bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Terrestrial acidification and ecosystem services: effects of acid rain on bunnies, baseball, and Christmas trees
Authors: Irvine Irina C. , Greaver Tara , Phelan Jennifer , Sabo Robert D. , Van Houtven George 
Published: June 2017

AbstractOften termed “acid rain,” combined nitrogen and sulfur deposition can directly and indirectly impact the condition and health of forest ecosystems. Researchers use critical loads (CLs) to describe response thresholds, and recent studies on acid‐sensitive biological indicators show that forests continue to be at risk from terrestrial acidification. However, rarely are impacts translated into changes in “ecosystem services” that impact human well‐being. Further, the relevance of this research to the general public is seldom communicated in terms that can motivate action to protect valuable resources. To understand how changes in biological indicators affect human well‐being, we used theSTEPS(Stressor–Ecological Production function–final ecosystem Services) Framework to quantitatively and qualitatively linkCLexceedances to ecosystem service impacts. We specified the cause‐and‐effect ecological processes linking changes in biological indicators to final ecosystem services. The Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS‐CS) was used within theSTEPSFramework to classify the ecosystem component and the beneficiary class that uses or values the component. We analyzed two acid‐sensitive tree species, balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and white ash (Fraxinus americana), that are common in northeasternUSA. These well‐known species provide habitat for animals and popular forest products that are relatable to a broad audience. We identified 160 chains with 10 classes of human beneficiaries for balsam fir and white ash combined, concluding that there are resources at risk that the public may value. Two stories resulting from these explorations into the cascading effects of acid rain on terrestrial resources are ideal for effective science communication: the relationship between (1) balsam fir as a popular Christmas tree and habitat for the snowshoe hare, a favorite of wildlife viewers, and (2) white ash because it is used for half of all baseball bats, fine wood products, and musical instruments. Thus, rather than focusing on biological indicators that may only be understood or appreciated by specific stakeholders or experts, this approach extends the analysis to include impacts onFEGSand humans. It also lays the foundation for developing stakeholder‐specific narratives, quantitative measures of endpoints, and for conducting demand‐based valuations of affected ecosystem services.
Postoperative pain and perceptions of recuperation after suture‐ and mesh‐based apical sacrospinous ligament suspension
Authors: Botros Carolyn , Letko Juraj , Gafni‐Kane Adam , Botros Sylvia , Lozo Svjetlana , Sand Peter 
Published: June 2017

AbstractObjectiveTo compare the incidence of postoperative pain after suture‐ or mesh‐based sacrospinous ligament suspension (SSLS).MethodsIn a retrospective study, data were reviewed from patients who underwent suture‐ or mesh‐based SSLS at a center in Skokie, IL, USA, between 2006 and 2011. The primary outcome was self‐reported postoperative pain scores (range 0–10) on the day of surgery (day 0) and 1 day later (day 1).ResultsOverall, 90 women were included in the study: 66 underwent mesh‐based SSLS and 24 underwent suture‐based SSLS. Day‐0 mean pain score was 4.65 ± 1.57 in the mesh group and 5.24 ± 1.44 in the suture group (adjusted P=0.159). Day‐1 mean pain score was 4.06 ± 1.78 in the mesh group and 4.31 ± 1.21 in the suture group (adjusted P=0.596).ConclusionPostoperative pain did not differ between patients undergoing suture‐based and those undergoing mesh‐based SSLS. These observations should be considered in preoperative counseling of patients.
Highlights from the 9th Cachexia Conference
Authors: Ebner Nicole , von Haehling Stephan 
Published: June 2017

AbstractThis article highlights updates of pathways as well as pre‐clinical and clinical studies into the field of wasting disorders that were presented at the 9th Cachexia Conference held in Berlin, Germany, December 2016. This year, some interesting results from clinical trials and different new therapeutic targets were shown. This article presents the biological and clinical significance of different markers and new diagnostic tools and cut‐offs of detecting skeletal muscle wasting. Effective treatments of cachexia and wasting disorders are urgently needed in order to improve the patients' quality of life and their survival.
Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Alysicarpus monilifer leaf extract and its antibacterial activity against MRSA and CoNS isolates in HIV patients
Authors: Kasithevar Muthupandi , Saravanan Muthupandian , Prakash Periyakaruppan , Kumar Hema , Ovais Muhammad , Barabadi Hamed , Shinwari Zabta Khan 
Published: June 2017

AbstractThe emergence of multi‐drug‐resistant microorganisms in hospital environments is a global public health problem and threat to everyone, especially HIV‐infected patients. Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and coagulase‐negative Staphylococci (CoNS) are the major causative agents associated with morbidity and mortality in HIV patients. Therefore, control of MRSA and CoNS‐related infections in HIV patients is a worldwide concern. To investigate novel, potent, and cost‐effective therapeutic approaches, the current study reports a simple and rapid synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous leaf extract of Alysicarpus monilifer and its antibacterial efficacy against multi‐drug‐resistant MRSA and CoNS isolates from HIV patients. The green‐synthesized AgNPs were characterized using ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, selected area electron diffraction pattern, X‐ray diffraction patterns, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Stable, well‐defined AgNPs, mostly spherical in shape with mean size of 15 ± 2 nm, were obtained within an hour. Moreover, green synthesized AgNPs revealed significant dose‐dependent antibacterial action against MRSA and CoNS isolates. This study concludes that biogenic AgNPs have demonstrated to be potent antibacterial agents in comparison with conventional antibiotics.
Flow‐Induced Coalescence: Evaluation of Some Approximations
Authors: Jůza Josef , Fortelný Ivan 
Published: June 2017

SummaryCollision efficiency, Pc, is one of the crucial quantitative characteristics of flow‐induced coalescence, which consists in collisions of droplets dispersed in a flowing matrix followed by their fusion. The basic step of Pc estimation is the calculation of droplet pair trajectories from all possible start positions to find whether droplets fuse when they are in a given start position. The trajectories can be calculated by exact solution of equations expressing the change of all coordinates with time for Newtonian systems. Since involving of viscoelastic properties into this exact description appeared difficult, we used simplifications and approximations. However, the approximations were too gross and lead to inconsistencies for some systems. To find such approximations level that avoids inconsistencies but still allows us to reach the solution, we decided to evaluate and demonstrate effects of individual approximations. Comparison made on a Newtonian system has shown that neglecting of parameters dependence on viscosity ratio and droplet size ratio has not critical consequences for spherical droplets. However, the abandonment of the switch between free‐flow and near‐approach approximations, and involving of the reliable description of hydrodynamic interaction for broader range of inter‐droplet distances should be considered.
Fracture Behavior of Epoxy Resins in Fabric‐Supported Form
Authors: Sancaktar Erol 
Published: June 2017

SummaryElastic‐plastic fracture behavior of a structural adhesive in the bulk and bonded forms is discussed. The model adhesive chosen with and without scrim carrier cloth (neat resin) solid film adhesives exhibit a relatively brittle material behavior to justify the use of Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) methods. The solid film adhesives are first cast in the form of tensile coupons to determine the bulk fracture properties with the use of single‐edge‐cracked specimen geometry. KICevaluation is done using the procedure suggested by the ASTM standard. A K‐calibration method based on application of boundary collocation procedure to the William's stress function is utilized to relate the measured critical loads to the KICvalues. The yield stresses (σY) and elastic moduli (E) values in the bulk tensile mode are also evaluated. The availability of KIC, σY, E and ν (Poisson's ratio) values makes the calculation of crack tip plastic zone radii (rYC) and fracture energy (GIC) values possible on the basis of Irwin's theory. The bulk casting procedure is done under different cure (temperature, time and cool‐down) conditions to determine optimum properties. We found that the most suitable model that would fit the stress‐strain response of the model adhesives with prediction of the stress whitening stress level, σ*, under material damage surrounding flaws and crack tips was a modified version of Ramberg‐Osgood equation. A bilinear behavior is obtained when log(ϵp) is plotted against log(σ – Θ). The plastic strain ϵpis assumed to be a function of the over‐stress above the elastic limit stress, Θ, and the stress levels defining the intersection point for the bilinear behavior are found to occur slightly below the stress whitening stress values.
Atomic‐Force Microscopy Investigations on Fracture Surfaces of Inorganic, Fullerene‐Like WS2(IF‐WS2)–epoxy Nanocomposites
Authors: Haba Dietmar , Brunner Andreas J. , Teichert Christian 
Published: June 2017

SummaryFracture surfaces of stoichiometric and sub‐stoichiometric epoxy, both neat and filled with 0.5 % of inorganic, fullerene‐like WS2nanoparticles (NPs) by mass are investigated with atomic‐force microscopy (AFM). Sub‐stoichiometric epoxy is very brittle, but other than stoichiometric epoxy, it increases significantly in its fracture toughness with NP addition. For sub‐stoichiometric epoxy, AFM investigation revealed a very regular fracture pattern with periodic features normal to the crack propagation direction. Stoichiometric epoxy exhibited ripples several micrometers in size, but nevertheless had a lower fracture surface area. After NP addition, the fracture surfaces were significantly rougher, but the mentioned ripples disappeared. The fracture surface roughness correlated neither to the measured fracture toughness nor to its increase with the nanocomposite's composition.
Influence of Carbon Nanotubes on the Morphology and Properties of Styrene‐Butadiene Based Block Copolymers
Authors: Staudinger Ulrike , Satapathy Bhabani K. 
Published: June 2017

SummaryStructure property correlations in a styrene‐butadiene star block copolymer melt mixed with varying amounts of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were evaluated. The MWCNTs are well dispersed within the matrix and do not significantly impact the star block copolymer morphology or the glass transition temperature. The electrical percolation threshold was found to be at ∼1 wt% of MWCNT concentration. A distinct increase in Young's modulus could be observed at a nanofiller content of 0.1 wt% while maintaining the elastomeric matrix property profile, an observation in tune with the rule‐of‐mixture prediction. Additionally the existence of double yielding was detected in these nanocomposites with a pronounced first yield point indicating a significant enhancement of stiffness in composites with low MWCNT content. Analysis of elastic moduli using Halpin‐Tsai and two‐phase Takayanagi model revealed a matrix‐controlled elastic response without any interfacial contribution due to MWCNT incorporation.
Ferric carboxymaltose in patients with restless legs syndrome and nonanemic iron deficiency: A randomized trial
Authors: Trenkwalder Claudia , Winkelmann Juliane , Oertel Wolfgang , Virgin Garth , Roubert Bernard , Mezzacasa Anna ,   on behalf of the FCM‐RLS Study Investigators
Published: June 2017

AbstractBackground: Compromised iron status is important in restless legs syndrome pathophysiology. We compared the efficacy and tolerability of ferric carboxymaltose (single intravenous dose) versus placebo for restless legs syndrome treatment in iron‐deficient nonanemic patients.Methods: Patients with moderate to severe restless legs syndrome and serum ferritin < 75 μg/L (or serum ferritin 75‐300 μg/L and transferrin saturation < 20%) were randomized to ferric carboxymaltose (1000 mg iron) or placebo. Mean change difference between ferric carboxymaltose and placebo in International Restless Legs Syndrome Severity Scale score from baseline to week 4 was the primary end point; week 12 was a secondary end point.Results: Ferric carboxymaltose treatment (n = 59) led to nonsignificant improvement over placebo (n = 51) in International Restless Legs Syndrome Severity Scale score at week 4 (difference [95% confidence interval], ‐2.5 [‐5.93 to 1.02],P= 0.163), reaching significance by week 12 (‐4.66 [‐8.59 to ‐0.73],P= 0.021).Conclusions: In patients who responded to treatment, ferric carboxymaltose may require more time to stabilize restless legs syndrome than previously assumed. © 2017 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Characterization and biological function of milk‐derived miRNAs
Authors: Golan‐Gerstl Regina , Elbaum Shiff Yaffa , Moshayoff Vardit , Schecter Daniel , Leshkowitz Dena , Reif Shimon 
Published: June 2017

ScopeBreastfeeding is associated with reduced risk of infection, immune‐mediated disorders, obesity, and even cancer. Recently it was found that breast milk contains a variety of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the skim and fat layer that can be transferred to infants, and appear to play important roles in those biological functions.Methods and resultsThis study applied next generation sequencing and quantitative real‐time PCR analysis to determine the miRNA expression profile of the skim and fat fraction of human, goat, and bovine milk as well as infant formulas. Human and mammalian milk were found to contain known advantageous miRNAs in exosomes and also in the fat layer. These miRNAs are highly conserved in human, bovine and goat milk. However, they were not detected in several infant formulas. Further, miRNAs present in milk were able to enter normal and tumor cells and affect their biological functions. Following incubation of milk derived human miRNA with normal and cancer cells, the expression of miRNA‐148a was upregulated and the expression of the DNA methyltransferase1 target gene of miRNA‐148a was down regulated.ConclusionThese results reinforce previous findings on the importance of miRNA in breast milk. Future studies should concentrate on the addition of miRNA to infant formulas.
Environmentally Benign Copper Triflate‐Mediated Multicomponent One‐Pot Synthesis of Novel Benzo[g]chromenes Possess Potent Anticancer Activity
Authors: Perumal Muthuraja , Sengodu Prakash , Venkatesan Sethuraman , Srinivasan Radhakrishnan , Paramsivam Manisankar 
Published: June 2017

AbstractAn efficient multi‐component one‐pot synthesis of highly functionalized 5,10‐dihydro‐4H‐benzo[g]chromenes‐3‐caronitrile derivatives from 2‐hydroxy‐1,4‐naphthoquinone, aromatic aldehyde and malonitrile in the presence of Cu(OTf)2 catalyst and eco friendly polyethylene glycol solvent was carried out under ultrasonication. The reaction was completed within 10 minutes and resulted in good yield. The synthesized compounds were tested for their in‐vitro anticancer activity against cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). Nine out of ten compounds showed potent antitumor activity better than that of doxorubicin. 2‐Amino‐4‐(3‐methoxy‐2‐hydroxy)‐5,10‐dioxo‐5,10‐dihydro‐4H‐benzo[g]chromene‐3‐carbonitrile displayed highest activity among the test compounds and doxorubicin with IC50 equal to 1.27 μM.
Selective Binding of Thioflavin T in Sequence‐Exchanged Single Strand DNA Oligomers and Further Interaction with Phospholipid Membranes
Authors: Das Shrabanti , Purkayastha Pradipta 
Published: June 2017

AbstractSelectivity of ThT towards sequence exchanged single strand DNA (ssDNA) oligomers in absence and presence of surface charged lipid vesicles has been studied in detail. The dye shows special affinity for TCTTA sequence with its –N(CH3)3 structural counterpart and π‐interaction with adenine in 5′‐CCCTCTTAACCC‐3′ (TC4). However, fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking suggest that the dye is perfectly aligned with the TAA sequence in 5′‐CCCTTAATCCCC‐3′ (TT4). Interactions with cationic and anionic lipid vesicles were studied to understand the biological relevance in specificity of ThT binding to ssDNA oligomers. Fluorescence intensity of ThT increases significantly due to interaction with charged liposomes along with a considerable hypsochromic shift. Interestingly, evolution of a shoulder at 465 nm was observed solely in cationic lipid membranes due to ThT‐dimer formation. It is concluded that the ssDNA bound ThT penetrates the hydrophobic bilayer of the anionic vesicles. However, they attach superficially to the cationic vesicles facilitating dimer formation. Exchange of the nucleotide sequence in ssDNA led to change in the excited state lifetime of bound ThT in anionic liposomes.
Extremophilic proteases as novel and efficient tools in short peptide synthesis
Authors: Białkowska Aneta M , Morawski Krzysztof , Florczak Tomasz 
Published: June 2017

AbstractThe objective of this review is to outline the crucial role that peptides play in various sectors, including medicine. Different ways of producing these compounds are discussed with an emphasis on the benefits offered by industrial enzyme biotechnology. This paper describes mechanisms of peptide bond formation using a range of proteases with different active site structures. Importantly, these enzymes may be further improved chemically and/or genetically to make them better suited for their various applications and process conditions. The focus is on extremophilic proteases, whose potential does not seem to have been fully appreciated to date. The structure of these proteins is somewhat different from that of the common commercially available enzymes, making them effective at high salinity and high or low temperatures, which are often favorable to peptide synthesis. Examples of such enzymes include halophilic, thermophilic, and psychrophilic proteases; this paper also mentions some promising catalytic proteins which require further study in this respect.
Obama’s AUMF Legacy
Authors: Bradley Curtis A. , Goldsmith Jack L. 
Published: June 2017

In the fifteen years since the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) was enacted on September 18, 2001, the Taliban has been removed from power but not eliminated; Osama Bin Laden has been killed and the senior leaders of Al Qaeda as of 9/11 have been captured, killed, or driven underground, although Al Qaeda remains a threat; numerous Al Qaeda affiliates have sprung up around the globe, most notably in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Somalia; and most ominously, the Islamic State has arisen from the ashes of Al Qaeda in Iraq to become what the Director of National Intelligence has described as “the preeminent terrorist threat” against the United States “because of its self-described caliphate in Syria and Iraq, its branches and emerging branches in other countries, and its increasing ability to direct and inspire attacks against a wide range of targets around the world.”Despite massive changes in the geographical scope of the conflict that began on 9/11, the strategy and tactics employed, and the identity of the enemy, the AUMF remains the principal legal foundation under U.S. domestic law for the president to use force against and detain members of terrorist organizations. The AUMF is already the longest operative congressional authorization of military force in U.S. history, and, as of fall 2016, there was no immediate prospect that Congress would move to repeal or update it. With the continued vibrancy of Al Qaeda, its associates, and the Taliban, and with the 2014 presidential extension of the AUMF to cover military operations against the Islamic State, the AUMF is likely to be the primary legal basis for American uses of force for the foreseeable future.
The Obama Administration, International Law, and Executive Minimalism
Authors: Deeks Ashley S. 
Published: June 2017

When President Barack Obama came into office in 2009 in the midst of serious, ongoing terrorist threats to the United States, he confronted important choices about how to approach the bodies of international law that regulate the resort to force and the conduct of armed conflict. By many accounts, the Bush administration had taken a maximalist approach to those bodies of international law, staking out broad substantive claims about what international law permitted in resorting to force and in detaining and treating members of Al Qaeda, and asserting those claims publicly and frequently.The Obama administration has repeatedly taken a notably different tack, employing an approach that we might characterize as “executive minimalism.” That is, the Obama administration has signaled to other states its interest in self-constraint by making fewer bold substantive and rhetorical claims related to the jus ad bellum and jus in bello. It has pursued this objective partly by establishing various policies that authorize a narrower scope of action than what some believe international law permits. In particular contexts, it has also been more hesitant as a rhetorical matter to assert precise legal claims about what international law allows or where international law's limits lie. Accordingly, the Obama administration has sometimes taken action in the face of two (or more) possible legal theories without articulating its specific rationale.
The Obama Administration and Targeting “War-Sustaining” Objects in Noninternational Armed Conflict
Authors: Goodman Ryan 
Published: June 2017

Since September 11, 2001, legal experts have focused significant attention on the lethal targeting of individuals by both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. An equally significant legacy of the post-9/11 administrations, however, may be the decisions to target specific kinds of objects. Those decisions greatly affect the success of U.S. efforts to win ongoing conflicts, such as the conflict with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). These decisions may also become precedents for military attacks that states consider lawful, whether carried out by cyber or kinetic means, in future armed conflicts.To achieve the goal of destroying ISIL, President Obama embraced what many in the international law community long regarded as off-limits: targeting war-sustaining capabilities, such as the economic infrastructure used to generate revenue for an enemy's armed forces. Although the weight of scholarly opinion has for years maintained that such objects are not legitimate military targets, the existing literature on this topic is highly deficient. Academic discussion has yet to grapple with some of the strongest and clearest evidence in support of the U.S. view on the legality of such targeting decisions. Indeed, intellectual resources may be better spent not on the question of whether such objects are legitimate military targets under the law of armed conflict, but on second-order questions, such as how to apply proportionality analysis and how to identify limiting principles to guard against unintentional slippery slopes. In this article, I discuss the legal pedigree for war-sustaining targeting. I then turn to identify some of the most significant second-order questions and how we might begin to address them.