bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Towards a new class of heavy ion doped magnetic semiconductors for room temperature applications
Authors: Lee Juwon , Subramaniam Nagarajan Ganapathi , Agnieszka Kowalik Iwona , Nisar Jawad , Lee Jaechul , Kwon Younghae , Lee Jaechoon , Kang Taewon , Peng Xiangyang , Arvanitis Dimitri , Ahuja Rajeev 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe article presents, using Bi doped ZnO, an example of a heavy ion doped oxide semiconductor, highlighting a novel p-symmetry interaction of the electronic states to stabilize ferromagnetism. The study includes both ab initio theory and experiments, which yield clear evidence for above room temperature ferromagnetism. ZnBixO1−x thin films are grown using the pulsed laser deposition technique. The room temperature ferromagnetism finds its origin in the holes introduced by the Bi doping and the p-p coupling between Bi and the host atoms. A sizeable magnetic moment is measured by means of x-ray magnetic circular dichroism at the O K-edge, probing directly the spin polarization of the O(2p) states. This result is in agreement with the theoretical predictions and inductive magnetometry measurements. Ab initio calculations of the electronic and magnetic structure of ZnBixO1−x at various doping levels allow to trace the origin of the ferromagnetic character of this material. It appears, that the spin-orbit energy of the heavy ion Bi stabilizes the ferromagnetic phase. Thus, ZnBixO1−x doped with a heavy non-ferromagnetic element, such as Bi, is a credible example of a candidate material for a new class of compounds for spintronics applications, based on the spin polarization of the p states.
Ultrathin niobium nanofilms on fiber optical tapers – a new route towards low-loss hybrid plasmonic modes
Authors: Wieduwilt Torsten , Tuniz Alessandro , Linzen Sven , Goerke Sebastian , Dellith Jan , Hübner Uwe , Schmidt Markus A. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractDue to the ongoing improvement in nanostructuring technology, ultrathin metallic nanofilms have recently gained substantial attention in plasmonics, e.g. as building blocks of metasurfaces. Typically, noble metals such as silver or gold are the materials of choice, due to their excellent optical properties, however they also possess some intrinsic disadvantages. Here, we introduce niobium nanofilms (~10 nm thickness) as an alternate plasmonic platform. We demonstrate functionality by depositing a niobium nanofilm on a plasmonic fiber taper and observe a dielectric-loaded niobium surface-plasmon excitation for the first time, with a modal attenuation of only 3–4 dB/mm in aqueous environment and a refractive index sensitivity up to 15 μm/RIU if the analyte index exceeds 1.42. We show that the niobium nanofilm possesses bulk optical properties, is continuous, homogenous and inert against any environmental influence, thus possessing several superior properties compared to noble metal nanofilms. These results demonstrate that ultrathin niobium nanofilms can serve as a new platform for biomedical diagnostics, superconducting photonics, ultrathin metasurfaces or new types of optoelectronic devices.
Hydrophilic Magnetochromatic Nanoparticles with Controllable Sizes and Super-high Magnetization for Visualization of Magnetic Field Intensity
Authors: Zhuang Lin , Zhao Yongxin , Zhong Huixiang , Liang Jinhua , Zhou Jianhua , Shen Hui 
Published: November 2015

AbstractHydrophilic Fe3O4 nanoparticles with controllable size and shape have been fabricated using a facile solvothermal approach followed by surface modification with polyacrylic acid (PAA). The nanoparticles form one-dimension photonic crystal structure under external magnetic field ranging from 29.6 to 459 G. The reflection peaks of formed photonic crystals cover the entire visible spectrum, which indicates a good magnetochromatic property and prospect of wide applications. The size and shape of Fe3O4 nanoparticles are controlled by changing the ratio between ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol. In the process of surface modification, PAA synthesized by free radical polymerization was chemisorbed onto the surface of Fe3O4 particles with the aid of Fe3+ cations, which renders the particles well dispersed in aqueous solution with high thermo-stability. The Fe3O4 particles exhibit ferrimagnetism with a high saturation magnetization value of 88.0 emu/g. Both the high magnetization and the wide reflection spectrum under magnetic field make the magnetochromatic nanoparticles a promising material for visualization of the distribution of magnetic field intensity on microfluidic chips.
Influence of Humic Acid Complexation with Metal Ions on Extracellular Electron Transfer Activity
Authors: Zhou Shungui , Chen Shanshan , Yuan Yong , Lu Qin 
Published: November 2015

AbstractHumic acids (HAs) can act as electron shuttles and mediate biogeochemical cycles, thereby influencing the transformation of nutrients and environmental pollutants. HAs commonly complex with metals in the environment, but few studies have focused on how these metals affect the roles of HAs in extracellular electron transfer (EET). In this study, HA-metal (HA-M) complexes (HA-Fe, HA-Cu and HA-Al) were prepared and characterized. The electron shuttle capacities of HA-M complexes were experimentally evaluated through microbial Fe(III) reduction, biocurrent generation and microbial azoreduction. The results show that the electron shuttle capacities of HAs were enhanced after complexation with Fe but were weakened when using Cu or Al. Density functional theory calculations were performed to explore the structural geometry of the HA-M complexes and revealed the best binding sites of the HAs to metals and the varied charge transfer rate constants (k). The EET activity of the HA-M complexes were in the order HA-Fe > HA-Cu > HA-Al. These findings have important implications for biogeochemical redox processes given the ubiquitous nature of both HAs and various metals in the environment.
Cytotoxic and sublethal effects of silver nanoparticles on tendon-derived stem cells – implications for tendon engineering
Authors: Cheung Tik Shing , Lau Pui Man , Lu Haifei , Ho Ho Pui , Lui Pauline Po Yee , Kong Siu Kai 
Published: November 2015

Abstract
Tendon injuries occur commonly in sports and workplace. Tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) have great potential for tendon healing because they can differentiate into functional tenocytes. To grow TDSCs properly in vivo, a scaffold is needed. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been used in a range of biomedical applications for their anti-bacterial and -inflammatory effects. AgNPs are therefore expected to be a good scaffolding coating material for tendon engineering. Yet, their cytotoxicity in TDSCs remains unknown. Moreover, their sublethal effects were mysterious in TDSCs. In our study, decahedral AgNPs (43.5 nm in diameter) coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) caused a decrease in TDSCs’ viability beginning at 37.5 μg ml−1 but showed non-cytotoxic effects at concentrations below 18.8 μg ml−1. Apoptosis was observed in the TDSCs when higher doses of AgNPs (75–150 μg ml−1) were used. Mechanistically, AgNPs induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) depolarization, resulting in apoptosis. Interestingly, treating TDSCs with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) antioxidant significantly antagonized the ROS formation, MMP depolarization and apoptosis indicating that ROS accumulation was a prominent mediator in the AgNP-induced cytotoxicity. On the other hand, AgNPs inhibited the tendon markers’ mRNA expression (0–15 μg ml−1), proliferation and clonogenicity (0–15 μg ml−1) in TDSCs under non-cytotoxic concentrations. Taken together, we have reported here for the first time that the decahedral AgNPs are cytotoxic to rat TDSCs and their sublethal effects are also detrimental to stem cells’ proliferation and tenogenic differentiation. Therefore, AgNPs are not a good scaffolding coating material for tendon engineering.
Simple approach to calculate unity‐gain frequency of series–series compensated inductive power transfer
Authors: Gao Y. , Ginart A. , Duan C. , Farley K.B. , Tse Z.T.H. 
Published: November 2015

The switching frequency of inductive power transfer may change along with the air gap between two coils due to mutual inductance variation. The mutual inductance is conventionally estimated through experimental measurement or finite element analysis. To simplify this process, a frequency‐gap model for series–series compensated inductive power transfer is proposed to calculate the unity‐gain frequency based on known air gap and coil geometric parameters. Neumann's formula is applied to compute the mutual inductance of the primary and secondary coils. The experimental results show that the unity‐gain frequency can be predicted with varying loads and air gaps (75–250 mm), and a demonstrated unity‐gain error of <6%.
Chronic hepatitis C, depression and gender: a state of art
Authors: Martin-Santos Rocio , Egmond Elfi , Cavero Myriam , Mariño Zoe , Subira Susana , Navines Ricard , Forns Xavier , Valdes Manuel 
Published: November 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge regarding chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection, antiviral therapy, depression, and gender.Design/methodology/approach– CHC and its treatment options were reviewed examining their relationship with depression and gender.Findings– CHC is a high prevalent chronic infection worldwide, being similar in men and women. However, the infection shows many gender differences in terms of innate response, genetic variability (i.e. IL-28B), route of transmission (i.e. intravenous drug use), disease progression (i.e. fibrosis), lifetime period (i.e. pregnancy), and risk factors (i.e. HIV). Both the hepatitis C infection and antiviral treatment (especially when using the pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon α), are highly associated with depression, where female gender constitutes a risk factor. It seems that the new direct-acting antiviral combinations produce fewer neuropsychiatric side effects. In fact, the presence of depression at baseline is no longer a limitation for the initiation of antiviral treatment. Antidepressant drugs have been recommended as current depression and prophylactic treatment in risk subgroups. However, caution should be exercised due to the risk of drug-drug interactions with some antiviral drugs. Women should be counselled prenatal, during and after pregnancy, taking into account the clinical situation, and the available evidence of the risks and benefits of antiviral and antidepressant treatments. Multidisciplinary approach shows cost-efficacy results.Originality/value– The paper clarifies the complex management of CHC therapy and the importance of individualizing treatment. The results also underline the need for an integrated multidisciplinary approach.
The shifting roles of medical stakeholders in opioid substitution treatment: a comparison between Denmark and the UK
Authors: Bjerge Bagga , Duke Karen , Frank Vibeke Asmussen 
Published: November 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the shifting roles of medical professionals as stakeholders in opioid substitution treatment (OST) policies and practices in Denmark and the UK within the past 15 years.Design/methodology/approach– The paper is based on literature reviews, documentary analyses and key informant interviews with a range of stakeholders involved in OST and policy in Denmark and UK. The study is part of the EU-funded project: Addictions and Lifestyles in Contemporary Europe: Reframing Addictions Project.Findings– Denmark and the UK are amongst those few European countries that have long traditions and elaborate systems for providing OST to heroin users. The UK has a history of dominance of medical professionals in drugs treatment, although this has been recently challenged by the recovery movement. In Denmark, a social problem approach has historically dominated the field, but a recent trend towards medicalisation can be traced. As in all kinds of policy changes, multiple factors are at play when shifts occur. We examine how both countries’ developments around drugs treatment policy and practice relate to broader societal, economic and political changes, how such divergent developments emerge and how medical professionals as stakeholders enhanced their roles as experts in the field through a variety of tactics, including the production and use of “evidence”, which became a key tool to promote specific stakeholder’s perspectives in these processes.Originality/value– The paper contributes to current policy and practice debates by providing comparative analyses of drug policies and examination of stakeholder influences on policy processes.
Understanding culture on the effectiveness of restaurant servers’ check-back style
Authors: Lee Hye Eun , Hwang Joyce Hyunjoo , Bennett Keri 
Published: November 2015

Purpose– This study aims to, first, identify how service perception can differ depending on the customers’ cultural background during intercultural encounters and, second, provide useful and specific directions of more culturally competent service interaction to restaurant managers and servers in US restaurants. Effective exchanges between service providers and international customers are important to ensure the success of restaurants. While frequently and explicitly checking in on customers is common in the USA, this may not be preferable to people from different cultures.Design/methodology/approach– Study 1 (n= 975) utilized a survey, and Study 2 (n= 145) used an experimental design to, first, examine cultural differences between American and Japanese participants in their preferences about restaurant servers’ check-back style and, second, examined the moderating effect of culture (i.e. American and Japanese culture) on the relationship between the servers’ check-back behavior and the evaluations of service effectiveness, emotional response and the intention to return to a restaurant.Findings– The results showed that the frequency of a server’s visits had a positive effect on evaluations of service effectiveness, emotional response and intent to revisit for the Americans, but not for the Japanese.Practical implications– This research has practical implications for restaurant managers and servers who are expected to interact with international customers. They can apply the findings of this research to examine culturally appropriate check-back styles, which are an important attribute of effectiveness in intercultural service encounters in US restaurants.Originality/value– The current study indicates that providing standardized service to all customers, regardless of cultural differences, might not be ideal.
Culture based development: measuring an invisible resource using the PLS-PM method
Authors: Tubadji Annie , Pelzel Frank 
Published: November 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to conduct an in-depth exploratory test of the innovative culture-based development (CBD) concept and to evaluate its potential for empirical research.Design/methodology/approach– The authors use the partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM) method to look closely at the latently present factor culture and investigate its various possible relationships with the rest of the sub-components of socio-economic development. The authors estimate two alternative specifications of the CBD model, with regional data for Germany in 2006.Findings– The main finding is that according to the PLS-PM quality criteria, the CBD model is a suitable approach for measuring the cultural impact on regional level. The expected sign of the cultural effect suggested by the CBD concept is also confirmed by the results.Originality/value– The authors identify interesting potential bottlenecks in applying the CBD concept incorrectly and demonstrate the PLS-PM potential to control for them.
The importance of good aquaculture practices in improving fish farmer’s income
Authors: Kamaruddin Roslina , Baharuddin Amir Hussin 
Published: November 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to identify the level of good aquaculture practice (GAqP) among aquaculture farmers; and to analyse the factors influence the level of practice and the importance of GAqP in increasing farmer’s income.

Design/methodology/approach
– Primary data were obtained through a survey conducted on 216 aquaculture pond fish farmers. The descriptive study was employed to identify the profile of respondents and their level of GAqP practices. The structural equation modelling (SEM) method was applied to analyse the factors influence the level of GAqP practice, and the influence of GAqP on the total income of aquaculture farmers.

Findings
– The results showed that the pond management by brackish water fish farmers is better than freshwater fish farmer, indicated by 77 per cent of them adopt GAqP at a level of 60 per cent and above, as compared to only 20 per cent by freshwater farmers. Physical and human assets were revealed to be most significant factors influence the practice of GAqP. The results also proved that GAqP was among the significant factor contributes to increasing in farmers’ household income; in addition to their other livelihood assets.

Originality/value
– To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the very first study that employs SEM method to analyse the relationship between GAqP with livelihood asset and farmer’s income simultaneously in Malaysia. Furthermore, since the empirical studies related to GAqP is very few, the study will contribute to development of knowledge in the field of aquaculture.
Increasing revenue and attendance in Canadian Baptist churches
Authors: Chan Alan , Fawcett Bruce G. , Lee Shu-Kam 
Published: November 2015

Purpose– Church giving and attendance are two important indicators of church health and performance. In the literature, they are usually understood to be simultaneously determined. The purpose of this paper is to estimate if there a sustainable church congregation size using Wintrobe’s (1998) dictatorship model. The authors want to examine the impact of youth and adult ministry as well.Design/methodology/approach– Using the data collected from among Canadian Baptist churches in Eastern Canada, this study investigates the factors affecting the level of the two indicators by the panel-instrumental variable technique. Applying Wintrobe’s (1998) political economy model on dictatorship, the equilibrium level of worship attendance and giving is predicted.Findings– Through various simulation exercises, the actual church congregation sizes is approximately 50 percent of the predicted value, implying inefficiency and misallocation of church resources. The paper concludes with insights on effective ways church leaders can allocate scarce resources to promote growth within churches.Originality/value– The authors are the only researchers getting the permission from the Atlantic Canada Baptist Convention to use their mega data set on church giving and congregation sizes as per the authors’ knowledge. The authors are also applying a theoretical model on dictatorship to religious/not for profits organizations.
Do land transfers to international investors contribute to employment generation and local food security?
Authors: Alamirew Bamlaku , Grethe Harald , Siddig Khalid Hassan Ali , Wossen Tesfamicheal 
Published: November 2015

Purpose– Like many countries in the developing world, Ethiopia has leased out a huge amount of land to foreign investors. However, empirical evidence on the contribution of international investments to employment generation and food security is limited. The purpose of this paper is to examine the contribution of large-scale farms to local-level food security in Bako Tibe District, Oromia Region.Design/methodology/approach– Primary data were collected from 200 randomly selected households from two purposefully selected villages in the district. Secondary data were collected from government offices and the literature. Propensity score matching was used to match households based on observable characteristics. Using the World Food Programme (WFP) approach, the food consumption score (FCS) of households was calculated. Finally, the Average Treatment effect for the Treated was determined.Findings– Findings indicate that foreign land deals increase the odds of households falling into food insecurity and that the employment opportunities are both temporal and marginal. Furthermore, these land deals result in a decline of households’ FCS and thus have a negative effect on households’ food security.Research limitations/implications– The result is based on a case study which is not generalizable to the whole of Ethiopia.Practical implications– The result implies that future endeavours should resort to substantial changes in the principles of investment as well as the design and enforcement of contracts on land transfers so that international investors can commit to objectives beyond private profit.Originality/value– It examines the effect of large-scale land transfers commonly termed as land grabbing on local food security. The paper makes an important contribution to the current policy debates regarding land grabbing in Ethiopia as research about the contribution of land deals to the food security is limited.
Islamic finance and debt culture: treading the conventional path?
Authors: Farooq Mohammad Omar 
Published: November 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the phenomenon of debt culture in the conventional financial systems and then to compare the existing or emerging trends in the Islamic finance industry. It provides critical insight into why economic policies that are delinked from some fundamental wisdom about sustainable lifestyle might be increasingly less effective.Design/methodology/approach– The paper identifies various areas of impact of the debt culture and provides qualitative analysis based on relevant data.Findings– The data presented in the paper shows that the Islamic finance industry is clearly biased in favor of debt-creating modes, which is expected to lead to promoting the same kind of debt culture as experienced in the conventional financial system.Research limitations/implications– Finding comprehensive and current data for Islamic financial institutions is a challenging task. The IFIs are not as transparent as their conventional counterparts in sharing relevant data and information.Practical implications– The paper highlights and analyzes a problem – i.e., the debt culture. Dealing with this problem would be indispensable in the long run for any credible as well as sustainable solutions to contemporary crisis.Social implications– Debt culture is more than an economic phenomena. The paper identifies/analyzes several areas, including consumption explosion, speculation, ethics, that are related to debt culture.Originality/value– This is probably the first research paper that looks into the issue of debt culture in the context of Islamic finance. The contemporary, ongoing global crisis underscores the kind of conventional problems that Islamic finance needs to avoid.