bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community University Research Agreement
Authors: Settee Priscilla , Thomas-Prokop Shelley
Published: August 2016

Abstract
This paper describes the process of engaging the
extended Indigenous community within Saskatoon and the
surrounding First Nations communities in what would be a
first major research project between Indigenous communities
and the University of Saskatchewan. A management committee
was established comprised of all the major
Saskatoon/Saskatchewan Indigenous organisations, such as
the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians, Saskatoon Tribal
Council, First Nations University of Canada and other
community-based groups to ensure that research reflected
First Nations and Metis needs. The project called “Bridges
and Foundations” awarded some 35 projects close to two
million dollars in research funds. The money was awarded
through graduate student research bursaries, and
community-based projects which highlighted the needs of
Indigenous women, youth, students, elders and urban
populations. The three research themes included respectful
protocol, knowledge creation, and policy development. The
research projects, which were largely Indigenous designed
and driven, created one of the most extensive research
collections over a period of four years and included major
data collection on community-based research, Indigenous
peoples and Indigenous knowledge systems and protocols. The
paper relates the development of the project and speaks
about the need for Indigenous peoples to lead their own
research as well as the benefits of collaboration. It also
highlights several of the research projects including a
conference on Indigenous knowledge (2004), a video project
describing the community mobilisation process behind Quint
Urban Housing Co-operatives,
Indigenising Aboriginal Written Literatures?
Authors: Harris Stephen
Published: August 2016

I think those of us who are interested in what is written in Aboriginal languages need to be much more open than we have been in the past to shifts of emphasis in the development of written Aboriginal literatures. Looking at the way the Northern Territory bilingual program developed is one way in to thinking about this issue.
An Annotated Aboriginal Science Bibliography
Authors: Palmer W.P.
Published: August 2016

Science is one area within Aboriginal Education which appears to receive comparatively little attention.

The author experienced this in practice when he was lecturing in science education to trainee teachers on the topic of teaching science to Aboriginal students in secondary schools. As a newcomer to the Northern Territory the author does not have direct personal experience in this area and so he decided to search the literature. No previous bibliography of this topic was found. Initially searching revealed very little, but slowly the collection of interesting articles has increased, and whilst it is realised that the selection included in this bibliography is far from complete, it is offered to the reader as a starting point.
Somebody’s Children
Authors: Hunt Joan
Published: August 2016

Several months ago I was asked by a neighbour-friend, ‘Mrs James’, to help her get her eleven year-old son, ‘Stephen’ and eight year-old daughter, ‘Katherine’, back to school. Mrs James was in hospital in Sydney at the time, recovering from a serious operation, while Mr James, an invalid pensioner, was trying to look after the two remaining children at home. (An older son is with foster parents).

Stephen had missed more than 100 days of school in 1988 and had not returned to school in 1989. Katherine had a somewhat better attendance record but had stopped going to school when her mother went off to Sydney. Stephen’s and Katherine’s absences had been drawn to the attention of the home-school liaison officers.
Sound-field Amplification: Enhancing the Classroom Listening Environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children
Authors: Massie Robyn , Theodoros Deborah , McPherson Bradley , Smaldino Joseph
Published: August 2016

Abstract
Sound-field amplification is an educational tool that
allows control of the acoustic environment in a classroom.
Teachers wear small microphones that transmit sound to a
receiver system attached to loudspeakers around the
classroom. The goal of sound-field amplification is to
amplify the teacher’s voice by a few decibels, and to
provide uniform amplification throughout the classroom
without making speech too loud for normal hearing children.
This report discusses the major findings of a study which
investigated the effects of sound-field amplification
intervention on the communication naturally occurring in
the classrooms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
children. The audiological findings of the sample
population of children are presented, as well as details of
the classroom acoustic environment. Sixty-seven percent of
the children began the field trials with a slight hearing
loss. The results confirmed the extremely noisy and
reverberant conditions in which teachers and children are
operating on a daily basis. The findings indicated that
sound-field amplification intervention encouraged the
children to interact with teachers and peers in a proactive
way. Teachers identified voice-related factors to be a
major personal benefit of the systems.
A Visiting Occupational Therapy Service to Indigenous Children in School: Results of A Pilot Project
Authors: Nelson Alison , Allison Heather
Published: August 2016

Abstract
The need for additional support for Indigenous children
at school is well documented. Occupational therapists are
well positioned to form part of this support. However, many
occupational therapists report that Indigenous families do
not access their services and when they do, the
occupational therapist feels uncertain about how best to
meet their needs. This article documents a pilot project
which delivered occupational therapy services within
several schools and preschools in Brisbane which had
significant numbers of Indigenous students. The project was
evaluated using a qualitative methodology and included
focus groups and interviews with teachers and parents. The
results indicated that in general the service provided
valuable support to students, teachers and parents. In
particular, providing the service within the school context
was seen as critical to its success. Suggestions for
improvements in future support services are also
provided.
College of Aboriginal Education
Authors: Ingram J.G.
Published: August 2016

The College of Aboriginal Education was set up in March 1973 within the Torrens College of Advanced Education, Adelaide, to provide an opportunity for adult Aboriginal people to continue their education in areas meaningful to them. It offers a highly individualized twelve month course which emphasizes the development of positive self concepts, an understanding of society and the development of positive attitudes to it, and the finding of satisfying employment.

The students come from a wide range of backgrounds and include both tribal and non-tribal people. At present 45 students are enrolled. The staff includes both Aboriginals and Euro-Australians. The College makes use of a large number of part-time teachers, many of whom are Aboriginal, while other people, including both Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals expert in their own field, are brought in from time to time.
Project
Authors: Wedemeyer M. , Sillett G. , Cornwell R. , Snartt M. , Syme D.
Published: August 2016

We decided to institute our Project Program because:

1. a considerable number of our pupils both in the upper Primary and lower Secondary schools have had a record of failure for most of their school career, and

2. the results of both aptitude and attainment tests indicated that the existing school programs were unsuccessful in alleviating this pattern of failure.
A Condensed “Teachers’ Bible
Authors: Fisher E. M.
Published: August 2016

I feel that there is an immediate need for teachers coming into contact with a new Aboriginal community to evaluate themselves not only professionally, but also socio-culturally.

The hazards and pitfalls of acculturation interchanges are too numerous and complicated to enumerate, and it is incumbent upon the new teacher to ‘establish’ himself (or herself) initially in the new environment. The community is only too cognizant of the behaviour and actions of a new member in its midst, and once the Aboriginals establish ‘you’ in their mental structure, then acceptance gradually comes. The reasons for culture conflict are manifold, and we, as teachers, must be careful not to use these as an excuse for indifference and neglect of our ‘client’ community.
Aboriginal Migration: A Survey Amongst Cherbourg Residents
Authors: Guthrie Gerard
Published: August 2016

Australian society offers its major rewards to people who live in cities. Whether in employment, entertainment, housing, or welfare facilities, urban centres can generally offer more and better. This is a gross generalization, of course, but it must be seen as a major factor underlying rural-urban migration in Australia today. This is true whether migrants are Aboriginals or Europeans – despite the fact that Aboriginals generally end up in just those urban areas where the limits of the generalization can be most clearly seen.
A hurricane wind risk and loss assessment of Caribbean agriculture
Authors: Mohan Preeya , Strobl Eric
Published: August 2016

Hurricanes act as large external shocks potentially causing considerable damage to agriculture in the Caribbean. While a number of studies have estimated their historic economic impact, arguably the wider community and policy makers are more concerned about their future risk and potential losses, since this type of information is useful for disaster preparedness and mitigation strategy and policy. This paper implements a new approach to undertaking a quantitative wind risk and loss assessment of agriculture in Caribbean island economies. The authors construct an expected loss function that uses synthetically generated, and historical, hurricane tracks within a wind field model that takes cropland exposure derived from satellite data into consideration. The results indicate that expected wind losses are potentially large but vary considerably across the region, where the smaller islands are considerably more likely to be negatively impacted. Moreover, we find that the structure of the agricultural sector can be important in terms of vulnerability.
Street-level bureaucracy and policy implementation in community public health nursing: a qualitative study of the experiences of student and novice health visitors
Authors: Hughes Alison , Condon Louise
Published: August 2016

Aim

To explore the experiences of student and novice health visitors in implementing health visiting policy reform pre- and post-qualification.

Background

In England, public health nursing has been subject to major policy reform. The Health Visitor Implementation Plan (2011) set out a plan to recruit increasing numbers of nurses and midwives to the profession to deliver an expanded and refocussed health visiting service. Exploring this policy change from the viewpoint of those new to health visiting offers a unique perspective into how a specific policy vision is translated into nursing practice.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative study in which participants were enrolled on a one-year post-graduate health visiting course at a University in South West of England. Qualitative data were collected pre- and post-qualification. A total of 16 interviews and a focus group were conducted with nine participants between September 2012 and March 2013.

Findings

Descriptive data were interpreted using Lipsky’s theoretical framework of street-level bureaucracy. Three themes emerged which relate to this ‘bottom-up’ perspective on policy implementation; readiness to operationalise policy, challenges in delivering the service vision; and using discretion in delivering the vision. Community public health nurses operate as street-level bureaucrats in negotiating the demands of policy and practice, and by this means, attempt to reconcile professional values with institutional constraints. Barriers to policy implementation at a local level mediate the effects of policy reform, ultimately impacting upon outcomes for children and families.
Structural Validity of the OSA Figures Scale for the Online	Self-Assessment of Fluid Reasoning
Authors: Schweizer Karl , DiStefano Christine , Reiss Siegbert
Published: August 2016

Abstract. This investigation provides evidence of the structural validity related to scores from the Online Self-Assessment (OSA) Figures scale. This scale was constructed for the assessment of figural reasoning as part of an online self-assessment battery. Since the appropriateness of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of data obtained by dichotomous items has been questioned, two suitable methods including different link transformations were considered: (1) confirmatory factor analysis including the congeneric model of measurement with tetrachoric correlations as input and (2) confirmatory factor analysis according to the weighted congeneric model with probability-based covariances as input. The models tested a unidimensional structure for the scale. Support for structural validity was identified through acceptable model-data fit indices and convergence of the parameter estimates across analysis methods. Furthermore, the OSA Figures scale showed an acceptable degree of homogeneity according to McDonald’s Omega and substantial correlation with course scores.
An Ancient Sea Once Separated the Pacific and Indian Oceans
Authors: Stanley Sarah
Published: August 2016

Seafloor under the hypothesized East Asian Sea vanished 10 million years ago as surrounding plates swallowed it up, according to new reconstructions of plate tectonics in the Philippine Sea region.
Charting the Future for AGU's Meetings Program
Authors: Murnane Rick
Published: August 2016

As Earth and space scientists' needs and ways of interacting change, the American Geophysical Union is developing an improved strategy and vision for the attendee experience at AGU meetings.
Ionic imbalance induced self-propulsion of liquid metals
Authors: Zavabeti Ali , Daeneke Torben , Chrimes Adam F. , O’Mullane Anthony P. , Zhen Ou Jian , Mitchell Arnan , Khoshmanesh Khashayar , Kalantar-zadeh Kourosh
Published: August 2016

Components with self-propelling abilities are important building blocks of small autonomous systems and the characteristics of liquid metals are capable of fulfilling self-propulsion criteria. To date, there has been no exploration regarding the effect of electrolyte ionic content surrounding a liquid metal for symmetry breaking that generates motion. Here we show the controlled actuation of liquid metal droplets using only the ionic properties of the aqueous electrolyte. We demonstrate that pH or ionic concentration gradients across a liquid metal droplet induce both deformation and surface Marangoni flow. We show that the Lippmann dominated deformation results in maximum velocity for the self-propulsion of liquid metal droplets and illustrate several key applications, which take advantage of such electrolyte-induced motion. With this finding, it is possible to conceive the propulsion of small entities that are constructed and controlled entirely with fluids, progressing towards more advanced soft systems.
DNA hydroxymethylation controls cardiomyocyte gene expression in development and hypertrophy
Authors: Greco Carolina M. , Kunderfranco Paolo , Rubino Marcello , Larcher Veronica , Carullo Pierluigi , Anselmo Achille , Kurz Kerstin , Carell Thomas , Angius Andrea , Latronico Michael V. G. , Papait Roberto , Condorelli Gianluigi
Published: August 2016

Methylation at 5-cytosine (5-mC) is a fundamental epigenetic DNA modification associated recently with cardiac disease. In contrast, the role of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC)—5-mC’s oxidation product—in cardiac biology and disease is unknown. Here we assess the hydroxymethylome in embryonic, neonatal, adult and hypertrophic mouse cardiomyocytes, showing that dynamic modulation of hydroxymethylated DNA is associated with specific transcriptional networks during heart development and failure. DNA hydroxymethylation marks the body of highly expressed genes as well as distal regulatory regions with enhanced activity. Moreover, pathological hypertrophy is characterized by a shift towards a neonatal 5-hmC distribution pattern. We also show that the ten-eleven translocation 2 (TET2) enzyme regulates the expression of key cardiac genes, such as Myh7, through 5-hmC deposition on the gene body and at enhancers. Thus, we provide a genome-wide analysis of 5-hmC in the cardiomyocyte and suggest a role for this epigenetic modification in heart development and disease.
Surface expression of hippocampal NMDA GluN2B receptors regulated by fear conditioning determines its contribution to memory consolidation in adult rats
Authors: Sun Yan-Yan , Cai Wei , Yu Jie , Liu Shu-Su , Zhuo Min , Li Bao-Ming , Zhang Xue-Han
Published: August 2016

The number and subtype composition of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) at synapses determines their functional properties and role in learning and memory. Genetically increased or decreased amount of GluN2B affects hippocampus-dependent memory in the adult brain. But in some experimental conditions (e.g., memory elicited by a single conditioning trial (1 CS-US)), GluN2B is not a necessary factor, which indicates that the precise role of GluN2B in memory formation requires further exploration. Here, we examined the role of GluN2B in the consolidation of fear memory using two training paradigms. We found that GluN2B was only required for the consolidation of memory elicited by five conditioning trials (5 CS-US), not by 1 CS-US. Strikingly, the expression of membrane GluN2B in CA1was training-strength-dependently increased after conditioning and that the amount of membrane GluN2B determined its involvement in memory consolidation. Additionally, we demonstrated the increases in the activities of cAMP, ERK and CREB in the CA1 after conditioning, as well as the enhanced intrinsic excitability and synaptic efficacy in CA1 neurons. Up-regulation of membrane GluN2B contributed to these enhancements. These studies uncover a novel mechanism for the involvement of GluN2B in memory consolidation by its accumulation at the cell surface in response to behavioral training.
Magneto-Optical Activity in High Index Dielectric Nanoantennas
Authors: de Sousa N. , Froufe-Pérez L. S. , Sáenz J. J. , García-Martín A.
Published: August 2016

The magneto-optical activity, namely the polarization conversion capabilities of high-index, non-absorbing, core-shell dielectric nanospheres is theoretically analyzed. We show that, in analogy with their plasmonic counterparts, the polarization conversion in resonant dielectric particles is linked to the amount of electromagnetic field probing the magneto-optical material in the system. However, in strong contrast with plasmon nanoparticles, due to the peculiar distribution of the internal fields in resonant dielectric spheres, the magneto-optical response is fully governed by the magnetic (dipolar and quadrupolar) resonances with little effect of the electric ones.
Structural insights into cardiolipin transfer from the Inner membrane to the outer membrane by PbgA in Gram-negative bacteria
Authors: Dong Haohao , Zhang Zhengyu , Tang Xiaodi , Huang Shihai , Li Huanyu , Peng Bo , Dong Changjiang
Published: August 2016

The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is a unique asymmetric lipid bilayer in which the outer leaflet is composed of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the inner leaflet is formed by glycerophospholipid (GPL). The OM plays a fundamental role in protecting Gram-negative bacteria from harsh environments and toxic compounds. The transport and assembly pathways for phospholipids of bacterial OM are unknown. Cardiolipin (CL) plays an important role in OM biogenesis and pathogenesis, and the inner membrane (IM) protein PbgA, containing five transmembrane domains and a globular domain in periplasm has been recently identified as a CL transporter from the IM to the OM with an unknown mechanism. Here we present the first two crystal structures of soluble periplasmic globular domain of PbgA from S. typhimurium and E. coli, which revealed that the globular domains of PbgA resemble the structures of the arylsulfatase protein family and contains a novel core hydrophobic pocket that may be responsible for binding and transporting CLs. Our structural and functional studies shed an important light on the mechanism of CL transport in Gram-negative bacteria from the IM to the OM, which offers great potential for the development of novel antibiotics against multi-drug resistant bacterial infections.
Cu2O Photocathode for Low Bias Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Enabled by NiFe-Layered Double Hydroxide Co-Catalyst
Authors: Qi Huan , Wolfe Jonathan , Fichou Denis , Chen Zhong
Published: August 2016

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are bimetallic hydroxides that currently attract considerable attention as co-catalysts in photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems in view of water splitting under solar light. A wide spectrum of LDHs can be easily prepared on demand by tuning their chemical composition and structural morphology. We describe here the electrochemical growth of NiFe-LDH overlayers on Cu2O electrodes and study their PEC behavior. By using the modified Cu2O/NiFe-LDH electrodes we observe a remarkable seven-fold increase of the photocurrent intensity under an applied voltage as low as −0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl. The origin of such a pronounced effect is the improved electron transfer towards the electrolyte brought by the NiFe-LDH overlayer due to an appropriate energy level alignment. Long-term photostability tests reveal that Cu2O/NiFe-LDH photocathodes show no photocurrent loss after 40 hours of operation under light at −0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl low bias condition. These improved performances make Cu2O/NiFe-LDH a suitable photocathode material for low voltage H2 production. Indeed, after 8 hours of H2 production under −0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl the PEC cell delivers a 78% faradaic efficiency. This unprecedented use of Cu2O/NiFe-LDH as an efficient photocathode opens new perspectives in view of low biasd or self-biased PEC water splitting under sunlight illumination.
Combined effects of cadmium and salinity on juvenile Takifugu obscurus: cadmium moderates salinity tolerance; salinity decreases the toxicity of cadmium
Authors: Wang Jun , Zhu Xuexia , Huang Xin , Gu Lei , Chen Yafen , Yang Zhou
Published: August 2016

Obscure pufferTakifugu obscurus, a species of anadromous fish, experiences several salinity changes in its lifetime. Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that can potentially induce oxidative stress in fish. The present study aimed to detect the combined effects of Cd (0, 5, 10, 20 and 50 mg L−1) and salinity (0, 15 and 30 ppt) on juvenileT. obscurus. Results showed the juveniles could survive well under different salinities; however, with Cd exposure, the survival rates significantly decreased at 0 and 30 ppt. At 15 ppt, tolerance to Cd increased. Cd exposure clearly induced oxidative stress and the responses among different tissues were qualitatively similar. Salinity acted as a protective factor which could reduce the reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde levels. In addition, salinity could enhance the antioxidant defense system, including superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione. Na+/K+–ATPase activity significantly decreased under Cd exposure in gill, kidney and intestine. These findings indicated that Cd could moderate the adaptability of juvenileT. obscurusto high salinity and low salinity played a protective role upon Cd exposure. Thus, the role of salinity should be considered when evaluating the effect of heavy metals on anadromous and estuarine fishes.
Thermal fluctuations affect the transcriptome through mechanisms independent of average temperature
Authors: Sørensen Jesper Givskov , Schou Mads Fristrup , Kristensen Torsten Nygaard , Loeschcke Volker
Published: August 2016

Terrestrial ectotherms are challenged by variation in both mean and variance of temperature. Phenotypic plasticity (thermal acclimation) might mitigate adverse effects, however, we lack a fundamental understanding of the molecular mechanisms of thermal acclimation and how they are affected by fluctuating temperature. Here we investigated the effect of thermal acclimation in Drosophila melanogaster on critical thermal maxima (CTmax) and associated global gene expression profiles as induced by two constant and two ecologically relevant (non-stressful) diurnally fluctuating temperature regimes. Both mean and fluctuation of temperature contributed to thermal acclimation and affected the transcriptome. The transcriptomic response to mean temperatures comprised modification of a major part of the transcriptome, while the response to fluctuations affected a much smaller set of genes, which was highly independent of both the response to a change in mean temperature and to the classic heat shock response. Although the independent transcriptional effects caused by fluctuations were relatively small, they are likely to contribute to our understanding of thermal adaptation. We provide evidence that environmental sensing, particularly phototransduction, is a central mechanism underlying the regulation of thermal acclimation to fluctuating temperatures. Thus, genes and pathways involved in phototransduction are likely of importance in fluctuating climates.
Growth and wetting of water droplet condensed between micron-sized particles and substrate
Authors: Quang Tran Si Bui , Leong Fong Yew , An Hongjie , Tan Beng Hau , Ohl Claus-Dieter
Published: August 2016

We study heterogeneous condensation growth of water droplets on micron-sized particles resting on a level substrate. Through numerical simulations on equilibrium droplet profiles, we find multiple wetting states towards complete wetting of the particle. Specifically, a partially wetting droplet could undergo a spontaneous transition to complete wetting during condensation growth, for contact angles above a threshold minimum. In addition, we find a competitive wetting behavior between the particle and the substrate and interestingly, a reversal of the wetting dependence on contact angles during late stages of droplet growth. Using quasi-steady assumption, we simulate a growing droplet under a constant condensation flux and the results are in good agreement with our experimental observations. As a geometric approximation for particle clusters, we propose and validate a pancake model and with it, show that a particle cluster has greater wetting tendency compared to a single particle. Together, our results indicate a strong interplay between contact angle, capillarity and geometry during condensation growth.
Tuning the anticancer activity of a novel pro-apoptotic peptide using gold nanoparticle platforms
Authors: Akrami Mohammad , Balalaie Saeed , Hosseinkhani Saman , Alipour Mohsen , Salehi Fahimeh , Bahador Abbas , Haririan Ismaeil
Published: August 2016

Pro-apoptotic peptides induce intrinsic apoptosis pathway in cancer cells. However, poor cellular penetration of the peptides is often associated with limited therapeutic efficacy. In this report, a series of peptide-gold nanoparticle platforms were developed to evaluate the anticancer activity of a novel alpha-lipoic acid-peptide conjugate, LA-WKRAKLAK, with respect to size and shape of nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were found to enhance cell internalization as well as anticancer activity of the peptide conjugates. The smaller nanospheres showed a higher cytotoxicity, morphological change and cellular uptake compared to larger nanospheres and nanorods, whereas nanorods showed more hemolytic activity compared to nanospheres. The findings suggested that the anticancer and biological effects of the peptides induced by intrinsic apoptotic pathway were tuned by peptide-functionalized gold nanoparticles (P-AuNPs) as a function of their size and shape.
Suppression of amyloid fibrils using the GroEL apical domain
Authors: Ojha Bimlesh , Fukui Naoya , Hongo Kunihiro , Mizobata Tomohiro , Kawata Yasushi
Published: August 2016

In E. coli cells, rescue of non-native proteins and promotion of native state structure is assisted by the chaperonin GroEL. An important key to this activity lies in the structure of the apical domain of GroEL (GroEL-AD) (residue 191–376), which recognizes and binds non-native protein molecules through hydrophobic interactions. In this study, we investigated the effects of GroEL-AD on the aggregation of various client proteins (α-Synuclein, Aβ42, and GroES) that lead to the formation of distinct protein fibrils in vitro. We found that GroEL-AD effectively inhibited the fibril formation of these three proteins when added at concentrations above a critical threshold; the specific ratio differed for each client protein, reflecting the relative affinities. The effect of GroEL-AD in all three cases was to decrease the concentration of aggregate-forming unfolded client protein or its early intermediates in solution, thereby preventing aggregation and fibrillation. Binding affinity assays revealed some differences in the binding mechanisms of GroEL-AD toward each client. Our findings suggest a possible applicability of this minimal functioning derivative of the chaperonins (the “minichaperones”) as protein fibrillation modulators and detectors.
Parity-time-symmetry enhanced optomechanically-induced-transparency
Authors: Li Wenlin , Jiang Yunfeng , Li Chong , Song Heshan
Published: August 2016

We propose and analyze a scheme to enhance optomechanically-induced-transparency (OMIT) based on parity-time-symmetric optomechanical system. Our results predict that an OMIT window which does not exist originally can appear in weak optomechanical coupling and driving system via coupling an auxiliary active cavity with optical gain. This phenomenon is quite different from these reported in previous works in which the gain is considered just to damage OMIT phenomenon even leads to electromagnetically induced absorption or inverted-OMIT. Such enhanced OMIT effects are ascribed to the additional gain which can increase photon number in cavity without reducing effective decay. We also discuss the scheme feasibility by analyzing recent experiment parameters. Our work provide a promising platform for the coherent manipulation and slow light operation, which has potential applications for quantum information processing and quantum optical device.
Supercritical Fluid Synthesis and Tribological Applications of Silver Nanoparticle-decorated Graphene in Engine Oil Nanofluid
Authors: Meng Yuan , Su Fenghua , Chen Yangzhi
Published: August 2016

Silver nanoparticle-decorated graphene nanocomposites were synthesized by a facile chemical reduction approach with the assistance of supercritical CO2 (ScCO2). The silver nanoparticles with diameters of 2–16 nm are uniformly distributed and firmly anchored on graphene nanosheets. The tribological properties of the as-synthesized nanocomposites as lubricant additives in engine oil were investigated by a four-ball tribometer. The engine oil with 0.06~0.10 wt.% Sc-Ag/GN nanocomposites displays remarkable lubricating performance, superior than the pure engine oil, the engine oil containing zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP), as well as the oil dispersed with the single nanomaterial of graphene oxides (GOs) and nano-Ag particles alone. The remarkable lubricating behaviors of Sc-Ag/GN probably derive from the synergistic interactions of nano-Ag and graphene in the nanocomposite and the action of the formed protective film on the contact balls. The anchored nano-Ag particles on graphene expand the interlamination spaces of graphene nanosheets and can prevent them from restacking during the rubbing process, resulting in the full play of lubricating activity of graphene. The formed protective film on the friction pairs significantly reduces the surface roughness of the sliding balls and hence preventing them from direct interaction during the sliding process.
“Water-in-salt” electrolytes enable the use of cost-effective aluminum current collectors for aqueous high-voltage batteries
Authors: Kühnel R.-S. , Reber D. , Remhof A. , Figi R. , Bleiner D. , Battaglia C.
Published: August 2016

Anodic aluminum dissolution is strongly suppressed in highly concentrated aqueous electrolytes.
An intracellular anchor regulates the distribution of bioactive molecules
Authors: Wang Jianwu , Li Shengliang , Chen Hui , Hu Rong , Li Meng , Lv Fengting , Liu Libing , Ma Yuguo , Wang Shu
Published: August 2016

A pre-targeted anchor strategy was developed to regulate the intracellular distribution of bioactive molecules in specific organelles based on bioorthogonal tetrazine ligation.
A crystalline anionic complex of scandium nitride endometallofullerene: experimental observation of single-bonded (Sc3N@Ih-C80−)2 dimers
Authors: Konarev Dmitri V. , Zorina Leokadiya V. , Khasanov Salavat S. , Popov Alexey A. , Otsuka Akihiro , Yamochi Hideki , Saito Gunzi , Lyubovskaya Rimma N.
Published: August 2016

The Sc3N@Ih-C80˙− radical anions are dimerized in solution to form single-bonded Sc3N@Ih-C80−)2 dimers characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
Accelerated hydration reaction of an unsymmetrical tolan evidenced by a Hg(ii)-trapped macrocycle and its application as a Hg(ii)-selective indicator
Authors: Hong Jung-Ho , Kurapati Sathish , Jo Yunhee , Shin June-Ho , Cho Dong-Gyu
Published: August 2016

Hg(ii)-mediated hydration reactions of unsymmetrical quinoline type tolans were studied and further used for the detection of Hg(ii) in buffered media.
Acceleration of convective dissolution by chemical reaction in a Hele–Shaw cell
Authors: Cherezov Ilia , Cardoso Silvana S. S.
Published: August 2016

Experimental study of the destabilising hydrodynamic effect of a second-order chemical reaction in an immiscible system.
Accurate thermodynamic properties of gas phase hydrogen bonded complexes
Authors: Hansen Anne S. , Maroun Zeina , Mackeprang Kasper , Frandsen Benjamin N. , Kjaergaard Henrik G.
Published: August 2016

The increase in temperature causes a decrease in equilibrium constant, which makes accurate determination of the enthalpy of complex formation possible.
Facile synthesis of three-dimensionally ordered macroporous silicon-doped La0.8K0.2CoO3 perovskite catalysts for soot combustion
Authors: Feng Nengjie , Chen Chong , Meng Jie , Wu Yang , Liu Geng , Wang Lei , Wan Hui , Guan Guofeng
Published: August 2016

Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) silicon-doped La0.8K0.2CoO3 perovskite catalysts were successfully prepared by a colloidal crystal templating method. The catalysts showed a well-ordered macroporous structure and exhibited high activity for soot removal.
Nanoparticles of lanthanide oxysulfate/oxysulfide for improved oxygen storage/release
Authors: Zhang Wuyuan , Arends Isabel. W. C. E. , Djanashvili Kristina
Published: August 2016

Oxygen storage/release ability of lanthanide oxysulfates has been improved significantly by utilization of Ni-doped nanoparticles compared to the bulk materials.
Oral drug-likeness criteria in preclinical species
Authors: Wenlock M. C.
Published: August 2016

This study considers how the estimated in vivo free plasma concentrations for compounds tends to vary between human, dog and rat and proposes empirical-based criteria to aid drug design.
Recycled collagen films as biomaterials for controlled drug delivery
Authors: Gil Camila S. B. , Gil Viviane S. B. , Carvalho Sandhra M. , Silva Gisele R. , Magalhães Juliana T. , Oréfice Rodrigo L. , Mansur Alexandra , Mansur Herman S. , Patricio Patrícia S. O. , Oliveira Luiz C. A.
Published: August 2016

Recyclable collagen is a potential candidate to be used as development prototypes in biomaterial scientific research.
Two conformers of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (AG-1478) disclosed using simulated UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Khattab Muhammad , Chatterjee Subhojyoti , Clayton Andrew H. A. , Wang Feng
Published: August 2016

A quantum mechanical rationale for the observed UV-Vis spectrum of anti-cancer drug AG-1478 was accomplished using two conformers.
Can a Diels–Alder reaction be accelerated in a supersaturated solvent at room temperature?
Authors: Nagare Amit S. , Manna Arpan , Kumar Anil
Published: August 2016

New carbohydrate-based supersaturated solvent for superior rates and high product yields.
Truncated borrelidin analogues: synthesis by sequential cross metathesis/olefination for the southern fragment and biological evaluation
Authors: Gündemir-Durmaz Tülay , Schmid Fabian , El Baz Yana , Häusser Annette , Schneider Carmen , Bilitewski Ursula , Rauhut Guntram , Garnier Delphine , Baro Angelika , Laschat Sabine
Published: August 2016

Borrelidin related derivatives with structurally varied northern and southern fragments.
Mussel-inspired multifunctional supramolecular hydrogels with self-healing, shape memory and adhesive properties
Authors: Li Zhaowen , Lu Wei , Ngai To , Le Xiaoxia , Zheng Jing , Zhao Ning , Huang Youju , Wen Xiufang , Zhang Jiawei , Chen Tao
Published: August 2016

A novel multifunctional supramolecular hydrogel with self-healing, shape memory and adhesive properties is successfully developed on the basis of dynamic phenylboronic acid (PBA)–catechol interactions.
Pharmacophore generation and atom based 3D-QSAR of quinoline derivatives as selective phosphodiesterase 4B inhibitors
Authors: Sharma Vidushi , Kumar Hirdesh , Wakode Sharad
Published: August 2016

Reported PDE4B inhibitors were used to design QSAR based pharmacophore model. Using developed pharmacophore model, virtual screening was performed followed by cross-docking to identify novel PDE4B specific inhibitors.
Advances in C-alkynylation of sugars and its application in organic synthesis
Authors: Tatina Madhu Babu , Hussain Altaf , Dhas Ashtosh Kumar , Mukherjee Debaraj
Published: August 2016

C-Glycosidation plays a significant role in the synthesis of optically active scaffolds.
Droplet generation in cross-flow for cost-effective 3D-printed “plug-and-play” microfluidic devices
Authors: Zhang Jia Ming , Aguirre-Pablo Andres A. , Li Er Qiang , Buttner Ulrich , Thoroddsen Sigurdur T.
Published: August 2016

Novel low-cost 3D-printed plug-and-play microfluidic devices have been developed for droplet generation and applications. By combining a commercial tubing with the printed channel design we can generate well-controlled droplets down to 50 μm.
Implications of designing clarithromycin loaded solid lipid nanoparticles on their pharmacokinetics, antibacterial activity and safety
Authors: Sharma Manu , Gupta Namita , Gupta Sumeet
Published: August 2016

The major obstacles for treatment of intracellular infections with clarithromycin are poor gastrointestinal solubility, short half-life (3–4 h), low oral bioavailability and hepatotoxicity.
A novel hybrid self-assembly process for synthesising stratified polyethylene–organoclay films
Authors: Motedayen Ali Akbar , Guillaume Carole , Gastaldi Emmanuelle , Félix Olivier , Gontard Nathalie
Published: August 2016

This study reports the first effort to synthesize a new type of polyethylene–organoclay multilayer film with subsequent repeating depositions.
Preparation and characterization of Fe3O4@SiO2@TiO2@Pd and Fe3O4@SiO2@TiO2@Pd–Ag nanocomposites and their utilization in enhanced degradation systems and rapid magnetic separation
Authors: Khojasteh Hossein , Salavati-Niasari Masoud , Mazhari Mohammad-Peyman , Hamadanian Masood
Published: August 2016

Two new palladium catalysts immobilized on modified magnetic nanoparticles with titanium dioxide shells were synthesized and characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM, VSM, EDS, DRS and IR techniques.
Synthesis and characterization of LiNi0.48Co0.18Mn0.3Mg0.02Ti0.02O2 as a cathode material for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Mo Yan , Li De , Chen Yong , Cao Bokai , Hou Bo , Zhu Zhuo , Li Jianlin
Published: August 2016

XRD patterns (a) and Rietveld refinement results (b and c) of LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 and LiNi0.48Co0.18Mn0.3Mg0.02Ti0.02O2.
Carbon dioxide affects the phase transition of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)
Authors: Shieh Yeong-Tarng , Zhou Ting-Yu , Kuo Shiao-Wei
Published: August 2016

The effects of atmospheres of CO2 and N2 on the LCST of PNIPAAm in aqueous solution using high-pressure differential scanning calorimetry (HP-DSC).
Regioregularity effect on the self-assembly behavior of poly(3-hexylthiophene): the significance of triad sequence
Authors: Kao Kuei-Yu , Pei Rou-Yuan , Chen Hsin-Lung , Chen Jean-Hong , Chen Show-An
Published: August 2016

The regioregularity index is a key factor governing the self-assembly of P3HT. We show that the configurational sequence plays an equally important role, with two P3HTs bearing an almost identical regioregularity index displaying different self-assembly behaviours.
Facile synthesis of porous organic polymers for the absorption of Pd(ii) ions and organic dyes
Authors: Luo Yanmei , Ran Junhui , Chen Rong , Cheng Xinjian
Published: August 2016

Two kinds of POPs were synthesized with unique porous structures, considerable specific surface areas and high adsorption capacities. The specific surface area and pore diameter could be adjustedviachanging the reaction time and temperature.
Biomass-derived three-dimensional honeycomb-like hierarchical structured carbon for ultrahigh energy density asymmetric supercapacitors
Authors: Shan Dandan , Yang Jiao , Liu Wei , Yan Jun , Fan Zhuangjun
Published: August 2016

3D honeycomb-like hierarchical structured carbon (HSC) has been fabricated by one-step carbonization/activation of abundant and low cost bacterial cellulose for ultrahigh energy density supercapacitors.
High yield and high packing density porous carbon for unprecedented CO2 capture from the first attempt at activation of air-carbonized biomass
Authors: Haffner-Staton Ephraim , Balahmar Norah , Mokaya Robert
Published: August 2016

Biomass-derived air-carbonized carbon is resistant to activation and offers high yields of high packing density activated carbons that exhibit enhanced gravimetric CO2 uptake, which in combination with high packing density results in exceptional volumetric storage.
Adenosine diphosphate involvement in THP-1 maturation triggered by the contact allergen 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene
Authors: Martins J. D. , Silva A. , Ferreira I. , Gonçalo M. , Custódio J. B. A. , Lopes M. C. , Domingues M. R. M. , Neves B. M. , Cruz M. T.
Published: August 2016

The importance of purinergic signaling to dendritic cell maturation in the presence of contact allergens was explored using THP-1 cells.
Clustering multivariate time series based on Riemannian manifold
Authors: Sun Jiancheng
Published: August 2016

An approach for clustering multivariate time series (MTS) is presented in cases of variable length, noisy data or mix of different type variables. First the covariance matrices are estimated which is used as a feature to represent the MTS, then project the covariance matrices from a Riemannian manifold into a tangent space and finally carry out the clustering based on a distance matrix. In this procedure, a geodesic‐based distance is also introduced for measuring the similarity between the MTS samples. The proposed approach on a chaotic MTS with known clustering structure, namely Lorenz system is evaluated.
SDP‐based approach to monocular reconstruction of inextensible surfaces
Authors: Hosseini S. Jafar , Araujo Helder
Published: August 2016

This study addresses the problem of monocular reconstruction of surfaces that deform isometrically, using points tracked in a single image. To tackle this problem, a flat three‐dimensional (3D) shape of the surface and its image are used as template. Such deformations are characterised by certain geometric constraints and to reconstruct the surfaces, these constraints have to be properly exploited. Therefore, the authors propose an algebraic formula that aims at the joint expression of the geometric constraints, namely those based on the differential properties and also those based on the upper‐bound model. This expression is, in fact, a unique formulation that results from integrating these two types of constraints, and leads to the intended reconstructions, even when the surface is not strictly isometric. The template shape is used to set the parameters of the expression, which is then optimised (along with the projection equations) by means of a semi‐definite programming (SDP) problem. This optimisation enables the estimation of 3D positions of the points on the surface. However, and for implementation purposes, this optimisation is applied separately to patches which, together, make up the whole surface. The experimental results show that the proposed approach improves the results from other methods in terms of accuracy.
Discrete cosine transform‐based predictive model extended in the least‐squares sense for hourly load forecasting
Authors: Yang Zong‐Chang
Published: August 2016

Electric load forecasting is essential to economic operation and power system control in the electric power industry. Modelling and forecasts for different time horizons are of increasingly importance for different operations. Discrete cosine transform (DCT) is one Fourier‐related computational technique. It is widely used in signal and image processing for its remarkable characteristics on optimal decorrelation and energy compaction. From time‐series analysis perspective, this study proposes a DCT‐based predictive model for forecasting hourly load movement. Based on finite hourly load observations, the proposed DCT‐based predictive model combines with the least‐squares approach to get the optimum DCT coefficients, which are approximated in the least‐squares sense. Then the obtained least‐squares‐optimum DCT coefficients are employed for forecast modelling to predict the load future movement. Experimental results and analysis show workability of the proposed forecast modelling. It is indicated that the DCT‐based least‐squares predictive model predicts hourly load movement most fitting with about 12‐term DCT coefficients.
Kernelised supervised context hashing
Authors: Li Yun‐Qiang , Zha Yu‐Fei , Qin Bing , Tian Jun , Liu Chang
Published: August 2016

Most existing supervised hashing methods learn the affinity‐preserving binary codes to represent the high‐dimensional data. However, each hashing code is assumed as independent and irrelevant with other codes. In practice, the authors find that there exists context association among hashing bits. This study proposes a novel hashing method dubbed kernelised supervised context hashing, which considers the hashing codes interrelation to reduce the quantisation. In this work, the kernel formulation is employed to tackle the high‐dimensional data which is mostly linear inseparable first; and then different distributions are utilised to describe the binary codes context; finally, the hashing codes can be approximated by gradient descent method iteratively. Therefore, the correlation between the hash codes is integrated to redefine the metric measurement (i.e. Hamming affinity) to preserve the data similarity in the raw space. The authors evaluate the proposed method on three image benchmarks CIFAR‐10, MNIST and NUS‐WIDE for image retrieval, and experimental results show that it achieves better performance than several other state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Haze removal for a single inland waterway image using sky segmentation and dark channel prior
Authors: Liu Wei , Chen Xianqiao , Chu Xiumin , Wu Yirong , Lv Jingwen
Published: August 2016

Haze significantly degrades the visibility for ship navigation and traffic monitoring in China's inland waterways. In this study, the authors propose a novel haze‐removal method based on sky segmentation and dark channel prior to restore images. Sky segmentation is accomplished by using robust image matting and region growth algorithms. Then, the average image intensity of the sky region is chosen as the atmospheric light value to address the defect of dark channel prior. Experimental results show that their method can restore inland waterway images effectively; restored images are more natural and smoother than those obtained by the state‐of‐the‐art haze removal algorithms.