bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distribution of whale shark (Rhincodon typus) off northern Peru based on habitat suitability
Authors: Gonzalez‐Pestana Adriana , Maguiño Rossana , Mendoza Alejandra , Kelez Shaleyla , Ramírez‐Macías Dení 
Published: April 2020

Abstract

In the south‐eastern Pacific Ocean, few studies of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) exist. In Peru, the northern coast has been identified as the area with the highest presence of whale sharks, yet their ecology in this area is poorly defined.
This study predicts the spatial distribution of whale sharks off coastal northern Peru (03°00′S–04°30′S) during La Niña and El Niño seasonal conditions, utilizing maximum entropy modelling. Between 2009 and 2018 (except for 2011), 347 whale sharks were geo‐referenced in northern Peru with greatest data recordings in the austral summer and spring during La Niña events.
Depth was the most important predictive variable for spatial distribution of whale sharks, followed by chlorophyll‐a. Sharks were predicted in shallower coastal waters in which chlorophyll‐a values are higher.
Habitat suitability was higher in the northern coastal part of the study area. Spring presents the most suitable environmental conditions for whale sharks, both during La Niña and El Niño conditions. The probability of whale shark presence in the north of Peru increases at higher chlorophyll‐a and sea surface temperature values. Therefore, whale sharks appear to aggregate seasonally in northern Peru, potentially exploiting rich foraging grounds.
In these areas of high suitability, whale sharks are susceptible to fisheries, bycatch, ship collisions, unmanaged tourism, and pollution; thus, management actions should focus in these areas.
This study represents a first step to understand the distribution and habitat suitability of whale shark in Peruvian waters. Further studies should identify suitable habitat for whale sharks in offshore areas. Also, these should focus on the connectivity of these aggregations with other localities in the south‐eastern Pacific in order to contribute to regional strategies for the conservation of this iconic species in this particular region.
Metal–Organic Framework Composites for Theragnostics and Drug Delivery Applications
Authors: Osterrieth Johannes W. M. , Fairen‐Jimenez David 
Published: April 2020

AbstractAmong a plethora of nano‐sized therapeutics, metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have been some of the most investigated novel materials for, predominantly, cancer drug delivery applications. Due to their large drug uptake capacities and slow‐release mechanisms, MOFs are desirable drug delivery vehicles that protect and transport sensitive drug molecules to target sites. The inclusion of other guest materials into MOFs to make MOF‐composite materials has added further functionality, from externally triggered drug release to improved pharmacokinetics and diagnostic aids. MOF‐composites are synthetically versatile and can include examples such as magnetic nanoparticles in MOFs for MRI image contrast and polymer coatings that improve the blood‐circulation time. From synthesis to applications, this review will consider the main developments in MOF‐composite chemistry for biomedical applications and demonstrate the potential of these novel agents in nanomedicine. It is concluded that, although vast synthetic progress has been made in the field, it requires now to develop more biomedical expertise with a focus on rational model selection, a major comparative toxicity study, and advanced targeting techniques.
A simplified method for the efficient purification and refolding of recombinant human TRAIL
Authors: Zhang Zhenjiang , Hahn Su Bin , Cao Thong M. , King Michael R. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractTumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) belongs to the TNF cytokine superfamily that specifically induces apoptosis in a broad spectrum of human cancer cell lines but not in most healthy cells. The antitumor potential of recombinant human TRAIL (rhTRAIL) has attracted great attention among biologists and oncologists. However, attempts to express rhTRAIL in Escherichia coli often results in limited yield of bioactive protein due to the formation of inclusion bodies (IBs), which are dense insoluble particulate protein aggregates inside cells. We describe herein a highly simplified method to produce pure bioactive rhTRAIL using E. coli. The method is straightforward and requires only basic laboratory equipment, with highly efficient purification and high yield of renaturation, and may also be applied to produce other proteins that form IBs in E. coli.
Urachal carcinoma: Impact of recurrence pattern and lymphadenectomy on long‐term outcomes
Authors: Duan Fangfang , Zhai Wenyu , Zhang Bei , Guo Shengjie 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundUrachal carcinoma is a rare nonurothelial malignant tumor with high rates of local recurrence and systemic metastasis. Although radical resection is widely considered the standard treatment, there is still a debate regarding the benefits of lymphadenectomy. To explore these factors, we investigated the recurrence pattern of urachal cancer and the impact of lymphadenectomy on long‐term survival.MethodsThe data of 62 patients pathologically diagnosed with urachal carcinoma at Sun Yat‐sen University Cancer Center from 2002 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Lymphadenectomy was defined as lymph nodes retrieved from the obturator, internal iliac, and external iliac lymph node stations. The Kaplan‐Meier method and Cox regression model were used to identify prognostic factors. OS and DFS were the primary endpoints.ResultsOf the 47 males and 15 females included, 54 patients underwent partial cystectomy, and 27 patients underwent lymphadenectomy. The number of patients with Sheldon stage IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, IVA, and IVB were 43 (69.4%), 4 (6.5%) 3 (4.8%), 6 (9.7%), and 6 (9.7%), respectively. The median DFS was 32.7 months, and the mean OS was 114.6 months. Sheldon stage (P < .001) and tumor size (P = .001) were identified as independent prognostic factors for DFS, whereas Sheldon stage (P = .003), peritoneal metastasis (P = .006), distant metastasis (P = .024), and recurrence in pelvic lymph nodes (P = .015) were independent prognostic factors for OS.ConclusionsUrachal carcinoma has a high recurrence rate, but only peritoneal metastasis, distant metastasis, and recurrence in pelvic lymph nodes were found to be associated with OS. Lymphadenectomy was recommended because of its role in accurately staging the disease, and further research is needed to focus on lymphadenectomy and standardized the procedure.
Adding a late fall application of Proxy (ethephon) before two traditional spring applications improves seedhead control of annual bluegrass
Authors: Reicher Zachary J. , Sousek Matthew D. , Patton Aaron J. , Van Dyke Adam , Kreuser William C. , Inguagiato John C. , Miele Kevin M. , Brewer John , Askew Shawn D. , Hathaway Aaron , Nikolai Thomas A. , Kowalewski Alec , McDonald Brian 
Published: April 2020

AbstractAnnual bluegrass (ABG) (Poa annua L.) is a prolific seed producer in the spring on golf courses that in turn decreases aesthetic quality and trueness of ball roll on cool‐season putting greens. Proxy (ethephon) applied twice in the spring after green‐up is the current industry standard after the loss of Embark (mefluidide) from the turf and ornamental market. However, plant growth regulators including Proxy have been used for years to help suppress ABG seedheads with inconsistent success. The primary objective of this study was to determine if ABG seedhead suppression is improved by adding a late fall application of Proxy to the two traditional spring applications of plant growth regulators at nine locations with diverse environments. A second objective was to determine the importance of including Primo Maxx (trinexapac‐ethyl) in fall and spring applications. Adding a late fall application of Proxy prior to the two spring applications (F+S+S) improved control of ABG seedheads over the traditional two spring applications (S+S), but the magnitude of improvement varied among locations. When treatments were applied F+S+S, the industry standard tank mixture of Proxy + Primo Maxx provided consistent ABG seedhead control and turf quality, similar to Proxy + Fiata (phosphonate + proprietary pigment) and equal to or better than Proxy alone.
Conformational Studies of Oligosaccharides
Authors: Yu Yang , Delbianco Martina 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe conformation of a molecule strongly affects its function, as demonstrated for peptides and nucleic acids. This correlation is much less established for carbohydrates, the most abundant organic materials in nature. Recent advances in synthetic and analytical techniques have enabled the study of carbohydrates at the molecular level. Recurrent structural features were identified as responsible for particular biological activities or material properties. In this Minireview, recent achievements in the structural characterization of carbohydrates, enabled by systematic studies of chemically defined oligosaccharides, are discussed. These findings can guide the development of more potent glycomimetics. Synthetic carbohydrate materials by design can be envisioned.
Experimental Validation of a Multidimensional Model for an Indirect Temperature Swing Adsorption Unit
Authors: Ried Thomas , Salazar Duarte Gabriel , Hinrichsen Olaf 
Published: April 2020

AbstractConventional temperature swing adsorption (TSA) is mainly applied for the removal of trace contaminants. Indirectly heated and cooled adsorbers were developed to make bulk separation economically feasible. A quasi‐continuous TSA process to remove CO2 from an N2/CO2 mixture with a pilot plant is established. The experimentally determined data are taken to validate and to adjust a 2D simulation model. For the validation, the CO2 desorption, the N2 recovery rate as well as the axial temperature profile are compared. The successful model validation can be seen in the good agreement between simulation and experimental results. Moreover, this process is able to separate high amounts of CO2 and to produce a nearly CO2‐free product stream.
Experiences in porting mini‐applications to OpenACC and OpenMP on heterogeneous systems
Authors: Vergara Larrea Verónica G. , Budiardja Reuben D. , Gayatri Rahulkumar , Daley Christopher , Hernandez Oscar , Joubert Wayne 
Published: April 2020

SummaryThis article studies mini‐applications—Minisweep, GenASiS, GPP, and FF—that use computational methods commonly encountered in HPC. We have ported these applications to develop OpenACC and OpenMP versions, and evaluated their performance on Titan (Cray XK7 with K20x GPUs), Cori (Cray XC40 with Intel KNL), Summit (IBM AC922 with Volta GPUs), and Cori‐GPU (Cray CS‐Storm 500NX with Intel Skylake and Volta GPUs). Our goals are for these new ports to be useful to both application and compiler developers, to document and describe the lessons learned and the methodology to create optimized OpenMP and OpenACC versions, and to provide a description of possible migration paths between the two specifications. Cases where specific directives or code patterns result in improved performance for a given architecture are highlighted. We also include discussions of the functionality and maturity of the latest compilers available on the above platforms with respect to OpenACC or OpenMP implementations.
Correlation of Physicochemical and Antimicrobial Properties of Liposomes Loaded with (+)‐Usnic Acid
Authors: Battista Sara , Bellio Pierangelo , Celenza Giuseppe , Galantini Luciano , Franceschini Irene , Mancini Giovanna , Giansanti Luisa 
Published: April 2020

Abstract(+)‐Usnic acid (UA) is a natural substance that displays pharmacological activity, but it is barely soluble in water, so it was included in liposomes in order to study its properties. First, the effects of phospholipid structure and loading methodology on UA entrapment efficacy were evaluated. Then, the physicochemical and biological properties (UA delivery efficacy to Staphylococcus aureus bacterial cells) of different liposome formulations containing structurally related amphiphiles derived from L‐prolinol were fully investigated. Entrapment efficiency of UA with passive loading by incubation was 80–100 molar percentage, which is related to lipophilicity of the drug and to the packing and fluidity of the bilayer. Some of the investigated formulations show the potential of UA in delivery systems (minimum inhibitory concentration of liposomal UA: 8 μg/mL) and even subtle variations of the molecular structure of lipids can significantly affect the liposomes’ physicochemical properties and efficiency of drug release.
Zinc and Cadmium Complexes of Pyridinemethanol Carboxylates: Metal Carboxylate Zwitterions and Metal–Organic Frameworks
Authors: Liu Yan , Lin Shi‐Xin , Niu Ru‐Jie , Liu Quan , Zhang Wen‐Hua , Young David J. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe heterofunctional lactone furo[3,4‐b]pyridin‐5(7H)‐one (L1) undergoes a coordination‐induced ring‐opening reaction with Zn(NO3)2 ⋅ 6H2O to yield the zwitterionic [Zn(L1′)2(H2O)2] (1, L1′=2‐(hydroxymethyl)nicotinate) with an uncoordinated carboxylate. The same reaction with Cd(NO3)2 ⋅ 4H2O provides a two‐dimensional (2D) network of [Cd(L1′)2]n (3) with the carboxylates coordinated to cadmium(II) propagating the assembly. The corresponding reactions of Zn(NO3)2 ⋅ 6H2O and Cd(NO3)2 ⋅ 4H2O with 2‐(hydroxymethyl)isonicotinic acid (HL2) generated zwitterionic [Zn(L2)2(H2O)2] (2) and a 2D network [Cd(L2)2]n⋅nDMF (4, DMF=N,N′‐dimethylformamide), respectively. Complexes 1–4 are weakly emissive, giving ligand‐centered emissions at 409 nm (1), 412/436 nm (2), 404 nm (3), and 412/436 nm (4) in CHCl3 solutions upon excitation at 330 nm. This work points to the potential of using ‘hidden’ functionalities widely found in small organic molecules and natural products for the construction of coordination complexes with new functionality and potential applications.
N‐Alkylated C‐Glycosyl Amino Acid Derivatives: Synthesis by a One‐Pot Four‐Component Ugi Reaction
Authors: Vlahoviček‐Kahlina Kristina , Štefanić Zoran , Vazdar Katarina , Jerić Ivanka 
Published: April 2020

AbstractC‐glycosides represent an important group of naturally occurring glycosylation derivatives but are also efficient mimetics of native O‐glycosides. Here, a one‐pot four‐component methodology is described toward a library of N‐alkylated C‐glycosyl amino acid derivatives comprising seven different isopropylidene‐protected carbohydrate units. The applied methodology tolerates different amines and isocyanides and provides access to Ugi products in yields up to 85 %. X‐ray analysis of selected products bearing three different carbohydrate motifs and comparison of their crystal structures with similar ones deposited in Cambridge Crystallographic Database revealed that four structures adopt different conformations, mostly not typical for peptide structures. This property opens the possibility to exploit here described N‐alkylated C‐glycosyl amino acid derivatives as templates to access different biotic and abiotic secondary structures.
Genotyping‐by‐sequencing and ecological niche modeling illuminate phylogeography, admixture, and Pleistocene range dynamics in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Authors: Bagley Justin C. , Heming Neander M. , Gutiérrez Eliécer E. , Devisetty Upendra K. , Mock Karen E. , Eckert Andrew J. , Strauss Steven H. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractPopulus tremuloides is the widest‐ranging tree species in North America and an ecologically important component of mesic forest ecosystems displaced by the Pleistocene glaciations. Using phylogeographic analyses of genome‐wide SNPs (34,796 SNPs, 183 individuals) and ecological niche modeling, we inferred population structure, ploidy levels, admixture, and Pleistocene range dynamics of P. tremuloides, and tested several historical biogeographical hypotheses. We found three genetic lineages located mainly in coastal–Cascades (cluster 1), east‐slope Cascades–Sierra Nevadas–Northern Rockies (cluster 2), and U.S. Rocky Mountains through southern Canadian (cluster 3) regions of the P. tremuloides range, with tree graph relationships of the form ((cluster 1, cluster 2), cluster 3). Populations consisted mainly of diploids (86%) but also small numbers of triploids (12%) and tetraploids (1%), and ploidy did not adversely affect our genetic inferences. The main vector of admixture was from cluster 3 into cluster 2, with the admixture zone trending northwest through the Rocky Mountains along a recognized phenotypic cline (Utah to Idaho). Clusters 1 and 2 provided strong support for the “stable‐edge hypothesis” that unglaciated southwestern populations persisted in situ since the last glaciation. By contrast, despite a lack of clinal genetic variation, cluster 3 exhibited “trailing‐edge” dynamics from niche suitability predictions signifying complete northward postglacial expansion. Results were also consistent with the “inland dispersal hypothesis” predicting postglacial assembly of Pacific Northwestern forest ecosystems, but rejected the hypothesis that Pacific‐coastal populations were colonized during outburst flooding from glacial Lake Missoula. Overall, congruent patterns between our phylogeographic and ecological niche modeling results and fossil pollen data demonstrate complex mixtures of stable‐edge, refugial locations, and postglacial expansion within P. tremuloides. These findings confirm and refine previous genetic studies, while strongly supporting a distinct Pacific‐coastal genetic lineage of quaking aspen.
Greater root phosphatase activity of tropical trees at low phosphorus despite strong variation among species
Authors: Guilbeault‐Mayers Xavier , Turner Benjamin L. , Laliberté Etienne 
Published: April 2020

AbstractSoil phosphorus (P) availability in lowland tropical rainforests influences the distribution and growth of tropical tree species. Determining the P‐acquisition strategies of tropical tree species could therefore yield insight into patterns of tree β‐diversity across edaphic gradients. In particular, the synthesis of root phosphatases is likely to be of significance given that organic P represents a large pool of potentially available P in tropical forest soils. It has also been suggested that a high root phosphatase activity in putative nitrogen (N) ‐fixing legumes might explain their high abundance in lowland neotropical forests under low P supply. Here, we measured phosphomonoesterase (PME) activity on the first three root orders of co‐occurring tropical tree species differing in their N‐fixation capacity, growing on soils of contrasting P availability in Panama. Our results show that root PME activity was higher on average in P‐poor than in P‐rich soils, but that local variation in PME activity among co‐occurring species within a site was larger than that explained by differences in soil P across sites. Legumes expressed higher PME activity than nonlegumes, but nodulated legumes (i.e., actively fixing nitrogen) did not differ from legumes without nodules, indicating that PME activity is unrelated to N fixation. Finally, PME activity declined with increasing root order, but the magnitude of the decline varied markedly among species, highlighting the importance of classifying fine roots into functional groups prior to measuring root traits. Our results support the hypothesis that low‐P promotes a high root PME activity, although the high local variation in this trait among co‐occurring species points toward a high functional diversity in P‐acquisition strategies within an individual community.
Preparation and flame retardancy of flax fabric/polybenzoxazine laminates
Authors: Samyn Fabienne , Murariu Oltea , Bonnaud Leila , Duquesne Sophie 
Published: April 2020

SummaryDriven by the need to reduce the carbon footprint of materials, natural fibres reinforced composites are increasingly used. Today, their level of maturity allows to consider their applications in fields where high performance such as flame retardancy are required. This article compares the fire retardant properties of flax laminates based on two thermosets resins, a bio‐based polybenzoxazine and a petroleum‐based epoxy, both considered for aeronautical applications. The effect of alkaline and silane surface modifications of the fibres on the properties of the composites was investigated. The treatments of the flax were proven to allow a better impregnation of the fibres by the matrices but at the same time more defects were observed. Regarding the fire behaviour of the composites, no difference of flammability was highlighted between the treated and untreated materials. The burnthrough resistance evaluation was performed using a small‐scale aeronautical test. The better performance of the epoxy‐based composite compare to the polybenzoxazine one was shown whereas charring is favoured for polybenzoxazine. The low deformability of the char formed when polybenzoxazine decomposes leads to the formation of cracks with the subsequent failure of the test.
Preparation and odor characteristics of nitriles derived from aldehydes
Authors: Lan Liyuan , Huang Shuai , Liu Yongguo , Sun Baoguo , Tian Hongyu 
Published: April 2020

AbstractTwenty nitriles, including saturated and unsaturated aliphatic, araliphatic, and aromatic nitriles, were prepared from the corresponding aldehydes, commonly used as flavors or fragrances. The aldehydes were converted to aldoximes first, which then underwent dehydration by treatment with oxalyl chloride in the presence of a catalytic amount of dimethyl sulfoxide. The nitriles were obtained in high yields in most cases. The odor characteristics of the nitriles obtained were evaluated by GC‐O. The nitriles present varied characteristic odors, which are usually distinct from those of the corresponding aldehydes.
Antioxidative activities of volatile and non‐volatile extracts of Schisandra chinensis Baill fruit
Authors: Park Min‐Seon , Park Min‐Sun , Lee Kwang‐Geun 
Published: April 2020

AbstractIn this study, the antioxidative activity of volatile and non‐volatile extracts from Schisandra chinensis Baill fruit was evaluated. The antioxidative activity of the sample was measured via aldehyde/carboxylic acid assay, 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, and lipid/malonaldehyde assay. The sample was steam distilled under reduced pressure for extracting out the volatile components. The volatile extract was fractionated into seven fractions. The non‐volatile compounds were extracted using methanol. The antioxidative activities of 500 μg/mL of non‐volatile extract were estimated to be 76.80% by DPPH assay and 85.55% by lipid/malonaldehyde assay. Aldehyde/carboxylic acid assay revealed that fractions ⅰ and ⅱ of the volatile extract exhibited the most potent and dose‐dependent antioxidative activity. Terpenes in the volatile extract including α‐ylangene (733.512 μg/g), β‐elemene (145.690 μg/g), and bornyl acetate (321.825 μg/g) were found to contribute to the antioxidative activity.
The impact of sex education mandates on teenage pregnancy: International evidence
Authors: Paton David , Bullivant Stephen , Soto Juan 
Published: April 2020

AbstractTo date most studies of the impact of school‐based sex education have focused either on specific, local interventions or experiences at a national level. In this paper, we use a new cross‐country dataset to explore the extent to which laws on sex education affect teenage pregnancy rates in developed countries. We find some evidence that laws mandating sex education in schools are associated with higher rates of teenage fertility. Parental opt out laws may minimise adverse effects of sex education mandates for younger teens. The estimated effects of mandatory sex education are robust to some but not all of our specifications designed to tease out causality. Taken together, changes in national laws relating to sexual health are unable to explain the significant declines in teenage pregnancy rates, which have been observed in many developed countries in recent years.