. , Szulczewski G.
Published: August 2014

In this Letter, we present a method to pattern microribbons of the Te nanowire/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrene-sulfonate) nanocomposite and report the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient from 10 to 400 K. The results reveal three important findings that have not been previously reported for this nanocomposite. First, the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity increase from 10 to 400 K in a complex, thermally activated mechanism. Second, we have found that oxidation of the Te nanowires occurs slowly over time. Third, aging of the devices shows a slight decrease in electrical conductivity at room temperature, while the Seebeck coefficient doubles. These results suggest that encapsulation of the films will be necessary for practical energy harvesting applications of this nanocomposite.
Extracting the anisotropic optical parameters of chiral plasmonic nanostructured thin films using generalized ellipsometry
Authors: Larsen George K. , Zhao Yiping
Published: August 2014

Using a commercial ellipsometer and analytical inversion, we show that both linear and circular birefringence-dichroism pairs can be extracted from a single generalized ellipsometry measurement, providing a complete description of the polarization properties of anisotropic chiral films, which is a distinct advantage over typical circular dichroism measurements. This is demonstrated by measuring the anisotropic optical parameters of post-like and helical composite Ti/Ag thin films fabricated by dynamic shadowing growth. These films are both chiral and highly aligned, and the measured linear and circular birefringence-dichroism pairs scale with the shape anisotropy and chirality. Furthermore, because the total polarization anisotropy is measured through generalized ellipsometry, we are able to determine that the polarization eigenstates can be effectively tuned from purely circular to approximately linear by changing the pitch number, N, of plasmonic helices for N ≤ 1.
Interference of probabilities in dynamics
Authors: Zak Michail
Published: August 2014

A new class of dynamical systems with a preset type of interference of probabilities is introduced. It is obtained from the extension of the Madelung equation by replacing the quantum potential with a specially selected feedback from the Liouville equation. It has been proved that these systems are different from both Newtonian and quantum systems, but they can be useful for modeling spontaneous collective novelty phenomena when emerging outputs are qualitatively different from the weighted sum of individual inputs. Formation of language and fast decision-making process as potential applications of the probability interference is discussed.
Gated Si nanowires for large thermoelectric power factors
Authors: Neophytou Neophytos , Kosina Hans
Published: August 2014

We investigate the effect of electrostatic gating on the thermoelectric power factor of p-type Si nanowires (NWs) of up to 20 nm in diameter in the [100], [110], and [111] crystallographic transport orientations. We use atomistic tight-binding simulations for the calculation of the NW electronic structure, coupled to linearized Boltzmann transport equation for the calculation of the thermoelectric coefficients. We show that gated NW structures can provide ∼5× larger thermoelectric power factor compared to doped channels, attributed to their high hole phonon-limited mobility, as well as gating induced bandstructure modifications which further improve mobility. Despite the fact that gating shifts the charge carriers near the NW surface, surface roughness scattering is not strong enough to degrade the transport properties of the accumulated hole layer. The highest power factor is achieved for the [111] NW, followed by the [110], and finally by the [100] NW. As the NW diameter increases, the advantage of the gated channel is reduced. We show, however, that even at 20 nm diameters (the largest ones that we were able to simulate), a ∼3× higher power factor for gated channels is observed. Our simulations suggest that the advantage of gating could still be present in NWs with diameters of up to ∼40 nm.
Population structure, seed loads and flowering phenology in three common (Melaleuca styphelioides, M. thymifolia, M. nodosa) and one rare (M. deanei) Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) species of the Sydney region
Authors: Hewitt Alison , Holford Paul , Renshaw Adrian , Haigh Anthony , Morris E. Charles
Published: August 2014

Melaleuca deanei F.Muell. is listed under state and national protection legislation occurring as small, disjunct populations restricted to the Central Coast botanical district of New South Wales. This paper reports on the population structure, reproductive output and phenology of large and small field populations of M. deanei, compared with three common congeneric species in the area, namely, Melaleuca nodosa (Sol. ex Gaertn.) Sm., Melaleuca thymifolia Sm. and Melaleuca styphelioides Sm. Both M. deanei and M. styphelioides had few seedlings per population at the sites studied. Results indicated that seedling recruitment is rare and would appear to require specific conditions. In addition, M. deanei had a low incidence of flowering within the small populations, significantly fewer fruiting plants per population and significantly lower numbers of viable seeds per square metre, most likely compounding its limited recruitment. Flowering, when it occurred in M. deanei, was from mid to late October through to late November–early December with increased flowering in response to fire and along road edges. Further study is needed to determine reproductive success at the individual-plant level, the breeding system and recruitment requirements of these species.
That’s absolutely crap, totally rubbish
Authors: Núñez Pertejo Paloma , Palacios Martínez Ignacio M.
Published: August 2014

Intensifiers in English speech have received considerable attention in the literature, due to their flexibility, ongoing changes in the system, and the grammaticalisation processes that some of them undergo. This paper looks first at differences in the use of intensifiers in the speech of adults and teenagers, before moving on to consider in detail two maximisers,absolutelyandtotally. These were chosen because of their relative frequency within the group of-lyadverbs, their special syntactic behaviour, and the lack of previous contrastive studies. Comparable data from COLT (The Bergen Corpus of London Teenage Language) and DCPSE (The Diachronic Corpus of Present-Day Spoken English) were used in the analysis. Findings indicate that teenagers opt forso,reallyand taboo words (bloody,fucking) when they want to intensify their spoken language, whereas adults preferveryand also some-lyadverbs (totally,absolutely,completely). In addition, bothabsolutelyandtotallyare shown to be more flexible in the language of teenagers, in that they seem to be spreading gradually to new syntactic environments by performing new functions which are more discourse-oriented, used as emphatic, affirmative response items. This is broadly in keeping with the innovative nature of teen talk as well as with grammaticalisation and delexicalisation processes characteristic of the intensifier system.
Emotional, evaluative, and ideological subjectification in Tagalog and Shona
Authors: Palmer Gary B.
Published: August 2014

Cross-linguistic studies of emotion language have explored the universality of emotion concepts (Koveces 1990; Wierzbicka 1999), the cultural specificity of emotion concepts (Wierzbicka 1999; Ning Yu 2009), and the sources of emotion in culturally specific discourse practices (Lutz 1988; Rosaldo 1990; Chen 2004). A few have investigated how emotions or feelings are expressed by certain kinds of grammatical constructions such as metaphors with predicate-base clause structure (Occhi 1999; Palmer and Brown 1998; Palmer, Bennett and Stacey 1999; and Palmer 2003b). This paper shows how grammatical constructions that express emotions and evaluations may arise from subjectification. We compare theories of subjectification proposed by Langacker (2000) and Traugott (2010), and we analyze examples from Shona and Tagalog. Our findings have led us to expand Langacker’s cognitive linguistic approach to include cultural scenarios and themes in the discourse ground. This new perspective has potential applications to the study of ideological communications.
Claw health and floor type in group housed sows.
Authors: Vermeer H. M. , Vermeij I.
Published: August 2014

The objective of this review is to give an overview of the effect of floor types on claw health in group housed sows. The risk on lameness caused by the pen floor is increasing with group housing becoming more important. Lameness is a major welfare and production problem and often related to claw lesions. A good-quality floor to ensure healthy claws is characterized by a surface with friction (non-slip), abrasion, soft and dry properties and rounded edges. During pregnancy, aggressive interactions should be minimized because the walking and activity characteristics are more important than in individual farrowing pens. During lactation, claws can recover from lesions in pregnancy and should heal before the start of a new reproductive cycle. Plastic-coated non-slippery floors are preferred during lactation. A rubber top layer is beneficial for pregnant sow claw health in the lying area and in part of the activity (slatted) area too. A combination of a good-quality floor and management measures minimizing aggressive interactions is a good basis for healthy claws in group housed sows.
Adolescent Substance use following Participation in a Universal Drug Prevention Program: Examining Relationships with Program Recall and Baseline use Status
Authors: Bavarian Niloofar , Duncan Robert , Lewis Kendra M. , Miao Alicia , Washburn Isaac J.
Published: August 2014

Background

The study examined whether adolescents receiving a universal, school based, drug prevention program in Grade 7 varied, by student profile, in substance use behaviors post program implementation. Profiles were a function of recall of program receipt and substance use at baseline.

Methods

A secondary analysis was conducted on data from the Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention Study, a large, geographically diverse, longitudinal school-based cluster-randomized controlled trial of the Take Charge of Your Life drug prevention program. Profiles were created using self-reported substance use (preintervention) and program recall (postintervention) at Grade 7. First, characteristics of each of the 4 profiles of treatment students who varied by program recall and baseline substance use were explored. Then, multilevel logistic regression analyses were used to examine differences in the odds of substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana) among student profiles at the 6 additional study waves (Time 2 [Grade 7] through Time 7 [Grade 11]).

Results

Pearson's chi-square tests showed sample characteristics varied by student profile. Multilevel logistic regression results were consistent across all examined substance use behaviors at all time points. Namely, as compared with students who had no baseline substance use and had program recall (No Use, Recall), each of the remaining 3 profiles (No Use, No Recall; Use, Recall; Use, No Recall) were more likely to engage in substance use. Post hoc analyses showed that for the 2 subprofiles of baseline substance users, there were only 2 observed, and inconsistent, differences in the odds of subsequent substance use by recall status.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that for students who were not baseline substance users, program recall significantly decreased the likelihood of subsequent substance use. For students who were baseline substance users, program recall did not generally influence subsequent substance use. Implications for school-based drug prevention programs are discussed.
Motivation towards dual career of European student‐athletes
Authors: Lupo Corrado , Guidotti Flavia , Goncalves Carlos E. , Moreira Liliana , Doupona Topic Mojca , Bellardini Helena , Tonkonogi Michail , Colin Allen , Capranica Laura
Published: August 2014

The present study aimed to investigate motivations for the dual career of European student‐athletes living in countries providing different educational services for elite athletes: State‐centric regulation–State as sponsor/facilitator (State), National Sporting Federations/Institutes as intermediary (Federation) and Laisser Faire, no formal structures (No Structure). Therefore, the European Student‐athletes' Motivation towards Sports and Academics Questionnaire (SAMSAQ‐EU) was administered to 524 European student‐athletes. Exploratory Factor Analysis, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis were applied to test the factor structure, and the reliability and validity of the SAMSAQ‐EU, respectively. A multivariate approach was applied to verify subgroup effects (P ≤ 0.05) according to gender (i.e., female and male), age (i.e., ≤24 years, >24 years), type of sport (i.e., individual sport and team sport) and competition level (i.e., national and international). Insufficient confirmatory indexes were reported for the whole European student‐athlete group, whereas distinct three factor models [i.e., Student Athletic Motivation (SAM); Academic Motivation (AM); Career Athletic Motivation (CAM)] emerged, with acceptable reliability estimates, for State (SAM = 0.82; AM = 0.75; and CAM = 0.75), Federation (SAM = 0.82; AM = 0.66; and CAM = 0.87) and No Structure (SAM = 0.78; AM = 0.74; and CAM = 0.79) subgroups. Differences between subgroups were found only for competition level (P < 0.001) in relation to SAM (P = 0.001) and CAM (P < 0.001). For SAM, the highest and lowest values emerged for Federation (national, 5.1 ± 0.5; international, 5.4 ± 0.5) and State (national, 4.5 ± 0.9; international, 4.8 ± 0.7). The opposite picture emerged for CAM (Federation: national, 3.3 ± 0.7; international, 3.5 ± 0.9; State: national, 5.0 ± 0.8; international, 5.0 ± 0.9). Therefore, despite SAMSAQ‐EU demonstrated to be a useful tool, results showed that European student‐athletes' motivation for dual career has to be specifically investigated according to social contexts.
SecureMA: protecting participant privacy in genetic association meta-analysis
Authors: Xie Wei , Kantarcioglu Murat , Bush William S. , Crawford Dana , Denny Joshua C. , Heatherly Raymond , Malin Bradley A.
Published: August 2014

Motivation: Sharing genomic data is crucial to support scientific investigation such as genome-wide association studies. However, recent investigations suggest the privacy of the individual participants in these studies can be compromised, leading to serious concerns and consequences, such as overly restricted access to data.

Results: We introduce a novel cryptographic strategy to securely perform meta-analysis for genetic association studies in large consortia. Our methodology is useful for supporting joint studies among disparate data sites, where privacy or confidentiality is of concern. We validate our method using three multisite association studies. Our research shows that genetic associations can be analyzed efficiently and accurately across substudy sites, without leaking information on individual participants and site-level association summaries.

Availability and implementation: Our software for secure meta-analysis of genetic association studies, SecureMA, is publicly available at http://github.com/XieConnect/SecureMA. Our customized secure computation framework is also publicly available at http://github.com/XieConnect/CircuitService

Contact:  b.malin@vanderbilt.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
PyBamView: a browser-based application for viewing short read alignments
Authors: Gymrek Melissa
Published: August 2014

Summary: Current sequence alignment browsers allow visualization of large and complex next-generation sequencing datasets. However, most of these tools provide inadequate display of insertions and can be cumbersome to use on large datasets. I implemented PyBamView, a lightweight Web application for visualizing short read alignments. It provides an easy-to-use Web interface for viewing alignments across multiple samples, with a focus on accurate visualization of insertions.

Availability and Implementation: PyBamView is available as a standard python package. The source code is freely available under the MIT license at https://mgymrek.github.io/pybamview.

Contact: mgymrek@mit.edu

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Visualization of protein sequence features using JavaScript and SVG with pViz.js
Authors: Mukhyala Kiran , Masselot Alexandre
Published: August 2014

Summary: pViz.js is a visualization library for displaying protein sequence features in a Web browser. By simply providing a sequence and the locations of its features, this lightweight, yet versatile, JavaScript library renders an interactive view of the protein features. Interactive exploration of protein sequence features over the Web is a common need in Bioinformatics. Although many Web sites have developed viewers to display these features, their implementations are usually focused on data from a specific source or use case. Some of these viewers can be adapted to fit other use cases but are not designed to be reusable. pViz makes it easy to display features as boxes aligned to a protein sequence with zooming functionality but also includes predefined renderings for secondary structure and post-translational modifications. The library is designed to further customize this view. We demonstrate such applications of pViz using two examples: a proteomic data visualization tool with an embedded viewer for displaying features on protein structure, and a tool to visualize the results of the variant_effect_predictor tool from Ensembl.

Availability and implementation: pViz.js is a JavaScript library, available on github at https://github.com/Genentech/pviz. This site includes examples and functional applications, installation instructions and usage documentation. A Readme file, which explains how to use pViz with examples, is available as Supplementary Material A.

Contact:  masselot.alexandre@gene.com

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Next-generation sequencing technologies: breaking the sound barrier of human genetics
Authors: Bahassi El Mustapha , Stambrook Peter J.
Published: August 2014

Demand for new technologies that deliver fast, inexpensive and accurate genome information has never been greater. This challenge has catalysed the rapid development of advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS). The generation of large volumes of sequence data and the speed of data acquisition are the primary advantages over previous, more standard methods. In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration granted marketing authorisation for the first high-throughput NG sequencer, Illumina’s MiSeqDx, which allowed the development and use of a large number of new genome-based tests. Here, we present a review of template preparation, nucleic acid sequencing and imaging, genome assembly and alignment approaches as well as recent advances in current and near-term commercially available NGS instruments. We also outline the broad range of applications for NGS technologies and provide guidelines for platform selection to best address biological questions of interest. DNA sequencing has revolutionised biological and medical research, and is poised to have a similar impact on the practice of medicine. This tool is but one of an increasing arsenal of developing tools that enhance our capabilities to identify, quantify and functionally characterise the components of biological networks that keep us healthy or make us sick. Despite advances in other ‘omic’ technologies, DNA sequencing and analysis, in many respects, have played the leading role to date. The new technologies provide a bridge between genotype and phenotype, both in man and model organisms, and have revolutionised how risk of developing a complex human disease may be assessed. The generation of large DNA sequence data sets is producing a wealth of medically relevant information on a large number of individuals and populations that will potentially form the basis of truly individualised medical care in the future.
Time to focus on brain tumor-related epilepsy trials
Authors: Gallagher Paul , Leach John Paul , Grant Robert
Published: August 2014

Brain tumor-related epilepsy (BTRE) is a common complication of cerebral glioma. It has a serious impact on the patient's confidence and quality of life and can be life threatening. There are significant differences in the management of BTRE and nontumoral epilepsy in adults. Surgery is performed early in management, and resection can be curative. Radiotherapy can also improve seizure frequency. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are started after first seizure but are only effective at stopping attacks in 50% of cases.

There are no satisfactory randomized controlled clinical trials, or even good prospective series, to support using one AED over another with respect to efficacy. Guidelines are therefore based on poor levels of evidence. In general, the choice of AED may depend on risk of early side effect (rash, biochemical, or hematological effects) and whether drug interactions with chemotherapy are likely. In patients with suspected low-grade glioma, where use of chemotherapy early in the management is not standard practice and survival in measured in many years, the drug interactions are less relevant, and rational seizure management should focus on drugs with the fewest long-term effects on neurocognition, personality, mood, and fatigue. While intriguing and potentially very important, there is no good evidence that any specific AED has a clinical antitumor effect or improves survival.

Development of special interest groups in BTRE within countries, or between countries, may be a model for promoting better BTRE trials in the future.
Neurocognitive functioning and quality of life in patients with recurrent malignant gliomas treated on a phase Ib trial evaluating topotecan by convection-enhanced delivery
Authors: Oberg Jennifer A. , Dave Amie N. , Bruce Jeffrey N. , Sands Stephen A.
Published: August 2014

Background

Malignant gliomas are highly proliferative, invasive tumors that are resistant to conventional treatment, and disease progression is often accompanied by physical and mental debilitation. Neurocognitive functioning (NCF) and quality of life (QoL) were evaluated as part of a prospective phase Ib dose-escalation study of topotecan by convection-enhanced delivery (CED) for adult patients with recurrent malignant gliomas.

Methods

Sixteen patients were enrolled, and NCF and QoL were evaluated using the Cognitive Stability Index and SF-36 at baseline and monthly for 4 months post treatment. Descriptive analyses included the reliable change index for serial evaluations and correlations for associations between outcome variables and age, tumor volume, total topotecan dose, and treatment effect.

Results

Individual classifications of response to treatment indicated that a majority of patients reported stable scores over the follow-up period. Demographic and treatment-related variables were not associated with outcomes. Baseline processing speed scores were invalid for 6 subjects. Higher rates of valid scores were observed on subsequent administrations.

Conclusions

As the first study to use CED of any kind to evaluate the impact of CED on NCF or QoL, there was no evidence of severe detriment to either outcome. Long-term evaluation is necessary to track changes in NCF and QoL related to disease progression. Invalid scores suggest that computer-based assessments may not be suitable for all patients with malignant gliomas, especially those with cognitive deficits secondary to their disease. Future trials should include a wider range of sensitive measures to assess the impact of CED on patient NCF and QoL.
Family Welfare Cultures
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Authors: Dahl Gordon B. , Kostøl Andreas Ravndal , Mogstad Magne
Published: August 2014

We investigate the existence and importance of family welfare cultures, where the receipt of a welfare program by one generation causes increased participation in the next generation. Our context is Norway’s disability insurance (DI) system. To overcome the challenge of correlated unobservables across generations, we take advantage of random assignment of judges to DI applicants whose cases are initially denied. Some appeal judges are systematically more lenient, which leads to random variation in the probability a parent will be allowed DI. Using this exogenous variation, we find strong evidence for a causal link across generations: when a parent is allowed DI at the appeal stage, their adult child’s participation over the next five years increases by 6 percentage points. This effect grows over time, rising to 12 percentage points after 10 years. Although these findings are specific to our setting, they highlight that welfare reforms can have long-lasting effects on program participation, since any original effect on the current generation could be reinforced by changing the participation behavior of their children as well. The detailed nature of our data allows us to compare the intergenerational transmission with spillover effects in other networks and to explore mechanisms.