bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Shared Prebiotic Formation of Neopterins and Guanine Nucleosides from Pyrimidine Bases
Authors: Menor‐Salván César , Burcar Bradley T. , Bouza Marcos , Fialho David M. , Fernández Facundo M. , Hud Nicholas V. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe prebiotic origins of biopolymers and metabolic co‐factors are key questions in Origins of Life studies. In a simple warm‐little‐pond model, using a drying phase to produce a urea‐enriched solution, we present a prebiotic synthetic path for the simultaneous formation of neopterins and tetrahydroneopterins, along with purine nucleosides. We show that, in the presence of ribose and in a formylating environment consisting of urea, ammonium formate, and water (UAFW), the formation of neopterins from pyrimidine precursors is robust, while the simultaneous formation of guanosine requires a significantly higher ribose concentration. Furthermore, these reactions provide a tetrahydropterin–pterin redox pair. This model suggests a prebiotic link in the origin of purine nucleosides and pterin cofactors that provides a possible deep prebiotic temporal connection for the emergence of nucleic acids and metabolic cofactors.
Hardware obfuscation of AES IP core using combinational hardware Trojan circuit for secure data transmission in IoT applications
Authors: Chhabra Surbhi , Lata Kusum 
Published: May 2022

SummaryIn semiconductor industry, reusability‐based System‐on‐Chip architecture using hardware intellectual property (IP) cores play a prominent role in Internet‐of‐Things (IoT) applications for secure data transmission. The advent of IoT makes it possible for physical things to transmit, process, compute, and receive data over internet. But, it also introduces in‐device communication security vulnerabilities. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) IP has been used to address security vulnerabilities in IoT. It is an efficient and high‐performance crypto algorithm used in IoT devices for secure and fast data encryption. However, due to rise of many attacks, the security of AES IP is also under threat. Hardware obfuscation is one such prominent countermeasure that mitigates hardware attacks such as tampering, reverse engineering, and malicious alteration. This article presents secure AES IP mechanism using the potential technique of obfuscation inspired by the concept of combinational hardware Trojan. Experimental results show that the proposed technique is resilient against reverse‐engineering, malicious alteration, Boolean satisfiability attack, and key‐sensitizing attacks. The confusion and diffusion features of obfuscated AES IP are higher in terms of Hamming distance, avalanche effect, and balance rate. The proposed technique is implemented in Basys‐3 FPGAs within 5% of power and area overhead while maintaining high throughput.
A Theoretical Perspective to Study the Optical Properties of Tetrafluoroborates
Authors: Sun Jun , Wu Zhaofeng , Lee Ming‐Hsien , Duan Haiming 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn this study, a series of tetrafluoroborates with non‐π‐conjugated [BF4] tetrahedra are investigated systematically by first‐principles calculations. Theoretical studies demonstrate that tetrafluoroborates with alkali and/or alkaline‐earth metals are more favorable for deep‐ultraviolet transmission and are comparable to the classical deep‐ultraviolet (deep‐UV) material, MgF2. Furthermore, bandgap decrease with the increasing of ionic radii in alkali and/or alkaline‐earth metals. Introducing highly polarizable cations with d10‐configuration or cations with lone pair electrons into the structure will decrease the bandgaps. The birefringence and second harmonic generation effects are not large enough in tetrafluoroborates because polarizability anisotropy and hyperpolarizability in non‐π‐conjugated [BF4] tetrahedra are much smaller than those in π‐conjugated groups. However, the second harmonic generation effect for [BF4] tetrahedra has a higher contribution in comparison with that due to birefringence. To effectively synthesize the borate fluorides or fluorooxoborates in the deep‐UV region, raw materials with B−F bonds are preferred.
Modular Electrode Array for Multi‐site Extracellular Recordings from Brains of Freely Moving Rodents
Authors: Mohapatra Alok Nath , Netser Shai , Wagner Shlomo 
Published: May 2022

AbstractMulti‐site extracellular recordings from awake, freely moving rodents are an insightful technique that allows deduction of the dynamics of neural activity within a network of brain regions. Multiple advances in the design and materials of recording setups are available in the literature. However, most of these designs require several skill sets to assemble the electrodes and are expensive. Here, we explain in detail a custom design to build a multi‐site (16 sites) electrode array (EA) and record extracellular electrical signals (local field potential and multi‐unit spiking activity) at variable depths in freely behaving rodents. This EA weighs ∼3.0 g and costs less than $30. It provides mesoscopic neural activity maps (at millimeter scale) at low spatial resolution, thus enabling the experimenting group to further target specific regions with more expensive high‐density probes at the resolution of an individual neuron. The article outlines the processes of building and implanting the array and recording neural activity during a behavior task. We also highlight the limitations of our design and the necessary steps to troubleshoot common issues faced during the initial implementation of the protocols. Finally, we explain the specific data one would obtain while using the probes during social interactions between rodents. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol 1: Preparation of the electrode arrayBasic Protocol 2: Surgical implantation of the electrode arrayBasic Protocol 3: Recording of neural activity from the electrode array while a mouse performs social investigation of a novel conspecificBasic Protocol 4: Histology and electrode registration
Integrated species distribution models reveal spatiotemporal patterns of human–wildlife conflict
Authors: Fidino Mason , Lehrer Elizabeth W. , Kay Cria A. M. , Yarmey Nicholas T. , Murray Maureen H. , Fake Kimberly , Adams Henry C. , Magle Seth B. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractTo mitigate human–wildlife conflict it is imperative to know where and when conflict occurs. However, standard methods used to predict the occurrence of human–wildlife conflict often fail to recognize how a species distribution likely limits where and when conflict may happen. As such, methods that predict human–wildlife conflict could be improved if they could identify where conflict will occur relative to species' underlying distribution. To this end, we used an integrated species distribution model that combined presence‐only wildlife complaints with data from a systematic camera trapping survey throughout Chicago, Illinois. This model draws upon both data sources to estimate a latent distribution of species; in addition, the model can estimate where conflict is most likely to occur within that distribution. We modeled the occupancy and conflict potential of coyote (Canis latrans), Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and raccoon (Procyon lotor) as a function of urban intensity, per capita income, and home vacancy rates throughout Chicago. Overall, the distribution of each species constrained the spatiotemporal patterns of conflict throughout the city of Chicago. Within each species distribution, we found that human–wildlife conflict was most likely to occur where humans and wildlife habitat overlap (e.g., featuring higher‐than‐average canopy cover and housing density). Furthermore, human–wildlife conflict was most likely to occur in high‐income neighborhoods for Virginia opossum and raccoon, despite the fact that those two species have higher occupancy in low‐income neighborhoods. As such, knowing where species are distributed can inform guidelines on where wildlife management should be focused, especially if it overlaps with human habitats. Finally, because this integrated model can incorporate data that have already been collected by wildlife managers or city officials, this approach could be used to develop stronger collaborations with wildlife management agencies and conduct applied research that will inform landscape‐scale wildlife management.
Risky business: How an herbivore navigates spatiotemporal aspects of risk from competitors and predators
Authors: Huggler Katey S. , Holbrook Joseph D. , Hayes Matthew M. , Burke Patrick W. , Zornes Mark , Thompson Daniel J. , Clapp Justin G. , Lionberger Patrick , Valdez Miguel , Monteith Kevin L. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractUnderstanding factors that influence animal behavior is central to ecology. Basic principles of animal ecology imply that individuals should seek to maximize survival and reproduction, which means carefully weighing risk against reward. Decisions become increasingly complex and constrained, however, when risk is spatiotemporally variable. We advance a growing body of work in predator–prey behavior by evaluating novel questions where a prey species is confronted with multiple predators and a potential competitor. We tested how fine‐scale behavior of female mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) during the reproductive season shifted depending upon spatial and temporal variation in risk from predators and a potential competitor. We expected female deer to avoid areas of high risk when movement activity of predators and a competitor were high. We used GPS data collected from 76 adult female mule deer, 35 adult female elk, 33 adult coyotes, and six adult mountain lions. Counter to our expectations, female deer exhibited selection for multiple risk factors, however, selection for risk was dampened by the exposure to risk within home ranges of female deer, producing a functional response in habitat selection. Furthermore, temporal variation in movement activity of predators and elk across the diel cycle did not result in a shift in movement activity by female deer. Instead, the average level of risk within their home range was the predominant factor modulating the response to risk by female deer. Our results counter prevailing hypotheses of how large herbivores navigate risky landscapes and emphasize the importance of accounting for the local environment when identifying effects of risk on animal behavior. Moreover, our findings highlight additional behavioral mechanisms used by large herbivores to mitigate multiple sources of predation and potential competitive interactions.
Estimation of the maximum utilization area including home range and peripheral sites
Authors: Terayama Kana , Ebihara Hiroshi , Seino Hironori , Genkai‐Kato Motomi 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThere is increasing evidence that occasional utilization area (peripheral sites), in addition to typical utilization area (home range), is important for wildlife conservation and management. Here we estimated the maximum utilization area (MUA), including both typical and occasional utilization areas, based on asymptotic curves of utilization area plotted against sample size. In previous studies, these curves have conventionally been plots of cumulative utilization area versus sample size, but this cumulative method is sensitive to stochastic effects. We propose a new method based on simulation studies where outcomes of replicated simulations are averaged to reduce stochastic effects. In this averaged method, possible combinations of sample size with the same number of location data replicated from a dataset were averaged and applied to the curves of utilization area. The cumulative method resulted in a large variation of MUA estimates, depending on the start date as well as total sample size of the dataset. In the averaged method, MUA estimates were robust against changes in the start date and total sample size. The large variation of MUA estimates arose because location data on any day including the start date are affected by unpredictable effects associated with animal activity and environmental conditions. In the averaged method, replicates of sample size resulted in a reduction of temporal stochasticity, suggesting that the method stably provides reliable estimates for MUA.
Ecological service‐learning positively impacts classroom climate and empowers undergraduates for environmental action
Authors: Vance‐Chalcraft Heather D. , Goodwillie Carol 
Published: May 2022

AbstractService‐learning (SL) is a type of participatory action‐oriented, experiential learning that connects course content with a need in the community. This type of learning is particularly well suited to environmentally themed courses as student action can have a positive impact on the environment while developing students' conservation ethics and “soft skills” required for many conservation jobs. SL was incorporated into one of two sections of an existing, junior‐level elective course in plant biology. As a service activity, undergraduates participated in the removal of an invasive species (Lespedeza cuneata) along a local greenway. We asked whether students who participated in a modest amount of SL demonstrated greater knowledge of plant biology, stronger connections to their class community, and increased self‐efficacy for environmental action than students who do not participate in SL. Data on student content knowledge, perceptions of classroom climate, and views of one's ability to positively impact the environment were collected through surveys given at the beginning and end of the semester. Instructor‐generated content questions and two published, validated surveys—the Connected Classroom Climate Inventory and Self‐Efficacy for Environmental Action scale—were used. We found that SL students showed a slightly increased sense of community with their peers, which has been found to have positive effects on learning, but not an increased perception of their own ability to be an agent of social change. In addition, SL provided an ecological benefit, assisted the local community, and created a positive example of university students giving back to the city.
Dynamic sensitivity to resource availability influences population responses to mismatches in a shorebird
Authors: Wilde Luke R. , Simmons Josiah E. , Swift Rose J. , Senner Nathan R. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractClimate change has caused shifts in seasonally recurring biological events leading to the temporal decoupling of consumer–resource pairs, that is, phenological mismatching. Although mismatches often affect individual fitness, they do not invariably scale up to affect populations, making it difficult to assess the risk they pose. Individual variation may contribute to this inconsistency, with changes in resource availability and consumer needs leading mismatches to have different outcomes over time. Nevertheless, most models estimate a consumer's match from a single time point, potentially obscuring when mismatches matter to populations. We analyzed how the effects of mismatches varied over time by studying precocial Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) chicks and their invertebrate prey from 2009 to 2019. We developed individual‐ and population‐level models to determine how age‐specific variation affects the relationship between godwits and resource availability. We found that periods with abundant resources led to higher growth and survival of godwit chicks, but also that chick survival was increasingly related to the availability of larger prey as chicks aged. At the population level, estimates of mismatches using age‐structured consumer demand explained more variation in annual godwit fledging rates than more commonly used alternatives. Our study suggests that modeling the effects of mismatches as the disrupted interaction between dynamic consumer needs and resource availability clarifies when mismatches matter to both individuals and populations.
Myocardial recovery evaluation from ventricular assist device in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Gyoten Takayuki , Amiya Eisuke , Kinoshita Osamu , Tsuji Masaki , Kimura Mitsutoshi , Hatano Masaru , Ono Minoru 
Published: May 2022

AbstractAimsThe removal of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) after myocardial recovery can provide survival benefits with freedom from LVAD‐associated complications. However, in the absence of standardization, the weaning evaluation and surgical strategy differ widely among centres. Therefore, we analysed the experiences of LVAD explantation with our protocol in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients and investigated the validity of our weaning evaluation and surgical strategy from the perspective of optimal long‐term survival.Methods and resultsAll LVAD explantation patients in our institution between May 2012 and May 2020 were enrolled. All patients were evaluated by our three‐phase weaning assessment: (i) clinical stability with improved cardiac function under LVAD support; (ii) haemodynamic stability shown by ramp‐loading and saline‐loading test; (iii) intraoperative pump‐off test. Explant surgery involved removal of the whole system including driveline, pump, sewing ring and outflow‐graft, and closure of an apical hole. Intra‐operative, peri‐operative, and post‐operative outcomes, including all‐cause mortality and LVAD associated major complications, were retrospectively analysed. A total of 12 DCM patients (DuraHeart, n = 2; EVAHEART, n = 2; HeartMate II, n = 6; HeartMate 3, n = 2) had myocardial recovery after a median 10 months [interquartile range (IQR); 6.3–15 months] support and qualified for our LVAD explantation study protocol [median age: 37 y, IQR; 34–41 years; 83% men]. The median left ventricular ejection fraction was 20% (IQR; 12–23%) at LVAD‐implantation and 54% (IQR: 45–55%) before LVAD explantation (P < 0.001). There were no perioperative complications and median ICU stay was 4 days (IQR; 2–4 days). All patients were discharged after a median of 24 days (IQR: 17–28 days) postoperatively. No patient suffered from any cardiac event (heart failure hospitalization, re‐implantation of LVAD, or heart transplantation) at a median of 40 months (IQR: 17–58 months) follow up. All patients are alive with NYHA functional class 1 with preserved left ventricular function.ConclusionsThe evaluation of LVAD explant candidates by our weaning protocol was safe and effective. In the patients completing our protocol successfully, LVAD explantation is feasible and an excellent long‐term cardiac event free‐survival seems to be achieved.
Iodine‐Promoted Tandem Pyrazole Annulation and C−H Sulfenylation for the Synthesis of C4‐Sulfenylated Pyrazoles
Authors: Feng Yijiao , He Jing , Wei Yueting , Xie Jianwei , Liu Ping 
Published: May 2022

AbstractCascade reactions of 1,3‐diarylpropane‐1,3‐dione or unsaturated ketones with arylsulfonyl hydrazide have been achieved in the presence of iodine source. Fully substituted C4‐sulfenylated pyrazoles were synthesized via the tandem pyrazole annulation and C(sp2)−H sulfenylation. This approach is efficient and practical. The starting materials are readily available, while also providing a useful strategy for the construction of different arylthio‐substituted pyrazole skeletons.
Ammonia electrocatalytic synthesis from nitrate
Authors: Anastasiadou Dimitra , van Beek Yvette , Hensen Emiel J. M. , Costa Figueiredo Marta 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe interest in electrochemical processes to produce ammonia has increased in recent years. The motivation for this increase is the attempt to reduce the carbon emissions associated with its production, since ammonia is responsible for 1.8% of the global CO2emissions. Moreover, green ammonia is also seen as a possible transportation fuel in various renewable energy transition scenarios. Several electrochemical processes are being investigated such as N2, NO3–, or NO conversion. Since nitrates are an attractive source of nitrogen, due to their role as water contaminants and facility to break N‐O bonds, this mini review is focused on the electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia from NO3−reduction. Here, we summarized the important work on reaction mechanisms and electrocatalysts for this reaction.
Abnormal innate and learned behavior induced by neuron–microglia miscommunication is related to CA3 reconfiguration
Authors: Méndez‐Salcido Felipe Antonio , Torres‐Flores Mayra Itzel , Ordaz Benito , Peña‐Ortega Fernando 
Published: May 2022

AbstractNeuron–microglia communication through the Cx3cr1–Cx3cl1 axis is essential for the development and refinement of neural circuits, which determine their function into adulthood. In the present work we set out to extend the behavioral characterization of Cx3cr1−/−mice evaluating innate behaviors and spatial navigation, both dependent on hippocampal function. Our results show that Cx3cr1‐deficient mice, which show some changes in microglial and synaptic terminals morphology and density, exhibit alterations in activities of daily living and in the rapid encoding of novel spatial information that, nonetheless, improves with training. A neural substrate for these cognitive deficiencies was found in the form of synaptic dysfunction in the CA3 region of the hippocampus, with a marked impact on the mossy fiber (MF) pathway. A network analysis of the CA3 microcircuit reveals the effect of these synaptic alterations on the functional connectivity among CA3 neurons with diminished strength and topological reorganization in Cx3cr1‐deficient mice. Neonatal population activity of the CA3 region in Cx3cr1‐deficient mice shows a marked reorganization around the giant depolarizing potentials, the first form of network‐driven activity of the hippocampus, suggesting that alterations found in adult subjects arise early on in postnatal development, a critical period of microglia‐dependent neural circuit refinement. Our results show that interruption of the Cx3cr1–Cx3cl1/neuron–microglia axis leads to changes in CA3 configuration that affect innate and learned behaviors.
Evaluation of thresholding methods for activation likelihood estimation meta‐analysis via large‐scale simulations
Authors: Frahm Lennart , Cieslik Edna C. , Hoffstaedter Felix , Satterthwaite Theodore D. , Fox Peter T. , Langner Robert , Eickhoff Simon B. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn recent neuroimaging studies, threshold‐free cluster enhancement (TFCE) gained popularity as a sophisticated thresholding method for statistical inference. It was shown to feature higher sensitivity than the frequently used approach of controlling the cluster‐level family‐wise error (cFWE) and it does not require setting a cluster‐forming threshold at voxel level. Here, we examined the applicability of TFCE to a widely used method for coordinate‐based neuroimaging meta‐analysis, Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE), by means of large‐scale simulations. We created over 200,000 artificial meta‐analysis datasets by independently varying the total number of experiments included and the amount of spatial convergence across experiments. Next, we applied ALE to all datasets and compared the performance of TFCE to both voxel‐level and cluster‐level FWE correction approaches. All three multiple‐comparison correction methods yielded valid results, with only about 5% of the significant clusters being based on spurious convergence, which corresponds to the nominal level the methods were controlling for. On average, TFCE's sensitivity was comparable to that of cFWE correction, but it was slightly worse for a subset of parameter combinations, even after TFCE parameter optimization. cFWE yielded the largest significant clusters, closely followed by TFCE, while voxel‐level FWE correction yielded substantially smaller clusters, showcasing its high spatial specificity. Given that TFCE does not outperform the standard cFWE correction but is computationally much more expensive, we conclude that employing TFCE for ALE cannot be recommended to the general user.