bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
UNDERSTANDING THE INFLUENCE OF OLIGOMERIC RESINS ON TRACTION AND ROLLING RESISTANCE OF SILICA-REINFORCED TIRE TREADS
Authors: Vleugels N. , Pille-Wolf W. , Dierkes W. K. , Noordermeer J. W. M.
Published: September 2014

This study concerns the silica reinforcement of styrene–butadiene rubber compounds for passenger car tire treads, with the objective of gaining greater insight into the beneficial effects of oligomeric resins. The major tire performance factors predicted are rolling resistance and (wet) skid resistance measured on a laboratory scale. Three types of resins were tested: a polyterpene, a terpene-phenolic, and a pure vinyl-aromatic hydrocarbon resin, at various concentrations, namely, 2, 4, and 6 parts per hundred of rubber (phr). Laboratory scale dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), Mooney viscosity, cure meter, and tensile and hardness tests were used to assess the behavior of these resins in the rubber and to characterize the processibility of the compounds. The DMA shows that the resins and rubber compounds are partially compatible for the low resin quantities used. The tan δ loss factor versus temperature was used as an indication for wet skid and rolling resistance. The shift to a higher temperature in the tan δ peak, due to the contribution of the tan δ peak shift of the resins, is the reason for improved wet skid performance. A maximum improvement of about 35% in the wet skid region (0 °C–30 °C) is found. The improved tan δ at 60 °C, indicative for rolling resistance, accounts for reduced interaction between filler particles. This is also confirmed by a decrease in the Payne effect. A maximum improvement of about 15% is found in the rolling resistance temperature range, dependent on the particular choice of the resin.
The Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Series: A National Longitudinal Study of Health and Well-being
Authors: Radler Barry T
Published: September 2014

Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) is a national longitudinal study of health and well-being (http://midus.wisc.edu/). It was conceived by a multidisciplinary team of scholars interested in understanding aging as an integrated bio-psycho-social process, and as such it includes data collected in a wide array of research protocols using a variety of survey and non-survey instruments. The data captured by these different protocols (comprising around 20,000 variables) represent survey measures, cognitive assessments, daily stress diaries, clinical, biomarker and neuroscience data which are contained in separate flat or stacked data files with a common ID system that allows easy data merges among them. All MIDUS datasets and documentation are archived at the ICPSR (http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/) repository at the University of Michigan and are publicly available in a variety of formats and statistical packages. Special attention is given to providing clear user-friendly documentation; the study has embraced the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) metadata standard and produces DDI-Lifecycle compliant codebooks. Potential for secondary use of MIDUS is high and actively encouraged. The study has become very popular with the research public as measured by data downloads and citation counts (see Reuse Potential below).
A new humic acid remedy with addition of silver nanoparticles
Authors: Alexandrova GP , Dolmaa G , Enkhbadral E , Grishenko GL , Tserenpil Sh , Sukhov BG , Regdel D , Trofimov BA
Published: September 2014

Previously known biogenic stimulator humic acid (HA) was the subject of this current study and HA based new remediation was developed by addition of silver (Ag) nanoparticles in its macromolecule. Extracted HA from a healing mud was characterized and used as reducing agent for Ag ion as well as a stabilizer for the formed Ag nanoparticles. The properties of the obtained hybrid composite were examined by XRD, UV and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. The diameter of the nanoparticles in the HA polymer was up to 8.6 nm and they were identified to be metallic Ag.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5564/mjc.v13i0.151 Mongolian Journal of Chemistry Vol.13 2012: 7-11
Pseudo-traductions et traducteurs fictifs dans l’oeuvre de l’écrivain basque Joseba Sarrionandia
Authors: Jaka Aiora
Published: September 2014

Le présent article a pour objectif de souligner le potentiel créatif que les pseudo-traductions et les traducteurs fictifs peuvent apporter à l’oeuvre d’un écrivain, ainsi que leur possible contribution au développement d’une littérature, surtout quand il s’agit d’une littérature minoritaire ne jouissant pas d’une longue et abondante tradition. En présentant les exemples tirés de l’oeuvre de l’écrivain et traducteur basque Joseba Sarrionandia, qui cherche souvent à créer l’illusion qu’un de ses propres textes est la traduction d’une oeuvre étrangère ou qu’une de ses traductions a été trouvée ou traduite par un personnage fictif, nous tenterons de montrer comment ces pratiques littéraires transgressives, qui oscillent entre la traduction et la création littéraire, remettent en question certaines notions et définitions traditionnelles, telles l’originalité du texte de départ, l’appartenance exclusive d’un texte à un auteur, l’invisibilité du traducteur ou l’authenticité et la pureté des langues et des littératures.
Idéologie et traduction : la réception des traductions de Lu Xun en France
Authors: Gao Fang
Published: September 2014

Lu Xun (1881-1936), le plus grand écrivain de la littérature chinoise du xxe siècle, exerce, par ses écrits de différents genres et ses pensées, une influence durable et vivante en Chine. Ses principales oeuvres ont été traduites dans une vingtaine de langues, ce qui a beaucoup contribué à élargir l’influence de l’écrivain à l’étranger. Or, l’acte de traduire n’est un acte ni isolé, ni purement linguistique. Sa fonction et son fonctionnement varient selon le temps et l’espace. Le contexte historique et social des pays récepteurs étant variable, le choix et la traduction des oeuvres d’un auteur comme Lu Xun sont donc marqués, nécessairement, par la variabilité des modes d’interprétation et des motifs de traduction, et sont conditionnés par divers facteurs. Ceci constitue autant d’épreuves pour la diffusion et la réception des oeuvres de Lu Xun dans un pays comme la France. En essayant d’examiner les conditions historiques de la rencontre de Lu Xun avec les Français, les facteurs qui déterminent le choix des oeuvres à traduire et les intentions des traducteurs, le présent article attache une attention plus particulière au facteur politico-idéologique qui participe activement à la traduction et à la réception de Lu Xun dans l’hexagone. Une traduction idéologique accentue une réception idéologique qui, à son tour, renforce la dimension idéologique de l’image de Lu Xun.
La littérature québécoise traduite au Mexique : trois anthologies à la Foire internationale du livre de Guadalajara
Authors: Stratford Madeleine , Jolicoeur Louis
Published: September 2014

Le Québec était l’invité d’honneur de la Foire internationale du livre de Guadalajara tenue au cours de l’année 2003. Trois anthologies de littérature québécoise paraissent alors au Fondo de Cultura Económica mexicain : Latinos del norte, qui propose un tour d’horizon des principales tendances de la poésie québécoise de 1930 à 1960 ; El hilo de la memoria, qui présente vingt-quatre essayistes, nés entre 1920 et 1958, représentatifs du genre au Québec ; ¿ Un continente a la deriva ?, qui réunit les textes de seize nouvellistes contemporains, nés pour la plupart dans les années 1940 ou 1950. D’emblée, les trois publications semblent ainsi établir un parallèle entre le passé littéraire québécois et la poésie, entre le présent littéraire et la prose. Nous nous pencherons sur la façon dont ces trois livres présentent la littérature et la culture québécoises au lectorat mexicain et montrerons que le paratexte des ouvrages invite à les considérer comme complémentaires. Après avoir cerné leurs contextes de publication, de diffusion et de réception, nous les envisagerons d’un point de vue global en nous attardant aux éléments paratextuels (péritexte et épitexte) qui les distinguent : jaquettes, titres, préfaces, sélection des auteurs et des textes et discours ayant circulé dans la presse écrite.
A Framework for the Identification and Strategic Development of Translation Specialisms
Authors: Byrne Jody
Published: September 2014

The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges facing newly qualified translators in identifying and developing their translation specialisms. By means of a survey of translation agencies’ recruitment processes, the paper illustrates the need for freelance translators to be able to identify and describe their specialisms in a high level of detail when applying for work with translation agencies. The difficulties this presents to newly qualified translators are then highlighted. After considering the variety of terms used to classify translation specialisms and the need to prepare students for industry, this paper proposes a framework for the purpose of helping students and newly qualified translators to identify and describe their specialisms as well as develop new ones. The paper concludes by describing how the framework can be incorporated into translator training programmes using a form of Personal Development Planning.
Analysis of Charterparty Agreements from Textual Genre and Translation Points of View
Authors: Del Pozo Triviño Maribel
Published: September 2014

Maritime transportation in the world today accounts for huge turnover figures and it provides sizeable commercial activity of a multicultural and multilingual nature. Most of these transactions are carried out in English, and consequently, it is not surprising that such activity generates a large amount of translation work, especially from English into other languages. One of the maritime legal documents that frequently requires translation is the Charterparty, an agreement that enables a ship-owner to charter his vessel to another party for a certain consideration. This paper focuses on the analysis of the Charterparty Agreement from a translation point of view. First, we will describe the analysis method, which is based on the concept of textual genre, and then we will proceed to a detailed analysis of the Charterparty Agreement.
Prevalence of transmitted HIV‐1 antiretroviral resistance among patients initiating antiretroviral therapy in Brazil: a surveillance study using dried blood spots
Authors: de Moraes Soares Celina M P , Vergara Tania R C , Brites Carlos , Brito Jose D U , Grinberg Gorki , Caseiro Marcos M , Correa Carlos , Suffert Theodoro A , Pereira Flavio R , Camargo Michelle , Janini Luiz M , Komninakis Shirley , Sucupira Maria C A , Diaz Ricardo S
Published: September 2014

Introduction

In Brazil, the use of antiretrovirals is widespread: more than 260,000 individuals are currently undergoing treatment. We conducted a survey targeting antiretroviral‐naïve individuals who were initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) according to local guidelines. This survey covered five Brazilian regions.

Methods

The HIV Threshold Survey methodology (HIV‐THS) of the World Health Organization was utilized, and subjects were selected from seven highly populated cities representative of all Brazilian macro‐regions. Dried blood spots (DBS) were collected on SS903 collection cards and were transported by regular mail at room temperature to a single central laboratory for genotyping.

Results

We analysed samples from 329 individuals initiating highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), 39 (11.8%) of whom were harbouring transmitted drug resistance (TDR). The mean CD4+ T cell count was 253 cells/µL, and the mean viral load was 142,044 copies/mL. The regional prevalence of resistance was 17.0% in the Northeast, 12.8% in the Southeast, 10.6% in the Central region, 8.5% in the North and 8.5% in the South. The inhibitor‐specific TDR prevalence was 6.9% for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, 4.9% for non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and 3.9% for protease inhibitors; 3.6% of individuals presented resistance to more than one class of inhibitors. Overall, there were trends towards higher prevalences of subtype C towards the South and subtype F towards the North. Of the DBS samples collected, 9.3% failed to provide reliable results.

Discussion

We identified variable TDR prevalence, ranging from intermediate to high levels, among individuals in whom HIV disease progressed, thus implying that resistance testing before initiating ART could be effective in Brazil. Our results also indicate that the use of DBS might be especially valuable for providing access to testing in resource‐limited and remote settings.
Neuropilin-1 functions as a VEGFR2 co-receptor to guide developmental angiogenesis independent of ligand binding
Authors: Gelfand Maria V , Hagan Nellwyn , Tata Aleksandra , Oh Won-Jong , Lacoste Baptiste , Kang Kyu-Tae , Kopycinska Justyna , Bischoff Joyce , Wang Jia-Huai , Gu Chenghua
Published: September 2014

During development, tissue repair, and tumor growth, most blood vessel networks are generated through angiogenesis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of this process and currently both VEGF and its receptors, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and Neuropilin1 (NRP1), are targeted in therapeutic strategies for vascular disease and cancer. NRP1 is essential for vascular morphogenesis, but how NRP1 functions to guide vascular development has not been completely elucidated. In this study, we generated a mouse line harboring a point mutation in the endogenous Nrp1 locus that selectively abolishes VEGF-NRP1 binding (Nrp1VEGF−). Nrp1VEGF− mutants survive to adulthood with normal vasculature revealing that NRP1 functions independent of VEGF-NRP1 binding during developmental angiogenesis. Moreover, we found that Nrp1-deficient vessels have reduced VEGFR2 surface expression in vivo demonstrating that NRP1 regulates its co-receptor, VEGFR2. Given the resources invested in NRP1-targeted anti-angiogenesis therapies, our results will be integral for developing strategies to re-build vasculature in disease.
Perspectivas do destino turístico: repensando o sentido do conceito
Authors: Flores Luiz Carlos da Silva , Mendes Júlio da Costa
Published: September 2014

O turismo é uma indústria em franco desenvolvimento e o destino turístico está no centro como principal atração. Várias correntes de estudiosos e investigadores de diversas ciências como a geografia, economia, filosofia, antropologia, psicologia e administração já deram a sua contribuição para a formação do conceito do destino turístico. Este artigo tem como objetivo propor algumas reflexões sobre o uso do conceito de destino na literatura do turismo, analisar e discutir o tema. Adotou-se procedimentos de pesquisa bibliográfica e exploratória, utilizando livros, teses e artigos de periódicos científicos de grande contribuição para o área do turismo. Elaborou-se cinco abordagens sobre destino turístico, uma discussão sobre as mesmas e, então, é apresentado um quadro com as características do destino, considerando-se os limites, conteúdo, cooperação e o cliente, numa descrição que é denominada de integrada e sistêmica. Concluímos que estas abordagens não são exclusivas e sim complementares, e apresentamos uma nova forma de olhar o conceito de destino turístico, considerando o turista como principal criador da experiência que ele pretende vivenciar.
Competitividade e turismo: estudo da produção científica internacional
Authors: Carmona Viviane Celina , Costa Benny Kramer , Ribeiro Henrique César Melo
Published: September 2014

Competitividade e turismo vêm se configurando numa temática emergente, com crescente espaço em estudos internacionais, em função de a atividade turística se destacar como um dos setores da economia que mais cresce, com desafios e possibilidades diversas. Este estudo objetivou identificar e analisar o estado da arte no tema competitividade e turismo, por meio da verificação do perfil de artigos científicos internacionais e nacionais contidos em revistas científicas, considerando autorias, coautorias, citações e cocitações, e das redes de relacionamento que encerram. Foram identificados 200 artigos publicados entre 1994 e 2012 na base de dados do Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) – Web of Science (WoS). Por meio do uso de técnicas bibliométricas e sociométricas, observou-se que o tema ganhou destaque no meio acadêmico a partir de 2008, tendo sido publicado especialmente em revistas da área de turismo, sendo as seis mais significativas responsáveis por quase 40% das publicações. A maior parte dos artigos se ancoram na grande área das ciências sociais e aplicadas e é procedente, principalmente, da Espanha e Estados Unidos. Apenas cinco trabalhos aparecem com destaque nas referências bibliográficas usadas pelos autores, indicando o caráter incipiente das pesquisas nessa área e o potencial para desenvolvimento de novas pesquisas.
Una mirada ética-crítica al turismo como objeto/fenómeno intercultural de estudio
Authors: Jiménez Celeste Nava , Valdés Rubén Mendoza , Nechar Marcelino Castillo
Published: September 2014

La diversidad cultural, una de las características del mundo actual, presenta oportunidades para nuevos planteamientos en la investigación social. Cuestiones como: ¿Es el turismo un objeto de estudio? ¿Un objeto intercultural de estudio? El presente trabajo considera que el turismo, más que un objeto, es primeramente un fenómeno cuya posibilidad de ser analizado e interpretado está en el sentido y trascendencia que el ser humano le da en la comprensión misma del fenómeno. A través de un análisis reflexivo de la literatura especializada, la finalidad de la investigación es el establecimiento de un cierto grado de interdisciplinariedad entre los estudios del turismo y el mundo actual, rico de diversidad cultural y hechos sociales complejos. El trabajo plantea tres ejes principales: el primero abordará el plano de la interculturalidad como visión epistémica del fenómeno del turismo; la segunda parte presenta un acercamiento reflexivo, dibujando un panorama ético-crítico entre el turismo y la interculturalidad; el tercero propone el turismo como fenómeno intercultural y ético. El trabajo termina con una reflexión para el tema propuesto.
Southern Ocean carbon trends: Sensitivity to methods
Authors: Fay Amanda R. , McKinley Galen A. , Lovenduski Nicole S.
Published: September 2014

The Southern Ocean is highly under‐sampled with respect to variables needed to assess trends in air‐sea carbon dioxide fluxes. Multiple investigators have made use of sparse measurements of surface ocean partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2), but there remains a lack of consensus as to recent trends in the carbon sink here. We analyze impacts of specific methodological choices on pCO2 trends, with a focus on regional binning, time series length, and spatial biases. We find the most robust approach to include binning based on geographic areas, the removal of spatial gradients in climatological pCO2, the use of annual‐average data, and the consideration of trends across multiple combinations of start and end years. Applying this approach, we find that Southern Ocean carbon uptake slowed from about 1990 to 2006 and subsequently strengthened from 2007 to 2010. More data are needed to reduce uncertainties and increase our ability to diagnose change in the carbon sink.
Impact angle control of interplanetary shock geoeffectiveness
Authors: Oliveira D. M. , Raeder J.
Published: September 2014

We use Open Geospace General Circulation Model global MHD simulations to study the nightside magnetospheric, magnetotail, and ionospheric responses to interplanetary (IP) fast forward shocks. Three cases are presented in this study: two inclined oblique shocks, hereafter IOS‐1 and IOS‐2, where the latter has a Mach number twice stronger than the former. Both shocks have impact angles of 30° in relation to the Sun‐Earth line. Lastly, we choose a frontal perpendicular shock, FPS, whose shock normal is along the Sun‐Earth line, with the same Mach number as IOS‐1. We find that, in the IOS‐1 case, due to the north‐south asymmetry, the magnetotail is deflected southward, leading to a mild compression. The geomagnetic activity observed in the nightside ionosphere is then weak. On the other hand, in the head‐on case, the FPS compresses the magnetotail from both sides symmetrically. This compression triggers a substorm allowing a larger amount of stored energy in the magnetotail to be released to the nightside ionosphere, resulting in stronger geomagnetic activity. By comparing IOS‐2 and FPS, we find that, despite the IOS‐2 having a larger Mach number, the FPS leads to a larger geomagnetic response in the nightside ionosphere. As a result, we conclude that IP shocks with similar upstream conditions, such as magnetic field, speed, density, and Mach number, can have different geoeffectiveness, depending on their shock normal orientation.
The effect of magnetopause motion on fast mode resonance
Authors: Hartinger M. D. , Welling D. , Viall N. M. , Moldwin M. B. , Ridley A.
Published: September 2014

The Earth's magnetosphere supports several types of ultralow frequency (ULF) waves. These include fast mode resonance (FMR): cavity modes, waveguide modes, and tunneling modes/virtual resonance. The magnetopause, often treated as the outer boundary for cavity/waveguide modes in the dayside magnetosphere, is not stationary. A rapidly changing outer boundary condition—e.g., due to rapid magnetopause motion—is not favorable for FMR generation and may explain the sparseness of FMR observations in the outer magnetosphere. We examine how magnetopause motion affects the dayside magnetosphere's ability to sustain FMR with idealized Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) simulations using the BATS‐R‐US global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code coupled with the Ridley Ionosphere Model (RIM). We present observations of FMR in BATS‐R‐US, reproducing results from other global MHD codes. We further show that FMR is present for a wide range of solar wind conditions, even during periods with large and rapid magnetopause displacements. We compare our simulation results to FMR observations in the dayside magnetosphere, finding that FMR occurrence does not depend on solar wind dynamic pressure, which can be used as a proxy for dynamic pressure fluctuations and magnetopause perturbations. Our results demonstrate that other explanations besides a nonstationary magnetopause—such as the inability to detect FMR in the presence of other ULF wave modes with large amplitudes—are required to explain the rarity of FMR observations in the outer magnetosphere.
Density stratification influences on generation of different modes internal solitary waves
Authors: Chen Zhi‐Wu , Xie Jieshuo , Wang Dongxiao , Zhan Jie‐Min , Xu Jiexin , Cai Shuqun
Published: September 2014

An ideal tide‐topography interaction model is utilized for studying the influence of density stratification (pycnocline depth
, thickness
, and the density difference
across the pycnocline) on nonlinear disintegration of the first (mode‐1) and second (mode‐2) baroclinic mode internal tides into internal solitary waves (ISWs). The solution methods include weakly nonlinear analysis and fully nonlinear simulation. It is found that as d increases, even though the energy flux into mode‐1 internal tides is always larger than that into mode‐2 ones at generation, mode‐2 ISWs emerge and mode‐1 ISWs are suppressed. As
increases, the total energy conversion and the fluxes into both mode‐1 and mode‐2 tides all increase first and then decrease. During propagation, a thick pycnocline is actually not favorable for the emergence of mode‐2 ISWs, and the simulated well‐developed mode‐2 ISWs for a pycnocline of intermediate thickness are due to the tide generation process. As
increases, the total conversion and the fluxes into both mode‐1 and mode‐2 tides all increase almost linearly. Even though the flux into mode‐1 tides is always larger than that into mode‐2 ones at generation, mode‐1 tides cannot disintegrate but mode‐2 ISWs develop very well. During propagation,
has no influence on the generation of ISWs. The present work systematically investigates the influence of density stratification on formation of ISWs by considering both internal tide generation and propagation processes.
Comparison of Ellison and Thorpe scales from Eulerian ocean temperature observations
Authors: Cimatoribus Andrea A. , van Haren Hans , Gostiaux Louis
Published: September 2014

Ocean turbulence dissipation rate is estimated either by means of microstructure shear measurements, or by adiabatically reordering vertical profiles of density. The latter technique leads to the estimate of the Thorpe scale, which in turn can be used to obtain average turbulence dissipation rate by comparing the Thorpe scale to the Ozmidov scale. In both cases, the turbulence dissipation rate can be estimated using single vertical profiles from shipborne instrumentation. We present here an alternative method to estimate the length scale of overturns by using the Ellison length scale. The Ellison scale is estimated from temperature variance just beyond the internal wave band, measured by moored instruments. We apply the method to high resolution temperature data from two moorings deployed at different locations around the Josephine seamount (North Eastern Atlantic Ocean), in a region of bottom‐intensified turbulence. The variance of the temperature time series just above the internal wave frequency band is well correlated with the Thorpe scale. The method is based on the time‐frequency decomposition of variance called “maximum overlap discrete wavelet transform.” The results show that the Ellison length scale can be a viable alternative to the Thorpe scale for indirectly estimating turbulence dissipation rate from moored instruments in the ocean if time resolution is sufficiently high. We suggest that fine structure contaminated temperature measurements can provide reliable information on turbulence intensity.
Near‐Infrared Spectroscopy in Natural Product Research
Authors: Huck Christian W.
Published: September 2014

The properties of natural products are related to certain classes of compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and essential oils. Traditionally, separation techniques including thin‐layer chromatography (TLC), liquid chromatography (LC), gas chromatography (GC), and capillary electrophoresis (CE) even hyphenated to mass spectrometry (MS) were used for the elucidation and qualitative and quantitative analyses of individual compounds. In the food industry, spectroscopic investigations using infrared radiation have been used to monitor and evaluate the composition and quality since the early 1960s. During the last four decades, near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy (800–2500 nm; 12,500–4000 cm−1) has become one of the most attractive and used methods for analysis for the following reasons: It represents a noninvasive analytical tool allowing a fast and simultaneous qualitative and quantitative characterization of natural products and their constituents. In this contribution, the principle, technique, and methodology are described followed by a discussion of quantitative and qualitative application possibilities. Finally, some hints to helpful regulatory issues and advantages and limitations are critically evaluated.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of Small Molecules in Natural Products
Authors: Seger Christoph
Published: September 2014

This chapter provides basic guidance to understand nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in the context of natural product analysis. It is intended to provide the reader an introduction to the field and also to the following chapters of this handbook. The most important 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR experiments are described; pitfalls of the structure elucidation process are sketched.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of Large Molecules in Natural Products
Authors: Wunderlich Christoph H. , Grutsch Sarina , Tollinger Martin , Kreutz Christoph
Published: September 2014

In this chapter, we briefly describe the history of biomolecular solution NMR spectroscopy focusing on the milestones making it possible to study large molecules with high molecular weight. We then discuss the fundamentals and perspectives of NMR spectroscopy as a tool in the drug discovery, for example, for the characterization of the binding of small molecules isolated from plants to biomolecules. First, the currently most popular NMR methods for ligand screening and hit validation are discussed followed by a short description of NMR spectroscopic tools for hit and lead optimization. In the last two sections, magnetic resonance methods for monitoring ligand binding to the two major classes of biomolecules, proteins and nucleic acids, are described.
New Developments of Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry in Plant Analysis
Authors: Schinkovitz Andreas , Séraphin Denis , Richomme Pascal
Published: September 2014

The structural identification of natural products is one of the major focus areas of analytical chemistry research. Mass spectrometry (MS) has long been used to obtain molecular weights and further molecular formulae. In the past, former ionization sources such as electronic impact unfortunately limited MS analysis to predominately volatile, polar, and thermostable compounds. However, recent developments in soft ionization techniques such as electrospray ionization (ESI), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), or laser desorption/ionization (LDI) have gradually extended MS analysis to a much wide range of chemical structures. As far as small natural compounds are concerned, LDI sources are still seldom used because of specific technical limitations. Indeed, the photoionization process of LDI is generally assisted by a matrix, which is a small molecule carrying strong UV chromophore. The process is then called
matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization
(MALDI) process. MALDI ionization therefore induces the formation of numerous matrix ions that commonly appear in the range 0–600 Da, and consequently interfere with molecular ions originating from many natural products. For this reason, the correct signal assignment is highly impaired in the critical region of interest. As LDI and MALDI are not only soft ionization processes but also quite sensitive techniques yielding high resolution spectra when coupled to a time‐of‐flight (TOF) analyzer, different attempts have been made to adapt these techniques for the analysis of natural products. Three of them will be more specifically discussed in this chapter: (i) LDI on neat gold surfaces obtained by physical vapor diffusion (PVD), (ii) desorption/ionization on self‐assembled monolayer surfaces (DIAMS), and (iii) the use of specific matrices for the selective detection of alkaloids.
Identification and Characterization of Hydroxycinnamates of Six
Galium
Species from the
R
ubiaceae Family
Authors: Jaiswal Rakesh , Matei Marius F. , Deshpande Sagar , Kuhnert Nikolai
Published: September 2014

Hydroxycinnamates form a large class of low molecular weight secondary plant metabolites. In this study, 39 hydroxycinnamates present in the leaves of
Galium odoratum
L. Scop.,
Galium verum
L.,
Galium glaucum
L.,
Galium mollugo
L.,
Galium boreale
L., and
Galium harcynicum
L. (syn.
Galium saxatile
L.) were identified qualitatively, and 25 of them were identified to their regioisomeric level without any purification or isolation; assignment was based on their LC‐MS

n

behavior and the change in the peak intensity in UV chromatograms after the UV irradiation. Chlorogenic acids common to these herbal remedies were identified and will, in future studies, be selected for further detailed biological screening.
Plant Sesquiterpenes and other Terpenoids
Authors: Kouloura Eirini , Tchoumtchoua Job , Halabalaki Maria , Skaltsounis Alexios‐Leandros
Published: September 2014

Terpenoids constitute one of the most numerous and structurally varied chemical group of natural products (>40,000) broadly abundant in the plant kingdom. Among them, sesquiterpenoids and other related low mass terpenoids encompass a largely studied and widely distributed subgroup. Apart from their essential physiological role in plant organisms, these secondary metabolites demonstrate important physicochemical and biological properties, enabling their exploitation as medicinal, cosmetic, or agrochemical agents. Mainly owing to their unique structural features, they comprise a highly promising area among natural products and, especially, in the discovery of novel pharmacological active compounds. During this effort, several analytical techniques, approaches, and methodologies have been applied, and numerous new have been lately introduced.

In this chapter, the main techniques that are incorporated in the analysis of sesquiterpenoids and small terpenoids are presented with emphasis in recent advances and approaches. Specifically, new extraction and separation techniques, methodologies for the analysis and characterization, and detection and identification of sesquiterpenoids and related compounds are discussed using examples from the plant kingdom.
Plant Cardiotonic Glycosides
Authors: Krenn Liselotte
Published: September 2014

Cardiotonic glycosides from plants and esters from animal sources have a long‐standing use as positive inotropic agents in congestive heart failure and related diseases. Their potential as new anticancer therapeutics and the proof of endogenous cardiotonic steroids in humans have recently raised a lot of scientific interest for these compounds. For the analysis of cardenolides and bufadienolides and their glycosides or esters in natural sources, different chromatographic methods such as high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thin layer chromatography, or gas chromatography as well as capillary electrophoresis, spectrophotometric methods, and immunoassays have been developed with HPLC being the most important technique. In this chapter, the different possibilities for qualitative and quantitative determinations of cardiotonic glycosides in plant material and toad venom are compiled. Sample preparation, modes of separation, and/or detection in well‐established methods are presented. The potential of the hyphenated techniques introduced during the past decade for the characterization of these compounds is presented. Advantages and disadvantages of the differing approaches are discussed.
Chemical Analysis of Bryophytes
Authors: Asakawa Yoshinori , Ludwiczuk Agnieszka , Toyota Masao
Published: September 2014

There are more than 20,000 species of bryophytes in the world. Among them, almost all of the liverworts (Marchantiophyta) possess beautiful cellular oil bodies from which over several hundred new terpenoids and phenolic compounds with more than 40 new carbon skeletons have been isolated. Some of the isolated terpenoids and aromatic compounds from liverworts show allergenic contact dermatitis, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, insect antifeedant and mortality, antioxidant, NO production and plant growth inhibitory, neurotrophic and piscicidal, tublin polymerization inhibitory, muscle‐relaxing, and liver X‐receptor alpha (LXRα) agonist and LXRβ antagonist activities among others. The bio‐ and chemical diversities, chemical analysis of bryophytes, including extraction, distillation, purification, thin‐layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of oil bodies of liverworts, and biosynthesis of typical bis‐bibenzyls, biological activities, chemosystematics, and chemical phylogeny of bryophytes are surveyed.
Cyclotide Analysis
Authors: Northfield Susan E. , Poth Aaron G. , D'Souza Charlotte , Craik David J.
Published: September 2014

This chapter provides an overview of methods for the analysis of cyclotides, a structurally unique class of plant defense peptides. These peptides have been extensively analyzed over the last two decades, having been discovered in the Violaceae, Rubiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae plant families. Cyclotides are characterized by their distinctive head‐to‐tail cyclic peptide backbone and the cystine knot formed by their three conserved disulfide bonds. Cyclotides exhibit a range of activities, including insecticidal, anti‐HIV, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities, and are thus of interest for applications in drug design and agriculture. We here report on methods for their discovery and characterization, as well as methods for their quantification in plant tissues and biofluids.
Phenotyping of Plants
Authors: Guo Qiaosheng , Zhu Zaibiao
Published: September 2014

The purpose of phenotyping is to produce a description of the plant's anatomical, ontological, physiological, and biochemical properties. The description needs to be numerical, and the methodology needs to be rapid, repeatable, and inexpensive if a large number of samples need to be measured. In recent years, high throughput phenotyping analysis methods have become state of the art in the life sciences. The recent advancement in currently used new high throughput and high resolution phenotyping technologies is reviewed.
Transcriptome Analysis of Medicinal Plant with Next‐Generation Sequencing Technologies
Authors: Chen Shilin , Luo Hongmei
Published: September 2014

Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, from the second‐generation sequencing platforms of 454/Roche, SOLiD/ABI (supported oligonucleotide ligation and detection/Applied Biosystems), and Solexa/Illumina to the transitioning system of Ion Torrent and to the third‐generation sequencing technologies of Helicos, PacBio, and Nanopore systems, have led the way in revolutionizing transcriptomics by providing unprecedented opportunities for high throughput transcriptomic research on medicinal plants, for most of which the genome/transcriptome data are not available. Transcriptome sequencing, analysis on the transcribed portion of the genome, has been used for applications ranging from gene expression profiling, protein‐coding gene annotation, and rearrangement detection to noncoding RNA discovery and genetic marker identification. This chapter discusses the characterization and application of NGS technologies in plant transcriptomic research and examples in the procedures of transcriptome analysis using 454 sequencing technology.
Microarrays in Medicinal Plant Analysis
Authors: Liu Chang , Chen Haimei , Li Jianqin , Xu Xiaolan
Published: September 2014

There are several different types of microarray technologies, such as DNA microarray, protein microarray, cell microarray, tissue microarray, and so on, based on what are immobilized on the microarray chips and what are to be detected. This review is divided into five sections. The first section provides a brief introduction. In the second section, we describe these various types of microarray technologies in terms of their principles and summarize their potential applications. Among these technologies, DNA microarray technology is the best developed and has been used extensively in a wide range of applications related to medicinal plants. So, the following sections will focus on the DNA microarray technologies. In the third section, various applications of DNA microarray technology in medicinal plant research are reviewed, hoping to give the readers ideas of using this technology. The fourth section describes practical protocol of using DNA microarray technology, particularly the usage of cDNA microarray. Last, we discuss the limitation of microarray technologies and the future directions.
Plant SmallRNAs
Authors: Lu Shanfa
Published: September 2014

Plant small RNAs (sRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs with significant regulatory roles not only in plant development but also in plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses through direct cleavage of transcripts, translational inhibition, or epigenetic modification. sRNAs are abundant in cells and can be classified into microRNAs (miRNAs) and endogenous small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) based on the distinct origins and biogenesis pathways. Plant endogenous siRNAs are a large class of sRNAs and can be classified into several subclasses, such as trans‐acting siRNAs (ta‐siRNAs), natural‐antisense‐transcript‐derived siRNAs (NAT‐siRNAs), and heterochromatic‐siRNAs (hc‐siRNAs). Many methods have been developed to identify RNAs and elucidate their functions. In this chapter, we briefly review various techniques currently used for plant sRNA analysis, including sRNA isolation and sequencing, computational characterization of sRNAs, computational prediction of sRNA targets, mapping of sRNA‐guided cleavage sites, and analysis of sRNA expression. We also provide two useful sRNA protocols, one for sRNA cloning and the other for sRNA Northern hybridization.
Quality Assessment of Herbal Drugs and Medicinal Plant Products
Authors: Ahmad Iqbal , Ahmad Khan Mohd Sajjad , Cameotra Swaranjit Singh
Published: September 2014

The herbal drugs and medicinal plant products have been widely used for thousands of years in many parts of the world. Medicinal plants constitute a source of raw material for both traditional and modern systems of medicine. In recent few decades, growth and popularity of herbal medicine and plant products have taken a significant share of the healthcare. Various systems of traditional medicines have been recognized in many countries such as India, Japan, Korea, China, USA, and some European countries. Each country has its own set of guidelines to assess the quality control of the herbal medicine depending on the system they adapt to prepare herbal medicine. The importance of quality control and standardization of botanical products is of utmost concern for global acceptability of these drugs in the modern system of medicine. These assessments are needed at different levels of drug‐manufacturing processes and post‐manufacturing stages. As herbal medicinal products are complex mixtures that originate from biological sources, great efforts are necessary to guarantee a constant and adequate quality. The morphological and microscopic identifications are utilized to determine the authenticity of herbal medicines, and the physical and chemical characters are used to evaluate the quality of herbs in the existing quality standards. The fingerprint analyses have been internationally accepted as one of the efficient methods to control the quality of herbal medicines. In addition to fingerprinting, other parameters such as microbiological and chemical contaminations, adulterants, and toxicity including genotoxicity are to be assessed. In this chapter, the current scenario of the quality control assessment of herbal medicine and medicinal plant products is reviewed. Botanical parameters such as sensory or organoleptic evaluation, histological observations and measurements are discussed. An overview covering various techniques employed in quantitative characterization of herbal medicines such as thin layer chromatography (TLC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), mass spectrometry (MS), and infrared (IR) spectroscopy is reported. Potential of metabolomics in the developments of improved phytotherapeutic agents, and DNA‐based molecular markers in adulterants, is described. Pharmacological and toxicological parameters such as pesticide residue, heavy metals, aflatoxins, and microbial and radioactive contaminations are also addressed.
Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Graphene Nanosheet Reinforced Alumina Composites
Authors: Liu Xia , Fan Yu‐Chi , Li Jian‐Lin , Wang Lian‐Jun , Jiang Wan
Published: September 2014

Dense graphene nanosheets (GNSs)/Al2O3 composites have been prepared by spark plasma sintering from ball milled expanded graphite and Al2O3 powder. GNSs have been found to be homogeneously distributed in the alumina matrix. Results show that the introduction of GNSs leads to obvious refinement of Al2O3 grains and improvement of mechanical properties of the as‐prepared composites. Compared with monolithic Al2O3, the flexural strength, fracture toughness, and Vickers hardness of as‐prepared GNSs/Al2O3 samples have been improved by 103, 25, and 26%, respectively, which are attributed to the grain refinement, strong interfacial bonding, and pull‐out of GNSs from the matrix.
Carbon‐Dioxide Laser Beam Polishing of Fused Silica Surfaces – Process Development and Optimization
Authors: Hecht Kerstin , Bliedtner Jens , Rost Matthias , Müller Hartmut , Schmidt Thomas
Published: September 2014

The aim of laser beam polishing (LBP) is to achieve an even surface finish in shortest possible time without changing the contour. Laser radiation acts as a topology‐independent non‐wearing, massless tool for powerless manufacturing, where parameters can be changed rapidly. Combined with a laser scanning system flexibility and speed can be improved with a high accessibility toward the surface. The locally limited heat‐affected zone can be disadvantageous for glass‐manufacturing in that it leads to thermal strain and destruction in extreme cases. The traditional mechanical finishing of fused silica contains some restrictions like a high grade of pre‐machining and the dimensions of the polishing tools, which confine the minimum size of the structures to be polished.
High‐Performance Hybrid Supercapacitor Enabled by a High‐Rate Si‐based Anode
Authors: Yi Ran , Chen Shuru , Song Jiangxuan , Gordin Mikhail L. , Manivannan Ayyakkannu , Wang Donghai
Published: September 2014

A hybrid supercapacitor constructed of a Si‐based anode and a porous carbon cathode is demonstrated with both high power and energy densities. Boron‐doping is employed to improve the rate capability of the Si‐based anode (B‐Si/SiO2/C). At a high current density of 6.4 A/g, B‐Si/SiO2/C delivers a capacity of 685 mAh/g, 2.4 times that of the undoped Si/SiO2/C. Benefiting from the high rate performance along with low working voltage, high capacity, and good cycling stability of B‐Si/SiO2/C, the hybrid supercapacitor exhibits a high energy density of 128 Wh/kg at 1229 W/kg. Even when power density increases to the level of a conventional supercapacitor (9704 W/kg), 89 Wh/kg can be obtained, the highest values of any hybrid supercapacitor to date. Long cycling life (capacity retention of 70% after 6000 cycles) and low self‐discharge rate (voltage retention of 82% after 50 hours) are also achieved. This work opens an avenue for development of high‐performance hybrid supercapacitors using high‐performance Si‐based anodes.
Charge Carrier Localization and Transport in Organic Semiconductors: Insights from Atomistic Multiscale Simulations
Authors: Mladenović Marko , Vukmirović Nenad
Published: September 2014

Organic electronic semiconducting materials exhibit complex atomic structures with a lack of periodicity that lead to charge carrier localization which, in turn, strongly affects the electronic transport properties of these materials. To understand charge carrier localization and electronic transport in organic semiconductors, simulations that take into account the details of the atomic structure of the material are of utmost importance. In this article, computational methods that can be used to simulate the electronic properties of organic semiconductors are reviewed and an overview of the results that have been obtained from such simulations is given. Using these methods the effects of static disorder, thermal disorder and interfaces between domains are investigated and the microscopic origin of these effects is identified. It is shown that in strongly disordered conjugated polymer materials the main origin of the localization of charge carrier wave functions is the disordered long‐range electrostatic potential. In ordered polymers, thermal disorder of main chains leads to wave function localization. In small molecule based organic semiconductors, grain boundaries introduce localized trap states at the points where electronic coupling is the strongest. It is also demonstrated that detailed atomistic simulations are necessary for quantitative and sometimes even qualitative description of charge mobility in organic materials.