bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Molecular dynamics of CH4/CO2 on calcite for enhancing gas recovery
Authors: Carchini Giuliano , Al‐Marri Mohammed J. , Hussein Ibnelwaleed , Shawabkeh Reyad , Mahmoud Mohamed , Aparicio Santiago 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe effect of temperature and pressure on the adsorption of CO2 and CH4 gases on calcite (104) has been studied by means of classical molecular dynamics. The results show that carbon dioxide greatly improves methane desorption in the 323–373 K range, even at low CO2 concentrations. However, this effect is less pronounced for very high temperatures (423 K), where most of the methane is desorbed and CO2 tends to desorb in large quantities. Radial distribution function (RDF) analysis reveals two distinct peaks for CO2 (0.36 and 0.47 nm) and two for methane (0.87 and 0.57 nm) and the intensities of these peaks tend to decrease with increasing temperature. Such peaks are always clearly visible for CO2, while the methane profile gets very broad already for mild conditions of temperature and CO2 concentration. These results highlight how the CO2 geometry of adsorption is well defined and characterized by strong interaction, while methane adsorption is quite loose and depicts a very dynamic picture. Focusing on the effect of pressure, RDF peaks intensities increase, although this effect is limited to the 1–5 MPa range. Moreover, the high CO2 presence further decreases the effect of pressure on methane adsorption. In fact, from pure methane to 20/80 CO2/CH4, methane adsorption increases linearly with pressure. For gas mixtures with a CO2 concentration higher than 40%, higher pressure has less impact on methane adsorption. Overall, the results obtained yield important details to tune the gas composition and conditions for efficient and enhanced natural gas recovery and sequestration of CO2.
Hydrodynamic collisions involving bubbles and mineral particles
Authors: Manica Rogerio , Liu Bo , Li Mingda , Chen Zhixiang , Liu Qingxia 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe movement of bubbles inside a liquid and their interaction with other bubbles, solid particles, or surfaces has been a topic of intense research due to its importance to understand natural phenomena and improve industrial applications such as mineral flotation. For a long time, the mobility at the air–water interface was suggested to affect the flotation recovery, and this understanding was further advanced in the past few years with the development of experimental techniques. In this study, we review the recent experimental and theoretical understanding of the boundary conditions at the air–liquid interface, and how the surface mobility affects the rising speed of a single bubble and the coalescence of bubbles. Consequently, the flotation efficiency can be affected by the surface mobility by altering the probability of collision, attachment, and detachment between the bubble and valuable mineral particles. Recent works also show that the surface mobility is affected by the solution chemistry, the aging of the air–water interface, and the hydrodynamic flow. Therefore, it can be speculated that future techniques for mineral flotation can be developed by the controlled manipulation of surface mobility at the bubble surface. A freshly formed bubble has a mobile interface, but the presence of impurities or added surfactants at different concentrations can accelerate the immobilization of the air bubbles.
Intra‐cluster aggregation aware routing for distributed training in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Chen Zhaohong , Long Xin , Chen Long , Wu Yalan , Wu Jigang , Liu Shuangyin 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIn wireless sensor networks (WSNs), wireless sensor nodes can be equipped with deep neural network accelerators to deal with the computation challenges in distributed training. However, the communication overhead of distributed training and the limited battery capacity of sensor nodes still impedes the broad deployment of distributed training applications. This article investigates the distributed training in WSNs by formulating an aggregation‐aware routing problem into a non‐linear integer programming problem. The objective of the formulated problem is to reduce the training time using data aggregation‐aware routing under the constraints of memory size and energy cost. Meanwhile, the NP‐Hardness of the formulated problem is proved in this article. Then, an intra‐cluster aggregation‐aware routing algorithm is proposed. The proposed algorithm accelerates the transmission of the data packet by integrating the K‐Means clustering and shortest path routing to choose the aggregators and the route paths. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms two classical clustering routing algorithms UC‐LEACH and K‐Means by 29% and 37% in terms of average training time, and reducing the energy consumption by 21% and 15%, respectively.
A Microporous Metal‐Organic Framework with Channels Constructed from Nonpolar Aromatic Rings for the Selective Separation of Ethane/Ethylene Mixtures
Authors: Liu Lizhen , Bo Yiyang , Zhuang Weitang , Xie Zhixuan , Yang Yisi , Lin Quanjie , Chen Dinggui , Yao Zizhu , Xiang Shengchang 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe separation of ethane and ethylene is an important segment in the purification of chemical raw materials in industrial production. However, due to their similar physical and chemical properties, the separation of C2H6/C2H4 is challenging. Herein, we report the selective adsorption of ethane over ethylene by a microporous metal‐organic framework with nonpolar aromatic rings constructed channels, [Co1.5(TATB)(H2O)0.5] ⋅ 5DMA ⋅ 3H2O (Co‐TATB, H3TATB=4,4’,4’’‐(s‐triazine‐2,4,6‐triyl) tribenzoic acid). This compound showed a higher ethane capacity than that of ethylene, and a low adsorption enthalpy of ethane only of 19.4 kJ mol−1. Further, the dynamic breakthrough experimental confirmed that Co‐TATB can selectively adsorb ethane from ethane/ethylene separation.
Clinical, Cellular, and Molecular Effects of Corticosteroids on the Response to Intradermal Lipopolysaccharide Administration in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Buters Thomas P. , Hameeteman Pieter W. , Jansen Iris M.E. , van Hindevoort Floris C. , ten Voorde Wouter , Grievink Hendrika W. , Schoonakker Mascha , de Kam Marieke L. , Gilroy Derek W. , Feiss Gary , Rissmann Robert , Jansen Manon A.A. , Burggraaf Jacobus , Moerland Matthijs 
Published: December 2021

The intradermal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in healthy volunteers has proven to be a valuable tool to study local inflammation in vivo. In the current study the inhibitory effects of oral and topical corticosteroid treatment on intradermal LPS responses were evaluated to benchmark the challenge for future investigational drugs. Twenty‐four healthy male volunteers received a two‐and‐a‐half‐day twice daily (b.i.d.) pretreatment with topical clobetasol propionate 0.05% and six healthy volunteers received a two‐and‐a‐half‐day b.i.d. pretreatment with oral prednisolone at 0.25 mg/kg body weight per administration. Participants received one injection regimen of either 0, 2, or 4 intradermal LPS injections (5 ng LPS in 50 µL 0.9% sodium chloride solution). The LPS response was evaluated by noninvasive (perfusion, skin temperature, and erythema) and invasive assessments (cellular and cytokine responses) in suction blister exudate. Both corticosteroids significantly suppressed the clinical inflammatory response (erythema P = 0.0001 for clobetasol and P = 0.0016 for prednisolone; heat P = 0.0245 for clobetasol, perfusion P < 0.0001 for clobetasol and P = 0.0036 for prednisolone). Clobetasol also significantly reduced the number of monocytes subsets, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, and T cells in blister exudate. A similar effect was observed for prednisolone. No relevant corticosteroid effects were observed on the cytokine response to LPS. We successfully demonstrated that the anti‐inflammatory effects of corticosteroids can be detected using our intradermal LPS challenge model, validating it for evaluation of future investigational drugs, as an initial assessment of the anti‐inflammatory effects of such compounds in a minimally invasive manner.
Two‐Sample Multivariable Mendelian Randomization Analysis Using R
Authors: Rasooly Danielle , Peloso Gina M. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractMendelian randomization is a framework that uses measured variation in genes for assessing and estimating the causal effect of an exposure on an outcome. Multivariable Mendelian randomization is an extension that can assess the causal effect of multiple exposures on an outcome, and can be advantageous when considering a set (>1) of potentially correlated candidate risk factors in evaluating the causal effect of each on a health outcome, accounting for measured pleiotropy. This can be seen, for example, in determining the causal effects of lipids and cholesterol on type 2 diabetes risk, where the correlated risk factors share genetic predictors. Similar to univariate Mendelian randomization, multivariable Mendelian randomization can be conducted using two‐sample summary‐level data where the gene‐exposure and gene‐outcome associations are derived from separate samples from the same underlying population. Here, we present a protocol for conducting a two‐sample multivariable Mendelian randomization study using the ‘MVMR’ package in R and summary‐level genetic data. We also provide a protocol for searching and obtaining instruments using available data sources in the ‘MRInstruments’ R package. Finally, we provide general guidelines and discuss the utility of performing a multivariable Mendelian randomization analysis for simultaneously assessing causality of multiple exposures. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol: Performing a two‐sample multivariable Mendelian randomization analysis using the ‘MVMR’ package in R and summarized genetic dataSupport Protocol 1: Installing the ‘MVMR’ R packageSupport Protocol 2: Obtaining instruments from the ‘MRInstruments’ R package
Subthreshold reference circuit with curvature compensation based on the channel length modulation of MOS devices
Authors: Aminzadeh Hamed 
Published: December 2021

AbstractA subthreshold nano‐power voltage and current reference with high‐order temperature compensation is proposed by taking advantage of the channel length modulation of MOS devices. Curvature compensation is implemented by providing proper compensating drain‐source voltages for the core devices of a first‐order CMOS reference such that the output nonlinear temperature factors can be compensated over a wide temperature range. In‐depth mathematical analysis is carried out to model the temperature dependency of the reference signals before and after compensation. As part of the analysis, Taylor expansion of the threshold voltage of MOS devices has been evaluated in a generalized fashion, enabling to clarify the complicated relationship between the high‐order temperature‐related terms of the output and design parameters. Simulated in a standard 0.18‐μm CMOS process, the minimum supply voltage of a proof‐of‐concept design is 1.0 V, providing 345 mV voltage reference with minimum temperature coefficient (TC) of 2.0 ppm/°C across the range of –40–140°C. The active area is 0.45 mm2 with around 200 nA current consumption. The DC line regulation is 0.23%/V, and the power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) is −63 dB at 10 Hz.
EMT‐cancer cells‐derived exosomal miR‐27b‐3p promotes circulating tumour cells‐mediated metastasis by modulating vascular permeability in colorectal cancer
Authors: Dou Rongzhang , Liu Keshu , Yang Chaogang , Zheng Jinsen , Shi Dongdong , Lin Xiaobin , Wei Chen , Zhang Chunxiao , Fang Yan , Huang Sihao , Song Jialin , Wang Shuyi , Xiong Bin 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundMetastasis is the main cause of death in colorectal cancer (CRC). Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are regarded as the precursor cells of metastasis. The CTCs, which underwent epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), are associated with metastasis and responsible for poor prognosis. EMT cancer cells modulate endothelial permeability in the invasive front and facilitate cancer cell intravasation, resulting in CTCs‐mediated distant metastasis. Exosomes derived from cancer cells are key mediators of cancer‐host intercommunication. However, the mechanism by which EMT‐tumour cells‐derived exosomes modulate vascular permeability and promote CTCs generation has remained unclear.MethodsExosomes isolation and purification were conducted by ultra‐centrifugation. Exosomal miRNA was identified by sequencing followed by quantitative PCR. In vitro co‐culture assay experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of exosomal miR‐27b‐3p on the permeability of blood vessel endothelium. Dual‐luciferase reporter assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were performed to investigate the underlying mechanism by which miR‐27b‐3p is packaged into exosomes. A mouse model was established to determine the role of exosomal miR‐27b‐3p in blood vessel permeability modulation in vivo.ResultsWe found that EMT‐CRC cells attenuate the blood vessel barrier by transferring miR‐27b‐3p to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in exosomes. Mechanically, miR‐27b‐3p atteuated the expression of vascular endothelial cadherin (VE‐Cad) and p120 at the post‐transcriptional level by binding to 3′‐untranslated region of VE‐Cad and p120 directly. The packaging of miR‐27b‐3p into exosomes was induced by heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNPA1), which activated by STAT3. Clinically, miR‐27b‐3p up‐regulated in CRC tissues. Plasma exosomal miR‐27b‐3p was positively correlated with malignant progression and CTC count in CRC patients. Our study reveals a novel mechanism by which EMT‐CRC cells promote metastasis, increasing blood vessel permeability and facilitating the generation of CTCs.ConclusionExosomal miR‐27b‐3p secreted by EMT‐CRC cells increases blood vessel permeability and facilitates the generation of CTCs. Exosomal miR‐27b‐3p may become a promising biomarker for CRC metastasis.
Capture vulnerability of sea turtles on recreational fishing piers
Authors: Lamont Margaret M. , Mollenhauer Robert , Foley Allen M. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractCapture vulnerability of commercial and recreational fishes has been associated with behavioral, morphological, and life‐history traits; however, relationships with non‐target species, such as sea turtles, have not been adequately studied. We examined species composition, timing of captures, morphological variables including body size and head width, and body condition of sea turtles captured from a recreational fishing pier in the northern Gulf of Mexico and of sea turtles captured in the waters adjacent to the pier. From 2014 to 2019, 148 net captures and 112 pier captures of three sea turtle species were documented. Green turtles were captured most frequently in the net and on the pier. Turtles captured from the pier were larger than those captured in the net. There was no difference in head width between net‐caught and pier‐caught turtles; however, small sample sizes limited those comparisons. The body condition index was lower for pier‐caught than net‐caught Kemp’;s ridleys but did not differ with green turtles or loggerheads. Differences were also observed in the timing of capture on the pier as compared to in the net. Finally, the relationship between size, body condition, and pier‐capture vulnerability suggests these are complex interactions. Mortality of sea turtles captured from fishing piers could be selecting against bolder individuals, which may result in changes in sea turtle population demographics over a long time period.
DNA metabarcoding reveals introduced species predominate in the diet of a threatened endemic omnivore, Telfair’s skink (Leiolopisma telfairii)
Authors: Tercel Maximillian P. T. G. , Moorhouse‐Gann Rosemary J. , Cuff Jordan P. , Drake Lorna E. , Cole Nik C. , Goder Martine , Mootoocurpen Rouben , Symondson William O. C. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIntroduced species can exert disproportionately negative effects on island ecosystems, but their potential role as food for native consumers is poorly studied. Telfair's skinks are endemic omnivores living on Round Island, Mauritius, a globally significant site of biodiversity conservation. We aimed to determine the dietary diversity and key trophic interactions of Telfair's skinks, whether introduced species are frequently consumed, and if diet composition changes seasonally between male and female skinks. We used DNA metabarcoding of skink fecal samples to identify animals (COI) and plants (ITS2) consumed by skinks. There were 389 dietary presence counts belonging to 77 dietary taxa found across the 73 Telfair's skink fecal samples. Introduced taxa were cumulatively consumed more frequently than other categories, accounting for 49.4% of all detections, compared to cryptogenic (20.6%), native (20.6%), and endemic taxa (9.5%). The most frequently consumed introduced species was the ant, Pheidole megacephala, present in 40% of samples. Blue latan palm, Latania loddigesii, was the most frequently consumed endemic species, present in 33% of samples but was only detected in the dry season, when fruits are produced. We found a strong seasonal difference in diet composition explained by the presence of certain plant species solely or primarily in one season and a marked increase in the consumption of animal prey in the dry season. Male and female skinks consumed several taxa at different frequencies. These results present a valuable perspective on the role of introduced species in the trophic network of their invaded ecosystem. Both native and introduced species provide nutritional resources for skinks, and this may have management implications in the context of species conservation and island restoration.
Ecological implications of variable energy storage in the keystone predator, Pisaster ochraceus
Authors: Robles Carlos D. , Molina Mayra , Martinez Carlos Alan , Alvarez Luis 
Published: December 2021

AbstractWe considered how environmental variation and adaption together constrain energy acquisition of a keystone predator and how the constraints might influence its ecological function. We tested the proposition that changing energy availability, occurring as shifts in shore level and size composition of the lower vertical boundary of intertidal mussel beds (Mytilus spp.), affects energy storage and growth of predatory sea stars, Pisaster ochraceus. Energy storage of Pisaster (mass of the pyloric caeca, PC) increased when highly variable inter‐annual mussel recruitment temporarily shifted the lower boundary of the mussel bed down‐shore; energy storage decreased when the lower boundary receded up‐shore. Greatest storage occurred during massive recruitment of juvenile mussels, which caused the largest downward extensions of the boundary. To test the causal basis of the storage–boundary correlation, sea stars collected from sites with natural episodes of massive mussel recruitment were tagged and translocated to sites with experimentally shifted boundaries. On mussel beds with lower boundaries artificially expanded downward, the sea stars sustained high energy storage over most of the range of initial sizes. On mussel beds left unaltered or experimentally recessed, they lost PC mass. The amounts of loss were similar between unaltered and recessed treatments. We suggest an explanation for this unexpected similarity. Pisaster aggregate and disperse in response to the inter‐annual variation in mussel recruitment, and this numerical response is integral to mechanisms holding stationary the lower boundary, imposing stability on the local mussel population. Inter‐annual episodes of massive mussel recruitment, which have the potential to abruptly destabilize the lower boundaries, (1) elicit the strongest numerical response and (2) incur the greatest energy storage. The amount of energy storage in the season of active foraging is approximately proportional to the reproductive output in the subsequent reproductive season. Therefore, we propose that the system property of prey population stability originates in energy constraints underpinning Darwinian fitness of a keystone predator. Study limitations and further tests of the hypothesis are described.
Poly I:C and STING agonist‐primed DC increase lymphoid tissue polyfunctional HIV‐1‐specific CD8+ T cells and limit CD4+ T‐cell loss in BLT mice
Authors: Calvet‐Mirabent Marta , Claiborne Daniel T. , Deruaz Maud , Tanno Serah , Serra Carla , Delgado‐Arévalo Cristina , Sánchez‐Cerrillo Ildefonso , de los Santos Ignacio , Sanz Jesús , García‐Fraile Lucio , Sánchez‐Madrid Francisco , Alfranca Arantzazu , Muñoz‐Fernández María Ángeles , Allen Todd M. , Buzón Maria J. , Balazs Alejandro , Vrbanac Vladimir , Martín‐Gayo Enrique 
Published: December 2021

AbstractEffective function of CD8+ T cells and enhanced innate activation of DCs in response to HIV‐1 is linked to protective antiviral immunity in controllers. Manipulation of DC targeting the master regulator TANK‐binding Kinase 1 (TBK1) might be useful to acquire controller‐like properties. Here, we evaluated the impact of the combination of 2´3´‐c´diAM(PS)2 and Poly I:C as potential adjuvants capable of potentiating DC´s abilities to induce polyfunctional HIV‐1 specific CD8+ T‐cell responses in vitro and in vivo using a humanized BLT mouse model. Adjuvant combination enhanced TBK‐1 phosphorylation and IL‐12 and IFN‐β expression on DC and increased their ability to activate polyfunctional HIV‐1‐specific CD8+ T cells in vitro. Moreover, higher proportions of hBLT mice vaccinated with ADJ‐DC exhibited less severe CD4+ T‐cell depletion following HIV‐1 infection compared to control groups. This was associated with infiltration of CD8+ T cells in the white pulp from the spleen, reduced spread of infected p24+ cells to LN, and with preserved abilities of CD8+ T cells from the spleen and blood of vaccinated animals to induce specific polyfunctional responses upon antigen stimulation. Therefore, priming of DC with PolyI:C and STING agonists might be useful for future HIV‐1 vaccine studies.
Production and characterization of beer supplemented with Hibiscus sabdariffa (Malvaceae)
Authors: Essiedu Justice A. , Adadi Parise , Kovaleva Elena G. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThis study evaluated the effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) (Malvaceae) calyces on fermentation kenetics, phytochemical constituents, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and sensory profile of beer. Single infusion method of mashing was utilized, and the resulting beers were compared to industrial beers. HS supplementation did not alter the fermentation kenetics as a general decrease in extracts (oBrix) was observed in treated and the control fermentations. The HS beer (HSB) showed higher polyphenols and antioxidant activities than the control Belgian ale beer (BAB) including the industrial beers. One of the industrial beers, BRB showed slightly higher total flavonoid than HSB but not statistically different (p > .05). The peak response of ethyl acetate in HSB (199.61 ± 2.51 × 105 TIC) was significantly (p < .05) higher compared to BAB (22.86 ± 2.01 × 105 TIC). Generally, sensory panelists preferred HSB and BAB over the industrial beers. Therefore, we have demonstrated that supplementing wort with HS during brewing will not alter fermentation performance but augment beer with health promoting phytochemicals.