bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding Difficult Parental Behaviours During a Child Protection Investigation
Authors: Ainsworth Frank , Hansen Patricia
Published: April 2015

When child protection caseworkers make first contact with the parents of a child (or children) who is suspected of being at ‘significant risk of harm’ they may encounter a range of hostile, angry and aggressive verbal responses from parents. If this contact results in a child being removed from parental care, it is not unknown for these responses to escalate into attempts at verbal intimidation and loud threats of personal violence. These behaviours then get recorded in case files and in materials submitted to the Children's Court to support the case for permanent removal of a child from parental care; these behaviours being presented as evidence of the parents’ unsuitability and unwillingness to comply with demands for changes in their child rearing practices. But how should child protection caseworkers view these less-than-helpful parental responses, and how should they, in turn, respond? This article explores this issue and offers a number of ways of understanding these behaviours, and canvasses new ways for caseworkers to respond when these behaviours occur.
The lift on an aerofoil in grid-generated turbulence
Authors: Li Shaopeng , Li Mingshui , Liao Haili
Published: April 2015

The three-dimensional effects of turbulence cannot be neglected when the spanwise wavelength of the incident turbulence is not effectively infinite with respect to the chord, which may invalidate the strip assumption. Based on three-dimensional theory, a general approach, expressed in terms of a two-dimensional Fourier transform of the correlation of the buffeting force, is proposed to identify the two-wavenumber spectrum and aerodynamic admittance of the lift force on an aerofoil. It is essential that the approach presented can be validated in wind tunnel experiments. The coherence of the lift force on an aerofoil in grid-generated turbulence is obtained by simultaneous measurements of unsteady surface pressures around several chordwise strips on a stiff sectional model, which controls the accuracy of results. For the purpose of the Fourier transform, three empirical coherence models of the lift force are presented to fit the experimental results. Compared with the linearized theory, the two-wavenumber aerodynamic admittance can describe well the pressure distribution and the pattern of energy transition in an isotropic turbulence field. Thus, the failure mechanism of the traditional strip assumption can be demonstrated explicitly. In addition, the results obtained also validate the theory proposed by Graham (Aeronaut. Q., vol. 21, 1970, pp. 182–198;Aeronaut. Q., vol. 22, 1971, pp. 83–100). The present approach can be extended to study the three-dimensionality of the buffeting force on line-like structures with arbitrary cross-configurations, such as long-span bridges and high-rise buildings.
An Analytical Solution to the Three-Dimensional Problem on Elastic Equilibrium of an Exponentially-Inhomogeneous Layer
Authors: Tokovyy Y. , Ma C.-C.
Published: April 2015

In this paper, we present an analytical solution to the general three-dimensional elasticity problem in a layer, whose Young’s modulus varies exponentially within the thickness coordinate and the Poisson’s ratio is constant. By making use of the direct integration method, the complete set of the governing equations in terms of stresses has been formed. The latter equations were reduced to separate equations for each stress-tensor component and then solved by means of the Fourier double-integral transformation with respect to the planar coordinates.
Associations between socio-economic status and dietary patterns in US black and white adults
Authors: Kell K. P. , Judd S. E. , Pearson K. E. , Shikany J. M. , Fernández J. R.
Published: April 2015

Socio-economic status (SES) has been associated with measures of diet quality; however, such measures have not directly captured overall eating practices in individuals. Based on the factor analysis of fifty-six food groups from FFQ, associations between patterns of food consumption and SES were examined in a nationwide sample of 17 062 black (34·6 %) and white participants (age >45 years) from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, racial group and geographic region were used to examine adherence to five emergent dietary patterns (convenience, plant-based, sweets/fats, southern and alcohol/salads) according to four levels each of individual education, household income and community-level SES. Further models assessed adherence to these dietary patterns by racial group, and an overall model including both racial groups examined whether the relationships between SES and adherence to these dietary patterns differed among black and white participants. For all the three measures of SES, higher SES had been associated with greater adherence to plant-based and alcohol/salads patterns, but lower adherence to sweets/fats and southern patterns. Statistically significant differences between black and white participants were observed in the associations between household income and adherence to alcohol/salads, individual education and adherence to plant-based and sweets/fats, and community SES and adherence to convenience patterns. As adherence to dietary patterns has been shown to be associated with health outcomes in this population (e.g. stroke), the present study offers valuable insight into behavioural and environmental factors that may contribute to health disparities in the diverse US population.
Justice below the State: Civil Society as a Site of Justice
Authors: Cordelli Chiara
Published: April 2015

In response to growing economic and political interdependence at the international level, contemporary theories of justice have debated whether the demands of distributive justice extend beyond the nation-state. This article addresses the reverse question: whether and how the demands of justice arise below the state, at the level of civil society associations. This question becomes pressing in light of the increasing fragmentation of national governance, and the resulting institutional interdependence between political institutions and private associations. The article argues that the extent to which these associations are directly bound by egalitarian principles depends on a complex set of factors, including their structure and size, their role in the social provision of important goods, and their institutional relation with political institutions.
THE TOLERANT POPULISTSAND THE LEGACY OF WALTER NUGENT
Authors: Creech Joe
Published: April 2015

Published in 1963 and with a second edition in 2013, Walter Nugent'sThe Tolerant Populistschallenged and overturned an interpretation of the American Populist movement, largely associated with Richard Hofstadter'sThe Age of Reform, which portrayed the People's Party as backward looking, reactionary, irrational, antisemitic, and nativist.The Tolerant Populistsdemonstrated the Populist movement to be forward looking in its advocacy of statist economic reforms later adopted by progressives. In addition to this particular intervention in the literature,The Tolerant Populists, as it marked a turn in the 1960s to writing history from the bottom up, also more generally shaped the historiography of Populism by emphasizing the local social, cultural, and political roots of the movement; the movement's appeal to marginalized Americans in the 1890s; and the reasonableness of its policy measures to ease economic suffering. Moreover, the new edition critiques the continued use in popular media of lower-case “populism” to describe modern anti-statist movements that bear no resemblance to the movement of the 1890s. Finally, Walter Nugent forwarded the historiographical emphases inThe Tolerant Populiststo influence, in his later scholarship, the wider history of monetary policy, American demographic and social history, immigration, the American West, and American empire building.
THE BATTLEFIELDS OF PERSONAL AND PUBLIC MEMORY: COMMEMORATING THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA (1777) IN THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Authors: Strange Carolyn
Published: April 2015

The commemoration of the Battle of Saratoga (1777) a century after the pivotal Revolutionary victory illuminates the imbrication of public and personal memory in the politics of late nineteenth-century patriotic commemoration. The fiscal challenges faced by the white elites who stewarded the project and the compromises they were forced to make expose the uncertainties of public commemorative projects, a theme overlooked in foundational scholarship on patriotic public memory. Given the frequent failure of monument projects in an era before governments led heritage planning, the significance of individuals to the fulfillment of ambitions warrants greater consideration. Using a microhistorical approach, this paper analyzes the Saratoga Monument Board members’ ambitions, promotional strategies, and improvisations, prompted in part by an issue unique to this Battle: how to deal with Benedict Arnold's significant role in the Americans’ victory over the English? The Board's sole female trustee, Ellen Hardin Walworth, confronted a similar challenge: how to remake her life after surviving a scandalous domestic tragedy? The interweaving of their stories and strategies highlights the ways in which the cultivation of Revolutionary memory served both political and personal attempts at reconstruction without fully managing to resolve the conflicted past. Thus, scholars must factor individuals’ unique connections to the past into the broader structural characteristics of patriotic commemoration in histories of public memory and its orchestration.
WORKING OUT THEIR ECONOMIC PROBLEMS TOGETHER: WORLD WAR I, WORKING WOMEN, AND CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE YWCA
Authors: Browder Dorothea
Published: April 2015

This article examines how a group of Black and White YWCA staff members seized the opportunities of World War I to advance a racial justice agenda through Young Women's Christian Association programs for working women. First, they created YWCA program work for thousands of Black working women that paralleled the YWCA's Industrial Program, which followed YWCA segregation policies. Second, they made claims for social justice based on Black women's labor contributions, in contrast to both earlier reformers' focus on elite Black women and other wartime activists' focus on soldiers' service. Finally, in a period best known for White people's violent resistance to Black advances, they fostered a program culture and structures that encouraged White working-class women to view African American coworkers as colleagues and to understand racial justice as part of a broader social justice agenda. Arguing that interracial cooperation among working people was crucial to social progress, they made African American laboring women and White working-class allies both symbolically and literally crucial to wartime and postwar civil rights efforts. Their efforts contribute to our understanding of the changing discourse of “respectability” and the impact of World War I on the Black Freedom Struggle.
Democratic Utopias: The Argentine Transition to Democracy through Letters, 1983–1989
Authors: Adair Jennifer
Published: April 2015

On May 1, 1989, María, a high school teacher from Buenos Aires, wrote a letter to President Raúl Alfonsín as he began his final months in office. The country was in the midst of a hyperinflation crisis and elections were set for just two weeks away. Earlier in the day, María had heard the president's last address to the congress, and she felt compelled to write him. “My friend,” she began, as she recounted how she and her husband, an adjunct university instructor, had worked hard over two decades of marriage, weathering continuous financial difficulties and the sensation of “always having to start over.” María emphasized that she had no political affiliations that would cloud her judgment, lest the president think she was writing to ask for political favors.
Comparing Facial 3D Analysis With DNA Testing to Determine Zygosities of Twins
Authors: Vuollo Ville , Sidlauskas Mantas , Sidlauskas Antanas , Harila Virpi , Salomskiene Loreta , Zhurov Alexei , Holmström Lasse , Pirttiniemi Pertti , Heikkinen Tuomo
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to compare facial 3D analysis to DNA testing in twin zygosity determinations. Facial 3D images of 106 pairs of young adult Lithuanian twins were taken with a stereophotogrammetric device (3dMD, Atlanta, Georgia) and zygosity was determined according to similarity of facial form. Statistical pattern recognition methodology was used for classification. The results showed that in 75% to 90% of the cases, zygosity determinations were similar to DNA-based results. There were 81 different classification scenarios, including 3 groups, 3 features, 3 different scaling methods, and 3 threshold levels. It appeared that coincidence with 0.5 mm tolerance is the most suitable feature for classification. Also, leaving out scaling improves results in most cases. Scaling was expected to equalize the magnitude of differences and therefore lead to better recognition performance. Still, better classification features and a more effective scaling method or classification in different facial areas could further improve the results. In most of the cases, male pair zygosity recognition was at a higher level compared with females. Erroneously classified twin pairs appear to be obvious outliers in the sample. In particular, faces of young dizygotic (DZ) twins may be so similar that it is very hard to define a feature that would help classify the pair as DZ. Correspondingly, monozygotic (MZ) twins may have faces with quite different shapes. Such anomalous twin pairs are interesting exceptions, but they form a considerable portion in both zygosity groups.
Genetic Influence on Left Ventricular Structure and Function: A Korean Twin and Family Study
Authors: Noh Hye-Mi , Lee Sang Cheol , Park Seung Woo , Sung Joohon , Song Yun-Mi
Published: April 2015

Genetic factors have been suggested to be one of the determinants of the variation of left ventricular (LV) structure and function. However, the heritability range of LV structure varies across studies and the influence of genetics on LV function is not well established, especially in Asian populations. Study subjects were 1,642 healthy Korean adults from 426 families, consisting of 298 pairs of monozygotic twins, 62 pairs of dizygotic twins, one set of triplets, 567 siblings, and 354 parents. LV structure and function were measured by M-mode and 2D echocardiography, and conventional and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Pairwise intra-class correlations for various familial relationships and heritability were estimated for LV structure and function. The heritability of LV mass, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), left atrial volume index, the ratio between early and late diastolic velocity of mitral inflow (E/A ratio), and the ratio between early diastolic velocity of mitral inflow and early diastolic mitral annular velocities (E/Ea ratio) was 0.44, 0.27, 0.44, 0.25, and 0.33, respectively. Bivariate genetic analysis showed that LV structural and functional traits had significant genetic correlations with cardiovascular risk factors. Additive genetic correlation (ρG) of LV mass with body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were 0.49, 0.42, and -0.15 respectively. LVEF (ρG = 0.33) and left atrial volume index (ρG = 0.24) also had a significant genetic correlation with systolic blood pressure. These findings support the theory that genetic factors have significant influence on these traits and necessitate further work to identify the specific genes involved.
Pathologisches Onlinespielen – Untersuchung einer studentischen Stichprobe
Authors: Ferchow Swantje , Franke Gabriele Helga , Jagla Melanie , Nowik Daniel
Published: April 2015

Zielsetzung: Ziel der Untersuchung war es, das Ausmaß an pathologischem Onlinespielgebrauch bei Studierenden abzuschätzen und Faktoren zu identifizieren, die mit diesem einhergehen. Methodik: Daten von 1058 Studierenden wurden erhoben. Erfasst wurden Soziodemografie, pathologischer PC-Gebrauch (OSVe-S, CIUS, IAT, ISS), Persönlichkeit (NEO-FFI-25) und psychische Belastung (SCL-90®-S). Eine Substichprobe (n = 143) von Onlinespielern wurde selegiert; Einschlusskriterium war, Onlinespiele oft bzw. sehr oft zu nutzen. Pathologisch unauffällige (n = 94) und auffällige (n = 49) Spieler wurden auf signifikante Unterschiede mittels MANOVA überprüft. Ergebnisse: Auffällige Onlinespieler waren eher männlich und länger online. Sie zeichneten sich durch höheren Neurotizismus, geringere Extraversion und stärkere psychische Belastung aus. Private Onlinezeit am Wochenende und Zwanghaftigkeit waren im multivariaten Modell signifikant mit pathologischem PC-Gebrauch assoziiert. Schlussfolgerungen: Die untersuchten Studierenden wiesen einen hohen Anteil an pathologischem PC-Gebrauch auf, vorrangig die männlichen. Weitere Studien sollten die gefundenen Zusammenhänge validieren, um gesunde und pathologische Onlinespielnutzung voneinander abzugrenzen. Es wird empfohlen, Studentenberatungen für die Thematik zu sensibilisieren.
Ein langer Weg: Fallbericht zur Behandlung eines Patienten mit Polytoxikomanie, PTBS und chronischem Kopfschmerz über einen Zeitraum von zwei Jahrzehnten
Authors: Vogelgesang Monika
Published: April 2015

Zielsetzung: Es ging darum, die komplexe Suchtbehandlung eines polyvalent Abhängigen mit erheblicher Komorbidität darzustellen und dabei auch auf Schwierigkeiten während des Verlaufs einzugehen. Weiterhin sollte das Follow-up über einen Zeitraum von 20 Jahren exemplarisch Einblick in die Entwicklung des Patienten nach der Primärtherapie geben. Fallbeschreibung: Die Eingangssituation der Entwöhnungstherapie eines polytoxikomanen Patienten, der klinische Verlauf der Entwöhnungsmaßnahme und Follow-up über zwei Jahrzehnte werden dargestellt. Dabei wird auch besonders auf die psychische Komorbidität einer Posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung und einer chronischen Schmerzstörung nach mehreren Polytraumata eingegangen. Krisen und deren Bewältigung sowie die therapeutische Beziehungsgestaltung werden ebenso geschildert wie die therapeutischen Vorgehensweisen. Chancen und Risiken des poststationären Verlaufs und dessen Begleitung sind Themen der Langzeitverlaufsdarstellung. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Komorbidität bei Sucht erfordert eine spezifische Behandlung während der Entwöhnung zum grundlegenden Aufbau von Therapiemotivation und zur Gewährleistung einer nachhaltigen Abstinenz. Dabei geht es nicht um eine normiert abzuleistende Folge von Therapietechniken, sondern um den erfahrungsgeleiteten, kreativen Einsatz der jeweils erforderlichen Intervention.
Metatranscriptomes reveal functional variation in diatom communities from the Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Pearson Gareth A , Lago-Leston Asuncion , Cánovas Fernando , Cox Cymon J , Verret Frederic , Lasternas Sebastian , Duarte Carlos M , Agusti Susana , Serrão Ester A
Published: April 2015

Functional genomics of diatom-dominated communities from the Antarctic Peninsula was studied using comparative metatranscriptomics. Samples obtained from diatom-rich communities in the Bransfield Strait, the western Weddell Sea and sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea/Wilkins Ice Shelf yielded more than 500K pyrosequencing reads that were combined to produce a global metatranscriptome assembly. Multi-gene phylogenies recovered three distinct communities, and diatom-assigned contigs further indicated little read-sharing between communities, validating an assembly-based annotation and analysis approach. Although functional analysis recovered a core of abundant shared annotations that were expressed across the three diatom communities, over 40% of annotations (but accounting for <10% of sequences) were community-specific. The two pelagic communities differed in their expression of N-metabolism and acquisition genes, which was almost absent in post-bloom conditions in the Weddell Sea community, while enrichment of transporters for ammonia and urea in Bransfield Strait diatoms suggests a physiological stance towards acquisition of reduced N-sources. The depletion of carbohydrate and energy metabolism pathways in sea ice relative to pelagic communities, together with increased light energy dissipation (via LHCSR proteins), photorespiration, and NO3− uptake and utilization all pointed to irradiance stress and/or inorganic carbon limitation within sea ice. Ice-binding proteins and cold-shock transcription factors were also enriched in sea ice diatoms. Surprisingly, the abundance of gene transcripts for the translational machinery tracked decreasing environmental temperature across only a 4 °C range, possibly reflecting constraints on translational efficiency and protein production in cold environments.
Dominance of sulfur-fueled iron oxide reduction in low-sulfate freshwater sediments
Authors: Hansel Colleen M , Lentini Chris J , Tang Yuanzhi , Johnston David T , Wankel Scott D , Jardine Philip M
Published: April 2015

A central tenant in microbial biogeochemistry is that microbial metabolisms follow a predictable sequence of terminal electron acceptors based on the energetic yield for the reaction. It is thereby oftentimes assumed that microbial respiration of ferric iron outcompetes sulfate in all but high-sulfate systems, and thus sulfide has little influence on freshwater or terrestrial iron cycling. Observations of sulfate reduction in low-sulfate environments have been attributed to the presumed presence of highly crystalline iron oxides allowing sulfate reduction to be more energetically favored. Here we identified the iron-reducing processes under low-sulfate conditions within columns containing freshwater sediments amended with structurally diverse iron oxides and fermentation products that fuel anaerobic respiration. We show that despite low sulfate concentrations and regardless of iron oxide substrate (ferrihydrite, Al-ferrihydrite, goethite, hematite), sulfidization was a dominant pathway in iron reduction. This process was mediated by (re)cycling of sulfur upon reaction of sulfide and iron oxides to support continued sulfur-based respiration—a cryptic sulfur cycle involving generation and consumption of sulfur intermediates. Although canonical iron respiration was not observed in the sediments amended with the more crystalline iron oxides, iron respiration did become dominant in the presence of ferrihydrite once sulfate was consumed. Thus, despite more favorable energetics, ferrihydrite reduction did not precede sulfate reduction and instead an inverse redox zonation was observed. These findings indicate that sulfur (re)cycling is a dominant force in iron cycling even in low-sulfate systems and in a manner difficult to predict using the classical thermodynamic ladder.
Valence-dependent influence of serotonin depletion on model-based choice strategy
Authors: Worbe Y , Palminteri S , Savulich G , Daw N D , Fernandez-Egea E , Robbins T W , Voon V
Published: April 2015

Human decision-making arises from both reflective and reflexive mechanisms, which underpin goal-directed and habitual behavioural control. Computationally, these two systems of behavioural control have been described by different learning algorithms, model-based and model-free learning, respectively. Here, we investigated the effect of diminished serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) neurotransmission using dietary tryptophan depletion (TD) in healthy volunteers on the performance of a two-stage decision-making task, which allows discrimination between model-free and model-based behavioural strategies. A novel version of the task was used, which not only examined choice balance for monetary reward but also for punishment (monetary loss). TD impaired goal-directed (model-based) behaviour in the reward condition, but promoted it under punishment. This effect on appetitive and aversive goal-directed behaviour is likely mediated by alteration of the average reward representation produced by TD, which is consistent with previous studies. Overall, the major implication of this study is that serotonin differentially affects goal-directed learning as a function of affective valence. These findings are relevant for a further understanding of psychiatric disorders associated with breakdown of goal-directed behavioural control such as obsessive-compulsive disorders or addictions.
Flexible suspended gate organic thin-film transistors for ultra-sensitive pressure detection
Authors: Zang Yaping , Zhang Fengjiao , Huang Dazhen , Gao Xike , Di Chong-an , Zhu Daoben
Published: April 2015

The utilization of organic devices as pressure-sensing elements in artificial intelligence and healthcare applications represents a fascinating opportunity for the next-generation electronic products. To satisfy the critical requirements of these promising applications, the low-cost construction of large-area ultra-sensitive organic pressure devices with outstanding flexibility is highly desired. Here we present flexible suspended gate organic thin-film transistors (SGOTFTs) as a model platform that enables ultra-sensitive pressure detection. More importantly, the unique device geometry of SGOTFTs allows the fine-tuning of their sensitivity by the suspended gate. An unprecedented sensitivity of 192 kPa−1, a low limit-of-detection pressure of <0.5 Pa and a short response time of 10 ms were successfully realized, allowing the real-time detection of acoustic waves. These excellent sensing properties of SGOTFTs, together with their advantages of facile large-area fabrication and versatility in detecting various pressure signals, make SGOTFTs a powerful strategy for spatial pressure mapping in practical applications.
Molecular development of chondrichthyan claspers and the evolution of copulatory organs
Authors: O’Shaughnessy Katherine L. , Dahn Randall D. , Cohn Martin J.
Published: April 2015

The earliest known vertebrate copulatory organs are claspers, paired penis-like structures that are associated with evolution of internal fertilization and viviparity in Devonian placoderms. Today, only male chondrichthyans possess claspers, which extend from posterior pelvic fins and function as intromittent organs. Here we report that clasper development from pelvic fins of male skates is controlled by hormonal regulation of the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway. We show that Shh signalling is necessary for male clasper development and is sufficient to induce clasper cartilages in females. Androgen receptor (AR) controls the male-specific pattern of Shh in pelvic fins by regulation of Hand2. We identify an androgen response element (ARE) in the Hand2 locus and present biochemical evidence that AR can directly bind the Hand2 ARE. Together, our results suggest that the genetic circuit for appendage development evolved an androgen regulatory input, which prolonged signalling activity and drove clasper skeletogenesis in male fins.
MicroRNA29a regulates IL-33-mediated tissue remodelling in tendon disease
Authors: Millar Neal L. , Gilchrist Derek S. , Akbar Moeed , Reilly James H. , Kerr Shauna C. , Campbell Abigail L. , Murrell George A. C. , Liew Foo Y. , Kurowska-Stolarska Mariola , McInnes Iain B.
Published: April 2015

MicroRNA (miRNA) has the potential for cross-regulation and functional integration of discrete biological processes during complex physiological events. Utilizing the common human condition tendinopathy as a model system to explore the cross-regulation of immediate inflammation and matrix synthesis by miRNA we observed that elevated IL-33 expression is a characteristic of early tendinopathy. Usingin vitrotenocyte cultures andin vivomodels of tendon damage, we demonstrate that such IL-33 expression plays a pivotal role in the transition from type 1 to type 3 collagen (Col3) synthesis and thus early tendon remodelling. Both IL-33 effector function, via its decoy receptor sST2, and Col3 synthesis are regulated bymiRNA29a. Downregulation ofmiRNA29ain human tenocytes is sufficient to induce an increase in Col3 expression. These data provide a molecular mechanism of miRNA-mediated integration of the early pathophysiologic events that facilitate tissue remodelling in human tendon after injury.
Alterations in frontal white matter neurochemistry and microstructure in schizophrenia: implications for neuroinflammation
Authors: Chiappelli J , Hong L E , Wijtenburg S A , Du X , Gaston F , Kochunov P , Rowland L M
Published: April 2015

We investigated in vivo neurochemical markers reflective of neuronal health and glial activation to determine if these could yield clues regarding the reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) of white matter and accelerated decline of FA with age in schizophrenia. Participants with schizophrenia and healthy controls completed diffusion tensor imaging to assess FA and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess neurochemical metabolites in the same frontal region. Frontal FA was significantly lower in the schizophrenia and declined more rapidly with age compared with the healthy control group. In both groups, N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a putative marker of neuronal integrity, and glutamate declined with age, and this decline was stronger in patients. Myo-inositol, a marker of glial cells, was negatively related to FA in both groups. The relationship between FA and age remained significant in schizophrenia even when controlling for all metabolites. The relationships of FA, NAA and myo-inositol to age appear to be independent of one another. The relationship between FA and myo-inositol was independently present in both patients and controls, even after controlling for age, indicating a potential general effect of neuroinflammation on white matter microstructure. Further studies are warranted to determine the underlying mechanism driving the accelerated FA decline with age in schizophrenia.
DEGS2 polymorphism associated with cognition in schizophrenia is associated with gene expression in brain
Authors: Ohi K , Ursini G , Li M , Shin J H , Ye T , Chen Q , Tao R , Kleinman J E , Hyde T M , Hashimoto R , Weinberger D R
Published: April 2015

A genome-wide association study of cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia in Japan found association with a missense genetic variant (rs7157599, Asn8Ser) in the delta(4)-desaturase, sphingolipid 2 (DEGS2) gene. A replication analysis using Caucasian samples showed a directionally consistent trend for cognitive association of a proxy single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs3783332. Although the DEGS2 gene is expressed in human brain, it is unknown how DEGS2 expression varies during human life and whether it is affected by psychiatric disorders and genetic variants. To address these questions, we examined DEGS2 messenger RNA using next-generation sequencing in postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortical tissue from a total of 418 Caucasian samples including patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. DEGS2 is expressed at very low levels prenatally and increases gradually from birth to adolescence and consistently expressed across adulthood. Rs3783332 genotype was significantly associated with the expression across all subjects (F3,348=10.79, P=1.12 × 10−3), particularly in control subjects (F1,87=13.14, P=4.86 × 10−4). Similar results were found with rs715799 genotype. The carriers of the risk-associated minor allele at both loci showed significantly lower expression compared with subjects homozygous for the non-risk major allele and this was a consistent finding across all diagnostic groups. DEGS2 expression showed no association with diagnostic status after correcting for multiple testing (P>0.05). Our findings demonstrate that a SNP showing genome-wide association study significant association with cognition in schizophrenia is also associated with regulation of DEGS2 expression, implicating a molecular mechanism for the clinical association.
Facile synthesis of water soluble silver ferrite (AgFeO2) nanoparticles and their biological application as antibacterial agents
Authors: Abdelhamid Hani Nasser , Talib Abou , Wu Hui-Fen
Published: April 2015

The syntheses and antibacterial activity of AgFeO2 and AgFO2 modified polyethylene glycols are reported.
cRGDyK-modified camretastain A4-loaded graphene oxide nanosheets for targeted anticancer drug delivery
Authors: Wang Jing , Tian Qingqing , Ding Fang , Yu Yanyan , Wu Fanhong
Published: April 2015

Functionalized graphene oxide (CGO–cRGDyK/POLO) nanosheets were designed and developed for targeted drug delivery to integrin expression.
Tetraphenylethene–pyridine salts as the first self-assembling chemosensor for pyrophosphate
Authors: Xu Hao-Ran , Li Kun , Jiao Shu-Yan , Pan Sheng-Lin , Zeng Jun-Ru , Yu Xiao-Qi
Published: April 2015

Tetraphenylethene–pyridine salts could self-assemble with PPi into nanoparticles in aqueous solution with color change as well as fluorescence intensity enhancement, which could serve as a novel approach for pyrophosphate sensing.
Melting temperature of molecular beacons as an indicator of the ligase detection reaction for multiplex detection of point mutations
Authors: Luo Weihao , Zhou Dianming , Luo Dixian , Jiang Jianhui , Xu Xiangmin
Published: April 2015

A novel strategy based on the ligase detection reaction (LDR) using the melting temperature of molecular beacons as the indicator is presented for the multiplex detection of gene mutations.
Agglutination of single catalyst particles during fluid catalytic cracking as observed by X-ray nanotomography
Authors: Meirer F. , Kalirai S. , Weker J. Nelson , Liu Y. , Andrews J. C. , Weckhuysen B. M.
Published: April 2015

X-ray nanotomography of a complete FCC particle cluster reveals increased metal concentrations at the interface of agglutinated E-cat particles, which might play a crucial role E-cat particle clustering.
Oscillatory growth for twisting crystals
Authors: Ibaraki Shunsuke , Ise Ryuta , Ishimori Koichiro , Oaki Yuya , Sazaki Gen , Yokoyama Etsuro , Tsukamoto Katsuo , Imai Hiroaki
Published: April 2015

We demonstrate the oscillatory phenomenon for the twisting growth of a triclinic crystal through in situ observation of the concentration field around the growing tip of a needle.
Diels–Alders adducts of C60 and esters of 3-(1-indenyl)-propionic acid: alternatives for [60]PCBM in polymer:fullerene solar cells
Authors: Sieval Alexander B. , Treat Neil D. , Rozema Desirée , Hummelen Jan C. , Stingelin Natalie
Published: April 2015

Two new, easily synthesized fullerene derivatives are introduced that give significantly higher device efficiency (PCE) than [60]PCBM in the standard P3HT:fullerene solar cells.
Morphology controlled synthesis of monodispersed manganese sulfide nanocrystals and their primary application in supercapacitors with high performances
Authors: Tang Yongfu , Chen Teng , Yu Shengxue
Published: April 2015

Monodispersed hollow spindle-like nanosphere and tetrapod nanorod MnS nanocrystals are obtained via a facile template-free hydrothermal process. The MnS nanocrystals are used as supercapacitor materials and they exhibit high performances.
Inverse regioselectivity in the silylstannylation of alkynes and allenes: copper-catalyzed three-component coupling with a silylborane and a tin alkoxide
Authors: Yoshida H. , Hayashi Y. , Ito Y. , Takaki K.
Published: April 2015

Three-component silylstannylation of alkynes and allenes has been found to take place facilely by use of a silylborane and a tin alkoxide under copper catalysis. The regioselectivities become totally inverse to those of the previous palladium-catalyzed silylstannylation.
P–O–B3 linkages in borophosphate glasses evidenced by high field 11B/31P correlation NMR
Authors: Tricot G. , Raguenet B. , Silly G. , Ribes M. , Pradel A. , Eckert H.
Published: April 2015

The presence of P–O–B3 linkages in borophosphate glasses has been evidenced by high field scalar NMR techniques.
Robust enzyme–silica composites made from enzyme nanocapsules
Authors: Li Jie , Jin Xin , Liu Yang , Li Fan , Zhang Linlin , Zhu Xianyuan , Lu Yunfeng
Published: April 2015

Novel enzyme composites are synthesized first by in situ polymerization around enzymes and a subsequent sol–gel process. Both the polymer shell and the silica shell with desired functional moieties provide not only great enzyme protection but also a favorable microenvironment, resulting in significantly enhanced activity and stability.
Red fluorescent luminogen from pyrrole derivatives with aggregation-enhanced emission for cell membrane imaging
Authors: Liu Guogang , Chen Didi , Kong Lingwei , Shi Jianbing , Tong Bin , Zhi Junge , Feng Xiao , Dong Yuping
Published: April 2015

A dye emitted red fluorescence with aggregation-enhanced emission properties was reported here. It can be utilized to specifically recognize the cell membrane of MCF-7 and 293T cell lines during bio-imaging.
DAST-promoted Beckmann rearrangement/intramolecular cyclization of acyclic ketoximes: access to 2-oxazolines, benzimidazoles and benzoxazoles
Authors: Li Huiqin , Qin Jian , Yang Zonglian , Guan Xiaoxue , Zhang Lin , Liao Peiqiu , Li Xingqi
Published: April 2015

The first example of DAST-promoted Beckmann rearrangement/intramolecular cyclization of acyclic ketoximes is described, which affords 2-oxazolines, benzimidazoles and benzoxazoles.
Metal–organic framework tethering PNIPAM for ON–OFF controlled release in solution
Authors: Nagata Shunjiro , Kokado Kenta , Sada Kazuki
Published: April 2015

A smart metal–organic framework (MOF) exhibiting controlled release was achieved by modification with a thermoresponsive polymer (PNIPAM) on the surface.
Oxygen diffusion in single crystal barium titanate
Authors: Kessel Markus , De Souza Roger A. , Martin Manfred
Published: April 2015

Oxygen isotope experiments reveal a surface space-charge layer and a migration enthalpy of oxygen vacancies of 0.7 eV.
Temperature-induced molecular transport through polymer multilayers coated with PNIPAM microgels
Authors: Vikulina A. S. , Aleed S. T. , Paulraj T. , Vladimirov Yu. A. , Duschl C. , von Klitzing R. , Volodkin D.
Published: April 2015

Composite polymer films with temperature controlled permeability are designed by coating soft polyelectrolyte multilayers with PNIPAM microgels.
Ketocyanine dyes: impact of conjugation length on optical absorption and third-order polarizabilities
Authors: Yesudas Kada , Jemmis Eluvathingal D. , Bhanuprakash Kotamarthi
Published: April 2015

Structure–property relationships are proposed for tuning the optical absorption of ketocyanine dyes and to obtain large negative third-order polarizabilities.
Nonlinear 3D projection printing of concave hydrogel microstructures for long-term multicellular spheroid and embryoid body culture
Authors: Hribar K. C. , Finlay D. , Ma X. , Qu X. , Ondeck M. G. , Chung P. H. , Zanella F. , Engler A. J. , Sheikh F. , Vuori K. , Chen S. C.
Published: April 2015

Nonlinear 3D projection printing is developed to generate concave hydrogel microstructures for 3D cell spheroid and embryoid body formation and long-term culture.
Tributyltin induces mitochondrial fission through NAD-IDH dependent mitofusin degradation in human embryonic carcinoma cells
Authors: Yamada Shigeru , Kotake Yaichiro , Nakano Mizuho , Sekino Yuko , Kanda Yasunari
Published: April 2015

Organotin compounds, such as tributyltin (TBT), are well-known endocrine disruptors. TBT acts at the nanomolar level through genomic pathways via the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)/retinoid X receptor (RXR). We recently reported that TBT inhibits cell growth and the ATP content in the human embryonic carcinoma cell line NT2/D1 via a non-genomic pathway involving NAD+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD-IDH), which metabolizes isocitrate to α-ketoglutarate. However, the molecular mechanisms by which NAD-IDH mediates TBT toxicity remain unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of TBT on mitochondrial NAD-IDH and energy production. Staining with MitoTracker revealed that nanomolar TBT levels induced mitochondrial fragmentation. TBT also degraded the mitochondrial fusion proteins, mitofusins 1 and 2. Interestingly, apigenin, an inhibitor of NAD-IDH, mimicked the effects of TBT. Incubation with an α-ketoglutarate analogue partially recovered TBT-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, supporting the involvement of NAD-IDH. Our data suggest that nanomolar TBT levels impair mitochondrial quality control via NAD-IDH in NT2/D1 cells. Thus, mitochondrial function in embryonic cells could be used to assess cytotoxicity associated with metal exposure.
Mechanochemical synthesis of isoreticular metal–organic frameworks and comparative study of their potential for nitrobenzene sensing
Authors: Abedi Sedigheh , Tehrani Alireza Azhdari , Morsali Ali
Published: April 2015

A series of halogen containing IRMOFs were synthesized mechanochemically and their sensing properties for nitrobenzene were evaluated.
In vitro biocompatibility evaluation of biscoumarin based random copolyesters
Authors: Narendran Kandaswamy , Nanthini Raveendiran
Published: April 2015

Copolyester CP5 exhibits cytocompatible properties toward a normal cell line (Vero cells) and requires 13-fold higher concentration in comparison with Hep-2 cells.
Comments on reactions of oxide derivatives of uranium with hexachloropropene to give UCl4
Authors: Patel Dipti , Wooles Ashley J. , Hashem Emtithal , Omorodion Harrison , Baker Robert J. , Liddle Stephen T.
Published: April 2015

The reactions of U3O8, UO2(NO3)2·6H2O, and UO2Cl2with hexachloropropene to make UCl4are described.
Hybrid light sensor based on ultrathin Si nanomembranes sensitized with CdSe/ZnS colloidal nanocrystal quantum dots
Authors: Peng Weina , Sampat Siddharth , Rupich Sara M. , Anand Benoy , Nguyen Hue Minh , Taylor David , Beardon Brandon E. , Gartstein Yuri N. , Chabal Yves J. , Malko Anton V.
Published: April 2015

We demonstrate wavelength dependent photocurrent gain (Gmax ∼ 300) in ultrathin Si nanomembranes sensitized with CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals.
The intrinsic luminescence of individual plasmonic nanostructures in aqueous suspension by photon time-of-flight spectroscopy
Authors: Loumaigne Matthieu , Navarro Julien R. G. , Parola Stéphane , Werts Martinus H. V. , Débarre Anne
Published: April 2015

Spectra of the photoluminescence of individual gold nanospheres, nanobipyramids and nanostars in water demonstrate the plasmonic character of this emission.
Synthesis and application of glycoconjugate-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles as potent anti-adhesion agents for reducing enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections
Authors: Raval Yash S. , Stone Roland , Fellows Benjamin , Qi Bin , Huang Guohui , Mefford O. Thompson , Tzeng Tzuen-Rong J.
Published: April 2015

Cartoon diagram showing synthesis of GM3-MNPs (part-1) and GM3-MNPs induced specific bacterial binding and aggregation inE. coliK99 through multivalent carbohydrate interactions (part-2).
In situ growth of capping-free magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles on liquid-phase exfoliated graphene
Authors: Tsoufis T. , Syrgiannis Z. , Akhtar N. , Prato M. , Katsaros F. , Sideratou Z. , Kouloumpis A. , Gournis D. , Rudolf P.
Published: April 2015

We report a facile approach for the in situ synthesis of very small iron oxide nanoparticles on the surface of high-quality graphene sheets.
A high performance photothermal film with spherical shell-type metallic nanocomposites for solar thermoelectric conversion
Authors: Kosuga Atsuko , Yamamoto Yasuyuki , Miyai Moe , Matsuzawa Mie , Nishimura Yushi , Hidaka Shimpei , Yamamoto Kohei , Tanaka Shin , Yamamoto Yojiro , Tokonami Shiho , Iida Takuya
Published: April 2015

A photothermal film (PTF) consisting of densely assembled gold nanoparticle-fixed beads (AuNP-FBs) on a low cost polymer substrate is successfully fabricated.
50 nm sized spherical TiO2nanocrystals for highly efficient mesoscopic perovskite solar cells
Authors: Sung Sang Do , Ojha Devi Prashad , You Ji Su , Lee Joori , Kim Jeongho , Lee Wan In
Published: April 2015

A novel 50 nm sized spherical TiO2NP, prepared by a hydrothermal reaction, has been demonstrated to be a key component in fabricating highly efficient perovskite solar cells.
Controlled preparation of Au/Ag/SnO2 core–shell nanoparticles using a photochemical method and applications in LSPR based sensing
Authors: Zhou Na , Ye Chen , Polavarapu Lakshminarayana , Xu Qing-Hua
Published: April 2015

A photochemical method based on photo-induced electron transfer processes was developed to prepare core–shell Au/Ag/SnO2 nanoparticles with tailored optical properties.
Phase-change material filled hollow magnetic nanoparticles for cancer therapy and dual modal bioimaging
Authors: Li Jinghua , Hu Yan , Hou Yanhua , Shen Xinkun , Xu Gaoqiang , Dai Liangliang , Zhou Jun , Liu Yun , Cai Kaiyong
Published: April 2015

An alternating magnetic field triggered nanocarrier for drug delivery is fabricated for dual modal imaging-guided thermo-chemo cancer therapy.
77Se and125Te NMR spectroscopy on a selectivity study of organochalcogenanes withl-amino acids
Authors: Silva Marcio S. , Andrade Leandro H.
Published: April 2015

Organochalcogenanes exhibited a remarkably high selectivity forl-cysteine which was monitored by77Se and125Te NMR spectroscopy.
A preorganized β-amino acid bearing a guanidinium side chain and its use in cell-penetrating peptides
Authors: Demizu Yosuke , Oba Makoto , Okitsu Koyo , Yamashita Hiroko , Misawa Takashi , Tanaka Masakazu , Kurihara Masaaki , Gellman Samuel H.
Published: April 2015

A cyclic β-amino acid (APCGu) bearing a side-chain guanidinium group has been developed.
Copper(ii)-catalyzed highly regio- and stereo-selective hydrosilylation of unactivated internal alkynes with silylborate in water
Authors: Xuan Qing-Qing , Ren Chuan-Li , Liu Li , Wang Dong , Li Chao-Jun
Published: April 2015

The hydrosilylation of internal alkynes with Me2PhSiBpin catalyzed by Cu(OTf)2 in water provided multisubstituted vinylsilanes in high regio- and stereoselectivities.
Stereoregular poly(methyl methacrylate) with double-clickable ω-end: synthesis and click reaction
Authors: Kohsaka Yasuhiro , Yamamoto Kazuki , Kitayama Tatsuki
Published: April 2015

Stereoregular PMMAs carrying an orthogonally double-clickable end, for thiol–ene and azide–alkyne cycloadditions, were prepared via termination with propargyl α-(chloromethyl)acrylate.
Development of a monoclonal antibody-based ELISA for the detection of the novel insecticide cyantraniliprole
Authors: Zhang Rui , Liu Kechang , Cui Yongliang , Zhang Wei , He Lishan , Guo Suoqin , Chen Yuanyuan , Li Qing X. , Liu Shangzhong , Wang Baomin
Published: April 2015

A highly sensitive and selective immunoassay was developed for the analysis of cyantraniliprole. The concentrations of cyantraniliprole residues in pakchoi samples determined by ELISA agreed with those by the HPLC method.
The chemistry and bioactivity of Southern African flora I: a bioactivity versus ethnobotanical survey of alkaloid and terpenoid classes
Authors: Babiaka Smith B. , Ntie-Kang Fidele , Lifongo Lydia L. , Ndingkokhar Bakoh , Mbah James A. , Yong Joseph N.
Published: April 2015

As a whole, the African continent is highly endowed with a huge floral biodiversity.
A comparative study of enzymatic hydrolysis and thermal degradation of corn stover: understanding biomass pretreatment
Authors: Zhang Jiafu , Zhang Xin , Li Chi , Zhang Wenyu , Zhang Jingkun , Zhang Ruihong , Yuan Qipeng , Liu Guangqing , Cheng Gang
Published: April 2015

Effects of biomass pretreatment on the enzymatic hydrolysis and thermal degradation of corn stover were compared.
Kinetic investigation of photo-catalytic activity of TiO2/metal nanocomposite in phenol photo-degradation using Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Moradmand Jalali Hamed
Published: April 2015

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation was applied to study the kinetics and photo-catalytic activity mechanism of TiO2anatase, P25, Au/TiO2, Pd/TiO2and Au–Pd/TiO2applied in photo-degradation of water pollutants including phenol.
Effect of bromide ions on the corrosion behavior of hafnium in anhydrous ethanol
Authors: Wang Changhong , Yang Shenghai , Chen Yongming , Wang Biao , He Jing , Tang Chaobo
Published: April 2015

The electrochemical behaviors of hafnium (Hf) in Et4NBr ethanol solutions were investigated using cyclic voltammetry, potentiodynamic polarization, chronoamperometry, impedance and SEM techniques.