bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of Porana sinensis Hemsl by UHPLC‐Q‐Exactive MS, TLC autographic method and DART‐MS
Authors: Chen Zhiyong , Wang Mengmeng , Yang Yuanyuan , Du Xia , Zhang Zijia , Li Ye 
Published: December 2018

AbstractIntroductionErycibe obtusifolia and E. schmidtii are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis. With the reduction of wild E. obtusifolia and E. schmidtii resources, Porana sinensis has been widely used as a substitute. However, few studies have been conducted on the chemical composition and quality control of P. sinensis.ObjectiveTo clarify the chemical composition and improve the quality control of P. sinensis.MethodologyWe developed an ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation Q‐Exactive Focus tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐ESI‐Q‐Exactive Focus‐MS/MS) method to characterise the chemical constituents of P. sinensis. A strategy based on a combination of high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography (HPTLC) and direct analysis in real‐time (DART) ion source was proposed for the identification of alkaloid components in P. sinensis. Thin‐layer chromatography (TLC) autography for 2,2′‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH˙) and TLC bioautography for xanthine oxidase were used to rapidly screen marker compounds for high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) determination of P. sinensis. Based on the selected marker compounds, a HPLC method for the quantitative determination of eight marker compounds in P. sinensis was developed.ResultsEighteen compounds in P. sinensis were identified by UHPLC‐Q‐Exactive MS. Taken together with the results of TLC autography and TLC bioautography, eight compounds were chosen as marker compounds for HPLC determination of P. sinensis. The alkaloid components in P. sinensis were identified as Baogongteng A and Baogongteng C by DART‐MS.ConclusionWe systematically clarified the chemical composition of P. sinensis for the first time, and potentially improved its quality control. These results should promote the application of P. sinensis as a new resource for Caulis Erycibes.
Melt electrowriting of electroactive poly(vinylidene difluoride) fibers
Authors: Florczak Sammy , Lorson Thomas , Zheng Tian , Mrlik Miroslav , Hutmacher Dietmar W , Higgins Michael J , Luxenhofer Robert , Dalton Paul D 
Published: December 2018

AbstractPoly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) has piezoelectric properties suitable for numerous applications such as flexible electronics, sensing and biomedical materials. In this study, individual fibers with diameters ranging from 17 to 55 µm were processed using melt electrowriting (MEW). Electroactive PVDF fibers can be fabricated via MEW, while the polymer can remain molten for up to 10 h without noticeable changes in the resulting fiber diameter. MEW processing parameters for PVDF were investigated, including applied voltage, pressure and temperature. A rapid fiber characterization methodology for MEW that automatically determines the fiber diameters from camera images taken of microscope slides was developed and validated. The outputs from this approach followed previous MEW processing trends already identified with different polymers, although overestimation of fiber diameters <25 µm was observed. The transformation of the PVDF crystalline phase to the electroactive β phase was confirmed using piezo‐force microscopy and revealed that the PVDF fibers possess piezoelectric responses showing d33 ≈ 19 pm V–1. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
A Surface Study of Ultrathin Ceria Nanoparticles Decorated with Transition‐Metal Ions
Authors: Fridman Helena , Diab Mahmud , Volokh Michael , Shames Alexander I. , Kolusheva Sofiya , Mokari Taleb 
Published: December 2018

AbstractA wide range of nanoparticle properties can be tuned by changing their surface characteristics, especially when dealing with ultrathin nanomaterials. Surface modification with transition‐metal ions may affect a variety of the nanoparticles' properties including the surface charge, the electronic structure, and the electrical and optical characteristics. In this work, a surface study of ceria nanoparticles modified by attachment of various transition‐metal ions to their surface is conducted. Characterization of the decorated particles as well as of the modifying transition‐metal ion is carried out using zeta potential in organic solution, UV–Vis absorption, and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements, together with isothermal titration calorimetry, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. All measurements confirm the attachment of the cation to the surface of ceria, both in solid state and in colloidal suspension. It is suggested that the modifying ion‐complex attaches to ceria both via chemical or strong physical interactions and weak physical interactions, demonstrated by a case‐study modification of ceria using a copper‐oleylamine complex. The metalization has a significant effect on the surface charge of the nanoparticles by shifting the zeta potential to more positive values and on the optical properties of the modifying transition‐metal ions by red‐shifting their absorption peak.
Emission Spectroscopy of the Combustion Flame of Aluminium/Copper Oxide Thermite
Authors: Knapp Sebastian , Kelzenberg Stefan , Raab Angelika , Roth Evelin , Weiser Volker 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe combustion process of stoichiometric aluminium/copper(II)oxide thermite was experimentally investigated in an optical bomb under inert atmosphere (N2) and ambient pressure. The reaction zone was monitored with UV/VIS emission spectroscopy and a colour high‐speed camera. The emission spectra were analysed by modelling of the background radiation and the characteristic emission of all molecular emitters in the reaction of Al/CuO. Based on this, the particles′ surface and gas phase temperature, the emissivity and the radiation of energy was determined by a non‐linear least squares fit between experimental and modelled spectra. This work presents the first modelling of the diatomic band system of Cu2 and CuO. The results obtained can help to understand the underlying processes in thermite combustion and the influence of radiation processes in modelling the combustion of thermite mixtures.
Donor‐acceptor interactions: Transition metal carbonyl group ligand [TM(CO)6]qcomplexes. A case study at correlated level from the topological density point of view
Authors: Bochicchio Roberto C. , Lobayan Rosana M. , del Valle Carlos Pérez 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe analysis ofd6transition metal (TM)‐ligand (L) interactions between one metallic atom and several carbonyl group ligands complexes[TM(CO)6]q(qnet ionic charge) for the transition metal isoelectronic series,TM = Ti,V,Cr,Mn,Feis presented within the framework of the local and nonlocal topological analysis electron density point of view using its natural decomposition into pairing and unpairing contributions. The driving idea of this analysis is the relationship between the molecular orbitalσ‐,π‐donation for the description of the rearrangement and the existence of complex binding interactions of two or four electron over three centers type, (2e‐3c), (4e‐3c). This study reveals the formation of (4e‐3c) complex patterns for theCO‐TMmoieties which coexists withπ‐donation carried out by theTM.
Vibrational spectroscopic study on the phase transition of water in nanospaces and at interfaces
Authors: Yui Hiroharu , Morisaku Toshinori , Suzuki Akira 
Published: December 2018

Phase transition of water confined in nanospaces with charged inner‐surfaces was investigated by vibrational spectroscopy. Aerosol sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles give a series of spherical nanospaces with controlled inner‐radius (Rw) with nanometer‐scale precision. Successive spectroscopic measurements of the confined water with decreasing temperature revealed that the water freezes to metastable cubic ice (Ic) coexisting with super‐cooled water or unstable amorphous ice at the Rw ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 nm. When Rw exceeded 2.0 nm, stable hexagonal ice (Ih) dominated. The drastic change of the dominant ice structure with the increase of 1 nm in Rw shows that the thickness of water layers affected by the inner surface can be estimated to be ~1 nm, where three or four layers of water hydrated to the surface. It is worth noting that the clear phase transition behavior of the confined water vanishes at Rw = 1.2 nm and that the gradual formation of Ic and coexistence of super‐cooled water or glassy state of water are detected. The range of the effective interaction between interfacial water and the charged inner surfaces and the mechanism of the extremely slow phase transition were also discussed.
Cancer Immunotherapy of TLR4 Agonist–Antigen Constructs Enhanced with Pathogen‐Mimicking Magnetite Nanoparticles and Checkpoint Blockade of PD‐L1
Authors: Traini Giordano , Ruiz‐de‐Angulo Ane , Blanco‐Canosa Juan Bautista , Zamacola Bascarán Kepa , Molinaro Antonio , Silipo Alba , Escors David , Mareque‐Rivas Juan C. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractDespite the tremendous potential of Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonists in vaccines, their efficacy as monotherapy to treat cancer has been limited. Only some lipopolysaccharides (LPS) isolated from particular bacterial strains or structures like monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) derived from lipooligosaccharide (LOS), avoid toxic overactivation of innate immune responses while retaining adequate immunogenicity to act as adjuvants. Here, different LOS structures are incorporated into nanoparticle‐filled phospholipid micelles for efficient vaccine delivery and more potent cancer immunotherapy. The structurally unique LOS of the plant pathogen Xcc is incorporated into phospholipid micelles encapsulating iron oxide nanoparticles, producing stable pathogen‐mimicking nanostructures suitable for targeting antigen presenting cells in the lymph nodes. The antigen is conjugated via a hydrazone bond, enabling rapid, easy‐to‐monitor and high‐yield antigen ligation at low concentrations. The protective effect of these constructs is investigated against a highly aggressive model for tumor immunotherapy. The results show that the nanovaccines lead to a higher‐level antigen‐specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) effector and memory responses, which when combined with abrogation of the immunosuppressive programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1), provide 100% long‐term protection against repeated tumor challenge. This nanovaccine platform in combination with checkpoint inhibition of PD‐L1 represents a promising approach to improve the cancer immunotherapy of TLR4 agonists.
Electro‐Assisted Bioprinting of Low‐Concentration GelMA Microdroplets
Authors: Xie Mingjun , Gao Qing , Zhao Haiming , Nie Jing , Fu Zhenliang , Wang Haoxuan , Chen Lulu , Shao Lei , Fu Jianzhong , Chen Zichen , He Yong 
Published: December 2018

AbstractLow‐concentration gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) has excellent biocompatibility to cell‐laden structures. However, it is still a big challenge to stably fabricate organoids (even microdroplets) using this material due to its extremely low viscosity. Here, a promising electro‐assisted bioprinting method is developed, which can print low‐concentration pure GelMA microdroplets with low cost, low cell damage, and high efficiency. With the help of electrostatic attraction, uniform GelMA microdroplets measuring about 100 μm are rapidly printed. Due to the application of lower external forces to separate the droplets, cell damage during printing is negligible, which often happens in piezoelectric or thermal inkjet bioprinting. Different printing states and effects of printing parameters (voltages, gas pressure, nozzle size, etc.) on microdroplet diameter are also investigated. The fundamental properties of low‐concentration GelMA microspheres are subsequently studied. The results show that the printed microspheres with 5% w/v GelMA can provide a suitable microenvironment for laden bone marrow stem cells. Finally, it is demonstrated that the printed microdroplets can be used in building microspheroidal organoids, in drug controlled release, and in 3D bioprinting as biobricks. This method shows great potential use in cell therapy, drug delivery, and organoid building.
Generic input template for cloud simulators: A case study of CloudSim
Authors: Jammal Manar , Hawilo Hassan , Kanso Ali , Shami Abdallah 
Published: December 2018

SummaryCloud computing and its service models, such as Platform as a Service (PaaS), have changed the way that computing resources are allocated to Information and Communications Technology enterprises and users. Although multiple cloud providers support dynamic service provisioning, it is necessary to facilitate the management of the cloud infrastructure and applications in order to allow the continuous refinement of cloud models. Therefore, issues are raised regarding the cloud orchestration, including the flexible portability and interoperability of cloud applications among multiple cloud providers. Having said that, there is a need for a standardized design and management of the cloud use cases (during the creation of scenarios, application's deployment, and patching) to ensure efficient applications' migration between different providers. This paper proposes an artifact, GITS, a generic input template for CloudSim and other cloud simulators. GITS can be provided by PaaS offering to manage the creation, monitoring, administration, and patching of infrastructure and applications in the cloud. GITS defines the cloud schema that can be used with conforming cloud models and independent cloud providers; thus, portability and interoperability can be enabled in PaaS cloud models. GITS focuses on the architecture‐based modeling for cloud infrastructure and application not only in terms of computational resources but also in terms of high availability properties associated with infrastructure and applications. The main objective of the GITS template is to provide the cloud user with a modular, simple, readable, and reusable model that still supports the essential components and provide them with the ability to control the applications' execution, deployment, and other management needs in addition to the allocation environment. This paper describes GITS usage, specifically as an input template for CloudSim.
Reliability analysis of the pre‐privatization Nigerian electric power distribution systems
Authors: Ajewole Titus O. , Salami Waheed A. , Adeniran Adepitan O. , Omoigui Michael O. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractPresented in this paper is a study on the reliability of the electric power supply in Nigeria over the period that immediately preceded the nation's shift from a monopolistic to an unbundled power sector. The study provides a baseline for comparison in the assessment of the post‐deregulation performance of Nigerian electric utilities. Ten years of power outage information (from 1998 to 2007) from the seven major distribution systems of the national grid in use at the time are used to compute the systems’ reliability indices using a statistical approach. A sensitivity evaluation is performed to assess how the operational parameters could influence the numerical results. The analysis indicates that the Waterworks Feeder of the Ilorin Distribution System has the lowest System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) sensitivity of 0.0019, whereas the Etete Feeder of the Benin Distribution System has the highest SAIDI sensitivity of 0.5478 due to prolonged customer interruptions on the feeder. The lowest System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) sensitivity of 0.0268 was obtained for the Waterworks Feeder of the Ilorin Distribution System, whereas the 1.0459 SAIFI sensitivity obtained for the Cocoa Feeder of the Ibadan Distribution System was the highest due to frequent interruptions on the feeder. The Waterworks Feeder of the Ilorin Distribution System recorded the lowest Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI) sensitivity of 0.0075, whereas a CAIDI sensitivity of 2.8466, which was the highest, was obtained on the Ikpoba Dam Feeder of the Benin Distribution System. The outcome of this study would provide an informational basis for the reevaluation of the country's distribution systems as the nation approaches a decade of deregulation of its power market. This reevaluation could foster additional strategic planning and improved energy management by the distribution companies and other players currently operating across the national grid.
Cellular and molecular determinants of normal and abnormal kidney development
Authors: Tham Ming S. , Smyth Ian M. 
Published: December 2018

Kidneys are bilateral organs required to maintain homeostasis in the body through the regulation of fluid composition and the excretion of metabolic waste products. The initial steps in organ development are characterized by cellular interactions which regulate both the position and number of kidneys formed. Once established, further development is driven by orchestrated interactions between progenitor cell populations which serve to establish both nephrons—the functional unit of the organ which filters the blood—and the complex ramified collecting duct system which transports urine to the bladder. The delicate balance involved in these processes is reflected in the emerging family of genetic or environmental factors which, when perturbed, give rise to defects in organ development or function later in life.This article is categorized under:
Vertebrate Organogenesis > From a Tubular Primordium: Branched
Birth Defects > Organ Anomalies
The spatial leave-pair-out cross-validation method for reliable AUC estimation of spatial classifiers
Authors: Airola Antti , Pohjankukka Jonne , Torppa Johanna , Middleton Maarit , Nykänen Vesa , Heikkonen Jukka , Pahikkala Tapio 
Published: December 2018

AbstractMachine learning based classification methods are widely used in geoscience applications, including mineral prospectivity mapping. Typical characteristics of the data, such as small number of positive instances, imbalanced class distributions and lack of verified negative instances make ROC analysis and cross-validation natural choices for classifier evaluation. However, recent literature has identified two sources of bias, that can affect reliability of area under ROC curve estimation via cross-validation on spatial data. The pooling procedure performed by methods such as leave-one-out can introduce a substantial negative bias to results. At the same time, spatial dependencies leading to spatial autocorrelation can result in overoptimistic results, if not corrected for. In this work, we introduce the spatial leave-pair-out cross-validation method, that corrects for both of these biases simultaneously. The methodology is used to benchmark a number of classification methods on mineral prospectivity mapping data from the Central Lapland greenstone belt. The evaluation highlights the dangers of obtaining misleading results on spatial data and demonstrates how these problems can be avoided. Further, the results show the advantages of simple linear models for this classification task.
Climate and human influence on late Holocene fire regimes in the British Virgin Islands
Authors: Mueller Joshua R. , Power Mitchell J. , Long Colin J. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractGlobal climate change poses significant threats to the Caribbean islands. Yet, little is known about the long-term disturbance regimes in island ecosystems. This research investigates 2000 yr of natural and anthropogenic fire disturbance through the analysis of a latitudinal transect of sediment records from coastal salt ponds in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The two research objectives in this study are (1) to determine the fire regime history for the BVI over the last 2000 yr and (2) to explore ecological impacts from anthropogenic landscape modification pre- and post-European settlement. The magnitude of anthropogenic landscape modification, including the introduction of agriculture, was investigated through a multiproxy approach using sedimentary records of fossil pollen and charcoal. Our results suggest fire regimes from Belmont Pond, Thatch Island, and Skeleton Pond have been influenced by human activity, particularly during the postsettlement era, from 500 cal yr BP to modern. Our results suggest that fire regimes during the Medieval Climate Anomaly were responding to changes in climate via dominant atmospheric drivers. The presettlement fire regimes from these islands suggest that fires occurred every 90 to 120 yr. This research represents a significant data contribution to a region with little disturbance and vegetation data available.
Feeding behaviour and pre-prandial status affect post-prandial plasma energy metabolites and insulin kinetics in growing pigs fed diets differing in fibre concentration
Authors: Quemeneur Katia , Labussiere Etienne , Le Gall Maud , Lechevestrier Yannick , Montagne Lucile 
Published: December 2018

AbstractVariations in feeding behaviour between animals result from individual variations in their metabolism as affected by diet composition. The study aimed to link the within-day dynamics of voluntary feed intake and those of blood metabolites and insulin in growing pigs havingad libitumaccess to feed and receiving diets differing in dietary fibre levels and aleurone supplementation. A total of forty pigs (body weight: 35 kg) had access to diets providedad libitum, which differed by fibre content (13 or 18 % neutral-detergent fibre) and aleurone supplementation (0, 2 or 4 g/kg). Feeding behaviour was individually recorded for 1 week. The kinetic of plasma metabolites and insulin was followed for 1 h after a voluntary test meal. Dietary fibre level did not affect the daily feed intake but increased meal size and meal duration. Aleurone supplementation (4 g/kg) decreased the daily feed intake and number of meals. Dietary fibre level only decreased insulin concentration measured 15 min after meal beginning. Aleurone supplementation (4 g/kg) decreased glycaemia in the first hour after the meal and insulinaemia 15 min after the meal. Free access to feed led to high variability in pre-prandial metabolites and insulin concentrations, resulting in different test meal size irrespective of diet composition. Animals were then spread over different profiles combining feeding behaviour and fasted status to explain different profiles of regulation of feed intake. Plasma metabolites and insulin kinetics were affected by diet composition but also by animal characteristics. Individual variability should be considered when diet composition is used to modulate feeding behaviour.
A CLASS OF QUASITRIANGULAR GROUP-COGRADED MULTIPLIER HOPF ALGEBRAS
Authors: YANG TAO , ZHOU XUAN , ZHU HAIXING 
Published: December 2018

AbstractFor a multiplier Hopf algebra pairing 〈A,B〉, we construct a class of group-cograded multiplier Hopf algebras D(A,B), generalizing the classical construction of finite dimensional Hopf algebras introduced by Panaite and Staic Mihai [Isr. J. Math. 158 (2007), 349–365]. Furthermore, if the multiplier Hopf algebra pairing admits a canonical multiplier in M(B⊗A) we show the existence of quasitriangular structure on D(A,B). As an application, some special cases and examples are provided.