bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rapid measurement of indole levels in Brassica vegetables using one millilitre binary organic extraction solvent and capillary electrophoresis‐UV analysis
Authors: Suparman  , Inpota Prawpan , Phonchai Apichai , Wilairat Prapin , Chantiwas Rattikan 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIntroductionBrassica vegetables contain high levels of indole compounds which have been found to provide health benefits, especially as cancer‐preventive agents. An efficient and rapid method using solvent extraction with capillary electrophoresis (CE) and ultraviolet (UV) detection was developed for the determination of four major indoles from four types of Brassica vegetables.Materials and MethodsFreeze‐dried samples of four Brassica vegetables, i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage and cabbage, were selected. Hence, 1 mL of the binary solvent dimethylformamide (DMF)–methanol, 4:1 (v/v), was used for sample extraction. The extracts were diluted with the running buffer and directly analysed using CE with UV detection of four indole compounds.ResultsThe binary solvent DMF–methanol, 4:1 (v/v) was selected from studies of the extraction efficiency of standard indoles spiked in ivy gourd (as the negative control sample) and using diphenylamine as the internal standard. Recovery was 80(±10)–120(±3)% for the four indoles: indole‐3‐carbinol (I3C), indole‐3‐acetonitrile (I3A), indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA), and 3,3′‐diindolylmethane (DIM). For direct analysis suitable dilution of the extract with the running buffer was required. The linear range of the quantitation is 0.75–25.0 μg/mL, limit of detection (LOD) of 0.14–0.52 μg/mL and r2 > 0.998. The amount of indole in the Brassica vegetables are in the order I3C > > IAA, I3A > DIM.ConclusionA rapid method for extraction and quantitation of four indoles in four Brassica vegetables using CE with UV detection was developed. It has the potential as an efficient technique for generating data for use in agricultural and nutritional studies.
Impact of pre‐exposure time bias in self‐controlled case series when the event conditions the exposure: Hip/femur fracture and use of benzodiazepines as a case study
Authors: Requena Gema , Douglas Ian J. , Huerta Consuelo , de Abajo Francisco 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundIn self‐controlled case series (SCCS), the event should not condition the probability of subsequent exposure. If this assumption is not met, an important bias could take place. The association of hip/femur fracture (HFF) and use of benzodiazepines (BDZ) has a bidirectional causal relationship and can serve as case study to investigate the impact of this methodological issue.ObjectivesTo assess the magnitude of bias introduced in a SCCS when HFF conditions the posterior exposure to BDZ and explore ways to correct it.MethodsFour thousand four hundred fifty cases of HFF who had at least one BZD prescription were selected from the primary care health record database BIFAP. Exposure to BZD was divided into non‐use, current, recent, and past use. Conditional Poisson regression was used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of HFF among current vs non‐use/past, adjusted for age. To investigate possible event‐exposure dependence, a pre‐exposure time of different lengths (15, 30, and 60 days) was excluded from the reference category to evaluate the IRR.ResultsIRR of HHF for current use was 0.79 (0.72‐0.86); removing 30 days, IRR was 1.43 (1.31‐1.57). Removing 15 days, IRR was 1.29 (1.18‐1.41), and removing 60 days, IRR was 1.56 (1.42‐1.72). A pre‐exposure period up to 182 days was necessary to remove such effect giving an IRR of 1.64 (1.48‐1.81).ConclusionsHFF remarkably conditioned the use of BDZs resulting in seriously biased IRRs when this association was studied through a SCCS design. The use of pre‐exposure periods of different lengths helped to correct this error.
Development of advanced hydrogenation processes for silicon solar cells via an improved understanding of the behaviour of hydrogen in silicon
Authors: Hallam Brett J. , Hamer Phill G. , Ciesla née Wenham Alison M. , Chan Catherine E. , Vicari Stefani Bruno , Wenham Stuart 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe understanding and development of advanced hydrogenation processes for silicon solar cells are presented. Hydrogen passivation is incorporated into virtually all silicon solar cells, yet the properties of hydrogen in silicon are still poorly understood. This is largely due to the complex behaviour of hydrogen in silicon and its ability to exist in many different forms in the lattice. For commercial solar cells, hydrogen is introduced into the device through the deposition of hydrogen‐containing dielectric layers and the subsequent metallisation firing process. This process can readily passivate structural defects such as grain boundaries but is ineffective at passivating numerous defects in silicon solar cells such as the boron‐oxygen complex, responsible for light‐induced degradation in p‐type Czochralski silicon. This difficulty is due to the need to first form the boron‐oxygen defect and also due to atomic hydrogen naturally occupying low‐mobility and low‐reactivity charge states. However, these challenges can be overcome using advanced hydrogenation processes incorporating excess carrier generation from illumination or current injection that increase the concentration of the highly mobile and reactive neutral charge state. As a result, after fast firing, additional low‐temperature advanced hydrogenation processes incorporating illumination can be implemented to enable the passivation of difficult defects like the boron‐oxygen complex. With the implementation of such processes for industrial silicon solar cells, efficiency improvements of 1.1% absolute can be obtained.
Tuning the thermal properties of poly(ethylene)‐like poly(esters) by copolymerization of ε‐caprolactone with macrolactones, in the presence of a pyridylamidozinc(II) complex
Authors: Naddeo Marco , D'Auria Ilaria , Viscusi Gianluca , Gorrasi Giuliana , Pellecchia Claudio , Pappalardo Daniela 
Published: January 2020

ABSTRACTLinear aliphatic poly(ester)s, as thermoplastic materials, are more and more envisaged as the potential “green” alternative to traditional plastics. Aliphatic polyesters having long methylene chain behave as “polyethylene‐like” materials and can be prepared by ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of macrolactones. A pyridylamidozinc(II) complex was used for the ROP of ε‐caprolactone (CL) and of two large ring size lactones, the ω‐6‐hexadecenlactone (6HDL) and the ω‐pentadecalactone (PDL). High turnover frequencies were observed for the CL polymerization, while for the macrolactones, an entropy‐driven behavior was recognized. Random copolymerizations of the PDL with 6HDL and of the macrolactones with CL were successfully achieved, and the copolymer microstructure was ascertained by NMR and MALDI analyses. The copolymer melting temperatures, measured by DSC, and the thermal degradation behavior, studied by TGA in nitrogen and air atmosphere, were dependent on the copolymer's composition. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci.2020,58, 528–539
Aqueous synthesis of sialylglycopeptide‐grafted glycopolymers with high affinity for the lectin and the influenza virus hemagglutinin
Authors: Tsuji Sotaro , Aso Yuji , Ohara Hitomi , Tanaka Tomonari 
Published: January 2020

ABSTRACTGlycopolymers with pendant complex‐type sialyl N‐glycans containing heptapeptides, that is, sialylglycopeptides (SGPs), were synthesized using a water soluble polymer backbone bearing N‐hydroxysulfosuccinimidyl esters by post‐polymerization modification in water. Although SGP has three amino groups on the peptide chain, the substitution reaction occurs preferentially at the N‐terminus α‐amino group in the lysine residue onto the polymer side chain because the reactivity of such α‐amino group is higher than that of the ε‐amino group in the lysine residue under mild acidic aqueous condition. The resulting SGP‐grafted glycopolymers exhibited strong interaction with the lectin Sambucus sieboldiana agglutinin and the human influenza A virus hemagglutinin, with higher binding associate constant values than those of free saccharide according to quartz crystal microbalance analysis. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. 2020, 58, 548–556
Theoretical and experimental studies on the thermal decomposition and fire‐extinguishing performance of cis‐1,1,1,4,4,4‐hexafluoro‐2‐butene
Authors: Wang Yue , Wang Xingyu , Zhang Xiao , Fu Haolun , Tan Zhaoyang , Zhang Haijun 
Published: January 2020

AbstractDue to the environmental problems caused by the existing Halon substitutes, it is essential to explore new extinguishants with better environmental friendliness. In this study, in order to evaluate the practicability of cis‐1,1,1,4,4,4‐hexafluoro‐2‐butene (HFO‐1336mzz(Z)) as a potential Halon substitution product, the thermal decomposition mechanism and fire‐extinguishing performance of HFO‐1336mzz(Z) were studied by using density functional theory calculation and experimental analysis. The computational results show that thermal decomposition of HFO‐1336mzz(Z) would result in some products that can further react with active OH˙ and H˙ radicals, which are indispensable reactants in the flame and combustion. Moreover, during the interaction between HFO‐1336mzz(Z) and flame, the fire‐extinguishing radical CF3˙ would be produced, indicating the chemical‐extinguishing mechanism and the pronounced fire‐extinguishing performance of HFO‐1336mzz(Z). To explore its actual fire‐extinguishing effect, the fire‐extinguishing concentration (FEC) of HFO‐1336mzz(Z) on methane‐air flame was measured in cup‐burner. The FEC value of HFO‐1336mzz(Z) is 6.84% in volume, which is lower than those of HFC‐125 and HFC‐116, and is slightly higher than that of HFC‐236fa. Both the experimental and theoretical results suggest that HFO‐1336mzz(Z) can be a promising candidate for Halon substitute.
Descriptor state‐bounding observer design for positive Markov jump linear systems with sensor faults: Simultaneous state and faults estimation
Authors: Song Xiaoqi , Lam James , Chen Xiaoming , Zhu Bohao 
Published: January 2020

SummaryThis article presents a descriptor observer design approach for positive Markov jump linear systems subject to interval parameter uncertainties and sensor faults. First, by taking the sensor fault term as an auxiliary state, an augmented descriptor system is constructed. A pair of positive observers with state‐bounding feature is then proposed, which enables simultaneous estimation of the system state and sensor faults. A necessary and sufficient condition on existence of the desired state‐bounding observer is derived by considering positivity and robust mean exponential stability of corresponding observer error dynamics. An iterative optimization algorithm is developed for the computation of the optimized observer matrices. Finally, a numerical example is presented to show the validity of the proposed methods.
Effects of High Pressure Processing on Common Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.): Cotyledon Structure, Starch Characteristics, and Phytates and Tannins Contents
Authors: Belmiro Ricardo Henrique , Tribst Alline Artigiani Lima , Cristianini Marcelo 
Published: January 2020

AbstractHigh pressure processing (HPP) is an emerging technology capable of promoting structural changes in food. This work studies the effect of HPP at room temperature (50 MPa/1 or 10 min and 600 MPa/1 min) on the cotyledon structure, starch characteristics, tannins, and phytates of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The results show that all process conditions promote a partial disruption of the bean parenchymal cells, minor reduction in birefringence under polarized light microscopy and, for samples processed at 600 MPa for 1 min, a small reduction in the crystallinity intensity is observed. Moreover, the processes are able to reduce up to 40% of the tannin content but cause no loss of phytates. Thus, HPP can be used as a unit operation to improve the nutritional value of common beans and to enhance the exposure of starch granules, which possibly increases bean susceptibility to hydration/dehydration/cooking processes, allowing the production of easy‐to‐cook beans.
Potential Genes Related to Levofloxacin Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Based on Transcriptome and Methylome Overlap Analysis
Authors: Li Hai-cheng , Guo Hui-xin , Chen Tao , Wang Wei , Wu Zhu-hua , Chen Liang , Wu Hui-zhong , Xu Gao-po , Chen Xun-xun , Zhou Lin 
Published: January 2020

AbstractDrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) has become an increasingly serious public health problem and has complicated tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Levofloxacin (LOF) is an ideal anti-tuberculosis drug in clinical applications. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms of LOF-resistant M. tuberculosis in TB treatment have not been revealed. Our study performed transcriptome and methylome sequencing to investigate the potential biological characteristics of LOF resistance in M. tuberculosis H37Rv. In the transcriptome analysis, 953 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified; 514 and 439 DEGs were significantly downregulated and upregulated in the LOF-resistant group and control group, respectively. The KEGG pathway analysis revealed that 97 pathways were enriched in this study. In the methylome analysis, 239 differentially methylated genes (DMGs) were identified; 150 and 89 DMGs were hypomethylated and hypermethylated in the LOF-resistant group and control group, respectively. The KEGG pathway analysis revealed that 74 pathways were enriched in this study. The overlap study suggested that 25 genes were obtained. It was notable that nine genes expressed downregulated mRNA and upregulated methylated levels, including pgi, fadE4, php, cyp132, pckA, rpmB1, pfkB, acg, and ctpF, especially cyp132, pckA, and pfkB, which were vital in LOF-resistant M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The overlapping genes between transcriptome and methylome could be essential for studying the molecular mechanisms of LOF-resistant M. tuberculosis H37Rv. These results may provide informative evidence for TB treatment with LOF.
Epigenetic regulation of human papillomavirus transcription in the productive virus life cycle
Authors: Burley Megan , Roberts Sally , Parish Joanna L. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractHuman papillomaviruses (HPV) are a large family of viruses which contain a circular, double-stranded DNA genome of approximately 8000 base pairs. The viral DNA is chromatinized by the recruitment of cellular histones which are subject to host cell–mediated post-translational epigenetic modification recognized as an important mechanism of virus transcription regulation. The HPV life cycle is dependent on the terminal differentiation of the target cell within epithelia—the keratinocyte. The virus life cycle begins in the undifferentiated basal compartment of epithelia where the viral chromatin is maintained in an epigenetically repressed state, stabilized by distal chromatin interactions between the viral enhancer and early gene region. Migration of the infected keratinocyte towards the surface of the epithelium induces cellular differentiation which disrupts chromatin looping and stimulates epigenetic remodelling of the viral chromatin. These epigenetic changes result in enhanced virus transcription and activation of the virus late promoter facilitating transcription of the viral capsid proteins. In this review article, we discuss the complexity of virus- and host-cell-mediated epigenetic regulation of virus transcription with a specific focus on differentiation-dependent remodelling of viral chromatin during the HPV life cycle.
Alien limb in the corticobasal syndrome: phenomenological characteristics and relationship to apraxia
Authors: Lewis-Smith David J. , Wolpe Noham , Ghosh Boyd C. P. , Rowe James B. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAlien limb refers to movements that seem purposeful but are independent of patients’ reported intentions. Alien limb often co-occurs with apraxia in the corticobasal syndrome, and anatomical and phenomenological comparisons have led to the suggestion that alien limb and apraxia may be causally related as failures of goal-directed movements. Here, we characterised the nature of alien limb symptoms in patients with the corticobasal syndrome (n = 30) and their relationship to limb apraxia. Twenty-five patients with progressive supranuclear palsy Richardson syndrome served as a disease control group. Structured examinations of praxis, motor function, cognition and alien limb were undertaken in patients attending a regional specialist clinic. Twenty-eight patients with corticobasal syndrome (93%) demonstrated significant apraxia and this was often asymmetrical, with the left hand preferentially affected in 23/30 (77%) patients. Moreover, 25/30 (83%) patients reported one or more symptoms consistent with alien limb. The range of these phenomena was broad, including changes in the sense of ownership and control as well as unwanted movements. Regression analyses showed no significant association between the severity of limb apraxia and either the occurrence of an alien limb or the number of alien limb phenomena reported. Bayesian estimation showed a low probability for a positive association between alien limb and apraxia, suggesting that alien limb phenomena are not likely to be related to severity apraxia. Our results shed light on the phenomenology of these disabling and as yet untreatable clinical features, with relevance to theoretical models of voluntary action.
Self-prioritization during stimulus processing is not obligatory
Authors: Caughey Siobhan , Falbén Johanna K. , Tsamadi Dimitra , Persson Linn M. , Golubickis Marius , Neil Macrae C. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAn emerging literature has suggested that self-relevance automatically enhances stimulus processing (i.e., the self-prioritization effect). Specifically, during shape–label matching tasks, geometric shapes associated with the self are identified more rapidly than comparable stimuli paired with other targets (e.g., friend, stranger). Replicating and extending work that challenges the putative automaticity of this effect, here we hypothesized that self-relevance facilitates stimulus processing only when task sets draw attention to previously formed shape–label associations in memory. The results of a shape-classification task confirmed this prediction. Compared to shapes associated with a friend, those paired with the self were classified more rapidly when participants were required to report who the stimulus denoted (i.e., self or friend). In contrast, self-relevance failed to facilitate performance when participants judged either what the shape was (i.e., triangle or square, diamond or circle) or where it was located on the screen (i.e., above or below fixation). These findings further elucidate the conditions under which self-relevance does—and does not—influence stimulus processing.
Environmental deterioration in rapid urbanisation: evidence from assessment of ecosystem service value in Wujiang, Suzhou
Authors: Yu Li , Lyu Yinchao , Chen Chun , Choguill Charles L. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractLand use change is the most prominent feature of Chinese urbanisation. In China, the expansion of land consumed for urban development is inevitable given the rapid increases in the urban economy and urban population, but also in meeting the population’s increasing demand for better quality of life. This paper is based on a research study of Wujiang district in Suzhou, which is considered representative of many of the rapid urbanisation areas within the nation. The objective is to develop an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of land use change and how this change contributes to environmental deterioration, as assessed by changes in the ecosystem service value (ESV). In this study, ESV is defined as the environmental products and functions provided for human well-being. Based on local planning documents, Landsat TM remote-sensing images and field surveys, the research analyses the cost to the environment when traditional land uses are transformed into urbanisation. The research demonstrates that conversion to urban land use which ignores the limit and capacity of the environment can generate significant environmental costs, as assessed by ESV, which in turn, can lead to a deterioration of quality of life for inhabitants, the exact opposite of the original intention. The research demonstrates that by mapping the spatial distribution of ecological service values, ESV can be used as a guide to urban sustainable development.
Anti-Immigration Backlashes as Constraints
Authors: Del Savio Lorenzo 
Published: January 2020

AbstractMigration often causes what I refer to in this paper as ‘anti-immigration backlashes’ in receiving countries. Such reactions have substantial costs in terms of the undermining of national solidarity and the diffusion of political distrust. In short, anti-immigration backlashes can threaten the social and political stability of receiving countries. Do such risks constitute a reason against permissive immigration policies which are otherwise desirable? I argue that a positive answer may depend on a skeptical view based on the alleged constraints that certain political facts - especially facts about human nature - pose on political intervention. This view does not stand conceptual and empirical scrutiny in the case of anti-immigration backlashes, where feasibility comes in degree. Yet focusing on the recalcitrance to change of these facts is practically important when devising action plans. This pragmatic core of the skeptical view yields a gradualist and naturalistic way of thinking about constraints in political theorising about migration, and elsewhere.
Algorithm for filling curves on surfaces
Authors: Kudlinska Monika 
Published: January 2020

AbstractLet $$\varSigma $$
Σ
be a compact, orientable surface of negative Euler characteristic, and let h be a complete hyperbolic metric on $$\varSigma $$
Σ
. A geodesic curve $$\gamma $$
γ
in $$\varSigma $$
Σ
is filling if it cuts the surface into topological disks and annuli. We propose an efficient algorithm for deciding whether a geodesic curve, represented as a word in some generators of $$\pi _1(\varSigma )$$

π
1

(
Σ
)

, is filling. In the process, we find an explicit bound for the combinatorial length of a curve given by its Dehn–Thurston coordinate, in terms of the hyperbolic length. This gives us an efficient method for producing a collection which is guaranteed to contain all words corresponding to simple geodesics of bounded hyperbolic length.
Temperature-induced storage quality changes in pumpkin and safflower cold-pressed oils
Authors: Banaś Joanna , Maciejaszek Ireneusz , Surówka Krzysztof , Zawiślak Agnieszka 
Published: January 2020

AbstractCold-pressed pumpkin and safflower seeds oils were stored at 2 ± 1 °C, 20 ± 1 °C and 40 ± 1 °C for 8 weeks. Measurements of lipid quality parameters were performed every 2 weeks. Throughout storage the emission and synchronous fluorimetric spectra of investigated oils were registered and colour L*, a*, b* parameters were determined. It was found that pumpkin oil, regardless of storage temperature, maintains high quality over the entire examined period. Safflower oil demonstrated relatively low oxidative stability, especially when stored at 20 and 40 °C. Evaluated activation energy of oxidation was 82.9 and 36.5 kJ/mol for pumpkin seed and safflower oil, respectively. Emission spectra determined the nature of changes occurring in investigated oils at all storage temperatures. Registered synchronous spectra connected with the principal component analysis (PCA) allowed the crucial factors influencing the oil quality to be identified. In addition, regression models were used to determine the parameters causing the observed colour changes of the examined products.