bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Anisotropic Nanoparticles with Controllable Morphologies from Non‐Cross‐Linked Seeded Emulsion Polymerization
Authors: Niu Qun , Pan Mingwang , Yuan Jinfeng , Liu Xiao , Wang Xiaomei , Yu Haifeng 
Published: July 2013

A simple and elegant approach to fabricate anisotropic P(VC‐co‐AAEM)/PS nanoparticles with controllable morphologies via emulsifier‐free seeded emulsion polymerization is presented. Non‐cross‐linked P(VC‐co‐AAEM) seeds with hydrophilic surface are first synthesized through copolymerization of vinyl chloride (VC) and acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate (AAEM), which are used to prepare P(VC‐co‐AAEM)/PS NPs with multiple bulges by SEP of styrene. Electron microscopy observation indicates that the content of AAEM in seeds is crucial to control the phase separation and morphology of the composite NPs. Moreover, the thermodynamic immiscibility between PVC and PS is the driving force for the formation of PS bulges onto the P(VC‐co‐AAEM) seeds. The resultant anisotropic NPs with non‐cross‐linked feature may promisingly serve as compatibilizers for further polymer processing.
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Structure of an early native‐like intermediate of β2‐microglobulin amyloidogenesis
Authors: Vanderhaegen Saskia , Fislage Marcus , Domanska Katarzyna , Versées Wim , Pardon Els , Bellotti Vittorio , Steyaert Jan 
Published: July 2013

AbstractTo investigate early intermediates of β2‐microglobulin (β2m) amyloidogenesis, we solved the structure of β2m containing the amyloidogenic Pro32Gly mutation by X‐ray crystallography. One nanobody (Nb24) that efficiently blocks fibril elongation was used as a chaperone to co‐crystallize the Pro32Gly β2m monomer under physiological conditions. The complex of P32G β2m with Nb24 reveals a trans peptide bond at position 32 of this amyloidogenic variant, whereas Pro32 adopts the cis conformation in the wild‐type monomer, indicating that the cis to trans isomerization at Pro32 plays a critical role in the early onset of β2m amyloid formation.
A Markov‐chain model description of binding funnels to enhance the ranking of docked solutions
Authors: Torchala Mieczyslaw , Moal Iain H. , Chaleil Raphael A. G. , Agius Rudi , Bates Paul A. 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACTWithin the crowded, seemingly chaotic environment of the cell, proteins are still able to find their binding partners. This is achieved via an ensemble of trajectories, which funnel them towards their functional binding sites, the binding funnel. Here, we characterize funnel‐like energy structures on the global energy landscape using time‐homogeneous finite state Markov chain models. These models are based on the idea that transitions can occur between structurally similar docking solutions, with transition probabilities determined by their difference in binding energy. Funnel‐like energy structures are those containing solutions with very high equilibrium populations. Although these are found surrounding both near‐native and false positive binding sites, we show that the removal of nonfunnel‐like energy structures, by filtering away solutions with low maximum equilibrium population, can significantly improve the ranking of docked poses. Proteins 2013; 81:2143–2149. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Multi‐allergen quantification of fining‐related egg and milk proteins in white wines by high‐resolution mass spectrometry
Authors: Monaci Linda , Losito Ilario , De Angelis Elisabetta , Pilolli Rosa , Visconti Angelo 
Published: July 2013

RATIONALEA method based on High‐Resolution Mass Spectrometry was developed for the simultaneous determination of fining agents containing potentially allergenic milk (casein) and egg‐white (lysozyme and ovalbumin) proteins, added to commercial white wines at sub‐ppm levels. Selected tryptic peptides were used as quantitative markers. An evaluation of protein digestion yields was also performed by implementing the 15 N‐valine‐labelled analogues of the best peptide markers identified for αS1‐casein and ovalbumin.METHODSThe method was based on the combination of ultrafiltration (UF) of protein‐containing wines, tryptic digestion of the dialyzed wine extracts and liquid chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (LC/HRMS) analysis of tryptic digests. Peptides providing the most intense electrospray ionization (ESI)‐MS response were chosen as quantitative markers of the proteins under investigation.RESULTSSix‐point calibrations were performed by adding caseinate and egg‐white powder in the concentration range between 0.25 and 10 µg/mL, to an allergen‐free white wine. The following three peptide markers, LTEWTSSNVMEER, GGLEPINFQTAADQAR and ELINSWVESQTNGIIR, were highlighted as best markers for ovalbumin, while GTDVQAWIR and NTDGSTDYGILQINSR for lysozyme and YLGYLEQLLR, GPFPIIV and FFVAPFPEVFGK for caseinate. Limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.4 to 1.1 µg/mL.CONCLUSIONSThe developed method is suited for assessing the contemporary presence of allergenic milk and egg proteins characterizing egg white and caseinate, fining agents typically employed for wine clarification. The LODs of the method enable the detection of sub‐ppm concentrations of residual fining agents, that could represent a potential risk for allergic consumers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A novel neutral xylanase with high SDS resistance fromVolvariella volvacea: characterization and its synergistic hydrolysis of wheat bran with acetyl xylan esterase
Authors: Zheng Fei , Huang Jingxuan , Yin Yuhao , Ding Shaojun 
Published: July 2013

AbstractA neutral xylanase (XynII) from Volvariella volvacea was identified and characterized. Unlike other modular xylanases, it consists of only a single GH10 catalytic domain with a unique C-terminal sequence (W-R-W-F) and a phenylalanine and proline-rich motif (T-P-F-P-P-F) at N-terminus, indicating that it is a novel GH10 xylanase. XynII exhibited optimal activity at pH 7 and 60 °C and stability over a broad range of pH 4.0–10.0. XynII displayed extreme highly SDS resistance retaining 101.98, 92.99, and 69.84 % activity at the presence of 300 mM SDS on birchwood, soluble oat spelt, and beechwood xylan, respectively. It remained largely intact after 24 h of incubation with proteinase K at a protease to protein ratio of 1:50 at 37 °C. The kinetic constants K m value towards beechwood xylan was 0.548 mg ml−1, and the k cat/K m ratio, reflecting the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme, was 126.42 ml mg−1 s−1 at 60 °C. XynII was a true endo-acting xylanase lacking cellulase activity. It has weak activity towards xylotriose but efficiently hydrolyzed xylans and xylooligosaccharides larger than xylotriose mainly to xylobiose. Synergistic action with acetyl xylan esterase (AXEI) from V. volvacea was observed for de-starched wheat bran. The highest degree of synergy (DS 1.42) was obtained in sequential reactions with AXEI digestion preceding XynII. The high SDS resistance and intrinsic stability suggested XynII may have potential applications in various industrial processes especially for the detergent and textile industries and animal feed industries.
Extending the Lee-Carter Method to Model the Rotation of Age Patterns of Mortality Decline for Long-Term Projections
Authors: Li Nan , Lee Ronald , Gerland Patrick 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
In developed countries, mortality decline is decelerating at younger ages and accelerating at old ages, a phenomenon we call “rotation.” We expect that this rotation will also occur in developing countries as they attain high life expectancies. But the rotation is subtle and has proved difficult to handle in mortality models that include all age groups. Without taking it into account, however, long-term mortality projections will produce questionable results. We simplify the problem by focusing on the relative magnitude of death rates at two ages (0 and 15–19) while making assumptions about changes in rates of decline at other ages. We extend the Lee-Carter method to incorporate this subtle rotation in projection. We suggest that the extended Lee-Carter method could provide plausible projections of the age pattern of mortality for populations, including those that currently have very high life expectancies. Detailed examples are given using data from Japan and the United States.
Migration and Pacific Mortality: Estimating Migration Effects on Pacific Mortality Rates Using Bayesian Models
Authors: Richardson Ken , Jatrana Santosh , Tobias Martin , Blakely Tony 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
Pacific people living in New Zealand have higher mortality rates than New Zealand residents of European/Other ethnicity. The aim of this paper is to see whether Pacific mortality rates vary by natality and duration of residence. We used linked census-mortality information for 25- to 74-year-olds in the 2001 census followed for up to three years. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling provided a means of handling sparse data. Posterior mortality rates were directly age-standardized. We found little evidence of mortality differences between the overseas-born and the New Zealand–born for all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. However, we found evidence for lower all-cause (and possibly cancer and CVD) mortality rates for Pacific migrants resident in New Zealand for less than 25 years relative to those resident for more than 25 years. This result may arise from a combination of processes operating over time, including health selection effects from variations in New Zealand’s immigration policy, the location of Pacific migrants within the social, political, and cultural environment of the host community, and health impacts of the host culture. We could not determine the relative importance of these processes, but identifying the (modifiable) drivers of the inferred long-term decline in health of the overseas-born Pacific population relative to more-recent Pacific migrants is important to Pacific communities and from a national health and policy perspective.
BEING ‘CHAGGA’: NATURAL RESOURCES, POLITICAL ACTIVISM, AND IDENTITY ON KILIMANJARO
Authors: Bender Matthew V. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThis article argues that the emergence of Chagga political identity on Mount Kilimanjaro in the 1940s and 1950s can best be understood as a product of intensive debates over the control of natural resources and the nature of chiefly authority. As a result of perceived threats to the land and water resources of the mountain and resentment of the role of the chiefs in these issues, grassroots activists adopted a language of unity using the ethnic term ‘Chagga’ – a moniker long used by the colonial state but eschewed by the general population. With the rise of a paramount chieftaincy in 1951, the term shifted from being a symbol of colonial rule to one of common identity and resistance against the encroachment of the colonial state in local affairs.
VIOLENCE AND REGULATION IN THE DARFUR-CHAD BORDERLANDc. 1909–56: POLICING A COLONIAL BOUNDARY
Authors: Vaughan Christopher 
Published: July 2013

AbstractRecent literature has emphasised the political and economic opportunities afforded to peoples living in African borderlands by the existence of permeable inter-state boundaries. This article examines the history of the Darfur-Chad borderland under colonial rule and finds that serious risks existed for those attempting to circumvent state authority in order to take advantage of such opportunities. State-led attempts to control these borders, though always incomplete, were often characterised by considerable violence. The limits of state power did not therefore straightforwardly translate into an accommodation with border societies. That said, this was also a border zone characterised by complex interaction and negotiation between state and local forms of regulation, and by multiple forms of sovereignty. This led to the emergence of plural and hybrid forms of authority, now repeatedly observed in studies of contemporary African borderlands, but rarely fully historicised.
PAWNS ON THE GOLD COAST: THE RISE OF ASANTE AND SHIFTS IN SECURITY FOR DEBT, 1680–1750
Authors: SPICKSLEY JUDITH 
Published: July 2013

AbstractIn the seventeenth century, Europeans on the Gold Coast took gold pawns as security for debt, but from the early eighteenth century, they turned increasingly toward the use of human pawns. This shift was the result of a transformation in levels of demand for gold amongst African sellers, most notably the Asante, who began to secure control over local gold sources fromc. 1700. The change in demand for gold was accompanied by a rise in slave prices on the West African coast, but it was the indigenous system of debt recovery that proved crucial to the success of European trade.
Domestic Courts as Agents of Development of International Immunity Rules
Authors: VAN ALEBEEK ROSANNE 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThis paper explores the role of domestic courts in the development of international immunity rules. It assesses how domestic immunity decisions take meaning in the process of law formation and law determination, and examines whether the distinct influence of domestic-court decisions (as compared to international-court decisions) in that process results in a different role, and concomitant different rules, in the process of interpretation of rules of international law. The paper argues that while domestic courts are as a matter of international law bound by the same rules of interpretation as international courts, they are particularly well placed to address access to court concerns raised by immunity rules and may play a prominent role in the development of international law in this field in the years to come.
Nano-structured smart hydrogels with rapid response and high elasticity
Authors: Xia Lie-Wen , Xie Rui , Ju Xiao-Jie , Wang Wei , Chen Qianming , Chu Liang-Yin 
Published: July 2013

AbstractSmart hydrogels, or stimuli-responsive hydrogels, are three-dimensional networks composed of crosslinked hydrophilic polymer chains that are able to dramatically change their volume and other properties in response to environmental stimuli such as temperature, pH and certain chemicals. Rapid and significant response to environmental stimuli and high elasticity are critical for the versatility of such smart hydrogels. Here we report the synthesis of smart hydrogels which are rapidly responsive, highly swellable and stretchable, by constructing a nano-structured architecture with activated nanogels as nano-crosslinkers. The nano-structured smart hydrogels show very significant and rapid stimuli-responsive characteristics, as well as highly elastic properties to sustain high compressions, resist slicing and withstand high level of deformation, such as bending, twisting and extensive stretching. Because of the concurrent rapid and significant stimuli-response and high elasticity, these nano-structured smart hydrogels may expand the scope of hydrogel applications, and provide enhanced performance in their applications.
Force produced after stretch in sarcomeres and half-sarcomeres isolated from skeletal muscles
Authors: Minozzo Fábio C. , Baroni Bruno M. , Correa José A. , Vaz Marco A. , Rassier Dilson E. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThe goal of this study was to evaluate if isolated sarcomeres and half-sarcomeres produce a long-lasting increase in force after a stretch is imposed during activation. Single and half-sarcomeres were isolated from myofibrils using micro-needles, which were also used for force measurements. After full force development, both preparations were stretched by different magnitudes. The sarcomere length (SL) or half-sarcomere length variations (HSL) were extracted by measuring the initial and final distances from the Z-line to the adjacent Z-line or to a region externally adjacent to the M-line of the sarcomere, respectively. Half-sarcomeres generated approximately the same amount of isometric force (29.0 ± SD 15.5 nN·μm−2) as single sarcomeres (32.1 ± SD 15.3 nN·μm−2) when activated. In both cases, the steady-state forces after stretch were higher than the forces during isometric contractions at similar conditions. The results suggest that stretch-induced force enhancement is partly caused by proteins within the half-sarcomere.
African American English–Speaking Students: A Longitudinal Examination of Style Shifting From Kindergarten Through Second Grade
Authors: Craig Holly K. , Kolenic Giselle E. , Hensel Stephanie L. 
Published: July 2013

Purpose
The purpose of this longitudinal study was twofold: to examine shifting from African American English (AAE) to mainstream American English (MAE) across the early elementary grades, when students are first exposed to formal instruction in reading; and to examine how metalinguistic and cognitive variables influenced the students' dialectal adaptations from AAE to MAE in a literacy context with higher expectations for MAE.

Method
Participants were 102 typically developing AAE-speaking students enrolled in public schools in the northern Midwest. They were enrolled in the project at kindergarten and tested 3 times a year, for 3 years. Approximately half were male and half female, and two-thirds were from low socioeconomic status homes.

Results
A style shifting coefficient (SSC) was created to measure amounts of dialect change between contexts and over time by individuals. Some students shifted to MAE in literacy contexts, and shifting was not related to grade. Metalinguistic skills and SSC predicted reading, and metalinguistic skills predicted the SSC at 2nd grade. The findings indicated that cognitive executive functions may contribute to the SSC.

Conclusions
The results provide strong support for the dialect shifting–reading achievement hypothesis and indicated that metalinguistic and perhaps executive functioning are important influences on this linguistic adaptation.
Near-optimal experimental design for model selection in systems biology
Authors: Busetto Alberto Giovanni , Hauser Alain , Krummenacher Gabriel , Sunnåker Mikael , Dimopoulos Sotiris , Ong Cheng Soon , Stelling Jörg , Buhmann Joachim M. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractMotivation: Biological systems are understood through iterations of modeling and experimentation. Not all experiments, however, are equally valuable for predictive modeling. This study introduces an efficient method for experimental design aimed at selecting dynamical models from data. Motivated by biological applications, the method enables the design of crucial experiments: it determines a highly informative selection of measurement readouts and time points.Results: We demonstrate formal guarantees of design efficiency on the basis of previous results. By reducing our task to the setting of graphical models, we prove that the method finds a near-optimal design selection with a polynomial number of evaluations. Moreover, the method exhibits the best polynomial-complexity constant approximation factor, unless P = NP. We measure the performance of the method in comparison with established alternatives, such as ensemble non-centrality, on example models of different complexity. Efficient design accelerates the loop between modeling and experimentation: it enables the inference of complex mechanisms, such as those controlling central metabolic operation.Availability: Toolbox ‘NearOED’ available with source code under GPL on the Machine Learning Open Source Software Web site (mloss.org).Contact: busettoa@inf.ethz.chSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Building the Evidence on Simulation Validity
Authors: Weller Jennifer , Henderson Robert , Webster Craig S. , Shulruf Boaz , Torrie Jane , Davies Elaine , Henderson Kaylene , Frampton Chris , Merry Alan F. 
Published: July 2013

Abstract

Background:
Effective teamwork is important for patient safety, and verbal communication underpins many dimensions of teamwork. The validity of the simulated environment would be supported if it elicited similar verbal communications to the real setting. The authors hypothesized that anesthesiologists would exhibit similar verbal communication patterns in routine operating room (OR) cases and routine simulated cases. The authors further hypothesized that anesthesiologists would exhibit different communication patterns in routine cases (real or simulated) and simulated cases involving a crisis.

Methods:
Key communications relevant to teamwork were coded from video recordings of anesthesiologists in the OR, routine simulation and crisis simulation and percentages were compared.

Results:
The authors recorded comparable videos of 20 anesthesiologists in the two simulations, and 17 of these anesthesiologists in the OR, generating 400 coded events in the OR, 683 in the routine simulation, and 1,419 in the crisis simulation. The authors found no significant differences in communication patterns in the OR and the routine simulations. The authors did find significant differences in communication patterns between the crisis simulation and both the OR and the routine simulations. Participants rated team communication as realistic and considered their communications occurred with a similar frequency in the simulations as in comparable cases in the OR.

Conclusion:
The similarity of teamwork-related communications elicited from anesthesiologists in simulated cases and the real setting lends support for the ecological validity of the simulation environment and its value in teamwork training. Different communication patterns and frequencies under the challenge of a crisis support the use of simulation to assess crisis management skills.
Clinical governance implementation: a developing country perspective
Authors: Khayatzadeh‐Mahani Akram , Nekoei‐Moghadam Mahmood , Esfandiari Atefeh , Ramezani Fatemeh , Parva Sahar 
Published: July 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how the clinical governance policy and its main component, patient satisfaction, turned into practice and what they look like on the ground in the centralised health system of Iran.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research stance was adopted incorporating three main sources of information: face to face in‐depth interviews and focus groups conducted with hospital senior managers at the teaching hospitals in Kerman city, Iran, as well as documentary analysis of key policy texts. Nine hospital senior managers were purposefully selected for face‐to‐face interviews as well as a purposeful sample of 15 hospital senior managers for focus groups.FindingsThe documentary analysis revealed how clinical policy has been put into practice. The interview and focus group data analysis also disclosed four key themes with respect to how policy implementers in the Iranian centralised health system perceive nationally developed policies towards clinical governance and patient satisfaction. These include: a paper exercise; opaque, ambiguous policies; unstable policies; and separation of policy making from policy implementation.Originality/valueThe study revealed a perceived mismatch between the official proposals for clinical governance and their application in practice. The findings of this research lend support to the idea that there should be no separation between policy making process and its implementation; they are inseparable and should be treated in parallel, rather than in sequence. The study further suggests more accountability of the state towards its policies and public alike as a better governance of the health system. State‐level sustainability followed by allocating proper resources to implementation fields and empowering policy implementers coupled with good systems of performance control are the keys to keep patient focus a top priority.