bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glacial and Holocene terrestrial temperature variability in subtropical east Australia as inferred from branched GDGT distributions in a sediment core from Lake McKenzie
Authors: Woltering Martijn , Atahan Pia , Grice Kliti , Heijnis Henk , Taffs Kathryn , Dodson John
Published: March 2014

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) distributions observed in a sediment core from Lake McKenzie were utilized to quantitatively reconstruct the pattern of mean annual air temperature (MAAT) from coastal subtropical eastern Australia between 37 and 18.3 cal ka BP and 14.0 cal ka BP to present. Both the reconstructed trend and amplitude of MAAT changes from the top of the sediment core were nearly identical to a local instrumental MAAT record from Fraser Island, providing confidence that in this sediment core branched GDGTs could be used to produce a quantitative record of past MAAT. The reconstructed trend of MAAT during 37 to 18.3 cal ka BP and timing of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the Lake McKenzie record were in agreement with previously published nearby marine climate records. The amplitude of lower-than-present MAAT during the LGM potentially provides information on the latitude of separation of the Tasman Front from the East Australian current in the subtropical western Pacific. The Lake McKenzie record shows an earlier onset of near modern day warm temperatures in the early Holocene compared to marine records and the presence of a warmer than present day period during the mid-Holocene.
URBAN FOOTBALL PERFORMANCES: PLAYING FOR THE NEIGHBOURHOOD IN SENEGAL, 1950s–2000s
Authors: Baller Susann
Published: March 2014

In Senegal, neighbourhood football teams are more popular than teams in the national football league. The so-callednavétanesteams were first created in the 1950s. Since the early 1970s, they have competed in local, regional and national neighbourhood championships. This article considers the history of these clubs and their championships by focusing on the city of Dakar and its fast-growing suburbs, Pikine and Guédiawaye. Research on thenavétanesallows an exploration of the social and cultural history of the neighbourhoods from the actor-centred perspective of urban youth. The history of thenavétanesreflects the complex interrelations between young people, the city and the state. The performative act of football – on and beyond the pitch, by players, fans and organizers – constitutes the neighbourhood as a social space in a context where the state fails to provide sufficient infrastructure and is often contested. Thenavétanesclubs and championships demonstrate how young people have experienced and imagined their neighbourhoods in different local-level ways, while at the same time interconnecting them with other social spaces, such as the ‘city’, the ‘nation’ and ‘the world’.
Associations of eating frequency with adiposity measures, blood lipid profiles and blood pressure in British children and adolescents
Authors: Murakami Kentaro , Livingstone M. Barbara E.
Published: March 2014

Several epidemiological studies in adults have suggested a favourable effect of frequent eating on blood lipid profiles, but evidence in younger populations is lacking. In the present cross-sectional study, we examined the associations of eating frequency (EF) with metabolic risk factors in British children aged 4–10 years (n818) and adolescents aged 11–18 years (n818). Dietary intake was assessed using a 7 d weighed dietary record. EF was calculated based on all eating occasions, except for those providing < 210 kJ of energy. Metabolic risk factors examined were total, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations, TAG concentration, BMIz-score, waist:height ratio (WHtR; only adolescents), and systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Adjustment was made for age, sex, social class, physical activity levels, intakes of protein, fat, total sugar and dietary fibre, ratio of reported energy intake to estimated energy requirement (EI:EER) and BMIz-score (except for BMIz-score and WHtR). In children, EF was inversely associated with total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations (n324,P= 0·01 and 0·04, respectively). Conversely, EF was positively associated with BMIz-score in adolescents (P= 0·004). There were no associations between EF and other metabolic risk factors. In analyses in which only plausible energy reporters (EI:EER: 0·72–1·28) were included, similar results were obtained, except for an inverse association between EF and diastolic blood pressure in children. In conclusion, a higher EF is associated with lower total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations in children but with a higher BMIz-score in adolescents.
The effect of urinary nitrogen loading rate and a nitrification inhibitor on nitrous oxide emissions from a temperate grassland soil
Authors: SELBIE D. R. , CAMERON K. C. , DI H. J. , MOIR J. L. , LANIGAN G. J. , RICHARDS K. G.
Published: March 2014

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions associated with urine nitrogen (N) deposition during grazing are a major component of greenhouse gas emissions from domestic livestock. The present study investigated the relationship between urine N loading rate and the efficacy of a nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide (DCD), on cumulative N2O emissions from a grassland soil in Ireland over 80 and 360-day periods in 2009/10 and 2010/11. A diminishing curvilinear relationship between urine N rate and cumulative N2O emissions was observed in both years. Despite this increase in cumulative N2O emissions, the emission factor (EF3) for N2O decreased with increasing urine N rate from, on average, 0·24 to 0·10% (urine applied at 300 and 1000 kg N/ha, respectively), during an 80-day measurement period. This was probably the result of a factor other than N, such as carbon (C), limiting the production of N2O. The efficacy of DCD varied with urine N loading rate, and inter-annual variability in efficacy was also observed. Dicyandiamide was effective at reducing N2O production for 50–80 days after urine application, which accounted for the major period of elevated daily flux. However, DCD was ineffective at reducing N2O production after this period, which was likely a result of its removal from the soil via degradation and leaching.
Green Window Approach for improving nitrogen management by farmers in small-scale wheat fields
Authors: YUE X. L. , HU Y. , ZHANG H. Z. , SCHMIDHALTER U.
Published: March 2014

Improvement of nitrogen (N) use efficiency is urgently needed since excessive application of N fertilizer has been widespread in small-scale fields in China, causing great losses of N fertilizer and environmental pollution. In the present study, a simple technology, termed the Green Window Approach (GWA), to optimize N strategies for cereal crops is presented. The GWA represents an on-field demonstration site visualizing the effects of incremental N levels and enables farmers to conduct such a trial within their own fields. The lowest N rate that achieves no visible change in plant growth or biomass shows the optimal N requirement of crops. Therefore the objective was to develop the key procedures of GWA and to evaluate the effects of its application in cereal crops on grain yield, N use efficiency and economic benefit. A total of seven GWA trials were performed from 2009 to 2011 on farmers’ irrigated wheat fields in the North China Plain. The GWA consisted of eight small plots placed in a compact layout on a well-accessible part of the field. Plot size varied from 2·5×2·5 to 4×4 m2, depending on the size and shape of each field. All GWA plots received basal nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) rates of 30 kg N/ha (except for the nil-N plot), 80 kg P2O5/ha and 100 kg K2O/ha. Nitrogen supplies, including residual soil nitrate in 0–90 cm determined at Zadoks growth stages (GS) 21–23 in early spring and the split-topdressing N at GS 21–23 and GS 41–52, were incrementally increased from 0 to 420 kg N/ha. The remaining part of the field still received farmers’ customary fertilization (FCF). Optimal N rate could be estimated as the lowest N rate that achieved no visible change in plant growth at GS 60–73. Compared with FCF area, grain yield was increased by 13% to a maximum or near maximum value of 5·8 t/ha, optimal N rate was sharply decreased by 69% to 116 kg N/ha, apparent N recovery was greatly increased from 11 to 46%, whereas the cost of fertilizer input was decreased by 57% to 1045 Chinese Renminbi (RMB)/ha (162 US$/ha), the profit of grain yield was increased by 13% to 12 211 RMB/ha (1891 US$/ha) and the net economic benefits were increased by 60% to 7473 RMB/ha (1157 US$/ha). Most importantly, the GWA does not need laboratory facilities, complicated procedures or professional knowledge of N balances, and farmers can easily understand and use GWA by themselves.
Bukharan Tajik
Authors: Ido Shinji
Published: March 2014

Standard Tajik, or Modern Literary Tajik as it was called during the Soviet era, was established in the nineteen twenties and thirties based largely on the dialects of the Bukhara-Samarkand area, which was at the time the undisputed cultural centre of the Tajik-speaking population. Dushanbe, the current capital of Tajikistan, was then a small village with a population of only a few hundred and had no cultural heritage comparable to that of Bukhara or Samarkand. Bukharan Tajik, whose phonology is described in this paper, is a variety of Tajik that played a particularly influential role in the phonological standardization of Tajik, which took place for the most part in 1930. For instance, the Scientific Conference of Uzbekistan Tajiks of 1930 resolved that the dialect of Bukhara must be the designated basis of the sound and orthography of literary Tajik (вaroji tajjorī вa kanfiransijaji ilmiji istalinoвod 1930: 2). In August the same year, the Linguistic Conference held in the then newly established Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic also adopted a similar resolution that establishes the ‘language of the Tajiks of Samarkand and Bukhara’ as the reference point in establishing the literary (i.e. standard) pronunciation (Halimov 1974: 126). According to Bergne (2007: 82), ‘the same Linguistic Conference of 22 August 1930 in Stalinabad decided that the phonetic base for the language had better be the dialect of Bukhara’. Thus, the Bukharan Tajik of today is the direct descendant of the variety of Tajik which served as a primary basis of standard Tajik phonological norms; and hence differs little from standard Tajik phonologically and phonetically.
The role of pitch range in establishing intonational contrasts
Authors: Borràs-Comes Joan , Vanrell Maria del Mar , Prieto Pilar
Published: March 2014

One of the unresolved issues in the field of intonational phonology is whether pitch accent range differences are used by languages to express discrete linguistic distinctions. In Catalan, as in some other Romance languages, a rising-falling nuclear pitch contour – i.e. a rising pitch accent associated with the utterance-final stressed syllable followed by a Low boundary tone – can be used to convey three different pragmatic meanings depending on its pitch range properties: information focus statements (IFSs), corrective focus statements (CFSs), and counter-expectational questions (CEQs). In order to investigate how these pragmatic meanings are distributed across the pitch range continuum and whether Catalan listeners use these tonal scaling distinctions to identify such meanings, we performed an identification task and a congruity test. The results show that CEQs differ from both IFSs and CFSs in a discrete way, yet the perceived difference between IFSs and CFSs cannot be exclusively explained by scaling differences. These findings provide further evidence that pitch range differences can be used to make intonational distinctions in some languages, and strengthen the argument that pitch range features need to be represented descriptively at the phonological level.
Speaker sex effects on temporal and spectro-temporal measures of speech
Authors: Herrmann Frank , Cunningham Stuart P. , Whiteside Sandra P.
Published: March 2014

This study investigated speaker sex differences in the temporal and spectro-temporal parameters of English monosyllabic words spoken by thirteen women and eleven men. Vowel and utterance duration were investigated. A number of formant frequency parameters were also analysed to assess the spectro-temporal dynamic structures of the monosyllabic words as a function of speaker sex. Absolute frequency changes were measured for the first (F1), second (F2), and third (F3) formant frequencies (ΔF1, ΔF2, and ΔF3, respectively). Rates of these absolute formant frequency changes were also measured and calculated to yield measurements for rF1, rF2, and rF3. Normalised frequency changes (normΔF1, normΔF2, and normΔF3), and normalised rates of change (normrF1, normrF2, and normrF3) were also calculated. F2 locus equations were then derived from the F2 measurements taken at the onset and temporal mid points of the vowels. Results indicated that there were significant sex differences in the spectro-temporal parameters associated with F2: ΔF2, normΔF2, rF2, and F2 locus equation slopes; women displayed significantly higher values for ΔF2, normΔF2 and rF2, and significantly shallower F2 locus equation slopes. Collectively, these results suggested lower levels of coarticulation in the speech samples of the women speakers, and corroborate evidence reported in earlier studies.
Dictionary use by English language learners
Authors: Nesi Hilary
Published: March 2014

Research into dictionary use does not have a long history. Although publishers recognised in the 1960s that ‘dictionaries should be designed with a special set of users in mind’ (Householder 1967: 279) there were extremely few empirical user studies before the 1980s – Welker's most recent survey (2010) lists only six. The subsequent surge of interest in this field was fuelled by big changes to dictionary content and design in the 1980s and 1990s, changes that were particularly evident in dictionaries for learners of English as a foreign language, conventionally known as ‘learners’ dictionaries’. In the space of a few years the Oxford advanced learner's dictionary, generally considered to be the earliest advanced learners’ dictionary (first published under a different title in 1942, with subsequent editions in 1948, 1963, 1974 and 1989) was joined by two new competitors: the Longman dictionary of contemporary English (first edition 1978, second edition 1987) and the COBUILD English dictionary (1987). In 1995 all three of these advanced learners’ dictionaries brought out new editions, and a fourth, the Cambridge international dictionary of English, was launched. These dictionaries, sometimes referred to as ‘the big four’ (Bogaards 1996, De Schryver 2012 and others), drew on Eastern European traditions of lexical description, the illustrative practices of American children's dictionaries, and insights from English language teaching pedagogies. Each had its own distinctive layout and defining style, prompting a spate of comparative studies intended to help users make appropriate purchasing choices, and to help publishers improve their design still further, for example by changes to the entry microstructure. A fifth such dictionary, the Macmillan English dictionary for advanced learners, appeared in 2002.
Analytical mechanics approaches in the dynamic modelling of Delta mechanism
Authors: Orsino Renato Maia Matarazzo , Coelho Tarcisio Antonio Hess , Pesce Celso Pupo
Published: March 2014

The increasing importance of computational models for the design of complex mechanical systems raises a discussion on defining some criteria for the selection of adequate modelling methods. This paper aims to contribute to such discussion from an educational point of view. By choosing the Delta parallel mechanism as a typical representative of multi-body mechanical systems, four approaches – one based on the Principle of Virtual Work, two based on Lagrange's formalism, and one based on Kane's formalism – are analysed from the perspective of modelling procedures. Finally, inverse dynamic simulations are carried out along with qualitative comparisons of the considered approaches.
Time constraint route search over multi-locations
Authors: Zhao Geng , Xuan Kefeng , Taniar David , Safar Maytham , Srinivasan Bala
Published: March 2014

Traditional Route Search aims at finding the path that goes through geographical entities that are relevant to the provided search terms from the start point to the end point. Without constraints, traditional Route Search visiting multiple locations is unreliable because locations may close after a specified time. In this paper, time constraint (operating hours of each location) is drawn into Route Search query in order to make the query more realistic. Two methods are proposed in this paper, namely Route Search for fixed locations (RFix) and Route Search for flexible locations (RFlex). These two queries are different from the existing Route Search query because (1) the end point is not pre-defined and (2) time constraint is involved. Our two proposal queries consider whether the locations are specifically pre-defined by the user or only the location types are specified. In each method, two propositions are presented for pruning expansion branches, which highly improves the performance. Our experiments verified the applicability of RFix and RFlex to solve Route Search queries with time constraint queries.
Information services for novelty mining
Authors: Tsai Flora S. , Kwee Agus T.
Published: March 2014

Information services facilitate users to exploit applications over the network and access them from the remote system at the client side. In this paper, we describe the design and development of information services for novelty mining, which allows users to access the novel yet relevant information of a given topic. Several methodologies regarding novelty mining such as novelty scoring, novelty threshold, novelty feedback, and document-to-sentence technique are described. In addition to Web services, mobile information services are also described. Modelling and implementing information services for novelty mining are especially useful for users to reduce their information overload. We describe the challenging issue of decomposing the complex novelty mining application into several smaller and simpler modules, which are later implemented as services on the Web as well as mobile devices. After deploying our information services for novelty mining, test cases are provided to demonstrate the system. Our information services for novelty mining are confirmed to be helpful in increasing the efficiency of enterprise users in gathering novel information from incoming text. By studying the design and development of information services for novelty mining, we can benefit other developers in investigating effective techniques for developing enterprise services for other real-world applications.
A model to predict quality of a reduced ontology for Web service discovery on mobile devices
Authors: Schrimpsher Dan , Etzkorn Letha
Published: March 2014

As Web Services and the Semantic Web become more important, enabling technologies such as Web service ontologies will grow larger. At the same time, use of mobile devices to access Web services has doubled in the last year. The ability of these resource-constrained devices to download and reason across ontologies to support service discovery are severely limited. Since concrete agents typically only needs a subset of what is described in a Web service ontology to complete their task, a reduced ontology can be created. Measuring the quality of a reduced ontology, in both knowledge content and performance, is a nontrivial task. Expert analysis of the ontologies is time-consuming and unreliable. We propose two measures of knowledge content and performance. Mean average recall (MAR) with respect to the original ontology compares the data returned from a series of queries related to a particular concept of interest. Mean average performance (MAP) compares the download and reasoning speedup of the reduced ontology with respect to the original ontology. Neither of these values can be computed easily, therefore we propose a set of ontology metrics to predict these values. In this paper, we develop two prediction models for MAR and MAP based on these metrics. These models are based on analysis of 23 ontologies from five domains. To compute MAR, a specific set of queries for each domain was applied to each candidate reduced ontology along with the original ontology. To compute MAP, a simulated mobile device will download and process of each ontology along with the original ontology. We believe this model allows a speedy selection of a reduced ontology that contains the knowledge content and performance speedup needed by a mobile device for service discovery.
Ontology-driven word recommendation for mobile Web search
Authors: Aréchiga Daniel , Crestani Fabio , Vegas Jesús
Published: March 2014

The Web search has special characteristics against the desktop search when realized from mobile devices. To establish an improvement within this paradigm, an option is to take into account the context from which the search is developed. To conceptualize the mobile context, we propose the use of ontologies, which will include the device characteristics, environmental conditions and user preferences, among other term conceptualizations. This context definition would be used to determinate the behavior of a word recommendation when searching from mobile devices. As an essential process of creating this context ontology, we have made a real user's evaluation of the ontology terms by means of a survey. This paper shows a brief introduction to the project and focuses mainly on the results obtained in this concept's evaluation.
Macune's Monopoly: Economic Law and the Legacy of Populism
Authors: Rothstein Sidney A.
Published: March 2014

This article argues that the Populist legacy is embodied by the constrained conception of democracy underlying the American state, which restricts popular sovereignty from the economic sphere. Charles Macune led the Farmers’ Alliance according to a robust conception of democracy that insisted on subordinating economic law to popular sovereignty. Macune's distinct economic thought marked a departure from previous antimonopoly movements, but his reliance on an inductive, empirical, institutionalist economic methodology was shared by the founders of the American Economic Association. Populism did not fail because it relied on outdated economic theory; it was defeated because it represented a coherent and credible threat to the established order. A successful campaign established the hegemony of the deductive method, which posited that manmade laws must serve the natural, universally valid laws of economics and that popular sovereignty must therefore be restrained from the economic realm. Without the means to conceive an alternative relationship between the state and economy, the path of twentieth-century American political development has been limited to those possibilities available under a constrained conception of democracy. This article articulates Macune's political strategy and highlights its underlying principles in order to present a more robust conception of democracy and illustrate the mechanisms by which it was defeated.
Frequencies of dendritic cells and Toll-like receptor 3 in neonates born to HBsAg-positive mothers with different HBV serological profiles
Authors: GUO J. , GAO Y. , GUO Z. , ZHANG L. R. , WANG B. , WANG S. P.
Published: March 2014

To investigate the frequencies of dendritic cells (DCs) and Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) in neonates of HBsAg-positive mothers with different HBV serological profiles, we conducted a study in Taiyuan, China. The study included 144 HBsAg-positive mothers and their neonates. The frequencies of DCs and TLR3 were determined using four-colour flow-cytometric analysis. DC and TLR3 frequencies were not related to HBV intrauterine transmission, maternal HBeAg positivity, maternal HBV DNA positivity and HBeAg/HBV DNA double-positivity. The plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) frequencies in neonates whose maternal HBV DNA was >5 × 107copies/ml decreased significantly compared to that in neonates whose maternal HBV DNA was ⩽5 × 107copies/ml (Z = − 2·170,P = 0·03) or whose maternal HBV DNA was negative (Z = − 1·981P = 0·048). This study suggests that neonatal pDC frequencies decrease when maternal HBV DNA loads are >5 × 107copies/ml.
U.S. TREND INFLATION REINTERPRETED: THE ROLE OF FISCAL POLICIES AND TIME-VARYING NOMINAL RIGIDITIES
Authors: Acocella Nicola , Di Bartolomeo Giovanni , Tirelli Patrizio
Published: March 2014

This paper offers a reinterpretation of the Fed's time-varying implicit inflation target, based on two considerations. The first is that the need to alleviate the burden of distortionary taxation may justify the choice of a positive inflation rate. The second is based on compelling evidence that the degree of price and wage indexation falls with trend inflation. In fact, we find that a proper characterization of the joint evolution of fiscal variables and nominal rigidities has a strong impact on the Ramsey optimal policies, implying optimal inflation dynamics that are consistent with the observed evolution of U.S. trend inflation. By contrast, tax policies have been too lax, especially at the time of the controversial Bush tax cuts.
Mapping the potential of local food capacity in Southeastern Minnesota
Authors: Galzki Jake C. , Mulla David J. , Peters Christian J.
Published: March 2014

The numerous benefits associated with localized food production have helped increase its popularity among a diverse cross-section of concerned citizens over the past few decades. Quantitative benefits are often attributed to local food systems, such as improvements to local economies or environmental benefits associated with decreased food transportation distances. Qualitative benefits play an equally vital role in the increasing popularity of local foods. The direct connection between people and agricultural land instills a sense of responsibility among consumers, there is a great deal of pride associated with creating a self-sustaining community, and increasing locally derived nutritional produce in our diet can improve health. This research attempts to analyze the feasibility of supplying the nutritional needs for an 11-county region in Southeastern Minnesota entirely from locally grown foods. The study also evaluates an alternative land-use scenario to illustrate how better utilizing land resources can yield environmental benefits in addition to those already inherent with local food production. Potential foodsheds are mapped to represent the theoretical spatial extent of agricultural resources needed to sustain population within the region. The foodshed model finds optimum locations for growing local food based on production potential and availability of agricultural resources to meet the demands of population centers, while minimizing the total distance to transport local foods to nearby distribution centers. Results show that it is theoretically feasible for Southeastern Minnesota to be entirely sustained on local food production. The average distance a unit of food travels in this theoretical baseline scenario is just under 12 km (7.5 miles). The foodshed model produces a surplus of agricultural supply in the region, thus an alternative land-use scenario was explored that involves removing marginal cropland from cultivation in vulnerable landscapes with high ecological value in an attempt to further increase the environmental benefits of locally grown foods. In comparison with the baseline foodshed model, the alternative land-use foodshed converts 68,000 ha (168,000 acres) of marginal cropland on vulnerable landscapes from annually cultivated land to perennial agriculture. This conversion not only reduces total distance traveled by a unit of food from 11.8 km (7.3 miles) in the baseline scenario to 10.8 km (6.7 miles) in the alternative scenario, but also reduces soil degradation, has positive impacts on surface water quality, and may lead to better wildlife habitat. The multiple benefits demonstrated by this study are encouraging to leaders of the local food movement in Southeastern Minnesota. Results of the study demonstrate that the methodology developed for mapping New York state foodsheds is adaptable to the Midwestern US, and should also be adaptable in other regions of the country.
Revisiting the Rybakov Figures
Authors: Ostapczuk Martin , Wagner Miriam , Musch Jochen
Published: March 2014

The Rybakov Test is a traditional nonverbal spatial ability test for which promising results have been reported in the few validation studies that have been conducted to date. In order to more thoroughly determine the psychometric properties of the test, we subjected it to systematic validation in two samples of 338 participants in total. Our analyses demonstrated that the Rybakov Test is a reliable measure of spatial visualization ability that exhibits convergent associations with other spatial visualization tests (r = .45–.62) and general intelligence tests (r = .43–.44). The Rybakov Figures showed high internal consistency (α = .79–.84) and high retest reliability (rtt= .77) – and even proved to be Rasch scalable. Because of the widely varying item difficulties, the test can be administered even in highly skilled samples without generating ceiling effects.
Rousseau’s Child
Authors: Clément Fabrice , Harris Paul , Bernard Stéphane , Antonietti Jean-Philippe , Kaufmann Laurence
Published: March 2014

Modern thinking about human nature is notoriously divided between two contradictory notions: The Hobbesian tradition portrays men as driven by selfish desires, while the Rousseauian tradition recognizes altruistic proclivities as true motivations to cooperate. We tested preschoolers’ predictions about the prosocial or antisocial manner in which people would behave toward each other. Four stories were presented to 3- and 4-year-old children. In each story, the protagonists could either cooperate, act in terms of their own interests, or adopt a behavior unrelated to the ongoing scenario. Children as young as 3 years of age expected the protagonists to behave prosocially – and even more so if the protagonists were female. The results suggest that, even at an early age, children are inclined to adopt a “Rousseau-like” stance rather than a “suspicious” or “pessimistic” Hobbesian stance.
Thin-Layer Polymer Wrapped Enzymes Encapsulated in Hierarchically Mesoporous Silica with High Activity and Enhanced Stability
Authors: Zhang Fang , Wang Meitao , Liang Chao , Jiang Huangyong , Shen Jian , Li Hexing
Published: March 2014

A novel soft-hard cooperative approach was developed to synthesize bioactive mesoporous composite by pre-wrapping Penicillin G amidase with poly(acrylaimde) nanogel skin and subsequently incorporating such Penicillin G amidase nanocapsules into hierarchically mesoporous silica. The as-received bioactive mesoporous composite exhibited comparable activity and extraordinarily high stability in comparison with native Penicillin G amidase and could be used repetitively in the water-medium hydrolysis of penicillin G potassium salt. Furthermore, this strategy could be extended to the synthesis of multifunctional bioactive mesoporous composite by simultaneously introducing glucose oxidase nanocapsules and horseradish peroxidase nanocapsules into hierarchically mesoporous silica, which demonstrated a synergic effect in one-pot tandem oxidation reaction. Improvements in the catalytic performances were attributed to the combinational unique structure from soft polymer skin and hard inorganic mesoporous silica shell, which cooperatively helped enzyme molecules to retain their appropriate geometry and simultaneously decreased the enzyme-support negative interaction and mass transfer limitation under heterogeneous conditions.
Characterization of biofluids prepared by sessile drop formation
Authors: Esmonde-White Karen A. , Esmonde-White Francis W. L. , Morris Michael D. , Roessler Blake J.
Published: March 2014

Sessile drop formation, also called drop deposition, has been studied as a potential medical diagnostic, but the effects of complex biofluid rheology on the final deposition pattern are not well understood.
Two-dimensional carbon leading to new photoconversion processes
Authors: Tang Hongjie , Hessel Colin M. , Wang Jiangyan , Yang Nailiang , Yu Ranbo , Zhao Huijun , Wang Dan
Published: March 2014

This review addresses the recent successes, challenges and perspectives of 2D carbon materials for photoconversion.
Synthesis of CVD-graphene on rapidly heated copper foils
Authors: Kim Sang-Min , Kim Jae-Hyun , Kim Kwang-Seop , Hwangbo Yun , Yoon Jong-Hyuk , Lee Eun-Kyu , Ryu Jaechul , Lee Hak-Joo , Cho Seungmin , Lee Seung-Mo
Published: March 2014

Rapid heating of a copper catalyst can greatly reduce the time required for CVD-graphene synthesis, which may make the mass production of graphene with good electrical and structural properties possible.
Contact angles on surfaces using mean field theory: nanodroplets vs. nanoroughness
Authors: Malanoski A. P. , Johnson B. J. , Erickson J. S.
Published: March 2014

This study examines lattice density functional theory as applied to a pillared surface for evaluation of wetting behaviours.
The mechanism of ionic Diels–Alder reactions. A DFT study of the oxa-Povarov reaction
Authors: Domingo Luis R. , Aurell Maria J. , Pérez Patricia
Published: March 2014

Topological ELF analysis along these I-DA reactions indicates that both mechanisms present a similar C–C bond formation.
A synthetic transmembrane segment derived from TRPV4 channel self-assembles into potassium-like channels to regulate vascular smooth muscle cell membrane potential
Authors: Yu Zhiqiang , Li Jie , Zhu Jinhang , Zhu Min , Jiang Feifei , Zhang Jin , Li Zhongwen , Zhong Mingkui , Kaye Justin Boy , Du Juan , Shen Bing
Published: March 2014

A synthetic K+-like channel mediates K+outward flow to regulate vascular smooth muscle cell membrane potential, blood vessel tone and blood pressure.
Progress on the labeling and single-particle tracking technologies of viruses
Authors: Huang Li-Li , Xie Hai-Yan
Published: March 2014

We review recent advances in virus labeling and the emerging fluorescence imaging technologies used in the imaging and tracking of viruses.
Single vs. two-photon microscopy for label free intrinsic tissue studies in the UV light region
Authors: Zubkovs Vitalijs , Jamme Frédéric , Kascakova Slavka , Chiappini Franck , Le Naour François , Réfrégiers Matthieu
Published: March 2014

Single photon ultraviolet microscopy is complementary to two-photon microscopy for tissue diagnosis.
A robust, catalytic metal–organic framework with open 2,2′-bipyridine sites
Authors: Fei Honghan , Cohen Seth M.
Published: March 2014

A highly crystalline Zr(iv)-based metal–organic framework (MOF) containing open 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) chelating sites has been realized using two synthetic strategies, and readily forms complexes with PdCl2to produce a MOF that exhibits efficient and recyclable catalysis for the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction.
Revisiting the density scaling of the non-interacting kinetic energy
Authors: Borgoo Alex , Teale Andrew M. , Tozer David J.
Published: March 2014

Two different density scaling approaches are compared and their prospects for use in functional development are reviewed.
Computational studies of the unusual water adduct [Cp2TiMe(OH2)]+: the roles of the solvent and the counterion
Authors: Saßmannshausen Jörg
Published: March 2014

Detailed DFT calculations revealed that two molecules of CH2Cl2are required to obtain a good comparison with the experimental NMR data.
A colorimetric organic chemo-sensor for Co2+in a fully aqueous environment
Authors: Park Gyeong Jin , Na Yu Jeong , Jo Hyun Yong , Lee Seul Ah , Kim Cheal
Published: March 2014

A novel practical “naked eye” probe for Co2+in a fully aqueous solution has been developed.
Clog-free cell filtration using resettable cell traps
Authors: Beattie William , Qin Xi , Wang Lin , Ma Hongshen
Published: March 2014

A microfluidic cell separation mechanism created using constrictions with adjustable size that can selectively capture and release cells, thereby enabling high throughput size and deformability based cell separation without clogging.
Structural development of gold and silver nanoparticles within hexagonally ordered spherical micellar diblock copolymer thin films
Authors: Chen Chia-Min , Huang Yi-Jiun , Wei Kung-Hwa
Published: March 2014

We characterized the critical spatial arrangement of gold and silver NPs in the two blocks of the nanostructured diblock copolymer using reciprocal-space synchrotron grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering as well as atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy in the real space.
Centimeter-scale-homogeneous SERS substrates with seven-order global enhancement through thermally controlled plasmonic nanostructures
Authors: Liu Hongmei , Zhang Xinping , Zhai Tianrui , Sander Thomas , Chen Limei , Klar Peter J.
Published: March 2014

Highly homogeneous surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates were produced on the centimeter scale by annealing solution-processed gold nanoparticles into plasmonic nanoislands.
Formation and photovoltaic performance of few-layered graphene-decorated TiO2 nanocrystals used in dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Liu Yueli , Cheng Yuqing , Shu Wei , Peng Zhuoyin , Chen Keqiang , Zhou Jing , Chen Wen , Zakharova Galina S.
Published: March 2014

FLG/TiO2 composites achieved a conversion efficiency of 8.25% in DSSCs due to the well-combined interface and the C-doping.
Chiromers: conformation-driven mirror-image supramolecular chirality isomerism identified in a new class of helical rosette nanotubes
Authors: Hemraz Usha D. , El-Bakkari Mounir , Yamazaki Takeshi , Cho Jae-Young , Beingessner Rachel L. , Fenniri Hicham
Published: March 2014

Chiromerism: conformation-dependent supramolecular chirality.
An Ag3PO4/nitridized Sr2Nb2O7 composite photocatalyst with adjustable band structures for efficient elimination of gaseous organic pollutants under visible light irradiation
Authors: Guo Jianjun , Zhou Han , Ouyang Shuxin , Kako Tetsuya , Ye Jinhua
Published: March 2014

A new Ag3PO4/nitridized Sr2Nb2O7 (N: 0–6.18 wt%) heterojunction was designed to eliminate gaseous pollutants under visible light irradiation.
3-D TiO2nanoparticle/ITO nanowire nanocomposite antenna for efficient charge collection in solid state dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Han Gill Sang , Lee Sangwook , Noh Jun Hong , Chung Hyun Suk , Park Jong Hoon , Swain Bhabani Sankar , Im Jeong-Hyeok , Park Nam-Gyu , Jung Hyun Suk
Published: March 2014

TiO2nanoparticle/ITO nanowire nanocomposites for use as photoelectrode materials were fabricated to improve charge collection efficiency in solid state dye sensitized solar cells.
A combo-pore approach for the programmable extraction of peptides/proteins
Authors: Qian Kun , Zhou Liang , Zhang Jun , Lei Chang , Yu Chengzhong
Published: March 2014

A novel combo-pore approach has been designed for the programmable purification, minimisation of sample complexity, enrichment and sensitive detection of peptides in biosamples.
Effective catalysis of imine metathesis by means of fast transiminations between aromatic–aromatic or aromatic–aliphatic amines
Authors: Ciaccia Maria , Pilati Silvia , Cacciapaglia Roberta , Mandolini Luigi , Di Stefano Stefano
Published: March 2014

Transiminations involving aromatic or aliphatic amines were found to be fast enough to be effectively employed in the catalysis of imine metathesis.
Efficient synthesis of a library of heparin tri- and tetrasaccharides relevant to the substrate of heparanase
Authors: Xu Peng , Xu Weichang , Dai Yuanwei , Yang You , Yu Biao
Published: March 2014

A robust glycosylation protocol was fixed to construct the GlcN–(1α→4)-GlcA/IdoA linkagesen routeto heparin oligosaccharides.
MgO-embedded fibre-based substrate as an effective sorbent for toxic organophosphates
Authors: Woo Dong Jin , Obendorf S. Kay
Published: March 2014

Metal oxide nanoparticles embedded in a novel electrospun cellulose acetate–polyethylene oxide fibre developed using a co-continuous polymer blend followed by selective dissolution provided enhanced self-decontamination of toxic organophosphates such as methyl parathion.
Controllable synthesis of hierarchical mesoporous/microporous nitrogen-rich polymer networks for CO2 and Cr(vi) ion adsorption
Authors: Wang Jitong , Xu Sheng , Wang Yuefeng , Cai Rong , Lv Chunxiang , Qiao Wenming , Long Donghui , Ling Licheng
Published: March 2014

A facile and scalable one-pot approach has been developed for the preparation of hierarchical meso- and microporous nitrogen-rich polymer networks by sol–gel polymerization of melamine, resorcinol and terephthaldehyde.
Cytotoxic peptide–PNA conjugates obtained by RNA-programmed peptidyl transfer with turnover
Authors: Vázquez O. , Seitz O.
Published: March 2014

A RNA triggered chemical peptidyl transfer reaction leads to a cytotoxic peptide conjugate that requires turnover in RNA for bioactivity.
A bacterial DNA quadruplex with exceptional K+ selectivity and unique structural polymorphism
Authors: Rehm Charlotte , Holder Isabelle T. , Groß Andreas , Wojciechowski Filip , Urban Maximilian , Sinn Malte , Drescher Malte , Hartig Jörg S.
Published: March 2014

The G-quadruplex forming sequence d[(G4CT)3G4] shows complete and continuous quadruplex interconversion upon increasing K+-concentrations and pronounced K+ selectivity.
Mg–TM (TM: Ti, Nb, V, Co, Mo or Ni) core–shell like nanostructures: synthesis, hydrogen storage performance and catalytic mechanism
Authors: Cui Jie , Liu Jiangwen , Wang Hui , Ouyang Liuzhang , Sun Dalin , Zhu Min , Yao Xiangdong
Published: March 2014

Magnesium coated by different transition metals (TM: Ti, Nb, V, Co, Mo, or Ni) with a grain size in the nano-scale formed a core (Mg)–shell (TM) like structure which can catalyse dehydrogenation.
Pentacenequinone derivatives for preparation of gold nanoparticles: facile synthesis and catalytic application
Authors: Sharma nee Kamaldeep Kamaldeep , Kaur Sandeep , Bhalla Vandana , Kumar Manoj , Gupta Ankush
Published: March 2014

We have designed and synthesized pentacenequinone/pentacenequinodimethane derivatives 3, 4 and 6 having nitrile groups using Suzuki–Miyaura coupling and Knoevenagel condensation protocols.
Hierarchically porous nitrogen-rich carbon derived from wheat straw as an ultra-high-rate anode for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Chen Li , Zhang Yongzhi , Lin Chaohong , Yang Wen , Meng Yan , Guo Yong , Li Menglong , Xiao Dan
Published: March 2014

Hierarchically porous nitrogen-rich carbon derived from wheat straw presents an impressive specific capacity and ultrahigh rate capability as a Li-ion battery anode.
A novel superhydrophobic hybrid nanocomposite material prepared by surface-initiated AGET ATRP and its anti-icing properties
Authors: Zhan Xiaoli , Yan Yingdi , Zhang Qinghua , Chen Fengqiu
Published: March 2014

A novel anti-icing superhydrophobic hybrid material synthesized by surface initiated AGET ATPR can prevent ice formation.
Photoactive electrospun polymeric meshes: spatiotemporally wetting of textured 3-dimensional structures
Authors: Hersey J. S. , Freedman J. D. , Grinstaff M. W.
Published: March 2014

A non-woven nanofiber/microbead polymeric mesh transitions from hydrophobic to hydrophilic upon photolysis.
Chitosan scaffolds with a shape memory effect induced by hydration
Authors: Correia Cristina O. , Mano João F.
Published: March 2014

Chitosan-based porous scaffolds exhibit a shape memory effect triggered by hydration, and they are candidates for applications in minimally invasive surgery.
Human hand compatible underactuated exoskeleton robotic system
Authors: Iqbal J. , Tsagarakis N.G. , Caldwell D.G.
Published: March 2014

A novel direct‐driven and portable exoskeleton robotic system for the hand is proposed. The system design is based on the multi‐parametric optimisation procedure, which considers isotropy, dexterity and exertion of perpendicular forces on the finger phalanges. Actuators for the proposed device were selected based on results of experiments with users having different hand sizes. These experiments measured various parameters including average and maximum force exertion levels of a human hand. The experimental results were used to realise the mechanical design and to develop a prototype. The device can exert force levels (of 45 N) beyond any existing hand exoskeleton. Preliminary trials carried out on the fabricated prototype dictate efficacy and potential of the proposed system.
Ti nanorod arrays with periodic density fabricated via anodic technology
Authors: Zhong Meiling , Liao Jingwen , Tan Guoxin , Zhang Yu , Lin Xi , Yu Peng , Yu Zunxiong , Ning Chengyun
Published: March 2014

Fabrication of the anodic metals nanorod, especially Ti (titanium) nanorod arrays (Ti‐NRAs), has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this reported work, Ti‐NRAs were prepared by applying a constant current of 200 mA under different anodisation conditions. The field emission scanning electron microscopy results showed that the density of the Ti‐NRAs could be periodically tuned by the conditions of electrochemical anodisation. A possible formation mechanism is proposed to demonstrate the periodical tuning of the Ti‐NRAs' density by the electrochemical anodisation time. This well‐controlled synthesis approach may shed light on the fabrication of similar nanostructures of other metal materials.
Synthesis, characterisation, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities of functionalised silica nanoparticles
Authors: Chen Xiaohong , Jiang Wu , Cheng Qingrong , Pan Zhiquan , Zhou Hong
Published: March 2014

Silica nanoparticles (NPs) modified by imidazole, carboxyl and phenol groups were designed and synthesised. The particles were characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis techniques, scanning electron microscopy and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Studies on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase‐like activities of the NPs show that the NPs have both a high catalase‐like activity with a 100% conversion rate of H2O2 and SOD activity with IC50 = 0.023 mg/ml, exhibiting the activity level of 10 U/ml biological SOD.
Photocatalysis degradation of Azo dye using nanoTiO2‐coated porous cellulose gel: enhancement by adsorption and its self‐clean characteristic
Authors: Yang Fan , Song Xiaojie , Yan Lifeng , Wei Wenmei
Published: March 2014

Three‐dimensional cellulose gel was prepared by a crosslinking of the cellulose chains using epichlorohydrin in the presence of the NH4OH, and the TiO2 nanoparticles which were fixed on the surface of cellulose gel to form microcrystalline cellulose gel/nanoTiO2 composites (MCC‐TiO2). The composites were characterised by means of X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The composites showed an efficient removal of methyl orange (MO) from their aqueous solution, and a two‐step mechanism is involved. At first, the MO molecules were enriched on the surface of the MCC‐TiO2 by absorption, and then they were degraded there via photocatalysis, and the degradation of the adsorbed MO promoted the further adsorption of MO from the solution. After 30 min, 94% of MO was removed, and the MCC‐TiO2 can be cleaned by itself and reused without additional treatments.