bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Self‐Tuning n‐Type Bi2(Te,Se)3/SiC Thermoelectric Nanocomposites to Realize High Performances up to 300 °C
Authors: Pan Yu , Aydemir Umut , Sun Fu‐Hua , Wu Chao‐Feng , Chasapis Thomas C. , Snyder G. Jeffrey , Li Jing‐Feng 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBi2Te3 thermoelectric materials are utilized for refrigeration for decades, while their application of energy harvesting requires stable thermoelectric and mechanical performances at elevated temperatures. This work reveals that a steady zT of ≈0.85 at 200 to 300 °C can be achieved by doping small amounts of copper iodide (CuI) in Bi2Te2.2Se0.8–silicon carbide (SiC) composites, where SiC nanodispersion enhances the flexural strength. It is found that CuI plays two important roles with atomic Cu/I dopants and CuI precipitates. The Cu/I dopants show a self‐tuning behavior due to increasing solubility with increasing temperatures. The increased doping concentration increases electrical conductivity at high temperatures and effectively suppresses the intrinsic excitation. In addition, a large reduction of lattice thermal conductivity is achieved due to the “in situ” CuI nanoprecipitates acting as phonon‐scattering centers. Over 60% reduction of bipolar thermal conductivity is achieved, raising the maximum useful temperature of Bi2Te3 for substantially higher efficiency. For module applications, the reported materials are suitable for segmentation with a conventional ingot. This leads to high device ZT values of ≈0.9–1.0 and high efficiency up to 9.2% from 300 to 573 K, which can be of great significance for power generation from waste heat.
MicroRNA‐137 and microRNA‐195* inhibit vasculogenesis in brain arteriovenous malformations
Authors: Huang Jun , Song Jianping , Qu Meijie , Wang Yang , An Qingzhu , Song Yaying , Yan Wei , Wang Bingshun , Wang Xiaojin , Zhang Song , Chen Xi , Zhao Bing , Liu Peixi , Xu Tongyi , Zhang Zhijun , Greenberg David A. , Wang Yongting , Gao Pingjin , Zhu Wei , Yang Guo‐Yuan 
Published: August 2017

ObjectiveBrain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are the most common cause of nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage in young adults. The genesis of brain AVM remains enigmatic. We investigated microRNA (miRNA) expression and its contribution to the pathogenesis of brain AVMs.MethodsWe used a large‐scale miRNA analysis of 16 samples including AVMs, hemangioblastoma, and controls to identify a distinct AVM miRNA signature. AVM smooth muscle cells (AVMSMCs) were isolated and identified by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry, and candidate miRNAs were then tested in these cells. Migration, tube formation, and CCK‐8–induced proliferation assays were used to test the effect of the miRNAs on phenotypic properties of AVMSMCs. A quantitative proteomics approach was used to identify protein expression changes in AVMSMCs treated with miRNA mimics.ResultsA distinct AVM miRNA signature comprising a large portion of lowly expressed miRNAs was identified. Among these miRNAs, miR‐137 and miR‐195* levels were significantly decreased in AVMs and constituent AVMSMCs. Experimentally elevating the level of these microRNAs inhibited AVMSMC migration, tube formation, and survival in vitro and the formation of vascular rings in vivo. Proteomics showed the protein expression signature of AVMSMCs and identified downstream proteins regulated by miR‐137 and miR‐195* that were key signaling proteins involved in vessel development.InterpretationOur results indicate that miR‐137 and miR‐195* act as vasculogenic suppressors in AVMs by altering phenotypic properties of AVMSMCs, and that the absence of miR‐137 and miR‐195* expression leads to abnormal vasculogenesis. Ann Neurol 2017;82:371–384
Biopolymer foams from Novatein thermoplastic protein and poly(lactic acid)
Authors: Walallavita Anuradha Sammanie , Verbeek Casparus Johannes Reinhard , Lay Mark Christopher 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTA batch processing method is used to fabricate foams comprising of a blend of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and Novatein, a protein‐based thermoplastic. Various compositions of Novatein/PLA are prepared with and without a compatibilizer, PLA grafted with itaconic anhydride (PLA‐g‐IA). Pure Novatein cannot form a cellular structure at a foaming temperature of 80 °C, however, in a blend with 50 wt % of PLA, microcells form with smaller cell sizes (3.36 µm) and higher cell density (8.44 × 1021 cells cm−3) compared to pure PLA and blends with higher amounts of PLA. The incorporation of 50 wt % of semicrystalline Novatein stiffens the amorphous PLA phase, which restrains cell coalescence and cell collapse in the blends. At a foaming temperature of 140 °C, NTP30–PLA70 shows a unique interconnected porous morphology which can be attributed to the CO2‐induced plasticization effect. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45561.
Poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(vinyl amine) blend membranes for isopropanol dehydration
Authors: Chaudhari Shivshankar , Kwon YongSung , Moon MyungJun , Shon MinYoung , Nam SeungEun , Park YouIn 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTBlended membranes of hydrophilic polymers poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm) were prepared and crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. The prepared membranes were characterized using infrared (attenuated total reflection mode) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffractometry, and scanning electron microscopy measurements. Pervaporation performances of the membranes were evaluated for the separation of water‐isopropanol (IPA) mixtures. As the PVAm content increased from PVAm0 to PVAm1.5, the flux through a 70 μm film increased from 0.023 to 0.10 kg/m2 h at an IPA/water feed ratio of 85/15 at 30 °C. The driving force for permeation of water increased due to the temperature but it has no effect on IPA permeation. Activation energies for the permeation of IPA and water were calculated to be 17.11 and 12.46 kJ/mol, respectively. Controlling the thickness of the blend membrane could improve the permeation flux with only a marginal reduction in the separation factor. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45572.
Synthesis, structure, and thermal properties of new polypropylene nanocomposites prepared by using MgCl2‐mica/TiCl4 based catalyst
Authors: Almeida Lidiane A. , Marques Maria de Fátima V. , Dahmouche Karim 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTPreparation of polypropylene/mica nanocomposites via in situ polymerization is investigated. The nanocomposites were successfully synthesized using a Ziegler‐Natta catalyst based on MgCl2/modified mica/TiCl4. Muscovite mica was organically modified with quaternary ammonium salt, and with triethylaluminum. The treatment with triethylaluminum increased the disorder in the stacking of clay layers, producing a more active catalyst for propylene polymerization, although the mica containing catalysts had lower activity than the standard one prepared without clay. The nanostructure of the composites was characterized by X‐ray diffraction. The results showed that part of the mica layers were exfoliated in the polymer matrix, although tactoids were still present. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering analysis was used to determine how mica and its concentration influence the size of the polymer nanocrystals. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to investigate both melting and crystallization temperatures, as well as the crystallinity of the nanocomposite samples. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that polypropylene/mica nanocomposites presented much higher thermal stability than the polypropylene without mica, which means that mica had a barrier effect against heat. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45587.
Improvement of thermal properties of pigmented acrylic resin using silica aerogel
Authors: Karami Sara , Motahari Siamak , Pishvaei Malihe , Eskandari Navid 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTIn this study, two different types of acrylic resins were synthesized through emulsion polymerization. The first category of acrylic resins contained methyl methacrylate, 2‐ethylhexyl acrylate, and acrylic acid monomers. The second composition had an additional monomer named acrylamide (AAm). The kinetic behavior of polymerization reaction was investigated. The results showed that the presence of the AAm monomer increased the monomer conversion (>90% in the first 10 min) and the rate of polymerization. Furthermore, the latexes were characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) Fourier Transform Infrared, and differential scanning calorimeter analysis. To study the effect of silica aerogel as a thermal barrier additive for acrylic resins, samples were mixed with silica aerogel using sodium dodecyl sulfate as a surfactant. In the next step, the above‐mentioned resins were used to make white acrylic‐based paints. The heat transfer measurements revealed that the thermal insulation properties were not affected by the composition of the resin. On the other hand, the use of AAm monomer increased the paint adhesion properties and helped the resin to receive more aerogel (up to 5 wt %) which in turn decreased the heat loss of the painted wall. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45640.
Recent progress in electrospinning TiO2 nanostructured photo‐anode of dye‐sensitized solar cells
Authors: Wan Tingting , Ramakrishna Seeram , Liu Yong 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTThe key to improving the performance of dye‐sensitized solar cells is the photo‐anode that has much dye adsorption and short optoelectronic transmission path. Electrospun TiO2 films in photo‐anode have high specific surface area and meet the demand exactly. The article summarizes these efforts in TiO2 photo‐anode improvement, including various morphology, different one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional composite structure, and varied element doped TiO2 photo‐anode. Besides, the review makes comparison with these different TiO2 photo‐anodes in photoelectric properties. The conclusions provide a clear guidance in design of morphology, structure, and doping, which is helpful for researcher to improve the performance of the anode and increase the photoelectric conversion efficiency especially those prepared using electrospinning. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45649.
Dielectric behavior of sulfonated poly(styrene–isobutylene–styrene) triblock copolymer thin films
Authors: Rozo‐Medina Martha L. , Padovani Agnes M. 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTSulfonated, block copolymers have traditionally been studied for applications in fuel cells and chemical protective clothing, among others. As such, most investigations have focused on the evaluation of transport properties and the selectivity and permeability of the polymer membranes. This work, however, focuses on the electrical characterization of sulfonated poly(styrene–isobutylene–styrene) (SIBS) triblock copolymer thin films. More specifically, the dielectric properties of SIBS are evaluated as a function of critical parameters such as frequency, sulfonation percent, and the polymer concentration. The results show that the dielectric constant increases with sulfonation percent and polymer concentration to values as high as 13,600. This work also provides insights into the correlation of SIBS electrical properties with its chemical structure and morphology. The structure–property relationship is derived through a combination of techniques including: elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and atomic force microscopy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45662.
New insight into the mechanism of enhanced crystallization of PLA in PLLA/PDLA mixture
Authors: Lv Tongxin , Zhou Chengbo , Li Jingqing , Huang Shaoyong , Wen Huiying , Meng Yanfeng , Jiang Shichun 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTPoly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a bio‐based and compostable polymer that has quickly developed into a competitive material, but the control of crystallinity is a bottleneck in extended utilization. The crystallization of PLA has been a rich topic because of the existence of two enantiomeric forms of poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(d‐lactic acid) (PDLA) can form stereocomplex (SC) crystal with high melting point that can be used to control the crystallization behaviors. The SC crystal was regarded as an effective nucleating agent for promoting the crystallization rate and crystallinity of PLA. We investigated cold crystallization of PLLA/PDLA (1:1) mixture with in situ WAXS measurements and found that the homo‐crystal of PLA formed earlier than the SC‐crystal in the mixture within the measured temperature range, which is different from the melting crystallization. The final crystalline structures are in correspondence with the melting and cold crystallization temperature, and the transition of homo‐PLA (δ to α) is not altered by the crystallization procedure. The SC‐crystal can be detected in both cold and melting crystallization of the mixture at the temperatures lower than 150 °C, which is conflict with the reported results. A new crystallization mechanism of the mixture was proposed to understand the crystallization behaviors in PLLA/PDLA mixtures. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45663.
Normative data and psychometric properties of a farsi translation of the strange stories test
Authors: Shahrivar Zahra , Tehrani‐Doost Mehdi , Khorrami Banaraki Anahita , Mohammadzadeh Azar , Happe Francesca 
Published: August 2017

Background and objectiveThe Strange Stories test is one of the most commonly used tests to evaluate advanced “theory of mind,” i.e. attribution of mental states. Normative data and psychometric properties of a new Farsi translation of this test were evaluated in a large community‐based sample of Iranian school‐aged children. Methods: Through randomized cluster sampling, 398 children aged 9–11 years studying at 20 elementary schools were recruited from 4 central regions of Tehran, Iran. The mean age of the students was 9.96 years (SD = 0.92), and 51% were girls (n = 202). The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was completed by parents. The Strange Stories test was completed by all children and repeated for 20% of them after 2–4 weeks to assess the test‐retest reliability. Findings: Students in upper grades had higher scores (P < .01); age predicted 2% of variance on the mental state score. Girls had significantly higher mentalizing scores than boys (P = .003). The split‐half internal reliability coefficient was good (0.73). The test‐retest reliability was fair to good. Item‐scale score correlations were all significant (P < .01). Conclusion: This new translation of the Strange Stories test is a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate higher level theory of mind abilities in community samples of Farsi speaking children. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1960–1967. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Lay Summary“Mentalizing” or “theory of mind,” the ability to recognize others' mental states, is a key aspect of social understanding. Mentalizing problems are characteristic of some clinical conditions such as autism. The Strange Stories is a test evaluating mentalizing in every day social situations. It was translated into Farsi language and administered to a group of Iranian school‐aged children. The instrument was useful in assessing children's mind reading. Older children and girls were better in mentalizing ability.
Early autism symptoms in infants with tuberous sclerosis complex
Authors: McDonald Nicole M. , Varcin Kandice J. , Bhatt Rujuta , Wu Joyce Y. , Sahin Mustafa , Nelson Charles A. , Jeste Shafali S. 
Published: August 2017

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare, autosomal dominant genetic syndrome that confers significantly increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with 50–60% of infants with TSC meeting criteria for ASD by 3 years of age. In a previous study of the current longitudinal cohort, we found that infants with TSC who develop ASD (TSC/ASD) evidence decreased cognitive abilities that diverge from infants with TSC and no ASD (TSC/no ASD). We extended this work by asking whether TSC/ASD infants (n = 13) differed from TSC/no ASD infants (n = 10) and infants with low developmental risk and no ASD (LR; n = 21) in their social communication functioning during the first year of life. We measured early ASD symptoms with the Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI) at 9 and 12 months of age. At both ages, infants in the TSC/ASD group had significantly higher AOSI total scores than infants in the TSC/no ASD and LR groups, which were not fully explained by differences in cognitive abilities. Several items on the AOSI at both ages were predictive of ASD outcome, particularly those representing core social communication deficits (e.g., social referencing). Our findings signal the need for further study of this population within the first year and provide strong justification for early identification and early intervention targeting social communication skills in infants with TSC. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1981–1990. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Lay SummaryWe examined early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in infants with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), approximately 50% of whom will meet criteria for ASD by age 3. Infants with TSC and ASD showed deficits in social communication behaviors by 9 months of age that were clearly distinguishable from behaviors in infants with TSC who do not develop ASD and low risk infants. Results support the importance of early ASD screening and intervention for infants with TSC.
Recombinant Lactococcus lactis for efficient conversion of cellodextrins into L‐lactic acid
Authors: Gandini Chiara , Tarraran Loredana , Kalemasi Denis , Pessione Enrica , Mazzoli Roberto 
Published: August 2017

AbstractLactic acid bacteria (LAB) are among the most interesting organisms for industrial processes with a long history of application as food starters and biocontrol agents, and an underexploited potential for biorefineries converting biomass into high‐value compounds. Lactic acid (LA), their main fermentation product, is among the most requested chemicals owing to its broad range of applications. Notably, LA polymers, that is, polylactides, have high potential as biodegradable substitutes of fossil‐derived plastics. However, LA production by LAB fermentation is currently too expensive for polylactide to be cost‐competitive with traditional plastics. LAB have complex nutritional requirements and cannot ferment inexpensive substrates such as cellulose. Metabolic engineering could help reduce such nutritional requirements and enable LAB to directly ferment low‐cost polysaccharides. Here, we engineered a Lactococcus lactis strain which constitutively secretes a β‐glucosidase and an endoglucanase. The recombinant strain can grow on cellooligosaccharides up to at least cellooctaose and efficiently metabolizes them to L‐LA in single‐step fermentation. This is the first report of a LAB able to directly metabolize cellooligosaccharides longer that cellohexaose and a significant step toward cost‐sustainable consolidated bioprocessing of cellulose into optically pure LA.
Germanium‐Bridged 2‐Phenylbenzoheteroles as Luminophores Exhibiting Highly Efficient Solid‐State Fluorescence
Authors: Shimizu Masaki , Ryuse Daiki , Kinoshita Takumi 
Published: August 2017

Abstract[1]Benzogermolo[3,2‐b]indoles, [1]benzogermolo[3,2‐b]benzofuran, [1]benzogermolo[3,2‐b]benzothiophene, and [1]benzogermolo[3,2‐b]benzothiophene‐S,S‐dioxide were synthesized from the corresponding 3‐bromo‐2‐(2‐bromophenyl)benzoheteroles and characterized. A comparison of the absorption spectra of the Ph2Ge‐ and Ph2Si‐bridged 2‐phenylindoles reveals that the Ge bridge has the effect of slightly widening the HOMO–LUMO energy gap of the bridged 2‐phenylindole π‐system with regard to the Si‐bridged system. Replacement of the indole ring by benzofuran or benzothiophene rings induces blueshifts in the absorption spectrum, whereas the absorption spectrum of the benzothiophene‐S,S‐dioxide derivative was redshifted with respect to the indole derivative. These results are consistent with the changes in the HOMO–LUMO energy gaps calculated by using density functional theory. The Ph2Ge‐bridged indole, benzofuran, and benzothiophene‐S,S‐dioxide derivatives exhibit brilliant fluorescence in the violet‐to‐blue region with good‐to‐excellent quantum yields in toluene (λem=376–439 nm, Φ=0.62–0.99) and powder form (λem=401–451 nm, Φ=0.64–0.80).
Stability of the Greedy Algorithm on the Circle
Authors: Rolla Leonardo T. , Sidoravicius Vladas 
Published: August 2017

AbstractWe consider a single‐server system with service stations in each point of the circle. Customers arrive after exponential times at uniformly distributed locations. The server moves at finite speed and adopts a greedy routing mechanism. It was conjectured by Coffman and Gilbert in 1987 that the service rate exceeding the arrival rate is a sufficient condition for the system to be positive recurrent, for any value of the speed. In this paper we show that the conjecture holds true.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Influence of IL‐6, IL‐33, and TNF‐α on human mast cell activation: Lessons from single cell analysis by flow cytometry
Authors: Cop Nathalie , Ebo Didier G. , Bridts Chris H. , Elst Jessy , Hagendorens Margo M. , Mertens Christel , Faber Margaretha A. , De Clerck Luc S. , Sabato Vito 
Published: August 2017

BackgroundMechanisms that govern priming and degranulation of human mast cells (MCs) remain elusive. Besides, most of our knowledge is based on experiments from which data only reflect an average of all stimulated cells. This study aims at investigating the effects of proinflammatory cytokines IL‐6, IL‐33, and TNF‐α on IgE‐dependent and IgE‐independent activation of individual MCs.MethodsMCs were derived from CD34+ progenitors isolated from 50 mL whole blood from 4 healthy controls and 5 birch pollen allergic patients. Passively sensitized MCs were preincubated with IL‐6, IL‐33, or TNF‐α and stimulated with anti‐IgE/birch pollen allergen or substance P, the latter being a ligand for the G‐protein‐coupled MRGPRX2‐receptor. Activation—i.e., upregulation of CD203c—and anaphylactic degranulation—i.e., appearance of CD63—were measured using flow cytometry.ResultsPreincubation with IL‐33 demonstrated upregulated CD203c density without degranulation. Subsequent IgE‐dependent stimulation (anti‐IgE/birch pollen allergen) resulted in higher appearance of CD63 as compared to cells without preincubation, indicating IL‐33 to exert a priming effect (P = 0.04). IL‐6 only increased allergen‐specific responses but to a lesser extent than IL‐33. Combination of IL‐33/IL‐6 had a synergistic effect, demonstrating more degranulation in response to allergen. TNF‐α had no effect on IgE‐mediated activation, nor synergistic effects with IL‐33. Stimulation with substance P resulted in degranulation that could not be enhanced by preincubation.ConclusionsIn conclusion, IL‐33, and in a lesser extent IL‐6, prime individual MCs for subsequent IgE‐mediated activation. Moreover, this priming effect is synergistic. In contrast, none of the cytokines had a priming effect on MRGPRX2‐mediated activation of MCs. © 2017 International Clinical Cytometry Society