bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urgent need for better education: example of maternal dyspnea in a twin pregnancy
Authors: Baud David , Van Mieghem Tim , Windrim Rory , Raio Luigi , Keunen Johannes , Ryan Greg
Published: June 2014

What's already known about this topic?

Monochorionic pregnancies are 1/200 pregnancies, one in seven of whom will develop twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS)

TTTS is usually lethal to both twins if untreated.

Timely fetoscopic laser ablation of the ‘culprit’ placental anastomoses is curative

What does this study add?

Surveillance is the chorionicity diagnosis early and q2 weekly ultrasounds until delivery

Refer urgently to an appropriate fetal medicine unit if discordant fluid volumes or Dopplers
Optimization of direct arylation polymerization (DArP) through the identification and control of defects in polymer structure
Authors: Rudenko Andrey E. , Thompson Barry C.
Published: June 2014

As a newly emerged protocol for the synthesis of conjugated polymers, direct arylation polymerization (DArP) is an environmentally friendly and cost‐effective alternative to traditional methods of polymerization. DArP efficiently yields conjugated polymers with high yield and high molecular weight. However, DArP is also known to produce defects in polymer chemical structure. Together with molecular weight and polydispersity, these defects are considered to be important parameters of polymer structure and they have a strong impact on optical, electronic and thermal properties of conjugated polymers. The four major classes of conjugated polymer defects inherent for DArP have been identified: homocoupling regiodefects, branching defects, end group defects, and residual metal defects. To have a precise control over the polymer properties, it is important to understand what causes the defects to form during the polymerization process and be able to control their content. Here within the scope of current literature, we discuss in detail the definition and origin of all these defects, their influence on polymer properties and effective means to control the defects through fine tuning of the DArP reaction parameters. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 135–147
Nonparametric Changepoint Estimation for Sequential Nonlinear Profile Monitoring
Authors: McGinnity Kelly , Chicken Eric , Pignatiello Joseph J.
Published: June 2014

We consider changepoint detection in a process in which the observed points are profiles: large sets of functionally related points (x,y). Few changepoint detection methods have been proposed that do not rely in some capacity on the assumption that the observational errors are normally distributed. In this paper, a nonparametric distribution‐free wavelet method is proposed for monitoring for changes in sequences of nonlinear profiles. No assumptions are made on the nature or form of the changes between the profiles other than finite square‐integrability, and no distributional assumption is made on the noise. Using only the magnitudes and location maps of thresholded wavelet coefficients, our method uses the spatial adaptivity property of wavelets to accurately detect profile changes when the signal is obscured with a variety of non‐Gaussian errors. The proposed method outperforms existing (and much more complex) methods under various conditions of non‐Gaussianity. The method does not rely on estimates designed for normally distributed errors, yet it is robust enough to work reasonably well under Gaussian conditions. The efficiency of the proposed method, including comparisons with existing profile monitoring methods, is shown via simulation. We also apply the proposed method to vertical density profile data, a common real data set used in profile monitoring. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Long‐term performance of the Kiel carbonate device with a new correction scheme for clumped isotope measurements
Authors: Meckler A. Nele , Ziegler Martin , Millán M. Isabel , Breitenbach Sebastian F. M. , Bernasconi Stefano M.
Published: June 2014

RATIONALE

Carbonate clumped isotope thermometry is a powerful new technique increasingly used in many fields in earth science. Recently, it has been shown that clumped isotope measurements can be performed with a Kiel carbonate preparation device and micro‐volume analyses, allowing measurements of small (1.5–2 mg) carbonate samples. However, common data correction schemes rely on measurements of gases prepared offline, potentially leading to unrecognized biases in the results.

METHODS

We propose a new correction scheme for the Kiel device method including: (1) A pressure‐sensitive baseline correction (PBL) of the raw beam signals; (2) Transfer of data to the absolute reference frame; (3) Correction for acid fractionation; (4) Correction for average standard offsets; (5) When necessary, correction for Δ47 scale compression based on offsets among standards with different ordering state. The long‐term performance of the new scheme was tested with a large set of standard measurements (N = 432) obtained over the course of 15 months.

RESULTS

The PBL correction reliably removes composition‐dependent artifacts, which are commonly corrected for with gas measurements, and offsets observed in micro‐volume measurements when ion beams are imbalanced. We show that the shape of the PBL can vary strongly and needs to be properly characterized. Combined PBL and standard correction resulted in long‐term stability with standard deviations in Δ47 of 0.012–0.016 ‰ for the five standards over the whole period, close to the average error of 0.011 ‰ observed for individual measurements consisting of 10 replicate analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Our correction scheme eliminates the need for routine gas measurements, allowing for equal treatment of samples and standards with the Kiel device setup. While the PBL and standard data obtained over 15 months reveal variable mass spectrometer behavior, they provide a robust means of correction, yielding reproducible results from small carbonate samples in the long term. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Methods of Split Reporter Reconstitution for the Analysis of Biomolecules
Authors: Yoshimura Hideaki , Ozawa Takeaki
Published: June 2014

Intracellular signaling inside living cells is controlled by the specific localization of biomolecules, including proteins, with timescales ranging from milliseconds to several hours. To elucidate the related spatial and temporal signal processes, development of optical probes for cellular events is a challenging task in present studies. Herein, we describe recent advances in the basic design of the optical probes, which have been inspired by luminescent creatures, and their practical application to visualize intracellular events in living cells and animals. A discussion of different probe designs reveals their benefits and shortcomings.
Validation and traceability of XRF and SEM‐EDS elemental analysis results for solder in high‐reliability applications
Authors: Sieber John R. , Mortensen Adam
Published: June 2014

A procedure and calibration samples were developed for X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) analysis methods for Sn and Pb amounts in solder and coatings. Test methods are needed by laboratories that perform destructive physical analysis of high‐reliability electronics for MIL‐STD‐1580B. Calibrants are prepared by evaporative deposition of multiple, alternating quantities of pure Sn and pure Pb having mass per unit area proportional to mass fractions of Sn and Pb in a solder being mimicked. Validation reference materials are prepared by evaporative deposition of thin films of SRM 1729 Tin Alloy (97Sn–3Pb). Films are created on high‐purity Ni foil to mimic some actual electronics structures and prevent charging during SEM‐EDS measurements. Maximum thickness of films prepared this way must be kept below approximately 1 µm to ensure that the entire thickness is probed by the primary X‐ray or electron beam and that measured X‐rays come from the entire thickness of all films. Detailed procedures are presented, and method performance was characterized. The primary purpose is to create calibrations for Sn and Pb that are simple to implement and establish traceability to the international system of units. The secondary purpose is to validate calibrations using a certified reference material to prove that, for simpler structures of thin solder coatings on metal, both X‐ray fluorescence and SEM‐EDS provide accurate results. Keeping films thin may be unrealistic in comparison with some, if not many, electronic structures, but this approach enables a laboratory to demonstrate competence in a controlled manner. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biomarkers of Coronary Artery Disease: The Promise of the Transcriptome
Authors: Siemelink Marten Antoon , Zeller Tanja
Published: June 2014

The last years have witnessed tremendous technical advances in the field of transcriptomics that enable the simultaneous assessment of nearly all transcripts expressed in a tissue at a given time. These advances harbor the potential to gain a better understanding of the complex biological systems and for the identification and development of novel biomarkers. This article will review the current knowledge of transcriptomics biomarkers in the cardiovascular field and will provide an overview about the promises and challenges of the transcriptomics approach for biomarker identification.
Paraneoplastic neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder associated with stomach carcinoid tumor
Authors: Al-Harbi Talal , Al-Sarawi Adnan , Binfalah Mohamed , Dermime Said
Published: June 2014

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), or Devic's syndrome, is an autoimmune central nervous system demyelinating disorder primarily affecting the spinal cord and the optic nerves. It is characterized by the presence of NMO antibodies, alongside clinical and radiological findings. NMO and NMO-spectrum disorders (NMO-SD) have been reported in autoimmune disorders, and are infrequently described as a paraneoplastic syndrome with cancers of lung, breast, and carcinoid tumors of the thyroid. We report a patient who presented with severe vomiting, blurring of vision, vertigo, diplopia, left hemiparesis and hemisensory loss and ataxia. She was found to have a longitudinally-extensive demyelinating lesion extending from the medulla to the upper cervical spinal cord on MRI. Her gastric endoscopy revealed carcinoid tumor of the stomach, and classic paraneoplastic antibodies in the serum were negative. She had extremely high serum gastrin level and high titer of NMO IgG autoantibody. The patient made an excellent recovery with tumor resection and immunotherapy, with both clinical and radiological improvement. On rare instances, NMO or NMO-SD may present as a paraneoplastic neurological syndrome associated with carcinoid tumor of the stomach.
Device therapy in pediatric and congenital heart disease patients
Authors: Sumitomo Naokata
Published: June 2014

Background

Device therapy is an established therapy for preventing sudden cardiac death or managing refractory congestive heart failure in adults. However, it is performed less commonly in pediatric populations. This review aimed to examine the indications and problems associated with implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implantations in pediatric and congenital heart disease (CHD) patients.

Results

In a multicenter study in Japan, the cardiac condition of CHD patients improved by 83% after CRT device implantation. The need for CRT devices is more common in children than in adults. After ICD implantation, 44% of the patients experienced appropriate shocks, and epicardial lead implantation was performed in one‐third of the patients. Nonendocardial electrode placement is mandatory for ICD implantation in small infants and patients with certain CHDs. Although inappropriate ICD discharges due to sinus tachycardia or other supraventricular tachycardias are common in children, the indication for ICD implantation may be higher than that reported in children.

Conclusions

Despite the limited experience, limitations of device implantations owing to the size of the devices, and necessity for nonendocardial electrode placement, device implantations are required in more pediatric and CHD patients than expected.
IPO first‐day returns: Skewness preference, investor sentiment and uncertainty underlying factors
Authors: Aissia Dorsaf Ben
Published: June 2014

In this paper, we investigate the initial public offering (IPO) first‐day returns. Our focus is to examine the irrational component of the agent behavior towards IPO lotteries. Based on 234 French IPOs performed between 2002 and 2012, we find that IPOs with high initial returns have higher idiosyncratic skewness, turnover and momentum. This finding provides empirical evidence for investors' preference for stocks with lottery‐like features and investor sentiment. In addition, we show that the skewness preference and the investor sentiment effect are stronger during periods of favorable market conditions. Our results are robust to the integration of uncertainty underlying factors.
Risky Business: Surrogacy, Egg Donation, and the Politics of Exploitation
Authors: Cattapan Alana
Published: June 2014

This article examines exploitation as a policy rationale for the prohibition of paid surrogacy and egg donation in Canada, focusing on claims of exploitation in parliamentary transcripts and proposed legislation. Its main focus is challenging three assumptions long used to substantiate the prohibition of commercial egg donation and surrogacy, namely: that marginalized women are being exploited; that payment and exploitation are necessarily linked; and that prohibitions on payment are the best means to prevent exploitation in assisted human reproduction. By examining these assumptions, this article assesses the legitimacy of prohibiting payment on the basis of perceived exploitation and suggests that, though much has been done to protect surrogates and donors, little is known about their real-life experiences with reproductive technologies, that the relationship between exploitation and payment is tenuous, and that it remains unclear that prohibiting payment is not doing more harm than good.
Analysis of a model for foam improved oil recovery
Authors: Grassia P. , Mas-Hernández E. , Shokri N. , Cox S. J. , Mishuris G. , Rossen W. R.
Published: June 2014

During improved oil recovery (IOR), gas may be introduced into a porous reservoir filled with surfactant solution in order to form foam. A model for the evolution of the resulting foam front known as ‘pressure-driven growth’ is analysed. An asymptotic solution of this model for long times is derived that shows that foam can propagate indefinitely into the reservoir without gravity override. Moreover, ‘pressure-driven growth’ is shown to correspond to a special case of the more general ‘viscous froth’ model. In particular, it is a singular limit of the viscous froth, corresponding to the elimination of a surface tension term, permitting sharp corners and kinks in the predicted shape of the front. Sharp corners tend to develop from concave regions of the front. The principal solution of interest has a convex front, however, so that although this solution itself has no sharp corners (except for some kinks that develop spuriously owing to errors in a numerical scheme), it is found nevertheless to exhibit milder singularities in front curvature, as the long-time asymptotic analytical solution makes clear. Numerical schemes for the evolving front shape which perform robustly (avoiding the development of spurious kinks) are also developed. Generalisations of this solution to geologically heterogeneous reservoirs should exhibit concavities and/or sharp corner singularities as an inherent part of their evolution: propagation of fronts containing such ‘inherent’ singularities can be readily incorporated into these numerical schemes.
CONTINUOUS APPLICATION OF ORGANIC AMENDMENTS ENHANCES SOIL HEALTH, PRODUCE QUALITY AND SYSTEM PRODUCTIVITY OF VEGETABLE-BASED CROPPING SYSTEMS IN SUBTROPICAL EASTERN HIMALAYAS
Authors: PATEL D. P. , DAS ANUP , KUMAR MANOJ , MUNDA G. C. , NGACHAN S. V. , RAMKRUSHNA G. I. , LAYEK JAYANTA , PONGLA NARO , BURAGOHAIN JURI , SOMIREDDY UPENDER
Published: June 2014

The hill ecosystem of Northeastern Himalayas is suitable for organic farming due to negligible use of fertilizer (<12 kg ha−1) and agrochemicals, abundance of organic manure, especially plant biomass, and favourable climatic conditions for diverse crops. For successful organic farming, efficient cropping systems and organic amendments are to be identified to sustain soil health on one hand and productivity and enhanced income on the other. The efficacy of three organic amendments, namely, farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC) and integrated nutrient source (INS; 50% recommended dose of nitrogen (N) through FYM + 50% N through VC) on performance of three-vegetable-based cropping systems, namely, maize + soybean (2:2 intercropping)–tomato, maize + soybean–potato and maize + soybean–French bean was evaluated for five consecutive years (2005–06 to 2009–10) under subtropical climate at Umiam, Meghalaya, India (950 m above sea level). All the organic amendments were applied on N equivalent basis and phosphorus (P) requirement was compensated through rock phosphate. The results revealed that the yield of vegetables, except root vegetables, was maximum with FYM as soil amendment. Total system productivity in terms of maize equivalent yield (MEY) was significantly higher under FYM followed by INS. Pooled analysis revealed that MEY was enhanced by 200 and 191% with continuous application of FYM and INS, respectively, over control (no manure). Maize + soybean–tomato system recorded the highest MEY (28.78 Mg ha−1; Mg – megagram) followed by maize + soybean–French bean (24.37 Mg ha−1). INS as organic amendment resulted in maximum improvement in soil organic carbon (SOC), available P and potassium (K), soil microbial biomass carbon and water holding capacity and was similar to those under FYM. The SOC concentration under INS (23.6 g kg−1), FYM (23.3 g kg−1) and VC (22.3 g kg−1) after five years of organic farming were 31.0, 29.4 and 23.8% higher than the initial and 26.2, 24.6 and 19.3% higher than those under control, respectively. The quality traits of tomato such as total soluble solids (5%), ascorbic acid (28.6 mg 100 g−1) and lycopene content (19.35 mg 100 g−1) were higher under FYM application than other amendments. The study indicated that FYM and INS are equally good as organic amendment and their continuous application not only improves soil health but also crop productivity. FYM application was also found to be cost effective as it resulted in a higher benefit: cost ratio (4.4:1) compared to other amendments irrespective of cropping sequences during transition to organic farming.
Perinatal depression and child development: exploring the economic consequences from a South London cohort
Authors: Bauer A. , Pawlby S. , Plant D. T. , King D. , Pariante C. M. , Knapp M.
Published: June 2014

Background

Depression in mothers during pregnancy and in the postnatal period has been recognized to have wide-ranging adverse impacts on offspring. Our study examines some of the outcomes and long-term economic implications experienced by offspring who have been exposed to perinatal depression.

Method

We analysed the effects of perinatal depression on child development outcomes of children at ages 11 and 16 years from the community-based South London Child Development Study. Economic consequences were attached to those outcomes through simple decision-analytic techniques, building on evidence from studies of epidemiology, health-related quality of life, public sector costs and employment. The economic analysis takes a life-course perspective from the viewpoints of the public sector, individual and society.

Results

Additional risks that children exposed to perinatal depression develop emotional, behavioural or cognitive problems ranged from 5% to 21%. In addition, there was a high risk (24%) that children would have special educational needs. We present results in the form of cost consequences attached to adverse child outcomes. For each child exposed to perinatal depression, public sector costs exceeded £3030, costs due to reduced earnings were £1400 and health-related quality of life loss was valued at £3760.

Conclusions

Action to prevent or treat mothers' depression during pregnancy and after birth is likely to reduce public sector costs, increase earnings and improve quality of life for children who were exposed to the condition.
Real-time full body motion imitation on the COMAN humanoid robot
Authors: Gams Andrej , van den Kieboom Jesse , Dzeladini Florin , Ude Aleš , Ijspeert Auke Jan
Published: June 2014

On-line full body imitation with a humanoid robot standing on its own two feet requires simultaneously maintaining the balance and imitating the motion of the demonstrator. In this paper we present a method that allows real-time motion imitation while maintaining stability, based on prioritized task control. We also describe a method of modified prioritized kinematic control that constrains the imitated motion to preserve stability only when the robot would tip over, but does not alter the motions otherwise. To cope with the passive compliance of the robot, we show how to model the estimation of the center of mass of the robot using support vector machines. In the paper we give detailed description of all steps of the algorithm, essentially providing a tutorial on the implementation of kinematic stability control. We present the results on a child-sized humanoid robot called Compliant Humanoid Platform or COMAN. Our implementation shows reactive and stable on-line motion imitation of the humanoid robot.
Tri-pyramid Robot: stiffness modeling of a 3-DOF translational parallel manipulator
Authors: Zeng Qiang , Ehmann Kornel F. , Cao Jian
Published: June 2014

This paper presents a 3-DOF (degree of freedom) translational parallel manipulator named the Tri-pyramid Robot. Compared to the developed 3-DOF translational parallel manipulators, the Tri-pyramid Robot is designed based on conical displacement subset to exhibit better kinematic characteristic. The inverse position solution is obtained through closed-loop constraint analysis and used to formulate the overall Jacobian matrix of constraints and actuations based on the theory of reciprocal screws. Furthermore, by considering the stiffness of all links, joints, actuators, fixed, and moving platforms, the output stiffness matrix of the Tri-pyramid Robot is derived by the transformations of loads and deformations in the closed-loop form. The relations between the virtual input-output displacements are analyzed by the overall Jacobian matrix and used to build the manipulator's stiffness model. Stiffness performance is evaluated by the extreme eigenvalues of the output stiffness matrix in the reachable workspace. By considering the variations of the structural parameters and the distribution of the output stiffness, the maximal stiffness workspace is obtained through numerical optimization, providing, thereby, basic constraints for the parametric design of the Tri-pyramid Robot.
Gene therapies for inherited retinal disorders
Authors: JANE FARRAR G. , MILLINGTON-WARD SOPHIA , CHADDERTON NAOMI , MANSERGH FIONA C. , PALFI ARPAD
Published: June 2014

Significant advances have been made over the last decade or two in the elucidation of the molecular pathogenesis of inherited ocular disorders. In particular, remarkable successes have been achieved in exploration of gene-based medicines for these conditions, both in preclinical and in clinical studies. Progress in the development of gene therapies targeted toward correcting the primary genetic defect or focused on modulating secondary effects associated with retinal pathologies are discussed in the review. Likewise, the recent utilization of genes encoding light-sensing molecules to provide new functions to residual retinal cells in the degenerating retina is discussed. While a great deal has been learned over the last two decades, the next decade should result in an increasing number of preclinical studies progressing to human clinical trial, an exciting prospect for patients, those active in research and development and bystanders alike.
Highlighting the ratio of sodium to potassium in population-level dietary assessments: cross-sectional data from New York City, USA
Authors: Yi Stella S , Curtis Christine J , Angell Sonia Y , Anderson Cheryl AM , Jung Molly , Kansagra Susan M
Published: June 2014

Objective

To contrast mean values of Na:K with Na and K mean intakes by demographic factors, and to calculate the prevalence of New York City (NYC) adults meeting the WHO guideline for optimal Na:K (<1 mmol/mmol, i.e. <0·59 mg/mg) using 24 h urinary values.

Design

Data were from the 2010 Community Health Survey Heart Follow-Up Study, a population-based, representative study including data from 24 h urine collections.

Setting

Participants were interviewed using a dual-frame sample design consisting of random-digit dial telephone exchanges that cover NYC. Data were weighted to be representative of NYC adults as a whole.

Subjects

The final sample of 1656 adults provided 24 h urine collections and self-reported health data.

Results

Mean Na:K in NYC adults was 1·7 mg/mg. Elevated Na:K was observed in young, minority, low-education and high-poverty adults. Only 5·2 % of NYC adults had Na:K in the optimal range.

Conclusions

Na intake is high and K intake is low in NYC adults, leading to high Na:K. Na:K is a useful marker and its inclusion for nutrition surveillance in populations, in addition to Na and K intakes, is indicated.
Individual rights and the democratic boundary problem
Authors: Cabrera Luis
Published: June 2014

How should the geographic boundaries of democratic participation be set? This has been a notoriously difficult theoretical question, beset by paradoxes around determining democratic participants democratically. It also is seen as increasingly important in practical terms, amid deepening interdependence between states, immigration tensions, and suprastate regional integration. Numerous recent accounts have called for extending participation beyond the state. The case is generally made on intrinsic grounds: democracy demands it. Respect for individual autonomy is said to be violated when outsiders are deeply affected by decision processes, or subject to coercion from them, without being able to participate in them. Yet, familiar problems around restrictions on the autonomy of persistent democratic minorities remain in such accounts, and they could be magnified with expanded boundaries. An alternative approach is offered here, grounded in a rights-based instrumental justification for democracy. It sees participation as foundationally – though not solely – valuable as a means of promoting and protecting fundamental rights. It recommends extending participation boundaries to reinforce protections within regional and ultimately global institutions. Democratic participation would remain crucial at all levels, not principally as an expression of autonomy but to provide checks on power and promote accountability to individuals in multilevel polities.
Forum: Interrogating the use of norms in international relations: postcolonial perspectives
Authors: Epstein Charlotte , Zarakol Ayse , Gallagher Julia , Shilliam Robbie , Jabri Vivienne
Published: June 2014

In this forum five scholars bring their particular postcolonial perspectives to bear upon the constructivist concept of norms. Charlotte Epstein introduces the forum by considering what it means to theorise international politics from a postcolonial perspective, understood not as a unified body of thought or a new ‘ism’ for IR, but as a ‘situated perspective’; and how this casts a different light upon the makings of international orders and key epistemological schemes with which these have been studied in International Relations (IR), such as norms. In her contribution Ayze Zarakol argues that the constructivist paradigm of ‘norm diffusion’ commits two fallacies: first, it mishandles the causal explanation because it conflates internalisation, socialisation and compliance. Second it reproduces existing international social hierarchies by treating (bad) non-compliance by non-Western actors as endogenously driven, and (good) compliance as the result of external Western stimuli. She uses Erving Goffman’s concept of stigmatisation to show how our understanding of norm diffusion in the international order – or lack thereof – can be improved. Julia Gallagher’s article examines the norm of good governance as acted out by the World Bank in its policies towards African countries. She uses psychoanalytic object relations theory to show how the Bank employs good governance to structure the world into good and bad objects, thereby overcoming internal ambiguity and creating an idealised self-image. Robbie Shlliam’s contribution challenges constructivism to attend to calls for epistemic justice regarding the delineation of interpretive communities to the ostensibly “moderns”. He does so by explicating the understandings of slavery provided by knowledge traditions inhabited by descendants of enslaved Africans. Vivienne Jabri’s article mobilises Homi Bhabha and Frantz Fanon in a critical engagement with constructivist readings of postcolonial agency in the normative ordering of the international. She argues that a postcolonial reading of the international must account for both the discursive and material presence of the postcolonial subject, a presence at once both constituted and constituting of the international.
What made the modern world hang together: socialisation or stigmatisation?
Authors: Zarakol Ayşe
Published: June 2014

Contrary to what is often assumed, norm-internalisation does not always lead to compliance. Normative judgements may be simultaneously internalised and outwardly rejected. Non-compliance is at times a result of hyper-awareness of the particular origin of norms, rather than an unwillingness of the would-be-recipients to do ‘good’ deeds, or their inability to understand what is ‘good’. Such is often the case for non-Western states, as I demonstrate in this article by utilising the sociological concepts ofstigmaandstigmatisation. In its inability to acknowledge this dynamic, which has its roots in the colonial past of the international order, the constructivist model of norm-diffusion commits two errors. On the one hand, it falls short as a causal explanation, conflating internalisation with socialisation, and socialisation with compliance. On the other hand, it reproduces existing hierarchies in the international system, treating only non-compliance as endogenously driven, but compliance as a result of external stimuli. As there is a great deal of correlation between non-compliance and political geography, such a depiction, coupled with the fact that most norms under scrutiny are ‘good’ norms, once again casts non-Western states as having agency only when they commit ‘bad’ deeds.
The postcolonial perspective: an introduction
Authors: Epstein Charlotte
Published: June 2014

In this article I consider what it means to theorise international politics from a postcolonial perspective, understood not as a unified body of thought or a new ‘-ism’ for IR, but as a ‘situated perspective’, where the particular of subjective, embodied experiences are foregrounded rather than erased in the theorising. What the postcolonial has to offer are ex-centred, post-Eurocentric sites for practices of situated critique. This casts a different light upon the makings of international orders and key epistemological schemes with which these have been studied in international relations (IR), such as ‘norms’. In this perspective colonisation appears as a foundational shaper of these orders, to a degree and with effects still under-appraised in the discipline. The postcolonial perspective is thus deeply historical, or rather genealogical, in its dual concerns with, first, the genesis of norms, or the processes by which particular behaviours come to be taken to be ‘normal’. Second, it is centrally concerned with the power relations implicated in the (re)drawing of boundaries between the normal and the strange or the unacceptable. Together, these concerns effectively shift the analysis of the ideational processes underpinning international orders from ‘norms’ to the dynamic and power-laden mechanisms of ‘normalisation’. In addition, I show how theorising international politics from a postcolonial perspective has implications for IR’s conceptions of time, identity, and its relationship to difference, as well as agency.
Tyrosinase-catalyzed site-specific immobilization of engineered C-phycocyanin to surface
Authors: Faccio Greta , Kämpf Michael M. , Piatti Chiara , Thöny-Meyer Linda , Richter Michael
Published: June 2014

Enzymatic crosslinking of proteins is often limited by the steric availability of the target residues, as of tyrosyl side chains in the case of tyrosinase. Carrying an N-terminal peptide-tag containing two tyrosine residues, the fluorescent protein C-phycocyanin HisCPC from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 was crosslinked to fluorescent high-molecular weight forms with tyrosinase. Crosslinking with tyrosinase in the presence of L-tyrosine produced non fluorescent high-molecular weight products. Incubated in the presence of tyrosinase, HisCPC could also be immobilized to amino-modified polystyrene beads thus conferring a blue fluorescence. Crosslinking and immobilization were site-specific as both processes required the presence of the N-terminal peptide in HisCPC.
Critical adsorption of polyelectrolytes onto charged Janus nanospheres
Authors: de Carvalho Sidney J. , Metzler Ralf , Cherstvy Andrey G.
Published: June 2014

The conditions of critical polyelectrolyte adsorption onto spherical charged Janus nano-particles are exploited by Monte-Carlo computer simulations and theoretically.
Reaction mediated artificial cell termination: control of vesicle viability using Rh(i)-catalyzed hydrogenation
Authors: Komatsu Hirokazu , Daimon Yuki , Kawakami Kohsaku , Kanai Motomu , Hill Jonathan P. , Ariga Katsuhiko
Published: June 2014

Methods for artificial cell control by applying catalytic processes are receiving increasing attention as a basis for artificial control of cellular functions.
Results of a 20 000 h lifetime test of a 7 kW direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) hybrid system – degradation of the DMFC stack and the energy storage
Authors: Kimiaie N. , Wedlich K. , Hehemann M. , Lambertz R. , Müller M. , Korte C. , Stolten D.
Published: June 2014

First-ever lifetime test of a DMFC system lasting 25 600 h with a dynamic load profile of a material handling vehicle.
Double-pulse LIBS combining short and long nanosecond pulses in the microjoule range
Authors: Elnasharty Islam Y. , Doucet François R. , Gravel Jean-Francois Y. , Bouchard Paul , Sabsabi Mohamad
Published: June 2014

The present study investigates the collinear double-pulse LIBS (DP-LIBS) configuration using microjoule nanosecond pulses. It is shown that this approach can achieve typical double pulse improvement in the analytical performances for elemental analysis of aluminium alloys.
Cadmium isotope ratio measurements in environmental matrices by MC-ICP-MS
Authors: Pallavicini Nicola , Engström Emma , Baxter Douglas C. , Öhlander Björn , Ingri Johan , Rodushkin Ilia
Published: June 2014

Various stages of an analytical method for high-precision cadmium (Cd) isotope ratio measurements by MC-ICP-MS (sample preparation, matrix separation, instrumental analysis and data evaluation) were critically evaluated and optimized for carbon-rich environmental samples. The method was used in a pilot study focusing on the assessment of factors affecting Cd isotope composition in birch leaves.
Benzothiazolyl substituted iminothiazolidinones and benzamido-oxothiazolidines as potent and partly selective aldose reductase inhibitors
Authors: Saeed Aamer , Tehseen Yildiz , Rafique Hummera , Furtmann Norbert , Bajorath Jürgen , Flörke Ulrich , Iqbal Jamshed
Published: June 2014

Two new series of oxothiazolidine benzoate and acetate derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as aldehyde reductase (ALR1) and aldose reductase (ALR2) inhibitors.
Frictional dynamics of stiff monolayers: from nucleation dynamics to thermal sliding
Authors: Hasnain Jaffar , Jungblut Swetlana , Tröster Andreas , Dellago Christoph
Published: June 2014

In this paper, we simulate the motion of a monolayer of particles that is driven over a rigid surface and find that, if the monolayer is sufficiently stiff, its motion can be accurately described by a very simple approximation that predicts a transition from probabilistic slip to deterministic sliding.
Improved heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics of fluorinated graphene derivatives
Authors: Boopathi Sidhureddy , Narayanan Tharangattu N. , Senthil Kumar Shanmugam
Published: June 2014

Augmented electron transfer kinetics of fluorinated graphene oxide (FGO) in comparison to graphene oxide is demonstrated. FGO and reduced FGO perform enhanced electro-catalytic activities, where the fluorine atom can modify the electronic as well as electrochemical activities of graphene surface.
Dithienosilole-based all-conjugated block copolymers synthesized by a combination of quasi-living Kumada and Negishi catalyst-transfer polycondensations
Authors: Erdmann T. , Back J. , Tkachov R. , Ruff A. , Voit B. , Ludwigs S. , Kiriy A.
Published: June 2014

The synthesis of diblock copolymers containing poly(dithieno[3,2-b:2’,3’-d]silole) and poly(3-hexylthiopnene) blocks was accomplished by a combination of quasi-living Kumada and Negishi catalyst-transfer polycondensations.
Control of active semiconducting layer packing in organic thin film transistors through synthetic tailoring of dielectric materials
Authors: Singh Ranjodh , Meena Jagan Singh , Chang Yu-Cheng , Wu Chung-Shu , Ko Fu-Hsiang
Published: June 2014

The influence of dielectric material's property on the solid state structure packing of active semiconducting layer in OTFTs has been carefully studied by employing a whole new family of dielectric materials based on the rigid, tetrahedral bulky moleculei.e.adamantane, a smallest cage structure of diamond.
Halogen-free pyrrolidinium bis(mandelato)borate ionic liquids: some physicochemical properties and lubrication performance as additives to polyethylene glycol
Authors: Taher Mamoun , Shah Faiz Ullah , Filippov Andrei , de Baets Patrick , Glavatskih Sergei , Antzutkin Oleg N.
Published: June 2014

Friction coefficients for a pyrrolidinium orthoborate ionic liquid as 3 wt% additive in PEG, neat PEG and 5W40.
Efficient Ru–Fe catalyzed selective hydrogenolysis of carboxylic acids to alcoholic chemicals
Authors: Li Wenjing , Ye Linmin , Long Pei , Chen Jin , Ariga Hiroko , Asakura Kiyotaka , Yuan Youzhu
Published: June 2014

A bimetallic nanocatalyst Ru–Fe/SBA-15 shows remarkable ability to catalyze selective hydrogenolysis of carboxylic acids to alcoholic chemicals and the optimized catalyst is stable for the hydrogenolysis of acetic acid to ethanol with high catalytic performance for 300 h.
Synthesis and antiproliferative evaluation of novel tetrahydrobenzo[4′,5′]thieno[3′,2′:5,6]pyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives
Authors: Tang Chu , Liang Yongju , Bai Shun , He Hongwu , Chen Yu , Yang Guangzhong , Fu Liwu
Published: June 2014

A series of tetrahydrobenzo[4′,5′]thienophene[3′,2′:5,6]pyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidine-4-(3H)-one derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activities.
Mesoporous carbon coated molybdenum oxide nanobelts for improved lithium ion storage
Authors: Xu Ming , Tang Jing , Wu Hao , Zheng Gengfeng
Published: June 2014

Mesoporous carbon-coated molybdenum oxide nanobelt composites were synthesized hydrothermally with subsequent organic–organic assembly and calcination, and used as Li-ion-battery anodes.
A novel sulfur/carbon composite for low cost lithium–sulfur batteries with high cycling stability
Authors: Yin Yanhong , Ma Chao , Cao Zhaoxia , Sun Zhixian , Jia Yujie , Yang Shuting
Published: June 2014

Coconut shells were used as a starting material to prepare a novel C/S composite for low-cost Li–S batteries with high cycling performance.
Hypervalent iodine-catalyzed oxidative amidation of methylarenes
Authors: Azizi Kobra , Karimi Meghdad , Heydari Akbar
Published: June 2014

Hypervalent iodine-catalyzed oxidative amidation of methylarenes to the corresponding amides by using an oxidant (tert-butyl hydroperoxide, 70% aqueous solution) is discussed.
Concentrated synthesis of metal nanoparticles in water
Authors: Anderson Rory , Buscall Richard , Eldridge Robert , Mulvaney Paul , Scales Peter
Published: June 2014

Proposed mechanism of nanoparticle formation at high concentration.
Combinatorial bio-conjugation of gemcitabine and curcumin enables dual drug delivery with synergistic anticancer efficacy and reduced toxicity
Authors: Jain Sanyog , Jain Roopal , Das Manasmita , Agrawal Ashish K. , Thanki Kaushik , Kushwah Varun
Published: June 2014

Enhanced efficacy and reduced cytotoxicity of novel bio-conjugate of gemcitabine and curcumin.
Magnetically responsive gourd-shaped colloidal particles in cholesteric liquid crystals
Authors: Senyuk Bohdan , Varney Michael C. M. , Lopez Javier A. , Wang Sijia , Wu Ning , Smalyukh Ivan I.
Published: June 2014

Magnetically responsive gourd-shaped particles in cholesterics repel from substrates and reside on multiple long-lived metastable levels separated by a distance comparable to a pitch allowing for new forms of orientationally and positionally ordered colloidal assembly.
Direct synthesis of carbide-derived carbon monoliths with hierarchical pore design by hard-templating
Authors: Nickel Winfried , Oschatz Martin , Lehr Martin von der , Leistner Matthias , Hao Guang-Ping , Adelhelm Philipp , Müller Philipp , Smarsly Bernd M. , Kaskel Stefan
Published: June 2014

The direct synthesis of carbide-derived carbon monoliths with trimodal porosity and optimized mass transfer characteristics from silica templates is presented.
Enhancement in the efficiency of an organic–inorganic hybrid solar cell with a doped P3HT hole-transporting layer on a void-free perovskite active layer
Authors: Guo Yunlong , Liu Chao , Inoue Kento , Harano Koji , Tanaka Hideyuki , Nakamura Eiichi
Published: June 2014

A 99.5% void-free perovskite layer with a doped-P3HT hole-transporting layer showed the highest PCE among the P3HT based hybrid solar cells.
Free-standing poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) microgel-based etalons
Authors: Gao Yongfeng , Xu Wenwen , Serpe Michael J.
Published: June 2014

A free-standing poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) microgel-based etalon was fabricated, which can be adhered to a variety of substrates, and exhibits unique functionality.
Nanostructured liquid-crystalline semiconductors – a new approach to soft matter electronics
Authors: Funahashi M.
Published: June 2014

In contrast to solid-state organic semiconductors, superstructures can be constructed in liquid-crystalline (LC) phases, using chirality, hybridization with nanofibers, and nanosegregation.
Microbial fuel cells under extreme salinity: performance and microbial analysis
Authors: Monzon Oihane , Yang Yu , Yu Cong , Li Qilin , Alvarez Pedro J. J.
Published: June 2014

Environmental context The treatment of extremely saline, high-strength wastewaters while producing electricity represents a great opportunity to mitigate environmental effects and recover resources associated with wastes from shale oil and gas production. This paper demonstrates that extreme halophilic microbes can produce electricity at salinity up to 3- to 7-fold higher than sea water. Abstract Many industries generate hypersaline wastewaters with high organic strength, which represent a major challenge for pollution control and resource recovery. This study assesses the potential for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to treat such wastewaters and generate electricity under extreme salinity. A power density of up to 71mWm–2 (318mWm–3) with a Coulombic efficiency of 42% was obtained with 100gL–1 NaCl, and the capability of MFCs to generate electricity in the presence of up to 250gL–1 NaCl was demonstrated for the first time. Pyrosequencing analysis of the microbial community colonising the anode showed the predominance of a single genus, Halanaerobium (85.7%), which has been found in late flowback fluids and is widely distributed in shale formations and oil reservoirs. Overall, this work encourages further research to assess the feasibility of MFCs to treat hypersaline wastewaters generated by the oil and gas industry.
Planktonic Euryarchaeota are a significant source of archaeal tetraether lipids in the ocean
Authors: Lincoln Sara A. , Wai Brenner , Eppley John M. , Church Matthew J. , Summons Roger E. , DeLong Edward F.
Published: June 2014

Significance

All three domains of life—Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea—are known to inhabit the marine water column from surface waters to great depth. Planktonic marine Archaea are comprised of two dominant groups—the Thaumarchaeaota and Euryarchaeota. The Thaumarchaeota contain characteristic biomarker lipids known as tetraethers that are thought to be diagnostic for this group, and are used as paleotemperature proxies, since these lipids are well preserved in marine sediments. In this study, we show that planktonic Euryarchaeota produce the same types of archaeal tetraether lipids as do Thaumarchaeaota. Our results have important implications for environmental surveys of marine Archaea, and the use of their lipids for interpretation of the sedimentary record.
Chapter 2. Family language policy
Authors: Curdt-Christiansen Xiao Lan
Published: June 2014

This inquiry examines how family languages policies (FLP) are planned and developed in twenty bilingual families in Singapore with regard to their children’s Chinese language and literacy development. The study focuses on how parents perceive Chinese and how their beliefs are transformed into active language practices. Data sources include de facto language practices in home domains, parents’ language ideologies, and literacy activities and private tuition used as their language management. The findings reveal that all parents hold an unambiguous belief in the benefits of developing Chinese language, both in terms of cultural identity and in terms of providing overt socioeconomic opportunities. The study shows that FLPs are constantly interacting with and shaped by nonlinguistic forces – the national language policy and the educational system. When facing the sociopolitical and educational realities in Singapore, these parents are coerced to place Chinese and English into a dichotomous position resulting in lower expectations for their children’s Chinese proficiency and less sufficient provision of Chinese literacy resources.
Chapter 4. Chinese heritage language schools in the United States
Authors: Lü Chan
Published: June 2014

Chinese heritage language schools in the United States have been playing a critical role in supporting the education of children of Chinese descent. This chapter first delineates the historical background and current sociopolitical environment of Chinese heritage language schools in the U.S. Then, a case of a Chinese heritage language school, including its structure, curriculum and pedagogical practices, is examined. Implications and suggestions for enhancing the school in the current context are discussed.