bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Procyanidin B2 inhibits inflammasome‐mediated IL‐1β production in lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated macrophages
Authors: Martinez‐Micaelo Neus , González‐Abuín Noemi , Pinent Montserrat , Ardévol Anna , Blay Mayte 
Published: November 2014

ScopeMacrophage stimulation with bacterial LPS triggers inflammasome activation, resulting in pro‐inflammatory IL‐1β cytokine maturation and secretion. IL‐1β underlies the pathologies of many diseases, including type‐2 diabetes. Thus, the modulation of the inflammatory response through bioactive food compounds, such as procyanidins, is a powerful tool to promote homeostasis.Methods and resultsTo determine the role of procyanidin B2 in inflammasome activation, LPS‐primed THP‐1‐macrophages were supplemented with or without procyanidin B2. Western blot analysis of COX2, iNOS, p65, NLRP3 and IL‐1β was performed followed by p65 supershift assay, in vivo caspase‐1 activation assay and NO, IL‐1β and IL‐6 determination. Procyanidin B2 mediated inhibition of inflammasome activation includes the inactivation of the NF‐κB signalling pathway, the first stage required for the transcription of inflammasome precursors, through the inhibition of p65 nuclear expression and DNA binding, resulting in the transcriptional repression of target genes, such as COX2, iNOS and production of IL‐6 and NO. Furthermore, procyanidin B2 decreases NLRP3 and pro‐IL‐1β cytoplasmic pools, limiting components of inflammasome activation and impeding inflammasome assembly and caspase‐1 activation, and finally secretion of active IL‐1β.ConclusionThis study provides the first evidence that procyanidin B2 inhibits inflammasome activation and IL‐1β secretion during LPS‐induced acute inflammation in human macrophages.
Identification of master genes involved in liver key functions through transcriptomics and epigenomics of methyl donor deficiency in rat: Relevance to nonalcoholic liver disease
Authors: Chen Gaili , Broséus Julien , Hergalant Sébastien , Donnart Audrey , Chevalier Catherine , Bolaños‐Jiménez Francisco , Guéant Jean‐Louis , Houlgatte Rémi 
Published: November 2014

ScopeOur study aims to investigate molecular events associated to methyl donor deficiency (MDD) by analyzing the transcriptome and the methylome of MDD rats in liver.Methods and resultsTwenty‐one‐day‐old rats born to mothers fed either with a standard diet or a MDD diet during gestation and lactation were compared. From a total of 44 000 probes for 26 456 genes, we found two gene clusters in MDD rats whose expression levels had significant differences compared with controls: 3269 overexpressed (p < 0.0009) and 2841 underexpressed (p < 0.0004) genes. Modifications of DNA methylation were found in the promoter regions of 1032 genes out of 14 981 genes. Ontological analyses revealed that these genes are mainly involved in glucose and lipid metabolism, nervous system, coagulation, ER stress, and mitochondrial function.ConclusionPutative master genes exhibiting changes in both gene expression and DNA methylation are limited to 266 genes and are mainly involved in the renin‐angiotensin system (n = 3), mitochondrion metabolism (n = 18), and phospholipid homeostasis (n = 3). Most of these master genes participate in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The adverse effects of MDD on the metabolic process indicate the beneficial impact of folate and vitamin B12, especially during the perinatal period.
Preparation and characterization of chitosan films, crosslinked with symmetric aromatic dianhydrides to achieve enhanced thermal properties
Authors: Kavianinia Iman , Plieger Paul G , Kandile Nadia G , Harding David RK 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThis study has developed a new generation of crosslinked chitosan‐based films using symmetric aromatic dianhydrides as crosslinking agents. The formation of the dianhydride‐crosslinked chitosan hydrogel films was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared and solid‐state 13C NMR spectral analyses. The films obtained from these derivatives were characterized by their thermal, swelling and hydrophilic properties. The results showed that introducing a cyclic imide moiety into the chitosan matrices played a significant role in enhancing the thermal properties of these chitosan films. It was found that even at high levels of substitution, thermal stability of the studied chitosan derivatives was improved, in spite of a reduction in crystallinity. Heterocyclic imide linkages produced networks that were insoluble in both acidic and alkaline media but allowed swelling in aqueous media. An increase in the hydrophobicity of the chitosan film surfaces was observed after introduction of the cyclic imide moiety. These engineered films produced noteworthy results concerning their thermal and swelling properties. There is a need to further investigate these films for drug delivery and biomaterials applications. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Lattice dynamics study of the ferroelectric glycinium hydrogenphosphite (GPI) crystal
Authors: Shchur Yaroslav , Kityk Andriy V. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractLattice dynamics simulation of NH3CH2COOHH2PO3 crystal is performed in paraelectric P21/a and ferroelectric P21 phases within the semi‐empirical model. The detailed assignment of phonon modes is done in Brillouin zone centre. Density of phonon states and partial density of states of all constituent atoms are calculated in both structural phases. The O2 and H2 atoms in – hydrogen bonds presumably play an essential role in the mechanism of the phase transition.
Exponential stability of stochastic singular delay systems with general Markovian switchings
Authors: Wang Guoliang , Zhang Qingling , Yang Chunyu 
Published: November 2014

SummaryIn recent years, Markovian jump systems have received much attention. However, there are very few results on the stability of stochastic singular systems with Markovian switching. In this paper, the discussed system is the stochastic singular delay system with general transition rate matrix in terms of uncertain and partially unknown transition rate matrix. The aim is to answer the question whether there are conditions guaranteeing the underlying system having a unique solution and being exponentially admissible simultaneously. The proposed results show that all the features of the underlying system such as time delay, diffusion, and general Markovian switchings play important roles in the system analysis of exponential admissibility. A numerical example is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Costs and benefits of non‐invasive fetal RhD determination
Authors: Teitelbaum L. , Metcalfe A. , Clarke G. , Parboosingh J. S. , Wilson R. D. , Johnson J. M. 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACTObjectiveNon‐invasive fetal Rhesus (Rh) D genotyping, using cell‐free fetal DNA (cffDNA) in the maternal blood, allows targeted antenatal anti‐RhD prophylaxis in unsensitized RhD‐negative pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to determine the cost and benefit of this approach as compared to routine antenatal anti‐RhD prophylaxis for all unsensitized RhD‐negative pregnant women, as is the current policy in the province of Alberta, Canada.MethodsThis study was a decision analysis based on a theoretical population representing the total number of pregnancies in Alberta over a 1‐year period
(n = 69 286). A decision tree was created that outlined targeted prophylaxis for unsensitized RhD‐negative pregnant women screened for cffDNA (targeted group) vs routine prophylaxis for all unsensitized RhD‐negative pregnant women (routine group). Probabilities at each decision point and costs associated with each resource were calculated from local clinical and administrative data. Outcomes measured were cost, number of women sensitized and doses of Rh immunoglobulin (RhIG) administered.ResultsThe estimated cost per pregnancy for the routine group was 71.43 compared with 67.20 Canadian dollars in the targeted group. The sensitization rates per RhD‐negative pregnancy were equal, at 0.0012, for the current and targeted programs. Implementing targeted antenatal anti‐RhD prophylaxis would save 4072 doses (20.1%) of RhIG over a 1‐year period in Alberta when compared to the current program.ConclusionsThese data support the feasibility of a targeted antenatal anti‐RhD prophylaxis program, at a lower cost than that of the existing routine prophylaxis program, with no increased risk of sensitization. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Timing of spring surveys for midcontinent sandhill cranes
Authors: Pearse Aaron T. , Krapu Gary L. , Brandt David A. , Sargeant Glen A. 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACTThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has used spring aerial surveys to estimate numbers of migrating sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) staging in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska, USA. Resulting estimates index the abundance of the midcontinent sandhill crane population and inform harvest management decisions. However, annual changes in the index have exceeded biologically plausible changes in population size (>50% of surveys between 1982 and 2013 indicate >±20% change), raising questions about nuisance variation due to factors such as migration chronology. We used locations of cranes marked with very‐high‐frequency transmitters to estimate migration chronology (i.e., proportions of cranes present within the Platte River Valley). We also used roadside surveys to determine the percentage of cranes staging at the Platte River Valley but outside of the survey area when surveys occur. During March 2001–2007, an average of 86% (71–94%; SD = 7%) of marked cranes were present along the Platte River during scheduled survey dates, and 0–11% of cranes that were present along the Platte River were not within the survey boundaries. Timing of the annual survey generally corresponded with presence of the greatest proportion of marked cranes and with least inter‐annual variation; consequently, accuracy of estimates could not have been improved by surveying on different dates. Conducting the survey earlier would miss birds not yet arriving at the staging site; whereas, a later date would occur at a time when a larger portion of birds may have already departed the staging site and when a greater proportion of birds occurred outside of the surveyed area. Index values used to monitor midcontinent sandhill crane abundance vary annually, in part, due to annual variation in migration chronology and to spatial distribution of cranes in the Platte River Valley; therefore, managers should interpret survey results cautiously, with awareness of a continuing need to identify and understand components of variation. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Synthesis, Structure, and Photophysical Properties of Tributyl Phosphine Bisbenzothienyl Iridium(III) Complex and its Application on Transfer Hydrogenation of Acetophenone
Authors: Wang Dawei , Zhao Keyan , Yang Shuyan , Ding Yuqiang 
Published: November 2014

AbstractA phosphine bisbenzothienyl iridium(III) complex was synthesized and characterized by IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy as well as X‐ray diffraction methods. The TG data suggests that the complex has an excellent thermal stability than that with an amidate ancillary ligand. Photophysical properties showed that the complex emits typical green emission.
Defect Chemistry of Photocatalysts
Authors: Schoonman Joop , Perniu Dana 
Published: November 2014

AbstractA clean and efficient process for producing hydrogen using renewable energy sources is an important requirement for a future Hydrogen Economy. The production of hydrogen from water and solar energy is attracting widespread attention. In particular, research is focused on novel materials, or improving existing materials for the splitting of water using photocatalysis and photoelectrolysis. In this paper we highlight several recent developments in photocatalysts and we illustrate how engineering of properties on an atomic scale can be achieved by cation and anion doping, deviations from stoichiometry and in case of ternary or more complex materials, by deviations from molecularity. The defect chemistry of I‐III‐VI2 ternary semiconductors with the chalcopyrite structure is presented and used to construct a 3D‐Brouwer diagram.
The Decay of Positive and Negative Word of Mouth after Product Experience
Authors: East Robert , Uncles Mark D. , Romaniuk Jenni , Hand Chris 
Published: November 2014

Three surveys, each covering two categories, were used to investigate the decay in WOM output after product experience. The categories were restaurants, fashion stores, hotels, holiday destinations, mobile phones and films. Data were gathered in the UK and Thailand, resulting in a total of 548 usable responses. Word-of-mouth (WOM) output decays rapidly after product experience and then flattens. There is substantial variation by category. The decay rates of positive and negative word of mouth (PWOM, NWOM) are much the same, indicating that ratio measures of the volumes of PWOM to NWOM will be largely independent of the interval over which they are measured. This evidence on WOM decay is useful to those estimating the financial return from new customers and indicates that incentivised referral should be concentrated in the short interval after product experience if it is to draw advantage from the high rate of WOM found at this time. More generally, it is argued that decay in the output of WOM must be studied by consumer researchers if the effect of WOM is to be properly measured and modelled.
Socialist Republican Discourse and the 1916 Easter Rising: The Occupation of Jacob's Biscuit Factory and the South Dublin Union Explained
Authors: Arrington Lauren 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThe events of the Easter Rising have been subjected to extensive analysis by historians who have focused on military strategy as a means of explaining the occupation of specific sites. However, Jacob's Biscuit Factory and the South Dublin Union have proven resistant to this paradigm. The political value of both places can be understood by giving close attention to the long history of antagonism between these two institutions and the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, out of which the Irish Citizen Army that fought in the rising was formed. In his articles for theIrish WorkerandWorkers' Republic, James Connolly adapted traditional republican discourse of economic emancipation through political sovereignty to address a contemporary urban context. An understanding of the way that this discourse functioned facilitates an understanding of the role of Jacob's Biscuit Factory and the South Dublin Union in the Easter Rising: as sites of actual and symbolic liberation. This analysis of popular discourse in the contemporary press offers a new approach to the study of events that have been termed the Irish Revolution, and it presents a model for understanding the way that republican discourse accommodated the very different political objectives of Irish separatists.
Detonation in supersonic radial outflow
Authors: Kasimov Aslan R. , Korneev Svyatoslav V. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractWe report on the structure and dynamics of gaseous detonation stabilized in a supersonic flow emanating radially from a central source. The steady-state solutions are computed and their range of existence is investigated. Two-dimensional simulations are carried out in order to explore the stability of the steady-state solutions. It is found that both collapsing and expanding two-dimensional cellular detonations exist. The latter can be stabilized by putting several rigid obstacles in the flow downstream of the steady-state sonic locus. The problem of initiation of standing detonation stabilized in the radial flow is also investigated numerically.
Cyrenaican Church Floor Mosaics of the Justinianic Period: Decoration or Meaning?
Authors: Cowell Norman D. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThe well-preserved church floor mosaics of the Justinianic period discovered at Qasr Libya have been dismissed as a haphazard collection of motifs, most of which are purely decorative. The author presents arguments to question this statement and carries out a re-examination to see if a symbolic programme can be recovered from them. In this task two principal sources of imagery are drawn on; bible passages and, in view of the wide variety of fauna represented, the stories in early bestiaries where the alleged behaviour of animals is given a theological interpretation. This analysis was extended to cover a selection of other church floor mosaics of similar age. In each case it has been found possible to construct a coherent programme of symbolism and to link this to rites which would have been celebrated in those locations.
Weichselian and Holocene climate history reflected in temperatures in the upper crust of the Netherlands
Authors: ter Voorde M. , van Balen R. , Luijendijk E. , Kooi H. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractIn the Netherlands the present-day thermal gradient in the shallow subsurface (i.e. the upper few 100 m), is around 20°C km–1, whereas at depths between 0.5 and 3 km it is ∼33°C km–1. This large contrast in the gradient between shallow and deeper parts of the subsurface occurs throughout the country and cannot be explained by either systematic thermal property changes with depth or the depositional setting of the region. In this paper we use a 1D thermal model for the crust and demonstrate that this observed temperature-depth trend most likely reflects a transient condition inherited from past climate change. It is shown that the prolonged cold period during the Weichselian (∼110–10 kya) and the subsequent warmer conditions during the Holocene account for the increase in the thermal gradient with depth. Moreover, we demonstrate that thermal history further back in time still influences the present-day subsurface temperature. Geothermal climate-change influences on these long time scales have not been documented before for the Netherlands.
Will Cost-Effectiveness Decisions Determine Future 4D Air Traffic Management Concepts?
Authors: Brooker Peter 
Published: November 2014

Would an increased emphasis on cost-effectiveness and markedly reduced controller workload/costs determine the Four-Dimensional Air Traffic Management (4D ATM) Concept – a mindset change? Are there workable concepts that focus on flightpath conformance monitoring rather than a combination of conformance and hazard monitoring? Fundamental criteria for a conformance management-based system are identified to meet workload and cost goals. A ‘Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)/Feedback Concept’ is sketched, with radical ingredients to convert GNSS's accurate position fixes into accurate aircraft flightpath navigation. This eliminates air/ground trajectory synchronisation processing, and focuses conflict probing/planning tools on non-conforming flights. This concept would need to address key Human Factor concerns satisfactorily.
ON POSITIVE PROPORTION OF RANK-ZERO TWISTS OF ELLIPTIC CURVES OVER
Authors: XIONG MAOSHENG 
Published: November 2014

AbstractExtending the idea of Dabrowski [‘On the proportion of rank 0 twists of elliptic curves’, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 346 (2008), 483–486] and using the 2-descent method, we provide three general families of elliptic curves over $\mathbb{Q}$ such that a positive proportion of prime-twists of such elliptic curves have rank zero simultaneously.
Factors that influence producer decisions to implement management strategies
Authors: Field Thomas G. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractCow–calf enterprises in the USA are widely divergent in size, locale, resource availability, management skill, and market focus. Furthermore, variation exists in dependence on the cow–calf enterprise as a primary source of income, perception about the utility of a particular management practice or technology, and assessment of cost: benefit resulting from implementation impact decisions. Enterprises with larger cow inventories, greater dependence on income from the cattle enterprise, and that retain ownership further into the supply chain beyond the cow–calf operation are more likely to institute management protocols such as vaccination programs, defined calving seasons, and reproductive technologies. Successful cow–calf managers place the highest priority on herd nutrition, pasture and range management, herd health, financial management marketing, production management, and genetics. Management practices are more likely to be adopted when they align with a manager's perception of the utility, labor availability, favorable cost: benefit outcomes and profit motivation.
Understanding of how Propionibacterium acidipropionici respond to propionic acid stress at the level of proteomics
Authors: Guan Ningzi , Shin Hyun-dong , Chen Rachel R. , Li Jianghua , Liu Long , Du Guocheng , Chen Jian 
Published: November 2014

AbstractPropionic acid (PA) is an important platform chemical in the food, agriculture and pharmaceutical industries and is mainly biosynthesized by propionibacteria. Acid tolerance in PA-producing strains is crucial. In previous work, we investigated the acid tolerance mechanism of Propionibacterium acidipropionici at microenvironmental levels by analyzing physiological changes in the parental strain and three PA-tolerant mutants obtained by genome shuffling. However, the molecular mechanism of PA tolerance in P. acidipropionici remained unclear. Here, we performed a comparative proteomics study of P. acidipropionici CGMCC 1.2230 and the acid-tolerant mutant P. acidipropionici WSH1105; MALDI-TOF/MS identified 24 proteins that significantly differed between the parental and shuffled strains. The differentially expressed proteins were mainly categorized as key components of crucial biological processes and the acid stress response. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to confirm differential expression of nine key proteins. Overexpression of the secretory protein glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and ATP synthase subunit α in Escherichia coli BL21 improved PA and acetic acid tolerance; overexpression of NADH dehydrogenase and methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase improved PA tolerance. These results provide new insights into the acid tolerance of P. acidipropionici and will facilitate the development of PA production through fermentation by propionibacteria.
Modification using additional NaOH for the preparation of γ‐Fe2O3 nanoparticles by chemically induced transition
Authors: Mao Hong , Li Jian , Chen Longlong , Lin Yueqiang , Liu Xiaodong , Li Junming , Gong Xiaomin , Li Decai 
Published: November 2014

γ‐Fe2O3 nanoparticles coated with a layer of FeCl3 ·6H2O were prepared by chemically induced transition in FeCl2 solution. NaOH was added to the reaction solution, to investigate the effect of alkalinity on the resulting particles. Vibrating sample magnetometry, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterise the products. Additional NaOH stimulated the epitaxial growth of γ‐Fe2O3 on the γ‐Fe2O3 crystallites and more FeCl3 ·6H2O adsorbed on γ‐Fe2O3. Under the experimental conditions, the increase in γ‐Fe2O3 content was larger than that of FeCl3 ·6H2O, at ≤0.7 M NaOH. At >0.7 M NaOH, the increase in γ‐Fe2O3 content was less than that of FeCl3 ·6H2O. The non‐monotonic variation of the FeCl3 ·6H2O/γ‐Fe2O3 ratio was consistent with this result, and was consistent with the variation in apparent specific magnetisation with increasing NaOH concentration.