bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Psychosocial Work Environment on Psychological Strain among Banking Employees in Malaysia
Authors: Mohd Noordin Nurul Farhana , Panatik Siti Aisyah
Published: November 2015

This study was conducted to examine the psychosocial work environment dimensions as predictors of psychological strain among bank employees specifically bank tellers. The restructuring of financial institutions exposed banking employees to stressful conditions such as unfeasible sales target, lower salaries, high workload and job insecurity. These conditions lead to adverse health outcomes. The researcher integrated the effort-reward imbalance model and the organizational justice model as the psychosocial work environment dimensions that represent the stressful working condition. Thus, these dimensions were hypothesized to affect psychological strain in terms of anxiety, depression and social dysfunction. The data was collected quantitatively by distributing questionnaires to employees in a Malaysian domestic bank. A total number of 306 respondents participated in this study. The data was analysed by performing structural equation modeling using AMOS 22. The finding indicates that effort, reward, overcommitment, procedural justice and interactional justice significantly affect psychological strain. Only effort-reward ratio was not significant in predicting psychological strain. These findings added the empirical evidence in the stress-strain literature that involves psychosocial work environment specifically among banking employees in Malaysian context.
What Did Kuwait Learn from Its Participation in TIMSS Study? An Exploratory Case Study from Senior Supervisors’ Perspectives
Authors: Alhashem Fatimah , Alkandari Ali
Published: November 2015

The low performance of The Trends of Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) results were investigated in depth through interviews with math and science supervisors from the Ministry of Education in Kuwait. A qualitative approach was employed to consider the factors that may affect TIMSS results in the past and understand the reasons of TIMSS results. The outcome of this study was limited to the perspectives of science and math supervisors who participated or worked in the TIMSS study. Their participation in TIMSS was positive even if the results of the study were not because it helped initiate reform in curriculum, assessment, and quality of teaching. However, the participants expressed concerns and variables that need to be aware of in order to perform better not only in TIMSS but also in science and math education in general.
Intergenerational Bonding in Family and School Contexts: Which Does Impact More on Degree Aspiration of Students?
Authors: Shahidul S. M. , Karim A. H. M. Zehadul
Published: November 2015

Among the factors which have trajectory roles on the academic attainment of students, intergenerational bonding is the foremost of them. Though intergenerational bonding has basically focused on parent-child relationship, contemporary studies further consider the teacher-student relationship as intergenerational bonding to identify its effect on the academic attainment of students. In this study, we first examine both types of bonding which are created by parent-child and teacher-student relationships and how these impact on the degree of aspiration of secondary school students. Then, we compare these effects to identify which factor affects more on the degree aspiration outcome of students. We use the data collected from 553 students of Grade IX from 12 secondary schools in Bangladesh. The effect size of parent-child bonding and teacher-student bonding are compared using standardized Beta (β) weights of these two variables. The results show that beyond the socioeconomic status, both parent-child bonding and teacher-student bonding significantly and positively impact on students' degree aspiration outcome. Furthermore, when we compared the effect size of these two variables, results show that parent-child bonding had more strength compared to teacher-student bonding to predict the degree aspiration outcome of students. 
Inspiration and Insinuation Influences on Human Thinking and Behavior: A Psychoanalytical, Psychodynamic, and Cognitive Phenomenon
Authors: Badi Jamal Ahmad , Olorogun Lukman Ayinde
Published: November 2015

Is insinuation one of the most influential phenomena in the early and continuous development of human behavior? Yes. Does previous scientific study give ample of time to understand unconsciousness and its manifestation from this point of view? No. As we have demonstrated in the following pages, insinuation does hold a high view in the divine scriptures as an opposite to inspiration. The scientific views on unconsciousness theory further ascertained its influence on human activities. A number of scientists however, denounced this clear evidence due to lack of laboratory prove of inspiration-cum-insinuation effects rather termed unconsciousness. In this essay, through dedicated analysis using both induction and deduction methods we showed that their theories failed to study unconsciousness from a holistic perspective. It only focused on those that have psychological and psychopathological problems in exclusion of reasonable human beings, thus, contained numerous errors that even contradicted their scientific findings. Following in-depth and dedicated analysis, we showed the influences of unseen phenomena that are beyond human control from Islamic philosophy viewpoints affirming earlier biblical claims of insinuation influences. We concluded by mentioning some of the physical evidences justified by the Islamic scripture “Qur’an” and some of the implications of these findings for certain aspects of the contemporary “inspiration and insinuation debates”. 
The Cultivation of Health Care Ability of College Students And The Research of Sports Intervention
Authors: Xiu-ying Hu
Published: November 2015

By means of reference to literature, expert interviews, questionnaires among  others, with improving the health care ability of college students as the goal, from the perspective of sports curriculum intervention, the paper focuses on  the college students' various physiological and psychological pressure in this modern world, trying to find the  positive role of the sports culture(P.E) in the development of health care ability of students, and  effective and workable strategies for sports intervention through the systematic research and exploration.
Coping Strategies Employed by Malaysian Pre-University Gifted Students to Manage Examination Stress
Authors: MOHD KAMARUDDIN SITI NOOR DIANA
Published: November 2015

ABSTRACT

Different age group experiences different level of stress due to different causes all together. The main cause of stress experienced by students is academic tests and examinations (Kai-Wen, 2009). If students are not able to manage examination stress accordingly, it may lead them to serious psychological, physical, and mental problems.This study generally attempts to determine the causes of stress among a group of gifted and talented pre-university students in Malaysia.The study also attempts to evaluate the most frequent coping strategies used by ASASIpintar students to manage exam stress and also to identify the predominant type of coping strategies used by ASASIpintar students to cope with exam stress.Questionnaires were distributed randomly to students of Malaysian Pre-University gifted students situated in the Pusat PERMATApintar™ Negara (National Gifted Centre) in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (the National University of Malaysia). All the sixty-eight respondents were from different ethnicity and religion background. The findings showed that the highest percentage recorded for cause of stress among the students is school factor with 50%. Regardless, religion marked as the most frequently used coping strategy by ASASIpintar students by 84%. Another major finding was that ASASIpintar students tend to use emotion-focused coping to manage examination stress more (32%) than problem solving focused coping strategy (26.9%) by 5.1%.It is of utmost importance for gifted and talented students to have ability to use appropriate coping strategies so that the stress is not detrimental to them and their well-being.

Keywords: Gifted Students, Examination Stress, Coping Strategies
Historiography Analysis of Qing Dynasty Clothing Review in ‘Geng Yi Ji’
Authors: Yan Lanlan , Bian Xiangyang
Published: November 2015

‘Geng Yi Ji’, written by Eileen Chang, is the important literature for fashion research of the Republic Period of China, and most of scholars in fashion field also focus on this part, they mensioned this article in lots of books. While, there is nearly no literature talk about the fashion of Qing dynasty in ‘Geng Yi Ji’. In fact, compare with the fashion in the Republic Period, the fashion in Qing dynasty is also a mian part of ‘Geng Yi Ji’. This thesis analyzes Eileen Chang’s Qing dynasty fashion review in ‘Geng Yi Ji’ through historiography point, in order to explore certain fashion culture and fashion history in ancient China. The thesis analyzes three fashion reviews of Eileen Chang, briefly including ‘over the course of three hundred years of Manchu rule, women lacked anything that might be refeered to as fashion’, ‘the details of ancient Chinese clothes were completely pointless, such as the soles of cotton shoes inscribed with patterns’, ‘the dissipation of energy on irrevevant matter, marked the attitude toward life of the leisure class in China, such as the three or more pippgs and trimmings on coats’. Through the historiography analysis, it explores the real fashion trends in Qing dynasty, the culture connotation of fashion decoration in ancient China, the root and development of coat embroidery borders.
Designing Project-based Learning (PjBL) Activities for Art and Design E-Portfolio Using Fuzzy Delphi Method as a Decision Making
Authors: Mohamad Syamsul Nor Azlan , Embi Mohamed Amin , Nordin Norazah
Published: November 2015

The present articles introduces the Fuzzy Delphi Method results obtained in the study on designing Project-based Learning (PjBL) activities for art and design courses using Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) as a decision-making.This method bases on qualified experts that assures the validity of the collected information. In particular, the confirmation of elements is based on experts opinion and consensus. The consensus survey constructed based on the emergent themes the experts raised from the conducted interview. For this purpose of the study, 22 experts in Project-based learning involved in the interview and responses the consensus survey. The experts participated in this study involves local and international perspectives that contribute to the best idea and practises by their respective's institution. The selection of decision-making will reflect the e-Porfolio users which purposely design for art and design courses. As resulted, the Fuzzy Delphi will interpret the decision-making made by experts to suggest best practices of the pedagogical strategy infused in e-Portfolio system.

 
Constituting Gender Roles through the Transitivity Choice in Commodity Advertising
Authors: Yu Dai Gui
Published: November 2015

Guided by gender theories and focusing on an advertisement of Motorola’s cellular phone as a case study, this study explores the construction of gender roles through Transitivity choice in commodity advertising. After a detailed description, interpretation and explanation of the gender roles encoded in the advertising text, this study gets the following findings: 1) Ideological conceptions and social consciousness can be expressed in a text through verbal presentation and also revealed through the arrangement of linguistic devices or resources like Transitivity processes. 2) Influenced by current gender ideology, commodity advertisements tend to represent women with strong desires for self-fulfilment. 3) The advertising of a magic product which can help fulfil a woman’s self can stimulate women’s desire for its purchase and thus promote its sale. 5) The construction of gender roles through linguistic choice in commodity advertising can infuse or indoctrinates new concepts of gender roles into people’s mind. Hopefully, this essay can improve people’s awareness of how ideology is encoded in linguistic devices and how ideology controls the choice of linguistic resources.
Developing and Validating a Survey of Korean Early Childhood English Teachers’ Knowledge
Authors: Kim Jung In
Published: November 2015

The main purpose of this study is to develop and validate a valid measure of the early childhood (EC) English teacher knowledge. Through extensive literature review on second/foreign language (L2/FL) teacher knowledge, early childhood teacher knowledge and early childhood language teacher knowledge, and semi-structured interviews from current early childhood English teacher, the initial survey questionnaire was developed. Then, think-aloud interviews were conducted with samples from four groups with different teaching experience as they took the survey to see whether or not they understood the survey questions and whether or not the survey questions/statements represented their professional knowledge accurately. Lastly, a finalized survey was distributed to 40 current early childhood English teachers (K-2) in Korea. The theoretical framework of teacher knowledge was drawn upon Grossman’s (1999) “model of teacher knowledge” such as subject matter knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and knowledge of context. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Cronbach-alpha, and split-half. The findings will show subcomponent of teacher knowledge, characteristics of the participants and survey items’ reliability. The implications of analyzing teacher knowledge survey to gain insight into developing curriculum in early childhood English teacher education.
Traditional & Socio-Cultural Barriers to EFL Learning: A Case Study
Authors: Ahmad Jameel
Published: November 2015

This research tends to ascertain several traditional and socio-cultural barriers to English language learning in Saudi Arabia and to explore more ways than before for making teaching and learning more effective. The findings of four quantitative and qualitative surveys conducted in this regard reveal a unique traditional and socio-cultural milieu, which turns the Saudi EFL learners lackadaisical towards English. The belief that prosperity and prestige are blessed by divine force rather than proficiency in English has influenced Saudi parents and Saudi EFL learners since time in memorial. In addition, a laissez-faire attitude to English language teaching in Saudi schools, lack of motivation for English, inadequacy of competitive and learning environment both at home and schools, and the appointment of some unskilled school-teachers were investigated as some of the major barriers to learning English in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A piecemeal reform taken over a period was found ineffective. Therefore, implementation of culturally relevant English curricula, learner-centered instruction, appointment of skilled English teachers and establishment of boarding schools were recommended to address the aforementioned challenges. The findings of the present research is no doubt specific to Saudi EFL context but the traditional and socio –cultural barriers and the exclusion of local culture in EFL textbooks may have exactly the same impact in many non-native English speaking countries.
Correlates of Career Priority and Family Priority among Turkish Managers and Professionals: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Burke Ronald J. , Koyuncu Mustafa , Singh Parbudyal , Alayoglu Nihat , Koyuncu Kadife
Published: November 2015

This study explored the relationship among measures of Career Priority and Family Priority with a number of other variables including personal demographics, work situation characteristics, work motivations, work investments, work outcomes and indicators of psychological well-being. Data were collected for 94 men and 48 women in managerial and professional jobs working for different firms in different cities and various industrial sectors in Turkey. Career priority and Family priority were uncorrelated in this sample. Career priority was significantly correlated with several study measures. Managers indicating a higher Career priority were more satisfied and engaged in their jobs and indicated higher levels of psychological well-being. Somewhat surprisingly, Family priority was generally unrelated to these work and well-being outcomes.
A Measurement Model of Operational Capabilities in Application Software Firms
Authors: Lee Keonhyeong
Published: November 2015

In recent strategy literatures, operational capabilities in the information technology have been mostly interested among academic scholars since newly developed mobile devices emerged. However, the conceptualization and measurement of operational capabilities in application software firms has little come to attention. The purpose of this study is to propose a measurable model of operational capabilities by conceptualizing, operationalizing, and measuring operational capabilities. Specifically, based upon theoretical and practical literatures, this study seeks to conceptualize a set of capabilities-organizing, managing, and technical capability-that help operating existing capabilities in the application software business. Moreover, it concretizes the construct of operational capabilities with formulating reflective and formative modes, and also certifies their validities through empirical data-driven testing from 227 mobile software developers, sourced from Mac App Store and Google Android Apps. In the measurement model, it results in reflective indicators as first-order model and formative indicators as second-order model using partial least square analysis techniques. Lastly, the author discusses the theoretical and managerial implications and provide some suggestions for the future study.
Reviewer Acknowledgements for International Journal of Psychological Studies , Vol. 7, No. 4
Authors: Sun Barbara
Published: November 2015

Reviewer Acknowledgements for International Journal of Psychological Studies , Vol. 7, No. 4, 2015
Trailing and Projecting the Real Population of Bangkok to 2030
Authors: Suwanmontri Chanon , Kawashima Hiroyuki
Published: November 2015

Due to imbalanced supplies of medical and healthcare resources between the capital city and other areas, Bangkok attracts its non-residents to access hospitals in the city only for giving births. This causes overestimation of Bangkok’s fertility rate and affects results of population projection. Therefore, this paper aims to project real Bangkok population numbers by age group and sex to 2030 by eliminating the influence of Bangkok-born outsiders. It introduces a new fertility rate calculation based on data from National Statistical Office of Thailand. The results show that in 2010 the total fertility rate of Bangkok was merely 0.8. All components being fixed, the projection displays shifts in population age structure, the age group with highest numbers from 25-34 years old in 2010 to 40-44 years old in 2030. Percent aging population expands from 9.6 to 22.6 percent. Furthermore, proportion of population aged 0-14 shrinks from 12.8 percent to 9.6 percent, which means Bangkok in 2030 is expected to face a seriously low number of young populations in opposite to its large number of elderly.
Challenges of Expanding Internally Generated Revenue in Local Government Council Areas in Nigeria
Authors: Coker Maurice Ayodele , Eteng Felix Onen , Agishi Tabitha Venenge , Adie Hilary Idiege
Published: November 2015

Availability of adequate financial resources are desirous for any organization to achieve the purposes for which it is established. Local government councils in Nigeria are created statutorily to perform clearly assigned functions. Experience has however demonstrated that these councils have fallen short of achieving the objectives for which they were indorsed. Some reasons have been espoused by scholars for the failing performances of most local government councils in Nigeria. Against this backdrop, this study seeks to posit that local government councils are likely to achieve their set objectives to a large extent if their internally generated revenue (IGR) are expanded. Also, the study seeks to postulate the capacity of local government councils in Nigeria to sustainably expand their internally generated revenue (IGR) is inhibited by the kind of strategies adopted and by some critical challenges facing them. To enable the explication of the assumption, the study adopts a conscious survey of relevant literature on our subject matter. The data generated are systematically analyzed to verify the validity of the above assumptions. The study maintains that apart from the fact that the fiscal federalism apparently seem unfavourable to the local government functional responsivities, it has nevertheless the provided for adequate source for their internally generated revenue to augment the federally allocated funds. Again, sundry factors hinders the expansion internally generate revenue have been identified and recommendations for boosting IGR in local government councils in Nigeria have also been articulated.
A Wearable-Based and Markerless Human-Manipulator Interface with Feedback Mechanism and Kalman Filters
Authors: Zhang Ping , Li Bei , Du Guanglong , Liu Xin
Published: November 2015

The objective of this paper is to develop a novel human-manipulator interface which incorporates wearable-based and markerless tracking to interact with the continuous movements of a human operator's hand. Unlike traditional approaches, which usually include contacting devices or physical markers to track the human-limb movements, this interface enables registration of natural movement through a wireless wearable watch and a leap motion sensor. Due to sensor error and tracking failure, the measurements are not made with sufficient accuracy. Two Kalman filters are employed to compensate the noisy and incomplete measurements in real time. Furthermore, due to perceptive limitations and abnormal state signals, the operator is unable to achieve high precision and efficiency in robot manipulation; an adaptive multispace transformation method (AMT) is therefore introduced, which serves as a secondary treatment. In addition, in order to allow two-way human-robot interaction, the proposed method provides a vibration feedback mechanism triggered by the wearable watch to call the operator's attention to robot collision incidents or moments where the operator's hand is in a transboundary state. This improves teleoperation.
On a collection of Leucosioidea (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) from Papua New Guinea, with the description of a new species
Authors: Galil Bella S.
Published: November 2015

The collection of deep-sea pebble crabs (Leucosioidea) during the BIOPAPUA Expedition, comprising 8 species, including a species new to science, is significant because although the previously described species had not been recorded from the Bismarck and western Solomon Seas, they occurred in at least one nearby location (New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Is). Praebebalia fungifera sp. nov. is described and illustrated. It differs from its closest congener, P. septemspinosa Sakai, 1983, in bearing fungiform granules dorsally on carapace, shorter chelipeds, the relatively stout male first gonopod with a preapical row of setae and the beak-like tip, as compared to the rounded granules dorsally on the carapace, greatly elongate chelipeds and the slim, elongate, distally curved gonopod of P. septemspinosa, preapically set with very long setae and a hook-like tip.
L’élite en francophonie canadienne comme catégorie sociale persistante : la gouvernance communautaire en perspective
Authors: Chouinard Stéphanie
Published: November 2015

Cet article cherche à faire l’examen de la pertinence de la notion d’élite dans les recherches contemporaines sur la francophonie canadienne. L’auteure effectuera d’abord un bref retour sur ce concept tel qu’il était entendu à la fois dans les travaux de théorie politique et dans ceux portant sur le Canada français. Elle fera ensuite un bref détour par ce que le sociologue Norbert Elias a appelé les « configurations » du pouvoir, afin de montrer que la notion d’élite est toujours présente, notamment dans les écrits portant sur la gouvernance communautaire, mais que celle-ci se dissimule aujourd’hui derrière le lexique de la nouvelle gestion publique.
Le septième art hors des frontières nationales : le pouvoir de la langue et de l’imaginaire culturel dans les films du cinéaste québécois Xavier Dolan
Authors: Mandia Valérie
Published: November 2015

Cet article convie à une réflexion critique sur la mise en forme et les usages du français dans les films du cinéaste québécois Xavier Dolan, en particulier dans J’ai tué ma mère (2009), Les amours imaginaires (2010) et Laurence Anyways (2012), qui se révèlent des points de repère incontournables dans l’éclosion du cinéma québécois à l’extérieur des frontières nationales. Dans une perspective sociolinguistique, l’auteure tente de préciser les liens entre la langue hybride et les images véhiculées par les films de Dolan, qui ont la particularité de rejoindre à la fois le public de la grande francophonie et le public anglophone de l’Amérique du Nord. En tant que société de plus en plus en communication avec les communautés extérieures, le Québec se transforme, si bien que ses frontières linguistiques et territoriales ne semblent plus constituer un obstacle pour le cinéaste émergent. Les films et le discours de ce dernier se construisent davantage sur la diversité et l’universel et paraissent ainsi en rupture avec le discours langue/nation/culture de plusieurs de ses prédécesseurs. À la lumière de la grille d’analyse proposée par Christian Poirier dans ses recherches sur le cinéma québécois, l’auteure s’interroge sur les limites et la portée de ses modalités discursives cinématographiques ouvrant des perspectives entre le Même et l’Autre. Cette analyse s’insère dans une recherche plus large sur la culture et les pratiques artistiques au Québec dans le but de trouver les références et les stratégies à partir desquelles elles se renouvellent.
Traduttore è traditore : aux sources de l’antagonisme Garneau-Bell : deux conceptions du pouvoir politique bas-canadien
Authors: Lagrandeur Joël
Published: November 2015

En septembre 1859, alors que François-Xavier Garneau vient tout juste de publier la troisième édition de son Histoire du Canada, l’éditeur John Lovell annonce la traduction prochaine de l’oeuvre par le rédacteur en chef du Pilot de Montréal, Andrew Bell. Or, alors que Garneau espérait une traduction fidèle de l’oeuvre, c’est une adaptation plutôt libre qu’offre Bell en 1860. Dans le présent article, l’auteur intéresse, plus particulièrement, à l’écart existant entre la version originale et la traduction sur la question du lieu où repose la légitimité du pouvoir politique bas-canadien non seulement en observant les différences entre les deux versions de l’Histoire du Canada, mais également en tentant de les expliquer en fonction des expériences et de la pensée politique de Garneau et de Bell ainsi que des horizons d’attente auxquels ils faisaient face.
Looking for the origin of life in cosmochemistry: Asteroids and their carbon-rich meteorites
Authors: Pizzarello Sandra
Published: November 2015

Carbonaceous chondrite meteorites are carbon-containing fragments of primitive asteroids that have offered the only samples available to date giving insights into chemical evolution in laboratory analyses. Their study has revealed that abundant organic chemistry came to be in the Solar System ahead of terrestrial life and, by the input of these meteorites and comets, might have aided in the origin of our planet’s biochemistry.
Quantitative H2S-mediated protein sulfhydration reveals metabolic reprogramming during the integrated stress response
Authors: Gao Xing-Huang , Krokowski Dawid , Guan Bo-Jhih , Bederman Ilya , Majumder Mithu , Parisien Marc , Diatchenko Luda , Kabil Omer , Willard Belinda , Banerjee Ruma , Wang Benlian , Bebek Gurkan , Evans Charles R. , Fox Paul L. , Gerson Stanton L. , Hoppel Charles L. , Liu Ming , Arvan Peter , Hatzoglou Maria
Published: November 2015

The sulfhydration of cysteine residues in proteins is an important mechanism involved in diverse biological processes. We have developed a proteomics approach to quantitatively profile the changes of sulfhydrated cysteines in biological systems. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that sulfhydrated cysteines are part of a wide range of biological functions. In pancreatic β cells exposed to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, elevated H2S promotes the sulfhydration of enzymes in energy metabolism and stimulates glycolytic flux. We propose that transcriptional and translational reprogramming by the integrated stress response (ISR) in pancreatic β cells is coupled to metabolic alternations triggered by sulfhydration of key enzymes in intermediary metabolism.
Endoscopic Treatment of Esophago-Pleural Fistula Following Total Gastrectomy: A Case Report
Authors: Chen Tzu-Chun , Huang Pei-Ming , I-Rue Lai
Published: November 2015

This paper is designed to report the endoscopic treatment for a rare esophagopleural fistula after total gastrectomy. Esophagopleural fistula is a rare complication following total gastrectomy. Nonoperative treatment using endoscopic injection of tissue glue is a less invasive and effective option. The history, treatment, and options for managing an esophagopleural fistula following gastrectomy are discussed. A 53-year-old female patient underwent total gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer. An anastomotic leak with esophagopleural fistula formation developed at the esophagojejunostomy site. The fistula was successfully managed by endoscopic injection with n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate into the fistula, chest tube drainage, systemic antibiotics, and total parenteral nutrition. This case report suggests that combing effective drainage and the use of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate of nonoperative treatment options for esophagopleural fistula.
Why does tropical convective available potential energy (CAPE) increase with warming?
Authors: Seeley Jacob T. , Romps David M.
Published: November 2015

Recent work has produced a theory for tropical convective available potential energy (CAPE) that highlights the Clausius‐Clapeyron (CC) scaling of the atmosphere's saturation deficit as a driver of increases in CAPE with warming. Here we test this so‐called “zero‐buoyancy” theory for CAPE by modulating the saturation deficit of cloud‐resolving simulations of radiative‐convective equilibrium in two ways: changing the sea surface temperature (SST) and changing the environmental relative humidity (RH). For earthlike and warmer SSTs, undilute parcel buoyancy in the lower troposphere is insensitive to increasing SST because of a countervailing CC scaling that balances the increase in the saturation deficit; however, buoyancy increases dramatically with SST in the upper troposphere. Conversely, in the RH experiment, undilute buoyancy throughout the troposphere increases monotonically with decreasing RH. We show that the zero‐buoyancy theory successfully predicts these contrasting behaviors, building confidence that it describes the fundamental physics of CAPE and its response to warming.
Stability of rapid finite‐fault inversion for the 2014 Mw6.1 South Napa earthquake
Authors: Zhang Yong , Wang Rongjiang , Chen Yun‐Tai
Published: November 2015

Local seismograms are useful for rapidly reconstructing kinematic finite‐fault sources, but the results often depend not only on the data coverage but also on uncertainties of parameters (e.g., hypocentral location and fault geometry) used as a priori information during the inversion. An automatic scheme was applied to offline tests for the 2014 South Napa earthquake. In the case of retrospective full‐waveform inversions, a network with station spacing of 10 km within the epicentral distance of 30 km is able to provide adequate stable key source parameters if the preestimated hypocenter and fault orientation are accurate of ±5 km and ±15°, respectively. In simulated real‐time inversions, the magnitude reaches Mw6.0 at 13 s, and the slip distribution matches that from the retrospective inversion at about 22–28 s after the origin time of the earthquake. These results are meaningful for estimating the lead time of a catastrophic seismic event.
Investigating the impact of haze on MODIS cloud detection
Authors: Mao Feiyue , Duan Miaomiao , Min Qilong , Gong Wei , Pan Zengxin , Liu Guangyi
Published: November 2015

The cloud detection algorithm for passive sensors is usually based on a fuzzy logic system with thresholds determined from previous observations. In recent years, haze and high aerosol concentrations with high aerosol optical depth (AOD) occur frequently in China and may critically impact the accuracy of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud detection. Thus, we comprehensively explore this impact by comparing the results from MODIS/Aqua (passive sensor), Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization/CALIPSO (lidar sensor), and Cloud Profiling Radar/CloudSat (microwave sensor) of the A‐Train suite of instruments using an averaged AOD as an index for an aerosol concentration value. Case studies concerning the comparison of the three sensors indicate that MODIS cloud detection is reduced during haze events. In addition, statistical studies show that an increase in AOD creates an increase in the percentage of uncertain flags and a decrease in hit rate, a consistency index between consecutive sets of cloud retrievals. On average, AOD values lower than 0.1 give hit rate values up to 80.0% and uncertainty values lower than 16.8%, while AOD values greater than 1.0 reduce the hit rate below to 66.6% and increase the percentage of uncertain flags up to 46.6%. Therefore, we can conclude that the ability of MODIS cloud detection is weakened by large concentrations of aerosols. This suggests that use of the MODIS cloud mask, and derived higher‐level products, in situations with haze requires caution. Further improvement of this retrieval algorithm is desired as haze studies based on MODIS products are of great interest in a number of related fields.
The formation of viscous limited saturation zones behind rapid drainage fronts in porous media
Authors: Hoogland Frouke , Lehmann Peter , Or Dani
Published: November 2015

Drainage characteristics of porous media are shaped by an interplay between gravitational, capillary and viscous forces that result in complex phase invasion patterns and dynamics. We propose a mechanistic model for viscous separation of temporary phase detention behind rapidly moving drainage fronts. The viscous‐limited region forming behind the front tip (tip of furthest penetrated air finger) drains at a slower rate with a characteristic time scale τ dictated by hydraulic decoupling expressed by the hydraulic properties of the medium. The region where saturation becomes viscously detained (temporarily entrapped) is determined by a critical water content θcrit that defines a viscous length LV behind the front tip. Theory developed to predict the critical water content θcrit and the characteristic secondary timescale τ was in good agreement with measured drainage characteristics using neutron radiography and direct imaging. The observed critical water content θcrit increased with higher drainage rates as predicted by theory with consideration of a percolation threshold. The observed slow drainage timescale τ as a function of mean drainage rate depended on the critical water content θcrit and the resulting counteracting effects of increased detained liquid volume and increased conductivity of the viscous limited region. The concept of drainage zonation illustrates how increasing flow rates enhances the extent of viscous limitations behind the main drainage front. The new insights could be useful for management of immiscible fluid displacement, quantification of averaging effects in experimental measurements (dynamic effects on pc‐S relationship), and explain some of the underpinnings of the field capacity phenomenon.
Adiponectin, hemoglobin, and cardiovascular risk in an indigenous siberian population
Authors: Streeter Elizabeth A. , Squires Erica C. , Leonard William R. , Tarskaia Larissa A. , Klimova Tatiana M. , Fedorova Valentina I. , Baltakhinova Marina E. , Krivoshapkin Vadim G. , Snodgrass J. Josh
Published: November 2015

Objectives

Adipose tissue hypoxia appears to play a role in promoting chronic inflammation and the development of obesity‐related cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, yet the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The aim of the present research is to examine whether adiponectin levels (an adipocyte‐derived hormone with anti‐inflammatory properties) are inversely correlated with hemoglobin levels in an indigenous Siberian population.

Methods

The study was conducted among 252 Yakut adults (≥18 years; 135 females) from Berdygestiakh, Sakha Republic, Russia. Measurements included anthropometric dimensions (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], and percent body fat) and blood levels of hemoglobin and adiponectin.

Results

Yakut females had higher adiponectin concentrations than males (15.1 ± 9.8 vs. 11.7 ± 10.6 µg/ml; P < 0.001), whereas males had higher hemoglobin levels (14.4 ± 1.4 vs. 12.6 ± 1.5 g/dL; P < 0.001). Body composition measures in both sexes were negatively associated with adiponectin and positively associated with hemoglobin. After adjusting for central adiposity and smoking, adiponectin levels were negatively correlated with hemoglobin levels in men (P < 0.05), but not in women (P = 0.511).

Conclusions

This investigation provides some support for the involvement of hypoxia‐related dysregulation of adiponectin associated with obesity and potentially cardiovascular disease. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:580–583, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cethrene: A Helically Chiral Biradicaloid Isomer of Heptazethrene
Authors: Ravat Prince , Šolomek Tomáš , Rickhaus Michel , Häussinger Daniel , Neuburger Markus , Baumgarten Martin , Juríček Michal
Published: November 2015

We report the synthesis and properties of “cethrene”, the only helically chiral isomer of heptazethrene with a biradicaloid singlet ground state. Cethrene gives a well‐resolved EPR spectrum at room temperature and its structure was confirmed by 2D NMR and absorption spectroscopies. Our experiments and calculations show that the helical twist affects its electronic properties and decreases the singlet–triplet energy gap when compared to that of planar heptazethrene. Cethrene undergoes an intramolecular cyclization within several hours at room temperature.
Visible‐Light‐Triggered Drug Release from TiO2 Nanotube Arrays: A Controllable Antibacterial Platform
Authors: Xu Jingwen , Zhou Xuemei , Gao Zhida , Song Yan‐Yan , Schmuki Patrik
Published: November 2015

In this work, we use a double‐layered stack of TiO2 nanotubes (TiNTs) to construct a visible‐light‐triggered drug delivery system. The key for visible light drug release is a hydrophobic cap on the nanotubes containing Au nanoparticles (AuNPs). The AuNPs allow for a photocatalytic scission of the hydrophobic chain under visible light. To demonstrate this principle, we loaded ampicillin (AMP) into the lower part of the TiO2 nanotube stack, triggered visible‐light‐induced release, and carried out antibacterial studies. The release from the platform becomes most controllable if the drug is silane‐grafted in the hydrophilic bottom layer for drug storage. Thus, visible light photocatalysis can also determine the release kinetics of the active drug from the nanotube wall.
Polarity‐reversal‐producing phase transfer of hydrophilic silver nanoclusters capped by a hyperbranched polymer from water to nonpolar organic solvents
Authors: Qu Fei , Niu Shuwen , You Jinmao
Published: November 2015

Hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) (PEI)‐capped Ag nanoclusters, synthesized starting from an aqueous environment, dispersed well in water and most polar organic solvents. However, with the addition of 1,4‐dioxane, the PEI‐capped Ag nanoclusters could be separated completely to obtain hydrophilic and hydrophobic Ag nanoclusters. Through this facile method, the successful phase transfer of PEI‐capped Ag nanoclusters from the aqueous phase to the nonpolar organic phase, such as from water to carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, and methylene bichloride, was easily realized. The polarity reversal of Ag nanoclusters were considered to be associated with the conformational change of PEI on the basis of the hydrophobic methylene groups of polymer backbone facing the external side or internal side, and this polarity reversal was irreversible. Moreover, PEIs with higher molecular weights showed a higher efficiency of phase transfer of the Ag nanoclusters. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43206.
Tunable luminescence properties and energy transfer in LaAl11O18:Eu,Tb phosphor
Authors: Mendhe M. S. , Puppalwar S. P. , Dhoble S. J.
Published: November 2015

Eu2+ and Tb3+ singly doped and co‐doped LaAl11O18 phosphors were prepared by a combustion method using urea as a fuel. The phase structure and photoluminescence (PL) properties of the prepared phosphors were characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra. When the content of Eu2+ was fixed at 0.01, the emission chromaticity coordinates could be adjusted from blue to green region by tuning the contents of Tb3+ ions from 0.01 to 0.03 through an energy transfer (ET) process. The fluorescence data collected from the samples with different contents of Tb3+ into LaAl11O18: Eu, show the enhanced green emission at 545 nm associated with 5D4 –7F5 transitions of Tb3+. The enhancement was attributed to ET from Eu2+ to Tb3+, and therefore Eu2+ ion acts as a sensitizer (an energy donor) while Tb3+ ion as an activator. The ET from Eu2+ to Tb3+ is performed through dipole–dipole interaction. The ET efficiency and critical distance were also calculated. The present Eu2+–Tb3+ co‐doped LaAl11O18 phosphor will have potential application for UV convertible white light‐emitting diodes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiple Conformations of the Loop Region Confers Heat‐Resistance on SsArd1, a Thermophilic NatA
Authors: Chang Yu‐Yung , Hsu Chun‐Hua
Published: November 2015

Structural comparison indicates that the loop region between β3 and β4 of SsArd1 is extended relative to the corresponding region in mesophilic Nats, and forms a plastic hydrogen‐bond network mainly at two serine residues. Strikingly, two single‐point mutants showed ∼3 °C decrease in melting temperature, and two other variants showed ∼7 °C decrease; this correlated with significantly reduced enzymatic activity. To our knowledge, this is the first discovery of a loop region capable of remarkably improving protein thermostability. This provides a novel route to engineer heat‐resistant proteins.
Ruthenium and Formic Acid Based Tandem Catalytic Transformation of Bioderived Furans to Levulinic Acid and Diketones in Water
Authors: Dwivedi Ambikesh D. , Gupta Kavita , Tyagi Deepika , Rai Rohit K. , Mobin Shaikh M. , Singh Sanjay K.
Published: November 2015

Efficient tandem catalytic transformations of bioderived furans, such as furfural, 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (5‐HMF), and 5‐methylfurfural (5‐MF), to levulinic acid (LA) and diketones, 1‐hydroxyhexane‐2,5‐dione (1‐HHD), 3‐hydroxyhexane‐2,5‐dione (3‐HHD), and hexane‐2,5‐dione (2,5‐HD), was achieved by using water‐soluble arene–RuII complexes, containing ethylenediamine‐based ligands, as catalysts in the presence of formic acid. The catalytic conversion of furans depends on the catalyst, ligand, formic acid concentration, reaction temperature, and time. Experimental evidence, including time‐resolved 1H NMR spectral studies, indicate that the catalytic reaction proceeds first with formyl hydrogenation followed by hydrolytic ring opening of furans. The ruthenium–formic acid tandem catalytic transformation of fructose to diketones and LA was also achieved. Finally, the molecular structures of the four representative arene–RuII catalysts were established by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies.
Nanoscale Platelet Formation by Monounsaturated and Saturated Sophorolipids under Basic pH Conditions
Authors: Cuvier Anne‐Sophie , Babonneau Florence , Berton Jan , Stevens Christian V. , Fadda Giulia C. , Péhau‐Arnaudet Gérard , Le Griel Patrick , Prévost Sylvain , Perez Javier , Baccile Niki
Published: November 2015

The self‐assembly behavior of the yeast‐derived bolaamphiphile sophorolipid (SL) is generally studied under acidic/neutral pH conditions, at which micellar and fibrillar aggregates are commonly found, according to the (un)saturation of the aliphatic chain: the cis form, which corresponds to the oleic acid form of SL, spontaneously forms micelles, whereas the saturated form, which corresponds to the stearic acid form of SL, preferentially forms chiral fibers. By using small‐angle light and X‐ray scattering (SLS, SAXS) combined with high‐sensitivity transmission electron microscopy imaging under cryogenic conditions (cryo‐TEM), the nature of the self‐assembled structures formed by these two compounds above pH 10, which is the pH at which they are negatively charged due to the presence of a carboxylate group, has been explored. Under these conditions, these compounds self‐assemble into nanoscale platelets, despite the different molecular structures. This work shows that the electrostatic repulsion forces generated by COO− mainly drive the self‐assembly process at basic pH, in contrast with that found at pH below neutrality, at which self‐assembly is driven by van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding, and thus, is in agreement with previous findings on carbohydrate‐based gemini surfactants.
Role of Magnetic Exchange Interactions in the Magnetization Relaxation of {3d–4f} Single‐Molecule Magnets: A Theoretical Perspective
Authors: Singh Saurabh Kumar , Beg Mohammad Faizan , Rajaraman Gopalan
Published: November 2015

Combined density functional and ab initio calculations are performed on two isomorphous tetranuclear {Ni3IIILnIII} star‐type complexes [Ln=Gd (1), Dy (2)] to shed light on the mechanism of magnetic exchange in 1 and the origin of the slow magnetization relaxation in complex 2. DFT calculations correctly reproduce the sign and magnitude of the J values compared to the experiments for complex 1. Acute ∢NiOGd bond angles present in 1 instigate a significant interaction between the 4fxyz orbital of the GdIII ion and 3d orbital of the NiII ions, leading to rare and strong antiferromagnetic Ni⋅⋅⋅Gd interactions. Calculations reveal the presence of a strong next‐nearest‐neighbour Ni⋅⋅⋅Ni antiferromagnetic interaction in complex 1 leading to spin frustration behavior. CASSCF+RASSI‐SO calculations performed on complex 2 suggest that the octahedral environment around the DyIII ion is neither strong enough to stabilize the mJ |±15/2〉 as the ground state nor able to achieve a large ground‐state–first‐excited‐state gap. The ground‐state Kramers doublet for the DyIII ion is found to be the mJ |±13/2〉 state with a significant transverse anisotropy, leading to very strong quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM). Using the POLY_ANISO program, we have extracted the JNiDy interaction as −1.45 cm−1. The strong Ni⋅⋅⋅Dy and next‐nearest‐neighbour Ni⋅⋅⋅Ni interactions are found to quench the QTM to a certain extent, resulting in zero‐field SMM behavior for complex 2. The absence of any ac signals at zero field for the structurally similar [Dy(AlMe4)3] highlights the importance of both the Ni⋅⋅⋅Dy and the Ni⋅⋅⋅Ni interactions in the magnetization relaxation of complex 2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the roles of both the Ni⋅⋅⋅Dy and Ni⋅⋅⋅Ni interactions in magnetization relaxation of a {3d–4f} molecular magnet have been established.