bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of CaCN2 on the preparation of CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphors
Authors: Xiao Lin‐Jiu , Lv Yan , Xie Ying , Su Jian , Jiang Xin‐Dong , He Ming‐rui
Published: January 2018

Highly efficient red‐emitting phosphors, CaAlSiN3:Eu2+, were successfully prepared by the solid‐state method using calcium cyanide (CaCN2) as the single calcium source.

The influences of crystallization temperature, crystallization time, calcination mode and compounds ratio on the photoluminescent properties were investigated. The CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphors were obtained with 1 mol% CaCN2 by a two‐step calcination procedure at 900°C for 2 h and subsequently at 1600°C for 8 h. The CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphors showed the strongest luminescent intensity at 660 nm when excited by 468 nm. With an increase in crystallization time, the maximum wavelength of the emission was shifted from 644 nm to 660 nm.
Selective production of decanoic acid from iterative reversal of β‐oxidation pathway
Authors: Kim Seohyoung , Gonzalez Ramon
Published: January 2018

Decanoic acid is a valuable compound used as precursor for industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels. Despite efforts to produce it from renewables, only limited achievements have been reported. Here, we report an engineered cell factory able to produce decanoic acid as a major product from glycerol, and abundant and renewable feedstock. We exploit the overlapping chain‐length specificity of β‐oxidation reversal (r‐BOX) and thioesterase enzymes to selectively generate decanoic acid. This was achieved by selecting r‐BOX enzymes that support the synthesis of acyl‐CoA of up to 10 carbons (thiolase BktB and enoyl‐CoA reductase EgTER) and a thioesterase that exhibited high activity toward decanoyl‐CoA and longer‐chain acyl‐CoAs (FadM). Combined chromosomal and episomal expression of r‐BOX core enzymes such as enoyl‐CoA reductase and thiolase (in the presence of E. coli thioesterase FadM) increased titer and yield of decanoic acid, respectively. The carbon flux toward decanoic acid was substantially increased by the use of an organic overlay, which decreased its intracellular accumulation and presumably increased its concentration gradient across cell membrane, suggesting that decanoic acid transport to the extracellular medium might be a major bottleneck. When cultivated in the presence of a n‐dodecane overlay, the final engineered strain produced 2.1 g/L of decanoic acid with a yield of 0.1 g/g glycerol. Collectively, our data suggests that r‐BOX can be used as a platform to selectively produce decanoic acid and its derivatives at high yield, titer and productivity.
The synergistic role of ATP‐dependent drug efflux pump and focal adhesion signaling pathways in vinorelbine resistance in lung cancer
Authors: Nakanishi Takao , Menju Toshi , Nishikawa Shigeto , Takahashi Koji , Miyata Ryo , Shikuma Kei , Sowa Terumasa , Imamura Naoto , Hamaji Masatsugu , Motoyama Hideki , Hijiya Kyoko , Aoyama Akihiro , Sato Toshihiko , Chen‐Yoshikawa Toyofumi F. , Sonobe Makoto , Date Hiroshi
Published: January 2018

The vinorelbine (VRB) plus cisplatin regimen is widely used to treat non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its cure rate is poor. Drug resistance is the primary driver of chemotherapeutic failure, and the causes of resistance remain unclear. By focusing on the focal adhesion (FA) pathway, we have highlighted a signaling pathway that promotes VRB resistance in lung cancer cells. First, we established VRB‐resistant (VR) lung cancer cells (NCI‐H1299 and A549) and examined its transcriptional changes, protein expressions, and activations. We treated VR cells by Src Family Kinase (SFK) inhibitors or gene silencing and examined cell viabilities. ATP‐binding Cassette Sub‐family B Member 1 (ABCB1) was highly expressed in VR cells. A pathway analysis and western blot analysis revealed the high expression of integrins β1 and β3 and the activation of FA pathway components, including Src family kinase (SFK) and AKT, in VR cells. SFK involvement in VRB resistance was confirmed by the recovery of VRB sensitivity in FYN knockdown A549 VR cells. Saracatinib, a dual inhibitor of SFK and ABCB1, had a synergistic effect with VRB in VR cells. In conclusion, ABCB1 is the primary cause of VRB resistance. Additionally, the FA pathway, particularly integrin, and SFK, are promising targets for VRB‐resistant lung cancer. Further studies are needed to identify clinically applicable target drugs and biomarkers that will improve disease prognoses and predict therapeutic efficacies.
Monitoring Potential‐Induced DNA Dehybridization Kinetics for Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Detection by using In Situ Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering
Authors: Kayran Y. Ugur , Cinar Nergis , Jambrec Daliborka , Schuhmann Wolfgang
Published: January 2018

Changes in temperature, ionic strength or electrical field are generally employed to dehybridize double‐stranded DNA (dsDNA). In contrast, we propose potential‐induced dsDNA dehybridization to distinguish fully matched target DNA (tDNA) from tDNA with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) by following their dehybridization kinetics through in situ surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The determination of the potential that evokes notable dehybridization of dsDNA without causing any desorption of the immobilized probe DNA (pDNA) from the electrode surface was performed by investigating the desorption kinetics of labelled single‐stranded DNA (ssDNA) and dehybridization kinetics of dsDNA with labelled tDNA. This comparatively simple approach allows for SNP detection within minutes.
Tin‐Assisted Sb2S3 Nanoparticles Uniformly Grafted on Graphene Effectively Improves Sodium‐Ion Storage Performance
Authors: Deng Pan , Yang Jing , He Wei , Li Shengyang , Zhou Weichang , Tang Dongsheng , Qu Baihua
Published: January 2018

Herein, composites of tin‐assisted antimony sulfide decorated on reduced graphene oxide (Sn@Sb2S3‐rGO) were prepared by using a simple hydrothermal method. As an anode material of sodium‐ion batteries, the Sn@Sb2S3‐rGO composites exhibited good electrochemical performance with an initial discharge (sodiation) specific capacity of 1002.0 mAh g−1, and they maintained a specific capacity of approximately 600 mAh g−1 at a current density of 200 mA g−1 after 60 cycles. The good performances could be explained by the composite with graphene and a bimetallic synergistic effect, both of which have an impact on the structure of Sb2S3 and subsequent electrochemical performance. This approach to the bimetallic synergistic effect for graphene composites could be a promising new idea to design other high‐performance energy storage materials.
Nanocluster‐Mediated Synthesis of Diverse ZnTe Nanostructures: from Nanocrystals to 1D Nanobelts
Authors: Zheng Jiaojiao , Xu Meng , Liu Jia , Cheng Xiaoyan , Liu Jiajia , Rong Hongpan , Zhang Jiatao
Published: January 2018

Liquid phase one‐pot synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals, by direct nucleation‐growth crystallization, is unsuccessful for synthesis of some kinds of semiconductors. Using ZnTe as an example here, highly disperse ZnTe nanoclusters with diameters of 2–3 nm were first synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. Then the ZnTe nanoclusters were chosen as starting crystallization seeds to mediate the synthesis of flexible semiconductor nanostructures. Three‐dimensional (3D) oriented assembly of ZnTe nanoclusters to monodisperse dendrimer‐like nanocrystals (DLNCs), and one‐dimensional (1D) ZnTe nanobelts with cubic phase, have been achieved successfully. Supported by TEM characterization of time‐dependent morphology evolution, the oriented attachment assisted seed growth, based on ZnTe nanoclusters, enabled the 1D flexible ZnTe nanobelts formation, which could reach to ≈10 micrometers length.
Different Donor–Acceptor Interactions of Carbene Ligands in Heteroleptic Divalent Group 14 Compounds, LEL′ (E=C–Sn; L=N‐Heterocyclic Carbene; L′=Cyclic Alkyl(Amino) Carbene)
Authors: Purushothaman Indu , De Susmita , Parameswaran Pattiyil
Published: January 2018

The electronic structure and reactivity of heteroleptic divalent group 14 compounds, 1E (E=C–Sn) with NHC and cAAC ligands have been studied at the BP86/TZ2P level of theory and compared with homoleptic group 14 compounds. The EDA–NOCV (energy decomposition analysis–natural orbitals for chemical valence) analysis indicates that the interaction between the two carbene ligands and the central C‐atom in 1C can be best represented as one 3c–2e electron sharing σ‐bond and one 3c–2e donor–acceptor σ‐bond. There exists an electron sharing interaction between the π‐type orbital on the central C‐atom and the C−N π* orbital of cAAC and a π‐back‐donation from the σ‐type lone pair on the central C‐atom to the π*‐MO of NHC. This bonding description is equivalent to the localized bonding representation, where the central C‐atom forms two electron sharing bonds and two donor‐acceptor bonds with cAAC and NHC ligands. However, the bonding between the carbene ligands and the heavier group 14 element can be best represented as two 2c–2e donor–acceptor σ‐bonds and a π‐back‐donation from group 14 element to C−N π* orbital of cAAC. This bonding description is well supported by the geometrical and Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analyses. Hence, 1C can be best described as a carbene and the heavier analogues can be best described as tetrylones. However, the high first (287.6–274.3 kcal mol−1) and second proton affinities (162.0–158.5 kcal mol−1) suggest that 1E (E=C–Sn) behave as tetrylones.
Design and Assembly of Covalently Functionalised Polyoxofluorovanadate Molecular Hybrids
Authors: Nicolaou Maria , Papanikolaou Michael G. , Tsipis Athanassios C. , Kabanos Themistoklis A. , Keramidas Anastasios D. , Sproules Stephen , Miras Haralampos N.
Published: January 2018

Mixed‐valent polyoxometalate (POM) clusters are one of the most interesting host species, showing a wide range of structural features and properties. The facile preparation and functionalisation of a mixed‐valent polyoxofluorovanadates is reported, where two electrons are trapped to antipodal sites of the clusters. The first members of this family of clusters with the general formula, [VV12VIV2O16(μ‐O)10(μ3‐O)10(μ3‐F)2(L)2]6−, where L: py=pyridine (1); pyr=pyrazine (2); im=imidazole (3), are unique organic‐inorganic hybrids with the addition of aN‐donor ligand at either end of the polyoxofluorovanadate. The composition and connectivity of1–3were characterised by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed that the two well‐separated VIVions in each cluster are fully uncoupled withJ=0, giving a degenerate singlet–triplet ground state. This attenuation of the exchange interaction is probed with density functional theoretical calculations that reveal that the inclusion of the fluoride ion in the cluster produces a bond pathway biased toward destructive interference between competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions. These robust molecular materials are the ideal combination of desirable electronic properties, with an organic handle with which they can be integrated into spintronic circuitry for molecular devices.
Metal Complex‐Controlled Regio‐, Diastero‐ and Enantioselective 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition of Azomethine Ylides with Benzo[b]thiophene Sulfones
Authors: Harada Masato , Kato Shuma , Haraguchi Ryosuke , Fukuzawa Shin‐ichi
Published: January 2018

The Cu(MeCN)4PF6/DTBM‐Segphos complex catalyzed the highly diastereo‐ and enantioselective 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides with benzo[b]thiophene sulfones with the usual regiochemistry to give single isomers of the exo‐cycloadducts in good yields. In contrast, the AgOAc/ThioClickFerrophos complex catalyzed the reaction with atypical regiochemistry to give the endo‐cycloadducts as major products with excellent enantioselectivities. Thus, the choice of chiral metal complex enabled the regio‐ and stereoselective synthesis of chiral fused sulfolanes.
Wieso ist das Leben so, wie es ist?
Authors: Harrer Roswitha
Published: January 2018

Wie „Leben“ funktioniert, meinen Naturwissenschaftler ziemlich gut zu wissen. Schwieriger ist es nachzuvollziehen, wie das zelluläre Leben ursprünglich entstanden ist. Forscher rekonstruieren daher die chemischen und physikalischen Bedingungen der präbiotischen Erde, versuchen, eine mögliche Urzelle aus einfachen Komponenten zu bauen, und stellen molekulare Maschinen mit verblüffenden Funktionen her. Über neue Erkenntnisse und Entwicklungen zu diesen Themen berichteten auf dem diesjährigen Wissenschaftsforum Chemie der Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh) in Berlin im September hochrangige Wissenschaftler.
Performance of Soil Cation Exchange Capacity Pedotransfer Function as Affected by the Inputs and Database Size
Authors: Khodaverdiloo Habib , Momtaz Hamidreza , Liao Kaihua
Published: January 2018

Cation exchange capacity (CEC) have diverse applications from soil classification and management to agricultural/environmental simulations. Direct measurement of CEC is difficult. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of calibration dataset size on accuracy and validity of soil CEC pedotransfer functions (PTFs) derived for selected arid–semi arid soils. Furthermore, the effect of the type of inputs on performance of the PTFs is evaluated. The soil organic carbon content along with either soil sand, silt, and clay fractions or dg are used as input variables. A large dataset (n = 1141) and another independent dataset (n = 205) are applied to develop and evaluate the validity of PTFs, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis is used to correlate soil CEC with the inputs. To investigate the database‐size effect, random subsets with different sizes (n = 50, 100, 200, 300, 500, 700, 900) from the whole dataset are used for the development of PTFs. The accuracy of the PTFs decreased to some extent and then remained relatively constant, but their reliability increased with increasing the dataset size. Clay has the strongest correlation with CEC (r = 0.41 to 0.59, depending on the dataset size), so that using clay content resulted in more accurate PTFs than dg. The critical value of CEC is found to be about 15–16 cmolc kg−1, below which the PTFs overestimate CEC. The results support the hypothesis that the number of samples have to be large enough (≥500) to develop both accurate and reliable PTFs.
Chinese and South Asian ethnicity, immigration status, and clinical cancer outcomes in the Ontario Cancer System
Authors: Stevenson James K.R. , Cheung Matthew C. , Earle Craig C. , Fischer Hadas D. , Camacho Ximena , Saskin Refik , Shah Baiju R. , Austin Peter C. , Singh Simron
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

In the United States, certain minority groups have been shown to have inferior cancer outcomes compared with the white majority population. However, to the authors' knowledge, the majority of research has not separated ethnicity from immigration status. The objective of the current study was to determine the impact of ethnicity, independent of immigration status, on cancer outcomes in Chinese and South Asian populations in Ontario, Canada.

METHODS

The authors conducted a population‐based retrospective cohort study using administrative databases in Ontario, Canada. Incident cancer cases were captured in Canadian‐born Chinese and South Asian individuals, Chinese and South Asian immigrants, and the general Ontario reference population (non‐Chinese/non‐South Asian and non‐immigrant) between 2000 and 2012. Subjects were followed until death (all‐cause and cancer‐specific), and Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the impact of Chinese and South Asian ethnicity on cancer outcomes after adjusting for explanatory variables.

RESULTS

A total of 423,678 cancer cases were identified; at total of 6631 cases were identified in Canadian‐born Chinese individuals and 2752 cases in Canadian‐born South Asian individuals. After adjustment, the rate of all‐cause mortality was lower for Canadian‐born Chinese (hazard ratio [HR], 0.829; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.795‐0.865), Canadian‐born South Asian (HR, 0.856; 95% CI, 0.797‐0.919), and Chinese immigrant (recent immigrant: HR, 0.661 [95% CI, 0.610‐0.716] and non‐recent immigrant: HR, 0.853 [95% CI, 0.803‐0.906]) populations compared with the general Ontario population. A similar effect was found for cancer‐specific mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese and South Asian ethnic groups appear to have lower cancer mortalities compared with the general Ontario population. After removing the well‐documented protective effect of immigration, Chinese and South Asian ethnicities were found to be associated with a cancer survival advantage in Ontario, Canada. Cancer 2018;124:1473‐82. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
Orthopedia homeobox is preferentially expressed in typical carcinoids of the lung
Authors: Hanley Krisztina Z. , Dureau Zachary J. , Cohen Cynthia , Shin Dong M. , Owonikoko Taofeek K. , Sica Gabriel L.
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Twenty‐seven percent of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are associated with distant metastases, and in some patients, the primary site is unknown. Orthopedia homeobox protein (OTP) has been described as a useful marker for lung carcinoids (LCs) and for separating low‐grade typical carcinoids (TCs) from intermediate‐grade atypical carcinoids (ACs) in resection specimens. This study evaluated OTP, thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF‐1), and Ki‐67 expression in fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) samples of various NETs.

METHODS

A search for NETs diagnosed via FNA with subsequent resection was performed. Cell block sections were stained for OTP, TTF‐1, and mindbomb E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (Mib‐1). Nuclear expression for OTP and TTF‐1 was considered positive. Nuclear Ki‐67 staining was reported as a percentage. Results were correlated with the grade and primary site for resection specimens.

RESULTS

Sixty‐three FNA samples of NETs were identified: 14 liver samples, 14 pancreatic samples, 13 lymph node samples, 12 lung samples, 3 retroperitoneum samples, 2 small intestine samples, and 5 other samples. OTP was positive in 12 of 63 NETs (19%) from the following sites: lung (n = 8), liver (lung primary; n = 2), skin (n = 1), and lymph node (lung primary; n = 1). In well‐differentiated NETs, only LCs were OTP‐positive, whereas TTF‐1 was positive in LCs and nonlung NETs (67% vs 7%). Within the LC category, OTP was positive in 100% of the TCs versus 17% of the ACs.

CONCLUSIONS

OTP is specific for LCs because well‐differentiated nonlung NETs are negative for OTP. OTP preferentially stains TCs over ACs. In well‐differentiated NETs, OTP staining is highly specific for LCs, and in combination with a low Ki‐67 index, it suggests a pulmonary TC. Cancer Cytopathol 2018;126:236‐42. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
A Comparative Study on the Photophysics and Photochemistry of Xanthene Dyes in the Presence of Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) Dendrimers
Authors: Arbeloa Ernesto Maximiliano , Previtali Carlos Mario , Bertolotti Sonia Graciela
Published: January 2018

The photophysical and photochemical properties of the xanthene dyes Eosin Y, Erythrosin B, and Rose Bengal are evaluated in the presence of amino‐terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers of relatively high generation (G3–G5) in alkaline aqueous solution. UV/Vis absorption and fluorescence spectra of the dyes show bathochromic shifts, which correlate with the size of the dendrimer. Binding constants (Kbind) are calculated from absorption data. The resulting high Kbind values indicate strong interactions between both molecules. Triplet–triplet absorption spectra of the dyes are recorded by laser flash photolysis, and a decrease in the triplet lifetimes is observed in the presence of dendrimers. At the same time, an increase in the absorption of the semireduced form of the dyes is observed. Rate constants for triplet quenching (3kq) and radical quantum yields (ΦR) are obtained. The results are explained by a very efficient electron‐transfer process from PAMAM to xanthene dyes for all of the dye/dendrimer couples that are evaluated.
Morphology‐Independent Efficient Singlet Exciton Fission in Perylene Diimide Thin Films
Authors: Aulin Yaroslav V. , Felter Kevin M. , Günbas D. Deniz , Dubey Rajeev K. , Jager Wolter F. , Grozema Ferdinand C.
Published: January 2018

Perylene diimides are conjugated chromophores that are of considerable interest owing to their ability to transform a singlet excited state into two triplets by singlet fission. Although singlet fission has previously been reported for certain perylene diimide derivatives, there is some uncertainty about the rates and yield of the process in these materials. In this report, ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy is used to demonstrate that singlet fission in perylene diimides can occur on a sub‐picosecond timescale with quantum yields approaching the theoretical limit of 200 %.
CF3 Substitution of [Cu(P^P)(bpy)][PF6] Complexes: Effects on Photophysical Properties and Light‐Emitting Electrochemical Cell Performance
Authors: Keller Sarah , Brunner Fabian , Junquera‐Hernández José M. , Pertegás Antonio , La‐Placa Maria‐Grazia , Prescimone Alessandro , Constable Edwin C. , Bolink Henk J. , Ortí Enrique , Housecroft Catherine E.
Published: January 2018

Herein, [Cu(P^P)(N^N)][PF6] complexes (P^P=bis[2‐(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]ether (POP) or 4,5‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐9,9‐dimethylxanthene (xantphos); N^N=CF3‐substituted 2,2′‐bipyridines (6,6′‐(CF3)2bpy, 6‐CF3bpy, 5,5′‐(CF3)2bpy, 4,4′‐(CF3)2bpy, 6,6′‐Me2‐4,4′‐(CF3)2bpy)) are reported. The effects of CF3 substitution on their structure as well as their electrochemical and photophysical properties are also presented. The HOMO–LUMO gap was tuned by the N^N ligand; the largest redshift in the metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (MLCT) band was for [Cu(P^P){5,5′‐(CF3)2bpy}][PF6]. In solution, the compounds are weak yellow to red emitters. The emission properties depend on the substitution pattern, but this cannot be explained by simple electronic arguments. Among powders, [Cu(xantphos){4,4′‐(CF3)2bpy}][PF6] has the highest photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY; 50.3 %) with an emission lifetime of 12 μs. Compared to 298 K solution behavior, excited‐state lifetimes became longer in frozen Me‐THF (77 K; THF=tetrahydrofuran), thus indicating thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). Time‐dependent (TD)‐DFT calculations show that the energy gap between the lowest‐energy singlet and triplet excited states (0.12–0.20 eV) permits TADF. Light‐emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) with [Cu(POP)+(6‐CF3bpy)][PF6], [Cu(xantphos)(6‐CF3bpy)][PF6], or [Cu(xantphos){6,6′‐Me2‐4,4′‐(CF3)2bpy}][PF6] emit yellow electroluminescence. The LEC with [Cu(xantphos){6,6′‐Me2‐4,4′‐(CF3)2bpy}][PF6] had the fastest turn‐on time (8 min), and the LEC with the longest lifetime (t1/2=31 h) contained [Cu(xantphos)(6‐CF3bpy)][PF6]; these LECs reached maximum luminances of 131 and 109 cd m−2, respectively.
A new high‐order fluid solver for tokamak edge plasma transport simulations based on a magnetic‐field independent discretization
Authors: Giorgiani G. , Camminady T. , Bufferand H. , Ciraolo G. , Ghendrih P. , Guillard H. , Heumann H. , Nkonga B. , Schwander F. , Serre E. , Tamain P.
Published: January 2018

Our global understanding of the power exhaust in tokamaks, and its implications for both steady‐state and transient heat loads on divertor and limiter PFCs, is still poor. In transient situations in particular, such as during start‐up or control operations, the evolution of particles and heat fluxes is little known, although they are critical for the safety of the machine. The heat load is largely determined by the physics of the Scrape‐Off Layer (SOL), and therefore, it depends to a large extent on the geometry of the magnetic surfaces as well as on the geometry of wall components. A better characterization of the heat exhaust mechanisms is therefore required to improve the capabilities of the transport codes in terms of geometrical description of the wall components and in terms of the description of the magnetic geometry. For transient simulations, it becomes crucial to be able to deal with non‐stationary magnetic configurations. In particular, avoiding expensive re‐meshing of the computational domain is mandatory. In an attempt to achieve these goals, we propose a new fluid solver based on a high‐order hybrid discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) finite element method. Capitalizing on the experience acquired in the development of the SOLEDGE2D‐EIRENE transport model, we propose to study edge plasma transport in the frame of a reduced model (but containing most of the challenging issues regarding accurate numerical simulations) based on electron density and parallel momentum. The code is verified using manufactured solutions and validated using well‐referenced simulations in a realistic WEST geometry. Finally, we demonstrate how the particle fluxes at the wall vary in our model when the magnetic equilibrium evolves in time, particularly during the equilibrium construction skip from a limiter configuration to a diverted one at the beginning of the operation.
An effective copyright‐protected content delivery scheme for P2P file sharing networks
Authors: Su Majing , Zhang Hongli , Bhuiyan Md Zakirul Alam , Du Xiaojiang , Zhang Peng
Published: January 2018

Illegal sharing of copyrighted materials in peer‐to‐peer (P2P) networks has become a serious threat to the content industries. Despite many copyright‐protected P2P systems that have been designed to prevent piracy, the user authentication–based approaches face the challenge of collusion attacks and the encryption‐based approaches may be vulnerable to poisoning attacks. Observing these, in this paper, we present a novel copyright‐protected content delivery scheme (CPP) for P2P file‐sharing networks based on piece‐level stochastic encryption. In CPP, peers must pay for decryption key sequences before accessing to the plaintext content. For each peer, the sequence of the decryption keys is different from others, so the unauthorized peers could not access the content even if some colluders share their keys. Modified piece with hash enable peers to check the correctness of each piece after downloading, preventing the propagation of poisoned pieces. There is neither massive state maintenance nor frequent user authentication during the download process. Peers purchase after downloading, protecting their benefits when quitting the system before paying. Analysis and experiments show that CPP is suitable for delivering large files, and it is resilience to collusion attacks and poisoning attacks.
The role of peritoneal washings in the diagnosis of endometriosis
Authors: Cantley Richard L. , Yoxtheimer Lorene , Molnar Stacy
Published: January 2018

Endometriosis, the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine corpus, is a common finding in reproductive age women. It is classically diagnosed based on the presence of at least two of the following elements: endometrial glands, endometrial stroma, and hemosiderin‐laden macrophages (HLMs). Although a common finding in surgical pathology specimens at the time of gynecologic surgery, there is little literature on the role of pelvic washings in diagnosing endometriosis. Our study aimed to examine the characteristics of endometriosis in pelvic washings at the time of gynecologic surgery. We report nine cases of endometriosis diagnosed on pelvic washing. Two had a reported history of endometriosis. Four had endometriosis on the concurrent surgical pathology specimen. Liquid‐based cytology was diagnostic of endometriosis in seven patients, including five with glandular cells and HLMs and two with glandular cells, HLMs, and endometrial stromal cells. Cell block was diagnostic of endometriosis in eight patients, including four cases with intact fragments of endometrial glands and stroma. Three cases showed glandular cells and HLMs, while one showed separate fragments of glandular cells and stromal cells. Pelvic washings increased the diagnostic yield for endometriosis at the time of gynecologic surgery, as only four out of nine cases had endometriosis diagnosed on surgical pathology. Cell block in particular aids in the diagnosis, since intact glandular and stromal fragments frequently can be identified.
The Paris system for reporting urinary cytology improves correlation with surgical pathology biopsy diagnoses of the lower urinary tract
Authors: Bertsch Elizabeth C. , Siddiqui Momin T. , Ellis Carla L.
Published: January 2018

Introduction

The current study seeks to compare both the original diagnoses (OD) and the updated Paris system diagnoses (PD) of urinary cytology specimens to the corresponding surgical pathology (biopsy) diagnoses (SD) to determine which diagnostic paradigm (OD vs PD) has a stronger correlation to the SD.

Design

56 cases from 34 patients that had a malignant SD associated with a corresponding cytology specimen from the same location within up to 90 days of the biopsy procedure were selected. We reviewed the cytology specimens and assigned a PD to each case. We then compared each OD and each PD to the corresponding SD. Correspondence was defined as when the SD had the same result or equal weight as either cytopathologic diagnosis.

Results

Of the 47 cases with an available SD, the PD alone corresponded in 32%, both PD and OD corresponded in 26%, neither corresponded in 42%. The OD in isolation did not correspond to the SD in any cases, indicating superior correlation with the PD as compared to the OD (P = 0.0002). Of the 15 cases where the PD corresponded, 11/15 were from the lower tract and the remaining 4 were from the upper tract, indicating superior correlation with the PD in specimens from the lower urinary tract (P = 0.034). In the 27 cases where the PD alone and “both” the PD and the OD correlated to the SD, 9/27 were from the upper tract and 18/27 were from the lower tract, indicating further support for increased correlation between the cytopathology and biopsy diagnoses in the lower urinary tract above the upper tract (P = 0.032).

Conclusion

When applied, the PD has a stronger correlation to the SD, particularly when the biopsies are from the lower urinary tract. Further study with more cases is required to support this significant association.
Proper experimental design requires randomization/balancing of molecular ecology experiments
Authors: Bálint Miklós , Márton Orsolya , Schatz Marlene , Düring Rolf‐Alexander , Grossart Hans‐Peter
Published: January 2018

Properly designed (randomized and/or balanced) experiments are standard in ecological research. Molecular methods are increasingly used in ecology, but studies generally do not report the detailed design of sample processing in the laboratory. This may strongly influence the interpretability of results if the laboratory procedures do not account for the confounding effects of unexpected laboratory events. We demonstrate this with a simple experiment where unexpected differences in laboratory processing of samples would have biased results if randomization in DNA extraction and PCR steps do not provide safeguards. We emphasize the need for proper experimental design and reporting of the laboratory phase of molecular ecology research to ensure the reliability and interpretability of results.
Dominant plant species shape soil bacterial community in semiarid sandy land of northern China
Authors: Wang Shaokun , Zuo Xiaoan , Zhao Xueyong , Awada Tala , Luo Yongqing , Li Yuqiang , Qu Hao
Published: January 2018

Plant species affect soil bacterial diversity and compositions. However, little is known about the role of dominant plant species in shaping the soil bacterial community during the restoration of sandy grasslands in Horqin Sandy Land, northern China. We established a mesocosm pots experiment to investigate short‐term responses of soil bacterial diversity and composition, and the related soil properties in degraded soils without vegetation (bare sand as the control, CK) to restoration with five plant species that dominate across restoration stages: Agriophyllum squarrosum (AS), Artemisia halodendron (AH), Setaria viridis (SV), Chenopodium acuminatum (CA), and Corispermum macrocarpum (CM). We used redundancy analysis (RDA) to analyze the association between soil bacterial composition and soil properties in different plant species. Our results indicated that soil bacterial diversity was significantly lower in vegetated soils independent of plant species than in the CK. Specifically, soil bacterial species richness and diversity were lower under the shrub AH and the herbaceous plants AS, SV, and CA, and soil bacterial abundance was lower under AH compared with the CK. A field investigation confirmed the same trends where soil bacteria diversity was lower under AS and AH than in bare sand. The high‐sequence annotation analysis showed that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the most common phyla in sandy land irrespective of soil plant cover. The OTUs (operational taxonomic units) indicated that some bacterial species were specific to the host plants. Relative to bare sand (CK), soils with vegetative cover exhibited lower soil water content and temperature, and higher soil carbon and nitrogen contents. The RDA result indicated that, in addition to plant species, soil water and nitrogen contents were the most important factors shaping soil bacterial composition in semiarid sandy land. Our study from the pot and field investigations clearly demonstrated that planting dominant species in bare sand impacts bacterial diversity. In semiarid ecosystems, changes in the dominant plant species during vegetation restoration efforts can affect the soil bacterial diversity and composition through the direct effects of plants and the indirect effects of soil properties that are driven by plant species.
The effect of prescribed burning on plant rarity in a temperate forest
Authors: Patykowski John , Holland Greg J. , Dell Matt , Wevill Tricia , Callister Kate , Bennett Andrew F. , Gibson Maria
Published: January 2018

Rare species can play important functional roles, but human‐induced changes to disturbance regimes, such as fire, can inadvertently affect these species. We examined the influence of prescribed burns on the recruitment and diversity of plant species within a temperate forest in southeastern Australia, with a focus on species that were rare prior to burning. Floristic composition was compared among plots in landscapes before and after treatment with prescribed burns differing in the extent of area burnt and season of burn (before–after, control‐impact design). Floristic surveys were conducted before burns, at the end of a decade of drought, and 3 years postburn. We quantified the effect of prescribed burns on species grouped by their frequency within the landscape before burning (common, less common, and rare) and their life‐form attributes (woody perennials, perennial herbs or geophytes, and annual herbs). Burn treatment influenced the response of rare species. In spring‐burn plots, the recruitment of rare annual herbs was promoted, differentiating this treatment from both autumn‐burn and unburnt plots. In autumn‐burn plots, richness of rare species increased across all life‐form groups, although composition remained statistically similar to control plots. Richness of rare woody perennials increased in control plots. For all other life‐form and frequency groups, the floristic composition of landscapes changed between survey years, but there was no effect of burn treatment, suggesting a likely effect of rainfall on species recruitment. A prescribed burn can increase the occurrence of rare species in a landscape, but burn characteristics can affect the promotion of different life‐form groups and thus affect functional diversity. Drought‐breaking rain likely had an overarching effect on floristic composition during our study, highlighting that weather can play a greater role in influencing recruitment and diversity in plant communities than a prescribed burn.
Genet dynamics of a regenerating dwarf bamboo population across heterogeneous light environments in a temperate forest understorey
Authors: Matsuo Ayumi , Tomimatsu Hiroshi , Sangetsu Yushin , Suyama Yoshihisa , Makita Akifumi
Published: January 2018

Despite the advantage of plant clonality in patchy environments, studies focusing on genet demography in relation to spatially heterogeneous environments remain scarce. Regeneration of bamboos in forest understoreys after synchronous die‐off provides an opportunity for assessing how they come to proliferate across heterogeneous light environments. In a Japanese forest, we examined genet demography of a population of Sasa kurilensis over a 7‐year period starting 10 years after die‐off, shortly after which some genets began spreading horizontally by rhizomes. The aboveground biomass was estimated, and genets were discriminated in 9‐m2 plots placed under both canopy gaps and closed canopies. Overall, the results suggest that the survival and spread of more productive genets and the spatial expansion of genets into closed canopies underlie the proliferation of S. kurilensis. Compared to canopy gaps, the recovery rate of biomass was much slower under closed canopies for the first 10 years after the die‐off, but became accelerated during the next 7 years. Genet survival was greater for more productive genets (with greater initial number of culms), and the spaces occupied by genets that died were often colonized afterward by clonal growth of surviving genets. The number of genets decreased under canopy gaps due to greater mortality, but increased under closed canopies where greater number of genets colonized clonally from outside the plots than genets died. The colonizing genets were more productive (having larger culms) than those originally germinated within the plots, and the contribution of colonizing genets to the biomass was greater under closed canopies. Our study emphasizes the importance of investigating genet dynamics over relevant spatiotemporal scales to reveal processes underlying the success of clonal plants in heterogeneous habitats.
Adaptations of white spruce to climate: strong intraspecific differences in cold hardiness linked to survival
Authors: Sebastian‐Azcona Jaime , Hacke Uwe G , Hamann Andreas
Published: January 2018

Understanding local adaptation of tree populations to climate allows the development of assisted migration guidelines as a tool for forest managers to address climate change. Here, we study the relationship among climate, a wide range of physiological traits, and field performance of selected white spruce provenances originating from throughout the species range. Tree height, survival, cold hardiness, hydraulic, and wood anatomical traits were measured in a 32‐year‐old common garden trial, located in the center of the species range. Provenance performance included all combinations of high versus low survival and growth, with the most prevalent population differentiation for adaptive traits observed in cold hardiness. Cold hardiness showed a strong association with survival and was associated with cold winter temperatures at the site of seed origin. Tree height was mostly explained by the length of the growing season at the origin of the seed source. Although population differentiation was generally weak in wood anatomical and hydraulic traits, within‐population variation was substantial in some traits, and a boundary analysis revealed that efficient water transport was associated with vulnerable xylem and low wood density, indicating that an optimal combination of high water transport efficiency and high cavitation resistance is not possible. Our results suggest that assisted migration prescriptions may be advantageous under warming climate, but pronounced trade‐offs between survival and cold hardiness require a careful consideration of the distances of these transfers.
Treatment of MCPT8DTR mice with high‐ or low‐dose diphtheria toxin leads to differential depletion of basophils and granulocyte‐macrophage progenitors
Authors: El Hachem Carole , Hener Pierre , Kirstetter Peggy , Li Jiagui , Chan Susan , Li Mei
Published: January 2018

Basophils have been recently recognized to play important roles in type 2 immune responses during allergies and parasitic infection, largely due to the development of novel tools for the in vivo study of these cells. As such, the genetically‐engineered MCPT8DTR mouse line has been used to specifically deplete basophils following treatment with diphtheria toxin (DT). In this study, we showed that DT‐injected MCPT8DTR mice exhibited a striking decrease of eosinophils and neutrophils in skin when subjected to a hapten fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)‐induced allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) experimental protocol. Unexpectedly, we found that loss of skin eosinophils and neutrophils was not due to a lack of basophil‐mediated recruitment, as DT injection caused a systemic reduction of eosinophils and neutrophils in MCPT8DTR mice in a time‐dependent manner. Furthermore, we found that hematopoietic stem‐cell‐derived granulocyte‐macrophage progenitors (GMPs) expressed MCPT8 gene, and that these cells were depleted upon DT injection. Finally, we optimized a protocol in which a low‐dose DT achieved a better specificity for depleting basophils, but not GMPs, in MCPT8DTR mice, and demonstrate that basophils do not play a major role in recruiting eosinophils and neutrophils to ACD skin. These data provide new and valuable information about functional studies of basophils.
Bis(diethylamino)pentafluorophenylphosphane as Valuable Precursor for the Design of Tetrafluorophenylphosphanes, Tetrafluorophenylphosphinic and ‐phosphonic Acids
Authors: Alter Christian , Neumann Beate , Stammler Hans‐Georg , Hoge Berthold
Published: January 2018

Facile replacement of the p‐fluorine atom in bis(diethylamino)pentafluorophenylphosphane [(Et2N)2PC6F5] by organolithium derivatives LiR (R = CH3, n‐Bu, Ph), lithium alkoxides (R = OMe, OEt) and amides (NMe2, NEt2) is described. The obtained phosphanes p‐R‐C6F4‐P(NEt2)2 are fully characterized. Their acid‐catalyzed hydrolysis affords the corresponding phosphinic acids p‐R‐C6F4‐P(O)(H)OH, which are smoothly oxidized by treatment with a mixture of DMSO/I2 to phosphonic acids p‐R‐C6F4‐P(O)(OH)2.
Reduction of Chlorophyll in Cold‐Pressed Hemp (Cannabis sativa) Seed Oil by Ultrasonic Bleaching and Enhancement of Oxidative Stability
Authors: Liang Jingbang , Aachary Ayyappan A. , Hydamaka Arnold , Eskin N. A. Michael , Eck Peter , Thiyam‐Holländer Usha
Published: January 2018

The effects of ultrasonic bleaching on chlorophyll reduction and oxidative stability of cold‐pressed Cannabis sativa (hemp) seed oil is investigated using three different clays, Sepiolite, activated Bentonite, and an industrial clay. The chlorophyll content is significantly reduced (p < 0.05) from 56.3 μg g−1 in the untreated oil to 14.8 μg kg−1, 9.9 μg kg−1, and 7.8 μg kg−1 in oils treated with Sepiolite, activated Bentonite, and industrial clay, respectively. Oxidative stability is enhanced in all ultrasonically‐treated oils by a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in Peroxide Value (PV) with the highest reduction (97%) observed in the presence of industrial clay (PV = 0.11 mEq kg−1). A corresponding reduction in Conjugated Dienes (CD) is also found in the treated samples ranging from 0.073–0.095% compared to 0.102% for the control. During accelerated storage at 60 °C, increase in PVs and CDs are significantly (p < 0.05) slower for the ultrasonically treated oils in the presence of clays compared to the control. Accelerated storage at 40 °C shows that the PV is greater in hempseed oil bleached with Sepiolite clay compared to a combination of Sepiolite and ultrasonic bleaching. Based on these results it is evident that the rapid removal of chlorophyll from cold pressed hempseed oil is enhanced by a combination of bleaching clay and ultrasonic treatment.

Practical Applications: Ultrasonic treatment of cold pressed hempseed oil combined with bleaching clays proves very effective in reducing chlorophyll content. The method is not only rapid and clean but requires significantly less bleaching clay. Hempseed oil treated in this way exhibits greater oxidative stability making it more attractive for industrial and consumer use. The results of ultrasonic bleaching suggest its potential for prolonging the shelf‐life. Utilizing the ultrasonic bleaching technique as an alternative to conventional bleaching would be beneficial to the edible oil industry.

The results of ultrasonic bleaching prove effectiveness in reducing chlorophyll content in cold‐pressed hempseed oil and suggest its potential for prolonging the shelf‐life.
Divergent Synthesis of Bioactive Marine Meroterpenoids by Palladium‐Catalyzed Tandem Carbene Migratory Insertion
Authors: Wang Hong‐Shuang , Li Hui‐Jing , Zhang Zhen‐Guo , Wu Yan‐Chao
Published: January 2018

The divergent synthesis of (+)‐8‐epi‐puupehedione, (+)‐chromazonarol, (+)‐yahazunol, and (+)‐yahazunone has been accomplished. The key steps were a palladium‐catalyzed tandem carbene migratory insertion of an aryl iodide and a drimanal hydrazone, a highly regioselective enol reduction, an oxa‐Stork–Danheiser transposition reaction, an electrocyclization of a conjugated tetraenone, and a redox reaction of dimethoxybenzenes.
Fabrication of Electrochemical Sensor Based on Layered Double Hydroxide/Polypyrrole/Carbon Paste for Determination of an Alpha‐adrenergic Blocking Agent Terazosin
Authors: Hassanein A. , Salahuddin N. , Matsuda A. , Hattori T. , Elfiky M.
Published: January 2018

New insights into the design of highly sensitive, carbon‐based electrochemical sensors are presented in this work. This was achieved by exploring the interesting properties of conductive (Mg/Al) layered double hydroxide‐dodecyl sulphate/polypyrrole nanocomposites which were synthesized by in‐situ polymerization of pyrrole during the assembly of (Mg/Al) layered double hydroxide, and by employing the anionic surfactant dodecyl sulphate as a modifier. Changes in morphology and surface area of the nanocomposites occured as a result of change in pyrrole percentage. Under optimal conditions, the modified carbon paste electrode successfully achieved detection limits of 0.057 and 0.134 nmol L−1 of Terazosin hydrochloride in pharmaceutical formulation and spiked human serum fluid, respectively. Moreover, the sensors are highly stable, reusable and free of interference by other commonly present excipients in drug formulations.
Value‐at‐risk under market shifts through highly flexible models
Authors: BenSaïda Ahmed , Boubaker Sabri , Nguyen Duc Khuong , Slim Skander
Published: January 2018

Managing market risk under unknown future shocks is a critical issue for policymakers, investors, and professional risk managers. Despite important developments in market risk modeling and forecasting over recent years, market participants are still skeptical about the ability of existing econometric designs to accurately predict potential losses, particularly in the presence of hidden structural changes. In this paper, we introduce Markov‐switching APARCH models under the skewed generalized t and the generalized hyperbolic distributions to fully capture the fuzzy dynamics and stylized features of financial market returns and to generate value‐at‐risk (VaR) forecasts. Our empirical analysis of six major stock market indexes shows the superiority of the proposed models in detecting and forecasting unobservable shocks on market volatility, and in calculating daily capital charges based on VaR forecasts.
Price discovery dynamics in European agricultural markets
Authors: Adämmer Philipp , Bohl Martin T.
Published: January 2018

This article examines the influence of European agricultural futures contracts on price discovery during periods of price turmoil and rising trading activity. We use a hand‐collected data set of spot and futures prices for canola, wheat, and corn and show that the impact of the futures markets was high during the first period of price spikes (2007 to 2009) but lower during the second one (2010 to 2013). These results are noteworthy as more trading activity in futures markets did not lead to a higher influence on spot prices.