bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automatic generation of related work through summarizing citations
Authors: Chen Jingqiang , Zhuge Hai
Published: September 2017

Related work is a component of a scientific paper, which introduces other researchers' relevant works and makes comparisons with the current author's work. Automatically generating the related work section of a writing paper provides a tool for researchers to accomplish the related work section efficiently without missing related works. This paper proposes an approach to automatically generating a related work section by comparing the main text of the paper being written with the citations of other papers that cite the same references. Our approach first collects the papers that cite the reference papers of the paper being written and extracts the corresponding citation sentences to form a citation document. It then extracts keywords from the citation document and the paper being written and constructs a graph of the keywords. Once the keywords that discriminate the two documents are determined, the minimum Steiner tree that covers the discriminative keywords and the topic keywords is generated. The summary is generated by extracting the sentences covering the Steiner tree. According to ROUGE evaluations, the experiments show that the citations are suitable for related work generation and our approach outperforms the three baseline methods of MEAD, LexRank, and ReWoS. This work verifies the general summarization method based on connotation and extension through citation.
Drawbacks of impedance networks
Authors: Rymarski Zbigniew , Bernacki Krzysztof
Published: September 2017

This paper presents the influence of voltage‐fed impedance networks, known as Z‐source and quasi–Z‐source, as well as some more sophisticated networks on the static and dynamic properties of voltage source inverters. The impedance networks increase output voltage distortions with the second harmonic of the fundamental harmonic and decrease the power efficiency. The distortions of the output voltage increase for the discontinuous current mode of the impedance network. The DC voltage boost factor depends on the impedance network power losses. The impedance networks add 2 resonant frequencies that are very close each other to the control transfer function of the inverter in the frequency range that is close to the fundamental frequency. The influence of the impedance network on the control transfer function depends on the effective damping resistance in the impedance network. The impedance network operation during the “shoot‐through” time increases the damping of the inverter output filter. The effective damping resistances and the inductance of the coils depend on the power losses in the magnetic materials. Theoretical models along with experimental verification can help to estimate the real influence of impedance networks on the inverter properties.
Sliding‐window forward error correction using Reed‐Solomon code and unequal error protection for real‐time streaming video
Authors: Weng Yung‐Tsung , Shih Chi‐Huang , Chou Yeh‐Kai
Published: September 2017

Forward error correction (FEC) techniques are widely used to recover packet losses over unreliable networks in real‐time video streaming applications. Traditional frame‐level FEC encodes 1 video frame in each FEC coding window. By contrast, in the expanding‐window FEC scheme, high‐priority frames are included in the FEC processing of the following frames, so as to construct a larger coding window. In general, expanding‐window FEC improves the recovery performance of FEC, because the high‐priority frame can be protected by multiple windows and the use of a larger coding window increases the efficiency. However, the larger window size also increases the complexity of the coding and the memory space requirements. Consequently, expanding‐window FEC is limited in terms of practical applications. Sliding‐window FEC adopts a fixed window size in order to approximate the performance of the expanding‐window FEC method, but with a reduced complexity. Previous studies on sliding‐window FEC have generally adopted an equal error protection (EEP) mechanism to simplify the analysis. This paper considers the more practical case of an unequal error protection (UEP) strategy. An analytical model is derived for estimating the playable frame rate (PFR) of the proposed sliding‐window FEC scheme with a Reed‐Solomon erasure code for real‐time non‐scalable streaming applications. The analytical model is used to determine the optimal FEC configuration which maximizes the PFR value under given transmission rate constraints. The simulation results show that the proposed sliding‐window scheme achieves almost the same performance as the expanding‐window scheme, but with a significantly lower computational complexity.
The evolution of queen control over worker reproduction in the social Hymenoptera
Authors: Olejarz Jason , Veller Carl , Nowak Martin A.
Published: September 2017

A trademark of eusocial insect species is reproductive division of labor, in which workers forego their own reproduction while the queen produces almost all offspring. The presence of the queen is key for maintaining social harmony, but the specific role of the queen in the evolution of eusociality remains unclear. A long‐discussed scenario is that a queen either behaviorally or chemically sterilizes her workers. However, the demographic and ecological conditions that enable such manipulation are still debated. We study a simple model of evolutionary dynamics based on haplodiploid genetics. Our model is set in the commonly observed case where workers have lost the ability to lay female (diploid) eggs by mating, but retain the ability to lay male (haploid) eggs. We consider a mutation that acts in a queen, causing her to control the reproductive behavior of her workers. Our mathematical analysis yields precise conditions for the evolutionary emergence and stability of queen‐induced worker sterility. These conditions do not depend on the queen's mating frequency. We find that queen control is always established if it increases colony reproductive efficiency, but can evolve even if it decreases colony efficiency. We further derive the conditions under which queen control is evolutionarily stable against invasion by mutant workers who have recovered the ability to lay male eggs.
Incorporating ecological functions in conservation decision making
Authors: Decker Emilia , Linke Simon , Hermoso Virgilio , Geist Juergen
Published: September 2017

Systematic conservation planning has become a standard approach globally, but prioritization of conservation efforts hardly considers species traits in decision making. This can be important for species persistence and thus adequacy of the conservation plan. Here, we developed and validated a novel approach of incorporating trophic information into a systematic conservation planning framework. We demonstrate the benefits of this approach using fish data from Europe's second largest river, the Danube. Our results show that adding trophic information leads to a different spatial configuration of priority areas at no additional cost. This can enhance identification of priority refugia for species in the lower position of the trophic web while simultaneously identifying areas that represent a more diverse species pool. Our methodological approach to incorporating species traits into systematic conservation planning is generally applicable, irrespective of realm, geographical area, and species composition and can potentially lead to more adequate conservation plans.
The CD45+ fraction in murine adipose tissue derived stromal cells harbors immune‐inhibitory inflammatory cells
Authors: Nasti Alessandro , Sakai Yoshio , Seki Akihiro , Buffa Geraldine Belen , Komura Takuya , Mochida Hatsune , Yamato Masatoshi , Yoshida Keiko , Ho Tuyen T. B. , Takamura Masayuki , Usui Soichiro , Wada Takashi , Honda Masao , Kaneko Shuichi
Published: September 2017

Stromal cells in adipose tissue are useful for repair/regenerative therapy as they harbor a substantial number of mesenchymal stem cells; therefore, freshly isolated autologous uncultured adipose tissue derived stromal cells (u‐ADSCs) are useful for regenerative therapy, and obviate the need for mesenchymal stem cells. We evaluated the therapeutic effect of murine u‐ADSCs and sorted subsets of u‐ADSCs in a concanavalin A (ConA) induced murine model of hepatitis, as well as their characteristics. We found that 10–20% of u‐ADSCs expressed the CD45 leukocyte‐related antigen. CD68, which is a marker of macrophages (MΦs), was expressed by 50% of CD45+ u‐ADSCs. About 90% of CD68+CD45+ cells expressed CD206 antigen, which is a marker of inhibitory M2‐type MΦs. Genes related to M2‐type MUs were especially more highly expressed by CD45+CD206+ u‐ADSCs than by CD45− u‐ADSCs. CD45+ u‐ADSCs inhibited the expression of cytokines/chemokines and suppressed the proliferation of splenocytes stimulated with ConA. We observed that not only whole u‐ADSCs, but also the CD45+ subset of u‐ADSCs ameliorated the ConA‐induced hepatitis in mice. In conclusion, we show that freshly isolated murine u‐ADSCs were effective against acute hepatitis, and CD45+ u‐ADSCs acting phenotypically and functionally like M2‐type MΦs, contributed to the repair of liver tissue undergoing inflammation.
Elasticity of Prussian‐Blue‐Analogue Nanoparticles
Authors: Félix Gautier , Mikolasek Mirko , Shepherd Helena J. , Long Jérôme , Larionova Joulia , Guari Yannick , Itié Jean‐Paul , Chumakov Aleksandr I. , Nicolazzi William , Molnár Gábor , Bousseksou Azzedine
Published: September 2017

We report on the elastic properties of Ni/[Fe(CN)6] Prussian‐blue‐analogue nanoparticles investigated by high‐pressure synchrotron X‐ray diffraction and nuclear inelastic scattering. For 3 nm and 115 nm particles, we have obtained bulk moduli of (30.3 ± 3.8) GPa and (24.5 ± 3.2) GPa, with Debye sound velocities of (2496 ± 46) m s–1 and (2407 ± 38) m s–1, respectively. Combining these results, Poisson's ratio, Young's modulus, the shear modulus, and the transversal/longitudinal sound velocities have been calculated for each particle size. All of these physical quantities suggest a stiffening of the lattice when the particle size decreases, which is mainly attributed to the reduction of iron ions on the particle surface.
Biocompatible Polymeric Nanoparticles From Castor Oil Derivatives via Thiol‐Ene Miniemulsion Polymerization
Authors: Cardoso Priscilla B. , Machado Thiago O. , Feuser Paulo E. , Sayer Claudia , Meier Michael A. R. , Araújo Pedro H. H.
Published: September 2017

Biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles are obtained via thiol‐ene polymerization of a biobased monomer in miniemulsion. The α,ω‐diene‐diester monomer is synthesized through esterification reaction of a glycerol derivative, namely 1,3‐propanediol, with 10‐undecenoic acid, a long‐chain diene carboxylic acid. In order to investigate how different monomeric structures behave toward thiol‐ene polymerization in miniemulsion, two types of thiols are investigated: 1,4‐butanedithiol and 2‐mercaptoethyl ether. Poly(thioether‐ester)s with weight average molecular weight up to 15 kDa (Mn) are obtained, depending on initiator concentration and types of surfactant and dithiol employed. Finally, biobased poly(thioether‐ester) nanoparticles are submitted to cytotoxicity and hemolysis analyses. High cell viability and no significant changes in cell morphology are observed after the incubation on murine fibroblast (L929) and human cervical cancer cells (HeLa). Last, hemolysis assays revealed blood compatibility and therefore polymeric nanoparticles have been shown to be a potential alternative drug delivery vector for intravenous administration.

Practical Applications: There is a great demand for polymeric systems that fulfill a number of requirements, such as biodegradability and biocompatibility, for biomedical applications. In this context, biobased polymers obtained from vegetable oils are a very attractive sustainable alternative to fossil‐derived polymeric materials, presenting potential biodegradability and low toxicity. By thiol‐ene reactions, polymeric materials containing ester groups in the main chain—which can undergo hydrolysis—can be prepared in miniemulsion, enabling their degradation in physiological environment and, therefore, being interesting for biomedical applications and material disposal. Such novel materials could be used in temporary implants, tissue engineering, and drug delivery systems.

Biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles are obtained via thiol‐ene polymerization of a biobased monomer in miniemulsion. Nanoparticles revealed to be a potential alternative controlled release drug delivery vector for intravenous administration.
Hydrogen‐Bonding Amidoindoles in the Presence of Anions: An X‐ray Structure of a Receptor at the Acid–Base Half‐Equivalence that Binds an Anion
Authors: Koeller Sylvain , Lescure Marie‐Hélène , Davies Clotilde , Desvergne Jean‐Pierre , Massip Stéphane , Bibal Brigitte
Published: September 2017

Hydrogen‐bonding catalysts based on (thio)amidoindole moieties were evaluated in the presence of anions as potent anion receptors and/or acidic partners involved in acid–base reactions. In particular, we focused on their behavior at the acid–base half‐equivalence point in the presence of basic anions such as fluoride and benzoate salts. Among three isolated X‐ray structures, an amidoindole in the presence of fluoride and hexafluorophosphate salts formed, at the acid–base half‐equivalence point, an unprecedented sandwich complex between two receptors and a PF6– anion.
(Z), Not (E) – An End to a Century of Confusion about the Double‐Bond Stereoisomers of 3‐Amino‐2‐cyanoacrylates
Authors: Donau Søren S. , Bechmann Matthias , Müller Norbert , Nielsen Thorbjørn T. , Wimmer Reinhard
Published: September 2017

Potent and selective myosin inhibitors are of vast scientific interest in the development of treatments for diseases involving myosin dysfunction or overactivity. A novel fungicide, ethyl 2‐cyano‐3‐amino‐3‐phenylacrylate (commercialized as “phenamacril”), was recently identified as an inhibitor of myosin‐5 in F. graminearum. Although the compound has been known since 1900, a general confusion concerning the stereochemical configuration at the exocyclic double bond persists in the literature, thus restricting further drug development of this compound and derivatives. By using NMR and quantum mechanical calculations, this work establishes the stereoconfiguration as the (Z) form and that the effect of a single hydrogen bond is crucial in keeping these types of molecules in a single configuration.
Visible‐Light‐Promoted Arylation Reactions Photocatalyzed by Bismuth(III) Oxide
Authors: Buglioni Laura , Riente Paola , Palomares Emilio , Pericàs Miquel A.
Published: September 2017

Bismuth(III) oxide has been successfully applied as a photocatalyst in the arylation of heteroarenes with diazonium salts. With a low catalyst loading (1 to 5 mol‐%), this cheap and nontoxic semiconductor could efficiently promote the formation of the aryl radical under visible light irradiation. The arylated products are obtained in moderate to good yields, and the process admits straightforward scale‐up (10 mmol; 1 mol‐% Bi2O3). In two cases, the diazonium salt was generated in situ and used in the photocatalytic arylation in a tandem manner. Besides heteroarenes, Bi2O3 also catalyzed the arylation of differently substituted alkenes and alkynes, thus representing a viable and practical alternative to the more commonly used ruthenium complexes and organic dyes.
Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Bisphenol A Using Molybdenum Disulfide/Au Nanorod Composites Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Wang Mingxia , Shi Yifei , Zhang Yubin , Wang Yang , Huang Huayu , Zhang Jiangyi , Song Jinxi
Published: September 2017

Bisphenol A, an important compound that is classified as an environmental hormone, has been proven to have harmful effects on human health and ecology. A molybdenum disulfide/Au nanorod‐modified glassy carbon electrode was prepared as an electrochemical sensor for the detection of bisphenol A using a simple and convenient approach. UV–Vis spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy were employed to characterize the composite. The electrochemical behavior of bisphenol A at the modified electrode was investigated via differential pulse voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry. The results show that bisphenol A exhibits a good electrochemical signal at the modified electrode under optimized conditions, and a good linear relationship was observed between the bisphenol A concentration and peak current within the range of 0.01–50 μM, with a detection limit of 3.4 nM. Furthermore, the fabricated electrodes showed good anti‐interference, reproducibility and stability. The proposed electrochemical method was successfully applied for the detection of bisphenol A in milk and water samples, and its potential for applications in pollutant detection was demonstrated.
Comparison of different solvents for extraction of polyhydroxybutyrate from Cupriavidus necator
Authors: Aramvash Asieh , Moazzeni Zavareh Fatemeh , Gholami Banadkuki Narges
Published: September 2017

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHBs) have attracted much attention due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility properties. The main drawback to the commercial production of them is their high cost. The recovery of PHB from bacterial cytoplasm significantly increases total processing costs. Efficient, economical, and environment‐friendly extraction of PHB from cells is required for its industrial production. In the present study, several nonhalogenated organic solvents (ethylene carbonate, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethyl formamide, hexane, propanol, methanol, and acetic acid) were examined for their efficacy regarding recovery at different temperatures from culture broth containing Cupriavidus necator cells. The highest recovery percentage (98.6%) and product purity (up to 98%) were seen to be those of ethylene carbonate‐assisted extraction at 150°C within 60 min of incubation time. Average molecular weight of the recovered PHB (1.3 × 106) was not significantly affected by the extraction solvent and conditions. The melting point of PHB extracted using ethylene carbonate was measured to be 176.2°C with an enthalpy of fusion of 16.8% and the corresponding degree of crystallinity of 59.2%. NMR and GC analyses confirmed that the extracted biopolymer was PHB. The presented strategy can help researchers to reduce the cost to obtain the final product.
Can sand dunes be used to study historic storm events?
Authors: Bateman Mark D. , Rushby Greg , Stein Sam , Ashurst Robert A. , Stevenson David , Jones Julie M. , Gehrels W. Roland
Published: September 2017

Knowing the long‐term frequency of high magnitude storm events that cause coastal inundation is critical for present coastal management, especially in the context of rising sea levels and potentially increasing frequency and severity of storm events. Coastal sand dunes may provide a sedimentary archive of past storm events from which long‐term frequencies of large storms can be reconstructed. This study uses novel portable optically stimulated luminescence (POSL) profiles from coastal dunes to reconstruct the sedimentary archive of storm and surge activity for Norfolk, UK. Application of POSL profiling with supporting luminescence ages and particle size analysis to coastal dunes provides not only information of dunefield evolution but also on past coastal storms. In this study, seven storm events, two major, were identified from the dune archive spanning the last 140 years. These appear to correspond to historical reports of major storm surges. Dunes appear to be only recording (at least at the sampling resolution used here) the highest storm levels that were associated with significant flooding. As such the approach seems to hold promise to obtain a better understanding of the frequency of large storms by extending the dune archive records further back to times when documentation of storm surges was sparse. © 2017 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The ammonium nitrate explosion at West, Texas: A disaster that could have been avoided
Authors: Babrauskas Vytenis
Published: September 2017

On April 17, 2013, an explosion of ammonium nitrate (AN) fertilizer stored at the West Fertilizer Company resulted in 15 deaths, 260 injuries, and the destruction of a sizable portion of the town. AN fertilizer is classified as an oxidizer, not as an explosive; nonetheless, it is a chemical which can detonate, and there is a century's worth of history of such explosions, some of them in manufacturing operations, but many in storage or transport. A review of incidents showed that 100% of AN fertilizer explosions in storage or transport had a single cause—an uncontrolled fire. Thus, AN fertilizer explosions in storage are preventable accidents, because technology to preclude uncontrollable fires also has been available for a century. In the case of transport accidents, uncontrolled fires may not be avoidable. However, technologies exist that can make AN less likely to explode, and to show greatly reduced explosion intensity, if driven to explosion. None of these safety measures were in place for this disaster. Details of necessary fire safety measures and the effectiveness and utility of existing regulations for AN are examined. This is important because most AN storage facilities in the United States are similarly inadequate in their fire safety.
Frequency‐specific neuromodulation of local and distant connectivity in aging and episodic memory function
Authors: Davis Simon W. , Luber Bruce , Murphy David L.K. , Lisanby Sarah H. , Cabeza Roberto
Published: September 2017

A growing literature has focused on the brain's ability to augment processing in local regions by recruiting distant communities of neurons in response to neural decline or insult. In particular, both younger and older adult populations recruit bilateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) as a means of compensating for increasing neural effort to maintain successful cognitive function. However, it remains unclear how local changes in neural activity affect the recruitment of this adaptive mechanism. To address this problem, we combined graph theoretical measures from functional MRI with diffusion weighted imaging and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to resolve a central hypothesis: how do aged brains flexibly adapt to local changes in cortical activity? Specifically, we applied neuromodulation to increase or decrease local activity in a cortical region supporting successful memory encoding (left dorsolateral PFC or DLPFC) using 5 or 1 Hz rTMS, respectively. We then assessed a region's local within‐module degree, or the distributed between‐module degree (BMD) between distant cortical communities. We predicted that (1) local stimulation‐related deficits may be counteracted by boosting BMD between bilateral PFC, and that this effect should be (2) positively correlated with structural connectivity. Both predictions were confirmed; 5 Hz rTMS increased local success‐related activity and local increases in PFC connectivity, while 1 Hz rTMS decreases local activity and triggered a more distributed pattern of bilateral PFC connectivity to compensate for this local inhibitory effect. These results provide an integrated, causal explanation for the network interactions associated with successful memory encoding in older adults. Hum Brain Mapp 38:5987–6004, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
State enforceability of noncompete agreements: Regulations that stifle productivity!
Authors: Anand Smriti , Hasan Iftekhar , Sharma Priyanka , Wang Haizhi
Published: September 2017

Noncompete agreements (also known as covenants not to compete [CNCs]) are frequently used by many businesses in an attempt to maintain their competitive advantage by safeguarding their human capital and the associated business secrets. Although the choice of whether to include CNCs in employment contracts is made by firms, the real extent of their restrictiveness is determined by the state laws. In this article, we explore the effect of state‐level CNC enforceability on firm productivity. We assert that an increase in state level CNC enforceability is detrimental to firm productivity, and this relationship becomes stronger as comparable job opportunities become more concentrated in a firm's home state. On the other hand, this negative relationship is weakened as employee compensation tends to become more long‐term oriented. Results based on hierarchical linear modeling analysis of 21,134 firm‐year observations for 3,027 unique firms supported all three hypotheses.
Association between theory of mind and mental state talk in preschoolers and later social competence and behaviour
Authors: Barreto Ana Luísa , Osório Ana , Baptista Joana , Fearon Pasco , Martins Carla
Published: September 2017

This study had 2 primary aims: (a) to investigate the concurrent links between preschool‐aged children's theory of mind (ToM) and mental state talk at 55 months and (b) to examine the longitudinal associations between preschool‐aged children's social understanding, as indicated by their ToM, and mental references, and their later social competence and behaviour at 69 months. Participants included 73 children and their mothers. ToM was assessed using a battery that consisted of 6 standardized tasks, and social competence and behaviour were assessed via teacher ratings. We observed an association between children's ToM and their mental state talk, specifically regarding cognition references during interactions with their mothers. Moreover, both children's ToM and mental references were longitudinally related to social competence and behaviour but only in girls. Our results support that ToM, which was assessed using false belief tasks, and the child's tendencies to refer to mental states during everyday interactions are 2 important related markers of children's social understanding and that both are linked to children's social competence and behaviour. The importance of considering gender‐specific effects when investigating children's social cognition is also highlighted.

Highlights

The relationship between preschoolers' social understanding and later social competence is examined.

Both children's theory of mind and mental state talk were associated with later teacher‐rated social competence, but only for girls.

Theory of mind and mental state talk seem to be related markers of children's social understanding, linked to social competence.
Breast conserving therapy and mastectomy revisited: Breast cancer‐specific survival and the influence of prognostic factors in 129,692 patients
Authors: Lagendijk Mirelle , van Maaren Marissa C. , Saadatmand Sepideh , Strobbe Luc J.A. , Poortmans Philip M.P. , Koppert Linetta B. , Tilanus‐Linthorst Madeleine M.A. , Siesling Sabine
Published: September 2017

This large population‐based study compared breast‐conserving surgery with radiation therapy (BCT) with mastectomy on (long‐term) breast cancer‐specific (BCSS) and overall survival (OS), and investigated the influence of several prognostic factors. Patients with primary T1‐2N0‐2M0 breast cancer, diagnosed between 1999 and 2012, were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. We investigated the 1999–2005 (long‐term outcome) and the 2006–2012 cohort (contemporary adjuvant systemic therapy). Cause of death was derived from the Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Multivariable analyses, per time cohort, were performed in T1‐2N0‐2, and separately in T1‐2N0‐1 and T1‐2N2 stages. The T1‐2N0‐1 stages were further stratified for age, hormonal receptor and HER2 status, adjuvant systemic therapy and comorbidity. In total, 129,692 patients were included. In the 1999–2005 cohort, better BCSS and OS for BCT than mastectomy was seen in all subgroups, except in patients < 40 years with T1‐2N0‐1 stage. In the 2006–2012 cohort, superior BCSS and OS were found for T1‐2N0‐1, but not for T1‐2N2. Subgroup analyses for T1‐2N0‐1 showed superior BCSS and OS for BCT in patients >50 years, not treated with chemotherapy and with comorbidity. Both treatments led to similar BCSS in patients <50 years, without comorbidity and those treated with chemotherapy. Although confounding by severity and residual confounding cannot be excluded, this study showed better long‐term BCSS for BCT than mastectomy. Even with more contemporary diagnostics and therapies we identified several subgroups that may benefit from BCT. Our results support the hypothesis that BCT might be preferred in most breast cancer patients when both treatments are suitable.
Blood monocytes sample MelanA/MART1 antigen for long‐lasting cross‐presentation to CD8+T cells after differentiation into dendritic cells
Authors: Faure Florence , Jouve Mabel , Lebhar‐Peguillet Isabelle , Sadaka Charlotte , Sepulveda Fernando , Lantz Olivier , Berre Stefano , Gaudin Raphael , Sánchez‐Ramón Silvia , Amigorena Sebastian
Published: September 2017

Human blood monocytes are very potent to take up antigens. Like macrophages in tissue, they efficiently degrade exogenous protein and are less efficient than dendritic cells (DCs) at cross‐presenting antigens to CD8+ T cells. Although it is generally accepted that DCs take up tissue antigens and then migrate to lymph nodes to prime T cells, the mechanisms of presentation of antigens taken up by monocytes are poorly documented so far. In the present work, we show that monocytes loaded in vitro with MelanA long peptides retain the capacity to stimulate antigen‐specific CD8+ T cell clones after 5 days of differentiation into monocytes‐derived dendritic cells (MoDCs). Tagged‐long peptides can be visualized in electron‐dense endocytic compartments distinct from lysosomes, suggesting that antigens can be protected from degradation for extended periods of time. To address the pathophysiological relevance of these findings, we screened blood monocytes from 18 metastatic melanoma patients and found that CD14+ monocytes from two patients effectively activate a MelanA‐specific CD8 T cell clone after in vitro differentiation into MoDCs. This in vivo sampling of tumor antigen by circulating monocytes might alter the tumor‐specific immune response and should be taken into account for cancer immunotherapy.
Synthesis of dual thermo‐ and pH‐sensitive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid)‐grafted cellulose nanocrystals by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization
Authors: Zeinali Elnaz , Haddadi‐Asl Vahid , Roghani‐Mamaqani Hossein
Published: September 2017

Free and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs)‐grafted block copolymers of acrylic acid and N‐isopropylacrylamide with various poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) block lengths as dual temperature‐ and pH‐sensitive materials were synthesized by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization via an R‐approach method. Controlling lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the products by changing the PNIPAAm block length, addition of CNC, and variation of pH was studied. The free and CNC‐grafted block copolymers were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared and proton nuclear magnetic resonance. LCST of copolymers was measured by dynamic light scattering using their hydrodynamic diameters. The block copolymers reversibly form core–corona structure with PNIPAAm as core and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) as shell above LCST at higher pH values. LCST point shifts to higher temperatures by increasing pH and CNC content and also lowering PNIPAAm block length. By decreasing pH below 4 at certainly low temperatures, PAA becomes core and PNIPAAm forms corona. Thermal behavior of the CNC‐grafted polymers was studied by thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Morphology of the polymer‐grafted CNC was examined by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 231–243, 2018.
Highly Fluorescent Conjugated Copolymers Constructed by Alternating Heterocyclic Diazoles and Alkoxy Benzene
Authors: Chen Chih‐Hsien , Tsai Wu‐Yen , Luo Zi‐Huan
Published: September 2017

Highly fluorescent copolymers Oxa‐Bz and Thia‐Bz consisting of alternating heterocyclic diazole derivative and alkoxy benzene were designed and regioselectively synthesized by the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction with a palladium catalyst. Density functional theory calculation of modeling the repetitive unit suggested the possibility of full conjugation along the polymer chain and the occurrence of intramolecular electron transfer in which the alkoxy benzene moiety was the electron donor and the diazole moiety was the electron acceptor. The extension of conjugation length from the corresponding monomers to the copolymer was confirmed by electrochemical analysis. The redox potentials of the resulting copolymers were significantly reduced in comparison with those of the monomers. The photophysical properties, including absorption and emission spectra, also showed that the energies of the frontier orbitals changed after the covalent bonding between the electron donor and acceptor groups. Moreover, the emission of these two copolymers showed solvent‐dependence, whereby the emission band shifted to longer wavelengths in higher polarity solvents. The fluorescence quantum yields of Oxa‐Bz reached 68% and that of Thia‐Bz 71%. This strong fluorescence might be guaranteed by the rigidity of these copolymers.
Novel aspects and future trends in the use of aqueous two‐phase systems as a bioengineering tool
Authors: González‐Valdez José , Mayolo‐Deloisa Karla , Rito‐Palomares Marco
Published: September 2017

Traditionally, aqueous two‐phase systems (ATPS) have been used as a liquid–liquid extraction technique for the primary recovery and purification of biological samples. The enormous potential of their usage comes with great economical and technical advantages mainly due to the mild physicochemical environment. Nowadays, the use of ATPS as a bioengineering technique is approaching an era where new possibilities are being explored to maximize their use and implementation in the development of novel practical applications and tools. In this context, ‘intelligent’ polymers are being used as phase forming chemicals in ATPS in route to process integration. Extractive fermentation in ATPS is being re‐evaluated with the aim of effectively growing microorganisms while recovering their fermentation products in different phases. ATPS are also being used as a tool for refolding of proteins. There are also several innovative efforts being made towards implementing this bioengineering tool as a continuous process moving away from traditional batch operations. In general, the possibilities of implementing ATPS in different bioprocessing aspects are growing considerably and gaining importance. This review aims to present the novel trends in the use and development of ATPS strategies as complete bioengineering tools and to provide a full perspective of their possibilities in the near future. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
The mean order of sub‐k‐trees of k‐trees
Authors: Stephens Alexander M. , Oellermann Ortrud R.
Published: September 2017

This article focuses on the problem of determining the mean orders of sub‐k‐trees of k‐trees. It is shown that the problem of finding the mean order of all sub‐k‐trees containing a given k‐clique C, can be reduced to the previously studied problem of finding the mean order of subtrees of a tree that contain a given vertex. This problem is extended in two ways. The first of these extensions focuses on the mean order of sub‐k‐trees containing a given sub‐k‐tree. The second extension focuses on the expected number of r‐cliques, , in a randomly chosen sub‐k‐tree containing a fixed sub‐k‐tree X. Sharp lower bounds for both invariants are derived. The article concludes with a study of global mean orders of sub‐k‐trees of a k‐tree. For a k‐tree, from the class of simple‐clique k‐trees, it is shown that the mean order of its sub‐k‐trees is asymptotically equal to the mean subtree order of its dual. For general k‐trees a recursive generating function for the number of sub‐k‐trees of a given k‐tree T is derived.
Study of gas‐phase reactions of NO2+ with aromatic compounds using proton transfer reaction time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Li Jianquan , Du Xubing , Guo Teng , Peng Zhen , Xu Li , Dong Junguo , Cheng Ping , Zhou Zhen
Published: September 2017

The study of ion chemistry involving the NO2+ is currently the focus of considerable fundamental interest and is relevant in diverse fields ranging from mechanistic organic chemistry to atmospheric chemistry. A very intense source of NO2+ was generated by injecting the products from the dielectric barrier discharge of a nitrogen and oxygen mixture upstream into the drift tube of a proton transfer reaction time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (PTR‐TOF‐MS) apparatus with H3O+ as the reagent ion. The NO2+ intensity is controllable and related to the dielectric barrier discharge operation conditions and ratio of oxygen to nitrogen. The purity of NO2+ can reach more than 99% after optimization. Using NO2+ as the chemical reagent ion, the gas‐phase reactions of NO2+ with 11 aromatic compounds were studied by PTR‐TOF‐MS. The reaction rate coefficients for these reactions were measured, and the product ions and their formation mechanisms were analyzed. All the samples reacted with NO2+ rapidly with reaction rate coefficients being close to the corresponding capture ones. In addition to electron transfer producing [M]+, oxygen ion transfer forming [MO]+, and 3‐body association forming [M·NO2]+, a new product ion [M−C]+ was also formed owing to the loss of C═O from [MO]+.This work not only developed a new chemical reagent ion NO2+ based on PTR‐MS but also provided significant interesting fundamental data on reactions involving aromatic compounds, which will probably broaden the applications of PTR‐MS to measure these compounds in the atmosphere in real time.
Alteration of microRNA profiles by a novel inhibitor of human La protein in HBV‐transformed human hepatoma cells
Authors: Pan Jiaqian , Tong Shuangmei , Tang Jing
Published: September 2017

A pyrazolopyridine HBSC11 was previously identified as a novel inhibitor of human La protein with anti‐hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity. However, the underlying mechanism(s) of HBV inhibition by HBSC11 remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the regulation of microRNA (miRNA) by HBSC11 in HBV‐transformed human hepatoma HepG2.2.15 cells using microarray and quantitative real‐time PCR. Target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted and subjected to bioinformatics analysis. Results showed that HBSC11 significantly upregulated the expression of miR‐3912‐5p, miR‐6793‐5p, and miR‐7159‐5p in HepG2.2.15 cells. Target genes of the three miRNAs were mainly involved in the regulation of nucleic acid‐templated transcription, negative regulation of gene expression, nucleic acid binding transcription factor activity and regulation of phosphorylation. In addition, target genes were enriched in certain regulatory pathways related to HBV infection and HBV‐associated disease progression, such as the transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β, Wnt, and p53 signaling. Our study demonstrates the involvement of miR‐3912‐5p, miR‐6793‐5p, and miR‐7159‐5p and the potential modulation of specific pathways (TGF‐β, Wnt, and p53 signaling) in HBSC11‐mediated inhibition of HBV replication. This study provides insight into the molecular mechanism of the action of HBSC11 against HBV infection and will support the development of antiviral drugs targeting La protein.
Candida albicans isolates from a single hospital show low phenotypical specialization
Authors: Boros Enikő , Pfliegler Walter P. , Kovács Renátó , Jakab Ágnes , Majoros László , Barta Zoltán , Pócsi István
Published: September 2017

Candida albicans is the best‐studied opportunistic human pathogenic yeast species, and its virulence factors, susceptibility to antimycotics, the diversity of its physiological properties and the determinative factors of these traits are interesting from a clinical as well as from an evolutionary perspective. By applying statistical modeling for the phenotypical differences observed among a collection of 63 C. albicans isolates originating from different clinical care units, from a diverse group of patients with or without mycosis, collected in a Hungarian clinic, we found that (i) host‐related aspects like anatomical source, care unit of isolation, patients’ age, sex, and disease severity, or ABC genotypes of the isolates had less effect on the phenotypic features of this opportunistic pathogen than host‐independent aspects, for example, year or month of isolation; (ii) different phenotypic traits did not show any significant correlations with each other; and (iii) different genotypes displayed no anatomical specialization and rarely showed any significant correlation with parameters of isolation either. These results shed light on the dynamic nature and low specialization of the C. albicans populations observable in a narrow geographic range, namely in the patients hospitalized in the different care units of the clinic.
Observational uncertainty and regional climate model evaluation: A pan‐European perspective
Authors: Kotlarski Sven , Szabó Péter , Herrera Sixto , Räty Olle , Keuler Klaus , Soares Pedro M. , Cardoso Rita M. , Bosshard Thomas , Pagé Christian , Boberg Fredrik , Gutiérrez José M. , Isotta Francesco A. , Jaczewski Adam , Kreienkamp Frank , Liniger Mark A. , Lussana Cristian , Pianko‐Kluczyńska Krystyna
Published: September 2017

The influence of uncertainties in gridded observational reference data on regional climate model (RCM) evaluation is quantified on a pan‐European scale. Three different reference data sets are considered: the coarse‐resolved E‐OBS data set, a compilation of regional high‐resolution gridded products (HR) and the European‐scale MESAN reanalysis. Five high‐resolution ERA‐Interim‐driven RCM experiments of the EURO‐CORDEX initiative are evaluated against each of these references over eight European sub‐regions and considering a range of performance metrics for mean daily temperature and daily precipitation. The spatial scale of the evaluation is 0.22°, that is, the grid spacing of the coarsest data set in the exercise (E‐OBS). While the three reference grids agree on the overall mean climatology, differences can be pronounced over individual regions. These differences partly translate into RCM evaluation uncertainty. For most cases observational uncertainty is smaller than RCM uncertainty. Nevertheless, for individual sub‐regions and performance metrics observational uncertainty can dominate. This is especially true for precipitation and for metrics targeting the wet‐day frequency, the pattern correlation and the distributional similarity. In some cases the spatially averaged mean bias can also be considerably affected. An illustrative ranking exercise highlights the overall effect of observational uncertainty on RCM ranking. Over individual sub‐domains, the choice of a specific reference can modify RCM ranks by up to four levels (out of five RCMs). For most cases, however, RCM ranks are stable irrespective of the reference. These results provide a twofold picture: model uncertainty dominates for most regions and for most performance metrics considered, and observational uncertainty plays a minor role. For individual cases, however, observational uncertainty can be pronounced and needs to be definitely taken into account. Results can, to some extent, also depend on the treatment of precipitation undercatch in the observational reference.
Evaluation of Grenache, Graciano and Tempranillo grape stilbene content after field applications of elicitors and nitrogen compounds
Authors: Portu Javier , López Rosa , Ewald Philipp , Santamaría Pilar , Winterhalter Peter , Garde‐Cerdán Teresa
Published: September 2017

BACKGROUND

Stilbenes have a significant biological activity and are one of the most important non‐flavonoid contributors to grape and wine health‐related properties. The accumulation of this class of compounds could be favored by viticultural practices such as the application of biostimulants. However, stilbene concentration also depends on several factors, including, for example, grape variety. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the influence of foliar treatments carried out with elicitors (methyl jasmonate (MeJ) and a commercial foliar spray (YD)) and nitrogen compounds (phenylalanine and urea) on the grape stilbene composition of three varieties: Grenache, Graciano and Tempranillo. An ultra‐high‐pressure liquid chromatographic methodology was validated for stilbene determination.

RESULTS

Results showed that, despite the huge influence of the grape variety, YD significantly improved stilbene composition in Grenache and Graciano, while MeJ increased the stilbene content in Graciano and Tempranillo. As for the nitrogen treatments, phenylalanine significantly increased the stilbene concentration in Graciano, while urea treatment increased it in Tempranillo. However, the application of elicitors had a greater effect than the nitrogen compounds.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the foliar application of the elicitors could be a suitable practice for increasing the amount of stilbenes in grape and, therefore, its nutraceutical properties. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of Peri‐urban Development and Lithology on Streamflow in a Mediterranean Catchment
Authors: Ferreira Carla S.S. , Walsh Rory P.D. , Steenhuis Tammo S. , Ferreira António J.D.
Published: September 2017

Predicting the impact of urbanization on the hydrology of peri‐urban catchments remains a challenge. Using data from nine streamflow gauges installed in a small Portuguese catchment, this study investigates the streamflow responses over a 3‐year period. The catchment comprises unique nested sub‐catchments, characterized by varying proportions of non‐urban land‐use (17–97%) and impermeable surfaces (6–36%), distances between the urban areas and the stream network and storm drainage systems (piped versus dispersed) and overlying distinct lithologies consisting of sandstone and limestone.

The results show that in the peri‐urban catchment (39% urban and 22% impervious surfaces) most water infiltrated and annual storm runoff varied between 9% and 13% of rainfall. In urban sub‐catchments (≈50% urban), 29% of rainfall became storm runoff on sandstone and 17% on limestone. In sub‐catchments with more than 80% forest, storm runoff coefficients were averaged 6% independent of the lithology. Sub‐catchments with storm runoff drainage systems and downslope urban areas had shorter response times (<20 min) than dispersed urban sub‐catchments, in which part of the runoff infiltrated, and the response time was up to 1 h. Baseflow contributed between 25–33% upstream and 37–38% downstream of the sandstone total runoff, but was less than 5% in limestone areas independent of location. Hydrological impacts of urbanization may be minimized in planning through disconnecting the urban areas from the stream network, thereby enabling runoff from impervious areas to infiltrate into the soil in downstream forest patches before reaching the stream. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Weighted estimates for fractional integral operators on central Morrey spaces
Authors: Komori‐Furuya Yasuo , Sato Enji
Published: September 2017

We prove weighted estimates for fractional integral operators on central Morrey spaces. Our result covers the weighted theorem by De Napoli, Drelichman and Durán (2011). Our proof is different from theirs.