bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The evolutionary history of the ancient weevil family Belidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) reveals the marks of Gondwana breakup and major floristic turnovers, including the rise of angiosperms
Authors: Li Xuankun , Marvaldi Adriana E. , Oberprieler Rolf G. , Clarke Dave , Farrell Brian D. , Sequeira Andrea , Ferrer M. Silvia , O’Brien Charles , Salzman Shayla , Shin Seunggwan , Tang William , McKenna Duane D.
Published: May 2024

The rise of angiosperms to ecological dominance and the breakup of Gondwana during the Mesozoic marked major transitions in the evolutionary history of insect-plant interactions. To elucidate how contemporary trophic interactions were influenced by host plant shifts and palaeogeographical events, we integrated molecular data with information from the fossil record to construct a timetree for ancient phytophagous weevils of the beetle family Belidae. Our analyses indicate that crown-group Belidae originated approximately 138 Ma ago in Gondwana, associated with Pinopsida (conifer) host plants, with larvae likely developing in dead/decaying branches. Belids tracked their host plants as major plate movements occurred during Gondwana’s breakup, surviving on distant, disjunct landmasses. Some belids shifted to Angiospermae and Cycadopsida when and where conifers declined, evolving new trophic interactions, including brood-pollination mutualisms with cycads and associations with achlorophyllous parasitic angiosperms. Extant radiations of belids in the genera
Rhinotia
(Australian region) and
Proterhinus
(Hawaiian Islands) have relatively recent temporal origins.
Female-dominated disciplines have lower evaluated research quality and funding success rates, for men and women
Authors: James Alex , Buelow Franca , Gibson Liam , Brower Ann
Published: May 2024

We use data from 30 countries and find that the more women in a discipline, the lower quality the research in that discipline is evaluated to be and the lower the funding success rate is. This affects men and women, and is robust to age, number of research outputs, and bibliometric measures where such data are available. Our work builds on others’ findings that women’s work is valued less, regardless of who performs that work.
Endosomal sorting protein SNX4 limits synaptic vesicle docking and release
Authors: Poppinga Josse , Barret Nolan J. , Cornelisse Lennart Niels , Verhage Matthijs , van Weering Jan R.T.
Published: May 2024

Sortin-Nexin 4 (SNX4) is an evolutionary conserved organizer of membrane recycling. In neurons, SNX4 accumulates in synapses, but how SNX4 affects synapse function remains unknown. We generated a conditional SNX4 knock-out mouse model and report that SNX4 cKO synapses show enhanced neurotransmission during train stimulation, while the first evoked EPSC was normal. SNX4 depletion did not affect vesicle recycling or the levels and localization of SNARE-protein VAMP2/synaptobrevin-2. However, SNX4 depletion affected synapse ultrastructure: an increase in docked synaptic vesicles at the active zone, while the overall vesicle number was normal, and a decreased active zone length. These effects together lead to a substantially increased density of docked vesicles per release site. In conclusion, SNX4 is a negative regulator of synaptic vesicle docking and release. These findings suggest a role for SNX4 in synaptic vesicle recruitment at the active zone.
Regulation of Non‐Infectious Lung Injury, Inflammation, and Repair by the Extracellular Matrix Glycosaminoglycan Hyaluronan
Authors: Jiang Dianhua , Liang Jiurong , Noble Paul W.
Published: February 2010

An important hallmark of tissue remodeling is the dynamic turnover of extracellular matrix (ECM). ECM performs a variety of functions in tissue repair including scaffold formation, modulation of fluid dynamics, and regulating cell behavior. During non‐infectious tissue injury ECM degradation products are generated that acquire signaling functions not attributable to the native precursor molecules. Hyaluronan (HA) is a non‐sulfated glycosaminoglycan which is produced in great abundance following tissue injury. It exists both in a soluble form and as side chains on proteoglycans. HA has critical roles in development as well as a variety of biological processes including wound healing, tumor growth and metastasis, and inflammation. HA fragments share structural similarities with pathogens and following tissue injury can be recognized by innate immune receptors. Elucidating the protean roles of HA in tissue injury, inflammation, and repair will generate new insights into mechanisms of diseases characterized by chronic inflammation and tissue remodeling. Anat Rec, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Stereoselective Synthesis and Antiviral Activity of (1E,2Z,3E)‐1‐(Piperidin‐1‐yl)‐1‐(arylhydrazono)‐2‐[(benzoyl/benzothiazol‐ 2‐oyl)hydrazono]‐4‐(aryl1)but‐3‐enes
Authors: Abdel‐Aziza Hatem A. , Abdel‐Wahab Bakr F. , Badria Farid A.
Published: February 2010

The reaction of benzoyl hydrazine 1a or benzothiazole‐2‐carbohydrazide 1b with 2‐oxo‐N‐arylpropanehydrazonoyl chlorides 2a–d yielded (1Z,2E)‐2‐[(benzoyl/benzothiazol‐2‐oyl)hydrazono]‐N‐(aryl)propanehydrazonoyl chlorides 3a–e. The reaction of 3a–c with sodium benzenesulphinate furnished sulphones 5a–c while the reaction of 5d, e with hydroxyl amine afforded hydroxomoyl derivatives 6a, b. The one‐pot sterioselective reaction of N‐(aryl)propanehydrazonoyl chlorides 3 with certain aromatic aldehydes in the presence of piperidine resulted in the formation of (1E,2Z,3E)‐1‐(piperidin‐1‐yl)‐1‐(arylhydrazono)‐2‐[(benzoyl/benzothiazol‐2‐oyl)hydrazono]‐4‐(aryl1)‐but‐3‐enes 7a–g. X‐ray analysis of piperidinyl amidrazone 7g showed a conversion of its geometrical structure with respect to that of compound 3 and confirmed the stereoselectivity of the latter reaction. The piperidinyl amidrazones 7a–g possessed a significant antiviral activity against herpes simplex viruses (HSV‐1). Compound 7d reduced the number of viral plaques of herpes simplex type‐1 (HSV‐1) by 67%, with respect to the effect of reference drug Aphidicolin.
Synthesis of Naphtho[1,8‐bc]pyran Derivatives and Related Compounds through Hydroxy Group Directed CH Bond Cleavage under Rhodium Catalysis
Authors: Mochida Satoshi , Shimizu Masaki , Hirano Koji , Satoh Tetsuya , Miura Masahiro
Published: February 2010

The straightforward and efficient synthesis of naphtho[1,8‐bc]pyran derivatives and related polycyclic compounds is achieved by the rhodium‐catalyzed oxidative coupling of 1‐naphthols or other phenolic and alcoholic substrates with alkynes. In these annulation reactions, the hydroxy groups effectively act as the key function for the regioselective CH bond cleavage.
Ion–Molecule Reactions of “Rollover” Cyclometalated [Pt(bipy−H)]+ (bipy=2,2′‐bipyridine) with Dimethyl Ether in Comparison with Dimethyl Sulfide: An Experimental/Computational Study
Authors: Butschke Burkhard , Ghassemi Tabrizi Shadan , Schwarz Helmut
Published: February 2010

The ion–molecule reactions of dimethyl ether with cyclometalated [Pt(bipy−H)]+ were investigated in gas‐phase experiments, complemented by DFT methods, and compared with the previously reported ion–molecule reactions with its sulfur analogue. The initial step corresponds in both cases to a platinum‐mediated transfer of a hydrogen atom from the ether to the (bipy−H) ligand, and three‐membered oxygen‐ and sulfur‐containing metallacycles serve as key intermediates. Oxidative CC bond coupling (“dehydrosulfurization”), which dominates the gas‐phase ion chemistry of the [Pt(bipy−H)]+ ion with dimethyl sulfide, is practically absent for dimethyl ether. The competition in the formation of C2H4 and CH2X (X=O, S) in the reactions of [Pt(bipy−H)]+ with (CH3)2X (X=O, S) as well as the extensive H/D exchange observed in the [Pt(bipy−H)]+/(CH3)2O system are explained in terms of the corresponding potential‐energy surfaces.
Origin of the Unusual Properties of Aun(BO2) Clusters
Authors: Götz Matthias , Willis Mary , Kandalam Anil K. , Ganteför Gerd F. , Jena Purusottam
Published: February 2010

We report the discovery of a new class of clusters consisting of Aun(BO2) that forms during the oxygenation of gold clusters when boron nitride is used as insulation in a pulsed‐arc cluster ion source (PACIS). Photoelectron and mass spectroscopy of these clusters further revealed some remarkable properties: instead of the expected AunOm peaks, the mass spectra contain intense peaks corresponding to Aun(BO2) composition. Some of the most predominant features of the electronic structure of the bare Au clusters, namely even–odd alternation in the electron affinity, are preserved in the Aun(BO2) species. Most importantly, Aun(BO2) [odd n] clusters possess unusually large electron affinity values for a closed‐shell cluster, ranging from 2.8–3.5 eV. The open‐shell Aun(BO2) [even n] clusters on the other hand, possess electron affinities exceeding that of F, the most electronegative element in the periodic table. Using calculations based on density functional theory, we trace the origin of these species to the unusual stability and high electron affinity of the BO2 moiety. The resulting bond formed between BO2 and Aun clusters preserves the geometric and electronic structure of the bare Aun clusters. The large electron affinity of these clusters is due to the delocalization of the extra electron over the Aun cluster.
Murine CXCR3+CD27bright NK cells resemble the human CD56bright NK‐cell population
Authors: Marquardt Nicole , Wilk Esther , Pokoyski Claudia , Schmidt Reinhold E. , Jacobs Roland
Published: February 2010

Human NK cells can be subdivided into CD56dim and CD56bright NK cells, which exhibit different phenotypical and functional characteristics. As murine NK cells lack CD56 or a distinct correlate, direct comparative studies of NK cells in mice and humans are limited. Although CD27 is currently proposed as a feasible subset marker in mice, we assume that the usage of this marker alone is insufficient. We rather investigated the expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 for its suitability for distinguishing murine NK‐cell subsets with simultaneous consideration of CD27. Compared with CXCR3− NK cells, exerting stronger cytotoxic capability, CXCR3+ NK cells displayed an activated phenotype with a lower expression of Ly49 receptors, corresponding to human CD56bright NK cells. Also in common with human CD56bright NK cells, murine CXCR3+ NK cells exhibit prolific expansion as well as robust IFN‐γ, TNF‐α and MIP‐1α production. We additionally demonstrated changes in both CXCR3 and CD27 expression upon NK‐cell activation. In summary, CXCR3 serves as an additional applicable marker for improved discrimination of functionally distinct murine NK‐cell subsets that comply with those in humans.
Dendritic Zirconium‐Peroxotungstosilicate Hybrids: Synthesis, Characterization, and Use as Recoverable and Reusable Sulfide Oxidation Catalysts
Authors: Jahier Claire , Mal Sib Sankar , Kortz Ulrich , Nlate Sylvain
Published: February 2010

A series of dendrimer‐containing polyoxometalates(DENDRIPOMs) was synthesized by coupling zirconium‐peroxotungstosilicate [Zr2(O2)2(SiW11O39)2]12– with ammonium dendrons by electrostatic bonding. These DENDRIPOMs were successfully characterized by standard physicochemical techniques (e.g. IR and NMR spectroscopy and MS), and they represent the first examples of dendritic POMs based on zirconium‐substituted polytungstates. The data obtained are consistent with structures in which the anionic POM is surrounded by cationic ammonium dendrons. In contrast to the potassium salt of [Zr2(O2)2(SiW11O39)2]12–, the dendritic counterparts are soluble in common organic solvents, an important feature for the use of DENDRIPOMs in homogeneous catalysis. Our DENDRIPOMs are stable, efficient, recoverable, and reusable catalysts for the oxidation of sulfides in aqueous/CDCl3 biphasic media, with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant, in contrast to their nondendritic n‐butyl ammonium counterpart. Two cycles of catalytic reactions were performed without any appreciable loss of activity. We also discovered that the reaction kinetics and selectivity of theDENDRIPOMs are influenced by the structure of the countercation used.
Essential oils and volatiles: sample preparation and analysis. A review.
Authors: Rubiolo P. , Sgorbini B. , Liberto E. , Cordero C. , Bicchi C.
Published: February 2010

This article is a short overview of the state of the art in essential oil analysis. Several aspects of the analysis of essential oils and volatile fraction of vegetable matrices are here critically discussed. The following topics are dealt with: steam distillation, hydrodistillation and headspace sampling for sample preparation, and fast‐GC, fast‐GC–qMS analysis, enantioselective GC, multidimensional GC techniques and GC–isotopic ratio mass spectrometry (GC–IRMS) for analysis and quantitation.
Physiologically based modeling of p‐tert‐octylphenol kinetics following intravenous, oral or subcutaneous exposure in male and female Sprague–Dawley rats
Authors: Hamelin G. , Haddad S. , Krishnan K. , Tardif R.
Published: February 2010

The objective of this study was to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for p‐tert‐octylphenol (OP) for understanding the qualitative and quantitative determinants of its kinetics in Sprague–Dawley rats. Compartments of the PBPK model included the liver, richly perfused tissues, poorly perfused tissues, reproductive tissues, adipose tissue and subcutaneous space, in which OP uptake was described as a blood flow‐ or a membrane diffusion‐limited process. The PBPK model successfully simulated previously published data on blood and tissue OP concentrations in Sprague–Dawley rats following oral, intravenous (i.v.) or subcutaneous (s.c.) routes. The model predicted that OP concentrations would reach 6.8, 13.8 and 27.9 ng ml−1 (male) and 7.2, 14.7 and 31.4 ng ml−1 (female), 4 h after a single i.v. dose of 2, 4 and 8 mg kg−1, respectively. The model also predicted that OP concentrations would reach 53.3, 134.8 and 271.2 ng ml−1 (male) and 87.4, 221.4 and 449.7 ng ml−1 (female) 4 h after a single oral dose (50, 125 and 250 mg kg−1) and that, 4 h after a single s.c. dose (125 mg kg−1), OP concentrations would reach 111.3 ng ml−1 (male) and 121.6 ng ml−1. A marked sex difference was seen in blood and tissue OP concentrations. This was reflected in the model by a gender‐specific maximal velocity of metabolism (Vmax) that was higher (1.77×) in male than in female rats. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanism underlying the gender differences and to evaluate whether that is also observed in humans. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecular design of a “molecular syringe” mimic for metal cations using a 1,3‐alternate calix[4]arene cavity
Authors: Zheng Xiaoyan , Wang Xueye , Shen Keqi , Wang Nuanqing , Peng Yueming
Published: February 2010

The chemically switchable actions well imitate the function of a “molecular syringe,” has been studied in theory using the 1,3‐alternate calix [4]arene bearing a nitrogen‐containing crown cap at one side and a bis(ethoxyethoxy) group at another side by the π‐basic calixtube as a pipette and the crown ring as a rubber cap. The model is characterized by geometry optimization using density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP/6‐31G level. The obtained optimized structures are used to perform natural bond orbital (NBO) and frequency analysis. The electron‐donating heteroatoms: O and N offer lone pair electrons to the contacting RY* (1‐center Rydberg) or LP* (1‐center valence antibond lone pair) orbitals of K+, Ag+. The results indicate that when the nitrogen atom in the crown ring is protonated, K+ and Ag+ will be pushed out to the bis(ethoxyethoxy) side through a π‐basic calixtube. When the nitrogen·H+ in the crown ring is deprotonated, K+ and Ag+ are sucked back to the crown‐capped side again. In the course of the coordination, both the intermolecular electrostatic interactions and the cation‐π interactions between the metal ion and π‐orbitals of the two pairs facing inverted benzene rings play a significant role. It is believed that this prototype of a “molecular syringe” is a novel molecular architecture for the action of metal cations. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2010
Synthesis and reactions of 4‐benzoyl‐1,5‐diaryl‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carbonyl chlorides with various semi‐ and thiosemicarbazides
Authors: Korkusuz Elif , Yıldırım Ismail
Published: February 2010

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The 1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylic acids 2 were converted via reactions of their acid chlorides 3 with some semi‐ and thiosemicarbazide derivatives into the corresponding new phenylsemi‐ and thiosemicarbazides 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 6, 5‐(pyrazol‐3‐yl)‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐thiones 5a, 5b, and 2‐(pyrazol‐3‐yl)‐1,3,4‐thiadiazol 7 derivatives, in good yields (45‐97%, respectively). The reactions of 4a,4c,4e with Lawesson reagent lead to the products 6 and 7 formation. The structures of these newly synthesized compounds were determined from the IR, 1H‐ and 13C‐NMR spectroscopic data and elemental analyses. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2010).
Impact of postharvest methyl jasmonate treatment on the volatile composition and flavonol content of strawberries
Authors: de la Peña Moreno Fernando , Blanch Gracia Patricia , Flores Gema , Ruiz del Castillo María Luisa
Published: February 2010

BACKGROUND:Although strawberry aroma is very complex, certain compounds have been described as main contributors, i.e. furanones, aldehydes, alcohols, sulfur compounds and particularly methyl and ethyl esters. In addition, strawberries possess potent antioxidant activity because of their high content of phenolic compounds. Among them, flavonols are highlighted as important antioxidant compounds in strawberry. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of methyl jasmonate (MJ) on the composition of the major contributors to aroma and on the content of certain flavonols in strawberry fruits.

RESULTS:The levels of all studied volatile compounds were significantly affected by MJ treatment, though the individual effect differed according to the specific compound considered. Most of them increased significantly (P< 0.05), except methyl butanoate, which always showed higher levels in untreated strawberries. In contrast to aroma compounds, the change in the concentration of flavonols (i.e. myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol) was not significant in MJ‐treated strawberries. Considering the health‐promoting activity of these compounds, further investigations on the experimental conditions related to the treatment are required to control flavonol bioformation by means of MJ.

CONCLUSION:The exogenous application of MJ vapour to strawberry enhances, in general, the production of the most relevant aroma‐active compounds. On the contrary, MJ treatment does not appear to influence the levels of myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol. Thus postharvest MJ treatment is proposed as an approach to obtain improved strawberry fruits in terms of sensory quality and health‐promoting properties. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Molecular Characteristics of Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) Separated from Nanocomposite Gels by Removal of Clay from the Polymer/Clay Network
Authors: Haraguchi Kazutoshi , Xu Yingjia , Li Guang
Published: February 2010

The extraordinary mechanical and swelling/deswelling properties of nanocomposite (NC) gels are attributed to their unique organic (polymer)/inorganic (clay) network structure. In this study, poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) was successfully separated from an NC gel network by decomposing the clay (hectorite) using hydrofluoric acid (HF). A very low HF concentration (0.2 wt.‐%) was adequate for the decomposition of the clay without causing any damage to PNIPA. The separated PNIPA had a high $\overline M _{\rm w}$ (=5.5 × 106 g · mol−1). Also, $\overline M _{\rm w}$ was almost constant regardless of the clay concentration (Cclay = 1–25 × 10−2 mol · l−1), even though the properties of the NC gel varied widely over this Cclay range. Comparisons of NC gels, PNIPA, and SiO2‐NC gels indicated that the clay platelets specifically play an important role in NC gels.

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Photoinduced Microphase Separation in Block Copolymers: Exploring Shape Incompatibility of Mesogenic Side Groups
Authors: Zhao Yi , Tong Xia , Zhao Yue
Published: February 2010

Photoinduced microphase separation in block copolymers (BCP) was achieved for the first time, using a rationally designed diblock copolymer composed of two side‐chain liquid crystalline polymers (SCLCP). The miscibility of the two blocks was promoted by the miscibility between the two types of mesognic side groups, while upon UV exposure inducing the trans–cis isomerization of azobenzene mesogens on one SCLCP, the shape incompatibility of bent cis isomers with an ordered liquid crystalline phase drove the separation of the two blocks resulting in a microphase separated morphology. This result shows the perspective of using light to process and organize BCP morphology and related nanostructures in a lithography‐free manner.

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Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis of the angular group induced bond alternation (AGIBA) substituent effect
Authors: Oziminski Wojciech P. , Krygowski Tadeusz M.
Published: February 2010

The geometries, natural charges, and resonance structures of 11 monosubstituted benzene derivatives were analyzed at the B3LYP/6‐311++G(d,p) and HF/6‐311++G(d, p) levels of theory. The following angular substituents were chosen: OCH3, CH2CH3, OH, SH, NHCH3, NHNH2, NO, CHCH2, NCH2, NNH, and CHO. The analysis of resonance structures was performed by using two different methodologies: harmonic oscillator stabilization energies (HOSE) and natural resonance theory (NRT). Also, the natural bond orbital (NBO) donor–acceptor stabilization energies for different resonance structures were calculated. We found that for all the substituents, the purely geometric resonance stabilization parameter (HOSE) is linearly correlated with quantum chemically derived resonance structure weight (NRT) of a given structure. Also, the calculations provide qualitative support for the earlier assumption of a through space angular group induced bond alternation (AGIBA) effect. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A design to prevent floating within the N scale of nucleophilicity
Authors: Bentley T. William
Published: February 2010

Two nucleophilicity scales (N′ and N″) including 96 nucleophiles, spanning 1017 in rate constant, have been constructed directly from experimental rate constants for reactions of nucleophiles with dianisyl (log k = N′) or dimethylaminobenzhydrylium (log k = N″) cations in dichloromethane at 20 °C. The two scales are linked/unified by the formula: N′ − N″ = 6.6. In contrast, published procedures (H. Mayr et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 9500, and later work) involve 23 benzhydrylium cations and over 200 adjustable parameters obtained from the equation log k = s(E + N), where k is the rate constant, E is an electrophilicity parameter and s is a nucleophile‐specific sensitivity parameter. The definitions of N′ and N″ avoid a floating N scale, i.e. having less than the usual attachment to fixed reference points. New equations, log k = (E + sN′) or log k = (E + sN″), where s is now an electrophile‐specific parameter, are then used to correlate over 350 second‐order rate constants for reactions of other benzhydrylium cations with nucleophiles. For weaker, less polar, nucleophiles, s ∼ 1 and the new E and N′ parameters are in satisfactory agreement with published data for E and N. For more polar nucleophiles, s ≠ 1 and values of N − N″ vary by five log units. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deep X‐ray Lithography for Direct Patterning of PECVD Films
Authors: Costacurta Stefano , Malfatti Luca , Patelli Alessandro , Falcaro Paolo , Amenitsch Heinz , Marmiroli Benedetta , Grenci Gianluca , Piccinini Massimo , Innocenzi Plinio
Published: February 2010

An advanced lithographic technique which is based on direct writing of thin films by hard X‐rays has been developed. Silica hybrid organic–inorganic films have been deposited by radio frequency plasma‐enhanced chemical vapour deposition and have been patterned using deep X‐ray lithography with synchrotron light. The exposure to high energy photons removed the organic groups in the films and induced densification of the silica network. The films, after lithographic writing, can be easily chemically etched to obtain well‐defined patterns of high quality. By tuning the exposure dose it is possible modulating the structure and the properties of the final material. The overall lithography process can be achieved in two steps, writing by X‐rays and chemical etching, therefore employing the hybrid film directly as resist without employing any other intermediate step. The films and the patterned structures have been characterized by ellipsometric spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, infrared imaging and Rutherford backscattering.

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Modified Nanoenergetic Composites with Tunable Combustion Characteristics for Propellant Applications
Authors: Bezmelnitsyn Andrey , Thiruvengadathan Rajagopalan , Barizuddin Syed , Tappmeyer Daniel , Apperson Steven , Gangopadhyay Keshab , Gangopadhyay Shubhra , Redner Paul , Donadio Mike , Kapoor Deepak , Nicolich Steven
Published: February 2010

This work reports on the synthesis and tunable characteristics of nanothermite compositions based on mesoporous Fe2O3 as an oxidizer and Al nanoparticles as a fuel. The reactivity (rate of increase of pressure) and the combustion wave speed were determined to evaluate the performance of these composites for various applications. A gas generating polymer, (acrylamidomethyl) cellulose acetate butyrate (AAMCAB), was loaded in the mesopores of Fe2O3 matrix following wet‐impregnation technique. The samples prepared in this work were characterized by a number of analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM, SEM), energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, X‐ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms. Then, mesoporous Fe2O3 powder was mixed with Al nanoparticles to prepare nanoenergetic composites. The main characteristics such as peak pressure, reactivity, combustion wave speed, and pressure sustenance were determined as a function of polymer loading. The dependence of combustion wave speed on the pressure was established following the well‐known Vieille's law. The small value of 0.408 for the pressure exponent indicates the suitability of these nanothermite compositions for propellant applications. By reducing the percentage of polymer, the characteristic properties of nanoenergetic composite can be suitably tuned for other applications.
Aligned microcrystalline silicon nanorods prepared by glancing angle hotwire chemical vapor deposition for photovoltaic applications
Authors: Ma Yanhong , Liu Fengzhen , Zhu Meifang , Zhang Zhanjun
Published: February 2010

Aligned Si nanorods (SiNRs) were prepared by hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) with the glancing angle incident flux. The morphologies of SiNRs are pressure dependent. Crystallized SiNRs were achieved under a substrate temperature of 140 °C with H dilution. The optical and electrical properties of SiNRs were investigated. In a first step, a radial p‐n junction solar cell with core‐shell structure was prepared by depositing a‐Si layer on the SiNRs. The hybrid solar cells were fabricated by spin coating 3‐hexylthiophene (P3HT) into the SiNRs arrays. The P3HT shows well penetration into the SiNRs. The quenching of the PL intensity of P3HT/SiNRs indicates an effective electron transfer from P3HT to SiNRs. The hybrid solar cell with the structure of metal grids/ITO/P3HT/SiNRs/c‐Si/Al shows a power conversion efficiency of 0.2% under AM 1.5 illumination. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Investigation of light induced degradation in hydrogenated amorphous silicon‐germanium alloy thin films using temperature dependent photoconductivity
Authors: Güneş M. , Turan E. , Yilmaz G.
Published: February 2010

Light induced degradation of undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon‐germanium (a‐SiGe:H) alloys with different Ge contents has been investigated using intensity and temperature dependence of photoconductivity between 78K to 300K. The samples were light soaked after annealing, under 5 suns of white light in a high vacuum cryostat without exposing samples to air at 300K. In the annealed state, the magnitude of the σphoto decreases and becomes strongly temperature dependent as the Ge content increases. The exponent γ shows two distinctly different recombination regions as Ge content increases. In the light‐soaked state, a‐SiGe:H alloy thin films showed stronger Staebler‐Wronski effect than pure a‐Si:H, and degradation increases with Ge content. In addition, temperature dependence of the exponent γ shows substantial changes from its annealed state values and follows similar dependence on temperature as that of pure a‐Si:H. These results indicate that the Staebler‐Wronski defects created under illumination in Si rich a‐SiGe:H alloys and pure a‐Si:H are similar in nature and distribution. They dominate the recombination kinetics in the light‐soaked state. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Failures and complications in intramedullary nailing of children's forearm fractures
Authors: Fernandez F. F. , Langendörfer M. , Wirth T. , Eberhardt O.
Published: February 2010

Purpose

There are published studies of outcomes in the use of ESIN that raise concerns about serious complications: the aim of this study is to report our experiences over 17 years of use of this technique, which shows that complications and failures are insignificant when the method is applied correctly.

Method

We present a retrospective analysis of 553 children with forearm shaft fractures treated with elastic stable intramedullary nailing over a period of 17 years. The 354 boys (64%) and 199 girls (36%) had an average age of 9.1 years. A total of 61% of the fractures were located in the midshaft, 21% in the distal diaphyseal and 18% in the proximal third. Continuous documentation of treatment, postoperative course and follow-up after an average time of 37 months formed the basis of this study. The analysis included all kinds of failures and complications.

Results

The following complications and problems were encountered: 5 children with wound infections and disturbed wound healing, 1 case of osteomyelitis, 7 children with ulnar non-unions, 14 children with delayed unions, 6 cases of loss of correction, 15 children with lesions of the superficial radial nerve, one case of malplacement of a nail, 5 children with skin perforations caused by the ends of implants and 27 children with refractures.

Conclusion

The analysis of the failures and complications shows that a differentiated approach to the data has to be taken. Most complications occur because of incorrect use of the method with neglect of biomechanical principles. The usage of the ESIN method is extended to more problematic regions, such as the distal diaphyseal portion of the forearm, and therefore, an increase in complications is likely. Despite this risk, ESIN should still be the standard treatment for forearm shaft fractures in children, and no change in therapeutical strategy is necessary. However, it is of special importance to follow the right indication and to pay attention to biomechanical principles and to correct technical procedure.
Estimation of genetic parameters for body weight traits and litter size of Moghani sheep, using a Bayesian approach via Gibbs sampling
Authors: HOSSEIN-ZADEH N. GHAVI , ARDALAN M.
Published: February 2010

The objective of the present study was to estimate genetic parameters for body weights at different ages and litter size (LS) in Moghani sheep. Traits included were birth weight (BW), 3 months weight (3MW), 6 months weight (6MW), 9 months weight (9MW), yearling weight (YW) and LS. The data of 6659 lambing records and pedigree information used in the current programme were collected at the Breeding Station of Moghani sheep (Ardebil province, Iran) during 1987–2005. Different linear and threshold animal models with additive genetic, maternal genetic, maternal permanent environmental and residual effects were implemented by Gibbs sampling (GS) methodology. A single GS chain with 150 000 rounds was generated by the MTGSAM program. The posterior means of genetic parameters were estimated based on the 1300 samples that were left after elimination of 20 000 rounds in the burn-in period and 100 rounds of each thinning interval. Posterior mean estimates of direct heritability were 0·29, 0·13, 0·14, 0·10, 0·31 and 0·10, while those of maternal heritabilities were 0·29, 0·08, 0·11, 0·06, 0·10 and 0·17 for BW, 3MW, 6MW, 9MW, YW and LS, respectively. Genetic correlations among the growth traits and LS were negative for direct genetic and maternal genetic effects. Therefore, selection for increased growth or LS may have a negative genetic effect on the other traits. The medium to high negative estimates of direct–maternal correlations for body weight traits or LS suggest that it would be difficult to improve direct and maternal growth ability jointly for Moghani sheep.
Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Health Inequalities: Investigating Reasons for Differential Progress with Narrowing Local Gaps in Mortality
Authors: BLACKMAN TIM , DUNSTAN KATIE
Published: February 2010

Although health inequalities in England reflect underlying deprivation, there is considerable variation among deprived areas in the extent to which these inequalities are narrowing. Using survey data from 15 local authority areas in North West England, and Ragin's technique of Qualitative Comparative Analysis, contextual features and ways of working in these areas are shown to combine in systematic ways with recent trends in inequalities as measured by premature mortality. For circulatory diseases, a narrowing mortality gap showed a clear association with smoking cessation services that accorded with a best practice description, combined with a local population with relatively more people aged 65 or older. For cancers, a narrowing mortality gap was associated with areas that combined relatively low population mobility with a professional working culture described as one of individual commitment and championing. These findings reveal the complexity of meeting health inequality targets and applying evidence to this endeavour, since both ways of working and context appear to be important to making progress. Both need to be understood case by case if targets are to be locally realistic and evidence applied where local practice is known to matter to the outcome.
Drugs and where they can lead
Authors: Tulloch Alexander
Published: February 2010

The etymological trail of drug use.

There are two sides to drugs. They can either be the life-saving preparations we ingest to fight harmful bacteria and combat serious illness, or they can be the devastating concoctions that destroy our personalities, our bodies and can lead to undignified and frequently painful death. Society needs the former but conducts a seemingly endless war against the latter as it tries to restrict the flow of the so-called ‘recreational drugs’ onto our streets. The addicts, on the other hand, do everything they can to outwit the authorities as they and their suppliers become ever more inventive in the ways they think of for smuggling marijuana, cocaine, ganja and countless other substances past border guards, customs officials and drug squad officers in order to satisfy their craving.

Linguistically, although they are probably unaware of it, these addicts owe their epithet to Roman law. In ancient Rome financial matters were taken very seriously and there were strict (some might say harsh) rules and regulations governing the borrowing and lending of money. For instance, if a debtor fell behind with his repayments he or she could be taken to court where the usual decision was that he be given a period of thirty days to come up with the money to clear his debt. If he failed to do so in the allotted time he would be assigned to his creditor who was required to treat him in a manner prescribed by law. He would keep the poor man in chains for sixty days, display him on three consecutive market days (held every nine days) and try to find someone who would take him off his hands for a fee equal to the amount of debt owed. Whoever paid the debt would have the man assigned to him as his slave. And the Latin for ‘assigned’ was addictus, from the prefix ad ‘to’ and the infinitive dicere ‘to say’, the implication being that transaction was more often than not a verbal one rather than a written one. Either way the result was the same: one human being became a slave to another much in the same way that, in the modern sense of the word, an addict is enslaved by his craving for his next fix.
The ET Column: Globalization and the spread of English: what does it mean to be Anglophone?
Authors: Mufwene Salikoko S.
Published: February 2010

The author wonders whether English is becoming as universal as is often claimed? Demand for English and American language centers has increased around the world, and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is now administered regularly in many metropolises. To ensure that their students are competitive, economically affluent countries have invested lots of money in the latest audio-visual technology while also recruiting the most competent teachers of English as a second or foreign language. South Korea has stood out in contracting American and British teachers to provide interaction-with-native-speaker experience to its students via satellite while European countries have benefited greatly from student exchange programs that enable their students to improve their competence by immersion in native socio-economic ecologies. Equally noteworthy are financial and emotional sacrifices endured by many, chiefly Korean, families whose mothers/wives and school-age children live in Anglophone countries so that the children can develop native competence in English. The relevant parents assume that as the world-wide market value of English continues to rise, every young person anywhere will need it, at least as a lingua franca, and the more fluent ones will have a competitive edge over their peers. Pop culture will undoubtedly have contributed its share to this rise of its market value.
Precise GPS Positioning with Low-Cost Single-Frequency System in Multipath Environment
Authors: Alnaqbi Abdulla , El-Rabbany Ahmed
Published: February 2010

Low-cost, single-frequency GPS systems provide economical positioning solutions to many geomatics applications, including GIS and low-accuracy surveying applications. Unfortunately however, the positioning accuracy obtained with those systems is not sufficient for many surveying applications. This is mainly due to the presence of ionospheric delay and multipath. In this research ionospheric delay is accounted for using regional high-resolution ionospheric maps produced by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The major remaining constraint and challenging problem is multipath. This is because multipath is environmentally-dependent, difficult to model mathematically and cannot be reduced through differential positioning. This research proposes a new approach to identify multipath-contaminated L1 measurements through wavelet analysis. First, the difference between the code and carrier-phase measurements is estimated, leaving essentially twice the ionospheric delay, multipath and system noise. The ionospheric delay is largely removed by using high-resolution ionospheric delay maps produced by NOAA. The remaining residuals contain mainly low-frequency multipath, if it exists, and high-frequency system noise, which are decomposed using Daubechies family wavelets (db8). A satellite signal is identified as contaminated by multipath based on the standard deviation of the low-frequency part of the residual component. The L1 measurements obtained from the satellites with the lowest multipath are used to compute the final positions using two software packages, namely Trimble Total Control (TTC) and Bernese scientific processing software. The Magellan AC12 low-cost single-frequency GPS receiver was extensively tested in static mode. It is shown that accuracies within 5 cm are routinely obtained for baselines up to 65 km under various multipath environments.
HARRIET MARTINEAU'S MATERIAL REBIRTH
Authors: Claggett Shalyn
Published: February 2010

In 1840, thePhrenological Journalpublished an anonymous personal testimony of phrenological salvation titled “Remarkable Case of Change of Character and Pursuits.” The article appears in the “Cases and Facts” section of the periodical, commonly reserved for correspondents who provided personal accounts of the truth of phrenology. The correspondent in this “Case” makes use of the conventional structure of the conversion narrative: youthful deviance, a moment of illumination, and rebirth into a new life of virtue, peace, and joy. Beginning with a description of his former life, he explains that being “Born in the lap of luxury – bred in the tainted atmosphere of opinion” led to the “best years of [his] existence [being] passed in idle, if not in sinful pursuits.” After becoming a military officer, his dissolute behavior increases until he finally decides to correct his character, and “the great instrument employed was phrenology” (342). After adopting a disciplined regimen of moral and intellectual mental exercises, he triumphantly emerges as a man who better knows himself and his capabilities. With his “new” character comes a new life more suited to his cultivated faculties: realizing that a soldier's advancement depends on the “number of victims” sacrificed for the country's cause, he “selected the more humble profession of the Civil Engineer, for which [he] believed, phrenologically, nature had made a fair provision.” He concludes by noting that his life has since been prosperous, and that he hopes now to “aid the cause of that science” through the phrenological education of his own children and his public confession in the journal (343).
Correspondence of Robert Earl of Leycester, A.D. 1585 and 1586
Authors: Walsingham Fra
Published: February 2010

The assassination of the prince of Orange on the 10th July, 1584, reduced the defenders of protestantism in the Low Countries almost to despair. Deprived of their only leader, exhausted by a long continued war, opposed to the power of Spain, then the greatest empire in the world, and that power directed by the consummate military skill of the prince of Parma, the states general regarded the further prosecution of their unequal contest with despondency, and looked anxiously around for some helper in their distress, some potentate at once powerful enough and zealous enough to come to their aid. Their first application was made to France; but, tempting as the notion of the annexation of the Netherlands has always been to the holders of the crown of that kingdom, and inclined as Henry III. was to adopt any course of policy which had a tendency to reduce the power of Spain, he felt that, in the unsettled state of his own kingdom, he dared not undertake the defence of protestant interests abroad. Upon his refusal, the sovereignty was tendered to queen Elizabeth, who received the offer with complacency, and referred it to the consideration of her council.
Introduction
Authors: Nichols John Gough
Published: February 2010

The value of Church Notes, meaning memoranda of the epitaphs and heraldry in churches, before church architecture was understood or appreciated as it now is, has always been highly estimated by genealogists and biographers. The professional heralds deemed such evidences among their most reliable materials, at a time when they possessed the power, which they did not hesitate to exercise, to destroy or deface any display of armorial insignia assumed unduly or irregularly. Epitaphs, however apt to be flattering or even “lying” in their tributes of personal eulogy, are generally trustworthy for their statements of facts and dates, and may be ranked among the best kinds of contemporary testimony. The heralds, therefore, when riding on their visitations did not neglect their opportunities for gathering church notes, as well as notes of the armory displayed on the walls and windows of manor-houses, to contribute to their materials for the genealogies it was their business to construct. Many such notes are interspersed, with the pedigrees, in their MS. visitation-books, of which the Camden Society possesses a very interesting and excellent example in Camden's Visitation of Huntingdonshire.
Total hydrogen budget of the equatorial upper stratosphere
Authors: Wrotny Jonathan E. , Nedoluha Gerald E. , Boone Chris , Stiller Gabriele P. , McCormack John P.
Published: February 2010

Water vapor and methane mixing ratios measured by the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE), and the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) along with simulations from the NRL CHEM2D middle atmosphere model are used to study the hydrogen budget in the equatorial upper stratosphere. Multiyear time series of equatorial upper stratospheric H2O + 2*CH4 show temporal variations during periods of relative long‐term stability in water vapor and methane entering the stratosphere. These variations, which are anticorrelated to CH4, are quasibiennial and seasonal in nature, and peak near 2 hPa with a magnitude of 3% of the H2O + 2*CH4 mixing ratio. We find that the ratio of the changes in water vapor to the changes in methane is consistently >2 over the entire equatorial upper stratosphere in HALOE, ACE, and MIPAS data. Ratios of the H2O to CH4 changes calculated from the CHEM2D model are similar, but slightly smaller, and the variations in H2O + 2*CH4 are balanced by nearly equivalent variations in molecular hydrogen. We use this relationship to infer molecular hydrogen mixing ratios from the observations which show that its mixing ratio decreases with altitude above 5 hPa. This net loss in molecular hydrogen drives additional water vapor production so that multiyear average profiles of H2O + 2*CH4 from HALOE, ACE, and MIPAS show an ∼0.4 ppmv increase between 5 hPa and 1.5 hPa, so that total hydrogen is conserved. Collectively, these results illustrate the importance of molecular hydrogen in the equatorial upper stratospheric hydrogen budget.
IL‐10 is required for human CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cell‐mediated suppression of xenogeneic proliferation
Authors: Sun Lei , Yi Shounan , O'Connell Philip J
Published: February 2010

Cellular rejection of xenografts is predominantly mediated by CD4+ T cells. Human CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are capable of suppressing the CD4+ T cell‐mediated xenogeneic response in vitro. However, the precise mechanisms that are involved remain to be identified. In this study, we analyzed whether interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) is required for Tregs to suppress xenogeneic responses in vitro by small interfering RNA (siRNA)‐mediated IL‐10 knockdown. After siRNA transfection, Tregs were analyzed for IL‐10 gene and protein expression and their phenotype. Mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLRs) were performed by stimulating human CD4+CD25− T cells with allogeneic or pig peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the presence or absence of Tregs in a coculture or transwell system. The production of effector cytokines by xeno‐ or alloreactive CD4+CD25− T cells, or suppressive cytokines by Tregs, was examined using enzyme‐linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). We showed that IL‐10 knockdown resulted in a substantially reduced IL‐10 production by Tregs, leading to impaired Treg‐mediated suppression of xeno‐ but not alloreactive CD4+ CD25− T‐cell proliferation. However, IL‐10 knockdown had no effect on Treg phenotype, their suppression of effector cytokine production by xeno‐ or alloreactive T cells and the production of the Treg‐suppressive cytokine, transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β). This study shows that IL‐10 is required for human Tregs to suppress xenogeneic but not allogeneic proliferation in vitro.