bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nanoscale Janus Particles with Dual Protein Functionalization
Authors: Kadam Reshma , Zilli Marina , Maas Michael , Rezwan Kurosch 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBiofunctionalized Janus particles with tailored surface chemistry are gathering interest for applications as catalysts, multifunctional cell surface targets, nanomotors, and drug delivery systems. The dual nature of the surface chemistry of Janus particles can be exploited to immobilize drugs, cell surface targets, and/or other functional molecules on both sides of the particle surface. In this study, a model system is established for the scalable preparation of nanoscale Janus particles with dual protein functionalization with the proteins ferritin and streptavidin. 80 nm silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) modified with azidosilane are used to prepare Pickering emulsions with molten wax as the droplet phase. The azide‐functionalized SiNPs on the Pickering emulsion droplets are further subjected to face‐selective silanization with biotin‐polyethylene glycol ethoxy silane. Afterward, ferritin is grafted on the azide‐functionalized side via a click‐reaction and the biotin groups are conjugated with streptavidin which is labeled with ultrasmall gold nanoparticles. In order to elucidate the advantages and limits of this approach, a detailed characterization is performed of the particles at every process step. The results show that this method represents a scalable platform for the versatile preparation of nanoscale Janus nanoparticles that can potentially be used with a wide variety of proteins.
Building identity in online environments: An information science perspective
Authors: Ryan Frances VC , Cruickshank Peter , Hall Hazel , Lawson Alistair 
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACTThe research presented in this poster is concerned with the ways in which people use information to build identities for themselves online with reference to the themes of personal reputation management. To date these two themes have been under‐explored together in the research literature, both in general and from an information science perspective. The poster content shares findings related to three areas of identity building: (1) the creation and use of online personas and identities; (2) the use of anonymity and pseudonyms through information sharing – or concealment – practices; and (3) the blurring or merging together of participants’ private and professional selves. This study used participant diaries and in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with 45 UK‐based participants. The main finding presented here is that individuals present elements of their online persona or personality using online information, but that they do not do so with the intention of building identity. The findings explored in this presentation are contextualised with reference to identity building in the more formal setting of academic reputation management, i.e., through the use of citations.
Synthesis, Thermal Properties and Sensitivity of Ladder‐Like Nitrocellulose Grafted by Polyethylene Glycol
Authors: Meng Xiangjun , Xiao Zhenggang 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe sensitivity study of propellants has been receiving heightened attentions from a lot of investigators. These propellants based on nitrocellulose are sensitive to accidental stimuli that result in catastrophic accidents. Thus energetic thermoplastic elastomers have been used as binders to replace some nitrocellulose to prepare insensitive high energy propellants. However, some defects are presented in the application of these binders. Based on the reason above, a novel binder named as step ladder‐like nitrocellulose was synthesized by isophorone diisocyanate reacting with free hydroxyl groups of nitrocellulose first, and then reacting with polyethylene glycol. The reaction product was characterized by FT‐IR, XRD, SEM, TGA, DSC and sensitivity tests. Results show that step ladder‐like nitrocellulose is successfully synthesized from nitrocellulose, and it has a quasi‐spherical shape and regular crystal structure. Furthermore, the thermal weight loss course of step ladder‐like nitrocellulose is relatively gentle in the range of 175–450 °C and its mechanical sensitivity is less than that of raw nitrocellulose.
Synthesis of 4,8‐Dinitraminodifurazano[3, 4‐b,e]pyrazine Derived Nitrogen‐Rich Salts as Potential Energetic Materials
Authors: Li Wei , Tian Junjun , Qi Xiujuan , Wang Kangcai , Jin Yunhe , Wang Binshen , Zhang Qinghua 
Published: January 2018

AbstractA series of new energetic compounds based on 4,8‐dinitraminodifurazano[3, 4‐b,e]pyrazine were synthesised and fully characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The structures of compounds 3‐a, 3‐c, 3‐f, and 3‐g were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. The physicochemical and energetic properties of these energetic compounds including density, thermal stability, and energetic performance (e. g., detonation velocities and detonation pressures) were investigated. The combination of nitrogen‐rich 4,8‐dihydrodifurazano[3, 4‐b,e]pyrazine framework with highly energetic nitramino moieties endowed these as‐synthesised compounds with excellent detonation performance. Among these as‐synthesised compounds, five energetic salts (3‐a, 3‐b, 3‐c, 3‐f, and 3‐g) exhibited satisfactory calculated detonation velocities (8921–9413 m s‐1), which were superior to cyclo‐1,3,5‐trimethylene‐2,4,6‐trinitamine (RDX) (8878 m s‐1). Notably, compound 3‐f exhibits an excellent calculated detonation velocity of 9166 m s‐1 and also acceptable impact and friction sensitivities (IS=8 J, FS=108 N). The prominent detonation performance with moderate sensitivities indicates that compound 3‐f has the potential to compete with traditional high explosives.
Solvent Dependent Luminescence Sensing of Nitro‐Explosives by a Terbium‐Based Metal‐Organic Complex
Authors: Majee Prakash , Singha Debal Kanti , Mondal Sudip Kumar , Mahata Partha 
Published: January 2018

AbstractPowder sample of a terbium based metal‐organic complex (MOC) [Tb2(pydcH)6]⋅3H2O {H2pydc= 2,6‐Pyridinedicarboxylic acid}, 1, were synthesized by simple solvent evaporation method in water medium. Powder X‐ray diffraction data of complex 1 confirmed a molecular complex of tricapped trigonal prismatic Tb3+ ion with a free carboxylic acid site of each H2pydc ligands by comparing with the single crystal X‐ray diffraction data of isomorphous europium based compound, [Eu2(pydcH)6]⋅3H2O. Compound 1 showed very strong visible green luminescence which was sensitive towards nitro explosives; and interestingly, the sensitivity was dependent on the solvent used. The luminescence was emitted by ligand sensitized Tb metal centre of compound 1 and was quenched so quickly and efficiently that an instant colour change from visible green to colourless was observed by naked eye. The experiments were done for the detection of nitro‐explosive materials such as 2,4,6‐trinitrophenol (TNP), 2,4‐dinitrophenol (2,4‐DNP), 2,4‐dinitro toluene (DNT), 1,3‐dinitro benzene (DNB), 4‐nitrotoluene (NT) and nitro benzene (NB) in water (H2O), methanol (MeOH), acetonitrile (CH3CN), and tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvents. Mechanism of the luminescence quenching behaviour in different solvents was successfully explained by combined effect of resonance energy transfer, absorption of excitation light and the possibility of electron transfer. Experimental results were also supported by DFT calculations.
Ligand Assisted Rhodium Catalyzed Selective Semi‐hydrogenation of Alkynes Using Syngas and Molecular Hydrogen
Authors: Jagtap Samadhan A. , Bhanage Bhalchandra M. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThis work reports the Rhodium catalyzed selective semi‐hydrogenation of alkynes to (E) and (Z)‐alkenes in the presence of various Buchwald phosphine ligands such as S‐Phos (L1), t‐Bu XPhos (L2), Ru‐Phos (L3), Johnphos (L4) and DavePhos (L5). Selective formation of E‐alkenes in high activity with use of H2 gas (5 bar) is an alternative method for conventional Birch reduction. High selectivity obtained towards Z‐alkenes with use of syngas (10 bar) is an alternative method for Lindlar reaction. (E)‐alkenes were obtained in high yield due to the steric crowding present in L4 ligand. The carbon monoxide present in syngas controls over‐hydrogenation of alkynes and (Z)‐alkenes were obtained as major product due to cis addition of molecular hydrogen to alkynes. The use of additives, base, co‐catalyst and excess use of chemicals is prevented with this protocol for semi‐hydrogenation reaction. With this simple and effective catalyst system and mild reaction conditions, internal as well as terminal alkynes were smoothly converted to respective alkenes in high yield (>90%).
Stakeholder value appropriation: The case of labor in the worldwide mining industry
Authors: Ramírez Cristian , Tarziján Jorge 
Published: January 2018

Research Summary: We evaluate how the value appropriated by employees varies in response to an exogenous shock to the price of the firm's product and how this variation depends on institutional and ownership structures. Institutional and ownership structures that favor employees can influence firms’ location decisions and shareholders’ incentives to invest. Using data from the main copper mines in the world, we show that the value appropriated by employees rises in response to an exogenous increase in the price of minerals. Our results indicate that the magnitude of the increment in the value captured by employees is larger in stated‐owned companies, when labor regulations promote productivity‐based payments, when wages are determined through a centralized bargaining process, and when regulations associated with hiring and firing are more flexible.Managerial Summary: We show how labor regulations and state ownership affect the value appropriated by employees when there are exogenous changes in the price of the firm's products. Since the value generated by a firm is distributed among different stakeholders, a higher appropriation of value by employees results in lower appropriation by another party. Therefore, by changing the distribution of value, managerial decisions about location and entry could be affected. For instance, shareholders of firms with positive future expectations about the prices of their products might prefer to enter markets in which salary negotiations are not centralized or where partnership with the local government is not mandatory. Overall, our analysis calls for the consideration of the external environment when evaluating value appropriation by different types of stakeholders.
Enrichment of intact phosphoproteins using immobilized titanium(IV) affinity chromatography microspheres
Authors: Wang Hao , Zhong Jinqiang , Xiao Kaijie , Tian Zhixin 
Published: January 2018

AbstractApproximately a third of eukaryotic proteins are estimated to be phosphorylated, and the protein phosphorylation is significant in regulating almost all aspects of cell life. Due to low stoichiometry of phosphorylation, efficient enrichment is often an essential step in phosphoproteomics study. Over the decades, lots of enrichment materials have been successfully developed and widely used for intact phosphoproeins. One of these materials is immobilized titanium(IV) affinity chromatography (Ti4+‐IMAC) microspheres, which has been widely studied and used for phosphopeptides enrichment. Application of Ti4+‐IMAC for intact phosphoprotein enrichment has also proven possible, where intact phosphoproteins (α‐casein and β‐casein) were successfully enrichment out of their mixture with BSA (1:1:10, w/w). Here we report our detailed investigation of intact phosphoprotein enrichment using Ti4+‐IMAC. With BSA and standard intact phosphoprotein β‐casein, selectivity with a wide range of mixing ratios of 1:1, 1:100, 1:500, 1:1000 and 1:2000 (β‐casein:BSA, w/w) and binding capacity were investigated; the enrichment capability of Ti4+‐IMAC was further investigated with real biological systems, including non‐fat milk, egg white and swine liver tissue extract. The results show that Ti4+‐IMAC is a promising material for intact phosphoprotein enrichment.
System reliability analysis of retrial machine repair systems with warm standbys and a single server of working breakdown and recovery policy
Authors: Chen Wu‐Lin 
Published: January 2018

AbstractReliability analysis plays an important role in the machine repair systems. The purpose of this study is to propose reliability analysis of retrial machine repair systems with M operating units, W warm standby units, and a single repair server with recovery policy. Failure times, repair times, and retrial times for all units are assumed to follow exponential distributions. The single repair server is subject to breakdown, and failure times and repair times for the single server are also assumed to follow exponential distributions. The recovery policy is considered in this study to efficiently utilize the single repair server. Based on the transition rate diagram, the probability differential equations are derived, and Laplace transforms are then taken on these equations to derive system reliability and the mean time to system failure (MTTF). Both sensitivity analyses and relative sensitivity analyses are also performed. Some numerical experiments are designed and executed. The important results are outlined below. The failure rate of an operating unit (λ) significantly influences system reliability. Threshold of the recovery policy (q), the service rate of the working server (μ1), and the breakdown rate of the server (α) affect system reliability moderately. The service rate of the broken down server (μ2), the retrial rate (θ), and the repair rate to repair the broken down server (β) affect system reliability slightly; the failure rate of a standby unit (η) rarely influences system reliability. Furthermore, λ affects MTTF significantly, influence MTTF moderately, slightly affect MTTF, and η rarely affects MTTF.
Closure, deduction and hinge commitments
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxing 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDuncan Pritchard recently proposed a Wittgensteinian solution to closure-based skepticism. According to Wittgenstein, all epistemic systems assume certain truths. The notions that we are not disembodied brains, that the Earth has existed for a long time and that one’s name is such-and-such all function as “hinge commitments.” Pritchard views a hinge commitment as a positive propositional attitude that is not a belief. Because closure principles concern only knowledge-apt beliefs, they do not apply to hinge commitments. Thus, from the fact that a subject knows that he is sitting in a room, and the fact that the subject’s sitting in a room entails his bodily existence, it does not follow that the subject also knows that he is not an envatted brain. This paper rejects Pritchard’s non-belief reading of hinge commitments. I start by showing that the non-belief reading fails to solve the skeptical paradox because the reasons that Pritchard uses to support the non-belief reading do not exempt hinge propositions from closure principles. I then proceed to argue that the non-belief reading is false as it claims that hinge commitments, unlike ordinary beliefs, are rationally unresponsive—with the help of a scenario in which a subject’s experience is internally chaotic, we can safely conclude that the hinge commitment that one is not systematically mistaken about the world is equally responsive to one’s evidential situations.
Whole‐exome sequencing and microRNA profiling reveal PI3K/AKT pathway’s involvement in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia
Authors: Khan Saad M , Denney Jason E , Wang Michael X , Xu Dong 
Published: January 2018

BackgroundClinical studies and genetic analyses have revealed that juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is caused by somatic and/or germline mutations of genes involved in the RAS/MAPK signalling pathway. Given the vastly different clinical prognosis among individual patients that have had this disease, mutations in genes of other pathways may be involved.MethodsIn this study, we conducted whole‐exome and cancer‐panel sequencing analyses on a bone marrow sample from a 2‐year old juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia patient. We also measured the microRNA profile of the same patient’s bone marrow sample and the results were compared with the normal mature monocytic cells from the pooled peripheral blood.ResultsWe identified additional novel mutations in the PI3K/AKT pathway and verified with a cancer panel targeted sequencing. We have confirmed the previously tested PTPN11 gene mutation (exon 3 181G>T) in the same sample and identified new nonsynonymous mutations in NTRK1, HMGA2, MLH3, MYH9 and AKT1 genes. Many of the microRNAs found to be differentially expressed are known to act as oncogenic MicroRNAs (onco‐MicroRNAs or oncomiRs), whose target genes are enriched in the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway.ConclusionsOur study suggests an alternative mechanism for JMML pathogenesis in addition to RAS/MAPK pathway. This discovery may provide new genetic markers for diagnosis and new therapeutic targets for JMML patients in the future.
Free and Unfree Labor in the Nineteenth-Century Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Paz Adalberto 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe nineteenth-century Brazilian Amazon was characterized by a wide variety of unfree labor performed by Indians,mestiços, free blacks, freedpersons, and slaves. Since the mid-eighteenth century, the Portuguese Crown’s failure to promote the mass influx of enslaved Africans resulted in legislation that successively institutionalized and regularized coerced labor, limiting the mobility of individuals in the lower classes and obligating them to work against their will. Initially, this was restricted to Indians, but the measures were eventually applied to the entire free population of color. This article discusses the conditions under which these laws emerged and their impact on the living conditions of the population subject to them, placing the nineteenth-century Amazonian experience within wider historiographical debates about free and unfree labor.
Stentless mirrored L-shaped septonasal flap versus stented flapless technique for endoscopic endonasal repair of bilateral congenital choanal atresia: a prospective randomised controlled study
Authors: Tomoum M O , Askar M H , Mandour M F , Amer M A , Saafan M E 
Published: January 2018

AbstractObjectives:To compare the outcomes of endoscopic repair of bilateral congenital choanal atresia using a flap technique without stenting versus endoscopic repair using stenting without a flap.Methods:A prospective randomised controlled study was conducted, comprising 72 patients with bilateral congenital choanal atresia. The patients were randomised into two groups. Group A (42 patients) underwent endoscopic repair using a mirrored L-shaped flap without stenting, and group B (30 patients) underwent endoscopic repair using stenting without a flap.Results:At a mean follow-up period of 18.2 months, endoscopic assessment revealed a patent posterior choana in 81 per cent and 83.33 per cent of patients in group A and group B respectively. Choanal stenosis occurred in 21.40 per cent and 33.33 per cent of patients in group A and group B respectively. Granulation tissue was observed in 28.6 per cent and 53.3 per cent of patients in group A and group B respectively.Conclusion:The endoscopic approach utilising a flap without stenting is safe and effective, with a high success rate.
Monochromatic trees in random graphs
Authors: KOHAYAKAWA YOSHIHARU , MOTA GUILHERME OLIVEIRA , SCHACHT MATHIAS 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBal and DeBiasio [Partitioning random graphs into monochromatic components, Electron. J. Combin.24(2017), Paper 1.18] put forward a conjecture concerning the threshold for the following Ramsey-type property for graphsG: everyk-colouring of the edge set ofGyieldskpairwise vertex disjoint monochromatic trees that partition the whole vertex set ofG. We determine the threshold for this property for two colours.
Distributor intermediation in the farm to food service value chain
Authors: Givens Graham , Dunning Rebecca 
Published: January 2018

AbstractShort food supply chains, such as those of fruit and vegetable farmers delivering fresh product directly to restaurants, promise potentially higher returns to primary producers by avoiding the expense of intermediary distributors. Direct farm-to-chef supply chains also present a lower barrier to entry for small and beginning farmers, who are often scaled-out of the restaurant market by the volume requirements of food service distributors. High transactions costs for direct exchange, however, impede growth in this type of market channel. This From the Field paper describes an ongoing initiative by a regional food service distributor to play an active and collaborative role in the farm to food service supply chain, acting as a value chain partner to identify produce items desired by chefs, supply this market intelligence to growers and to garner commitments from farmers to grow and chefs to buy these products in upcoming seasons. By the eighth month of the effort, the distributor had assigned one of its produce buyers to act as a local specialist, working directly with chefs and local growers; and had initiated a series of mini local food shows to provide chefs and growers opportunities for face-to-face communication. The ultimate objective—to garner product-specific commitments from chefs and from growers—remains a work in progress.
Plantations, Peddlers, and Nature Protection: The Transnational Origins of Indonesia's Orangutan Crisis, 1910–1930
Authors: Minarchek Matthew 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThis article examines the geographies and politics of the global trade in orangutans in the name of science and entertainment in the first half of the twentieth century, along the background of the growing international nature protection movement. In doing so, it draws attention to historical processes that led to environmental conservation in northern Sumatra. It looks at some of the causes of the wildlife trade, linking animal-human engagement in northern Sumatra in the early twentieth century to large-scale agricultural development. During this period, wildlife traders brought shipments of orangutans from northern Sumatra to Europe and elsewhere around the world. The orangutan trade and the arrival of large numbers of apes in Europe broadly influenced material practices and decisions central to the colonial project. This included the tightening of borders and surveillance in the ports and on land, as well as the creation of wildlife protection laws and policies that regulated human relationships with the environment in colonial Indonesia.