bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Edge-localized-modes in tokamaks
Authors: Leonard A. W.
Published: September 2014

Edge-localized-modes (ELMs) are a ubiquitous feature of H-mode in tokamaks. When gradients in the H-mode transport barrier grow to exceed the MHD stability limit the ELM instability grows explosively, rapidly transporting energy and particles onto open field lines and material surfaces. Though ELMs provide additional particle and impurity transport through the H-mode transport barrier, enabling steady operation, the resulting heat flux transients to plasma facing surfaces project to large amplitude in future low collisionality burning plasma tokamaks. Measurements of the ELM heat flux deposition onto material surfaces in the divertor and main chamber indicate significant broadening compared to inter-ELM heat flux, with a timescale for energy deposition that is consistent with sonic ion flow and numerical simulation. Comprehensive ELM simulation is highlighting the important physics processes of ELM transport including parallel transport due to magnetic reconnection and turbulence resulting from collapse of the H-mode transport barrier. Encouraging prospects for ELM control and/or suppression in future tokamaks include intrinsic modes of ELM free operation, ELM triggering with frequent small pellet injection and the application of 3D magnetic fields.
Interaction of toluene with two-color asymmetric laser fields: Controlling the directional emission of molecular hydrogen fragments
Authors: Kaziannis S. , Kotsina N. , Kosmidis C.
Published: September 2014

The interaction of toluene with strong asymmetric two-color laser irradiation of 40 fs duration is studied by means of Time of flight mass spectrometry. Highly energetic H2+ and H3+ fragment ions are produced through an isomerization process taking place within transient multiply charged parent ions. Comparative study of deuterium labeled toluene isotopes enables the discrimination between molecular hydrogen fragments formed exclusively within the CH3- part from those that require hydrogen atom exchange between the former and the phenyl moiety. It is demonstrated that by manipulating the relative phase of the ω/2ω field components the selective ionization of oriented toluene molecules can be used as a tool to control the directional emission of the H2+, H3+ species.
Temperature-dependent infrared dielectric functions of MgO crystal: An ellipsometry and first-principles molecular dynamics study
Authors: Yang J. Y. , Zhang W. J. , Liu L. H. , Qiu J. , Wang K. , Tan J. Y.
Published: September 2014

In this work, the state-of-the-art infrared variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (IR-VASE) and first-principles molecular dynamics (FPMD) method were combined to obtain the infrared dielectric functions of MgO crystal in the spectral range 300–1000 cm−1 and for temperatures up to 1950 K. The IR-VASE can measure the infrared dielectric functions of MgO crystal at temperatures ranging from 300 to 573 K and reproduce previous infrared-reflectivity experiments. As temperature increases, it demonstrates that the amplitude of dominant absorption peak centered around 400 cm−1 reduces, the width broadens, and the position shifts to longer wavelength. Besides ellipsometry study, the FPMD method was implemented, seeking to theoretically predict the infrared spectra of MgO crystal at elevated temperatures. Comparing with experimental measurements, the FPMD method can reproduce the essential feature of ellipsometry and previous infrared-reflectivity experiments even at elevated temperatures, though with some deviations in predicting the exact position and amplitude of dominant absorption peak. On the other hand, the FPMD method can predict the temperature effect on the infrared dielectric functions of MgO crystal, e.g., redshift and broadened absorption peak with increasing temperature.
A method to determine fault vectors in 4H-SiC from stacking sequences observed on high resolution transmission electron microscopy images
Authors: Wu Fangzhen , Wang Huanhuan , Raghothamachar Balaji , Dudley Michael , Mueller Stephan G. , Chung Gil , Sanchez Edward K. , Hansen Darren , Loboda Mark J. , Zhang Lihua , Su Dong , Kisslinger Kim , Stach Eric
Published: September 2014

A new method has been developed to determine the fault vectors associated with stacking faults in 4H-SiC from their stacking sequences observed on high resolution TEM images. This method, analogous to the Burgers circuit technique for determination of dislocation Burgers vector, involves determination of the vectors required in the projection of the perfect lattice to correct the deviated path constructed in the faulted material. Results for several different stacking faults were compared with fault vectors determined from X-ray topographic contrast analysis and were found to be consistent. This technique is expected to applicable to all structures comprising corner shared tetrahedra.
High-performance deep ultraviolet photodetectors based on ZnO quantum dot assemblies
Authors: Xu Xiaoyong , Xu Chunxiang , Hu Jingguo
Published: September 2014

A high-performance ZnO quantum dots (QDs)-based ultraviolet (UV) photodetector has been successfully fabricated via the self-assembly of QDs on the Au interdigital electrode. The broadened band gap in ZnO QDs makes the device has the highly selective response for the deep UV detection. The unique QD-QD junction barriers similar to back-to-back Schottky barriers dominate the conductance of the QD network and the UV light-induced barrier-height modulation plays a crucial role in enhancing the photoresponsivity and the response speed. Typically, the as-fabricated device exhibits the fast response and recovery times of within 1 s, the deep UV selectivity of less than 340 nm, and the stable repeatability with on/off current ratio over 103, photoresponsivity of 5.04 × 102 A/W, and photocurrent gain of 1.93 × 103, demonstrating that the ZnO QD network is a superior building block for deep UV photodetectors.
Terahertz photon-electron pump effect and Fano-like resonance in the two-level InAs quantum dot
Authors: Zhao X. , Yuan R.-Y. , Ji A.-C. , Yan H. , Guo Y.
Published: September 2014

In this work, with the completely asymmetric terahertz (THz) irradiation, electron transport through a two-level InAs quantum dot is theoretically discussed. The Coulomb interaction in this system is compared with the energy difference between the two energy levels and is finite contrasted with the Microwave Field system. We investigate the average current trend with the change of Coulomb interaction and the THz irradiation strength. Our results reveal that there exists the photon-electron pump effect at the Coulomb interaction related energy level, and demonstrate Fano-like resonance in the low THz field strength due to the presence of the photon induced excited state resonance. We also find that the Fano-like resonance can be suppressed with increasing the temperature.
Energy harvesting from self-sustained aeroelastic limit cycle oscillations of rectangular wings
Authors: Zhao Dan , Ega Evan
Published: September 2014

Three different aspect-ratio rectangular wings are designed and experimentally tested to produce self-sustained aeroelastic oscillations for energy harvesting via implementing a piezoelectric generator. Sensitivity measurements are conducted first to determine the critical conditions producing such oscillations with a dominant frequency of 1 Hz. Furthermore, the energy harvesting performance is maximized as the piezoelectric generator is implemented in parallel with oncoming flow streamline. Approximately 55 mW electricity is produced from a wing with a surface area of 0.025 m2. Unlike conventional wind turbine technology, the present work opens up another possible way to harvest energy via nonlinear aeroelastic oscillations.
Polar magneto-optical effects in magnetoplasmonic thin films illuminated by attenuated total reflection
Authors: Yan Cunji , Han Li , Yang Jinbo , Gu Wenqi
Published: September 2014

We investigate the polar magneto-optical Kerr effect as a function of the angle of incidence in Co/Au thin films under attenuated total reflection conditions. An experimental method is proposed to measure the intrinsic polar magneto-optical Kerr rotation of the magnetoplasmonic films while considering the influence of the glass Faraday magneto-optical effect. The experimental results demonstrate that the Kerr rotations of these films are greatly affected by a number of factors including the angle of incidence, the linear polarization of the incident light, and the film thickness. The results suggest that the polar magneto-optical activity is affected by the evanescent fields decaying inside the films; these fields arise not only from attenuated total reflection at the glass/metal interface but also from the surface plasmon polaritons at the metal/air interface. A close relationship between the magneto-optical activity and the electromagnetic field distribution within the magnetoplasmonic films is clearly revealed.
Theoretical vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy of water near lipid and surfactant monolayer interfaces
Authors: Roy S. , Gruenbaum S. M. , Skinner J. L.
Published: September 2014

Understanding the structure of water near cell membranes is crucial for characterizing water-mediated events such as molecular transport. To obtain structural information of water near a membrane, it is useful to have a surface-selective technique that can probe only interfacial water molecules. One such technique is vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy. As model systems for studying membrane headgroup/water interactions, in this paper we consider lipid and surfactant monolayers on water. We adopt a theoretical approach combining molecular dynamics simulations and phase-sensitive VSFG to investigate water structure near these interfaces. Our simulated spectra are in qualitative agreement with experiments and reveal orientational ordering of interfacial water molecules near cationic, anionic, and zwitterionic interfaces. OH bonds of water molecules point toward an anionic interface leading to a positive VSFG peak, whereas the water hydrogen atoms point away from a cationic interface leading to a negative VSFG peak. Coexistence of these two interfacial water species is observed near interfaces between water and mixtures of cationic and anionic lipids, as indicated by the presence of both negative and positive peaks in their VSFG spectra. In the case of a zwitterionic interface, OH orientation is toward the interface on the average, resulting in a positive VSFG peak.
Copper oxide assisted cysteine hierarchical structures for immunosensor application
Authors: Pandey Chandra Mouli , Sumana Gajjala , Tiwari Ida
Published: September 2014

The present work describes the promising electrochemical immunosensing strategy based on copper (II) assisted hierarchical cysteine structures (CuCys) varying from star to flower like morphology. The CuCys having average size of 10 μm have been synthesised using L-Cysteine as initial precursor in presence of copper oxide under environmentally friendly conditions in aqueous medium. To delineate the synthesis mechanism, detailed structural investigations have been carried out using characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The electrochemical behaviour of self-assembled CuCys on gold electrode shows surface controlled electrode reaction with an apparent electron transfer rate constant of 3.38 × 10−4 cm s−1. This innovative platform has been utilized to fabricate an immunosensor by covalently immobilizing monoclonal antibodies specific for Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli). Under the optimal conditions, the fabricated immunosensor is found to be sensitive and specific for the detection of E. coli with a detection limit of 10 cfu/ml.
Evaluation of flow units and free volumes in metallic glasses
Authors: Zhao L. Z. , Xue R. J. , Zhu Z. G. , Lu Z. , Axinte E. , Wang W. H. , Bai H. Y.
Published: September 2014

We investigate the changes of the fractions of flow units and free volumes in two typical metallic glasses by variation of their preparation cooling rates. It is found that the fractions of the flow units and the free volumes show a similar dependence on the cooling rate, which is suggestive of the existence of a strong connection between them. The microstructural correlation between flow units and free volumes of the metallic glasses is discussed, which could be helpful for understanding the formation and structural features of the flow units as well as their effects on mechanical properties and relaxation behaviors in metallic glasses.
Communication: Towards the binding energy and vibrational red shift of the simplest organic hydrogen bond: Harmonic constraints for methanol dimer
Authors: Heger Matthias , Suhm Martin A. , Mata Ricardo A.
Published: September 2014

The discrepancy between experimental and harmonically predicted shifts of the OH stretching fundamental of methanol upon hydrogen bonding to a second methanol unit is too large to be blamed mostly on diagonal and off-diagonal anharmonicity corrections. It is shown that a decisive contribution comes from post-MP2 electron correlation effects, which appear not to be captured by any of the popular density functionals. We also identify that the major deficiency is in the description of the donor OH bond. Together with estimates for the electronic and harmonically zero-point corrected dimer binding energies, this work provides essential constraints for a quantitative description of this simple hydrogen bond. The spectroscopic dissociation energy is predicted to be larger than 18 kJ/mol and the harmonic OH-stretching fundamental shifts by about −121 cm−1 upon dimerization, somewhat more than in the anharmonic experiment (−111 cm−1).
A corpus-based discourse analysis of conversational storytelling in Chinese adults
Authors: Zhao Yurong , Zhao Yang
Published: September 2014

This paper presents a corpus-based analysis of the nature of spontaneous storytelling activity in daily conversation. Based on both the structural and interactional views of oral narrative, we propose to add another perspective, arguing that conversational storytelling is a three-dimensional construct, with narrative, interactive and cognitive functions performed simultaneously in the context of social communication. The study has recorded 15 pieces of casual talks by 11 adult native speakers of Chinese and extracted 87 stories altogether. From the data, we observe that in the process of conversational narratives, (1) narration is achieved interactively, with the narrative sequence, story structure and even tellership all framed by communicative needs; (2) interactional activities, such as self-image building, interpersonal work and social-cultural practice are engaged in; (3) intersubjective social cognition is also achieved as personal experience becomes shared and cooperatively interpreted.
Comparing classifier use in 1995 and 2010 early child Cantonese to explore social change in Hong Kong
Authors: Li Hui , Mei Wong Eileen Chin
Published: September 2014

This study compared and analysed the classifier usage in two cohorts: the 492 Cantonese-speaking young children tested in 1995 (Tse & Li, 2011), and the 143 children tested in 2010 (Li &Tse, 2011). The results indicated that: (1) the 1995 and 2010 cohorts shared the same 8 most commonly used classifiers, 個go3, 隻zek3, 架gaa3, 杯bui1, 把baa2, 嚿gau6, 張zoeng1, 間gaan1; (2) Two top 10 classifiers were found in the 2010 cohort: 支zi1, and 部bou6; (3) both cohorts overused the general classifier 個go3; and (4) both cohorts overused 隻zek3and 嚿gau6to replace sortal classifiers and even to replace the general classifier 個go3. The pragmatic features and the associated social changes were discussed to understand the minor changes in classifier use between 1995 and 2010 cohorts.
Fictive Interaction
Authors: Pascual Esther
Published: September 2014

Language is intimately related to interaction. The question arises: Is the structure of interaction somehow mirrored in language structure and use? This book suggests a positive answer to this question by examining the ubiquitous phenomenon of fictive interaction, in which non-genuine conversational turns appear in discourse, even within clauses, phrases, and lexical items (e.g. “Not happy? Money back! guarantee”). The book is based on a collection of hundreds of examples of fictive interaction at all grammatical levels from a wide variety of spoken, written, and signed languages, and from many different discourse genres. Special attention is devoted to the strategic use of fictive interaction in legal argumentation, with a focus on high-profile criminal trials. Both trial lawyers and lay jurors often present material evidence or murder victims as speaking, and express emotions and intentions in conversational terms. The book thus establishes the role of the conversational turn—rather than the sentence—as the basic unit of language, and the role of conversation as a frame that structures cognition, discourse, and grammar.
Biliteracy development in immersion contexts
Authors: Hopewell Susan , Escamilla Kathy
Published: September 2014

Biliteracy is a greater and more complex form of literacy than monoliteracy. This paper provides a brief review of the research in the area of biliteracy in immersion contexts, and culminates by setting a research agenda for the coming decade. Three critical areas for research are identified: (1) creating a comprehensive theoretical framework for biliteracy development, (2) identifying and clarifying trajectories to biliteracy, and (3) developing better pedagogical practices to accelerate biliterate competencies and improve qualities of instruction.
A proposal for a multilevel linguistic representation of Spanish personal names
Authors: Vincze Orsolya , Alonso-Ramos Margarita
Published: September 2014

This paper proposes a multilevel representation of personal names, which makes a clear distinction between ontological information, described in a person database, and different levels of linguistic representation of personal names. Adopting the linguistic model and formalisms provided within the Meaning ⇔ Text framework, it is argued that, contrary to other proper names (e.g. names of organizations, toponyms, etc.), which should be treated similarly to idioms, personal name strings such as José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero should not be represented as single units in any linguistic level, nor in the lexicon. Variant forms referring to a concrete person (e.g. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Rodríguez Zapatero, Zapatero, ZP) are accounted for by a set of rules connecting the person database and the semantic level representation of the personal name.
Dependency annotation of coordination for learner language
Authors: Dickinson Markus , Ragheb Marwa
Published: September 2014

We present a strategy for dependency annotation of corpora of second language learners, dividing the annotation into different layers and separating linguistic constraints from realizations. Specifically, subcategorization information is required to compare to the annotation of realized dependencies, in order to fully capture learner innovations. Building from this, we outline dependency annotation for coordinate structures, detailing a number of constructions such as right node raising and the coordination of unlikes. We conclude that branching structures are preferable to treating the conjunction as et al. the head, as this avoids duplicating annotation.
Clitics in dependency morphology
Authors: Groß Thomas
Published: September 2014

Clitics are challenging for many theories of grammar because they straddle syntax and morphology. In most theories, cliticization is considered a phrasal phenomenon: clitics are affix-like expressions that attach to whole phrases. Constituency-based grammars in particular struggle with the exact constituent structure of such expressions. This paper proposes a solution based on catena-based dependency morphology. This theory is an extension of catena-based dependency syntax. A syntactic catena is any word or any combination of words that are continuous with respect to dominance. Likewise, any morph or any combination of morphs that is continuous with respect to dominance form a morph catena. Employing the concept of morph catena together with a hyphenation convention leads to a parsimonious and insightful understanding of cliticization.
Lack of Association between Carotid Artery Stenosis and Stroke or Myocardial Injury after Noncardiac Surgery in High-risk Patients
Authors: Sonny Abraham , Gornik Heather L. , Yang Dongsheng , Mascha Edward J. , Sessler Daniel I.
Published: September 2014

Background:

Whether carotid artery stenosis predicts stroke after noncardiac surgery remains unknown. We therefore tested the primary hypothesis that degree of carotid artery stenosis is associated with in-hospital stroke or 30-day all-cause mortality after noncardiac surgery. As carotid artery stenosis is also a marker for cardiovascular disease, our secondary hypothesis was that degree of carotid artery stenosis is associated with postoperative myocardial injury.

Methods:

We included adults who had noncardiac, noncarotid surgery at Cleveland Clinic from 2007 to 2011 and had carotid duplex ultrasound performed either within 6 months before or 1 month after surgery. Internal carotid artery peak systolic velocity (ICA PSV) was used as a measure of carotid artery stenosis severity. A multivariate (i.e., multiple outcomes per patient) generalized estimating equation model was used to assess the association between highest ICA PSV and the composite of stroke and 30-day mortality after adjusting for predefined potentially confounding variables.

Results:

Of 2,110 patients included, 112 (5.3%) died within 30 days and 54 (2.6%) suffered postoperative in-hospital stroke. ICA PSV was not associated with this composite outcome (odds ratio of 1.0 [95% confidence interval: 0.99, 1.02] for a 10-unit increase, P = 0.55). ICA PSV was also not associated with postoperative myocardial injury (odds ratio 1.00 [0.99, 1.02], P = 0.49).

Conclusions:

This cohort represents a high-risk population, as carotid duplex examinations were likely prompted by neurological symptoms. There was nonetheless no association between carotid artery stenosis and perioperative stroke or 30-day mortality after noncardiac surgery.
Effect of Colon Transection on Spontaneous and Meal‐Induced High‐Amplitude–Propagating Contractions in Children
Authors: Jacobs Courtney , Wolfson Sharon , Di Lorenzo Carlo , Cocjin Jose , Monagas Javier , Hyman Paul
Published: September 2014

Background:

After Hirschsprung disease (HD) surgery, many children experience fecal incontinence caused by increased number of high‐amplitude–propagating contractions (HAPCs) through the neorectum to the anal verge. The aim of this study was to determine whether children with HD have more HAPCs than children with colon transections for reasons other than HD.

Methods:

We reviewed 500 colon manometries. Children (age 7.6 ± 5.1 years, 275 boys) with functional constipation (n = 237, age 7.4 ± 5.0 years, 126 boys) and chronic abdominal pain (n = 48, age 9.8 ± 5.8 years, 25 boys) served as controls compared with subjects with HD (n = 56, age 6.9 ± 4.1 years, 44 boys) and colon transection for other reasons (n = 24, age 6.1 ± 5.8 years, 12 boys). We excluded 139 subjects without HAPCs. We documented HAPCs during 1‐hour fasting and 1‐hour postprandial. Results are in mean ± SD.

Results:

During fasting, HD subjects had more HAPCs (2.2 ± 3.4/hour) versus functional constipation (0.8 ± 2.2/hour, P = 0.0004) and chronic pain (0.5 ± 1.1/hour, P = 0.001), but not more than colon transection (1.9 ± 3.2/hour, P = 1.0). HD showed more postprandial HAPCs (4.0 ± 5.4/hour) than functional constipation (1.5 ± 2.5/hour, P < 0.0001) and chronic pain (0.9 ± 1.6/hour, P < 0.0001), but not more than colon transection (2.4 ± 3.0/hour, P = 0.6). There were more HAPCs fasting and postprandial after colon transection (1.9 ± 3.2/hour and 2.4 ± 3.0/hour) than functional constipation (0.8 ± 2.2/hour, P = 0.3 and 1.5 ± 2.5/hour, P = 1.0) and chronic pain (0.5 ± 1.1/hour, P = 1.0 and 0.9 ± 1.6, P = 1.0). HD subjects were divided by chief complaint: fecal incontinence or constipation. HD subjects with incontinence (n = 23) only had more HAPCs fasting (P = 0.01) and postprandial (P = 0.01) than HD subjects with constipation (n = 28) only.

Conclusions:

Increased HAPCs followed colon transection, regardless of a cause. HD subjects with incontinence had more HAPCs than subjects with colon transection for other reasons.
Rapid and accurate direct antibiotic susceptibility testing of blood culture broths using MALDI Sepsityper combined with the BD Phoenix automated system
Authors: Hazelton Briony , Thomas Lee C. , Olma Thomas , Kok Jen , O’Sullivan Matthew , Chen Sharon C.-A. , Iredell Jonathan R.
Published: September 2014

Antibiotic susceptibility testing with the BD Phoenix system on bacterial cell pellets generated from blood culture broths using the Bruker MALDI Sepsityper kit was evaluated. Seventy-six Gram-negative isolates, including 12 with defined multi-resistant phenotypes, had antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) performed by Phoenix on the cell pellet in parallel with conventional methods. In total, 1414/1444 (97.9 %) of susceptibility tests were concordant, with only 1 (0.07 %) very major error. This novel method has the potential to reduce the turnaround time for AST results by up to a day for Gram-negative bacteraemias.
Crystal structure of trimethylammonium 5-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-1,3-dimethyl-2,6-dioxo-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-4-olate
Authors: Gunaseelan Sridevi , Doraisamyraja Kalaivani
Published: September 2014

The asymmetric unit of the title molecular salt, C3H10N+·C12H9N4O7−[alternative name: trimethylammonium 5-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-1,3-dimethyl barbiturate], contains one anion and two half-occupancy cations. The cations are disordered about inversion centres. The tetrahydropyrimidine ring is essentially planar [maximum deviation = 0.007 (2) Å] and forms a dihedral angle of 41.12 (6)° with the plane of the benzene ring. In the crystal, N—H...O hydrogen bonds link the cations to the anions.
Crystal structure of 4-cyclohexyl-1-(propan-2-ylidene)thiosemicarbazide
Authors: Yamin Bohari M , Rodis Monica Lulo , Chee Dayang N. B. A
Published: September 2014

In the title compound, C10H19N3S, the cyclohexyl group adopts a chair conformation and adopts a position approximatelysynto the thione S atom. The CN2S thiourea moiety makes dihedral angle of 13.13 (10)° with the propan-2-ylideneamino group. An intramolecular N—H...N hydrogen bond is noted. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of N—H...S hydrogen bonds generateR22(8) loops.
Crystal structure of tetrakis(μ-n-butyrato-κ2O:O′)bis[chloridorhenium(III)](Re—Re)
Authors: Thomson Michael P. , O'Rourke Natasha F. , Wang Ruiyao , Aquino Manuel A. S.
Published: September 2014

With an inversion center at the mid-point of the two ReIIIatoms, the title compound, [Re2Cl2{O2C(CH2)2CH3}4], exhibits a paddle-wheel or lantern-type structure with fourn-butyrate groups bridging two ReIIIatoms in asyn–synfashion. The axial chloride ligands together with the Re—Re quadruple bond [2.2330 (3) Å] complete an essentially octahedral geometry around each ReIIIatom. There is little distortion, with an Re—Re—Cl bond angle of 176.18 (3)° and typicalcis-O—Re—O bond angles ranging from 89.39 (11) to 90.68 (11)°. There are two molecules in the unit cell, and no significant intermolecular interactions were noticed between molecules in the crystal.
Crystal structure ofN′-hydroxypyrimidine-2-carboximidamide
Authors: Jasmine Nithianantham Jeeva , Muthiah Packianathan Thomas , Stanley Nithianantham
Published: September 2014

The title compound, C5H6N4O, is approximately planar, with an angle of 11.04 (15)° between the planes of the pyrimidine ring and the non-H atoms of the carboximidamide unit. The molecule adopts anEconfiguration about the C=N double bond. In the crystal, adjacent molecules are linked by pairs of N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers with anR22(10) ring motif. The dimers are further linkedviaN—H...N and O—H...N hydrogen bonds into a sheet structure parallel to theacplane. The crystal structure also features N—H...O and weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds and offset π–π stacking interactions between adjacent pyrimidine rings [centroid–centroid distance = 3.622 (1) Å].
Child‐feeding practices of Indian and Australian‐Indian mothers
Authors: Jani Rati , Mallan Kimberley M. , Mihrshahi Seema , Daniels Lynne A.
Published: September 2014

Aim

Child‐feeding practices may be modifiable risk factors for childhood obesity; however, investigation of feeding practices in non‐Western populations is scarce. This cross‐sectional study examines the feeding practices of affluent Indian mothers with children aged one to five years residing in Australia and Mumbai, India. The secondary aim was to study the association between maternal and child characteristics and feeding practices.

Methods

In Australia and Mumbai, 230 and 301 mothers, respectively, completed either a hard copy or online questionnaire. Self‐reported maternal feeding practices (restriction, monitoring, pressure to eat, passive and responsive feeding) were measured using established scales and culturally specific items.

Results

Mothers in both samples were equally likely to use non‐responsive feeding practices, namely dietary restriction, pressure and passive feeding. Similarly, at least 50% of mothers in both samples did not feed their children responsively (mother decides what and the child decides how much to eat). The only difference observed after controlling for covariates (mothers' age, body mass index (BMI), religion, education, questionnaire type; child's age, birthplace, gender, number of siblings and weight‐for‐age Z‐scores) was that mothers in the Australian sample used higher levels of dietary monitoring (β = 0.2, P = 0.006). Mothers with a higher BMI (OR: 0.84, CI: 0.89–0.99, P = 0.03) and following Hinduism (OR: 0.50, CI: 0.33–0.83, P = 0.008) were less likely to feed responsively.

Conclusions

These results suggest that Indian mothers in both the samples may benefit from interventions that promote responsive child‐feeding practices.
Participatory research to influence participatory governance: managing relationships with planners
Authors: Blackstock Kirsty , Dinnie Liz , Dilley Rachel , Marshall Keith , Dunglinson Jill , Trench Hamish , Harper Katie , Finan Katriona , MacPherson Julia , Johnston Eilidh , Griffin Anna
Published: September 2014

This paper explores the tensions and opportunities involved in becoming a ‘critical friend’ to government agency planners trying to practise more inclusive forms of governance. It thus tackles two interrelated issues: how to build and manage rapport while retaining a critical research agenda, and how to locate niches for further democratising participation within congested multi‐level governance structures. A five‐year research programme allowed researchers to explore practices by planners charged with developing and implementing natural resource management plans in Scotland. The focus reflects a research interest in opening up governance structures beyond the ‘usual suspects’ to enhance the democratic promise of participatory approaches. The paper reflects on how the balance between rapport and critique influenced the goal of opening up these processes to more public participation. The paper concludes by arguing that analysis of participatory geography must attend to the ways in which transformative opportunities are embraced, resisted or co‐opted.
Educational Expectations of Parents and Children: Findings from a Case of China
Authors: Guo Jing
Published: September 2014

To examine educational expectations and the factors that influence them, this paper presents a study of elementary school‐aged children in China, with a particular interest in migrant children. This study revealed the significance of family socioeconomic status (SES), parental involvement, and children's school experiences to children's educational expectations. The findings of this study showed no significantly different patterns of factors influencing children's educational expectations between the migrant and the non‐migrant children in public schools. The implication of this finding is that it is not simply migrant status which affects a child's educational expectation; rather it is a set of family SES and school experiences. Future research considering diverse migrant child population is suggested.
Group I Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors: A Potential Target for Regulation of Proliferation and Differentiation of an Immortalized Human Neural Stem Cell Line
Authors: Erichsen Julie Ladeby , Blaabjerg Morten , Bogetofte Helle , Serrano Alberto Martinez , Meyer Morten
Published: September 2014

Human neural stem cells (NSCs) from the developing embryo or the subventricular zone of the adult brain can potentially elicit brain repair after injury or disease, either via endogenous cell proliferation or by cell transplantation. Profound knowledge of the diverse signals affecting these cells is, however, needed to realize their therapeutic potential. Glutamate and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) affect proliferation and survival of rodent NSCs both during embryonic and post‐natal development. To investigate the role of group I mGluRs (mGluR1 and mGluR5) on human NSCs, we differentiated an immortalized, forebrain‐derived stem cell line in the presence or absence of glutamate and with addition of either the group I mGluR agonist DHPG or the selective antagonists, MPEP (mGluR5) and LY367385 (mGluR1). Characterization of differentiated cells revealed that both mGluR1 and mGluR5 were present on the cells. Addition of glutamate to the growth medium significantly increased cell proliferation and reduced cell death, resulting in increased cell numbers. In the presence of glutamate, selective activation of group I mGluRs reduced gliogenesis, whereas selective inhibition of group I mGluRs reduced neurogenesis. Our results substantiate the importance of glutamate signalling in the regulation of human NSCs and may as such be applied to promote proliferation and neuronal differentiation.
Targeting CD36‐Mediated Inflammation Reduces Acute Brain Injury in Transient, but not Permanent, Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Kim Eun‐Hee , Tolhurst Aaron T. , Szeto Hazel H. , Cho Sung‐Hee
Published: September 2014

Aims

The pathology of stroke consists of multiple pro‐death processes, and CD36 has been suggested as a multimodal target to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in ischemic stroke. Using CD36‐deficient mice and SS‐31, a cell permeable tetrapeptide known to down‐regulate CD36 pathways, the current study investigated whether targeting CD36 is effective in transient and permanent ischemic stroke.

Methods

Wild‐type or CD36‐deficient mice were subjected to either 30‐min transient or permanent focal ischemic stroke. In parallel, a cohort of mice subjected to either transient or permanent stroke received either vehicle or 5 mg/kg of SS‐31. Monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) and its receptor CCR2, mRNA levels, and infarct volume and percent hemispheric swelling were measured in the postischemic brain.

Results

CD36 deficiency or SS‐31 treatment significantly attenuated MCP‐1 or CCR2 mRNA up‐regulation and injury size in the transient ischemic stroke. However, the approaches failed to show the protective effect in permanent ischemic stroke.

Conclusion

The study revealed that targeting CD36 has a beneficial effect on transient but not permanent focal ischemic stroke. The study thus precludes a generalized strategy targeting CD36 in ischemic stroke and suggests careful consideration of types of stroke and associated pathology in developing stroke therapies.
Comparison between the multiple‐set plus 2 weeks of tri‐set and traditional multiple‐set method on strength and body composition in trained women: a pilot study
Authors: Garcia Paula , Nascimento Dahan da C. , Tibana Ramires A. , Barboza Maria M. , Willardson Jeffrey M. , Prestes Jonato
Published: September 2014

The manipulation of resistance training (RT) variables affects the neuromuscular adaptations and may also alter body composition. Another important factor to be considered is the presence of high, moderate and low responding subjects to training. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of multiple‐set (MS) and tri‐set (TS) RT approaches on muscle strength and body composition following a 12 week programme in trained women (> 1 year of RT experience). A secondary objective was to assess variations in individual responsiveness to the RT by the identification of high (strength gains were > 20%), moderate (10 and 19%) and low responding (< 10%) subjects. Eleven healthy experientially resistance trained women were randomly divided into two groups: MS (n = 6; age 27·17 ± 8·23 years; body mass 57·97 ± 2·48 kg) and TS (n = 5; age 23·20 ± 2·28 years; body mass 61·74 ± 6·95 kg). High responders were found in the training groups (MS n = 4 and TS n = 1), moderate (MS n = 1 and TS n = 3) and low responders (MS n = 1 and TS n = 1). The MS group displayed an increase in squat 1RM (P<0·01), stiff leg deadlift 1RM (P<0·002) and squat repetitions maximum at 50% of 1RM (P<0·04). The TS method significantly increased all strength variables (P<0·05), with no differences between methods (P>0·05). Differences were evident between subjects classified as high, medium and low responding in the stiff leg deadlift 1RM (P = 0·007). Both RT protocols increased strength, with no effect on body composition. The variability in individual responsiveness emphasizes the importance of individualized RT prescription for strength practitioners.
Democratisation and the Political Incentives for Agricultural Policy in Africa
Authors: Poulton Colin
Published: September 2014

In theory, democratisation, which has proceeded unevenly across Africa during the past two decades, should encourage pro‐poor agricultural policy, as the majority of voters in many countries remain rural and poor. This article draws on case studies of recent policy change in six African countries, plus a review of the literature on political competition and voting behaviour, to explore the evolving role of competitive electoral politics in agricultural policy‐making. It finds that democratic pressures for pro‐poor agricultural policy remain weak, which may help explain the limited delivery thus far on commitments to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). However, exogenous factors – most strikingly, sustained threats to regime survival – can create positive incentives for agricultural investment. The implications for participants in agricultural policy processes are explored.
Temporal stability in forest productivity increases with tree diversity due to asynchrony in species dynamics
Authors: Morin Xavier , Fahse Lorenz , de Mazancourt Claire , Scherer‐Lorenzen Michael , Bugmann Harald
Published: September 2014

Theory predicts a positive relationship between biodiversity and stability in ecosystem properties, while diversity is expected to have a negative impact on stability at the species level. We used virtual experiments based on a dynamic simulation model to test for the diversity–stability relationship and its underlying mechanisms in Central European forests. First our results show that variability in productivity between stands differing in species composition decreases as species richness and functional diversity increase. Second we show temporal stability increases with increasing diversity due to compensatory dynamics across species, supporting the biodiversity insurance hypothesis. We demonstrate that this pattern is mainly driven by the asynchrony of species responses to small disturbances rather than to environmental fluctuations, and is only weakly affected by the net biodiversity effect on productivity. Furthermore, our results suggest that compensatory dynamics between species may enhance ecosystem stability through an optimisation of canopy occupancy by coexisting species.
Prevalence and factors associated with the occurrence of preterm birth in Irbid governorate of Jordan: A retrospective study
Authors: Mohammad Khitam , Abu Dalou Ahmad , Kassab Manal , Gamble Jenny , Creedy Debra K
Published: September 2014

Prevention is important to reduce the prevalence of preterm births. Although prematurity has been well studied in developed countries, data from developing countries, such as Jordan, are still limited. This retrospective study analysed medical records to determine possible risk factors leading to preterm birth in the Irbid governorate of Jordan. All preterm births during the year 2011 were reviewed. Abstracted data included mother's age and gravidity. Newborn information included gender, birthweight and gestational age at birth. A total of 647 singleton births were included. There were more females than males (54.9% vs. 45.1%), with 75.6% being the second child or more. Half the mothers (50.2%) were 25–35 years of age. Factors associated with preterm birth were male gender (P = 0.008), maternal age > 35 years (P = 0.005) and first birth (P = 0.003). Nurses need to provide support and education to mothers with potential risk about reproductive health and family planning.
Webs of causation in violent relationships
Authors: Katerndahl David , Burge Sandra , Ferrer Robert , Becho Johanna , Wood Robert
Published: September 2014

Rationale, aims and objectives

Predictors of intimate partner violence (IPV) include husband, wife and relational characteristics. However, we know little about the proximal, day‐to‐day triggering of abusive events. The purpose of the study was to analyse the daily temporal relationships among environmental, relational and violence variables in violent marital relationships.

Method

Two hundred adult primary care women who experienced violence in the previous month were recruited from six primary care clinics. Women completed daily assessments of household environment, marital relationship and violence using telephone interactive verbal response for 12 weeks. Same‐day correlates were sought using cross‐correlations among the environmental, relational and violence factors. Prior‐day and prior‐week associations were sought using vector autoregressions.

Results

Except for wife's alcohol intake, all household environment and relationship factors demonstrated significant same‐day correlations with IPV. However, prior‐day violence by the husband, hassles, lack of husband's alcohol intake, emotional upset and marital distance were significantly related to current husband‐perpetrated violence. Wife's violence depended upon her prior‐day violence and alcohol intake only. All factors were related to husband‐perpetrated violence in the subsequent week. Only wife's alcohol intake and husband's seeking forgiveness did not feedforward. In addition to the presence of multiple interdependent factors, circular causality was noted for marital distance and feeling upset.

Conclusions

IPV was due to multiple interdependent factors, feedforward dynamics and circular causality as expected in complex systems. The complex dynamics imply that simple interventions may have little chance of success, but understanding couple‐specific dynamics may allow women to recognize high‐risk prior‐day profiles and take preventive action.
Fatty Acid Profiling for Assessment of Diarrheal‐Type Enterotoxin Producing and Nonproducing Bacillus cereus Origin from Foods Getting into Lithuanian Market
Authors: Jonkuvienė D. , Šalomskienė J. , Zaborskienė G.
Published: September 2014

The study was undertaken to compare intraspecific variation of fatty acid (FA) profiles of Bacillus cereus isolated from different foods in order to find out if these profiles could be used for assessment of diarrheal‐type enterotoxin producing and nonproducing strains. A total of 123 strains of presumptive B. cereus were isolated from ready‐to‐eat foods, dried milk products, and dry products of nonmilk origin and identified by pyrosequencing assay. About 29.3% of B. cereus isolates were found to be enterotoxic. Statistical hierarchical cluster analysis did not show relation among diarrheal‐type enterotoxin producing and nonproducing B. cereus based on FA profiles in individual isolates. The profiles of cellular FA in B. cereus depended on the food type; however, all isolates produced 10 common FAs. Production of common FA within diarrheal‐type enterotoxin producing and nonproducing B. cereus changed when B. cereus was cultivated on tryptic soy agar supplemented with various additives or in liquid medium.

Practical Applications

Foodborne pathogens are one of the major sources of infectious diseases in humans. The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, while releasing the report on the morbidity of various diseases including diarrhea, did not emphasize cases related to B. cereus. The data collected in this study demonstrated the pathogenicity level of B. cereus found in food products getting into the Lithuanian market. The classical microbiological method for B. cereus confirmation is time consuming, and genetic identification is rather expensive. Therefore, it is appropriate to seek faster and cheaper methods for the identification of these bacteria. Studies on detailed FA produced in B. cereus strains could be used for the characterization of intrinsic features of B. cereus, while common butyric, myristic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids could be used as biological markers for differentiation of diarrheal‐type enterotoxin producing and nonproducing B. cereus origin from foods of different type.
Flaxseed Oil for Control of Peanut Rust and Its Disease Control Mechanism
Authors: Chen Wen‐Yang , Ko Wen‐Hsiung
Published: September 2014

Severity of peanut rust caused by Puccinia arachidis was reduced by 15 edible oils tested. Flaxseed oil was the best suppressing the disease completely. Peanut oil, wheat germ oil, brown rice oil, aloe oil, olive oil and corn germ oil also caused more than 75% reduction in disease incidence. Flaxseed oil reduced the rust to a negligible level in the greenhouse and was nearly as effective as the fungicide chlorothalonil in peanut field trials. The control of peanut rust by flaxseed oil did not result from activation of the host defence mechanisms. Flaxseed oil did not affect urediniospore germination, but reduced the germ tube length and completely suppressed appressorium formation which is essential for the pathogen to form an infection peg to pass through the stomatal aperture and infect the host tissue. Although the pathogen had penetrated, flaxseed oil still exerted some inhibitory effect against the growth of the pathogen. The advantages of using flaxseed oil to control peanut rust are that it is relatively inexpensive, easy to prepare, and friendly to the environment and human health.