bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of changing cow production and fitness traits on profit and greenhouse gas emissions of UK dairy systems
Authors: BELL M. J. , GARNSWORTHY P. C. , STOTT A. W. , PRYCE J. E.
Published: September 2014

The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of changing a range of biological traits on farm profit and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent, CO2-eq.) in the UK dairy cow population. A Markov chain approach was used to describe the steady-state herd structure of the average milk-recorded UK dairy herd, as well as to estimate the CO2-eq. emissions per cow, and per kilogram of milk solids (MS). Effects of changing each herd production and fitness trait by one unit (e.g. 1 kg milk; 1% mastitis incidence) were assessed, with derived values for change in profit (economic values) being used in a multi-trait selection index. Of the traits studied, an increase in survival and reductions in milk volume, live weight, residual feed intake, somatic cell count, mastitis incidence, lameness incidence and calving interval were traits that would be both profitable and reduce CO2-eq. emissions per cow and per kg MS of a dairy herd. A multi-trait selection index was used to estimate the annual response in production and fitness traits and the economic response, with an estimate of annual profit per cow from selection on multiple traits. Milk volume, milk fat and protein yield, live weight, survival and dry matter intake were estimated to increase each year and body condition score, residual feed intake, somatic cell count, mastitis incidence, lameness incidence and calving interval were estimated to decrease, with selection on these traits estimated to result in an annual increase of 1% per year in GHG emissions per cow, but a reduction of 0·9% per unit product. Improved efficiencies of production associated with a reduction in milk volume (and increasing fat and protein content), live weight and feed intake (gross and metabolic efficiency, respectively), and increase in health, fertility and overall survival will increase farm annual profit of UK dairy systems and reduce their environmental impact.
Synergy of storage management with varietal productivity improvement: the case of maize in Timor-Leste
Authors: GUTERRES A. , SOARES F. , FATIMA A. , PEREIRA L. , BELO J. B. , WILLIAMS R. L. , NESBITT H. , ERSKINE W.
Published: September 2014

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the major staple crop in Timor-Leste, but yields are low, averaging 1·0–1·7 t/ha, and losses during storage are high from maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky) damage. The current research, assessing both weevil damage and management options, studied household storage of traditional and introduced maize varieties in 18 farmer groups for 33 weeks, and then evaluated the weevil damage in cobs stored for 9 months of 19 populations from different multi-location yield trials in 2007 and 2010. Storage of shelled grain in airtight containers for 33 weeks had no weevil damage on-farm. In contrast, storing shelled maize in a woven sack was the worst storage method with an average of 0·96 of grain attacked by weevils by Week 33, with local and introduced varieties damaged similarly. Shelled grain stored in a woven sack were infested significantly more than in traditional storage methods husked on the cob – above a fireplace, in a tree or an elevated house. Importantly, modern varieties were damaged more extensively by weevils than local maize types when the husked maize was stored using traditional methods. In the yield trials, grain weevil damage averaged 0·39 in both years after storage in the husk for 9 months. Varietal and location effects were significant for proportion of weevil damage, but the interaction effect was not significant in either year. The broadsense heritabilities were intermediate/high for proportion of weevil-damaged grain (H2=0·81 in 2007 and 0·59 in 2010), and there is potential that populations can be found combining a substantial yield increase with no increase in weevil susceptibility for households using traditional storage methods. For those households with access to airtight storage systems, the results emphasize the need to exploit the interaction of variety with storage method to benefit from the yield advantage of introduced varieties through the concurrent dissemination of improved seed with subsidized, airtight storage drums.
The utility of wax replicas as a measure of crab attack frequency in the rocky intertidal
Authors: Tyler Carrie L. , Stafford E.S. , Leighton L.R.
Published: September 2014

Crabs are thought to play a vital role in structuring gastropod populations. Studies quantifying the frequencies with which crabs attack gastropods in natural settings are, however, scarce. Although a wide variety of techniques exist with which predator–prey interactions can be investigated (e.g. laboratory experiments, exclusion caging, tethering and population surveys), there is a need for methods that can provide large amounts of quantitative data, particularly documenting the frequency with which crabs attack gastropods. This study examines the utility of using wax replicas of gastropods to determine crab attack frequencies. Replicas ofChlorostoma funebralis, Nucella ostrinaandNucella lamellosawere bolted to mesh screens and deployed in the rocky intertidal. Crabs attacked wax replicas of gastropods, leaving characteristic marks in the wax. In most cases, the appendage used in the attack could be identified from the marks (i.e. chelae vs walking legs). The effectiveness of this technique was verified using surveys of repair scar frequencies of the gastropod populations; patterns in attack frequency, determined from the number of marked wax replicas, were consistent with those of repair frequency, in that both were greater at the wave protected, quiet water locality. This study confirms the value of wax replicas in investigations of crab predation to determine the frequency and type of attack, and illustrates the potential of this method for quantifying predation intensity. The development of techniques that quantify the magnitude and exact nature of the effects of crab predation on intertidal communities is pivotal, given the intensity of commercial fishing of some species of crabs.
The bush dogSpeothos venaticus: area requirement and habitat use in cultivated lands
Authors: Lima Edson S. , Jorge Maria Luisa S. P. , Jorge Rodrigo S. P. , Morato Ronaldo G.
Published: September 2014

We radio-tracked a pack of bush dogsSpeothos venaticus(7–10 individuals) near Água Boa in Mato Grosso, Brazil, for 18 months to investigate their use of habitat in cultivated land. The pack's home range was 709 km2(fixed-kernel 95%), which exceeds estimates of home range for the largest Neotropical carnivore, the jaguarPanthera onca. Of the 245 locations where the dogs were recorded 95% were within native vegetation (savannah and forest), even though these habitats comprised only 34% of the pack's home range. This indicates a preference for native vegetation, and this was reinforced by composition analysis of habitat use, which showed that the pack used savannah and forest more than expected and cultivated areas less than expected. Analysis of activity showed that the bush dogs were moving quickly in more than half of the locations in cultivated areas, foraging in most savannah locations and resting in most forest locations. Our results indicate that bush dogs can live in areas with a high proportion of cultivated land (66%), possibly because of the structural connectivity of the landscape (80% of the native habitat is within a single patch). However, their home range appears to be inflated compared to that of other carnivores, which may have a negative effect on the species in the long term.
Monepantel: the most studied new anthelmintic drug of recent years
Authors: LECOVÁ L. , STUCHLÍKOVÁ L. , PRCHAL L. , SKÁLOVÁ L.
Published: September 2014

Monepantel (MOP), a new anthelmintic drug from a group of amino-acetonitrile derivatives, has been intensively studied during last years. Many authors examined this new drug from different perspectives, e.g. efficacy against different species and stages of parasites, mode of action, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, resistance, ecotoxicity, etc. MOP is an anthelmintic for livestock (currently only sheep and goats), with molecular mode of action which is different to all other anthelmintics. MOP has a broad-spectrum of activity against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep, including adults and L4 larvae of the most important species. The key feature of MOP is its full effectiveness against strains of nematodes resistant to benzimidazoles, levamisole, macrocyclic lactones and closantel. After oral administration, MOP is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and quickly metabolized to MOP sulfone that has a similar efficacy as the parent molecule. Several other MOP metabolites formed in ovine hepatocytes were described. MOP and its metabolites are considered to be non-toxic to environment and its components, such as soil microflora, aquatic organisms, dung organisms, vegetation, etc. The aim of the presented review was not to collect all reported data but to bring an overview of various approaches in the study of MOP and to evaluate their principal results.
The longer-run performance effects of agencification: theory and evidence from Québec agencies
Authors: Vining Aidan R. , Laurin Claude , Weimer David
Published: September 2014

Although governments worldwide are increasingly choosing to deliver services through organisations with greater autonomy than traditional bureaus, the implicit assumption that such agencification contributes to long-run efficiency remains largely untested. Agencification gives agency managers more autonomy and access to incentive mechanisms that lead to greater efficiency if they are not offset by inefficiencies resulting from managerial discretion. We test the hypothesis that agencification improves efficiency by examining the longer-run performance of 13 agencies in the province of Québec, Canada over approximately 10 years. We find that these agencies experienced long-term productivity gains, but that these gains reached a plateau over the time period studied. In addition, we describe changes in several measures of performance. A survey of the managers of these agencies indicates that they perceive agencification as having a substantive impact, but worry about the sustainability of autonomy and their capacity to show continued gains in measured performance over time.
Narrative research in language teaching and learning
Authors: Barkhuizen Gary
Published: September 2014

Narrative research in language teaching and learning (LTL) is concerned with the stories teachers and learners tell about their lived and imagined experiences. Teachers typically tell about their professional development and their practices, and learners about their experiences of learning and using languages. What stories are, and indeed what narrative research is, however, remains far from agreed upon in LTL research. There is no single, all-encompassing definition of narrative (research), probably because the same situation exists in other disciplines from which empirical work in LTL draws its theoretical and methodological assumptions and approaches. Stanley & Temple (2008: 276), for example, say that generally there is ‘little shared sense of core concerns, of approach, and even of what narrative is seen as’. In LTL, narrative, whether as text/artefact, method of analysis, or both, has become a popular catchall term for much activity in qualitative, interpretive research which focuses on the experiences of research participants. In other words, it has been appropriated by researchers who exhibit varying degrees of epistemological commitment to narrative, and this is evident in the design and reporting of their research.
Preschool executive functions, single-parent status, and school quality predict diverging trajectories of classroom inattention in elementary school
Authors: Sasser Tyler R. , Beekman Charles R. , Bierman Karen L.
Published: September 2014

A sample of 356 children recruited from Head Start (58% European American, 25% African American, and 17% Hispanic; 54% girls; Mage = 4.59 years) were followed longitudinally from prekindergarten through fifth grade. Latent profile analyses of teacher-rated inattention from kindergarten through third grade identified four developmental trajectories: stable low (53% of the sample), stable high (11.3%), rising over time (16.4%), and declining over time (19.3%). Children with stable low inattention had the best academic outcomes in fifth grade, and children exhibiting stable high inattention had the worst, with the others in between. Self-regulation difficulties in preschool (poor executive function skills and elevated opposition–aggression) differentiated children with rising versus stable low inattention. Elementary schools characterized by higher achievement differentiated children with declining versus stable high inattention. Boys and children from single-parent families were more likely to remain high or rise in inattention, whereas girls and children from dual-parent families were more likely to remain low or decline in inattention.
Limb ischaemia and below-knee amputation following life-saving patent ductus arteriosus stent in a critically ill infant
Authors: Bharmanee Apinya , Gowda Srinath , Singh Harinder R.
Published: September 2014

Limb ischaemia is a rare but catastrophic complication related to cardiac catheterisation. We report an infant weighing 3 kg with unrepaired tricuspid atresia type 1b, small patent ductus arteriosus, and ventricular septal defect presenting with cardiogenic shock owing to progressively reduced pulmonary blood flow from closing ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. An emergency palliative ductal stent was successfully placed with marked clinical improvement. However, acute limb ischaemia developed necessitating above-knee amputation, despite medical management and vascular surgery. The cause of limb loss in our patient was catheterisation-related vascular injury causing arterial dissection–arterial thrombosis in the presence of shock and coagulopathy. This report emphasises the complexity in managing limb ischaemia associated with coagulopathy and highlights the importance of early recognition of reduced pulmonary flow in a single ventricle patient. Timely elective placement of a surgical systemic to pulmonary shunt would prevent catastrophic clinical presentation of compromised pulmonary flow and avoid the need for an emergent life-saving intervention and its associated complications.
THE CATENARY AND TAME DEGREES ON A NUMERICAL MONOID ARE EVENTUALLY PERIODIC
Authors: CHAPMAN SCOTT T. , CORRALES MARLY , MILLER ANDREW , MILLER CHRIS , PATEL DHIR
Published: September 2014

Let $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}M$ be a commutative cancellative monoid. For $m$ a nonunit in $M$, the catenary degree of $m$, denoted $c(m)$, and the tame degree of $m$, denoted $t(m)$, are combinatorial constants that describe the relationships between differing irreducible factorizations of $m$. These constants have been studied carefully in the literature for various kinds of monoids, including Krull monoids and numerical monoids. In this paper, we show for a given numerical monoid $S$ that the sequences $\{c(s)\}_{s\in S}$ and $\{t(s)\}_{s\in S}$ are both eventually periodic. We show similar behavior for several functions related to the catenary degree which have recently appeared in the literature. These results nicely complement the known result that the sequence $\{\Delta (s)\}_{s\in S}$ of delta sets of $S$ also satisfies a similar periodicity condition.
Designing innovative productive cropping systems with quantified and ambitious environmental goals
Authors: Colnenne-David Caroline , Doré Thierry
Published: September 2014

Agriculture must face a number of very pressing environmental issues. We used the prototyping method to design three innovative cropping systems, each satisfying three ambitious goals simultaneously: (1) overcoming a major environmental constraint, which represents a major break regarding objectives to be reached in current cropping systems (differing between systems: a ban on all pesticides but with chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer permitted; reducing fossil energy consumption by 50%; or decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50%), (2) meeting a wide range of environmental criteria and (3) maximizing yields, given the major constraint and environmental targets. A fourth cropping system was designed, in which the environmental and yield targets were achieved with no major constraint (the productive high environmental performance cropping system (PHEP) system). The performances of these innovative cropping systems were compared to a conventional system in the Ile-de-France region. We used a three-step prototyping method: (1) new cropping systems were designed on the basis of scientific and expert knowledge, (2) these system prototypes were assessed with tools and a model (ex ante assessment) adjusted to the set of constraints and targets, with optimization by an iterative process until the criteria were satisfied and (3) evaluation in a long-term field experiment (ex post assessment), which is currently underway. We describe only the first two steps here, together with the results of the prototypes assessment with tools and a model. The pesticide, energy and GHG constraints were fulfilled. All these innovative systems satisfied environmental criteria in terms of nitrogen and phosphorus management, pesticide use, energy consumption and crop diversity. For the pesticide-free system, the soil organic matter indicator was lower than expected due to frequent plowing (every 2 years) and yields were 20–50% lower than for the PHEP system, depending on the crop considered. We focus our discussions on the design methodology and the availability of scientific knowledge and tools for projects of this type.
THREE FORMS OF PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT AND THEIR COMPUTABILITY
Authors: BEGGS EDWIN , COSTA JOSÉ FÉLIX , TUCKER JOHN V
Published: September 2014

We have begun a theory of measurement in which an experimenter and his or her experimental procedure are modeled by algorithms that interact with physical equipment through a simple abstract interface. The theory is based upon using models of physical equipment as oracles to Turing machines. This allows us to investigate the computability and computational complexity of measurement processes. We examine eight different experiments that make measurements and, by introducing the idea of an observable indicator, we identify three distinct forms of measurement process and three types of measurement algorithm. We give axiomatic specifications of three forms of interfaces that enable the three types of experiment to be used as oracles to Turing machines, and lemmas that help certify an experiment satisfies the axiomatic specifications. For experiments that satisfy our axiomatic specifications, we give lower bounds on the computational power of Turing machines in polynomial time using nonuniform complexity classes. These lower bounds break the barrier defined by the Church-Turing Thesis.
BELIEF REVISION, PROBABILISM, AND LOGIC CHOICE
Authors: MARES EDWIN
Published: September 2014

This paper presents a probabilist paraconsistent theory of belief revision. This theory is based on a very general theory of probability, that fits with a wide range of classical and nonclassical logics. The theory incorporates a version of Jeffrey conditionalisation as its method of updating. A Dutch book argument is given, and the theory is applied to the problem of choosing a logical system.
Alloparenting for chimpanzee twins
Authors: Kishimoto Takeshi , Ando Juko , Tatara Seiki , Yamada Nobuhiro , Konishi Katsuya , Kimura Natsuko , Fukumori Akira , Tomonaga Masaki
Published: September 2014

In April 2009, a female chimpanzee named Sango, living in a captive group at the Noichi Zoo, Japan, gave birth to dizygotic male-female twin chimpanzees (male: Daiya, female: Sakura). The extent to which adult group members cared for the twins was investigated using a focal animal sampling method targeting six adults (one male) when the twin chimpanzees were two years old. Data were collected for an average of 6.78 h (SD= 0.79) per focal participant. An unaffiliated female adult of Sango was engaged in parenting Sakura as much as Sango. Given that Sakura was in lesser proximity to Sango than Daiya, Sakura's departures from her mother and her ability to gesture requests might have enabled non-kin adults to provide her care.
The relevance of the analytical methodology in the geochemical study of beachrock outcrops: Arrigunaga Beach inside the Nerbioi-Ibaizabal estuary (Getxo, Basque Country)
Authors: Iturregui Ane , Arrieta Nikole , Murelaga Xabier , Baceta Juan Ignacio , Olazabal María Ángeles , Martínez-Arkarazo Irantzu , Madariaga Juan Manuel
Published: September 2014

Beachrocks are sedimentary structures derived from the precipitation of carbonates in the intertidal zone.
Bicomponent blend-directed amplification of the alkyl chain effect on the 2D structures
Authors: Kikkawa Yoshihiro , Ishitsuka Manami , Kashiwada Ayumi , Tsuzuki Seiji , Hiratani Kazuhisa
Published: September 2014

The 2D structures of bicomponent blends in isobutenyl compounds were observed by using scanning tunneling microscopy at the solid/liquid interface. Amplification of the alkyl chain effect was found on the 2D structures.
A high-performance electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reactions based on electrochemical post-treatment of ultrathin carbon layer coated cobalt nanoparticles
Authors: Xiao Qingqing , Zhang Yuxia , Guo Xin , Jing Lin , Yang Zhiyu , Xue Yifei , Yan Yi-Ming , Sun Kening
Published: September 2014

A simple electrochemical post-treatment of an ultrathin carbon layer coated metallic cobalt hybrid (Co@C) generates an ECPT-Co@C hybrid as a novel OER electrocatalyst with excellent activity.
The effect of mechano-stimuli on the amorphous-to-crystalline transition of mechanochromic luminescent materials
Authors: Lv Yun , Liu Yang , Ye Xin , Liu Guangfeng , Tao Xutang
Published: September 2014

Mechano-stimuli, which causes mechanochromic luminescence when being applied on crystalline materials, facilitates the annealing crystallization of amorphous materials.
Anion-dependent assemblies of a series of Cd(ii) coordination complexes based on an asymmetric multi-dentate ligand and inorganic SBUs: syntheses, crystal structures, and fluorescent properties
Authors: Liang Guorui , Liu Yaru , Zhang Xiao , Yi Zhihui
Published: September 2014

Six novel Cd(ii) complexes based 1-(benzotriazole-1-methyl)-2- propylimidazole are synthesized. These complexes share common features such as they all contain inorganic SBUs and have a high degree of dependence on the corresponding counter anions.
Entropy reduction in unfolded peptides (and proteins) due to conformational preferences of amino acid residues
Authors: Schweitzer-Stenner Reinhard , Toal Siobhan E.
Published: September 2014

The conformational entropy of amino acid residues in unfolded peptides and proteins is estimated from conformational backbone distributions and compared with experimental and computational values.
Dynamics of supercooled water in a biological model system of the amino acid l-lysine
Authors: Cerveny Silvina , Swenson Jan
Published: September 2014

Lysine solutions establish a new relaxation behaviour of supercooled interfacial water.
The effect of fluorine substitution in alcohol–amine complexes
Authors: Hansen Anne S. , Du Lin , Kjaergaard Henrik G.
Published: September 2014

The effect of fluorine substitution on the hydrogen bond strength in alcohol–amine molecular complexes was investigated, with a combination of vapour phase infrared and near infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations.
Advanced oxygen reduction reaction catalyst based on nitrogen and sulfur co-doped graphene in alkaline medium
Authors: Li Yongfeng , Li Meng , Jiang Liqing , Lin Lin , Cui Lili , He Xingquan
Published: September 2014

A novel N and S co-doped graphene, denoted N–S-G, catalyst for ORR was fabricated by a one-step pyrolysis method of GO-supported poly[3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole] (PAMTa) composite.
Interfacial charge transfer events of BODIPY molecules: single molecule spectroelectrochemistry and substrate effects
Authors: Liu Jia , Hill Caleb M. , Pan Shanlin , Liu Haiying
Published: September 2014

BODIPY dye single molecules on nanostructured substrates are studied with a single molecule spectroelectrochemistry technique to reveal the heterogeneous charge transfer mechanism.
Palladium local structure of La1−xSrxCo1−yFey−0.03Pd0.03O3−δ perovskites synthesized using a one pot citrate method
Authors: Puleo Fabrizio , Liotta Leonarda F. , Parola Valeria La , Banerjee Dipanjan , Martorana Antonino , Longo Alessandro
Published: September 2014

Pd local environment in the LSCF perovskite phase.
Inhibited phase behavior of gas hydrates in graphene oxide: influences of surface and geometric constraints
Authors: Kim Daeok , Kim Dae Woo , Lim Hyung-Kyu , Jeon Jiwon , Kim Hyungjun , Jung Hee-Tae , Lee Huen
Published: September 2014

Structural changes of water confined in graphene oxide to gas hydrates were investigated using low temperature XRD. It was revealed that the phase equilibrium points of gas hydrates strongly inhibited due to the surrounding nano-sized voids and the hydrophilic surface of graphene oxide.
An in situ surface electrochemistry approach towards whole-cell studies: the structure and reactivity of a Geobacter sulfurreducens submonolayer on electrified metal/electrolyte interfaces
Authors: Kuzume Akiyoshi , Zhumaev Ulmas , Li Jianfeng , Fu Yongchun , Füeg Michael , Estévez Marta , Borjas Zulema , Wandlowski Thomas , Esteve-Nuñez Abraham
Published: September 2014

Characterisation of direct electron transfer processes between Geobacter sulfurreducens and the Au(111) surface was performed under electrochemical control.
Mode selective dynamics and kinetics of the H2 + F2 → H + HF + F reaction
Authors: Matsugi Akira , Takayanagi Toshiyuki
Published: September 2014

The reactivity is significantly enhanced by vibrational excitation of F2 whereas excitation of H2 vibration has a moderate effect.
The structural classification of the highly disordered crystal phases of [Nn][BF4], [Nn][PF6], [Pn][BF4], and [Pn][PF6] salts (Nn+= tetraalkylammonium and Pn+= tetraalkylphosphonium)
Authors: Matsumoto Kazuhiko , Harinaga Ukyo , Tanaka Ryo , Koyama Akira , Hagiwara Rika , Tsunashima Katsuhiko
Published: September 2014

The highly disordered phase of tetraalkylammonium and tetraalkylphosphonium salts of BF4−and PF6−belongs to a cubic or a hexagonal lattice.
Mesoscopic modeling of Li insertion in phase-separating electrode materials: application to lithium iron phosphate
Authors: Farkhondeh Mohammad , Pritzker Mark , Fowler Michael , Safari Mohammadhosein , Delacourt Charles
Published: September 2014

The proposed model describes the lithiation–delithiation dynamics of LiFePO4 electrodes and is capable of simultaneously explaining various unusual behaviors observed for this phase transition material.
Hydrogen-bond memory and water-skin supersolidity resolving the Mpemba paradox
Authors: Zhang Xi , Huang Yongli , Ma Zengsheng , Zhou Yichun , Zhou Ji , Zheng Weitao , Jiang Qing , Sun Chang Q.
Published: September 2014

O:H–O bond anomalous relaxation and the skin high thermal-diffusivity cool hotter water faster than usual in the non-adiabatic ambient system.
Probing framework–guest interactions in phenylene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilica using spin-probe EPR
Authors: Lin Feng , Meng Xiangyan , Mertens Myrjam , Cool Pegie , Van Doorslaer Sabine
Published: September 2014

Spin-probe EPR reveals significant differences in the adsorption of probe molecules in benzene-bridged periodic mesoporous silica with crystal-like or amorphous walls.
Stimuli responsive upconversion luminescence nanomaterials and films for various applications
Authors: Tsang Ming-Kiu , Bai Gongxun , Hao Jianhua
Published: September 2014

This review highlights recent advances in upconversion luminescence materials in response to various stimuli for a broad spectrum of applications.
Three consecutive steps over the chirally modified Pt surface: asymmetric catalytic cascade reaction of 2-nitrophenylpyruvates
Authors: Szőllősi György , Kovács Lenke , Makra Zsolt
Published: September 2014

The influence of the reaction conditions on the asymmetric heterogeneous catalytic reaction of 2-nitrophenylpyruvates over Pt modified with cinchonidine showed that all three steps of the cascade occur on the metal surface.
Impact of particle size and metal–support interaction on denitration behavior of well-defined Pt–Cu nanoparticles
Authors: Miyazaki Akane , Matsuda Kahori , Papa Florica , Scurtu Mariana , Negrila Catalin , Dobrescu Gianina , Balint Ioan
Published: September 2014

Well-dispersed Pt–Cu nanoparticles with two average sizes were synthesized: small (≈1.6 nm) and large (≈4.8 nm), respectively.
A series of divalent metal coordination polymers based on isomeric tetracarboxylic acids: synthesis, structures and magnetic properties
Authors: Han Min-Le , Duan Ya-Ping , Li Dong-Sheng , Xu Guo-Wang , Wu Ya-Pan , Zhao Jun
Published: September 2014

A series of M(ii) coordination polymers has been synthesized. 1–3 contain 1D infinite chains, and these 1D chains are further linked by hydrogen bonding to form 3D supramolecular networks. While 4 and 5 show tetra- or penta-nodal 3D network, respectively.
Selective N-alkylation of indoles with primary alcohols using a Pt/HBEA catalyst
Authors: Siddiki S. M. A. Hakim , Kon Kenichi , Shimizu Ken-ichi
Published: September 2014

This report shows the first heterogeneous and additive-free catalytic system for selective N-alkylation of indoles with aliphatic and benzyl alcohols.
The preparation and characterization of boehmite nanoparticles-TAPC: a tailored and reusable nanocatalyst for the synthesis of 12-aryl-8,9,10,12-tetrahydrobenzo[a]xanthen-11-ones
Authors: Bahrami Kiumars , Khodaei Mohammad M. , Roostaei Mohsen
Published: September 2014

TAPC supported on boehmite nanoparticles (BNPs-TAPC) as novel, eco-friendly, and recyclable nanocatalyst for the synthesis of title compounds under solvent-free conditions is reported.
Biocompatible phosphate anchored Fe3O4 nanocarriers for drug delivery and hyperthermia
Authors: Sharma Priyanka , Rana Suman , Barick Kanhu C. , Kumar Chandan , Salunke Hemant G. , Hassan Puthusserickal A.
Published: September 2014

Development of water-dispersible phosphate anchored Fe3O4 magnetic nanocarriers by conjugation of bioactive sodium hexametaphosphate for drug delivery and hyperthermia applications.
Photodegradable poly(ester amide)s for indirect light-triggered release of paclitaxel
Authors: Soleimani Abdolrasoul , Borecki Aneta , Gillies Elizabeth R.
Published: September 2014

A photodegradable poly(ester amide) was developed. An amphiphilic graft copolymer derivative with paclitaxel conjugated via ester linkages formed micelles that released paclitaxel in response to UV light.
Diketopyrrolopyrrole-based copolymers bearing highly π-extended donating units and their thin-film transistors and photovoltaic cells
Authors: Cho Min Ju , Shin Jicheol , Hong Tae Ryang , Um Hyun Ah , Lee Tae Wan , Kim Gyeong Woo , Kwon Jang Hyuk , Choi Dong Hoon
Published: September 2014

New DPP-based conjugated polymers containing long conjugated donor monomers were synthesized to investigate device performance in thin-film transistors and photovoltaic cells.
A superhydrophobic 3D porous material for oil spill cleanup
Authors: Peng Lei , Li Hao , Zhang Yi , Su Jiao , Yu Ping , Luo Yunbai
Published: September 2014

Oil spills are a serious threat to environment and marine ecosystems; hence, it is urgent to identify an economic and efficient countermeasure to deal with them.
A highly selective and sensitive fluorescent chemosensor for Hg2+ based on a pyridine-appended π-conjugated ligand
Authors: Yang Yaping , Ni Xin-Long , Sun Tao , Cong Hang , Wei Gang
Published: September 2014

A sensitive and selective method for the determination of Hg2+ cations by fluorescence enhancement in pure aqueous solution was developed and obtained by simple organic synthesis.
A new rhodamine-derived fluorescent chemodosimeter for Cu2+in aqueous solution and its application in living cell imaging
Authors: Zhu Ying-Ying , Zhang Xuan , Guo Hua , Zhu Zhi-Jia
Published: September 2014

A new rhodamine-derived fluorescent chemodosimeter for imaging of Cu2+in living cells was developed under a coordination-promoted hydrolysis mechanism.
Magnetic nanoparticles entrapped in the cross-linked poly(imidazole/imidazolium) immobilized Cu(ii): an effective heterogeneous copper catalyst
Authors: Pourjavadi Ali , Hosseini Seyed Hassan , Zohreh Nasrin , Bennett Craig
Published: September 2014

Anchoring of copper sulfate in layered poly(imidazole-imidazolium) coated magnetic nanoparticles provided a highly stable, active, reusable, high loading, and green catalyst for the click synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles via a one-pot cycloaddition of alkyl halide, azide, and alkyne (Cu-A3C).
NHC-catalyzed one-pot oxidation and oxidative esterification of allylic alcohols using TEMPO: the effect of alcohol additives
Authors: Kang Ye-Won , Jang Hye-Young
Published: September 2014

A combination of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysts and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPO) was proposed for the synthesis of allylic esters from allylic alcohols.
New low band gap 2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole and benzo[1,2-c;4,5-c′]bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole based conjugated polymers for organic photovoltaics
Authors: Murali M. G. , Rao Arun D. , Ramamurthy Praveen C.
Published: September 2014

Novel low band gap conjugated polymers (PBDTTBIandPBDTBBT) are designed and synthesized for polymer solar cell applications.
Organic–inorganic hybrid catalysts containing new Schiff base for environment friendly cyclohexane oxidation
Authors: Antony R. , Theodore David Manickam S. , Karuppasamy K. , Kollu Pratap , Chandrasekar P. V. , Balakumar S.
Published: September 2014

Organic and inorganic entities have been hybridized using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) linker for the synthesis of three novel organic–inorganic hybrid catalysts [Cu(ii), Co(ii) and Ni(ii)].
p-Type doping of tetrafluorotetracynoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ) in poly(para-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) derivative “Super Yellow” (SY)
Authors: Bajpai Manisha , Srivastava Ritu , Dhar Ravindra , Tiwari R. S. , Chand Suresh
Published: September 2014

In this paper, we report a case of hole transport in tetrafluorotetracynoquinodimethane doped poly(para-phenylene vinylene) derivative “Super Yellow”.
Accelerated Hantzsch electrospray synthesis with temporal control of reaction intermediates
Authors: Bain Ryan M. , Pulliam Christopher J. , Cooks R. Graham
Published: September 2014

Complex reaction sequences can be followed in electrosprayed droplets on the millisecond time scale.
Metallic behaviour of acid doped highly conductive polymers
Authors: Massonnet Nicolas , Carella Alexandre , de Geyer Arnaud , Faure-Vincent Jérôme , Simonato Jean-Pierre
Published: September 2014

Polymerizing PEDOT with poorly coordinating counter-ions facilitates their substitution by acids. The resulting materials display a high electrical conductivity and true metallic behaviour.
Synthesis of a novel polycyclic ring scaffold with antimitotic properties via a selective domino Heck–Suzuki reaction
Authors: Alza Esther , Laraia Luca , Ibbeson Brett M. , Collins Súil , Galloway Warren R. J. D. , Stokes Jamie E. , Venkitaraman Ashok R. , Spring David R.
Published: September 2014

The synthesis of a previously undescribed sp3-rich 6-5-5-6 tetracyclic ring scaffold using a palladium catalysed domino Heck–Suzuki reaction is reported.
Pulsating electric field modulated contact line dynamics of immiscible binary systems in narrow confinements under an electrical double layer phenomenon
Authors: Mondal Pranab Kumar , Ghosh Uddipta , Bandopadhyay Aditya , DasGupta Debabrata , Chakraborty Suman
Published: September 2014

The dynamics of a binary fluid mixture under the action of time-periodic electroosmosis is investigated.
Nanoconfinement of Mg6Pd particles in porous carbon: size effects on structural and hydrogenation properties
Authors: Ponthieu M. , Au Y. S. , Provost K. , Zlotea C. , Leroy E. , Fernández J. F. , Latroche M. , de Jongh P. E. , Cuevas F.
Published: September 2014

Mg6Pd nanoparticles confined inside a carbon host possess better thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogenation than the analogous bulk alloy. Nanosizing also alters the structural alloy properties.
Better lithium-ion storage materials made through hierarchical assemblies of active nanorods and nanocrystals
Authors: Lei Chao , Chen Zheng , Sohn Hiesang , Wang Xiaolei , Le Zaiyuan , Weng Ding , Shen Meiqing , Wang Ge , Lu Yunfeng
Published: September 2014

Better lithium-storage architectures based on hierarchically assembled nanorods or nanocrystals were developed using an efficient aerosol-spraying process.
Interaction of materials and biology in total joint replacement – successes, challenges and future directions
Authors: Pajarinen J. , Lin T.-H. , Sato T. , Yao Z. , Goodman S. B.
Published: September 2014

Total joint replacement (TJR) has revolutionized the treatment of end-stage arthritic disorders.
Audiovisual Integration in Children Listening to Spectrally Degraded Speech
Authors: Maidment David W. , Kang Hi Jee , Stewart Hannah J. , Amitay Sygal
Published: September 2014

Purpose

The study explored whether visual information improves speech identification in typically developing children with normal hearing when the auditory signal is spectrally degraded.

Method

Children (
n
= 69) and adults (
n
= 15) were presented with noise-vocoded sentences from the Children’s Co-ordinate Response Measure (Rosen, 2011) in auditory-only or audiovisual conditions. The number of bands was adaptively varied to modulate the degradation of the auditory signal, with the number of bands required for approximately 79% correct identification calculated as the threshold.

Results

The youngest children (4- to 5-year-olds) did not benefit from accompanying visual information, in comparison to 6- to 11-year-old children and adults. Audiovisual gain also increased with age in the child sample.

Conclusions

The current data suggest that children younger than 6 years of age do not fully utilize visual speech cues to enhance speech perception when the auditory signal is degraded. This evidence not only has implications for understanding the development of speech perception skills in children with normal hearing but may also inform the development of new treatment and intervention strategies that aim to remediate speech perception difficulties in pediatric cochlear implant users.
Dominant pole analysis of stable time‐delay positive systems
Authors: Ebihara Yoshio , Peaucelle Dimitri , Arzelier Denis , Gouaisbaut Frédéric
Published: September 2014

This study is concerned with the dominant pole analysis of asymptotically stable time‐delay positive systems (TDPSs). It is known that a TDPS is asymptotically stable if and only if its corresponding delay‐free system is asymptotically stable, and this property holds irrespective of the length of delays. However, convergence performance (decay rate) should degrade according to the increase of delays and this intuition motivates us to analyse the dominant pole of TDPSs. As a preliminary result, in this study, the authors show that the dominant pole of a TDPS is always real. They also construct a bisection search algorithm for the dominant pole computation, which readily follows from recent results on α ‐exponential stability of asymptotically stable TDPSs. Then, they next characterise a lower bound of the dominant pole as an explicit function of delays. On the basis of the lower bound characterisation, they finally show that the dominant pole of an asymptotically stable TDPS is affected by delays if and only if associated coefficient matrices satisfy eigenvalue‐sensitivity condition to be defined in this study. Moreover, they clarify that the dominant pole goes to zero (from negative side) as time‐delay goes to infinity if and only if the coefficient matrices are eigenvalue‐sensitive.
Tuned depth signal analysis on merged transform domain for view synthesis in free viewpoint systems
Authors: Chaieb Faten , Sebai Dorsaf , Ghorbel Faouzi
Published: September 2014

Completely embedded in the 3D era, depth maps coding becomes a must in order to favour 3D admission to different fields of application, ranging from video games to medical imaging. This study presents a novel depth coding approach that, after a decimation step favouring the foreground, decomposes depth maps onto a set of sparse coefficients and redundant mixed discrete cosine and B‐splines atoms highly correlated to depth maps piece‐wise linear nature. Depth decomposition searches the best rate/distortion tradeoff through minimisation of an adaptive cost function, where its weight parameter is manipulated according to depth homogeneity. The bigger the parameter is, the more the sparsity is favoured at the expense of synthesis quality. Furthermore, handled distortion measure of the cost function quantifies the effect of depth maps coding on rendered views quality. The experiments show the relevance of the proposed method, able to obtain considerable tradeoffs between bitrate and synthesised views distortion.
Wavelet base selection for de‐noising and extraction of partial discharge pulses in noisy environment
Authors: Altay Özkan , Kalenderli Özcan
Published: September 2014

Wavelet‐based de‐noising is used to separate partial discharge (PD) signals from the noises resulting from measurement circuits or the surrounding environment. PD de‐noising by using the wavelet shrinkage method is capable of separating the noise component to some extent, but the selection of the wavelet base has a remarkable effect on the de‐noising results. The wavelet base is directly related to the distortion of the PD waveform and quality of the de‐noising process. Although there are applications on PD noise separation in the literature, the selection of the wavelet base, which affects the evaluation of the PD characteristics, is still challenging. Instead of using correlation‐based wavelet base selection for de‐noising PD data, in this study a novel wavelet base selection method based on the most informative sub‐band energy and entropy for separating noise from PD pulses is introduced and successfully applied to raw data obtained from the PD measurement set‐up. The advantage of the proposed method is that the wavelet base selection solution is automatic and independent of the original noise‐free pulse waveform. This study shows that the proposed method is useful for the extraction of noisy PD pulses by describing the basic discharge parameters such as discharge amplitude and the duration and time of occurrence more clearly.
Designing quantum‐dot cellular automata circuits using a robust one layer crossover scheme
Authors: Hashemi Sara , Navi Keivan
Published: September 2014

Quantum‐dot cellular automata (QCA) is a novel nanotechnology which is considered as a solution to the scaling problems in complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology. In this Letter, a robust one layer crossover scheme is introduced. It uses only 90° QCA cells and works based on a proper clock assignment. The application of this new scheme is shown in designing a sample QCA circuit. Simulation results demonstrate that using this new scheme, significant improvements in terms of area and complexity can be achieved.
Tailoring the dielectric properties of pyrochlore free lead zirconium titanate by synthesising it through different synthesis routes
Authors: Jadhav Pragati S. , Patankar Ketaki K. , Mathe Vikas L. , Puri Vijaya
Published: September 2014

The structural and dielectric properties of lead zirconium titanate (PZT) (52:48) ceramic prepared from different synthesis route are discussed in this paper. The PZT green powders were synthesised via three different routes: ceramic, combustion and co‐precipitation. The x‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm the pure tetragonal phase formation of PZT for all the different routes adopted by us. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs show the surface morphology vary and also grain sizes of PZT prepared from three different routes change from nano to micron size. The Raman intensities were obtained with slight variation in peak intensities and also with slight variations in wave‐numbers for all the three PZT samples prepared using different routes. These slightly varied wave‐numbers for all the three present samples are however in close proximity with the Raman vibrational modes pertinent for PZT as seen in the literature. The dielectric constant variation with temperature measured for three different powders also shows a considerable change in transition temperature. The structural and dielectric variations are co‐related to explain the variations in transition temperature.
Capacitive digital‐to‐analogue converters with least significant bit down in differential successive approximation register ADCs
Authors: Sun Lei , Pun Kong‐Pang , Ng Wai‐Tung
Published: September 2014

This Letter proposes a least significant bit‐down switching scheme in the capacitive digital‐to‐analogue converters (CDACs) of successive approximation register analog‐to‐digital converter (ADC). Under the same unit capacitor, the chip area and the switching energy are halved without increasing the complexity of logic circuits. Compared with conventional CDAC, when it is applied to one of the most efficient switching schemes, V cm ‐based structure, it achieves 93% less switching energy and 75% less chip area with the same differential non linearity (DNL)/integral non linearity (INL) performance.
Double dual slope square rooter
Authors: Selvam Krishnagiri Chinnathambi
Published: September 2014

A circuit which accepts input dc voltage V I and produce an output voltage V O = √V I V T by using double dual slope principle is described in this Letter. V T is a constant voltage which is fixed by two resistors and a power supply voltage. By using precision resistors and a stable constant power supply, an acceptable level of accuracy can be obtained.
Mechanical design and optimal control of humanoid robot (TPinokio)
Authors: Wee Teck Chew
Published: September 2014

The mechanical structure and the control of the locomotion of bipedal humanoid is an important and challenging domain of research in bipedal robots. Accurate models of the kinematics and dynamics of the robot are essential to achieve bipedal locomotion. Toe‐foot walking produces a more natural and faster walking speed and it is even possible to perform stretch knee walking. This study presents the mechanical design of a toe‐feet bipedal, TPinokio and the implementation of some optimal walking gait generation methods. The optimality in the gait trajectory is achieved by applying augmented model predictive control method and the pole‐zero cancellation method, taken into consideration of a trade‐off between walking speed and stability. The mechanism of the TPinokio robot is designed in modular form, so that its kinematics can be modelled accurately into a multiple point‐mass system, its dynamics is modelled using the single and double mass inverted pendulum model and zero‐moment‐point concept. The effectiveness of the design and control technique is validated by simulation testing with the robot walking on flat surface and climbing stairs.
Square rooter using saw tooth wave‐based time division technique
Authors: Selvam Krishnagiri Chinnathambi
Published: September 2014

A simple square rooter using two op‐amps and a switch is described. It uses a saw tooth wave as reference clock and the square rooting principle is obtained by a time division technique. The circuit accepts an input dc voltages V I and produce an output voltage V O = √V I V T. V T is a constant voltage which is the peak value of the reference saw tooth wave. Verification of the feasibility of the circuit configuration is established by way of test results.