bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and luminescence properties of polymer–rare earth complexes containing salicylaldehyde‐type bidentate Schiff base ligand
Authors: Zhang Dandan , Gao Baojiao , Li Yanbin 
Published: January 2017

AbstractUsing molecular design and polymer reactions, two types of bidentate Schiff base ligands, salicylaldehyde–aniline (SAN) and salicylaldehyde–cyclohexylamine (SCA), were synchronously synthesized and bonded onto the side chain of polysulfone (PSF), giving two bidentate Schiff base ligand‐functionalized PSFs, PSF–SAN and PSF–SCA, referred to as macromolecular ligands. Following coordination reactions between the macromolecular ligands and Eu(III) and Tb(III) ions (the reaction occurred between the bonded ligands SAN or SCA and the lanthanide ion), two series of luminescent polymer–rare earth complexes, PSF–SAN–Eu(III) and PSF–SCA–Tb(III), were obtained. The two macromolecular ligands were fully characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 1H NMR and UV absorption spectroscopy, and the prepared complexes were also characterized by FTIR, UV absorption spectroscopy and thermo‐gravity analysis. On this basis, the photoluminescence properties of these complexes and the relationships between their structure and luminescence were investigated in depth. The results show that the bonded bidentate Schiff base ligands, SAN and SCA, can effectively sensitize the fluorescence emission of Eu(III) and Tb(III) ions, respectively. PSF–SAN–Eu(III) series complexes, namely the binary complex PSF–(SAN)3–Eu(III) and the ternary complex PSF–(SAN)3–Eu(III)–(Phen)1 (Phen is the small‐molecule ligand 1,10‐phenanthroline), produce strong red luminescence, suggesting that the triplet state energy level of SAN is lower and well matched with the resonant energy level of the Eu(III) ion. By contrast, PSF–SAN–Eu(III) series complexes, namely the binary complex PSF–(SCA)3–Tb(III) and the ternary complex PSF–(SCA)3–Tb(III)–(Phen)1, display strong green luminescence, suggesting that the triplet state energy level of SCA is higher and is well matched with the resonant energy level of Tb(III).
Urocortin suppresses endometrial cancer cell migration via CRFR2 and its system components are differentially modulated by estrogen
Authors: Owens Gemma L. , Lawrence Kevin M. , Jackson Tom R. , Crosbie Emma J. , Sayan Berna S. , Kitchener Henry C. , Townsend Paul A. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractUrocortin (UCN1) peptide shares structural and functional homology with corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF). UCN1 is significantly reduced in endometrial adenocarcinoma compared to healthy controls. However, there are no data which evaluate the effects of UCN1 in the endometrium, or how it is modulated. We used proliferation and transwell assays to determine the effect of UCN1 on the proliferation and migration of Ishikawa and HEC1A cells. We also determined the expression levels of UCN1 and its receptors produced by estrogen receptor agonists, and the effect of UCN1 on estrogen receptor expression, using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. UCN1 suppressed migration of endometrial cancer cells in vitro. This effect appears to be specific to CRF receptor 2 (CRFR2), as selective antagonism of CRFR2 but not CRFR1 completely eliminated suppression of migration. Activation of ERA reduced UCN1 expression, but only had a small effect on the expression of CRFR1. However, expression of CRFR2 was more notably reduced at both the mRNA and protein levels by activation of ERB. UCN1 in turn reduced both ERA and ERB expression, as assessed by real‐time quantitative PCR. We demonstrate that UCN1 significantly suppresses the migration of endometrial cancer cells but has no effect on their proliferation. Thus, loss of UCN1 in endometrial cancer may promote invasion and metastatic spread. There is a complex relationship between the UCN1 system and estrogen receptors, which may provide insights into endometrial carcinogenesis, a disease known to be driven by estrogen excess.
Robust standing control with posture optimization
Authors: Kavafoglu Zumra , Kavafoglu Ersan , Egges Arjan 
Published: January 2017

AbstractHumans need to shift their center of mass during standing for several purposes such as preparing for the upcoming motion or increasing their stability. In this paper, we present a control strategy for robust center of mass shifting motions during standing. In our strategy, the desired posture can be defined with only a few high level features, such as the desired character center of mass position and the foot configurations. An online optimization process is designed for generating a kinematic lower body and pelvis posture that satisfies these high level features together with some criteria that guide a natural standing pose. Natural knee bending behaviours automatically arise as a result of this optimization process. Internal joint torques for tracking this optimized posture together with the given desired upper body pose are calculated by the physics‐based control framework. Moreover, a physics‐based arm control strategy that regulates the angular momentum of the character is devised in order to increase the robustness of the character under external disturbances. Several experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. Because the strategy does not include any off‐line parameter optimization, equations of motion, or inverse dynamics, it is highly suitable for online applications.
Chemical Variability, Antioxidant and Antifungal Activities of Essential Oils and Hydrosol Extract of Calendula arvensis L. from Western Algeria
Authors: Belabbes Rania , Dib Mohammed El Amine , Djabou Nassim , Ilias Faiza , Tabti Boufeldja , Costa Jean , Muselli Alain 
Published: January 2017

The chemical composition of the essential oils and hydrosol extract from aerial parts of Calendula arvensis L. was investigated using GC‐FID and GC/MS. Intra‐species variations of the chemical compositions of essential oils from 18 Algerian sample locations were investigated using statistical analysis. Chemical analysis allowed the identification of 53 compounds amounting to 92.3 – 98.5% with yields varied of 0.09 – 0.36% and the main compounds were zingiberenol 1 (8.7 – 29.8%), eremoligenol (4.2 – 12.5%), β‐curcumene (2.1 – 12.5%), zingiberenol 2 (4.6 – 19.8%) and (E,Z)‐farnesol (3.5 – 23.4%). The study of the chemical variability of essential oils allowed the discrimination of two main clusters confirming that there is a relation between the essential oil compositions and the harvest locations. Different concentrations of essential oil and hydrosol extract were prepared and their antioxidant activity were assessed using three methods (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl, Ferric‐Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay and β‐carotene). The results showed that hydrosol extract presented an interesting antioxidant activity. The in vitro antifungal activity of hydrosol extract produced the best antifungal inhibition against Penicillium expansum and Aspergillus niger, while, essential oil was inhibitory at relatively higher concentrations. Results showed that the treatments of pear fruits with essential oil and hydrosol extract presented a very interesting protective activity on disease severity of pears caused by P. expansum.
Angiographic assessment of aortic regurgitation by video‐densitometry in the setting of TAVI: Echocardiographic and clinical correlates
Authors: Abdelghani Mohammad , Tateishi Hiroki , Miyazaki Yosuke , Cavalcante Rafael , Soliman Osama I. I. , Tijssen Jan G. , de Winter Robbert J. , Baan Jan , Onuma Yoshinobu , Campos Carlos M. , Leite Rogério S. , Mangione José A. , Abizaid Alexandre , Lemos Pedro A. , de Brito Fabio S. , Serruys Patrick W. 
Published: January 2017

ObjectivesWe sought to investigate a new angiographic method for aortic regurgitation (AR) severity assessment in the setting of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).BackgroundAR after TAVI is common but challenging to quantitate, especially in the cath‐lab.MethodsIn 228 patients, AR was quantitated before and after TAVI by echocardiography and by video‐densitometric analysis of aortograms. Contrast time–density curves for the aortic root (the reference region) and the left ventricular outflow tract, LVOT were generated. LVOT‐AR was calculated as the area under the curve of the LVOT as a fraction of the area under the curve of the reference region.ResultsLVOT‐AR was 0.10 ± 0.08, 0.13 ± 0.10 and 0.28 ± 0.14 in none‐trace, mild and moderate‐severe post‐TAVI AR as defined by echocardiography (P < 0.001) and a cutpoint of >0.17 corresponded to moderate‐severe AR on echocardiography (area under the curve = 0.84). At follow‐up (median, 496 days), patients with LVOT‐AR ≤ 0.17 showed a significant reduction of LV mass index (LVMi; 121 [95–148] vs. 140 [112–169] g/m2, P = 0.009) and the prevalence of LV hypertrophy (LVH; 64 vs. 88%, P = 0.001) compared to baseline. In patients with LVOT‐AR > 0.17, LVMi (149 [121–178] vs. 166 [144–188] g/m2, P = 0.14) and the prevalence of LVH (74 vs. 87%, P = 0.23) did not show a significant change. Compared to patients with LVOT‐AR ≤ 0.17, those with LVOT‐AR > 0.17 had an increased 30‐day (16.4% vs. 7.1%, P = 0.035) and one year mortality (32.9 vs. 14.2%, log rank P value = 0.001; HR: 2.690 [1.461–4.953], P = 0.001).ConclusionsLVOT‐AR > 0.17 corresponds to greater than mild AR as defined by echocardiography and predicts impaired LV reverse remodeling and increased early and midterm mortality after TAVI. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pressurized liquid extraction of macauba pulp oil
Authors: Trentini Caroline Portilho , da Silva Sandra Beserra , Rodrigues Giovana Menezes , dos Santos Garcia Vitor Augusto , Cardozo‐Filho Lúcio , da Silva Camila 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the extraction of oil from macauba pulp using ethanol and isopropanol as pressurized solvents. Experiments were carried out in a semi‐continuous extractor system at various temperatures (40, 60, and 80 °C) maintaining the pressure fixed at 10 000 kPa and the solvent flow at 3 mL/min and also using conventional extraction (in a Soxhlet). For both methods assessed, higher yields were obtained with the use of ethanol as the solvent. In the pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), an increase in temperature from 40 to 60 °C provided higher yields at 72 min of extraction, which was not influenced by the extraction carried out at 80 °C. This temperature effect was also observed in the extraction kinetics data. The maximum yields obtained by PLE were 44.78 % and 37.12 % with ethanol and isopropanol, respectively, which represents ∼77 % of the yield obtained by conventional extraction. Oleic and palmitic acids are the main fatty acids identified in macauba pulp oil, representing ∼88 % of the fatty acids composition, which was not influenced by the extraction method and solvent used. PLE with ethanol provides oils with higher levels of β‐carotene. The flavonoid content was higher with the use of isopropanol; however, it was not influenced by the method used.
Comminution of biogenic materials
Authors: Eisenlauer Moritz , Teipel Ulrich 
Published: January 2017

AbstractRenewable resources have been gaining increasing importance for energy generation in recent years. Lignocellulosic biomass, as an alternative to limited crude oil, can be utilized to produce these chemicals. The upstream process of comminution is a key element in the use of renewable raw materials. However, comminution is a highly energy consumptive process, making it necessary to assess the benefits of fine comminution in terms of reducing energy consumption by an adequate characterization of the products. The key factors to increased energy efficiency are, besides the mill type and the mill operation factors, the species of the renewable resource, in terms of water content and the mechanical properties which are the dominant factors in biomass size reduction. A better understanding of these interdependencies can help to improve the adjustment of particle size distribution and particle shape. As well as the total specific surface area and the energy demand for the comminution process, which impacts the overall efficiency of the supply chain process, disintegration, and the conversion. This work, therefore, focuses on the comminution of woody biomass in a cutting mill. It reports the effects of the influencing parameter of the biomass on the comminution process, the energy consumption, and the physical properties of the products regarding their particle size. Furthermore, selected experiments have been carried out on a swing hammer mill to compare the influence of the type of stressing.
Effect of storms during drought on post‐wildfire recovery of channel sediment dynamics and habitat in the southern California chaparral, USA
Authors: Florsheim Joan L. , Chin Anne , Kinoshita Alicia M. , Nourbakhshbeidokhti Samira 
Published: January 2017

AbstractCurrent global warming projections suggest a possible increase in wildfire and drought, augmenting the need to understand how drought following wildfire affects the recovery of stream channels in relation to sediment dynamics. We investigated post‐wildfire geomorphic responses caused by storms during a prolonged drought following the 2013 Springs Fire in southern California (USA), using multi‐temporal terrestrial laser scanning and detailed field measurements. After the fire, a dry‐season dry‐ravel sediment pulse contributed sand and small gravel to hillslope‐channel margins in Big Sycamore Creek and its tributaries. A small storm in WY 2014 generated sufficient flow to mobilize a portion of the sediment derived from the dry‐ravel pulse and deposited the fine sediment in the channel, totaling ~0.60 m3/m of volume per unit length of channel. The sediment deposit buried step‐pool habitat structure and reduced roughness by over 90%. These changes altered sediment transport characteristics of the bed material present before and after the storm; the ratio of available to critical shear stress (τo/τc) increased by five times. Storms during WY 2015 contributed additional fine sediment from tributaries and lower hillslopes and hyperconcentrated flow transported and deposited additional sediment in the channel. Together these sources delivered sediment on the order of six times that in 2014, further increasing τo/τc. These storms during multi‐year drought following wildfire transformed channel dynamics. The increased sediment transport capacity persisted during the drought period characterized by the longer residence time of relatively fine‐grained post‐fire channel sedimentation. This contrasts with wetter years, when post‐fire sediment is transported from the fluvial system during the same season as the post‐fire sediment pulse. Results of this short‐term study highlight the complex and substantial effects of multi‐year drought on geomorphic responses following wildfire. These responses influence pool habitat that is critical to longer‐term post‐wildfire riparian ecosystem recovery. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An evolve‐then‐filter regularized reduced order model for convection‐dominated flows
Authors: Wells D. , Wang Z. , Xie X. , Iliescu T. 
Published: January 2017

SummaryIn this paper, we propose a new evolve‐then‐filter reduced order model (EF‐ROM). This is a regularized ROM (Reg‐ROM), which aims to add numerical stabilization to proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) ROMs for convection‐dominated flows. We also consider the Leray ROM (L‐ROM). These two Reg‐ROMs use explicit ROM spatial filtering to smooth (regularize) various terms in the ROMs. Two spatial filters are used: a POD projection onto a POD subspace (Proj) and a POD differential filter (DF). The four Reg‐ROM/filter combinations are tested in the numerical simulation of the three‐dimensional flow past a circular cylinder at a Reynolds number Re=1000. Overall, the most accurate Reg‐ROM/filter combination is EF‐ROM‐DF. Furthermore, the spatial filter has a higher impact on the Reg‐ROM than the regularization used. Indeed, the DF generally yields better results than Proj for both the EF‐ROM and L‐ROM. Finally, the CPU times of the four Reg‐ROM/filter combinations are orders of magnitude lower than the CPU time of the DNS. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ab initio Modelling of Plasmons in Metal‐semiconductor Bilayer Transition‐metal Dichalcogenide Heterostructures
Authors: Sen Huseyin Sener , Xian Lede , H. da Jornada Felipe , Louie Steven G. , Rubio Angel 
Published: January 2017

AbstractTwo‐dimensional transition‐metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted enormous interest, due to the richness of their optical and electronic properties. Here, we consider two prototypical two‐dimensional TMD metal‐semiconductor bilayer heterostructures, VSe2‐MoSe2 and VSe2‐WSe2, and investigate the effect of the semiconducting layer on the plasmons supported by the metallic layer using first principles time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. We focus on the flat region of the plasmon dispersion, where momentum transfer is larger than 0.05 Å−1 and the interband transitions gain importance. With the addition of the semiconducting layer, we show that the electronic band structure undergoes significant changes close to the Fermi level, and hybridization occurs, which leads to strengthening of the interband transitions and a significant redshift in the plasmon energy.
Adaptations in the Microarchitecture and Load Distribution of Maternal Cortical and Trabecular Bone in Response to Multiple Reproductive Cycles in Rats
Authors: de Bakker Chantal MJ , Altman-Singles Allison R , Li Yihan , Tseng Wei-Ju , Li Connie , Liu X Sherry 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACT

Pregnancy, lactation, and weaning result in dramatic changes in maternal calcium metabolism. In particular, the increased calcium demand during lactation causes a substantial degree of maternal bone loss. This reproductive bone loss has been suggested to be largely reversible, as multiple clinical studies have found that parity and lactation history have no adverse effect on postmenopausal fracture risk. However, the precise effects of pregnancy, lactation, and post-weaning recovery on maternal bone structure are not well understood. Our study aimed to address this question by longitudinally tracking changes in trabecular and cortical bone microarchitecture at the proximal tibia in rats throughout three cycles of pregnancy, lactation, and post-weaning using in vivo μCT. We found that the trabecular thickness underwent a reversible deterioration during pregnancy and lactation, which was fully recovered after weaning, whereas other parameters of trabecular microarchitecture (including trabecular number, spacing, connectivity density, and structure model index) underwent a more permanent deterioration, which recovered minimally. Thus, pregnancy and lactation resulted in both transient and long-lasting alterations in trabecular microstructure. In the meantime, multiple reproductive cycles appeared to improve the robustness of cortical bone (resulting in an elevated cortical area and polar moment of inertia), as well as increase the proportion of the total load carried by the cortical bone at the proximal tibia. Taken together, changes in the cortical and trabecular compartments suggest that whereas rat tibial trabecular bone appears to be highly involved in maintaining calcium homeostasis during female reproduction, cortical bone adapts to increase its load-bearing capacity, allowing the overall mechanical function of the tibia to be maintained. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
A 250‐year drought catalogue for the island of Ireland (1765–2015)
Authors: Noone S. , Broderick C. , Duffy C. , Matthews T. , Wilby R.L. , Murphy C. 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACTThis work created a 250‐year historic drought catalogue by applying the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) to the Island of Ireland precipitation network (1850–2015) and a reconstructed precipitation series from 1765. Documentary sources from newspaper archives spanning the last 250 years, together with other historical sources are used to (1) add confidence to the quantitative detection of drought episodes and (2) gain insight to the socio‐economic impacts of historic droughts. The results show that Ireland is drought prone but recent decades are unrepresentative of the longer‐term drought climatology. A large decline in 30‐year accumulated SPI‐12 values is evident from around the 1990s onwards. During the years 1850–2015 seven major drought rich periods were identified with an island‐wide fingerprint in 1854–1860, 1884–1896, 1904–1912, 1921–1923, 1932–1935, 1952–1954 and 1969–1977. These events exhibit substantial diversity in terms of drought development, severity and spatial occurrence. Two exceptionally long events are found in the record: the continuous drought of 1854–1860 and the drought of 1800–1809 (in fact a series of three droughts with brief interludes). Over the last 250 years, droughts have resulted in agricultural hardship, water resource crises and failures and preceded some of the major famines of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This work shows that newspaper archives can be used to trace the progression of drought events and impacts and we thus advocate their wider use in corroborating quantitative assessments. The resulting catalogue challenges prevailing perceptions about drought in Ireland while strengthening the evidence base for future drought and water resource planning across the island.
Lack of critical thinking skills leading to research crisis in developing countries: A case of Pakistan
Authors: Nauman Sarwat 
Published: January 2017

Key points

Increasing funding for research may not improve the quality of research.
Pakistan is investing heavily in research with commensurate increases in publications.
Pakistan's increase in article output is not being matched with increased quality – is this due to a fundamental problem with critical thinking skills?
All developing countries need to focus on critical thinking skills to realize the best use of their research funding.
Versatility of Pyrylium Salt/Vinyl Ether Initiating System for Epoxide Dual‐Cure Polymerization: Kick‐Starting Effect of the Coinitiator
Authors: Lecompère Maxime , Allonas Xavier , Maréchal David , Criqui Adrien 
Published: January 2017

Pyrylium salts combined with vinyl ethers are shown to act as new versatile dual‐cure initiating systems for both photochemical and thermal initiation of oxirane monomers. The combination of both possibilities allows the curing of thick samples through photoinduced frontal polymerization. On the basis of quantum calculations and photochemical experiments, some clues are given about the reaction mechanisms involved. Interestingly, a sequential kick‐starting effect is observed in the presence of vinyl ether enabling the curing of oxetane monomers. Thereby, this communication presents a short overview of potential of pyrylium salts in cationic polymerization of oxiranes.
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