bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimized coordinates in vibrational coupled cluster calculations
Authors: Thomsen Bo , Yagi Kiyoshi , Christiansen Ove
Published: April 2014

The use of variationally optimized coordinates, which minimize the vibrational self-consistent field (VSCF) ground state energy with respect to orthogonal transformations of the coordinates, has recently been shown to improve the convergence of vibrational configuration interaction (VCI) towards the exact full VCI [K. Yagi, M. Keçeli, and S. Hirata, J. Chem. Phys. 137, 204118 (2012)]. The present paper proposes an incorporation of optimized coordinates into the vibrational coupled cluster (VCC), which has in the past been shown to outperform VCI in approximate calculations where similar restricted state spaces are employed in VCI and VCC. An embarrassingly parallel algorithm for variational optimization of coordinates for VSCF is implemented and the resulting coordinates and potentials are introduced into a VCC program. The performance of VCC in optimized coordinates (denoted oc-VCC) is examined through pilot applications to water, formaldehyde, and a series of water clusters (dimer, trimer, and hexamer) by comparing the calculated vibrational energy levels with those of the conventional VCC in normal coordinates and VCI in optimized coordinates. For water clusters, in particular, oc-VCC is found to gain orders of magnitude improvement in the accuracy, exemplifying that the combination of optimized coordinates localized to each monomer with the size-extensive VCC wave function provides a supreme description of systems consisting of weakly interacting sub-systems.
Hom Gel'fand-Dorfman bialgebras and Hom-Lie conformal algebras
Authors: Yuan Lamei
Published: April 2014

The aim of this paper is to introduce the notions of Hom Gel'fand-Dorfman bialgebra and Hom-Lie conformal algebra. In this paper, we give four constructions of Hom Gel'fand-Dorfman bialgebras. Also, we provide a general construction of Hom-Lie conformal algebras from Hom-Lie algebras. Finally, we prove that a Hom Gel'fand-Dorfman bialgebra is equivalent to a Hom-Lie conformal algebra of degree 2.
Magnetic approaches to study collective three-dimensional cell mechanics in long-term cultures (invited)
Authors: Zhao Ruogang , Boudou Thomas , Wang Wei-Gang , Chen Christopher S. , Reich Daniel H.
Published: April 2014

Contractile forces generated by cells and the stiffness of the surrounding extracellular matrix are two central mechanical factors that regulate cell function. To characterize the dynamic evolution of these two mechanical parameters during tissue morphogenesis, we developed a magnetically actuated micro-mechanical testing system in which fibroblast-populated collagen microtissues formed spontaneously in arrays of microwells that each contains a pair of elastomeric microcantilevers. We characterized the magnetic actuation performance of this system and evaluated its capacity to support long-term cell culture. We showed that cells in the microtissues remained viable during prolonged culture periods of up to 15 days, and that the mechanical properties of the microtissues reached and maintained at a stable state after a fast initial increase stage. Together, these findings demonstrate the utility of this microfabricated bio-magneto-mechanical system in extended mechanobiological studies in a physiologically relevant 3D environment.
Lithium intercalation in sputter deposited antimony-doped tin oxide thin films: Evidence from electrochemical and optical measurements
Authors: Montero J. , Guillén C. , Granqvist C. G. , Herrero J. , Niklasson G. A.
Published: April 2014

Transparent conducting oxides are used as transparent electrical contacts in a variety of applications, including in electrochromic smart windows. In the present work, we performed a study of transparent conducting antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) thin films by chronopotentiometry in a Li+-containing electrolyte. The open circuit potential vs. Li was used to investigate ATO band lineups, such as those of the Fermi level and the ionization potential, as well as the dependence of these lineups on the preparation conditions for ATO. Evidence was found for Li+ intercalation when a current pulse was set in a way so as to drive ions from the electrolyte into the ATO lattice. Galvanostatic intermittent titration was then applied to determine the lithium diffusion coefficient within the ATO lattice. The electrochemical density of states of the conducting oxide was studied by means of the transient voltage recorded during the chronopotentiometry experiments. These measurements were possible because, as Li+ intercalation took place, charge compensating electrons filled the lowest part of the conduction band in ATO. Furthermore, the charge insertion modified the optical properties of ATO according to the Drude model.
Preventing light-induced degradation in multicrystalline silicon
Authors: Lindroos J. , Boulfrad Y. , Yli-Koski M. , Savin H.
Published: April 2014

Multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) is currently dominating the silicon solar cell market due to low ingot costs, but its efficiency is limited by transition metals, extended defects, and light-induced degradation (LID). LID is traditionally associated with a boron-oxygen complex, but the origin of the degradation in the top of the commercial mc-Si brick is revealed to be interstitial copper. We demonstrate that both a large negative corona charge and an aluminum oxide thin film with a built-in negative charge decrease the interstitial copper concentration in the bulk, preventing LID in mc-Si.
Plasmonic modes and extinction properties of a random nanocomposite cylinder
Authors: Moradi Afshin
Published: April 2014

We study the properties of surface plasmon-polariton waves of a random metal-dielectric nanocomposite cylinder, consisting of bulk metal embedded with dielectric nanoparticles. We use the Maxwell-Garnett formulation to model the effective dielectric function of the composite medium and show that there exist two surface mode bands. We investigate the extinction properties of the system, and obtain the dependence of the extinction spectrum on the nanoparticles’ shape and concentration as well as the cylinder radius and the incidence angle for both TE and TM polarization.
On-chip focusing in the mid-infrared: Demonstrated with ring quantum cascade lasers
Authors: Szedlak Rolf , Schwarzer Clemens , Zederbauer Tobias , Detz Hermann , Maxwell Andrews Aaron , Schrenk Werner , Strasser Gottfried
Published: April 2014

We report on collimated emission beams from substrate emitting ring quantum cascade lasers with an on-chip focusing element fabricated into the bottom side of the device. It is formed by a gradient index metamaterial layer, realized by etching subwavelength holes into the substrate. The generated optical path length difference for rays emitted under different angles from the ring waveguide flattens the wavefront and focuses the light. Our far field measurements show an increased peak intensity corresponding to 617% of the initial value without the focusing element. Far field calculations, based on a Fourier transformation of the metamaterial area, are in good agreement with our experimental data.
Origin of the fill factor loss in bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells
Authors: Wu Lili , Zang Huidong , Hsiao Yu-Che , Zhang Xitian , Hu Bin
Published: April 2014

In this paper, the decrease of fill factor with increase of light illumination intensity was investigated through light assisted impedance studies based on ITO/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly (styrene sulfonate)/[poly(3-hexylthiophene):1-(3-methyloxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl(6,6)C61 (P3HT:PCBM)]/Ca/Al solar cells. It was found that the charge accumulation at the electrode interface causes a decrease in parallel resistance (Rp), consequently a reduction in fill factor. Moreover, it has also been found that the photocurrent loss near the open-circuit voltage through bimolecular recombination also leads to the reduction of fill factor with increasing light intensity in P3HT:PCBM solar cells.
The effective density of randomly moving electrons and related characteristics of materials with degenerate electron gas
Authors: Palenskis V.
Published: April 2014

Interpretation of the conductivity of metals, of superconductors in the normal state and of semiconductors with highly degenerate electron gas remains a significant issue if consideration is based on the classical statistics. This study is addressed to the characterization of the effective density of randomly moving electrons and to the evaluation of carrier diffusion coefficient, mobility, and other parameters by generalization of the widely published experimental results. The generalized expressions have been derived for various kinetic parameters attributed to the non-degenerate and degenerate electron gas, by analyzing a random motion of the single type carriers in homogeneous materials. The values of the most important kinetic parameters for different metals are also systematized and discussed. It has been proved that Einstein's relation between the diffusion coefficient and the drift mobility of electrons is held for any level of degeneracy if the effective density of randomly moving carriers is properly taken into account.
Remembering Ruth: the voice, the face, the work and the silence
Authors: Manghezi Alpheus
Published: April 2014

This article begins by evoking Ruth First's influence on South Africa, and later in Mozambique, in compelling personal terms. Ruth First was an important commentator on the Alexandra Bus Boycott of 1957, in which the author participated. Some 20 years later, the author was recruited by First to the CEA, where he worked with Ruth First and others on labour migration, forced labour and on the newly established communal villages and agricultural producer cooperatives. First, although heavily involved in administration, nevertheless managed to find time for fieldwork of this kind. The author contributed to ongoing fieldwork at the CEA, and his results were fed into the teaching through his contribution of interviews, work songs and other material for the Mozambican Miner, later published as Black Gold. Examples are given of the directness of Ruth's criticisms, and of her sympathy for ordinary Mozambicans. The article concludes with recollections of responses made to the author on Ruth's death.
From exile to the thick of the struggle: Ruth First and the problems of national liberation, international sanctions and revolutionary agency
Authors: Zeilig Leo
Published: April 2014

Much of Ruth First's work examined the projects for radical transformation of Africa's political economy. She was aware of the failures of independence, writing in 1970 that decolonisation had been little more than ‘a bargaining process with cooperative African elites’. But she remained an enthusiastic advocate of some of these ‘projects’ on the continent. In 1977 she moved to Maputo to contribute to the socialist transformation of the country. This paper looks at First's contribution to the critical appraisal of independence in Africa and her own commitment to the transition to socialism in Mozambique. In this commitment are many of First's greatest strengths, but also some limitations and contradictions. The paper also presents a biographical account of Ruth First's astute enquiries into the development of capitalism in Southern Africa and the two-stage theory of revolution.
Genetic approaches to generate hyper-producing strains of goadsporin: the relationships between productivity and gene duplication in secondary metabolite biosynthesis
Authors: Haginaka Kentaro , Asamizu Shumpei , Ozaki Taro , Igarashi Yasuhiro , Furumai Tamotsu , Onaka Hiroyasu
Published: April 2014

Improving the productivity of secondary metabolites is highly beneficial for the utilization of natural products. Here, we found that gene duplication of the goadsporin biosynthetic gene locus resulted in hyper-production. Goadsporin is a linear azole containing peptide that is biosynthesized via a ribosome-mediated pathway in Streptomyces sp. TP-A0584. Recombinant strains containing duplicated or triplicated goadsporin biosynthetic gene clusters produced 1.46- and 2.25-fold more goadsporin than the wild-type strain. In a surrogate host, Streptomyces lividans, chromosomal integration of one or two copies of the gene cluster led to 342.7 and 593.5 mg/L of goadsporin production. Expression of godI, a self-resistance gene, and of godR, a pathway-specific transcriptional regulator, under a constitutive promoter gave 0.79- and 2.12-fold higher goadsporin production than the wild-type strain. Our experiments indicated that a proportional relationship exists between goadsporin production per culture volume and the copy number of the biosynthetic gene cluster.
Synthesis and pharmacokinetic characterization of a pH-sensitive polyethylene glycol ginsenoside CK (PEG-CK) conjugate
Authors: Mathiyalagan Ramya , Subramaniyam Sathiyamoorthy , Kim Yeon Ju , Natarajan Sathishkumar , Min Jin Woo , Kim Se Young , Yang Deok Chun
Published: April 2014

The ginsenosides in Panax ginseng have vast structural and pharmacological efficacies. We covalently conjugated polyethylene glycol on the surface of CK (PEG-CK) through an acid-labile ester-linkage that showed increased solubility of CK. HPLC analysis showed that the release of CK was enhanced at acidic pH 5, whereas it was dramatically decreased at physiological pH 7.4. This might enhance the efficacy of CK.
BPG3 is a novel chloroplast protein that involves the greening of leaves and related to brassinosteroid signaling
Authors: Yoshizawa Eriko , Kaizuka Mai , Yamagami Ayumi , Higuchi-Takeuchi Mieko , Matsui Minami , Kakei Yusuke , Shimada Yukihisa , Sakuta Masaaki , Osada Hiroyuki , Asami Tadao , Nakano Takeshi
Published: April 2014

Brassinosteroids are plant steroid hormones that regulate plant organs and chloroplast development. The detailed molecular mechanism for plant development by BR signaling is yet to be revealed, and many points regarding the relationship between BR signaling and chloroplast development remain unknown. We identify here the dominant mutant Brz-insensitive-pale green3-1D (bpg3-1D) from the Arabidopsis FOX lines that show reduced sensitivity to the chlorophyll accumulation promoted by the BR biosynthesis inhibitor, Brassinazole (Brz), in the light. BPG3 encodes a novel chloroplast protein that is evolutionally conserved in bacteria, algae, and higher plants. The expression of BPG3 was induced by light and Brz. The inhibition of electron transport in photosystem II of the chloroplasts was detected in bpg3-1D. These results suggest that BPG3 played an important role in regulating photosynthesis in the chloroplast under BR signaling.
Recruitment, counter-recruitment and critical military studies
Authors: Rech Matthew F.
Published: April 2014

Despite constituting the formal mechanism by which states and militaries persuade and enrol their personnel, military recruitment is poorly understood in the social and political sciences. Tied either to a normative and partisan sociology which aims to provide applied solutions for recruitment and retention programmes, or subsumed under a broad banner, by critical scholars, of a global ‘cultural condition’ of militarisation, studies of recruitment lack the rigour they should be afforded. In exploring these issues, the paper offers a vision of critical military studies which takes seriously the efforts of counter-military recruiting activist and protest movements in the US and UK. Counter-recruitment activism is billed as the most practical way to resist policies of militarism and militarisation. In promoting locally situated, practical solutions to the effects of militarised cultures (often as part of activism in schools), it aims to expose the relationship between, and acts to correct, both local and global injustices. In reviewing the practical and conceptual basis for counter-recruiting strategies, and speaking to broader movements in feminist scholarship on militarisation, the paper demonstrates the importance of critical studies of military recruitment, and in so doing, argues for a critical military studies which is situated amidst the people and places militarism affects.
Cupping with random sets
Authors: Day Adam , Miller Joseph
Published: April 2014

We prove that a set is

K
K

-trivial if and only if it is not weakly ML-cuppable. Further, we show that a set below zero jump is

K
K

-trivial if and only if it is not ML-cuppable. These results settle a question of Kučera, who introduced both cuppability notions.
“I’m Sorry for What I’ve Done”
Authors: Gruber M. Catherine
Published: April 2014

This book examines fifty-two apologetic allocutions produced during federal sentencing hearings. Defendants raised the topics of the offense, mitigation, future behavior, and the sentence in diverse ways, and this book explores the pros and cons associated with different forms. Because we have no way of ascertaining exactly how effective (or ineffective) an individual allocution is, case law, sociolinguistic and historical resources, and judges’ final remarks are used to develop hypotheses about defendants’ communicative goals as well as what might constitute an ideal defendant stance from a judge’s point of view. Defendants’ actual statements are assessed against this backdrop. The corpus is unique because the transcripts used for this study include paralinguistic features such as hesitations, wavering voice, and crying while talking. Among its highlights, the book proposes that although a ritualized apology formula (e.g., “I’m sorry” or “I apologize”) would appear to be a good fit for the context of allocution and even to be expected, the use of such formulas carries implications in this context that do not serve defendants' communicative goals. The book argues that the application of Austin’s (1962) performative-constative continuum reveals that offense-related utterances that fall closer to the constative end are more consistent with the discursive constraints on the speech event of allocution. Further, it proposes that the ideologies associated with allocution, in particular the belief that allocution functions as a protection for defendants, obscure the ways in which the context constrains what defendants can say and how effectively they can say it.
The Context of Federal Sentencing Hearings
Authors: Gruber M. Catherine
Published: April 2014

This chapter explores the context of federal sentencing hearings, including the history of allocution and the language ideologies surrounding this tradition. I show how the practice of giving defendants an opportunity to speak before sentence is imposed has long been understood as a protection for defendants. In contrast, this study proposes that allocution offers significant benefits for the state and limited benefits for defendants. One reason for this is that the Federal Sentencing Guidelines (which, although no longer mandatory, are still applied in most cases) fundamentally limit the impact that an allocution can have on a defendant’s sentence. Ironically, in some capital cases, where a defendant’s allocution could make the difference between life and death, allocution has been rendered meaningless due to rules that prohibit juries from hearing the unsworn testimony of an allocution. The chapter closes with an examination of the three courtrooms in which the data were collected.
Indefinite Imposters
Authors: Rojas Violeta Vázquez
Published: April 2014

In Spanish, the expression un servidor — "servant" — is commonly used to make reference to the speaker of an utterance, but it displays the third-person features of a regular determiner phrase. the author shows that, despite being headed by an indefinite determiner, un servidor has the distribution of definite phrases and it is excluded from existential contexts in its first-person interpretation. This supports the idea, put forth in Collins and Postal (2012), that full DPs that make reference to participants of the speech act contain a covert pronoun. The chapter proposes that the DPs that can enter these imposter structures must refer to capacities, and as such, have to be related to a particular situation that is deictically anchored to the speech act.
Aspects of the intonational phonology of Jamaican Creole
Authors: Gooden Shelome
Published: April 2014

Jamaican Creole has a stress-accent system, unlike Creoles like Saramaccan or Papiamentu. Lexical prominence is realized by stress with no lexically specified F0. Postlexical pitch accents are monotonal or bitonal and are associated with syllables with primary stress. Boundary tones mark higher level prosodic constituents associated with phrases edges.
Methodology of studying intonation: from data collection to data analysis
Authors: Jun Sun-Ah , Fletcher Janet
Published: April 2014

This chapter describes the methodology of studying intonation from data collection (in the lab and in the field) to data analysis within the Autosegmental-Metrical model of intonational phonology. For data analysis, the chapter provides ways to characterize intonational tunes in terms of distinctive tonal categories and prosodic structure.
Introducing the data
Authors: Durkin Philip
Published: April 2014

Past estimates of the numbers of loanwords from different sources in the vocabulary of English are surveyed. Totals of loanwords from different languages as reflected by the Oxford English Dictionary are examined, and issues to be considered when making use of such data are outlined. To give a clearer picture of loanword influence on the core lexicon, high-frequency words and basic vocabulary are looked at separately. The 1,000 most frequent words in the contemporary English British National Corpus are examined with respect to their language of origin and date of first attestation in English, using data from the OED. Additionally, the concept of basic vocabulary is introduced, and the words that realize the meanings found in a very large basic meaning list are also examined for their language of origin and date of first attestation. Both sets of data suggest two important areas of focus: firstly, the significant contribution of early borrowings from Scandinavian languages to the inner core of the most frequent words with the most basic meanings; and secondly, the massive contribution of words borrowed from French and Latin to high-frequency and basic vocabularies of English, as well as to the general lexicon.
Identifying Scandinavian borrowings and assessing their impact
Authors: Durkin Philip
Published: April 2014

The criteria for identifying Scandinavian loanwords in English are reviewed in detail. Formal criteria are considered first, with the discussion covering words distinct in sound from their native cognates; borrowings with a different derivational morphology from a cognate; words with no native cognate where formal grounds indicate borrowing; and borrowings that preserve aspects of Scandinavian morphology. This is followed by a consideration of how loanwords can be identified on grounds other than word form. The discussion is complemented by brief sections on two categories of non-borrowed words that show Scandinavian influence: firstly, cases of apparent substitution of Scandinavian sounds in native words, and secondly words that probably show semantic influence from Scandinavian. The chapter concludes with a survey of different types of evidence that round out an assessment of the impact of Scandinavian loanwords on the English lexicon: the regional distribution of Scandinavian words; Scandinavian borrowings in the core vocabulary; the relationships of Scandinavian-derived lexis with other English words; and finally, borrowed word-forming elements. The chapter is followed by a brief summary of the main conclusions from chapters 9 and 10.
Computer-assisted studies
Authors: Ladd Mark
Published: April 2014

This short chapter introduces and explains the operation of the computer programs specially devised to assist in the study of the text and the solving of the problems. It covers the derivations of point groups, recognition of point groups (interactive), internal and Cartesian coordinates, molecular geometry, best plane fit, reduction of a representation in point group D6h, unit cell reduction, matrix operations, and zone symbols/Miller indices. The programs can be accessed online according to the publisher’s instructions
The Legislation of Islam
Authors: Feener R. Michael
Published: April 2014

This chapter discusses the development of Islamic legislation in Aceh over the past half-century, as well as the form and content of the laws currently in force. Tracing the successive development of earlier attempts at legislating aspects of Islamic law in Aceh, it demonstrates the extent to which the particular concerns and goals of the current Shariʿa system are not unprecedented impositions by the Indonesian central government, but actually reflect earlier attempts of certain segments of Aceh’s Islamic leadership to advance an agenda of prescriptive social reform through the modern legislative apparatus of the state. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the controversial Shariʿa Criminal Code (Qanun Jinayat) passed by the provincial legislature in 2009, and its place within broader discussions of politics, law, and religion in Aceh.
The Principle of Loyalty in EU Law
Authors: Klamert Marcus
Published: April 2014

The book offers the first treatment in English to provide a thorough examination of the legal duties falling under the principle of loyalty in EU public law. Despite its seemingly innocuous wording, in what is now Article 4 (3) TEU, the principle of sincere cooperation has had a significant impact in deepening the reach of EU law within the Member States. The principle has been central to the development of Union law since the 1960s, and is still being relied on by the European Court of Justice to often-controversial effect. Providing a thorough discussion of the principle of loyalty in EU law, this book introduces a novel classification of the very diverse roles loyalty plays in the EU. It distinguishes between the effects loyalty prescribes for interlocking the legal orders of the Member States with Union law (cohesion), its application in preventing and resolving conflicts between the Union and the Member States (cooperation), and the loyalty principle’s role in the shaping of EU law (construction). It addresses important and yet unresolved questions pertaining to loyalty, such as its relation to the principles of solidarity, effectiveness, fidelity, pre-emption, the Union interest, institutional balance, and the unity of international representation. The book explains why the principle of loyalty has been neglected in the prevailing narratives about the constitutionalization of EU law, places it in its international context, examining how it has influenced EU law and the comparisons that can be drawn with national and international principles of law.
A Primer on Union Competences
Authors: Klamert Marcus
Published: April 2014

Chapter 7 discusses the situation regarding the distribution of competence following the Lisbon Treaty. Several unresolved issues pertaining to what have hitherto been called ‘implied’ external competences are addressed. It is shown that the codification of complex principles such as the ERTA effect raise some fundamental questions on the wisdom of codifying case law in general and this regime on exclusive competence in particular. It examines whether we should still refer to ‘concurrent’ competences, and whether implied external competences continue to exist after the Lisbon Treaty. The nature of the ERTA effect and the rules it requires to operate, the Opinion 1/76 principle, the ILO principle, and the WTO principle are discussed in detail. This Chapter also explores the differences in the required degree of correlation of the scope of Union rules and the scope of the duty of abstention between exclusivity superveniens, the ERTA effect and the ILO effect.
Introduction
Authors: Klamert Marcus
Published: April 2014

The Introduction explains the methodology used in the book, which involves the explication of unclear or inconsistent legal concepts. It also lays out the structure of the book, contrasting it with the approach common to most of the existent literature on the subject. Thus, a part on Cohesion deals with the role of loyalty as the rationale for the intervention of Union law in national law by instruments such as direct and indirect effect. A part on Cooperation is concerned with the delimitation of powers between the EU institutions and the Member States in matters such as supporting competences and mixed agreements. A final part on Construction discusses the role of loyalty in resolving conflicts within the EU and in relation to the Member States, the legal nature of loyalty, and how it relates to effectiveness and effet utile.
From Jus In Bello to Jus Post Bellum
Authors: Bartels Rogier
Published: April 2014

This chapter discusses how to identify the moment when the law dealing with situations of armed conflict (jus in bello or international humanitarian law) ceases to apply and makes way for the law governing the period after the conflict ends. Neither the end of non-international armed conflicts nor the end of the temporal scope of international humanitarian law is defined in treaty law. This chapter proposes using the criteria and identifying factors for the lower threshold at the start of non-international armed conflicts to determine when such conflicts end and when international humanitarian law no longer applies. The chapter describes the challenges in using these criteria and factors, and sets out a modified framework that can serve to identify when the fighting between the parties to the conflict drops below the threshold of intensity and organization and when it thus ceases to be a non-international armed conflict.
Jus Post Bellum and the Politics of Exit
Authors: Zaum Dominik
Published: April 2014

The chapter examines whether key exit mechanisms and instruments, transition policies, and the negotiations between external and local actors over the transition of political authority are shaped by jus post bellum concerns. It suggests that while exit practices are not explicitly guided by jus post bellum norms, related normative frameworks, especially about local ownership and about the character of political institutions and relationships, have shaped the timing of exit, key exit mechanisms, and transition planning mechanisms. The chapter first examines the evolution of the debate about exit from peace operations; second, it examines specific exit mechanisms, including exit benchmarks and UN planning instruments for exit and transition; and third, it examines the impact that such norms have had on decisions on the timing of exit. The chapter concludes with a reflection on the impact of jus post bellum norms on exit, and on the implications of this for peace operations.
Facilitating Post-Conflict Reconstruction
Authors: Baetens Freya
Published: April 2014

The UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), an intergovernmental advisory body, was created as an institutional mechanism addressing the needs of states emerging from conflict. This chapter examines the PBC’s legal and institutional framework, its performance so far, its key relationships with international and regional actors, and the critical conclusions of the 2010 Review Committee. The underlying question is: how can international organizations contribute to the development of guidelines for conflict termination? The chapter analyses how the PBC could help ensure that peacekeeping operations are not executed in vain. This Commission has important tools at its disposal and significant regional support. Hence, it could fill an institutional gap in the coordination of post-conflict efforts towards peacebuilding, but so far it largely marks a missed opportunity in terms of furthering local ownership, mutual accountability, and sustainable development—thereby losing out on a chance to advance jus post bellum.
The Law of the Executive Branch
Authors: Louis Fisher
Published: April 2014

The scope of presidential authority has been a constant focus of constitutional dispute since the Framing. The bases for presidential appointment and removal, the responsibility of the Executive to choose between the will of Congress and the President, the extent of unitary powers over the military, even the ability of the President to keep secret the identity of those consulted in policy making decisions have all been the subject of intense controversy. The scope of that power and the manner of its exercise affect not only the actions of the President and the White House staff, but also all staff employed by the executive agencies. There is a clear need to examine the law of the entire executive branch. This book places the law of the executive branch firmly in the context of constitutional language, framers' intent, and more than two centuries of practice. The book strives to separate legitimate from illegitimate sources of power, through analysis that is informed by litigation as well as shaped by presidential initiatives, statutory policy, judicial interpretations, and public and international pressures. Each provision of the US Constitution is analyzed to reveal its contemporary meaning in concert with the application of presidential power. Controversial issues covered in the book include: unilateral presidential wars; the state secrets privilege; extraordinary rendition; claims of “inherent” presidential powers that may not be checked by other branches; and executive privilege.
Two Election and Removal of the President
Authors: Louis Fisher
Published: April 2014

This chapter discusses the constitutional provisions for choosing the president by electors; eligibility to the Office of President; the number of terms a President could serve; compensation and emoluments; the President's oath; disability and death; the Twenty-Fifth Amendment; the Vice President; impeachment and censure; and executive immunity.
Six Budgetary Duties
Authors: Louis Fisher
Published: April 2014

This chapter discusses the basic principles of the spending power; confidential and covert spending; the President's duty to submit a national budget; presidential refusal to spend appropriated funds (impoundment); the Budget Act of 1974; President Reagan and the Gramm–Rudman Act; the Iran-Contra affair; and the failure of the elected branches to control national deficits.
Beyond Social Investment. Which Concepts and Values for Social Policy-making in Europe?
Authors: Cantillon Bea
Published: April 2014

This chapter summarizes the main findings and put them into the perspective of the changed post-war balance between growth, employment and social inclusion. Clearly, the experience in the EU before the crisis is indicative of though trade-offs between employment-centred welfare reform, social investment and poverty reduction. Disappointing poverty trends in Europe not only signal structural difficulties of developed welfare states today to reduce income poverty, but also limitations of the newpolicy paradigm itself to overcome these deficiencies. Social investment entails the danger of instrumentalisation and undervaluation of social redistribution and of the underestimation of the trade-offs welfare states are confronted with. The new policy paradigm is an important stepping stone towards social progress on the condition that a better distribution of jobs, adequate social protection and care, effective social redistribution supported by social innovation are part and parcel of the investment strategy, and vice versa.
Thutmose III in Asia
Authors: Manassa Colleen
Published: April 2014

The story Thutmose III in Asia possesses significant intertextualities with the story The Capture of Joppa and the Battle of Kadesh “poem.” Composed during the Nineteenth Dynasty, yet set during the reign of Thutmose III, Thutmose III in Asia appears in a single papyrus copy, Turin 1940+1941, with only one well-preserved column. The unplaced fragments, a previously unread section at the beginning of the tale, and several elements within the narrative all point towards the story being a fictional version of the Battle of Megiddo. The quotation of part of the Kadesh Battle poem in the story suggests that the author intended to equate the two warrior pharaohs Ramesses II and Thutmose III and their military achievements in the Battle of Kadesh and Battle of Megiddo respectively.
Inferring past demographic changes in a critically endangered marine fish after fishery collapse
Authors: Valenzuela-Quiñonez Fausto , Garza John Carlos , De-Anda-Montañez Juan A. , García-de-León Francisco J.
Published: April 2014

Several worldwide marine fish stocks need to recover from collapse or overexploitation. However, the effects of a fishery collapse at the genetic level are still largely unknown, as is the extent of reduction in genetic diversity caused by fisheries and the consequences for extinction risk. Here we present a case study of totoaba, the first marine fish considered as critically endangered. We assessed 16 microsatellite loci to determine whether the demographic collapse of the species resulted in a loss of genetic diversity. Our data indicate that genetic diversity of totoaba is in the range of values observed for fish with similar biological traits without a documented fishery collapse. Contemporary demographic analysis indicated no loss of genetic diversity. Long-term genealogical analysis showed a substantial reduction in effective population size. However, the time and causal effects for population decline cannot be inferred because of the large uncertainty in estimates. Our results indicate that the totoaba in the Gulf of California has not suffered a measurable contemporary reduction in genetic diversity, and that genetic diversity is driven by long-term climatic events. Estimates of current effective size indicate that it is large enough that genetic factors may not be a major problem for conservation. We conclude that the recent fishery collapse of totoaba did not have sufficient consequences at the genetic level to increase the risk of extinction from genetic drift. However, selective effects of fishing on the adaptive potential in totoaba remain unclear.
Limb Remote Ischemic Preconditioning Attenuates Lung Injury after Pulmonary Resection under Propofol–Remifentanil Anesthesia
Authors: Li Cai , Xu Miao , Wu Yan , Li Yun-Sheng , Huang Wen-Qi , Liu Ke-Xuan
Published: April 2014

Background:

Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) may confer the protection in critical organs. The authors hypothesized that limb RIPC would reduce lung injury in patients undergoing pulmonary resection.

Methods:

In a randomized, prospective, parallel, controlled trial, 216 patients undergoing elective thoracic pulmonary resection under one-lung ventilation with propofol–remifentanil anesthesia were randomized 1:1 to receive either limb RIPC or conventional lung resection (control). Three cycles of 5-min ischemia/5-min reperfusion induced by a blood pressure cuff served as RIPC stimulus. The primary outcome was Pao
2/Fio
2. Secondary outcomes included other pulmonary variables, the incidence of in-hospital complications, markers of oxidative stress, and inflammatory response.

Results:

Limb RIPC significantly increased Pao
2/Fio
2 compared with control at 30 and 60 min after one-lung ventilation, 30 min after re-expansion, and 6 h after operation (238 ± 52 vs. 192 ± 67, P = 0.03; 223 ± 66 vs. 184 ± 64, P = 0.01; 385 ± 61 vs. 320 ± 79, P = 0.003; 388 ± 52 vs. 317 ± 46, P = 0.001, respectively). In comparison with control, it also significantly reduced serum levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h after operation and malondialdehyde levels at 60 min after one-lung ventilation and 30 min after re-expansion (all P < 0.01). The incidence of acute lung injury and the length of postoperative hospital stay were markedly reduced by limb RIPC compared with control (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Limb RIPC attenuates acute lung injury via improving intraoperative pulmonary oxygenation in patients without severe pulmonary disease after lung resection under propofol–remifentanil anesthesia.
Negative frequency-dependent preferences and variation in male facial hair
Authors: Janif Zinnia J. , Brooks Robert C. , Dixson Barnaby J.
Published: April 2014

Negative frequency-dependent sexual selection maintains striking polymorphisms in secondary sexual traits in several animal species. Here, we test whether frequency of beardedness modulates perceived attractiveness of men's facial hair, a secondary sexual trait subject to considerable cultural variation. We first showed participants a suite of faces, within which we manipulated the frequency of beard thicknesses and then measured preferences for four standard levels of beardedness. Women and men judged heavy stubble and full beards more attractive when presented in treatments where beards were rare than when they were common, with intermediate preferences when intermediate frequencies of beardedness were presented. Likewise, clean-shaven faces were least attractive when clean-shaven faces were most common and more attractive when rare. This pattern in preferences is consistent with negative frequency-dependent selection.
Bioinspired nanoscale materials for biomedical and energy applications
Authors: Bhattacharya Priyanka , Du Dan , Lin Yuehe
Published: April 2014

The demand for green, affordable and environmentally sustainable materials has encouraged scientists in different fields to draw inspiration from nature in developing materials with unique properties such as miniaturization, hierarchical organization and adaptability. Together with the exceptional properties of nanomaterials, over the past century, the field of bioinspired nanomaterials has taken huge leaps. While on the one hand, the sophistication of hierarchical structures endows biological systems with multi-functionality, the synthetic control on the creation of nanomaterials enables the design of materials with specific functionalities. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the field of bioinspired nanomaterials, which we have broadly categorized intobiotemplatesandbiomimics.We discuss the application of bioinspired nanomaterials as biotemplates in catalysis, nanomedicine, immunoassays and in energy, drawing attention to novel materials such as protein cages. Furthermore, the applications of bioinspired materials in tissue engineering and biomineralization are also discussed.
An asymptotic method of factorization of a class of matrix functions
Authors: Mishuris Gennady , Rogosin Sergei
Published: April 2014

A novel method of asymptotic factorization of
n
×
n
matrix functions is proposed. The considered class of matrices is motivated by certain problems originated from the elasticity theory. An example is constructed to illustrate efficiency of the proposed procedure. The quality of approximation and the role of the chosen small parameter are discussed.
Patterns of maximum body size evolution in Cenozoic land mammals: eco-evolutionary processes and abiotic forcing
Authors: Saarinen Juha J. , Boyer Alison G. , Brown James H. , Costa Daniel P. , Ernest S. K. Morgan , Evans Alistair R. , Fortelius Mikael , Gittleman John L. , Hamilton Marcus J. , Harding Larisa E. , Lintulaakso Kari , Lyons S. Kathleen , Okie Jordan G. , Sibly Richard M. , Stephens Patrick R. , Theodor Jessica , Uhen Mark D. , Smith Felisa A.
Published: April 2014

There is accumulating evidence that macroevolutionary patterns of mammal evolution during the Cenozoic follow similar trajectories on different continents. This would suggest that such patterns are strongly determined by global abiotic factors, such as climate, or by basic eco-evolutionary processes such as filling of niches by specialization. The similarity of pattern would be expected to extend to the history of individual clades. Here, we investigate the temporal distribution of maximum size observed within individual orders globally and on separate continents. While the maximum size of individual orders of large land mammals show differences and comprise several families, the times at which orders reach their maximum size over time show strong congruence, peaking in the Middle Eocene, the Oligocene and the Plio-Pleistocene. The Eocene peak occurs when global temperature and land mammal diversity are high and is best explained as a result of niche expansion rather than abiotic forcing. Since the Eocene, there is a significant correlation between maximum size frequency and global temperature proxy. The Oligocene peak is not statistically significant and may in part be due to sampling issues. The peak in the Plio-Pleistocene occurs when global temperature and land mammal diversity are low, it is statistically the most robust one and it is best explained by global cooling. We conclude that the macroevolutionary patterns observed are a result of the interplay between eco-evolutionary processes and abiotic forcing.
River density and landscape roughness are universal determinants of linguistic diversity
Authors: Axelsen Jacob Bock , Manrubia Susanna
Published: April 2014

Global linguistic diversity (LD) displays highly heterogeneous distribution patterns. Though the origin of the latter is not yet fully understood, remarkable parallelisms with biodiversity distribution suggest that environmental variables should play an essential role in their emergence. In an effort to construct a broad framework to explain world LD and to systematize the available data, we have investigated the significance of 14 variables: landscape roughness, altitude, river density, distance to lakes, seasonal maximum, average and minimum temperature, precipitation and vegetation, and population density. Landscape roughness and river density are the only two variables that universally affect LD. Overall, the considered set accounts for up to 80% of African LD, a figure that decreases for the joint Asia, Australia and the Pacific (69%), Europe (56%) and the Americas (53%). Differences among those regions can be traced down to a few variables that permit an interpretation of their current states of LD. Our processed datasets can be applied to the analysis of correlations in other similar heterogeneous patterns with a broad spatial distribution, the clearest example being biological diversity. The statistical method we have used can be understood as a tool for cross-comparison among geographical regions, including the prediction of spatial diversity in alternative scenarios or in changing environments.
Physical cognition: birds learn the structural efficacy of nest material
Authors: Bailey Ida E. , Morgan Kate V. , Bertin Marion , Meddle Simone L. , Healy Susan D.
Published: April 2014

It is generally assumed that birds’ choice of structurally suitable materials for nest building is genetically predetermined. Here, we tested that assumption by investigating whether experience affected male zebra finches’ (Taeniopygia guttata) choice of nest material. After a short period of building with relatively flexible string, birds preferred to build with stiffer string while those that had experienced a stiffer string were indifferent to string type. After building a complete nest with either string type, however, all birds increased their preference for stiff string. The stiffer string appeared to be the more effective building material as birds required fewer pieces of stiffer than flexible string to build a roofed nest. For birds that raised chicks successfully, there was no association between the material they used to build their nest and the type they subsequently preferred. Birds’ material preference reflected neither the preference of their father nor of their siblings but juvenile experience of either string type increased their preference for stiffer string. Our results represent two important advances: (i) birds choose nest material based on the structural properties of the material; (ii) nest material preference is not entirely genetically predetermined as both the type and amount of experience influences birds’ choices.