bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring the potential of polyethylene terephthalate in the design of antibacterial surfaces
Authors: Çaykara Tugçe , Sande Maria G. , Azoia Nuno , Rodrigues Ligia R. , Silva Carla Joana 
Published: February 2020

AbstractPolyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most used polymeric materials in the health care sector mainly due to its advantages that include biocompatibility, high uniformity, mechanical strength and resistance against chemicals and/or abrasion. However, avoiding bacterial contamination on PET is still an unsolved challenge and two main strategies are being explored to overcome this drawback: the anti-adhesive and biocidal modification of PET surface. While bacterial adhesion depends on several surface properties namely surface charge and energy, hydrophilicity and surface roughness, a biocidal effect can be obtained by antimicrobial compounds attached to the surface to inhibit the growth of bacteria (bacteriostatic) or kill bacteria (bactericidal). Therefore, it is well known that granting antibacterial properties to PET surface would be beneficial in the prevention of infectious diseases. Different modification methods have been reported for such purpose. This review addresses some of the strategies that have been attempted to prevent or reduce the bacterial contamination on PET surfaces, including functionalisation, grafting, topographical surface modification and coating. Those strategies, particularly the grafting method seems to be very promising for healthcare applications to prevent infectious diseases and the emergence of bacteria resistance.
Top-down mass spectrometry reveals multiple interactions of an acetylsalicylic acid bearing Zeise’s salt derivative with peptides
Authors: Cziferszky Monika , Gust Ronald 
Published: February 2020

AbstractSynergistic effects and promising anticancer activities encourage the combination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with metallodrugs. Here, we discuss the interactions of an organometallic complex consisting of an acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) moiety attached to a PtII center via an alkenol linker in a Zeise’s salt-type coordination (ASA–buten–PtCl3) with model peptides angiotensin 1 (AT), substance P (Sub P), and ubiquitin (UQ). Top-down mass spectrometry experiments show that the amino acid involved in the initial binding to the metal complex controls the coordination sphere of PtII in the adducts. The strong trans labilizing effect of the coordinating sulfur atom in Met causes fast release of the organic moiety and leads to the formation of dimers and oligomers in the case of Sub P. In contrast, interactions with nitrogen donors in AT result in stable adducts containing the intact ASA–buten–PtII complex. UQ forms two sets of PtII adducts, only one of them retains the ASA moiety, which is presumably the result of an unexpected binding geometry. Importantly, UQ is additionally acetylated at various Ser and Lys residues by the ASA–buten–PtCl3 complex. Control experiments with ASA are negative. This is the first example of concomitant platination and acetylation of a peptide with an ASA metal complex.
Dogs wait longer for better rewards than wolves in a delay of gratification task: but why?
Authors: Range Friederike , Brucks Désirée , Virányi Zsófia 
Published: February 2020

AbstractSelf-control has been shown to be linked with being cooperative and successful in humans and with the g-factor in chimpanzees. As such, it is likely to play an important role in all forms of problem-solving. Self-control, however, does not just vary across individuals but seems also to be dependent on the ecological niche of the respective species. With dogs having been selected to live in the human environment, several domestication hypotheses have predicted that dogs are better at self-control and thus more tolerant of longer delays than wolves. Here we set out to test this prediction by comparing dogs’ and wolves’ self-control abilities using a delay of gratification task where the animals had to wait for a predefined delay duration to exchange a low-quality reward for a high-quality reward. We found that in our task, dogs outperformed the wolves waiting an average of 66 s vs. 24 s in the wolves. Food quality did not influence how long the animals waited for the better reward. However, dogs performed overall better in motivation trials than the wolves, although the dogs’ performance in those trials was dependent on the duration of the delays in the test trials, whereas this was not the case for the wolves. Overall, the data suggest that selection by humans for traits influencing self-control rather than ecological factors might drive self-control abilities in wolves and dogs. However, several other factors might contribute or explain the observed differences including the presence of the humans, which might have inhibited the dogs more than the wolves, lower motivation of the wolves compared to the dogs to participate in the task and/or wolves having a better understanding of the task contingencies. These possible explanations need further exploration.
Aktuelle FFH-Judikatur zu erheblichen Beeinträchtigungen und FFH-VP
Authors: Frenz Walter 
Published: February 2020

ZusammenfassungDer eigentlichen FFH-Verträglichkeitsprüfung vorgelagert ist die Frage, ob erhebliche Beeinträchtigungen
eines Habitatschutzgebietes vorliegen können. Diese Vorprüfung wurde konzeptionell verfeinert
und im Hinblick auf die Methode der Critical Loads konkretisiert. Im Bereich der Verträglichkeitsprüfung
geht es vor allem um die Bewältigung von Unsicherheiten.
A single-end directional relaying scheme for double-circuit transmission line using fuzzy expert system
Authors: Kumar A. Naresh , Sanjay Ch. , Chakravarthy M. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe faults occurring in different sections are difficult to identify using the traditional techniques. This paper investigates a fuzzy expert system for directional relaying, classification, and location of faults in double-circuit transmission lines. The current magnitudes measured at only one terminal of the double-circuit transmission line are used to compute discreet Fourier coefficients. Thus, this scheme does not involve any communication channel. The presented fuzzy expert system is achieved from the structure of MAMDANI system in LabVIEW software. Test case studies show the effectiveness of the presented scheme. The simulation results attest that the directional relaying, classification, and location estimation is very accurate. This scheme is adaptive to the change of fault location, fault resistance, fault inception angle, and fault type.
A Hybrid Biofuel and Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Bioenergy Harvesting
Authors: Li Hu , Zhang Xiao , Zhao Luming , Jiang Dongjie , Xu Lingling , Liu Zhuo , Wu Yuxiang , Hu Kuan , Zhang Ming-Rong , Wang Jiangxue , Fan Yubo , Li Zhou 
Published: February 2020

AbstractVarious types of energy exist everywhere around us, and these energies can be harvested from multiple sources to power micro-/nanoelectronic system and even personal electronic products. In this work, we proposed a hybrid energy-harvesting system (HEHS) for potential in vivo applications. The HEHS consisted of a triboelectric nanogenerator and a glucose fuel cell for simultaneously harvesting biomechanical energy and biochemical energy in simulated body fluid. These two energy-harvesting units can work individually as a single power source or work simultaneously as an integrated system. This design strengthened the flexibility of harvesting multiple energies and enhanced corresponding electric output. Compared with any individual device, the integrated HEHS outputs a superimposed current and has a faster charging rate. Using the harvested energy, HEHS can power a calculator or a green light-emitting diode pattern. Considering the widely existed biomechanical energy and glucose molecules in the body, the developed HEHS can be a promising candidate for building in vivo self-powered healthcare monitoring system.
The indispensable mental element of justification and the failure of purely objectivist (mostly “revisionist”) just war theories
Authors: Steinhoff Uwe 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe “right intention” requirement, in the form of a requirement that the agent must have a justified true belief that the mind-independent conditions of the justification to use force are fulfilled, is not anadditionalcriterion, but one thatconstrainsthe interpretation of the other criteria. Without it, the only possible interpretation of the mind-independent criteria is purely objectivist, that is, purely fact-relative. Pure objectivism condemns self-defense and just war theory to irrelevance since it cannot provide proper action guidance: it is impractically demanding. This means that “revisionist” just war theories which base their doctrine of the moralinequality of combatants on the idea that objective justification defeats liability are irrelevant for the real world, where objective justification is virtually inaccessible. Moreover, only the right intention requirement in the form of a knowledge requirement, as opposed to requiring “good intentions” or “acceptable motivations,” can solve this problem.
Aromatase Inhibition Ameliorates Decreased LH Output Found in Obese Women
Authors: Jones Kelsey , Ryan Sarah , Carlson Nichole E , Chosich Justin , Bradford Andrew P. , Santoro Nanette , Polotsky Alex J 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIn obese ovulatory women, serum luteinizing Hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) are lowered compared with normal weight women. This relative hypogonadotropic hypogonadism represents a potential etiology for overall decreased fertility in obesity. The objective was to determine if administration of an aromatase inhibitor (AI) to ovulating obese women would normalize LH and FSH by interrupting estradiol negative feedback. Letrozole (2.5–5 mg) was given daily to 22 women, 12 obese and 10 normal weight, for 7 days. On the last day of administration, 8 h of blood sampling was done every 10 min before and after a bolus of GnRH at 4 h. We obtained data from 21 ovulatory women (10 normal weight and 11 obese) who had undergone a similar protocol of frequent blood sampling but no aromatase inhibitors (AI) treatment. Serum LH and FSH levels and pulse characteristics were measured. Treatment with AI only significantly affected obese women. Further, in women with obesity, LH secretion, prior to the GnRH bolus, was significantly higher in AI treated compared with non-treated (p = 0.011). AI treatment doubled LH pulse amplitude in obese women (p = 0.004). In response to aromatase inhibition, LH secretion in ovulatory women with obesity is increased and similar to levels found in untreated normal weight women. The increase in LH pulse amplitude indicates that the AI effect is mediated at the level of the pituitary. Our results suggest that the hypogonadotropic phenotype of simple obesity is subject to modulation by interruption of estradiol negative feedback.
ENT training amongst general practitioners: results from a questionnaire
Authors: Dimitrov L , Unadkat S , Khanna A , Rennie C , Saleh H 
Published: February 2020

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the level of undergraduate and post-graduate ENT exposure amongst general practitioners and their perceived quality of this training. A secondary aim was to examine whether general practitioners believe ENT department based rotations should remain in the undergraduate curriculum.MethodAn online questionnaire-based survey was sent to general practices in England.ResultsA total of 417 general practitioners completed the questionnaire. Sixty-seven per cent had completed an ENT rotation at medical school whereas 27 per cent had undertaken a postgraduate placement in ENT. Fifty-one per cent had received post-graduate teaching in ENT, mainly in the form of lectures. The majority of general practitioners were not satisfied with their training in ENT at undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Eighty-five per cent of general practitioners believed formal hospital-based ENT training should remain in the undergraduate curriculum.ConclusionGeneral practitioners reported insufficient exposure to ENT during both post-graduate and undergraduate training. Proposals to outsource undergraduate ENT teaching to affiliated departments such as general practice are of concern.
Effects of modality preference and working memory capacity on captioned videos in enhancing L2 listening outcomes
Authors: Kam Emily Fen , Liu Yeu-Ting , Tseng Wen-Ta 
Published: February 2020

AbstractCaptioned video is widely used to enhance second language (L2) learners’ exposure to oral input beyond the classroom setting, and captioning has been found to provide an instantaneous, useful visual aid for parsing and understanding L2 oral discourse. Nevertheless, a meta-analysis has shown that captioning exerts a selective effect on L2 learners with different profiles. This study investigated whether L2 learners’ modality preferences (visual vs. auditory) and working memory capacity (high vs. low) would modulate the effect of full captions on L2 listening outcome. Results from 60 participants revealed that both cognitive variables affected their L2 listening to different extents. Notably, working memory capacity modulates the impact of L2 learners’ preferred modality on their listening outcome. Modality preference did not exert any significant impact on the listening outcome of L2 learners with lower working memory capacity. For L2 learners with high working memory capacity, their modality preference played a pivotal role in modulating their listening outcome; in this case, auditory learners had the best listening performance viewing the video without captions, whereas visual learners did best when watching the captioned video. These findings speak to the need for taking individual differences into consideration when employing captioned videos.
A new compact and wideband CPW-fed sleeve antenna
Authors: Hasani Peyman , Hashemi Seyed Mohammad , Ghalibafan Javad 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIn this article, a sleeve antenna with a wide impedance bandwidth that consists of a coplanar waveguide line connected to a metallic cylinder is presented. The effect of design parameters on the impedance bandwidth is considered by some simulations. In addition to the wide impedance bandwidth, the omnidirectional pattern, high efficiency, low cost and easy fabrication process, and compact dimensions cause this antenna to be a good choice for some applications at low VHF/UHF frequency bands. Due to the flexible structure of this antenna, it is possible to cover the various frequency bands by changing the parameters of the antenna. In this work a typical model of the proposed antenna for the frequency range of 127 to 586 MHz is fabricated and compared with other previous works. An equivalent circuit model has been proposed to better understand how the antenna works. The proposed antenna has a bandwidth of about 128.7% for a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of less than 3, compact size of 0.274λ × 0.047λ and higher than 90% efficiency.
The Global Distribution of Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Terrestrial Natural Ecosystems
Authors: Davies‐Barnard T. , Friedlingstein P. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBiological nitrogen fixation is a key contributor to sustaining the terrestrial carbon cycle, providing nitrogen input that plants require. However, the amount and global distribution of this fixation is highly disputed. Using a comprehensive meta‐analysis of field measurements, we make a new assessment of global biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). We assessed the relationship between BNF in natural terrestrial environments and empirical predictors of BNF commonly used in terrestrial ecosystem and earth system models. We found no evidence for any statistically significant relationship between BNF and evapotranspiration and net or gross primary terrestrial productivity. We assessed the relationship between BNF and 11 other climate variables and soil properties at a global scale. We found that all the variables we considered had little predictive power for BNF. Using averaged biome values upscaled we calculated the median global inputs of BNF in natural ecosystems as 88 Tg N year−1. The range (52–130 Tg N year−1) encompasses most recent estimates and broadly agrees with recent independent top‐down estimates of BNF. The global values indicate a significant role for free living, as opposed to symbiotic, BNF, accounting for at least a third of all BNF. This work provides a new global benchmark and spatial distribution data set of BNF using a bottom‐up methodology.
Prediction of Sequential Organelles Localization under Imbalance using A Balanced Deep U-Net
Authors: Yudistira Novanto , Kavitha Muthusubash , Itabashi Takeshi , Iwane Atsuko H. , Kurita Takio 
Published: February 2020

AbstractAssessing the structure and function of organelles in living organisms of the primitive unicellular red algae Cyanidioschyzon merolae on three-dimensional sequential images demands a reliable automated technique in the class imbalance among various cellular structures during mitosis. Existing classification networks with commonly used loss functions were focused on larger numbers of cellular structures that lead to the unreliability of the system. Hence, we proposed a balanced deep regularized weighted compound dice loss (RWCDL) network for better localization of cell organelles. Specifically, we introduced two new loss functions, namely compound dice (CD) and RWCD by implementing multi-class variant dice and weighting mechanism, respectively for maximizing weights of peroxisome and nucleus among five classes as the main contribution of this study. We extended the Unet-like convolution neural network (CNN) architecture for evaluating the ability of our proposed loss functions for improved segmentation. The feasibility of the proposed approach is confirmed with three different large scale mitotic cycle data set with different number of occurrences of cell organelles. In addition, we compared the training behavior of our designed architectures with the ground truth segmentation using various performance measures. The proposed balanced RWCDL network generated the highest area under the curve (AUC) value in elevating the small and obscure peroxisome and nucleus, which is 30% higher than the network with commonly used mean square error (MSE) and dice loss (DL) functions. The experimental results indicated that the proposed approach can efficiently identify the cellular structures, even when the contour between the cells is obscure and thus convinced that the balanced deep RWCDL approach is reliable and can be helpful for biologist to accurately identify the relationship between the cell behavior and structures of cell organelles during mitosis.
Structure and morphology of cellulose fibers in garlic skin
Authors: Raimo Maria 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe knowledge of the texture and morphology of cellulose is essential for reliable modelling of cell growth and mechanical resistance of vegetal systems. Microscopic observations on thin layers of the skin of Allium sativum have shown elongated structures (i.e. cellulose fibers) imbedded in a matrix of more or less rounded cells. Examination by an optical polarizing microscope (OPM) has shown an intermittent high and low birefringence along fibers. Transversal regions with a reduced brightness along fibers are expected to contain a higher amount of amorphous lignin, hemicelluloses and waxes, some of which might also be birefringent, but at a much lower degree than cellulose. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has also evidenced an alternating growth of the fibers. Moreover, the negative sign of birefringence suggests a parallel orientation of cellulose nanofibrils transversally to the fiber axis. The characteristic modulation of intensity along lignocellulosic fibers can be due to variation of the cellulose concentration or orientation, perhaps caused by circadian cycles of temperature and light during growth. Indeed, imperfect orthogonal light can be totally reflected at the interface between regions with different values of the refractive index, contributing to the optical effect of banding.
Phylogenomic analysis of trichomycterid catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes) inferred from ultraconserved elements
Authors: Ochoa Luz E. , Datovo Aléssio , DoNascimiento Carlos , Roxo Fabio F. , Sabaj Mark H. , Chang Jonathan , Melo Bruno F. , Silva Gabriel S. C. , Foresti Fausto , Alfaro Michael , Oliveira Claudio 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe family Trichomycteridae is one of the most diverse groups of freshwater catfishes in South and Central America with eight subfamilies, 41 genera and more than 300 valid species. Its members are widely distributed throughout South America, reaching Costa Rica in Central America and are recognized by extraordinary anatomical specializations and trophic diversity. In order to assess the phylogenetic relationships of Trichomycteridae, we collected sequence data from ultraconserved elements (UCEs) of the genome from 141 specimens of Trichomycteridae and 12 outgroup species. We used a concatenated matrix to assess the phylogenetic relationships by Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) searches and a coalescent analysis of species trees. The results show a highly resolved phylogeny with broad agreement among the three distinct analyses, providing overwhelming support for the monophyletic status of subfamily Trichomycterinae includingItuglanisandScleronema. Previous relationship hypotheses among subfamilies are strongly corroborated, such as the sister relationship between Copionodontinae and Trichogeninae forming a sister clade to the remaining trichomycterids and the intrafamilial clade TSVSG (Tridentinae-Stegophilinae-Vandelliinae-Sarcoglanidinae-Glanapteryginae). Monophyly of Glanapteryginae and Sarcoglanidinae was not supported and the enigmaticPotamoglanisis placed outside Tridentinae.
Model-based Respondent-driven sampling analysis for HIV prevalence in brazilian MSM
Authors: Robineau Olivier , Gomes Marcelo F. C. , Kendall Carl , Kerr Ligia , Périssé André , Boëlle Pierre-Yves 
Published: February 2020

AbstractRespondent Driven Sampling study (RDS) is a population sampling method developed to study hard-to-reach populations. A sample is obtained by chain-referral recruitment in a network of contacts within the population of interest. Such self-selected samples are not representative of the target population and require weighing observations to reduce estimation bias. Recently, the Network Model-Assisted (NMA) method was described to compute the required weights. The NMA method relies on modeling the underlying contact network in the population where the RDS was conducted, in agreement with directly observable characteristics of the sample such as the number of contacts, but also with more difficult-to-measure characteristics such as homophily or differential characteristics according to the response variable. Here we investigated the use of the NMA method to estimate HIV prevalence from RDS data when information on homophily is limited. We show that an iterative procedure based on the NMA approach allows unbiased estimations even in the case of strong population homophily and differential activity and limits bias in case of preferential recruitment. We applied the methods to determine HIV prevalence in men having sex with men in Brazilian cities and confirmed a high prevalence of HIV in these populations from 3.8% to 22.1%.