bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Molecular Structure and Morphology of Insoluble Coke in SAPO‐34 Catalyst
Authors: Luo Mingjian , Wang Dakang , Hu Bing , Fu Yadong , Mao Guoliang , Wang Baohui 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe insoluble coke in SAPO‐34 catalyst is investigated by mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results indicate the insoluble coke in SAPO‐34 catalyst is a reticulate structure composed of carbon‐chain bridged cycloalkanes and aromatics. This reticulate structure located near the surface of SAPO‐34 crystal. It is proposed that the continue alkylation and cyclization of cycloalkanes or aromatics with olefins is the main cause of the coke formation. Moreover, the coke preformed by olefins in downstream catalyst bed reduces the active region for methanol conversion.
A Facile, Sustainable Strategy towards the Preparation of Silicone Nanofilaments and Their Use as Antiwetting Coatings
Authors: Chu Zonglin , Olveira Sandro , Seeger Stefan 
Published: July 2017

AbstractSynthesis of silicone nanofilaments (SNF) on substrates is a successful approach to fabricate superantiwetting surfaces. However, the yield of SNF is usually very low (≪1 %). After coating reactions, excessive organosilane residues become wastes and are released to the environment. Here, we report a facile, sustainable, high yield strategy to prepare silicone nanofilament coatings by simply exposing trifunctional silane/toluene solution to air. When toluene is exposed to air with relative humidity between 30 % and 45 %, it can trap a suitable amount of water which enables fast and continuous growth of SNF on different substrates. This new finding not only simplifies the fabrication procedure but also enables the preparation of SNF coatings in a sustainable, high‐yield manner. Such a novel technique allows the preparation of superhydrophobic samples on a large scale—hundreds of samples can be prepared in less than 1 day by simply using a mother solution containing a small amount of trifunctional silane.
Immobilizing Palladium Nanoparticles on Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon for Promotion of Formic Acid Dehydrogenation and Alkene Hydrogenation
Authors: Zhang Chenjun , Leng Yan , Jiang Pingping , Li Jingjing , Du Shengyu 
Published: July 2017

AbstractA novel palladium (Pd)‐supported Nitrogen‐doped carbon catalyst (Pd@CN) is prepared via polymerization of 1,3,5‐triacryloylhexahydro‐1,3,5‐triazine (TAT), adsorption of Pd nanoparticles (Pd NPs), and followed by pyrolysis treatment. The TAT polymer (PTAT) was revealed to be an ideal precursor with strong adsorb ability for Pd NPs, and the pyrolysis treatment of Pd/PTAT not only led to the generation of nitrogen‐doped carbon support but also significantly enhanced the Pd‐support interaction for the target catalyst Pd@CN. Catalytic tests demonstrate that Pd@CN shows superior catalytic activity and selectivity toward the hydrogen production and alkene hydrogenation with formic acid as the carrier. Besides, the catalyst presents improved reusability, structure stability and could be reused five runs without finding significant decrease of activity and obvious leaching of Pd species. Such excellent catalytic performance of Pd@CN is mostly attributed to the prominent surface electronic modulation with pyridinic‐N in CN. This work displays a facile and effective way for the rational design of excellent Pd‐supported catalysts for better hydrogen energy exploitation and applications.
A 4‐year study of the proportional distribution of male reproductive organ abnormalities in cattle slaughtered at Nyagatare abattoir, Eastern Rwanda
Authors: Kandiwa Erick , Nyirakunzimana Leoncie , Habarugira Gervais , Mushonga Borden , Samkange Alaster 
Published: July 2017

AbstractMale reproductive performance has more impact on overall herd productivity than in the female. In order to assess herd productivity in cattle in Nyagatare, Eastern Rwanda, the proportional distribution of male reproductive organ abnormalities was investigated in 3087 bulls slaughtered over a 4‐year period. The aim of the study was to investigate the proportional distribution of male reproductive organ abnormalities in exotic and indigenous bulls slaughtered over a 4‐year period at Nyagatare abattoir in Eastern Rwanda. Positioning of the testicles was observed and recorded as the animals were assembled before slaughter. After slaughter, the internal and external reproductive organs of all bulls were removed, labelled and analysed for pathology. Significantly more indigenous (79.01%) than exotic (20.99%) animals were slaughtered (P < 0.05;N = 3 087). Overall occurrence of abnormalities was significantly higher in exotic (20.83%) than in indigenous (10.33%) animals (P < 0.05). Overall, abnormal location of testicles was the most common abnormality (4.08%) followed by abnormal prepuce and penis (2.33%), orchitis (1.94%), enlarged vesicular gland (0.91%), scrotal hernia (0.87%), unilateral cryptorchidism (0.81%), testicular hypoplasia (0.81%) and hydrocoele (0.78%). Abnormal location of testicles, abnormal prepuce and penis, orchitis, testicular hypoplasia and enlarged vesicular glands had significantly higher prevalence in exotic animals than in indigenous animals (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of unilateral cryptorchidism, hydrocoele and scrotal hernia between the exotic and indigenous breeds. The encountered reproductive abnormalities result in poor herd fertility manifesting as low first‐service conception rates, prolonged breeding seasons and reduced weaning weights accompanied by inevitable financial losses in beef production. The observed high proportion of male reproductive abnormalities in exotic breeds might offset the professed benefits from introduction of these exotic breeds with the aim of improving productivity.
What’s Trending in Infection Control? Scoping and Narrative Reviews
Authors: Mitchell Brett G. , Petrie Dayna , Morton Lindsay , Dancer Stephanie J. 
Published: July 2017

OBJECTIVETo explore the trends in infection control peer-reviewed journals, mainstream media, and blogs written by infection control professionalsDESIGNNarrative and scoping reviewsMETHODSNarrative and scoping reviews were performed to identify trending infection prevention and control topics from international journals, national news websites, newspapers, and so-called grey literature throughout 2015. Data were analyzed using word frequencies, and results are displayed in word clouds.RESULTSFor 2015, our search identified 6 news websites with a total of published 116 articles, 71 articles from selected newspapers, and 214 publications from infection control websites. In total, 1,059 journal articles were initially identified; 98 articles were anonymous and thus were excluded, leaving 961 articles in the reviews. The terms ‘superbug’ and ‘antibiotics’ were most commonly used in titles of news websites and newspapers, whereas the terms ‘infection’ and ‘prevention’ were most commonly used in infection control websites or blogs. The word frequency differences among the 4 selected journals reflected their respective specialties.CONCLUSIONIn infection prevention and control, the integration of a range of mediums is necessary to best serve public interests. Whether the aim is advocacy, general health information dissemination, or warnings of imminent risk, health researchers have access to multiple forums with different strengths through which to influence public risk perceptions and responses.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:1098–1102
Responses in the west of Ireland to civil rights protest in Northern Ireland, 1968–72
Authors: Madden Gerard 
Published: July 2017

Abstract1968 has become synonymous with the large-scale global protests of that year. International scholarship has increasingly sought to examine instances of these protests in global peripheries, and amongst the most studied examples is Northern Ireland. The growth of civil rights protest in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s, which emerged from long-standing feelings of exclusion amongst the Catholic minority of the predominantly Protestant polity, was influenced by a broader international discourse of protest associated with the long 1968, notably the African-American civil rights movement. Simultaneously, in the west of Ireland, a number of protest groups also emerged in the late 1960s, frustrated at their communities’ perceived neglect by the government of the Republic of Ireland. This article will examine the emergence of these protest movements, discussing groups in the Galway Gaeltacht and other peripheral rural areas of Connacht, student activists in University College Galway, and campaigns challenging racism against the Travelling community. It will argue that they were influenced by the global protests associated with the long 1968, most notably by events across the border. For the purpose of the article, the ‘west of Ireland’ refers to the five Connacht counties of Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim.
Turbulent jets with off-source heating
Authors: Aspden A. J. , Nikiforakis N. , Bell J. B. , Dalziel Stuart B. 
Published: July 2017

Motivated by anomalous entrainment behaviour in cumulus clouds, Bhat et al. (Exp. Fluids, vol. 7, 1989, pp. 99–102) pioneered a laboratory experiment to study turbulent jets subjected to a volumetric heating away from the momentum source. The study concluded that the use of a constant entrainment coefficient was insufficient for the flow, and that the results did not confirm the analysis of Hunt (Recent Research Advances in the Fluid Mechanics of Turbulent Jets and Plumes, 1994, pp. 309–334, Kluwer Academic), which suggested that an increase in relative turbulent transport of streamwise momentum could lead to a decrease in entrainment. The present paper re-evaluates theoretical aspects of both studies, and includes a decomposition of the factors contributing to entrainment. The reworked analysis is then used to examine three-dimensional numerical simulations of turbulent jets with off-source heating. The data are consistent with previous work, but give deeper insight not easily obtainable through experiment. Specifically, direct measurement of flux integrals shows that previous inference from experimental measurements of centreline velocity and profile widths under the assumption of self-similarity can lead to underestimation of the mass flux by over 50 % in some cases. Radial profiles of temperature, radial velocity and turbulent correlations show significant departures from self-similarity. The flux measurements show that there is actually an increase in the entrainment coefficient with heating, and that it is locally enhanced by positive forcing and decreased by an increase in turbulent transport of streamwise momentum, thereby confirming the essence of the original proposal of Hunt.
Direct numerical simulation of open-channel flow over a fully rough wall at moderate relative submergence
Authors: Mazzuoli Marco , Uhlmann Markus 
Published: July 2017

Direct numerical simulation of open-channel flow over a bed of spheres arranged in a regular pattern has been carried out at bulk Reynolds number and roughness Reynolds number (based on sphere diameter) of approximately 6900 and 120, respectively, for which the flow regime is fully rough. The open-channel height was approximately 5.5 times the diameter of the spheres. Extending the results obtained by Chan-Braun et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 684, 2011, pp. 441–474) for an open-channel flow in the transitionally rough regime, the present purpose is to show how the flow structure changes as the fully rough regime is attained and, for the first time, to enable a direct comparison with experimental observations. Different statistical tools were used to investigate the flow field in the roughness sublayer and in the logarithmic region. The results indicate that, in the vicinity of the roughness elements, the average flow field is affected both by Reynolds number effects and by the geometrical features of the roughness, while at larger wall distances this is not the case, and roughness concepts can be applied. Thus, the roughness function is computed which in the present set-up can be expected to depend on the relative submergence. The flow–roughness interaction occurs mostly in the region above the virtual origin of the velocity profile, and the effect of form-induced velocity fluctuations is maximum at the level of sphere crests. In particular, the root mean square of fluctuations about the streamwise component of the average velocity field reflects the geometry of the spheres in the roughness sublayer and attains a maximum value just above the roughness elements. The latter is significantly weakened and shifted towards larger wall distances as compared to the transitionally rough regime or the case of a smooth wall. The spanwise length scale of turbulent velocity fluctuations in the vicinity of the sphere crests shows the same dependence on the distance from the wall as that observed over a smooth wall, and both vary with Reynolds number in a similar fashion. Moreover, the hydrodynamic force and torque experienced by the roughness elements are investigated and the footprint left by vortex structures on the stress acting on the sphere surface is observed. Finally, the possibility either to adopt an analogy between the hydrodynamic forces associated with the interaction of turbulent structures with a flat smooth wall or with the surface of the spheres is also discussed, distinguishing the skin-friction from the form-drag contributions both in the transitionally rough and in the fully rough regimes.
The Local Political Context of Latino Partisanship
Authors: Fernandez Kenneth E. , Dempsey Matthew C. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe question of how partisanship is influenced by exogenous factors has been vigorously debated, yet this debate is less frequently noted in the literature on Latino partisanship. This study analyzes the 2006 Latino National Survey with geographic identifiers to explore how the political context of a county influences Latino partisan self-identification. There are a variety of reasons why the political environment might influence Latinos’ partisan choice. First, a substantial proportion of the adult Latino population in the United States is foreign-born, potentially lessening the influence of parental partisan socialization. Second, increased migration to areas outside the Southwest has exposed Latinos to new and different social, political, and economic environments. Using subgroup analysis, interactive logit models, and regression discontinuity, we find that the local political context influences the party attachment of Latino immigrants in predictable ways. However, for Latinos born in the United States, our analysis does not provide evidence of a causal connection between partisan environment and an individual's partisan identification.
Optimal doses of EGF and GDNF act as biological response modifiers to improve porcine oocyte maturation and quality
Authors: Valleh Mehdi Vafaye , Zandi Nahid Karimi , Rasmussen Mikkel Aabech , Hyttel Poul 
Published: July 2017

SummaryIt is well documented that both epidermal growth factor (EGF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are critical for porcine oocyte maturation, however, little information is known about their mechanism of action in vitro. To gain insight into the mechanisms of action of the optimum doses of EGF and GDNF on porcine oocyte maturation, porcine cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were matured in defined porcine oocyte medium supplemented with EGF, GDNF or a combination of both at varying concentrations (0–100 ng/ml) for 44 h. Nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation were determined in terms of nuclear stage after DNA staining with Hoechst and cortical granule distribution after lectin labeling, respectively. Mature oocytes were subsequently collected for gene expression analysis or subjected to in vitro fertilization and cultured for 7 days. The results showed that EGF and/or GDNF, when administered in a certain dose (50 ng/μl) to the maturation medium, not only effectively improved the synchronization of nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation processes within the oocyte, but enhanced expression of their corresponding receptors in mature oocytes (P < 0.05). Moreover, supplementation with an optimal combination of EGF + GDNF resulted in elevation of TFAM transcripts as well as a decrease of caspase-3 transcripts compared with the other studied groups (P < 0.05). Collectively, our results indicate that treatment of porcine oocytes with specific-dose combinations of EGF and GDNF stimulates oocyte quality and competence by transcriptional modulation of genes involved in oocyte survival and competence.
Morphometrics and allometry of the larvae of five Characiformes species in the Paraíba do Sul River Basin
Authors: Souza Guilherme , Caramaschi Erica P. , Monteiro Leandro R. 
Published: July 2017

SummaryThe aim of this study was to analyse the morphology and allometry of larvae belonging to five potamodromous species. Five breeding species belonging to the order Characiformes [Salminus brasiliensis(Cuvier, 1816),Leporinus steindachneri, Eigenmann, 1907,Prochilodus lineatus(Valenciennes, 1837),Prochilodus vimboides(Kner,1859) andBrycon insignis, Steindachner, 1877] were used to obtain larvae samples during the pre-flexing, post-flexing, and juvenile developmental stages. When we observed the degree-hour (DH) amplitude time values, we found three developmental groups based on allometry and morphometrics within the period between the pre-flexing and post-flexing phases. Group 1 consists of the speciesS.brasiliensisandB.insignis, Group 2 consists ofP.lineatusandP.vimboides, and Group 3 consists ofL.steindachneri. Group 1 requires less development time and has more slender larvae. Group 2 has a moderate development time and larvae with a more rounded shape. Group 3 presents a greater development time and an intermediate larval morphology. It was possible to classify the larvae through cross-validated discriminant analyses based on seven morphometric variables with 90% accuracy inB.insignis, 83% in L.steindachneri, 91% inP.lineatus, 80% inP.vimboides, and 96% inS.brasiliensis. These results indicate larval characteristics that can be used for the taxonomic identification of the icthyoplankton.
The sensitivity of gamma index analysis to detect multileaf collimator (MLC) positioning errors using Varian TrueBeam EPID and ArcCHECK for patient-specific prostate volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) quality assurance
Authors: Maraghechi Borna , Davis Jack , Mitchell Nicholas , Shah Meeral , Fleck Andre , Darko Johnson , Osei Ernest 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackgroundDue to the increased degree of modulation and complexity of volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans, it is necessary to have a pre-treatment patient-specific quality assurance (QA) programme. The gamma index is commonly used to quantitatively compare two dose distributions. In this study we investigated the sensitivity of single- and multi-gamma criteria techniques to detect multileaf collimator (MLC) positioning errors using the Varian TrueBeam Electronic Portal Imaging DeviceTM (EPID) dosimetry and the ArcCHECKTM device.Materials and methodsAll active MLC positions of seven intact prostate patients VMAT plans were randomly changed with a mean value of 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 mm and a standard deviation of 0.1 mm on 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the control points. The change in gamma passing rates of six gamma criteria of 3%/3 mm, 3%/2 mm, 3%/1 mm, 2%/2 mm, 2%/1 mm and 1%/1 mm were analysed individually (single-gamma criterion) and as a group (multi-gamma criteria) as a function of the simulated errors. We used the improved and global gamma calculation algorithms with a low dose threshold of 10% in the EPID and ArcCHECK software, respectively. The changes in the planning target volume dose distributions and the organs at risk due to the MLC positioning errors were also studied.ResultsWhen 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the control points were modified by the introduction of the simulated errors, the smallest detectable errors with the EPID were 2, 1, 0.5 and 0.5 mm, respectively, using the multi-gamma criteria technique. Similarly for the single-gamma criteria technique errors as small as 2, 1, 1 and 1 mm applied to 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the control points, respectively, were detectable using a 2%/2 mm criterion. However, the smallest detectable errors with the ArcCHECK when using the multi-gamma criteria technique were 2, 2 and 1 mm when MLC errors were applied on 50, 75 and 100% of the control points. When only 25% of the control points were affected the ArcCHECK were unable to detect any of the errors applied. No noticeable difference was observed in the sensitivity using the single- or the multi-gamma criteria techniques with the ArcCHECK.ConclusionThe Varian TrueBeam EPID dosimetry shows a higher sensitivity in detecting MLC positioning errors compared with the ArcCHECK regardless of using the single- or the multi-gamma criteria techniques. Higher sensitivity was observed using the multi-gamma criteria technique compared with the single-criterion technique when using the EPID.
Targeted DNA methylation in vivo using an engineered dCas9-MQ1 fusion protein
Authors: Lei Yong , Zhang Xiaotian , Su Jianzhong , Jeong Mira , Gundry Michael C. , Huang Yung-Hsin , Zhou Yubin , Li Wei , Goodell Margaret A. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractComprehensive studies have shown that DNA methylation plays vital roles in both loss of pluripotency and governance of the transcriptome during embryogenesis and subsequent developmental processes. Aberrant DNA methylation patterns have been widely observed in tumorigenesis, ageing and neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the importance of a systematic understanding of DNA methylation and the dynamic changes of methylomes during disease onset and progression. Here we describe a facile and convenient approach for efficient targeted DNA methylation by fusing inactive Cas9 (dCas9) with an engineered prokaryotic DNA methyltransferase MQ1. Our study presents a rapid and efficient strategy to achieve locus-specific cytosine modifications in the genome without obvious impact on global methylation in 24 h. Finally, we demonstrate our tool can induce targeted CpG methylation in mice by zygote microinjection, thereby demonstrating its potential utility in early development.
Enhanced electron dephasing in three-dimensional topological insulators
Authors: Liao Jian , Ou Yunbo , Liu Haiwen , He Ke , Ma Xucun , Xue Qi-Kun , Li Yongqing 
Published: July 2017

AbstractStudy of the dephasing in electronic systems is not only important for probing the nature of their ground states, but also crucial to harnessing the quantum coherence for information processing. In contrast to well-studied conventional metals and semiconductors, it remains unclear which mechanism is mainly responsible for electron dephasing in three-dimensional topological insulators (TIs). Here, we report on using weak antilocalization effect to measure the dephasing rates in highly tunable (Bi,Sb)2Te3thin films. As the transport is varied from a bulk-conducting regime to surface-dominant transport, the dephasing rate is observed to evolve from a linear temperature dependence to a sublinear power-law dependence. Although the former is consistent with the Nyquist electron-electron interactions commonly seen in ordinary 2D systems, the latter leads to enhanced electron dephasing at low temperatures and is attributed to the coupling between the surface states and the localized charge puddles in the bulk of 3D TIs.