bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lippia gracilis essential oil in β‐cyclodextrin inclusion complexes: an environmentally safe formulation to control Aedes aegypti larvae
Authors: Galvão Juliana G , Cerpe Patrícia , Santos Darlisson A , Gonsalves Joyce KMC , Santos Adriana J , Nunes Rafaela KV , Lira Ana AM , Alves Péricles B , La Corte Roseli , Blank Arie F , Silva Gabriel F , Cavalcanti Sócrates CH , Nunes Rogéria S 
Published: July 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDOne of the most efficient ways to prevent arboviruses, such as dengue fever, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika, is by controlling their vector, the Aedes aegypti. Because this vector is becoming resistant to most larvicides used, the development of new larvicides should be considered. β‐Cyclodextrin (β‐CD) complexes have been investigated as an interesting way of enabling the use of essential oils in water as larvicides. This study comprised the development of Lippia gracilis essential oil (LGEO) and β‐CD inclusion complexes for control of Ae. aegypti.RESULTSThermal analysis clearly showed the formation of complexes using kneading and co‐evaporation methods. Gas chromatography analysis showed that kneading without co‐solvent (KW) gave the highest content (∼ 15%) of the LGEO major component. Moreover, KW showed that the complex had a 50% lethal concentration (LC50; 33 ppm) lower than that of pure LGEO (39 ppm); in other words, complexing LGEO with β‐CD improved the larvicidal activity. In addition, LGEO complexed with β‐CD (KW) was not harmful to non‐target organisms at the concentrations needed to control Ae. aegypti larvae.CONCLUSIONThe inclusion complex with LGEO was a feasible formulation, being economically viable, easy‐to‐apply and without impact on non‐target organisms and, therefore, is a potential alternative larvicide for Ae. aegypti control. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Law of the iterated logarithm for random graphs
Authors: Ferber Asaf , Montealegre Daniel , Vu Van 
Published: July 2018

AbstractA milestone in probability theory is the law of the iterated logarithm (LIL), proved by Khinchin and independently by Kolmogorov in the 1920s, which asserts that for iid random variables with mean 0 and variance 1In this paper we prove that LIL holds for various functionals of random graphs and hypergraphs models. We first prove LIL for the number of copies of a fixed subgraph H. Two harder results concern the number of global objects: perfect matchings and Hamiltonian cycles. The main new ingredient in these results is a large deviation bound, which may be of independent interest. For random k‐uniform hypergraphs, we obtain the Central Limit Theorem and LIL for the number of Hamilton cycles.
Preparation and Properties of a Double‐Coated Slow‐Release Urea Fertilizer with Poly(propylene carbonate), a Sodium Polyacrylate Hydroscopicity Resin and Sodium Alginate
Authors: Li Hongchun , Sui Lulu , Niu Yongsheng 
Published: July 2018

AbstractA double‐coated slow‐release urea fertilizer was designed and successfully prepared. Its core was urea, and the shell was biodegradable poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) derived from CO2 copolymer as the inner coating, and sodium polyacrylate hydroscopicity resin (SPHR) and sodium alginate (SA) as the outer coating. The effects of the molecular weight of PPC, the amount of SPHR and SA on the slow release behavior of urea were investigated. The experimental results indicated that the coating materials had a good slow‐release property for urea release. The urea slow‐release time can reach 500 min in water. The double‐coated slow‐release urea fertilizer has water‐retention capacity. The product has the wild applications in agriculture.
Photocatalytic Water Disinfection of CVD Grown WS2 Monolayer Decorated with Ag Nanoparticles
Authors: Kumar Pawan , Kataria Shivangi , Roy Shounak , Jaiswal Amit , Balakrishnan Viswanath 
Published: July 2018

AbstractTwo dimensional nanostructures of transition metal dichalcogenides like WS2 have been drawing much attention for biological applications owing to their intrinsic chemical and optical properties with tunable band gap. We have evaluated photocatalytic properties of chemical vapor deposited (CVD) grown WS2 monolayer with a direct band gap of 1.94 eV to disinfect water from Gram‐negative E.coli bacteria under fluorescence light by colony counting method. WS2 monolayer decorated with 10‐15 nm silver nanoparticles is found to enhance the antibacterial activity in comparison with individual components significantly. We have achieved up to 96% of bacterial growth inhibition by increasing the areal coverage of WS2 (upto 42%) coated with Ag nanoparticles in 3 hours, under fluorescent light. Moreover, direct correlation between the water disinfection ability and geometrical surface areal coverage of the monolayer WS2 on SiO2/Si substrate has been established to emphasize on the need of uniform CVD growth of WS2 monolayers over large scale for practical application like rapid and efficient cleaning technology.
Receptor‐Spacer‐Fluorophore Based Coumarin‐Thiosemicarbazones as Anion Chemosensors with “Turn on” Response: Spectroscopic and Computational (DFT) Studies
Authors: Islam Muhammad , Hameed Abdul , Ayub Khurshid , Naseer Muhamamd Moazzam , Hussain Javid , Alharthy Rima D. , Asari Asnuzilawati , Ludwig Ralf , Rashida Mariya al‐ , Shafiq Zahid 
Published: July 2018

AbstractAnion sensing via small molecules as chemosensor carries unique significance in biological and environmental fields, where it offers several advantages over the traditional methods of ion sensing. In the current study, the receptor‐spacer‐fluorophore based coumarin thiosemicarbazones were synthesized and investigated as chemosensor against different anions. The anion interaction with thiosemicarbazone based receptors (ligands) was observed and investigated with naked‐eye and by using UV‐Visible, fluorescence and 1H NMR spectroscopic techniques. The deprotonation of NH protons upon binding with F̄ was confirmed via 1H NMR spectroscopic data. Binding constants and limit of detection was also calculated. Theoretical studies via DFT calculations were also carried to understand the ligand‐anion interaction. The theoretical and experimental data was found to be in agreement, confirming the anion mediated NH proton abstraction as the mechanism that is responsible for anion sensing. Furthermore, the reason (and mechanism responsible) for anion selectivity exhibited by these chemosensors was also investigated computationally.
In Vitro Reconstitution of the Highly Active and Natively Folded Recombinant Human Superoxide Dismutase 1 Holoenzyme
Authors: Santur Karoline B. , Sevenich Marc M. , Schwarten Melanie , Nischwitz Volker , Willbold Dieter , Mohrlüder Jeannine 
Published: July 2018

AbstractSOD1 is an antioxidant enzyme that exists as a highly stable dimer in healthy humans. Each subunit contains an intramolecular disulfide bond and coordinates one zinc and one copper ion. The dimer is destabilized in the absence of the ions and disruption of the disulfide bond, which leads to the formation of small oligomers and subsequently larger insoluble aggregates. An acquired toxic function of destabilized SOD1 is postulated to be associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by peripheral and central paralysis and by 3‐ to 5‐year median survival after diagnosis. In this study, we present a protocol for heterologous expression of human SOD1 in E. coli and total reconstitution of the holoenzyme, which exhibits the highest reported specific activity (four‐fold higher) of recombinant hSOD1. Biophysical characterization confirms the native state of this protein. The presented protocol provides highly active hSOD1 that will benefit in vitro investigations of this protein.
A One Pot Transition‐Metal‐Free Synthesis of Styrenyl Ethers from 2‐Aryloxy/Alkoxy Acetophenones
Authors: Mete Trimbak B. , Laha Debasish , Bhat Ramakrishna G. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractA one‐pot transition‐metal‐free synthesis of styrenyl ethers starting from 2‐aryloxy/alkoxy acetophenones is described. The protocol explores the use of tosyl hydrazide and potassium carbonate as a mild base via Bamford‐Stevens reaction to synthesize the styrenyl ethers. The protocol is very simple, practical and uses mild reaction conditions with simple reaction set‐up. This practical protocol proved to be scalable on gram quantity.
Biodegradable, Drug‐Loaded Nanovectors via Direct Hydration as a New Platform for Cancer Therapeutics
Authors: Ridolfo Roxane , Ede Benjamin C. , Diamanti Paraskevi , White Paul B. , Perriman Adam W. , van Hest Jan C. M. , Blair Allison , Williams David S. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe stabilization and transport of low‐solubility drugs, by encapsulation in nanoscopic delivery vectors (nanovectors), is a key paradigm in nanomedicine. However, the problems of carrier toxicity, specificity, and producibility create a bottleneck in the development of new nanomedical technologies. Copolymeric nanoparticles are an excellent platform for nanovector engineering due to their structural versatility; however, conventional fabrication processes rely upon harmful chemicals that necessitate purification. In engineering a more robust (copolymeric) nanovector platform, it is necessary to reconsider the entire process from copolymer synthesis through self‐assembly and functionalization. To this end, a process is developed whereby biodegradable copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol)‐block‐poly(trimethylene carbonate), synthesized via organocatalyzed ring‐opening polymerization, undergo assembly into highly uniform, drug‐loaded micelles without the use of harmful solvents or the need for purification. The direct hydration methodology, employing oligo(ethylene glycol) as a nontoxic dispersant, facilitates rapid preparation of pristine, drug‐loaded nanovectors that require no further processing. This method is robust, fast, and scalable. Utilizing parthenolide, an exciting candidate for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), discrete nanovectors are generated that show strikingly low carrier toxicity and high levels of specific therapeutic efficacy against primary ALL cells (as compared to normal hematopoietic cells).
Probabilistic assessment of vibration exceedance for a full‐scale tall building under typhoon conditions
Authors: Huang Mingfeng , Xu Qing , Xu Haiwei , Ni Yi‐Qing , Kwok Kenny 
Published: July 2018

SummaryFull‐scale wind and vibration measurements were conducted on a 270‐m tall building in Hong Kong. For the modal identification, a refined fast Bayesian fast Fourier transform method was newly developed by considering the exponential form of the modal wind force spectrum. Then, the modal parameters of the monitored building and their uncertainties were identified from the full‐scale vibration data under typhoon conditions by the proposed refined fast Bayesian fast Fourier transform method. For assessing the vibration exceedance of the monitored building under typhoon, a stochastic wind force field generation technique was developed by combining the spectral representation method and the computational fluid dynamics method. Wind‐induced vibration of the tall building under Typhoon Kammuri was reanalyzed with generated wind force time history data. Finally, a time‐domain Monte Carlo simulation framework was proposed by integrating the modal identification and the stochastic wind force field generation technique. In this framework, the Metropolis–Hastings sampling algorithm was adopted to estimate the vibration exceedance probability, which was defined through a limit state performance function associated with the ISO vibration assessment criteria.
Brazilian Faculty and Student Perspectives on Excellent Teaching
Authors: Henklain Marcelo H. O. , Carmo João S. , Haydu Verônica Bender , Muniz Monalisa 
Published: July 2018

AbstractWe studied Brazilian faculty and psychology undergraduates’ perspectives on excellent teaching using the Teacher Behavior Checklist. In two studies, we found that students and teachers showed strong agreement with those TBC items relevant to developing a profile of excellent teachers and that students valued some qualities more than others in terms of their contributions to excellent teaching, a finding consistent across different cultural contexts.
Searching for Universal Principles of Excellence in College and University Teaching
Authors: Buskist William , Keeley Jared W. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractWe compared twenty‐six TBC‐based studies across different countries to investigate whether there might exist universal principles of excellent teaching. We found several qualities that both faculty and students in these studies endorsed as universal or near‐universal principles. Our findings provide a compelling starting point for teachers seeking to enhance their teaching and for researchers wishing to investigate practices for improving teaching.
The role of the Italian Constitutional Court in the policy agenda: persistence and change between the First and Second Republic
Authors: Rebessi Elisa , Zucchini Francesco 
Published: July 2018

AbstractIf we examine the current literature, no study on policy agenda has so far addressed the agenda of a Constitutional Court in a country that has recently experienced crucial changes in its political system. The present contribution on the Italian Constitutional Court seeks to bridge this gap. We aim at assessing the role the Italian Court plays in the policy process in both the First and the Second Republic by answering two research questions: (1) in its decisions does the Court accommodate themes that are neglected in the parliamentary legislative process? (2) Does the Court (and if so, how often) represent interests and values in opposition to the interests and values supporting the current legislative majorities? By employing an original data set that puts together all decisions of constitutional illegitimacy under incidental review between the years 1983 and 2013, we found that in both Republics Court’s agenda is significantly more concentrated than Parliament’s agenda, and it does not broadly offer an alternative access point to the policy-making for new or neglected issues. However, at the same time, the alternational system of the Second Republic seems to trigger more immediate and ‘salient’ reactions from the Constitutional Court, which in that period becomes more prone to sanction recent legislation.
A “NEW SOCIAL CLASS” OR OLD FRIENDS? A STUDY OF PRIVATE ENTREPRENEURS IN THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS OF CHINA
Authors: Luqiu Luwei Rose , Liu Chuyu 
Published: July 2018

AbstractIn this research note, we introduce a new dataset on China's national legislators. It provides descriptive information on one key parameter: the nature of the business owned by private entrepreneur deputies in China's National People's Congress (NPC) from 2003 to 2017. The dataset contains information on whether the deputy once worked as a government official, whether the deputy was a former top manager of a state-owned/collective enterprise, and whether his/her current company was a state-owned/collective enterprise before being privatized. We categorize deputies as “insiders” as long as they stratify one of the aforementioned backgrounds, whereas others as the “grassroots.” This dataset thus reveals two types of private entrepreneur deputies who are significantly different with regard to how they started their own businesses. These findings shed new light on the relationship between private entrepreneurs and the party-state in China.
Temporal–spatial distributions of water use and productivity of maize in China
Authors: Cao X. C. , Shu R. , Chen D. , Guo X. P. , Wang W. G. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe present study aim to explore temporal–spatial patterns of water use (WU) efficiency and its influencing factors of maize production in China during 1998–2010. WU and productivity (WP) were quantified by taking irrigation loss into account and the links between WP and nine selected indicators were revealed by the partial least squares regression (PLSR) model. Results showed that national WU and WP in maize production were 138.56 cubic gigametres (Gm3; 0.755 green and 0.245 blue) and 1.079 kg/m3, respectively. WP was enhanced in the present study due to an increase in irrigated crop yield. Provinces located in the middle–lower part of the Yellow River had high proportions of green water and WP, while high proportions of irrigation water and low WP were found in Northwest China. The dosage of pesticides per unit area, relative humidity, average temperature and precipitation were the dominant factors that affected WP. However, the relationships between WP and solar radiation, fertilizer, agricultural machinery power, irrigation proportion and irrigated efficiency were not significant. Findings of the present research may also provide a reference for regional agricultural water management.
Assessment of progress and competence in tonsillectomy surgery using cumulative sum analysis
Authors: Abou-Foul A K , Taghi A , Tolley N S , Awad Z 
Published: July 2018

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the feasibility of using cumulative sum analysis to show trainees’ performance curves and highlight concerns in tonsillectomy surgery.MethodsIn this prospective study, the performance of eight otolaryngology trainees (in their first 6–12 months in the specialty) was compared to that of experts (over 150 tonsillectomies performed) in terms of operative time and post-operative complications. Cumulative sum analysis curves were generated to highlight trainees’ performance, and were updated after each performance.ResultsThe average operative time was 23 minutes (standard deviation = 11) for experts and 38 minutes (standard deviation = 16) for trainees (p < 0.0001). Cumulative sum analysis charts for trainees’ operative time initially rose and then started to plateau after a number of cases (range, 25–30), while that of experts remained low. Cumulative sum analysis charts for complications can be used to monitor performance. In this study, complications were combined (because of low incidence) to allow use of this outcome measure.ConclusionThe flexibility of the cumulative sum analysis makes it adaptable to any outcome. It is a strong adjunct in surgical training to monitor progress and competence. Its sensitivity also allows early detection of poor performance, to instigate intervention.
Transoral and endoscope-assisted transoral approaches to resecting benign tumours of the parapharyngeal space located in the medial portion of the carotid sheaths and extending toward the skull base: our experience
Authors: Liu Y , Yu H-J , Zhen H-T 
Published: July 2018

AbstractObjectiveVarious surgical approaches have been described to remove tumours in the parapharyngeal space. This study investigated the feasibility of a transoral approach in the surgical management of parapharyngeal space benign tumours located in the medial portion of the carotid sheaths and extending toward the skull base.MethodsThirty-two patients were selected and underwent a transoral or an endoscope-assisted transoral approach in the surgical management of parapharyngeal space benign tumours located in the medial portion of the carotid sheaths. Medical photographs were used.ResultsAll patients underwent complete resection of their lesions via a transoral or endoscope-assisted transoral approach. None of the patients demonstrated residual or recurrent neoplasms, either clinically or radiographically, during their follow up.ConclusionBased on our studies, we assert that transoral and endoscope-assisted transoral approaches are suitable in managing parapharyngeal space benign tumours located in the medial portion of the carotid sheaths and extending toward the skull base.
Influence of Model Bias on Simulating North Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature During the Mid‐Pliocene
Authors: Song Zhaoyang , Latif Mojib , Park Wonsun , Zhang Yuming 
Published: July 2018

AbstractClimate models generally underestimate the pronounced warming in the sea surface temperature (SST) over the North Atlantic during the mid‐Pliocene that is suggested by proxy data. Here we investigate the influence of the North Atlantic cold SST bias, which is observed in many climate models, on the simulation of mid‐Pliocene surface climate in a series of simulations with the Kiel Climate Model. A surface freshwater‐flux correction is applied over the North Atlantic, which considerably improves simulation of North Atlantic Ocean circulation and SST under present‐day conditions. Using reconstructed mid‐Pliocene boundary conditions with closed Bering and Arctic Archipelago Straits, the corrected model depicts significantly reduced model‐proxy SST discrepancy in comparison to the uncorrected model. A key factor in reducing the discrepancy is the stronger and more sensitive Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and poleward heat transport. We conclude that simulations of mid‐Pliocene surface climate over the North Atlantic can considerably benefit from alleviating model biases in this region.
Quantum-optical spectroscopy of a two-level system using an electrically driven micropillar laser as a resonant excitation source
Authors: Kreinberg Sören , Grbešić Tomislav , Strauß Max , Carmele Alexander , Emmerling Monika , Schneider Christian , Höfling Sven , Porte Xavier , Reitzenstein Stephan 
Published: July 2018

AbstractTwo-level emitters are the main building blocks of photonic quantum technologies and are model systems for the exploration of quantum optics in the solid state. Most interesting is the strict resonant excitation of such emitters to control their occupation coherently and to generate close to ideal quantum light, which is of utmost importance for applications in photonic quantum technology. To date, the approaches and experiments in this field have been performed exclusively using bulky lasers, which hinders the application of resonantly driven two-level emitters in compact photonic quantum systems. Here we address this issue and present a concept for a compact resonantly driven single-photon source by performing quantum-optical spectroscopy of a two-level system using a compact high-β microlaser as the excitation source. The two-level system is based on a semiconductor quantum dot (QD), which is excited resonantly by a fiber-coupled electrically driven micropillar laser. We dress the excitonic state of the QD under continuous wave excitation, and trigger the emission of single photons with strong multi-photon suppression ($$\, g^{(2)}(0) = 0.02$$

g

(

2

)

(

0

)

=
0.02
) and high photon indistinguishability (V = 57±9%) via pulsed resonant excitation at 156 MHz. These results clearly demonstrate the high potential of our resonant excitation scheme, which can pave the way for compact electrically driven quantum light sources with excellent quantum properties to enable the implementation of advanced quantum communication protocols.
Structural visualization of RNA polymerase III transcription machineries
Authors: Han Yan , Yan Chunli , Fishbain Susan , Ivanov Ivaylo , He Yuan 
Published: July 2018

AbstractRNA polymerase III (Pol III) transcription initiation requires the action of the transcription factor IIIB (TFIIIB) and is highly regulated. Here, we determine the structures of Pol III pre-initiation complexes (PICs) using single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). We observe stable Pol III–TFIIIB complexes using nucleic acid scaffolds mimicking various functional states, in which TFIIIB tightly encircles the upstream promoter DNA. There is an intricate interaction between TFIIIB and Pol III, which stabilizes the winged-helix domains of the C34 subunit of Pol III over the active site cleft. The architecture of Pol III PIC more resembles that of the Pol II PIC than the Pol I PIC. In addition, we also obtain a 3D reconstruction of Pol III in complex with TFIIIB using the elongation complex (EC) scaffold, shedding light on the mechanism of facilitated recycling of Pol III prior to transcription re-initiation.