bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advancing Aptamers as Molecular Probes for Cancer Theranostic Applications—The Role of Molecular Dynamics Simulation
Authors: Jeevanandam Jaison , Tan Kei Xian , Danquah Michael Kobina , Guo Haobo , Turgeson Andrew
Published: December 2019

Theranostics cover emerging technologies for cell biomarking for disease diagnosis and targeted introduction of drug ingredients to specific malignant sites. Theranostics development has become a significant biomedical research endeavor for effective diagnosis and treatment of diseases, especially cancer. An efficient biomarking and targeted delivery strategy for theranostic applications requires effective molecular coupling of binding ligands with high affinities to specific receptors on the cancer cell surface. Bioaffinity offers a unique mechanism to bind specific target and receptor molecules from a range of non‐targets. The binding efficacy depends on the specificity of the affinity ligand toward the target molecule even at low concentrations. Aptamers are fragments of genetic materials, peptides, or oligonucleotides which possess enhanced specificity in targeting desired cell surface receptor molecules. Aptamer–target binding results from several inter‐molecular interactions including hydrogen bond formation, aromatic stacking of flat moieties, hydrophobic interaction, electrostatic, and van der Waals interactions. Advancements in Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) assay has created the opportunity to artificially generate aptamers that specifically bind to desired cancer and tumor surface receptors with high affinities. This article discusses the potential application of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to advance aptamer‐mediated receptor targeting in targeted cancer therapy. MD simulation offers real‐time analysis of the molecular drivers of the aptamer‐receptor binding and generate optimal receptor binding conditions for theranostic applications. The article also provides an overview of different cancer types with focus on receptor biomarking and targeted treatment approaches, conventional molecular probes, and aptamers that have been explored for cancer cells targeting.
Quantification and Distribution Evaluation of Quercetin and Kaempferol in Rat Eyes after Oral Administration of EEDK Using Ultra‐Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Peng Lei , Ahn Hong Ryul , Jung Sang Hoon , Choi Yongsoo
Published: December 2019

Although recent pharmacological studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of the ethanol extract ofDiospyros kaki(EEDK) against eye diseasesin vitroandin vivo, they could not conclude whether two strong antioxidants, quercetin and kaempferol, in the EEDK were bioavailable in eye tissue after oral administration. A method based on ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS) was herein developed for the highly selective and sensitive quantification of quercetin and kaempferol in rat eye tissue. The method was applied to investigate the distribution of quercetin and kaempferol in rat eyes after oral administration of EEDK at 0, 5, and 35 min after it was successfully validated for specificity, linearity, a low limit of quantification, precision, accuracy, extraction recovery, and matrix effect. The distribution of quercetin and kaempferol in rat eyes at 35 min after oral administration of the EEDK was 0.0099% and 0.0041%, respectively. These results will be useful for the precise determination of optimizedin vivoEEDK dose and time for the effective prevention and treatment of eye diseases.
Drivers, adoption, and evaluation of sustainability practices in Italian wine SMEs
Authors: De Steur Hans , Temmerman Hélène , Gellynck Xavier , Canavari Maurizio
Published: December 2019

Based on a survey with 64 small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in two Italian wine regions, this study aims to (a) identify key drivers and barriers of the adoption of sustainability and (b) compare the adoption and evaluation (use, financial/labor investments, and satisfaction) of sustainability practices in four management domains (marketing, chain, operational, and innovation). Results show that internal drivers were considered to be more important than external drivers. Economic sustainability‐oriented drivers scored significantly lower than drivers related to other dimensions, such as environmental sustainability and heritage. Key barriers refer to labor and investments costs, as well as concerns about greenwashing. Although there are substantial differences in adoption and evaluation of sustainability practices within and between management domains, this study confirms their widespread adoption in wineries. Among users, satisfaction levels outweigh the perceived investments. Except for innovation management practices, financial investments are considered to be lower than labor investments. Positive correlations between use‐satisfaction (within each management domain) and between investments or satisfaction levels (between management domains) further lend support for producers' adoption of multiple practices. At sustainability dimension level, heritage is negatively correlated with the evaluation indicators, indicating that it may act as a potential barrier to some sustainability practices. Segmentation analysis identified a low (30%) and high sustainability clusters (70%), which differ significantly in terms of sustainability perceptions and drivers, adoption, and evaluation of practices, as well as company characteristics. Future research needs to validate the findings on SMEs, compare our measures with more objective evaluation indicators, future adoption rates, and multidimensional sustainability practices.
Insights into virus inactivation by polysorbate 80 in the absence of solvent
Authors: Chen Dayue , Luo Wen , Hoffman Jacob , Huang Lihua , Sandefur Stephanie , Hall Troii , Murphy Marie , O'Donnell Sean
Published: December 2019

Triton X‐100 has long been used either alone or in combination with solvent to inactivate enveloped viruses in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. However, European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) officially placed Triton X‐100 on the Annex XIV authorization list in 2017 because 4‐(1,1,3,3‐tetramethylbutyl) phenol, a degradation product of Triton X‐100, is of harmful endocrine disrupting activities. As a result, any use of Triton X‐100 in the European Economic Area would require an ECHA issued authorization after the sunset date of January 4, 2021. In search of possible replacements for Triton X‐100, we discovered that polysorbate 80 (PS80) in absence of any solvents was able to effectively inactive enveloped viruses such as xenotropic murine leukemia virus and pseudorabies virus with comparable efficacy as measured by log reduction factors. Interestingly, PS80 did not show any virucidal activities in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) while achieving robust virus inactivation in cell‐free Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) bioreactor harvests. This intriguing observation led us to speculate that virus inactivation by PS80 involved components in the cell‐free CHO bioreactor harvests that were absent in PBS. Specifically, we hypothesized that esterase and/or lipases in the cell‐free bioreactor harvests hydrolyzed PS80 to yield oleic acid, a known potent virucidal agent, which in turn inactivated viruses. This theory was confirmed using purified recombinant lysosomal phospholipase A2 isomer (rLPLA2) in PBS. Subsequent characterization work has indicated that virus inactivation by PS80 is effective and robust within temperature and concentration ranges comparable to those of Triton X‐100. Similar to Triton X‐100, virus inactivation by PS80 is dually dependent on treatment time and temperature. Unlike Triton X‐100, PS80 inactivation does not correlate with concentrations in a simple manner. Additionally, we have demonstrated that PS20 exhibits similar virus inactivation activities as PS80. Based on the findings described in the current work, we believe that PS80 is potentially a viable replacement for Triton X‐100 and can be used in manufacturing processes for wide spectrum of biopharmaceuticals to achieve desirable virus clearance. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of using PS80 for virus inactivation are discussed in the contexts of GMP manufacturing.
Effect of Promoter Nature on Synthesis Gas Conversion to Alcohols over (K)MeMoS2/Al2O3 Catalysts
Authors: Maximov Vladimir V. , Permyakov Eugenii A. , Dorokhov Viktor S. , Wang Anjie , Kooyman Patricia J. , Kogan Victor M.
Published: December 2019

The influence of the promoter nature and of a modifier in (K)(Me)MoS2/Al2O3 (Me=Fe, Co, Ni) catalysts on the conversion and selectivity of products of synthesis gas conversion to alcohols and jnl oxygenates was investigated. Relationships between promoter nature, hydrocarbon chain length and selectivity in the formed alcohols were established. Electronic structure of a promoter atom in an active site (AS) was found to strongly affect selectivity of alcohol formation. Promotion of the S‐edge by Fe, Co or Ni suppressed hydrogen activation, which resulted in a lower synthesis gas conversion. Promotion of the M‐edge by Fe, Co, or Ni entailed the formation of double vacancies which are active sites of synthesis gas conversion. Potassium affected the oxophilicity of Mo atoms and reduced Co/Ni‐promoted MoS AS. It decreased the probability of C−O bond breaking in the adsorbed intermediate and shifted selectivity from the formation of alkyl towards alkoxide fragments over these catalysts.
Flavoenzyme‐mediated Regioselective Aromatic Hydroxylation with Coenzyme Biomimetics
Authors: Guarneri Alice , Westphal Adrie H. , Leertouwer Jos , Lunsonga Joy , Franssen Maurice C. R. , Opperman Diederik J. , Hollmann Frank , van Berkel Willem J. H. , Paul Caroline E.
Published: December 2019

Regioselective aromatic hydroxylation is desirable for the production of valuable compounds. External flavin‐containing monooxygenases activate and selectively incorporate an oxygen atom in phenolic compounds through flavin reduction by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide coenzyme, and subsequent reaction with molecular oxygen. This study provides the proof of principle of flavoenzyme‐catalyzed selective aromatic hydroxylation with coenzyme biomimetics. The carbamoylmethyl‐substituted biomimetic in particular affords full conversion in less than two hours for the selective hydroxylation of 5 mM 3‐ and 4‐hydroxybenzoates, displaying similar rates as with NADH, achieving a 10 mM/h enzymatic conversion of the medicinal product gentisate. This biomimetic appears to generate less uncoupling of hydroxylation that typically leads to undesired hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, we show these flavoenzymes have the potential to be applied in combination with biomimetics.
Pompon Dahlia‐like Cu2O/rGO Nanostructures for Visible Light Photocatalytic H2 Production and 4‐Chlorophenol Degradation
Authors: Karthikeyan Sekar , Ahmed Kassam , Osatiashtiani Amin , Lee Adam F. , Wilson Karen , Sasaki Keiko , Coulson Ben , Swansborough‐Aston Will , Douthwaite Richard E. , Li Wei
Published: December 2019

Hierarchical Cu2O nanospheres with a Pompon Dahlia‐like morphology were prepared by a one‐pot synthesis employing electrostatic self‐assembly. Nanocomposite analogues were also prepared in the presence of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Photophysical properties of the hierarchical Cu2O nanospheres and Cu2O/rGO nanocomposite were determined, and their photocatalytic applications evaluated for photocatalytic 4‐chlorophenol (4‐CP) degradation and H2 production. Introduction of trace (<1 wt %) rGO improves the apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) at 475 nm of hierarchical Cu2O for H2 production from 2.23 % to 3.35 %, giving an increase of evolution rate from 234 μmol.g−1.h−1 to 352 μmol.g−1.h−1 respectively. The AQE for 4‐CP degradation also increases from 52 % to 59 %, with the removal efficiency reaching 95 % of 10 ppm 4‐CP within 1 h. Superior performance of the hierarchical Cu2O/rGO nanocomposite is attributable to increased visible light absorption, reflected in a greater photocurrent density. Excellent catalyst photostability for >6 h continuous reaction is observed.
A procedure for calibration transfer of DOSY NMR measurements: An example of molecular weight of heparin preparations
Authors: Monakhova Yulia B. , Diehl Bernd W.K.
Published: December 2019

Calibration transfer is commonly used for spectra obtained on different spectrometers or other conditions. This paper reports a multivariate transfer approach for 2D diffusion‐ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) measurements among high‐resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers on the basis of partial least squares (PLS) regression. As the test system previously published quantitative model to predict molecular weight of heparin, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) was used.

For multivariate modeling, piecewise direct standardization (PDS) and direct standardization (DS) were employed. PDS showed the best performance for estimating heparin molecular weight resulting in a significant decrease in root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) from 647 and 393 Da without standardization to 513 and 135 Da when PDS was applied for heparin and LMWH, respectively. DS is not recommended for high‐resolution NMR data.

The study showed the success of standardization procedure in cases when multivariate models have to be applied to the 2D NMR spectra recorded on different NMR spectrometers. The proposed approach appears to be a valuable achievement towards application of transfer models also to 2D NMR data.
Spin‐Forbidden Reactivity of Transition Metal Oxo Species: Exploring the Potential Energy Surfaces
Authors: Ricciarelli Damiano , Belpassi Leonardo , Harvey Jeremy N. , Belanzoni Paola
Published: December 2019

Spin‐forbidden reactions are frequently encountered when transition metal oxo species are involved, particularly in oxygen transfer reactivity. The computational study of such reactions is challenging, because reactants and products are located on different spin potential energy surfaces (PESs). One possible approach to describe these reactions is the so‐called minimum energy crossing point (MECP) between the diabatic reactants and products PESs. Alternatively, inclusion of spin‐orbit coupling (SOC) effects allows to locate a saddle point on a single adiabatic PES (TS SOC). The TS SOC approach is rarely applied because of its high computational cost. Recently evidence for a TS SOC impact on significantly lowering the activation barrier in dioxygen addition to a carbene‐gold(I)‐hydride complex reaction (Chem. Sci. 2016, 7, 7034–7039) or even on predicting a qualitatively different reaction mechanism in mercury methylation by cobalt corrinoid (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 11503–11506) has been put forward. Using MECP and TS SOC approaches a systematic analysis is provided here of three prototypical transition metal oxo spin‐forbidden processes to investigate their implications on reactivity. Cycloaddition of ethylene to chromyl chloride (CrO2Cl2+C2H4), iron oxide cation insertion into the hydrogen molecule (FeO++H2) and H‐abstraction from toluene by a MnV‐oxo‐porphyrin cation (MnOP(H2O)++C6H5CH3) are case studies. For all these processes the MECP and TS SOC results are compared, which show that the spin‐forbidden reactivity of transition metal oxo species can be safely described by a MECP approach, at least for the first‐row transition metals investigated here, where the spin‐orbit coupling is relatively weak. However, for the Mn‐oxo reactivity, the MECP and TS SOC have been found to be crucial for a correct description of the reaction mechanism. In particular, the TS SOC approach allows to straightforwardly explore detailed features of the adiabatic potential energy surface which in principle could affect the overall reaction rate in cases where the involved diabatic PESs are tricky.
A Comparative Synthetic Strategy Perspective on α‐Amino Acid‐ and Non‐Amino Acid‐Derived Synthons towards Total Syntheses of Selected Natural Macrolides
Authors: Kumar Manda Srinivas Lavanya , Tripathi Shashank , Ghoshal Anirban , Ambule Mayur D. , Srivastava Ajay Kumar , Panda Gautam
Published: December 2019

Macrocyclic alkaloids (macrolides) and cyclopeptides have an immense range of applications in drug discovery research because of their natural abundance and potential biological and physicochemical properties. Presently, more than 100 approved drugs or clinical drug candidates contain macrocyclic scaffolds as the biologically active component. This review provides an interesting perspective about the use of amino acid‐derived chiral pools versus other methods derived from miscellaneous synthons towards the total synthesis of non‐peptidic macrolides. The synthetic routes and the key strategies involved in the total syntheses of ten natural macrolides have been discussed. Both the amino acid‐derived and non‐amino acid‐derived synthetic routes have been illustrated to present a comparative study between the two approaches.
Seasonal Short‐Term Prediction of Dissolved Oxygen in Rivers via Nature‐Inspired Algorithms
Authors: Fadaee Marzieh , Mahdavi‐Meymand Amin , Zounemat‐Kermani Mohammad
Published: December 2019

This study challenges the use of three nature‐inspired algorithms as learning frameworks of the adaptive‐neuro‐fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) machine learning model for short‐term modeling of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations. Particle swarm optimization (PSO), butterfly optimization algorithm (BOA), and biogeography‐based optimization (BBO) are employed for developing predictive ANFIS models using seasonal 15 min data collected from the Rock Creek River in Washington, DC. Four independent variables are used as model inputs including water temperature (T), river discharge (Q), specific conductance (SC), and pH. The Mallow's Cp and R2 parameters are used for choosing the best input parameters for the models. The models are assessed by several statistics such as the coefficient of determination (R2), root‐mean‐square error (RMSE), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency, mean absolute error, and the percent bias. The results indicate that the performance of all‐nature‐inspired algorithms is close to each other. However, based on the calculated RMSE, they enhance the accuracy of standard ANFIS in the spring, summer, fall, and winter around 13.79%, 15.94%, 6.25%, and 12.74%, respectively. Overall, the ANFIS‐PSO and ANFIS‐BOA provide slightly better results than the other ANFIS models.
Note of Caution for the Aqueous Behaviour of Metal‐Based Drug Candidates
Authors: Notaro Anna , Gasser Gilles , Castonguay Annie
Published: December 2019

Poor aqueous solubility is one of the recurrent drawbacks of many compounds in medicinal chemistry. To overcome this limitation, the dilution of drug candidates from stock solutions of an organic solvent is common practice. However, the precise characterisation of these compounds in aqueous solutions is often neglected, leading to some uncertainties regarding the nature of the actual active species. In this communication, we demonstrate that two ruthenium complexes previously reported by our group for their chemotherapeutic potential against cancer, namely [Ru(DIP)2(sq)](PF6) and [Ru(DIP)2(3‐methoxysq)](PF6), where DIP is 4,7‐diphenyl‐1,10‐phenanthroline, sq=semiquinonate and 3‐methoxysq=3‐methoxysemiquinonate, form colloids in water‐DMSO (1 % v/v) mixtures that are invisible to the naked eyes. [Ru(DIP)2(3‐methoxysq)](PF6) was found to form a highly stable and monodispersed colloid with nanoaggregates of ∼25 nm. In contrast, [Ru(DIP)2(sq)](PF6) was found to form large reticulates of mostly spherical aggregates which size was found to increase over time. The difference in size and shape distribution of drug candidates is of tremendous significance as the study of their biological activity might be severely affected. Overall, we strongly believe that these observations should be taken into account by the scientific community working on the development of metal‐based drugs with poor water solubility.
Switching Photomechanical Response by a Structural Phase Transition in a Naphthalene Diimide Derivative
Authors: Goto Kenta , Asada Mizue , Nakamura Toshikazu , Tani Fumito
Published: December 2019

A newly prepared photoresponsive material, specifically a naphthalene diimide molecule containing alkylamino groups, was found to exhibit a structural phase transition in the crystalline state. The phase transition dramatically altered the molecular arrangement from orthogonal π‐π stacking to parallel π‐π stacking. The photomechanical response of each crystal was also changed before and after the phase transition. While the as‐prepared crystal immediately responded to light irradiation (λ=370 nm), the responsiveness of the crystal became slower after heat treatment. Upon light irradiation, radical species, such as the radical anion, radical anion dimer, and mixed valence species, were formed, which have nearly the same distribution in both phases. However, the spin system and the structure of the radical anion were quite different from each other and were found to be sensitive to the molecular arrangement. The photo‐responsiveness of the crystals was corroborated by evaluating the relaxation of the radical anion.
A high‐speed long‐haul wavelength division multiplexing–based inter‐satellite optical wireless communication link using spectral‐efficient 2‐D orthogonal modulation scheme
Authors: Singh Mehtab , Malhotra Jyoteesh
Published: December 2019

In this work, we propose a novel multi‐bit/symbol spectral‐efficient optical orthogonal modulation scheme based on simultaneously modulating differential quadrature phase shift keying (DQPSK)‐polarization shift keying (PolSK) in a 16‐channel wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)‐based inter‐satellite optical wireless communication (IsOWC) system. Through numerical simulations, we demonstrate a reliable transportation of 16 × 100 Gbps information over 25 000 km of transmission range with acceptable bit error rate (BER) using the proposed system. Further, the impact of space turbulences (ie, pointing error losses) on the BER performance of the proposed IsOWC link has been evaluated using numerical simulations. The simulation results report a successful transportation of information up to 2.7 μrad receiver pointing error angle with acceptable performance.
Pleural metastasis from auricular melanoma: A brief report
Authors: Straccia Patrizia , Martini Maurizio , Pierconti Francesco
Published: December 2019

Primary auricular melanoma is rarely reported. Approximately, it accounts for 1% to 4% of all cutaneous melanoma. Early literature suggested that melanoma of the ear is more aggressive than other melanomas, with a propensity for spreading to both regional lymph nodes and distant sites. Here, we present a case of cytological pleural metastasis from auricular melanoma in a 43‐year‐old woman. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the tumors cells were positive for S‐100 protein and Melan‐A. The mutation of the v‐raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF)V600E was demonstrated on Sanger sequencing. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the cytomorphology of metastatic auricular melanoma in pleural effusion.
Microangiopathy: Is it relevant to wound healing in diabetic foot disease?
Authors: Sharma Sanjeev , Schaper Nicolaas , Rayman Gerry
Published: December 2019

Chronic diabetic complications – both microvascular and macrovascular – have become serious health issues with their increasing prevalence paralleling the dramatic rise of the diabetic population worldwide. Of these complications, foot disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, consuming more health care resource than all other complications combined. Diabetic polyneuropathy and peripheral vascular disease constitute the two main risk factors, with trauma and foot infection being the most important initiating factors and contributors to delayed healing. Intracellular oxidative stress mediated by hyperglycaemia along with hypertension, dyslipidaemia and smoking constitute the main pathological processes in the aetiology of both macrovascular and microvascular disease. Whilst the former remains the major cause of overall mortality in diabetes, the role of microangiopathy in the pathogenesis of diabetes foot disease and its contribution to delayed wound healing in diabetes has yet to be fully understood and indeed continues to be debated. This article will review the key findings to date on structural and functional microvascular abnormalities in the diabetic foot skin and consider their contribution to impaired would healing.
Islands in the desert for cavity‐nesting bees and wasps: Ecology, patterns of diversity, and conservation at oases of Baja California Peninsula
Authors: Falcón‐Brindis Armando , Jiménez Jiménez María Luisa , Rodríguez‐Estrella Ricardo
Published: December 2019

Aims

The oases of Baja California Peninsula (BCP) have been proposed as important hotspots of biodiversity that hold an exceptional richness in the middle of desert conditions. We tested the effect of habitat and anthropogenic disturbance on communities of cavity‐nesting taxa, with specific emphasis on bees, wasps, and their natural enemies.

Methods

In oases of BCP and desert neighbor environments, trap‐nesting taxa were evaluated in response to factors affecting the nest abundance, richness, and community structure. We used statistical models to find correlates of nest abundance and patterns of diversity, as well as ecological analyses to determine the effect of habitat and human disturbance on species diversity and community structure.

Results

Solar irradiation, distance to a perennial waterbody and relative humidity influenced the presence of nests, number of brood cells, and parasitism. In general, abundance, species richness, and parasitism were higher in oases, especially in those with less human disturbance. Bees did not discriminate between oases and deserts to nest, whereas mud‐daubing wasps were more dependent of oases. The degree of anthropogenic disturbance did not affect the occurrence of parasitism, but it had an adverse effect on the parasitism intensity (number of attacked cells). The community structure was more complex and even in oases and low‐disturbed sites. The similarity between sites did not exceed 30%, and the proportion of shared species between oases and deserts varied from 2.7% to 26.6%.

Main conclusions

The oases of Baja California are functioning as mesic islands in the desert, each oasis hosting a unique community of cavity‐nesting taxa. About 65% of the nests and 50% of species occurred exclusively in the oasis. Thus, cavity‐nesting species that depend on mesic conditions could be threatened if the oases of BCP disappear in the future. Local conditions in the oases and deserts of the BCP are shaping the community structure. However, large‐scale factors such as climate can influence the seasonality and occurrence of species within the community of cavity‐nesting dwellers. Since habitat loss and fragmentation can degrade the oases’ functionality, strategies to maintain the ecosystem services of pollination and biological control should be included in the conservation programs of these fragile habitats.
Direct and indirect effects of environmental factors, spatial constraints, and functional traits on shaping the plant diversity of montane forests
Authors: Li Ting , Xiong Qinli , Luo Peng , Zhang Yubo , Gu Xiaodong , Lin Bo
Published: December 2019

Understanding the relative importance of the factors driving the patterns of biodiversity is a key research topic in community ecology and biogeography. However, the main drivers of plant species diversity in montane forests are still not clear. In addition, most existing studies make no distinction between direct and indirect effects of environmental factors and spatial constraints on plant biodiversity. Using data from 107 montane forest plots in Sichuan Giant Panda habitat, China, we quantified the direct and indirect effects of abiotic environmental factors, spatial constraints, and plant functional traits on plant community diversity. Our results showed significant correlations between abiotic environmental factors and trees (r = .10, p value = .001), shrubs (r = .19, p value = .001), or overall plant diversity (r = .18, p value = .001) in montane forests. Spatial constraints also showed significant correlations with trees and shrubs. However, no significant correlations were found between functional traits and plant community diversity. Moreover, the diversity (richness and abundance) of shrubs, trees, and plant communities was directly affected by precipitation, latitude, and altitude. Mean annual temperature (MAT) had no direct effect on the richness of tree and plant communities. Further, MAT and precipitation indirectly affected plant communities via the tree canopy. The results revealed a stronger direct effect on montane plant diversity than indirect effect, suggesting that single‐species models may be adequate for forecasting the impacts of climate factors in these communities. The shifting of tree canopy coverage might be a potential indicator for trends of plant diversity under climate change.
A framework for conceptualizing dimensions of social organization in mammals
Authors: Prox Lea , Farine Damien
Published: December 2019

Mammalian societies represent many different types of social systems. While some aspects of social systems have been extensively studied, there is little consensus on how to conceptualize social organization across species. Here, we present a framework describing eight dimensions of social organization to capture its diversity across mammalian societies. The framework uses simple information that is clearly separated from the three other aspects of social systems: social structure, care system, and mating system. By applying our framework across 208 species of all mammalian taxa, we find a rich multidimensional landscape of social organization. Correlation analysis reveals that the dimensions have relatively high independence, suggesting that social systems are able to evolve different aspects of social behavior without being tied to particular traits. Applying a clustering algorithm allows us to identify the relative importance of key dimensions on patterns of social organization. Finally, mapping mating system onto these clusters shows that social organization represents a distinct aspect of social systems. In the future, this framework will aid reporting on important aspects of natural history in species and facilitate comparative analyses, which ultimately will provide the ability to generate new insights into the primary drivers of social patterns and evolution of sociality.
Fire and development influences on sagebrush community plant groups across a climate gradient in northern Nevada
Authors: Wood David J. A. , Seipel Tim , Irvine Kathryn M. , Rew Lisa J. , Stoy Paul C.
Published: December 2019

The sagebrush biome covers much of the western United States yet is at risk from ongoing disturbances. Physical disturbances such as fire often overcome the resistance of sagebrush communities to biological disturbances such as invasion by non‐native species, but the impact of burn severity or combined disturbance types on sagebrush community composition remains unclear. We examined the relationship between native functional groups and non‐native annual grass cover to the number of fires, burn severity, anthropogenic development, and vegetation treatments in northern Nevada, USA. We used Bureau of Land Management vegetation monitoring plots and existing climate, fire, and vegetation treatment databases to explore relationships using beta regression. After accounting for mean annual precipitation and temperature, and elevation, we quantified functional group mean cover related to levels of burn severity, numbers of fires, development, and vegetation treatments. Native herbaceous (grass and forb) groups were resilient to fire, but fire caused large declines in shrub and sagebrush cover. Non‐native annual grass cover was associated with higher burn severity and the first fire at a site. We did not find evidence that post‐fire restoration treatments were associated with increased native cover or decreased non‐native cover. However, shrub control and soil disturbing treatments (discing and chaining) were associated with decreased native perennial grass cover and increased non‐native annual grass cover. Functional groups displayed varying patterns related to anthropogenic development and fire. For example, development had a larger impact on non‐native cover at lower levels of burn severity, whereas forbs increased following fire only at lower levels of development. Although in some cases sagebrush communities showed resilience to disturbance, our results showed resistance to invasion by non‐native annual grasses can be overcome by combinations of disturbances at lower levels or by severe events.
Hydrothermal sensitivities of seed populations underlie fluctuations of dormancy states in an annual plant community
Authors: Liu Shuangshuang , Bradford Kent J. , Huang Zhenying , Venable D. Lawrence
Published: December 2019

Plant germination ecology involves continuous interactions between changing environmental conditions and the sensitivity of seed populations to respond to those conditions at a given time. Ecologically meaningful parameters characterizing germination capacity (or dormancy) are needed to advance our understanding of the evolution of germination strategies within plant communities. The germination traits commonly examined (e.g., maximum germination percentage under optimal conditions) may not adequately reflect the critical ecological differences in germination behavior across species, communities, and seasons. In particular, most seeds exhibit primary dormancy at dispersal that is alleviated by exposure to dry after‐ripening or to hydrated chilling to enable germination in a subsequent favorable season. Population‐based threshold (PBT) models of seed germination enable quantification of patterns of germination timing using parameters based on mechanistic assumptions about the underlying germination physiology. We applied the hydrothermal time (HTT) model, a type of PBT model that integrates environmental temperature and water availability, to study germination physiology in a guild of coexisting desert annual species whose seeds were after‐ripened by dry storage under different conditions. We show that HTT assumptions are valid for describing germination physiology in these species, including loss of dormancy during after‐ripening. Key HTT parameters, the hydrothermal time constant (θHT) and base water potential distribution among seeds (Ψb(g)), were effective in describing changes in dormancy states and in clustering species exhibiting similar germination syndromes. θHT is an inherent species‐specific trait relating to timing of germination that correlates well with long‐term field germination fraction, while Ψb(g) shifts with depth of dormancy in response to after‐ripening and seasonal environmental variation. Predictions based on variation among coexisting species in θHT and Ψb(g) in laboratory germination tests matched well with 25‐yr observations of germination dates and fractions for the same species in natural field conditions. Seed dormancy and germination strategies, which are significant contributors to long‐term species demographics under natural conditions, can be represented by readily measurable functional traits underlying variation in germination phenologies.
Antioxidant Effect Potential of Garlic In Vitro and Real Food System: Effects of Garlic Supplementation on Oxidation Stability and Sensory Properties of Butter
Authors: Aydın Serap , Tahmas Kahyaoğlu Deren
Published: December 2019

In this research, the effect of adding garlic and synthetic antioxidant to butter produced on both quality characteristics and oxidation stability during the storage (1st, 15th, 30th, 45th, 60th, 75th, and 90th days) process is investigated. With this aim, two replicates of butter samples as control, containing different proportions of garlic (butter treated with 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10% crushed garlic) and with 50 ppm butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) added are prepared. 2,2′‐Azinobis‐(3‐ethylbenzthiazoline‐6‐sulfonate) and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl free radical‐scavenging ability, ferric reducing antioxidant power value of garlic are found as 26.05%; 87.48%; 70 mm mL−1, respectively. Total phenolic content, total flavonoids, and total antioxidant capacity of fresh garlic are determined. The main components of essential oil of garlic are determined. The rate of oxidation decreases as the garlic rate increases. The highest sensory analysis scores for the first days of storage are for the control and butter with 50 ppm BHT added, followed by samples with 5%, 2.5%, and 7.5% garlic added. At the end of storage, the highest sensory analysis scores are obtained by the butter with 5% garlic added. The butter with 10% garlic added is not liked in terms of sensory properties.

Practical Applications: Oxidation‐causing or accelerating factors are oxygen, light, temperature, metal ions, some pigments, and degree of unsaturation. Oxidation is eliminated when these factors are eliminated. But in practice this is not possible. Therefore, it is very difficult to prevent oxidation without adding any material. Antioxidants are the most effective substances in the food industry for the production, storage, transport, and marketing of vegetable and animal fats and fat‐containing foods, delaying the effect of atmospheric oxygen at normal temperatures, preventing food spoilage, and rancidity for a certain period of time. Due to the carcinogenic effects of synthetic antioxidants, interest in natural antioxidants has increased. It is known that garlic has antioxidant effects. Natural antioxidants are used in the food industry for different purposes due to their extensive bioactivity profile. Peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid tests are generally used to determine the degree of lipid oxidation in butter.
AlCl3‐Promoted Ritter‐Type Ring‐Opening Reactions of γ‐Butyrolactone Fused Donor‐Acceptor Cyclopropanes with Wet Aliphatic Nitriles
Authors: Tamilarasan V. John , Srinivasan Kannupal
Published: December 2019

γ‐Butyrolactone fused D‐A cyclopropanes, when treated with aliphatic nitriles in the presence of water and aluminium(III) chloride, gave 3,4,5‐trisubstituted γ‐butyrolactones stereoselectively. The products are most likely produced through ring opening by nitriles followed by nucleophilic addition of water to the resulting nitrilium ion intermediates through a Ritter‐type mechanism.
Sensitive Nucleic Acid Detection at NH2‐MWCNTs Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode and its Application for Monitoring of Gemcitabine‐DNA Interaction
Authors: Shahzad Suniya , Karadurmus Leyla , Dogan‐Topal Burcu , Taskin‐Tok Tugba , Shah Afzal , Ozkan Sibel A.
Published: December 2019

An electrochemical dsDNA nanobiosensor was fabricated using amino‐functionalized multi walled carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode (NH2fMWCNTs/GCE) for the sensitive detection of DNA bases and electrochemical monitoring of drug‐DNA interaction. The influence of functional groups on MWCNT was studied by MWCNT functionalized with NH2 (NH2fMWCNTs) and COOH (COOHfMWCNT) groups based on the signal of DNA bases. The modified electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. One layer of calf thymus double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ct‐dsDNA) was immobilized onto the NH2fMWCNTs/GCE (dsDNA/NH2fMWCNTs/GCE). The dsDNA/NH2fMWCNTs/GCE were used to investigate the interaction between the dsDNA and the anticancer drug gemcitabine by differential pulse voltammetry in acetate buffer of pH 4.70. For the confirmation of interaction, the lowering in intensity of the current signals of guanine and adenine was considered as an indicator. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies were performed for the comparison of the modified surfaces. In order to define and visualize the interaction mechanism between gemcitabine and dsDNA/NH2fMWCNTs/GCE at the molecular level, in silico methods including docking and molecular dynamics simulations were employed.
Frequency and intensity of tropical disturbances over the Indian region and its neighboring seas with associated rainfall during the monsoon season: A perspective
Authors: Nandargi Shobha Shivaram , Mahto Shanti Shwarup
Published: December 2019

India, a leading developing country in the Asian continent, is worldwide famous for its diversified and complex monsoon rainfall system, and the factors associated with it. The peninsular shape in the southern half provides an extra benefit in terms of rainfall. This mainly occurs over the coastal regions due to the passage of tropical disturbances, which originate from the surrounding seas. An alarming effect of global warming on the climate of India is the potential increase of severe climatic situations, such as storms, hurricanes, etc, in future. In this context, the relationship between the rainfall over the Indian region and the frequency and intensity of tropical disturbances is here studied to know the actual role of these disturbances in rainfall contribution over the country for the period of 1901 to 2017. The genesis of disturbances over the seas is marked and linked with the rainfall distribution. The activities of tropical disturbances and rainfall during extreme event years, such as El Niño, La Niña, flood, and drought, are also thoroughly investigated. The rainfall behavior is also observed in the presence, as well as in the absence, of tropical disturbances, since these disturbances play a vital role in the rainfall contribution, especially during the weak monsoon years.
Wood process domains and wood loads on floodplains
Authors: Wohl Ellen
Published: December 2019

Downed large wood on floodplains creates similar geomorphic and ecological effects as wood in the active channel, but has been the subject of fewer geomorphic studies. I propose floodplain large wood process domains that are distinguished based on recruitment source at the reach to river‐length scale. Wood recruited to the floodplain can be autochthonous (individual or mass recruitment from floodplain forest), fluvially transported, or transported from adjacent hillslopes via mass movements that come down the valley side slopes or down the main channel. Fluvially transported wood can be further distinguished as being deposited: within the channel and subsequently accreted to the floodplain; marginal to the channel; on the floodplain during overbank flow; or on tributary fans. The mechanism of wood recruitment to a floodplain influences the spatial distribution of the wood across the floodplain and the proportion of wood pieces within jams, which in turn influences geomorphic and ecological effects of the floodplain wood. Using published studies of floodplain wood load for unmanaged river corridors, I hypothesize that the climate‐controlled balance between forest primary productivity and decay rates of downed wood is the first‐order control on floodplain large wood loads. Disturbance regime and wood recruitment mechanism are second‐order controls on wood load and primary controls on the spatial distribution of large wood. Understanding of floodplain large wood can be applied to quantifying the effect of large wood on river corridors; river restoration; paleoenvironmental inferences; and estimation of organic carbon stock in river corridors. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characteristics of landslides in forests and grasslands triggered by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake
Authors: Koyanagi Kenta , Gomi Takashi , Sidle Roy C.
Published: December 2019

We examined the characteristics of landslides triggered by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake (Mw = 7.0: focal depth=10.0 km) in forests and grasslands within two affected watersheds (Tokosegawa: 6.9 km2 and Nigorigawa: 6.1 km2) in southwestern Japan. We identified 190 landslides using aerial photographs and analyzed their sizes by geographic information system (GIS). Field investigations were conducted to obtain landslide depth, volume and residual sediment for 38 selected landslides (21 in forests and 17 in grasslands). The minimum area of detected landslides in grasslands (400 m2) was smaller than in forests (1000 m2), probably because of reduced detectability of landslides under tree cover. The ratio of total area occupied by landslides for a given range of slope gradient in the watersheds increased from 3.2% on gentle grassland slopes (10–15°) to 15.5% on steep (>45°) slopes, whereas the maximum landslide‐area ratio in forest sites (7.4%) occurred on relatively gentle slopes (25–30°). Estimated landslide volume ranged from 27 to 9622 m3, based on mean depth of each landslide measured around individual landslide scars. Moreover, the volumetric ratio of landslide deposit volume to total landslide volume exceeded 100% for 48% of the landslides within forests and 35% of the landslides within grasslands. Our findings show that land cover had extensive and recognizable effects on the characteristics of landslides and resulting in‐channel sediment accumulations. Resetting sediment dynamics after earthquakes associated with different land cover distributions needs to be considered within watersheds. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of water erosion on flame retardancy of high‐impact polystyrene/magnesium hydroxide composite and its mode of action
Authors: Liu Jichun , Li Hang , Chang Haibo , He Yunpeng , Zhong Anyang , Wu Sai , Pan Bingli
Published: December 2019

High‐impact polystyrene (HIPS) flame retarded by magnesium hydroxide (MH) was treated in water at different conditions. The effect of water erosion on flame retardancy of the HIPS/MH composite and its mode of action was investigated by various means. The results indicate that both limiting oxygen index value and UL‐94 rating of the HIPS/MH composite decrease observably after water erosion. The average heat release rate, average mass loss rate, total heat release, and total smoke release of the composite all increase remarkably after water erosion. The MH content in the surface layer of the HIPS/MH composite reduces, and the surface of this composite becomes rough and porous after erosion. The water‐eroded composite shows a loose and discrete surface morphology after subjected to fire, which favors heat transfer and mass exchange between flame area and the underlying polymers. Consequently, both flame retardancy and smoke suppression of the polymer composite decrease significantly. The decrease in flame retardancy occurs in condensed phase. The result of this work has provided a basis for further investigations to prevent this detrimental effect induced by water erosion.