bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Re-examining the role of Drosophila Sas-4 in centrosome assembly using two-colour-3D-SIM FRAP
Authors: Conduit Paul T , Wainman Alan , Novak Zsofia A , Weil Timothy T , Raff Jordan W
Published: November 2015

Centrosomes have many important functions and comprise a ‘mother’ and ‘daughter’ centriole surrounded by pericentriolar material (PCM). The mother centriole recruits and organises the PCM and templates the formation of the daughter centriole. It has been reported that several important Drosophila PCM-organising proteins are recruited to centrioles from the cytosol as part of large cytoplasmic ‘S-CAP’ complexes that contain the centriole protein Sas-4. In a previous paper (Conduit et al., 2014b) we showed that one of these proteins, Cnn, and another key PCM-organising protein, Spd-2, are recruited around the mother centriole before spreading outwards to form a scaffold that supports mitotic PCM assembly; the recruitment of Cnn and Spd-2 is dependent on another S-CAP protein, Asl. We show here, however, that Cnn, Spd-2 and Asl are not recruited to the mother centriole as part of a complex with Sas-4. Thus, PCM recruitment in fly embryos does not appear to require cytosolic S-CAP complexes.
Compiling the Uralic Dataset for NorthEuraLex, a Lexicostatistical Database of Northern Eurasia
Authors: Dellert Johannes
Published: November 2015

This paper presents a large comparative lexical database which covers about a thousand concepts across twenty Uralic languages. The dataset will be releasedas the first part of NorthEuraLex, a lexicostatistical database of Northern Eurasia which is being compiled within the EVOLAEMP project.The chief purpose of the lexical database is to serve as a basis of benchmarks for different tasks within computational historical linguistics, but it might also be valuable to researchers who work on the application of computational methods to open research questions within the language family.The paper describes and motivates the decisions taken concerning data collection methodology, also discussing some of the problems involved in compiling and unifying data from lexical resources in six different gloss languages.The dataset is already publicly available in various PDF formats for inspection and review, and is scheduled for release in machine-readable form in early 2015.
Infinite Monkeys of Babel – Crowdsourcing for the betterment of OCR language material
Authors: Van Hemel Wouter , Hakkarainen Jussi-Pekka
Published: November 2015

The OCR editor is the National Library of Finland’s most recent foray into the budding phenomenon of crowd-sourcing. Under the motto of many hands make light work, users can swiftly correct the typical mistakes in OCR scanned text of source materials – often of challenging visual quality – using nothing more than their browser. Improving the quality and availability of the digital text would make it easier to directly study the original sources, and indirectly contribute to other tools depending on accuracy such as word list generators and dictionaries.
SiO2/TiO2/n-Si/Ag(Cr)/TiO2 thin films with superhydrophilicity and low-emissivity
Authors: Loka Chadrasekhar , Park Kyoung Ryeol , Lee Kee-Sun
Published: November 2015

In this study, SiO2/TiO2/n-Si/Ag(Cr)/TiO2 multilayer structures have been designed and deposited by the RF and DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The as-deposited TiO2/glass films which are initially amorphous in nature were subjected to post annealing at 673 K for anatase phase TiO2. The anatase TiO2 films showed an optical bandgap ∼3.32 eV. The Ag(Cr)/TiO2 showed very low-emissivity (low-e) value ∼0.081 which is evaluated by using the sheet resistance (6.51 Ω/□) of the films. All the deposited films showed high visible transmittance (∼81%) and high infrared reflectance (72%) which are recorded by using the UV–vis–NIR spectrophotometer. In addition, experimentally obtained optical properties were in good agreement with the simulation data. The TiO2/n-Si heterojunction concept has been employed to enhance the superhydrophilicity of the deposited multilayer stack, TiO2/n-Si/Ag(Cr)/TiO2 films exhibited best superhydrophilicity with water contact angle ∼2°. The deposited multilayer structures SiO2/TiO2/n-Si/Ag(Cr)/TiO2 and TiO2/n-Si/Ag(Cr)/TiO2 achieved significant low-e and superhydrophilicity.
NOxproduction and rainout from Chicxulub impact ejecta reentry
Authors: Parkos Devon , Alexeenko Alina , Kulakhmetov Marat , Johnson Brandon C. , Melosh H. Jay
Published: November 2015

The Chicxulub impact 66.0 Ma ago initiated the second biggest extinction in the Phanerozoic Eon. The cause of the concurrent oceanic nitrogen isotopic anomaly, however, remains elusive. The Chicxulub impactor struck the Yucatán peninsula, ejecting 2 × 1015 kg of molten and vaporized rock that reentered globally as approximately 1023microscopic spherules. Here we report that modern techniques indicate that this ejecta generates 1.5 × 1014moles of NOx, which is enough to cause the observed nitrogen enrichment of the basal layer. Additionally, reentry‐based NO production would explain the anomalously heavy isotopic composition of the observed nitrogen. We include N, O, N2, O2, and NO species in simulations of nonequilibrium chemically reacting flow around a reentering spherule. We then determine the net production of NO from all the spherules and use turbulence models to determine how quickly this yield diffuses through the atmosphere. Upon reaching the stratosphere and troposphere, cloud moisture absorbs the NOxand forms nitric acid. We model this process and determine the acidity of the resulting precipitation, which peaks about 1 year after the impact. The precipitation ultimately reaches the upper ocean, where we assume that the well‐mixed surface layer is 100 m deep. We then model the naturally occurring carbonate/bicarbonate buffer and determine the net pH. We find that insufficient NOxreaches the ocean to directly cause the observed end‐Cretaceous oceanic extinction via acidification and buffer removal. However, the resulting nitrates are sufficient to explain the concurrent nitrogen isotopic anomaly and facilitate an end‐Cretaceous algae bloom.
Observations of distributed snow depth and snow duration within diverse forest structures in a maritime mountain watershed
Authors: Dickerson‐Lange Susan E. , Lutz James A. , Gersonde Rolf , Martin Kael A. , Forsyth Jenna E. , Lundquist Jessica D.
Published: November 2015

Spatially distributed snow depth and snow duration data were collected over two to four snow seasons during water years 2011–2014 in experimental forest plots within the Cedar River Municipal Watershed, 50 km east of Seattle, Washington, USA. These 40 × 40 m forest plots, situated on the western slope of the Cascade Range, include unthinned second‐growth coniferous forests, variable density thinned forests, forest gaps in which a 20 m diameter (approximately equivalent to one tree height) gap was cut in the middle of each plot, and old‐growth forest. Together, this publicly available data set includes snow depth and density observations from manual snow surveys, distributed snow duration observations from ground temperature sensors and time‐lapse cameras, meteorological data collected at two open locations and three forested locations, and forest canopy data from airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data and hemispherical photographs. These colocated snow, meteorological, and forest data have the potential to improve understanding of forest influences on snow processes, and provide a unique model‐testing data set for hydrological analyses in a forested, maritime watershed. We present empirical snow depletion curves within forests to illustrate an application of these data to improve subgrid representation of snow cover in distributed modeling.
Towards a Distinctive Urbanism: An Interview with Kenneth Frampton
Authors: Verebes Tom
Published: November 2015

When renowned professor, architectural historian and critic Kenneth Frampton wrote his seminal essay ‘Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance’ (1983), he shot a sharp arrow into the side of the Modernist corpse. He argued against the ubiquity and uniformity of International Modernism in favour of an architecture that was distinct in its local character and identity. Over 30 years later, Guest‐Editor Tom Verebes went to interview Frampton in his office at Columbia University to see if he could convince him that contemporary design and production technologies might be the means of realising a new distinctive urbanism.
Miesian Grids and the Domain of Ink
Authors: Manferdini Elena
Published: November 2015

What happens when you subvert the standardised repetition of the Modernist grid? In Building the Picture, a series of drawings that architect Elena Manferdini produced for an exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago that ran during the spring and summer of 2015, visual effects and colour were applied to counteract Mies's highly uniform and modular mass‐producible systems.
Standardising Heterogeneity: Public Housing and the Absent(ed) Architect
Authors: Bell Michael
Published: November 2015

Does the decentralisation of housing provision by government necessarily lead to a less standardised and more diverse approach to design and planning? Can targeted financial programmes effectively trigger the forces of the free market to deliver more innovative and varied solutions to housing? Michael Bell, Professor of Architecture at Columbia University in New York, reviews the impact of the introduction of tax credits and other initiatives, brought in to encourage public/private partnerships and the involvement of speculative developers in the 1980s and 1990s, on the quality of public housing in the US. In doing so, he puts out a call to architects to acquaint and engage themselves with the complexities of the financial markets.
Gramazio Kohler Research, Automated Diversity: New Morphologies of Vertical Urbanism
Authors: Willmann Jan , Gramazio Fabio , Kohler Matthias
Published: November 2015

Automated fabrication techniques are currently largely confined to the production of discrete objects or building elements. To notch up the potential of robotics for architectural design, it is necessary to start to push the limits and experiment at a larger urban scale. Fabio Gramazio and Matthias Kohler are pioneers in this field. Here, with Jan Willmann, they describe the research that they are undertaking as part of the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) located at the Singapore‐ETH Centre for Global Environmental Sustainability (SEC) and ETH Zurich, in which robotic fabrication technologies are employed to realize 1:50 physical models of mixed‐use high‐rise structures that are unique in their spatial layouts.
Cities on the Edge of Chaos
Authors: Fournier Colin
Published: November 2015

Is the mass‐customised city no more than a smokescreen, a re‐evocation of Modernist positivism and its problem‐solving ideology? Colin Fournier, Emeritus Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), and Visiting Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), questions the premise of this issue and asks if the variation required for a city's survival ‘at the edge of chaos’ lies beyond mass customisation.
Influence of family history of dementia in the development and progression of late‐onset Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Scarabino Daniela , Gambina Giuseppe , Broggio Elisabetta , Pelliccia Franca , Corbo Rosa Maria
Published: November 2015

Family history of dementia (FH) is a recognized risk factor for developing late‐onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). We asked whether having FH increases AD risk and influences disease severity (age at onset and cognitive impairment) in 420 AD patients and 109 controls with (FH+) or without (FH−). The relationships of APOE and other AD risk genes with FH were analyzed as well. The proportion of APOE e4 allele carriers was higher among the FH+ than the FH− AD patients (49.6% vs. 38.9%; P = 0.04). The distribution of the risk genotypes of nine AD susceptibility genes previously examined (CHAT, CYP17, CYP19, ESR1, FSHR, P53, P73, P21, PPARG) did not differ between the FH+ and the FH− AD patients, indicating that none contributed significantly to familial clustering of disease. FH was associated with an increased AD risk (odds ratio [OR] 2.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.44–5.09; P = 0.002) independent of carrying the APOE e4 allele (OR 2.61, 95%CI 1.53–4.44; P = 0.0004). Having a first‐degree relative or a parent with dementia was significantly associated with AD risk (OR 2.9, 95%CI 1.3–6.4; P = 0.009 and OR 2.7, 95%CI 1.1–6.2; P = 0.02) but having a sibling with dementia was not (OR 1.7, 95%CI 0.2 to 14.7; P = 0.6). Among the FH+ AD patients, having one or both parents affected seemed to raise the risk of earlier onset age (P = 0.02) and greater cognitive impairment (P = 0.02) than having only an affected sibling, whereas having two or more affected relatives did not. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Genome‐wide association study with the risk of schizophrenia in a Korean population
Authors: Kim Lyoung Hyo , Park Byung Lae , Cheong Hyun Sub , Namgoong Suhg , Kim Ji On , Kim Jeong‐Hyun , Shin Joong‐Gon , Park Chul Soo , Kim Bong‐Jo , Kim Jae Won , Choi Ihn‐Geun , Hwang Jaeuk , Shin Hyoung Doo , Woo Sung‐Il
Published: November 2015

Schizophrenia is regarded as a multifactorial and polygenic brain disorder that is attributed to different combinations of genetic and environmental risk factors. Recently, several genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) of schizophrenia have identified numerous risk factors, but the replication results remain controversial and ambiguous. To identify schizophrenia susceptibility loci in the Korean population, we performed a GWAS using the Illumina HumanOmni1‐Quad V1.0 Microarray. We genotyped 1,140,419 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 350 Korea schizophrenia patients and 700 control subjects, and approximately 620,001 autosomal SNPs were passed our quality control. In the case–control analysis, the rs9607195 A>G on intergenic area 250 kb away from the ISX gene and the rs12738007 A>G on the intron of the MECR gene were the most strongly associated SNPs with the risk of schizophrenia (P = 6.2 × 10−8, OR = 0.50 and P = 3.7 × 10−7, OR = 2.39, respectively). In subsequent fine‐mapping analysis, 6 SNPs of MECR were genotyped with 310 schizophrenia patients and 604 control subjects. The association of the MECR rs12738007, a top ranked‐SNP in GWAS, was replicated (P = 1.5 × 10−2, OR = 1.53 in fine mapping analysis, P = 1.5 × 10−6, OR = 1.90 in combined analysis). The identification of putative schizophrenia susceptibility loci could provide new insights into genetic factors related with schizophrenia and clues for the development of diagnosis strategies. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Superchiral Pd3L6 Coordination Complex and Its Reversible Structural Conversion into Pd3L3Cl6 Metallocycles
Authors: Jurček Ondřej , Bonakdarzadeh Pia , Kalenius Elina , Linnanto Juha Matti , Groessl Michael , Knochenmuss Richard , Ihalainen Janne A. , Rissanen Kari
Published: November 2015

Large, non‐symmetrical, inherently chiral bispyridyl ligand L derived from natural ursodeoxycholic bile acid was used for square–planar coordination of tetravalent PdII, yielding the cationic single enantiomer of superchiral coordination complex 1 Pd3L6 containing 60 well‐defined chiral centers in its flower‐like structure. Complex 1 can readily be transformed by addition of chloride into a smaller enantiomerically pure cyclic trimer 2 Pd3L3Cl6 containing 30 chiral centers. This transformation is reversible and can be restored by the addition of silver cations. Furthermore, a mixture of two constitutional isomers of trimer, 2 and 2′, and dimer, 3 and 3′, can be obtained directly from L by its coordination to trans‐ or cis‐N‐pyridyl‐coordinating PdII. These intriguing, water‐resistant, stable supramolecular assemblies have been thoroughly described by 1H DOSY NMR, mass spectrometry, circular dichroism, molecular modelling, and drift tube ion‐mobility mass spectrometry.
Durch sichtbares Licht vermittelte Synthese von Indolizinen in Abwesenheit eines externen Photokatalysators
Authors: Sahoo Basudev , Hopkinson Matthew N. , Glorius Frank
Published: November 2015

Eine durch sichtbares Licht vermittelte Synthese von wertvollen, polycyclischen Indolizin‐Heterocyclen aus leicht zugänglichen bromierten Pyridinen und Enolcarbamaten wurde entwickelt. Dieser Prozess, welcher bei Raumtemperatur unter Bestrahlung mit sichtbarem Licht stattfindet, läuft auch ohne die Zugabe eines externen Photokatalysators ab. Mechanistische Experimente deuten darauf hin, dass die Indolizinprodukte ihre eigene Bildung beschleunigen können. Zudem sind sie in der Lage, andere durch sichtbares Licht vermittelte Reaktionen zu beschleunigen.
Vulnerabilities and fisheries impacts: the uncertain future of manta and devil rays
Authors: Croll Donald A. , Dewar Heidi , Dulvy Nicholas K. , Fernando Daniel , Francis Malcolm P. , Galván‐Magaña Felipe , Hall Martin , Heinrichs Shawn , Marshall Andrea , Mccauley Douglas , Newton Kelly M. , Notarbartolo‐Di‐Sciara Giuseppe , O'Malley Mary , O'Sullivan John , Poortvliet Marloes , Roman Marlon , Stevens Guy , Tershy Bernie R. , White William T.
Published: November 2015

Manta and devil rays of the subfamily Mobulinae (mobulids) are rarely studied, large, pelagic elasmobranchs, with all eight of well‐evaluated species listed on the IUCN Red List as threatened or near threatened.

Mobulids have life history characteristics (matrotrophic reproduction, extremely low fecundity, and delayed age of first reproduction) that make them exceptionally susceptible to overexploitation.

Targeted and bycatch mortality from fisheries is a globally important and increasing threat, and targeted fisheries are incentivized by the high value of the global trade in mobulid gill plates.

Fisheries bycatch of mobulids is substantial in tuna purse seine fisheries.

Thirteen fisheries in 12 countries specifically targeting mobulids, and 30 fisheries in 23 countries with mobulid bycatch were identified.

Aside from a few recently enacted national restrictions on capture, there is no comprehensive monitoring, assessment or control of mobulid fisheries or bycatch. Recent listing through the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) may benefit mobulids of the genus Manta (manta rays), but none of the mobulids in the genus Mobula (devil rays) are protected.

The relative economic costs of catch mitigation are minimal, particularly compared with a broad range of other, more complicated, marine conservation issues.

Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improving Memory Performances by Adjusting the Symmetry and Polarity of O‐Fluoroazobenzene‐Based Molecules
Authors: Liu Quan , Dong Huilong , Li Youyong , Li Hua , Chen Dongyun , Wang Lihua , Xu Qingfeng , Lu Jianmei
Published: November 2015

Three O‐fluoroazobenzene‐based molecules were chosen as memory‐active molecules: FAZO‐1 with a D–A2–D symmetric structure, FAZO‐2 with an A1–A2–A1 symmetric structure, and FAZO‐3 with a D–A2–A1 asymmetric structure. Both FAZO‐1 and FAZO‐2 had a lower molecular polarity, whereas FAZO‐3 had a higher polarity. The fabricated indium–tin oxide (ITO)/FAZO‐1/Al (Au) and ITO/FAZO‐2/Al (Au) memory devices both exhibited volatile static random access memory (SRAM) behavior, whereas the ITO/FAZO‐3/Al (Au) device showed nonvolatile ternary write‐once‐read‐many‐times (WORM) behavior. It should be noted that the reproducibility of these devices was considerably high, which is significant for practical application in memory devices. In addition, the different memory performances of the three active materials were determined to be attributable to the stability of electric‐field‐induced charge‐transfer complexes. Therefore, the switching memory behavior could be tuned by adjusting the molecular polarity.
Performance of Optimal Super‐Twisting Controller for Liquid Level
Authors: Al Ameri Osama , Boiko Igor
Published: November 2015

Higher‐order sliding mode control algorithms and second‐order in particular have become a popular research area. This research analyzes the performance of optimally designed Super‐Twisting (STW) controllers, with application to the liquid level process. The problem of optimal design of the STW controller is formulated and a solution methodology is presented. Performance of the STW controller is compared with the performance of an optimally tuned PID controller. The study is carried out through analytical approach, simulations and experiments. From the comparison of performance, conclusions are drawn about suitability and the use of the STW controller for the process specifically considered in this research as well as other process control applications.
Adaptive Sliding Mode Observer‐Based Robust Fault Reconstruction for a Helicopter With Actuator Fault
Authors: Chen Fuyang , Zhang Kangkang , Jiang Bin , Wen Changyun
Published: November 2015

This paper proposes a design method of robust fault reconstruction for a 3‐DOF helicopter with actuator faults and disturbance. The model of the 3‐DOF helicopter considered in this paper is an affine nonlinear system. An adaptive sliding mode observer is firstly proposed such that the actuator fault can be reconstructed through the adaptive law online. Then, based on linear matrix inequalities (LMI), a feasible algorithm is explored to solve the designed parameters. Finally, a simulation study of the 3‐DOF helicopter is presented to show the effectiveness of the scheme.
Frequency Response Estimation from Impulse or Step‐like Response by Virtual Experiments
Authors: Fedele Giuseppe
Published: November 2015

This paper considers the problem of estimating the frequency response of an unknown plant from impulse or step response measurements, possibly with non‐ideal step signals. The proposed method is direct (no model identification of the plant is needed) and it can be applied using a single set of data generated by the plant, with no need for specific experiments nor iterations. The frequency response of the plant, at a desired frequency, is estimated by a virtual experiment generating a filtered version of the data set. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the method.
A (−)‐norephedrine‐based molecularly imprinted polymer for the solid‐phase extraction of psychoactive phenylpropylamino alkaloids from Khat (Catha edulis Vahl. Endl.) chewing leaves
Authors: Atlabachew Minaleshewa , Torto Nelson , Chandravanshi Bhagwan Singh , Redi‐Abshiro Mesfin , Chigome Samuel , Mothibedi Kediemetse , Combrinck Sandra
Published: November 2015

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was prepared using (−)‐norephedrine as the template, methacrylic acid as the functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross‐linker and chloroform as the porogen. The MIP was used as a selective sorbent in the molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction (MIP‐SPE) of the psychoactive phenylpropylamino alkaloids, norephedrine and its analogs, cathinone and cathine, from Khat (Catha edulis Vahl. Endl.) leaf extracts prior to HPLC‐DAD analysis. The MIP was able to selectively extract the alkaloids from the aqueous extracts of Khat. Loading, washing and elution of the alkaloids bound to the MIP were evaluated under different conditions. The clean baseline of the Khat extract obtained after MIP‐SPE confirmed that a selective and efficient sample clean‐up was achieved. Good recoveries (90.0–107%) and precision (RSDs 2.3–3.2%) were obtained in the validation of the MIP‐SPE‐HPLC procedure. The content of the three alkaloids in Khat samples determined after treatment with MIP‐SPE and a commercial Isolute C18 (EC) SPE cartridge were in good agreement. These findings indicate that MIP‐SPE is a reliable method that can be used for sample pre‐treatment for the determination of Khat alkaloids in plant extracts or similar matrices and could be applicable in pharmaceutical, forensic and biomedical laboratories. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spooning of the nails and webbing of the esophagus: koilonychia and Plummer–Vinson Syndrome
Authors: Mangla Ankit , Agarwal Nikki , Yu Jie , Telfer Margaret
Published: November 2015

Key Clinical Message

Chronic iron deficiency can be associated with nail deformities like Koilonychia and Platynychia. It can also be associated with esophageal webs (Plummer‐Vinson syndrome or Patterson‐Brown‐Kelly syndrome) causing dysphagia in the patient. Though the pathogenesis of this association remains anecdotal and presence of these physical findings should prompt the clinician towards considering chronic iron deficiency as the cause of anemia.
Automatic Fiber Thickness Measurement in Scanning Electron Microscopy Images Validated Using Synthetic Data
Authors: Easwaran Prakash , Lehmann Martin J. , Wirjadi Oliver , Prill Torben , Didas Stephan , Redenbach Claudia
Published: November 2015

Among the various properties of fibrous filter media, fiber thickness is one of the important characteristics which should be considered in design and quality assurance of filter media. Automatic analysis of images from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a suitable tool in that context. Yet, the accuracy of such image analysis tools cannot be judged based on images of real filter media since their true fiber thickness can never be known accurately. A solution is to employ synthetically generated models for evaluation. To this end, a 3D fiber model is extended to incorporate fiber bundles, which are common in fibrous filter media. The resulting novel stochastic 3D fiber model can generate geometries with good visual resemblance of real filter media. By combining this model with simulation of the SEM imaging process, quantitative evaluation of the fiber thickness measurements becomes feasible.
Solid‐Phase Combinatorial Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Destruxin E Analogues
Authors: Yoshida Masahito , Ishida Yoshitaka , Adachi Kenta , Murase Hayato , Nakagawa Hiroshi , Doi Takayuki
Published: November 2015

The solid‐phase combinatorial synthesis of cyclodepsipeptide destruxin E has been demonstrated. The combinatorial synthesis of cyclization precursors 8 was achieved by using a split and pool method on SynPhase Lanterns. The products were successfully macrolactonized in parallel in the solution phase by using 2‐methyl‐6‐nitrobenzoic anhydride and 4‐(dimethylamino)pyridine N‐oxide to afford macrolactones 9, and the subsequent formation of an epoxide in the side chain gave 18 member destruxin E analogues 6. Biological evaluation of analogues 6 indicated that the N‐MeAla residue was crucial to the induction of morphological changes in osteoclast‐like multinuclear cells (OCLs). Based on structure–activity relationships, azido‐containing analogues 15 were then designed for use as a molecular probe. The synthesis and biological evaluation of analogues 15 revealed that 15 b, in which the Ile residue was replaced with a Lys(N3) residue, induced morphological changes in OCLs at a sufficient concentration, and modification around the Ile residue would be tolerated for attachment of a chemical tag toward the target identification of destruxin E (1).
Variation in breast cancer care quality in New York and California based on race/ethnicity and Medicaid enrollment
Authors: Hassett Michael J. , Schymura Maria J. , Chen Kun , Boscoe Francis P. , Gesten Foster C. , Schrag Deborah
Published: November 2015

BACKGROUND

Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities persist in part because our current understanding of the care provided to minority and disadvantaged populations is limited. The authors evaluated the quality of breast cancer care in 2 large states to understand the disparities experienced by African Americans, Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islanders (APIs), and Medicaid enrollees and to prioritize remediation strategies.

METHODS

Statewide cancer registry data for 80,436 women in New York and 121,233 women in California who were diagnosed during 2004 to 2009 with stage 0 through III breast cancer were used to assess underuse and overuse of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy based on 34 quality measures. Concordance values were compared across racial/ethnic and Medicaid‐enrollment groups. Multivariable models were used to quantify disparities across groups for each treatment in each state.

RESULTS

Overall concordance was 76% for underuse measures and 87% for overuse measures. The proportions of patients who received care concordant with all relevant measures were 35% in New York and 33% in California. Compared with whites, African Americans were less likely to receive recommended surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy; Hispanics and APIs were usually more likely to receive recommended chemotherapy. Across states, the same racial/ethnic groups did not always experience the same disparities. Medicaid enrollment was associated with decreased likelihood of receiving all recommended treatments, except chemotherapy, in both states. Overuse was evident for hormone therapy and axillary surgery but was not associated with race/ethnicity or Medicaid enrollment.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient‐level measures of quality identify substantial problems with care quality and meaningful disparities. Remediating these problems will require prioritizing low‐performing measures and targeting high‐risk populations, possibly in different ways for different regions. Cancer 2016;122:420–431. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Direct Chemical Vapor Deposition Growth of Graphene on Insulating Substrates
Authors: Sun Jingyu , Zhang Yanfeng , Liu Zhongfan
Published: November 2015

Recent years have witnessed an increase in attention to the direct synthesis of graphene on a variety of insulators by virtue of chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which has shown great potential in a broad range of applications. In this Focus Review, we summarize the key research efforts on the development of CVD routes to allow direct deposition of graphene on insulating materials, with a special focus upon our recent progress towards graphene synthesis employing hexagonal boron nitride, glass, and SrTiO3 planar substrates, as well as NaCl powders. To begin with, we outline the important features and necessities in the field of graphene synthesis by direct CVD. We then provide an up‐to‐date research summary with respect to the employment of substrate (planar vs. powder; novel vs. conventional), the design of synthetic methods, and the quality/property control of products. Finally, we discuss the potential challenges and opportunities for the direct CVD growth of graphene on insulators.
Synthetic Strategies for Semiconductor Nanocrystals Expressing Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance
Authors: Niezgoda J. Scott , Rosenthal Sandra J.
Published: November 2015

The field of semiconductor plasmonics has grown rapidly since its outset, only roughly six years ago, and now includes many crystalline substances ranging from GeTe to wide‐bandgap transition‐metal oxides. One byproduct of this proliferation is the sea of differing synthetic methods to realize localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) based on the studied material. Strategies vary widely from material to material, but all have the common goal of introducing extremely high carrier densities to the semiconductor system. This doping results in tunable, size‐quantized, and on/off‐switchable LSPR modes, which are a complete departure from traditional metal‐nanoparticle‐based plasmon resonances. This Minireview will provide an overview of the current state of nanocrystal and quantum‐dot plasmonics and the physical basis thereof, however its main purpose is to summarize the methods for realizing LSPRs in the various syntheses and systems that have been reported to date.
A Study of Overheating of Thermostatically Controlled TiO2 Thin Films by Using Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Gallardo Juan Jesús , Navas Javier , Zorrilla David , Alcántara Rodrigo , Valor Diego , Sánchez‐Coronilla Antonio , Hernández Norge Cruz , Fernández‐Lorenzo Concha , Martín‐Calleja Joaquín
Published: November 2015

In this study a classic Raman spectroscopy method is applied and the intensity ratio of Stokes and anti‐Stokes peaks is used to measure the temperature of thermostatically controlled TiO2 thin films. In addition, three mathematical formulae are used and analyzed to estimate the temperature of the TiO2 thin films. Overheating of the samples above the thermostatically controlled temperature was observed while recording the Raman spectra, with a temperature increase of up to 30 K being detected. DFT‐periodic calculations showed that the anatase (101) surface had a smaller band gap than bulk anatase. Thus, it can absorb the laser radiation with a wavelength of 532 nm that is used in the experimental setup. Part of the absorbed photon energy transfers into phonon energy, heating up the anatase phase, thus leading to the heating of the samples. Moreover, overheating of the samples indicates that the experimental method used in this study can lead to deviations in their real absolute temperature values.
Alkaline Ammonia Electrolysis on Electrodeposited Platinum for Controllable Hydrogen Production
Authors: Gwak Jieun , Choun Myounghoon , Lee Jaeyoung
Published: November 2015

Ammonia is beginning to attract a great deal of attention as an alternative energy source carrier, because clean hydrogen can be produced through electrolytic processes without the emission of COx. In this study, we deposited various shapes of Pt catalysts under potentiostatic mode; the electrocatalytic oxidation behavior of ammonia using these catalysts was studied in alkaline media. The electrodeposited Pt was characterized by both qualitative and quantitative analysis. To discover the optimal structure and the effect of ammonia concentration, the bulk pH value, reaction temperature, and applied current of ammonia oxidation were investigated using potential sweep and galvanostatic methods. Finally, ammonia electrolysis was conducted using a zero‐gap cell, producing highly pure hydrogen with an energy efficiency over 80 %.
PMA and crystal‐induced neutrophil extracellular trap formation involves RIPK1‐RIPK3‐MLKL signaling
Authors: Desai Jyaysi , Kumar Santhosh V. , Mulay Shrikant R. , Konrad Lukas , Romoli Simone , Schauer Christine , Herrmann Martin , Bilyy Rostyslav , Müller Susanna , Popper Bastian , Nakazawa Daigo , Weidenbusch Marc , Thomasova Dana , Krautwald Stefan , Linkermann Andreas , Anders Hans‐Joachim
Published: November 2015

Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation contributes to gout, autoimmune vasculitis, thrombosis, and atherosclerosis. The outside‐in signaling pathway triggering NET formation is unknown. Here, we show that the receptor‐interacting protein kinase (RIPK)‐1‐stabilizers necrostatin‐1 or necrostatin‐1s and the mixed lineage kinase domain‐like (MLKL)‐inhibitor necrosulfonamide prevent monosodium urate (MSU) crystal‐ or PMA‐induced NET formation in human and mouse neutrophils. These compounds do not affect PMA‐ or urate crystal‐induced production of ROS. Moreover, neutrophils of chronic granulomatous disease patients are shown to lack PMA‐induced MLKL phosphorylation. Genetic deficiency of RIPK3 in mice prevents MSU crystal‐induced NET formation in vitro and in vivo. Thus, neutrophil death and NET formation may involve the signaling pathway defining necroptosis downstream of ROS production. These data imply that RIPK1, RIPK3, and MLKL could represent molecular targets in gout or other crystallopathies.
Manganese Complexes of Pyrrole‐ and ­Indolecarboxamide Ligands: Synthesis, Structure, Electrochemistry, and Applications in Oxidative and Lewis‐Acid‐­Assisted Catalysis
Authors: Yadav Sunil , Kumar Sushil , Gupta Rajeev
Published: November 2015

This work shows the synthesis and structural, spectroscopic, and electrochemical properties of MnIII complexes supported with pyrrole‐ and indolecarboxamide ligands. In all cases, the respective ligand constitutes a N4 coordination sphere about the MnIII ion. The MnIII complexes of pyrrolecarboxamide ligands are square pyramidal with a fifth Cl atom, whereas analogous complexes of indolecarboxamide ligands are essentially square planar. Electrochemical studies reveal highly negative MnIII/II and moderately positive MnIV/III redox potentials. In situ generated Mn4+ species of the pyrrolecarboxamide ligands were characterized by absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. All complexes functioned as catalysts in olefin epoxidation reactions by using PhIO as the oxo‐transfer agent. All complexes also acted as Lewis acid catalysts for ring‐opening reactions of assorted epoxides with various nucleophiles. We also show a one‐pot, two‐step epoxidation reaction followed by ring opening, which illustrates the catalytic significance of the present complexes. Importantly, MnIII complexes carrying electron‐donating substituents on the ligand were found to be better catalysts.
Solanum sessiliflorum (mana‐cubiu) antioxidant protective effect toward cholesterol oxidation: Influence of docosahexaenoic acid
Authors: Barriuso Blanca , Mariutti Lilian Regina Barros , Ansorena Diana , Astiasarán Iciar , Bragagnolo Neura
Published: November 2015

Harmful health effects have been attributed to cholesterol oxidation products (COPs). Factors that modulate their formation in foods are light, oxygen, heat, and food matrix (such as antioxidants content or unsaturation degree of lipids), among others. The objective of this work was to assess the effectiveness of an extract obtained from Solanum sessiliflorum (mana‐cubiu) (MCE) as a potential inhibitor of cholesterol oxidation under heating conditions. The influence of free DHA presence in the system was also evaluated. Results showed that MCE inhibited cholesterol degradation (44 vs. 18% without and with MCE, respectively) and reduced ninefold COPs formation in the absence of DHA. However, when DHA was present, the MCE was not effective toward cholesterol oxidation. In this case, MCE showed its antioxidant effect protecting DHA from degradation (89 vs. 64%).

Practical applications: Antioxidant properties of this solvent free natural extract make MCE a potential good ingredient in food products containing highly polyunsaturated lipids to protect them from oxidation and in food products lacking polyunsaturated lipids to protect cholesterol from oxidation.

Mana‐cubiu inhibits cholesterol oxidation in absence of DHA.
Direct quantitative indices for ripening of olive oil fruits to predict harvest time
Authors: Trapani Serena , Migliorini Marzia , Cherubini Chiara , Cecchi Lorenzo , Canuti Valentina , Fia Giovanna , Zanoni Bruno
Published: November 2015

The aim of this work was both the monitoring of selected indices, directly connected to biochemical phenomena of olive oil fruit ripening, and the processing of experimental results to choose the most appropriate harvesting time for olives. Two different olive cultivars (Frantoio and Moraiolo) in two different olive orchards were studied, picking olives by hand once a week from the beginning of September to the beginning of December. Olive samples were analyzed for average weight, pulp/stone ratio, and Maturity Index. A homogeneous batch of olives was crushed, and the olive paste was used for the measurement of water, oil, sugar, and phenolic compounds contents in olive oil fruits. Formally similar kinetics of oil and sugar contents were obtained for both studied cultivars and orchards. Oil contents showed an increasing sigmoidal trend tending to an asymptote; sugar contents showed an opposite behavior with a decreasing sigmoidal trend tending to an asymptote. The total phenolic compounds content showed a decreasing trend during ripening. The secoiridoids oleuropein aglycon and oleuropein were among the most abundant phenolic compounds. Their contents showed a linear decrease during olive ripening, modelled by a significant pseudo‐zero order kinetics; trends were cultivar‐dependent, though similar for both orchards.

Practical applications: Both monitoring and processing of chemical ripening indices in olive oil fruits may be useful to define an adequate ripening degree and to predict harvest time. Modeling of oil and sugar content kinetics during ripening may improve the prediction approach to harvesting time of olive oil fruits, as compared to the common Maturity Index method. For instance, the harvest target of maximizing processing yield may be attained on the basis of the following phenomenological evidence: A constant maximum value for oil content corresponds to attainment of a constant minimum value of sugar content. A sensible choice of the most appropriate harvesting time for olives may be made by performing a combined evaluation of kinetics for oil, sugar, and phenolic compounds contents. An example to understand how a change in harvesting time may affect olive composition and, potentially, the quality of oil to be extracted, was reported in this paper.

An example of combined kinetic trends of the sugar (·····), oil (—), and oleuropein (‐‐‐‐) contents to choose the harvesting time of olive oil fruits for Frantoio cultivar on one of the orchards studied.
Discriminating dengue‐infected hepatic cells (WRL‐68) using dielectrophoresis
Authors: Yafouz Bashar , Kadri Nahrizul Adib , Rothan Hussin A. , Yusof Rohana , Ibrahim Fatimah
Published: November 2015

Dielectrophoresis (DEP), the induced movement of dielectric particles placed in a nonuniform electric field, has been used as a potential technique for manipulation and separation of many biological samples without destructive consequences to the cell. Cells of the same genotype in different physiological and pathological states have unique morphological and structural features, therefore, it is possible to differentiate between them using their DEP responses. This paper reports the experimental discrimination of normal and dengue‐infected human hepatic fetal epithelial cells (WRL‐68 cells) based on their DEP crossover frequency, at which no resultant movement occurs in the cells in response to the DEP force. A microarray dot electrode was used to conduct the DEP experiments. The DEP forces applied to the cells were quantified by analyzing the light intensity shift within the electrode's dot region based on the Cumulative Modal Intensity Shift image analysis technique. The differences in dielectric properties between infected and uninfected cells were exploited by plotting a unique DEP spectrum for each set of cells. We observed that the crossover frequency decreased from 220 kHz for the normal WRL‐68 cells to 140 kHz after infection with the dengue virus in a medium conductivity of 100 μS/cm. We conclude that the change in the DEP crossover frequency between dengue‐infected cells and their healthy counterparts should allow direct characterization of these cell types by exploiting their electrophysiological properties.
Polarization behavior of polystyrene particles under direct current and low‐frequency (<1 kHz) electric fields in dielectrophoretic systems
Authors: Saucedo‐Espinosa Mario A. , Rauch Mallory M. , LaLonde Alexandra , Lapizco‐Encinas Blanca H.
Published: November 2015

The relative polarization behavior of micron and submicron polystyrene particles was investigated under direct current and very low frequency (<1 kHz) alternating current electric fields. Relative polarization of particles with respect to the suspending medium is expressed in terms of the Clausius–Mossotti factor, a parameter of crucial importance in dielectrophoretic‐based operations. Particle relative polarization was studied by employing insulator‐based dielectrophoretic (iDEP) devices. The effects of particle size, medium conductivity, and frequency (10–1000 Hz) of the applied electric potential on particle response were assessed through experiments and mathematical modeling with COMSOL Multiphysics®. Particles of different sizes (100–1000 nm diameters) were introduced into iDEP devices fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and their dielectrophoretic responses under direct and alternating current electric fields were recorded and analyzed in the form of images and videos. The results illustrated that particle polarizability and dielectrophoretic response depend greatly on particle size and the frequency of the electric field. Small particles tend to exhibit positive DEP at higher frequencies (200–1000 Hz), while large particles exhibit negative DEP at lower frequencies (20–200 Hz). These differences in relative polarization can be used for the design of iDEP‐based separations and analysis of particle mixtures.
Boron‐chelating fluorescent probe (BOPB) in the red region combined with CE‐LIF for the detection of NO in mice liver
Authors: Chen Jian‐Bo , Zhang Hui‐Xian , Guo Xiao‐Feng , Wang Hong , Zhang Hua‐Shan
Published: November 2015

Precise measurement of nitric oxide (NO) is of great importance to understand the function of NO in liver and the mechanism of liver injury. 8‐(3’,4’‐Diamino phenyl)‐3,5‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)‐dimethylene pyrrole (BOPB), a fluorescent probe in the red region (>600 nm) newly developed in our group, has good photostability and excitation/emission wavelength of 622/643 nm matching well with commercial 635 nm semiconductor laser of CE‐LIF detection. Therefore, BOPB was used in CE‐LIF for the determination of NO in mice liver. Both derivatization and separation conditions were optimized. Derivatization reaction of BOPB and NO was carried out in pH 7.4 PBS buffer at 35°C for 12 min and the separation of NO derivative of BOPB (BOPB‐T) was achieved within 7.0 min in pH 9.0 running buffer containing 15 mM H3BO3–NaOH and 15 mM SDS. Good linearity was found in the range of 1.0 × 10−9–5.0 × 10−7 M with the LOD of 0.02 nM. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of NO in real samples, and NO concentration was obviously increased in acute liver injury of mice. Compared to existing derivatization‐based CE‐LIF methods for NO, this method has lower LOD and less background interference owing to detection wavelength of BOPB in the red region.
Free‐Standing SnO2/Nitrogen‐Doped Graphene Films as High‐Performance Binder‐Free Electrodes for Flexible Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Fan Hua , Liang Junfei , Zheng Jinlong , Qi Juanjuan , Yang Jie , Hu Pengfei , Zhao Hewei , Liu Juzhe , Guo Lin
Published: November 2015

It is currently urgent to develop flexible lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) because of the growing interest and strong market demand of flexible or bendable electronics. However, the large‐scale use of flexible LIBs is mainly limited by our capability to fabricate high‐performance flexible electrodes. Here, we develop a facile, cost‐efficient, and eco‐friendly strategy to prepare flexible SnO2/nitrogen‐doped graphene films (SNGFs) for LIBs. Significantly, the obtained binder‐free, conducting agent‐free, and current collector‐free flexible electrodes exhibited high capacity, excellent cycling stability, and superior rate capability. The outstanding Li storage performance of the SNGF is primarily ascribed to its specific structure, and indicates its great potential as an anode material for flexible LIBs. Our new approach for the fabrication of flexible electrodes can be applied to various other electrode materials, which may be useful in flexible or bendable energy storage devices.
The Information Content of Intraday Implied Volatility for Volatility Forecasting
Authors: Wang Yaw‐Huei , Wang Yun‐Yi
Published: November 2015

This study examines the intraday S&P 500 implied volatility index (VIX) to determine when the index contains the most information for volatility forecasting. The findings indicate that, in general, VIX levels around noon are most informative for predicting realized volatility. We posit that the VIX performs better during this time period because trading motivation around noon is less complex, and therefore trades contain more information on the market expectation of future volatility. Further investigation on the 2008 financial crisis period suggests that market participants become more cautious, and thus the forecasting performance is sustained until the market's close. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.