bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Motorway crash duration and its determinants: do durations vary across motorways?
Authors: Tajtehranifard Hasti , Bhaskar Ashish , Haque Md. Mazharul , Chung Edward 
Published: March 2016

SummaryTraffic congestion has been a growing issue in many metropolitan areas during recent years, which necessitates the identification of its key contributors and development of sustainable strategies to help decrease its adverse impacts on traffic networks. Road incidents generally and crashes specifically have been acknowledged as the cause of a large proportion of travel delays in urban areas and account for 25% to 60% of traffic congestion on motorways.Identifying the critical determinants of travel delays has been of significant importance to the incident management systems, which constantly collect and store the incident duration data. This study investigates the individual and simultaneous differential effects of the relevant determinants on motorway crash duration probabilities. In particular, it applies parametric Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) hazard‐based models to develop in‐depth insights into how the crash‐specific characteristic and the associated temporal and infrastructural determinants impact the duration. AFT models with both fixed and random parameters have been calibrated on one year of traffic crash records from two major Australian motorways in South East Queensland, and the differential effects of determinants on crash survival functions have been studied on these two motorways individually.A comprehensive spectrum of commonly used parametric fixed parameter AFT models, including generalized gamma and generalized F families, has been compared with random parameter AFT structures in terms of goodness of fit to the duration data, and as a result, the random parameter Weibull AFT model has been selected as the most appropriate model.Significant determinants of motorway crash duration included traffic diversion requirement, crash injury type, number and type of vehicles involved in a crash, day of week and time of day, towing support requirement and damage to the infrastructure. A major finding of this research is that the motorways under study are significantly different in terms of crash durations; such that motorway 1 exhibits durations that are on average 19% shorter compared with the durations on motorway 2. The differential effects of explanatory variables on crash durations are also different on the two motorways. The detailed presented analysis confirms that looking at the motorway network as a whole, neglecting the individual differences between roads, can lead to erroneous interpretations of duration and inefficient strategies for mitigating travel delays along a particular motorway.
Pioneering hypar thin shell concrete roofs in the 1930s
Authors: Espion Bernard 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe paper explores the conditions of emergence and first applications of thin hypar concrete shells. They appeared in France in the 1930s in the context of building hangars for aircraft and roofs for workshops at air or naval bases. Two French engineers were mainly involved in the development of this form: BERNARD LAFFAILLE, who began designing conoid shells in 1927 but actually never got the opportunity to build concrete hypars, and FERNAND AIMOND, who established the membrane theory of the hypar in 1932 and applied it to design and construct several HP roofs in 1934–1939. The paper describes these forgotten structures and recalls the influence of AIMOND's contributions from the mid‐1930s on the subsequent widespread adoption of the hypar.Anfänge der dünnen Hyparschalen aus Beton in den 1930er‐JahrenDieser Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit den Bedingungen der Entstehung und den ersten Anwendungen von dünnen Hyparschalen (HP‐Schalen) aus Beton. Diese ergaben sich in den 1930er‐Jahren in Frankreich im Zusammenhang mit der Errichtung von Flugzeughangars und Werkstattdächern für Flugplätze und Flottenstützpunkte. Es waren zwei französische Ingenieure, die hauptsächlich an der Entwicklung dieser neuen Bauart beteiligt waren: BERNARD LAFFAILLE, der 1927 mit dem Entwurf von Konoidschalen begann, jedoch nie die Gelegenheit hatte, Hyparschalen aus Beton zu bauen, und FERNAND AIMOND, der 1932 die Membrantheorie der Hyparschalen etabliert hat und diese auch in den Jahren 1934‐1939 für den Entwurf und die Errichtung zahlreicher HP‐Schalendächer angewendet hat. Im Beitrag werden diese heute teilweise in Vergessenheit geratenen Konstruktionen beschrieben und daran erinnert, welchen Einfluss AIMOND seit Mitte der 1930er‐Jahre auf die anschließende verbreitete Anwendung von Hyparschalen hatte.
Zur Geschichte einer Metakategorie: Das ‚Empirische‘ in der deutschen Ökonomischen Aufklärung und frühen Agrarwissenschaft um 1800
Authors: Lehmbrock Verena 
Published: March 2016

AbstractTracing the History of a Super‐Category: The ‘Empirical’ in German Agricultural Improvement and Science around 1800. In accordance with some historians of philosophy, this paper claims that Kant′s critical philosophy can be seen as a watershed between the largely negative and ascriptive term ‘empiric’ applied during the early modern period and the more self‐referential term ‘empiricist’ of the modern period. I will examine the usage and polemical function of the ‘empirical’ label in German agricultural improvement, and will point out its largely negative connotation with respect to agricultural knowledge before 1810. I will then go on to demonstrate how the most prominent founding figure of modern agricultural science in Germany, Albrecht Daniel Thaer (1752–1828), used the conceptual watershed moment as a means to his own academic and polemical ends. Whereas Thaer's opponents, cameralist authors such as Johann Beckmann (1739–1811) and Friedrich Benedict Weber (1774–1848), remained on one side of the watershed, Thaer's reasoning embraced both connotations of the ‘empirical’, and did so in significant ways. My conclusion is that the conceptual transition of the term reflects societal conflicts and social change on a broader level. Thus, the general historiographical claim of this paper is that conceptual histories are a useful and prolific tool of historical research.
Decellularisation and histological characterisation of porcine peripheral nerves
Authors: Zilic Leyla , Wilshaw Stacy‐Paul , Haycock John W. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTPeripheral nerve injuries affect a large proportion of the global population, often causing significant morbidity and loss of function. Current treatment strategies include the use of implantable nerve guide conduits (NGC's) to direct regenerating axons between the proximal and distal ends of the nerve gap. However, NGC's are limited in their effectiveness at promoting regeneration Current NGCs are not suitable as substrates for supporting either neuronal or Schwann cell growth, as they lack an architecture similar to that of the native extracellular matrix (ECM) of the nerve. The aim of this study was to create an acellular porcine peripheral nerve using a novel decellularisation protocol, in order to eliminate the immunogenic cellular components of the tissue, while preserving the three‐dimensional histoarchitecture and ECM components. Porcine peripheral nerve (sciatic branches were decellularised using a low concentration (0.1%; w/v) sodium dodecyl sulphate in conjunction with hypotonic buffers and protease inhibitors, and then sterilised using 0.1% (v/v) peracetic acid. Quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed a ≥95% (w/w) reduction in DNA content as well as preservation of the nerve fascicles and connective tissue. Acellular nerves were shown to have retained key ECM components such as collagen, laminin and fibronectin. Slow strain rate to failure testing demonstrated the biomechanical properties of acellular nerves to be comparable to fresh controls. In conclusion, we report the production of a biocompatible, biomechanically functional acellular scaffold, which may have use in peripheral nerve repair. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2041–2053. © 2016 The Authors. Biotechnology and Bioengineering published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii as a competitive industrial inosine producer
Authors: Ledesma‐Amaro Rodrigo , Buey Rubén M. , Revuelta José Luis 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTInosine is a nucleoside with growing biotechnological interest due to its recently attributed beneficial health effects and as a convenient precursor of the umami flavor. At present, most of the industrial inosine production relies on bacterial fermentations. In this work, we have metabolically engineered the filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii to obtain strains able to excrete high amounts of inosine to the culture medium. We report that the disruption of only two key genes of the purine biosynthetic pathway efficiently redirect the metabolic flux, increasing 200‐fold the excretion of inosine with respect to the wild type, up to 2.2 g/L. These results allow us to propose A. gossypii as a convenient candidate for large‐scale nucleoside production, especially in view of the several advantages that Ashbya has with respect to the bacterial systems used at present for the industrial production of this food additive. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2060–2063. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A high gas fraction, reduced power, syngas bioprocessing method demonstrated with a Clostridium ljungdahlii OTA1 paper biocomposite
Authors: Schulte Mark J. , Wiltgen Jeff , Ritter John , Mooney Charles B. , Flickinger Michael C. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTWe propose a novel approach to continuous bioprocessing of gases. A miniaturized, coated‐paper strip, high gas fraction, biocomposite absorber has been developed using slowly shaken horizontal anaerobic tubes. Concentrated Clostridium ljungdahlii OTA1 was used as a model system. These gas absorbers demonstrate elevated CO mass transfer with low power input, reduced liquid requirements, elevated substrate consumption, and increased product secretion compared to shaken suspended cells. Concentrated OTA1 cell paste was coated by extrusion onto chromatography paper. The immobilized system shows high, constant reactivity immediately upon rehydration. Cell adhesion was by adsorption to the cellulose fibers; visualized by SEM. The C. ljungdahlii OTA1 coated paper mounted above the liquid level absorbs CO and H2 from a model syngas secreting acetate with minimal ethanol. At 100 rpm shaking speed (7.7 Wm−3) the optimal cell loading is 6.5 gDCW m−2 to maintain high CO absorbing reactivity without the cells coming off of the paper into the liquid phase. Reducing the medium volume from 10 mL to 4 mL (15% of tube volume) did not decrease CO reactivity. The reduced liquid volume increased secreted product concentration by 80%. The specific CO consumption by paper biocomposites was higher at all shaking frequencies <100 rpm than suspended cells under identical incubation conditions. At 25 rpm the biocomposite outperforms suspended cells for CO absorption by 2.5‐fold, with an estimated power reduction of 97% over the power input at 100 rpm. The estimated minimum kLa for miniaturized biocomposite gas‐absorbers is ∼100 h−1, 10 to 104 less power input than other syngas fermentation systems reported in the literature at similar kLa. Specific consumption rates in a biocomposite were ∼14 mmol h−1. This work intensified CO absorption and reactivity by 14‐fold to 94 mmol CO m−2 h−1 over previous C. ljungdahlii OTA1 work by our group. Specific acetate production rates were 23 mM h−1 or 46 mmol m−2 h−1. The specific rates and apparent kLa scaled linearly with biocomposite coating area. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1913–1923. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cellulose chain binding free energy drives the processive move of cellulases on the cellulose surface
Authors: Wang Yefei , Zhang Shujun , Song Xiangfei , Yao Lishan 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTProcessivity is essential for cellulases in their catalysis of cellulose hydrolysis. But what drives the processive move is not well understood. In this work, we use Trichoderma reesei Cel7B as a model system and show that its processivity is directly correlated to the binding free energy difference of a cellulose chain occupying the binding sites −7 to +2 and that occupying sites −7 to −1. Several mutants that have stronger interactions with glycosyl units in sites +1 and +2 than the wild type enzyme show higher processivity. The results suggest that after the release of the product cellobiose located in sites +1 and +2, the enzyme pulls the cellulose chain to fill the vacant sites, which propels its processive move on the cellulose surface. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1873–1880. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A cell engineering strategy to enhance supercoiled plasmid DNA production for gene therapy
Authors: Hassan Sally , Keshavarz‐Moore Eli , Ward John 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTWith the recent revival of the promise of plasmid DNA vectors in gene therapy, a novel synthetic biology approach was used to enhance the quantity, (yield), and quality of the plasmid DNA. Quality was measured by percentage supercoiling and supercoiling density, as well as improving segregational stability in fermentation. We examined the hypothesis that adding a Strong Gyrase binding Site (SGS) would increase DNA gyrase‐mediated plasmid supercoiling. SGS from three different replicons, (the Mu bacteriophage and two plasmids, pSC101 and pBR322) were inserted into the plasmid, pUC57. Different sizes of these variants were transformed into E. coli DH5α, and their supercoiling properties and segregational stability measured. A 36% increase in supercoiling density was found in pUC57‐SGS, but only when SGS was derived from the Mu phage and was the larger sized version of this fragment. These results were also confirmed at fermentation scale. Total percentage supercoiled monomer was maintained to 85–90%. A twofold increase in plasmid yield was also observed for pUC57‐SGS in comparison to pUC57. pUC57‐SGS displayed greater segregational stability than pUC57‐cer and pUC57, demonstrating a further potential advantage of the SGS site. These findings should augment the potential of plasmid DNA vectors in plasmid DNA manufacture. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2064–2071. © 2016 The Authors. Biotechnology and Bioengineering Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Outcomes of unplanned sarcoma excision: impact of residual disease
Authors: Charoenlap Chris , Imanishi Jungo , Tanaka Takaaki , Slavin John , Ngan Samuel Y. , Chander Sarat , Dowsey Michelle Maree , Goyal Chatar , Choong Peter F.M. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis study aimed to compare the oncological results between unplanned excision (UE) and planned excision (PE) of malignant soft tissue tumor and to examine the impact of residual tumor (ReT) after UE. Nonmetastatic soft tissue sarcomas surgically treated in 1996–2012 were included in this study. Disease‐specific survival (DSS), metastasis‐free survival (MFS), and local‐recurrence‐free survival (LRFS) were stratified according to the tumor location and American Joint Committee on Cancer Classification 7th edition stage. Independent prognostic parameters were identified by Cox proportional hazard models. Two‐hundred and ninety PEs and 161 UEs were identified. Significant difference in oncological outcome was observed only for LRFS probability of retroperitoneal sarcomas (5‐year LRFS: 33.0% [UE] vs. 71.0% [PE], P = 0.018). Among the 142 UEs of extremity and trunk, ReT in re‐excision specimen were found in 75 cases (53%). UEs with ReT had significantly lower survival probabilities and a higher amputation rate than UEs without ReT (5‐year DSS: 68.8% vs. 92%, P < 0.001; MFS: 56.1% vs. 90.9%, P < 0.001; LRFS: 75.8% vs. 98.4%, P = <0.001; amputation rate 18.5% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.003). The presence of ReT was an independent poor prognostic predictor for DSS, MFS, and LRFS with hazard ratios of 2.02 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25–3.26), 1.62 (95% CI, 1.05–2.51) and 1.94 (95% CI, 1.05–3.59), respectively. Soft tissue sarcomas should be treated in specialized centers and UE should be avoided because of its detrimental effect especially when ReT remains after UE.
Glasgow prognostic score is an independent marker for poor prognosis with all cases of epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Omichi Chiaki , Nakamura Keiichiro , Haraga Junko , Masuyama Hisashi , Hiramatsu Yuji 
Published: March 2016

AbstractInflammatory markers are important prognostic factors in various cancers. This study investigated whether inflammatory markers of the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) predicted progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with all cases of epithelial ovarian cancer (OC). Pretreatment GPS was examined for the correlations with PFS and OS in 216 patients in all stages of epithelial OC. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann–Whitney U‐test. PFS and OS were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Cox's proportional hazard regression was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. For all patients, the median PFS was 35.1 months, and median OS was 46.7 months; follow‐up range was 1–162 months. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that patients with high GPS (GPS 2) at pretreatment had a shorter PFS and OS than did patients with lower GPS (GPS 0 + 1) in for early, advanced, and all‐stages of OC (PFS: P < 0.001 for early‐, advanced‐ and all‐stages; OS; P < 0.001 for early‐ and all‐stage, P = 0.015 for advanced‐stage). GPS (GPS 2) was also found to be an independent predictor of both recurrence (P = 0.002) and survival (P = 0.001) of all cases of epithelial OC by a multivariate analysis. GPS can serve as an indicator of poor prognosis in patients with all stages of epithelial OC, including early‐stage disease and regardless of histology.
Palladium Nanoparticles Supported on Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Nanotubes as a Release‐and‐Catch Catalytic System in Aerobic Liquid‐Phase Ethanol Oxidation
Authors: Dong Weiwen , Chen Peirong , Xia Wei , Weide Philipp , Ruland Holger , Kostka Aleksander , Köhler Klaus , Muhler Martin 
Published: March 2016

AbstractPd nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes were applied in the selective oxidation of ethanol in the liquid phase. The characterization of the surface and bulk properties combined with the catalytic tests indicated the dissolution and redeposition of Pd under the reaction conditions. A dynamic interplay within the Pd life cycle was identified to be responsible for the overall reactivity. Nitrogen‐doped carbon nanotubes were found to act as an excellent support for the Pd catalyst system by efficiently stabilizing and recapturing the Pd species, which resulted in high activity and selectivity to acetic acid.
High‐Energy Long‐Lived Mixed Frenkel–Charge‐Transfer Excitons: From Double Stranded (AT)n to Natural DNA
Authors: Vayá Ignacio , Brazard Johanna , Huix‐Rotllant Miquel , Thazhathveetil Arun K. , Lewis Frederick D. , Gustavsson Thomas , Burghardt Irene , Improta Roberto , Markovitsi Dimitra 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe electronic excited states populated upon absorption of UV photons by DNA are extensively studied in relation to the UV‐induced damage to the genetic code. Here, we report a new unexpected relaxation pathway in adenine–thymine double‐stranded structures (AT)n. Fluorescence measurements on (AT)n hairpins (six and ten base pairs) and duplexes (20 and 2000 base pairs) reveal the existence of an emission band peaking at approximately 320 nm and decaying on the nanosecond time scale. Time‐dependent (TD)‐DFT calculations, performed for two base pairs and exploring various relaxation pathways, allow the assignment of this emission band to excited states resulting from mixing between Frenkel excitons and adenine‐to‐thymine charge‐transfer states. Emission from such high‐energy long‐lived mixed (HELM) states is in agreement with their fluorescence anisotropy (0.03), which is lower than that expected for π–π* states (≥0.1). An increase in the size of the system quenches π–π* fluorescence while enhancing HELM fluorescence. The latter process varies linearly with the hypochromism of the absorption spectra, both depending on the coupling between π–π* and charge‐transfer states. Subsequently, we identify the common features between the HELM states of (AT)n structures with those reported previously for alternating (GC)n: high emission energy, low fluorescence anisotropy, nanosecond lifetimes, and sensitivity to conformational disorder. These features are also detected for calf thymus DNA in which HELM states could evolve toward reactive π–π* states, giving rise to delayed fluorescence.
Diastereoselective Synthesis of and Mechanistic Understanding for the Formation of 2‐Piperidinones from Imines and Cyano‐Substituted Anhydrides
Authors: Di Maso Michael J. , Snyder Kevin M. , De Souza Fernandes Fábio , Pattawong Ommidala , Tan Darlene Q. , Fettinger James C. , Cheong Paul Ha‐Yeon , Shaw Jared T. 
Published: March 2016

Abstract2‐Piperidinones are synthesized in a single step from imines and 2‐cyano glutaric anhydrides. The reaction provides the products in good diastereoselectivity and generates a quaternary stereogenic center. Substitutions on the anhydride skeleton are well tolerated to provide 2‐piperidinones with three stereogenic centers from a single transformation. The pertinent transition structures have also been computed using quantum mechanics and reveal the key interactions controlling the stereochemical outcome of the reaction.
Tetraphenylethene‐Based Conjugated Fluoranthene: A Potential Fluorescent Probe for Detection of Nitroaromatic Compounds
Authors: Chandrasekaran Yogesh , Venkatramaiah Nutalapati , Patil Satish 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis study reports the synthesis and photophysical properties of a star‐shaped, novel, fluoranthene–tetraphenylethene (TFPE) conjugated luminogen, which exhibits aggregation‐induced blue‐shifted emission (AIBSE). The bulky fluoranthene units at the periphery prevent intramolecular rotation (IMR) of phenyl rings and induces a blueshift with enhanced emission. The AIBSE phenomenon was investigated by solvatochromic and temperature‐dependent emission studies. Nanoaggregates of TFPE, formed by varying the water/THF ratio, were investigated by SEM and TEM and correlated with optical properties. The TFPE conjugate was found to be a promising fluorescent probe towards the detection of nitroaromatic compounds (NACs), especially for 2,4,6‐trinitrophenol (PA) with high sensitivity and a high Stern–Volmer quenching constant. The study reveals that nanoaggregates of TFPE formed at 30 and 70 % water in THF showed unprecedented sensitivity with detection limits of 0.8 and 0.5 ppb, respectively. The nanoaggregates formed at water fractions of 30 and 70 % exhibit high Stern–Volmer constants (Ksv=79 998 and 51 120 m−1, respectively) towards PA. Fluorescence quenching is ascribed to photoinduced electron transfer between TFPE and NACs with a static quenching mechanism. Test strips coated with TFPE luminogen demonstrate fast and ultra‐low‐level detection of PA for real‐time field analysis.
Planar Chiral, Ferrocene‐Stabilized Silicon Cations
Authors: Schmidt Ruth K. , Klare Hendrik F. T. , Fröhlich Roland , Oestreich Martin 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe preparation of a series of planar chiral, ferrocenyl‐substituted hydrosilanes as precursors of ferrocene‐stabilized silicon cations is described. These molecules also feature stereogenicity at the silicon atom. The generation and 29Si NMR spectroscopic characterization of the corresponding silicon cations is reported, and problems arising from interactions of the electron‐deficient silicon atom and adjacent C(sp3)−H bonds or aromatic π donors are discussed. These issues are overcome by tethering another substituent at the silicon atom to the ferrocene backbone. The resulting annulation also imparts conformational rigidity and steric hindrance in such a way that the central chirality at the silicon atom is set with complete diastereocontrol. These chiral Lewis acid catalysts were then tested in difficult Diels–Alder reactions, but no enantioinduction was seen.