bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbon‐Nanosheet Based Large‐Area Electrochemical Capacitor that is Flexible, Foldable, Twistable, and Stretchable
Authors: Jun Jong Han , Song Hyeonjun , Kim Changsoon , Choi In‐Suk , Jeong Youngjin , Lee Ji‐Hoon
Published: March 2018

With the growing demand for wearable electronics, developing new compatible energy systems is a prominent topic of research. Energy systems mounted on wearable electronics should exhibit high cost efficiency, mechanical robustness, and high electrochemical activity. Herein, all‐carbon‐based large‐area nanocomposites for freely deformable electrochemical capacitors are suggested to address these requirements. The three‐dimensionally integrated, self‐supported nanocomposites consist of activated carbons (ACs) distributed in direct spinning‐derived carbon nanotube (DS‐CNT) sheets without any additives, including conducting agents or binders. Owing to synergetic effects of the highly porous AC particles, high electron transport kinetics of CNTs, and facile ion accessibility resulting from acid treatment, the nanocomposites show a greatly improved specific capacitance of 128 F g−1, compared to that of pristine ACs (62 F g−1), based on the total mass of the electrodes. The exceptional mechanical stability of the nanocomposites, which are attached on prestretched elastomer substrates, is confirmed; only a ≈15% increase in the electrical resistance is observed under a tensile strain of 100%, and the initial resistance is fully recovered after releasing. Finally, the outstanding durability and electrochemical performance of the deformable all‐carbon‐based symmetric capacitors under various mechanical deformations of bending, folding, twisting, and stretching are successfully demonstrated.
Mesoporous Hollow Sb/ZnS@C Core–Shell Heterostructures as Anodes for High‐Performance Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Dong Shihua , Li Caixia , Li Zhaoqiang , Zhang Luyuan , Yin Longwei
Published: March 2018

Combining the advantage of metal, metal sulfide, and carbon, mesoporous hollow core–shell Sb/ZnS@C hybrid heterostructures composed of Sb/ZnS inner core and carbon outer shell are rationally designed based on a robust template of ZnS nanosphere, as anodes for high‐performance sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). A partial cation exchange reaction based on the solubility difference between Sb2S3 and ZnS can transform mesoporous ZnS to Sb2S3/ZnS heterostructure. To get a stable structure, a thin contiguous resorcinol‐formaldehyde (RF) layer is introduced on the surface of Sb2S3/ZnS heterostructure. The effectively protective carbon layer from RF can be designed as the reducing agent to convert Sb2S3 to metallic Sb to obtain core–shell Sb/ZnS@C hybrid heterostructures. Simultaneously, the carbon outer shell is beneficial to the charge transfer kinetics, and can maintain the structure stability during the repeated sodiation/desodiation process. Owing to its unique stable architecture and synergistic effects between the components, the core–shell porous Sb/ZnS@C hybrid heterostructure SIB anode shows a high reversible capacity, good rate capability, and excellent cycling stability by turning the optimized voltage range. This novel strategy to prepare carbon‐layer‐protected metal/metal sulfide core–shell heterostructure can be further extended to design other novel nanostructured systems for high‐performance energy storage devices.
Remarkable Enhancement in Sodium‐Ion Kinetics of NaFe2(CN)6 by Chemical Bonding with Graphene
Authors: Li Weijie , Han Chao , Xia Qingbing , Zhang Kai , Chou Shulei , Kang Yong‐Mook , Wang Jiazhao , Liu Hua Kun , Dou Shi Xue
Published: March 2018

Hexacyanoferrate (Prussian blue, PB)/reduced graphene oxide (PB‐RGO) composites with a synergistic structure (graphene/PB/graphene) and a chemical bond are fabricated using a facile one‐step method that does not require any external chemical reducing agent. Here, Na4Fe(CN)6 is decomposed in an acidic solution to produce Fe2+ ions, which anchor onto the electronegative graphene oxide (GO) layers by electrostatic interaction and then reduce the GO. The formation of an FeOC chemical bond in the composite results in an excellent rate capability of the PB‐RGO composite at room temperature, delivering capacities of 78.1, 68.9, and 46.0 mAh g−1 even at the high rates of 10, 20, and 50 C, with a capacity retention of 70.2%, 63.4%, and 41.0%, respectively. The composite also shows an unprecedentedly outstanding cycling stability, retaining ≈90% of the initial capacity after 600 cycles.
Efficient Nonfullerene Polymer Solar Cells Enabled by Small‐Molecular Acceptors with a Decreased Fused‐Ring Core
Authors: Bai Weiyun , Xu Xiaopeng , Li Qingya , Xu Yunxiang , Peng Qiang
Published: March 2018

Two A1‐A2‐π‐D‐A2‐A1 structural small‐molecular acceptors with a decreased fused‐ring core, TIDT‐BT‐R2 and TIDT‐BT‐R6, are designed and synthesized by using thiophene‐indenothiophene (TIDT) as the core unit and benzothiadiazole‐rhodanine (BT‐R) as the end groups. The resulting small‐molecular acceptors exhibit the desirably complementary absorptions and well matched energy levels with the low‐bandgap donor copolymer of PTB7‐Th. Compared to TIDT‐BT‐R6, TIDT‐BT‐R2 with shorter side chains exhibits better crystallinity and higher charge carrier mobilities in its blend films. The nonfullerene solar cells (NFSCs) based on TIDT‐BT‐R2 also show higher exciton dissociation efficiency and lower charge recombination, which leads to higher Jsc and fill factor values. As a result, TIDT‐BT‐R2‐based NFSCs show a large Voc of 1.04 V and a high power conversion efficiency of 8.7% with a very low energy loss of 0.55 eV, which is one of the best values for PTB7‐Th‐based binary blend devices.
A Donor Polymer Based on a Difluorinated Pentathiophene Unit Enabling Enhanced Performance for Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Liu Jing , Ma Lik‐Kuen , Lin Haoran , Zhang Lin , Li Zhengke , Law Wai Kit , Shang Ao , Hu Huawei , Ma Wei , Yan He
Published: March 2018

For oligothiophene‐based donor polymers, changing the number of thiophene rings in each repeating unit is a simple and effective approach to tune their optical and electronic properties. While bithiophene‐, terthiophene‐, and quaterthiophene‐based polymers have been widely known and studied, pentathiophene‐based ones are rarely reported. Here, the pentathiophene‐based polymer PT5T, which yields extremely poor device performance with an efficiency of only 0.37%, is synthesized. However, after the introduction of two fluorine atoms to the center thiophene unit, the resulting polymer (PT5T‐2F) yields dramatic improvement in device performance with the fill factor and the power conversion efficiency improved to 70.8% and 9.69%, respectively. The morphological study shows that the difluorinated pentathiophene building block introduces enhanced molecular aggregation and crystallinity of PT5T‐2F, which facilitates the formation of bulk heterojunction blends with higher domain purity. Most importantly, despite its high crystallinity, PT5T‐2F can still produce reasonably small domain sizes in the polymer‐based blend. The results indicate that the difluorinated pentathiophene is a promising building block to construct donor polymers for nonfullerene organic solar cells.
Efficient and simple HPLC method for spiramycin determination in urine samples and in pharmaceutical tablets
Authors: Mahmoudi Abdelghani
Published: March 2018

High‐performance liquid chromatography was used in the development of a new simple method for the determination of spiramycin in urine and tablets. Experimental and instrumental conditions were first optimized for the separation of this compound and then the method was applied to real samples. The procedure was performed using an isocratic elution on ODB reversed phase C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with UV detection at 231 nm, and a very reasonable resolution was achieved. In urine, the developed method was employed after a simple and fast sample preparation involving pre‐column for clean‐up procedure, and using roxithromycin as internal standard. Linearity, in the range of 0.3–25 μg mL−1 showed a good linear correlation (R2 = 0.9994), with a detection limit down to 30 ng mL−1. In the following step, the quantification of spiramycin was studied in pharmaceutical forms. Results showed a good repeatability and the relative standard deviation was below to 2.18%. Precision was checked at three levels during three consecutive days with intra‐day and inter‐day coefficients of relative standard deviation not exceeding the value of 4.98%. The extraction recovery presented good results with values ranging from 90.12–101.13% for both matrixes.
Nutritional and Functional Properties of Extruded Cassava‐Soy Composite with Grape Pomace
Authors: Oladiran Dolapo A. , Emmambux Naushad M.
Published: March 2018

Cassava‐soy composite is extruded with grape pomace at 0, 10, and 20% addition levels. Some nutritional, functional, rheological properties, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of the extruded products are analyzed. Kinetics of starch digestibility show that extrusion cooking leads to a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the rate of starch digested but the addition of grape pomace lowers the rate of starch digestibility and estimated glycemic index. The water absorption capacity of composites decreases while the solubility index increases with increasing addition of grape pomace. FTIR spectra show an increase in β‐sheet formation as the addition of grape pomace increases. The composite with 20% grape pomace has the lowest viscosity and all composites exhibit a shear thinning behavior. Extrusion cooking probably leads to depolymerization of dietary fiber and redistribution of insoluble dietary fiber to soluble dietary fiber ratio. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the cassava‐soy composite are significantly (p < 0.05) increased with the addition of grape pomace. The results indicate that grape pomace can be added to starch‐rich foods with extrusion cooking to produce instant products with potential health promoting properties.
Forkhead Box M1 Transcriptionally Regulates the Expression of Long Noncoding RNAs Snhg8 and Gm26917 to Promote Proliferation and Survival of Muscle Satellite Cells
Authors: Chen Zhe , Bu Nuping , Qiao Xiaohong , Zuo Zhixiang , Shu Yahai , Liu Zhilong , Qian Zhijian , Chen Jieping , Hou Yu
Published: March 2018

Multiple functions have been proposed for transcription factor FoxM1, including the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, senescence, apoptosis, and tissue homeostasis. However, the role of FoxM1 in muscle satellite cells (SCs) remains unclear. In the present study, we demonstrated that FoxM1 was essential for the proliferation and survival of SCs. Crucially, we found that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) Snhg8 and Gm26917 significantly regulated the proliferation and apoptosis of SCs, respectively, and these lncRNAs were directly regulated by FoxM1 in SCs. Mechanistically, Snhg8 sustained SCs proliferation by promoting the transcription of ribosomal proteins, while Gm26917 acted as a competing endogenous RNA for microRNA-29b, which accelerated apoptosis of SCs. In mice, conditional knockout of FoxM1 in skeletal muscle resulted in decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis of SCs. Thus, our studies revealed a previously unrecognized role of FoxM1 in SCs and uncovered two lncRNAs, Snhg8 and Gm26917, which function as novel targets of FoxM1 in the regulation of SCs proliferation and survival.
Mechanism of bisphenol AF‐induced progesterone inhibition in human chorionic gonadotrophin‐stimulated mouse Leydig tumor cell line (mLTC‐1) cells
Authors: Feng Yixing , Shi Jiachen , Jiao Zhihao , Duan Hejun , Shao Bing
Published: March 2018

Bisphenol AF (BPAF) has been shown to inhibit testicular steroidogenesis in male rats. However, the precise mechanisms related to the toxic effects of BPAF on reproduction remain poorly understood. In the present study, a mouse Leydig tumor cell line (mLTC‐1) was used as a model to investigate the mechanism of steroidogenic inhibition and to identify the molecular target of BPAF. Levels of progesterone and the concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in cells exposed to BPAF were detected, and expression of key genes and proteins in steroid biosynthesis was assessed. The results showed that BPAF exposure decreased human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)‐stimulated progesterone production in a dose‐dependent manner. The 24‐h IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) value for BPAF regarding progesterone production was 70.2 µM. A dramatic decrease in cellular cAMP concentration was also observed. Furthermore, BPAF exposure inhibited expression of genes and proteins involved in cholesterol transport and progesterone biosynthesis. Conversely, the protein levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) were not altered, and those of progesterone were still decreased upon 22R‐hydroxycholesterol treatment of cells exposed to higher doses of BPAF. Together, these data indicate that BPAF exposure inhibits progesterone secretion in hCG‐stimulated mLTC‐1 cells by reducing expression of scavenger receptor class B type I (SR‐B1) and cytochrome P450 (P450scc) due to the adverse effects of cAMP. However, StAR might not be the molecular target in this process.
Sentence Stems That Support Reading Comprehension
Authors: Rodriguez‐Mojica Claudia , Briceño Allison
Published: March 2018

Sentence stems are widely used by teachers, but what do we know about developing sentence stems and using them effectively? Sentence stems are intended to facilitate students’ participation in academic conversations and writing and support students to develop the language expected in school, but sometimes the stems do not provide the support intended. The authors explain how to develop supportive sentence stems.
First‐trimester and combined first‐ and second‐trimester prediction of small‐for‐gestational age and late fetal growth restriction
Authors: Sotiriadis A. , Figueras F. , Eleftheriades M. , Papaioannou G. K. , Chorozoglou G. , Dinas K. , Papantoniou N.
Published: March 2018

Objective

To develop a first‐trimester or combined first‐ and second‐trimester screening algorithm for the prediction of small‐for‐gestational age (SGA) and late fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Methods

This was a retrospective study of women with singleton pregnancy, who underwent routine first‐, second‐ and third‐trimester ultrasound assessment. Late FGR was defined, at ≥ 32 weeks' gestation in the absence of congenital anomalies, as either (i) estimated fetal weight (EFW) or birth weight (BW) < 3rd centile, or (ii) EFW < 10th centile and either uterine artery mean pulsatility index (UtA‐PI) > 95th centile or cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) < 5th centile. Neonates with BW < 10th centile, regardless of prenatal parameters, were defined as SGA. The predictive effectiveness of maternal and first‐ and second‐trimester factors was tested using logistic regression and receiver–operating characteristics curve analyses.

Results

A total of 3520 fetuses were included (late FGR, n = 109 (3.1%); SGA, n = 292 (8.3%)). Of the late FGR cases, 56 (1.6%) fulfilled the antenatal criteria (EFW < 3rd centile or EFW < 10th centile plus abnormal UtA‐PI or CPR) and were defined as prenatally detected late FGR. A first‐trimester screening model (comprising conception method, smoking status, maternal height, pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A) and UtA‐PI) could predict 50.0% of the prenatally diagnosed and 36.7% of the overall late FGR fetuses for a 10% false‐positive rate (FPR). A model combining first‐ and second‐trimester screening parameters (conception method, smoking status, PAPP‐A, second‐ trimester EFW, head circumference/abdominal circumference ratio and UtA‐PI) could predict 78.6% of the prenatally detected, and 59.6% of the overall late FGR fetuses, for a 10% FPR (area under the curve 0.901 (95% CI, 0.856–0.947) and 0.855 (95% CI, 0.818–0.891), respectively). The prediction of SGA was suboptimal for both first‐trimester and combined screening.

Conclusions

A simple model combining maternal and first‐ and second‐trimester predictors can detect 60% of fetuses that will develop late FGR, and 79% of those fetuses that will be classified prenatally as late FGR, for a 10% FPR. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Effect of alkyl group on the chain extension of phosphites in polylactide
Authors: Meng Xin , Zhu Shengjie , Gong Weiguang , Turng Lih‐Sheng , Xin Zhong , Shi Guotao , Peng Jing , Shi Yaoqi , Chen Weijie
Published: March 2018

Polylactide (PLA), which is synthesized from natural resources and can degrade easier, possesses high mechanical strength, so it is a reasonable substitute for petroleum‐based plastics. Phosphites can increase the stability of PLA through chain extension with the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups simultaneously. But there are few reports on the structural effects of phosphites on the chain extension of PLA. In this article, three kinds of phosphites with different amounts of aryl and alkyl groups were used as chain extenders in PLA and were compared in detail. The molecular weights, complex viscosities, and storage moduli of virgin PLA and PLA stabilized by three different phosphites were characterized by gel permeation chromatography and rheometry. The results show that the presence of alkyl groups is not beneficial for chain extension, as the more alkyl groups there are, the worse the chain extension is. Regarding the three phosphite chain extenders added to PLA—triphenylphosphite (TPP), diphenylisooctylphosphite (PTC), and phenyldiisooctylphosphite (PDOP)—the number of alkyl groups in them can be ranked as follows: PDOP > PTC > TPP. Since PDOP had the most alkyl groups, the chain extension of PDOP was the weakest. In addition, the product, which was formed due to the chain extension of PLA and TPP, had some plastication, thus enabling PLA to move more freely and making it easier to process. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:144–148, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Flight dynamic coupling analysis of a bio-inspired elastic-wing aircraft
Authors: Zhang S. , Wang Z. , Wu Y. , Yu Y.
Published: March 2018

It is a challenge for small, fixed-wing aerial vehicles to maintain flight stability under gusts. Inspired by the geometric features and the structural dynamic characteristics of the gliding bird wing, an elastic wing with similar characteristics was designed and optimised for use as part of unmanned aerial vehicle. A flight dynamic model, which includes the coupling of the longitudinal flight modes and the aeroelastic modes of the flexible wing, was built to analyse the mechanisms of specific coupling for the structural characteristics of the wing design, and how these specific couplings affect flight dynamics. The results showed that the bio-inspired elastic wing effectively allows alleviation of the gust response of the prototype through coupling effects of the short period and the first aeroelastic mode, even with a considerable frequency gap. These effects become more significant when the airspeed becomes larger. The conclusions of this research can facilitate further development of bird-sized unmanned aerial vehicles to extend their applications and make these vehicles more adaptive for flight in complex atmospheric environments.
Welfare Analysis: Bridging the Partial and General Equilibrium Divide for Policy Analysis
Authors: Farrow Scott , Rose Adam
Published: March 2018

Advances in theoretical and computable general equilibrium modeling brought their conceptual foundations more in line with standard microeconomic constructs. This reduced the theoretical gap between welfare measurements using a partial or a general equilibrium approach. However, the separation of the partial and general equilibrium literatures lingers in many applications that this manuscript seeks to bridge. The now shared conceptual foundations, the importance of functional specification, the role of common price movements and closure rules are discussed. The continuing stricture in U.S. Government guidelines against including secondary effects in welfare measures is questioned.
Beyond the limits - ECPR in putative fatal circumstances
Authors: Graeff Ingo , Schacher Sylvia , Lenkeit Stefan , Widmann Catherine N. , Schewe Jens-Christian
Published: March 2018

The eligibility criteria for applying extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in patients with cardiac arrest are currently unclear. For those patients with hypothermic cardiac arrest, the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Guidelines recommend considering ECPR only for patients with potassium <8 mmol/L and a body temperature below 32°C, whereas the American Heart Association Guidelines (AHA) do not express this in a specific manner.

We report the case of an urban unwitnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patient found with her head immersed in water at a temperature of 23°C. The patient presented an unclear history and a dire combination of clinical and laboratory parameters (asystole, arterial blood gas: pH 6.8, potassium 8.3 mmol/L, lactate 16.0 mmol/L). Despite these poor prognostic indicators, ECPR was initiated after 95 minutes of CPR and the patient survived with a good neurological outcome.

This case highlights the uncertainty in ECPR eligibility and prognostication, especially in those with hypothermia and water immersion for whom aggressive therapies may be warranted. Further data and improved strategies are required to delineate candidacy for this resource-intensive procedure better.
CAN THE LOTTERY PARADOX BE SOLVED BY IDENTIFYING EPISTEMIC JUSTIFICATION WITH EPISTEMIC PERMISSIBILITY?
Authors: Kiesewetter Benjamin
Published: March 2018

Thomas Kroedel argues that the lottery paradox can be solved by identifying epistemic justification with epistemic permissibility rather than epistemic obligation. According to hispermissibility solution, we are permitted to believe of each lottery ticket that it will lose, but since permissions do not agglomerate, it does not follow that we are permitted to have all of these beliefs together, and therefore it also does not follow that we are permitted to believe that all tickets will lose. I present two objections to this solution. First, even if justification itself amounts to no more than epistemic permissibility, the lottery paradox recurs at the level of doxastic obligations unless one adopts an extremely permissive view about suspension of belief that is in tension with our practice of doxastic criticism. Second, even if there are no obligations to believe lottery propositions, the permissibility solution fails because epistemic permissions typically agglomerate, and the lottery case provides no exception to this rule.
FROM TRAITOR TO MARTYR: DRAWING LESSONS FROM THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF WANG JINGWEI, 1944
Authors: Taylor Jeremy E.
Published: March 2018

Based on recently reopened files and publications in Nanjing, as well as published and newsreel accounts from the 1940s, this paper represents the first scholarly analysis of the rituals surrounding the death and burial of Wang Jingwei in Japanese-occupied China. Rather than locating this analysis purely in the literature on the history of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–45), however, this paper asks what Wang Jingwei's Re-organized National Government might tell us about personality cults in the political culture of modern China. While Wang's burial drew heavily on the precedent of Sun Yat-sen's funerals of the 1920s, it also presaged later spectacles of public mourning and posthumous commemoration, such as Chiang Kai-shek's funeral in 1975 in Taipei. In focusing on this one specific event in the life of a “puppet government,” this paper hopes to reignite scholarly interest in the study of “dead leaders” and their posthumous lives in modern Chinese history more generally.
Transition Planning Processes for Young People Serving Custodial Sentences in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Cumming Therese M. , Strnadová Iva , O'Neill Sue C.
Published: March 2018

The aim of the study was to identify transition planning processes as reported by participants for school-aged youth serving custodial sentences in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and to establish the extent to which these reflect current evidence or research-based transition practices reported in the literature. The authors used inductive content analysis methodology to analyse interviews with 44 staff members from the education and juvenile justice systems in NSW. The findings of the study indicate that although a number of evidence/research-based practices are being used, there are some that still need to be implemented. Specifically, there is a need for more involvement of the families of incarcerated youth and support for the self-determination of the young people in custody.
Ethics and Internationalism in Japanese Education, 1933–45
Authors: ABEL JESSAMYN R.
Published: March 2018

After their government's 1933 withdrawal from the League of Nations, Japanese internationalists searched for new ways to engage with the world or struggled to accommodate their advocacy of international cooperation to the realities of the wartime empire. The idea of international morality was central to this effort. Ethics textbooks, which presented ideals of international behaviour, provide a particular view of this intellectual and policy endeavour of the 1930s and early 1940s, showing how the concept of morality became a means to reconcile internationalism with imperialism and war. Echoing many of the ideas current in both public discussion and behind-closed-doors decision-making on foreign policy at the time, textbook authors and other educators contributed to a broader redefinition of internationalism that enabled it to persist through a period of imperialism and war.
Policy Boostering the Social Impact Investment Market in the UK
Authors: WIGGAN JAY
Published: March 2018

Under the Conservative-Liberal Coalition Government and the Conservative Government that took office in 2015, policy measures were introduced to develop a Social Impact Investment Market that harnesses private finance to invest in services to achieve social and financial outcomes. This nascent market is of growing interest amongst social scientists (Bryan and Rafferty, 2014; Whitfield, 2015; McHugh et al., 2013; Dowling, 2017; Edmiston and Nicholls, 2017), but little attention has been given to interrogating related UK Government discourse. The originality of this paper is its contribution to addressing this ‘discourse gap’; enhancing our understanding of the development and representation of impact investment in the UK. Using Hyatt's (2013a) Critical Policy Discourse Analysis Framework, a rigorous critical examination of UK Coalition and Conservative Government impact investment discourse between 2011 and 2016 is undertaken. The significance of this work lies in its contextualisation and deconstruction of UK Government texts to identify and unpack how distinct rationales, justifications and legitimations draw on and (re)produce a Broken Britain-Big Society narrative (Wiggan, 2011; Dowling and Harvie, 2014; Smith and Jones, 2015) to ‘policy booster’ financialised reconfiguration of the welfare state as the route to a better society.
Social Transfers and Child Poverty in European Countries: Pro-poor Targeting or Pro-child Targeting?
Authors: BÁRCENA-MARTÍN ELENA , BLANCO-ARANA M. CARMEN , PÉREZ-MORENO SALVADOR
Published: March 2018

Children are generally at a higher risk of poverty than the population as a whole, although the mechanisms that lead to their socio-economic vulnerability vary widely across European countries. This paper aims to further our understanding of to what extent cross-country variations in child poverty risk are associated with different ways of social transfer targeting: pro-poor versus pro-child targeting. In particular, we address the potential impact on child poverty of countries’ intent to target transfers at lower incomes and children across 30 European countries. Using a multilevel framework, we find that not only the size of the transfer system, but also the form of targeting matters in reducing child poverty. Specifically, the countries’ intent to target children matters even more than their intent to target lower incomes, in terms of reducing child poverty. Moreover, the prevalence of multi-generational households in a country seems to be associated with an attempt to protect against child poverty in countries with lower levels of pro-child targeting.
Towards an understanding of ramified extensions of structured ring spectra
Authors: DUNDAS BJØRN IAN , LINDENSTRAUSS AYELET , RICHTER BIRGIT
Published: March 2018

We propose topological Hochschild homology as a tool for measuring ramification of maps of structured ring spectra. We determine second order topological Hochschild homology of the p-local integers. For the tamely ramified extension of the map from the connective Adams summand to p-local complex topological K-theory we determine the relative topological Hochschild homology and show that it detects the tame ramification of this extension. We show that the complexification map from connective topological real to complex K-theory shows features of a wildly ramified extension. We also determine relative topological Hochschild homology for some quotient maps with commutative quotients.
Distance Colouring Without One Cycle Length
Authors: KANG ROSS J. , PIROT FRANÇOIS
Published: March 2018

We consider distance colourings in graphs of maximum degree at most d and how excluding one fixed cycle of length ℓ affects the number of colours required as d → ∞. For vertex-colouring and t ⩾ 1, if any two distinct vertices connected by a path of at most t edges are required to be coloured differently, then a reduction by a logarithmic (in d) factor against the trivial bound O(dt) can be obtained by excluding an odd cycle length ℓ ⩾ 3t if t is odd or by excluding an even cycle length ℓ ⩾ 2t + 2. For edge-colouring and t ⩾ 2, if any two distinct edges connected by a path of fewer than t edges are required to be coloured differently, then excluding an even cycle length ℓ ⩾ 2t is sufficient for a logarithmic factor reduction. For t ⩾ 2, neither of the above statements are possible for other parity combinations of ℓ and t. These results can be considered extensions of results due to Johansson (1996) and Mahdian (2000), and are related to open problems of Alon and Mohar (2002) and Kaiser and Kang (2014).
Age-related and photoperiodic variation of theDAZgene family in the testis of the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)
Authors: González Candela Rocío , Moverer Luciana , Calandra Ricardo Saúl , González-Calvar Silvia Inés , Vitullo Alfredo Daniel
Published: March 2018

TheDeleted inAZoospermia (DAZ) gene family regulates the development, maturation and maintenance of germ cells and spermatogenesis in mammals. TheDAZfamily consists of two autosomal genes,BouleandDazl(Daz-like), and theDazgene on chromosome Y. The aim of this study was to analyze the localization of DAZL and BOULE during testicular ontogeny of the seasonal-breeding Syrian hamster,Mesocricetus auratus. We also evaluated the testicular expression ofDAZfamily genes under short- or long-photoperiod conditions. In the pre-pubertal and adult testis, DAZL protein was found mainly in spermatogonia. BOULE was found in the spermatogonia from 20 days of age and during the pre-pubertal and adult period it was also detected in spermatocytes and round spermatids. DAZL and BOULE expression in spermatogonia was strictly nuclear only in 20-day-old hamsters. We also detected the novel mRNA and protein expression of BOULE in Leydig cells. In adult hamsters,Dazlexpression was increased in regressed testis compared with non-regressed testis and DAZL protein expression was restricted to primary spermatocytes in regressed testis. These results show that DAZL and BOULE are expressed in spermatogonia at early stages in the Syrian hamster, then both proteins translocate to the cytoplasm when meiosis starts. In the adult regressed testis, the absence of DAZL in spermatogonia might be related to the decrease in germ cell number, suggesting that DAZ gene family expression is involved in changes in seminiferous epithelium during photoregression.
From Critical Mass to Critical Leaders: Unpacking the Political Conditions behind Gender Quotas in Africa
Authors: Arendt Christie Marie
Published: March 2018

The surge in gender quotas across Africa raises questions about the varied impacts of these measures on women's empowerment in legislatures. This study contends that we must explore the diverse political conditions under which quotas are adopted to understand the potential for empowerment in legislatures. By examining political context, we can pinpoint why political parties acquiesce to gender quotas and how they design laws to either empower women or reinforce party control. Parties influence aspects of gender quota design that have lasting effects on women legislators elected through these laws. Employing a new measure of legislative leadership equity, this article compares political conditions under which quotas are adopted across 18 African countries and the extent to which women reach leadership positions following the implementation of a quota. Levels of political competition and women's mainstream political activity at the time of gender quota adoption indicate how the interests of political parties shape the design and effects of the law. That the outcomes of gender quotas are highly contingent on adoption context suggests the need for academics and policy makers to analyze the politics behind these measures to develop country-specific approaches for empowering women in politics.
Investigator Characteristics and Respondent Behavior in Online Surveys
Authors: White Ariel , Strezhnev Anton , Lucas Christopher , Kruszewska Dominika , Huff Connor
Published: March 2018

Prior research demonstrates that responses to surveys can vary depending on the race, gender, or ethnicity of the investigator asking the question. We build upon this research by empirically testing how information about researcher identity inonline surveysaffects subject responses. We do so by conducting an experiment on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk in which we vary the name of the researcher in the advertisement for the experiment and on the informed consent page in order to cue different racial and gender identities. We fail to reject the null hypothesis that there is no difference in how respondents answer questions when assigned to a putatively black/white or male/female researcher.
Assessing Self-Efficacy for Self-Regulation of Academic	Writing
Authors: Golombek Christiane , Klingsieck Katrin B. , Scharlau Ingrid
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Academic writing is a complex and demanding activity that plays an important role in self-regulated learning settings within higher education. Self-efficacy and self-regulation are crucial factors for success and failure in academic writing. Because of the lack of adequate instruments, assessment of these factors is still limited. This paper introduces a scale for the assessment of self-efficacy for self-regulation of academic writing (SSAW). We deductively developed the SSAW scale and then conducted three studies in order to test and validate the scale. The first study ( N = 121) resulted in a brief scale with good psychometric properties. The second study ( N = 660) showed the scale’s factorial validity. The third study ( N = 188) provided evidence for the convergent validity of the SSAW scale. In sum, these studies yield a reliable, valid, and economic scale. The results are discussed with regard to the usefulness of the SSAW scale for research and practice in higher education.
Psychometric Validation of the Dutch Version of the Desire Thinking	Questionnaire (DTQ-D)
Authors: Markus Wiebren , Burk William J. , de Weert-van Oene Gerdien H. , Engel Carmen , Becker Eni S. , DeJong Cornelis A. J.
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Desire thinking refers to verbal and imaginal elaboration of a desired target. It predicts escalations in craving intensity and subsequent alcohol use. This article aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Desire Thinking Questionnaire (DTQ-D). In Study 1, a confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the original two-factor solution, achieved with adequate internal consistency. The DTQ-D demonstrated partial invariance over time. In Study 2, convergent validity with measures of craving was demonstrated. Discriminant validity with measures of severity of alcohol use and perseverative thinking was satisfactory. Concurrent validity was established by comparing three distinctive groups of alcohol users with increasing levels of drinking: a normative and an out- and in-patient sample. The normative group scored significantly lower on the DTQ-D than the clinical groups. Within the normative sample a low and higher at-risk drinking group could be distinguished. Overall, the DTQ-D possesses reasonable psychometric properties for use with alcohol-drinking samples. However, additional psychometric evaluation in larger clinical samples as well as in other addictions is warranted.
Correction: Publisher Correction: Observation of dark states in a superconductor diamond quantum hybrid system
Authors: Zhu Xiaobo , Matsuzaki Yuichiro , Amsüss Robert , Kakuyanagi Kosuke , Shimo-Oka Takaaki , Mizuochi Norikazu , Nemoto Kae , Semba Kouichi , Munro William J. , Saito Shiro
Published: March 2018

Nature Communications 5: Article number: 3524 (2014); Published 8 April 2014; Updated 29 March 2018 The original HTML version of this Article had an incorrect article number of 3424; it should have been 3524. This has now been corrected in the HTML; the PDF version of the Article was correct from the time of publication.
De novo reconstruction of human adipose transcriptome reveals conserved lncRNAs as regulators of brown adipogenesis
Authors: Ding Chunming , Lim Yen Ching , Chia Sook Yoong , Walet Arcinas Camille Esther , Xu Shaohai , Lo Kinyui Alice , Zhao Yanling , Zhu Dewen , Shan Zhihui , Chen Qingfeng , Leow Melvin Khee-Shing , Xu Dan , Sun Lei
Published: March 2018

Obesity has emerged as an alarming health crisis due to its association with metabolic risk factors such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Recent work has demonstrated the multifaceted roles of lncRNAs in regulating mouse adipose development, but their implication in human adipocytes remains largely unknown. Here we present a catalog of 3149 adipose active lncRNAs, of which 909 are specifically detected in brown adipose tissue (BAT) by performing deep RNA-seq on adult subcutaneous, omental white adipose tissue and fetal BATs. A total of 169 conserved human lncRNAs show positive correlation with their nearby mRNAs, and knockdown assay supports a role of lncRNAs in regulating their nearby mRNAs. The knockdown of one of those, lnc-dPrdm16, impairs brown adipocyte differentiation in vitro and a significant reduction of BAT-selective markers in in vivo. Together, our work provides a comprehensive human adipose catalog built from diverse fat depots and establishes a roadmap to facilitate the discovery of functional lncRNAs in adipocyte development.
In situ X-ray scattering observation of two-dimensional interfacial colloidal crystallization
Authors: Wu Longlong , Wang Xiao , Wang Geng , Chen Gang
Published: March 2018

Charged colloids at interfaces hold such a simple configuration that their interactions are supposed to be fully elucidated in the framework of classical electrostatics, yet the mysterious existence of attractive forces between these like-charged particles has puzzled the scientific community for decades. Here, we perform the in situ grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering study of the dynamic self-assembling process of two-dimensional interfacial colloids. This approach allows simultaneous monitoring of the in-plane structure and ordering and the out-of-plane immersion depth variation. Upon compression, the system undergoes multiple metastable intermediate states before the stable hexagonal close-packed monolayer forms under van der Waals attraction. Remarkably, the immersion depth of colloidal particles is found to increase as the interparticle distance decreases. Numerical simulations demonstrate the interface around a colloid is deformed by the electrostatic force from its neighboring particles, which induces the long-range capillary attraction.
Neuromelanin detection by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its promise as a biomarker for Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Sulzer David , Cassidy Clifford , Horga Guillermo , Kang Un Jung , Fahn Stanley , Casella Luigi , Pezzoli Gianni , Langley Jason , Hu Xiaoping P. , Zucca Fabio A. , Isaias Ioannis U. , Zecca Luigi
Published: March 2018

The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) occurs after pathogenesis is advanced and many substantia nigra (SN) dopamine neurons have already died. Now that therapies to block this neuronal loss are under development, it is imperative that the disease be diagnosed at earlier stages and that the response to therapies is monitored. Recent studies suggest this can be accomplished by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detection of neuromelanin (NM), the characteristic pigment of SN dopaminergic, and locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons. NM is an autophagic product synthesized via oxidation of catecholamines and subsequent reactions, and in the SN and LC it increases linearly during normal aging. In PD, however, the pigment is lost when SN and LC neurons die. As shown nearly 25 years ago by Zecca and colleagues, NM’s avid binding of iron provides a paramagnetic source to enable electron and nuclear magnetic resonance detection, and thus a means for safe and noninvasive measure in living human brain. Recent technical improvements now provide a means for MRI to differentiate between PD patients and age-matched healthy controls, and should be able to identify changes in SN NM with age in individuals. We discuss how MRI detects NM and how this approach might be improved. We suggest that MRI of NM can be used to confirm PD diagnosis and monitor disease progression. We recommend that for subjects at risk for PD, and perhaps generally for older people, that MRI sequences performed at regular intervals can provide a pre-clinical means to detect presymptomatic PD.
Dual mTOR/PI3K inhibition limits PI3K-dependent pathways activated upon mTOR inhibition in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
Authors: Liu Yang , Pejchinovski Martin , Wang Xueqi , Fu Xuebin , Castelletti Deborah , Watnick Terry J. , Arcaro Alexandre , Siwy Justyna , Mullen William , Mischak Harald , Serra Andreas L.
Published: March 2018

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by the development of kidney cysts leading to kidney failure in adulthood. Inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) slows polycystic kidney disease (PKD) progression in animal models, but randomized controlled trials failed to prove efficacy of mTOR inhibitor treatment. Here, we demonstrate that treatment with mTOR inhibitors result in the removal of negative feedback loops and up-regulates pro-proliferative phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt and PI3K-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling in rat and mouse PKD models. Dual mTOR/PI3K inhibition with NVP-BEZ235 abrogated these pro-proliferative signals and normalized kidney morphology and function by blocking proliferation and fibrosis. Our findings suggest that multi-target PI3K/mTOR inhibition may represent a potential treatment for ADPKD.
On the nucleus composition during isothermal alloy solidification
Authors: Kang Xun , Zhang Lijun , Sobolev Sergey
Published: March 2018

Accurate determination of the nucleus composition during isothermal alloy solidification still represents a great challenge nowadays. In this paper, a kinetic scheme was added to the Hillert-Rettenmayr thermodynamic analysis of the deviation from local equilibrium at migrating phase interfaces. A so-called interface permeability was introduced to account for the unambiguous determination of the energy dissipation of the solute rearrangement at the liquid-solid interface and the driving force for interface movement, from which the nucleus composition can be then evaluated. After benchmark test, a pragmatic nucleation model for solidification was also proposed, and applied in three-dimensional phase-field simulations of nucleation and subsequent dendritic growth during isothermal solidification process in one hypothetic Al-Si alloy. Moreover, the influence of the interface permeability on nucleation rate was fully discussed by exploring its effect on the initial nucleus components and the corresponding nucleation driving force.
Author Correction: “Carboranyl-cysteine”—Synthesis, Structure and Self-Assembly Behavior of a Novel α-Amino Acid
Authors: He Tianyu , Misuraca Jennifer C. , Musah Rabi A.
Published: March 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Effect of tropical forest disturbance on the competitive interactions within a diverse ant community
Authors: Gray Ross E. J. , Ewers Robert M. , Boyle Michael J. W. , Chung Arthur Y. C. , Gill Richard J.
Published: March 2018

Understanding how anthropogenic disturbance influences patterns of community composition and the reinforcing interactive processes that structure communities is important to mitigate threats to biodiversity. Competition is considered a primary reinforcing process, yet little is known concerning disturbance effects on competitive interaction networks. We examined how differences in ant community composition between undisturbed and disturbed Bornean rainforest, is potentially reflected by changes in competitive interactions over a food resource. Comparing 10 primary forest sites to 10 in selectively-logged forest, we found higher genus richness and diversity in the primary forest, with 18.5% and 13.0% of genera endemic to primary and logged respectively. From 180 hours of filming bait cards, we assessed ant-ant interactions, finding that despite considered aggression over food sources, the majority of ant interactions were neutral. Proportion of competitive interactions at bait cards did not differ between forest type, however, the rate and per capita number of competitive interactions was significantly lower in logged forest. Furthermore, the majority of genera showed large changes in aggression-score with often inverse relationships to their occupancy rank. This provides evidence of a shuffled competitive network, and these unexpected changes in aggressive relationships could be considered a type of competitive network re-wiring after disturbance.
Artifact Rejection Methodology Enables Continuous, Noninvasive Measurement of Gastric Myoelectric Activity in Ambulatory Subjects
Authors: Gharibans Armen A. , Smarr Benjamin L. , Kunkel David C. , Kriegsfeld Lance J. , Mousa Hayat M. , Coleman Todd P.
Published: March 2018

The increasing prevalence of functional and motility gastrointestinal (GI) disorders is at odds with bottlenecks in their diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Lack of noninvasive approaches means that only specialized centers can perform objective assessment procedures. Abnormal GI muscular activity, which is coordinated by electrical slow-waves, may play a key role in symptoms. As such, the electrogastrogram (EGG), a noninvasive means to continuously monitor gastric electrical activity, can be used to inform diagnoses over broader populations. However, it is seldom used due to technical issues: inconsistent results from single-channel measurements and signal artifacts that make interpretation difficult and limit prolonged monitoring. Here, we overcome these limitations with a wearable multi-channel system and artifact removal signal processing methods. Our approach yields an increase of 0.56 in the mean correlation coefficient between EGG and the clinical “gold standard”, gastric manometry, across 11 subjects (p < 0.001). We also demonstrate this system’s usage for ambulatory monitoring, which reveals myoelectric dynamics in response to meals akin to gastric emptying patterns and circadian-related oscillations. Our approach is noninvasive, easy to administer, and has promise to widen the scope of populations with GI disorders for which clinicians can screen patients, diagnose disorders, and refine treatments objectively.