bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enumerating pelvic recurrence following radical cystectomy for bladder cancer: A Canadian multi-institutional study
Authors: Eapen Libni J. , Jones Edward , Kassouf Wassim , Lambert Carole , Morgan Scott C. , Moussa Madeleine , Nam Robert , Parliament Matthew , Russell Laurie , Saad Fred , Siemens D. Robert , Souhami Luis , Szumacher Ewa , Tyldesley Scott , Xu Yan , Zbieranowski Ingrid , Breau Rodney H. , Belanger Eric , Black Peter , Estey Eric , Bowan Julie , Bora Bishwajit , Brundage Michael , Chung Peter , Fleshner Neil , Evans Andrew , Bauman Glenn , Izawa Jonathan , Davidson Chris , Brimo Fadi
Published: April 2016

Introduction: We aimed to enumerate the rate of pelvic recurrence following radical cystectomy at university-affiliated hospitals in Canada.

Methods: Canadian, university-affiliated hospitals were invited to participate. They were asked to identify the first 10 consecutive patients undergoing radical cystectomy starting January 1, 2005, who had urothelial carcinoma stages pT3/T4 N0-2 M0. The first 10 consecutive cases starting January 1, 2005 who met these criteria were the patients submitted by that institution with information regarding tumour stage, age, number of nodes removed, and last known clinical status in regard to recurrence and patterns of failure.

Results: Of the 111 patients, 80% had pT3 and 20% pT4 disease, with 62% being node-negative, 14% pN1, and 27% pN2; 57% had 10 or more nodes removed. Cumulative incidence of pelvic relapse was 40% among the entire group

Conclusions: This review demonstrates a high rate of pelvic tumour recurrence following radical cystectomy for pT3/T4 urothelial cancer.
The Impact of Listening Strategy Training on the Meta-Cognitive Listening Strategies Awareness of Different Learner Types
Authors: Zarrabi Fatemeh
Published: April 2016

The present study investigated the effectiveness of listening strategy instruction on the metacognitive listening strategies awareness of different EFL learner types (LTs). To achieve this goal, 150 EFL students took part in the study and were taught based on a guided lesson plan regarding listening strategies and a pre-test/post-test design was applied. The degree of change occurring as a result of intervention was measured through one way ANOVA test. The results indicated that there was a significant improvement after the onset of the instruction, and that the intervention was effective. Although there were some differences between the four learner types (visual learners, auditory learners, kinaesthetic learners, and tactile learners) on the post test, the auditory learner type had the most significant improvement in metacognitive awareness of listening strategies (MALS). The finding of this quantitative research study led us to conclude that learners make noticeable progress in MALS via listening strategy instruction and that the level of improvement varies across the LTs with the auditory group improving most significantly.
How Iranian Instructors Teach L2 Pragmatics in Their Classroom Practices? A Mixed-Methods Approach
Authors: Muthusamy Paramasivam , Farashaiyan Atieh
Published: April 2016

This study examined the teaching approaches and techniques that Iranian instructors utilize for teaching L2 pragmatics in their classroom practices. 238 Iranian instructors participated in this study. The data for this study were accumulated through questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. In terms of the instructional approaches, both the quantitative and qualitative results showed that instructors make use of inductive and implicit approaches more than other two approaches, deductive and explicit, to teach L2 pragmatics .With regard to the pragmatic consciousness-raising techniques, the results revealed that instructors mostly make use of conversation topics and also situations to raise learners’ awareness of the speech act under study. In addition to this technique, instructors make use of field experience to give input to learners. Regarding the pragmatic communicative practice techniques, the quantitative and qualitative results showed that instructors mostly make use of role-play and pair- work techniques to engage learners to practice speech acts. Moreover, the results of the questionnaire and interview with regard to pragmatic corrective feedback techniques showed that instructors almost give feedback implicitly by reformulating learners’ mistakes and repeating their errors On the contrary, instructors give less metalinguistic information and explain the inappropriate expressions to learners. In terms of culture teaching techniques, the results illustrated that instructors share their knowledge of what they hear or read about other cultures with their learners. The results of this study have some implications for language instructors.
Pragmatic Variations in Giving Advice in L2 by Malaysian Postgraduate Students: The Situational Effects
Authors: Farashaiyan Atieh , Muthusamy Paramasivam
Published: April 2016

The present study attempted to describe the giving advice strategies utilized by Malaysian postgraduate students in confronting different situations. In addition, it examined the effects of the situational factors of social distance, power, and imposition on the students’ choice of giving advice strategies. Another objective was to categorize the challenges students face in the production of giving advice in English. One hundred and ten Malaysian postgraduate students majoring in different fields voluntarily participated in this study. A Written Discourse Completion Task Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were utilized for data collection procedure. The results of the questionnaire illustrated that the respondents tended to use more direct strategies to give advice. The first most frequently strategy used by the respondents was obligation strategy, 53.38%., mood derivable strategy with 30.08% as the second most frequently used strategy and performative as the third one, while no respondent used the hedged performative and want statement strategies in any of the situations. The respondents also opted out the same strategies almost with similar frequency in most of the situations. It means that the choice of strategies was not different in terms of the three situational variables of power, distance and imposition. In addition, the results of interviews showed that the challenges they face in the production of advice giving include expression, structure, culture, social values, first language, gender, age and educational background of the interlocutors. This study has some implications for second language acquisition research and intercultural communication.
Grain Quality of Doubled Haploid Lines in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Produced by Anther Culture
Authors: Fazaa M. , EL Sabagh A. , Anis G. , EL-Rewainy I. , Barutçular C. , Yildirim M. , Islam M. S.
Published: April 2016

Genetic devlopment to imrove genotypes with high quality is the most important approach of rice. Thus, anther culture technique is one of straight forward approaches for improvement of rice cultivars with good grain quality. Therefore, this investigation aimed to develop some doubled haploid lines (DH) through anther culture technique and evaluate them along with their five parents including two check varieties for some nutritional characteristics. The results indicated that the three mineral element contents (Zn, Mn and Fe) of rice grain were clearly different among genotypes (DH), which implied that genotypic variations might provide opportunities to select for higher mineral element content. Analysis of variance revealed that the differences among genotypes were significant for all studied traits. Highly significant positive correlations were recognized among the studied characteristics. Accordingly, Rice lines with the high nutritional values will use as donors for this trait in rice breeding programs for exploitation and in hybridization.
Cloning of TaPRP from Wheat and Its Cold Tolerance Analysis in Transgenic Tobacco
Authors: Baolei Zhang , Da Li , Weidong Zhang , Dasheng Liu , Qingrong Gao , Jichun Tian
Published: April 2016

TaPRP, a proline rich protein (PRP) cDNA, was cloned by RT-PCR from winter wheat. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed TaPRP is composed of 1137 bp (378 amino acid residues with a Mr of 42.19 kD). TaPRP shows 92.6%, 89.3%, 73.0%, and 73.3% sequence homologies with PRP genes from wheat, sorghum, rice, and maize, respectively. The deduced protein includes 170 prolines, presenting a normal PRP primary structure. Expression vector pBI-TaPRP was constructed, in which TaPRP was driven by CaMV35S promoter and stopped by NospolyA. Tobaccos were transformed by Agrobacterium containing the constructed vectors. Three transgenic lines were confirmed by PCR detection and Southern blot. Under the same low temperature stress conditions, transgenic plants had lower conductivity rate compared with the non-transgenic plants, suggesting that cold tolerance in transgenic tobacco plants was improved. However, the different transgenic plants showed significant differences in cold resistant, and there also existed significant interactions between plant and treatment temperature. TaPRP might have an important role in wheat in cold adaptation process.
Development of a Model System Approach for Generating Fragments of the Cry1Ab Protein
Authors: Albright Vurtice C , Hellmich Richard L , Coats Joel R
Published: April 2016

The use of transgenic crops expressing one or more crystal (Cry) proteins for insect management has grown dramatically since their introduction nearly 2 decades ago. However, many questions surrounding the environmental fate of these proteins still persist. One area of particular interest is the possible detection of Cry protein fragments by the antibodies used in ELISA kits. A model system approach is used to generate environmentally relevant fragments by simulating conditions and digestive enzymes that are known to exist in environments in which Cry proteins may be present. Seven different types of model systems were screened for their ability to generate fragments of the Cry1Ab protein; five of these model systems reliably generated Cry1Ab fragments. These fragments were analyzed in a subsequent study to determine whether the fragments were still detectable by ELISA and whether they retained any bioactivity.
Working Environment Design for Effective Palletizing with a 6-DOF Manipulator
Authors: Chiba Ryosuke , Arai Tamio , Ueyama Tsuyoshi , Ogata Taiki , Ota Jun
Published: April 2016

Palletizing is an important and fundamental task for production. We propose a design method to improve the performance of a palletizing manipulator. The working environment must be optimized regarding the base position of the manipulator and the shape and position of the pallet. Designing a working environment is a lengthy process because of the many dimensions of the problem and the necessity of collision-free path planning. To reduce the computation time, the parameters of an environment are quickly evaluated with the proposed method, in which we set passing points to reduce the computation time of path planning. We verify the effectiveness of our method compared with conventional and state–time space methods. We show that the proposed method can obtain effective and convenient solutions when compared to the other methods.
A Precise Method for Cloth Configuration Parsing Applied to Single-Arm Flattening
Authors: Sun Li , Camarasa Gerardo Aragon , Khan Aamir , Rogers Simon , Siebert Paul
Published: April 2016

In this paper, we investigate the contribution that visual perception affords to a robotic manipulation task in which a crumpled garment is flattened by eliminating visually detected wrinkles. In order to explore and validate visually guided clothing manipulation in a repeatable and controlled environment, we have developed a hand-eye interactive virtual robot manipulation system that incorporates a clothing simulator to close the effector-garment-visual sensing interaction loop. We present the technical details and compare the performance of two different methods for detecting, representing and interpreting wrinkles within clothing surfaces captured in high-resolution depth maps. The first method we present relies upon a clustering-based method for localizing and parametrizing wrinkles, while the second method adopts a more advanced geometry-based approach in which shape-topology analysis underpins the identification of the cloth configuration (i.e., maps wrinkles). Having interpreted the state of the cloth configuration by means of either of these methods, a heuristic-based flattening strategy is then executed to infer the appropriate forces, their directions and gripper contact locations that must be applied to the cloth in order to flatten the perceived wrinkles. A greedy approach, which attempts to flatten the largest detected wrinkle for each perception-iteration cycle, has been successfully adopted in this work. We present the results of our heuristic-based flattening methodology which relies upon clustering-based and geometry-based features respectively. Our experiments indicate that geometry-based features have the potential to provide a greater degree of clothing configuration understanding and, as a consequence, improve flattening performance. The results of experiments using a real robot (as opposed to simulated robot) also confirm our proposition that a more effective visual perception system can advance the performance of cloth manipulation.
Bioavailability of Orally Delivered Alpha-Tocopherol by Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic) Acid (PLGA) Nanoparticles and Chitosan Covered PLGA Nanoparticles in F344 Rats
Authors: Simon Lacey C. , Stout Rhett W. , Sabliov Cristina
Published: April 2016

It is hypothesized that the bioavailability of αT (alpha-tocopherol), an antioxidant, can be improved when delivered by poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) and chitosan covered PLGA nanoparticles (PLGA-Chi NPs), and that the mucoadhesive properties of chitosan may enhance absorption of αT. PLGA and PLGA-Chi NPs were characterized by measuring entrapment efficiency, size, polydispersity, and zeta potential. Nanoparticle physical stability, chemical stability of entrapped αT, and release kinetics were also measured. Pharmacokinetic studies were conducted by administering PLGA (αT) NPs, PLGA-Chi (αT) NPs, and free αT via oral gavage in rats. The size and zeta potential of the two particle systems were 97.87 ± 2.63 nm and −36.2 ± 1.31 mV for PLGA(αT) NPs, and 134 ± 2.05 nm and 38.0 ± 2.90 mV for PLGA-Chi (αT) nanoparticles in DI water. The particle systems showed to be stable during various in vitro assays. Bioavailability of nanodelivered αT was improved compared to the free αT, by 170% and 121% for PLGA and PLGA-Chi NPs, respectively. It was concluded that while chitosan did not further improved bioavailability of αT, PLGA NPs protected the entrapped drug from the GI environment degradation and proved to be an effective delivery system for αT.
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Dilated Superhero
Authors: Milliman Wanda
Published: April 2016

The more connections that students can make between mathematical content and the real world, the better they will become at developing critical thinking and understanding mathematics. This lesson on exploring geometric dilations encourages small cooperative-group critiques and connections to an abundance of middle school math concepts. Graphing proportional relationships and finding the constant of proportionality are big ideas in middle school mathematics. This two-part lesson connects these ideas and many more Common Core State Standards (CCSSI 2010) through fun, student-driven activities.
Political Background and Household Entrepreneurship in China
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Li Lunyi , Li Ziheng
Published: April 2016

The influence of a household’s political background on entrepreneurship has attracted considerable attention and is particularly popular in developing countries. However, few empirical papers have investigated the interaction between the political background of households and institutional environments and entrepreneurship. We address the gap by firstly analysing two sets of nationwide survey data, the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2010 to 2012 and the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) from 2011 to 2013. After controlling for a number of demographic characteristics, we find that in regions with large local governments and more political intervention, households who have a family member with a political background are more likely to engage in entrepreneurship. Furthermore, because of the effects of the anti-corruption campaign after 2012, the advantages of having a political background for becoming an entrepreneur have, on average, declined, especially in regions with large local governments.
Generalization of Some Inequalities for Differentiable Co-ordinated Convex Functions With Applications
Authors: Latif M. A. , Dragomir S. S. , Momoniat E.
Published: April 2016

In this paper, a new weighted identity for functions defined on a rectangle from the plane is established. By using the obtained identity and analysis, some new weighted integral inequalities for the classes of co-ordinated convex, co-ordinated wright-convex and co-ordinated quasi-convex functions on the rectangle from the plane are established which provide weighted generalization of some recent results proved for co-ordinated convex functions. Some applications of our results to random variables and 2D weighted quadrature formula are given as well.
Characterization of microbial associations with methanotrophic archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria through statistical comparison of nested Magneto-FISH enrichments
Authors: Trembath-Reichert Elizabeth , Case David H. , Orphan Victoria J.
Published: April 2016

Methane seep systems along continental margins host diverse and dynamic microbial assemblages, sustained in large part through the microbially mediated process of sulfate-coupled Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane (AOM). This methanotrophic metabolism has been linked to consortia of anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea (ANME) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). These two groups are the focus of numerous studies; however, less is known about the wide diversity of other seep associated microorganisms. We selected a hierarchical set of FISH probes targeting a range ofDeltaproteobacteriadiversity. Using the Magneto-FISH enrichment technique, we then magnetically captured CARD-FISH hybridized cells and their physically associated microorganisms from a methane seep sediment incubation. DNA from nested Magneto-FISH experiments was analyzed using Illumina tag 16S rRNA gene sequencing (iTag). Enrichment success and potential bias with iTag was evaluated in the context of full-length 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, CARD-FISH, functional gene clone libraries, and iTag mock communities. We determined commonly used Earth Microbiome Project (EMP) iTAG primers introduced bias in some common methane seep microbial taxa that reduced the ability to directly compare OTU relative abundances within a sample, but comparison of relative abundances between samples (in nearly all cases) and whole community-based analyses were robust. The iTag dataset was subjected to statistical co-occurrence measures of the most abundant OTUs to determine which taxa in this dataset were most correlated across all samples. Many non-canonical microbial partnerships were statistically significant in our co-occurrence network analysis, most of which were not recovered with conventional clone library sequencing, demonstrating the utility of combining Magneto-FISH and iTag sequencing methods for hypothesis generation of associations within complex microbial communities. Network analysis pointed to many co-occurrences containing putatively heterotrophic, candidate phyla such as OD1,Atribacteria, MBG-B, and Hyd24-12 and the potential for complex sulfur cycling involvingEpsilon-,Delta-, andGammaproteobacteriain methane seep ecosystems.
Does cognitive flexibility predict treatment gains in Internet-delivered psychological treatment of social anxiety disorder, depression, or tinnitus?
Authors: Lindner Philip , Carlbring Per , Flodman Erik , Hebert Amanda , Poysti Stephanie , Hagkvist Filip , Johansson Robert , Zetterqvist Westin Vendela , Berger Thomas , Andersson Gerhard
Published: April 2016

Little is known about the individual factors that predict outcomes in Internet-administered psychological treatments. We hypothesized that greater cognitive flexibility (i.e. the ability to simultaneously consider several concepts and tasks and switch effortlessly between them in response to changes in environmental contingencies) would provide a better foundation for learning and employing the cognitive restructuring techniques taught and exercised in therapy, leading to greater treatment gains. Participants in three trials featuring Internet-administered psychological treatments for depression (n = 36), social anxiety disorder (n = 115) and tinnitus (n = 53) completed the 64-card Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) prior to treatment. We found no significant associations between perseverative errors on the WCST and treatment gains in any group. We also found low accuracy in the classification of treatment responders. We conclude that lower cognitive flexibility, as captured by perseverative errors on the WCST, should not impede successful outcomes in Internet-delivered psychological treatments.
How does agonistic behaviour differ in albino and pigmented fish?
Authors: Slavík Ondřej , Horký Pavel , Wackermannová Marie
Published: April 2016

In addition to hypopigmentation of the skin and red iris colouration, albino animals also display distinct physiological and behavioural alterations. However, information on the social interactions of albino animals is rare and has mostly been limited to specially bred strains of albino rodents and animals from unique environments in caves. Differentiating between the effects of albinism and domestication on behaviour in rodents can be difficult, and social behaviour in cave fish changes according to species-specific adaptations to conditions of permanent darkness. The agonistic behaviours of albino offspring of pigmented parents have yet to be described. In this study, we observed agonistic behaviour in albino and pigmented juvenileSilurus glaniscatfish. We found that the total number of aggressive interactions was lower in albinos than in pigmented catfish. The distance between conspecifics was also analysed, and albinos showed a tendency towards greater separation from their same-coloured conspecifics compared with pigmented catfish. These results demonstrate that albinism can be associated with lower aggressiveness and with reduced shoaling behaviour preference, as demonstrated by a tendency towards greater separation of albinos from conspecifics.
The impact of land‐cover change on flood peaks in peatland basins
Authors: Gao Jihui , Holden Joseph , Kirkby Mike
Published: April 2016

In headwater peatlands, saturation‐excess overland flow is a dominant source of river discharge. Human modifications to headwater peatlands result in vegetation cover change but there is a lack of understanding about how the spatial distribution of such change impacts flood peaks. A fully distributed version of TOPMODEL with an overland flow velocity module was used to simulate flood response for three upland peat basins. Bare peat strips adjacent to channels resulted in a higher and faster flow peak; for a 20 mm h−1 rainfall event, with bare riparian zones covering 10% of the basin area, peaks were increased, compared to the current hydrograph, by 12.8%, 1.8%, and 19.6% in the three basins. High density Sphagnum ground cover over the same riparian zones reduced flow peaks (e.g., by 10.1%, 1.8%, and 13.4% for the 20 mm h−1 event) compared to the current hydrograph. With similar total areas of land‐cover change, the size of randomly located patches of changed cover had no effect on peak flow for patch sizes up to 40,000 m2. However, cover changes on gentle slope areas generally resulted in a larger change in peak flow when compared with the same changes on steeper slopes. Considering all results for the same proportion of catchment area that undergoes change, land‐cover change along narrow riparian buffer strips had the highest impact on river flow. Thus, the protection and revegetation of damaged riparian areas in upland peat catchments may be highly beneficial for flood management.
A dynamical model of Kara Sea land‐fast ice
Authors: Olason Einar
Published: April 2016

This paper introduces modifications to the traditional viscous‐plastic sea‐ice dynamical model, which are necessary to model land‐fast ice in the Kara Sea in a realistic manner. The most important modifications are an increase in the maximum viscosity from the standard value of
to
, and to use a solver for the momentum equation capable of correctly solving for small ice velocities (the limit here is set to
m/s). Given these modifications, a necessary condition for a realistic fast‐ice simulation is that the yield curve give sufficient uniaxial compressive strength. This is consistent with the idea that land‐fast ice in the Kara Sea forms primarily via static arching. The modified model is tested and tuned using forcing data and observations from 1997 and 1998. The results show that it is possible to model land‐fast ice using this model with the modifications mentioned above. The model performs well in terms of modeled fast‐ice extent, but suffers from unrealistic break‐ups during the start and end of the fast‐ice season. The main results are that fast ice in the Kara Sea is supported by arching of the ice, the arches footers resting on a chain of islands off shore.
Cadmium in the waters off South Morocco: Nature of particles hosting Cd and insights into the mechanisms fractionating Cd from phosphate
Authors: Waeles Matthieu , Planquette Hélène , Afandi Imane , Delebecque Nina , Bouthir Fatimazohra , Donval Anne , Shelley Rachel U. , Auger Pierre‐Amaël , Riso Ricardo D. , Tito de Morais Luis
Published: April 2016

In this study, we report the distributions of total dissolvable cadmium and particulate cadmium from 27 stations in southern Moroccan coastal waters (22°N–30°N), which is part of the North‐West African upwelling system. These distributions were predominantly controlled by upwelling of the North Atlantic Central Waters (NACWs) and uptake by primary production. Atmospheric inputs and phosphogypsum slurry inputs from the phosphate industry at Jorf Lasfar (33°N), recently estimated as an important source of dissolved cadmium (240 t Cd yr−1), are at best of minor importance for the studied waters. Our study provides new insights into the mechanisms fractionating cadmium from phosphate. In the upper 30 m, the anomalies observed in terms of Cd:P ratios in both the particulate and total dissolvable fractions were related to an overall preferential uptake of phosphate. We show that the type of phytoplanktonic assemblage (diatoms versus dinoflagellates) is also a determinant of the fractionation intensity. In subsurface waters (30–60 m), a clear preferential release of P (versus Cd) was observed indicating that remineralization in Oxygen Minimum Zones is a key process in sequestering Cd.
Methanogenesis: Ecology
Authors: Barber Robert D
Published: April 2016

The ecology of methane is a product of both nonbiogenic and biogenic processes. While methane arises from anthropogenic release and methane hydrates, it is the underlying biological process of methanogenesis that serves as the primary source of methane within various environments. Years of study have revealed that methanogenic Archaea provide an essential metabolic link between aerobic and anaerobic environments in the global carbon cycle as part of microbial consortia that recycle biomass. The diverse physiological potential identified among numerous methanogenic species and their genomes translates into unique ecology for disparate species and numerous possible habitats for methanogenesis to occur. Community‐level interactions including syntrophy and interspecies competition greatly influence the ecology of methanogenesis. Understanding methanogenesis and the impact of microbial interactions on this process offers an opportunity to gain significant insight into environmental events such as global warming.

Key Concepts

Biogenic methane production or methanogenesis occurs in a wide range of habitats.

Metagenomic studies are rapidly increasing knowledge regarding the diversity and metabolic potential of methanogens as well as interactions among microbes found within methanogenic communities.

Methanoarchaeal ecology offers a model for understanding syntrophic interactions such as interspecies electron transfer using either carriers (e.g. hydrogen and formate) or direct electron transfer (e.g. pili and abiotic conductive material).

Community‐level interactions are critical for methanogenesis and global geochemical cycles.

Climate change exerts a strong effect on methanogenesis and atmospheric methane levels.

New technologies developed through metabolic engineering of methanoarchaea hold promise for biomass conversion and alternative fuel development.
Plant Volatiles
Authors: Rosenkranz Maaria , Schnitzler Jörg‐Peter
Published: April 2016

Plants produce an amazing number of chemical compounds that can disperse in the air at ambient temperature. These plant volatiles have served mankind, perhaps since pre‐Neolithic times, as perfumes and flavour compounds. In nature, these compounds attract pollinators and seed dispersers, protect plants through repulsion or intoxication of attacking herbivores, entice predator or parasitoid insects that prey on herbivores, prime defences of neighbouring plants against imminent attack, confer antimicrobial properties critical to defence against pathogens and mitigate oxidative stresses. Plant volatiles are typically classified into four major categories: terpenes, fatty acid derivatives, amino acid derivatives and phenylpropanoid/benzenoid compounds, although a number of species‐ or genus‐specific volatile compounds, such as those found in select species of Alliaceae and Brassicaceae, fall outside these categories. This enormous variety is represented by more than 1700 compounds from 90 species.

Key Concepts

Plant volatiles are critical in the attraction of pollinators and seed dispersers.

Plants use volatiles to protect themselves from biotic (pests and pathogens) and abiotic (oxidative stress, high temperature) stresses.

Plants under herbivore attack can alert neighbouring plant species, priming their chemical defences.

Plant volatiles and especially terpenes react rapidly in the atmosphere and contribute to the burdens of tropospheric ozone, methane and secondary aerosols.

Plant volatiles are classified according to their metabolic origins as terpenoids, phenylpropanoids/benzenoids, fatty acid derivatives and amino acid derivatives.

Biosynthesis of plant volatiles is spatially, developmentally and temporally regulated.

Modern techniques for the collection and trapping of plant volatiles (SPME, dynamic headspace sampling) provide sensitive and representative samples for analysis.

Plant volatiles serve humankind as perfumes and aroma compounds, natural flavour constituents, food additives/preservatives, chemotherapeutics and anaesthetics.
Immunisation of Experimental Animals
Authors: de Souza Joseph Brian
Published: April 2016

Effective vaccines are urgently required for some of the major killer diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis (TB), malaria, cancer, as well as for emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola and the coronavirus infections such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). This challenge can only be realised through a better understanding of the interplay between pathogen (or tumour) and the host's immune system. While epidemiological surveys and various
in vitro
studies provide useful leads, experimental animals are powerful tools for the manipulation of the immune response
in vivo
and remain central to our understanding of the body's response to infection. They afford a means of analysing the different roles played by the various components of the immune system in providing protection against disease and of devising methods of enhancing and accelerating this protection by immunisation.

Key Concepts

Proteins, polysaccharides or glycoconjugated antigens may lack the desired pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPS) that are necessary to activate the innate immune response.

Incorporation of antigen with defined PRR agonists is desirable for potent activation of dendritic cells that steer the response of antigen‐specific T and B cells.

The type of formulation, dose, site and route of administration are critical to the outcome of the immune response to a given antigen.
Plant Viruses as Gene Expression and Silencing Vectors
Authors: Qu Feng
Published: April 2016

Plant viruses have been modified to express heterologous proteins in plants and to downregulate the expression of genes of host plants through virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS). Many viruses have been adopted as vectors for either or both purposes, with varying effectiveness and popularity.

Key Concepts

Plant‐infecting viruses can be engineered to express heterologous proteins or impart silencing of host genes.

Gene expression vectors can be used to produce stand‐alone proteins or proteins/peptides fused to viral proteins.

Gene‐specific silencing can be achieved by incorporating partial fragments of target genes in VIGS vectors.

For most VIGS vectors, delivery remains a bottleneck in need of further improvements.
Role of the
Wnt
Signalling Pathway in Cancer
Authors: Baskir Rubin S , Hansen Amanda G , Lee Ethan
Published: April 2016

Canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signalling is a highly conserved pathway that plays an essential role during embryonic development. In the adult, the Wnt pathway regulates stem cell maintenance and tissue homeostasis. Inappropriate activation of the Wnt signalling pathway has been implicated in a variety of cancers, most notably in colorectal cancer. Wnt signalling alterations in cancer have been identified at various levels of the pathway: at the membrane, in the cytoplasm and within the nucleus. Given that Wnt signalling plays a critical role in many human cancers, intense investigation has focused on targeting this pathway to develop potential therapeutics for cancer therapy.

Key Concepts

Wnt signalling is a highly conserved pathway in development.

A key role of the Wnt signalling pathway involves the maintenance of stem cell renewal.

Somatic mutations in the Wnt pathway components are commonly found in cancer, including over 90% of colorectal cancers.

Wnt pathway activation leads to inhibition of the β‐catenin destruction complex consisting of APC, Axin, CK1α and GSK3.

Mutations in the tumour suppressor, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), lead to Wnt pathway activation.

Syndromes caused by germline mutations in Wnt pathway genes include familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), which results in early polyp development and subsequent colorectal cancer.

Wnt pathway drugs have been developed to target receptor activation, β‐catenin degradation and nuclear activation, though currently none of these drugs are FDA approved for patient use.
Tubulin Folding and Degradation
Authors: Serna Marina , Zabala Juan C
Published: April 2016

Synthesis of polypeptides inside a cell is an astonishing, complex and very efficient process. To reach the active state, proteins will have to face many different problems that in part are solved by molecular chaperones. Tubulins belong to one of the largest superfamilies of proteins with six conserved members. Different members have different roles although they share a general fold. Tubulins reach their final structure in an intricate pathway where different molecular chaperones are involved. Prefoldin and cytosolic chaperonin containing TCP1/TriC are required in the first part of the pathway, while tubulin folding cofactors (TBCs) are involved in the formation of the α‐ and β‐tubulin heterodimers. Later, their role in tubulin proteostasis as well as their implications in different neurodevelopmental disorders has been documented.

Key Concepts

Tubulins represent one of the largest families of genes and proteins.

α‐ and β‐Tubulin heterodimers constitute the structural and functional subunit of microtubules (MTs).

Folding of tubulins follows a sophisticated pathway involving several molecular chaperones.

Formation of the αβ‐tubulin heterodimer is an extremely regulated process for it is involved in different lateral and longitudinal as well as microtubule associated proteins (MAPs) interactions.

TBCs are molecular chaperones specifically required for αβ‐tubulin dimer formation.

TBCs are shown to be involved in the release of tubulin monomers from the chaperonin during the folding pathway.

The dissociation constant for the tubulin heterodimer has shown to be 10
−11
 M and TBCs are required for an efficient tubulin dimer dissociation.

TBCs are involved in tubulin proteostasis through dimer dissociation and tagging for proteasome recognition.

The first 3D structure of a complex formed between α‐tubulin and two chaperones involved in the tubulin turnover cycle has been established.

Genetic defects on TBCs are responsible of neurodevelopmental diseases.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Tandem Reaction of Alkyne‐Based Aryl Iodides and Salicyl N‐Tosylhydrazones to Construct the Spiro[benzofuran‐3,2′‐chromene] Skeleton
Authors: Shang Xue Song , Li Nian Tai , Li Deng Yuan , Liu Pei Nian
Published: April 2016

A convenient palladium‐catalyzed tandem reaction of aryl iodides and salicyl N‐tosylhydrazones has been achieved to afford a series of compounds containing the novel spiro[benzofuran‐3,2′‐chromene] scaffold in moderate to good yields. This efficient catalytic reaction, which tolerates various functional groups, combines alkyne‐based 5‐exo‐dig cyclization, palladium(II) carbene migratory insertion and intramolecular cyclization, generating three new bonds in one reaction.

magnified image
Synthesis of 2‐Aryl‐Substituted Indole‐3‐acetic Acid Derivatives via Intramolecular Imino‐Stetter Reaction of Aldimines with Cyanide
Authors: Lee Seong Jong , Seo Hong‐Ahn , Cheon Cheol‐Hong
Published: April 2016

A general method to generate umpolung of aldimines with cyanide was developed via the addition of cyanide to aldimines followed by a proton transfer from the carbon atom to the nitrogen atom in the resulting cyanide adducts. This novel method was successfully applied to the first imino‐Stetter reaction of aldimines obtained from 2‐aminocinnamic acid derivatives and aromatic aldehydes with cyanide, affording 2‐aryl‐substituted indole‐3‐acetic acid derivatives. Furthermore, the usefulness of this method was successfully demonstrated by the synthesis of an FPTase inhibitor, one of the biologically important 2‐arylindole‐3‐acetic acid derivatives.

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A First Example of Cobalt‐Catalyzed Remote CH Functionalization of 8‐Aminoquinolines Operating through a Single Electron Transfer Mechanism
Authors: Whiteoak Christopher J. , Planas Oriol , Company Anna , Ribas Xavi
Published: April 2016

The development of new CH functionalization protocols based on inexpensive cobalt catalysts is currently attracting significant interest. Functionalized 8‐aminoquinoline compounds are high‐potential building blocks in organic chemistry and pharmaceutical compounds and new facile routes for their preparation would be highly valuable. Recently, copper has been applied as catalyst for the functionalization of 8‐aminoquinoline compounds and found to operate through a single electron transfer (SET) mechanism, although requiring elevated reaction temperatures. Herein, we described the first example of a cobalt‐catalyzed remote CH functionalization of 8‐aminoquinoline compounds operating through a SET mechanism, exemplified using a practical and mild nitration protocol. The reaction uses inexpensive cobalt nitrate hexahydrate [Co(NO3)2⋅6 H2O] as catalyst and tert‐butyl nitrite (TBN) as nitro source. This methodology offers the basis for the facile preparation of many new functionalized 8‐aminoquinoline derivatives.

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Nanoengineering to Achieve High Sodium Storage: A Case Study of Carbon Coated Hierarchical Nanoporous TiO2 Microfibers
Authors: Wang Nü , Gao Yuan , Wang Yun‐Xiao , Liu Kai , Lai Weihong , Hu Yemin , Zhao Yong , Chou Shu‐Lei , Jiang Lei
Published: April 2016

Nanoengineering of electrode materials can directly facilitate sodium ion accessibility and transport, thus enhancing electrochemical performance in sodium ion batteries. Here, highly sodium‐accessible carbon coated nanoporous TiO2 microfibers have been synthesised via the facile electrospinning technique which can deliver an enhanced capacity of ≈167 mAh g−1 after 450 cycles at current density of 50 mA g−1 and retain a capacity of ≈71 mAh g−1 at the high current rate of 1 A g−1. With the benefits of their porous structure, thin TiO2 inner walls, and the introduction of conductive carbon, the nanoporous TiO2/C microfibers exhibit high ion accessibility, fast Na ion transport, and fast electron transport, thereby leading to the excellent Na‐storage properties presented here. Nanostructuring is proven to be a fruitful strategy that can alleviate the reliance on materials' intrinsic nature; and the electrospinning technique is versatile and cost‐effective for the fabrication of such an effective nanoporous microfiber structure.
Prussian Blue MgLi Hybrid Batteries
Authors: Sun Xiaoqi , Duffort Victor , Nazar Linda F.
Published: April 2016

The major advantage of Mg batteries relies on their promise of employing an Mg metal negative electrode, which offers much higher energy density compared to graphitic carbon. However, the strong coulombic interaction of Mg2+ ions with anions leads to their sluggish diffusion in the solid state, which along with a high desolvation energy, hinders the development of positive electrode materials. To circumvent this limitation, Mg metal negative electrodes can be used in hybrid systems by coupling an Li+ insertion cathode through a dual salt electrolyte. Two “high voltage” Prussian blue analogues (average 2.3 V vs Mg/Mg2+; 3.0 V vs Li/Li+) are investigated as cathode materials and the influence of structural water is shown. Their electrochemical profiles, presenting two voltage plateaus, are explained based on the two unique Fe bonding environments. Structural water has a beneficial impact on the cell voltage. Capacities of 125 mAh g−1 are obtained at a current density of 10 mA g−1 (≈C/10), while stable performance up to 300 cycles is demonstrated at 200 mA g−1 (≈2C). The hybrid cell design is a step toward building a safe and high density energy storage system.
Biologically Inspired Smart Release System Based on 3D Bioprinted Perfused Scaffold for Vascularized Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Cui Haitao , Zhu Wei , Holmes Benjamin , Zhang Lijie Grace
Published: April 2016

A critical challenge to the development of large‐scale artificial tissue grafts for defect reconstruction is vascularization of the tissue construct. As an emerging tissue/organ manufacturing technique, 3D bioprinting offers great precision in controlling the internal architecture of a scaffold with preferable mechanical strength and printing complicated microstructures comparable to native tissue. However, current bioprinting techniques still exhibit difficulty in achieving biomimetic nano resolution and cooperating with bioactive spatiotemporal signals. In this study, a comprehensive design of engineered vascularized bone construct is presented for the first time by integrating biomimetic 3D bioprinted fluid perfused microstructure with biologically inspired smart release nanocoating, which is regarded as an aspiring concept combining engineering, biological, and material science. In this biologically inspired design, angiogenesis and osteogenesis are successively induced through a matrix metalloprotease 2 regulative mechanism by delivering dual growth factors with sequential release in spatiotemporal coordination. Availability of this system is evaluated in dynamic culture condition, which is similar to fluid surrounding in vivo, as an alternative animal model study. Results, particularly from co‐cultured dynamically samples demonstrate excellent bioactivity and vascularized bone forming potential of nanocoating modified 3D bioprinted scaffolds for human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells.
Association of intracellular Staphylococcus aureus with prognosis in chronic rhinosinusitis
Authors: Ou Judy , Drilling Amanda , Singhal Deepti , Tan Neil C.‐W. , Wallis‐Hill Deanna , Vreugde Sarah , Psaltis Alkis J. , Wormald Peter‐John
Published: April 2016

Background

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) has been shown to exist within nasal epithelial cells in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients. This study investigates the localization of intracellular S. aureus (ICSA) in CRS patients, the associated histopathology changes, and their effect on long‐term postoperative outcomes.

Methods

A prospective study of patients with CRS with and without polyps and control patients (n = 25, 15, and 8, respectively) undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery was performed. Validated patient reported symptom scores and objective endoscopic scores were collected preoperatively and 12 months postoperatively. Mucosal tissue samples were collected and examined for the presence of ICSA using immunohistochemical analysis. Tissue also underwent routine hematoxylin and eosin and Sirius Red staining to evaluate the inflammatory cell load and extent of fibrosis.

Results

ICSA appeared to localize to the perinuclear region of the pseudostratified columnar respiratory epithelium. ICSA was more prevalent in CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) than in CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) or controls (80% vs 56% vs 38%, respectively). ICSA positive status did not appear to influence symptom or endoscopic scores at the time of surgery nor 12 months postoperatively. Lymphocytes and total inflammatory cells were significantly increased in ICSA+ group than ICSA− groups (36.4 vs 22.4 cells/area and 53.8 vs 29.1 cells/area, respectively). There was no difference found in fibrosis.

Conclusion

This study indicated that ICSA was most prevalent in CRSsNP patients and was associated with increased lymphocytia and total inflammatory cells but not with worse symptomatology, endoscopy results, or basement membrane (BM) thickening.