bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biosorption of mercury(II) from aqueous solution by fungal biomass Pleurotus eryngii: Isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic studies
Authors: Amin Farah , Talpur Farah N. , Balouch Aamna , Chandio Zaheer A. , Surhio Muhammad Ali , Afridi Hassan Imran 
Published: March 2016

In present study, biosorption of mercury(II) ions from aqueous solution on Pleurotus eryngii fungal biomass was investigated. Different experimental parameters such as the effects of pH, sorbent dose, initial Hg(II) ion concentration, contact time, and temperature were evaluated systematically. The sorption process was relatively fast and > 98% removal of Hg(II) was achieved within 5 min at pH 7.0. To analyze the suitability of the process and maximum amount of metal uptake, Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied. The biosorption capacity of P. eryngii fungal biomass was found to be 34.01 mg g−1. Among kinetic models studied, the pseudo‐second order was the best applicable model to describe the sorption process. Thermodynamic parameters of Hg(II) sorption were evaluated by applying the Van't Hoff equation which indicates that the sorption process was exothermic and spontaneous by increased randomness at the solid‐solution interface. The adsorbed Hg(II) ions were easily desorbed from the fungal biomass using 5 M HCl solution with higher effectiveness and can be reused up to five cycles. The possible nature of cell‐metal ion interactions were evaluated by FTIR, SEM, EDX and pHpzc analysis. These examinations indicates the involvement of different electronegative functionalities in the binding of Hg(II) metal ions on the surface. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 1274–1282, 2016
Flood and drought tolerance in rice: opposite but may coexist
Authors: Bin Rahman A. N. M. Rubaiyath , Zhang Jianhua 
Published: March 2016

AbstractFlood and drought are the two most prevalent abiotic stresses causing major yield reduction globally. In the last decade, molecular mechanisms of flood tolerance in rice have been revealed with successful release of flash flood‐tolerant varieties to farmers. However, despite extensive research, the breakthrough of drought tolerance is still to come. In this review, we have examined the distribution and population types of drought‐ and flood‐tolerant rice accessions, synthesized recent progresses of flood and drought tolerance research, and proposed a hypothesis that the molecular mechanisms of both drought and flood tolerance may be regulated by cross‐talked pathways and coexist in aus subpopulation. We conclude that it is the time to mine the key regulator(s) of drought tolerance through de novo assembly of drought‐tolerant aus landrace(s) with other molecular approaches and develop drought‐tolerant rice using genome manipulation weaponry.
Design, Synthesis, and Thrombin Inhibitory Activity Evaluation of Some Novel Benzimidazole Derivatives
Authors: Ren Weixin , Ren Yujie , Dong Minghui , Gao Yonghong 
Published: March 2016

Some benzimidazole derivatives were designed and screened via molecular docking. Six compounds which obtained high scores were selected for synthesis and all compounds were characterized by 1H‐ and 13C‐NMR, and HR‐ESI‐MS. Subsequently, these compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activities on thrombin. Compound 5a (IC50 3.11 nm) showed a better activity than the reference argatroban (IC50 9.88 nm). These results, along with related molecular model studies, indicated that 5a could be a potential thrombin inhibitor for further research.
Biological treatment of groundwater with a high hexavalent chromium content under anaerobic and anoxic conditions
Authors: Panousi Eleni , Mamais Daniel , Noutsopoulos Constantinos , Antoniou Korina , Koutoula Kiriaki , Mastrantoni Sevasti , Koutsogiannis Constantinos , Gkioni Alexandra 
Published: March 2016

AbstractBACKGROUNDMicrobial reduction of Cr(VI) to the much less toxic Cr(III), although practiced for the treatment of liquid wastes has not been implemented for the treatment of groundwater due to the absence of electron donors (organic substrates) and the lack of data on inhibition of biological Cr(VI) removal. The objective of this work is to evaluate biological groundwater treatment systems that will achieve high Cr(VI) removal with addition of a low dose of organic substrate and to estimate inhibition of microbial Cr(VI) reduction under anaerobic and anoxic conditions.RESULTSBiomass acclimatized to Cr(VI) under anaerobic conditions exhibited a higher sensitivity to Cr(VI) compared with biomass acclimatized to Cr(VI) under anoxic conditions. No significant inhibition of microbial growth was observed under anaerobic conditions for initial groundwater Cr(VI) concentrations up to 2000 µg L−1, whereas no significant inhibition was obtained under anoxic conditions at Cr(VI) concentrations as high as 10 000 µg L−1.CONCLUSIONThis study demonstrates that anoxic biological systems treating groundwater can provide complete hexavalent chromium removal at initial hexavalent chromium concentrations as high as 10 000 µg L−1. In addition anaerobic conditions can support complete hexavalent chromium removal at initial hexavalent chromium concentrations as high as 2000 µg L−1. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Increased body mass of ducks wintering in California's Central Valley
Authors: Fleskes Joseph P. , Yee Julie L. , Yarris Gregory S. , Loughman Daniel L. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTWaterfowl managers lack the information needed to fully evaluate the biological effects of their habitat conservation programs. We studied body condition of dabbling ducks shot by hunters at public hunting areas throughout the Central Valley of California during 2006–2008 compared with condition of ducks from 1979 to 1993. These time periods coincide with habitat increases due to Central Valley Joint Venture conservation programs and changing agricultural practices; we modeled to ascertain whether body condition differed among waterfowl during these periods. Three dataset comparisons indicate that dabbling duck body mass was greater in 2006–2008 than earlier years and the increase was greater in the Sacramento Valley and Suisun Marsh than in the San Joaquin Valley, differed among species (mallard [Anas platyrhynchos], northern pintail [Anas acuta], America wigeon [Anas americana], green‐winged teal [Anas crecca], and northern shoveler [Anas clypeata]), and was greater in ducks harvested late in the season. Change in body mass also varied by age–sex cohort and month for all 5 species and by September–January rainfall for all except green‐winged teal. The random effect of year nested in period, and sometimes interacting with other factors, improved models in many cases. Results indicate that improved habitat conditions in the Central Valley have resulted in increased winter body mass of dabbling ducks, especially those that feed primarily on seeds, and this increase was greater in regions where area of post‐harvest flooding of rice and other crops, and wetland area, has increased. Conservation programs that continue to promote post‐harvest flooding and other agricultural practices that benefit wintering waterfowl and continue to restore and conserve wetlands would likely help maintain body condition of wintering dabbling ducks in the Central Valley of California. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
The Coupling Effects of Using Coal Fly‐Ash and Bio‐Inoculant for Rehabilitation of Disturbed Biocrusts in Active Sand Dunes
Authors: Zaady Eli , Katra Itzhak , Barkai Daniel , Knoll Yaakov , Sarig Shlomo 
Published: March 2016

AbstractActive wind‐borne sand dunes, which lead to covering of fertile soils and agricultural fields, are one of the main problems in desertified lands worldwide, and stabilizing them poses a significant challenge. Such sand dunes may be naturally stabilized by biocrusts (biological soil crusts). One of the main restraints of biocrust development is the typical lack of fine particles in sand dunes. A possible artificial source of fine particles is coal fly‐ash, which is the by‐product of power stations and comprises of particles having a diameter of less than 100 µm. This study tested the influence of the coupling effects of coal fly‐ash and bio‐inoculant of filamentous cyanobacteria, isolated from natural stabilized sand dunes nearby, on the soil surface of active sands for increasing resistance to wind erosion. Boundary‐layer wind tunnel experiments were conducted in experimental plots within a greenhouse for examining the effects of adding coal fly‐ash and bio‐inoculant to active sands. The biocrust development was evaluated via several physical and bio‐physiological variables. In all the physical measurements and the bio‐physiological variables, the treatment of “sand + inoculum + coal fly‐ash” showed significant differences from the “sand‐control”. The combination led to the best results of surface stabilization in boundary‐layer wind tunnel experiments, with the lowest sand fluxes. The filamentous cyanobacteria use the fine particles of the coal fly‐ash as bridges for growing toward and adhering to the large sand particles. The cumulative effects of biocrusts and coal fly‐ash enhance soil surface stabilization and may allow long‐term sustainability. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sustainability in open access publishing: The ecancer case study
Authors: Foxall Katie , Nailor Audrey 
Published: March 2016

Key points

Innovative business models to complement or replace traditional models of funding academic publishing are currently proliferating.
Not relying solely on one source of funding is a key factor in sustainability.
Pay what you can afford (PWYCA) is a new model for article processing charges (APCs) providing both a revenue stream and an opportunity to raise awareness of the cost of publishing amongst authors.
Treating a journal as part of an overall enterprise rather than as a stand‐alone business contributes significantly to its sustainability.
Drug Delivery Vehicles Based on Albumin–Polymer Conjugates
Authors: Jiang Yanyan , Stenzel Martina 
Published: March 2016

Albumin has been a popular building block to create nanoparticles for drug delivery purposes. The performance of albumin as a drug carrier can be enhanced by combining protein with polymers, which allows the design of carriers to encompass a broader spectrum of drugs while features unique to synthetic polymers such as stimuli‐responsiveness are introduced. Nanoparticles based on polymer–albumin hybrids can be divided into two classes: one that carries album as a bioactive surface coating and the other that uses albumin as biocompatible, although nonbioactive, building block. Nanoparticles with bioactive albumin surface coating can either be prepared by self‐assembly of albumin–polymer conjugates or by postcoating of existing nanoparticles with albumin. Albumin has also been used as building block, either in its native or denatured form. Existing albumin nanoparticles are coated with polymers, which can influence the degradation of albumin or impact on the drug release. Finally, an alternative way of using albumin by denaturing the protein to generate a highly functional chain, which can be modified with polymer, has been presented. These albumin nanoparticles are designed to be extremely versatile so that they can deliver a wide variety of drugs, including traditional hydrophobic drugs, metal‐based drugs and even therapeutic proteins and siRNA.
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Synthesis and Conjugation of Alkyne‐Functional Hyperbranched Polyglycerols
Authors: Moore Eli , Zill Andrew T. , Anderson Cyrus A. , Jochem Aljosha R. , Zimmerman Steven C. , Bonder Claudine S. , Kraus Tobias , Thissen Helmut , Voelcker Nicolas H. 
Published: March 2016

This study outlines the synthetic and purification process used to obtain hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) within a molecular weight range not previously obtainable. Purified fractions with low polydispersity are achieved via successive precipitations from acetone. Furthermore, the use of the initiator molecule 5‐hexyne‐1‐ol introduces alkyne functionality at the core of each HPG molecule. Alkyne‐azide cycloaddition chemistry in combination with NMR and field flow fractionation analysis is used to verify the availability of the alkyne core for bioconjugation across the range of molecular weights.
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Electrical conductivity and permittivity maps of brain tissues derived from water content based on T1‐weighted acquisition
Authors: Michel Eric , Hernandez Daniel , Lee Soo Yeol 
Published: March 2016

PurposeTo develop an electrical properties tomography (EPT) technique that can provide in vivo electrical conductivity and permittivity images of biological tissue without performing complex‐valued radiofrequency field measurements.Theory and MethodsElectrical conductivity and permittivity images are modeled as a monotonic function of tissues' water content (W) under the principle of Maxwell's mixture theory. Water content maps are estimated from two spin‐echo images having different repetition times (TRs). For the modeling functions, physically measured parameters (electrical properties, water content, and T1) of brain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), gray matter, and white matter are used as landmark literature references. The formulations are validated by a developed electrolyte‐protein phantom and by human brain studies at 3 Tesla (T).ResultsThe electrical properties (EPs) of the phantom estimated by the proposed method match well with the values measured on the bench. The conductivity and permittivity maps from all experiments show uncompromised spatial resolution without boundary artifacts and higher contrast when compared with water content maps.ConclusionsHuman brain and phantom EP images suggest that water content is a dominating factor in determining the electrical properties of tissues. Despite possible literature inaccuracies, the proposed method offers EP maps that can provide complementary information to current approaches, to facilitate EPT scans in clinical applications. Magn Reson Med 77:1094–1103, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Nerve growth factor does not seem to be a biomarker for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction after spinal cord injury
Authors: Krebs Jörg , Pavlicek David , Stoyanov Jivko , Pannek Jürgen , Wöllner Jens 
Published: March 2016

AimTo prospectively investigate the association of bladder function with the nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration in the urine of individuals with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) after spinal cord injury (SCI).MethodsIndividuals with chronic SCI and NLUTD presenting for a routine urologic examination at a tertiary urologic referral center were recruited for the study. Patient characteristics, the current bladder evacuation method and urodynamic parameters were collected. As controls, individuals with normal bladder function were recruited from the staff of a SCI rehabilitation center. The urinary NGF concentration was measured in triplicates by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay with a minimal sensitivity of 10 pg/ml.ResultsThe data of 10 and 37 individuals with normal bladder function and NLUTD, respectively, were analyzed. The urinary NGF concentration was below 10 pg/ml in all investigated samples.ConclusionsThe urinary NGF concentration did not differentiate between individuals with normal bladder function and those with NLUTD. At least in patients with SCI, the urinary NGF concentration does not seem to be a clinically relevant biomarker for NLUTD. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:659–662, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Structural characterization of NRAS isoform 5
Authors: Markowitz Joseph , Mal Tapas K. , Yuan Chunhua , Courtney Nicholas B. , Patel Mitra , Stiff Andrew R. , Blachly James , Walker Christopher , Eisfeld Ann‐Kathrin , de la Chapelle Albert , Carson William E. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractIt was recently discovered that the NRAS isoform 5 (20 amino acids) is expressed in melanoma and results in a more aggressive cell phenotype. This novel isoform is responsible for increased phosphorylation of downstream targets such as AKT, MEK, and ERK as well as increased cellular proliferation. This structure report describes the NMR solution structure of NRAS isoform 5 to be used as a starting point to understand its biophysical interactions. The isoform is highly flexible in aqueous solution, but forms a helix‐turn‐coil structure in the presence of trifluoroethanol as determined by NMR and CD spectroscopy.
Identification of hydroxy‐ and keto‐dicarboxylic acids in remote marine aerosols using gas chromatography/quadruple and time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Gowda Divyavani , Kawamura Kimitaka , Tachibana Eri 
Published: March 2016

RationaleThe identification of hydroxy‐ and keto‐dicarboxylic acids (diacids) in remote marine aerosol samples is important for a better understanding of the composition of organic particulate matter, as this chemical composition is essential for predicting the effects on climate, air quality, and human health. Molecular characterization of these compounds provides insights into sources and formation pathways of organic aerosols.MethodsThe method of chemical derivatization followed by gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC‐FID), gas chromatography/quadruple mass spectrometry (GC/QMS) and gas chromatography/time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOFMS) was used to identify hydroxy‐ and keto‐diacids in remote marine aerosols. Atmospheric samples were collected at Chichijima Island in the western North Pacific and the diacids and related compounds were extracted with organic‐free ultrapure water. A two‐step derivatization technique was employed, using 14% BF3/n‐butanol for the butylation of carboxyl groups and acidic ketones followed by N,O‐bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) for the trimethylsilylation of hydroxyl groups.ResultsSeveral new peaks were detected in the gas chromatogram after trimethylsilylation of the dibutyl ester fraction. Based on mass spectral interpretation with authentic standards, we successfully identified and quantified a homologous series of hydroxydiacids, including tartaric and oxaloacetic acids. In addition, transformation of oxaloacetic acid into its enol form was elucidated.ConclusionsUtilizing GC‐FID, GC/QMS and GC/TOFMS, hydroxy‐ and keto‐diacids were identified in the remote marine aerosols. A complete structural characterization was achieved with extensive mass spectral analysis. Molecular distributions of hydroxydiacids generally showed the predominance of malic acid followed by tartronic acid. We consider that these hydroxydiacids are important intermediates in the atmospheric oxidation of organic aerosols to result in smaller diacids. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nickel in equine sports drug testing – pilot study results on urinary nickel concentrations
Authors: Thevis M. , Machnik M. , Schenk I. , Krug O. , Piper T. , Schänzer W. , Düe M. , Bondesson U. , Hedeland M. 
Published: March 2016

RationaleThe issue of illicit performance enhancement spans human and animal sport in presumably equal measure, with prohibited substances and methods of doping conveying both ways. Due to the proven capability of unbound ionic cobalt (Co2+) to stimulate erythropoiesis in humans, both human and equine anti‐doping regulations have listed cobalt as a banned substance, and in particular in horse drug testing, thresholds for cobalt concentrations applying to plasma and urine have been suggested or established. Recent reports about the finding of substantial amounts of undeclared nickel in arguably licit performance‐ and recovery‐supporting products raised the question whether the ionic species of this transition metal (Ni2+), which exhibits similar prolyl hydroxylase inhibiting properties to Co2+, has been considered as a substitute for cobalt in doping regimens.MethodsTherefore, a pilot study with 200 routine post‐competition doping control horse urine samples collected from animals participating in equestrian, gallop, and trotting in Europe was conducted to provide a first dataset on equine urinary Ni2+ concentrations. All specimens were analyzed by conventional inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) to yield quantitative data for soluble nickel.ResultsConcentrations ranging from below the assay's limit of quantification (LOQ, 0.5 ng/mL) up to 33.4 ng/mL with a mean value (± standard deviation) of 6.1 (±5.1) ng/mL were determined for the total nickel content.ConclusionsIn horses, nickel is considered a micronutrient and feed supplements containing nickel are available; hence, follow‐up studies are deemed warranted to consolidate potential future threshold levels concerning urine and blood nickel concentrations in horses using larger sets of samples for both matrices and to provide in‐depth insights by conducting elimination studies with soluble Ni2+‐salt species. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterizing flash events and distributed denial‐of‐service attacks: an empirical investigation
Authors: Bhandari Abhinav , Sangal Amrit Lal , Kumar Krishan 
Published: March 2016

AbstractIn the information age where Internet is the most important means of delivery of plethora of services, distributed denial‐of‐service (DDoS) attacks have emerged as one of the most serious threat. Strategic, security, social, and financial implications of these attacks have ceaselessly alarmed the entire cyber community. To obviate a DDoS attack and mitigate its impact, there is an irrevocable prerequisite to accurately detect them promptly. An inherent challenge in addressing this issue is to efficiently distinguish these attacks from characteristically analogous flash events (FEs) which are bona fide occurrences generated by legitimate users. Most of the studies have focused on finding out the unique characteristics of DDoS attacks in isolation, with the peril of false alarms heuristically. To preclude this, it is pertinent to fundamentally focus on identifying the unique characteristics of FE vis‐a‐vis DDoS attacks ab initio which has been the basis of this work. The aim of this paper is to formulate the taxonomy of FEs and compare the characteristics of FEs and DDoS attacks to segregate these using several empirical metrics. Real and emulation datasets have been used to validate the characteristics of both. The extensive analysis in this study establishes that there are numerous technical dissimilarities that can be exploited to separate these similar looking events. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of reinforcement type on macrocrack propagation under sustained loading in steel fibre‐reinforced concrete
Authors: Daviau‐Desnoyers Dominic , Charron Jean‐Philippe , Massicotte Bruno , Rossi Pierre , Tailhan Jean‐Louis 
Published: March 2016

AbstractTo meet the growing challenges of sustainability, it is necessary to control and anticipate the cracking problems of structures under sustained loadings. At the structural level, very little information is available regarding the combined effect of SFRC and reinforcement under sustained flexural loading. This paper presents the results of four flexural creep tests on large steel fibre‐reinforced concrete beams reinforced with fibres only or in combination with unbonded/bonded prestressing strands or traditional reinforcing bars. The main objective was to assess the influence of the reinforcement type on crack propagation, crack openings and compliance evolution in SFRC under sustained loading. The results show that the driving mechanism behind crack propagation is the same for all beams, regardless of reinforcement type, and is therefore governed by type of fibre concrete.