bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved inference for fixed‐effects meta‐analysis of 2 × 2 tables
Authors: Qijun Li Kendrick , Rice Kenneth
Published: February 2020

Meta‐analysis of 2 × 2 tables is common and useful in research topics including analysis of adverse events and survey research data. Fixed‐effects inference typically centers on measures of association such as the Cochran‐Mantel‐Haenszel statistic or Woolf's estimator, but relies on assuming exact homogeneity across studies, which is often unrealistic. By showing that estimators of several widely‐used methods have meaningful estimands even in the presence of heterogeneity, we derive improved confidence intervals for them under heterogeneity. These improvements over current methods are illustrated by simulation, and we also study which factors affect the coverage levels. We find that our confidence intervals provide coverage closer to the nominal level when heterogeneity is present, in both small and large‐sample settings. The conventional confidence intervals derived under homogeneity are often conservative, though anti‐conservative inferences occur in some scenarios. We also apply the proposed methods to a meta‐analysis of 19 randomized clinical trials on the effect of sclerotherapy in preventing first bleeding for patients with cirrhosis and esophagogastric varices. Our methods provide a more interpretable approach to meta‐analyzing binary data and more accuracy in characterizing the uncertainty of the estimators.
Kinetic study of the nitric oxide oxidation between 288 and 323 K, under pressure, focus on the oxygen influence on the reaction rate constant
Authors: Neyrolles Esther , Lara Cruz José , Bassil Georgio , Contamine François , Cezac Pierre , Arpentinier Philippe
Published: February 2020

The sequestration of carbon dioxide fumes from oxyfuel combustion is used to reduce significantly the carbon dioxide emissions from coal‐fired power plants. Impurities like nitric oxide, present in the fumes, can cause technical difficulties during the capture, the treatment, the transport, and the storage steps of the CO2 fumes. The purpose of this study is to better understand the oxidation of nitric oxide under pressure in the presence of carbon dioxide and in the experimental condition of flue gas treatment. This reaction is known to be a third‐order reaction, two order in nitric oxide and first order in oxygen. To examine the effect of the temperature, the pressure and the volume fraction of oxygen on the rate constant of oxidation, k1, an autoclave is used. The first experiment studies the influence of the temperature between 288 and 323 K. The results found are in the form of an Arrhenius‐type equation: k1 = 810 exp(620/T) and are in agreement with the literature. Carbon dioxide does not seem to have an influence on the rate constant, whereas our experimental measurements indicate an influence of the volume fraction of oxygen. The rate constant decreases when the oxygen volume fraction increases by up to 10%. Then the rate constant remains constant. This observation allows us to conclude that the mechanism involving the mechanism with a dimer of NO as an intermediate is more likely to be the mechanism involved in the nitric oxide oxidation in our experimental conditions: high pressure and ambient temperature. The rate constant k2, k–2, and k3 were also estimated in these conditions.
Energy‐based top‐down and bottom‐up relationships between fish community energy demand or production and phytoplankton across lakes at a continental scale
Authors: Bartrons Mireia , Mehner Thomas , Argillier Christine , Beklioglu Meryem , Blabolil Petr , Hesthagen Trygve , Holmgren Kerstin , Jeppesen Erik , Krause Teet , Podgornik Samo , Volta Pietro , Winfield Ian J. , Brucet Sandra
Published: February 2020

Fish community feeding and production rates may differ between lakes despite similar fish biomass levels because of differences in size structure and local temperature. Therefore, across‐lake comparisons of the strength and direction of top‐down and bottom‐up fish–phytoplankton relationships should consider these factors. We used the metabolic theory of ecology to calculate size‐ and temperature‐corrected community energy demand (CEDom) and community production (CP) of omnivorous fishes in 227 European lakes from major habitat types (MHTs) of polar freshwaters, temperate floodplain rivers and wetlands, and temperate coastal rivers. We related CEDom with total phosphorus (TP)‐corrected chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations to evaluate a potential top‐down directed trophic cascade from fish to phytoplankton. Furthermore, we related Chl a with CP to demonstrate potential bottom‐up effects of phytoplankton on fish. For both analyses, we added the CED of piscivorous fishes (CEDpi) as a predictor to account for potential predation effects on the omnivorous fish community. CEDom was weakly positively related with TP‐corrected Chl a, but the strength of the relationship differed between MHTs. In contrast, CP was consistently positively related with Chl a in the entire dataset. CEDpi did not contribute to top‐down or bottom‐up relationships. The application of metabolic variables characterizing fish community feeding and production rates makes these results robust because the approach accounted for the usually neglected effects of fish size and temperature in across‐lake comparisons. Our results suggest that bottom‐up effects from phytoplankton on fish secondary production in lakes are substantially stronger than top‐down effects from fish on phytoplankton biomass.
pH‐Sensitive Mechanical Properties of Elastin‐Based Hydrogels
Authors: Hollingshead Sydney , Liu Julie C.
Published: February 2020

Ionizable amino acids in protein‐based hydrogels can confer pH‐responsive behavior. Because elastin‐like polypeptides (ELPs) have an established sequence and can crosslink to form hydrogels, they are an ideal system for creating pH‐sensitive materials. This study examines different parameters that might affect pH‐sensitive behavior and characterizes the mechanical and physical properties between pH 3 and 11 of three ELP‐based crosslinked hydrogels. The first finding is that varying the amount of crosslinker affects the overall stiffness and resilience of the hydrogels but does not strongly affect water content, swelling ratio, or pH sensitivity. Second, the choice of two popular tag sequences, which vary in histidine and aspartic acid content, does not have a strong effect on pH‐sensitive properties. Last, selectively blocking lysine and tyrosine residues through acetylation significantly decreases the pH‐sensitive zeta potential. Acetylated hydrogels also demonstrate different behavior at low pH values with reduced swelling, reduced water content, and higher stiffness. Overall, this work demonstrates that ELP hydrogels with ionizable groups are promising materials for environmentally‐responsive applications such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, and microfluidics.
Nanoparticles Based on Hydrophobic Polysaccharide Derivatives—Formation Principles, Characterization Techniques, and Biomedical Applications
Authors: Gericke Martin , Schulze Peter , Heinze Thomas
Published: February 2020

Polysaccharide (PS) nanoparticles (NP) are fascinating materials that combine huge application potential with the unique beneficial features of natural biopolymers. Different types of PS‐NP can be distinguished depending on the basic preparation principles (top‐down vs bottom‐up vs coating of nanomaterials) and the material from which they are obtained (native PS vs chemically modified PS derivatives vs nanocomposites). This review provides a comprehensive overview of an approach towards PS‐NP that has gained rapidly increasing interest within the last decade; the nanoself‐assembling of hydrophobic PS derivatives. This facile process is easy to perform and offers a broad structural diversity in terms of the PS backbone and the additional functionalities that can be introduced. Fundamental principles of different NP preparation techniques along with useful characterization methods are presented in this work. A comprehensive summary of PS‐NP prepared by different techniques and with various PS backbones and types/amounts of hydrophobic substituents is given. The intention is to demonstrate how different parameters determine the size, size distribution, and zeta‐potential of the particles. Moreover, application trends in biomedical areas are highlighted in which tailored functional PS‐NP are evaluated and constantly developed further.
Numerical evaluation of the capacity of galvanic anode systems for patch repair of reinforced concrete structures
Authors: Helm Christian , Raupach Michael
Published: February 2020

Cathodic protection (CP) is an electrochemical repair or corrosion prevention technique for steel structures exposed to a corrosive environment. For reinforced concrete (RC) usually impressed current CP is used, due to the comparably high resistivity of the concrete, serving as electrolyte. Nevertheless, the market provides a wide range of galvanic anode systems for RC structures. Their most common use is the application within the framework of partial concrete replacement due to chloride‐induced corrosion. This patch repair is often accompanied by the so‐called anode ring effect, causing accelerated corrosion of the rebar in the substrate concrete in the vicinity of repair patches. This is caused by the cathodic capabilities of the repassivated rebar. Galvanic anodes are reported to prevent this effect. In this paper, a numerical model is proposed, which is capable of determining the effectiveness of the method dependent on, for example, the type and quantity of anodes, rebar content, and geometry or climatic conditions. The method is presented for a specific set of input parameters and the applicability is discussed against the background of different protection criteria.
Solid Polymer Electrolytes Based on Copolymers of Cyclic Carbonate Acrylate and n‐Butylacrylate
Authors: Boujioui Fadoi , Damerow Helen , Zhuge Flanco , Gohy Jean‐François
Published: February 2020

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are prepared by mixing poly(2‐oxo‐1,3‐dioxolan‐4‐yl)methyl acrylate‐random‐n‐butylacrylate) [P(cyCA‐r‐nBA)] statistical copolymers with bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt. The P(cyCA‐r‐nBA) copolymers are synthesized by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and different molar masses as well as copolymer composition are targeted in order to study the influence of the molecular parameters on the thermal, mechanical, and electrochemical properties of the SPEs obtained after mixing the copolymers with lithium salts. In the investigated experimental window, it is shown that the thermal and mechanical properties of the SPEs mainly depend on the composition of the copolymer and are poorly influenced by the molar mass. In sharp contrast, the ionic conductivities are more deeply influenced by the molar mass than by the composition of the copolymers. In this respect ionic conductivity values ranging from 4.2 × 10−6 S cm−1 for the lower molar mass sample to 8 × 10−8 S cm−1 for the higher molar mass one are measured at room temperature for the investigated SPEs.
Synthesis of Hyperbranched Polymers via Metal‐Free ATRP in Solution and Microemulsion
Authors: Cuneo Timothy , Wang Xiaofeng , Shi Yi , Gao Haifeng
Published: February 2020

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), as one of the most successful controlled radical polymerization techniques, has been broadly used by polymer chemists and nonspecialists for synthesis of various functional materials, although the use of copper as traditional catalyst often results in undesired color or properties. The first homopolymerization of an initiable monomer, that is, inimer, is reported via metal‐free ATRP using 10‐phenylphenothiazine (Ph‐PTH) as photocatalyst in both solution and microemulsion media. Although polymerizations of inimers in both media can be carried out, only the microemulsion polymerization of methacrylate‐based inimer 1 effectively confines the random bimolecular reaction within each segregated latex and produces hyperbranched polymers with high molecular weight and low polydispersity. Several experimental parameters in the microemulsion polymerization of inimer 1 are subsequently studied, including the Ph‐PTH amount, the solids content of microemulsion, and the light source of irradiation. The results not only provide an effective method to tune the structure and molecular weights of hyperbranched polymers in confined‐space polymerization, but also expand the toolbox of using metal‐free ATRP method for synthesizing highly branched polymers in controlled manner.
Highly Stretchable and Sensitive SBS/Graphene Composite Fiber for Strain Sensors
Authors: Li Wenyue , Zhou Yanfen , Wang Yuhao , Li Ying , Jiang Liang , Ma Jianwei , Chen Shaojuan
Published: February 2020

Flexible strain sensors have attracted tremendous interests due to the emergence of intelligent wearable technology. Electrically conductive fibers are desirable candidates for flexible strain sensors, but up til now, there still exist enormous challenges to obtain conductive fibers exhibiting simultaneously high stretchability and high strain sensitivity. This paper introduces a poly (styrene‐butadiene‐styrene) (SBS)/graphene (Gr) composite fiber‐based flexible strain sensor fabricated by a facile and highly scalable wet spinning method. The results demonstrate that the graphene content has significant influence on the morphology, mechanical properties, and electromechanical properties of the composite fibers. The fibers with 5 wt% graphene have a wide response range of up to 100% strain, a high electrical sensitivity with the gauge factor of 10083.98 at 100% strain, and meanwhile, a high level of stability for 2100 stretching–releasing cycles under an applied strain of 20%. Furthermore, the SBS‐5%Gr composite fibers display excellent sensing performance in detecting human upper limb movements at different joints including hand joints, wrist joints, elbow joints, and shoulder joints.
Randomized, Controlled Trial of Exercise on Objective and Subjective Sleep in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Amara Amy W. , Wood Kimberly H. , Joop Allen , Memon Raima A. , Pilkington Jennifer , Tuggle S. Craig , Reams John , Barrett Matthew J. , Edwards David A. , Weltman Arthur L. , Hurt Christopher P. , Cutter Gary , Bamman Marcas M.
Published: February 2020

Background

Sleep dysfunction is common and disabling in persons with Parkinson's Disease (PD). Exercise improves motor symptoms and subjective sleep quality in PD, but there are no published studies evaluating the impact of exercise on objective sleep outcomes. The goal of this study was to to determine if high‐intensity exercise rehabilitation combining resistance training and body‐weight interval training, compared with a sleep hygiene control improved objective sleep outcomes in PD.

Methods

Persons with PD (Hoehn & Yahr stages 2–3; aged ≥45 years, not in a regular exercise program) were randomized to exercise (supervised 3 times a week for 16 weeks; n = 27) or a sleep hygiene, no‐exercise control (in‐person discussion and monthly phone calls; n = 28). Participants underwent polysomnography at baseline and post‐intervention. Change in sleep efficiency was the primary outcome, measured from baseline to post‐intervention. Intervention effects were evaluated with general linear models with measurement of group × time interaction. As secondary outcomes, we evaluated changes in other aspects of sleep architecture and compared the effects of acute and chronic training on objective sleep outcomes.

Results

The exercise group showed significant improvement in sleep efficiency compared with the sleep hygiene group (group × time interaction: F = 16.0, P < 0.001, d = 1.08). Other parameters of sleep architecture also improved in exercise compared with sleep hygiene, including total sleep time, wake after sleep onset, and slow‐wave sleep. Chronic but not acute exercise improved sleep efficiency compared with baseline.

Conclusions

High‐intensity exercise rehabilitation improves objective sleep outcomes in PD. Exercise is an effective nonpharmacological intervention to improve this disabling nonmotor symptom in PD. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
A compact pattern diversity MIMO antenna with enhanced bandwidth and high‐isolation characteristics for WLAN/5G/WiFi applications
Authors: Yang Ming , Zhou Jinzhi
Published: February 2020

In this article, a novel multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna with compact structure and diverse radiation patterns is designed for a wireless communication device. Four monopole antenna elements are placed orthogonally at the corner of the substrate. A decoupling structure composed of a circular patch and 4 L‐shaped branches placed counterclockwise is printed on the upper surface of the substrate to reduce coupling between antenna elements. Due to the surface current on the circular parasitic patch, which was acquired by coupling with the monopole antenna, the MIMO antenna exhibits an omnidirectional radiation pattern at low frequencies and a directional radiation pattern at high frequencies. In order to verify the accuracy of theoretical analysis and simulated results, the proposed antenna with a compact size of 30 mm × 30 mm is fabricated and measured. The measured results show that the overlapping bandwidths (S11 ≤ −10 dB) are 28.8% from 4.58 to 6.12 GHz and over 4.02 dBi gain. Furthermore, the measured results of pattern diversity are basically consistent with the simulated results, and the measured isolation is up to 15.4 dB, which suggest that the presented antenna can be applied to WLAN/5G/WiFi wireless communication.
Nutrition in Chronic Liver Disease: A Point‐of‐Care Review
Authors: Ghufran Aiman
Published: February 2020

Patients with chronic liver disease have a very high lifetime risk of malnourishment. It has been increasingly identified in literature that the severity of liver disease affects severity of malnutrition and vice versa. The objective of this review article is to recognize the severity of complications associated with malnutrition in patients with cirrhosis and ways to overcome these obstacles.
MicroRNA Profiling in Adipose Before and After Weight Loss Highlights the Role of miR‐223‐3p and the NLRP3 Inflammasome
Authors: Macartney‐Coxson Donia , Danielson Kirsty , Clapham Jane , Benton Miles C. , Johnstone Alice , Jones Angela , Shaw Odette , Hagan Ronald D. , Hoffman Eric P. , Hayes Mark , Harper Jacquie , Langston Michael A. , Stubbs Richard S.
Published: February 2020

Objective

Adipose tissue plays a key role in obesity‐related metabolic dysfunction. MicroRNA (miRNA) are gene regulatory molecules involved in intercellular and inter‐organ communication. It was hypothesized that miRNA levels in adipose tissue would change after gastric bypass surgery and that this would provide insights into their role in obesity‐induced metabolic dysregulation.

Methods

miRNA profiling (Affymetrix GeneChip miRNA 2.0 Array) of omental and subcutaneous adipose (n = 15 females) before and after gastric bypass surgery was performed.

Results

One omental and thirteen subcutaneous adipose miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed after gastric bypass, including downregulation of miR‐223‐3p and its antisense relative miR‐223‐5p in both adipose tissues. mRNA levels of miR‐223‐3p targets NLRP3 and GLUT4 were decreased and increased, respectively, following gastric bypass in both adipose tissues. Significantly more NLRP3 protein was observed in omental adipose after gastric bypass (P = 0.02). Significant hypomethlyation of NLRP3 and hypermethylation of miR‐223 were observed in both adipose tissues after gastric bypass. In subcutaneous adipose, significant correlations were observed between both miR‐223‐3p and miR‐223‐5p and glucose and between NLRP3 mRNA and protein levels and blood lipids.

Conclusions

This is the first report detailing genome‐wide miRNA profiling of omental adipose before and after gastric bypass, and it further highlights the association of miR‐223‐3p and the NLRP3 inflammasome with obesity.
Peripheral ameloblastic carcinoma of the mandible: Report of two cases with different types
Authors: Sumita Yoshinori , I Takashi , Kawasaki Takako , Hara Masahito , Fujita Shuichi , Asahina Izumi
Published: February 2020

Peripheral ameloblastic carcinoma is a rare odontogenic tumor that is characterized by malignant cytological features in combination with histological features of ameloblastoma. In this report, two cases of peripheral ameloblastic carcinoma of different types arising at the mandibular gingiva are presented. Both patients had marginal resection after incisional biopsy and were diagnosed as ameloblastic carcinoma according to WHO classification in 2017. However, two cases had distinct pathological features. First case had no finding suspicious of malignant transformation from benign ameloblastoma (primary type with 2005 WHO classification), while the other case showed benign ameloblastoma with malignant changes within the gingiva (secondary type with 2005 WHO classification).
The effect of trade openness on economic growth: Some empirical evidence from emerging market economies
Authors: Raghutla Chandrashekar
Published: February 2020

This study investigates the impact of trade openness on economic growth in a panel of five emerging market economies, covering the data period from 1993 to 2016. Based on the panel estimation methods, the empirical results confirm the long‐run relationship among trade openness, economic growth, financial development, inflation, labour force, and technology, whereas the findings of long‐run elasticities show that trade openness has a positive considerable impact on economic growth. Furthermore, the heterogeneous panel non‐causality tests indicate the presence of a bidirectional causality between economic growth and inflation and a unidirectional causality that runs from economic growth to trade openness and economic growth to financial development in the short run. Finally, the findings suggested that trade openness plays a substantial role in promoting economic growth while also promoting economic development in these five emerging market economies.
Association between cell‐free DNA fetal fraction and gestational diabetes
Authors: Hopkins Maeve K. , Koelper Nathanael , Bender Whitney , Durnwald Celeste , Sammel Mary , Dugoff Lorraine
Published: February 2020

Objective

To determine the association between cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) fetal fraction and gestational diabetes (GDM) in a cohort of women presenting for cfDNA screening for fetal aneuploidy.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of women with singleton pregnancies who had cfDNA screening at a single institution at 10 to 20 weeks gestation between October 2011 and October 2017. Fetal fractions were adjusted for gestational age (GA) using multiples of the median (MoM). Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of GDM controlling for potential confounders.

Results

Two thousand six hundred twenty‐three pregnancies met criteria. Women with GDM had a lower fetal fraction (0.93 MoM vs. 1.05 MoM, P = .002). However, the association between fetal fraction and GDM was not significant after adjusting for body mass index (BMI) [OR 0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.52‐1.36; P = .48]. Since insulin resistance increases at later GAs, separate analysis on women with GA 14 to 20 weeks was performed. Again, the association between fetal fraction and GDM was not significant after adjusting for BMI, (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.31‐2.12; P = .67).

Conclusion

Low or high fetal fraction of cfDNA was not associated with GDM. Although fetal fraction was lower among women diagnosed with GDM, this relationship was no longer statistically significant once maternal BMI was taken into account.
Characteristics of vascular anastomoses in monochorionic twin 587 placentas with selective intrauterine growth restriction via 89 three‐dimensional computed tomography angiography
Authors: Li Meizhi , Wang Chaoyang , Yang Yanhong , Mao Lijuan , Chen Jiawen , He Shaofu , Gou Chenyu , Zhang Xiaoling
Published: February 2020

Objective

To determine the characteristics of the choriovascular anatomy, especially the potential role of arteriovenous perfusion imbalance in the pathogenesis of selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR) using three‐dimensional computed tomography angiography (3D‐CTA).

Method

Computed tomography angiography of the placental choriovascular tree from 15 twins with sIUGR and 15 twins without sIUGR were analyzed, and inter‐twin vascular anastomoses were compared between the placentas from these two groups. The parameters evaluated were the presence and measures of artery‐to‐artery anastomoses (AAA), vein‐to‐vein anastomoses (VVA) or artery‐to‐vein anastomoses (AVA).

Results

The frequency of AAA, VVA, and AVA did not differ significantly between sIUGR and without sIUGR‐pairs. The area of the vein draining to the AVA in the larger twin's placenta was significantly greater in sIUGR compared to when no sIUGR was present. Based on the net cross‐sectional area difference we speculate that in sIUGR there is net flow from the smaller to the larger twin.

Conclusion

We used 3D‐CTA to display the vascular anastomoses in sIUGR twin pairs, demonstrating a difference in cross‐sectional diameter of the vein draining to the AVA.
A metabolomics study of ascorbic acid‐induced in situ freezing tolerance in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)
Authors: Min Kyungwon , Chen Keting , Arora Rajeev
Published: February 2020

Freeze–thaw stress is one of the major environmental constraints that limit plant growth and reduce productivity and quality. Plants exhibit a variety of cellular dysfunctions following freeze–thaw stress, including accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This means that enhancement of antioxidant capacity by exogenous application of antioxidants could potentially be one of the strategies for improving freezing tolerance (FT) of plants. Exogenous application of ascorbic acid (AsA), as an antioxidant, has been shown to improve plant tolerance against abiotic stresses but its effect on FT has not been investigated. We evaluated the effect of AsA‐feeding on FT of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) at whole plant and excised‐leaf level, and conducted metabolite profiling of leaves before and after AsA treatment to explore metabolic explanation for change in FT. AsA application did not impede leaf growth, instead slightly promoted it. Temperature‐controlled freeze–thaw tests revealed AsA‐fed plants were more freezing tolerant as indicated by: (a) less visual damage/mortality; (b) lower ion leakage; and (c) less oxidative injury, lower abundance of free radicals ( and H2O2). Comparative leaf metabolite profiling revealed clear separation of metabolic phenotypes for control versus AsA‐fed leaves. Specifically, AsA‐fed leaves had greater abundance of antioxidants (AsA, glutathione, alpha‐ & gamma‐tocopherol) and compatible solutes (proline, galactinol, and myo‐inositol). AsA‐fed leaves also had higher activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase). These changes, together, may improve FT via alleviating freeze‐induced oxidative stress as well as protecting membranes from freeze desiccation. Additionally, improved FT by AsA‐feeding may potentially include enhanced cell wall/lignin augmentation and bolstered secondary metabolism as indicated by diminished level of phenylalanine and increased abundance of branched amino acids, respectively.
Rapid inactivation of airborne porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus using an atmospheric pressure air plasma
Authors: Nayak Gaurav , Andrews Austin J. , Marabella Ian , Aboubakr Hamada A. , Goyal Sagar M. , Olson Bernard A. , Torremorell Montserrat , Bruggeman Peter J.
Published: February 2020

The transmission of airborne diseases in animals poses great risks to animal safety with potential significant economic losses. In this study, we report on the use of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) for in‐flight inactivation of an airborne aerosolized porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. The infectivity of the sampled virus downstream compared to upstream of the DBD reactor as determined by the TCID50 method showed a ∼3.5 log10 reduction in the virus titer. Independent testing of the viral genome by the reverse‐transcription quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction method confirmed the inactivation with minimal filtering effects. Both short‐lived species such as and and peroxynitrous acid (ONOOH) chemistry at low pH in the virus‐laden droplets are suggested to be responsible for the observed inactivation.
Krasovskii and Razumikhin criteria on input‐to‐state stability of discrete‐time time‐varying switched delayed systems
Authors: Peng Shiguo , Deng Feiqi , Xiao Mingqing , Wang Yonghua
Published: February 2020

In this article, we are concerned with the problem on input‐to‐state stability (ISS) for discrete‐time time‐varying switched delayed systems. Some Krasovskii and Razumikhin ISS criteria are provided by using the notions of uniformly asymptotically stable (UAS) function and mode‐dependent average dwell time (MDADT). With the help of the concept of UAS function, the advantage of our results in this article is that the coefficients of the first‐order difference inequalities for the mode‐dependent Krasovskii functionals and mode‐dependent Razumikhin functions are allowed to be time‐varying, mode‐dependent, and can even take both positive and negative values, and the whole switched system can be allowed to have both ISS subsystems and non‐ISS subsystems. With the aid of the notion of MDADT, each subsystem can have its own average dwell time. As an application, we also provide an ISS criterion for discrete‐time time‐varying switched delayed Hopfield neural networks with disturbance inputs. Numerical simulations verify the effectiveness of the established criteria.
Effect of land use/cover changes on runoff in the Min River watershed
Authors: Ma Kai , Huang Xiaorong , Liang Chuan , Zhao Hongbin , Zhou Xingyu , Wei Xiaoyue
Published: February 2020

Quantifying and interpreting the impacts that land use/cover change (LUCC) have on hydrology at basin scales are of great significance for the sustainable development of watershed ecosystems, water resources, and land management. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to establish the regional model. The Min River watershed was divided into 236 sub‐basins, and simulations showed the spatial distribution of runoff in each sub‐basin with GIS‐based image displays. We set five scenarios to investigate the negative hydrological effects characterized by reductions in the water yield. From 1995 to 2004, the effect of simulated mean annual runoff caused by LUCC was −12.61 m3/s and the climate variability caused −67.61 m3/s. From 2005 to 2014, the hydrological effect caused by LUCC was −2.38 m3/s and the climate variability caused −58.53 m3/s. The elevation, Shannon's diversity index, largest patch index, and interspersion and juxtaposition index were all characterized by strong relationships with the sub‐basin outlet flows (adjusted R2 = 0.572) using multivariate stepwise regression analysis. Redundancy analysis further proved that the reduction in grassland has led to a decrease in vegetation dominance while large increase in cultivated and residential lands has led to a higher degree of landscape richness and fragmentation, which has caused the reduced water yield. The restoration of grassland vegetation, as well as urban and agricultural water usage should be the primary focus of flow recovery.
Target‐oriented habitat and wildlife management: estimating forage quantity and quality of semi‐natural grasslands with Sentinel‐1 and Sentinel‐2 data
Authors: Raab Christoph , Riesch Friederike , Tonn Bettina , Barrett Brian , Meißner Marcus , Balkenhol Niko , Isselstein Johannes
Published: February 2020

Semi‐natural grasslands represent ecosystems with high biodiversity. Their conservation depends on the removal of biomass, for example, through grazing by livestock or wildlife. For this, spatially explicit information about grassland forage quantity and quality is a prerequisite for efficient management. The recent advancements of the Sentinel satellite mission offer new possibilities to support the conservation of semi‐natural grasslands. In this study, the combined use of radar (Sentinel‐1) and multispectral (Sentinel‐2) data to predict forage quantity and quality indicators of semi‐natural grassland in Germany was investigated. Field data for organic acid detergent fibre concentration (oADF), crude protein concentration (CP), compressed sward height (CSH) and standing biomass dry weight (DM) collected between 2015 and 2017 were related to remote sensing data using the random forest regression algorithm. In total, 102 optical‐ and radar‐based predictor variables were used to derive an optimized dataset, maximizing the predictive power of the respective model. High R2 values were obtained for the grassland quality indicators oADF (R2 = 0.79, RMSE = 2.29%) and CP (R2 = 0.72, RMSE = 1.70%) using 15 and 8 predictor variables respectively. Lower R2 values were achieved for the quantity indicators CSH (R2 = 0.60, RMSE = 2.77 cm) and DM (R2 = 0.45, RMSE = 90.84 g/m²). A permutation‐based variable importance measure indicated a strong contribution of simple ratio‐based optical indices to the model performance. In particular, the ratios between the narrow near‐infrared and red‐edge region were among the most important variables. The model performance for oADF, CP and CSH was only marginally increased by adding Sentinel‐1 data. For DM, no positive effect on the model performance was observed by combining Sentinel‐1 and Sentinel‐2 data. Thus, optical Sentinel‐2 data might be sufficient to accurately predict forage quality, and to some extent also quantity indicators of semi‐natural grassland.
Free‐Standing NiO Nanosheets as Non‐Enzymatic Electrochemical Sensors
Authors: Qin Yanan , Chen Fei , Halder Arnab , Zhang Minwei
Published: February 2020

A simple, rapid and sensitive electrochemical sensor for determination of urea has been developed based on two‐dimensional (2D) Free‐standing NiO nanosheet. High quality, ultrathin two‐dimensional NiO nano‐sheets were synthesized by using graphene oxide paper as sacrificial template. Various techniques such as x‐ray diffraction (XRD), x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the morphology of the nanostructure. According to TEM image, the average size of the as‐synthesized NiO nanosheets is around 50 nm and with 5–20 nm pores. Electrochemical studies indicate that the 2D NiO papers exhibit excellent stability and high electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of urea in an alkaline medium, even without any conductive supporting agent, and low oxidation potential (vs SCE), high sensitivity (3.4 A/M cm2) and a low detection limit (2 μM) as a non‐enzymatic sensor for urea.
Stability indicating LC method for estimation of Valbenazine and its degradation kinetic study
Authors: Parmar Payal J. , Patel Vandana B. , Shah Dimal A.
Published: February 2020

Stability indicating analytical method helps to identify the instrinsic stability of molecule and likely degradation pathway. Present study involves development of a liquid chromatography method for Valbenazine which can be used in the analysis of forced degraded samples along with its degradation kinetic study. The liquid chromatography method was developed using Column (Shimadzu ODS Shim‐pack Solar (250* 4.6 mm, 5 µm)) as stationary phase and acetonitrile/water (90:10) was used as mobile phase. Flow rate was maintained at 1 mL/min and detection was performed using diode array detector at 210 nm. The retention time of Valbenazine Tosylate was observed to be 7.2 min. The linear regression analysis data for the calibration plots showed a good linear relationship for Valbenazine Tosylate over a concentration range of 1–20 µg/mL. The proposed method was validated with respect to linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness. To find out the possible degradation pathway, forced degradation studies were performed. The degraded product peaks were well resolved from the pure drug peak with significant difference in their retention time. To determine the order of reaction for base degradation, kinetic studies were performed. The drug was found to follow first order kinetic for base degradation condition. The developed method can be used for analysis of stability samples and routing quality control evaluation of Valbenazine Tosylate in bulk.
The role of home governments in entry bargaining of multinationals: China's investment in Central Asia's natural resource sector
Authors: Orazgaliyev Serik
Published: February 2020

Over the last two decades, China's participation in Central Asia's energy sector has increased dramatically. This article explores the case study of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in Central Asia's natural resource sector through the framework of bargaining model. Although the scholarly literature studied extensively FDI determinants and support of the home government on MNE activities abroad, there is little evidence‐based research on the effect of governmental negotiations on OFDI. The existing research on China's OFDI in natural resource sector highlighted the country's complex approach to energy deals, which was facilitated by investment in infrastructure projects and provision of loans. As this study confirmed, support with loans and investment in the development of export pipeline infrastructure was crucial in securing energy deals for Chinese multinationals (CMNEs). More specifically, this article makes an important contribution toward the understanding of China's investment in developing markets with high levels of political risk such as Central Asian region. The presented evidence suggests that there is a positive correlation between home government support and successful entry of CMNEs to natural resource sectors in emerging markets.
Take a Close Look: Inventorying Your Classroom Library for Diverse Books
Authors: Henderson Janelle W. , Warren Katherine , Whitmore Kathryn F. , Flint Amy Seely , Laman Tasha Tropp , Jaggers Wanda
Published: February 2020

Classroom libraries are an important component of elementary classrooms. These collections support readers’ literate identities, their motivation to read, and their access to texts that reflect a world outside of the classroom. Yet, many classrooms lack texts that mirror the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of students and their lived experiences. The authors—three elementary teachers (grades 1–3) and three teacher educators—inventoried the hundreds of books in the teachers’ classrooms. The team discovered that the libraries lacked diversity across intersectional representations. Teacher‐purchased books created the diversity that was present in each library, a lack of Black boy representation in transitional chapter books was evident, and the physical space of the libraries was problematic for young readers. The authors provide a strategy for classroom teachers to assess the contents of their own classroom libraries.
Halogenated sesquiterpenes from the red alga Laurencia intermedia Yamada
Authors: Trung Doan Vuong , Truc Nguyen Thi Thanh , Duy Cao Nguyen Hoang , Nhan Luu Thi Thanh , Phung Nguyen Kim Phi , Duong Ngo Thi Thuy
Published: February 2020

Five halogenated sesquiterpenes including, (‐)‐aplysistatin (1), (+)‐palisadin B (2), 3,4‐epoxypalisadin A (3), 2‐hydroxyluzofuranone (4) and 2‐hydroxyluzofuranone B (5) were isolated from the red alga Laurencia intermedia, collected at Ly Son island, Quang Ngai province, Viet Nam. The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated by 1D and 2D−NMR spectroscopy and HR−ESI−MS analysis as well as compared with data in the literature. This is the first time these compounds were isolated in Laurencia intermedia.
Influence of CaCO3 on photocrosslinking and properties of UV‐cured coatings based on an epoxy diacrylate resin and hexanediol diacrylate
Authors: Hung Dao Phi , Hien Le Xuan
Published: February 2020

Effects of CaCO3 content on photocrosslinking and properties of UV‐curable coatings based on epoxy diacrylate resin (EDA), hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) and photoinitiator I.184 have been studied. It was found that in investigated coatings with the weight ratio EDA/HDDA/I.184 = 50/50/3, CaCO3 content in the range of 10‐40 % provided fine and smooth films in used substrates. The presence of CaCO3 significantly reduced conversion of acrylate groups and quality of the UV‐cured coatings in comparison with the neat one. The increase of CaCO3 content slowed down the photocrosslinking process and inconsiderably affected to properties of investigated coatings in its range of 10‐20 %, but led to obvious decrease of their impact resistance and gloss in its further augment up to 40 %. Coating containing optimal CaCO3 content of 20 % from technical and economical points of view was determined to have gel fraction, relative hardness and gloss of 60o of 90 %; 0.94 %; 92.3 % after 2.4s of UV‐exposure, respectively.
3‐Hydroxy‐2‐[2’‐(5’‐methylthienyl)]‐4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran for the spectrophotometric determination of Tungsten(VI) and Palladium(II)
Authors: Kaur Navneet , Agnihotri Nivedita , Agnihotri Rajesh
Published: February 2020

The sensitive impact of 3‐hydroxy‐2‐[2'‐(5'‐methylthienyl)]‐4‐oxo‐4H‐1‐benzopyran (HMTB), a chromogenic reagent on the spectrophotometric assurance of tungsten(VI) and Palladium(II) has been contemplated by utilizing fluid extraction procedure in the present investigation. The ideal conditions for formation of W(VI)‐HMTB and Pd(II)‐ HMTB edifices are depicted for assurance of the two elements. The alignment bends show linearity up to 1.5 μg mL‐1 of W(VI) and 1.3 μg.mL‐1 of Pd(II). The molar annihilation coefficient of the W(VI)‐HMTB complex shaped in HCl is 8.28×104 L mol‐1cm‐1 at 418 nm and of Pd(II)‐HMTB complex in NaHCO3 has the worth 6.597×104 L mol‐1cm‐1 at 430 nm with the separate detection limit of 0.00232 and 0.042 μg.mL‐1, respectively. Other than the most positive bit of leeway of quick and simple investigation by this optical density technique, the created method is observed to be exceptionally particular and has been acceptably connected for the assurance of the two metals in different alloy samples, engineered blends and industrial products.
Molecular docking studies of Vinca alkaloid derivatives on Tubulin
Authors: Quan Pham Minh , Binh Vo Ngoc , Ngan Vu Thi , Trung Nguyen Tien , Anh Ngo Quoc
Published: February 2020

Both microtubule destabilizer and stabilizer agents are important molecules in anticancer therapy. In particular, vinblastine is one of several tubulin‐targeting vinca alkaloids that have been responsible for many chemotherapeutic successes since their introduction in the clinic as anti‐tumour drugs. In this paper, three vinca alkaloid derivatives from 3’‐cyanoanhydrovinblastine 5 with good cytotoxic activity on the KB cell line were docked with the tubulin protein model using Autodock and Patchdock softwares. Cytotoxicity assay revealed that compound 7 has the strongest cytotoxic activity which correlates well with its best docking score, lowest binding energy and best binding affinity with tubulinprotein in our docking simulations.
Evaluating Responses by Sympatric Ungulates to Fence Modifications Across the Northern Great Plains
Authors: Jones Paul F. , Jakes Andrew F. , MacDonald Amanda M. , Hanlon Jason A. , Eacker Daniel R. , Martin Brian H. , Hebblewhite Mark
Published: February 2020

Across North America, incentive programs have assisted landholders with the construction of fences, often considered “wildlife friendly,” to assist in grazing management, which has resulted in a proliferation of fencing on the landscape. Many suggested “wildlife‐friendly” fence modifications have not been evaluated for their effectiveness on the targeted species or evaluated to assess consequences for nontarget species. We evaluated the effects of 2 modifications aimed to increase fence visibility (sage‐grouse [SAGR] reflectors and white polyvinyl chloride [PVC]) on the fence‐crossing behavior of 3 sympatric ungulates in the Northern Great Plains. We used trail cameras from 2016 to 2018 to capture images of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and white‐tailed deer (O. virginianus) at sites before and after fence sections were modified and compared crossing success by the 3 ungulates with that achieved at unchanged control sites. We used generalized linear modeling and a time‐to‐event approach to test the effect of fence modifications on ungulate crossing behavior. Our results showed that both SAGR reflectors and white PVC pipe did not impede fence‐crossing behaviors for either pronghorn or deer, nor was there a time lag in use of sites observed after modifications were deployed. Though we did not alter the height of the bottom wire, there was enough variability in bottom wire height between sites that our results indicate a greater probability of successful crossing by all 3 ungulates as bottom wire height increased. We recommend implementation of both SAGR reflectors and white PVC pipe because our results demonstrate no substantial unintended consequences on the crossing behavior of pronghorn and deer. © 2020 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Wildlife Society.
Pseudodifferential Weyl Calculus on (Pseudo-)Riemannian Manifolds
Authors: Dereziński Jan , Latosiński Adam , Siemssen Daniel
Published: February 2020

One can argue that on flat space $${\mathbb {R}}^d$$Rd, the Weyl quantization is the most natural choice and that it has the best properties (e.g., symplectic covariance, real symbols correspond to Hermitian operators). On a generic manifold, there is no distinguished quantization, and a quantization is typically defined chart-wise. Here we introduce a quantization that, we believe, has the best properties for studying natural operators on pseudo-Riemannian manifolds. It is a generalization of the Weyl quantization—we call it the balanced geodesic Weyl quantization. Among other things, we prove that it maps square-integrable symbols to Hilbert–Schmidt operators, and that even (resp. odd) polynomials are mapped to even (resp. odd) differential operators. We also present a formula for the corresponding star product and give its asymptotic expansion up to the fourth order in Planck’s constant.
Heisenberg Modules as Function Spaces
Authors: Austad Are , Enstad Ulrik
Published: February 2020

Let $$\Delta $$Δ be a closed, cocompact subgroup of $$G \times \widehat{G}$$G×G^, where G is a second countable, locally compact abelian group. Using localization of Hilbert $$C^*$$C∗-modules, we show that the Heisenberg module $$\mathcal {E}_{\Delta }(G)$$EΔ(G) over the twisted group $$C^*$$C∗-algebra $$C^*(\Delta ,c)$$C∗(Δ,c) due to Rieffel can be continuously and densely embedded into the Hilbert space $$L^2(G)$$L2(G). This allows us to characterize a finite set of generators for $$\mathcal {E}_{\Delta }(G)$$EΔ(G) as exactly the generators of multi-window (continuous) Gabor frames over $$\Delta $$Δ, a result which was previously known only for a dense subspace of $$\mathcal {E}_{\Delta }(G)$$EΔ(G). We show that $$\mathcal {E}_{\Delta }(G)$$EΔ(G) as a function space satisfies two properties that make it eligible for time-frequency analysis: Its elements satisfy the fundamental identity of Gabor analysis if $$\Delta $$Δ is a lattice, and their associated frame operators corresponding to $$\Delta $$Δ are bounded.