bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of dilution on eco‐evolutionary dynamics of experimental microbial communities
Authors: Scheuerl Thomas , Kaitala Veijo 
Published: September 2021

AbstractChanging environmental conditions can infer structural modifications of predator‐prey communities. New conditions often increase mortality which reduces population sizes. Following this, predation pressure may decrease until populations are dense again. Dilution may thus have substantial impact not only on ecological but also on evolutionary dynamics because it amends population densities. Experimental studies, in which microbial populations are maintained by a repeated dilution into fresh conditions after a certain period, are extensively used approaches allowing us to obtain mechanistic insights into fundamental processes. By design, dilution, which depends on transfer volume (modifying mortality) and transfer interval (determining the time of interaction), is an inherent feature of these experiments, but often receives little attention. We further explore previously published data from a live predator‐prey (bacteria and ciliates) system which investigated eco‐evolutionary principles and apply a mathematical model to predict how various transfer volumes and transfer intervals would affect such an experiment. We find not only the ecological dynamics to be modified by both factors but also the evolutionary rates to be affected. Our work predicts that the evolution of the anti‐predator defense in the bacteria, and the evolution of the predation efficiency in the ciliates, both slow down with lower transfer volume, but speed up with longer transfer intervals. Our results provide testable hypotheses for future studies of predator‐prey systems, and we hope this work will help improve our understanding of how ecological and evolutionary processes together shape composition of microbial communities.
Nutrient stoichiometry of fishes and invertebrates in coastal marine Caribbean ecosystems
Authors: Allgeier Jacob E. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe importance of animals for mediating ecosystem processes has long been recognized by ecologists. Traditionally, consumer‐mediated dynamics have been considered through consumptive pathways such as predation and herbivory. Yet, consumers also play critical roles in mediating “bottom‐up” pathways associated with nutrient dynamics. Foundational research demonstrated the importance of these dynamics in terrestrial, freshwater, and pelagic marine ecosystems, and introduced novel perspectives on the role of animals such as wildebeest, lacustrine fishes, and zooplankton, respectively, for providing an important source of nutrients that limit primary production. This research inspired a substantial body of research on the importance of consumer‐mediated nutrient dynamics for ecosystem function. Despite this, only recently have ecologists begun to extend this line of thinking toward coastal marine ecosystems. The data presented herein is a comprehensive study of consumer nutrient dynamics from invertebrates and fishes that live in subtropical and tropical Caribbean coastal marine waters, including mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. This data set represents the largest, to my knowledge, published nutrient stoichiometry data set from a single system, including estimates of excretion rates (n = 900 individuals total; n = 667 individual fish, size range 0.14–2,597 g [2–107 cm]; n = 233 invertebrates, size range 0.04–487 g), and somatic nutrient content analyses (n = 658 individuals total, n = 494 vertebrates, n = 164 invertebrates). These data also include δ13C and δ15N stable isotopes of whole body, body mass (wet mass), taxonomic identification to class‐level, and functional group classification. These data have been used to test basic ecological theory, to scale individual‐level processes to coral reef, mangrove, and seagrass ecosystems, and to understand the role of human impacts for mitigating consumer‐mediated nutrient dynamics. While these findings have helped improve our understanding of nutrient dynamics in tropical coastal ecosystems, these data offer a wealth of additional promise for advancing ecological theory and applied science in tropical marine ecosystems and beyond. Users are free to use and analyze the data. Attribution should be given to this presentation of the data.
The Step‐Wise Synthesis of Oligomeric Phosphoramidates
Authors: Data Shailja , Leung Wai Jeffery , Kumar Saawan , Cameron Alan J. , Trehet Manon , Itumoh Emeka J. , Feld Joey , Söhnel Tilo , Leitao Erin M. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIn this study, the step‐wise synthesis to a series of higher phosphoramidates was explored, affording compounds containing N−P−N, symmetric and asymmetric P−N−P and P−N−P−N−P linkages. Salt elimination and lithiation strategies were employed to create the new P−N bonds. It was found that the steric bulk and electronic contribution of the substituents on the P(V) centers were important factors to the success of the reactions. The oligomeric phosphoramidates were characterized by multinuclear NMR and IR spectroscopies as well as ESI mass spectrometry. A selection of the synthesized P−N oligomers were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against E.coli, S.aureus, C.albicans, and A.fumigatus at varying concentrations. The results suggest their potential use as environmentally friendly fire retardants as the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value for all the compounds was found to be >128 μM, indicating that the compounds do not have any detectable antimicrobial activity.
Adaptive hysteretic model for reinforced concrete columns including variations in axial force and shear span length
Authors: Lee Chang Seok , Jeon Jong‐Su 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIn this study, a hysteretic model is developed for simulating the nonlinear response of reinforced concrete columns with strength degradation behavior under cyclic loading. During analysis, the proposed model exhibits the ability to adjust the model parameters assigned to the model continually, based on the monitored element boundary conditions. A semi‐empirical relationship between model parameters and boundary conditions is formulated from experimental evidence, which is used to adjust the model parameters. The boundary conditions that are monitored include the axial load acting on the column section and shear span length; these are known to have a significant effect on capacity in terms of strength and ductility. The developed model was implemented in the widely used research‐oriented structural analysis software, OpenSees. To simulate the nonlinear response of the columns, model parameter predictive equations composed of input parameters such as material strength, reinforcement layout, and specimen geometry were developed using lasso regression. As an application of the proposed column model, an eight‐story code‐conforming frame building was selected to perform incremental dynamic analyses based on 44 far‐field ground motions. The numerical results showed that, without the model parameter adaptation feature, the median collapse capacity and residual story drift can be significantly overestimated.
Size–frequency distribution of shallow landslides in the Black Forest, Germany
Authors: Büschelberger Matthias , Wilk Jakob , Hergarten Stefan , Preusser Frank 
Published: September 2021

SummaryLandslides are a major hazard in mountainous regions, represent a threat to human life, and cause substantial economic costs. While some landslide hazard assessments, including hazards maps, are available for Germany, their spatial coverage is not uniform. In the Black Forest, several landslides have recently attracted public attention, but the landslide hazard in this region has received limited consideration in literature to date. This study focuses on the spatial pattern and size distribution of soil‐borne landslides in the submountainous valley of Menzenschwand. A combination of remote sensing, geophysical surveying, and geotechnical testing was used to map and characterize the landslide inventory of two selected hillslopes. In the statistical analyses, we observe a larger proportion of small‐scale landslides with size below 100 m2than usually reported in similar studies. This effect may be related to the low cohesion of the soil (glacial deposits). As a major result, a cutoff in the distribution at large landslide sizes compared with the expected power‐law tail of the distribution was found. While the maximum landslide size found in this study was about 1100 m2, the largest landslide should theoretically be at least 2500 m2at 95% probability. The cutoff at large sizes is probably due to the limited soil thickness, where about 50% of the considered area has a depth to bedrock of 1 m or less. For the considered location, this result suggests that an increase in frequency and intensity of rainstorms should predominantly result in an increase of landslide frequency, but without increasing the size of the largest landslides. As a more general implication, the contribution of large landslides to the total hazard may be overestimated if soil thickness is not considered, in particular if the present‐day hazard is projected to future scenarios.
Development of curcumin‐loaded Prunus armeniaca gum nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization, control release behavior, and evaluation of anticancer and antimicrobial properties
Authors: Salarbashi Davoud , Tafaghodi Mohsen , Fathi Morteza , aboutorabzade Seyyed Mohammad , Sabbagh Farzaneh 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe present work was conducted to develop a new polysaccharide‐based encapsulation system via electrostatic interactions between Prunus armeniaca gum exudates (PAGE) and Ca2+ ions to enhance the biological activity and bioavailability of curcumin. The effects of different levels of pH (6, 7, and 8) and ion concentrations (1, 3, and 5) on the particle diameter and surface charge of the samples were examined. The encapsulation efficiency in the PAGE‐based nanoparticles was realized to be 86.1%, indicating the encapsulation technique applied in this study was effective to entrap most of the curcumin within the PAGE matrix. The nanoparticles showed a smooth surface with spherical shape. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and X‐ray diffraction (X‐ray) studies confirmed the formation of polyelectrolyte complexation. The cumulative release of curcumin in simulated gastrointestinal tract was less than 75%, revealing a gradual release trend. Both pure curcumin and curcumin‐loaded nanoparticles were toxic to the cancer cell lines.
Health initiatives to reduce the potentially preventable hospitalisation of older people in rural and regional Australia
Authors: McManamny Tegwyn E. , Boyd Leanne , Sheen Jade , Lowthian Judy A. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIssue addressedAustralia's ageing population has growing health care needs, challenging timely health service provision. In rural and regional areas, older Australians have poorer health care outcomes and higher rates of potentially preventable hospital (PPH) admissions. The objective of this study was to identify Australian Governmental initiatives designed to reduce PPH of older adults (65 years and over) in rural and regional areas.MethodsAn internet search, underpinned by an environmental scan methodology, was utilised to systematically search the websites of Australian government health departments for relevant initiatives. Stakeholder interviews were then conducted to enrich the findings of the environmental scan. Thematic analysis was utilised to analyse all data.ResultsWe identified 13 initiatives currently in existence in Australia that fulfilled the search criteria. Stakeholder interviews revealed a range of other local interventions in rural communities across the country, driven largely by community need and a lack of health service accessibility.ConclusionsThe identified small number of Governmental health initiatives designed to reduce the PPH of older people living in rural and regional Australia may indicate gaps in the provision of services designed to enable older adults to remain at home and avoid subsequent hospital admissions.So what?A coordinated, systemic approach to health promotion targeting older people in rural and regional areas should be explored, with a focus on collaboration between sectors (including primary care, allied health and prehospital services).
Not just for newcomers: Organizational socialization, employee adjustment and experience, and growth in organization‐based self‐esteem
Authors: Gardner Donald G. , Huang Guo‐Hua (Emily) , Pierce Jon L. , Niu Xiongying (Peter) , Lee Cynthia 
Published: September 2021

AbstractOne of the more important responsibilities for HRD professionals is to help employees fit into the organization. This fitting in, or adjustment, to the organization includes the skills to perform one's job, understanding the relationships of one's role to the broader organization, and feeling accepted by one's peers. Onboarding, or more broadly, organizational socialization, is a proven practice that enhances employee adjustment through learning and development. Prior research reveals favorable relationships between organizational socialization (OS) practices and employee adjustment. Much less is known about which aspects of OS the HRD professional should focus on, why employees are motivated to use the knowledge gained from socialization to improve job performance, or whether relationships discovered in past research on newcomers can or should be generalized to more experienced employees. The current research is based on the multidomain, continuous model of OS. Consistent with that model, we found that effective socialization enhances employee organizational adjustment, which subsequently raises their organization‐based self‐esteem (OBSE), and that OS has stronger relationships with adjustment for less experienced employees than those with more experienced employees. Our results also reveal that adjustment mediated growth in OBSE that accompanied the ongoing process of OS, and that employees who perceived higher levels of socialization had greater increases in OBSE. We discuss the implications of our results for HRD professionals in designing OS programs, particularly as they relate to the targeted employees, and the framing of the communications.
Bankruptcy in the time of COVID‐19: Special measures adopted by the People's Republic of China courts during the period of COVID‐19 prevention and control
Authors: Austin Daniel A. , Huan Yu 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBusiness bankruptcy in China is governed by the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law (EBL), a national insolvency code enacted in 2007. The EBL contains provisions for business liquidation, reorganization, and compromise of debt. Although adjustment of debt through bankruptcy is far less common in China than in western nations, Chinese courts have established a body of bankruptcy procedures and judicial interpretations that give insolvency in China a measure of predictability and effectiveness. Notwithstanding the EBL provisions, soon after the onset of the pandemic, PRC courts began to adopt ad‐hoc rules and guidelines in bankruptcy cases for businesses whose financial woes were caused or exacerbated by coronavirus, or for enterprises that produced medical equipment and supplies to help prevent and control the virus. This paper examines these court measures, explores their political and judicial context, and demonstrates how they produced bankruptcy outcomes that were often significantly different than what would have resulted if the EBL had been applied based on pre‐COVID‐19 EBL practices.
Improved long‐term survival of corpus cancer in Japan: A 40‐year population‐based analysis
Authors: Yagi Asami , Ueda Yutaka , Ikeda Sayaka , Miyoshi Ai , Nakagawa Satoshi , Hiramatsu Kosuke , Kobayashi Eiji , Kimura Toshihiro , Ito Yuri , Nakayama Tomio , Nakata Kayo , Morishima Toshitaka , Miyashiro Isao , Kimura Tadashi 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe incidence of uterine corpus cancer has been increasing globally due to increase in obesity. However, a detailed analysis of long‐term epidemiological trends of corpus cancer in Japan, where obesity is relatively minimal, has not been conducted. In this retrospective, population‐based study using the Osaka Cancer Registry, we analyzed 15 255 cases of corpus neoplasia registered between 1977 and 2016. We determined the age‐standardized incidence, mortality, relative survival and conditional survival rates, and the treatment trends for corpus cancer over the last 40 years in Japan. The age‐standardized incidence rate of corpus neoplasia increased sharply in 2000‐2011 (APC = 9.9, 95% CI: 8.4‐11.3), whereas the mortality rate trended to a much more modest increase (APC = 3.3, 95% CI: 2.7‐3.8). Compared to 1977‐2000, 10‐year survival rates for post‐2000 cases of localized and regional corpus cancers significantly improved (from 87.7% [95% CI: 85.8‐89.4] to 94.2% [95% CI: 92.7‐95.7] and from 47.5% [95% CI: 43.3‐51.6] to 64.4% [95% CI: 61.0‐67.6], respectively). This was largely associated with the significant increase in the percentage of localized and regional patients who received chemotherapy instead of radiation as an adjuvant therapy combined to surgery (P < .001 for both). We found that each histological type (endometrioid carcinoma, serous carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma and carcinosarcoma) has different characteristics of trend of age‐standardized incidence rate, relative survival and distribution of extent of disease. In endometrioid carcinoma, the age‐standardized incidence rate increased consistently after 1990, but the rate of increase was decreasing after 1997.
Early recurrence of bladder cancer in the colon after robot‐assisted radical cystectomy: Disappearance following dose‐dense methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin treatment
Authors: Noda Michio , Nakamura Masaki , Kawai Taketo , Sato Yusuke , Yamada Yuta , Akiyama Yoshiyuki , Yamada Daisuke , Suzuki Motofumi , Kume Haruki 
Published: September 2021

IntroductionThe popularity of robot‐assisted radical cystectomy over open radical cystectomy has been increasing because the former, a minimally invasive surgery, contributes to earlier recovery and shorter hospitalization. However, atypical recurrences may be more frequent after robot‐assisted radical cystectomy than after open radical cystectomy. We report a case of an atypical early recurrence of bladder cancer including the descending colon.Case presentationA 70‐year‐old Japanese man underwent robot‐assisted radical cystectomy for muscle‐invasive bladder cancer. Four months later, he was hospitalized for severe anemia (hemoglobin, 5.1 g/dL). Colonoscopy revealed a 4‐cm submucosal oozing tumor in the descending colon. Computed tomography revealed multiple recurrent lesions including recurrence in the descending colon, all of which disappeared completely after chemotherapy with six cycles of dose‐dense methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin.ConclusionWe encountered a rare case of an atypical recurrence of bladder cancer in the colon after robot‐assisted radical cystectomy.
Unmanned aerial vehicle system integrating high‐resolution sensors for detecting leaks in irrigation canals—Proof of concept*
Authors: Traore Seydou , Fipps Guy , Swanson Charles , Dufek Jan , Robin Murphy 
Published: September 2021

AbstractA system for the remote detection of water leaks in irrigation canals is presented which integrates visual, thermal, and multispectral imagers into a specially designed platform mounted on small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), along with an image processing and analysis procedure employing three different software packages and customized scripts. The end results are processed images of different colour bands and indexes which are shown to be effective at highlighting the leaks’ signatures. A custom payload platform weighing 1 kg was designed and built, consisting of high‐resolution thermal, multispectral, and visual cameras, GPS units, a flight control camera, and a data acquisition system. A total of 27 flights in 4 irrigation districts were conducted to test and evaluate the payload platform and image processing system. The portable platform was successfully flown on three different UAV. A total of 46,387 images were captured and processed. The image processing and analysis system worked well and identified all known leaks, as well as leaks that the district's staff were unaware of. Thermal image indexes were effective at showing cold spots which were caused by canal leaks. The visual and the blue and green near‐infrared indexes were also found to be effective at identifying leaks. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) did help differentiate between vegetation and wet soils, but we did not obtain consistent results with the NDVI.
Functionalized ionic liquids for lignite dissolution and treatment
Authors: Franklin Michael S , Larm Nathaniel E , Baker Gary A , Zhao Hua 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBACKGROUNDAs a low‐rank coal, lignite (frequently referred to as ‘brown coal’) has a high latent moisture content and low energy density and thus has low value as a solid fuel, often being burned at power stations close to where it is mined. For this reason, an effective pretreatment is essential to the better utilization of low‐rank coal for energy and materials. Ionic liquids (ILs) are alternatives to conventional volatile organic solvents for pretreating coal due to their tailorable structures and physical properties, as well as their ability to partially dissolve/swell coal components. This study aimed to rationally design ionic liquids having a high hydrogen‐bond basicity, based on the acetate anion, paired with ether‐functionalized cations (especially the less‐expensive piperidinium) for lignite dissolution and treatment.RESULTSLignite treated by these functionalized ionic liquids at 105 °C led to the dissolution of 15.7–24.5 wt% lignite with a concomitant increase in coal aromaticity and rank, a reduction in coal decomposition residues, and the production of smaller and more uniform particles. The ether‐functionalized N‐(2‐ethoxyethyl)‐N‐methylpiperidinium acetate is a particularly attractive alternative to conventional imidazolium ILs due to its lower cost, high hydrogen‐bond basicity, and a strong capability for improving the coal aromaticity.CONCLUSIONOur results have demonstrated that pretreatment with functionalized ionic liquids can improve the coal aromaticity and rank, decrease coal decomposition residues, and yield smaller and more uniform particles, which enables a better utilization of low‐rank coal for fuel and materials. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).