bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Energy, Environment, and Social Development: Recognizing Sustainability Excellence in Oil and Gas
Authors: Alnuaim Sami 
Published: December 2018

President's column
The term sustainability is widely used. Unfortunately, when applied to hydrocarbon energy sources, it is often mentioned in a negative way. Too often, the focus is on reducing the use of hydrocarbon fuels, or measuring the emissions resulting from burning of hydrocarbon products. This unbalanced approach ignores key aspects of sustainability—aspects where the oil and gas industry makes significant positive contributions. A sustainable world is one in which everyone has enough to eat, access to energy, educational and social opportunities, health and safety, and so much more.
If a key goal of sustainability is improving people’s lives, then the three key ways to support that goal are a strong economy, a healthy environment, and social development. Our industry has a very positive story to tell in each of those pillars. Instead of participating in the discussion around who or what is to blame for the world’s ills, we can show leadership in talking about what we have done, are doing, and will continue to do to improve people’s lives through our operations.
The world economy will continue to run on oil and natural gas for decades to come. The companies in our industry make enormous investments to ensure that we can meet growing world energy demand. According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Investment 2018, the oil and gas industry invested more than $2 trillion in the past 4 years to achieve a reliable supply of energy, despite the downturn and reduction of oil prices during the same period. Technology has allowed us to unlock shale resources around the world, develop smaller deposits economically, and find resources in new areas. Continued innovation will help us get more oil and gas from known reservoirs. Far from being a dying industry, our technical success will continue to feed the growing global economy.
At the same time, our industry has helped to relieve energy poverty. The IEA reports that an additional 120 million people around the world gained access to electricity in 2017. As a result, the total number of people without electricity access fell below 1 billion for the first time ever. The availability of natural gas for power generation has been an important factor in this achievement.
No industry is without impact. Our industry has been innovating ways to reduce our environmental footprint and enhance safety for years, and we continue to invest in technologies to do even better. Through industry organizations such as the International Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) we are able to share best practices and report our successes. IOGP recently reported an exponential decline in fatal accidents in the oil and gas industry, even as activity rose significantly around the globe.
Quality Management for Research Weather Data: USDA‐ARS, Bushland, TX
Authors: Evett Steven R. , Marek Gary W. , Copeland Karen S. , Colaizzi Paul D. 
Published: December 2018

Core Ideas
Several redundant sensors for the same variable are required for quality control.
Weighing lysimeters record rainfall more accurately than do tipping bucket gauges.
Southern High Plains rainfall is variable, even within a 1‐km radius.
Scatterplots and time‐series graphical and statistical analyses aid quality control.
Weather mediates the complex interactions of soil, water, plants, atmosphere, and agricultural and environmental interventions. Accurate and representative weather data are thus important to agricultural and environmental research, but particularly to simulation model development and testing. USDA‐ARS research using large weighing lysimeters at Bushland, TX, has produced 30 yr of evapotranspiration and ancillary data related to different methods of irrigation application and management, dryland cropping, crop choice, and agronomic management and weather. To support crop simulation modeling, weather data were gathered on a 15‐min basis at a research weather station adjacent to the weighing lysimeters since the inception of the project in 1987, as well as at nearby stations. The goal of this article is to review and demonstrate Conservation and Production Research Laboratory (CPRL) weather data quality management procedures. Data quality management has involved both quality assurance planning and operations as well as quality control methods. Data analysis revealed the importance of having multiple sensors replicating the same weather measurement because sensor failure or degradation often created gaps in data that required another data source to fill, but also because replicate sensors aided in detecting sensor error. Data from multiple stations also revealed issues of datalogger time keeping and spatial variation of weather. And, comparisons of data on the same weather measurement from various sensors that used different operating principles revealed systematic errors in some sensors. Methods of quality assurance and control involved long‐term planning for sensor calibration, maintenance and replacement, and daily and longer‐term quality control efforts based on data stream analysis.
Alternatives to Timothy Grown in Mixture with Alfalfa in Eastern Canada
Authors: Pomerleau‐Lacasse Florence , Seguin Philippe , Tremblay Gaëtan F. , Bélanger Gilles , Lajeunesse Julie , Charbonneau Édith 
Published: December 2018

Core Ideas
Mixtures of alfalfa with meadow fescue, tall fescue, or meadow bromegrass have comparable yields and persistence to alfalfa‐timothy.
Mixtures with festulolium or perennial ryegrass had lower total seasonal DM yields than the alfalfa‐timothy mixture.
Harvesting mixtures at the alfalfa early flower stage maximizes the estimated milk production per ha.
Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) is the main forage grass species cultivated with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in eastern Canada, yet its regrowth under dry and warm conditions is poor. Air temperature and water stress are predicted to increase in the near future, which could further reduce timothy’s regrowth. We evaluated six alfalfa–grass binary mixtures at three contrasted sites in eastern Canada to find potential alternatives to the alfalfa–timothy mixture under current climatic conditions. Timothy, tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus [Schreb.] Dumort.), meadow fescue (Schedonorus pratensis [Huds.] P. Beauv.), festulolium (× Festulolium Asch. & Graebn), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and meadow bromegrass (Bromus biebersteinii Roem. & Schult.) were evaluated with harvests either at the early bud or early flower stage of alfalfa. Dry matter yield, nutritive attributes, and the yield contribution of each species were determined. Alfalfa mixtures with festulolium (cv. Spring Green) and perennial ryegrass (cv. Remington) had inferior grass yield contributions due to winter damages, as well as inferior forage yield and estimated milk production per hectare; these cultivars are not currently viable alternatives to timothy in eastern Canada. In contrast, alfalfa–meadow fescue and alfalfa–meadow bromegrass mixtures produced comparable yields, nutritive value, and estimated milk production per hectare and they are, therefore, possible alternatives to the alfalfa‐timothy mixture. The alfalfa–tall fescue mixture also represents a possible alternative; its lower nutritive value was compensated by its slightly greater yield. Timothy, tall fescue, meadow fescue, and meadow bromegrass remained productive over the first three production years when cultivated in mixture with alfalfa.
Soil Water Dynamics of Shallow Water Table Soils Cultivated With Potato Crop
Authors: Biscaia Ribeiro da Silva Andre Luiz , Hashiguti Heraldo T. , Zotarelli Lincoln , Migliaccio Kati W. , Dukes Michael D. 
Published: December 2018

Core Ideas
Estimation of water table level supplies upward water flux for daily ETc needs.
Episodic master recession method informs water table control during rain events.
Water table recession varies by soil and irrigation, with fastest rates under subirrigation.
Irrigation depth may be reduced in sprinkler areas with water table management.
Agricultural areas with shallow water tables usually rely on upward soil water flux to supply crop evapotranspiration (ETc). The study objective was to determine optimum water table levels for coarse‐textured soils cultivated with potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) by estimating the upward soil water flux under different irrigation methods. Potato was grown under seepage, subirrigation with tile drainage, subsurface drip irrigation (SDI), and sprinkler irrigation. Irrigation zones were classified as sandy soil with low soil organic matter (SOM) and high bulk density (Bd), or loamy sand soil with high SOM and low Bd. Upward soil water flux supplied enough water to the root zone to meet ETc when the water table was at the 69‐cm depth for loamy sand soils under seepage, and 42 and 45 cm for sandy soils under subirrigation and SDI, respectively. The sprinkler‐irrigated area had no control over the water table, whereby the cumulative contribution of upward water flux still averaged 6.3 cm, suggesting that irrigation rates could be reduced if the water table is controlled and upward flux accounted for in the crop water balance. Rainfall introduces flooding risks and crop losses, but these risks are minimized with management. The water table elevation/precipitation ratio was 34.4 and 25.6 cm cm−1 of rain for loamy sand and sandy soils. After precipitation, the water table returned to the original levels twice as fast under subirrigation than with other methods given improved drainage capacity. Soil characteristics, irrigation method, upward water flux, and proper water table management are important factors for maintaining ideal soil moisture conditions in the crop root zone, minimizing flooding risk.
The Strengbach Catchment: A Multidisciplinary Environmental Sentry for 30 Years
Authors: Pierret Marie-Claire , Cotel Solenn , Ackerer Philippe , Beaulieu Emilie , Benarioumlil Sylvain , Boucher Marie , Boutin René , Chabaux François , Delay Frederick , Fourtet Colin , Friedmann Pascal , Fritz Bertrand , Gangloff Sophie , Girard Jean-François , Legtchenko Anatoly , Viville Daniel , Weill Sylvain , Probst Anne 
Published: December 2018

Core Ideas
We present a general overview of research performed at the Strengbach catchment.
Multidisciplinary studies are performed to understand export of water and associated fluxes.
Long‐term data study disturbances such as acid rain, forest management, and climate change.
Research activity associated with various observations at the Strengbach catchment in the Vosges Massif (880–1150 m) addresses many questions in the domains of hydrology and geochemistry. The catchment is the observation and experimental site of the Observatoire Hydro‐Géochimique de l'Environnement appointed by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. It also belongs to the research facilities that form the French Network of Critical Zone Observatories (OZCAR), which supports a network of critical zone observatories. The catchment is small (0.8 km2) with steep slopes (20–30%) on granitic bedrock that mainly allow for forestry (spruce and beech stands) as the main land cover. Meteorological, hydrological, and geochemical data have been monitored since 1986. The first studies conducted were dedicated to the elucidation of acid rain effects on forest ecosystems and particularly on forest decline. Multidisciplinary research studies conducted on the Strengbach catchment enable exploration of the following issues: (i) hydrological functioning at the scale of a small catchment and questions regarding the evolution and preservation of the water resources in mountainous environments (stock, recharge, infiltration, and water pathways), (ii) exchange processes observed at the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum and in particular weathering processes and the evolution of soil mineral fertility (Ca, Mg, K, P), (iii) processes responsible for the export of water and for associated fluxes (dissolved chemicals, suspended materials, bed loads) and their dynamic at the outlet, and (iv) responses of the ecosystems to environmental disturbances (acid rain, forest management, and climate change) and their current and future modeling.
Canopy Chamber Measurements of Carbon Dioxide Fluxes in Corn and Soybean Fields
Authors: Wang Zhuangji , Luo Chenyi , Sauer Thomas J. , Helmers Matthew J. , Xu Liukang , Horton Robert 
Published: December 2018

Core Ideas
Canopy chambers were used to measure CO2 exchange rates (CER) in corn and soybean plots.
Daytime and cumulative CER fluxes were calculated from measured instantaneous CER fluxes.
Chamber CER fluxes were consistent with eddy covariance flux tower CER fluxes.
Crop canopy CO2 exchange rate (CER) includes crop photosynthesis and soil/plant respiration. A portable canopy chamber is effective in determining crop CER values at a relatively small spatial (m2) scale. The objectives of this study were to use a canopy chamber to measure CO2 fluxes in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Chamber measurements were performed for 18 and 15 d in 2013 and 2014, respectively. The canopy chamber measures instantaneous CER fluxes, and daily and daytime cumulative CO2 values were calculated from the instantaneous CER. The chamber CER results were compared with nearby eddy covariance (EC) flux tower measurements at a variety of time scales, i.e., instantaneous, daily, and daytime cumulative (multiple months). The daily and daytime cumulative chamber CER values were within 5% of the EC results, providing evidence for the effectiveness of the portable canopy chamber method. In conclusion, the portable canopy chamber provides reliable CO2 flux measurements despite the small size of field plots.
Assessing SMAP Soil Moisture Scaling and Retrieval in the Carman (Canada) Study Site
Authors: Bhuiyan Hassan A.K.M. , McNairn Heather , Powers Jarrett , Friesen Matthew , Pacheco Anna , Jackson Thomas J. , Cosh Michael H. , Colliander Andreas , Berg Aaron , Rowlandson Tracy , Bullock Paul , Magagi Ramata 
Published: December 2018

Core Ideas
Upscaling methods compared in situ measures with soil moisture from the SMAP satellite.
The accuracy of SMAP soil moisture products in annual cropland was assessed.
The spatial representativeness of sparse in situ networks was determined.
In 2015, NASA launched the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. Data from this satellite are being exploited to improve forecasting of extreme weather events and delivery of disaster response. International core validation sites (CVSs) have been contributing in situ soil moisture data to validate and calibrate SMAP soil moisture products. Overall the soil moisture retrieval errors have exceeded SMAP's mission requirement (errors below 0.04 m3 m−3), with the exception of some sites of annual cropland as present at the Carman (Canada) CVS. In 2016, a SMAP validation experiment was conducted at the Canadian site in Manitoba (SMAPVEX16‐MB) in an attempt to understand the differences between the SMAP soil moisture retrievals and the permanent in situ network observations. The research presented here analyzed the performance of this network in representing soil moisture within a SMAP pixel and tested five upscaling approaches. Comparisons between the permanent network and SMAPVEX16‐MB measurements (from temporary stations and field measures) confirmed agreement among these three sources of soil moisture measures. The SMAP soil moisture values were compared with in situ soil moisture upscaled from the four tested approaches as well as soil moisture estimated by the NOAH Land Surface Model (LSM). There were similar discrepancies when analyzing all methods (RMSE 0.072–0.074 m3 m−3 for the four upscaling methods; 0.076 m3 m−3 for the LSM approach), yielding no reduction in the soil moisture RMSE for this site. The SMAP team will continue to investigate other factors that may be contributing to errors above 0.04 m3 m−3 at these annually cropped CVSs.
Performance and kinetics of algal-bacterial photobioreactor (AB-PBR) treating septic tank effluent
Authors: Chaiwong Chawalit , Koottatep Thammarat , Surinkul Nawatch , Polprasert Chongrak 
Published: December 2018

Abstract
Septic tank effluent contains high organic and nutrient contents. This study aimed to evaluate treatment performance of an algal-bacterial photobioreactor (AB-PBR) treating the septic tank effluent. The experimental unit employed a transparent plastic medium made from recycled drinking water bottles for attached-growth biofilm. Red LED lamp (light intensity ∼100 μmol/m2/s) was applied as an energy source for the growth of algal-bacterial biofilm in the AB-PBR. The experimental results showed that AB-PBR operated at the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3 days gave the highest chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiencies of 64, 45 and 35%, respectively, by which the effluent COD concentrations could meet the effluent standards of Thailand, but the effluent TN and TP concentrations needed to be further removed. The Stover–Kincannon model was applied to determine the kinetic values of COD and TN removals with R2 values greater than 0.8. Microbiological examinations indicated Chlorella sp. is the predominant algal species growing in the AB-PBR, while the amplicon sequencing information analytical results revealed the bacterial phylum of Proteobacteria to be the predominant bacterial group.
Efficacy of Pexiganan Combination with Tigecycline in a Mouse Model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Sepsis
Authors: Cirioni Oscar , Simonetti Oriana , Morroni Gianluca , Brescini Lucia , Kamysz Wojciech , Kamysz Elzbieta , Orlando Fiorenza , Pierpaoli Elisa , Caffarini Miriam , Orciani Monia , Agostinelli Claudio , Offidani Annamaria , Provinciali Mauro , Giacometti Andrea 
Published: December 2018

Background:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative pathogen, associated with a severe
mortality rate. It is also difficult to treat due to numerous resistance mechanisms to a wide range of antibiotics.

Objective:
Evaluate the activity of pexiganan, an antimicrobial peptide, in combination with two
clinical antibiotics (azithromycin and tigecycline) that are not active against P. aeruginosa.

Methods:
Ten clinical P. aeruginosa were isolated from urinary tract infections, blood culture, skin infections
and respiratory tract infections. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and synergies were
evaluated by broth microdilution, checkerboard assays and time-kill studies. In vitro synergy was confirmed
with an in vivo experiment using a murine model of sepsis.

Results:
Pexiganan MICs were included between 2 and 16 mg/L. Tigecycline and azithromycin MICs
were high as expected (4-64 mg/L and 32-256 mg/L, respectively). Pexiganan and azithromycin combination
resulted to be additive or indifferent while tigecycline and pexiganan combination was synergic
against seven out of ten P. aeruginosa and additive against the other strains. In vivo experiment confirmed
the in vitro synergy, denoting a significative reduction of bacteria in mice treated with pexiganan
and tigecycline combination.

Conclusion:
Antimicrobial peptides are molecules that could be useful in the fight against infections and
pexiganan seems to be one of the most promising. Our results demonstrated that, in association with tigecycline,
pexiganan administration could overcome antibiotic resistance and increase the effectiveness
of treatment against P. aeruginosa sepsis.
Molecular Modelling Studies of 1,4-Diaryl-2-Mercaptoimidazole Derivatives for Antimicrobial Potency
Authors: Rani Nidhi , Singh Randhir 
Published: December 2018

Background: :
Imidazoles are considered as potent antimicrobial agents. In view of this
2-mercaptoimidazoles were synthesized and evaluated for antimicrobial study.

Methods::
Some new 2-mercaptoimidazoles 4a-r were synthesized using substituted aniline and
substituted phenacyl bromides in the presence of anhydrous sodium carbonate or potassium
carbonate and potassium thiocyanate under solvent-free conditions catalyzed by eco-friendly ptoluene
sulfonic acid.

Results: :
The structure of compounds was evaluated on the basis of Infrared spectroscopy (IR),
1HNMR (proton nuclear magnetic resonance) and mass spectral studies. These novel compounds
were screened for in-vitro antibacterial and antifungal potency against Staphyllococcus aureus,
Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. Further, the
study was rationalized by molecular modeling studies. All the compounds were subjected to
molecular modeling studies for inhibition of enzyme 14α-demethylase.

Conclusions::
The compounds were found to be effective in inhibiting the growth of pathogens. The
in-silico results depicted that, all the synthesized compounds have minimum binding energy and
good affinity towards the active site and thus can be considered as good inhibitors of 14α-
demethylase enzyme.
Death-Associated Protein Kinase 1 as a Promising Drug Target in Cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Chen Dongmei , Zhou Xiao Z. , Lee Tae H. 
Published: December 2018

Background:Death-Associated Protein Kinase 1 (DAPK1) plays an important role in apoptosis, tumor suppression and neurodegeneration including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).Objective:This review will describe the diverse roles of DAPK1 in the development of cancer and AD, and the current status of drug development targeting DAPK1-based therapies.Methods:Reports of DAPK1 regulation, function and substrates were analyzed using genetic DAPK1 manipulation and chemical DAPK1 modulators.Results:DAPK1 expression and activity are deregulated in cancer and AD. It is down-regulated and/or inactivated by multiple mechanisms in many human cancers, and elicits a protective effect to counteract numerous death stimuli in cancer, including activation of the master regulator Pin1. Moreover, loss of DAPK1 expression has correlated strongly with tumor recurrence and metastasis, suggesting that lack of sufficient functional DAPK1 might contribute to cancer. In contrast, DAPK1 is highly expressed in the brains of most human AD patients and has been identified as one of the genetic factors affecting susceptibility to late-onset AD. The absence of DAPK1 promotes efficient learning and better memory in mice and prevents the development of AD by acting on many key proteins including Pin1 and its downstream targets tau and APP. Recent patents show that DAPK1 modulation might be used to treat both cancer and AD.Conclusion:DAPK1 plays a critical role in diverse physiological processes and importantly, its deregulation is implicated in the pathogenesis of either cancer or AD. Therefore, manipulating DAPK1 activity and/or expression may be a promising therapeutic option for cancer or AD.
Arginine Deiminase: Current Understanding and Applications
Authors: Zarei Mahboubeh , Rahbar Mohammad Reza , Morowvat Mohammad Hossein , Nezafat Navid , Negahdaripour Manica , Berenjian Aydin , Ghasemi Younes 
Published: December 2018

Background:Arginine deiminase (ADI), an arginine catabolizing enzyme, is considered as an anti-tumor agent for the treatment of arginine auxotrophic cancers. However, some obstacles limit its clinical applications.Objective:This review will summarize the clinical applications of ADI, from a brief history to its limitations, and will discuss the different ways to deal with the clinical limitations.Method:The structure analysis, cloning, expression, protein engineering and applications of arginine deiminase enzyme have been explained in this review.Conclusion:Recent patents on ADI are related to ADI engineering to increase its efficacy for clinical application. The intracellular delivery of ADI and combination therapy seem to be the future strategies in the treatment of arginine auxotrophic cancers. Applying ADIs with optimum features from different sources and or ADI engineering, are promising strategies to improve the clinical application of ADI.