bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temperature-dependent thermal properties of single-walled carbon nanotube thin films
Authors: Duzynska A. , Taube A. , Korona K. P. , Judek J. , Zdrojek M.
Published: May 2015

We herein report the determination of the intrinsic thermal conductivity (κ) and interfacial thermal conductance (g) of single-walled carbon nanotube thin films (50 nm) on top of a SiO2 substrate. The study was performed as a function of temperature (300–450 K) using the opto-thermal technique. The value of κ decreases nonlinearly by approximately 60% from a value of 26 Wm−1 K−1 at 300 K to a value of 9 Wm−1 K−1 at 450 K. This effect stems from the increase of multi-phonon scattering at higher temperatures. The g increases with temperature, reaching a saturation plateau at 410 K. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the thermal properties of the supported carbon nanotube thin films, which are crucial for any heat dissipation applications.
Single-wire radio frequency transmission lines in biological tissue
Authors: Besnoff Jordan S. , Reynolds Matthew S.
Published: May 2015

We present an approach for implanting radio frequency transmission lines in biological tissue, using a single insulated wire surrounded by tissue as a variant of the Goubau single-wire transmission line (SWTL) in air. We extend the Goubau SWTL model to include SWTLs surrounded by lossy dielectrics such as tissue by assuming a propagating mode component in the tissue. We show that a thin wire of radius 63.5 μm, coated with biocompatible fluorinated ethylene propylene dielectric, exhibits a measured loss of only 1 dB/cm at a frequency of 915 MHz. The model fit to the measured insertion loss is within ±0.3 dB/cm across the 100 MHz to 3 GHz band. This SWTL presents excellent impedance matching to 50 Ω as evidenced by a measured median return loss better than 10 dB across the 100 MHz to 3 GHz range. This approach represents an alternative to near-field magnetic coupling for implanted systems where tissue displacement by a single, thin wire can be tolerated.
Ion scale nonlinear interaction triggered by disparate scale electron temperature gradient mode
Authors: Moon Chanho , Kobayashi Tatsuya , Itoh Kimitaka , Hatakeyama Rikizo , Kaneko Toshiro
Published: May 2015

We have observed that the disparate scale nonlinear interactions between the high-frequency (∼0.4 MHz) electron temperature gradient (ETG) mode and the ion-scale low-frequency fluctuations (∼kHz) were enhanced when the amplitude of the ETG mode exceeded a certain threshold. The dynamics of nonlinear coupling between the ETG mode and the drift wave (DW) mode has already been reported [C. Moon, T. Kaneko, and R. Hatakeyama, Phys. Rev. Lett. (2013)]. Here, we have newly observed that another low-frequency fluctuation with f ≃ 3.6 kHz, i.e., the flute mode, was enhanced, corresponding to the saturation of the DW mode growth. Specifically, the bicoherence between the flute mode and the DW mode reaches a significant level when the ∇Te/Te strength exceeded 0.54 cm−1. Thus, it is shown that the ETG mode energy was transferred to the DW mode, and then the energy was ultimately transferred to the flute mode, which was triggered by the disparate scale nonlinear interactions between the ETG and ion-scale low-frequency modes.
Andreev current for low temperature thermometry
Authors: Faivre T. , Golubev D. S. , Pekola J. P.
Published: May 2015

We demonstrate experimentally that disorder enhanced Andreev current in a tunnel junction between a normal metal and a superconductor provides a method to measure electronic temperature, specifically at temperatures below 200 mK when aluminum is used. This Andreev thermometer has some advantages over conventional quasiparticle thermometers: For instance, it does not conduct heat and its reading does not saturate until at lower temperatures. Another merit is that the responsivity is constant over a wide temperature range.
Improvement of carrier injection symmetry and quantum efficiency in InGaN light-emitting diodes with Mg delta-doped barriers
Authors: Zhang F. , Can N. , Hafiz S. , Monavarian M. , Das S. , Avrutin V. , Özgür Ü. , Morkoç H.
Published: May 2015

The effect of δ-doping of In0.06Ga0.94N barriers with Mg on the quantum efficiency of blue light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) with active regions composed of 6 (hex) 3-nm In0.15Ga0.85N is investigated. Compared to the reference sample, δ-doping of the first barrier on the n-side of the LED structure improves the peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) by 20%, owing to the increased hole concentration in the wells adjacent to the n-side, as confirmed by numerical simulations of carrier distributions across the active region. Doping the second barrier, in addition to the first one, did not further enhance the EQE, which likely indicates compensation of improved hole injection by degradation of the active region quality due to Mg doping. Both LEDs with Mg δ-doped barriers effectively suppress the drop of efficiency at high injection when compared to the reference sample, and the onset of EQE peak roll-off shifts from ∼80 A/cm2 in the reference LED to ∼120 A/cm2 in the LEDs with Mg δ-doped barriers.
Learning from Invisible Cities: The Interplay and Dialogue of Order and Disorder
Authors: Mukhija Vinit
Published: May 2015

Just over forty years ago, Italo Calvino's masterpiece Invisible Cities was published in English. In the book, through a series of prose poems, Marco Polo describes the cities he has explored to Kublai Khan. Invisible Cities has been noticeably influential in urban studies. This paper examines the well-known playfulness, fabulism, randomness, and disorder as well as the often less acknowledged structure and order in this classic. It suggests that the conventional interpretation of Invisible Cities in urban studies literature underappreciates the complementary importance of structure and order in this novel. Based on my reading of Invisible Cities and Calvino's work, I speculatively call for emphasis on the interplay and dialogue of order and disorder in the design of cities.
‘All in it Together’? Ethnoreligious Labour-Market Penalties and the Post-2008 Recession in the UK
Authors: Khattab Nabil , Johnston Ron , Manley David
Published: May 2015

The existence of ethnic penalties in the operations of the UK labour market is well established, although many studies have focused upon only unemployment and income as measures of labour-market performance. Few have looked at changes in those penalties over time, especially during a period including a major recent recession, and whether they were experienced widely throughout the population—whether people were ‘all in it together’ according to the government's rhetoric defending its post-2010 austerity programme. This paper evaluates that claim's validity by exploring differences among eighteen separate ethnoreligious groups across a wider range of labour-market performance measures: it assesses not only whether there were ethnic penalties throughout the period but also whether they were exacerbated during the recession that began in 2008. Statistical modelling shows that many were indeed exacerbated—in the percentage employed part-time rather than full-time, the percentage overqualified for their chosen jobs, the percentage of older adults who become economically inactive prematurely, and income levels—but not unemployment levels. Muslim groups, especially those from Asia, suffered the most extensive penalties, and the greatest exacerbation of them during the recession.
The Unstable Lives of Bicycles: The ‘Unbecoming’ of Design Objects
Authors: Larsen Jonas , Christensen Mathilde Dissing
Published: May 2015

A predictable byproduct of any ‘successful’ mobility system is the breakdown and destruction of once desired, fashionable, shiny, and useful objects, yet mobilities scholars have largely ignored such issues. In this paper we document and analyze ethnographically neglected and ‘half-dead’ bikes in Copenhagen as we encounter them in racks, on the pavement, and when the municipality attempts to clear them out or recycle them. We are theoretically informed by ideas that see consumer objects as having a social and material life beyond their initial production and sale. They are constantly in a process, (un)becoming, and marked by that life. Where cycling is normally conceived of as a sustainable and environmentally friendly practice, this study shows that many bikes are ill treated and quickly become waste, and ‘matter out place’.
‘A Deeper Channel Floats all Boats’: The Port Economy as Urban Growth Engine
Authors: Jaffee David
Published: May 2015

This paper analyzes an urban growth strategy revolving around port logistics. The growing significance of port economies is linked to the larger process of globalization and the increasing geographic distance between the points of production and consumption. Transportation and logistics emerge as a potential growth scheme for cities and regions that seek to develop ‘logistics clusters’. The analysis is based on the case of Jacksonville Florida, and the effort by public and private officials to identify and promote the maritime port as an engine of growth. This case study considers the efficacy of the growth machine model in understanding this urban development process as well as the limitations of this approach when applied to a development strategy based on the ‘strategic coupling’ of the urban economy with global supply chains under conditions of intense interport competition. The requirements of the port logistics sector for large-scale publicly financed infrastructure projects and the modification of the natural environment for commerce pose unique challenges and uncertainties for this development strategy.
The long-nosed fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) in South Australia in 2013–14: abundance, status and trends
Authors: Shaughnessy P. D. , Goldsworthy S. D. , Mackay A. I.
Published: May 2015

The long-nosed (or New Zealand) fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) breeds in southern Australia and New Zealand. Most of the Australian population is in South Australia, between Kangaroo Island and Eyre Peninsula. Fur seal populations in southern Australia were heavily exploited by colonial sealers between 1801 and 1830, resulting in major reductions. Numbers remained low for 150 years, then slowly built up and new colonies established across their presumed former range. Here we present estimates of pup abundance at South Australia colonies, mostly during the 2013–14 breeding season.
Long-nosed fur seals bred from Baudin Rocks in the south-east to Fenelon Island in the north-west. In total, 29 breeding colonies produced 20 431 pups, 3.6 times greater than the 1989–90 estimate; the increase is attributed to recovery from 19th century overharvesting. The 2013–14 pup estimate leads to an estimate of abundance of long-nosed fur seals in South Australia of 97 200.
Most pups were on Kangaroo Island (49.6%) and the Neptune Islands (38.6%). New breeding colonies were identified on Williams Island and at two small sites on Kangaroo Island. The increasing trend in South Australia is likely to continue over the coming decade, primarily by expansion in colonies on Kangaroo Island and by establishment of new colonies.
Capillary muscle
Authors: Cohen Caroline , Mouterde Timothée , Quéré David , Clanet Christophe
Published: May 2015

Significance

The force generated by a muscle decreases when its contraction velocity increases. This rheology follows the heuristic Hill’s equation. Here, we design and study a capillary analog in which the myosin–actin interaction is replaced by the wetting affinity between a Newtonian silicone oil and a steel rod. This device contracts and generates a force that also decreases with increasing contraction speed, following the same Hill’s equation. The physical origin of this attractive equation is discussed together with the analogy between the actin–myosin system and the capillary one. Apart from its academic interest, this capillary muscle can also have extensions in technology to produce forces and motion using surface chemical energies.
Uniqueness of minimisers for a Grötzsch-Belinskiĭ type inequality in the Heisenberg group
Authors: Balogh Zoltán , Fässler Katrin , Platis Ioannis
Published: May 2015

The modulus method introduced by H. Grötzsch yields bounds for a mean distortion functional of quasiconformal maps between two annuli mapping the respective boundary components onto each other. P. P. Belinskiĭ studied these inequalities in the plane and identified the family of all minimisers. Beyond the Euclidean framework, a Grötzsch–Belinskiĭ-type inequality has been previously considered for quasiconformal maps between annuli in the Heisenberg group whose boundaries are Korányi spheres. In this note we show that—in contrast to the planar situation—the minimiser in this setting is essentially unique.
Half-orthogonal sets of idempotents
Authors: Camillo Victor , Nielsen Pace
Published: May 2015

We improve several results in the literature focused on lifting idempotents, by either removing the lifting hypothesis or weakening other assumptions. We prove that countable sets of idempotents, which are orthogonal modulo an enabling ideal, lift to orthogonal idempotents. Left associates of liftable idempotents also lift modulo the Jacobson radical. Additionally, we exhibit situations when half-orthogonal sets of idempotents can be orthogonalized by multiplying by a unit. We finish by proving a number of results on directs sums of modules with the exchange property.
Conformal fitness and uniformization of holomorphically moving disks
Authors: Zakeri Saeed
Published: May 2015

Let

{

U
t

}

t
∈

D

\{U_t\}_{t \in \mathbb {D}}

be a family of topological disks on the Riemann sphere containing the origin

0
0

whose boundaries undergo a holomorphic motion over the unit disk

D

\mathbb {D}

. We study the question of when there exists a family of Riemann maps

g
t

:
(

D

,
0
)
→
(

U
t

,
0
)

g_t:(\mathbb {D},0) \to (U_t,0)

which depends holomorphically on the parameter

t
t

. We give five equivalent conditions which provide analytic, dynamical and measure-theoretic characterizations for the existence of the family

{

g
t

}

t
∈

D

\{ g_t \}_{t \in \mathbb {D}}

, and explore the consequences.
Automated band annotation for RNA structure probing experiments with numerous capillary electrophoresis profiles
Authors: Lee Seungmyung , Kim Hanjoo , Tian Siqi , Lee Taehoon , Yoon Sungroh , Das Rhiju
Published: May 2015

Motivation: Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a powerful approach for structural analysis of nucleic acids, with recent high-throughput variants enabling three-dimensional RNA modeling and the discovery of new rules for RNA structure design. Among the steps composing CE analysis, the process of finding each band in an electrophoretic trace and mapping it to a position in the nucleic acid sequence has required significant manual inspection and remains the most time-consuming and error-prone step. The few available tools seeking to automate this band annotation have achieved limited accuracy and have not taken advantage of information across dozens of profiles routinely acquired in high-throughput measurements.

Results: We present a dynamic-programming-based approach to automate band annotation for high-throughput capillary electrophoresis. The approach is uniquely able to define and optimize a robust target function that takes into account multiple CE profiles (sequencing ladders, different chemical probes, different mutants) collected for the RNA. Over a large benchmark of multi-profile datasets for biological RNAs and designed RNAs from the EteRNA project, the method outperforms prior tools (QuSHAPE and FAST) significantly in terms of accuracy compared with gold-standard manual annotations. The amount of computation required is reasonable at a few seconds per dataset. We also introduce an ‘E-score’ metric to automatically assess the reliability of the band annotation and show it to be practically useful in flagging uncertainties in band annotation for further inspection.

Availability and implementation: The implementation of the proposed algorithm is included in the HiTRACE software, freely available as an online server and for download at http://hitrace.stanford.edu.

Contact:  sryoon@snu.ac.kr or rhiju@stanford.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The SwissLipids knowledgebase for lipid biology
Authors: Aimo Lucila , Liechti Robin , Hyka-Nouspikel Nevila , Niknejad Anne , Gleizes Anne , Götz Lou , Kuznetsov Dmitry , David Fabrice P.A. , van der Goot F. Gisou , Riezman Howard , Bougueleret Lydie , Xenarios Ioannis , Bridge Alan
Published: May 2015

Motivation: Lipids are a large and diverse group of biological molecules with roles in membrane formation, energy storage and signaling. Cellular lipidomes may contain tens of thousands of structures, a staggering degree of complexity whose significance is not yet fully understood. High-throughput mass spectrometry-based platforms provide a means to study this complexity, but the interpretation of lipidomic data and its integration with prior knowledge of lipid biology suffers from a lack of appropriate tools to manage the data and extract knowledge from it.

Results: To facilitate the description and exploration of lipidomic data and its integration with prior biological knowledge, we have developed a knowledge resource for lipids and their biology—SwissLipids. SwissLipids provides curated knowledge of lipid structures and metabolism which is used to generate an in silico library of feasible lipid structures. These are arranged in a hierarchical classification that links mass spectrometry analytical outputs to all possible lipid structures, metabolic reactions and enzymes. SwissLipids provides a reference namespace for lipidomic data publication, data exploration and hypothesis generation. The current version of SwissLipids includes over 244 000 known and theoretically possible lipid structures, over 800 proteins, and curated links to published knowledge from over 620 peer-reviewed publications. We are continually updating the SwissLipids hierarchy with new lipid categories and new expert curated knowledge.

Availability: SwissLipids is freely available at http://www.swisslipids.org/.

Contact:  alan.bridge@isb-sib.ch

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Adrenal Suppression in Children Treated With Oral Viscous Budesonide for Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Authors: Harel Shira , Hursh Brenden E. , Chan Edmond S. , Avinashi Vishal , Panagiotopoulos Constadina
Published: May 2015

We sought to determine the prevalence of adrenal suppression (AS) in children with eosinophilic esophagitis treated with oral viscous budesonide (OVB). This was a retrospective review of a quality assurance initiative, whereby all children in our center treated with OVB for ≥3 months were referred over an 18‐month time frame for endocrine assessment including 1 μg adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test. Fourteen of 19 children complied with the referral; of these 14 children, 6 (43%) had suboptimal stimulated cortisol (range 343–497 nmol/L, mean [±SD] 424.7 nmol/L [±52.4], normal ≥500 nmol/L). There was no significant association to treatment duration, dose, or concomitant use of inhaled/nasal corticosteroids. This study suggests that children treated with OVB may be at risk for AS.
Odour cues from suitors’ nests determine mating success in a fish
Authors: Lehtonen Topi K. , Kvarnemo Charlotta
Published: May 2015

Animals use a range of sensory cues for finding food, avoiding predators and choosing mates. In this regard, the aquatic environment is particularly suitable for the use of olfactory and other chemical cues. Nevertheless, mate choice research, even on aquatic organisms, has focused on visual signals, while chemical cues relevant in sexual selection have been assumed to be ‘intrinsic’ excretions of mate candidates. Here, using the sand goby
Pomatoschistus minutus
, a small fish with paternal egg care, we investigated the possibility that ‘extrinsic’ chemical cues in the males’ nests could also have a significant contribution to mating success. We found that females strongly avoided laying eggs into nests subject to the odour of
Saprolegnia
water moulds (an egg infection) and that this effect was independent of the females’ initial, visually based preference for males. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show that chemical cues related to parental failure can play a large role in sexual selection.
Sedimenticola thiotaurini sp. nov., a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium isolated from salt marsh sediments, and emended descriptions of the genus Sedimenticola and Sedimenticola selenatireducens
Authors: Flood Beverly E. , Jones Daniel S. , Bailey Jake V.
Published: May 2015

A marine facultative anaerobe, strain SIP-G1T, was isolated from salt marsh sediments, Falmouth, MA, USA. Phylogenetic analysis of its 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that it belongs to an unclassified clade ofGammaproteobacteriathat includes numerous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that are endosymbionts of marine invertebrates endemic to sulfidic habitats. Strain SIP-G1Tis a member of the genusSedimenticola, of which there is one previously described isolate,Sedimenticola selenatireducensAK4OH1T.S. selenatireducensAK4OH1Twas obtained for further characterization and comparison with strain SIP-G1T. The two strains were capable of coupling the oxidation of thiosulfate, tetrathionate, elemental sulfur and sulfide to autotrophic growth and they produced sulfur inclusions as metabolic intermediates. They showed varying degrees of O2sensitivity, but when provided amino acids or peptides as a source of energy, they appeared more tolerant of O2and exhibited concomitant production of elemental sulfur inclusions. The organic substrate preferences and limitations of these two organisms suggest that they possess an oxygen-sensitive carbon fixation pathway(s). Organic acids may be used to produce NADPH through the TCA cycle and are used in the formation of polyhydroxyalkanoates. Cell-wall-deficient morphotypes appeared when organic compounds (especially acetate) were present in excess and reduced sulfur was absent. Levels of DNA–DNA hybridization (∼47 %) and phenotypic characterization indicate that strain SIP-G1Trepresents a separate species within the genusSedimenticola, for which the nameSedimenticola thiotaurinisp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SIP-G1T( = ATCC BAA-2640T = DSM 28581T). The results also justify emended descriptions of the genusSedimenticolaand ofS. selenatireducens.
Size Structures Sensory Hierarchy in Ocean Life
Authors: Martens Erik A. , Wadhwa Navish , Jacobsen Nis S. , Lindemann Christian , Andersen Ken H. , Visser André
Published: May 2015

Survival in aquatic environments requires organisms to have effective means of collecting information from their surroundings through various sensing strategies. In this study, we explore how sensing mode and range depend on body size. We find a hierarchy of sensing modes determined by body size. With increasing body size, a larger battery of modes becomes available (chemosensing, mechanosensing, vision, hearing, and echolocation, in that order) while the sensing range also increases. This size-dependent hierarchy and the transitions between primary sensory modes are explained on the grounds of limiting factors set by physiology and the physical laws governing signal generation, transmission and reception. We theoretically predict the body size limits for various sensory modes, which align well with size ranges found in literature. The treatise of all ocean life, from unicellular organisms to whales, demonstrates how body size determines available sensing modes, and thereby acts as a major structuring factor of aquatic life.
Invasive plants as novel food resources, the pollinators’ perspective
Authors: Bartomeus Ignasi , Fründ Jochen , Williams Neal M.
Published: May 2015

Biological invasions are one of the main drivers of global change and have negatively impacted all biomes and trophic levels (Hobbs 2000, Vilà et al. 2011). While most introduced species fail to establish, or establish small naturalized populations (hereafter exotic species), a few become invasive and rapidly increase in abundance and/or range (hereafter invasives or invaders; Pysek et al. 2004). It is these invader species that are most often linked to negative impacts on native / endemic communities. Although most interactions between invasive and native species at the same trophic level result in negative direct impacts (e.g. plant-plant competitive interactions, Vilà et al. 2011), when the invasive plant species can be used as a resource those interactions can also be positive for consumers such as native herbivores, predators or mutualists, at least for some species (Heleno et al. 2009, Bezemer et al. 2004). Entomophilous exotic plant species, for example, not only compete directly for space and light with other plants, but also offer resource opportunities for the native pollinator community (Stouffer et al. 2014). Most research on this topic to date has taken the plant perspective, focusing on how successful plant invaders integrate into the native plant-pollinator interaction networks (Vilà et al. 2009), and how this integration in turn impacts the native plant community (Morales and Traveset 2009). However, species specific responses of pollinators to the addition of exotic plants are rarely taken into account. This represent an important gap in our knowledge as pollinator foraging choices determine the structure of interactions within communities, which in turn have important implications for the community stability (Thébault and Fontain 2010) and functioning (Thomson et al. 2012). How different pollinators respond to the changed composition of floral species within the community that results from exotic plant invaders deserves more attention.
Obstructions in Vascular Networks. Critical vs Non-critical Topological Sites for Blood Supply
Authors: Torres Rojas Aimee M. , Romero Alejandro Meza , Pagonabarraga Ignacio , Travasso Rui D.M. , Poiré Eugenia Corvera
Published: May 2015

We relate vascular network structure to hemodynamics after vessel obstructions. We consider tree-like networks with a viscoelastic fluid with the rheological characteristics of blood. We analyze the network hemodynamic response, which is a function of the frequencies involved in the driving, and a measurement of the resistance to flow. This response function allows the study of the hemodynamics of the system, without the knowledge of a particular pressure gradient. We find analytical expressions for the network response, that explicitly show the roles played by the network structure, the degree of obstruction, and the geometrical place in which obstructions occur. Notably, we find that the sequence of resistances of the network without occlusions, strongly determines the tendencies that the response function has with the anatomical place where obstructions are located. We identify anatomical sites in a network that are critical for its overall capacity to supply blood to a tissue after obstructions. We demonstrate that relatively small obstructions in such critical sites are able to cause a much larger decrease on flow than larger obstructions placed in non-critical sites. Our results indicate that, to a large extent, the response of the network is determined locally. That is, it depends on the structure that the vasculature has around the place where occlusions are found. This result is manifest in a network that follows Murray’s law, which is in reasonable agreement with several mammalian vasculatures. For this one, occlusions in early generation vessels have a radically different effect than occlusions in late generation vessels occluding the same percentage of area available to flow. This locality implies that whenever there is a tissue irrigated by a tree-like in-vivo vasculature, our model is able to interpret how important obstructions are for the irrigation of such tissue.
Structural transitions of centromeric chromatin regulate the cell cycle-dependent recruitment of CENP-N
Authors: Fang Junnan , Liu Yuting , Wei Yun , Deng Wenqiang , Yu Zhouliang , Huang Li , Teng Yan , Yao Ting , You Qinglong , Ruan Haihe , Chen Ping , Xu Rui-Ming , Li Guohong
Published: May 2015

Specific recognition of centromere-specific histone variant CENP-A-containing chromatin by CENP-N is an essential process in the assembly of the kinetochore complex at centromeres prior to mammalian cell division. However, the mechanisms of CENP-N recruitment to centromeres/kinetochores remain unknown. Here, we show that a CENP-A-specific RG loop (Arg80/Gly81) plays an essential and dual regulatory role in this process. The RG loop assists the formation of a compact “ladder-like” structure of CENP-A chromatin, concealing the loop and thus impairing its role in recruiting CENP-N. Upon G1/S-phase transition, however, centromeric chromatin switches from the compact to an open state, enabling the now exposed RG loop to recruit CENP-N prior to cell division. Our results provide the first insights into the mechanisms by which the recruitment of CENP-N is regulated by the structural transitions between compaction and relaxation of centromeric chromatin during the cell cycle.
Partial conversion of thioamide into nitrile in a copper(II) complex of 2,6-diacetylpyridine bis(thiosemicarbazone), a drug prototype for Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Vieira Rafael P. , Thompson John R. , Beraldo Heloisa , Storr Tim
Published: May 2015

This work reports the crystal structure of [(Z)-2-((E)-1-{6-[1-({[amino(sulfanidyl-κS)methylidene]amino}imino-κN)ethyl]pyridin-2-yl-κN}ethylidene)-1-cyanohydrazinido-κN1]copper(II), [Cu(C11H11N7S)], the first description of a copper(II) complex of 2,6-diacetylpyridine bis(thiosemicarbazone) showing partial conversion of a thioamide group to a nitrile group. The asymmetric ligand coordinates to the metal centre in anN,N′,N′′,S-tetradentate mannerviathe pyridine N atom, an imine N atom, the hydrazinide N atom and the sulfanidyl S atom, displaying a square-planar geometry. Ligand coordination results in two five-membered chelate rings and one six-membered chelate ring, and in crystal packing based on N—H...N hydrogen bonds of the cyanohydrazinide and hydrazinecarbothioamidate arms of the ligand. The correlation between the partial conversion upon metal complexation, H2S release and possible effects on the activity of bis(thiosemicarbazone)s as drug prototypes for Alzheimer's disease is also discussed.
Structural comparison of group 7 tricarbonyl complexes of 2-{[2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl]iminomethyl}-5-methylphenolate
Authors: Marake Daniel T. , Mokolokolo Penny P. , Visser Hendrik G. , Brink Alice
Published: May 2015

Two tricarbonyl complexes of rhenium(I) and manganese(I) coordinated by the ligand 2-{[2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl]iminomethyl}-5-methylphenolate are reported,viz. fac-tricarbonyl(2-{[2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl-κN3)ethyl]iminomethyl-κN}-5-methylphenolato-κO)rhenium(I) methanol monosolvate, [Re(C16H14N3O4)(CO)3]·CH3OH, (I), andfac-tricarbonyl(2-{[2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl-κN3)ethyl]iminomethyl-κN}-5-methylphenolato-κO)manganese(I),fac-[Mn(C16H14N3O4)(CO)3], (II), display facial coordination in a distorted octahedral environment. The crystal structure of (I) is stabilized by O—H...O, N—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen-bond interactions, while that of (II) is stabilized by N—H...O hydrogen-bond interactions only. These interactions result in two-dimensional networks and π–π stacking for both structures.
Crystal structure of 2-amino-3-ethyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazol-3-ium 3-chlorobenzoate
Authors: Hizam Sara Maira M. , Yamin Bohari M.
Published: May 2015

The title salt, C5H11N2S+·C7H4ClO2−, comprises a 2-amino-3-ethyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazol-3-ium cation in which the five-membered ring adopts an envelope conformation with the methylene C adjacent to the S atom being the flap, and a planar 3-chlorobenzoate anion (r.m.s. deviation for the 10 non-H atoms = 0.021 Å). The most prominent feature of the crystal packing are N—H...O hydrogen bonds whereby the two amine H atoms bridge two carboxylate O atoms resulting in the formation of a centrosymmetric 12-membered {...HNH...OCO}2synthon involving two cations and two anions. These aggregates are linked by C—H...O interactions to form a supramolecular chain along thea-axis direction.
Crystal structure of poly[diaqua(μ2-benzene-1,4-dicarboxylato-κ2O1:O4)(μ2-benzene-1,4-dicarboxylato-κ4O1,O1′:O4,O4′)bis(μ2-3,3′,5,5′-tetramethyl-4,4′-bipyrazole-κ2N:N′)dinickel(II)]
Authors: Wu Chao , Cao Peng
Published: May 2015

The asymmetric unit of the polymeric title compound, [Ni(C8H4O4)(C10H14N4)(H2O)]n, contains one Ni2+cation, one coordinating water molecule, one 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethyl-4,4′-bipyrazole ligand and half each of two benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate anions, the other halves being generated by inversion symmetry. The Ni2+cation exhibits an octahedral N2O4coordination sphere defined by the O atoms of the water molecule and two different anions and the N atoms of two symmetry-relatedN-heterocycles. TheN-heterocycles and both anions bridge adjacent Ni2+cations into a three-dimensional network structure, with one of the anions in a bis-bidentate and the other in a bis-monodentate bridging mode. N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds between the N-heterocycles and water molecules as donor groups and the carboxylate O atoms as acceptor groups consolidate the crystal packing.
Factors affecting farmers’ willingness to purchase weather index insurance in the Hainan Province of China
Authors: Lin Jia , Boyd Milton , Pai Jeffrey , Porth Lysa , Zhang Qiao , Wang Ke
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explain the factors affecting farmers’ willingness to purchase weather index insurance for crops in China, in the Province of Hainan, and to also provide additional background information on weather index insurance.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey of 134 farmers was undertaken in Hainan, China, regarding their willingness to purchase weather index insurance. A probit regression model was used, and a number of variables were included to explain willingness of farmers to purchase weather index insurance.

Findings

– In total, 11 of 15 variables in the model are found to be statistically significant in explaining farmers’ willingness to purchase weather index insurance.

Research limitations/implications

– First, farmers’ interest in weather index insurance may be limited due to basis risk. Second, some farmers may not sufficiently understand weather index insurance and so may not purchase it, and a considerable portion of farmers may also require a subsidy if they are to purchase weather insurance.

Practical implications

– Weather index insurance may provide a lower cost alternative than traditional crop insurance, however, basis risk remains a main challenge.

Originality/value

– This is the first study to quantitatively study the factors affecting the willingness of farmers to purchase weather index insurance for agriculture in the province of Hainan, China.
Regulation of intellectual disability services
Authors: Kelsall Afra , Devapriam John
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– Winterbourne and Mid-Staffordshire scandals have had a significant impact on how Care Quality Commission inspects and regulates intellectual disability services (IDS). The purpose of this paper is to describe the changes and development of regulation of these services and future work.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is a descriptive paper.

Findings

– A new regulatory model is currently implemented for IDS. It has been developed in consultation with patients, carers, providers and other stakeholders. There will be ongoing development and refinement of the inspection methodology.

Originality/value

– This is an original descriptive paper which will provide useful information to readers on how the regulatory process works in IDS.
Reflections on the use of a specialist acute assessment and treatment unit for adults with intellectual disability
Authors: Purandare Kiran , Wijeratne Anusha
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of a changing commissioning landscape on the provision of specialist acute inpatient care from the perspective of a small category 2 unit in London.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted a retrospective survey of all referrals to the unit in 2012 and 2013.

Findings

– There has been an increase in the referrals and admissions to the unit with referrals covering a wider catchment area. This has resulted in a doubling of the average distance between the unit and the respective catchment areas that patients and their relatives have to travel. The majority of admissions were transfers from mainstream mental health services. There has been a reduction in the mean length of stay.

Research limitations/implications

– This survey looks at trends in one category 2 unit in an outer London Borough and therefore, limits generalisability. The data collection was retrospective and there was no information on patients requiring admission but not being referred to the unit.

Practical implications

– There continues to be a need for category 2 admission units to serve the needs of a small group of patients with intellectual disability presenting with mental health needs and behavioural problems. Consideration needs to be given to the entire mental health and challenging behaviour care pathway, including the small but crucial element of specialist inpatient management if services are to remain local and responsive to the needs of this group of patients and their carers.

Social implications

– An ill-planned reduction in the number of specialist inpatient units without viable community services, risks perpetuating a situation where patients and their relatives have to travel long distances to obtain appropriate specialist help. Longer geographical distances could also potentially hamper closer liaison between the unit and the community services, thereby reducing the degree of oversight and prolonging the transition and discharge process.

Originality/value

– This survey highlights the impact of recent commissioning and service changes on delivery of specialist in patient services for adults with intellectual disability in the immediate aftermath of the Winterbourne Review.
Factors influencing consumer purchase intention of cloud computing in the United States and Turkey
Authors: Ratten Vanessa
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the different factors affecting purchase intention of cloud computing services in Turkey and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

– A research framework is developed based on social cognitive theory and the technology acceptance model. A survey questionnaire is used based on student responses in Turkey and the USA to see if there are any differences toward purchase intentions.

Findings

– A majority of the research hypotheses are supported in both the Turkish and USA sample indicating that there are similarities in perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, consumer innovation and performance expectancy toward cloud computing.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings of this research have implications for technology companies and marketers operating in North America, Europe and Asia.

Practical implications

– As few studies exist on the differences between purchase intention of technological innovations in the USA and Turkey, this paper contributes to a better understanding of whether cultural differences or consumer attitudes effect adoption of emerging technologies including cloud computing services.

Originality/value

– This paper focusses on the emerging technological innovation of cloud computing services by examining antecedent environmental factors influencing purchase intention. In total, two different country samples are utilized to gain a better international perspective of the reasons why consumers purchase technological innovations.
OEE enhancement in SMEs through mobile maintenance: a TPM concept
Authors: Jain Abhishek , Bhatti Rajbir S. , Singh Harwinder
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce mobile maintenance a new concept of total productive maintenance (TPM) implementation practice, especially in small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs). This study tries to introduce this new concept for SMEs in SMEs to help traditional maintenance program which is already available in particular industries.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach is to study the role of mobile maintenance (a part of TPM program) in context of Indian industries either from small and medium scale to large scale industries through overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Findings

– Researchers evolutes a new maintenance concept of TPM implementation practice as mobile maintenance concept in SMEs for enhancing OEE of equipments to improve competitiveness of SMEs in a globalized market. This mobile maintenance strategy can reduce major breakdowns, setup and adjustment losses and improve productivity, product quality and OEE of equipments.

Research limitations/implications

– In the dynamic and highly challenging environment, reliable manufacturing equipments are regarded as the major contributor to the performance and profitability of manufacturing systems. A researcher has found that some SMEs of Banmore industrial areas is also using mobile maintenance and preventive maintenance along with traditional maintenance process and getting improvements in the maintenance process as well as machine reliability and OEE of equipments. After the globalization of market, SMEs has got many opportunities to work on integration with large-scale organizations.

Originality/value

– It will be very benefitted for the Indian SMEs. SMEs can improve machine availability and OEE by implementing this mobile maintenance concept especially in SMEs.
A paratactic subjective-objective weighting methods and SVM risk assessment model applied in textile and apparel safety
Authors: Wu Xiongying , Chen Lihong , Pang Shuhui , Ding Xuemei
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore a descriptive framework for a more structured and objective evaluation of the risk situation of textile and apparel, also to find the best set of methods or optimal scientific grounds for the safety evaluation of textile and apparel.

Design/methodology/approach

– Risk analysis theory is used to analyze potential hazard of textile and apparel, weight is given to risk indicators using subjective and objective weighting method, respectively, grading standards of safe risk of textile and apparel is made. Finally a safety risk assessment model of textile and apparel based on support vector machine (SVM) is built, and empirical analysis is also made.

Findings

– Quantitative and highly reliable evaluation of textile and apparel risks, relatively easy grading classification and simplicity in operating the evaluation process are the advantages that promote the application of risk assessment model based on SVM for textile and apparel, and empirical analysis showed considerably good applicability.

Practical implications

– The research is useful to ensure safety textile and apparel in market, also contributing to the sustainable development of textile industries in future.

Originality/value

– SVM as a risk assessment method provided safety evaluation to toxic and harmful substance and small parts in textile and apparel, which can be an effective tool to monitor textile and apparel safety.
Corporate governance as a reform movement
Authors: Mees Bernard
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider the way in which agency theory has crowded out other approaches to understanding the governance of modern businesses. The paper rescues the meaning and context which informed the American corporate governance reform movement originally and demonstrates how the economically predicated agency approach became dominant in academic considerations of corporate governance.

Design/methodology/approach

– Both primary and secondary sources were considered in a Foucauldian history of ideas approach.

Findings

– Other approaches to corporate governance have been pushed out of the mainstream of corporate governance discourse by an economic model which excludes many of the key issues which informed the notion originally.

Practical implications

– Dominant academic attitudes to corporate governance have occluded other ways in which the governance of corporations can be understood.

Originality/value

– Previous accounts of corporate governance have ignored the alternative approaches represented before agency theory became dominant.
An intellectual journey into the historical evolution of marketing research in brand switching behavior – past, present and future
Authors: Al-Kwifi Osama Sam , Ahmed Zafar U.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to explore the historical development of brands and the development of literature on brand switching to define the antecedents that cause switching behavior among consumers and the impact of switching on market share of companies.

Design/methodology/approach

– The historical development of brands is tracked using different secondary sources. Then an intensive literature review is conducted on brand switching at the consumer and business levels. At each level, studies on brand switching are divided into several categories, such as household products, technological products and service providers, and the common factors behind switching for each category and between categories are determined.

Findings

– An examination of the historical development of brands shows that brands appeared on products a long time ago and evolved through a number of stages based on the economic and social environment. The literature reveals that no single model can explain brand switching behavior of consumers or businesses across different industries and products. Each study uses a specific set of factors to explain brand switching. However, brand attractiveness can be counted as the most common factor behind brand switching.

Research limitations/implications

– There is little understanding of the historical mutations of brand switching behavior and the influence of mutation on branding strategies. The study suggests that continuous exploration of consumer’s preferences is needed to create and sustain attractive brands.

Practical implications

– Managers increasingly recognize brands as one of the most valuable assets of an organization, and, therefore, an informed knowledge of the factors underpinning brand switching may help managers build attractive brands and prevent brand switching. This condition imposes significant challenges in a highly innovative environment, where technological changes can quickly make attractive brands obsolete.

Originality/value

– This paper highlights that the factors behind brand switching should be monitored constantly, even for the same brand, to define an appropriate strategy that helps sustain brand attractiveness.