bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Photografted methacrylate‐based monolithic columns coated with cellulose tris(3,5‐dimethylphenylcarbamate) for chiral separation in CEC
Authors: Noel Echevarria Romina , Carrasco‐Correa Enrique Javier , Keunchkarian Sonia , Reta Mario , Herrero‐Martinez José Manuel 
Published: January 2018

AbstractA chiral capillary monolithic column for enantiomer separation in capillary electrochromatography was prepared by coating cellulose tris(3,5‐dimethylphenylcarbamate) on porous glycidyl methacrylate‐co‐ethylene dimethacrylate monolith in capillary format grafted with chains of [2(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride. The surface modification of the monolith by the photografting of [2(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride monomer as well as the coating conditions of cellulose tris(3,5‐dimethylphenylcarbamate) onto the grafted monolithic scaffold were optimized to obtain a stable and reproducible chiral stationary phase for capillary electrochromatography. The effect of organic modifier (acetonitrile) in aqueous mobile phase for the enantiomer separation by capillary electrochromatography was also investigated. Several pairs of enantiomers including acidic, neutral, and basic analytes were tested and most of them were partially or completely resolved under aqueous mobile phases. The prepared monolithic chiral stationary phases exhibited a good stability, repeatability, and column‐to‐column reproducibility, with relative standard deviations below 11% in the studied electrochromatographic parameters.
Quality evaluation of no‐reference MR images using multidirectional filters and image statistics
Authors: Jang Jinseong , Bang Kihun , Jang Hanbyol , Hwang Dosik ,   for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: January 2018

PurposeThis study aimed to develop a fully automatic, no‐reference image‐quality assessment (IQA) method for MR images.MethodsNew quality‐aware features were obtained by applying multidirectional filters to MR images and examining the feature statistics. A histogram of these features was then fitted to a generalized Gaussian distribution function for which the shape parameters yielded different values depending on the type of distortion in the MR image. Standard feature statistics were established through a training process based on high‐quality MR images without distortion. Subsequently, the feature statistics of a test MR image were calculated and compared with the standards. The quality score was calculated as the difference between the shape parameters of the test image and the undistorted standard images.ResultsThe proposed IQA method showed a >0.99 correlation with the conventional full‐reference assessment methods; accordingly, this proposed method yielded the best performance among no‐reference IQA methods for images containing six types of synthetic, MR‐specific distortions. In addition, for authentically distorted images, the proposed method yielded the highest correlation with subjective assessments by human observers, thus demonstrating its superior performance over other no‐reference IQAs.ConclusionOur proposed IQA was designed to consider MR‐specific features and outperformed other no‐reference IQAs designed mainly for photographic images. Magn Reson Med 80:914–924, 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Crystal structure of yeast nitronate monooxygenase from Cyberlindnera saturnus
Authors: Agniswamy Johnson , Reis Renata A.G. , Wang Yuan‐Fang , Smitherman Crystal , Su Dan , Weber Irene , Gadda Giovanni 
Published: January 2018

AbstractNitronate monooxygenase (NMO) is an FMN‐dependent enzyme that oxidizes the neurotoxin propionate 3‐nitronate (P3N) and represents the best‐known system for P3N detoxification in different organisms. The crystal structure of the first eukaryotic Class I NMO from Cyberlindnera saturnus (CsNMO) has been solved at 1.65 Å resolution and refined to an R‐factor of 14.0%. The three‐dimensional structures of yeast CsNMO and bacterial PaNMO are highly conserved with the exception of three additional loops on the surface in the CsNMO enzyme and differences in four active sites residues. A PEG molecule was identified in the structure and formed extensive interactions with CsNMO, suggesting a specific binding site; however, 8% PEG showed no significant effect on the enzyme activity. This new crystal structure of a eukaryotic NMO provides insight into the function of this class of enzymes.
Probing subtle conformational changes induced by phosphorylation and point mutations in the TIR domains of TLR2 and TLR3
Authors: Mahita Jarjapu , Sowdhamini Ramanathan 
Published: January 2018

AbstractExtensive research performed on Toll‐like receptor (TLR) signaling has identified residues in the Toll/interleukin‐1 receptor (TIR) domains that are essential for its proper functioning. Among these residues, those in BB loop are particularly significant as single amino acid mutations in this region can cause drastic changes in downstream signaling. However, while the effect of these mutations on the function is well studied (like the P681H mutation in TLR2, the A795P mutation in TLR3, and the P714H mutation in TLR4), their influence on the dynamics and inter‐residue networks is not well understood. The effects of local perturbations induced by these mutations could propagate throughout the TIR domain, influencing interactions with other TIR domain‐containing proteins. The identification of these subtle changes in inter‐residue interactions can provide new insights and structural rationale for how single‐point mutations cause drastic changes in TIR–TIR interactions. We employed molecular dynamics simulations and protein structure network (PSN) analyses to investigate the structural transitions with special emphasis on TLR2 and TLR3. Our results reveal that phosphorylation of the Tyr 759 residue in the TIR domain of TLR3 introduces rigidity to its BB loop. Subtle differences in the intra BB loop hydrogen bonding network between TLR3 and TLR2 are also observed. The PSN analyses indicate that the TIR domain is highly connected and pinpoints key differences in the inter‐residue interactions between the wild‐type and mutant TIR domains, suggesting that TIR domain structure is prone to allosteric effects, consistent with the current view of the influence of allostery on TLR signaling.
Design, synthesis, fungicidal property and QSAR studies of novel β‐carbolines containing urea, benzoylthiourea and benzoylurea for the control of rice sheath blight
Authors: Zhang Zhi‐Jun , Zeng Yong , Jiang Zhi‐Yan , Shu Ben‐Shui , Sethuraman Veeran , Zhong Guo‐Hua 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDRice sheath blight is a globally important rice disease. Unfortunately, this critical disease has not been effectively controlled, and the intensive and continuous use of the same fungicide might increase the risk of resistance development in the pathogen. To discover new active agents against rice sheath blight, in this study, three series of β‐carboline urea, benzoylurea and benzoylthiourea derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for in vitro and in vivo fungicidal activity against Rhizoctonia solani.RESULTSAll these compounds (EC50: 0.131–1.227 mmol L−1) exhibited better fungicidal activity than harmine itself (EC50: 2.453 mmol L−1). Significantly, compound 17c (EC50: 0.131 mmol L−1) displayed the best efficacy in vitro and superior fungicidal activity compared with validamycin A (EC50: 0.397 mmol L−1). Moreover, the in vivo bioassay also indicated that compound 17c could be effective for the control of rice sheath blight.CONCLUSIONBased on the bioassay result and quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) information, structure modification in β‐carboline warrants further investigation and its benzoylurea derivative 17c, which showed the best fungicidal activities, could emerge as a potential fungicide against rice sheath blight. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Differential accumulation of leucine and methionine in red and green pea aphids leads to different fecundity in response to nitrogen fertilization
Authors: Gao Jing , Guo Huijuan , Sun Yucheng , Ge Feng 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDNitrogen fertilization affects plants directly and herbivorous insects indirectly. Although insect species and even genotypes are known to differ in their responses to nitrogen fertilization, the physiological and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study assessed the fecundity and related regulatory signaling pathways in the green and red morphs of pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) feeding on Medicago truncatula with and without nitrogen fertilization.RESULTSNitrogen fertilization significantly increased foliar amino acid concentrations and consequently increased the concentrations of several individual essential amino acids in body tissue of the green morph. The increased concentration of Leu, Ile, Met and Val was consistent with enhanced biosynthesis of these amino acids in the endosymbiont Buchnera. Under nitrogen fertilization, Leu and Met accumulated in the green morph enhanced the target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway, which consequently increased fecundity by promoting vitellogenin synthesis. In the red morph, however, nitrogen fertilization did not change the concentration of essential amino acids, TOR signaling or fecundity.CONCLUSIONSpecific amino acids accumulation and the nutrient transduction pathway in pea aphids are responsible for genotype‐specific fecundity in response to nitrogen fertilization, which could be used as potential target for pest control. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Chromogenic Photonic Crystal Sensors Enabled by Multistimuli‐Responsive Shape Memory Polymers
Authors: Leo Sin‐Yen , Zhang Wei , Zhang Yifan , Ni Yongliang , Jiang Helena , Jones Cory , Jiang Peng , Basile Vito , Taylor Curtis 
Published: January 2018

AbstractHere novel chromogenic photonic crystal sensors based on smart shape memory polymers (SMPs) comprising polyester/polyether‐based urethane acrylates blended with tripropylene glycol diacrylate are reported, which exhibit nontraditional all‐room‐temperature shape memory (SM) effects. Stepwise recovery of the collapsed macropores with 350 nm diameter created by a “cold” programming process leads to easily perceived color changes that can be correlated with the concentrations of swelling analytes in complex, multicomponent nonswelling mixtures. High sensitivity (as low as 10 ppm) and unprecedented measurement range (from 10 ppm to 30 vol%) for analyzing ethanol in octane and gasoline have been demonstrated by leveraging colorimetric sensing in both liquid and gas phases. Proof‐of‐concept tests for specifically detecting ethanol in consumer medical and healthcare products have also been demonstrated. These sensors are inexpensive, reusable, durable, and readily deployable with mobile platforms for quantitative analysis. Additionally, theoretical modeling of solvent diffusion in macroporous SMPs provides fundamental insights into the mechanisms of nanoscopic SM recovery, which is a topic that has received little examination. These novel sensors are of great technological importance in a wide spectrum of applications ranging from environmental monitoring and workplace hazard identification to threat detection and process/product control in chemical, petroleum, and pharmaceutical industries.
A generalized framework for reduced‐order modeling of a wind turbine wake
Authors: Hamilton Nicholas , Viggiano Bianca , Calaf Marc , Tutkun Murat , Cal Raúl Bayoán 
Published: January 2018

AbstractA reduced‐order model for a wind turbine wake is sought from large eddy simulation data. Fluctuating velocity fields are combined in the correlation tensor to form the kernel of the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). Proper orthogonal decomposition modes resulting from the decomposition represent the spatially coherent turbulence structures in the wind turbine wake; eigenvalues delineate the relative amount of turbulent kinetic energy associated with each mode. Back‐projecting the POD modes onto the velocity snapshots produces dynamic coefficients that express the amplitude of each mode in time. A reduced‐order model of the wind turbine wake (wakeROM) is defined through a series of polynomial parameters that quantify mode interaction and the evolution of each POD mode coefficients. The resulting system of ordinary differential equations models the wind turbine wake composed only of the large‐scale turbulent dynamics identified by the POD. Tikhonov regularization is used to recalibrate the dynamical system by adding additional constraints to the minimization seeking polynomial parameters, reducing error in the modeled mode coefficients. The wakeROM is periodically reinitialized with new initial conditions found by relating the incoming turbulent velocity to the POD mode coefficients through a series of open‐loop transfer functions. The wakeROM reproduces mode coefficients to within 25.2%, quantified through the normalized root‐mean‐square error. A high‐level view of the modeling approach is provided as a platform to discuss promising research directions, alternate processes that could benefit stability and efficiency, and desired extensions of the wakeROM.
Old Wine in New Wineskins? A Trial of Restorative Justice in a Korean Criminal Court
Authors: CHANG Won Kyung 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe concept of restorative justice emerged from efforts to find an alternative to the traditional punitive, retributive reaction to crime. The belief that face-to-face meetings are able to address the diverse needs of all involved parties has eventuated in the proposal of an informal process to discuss the aftermath of crime. One local district court in Korea was very keen to test this process and conducted a project to examine the applicability of restorative justice in Korean criminal trials. Investigating the processes and outcomes of this project, this study identifies challenges in officially adopting such a programme in Korea. In particular, this study raises questions regarding what form of justice Korean citizens truly desire.
Temporal Relationship Between Healthcare-Associated and Nonhealthcare-Associated Norovirus Outbreaks and Google Trends Data in the United States
Authors: Osuka Hanako , Hall Aron J. , Wikswo Mary E. , Baker Julia M. , Lopman Benjamin A. 
Published: January 2018

Healthcare-associated norovirus outbreaks increase later but have a more pronounced seasonality than nonhealthcare norovirus outbreaks. Healthcare-associated norovirus outbreaks had higher correlation with Google Trends activity than nonhealthcare outbreaks (R2=0.68 vs 0.39). Google Trends data may have the potential to supplement existing norovirus surveillance due to its real-time availability.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:355–358
Influence ofLigula intestinalisplerocercoids (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea) on the occurrence of eyeflukes in roach (Rutilus rutilus) from a lake in south-east England
Authors: Morley N.J. , Lewis J.W. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractVertebrate hosts commonly harbour concurrent infections of different helminth species which may interact with each other in a synergistic, antagonistic or negligible manner. Direct interactions between helminths that share a common site in the host have been regularly reported, but indirect interactions between species that occur in different sites are rarely described, especially in fish hosts. Plerocercoids ofLigula intestinalisare common infections of the peritoneal (body) cavity of roach (Rutilus rutilus) in freshwater habitats. These larval cestodes can cause extensive systemic pathologies to the fish host, which in turn may alter its susceptibility as a target host for other helminth species. The present study, using an existing dataset, investigates the influence ofL. intestinalis(ligulosis) on frequently occurring eyefluke infections in roach sampled from a lake in south-east England. The occurrence of two species of eyefluke (Diplostomumsp. andTylodelphyssp.) in the roach population demonstrated no significant levels of interaction with each other. The prevalence but not mean intensity or abundance ofDiplostomumsp. was significantly increased in ligulosed roach, while the incidence ofTylodelphyssp. remained unchanged. Analyses of bilateral asymmetry in the occurrence of eyeflukes in left and right eyes of infected fish demonstrate thatTylodelphyssp. shows significant asymmetry in non-ligulosed roach, which is not replicated in ligulosed individuals. In contrast,Diplostomumsp. shows no evidence of asymmetry in either ligulosed or non-ligulosed fish.
Proliferation dynamics of acute myeloid leukaemia and haematopoietic progenitors competing for bone marrow space
Authors: Akinduro O. , Weber T. S. , Ang H. , Haltalli M. L. R. , Ruivo N. , Duarte D. , Rashidi N. M. , Hawkins E. D. , Duffy K. R. , Lo Celso C. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractLeukaemia progressively invades bone marrow (BM), outcompeting healthy haematopoiesis by mechanisms that are not fully understood. Combining cell number measurements with a short-timescale dual pulse labelling method, we simultaneously determine the proliferation dynamics of primitive haematopoietic compartments and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). We observe an unchanging proportion of AML cells entering S phase per hour throughout disease progression, with substantial BM egress at high levels of infiltration. For healthy haematopoiesis, we find haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) make a significant contribution to cell production, but we phenotypically identify a quiescent subpopulation with enhanced engraftment ability. During AML progression, we observe that multipotent progenitors maintain a constant proportion entering S phase per hour, despite a dramatic decrease in the overall population size. Primitive populations are lost from BM with kinetics that are consistent with ousting irrespective of cell cycle state, with the exception of the quiescent HSC subpopulation, which is more resistant to elimination.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Identification of a novel Na+-coupled Fe3+-citrate transport system, distinct from mammalian INDY, for uptake of citrate in mammalian cells
Authors: Ogura Jiro , Babu Ellappan , Miyauchi Seiji , Ramachandran Sabarish , Nemeth Elizebeta , Bhutia Yangzom D. , Ganapathy Vadivel 
Published: January 2018

AbstractNaCT is a Na+-coupled transporter for citrate expressed in hepatocytes and neurons. It is the mammalian ortholog of INDY (I’m Not Dead Yet), a transporter which modifies lifespan inDrosophila. Here we describe a hitherto unknown transport system for citrate in mammalian cells. When liver and mammary epithelial cells were pretreated with the iron supplement ferric ammonium citrate (FAC), uptake of citrate increased >10-fold. Iron chelators abrogated the stimulation of citrate uptake in FAC-treated cells. The iron exporter ferroportin had no role in this process. The stimulation of citrate uptake also occurred when Fe3+was added during uptake without pretreatment. Similarly, uptake of Fe3+was enhanced by citrate. The Fe3+-citrate uptake was coupled to Na+. This transport system was detectable in primary hepatocytes and neuronal cell lines. The functional features of this citrate transport system distinguish it from NaCT. Loss-of-function mutations in NaCT cause early-onset epilepsy and encephalopathy; the newly discovered Na+-coupled Fe3+-citrate transport system might offer a novel treatment strategy for these patients to deliver citrate into affected neurons independent of NaCT. It also has implications to iron-overload conditions where circulating free iron increases, which would stimulate cellular uptake of citrate and consequently affect multiple metabolic pathways.
Optimal donor for severe aplastic anemia patient requiring allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A large-sample study from China
Authors: Zeng Yunjing , Wang Sanbin , Wang Jishi , Liu Li , Su Yi , Lu Zhixiang , Zhang Xuemei , Zhang Yanqi , Zhong Jiang Fan , Peng Lihui , Liu Qiang , Lu Yinghao , Gao Lei , Zhang Xi 
Published: January 2018

AbstractHLA-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may be an option for severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients. However, to date, no large-sample studies have been performed to determine which types of SAA patients are suitable for HLA-haploidentical HSCT. We retrospectively studied 189 consecutive patients with SAA who underwent HLA-identical or HLA-haploidentical HSCT at seven transplant centers in China. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied in this study to reduce the influence of potential confounders. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 72.0% in the HLA-haploidentical group and 76.5% in the HLA-identical group. The median time to achieve engraftment and the incidence of acute GVHD/chronic GVHD were not significantly different between the two groups. In the subgroup analysis, the outcome of patients older than 40 years in the HLA-haploidentical group was significantly poorer than that of patients younger than 40 years in the same group and that of patients older than 40 years in the HLA-identical group. Based on the above results, we suggest that HLA-haploidentical relative HSCT should be considered as a valid alternative option for patients younger than 40 years with SAA for whom no matched sibling donor is available.
Cellular automata and powers of p∕q
Authors: Kari Jarkko , Kopra Johan 
Published: January 2018

We consider one-dimensional cellular automata Fp,q which multiply numbers by p∕q in base pq for relatively prime integers p and q. By studying the structure of traces with respect to Fp,q we show that for p ≥ 2q – 1 (and then as a simple corollary for p > q > 1) there are arbitrarily small finite unions of intervals which contain the fractional parts of the sequence ξ(p∕q)n, (n = 0, 1, 2, …) for some ξ > 0. To the other direction, by studying the measure theoretical properties of Fp,q, we show that for p > q > 1 there are finite unions of intervals approximating the unit interval arbitrarily well which don’t contain the fractional parts of the whole sequence ξ(p∕q)n for any ξ > 0.
Fictitious employment contracts in loan recovery processes in Latvia
Authors: Neilands R. 
Published: January 2018

Latvia from 2008 till 2013 experienced serious financial crisis. The results of the crisis were significant financial loss in banking area, plenty of foreclosures, plenty of corporate and private bankruptcy processes. One of issues Latvia faced in the foreclosure proceedings was the reaction of debtors – some of them used all possible means (including illegal) to obstruct foreclosure. One of such means is a conclusion of fictitious employmentcontracts on the mortgaged real estate maintenance and later obtaining a court judgment on a wage recovery.
The aim of the paper is to research how fictitious employmentcontracts are used and to propose a solution for the fictitious labour agreements issue. Methods of qualitative research were employed in the paper – comparative method, analytic method, inductive method, and deductive method.