bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Electrospun fibers/branched-clusters as building units for tissue engineering
Authors: Minden-Birkenmaier Benjamin A. , Selders Gretchen S. , Cherukuri Kasyap , Bowlin Gary L. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractAlthough electrospun templates are effective at mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) of native tissue due to the tailorability of parameters such as fiber diameter, polymer composition, and drug loading, these templates are often limited with regards to cell infiltration and the tailorability of the microenvironments within the structures. Thus, there remains a need for a flexible threedimensional template system which could be combined with cell suspensions to promote three-dimensional tissue regeneration, and ultimately allow cells to freely reorganize and modify their microenvironment. In this study, a mincing process was designed and optimized to create mixtures of electrospun fibers/branched-clusters for use as fundamental tissue engineering building units. These fiber/branched-cluster elements were characterized with regards to fiber and branch lengths, and a method was optimized to combine them with normal human dermal fibroblasts (nHDFs) in culture to create interconnected template constructs. Sectioning and imaging of these constructs revealed cell/fiber integration as well as even cell distribution throughout the construct interior. These fiber/branched-cluster elements represent an innovative flexible tissue regeneration template system.
Linking CSR to Strategy: A Practical View
Authors: Swiatkiewicz Olgierd 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to present a basic compendium of how companies can integrate social responsibility into their strategies. The paper analyzes and synthesizes ideas and proposals based on the literature review from different fields. It proposes a practical approach that does not highlight the differences but the positive and mutual synergy of social responsibility with firm’s strategy. There are many practical proposals in the literature and a lot of successful examples from business practice that show how organizations can or have made the implementation of social responsibility into their strategy to work efficiently, but their strategic, social, and environmental importance differs and is limited by many factors. The paper presents different means of connecting social responsibility with organizational strategy to make it work, which can be useful for practitioners, students, and wider public. The paper adds the praxiological or practical perspective to deal with a small but persisting organizational problem and a great social expectation, how to link efficiently social responsibility with organizational strategy into one coherent stream of purposes.
Variability of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) cones – variability structure of scale surface area
Authors: Aniszewska Monika , Gendek Arkadiusz , Śliwińska Joanna 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
This study was conducted on a batch of closed silver fir cones from Jawor Forest District and a mixture of scales from the seed extraction facility Grotniki. The scales were divided into three size classes corresponding to the bottom, middle and upper part of the cones and their area was measured with the Multi Scan Base v.18.03 software. Based on the sum of the inner and outer surface area of all scales, we then determined the total area of evaporation from the cones. In addition, the area of protruding scales was measured for differently sized scales from different parts of the cones. Previous studies have shown that the average outer surface of a closed cone, calculated as the sum of protruding scales, accounts for 10% of the outer surface of an open cone. Pictures of both scale surfaces with the internal seed bed and the external protrusions were taken using a scanning electron microscope. We noticed significant differences in dimension and shape of the channels and trichomes on the scale surface. On the inner side of the scales, we found a high diversity of trichomes of different lengths, whilst the outer side contained channels. Presumably, these characteristics affect the rate of water loss from the cones during desiccation and separation of the seed. In-depth knowledge on the evaporative surfaces of fir cones and scale structure will be helpful for optimizing the industrial processes of seed extraction.
Is it possible and necessary to control European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (L.) outbreak in the Białowieża Forest?
Authors: Hilszczański Jacek , Starzyk Jerzy R. 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
In response to the information published in ‘Forest Research Papers’ (vol. 77(4), 2016), regarding the problem of the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (L.) in the Białowieża Forest, we present our viewpoint on this issue. The role of the European spruce bark beetle in the Białowieża Forest is discussed based on the experience gained in Europe’s forests. We present the effects of I. typographus outbreaks on forest biodiversity as well as outbreak mitigation in the context of the processes taking place in semi-natural forests.
SOME SOLUTIONS TO RESPOND CLIMATE CHANGE FOR THE MEKONG DELTA, VIET NAM
Authors: Chi Nguyen Thuy Lan , Dao Phan , Kyncl Microslav 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
In the recent decades, the Mekong River Delta has suffered quite significant impacts of climate change. Fluctuations of weather elements and sea level rises have caused adverse changes, namely: the appearance of unusual high and low levels of annual floods, more and more intense storms, more severe droughts, forest fires, river erosion, cyclones, and tidal surges appear increasingly more dangerous. Traditional adaptation measures to the environmental conditions may be unsuitable in the context of climate change in the Mekong River Delta. This paper summarizes some of the new adaptation measures that scientists and policy planners have proposed for the area to cope with the negative impacts of climate change.
Novel 2H-1,3-benzoxazine ring formation by intramolecular heterocyclization of N-(α-aryloxyalkyl)imidoyl chlorides
Authors: Onys’ko Petro P. , Zamulko Kateryna A. , Kyselyova Olena I. , Syzonenko Yaroslav A. 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
A convenient synthetic approach to derivatives of 2-trichloromethyl and 2-dichlorometylene-2H-1,3-benzoxazines, based on intramolecular heterocyclization of readily accessible N-(α-aryloxytrichloroethyl)imidoyl chlorides, was developed. Base induced dehydrochlorination of 4-phenyl- or 4-trifluoromethyl-2-trichloromethylbenzoxazines allows preparation of 2-dichloromethylene-1,3-benzoxazines, whereas dehydrochlorination of 4-fluoromethyl analogs under similar conditions is accompanied by formal 1,5-H-shift to afford respective 2-dichloromethyl-4-fluoromethylene-1,3-benzoxazines.
Characterization of high-molar-mass fractions in a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) knotwood ethanol extract
Authors: Smeds Annika I. , Eklund Patrik C. , Willför Stefan M. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe identification of compounds in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestrisL.) knotwood (KnW), obtained by extracting with hydrophilic organic solvents, has been performed previously almost exclusively by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GS-MS) equipped with long GC columns (≥25 m). That means that the molar mass (MM) of the majority of the identified compounds was below 500–600 Da, and the analytical data accounted for only about half of the dry extract weight. In the present work, high-molar-mass (HMM) fractions in a Scots pine KnW-EtOH extract were isolated and chemically characterized by means of several advanced analytical techniques, such as high performance size-exclusion chromatography-evaporative light scattering detector (HPSEC-ELSD), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-electrospray ionization-ion trap-mass spectrometry [(HPLC)ESI-IT-MS], ESI-quadrupole time of flight-mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS), pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (THM-GC-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and GC-MS. The results indicate that the MM maxima of the HMM fractions ranged from approximately 500 to 2200 Da, and that the compounds consist mainly of oligomers of hydroxylated resin acids (RAs), especially dehydroabietic acid, but also of fatty acids (FAs), stilbenes and sterols. A large number of RA dimers were tentatively identified in the HMM fractions. However, it remains unknown how the monomer units are linked together, as it was not possible to isolate a RA dimer fraction pure enough for NMR characterization. RA dimers in native KnW have not been identified previously.
Tumor-linked HER2 expression: association with obesity and lipid-related microenvironment
Authors: Ray Amitabha 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Obesity is associated with the risk of several health disorders including certain cancers. Among obesity-related cancers, postmenopausal breast carcinoma is a well-studied one. Apart from an increase in certain types of lipids in obesity, excess adipose tissue releases many hormone-like cytokines/adipokines, which are usually pro-inflammatory in nature. Leptin is one of such adipokines and significantly linked with the intracellular signaling pathways of other growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). In general, HER2 is overexpressed in roughly 30% of breast carcinomas; its presence indicates aggressive tumor behavior. Conversely, HER2 has certain effects in normal conditions such as differentiation of preadipocytes, cardiovascular health and vitamin D metabolism. HER2 has no known endogenous ligand, but it may form dimers with other three members of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family and can activate downstream signaling pathways. Furthermore, HER2 is intimately connected with several enzymes, e.g. fatty acid synthase (FASN), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), AKT and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), all of which play significant regulatory roles in lipogenic pathways or lipid metabolism. In obesity-related carcinogenesis, characteristics like insulin resistance and elevated IGF-1 are commonly observed. Both IGF-1 and leptin can modulate EGFR and HER2 signaling pathways. Although clinical studies have shown mixed results, the behavior of HER2+ tumor cells including HER2 levels can be altered by several factors such as obesity, leptin and fatty acids. A precise knowledge is useful in new therapeutic approaches against HER+ tumors.
Self-appropriation vs. self-constitution: Social philosophical reflections on the self-relation
Authors: Mertel Kurt C. M. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractIt is widely held that reflexivity is the defining feature of selfhood: the ability of the self to stand in a certain relation to itself. The question of how exactly to theorize this self-relation, however, has been the source of ongoing debate. In recent years, Kantian and post-Kantian approaches such as Christine Korsgaard’s constitutivism and Richard Moran’s commitment view, have attempted to establish the priority of the agential over the epistemic self-relation, thereby re-orientating the debate away from metaphysics and epistemology towards ethics and moral psychology. Despite the important progress they make towards a de-alienated and reified understanding of the self-relation, however, I argue that the Kantian paradigm is ultimately inadequate because its methodological individualism makes it incapable of accounting for the irreducibly social dimension of the self-relation and, therefore, of successfully making the transition from ethics to social and political philosophy. In other words, an adequate ontology of the self-relation is possible only as a social ontology. In order to motivate this thesis, I appeal to two examples that expose the “social deficit” of the Kantian approach: Frantz Fanon’s phenomenology of race/racism in “The Lived Experience of the Black” and the phenomenon of cultural collapse in Jonathan Lear’sRadical Hope. I then go on to provide a sketch of an alternative approach based on the notion of “self-appropriation”, distinguishing it from Rahel Jaeggi’s use of the term in her recent critique of alienation, in the process.
Multi-objective Design Method for Hybrid Active Power Filter
Authors: Yu Jingrong , Deng Limin , Liu Maoyun , Qiu Zhifeng 
Published: November 2017

AbstractIn this paper, a multi-objective optimal design for transformerless hybrid active power filter (HAPF) is proposed. The interactions between the active and passive circuits is analyzed, and by taking the interactions into consideration, a three-dimensional objective problem comprising of performance, efficiency and cost of HAPF system is formulated. To deal with the multiple constraints and the strong coupling characteristics of the optimization model, a novel constraint processing mechanism based on distance measurement and adaptive penalty function is presented. In order to improve the diversity of optimal solution and the local searching ability of the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, a chaotic mutation operator based on multistage neighborhood is proposed. The simulation results show that the optimums near the ordinate origin of the three-dimension space make better tradeoff among the performance, efficiency and cost of HAPF, and the experimental results of transformerless HAPF verify the effectiveness of the method for multi-objective optimization and design.
Stimulatory effect of indole-3-acetic acid and continuous illumination on the growth of Parachlorella kessleri
Authors: Magierek Edyta , Krzemińska Izabela , Tys Jerzy 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
The effects of the phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid and various conditions of illumination on the growth of Parachlorella kessleri were investigated. Two variants of illumination: continuous and photoperiod 16/8 h (light/dark) and two concentrations of the phytohormone – 10−4 M and 10−5 M of indole-3-acetic acid were used in the experiment. The results of this study show that the addition of the higher concentration of indole-3-acetic acid stimulated the growth of P. kessleri more efficiently than the addition of the lower concentration of indole-3-acetic acid. This dependence can be observed in both variants of illumination. Increased biomass productivity was observed in the photo-period conditions. Both the addition of the phytohormone and the conditions of the illumination had an impact on the number of P. kessleri cells. An increased number of cells was observed under the conditions of continuous illumination. This result has shown that the continuous illumination and the higher concentration of the phytohormone stimulated the growth of P. kessleri more effectively than the shorter duration of light (16/8 h (light/dark)).
Imbibition of wheat seeds: Application of image analysis
Authors: Lev Jakub , Blahovec Jiří 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Image analysis is widely used for monitoring seeds during germination, and it is often the final phase of germination that is subjected to the greatest attention. However, the initial phase of germination (the so-called imbibition) also exhibits interesting behaviour. This work shows that image analysis has significant potential in the imbibition. Herein, a total of 120 seeds were analysed during germination tests, and information about seed size and shape was stored and analysed. It was found that the imbibition can be divided into two newly defined parts. The first one (‘abrupt imbibition’) consists mainly of the swelling of the seed embryo part and lasts approximately one hour. The second one, referred to as ‘main imbibition’, consists mainly of spatial expansion caused by imbibition in the other parts of the seed. The results presented are supported by the development of seed cross area and shape parameters, and by direct observation.
Algorithms for detecting cherry pits on the basis of transmittance mode hyperspectral data
Authors: Siedliska Anna , Zubik Monika , Baranowski Piotr , Mazurek Wojciech 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
The suitability of the hyperspectral transmittance imaging technique was assessed in terms of detecting the internal intrusions (pits and their fragments) in cherries. Herein, hyperspectral transmission images were acquired in the visible and near-infrared range (450-1000 nm) from pitted and intact cherries of three popular cultivars: ‘Łutówka’, ‘Pandy 103’, and ‘Groniasta’, differing by soluble solid content. The hyperspectral transmittance data of fresh cherries were used to determine the influence of differing soluble solid content in fruit tissues on pit detection effectiveness. Models for predicting the soluble solid content of cherries were also developed. The principal component analysis and the second derivative pre-treatment of the hyperspectral data were used to construct the supervised classification models. In this study, five classifiers were tested for pit detection. From all the classifiers studied, the best prediction accuracies for the whole pit or pit fragment detection were obtained via the backpropagation neural networks model (87.6% of correctly classified instances for the training/test set and 81.4% for the validation set). The accuracy of distinguishing between drilled and intact cherries was close to 96%. These results showed that the hyperspectral transmittance imaging technique is feasible and useful for the non-destructive detection of pits in cherries.
Effect of starch binder on charcoal briquette properties
Authors: Borowski Gabriel , Stępniewski Witold , Wójcik-Oliveira Katarzyna 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
The paper shows the results of a study on the effect of starch binder on the mechanical, physical and burning properties of charcoal briquettes. Two types of binders were repeatedly used to make briquettes of native wheat starch and modified wheat starch, at 8% of the whole. Briquetting was performed in a roller press unit, and pillow-shaped briquettes were made. The moisture of the mixed material ranged from 28 to 32%. The product, whether the former or the latter, was characterized by very good mechanical properties and satisfactory physical properties. Moreover, the type of starch binder had no effect on toughness, calorific heating value, volatiles, fixed carbon content and ash content. However, the combustion test showed quite different burning properties. As briquettes should have short firing up time and lower smokiness, as well as high maximum temperature and long burning time, we have concluded that briquettes with native wheat starch as a binder are more appropriate for burning in the grill.
Calibration of ultrasonic power output in water, ethanol and sodium polytungstate
Authors: Mentler Axel , Schomakers Jasmin , Kloss Stefanie , Zechmeister-Boltenstern Sophie , Schuller Reinhard , Mayer Herwig 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Ultrasonic power is the main variable that forms the basis for many soil disaggregation experiments. Thus, a procedure for the rapid determination of this variable has been developed and is described in this article. Calorimetric experiments serve to measure specific heat capacity and ultrasonic power. Ultrasonic power is determined experimentally for deionised water, 30% ethanol and sodium polytungstate with a density of 1.6 g cm−3 and 1.8 g cm−3. All experiments are performed with a pre-selected ultrasonic probe vibration amplitude. Under these conditions, it was found that the emitted ultrasonic power was comparable in the four fluids. It is suggested, however, to perform calibration experiments prior to dispersion experiments, since the used fluid, as well as the employed ultrasonic equipment, may influence the power output.
Impact of chlortetracycline and sulfapyridine antibiotics on soil enzyme activities
Authors: Molaei Ali , Lakzian Amir , Datta Rahul , Haghnia Gholamhosain , Astaraei Alireza , Rasouli-Sadaghiani MirHassan , Ceccherini Maria T. 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
Pharmaceutical antibiotics are frequently used in the livestock and poultry industries to control infectious diseases. Due to the lack of proper guidance for use, the majority of administrated antibiotics and their metabolites are excreted to the soil environment through urine and feces. In the present study, we used chlortetracycline and sulfapyridine antibiotics to screen out their effects on dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and urease activity. Factorial experiments were conducted with different concentrations of antibiotic (0, 10, 25 and 100 mg kg−1 of soil) mixed with soil samples, and the enzyme activity was measured at intervals of 1, 4 and 21 days. The results show that the chlortetracycline and sulfapyridine antibiotics negatively affect the dehydrogenase activity, but the effect of sulfapyridine decreases with time of incubation. Indeed, sulfapyridine antibiotic significantly affect the alkaline phosphatase activity for the entire three-time interval, while chlortetracycline seems to inhibit its activity within 1 and 4 days of incubation. The effects of chlortetracycline and sulfapyridine antibiotics on urease activity appear similar, as they both significantly affect the urease activity on day 1 of incubation. The present study concludes that chlortetracycline and sulfapyridine antibiotics have harmful effects on soil microbes, with the extent of effects varying with the duration of incubation and the type of antibiotics used.
Biomass valorisation of Arundo donax L., Miscanthus × giganteus and Sida hermaphrodita for biofuel production
Authors: Krička Tajana , Matin Ana , Bilandžija Nikola , Jurišić Vanja , Antonović Alan , Voća Neven , Grubor Mateja 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
In the context of the growing demand for biomass, which is being encouraged by the EU directives on the promotion of the use of renewable energy, recent investigations have been increasingly focused on fast-growing energy crops. The aim of this study was to investigate the energy properties of three types of agricultural energy crops: Arundo donax L., Miscanthus × giganteus and Sida hermaphrodita. This investigation looked into the content of non-combustible and combustible matter, higher and lower heating values, lignocellulose content, and biomass macro-elements. The results indicate that the energy values of these crops are comparable, while their lignocellulose content shows significant variations. Thus, Arundo donax L. can best be utilised as solid biofuel due to its highest lignin content, while Miscanthus × giganteus and Sida hermaphrodita L. can be used for both liquid and solid biofuels production. As far as Arundo donax L. is concerned, a higher ash level should be taken into consideration.