bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Psychagogic Work of Examples in Plato'sStatesman
Authors: Moore Holly G.
Published: August 2016

This paper explores the role of examples (paradeigmata) as propaedeutic to philosophical inquiry, in light of a methodological digression in Plato's Statesman. Consistent with scholarship on Aristotle's view of example, scholars of Plato's work have privileged the logic of examples over their rhetorical appeal. Following a small but significant trend in recent rhetorical scholarship that emphasizes the affective nature of examples, this article assesses the psychagogic potential of paradeigmata, following the discussion of example in Plato's Statesman. I argue that by creating an expectation in the learner that he or she will find similarities, the use of examples in philosophical pedagogy engages his or her desire to discern the intelligible principles that ground experiential knowledge. Thus, examples not only serve as practice at the dialectician's method of abstraction but also cultivate a dialectical ēthos, characterized by the desire to know the logoi of all things.
Inherited dysfunctional platelet P2Y12 receptor mutations associated with bleeding disorders
Authors: Lecchi Anna , Femia Eti , Paoletta Silvia , Dupuis Arnaud , Ohlmann Philippe , Gachet Christian , Jacobson Kenneth , Podda Gian , Zieger Barbara , Cattaneo Marco , Machura Katharina
Published: August 2016

The platelet adenosine 5’-diphosphate (ADP) receptor P2Y12 (P2Y12R) plays a critical role in platelet aggregation. The present report illustrates an update of dysfunctional platelet P2Y12R mutations diagnosed with congenital lifelong bleeding problems. Described patients with heterozygous or homozygous substitution in the P2Y12R gene and qualitative abnormalities of the platelet P2Y12R are summarized. Recently, a further dysfunctional variant of P2Y12R has been identified in two brothers who presented with a lifelong severe bleeding disorder. During in vitro aggregation studies, the patient´s platelets show a markedly reduced and rapid reversible ADP-promoted aggregation. A homozygous c.561T>A substitution that changes the codon for His187 to Gln (p.His187Gln) in the P2Y12R gene has been identified. This mutation causes no change in receptor expression but decreases the affinity of the ligand for the receptor, even at high concentrations. Structure modelling studies indicated that the p.His187Gln mutation, located in the fifth transmembrane spanning domain (TM5), impairs conformational changes of the receptor. Structural integrity of the TM5 region is necessary for agonist and antagonist binding and for correct receptor function.
Examples of analogies and generalizations in synthetic geometry
Authors: Agut Ioana E. , Agut Calin M.
Published: August 2016

Teaching tools and different methods of generalizations and analogies are often used at different levels of education. Starting with primary grades, the students can be guided through simple aspects of collateral development of their studies. In middle school, high school and especially in entry-level courses in higher education, the extension of logical tools are possible and indicated.
In this article, the authors present an example of generalization and then of building the analogy in 3-D space for a given synthetic geometric problem in 2-D.
The idea can be followed, extended and developed further by teachers and students as well.
Programming theorems on enumerator
Authors: Gregorics Tibor
Published: August 2016

This paper deals with the examination of the programming patterns best known by programmers: the programming theorems. It is a significant issue that in what way these patterns can be formulated in order to solve a relatively broad spectrum of problems using a small number of patterns. In this paper, the well known programming theorems are applied to the processing of enumerators. To this end, the robustness of patterns gained this way will be presented, and it will be also pointed out how the programs thus constructed can be implemented in the modern object-oriented programming environments: in language C++, Java and C#.
Increasing the popularity and efficiency of distance education by old-new methods
Authors: Pántya Róbert , Mucsics F. László
Published: August 2016

In our essay we aim to provide suggestions to develop distance education and we decisively focus on programmed education that is supported by e-learning environment. We both think that the shortage of programmed educational methods is causeless in Hungary's distance education. The widespread usage of info-communication devices and of the Internet makes the programmed educational methods (not as an exclusive method) possible to use in distance education together with e-learning environment. In our work we summarize the possible solutions and at the same time we also provide a case study, as an insight into our e-learning project (called Logical Programming) by Moodle.
Software engineering education in cooperation with industrial partners
Authors: Horváth Zoltán , Kozsik Tamás , Lövei László
Published: August 2016

This paper presents our experiences on teaching software engineering in teams which are organized around different R+D projects. These long-running, innovative projects are carried out in cooperation with industrial partners, and are supported by student exchange. While MSc and PhD students work together with faculty staff members on the projects in an industrial-like environment, the students develop skills that would be otherwise very hard for them to obtain. The methodological contributions of the paper are illustrated by, and substantiated with, the description of a concrete software engineering project.
Teaching word processing – the practice
Authors: Csernoch Mária
Published: August 2016

I compared two surveys, which were aimed to check the word processing ability of students in high schools and universities. The surveys were carried out ten years apart from one another, in 1997 and 2006. The results clearly show that most of the students are not able to use word processors properly. In the survey of 1997 I found explanation for this underperformance in the lack of computers and teachers. However, the results of the second survey did not prove any better than the results of the first, and in 2006 neither the number of computers nor the number of teachers can be blamed. What else then? I suggest that the reason for this general ignorance, for this `modern illiteracy' is the ignorance of the teachers. Until the teachers are not prepared and the senior students of the universities leave the education system without a proper knowledge of the required subjects, there is little chance that they would be able to teach word processing at a satisfactory level.
The requirements in statistics education – comparison of PISA mathematical tasks and tasks from the mathematical textbooks in the field of statistics
Authors: Glasnović Gracin Dubravka , Vuković Predrag
Published: August 2016

This work presents the results of the analysis of both PISA items and Croatian mathematical textbooks in the field of statistics.
The analysis shows that PISA's released statistics problems have in many ways different mathematical requirements from the requirements of textbook problems in the statistics chapters, with respect to the mathematical activities, complexity and in the forms of questions. The textbook analysis shows that mathematical examples and problems often require operation and interpretation skills on a reproductive or connections level. Statistics textbook problems are given in the closed-answer form. The results also show that while PISA puts strong emphasis on the statistics field, in the current Croatian curriculum this field is barely present. These discrepancies in requirements and portion of statistics activities surely affect the results of Croatian pupils on PISA assessment in the field of mathematical literacy.
The hyperbola and Geogebra in high-school instruction
Authors: Ljajko Eugen , Mihajlović Milan , Pavličić Zlatka
Published: August 2016

In this article the results of teaching/learning hyperbola and its characteristics in high-school using computers and GeoGebra are shown. Students involved in the research attend Engineering School "Nikola Tesla" in Leposavic, Serbia. The aim of the research was to define ways and volume of computer and GeoGebra usage in mathematics instruction in order to increase significantly students' mathematical knowledge and skills.
Report on the "English Language Section of Varga Tamás Days 2009"
Authors: Barczi Krisztina
Published: August 2016

The 9th English Language Section as a part of the Varga Tamás Days was organised by the Department of Mathematics Education at the Teacher Training Institute of the Eötvös Loránd University. We report on the talks and the following discussions in this section.
Teaching reliability theory with the Computer Algebra System Maxima
Authors: Csenki Attila
Published: August 2016

The use of the Computer Algebra System Maxima as a teaching aid in an MSc module in Reliability Theory is described here. Extracts from student handouts are used to show how the ideas in Reliability Theory are developed and how they are intertwined with their applications implemented in Maxima. Three themes from the lectures are used to illustrate this: (1) Normal Approximations, (2) Markov Modelling, (3) Laplace Transform Techniques.
It is argued that Maxima is a good tool for the task, since: it is fairly easy to learn & use; it is well documented; it has extensive facilities; it is available for any operating system; and, finally, it can be freely downloaded from the Web. Maxima proves to be a useful tool even for Reliability research for certain tasks. This latter feature provides a seamless link from teaching to research – an important feature in postgraduate education.
Cooperative learning in teaching mathematics
Authors: Mate Ileana
Published: August 2016

In the course of teaching and learning mathematics, many of the problems are caused by the operations with integers. My paper is a presentation of an experiment by which I tried to make the acquisition of these operations easier through the use of cooperative methods and representations. The experiment was conducted in The Lower-Secondary School of Paptamási from Romania, in the school year 2009-2010. I present the results of the experiment.
Conventions of mathematical problems and their solutions in Hungarian secondary school leaving exams
Authors: Kántor Sándor , K. Fazekas Anna
Published: August 2016

Collecting and analyzing the conventions indispensable for interpreting mathematical problems and their solutions correctly assist successful education and objective evaluation. Many professional and didactic questions arose while collecting and analyzing these conventions, which needed clarification, therefore the materials involved concisely in the conventions enrich both the theory and practice of mathematics teaching. In our research we concentrated mainly on the problems and solutions of the Hungarian school leaving examinations at secondary level in mathematics.
Report of meeting Researches in Didactics of Mathematics and Computer Sciences
Authors: Baranyai T. , Herendiné Kónya E.
Published: August 2016

The meeting Researches in Didactics of Mathematics and Computer Science was held in Satu-Mare, Romania from the 28th to the 30th of January, 2011. The 46 Hungarian participants – including 34 lecturers and 12 PhD students – came from 3 countries, 14 cities and represented 20 institutions of higher education. The abstract of the talks and the posters and also the list of participants are presented in this report.
Teaching puzzle-based learning
Authors: Falkner Nickolas , Sooriamurthi Raja , Michalewicz Zbigniew
Published: August 2016

While computer science and engineering students are trained to recognise familiar problems with known solutions, they may not be sufficiently prepared to address novel real-world problems. A successful computer science graduate does far more than just program and we must train our students to reach the required levels of analytical and computational thinking, rather than hoping that it will just 'develop'. As a step in this direction, we have created and experimented with a new first-year level course, Puzzle-based Learning (PBL), that is aimed at getting students to think about how to frame and solve unstructured problems. The pedagogical goal is increase students' mathematical awareness and general problem solving skills by employing puzzles, which are educational, engaging, and thought provoking. We share our experiences in teaching such a course – apart from a brief discussion on our pedagogical objectives, we concentrate on discussing the presented material which covers (in two lectures) just one selected topic (pattern recognition). In this paper we present the ideas behind foundations for PBL and the material of the first of two lectures on pattern recognition, in which we address core concepts and provide students with sufficient exemplars to illustrate the main points.
Teaching probability theory by using a web based assessment system together with computer algebra
Authors: Takács Klingné Anna
Published: August 2016

In the course of Maths Basics 2, the Faculty of Economic Science students of Kaposvár University learn the classical chapters of Probability Theory, namely random variables and the well-known probability distributions. Our teaching experiences show that students' achievement is weaker in case of problems concerning continuous random variables. From school year 2012/13 we have had an opportunity to take Maple TA, the web-based test- and assessment system, into the course of education. It is sufficient for the users of Maple TA to have a browser. Maple computer algebra system, which runs on the server, assesses students' answers in an intelligent way, and compares them with the answers that are considered correct by the teacher. In our presentation we introduce some elements of Maple TA system, the didactic considerations the test sheets were made by, as well as our research results concerning the use of Maple TA.
Why some children fail? Analyzing a test and the possible signs of learning disorders in an answer sheet
Authors: Fried Katalin
Published: August 2016

Teachers and educators in mathematics try to uncover the background of the mistakes their students make for their own and their students' benefit. Doing this they can improve their teaching qualities, and help the cognitive development of their pupils. However, this improvement does not always support their students with learning disorders, since their problem is not caused by wrong attitude or lack of diligence. Therefore, it is the interest of a conscientious teacher to recognize whether the weaker performance of a student is caused by learning disorders, so the helping teacher can give useful advices. Although the teacher is not entirely responsible for the diagnosis, but (s)he should be be familiar with the possible symptoms in order to make suggestions whether or not to take the necessary test of the learning disorders.
In this article, through examining a test and the answer sheet of a single student, I show some signs that might be caused by learning disorders.
Equivalences of some forms of the change of variable formula and the fundamental theorem of calculus
Authors: Tandra Haryono
Published: August 2016

We discuss an interplay between some versions of the Change of Variable Theorem and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus for the Riemann integral. We show that the two theorems are equivalent, and that for both theorems to be true it suffices to assume two particular formulas derived from them. In the realm of teaching, this material might be among our interests.
How to use our own program evaluation system to streamline teaching computer programming
Authors: Király Sándor , Székely Szilveszter
Published: August 2016

During computer programming contests the use of automatic evaluation systems is becoming more and more frequent. In said systems the contestants are allowed to submit their source code that will be evaluated with the results reported back to them. According to this report the contestant can realise for what test cases his program works properly and for what cases does it fail. This kind of on-line evaluation system is used for example in the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), in the final round of the Nemes Tihamér National Programming Competition, and in the Selection Competition for IOI in Hungary. A contest management system can be used for other purposes apart from this singular example. A well-developed evaluation system can foster not only the teaching of computer programming and the preparation of students for programming contests but the teacher's work as well.
Live & Learn
Authors: Gregorics Tibor
Published: August 2016

In this paper an interesting and surprising case study of my programming education practice is presented. This case underlines the importance of methods, standards and rules of thumb of the programming process. These elements of the programming technology can be taught well in education and they can guarantee the quality of the implemented programs. However the case described in this paper brings an anomaly when a programming standard is violated during the programming process and, although it should imply that the implemented program code works badly, the program works perfectly. This anomaly is caused by a typical implementation problem: the boundary and rules of the machine representation of numbers. This anomaly is going to be analyzed and the appropriate conclusions of our case study will be deducted.
Number theory vs. Hungarian high school textbooks
Authors: Csányi Petra , Fábián Kata , Szabó Csaba , Szabó Zsanett
Published: August 2016

We investigate how Hungarian highschool textbooks handle basic notions and terms of number theory. We concentrate on the presentation of the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, the least common multiple and greatest common divisor. Eight families of textbooks is analyzed. We made interviews with the authors of four of them. We conclude that a slightly more precise introduction would not be harmful for pupils and could bring basic number theory closer to them.
Some thoughts concerning power sums
Authors: Nyul Gábor
Published: August 2016

In this note we present an elementary way to derive directly closed-form expressions for power sums. Applying this method, we deduce some general results on power sums with arbitrary exponents. Finally, we give an outlook on higher mathematical connections between power sums, Stirling and Bernoulli numbers.
Zoltán Szvetits (1929-2014)
Authors: Gaál István
Published: August 2016

The legendary mathematics teacher of Secondary School Fazekas in Debrecen, Zoltán Szvetits passed away on 5th November 2014, at the age of 84. Beginning in 1954 he had been teaching here almost forty years. His pupils and the society of teachers have lost an outstanding teacher character. This secondary school has been well known for decades about its special mathematics class with 10 math lessons a week. This special class was designed and established by Zoltán Szvetits.
Report of meeting Researches in Didactics of Mathematics and Computer Sciences
Authors: Herendiné Kónya E. , Stankov G. , Takači D.
Published: August 2016

The meeting Researches in Didactics of Mathematics and Computer Sciences was held in Novi Sad, Serbia from the 23th to the 25th of January, 2015 at the University of Novi Sad. It was organized by the PhD School of Mathematics and Computer Sciences of the University of Debrecen and the Department of Mathematics and Informatics of the University of Novi Sad.
The 70 participants – including 42 lecturers, and 18 PhD students – came from 9 countries, 28 cities and represented 40 intstitutions of higher education.
Treatment of Ingrown Toenail with a Shape Memory Alloy Device
Authors: Arik Hasan Onur , Arican Mehmet , Gunes Volkan , Kose Ozkan
Published: August 2016

Background: We sought to report the clinical results of a new conservative treatment modality that uses a shape memory alloy device in patients with ingrown toenail.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 41 patients with ingrown toenail treated with the K-D device (S&C Biotech, Seoul, South Korea) between April 2013 and July 2014. Recurrence rate, cosmetic results, pain during the treatment period, and patient satisfaction were the major outcome measures.

Results: Patients were followed for at least 6 months (mean ± SD, 8.6 ± 2.1 months; range, 6–12 months). Recurrence was seen in eight patients (19.5%). Mean time to recurrence was 6.2 months (range, 3–10 months). Thirty-one patients (75.6%) were satisfied with the treatment. Thirty-five patients (85.4%) rated the application and treatment period as painless, and the remaining six (14.6%) noted pain particularly during shoe wearing. Thirty-one patients (75.6%) rated the cosmetic results as “excellent,” four (9.8%) as “acceptable,” and six (14.6%) as “poor.” Satisfaction with the treatment, the cosmetic results, and pain were significantly worse in patients with recurrence (P = .0001 for all). All of the patients returned to their work immediately after application of the device. No complications occurred.

Conclusions: The K-D device is a safe and effective treatment method for ingrown toenail. Although the recurrence rate is higher than for surgical treatment methods, the K-D device is a practical and painless method that provides immediate return to work and daily activities and excellent or acceptable cosmesis in most patients.
The antioxidative properties of S-allyl cysteine not only influence somatic cells but also improve early embryo cleavage in pigs
Authors: Dvořáková Markéta , Heroutová Ivona , Němeček David , Adámková Kateřina , Krejčová Tereza , Nevoral Jan , Kučerová Chrpová Veronika , Petr Jaroslav , Sedmíková Markéta
Published: August 2016

In vitro cultivation systems for oocytes and embryos are characterised by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can be balanced by the addition of suitable antioxidants. S-allyl cysteine (SAC) is a sulfur compound naturally occurring in garlic (Allium sativum), which is responsible for its high antioxidant properties. In this study, we demonstrated the capacity of SAC (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mM) to reduce levels of ROS in maturing oocytes significantly after 24 (reduced by 90.33, 82.87 and 91.62%, respectively) and 48 h (reduced by 86.35, 94.42 and 99.05%, respectively) cultivation, without leading to a disturbance of the standard course of meiotic maturation. Oocytes matured in the presence of SAC furthermore maintained reduced levels of ROS even 22 h after parthenogenic activation (reduced by 66.33, 61.64 and 57.80%, respectively). In these oocytes we also demonstrated a growth of early embryo cleavage rate (increased by 33.34, 35.00 and 35.00%, respectively). SAC may be a valuable supplement to cultivation media.
Barber of Damascus: Nouveau Literacy in the Eighteenth-Century Ottoman Levant. By Dana Sajdi
Authors: Zilfi Madeline C.
Published: August 2016

The Barber of Damascus: Nouveau Literacy in the Eighteenth-Century Ottoman Levant. By Dana Sajdi. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 2012. Pp. xv + 293. $60.
Twentieth century temperature trends in CMIP3, CMIP5, and CESM‐LE climate simulations: Spatial‐temporal uncertainties, differences, and their potential sources
Authors: Kumar Sanjiv , Kinter James L. , Pan Zaitao , Sheffield Justin
Published: August 2016

The twentieth century climate simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3 (CMIP3) and Phase 5 (CMIP5) are compared to assess the models' ability to capture observed near‐surface air temperature trends at global, continental, and regional scales. We computed trends by using a nonparametric method and considering long‐term persistence in the time series. The role of internal variability is examined by using large ensemble climate simulations from the National Center for Atmospheric Research model Community Earth System Model (CESM). We computed temperature trends for three periods: the twentieth century, the second half of the twentieth century, and (3) the recent hiatus period to contrast the roles of external forcing and internal variability at various spatial and temporal scales. Both CMIP ensembles show statistically significant warming at global and continental scales during the twentieth century. We found a small but statistically significant difference between CMIP3 (0.57 ± 0.07 °C/century) and CMIP5 (0.47 ± 0.06 °C/century) twentieth century temperature trends, with the CMIP3 estimate being closer to the observations. The spatial structure of long‐term temperature trends, and top‐of‐the atmosphere net radiation trends, suggests that differences in model parameterizations and feedback processes that lead to a smaller net radiative forcing are likely contributing to the differences between CMIP3 and CMIP5. The estimate of internal variability based on the CESM large ensemble spans 24% of the uncertainty in CMIP5 for the twentieth century temperature trends, and 76% for the recent hiatus period, both at global scales, and 43% and almost 100% during the corresponding time periods at regional scales.
Two‐Component Orderly Molecular Hybrids of Diphenylanthracene: Modulation of Solid‐State Aggregation toward Tunable Photophysical Properties and Highly Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence
Authors: Fan Guoling , Yan Dongpeng
Published: August 2016

Development of high‐efficiency solid‐state electrochemiluminescence (ECL) devices plays an important role in illumination, chemical/biological trace detection, and clinical tests. However, effective molecular systems with high ECL output are still limited due to the requirements of high photoactivity and electron transfer ability. Herein, it is shown that the formation of two‐component molecular hybrids of diphenylanthracene (DPA) can largely enhance the ECL properties. First, four new DPA‐based cocrystals are prepared using a facile solid‐state grinding method. The as‐prepared samples (powder and single crystal) present tunable photophysical and photonic properties (such as alternations of wavelength, fluorescence lifetime, photoluminescence quantum yield, and two‐photon emission). Moreover, the polarized fluorescence and 1D/2D optical waveguide behaviors can be obtained due to the orderly assembly of the molecular chromophores and regular crystal morphology. Second, the DPA‐based cocrystals have been fabricated into solid‐state electrodes, which present magnified ECL signal intensity (>20 fold) relative to the pristine DPA, as a result of alternation of molecular aggregation fashions and improved intermolecular electron transfer between DPA and the coassembled units as confirmed from experimental and computational views. The DPA‐based solid‐state electrode can be further used as an ECL sensor toward temperature response and nitrate detection with high selectivity and low detection limit. Therefore, this work not only develops new molecular hybrids with adjustable photophysical performances and potential ECL sensor applications but also supplies a detailed understanding on the relationship between molecular stacking and electron transfer within the orderly molecular donor/accepter solids.
Organocatalytic Enantioselective Decarboxylative Michael Addition of β‐Keto Acids to Dicyanoolefins and Disulfonylolefins
Authors: Wei Yi , Guo Ran , Dang Yanfeng , Nie Jing , Ma Jun‐An
Published: August 2016

A convenient organocatalytic enantioselective decarboxylative Michael addition of β‐keto acids to dicyanoolefins and disulfonylolefins is realized. In the presence of saccharide‐derived chiral amino thioureas, the reaction proceeded smoothly to afford a wide range of the Michael adducts in 62–99% yield with 70–94% ee. Moreover, one of the chiral adducts obtained could be readily converted into the monofluorinated product in a total 68% yield over four steps with 85% ee.

magnified image
Venous thromboembolism in patients with hematologic malignancy and thrombocytopenia
Authors: Khanal Nabin , Bociek R. Gregory , Chen Baojiang , Vose Julie M. , Armitage James O. , Bierman Philip J. , Maness Lori J. , Lunning Matthew A. , Gundabolu Krishna , Bhatt Vijaya R.
Published: August 2016

The optimal management of hematologic malignancy‐associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with moderate‐to‐severe thrombocytopenia is unclear. This is a retrospective study of 128 adult patients with hematologic malignancies who were diagnosed with VTE. The outcome of patients with significant thrombocytopenia (≤50,000/µL) was compared with those without. Forty‐seven patients (36.7%) had a platelet count ≤50,000/µL during a period of time of perceived need for new or continued anticoagulation. The median nadir platelet count in those with significant thrombocytopenia was 10,000/µL (range 2,000–45,000/µL) versus 165,000/µL (50,000–429,000/µL) in those without (P < 0.001). The median duration of significant thrombocytopenia in the first group was 10 days (1–35 days). Therapy during the period of significant thrombocytopenia included prophylactic‐dose low‐molecular‐weight heparin (LMWH) (47%), therapeutic‐dose LMWH or heparin (30%), warfarin (2%), inferior vena cava filter (2%), and observation (17%). Patients without thrombocytopenia were managed with the standard of care therapy. At a median follow‐up of more than 2 years, the risk of clinically significant bleeding (11% vs 6%, P = 0.22) including major bleeding (6% vs 2%) and clot progression or recurrence (21% vs 22%, P = 1.00) were similar in patients with or without significant thrombocytopenia. In a multivariate analysis, the risk of recurrence/progression (hazard ratio, HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.21–1.66, P = 0.31) and hemorrhage rate (HR 0.29, 95% CI 0.05–1.56, P = 0.15) did not differ based on the presence of significant thrombocytopenia. Within the limits of this retrospective study, cautious use of prophylactic‐dose LMWH may be safe in thrombocytopenic patients with hematologic malignancy‐associated VTE. Am. J. Hematol. 91:E468–E472, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Genomic validation of the differential preservation of population history in modern human cranial anatomy
Authors: Reyes‐Centeno Hugo , Ghirotto Silvia , Harvati Katerina
Published: August 2016

Objectives

In modern humans, the significant correlation between neutral genetic loci and cranial anatomy suggests that the cranium preserves a population history signature. However, there is disagreement on whether certain parts of the cranium preserve this signature to a greater degree than other parts. It is also unclear how different quantitative measures of phenotype affect the association of genetic variation and anatomy. Here, we revisit these matters by testing the correlation of genetic distances and various phenotypic distances for ten modern human populations.

Materials and Methods

Geometric morphometric shape data from the crania of adult individuals (n = 224) are used to calculate phenotypic PST, Procrustes, and Mahalanobis distances. We calculate their correlation to neutral genetic distances, FST, derived from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We subset the cranial data into landmark configurations that include the neurocranium, the face, and the temporal bone in order to evaluate whether these cranial regions are differentially correlated to neutral genetic variation.

Results

Our results show that PST, Mahalanobis, and Procrustes distances are correlated with FST distances to varying degrees. They indicate that overall cranial shape is significantly correlated with neutral genetic variation. Of the component parts examined, PST distances for both the temporal bone and the face have a stronger association with FST distances than the neurocranium. When controlling for population divergence time, only the whole cranium and the temporal bone have a statistically significant association with FST distances.

Discussion

Our results confirm that the cranium, as a whole, and the temporal bone can be used to reconstruct modern human population history.
A Non‐Exploding Alkali Metal Drop on Water: From Blue Solvated Electrons to Bursting Molten Hydroxide
Authors: Mason Philip E. , Buttersack Tillmann , Bauerecker Sigurd , Jungwirth Pavel
Published: August 2016

Alkali metals in water are always at the brink of explosion. Herein, we show that this vigorous reaction can be kept in a non‐exploding regime, revealing a fascinating richness of hitherto unexplored chemical processes. A combination of high‐speed camera imaging and visible/near‐infrared/infrared spectroscopy allowed us to catch and characterize the system at each stage of the reaction. After gently placing a drop of a sodium/potassium alloy on water under an inert atmosphere, the production of solvated electrons became so strong that their characteristic blue color could be observed with the naked eye. The exoergic reaction leading to the formation of hydrogen and hydroxide eventually heated the alkali metal drop such that it became glowing red, and part of the metal evaporated. As a result of the reaction, a perfectly transparent drop consisting of molten hydroxide was temporarily stabilized on water through the Leidenfrost effect, bursting spectacularly after it had cooled sufficiently.
Coupled Biosynthesis of Volatiles and Salinosporamide A in Salinispora tropica
Authors: Groenhagen Ulrike , Leandrini De Oliveira Ana Ligia , Fielding Elisha , Moore Bradley S. , Schulz Stefan
Published: August 2016

Terrestrial bacteria, especially actinomycetes, are known to be prolific producers of volatile compounds. We show here that bacteria from ocean sediments can also release complex bouquets of volatiles. The actinomycete Salinispora tropica produces cyclohexenyl compounds not previously known in nature, such as methyl cyclohex‐2‐ene‐1‐carboxylate (9), methyl 2‐(cyclohex‐2‐en‐1‐yl)acetate (10), methyl (E/Z)‐2‐(cyclohex‐2‐en‐1‐ylidene)acetate (11/12), and related alcohols 8 and 13. These compounds were identified by GC/MS and confirmed by synthesis. In addition, rare spiroacetals, aromatic compounds, short‐chain acids and esters, alcohols, and various cyclic compounds were produced by the bacteria. The biosynthesis of the cyclohexenyl compounds is closely coupled to that of cyclohexenylalanine (4), a building block of salinosporamide A, a proteasome inhibitor produced by S. tropica. Analysis of S. tropica strains that harbor knockouts of the salinosporamide biosynthetic genes salX and salD, coupled with feeding experiments, revealed that 3‐(cyclohex‐2‐en‐1‐yl)‐2‐oxopropanoic acid (60) and 3‐(cyclohex‐2‐en‐1‐ylidene)‐2‐oxopropanoic acid (isomers 61 and 62) are important intermediates in the biosynthesis of salinosporamide A, 4, and 8–13.
Air Extrusion System for Ionotropic Alginate Microgel Particle Formation: A Review
Authors: Lee Boon‐Beng , Bhandari Bhesh R. , Howes Tony
Published: August 2016

Ionotropic alginate microgels are commonly used for bioencapsulation applications and the air extrusion system is one of the common methods employed to produce these microgels. Although there have been many individual studies, to date no single report has comprehensively summarized the findings and results of the usage of this system. This review gives insight into the air extrusion methods, covering the setup, type, and characteristics of the system, focusing on their innovative aspects. Characterization techniques for the resulting microgels are presented, along with the influence of process variables on the product size and the development of empirical models for size prediction.
Structural and Dynamic Characterization of the Molecular Hub Early Region 1A (E1A) from Human Adenovirus
Authors: Hošek Tomáš , Calçada Eduardo O. , Nogueira Marcela Oliveira , Salvi Michele , Pagani Talita Duarte , Felli Isabella C. , Pierattelli Roberta
Published: August 2016

The small‐DNA human adenovirus encodes one of the most versatile molecular hubs, the E1A protein. This protein is essential for productive viral infection in human cells and a vast amount of biologically relevant data are available on its interactions with host proteins. Up to now, however, no high‐resolution structural and dynamic information on E1A is available despite its important biological role. Among the different spliced variants of E1A, two are expressed at high level in the early stage of infection. These are 243 and 289 residues isoforms. Herein, we present their NMR characterization, showing that they are both highly disordered, but also demonstrate a certain heterogeneous behavior in terms of structural and dynamic properties. Furthermore, we present the characterization of the isolated domain of the longer variant, known as CR3. This study opens the way to understanding at the molecular level how E1A functions.
Rationally Designed CeNP@MnMoS4 Core‐Shell Nanoparticles for Modulating Multiple Facets of Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Guan Yijia , Gao Nan , Ren Jinsong , Qu Xiaogang
Published: August 2016

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complicated multifactorial syndrome. Lessons have been learned through failed clinical trials that targeting multiple key pathways of the AD pathogenesis is necessary to halt the disease progression. Here, we construct core‐shell nanoparticles (CeNP@MnMoS4) targeting multiple key pathways of the AD pathogenesis, including elimination of toxic metal ions, decrease of oxidative stress, and promotion of neurite outgrowth. The SOD activity and copper removal capacity of CeNP@MnMoS4‐n (n represents the number of layers of MnMoS4, n=1–5) was investigated in vitro. We found that CeNP@MnMoS4‐3 made an excellent balance between SOD activity and copper removal capacity. The effect of CeNP@MnMoS4‐3 on Cu2+‐induced Aβ aggregation was studied by gel electrophoresis, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Compared with MnMoS4 or CeNP alone, a synergistic effect was observed. Moreover, CeNP@MnMoS4‐3 promoted neurite outgrowth in a dose‐dependent manner. Taken together, the results reported in this work show the potential of new multifunctional core‐shell nanoparticles as AD therapeutics.
An Azulene‐Containing Low Bandgap Small Molecule for Organic Photovoltaics with High Open‐Circuit Voltage
Authors: Chen Yao , Zhu Youqin , Yang Daobin , Zhao Suling , Zhang Lei , Yang Lin , Wu Jianglin , Huang Yan , Xu Zheng , Lu Zhiyun
Published: August 2016

A simple azulene‐containing squaraine dye (AzUSQ) showing bandgap of 1.38 eV and hole mobility up to 1.25×10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1 was synthesized. With its low bandgap, an organic photovoltaic (OPV) device based on it has been made that exhibits an impressive open‐circuit voltages (Voc) of 0.80 V. Hence, azulene might be a promising structural unit to construct OPV materials with simultaneous low bandgap, high hole mobility and high Voc.
Sulfoxide‐Based Enantioselective Nazarov Cyclization: Divergent Syntheses of (+)‐Isopaucifloral F, (+)‐Quadrangularin A, and (+)‐Pallidol
Authors: Tang Mei‐Lin , Peng Peng , Liu Zheng‐Yu , Zhang Jian , Yu Jian‐Ming , Sun Xun
Published: August 2016

The synthesis of enantiomerically pure 3‐aryl substituted indanones is developed using an enantioselective sulfoxide‐based Knoevenagel condensation/Nazarov cyclization procedure. After the reductive desulfonation of the methyl para‐tolyl sulfoxide‐containing chiral auxiliary under mild conditions, selected enantiomerically pure indanone is used for the divergent total syntheses of three resveratrol natural products (+)‐isopaucifloral F, (+)‐quadrangularin A, and (+)‐pallidol.
ChemInform Abstract: Single Crystal Growth and Characterization of NaxLn1‐xMoO4, Ln: La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Eu (x: 0.397—0.499).
Authors: Cortese Anthony J. , Abeysinghe Dileka , Smith Mark D. , zur Loye Hans‐Conrad
Published: August 2016

Single crystals of the reduced lanthanoid‐containing compounds La0.516Na0.484MoO4, Ce0.512Na0.488MoO4, Pr0.502Na0.498MoO4, Nd0.501Na0.499MoO4, Sm0.509Na0.491MoO4, and Eu0.603Na0.397MoO4 are grown from a NaCl/CsCl eutectic flux by in‐situ reduction using 2:1:0.5 molar mixtures of MoO3, Ln2O3, and Mo, the latter acting as reducing agent (evacuated silica tubes, 825 °C, 24 h; cooling to 450 °C at a rate of 6 °C/h).
ChemInform Abstract: Asymmetric Three‐Component Coupling Reaction of Alkyne, Enone, and Aldehyde Catalyzed by Chiral Phebox Ruthenium Catalysts.
Authors: Ubukata Shino , Ito Jun‐ichi , Oguri Ryota , Nishiyama Hisao
Published: August 2016

The one‐pot reaction consisting of an alkynylation and successive aldol reaction provides various novel α‐propargyl group containing β‐hydroxyketone derivatives in high yields.
ChemInform Abstract: ′On Water′ Direct Vinylogous Henry (Nitroaldol) Reactions of 3,5‐Dimethyl‐4‐nitroisoxazole with Aldehydes and Trifluoromethyl Ketones.
Authors: Zhang Yong , Wei Biao‐Wen , Zou Li‐Na , Kang Mei‐Lian , Luo Hai‐Qing , Fan Xiao‐Lin
Published: August 2016

The scalable protocol is applicable to the diastereoselective transformation of 3,5‐diethyl‐4‐nitroisoxazole.
ChemInform Abstract: One‐Pot Synthesis and Evaluation of Antileishmanial Activities of Functionalized S‐Alkyl/Aryl Benzothiazole‐2‐carbothioate Scaffold.
Authors: Dar Ajaz A. , Shadab M. , Khan Suman , Ali Nahid , Khan Abu T.
Published: August 2016

The three component condensation of 2‐aminothiopenols, oxalyl chloride and aryl or alkyl thiols efficiently provides various benzothiazole‐2‐carbothioates some of which are shown to exhibit interesting antileishmanial activity.
ChemInform Abstract: Use of Mesoporous Molecular Sieves in the Production of Fine Chemicals: Preparation of Dihydroquinolinones of Pharmaceutical Interest from 2′‐Aminochalcones.
Authors: Climent Maria J. , Corma Avelino , Iborra Sara , Marti Laura
Published: August 2016

Solid catalysts are investigated in detail for the title reaction.
ChemInform Abstract: A Pseudo Six‐Component Process for the Synthesis of Tetrahydrodipyrazolo Pyridines Using an Ionic Liquid Immobilized on a FeNi3 Nanocatalyst.
Authors: Safaei‐Ghomi Javad , Sadeghzadeh Reyhaneh , Shahbazi‐Alavi Hossein
Published: August 2016

The title pyridines are prepared under mild reaction conditions by multi‐component reaction of ethyl acetoacetate, benzaldehydes, hydrazine, and ammonium acetate.
ChemInform Abstract: Metal‐Assisted Addition of a Nitrate Anion to Bis(oxy)enamines. A General Approach to the Synthesis of α‐Nitroxy‐oxime Derivatives from Nitronates.
Authors: Naumovich Yana A. , Buckland Victoria Emily , Sen'ko Dmitry A. , Nelyubina Yulia V. , Khoroshutina Yulia A. , Sukhorukov Alexey Yu. , Ioffe Sema L.
Published: August 2016

The method offers access to various cyclic and acyclic α‐nitroxy‐oxime derivatives which are obtained starting from bis(oxy)enamines which may be prepared in situ.
ChemInform Abstract: Scalable, Metal‐ and Additive‐Free, Photoinduced Borylation of Haloarenes and Quaternary Arylammonium Salts.
Authors: Mfuh Adelphe M. , Doyle John D. , Chhetri Bhuwan , Arman Hadi D. , Larionov Oleg V.
Published: August 2016

A simple, metal‐ and additive‐free photochemical protocol for preparation of aryl boronic acids is presented.
ChemInform Abstract: Rare Sesquiterpenoids from the Shed Trunk Barks of the Critically Endangered Plant Abies beshanzuensis and Their Bioactivities.
Authors: Hu Chang‐Ling , Xiong Juan , Li Ji‐Yang , Gao Li‐Xin , Wang Wen‐Xuan , Cheng Ke‐Jun , Yang Guo‐Xun , Li Jia , Hu Jin‐Feng
Published: August 2016

Both beshanzuenones A (Ia) and B (Ib) show considerable activity against the H3N2 virus, whereas beshanzuenones C (IIa) and D (IIb) exhibit significant inhibition on the human PTP1B enzyme.
ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis of Diiron(I) Dithiolato Carbonyl Complexes
Authors: Li Yulong , Rauchfuss Thomas B.
Published: August 2016

Review: 428 refs.
ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis of Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics Through Sulfation of Polyphenols
Authors: Al‐Horani Rami A. , Karuturi Rajesh , Verespy Stephen III , Desai Umesh R.
Published: August 2016

Review: 61 refs.
ChemInform Abstract: Photochemical Electron and Hydrogen Transfer in Organic Synthesis: The Control of Selectivity
Authors: Hoffmann Norbert
Published: August 2016

Review: [112 refs.
ChemInform Abstract: Perspectives on DNP‐Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy in Solutions
Authors: van Bentum Jan , van Meerten Bas , Sharma Manvendra , Kentgens Arno
Published: August 2016

Review: 81 refs.
ChemInform Abstract: 8‐Hydroxyquinolines in Medicinal Chemistry: A Structural Perspective
Authors: Oliveri Valentina , Vecchio Graziella
Published: August 2016

Review: 200 refs.
ChemInform Abstract: Halogen Bonding Anion Recognition
Authors: Brown Asha , Beer Paul D.
Published: August 2016

Review: 99 refs.
Alkali Niobate and Tantalate Perovskites as Alternative Photocatalysts
Authors: Zlotnik Sebastian , Tobaldi David M. , Seabra Paula , Labrincha João A. , Vilarinho Paula M.
Published: August 2016

Alkali tantalates and niobates are listed as important photocatalysts for the development of renewable energy technologies and environmental remediation. Herein, the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye in aqueous solution by using highly crystalline particles with perovskite‐like structures, LiTaO3, LiNbO3, NaTaO3, NaNbO3, KNbO3, and KTaO3, is investigated. It is demonstrated that ferroelectric KNbO3 is the most efficient photocatalyst of those tested because it combines an electronic band structure that can respond successfully to UVA light with a relatively high surface energy that enhances the catalytic properties. Additionally, the built‐in electric field due to internal polarization of ferroelectric particles may contribute to the unique properties of this functional photocatalyst. This work provides an ideal platform for the rational design of more efficient ferroelectric‐based photocatalytic devices.
Slow carbon and nutrient accumulation in trees established following fire exclusion in the southwestern United States
Authors: Kaye Jason P. , Kaye Margot W. , Hart Stephen C. , Covington W. Wallace , Fulé Peter Z.
Published: August 2016

Increasing tree density that followed fire exclusion after the 1880s in the southwestern United States may have also altered nutrient cycles and led to a carbon (C) sink that constitutes a significant component of theU.S.C budget. Yet, empirical data quantifying century‐scale changes in C or nutrients due to fire exclusion are rare. We used tree‐ring reconstructions of stand structure from five ponderosa pine‐dominated sites from across northern Arizona to compare live tree C, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) storage between the 1880s and 1990s. Live tree biomass in the 1990s contained up to three times more C, N, and P than in 1880s. However, the increase in C storage was smaller than values used in recentU.S.C budgets. Furthermore, trees that had established prior to the 1880s accounted for a large fraction (28–66%) of the C, N, and P stored in contemporary stands. Overall, our century‐scale analysis revealed that forests of the 1880s were on a trajectory to accumulate C and nutrients in trees even in the absence of fire exclusion, either because growing conditions became more favorable after the 1880s or because forests in the 1880s included age or size cohorts poised for accelerated growth. These results may lead to a reduction in the C sink attributed to fire exclusion, and they refine our understanding of reference conditions for restoration management of fire‐prone forests.