bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Covalent Triazine Frameworks via a Low‐Temperature Polycondensation Approach
Authors: Wang Kewei , Yang Li‐Ming , Wang Xi , Guo Liping , Cheng Guang , Zhang Chun , Jin Shangbin , Tan Bien , Cooper Andrew
Published: September 2017

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are normally synthesized by ionothermal methods. The harsh synthetic conditions and associated limited structural diversity do not benefit for further development and practical large‐scale synthesis of CTFs. Herein we report a new strategy to construct CTFs (CTF‐HUSTs) via a polycondensation approach, which allows the synthesis of CTFs under mild conditions from a wide array of building blocks. Interestingly, these CTFs display a layered structure. The CTFs synthesized were also readily scaled up to gram quantities. The CTFs are potential candidates for separations, photocatalysis and for energy storage applications. In particular, CTF‐HUSTs are found to be promising photocatalysts for sacrificial photocatalytic hydrogen evolution with a maximum rate of 2647 μmol h−1 g−1 under visible light. We also applied a pyrolyzed form of CTF‐HUST‐4 as an anode material in a sodium‐ion battery achieving an excellent discharge capacity of 467 mAh g−1.
Enhanced Photoactivity from Single‐Crystalline SrTaO2N Nanoplates Synthesized by Topotactic Nitridation
Authors: Fu Jie , Skrabalak Sara E.
Published: September 2017

There are few methods yielding oxynitride crystals with defined shape, yet shape‐controlled crystals often give enhanced photoactivity. Herein, single‐crystalline SrTaO2N nanoplates and polyhedra are achieved selectively. Central to these synthetic advances is the crystallization pathways used, in which single‐crystalline SrTaO2N nanoplates form by topotactic nitridation of aerosol‐prepared Sr2Ta2O7 nanoplates and SrTaO2N polyhedra form by flux‐assisted nitridation of the nanoplates. Evaluation of these materials for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) showed improved performance for the SrTaO2N nanoplates, with a record apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 6.1 % for OER compared to the polyhedra (AQE: 1.6 %) and SrTaO2N polycrystals (AQE: 0.6 %). The enhanced performance from the nanoplates arises from their morphology and lower defect density. These results highlight the importance of developing new synthetic routes to high quality oxynitrides.
Cobalt versus Osmium: Control of Both trans and cis Selectivity in Construction of the EFG Rings of Pectenotoxin 4
Authors: Roushanbakhti Ahria , Liu Yifan , Winship Paul C. M. , Tucker Michael J. , Akhtar Wasim M. , Walter Daryl S. , Wrigley Gail , Donohoe Timothy J.
Published: September 2017

Catalytic oxidative cyclisation reactions have been employed for the synthesis of the E and F rings of the complex natural product target pectenotoxin 4. The choice of metal catalyst (cobalt‐ or osmium‐based) allowed for the formation of THF rings with either trans or cis stereoselectivity. Fragment union using a modified Julia reaction then enabled the synthesis of an advanced synthetic intermediate containing the EF and G rings of the target.
Five decades of gratitude: A meta‐synthesis of acknowledgments research
Authors: Desrochers Nadine , Paul‐Hus Adèle , Pecoskie Jen
Published: September 2017

This review of the literature presents an overview of the last 50 years of research on acknowledgments in the context of scholarly communication. Through qualitative coding and bibliometric methods, this meta‐synthesis provides an in‐depth description of acknowledgments research and reveals the five main thematic categories that emerge from this corpus of literature. Adopting a historical approach, this review shows a diversified and scattered research landscape. Despite five decades of analysis putting forward the potential value of acknowledgments as markers of scientific capital, the literature still lacks consensus as to the value and functions of acknowledgments within the reward system of science.
Understanding success through the diversity of collaborators and the milestone of career
Authors: Bu Yi , Ding Ying , Xu Jian , Liang Xingkun , Gao Gege , Zhao Yiming
Published: September 2017

Scientific collaboration is vital to many fields, and it is common to see scholars seek out experienced researchers or experts in a domain with whom they can share knowledge, experience, and resources. To explore the diversity of research collaborations, this article performs a temporal analysis on the scientific careers of researchers in the field of computer science. Specifically, we analyze collaborators using 2 indicators: the research topic diversity, measured by the Author‐Conference‐Topic model and cosine, and the impact diversity, measured by the normalized standard deviation of h‐indices. We find that the collaborators of high‐impact researchers tend to study diverse research topics and have diverse h‐indices. Moreover, by setting PhD graduation as an important milestone in researchers' careers, we examine several indicators related to scientific collaboration and their effects on a career. The results show that collaborating with authoritative authors plays an important role prior to a researcher's PhD graduation, but working with non‐authoritative authors carries more weight after PhD graduation.
Understanding scientific collaboration: Homophily, transitivity, and preferential attachment
Authors: Zhang Chenwei , Bu Yi , Ding Ying , Xu Jian
Published: September 2017

Scientific collaboration is essential in solving problems and breeding innovation. Coauthor network analysis has been utilized to study scholars' collaborations for a long time, but these studies have not simultaneously taken different collaboration features into consideration. In this paper, we present a systematic approach to analyze the differences in possibilities that two authors will cooperate as seen from the effects of homophily, transitivity, and preferential attachment. Exponential random graph models (ERGMs) are applied in this research. We find that different types of publications one author has written play diverse roles in his/her collaborations. An author's tendency to form new collaborations with her/his coauthors' collaborators is strong, where the more coauthors one author had before, the more new collaborators he/she will attract. We demonstrate that considering the authors' attributes and homophily effects as well as the transitivity and preferential attachment effects of the coauthorship network in which they are embedded helps us gain a comprehensive understanding of scientific collaboration.
Theory and practice of data citation
Authors: Silvello Gianmaria
Published: September 2017

Citations are the cornerstone of knowledge propagation and the primary means of assessing the quality of research, as well as directing investments in science. Science is increasingly becoming “data‐intensive,” where large volumes of data are collected and analyzed to discover complex patterns through simulations and experiments, and most scientific reference works have been replaced by online curated data sets. Yet, given a data set, there is no quantitative, consistent, and established way of knowing how it has been used over time, who contributed to its curation, what results have been yielded, or what value it has. The development of a theory and practice of data citation is fundamental for considering data as first‐class research objects with the same relevance and centrality of traditional scientific products. Many works in recent years have discussed data citation from different viewpoints: illustrating why data citation is needed, defining the principles and outlining recommendations for data citation systems, and providing computational methods for addressing specific issues of data citation. The current panorama is many‐faceted and an overall view that brings together diverse aspects of this topic is still missing. Therefore, this paper aims to describe the lay of the land for data citation, both from the theoretical (the why and what) and the practical (the how) angle.
Data set mentions and citations: A content analysis of full‐text publications
Authors: Zhao Mengnan , Yan Erjia , Li Kai
Published: September 2017

This study provides evidence of data set mentions and citations in multiple disciplines based on a content analysis of 600 publications in PLoS One. We find that data set mentions and citations varied greatly among disciplines in terms of how data sets were collected, referenced, and curated. While a majority of articles provided free access to data, formal ways of data attribution such as DOIs and data citations were used in a limited number of articles. In addition, data reuse took place in less than 30% of the publications that used data, suggesting that researchers are still inclined to create and use their own data sets, rather than reusing previously curated data. This paper provides a comprehensive understanding of how data sets are used in science and helps institutions and publishers make useful data policies.
Clinical information extraction using small data: An active learning approach based on sequence representations and word embeddings
Authors: Kholghi Mahnoosh , De Vine Lance , Sitbon Laurianne , Zuccon Guido , Nguyen Anthony
Published: September 2017

This article demonstrates the benefits of using sequence representations based on word embeddings to inform the seed selection and sample selection processes in an active learning pipeline for clinical information extraction. Seed selection refers to choosing an initial sample set to label to form an initial learning model. Sample selection refers to selecting informative samples to update the model at each iteration of the active learning process. Compared to supervised machine learning approaches, active learning offers the opportunity to build statistical classifiers with a reduced amount of training samples that require manual annotation. Reducing the manual annotation effort can support automating the clinical information extraction process. This is particularly beneficial in the clinical domain, where manual annotation is a time‐consuming and costly task, as it requires extensive labor from clinical experts. Our empirical findings demonstrate that (a) using sequence representations along with the length of sequence for seed selection shows potential towards more effective initial models, and (b) using sequence representations for sample selection leads to significantly lower manual annotation efforts, with up to 3% and 6% fewer tokens and concepts requiring annotation, respectively, compared to state‐of‐the‐art query strategies.
FTESO‐Based Finite Time Control for Underactuated System Within a Bounded Input
Authors: Wang Hongbin , Zhou Zhen , Hao Ce , Hu Zhongquan , Zheng Wei
Published: September 2017

Finite time control problem is investigated for a class of underactuated systems with uncertainties and external disturbances. For the sake of expanding control region furthest within a bound input, finite time extended state observer (FTESO) and a novel adaptive terminal sliding mode (ATSM) controller are applied to improve the stability performance of system. Compared to the general extended state observer (ESO), FTESO makes use of fractional powers to reduce the estimation errors to zero in finite time. The coordinate transformation is made for more degrees of design freedom. Rigorous analysis of finite time convergence results has been performed through Lyapunov theory and sufficient conditions are provided for the observer/controller‐design. Finally, simulation results on the Rotating Inverted Pendulum are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller and observer.
Analytic Methods for Evaluating Patterns of Multiple Congenital Anomalies in Birth Defect Registries
Authors: Agopian A.J. , Evans Jane A. , Lupo Philip J.
Published: September 2017

Background

It is estimated that 20 to 30% of infants with birth defects have two or more birth defects. Among these infants with multiple congenital anomalies (MCA), co‐occurring anomalies may represent either chance (i.e., unrelated etiologies) or pathogenically associated patterns of anomalies. While some MCA patterns have been recognized and described (e.g., known syndromes), others have not been identified or characterized. Elucidating these patterns may result in a better understanding of the etiologies of these MCAs.

Methods

This article reviews the literature with regard to analytic methods that have been used to evaluate patterns of MCAs, in particular those using birth defect registry data.

Results

A popular method for MCA assessment involves a comparison of the observed to expected ratio for a given combination of MCAs, or one of several modified versions of this comparison. Other methods include use of numerical taxonomy or other clustering techniques, multiple regression analysis, and log‐linear analysis. Advantages and disadvantages of these approaches, as well as specific applications, were outlined.

Conclusion

Despite the availability of multiple analytic approaches, relatively few MCA combinations have been assessed. The availability of large birth defects registries and computing resources that allow for automated, big data strategies for prioritizing MCA patterns may provide for new avenues for better understanding co‐occurrence of birth defects. Thus, the selection of an analytic approach may depend on several considerations. Birth Defects Research 110:5–11, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
In Situ Bone Tissue Engineering With an Endogenous Stem Cell Mobilizer and Osteoinductive Nanofibrous Polymeric Scaffolds
Authors: Lee Jong Seung , Jin Yoonhee , Park Hyun‐Ji , Yang Kisuk , Lee Min Suk , Yang Hee Seok , Cho Seung‐Woo
Published: September 2017

Classical bone tissue engineering involves the use of culture‐expanded cells and scaffolds to produce tissue constructs for transplantation. Despite promising results, clinical adoption of these constructs has been limited due to various drawbacks, including extensive cell expansion steps, low cell survival rate upon transplantation, and the possibility of immuno‐rejection. To bypass the ex vivo cell culture and transplantation process, the regenerative capacity of the host is exploited by mobilizing endogenous stem cells to the site of injury. Systemic injection of substance P (SP) induce mobilization of CD29+ CD105+ CD45− cells from bone marrow and enhance bone tissue regeneration in a critical‐sized calvarial bone defect model. To provide an appropriate environment for endogenous stem cells to survive and differentiate into osteogenic lineage cells, electrospun nanofibrous polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds are functionalized with hydroxyapatite (HA) particles via a polydopamine (PDA) coating to create highly osteoinductive PCL‐PDA‐HA scaffolds that are implanted in defects. The combination of the PCL‐PDA‐HA scaffold and SP treatment enhance in situ bone tissue formation in defects. Thus, this in situ bone regeneration strategy, which combines recruitment of endogenous stem cells from the bone marrow to defective sites and implantation of a highly biocompatible and osteoinductive cell‐free scaffold system, has potential as an effective therapeutic in regenerative medicine.
Biomaterial Substrate‐Mediated Multicellular Spheroid Formation and Their Applications in Tissue Engineering
Authors: Tseng Ting‐Chen , Wong Chui‐Wei , Hsieh Fu‐Yu , Hsu Shan‐hui
Published: September 2017

Three‐dimentional (3D) multicellular aggregates (spheroids), compared to the traditional 2D monolayer cultured cells, are physiologically more similar to the cells in vivo. So far there are various techniques to generate 3D spheroids. Spheroids obtained from different methods have already been applied to regenerative medicine or cancer research. Among the cell spheroids created by different methods, the substrate‐derived spheroids and their forming mechanism are unique. This review focuses on the formation of biomaterial substrate‐mediated multicellular spheroids and their applications in tissue engineering and tumor models. First, the authors will describe the special chitosan substrate‐derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) spheroids and their greater regenerative capacities in various tissues. Second, the authors will describe tumor spheroids derived on chitosan and hyaluronan substrates, which serve as a simple in vitro platform to study 3D tumor models or to perform cancer drug screening. Finally, the authors will mention the self‐assembly process for substrate‐derived multiple cell spheroids (co‐spheroids), which may recapitulate the heterotypic cell–cell interaction for co‐cultured cells or crosstalk between different types of cells. These unique multicellular mono‐spheroids or co‐spheroids represent a category of 3D cell culture with advantages of biomimetic cell–cell interaction, better functionalities, and imaging possibilities.
Trends in active surveillance for very low‐risk prostate cancer: do guidelines influence modern practice?
Authors: Parikh Rahul R. , Kim Sinae , Stein Mark N. , Haffty Bruce G. , Kim Isaac Y. , Goyal Sharad
Published: September 2017

As recommended by current NCCN guidelines, patients with very low‐risk prostate cancer may be treated with active surveillance (AS), but this may be underutilized. Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we identified men (2010–2013) with biopsy‐proven, very low‐risk prostate cancer that met AS criteria as suggested by Epstein (stage ≤ T1c; Gleason score (GS) ≤ 6; PSA < 10; and ≤2 [or <33%] positive biopsy cores) and aged ≤76, and low comorbidity index (Charlson‐Deyo score = 0). For those patients meeting this criteria, we performed generalized estimation equation (GEE) method with incorporation of correlation in patients clustered within facility to determine the likelihood of undergoing AS. Among the 448 773 patients in the NCDB with low‐risk prostate cancer, 40 839 patients met the inclusion criteria. AS was utilized in 5798 patients (14.2%), while within the very low‐risk patients receiving treatment, up to 52.2% received radical prostatectomy. In univariate analyses, AS utilization was associated with older age, uninsured status (compared to private insurance), farther distance from facility, academic/research institutions and particularly in the New England region (all P < 0.01). After adjustments of other predictors in multivariate analysis, patients preferentially received AS if they were older (all OR's > 1 compared to younger groups), uninsured (vs. any insurance type, OR's > 1); or treated at academic/research center (OR > 1). The overall use of AS increased from 11.6% (2010) to 27.3% (2013). We found a low, but rising rate of AS in a nationally representative group of very low‐risk prostate cancer patients. Disparities in the use of AS may be targeted to improve adherence to national guidelines.
Personal use of hair dyes and risk of leukemia: a systematic literature review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Towle Kevin M. , Grespin Matthew E. , Monnot Andrew D.
Published: September 2017

The objective of this study was to examine the association between personal use of hair dyes and the risk of leukemia. We conducted a systematic literature review of epidemiology studies reporting leukemia‐specific cancer risks among hair dye users, and estimated the meta‐relative risk (meta‐RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of leukemia, comparing hair dye users to nonusers. When data from all 20 studies that met the inclusion criteria were combined, ever use of hair dye was associated with a nonstatistically significant increased risk of leukemia, meta‐RR = 1.09 (95% CI: 0.97–1.22). When restricted to studies that adjusted for smoking, ever use of hair dye was not associated with leukemia, meta‐RR = 0.99 (95% CI: 0.76–1.29). A statistically significant increased risk of leukemia was associated with permanent hair dye use (meta‐RR = 1.19 [95% CI: 1.07–1.33]), dark hair dye use (meta‐RR = 1.29 [95% CI: 1.11–1.50]), hair dye use among males (meta‐RR = 1.42 [95% CI: 1.01–2.00]), hair dye use pre‐1980 (meta‐RR = 1.49 [95% CI: 1.21–1.83]), and hair dye use for ≥15 years (meta‐RR = 1.35 [95% CI: 1.13–1.62]). Overall, findings suggest that ever use of hair dye is not a significant risk factor for leukemia. Certain hair dye use characteristics were associated with a statistically significant increased risk, but further research is required to determine whether these associations truly reflect a risk of leukemia due to methodological limitations in the underlying studies.
Relationship of tumor PD‐L1 (CD274) expression with lower mortality in lung high‐grade neuroendocrine tumor
Authors: Inamura Kentaro , Yokouchi Yusuke , Kobayashi Maki , Ninomiya Hironori , Sakakibara Rie , Nishio Makoto , Okumura Sakae , Ishikawa Yuichi
Published: September 2017

Programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) promotes immunosuppression by binding to PD‐1 on T lymphocytes. Although tumor PD‐L1 expression is a potential predictive marker of clinical response to anti‐PD‐1/PD‐L1 therapy, little is known about its association with clinicopathological features, including prognosis, in high‐grade neuroendocrine tumors (HGNETs), including small‐cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and large‐cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), of the lung. We immunohistochemically examined the membranous of expression of PD‐L1 in 115 consecutive surgical cases of lung HGNET (74 SCLC cases and 41 LCNEC cases). We examined the prognostic association of tumor PD‐L1 positivity using the log‐rank test as well as Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) for mortality. Programmed death‐ligand 1 immunostaining (at least 5% tumor cells) was observed in 25 (21%) of the 115 HGNET cases. In a univariable analysis, PD‐L1 positivity was associated with lower lung cancer‐specific (univariable HR = 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.056–0.64; P = 0.0028) and overall (univariable HR = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.11–0.60; P = 0.0005) mortality. Additionally, in a multivariable analysis, PD‐L1 positivity was independently associated with lower lung cancer‐specific (multivariable HR = 0.24; 95% CI = 0.058–0.67; P = 0.0039) and overall (multivariable HR = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.11–0.61; P = 0.0006) mortality. Our study demonstrated the prevalence of PD‐L1 positivity in lung HGNET cases, and the independent association of tumor PD‐L1 positivity with lower mortality in lung HGNET cases. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.
On the Nature of Isomeric Nonfluorescent Chlorophyll Catabolites in Leaves and Fruit – A Study with a Ubiquitous Phylloleucobilin and its Main Isomerization Product
Authors: Moser Simone , Scherzer Gerhard , Kräutler Bernhard
Published: September 2017

The typical main products of chlorophyll (Chl) breakdown in higher plants are non‐fluorescent, colorless phyllobilins, named phylloleucobilins. These long elusive Chl‐catabolites are linear tetrapyrroles, whose structure elucidation has required thorough spectroscopic analyses. Interestingly, in recent LC/MS studies of leaf extracts, isomeric forms of phylloleucobilins were detected. The existence of isomeric phyllobilins may suggest incomplete stereo‐selectivity of catabolic processes, or isomerization processes in plant cells or in the analytes. Here we report a study with the phylloleucobilin NCC‐1, a basic Chl‐catabolite in extracts of leaves and fruit. NCC‐1 and its main isomerization product in aqueous solution were identified as 82‐epimers. Formation of 82‐epi‐NCC‐1 from NCC‐1 implies an unstable enol(ate)‐intermediate, which reverts to NCC‐1 or converts to 82‐epi‐NCC‐1. Such reversible epimerization reactions are a non‐biological in vitro feature of typical phylloleucobilins, and probably also take place in vivo.
Continuous Production of Ursodeoxycholic Acid by Using Two Cascade Reactors with Co‐immobilized Enzymes
Authors: Zheng Ming‐Min , Chen Fei‐Fei , Li Hao , Li Chun‐Xiu , Xu Jian‐He
Published: September 2017

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is an effective drug for the treatment of hepatitis. In this study, 7α‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (7α‐HSDH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), as well as 7β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (7β‐HSDH) and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), were co‐immobilized onto an epoxy‐functionalized resin (ES‐103) to catalyze the synthesis of UDCA from chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA). Through optimizing the immobilization pH, time, and loading ratio of enzymes to resin, the specific activities of immobilized LDH‐7αHSDH@ES‐103 and 7βHSDH‐GDH@ES‐103 were 43.2 and 25.8 U g−1, respectively, which were 12‐ and 516‐fold higher than that under the initial immobilization conditions. Continuous production of UDCA from CDCA was subsequently achieved by using immobilized LDH‐7αHSDH@ES‐103 and 7βHSDH‐GDH@ES‐103 in two serial packed‐bed reactors. The yield of UDCA reached nearly 100 % and lasted for at least 12 h in the packed‐bed reactors, which was superior to that of the batchwise reaction. This efficient continuous approach developed herein might provide a feasible route for large‐scale biotransformation of CDCA into UDCA.
Rapid Detection of Serum Procalcitonin by Immunochromatograghy Technology Based on Freeze‐dried Up‐conversion Nanoparticles/Antibody Conjugates
Authors: Lei Lijiang , Zhou Yang , Han Yuwang , Zhang Hongman
Published: September 2017

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a sensitive and specific biomarker for sepsis diagnosis and widely used as a biomarker to improve the diagnosis of bacterial infections and to guide the antibiotic therapy. In our work, an improved up‐converting nanoparticle (UCP) technology based on the immunochromatographic assay (UPT‐ICA) was developed for rapid and quantitative detection of PCT. In order to further improve the accuracy, sensitivity and stability of the assay on the basis of our previous study, the UCP coupling with monoclonal antibody of PCT (UCP‐Ab1) was freeze‐dried under certain conditions. And the detections of PCT levels with UCP‐Ab1 conjugates before and after freeze‐drying were evaluated. The results show that, compared to the UCP‐Ab1 conjugates without freeze‐drying, the detection sensitivity of freeze‐dried UCP‐Ab1 is slightly improved, having a lower immunochromatogragh background and better stability. This improved method can provide a rapid, accurate, and relatively easy way for the clinical detection of PCT.
Pollination by the locally endangered island flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) enhances fruit production of the economically important durian (Durio zibethinus)
Authors: Aziz Sheema A. , Clements Gopalasamy R. , McConkey Kim R. , Sritongchuay Tuanjit , Pathil Saifful , Abu Yazid Muhammad Nur Hafizi , Campos‐Arceiz Ahimsa , Forget Pierre‐Michel , Bumrungsri Sara
Published: September 2017

Fruit bats provide valuable pollination services to humans through a unique coevolutionary relationship with chiropterophilous plants. However, chiropterophily in the Old World and the pollination roles of large bats, such as flying foxes (Pteropus spp., Acerodon spp., Desmalopex spp.), are still poorly understood and require further elucidation. Efforts to protect these bats have been hampered by a lack of basic quantitative information on their role as ecosystem service providers. Here, we investigate the role of the locally endangered island flying fox Pteropus hypomelanus in the pollination ecology of durian (Durio zibethinus), an economically important crop in Southeast Asia. On Tioman Island, Peninsular Malaysia, we deployed 19 stations of paired infrared camera and video traps across varying heights at four individual flowering trees in a durian orchard. We detected at least nine species of animal visitors, but only bats had mutualistic interactions with durian flowers. There was a clear vertical stratification in the feeding niches of flying foxes and nectar bats, with flying foxes feeding at greater heights in the trees. Flying foxes had a positive effect on mature fruit set and therefore serve as important pollinators for durian trees. As such, semi‐wild durian trees—particularly tall ones—may be dependent on flying foxes for enhancing reproductive success. Our study is the first to quantify the role of flying foxes in durian pollination, demonstrating that these giant fruit bats may have far more important ecological, evolutionary, and economic roles than previously thought. This has important implications and can aid efforts to promote flying fox conservation, especially in Southeast Asian countries.
Plant‐facilitated effects of exotic earthwormPontoscolex corethruruson the soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and soil microbial community in a subtropical field ecosystem
Authors: Wu Jianping , Zhang Weixin , Shao Yuanhu , Fu Shenglei
Published: September 2017

Earthworms and plants greatly affect belowground properties; however, their combined effects are more attractive based on the ecosystem scale in the field condition. To address this point, we manipulated earthworms (exotic endogeic speciesPontoscolex corethrurus) and plants (living plants [native tree speciesEvodia lepta] and artificial plants) to investigate their combined effects on soil microorganisms, soil nutrients, and soil respiration in a subtropical forest. The manipulation of artificial plants aimed to simulate the physical effects of plants (e.g., shading and interception of water) such that the biological effects of plants could be evaluated separately. We found that relative to the controls, living plants but not artificial plants significantly increased the ratio of fungal to bacterial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and fungalPLFAs. Furthermore, earthworms plus living plants significantly increased the soil respiration and decreased the soilNH4+‐N, which indicates that the earthworm effects on the associated carbon, and nitrogen processes were greatly affected by living plants. The permutational multivariate analysis of variance results also indicated that living plants but not earthworms or artificial plants significantly changed the soil microbial community. Our results suggest that the effects of plants on soil microbes and associated soil properties in this study were largely explained by their biological rather than their physical effects.
Microwave‐Assisted Generation and Capture by Azoles of ortho‐Quinone Methide Intermediates under Aqueous Conditions
Authors: González‐Pelayo Silvia , López Luis A.
Published: September 2017

An efficient activator‐free protocol for the coupling of o‐hydroxybenzyl alcohols and azoles in water has been developed. This C–N bond‐formation process is supposed to proceed through an ortho‐quinone methide intermediate. A broad range of o‐hydroxybenzyl alcohols that include those with alkenyl and alkynyl functionalities is compatible with this protocol. In most cases, the products are isolated in good to excellent yields without chromatographic purification. Preliminary results demonstrated that this methodology can also be used for the generation and trapping of isomeric para‐quinone methide intermediates.
Thermal Autoignition of Aqueous Urea Ammonium Nitrate as a Function of Equivalence Ratio, Water Content, and Nitrogen Pressure
Authors: Mosevitzky Bar , Calo Idan , Keren Shachar , Shter Gennady E. , Grader Gideon S.
Published: September 2017

Aqueous urea ammonium nitrate has been previously suggested as a hydrogen‐carrying monofuel. The addition of helium and water to the fuel is known to increase its autoignition temperature. Nevertheless, both the reason for this behavior and the reaction pathways that lead to the ignition of the fuel are not completely clear. In this work, the effect of fuel‐rich conditions (1.1≤φ≤2.5) on the thermal autoignition of this fuel was investigated. The pre‐ignition reaction network was explored using a kinetic gas‐phase model. Furthermore, the effects of helium, water, and fuel‐rich conditions on these reactions were studied using simulations. The results indicated the autoignition temperature rises with the increase of the urea content of the fuel mixture. Moreover, this behavior was suggested to stem partially from the inhibiting effect of low nitric acid levels on amidogen generation. Additionally, helium and water were identified to act as diluents that increase the pressure and the flux through three‐body reactions. This work provides a valuable in‐depth look into the reactions that lead to the ignition of aqueous urea ammonium nitrate and their dependence on the process parameters.
Enhancing the Energy‐Conversion Efficiency of Solid‐State Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells with a Charge‐Transfer Complex based on 2,3‐Dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone
Authors: Wang Weihan , Yang Xichuan , Li Jiajia , Wang Haoxin , An Jincheng , Zhang Li , Jiang Xiao , Yu Ze , Sun Licheng
Published: September 2017

As a champion hole‐transporting material (HTM), 2,2′7,7′‐tetrakis‐(N,N‐di‐p‐methoxyphenylamine)‐9,9′‐spirobifluorene (Spiro‐OMeTAD) has been widely used in solid‐state dye‐sensitized solar cells (ssDSCs). Owing to the low conductivity of Spiro‐OMeTAD, a chemical doping strategy is commonly used to enhance its hole‐transporting properties. In this study, we report a strong electron acceptor, 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone (DDQ) as an additive for Spiro‐OMeTAD along with its application in ssDSCs. We show that the conductivity of Spiro‐OMeTAD increases from 5.31×10−5 to 2.22×10−4 S cm upon the addition of 0.04 % DDQ, and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the ssDSCs also increases. By utilizing a donor–π–acceptor sensitizer with a high coefficient and an HTM with an optimized doping ratio, we were able to achieve a high PCE of 6.37 % for the ssDSCs under 100 mW cm−2 AM1.5G simulated illumination, in comparison to the PCE of the pristine device, which was only 3.50 %. An increase in the application of benzoquinone‐based materials for organic electronics is expected, especially for solar‐cell applications.
The Global Impact of Freire's Pedagogy
Authors: Gadotti Moacir
Published: September 2017

Freirean pedagogy continues to be an essential component in the construction of a fair, democratic global society. This chapter introduces Paulo Freire to those new to his thinking as well as update those who have long known of his work, about the global extent of its influence and impact, making clear that Freire's legacy goes well beyond his literacy method. Freire's theory is expressed in concepts and categories that reach a wider scope of education, including an anthropology‐based theory of knowledge, which has direct implications for evaluation, especially evaluation's role in generating and disseminating knowledge.
Transformative Pedagogical Evaluation: Freirean Principles Practiced in Brazilian Public Schools
Authors: Guimarães Vilma
Published: September 2017

In Brazil, the evaluation that is currently practiced in schools has been promoting the failure of the poorest, who eventually interrupt their studies, convinced of their incompetence. This article shows that, in contrast, hundreds of schools across the country adopt a cooperative dialogical pedagogy of evaluation. As part of an approach based on Freirean principles, the Telessala Methodology teaches students who are discriminated against by the traditional school, that they are smart and creative, with power to change their lives and the world. This chapter describes the Telessala Methodology and how it manifests the principles of Freirean pedagogy with implications for evaluation.
Pedagogy in Process Applied to Evaluation: Learning from Paulo Freire's Work in Guinea‐Bissau
Authors: Chianca Thomaz K. , Ceccon Claudius
Published: September 2017

This chapter presents and discusses a practical case where Paulo Freire and a group of his close Brazilian colleagues applied, created, adapted or re‐created some of his main philosophical ideas on pedagogy to educational reform in Guinea‐Bissau, West Africa, shortly after that country's independence from Portugal. Their challenge was to help the country face a huge level of illiteracy among the Guineans. After describing what was developed, the authors assess the extent to which the 10 principles introduced in Chapter 3 of this volume are manifest in the Guinea‐Bissau experience. They find that 8 of the 10 principles were clearly operational and add two additional Freirean principles that characterized the work in Guinea‐Bissau. The implications for evaluation pedagogy are discussed and illustrated.
Nestin‐expressing cell types in the temporal lobe and hippocampus: Morphology, differentiation, and proliferative capacity
Authors: Liu Joan , Reeves Cheryl , Jacques Thomas , McEvoy Andrew , Miserocchi Anna , Thompson Pamela , Sisodiya Sanjay , Thom Maria
Published: September 2017

Nestin is expressed in immature neuroepithelial and progenitor cell types and transiently upregulated in proliferative neuroglial cells responding to acute brain injury, including following seizures. In 36 temporal lobe (TLobe) specimens from patients with TLobe epilepsy (age range 8–60 years) we studied the number, distribution and morphology of nestin‐expressing cells (NEC) in the pes, hippocampus body, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, temporal cortex and pole compared with post mortem control tissues from 26 cases (age range 12 gestational weeks to 76 years). The proliferative fraction of NEC was evaluated in selected regions, including recognized niches, using MCM2. Their differentiation was explored with neuronal (DCX, mushashi, βIII tubulin, NeuN) and glial (GFAP, GFAPdelta, glutamine synthetase, aquaporin4, EAAT1) markers, both in sections or following culture. Findings were correlated with clinical parameters. A stereotypical pattern in the distribution and morphologies of NEC was observed, reminiscent of patterns in the developing brain, with increased densities in epilepsy than adult controls (p < .001). Findings included MCM2‐positive radial glial‐like cells in the periventricular white matter and rows of NEC in the hippocampal fimbria and sulcus. Nestin cells represented 29% of the hippocampal proliferative fraction in epilepsy cases; 20% co‐expressed βIII tubulin in culture compared with 28% with GFAP. Significant correlations were noted between age at surgery, memory deficits and nestin populations. TLobe NEC with ongoing proliferative capacity likely represent vestiges of developmental migratory streams and resident reactive cell populations of potential relevance to hippocampal epileptogenesis, TLobe pathology, and co‐morbidities, including memory decline.
Combined fetal inflammation and postnatal hypoxia causes myelin deficits and autism‐like behavior in a rat model of diffuse white matter injury
Authors: van Tilborg Erik , Achterberg E. J. Marijke , van Kammen Caren M. , van der Toorn Annette , Groenendaal Floris , Dijkhuizen Rick M. , Heijnen Cobi J. , Vanderschuren Louk J. M. J. , Benders Manon N. J. L. , Nijboer Cora H. A.
Published: September 2017

Diffuse white matter injury (WMI) is a serious problem in extremely preterm infants, and is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome, including cognitive impairments and an increased risk of autism‐spectrum disorders. Important risk factors include fetal or perinatal inflammatory insults and fluctuating cerebral oxygenation. However, the exact mechanisms underlying diffuse WMI are not fully understood and no treatment options are currently available. The use of clinically relevant animal models is crucial to advance knowledge on the pathophysiology of diffuse WMI, allowing the definition of novel therapeutic targets. In the present study, we developed a multiple‐hit animal model of diffuse WMI by combining fetal inflammation and postnatal hypoxia in rats. We characterized the effects on white matter development and functional outcome by immunohistochemistry, MRI and behavioral paradigms. Combined fetal inflammation and postnatal hypoxia resulted in delayed cortical myelination, microglia activation and astrogliosis at P18, together with long‐term changes in oligodendrocyte maturation as observed in 10 week old animals. Furthermore, rats with WMI showed impaired motor performance, increased anxiety and signs of autism‐like behavior, i.e. reduced social play behavior and increased repetitive grooming. In conclusion, the combination of fetal inflammation and postnatal hypoxia in rats induces a pattern of brain injury and functional impairments that closely resembles the clinical situation of diffuse WMI. This animal model provides the opportunity to elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms underlying WMI, and can be used to develop novel treatment options for diffuse WMI in preterm infants.
Selective knockout of astrocytic Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 reduces astrogliosis, BBB damage, infarction, and improves neurological function after ischemic stroke
Authors: Begum Gulnaz , Song Shanshan , Wang Shaoxia , Zhao Hanshu , Bhuiyan Mohammad Iqbal H. , Li Eric , Nepomuceno Rachel , Ye Qing , Sun Ming , Calderon Michael Joseph , Stolz Donna B. , St. Croix Claudette , Watkins Simon C. , Chen Yinhuai , He Pingnian , Shull Gary E. , Sun Dandan
Published: September 2017

Stimulation of Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) in astrocytes causes ionic dysregulation under ischemic conditions. In this study, we created a Nhe1flox/flox (Nhe1f/f) mouse line with exon 5 of Nhe1 flanked with two loxP sites and selective ablation of Nhe1 in astrocytes was achieved by crossing Nhe1f/f mice with Gfap‐CreERT2 Cre‐recombinase mice. Gfap‐CreERT2+/−;Nhe1f/f mice at postnatal day 60–90 were treated with either corn oil or tamoxifen (Tam, 75 mg/kg/day, i.p.) for 5 days. After 30 days post‐injection, mice underwent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) to induce ischemic stroke. Compared with the oil‐vehicle group (control), Tam‐treated Gfap‐CreERT2+/−;Nhe1f/f (Nhe1 KO) mice developed significantly smaller ischemic infarction, less edema, and less neurological function deficits at 1–5 days after tMCAO. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed less astrocytic proliferation, less cellular hypertrophy, and less peri‐lesion gliosis in Nhe1 KO mouse brains. Selective deletion of Nhe1 in astrocytes also reduced cerebral microvessel damage and blood–brain barrier (BBB) injury in ischemic brains. The BBB microvessels of the control brains show swollen endothelial cells, opened tight junctions, increased expression of proinflammatory protease MMP‐9, and significant loss of tight junction protein occludin. In contrast, the Nhe1 KO mice exhibited reduced BBB breakdown and normal tight junction structure, with increased expression of occludin and reduced MMP‐9. Most importantly, deletion of astrocytic Nhe1 gene significantly increased regional cerebral blood flow in the ischemic hemisphere at 24 hr post‐MCAO. Taken together, our study provides the first line of evidence for a causative role of astrocytic NHE1 protein in reactive astrogliosis and ischemic neurovascular damage.
Effects of temporal scales and space mismatches on the TRMM 3B42 v7 precipitation product in a remote mountainous area
Authors: Ebrahimi Shiva , Chen Cheng , Chen Qiuwen , Zhang Yinsheng , Ma Ning , Zaman Qammerul
Published: September 2017

The accurate measurement of precipitation is essential to understanding regional hydrological processes and hydrological cycling. Quantification of precipitation over remote regions such as the Tibetan Plateau is highly unreliable because of the scarcity of rain gauges. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of the satellite precipitation product of tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) 3B42 v7 at daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal scales. Comparison between TRMM grid precipitation and point‐based rain gauge precipitation was conducted using nearest neighbour and bilinear weighted interpolation methods. The results showed that the TRMM product could not capture daily precipitation well due to some rainfall events being missed at short time scales but provided reasonably good precipitation data at weekly, monthly, and seasonal scales. TRMM tended to underestimate the precipitation of small rainfall events (less than 1 mm/day), while it overestimated the precipitation of large rainfall events (greater than 20 mm/day). Consequently, TRMM showed better performance in the summer monsoon season than in the winter season. Through comparison, it was also found that the bilinear weighted interpolation method performs better than the nearest neighbour method in TRMM precipitation extraction.
Short‐ and long‐term evapotranspiration rates at ecological restoration sites along a large river receiving rare flow events
Authors: Shanafield Margaret , Gutiérrez‐Jurado Hugo , Rodríguez‐Burgueño Jesús Eliana , Ramírez‐Hernández Jorge , Jarchow Christopher J. , Nagler Pamela L.
Published: September 2017

Many large rivers around the world no longer flow to their deltas, due to ever greater water withdrawals and diversions for human needs. However, the importance of riparian ecosystems is drawing increasing recognition, leading to the allocation of environmental flows to restore river processes. Accurate estimates of riparian plant evapotranspiration (ET) are needed to understand how the riverine system responds to these rare events and achieve the goals of environmental flows. In 2014, historic environmental flows were released into the Lower Colorado River at Morelos Dam (Mexico); this once perennial but now dry reach is the final stretch to the mighty Colorado River Delta. One of the primary goals was to supply native vegetation restoration sites along the reach with water to help seedlings establish and boost groundwater levels to foster the planted saplings. Patterns in ET before, during, and after the flows are useful for evaluating whether this goal was met and understanding the role that ET plays in this now ephemeral river system. Here, diurnal fluctuations in groundwater levels and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were used to compare estimates of ET specifically at 3 native vegetation restoration sites during 2014 planned flow events, and MODIS data were used to evaluate long‐term (2002–2016) ET responses to restoration efforts at these sites. Overall, ET was generally 0–10 mm d−1 across sites, and although daily ET values from groundwater data were highly variable, weekly averaged estimates were highly correlated with MODIS‐derived estimates at most sites. The influence of the 2014 flow events was not immediately apparent in the results, although the process of clearing vegetation and planting native vegetation at the restoration sites was clearly visible in the results.
Comparison of a quantum random number generator with pseudorandom number generators for their use in molecular Monte Carlo simulations
Authors: Ghersi Dario , Parakh Abhishek , Mezei Mihaly
Published: September 2017

Four pseudorandom number generators were compared with a physical, quantum‐based random number generator using the NIST suite of statistical tests, which only the quantum‐based random number generator could successfully pass. We then measured the effect of the five random number generators on various calculated properties in different Markov‐chain Monte Carlo simulations. Two types of systems were tested: conformational sampling of a small molecule in aqueous solution and liquid methanol under constant temperature and pressure. The results show that poor quality pseudorandom number generators produce results that deviate significantly from those obtained with the quantum‐based random number generator, particularly in the case of the small molecule in aqueous solution setup. In contrast, the widely used Mersenne Twister pseudorandom generator and a 64‐bit Linear Congruential Generator with a scrambler produce results that are statistically indistinguishable from those obtained with the quantum‐based random number generator. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.