bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Formulation and evaluation of injectable dextran sulfate sodium nanoparticles as a potent antibacterial agent
Authors: Madkhali Osama A. , Sivagurunathan Moni Sivakumar , Sultan Muhammad H. , Bukhary Haitham A. , Ghazwani Mohammed , Alhakamy Nabil A. , Meraya Abdulkarim M. , Alshahrani Saeed , Alqahtani Saad Saeed , Bakkari Mohammed Ali , Alam M. Intakhab , Elmobark Mohamed Eltaib 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to develop a novel nano antibacterial formulation of dextran sulfate sodium polymer. The dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) nanoparticles were formulated with gelation technique. The nanoparticles exhibited significant physicochemical and effective antibacterial properties, with zeta potential of − 35.2 mV, particle size of 69.3 z d nm, polydispersity index of 0.6, and percentage polydispersity of 77.8. The DSS nanoparticles were stable up to 102 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed an endothermic peak at 165.77 °C in 12.46 min, while XRD analysis at 2θ depicted various peaks at 21.56°, 33.37°, 38.73°, 47.17°, 52.96°, and 58.42°, indicating discrete nanoparticle formation. Antibacterial studies showed that the DSS nanoparticles were effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of DSS nanoparticles for Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) and Proteus vulgaris (P. vulgaris) were 150, 200, 250, 150, 200, 250, 250 µg/mL, respectively. The antibacterial effects of DSS nanoparticles were in the order E. coli (26 ± 1.2 mm) at 150 µg/mL > S. pyogenes (24.6 ± 0.8 mm) at 250 µg/mL > B. subtilis (23.5 ± 2 mm) at 150 µg/mL > K. pneumoniae (22 ± 2 mm) at 250 µg/mL > P. aeruginosa (21.8 ± 1 mm) at 200 µg/mL > S. aureus (20.8 ± 1 mm) at 200 µg/mL > P. vulgaris (20.5 ± 0.9 mm) at 250 µg/mL. These results demonstrate the antibacterial potency of DSS injectable nanoparticles.
Development of genic SSR marker resources from RNA-seq data in Camellia japonica and their application in the genus Camellia
Authors: Li Qingyuan , Su Xiaojun , Ma Huanhuan , Du Kebing , Yang Min , Chen Baolin , Fu Shao , Fu Tianjing , Xiang Conglin , Zhao Qing , Xu Lin 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCamelliais a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae, and several species in this genus have economic importance. Although a great deal of molecular makers has been developed for molecular assisted breeding in genusCamelliain the past decade, the number of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) publicly available for plants in this genus is insufficient. In this study, a total of 28,854 potential SSRs were identified with a frequency of 4.63 kb. A total of 172 primer pairs were synthesized and preliminarily screened in 10C. japonicaaccessions, and of these primer pairs, 111 were found to be polymorphic. Fifty-one polymorphic SSR markers were randomly selected to perform further analysis of the genetic relationships of 89 accessions across the genusCamellia. Cluster analysis revealed major clusters corresponding to those based on taxonomic classification and geographic origin. Furthermore, all the genotypes ofC. japonicaseparated and consistently grouped well in the genetic structure analysis. The results of the present study provide high-quality SSR resources for molecular genetic breeding studies in camellia plants.
Magneto-optical borogermanate glasses and fibers containing Tb3+
Authors: Franco Douglas F. , Ledemi Yannick , Correr Wagner , Morency Steeve , Afonso Conrado R. M. , Messaddeq Sandra H. , Messaddeq Younès , Nalin Marcelo 
Published: May 2021

AbstractNew glass compositions containing high concentrations of Tb3+ ions were developed aiming at the production of magneto-optical (MO) fibers. This work reports on the structural and MO properties of a new glass composition based on (100 − x)(41GeO2–25B2O3–4Al2O3–10Na2O–20BaO) − xTb4O7. Morphological analysis (HR-TEM) of the sample with the highest concentration of Tb3+ ions confirmed the homogeneous distribution of Tb3+ ions and the absence of nanoclusters. All the samples presented excellent thermal stability against crystallization (ΔT > 100 °C). An optical fiber was manufactured by a fiber drawing process. The UV–Vis spectra of the glasses showed Tb3+ electronic transitions and optical windows varying from 0.4 to 1.6 μm. The magneto-optical properties and the paramagnetic behaviors of the glasses were investigated using Faraday rotation experiments. The Verdet constant (VB) values were calculated at 500, 650, 880, 1050, 1330, and 1550 nm. The maximum VB values obtained at 650 and 1550 nm for the glass with x = 18 mol% were -128 and − 17.6 rad T−1 m−1, respectively. The VB values at 500 and 1550 nm for the optical fiber containing 8 mol% of Tb4O7 were − 110.2 and − 9.5 rad T−1 m−1, respectively, while the optical loss at around 880 nm was 6.4 dB m−1.
AFM study of changes in properties of horseradish peroxidase after incubation of its solution near a pyramidal structure
Authors: Ivanov Yuri D. , Pleshakova Tatyana O. , Shumov Ivan D. , Kozlov Andrey F. , Ivanova Irina A. , Valueva Anastasia A. , Ershova Maria O. , Tatur Vadim Yu. , Stepanov Igor N. , Repnikov Victor V. , Ziborov Vadim S. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn our present paper, the influence of a pyramidal structure on physicochemical properties of a protein in buffer solution has been studied. The pyramidal structure employed herein was similar to those produced industrially for anechoic chambers. Pyramidal structures are also used as elements of biosensors. Herein, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme was used as a model protein. HRP macromolecules were adsorbed from their solution onto an atomically smooth mica substrate, and then visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). In parallel, the enzymatic activity of HRP was estimated by conventional spectrophotometry. Additionally, attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) has been employed in order to find out whether or not the protein secondary structure changes after the incubation of its solution either near the apex of a pyramid or in the center of its base. Using AFM, we have demonstrated that the incubation of the protein solution either in the vicinity of the pyramid’s apex or in the center of its base influences the physicochemical properties of the protein macromolecules. Namely, the incubation of the HRP solution in the vicinity of the top of the pyramidal structure has been shown to lead to an increase in the efficiency of the HRP adsorption onto mica. Moreover, after the incubation of the HRP solution either near the top of the pyramid or in the center of its base, the HRP macromolecules adsorb onto the mica surface predominantly in monomeric form. At that, the enzymatic activity of HRP does not change. The results of our present study are useful to be taken into account in the development of novel biosensor devices (including those for the diagnosis of cancer in humans), in which pyramidal structures are employed as sensor, noise suppression or construction elements.
Relationship of contact angle of spray solution on leaf surfaces with weed control
Authors: da Silva Santos Renata Thaysa , Vechia Jaqueline Franciosi Della , dos Santos Cícero Antonio Mariano , Almeida Dieimisson Paulo , da Costa Ferreira Marcelo 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe weeds are important in agricultural and livestock areas because these plants can cause several damages, especially in the yield. The herbicide pulverization for weed control is the most used, but the efficiency of the control can be dependent the several factors, for example, the correct chose the herbicide and the mixture or not with adjuvant. This study aimed to evaluate the contact angle of herbicide solution droplets associated with adjuvant when deposited on the leaf surface of different weed species and their relationship with chemical control. For the contact angle experiment, the design was completely randomized, with four repetitions, while for the control experiment, a randomized block design was used, both experiments were arranged in a factorial (4 × 2 + 1) design. Factor A corresponded to four spray solutions containing the herbicide no addition of adjuvants and herbicide associated with adjuvants (vegetable oil, mineral oil, and lecithin), factor B to two herbicide dosages, and additional treatment corresponded to water. The contact angle was determined in six weed species:Crotalaria incana,Lantana camara,Ipomoea grandifolia,Asclepias curassavica,Sida obtusifolia,andRicinus communis, on the adaxial and abaxial surface of each species, and an artificial surface. For the weed control experiment was used two weed species:C. incanaandL. camara. The multivariate analysis allowed the understanding of the behavior of the contact angle of the different groups on the natural and artificial surfaces, due to the formation of factors. For all plants, except for the abaxial surface ofI. grandifoliaand the adaxial surface ofA. curassavica,the association of herbicide and adjuvants reduced contact angle on the surfaces. The chemical control resulted in an indirect relation with contact angle, where smaller contact angles of the herbicide solution resulted in a higher percentage of plant intoxication. Therefore, for this situation, it is recommended to use the herbicide aminopyralid + fluroxypir associated with lecithin.
Generative adversarial network for glioblastoma ensures morphologic variations and improves diagnostic model for isocitrate dehydrogenase mutant type
Authors: Park Ji Eun , Eun Dain , Kim Ho Sung , Lee Da Hyun , Jang Ryoung Woo , Kim Namkug 
Published: May 2021

AbstractGenerative adversarial network (GAN) creates synthetic images to increase data quantity, but whether GAN ensures meaningful morphologic variations is still unknown. We investigated whether GAN-based synthetic images provide sufficient morphologic variations to improve molecular-based prediction, as a rare disease of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant glioblastomas. GAN was initially trained on 500 normal brains and 110 IDH-mutant high-grade astocytomas, and paired contrast-enhanced T1-weighted and FLAIR MRI data were generated. Diagnostic models were developed from real IDH-wild type (n = 80) with real IDH-mutant glioblastomas (n = 38), or with synthetic IDH-mutant glioblastomas, or augmented by adding both real and synthetic IDH-mutant glioblastomas. Turing tests showed synthetic data showed reality (classification rate of 55%). Both the real and synthetic data showed that a more frontal or insular location (odds ratio [OR] 1.34 vs. 1.52; P = 0.04) and distinct non-enhancing tumor margins (OR 2.68 vs. 3.88; P < 0.001), which become significant predictors of IDH-mutation. In an independent validation set, diagnostic accuracy was higher for the augmented model (90.9% [40/44] and 93.2% [41/44] for each reader, respectively) than for the real model (84.1% [37/44] and 86.4% [38/44] for each reader, respectively). The GAN-based synthetic images yield morphologically variable, realistic-seeming IDH-mutant glioblastomas. GAN will be useful to create a realistic training set in terms of morphologic variations and quality, thereby improving diagnostic performance in a clinical model.
Pests, diseases, and aridity have shaped the genome of Corymbia citriodora
Authors: Healey Adam L. , Shepherd Mervyn , King Graham J. , Butler Jakob B. , Freeman Jules S. , Lee David J. , Potts Brad M. , Silva-Junior Orzenil B. , Baten Abdul , Jenkins Jerry , Shu Shengqiang , Lovell John T. , Sreedasyam Avinash , Grimwood Jane , Furtado Agnelo , Grattapaglia Dario , Barry Kerrie W. , Hundley Hope , Simmons Blake A. , Schmutz Jeremy , Vaillancourt René E. , Henry Robert J. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCorymbia citriodorais a member of the predominantly Southern Hemisphere Myrtaceae family, which includes the eucalypts (Eucalyptus,CorymbiaandAngophora; ~800 species).Corymbiais grown for timber, pulp and paper, and essential oils in Australia, South Africa, Asia, and Brazil, maintaining a high-growth rate under marginal conditions due to drought, poor-quality soil, and biotic stresses. To dissect the genetic basis of these desirable traits, we sequenced and assembled the 408 Mb genome ofCorymbia citriodora, anchored into eleven chromosomes. Comparative analysis withEucalyptus grandisreveals high synteny, although the two diverged approximately 60 million years ago and have different genome sizes (408 vs 641 Mb), with few large intra-chromosomal rearrangements.C. citriodorashares an ancient whole-genome duplication event withE. grandisbut has undergone tandem gene family expansions related to terpene biosynthesis, innate pathogen resistance, and leaf wax formation, enabling their successful adaptation to biotic/abiotic stresses and arid conditions of the Australian continent.
Computationally guided in-vitro vascular growth model reveals causal link between flow oscillations and disorganized neotissue
Authors: van Haaften Eline E. , Quicken Sjeng , Huberts Wouter , Bouten Carlijn V. C. , Kurniawan Nicholas A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractDisturbed shear stress is thought to be the driving factor of neointimal hyperplasia in blood vessels and grafts, for example in hemodialysis conduits. Despite the common occurrence of neointimal hyperplasia, however, the mechanistic role of shear stress is unclear. This is especially problematic in the context of in situ scaffold-guided vascular regeneration, a process strongly driven by the scaffold mechanical environment. To address this issue, we herein introduce an integrated numerical-experimental approach to reconstruct the graft–host response and interrogate the mechanoregulation in dialysis grafts. Starting from patient data, we numerically analyze the biomechanics at the vein–graft anastomosis of a hemodialysis conduit. Using this biomechanical data, we show in an in vitro vascular growth model that oscillatory shear stress, in the presence of cyclic strain, favors neotissue development by reducing the secretion of remodeling markers by vascular cells and promoting the formation of a dense and disorganized collagen network. These findings identify scaffold-based shielding of cells from oscillatory shear stress as a potential handle to inhibit neointimal hyperplasia in grafts.
The folding propensity of α/sulfono-γ-AA peptidic foldamers with both left- and right-handedness
Authors: Teng Peng , Zheng Mengmeng , Cerrato Darrell Cole , Shi Yan , Zhou Mi , Xue Songyi , Jiang Wei , Wojtas Lukasz , Ming Li-June , Hu Yong , Cai Jianfeng 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe discovery and application of new types of helical peptidic foldamers have been an attractive endeavor to enable the development of new materials, catalysts and biological molecules. To maximize their application potential through structure-based design, it is imperative to control their helical handedness based on their molecular scaffold. Herein we first demonstrate the generalizability of the solid-state right-handed helical propensity of the 413-helix of L-α/L-sulfono-γ-AA peptides that as short as 11-mer, using the high-resolution X-ray single crystallography. The atomic level folding conformation of the foldamers was also elucidated by 2D NMR and circular dichroism under various conditions. Subsequently, we show that the helical handedness of this class of foldamer is controlled by the chirality of their chiral side chains, as demonstrated by the left-handed 413-helix comprising 1:1 D-α/D-sulfono-γ-AA peptide. In addition, a heterochiral coiled-coil-like structure was also revealed for the first time, unambiguously supporting the impact of chirality on their helical handedness. Our findings enable the structure-based design of unique folding biopolymers and materials with the exclusive handedness or the racemic form of the foldamers in the future.
SmartOil: Blockchain and smart contract‐based oil supply chain management
Authors: Haque Bahalul , Hasan Rifat , Zihad Oahiduzzaman Mondol 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe traditional oil supply chain suffers from various shortcomings regarding crude oil extraction, processing, distribution, environmental pollution and traceability. It offers only forward flow of products with limitations in quality inspection, fraudulent information and monopolistic behavior of supply chain entities. Inclusion of counterfeiting products and opaqueness of the system urge renovation in this sector. Technological advancement can now reshape the infrastructure of the supply chain for the future. Here, a conceptual framework utilizing blockchain and smart contract to monitor the overall oil supply chain is suggested. Blockchain is a used to monitor and support the security building of a decentralized type supply chain. The Internet of Things (IoT) sensors open a broader window to track the process and attributes in real time. A methodology to support reverse traceability for each participant of the supply chain is constructed. Implementation of smart contracts is also shown with detailed analysis. The challenges of implementing such a system are further described and our framework's adaptability in the real world is validated. The paper concludes with future research scope to mitigate the restrictions of data management and maintenance with advanced
working prototypes and agile systems achieving greater traceability and transparency.
Linking ice and gas in the λ Orionis Barnard 35A cloud
Authors: Perotti G. , Jørgensen J. K. , Fraser H. J. , Suutarinen A. N. , Kristensen L. E. , Rocha W. R. M. , Bjerkeli P. , Pontoppidan K. M. 
Published: May 2021

Context. Dust grains play an important role in the synthesis of molecules in the interstellar medium, from the simplest species, such as H2, to complex organic molecules. How some of these solid-state molecules are converted into gas-phase species is still a matter of debate.
Aims. Our aim is to directly compare ice and gas abundances of methanol (CH3OH) and carbon monoxide (CO) obtained from near-infrared (2.5−5 μm) and millimetre (1.3 mm) observations and to investigate the relationship between ice, dust, and gas in low-mass protostellar envelopes.
Methods. We present Submillimeter Array (SMA) and Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) observations of gas-phase CH3OH (JK = 5K−4K), 13CO, and C18O (J = 2−1) towards the multiple protostellar system IRAS 05417+0907, which is located in the B35A cloud, λ Orionis region. We use archival IRAM 30 m data and AKARI H2O, CO, and CH3OH ice observations towards the same target to compare ice and gas abundances and directly calculate CH3OH and CO gas-to-ice ratios.
Results. The CO isotopologue emissions are extended, whereas the CH3OH emission is compact and traces the giant molecular outflow emanating from IRAS 05417+0907. A discrepancy between sub-millimetre dust emission and H2O ice column density is found for B35A−4 and B35A−5, similar to what has previously been reported. B35A−2 and B35A−3 are located where the sub-millimetre dust emission peaks and show H2O column densities lower than that of B35A−4.
Conclusions. The difference between the sub-millimetre continuum emission and the infrared H2O ice observations suggests that the distributions of dust and H2O ice differ around the young stellar objects in this dense cloud. The reason for this may be that the four sources are located in different environments resolved by the interferometric observations: B35A−2, B35A−3, and, in particular, B35A−5 are situated in a shocked region that is plausibly affected by sputtering and heating, which in turn impacts the sub-millimetre dust emission pattern, while B35A−4 is situated in a more quiescent part of the cloud. Gas and ice maps are essential for connecting small-scale variations in the ice composition with the large-scale astrophysical phenomena probed by gas observations.
Machine learning techniques in studies of the interior structure of rocky exoplanets
Authors: Zhao Yong , Ni Dongdong 
Published: May 2021

Context. Earth-sized exoplanets have been discovered and characterized thanks to new developments in observational techniques, particularly those planets that may have a rocky composition that is comparable to terrestrial planets of the Solar System. Characterizing the interiors of rocky exoplanets is one of the main objectives in investigations of their habitability. Theoretical mass-radius relations are often used as a tool to constrain the internal structure of rocky exoplanets. But one mass-radius curve only represents a single interior structure and a great deal of computation time is required to obtain all possible interior structures that comply with the given mass and radius of a planet.
Aims. We apply a machine-learning approach based on mixture density networks (MDNs) to investigate the interiors of rocky exoplanets. We aim to provide a well-trained MDN model to quickly and efficiently predict the interior structure of rocky exoplanets.
Methods. We presented a training data set of rocky exoplanets with masses between 0.1 and 10 Earth masses based on three-layer interior models by assuming Earth-like compositions. This data set was then used to train the MDN model to predict the layer thicknesses and core properties of rocky exoplanets, where planetary mass, radius, and water content are inputs to the MDN. The performance of the trained MDN model was investigated in order to discern its predictive ability.
Results. The MDN model is found to show good performance in predicting the layer thicknesses and core properties of rocky exoplanets through a comparison with the real solutions obtained by solving the interior models. We also applied the MDN model to the Earth and the super-Earth exoplanet LHS 1140b. The MDN predictions are in good agreement with the interior model solutions within the uncertainties of planetary mass and radius. More importantly, the MDN model takes a much shorter computational time compared to the cost of the interior model calculations, offering a convenient and powerful tool for quickly obtaining information on planetary interiors.