bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interaction of Soil Microbes with Organoclays and their Impact on the Immobilization of Hg under Aerobic Conditions
Authors: Egbo Timothy E. , Johs Alexander , Sahu Rajnish , Abdelmageed Yazeed , Ogbudu Jeffrey , Robertson Boakai K. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractImmobilization of mercury (Hg) leaching from bank soils of East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) is considered part of remediation strategies to mitigate the amount of Hg entering the creek. Different approaches are currently being evaluated, such as utilizing engineered sorbents to immobilize Hg species in EFPC bank soils. However, the influence of environmental microbes on the immobilization of Hg by sorbents is unknown. Organocation-modified phyllosilicate clay minerals (organoclays) are widely used as sorbents for the immobilization of contaminants. This study evaluates the interactions of Serratia marcescens and Burkholderia thailandensis with the sorbent Organoclay PM-199 and their impact on the immobilization of Hg under aerobic conditions. We evaluated the competitive binding of Hg between sorbents and selected microorganisms in a series of pure culture studies using bacterial strains identified in EFPC bank soil samples. Our results suggest that Hg sorption by Organoclay PM-199 is not significantly impacted by common soil bacteria present in EFPC, specifically Serratia marcescens and Burkholderia thailandensis, which are known to form biofilms. These findings suggest that sorbent amendments are an effective strategy for the remediation of Hg contamination in natural ecosystems.
Public cooperation statements
Authors: Koessler Ann-Kathrin , Page Lionel , Dulleck Uwe 
Published: April 2021

AbstractCommunication is a well-known tool to promote cooperation and pro-social behavior. In this study, we examine whether minimal communication in form of public consent with a pre-defined cooperation statement is sufficient to strengthen cooperation in groups. Within the controlled environment of a laboratory experiment, we identify ways by which non-enforceable cooperation statements are associated with higher levels of cooperation in a public good setting. At first, the statement triggers selection; socially oriented individuals are more likely to make the cooperation statement. In addition, we can show that a behavioral change takes place once the statement is made. This change can be attributed to commitment arising from the pledge and to increased coordination between the interaction partners. Depending on the institutional context, these drivers can vary in strength. Comparing compulsory and voluntary cooperation statements, we find that both are effective in motivating higher contributions to the public good.
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Different Parts of Umbilical Cord: Approach to Comparison & Characteristics
Authors: Semenova Ekaterina , Grudniak Mariusz P , Machaj Eugeniusz K , Bocian Katarzyna , Chroscinska-Krawczyk Magdalena , Trochonowicz Marzena , Stepaniec Igor M , Murzyn Magdalena , Zagorska Karolina E , Boruczkowski Dariusz , Kolanowski Tomasz J , Oldak Tomasz , Rozwadowska Natalia 
Published: April 2021

AbstractMesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) are a unique population of cells that play an important role in the regeneration potential of the body. MSCs exhibit a characteristic phenotype and are capable of modulating the immune response. MSCs can be isolated from various tissues such as: bone marrow, adipose tissue, placenta, umbilical cord and others. The umbilical cord as a source of MSCs, has strong advantages, such as no-risk procedure of tissue retrieval after birth and easiness of the MSCs isolation. As the umbilical cord (UC) is a complex organ and we decided to evaluate, whether the cells derived from different regions of umbilical cord show similar or distinct properties. In this study we characterized and compared MSCs from three regions of the umbilical cord: Wharton’s Jelly (WJ), the perivascular space (PRV) and the umbilical membrane (UCM). The analysis was carried out in terms of morphology, phenotype, immunomodulation potential and secretome. Based on the obtained results, we were able to conclude, that MSCs derived from distinct UC regions differ in their properties. According to our result WJ-MSCs have high and stabile proliferation potential and phenotype, when compare with other MSCs and can be treated as a preferable source of cells for medical application.
Graphical abstract
Coherence in (meta)community networks
Authors: Gregorius Hans-Rolf , Gillet Elizabeth M. , Kosman Evsey 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIn a general sense, a metacommunity can be considered as a network of communities, the coherence of which is based on characteristics that are shared by members of different communities, whatever forces were responsible (dispersal, migration, local adaptation, etc.). The purpose is to show that by basing the assessment of coherence on the degree of nestedness of one community within another with respect to the shared characteristics, coherence components can be identified within the network. To assess coherence, a measure of nestedness is developed, and its application to complex (variable) object differences (including multiple traits or characters) is investigated. A community network is then viewed as a graph in which the nodes represent the communities and the edges connecting nodes are weighted by the reverse of the degrees of nestedness between the corresponding communities. Given this framework, it is argued that a minimum requirement for a set of communities to be coherent is the existence of a spanning tree known from graph theory, i.e. a subgraph that connects all nodes through a cycle-free sequence of edges with positive weights. Of all spanning trees, minimum spanning trees (MST, or spanning trees with the minimum sum of edge weights) are most indicative of coherence. By expressing the degree of coherence as one minus the average weight of the edges of an MST, it is uniquely determined which communities form a coherent set at any given level of community distinctness. By this method, community networks can be broken down into coherence components that are separated at a specified distinctness level. This is illustrated in a worked example showing how to apply graph theoretical methods to distinguish coherence components at various threshold levels of object difference (resolution) and community distinctness. These results provide a basis for discussion of coherence gradients and coherence at various levels of distinctness in terms of MST-characteristics. As intuitively expected and analytically confirmed, coherence is a non-decreasing function of the object difference threshold, and the number of coherence components is a non-increasing function of both the object difference and the community distinctness thresholds.
Backbone assignments, and effect of Asn deamidation, of the N-terminal region of the partitioning protein IncC1 from the plasmid RK2
Authors: Rehman M. Fayyaz , Jeeves M. , Hyde E. I. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIncC from the low-copy number plasmid RK2, is a member of the ParA family of proteins required for partitioning DNA in many bacteria and plasmids. It is an ATPase that binds DNA and its ParB protein partner, KorB. Together, the proteins move replicated DNA to appropriate cellular positions, so that each daughter cell inherits a copy on cell division. IncC from RK2 is expressed in two forms. IncC2 is homologous to bacterial ParA proteins, while IncC1 has an N-terminal extension of 105 amino acids and is similar in length to ParA homologues in other plasmids. We have been examining the role of this extension, here called IncC NTD. We present its backbone NMR chemical shift assignments and show that it is entirely intrinsically disordered. The assignments were achieved using C-detected, CON-based spectra, complemented by HNN spectra to obtain connectivities from three adjacent amino acids. We also observed evidence of deamidation of the protein at a GNGG sequence, to give isoAsp, giving 2 sets of peaks for residues up to 5 amino acids on either side of the modification. We have assigned resonances from around the position of modification for this form of the protein.
Alteration and dysfunction of ion channels/transporters in a hypoxic microenvironment results in the development and progression of gastric cancer
Authors: Chen Junling , Zhang Minglin , Ma Zhiyuan , Yuan Dumin , Zhu Jiaxing , Tuo Biguang , Li Taolang , Liu Xuemei 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundGastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant cancers in the world and has only few treatment options and, concomitantly, a poor prognosis. It is generally accepted now that the tumor microenvironment, particularly that under hypoxia, plays an important role in cancer development. Hypoxia can regulate the energy metabolism and malignancy of tumor cells by inducing or altering various important factors, such as oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS), hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), autophagy and acidosis. In addition, altered expression and/or dysfunction of ion channels/transporters (ICTs) have been encountered in a variety of human tumors, including GC, and to play an important role in the processes of tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis. Increasing evidence indicates that ICTs are at least partly involved in interactions between cancer cells and their hypoxic microenvironment. Here, we provide an overview of the different ICTs that regulate or are regulated by hypoxia in GC.Conclusions and perspectivesHypoxia is one of the major obstacles to cancer therapy. Regulating cellular responses and factors under hypoxia can inhibit GC. Similarly, altering the expression or activity of ICTs, such as the application of ion channel inhibitors, can slow down the growth and/or migration of GC cells. Since targeting the hypoxic microenvironment and/or ICTs may be a promising strategy for the treatment of GC, more attention should be paid to the interplay between ICTs and the development and progression of GC in such a microenvironment.
An insight into inhibitory performance of Commiphora Mukul on corrosion of aluminum alloy under tribological conditions
Authors: Mulky Lavanya , Murthy V. Ramachandra , Rao Padmalatha 
Published: April 2021

AbstractAn eco-friendly green corrosion inhibitor Commiphora Mukul was tested for its efficacy to control material loss in 6061 aluminum alloy under collective influence of mechanical erosion and electrochemical corrosion in a submerged jet impingement rig. Electrochemical techniques were utilized in the current investigation which consisted of potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The effect of temperature and flowrate of artificial seawater slurry on the inhibitory effect of Commiphora Mukul is investigated. Under the experimental conditions of 303 K temperature and 4 L min−1 flowrate, the inhibitor showed an efficiency of 54% as determined by the potentiodynamic polarization studies. With the increase in temperature and flowrate of artificial seawater slurry, the protection efficiency of the inhibitor decreased. Protection efficiency of 35% was observed. Possible reasons for this phenomenon were discussed. Electrochemical impedance studies reported that the process is both charge transfer and diffusion controlled. At 323 K, the diffusion component was prominent for all the studied flowrates of 4 L min−1, 8 L min−1, and 12 L min−1. It seems that the moving medium makes it challenging for the inhibitor molecules to adsorb on the metal surface in the presence of abrasive particles.
A two-agent one-machine multitasking scheduling problem solving by exact and metaheuristics
Authors: Wu Chin-Chia , Azzouz Ameni , Chen Jia-Yang , Xu Jianyou , Shen Wei-Lun , Lu Lingfa , Ben Said Lamjed , Lin Win-Chin 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis paper studies a single-machine multitasking scheduling problem together with two-agent consideration. The objective is to look for an optimal schedule to minimize the total tardiness of one agent subject to the total completion time of another agent has an upper bound. For this problem, a branch-and-bound method equipped with several dominant properties and a lower bound is exploited to search optimal solutions for small size jobs. Three metaheuristics, cloud simulated annealing algorithm, genetic algorithm, and simulated annealing algorithm, each with three improvement ways, are proposed to find the near-optimal solutions for large size jobs. The computational studies, experiments, are provided to evaluate the capabilities for the proposed algorithms. Finally, statistical analysis methods are applied to compare the performances of these algorithms.
A genre trust model for defending shilling attacks in recommender systems
Authors: Yang Li , Niu Xinxin 
Published: April 2021

AbstractShilling attacks have been a significant vulnerability of collaborative filtering (CF) recommender systems, and trust in CF recommender algorithms has been proven to be helpful for improving the accuracy of system recommendations. As a few studies have been devoted to trust in this area, we explore the benefits of using trust to resist shilling attacks. Rather than simply using user-generated trust values, we propose the genre trust degree, which differ in terms of the genres of items and take both trust value and user credibility into consideration. This paper introduces different types of shilling attack methods in an attempt to study the impact of users’ trust values and behavior features on defending against shilling attacks. Meanwhile, it improves the approach used to calculate user similarities to form a recommendation model based on genre trust degrees. The performance of the genre trust-based recommender system is evaluated on the Ciao dataset. Experimental results demonstrated the superior and comparable genre trust degrees recommended for defending against different types of shilling attacks.
Rainfall and runoff time-series trend analysis using LSTM recurrent neural network and wavelet neural network with satellite-based meteorological data: case study of Nzoia hydrologic basin
Authors: Ouma Yashon O. , Cheruyot Rodrick , Wachera Alice N. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis study compares LSTM neural network and wavelet neural network (WNN) for spatio-temporal prediction of rainfall and runoff time-series trends in scarcely gauged hydrologic basins. Using long-term in situ observed data for 30 years (1980–2009) from ten rain gauge stations and three discharge measurement stations, the rainfall and runoff trends in the Nzoia River basin are predicted through satellite-based meteorological data comprising of: precipitation, mean temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation. The prediction modelling was carried out in three sub-basins corresponding to the three discharge stations. LSTM and WNN were implemented with the same deep learning topological structure consisting of 4 hidden layers, each with 30 neurons. In the prediction of the basin runoff with the five meteorological parameters using LSTM and WNN, both models performed well with respective R2 values of 0.8967 and 0.8820. The MAE and RMSE measures for LSTM and WNN predictions ranged between 11–13 m3/s for the mean monthly runoff prediction. With the satellite-based meteorological data, LSTM predicted the mean monthly rainfall within the basin with R2 = 0.8610 as compared to R2 = 0.7825 using WNN. The MAE for mean monthly rainfall trend prediction was between 9 and 11 mm, while the RMSE varied between 15 and 21 mm. The performance of the models improved with increase in the number of input parameters, which corresponded to the size of the sub-basin. In terms of the computational time, both models converged at the lowest RMSE at nearly the same number of epochs, with WNN taking slightly longer to attain the minimum RMSE. The study shows that in hydrologic basins with scarce meteorological and hydrological monitoring networks, the use satellite-based meteorological data in deep learning neural network models are suitable for spatial and temporal analysis of rainfall and runoff trends.
Academic integrity at doctoral level: the influence of the imposter phenomenon and cultural differences on academic writing
Authors: Cutri Jennifer , Freya Amar , Karlina Yeni , Patel Sweta Vijaykumar , Moharami Mehdi , Zeng Shaoru , Manzari Elham , Pretorius Lynette 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis conceptual review seeks to reframe the view of academic integrity as something to be enforced to an academic skill that needs to be developed. The authors highlight how practices within academia create an environment where feelings of inadequacy thrive, leading to behaviours of unintentional academic misconduct. Importantly, this review includes practical suggestions to help educators and higher education institutions support doctoral students’ academic integrity skills. In particular, the authors highlight the importance of explicit academic integrity instruction, support for the development of academic literacy skills, and changes in supervisory practices that encourage student and supervisor reflexivity. Therefore, this review argues that, through the use of these practical strategies, academia can become a space where a culture of academic integrity can flourish.
An autonomous mobile manipulator to build outdoor structures consisting of heterogeneous brick patterns
Authors: Basiri Meysam , Gonçalves João , Rosa José , Vale Alberto , Lima Pedro 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
This paper describes the implementation of an autonomous mobile manipulator to build outdoor structures consisting of heterogeneous brick patterns, finding applications in different industrial automation, manufacturing and civil construction scenarios. This system was developed for the Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC) 2020, to demonstrate the novel real-world application of constructing structures using teams of robots, showcasing once again the role of major scientific competitions in advancing the state of the art towards exploring solutions to open problems. The paper presents in detail the hardware and software architectures of the developed mobile manipulator, integrating different research results and developments into a functional complex robot system, while proposing methods to detect, approach and manipulate differently sized/colored bricks to build a wall of predefined pattern given to the robot just before the building task starts.

Article Highlights

Full system description of an autonomous mobile manipulator for construction tasks tested in a realistic setting

Algorithms for detection, localization, picking and placement of heterogeneous building blocks to form large structures

Versatile service robot capable of smooth adaptation to other functions developed through scientific robot competitions
Threat of arsenic contamination, salinity and water pollution in agricultural practices of Sundarban Delta, India, and mitigation strategies
Authors: Nath Anirban , Samanta Sourav , Banerjee Saon , Danda Anamitra Anurag , Hazra Sugata 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe paper through a critical appraisal of the agricultural practices in the Indian Sundarban deltaic region explores the tripartite problems of arsenic biomagnification, salinity of arable lands and ingress of agrochemical pollutants into the freshwater resources, which endanger the health, livelihood and food security of the rural population inhabiting the delta. The threefold problem has rendered a severe blow to the agrarian economy consequently triggering large-scale outmigration of the rural population from the region. Although recent studies have addressed these issues separately, the inter-connectivity among these elements and their possible long-term impact upon sustainability in the Sundarbans are yet to be elucidated. In the current scenario, the study emphasizes that the depleting freshwater resources is at the heart of the threefold problems affecting the Sundarbans. Owing to the heavy siltation of the local river systems, freshwater resources from the local ravines have salinized beyond the point of being used for agricultural purposes. At the same time, increasing salinity levels resulting from fluctuation of pre- and post-monsoon rainfall, frequent cyclones and capillary movement of salinized groundwater (primarily during theRabiseason) have severely hampered the agricultural practices. Salinization of above groundwater reserves has forced the farmers toward utilization of groundwater, which are lifted using STWs, especially for rice and other cultivations in theRabiseason. The Holocene aquifers of the region retain toxic levels of arsenic which are lifted during the irrigation process and are deposited on to the agricultural fields, resulting in bioaccumulation of As in the food products resourced from the area. The compound effect of consuming arsenic-contaminated food and drinking water has resulted in severe health issues recorded among the local population in the delta. Furthermore, due to the sub-optimal conditions for sustaining agriculture under saline stress, farmers often opt for the cultivation of post-green revolution high-yielding varieties, which require additional inputs of nitrogen-based fertilizers, organophosphate herbicides and pesticides that are frequently washed away by runoff from the watershed into the low-lying catchment areas of the biosphere reserve. Such practices have endangered the vulnerable conditions of local flora and fauna. In the present situation, the study proposes mitigation strategies which necessitate the smart use of locally obtainable resources like water, adaptable cultivars and sustainable agronomic practices like organic farming. The study also suggests engaging of conventional plant breeding strategies such as “Evolutionary plant breeding” for obtaining cultivars adapted to the shifting ecological conditions of the delta in the long run.
Ethics of Corporeal, Co-present Robots as Agents of Influence: a Review
Authors: Moon AJung , Rismani Shalaleh , Van der Loos H. F. Machiel 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Purpose of Review
To summarize the set of roboethics issues that uniquely arise due to the corporeality and physical interaction modalities afforded by robots, irrespective of the degree of artificial intelligence present in the system.

Recent Findings
One of the recent trends in the discussion of ethics of emerging technologies has been the treatment of roboethics issues as those of “embodied AI,” a subset of AI ethics. In contrast to AI, however, robots leverage human’s natural tendency to be influenced by our physical environment. Recent work in human-robot interaction highlights the impact a robot’s presence, capacity to touch, and move in our physical environment has on people, and helping to articulate the ethical issues particular to the design of interactive robotic systems.

Summary
The corporeality of interactive robots poses unique sets of ethical challenges. These issues should be considered in the design irrespective of and in addition to the ethics of artificial intelligence implemented in them.