bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Highly Active, Selective, and Recyclable Water‐Soluble Glutathione‐Stabilized Pd and Pd‐Alloy Nanoparticle Catalysts in Biphasic Solvent
Authors: Bhama Shekhar , Sibakoti Tirtha R. , Jasinski Jacek B. , Zamborini Francis P. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractGlutathione‐protected Pd, PdAu and PdPt nanoparticles (NPs) show greatly increased reactivity and stability towards the hydrogenation/isomerization of allyl alcohol in a biphasic organic/aqueous solvent mixture compared to single‐phase alkanethiol‐protected Pd‐based NPs. NPs synthesized under aerobic conditions have higher activity compared to those synthesized under nitrogen, with the highest TOF of 676 mole product/mole metal/hour for 75 : 25 PdAu NPs at 20 mL/min H2 flow. 75 : 25 PdAu NPs prepared under nitrogen have a maximum TOF of 507 at 20 mL/min H2 flow, but can be recycled 4 times (9 times at 8 mL/min H2 flow). Ethyl acetate is a better organic phase solvent compared to dichloromethane and chlorobenzene in terms of TOF and recyclability. All of the NPs studied show >80 % selectivity for the isomer product (propanal). The branched, open structure of the glutathione and use of the biphasic solvent provides high catalytic activity, high selectivity, and easy removal of the products in the organic phase for good recyclability of the water‐soluble catalysts.
LiMM‐PCA: Combining ASCA+ and linear mixed models to analyse high‐dimensional designed data
Authors: Martin Manon , Govaerts Bernadette 
Published: March 2020

AbstractNowadays, life science experiments—and especially “omics” fields—often imply a high volume of information from high throughput technologies that is gathered in the form of a wide and short multivariate response. These data are intrinsically correlated and generally produced by another multivariate set of factors or continuous variables, collected in what is defined as the design matrix. Such design factors usually involve the presence of a treatment, but other sources of biological or technical variability in the data are often measured as well. The ASCA framework, based on ANOVA and PCA, leads to promising results. By combining dimension reduction projection methods and classic statistical modelling, it enables to decipher the main sources of variability in the produced response and offers attractive graphical representations of the factors' effect. However, this approach has not yet been extended to more advanced designs involving random factors, being typically involved in longitudinal, hierarchical, or repeatability/reproducibility studies. This paper has its roots in the GLM version of ASCA, called ASCA+, that leads to unbiased estimators of the factors' effects for unbalanced data. It is here extended by replacing GLM by LMM and adapting the methodology. Taking into account the error structure of the data indeed leads to more accurate data modelling and more generalisable results. The suggested methodology is applied to two experimental case studies that highlight the benefits of this approach as it leads to a refined data analysis with interesting inferential properties, while keeping the powerful visualisation outputs produced by ASCA.
Strong and Superhydrophobic Wood with Aligned Cellulose Nanofibers as a Waterproof Structural Material†
Authors: Li Yongfeng , Chen Chaoji , Song Jianwei , Yang Chunpeng , Kuang Yudi , Vellore Azhar , Hitz Emily , Zhu Mingwei , Jiang Feng , Yao Yonggang , Gong Amy , Martini Ashlie , Hu Liangbing 
Published: March 2020

Summary of main observation and conclusionLightweight structural materials are important for the energy efficiency of applications, particularly those in the building sector. Here, inspired by nature, we developed a strong, superhydrophobic, yet lightweight material by simple in situ growth of nano‐SiO2 and subsequent densification of the wood substrate. In situ generation of SiO2 nanoparticles both inside the wood channels and on the wood surfaces gives the material superhydrophobicity, with static and dynamic contact angles of 159.4o and 3o, respectively. Densification of the wood to remove most of the spaces among the lumen and cell walls results in a laminated, dense structure, with aligned cellulose nanofibers, which in turn contributes to a high mechanical strength up to 384.2 MPa (7‐times higher than natural wood). Such treatment enables the strong and superhydrophobic wood (SH‐Wood) to be stable and have excellent water, acid, and alkaline resistance. The high mechanical strength of SH‐Wood combined with its excellent structural stability in harsh environments, as well its low density, positions the strong and superhydrophobic wood as a promising candidate for strong, lightweight, and durable structural materials that could potentially replace steel.
Nonparametric change point detection for periodic time series
Authors: Guo Lingzhe , Modarres Reza 
Published: March 2020

AbstractWe consider detection of multiple changes in the distribution of periodic and autocorrelated data with known period. To account for periodicity we transform the sequence of vector observations by arranging them in matrices and thereby producing a sequence of independently and identically distributed matrix observations. We propose methods of testing the equality of matrix distributions and present methods that can be applied to matrix observations using the E‐divisive algorithm. We show that periodicity and autocorrelation degrade existing change detection methods because they blur the changes that these procedures aim to discover. Methods that ignore the periodicity have low power to detect changes in the mean and the variance of periodic time series when the periodic effects overwhelm the true changes, while the proposed methods detect such changes with high power. We illustrate the proposed methods by detecting changes in the water quality of Lake Kasumigaura in Japan. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 48: 518–534; 2020 © 2020 Statistical Society of Canada
Graph convolutional networks with higher‐order pooling for semisupervised node classification
Authors: Lei Fangyuan , Liu Xun , Jiang Jianjian , Liao Liping , Cai Jun , Zhao Huimin 
Published: March 2020

SummaryThe information propagation mechanism in graph‐structured networks such as social networks is the foundation of network security. The graph convolutional network (GCN) is a powerful approach for semisupervised node classification on graph‐structure data. The vertex features which pass through the graph network are affected by the k‐hop neighborhood vertices. However, current high‐order GCN approaches merged the k‐hop neighborhood using coarse pooling and complicated weight parameters. To reduce the computational complexity and preserve topological of the graph data, with weight sharing mechanism we propose a novel GCN based on a novel higher‐order pooling layer for semisupervised classification. The proposed model and its variants are experimental studied on several large‐scale citation network datasets using semisupervised learning. The experimental results show that the proposed model and its variants have lower computational complexity and achieve the state‐of‐the‐art in the node classification accuracy.
A sleep‐and‐wake technique for reducing energy consumption in BitTorrent networks
Authors: Marozzo Fabrizio , Talia Domenico , Trunfio Paolo 
Published: March 2020

SummaryFile sharing is one of the leading Internet applications of P2P technology. Given the high number of computer nodes involved in peer‐to‐peer networks, reducing their aggregate energy consumption is an important challenge to be faced. In this paper, we show how the sleep‐and‐wake energy saving approach can be exploited to reduce energy consumption in BitTorrent, one of the most popular file sharing peer‐to‐peer networks. We describe BitTorrentSW, a sleep‐and‐wake approach for BitTorrent networks that allows seeders (ie, peers that hold complete files) to cyclically switch between wake and sleep modes to save energy while ensuring good file sharing performance. The decision to switch to sleep mode is taken independently by each seeder based on local information about the composition of the peer‐to‐peer network. BitTorrentSW has been evaluated through PeerSim using real BitTorrent traces. The simulation results show that, in all the configurations under analysis, the percentage of energy saved by BitTorrentSW is much higher than the percentage of increase in download time. For instance, in a network with 50% of seeders, about 20% of energy is saved using BitTorrentSW, with an increase of only 7% of the average time needed to complete a file download compared to a standard BitTorrent network in which all seeders are always powered
on.
Synthetic DNA Assembly Using Golden Gate Cloning and the Hierarchical Modular Cloning Pipeline
Authors: Marillonnet Sylvestre , Grützner Ramona 
Published: March 2020

AbstractMethods that enable the construction of recombinant DNA molecules are essential tools for biological research and biotechnology. Golden Gate cloning is used for assembly of multiple DNA fragments in a defined linear order in a recipient vector using a one‐pot assembly procedure. Golden Gate cloning is based on the use of a type IIS restriction enzyme for digestion of the DNA fragments and vector. Because restriction sites for the type IIS enzyme used for assembly must be present at the ends of the DNA fragments and vector but absent from all internal sequences, special care must be taken to prepare DNA fragments and the recipient vector with a structure suitable for assembly by Golden Gate cloning. In this article, protocols are presented for preparation of DNA fragments, modules, and vectors suitable for Golden Gate assembly cloning. Additional protocols are presented for assembly of defined parts in a transcription unit, as well as the stitching together of multiple transcription units into multigene constructs by the modular cloning (MoClo) pipeline. © 2020 The Authors.Basic Protocol 1: Performing a typical Golden Gate cloning reactionBasic Protocol 2: Accommodating a vector to Golden Gate cloningBasic Protocol 3: Accommodating an insert to Golden Gate cloningBasic Protocol 4: Generating small standardized parts compatible with hierarchical modular cloning (MoClo) using level 0 vectorsAlternate Protocol: Generating large standardized parts compatible with hierarchical modular cloning (MoClo) using level –1 vectorsBasic Protocol 5: Assembling transcription units and multigene constructs using level 1, M, and P MoClo vectors
Strong Light–Matter Interactions in Au Plasmonic Nanoantennas Coupled with Prussian Blue Catalyst on BiVO4 for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
Authors: Ghobadi T. Gamze Ulusoy , Ghobadi Amir , Soydan Mahmut Can , Vishlaghi Mahsa Barzgar , Kaya Sarp , Karadas Ferdi , Ozbay Ekmel 
Published: March 2020

AbstractA facial and large‐scale compatible fabrication route is established, affording a high‐performance heterogeneous plasmonic‐based photoelectrode for water oxidation that incorporates a CoFe–Prussian blue analog (PBA) structure as the water oxidation catalytic center. For this purpose, an angled deposition of gold (Au) was used to selectively coat the tips of the bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) nanostructures, yielding Au‐capped BiVO4 (Au‐BiVO4). The formation of multiple size/dimension Au capping islands provides strong light–matter interactions at nanoscale dimensions. These plasmonic particles not only enhance light absorption in the bulk BiVO4 (through the excitation of Fabry–Perot (FP) modes) but also contribute to photocurrent generation through the injection of sub‐band‐gap hot electrons. To substantiate the activity of the photoanodes, the interfacial electron dynamics are significantly improved by using a PBA water oxidation catalyst (WOC) resulting in an Au‐BiVO4/PBA assembly. At 1.23 V (vs. RHE), the photocurrent value for a bare BiVO4 photoanode was obtained as 190 μA cm−2, whereas it was boosted to 295 μA cm−2 and 1800 μA cm−2 for Au‐BiVO4 and Au‐BiVO4/PBA, respectively. Our results suggest that this simple and facial synthetic approach paves the way for plasmonic‐based solar water splitting, in which a variety of common metals and semiconductors can be employed in conjunction with catalyst designs.
Cryptanalysis and improvement of the YAK protocol with formal security proof and security verification via Scyther
Authors: Mohammad Zeyad 
Published: March 2020

SummaryHao proposed the YAK as a robust key agreement based on public‐key authentication, and the author claimed that the YAK protocol withstands all known attacks and therefore is secure against an extremely strong adversary. However, Toorani showed the security flaws in the YAK protocol. This paper shows that the YAK protocol cannot withstand the known key security attack, and its consequences lead us to introduce a new key compromise impersonation attack, where an adversary is allowed to reveal both the shared static secret key between two‐party participation and the ephemeral private key of the initiator party in order to mount this attack. In addition, we present a new security model that covers these attacks against an extremely strong adversary. Moreover, we propose an improved YAK protocol to remedy these attacks and the previous attacks mentioned by Toorani on the YAK protocol, and the proposed protocol uses a verification mechanism in its block design that provides entity authentication and key confirmation. Meanwhile, we show that the proposed protocol is secure in the proposed formal security model under the gap Diffie‐Hellman assumption and the random oracle assumption. Moreover, we verify the security of the proposed protocol and YAK protocol by using an automatic verification method such as the Scyther tool, and the verification result shows that the security claims of the proposed protocol are proven, in contrast to those of the YAK protocol, which are not proven. The security and performance comparisons show that the improved YAK protocol outperforms previous related protocols.
Herbivory and climate as drivers of woody plant growth: Do deer decrease the impacts of warming?
Authors: Vuorinen Katariina E. M. , Rao Shaila J. , Hester Alison J. , Speed James D. M. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractVegetation at ecotone transitions between open and forested areas is often heavily affected by two key processes: climate change and management of large herbivore densities. These both drive woody plant state shifts, determining the location and the nature of the limit between open and tree or shrub‐dominated landscapes. In order to adapt management to prevailing and future climate, we need to understand how browsing and climatic factors together affect the growth of plants at biome borders. To disentangle herbivory and climate effects, we combined long‐term tree growth monitoring and dendroecology to investigate woody plant growth under different temperatures and red deer (Cervus elaphus) herbivory pressures at forest–moorland ecotones in the Scottish highlands. Reforestation and deer densities are core and conflicting management concerns in the area, and there is an urgent need for additional knowledge. We found that deer herbivory and climate had significant and interactive effects on tree growth: in the presence of red deer, pine (Pinus sylvestris) growth responded more strongly to annual temperature than in the absence of deer, possibly reflecting differing plant–plant competition and facilitation conditions. As expected, pine growth was negatively related to deer density and positively to temperature. However, at the tree population level, warming decreased growth when more than 60% of shoots were browsed. Heather (Calluna vulgaris) growth was negatively related to temperature and the direction of the response to deer switched from negative to positive when mean annual temperatures fell below 6.0°C. In addition, our models allow estimates to be made of how woody plant growth responds under specific combinations of temperature and herbivory, and show how deer management can be adapted to predicted climatic changes in order to more effectively achieve reforestation goals. Our results support the hypothesis that temperature and herbivory have interactive effects on woody plant growth, and thus accounting for just one of these two factors is insufficient for understanding plant growth mechanics at biome transitions. Furthermore, we show that climate‐driven woody plant growth increases can be negated by herbivory.
End‐user involvement to improve predictions and management of populations with complex dynamics and multiple drivers
Authors: Henden John‐André , Ims Rolf A. , Yoccoz Nigel G. , Asbjørnsen Einar J. , Stien Audun , Mellard Jarad Pope , Tveraa Torkild , Marolla Filippo , Jepsen Jane Uhd 
Published: March 2020

AbstractSustainable management of wildlife populations can be aided by building models that both identify current drivers of natural dynamics and provide near‐term predictions of future states. We employed a Strategic Foresight Protocol (SFP) involving stakeholders to decide the purpose and structure of a dynamic state‐space model for the population dynamics of the Willow Ptarmigan, a popular game species in Norway. Based on local knowledge of stakeholders, it was decided that the model should include food web interactions and climatic drivers to provide explanatory predictions. Modeling confirmed observations from stakeholders that climate change impacts Ptarmigan populations negatively through intensified outbreaks of insect defoliators and later onset of winter. Stakeholders also decided that the model should provide anticipatory predictions. The ability to forecast population density ahead of the harvest season was valued by the stakeholders as it provides the management extra time to consider appropriate harvest regulations and communicate with hunters prior to the hunting season. Overall, exploring potential drivers and predicting short‐term future states, facilitate collaborative learning and refined data collection, monitoring designs, and management priorities. Our experience from adapting a SFP to a management target with inherently complex dynamics and drivers of environmental change, is that an open, flexible, and iterative process, rather than a rigid step‐wise protocol, facilitates rapid learning, trust, and legitimacy.
Reductions in the dietary niche of southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) from the Holocene to the Anthropocene
Authors: Elliott Smith Emma A. , Tinker Martin Tim , Whistler Emily L. , Kennett Douglas J. , Vellanoweth René L. , Gifford‐Gonzalez Diane , Hylkema Mark G. , Newsome Seth D. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal hunted to near extinction during the 1800s. Despite their well‐known modern importance as a keystone species, we know little about historical sea otter ecology. Here, we characterize the ecological niche of ancient southern sea otters (E. lutris nereis) using δ13C analysis and δ15N analysis of bones recovered from archaeological sites spanning ~7,000 to 350 years before present (N = 112 individuals) at five regions along the coast of California. These data are compared with previously published data on modern animals (N = 165) and potential modern prey items. In addition, we analyze the δ15N of individual amino acids for 23 individuals to test for differences in sea otter trophic ecology through time. After correcting for tissue‐specific and temporal isotopic effects, we employ nonparametric statistics and Bayesian niche models to quantify differences among ancient and modern animals. We find ancient otters occupied a larger isotopic niche than nearly all modern localities; likely reflecting broader habitat and prey use in prefur trade populations. In addition, ancient sea otters at the most southerly sites occupied an isotopic niche that was more than twice as large as ancient otters from northerly regions. This likely reflects greater invertebrate prey diversity in southern California relative to northern California. Thus, we suggest the potential dietary niche of sea otters in southern California could be larger than in central and northern California. At two sites, Año Nuevo and Monterey Bay, ancient otters had significantly higher δ15N values than modern populations. Amino acid δ15N data indicated this resulted from shifting baseline isotope values, rather than a change in sea otter trophic ecology. Our results help in better understanding the contemporary ecological role of sea otters and exemplify the strength of combing zooarchaeological and biological information to provide baseline data for conservation efforts.
Rapid mitochondrial genome sequencing based on Oxford Nanopore Sequencing and a proxy for vertebrate species identification
Authors: Franco‐Sierra Nicolás D. , Díaz‐Nieto Juan F. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractMolecular information is crucial for species identification when facing challenging morphology‐based specimen identifications. The use of DNA barcodes partially solves this problem, but in some cases when PCR is not an option (i.e., primers are not available, problems in reaction standardization), amplification‐free approaches could be an optimal alternative. Recent advances in DNA sequencing, like the MinION device from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT), allow to obtain genomic data with low laboratory and technical requirements, and at a relatively low cost. In this study, we explore ONT sequencing for molecular species identification from a total DNA sample obtained from a neotropical rodent and we also test the technology for complete mitochondrial genome reconstruction via genome skimming. We were able to obtain “de novo” the complete mitogenome of a specimen from the genus Melanomys (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) with average depth coverage of 78X using ONT‐only data and by combining multiple assembly routines. Our pipeline for an automated species identification was able to identify the sample using unassembled sequence data (raw) in a reasonable computing time, which was substantially reduced when a priori information related to the organism identity was known. Our findings suggest ONT sequencing as a suitable candidate to solve species identification problems in metazoan nonmodel organisms and generate complete mtDNA datasets.