bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Near‐optimal dynamic priority scheduling strategy for instance‐intensive business workflows in cloud computing
Authors: Xu Rongbin , Wang Yeguo , Huang Wei , Yuan Dong , Xie Ying , Yang Yun 
Published: May 2017

SummaryUtilization of cloud computing resources has made a fast growth in e‐business. Business and government agencies often need to handle large volume of service requests, the so‐called instance‐intensive business processes in a constrained period. On‐time completion for instance‐intensive business processes within the constrained time is a very important issue. In the past few years, traditional optimal task scheduling has been well researched and proven to be a nondeterministic polynomial (NP) time–complete problem. So many heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms are put forward to solve the issue with near‐optimal solutions. However, most of them just treat a single workflow instance as a multistep task without considering that steps within a task can be different types of activities. To explain multistep features of business workflows, a typical motivating instance‐intensive business example of security exchange and a multistep scheduling model for business workflows are introduced in this paper. Then our near‐optimal dynamic priority scheduling (DPS) strategy is proposed on the basis of the idea of Min‐Min heuristic algorithm and greedy philosophy. Compared to the first come first served and constrained Min‐Min by makespan and standard deviation, DPS can make a more optimized choice in each round of scheduling towards overall outcome. To show the effectiveness of DPS, theoretical minimum execution time (METtheory) is used as a benchmark for evaluation based on simulation. The results show that the ratios between METtheory and DPS are more than 98.5% by scheduling different orders of magnitude tasks from 1000 to 1 000 000. In particular, the ratio between METtheory and DPS is nearly 99.9% with 1 000 000 tasks, which means that our DPS can get the near‐optimal result when scheduling large number of tasks.
Single‐Molecule and Ensemble Diffusivities in Individual Nanopores with Spatially Dependent Mobility
Authors: Rybka Julia , Kärger Jörg , Tallarek Ulrich 
Published: May 2017

AbstractWe investigated single‐molecule and ensemble diffusivities in a silica nanopore with a chemically modified surface by molecular dynamics simulations. Solutes with graded polarity (nonpolar ethylbenzene and moderately polar benzyl alcohol) were equilibrated with a 40:60 v/v water/acetonitrile solvent in a 10 nm pore, the surface of which was rendered hydrophobic by modification with alkyl chains. Simulations enable detailed sampling of spatially dependent solvent and solute mobilities, which originate from microheterogeneity induced by the surface modification. Acetonitrile is enriched near the ends of the alkyl chains and forms a high‐mobility interface region between the (nonpolar) bonded phase at the surface and the (polar) bulk liquid in the center of the pore. Solvent and solute diffusivities calculated from the time average of a single molecule and from the ensemble average over all molecules, respectively, revealed excellent agreement, which implies validity of ergodicity. The molecular‐simulation approach to investigate the time average of a single molecule, on the one hand, and the ensemble average over a larger number of molecules, on the other hand, is general and can be adapted for a variety of surfaces, solvents, and solute molecules by using pores with tailored geometries and surface modifications.
Herbal Formula, Baogan Yihao (BGYH), Prevented Dimethylnitrosamine(DMN)‐Induced Liver Injury in Rats
Authors: Liu Xiujie , Su Jing , Shi Yu , Guo Ying , Suheryani Imran , Zhao Shicong , Deng Yulin , Meng Weiwei , Chen Yan , Sun Lili , Dai Rongji 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACT

Preclinical Research

Baogan Yihao (BGYH) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of chronic liver diseases. In this study, the effects of BGYH on dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)‐induced liver fibrosis were investigated using a rat model. BGYH alleviate liver damage, as indicated by decreased levels of AST, ALT, γ‐GT, and AKP. BGYH also prevented collagen deposition and reduced pathological tissue injury in liver tissue. In fibrosis, high levels of α‐SMA and TGF‐β in liver tissue were markedly attenuated by BGYH. The inhibitory effect of BGYH on HSC‐T6 proliferation demonstrated that BGYH exhibited significant hepatoprotective and antifibrogenic effects on DMN‐induced liver injury. These findings suggest that BGYH may have therapeutic potential in the prevention and therapy of liver fibrosis. Drug Dev Res 78 : 155‐163, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Remote sensing‐based landscape indicators for the evaluation of threatened‐bird habitats in a tropical forest
Authors: Singh Minerva , Tokola Timo , Hou Zhengyang , Notarnicola Claudia 
Published: May 2017

AbstractAvian species persistence in a forest patch is strongly related to the degree of isolation and size of a forest patch and the vegetation structure within a patch and its matrix are important predictors of bird habitat suitability. A combination of space‐borne optical (Landsat), ALOS‐PALSAR (radar), and airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data was used for assessing variation in forest structure across forest patches that had undergone different levels of forest degradation in a logged forest—agricultural landscape in Southern Laos. The efficacy of different remote sensing (RS) data sources in distinguishing forest patches that had different seizes, configurations, and vegetation structure was examined. These data were found to be sensitive to the varying levels of degradation of the different patch categories. Additionally, the role of local scale forest structure variables (characterized using the different RS data and patch area) and landscape variables (characterized by distance from different forest patches) in influencing habitat preferences of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red listed birds found in the study area was examined. A machine learning algorithm, MaxEnt, was used in conjunction with these data and field collected geographical locations of the avian species to identify the factors influencing habitat preference of the different bird species and their suitable habitats. Results show that distance from different forest patches played a more important role in influencing habitat suitability for the different avian species than local scale factors related to vegetation structure and health. In addition to distance from forest patches, LiDAR‐derived forest structure and Landsat‐derived spectral variables were important determinants of avian habitat preference. The models derived using MaxEnt were used to create an overall habitat suitability map (HSM) which mapped the most suitable habitat patches for sustaining all the avian species. This work also provides insight that retention of forest patches, including degraded and isolated forest patches in addition to large contiguous forest patches, can facilitate bird species retention within tropical agricultural landscapes. It also demonstrates the effective use of RS data in distinguishing between forests that have undergone varying levels of degradation and identifying the habitat preferences of different bird species. Practical conservation management planning endeavors can use such data for both landscape scale monitoring and habitat mapping.
The effects of historical fragmentation on major histocompatibility complex class II β and microsatellite variation in the Aegean island reptile, Podarcis erhardii
Authors: Santonastaso Trent , Lighten Jackie , van Oosterhout Cock , Jones Kenneth L. , Foufopoulos Johannes , Anthony Nicola M. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays a key role in disease resistance and is the most polymorphic gene region in vertebrates. Although habitat fragmentation is predicted to lead to a loss in MHC variation through drift, the impact of other evolutionary forces may counter this effect. Here we assess the impact of selection, drift, migration, and recombination on MHC class II and microsatellite variability in 14 island populations of the Aegean wall lizard Podarcis erhardii. Lizards were sampled from islands within the Cyclades (Greece) formed by rising sea levels as the last glacial maximum approximately 20,000 before present. Bathymetric data were used to determine the area and age of each island, allowing us to infer the corresponding magnitude and timing of genetic bottlenecks associated with island formation. Both MHC and microsatellite variation were positively associated with island area, supporting the hypothesis that drift governs neutral and adaptive variation in this system. However, MHC but not microsatellite variability declined significantly with island age. This discrepancy is likely due to the fact that microsatellites attain mutation‐drift equilibrium more rapidly than MHC. Although we detected signals of balancing selection, recombination and migration, the effects of these evolutionary processes appeared negligible relative to drift. This study demonstrates how land bridge islands can provide novel insights into the impact of historical fragmentation on genetic diversity as well as help disentangle the effects of different evolutionary forces on neutral and adaptive diversity.
Effects of local biotic neighbors and habitat heterogeneity on seedling survival in a spruce‐fir valley forest, northeastern China
Authors: Pu Xucai , Zhu Yu , Jin Guangze 
Published: May 2017

AbstractSeedlings are vulnerable to many biotic and abiotic agents, and studying seedling dynamics helps understand mechanisms of species coexistence. In this study, the relative importance of biotic neighbors and habitat heterogeneity to seedling survival was examined by generalized linear mixed models for 33 species in a spruce‐fir valley forest in northeastern China. The results showed that the relative importance of these factors varied with species and functional groups. Conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) was important to the survival of Abies nephrolepis and Picea koraiensis seedling, whereas phylogenetic negative density dependence (PNDD) was critical to Pinus koraiensis and Betula platyphylla, as well as functional groups of tree, deciduous, and shade‐intolerant seedlings. For shrubs and Acer ukurunduense, habitat heterogeneity was significant. Despite of the significance of CNDD, PNDD, and habitat heterogeneity on seedling survival, large proportions of the total variance were not accounted for by the studied variables, suggesting the needs to examine the influences of other factors such as pests, diseases, herbivores, forest structure, species functional traits, and microclimatic conditions on seedling survival in the future.
Phase Selective Alternating Current Voltammetric Signalling Protocol: Application in Dendritic Co‐polymer Sensor for Anthracene
Authors: Makelane Hlamulo , John Suru V. , Yonkeu Anne L. Djoumessi , Waryo Tesfaye , Tovide Oluwakemi , Iwuoha Emmanuel 
Published: May 2017

AbstractA sensitive anthracene (AN) sensor was developed with a gold electrode modified with a dendritic star‐copolymer film by in situ electrochemical co‐polymerization of generation 3 propylenethiophenoimine and 3‐hexylthiophene. The sensor's {Au/G3PPT‐co‐P3HT: i. e. gold‐generation 3 poly(propylenethiophenoimine)‐co‐poly(3‐hexylthiophene)} analytical response for anthracene was obtained by phase selective alternating current voltammetric (PSACV) signal transduction. An in‐phase angle of 0° yielded the most sensitive stripping signal and produced the best discrimination between the Faradaic and capacitive currents. The PSACV sensor exhibited a linear range (LR) of 3.48–56.4 nmol/L AN and a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.62 nmol/L AN. The LOD is comparable to the value of 4.4 nmol/L AN reported for glassy carbon electrode modified with graphenated polyaniline sensor. The low LOD value suggests that the AN sensor has promise for monitoring compliance to World Health Organisation (WHO) approved limit for polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wastewater (3.93 nmol/L). The Au/G3PPT‐co‐P3HT sensor is not as sensitive as gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC‐MS/MS) and reversed‐phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC) methods. However, the advantage of the PSACV signalling protocol is that real sample test results indicate that the sensor can be used for the determination of AN in oil‐polluted wastewater.
Highly Sensitive Molecularly Imprinted Sensor Based on Platinum Thin‐film Microelectrode for Detection of Chloramphenicol in Food Samples
Authors: Zhao Xiaojuan , Zhang Qimei , Chen Haiguang , Liu Gongliang , Bai Weidong 
Published: May 2017

AbstractA highly sensitive and selective electrochemical biomimetic sensor was fabricated for fast detection of chloramphenicol (CAP) in honey and milk samples. Platinum thin‐film microelectrode (Pt TFME), which could provide unique electrochemical properties and achieve measurement using very limited solution volumes, was surface‐modified by electropolymerizing o‐phenylenediamine. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to characterize the preparation process of CAP‐imprinted poly(o‐phenylenediamine) film and rebinding ability of CAP into the imprinted cavities. The electrochemical properties of the sensor were further investigated with square wave voltammetry (SWV) by using K3Fe(CN)6 as an electroactive probe. The current difference of oxidation peaks of K3Fe(CN)6 had a good linear relationship with the concentration of CAP in the range of 0.9–10 nM. The detection limit was 0.39 nM based on the signal to noise ratio of 3. The developed sensor was successfully applied to determine CAP in honey and milk samples, and the result was in good agreement with that obtained by high performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS). The sensor showed high sensitivity and excellent selectivity to CAP in comparison to other structurally related and/or normally existing antibiotics, and demonstrated great promise for the rapid quantification of CAP in real food samples and field analysis.
Electrochemical Determination of Cd2+ and Pb2+ Using NSAID‐mefenamic Acid Functionalized Mesoporous Carbon Microspheres Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Thinakaran N. , Subramani S. E. , Priya T. , Dhanalakshmi N. , Vineesh T. V. , Kathikeyan V. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThis paper describes the electrochemical behaviors of Cd2+ and Pb2+ on the proposed mesoporous carbon microspheres/mefenamic acid/nafion modified glassy carbon electrode (MC/MA/Nafion/GC) studied by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The prepared material is characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, RAMAN and BET analysis. Experimental parameters, such as the deposition potential and time, the pH value of buffer solution were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the electrode responded linearly to Cd2+ and Pb2+ in the concentration range from 50 to 300 nM, and the detection limits were 24.2 and 11.26 nM respectively. The sensitivity determined was 0.0623 μA/nM (Cd2+) and 0.192 μA/nM (Pb2+). Multiple metal ion detection with clear demarcation of peaks was produced by the electrode. Moreover, the modified electrode has possessed good selectivity and reproducibility of Cd2+ and Pb2+ detection. We also investigated the interference of various anions and surfactants for the detection of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions. Finally the modified electrode was used to detect the presence of metal ions in practical samples and the results obtained are comparatively good with respect to AAS.
Coupling of Biomolecular Logic Gates with Electronic Transducers: From Single Enzyme Logic Gates to Sense/Act/Treat Chips
Authors: Molinnus Denise , Poghossian Arshak , Keusgen Michael , Katz Evgeny , Schöning Michael J. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe integration of biomolecular logic principles with electronic transducers allows designing novel digital biosensors with direct electrical output, logically triggered drug‐release, and closed‐loop sense/act/treat systems. This opens new opportunities for advanced personalized medicine in the context of theranostics. In the present work, we will discuss selected examples of recent developments in the field of interfacing enzyme logic gates with electrodes and semiconductor field‐effect devices. Special attention is given to an enzyme OR/Reset logic gate based on a capacitive field‐effect electrolyte‐insulator‐semiconductor sensor modified with a multi‐enzyme membrane. Further examples are a digital adrenaline biosensor based on an AND logic gate with binary YES/NO output and an integrated closed‐loop sense/act/treat system comprising an amperometric glucose sensor, a hydrogel actuator, and an insulin (drug) sensor.
Fabrication techniques enabling ultrathin nanostructured membranes for separations
Authors: Mireles Marcela , Gaborski Thomas R. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe fabrication of nanostructured materials is an area of continuous improvement and innovative techniques that fulfill the demand of many fields of research and development. The continuously decreasing size of the smallest patternable feature has expanded the catalog of methods enabling the fabrication of nanostructured materials. Several of these nanofabrication techniques have sprouted from applications requiring nanoporous membranes such as molecular separations, cell culture, and plasmonics. This review summarizes methods that successfully produce through‐pores in ultrathin films exhibiting an approximate pore size to thickness ratio of one, which has been shown to be beneficial due to high permeability and improved separation potential. The material reviewed includes large‐area, parallel, and affordable approaches such as self‐organizing polymers, nanosphere lithography, anodization, nanoimprint lithography as well as others such as solid phase crystallization and nanosphere lens lithography. The aim of this review is to provide a set of inexpensive fabrication techniques to produce nanostructured materials exhibiting pores ranging from 10 to 350 nm and a pore size to thickness ratio close to one. The fabrication methods described in this work have reported the successful manufacture of nanoporous membranes exhibiting the ideal characteristics to improve selectivity and permeability when applied as separation media in ultrafiltration.
Weathering and erosion of fractured bedrock systems
Authors: Lebedeva Marina I. , Brantley Susan L. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractWe explore the contribution of fractures (joints) in controlling the rate of weathering advance for a low‐porosity rock by using methods of homogenization to create averaged weathering equations. The rate of advance of the weathering front can be expressed as the same rate observed in non‐fractured media (or in an individual block) divided by the volume fraction of non‐fractured blocks in the fractured parent material. In the model, the parent has fractures that are filled with a more porous material that contains only inert or completely weathered material. The low‐porosity rock weathers by reaction‐transport processes. As observed in field systems, the model shows that the weathering advance rate is greater for the fractured as compared to the analogous non‐fractured system because the volume fraction of blocks is < 1. The increase in advance rate is attributed both to the increase in weathered material that accompanies higher fracture density, and to the increase in exposure of surface of low‐porosity rock to reaction‐transport. For constant fracture aperture, the weathering advance rate increases when the fracture spacing decreases. Equations describing weathering advance rate are summarized in the ‘List of selected equations’.If erosion is imposed at a constant rate, the weathering systems with fracture‐bounded bedrock blocks attain a steady state. In the erosional transport‐limited regime, bedrock blocks no longer emerge at the air‐regolith boundary because they weather away. In the weathering‐limited (or kinetic) regime, blocks of various size become exhumed at the surface and the average size of these exposed blocks increases with the erosion rate. For convex hillslopes, the block size exposed at the surface increases downslope. This model can explain observations of exhumed rocks weathering in the Luquillo mountains of Puerto Rico. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA
Direct decomposition of CO2 using self‐cooling dielectric barrier discharge plasma
Authors: Zhou Amin , Chen Dong , Dai Bin , Ma Cunhua , Li Panpan , Yu Feng 
Published: May 2017

AbstractAs a greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the major causes of global warming. The effective control of CO2 emission has become a major global concern. To reduce CO2 emission in the environment and to maximize the use of CO2, a self‐cooling wire‐cylinder dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor was used to decompose CO2 at ambient conditions, and the results were compared with a common wire‐cylinder DBD reactor. Results indicated that in the said plasma reactor, circulating water could obviously improve discharge efficiency through taking away heat that was generated during plasma discharge process, and a more stable and homogeneous discharge was easier to obtain. The CO2 decomposition rate was 26.1% without using any catalysts and discharge mediums or modifying electrodes, and this value was significantly higher than that in the common wire‐cylinder DBD reactor (10.1% CO2 decomposition rate). Moreover, the CO2 decomposition rate could reach up to 35.8% when N2 was added (volume ratio ). © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proton MR spectroscopy of lesion evolution in multiple sclerosis: Steady‐state metabolism and its relationship to conventional imaging
Authors: Kirov Ivan I. , Liu Shu , Tal Assaf , Wu William E. , Davitz Matthew S. , Babb James S. , Rusinek Henry , Herbert Joseph , Gonen Oded 
Published: May 2017

AbstractAlthough MRI assessment of white matter lesions is essential for the clinical management of multiple sclerosis, the processes leading to the formation of lesions and underlying their subsequent MRI appearance are incompletely understood. We used proton MR spectroscopy to study the evolution of N‐acetyl‐aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), and myo‐inositol (mI) in pre‐lesional tissue, persistent and transient new lesions, as well as in chronic lesions, and related the results to quantitative MRI measures of T1‐hypointensity and T2‐volume. Within 10 patients with relapsing‐remitting course, there were 180 regions‐of‐interest consisting of up to seven semi‐annual follow‐ups of normal‐appearing white matter (NAWM, n = 10), pre‐lesional tissue giving rise to acute lesions which resolved (n = 3) or persisted (n = 3), and of moderately (n = 9) and severely hypointense (n = 6) chronic lesions. Compared with NAWM, pre‐lesional tissue had higher Cr and Cho, while compared with lesions, pre‐lesional tissue had higher NAA. Resolving acute lesions showed similar NAA levels pre‐ and post‐formation, suggesting no long‐term axonal damage. In chronic lesions, there was an increase in mI, suggesting accumulating astrogliosis. Lesion volume was a better predictor of axonal health than T1‐hypointensity, with lesions larger than 1.5 cm3 uniformly exhibiting very low (<4.5 millimolar) NAA concentrations. A positive correlation between longitudinal changes in Cho and in lesion volume in moderately hypointense lesions implied that lesion size is mediated by chronic inflammation. These and other results are integrated in a discussion on the steady‐state metabolism of lesion evolution in multiple sclerosis, viewed in the context of conventional MRI measures. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4047–4063, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.