bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Porous CNT@Li4Ti5O12 coaxial nanocables as ultra high power and long life anode materials for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Tang Yakun , Liu Lang , Zhao Hongyang , Jia Dianzeng , Liu Wei
Published: December 2015

Porous CNT@Li4Ti5O12 core–sheath coaxial nanocables have been successfully synthesized, which exhibit high reversible capacity, excellent rate capability and superior long-term cycling stability especially at high current densities.
Efficient fullerene-free organic solar cells based on fused-ring oligomer molecules
Authors: Lin Yuze , Wang Jiayu , Li Tengfei , Wu Yang , Wang Cheng , Han Lei , Yao Yuehan , Ma Wei , Zhan Xiaowei
Published: December 2015

Organic solar cells based on monodisperse fused-ring oligomer molecule donor and acceptor blends exhibit a power conversion efficiency of over 6%; high crystallinity and small phase separation coexist in the blends.
Novel magneto-responsive membrane for remote control switchable molecular sieving
Authors: Lin Xi , Huang Rong , Ulbricht Mathias
Published: December 2015

Magneto-responsive separation membrane: reversible change of molecule sieving through pore-confined polymeric hydrogel network by remote control of immobilized “nano heaters” with alternating magnetic field.
Development of strongly absorbing S,N-heterohexacene-based donor materials for efficient vacuum-processed organic solar cells
Authors: Wetzel Christoph , Mishra Amaresh , Mena-Osteritz Elena , Walzer Karsten , Pfeiffer Martin , Bäuerle Peter
Published: December 2015

A new class of A–D–A molecular donor materials based on planarS,N-heterohexacenes is developed for vacuum-processed planar and bulk-heterojunction solar cells providing promising power conversion efficiencies up to 7.1%.
Self-limiting atomic layer deposition of barium oxide and barium titanate thin films using a novel pyrrole based precursor
Authors: Acharya Shinjita , Torgersen Jan , Kim Yongmin , Park Joonsuk , Schindler Peter , Dadlani Anup L. , Winterkorn Martin , Xu Shicheng , Walch Stephen P. , Usui Takane , Schildknecht Christian , Prinz Fritz B.
Published: December 2015

Self-limiting growth of high quality binary BaO and BaTiO3 using a novel class of Ba precursor at lowest temperature ever reported and shown to cover non planar structures.
Tuning the polarity and surface activity of hydroxythiazoles – extending the applicability of highly fluorescent self-assembling chromophores to supra-molecular photonic structures
Authors: Habenicht S. H. , Schramm S. , Fischer S. , Sachse T. , Herrmann-Westendorf F. , Bellmann A. , Dietzek B. , Presselt M. , Weiß D. , Beckert R. , Görls H.
Published: December 2015

Processing of 4-alkoxythiazole sulfonamidesviathe Langmuir–Blodgett technique gave an insight into the influence of aggregation on the electro-optical properties of thin films.
Highly efficient and stable blue polymer light emitting diodes based on polysilafluorenes with pendent hole transporting groups
Authors: Jin Guangrong , Xia Lianpeng , Liu Zhe , Lin Hong , Ling Jun , Wu Hongbin , Hou Lintao , Mo Yueqi
Published: December 2015

Two homopolymers of triphenylamine and carbazole grafting silafluorenes (PSF-TPAandPSF-Cz) were synthesized and their electroluminescence properties were investigated in this paper.
μ-tempered metadynamics: Artifact independent convergence times for wide hills
Authors: Dickson Bradley M.
Published: December 2015

Recent analysis of well-tempered metadynamics (WTmetaD) showed that it converges without mollification artifacts in the bias potential. Here, we explore how metadynamics heals mollification artifacts, how healing impacts convergence time, and whether alternative temperings may be used to improve efficiency. We introduce “μ-tempered” metadynamics as a simple tempering scheme, inspired by a related mollified adaptive biasing potential, that results in artifact independent convergence of the free energy estimate. We use a toy model to examine the role of artifacts in WTmetaD and solvated alanine dipeptide to compare the well-tempered and μ-tempered frameworks demonstrating fast convergence for hill widths as large as 60∘ for μTmetaD.
The electro-mechanical effect from charge dynamics on polymeric insulation lifetime
Authors: Alghamdi H. , Chen G. , Vaughan A. S.
Published: December 2015

For polymeric material used as electrical insulation, the presence of space charges could be the consequence of material degradations that are thermally activated but increased by the application of an electric field. The dynamics of space charge, therefore, can be potentially used to characterize the material. In this direction, a new aging model in which parameters have clear physical meanings has been developed and applied to the material to extrapolate the lifetime. The kinetic equation has been established based on charge trapping and detrapping of the injected charge from the electrodes. The local electromechanical energy stored in the region surrounding the trap is able to reduce the trap-depth with a value related to the electric field. At a level where the internal electric field exceeds the detrapping field in the material, an electron can be efficiently detrapped and the released energy from detrapping process can cause a weak bond or chain scission i.e. material degradation. The model has been applied to the electro-thermally aged low density polyethylene film samples, showing well fitted result, as well as interesting relationships between parameter estimates and insulation morphology.
Microwave sintering of Ag-nanoparticle thin films on a polyimide substrate
Authors: Fujii S. , Kawamura S. , Mochizuki D. , Maitani M. M. , Suzuki E. , Wada Y.
Published: December 2015

Ag-nanoparticle thin films on a polyimide substrate were subjected to microwave sintering by use of a single-mode waveguide applicator. A two-step sintering process was employed. First, at low conductivities of the film, the film sample was placed at the site of the maximum electric field and subjected to microwave irradiation. Second, when the conductivity of the film increased, the film sample was placed at the site of the maximum magnetic field and again subjected to microwave irradiation. The microwave sintering process was completed within 1.5 min, which is significantly lower than the time required for the oven heating process. The resulting conductivity of the film, albeit only 30% of that of the bulk material, was seven times that of a film annealed at the same temperature in a furnace. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the nanoparticles underwent both grain necking and grain growth during microwave sintering. In addition, this sintering process was equivalent to the oven heating process performed at a 50 °C higher annealing temperature. An electromagnetic wave simulation and a heat transfer simulation of the microwave sintering process were performed to gain a thorough understanding of the process.
Photon-assisted tunneling through a topological superconductor with Majorana bound states
Authors: Tang Han-Zhao , Zhang Ying-Tao , Liu Jian-Jun
Published: December 2015

Employing the Keldysh Nonequilibrium Green’s function method, we investigate time-dependent transport through a topological superconductor with Majorana bound states in the presence of a high frequency microwave field. It is found that Majorana bound states driven by photon-assisted tunneling can absorb(emit) photons and the resulting photon-assisted tunneling side band peaks can split the Majorana bound state that then appears at non-zero bias. This splitting breaks from the current opinion that Majorana bound states appear only at zero bias and thus provides a new experimental method for detecting Majorana bound states in the Non-zero-energy mode. We not only demonstrate that the photon-assisted tunneling side band peaks are due to Non-zero-energy Majorana bound states, but also that the height of the photon-assisted tunneling side band peaks is related to the intensity of the microwave field. It is further shown that the time-varying conductance induced by the Majorana bound states shows negative values for a certain period of time, which corresponds to a manifestation of the phase coherent time-varying behavior in mesoscopic systems.
The Use of the Toxic Plant Myoporum montanum in a Traditional Australian Aboriginal Medicine
Authors: Zaleta-Pinet Diana , McCluskey Adam , Hall Sharron , Brophy Joseph , Ashhurst-Smith Chris , Sakoff Jennette , van Altena Ian
Published: December 2015

Plants from the family Myoporaceae, which includes the genus Myoporum, are extremely prized by the Australian Aboriginal people for their medicinal properties. Leaves from a plant, which was subsequently identified as Myoporum montanum, were provided for chemical investigation by representatives of an Aboriginal community from the Northern Tablelands district of northern New South Wales, Australia. Acetone extraction of the leaves provided a complex mixture of compounds including sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and more polar furanosesquiterpenes, which were identified by gas–liquid chromatography and retention indices (sesquiterpene hydrocarbons) and spectrometric techniques (furanosesquiterpenes). The major compounds found in a water extract were studied for their antibacterial activity using a disc diffusion assay and for their cell growth inhibition activity. The acetone extract contained sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (~30 % of the total extract) in which the major compounds were germacrene-D and bicyclogermacrene. In addition, the extract contained five known toxic furanosesquiterpenes: myoporum ketol, (–)-10,11-dehydroisomyodesmone, (+)-10,11-dehydromyodesmone, 10,11-dehydromyoporum ketol, (–)-10,11-dehydromyoporone, and (±)-myoporone. An aqueous extract of the leaves, emulating the medicinal tea used by the Australian Aboriginal community, was found not to contain significant quantities of the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and the most toxic furanosesquiterpenes. (±)-Myoporone and (–)-10,11-dehydromyoporone remained in the extract as well as a new furanosesquiterpene, 11-hydroxymyoporone. These three compounds were found to have significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Moraxella catarrhalis but low cytotoxicity against a range of cancer cell lines and normal breast cells at 25 µM.
Refugia within refugia: in situ speciation and conservation of threatened Bertmainius (Araneae : Migidae), a new genus of relictual trapdoor spiders endemic to the mesic zone of south-western Australia
Authors: Harvey Mark S. , Main Barbara York , Rix Michael G. , Cooper Steven J. B.
Published: December 2015

The trapdoor spider family Migidae has a classical Gondwanan distribution and is found on all southern continents except the Indian region. The Australian fauna consists of three genera including Moggridgea O. P. Cambridge from south-western Australia and Kangaroo Island, South Australia; Moggridgea is otherwise widespread throughout Africa. The sole named species of Moggridgea from Western Australia, M. tingle Main, and its unnamed relatives are the subject of the present paper, which was stimulated by concern for the long-term persistence of populations, and the discovery of deep genetic divergences between populations. A phylogeny of the Western Australian species relative to African and South Australian Moggridgea was generated using molecular COI and ITS rDNA data, and based on both molecular and morphological criteria we conclude that the Western Australian taxa should be removed from Moggridgea and transferred to a new genus, Bertmainius. The seven species are delimited using both morphological and molecular criteria: B. tingle (Main) (the type species), and six new species, B. colonus, B. monachus, B. mysticus, B. opimus, B. pandus and B. tumidus. All seven species are considered to be threatened using IUCN criteria, with the major threatening processes being inappropriate fire regimes and climate change.
Capture success of Fijian bats (Pteropodidae) and their evaluation as umbrella species for conservation
Authors: Scanlon Annette Therese , Petit Sophie
Published: December 2015

Easily captured species provide powerful opportunities to motivate research and conservation action. Conversely, rare and cryptic species with low capture probability can be difficult to study. We examined the capture success of Fiji’s Pteropodidae (Pteropus tonganus, P. samoensis, Notopteris macdonaldi, and Mirimiri acrodonta) and incorporated capture success and associated observations into an assessment of their suitability as umbrella species for conservation. We caught 252 bats from 2493 mist-net-hours in lowland rainforest near Waisali on Vanua Levu, and 38 bats from 1915 mist-net-hours in cloud forest on Taveuni. Of these captures, 67% were N. macdonaldi, 16% P. tonganus, 18% P. samoensis, and <1% M. acrodonta. All species were difficult to net in cloud forest, where we recorded a female sex bias. Capture success was affected by site, season, and net height; peak capture times varied among species and between sites. N. macdonaldi was recaptured most frequently (8.8%), revealing habitual nightly movements. It has strong potential as an umbrella species for rainforest and cave-dwelling organisms of Fiji, and was readily netted. P. tonganus is an unsuitable umbrella species, P. samoensis has potential as an umbrella species, and M. acrodonta has many attributes of a flagship species. Capture efficiency of N. macdonaldi provides opportunities for monitoring and conservation management activities in Fiji. However, variability in capture success among species means that different approaches should be explored for conserving bats effectively with limited resources.
An expanded phylogeny of the Dennstaedtiaceae ferns: Oenotrichia falls within a non-monophyletic Dennstaedtia, and Saccoloma is polyphyletic
Authors: Perrie Leon R. , Shepherd Lara D. , Brownsey Patrick J.
Published: December 2015

Recent studies have transferred several species previously attributed to the fern genus Oenotrichia to other genera, and even out of the Dennstaedtiaceae to other families. However, the relationship of the type species, O. maxima from New Caledonia, has not previously been investigated using DNA sequences. With phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast DNA sequences, we verify the placement of Oenotrichia within the Dennstaedtiaceae. Moreover, O. maxima actually nests along with Leptolepia in a clade of Dennstaedtia. Dennstaedtia itself is non-monophyletic, with a second clade being more closely related to Microlepia. We outline what is required to resolve the generic taxonomy of this group. We also find that samples attributed to Saccoloma are polyphyletic, with some falling inside the Dennstaedtiaceae and others outside.
Evaluation of Community-Level Physiological Profiling for Monitoring Microbial Community Function in Aquaculture Ponds
Authors: Kurten Gerald L , Barkoh Aaron
Published: December 2015

Microbial communities in aquaculture ponds play pivotal roles in pond productivity and fish production success. Nonetheless, culturists do not consider this variable in pond management decision making likely because of a lack of practical assessment tools. Therefore, we evaluated the community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) technique for characterizing microbial community function for use in aquaculture. Unfiltered water samples collected from various plastic-lined ponds over time were incubated on Biolog EcoPlates. Responses (substrate optical densities) were measured at 24-h intervals for up to 12 d to determine the best incubation interval and the number of required replicates needed for determining microbial community function in aquaculture ponds. The repeatability and within-pond variability of the CLPP metrics were also evaluated. During cooler months and in ponds with no fish and low apparent microbial activity, a 96-h incubation period was required to differentiate microbial community functional characteristics. During warmer months and when ponds were stocked with fish and had significant phytoplankton blooms, incubation periods of 72 h were sufficient. For routine monitoring, a single sample of pond water on one Biolog EcoPlate was adequate for assessing microbial community function. Multiple water samples from a single pond revealed low heterogeneity in the microbial community function. When multiple Biolog EcoPlates were inoculated with a single sample of pond water the dissimilarity of substrate responses was low (2.9%), indicating high repeatability of the CLPP technique. The CLPP method appears to be robust and allows for the assessment of functional characteristics of the heterotrophic microbial community such as relative diversity, similarity, and community functional activity. Therefore, this technique may be used by fish culturists to assess hatchery pond microbial community function, which would lead to a better understanding of the importance of the microbial community to the overall aquaculture pond ecosystem function. Such a tool would allow improved and more comprehensive management of aquaculture pond ecosystems.
Effect of repeat‐sprint training in hypoxia on post‐exercise interleukin‐6 and F2‐isoprostanes
Authors: Goods Paul S. R. , Dawson Brian , Landers Grant J. , Gore Christopher J. , Croft Kevin , Peeling Peter
Published: December 2015

This investigation examined the oxidative stress (F2‐Isoprostane; F2‐IsoP) and inflammatory (interleukin‐6; IL‐6) responses to repeat‐sprint training in hypoxia (RSH). Ten trained male team sport athletes performed 3(sets)*9(repetitions)*5 s cycling sprints in simulated altitude (3000 m) and sea‐level conditions. Mean and peak sprint power output (MPO and PPO) were recorded, and blood samples were collected pre‐exercise, and again at 8 and 60 min post‐exercise. Both MPO and PPO were significantly reduced in hypoxia (compared to sea‐level) in the second (MPO: 855 ± 89 vs. 739 ± 95 W, p = .006; PPO: 1024 ± 114 vs. 895 ± 112 W, p = .010) and third (MPO: 819 ± 105 vs. 686 ± 83 W, p = .008; PPO: 985 ± 125 vs. 834 ± 99 W, p = .008) sets, respectively. IL‐6 was significantly increased from pre‐ to 1 h post‐exercise in both hypoxia (0.7 ± 0.2 vs. 2.4 ± 1.4 pg/mL, p = .004) and sea‐level conditions (0.7 ± 0.2 vs. 1.6 ± 0.3 pg/mL, p < .001), with a large effect (d = 0.80) suggesting higher IL‐6 levels of post‐hypoxia. F2‐IsoP was significantly lower 1 h post‐exercise in both the hypoxic (p = .005) and sea‐level (p = .002) conditions, with no differences between trials. While hypoxia can impact on exercise intensity and may result in greater post‐exercise inflammation, it appears to have little effect on oxidative stress. These results indicate that team sport organisations with ready access to hypoxic training facilities could confidently administer RSH without significantly increasing the post‐exercise inflammatory or oxidative stress response.
Limits under conjugacy of the diagonal subgroup in 𝑆𝐿_{𝑛}(ℝ)
Authors: Leitner Arielle
Published: December 2015

We give quadratic bounds on the dimension of the space of conjugacy classes of subgroups of

S

L
n

(

R

)

SL_n(\mathbb {R})

that are limits under conjugacy of the diagonal subgroup. We give the first explicit examples of abelian

n
−
1

n-1

-dimensional subgroups of

S

L
n

(

R

)

SL_n(\mathbb {R})

which are not such a limit, and show that all such abelian groups are limits of the diagonal group iff

n
≤
4

n \leq 4

.
Entire downward translating solitons to the mean curvature flow in Minkowski space
Authors: Spruck Joel , Xiao Ling
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we study entire translating solutions

u
(
x
)

u(x)

to a mean curvature flow equation in Minkowski space. We show that if

Σ
=
{
(
x
,
u
(
x
)
)

|

x
∈

R

n

}

\Sigma =\{(x, u(x)) | x\in \mathbb {R}^n\}

is a strictly spacelike hypersurface, then

Σ
\Sigma

reduces to a strictly convex rank

k
k

soliton in

R

k
,
1

\mathbb {R}^{k,1}

(after splitting off trivial factors) whose “blowdown” converges to a multiple

λ
∈
(
0
,
1
)

\lambda \in (0,1)

of a positively homogeneous degree one convex function in

R

k

\mathbb {R}^k

. We also show that there is nonuniqueness as the rotationally symmetric solution may be perturbed to a solution by an arbitrary smooth order one perturbation.
Modulus of revolution rings in the heisenberg group
Authors: Platis Ioannis
Published: December 2015

Let

S

\mathcal {S}

be a surface of revolution embedded in the Heisenberg group

H

\mathfrak {H}

. A revolution ring

R

a
,
b

(

S

)

R_{a,b}(\mathcal {S})

,

0
>
a
>
b

0>a>b

, is a domain in

H

\mathfrak {H}

bounded by two dilated images of

S

\mathcal {S}

, with dilation factors

a
a

and

b
b

, respectively. We prove that if

S

\mathcal {S}

is subject to certain geometric conditions, then the modulus of the family

Γ
\Gamma

of horizontal boundary connecting curves inside

R

a
,
b

(

S

)

R_{a,b}(\mathcal {S})

is
\[

Mod

(
Γ
)
=

π
2

(
log
⁡
(
b

/

a
)

)

−
3

.

\textrm {Mod}(\Gamma )=\pi ^2(\log (b/a))^{-3}.

\]
Our result applies for many interesting surfaces, e.g., the Korányi metric sphere, the Carnot-Carathéodory metric sphere and the bubble set.
A non-invasive online photoionization spectrometer for FLASH2
Authors: Braune Markus , Brenner Günter , Dziarzhytski Siarhei , Juranić Pavle , Sorokin Andrey , Tiedtke Kai
Published: December 2015

The stochastic nature of the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) process of free-electron lasers (FELs) effects pulse-to-pulse fluctuations of the radiation properties, such as the photon energy, which are determinative for processes of photon–matter interactions. Hence, SASE FEL sources pose a great challenge for scientific investigations, since experimenters need to obtain precise real-time feedback of these properties for each individual photon bunch for interpretation of the experimental data. Furthermore, any device developed to deliver the according information should not significantly interfere with or degrade the FEL beam. Regarding the spectral properties, a device for online monitoring of FEL wavelengths has been developed for FLASH2, which is based on photoionization of gaseous targets and the measurements of the corresponding electron and ion time-of-flight spectra. This paper presents experimental studies and cross-calibration measurements demonstrating the viability of this online photoionization spectrometer.
V2O2F4(H2O)2·H2O: a new V4+layer structure related to VOF3
Authors: Black Cameron , Lightfoot Philip
Published: December 2015

VIVoxyfluorides are of interest as frustrated magnets. The successful synthesis of two-dimensionally connected vanadium(IV) oxyfluoride structures generally requires the use of ionic liquids as solvents. During solvothermal synthesis experiments aimed at producing two- and three-dimensional vanadium(IV) selenites with triangular lattices, the title compound, diaquatetra-μ-fluorido-dioxidodivanadium(IV) monohydrate, V2O2F4(H2O)2·H2O, was discovered and features a new infinite V4+-containing two-dimensional layer comprised of fluorine-bridged corner- and edge-sharing VOF4(H2O) octahedral building units. The synthesis was carried out under solvothermal conditions. The V4+centre exhibits a typical off-centring, with a short V=O bond and an elongatedtrans-V—F bond. Hydrogen-bonded water molecules occur between the layers. The structure is related to previously reported vanadium oxyfluoride structures, in particular, the same layer topology is seen in VOF3.
The disastrous consequences of the Ikea Effect: Apple, Intel and Wang Labs learning the cost of true love
Authors: Thomas Mark , Alluru Jayanth-Reddy
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

– This briefing is prepared by independent writers who add their own impartial comments and place the articles in context.

Findings

– Falling in love with one’s own product is not rational behavior and could be misleading, as it blinds people to strategic foresight. Products should be designed with a strategic focus that is both innovation- and customer-centric.

Practical implications

– The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

– The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
Epilogue—from ‘Gray Space' to Equal ‘Metrozenship'? Reflections On Urban Citizenship
Authors: Yiftachel Oren
Published: December 2015

This epilogue provides an overview and critique of the articles in this symposium, and an invitation to rethink, conceptually and empirically, our urban future. Using examples from cities in Israel/Palestine, it links the articles to the main currents in the literature on urban citizenship and ‘right to the city'. It draws attention to several voids in current debates, particularly around the rapid growth of urban informality and the changing nature of globalizing urban regimes. The epilogue introduces the notions of ‘gray spacing' to account for recent transformations in these regimes and the rise of ‘defensive urban citizenship' under conditions of neoliberal economy and persisting nationalism. It argues for the rethinking of the struggle for urban democracy in terms of ‘metrozenship' as a foundation for renewed critical research and political transformation.
Preference Heterogeneity in Contingent Behaviour Travel Cost Models with On‐site Samples: A Random Parameter vs. a Latent Class Approach
Authors: Hynes Stephen , Greene William
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we examine heterogeneity in the trip preferences of recreationists. We apply a random parameters negative binomial model and a latent class negative binomial model to a panel dataset of beach users at a site on the west coast of Ireland, where access across farmland has been restricted. This approach allows us to account for heterogeneity with respect to the impact of the chosen explanatory variables in a contingent behaviour travel cost model of demand where the researcher must also account for the fact that the sample data has been collected on‐site. The analysis also develops individual consumer surplus estimates and finds that estimates are systematically affected by both the random parameter and latent class specifications. There is also evidence that accounting for individual heterogeneity improves the statistical fit of the models and provides a more informative description of the drivers of recreationalist trip behaviour.
Age Estimation in Living Adults using 3D Volume Rendered CT Images of the Sternal Plastron and Lower Chest
Authors: Oldrini Guillaume , Harter Valentin , Witte Yannick , Martrille Laurent , Blum Alain
Published: December 2015

Age estimation is commonly of interest in a judicial context. In adults, it is less documented than in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate age estimation in adults usingCTimages of the sternal plastron with volume rendering technique (VRT). The evaluation criteria are derived from known methods used for age estimation and are applicable in living or dead subjects. TheVRTimages of 456 patients were analyzed. Two radiologists performed age estimation independently from an anterior view of the plastron. Interobserver agreement and correlation coefficients between each reader's classification and real age were calculated. The interobserver agreement was 0.86, and the correlation coefficients between readers classifications and real age classes were 0.60 and 0.65. Spearman correlation coefficients were, respectively, 0.89, 0.67, and 0.71. Analysis of the plastron usingVRTallows age estimationin vivoquickly and with results similar than methods such as Iscan, Suchey–Brooks, and radiographs used to estimate the age of death.
Decisional Capacity to Consent to Clinical Research Involving Placebo in Psychiatric Patients
Authors: Parmigiani Giovanna , Mandarelli Gabriele , Dacquino Claudia , Pompili Pieritalo , Lelli Chiesa Giovanni , Ferracuti Stefano
Published: December 2015

Evidence from a few studies indicates the existence of several issues related to psychiatric patients' decisional capacity to give informed consent to clinical research. Clinicians often face difficulties in acquiring valid informed consent in clinical practice and even more so in drug trials. Participants often fail to fully understand or retain information regarding the actual implications of research protocols. The Brief Assessment for Consent to Clinical Research (BACO) was developed to investigate capacity to consent to clinical trials and further compare patients with schizophrenia and healthy comparisons' decisional capacity. A method to avoid possible confounding effects of choosing a treatment regarding a current disease was applied. The study groups were administered the BACO and the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Clinical Research. Psychiatric patients performed poorer in comprehending, appreciating, and reasoning abilities, than their healthy counterparts. Impaired cognitive functioning and psychiatric symptoms severity were associated with reduced capacity to consent.
Enchanted and Disenchanted International Law
Authors: Hurd Ian
Published: December 2015

Scholars and activists commonly see international law in a privileged normative and political position in world politics, where international legal institutions are assumed to advance important goals such as international stability, human justice and even global order as a whole. I explore this attitude toward international law, which I call an ‘enchanted’ view, and contrast it to the ‘disenchanted’ alternative. Where the enchanted attitude presumes the normative valence and political wisdom of following international law, the disenchanted approach treats these as open questions for inquiry and discussion. The disenchanted approach is more empirically minded, and more politically open, than the enchanted, and leads to a distinct research program on legalization in international affairs – one that is attentive to the politics of law, the connections between law and power, the ambiguity that exists between legality and policy wisdom.
Genetic Versus Pharmacological Assessment of the Role of Cannabinoid Type 2 Receptors in Alcohol Reward‐Related Behaviors
Authors: Powers Matthew S. , Breit Kristen R. , Chester Julia A.
Published: December 2015

Background

Emerging evidence suggests that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in modulating the rewarding effects of abused drugs. Recently, the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R) was shown to be expressed in brain reward circuitry and is implicated in modulating the rewarding effects of alcohol.

Methods

CB2 ligands and CB2R knockout (KO) mice were used to assess CB2R involvement in alcohol reward‐related behavior in 2 well‐established behavioral models: limited‐access 2‐bottle choice drinking and conditioned place preference (CPP). For the pharmacological studies, mice received pretreatments of either vehicle, the CB2R agonist JWH‐133 (10 and 20 mg/kg) or the CB2R antagonist AM630 (10 and 20 mg/kg) 30 minutes before behavioral testing. For the genetic studies, CB2R KO mice were compared to wild‐type (WT) littermate controls.

Results

CB2R KO mice displayed increased magnitude of alcohol‐induced CPP compared to WT mice. Neither agonism nor antagonism of CB2R affected alcohol intake or the expression of CPP, and antagonism of CB2R during CPP acquisition trials also did not affect CPP.

Conclusions

The CB2R KO CPP data provide partial support for the hypothesis that CB2Rs are involved in the modulation of alcohol reward‐related behaviors. However, pharmacological manipulation of CB2Rs did not alter alcohol's rewarding effects in the alcohol‐seeking models used here. These results highlight the importance of pharmacological validation of effects seen with lifetime KO models. Given the ongoing efforts toward medications development, future studies should continue to explore the role of the CB2R as a potential neurobiological target for the treatment of alcohol use disorders.
Individual Differences in Approach and Avoidance Inclinations Moderate the Effect of Self‐Control Depletion on Ad‐Lib Drinking
Authors: Schlauch Robert C. , Christensen Rita L. , Derrick Jaye L. , Crane Cory A. , Collins R. Lorraine
Published: December 2015

Background

This study sought to examine how exerting self‐control to inhibit stereotype use affects alcohol consumption. In addition, we sought to expand previous findings via examination of how individual differences in motivations to approach or avoid alcohol consumption interact with self‐control depletion to determine the regulation of ad‐lib drinking behavior.

Methods

Sixty‐one social drinkers (31 female) were recruited to participate in a socially relevant self‐control depletion task in which they were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 creative writing conditions: (i) the self‐control depletion condition with explicit instructions to refrain from using stereotypes, or (ii) the nondepletion condition in which no instructions were given regarding the use of stereotypes. Participants then completed an ad‐lib drinking task and self‐report questionnaires pertaining to their motivation to consume alcohol.

Results

As predicted, results indicated a significant 3‐way interaction between depletion condition, approach inclinations, and avoidance inclinations. Specifically, self‐control depletion predicted greater drinking disinhibition (i.e., mean sip size, total alcohol consumption) only among participants high in both approach and avoidance.

Conclusions

Taken together, results from this study highlight the importance of both approach and avoidance inclinations in the failure to regulate alcohol consumption following a routine, socially relevant form of self‐control depletion. Our results also suggest that the high approach/high avoidance motivational profile may predict the greatest risk among those actively trying to regulate their drinking.
Natesto™, a novel testosterone nasal gel, normalizes androgen levels in hypogonadal men
Authors: Rogol A. D. , Tkachenko N. , Bryson N.
Published: December 2015

Advantages of testosterone nasal gel include ease of administration, low dose, and no risk of secondary transference. The efficacy and safety of testosterone nasal gel was evaluated in hypogonadal males. The ninety‐day, randomized, open‐label, dose‐ranging study, included potential dose titration and sequential safety extensions to 1 year. At 39 US outpatient sites, 306 men (mean age 54.4 years) with two fasting morning total serum testosterone levels <300 ng/dL were randomized (n = 228, b.i.d. dosing; n = 78, t.i.d. dosing). Natesto™ Testosterone Nasal Gel was self‐administered, using a multiple‐dose dispenser, as two or three daily doses (5.5 mg per nostril, 11.0 mg single dose). Total daily doses were 22 mg or 33 mg. The primary endpoint was the Percentage of patients with Day‐90 serum total testosterone average concentration (Cavg) value within the eugonadal range (≥300 ng/dL, ≤1050 ng/dL). At Day 90, 200/273 subjects (73%; 95% CI 68, 79) in the intent‐to‐treat (ITT) population and 180/237 subjects (76%; 71, 81) in the per‐protocol (PP) population were in the normal range. Also, in the normal range were 68% (61, 74) of ITT subjects and 70% (63, 77) of PP subjects in the titration arm, as well as, 90% (83, 97) of ITT subjects and 91% (84, 98) of PP subjects in the fixed‐dose arm. Natesto™ 11 mg b.i.d. or 11 mg t.i.d. restores normal serum total testosterone levels in most hypogonadal men. Erectile function, mood, body composition, and bone mineral density improved from baseline. Treatment was well tolerated; adverse event rates were low. Adverse event discontinuation rates were 2.1% (b.i.d.) and 3.7% (t.i.d.). This study lacked a placebo or an active comparator control which limited the ability to adequately assess some measures.
Organisational Health Behavior Climate: Organisations Can Encourage Healthy Eating and Physical Exercise
Authors: Sonnentag Sabine , Pundt Alexander
Published: December 2015

This paper presents a multi‐dimensional measure of organisational climate covering two domains of health behavior (healthy eating, physical exercise). To develop and validate the climate measure, we conducted three independent studies. In Study 1, items were generated and evaluated in expert ratings and confirmatory factor analyses (N = 483 employees), resulting in a total of 24 items comprising three dimensions (values and expectations, organisational practices, communication) within the domains of healthy eating and physical exercise. Study 2 cross‐validated the factor structure of this measure of organisational health behavior climate (OHBC), and examined its nomological net. Based on data from 464 employees, we found significant correlations among OHBC and other dimensions of organisational climate (e.g. employee welfare, safety climate), healthy eating and exercise identity, eating behavior, and body mass index (BMI). Study 3 demonstrated within‐organisation agreement and between‐organisation differences in OHBC, and replicated the factor structure with a multi‐level data set (N = 1,077 employees from 48 organisations). This new measure assesses organisational eating climate and exercise climate in a comprehensive way, opening up multiple avenues for future research and evaluation studies in organisations.
Reduction of hyperbilirubinemia with hypericum extract (St. John's Wort) in a patient with Crigler‐Najjar syndrome type II
Authors: Kummer Oliver , Hammann Felix , Haschke Manuel , Krähenbühl Stephan
Published: December 2015

Aims

Crigler‐Najjar syndrome (CN) type II is a congenital disease with unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia due to a deficiency of uridine 5′‐diphospho‐glucuronosyltransferase 1A1. Since the currently proposed treatment with phenobarbital is associated with adverse reactions, we investigated the effect of hypericum extract.

Methods

Repetitive determination of total serum bilirubin in a female with CN type II before, during and after daily treatment with 900 mg hypericum extract on two occasions for 8 weeks. Confirmation of the enzyme‐inducing effect of hypericum using the cytochrome P450 3A4 probe drug i.v. midazolam.

Results

Hypericum reduced midazolam exposure by 42% and the total serum bilirubin concentration by 30 to 35%.

Conclusions

Hypericum extract is a potential alternative to phenobarbital in patients with CN type II.
Oh dear, what can the matter be? A commentary on Pratto's ‘On power and empowerment’
Authors: Reicher Stephen
Published: December 2015

In this response, I welcome Pratto's wide ranging and innovative contribution on the social psychology of power. It fulfils an important role in opening up debate around an issue of key importance for our discipline. At the same time (and to further that debate), I take issue with both of her core arguments: First, that power should not be seen as relational but rather about one's ability to reach one's desired ends and, second, that these ends are ultimately about survival. More fundamentally, though, I argue that Pratto's analysis is limited by the fact that she takes the subject of power for granted. This ignores a wealth of research which shows, on the one hand, how power constitutes the nature of subjects and, on the other, how subjects (especially collective subjects – groups) constitute power. It is through exploring these dynamics that we can understand power and its relevance to social life.
Collateral damage: The short and turbulent life of Quebec's agency for public‐private partnerships
Authors: Facal Joseph , Demers Guillaume
Published: December 2015

This article seeks to explain the surprisingly short lifespan of the Quebec government's central unit for promoting public‐private partnerships (PPPs), theAgence des partenariats public‐privé du Québec(APPP). I used a theoretical framework based on neo‐institutional analysis informed by empirical research including interviews with key actors, a review of all briefs submitted to the Quebec legislature and pertinent parliamentary debates, and a partial review of the media coverage. The government severely underestimated the strength of the opposition to its plan. Electoral cycles and elements of the dominant political culture in Quebec also help to explain its demise. However, the prospects for PPPs may not be as negative as the rise and fall of the APPP might suggest.
Identifying New Drug Targets for Potent Phospholipase D Inhibitors: Combining Sequence Alignment, Molecular Docking, and Enzyme Activity/Binding Assays
Authors: Djakpa Helene , Kulkarni Aditya , Barrows‐Murphy Scheneque , Miller Greg , Zhou Weihong , Cho Hyejin , Török Béla , Stieglitz Kimberly
Published: December 2015

Phospholipase D enzymes cleave phospholipid substrates generating choline and phosphatidic acid. Phospholipase D from Streptomyces chromofuscus is a non‐HKD (histidine, lysine, and aspartic acid) phospholipase D as the enzyme is more similar to members of the diverse family of metallo‐phosphodiesterase/phosphatase enzymes than phospholipase D enzymes with active site HKD repeats. A highly efficient library of phospholipase D inhibitors based on 1,3‐disubstituted‐4‐amino‐pyrazolopyrimidine core structure was utilized to evaluate the inhibition of purified S. chromofuscus phospholipase D. The molecules exhibited inhibition of phospholipase D activity (IC50) in the nanomolar range with monomeric substrate diC4PC and micromolar range with phospholipid micelles and vesicles. Binding studies with vesicle substrate and phospholipase D strongly indicate that these inhibitors directly block enzyme vesicle binding. Following these compelling results as a starting point, sequence searches and alignments with S. chromofuscus phospholipase D have identified potential new drug targets. Using AutoDock, inhibitors were docked into the enzymes selected from sequence searches and alignments (when 3D co‐ordinates were available) and results analyzed to develop next‐generation inhibitors for new targets. In vitro enzyme activity assays with several human phosphatases demonstrated that the predictive protocol was accurate. The strategy of combining sequence comparison, docking, and high‐throughput screening assays has helped to identify new drug targets and provided some insight into how to make potential inhibitors more specific to desired targets.
Influence of biphasic calcium phosphate surfaces coated with Enamel Matrix Derivative on vertical bone growth in an extra‐oral rabbit model
Authors: Wen Bo , Li Zhen , Nie Rongrong , Liu Chao , Zhang Peng , Miron Richard J. , Dard Michel M.
Published: December 2015

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of Enamel Matrix Derivative (EMD) on vertical bone regeneration around dental implants placed in an extra‐oral rabbit model.

Material and methods

A total of 30 StraumannBLimplants were partially embedded in transverse orientation into the posterior mandibles of 15 rabbits. Macro‐structuring BiPhasicCaPST(BCPT1), micro‐structuring BiPhasicCaPST(BCPT2), and deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) were placed around the implant and covered with a scaffold stabilizing “umbrella.”EMDwas incorporated within the scaffold for test sites, but not control sites. Histological analysis was performed on retrieved specimens after 10 weeks of healing to assess new bone formation.

Results

All treatment groups displayed new supracrestal bone formation as determined by histomorphometric measurements, with mean values of new bone height ranging between 0.62 and 1.13 mm. Histological analysis revealed a higher mean bone formation (%) around the test sites whereEMD(34.7, 95%CI: 27.1–39.4) was released from the scaffold, whereas the control group withoutEMDrelease (26.4, 95%CI: 16.3–31.9) (P = 0.069). The meanfBIC(%) in theBCPT2 group increased by the addition ofEMDrelative to noEMD(67.2, 95%CI: 48.6–84.1) and (54.7, 95%CI: 32.3–68.9), respectively). TheBCPT2/EMDandDBBM/EMDinterventions showed the greatest mean bone density (BA/TA), respectively, (12.8, 95%CI: 8.9–36.5) and (11.2, 6.3–16.4) inROI1. Values inROI2 were, similarly, (24.9, 95%CI: 17.2–31.7) and (27.7, 19.2–35.3).BA/TAinROI2 differences between theBCPT2 groups with and withoutEMDwas statistically significant (P = 0.026), as well as theDBBMgroups with and withoutEMD(P = 0.038).

Conclusions

A layer of new bone was formed in both test and controls. The release ofEMDfromBCPT2 andDBBMadjacent to a bone‐level implant with anSLActive surface and scaffold retention umbrella consistently regenerated the greaterfBICand bone density along the length of the implant.
Unimpaired attentional disengagement in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Fischer Jason , Smith Hayley , Martinez‐Pedraza Frances , Carter Alice S. , Kanwisher Nancy , Kaldy Zsuzsa
Published: December 2015

A prominent hypothesis holds that ‘sticky’ attention early in life in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) limits their ability to explore and learn about the world. Under this hypothesis, the core clinical symptoms of ASD – restricted interests, repetitive behaviors and impaired social/communication abilities – could all result from impaired attentional disengagement during development. However, the existence of disengagement deficits in children with ASD is controversial, and a recent study found no deficit in 5‐ to 12‐year‐olds with ASD. Nonetheless, the possibility remains that disengagement is impaired earlier in development in children with ASD, altering their developmental trajectory even if the attentional deficit itself is remediated or compensated for by the time children with ASD reach school age. Here, we tested this possibility by characterizing attentional disengagement in a group of toddlers just diagnosed with ASD (age 21 to 37 months). We found strikingly similar performance between the ASD and age‐matched typically developing (TD) toddlers, and no evidence of impaired attentional disengagement. These results show that even at a young age when the clinical symptoms of ASD are first emerging, disengagement abilities are intact. Sticky attention is not a fundamental characteristic of ASD, and probably does not play a causal role in its etiology.
Speeding up the clock: The past, present and future of progeria
Authors: Swahari Vijay , Nakamura Ayumi
Published: December 2015

Progeria is a devastating disorder in which patients exhibit signs of premature aging. The most well‐known progeroid syndromes include Hutchinson‐Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) and Werner Syndrome (WS). While HGPS and WS are rare, they often result in severe age‐associated complications starting in the early developmental period or after the pubertal growth spurt during adolescence, respectively. In addition, patients with HGPS ultimately die of diseases normally seen in the elderly population, with stroke and myocardial infarction as the leading causes of death. Many WS patients develop similar cardiovascular complications but also have an increased predisposition to developing multiple rare malignancies. These premature aging disorders, as well as animal and cell culture models that recapitulate these diseases, have provided insight into the genetics and cellular pathways that underlie these human conditions and have also uncovered possible mechanisms behind normal aging. Here we discuss the history, the types of progeria, and the various pathophysiological mechanisms that drive these diseases. We also address recent medical advances and treatment modalities for patients with progeria.