bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Language and sexuality in education
Authors: King Brian W.
Published: April 2015

Language use mediates knowledge of sexuality, a fact that leads to important questions about the “putting into words” of sex and sexuality in educational contexts. In the broader institutional environment of “school,” language plays a key role in the narrowly gendered construction of heterosexualities and the problematic othering of non‐normative sexualities. In sexuality education classes (i.e., classes where sexuality enjoys a sustained pedagogical focus), the same themes arise, but it is through talk that students begin to come to terms with their own identities as sexual subjects in control of their desires. Talk plays a similarly important role during the learning of additional languages, for sexuality cannot be separated from the formation of identities in the new language. Through inquiry into cultural discourses around sexuality, learners can acquire an understanding of socio‐sexual literacy in a target culture. Sexual desires and identities can also be closely tied to language learning investments and motivations, thereby influencing success or failure with language learning as well as specific learning pathways.
Language and the politics of gender
Authors: Levon Erez
Published: April 2015

Language enters into the politics of gender in two ways. First, because it underpins all social interaction, language is a site of contestation over the gendered order and the power relations that sustain it. Individuals, particularly those in structurally marginalized position in society, are able to vary their language use as a way of asserting power or authority. In so doing, these individuals co‐opt the cultural value normatively associated with different forms of language in an effort to better the material conditions of their lives. The second way in which language enters into the politics of gender is in the establishment of cultural gender categories in the first place, particularly those associated with dominant discourses of nationalism. Because of its unique performative capacity, language is often the medium through which gendered national imaginaries are enacted and reproduced. Language thus also participates in the creation of national systems of gender stratification.
Language of sexuality in religion
Authors: Jule Allyson
Published: April 2015

Language, religion, and sexuality intersect across the globe in ever‐new ways. Current attitudes and understandings within all the major religions spill over into many other communities and influence world events and globalism more generally. Religion and sexuality have a special relationship because of how identity can be closely associated with both. Such sites of belonging reveal language patterns and trends to both define and reveal attitudes concerning sexuality. Regardless of orientation, religious moral codes impact on personal behavior and/or one's response to others. All faiths consider sexual behavior, to some extent at least, in relation to performances of devoutness. Women's/men's bodies and patriarchy and power matter significantly here. Gender‐inclusive language is particularly central in understanding the intersection of language, religion and sexuality.
Language, sexuality, and adolescents
Authors: Rayne Karen
Published: April 2015

Adolescents engage with sexual language in many ways. This article discusses how teenagers develop and express their identity and peer group through sexual language. Adolescence is a key time for coming to understand and discuss one's sexual orientation and gender identity. Culture and religion play a key role in how the morality of sexuality and sexual expression is presented to adolescents. The ways that adults talk to adolescents about sexuality, as well as the language used to describe sexuality education are also discussed.
Lavender language
Authors: Leap William L.
Published: April 2015

The color “lavender” has longstanding connections with same‐sex related desires, practices, and social statuses in many areas of the world. Lavender linguistics gained popularity in the 1990s as a new direction of scholarship focused attention on the importance of language, broadly defined, in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people's lives. Queer linguistics criticized lavender linguistics’ close alliance with speaker identity. Recent work in lavender linguistics explores language and sexuality within broader intersections, reframing its earlier interests in identity as well as queer interests in language and desire.
LGBT/queer sexuality, history of, Europe
Authors: Monro Surya
Published: April 2015

Sexual and gender diversity has existed in Europe since ancient times, with variations across countries and historical eras being shaped by forces such as migration, conquest, and religion. Some types of homosexual relations were important in ancient Greek and Roman societies. However, during the medieval to modern period many European countries introduced laws against people who engaged in same‐sex sexualities; this was fuelled by a mixture of religious dogma, nationalist traditionalism, and (after 1800) pseudo‐scientific study. People who engaged in same‐sex sexual behavior were murdered in large numbers during the Catholic Inquisition and, much later, during the Nazi era. As a contrast to patterns of persecution, local cultures of gender and sexual diversity evolved in various European countries, and during the twentieth century these formed a basis for LGBT rights organizing, which was also influenced by other factors such as the civil rights movement and student protests.
Life history theory
Authors: Trevathan Wenda
Published: April 2015

Life history theory provides a way of viewing life course traits such as length of gestation, duration of lactation, onset of puberty, and developmental state at birth through the lens of evolution. Given that energy for growing and reproducing is available in limited supply, life history theory argues that natural selection has shaped life history traits in ways that increase reproductive success. It helps predict what will be traded for what, under certain environmental conditions, including social and cultural circumstances, and enhances understanding of the human tradeoff of quality of offspring over quantity.
Literature, gay men's
Authors: Reitsma Richard D.
Published: April 2015

This entry provides an overview of the presence of gay male narrative from a historical perspective and focuses on literature in the past one hundred and fifty years. It considers ancient sources and explores the various trends in gay male narrative from a global and multigenre perspective. How social and political realities have affected different trajectories of gay male literature are also discussed.
Literature, lesbian
Authors: Palmer Paulina
Published: April 2015

This entry gives an overview of changing perspectives on same‐sex erotic and sexual relationships between women and their literary representation from the eighteenth century to the present. It considers fictional constructs of romantic friendship, inversion, lesbian feminism, and the queer treatment of identity as a cultural fantasy. Literary forms examined include diaries, theoretical studies, poetry, and different kinds of fiction including lesbian modernism and “pulp‐fiction.” The “coming out” novel and the lesbian reworking of the thriller, historical fiction, and gothic fantasy are discussed. Representations of lesbianism by male writers receive reference.
Loss of estrus
Authors: Strassmann Beverly I.
Published: April 2015

Women lack adaptations designed by natural selection to signal the timing of ovulation to males, and hence ovulation in humans is said to be concealed. Selection for paternal care is the most likely reason why, after our evolutionary divergence from chimpanzees, humans lost the sexual swellings, behaviors, or olfactory signals that accompany estrus in most other primates. The topic, however, is one of ongoing investigation and some authors report that women do experience a kind of covert estrus. Behavioral changes occur over the course of the menstrual cycle, but these are most likely side effects of hormones and metabolism.
Mail order brides
Authors: Constable Nicole
Published: April 2015

“Mail order brides” are commonly depicted in Euro‐American and Australian popular media as women from poor countries, desperate to marry foreign men for upward mobility and to escape poverty. They are widely assumed to be potential victims of trafficking and domestic abuse. Media studies of mail order bride catalogues largely highlight symbolic violence based on representations of race, nationality, and gender. Ethnographic research among men and women who meet through correspondence or introduction agencies in very different global contexts, point to the value of understanding men and women's own complex motivations and experiences, and the importance of the sociocultural and historical contexts of marriage migrations. Since the 1980s there has been an increase in the number of men and women who seek to meet prospective marriage partners through the growing number of international introduction agencies.
Malinowski, Bronislaw (1884–1942)
Authors: Young Michael W.
Published: April 2015

Bronislaw Malinowski, born in Poland, obtained his doctorate in London, and became the leading British anthropologist of the interwar years. He is best known for his practice and advocacy of intense anthropological fieldwork based on participant observation, and for his role as the self‐proclaimed creator of functionalist theory, which stated that all social institutions served certain social and biological needs. Among those institutions was the family, whose universality Malinowski asserted in his earliest work,
The Family among The Australian Aborigines
. Sexuality is the basis of the family, and Malinowski's fieldwork among the Trobriand Islanders of Melanesia gave him a reputation as an expert on the topic. In
Sex and Repression in Savage Society
he stated that Trobriand matrilineal institutions provided evidence that proved Freud's claim that the Oedipus complex was universal was incorrect. In
The Sexual Life of Savages
, he showed that the Trobrianders’ premarital sexual license was subject to clear rules and prepared them for stable family life. Malinowski played a modest role in the sexual reform movements of his time.
Marriage
Authors: Nanda Serena
Published: April 2015

Marriage and the creation of families fulfill many functions necessary to human survival and social stability. It is thus a nearly universal social institution although there are many cross‐cultural variations. In most societies marriages are arranged by families rather than individual choice and economic exchanges confirm and stabilize these alliances. Under contemporary pressures of globalization, both marriage and birth rates are declining and new forms of marriage are emerging.
Masculinities
Authors: Conway‐Long Don
Published: April 2015

Masculinities generally refer to the behaviors expected from men in a given social, cultural, and historical circumstance. Used in the plural since the 1980s to emphasize the wide diversity among men both across cultures and within societies, the academic usage has not prevented essentialist ideas of a single masculinity rooted in biology to be commonly expressed. However, when the wide‐ranging research is examined, masculinities show human cultural inventiveness alongside some structural similarities. Masculine power, violence, and domination remain central issues for further study, but so do new forms of masculine behavior.
Masculinities and language
Authors: Kiesling Scott F.
Published: April 2015

Language can be connected to masculinity through the language used by men, and through language ideologically connected to stereotypical traits of men in a particular culture. The study of language and masculinity is fairly recent, and has focused on the different ways that power and hegemonic masculinity motivate men to use particular linguistic forms. Several examples from English, the language in which most of the work has be carried out, are discussed.
Masculinity, archaeology of
Authors: Knüsel Christopher
Published: April 2015

Masculinity, a concept based on male appearance and behaviors, originates in the interplay of sex and gender and social differences between men and women. Medieval aristocratic warriors provide a glimpse of a strongly masculinized social role. Hunting and armed violent confrontation seem to be predominant parts of masculine social identity in the prehistoric and historic past to the present day.
Masturbation
Authors: Dodson Betty
Published: April 2015

Masturbation is regarded as a widespread human practice with evidence dating back as far as the Neolithic, about 12,000 years ago. This entry discusses a wide span of time including evidence for masturbation from early civilizations through to Euro‐American attitudes towards masturbation, medical perspectives, and related technologies covering the eighteenth century to the present.
Masturbation (nonhuman primates)
Authors: Thomsen Ruth , Sommer Volker
Published: April 2015

Male and female nonhuman primates from all living major radiations are known to perform autosexual behaviors (masturbation) implying that masturbation is a facet of our own hominid ancestor's sexual repertoire. At a proximate level masturbation satisfies sexual desires leading to a hormonal state of relaxation and reduced aggression in both sexes. This might be of importance above all in social living primate species. Ultimately, masturbation might be beneficial for males since it helps to discard old and low‐quality sperm from the genital tract allowing the production of new sperm with enhanced fitness. For female masturbation, however, an ultimate explanation is still lacking.
Mating effort
Authors: Starratt Valerie G.
Published: April 2015

Mating effort is the sum of energy and resources expended for the purposes of attracting and maintaining a mate. The amount and type of mating effort employed depends on the sex and reproductive value of the individual expending the effort, as well as the costs of expending that effort.
Matlock, David (Dr.)
Authors: Rodriguez Sarah B.
Published: April 2015

David Matlock is a physician in the United States and perhaps one of the most publicized doctors who performs female genital cosmetic surgery, in particular the method he trademarked, Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation and Designer Laser Vaginoplasty. Though he has often been uncritically received in the popular media for these procedures, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stress that these surgeries are neither medically indicated nor documented as safe and effective.
Mattachine Society
Authors: Todd White C.
Published: April 2015

The “Mattachine Society” was a driving force behind the homophile movement from the time of its inception in 1950 to the rise of Gay Liberation 20 years later. Rather than one enduring society or organization, the “Mattachine” name and “Society” narrative has served to unify scores of emergent homophile organizations throughout the nation anchoring them to Harry Hay's notorious though short‐lived Mattachine Foundation. Thus, establishing each organization's place and role within a rapidly expanding and increasingly complicated lineage.
McIlvenna
, Robert Theodore (Ted)
Authors: Zientara Gerald Roy
Published: April 2015

Reverend Doctor “Ted” McIlvenna (1932–) was central to the establishment of one of the major institutions of sexology: The Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (San Francisco). Teacher, human rights activist, collector of erotic heritage materials and administrator, he has led a diverse career with singular energy and devotion to sexology.
Mead, Margaret (1901–1978)
Authors: Shankman Paul
Published: April 2015

Margaret Mead was the United States’ best‐known anthropologist of the twentieth century and a pioneering scholar on the subjects of sex and gender. Mead's major contributions to the study of sex and gender are reflected in four important works:Coming of Age in Samoa(1928),Growing Up in New Guinea(1930),Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies(1935), andMale and Female(1949). These works were written for a broad reading public and addressed her interest in the relationship between biology and culture. Critiques of these works include Derek Freeman's two deeply flawed books on Mead andComing of Age in Samoa. Mead's later years are reviewed in terms of her alleged influence on the “sexual revolution” of the 1960s, and her writing for an audience of young American women, including herRedbookcolumns on sex and changing women's roles.
Medicalization of sexuality
Authors: Štulhofer Aleksandar
Published: April 2015

Medicalization of sexuality represents the process of growing medical authority over sexual experiences and sensations, which is sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry. Most often, it refers to the biomedical conceptualization and pharmacotherapy of sexual dysfunctions. The strongest criticism of the process of medicalization of sex, and the disease model it is based on, has been expressed in the context of female sexual dysfunctions. Ramifications of the medicalization of male sexuality have only recently been critically addressed. Overall, the process has resulted in more treatment options, new opportunities for an integrated (biopsychosocial) approach to sexual health problems, and higher public awareness of sexual dysfunctions. Serious concerns have been raised, however, that (over)medicalization of sexuality has been promoting a simplified perspective on human sexuality and contributing to normative pressures and social expectations regarding sexual performance, as well as to the marginalization of nonmedical sexology, particularly sex therapy.
Menopause
Authors: Utz Rebecca L. , Nordmeyer Kristjane
Published: April 2015

Menopause is the physiological transition that usually occurs in woman's midlife, in which the body's production of estrogen and progesterone declines and menstruation stops altogether. Although menopause is a near‐universal process of the aging female body, there exists great diversity in how women subjectively interpret and find meaning from their experience with menopause.
Menopause (evolution)
Authors: Sievert Lynnette Leidy
Published: April 2015

Menopause is the cessation of menstruation due to the loss of ovarian follicular activity. It is a visible marker of the end of fertility. Within a biomedical framework, the menopausal transition is often associated with sexual difficulties, such as a loss of interest in sex and vaginal dryness; however, some women report an increase in sexual desire and activity after menopause because of freedom from concerns about pregnancy. From an evolutionary perspective, there is little selective advantage in maintaining sexual desire and sexual function after menopause beyond the benefits of maintaining a pair bond to provide extra resources for the final offspring.
Bottom‐Up Engineering of Well‐Defined 3D Microtissues Using Microplatforms and Biomedical Applications
Authors: Lee Geon Hui , Lee Jae Seo , Wang Xiaohong , Hoon Lee Sang
Published: April 2015

During the last decades, the engineering of well‐defined 3D tissues has attracted great attention because it provides in vivo mimicking environment and can be a building block for the engineering of bioartificial organs. In this Review, diverse engineering methods of 3D tissues using microscale devices are introduced. Recent progress of microtechnologies has enabled the development of microplatforms for bottom‐up assembly of diverse shaped 3D tissues consisting of various cells. Micro hanging‐drop plates, microfluidic chips, and arrayed microwells are the typical examples. The encapsulation of cells in hydrogel microspheres and microfibers allows the engineering of 3D microtissues with diverse shapes. Applications of 3D microtissues in biomedical fields are described, and the future direction of microplatform‐based engineering of 3D micro‐tissues is discussed.
A Further Decrease in the Catalyst Loading for the Palladium‐Catalyzed Direct Intramolecular Arylation of Amides and Sulfonamides
Authors: Conde Nerea , Churruca Fátima , SanMartin Raul , Herrero María Teresa , Domínguez Esther
Published: April 2015

The direct arylation of N‐substituted o‐bromobenzanilides and benzenesulfonamides via CH bond functionalization has been developed using very low catalyst loadings. This novel cost‐effective and more sustainable method relies on a PCN‐type palladium pincer complex as a highly active palladium source, providing a general and efficient access to phenanthridinones, biaryl sultams and related heterocyclic systems. The beneficial effect of water as cosolvent has been observed in this process, which is not seriously influenced by electronic effects at the arene moieties or sterically demanding substituents at the amide or sulfonamide nitrogen. In addition, a number of experiments (kinetic plot, poisoning assays, TEM, ESI) have been performed in order to understand the role of the employed palladium complex in this reaction.

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Phase Behaviors of PU/SPI Green Composites Using SAXS Profiles
Authors: Madhukar B. S. , Bhadre Gowda D. G. , Annadurai V. , Somashekar R. , Siddaramaiah
Published: April 2015

A series of polyurethane (PU) green composites have been synthesized with varying amounts, namely 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 wt% of soya protein isolate (SPI) by two methods. In the first method, castor oil (CO) and toluene‐2,4‐diisocyanate (TDI) molar ratio is CO/TDI : 1/1 with varying amounts of the SPI content. In the second method, the molar ratio of TDI is calculated by considering the –OH groups of both CO and SPI. We made the assumption that, in the first method, SPI acts as a filler and in the second method SPI is one of the coreactants in PU formation. The mechanical properties of the fabricated PU/SPI green composites are evaluated; and it is found that the tensile strength increases up to 8 wt% of SPI, and a further increase in SPI leads to reduction in the tensile strength. The small angle x‐ray scattering profiles have been used to evaluate the arrangement of amorphous (A) and crystalline (C) regions in the PU/SPI green composites in a scale of about 700 Ǻ by considering the variation in scattered intensity with scattering angles ranging from 0.3° to 1.5°. For this purpose, a linear paracrystalline model is used. In this study, the exponential distribution of phase lengths gives a good agreement between the measured and computed data on the basis of a linear paracrystal model. It is observed that there are significant changes in the distribution of phase lengths due to changes in the composition and chemical structure of PU/SPI composites obtained by methods 1 and 2.
Women who deliver twins are more likely to smoke and have high frequencies of specific SNPs: Results from a sample of African–American women who delivered preterm, low birth weight babies
Authors: Huang Hong , Clancy Kathryn B.H. , Burhance Crystal , Zhu Yilliang , Madrigal Lorena
Published: April 2015

Objectives

We examine if there are genetic and environmental differences between mothers of singleton and multiple pregnancies in a sample of African–American mothers.

Methods

We focus on genomic areas suggested to increase or decrease the odds of multiple pregnancies. We computed the odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) for each SNP unadjusted or adjusted with smoking. SNPs' allelic differences between mothers of multiple pregnancies and singletons were also tested using Fisher's exact test. We considered additive terms for the SNPs' genotypes, smoking, and a multiplicative interaction term of two selected SNPs' genotypes.

Results

We found significant interactions between smoking and SNPs of the CYP19A, MDM4, MTHFR and TP53 genes which correlated with higher odds of twinning. We also found a significant interaction between SNPs at the TP53 (rs8079544) and MTHFR gene (rs4846049), where the interaction between the homozygotes (TT for rs8079544, GG for rs4846049) correlated with lowered odds of multiple pregnancy.

Conclusions

We provide a mechanistic explanation and preliminary evidence for previous reports that mothers of twins are more likely to have smoked, despite seemingly conflicting evidence for the fertility‐reducing effects of nicotine. Nicotine, as an aromatase inhibitor, inhibits estrogen synthesis and may allow for greater production of gonadotropins. While smoking may have deleterious effects on fertility across many genotypes, in women of specific genotypes it may raise their odds of producing twins. TP53 involvement suggests the necessity of future work examining relationships between women who bear multiples and cancer risk. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:605–612, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fragmentation of polymer‐bridged silica flocs by high shear impact: experiment and population balance modelling
Authors: Au Pek‐Ing , Leong Yee‐Kwong
Published: April 2015

Fragmentation of polymer‐bridged flocs is commonly encountered in many areas of suspension processing such as solid–liquid separation, washing and clarification. The effect of high shear impact on the fragmentation of polyelectrolyte‐bridged silica flocs was investigated. The monodisperse silica suspension was first flocculated and then subjected to prolonged breakage in a shear field until a constant size distribution was attained. These flocs were then subjected to high shear impact breakage. The evolution of particle size distribution vs shearing time was monitored. This temporal evolution of size density function was compared with that obtained via population balance modelling converted to logarithmic scale to counter the 6–12 decades in particle size in volume. The Method of Lines (MoL) was employed to solve the equation. At lower breakage speed of 1500 rpm, excellent agreement between experimental and model size density functions was obtained where excellent matching was observed with the first and second moments. However, at the higher speed of 2500 rpm, the agreement is less satisfactory particularly with the variance. Scanning electron microscope images showed physical breakage of particles at this high shear rate. © 2015 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chlorination of glycerol with HCl to 1,3‐dichloro‐2‐propanol catalyzed by aliphatic carboxylic acids
Authors: Hou Xiangxiang , Fu Yujun , Zhu Xiaoyan , Yin Hengbo , Wang Aili
Published: April 2015

Glycerol oversupplied in biodiesel production can be used as a renewable raw material for producing high‐valued chemicals, such as 1,3‐dichloro‐2‐propanol (1,3‐DCP), propanediol, acrolein, and acrylic acid. Catalytic chlorination of glycerol to 1,3‐DCP is an alternative to propylene chlorination. The catalytic activities of various aliphatic carboxylic acid catalysts for the catalytic chlorination of glycerol with HCl to 1,3‐DCP were investigated. When monocarboxylic acids, such as acetic, propanoic, butyric, and hexylic acids, were used as the catalysts, the monocarboxylic acids with the carbon numbers of 3 and 4 favored the glycerol chlorination to 1,3‐DCP. When dicarboxylic acids, such as oxalic, malonic, succinic, and adipic acids, were used as the catalysts, the dicarboxylic acids with long carbon chain favored the glycerol chlorination to 1,3‐DCP. The highest yield of 1,3‐DCP of 88.6% was obtained over adipic acid catalyst after reacting at 110 °C for 14 h. When hydroxylcarboxylic acids, such as citric, malic, and lactic acids, were used as the catalysts, the 1,3‐DCP yields were approximately half of those over monocarboxylic and dicarboxylic acid catalysts with the same carbon number, respectively. The steric hindrance effect of carboxylic acids played an important role in glycerol chlorination to 1,3‐DCP as compared with their acid strengths. © 2015 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrically conductive polymeric bi‐component fibers containing a high load of low‐structured carbon black
Authors: Nilsson Erik , Rigdahl Mikael , Hagström Bengt
Published: April 2015

Melt spinning at semi‐industrial conditions of carbon black (CB) containing textiles fibers with enhanced electrical conductivity suitable for heating applications is described. A conductive compound of CB and high density polyethylene (HDPE) was incorporated into the core of bi‐component fibers which had a sheath of polyamide 6 (PA6). The rheological and fiber‐forming properties of a low‐structured and a high‐structured CB/HDPE composite were compared in terms of their conductivity. The low‐structured CB gave the best trade‐off between processability and final conductivity. This was discussed in terms of the strength of the resulting percolated network of carbon particles and its effect on the spin line stability during melt spinning. The conductivity was found to be further enhanced with maintained mechanical properties by an in line thermal annealing of the fibers at temperatures in the vicinity of the melting point of HDPE. By an adequate choice of CB and annealing conditions a conductivity of 1.5 S/cm of the core material was obtained. The usefulness of the fibers for heating applications was demonstrated by means of a woven fabric containing the conductive fibers in the warp direction. By applying a voltage of 48 V the surface temperature of the fabric rose from 20 to 30°C. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42255.
Bio‐based multilayer barrier films by extrusion, dispersion coating and atomic layer deposition
Authors: Vartiainen Jari , Shen Yingfeng , Kaljunen Timo , Malm Tero , Vähä‐Nissi Mika , Putkonen Matti , Harlin Ali
Published: April 2015

A single biopolymer film rarely has a competitive edge against synthetic films. One solution is to combine several layers with different properties into multilayer structures. In this way, for example, the barrier properties of bio‐based materials can be improved. In this study, the multilayer films are produced by combining three different techniques/materials: 1) dispersion coating (cellulose nanofibrils, CNF), 2) atomic layer deposition (Al2O3; aluminum oxide), and 3) extrusion coating (polyglycolic acid, PGA). Especially the CNF and PGA‐containing multilayer films show promising oxygen barrier improvements at different humidities. Thin inorganic coatings are brittle and sensitive toward stresses during converting, which may limit their use in such specific multilayer structures. The developed bio‐based films largely fulfill the barrier requirements of fresh food packaging. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 42260.
Design, Synthesis, and Anti‐Thrombotic Evaluation of Some Novel Fluorinated Thrombin Inhibitor Derivatives
Authors: Chen Haifeng , Ren Yujie
Published: April 2015

Computer‐aided simulation was used to design and synthesize nine novel fluorinated thrombin inhibitor derivatives. These compounds were confirmed by spectral analyses (1H NMR, 13C NMR, and FT‐ICR‐MS). Their inhibitory activities against thrombin enzyme were evaluated by chromogenic assay. All the derivatives demonstrated thrombin inhibitory activity in vitro. Five of these compounds exerted more potent effects against thrombin enzyme compared with the reference drug argatroban. Compound 3‐(2‐(((4‐carbamimidoylphenyl)amino)methyl)‐1‐ethyl‐N‐(2‐fluoro‐phenyl)‐1H‐benzo[d]imidazole‐5‐carboxamido)propanoic acid (IC50 = 3.52 ± 0.32 nmol/L) was a more potent inhibitor of thrombosis than argatroban (IC50 = 9.46 ± 0.92 nmol/L).
H2A.Z helps genes remember their history so we can remember ours
Authors: Zovkic Iva B. , Walters Brandon J.
Published: April 2015

Histone variant exchange is a novel epigenetic regulator of cognition. We speculate that H2A.Z, a variant of canonical histone H2A, exerts unique effects on transcription during distinct stages of memory formation, ultimately acting to maintain memory of previous transcriptional states and poise genes for re‐activation. Hippocampus‐dependent memory formation is initiated by transient expression of memory‐related genes, which support the storage of recently acquired memories. Soon after, memories undergo systems consolidation, which transfers memories from the hippocampus to the cortex for long‐term storage, and requires ongoing re‐activation of memory‐related genes. We speculate that learning‐induced H2A.Z eviction from nucleosomes initially contributes to stimulus‐induced transcriptional induction needed for the initial process of memory consolidation. During systems consolidation, we speculate that delayed incorporation of H2A.Z into nucleosomes of memory‐related genes in the cortex is needed to poise genes for rapid re‐activation, thus supporting the long‐term process of memory stabilization.

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Learning curve for laparoscopic major hepatectomy
Authors: Nomi T , Fuks D , Kawaguchi Y , Mal F , Nakajima Y , Gayet B
Published: April 2015

Background

Laparoscopic major hepatectomy (LMH) is evolving as an important surgical approach in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. The present study aimed to evaluate the learning curve for LMH at a single centre.

Methods

Data for all patients undergoing LMH between January 1998 and September 2013 were recorded in a prospective database and analysed. The learning curve for operating time (OT) was evaluated using the cumulative sum (CUSUM) method.

Results

Of 173 patients undergoing major hepatectomy, left hepatectomy was performed in 28 (16·2 per cent), left trisectionectomy in nine (5·2 per cent), right hepatectomy in 115 (66·5 per cent), right trisectionectomy in 13 (7·5 per cent) and central hepatectomy in eight (4·6 per cent). Median duration of surgery was 270 (range 100–540) min and median blood loss was 300 (10–4500) ml. There were 20 conversions to an open procedure (11·6 per cent). Vascular clamping was independently associated with conversion on multivariable analysis (hazard ratio 5·95, 95 per cent c.i. 1·24 to 28·56; P = 0·026). The CUSUMOT learning curve was modelled as a parabola (CUSUMOT = 0·2149 × patient number2 − 30·586 × patient number − 1118·3; R2 = 0·7356). The learning curve comprised three phases: phase 1 (45 initial patients), phase 2 (30 intermediate patients) and phase 3 (the subsequent 98 patients). Although right hepatectomy was most common in phase 1, a significant decrease was observed from phase 1 to 3 (P = 0·007) in favour of more complex procedures.

Conclusion

The learning curve for LMH consisted of three characteristic phases identified by CUSUM analysis. The data suggest that the learning phase of LMH included 45 to 75 patients.
Identification and Biological Evaluation of Secondary Metabolites from the Endolichenic Fungus Aspergillus versicolor
Authors: Li Xiao‐Bin , Zhou Yan‐Hui , Zhu Rong‐Xiu , Chang Wen‐Qiang , Yuan Hui‐Qing , Gao Wei , Zhang Lu‐Lu , Zhao Zun‐Tian , Lou Hong‐Xiang
Published: April 2015

A chemical investigation of the endolichenic fungus Aspergillus versicolor (125a), which was found in the lichen Lobaria quercizans, resulted in the isolation of four novel diphenyl ethers, named diorcinols F–H (1–3, resp.) and 3‐methoxyviolaceol‐II (4), eight new bisabolane sesquiterpenoids, named (−)‐(R)‐cyclo‐hydroxysydonic acid (5), (−)‐(7S,8R)‐8‐hydroxysydowic acid (6), (−)‐(7R,10S)‐10‐hydroxysydowic acid (7), (−)‐(7R,10R)‐iso‐10‐hydroxysydowic acid (8), (−)‐12‐acetoxy‐1‐deoxysydonic acid (9), (−)‐12‐acetoxysydonic acid (10), (−)‐12‐hydroxysydonic acid (11), and (−)‐(R)‐11‐dehydrosydonic acid (12), two new tris(pyrogallol ethers), named sydowiols D (13) and E (14), and fifteen known compounds, 15–29. All of the structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses, and a number of them were further identified through chemical transformations and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Preliminary bioassays of these isolates for the determination of their inhibitory activities against the fungus Candida albicans, and their cytotoxicities against the human cancer cell lines PC3, A549, A2780, MDA‐MB‐231, and HEPG2 were also evaluated.
Sesquiterpenoids with Anti‐MDR Staphylococcus aureus Activities from Ferula ferulioides
Authors: Liu Tao , Wang Shuangying , Xu Lili , Fu Wei , Gibbons Simon , Mu Qing
Published: April 2015

Seven new sesquiterpenoids together with 21 known sesquiterpenoid derivatives were isolated from the medicinal plant Ferula ferulioides (Steud.) Korovin. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and chemical transformations. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against a panel of bacteria including multidrug‐resistant (MDR) and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), displaying minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values in the range of 0.5–128 mg/l.
Insecticidal and Repellant Activities of Polyacetylenes and Lactones Derived from Atractylodes lancea Rhizomes
Authors: Chen Hai‐Ping , Zheng Li‐Shi , Yang Kai , Lei Ning , Geng Zhu‐Feng , Ma Ping , Cai Qian , Du Shu‐Shan , Deng Zhi‐Wei
Published: April 2015

During a screening program for new agrochemicals from Chinese medicinal herbs and local wild plants, the petroleum ether (PE) extract of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) rhizomes was found to possess repellent and contact activities against Tribolium castaneum adults. Bioactivity‐directed chromatographic separation of PE extract on repeated silica‐gel columns led to the isolation of two polyacetylenes, atractylodin and atractylodinol (1 and 2, resp.), and two lactones, atractylenolides II and III (3 and 4, resp.). The structures of the compounds were elucidated based on NMR spectra. The four isolated compounds were evaluated for their insecticidal and repellent activities against T. castaneum. Atractylodin exhibited strong contact activity against T. castaneum adults with a LD50 value of 1.83 μg/adult. Atractylodin and atractylenolide II also possessed strong repellenct activities against T. castaneum adults. After 4‐h exposure, >90% repellency was achieved with atractylodin at a low concentration of 0.63 μg/cm2. The results indicated that atractylodin (1) and atractylenolide II (3) have a good potential as a source for natural repellents, and 1 has the potential to be developed as natural insecticide.
The Scope for Using the Volatile Profiles ofPinus caribaeavar.bahamensisas Indicators of Susceptibility to Pine Tortoise Scale and as Predictors of Environmental Stresses
Authors: Green Paul W. C. , Hamilton Martin A. , Sanchez Michele D. , Corcoran Marcella R. , Manco Bryan N. , Malumphy Chris P.
Published: April 2015

Climate change, unseasonal fire and urbanization are contributing to the decline ofPinus caribaeavar.bahamensispopulations in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). Infestation of pines with the invasive pine tortoise scale (PTS,Toumeyella parvicornis) is accelerating this decline. Pine trees in the Bahamas are larger and healthier and are not infested with PTS although they are subject to some of the same environmental pressures as the trees in TCI. Volatile compounds were collected from wild and nursery‐rearedP. caribaeavar.bahamensisfrom TCI and the Bahamas and characterized using GC/MS analysis, to look for differences between the compounds detected in insect‐infested pines of TCI and the healthy pines of the Bahamas. Ten compounds contributing at least 1% of the total detected peak areas in any one of the samples were selected for further study. Eight of these compounds were identified using authentic standards and mass spectral libraries. The main constituents in the samples wereα‐ andβ‐pinene as well asβ‐phellandrene, and, together withβ‐myrcene, their contents varied the most between samples collected at different locations. Principal‐component analysis showed that the two structural isomers of pinene, together withβ‐myrcene andβ‐phellandrene, contributed 98.4% of the variance between samples. There was a positive relationship between the concentrations of the two structural isomers of pinene and between levels ofβ‐myrcene andβ‐phellandrene. The results are discussed in relation to the biology and adaptations of invasive scale insects, the importance of monoterpenes in pine as a defense against insect predation, whether these compounds can be used as indicators of tree health, and future directions for research into conserving the Caicos pine.
Novel Daidzein Analogs and Their in Vitro Anti‐Influenza Activities
Authors: Chung Shu‐Ting , Huang Yi‐Ting , Hsiung Hsin‐Yi , Huang Wen‐Hsin , Yao Chen‐Wen , Lee An‐Rong
Published: April 2015

A series of novel isoflavonoids were synthesized based on structural modifications of daidzein, an active ingredient of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and evaluated for their anti‐influenza activity, in vitro, against H1N1 Tamiflu‐resistant (H1N1 TR) virus in the MDCK cell line. Among them, 4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran‐8‐carbaldehydes 11a–11g were most promising, and they demonstrated better activities and selectivities comparable to those the reference ribarivin, a nucleoside antiviral agent. 3‐(4‐Bromophenyl)‐7‐hydroxy‐4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran‐8‐carboxaldehyde (11c) displayed the best inhibitory activity (EC50, 29.0 μM) and selectivity index (SI>10.3). Analysis of the structureactivity relationships (SAR) indicated that both the non‐naturally‐occurring Br‐substituted B‐ring and appropriate CHO and OH groups on the A‐ring might be critical for the activity and selectivity against H1N1 TR influenza viruses.
Modulation of Aggregation‐Induced Emission and Electroluminescence of Silole Derivatives by a Covalent Bonding Pattern
Authors: Nie Han , Chen Bin , Quan Changyun , Zhou Jian , Qiu Huayu , Hu Rongrong , Su Shi‐Jian , Qin Anjun , Zhao Zujin , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: April 2015

The deciphering of structure–property relationships is of high importance to rational design of functional molecules and to explore their potential applications. In this work, a series of silole derivatives substituted with benzo[b]thiophene (BT) at the 2,5‐positions of the silole ring are synthesized and characterized. The experimental investigation reveals that the covalent bonding through the 2‐position of BT (2‐BT) with silole ring allows a better conjugation of the backbone than that achieved though the 5‐position of BT (5‐BT), and results in totally different emission behaviors. The silole derivatives with 5‐BT groups are weakly fluorescent in solutions, but are induced to emit intensely in aggregates, presenting excellent aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) characteristics. Those with 2‐BT groups can fluoresce more strongly in solutions, but no obvious emission enhancements are found in aggregates, suggesting they are not AIE‐active. Theoretical calculations disclose that the good conjugation lowers the rotational motions of BT groups, which enables the molecules to emit more efficiently in solutions. But the well‐conjugated planar backbone is prone to form strong intermoelcular interactions in aggregates, which decreases the emission efficiency. Non‐doped organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) are fabricated by using these siloles as emitters. AIE‐active silole derivatives show much better elecroluminescence properties than those without the AIE characterisic, demonstrating the advantage of AIE‐active emitters in OLED applications.
Functional Porous Carbon/Nickel Oxide Nanocomposites as Binder‐Free Electrodes for Supercapacitors
Authors: Madhu Rajesh , Veeramani Vediyappan , Chen Shen‐Ming , Veerakumar Pitchaimani , Liu Shang‐Bin
Published: April 2015

High‐surface‐area, guava‐leaf‐derived, heteroatom‐containing activated carbon (GHAC) materials were synthesized by means of a facile chemical activation method with KOH as activating agent and exploited as catalyst supports to disperse nickel oxide (NiO) nanocrystals (average size (2.0±0.1) nm) through a hydrothermal process. The textural and structural properties of these GHAC/NiO nanocomposites were characterized by various physicochemical techniques, namely, field‐emission SEM, high‐resolution TEM, elemental analysis, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. The as‐synthesized GHAC/NiO nanocomposites were employed as binder‐free electrodes, which exhibited high specific capacitance (up to 461 F g−1 at a current density of 2.3 A g−1) and remarkable cycling stability, which may be attributed to the unique properties of GHAC and excellent electrochemical activity of the highly dispersed NiO nanocrystals.
Oxidative Metabolism of Ferrocene Analogues of Tamoxifen: Characterization and Antiproliferative Activities of the Metabolites
Authors: Richard Marie‐Aude , Hamels Didier , Pigeon Pascal , Top Siden , Dansette Patrick M. , Lee Hui Zhi Shirley , Vessières Anne , Mansuy Daniel , Jaouen Gérard
Published: April 2015

Ferrociphenols have been found to have high antiproliferative activity against estrogen‐independent breast cancer cells. The rat and human liver microsome‐mediated metabolism of three compounds of the ferrocifen (FC) family, 1,1‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐2‐ferrocenyl‐but‐1‐ene (FC1), 1‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1‐(phenyl)‐2‐ferrocenyl‐but‐1‐ene (FC2), and 1‐[4‐(3‐dimethylaminopropoxy)phenyl]‐1‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐2‐ferrocenyl‐but‐1‐ene (FC3), was studied. Three main metabolite classes were identified: quinone methides (QMs) deriving from two‐electron oxidation of FCs, cyclic indene products (CPs) deriving from acid‐catalyzed cyclization of QMs, and allylic alcohols (AAs) deriving from hydroxylation of FCs. These metabolites are generated by cytochromes P450 (P450s), as shown by experiments with either N‐benzylimidazole as a P450 inhibitor or recombinant human P450s. Such P450‐dependent oxidation of the phenol function and hydroxylation of the allylic CH2 group of FCs leads to the formation of QM and AA metabolites, respectively. Some of the new ferrociphenols obtained in this study were found to exhibit remarkable antiproliferative effects toward MDA‐MB‐231 hormone‐independent breast cancer cells.
Adaptive control of nonlinear complexHolling II predator–prey system with unknown parameters
Authors: Aghababa Mohammad Pourmahmood
Published: April 2015

In recent years, control of nonlinear complex predator–prey systems has attracted the attention of many researchers. The previous works have some weaknesses such as neglecting the consideration of the effects of both model uncertainties and unknown parameters and having an infinite time of convergence. To overcome the mentioned shortages, this article solves the problem of robust control of nonlinear complex Holling type II predator–prey system in a given finite time. It is assumed that the parameters of the system are fully unknown in advance and some uncertainties perturb the system's dynamics. To tackle the system unknown parameters, some adaptation laws are introduced. Thereafter, a robust switching controller is proposed to finite‐timely stabilize the predator–prey system. An illustrative example demonstrates the efficiency and usefulness of the proposed control strategy. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 260–266, 2016