bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
MASTER KEY Project: Powering Clinical Development for Rare Cancers Through a Platform Trial
Authors: Okuma Hitomi S. , Yonemori Kan , Narita Shoko N. , Sukigara Tamie , Hirakawa Akihiro , Shimizu Toshio , Shibata Taro , Kawai Akira , Yamamoto Noboru , Nakamura Kenichi , Nishida Toshiro , Fujiwara Yasuhiro 
Published: February 2020

For rare cancers, challenges in establishing standard therapies are greater than those for major cancers, and effective methods are needed. MASTER KEY Project is a multicenter study based in Japan, with two main parts: prospective registry study and multiple clinical trials. Advanced rare cancers, cancers of unknown primary origin, and those with rare tissue subtypes of common cancers are targeted. The registry study accumulates highly reliable consecutive data that can be used for future drug development. The multiple trials are conducted simultaneously, targeting either a specific biomarker or a rare tumor type of interest. The first interim data set from the registry part presented here shows the prevalence of genetic abnormalities, response rates, survival rates, and clinical trial enrollment rates. From May 2017 to April 2019, 560 patients (mean age = 53) were enrolled in the project. Frequent cancer types included soft tissue sarcomas, neuroendocrine tumors, and central nervous system tumors. Among the 528 patients with assessable data, 69% (364/528) had next‐generation sequencing tests, with 48% (176/364) harboring an “actionable” alteration. Seventy‐one (13%) patients have been enrolled in one of the clinical trials, with an accrual rate of 3.94 patients/month. A descriptive analysis of biomarker‐directed or non‐biomarker‐directed treatment survival was performed. This project is expected to accelerate development of treatments for rare cancers and show that comprehensive platform trials are an advantageous strategy.
Functional‐Group Modification of Kraft Lignin for Enhanced Supercapacitors
Authors: Zhou Bingjie , Li Jing , Liu Wei , Jiang Hanmei , Li Shaobo , Tan Luxi , Dong Lichun , She Lan , Wei Zidong 
Published: March 2020

AbstractRecent efforts to improve the capacitances of Kraft lignin (KL) in supercapacitors have mainly focused on screening KL substrates, which could either compensate the poor conductivity of KL or directly contribute to the capacitance. However, increasing the pseudocapacitance contributed by KL itself, through hydroquinone/quinone redox cycles, remains a challenge, owing to the roughly fixed content of hydroquinone species in natural KL. In this study, the capacitance of KL is greatly improved by using a functional‐group modification strategy in which methoxy groups in KL are selectively converted into phenolic hydroxy groups, which facilitate the formation of additional hydroquinone moieties and thus lead to higher pseudocapacitances. The oxidized KL materials show up to 25.6 % enhancement of the phenolic hydroxy content in comparison to raw KL, which results in 21.9 % capacitance improvement from 322 to 390 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 in an acidic system.
Valorization of Technical Lignin for the Production of Desirable Resins with High Substitution Rate and Controllable Viscosity
Authors: Pang Bo , Lam Su Shiung , Shen Xiao‐Jun , Cao Xue‐Fei , Liu Shi‐Jie , Yuan Tong‐Qi , Sun Run‐Cang 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe valorization of lignin to replace phenol is significant in the production of phenolic resins. However, a great challenge is to produce lignin‐based resin (LR) with a suitable viscosity and high substitution rate of lignin to phenol. In this study, LRs were produced using hardwood technical lignin derived from the pulping industry. Structural analysis of the LRs indicated that the unsubstitutedparaandorthocarbon atoms of the aromatic ring influenced the curing temperature and activation energy of the resins. The curing kinetics and thermal decomposition study implied that urea and methylene groups in cured LRs were significant factors that affected the thermal stability negatively. The prepared LRs showed desirable features if used as adhesives to make plywood. This is the first approach in which a substitution rate of up to 65 % is achieved for low‐reactive‐site hardwood lignin, which provides a solution to the challenge of the simultaneous realization of the high addition of lignin and the adaptive viscosity of resins.
Determination of nitrites and nitrates in plasma‐activated deionized water by microchip capillary electrophoresis
Authors: Moravský Ladislav , Troška Peter , Klas Matej , Masár Marián , Matejčík Štefan 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIn this work, we present the application of a fast and sensitive microanalytical method, microchip capillary electrophoresis (MCE), for the determination of NO2− and NO3− ions in deionized water treated by atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ). The MCE technique consisted of an online combination of isotachophoresis with zone electrophoresis, both performed on the microchip. The argon plasma has been characterized by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). OES confirmed the presence of argon excited species (Ar I) emission (4p → 4s) lines, N2 emission bands (second positive system C3Πu → B3Πg), and OH band (A2∑+ → X2Π Δv = 0), as well as the presence of NO and excited NO2. The presence of NO2 molecules was also confirmed by FTIR absorption spectroscopy. The performance of the developed MCE method was evaluated for linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, precision, and accuracy, and the concentration of NO2− and NO3− in the water as a function of the water treatment time was monitored.
Cell‐block as ancillary tool for the diagnosis of cystic and cyst‐like jaw lesions
Authors: Melo Gilberto , Mello Fernanda Weber , Mesquita Ricardo Alves , Grando Liliane Janete , Rivero Elena Riet Correa 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe cell‐block technique is a cytological diagnostic method that decreases cellular dispersion; however, its usefulness regarding intraosseous lesions is underexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the diagnostic usefulness of cell‐block for cystic and cyst‐like jaw lesions.MethodsIndividuals with cystic or cyst‐like jaw lesions who underwent aspiration biopsy were considered eligible. Aspiration of luminal content was prepared and processed by the cell‐block technique. Cytological evaluations were blindly performed by two trained PhD students (in a single evaluation) and one oral and maxillofacial pathologist (OMP). Cohen's kappa statistic was used to measure inter‐rater agreement.ResultsThe sample was composed of 52 lesions, represented by 25 radicular cysts (RC), 17 odontogenic keratocysts (OKC), 5 idiopathic bone cavities (IBC), and 5 unicystic ameloblastomas (UA). The kappa coefficient of cell‐block compared to histopathological diagnosis was 0.390 (95% confidence interval [95%CI], 0.195‐0.585) for PhD students and 0.612 (95%CI, 0.433‐0.791) for the OMP. The highest concordance rates between cell‐block and histopathological diagnosis were observed for RC (PhD = 76.0%; OMP = 80.0%) and OKC (PhD = 58.8%; OMP = 76.5%). Conflicting results were found regarding IBC (PhD = 40.0%; OMP = 80.0%) and UA, that presented the overall lowest concordance rates (PhD = 20.0%; OMP = 40.0%).ConclusionThe cell‐block technique presented a high diagnostic usefulness for detecting RC and OKC and, if associated with clinical and radiographic characteristics, might be sufficient for final diagnosis of these diseases. Regarding IBC and UA, an analysis with a higher number of cases is recommended to determine the true usefulness of the cell‐block as ancillary tool for the diagnosis of these lesions.
The right trait in the right place at the right time: Matching traits to environment improves restoration outcomes
Authors: Balazs Kathleen R. , Kramer Andrea T. , Munson Seth M. , Talkington Nora , Still Shannon , Butterfield Bradley J. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe challenges of restoration in dryland ecosystems are growing due to a rise in anthropogenic disturbance and increasing aridity. Plant functional traits are often used to predict plant performance and can offer a window into potential outcomes of restoration efforts across environmental gradients. We analyzed a database including 15 yr of seeding outcomes across 150 sites on the Colorado Plateau, a cold desert ecoregion in the western United States, and analyzed the independent and interactive effects of functional traits (seed mass, height, and specific leaf area) and local biologically relevant climate variables on seeding success. We predicted that the best models would include an interaction between plant traits and climate, indicating a need to match the right trait value to the right climate conditions to maximize seeding success. Indeed, we found that both plant height and seed size significantly interacted with temperature seasonality, with larger seeds and taller plants performing better in more seasonal environments. We also determined that these trait–environment patterns are not influenced by whether a species is native or nonnative. Our results inform the selection of seed mixes for restoring areas with specific climatic conditions, while also demonstrating the strong influence of temperature seasonality on seeding success in the Colorado Plateau region.
Regrowth strategies of Leymus chinensis in response to different grazing intensities
Authors: Zhang Zihe , Gong Jirui , Wang Biao , Li Xiaobing , Ding Yong , Yang Bo , Zhu Chenchen , Liu Min , Zhang Wei 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIn temperate grassland ecosystems, grazing can affect plant growth by foraging, trampling, and excretion. The ability of dominant plant species to regrow after grazing is critical, since it allows the regeneration of photosynthetic tissues to support growth. We conducted a field experiment to evaluate the effects of different grazing intensities (control, light, medium, and heavy) on the physiological and biochemical responses of Leymus chinensis and the carbon (C) sources utilized during regrowth. Light grazing promoted regrowth and photoassimilate storage of L. chinensis, by increasing the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), photosynthetic quenching, light interception, sugar accumulation, sucrose synthase activities, and fructose supply from stems. At medium grazing intensity, L. chinensis had low Pn, light interception, and sugar accumulation, but higher expression of a sucrose transporter gene (LcSUT1) and water‐use efficiency, which reflected a tendency to store C in belowground to promote survival. This strategy was associated with regulation by abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonate, and salicylic acid (SA) signaling. However, L. chinensis tolerated heavy grazing by increased ABA and jasmonate‐induced promotion of C assimilation and osmotic adjustment, combined with photoprotection against photo‐oxidation, suggesting a strategy based on regrowth. In addition, stems were the main C source organs and energy supply rather than roots. Simultaneously, SA represented a weaker defense than ABA and jasmonate. Therefore, L. chinensis adopted different strategies for regrowth under different grazing intensities, and light grazing promoted regrowth the most. Our results demonstrate the regulation of C reserves utilization by phytohormones, and this regulation provides an explanation for recent results about grazing responses.
Biological soil crusts increase stability and invasion resistance of desert revegetation communities in northern China
Authors: Song Guang , Li Xinrong , Hui Rong 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBiological soil crusts (BSCs) in arid region provide critical ecosystem services. However, most previous studies on BSC–plant topic have had a narrow spatiotemporal and taxonomic focus, so context dependency concerning exotic plant responses to BSCs remains poorly understood. In this study, using a series of manipulative experiments under greenhouse conditions, we investigated the influence of BSCs in the Tengger Desert in northern China on seed germination and seedling growth of an exotic grass species, Stipa glareosa P. Smirn., with or without two native plants species, Eragrostis poaeoides Beauv. and Artemisia capillaris Thunb., both of whose ontogeny differs from that of the exotic species. BSC treatments included intact crusts, disturbed crusts, and bare soil. Compared to bare soil, the presence of BSCs reduced the germination of E. poaeoides and A. capillaris by 78% and 74%, respectively. For the exotic species, BSCs reduced the germination percentage by as much as 90%. With gradual increases in soil nutrients such as organic carbon, available phosphorus, and available nitrogen, the shoot biomass of the three plants increased along the sequence from bare soil to lichens and mosses. Shoot biomass of the two native plant species was reduced by the exotic species S. glareosa. The percent germination and shoot biomass of S. glareosa on the disturbed crusts were greater than those on the intact crusts and bare soils. Overall, the presence of BSCs on stabilized sand dunes can reduce the germination of these three plant species, but compared with native plant species, BSCs have a stronger inhibitory effect on the seed germination of the exotic plant species. However, the disturbance may weaken the inhibition of the seed germination of the exotic grass S. glareosa and may provide more nutrients for the exotic grass S. glareosa to establish a revegetation region. We concluded that compared with the absence of BSCs, BSCs in this desert ecosystem can provide more nutrients and a suitable environment for native vascular plants and exert an inhibitory effect on the exotic plants.
Radial growth response of two oaks to climate at their disparate distribution limits in semiarid areas, Beijing, China
Authors: Gao Wen‐Qiang , Lei Xiang‐Dong , Fu Li‐Yong , Duan Guang‐Shuang , Zhou Meng‐Li , Cao Jian 
Published: March 2020

AbstractImpending climate warming is expected to influence plant growth and distribution, and the distribution range limit of tree species is extremely sensitive to climate change. However, synchronous comparisons of responses of different tree species with overlapping ecological niches to climate at their distribution range limit in the same region have received little attention. In the present study, we assessed the discrepancy in radial growth responses of two dominant oak species to climate at their distribution range limit (southern range limit forQuercus mongolica, northern range limit forQuercus variabilis) in Beijing, China. Furthermore, growth–climate relationships were examined using linear mixed‐effects models, and growth trends up to the year 2100 were forecast based on future climate scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5). Our results indicated that there were no significant differences in the growth response to climate betweenQ. variabilisat its northern limit andQ. mongolicaat its southern limit, and the growth of the two tree species was positively correlated with the minimum temperature and negatively correlated with the climatic moisture deficit of autumn. However, the growth response to climate variables varied at different sites. Additionally, the model forecast showed an increase in radial growth ofQ. variabilisat its northern limit andQ. mongolicaat its southern limit up to the end of the present century.
Antioxidant Effect of Nanoemulsions Based on Citrus Peel Essential Oils: Prevention of Lipid Oxidation in Trout
Authors: Uçar Yılmaz 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe antioxidant effects of oil‐in‐water nanoemulsion based on edible citrus peel essential oils on the fatty acid composition of rainbow trout fillets stored at 4 ± 2 °C are investigated. Fish fillets are treated with nanoemulsion and stored for 16 days. Lipid samples are converted into fatty acid methyl esters which are then detected by gas chromatagrophy (GC). The results show that palmitic acid (C16:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), stearic acid (C18:0), vaccenic acid (C18:1ɷ‐7), oleic acid (C18:1ɷ9), eicosenoic acid (C20:1ɷ9), linoleic acid (C18:2ɷ6), linolenic acid (C18:3ɷ3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (C20:5ɷ3), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6ɷ3) are the most important fatty acids in fish meat. While polyene index and hypocholesterolemic:hypercholesterolaemic fatty acid ratios decrease in trout fillets during cold storage, thrombogenicity index and atherogenicity index generally increase (especially in control and Tween 80 groups). The concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are higher in the treatment groups and the saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are lower in all groups compared to those of the control group. Application of nanoemulsion based on citrus essential oils prevents oxidation of PUFA especially EPA and DHA, thus has potential as a preservative for fish oil.Practical Applications: In recent years, nanotechnological applications have been increasingly applied to the protection of food. Similarly, natural essential oils are used to increase the shelf life of foods. This study demonstrates the combined effect of a new method of nanoemulsions and essential oils on the safety of foods.
Molecularly Imprinted Impedimetric Sensor for Determination of Mycotoxin Zearalenone
Authors: Radi Abd‐Elgawad , Eissa Alsayed , Wahdan Tarek 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEA) prompts reproductive toxicity due to its strong estrogenic effects. In this work, an electrochemical sensor for determination of ZEA was developed by electropolymerization of a molecularly imprinted poly (o‐phenylenediamine) (PPD) film on screen‐printed gold electrode (SPGE) surface. The sensor was examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using K3[Fe(CN)6]/K4[Fe(CN)6] as redox probe. The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensor showed a wide determination range from 2.50 to 200.00 ngmL−1 for ZEA. The Limit of detection (LOD) was calculated to be 0.20 ngmL−1, based on the signal to noise (S/N) ratio equal to 3.0. The sensor displayed good repeatability, with RSD values≤4.6 %, and maintained 93.2 % of its initial response after storage for 10 days in air at room temperature. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of ZEA in corn flakes with mean recoveries ranged from 96.2 % to 103.8 % and RSDs within the interval of 2.1 % to 3.8 %.
Chronic Reproductive Toxicity of Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid and a Simple Mixture of Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid and Perfluorohexane Sulfonic Acid to Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus)
Authors: Dennis Nicole M. , Karnjanapiboonwong Adcharee , Subbiah Seenivasan , Rewerts Justin N. , Field Jennifer A. , McCarthy Chris , Salice Christopher J. , Anderson Todd A. 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of environmentally persistent chemicals that include thousands of potentially toxic synthetic organic molecules. Some PFAS have been shown to cause adverse health effects including decreased total cholesterol, birth weight, and reproductive success in laboratory animals; however, a lack of chronic toxicity data exists for PFAS in avian ecological receptors. The present study reports on the chronic toxicity of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and a mixture of PFOS and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) to northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) via oral exposure from drinking water. Female weight gain was adversely affected at an average daily intake (ADI) of 3.10 × 10−3 ± 0.15 × 10−3 mg PFOS:PFHxS (1.2:1) mixture × kg−1 body weight × d−1. Successful liberation from the shell once pipped was adversely affected at an ADI of 2.45 × 10−3 ± 0.01 × 10−3 mg PFOS x kg−1 body weight × d−1. These values are comparatively much lower than the current dietary avian toxicity reference value (TRV) derived from birds that were exposed via feed, suggesting the need for updated avian TRVs. Relationships between test chemical (PFOS) and test substance (PFOS:PFHxS) showed that PFOS and PFHxS have possible interacting effects in avian receptors and likely differing mechanisms of toxicity depending on chemical co-occurrence and dose. Both the single-chemical and mixture exposures produced similar and possibly additive toxicity values. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1101–1111. © 2020 SETAC
Regional and Long-Term Analyses of Stable Isotopes of Fish and Invertebrates Show Evidence of the Closure of a Pulp Mill and the Influence of Additional Stressors
Authors: McMahon Heather M. , Arciszewski Tim J. , Munkittrick Kelly R. , Kidd Karen A. 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
A bleached kraft pulp mill discharging effluent to the Mattagami River in northern Ontario, Canada, closed after almost 90 yr of operation. During its operation, effluent from the mill influenced biota in the downstream areas. To assess shifts in the reliance of biota from mill-derived nutrients, the isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N) of white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) muscle and whole mayflies (Hexagenia sp.) were compared before (1990s) and after the pulp mill's closure (2012–2014). To better understand other potential sources of spatial and temporal change, samples from 3 other tributaries in the basin with dams, ongoing pulp mill operations, sites receiving sewage, and at several reference sites were collected and compared. Irrespective of time period, biota collected at sites downstream of both dams and active pulp mills tended to have elevated δ13C values, but variable changes in δ15N (negligible in most cases) when compared with upstream samples. The isotopic composition of mayflies varied at reference sites over time, with decreasing values of δ13C and δ15N (mayflies only) with increasing depth, and there was evidence of lower δ13C in fish after the pulp mill closure. Overall, these results suggest the importance of long-term, regional-scale measurements for documenting the effects of stressors on nutrient use by aquatic species. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1207–1218. © 2020 SETAC
Structured analysis/synthesis compressive sensing‐based channel estimation in wideband mmWave large‐scale multiple input multiple output systems
Authors: Mejri Ameni , Hajjaj Moufida , Hasnaoui Salem 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe hybrid architecture still be the most attractive solution for the analog‐digital beamforming in millimeter wave (mmWave) large‐scale multiple input multiple output (LS‐MIMO) systems, since it provides the best trade‐off between the achievable rate and the power consumption. When maximizing performance metrics, channel knowledge is required to optimally design the hybrid beamforming. The channel estimation (CE) is essential for wideband mmWave LS‐MIMO to substantially enhance data rates, however, is a challenging task. Practically, the antenna number and the bandwidth for such communications are very large. Therefore, the CE scheme should account for the frequency‐dependence of the array response vectors and thereby the beam squint effect. In the first part, this article addresses a structured analysis compressive sensing (CS) for CE in a frequency selective mmWave LS‐MIMO system without neglecting the beam squint effect. Compared to sparse mmWave CE approach that mostly uses on‐grid dictionaries, our proposed approach considers continually distributed angles of arrival and departure. In the second part, we show that the frequency‐selective mmWave MIMO channels share a common sparsity structure within the same subcarrier‐group. Then, we propose a block‐sparsity‐based CS approach that uses the simultaneous orthogonal matching pursuit method to estimate the mmWave channel. Moreover, we prove the partial sparsity structure shared between all the subcarrier‐groups. Hence, we develop our proposed joint subcarrier‐block‐based CE scheme exploiting these two block‐sparsity structures. Numerical results evaluate the performances in terms of normalized mean‐squared error and spectral efficiency to select the most accurate channel estimator with lower overhead.