bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Shaken flasks by resonant acoustic mixing in the biosynthesis of alginate by Azotobacter vinelandii with non‐Newtonian rheological characteristics
Authors: Reynoso‐Cereceda Greta I , Córdova‐Aguilar María S , Valdez‐Cruz Norma A , Trujillo‐Roldán Mauricio A 
Published: October 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDOrbitally shaken flasks in polysaccharide‐producing bacterial cultures usually present oxygen limitations because of non‐Newtonian rheological characteristics of the resulting culture broth and bacterial respiration. Here, we present the production of alginate by Azotobacter vinelandii using a novel alternative mixing technology (resonant acoustic mixing, RAM) to increase oxygen transfer.RESULTSNo significant differences were observed in biomass growth (3.43 ± 0.61 g L‐1) with RAM frequencies between 5 and 20 g, but higher specific growth and sucrose consumption rates were found at higher frequencies (15 and 20 g). The highest alginate production (9.13 ± 0.63 g L‐1) was obtained in 20 g cultures, in which no oxygen limitation was detected, whereas intracellular reserve polymer poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production was favored at low shaking frequencies (5 and 10 g), in which dissolved oxygen tension was zero for a long culture time. Cultures behave pseudoplastically, with an apparent viscosity that increases until the end of the exponential phase, and the alginate monomer ratio was approximately 1.0 in all cultures.CONCLUSIONRAM can maintain elevated oxygen transfer rates, even in non‐Newtonian high‐viscosity cultures, as in the case of alginate production by A. vinelandii. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Synthesis of nano‐sized hydrogen phosphate‐imprinted polymer in acetonitrile/water mixture and its use as a recognition element of hydrogen phosphate selective all‐solid state potentiometric electrode
Authors: Alizadeh Taher , Atayi Khalil 
Published: October 2017

AbstractHerein, a new recipe is introduced for the preparation of hydrogen phosphate ion‐imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nano‐IIP) in acetonitrile/water (63.5:36.5) using phosphoric acid as the template. The nano‐IIP obtained was used as the recognition element of a carbon paste potentiometric sensor. The IIP electrode showed a Nernstian response to hydrogen phosphate anion; whereas, the non‐imprinted polymer (NIP)‐based electrode had no considerable sensitivity to the anion. The presence of both methacrylic acid and vinyl pyridine in the IIP structure, as well as optimization of the functional monomers‐template proportion, was found to be important to observe the sensing capability of the IIP electrode. The nano‐IIP electrode showed a dynamic linear range of 1 × 10−5‐1 × 10−1 mol L‐1, Nernstian slope of 30.6 ± (0.5) mV decade −1, response time of 25 seconds, and detection limit of 4.0 × 10−6 mol L−1. The utility of the electrodes was checked by potentiometric titration of hydrogen phosphate with La3+ solution.
Land surface air temperature variations over Eurasia and possible causes in the past century
Authors: Zuo Zhiyan , Yang Song , Xu Kang , Zhang Renhe , He Qiong , Zhao Tianbao , Cong Jing 
Published: October 2017

ABSTRACTIn this study, the variations of annual land surface air temperature (SAT) over Eurasia and the northern part of Africa (0°–180°E, 0°–90°N) were investigated using monthly SAT data from the Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia for 1901–2014 and the simulations from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory coupled model. The observed results suggested that the SAT variations exhibited robust non‐uniform spatial features at multi‐time scales. For the variations in inter‐annual to decadal time scales (IDV), the intensity generally increased from south to north, with the strongest intensity being around Siberia and four times that of the weakest intensity found around China. The IDV leading pattern showed a north–south dipole across 40°N. The simulated results suggested that the north–south dipole and the northwards increase of the IDV were due to internal interactions within the complex nonlinear climate system, but the natural and greenhouse gas forcings could intensify the IDV.The warming trend of the SAT was generally homogeneous, but it showed distinctive multi‐decadal fluctuations in different regions. The linear secular trends and robust multi‐decadal variation around Siberia and China corresponded to the considerable acceleration and deceleration in the warming over the two regions, respectively. The warming around Siberia was mainly caused by greenhouse gases but its modulation due to natural forcing was also considerable because of the robust multi‐decadal variations. Around China, the multi‐decadal variation, contributed by the natural forcing, can explain more than half the variances in the warming. The warming trend around central Asia was intense and parabolic, and the multi‐decadal variation over there was weak and showed few modulating effects.
Innovative liquid formulation of digestates for producing a biofertilizer based on Bacillus siamensis: Field testing on sweet pepper
Authors: Pastor-Bueis Raquel , Mulas Rebeca , Gómez Xiomar , González-Andrés Fernando 
Published: October 2017

AbstractA biofertilizer (BF) based on the plant growth promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) Bacillus siamensis was produced using anaerobic digestate (AD) as the main ingredient of the growth medium, alongside a carbon source from residual origin. The use of residues for the growth of PGPR reduces the production costs of biofertilizers, but makes an assessment of the possible toxicity of residues for the bacteria or plants necessary. Therefore, the growth medium of PGPR was first optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM), followed by phytotoxicity tests and a field trial of the BF in a sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) crop at two different locations. AD at 50% dilution, supplemented with 2.3% sugar beet molasses, was the optimum growth medium for producing the BF, with a bacterial concentration of 109 cfu mL−1. In the field trial, the treatments inoculated with BF and fertilized with decreased mineral N (80%) produced significantly better yields per ha than the controls with decreased N (80%) and full N (100%) without BF. This indicates improved efficiency of N use by the crop, as a consequence of the use of BF.
Enhancement of the water solubility and antioxidant activity of hesperidin by chitooligosaccharide
Authors: Cao Ruge , Zhao Yali , Zhou Zhongkai , Zhao Xiaoyu 
Published: October 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDHesperidin is a natural product and a strong antioxidant with potential applications in various food and pharmaceutical products. However, its poor water solubility greatly limits its applications.RESULTSIn this study, chitooligosaccharide (COS) was applied to prepare a stable complex with hesperidin (Hesp‐COS) via the spray‐drying method at 100 °C for 20 min. The resultant complex was characterized by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. It was demonstrated that the aromatic rings of hesperidin interacted with COS through hydrogen bonding and formed Hesp‐COS complex. As a result, both the water solubility and antioxidant activity of Hesp‐COS were higher than that of the free hesperidin.CONCLUSIONThe preparation conditions of Hesp‐COS in this study were efficient and produced an increment in both the water solubility and antioxidant activity of hesperidin. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Coping with waves: Plasticity in tidal marsh plants as self‐adapting coastal ecosystem engineers
Authors: Silinski Alexandra , Schoutens Ken , Puijalon Sara , Schoelynck Jonas , Luyckx Deirdre , Troch Peter , Meire Patrick , Temmerman Stijn 
Published: October 2017

AbstractTidal marsh vegetation is increasingly valued for its role in ecosystem‐based coastal protection due to its wave dissipating capacity. As the efficiency of wave dissipation is known to depend on specific vegetation properties, we quantified how these morphological, biochemical, and biomechanical properties of tidal marsh vegetation are, in turn, affected by wave exposure. This was achieved by field measurements at two locations, with contrasting wave exposure, in the brackish part of the Scheldt Estuary (SW Netherlands), where Scirpus maritimus is the dominant pioneer species. Our results show that shoots from more wave‐exposed conditions developed significantly shorter and thicker stems than the ones growing in more sheltered conditions. Furthermore, we show that the more exposed shoots are more flexible whereas the shoots growing in more sheltered conditions are stiffer. This may indicate plasticity in response to wave exposure following a stress‐avoidance strategy. Increasing stiffness was shown to be related to enhanced biogenic silica and lignin contents of the shoot tissue. These properties might affect the wave‐attenuating capacity of the marsh as stiff plants are known to mitigate waves more effectively than flexible ones. However, we also found higher shoot densities on the exposed site, which may partly explain why higher relative wave attenuation rates were found on the exposed site, despite the presence of more flexible individual shoots. This study highlights that the efficiency of wave attenuation by tidal marsh vegetation ultimately depends on mutual interactions between waves and plasticity in morphological, biochemical, and biomechanical plant properties.
Patterns and drivers of δ13C variation in the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera
Authors: Drobnitch Sarah Tepler , Pochron Taylor , Miranda Celine 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThe giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera is a major primary producer and supports species‐rich and productive marine communities on temperate coastlines. The δ13C signature of M. pyrifera tissue is an important potential tool for understanding species interactions within nearshore trophic networks. However, in macroalgae, δ13C can vary widely, and M. pyrifera can differ up to 6‰ within a single individual, greatly complicating the designation of a primary end member in isotope mixing models. Abiotic factors such as irradiance, dissolved inorganic carbon concentration, water motion, and water temperature can drive δ13C variation, either by altering the supply of total CO2 available to individual tissues, or by inducing facultative carbon concentrating mechanisms. In this study, we combine a controlled laboratory experiment with field sampling to better understand and predict the abiotic drivers of δ13C signatures in M. pyrifera tissues. In the field, data revealed strong correlations between δ13C signatures and depth, as well as season and location within a kelp bed. Experimental data demonstrated that the δ13C of incubated tissue was strongly driven by irradiance but not flow velocity, suggesting that enrichment in M. pyrifera tissue is the result of a light‐induced metabolic process. We also confirmed a physiological δ13C enrichment process associated with photosynthate transport. These results facilitate understanding and prediction of the variation in δ13C observed in the field, and inform interpretations of δ13C signatures in trophic analyses and community interaction studies.
Family firm performance: The influence of entrepreneurial orientation and absorptive capacity
Authors: Hernández‐Perlines Felipe , Moreno‐García Juan , Yáñez‐Araque Benito 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThis article investigates the influence of entrepreneurial orientation and absorptive capacity on family firm performance. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) was used to analyze empirical data for 218 Spanish family firms. Absorptive capacity positively mediated the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and family firm performance. This total mediation effect suppressed the direct effect of entrepreneurial orientation on family firm performance. A major implication of this finding is that for family firms to improve their performance through entrepreneurial orientation, absorptive capacity must act as a mediator.
Dosimetric consequences of gold nanoparticle clustering during photon irradiation
Authors: Kirkby Charles , Koger Brandon , Suchowerska Natalka , McKenzie David R. 
Published: October 2017

PurposeThe radiation dose enhancement caused by introducing gold nanoparticles (GNP) into cells can increase the dose locally absorbed. A disconnect between experimentally determined survival and dose enhancements predicted by Monte Carlo simulations on macroscopic scales, suggests small‐scale energy deposition patterns play an important role in GNP dose enhancement. Clustering of the GNPs could potentially alter small‐scale energy deposition patterns. Here we use Monte Carlo simulations to quantify energy deposition patterns in the presence of clustered GNPs and address the question of whether clustering of the nanoparticles affects the energy deposition patterns and ultimately cellular response.MethodsUsing the PENELOPE Monte Carlo code, we examine the absorption of energy in the environment of a single irradiated GNP following its interaction with a set of primary monoenergetic photon beams. We introduce successive GNPs to form a cluster about the particle in which the primary photon interactions occur and report on the energy deposited locally (within a 500 nm radius) and nonlocally (beyond 500 nm) in the surrounding water‐equivalent medium as a function of the number of additional GNPs and the packing geometry they assume.ResultsWhen additional GNPs cluster in tightly packed formations about a GNP in which an incident photon interacts, both the energy deposited locally and released nonlocally are reduced relative to the case where other GNPs are not present. The degree of the reduction depends on incident photon energy, the number of GNPs added to the cluster, and the packing geometry. With 90 additional GNPs in a hexagonal close packing (HCP) cluster about a directly irradiated test particle, the local energy deposition was reduced to 29% (of the value in the absence of neighbors) in the most extreme monoenergetic case. Energy released into the nonlocal volume was most affected by the cluster for low‐incident photon energies (< 40 keV), where reductions to 26% of the value in the absence of a cluster were shown. The packing geometry mitigated these results. When the irradiated GNP was on the periphery of the HCP cluster, or when the cluster was confined to a plane, the observed effects were weaker and when an equal number of GNPs were uniformly distributed in the local volume, the changes were trivial (less than 2%).ConclusionsThe findings provide grounds for reconciling the observations of cell survival with Monte Carlo predictions of GNP dose enhancement. This work is significant because it demonstrates that GNP clustering needs to be understood and accounted to optimize local dose enhancement.
Time to learn: How chronotype impacts education
Authors: Zerbini Giulia , Merrow Martha 
Published: October 2017

AbstractA growing body of literature has linked chronotype and sleep to school performance. Chronotype is under the control of the circadian clock and refers to sleep timing and diurnal preferences. Chronotype changes with age and is latest during adolescence, giving rise to a mismatch between the (late) circadian clock and the (early) school clock. In general, evening (late) chronotypes obtain lower grades. School performance is influenced by many other factors, such as motivation, intelligence, and conscientiousness. Some of these factors also relate to chronotype. The present paper reviews the literature on the relationship between chronotype and school performance, with the aim of suggesting hypotheses about the mechanisms behind this complex phenomenon and exploring solutions for an optimized school system. Based on the literature reviewed, we hypothesize that chronotype has both a direct and an indirect effect on school performance. The indirect effect is mediated by factors such as conscientiousness, learning/achieving motivation, mood, and alertness. In addition, time of day of testing plays an important role since the chronotype effect on grades is strongest in the morning and disappears in the afternoon. Strategies to decrease the mismatch between the adolescent circadian clock and the school clock could involve light interventions to advance the students’ sleep timing, delays in school starting times, and rearrangements of test schedules (tests later in the day).
Pupillary light reflex and circadian synchronization in the elderly
Authors: Novotny Philipp , Plischke Herbert 
Published: October 2017

AbstractMost elderly lack a synchronized circadian rhythm and often cannot benefit from light therapy. Non‐visual effects of light are mediated through intrinsic photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). With chromatic pupillometry, the functionality of ipRGCs and their functional circuit in the brain can be tested.
Proteomics and Network Analyses Reveal Inhibition of Akt‐mTOR Signaling in CD4+ T Cells by Mycobacterium tuberculosis Mannose‐Capped Lipoarabinomannan
Authors: Karim Ahmad F. , Sande Obondo J. , Tomechko Sara E. , Ding Xuedong , Li Ming , Maxwell Sean , Ewing Rob M. , Harding Clifford V. , Rojas Roxana E. , Chance Mark R. , Boom W. Henry 
Published: October 2017

AbstractMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) cell wall glycolipid mannose‐capped lipoarabinomannan (ManLAM) inhibits CD4+ T‐cell activation by inhibiting proximal T‐cell receptor (TCR) signaling when activated by anti‐CD3. To understand the impact of ManLAM on CD4+ T‐cell function when both the TCR–CD3 complex and major costimulator CD28 are engaged, we performed label‐free quantitative MS and network analysis. Mixed‐effect model analysis of peptide intensity identified 149 unique peptides representing 131 proteins that were differentially regulated by ManLAM in anti‐CD3‐ and anti‐CD28‐activated CD4+ T cells. Crosstalker, a novel network analysis tool identified dysregulated translation, TCA cycle, and RNA metabolism network modules. PCNA, Akt, mTOR, and UBC were found to be bridge node proteins connecting these modules of dysregulated proteins. Altered PCNA expression and cell cycle analysis showed arrest at the G2M phase. Western blot confirmed that ManLAM inhibited Akt and mTOR phosphorylation, and decreased expression of deubiquitinating enzymes Usp9x and Otub1. Decreased NF‐κB phosphorylation suggested interference with CD28 signaling through inhibition of the Usp9x‐Akt‐mTOR pathway. Thus, ManLAM induced global changes in the CD4+ T‐cell proteome by affecting Akt‐mTOR signaling, resulting in broad functional impairment of CD4+ T‐cell activation beyond inhibition of proximal TCR–CD3 signaling.
In Vino Veritas: An Invitation for Ambitious, Collaborative Proteogenomics Campaigns on Plant and Animal Models
Authors: Armengaud Jean 
Published: October 2017

AbstractVitis vinifera has been an emblematic plant for humans since the Neolithic period. Human civilization has been shaped by its domestication as both its medicinal and nutritional values were exploited. It is now cultivated on all habitable continents, and more than 5000 varieties have been developed. A global passion for the art of wine fuels innovation and a profound desire for knowledge on this plant. The genome sequence of a homozygotic cultivar and several RNA‐seq datasets on other varieties have been released paving the way to gaining further insight into its biology and tailoring improvements to varieties. However, its genome annotation remains unpolished. In this issue of Proteomics, Chapman and Bellgard (Proteomics 2017, 17, 1700197) discuss how proteogenomics can help improve genome annotation. By mining shotgun proteomics data, they defined new protein‐coding genes, refined gene structures, and corrected numerous mRNA splicing events. This stimulating study shows how large international consortia could work together to improve plant and animal genome annotation on a large scale. To achieve this aim, time should be invested to generate comprehensive, high‐quality experimental datasets for a wide range of well‐defined lineages and exploit them with pipelines capable of handling giant datasets.
Overview of glyphosate‐resistant weeds worldwide
Authors: Heap Ian , Duke Stephen O 
Published: October 2017

AbstractGlyphosate is the most widely used and successful herbicide discovered to date, but its utility is now threatened by the occurrence of several glyphosate‐resistant weed species. Glyphosate resistance first appeared in Lolium rigidum in an apple orchard in Australia in 1996, ironically the year that the first glyphosate‐resistant crop (soybean) was introduced in the USA. Thirty‐eight weed species have now evolved resistance to glyphosate, distributed across 37 countries and in 34 different crops and six non‐crop situations. Although glyphosate‐resistant weeds have been identified in orchards, vineyards, plantations, cereals, fallow and non‐crop situations, it is the glyphosate‐resistant weeds in glyphosate‐resistant crop systems that dominate the area infested and growing economic impact. Glyphosate‐resistant weeds present the greatest threat to sustained weed control in major agronomic crops because this herbicide is used to control weeds with resistance to herbicides with other sites of action, and no new herbicide sites of action have been introduced for over 30 years. Industry has responded by developing herbicide resistance traits in major crops that allow existing herbicides to be used in a new way. However, over reliance on these traits will result in multiple‐resistance in weeds. Weed control in major crops is at a precarious point, where we must maintain the utility of the herbicides we have until we can transition to new weed management technologies. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Evolutionary algorithm based configuration interaction approach
Authors: Chakraborty Rahul , Ghosh Paulami , Ghosh Debashree 
Published: October 2017

AbstractA new evolutionary algorithm for stochastic configuration interaction (CI) method designed as an affordable approximation to full configuration interaction (FCI) has been described here. The key components of the algorithm are initiation, propagation, and termination steps taking inspiration from the genetic algorithm. The propagation step is performed with cloning (retention of a Slater determinant without change), mutation (single excitation/de‐excitation), and crossover (exchange of α and β strings between two Slater determinants) and termination is selection of few Slater determinants based on certain fitness function (measure of importance of a determinant in the CI space) and rejection of the rest. We find that the absolute value of the CI coefficients is a suitable fitness function when combined with a fixed selection scheme. We have tested its accuracy in 1D Hubbard problem and ground state potential energy surface (PES) has also been constructed for symmetric bond breaking of water molecule, where the errors are found to be around 10 mEh with low non‐parallelity error, when retaining only a small fraction of the total number of Slater determinants in the final population. This shows that this method has the ability to capture both static and dynamic correlation. Performance and convergence properties of the algorithm are also tested for N2 triple bond breaking problem. The algorithm opens up a promising way for stochastic sampling of the important determinants in the full Hilbert space.