bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Review of Analysis of Dynamic Response in Design of Experiments
Authors: He Zhen , Zhou Panpan , Zhang Min , Goh Thong Ngee
Published: February 2014

Systems with dynamic characteristics have gained increasing attention of both researchers and engineers in industry in recent years. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of investigations on what might be called dynamic response in experimental design, so as to facilitate further research in this area. We briefly review the development of research on dynamic problems in diverse fields such as statistical quality control, biostatistics, experimental design and repeated measurements. Discussions in the past are specially sorted out on the definition and classification of dynamic response problems as encountered in general experimental design and robust design, and various perspectives of system types and response types. Four categories of modelling techniques in classical experimental design are summarized from the literature according to distinct application conditions; this would provide a useful basis for future investigations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stochastic stability and stabilization of discrete‐time singular Markovian jump systems with partially unknown transition probabilities
Authors: Wang Jianhua , Zhang Qingling , Yan Xing‐Gang , Zhai Ding
Published: February 2014

This paper considers the stochastic stability and stabilization of discrete‐time singular Markovian jump systems with partially unknown transition probabilities. Firstly, a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for the stochastic stability is proposed in terms of LMIs, then a set of sufficient conditions is proposed for the design of a state feedback controller to guarantee that the corresponding closed‐loop systems are regular, causal, and stochastically stable by employing the LMI technique. Finally, some examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Confidence in learning: Inter‐ and intraorganizational learning in foreign market entry decisions
Authors: Li Jiatao , Qian Cuili , Yao Fiona K.
Published: February 2014

From an organizational learning perspective, we argue that the information signaled by the distribution attributes of foreign investors already operating in a location will influence the entry decisions of later arrivals by affecting their level of confidence in imitating. In the context of foreign investment decisions, the proportion of experienced firms in a location was shown to first increase a follower firm's confidence about imitating them, but then to decrease it, due to anticipated competition. The impact of learning from target organizations also varies with the experience of the learning organization. Data on the location choices of 7,478 manufacturing ventures in China by U.S. firms supported the hypotheses. The results provide a more integrated and nuanced understanding of learning in foreign direct investment. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Role of Cuprous Oxide Seeds in the One‐Pot and Seeded Syntheses of Copper Nanowires
Authors: Ye Shengrong , Rathmell Aaron R. , Ha Yoon‐Cheol , Wilson Adria R. , Wiley Benjamin J.
Published: February 2014

This paper demonstrates that Cu2O nanoparticles form in the early stages of a solution‐phase synthesis of copper nanowires, and aggregate to form the seeds from which copper nanowires grow. Removal of ethylenediamine from the synthesis leads to the rapid formation of Cu2O octahedra. These octahedra are introduced as seeds in the same copper nanowire synthesis to improve the yield of copper nanowires from 12% to >55%, and to enable independent control over the length of the nanowires. Transparent conducting films are made from nanowires with different lengths to examine the effect of nanowire aspect ratio on the film performance.
Plasmonic Sensing Using Metallic Nano‐Sculptured Thin Films
Authors: Abdulhalim Ibrahim
Published: February 2014

Nano‐sculptured thin films (nSTFs) is a group of meterials prepared by the oblique or the glancing angle deposition technique. They take the form of rods having different shapes such as nanocolumns, nanoscrews, nanozigzags and many other nanoshapes. Their potential for biosensing is highlighted in this review particularly the metallic ones due to their remarkable plasmonic properties. The techniques that have been shown so far to be of high potential are: extended surface plasmon resonance (SPR), localised SPR, surface enhanced flourescence (SEF) and Raman scattering (SERS). The use of metal nSTFs in SPR biosensors with Kretschmann‐Raether configuration enhances both the angular and the spectral sensitivities due to the porosity and adds more degrees of freedom in designing evanescent waves based techniques. The metallic nSTFs, exhibit remarkable localised plasmonic properties that make them a promising substrate for enhanced spectroscopies. Their long term stability in water environment makes them suitable candidates for biosensing in water as it is already demonstrated for several water pollutants. The influences of the nanostructures' size, topology, the substrate features, and the preparation conditions on the enhancement of SEF and SERS are highlighted with emphases on the unresolved issues and future trends.
Localization and Dynamics of Glucocorticoid Receptor at the Plasma Membrane of Activated Mast Cells
Authors: Oppong Emmanuel , Hedde Per Niklas , Sekula‐Neuner Sylwia , Yang Linxiao , Brinkmann Falko , Dörlich René M. , Hirtz Michael , Fuchs Harald , Nienhaus Gerd Ulrich , Cato Andrew C. B.
Published: February 2014

In addition to their actions in the cell nucleus, glucocorticoids exhibit rapid non‐nuclear responses that are mechanistically not well understood. To explain these effects, the localization of a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expressed in mast cells as a GFP fusion was analyzed after activation of the cells on allergenic lipid arrays. These arrays were produced on glass slides by dip‐pen nanolithography (DPN) and total internal reflection (TIRF) microscopy was used to visualize the GR. A rapid glucocorticoid‐independent and ‐dependent recruitment of the GR‐GFP to the plasma cell membrane was observed following contact of the cells with the allergenic array. In addition, the mobility of the GR at the membrane was monitored by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and shown to follow binding kinetics demonstrating interactions of the receptor with membrane‐bound factors. Furthermore the recruitment of the GR to the cell membrane was shown to result in a glucocorticoid‐mediated increase in Erk phosphorylation. This is evidenced by findings that destruction of the membrane composition of the mast cells by cholesterol depletion impairs the membrane localization of the GR and subsequent glucocorticoid‐mediated enhancement of Erk phosphorylation. These results demonstrate a membrane localization and function of the GR in mast cell signaling.
Machine learning methods in chemoinformatics
Authors: Mitchell John B. O.
Published: February 2014

Machine learning algorithms are generally developed in computer science or adjacent disciplines and find their way into chemical modeling by a process of diffusion. Though particular machine learning methods are popular in chemoinformatics and quantitative structure–activity relationships (QSAR), many others exist in the technical literature. This discussion is methods‐based and focused on some algorithms that chemoinformatics researchers frequently use. It makes no claim to be exhaustive. We concentrate on methods for supervised learning, predicting the unknown property values of a test set of instances, usually molecules, based on the known values for a training set. Particularly relevant approaches include Artificial Neural Networks, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, k‐Nearest Neighbors and naïve Bayes classifiers. WIREs Comput Mol Sci 2014, 4:468–481.

This article is categorized under:

Computer and Information Science > Chemoinformatics
Alignment and dataset identification of linked data in Semantic Web
Authors: Gunaratna Kalpa , Lalithsena Sarasi , Sheth Amit
Published: February 2014

The Linked Open Data (LOD) cloud has gained significant attention in the Semantic Web community over the past few years. With rapid expansion in size and diversity, it consists of over 800 interlinked datasets with over 60 billion triples. These datasets encapsulate structured data and knowledge spanning over varied domains such as entertainment, life sciences, publications, geography, and government. Applications can take advantage of this by using the knowledge distributed over the interconnected datasets, which is not realistic to find in a single place elsewhere. However, two of the key obstacles in using the LOD cloud are the limited support for data integration tasks over concepts, instances, and properties, and relevant data source selection for querying over multiple datasets. We review, in brief, some of the important and interesting technical approaches found in the literature that address these two issues. We observe that the general purpose alignment techniques developed outside the LOD context fall short in meeting the heterogeneous data representation of LOD. Therefore, an LOD‐specific review of these techniques (especially for alignment) is important to the community. The topics covered and discussed in this article fall under two broad categories, namely alignment techniques for LOD datasets and relevant data source selection in the context of query processing over LOD datasets.

This article is categorized under:

Algorithmic Development > Spatial and Temporal Data Mining

Technologies > Structure Discovery and Clustering
Plasmonic antennas and zero‐mode waveguides to enhance single molecule fluorescence detection and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy toward physiological concentrations
Authors: Punj Deep , Ghenuche Petru , Moparthi Satish Babu , de Torres Juan , Grigoriev Victor , Rigneault Hervé , Wenger Jérôme
Published: February 2014

Single‐molecule approaches to biology offer a powerful new vision to elucidate the mechanisms that underpin the functioning of living cells. However, conventional optical single molecule spectroscopy techniques such as Förster fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) or fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) are limited by diffraction to the nanomolar concentration range, far below the physiological micromolar concentration range where most biological reaction occur. To breach the diffraction limit, zero‐mode waveguides (ZMW) and plasmonic antennas exploit the surface plasmon resonances to confine and enhance light down to the nanometer scale. The ability of plasmonics to achieve extreme light concentration unlocks an enormous potential to enhance fluorescence detection, FRET, and FCS. Single molecule spectroscopy techniques greatly benefit from ZMW and plasmonic antennas to enter a new dimension of molecular concentration reaching physiological conditions. The application of nano‐optics to biological problems with FRET and FCS is an emerging and exciting field, and is promising to reveal new insights on biological functions and dynamics.

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > Biosensing

Diagnostic Tools > Diagnostic Nanodevices

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Synthesis, Characterization, and X‐ray Crystal Structures of Ru3(CO)9(dppm)AsPh3 and Ru3(CO)9(dpam)PPh3 Complexes
Authors: Bin Shawkataly Omar , Khan Imthyaz Ahmed , Syaida Sirat Siti , Fun Hoong‐Kun , Mustaqim Rosli Mohd
Published: February 2014

Clusters Ru3(CO)10(dppm) and Ru3(CO)10(dpam) on reaction with AsPh3 and PPh3 in refluxing n‐hexane afford trisubstituted clusters Ru3(CO)9(dppm)AsPh3 and Ru3(CO)9(dpam)PPh3, respectively. These two trisubstituted clusters are characterized by spectroscopic and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Ru3(CO)9(dppm)AsPh3 and Ru3(CO)9(dpam)PPh3 show a triangle of ruthenium atoms, in which the bidentate and monodentate group 15 ligands occupy equatorial position and all the carbonyl units are terminally bonded. The Ru–Ru distances in Ru3(CO)9(dppm)AsPh3 are 2.8461(7) Å, 2.8495(7) Å, and 2.8930(6) Å, with the longest distance cis to the monodentate AsPh3 ligand. For Ru3(CO)9(dpam)PPh3, the Ru–Ru distances are 2.8652(2) Å, 2.8809(2) Å, and 2.8560(2) Å with the longest distance also cis to the monodenatate PPh3 ligand.
New Mn2‐based Heusler Compounds
Authors: Kreiner Guido , Kalache Adel , Hausdorf Steffen , Alijani Vajiheh , Qian Jin‐Feng , Shan Guangcun , Burkhardt Ulrich , Ouardi Siham , Felser Claudia
Published: February 2014

Mn2‐based Heusler compounds have attracted a great deal of interest as half‐metallic ferri‐ and ferromagnets and as materials for spintronic applications. In this paper, we report the synthesis, crystal structure, and disorder type of the new Heusler compounds Mn2RuGe, Mn2RhGa, and the redetermination of the crystal structure of Mn2RuSn. They crystallize cubic with L21b structure type in Fm$\bar{3}$m, which is an inverse Heusler structure with a transition metal disorder of the type (Mn0.5,Y0.5)2MnZ (Y = Ru or Rh and Z = Ge, Ga or Sn). It is shown that an inverse Heusler structure can generally gain stability through the configurational part of the entropy of mixing at elevated temperatures without loosing too much enthalpy in the configurational part of the enthalpy of mixing owing to a special bond arrangement in the inverse type structure. The enthalpy of formation of transition‐metal‐based Heusler compounds and Al, Ga, and Ge as the main group metals obtained from DFT calculations and experimental data are used to confirm Burch's rule, which predicts the stability of transition‐metal‐based inverse Heusler compounds. Alloying tendencies as manifested in binary phase diagrams and the enthalpies obtained from the Miedema model are correlated with the stability of Heusler compounds. Burch's rule is in excellent agreement with the current available experimental data. The DFT data and general alloying tendencies show that deviations are expected from this rule. Miedema's model allows the estimation of the enthalpy of formation for the transition‐ and main group metal‐based Heusler compounds, except for those having period 6 elements and Pd.
Point mutation of the xylose reductase (XR) gene reduces xylitol accumulation and increases citric acid production in Aspergillus carbonarius
Authors: Weyda István , Lübeck Mette , Ahring Birgitte K , Lübeck Peter S
Published: February 2014

Aspergillus carbonarius accumulates xylitol when it grows on d-xylose. In fungi, d-xylose is reduced to xylitol by the NAD(P)H-dependent xylose reductase (XR). Xylitol is then further oxidized by the NAD+-dependent xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH). The cofactor impairment between the XR and XDH can lead to the accumulation of xylitol under oxygen-limiting conditions. Most of the XRs are NADPH dependent and contain a conserved Ile-Pro-Lys-Ser motif. The only known naturally occurring NADH-dependent XR (from Candida parapsilosis) carries an arginine residue instead of the lysine in this motif. In order to overcome xylitol accumulation in A. carbonarius a Lys-274 to Arg point mutation was introduced into the XR with the aim of changing the specificity toward NADH. The effect of the genetic engineering was examined in fermentation for citric acid production and xylitol accumulation by using d-xylose as the sole carbon source. Fermentation with the mutant strain showed a 2.8-fold reduction in xylitol accumulation and 4.5-fold increase in citric acid production compared to the wild-type strain. The fact that the mutant strain shows decreased xylitol levels is assumed to be associated with the capability of the mutated XR to use the NADH generated by the XDH, thus preventing the inhibition of XDH by the high levels of NADH and ensuring the flux of xylose through the pathway. This work shows that enhanced production of citric acid can be achieved using xylose as the sole carbon source by reducing accumulation of other by-products, such as xylitol.
Changes in the glacier extent and surface elevation along the Ningchan and Shuiguan river source, eastern Qilian Mountains, China
Authors: Cao Bo , Pan Baotian , Wang Jie , Shangguan Donghui , Wen Zhenling , Qi Wentao , Cui Hang , Lu Yaoyang
Published: February 2014

We investigate the changes at nine glaciers in the Ningchan and Shuiguan river source, eastern Qilian Mountains, between 1972 and 2010. According to analysis of topographic maps and multispectral satellite data, all nine glaciers in the study area have retreated, by a maximum of 250 ± 57.4 m and a minimum of 91 ± 57.4 m. The total glacier area decreased by 1.20 km2, corresponding to 9.9% of the glacierized area in 1972. Comparing the two DEMs generated from the topographic maps and Real-Time Kinematic GPS data, the mean glacier thinning rate was 0.64 m yr− 1 between 1972 and 2010. The most significant thinning generally occurred on the termini. The ice-volume loss was about 106.8 ± 46.7 × 10− 3 km3 (equal to 90.8 ± 39.7 × 10− 3 km3 w.e.), which suggested a mean water discharge of 0.1 ± 0.05 m3/s during 1972–2010. Based on analysis of meteorological data, the summer temperature (June–August) tends to increase over a similar time period. The consistency of temperature increase and glacier shrinkage allows us to suggest that air temperature plays an important role in glacier changes in this region.
Cape Verdean and Mozambican Women's Literature: Liberating the National and Seizing the Intimate
Authors: P. B. Rodrigues Isabel , Sheldon Kathleen
Published: February 2014

In Mozambique and Cape Verde, writing in Portuguese by African women has directly engaged political reconstruction by denouncing colonial oppression and embracing national freedom. This article addresses the recent history of Lusophone African women's fiction, which has been pivotal in inscribing the intimate arena of sexuality and motherhood into power relations and has also revealed ways in which the domain of violence intersects with private lives. By focusing on two novels that exemplify this trend, this article demonstrates links between the political and the intimate. It also shows how Lusophone African authors contribute to healing social conflict through their narratives, and draws some conclusions about gender relations in the Lusophone African experience and across the continent.
Deploying Development to Counter Terrorism: Post-9/11 Transformation of U.S. Foreign Aid to Africa
Authors: Miles William F. S.
Published: February 2014

Since September 11, 2001, the aid component of American foreign policy toward Africa has undergone a significant evolution: U.S. security has come to rival development as an increasingly explicit rationale. Development programming and project implementation now contain a security dimension that is underpinned by Pentagon strategists working through AFRICOM as much as by USAID officers partnering with the State Department. This article argues that given the potential of terrorism for undermining development in Africa itself, soft counterterrorism should be envisioned as a strategic developmental defense activity. Making use of unpublished country risk assessments and the author's participant observation during USAID field mission consultancies in the Sahel, as well as the scholarly literature and relevant policy documents of the Bush and Obama administrations, this article explores the new agenda and grassroots dynamics of development projects as tools for terrorism prevention. It contends that policy and institutional responses to 9/11 have resulted in a greater convergence of operational goals among U.S. government agencies that in the past, at least according to publicly stated goals, had pursued distinctly different missions in Africa. Normative implications of this change are mixed. Because of differing expectations with respect to separation of powers, African public opinion, paradoxically, may be more sympathetic to U.S. military engagement with civilians for developmental purposes than American public opinion is.
The Local Politics of Ethiopia's Green Revolution in South Wollo
Authors: Adem Teferi Abate
Published: February 2014

This article argues that Ethiopia's agricultural extension program, which received more government funding and donor support than other similar programs in Africa, reinforced the rural presence and authoritarian powers of the ruling party while largely failing to improve smallholder agriculture. The principal reason for this outcome has to do with the systematic entanglement of the Green Revolution package delivery system with the immediate goal of guaranteeing the party's political security. In one Amharic-speaking community that provided ethnographic information for this article, overzealous party leaders rewarded supporters at the expense of imagined opponents. This distortion, coupled with a culturally embedded concept of success (defined as upward mobility), caused pervasive fear, insecurity, suspicion, and rivalry among farmers. Not surprisingly, this insecurity has a deleterious effect on hardworking farmers. The article suggests that any meaningful attempt at improving the program must recognize the centrality of politics, especially at the community and household levels, where parochial interests interface with cultural expectations.
Disability Rights Activism in Kenya, 1959–1964: History from Below
Authors: Gebrekidan Fikru Negash
Published: February 2014

This article examines the early history of disability rights activism in Kenya. The transitional years from colonialism to independence were a period of great expectations. For persons with disabilities in particular, decolonization held additional possibilities and potential. National independence promised not just majority rule but also an all-inclusive citizenship and the commitment to social justice. Among the visually impaired of Kenya, such collective aspirations led to the birth of the Kenya Union of the Blind in 1959. In 1964, after years of futile correspondence with government officials, the Union organized a street march to the prime minister's office to attract attention to its grievances. The result was a government panel, the Mwendwa Committee for the Care and Rehabilitation of the Disabled, whose published report became the blueprint for social and rehabilitation programs. The government possessed limited resources, and the reforms that ensued were long overdue. Yet the sociohistorical dynamics behind the march are of particular significance. From the social historian's point of view, they affirm not only the historical agency of persons with disabilities, but also the need to recast and broaden the scope of African social history.
Structural controls and origin of gold–silver mineralization in the Grampian Terrane of Scotland and Ireland
Authors: TANNER P. W. GEOFF
Published: February 2014

Gold-bearing mineral deposits occur over a strike distance of >300 km within the Grampian Terrane of Scotland and Ireland. This terrane consists of Neoproterozoic–Lower Ordovician rocks of the Dalradian Supergroup that were polyphase deformed and metamorphosed during the c. 470 Ma Grampian Orogeny. Sulphide-rich Au–Ag deposits occur in Scotland at Calliachar–Urlar Burn, Tombuie, Tyndrum and Cononish, and in Ireland at Curraghinalt (Omagh), Cavanacaw, Croagh Patrick, Cregganbaun and Bohaun. They are hosted by 0.1–6 m thick quartz veins and have a similar overall mineralogy, including native gold, As, Cu, Fe, Pb and Sn sulphides, with hessite, tetrahedrite and electrum present in the first six localities above. The mineralized quartz veins, which are characterized by open-space textures, crystallized at c. 3–5 km depth in the crust. All of the deposits were structurally controlled and, apart from Curraghinalt, occur within second-order Riedel R, R′ and T fractures resulting from a regional N–S-trending maximum principal stress. These deposits are of Upper Silurian to Lower Devonian (post-Scandian) age, and are inferred to have crystallized from hot, silica-rich metamorphic fluids derived from dehydration reactions at the greenschist/amphibolite-facies boundary. Curraghinalt is an older, Grampian, thrust-related deposit. Plutonic igneous rocks (mainly granitoid) contributed in part to the fluids, which were channelled into major orogen-parallel, strike-slip faults, to be injected by fault-valve pumping into the damage zones and fault breccias of newly formed Riedel fractures. Any residual fluid probably percolated to the ground surface to form Rhynie chert-type hot-springs.
Acoustic shock controversies
Authors: Hooper R E
Published: February 2014

Background:

The diagnosis ‘acoustic shock’ has been made increasingly in the health care industry in recent years. This paper aims to question the validity of acoustic shock as an organic pathological entity.

Methods:

The experiences of 16 individuals diagnosed as having acoustic shock, within a medico-legal practice, are reviewed.

Results:

The commonest symptom was otalgia, followed by noise sensitivity, tinnitus, hearing disturbance and dizziness.

Conclusion:

The presence of noise-limiting technology in the workplace, the variation in the nature of the acoustic incident involved (ranging from a shriek, through feedback noise, to a male voice), and the marked variation in the time of symptom onset (following the acoustic incident) all suggest that the condition termed acoustic shock is predominantly psychogenic. Cases of pseudohypacusis indicate that malingering is a factor in some cases. Clusters of acoustic shock events occurring in the same call centres suggest that hysteria may play a part. The condition is usually only seen when work-related issues are apparent.
Lifecourses, pensions and poverty among elderly women in Belgium: interactions between family history, work history and pension regulations
Authors: PEETERS HANS , DE TAVERNIER WOUTER
Published: February 2014

The precarious financial situation of many elderly women in developed countries is well established. Nevertheless, in-depth insight into the persistent vulnerability of this group remains largely absent. In this article, we demonstrate how a specific focus on the interaction between work history, family history and pension regulations can provide greater insight into the mechanisms that produce poverty among elderly women in Belgium. To that end, we make use of register data on some 9,000 women aged 65–71. Data on the poverty risk of these women is linked to career and family data, spanning over 45 years. We find that pension policy can indeed account for the higher poverty risk of some groups of elderly women (e.g.divorcees) as compared to others (e.g.widows). Similarly, pension policy can, to a large extent, directly or indirectly explain how previous lifecourse events, such as marital dissolution or childbirth, affect old-age poverty risk. However, our study also reveals some unexpected findings. Most notably, pension regulations fail to account for the beneficial situation of married women. Indeed, our analyses suggest that capital (income) may prove more decisive than pension rights in explaining the low poverty risk of married women when compared to other marital groups. Drawing from our findings, we conclude with some suggestions as to where pension policy should go from here.
UNIT ROOTS: A SELECTIVE REVIEW OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PETER C. B. PHILLIPS
Authors: Xiao Zhijie
Published: February 2014

Peter C. B. Phillips has made fundamental contributions to unit root econometrics. This paper provides a selective review of Peter’s contribution to unit roots, with a focus on unit root asymptotics, unit root tests, and testing for stationarity against the unit root alternative. The discussion puts a relatively heavier weight on Peter’s most recent work.
Casting Materials and their Application in Research and Teaching
Authors: Haenssgen Kati , Makanya Andrew N. , Djonov Valentin
Published: February 2014

From a biological point of view, casting refers to filling of anatomical and/or pathological spaces with extraneous material that reproduces a three-dimensional replica of the space. Casting may be accompanied by additional procedures such as corrosion, in which the soft tissue is digested out, leaving a clean cast, or the material may be mixed with radiopaque substances to allow x-ray photography or micro computed topography (µCT) scanning. Alternatively, clearing of the surrounding soft tissue increases transparency and allows visualization of the casted cavities. Combination of casting with tissue fixation allows anatomical dissection and didactic surgical procedures on the tissue. Casting materials fall into three categories namely, aqueous substances (India ink, Prussian blue ink), pliable materials (gelatins, latex, and silicone rubber), or hard materials (methyl methacrylates, polyurethanes, polyesters, and epoxy resins). Casting has proved invaluable in both teaching and research and many phenomenal biological processes have been discovered through casting. The choice of a particular material depends inter alia on the targeted use and the intended subsequent investigative procedures, such as dissection, microscopy, orµCT. The casting material needs to be pliable where anatomical and surgical manipulations are intended, and capillary-passable for ultrastructural investigations.
X-ray Energy-Dispersive Spectrometry During In Situ Liquid Cell Studies Using an Analytical Electron Microscope
Authors: Zaluzec Nestor J. , Burke M. Grace , Haigh Sarah J. , Kulzick Matthew A.
Published: February 2014

The use of analytical spectroscopies during scanning/transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) investigations of micro- and nano-scale structures has become a routine technique in the arsenal of tools available to today’s materials researchers. Essential to implementation and successful application of spectroscopy to characterization is the integration of numerous technologies, which include electron optics, specimen holders, and associated detectors. While this combination has been achieved in many instrument configurations, the integration of X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy and in situ liquid environmental cells in the S/TEM has to date been elusive. In this work we present the successful incorporation/modifications to a system that achieves this functionality for analytical electron microscopy.
Novel Method for Visualizing Water Transport Through Phase-Separated Polymer Films
Authors: Jansson Anna , Boissier Catherine , Marucci Mariagrazia , Nicholas Mark , Gustafsson Stefan , Hermansson Anne-Marie , Olsson Eva
Published: February 2014

Drug release from oral pharmaceutical formulations can be modified by applying a polymeric coating film with controlled mass transport properties. Interaction of the coating film with water may crucially influence its composition and permeability to both water and drug. Understanding this interaction between film microstructure, wetting, and mass transport is important for the development of new coatings. We present a novel method for controlled wetting of polymer coating films in an environmental scanning electron microscope, providing direct visual information about the processes occurring as the film goes from dry to wet. Free films made of phase-separated blends of water-insoluble ethyl cellulose (EC) and water-soluble hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) were used as a model system, and the blend ratio was varied to study the effect on the water transport properties. Local variations in water transport through the EC/HPC films were directly observed, enabling the immediate analysis of the structure–mass transport relationships. The leaching of HPC could be studied by evaporating water from the films in situ. Significant differences were observed between films of varying composition. The method provides a valuable complement to the current approach of making distinct diffusion and microscopy experiments for studying the dynamic interaction of polymer films with water.
ABSOLUTE CONTRADICTION, DIALETHEISM, AND REVENGE
Authors: BERTO FRANCESCO
Published: February 2014

Is there a notion ofcontradiction—let us call it, for dramatic effect, “absolute”—makingallcontradictions, so understood, unacceptable also for dialetheists? It is argued in this paper that there is, and that spelling it out brings some theoretical benefits. First it gives us a foothold on undisputed ground in the methodologically difficult debate on dialetheism. Second, we can use it to express, without begging questions, the disagreement between dialetheists and their rivals on the nature of truth. Third, dialetheism has an operator allowing it, against the opinion of many critics, to rule things out and manifest disagreement: for unlike other proposed exclusion-expressing-devices (for instance, the entailment of triviality), the operator used to formulate the notion of absolute contradiction appears to be immune both from crippling expressive limitations and from revenge paradoxes—pendinga rigorous nontriviality proof for a formal dialetheic theory including it.
Multi-class pesticide determination in royal jelly by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Martínez-Domínguez Gerardo , Romero-González Roberto , Garrido-Frenich Antonia
Published: February 2014

Determination of pesticides in royal jelly, below the MRLs established by the EU, using SPE and GC-QqQ-MS/MS.
Layered titanosilicates for size- and pattern-controlled overgrowth of MFI zeolite
Authors: Ferdov Stanislav
Published: February 2014

Layered titanosilicates (JDF-L1 and AM-4) revealed size- and pattern-dependent overgrowth of an MFI-type of zeolite.
A multilayered-representation, quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics study of the CH3Cl + F− reaction in aqueous solution: the reaction mechanism, solvent effects and potential of mean force
Authors: Zhang Jingxue , Xu Yulong , Chen Jie , Wang Dunyou
Published: February 2014

A multi-layered representation, hybrid quantum mechanical and molecular mechanics method study of the CH3Cl + F− → CH3F + Cl− reaction in water.
Multiple reaction pathways of metallofullerenes investigated by transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Koshino Masanori
Published: February 2014

Recent advances in molecule-by-molecule transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have provided time-series structural information of individual molecules supported by nano-carbon materials, enabling researchers to trace their motions and reactions.
Direct observation of the dual-switching behaviors corresponding to the state transition in a DNA nanoframe
Authors: Yang Yangyang , Endo Masayuki , Suzuki Yuki , Hidaka Kumi , Sugiyama Hiroshi
Published: February 2014

The dual-switching behaviors of photoresponsive DNAs and the G-quadruplex in the DNA nanoframe were successfully visualized by high-speed atomic force microscopy.
Probing the kinetics of lipid membrane formation and the interaction of a nontoxic and a toxic amyloid with plasmon waveguide resonance
Authors: Harté E. , Maalouli N. , Shalabney A. , Texier E. , Berthelot K. , Lecomte S. , Alves I. D.
Published: February 2014

The kinetics of formation of solid-supported lipid model membranes were investigated using a home-made plasmon waveguide resonance (PWR) sensor possessing enhanced properties relative to classic surface plasmon resonance sensors.
Oxidative coupling of methylamine with an aminyl radical: direct amidation catalyzed by I2/TBHP with HCl
Authors: Gao Lingfeng , Tang Haoming , Wang Zhiyong
Published: February 2014

First oxidative coupling of methylamine with N-substituted formamides.
Redox-active conjugated microporous polymers: a new organic platform for highly efficient energy storage
Authors: Xu Fei , Chen Xiong , Tang Zhiwei , Wu Dingcai , Fu Ruowen , Jiang Donglin
Published: February 2014

Redox-active conjugated microporous polymers offer outstanding energy storage in lithium batteries via synergistic structural effects.
Hydrated anion glued capsular and non-capsular assembly of a tripodal host: Solid state recognition of bromide–water [Br5–(H2O)6]5− and iodide–water [I2–(H2O)4]2− clusters in cationic tripodal receptor
Authors: Hoque Md. Najbul , Das Gopal
Published: February 2014

In this report we describe capsular and non-capsular assembly of polyammonium tripodal receptor into supramolecular network driven by anion or anion–water cluster and solid state recognition of unique bromide–water [Br5–(H2O)6]5− and iodide–water [I2–(H2O)4]2− clusters.
Spontaneous resolution of chiral bis-sulfoxides with asymmetric atropisomerism
Authors: Xu Zhiguang , Liu Haiyang , Mahmood Mian HR , Cai Yuepeng , Xu Xuan , Tang Youwen
Published: February 2014

The atropisomeric ortho-disubstituted bis-sulfoxide (P/M,R,S)-3 with an asymmetric conformation adopts a homochiral right/left-handed supramolecular helix and exhibits an unprecedented spontaneous resolution.
Solar photocatalysis for water disinfection: materials and reactor design
Authors: Keane Donal A. , McGuigan Kevin G. , Ibáñez Pilar Fernández , Polo-López M. Inmaculada , Byrne J. Anthony , Dunlop Patrick S. M. , O'Shea Kevin , Dionysiou Dionysios D. , Pillai Suresh C.
Published: February 2014

This comprehensive review addresses the fundamentals of photocatalytic mechanism, recent developments in materials synthesis and reactor design.
Dimeric 1,3-propanediaminetetraacetato lanthanides as the precursors of catalysts for the oxidative coupling of methane
Authors: Chen Mao-Long , Hou Yu-Hui , Xia Wen-Sheng , Weng Wei-Zheng , Cao Ze-Xing , Zhou Zhao-Hui , Wan Hui-Lin
Published: February 2014

1,3-Propanediaminetetraacetato lanthanides were used as catalyst precursors for the oxidative coupling of methane. The precursors were also fully characterized by spectral and structural analyses.
Double heterojunction nanowire photocatalysts for hydrogen generation
Authors: Tongying P. , Vietmeyer F. , Aleksiuk D. , Ferraudi G. J. , Krylova G. , Kuno M.
Published: February 2014

Charge separation and charge transfer across interfaces are key aspects in the design of efficient photocatalysts for solar energy conversion.
Synthesis of a multibranched porphyrin–oligonucleotide scaffold for the construction of DNA-based nano-architectures
Authors: Clavé Guillaume , Chatelain Grégory , Filoramo Arianna , Gasparutto Didier , Saint-Pierre Christine , Le Cam Eric , Piétrement Olivier , Guérineau Vincent , Campidelli Stéphane
Published: February 2014

A multiclick-based approach was used to build DNA-porphyrin hybrid platforms.
Assembling model tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(ii) photosensitizers into ordered monolayers in the presence of the polyoxometallate anion [Co4(H2O)2(α-PW9O34)2]10−
Authors: Murray Niamh S. , Rudd Jennifer A. , Chamayou Anne-Christine , Constable Edwin C. , Housecroft Catherine E. , Neuburger Markus , Zampese Jennifer A.
Published: February 2014

Model ruthenium(ii) photosensitizers with long alkyl chains are assembled into ordered monolayers on water with or without an anionic polyoxometallate. LB films on mica substrates are visualized using AFM.
Highly water-soluble perylenediimide-cored poly(amido amine) vector for efficient gene transfection
Authors: Xu Zejun , He Bicheng , Wei Wei , Liu Kelan , Yin Meizhen , Yang Wantai , Shen Jie
Published: February 2014

A highly water-soluble perylenediimide-core poly(amido amine) (PDI-PAmAm) with peripheral amine groups has been synthesized. PDI-PAmAm can be rapidly internalized into live cells with high efficacy of gene delivery and low cytotoxicity.
Opamp gain compensation technique for continuous‐time ΣΔ modulators
Authors: Gonzalez‐Diaz V.R. , Peña‐Perez A. , Maloberti F.
Published: February 2014

A new method that compensates for the low DC gain of nanometre operational amplifiers (opamps) used for high‐speed continuous‐time (CT) ΣΔ modulators is described. The proposed solution compensates for the integrator's phase error which is a main limitation produced by the low opamp's gain. The method uses a simple auxiliary gain stage and a resistor. Simulations of a second‐order CT ΣΔ modulator utilising fast single‐stage opamps with gain as low as 25 dB verify the effectiveness of the method.
Simple front‐end interfacing circuit for low‐voltage microelectronics
Authors: Das K. , Lehmann T.
Published: February 2014

A new sensor interface topology is presented that is particularly attractive for integration into modern low‐voltage low‐power CMOS microelectronics. The new circuit is inherently linear and provides better gain, sensitivity and dynamic range than the widely used Wheatstone bridge. The proposed structure not only offers all the benefits of the current‐driven Anderson loop, but also outperforms the latter in terms of output range, sensitivity and design simplicity. In addition, the new architecture is scalable to the interface with multiple sensor elements with very little or no extra circuit overhead.
Neighbourhood weighted fuzzy c‐means clustering algorithm for image segmentation
Authors: Zaixin Zhao , Lizhi Cheng , Guangquan Cheng
Published: February 2014

Fuzzy c‐means (FCM) clustering algorithm has been widely used in image segmentation. In this study, a modified FCM algorithm is presented by utilising local contextual information and structure information. The authors first establish a novel similarity measure model based on image patches and local statistics, and then define the neighbourhood‐weighted distance to replace the Euclidean distance in the objective function of FCM. Validation studies are performed on synthetic and real‐world images with different noises, as well as magnetic resonance brain images. Experimental results show that the proposed method is very robust to noise and other image artefacts.
Robust image hashing via colour vector angles and discrete wavelet transform
Authors: Tang Zhenjun , Dai Yumin , Zhang Xianquan , Huang Liyan , Yang Fan
Published: February 2014

Colour vector angle has been widely used in edge detection and image retrieval, but its investigation in image hashing is still limited. In this study, the authors investigate the use of colour vector angle in image hashing and propose a robust hashing algorithm combining colour vector angles with discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Specifically, the input image is firstly resized to a normalised size by bi‐cubic interpolation and blurred by a Gaussian low‐pass filter. Colour vector angles are then calculated and divided into non‐overlapping blocks. Next, block means of colour vector angles are extracted to form a feature matrix, which is further compressed by DWT. Image hash is finally formed by those DWT coefficients in the LL sub‐band. Experiments show that the proposed hashing is robust against normal digital operations, such as JPEG compression, watermarking embedding and rotation within 5°. Receiver operating characteristics curve comparisons are conducted and the results show that the proposed hashing is better than some well‐known algorithms.
Ply stacking sequence optimization of composite driveshaft using particle swarm optimization algorithm
Authors: Manjunath K. , Rangaswamy T.
Published: February 2014

In this paper an attempt has been made to optimize ply stacking sequence of single piece E-Glass/Epoxy, HM Carbon/Epoxy and Boron/Epoxy composite drive shafts using particle swarm optimization (PSOA). PSOA programme is developed using MATLAB V 7 to optimize the ply stacking sequence with an objective of weight minimization. The weight savings of the E-Glass/Epoxy, HM Carbon/Epoxy and Boron/Epoxy shaft are 51%, 87% and 85% of the steel shaft respectively. The optimum results of PSOA obtained are compared with results of genetic algorithm (GA) and found that PSOA yields better results than GA.
Use of a Mandibular Plate to Maintain Intergonial Width in a Partially Edentulous Patient Undergoing Mandibular Symphysis Reconstruction
Authors: Susarla Srinivas , Gordon Paul E. , Attarpour Ali R. , Winograd Jonathan M. , Peacock Zachary S.
Published: February 2014

One of the most challenging and essential aspects of management of patients with traumatic or ablative deformities involving the mandibular symphysis is maintenance of intergonial width. Classically, the use of occlusal splints has been a simple and cost-effective solution to this problem. Patients who are edentulous, the use of Gunning splints with circummandibular wires is an alternative strategy. In the present report, we describe the use of a mandibular fixation plate for maintenance of intergonial width in an edentulous patient with a postablative mandibular symphysis defect.
Screw-Wire Osteo-Traction: An Adjunctive or Alternative Method of Anatomical Reduction of Multisegment Midfacial Fractures? A Description of Technique and Prospective Study of 40 Patients
Authors: O'Regan Barry , Devine Maria , Bhopal Sats
Published: February 2014

Stable anatomical fracture reduction and segment control before miniplate fixation can be difficult to achieve in comminuted midfacial fractures. Fracture mobilization and reduction methods include Gillies elevation, malar hook, and Dingman elevators. No single method is used universally. Disadvantages include imprecise segment alignment and poor segment stability/control. We have employed screw-wire osteo-traction (SWOT) to address this problem. A literature review revealed two published reports. The aims were to evaluate the SWOT technique effectiveness as a fracture reduction method and to examine rates of revision fixation and plate removal. We recruited 40 consecutive patients requiring open reduction and internal fixation of multisegment midfacial fractures (2009–2012) and employed miniplate osteosynthesis in all patients. SWOT was used as a default reduction method in all patients. The rates of successful fracture reduction achieved by SWOT alone or in combination and of revision fixation and plate removal, were used as outcome indices of the reduction method effectiveness. The SWOT technique achieved satisfactory anatomical reduction in 27/40 patients when used alone. Other reduction methods were also used in 13/40 patients. No patient required revision fixation and three patients required late plate removal. SWOT can be used across the midface fracture pattern in conjunction with other methods or as a sole reduction method before miniplate fixation.
Nasofrontal Outflow Tract Visibility in Computed Tomography Imaging of Frontal Sinus Fractures
Authors: Bush Kevin , Huikeshoven Menno , Wong Nathan
Published: February 2014

The choice of frontal sinus fracture treatment is based on multiple factors, one of which is injury to the nasofrontal outflow tract (NFOT). Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the NFOT can play an important role in the decision process. We sought to assess the visibility of the NFOT on CT scans in frontal sinus fractures. Patients with frontal sinus fractures (including the posterior table) receiving a CT scan from April 1st 2001 to December 31st 2009 were included. Scans were retrospectively assessed for available views (axial, coronal, and sagittal), slice thickness, inclusion of the anatomical NFOT region in the scanned area, and visibility of the NFOT. A total of 170 patients were included. In majority (71%) of patients NFOT was visible on one or more views, whereas in 33% ( N = 56) of patients had three complete views (complete anatomical NFOT region scanned in three views). In this subgroup, the ability to assess the NFOT increased to 89%. When selecting patients with three complete views of ≤ 2 mm slice thickness ( N = 47), the ability to assess the NFOT increased to 96%. In conclusion, when assessing the NFOT using CT imaging, having three complete views (axial, coronal, and sagittal) and a ≤ 2 mm slice thickness greatly increases the NFOT visibility.