bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Defense with benefits? Ducking plants outperformed erect plants in the goldenrod Solidago gigantea in the absence of herbivory
Authors: Wise Michael J. 
Published: June 2018

Premise of the StudyDespite the fact that herbivores can be highly detrimental to their host plants’ fitness, plant populations often maintain genetic variation for resistance to their natural enemies. Investigating the various costs (e.g., allocation tradeoffs, autotoxicity, and ecological costs) that may prevent plants from evolving to their fullest potential resistance has been a productive strategy for shedding insight into the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of plant–herbivore communities.MethodsRecent studies have shown that some individuals of goldenrod (Solidago spp.) evade apex‐attacking herbivores by a temporary nodding of their stem (i.e., resistance‐by‐ducking). Although ducking provides an obvious fitness benefit to these individuals, nonducking (erect) morphs persist in goldenrod populations. In this study, I investigated potential costs of ducking in Solidago gigantea in terms of tradeoffs involving growth and reproduction in a common garden experiment using field‐collected seeds.Key ResultsThe S. gigantea population contained substantial genetic variation for stem morph, with 28% erect and 72% ducking stems. In the absence of herbivory, ducking plants were taller, had thicker stems, and produced an average of 20% more seeds than erect plants.ConclusionsThis study suggests that resistance‐by‐ducking, instead of being costly, actually comes with additional, nondefense‐related benefits. These results support the conclusion that the factors that constrain the evolution of resistance in plant populations are likely to be more subtle and complex than simple tradeoffs in resource allocation.
(3+3)‐Annulation of Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes with Diaziridines
Authors: Chagarovskiy Alexey O. , Vasin Vladimir S. , Kuznetsov Vladimir V. , Ivanova Olga A. , Rybakov Victor B. , Shumsky Alexey N. , Makhova Nina N. , Trushkov Igor V. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe first example of (3+3)‐annulation of two different three‐membered rings is reported herein. Donor‐acceptor cyclopropanes in reaction with diaziridines were found to afford perhydropyridazine derivatives in high yields and diastereoselectivity under mild Lewis acid catalysis. The disclosed reaction is applicable for the broad substrate scope and exhibits an excellent functional group tolerance.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Treating Traumatic Pelvic Fractures
Authors: Miller Ramie 
Published: June 2018

AbstractPelvic fractures are traumatic injuries that can be caused by motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents, motor vehicle–related pedestrian injuries, or falls from a significant height. These injuries can be life threatening because of the high vascularity of the pelvis and the difficulty in being able to see bleeding occurring in this area. Traditional approaches to treat pelvic fractures have been pelvic binding, external fixation, and open preperitoneal packing; however, the use of angiography and embolization enables faster pinpointing of the location of the bleeding. Increased use of hybrid ORs for treating traumatic pelvic fractures combines the superior imaging of interventional radiology with an OR that can quickly provide open interventions without needing to move a patient from an interventional radiology suite to another OR. This improvement in technology has combined the resources and knowledge of more diverse disciplines to provide a more centralized approach to improving patient outcomes.
Fluidigm2PURC: Automated processing and haplotype inference for double‐barcoded PCR amplicons
Authors: Blischak Paul D. , Latvis Maribeth , Morales‐Briones Diego F. , Johnson Jens C. , Di Stilio Verónica S. , Wolfe Andrea D. , Tank David C. 
Published: June 2018

Premise of the StudyTargeted enrichment strategies for phylogenomic inference are a time‐ and cost‐efficient way to collect DNA sequence data for large numbers of individuals at multiple, independent loci. Automated and reproducible processing of these data is a crucial step for researchers conducting phylogenetic studies.Methods and ResultsWe present Fluidigm2PURC, an open source Python utility for processing paired‐end Illumina data from double‐barcoded PCR amplicons. In combination with the program PURC (Pipeline for Untangling Reticulate Complexes), our scripts process raw FASTQ files for analysis with PURC and use its output to infer haplotypes for diploids, polyploids, and samples with unknown ploidy. We demonstrate the use of the pipeline with an example data set from the genus Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae).ConclusionsFluidigm2PURC is freely available for Unix‐like operating systems on GitHub (https://github.com/pblischak/fluidigm2purc) and for all operating systems through Docker (https://hub.docker.com/r/pblischak/fluidigm2purc).
iMEC: Online Marker Efficiency Calculator
Authors: Amiryousefi Ali , Hyvönen Jaakko , Poczai Péter 
Published: June 2018

Premise of the StudyTo accurately design plant genetic studies, the information content of utilized markers and primers must be calculated. Plant genotyping studies should take into account the efficiency of each marker system by calculating different parameters to find the optimal combination of primers. This can be problematic because there are currently no easily accessible applications that can be used to calculate multiple indices together.Methods and ResultsThe program Online Marker Efficiency Calculator (iMEC) was developed using R for the simple computation of seven polymorphism indices (heterozygosity index, polymorphism information content, discriminating power, effective multiplex ratio, marker index, arithmetic mean heterozygosity, and resolving power). These indices are based on dominant and codominant DNA fingerprinting markers, thus allowing comparison and selection of optimal genetic markers for a given data set.ConclusionsiMEC simplifies the calculation of diverse indices for the marker of choice to better enable researchers to measure polymorphism information for individual markers. The program is available at https://irscope.shinyapps.io/iMEC/.
Identification and characterization of microsatellites in Aconitum reclinatum (Ranunculaceae), a rare species endemic to North America
Authors: Zhou Juan , Liu Wanzhen , Kong Hanghui , Gong Wei 
Published: June 2018

Premise of the StudyAconitum reclinatum is the only representative species of Aconitum subg. Lycoctonum in North America, with restricted ranges and endangered populations. Polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for A. reclinatum for further investigation of genetic diversity and population structure.Methods and ResultsUsing Illumina HiSeq technology, we sequenced a genomic library for identification of simple sequence repeat markers. A total of 12 polymorphic primer pairs were developed and tested on 66 individuals from four populations in North America. The number of alleles ranged from one to seven per locus with an average of 3.48. Levels of observed and expected heterozygosity varied from 0 to 1.000 and 0 to 0.736, respectively, at population level. Three primer pairs were successfully amplified in three of four closely related species.ConclusionsThe microsatellites isolated in this study will be useful in further research on the genetic diversity and conservation genetics of A. reclinatum populations in North America.
Learning and teaching engineering design through modeling and simulation on a CAD platform
Authors: Xie Charles , Schimpf Corey , Chao Jie , Nourian Saeid , Massicotte Joyce 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThis paper provides a theoretical perspective of how modeling and simulation on a CAD platform can be used to teach science concepts and inform design decisions. The paper discusses the educational implications of three recent advancements in CAD technologies: system integration, machine learning, and computational design. The challenges to design energy‐efficient buildings that harness solar energy are used as the engineering examples to illustrate the learning and teaching opportunities created by the modeling, simulation, and data mining capabilities of the Energy3D software, which is a CAD tool developed from scratch along the directions of the three advancements to support engineering research and education. Preliminary results from students in a physics classroom and an online course shed light on the effects of these features on guiding student to design cost‐effective rooftop solar power systems for their own home buildings.
Open source application for mobility measurements on violins
Authors: Torres Jesús A. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractA spectrum analyzer, called AnELyzer, was developed in Scilab for teaching and researching about acoustics of the violin. Unlike other free analyzers, AnELyzer has the capability of dual‐channel analysis and it is cross‐platform. AnELyzer can safely substitute a commercial device because results calculated in both cases were almost the same.
European Robotics Week to introduce robotics and promote engineering
Authors: Plaza Pedro , Sancristobal Elio , Carro German , Garcia‐Loro Felix , Blazquez Manuel , Castro Manuel 
Published: June 2018

AbstractWe present an activity framed within the European Robotics Week event. Robotics and computational practice are ideal tools for developing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pedagogy. A modular and adaptive hands‐on workshop is described in detail. The workshop is based on multiplatform educational robotics content as a first step into the robotics world. Three educational tools are used to introduce examples of robotics applications. The operational details, materials, and examples of activities for selected modules are presented with the expectation that all teachers can adapt these activities to their classes. Despite the small number of students, the experience delivered results that might be useful for other instructors to promote workshops with similar or identical content to generate further benefits. This study demonstrates that it is important to combine theory and practice and include fun tasks that intertwine the challenges of applying theory to problem solving. Furthermore, the results show how the same content can be deployed using three different robotics education tools.
AIM‐Mobile Learning Platform to enhance the teaching‐learning process using smartphones
Authors: Merayo Noemí , Ruíz Inés , Debrán Jorge , Aguado Juan C. , de Miguel Ignacio , Durán Ramón J. , Fernández Patricia , Lorenzo Rubén M. , Abril Evaristo J. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractWe developed the responsive environment AIM‐Mobile Learning Platform, which permits to assess students using smartphones and to design online educational packets. We carried out a qualitative and quantitative study in Higher Education subjects using the case study and the triangulation data methods. Results demonstrated that the environment promotes a dynamic learning‐teaching process inside class, increasing the motivation, participation, and attention of students and helping them to be more conscious of their self‐learning process.
Computer applications for education on industrial robotic systems
Authors: Fonseca Ferreira Nuno M. , Freitas Elisabete D. C. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe paper describes the use of computer applications on education for industrial robotic systems. Robotics evolved as a central issue in teaching for scientific and engineering courses and inherently encompasses a spectrum of sciences and technologies and qualification levels. However, most current teaching approaches, related to robotics, concentrate on individual aspects or small student groups and do not involve dangerous situations. With a mixed‐reality robotics teaching, a true interdisciplinary setup can be reached, this approach has been used in a robotics course at higher education, to prepare students for future activities in industry and also in research. This active learning experience approach in the field of Industrial Robotics was implemented in a Master degree on Electrical Engineering.
Exploring factors for effective use of online information in SPOC within the engineering education
Authors: Nejkovic Valentina , Tosic Milorad 
Published: June 2018

AbstractToday's Small Private Online Course (SPOC) environments are mashing different services from public, private, or hybrid clouds, different equipment, different tools, platforms, and learning pedagogies. The aim of this paper is to provide designers, developers, and educators with insights for implementation and utilization of such complex and heterogeneous SPOC frameworks. Factors that impact effective use of online information of designed digital content for engineering courses and successfulness of such systems are examined using SPOC platform at university course. First outcome of this study is fact that learners have used and accepted SPOC platform positively, which is examined using questionnaire. Second, this study as a result identified following important drivers for SPOC platform successfulness: the high quality of information and useful learning contents, easy for use, and social presence support. These drivers lead to learners feel usefulness of the platform and to enjoy in using it. Study also shown that SPOC platform quality is strong related to learners’ perceptions with the system and perceived easy of use.
The effects of merging student emotion recognition with learning management systems on learners’ motivation and academic achievements
Authors: Bulut Özek Müzeyyen 
Published: June 2018

AbstractTechnology diverts engineering education into learning management system for distance education activities. Learning management system facilitates the management of education and training process, including instructor‐student, student‐student, and student‐content communication. Nevertheless, distance education has some disadvantages of not being able to establish active communication with students as in traditional education. This research offers a system which merges student emotion recognition with learning management system. This study aims to investigate the effects of merging student emotion recognition with learning management systems on learners’ motivation and academic achievements. In this research, the quasi‐experimental design adopted 103 engineering students who were divided into three groups: the control group (participates in face‐to‐face education), the experimental group I (uses a system that merges emotion recognition with learning management system), and the experimental group II (uses learning management system). As a result of the research, it was found that the academic achievement and motivation of the experimental group I was significantly better than performance of the experimental II and the control group.
LABVIRTUAL—A platform for the teaching of chemical engineering: The use of interactive videos
Authors: Granjo José F.O. , Rasteiro Maria G. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThis article focus on the pedagogical tools in LABVIRTUAL (http://labvirtual.eq.uc.pt), a broad scope virtual platform intended to support the learning at the undergraduate level of Chemical Engineering courses, mainly in Portuguese‐speaking countries. The platform contains fundamentals, case studies, simulators, virtual laboratories, and, recently, interactive videos for the teaching of chemical processes. The significance and impact of LABVIRTUAL are illustrated with an interactive video regarding the characterization of nanoparticles by dynamic light scattering, developed for long‐distance learning and used in the discipline of Technology of Disperse Systems. Furthermore, two questionnaires were prepared to assess the students’ response to the interactive video and the use of LABVIRTUAL in general. The results show that the interactive video is effective to prepare the laboratory work and guide the students’ self‐regulated study, but needs to be complemented with other pedagogical methods to enhance the learning outcomes. LABVIRTUAL is generally viewed as a valuable learning tool by the students of Separation Processes and Project Design, 3rd and 5th year courses, respectively, of the Masters’ degree in Chemical Engineering of the University of Coimbra, due to the synergy of pedagogical tools that complement well the face‐to‐face classroom lectures. This fact also justifies the high number of monthly visits, including from companies that use the platform as a life‐long learning tool.
VRCDEA‐TCS: 3D virtual reality cooperative drawing educational application with textual chatting system
Authors: Darabkh Khalid A. , Alturk Farah H. , Sweidan Saadeh Z. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractVirtual reality (VR) products have noticeably improved in terms of quality and price in the last few years which made them more popular than ever. A number of wearable VR glasses are commercially available like Google cardboard. Moreover, leap motion is a small sensor that is connected to a USB port of a personal computer (PC) and allows the user to draw three dimensional (3D) shapes by tracking the movements of hands and fingers. On the other hand, Unity is a game engine which can be used to build 3D Games and VR applications using Java or C# programming languages. In this work, we present a novel 3D Virtual Reality Cooperative Drawing Educational Application with Textual Chatting System (VRCDEA‐TCS), which is a drawing application (app) that allows engineering students to interact together via text messages in addition to the ability to draw 3D models either individually or cooperatively whereas each student is capable of working remotely in a common 3D drawing area with the options of adding or removing parts to the design. Interestingly, the proposed app uses Google cardboard and leap motion sensor to create a VR drawing area and works on both windows PCs and Android smart phones. To this end, the app has shown a reliable and solid performance after being used by a large number of students of the school of engineering at the University of Jordan in which their responses were very positive and encouraging toward the features and characteristics included in our work.
A novel teaching platform design with CAI for EM education
Authors: Liu Xianfeng , Sun Kai , Yang Deqiang , Pan Jin , Zhang Zhijun 
Published: June 2018

AbstractComputers and multimedia technology can greatly facilitate the visualization of abstract concepts and intangible objects such as electromagnetic waves. An educational design platform is proposed to assist undergraduate students in understanding these waves. At present, most electromagnetics courses still use traditional teaching design ideas, from mathematics to reason, and spend much time on formula deduction. Educational design overturns this idea thoroughly to learn with problems and solve experiments related to uncertain concepts; this design will help undergraduate students learn the basic characters of electromagnetic waves intuitively and more easily. Through the experiment‐simulation method, students can experimentally sample data and process data real‐time using simulation software. In this way, students can grasp the physical meaning of abstract concepts more accurately through experiments; furthermore, computer simulations can show the relationships between parameters more intuitively. Thus, the original intention of teaching aided design is exactly reflected: “see knowledge and learn knowledge.”
ARHGAP42 promotes cell migration and invasion involving PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Hu Qian , Lin Xiao , Ding Linxiaoxiao , Zeng Yinduo , Pang Danmei , Ouyang Nengtai , Xiang Yanqun , Yao Herui 
Published: June 2018

AbstractRho GTPase‐activating protein 42 was identified as an inhibitor of RhoA to maintain normal blood pressure homeostasis. However, the effect of ARHGAP42 in promoting cell malignancy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma is demonstrated in this study. Microarray and real‐time quantitative PCR were used for a mRNA profiling of ARHGAP42 in nasopharyngeal primary and metastatic carcinoma tissues. Western blot and immunohistochemical staining were used for detecting the expression of ARHGAP42 protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues and cell lines. The overexpression and silence experiments of ARHGAP42 were performed in NPC cell lines using siRNA and expressive plasmid for evaluating cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro. Real‐time quantitative PCR, western blot, and transwell test were employed for with the function of ARHGAP42 and its antisense lncRNA uc010rul. We confirmed the elevated expression of ARHGAP42 in metastatic NPC tissues of mRNA and protein for the first time. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that NPC patients with highly ARHGAP42 expression were significantly associated with shorter metastasis‐free survival. Knockdown of ARHGAP42 resulted in significant inhibition of nasopharyngeal cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro, and the overexpression of ARHGAP42 showed the opposite effects. In addition, the silence of uc010rul resulted in ARHGAP42 expression decrease and significant inhibition of nasopharyngeal cancer cell migration and invasion. High expression of ARHGAP42 is associated with poor metastasis‐free survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. ARHGAP42 promotes migration and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in vitro; the antisense lncRNA may be involved in this effect.
Mild phenotypes associated with an unbalanced X‐autosome translocation, 46,X,der(X)t(X;8)(q28;q13)
Authors: Watanabe Takafumi , Ishibashi Makiho , Suganuma Ryota , Ohara Miki , Soeda Shu , Komiya Hiromi , Fujimori Keiya 
Published: June 2018

Key Clinical MessageUnbalanced X‐autosome translocation can result in various phenotypic manifestations. We present the first case of 46,X,der(X)t(X;8)(q28;q13) in a 34‐year‐old female with relatively mild manifestations, including congenital heart disease, epicanthal fold, mild intellectual disability, and menstrual irregularity. Our findings expand the known spectrum of unbalanced X‐autosome translocations, for improved clinical management.
An Ionic Liquid‐Surface Functionalized Polystyrene Spheres Hybrid Electrolyte for Rechargeable Zinc/Conductive Polymer Batteries
Authors: Liu Zhen , Prowald Alexandra , Höfft Oliver , Li Guozhu , Lahiri Abhishek , Endres Frank 
Published: June 2018

AbstractA rechargeable zinc/poly(p‐phenylene) (PPP) battery has been fabricated using Zn metal as the anode and electrochemically synthesized PPP as the cathode, with ionic liquid (IL)‐surface functionalized polystyrene (PS) spheres as the electrolyte. The PS spheres were treated with oxygen‐plasma to introduce polar groups (e. g., carbonyl and carbonate) that interact with the components of the IL, enabling the fast movement of the Zn2+ ions upon polarization. The wettability, ionic conductivity and electrochemical performance are thus largely enhanced. The confinement of the IL electrolyte in the PS sphere framework allows the formation of porous and dendrite‐free zinc deposits upon charge/discharge cycling. The voltage profiles are largely improved. The Zn/PPP rechargeable battery exhibits long‐term cycling stability over at least 300 cycles with a Coulombic efficiency of more than 96 %.