bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Muinastulede öö
Authors:   Department of Folkloristics, Estonian Literary Museum, Tartu, Estonia, Kõiva Mare , Kuperjanov Andres ,   Department of Folkloristics, Estonian Literary Museum, Tartu, Estonia
Published: August 2024

The article focuses on the initiation, spread, and implementation of the tradition of the night of ancient bonfires, mapping the cultural environment and describing the internal and external socio-cultural factors, as well as connections to identity creation of celebrating the last Sunday in August on the seashore. Data were collected through interviews and observations, and qualitative approach was used to reconstruct the dynamic of private and institutionalised marking. In the 21st century, bonfires are interpreted as remembrance of the past and continuation of tradition, based on ethnic identity. The authors present some comparative phenomena in the vicinity of Europe.
Muutuvad arusaamad lastest ja laste uuenduslik energia
Authors:   University of Tartu, Estonia, Kutsar Dagmar
Published: August 2024

Understanding the child and childhood depends on the content attached to these concepts. Different images have prevailed in different times and they reflect in modern understandings of children. Drawing on Philippe Ariès’ seminal work, Centuries of Childhood, the paper offers a glimpse of images of children through time. History has portrayed the vulnerable, fragile child who needs protection and the immature child who needs to be educated and disciplined. Both images are represented in adults’ and children’s perceptions of today’s children. These perceptions in turn influence the way adults treat children. For example, a parent who sees the child as vulnerable and fragile may be overprotective and limit the child’s autonomous behaviour; another parent may not be able to negotiate with the child and may be easily punitive in situations where the child makes mistakes. According to children, they do not misbehave deliberately, but because they are immature and lack knowledge and experience. Understandably, they also agree with the image of a vulnerable child – in some situations they need to feel safe and protected. With the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly in 1989 and its ratification by state governments, the image of the socially competent child began to develop vigorously. The current article focuses on the competent image of the child, according to which a child is an active social agent and socially competent according to age to evaluate his or her lived life. The paper recalls keynotes of Ivar Frønes and Asher Ben-Arieh at international children’s well-being conference which was held in Tartu in 2019. According to them, while an adult thinks about life lived today, and thinking about tomorrow is the quest to “think out of the box”, a child has to live life forward each day, i.e., find solutions here and now, harnessing their innovative energy; for example, when confronted with new situations that require new solutions, or when interpreting and reproducing knowledge individually and collectively, shaping the world in which they live and, last but not least, bringing about change around them, e.g., contributing to the parent’s growth into parenthood. The challenge of modern childhood is to understand social processes in a forward-looking way, focusing not on future adulthood but on the here-and-now of childhood. Children use their innovative energy in everyday interactions and play, which is an important part of their lives. In a broad sense, play is action, it is practice of living, including the development of new skills and self-socialisation. There is plenty of innovative energy in children in their free play. In conclusion, it has to be said that, as society develops more rapidly, innovative energy and thinking are increasingly becoming a challenge for adults too. The article is based on the introductory presentation of the winter conference of folklorists, “Playing and Playfulness in Folklore”, held in Kuremaa Castle on 2–3 March 2023.
Research progress on the effects of postharvest storage methods on melon quality
Authors: Wang Haofei , Cui Jiayi , Bao Rui , Zhang Hui , Zhao Zi , Chen Xuanye , Wu Zhangfei , Wang Chaonan
Published: August 2024

Background

As an important global agricultural cash crop, melon has a long history of cultivation and a wide planting area. The physiological metabolism of melon after harvest is relatively strong; if not properly stored, melon is easily invaded by external pathogens during transportation, resulting in economic losses and greatly limiting its production, development and market supply. Therefore, the storage and freshness of melon are the main challenges in realizing the annual supply of melon, so postharvest storage has received increasing amounts of attention from researchers.

Methods

This study used academic, PubMed, and Web of Science resources to retrieve keywords related to postharvest storage and melon quality; read, refined, classified, and sorted the retrieved literature; sorted and summarized the relevant research results; and finally completed this article.

Results

This article reviews the mechanism and effects of physical, chemical and biological preservation techniques on the sensory quality, compound contents and respiratory physiological activities of different varieties of melon fruits. When maintaining normal metabolism and not producing physiological disorders, melon inhibits cell wall metabolism, reactive oxygen species metabolism and the ethylene biosynthesis pathway, etc., to the greatest extent during postharvest storage, thereby reducing the material consumption of fruits, delaying the ripening and senescence process, and prolonging the postharvest life and shelf life.

Conclusion

The literature provides a theoretical basis for postharvest preservation technology in the melon industry in the future and provides corresponding guidance for the development of the melon industry.
Research on the Use Power Point (PPT) in Junior High School Mathematics Classroom Teaching
Authors: Li Renhan , Yang Zezhong
Published: August 2024

Since PowerPoint (hereinafter referred to as PPT) is of great significance to mathematics teaching, more and more attention has been paid to how to use PPT effectively in junior high school mathematics classroom teaching. This paper uses the method of theoretical analysis, through the analysis of the characteristics of PPT, the current teaching situation and the problems existing in students' mathematics learning, combined with the various requirements of the Mathematics Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education (2022 Edition) (hereinafter referred to as The Standards) for junior high school mathematics teaching, puts forward four strategies for using PPT in junior high school mathematics classroom teaching. Through analysis, we can know that PPT is characterized by its powerful presentation function, dynamic presentation effect, lacks of procedural presentation, multiple ways of emphasis, and strong inclusiveness. The current problem of students in mathematics learning is students do not have a firm grasp of basic knowledge and have an inaccurate understanding of many concepts, students' ability to analyze and solve mathematical problems is weak, and they cannot accurately understand the conditions and requirements of the problems, students lack enthusiasm for learning mathematics, and students have improper learning methods and lack the habit of writing on time. The current situation of mathematics classroom teaching is teachers pay too much attention to the teaching of problem-solving methods and calculations and neglect the inspiration and training of problem-solving ideas, teachers' teaching resources are obsolete, and the use of information technology in teaching is inadequate, teachers' teaching methods are rigid and lack diversity and innovation, and the interaction between teachers and students is mostly ineffective and the overall participation of students is low. The standard puts forward specific requirements for the teaching of number and algebra, graphics and geometry, statistics and probability in junior high school. Therefore, through the above analysis, we give the following suggestions: 1. Making full use of the multiple emphasis effect of PPT to highlight different mathematical symbols; 2. Skillfully using the dynamic presentation function of PPT to make the process of mathematical knowledge formation dynamic; 3. Expanding the scope of use of PPT and give full play to the value of PPT in all aspects of teaching; 4. Integrating and collocating a variety of technologies reasonably, and use PPT in a variety of ways to teach mathematics. These strategies can be used for reference by junior high school mathematics teachers in practical teaching.
Optimizing Nutrient Management for Pearl Millet: Insights from a Long-term Field Experiment
Authors: Yadav Indra Raj , Trivedi S. K. , Yadav Shashi S. , Yadav Suwa Lal , Khambalkar P. A. , Garhwal Babu Lal , Tomar Anamika
Published: August 2024

The study investigates the impact of integrated nutrient management strategies on the yield and nutrient uptake of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), a vital crop in arid and semi-arid regions. Pearl millet is a significant source of dietary energy and essential nutrients for rural populations in India. However, its productivity remains low compared to other millet-producing countries. This research aims to enhance pearl millet yield through a combination of organic manures, biofertilizers, and chemical fertilizers, addressing the need for sustainable agricultural practices. The experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwavidyalaya during the kharif seasons of 2022 and 2023. Twelve treatment combinations were tested, including 100% NPK along with farmyard manure (FYM) and seed treatments with biofertilizers. Results indicated that the treatment combining 100% NPK with FYM at 10 t/ha/year and biofertilizers significantly improved biological yield, nutrient uptake, and soil organic carbon content. Specifically, the highest biological yield recorded was 8026 kg/ha, with notable increases in total nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium uptake. This study underscores the importance of integrated nutrient management in enhancing pearl millet productivity while maintaining soil health. By adopting these practices, farmers can improve crop yields and contribute to food security in regions reliant on pearl millet. The findings provide a framework for future research and practical applications in sustainable agriculture, emphasizing the need for balanced nutrient supply systems to optimize crop performance and soil fertility.
Morphological Basis of Resistance in Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) against Pod Borer Complex
Authors: Muchhadiya D. V. , Patel J.J. , Patel D. R. , Patel S. G.
Published: August 2024

Field experiment was carried out to determine the morphological basis of resistance in pigeonpea against pod borer complex during kharif 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 at College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Bharuch (Gujarat). Among the twelve pigeonpea genotypes/cultivars screened, BP-17-02 was found highly resistant and BP-16-182, BP-16-228, BP-16-261, ICPL-87119 and BP-16-166 were found resistant whereas, GNP-2 and Vaishali were found highly susceptible against pod borers. Genotypes/cultivars namely, BP-16-178, ICPL 87119, BP-16-182, BP-16-228 and BP-16-183 were found resistant to pod fly. Genotypes/cultivars having short pod length, narrow pod breadth, narrow seed breadth, more seeds/pod, more seed weight, more seed density, thick pod wall thickness and long trichome length recorded lower pod borers population. Pod length had a significant positive correlation with Maruca vitrata, Exelastis atomosa and Melanagromyza obtusa. Significant positive association was found between pod breadth and larval population of Helicoverpa armigera and Maruca vitrata. Significant negative correlation was found between Exelastis atomosa and pod wall thickness.
Effect of Different Levels of Farmyard Manure (FYM) Integrated with Organic Modules on Yield, Quality and Pest Incidence of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench)
Authors: Teja Rachamalla Ravi , Kumar A. Kiran , Kumar T. Suresh , Kumar B. Naveen , Sathish G.
Published: August 2024

The study was conducted during late Kharif season during 2021-22 and 2022-23 at administrative office (PGIHS), Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University, Mulugu, Telangana, India.  The experiment was laid out in contrast factorial randomized block design (CFRBD) with two factors i.e., factor-1 consists of three levels of FYM and factor-2 consists of three organic modules and separate control (100% RDF) plot was grown and replicated thrice. The pooled results indicated that, control treatment (100 % RDF-100:50:50 kg NPK/ha) reported highest number of fruits per plant (19.05), highest fruit weight (14.72 g), maximum fruit yield per plant (0.28 kg), maximum fruit yield per hectare (9.52 t/ha) over the other treatments. L1M1 (FYM equivalent to 100 % RDN + organic module-1) registered minimum crude fibre content (7.10%), and maximum chlorophyll content in fresh fruit (1.19 mg/100g). While, minimum mean percent of fruit infestation (6.28%) was reported with control (100% RDF-100:50:50kg NPK/ha + emamectin benzoate 5%SG @ 70 g/200 lit) and lowest mean population of jassid per leaf (1.08/leaf), was recorded with control (100 % RDF-100:50:50 kg NPK/ha + imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 100 ml/acre).
Sea Buckthorn: A Review on the Hidden Treasure of the Temperates
Authors: Sethunath Keerthana , Bhaskar Jyothi , B. N. Rajendra , Naidu Singamaneni Alekya
Published: August 2024

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is one of the most common yet underutilized dioecious fruit crop of the temperate region. This plant is known as the gold mine of the cold deserts due to its exceptional winter hardiness and multiple uses. It is a potential functional food which is rich in nutritional and medicinal values and holds the potential to emerge as a future food cum medicinal crop. Traditionally, the crop is used as a folk medicine, fence, wind break, firewood and fodder. The fruits are rich in tannins, flavonoids, sterols, carotenoids, tocopherols and lipids. The cultivation of sea buckthorn is low demanding and it is seen growing wild in the valleys, riverbanks, slopes and mountains in the temperate regions. Though extensive research and developmental activities are progressing, commercial cultivation and popularization of sea buckthorn is still in the nascent stage. Some of the challenges faced by the sea buckthorn industry include lack of awareness regarding its potential, its short harvest season and high moisture content that prevents the farmers from cultivating crop and also hinders development of value-added products. An enhancement in the production aspects of this crop can be a boon to the horticulture industry. Proper interventions and policies from government, standardization of production technology, production of quality planting material of promising cultivars etc. are some of the ways towards popularizing the crop.
Diversity and Relative Abundance of Different Pollinators in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)
Authors: P Teena , V Sunitha , D Anitha Kumari , D Srinivasa Chary
Published: August 2024

The study on insect pollinator diversity and their abundance on cucumber flowers was conducted at the Vegetable Research Station, Agricultural Research Institute, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad during 2023 - 2024. A total of 25 species, including 13 species of Hymenoptera, five species of Diptera, five species of Lepidoptera and two species of Coleoptera were documented. Of which, Hymenoptera was found to be most abundant, accounting for 72.17% followed by Diptera at 16.49%. Among the families, Apidae was observed as most dominant, with a high abundance and species diversity at 49.48% followed by Syrphidae at 9.28%. The families Sphecidae, Hesperiidae, and Calliphoridae each had the least abundance at 1.03%. Apis dorsata Fabricius was reported as most abundant species at 12.37% followed by Apis cerana indica, Ceratina binghami Cockerell and Camponotus compressus Fab. each at 8.25%. The species Acraea terpsicore (0.82%) had the lowest abundance. In recent years due to urbanization and fragmentation a decreased trend in pollinator activity had been observed so this research provides the base line data about the existing pollinator species diversity in the study area which offer insights for taking appropriate management practices to conserve the pollinator species.
Geç Tunç Çağı Akdeniz Havzası’nda Beş Büyüklerin Pentarşik Diplomasi Ağı
Authors: Özbilen Serdar
Published: August 2024

Akdeniz Havzasında Geç Tunç Çağı olarak adlandırılan dönem MÖ 1550-1200 yıllarını kapsar. Bu döneme ait belgeler, Tell el-Amarna’da bulunan çivi yazılı belgelerden bilinmektedir. Bu dönemin en ayırt edici özelliği, büyük ve küçük krallıklar arasında diplomasi ağının oluşturulmuş olmasıdır. Karşılıklılık ilkesine dayalı bu ağın en belirleyici özelliği ise ticaret ve diplomatik evliliklerdir. Bu dönemde görülen en önemli yenilik ise kralların birbirlerine “kardeşim” şeklinde hitap etmeleridir. Söz konusu çalışmamızın amacı arkeolojik ve yazılı belgeler ışığında diplomatik ilişkilerin kökenini irdeleyerek, Amarna Çağının diplomasideki yerini anlamaya çalışmaktır. Bu yönüyle de çalışmamızın Antik diplomasi alanında çalışanlara ön ayak olacağını düşünmekteyiz.
Challenges of Smallholder Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Perspective from Roger Thurow's, The Last Hunger Season
Authors: Begum N. Nafiza , Vijaya V.
Published: August 2024

Small holder farmers are the small-scale farmers who own the land from one hectare to less than ten hectares. These farmers often depend on the family labour for farming activities, and a significant portion of their production is used to support their own livelihoods. Africa is a region where eighty percent of the farmland is cultivated and food is produced by small holders, yet they face multiple obstacles in sustaining their routine. The death rate of children is increasing due to poverty and malnutrition. Major challenges include the lack of sustainable agricultural practices, insufficient planting techniques, inadequate access to fertilizers and markets, water scarcity, and the impacts of climate change. The author aims to raise awareness about global hunger and the importance of long-term viability and economic development. He delves into the lives of small farmers, revealing the complexities of market failures, food insecurity, and the inability to access modern agricultural tools. The author also highlights the efforts of organizations and initiatives, such as One Acre Fund, which provide farmers with high-quality seeds and fertilizers on credit, and require them to attend local farming classes. This paper focuses on the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Africa, as depicted by Roger Thurow in "The Last Hunger Season”. The objective of the study is to emphasize the need for awareness and policy interventions, including family planning and literacy programs, to empower rural communities, achieve food security and improve economic resilience in the face of population growth and agricultural challenges.
Design of Emergency Destruction System for Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile Flight Test
Authors: Noh Eunyoung
Published: August 2024

An Emergency Destruction System is inevitable for ensuring safety both at sea and in populated areas, particularly during emergency detonations triggered by abnormal missile flight or upon mission completion. This paper introduces a novel method for developing an Emergency Destruction System capable of precisely calculating the Instantaneous Impact Point(IIP) during high-speed, maneuverable long-range surface-to-air missile flight tests. The Emergency Destruction System designed for long-range surface-to-air missile flight tests generates impact position tables that meticulously incorporate wind errors and navigation equations based on the Earth’s ellipsoidal model. Factors such as the Coriolis effect and the direction of the gravitational acceleration vector are accounted for, significantly enhancing the accuracy of IIP determination amidst highly variable missile speed and attitude.
DNAInterstrand Crosslink Repair
Authors: Siede Wolfram
Published: August 2014

Crosslinking agents such as psoralens, nitrogen mustards or cisplatin are bifunctionally acting chemicals that generate a fraction of their adducts as covalent linkages between complementary deoxyribonucleic acid strands. Since many of these agents are of importance in genetic toxicology and cancer therapy, repair of interstrand crosslinks has been studied extensively in bacteria and in lower and higher eukaryotes. The main repair pathway inEscherichia coliinvolves the sequential action of nucleotide excision repair (NER) and recombinational repair. In eukaryotes, several repair pathways play important roles not only in repair including NER, translesion synthesis and recombination, but also mismatch repair. Relative contributions of the various pathways depend on cell cycle position and agent used. Eukaryotic proteins that specifically enhance resistance to crosslinking agents have been identified (FANC family of proteins, SNM1).

Key Concepts:

Chemicals with two or more correctly spaced reactive groups can covalently link opposing DNA strands.

Several repair or tolerance pathways such as nucleotide excision repair, recombination and translesion synthesis can work together to overcome such complex damage.

Cell cycle stage may determine the choice of repair pathway combinations.

A heritable human syndrome with multiple diverse phenotypes (Fanconi anaemia) has been associated with defects in crosslink repair.

By integratingin vitrostudies and analysis of Fanconi proteins, current models of replication‐dependent crosslink repair assume the creation of double strand breaks at stalled replication forks that are repaired by homologous recombination.
Plant Secondary Metabolism
Authors: Sato Fumihiko
Published: August 2014

Plants synthesise an extraordinary array of natural products that usually do not play a role in their growth and development, and thus are traditionally referred to as secondary metabolites. However, recent advances in plant sciences have revealed that these compounds not only function in response to environmental stimuli, but also play more basic roles in plant growth. Secondary metabolites have several important roles in plants: they protect against herbivores and microbial infection and act as signals for symbiotic bacteria and mycorrhiza, attractants for pollinators and seed‐dispersing animals, allelopathic agents in natural habitats, physical and chemical barriers to abiotic stressors such as UV and evaporation and endogenous regulators of plant growth hormones. Many secondary metabolites are also useful for mankind as dyes, essential oils, flavouring agents, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, tanning agents and so on. Rapid advances in the metabolic engineering and synthetic biology of secondary metabolites have revealed novel physiological roles of these secondary metabolites in plants.

Key Concepts:

Plants synthesise a vast array of natural products (secondary metabolites) in response to environmental stimuli.

Secondary metabolites have several important roles: they protect against herbivores and microbial infection and act as attractants for pollinators and seed‐dispersing animals, allelopathic agents in natural environments and endogeneous regulators of plant growth.

Secondary metabolites are synthesised from primary metabolites such as acetate, pyruvate, and amino acids, and are mainly classified into three major groups; the terpenoids, the phenolics (mainly phenylpropanoids) and alkaloids.
Chance and Necessity: Emerging Introns in Intronless Retrogenes
Authors: Tan Shengjun , Zhu Zhenglin , Zhu Tao , Te Rigen , Zhang Yong E
Published: August 2014

Retrogenes are duplicated genes generated via retroposition, which were conventionally believed to contain no introns. However, emerging data showed that a significant number of retrogenes do have introns. Thus, these genes represent an attractive system to study how new genes evolve exon–intron structure. Comparison between parental genes and retrogenes revealed that retrogenes mainly evolve chimeric structures by fusing with local host genes or recruiting pre‐existing intergenic sequences. Additionally, retrogenes could gain introns by inheriting introns of parental genes or by transforming parental exonic sequences. The functional necessity on intron gain in retrogenes remains largely elusive although limited data suggest that newborn introns play regulatory roles, enable exon shuffling and alternative splicing. Accumulation of population genomic data may help to understand which evolutionary force shapes the fixation of introns in both retrogenes and
de novo
originated genes given the same intron birth process acts on both type of new genes.

Key Concepts:

Retrogenes evolve new exon–intron structures mainly by chimerism in both plants and animals.

Retrogenes could directly inherit introns from their parental genes.

Retrogenes could gain introns by intronization mechanism.

Intron insertion is rare in retrogenes.

Introns in retrogenes may have three functions: exon shuffling, alternative splicing and expression regulation.
Impact of Missense Variants on Protein–Protein Interactions
Authors: Yates Christopher M , Sternberg Michael JE
Published: August 2014

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common form of human genetic variation and can affect the protein sequence. These missense variants may affect protein stability, function or interactions with other proteins, potentially leading to disease. Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) can be strengthened or weakened by missense variants, which can cause loss of salt bridges, steric clashes or changes to post‐translational modifications, amongst other effects. Changes to PPIs can lead to rewiring of the PPI network and this can be responsible for altered phenotype. Variants at different interfaces can, in some cases, lead to different phenotypes by affecting different pathways and complexes. Understanding the effects of missense variants on PPIs and the interactome is helpful in determining how these variants can lead to disease, as shown by the improved predictive performance of our variant phenotype predictor SuSPect, which includes network features.

Key Concepts:

Missense variants can impact upon protein–protein interactions in numerous ways.

Impaired or enhanced interactions can both lead to disease.

Interactions can be affected by steric clashes, loss of salt bridges, changes to intrinsic disorder and several other mechanisms.

Variants in different parts of proteins can affect different interactions, potentially leading to different diseases.

Variants on corresponding interfaces in different proteins can lead to the same (or similar) disease.

Investigating the effects of variants in the context of interaction networks rather than in isolation can give important extra information.
Exploring the in situ Utilization of Cyclic Imine Intermediates Generated by Isocyanoacetate Cycloaddition: Convergent Assembly of cis‐3a,8a‐Hexahydropyrrolo[2,3‐b]indole Scaffolds
Authors: Huang Lin , Cheng Hengguang , Zhang Runmei , Wang Min , Xie Chunsong
Published: August 2014

Under copper(I) or silver(I)/base cocatalysis conditions, transient 2H‐pyrroline intermediates generated by the cycloaddition of isocyanoacetates and olefins can be in situ subjected to further transformations. A strategically novel, convergent, mild, efficient, general and atom‐economic access to cis‐3a,8a‐hexahydropyrrolo[2,3‐b]indoles, which are core scaffolds in many biologically important natural products, has been developed based on this concept.

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High‐level conversion of L‐lysine into 5‐aminovalerate that can be used for nylon 6,5 synthesis
Authors: Park Si Jae , Oh Young Hoon , Noh Won , Kim Hye Young , Shin Jae Ho , Lee Eun Gyo , Lee Seungwoon , David Yokimiko , Baylon Mary Grace , Song Bong Keun , Jegal Jonggeon , Lee Sang Yup , Lee Seung Hwan
Published: August 2014

L‐Lysine is a potential feedstock for the production of bio‐based precursors for engineering plastics. In this study, we developed a microbial process for high‐level conversion of L‐lysine into 5‐aminovalerate (5AVA) that can be used as a monomer in nylon 6,5 synthesis. Recombinant Escherichia coli WL3110 strain expressing Pseudomonas putida delta‐aminovaleramidase (DavA) and lysine 2‐monooxygenase (DavB) was grown to high density in fed‐batch culture and used as a whole cell catalyst. High‐density E. coli WL3110 expressing DavAB, grown to an optical density at 600 nm (OD600) of 30, yielded 36.51 g/L 5AVA from 60 g/L L‐lysine in 24 h. Doubling the cell density of E. coli WL3110 improved the conversion yield to 47.96 g/L 5AVA from 60 g/L of L‐lysine in 24 h. 5AVA production was further improved by doubling the L‐lysine concentration from 60 to 120 g/L. The highest 5AVA titer (90.59 g/L; molar yield 0.942) was obtained from 120 g/L L‐lysine by E. coli WL3110 cells grown to OD600 of 60. Finally, nylon 6,5 was synthesized by bulk polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactam and δ‐valerolactam prepared from microbially synthesized 5AVA. The hybrid system demonstrated here has promising possibilities for application in the development of industrial bio‐nylon production processes.
Selective adsorption of metoprolol enantiomers using 2‐hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin cross‐linked multiwalled carbon nanotube
Authors: Farhadian Nafiseh , Sharifi Arezoo , Lashgari Elmira
Published: August 2014

This study investigates the ability of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for enantio‐separation of metoprolol chiral forms. 2Hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (2HP‐β‐CD) was applied as a chiral selector to functionalize carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The modified multiwalled CNT samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results of analyses showed that CNTs were successfully cross‐linked with 2HP‐β‐CD. To evaluate the enantio‐separation property of the products, the separation of metoprolol chiral forms on the initial and final products was examined. Further, UV–visible spectroscopy and polarimeter analyses were used for characterization. The results indicate that MWCNT does not have any intrinsic enantio‐separation ability, although its selectivity for enantio‐separation can be enhanced by cross‐linking it to 2HP‐β‐CD. Moreover, the optimal mass of adsorbent as well as optimal mass of functional groups is estimated to achieve maximum enantio‐separation efficiency. The results indicate that applying large amounts of 2HP‐β‐CD to CNTs functionalization decreases the cross‐linking efficiency, which consequently reduces enantio‐separation efficiency. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessment of psychiatric disorders among sex offenders: Prevalence and associations with criminal history
Authors: Chen Yung Y. , Chen Chiao‐Yun , Hung Daisy L.
Published: August 2014

Background

Much of the research on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among sex offenders has been conducted in the USA or Europe. Less is known about it in other regions, particularly in Asia.

Aims

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among sex offenders in Taiwan and their associations with offender characteristics and criminal history.

Methods

Participants were randomly selected from men serving sentences in Taiwan's prison for serious sex offenders. Consenting men were assessed using the structured clinical interviews for DSM‐IV‐TR Axis I and II disorders. Demographics and criminal history were also recorded.

Results

Over two‐thirds of the 68 participants met criteria for one or more lifetime Axis I disorders, and nearly 60% met criteria for one or more Axis II disorder. The higher the number of Axis I and cluster B personality disorders, the higher was the total number of convictions.

Conclusions

Our study adds to the literature that suggests that psychiatric assessment is likely to have an important role in the management and treatment of sex offenders. The finding that multiple disorders are common in this group and associated with more convictions for sex offences suggests that failure to include psychiatric assessment in planning the management of sex offenders may increase the risk of recidivism. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spin‐State Energetics of FeII Complexes – The Continuing Voyage Through the Density Functional Minefield
Authors: Houghton Benjamin J. , Deeth Robert J.
Published: August 2014

Computing absolute spin‐state energies continues to challenge quantum chemistry. Correlated wavefunction methods offer high accuracy but are expensive, whereas density functional theory (DFT) is faster, but its accuracy is variable. No “universal” functional has emerged, but predicting trends in spin‐state energies is easier. Here, a simple DFT protocol is applied to the subtle variations in magnetic moments for FeII–R,R′Pytacn complexes (Inorg. Chem. 2013, 52, 9229). Both BP86 and OPBE give satisfactory correlation coefficients (R2 = 0.87 and 0.75, respectively), whereas the range‐separated functional CAM‐B3LYP performs worse (R2 = 0.37). However, even for BP86 and OPBE, the p‐CO2Et substituent is predicted to be too electron‐donating. The relatively poor performance of CAM‐B3LYP may be due to the more exacting test of DFT provided by mixed‐ligand systems, where the competition between donors is an additional factor.
Asymmetric Formal Synthesis of (+)‐Lactacystin
Authors: Sridhar Chirumarry , Vijaykumar Bodduri V. D. , Radhika Laghuvarapu , Shin Dong‐Soo , Chandrasekhar Srivari
Published: August 2014

A formal synthesis of (+)‐lactacystin was achieved from commercially available isobutyraldehyde and ethyl acrylate. A Baylis–Hillman reaction, an intermolecular nucleophilic displacement under Mitsunobu conditions, a Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, a palladium(0)‐catalyzed syn‐selective ring opening of an epoxide by treatment with an azide, a one‐pot azide reductive lactamization, and a ruthenium‐catayzed oxidation were employed as the key steps.
APOE ε4 allele is associated with worse performance in memory dimensions of the mini‐mental state examination: the Bambuí Cohort Study of Aging
Authors: Quintino‐Santos Sandra , Diniz Breno Satler , Firmo Josélia O. A. , Moriguchi Emilio Hideyuki , Lima‐Costa Maria Fernanda , Castro‐Costa Erico
Published: August 2014

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 and the mini‐mental state examination (MMSE) dimension in an elderly population, using baseline data from the Bambui (Brazil) Cohort Study of Aging.

Design

We conducted a community‐based cross‐sectional study.

Setting

The study took place at Bambui city, Minas Gerais State, Southeast Brazil.

Participants

A total of 1408 (87.7%) cohort participants had complete information on the MMSE and health measures.

Measurements

The association between each of five dimensions (concentration, language/praxis, orientation, attention, and memory) underlying the MMSE and APOE ε4 allele was assessed using multivariate linear regression models. Potential confounding variables included sociodemographic factors and selected biomarkers.

Results

The main finding is a strong negative association between the presence of APOE ε4 allele and memory dimension in the MMSE (fully adjusted β coefficient = −0.14; 95% confidence interval: −0.27 to −0.04; p = 0.016). No other cognitive dimensions showed significant associations with the APOE ε4 allele.

Conclusion

This study is the first to investigate the association between dimensions of the MMSE, obtained from principal component analysis and APOE ε4 carrier status in community‐dwelling older adults taking into account a range of potential confounding factors. We found a strong negative association between the presence of APOE ε4 allele and scores on memory dimension of the MMSE, but no effect on other dimensions. Our results reinforce previous data on the literature that APOE ε4 allele has a significant effect on cognitive performance that can be detected even in screening tests, such as the MMSE. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In utero and early childhood exposure to arsenic decreases lung function in children
Authors: Recio‐Vega Rogelio , Gonzalez‐Cortes Tania , Olivas‐Calderon Edgar , Lantz R. Clark , Gandolfi A. Jay , Alba Cesar Gonzalez‐De
Published: August 2014

The lung is a target organ for adverse health outcomes following exposure to As. Several studies have reported a high prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases in subjects highly exposed to As through drinking water; however, most studies to date has been performed in exposed adults, with little information on respiratory effects in children. The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between urinary levels of As and its metabolites with lung function in children exposed in utero and in early childhood to high As levels through drinking water. A total of 358 healthy children were included in our study. Individual exposure was assessed based on urinary concentration of inorganic As. Lung function was assessed by spirometry. Participants were exposed since pregnancy until early childhood to an average water As concentration of 152.13 µg l–1. The mean urinary As level registered in the studied subjects was 141.2 µg l–1 and only 16.7% had a urinary concentration below the national concern level. Forced vital capacity was significantly decreased in the studied population and it was negatively associated with the percentage of inorganic As. More than 57% of the subjects had a restrictive spirometric pattern. The urinary As level was higher in those children with restrictive lung patterns when compared with the levels registered in subjects with normal spirometric patterns. Exposure to As through drinking water during in utero and early life was associated with a decrease in forced vital capacity and with a restrictive spirometric pattern in the children evaluated. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enzymatic surface treatment of poly (3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), and poly (3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)
Authors: Berezina Nathalie , Yada Bopha , Godfroid Thomas , Senechal Tangi , Wei Ren , Zimmermann Wolfgang
Published: August 2014

BACKGROUND

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are very interesting biopolymers, their most promising applications lie in biomedical science. The wettability of the surface of PHA increases their biocompatibility properties, making them suitable for such applications.

RESULTS

The treatment of the surface of poly (3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly (3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) films with the cutinase TfCut2 from Thermobifida fusca KW3 resulted in decrease of the water contact angle of PHB films from 90° to 36° and PHBV films from 93–98° to 50–60° with 3‐hydroxyvalerate content ranging from 6 to 9 mol%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

A linear dependence up to 9 mol% was found between the 3‐hydroxyvalerate content of the PHBV and the resulting water contact angle decrease, caused by partial hydrolysis of the surface of the films by the cutinase. PHBV films with a 3‐hydroxyvalerate content of 6 mol% showed the highest gain in surface hydophilicity following treatment with the enzyme. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Identification and characterisation of multiple glutathione S‐transferase genes from the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella
Authors: Chen Xi'en , Zhang Ya‐lin
Published: August 2014

BACKGROUND

The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, is one of the most harmful insect pests on crucifer crops worldwide. In this study, 19 cDNAs encoding glutathione S‐transferases (GSTs) were identified from the genomic and transcriptomic database for DBM (KONAGAbase) and further characterized.

RESULTS

Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 19 GSTs were classified into six different cytosolic classes, including four in delta, six in epsilon, three in omega, two in sigma, one in theta and one in zeta. Two GSTs were unclassified. RT‐PCR analysis revealed that most GST genes were expressed in all developmental stages, with higher expression in the larval stages. Six DBM GSTs were expressed at the highest levels in the midgut tissue. Twelve purified recombinant GSTs showed varied enzymatic properties towards 1‐chloro‐2,4‐dinitrobenzene and glutathione, whereas rPxGSTo2, rPxGSTz1 and rPxGSTu2 had no activity. Real‐time quantitative PCR revealed that expression levels of the 19 DBM GST genes were varied and changed after exposure to acephate, indoxacarb, beta‐cypermethrin and spinosad. PxGSTd3 was significantly overexpressed, while PxGSTe3 and PxGSTs2 were significantly downregulated by all four insecticide exposures.

CONCLUSION

The changes in DBM GST gene expression levels exposed to different insecticides indicate that they may play individual roles in tolerance to insecticides and xenobiotics. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
A New Method to Assess the Flow Regime Alterations in Riverine Ecosystems
Authors: Yin X. A. , Yang Z. F. , Petts G. E.
Published: August 2014

Assessing alterations of a river's flow regime provides the basis for river protection and restoration planning. The range of variation approach (RVA) is a commonly used method to evaluate alterations in a river's flow regime. However, RVA underestimates the degree of flow regime alteration potentially, because it only considers the difference in frequency between the pre‐impact and post‐impact hydrologic indicator values within certain target ranges and does not consider alteration of the order of hydrologic year types (HYTs; i.e. wet, average and dry years). The HYT order is an important holistic feature of the flow regime. The human‐induced change of HYTs, such as from a dry year to a wet year or from an average year to a dry year, can be a major cause of ecosystem alteration. For some species, the order of the HYTs was more important than single‐year events (such as the flood magnitude during a given year). To address this problem with the RVA, we proposed a modification of this method that accounts for alteration of the order of HYTs. We developed a metric for assessing the alteration of the HYT order based on Euclidean distance and then combined this metric with the RVA. We applied the revised method to a case study of the Sha River in northern China to test its effectiveness. The results demonstrated that the new method solved RVA's problem of potentially underestimating the degree of flow regime alteration and enabled a more comprehensive analysis of the alteration of the flow regime. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Protect biometric data with compound chaotic encryption
Authors: Liew Charles Z. , Shaw Raymond , Li Lanlan
Published: August 2014

In this paper, the information security issue on biometric data is studied. We introduce the development of biometric technology with its application in security systems and discuss the significance. Focusing on distribution in space domain and uniform diffusion in frequency domain, a compounded chaotic cipher strategy with dynamic Bernoulli mapping is proposed to improve the performance on cryptographic text with consideration both of volatility and correlation. Aiming at visual original biometric data, related tests and analysis on key space, sensitivity, correlation, and uniform distribution are performed with comparison to diverse schemes including triple data encryption standard algorithm and logistic mapping cipher. Experiments results show that the proposed approach possesses good secure performances on both random scrambling in space domain and uniform distribution in frequency domain. The cryptosystem can be implemented with basic computational operators and provides an efficient and sensitive key space scheme for biometric data protection. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of catalytic systems on process of model object hydrogenation
Authors: Baikenov Murzabek Ispolovich , Baikenova Gulzhan Gausilevna , Sarsembayev Bolat Shaimenovich , Tateeva Alma Baimagambetova , Tusipkhan Almas , Matayeva Aisha Zharasovna
Published: August 2014

On the basis of β-FeOOH, Fe(OA)3, Fe3O4 iron and spherical catalysts NiO/SiO2, Fe2O3/SiO2 derived from slag waste coals of heating electrical stations, the hydrogenation of model polycyclic hydrocarbon at presence of nanodimensioned catalysts antracene was studied. On the example of conversion of anthracene, it was shown that upon release of hydrogenation of the product yield and degradation of polycyclic hydrocarbons in the hydrogenation, the mentioned catalyst systems appeared to be in the following order: nanoparticles β-FeOOH, Fe(OA)3 and Fe3O4>spherical catalysts NiO/SiO2, Fe2O3/SiO2>commercial cobalt-molybdenum catalyst. The results showed that the catalysts studied are promising catalysts for the hydrogenation of polycyclic hydrocarbons and may be used for direct coal liquefaction.
Thinking about the past, present and future in adolescents growing up in Children's Homes
Authors: Morsanyi Kinga , Fogarasi Erzsebet
Published: August 2014

The present study tested the hypothesis that adolescents growing up in Children's Homes differ from adolescents growing up in a family environment in how they think about their past, present and future, in the way they make decisions about future events and rewards, and in their levels of empathy and perspective taking. The participants were 40 adolescents from Children's Homes in Budapest, Hungary, and 40 age‐ and gender‐matched controls. Group differences were found in participants' past and present time perspectives, and girls from Children's Homes showed reduced consistency in their plans for the future. Additionally, gender differences emerged in empathy, perspective taking, and in participants' present and future time perspectives. We discuss the implications of our findings for interventions to improve the future prospects of adolescents in Children's Homes.