bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Allelopathy as an evolutionary game
Authors: McCoy Rachel M. , Widhalm Joshua R. , McNickle Gordon G. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIn plants, most competition is resource competition, where one plant simply preempts the resources away from its neighbors. Interference competition, as the name implies, is a form of direct interference to prevent resource access. Interference competition is common among animals that can physically fight, but in plants, one of the main mechanisms of interference competition is allelopathy. Allelopathic plants release cytotoxic chemicals into the environment which can increase their ability to compete with surrounding organisms for limited resources. The circumstances and conditions favoring the development and maintenance of allelochemicals, however, are not well understood. Particularly, despite the obvious benefits of allelopathy, current data suggest it seems to have only rarely evolved. To gain insight into the cost and benefit of allelopathy, we have developed a matrix game to model the interaction between plants that produce allelochemicals and plants that do not. Production of an allelochemical introduces novel cost associated with both synthesis and detoxifying a toxic chemical but may also convey a competitive advantage. A plant that does not produce an allelochemical will suffer the cost of encountering one. Our model predicts three cases in which the evolutionarily stable strategies are different. In the first, the nonallelopathic plant is a stronger competitor, and not producing allelochemicals is the evolutionarily stable strategy. In the second, the allelopathic plant is the better competitor, and production of allelochemicals is the more beneficial strategy. In the last case, neither is the evolutionarily stable strategy. Instead, there are alternating stable states, depending on whether the allelopathic or nonallelopathic plant arrived first. The generated model reveals circumstances leading to the evolution of allelochemicals and sheds light on utilizing allelochemicals as part of weed management strategies. In particular, the wide region of alternative stable states in most parameterizations, combined with the fact that the absence of allelopathy is likely the ancestral state, provides an elegant answer to the question of why allelopathy seems to rarely evolve despite its obvious benefits. Allelopathic plants can indeed outcompete nonallelopathic plants, but this benefit is simply not great enough to allow them to go to fixation and spread through the population. Thus, most populations would remain purely nonallelopathic.
Optical properties of plasma‐treated PEEK: Monitoring colour and crystallinity for applications in medicine and dentistry using ellipsometry
Authors: Katsifis Georgio A. , Suchowerska Natalka , McKenzie David R. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractPoly‐ether‐ether‐ketone (PEEK) is a widely used and versatile polymer. Here, we use ellipsometry to determine the wavelength‐dependent optical properties of PEEK before and after the surface is modified by plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII), a technique that renders the surface hydrophilic and bio‐active. Lorentz and Gaussian oscillator models are used to fit the data for extraction of the optical constants and the dielectric function. The effect of PIII, even for short treatment times, changes the optical properties of PEEK, indicative of an amorphisation of the initial semicrystalline structure that broadens the electronic density of states distribution. The progressive changes in the optical properties with treatment time allow assessment of colour changes and estimation of ion dose in the PIII process.
An age‐dependent mathematical model of neurofilament trafficking in healthy conditions
Authors: Paris Alessio , Bora Pranami , Parolo Silvia , Monine Michael , Tong Xiao , Eraly Satish , Masson Eric , Ferguson Toby , McCampbell Alexander , Graham Danielle , Domenici Enrico , Nestorov Ivan , Marchetti Luca 
Published: February 2022

AbstractNeurofilaments (Nfs) are the major structural component of neurons. Their role as a potential biomarker of several neurodegenerative diseases has been investigated in past years with promising results. However, even under physiological conditions, little is known about the leaking of Nfs from the neuronal system and their detection in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. This study aimed at developing a mathematical model of Nf transport in healthy subjects in the 20–90 age range. The model was implemented as a set of ordinary differential equations describing the trafficking of Nfs from the nervous system to the periphery. Model parameters were calibrated on typical Nf levels obtained from the literature. An age‐dependent function modeled on CSF data was also included and validated on data measured in serum. We computed a global sensitivity analysis of model rates and volumes to identify the most sensitive parameters affecting the model’s steady state. Age, Nf synthesis, and degradation rates proved to be relevant for all model variables. Nf levels in the CSF and in blood were observed to be sensitive to the Nf leakage rates from neurons and to the blood clearance rate, and CSF levels were also sensitive to rates representing CSF turnover. An additional parameter perturbation analysis was also performed to investigate possible transient effects on the model variables not captured by the sensitivity analysis. The model provides useful insights into Nf transport and constitutes the basis for implementing quantitative system pharmacology extensions to investigate Nf trafficking in neurodegenerative diseases.
Potential clinical applications of phytopharmaceuticals for the in‐patient management of coagulopathies in COVID‐19
Authors: Mukherjee Ashis K. , Chattopadhyay Dhruba J. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThrombotic complications occur in many cardiovascular pathologies and have been demonstrated in COVID‐19. The currently used antithrombotic drugs are not free of adverse reactions, and COVID‐19 patients in particular, when treated with a therapeutic dose of an anticoagulant do not receive mortality benefits. The clinical management of COVID‐19 is one of the most difficult tasks for clinicians, and the search for safe, potent, and effective antithrombotic drugs may benefit from exploring naturally bioactive molecules from plant sources. This review describes recent advances in understanding the antithrombotic potential of herbal drug prototypes and points to their future clinical use as potent antithrombotic drugs. Although natural products are perceived to be safe, their clinical and therapeutic applications are not always apparent or accepted. More in‐depth studies are necessary to demonstrate the clinical usefulness of plant‐derived, bioactive compounds. In addition, holistic approaches in systematic investigations and the identification of antithrombotic mechanisms of the herbal bioactive molecule(s) need to be conducted in pre‐clinical studies. Moreover, rigorous studies are needed to compare the potency of herbal drugs to that of competitor chemical antithrombotic drugs, and to examine their interactions with Western antithrombotic medicines. We have also proposed a road map to improve the commercialization of phytopharmaceuticals.
Composite fiscal decentralisation and green innovation: Imperative strategy for institutional reforms and sustainable development in OECD countries
Authors: Sun Yunpeng , Razzaq Asif 
Published: February 2022

AbstractImproving environmental quality and fiscal management has become one of the utmost imperative policy agendas for sustainable development. Although many studies explore multiple deriving factors of environmental sustainability; however, very little is known regarding the impact of composite (revenue and expenditure) fiscal decentralisation (FD) on environmental quality. Manifestly, the intergovernmental fiscal relations advocate to ensure the alignment of tax and spending powers to promote sustainable and inclusive growth. Therefore, we explore the asymmetric linkages between composite FD, green innovation, institutional governance and carbon emissions in 32 OECD countries. Our preliminary results confirm non‐linearity and structural changes in data, which instigate us to apply the asymmetric method of moments quantile regression. The overall findings exhibit that composite FD significantly mitigates carbon emissions only at medium to higher (5th–9th) emissions quantiles. In contrast, green innovation reduces carbon emissions from lower to medium (1st–5th) emissions quantiles. Institutional reforms promote environmental sustainability across all emissions quantiles (1st–9th). Interestingly, the emissions‐reducing effect of composite FD, green innovation and institutional governance is highest for higher emissions quantiles and lowest for lower emissions quantiles. These results provide valuable policy recommendations for all stakeholders.
Training and capacity building in medical statistics in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Impact of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine MSc in Medical Statistics, 1969 to 2021
Authors: Carpenter James R. , Todd Jim , Baisley Kathy , Bradley John , Tumwesigye Nazarius Mbona , Musonda Patrick , Chirwa Tobias 
Published: February 2022

AbstractSince its inception in 1969, the MSc in medical statistics program has placed a high priority on training students from Africa. In this article, we review how the program has shaped, and in turn been shaped by, two substantial capacity building initiatives: (a) a fellowship program, funded by the UK Medical Research Council, and run through the International Statistical Epidemiology Group at the LSHTM, and (b) the Sub‐Saharan capacity building in Biostatistics (SSACAB) initiative, administered through the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science in Africa (DELTAS) program of the African Academy of Sciences. We reflect on the impact of both initiatives, and the implications for future work in this area.
Fabrication of Oriented Colloidal Crystals from Capillary Assembly of Polymer‐Tethered Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Gao Yutong , Zhou Youshuang , Xu Xiangyun , Chen Chungui , Xiong Bijin , Zhu Jintao 
Published: February 2022

AbstractSelf‐assembled colloidal crystals (CCs) or nanoparticle (NPs) superlattices have attracted significant attention due to their potential applications in many fields. However, due to the complex interactions that govern the self‐assembly, it is difficult to predict and control the superstructure organization of CCs. Herein, a facile yet effective way is demonstrated to fabricate oriented CCs from capillary assembly of polymer‐tethered gold NPs (AuNPs). Assembly mechanism of polymer‐tethered AuNPs and their superlattice structures are systematically studied by in situ small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) technology. The results show that the oriented CCs of polymer‐tethered AuNPs can be obtained upon solvent evaporation in a capillary tube and the oriented structure is mainly determined by the chain length of polymer ligands and size of AuNPs. Assembly of AuNPs tethered by short‐chain ligand can result in oriented face‐centered cubic (fcc) superlattice, whereas AuNPs tethered by long‐chain ligand can assemble into an oriented body‐centered tetragonal (bct) superlattice structure. Interestingly, in situ SAXS study shows that for the sample of bct superlattice structure, a transformation from fcc to bct superlattice upon solvent evaporation is observed, which strongly depends on chain length of ligands. This work provides a useful guide for polymer‐tethered AuNPs to prepare orientation colloidal crystals.
Ambient Ammonia Synthesis via Electrochemical Reduction of Nitrate Enabled by NiCo2O4 Nanowire Array
Authors: Liu Qian , Xie Lisi , Liang Jie , Ren Yuchun , Wang Yuanyuan , Zhang Longcheng , Yue Luchao , Li Tingshuai , Luo Yongsong , Li Na , Tang Bo , Liu Yang , Gao Shuyan , Alshehri Abdulmohsen Ali , Shakir Imran , Agboola Philips O. , Kong Qingquan , Wang Qingyuan , Ma Dongwei , Sun Xuping 
Published: February 2022

AbstractNiCo2O4 nanowire array on carbon cloth (NiCo2O4/CC) is proposed as a highly active electrocatalyst for ambient nitrate (NO3−) reduction to ammonia (NH3). In 0.1 m NaOH solution with 0.1 m NaNO3, such NiCo2O4/CC achieves a high Faradic efficiency of 99.0% and a large NH3 yield up to 973.2 µmol h−1 cm−2. The superior catalytic activity of NiCo2O4 comes from its half‐metal feature and optimized adsorption energy due to the existence of Ni in the crystal structure. A Zn‐NO3− battery with NiCo2O4/CC cathode also shows a record‐high battery performance.
Academic freedom, institutions, and productivity
Authors: Berggren Niclas , Bjørnskov Christian 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe issue of what explains differences in the wealth of nations is one of the most classic in economics. We propose de facto academic freedom as an explanatory variable. The main idea is that such freedom allows for the development of new useful knowledge through research unconstrained by powerholders in business and politics. Using a new global panel‐data set, encompassing up to 127 countries over the period 1960–2015, we show that there is indeed a positive relationship between de facto academic freedom and both labor and total‐factor productivity growth. However, this effect only appears as long as the quality of the legal system is sufficiently high. We suggest that this is because such institutional quality offers protection that stimulates entrepreneurs to make use of the new knowledge produced in academia in innovative activities, which in turn benefits productivity growth.
What is Potentilla? A phylogeny‐based taxonomy for Potentillinae (Rosaceae)
Authors: Eriksson Torsten , Persson Nannie L. , Smedmark Jenny E.E. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractClassification of Potentilla L. has varied considerably through time. Some authors have collapsed all of the Potentilleae tribe into a single genus, while others have divided it into more than 20 genera. All those classifications, except for the one that collapsed them all, have rendered the genus Potentilla polyphyletic. We discuss Potentilla from a phylogenetic perspective in order to achieve a reasonable classification in which Potentilla is based on a clade (monophyly). Other criteria are taken into account, namely: history, phylogenetic stability, gene flow, information content and ease of identification. All previously described genera in Potentillinae are briefly discussed and assigned to major clades. In order to do this, it was necessary to designate types for: Fraga Lapeyr., Trichothalamus Spreng., and Dactylophyllum Spenn. We discuss seven scenarios, representing the effects of classifying Potentilla at the seven major clades in Potentillinae, and conclude that the most supported and least disruptive is to classify Potentilla as the clade comprising all of Potentillinae excluding the Anserina clade.
Almost there: On the importance of a comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystem for developing sustainable urban food forest enterprises
Authors: Wiek Arnim , Albrecht Stefanie 
Published: February 2022

AbstractSustainable food forests offer multiple benefits to urban sustainability challenges. Research to date mostly describes structure and services of individual food forests but provides little evidence and guidance for implementation. This study analyzes and evaluates an ongoing, multiyear, transdisciplinary project developing a sustainable urban food forest enterprise in Phoenix, AZ, through a collaboration between researchers and a coalition of nonprofit organizations. Unlike other food forest projects run by nonprofit organizations, this food forest originated as a sustainable enterprise that would provide jobs and livelihood opportunities in an economically marginalized urban area while pursuing social and environmental goals such as providing healthy food and a cooler microclimate. Efforts to date have built a coalition of supporters, secured a suitable site, codeveloped a vision and an action plan, and fundraised a major start‐up donation. We evaluate these outcomes against a suite of success factors derived from implementation of other food forests and explain challenges in realizing these factors through the lens of a comprehensive sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem. Data for the accompanying research was collected through direct and participant observations, review of project documents, informal conversations, a stakeholder survey, and research diary reflections. Research findings indicate that despite achieving all the success factors, at least to some extent, the underdeveloped sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem jeopardizes long‐term success and multiplication efforts. These findings confirm the importance of a sufficiently developed entrepreneurial ecosystem for successful development of sustainable food enterprises. They offer guidance to food entrepreneurs, urban developers, and city officials on how to develop and support sustainable food forest enterprises.
Learning to Diagnose Students’ Behavioral, Developmental, and Learning Disorders in a Simulation-Based Learning Environment for Pre-Service Teachers
Authors: Bauer Elisabeth , Sailer Michael , Kiesewetter Jan , Schulz Claudia , Gurevych Iryna , Fischer Martin R. , Fischer Frank 
Published: February 2022

AbstractReasoning about students who might have behavioral, developmental, or learning disorders is a relevant aspect of teachers’ everyday practice (Reinke et al., Sch Psychol Q 26(1):1, 2011). Therefore, this content area should be part of teacher education. Accordingly, we developed a simulation-based learning environment in which pre-service teachers gather information about six individual students. Learners examine reports about students’ behavior, e.g., in the classroom or at home, and analyze the students’ performance and records of their work. The pre-service teachers’ task is to integrate the given information and draw a diagnostic conclusion for each student. Several design aspects were investigated using the simulation. The most challenging design aspect was to automatically generate adaptive feedback on epistemic diagnostic activities and diagnostic outcomes (Schulz et al., e-teaching. org Themenspecial, Was macht Lernen mit digitalen Medien erfolgreich, 2019). The studies we conduct are replicated in a parallel project in medical education.
Ambitwistor strings and the scattering equations on AdS3×S3
Authors: Roehrig Kai , Skinner David 
Published: February 2022

AbstractWe construct an ambitwistor string that describes Type II supergravity on AdS3×S3with pure NS flux. The background Einstein equations ensure that the model is anomaly free. The spectrum consists of supergravity fluctuations around this background, with no higher string states. This theory transforms the problem of computingn-point tree-level amplitudes on AdS3into that of understanding an$$ {\mathfrak{sl}}_2 $$sl2Gaudin integrable system, whose representations are determined by the dual boundary operators and whose spectral parameters correspond to the worldsheet insertion points. The scattering equations take a similar form to flat space, withn(n −3)/2 parametersτijparametrizing the eigenvalues of the Gaudin model.
Gravitational waves from bubble collisions in FLRW spacetime
Authors: Zhong Haowen , Gong Biping , Qiu Taotao 
Published: February 2022

AbstractStochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) is a promising tool to probe the very early universe where the standard model of particle physics and cosmology are connected closely. As a possible component of SGWB, gravitational waves (GW) from bubble collisions during the first order cosmological phase transitions deserve comprehensive analyses. In 2017, Ryusuke Jinno and Masahiro Takimoto proposed an elegant analysis approach to derive the analytical expressions of energy spectra of GW from bubble collisions in Minkowski spacetime avoiding large-scale numerical simulations for the first time [26]. However, they neglect the expansion of the universe and regard the duration of phase transitions as infinity in their derivation which could deviate their estimations from true values. For these two reasons, we give a new expression of GW spectra by adopting their method, switching spacetime background to FLRW spacetime, and considering a finite duration of phase transitions. By denotingσas the fraction of the speed of phase transitions to the expansion speed of the universe, we find whenσis around$$ \mathcal{O} $$O(10), the maxima of estimated GW energy spectra drop by around 1 order of magnitude than the results given by their previous work. Even whenσ= 100, the maximum of GW energy spectrum is only 65% of their previous estimation. Such a significant decrease may bring about new challenges for the detectability of GW from bubble collisions. Luckily, by comparing new spectra with PLI (power-law integrated) sensitivity curves of GW detectors, we find that the detection prospect for GW from bubble collisions is still promising for DECIGO, BBO, LISA, and TianQin in the foreseeable future.
Increased inflammatory response is associated with less favorable functional results 5 years after total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Lützner Jörg , Beyer Franziska , Lützner Cornelia , Thomas Peter , Summer Burkhard 
Published: February 2022

AbstractPurposeAllergy against implant materials is discussed controversially and still not fully understood. Despite these controversies, a relevant number of patients receive hypoallergenic knee implants. The aim of this study was to compare a new coating system with the standard implant in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Additionally, the influence of proinflammatory cytokines on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) was investigated.Methods120 patients without known metal allergy and without previous metal implants were included. The patients were randomized to receive a coated or standard TKA of the same knee system. 105 patients completed the 5 year follow-up. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) including knee function (Oxford Knee Score, OKS), quality of life (SF36) and UCLA activity scale were assessed. Additionally, several cytokines with a possible role in implant allergy were measured in patient`s serum (IL-1beta, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IP-10, IFN γ, TNF α). Group comparison was performed using Mann–WhitneyUtest for continuous values and chi-square test for categorical values.ResultsThere were no differences in PROMs between both groups at any follow-up. The majority of patients demonstrated no elevation of the measured blood cytokines. The blood cytokine pattern after 5 years demonstrated no differences between study groups. There was a significant association between elevated IL-8 values and worse results in the overall OKS (p = 0.041), the OKS function component (p = 0.004), the UCLA activity scale (p = 0.007) and the physical component of SF36 (p = 0.001).ConclusionThere were no problems with the new coating during mid-term follow-up and no differences in PROMs between coated and standard TKA. Patients with an increased inflammatory response demonstrated worse functional results, regardless of the implant.Level of evidenceI.Clinical trial registrationThe study protocol was registered in the US National Institutes of Health’s database (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov) registry under NCT00862511.