bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trading behavior in S&P 500 index futures
Authors: Smales Lee A.
Published: November 2015

This article examines the determinants of trading decisions and the performance of trader types, in the context of the E‐Mini S&P 500 futures and S&P 500 futures markets. Speculators and small traders tend to follow positive feedback strategies while hedgers dynamically adjust positions in response to market returns. Such strategies apparently reverse during the 2008–09 financial crisis. Investor sentiment and market volatility play an important role in determining the net trading position of traders across the sample period. While all trader types are better at foreseeing market upturns, an out‐of‐sample test suggests that speculators and small traders have some predictive ability for short‐term market returns.
Comparative size evolution of marine clades from the Late Permian through Middle Triassic
Authors: Schaal Ellen K. , Clapham Matthew E. , Rego Brianna L. , Wang Steve C. , Payne Jonathan L.
Published: November 2015

The small size of Early Triassic marine organisms has important implications for the ecological and environmental pressures operating during and after the end-Permian mass extinction. However, this “Lilliput Effect” has only been documented quantitatively in a few invertebrate clades. Moreover, the discovery of Early Triassic gastropod specimens larger than any previously known has called the extent and duration of the Early Triassic size reduction into question. Here, we document and compare Permian-Triassic body size trends globally in eight marine clades (gastropods, bivalves, calcitic and phosphatic brachiopods, ammonoids, ostracods, conodonts, and foraminiferans). Our database contains maximum size measurements for 11,224 specimens and 2,743 species spanning the Late Permian through the Middle to Late Triassic. The Permian/Triassic boundary (PTB) shows more size reduction among species than any other interval. For most higher taxa, maximum and median size among species decreased dramatically from the latest Permian (Changhsingian) to the earliest Triassic (Induan), and then increased during Olenekian (late Early Triassic) and Anisian (early Middle Triassic) time. During the Induan, the only higher taxon much larger than its long-term mean size was the ammonoids; they increased significantly in median size across the PTB, a response perhaps related to their comparatively rapid diversity recovery after the end-Permian extinction. The loss of large species in multiple clades across the PTB resulted from both selective extinction of larger species and evolution of surviving lineages toward smaller sizes. The within-lineage component of size decrease suggests that only part of the size decrease can be related to the end-Permian kill mechanism; in addition, Early Triassic environmental conditions or ecological pressures must have continued to favor small body size as well. After the end-Permian extinction, size decrease occurred across ecologically and physiologically disparate clades, but this size reduction was limited to the first part of the Early Triassic (Induan). Nektonic habitat or physiological buffering capacity may explain the contrast of Early Triassic size increase and diversification in ammonoids versus size reduction and slow recovery in benthic clades.
War on the Home Front: Battle Pieces for the Piano from the American Civil War
Authors: MORGAN ELIZABETH
Published: November 2015

During the Civil War, countless musical works were written about the conflict and marketed to amateur musicians, especially women. Among them were pieces composed in response to recent conflicts, often published within days or weeks of the relevant event. Popular genres included keyboard battle pieces, which depicted some of the most pivotal battles of the war in musical rhetoric, bringing them alive in the minds and imaginations of drawing room performers and audiences.

This essay is the first detailed study of American keyboard battle pieces from the Civil War. It investigates how they mirror many aspects of Civil War life, including the civilian demand for vivid war news, especially eyewitness accounts from the front, the advent of telegraphic reporting, and the fallibility of the media in reporting on the war. The pieces also reflect cultural trends of the mid-nineteenth century not related to war, particularly the popularity of theatrical melodrama on the stage and the prominence of virtuosity in piano repertoire. In investigating the performance of battle pieces as a site where women imagined and experienced the perils of war, this article contributes to scholarship that deepens our understanding of how women at home participated in mass culture.
Scoring The President: Myth and Politics in John Williams'sJFKandNixon
Authors: LEHMAN FRANK
Published: November 2015

Throughout his career, John Williams has set the musical tone for the American presidency, most elaborately with his scores for Oliver Stone's controversial filmsJFK(1991) andNixon(1995). While invested in capturing the character of these commanders in chief through musical codes, Williams's soundtracks are equally engaged in the act of the evocation and telling of “history.” Specifically, they construct a tragic myth of 1960s America in which the promise represented by JFK is destroyed from without, and Nixon from within, both by the malevolent forces of the military-industrial complex. In considering the thematic and dramatic means by which Williams paints his orchestral portraits, I reveal the extent to which music supports Stone's paranoiac narratives, especially in cases where the director's collage-like visual aesthetic puts pressure on the otherwise nostalgic traits of Williams's default tonal style.

I offer a music-analytical approach toJFKandNixoninformed by interviews, studies of political mythology and paranoia, and musicological appraisals of Williams's music. Stone's 1960s-as-lapsarian-metanarrative positions Kennedy as a romanticized absence, an image of the fabular fallen King, and Williams renders him as a public recollection rather than a human being with interiority. Nixon, by contrast, is a tragic antihero, consumed by dark forces of history and an abundance of ambivalent thematic material. Particular attention is paid to the dismantling of Kennedy's noble leitmotif duringJFK’sprologue and motorcade sequence and to the near-fascistic musical accompaniment of Nixon's speeches. Having demonstrated the active role these scores play, I conclude that Williams's music constitutes an authoring of history in a strong, albeit postmodern, sense, consistent with but independent from Stone's screenplay.
How Bat Breath and Guano Can Change the Shapes of Caves
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: November 2015

Researchers working in caves in Borneo and elsewhere are finding evidence that biological processes shape many tropical caves by slowly eating away at surrounding rock.
Pluto: In the Icebox but Maybe Still Cookin'
Authors: Cowen Ron
Published: November 2015

New evidence of ice volcanoes and of middle-aged terrains on Pluto's surface suggests that the dwarf planet has remained geologically active ever since it first formed billions of years ago.
Metatranscriptomic insights on gene expression and regulatory controls in Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis
Authors: Oyserman Ben O , Noguera Daniel R , del Rio Tijana Glavina , Tringe Susannah G , McMahon Katherine D
Published: November 2015

Previous studies on enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) have focused on reconstructing genomic blueprints for the model polyphosphate-accumulating organism Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis. Here, a time series metatranscriptome generated from enrichment cultures of Accumulibacter was used to gain insight into anerobic/aerobic metabolism and regulatory mechanisms within an EBPR cycle. Co-expressed gene clusters were identified displaying ecologically relevant trends consistent with batch cycle phases. Transcripts displaying increased abundance during anerobic acetate contact were functionally enriched in energy production and conversion, including upregulation of both cytoplasmic and membrane-bound hydrogenases demonstrating the importance of transcriptional regulation to manage energy and electron flux during anerobic acetate contact. We hypothesized and demonstrated hydrogen production after anerobic acetate contact, a previously unknown strategy for Accumulibacter to maintain redox balance. Genes involved in anerobic glycine utilization were identified and phosphorus release after anerobic glycine contact demonstrated, suggesting that Accumulibacter routes diverse carbon sources to acetyl-CoA formation via previously unrecognized pathways. A comparative genomics analysis of sequences upstream of co-expressed genes identified two statistically significant putative regulatory motifs. One palindromic motif was identified upstream of genes involved in PHA synthesis and acetate activation and is hypothesized to be a phaR binding site, hence representing a hypothetical PHA modulon. A second motif was identified ~35 base pairs (bp) upstream of a large and diverse array of genes and hence may represent a sigma factor binding site. This analysis provides a basis and framework for further investigations into Accumulibacter metabolism and the reconstruction of regulatory networks in uncultured organisms.
Sponge-like nanoporous single crystals of gold
Authors: Khristosov Maria Koifman , Bloch Leonid , Burghammer Manfred , Kauffmann Yaron , Katsman Alex , Pokroy Boaz
Published: November 2015

Single crystals in nature often demonstrate fascinating intricate porous morphologies rather than classical faceted surfaces. We attempt to grow such crystals, drawing inspiration from biogenic porous single crystals. Here we show that nanoporous single crystals of gold can be grown with no need for any elaborate fabrication steps. These crystals are found to grow following solidification of a eutectic composition melt that forms as a result of the dewetting of nanometric thin films. We also present a kinetic model that shows how this nano-porous single-crystalline structure can be obtained, and which allows the potential size of the porous single crystal to be predicted. Retaining their single-crystalline nature is due to the fact that the full crystallization process is faster than the average period between two subsequent nucleation events. Our findings clearly demonstrate that it is possible to form single-crystalline nano porous metal crystals in a controlled manner.
Hybrid graphene plasmonic waveguide modulators
Authors: Ansell D. , Radko I. P. , Han Z. , Rodriguez F. J. , Bozhevolnyi S. I. , Grigorenko A. N.
Published: November 2015

The unique optical and electronic properties of graphene make possible the fabrication of novel optoelectronic devices. One of the most exciting graphene characteristics is the tunability by gating which allows one to realize active optical devices. While several types of graphene-based photonic modulators have already been demonstrated, the potential of combining the versatility of graphene with subwavelength field confinement of plasmonic waveguides remains largely unexplored. Here we report fabrication and study of hybrid graphene–plasmonic waveguide modulators. We consider several types of modulators and identify the most promising one for telecom applications. The modulator working at the telecom range is demonstrated, showing a modulation depth of >0.03 dB μm−1 at low gating voltages for an active device area of just 10 μm2, characteristics which are already comparable to those of silicon-based waveguide modulators while retaining the benefit of further device miniaturization. Our proof-of-concept results pave the way towards on-chip realization of efficient graphene-based active plasmonic waveguide devices for optical communications.
Construction, complete sequence, and annotation of a BAC contig covering the silkworm chorion locus
Authors: Chen Zhiwei , Nohata Junko , Guo Huizhen , Li Shenglong , Liu Jianqiu , Guo Youbing , Yamamoto Kimiko , Kadono-Okuda Keiko , Liu Chun , Arunkumar Kallare P. , Nagaraju Javaregowda , Zhang Yan , Liu Shiping , Labropoulou Vassiliki , Swevers Luc , Tsitoura Panagiota , Iatrou Kostas , Gopinathan Karumathil P. , Goldsmith Marian R. , Xia Qingyou , Mita Kazuei
Published: November 2015

The silkmoth chorion was studied extensively by F.C. Kafatos’ group for almost 40 years. However, the complete structure of the chorion locus was not obtained in the genome sequence of Bombyx mori published in 2008 due to repetitive sequences, resulting in gaps and an incomplete view of the locus. To obtain the complete sequence of the chorion locus, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) derived from follicular epithelium cells were used as probes to screen a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library. Seven BACs were selected to construct a contig which covered the whole chorion locus. By Sanger sequencing, we successfully obtained complete sequences of the chorion locus spanning 871,711 base pairs on chromosome 2, where we annotated 127 chorion genes. The dataset reported here will recruit more researchers to revisit one of the oldest model systems which has been used to study developmentally regulated gene expression. It also provides insights into egg development and fertilization mechanisms and is relevant to applications related to improvements in breeding procedures and transgenesis.
Adaptation of H9N2 AIV in guinea pigs enables efficient transmission by direct contact and inefficient transmission by respiratory droplets
Authors: Sang Xiaoyu , Wang Airong , Ding Jie , Kong Huihui , Gao Xiaolong , Li Lin , Chai Tongjie , Li Yuanguo , Zhang Kun , Wang Chengyu , Wan Zhonghai , Huang Geng , Wang Tiecheng , Feng Na , Zheng Xuexing , Wang Hualei , Zhao Yongkun , Yang Songtao , Qian Jun , Hu Guixue , Gao Yuwei , Xia Xianzhu
Published: November 2015

H9N2 avian influenza viruses circulate worldwide in poultry and have sporadically infected humans, raising concern whether H9N2 viruses have pandemic potential. Here, we use a guinea pig model to examine whether serial passage results in adaptive viral changes that confer a transmissible phenotype to a wild-type H9N2 virus. After nine serial passages of an H9N2 virus through guinea pigs, productive transmission by direct contact occurred in 2/3 guinea pig pairs. The efficiency of transmission by direct contact increased following the fifteenth passage and occurred in 3/3 guinea pig pairs. In contrast, airborne transmission of the passaged virus was less efficient and occurred in 1/6 guinea pig pairs and 0/6 ferret pairs after the fifteenth passage. Three amino acid substitutions, HA1-Q227P, HA2-D46E and NP-E434K, were sufficient for contact transmission in guinea pigs (2/3 pairs). The two HA amino acid substitutions enhanced receptor binding to α2,3-linked sialic acid receptors. Additionally, the HA2-D46E substitution increased virus thermostability whereas the NP-E434K mutation enhanced viral RNA polymerase activity in vitro. Our findings suggest that adaptive changes that enhance viral receptor binding, thermostability and replicative capacity in mammalian cells can collectively enhance the transmissibility of H9N2 AIVs by direct contact in the guinea pig model.
Synthesis of Hierarchical Nanoporous Microstructures via the Kirkendall Effect in Chemical Reduction Process
Authors: Gao Ling , Pang Chao , He Dafang , Shen Liming , Gupta Arunava , Bao Ningzhong
Published: November 2015

A series of novel hierarchical nanoporous microstructures have been synthesized through one-step chemical reduction of micron size Cu2O and Co3O4 particles. By controlling the reduction time, non-porous Cu2O microcubes sequentially transform to nanoporous Cu/Cu2O/Cu dented cubic composites and hollow eightling-like Cu microparticles. The mechanism involved in the complex structural evolution is explained based on oxygen diffusion and Kirkendall effect. The nanoporous Cu/Cu2O/Cu dented cubic composites exhibit superior electrochemical performance as compared to solid Cu2O microcubes. The reduction of nonporous Co3O4 also exhibits a uniform sequential reduction process from nonporous Co3O4 to porous Co3O4/CoO composites, porous CoO, porous CoO/Co composites and porous foam-like Co particles. Nanoscale channels originate from the particle surface and eventually develop inside the entire product, resulting in porous foam-like Co microparticles. The Kirkendall effect is believed to facilitate the formation of porous structures in both processes.
A novel method to quantify the emission and conversion of VOCs in the smoking of electronic cigarettes
Authors: Kim Yong-Hyun , Kim Ki-Hyun
Published: November 2015

An analytical technique was developed for the quantitation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in three different forms of electronic cigarette (EC): solution, vapor and aerosol. Through the application of the mass change tracking (MCT) approach, the consumed amount of the solution was measured to track the conversion of targets between the different phases. The concentration of aerosol plus vapor (A&V) decreased exponentially (559 to 129 g m−3) with increasing puff velocity (0.05 to 1 L min−1). A strong correlation existed between sampling volume and consumed solution mass (R2 = 0.9972 ± 0.0021 (n = 4)). In the EC solution, acetic acid was considerably high (25.8 μg mL−1), along with trace quantities of some VOCs (methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, propionic acid and i-butyric acid: 0.24 ± 0.15 μg mL−1 (n = 4)). In the aerosol samples, many VOCs (n-butyraldehyde, n-butyl acetate, benzene, xylene, styrene, n-valeric acid and n-hexanoic acid) were newly produced (138 ± 250 μg m−3). In general, the solution-to-aerosol (S/A) conversion was significant: e.g., 1,540% for i-butyric acid. The emission rates of all targets computed based on their mass in aerosol/ consumed solution (ng mL−1) were from 30.1 (p-xylene) to 398 (methyl ethyl ketone), while those of carboxyls were much higher from 166 (acetic acid) to 5,850 (i-butyric acid).
Interface-designed Membranes with Shape-controlled Patterns for High-performance Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
Authors: Jeon Yukwon , Kim Dong Jun , Koh Jong Kwan , Ji Yunseong , Kim Jong Hak , Shul Yong-Gun
Published: November 2015

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell is a promising zero-emission power generator for stationary/automotive applications. However, key issues, such as performance and costs, are still remained for an economical commercialization. Here, we fabricated a high-performance membrane electrode assembly (MEA) using an interfacial design based on well-arrayed micro-patterned membranes including circles, squares and hexagons with different sizes, which are produced by a facile elastomeric mold method. The best MEA performance is achieved using patterned Nafion membrane with a circle 2 μm in size, which exhibited a very high power density of 1906 mW/cm2 at 75 °C and Pt loading of 0.4 mg/cm2 with 73% improvement compared to the commercial membrane. The improved performance are attributed to the decreased MEA resistances and increased surface area for higher Pt utilization of over 80%. From these enhanced properties, it is possible to operate at lower Pt loading of 0.2 mg/cm2 with an outstanding performance of 1555 mW/cm2 and even at air/low humidity operations.
Initial characterization of the large genome of the salamander Ambystoma mexicanum using shotgun and laser capture chromosome sequencing
Authors: Keinath Melissa C. , Timoshevskiy Vladimir A. , Timoshevskaya Nataliya Y. , Tsonis Panagiotis A. , Voss S. Randal , Smith Jeramiah J.
Published: November 2015

Vertebrates exhibit substantial diversity in genome size and some of the largest genomes exist in species that uniquely inform diverse areas of basic and biomedical research. For example, the salamander Ambystoma mexicanum (the Mexican axolotl) is a model organism for studies of regeneration, development and genome evolution, yet its genome is ~10× larger than the human genome. As part of a hierarchical approach toward improving genome resources for the species, we generated 600 Gb of shotgun sequence data and developed methods for sequencing individual laser-captured chromosomes. Based on these data, we estimate that the A. mexicanum genome is ~32 Gb. Notably, as much as 19 Gb of the A. mexicanum genome can potentially be considered single copy, which presumably reflects the evolutionary diversification of mobile elements that accumulated during an ancient episode of genome expansion. Chromosome-targeted sequencing permitted the development of assemblies within the constraints of modern computational platforms, allowed us to place 2062 genes on the two smallest A. mexicanum chromosomes and resolves key events in the history of vertebrate genome evolution. Our analyses show that the capture and sequencing of individual chromosomes is likely to provide valuable information for the systematic sequencing, assembly and scaffolding of large genomes.
Bonobos modify communication signals according to recipient familiarity
Authors: Genty Emilie , Neumann Christof , Zuberbühler Klaus
Published: November 2015

Human and nonhuman primate communication differs in various ways. In particular, humans base communicative efforts on mutual knowledge and conventions shared between interlocutors. In this study, we experimentally tested whether bonobos (Pan paniscus), a close relative to humans, are able to take into account the familiarity, i.e. the shared interaction history, when communicating with a human partner. In five experimental conditions we found that subjects took the recipients’ attentional state and their own communicative effectiveness into account by adjusting signal production accordingly. More importantly, in case of communicative failure, subjects repeated previously successful signals more often with a familiar than unfamiliar recipient, with whom they had no previous interactions and elaborated by switching to new signals more with the unfamiliar than the familiar one, similar to what has previously been found in two year-old children. We discuss these findings in relation to the human capacity to establish common ground between interlocutors, a crucial aspect of human cooperative communication.
Optically detecting the edge-state of a three-dimensional topological insulator under ambient conditions by ultrafast infrared photoluminescence spectroscopy
Authors: Maezawa Shun-ya , Watanabe Hiroshi , Takeda Masahiro , Kuroda Kenta , Someya Takashi , Matsuda Iwao , Suemoto Tohru
Published: November 2015

Ultrafast infrared photoluminescence spectroscopy was applied to a three-dimensional topological insulator TlBiSe2 under ambient conditions. The dynamics of the luminescence exhibited bulk-insulating and gapless characteristics bounded by the bulk band gap energy. The existence of the topologically protected surface state and the picosecond-order relaxation time of the surface carriers, which was distinguishable from the bulk response, were observed. Our results provide a practical method applicable to topological insulators under ambient conditions for device applications.
A Hybrid Circuit for Spoof Surface Plasmons and Spatial Waveguide Modes to Reach Controllable Band-Pass Filters
Authors: Zhang Qian , Zhang Hao Chi , Wu Han , Cui Tie Jun
Published: November 2015

We propose a hybrid circuit for spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and spatial waveguide modes to develop new microwave devices. The hybrid circuit includes a spoof SPP waveguide made of two anti-symmetric corrugated metallic strips and a traditional substrate integrated waveguide (SIW). From dispersion relations, we show that the electromagnetic waves only can propagate through the hybrid circuit when the operating frequency is less than the cut-off frequency of the SPP waveguide and greater than the cut-off frequency of SIW, generating efficient band-pass filters. We demonstrate that the pass band is controllable in a large range by designing the geometrical parameters of SPP waveguide and SIW. Full-wave simulations are provided to show the large adjustability of filters, including ultra wideband and narrowband filters. We fabricate a sample of the new hybrid device in the microwave frequencies and measurement results have excellent agreements to numerical simulations, demonstrating excellent filtering characteristics such as low loss, high efficiency and good square ratio. The proposed hybrid circuit gives important potential to accelerate the development of plasmonic integrated functional devices and circuits in both microwave and terahertz frequencies.
Extremely High Thermal Conductivity of Aligned Carbon Nanotube-Polyethylene Composites
Authors: Liao Quanwen , Liu Zhichun , Liu Wei , Deng Chengcheng , Yang Nuo
Published: November 2015

The ultra-low thermal conductivity of bulk polymers may be enhanced by combining them with high thermal conductivity materials such as carbon nanotubes. Different from random doping, we find that the aligned carbon nanotube-polyethylene composites has a high thermal conductivity by non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The analyses indicate that the aligned composite not only take advantage of the high thermal conduction of carbon nanotubes, but enhance thermal conduction of polyethylene chains.
Peripheral telomere length and hippocampal volume in adolescents with major depressive disorder
Authors: Henje Blom E , Han L K M , Connolly C G , Ho T C , Lin J , LeWinn K Z , Simmons A N , Sacchet M D , Mobayed N , Luna M E , Paulus M , Epel E S , Blackburn E H , Wolkowitz O M , Yang T T
Published: November 2015

Several studies have reported that adults with major depressive disorder have shorter telomere length and reduced hippocampal volumes. Moreover, studies of adult populations without major depressive disorder suggest a relationship between peripheral telomere length and hippocampal volume. However, the relationship of these findings in adolescents with major depressive disorder has yet to be explored. We examined whether adolescent major depressive disorder is associated with altered peripheral telomere length and hippocampal volume, and whether these measures relate to one another. In 54 unmedicated adolescents (13–18 years) with major depressive disorder and 63 well-matched healthy controls, telomere length was assessed from saliva using quantitative polymerase chain reaction methods, and bilateral hippocampal volumes were measured with magnetic resonance imaging. After adjusting for age and sex (and total brain volume in the hippocampal analysis), adolescents with major depressive disorder exhibited significantly shorter telomere length and significantly smaller right, but not left hippocampal volume. When corrected for age, sex, diagnostic group and total brain volume, telomere length was not significantly associated with left or right hippocampal volume, suggesting that these cellular and neural processes may be mechanistically distinct during adolescence. Our findings suggest that shortening of telomere length and reduction of hippocampal volume are already present in early-onset major depressive disorder and thus unlikely to be only a result of accumulated years of exposure to major depressive disorder.
Automated analysis of single cells using Laser Tweezers Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Casabella S. , Scully P. , Goddard N. , Gardner P.
Published: November 2015

In recent years, significant progress has been made into the label-free detection and discrimination of individual cancer cells using Laser Tweezers Raman Spectroscopy (LTRS).
A biomimetic approach to hormone resistant prostate cancer cell isolation using inactivated Sendai virus (HVJ-E)
Authors: Okada Takaharu , Uto Koichiro , Aoyagi Takao , Ebara Mitsuhiro
Published: November 2015

A versatile immobilization method of inactivated Sendai virus (HVJ-E) for metastatic prostate cancer cell isolation.
Substrate structure–activity relationships guide rational engineering of modular polyketide synthase ketoreductases
Authors: Bailey Constance B. , Pasman Marjolein E. , Keatinge-Clay Adrian T.
Published: November 2015

Structure–activity relationship studies guided stereocontrol engineering within a modular polyketide synthase ketoreductase to yield a more active enzyme whose reactivity can be explained through the Felkin–Anh model.
Templation of a square grid copper(ii) 4,4′-bipyridine network by a 3D PtS-related Cu(i)–Cu(ii) 4,4′-bipyridine crystal
Authors: Abrahams C. T. , Abrahams B. F. , Hudson T. A. , Robson R.
Published: November 2015

Two topologically distinct Cu-4,4′-bipyridine coordination polymers, sharing a similar geometric arrangement of Cu centres, are components of a composite crystal.
Spindle-shaped nanoscale yolk/shell magnetic stirring bars for heterogeneous catalysis in macro- and microscopic systems
Authors: Yang Shuliang , Cao Changyan , Peng Li , Huang Peipei , Sun Yongbin , Wei Fang , Song Weiguo
Published: November 2015

New spindle-shaped Pd–Fe@meso-SiO2 yolk/shell nanoscale magnetic stirring bars were designed and their showed impressive activity and stability as heterogeneous catalysts both in macroscopic flask system and microscopic droplet system.
Effects of Ga–Te interface layer on the potential barrier height of CdTe/GaAs heterointerface
Authors: Xi Shouzhi , Jie Wanqi , Zha Gangqiang , Yuan Yanyan , Wang Tao , Zhang Wenhua , Zhu Junfa , Xu Lingyan , Xu Yadong , Su Jie , Zhang Hao , Gu Yaxu , Li Jiawei , Ren Jie , Zhao Qinghua
Published: November 2015

The potential barrier height of CdTe/GaAs heterointerface can be tuned by the density of Ga–Te bonds and the thickness of the Ga–Te interface layer.
Synthesis and characterization of ML and ML2 metal complexes with amino acid substituted bis(2-picolyl)amine ligands
Authors: Škalamera Đani , Sanders Ernest , Vianello Robert , Maršavelski Aleksandra , Pevec Andrej , Turel Iztok , Kirin Srećko I.
Published: November 2015

The stoichiometry and stereochemistry of bis(2-picolyl)amine (bpa) or bis(2-quinaldyl)amine (bqa) metal complexes were studied by spectroscopy, crystallography and DFT calculations.
Correction: Hard-templating of Prussian blue analogues in mesoporous silica and organosilica
Authors: Wang Pei-Xi , Zamarion Vitor M. , Hamad Wadood Y. , MacLachlan Mark J.
Published: November 2015

Correction for ‘Hard-templating of Prussian blue analogues in mesoporous silica and organosilica’ by Pei-Xi Wang, et al., Dalton Trans., 2015, 44, 14724–14731.
Silica scale formation and effect of sodium and aluminium ions -29Si NMR study
Authors: Lunevich L. , Sanciolo P. , Smallridge A. , Gray S. R.
Published: November 2015

Silica scale formation on reverse osmosis (RO) membrane surface is a significant problem for operation of high recovery RO desalination plant.
Recovery of scandium from leachates of Greek bauxite residue by adsorption on functionalized chitosan–silica hybrid materials
Authors: Roosen Joris , Van Roosendael Stijn , Borra Chenna Rao , Van Gerven Tom , Mullens Steven , Binnemans Koen
Published: November 2015

Scandium recovery from bauxite residue leachates was investigated using ion-exchange adsorption. EGTA–chitosan–silica showed exceptionally high selectivity for scandium. It was used as resin material for column chromatography to isolate pure scandium.
Dinuclear first-row transition metal–(C8Me6)2complexes: metal–metal and metal–ligand bonds determined by the d electron configuration of the metal atom
Authors: Yan Xiuli , Li Xiaoyan , Sun Zheng , Li Qingzhong , Meng Lingpeng
Published: November 2015

The nature and strength of the metal–metal and metal–ligand bonds depend on the d electron configuration of the transition metal.
Pd-indenyl-diphosphine: an effective catalyst for the preparation of triarylamines
Authors: Yan Meng-Qi , Yuan Jia , Pi Yun-Xiao , Liang Jin-Hua , Liu Yan , Wu Qing-Guo , Luo Xue , Liu Sheng-Hua , Chen Jian , Zhu Xiao-Lei , Yu Guang-Ao
Published: November 2015

A new Buchwald-type diphosphine ligand has been developed for applications in Pd-catalyzed amination reactions towards the preparation of triarylamines. The catalyst can be used to perform the amination of an adverse array of aryl and heteroaryl chlorides.
Effect of promoters on the HDS activity of alumina-supported Co–Mo sulfide catalysts
Authors: Wang Xilong , Fang He , Zhao Zhen , Duan Aijun , Xu Chunming , Chen Zhentao , Zhang Minghui , Du Peng , Song Shaotong , Zheng Peng , Chi Kebin
Published: November 2015

Supported MoCo/δ-Al2O3catalysts promoted by different organic and inorganic cobalt salts were synthesized by incipient-wetness impregnation. The HDS activities of the catalysts increased in the order MoCo-A/δ < MoCo-N/δ < MoCo-D/δ < MoCo-S/δ.
Photoresponsive polymers based on a coumarin moiety for the controlled release of pesticide 2,4-D
Authors: Atta Sanghamitra , Paul Amrita , Banerjee Rakesh , Bera Manoranjan , Ikbal Mohammed , Dhara Dibakar , Singh N. D. Pradeep
Published: November 2015

We report an excellent photoresponsive controlled release formulation based on a coumarin copolymer for pesticide 2,4-D.
Easy access to nitrogen-doped mesoporous interlinked carbon/NiO nanosheet for application in lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors
Authors: Xia Yuan , Wang Beibei , Wang Gang , Wang Hui
Published: November 2015

We report on a novel nitrogen-doped mesoporous interlinked carbon/NiO nanosheet fabricated using Ni-MOF-8 as the precursor. The as-prepared carbon/NiO nanosheet can exhibit high lithium storage capacity and excellent supercapacitive performance.
Carbon encapsulated Fe3O4/graphene framework with oriented macropores for lithium ion battery anode with enhanced cycling stability
Authors: Han Sheng , Wang Xinjing , Huang Yanshan , Tang Yanping , Ai Yani , Jiang Jianzhong , Wu Dongqing
Published: November 2015

Carbon encapsulated Fe3O4/graphene frameworks (C-Fe3O4/G) with highly oriented macropores show good rate capability and improve the cycle stability when used as anode material for LIBs.
Unprecedented inhibition of glycosidase-catalyzed substrate hydrolysis by nanodiamond-grafted O-glycosides
Authors: Siriwardena Aloysius , Khanal Manakamana , Barras Alexandre , Bande Omprakash , Mena-Barragán Teresa , Mellet Carmen Ortiz , Garcia Fernández José Manuel , Boukherroub Rabah , Szunerits Sabine
Published: November 2015

Carbohydrate-coated nanodiamond particles with lectin recognition capabilities are not only stable towards the hydrolytic action of glycosidases, but also are endowed with the ability to inhibit them.
Experimental studies on the rheology of cubic blue phases
Authors: Sahoo Rasmita , Chojnowska O. , Dabrowski R. , Dhara Surajit
Published: November 2015

We report detailed experimental studies on the rheology of cubic blue phases.
Significant band engineering effect of YbTe for high performance thermoelectric PbTe
Authors: Jian Zhengzhong , Chen Zhiwei , Li Wen , Yang Jiong , Zhang Wenqing , Pei Yanzhong
Published: November 2015

YbTe alloying significantly converges bands leading to high-performance thermoelectric PbTe, without limiting room for further improvement by reduction of thermal conductivity.
Intravenous injection of l-BMAA induces a rat model with comprehensive characteristics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinson–dementia complex
Authors: Tian Ke-Wei , Jiang Hong , Wang Bei-Bei , Zhang Fan , Han Shu
Published: November 2015

Non-protein amino acid beta-N-methylamino-l-alanine (l-BMAA) is a neurotoxin that was associated with the high incidence of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Parkinson–Dementia Complex (ALS/PDC) in Guam. This neurotoxin has been implicated as a potential environmental factor in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, and was found to accumulate in brain tissues of ALS/PDC patients. It is extremely important to establish a reliable animal model that has the comprehensive characteristics of ALS/PDC for studying mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, and exploring effective therapies. However, very few good animal models that mimic ALS/PDC have been established. In this study, an ideal rat model that mimicked most characteristics of ALS/PDC was established by administering continuous intravenous (i.v.) injections of neurotoxic l-BMAA. Based on the data obtained, it was demonstrated that continuous i.v. injections of l-BMAA induced mitochondrial morphology and structural changes, astrogliosis, motor neuronal death, and other relative functional changes, which led to the overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and resulted in the upregulation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3), downregulation of astrocytic glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1), accumulation of microtubule-associated protein tau and cytosolic aggregates of TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) in degenerating motor neurons. These results suggest that this model could be used as a useful tool for the mechanistic and therapeutic study of ALS/PDC.
Assessing Measurement Invariance for Spanish Sentence Repetition and Morphology Elicitation Tasks
Authors: Kapantzoglou Maria , Thompson Marilyn S. , Gray Shelley , Restrepo M. Adelaida
Published: November 2015

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate evidence supporting the construct validity of two grammatical tasks (sentence repetition, morphology elicitation) included in the Spanish Screener for Language Impairment in Children (Restrepo, Gorin, & Gray, 2013). We evaluated if the tasks measured the targeted grammatical skills in the same way across predominantly Spanish-speaking children with typical language development and those with primary language impairment.

Method

A multiple-group, confirmatory factor analytic approach was applied to examine factorial invariance in a sample of 307 predominantly Spanish-speaking children (177 with typical language development; 130 with primary language impairment). The 2 newly developed grammatical tasks were modeled as measures in a unidimensional confirmatory factor analytic model along with 3 well-established grammatical measures from the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals–Fourth Edition, Spanish (Wiig, Semel, & Secord, 2006).

Results

Results suggest that both new tasks measured the construct of grammatical skills for both language-ability groups in an equivalent manner.

Conclusions

There was no evidence of bias related to children's language status for the Spanish Screener for Language Impairment in Children Sentence Repetition or Morphology Elicitation tasks. Results provide support for the validity of the new tasks as measures of grammatical skills.
Digitally assisted CMOS mixer with tight conversion‐gain flatness
Authors: Mondal Shrijeet , Xu Jiangtao , Saavedra Carlos E.
Published: November 2015

A digital‐assist technique is experimentally demonstrated that tightens the conversion‐gain (CG) flatness of a CMOS mixer from a baseline level of ±1.5 dB over a 1–12 GHz span to ±1.0 dB over a 1–15 GHz span. The method uses a microcontroller to find the optimal bias point of the mixer that produces the desired CG flatness.
Modelling and robust control design of a standalone wind‐based energy storage generation unit powering an induction motor‐variable‐displacement pressure‐compensated pump
Authors: Kassem Ahmed M.
Published: November 2015

This study investigates the application of the sliding mode controller (SMC) for induction motor drive variable‐displacement pressure‐compensated pump (VDPC) system powered by an isolated wind/storage unit. The variable‐speed wind turbine (WT) is proposed to drive a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) which, feeds a storing energy unit and stand‐alone dynamic load. Energy storage systems are required for power balance quality in isolated wind power systems. Initially, the holistic model of the entire system is achieved, including the PMSG, the uncontrolled rectifier, the buck converter, the storage system, induction machine and the VDPC pump. The power absorbed by the connected loads can be effectively delivered and supplied by the proposed WT and energy storage systems, subject to sliding mode control. The main purposes are to supply 220 V/50 Hz through a three‐phase inverter and adjust the IM speed and VDPC pump flow rate. The performance of the proposed system is compared with the neural network control and the conventional PID control. The simulation results show that the proposed system with the SMC and neural network controllers has good performance and good prediction of the electrical parameter waveforms compared with the case of the conventional PID controller.
The Trauma Risk Management Approach to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the British Military: Masculinity, Biopolitics and Depoliticisation
Authors: Gray Harriet
Published: November 2015

This paper discusses the political implications of the British military's Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) approach to personnel suffering from combat-related mental debilities such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Drawing on narratives that emerged from qualitative interviews with trained TRiM practitioners and military welfare workers, I tease out some of the assumptions and beliefs about mental health and mental illness that underpin this mental health intervention programme. I explore TRiM as a biopolitical strategy targeted towards the construction of a particular conceptualisation of mental wellness and militarised masculine personhood. As a biopolitical strategy, I argue that TRiM plays an important role in the construction of ideas around mental well-being and mental frailty that best enable the operation of military power in the contemporary British context. I discuss the narrative of transformation in militarised models of masculinity that emerge from discussions of TRiM, and highlight the important political function that this plays in enabling and legitimating militarism. Finally, I draw attention to the ways in which the focus on individual and cultural factors, rather than war as the primary cause of difficulties for servicemen experiencing psychological distress, functions to neutralise the potential trouble that could be instigated for the British military by the bodies of servicemen psychologically damaged by their experiences of conflict.
Public service markets: their economics, institutional oversight and regulation
Authors: Dassiou Xeni , Langham Peter , Nancarrow Charles , Scharaschkin Alex , Ward Dan
Published: November 2015

Public services in the United Kingdom have been transformed over the past 25 years with the introduction of market-oriented solutions into their provision. This has been characterized by a shift away from state provision to independent providers, and by the introduction of competition and choice. This shift was partly ideologically motivated and partly driven by budget-cutting considerations following the global financial crisis. As such, it has been lacking a comprehensive economic justification or method of analysis. It is now commonly accepted that the language of economic markets is essential to frame arguments about how effectively public services are achieving their intended outcomes. Using market language and concepts may not always be comfortable for those from a traditional policymaking background. It can nevertheless be very useful when designing investigations into the effectiveness and value for money in the mechanisms of delivery of such services, whenever these services entail a degree of user choice as is currently the case in large parts of health care, social care and education (referred to as competition in the market). This article aims to provide a conceptual basis on the way of thinking in these terms. We provide a description of the current state and then comment on the desirability of this quasi-market approach. Uniquely in the literature, we analyse the expected and desired developments by distinguishing between choice and compulsory merit goods. In choice merit goods markets many users are unable to choose effectively because of the existence of a number of demand-side or supply-side market failures. Moreover, conflicts may exist between how service users actually make choices, and policy objectives such as universality or equity, which may not be achieved simply by “leaving it to the market”. The users of compulsory merit goods are typically a minority and unable to internalize the full social benefits of their actions; hence, it may be welfare-enhancing for society to coerce them to “consume” these services. As choice cannot be an objective, the commissioning (competition for the market) or direct provision by the state of such goods may meet public policy objectives more effectively than the market mechanism alone. Building on these foundations, this article discusses when public service markets (PSMs) are likely to be an effective method of achieving public policy objectives, and when they may not be. We analyse the implications for the institutional and legal framework, funding oversight and regulation of PSMs as a result of their transformation into quasi-markets. We conclude with some suggestions for those charged with overseeing PSMs in practice based on this analysis.
Quantum mechanical derivation of the Wallis formula for π
Authors: Friedmann Tamar , Hagen C. R.
Published: November 2015

A famous pre-Newtonian formula for π is obtained directly from the variational approach to the spectrum of the hydrogen atom in spaces of arbitrary dimensions greater than one, including the physical three dimensions.
Phase engineering of monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide through coupled electron doping and lattice deformation
Authors: Ouyang Bin , Lan Guoqiang , Guo Yinsheng , Mi Zetian , Song Jun
Published: November 2015

First-principles calculations were performed to investigate the phase stability and transition within four monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) systems, i.e., MX2 (M = Mo or W and X = S or Se) under coupled electron doping and lattice deformation. With the lattice distortion and electron doping density treated as state variables, the energy surfaces of different phases were computed, and the diagrams of energetically preferred phases were constructed. These diagrams assess the competition between different phases and predict conditions of phase transitions for the TMDs considered. The interplay between lattice deformation and electron doping was identified as originating from the deformation induced band shifting and band bending. Based on our findings, a potential design strategy combining an efficient electrolytic gating and a lattice straining to achieve controllable phase engineering in TMD monolayers was demonstrated.