bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Energy‐spectral efficiency trade‐off optimization for downlink multi‐user non orthogonal multiple access systems
Authors: Glei Naziha , Ben Othman Jalel , Belgacem Chibani Rhaimi 
Published: March 2021

SummaryNon‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has been investigated as a promising multiple radio access technology for future wireless networks to enable massive connectivity and improve spectral efficiency (SE). Furthermore, energy efficiency (EE) is becoming a primary concern and an inevitable trend for future wireless networks. For this, recent works have been provided good thoughts into joining these two conflicting performance metrics EE and SE. The joint EE–SE trade‐off problem for multi‐user NOMA systems in downlink is studied in this paper. The mathematical formulation of the EE–SE trade‐off is given as an optimization issue subject to some constraints. The basic thought is to improve EE by imposing simultaneously a minimum SE to be satisfied. The quality of service (QoS) requirement for each user is also provided to ensure optimality. For this, a dynamic energy‐efficient power allocation is proposed. Then, an iterative optimization algorithm with low computational complexity is developed to reach the proposed power allocation. Simulations have been conducted and compared to existing NOMA systems to show the effectiveness of the suggested approach in terms of EE and SE.
Neobavaisoflavone protects osteoblasts from dexamethasone‐induced oxidative stress by upregulating the CRNDE‐mediated Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling pathway
Authors: Zhu Zhonglian , Wang Xuyi , Wang Zhaodong , Zhao Zhi , Zhou Pinghui , Gao Xubin 
Published: March 2021

AbstractNeobavaisoflavone (NBIF) is a flavonoid, which has a variety of pharmacological activities. However, the mechanism of NBIF in the treatment of osteoporosis still needs further exploration. The differentiation of osteoblast MC‐3T3‐E1 cells after treatment was observed by Alizarin red staining. Cell counting kit‐8 and flow cytometry were used to detect viability, apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of treated MC‐3T3‐E1 cells, respectively. Malondialdehyde (MDA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) were tested by ELISA kits. The expressions of lncRNA MALAT1, MEG3, CRNDE, Runx2, osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), collagen I (col‐I), nuclear Nrf2, cytoplasm Nrf2, heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) and quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in treated MC‐3T3‐E1 cells were examined by Quantitative real‐time PCR or Western blot. Dexamethasone (Dex) inhibited the viability of MC‐3T3‐E1 cells, while the appropriate amount of NBIF had no significantly effect on cell viability. Dex downregulated CRNDE expression, whereas NBIF upregulated CRNDE. Overexpressed CRNDE and NBIF reversed the inhibitory effects of Dex on cell viability, differentiation and levels of SOD, GSH‐Px, Runx2, OCN, OPN, col‐I, nuclear Nrf2, HO‐1 and NQO1 while reversing the promoting effect of Dex on apoptosis and the levels of ROS, MDA, LDH and cytoplasm Nrf2 in MC‐3T3‐E1 cells, respectively, but shCRNDE further reversed the effects of NBIF in MC‐3T3‐E1 cells. NBIF protected osteoblasts from Dex‐induced oxidative stress by upregulating the CRNDE‐mediated Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling pathway.
Deep learning‐based detection and stage grading for optimising diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Wang Yuelin , Yu Miao , Hu Bojie , Jin Xuemin , Li Yibin , Zhang Xiao , Zhang Yongpeng , Gong Di , Wu Chan , Zhang Bilei , Yang Jingyuan , Li Bing , Yuan Mingzhen , Mo Bin , Wei Qijie , Zhao Jianchun , Ding Dayong , Yang Jingyun , Li Xirong , Yu Weihong , Chen Youxin 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAimsTo establish an automated method for identifying referable diabetic retinopathy (DR), defined as moderate nonproliferative DR and above, using deep learning‐based lesion detection and stage grading.Materials and MethodsA set of 12,252 eligible fundus images of diabetic patients were manually annotated by 45 licenced ophthalmologists and were randomly split into training, validation, and internal test sets (ratio of 7:1:2). Another set of 565 eligible consecutive clinical fundus images was established as an external test set. For automated referable DR identification, four deep learning models were programmed based on whether two factors were included: DR‐related lesions and DR stages. Sensitivity, specificity and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were reported for referable DR identification, while precision and recall were reported for lesion detection.ResultsAdding lesion information to the five‐stage grading model improved the AUC (0.943 vs. 0.938), sensitivity (90.6% vs. 90.5%) and specificity (80.7% vs. 78.5%) of the model for identifying referable DR in the internal test set. Adding stage information to the lesion‐based model increased the AUC (0.943 vs. 0.936) and sensitivity (90.6% vs. 76.7%) of the model for identifying referable DR in the internal test set. Similar trends were also seen in the external test set. DR lesion types with high precision results were preretinal haemorrhage, hard exudate, vitreous haemorrhage, neovascularisation, cotton wool spots and fibrous proliferation.ConclusionsThe herein described automated model employed DR lesions and stage information to identify referable DR and displayed better diagnostic value than models built without this information.
A new approach to assessing the space use behavior of macroinvertebrates by automated video tracking
Authors: Shokri Milad , Cozzoli Francesco , Ciotti Mario , Gjoni Vojsava , Marrocco Vanessa , Vignes Fabio , Basset Alberto 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Individual space and resource use are central issues in ecology and conservation. Recent technological advances such as automated tracking techniques are boosting ecological research in this field. However, the development of a robust method to track space and resource use is still challenging for at least one important ecosystem component: motile aquatic macroinvertebrates. The challenges are mostly related to the small body size and rapid movement of many macroinvertebrate species and to light scattering and wave signal interference in aquatic habitats.

We developed a video tracking method designed to reliably assess space use behavior among individual aquatic macroinvertebrates under laboratory (microcosm) conditions. The approach involves the use of experimental apparatus integrating a near infrared backlight source, a Plexiglas multi‐patch maze, multiple infrared cameras, and automated video analysis. It allows detection of the position of fast‐moving (~ 3 cm/s) and translucent individuals of small size (~ 5 mm in length, ~1 mg in dry weight) on simulated resource patches distributed over an experimental microcosm (0.08 m2).

To illustrate the adequacy of the proposed method, we present a case study regarding the size dependency of space use behavior in the model organism Gammarus insensibilis, focusing on individual patch selection, giving‐up times, and cumulative space used.

In the case study, primary data were collected on individual body size and individual locomotory behavior, for example, mean speed, acceleration, and step length. Individual entrance and departure times were recorded for each simulated resource patch in the experimental maze. Individual giving‐up times were found to be characterized by negative size dependency, with patch departure occurring sooner in larger individuals than smaller ones, and individual cumulative space used (treated as the overall surface area of resource patches that individuals visited) was found to scale positively with body size.

This approach to studying space use behavior can deepen our understanding of species coexistence, yielding insights into mechanistic models on larger spatial scales, for example, home range, with implications for ecological and evolutionary processes, as well as for the management and conservation of populations and ecosystems. Despite being specifically developed for aquatic macroinvertebrates, this method can also be applied to other small aquatic organisms such as juvenile fish and amphibians.
Feet first: Adaptive growth in magellanic penguin chicks
Authors: Gownaris Natasha J. , Boersma P. Dee 
Published: March 2021

AbstractGrowing animals should allocate their limited resources in ways that maximize survival. Seabird chicks must balance the growth of features and fat reserves needed to survive on land with those needed to successfully fledge and survive at sea. We used a large, 34‐year dataset to examine energy allocation in Magellanic penguin chicks. Based on the temporal trends in the selective pressures that chicks faced, we developed predictions relating to the timing of skeletal feature growth (Prediction 1), variation in skeletal feature size and shape (Prediction 2), and responses to periods of high energetic constraint (Prediction 3). We tested our predictions using descriptive statistics, generalized additive models, and principal component analysis. Nearly all of our predictions were supported. Chicks grew their feet first, then their flippers. They continued to grow their bill after fledging (Prediction 1). Variance in feature size increased in young chicks but declined before fledging; this variance was largely driven by overall size rather than by shape (Prediction 2). Chicks that died grew slower and varied more in feature size than those that fledged (Prediction 2). Skeletal features grew rapidly prior to thermoregulation and feet and flippers were 90% grown prior to juvenile feather growth; both thermoregulation and feather growth are energetically expensive (Prediction 3). To avoid starvation, chicks prioritized storing mass during the first 10 days after hatching; then, the body condition of chicks began to decline (Prediction 3). In contrast to our prediction of mass prioritization in young chicks, chicks that were relatively light for their age had high skeletal size to mass ratios. Chicks did not show evidence of reaching physiological growth limits (Prediction 3). By examining energy allocation patterns at fine temporal scales and in the context of detailed natural history data, we provide insight into the trade‐offs faced by growing animals.
Intertrip consistency in hunting behavior improves foraging success and efficiency in a marine top predator
Authors: Speakman Cassie N. , Lloyd Sebastian T. , Camprasse Elodie C. M. , Hoskins Andrew J. , Hindell Mark A. , Costa Daniel P. , Arnould John P. Y. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSubstantial variation in foraging strategies can exist within populations, even those typically regarded as generalists. Specializations arise from the consistent exploitation of a narrow behavioral, spatial or dietary niche over time, which may reduce intraspecific competition and influence adaptability to environmental change. However, few studies have investigated whether behavioral consistency confers benefits at the individual and/or population level. While still recovering from commercial sealing overexploitation, Australian fur seals (AUFS; Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) represent the largest marine predator biomass in south‐eastern Australia. During lactation, female AUFS adopt a central‐place foraging strategy and are, thus, vulnerable to changes in prey availability. The present study investigated the population‐level repeatability and individual consistency in foraging behavior of 34 lactating female AUFS at a south‐east Australian breeding colony between 2006 and 2019. Additionally, the influence of individual‐level behavioral consistency on indices of foraging success and efficiency during benthic diving was determined. Low to moderate population‐level repeatability was observed across foraging behaviors, with the greatest repeatability in the mean bearing and modal dive depth. Individual‐level consistency was greatest for the proportion of benthic diving, total distance travelled, and trip duration. Indices of benthic foraging success and efficiency were positively influenced by consistency in the proportion of benthic diving, trip duration and dive rate but not influenced by consistency in bearing to most distal point, dive depth or foraging site fidelity. The results of the present study provide evidence of the benefits of consistency for individuals, which may have flow‐on effects at the population level.
EpiList 1.0: a global checklist of vascular epiphytes
Authors: Zotz Gerhard , Weigelt Patrick , Kessler Michael , Kreft Holger , Taylor Amanda 
Published: March 2021

AbstractEpiphytes make up roughly 10% of all vascular plant species globally and play important functional roles, especially in tropical forests. However, to date, there is no comprehensive list of vascular epiphyte species. Here, we present EpiList 1.0, the first global list of vascular epiphytes based on standardized definitions and taxonomy. We include obligate epiphytes, facultative epiphytes, and hemiepiphytes, as the latter share the vulnerable epiphytic stage as juveniles. Based on 978 references, the checklist includes >31,000 species of 79 plant families. Species names were standardized against World Flora Online for seed plants and against the World Ferns database for lycophytes and ferns. In cases of species missing from these databases, we used other databases (mostly World Checklist of Selected Plant Families). For all species, author names and IDs for World Flora Online entries are provided to facilitate the alignment with other plant databases, and to avoid ambiguities. EpiList 1.0 will be a rich source for synthetic studies in ecology, biogeography, and evolutionary biology as it offers, for the first time, a species‐level overview over all currently known vascular epiphytes. At the same time, the list represents work in progress: species descriptions of epiphytic taxa are ongoing and published life form information in floristic inventories and trait and distribution databases is often incomplete and sometimes even wrong. Since the epiphytic growth blends into soil‐rooted growth and vice versa, the inclusion or exclusion of particular species in the current list will sometimes be contentious. Thus, initiating a well‐founded discussion was one of the motivations for compiling this database; our list represents 31,311 hypotheses on the life form of plant species, and we welcome feedback on possible omission or erroneous inclusions. We release these data into the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero license waiver. When you use the data in your publication, we request that you cite this data paper. If EpiList 1.0 is a major part of the data analyzed in your study, you may consider inviting the EpiList 1.0 core team as collaborators.
Unclusterable, underdispersed arrangement of insect‐pollinated plants in pollinator niche space
Authors: Herrera Carlos M. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractPollinators can mediate facilitative or competitive relationships between plant species, but the relative importance of these two conflicting phenomena in shaping community‐wide pollinator resource use remains unexplored. This article examines the idea that the arrangement of large samples of plant species in Hutchinsonian pollinator niche space (n‐dimensional hypervolume whose axes represent pollinator types) can help to evaluate the comparative importance of facilitation and competition as drivers of pollinator resource use at the community level. Pollinator composition data were gathered for insect‐pollinated plants from the Sierra de Cazorla mountains (southeastern Spain), comprising ~95% of widely distributed insect‐pollinated species. The following questions were addressed at regional (45 sites, 221 plant species) and local (1 site, 73 plant species) spatial scales: (1) Do plant species clusters occur in pollinator niche space? Four pollinator niche spaces differing in dimensionality were considered, the axes of which were defined by insect orders, families, genera, and species. (2) If all plant species form a single, indivisible cluster, are they overdispersed or underdispersed within the cluster relative to a random arrangement? “Clusterability” tests failed to reject the null hypothesis that there was only one pollinator‐defined plant species cluster in pollinator niche space, irrespective of spatial scale, pollinator niche space, or pollinator importance measurement (proportions of pollinator individuals or flowers visited by each pollinator type). Observed means of interspecific dissimilarity in pollinator composition were smaller than randomly simulated values in the order‐, family‐, and genus‐defined pollinator niche spaces. This finding revealed an underdispersed arrangement of plant species in each of these pollinator niche spaces. In the undisturbed montane habitats studied, arrangement of insect‐pollinated plant species in the various niche spaces defined by pollinator composition did not support a major role for interspecific competition as a force shaping community‐wide pollinator resource use by plants, but rather suggested a situation closer to the facilitation‐dominated extreme in a hypothetical competition‐facilitation gradient. Results also highlight the importance of investigations on complete or nearly complete insect‐pollinated plant communities for suggesting and testing novel hypotheses on the ecology and evolution of plant–pollinator systems.
Longitudinal profiling of circulating miRNA during cardiac allograft rejection: a proof‐of‐concept study
Authors: Kennel Peter J. , Yahi Alexandre , Naka Yoshifumi , Mancini Donna M. , Marboe Charles C. , Max Klaas , Akat Kemal , Tuschl Thomas , Vasilescu Elena‐Rodica M. , Zorn Emmanuel , Tatonetti Nicholas P. , Schulze Paul Christian 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAimsAllograft rejection following heart transplantation (HTx) is a serious complication even in the era of modern immunosuppressive regimens and causes up to a third of early deaths after HTx. Allograft rejection is mediated by a cascade of immune mechanisms leading to acute cellular rejection (ACR) and/or antibody‐mediated rejection (AMR). The gold standard for monitoring allograft rejection is invasive endomyocardial biopsy that exposes patients to complications. Little is known about the potential of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers to detect cardiac allograft rejection. We here present a systematic analysis of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers and predictors for allograft rejection after HTx using next‐generation small RNA sequencing.Methods and resultsWe used next‐generation small RNA sequencing to investigate circulating miRNAs among HTx recipients (10 healthy controls, 10 heart failure patients, 13 ACR, and 10 AMR). MiRNA profiling was performed at different time points before, during, and after resolution of the rejection episode. We found three miRNAs with significantly increased serum levels in patients with biopsy‐proven cardiac rejection when compared with patients without rejection: hsa‐miR‐139‐5p, hsa‐miR‐151a‐5p, and hsa‐miR‐186‐5p. We identified miRNAs that may serve as potential predictors for the subsequent development of ACR: hsa‐miR‐29c‐3p (ACR) and hsa‐miR‐486‐5p (AMR). Overall, hsa‐miR‐486‐5p was most strongly associated with acute rejection episodes.ConclusionsMonitoring cardiac allograft rejection using circulating miRNAs might represent an alternative strategy to invasive endomyocardial biopsy.
Enhancing Performance of a Bis(arylimino)pyridine‐Iron Precatalyst for Ethylene Polymerization by Substitution with a 2,4‐Bis(4,4′‐dimethoxybenzhydryl)‐6‐methylphenyl Group
Authors: Yuan Shi‐Fang , Fan Zhe , Han Mingyang , Yan Yi , Flisak Zygmunt , Ma Yanping , Liang Tongling , Sun Wen‐Hua 
Published: March 2021

AbstractA series of unsymmetrical 2‐(2,4‐bis(bis(4‐methoxyphenyl)methyl)‐6‐MeC6H2N)‐6‐(1‐(arylimino)ethyl)pyridine‐iron halides has been synthesized and characterized. The molecular structure of two representative species was determined by the single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Activated with either MAO or MMAO, the precatalysts displayed high activity, reaching 2.19×107 g PE (mol Fe)−1 h−1at 60 °C in ethylene polymerization. The microstructural analysis of the polymers obtained indicates highly linear polyethylene containing a vinyl chain end.
Electroanalysis of Benzalkonium Chloride in Ophthalmic Formulation by Boron‐doped Diamond Electrode
Authors: Alghamdi Huda , Alsaeedi Majidah , Buzid Alyah , Glennon Jeremy D. , Luong John H. T. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBenzalkonium chloride (BAK) is a mixture of alkyl benzyl dimethyl ammonium chlorides, which is used primarily as a biocide, surfactant, preservative, and antimicrobial agent in the pharmaceutical industry, in particular in ophthalmologic and nasal solutions. However, BAK may cause harmful consequences on the eye structures of the anterior segment. Control of BAK identity and content is necessary by applying a sensitive detection method. This study unravels the use of a glassy carbon (GC) electrode and a pristine boron‐doped diamond electrode (BDD) for the detection of four BAK homologs in a non‐aqueous medium using square wave voltammetry (SWV). The BDD provided more reproducibility of the oxidation potential than GC with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The irreversible oxidation peak was very broad and deconvoluted into 3 peaks corresponding to C12, C14, and combined C16–C18to reflect their concentration ratio in the mixture. The method was then extended to the detection of the C12homolog in the ophthalmic formulations with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.4 μg/mL. The estimated BAK levels in three ophthalmic formulations were in agreement with the specified values by the manufacturers. The results were validated by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection, confirming the presence of a single homolog (C12) in the eye drops.
Molecularly Imprinted Poly‐o‐phenylenediamine Electrochemical Sensor for Entacapone
Authors: Radi Abd‐Elgawad , Ragaa Abd‐Ellatief Maha 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWe have developed a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) electrochemical sensor for entacapone (ETC) based on an electropolymerised polyphenylenediamine (Po‐PD) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface. The direct electropolymerisation of the o‐phenylenediamine monomer (o‐PD) was carried out with ETC as a template. The steps of electropolymerization process, template removal and binding of the analyte were tested by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using [Fe(CN)6]3−/[Fe(CN)6]4 − as a redox probe. The operation of the sensor has been investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Under optimal experimental conditions, the response of the DPV was linearly proportional to the ETC concentration between 1.0×10−7 and 5.0×10−6 M ETC with a limit of detection (LOD) of 5.0×10−8 M. The developed sensor had excellent selectivity without detectable cross‐reactivity for levodopa and carbidopa. The MIP sensor was successfully used to detect ETC in spiked human serum samples.