bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Island survival: The anthracological and archaeofaunal evidence for colonial‐era events on Barrow Island, north‐west Australia
Authors: BYRNE CHAE , DOOLEY TOM , MANNE TIINA , PATERSON ALISTAIR , DOTTE‐SAROUT EMILIE
Published: December 2019

The establishment of north‐west Australia's nineteenth‐century pearlshell fisheries led to the first occupation of many arid offshore islands since the early mid‐Holocene. The nature of this occupation, and how crews subsisted on such remote landscapes, remains poorly understood. We investigate a rare instance of an archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological record for this colonial‐era activity at Bandicoot Bay, Barrow Island. Varied taxonomic representation suggests an atypical subsistence strategy for a maritime industry, involving broad exploitation of resources over several local landscapes and an absence of remains of provisioned food. Identified plant taxa largely conform to resources known ethnographically to have been exploited by north‐west Aboriginal communities, and many relate to traditional food practices. The spatial patterning of charred wood and bone suggests multiple burning activities and areas of specific use. Conditions of wood fuel on the island may have prompted the augmentation of fuel, indicated by the presence of non‐local wood charcoal and high proportions of calcined bone. These findings (i) are consistent with the hypothesis that the site's occupants originated from the north‐west as part of coerced pearling labour and (ii) provide unique insight into the role offshore islands may have occupied in the management of this industry's labour forces.
Coupled metabolic‐hydrodynamic modeling enabling rational scale‐up of industrial bioprocesses
Authors: Wang Guan , Haringa Cees , Tang Wenjun , Noorman Henk , Chu Ju , Zhuang Yingping , Zhang Siliang
Published: December 2019

Metabolomics aims to address what and how regulatory mechanisms are coordinated to achieve flux optimality, different metabolic objectives as well as appropriate adaptations to dynamic nutrient availability. Recent decades have witnessed that the integration of metabolomics and fluxomics within the goal of synthetic biology has arrived at generating the desired bioproducts with improved bioconversion efficiency. Absolute metabolite quantification by isotope dilution mass spectrometry represents a functional readout of cellular biochemistry and contributes to the establishment of metabolic (structured) models required in systems metabolic engineering. In industrial practices, population heterogeneity arising from fluctuating nutrient availability frequently leads to performance losses, that is reduced commercial metrics (titer, rate, and yield). Hence, the development of more stable producers and more predictable bioprocesses can benefit from a quantitative understanding of spatial and temporal cell‐to‐cell heterogeneity within industrial bioprocesses. Quantitative metabolomics analysis and metabolic modeling applied in computational fluid dynamics (CFD)‐assisted scale‐down simulators that mimic industrial heterogeneity such as fluctuations in nutrients, dissolved gases, and other stresses can procure informative clues for coping with issues during bioprocessing scale‐up. In previous studies, only limited insights into the hydrodynamic conditions inside the industrial‐scale bioreactor have been obtained, which makes case‐by‐case scale‐up far from straightforward. Tracking the flow paths of cells circulating in large‐scale bioreactors is a highly valuable tool for evaluating cellular performance in production tanks. The “lifelines” or “trajectories” of cells in industrial‐scale bioreactors can be captured using Euler‐Lagrange CFD simulation. This novel methodology can be further coupled with metabolic (structured) models to provide not only a statistical analysis of cell lifelines triggered by the environmental fluctuations but also a global assessment of the metabolic response to heterogeneity inside an industrial bioreactor. For the future, the industrial design should be dependent on the computational framework, and this integration work will allow bioprocess scale‐up to the industrial scale with an end in mind.
Engineering of membrane phospholipid component enhances salt stress tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Yin Nannan , Zhu Guoxing , Luo Qiuling , Liu Jia , Chen Xiulai , Liu Liming
Published: December 2019

To increase the growth of industrial strains under environmental stress, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4741 salt‐tolerant strain Y00 that tolerates 1.2 M NaCl was cultured through nitroguanidine mutagenesis. The metabolomics and transcription data of Y00 were compared with those of the wild‐type strain BY4741. The comparison identified two genes related to salt stress tolerance, cds1 and cho1. Modular assembly of cds1 and cho1 redistributed the membrane phospholipid component and decreased the ratio of anionic‐to‐zwitterionic phospholipid in strain Y03 that showed the highest salt tolerance. Therefore, significantly increased membrane potential and membrane integrity helped strain Y03 to resist salt stress (1.2 M NaCl). This study provides an effective membrane engineering strategy to enhance salt stress tolerance.
Quantum‐Chemical Modeling of Cyclic Peptide‐Selenium Nanoparticle as an Anticancer Drug Nanocarrier
Authors: Moghimi Sara , Morsali Ali , Heravi Mohammad M. , Beyramabadi Safar Ali
Published: December 2019

Using cyclooctaglycine and Se8 ring model for cyclic peptide (CP) and selenium nanoparticle (SeNP), fifteen noncovalent configurations for the functionalization of gemcitabine (GCB) anticancer drug on cyclic peptide‐selenium nanoparticle (CPSeNP) have been studied. In addition to the solvation and binding energies, quantum molecular descriptors were also investigated at M06‐2X/6‐31G**. According to the large negative values of binding energies, the noncovalent structures (CPSeNP/GCB1‐15) exhibit significant energetic stability. The solvation energies demonstrated that solubility of GCB and SeNP increases which is a major factor in any anticancer drug delivery system. The important role of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and Se–X interactions in CPSeNPs was revealed by atoms in molecules (AIM) analysis (X = O, N, C, F, H). Se–X interactions in all configurations are weak interactions. The configurations in which GCB drug is placed parallel to the carrier and interacts simultaneously with CP and SeNP are more stable (more negative energy) than those in which GCB interacts with only CP or SeNP.
Peroxisomicine A1, a potential antineoplastic agent, causes micropexophagy in addition to macropexophagy
Authors: Ortega‐Martínez Marta , Gutiérrez‐Dávila Vanessa , Niderhauser‐García Alberto , Salazar‐Aranda Ricardo , Solís‐Soto Juan M. , Montes‐de‐Oca‐Luna Roberto , Jaramillo‐Rangel Gilberto
Published: December 2019

Peroxisomicine A1 (PA1) is a potential antineoplastic agent with high and selective toxicity toward peroxisomes of tumor cells. Pexophagy is a selective autophagy process that degrades damaged peroxisomes; this process has been studied mainly in methylotrophic yeasts. There are two main modes of pexophagy in yeast: macropexophagy and micropexophagy. Previous studies showed that peroxisomes damaged by a prolonged exposition to PA1 are eliminated by macropexophagy. In this work, Candida boidinii was grown in methanol‐containing media, and PA1 was added to the cultures at 2 µg/mL after they reached the mid‐exponential growth phase. Samples were taken at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 min after the addition of PA1 and processed for ultrastructural analysis. Typical morphological characteristics of micropexophagy were observed: the direct engulfment of peroxisomes by the vacuolar membrane and the presence of the micropexophagic membrane apparatus (MIPA), which mediates the fusion between the opposing tips of the vacuole to complete sequestration of peroxisomes from the cytosol. In conclusion, here we report that, in addition to macropexophagy, peroxisomes damaged by PA1 can be eliminated by micropexophagy. This information is useful to deepen the knowledge of the mechanism of action of PA1 and of that of pexophagy per se.
Gö6983 attenuates breast cancer‐induced osteolysis by the apoptotic pathway
Authors: Luan Zhiwei , Li Jia , Huang Xing , Feng Wenyu , Ma Shiting , Song Fengyang , Wu Zhengyuan , Zhang Xiaohan , Wei Linfeng , Yang Zhenyi , Yao Jun
Published: December 2019

Bone metastasis caused by breast cancer leads to significant complications in treatment, and the resulting osteolysis considerably affects patients’ overall survival and quality of life. Gö6983 is a broad spectrum protein kinase C inhibitor. In this study, based on our finding that the Gö6983 inhibits osteolysis, we applied Gö6983 to the MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer‐induced mouse bone metastasis model. And we found that Gö6983 has a strong inhibitory effect on the tumorigenic model of breast cancer by promoting the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Our study, therefore, demonstrates that Gö6983 has a potential inhibitory effect on breast cancer‐induced osteoclast activation and provides mechanistic insight that may prove useful for designing future treatments.
Influencing the Self‐Sorting Behavior of [2.2]Paracyclophane‐Based Ligands by Introducing Isostructural Binding Motifs
Authors: Volbach Lucia , Struch Niklas , Bohle Fabian , Topić Filip , Schnakenburg Gregor , Schneider Andreas , Rissanen Kari , Grimme Stefan , Lützen Arne
Published: December 2019

Two isostructural ligands with either nitrile (Lnit) or isonitrile (Liso) moieties directly connected to a [2.2]paracyclophane backbone with pseudo‐meta substitution pattern have been synthesized. The ligand itself (Lnit) or its precursors (Liso) were resolved by HPLC on a chiral stationary phase and the absolute configuration of the isolated enantiomers was assigned by XRD analysis and/or by comparison of quantum‐chemical simulated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Surprisingly, the resulting metallosupramolecular aggregates formed in solution upon coordination of [(dppp)Pd(OTf)2] differ in their composition: whereas Lnit forms dinuclear complexes, Liso exclusively forms trinuclear ones. Furthermore, they also differ in their chiral self‐sorting behavior as (rac)‐Liso undergoes exclusive social self‐sorting leading to a heterochiral assembly, whereas (rac)‐Liso shows a twofold preference for the formation of homochiral complexes in a narcissistic self‐sorting manner as proven by ESI mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Interestingly, upon crystallization, these discrete aggregates undergo structural transformation to coordination polymers, as evidenced by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction.
Defining the Scope of the Acid‐Catalyzed Glycosidation of Glycosyl Bromides
Authors: Singh Yashapal , Demchenko Alexei V.
Published: December 2019

Invited for the cover of this issue are Yashapal Singh and Alexei Demchenko from the University of Missouri‐St. Louis, USA. The image depicts the Koenigs and Knorr reaction, with the old car illustrating that the reaction is slow in the presence of silver(I) oxide, whereas the fast car shows that the reaction can be significantly accelerated by the addition of catalytic triflic acid. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.201904185.
One Guest or Two? A Crystallographic and Solution Study of Guest Binding in a Cubic Coordination Cage
Authors: Taylor Christopher G. P. , Argent Stephen P. , Ludden Michael D. , Piper Jerico R. , Mozaceanu Cristina , Barnett Sarah A. , Ward Michael D.
Published: December 2019

A crystallographic investigation of a series of host–guest complexes in which small‐molecule organic guests occupy the central cavity of an approximately cubic M8L12 coordination cage has revealed some unexpected behaviour. Whilst some guests form 1:1 H⋅G complexes as we have seen before, an extensive family of bicyclic guests—including some substituted coumarins and various saturated analogues—form 1:2 H⋅G2 complexes in the solid state, despite the fact that solution titrations are consistent with 1:1 complex formation, and the combined volume of the pair of guests significantly exceeds the Rebek 55±9 % packing for optimal guest binding, with packing coefficients of up to 87 %. Re‐examination of solution titration data for guest binding in two cases showed that, although conventional fluorescence titrations are consistent with 1:1 binding model, alternative forms of analysis—Job plot and an NMR titration—at higher concentrations do provide evidence for 1:2 H⋅G2 complex formation. The observation of guests binding in pairs in some cases opens new possibilities for altered reactivity of bound guests, and also highlights the recently articulated difficulties associated with determining stoichiometry of supramolecular complexes in solution.
Retinal morphology in Astyanax mexicanus during eye degeneration
Authors: Emam Amany , Yoffe Marina , Cardona Henry , Soares Daphne
Published: December 2019

The teleost Astyanax mexicanus is one species extant in two readily available forms. One that lives in Mexican rivers and various convergent forms that live in nearby caves. These fish are born with eyes but in the cavefish, they degenerate during development. It is known that the lens of cavefish undergoes apoptosis and that some cells in the neuroretina also die. It has not been described, however, if glia and various components of the neuroretina form before complete eye degeneration. Here we examined the development of the retina of the closest living ancestor that lives in the rivers and two independently adapted of cavefish. We report that although the neuroretina is smaller and more compact, it has all cell types and layers including amacrine cells and Müller glia. While various makers for photoreceptors are present in the cavefish inner segments, the outer segments of the photoreceptors in cavefish are missing from the earliest stages examined. This shows that the machinery for visual transducing discs might still be present but not organized in one part of the cell. It is interesting to note that the deficiencies in Astyanax cavefish resemble retinal diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa.
Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Weekly Versus Biweekly IgPro20 Dosing in Patients With Primary Immunodeficiency
Authors: Rojavin Mikhail A. , Chapdelaine Hugo , Tortorici Michael A. , Praus Michaela , Baheti Gautam , Zhang Ying , Hofmann Jutta , Labrosse Roxane , Dicaire Renée , Haddad Elie
Published: December 2019

Flexible dosing of IgPro20 (Hizentra®, CSL Behring, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania) maintains normal serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PID). Until now, clinical trials testing the pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics of serum IgG of weekly and biweekly subcutaneous IgG therapy were not published. This is the first study assessing PK characteristics following weekly and biweekly IgPro20 in patients with PID. The PK study was conducted in 2 parts: weekly dosing (12 weeks) and biweekly dosing (up to 12 months). Serum IgG concentration‐time data were analyzed using noncompartmental methods to generate PK parameters. Fifteen patients provided PK samples for both dosing regimens. For weekly and biweekly regimens, mean doses per infusion were 109 and 213 mg/kg, respectively, and median tmax was 2.0 and 3.02 days, respectively. The mean Ctrough values were similar in weekly and biweekly regimens (10.21 and 10.13 g/dL, respectively). The geometric mean ratios (GMRs) with 90% confidence intervals of biweekly to weekly Cmax and Ctrough were 1.10 (1.06–1.13) and 0.98 (0.95–1.01), respectively. The GMR of dAUC was 1.07 (1.03–1.10). This PK analysis demonstrated similar systemic IgG exposure after weekly and biweekly IgPro20 dosing with an equivalent monthly dose in patients with PID.
Falcon genomics in the context of conservation, speciation, and human culture
Authors: Wilcox Justin J. S. , Boissinot Stéphane , Idaghdour Youssef
Published: December 2019

Here, we review the diversity, evolutionary history, and genomics of falcons in the context of their conservation and interactions with humans, and provide a perspective on how new genomic approaches may be applied to expand our knowledge of these topics. For millennia, humans and falcons (genusFalco) have developed unique relationships through falconry, religious rituals, conservation efforts, and human lifestyle transitions. From an evolutionary perspective, falcons remain an enigma. Having experienced several recent radiations, they have reached an unparalleled and almost global distribution, with an intrageneric species richness that is roughly an order of magnitude higher than typical within their family (Falconidae) and across other birds (Phylum: Aves). This diversity has evolved in the context of unusual genomic architecture that includes unique chromosomal rearrangements, relatively low chromosome counts, extremely low microdeletion rates, and high levels of nuclear mitochondrial DNA segments (NUMTs). These genomic peculiarities combine with high levels of ecological and organismal diversity and a legacy of human interactions to make falcons obvious candidates for evolutionary studies, providing unique research opportunities in common topics, including chromosomal evolution, the mechanics of speciation, local adaptation, domestication, and urban adaptation.
Community‐based wildlife management area supports similar mammal species richness and densities compared to a national park
Authors: Kiffner Christian , Thomas Seth , Speaker Talia , O'Connor Victoria , Schwarz Paige , Kioko John , Kissui Bernard
Published: December 2019

Community‐based conservation models have been widely implemented across Africa to improve wildlife conservation and livelihoods of rural communities. In Tanzania, communities can set aside land and formally register it as Wildlife Management Area (WMA), which allows them to generate revenue via consumptive or nonconsumptive utilization of wildlife. The key, yet often untested, assumption of this model is that economic benefits accrued from wildlife motivate sustainable management of wildlife. To test the ecological effectiveness (here defined as persistence of wildlife populations) of Burunge Wildlife Management Area (BWMA), we employed a participatory monitoring approach involving WMA personnel. At intermittent intervals between 2011 and 2018, we estimated mammal species richness and population densities of ten mammal species (African elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, waterbuck, warthog, impala, Kirk's dik‐dik, and vervet monkey) along line transects. We compared mammal species accumulation curves and density estimates with those of time‐matched road transect surveys conducted in adjacent Tarangire National Park (TNP). Mammal species richness estimates were similar in both areas, yet observed species richness per transect was greater in TNP compared to BWMA. Species‐specific density estimates of time‐matched surveys were mostly not significantly different between BWMA and TNP, but elephants occasionally reached greater densities in TNP compared to BWMA. In BWMA, elephant, wildebeest, and impala populations showed significant increases from 2011 to 2018. These results suggest that community‐based conservation models can support mammal communities and densities that are similar to national park baselines. In light of the ecological success of this case study, we emphasize the need for continued efforts to ensure that the BWMA is effective. This will require adaptive management to counteract potential negative repercussions of wildlife populations on peoples' livelihoods. This study can be used as a model to evaluate the effectiveness of wildlife management areas across Tanzania.
Time since fire and prior fire interval shape woody debris dynamics in obligate‐seeder woodlands
Authors: Gosper Carl R. , Yates Colin J. , Fox Elizabeth , Prober Suzanne M.
Published: December 2019

Woody debris plays an important role in many ecosystem functions, including nutrient and carbon cycling, providing substrates for plant recruitment and habitat for fauna. Fires can affect woody debris stocks, through generating new pieces by killing or severing plant parts and consuming pre‐existing woody debris. We develop a model of woody debris dynamics with variation in time since fire and prior fire interval applicable to obligate‐seeder forests and woodlands, considering down woody debris and standing dead trees as discrete components. We then test predictions of change in woody debris derived from this model in Eucalyptus salubris woodlands in South‐Western Australia, using a multi‐century chronosequence with recent fires varying between having short (<50 yr since the previous fire) or long (>50 yr, but often much longer) prior intervals. As per our woody debris dynamics model, most attributes measured were affected by time since fire, prior fire interval, or their interaction. Woody debris biomass was greatest shortly after fire, reflecting high quantities of standing dead trees resulting from stand‐replacement disturbance. Standing dead tree density and biomass then declined with increasing time since fire, but individual dead tree size was high beyond 200 yr since fire. Down woody debris biomass remained relatively stable with time since fire, but piece size increased. Dimensions of woody debris were strongly influenced by prior fire interval, with long prior intervals resulting in pieces at least twice the size than those occurring after short prior intervals. Fire management to maximize the availability of large woody debris pieces for fauna should aim to minimize short fire intervals, while from a carbon management perspective, all fires in obligate‐seeder forests and woodlands set in train large and prolonged emissions of carbon.
Dietary shifts across biogeographic scales alter spatial subsidy dynamics
Authors: Ziegler Shelby L. , Able Kenneth W. , Fodrie F. Joel
Published: December 2019

Over heterogeneous landscapes, organisms and energy move across ecological boundaries and this can have profound effects on overall ecosystem functioning. Both abiotic and biotic factors along habitat boundaries may facilitate or impede key species interactions that drive these energy flows—especially along the land–sea interface. We synthesized the literature detailing estuarine fish diets and habitat characteristics of salt marshes from U.S. East and Gulf coasts to determine patterns and drivers of cross‐boundary trophic transfers at the land–sea interface. Notably, marsh‐platform species (i.e., killifishes, fiddler crabs) appear virtually absent in the diets of transient estuarine fishes in the Gulf of Mexico, while along the South Atlantic and Mid‐Atlantic Bights, marsh‐platform species appear regularly in the diets of many transient estuarine fishes. Tidal amplitude varied across these three biogeographic regions and likely regulates the availability of marsh‐platform species to transient estuarine fishes via both access to the marsh surface for marine predators and emergence of marsh‐resident prey into the adjacent estuary (i.e., higher tidal amplitude increases predator–prey encounter rates). Surprisingly, marsh shoot density was positively correlated with the presence of marsh‐platform species in the diet, but this pattern appears to be mediated by increased tidal amplitude, suggesting the mode and periodicity of abiotic cycles drive diet structure of transient estuarine fishes more so than local habitat structural complexity. Subsequently, these processes likely influence the degree to which “trophic relay” moves energy from the marsh toward the open estuary. Understanding the dynamics that determine energy flows, spatial subsidies, and ultimately, ecosystem‐level productivity, is essential for implementation of holistic ecosystem‐based approaches to conserve and manage complex landscape mosaics.
A microhap panel for kinship analysis through massively parallel sequencing technology
Authors: Qu Ning , Lin Shaobin , Gao Yu , Liang Hao , Zhao Hu , Ou Xueling
Published: December 2019

It is widely recognized that microhaps are powerful markers for different forensic purposes, mainly due to their advantages of both short tandem repeats and single nucleotide polymorphisms, including multiple alleles, low mutation rate, and absence of stutter peaks. In the present study, a panel of 60 microhap loci was developed and utilized in forensic kinship analysis as a preliminary study. Genotyping of microhap was performed by massively parallel sequencing and haplotypes were directly achieved from sequence reads of 73 samples from Chinese Han population. We observed that 49 out of 60 loci have effective number of alleles greater than 3.0 and 10 out of 60 have values above 4.0, with an average value of 3.5598. The heterozygosity values were in a range from 0.5840 to 0.8546 with an average of 0.7268 and the cumulative power of exclusion value of the 60 loci is equal to 1–4.78 × 10−18. Moreover, we demonstrated the applicability of this method by different relationship inference problems, including identification of single parent‐offspring, full‐sibling, and second‐degree relative. The results indicated that the assembled microhap panel provided more power for relationship inference, than commonly used short tandem repeats or single nucleotide polymorphism system.
Energy, exergy, and exergo‐economic analysis of a novel combined power system using the cold energy of liquified natural gas (LNG)
Authors: Ozen Dilek Nur , Uçar İbrahim
Published: December 2019

This study proposed a novel combined power system that uses the cold energy of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the BOTAŞ LNG receiving terminal located in Marmara Eregli in Turkey. In the proposed system, the main cycle was a Brayton cycle (BC), while the subcycles consisted of a supercritical CO2 cycle (S‐CO2) and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC). The combined power system was analyzed based on energy, exergy, and exergo‐economic. The effects of the determined decision variables (Compressor‐II input temperature, Compressor‐I‐II and Turbine‐I‐III isentropic efficiencies, CO2 cycle pressure rate, Turbine‐III input pressure, ORC pressure rate, and propane mass flow rate) on the exergo‐economic performance of the system were discussed, and the optimal points of the system were found. The base state of the system that had operational conditions and assumed design inputs was compared to the working conditions that were determined as a result of optimization, and a cost reduction of 67% was calculated.
Joint uplink and downlink delay‐aware resource allocation in C‐RAN
Authors: Tohidi Masumehsadat , Bakhshi Hamidreza , Parsaeefard Saeedeh
Published: December 2019

This work considers two‐way communication between each pair of users with highly delay‐aware applications. We formulate a joint uplink and downlink resource allocation problem in a cloud radio access network. Assuming average end‐to‐end (E2E) delay of each user pair and practical limitation such as maximum transmit power, we maximize the total throughput of all pair of users in the cloud radio access network. In this setup, we consider that each user can be connected to at most one remote radio head and a limited capacity fronthaul link between each remote radio head and baseband unit. To present the resource allocation problem in a more tractable manner, we replace the E2E delay limitation with its equivalent throughput‐based formulation. Due to inherent NP‐hard and nonconvex nature of the proposed problem, we apply successive convex approximation to reach a two‐step iterative algorithm where, in each step, a specific set of optimization variable derived while other variables are fixed. The problem of each step is transformed into the standard geometric programming via the arithmetic‐geometric mean approximation. Simulation results reveal that our proposed joint uplink‐downlink resource allocation algorithm outperforms a case that uplink and downlink resources are allocated separately in terms of total throughput and outage probability of E2E delay, ie, a chance that E2E delay does not hold.
Performance estimation of multicarrier CDMA using adaptive brain storm optimization for 5G communication system in frequency selective fading channel
Authors: Kumar T. Dinesh , Venkatesan P.
Published: December 2019

Multicarrier code‐division multiple access (MC‐CDMA) is an efficient method for high‐speed data transmission. MC‐CDMA systems are mostly affected with high peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR) and this may reduce the spectral efficiency of the system. This paper presented the PAPR reduction of a MC‐CDMA using partial transmit sequence (PTS) method via whale optimization algorithm (WOA) and modified brain storm optimization (MBSO). For quadrature phase‐shift keying (QPSK) modulation, our proposed method uses pseudorandom sequence (PRS) at dissimilar amount of active users. MBSO algorithm optimizes time delay and carrier frequency offset (CFO), and thus, we can minimizes the intercarrier interference from the carrier signal. Thus, we can achieve high‐speed data transmission in MC‐CDMA with PTS system. The results show that 64‐bit QPSK has superior performances in case of bit error rate, PAPR, spectral efficiency, maximum likelihood sequence estimation, normalized mean square error, minimum mean square error, CFO, and mean square error. Hence, the performance variations for the abovementioned parameters are 60%, 23%, 12%, 15%, 40%, 5%, 14%, and 3%, respectively. These all the outcomes are taken for dissimilar modulation and the different channels.
The intertwining of credit and banking fragility
Authors: Creel Jérôme , Hubert Paul , Labondance Fabien
Published: December 2019

Although the literature has provided evidence of the predictive power of credit for financial and banking crises, this article aims to investigate the grounds of this link by assessing the interrelationships between credit and banking fragility. The main identification assumption represents credit and banking fragility as a system of simultaneous joint data generating processes whose error terms are correlated. We test the null hypotheses that credit positively affects banking fragility—a vulnerability effect—and that banking fragility has a negative effect on credit—a trauma effect. We use seemingly unrelated regressions and 3SLS on a panel of European Union (EU) countries from 1998 to 2012 and control for the financial and macroeconomic environment. We find a positive effect of credit on banking fragility in the EU as a whole, in the Eurozone, in the core of the EU but not at its periphery, and a negative effect of banking fragility on credit in all samples.
Network‐based early warning system to predict financial crisis
Authors: Dastkhan Hossein
Published: December 2019

In recent years, early warning systems have been developed as a significant tool to prevent financial and economic crises. In this paper, we applied the forward‐looking conditional value at risk (COVaR) as a market‐based systemic risk measure to analyse the systemic risk in an emerging market. A network representation of asset exposures is presented based on the values of ΔCoVaR. According to the exposure networks, two new network‐based indices are introduced. Furthermore, regarding the dependence of the new indices on the values of forward‐looking CoVaR, they are applied as the indicators for the proposed early warning system to predict downturns and crises in the level of firms and the whole market. The results of the early warning system for the market return show that the indicators based on both proposed models have a good ability to predict the crises in the market. In other words, the indicators issued a warning signal up to seven periods before the real crisis in the market. Similarly, the results of the early warning system to predict downturns at the level of firms also indicate the ability of indicators to issue the true warning signals. The results of the proposed system can help policymakers and authorities to determine the appropriate microprudential and macroprudential policies to avoid systemic risks.
Readiness of emergency obstetric and newborn care in public health facilities in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2016
Authors: Ansari Nasratullah , Tappis Hannah , Manalai Partamin , Anwari Zelaikha , Kim Young Mi , van Roosmalen Jos J.M. , Stekelenburg Jelle
Published: December 2019

Objective

To assess changes in readiness to provide emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) in health facilities in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2016.

Methods

A secondary analysis was performed of a subset of data from cross‐sectional health facility assessments conducted in December 2009 to February 2010 and May 2016 to January 2017. Interviews with health providers, facility inventory, and record review were conducted in both assessments. Descriptive statistics and χ2 tests were used to compare readiness of EmONC at 59 public health facilities expected to provide comprehensive EmONC.

Results

The proportion of facilities reporting provision of uterotonic drugs, anticonvulsants, parenteral antibiotics, newborn resuscitation, and cesarean delivery did not change significantly between 2010 and 2016. Provision of assisted vaginal deliveries increased from 78% in 2010 to 98% in 2016 (P<0.001). Fewer health facilities had amoxicillin (61% in 2016 vs 90% in 2010; P<0.001) and gentamicin (74% in 2016 vs 95% in 2010; P<0.002). The number of facilities with at least one midwife on duty 24 hours a day/7 days a week significantly declined (88% in 2016 vs 98% in 2010; P=0.028).

Conclusion

Despite a few positive changes, readiness of EmONC services in Afghanistan in 2016 had declined from 2010 levels.
Tri‐component coupling transesterification for efficient no‐glycerol biodiesel production using methyl acetate as methyl reagent
Authors: Tang Ying , Liu Huan , Li Zhaoyi , Meng Mei , Zhang Jie
Published: December 2019

BACKGROUND

Conventional transesterification of vegetable oil with methanol for biodiesel production leads to the separation of glycerol and relatively low reaction efficiency. Methyl acetate is a more common solvent being less toxic and less soluble in water. In the presence of bases the transesterification of methyl acetate with glycerol can easily proceed at refluxing temperature.

RESULTS

A yield of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) of 98.0% can be obtained with oil/methyl acetate/methanol molar ratio of 1:1:8 and 10% dosage of KCl/CaO at 65 °C after reaction for 1 h. Furthermore, results of water resistance experiments indicated that trace water gave a promoting effect on FAME yield. Recycling experiments were conducted for four cycles and a greater than 90% yield of FAME indicated the high stability of KCl/CaO.

CONCLUSIONS

Efficient biodiesel production with no glycerol byproduct has been developed using a tri‐component (canola oil, methyl acetate and methanol) coupling chemical reaction with calcium oxide‐supported chloride as catalyst. Various characterization techniques revealed that the unique catalytic activity of KCl/CaO was related to its high degree of crystallinity, relatively high surface basicity and large pore size. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Impact of opioid use on patients undergoing screening colonoscopy according to the quality of bowel preparation
Authors: Lamerato Lois , Wittbrodt Eric , Kaur Manpreet , Datto Catherine , Singla Sumit
Published: December 2019

Aims

Constipation associated with opioid therapy for chronic pain may negatively impact colonoscopy success. This retrospective, observational study using administrative data and electronic medical records evaluated the impact of opioid use on colonoscopy outcomes.

Methods and Results

Procedural codes were used to identify patients who had a screening colonoscopy at two Henry Ford Health System centers (January 2015–December 2016). All patients had completed a standard uniform bowel preparation protocol. Medication orders and filled prescriptions were used to identify patients with a history of opioid use during the 28 days preprocedure (exposed) and a matched random sample of presumptive opioid nonusers (unexposed). Electronic medical records were reviewed for colonoscopy procedure data and outcomes.

The exposed and unexposed groups included 964 and 1054 patients, respectively. Inadequate bowel preparation was significantly more common in the exposed versus unexposed group (18.5% vs 12.7%; P < 0.001). In the exposed and unexposed groups, 97.1 and 98.0% of colonoscopy procedures were completed, respectively (P = nonsignificant). Total procedure time was slightly increased for the exposed versus unexposed group (23.8 vs 22.5 min; P = 0.039). Polyp identification and cancer diagnosis were similar between groups. Prolonged sedation occurred in three patients in the exposed group and none in the unexposed group. Procedural complications were rare, but the incidence was significantly greater in the exposed versus unexposed group (1.3% vs 0.2%; P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Opioid exposure was associated with significant reductions in the quality of preprocedure bowel preparation and an increased risk of complications in patients undergoing colonoscopy.
Synthesis of furo[3,2‐g]chromones under microwave irradiation and their antitumor activity evaluation
Authors: Abu‐Bakr Sherifa M. , Khidre Maha D. , Omar Mohamed A. , Swelam Samira A. , Awad Hanem M.
Published: December 2019

A series of furo[3,2‐g]chromone derivatives were synthesized via the reaction of furochromone carbaldehyde 1 with amines 3a‐d and thioglycolic acid to give thiazolidinones 4a‐d. The later react with benzaldehyde/thiourea or hydroxylamine and DMF‐DMA in glacial acetic acid to give thiazolopyrimidines 5a‐d or thiazoloisoxazoles 6a‐d, respectively. Also, the synthesis of α‐aminophosphonates via the one‐pot reaction of 1 and amines 3a,b were trapped by dialkylphosphites 7a‐c afforded the corresponding α‐aminophosphonates 8a‐f. Applying hexaalkyltriamidophosphites 9a,b to 1 gives alkylidenephosphorane ylides 11a,b in an open structure form. In the present investigation, the in vitro inhibition capacity of compounds (4a, 4c, 5b, 5c, 6b‐d, 8a‐f, and 11a) was screened in three human cancer cell lines HCT‐116, MCF‐7, and HepG2. The anticancer activity results revealed that 8b and 8e had more potent cytotoxic inhibition activity against HCT‐116 cell line; however, all the tested compounds had obviously less cytotoxic activity against MCF‐7 cell line, while 5b, 5c, and 6d were potent against HepG2 cell line compared with that of doxorubicin.
Design, synthesis, antimicrobial evaluation, and molecular docking studies of novel symmetrical 2,5‐difunctionalized 1,3,4‐oxadiazoles
Authors: Hkiri Shaima , Hafidh Afifa , Cavalier Jean‐François , Touil Soufiane , Samarat Ali
Published: December 2019

A series of novel symmetrical 2,5‐difunctionalized 1,3,4‐oxadiazole derivatives of pharmacological significance have been synthesized. The obtained compounds were screened for their in vitro antimicrobial activities against Gram‐negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium) and Gram‐positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium, and Streptococcus agalactiae or group B Streptococcus), as well as against the fungus Candida albicans. Although the synthesized compounds showed moderate antifungal activity against C albicans, they exhibited good‐to‐excellent antibacterial activities against several strains, than did standard drugs ampicillin and nystatin. In silico molecular docking in FabI enzyme active site gave information regarding the binding mode of the drug candidate at the molecular level.
Fabrication and investigation of gold (III) ion‐imprinted functionalized silica particles
Authors: Alotaibi Majdah R. , Monier Mohammed , Elsayed NadiaH.
Published: December 2019

Au (III) ion‐imprinted mesoporous silica particles (Au‐Si‐Py) was manufactured by the condensation reaction of (3‐Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (AT)and 2‐pyridinecarboxaldehyde (Py). The obtained AT‐Py Schiff base ligand was then coordinate with the template gold ions and the polymerizable gold‐complex was allowed to gel in presence of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and then the coordinated gold ions were leached out of the obtained silica matrix using acidified thiourea solution. During the synthetic steps, the obtained materials were investigated utilizing advanced instrumental and spectral methods. Moreover, the morphological structure of both Au (III) ions imprinted Au‐Si‐Py and non‐imprinted NI‐Si‐Py silica particles were visualized using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Various adsorption experiments had been carried out using both Au‐Si‐Py and NI‐Si‐Py to examine their potential for selective extraction of gold ions under different conditions
Spatiotemporal distributions of cloud radiative forcing and response to cloud parameters over the Mongolian Plateau during 2003–2017
Authors: Bao Shanhu , Letu Husi , Zhao Jun , Lei Yonghui , Zhao Chuanfeng , Li Jiming , Tana Gegen , Liu Chao , Guo Enliang , Zhang Jie , He Jie , Bao Yuhai
Published: December 2019

The Mongolian Plateau (MP) is among the most sensitive areas to global climate change, and the clouds over the MP have a greater impact on regional and global radiation budgets by altering the atmospheric and surface radiative forcing. In this study, daily Cloud and Earth Radiation Energy System data are used to investigate spatiotemporal variation of cloud radiative forcing (CRF) at the top of atmosphere (TOA), surface and atmosphere over the MP from 2003 to 2017 and then combined with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer level 2 atmospheric data during the same period to analyse the cloud parameter impacts on CRF over the MP. At the TOA and surface, net radiative forcing (NRF) and shortwave radiative forcing (SRF) have cooling effects and longwave radiative forcing (LRF) have heating effects in all four seasons, and the NRF cooling effect in most areas of the MP decreases in summer and autumn and increases in spring and winter. In the atmosphere, SRF in spring and summer and NRF in summer reach larger values and heat the atmosphere, and LRF plays a strong cooling role in winter. The NRF change trend in the atmosphere over Mongolia is noteworthy in spring, its reduction slope is large, and most areas of Mongolia passed a significance test. As expected, a significant negative correlation was observed between cloud cover and NRF (as well as SRF) at the TOA and surface and a positive correlation was observed with NRF/SRF in the atmosphere and all LRF. With the increase in cloud optical thickness and cloud water path, the NRF and SRF cooling effects at the TOA and surface, the LRF cooling effect in the atmosphere, the LRF heating effect at the surface, and the SRF heating effect in the atmosphere all become stronger.
Evaluation of precipitation datasets against local observations in southwestern Iran
Authors: Fallah Ali , Rakhshandehroo Gholam Reza , Berg Peter , O Sungmin , Orth Rene
Published: December 2019

This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of a great variety of state‐of‐the‐art precipitation datasets against gauge observations over the Karun basin in southwestern Iran. In particular, we consider (a) gauge‐interpolated datasets (GPCCv8, CRU TS4.01, PREC/L, and CPC‐Unified), (b) multi‐source products (PERSIANN‐CDR, CHIRPS2.0, MSWEP V2, HydroGFD2.0, and SM2RAIN‐CCI), and (c) reanalyses (ERA‐Interim, ERA5, CFSR, and JRA‐55). The spatiotemporal performance of each product is evaluated against monthly precipitation observations from 155 gauges distributed across the basin during the period 2000–2015. This way, we find that overall the GPCCv8 dataset agrees best with the measurements. Most datasets show significant underestimations, which are largest for the interpolated datasets. These underestimations are usually smallest at low altitudes and increase towards more mountainous areas, although there is large spread across the products. Interestingly, no overall performance difference can be found between precipitation datasets for which gauge observations from Karun basin were used, versus products that were derived without these measurements, except in the case of GPCCv8. In general, our findings highlight remarkable differences between state‐of‐the‐art precipitation products over regions with comparatively sparse gauge density, such as Iran. Revealing the best‐performing datasets and their remaining weaknesses, we provide guidance for monitoring and modelling applications which rely on high‐quality precipitation input.
Numerical approximation of a nonisothermal two‐dimensional general rate model of reactive liquid chromatography
Authors: Uche Ugochukwu David , Qamar Shamsul , Seidel‐Morgenstern Andreas
Published: December 2019

A nonlinear and nonisothermal two‐dimensional general rate model is formulated and approximated numerically to allow quantitatively analyzing the effects of temperature variations on the separations and reactions in liquid chromatographic reactors of cylindrical geometry. The model equations form a nonlinear system of convection‐diffusion‐reaction partial differential equations coupled with algebraic equations for isotherms and reactions. A semidiscrete high‐resolution finite volume method is modified to approximate the system of partial differential equations. The coupling between the thermal waves and concentration fronts is demonstrated through numerical simulations, and important parameters are pointed out that influence the reactor performance. To evaluate the precision of the model predictions, consistency checks are successfully carried out proving the accuracy of the predictions. The results allow to quantify the influence of thermal effects on the performance of the fixed beds for different typical values of enthalpies of adsorption and reaction and axial and radial Peclet numbers for mass and heat transfer. Furthermore, they provide useful insight into the sensitivity of nonisothermal chromatographic reactor operation.
Simulation of nonlinear fractional dynamics arising in the modeling of cognitive decision making using a new fractional neural network
Authors: Hadian Rasanan Amir Hosein , Bajalan Nastaran , Parand Kourosh , Rad Jamal Amani
Published: December 2019

By the rapid growth of available data, providing data‐driven solutions for nonlinear (fractional) dynamical systems becomes more important than before. In this paper, a new fractional neural network model that uses fractional order of Jacobi functions as its activation functions for one of the hidden layers is proposed to approximate the solution of fractional differential equations and fractional partial differential equations arising from mathematical modeling of cognitive‐decision‐making processes and several other scientific subjects. This neural network uses roots of Jacobi polynomials as the training dataset, and the Levenberg‐Marquardt algorithm is chosen as the optimizer. The linear and nonlinear fractional dynamics are considered as test examples showing the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed neural network. The numerical results are compared with the obtained results of some other networks and numerical approaches such as meshless methods. Numerical experiments are presented confirming that the proposed model is accurate, fast, and feasible.