bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A case study of improved cook stoves in primate conservation from Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Kahlenberg Sonya M. , Bettinger Tammie , Masumbuko Honoré K. , Basyanirya Gracianne K. , Guy Simisi M. , Katsongo Jonathan K. , Kocanjer Nadine , Warfield Laurie , Mbeke Jackson K. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractHuman communities living near nonhuman primate habitats often depend on wood from forests for their energy needs. Improving the efficiency of local cook stoves is a potential “win‐win” solution that is commonly promoted to protect forests and improve human health and development. Despite the popularity of improved stove projects in primate conservation, few outcomes have been formally published. As a result, it is currently unclear whether this approach is a wise investment of limited conservation funds. This paper describes a pilot study conducted by the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center to evaluate the potential for using improved stoves for the conservation of an important habitat for Grauer's gorillas and chimpanzees in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Community surveys and observations of human forest use revealed a heavy local reliance on forest‐derived wood. Wood was the main source of fuel used in households, the most highly valued forest resource, and the primary resource extracted during forest observations. It was primarily collected by women and children. The use of traditional, inefficient three‐stone hearths for cooking was also widespread. A 2‐year campaign using a community‐based social marketing approach resulted in an increase in improved stove installations from 18% to 78% of households in one village. After stove adoption, weekly household wood consumption was reduced by half. Campaign elements that showed promise include promotion using women's networks and intensive follow‐up assessment and support. We conclude that, if scaled up, improved stoves may be a useful strategy for reducing encroachment into our target protected area but that successful implementation will require a significant long‐term commitment with evaluation and oversight. It is recommended that before investing in improved stoves, primate conservation projects take long‐term and evaluation requirements into consideration.
Wassermobilität in der grenzflächeninduzierten Schmelzschicht von Eis/Tonmineral‐Nanokompositen
Authors: Li Hailong , Mars Julian , Lohstroh Wiebke , Koza Michael Marek , Butt Hans‐Jürgen , Mezger Markus 
Published: November 2020

AbstractAn Festkörper/Eis‐Grenzflächen bildet sich bereits bei Temperaturen unterhalb des Volumenschmelzpunkts bei 0 °C eine grenzflächeninduzierte Schmelzschicht. Die strukturellen und dynamischen Eigenschaften innerhalb der Schmelzschicht sind Gegenstand intensiver Diskussionen. Hier wurde der Diffusionskoeffizient Dt von Wasser in Eis/Tonmineral‐Nanokompositen mit quasielastischer Neutronenstreuung bestimmt. Proben aus hydrophilem Vermikulit mit negativer Oberflächenladung, ungeladenem hydrophilem Kaolin und hydrophoberem Talk dienen als Modellsysteme für Permafrost. Unterhalb des Volumenschmelzpunkts nimmt Dt rasch ab; unter −4 °C werden Plateauwerte erreicht. Bei diesen Temperaturen ist Dt in der Schmelzschicht um bis zu einen Faktor 2 im Vergleich zu unterkühltem Wasser reduziert. In Proben aus geladenem Vermikulit wurde die geringste Wassermobilität beobachtet, gefolgt von Kaolin und dem hydrophoberen Talk. Diese Befunde werden durch die intermolekularen Wechselwirkungen von Wasser mit den verschiedenen Mineraloberflächen sowie die Anreicherung der “Low‐Density Liquid Water”(LDL)‐Wasserkomponente an Grenzflächen erklärt.
“Excess” electrons in LuGe
Authors: Freccero Riccardo , Hübner Julia‐Maria , Prots Yurii , Schnelle Walter , Schmidt Markus , Wagner Frank R. , Schwarz Ulrich , Grin Yuri 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThe monogermanide LuGe is obtained via high‐pressure high‐temperature synthesis (5–15 GPa, 1023–1423 K). The crystal structure is solved from single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction data (structure type FeB, space groupPnma,a=7.660(2) Å,b=3.875(1) Å, andc=5.715(2) Å, RF=0.036 for 206 symmetry independent reflections). The analysis of chemical bonding applying quantum‐chemical techniques in position space was performed. It revealed—beside the expected 2c‐Ge‐Ge bonds in the germanium polyanion—rather unexpected four‐atomic bonds between lutetium atoms indicating the formation of a polycation by the excess electrons in the system Lu3+(2b)Ge2−×1 e−. Despite the reduced VEC of 3.5, lutetium monogermanide is following the extended 8‐N rule with the trend to form lutetium‐lutetium bonds utilizing the electrons left after satisfying the bonding needs in the anionic Ge‐Ge zigzag chain.
The fiber‐matrix interface in Ioncell cellulose fiber composites and its implications for the mechanical performance
Authors: Bulota Mindaugas , Sriubaite Simona , Michud Anne , Nieminen Kaarlo , Hughes Mark , Sixta Herbert , Hummel Michael 
Published: November 2020

AbstractFiber‐reinforced composites based on natural fibers are promising alternatives for materials made of metal or synthetic polymers. However, the inherent inhomogeneity of natural fibers limits the quality of the respective composites. Man‐made cellulose fibers (MMCFs) prepared from cellulose solutions via wet or dry‐jet wet spinning processes can overcome these limitations. Herein, MMCFs are used to prepare single fiber epoxy composites and UD composites with 20, 30, 40, and 60 wt% fiber loads. The mechanical properties increase gradually with fiber loading. Young's modulus is improved three times while tensile strength doubles at a loading of 60 wt%. Raman spectroscopy is employed to follow conformational changes of the cellulose chains within the fibers upon mechanical deformation of the composites. The shift of the characteristic Raman band under strain indicates the deformation mechanisms in the fiber. Provided stress transfer occurs through the interface, it is a direct measure of the fiber‐matrix interaction, which is investigated herein. The shift rate of the 1095 cm−1 band decreases in single fiber composites compared to the neat fibers and continues to decrease as the fiber loading increased.
Enhanced mechanical and anisotropic thermal conductive properties of polyimide nanocomposite films reinforced with hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets
Authors: Hwang Gyu‐Hyun , Kwon Young Seung , Lee Ji‐Su , Jeong Young Gyu 
Published: November 2020

AbstractTo attain thermally conductive but electrically insulating polymer films, in this study, polyimide (PI) nanocomposite films with 1–30 wt% functionalized hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) were fabricated via solution casting and following imidization. The microstructures, mechanical and thermal conductive properties of PI/BNNS nanocomposite films were examined by taking account of the relative content, anisotropic orientation, and interfacial interaction of BNNS and PI matrix. The scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffractometry data revealed that BNNSs with hydroxy and amino functional groups have specific molecular interactions with PI matrix and they form stacked aggregates in the nanocomposite films with high BNNS loadings of 10–30 wt%. The tensile mechanical strength/modulus, thermal degradation temperatures, and thermal conductivity of the nanocomposite films were found to be significantly enhanced with increasing the BNNS loadings. For the nanocomposite films with 1–30 wt% BNNS loadings, the in‐plane thermal conductivity was measured to be 1.82–2.38 W/mK, which were much higher than the out‐of‐plane values of 0.35–1.14 W/mK. The significant anisotropic thermal conductivity of the nanocomposite films was found to be owing to the synergistic anisotropic orientation effects of both BNNS and PI matrix. It is noticeable that the in‐plane and out‐of‐plane thermal conductivity values of the nanocomposite film with 30 wt% BNNS were ~1.31 and ~3.35 times higher than those of neat PI film, respectively.
Evolving the narrative for protecting a rapidly changing ocean, post‐COVID‐19
Authors: Laffoley D. , Baxter J.M. , Amon D.J. , Claudet J. , Hall‐Spencer J.M. , Grorud‐Colvert K. , Levin L.A. , Reid P.C. , Rogers A.D. , Taylor M.L. , Woodall L.C. , Andersen N.F. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThe ocean is the linchpin supporting life on Earth, but it is in declining health due to an increasing footprint of human use and climate change. Despite notable successes in helping to protect the ocean, the scale of actions is simply not now meeting the overriding scale and nature of the ocean's problems that confront us.Moving into a post‐COVID‐19 world, new policy decisions will need to be made. Some, especially those developed prior to the pandemic, will require changes to their trajectories; others will emerge as a response to this global event. Reconnecting with nature, and specifically with the ocean, will take more than good intent and wishful thinking. Words, and how we express our connection to the ocean, clearly matter now more than ever before.The evolution of the ocean narrative, aimed at preserving and expanding options and opportunities for future generations and a healthier planet, is articulated around six themes: (1) all life is dependent on the ocean; (2) by harming the ocean, we harm ourselves; (3) by protecting the ocean, we protect ourselves; (4) humans, the ocean, biodiversity, and climate are inextricably linked; (5) ocean and climate action must be undertaken together; and (6) reversing ocean change needs action now.This narrative adopts a ‘One Health’ approach to protecting the ocean, addressing the whole Earth ocean system for better and more equitable social, cultural, economic, and environmental outcomes at its core. Speaking with one voice through a narrative that captures the latest science, concerns, and linkages to humanity is a precondition to action, by elevating humankind's understanding of our relationship with ‘planet Ocean’ and why it needs to become a central theme to everyone's lives. We have only one ocean, we must protect it, now. There is no ‘Ocean B’.
Beurteilung der Festigkeitseigenschaften bestehender Talbrücken aus Spannbeton
Authors: Gebauer Daniel , Schmidt Boso , Schacht Gregor , Marx Steffen 
Published: November 2020

AbstractIm Jahr 2016 wurde die Lahntalbrücke bei Limburg durch einen Neubau ersetzt. Vor dem Rückbau des westlichen Überbaus konnten mehr als 250 Bohrkerne und weitere Probekörper für Untersuchungen aus dem Bestandsbauwerk entnommen werden. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit den Untersuchungen zur Druckfestigkeit und zur Spaltzugfestigkeit. Die Ergebnisse werden statistisch ausgewertet. Dabei werden unterschiedliche Zuordnungen der Stichprobe zu statistischen Gesamtheiten untersucht, um eine geeignete Unterteilung der Stichprobe zu identifizieren. Weiterhin werden aus den Versuchsergebnissen Bemessungswerte gemäß DIN EN 13791 und Eurocode 0 abgeleitet und mit den rechnerischen Erwartungswerten verglichen. Das Ziel der Untersuchungen besteht darin, Erkenntnisse für die Beurteilung der Festigkeitseigenschaften bestehender Talbrücken zu gewinnen und perspektivisch daraus eine sichere und wirtschaftliche Untersuchungsmethodik zu entwickeln.
Engineering Education in Cold War Diplomacy: India, Germany, and the Establishment of IIT Madras**
Authors: Wittje Roland 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThe Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT) was set up with assistance of the Federal Republic of Germany between 1956 and 1974. It became the largest, and finally, a successful techno‐scientific education project undertaken by the Federal Republic outside of Germany. In this paper, I argue that the engagement of the Federal Republic at IIT Madras has to be understood primarily as a project of Cold‐War science and technology diplomacy, which on the German side was aimed at preventing an Indian recognition of the German Democratic Republic as a sovereign nation. In aiding the establishment of IIT Madras, the Federal Republic came into direct competition with the Soviet Union, which supported IIT Bombay but also with the United States of America, which supported IIT Kanpur. The assistance to establish IIT Madras and its governance followed mainly political guidelines, to which educational and scientific aspects were rendered subordinate. When the project was in a crisis after the first State Treaty to establish IIT Madras expired in 1963, the political flagship project of the Federal Republic was not allowed to fail. Instead, the cooperation was reorganized and support increased.
Perirhinal cortex area 35 controls the functional link between the perirhinal and entorhinal‐hippocampal circuitry
Authors: Kajiwara Riichi , Tominaga Takashi 
Published: November 2020

AbstractIn several experimental conditions, neuronal excitation at the perirhinal cortex (PC) does not propagate to the entorhinal cortex (EC) due to a “wall” of inhibition, which may help to create functional coupling and un‐coupling of the PC and EC in the medial temporal lobe. However, little is known regarding the coupling control process. Herein, we propose that the deep layer of area 35 in the PC plays a pivotal role in opening the gate for coupling, thus allowing the activity in the PC to propagate to the EC. Using voltage‐sensitive dye imaging for the brain slices of rodents, we show that a slowly inactivating potassium conductance in this area is essential to induce excitation overtaking the inhibitory control. This coupling between the distinct neural circuits persists for at least 1 h. We elucidate further implications of this network‐level plastic behavior and its mechanism.
Taming fitness: Organism‐environment interdependencies preclude long‐term fitness forecasting
Authors: Doulcier Guilhem , Takacs Peter , Bourrat Pierrick 
Published: November 2020

AbstractFitness is a central but notoriously vexing concept in evolutionary biology. The propensity interpretation of fitness is often regarded as the least problematic account for fitness. It ties an individual's fitness to a probabilistic capacity to produce offspring. Fitness has a clear causal role in evolutionary dynamics under this account. Nevertheless, the propensity interpretation faces its share of problems. We discuss three of these. We first show that a single scalar value is an incomplete summary of a propensity. Second, we argue that the widespread method of “abstracting away” environmental idiosyncrasies by averaging over reproductive output in different environments is not a valid approach when environmental changes are irreversible. Third, we point out that expanding the range of applicability for fitness measures by averaging over more environments or longer time scales (so as to ensure environmental reversibility) reduces one's ability to distinguish selectively relevant differences among individuals because of mutation and eco‐evolutionary feedbacks. This series of problems leads us to conclude that a general value of fitness that is both explanatory and predictive cannot be attained. We advocate for the use of propensity‐compatible methods, such as adaptive dynamics, which can accommodate these difficulties.
Cause and effect in epigenetics – where lies the truth, and how can experiments reveal it?
Authors: Klutstein Michael 
Published: November 2020

AbstractEpigenetic changes are implicated in aging and cancer. Sometimes, it is clear whether the causing agent of the condition is a genetic factor or epigenetic. In other cases, the causative factor is unclear, and could be either genetic or epigenetic. Is there a general role for epigenetic changes in cancer and aging? Here, I present the paradigm of causative roles executed by epigenetic changes. I discuss cases with clear roles of the epigenome in cancer and aging, and other cases showing involvement of other factors. I also present the possibility that sometimes causality is difficult to assign because of the presence of self‐reinforcing loops in epigenetic regulation. Such loops hinder the identification of the causative factor. I provide an experimental framework by which the role of the epigenome can be examined in a better setting and where the presence of such loops could be investigated in more detail.
Radiomics‐based classification models for HBV‐related cirrhotic patients with covert hepatic encephalopathy
Authors: Luo Sha , Zhou Zhi‐Ming , Guo Da‐Jing , Li Chuan‐Ming , Liu Huan , Wu Xiao‐Jia , Liang Shuang , Zhao Xiao‐yan , Chen Ting , Sun Dong , Shi Xin‐Lin , Zhong Wei‐Jia , Zhang Wei 
Published: November 2020

AbstractIntroductionThe significant abnormalities of precuneus (PC), which are associated with brain dysfunction, have been identified in cirrhotic patients with covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE). The present study aimed to apply radiomics analysis to identify the significant radiomic features in PC and their subregions, combine with clinical risk factors, then build and evaluate the classification models for CHE diagnosis.Methods106 HBV‐related cirrhotic patients (54 had current CHE and 52 had non‐CHE) underwent the three‐dimensional T1‐weighted imaging. For each participant, PC and their subregions were segmented and extracted a large number of radiomic features and then identified the features with significant discriminative power as the radiomics signature. The logistic regression analysis was employed to develop and evaluate the classification models, which are constructed using the radiomics signature and clinical risk factors.ResultsThe classification model (R‐C model) achieved best diagnostic performance, which incorporated radiomics signature (4 radiomic features from right PC), venous blood ammonia, and the Child‐Pugh stage. And the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values were 0.926, 1.000, 0.765, and 0.848, in the testing set. Application of the radiomics nomogram in the testing set still showed a good predictive accuracy.ConclusionsThis study presented the radiomic features of the right PC, as a potential image marker of CHE. The radiomics nomogram that incorporates the radiomics signature and clinical risk factors may facilitate the individualized prediction of CHE.
Periplocin inhibits the growth of pancreatic cancer by inducing apoptosis via AMPK‐mTOR signaling
Authors: Xie Gangyin , Sun Linxiao , Li Yonglin , Chen Bicheng , Wang Cheng 
Published: November 2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundPeriplocin is a monomeric compound that exhibits anti‐tumor activities. It is extracted from Cortex Periplocae.ObjectiveThis study aimed at determining the effect of periplocin treatment on the apoptosis and proliferation of human pancreatic cancer cells, and to elucidate on its mechanisms of action.MethodsPANC1 and cfpac1 cells were treated with periplocin. Cell proliferation was detected by RTCA, Ki67 immunofluorescence, and a clonogenic assay. The transwell assay was used to examine cell migration and invasion functions. The expression of apoptosis‐associated proteins was detected by flow cytometry and western blotting. Total RNA was extracted from the treated and untreated group of PANC1 cells for RNA‐seq detection and analysis. Differentially expressed genes were screened for GO biological process and KEGG pathway analysis. Finally, CFPAC1 cells were subcutaneously inoculated into BALB / c nude mice to assess tumor growth.ResultsPeriplocin inhibited the proliferation of PANC1 and CFPAC1 cells and induced their apoptosis by activating the AMPK/mTOR pathway and inhibiting p70 S6K. It also attenuated the cell migration, invasion, and inhibited the growth of cfpac1 xenografts in nude mice.ConclusionsPeriplocin inhibits human pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and induces their apoptosis by activating the AMPK / mTOR pathway.
Release of Soybean Isoflavones by Using a β‐Glucosidase from Alicyclobacillus herbarius
Authors: Delgado Lidia , Heckmann Christian M. , Di Pisa Flavio , Gourlay Louise , Paradisi Francesca 
Published: November 2020

Abstractβ‐Glucosidases are used in the food industry to hydrolyse glycosidic bonds in complex sugars, with enzymes sourced from extremophiles better able to tolerate the process conditions. In this work, a novel β‐glycosidase from the acidophilic organism Alicyclobacillus herbarius was cloned and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). AheGH1 was stable over a broad range of pH values (5–11) and temperatures (4–55 °C). The enzyme exhibited excellent tolerance to fructose and good tolerance to glucose, retaining 65 % activity in the presence of 10 % (w/v) glucose. It also tolerated organic solvents, some of which appeared to have a stimulating effect, in particular ethanol with a 1.7‐fold increase in activity at 10 % (v/v). The enzyme was then applied for the cleavage of isoflavone from isoflavone glucosides in an ethanolic extract of soy flour, to produce soy isoflavones, which constitute a valuable food supplement, full conversion was achieved within 15 min at 30 °C.
Advanced Understanding of the Electron Transfer Pathway of Cytochrome P450s
Authors: Chen Chun‐Chi , Min Jian , Zhang Lilan , Yang Yu , Yu Xuejing , Guo Rey‐Ting 
Published: November 2020

AbstractCytochrome P450s are heme‐thiolate enzymes that participate in carbon source assimilation, natural compound biosynthesis and xenobiotic metabolism in all kingdoms of life. P450s can catalyze various reactions by using a wide range of organic compounds, thus exhibiting great potential in biotechnological applications. The catalytic reactions of P450s are driven by electron equivalents that are sourced from pyridine nucleotides and delivered by cognate or matching redox partners (RPs). The electron transfer (ET) route from RPs to P450s involves one or more redox center‐containing domains. As the rate of ET is one of the main determinants of P450 efficacy, an in‐depth understanding of the P450 ET pathway should increase our knowledge of these important enzymes and benefit their further applications. Here, the various P450 RP systems along with current understanding of their ET routes will be reviewed. Notably, state‐of‐the‐art structural studies of the two main types of self‐sufficient P450 will also be summarized.
How To Quantify a Genetic Firewall? A Polarity‐Based Metric for Genetic Code Engineering
Authors: Schmidt Markus , Kubyshkin Vladimir 
Published: November 2020

AbstractGenetic code engineering aims to produce organisms that translate genetic information in a different way from that prescribed by the standard genetic code. This endeavor could eventually lead to genetic isolation, where an organism that operates under a different genetic code will not be able to transfer functional genes with other living species, thereby standing behind a genetic firewall. It is not clear however, how distinct the code should be, or how to measure the distance. We have developed a metric (Δcode) where we assigned polarity indices (clog D7) to amino acids to calculate the distances between pairs of genetic codes. We then calculated the distance between a set of 204 genetic codes, including the 24 known distinct natural codes, 11 extreme‐distance codes created computationally, nine theoretical special purpose codes from literature and 160 codes in which canonical amino acids were replaced by noncanonical chemical analogues. The metric can be used for building strategies towards creating semantically alienated organisms, and testing the strength of genetic firewalls. This metric provides the basis for a map of the genetic codes that could guide future efforts towards novel biochemical worlds, biosafety and deep barcoding applications.