bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Decreasing serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of early neurological deterioration in patients with ischemic stroke
Authors: Hu Wei , Liu Dezhi , Li Qin , Wang Li , Tang Qiqiang , Wang Guoping 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackground and AimsVitamin D deficiency has been linked to a higher risk of ischemic stroke. We therefore explored the relationship between serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and early neurological deterioration (END) after acute ischemic stroke in a hospital‐based prospective study.MethodsFrom June 2016 to June 2018, patients with ischemic stroke within 48 hr from symptom onset were consecutively recruited. Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured at admission. END was defined as an increase of ≥1 point in motor power or ≥2 points in the total National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score within 7 days after admission. Multiple logistic regression models were performed to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) of 25(OH)D levels in predicting END.ResultsA total of 478 subjects were enrolled, of which 136 (28.5%) patients developed END. The mean 25(OH)D levels were 49.5 ± 15.8 nmol/L. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age, white matter lesions, high level of body mass index, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and homocysteine, and low 25(OH)D levels were associated with END. Furthermore, multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that the first quartile of 25(OH)D concentrations [OR, 2.628; 95% CI,1.223–5.644; p = 0.013] was independently risk factor for END.ConclusionsThis study illustrated that lower 25(OH)D levels might be associated with an increasing risk of END in acute ischemic stroke patients.
Case report: Gastric cancer‐associated membranous nephropathy that recurred after complete remission and formation of peritoneal dissemination
Authors: Kajiwara Nobuyuki , Wada Noriko , Kusumoto Takuya , Akamaru Yusuke , Ohashi Hiroshi , Hayashi Kazuyuki 
Published: February 2019

Key Clinical MessageMembranous nephropathy associated with malignant neoplasm may remit completely with treatment of the underlying disease. In such cases, recurrence is very rare. However, after a recurrence, attention should be paid to the possible recurrence of the underlying disease.
Catalytic Evaluation of CuO/[Si]MCM‐41 in Fenton‐like Reactions
Authors: Bonfim Daniela P. F. , Santana Cássia S. , Batista Marcelo S. , Fabiano Demian P. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractCuO/[Si]MCM‐41 catalysts with various Si/Cu molar ratios were prepared and characterized by X‐ray diffraction, nitrogen physisorption, temperature‐programmed reduction by H2, and UV‐vis and Raman spectroscopy. The effects of copper loading and pH on their activity in the decolorization of methyl orange were studied in a heterogeneous Fenton‐like process. With decreasing Si/Cu ratio, dye decolorization increased from 18 to 75 % at pH 3. CuO/[Si]MCM‐41 catalysts showed 75, 50, and 40 % conversion of methyl orange at pH 3, 5, and 7, respectively. This is a significant improvement to Fenton‐like reactions involving copper, and thus CuO/[Si]MCM‐41 catalysts are quite promising for pollutant degradation.
Activated Carbon from Renewable Material as an Efficient Support for Palladium Oxidation Catalysts
Authors: Topka Pavel , Hejtmánek Vladimír , Cruz Gerardo J. F. , Šolcová Olga , Soukup Karel 
Published: February 2019

AbstractActivated carbon prepared from cocoa pod husk, which is an abundant agricultural waste, was employed as a green support for palladium oxidation catalysts. Systematic characterization of the support and palladium catalysts by atomic emission spectroscopy, N2 and CO2 physisorption measurements, X‐ray powder diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy, temperature‐programmed reduction by hydrogen, and temperature‐programmed desorption of NH3 and CO2 allowed detailed monitoring of their characteristics. Subsequently, the catalytic performance and selectivity in the oxidation of ethanol as a model volatile organic compound (VOC) was studied and linked to physicochemical properties of the catalysts.
Using inclusion complexes for achieving second‐order advantage: A novel technique for cinnamic acid derivatives analysis with second‐order calibration methods
Authors: Nikpour Hamidreza , Mousavi Mehdi , Asadollahzadeh Hamideh 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAs a novel performance, to attempt cinnamic acid derivatives (CAs), including caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and p‐coumaric acid quantification by fluorescence spectroscopy in complex chemical systems with unknown interferences in water, creating second‐order data was demanded. In the present study, α,β‐cyclodextrin (α,β‐CD) inclusion complexes application for second‐order data generation joined with bilinear least squares/residual bilinearization (BLLS/RBL) and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) as second‐order calibration methods. In the first step, inclusion complexes formation between CA analytes with α,β‐CDs at the optimized condition was evaluated. The resolution of model compounds was possible in the base to the differences in the fluorescence spectral changes of the inclusion complexes signals of the investigated analytes as a function of CD concentrations opening a new approach for second‐order data generation. In light of these facts, due to severe profiles overlapping between CAs, we propose creating third‐order data for each sample using α and β‐CD media to produce inclusion complexes as a new additional selectivity mode while the obtained data in two media were augmented next. Three‐way arrays were constructed by stacking augmented data in a third way and then analyzed by two powerful second‐order calibration methods (BLLS/RBL and PARAFAC) to get spectral and concentration profiles of CAs as a function of α,β‐CD concentrations. The concentrations were between 0 to 6.0, 0 to 10.0, and 0 to 8.0 mg L−1 for caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and p‐coumaric acid, respectively. The results of both methods are in good agreement, and reasonable recoveries are achieved.
The Electrophilic Fluorination of Enol Esters Using SelectFluor: A Polar Two‐Electron Process
Authors: Wood Susanna H. , Etridge Stephen , Kennedy Alan R. , Percy Jonathan M. , Nelson David J. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe reaction of enol esters with SelectFluor is facile and leads to the corresponding α‐fluoroketones under mild conditions and, as a result, this route is commonly employed for the synthesis of medicinally important compounds such as fluorinated steroids. However, despite the use of this methodology in synthesis, the mechanism of this reaction and the influence of structure on reactivity are unclear. A rigorous mechanistic study of the fluorination of these substrates is presented, informed primarily by detailed and robust kinetic experiments. The results of this study implicate a polar two‐electron process via an oxygen‐stabilised carbenium species, rather than a single‐electron process involving radical intermediates. The structure–reactivity relationships revealed here will assist synthetic chemists in deploying this type of methodology in the syntheses of α‐fluoroketones.
Distributed Fog‐to‐Cloud computing system: A minority game approach
Authors: AbdElhalim Eman , Obayya Marwa , Kishk Sherif 
Published: February 2019

SummaryWith the ever‐increasing popularity of resource‐intensive mobile applications, today, Fog‐to‐Cloud (F2C) computing system becomes a prominent technology for the next generation wireless networks. Despite the benefits of fog computing regarding localized storage and processing, it suffers from restricted power allowance and computational capability of the edge nodes. User nodes also may suffer from extensive delay, especially in offloading periods. Therefore, it is essential to develop a distributed mechanism for users' computation in offloading periods. According to this mechanism, not only the computational servers are exploited at their best capacity but also the users' latency constraints fulfilled. Consequently, this paper develops automated distributed fog computing for computational offloading using the theory of minority game. The proposed scheme achieves user satisfaction latency deadline as well as Quality‐of‐Experience. Moreover, it guarantees an adaptive equilibrium level of F2C computing system, which is suitable for heterogeneous wireless networks.
TAP: Timeliness‐aware predication‐based replica selection algorithm for key‐value stores
Authors: Zhou Xianqian , Fang Liyuan , Xie Haiming , Jiang Wanchun 
Published: February 2019

SummaryIn current large‐scale distributed key‐value stores, a single end‐user request may lead to key‐value access across tens or hundreds of servers. The tail latency of these key‐value accesses is crucial to user experience and greatly impacts the revenue. To cut the tail latency, it is crucial for clients to choose the best replica server as much as possible for the service of each key‐value access operation. Aware of the challenges on the time‐varying performance across servers and the herd behaviors, an adaptive replica selection scheme C3 has been proposed recently. In C3, feedback from individual servers is brought into replica ranking to reflect the time‐varying performance of servers, and the distributed rate control and backpressure mechanisms are invented. Despite C3's good performance, we reveal the timeliness issue of C3, which has large impacts on both the replica ranking and the rate control. To address this issue, we propose the TAP (timeliness‐aware predication‐based) replica selection algorithm, which predicts the queue size of replica servers under the poor timeliness condition, instead of utilizing the exponentially weighted moving average of the piggybacked queue sizes in history as in C3. Consequently, compared with C3, TAP can obtain more accurate queue‐size estimation to guide the replica selection at clients. Simulation results also confirm the advantage of TAP over C3 in terms of cutting the tail latency.
Climate change, woodpeckers, and forests: Current trends and future modeling needs
Authors: Walsh Eric S. , Vierling Kerri T. , Strand Eva , Bartowitz Kristina , Hudiburg Tara W. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe structure and composition of forest ecosystems are expected to shift with climate‐induced changes in precipitation, temperature, fire, carbon mitigation strategies, and biological disturbance. These factors are likely to have biodiversity implications. However, climate‐driven forest ecosystem models used to predict changes to forest structure and composition are not coupled to models used to predict changes to biodiversity. We proposed integrating woodpecker response (biodiversity indicator) with forest ecosystem models. Woodpeckers are a good indicator species of forest ecosystem dynamics, because they are ecologically constrained by landscape‐scale forest components, such as composition, structure, disturbance regimes, and management activities. In addition, they are correlated with forest avifauna community diversity. In this study, we explore integrating woodpecker and forest ecosystem climate models. We review climate–woodpecker models and compare the predicted responses to observed climate‐induced changes. We identify inconsistencies between observed and predicted responses, explore the modeling causes, and identify the models pertinent to integration that address the inconsistencies. We found that predictions in the short term are not in agreement with observed trends for 7 of 15 evaluated species. Because niche constraints associated with woodpeckers are a result of complex interactions between climate, vegetation, and disturbance, we hypothesize that the lack of adequate representation of these processes in the current broad‐scale climate–woodpecker models results in model–data mismatch. As a first step toward improvement, we suggest a conceptual model of climate–woodpecker–forest modeling for integration. The integration model provides climate‐driven forest ecosystem modeling with a measure of biodiversity while retaining the feedback between climate and vegetation in woodpecker climate change modeling.
Mitochondrial divergence suggests unexpected high species diversity in the opsariichthine fishes (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) and the revalidation of Opsariichthys macrolepis
Authors: Wang Xue , Liu Fei , Yu Dan , Liu Huanzhang 
Published: February 2019

AbstractOpsariichthine (sensu Oceanologi Et Limnologia Sinica, 1982, 13, 293–298) is a cyprinid group consisting of five genera and endemic to East Asia. Previous studies suggested that there may be many possible cryptic species in this group, but this has not been confirmed. In this study, using mitochondrial cyt b sequences on 1,388 samples and 739 haplotypes, we showed very high species diversity within this group. The results showed that phylogenetic relationships of the opsariichthine group were as ([Nipponocypris‐Parazacco‐Candidia] + [Zacco + Opsariichthys]), and there were multiple deep lineages within several species, flagging putative cryptic species. When a 3% genetic distance was used as a threshold for species delimitation, 35 haplogroups were found, nine haplogroups in Candidia‐Parazacco‐Nipponocypris group, six haplogroups in the Zacco group, and 20 haplogroups in the Opsariichthys group. We consider all of them to be putative until determination of distinct species based on the tree topology, geographic distributions, or a combination of both. In addition, two kinds of species delimitation tools, ABGD and PTP, were applied to construct molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs). The ABGD method revealed nine MOTUs in Candidia‐Parazacco‐Nipponocypris group, two MOTUs in the Zacco group, and 17 MOTUs in the Opsariichthys group. And the PTP method revealed 10 MOTUs in Candidia‐Parazacco‐Nipponocypris group, 10 MOTUs in the Zacco group, and 29 MOTUs in the Opsariichthys group. Therefore, there should be more species in the opsariichthine group than presently described. Based on the molecular data and morphological characteristics, we proposed Opsariichthys macrolepis as a valid species and described its morphological diagnostic characters.
A distributed experiment demonstrates widespread sodium limitation in grassland food webs
Authors: Welti Ellen A. R. , Sanders Nathan J. , de Beurs Kirsten M. , Kaspari Michael 
Published: February 2019

AbstractSodium (Na) has a unique role in food webs as a nutrient primarily limiting for plant consumers, but not other trophic levels. Environmental Na levels vary with proximity to coasts, local geomorphology, climate, and with anthropogenic inputs (e.g., road salt). We tested two key predictions across 54 grasslands in North America: Na shortfall commonly limits herbivore abundance, and the magnitude of this limitation varies inversely with environmental Na supplies. We tested them with a distributed pulse experiment and evaluated the relative importance of Na limitation to other classic drivers of climate, macronutrient levels, and plant productivity. Herbivore abundance increased by 45% with Na addition. Moreover, the magnitude of increase on Na addition plots decreased with increasing levels of plant Na, indicating Na satiation at sites with high Na concentrations in plant tissue. Our results demonstrate that invertebrate primary consumers are often Na limited and track local Na availability, with implications for the geography of invertebrate abundance and herbivory.
Graphene Quantum Dots Modified Screen‐printed Electrodes as Electroanalytical Sensing Platform for Diethylstilbestrol
Authors: Gevaerd Ava , Banks Craig E. , Bergamini Márcio F. , Marcolino‐Junior Luiz Humberto 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIn present work a simple methodology for electroanalytical sensing of diethylstilbestrol (DES) using graphene quantum dots (GQD) surface modified screen‐printed electrodes (SPE) is reported. GQD was synthesized by simple bottom‐up method based on citric acid pyrolysis at 200 °C and electrodeposited directly at electrode surface under cyclic voltammetric conditions. The obtained GQD presented an average diameter of 7 nm and was characterized by techniques such as transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The proposed sensor exhibits a linear response from 0.05 to 7.5 μmol L−1, with limit of detection and quantification of 8.8 nmol L−1 and 29.0 nmol L−1, respectively. The repeatability study presented RSD=3.6 % for 6 consecutive measurements using the same electrode surface and the reproducibility study showed RSD=6.6 % for measurements with 6 different electrode surfaces. The proposed sensor was successfully applied for DES determination in synthetic urine and tap water spiked samples and good recoveries were obtained without any sample pre‐treatment, showing its promising analytical performance.
A Zirconium Oxide Nanoparticle Modified Screen‐printed Electrode for Anodic Stripping Determination of Daclatasvir Dihydrochloride
Authors: Hendawy Hassan A. M. , Eldin Ghada M. G. , Fekry Amany M. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractA novel, sensitive and rapid voltammetric method applied for daclatasvir dihydrochloride (DSV.2HCl) detection in raw material, human plasma and urine using square wave voltammetry at a nano‐screen printed electrode (SPE) based on synthesized zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs). The attention to zirconium oxide nanoparticle syntheses arises from its likely use in making an electrode material in the electroanalytical process. Anodic stripping square wave voltammetric peaks have been recorded at the optimum conditions of drug solution as pH, scan rate, accumulation time and accumulation potential. Morphology of the used nanoparticles has been performed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission microscope (TEM). ZrO2 NPs were applied to screen printed electrode (ZrO2‐MSPE) giving a new sensor to detect the DSV.2HCl drug. ZrO2 NPs were tested for their electroactivity in improving electrodes sensitivity. The modified electrode has been used for the analysis of DSV.2HCl in spiked serum, spiked urine and pharmaceutical formulation.
Acute Effects of Binary Mixtures of Imidacloprid and Tebuconazole on 4 Freshwater Invertebrates
Authors: Raby Melanie , Maloney Erin , Poirier David G. , Sibley Paul K. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractReceiving waters from agricultural areas can contain multiple pesticides such as the neonicotinoid imidacloprid and the fungicide tebuconazole, leading to the potential for aquatic life to be exposed to such mixtures. In the present study, the effects of tebuconazole were tested alone and in binary mixtures with imidacloprid on 4 aquatic invertebrates: Chironomus dilutus, Hyalella azteca, Lumbriculus variegatus, and Neocloeon triangulifer. Acute (96‐h) median lethal concentrations (LC50s) were derived for individual compounds and used to design a binary mixture study to determine cumulative effects. The LC50s showed that imidacloprid was more potent than tebuconazole by 1 to 3 orders of magnitude for the 4 species. Lethality data from mixture experiments were analyzed using MIXTOX to determine deviations from independent action, followed by the model deviation ratio (MDR) technique to determine the biological significance and reproducibility of observed mixture effects. MIXTOX showed that the cumulative toxicities of imidacloprid–tebuconazole differed between the species: for C. dilutus there was no deviation from independent action; however, for H. azteca the mixture was antagonistic (specifically dose ratio–dependent), and for N. triangulifer it was synergistic. The MDR method showed that only observations with H. azteca significantly deviated from independent action. Because of the lack of evidence of a clear deviation from independent action and the much greater potency of imidacloprid, the weight of evidence indicates that the presence of tebuconazole is unlikely to appreciably increase the hazard from imidacloprid exposure to aquatic invertebrates. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;00:1–17. © 2019 SETAC
Protective effect of walnut on d‐galactose‐induced aging mouse model
Authors: Liu Ji , Chen Dan , Wang Zukun , Chen Chaoyin , Ning Delu , Zhao Shenglan 
Published: February 2019

AbstractObjective (s)Accumulating evidence has suggested that oxidative stress and apoptosis are involved in the aging process. d‐galactose (gal) has been reported to cause symptoms of aging in mice, accompanied by liver and brain injuries. Our present work was to study the potential antioxidative and anti‐apoptotic effects of walnut and to explore how these effects act on mice in a d‐gal‐induced aging model.Materials and MethodsAging mice were induced by subcutaneous injection of d‐gal (200 mg kg−1 d−1 for 8 weeks). Walnut samples were simultaneously administered to the d‐gal‐induced aging mice once daily by intragastric gavage. Finally, body weight, organ index, cognitive function, levels of antioxidative enzymes, and liver function were monitored.ResultsThe kernel pellicles of walnut could not only improve the learning and memory ability, and the organ index, but also significantly decrease body weight and normalize the levels of activity of antioxidative enzymes in aging mice. Further, the walnut seed coat would protect damages of hippocampus and liver in aging mice.HighlightsIn the current study, we investigated the effects of walnut kernels and walnut seed coats (WSCs) on d‐galactose‐induced aging mice. WSC was firstly found to have beneficial effects on d‐gal‐treated mouse's brain with learning and memory impairment, which probably through the underlying mechanism reduces oxidative damage and limits neuroinflammation. In addition, WSC had a protective effect on liver damage in d‐galactose sensing mice.
Refined cottonseed oil as a replacement for soybean oil in broiler diet
Authors: Yang Ao , Qi Ming , Wang Xu , Wang Shuai , Sun Lvhui , Qi Desheng , Zhu Luoyi , Duan Yongzhi , Gao Xin , Ali Rajput Shahid , Zhang Niya 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWith the shortage of common vegetable fat sources, such as soybean oil (SBO), it is urgent to find alternative oil sources for broiler producers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of refined cottonseed oil (CSO) as a replacement for SBO in broiler diets. A total of 180 chickens at 1 d of age were randomly assigned to five treatments of six replicates. One treatment was the basal diet (control), and the other four experimental diets were formulated from the basal diet by replacing (w/w) 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the SBO with refined CSO (only containing 0.2% cyclopropenoid fatty acids, and no free gossypol was detected). At the end of week 6, blood samples were obtained from the jugular vein and the breast muscle was aseptically isolated from two birds per replicate. The results showed that substitution of CSO for low‐level SBO had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on broiler performance during the starter period (week 1–3), while 50% level of CSO inclusion significantly increased (p < 0.05) ADG and improved FCR compared with the control group during the finisher period (week 4–6). Broilers fed 100% CSO diets had lower (p < 0.05) levels of serum total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), cholesterol (CHO) concentrations, and serum alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity than that of the control broilers. Furthermore, the serum antioxidant status appeared to be enhanced by CSO. Additionally, high levels of CSO (75 and 100%) significantly increased the proportions of C14:0 and C18:0 but decreased the proportions of C18:1n9t, C18:2n6c, and ∑ n‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast muscles of broilers. Overall, the SBO could be replaced with refined CSO up to 50% in diets for broilers without adversely affecting the performance, liver functions, and breast muscle fatty acid composition of these broilers.