bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reversing the Trend: Deciphering Self‐Assembly of Unconventional Amphiphiles Having Both Alkyl‐Chain and PEG
Authors: Ghosh Rita , Singh Bharat , Basu Subhadip , Mondal Avijit , Maiti Prabal Kumar , De Mrinmoy 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn the field of molecular self‐assembly, the core of an assembly is always made up of hydrophobic moiety like a long alkyl chain, whereas the outer part has always been a hydrophilic moiety such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), or charged species. Hence, reversing the trend to manifest self‐assembled structures with a PEG core and a surface consisting of alkyl chains in aqueous system is incredibly challenging. Herein, we architected a unique class of cationic bolaamphiphiles containing low molecular weight PEG and alkyl chains of different lengths. The bolaamphiphiles spontaneously form vesicles without external stimuli. These vesicles are unprecedented because PEG makes up the vesicle core, while the alkyl chains appear on the vesicles′ exterior. Hence, this particular design reverses the usual trend of self‐assembly formation. The vesicle size increases with the increase in alkyl chain‐length. To our great surprise, we obtained large micelles for longest alkyl‐chain amphiphile, which in turn act as a gemini amphiphile. The shift from a particular bolaamphiphile to gemini amphiphile with the variation of alkyl chain is also unexplored. Therefore, this specific class of self‐assembled structure would compound a new paradigm in molecular self‐assembly and supramolecular chemistry.
A Guide to Chemical Reactions Design in Carbon Nitride Photocatalysis
Authors: Savateev Oleksandr , Zhuang Jingru 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe Front Cover artwork is provided by Oleksandr Savateev at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The image shows “blueprints” of the photocatalytic reaction design that is mediated by graphitic carbon nitride. Read the full text of the Review at 10.1002/cptc.202300306.
Corporate violations and bank debt cost: The insurance effect of corporate social responsibility
Authors: Li Zhen , Sun Yitong , Liu Jinhao , Li Yi , Zhou Zhifang 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn enhancing oversight within China's capital markets, it has become imperative to investigate the economic ramifications of corporate transgressions in the banking sector. This study applied the tenets of the insurance effect theory to scrutinize the transmission mechanism delineating the impact of corporate violations on bank debt costs, with a specific focus on the ameliorative role played by corporate social responsibility (CSR). The findings underscored a positive correlation between corporate violations and bank debt costs, while CSR emerged as a mitigating factor in this relationship. Notably, organizations demonstrating proactive engagement in CSR activities exhibited a capacity to attenuate the adverse influence of violations on bank debt costs. However, it was discerned that the insurance effect of CSR diminished when companies recurrently breached regulatory norms. These outcomes contribute substantively to fortifying capital market supervision, urging enterprises to conscientiously fulfill their social responsibilities to engender a more cautious approach from financial institutions.
Towards the Use of Renewable Syngas for the Decarbonization of Industry
Authors: Detz Remko , Beerse Marit , Meulendijks Nicole , Buskens Pascal , van der Zwaan Bob 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn this article we analyze how syngas produced in a renewable way can replace fossil‐fuel based syngas production and thereby play an essential role in the decarbonization of industry. We show that in essentially all industrial applications renewable H2 and/or CO can replace syngas from fossil fuel feedstocks, and quantify the flows of these chemical building blocks required for the transformation of industry towards a net‐zero emitting sector. We also undertake a techno‐economic analysis, in which we demonstrate that under specific assumptions for the learning rates of some of the key process components, renewable syngas can become cost‐competitive with that produced from fossil fuels. Cost competitiveness, however, only materializes for four of the five routes when natural gas prices are at least around 3 €/GJ and carbon taxes increase from 90 €/tCO2 today to 300 €/tCO2 in 2050.
A concise high‐efficiency broadband parallel‐circuit Class‐E power amplifier
Authors: Lu Heng , Jiang Jianliang , Zhang Hengli 
Published: April 2024

SummaryAn analysis of a single‐ended high‐efficiency broadband parallel‐circuit (PC) Class‐E power amplifier (PA) with a single reactance compensation technique (RCT) and low‐pass (LP) Chebyshev impedance transformer is first presented under low supply voltage. Analysis of the gate and drain voltage allows to determine the required optimum voltage values for the expected PA design objectives. Derivation and design procedure of the broadband matching network (MN) is provided, which can effectively filter out higher order harmonics and reduce circuit complexity. In addition, the load adaptability for this PA is studied, achieving higher than 67.87% drain efficiency (DE) in the case of load mismatch. A PC Class‐E PA based on NMOS transistor is designed and implemented to validate the analysis over a frequency band of 7–9.4 MHz. Experimental results show that the PA delivers 36.48–38.83 dBm output power with a DE of 84.91% to 86.91%, as well as achieves 83.98% to 86.28% power‐added efficiency (PAE), 19.48–21.83 dB gain with a low supply voltage of 12 V. It is also demonstrated that the experimental results exhibit good agreement with the simulation results, which prototype the radio frequency identification transmitter with broadband high‐efficiency and system compactness. To the author's knowledge, this study represents the first approach to design broadband PC Class‐E PA under low supply voltage for Internet of Things (IoT) applications at HF frequency band, such as electronic article surveillance (EAS) system.
A flow cytometry‐based assay to measure neutralizing antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2 virus
Authors: Pscheidt Veridiane M. , de Souza Priscila Oliveira , Fazolo Tiago , Modena José Luiz Proença , Simeoni Camila , Teixeira Daniel , Silva Natália Brunetti , dos Santos Karina Bispo , Júnior Luiz Rodrigues , Bonorino Cristina 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic caused by the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus has highlighted the need for serological assays that can accurately evaluate the neutralizing efficiency of antibodies produced during infection or induced by vaccines. However, conventional assays often require the manipulation of live viruses on a level‐three biosafety (BSL3) facility, which presents practical and safety challenges. Here, we present a novel, alternative assay that measures neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against SARS‐CoV‐2 in plasma using flow cytometry. This assay is based on antibody binding to the S protein and has demonstrated precision in both intra‐ and inter‐assay measurements at a dilution of 1:50. The cut‐off was determined using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis and the value of 36.01% has shown high sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing between pre‐pandemic sera, COVID‐19 patients, and vaccinated individuals. The efficiency significantly correlates with the gold standard test, PRNT. Our new assay offers a safe and efficient alternative to conventional assays for evaluating NAbs against SARS‐CoV‐2.
The effect of livestock grazing on plant diversity and productivity of mountainous grasslands in South America – A meta‐analysis
Authors: Sandoval‐Calderon Ana Patricia , Rubio Echazarra Nerea , van Kuijk Marijke , Verweij Pita A. , Soons Merel , Hautier Yann 
Published: April 2024

AbstractMountainous grasslands in South America, characterized by their high diversity, provide a wide range of contributions to people, including water regulation, soil erosion prevention, livestock feed provision, and preservation of cultural heritage. Prior research has highlighted the significant role of grazing in shaping the diversity and productivity of grassland ecosystems, especially in highly productive, eutrophic systems. In such environments, grazing has been demonstrated to restore grassland plant diversity by reducing primary productivity. However, it remains unclear whether these findings are applicable to South American mountainous grasslands, where plants are adapted to different environmental conditions. To address this uncertainty, we conducted a meta‐analysis of experiments excluding livestock grazing to assess its impact on plant diversity and productivity across mountainous grasslands in South America. In alignment with studies in temperate grasslands, our findings indicated that herbivore exclusion resulted in increased aboveground biomass but reduced species richness and Shannon diversity. The effects of grazing exclusion became more pronounced with longer durations of exclusion; nevertheless, they remained resilient to various climatic conditions, including mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature, as well as the evolutionary history of grazing. In contrast to results observed in temperate grasslands, the reduction in species richness due to herbivore exclusion was not associated with increased aboveground biomass. This suggests that the processes governing (sub)tropical grassland plant diversity may differ from those in temperate grasslands. Consequently, further research is necessary to better understand the specific factors influencing plant diversity and productivity in South American montane grasslands and to elucidate the ecological implications of herbivore exclusion in these unique ecosystems.
Variations in inter‐specific and sex‐related niche partitioning in pelagic boobies during their annual cycle
Authors: Lerma Miriam , Dehnhard Nina , Castillo‐Guerrero José Alfredo , Hernández‐Vázquez Salvador , Voigt Christian C. , Garthe Stefan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAnimals that co‐occur in a region (sympatry) may share the same environment (syntopy), and niche differentiation is expected among closely related species competing for resources. The masked booby (Sula dactylatra) and smaller congeneric red‐footed booby (Sula sula) share breeding grounds. In addition to the inter‐specific size difference, females of both species are also larger than the respective males (reversed sexual size dimorphism). Although both boobies consume similar prey, sometimes in mixed‐species flocks, each species and sex may specialize in terms of their diet or foraging habitats. We examined inter‐ and intra‐specific differences in isotopic values (δ13C and δ15N) in these pelagically feeding booby species during the incubation period at Clarion Island, Mexico, to quantify the degrees of inter‐ and intra‐specific niche partitioning throughout the annual cycle. During incubation, both species preyed mainly on flyingfish and squid, but masked boobies had heavier food loads than red‐footed boobies. There was no overlap in isotopic niches between masked and red‐footed boobies during breeding (determined from whole blood), but there was slight overlap during the non‐breeding period (determined from body feathers). Female masked boobies had a higher trophic position than conspecific males during breeding; however, no such pattern was detected in red‐footed boobies. These results provide evidence of inter‐ and intra‐specific niche partitioning in these tropical seabird species, particularly during the breeding period and in the more‐dimorphic species. Our results suggest that these closely related species use different strategies to cope with the same tropical marine environment.
Scale‐dependent influences of environmental, historical, and spatial processes on taxonomic and functional beta diversity of Japanese bat assemblages
Authors: Maki Takahiro , Sannomiya Nozomi , Hirao Toshihide , Fukui Dai 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis study investigated the relative influences of environmental, spatial, and historical factors, including the island‐specific history of land connectivity, on bat assemblages in the Japanese Archipelago. We collected bat distribution data from 1408 studies and assigned them to Japan's First Standard Grid (approximately 6400 km2). Japanese bat assemblages were analyzed at two scales: the entire Japanese Archipelago comprised 16 islands and exclusively the four main islands. At first, we calculated taxonomic and functional total beta diversity (βtotal) by Jaccard pairwise dissimilarity and then divided this into turnover (βrepl) and richness‐difference (βrich) components. We conducted hierarchical clustering of taxonomic beta diversity to examine the influence of the two representative sea straits, Tsugaru and Tokara, which are considered biogeographical borders. Variation partitioning was conducted to evaluate the relative effects of the three factors on the beta diversity. Clustering revealed that the Tokara Strait bordered the two major clades; however, the Tsugaru Strait did not act as a biogeographical border for bats. In the variation partitioning, shared fraction between spatial and historical factors significantly explained taxonomic and functional βtotal and taxonomic βrepl at the entire archipelago scale, but not at the four main islands scale extending only Tsugaru Strait but not Tokara Strait. Pure environmental factors significantly explained functional βtotal at both scales and taxonomic βtotal only at the four main islands scale. These results suggest that spatial and historical factors are more pronounced in biogeographical borders, primarily structuring assemblage composition at the entire archipelago scale, especially in taxonomic dimension. However, current environmental factors primarily shape the assemblage composition of Japanese bats at the main island scale. The difference in results between the two scales highlights that the primary processes governing assemblages of both dimensions depend on the quality of the dispersal barriers between terrestrial and aquatic barriers for bats.
Genomic analysis reveals deep population divergence in the water snake Trimerodytes percarinatus (Serpentes, Natricidae)
Authors: Lyu Bing , Liu Qin , Wu Yayong , Nguyen Truong Q. , Che Jing , Nguyen Sang N. , Myers Edward A. , Burbrink Frank T. , Guo Peng , Wang Jichao 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAlthough several phylogeographic studies of Asian snakes have been conducted, most have focused on pitvipers, with non‐venomous snakes, such as colubrids or natricids, remaining poorly studied. The Chinese keelback water snake (Trimerodytes percarinatus Boulenger) is a widespread, semiaquatic, non‐venomous species occurring in China and southeastern Asia. Based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, we explored the population genetic structure, genetic diversity, and evolutionary history of this species. MtDNA‐based phylogenetic analysis showed that T. percarinatus was composed of five highly supported and geographically structured lineages. SNP‐based phylogenetic analysis, principal component analysis, and population structure analysis consistently revealed four distinct, geographically non‐overlapping lineages, which was different from the mtDNA‐based analysis in topology. Estimation of divergence dates and ancestral area of origin suggest that T. percarinatus originated ~12.68 million years ago (95% highest posterior density: 10.36–15.96 Mya) in a region covering southwestern China and Vietnam. Intraspecific divergence may have been triggered by the Qinghai‐Xizang Plateau uplift. Population demographics and ecological niche modeling indicated that the effective population size fluctuated during 0.5 Mya and 0.002 Mya. Based on the data collected here, we also comment on the intraspecific taxonomy of T. percarinatus and question the validity of the subspecies T. p. suriki.
Serum metabolomics improves risk stratification for incident heart failure
Authors: Oexner Rafael R. , Ahn Hyunchan , Theofilatos Konstantinos , Shah Ravi A. , Schmitt Robin , Chowienczyk Philip , Zoccarato Anna , Shah Ajay M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAimsPrediction and early detection of heart failure (HF) is crucial to mitigate its impact on quality of life, survival, and healthcare expenditure. Here, we explored the predictive value of serum metabolomics (168 metabolites detected by proton nuclear magnetic resonance [1H‐NMR] spectroscopy) for incident HF.Methods and resultsLeveraging data of 68 311 individuals and >0.8 million person‐years of follow‐up from the UK Biobank cohort, we (i) fitted per‐metabolite Cox proportional hazards models to assess individual metabolite associations, and (ii) trained and validated elastic net models to predict incident HF using the serum metabolome. We benchmarked discriminative performance against a comprehensive, well‐validated clinical risk score (Pooled Cohort Equations to Prevent HF [PCP‐HF]). During a median follow‐up of ≈12.3 years, several metabolites showed independent association with incident HF (90/168 adjusting for age and sex, 48/168 adjusting for PCP‐HF). Performance‐optimized risk models effectively retained key predictors representing highly correlated clusters (≈80% feature reduction). Adding metabolomics to PCP‐HF improved predictive performance (Harrel's C: 0.768 vs. 0.755, ΔC = 0.013, [95% confidence interval [CI] 0.004–0.022], continuous net reclassification improvement [NRI]: 0.287 [95% CI 0.200–0.367], relative integrated discrimination improvement [IDI]: 17.47% [95% CI 9.463–27.825]). Models including age, sex and metabolomics performed almost as well as PCP‐HF (Harrel's C: 0.745 vs. 0.755, ΔC = 0.010 [95% CI −0.004 to 0.027], continuous NRI: 0.097 [95% CI −0.025 to 0.217], relative IDI: 13.445% [95% CI −10.608 to 41.454]). Risk and survival stratification was improved by integrating metabolomics.ConclusionSerum metabolomics improves incident HF risk prediction over PCP‐HF. Scores based on age, sex and metabolomics exhibit similar predictive power to clinically‐based models, potentially offering a cost‐effective, standardizable, and scalable single‐domain alternative.
Decatungstate‐Photocatalyzed Diastereoselective Dearomative Hydroalkylation of Indoles
Authors: Montinho‐Inacio Emeric , Bouchet Damien , Ma Wei‐Yang , Retailleau Pascal , Neuville Luc , Masson Géraldine 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn this study, we present an efficient and straightforward dearomative hydroalkylation of indoles. By utilizing alkanes or ethers as alkyl radical sources and employing TBADT as a cost‐effective photocatalyst for direct hydrogen atom transfers (HAT), we achieved successful conversion of these heterocyclic derivatives into 2‐alkylindolines with good to excellent yields and high diastereoselectivity under mild reaction conditions.
Pain perception during baroreceptor unloading by lower body negative pressure
Authors: Neumann S. , Hamilton M. C. K. , Hart E. C. , Brooks J. C. W. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundPeople with high blood pressure have reduced sensitivity to pain, known as blood pressure hypoalgesia. One proposed mechanism for this is altered baroreceptor sensitivity. In healthy volunteers, stimulating the carotid baroreceptors causes reduced sensitivity to acute pain; however, this effect may be confounded by a rise in blood pressure due to baroreflex stimulation. The present study tests whether baroreceptor unloading contributes to the physiological mechanism of blood pressure‐related hypoalgesia.MethodsIn the present study, pain perception to thermal stimulation of the forearm was studied in 20 healthy volunteers during baroreceptor unloading by lower body negative pressure (LBNP) at −5 and −20 mmHg. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured continuously throughout. To address issues relating to stimulation order, the sequence of LBNP stimulation was counterbalanced across participants.ResultsIncreased heart rate was observed at a LBNP of −20 mmHg, but not −5 mmHg, but neither stimulus had an effect on blood pressure. There was no change in warm or cold sensory detection thresholds, heat or cold pain thresholds nor perceived pain from a 30s long thermal heat stimulus during LBNP.ConclusionTherefore, baroreceptor unloading with maintained systemic blood pressure did not alter pain perception. The current study does not support the hypothesis that an altered baroreflex may underlie the physiological mechanism of blood pressure‐related hypoalgesia.SignificanceThis work provides evidence that, when measured in normotensive healthy young adults, the baroreflex response to simulated hypovolaemia did not lead to reduced pain sensitivity (known as blood pressure hypoalgesia).
Automatic deforestation detectors based on frequentist statistics and their extensions for other spatial objects
Authors: Muren Jesper , Niklasson Vilhelm , Otryakhin Dmitry , Romashin Maxim 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis article is devoted to the problem of detection of forest and nonforest areas on Earth images. We propose two statistical methods to tackle this problem: one based on multiple hypothesis testing with parametric distribution families, another one—on nonparametric tests. The parametric approach is novel in the literature and relevant to a larger class of problems—detection of natural objects, as well as anomaly detection. We develop mathematical background for each of the two methods, build self‐sufficient detection algorithms using them and discuss practical aspects of their implementation. We also compare our algorithms with each other and with those from standard machine learning using satellite data.
Co‐encapsulation of Shirazi thyme (Zataria multiflora) essential oil and nisin using caffeic acid grafted chitosan nanogel and the effect of this nanogel as a bio‐preservative in Iranian white cheese
Authors: Hosseini Seyed Mohammad , Tavakolipour Hamid , Mokhtarian Mohsen , Armin Mohammad 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe current study aims to co‐encapsulate Shirazi thyme (Zataria multiflora) essential oil (ZEO) and nisin into chitosan nanogel as an antimicrobial and antioxidant agent to enhance the shelf‐life of cheese. Chitosan‐caffeic acid (CS‐CA) nanogel was produced to co‐encapsulate Zataria multiflora essential oil and nisin. This nanogel was characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis, X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The effect of free (TFZN) and encapsulated ZEO‐nisin in chitosan nanogel (TCZN) on the chemical and microbiological properties of Iranian white cheese was assessed. The particle size, polydispersity index value (PDI), zeta potential, antioxidant activity, and encapsulation efficiency of the optimal chitosan‐ZEO‐nisin nanogel were 421.6 nm, 0.343, 34.0 mV, 71.06%–82.69%, and 41.3 ± 0.5%, 0.79 ± 0.06 mg/mL. respectively. FTIR and XRD approved ZEO and nisin entrapment within chitosan nanogel. The chitosan nanogel showed a highly porous surface with an irregular shape. The bioactive compounds of ZEO and nisin decreased the pH changes in cheese. On the 60th day of storage, the acidity of treated samples was significantly lower than that of control. Although the lowest anisidine index value was observed in samples treated with sodium nitrate (NaNO3) (TS), there was no significant difference between this sample and TCZN. The lowest microbial population was observed in TCZN and TS. After 60 days of ripening, Coliforms were not detected in the culture medium of TCZN and TS. The results can contribute to the development of a natural preservative with the potential for application in the dairy industry.