bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benchmark and strategy development for microbial fuel cells in industrial wastewater treatment
Authors: Brunschweiger Sarah Rita Maria , Hofmann Thomas
Published: June 2023

The chemical energy hidden in wastewater can be extracted, turning an energy‐intensive treatment process into an energy‐independent one. However, conventional aerobic treat‐ ment is very energy intensive, and anaerobic treatment requires a post‐treatment step to meet stringent discharge requirements. Therefore, Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) have attracted a lot of attention because of their ability to extract electrical energy directly from wastewater during the treatment process. Since combustion losses can be avoided, theoretically the greatest energy value can be obtained from the organic load. However, most MFC research is currently still taking place on a laboratory scale in the treatment of synthetic or municipal wastewater. Commercialization of MFC technology will require large‐scale plants, for which a suitable MFC design and operation concepts must first be identified, since neither configuration nor operating system has been clearly established yet. In addition, no specific concepts and application fields currently exist for the treat‐ ment of industrial wastewater.

Consequently, with regard to MFCs in industrial wastewater treatment, the aim of this work is to develop a benchmark that serves for modeling the required overall efficiency of MFCs and to identify the most relevant key factors in order to derive enhancement strate‐ gies. By providing an overview of current MFCs in industrial wastewater treatment and developing a benchmark, the targets for long‐term operation of MFCs can be established allowing critical factors for design and operation to be identified. The resulting enhance‐ ment strategies were validated and the overall evaluation with the developed benchmark allowed an assessment regarding the commercialization potential.

Compared to the first MFC design (MFC 1.0), the enhanced MFC design (MFC 2.0) increased the power density by a factor of up to 11 and extended the long‐term stability to one year by increasing the specific cathode surface area and reducing the electrode spacing in conjunction with avoiding fiber clogging on the anode side. In addition to using beneficial brewery wastewater with high content of easily degradable organic acids and high conductivity, the performance of the MFC was further stabilized and improved by changing the operating mode to continuous operation and reducing the hydraulic re‐ tention time to 6 h, resulting in a mean organic removal rate of 6.5 ± 1.9 kg/(m3 · d). Although the overall energy efficiency is low compared to anaerobic treatment, the enor‐ mous wastewater treatment potential forms the basis for MFCs to become an alternative to conventional treatment technologies if self‐sufficient treatment is targeted. Due to the wide range of operating conditions and the modularity of stack systems, MFCs can become a promising option especially for industrial wastewater treatment.
Tastants and Taste‐Modulating Compounds in Traditional Asian Fermented Kimchi
Authors: Christa Peter , Hofmann Thomas
Published: June 2023

Die Untersuchung von Geschmacksstoffen in dem traditionellen koreanischen Gericht Kimchi mittels sensorischer Techniken ermöglichte die Identifizierung und Charakterisierung von Schlüsselgeschmacksstoffen auf quantitativer Basis. Verschiedene N‐Lactoyl‐ sowie N‐Succinoyl‐Aminosäurederi‐ vate wurden als geschmacksaktive bzw. ‐modulierende Verbindungen identifiziert und deren Beitrag insbesondere zum Umami‐ und Kokumi‐Geschmackseindruck auf molekularer Ebene verifiziert. Inkubationsexperimente belegten den unmittelbaren Einfluss der natürlichen Mikroflora für deren biosynthetische Bildung während der Fermentation. Darüber hinaus wurden diese sensorisch aktiven Verbindungen sowohl in diversen Variationen von Kimchi als auch in weiteren fermentierten Lebensmitteln wie Sauerkraut, Würzpasten und Sojasaucen nachgewiesen und umfassend quantifiziert.
Functional properties and chemical constituents of eight underutilized Ghanaian legumes
Authors: Eshun Guy , Lehmann Leane
Published: June 2023

The aim of this study was to determine the potential of some Ghanaian underutilized legumes in helping to reduce the problems of poverty, hunger and malnutrition among the vulnerable group of the Ghanaian population. The study looked into the functional properties, fat and fatty acid distribution, raffinose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, cyanide and isoflavone contents of raw and processed seed flours of Cajanus cajan, Canavalia ensiformis, Canavalia gladiata, Mucuna pruriens, Parkia biglobosa, Phaseolus lunatus and Vigna subterranea. The parameters mentioned above were also determined for raw fruit flour of Dialium guineense. In addition to these, the study also looked into the crude protein and starch contents of the raw and processed seed flours of Canavalia gladiata, Parkia biglobosa and Vigna subterranea. The obtained results suggest that the legumes may have untapped potential, which may be exploited to help assist in reducing hunger, malnutrition and poverty in Ghana. Results of the functional properties reveal that the legumes may serve useful roles in various food products. For instance, velvet tamarind (Dialium guineense) flour may be useful in infant food formulations because of it high solubility and low bulk density. African Locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) flour had the highest fat content among the studied flours, recording a fat content of approximately 14%. It may therefore be economical to express the oil and use the oil as an edible oil or for industrial applications for products such as soaps, shampoos, paints, etc. This means the properties of the oil of African Locust bean flour need to be studied to know the uses of the oil. Unsaturated fatty acids in the cis configuration formed more than 50% of the fatty acids in all the legumes. This observation coupled with the low sodium content of all the legumes suggest that these legumes may be suitable for consumption to prevent cardiovascular diseases. The daily nutrient needs of individuals can be met by the consumption of the appropriate amounts of these legumes. For example, 375.25 g of processed velvet beans (Mucuna pruriens) flour may be able to meet the adequate intake (AI) of 350 mg/day magnesium for adult males.
Effect of N‐Aryl Para‐Benzhydryl Substituent on the Thermal Stability of α‐Diimine Nickel Catalyst
Authors: Wang Cheng , Wang Dan , Xu Tao , Zhang Qisheng , Fu Zhisheng
Published: June 2023

The thermal stability of α‐diimine nickel catalysts has always been the focus of research. The introduction of large groups in the backbone or N‐aryl ortho‐position is a relatively mature solution. However, the question of whether the N‐aryl bond rotation is a factor affecting the thermal stability of nickel catalysts is still open. In this work, the effects of N‐aryl para‐benzhydryl substitutes on catalyst thermal stability are investigated, and the results of ethylene polymerization and the factors affecting thermal stability (steric effect, electronic effect, five‐membered coordination ring stability, N‐aryl bond rotation, etc.) are systematically analyzed. It is believed that the introduction of large steric hindrance groups at the N‐aryl para‐position hinders the rotation of the N‐aryl bond. This obstacle effect is beneficial to improving catalyst thermal stability, and the obstacle capacity is weakened with the increase of ortho‐substituent size.
Access to care for Colorado youth with acute mental health needs becomes law
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: June 2023

Concerns about Colorado children and youths with acute mental health needs being boarded in emergency departments (EDs) due to the lack of alternative treatment settings, services and supports have now been alleviated following the unanimous passage of a bipartisan bill to ensure youths receive appropriate treatment. Gov. Jared Polis signed the bill into law June 5.
Collaborative care model needed to address youth MH crisis
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: June 2023

An integrated behavioral health model is providing the strongest evidence base to effectively treat the needs of the country's mental health care system, especially for children and adolescents; however, its uptake among health systems and primary care providers has been slow, especially in pediatric practices, according to the authors of a new report by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.
Services for LGBTQ+ youth lacking in public MH facilities
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: June 2023

Compared with heterosexual or cisgender youth, LGBTQ+ youth have three times higher prevalence of depression and anxiety, according to University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers. The researchers observed that little is known about the availability of LGBTQ+ specific services at youth‐serving mental health facilities, even though it is a research priority given that suicidal ideation is two to three times more prevalent among LGBTQ+ youth than LGBTQ+ adults.
A nonlocal diffusion SIR epidemic model with nonlocal incidence rate and free boundaries
Authors: Zhou Li , Chen Yujuan
Published: June 2023

This paper is concerned with the spreading or vanishing of an epidemic disease which is characterized by a nonlocal diffusion SIR model with nonlocal incidence rate and double free boundaries. We prove that the disease will vanish if the basic reproduction number
, or the initial area
, the initial datum
, and the expanding ability
are sufficiently small when
. Otherwise, the disease will spread to the whole area if
, when
is suitably large or
is small but
is large enough. Moreover, we also show the long‐time asymptotic limit of the solution when vanishing happens.
A strategy for avoiding spurious localized buckling modes in topology optimization
Authors: Ferrari Federico , Sigmund Ole
Published: June 2023

We introduce a strategy preventing the occurrence of spurious modes in the spectrum computed by linearized buckling analysis in the context of topology optimization. Spurious buckling modes may appear in low density regions, a well‐known and largely discussed phenomenon. However, localized modes may also appear in solid areas, where stress concentrations occur. This second phenomenon, which is due to the inherent limitations of the linearized buckling analysis when used for complex stress states, is hardly addressed in the topology optimization literature. The remedy we propose makes use of elementary operations in the topology optimization framework: filtering and erosion, but now applied to the stress field. We show how this simple strategy helps mitigating the occurrence of spurious modes, in turn regularizing the optimization process towards high performance designs, which are then verified by nonlinear analysis.
The prediction of effort–reward imbalance for reward motivation
Authors: Pan Yi‐ming , Hu Hui‐xin , Wang Ling‐ling , Wang Hui , Lui Simon S. Y. , Huang Jia , Chan Raymond C. K.
Published: June 2023

This sequential mediation analysis study examined how the baseline effort–reward imbalance (ERI) would predict reward motivation 1 year later in 435 college students. We found that negative/disorganized schizotypal traits and anticipatory pleasure experience together mediate the prediction of ERI for reward motivation.
Permeability in barrier membranes: Comparison between experiments, direct calculations, and analytical models
Authors: Demoor Rodrigo , Tomba J. Pablo
Published: June 2023

This paper compares direct calculations, experimental data and analytical models in materials with controlled barrier microstructure. Confocal Raman was used to follow mass transport of a penetrant, hexadecanol (HDOL), through the barrier structure. produced by carving holes in specific positions and orientations in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. Finite element method (FEM) was used to predict maps of HDOL concentration around the obstacles, which were directly compared to Raman data. Effective diffusion coefficients were obtained in homogeneized microstructures of slender obstacles in diluted and semi‐concentrated obstacles regimes. Results were compared with predictions of simple analytical models: Nielsen, Lape, those derived from the ideas of Bharadwaj (Greco; Greco and Maffezzolli), and those developed from FEM simulations (Minelli et al. and Dondero et al.). For the first time, predictions of these widely used analytical models could be tested against well‐controlled barrier membranes. The influence of obstacle orientation, size polydispersity and eventual aggregation, all features occurring in real polymeric nanocomposites are analyzed. Some limitations about the use of simple analytical models to interpret permeability data in real nanocomposites are discussed.
Direct hydrogenation of nitrile butadiene rubber latex using M41 catalyst
Authors: Liu Junjie , Jia Mingqi , Yuan Fei , Hong Zitong , Tong Weichao , Zheng Chengzhuo , Wang Chuanqi , Wang Hui
Published: June 2023

Hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) is a high‐performance elastomer widely used in the petrochemical and automotive industries. A ruthenium‐based catalyst, namely [1,3‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)‐2‐imidazolidinylidene]‐[2‐[[(4‐methylphenyl)imino]methyl]‐4‐nitrophenoyl]chloro[3‐phenylindenylidene]ruthenium(II) (M41), was investigated for the direct hydrogenation of NBR latex. The catalytic selectivity for the hydrogenation of CC bond instead of CN group was confirmed by both Fourier transform infrared and 1H NMR spectroscopies. The effects of reaction conditions (such as temperature, pressure, catalyst levels, agitation speed and solid content) on the hydrogenation reaction were examined, and hydrogenation products with over 95 mol% conversion were obtained for only 3 h with a catalyst/NBR ratio of 0.05 wt% and no gel was formed within HNBR. The results suggest that the current limitations in the hydrogenation of NBR latex could be addressed with this catalyst. © 2023 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
On the nonexistent Nobel Prizes for two pioneers of modern physical organic chemistry: Sir Christopher K. Ingold and Saul Winstein†
Authors: Seeman Jeffrey I. , Restrepo Guillermo
Published: June 2023

The careers of two pioneers of modern physical organic chemistry, Sir Christopher K. Ingold and Saul Winstein, are discussed and compared. Despite the fact that Ingold received 112 nominations from 77 nominees for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (NPch), he never received that award. Winstein, also a non‐recipient of the NPch, died prematurely at the age of 57. In his last 3 years, Winstein received 22 nominations from 18 nominators, seven of whom received or would receive the NPch themselves. Analyses of the Nobel Nomination Archive along with other evidence are used to explain Ingold's experience. A detailed examination of Winstein's career along with relevant historical data suggests that Winstein was a highly probable Nobelist had he lived just a few years longer. The relationship of Ingold's and Winstein's careers and the politics of the Nobel Prize selection process including the possibility that they would have shared a Nobel Prize are presented.
Designing of benzofuran‐based monomers for photodetectors through similarity analysis and library enumeration
Authors: Saqib Muhammad , Mubashir Tayyaba , Tahir Mudassir Hussain , Javed Muqadas , Hameed Asima , Aziz Asad , Sayed Shaban R. M. , El‐ansary Hosam O.
Published: June 2023

Organic molecules have been extensively utilized in various applications including materials science, chemical, and biomedical fields. Traditionally, the design of organic molecules is achieved through experimental approaches, guided by conceptual insights, intuition, and experience. Although these experimental approaches have been successfully utilized to unveil various high‐performance materials, these methods show serious limitations due to vast design space and the ever‐increasing demand for organic molecules (new materials). Artificial intelligence with computer science is used by modern researchers to design materials with better performance and for predicting the properties of new materials. Herein, benzofuran‐based building blocks are used as a standard molecule to search for new building blocks. Similarity analysis is performed to screen/search potential candidates for photodetectors based on the chemical structural similarity. Extended‐connectivity fingerprints (ECFPs) are used for the similarity analysis. The virtual libraries of unique monomers are enumerated. The breaking retro‐synthetically interesting chemical substructures (BRICS) method is also used to design building blocks by automatically decomposing and combining monomers in enumerated libraries. Moreover, this work offers a potential way to identify new monomers for photodetectors cost‐effectively and rapidly.
Combined analytical and molecular dynamics model of electrocaloric effect in poly(VDF‐co‐TrFE) copolymer
Authors: Sultanov Vadim I. , Atrazhev Vadim V. , Dmitriev Dmitry V.
Published: June 2023

A combined analytical and molecular dynamics model for the electrocaloric effect in ferroelectric poly(vinylidene difluoride‐co‐trifluoroethylene) copolymer (poly(VDF‐co‐TrFE)) is developed. The model calculates the polymer polarization, , and temperature change under adiabatic electric field variation, , as functions of temperature. An analytical component of the model is based on the Landau phenomenological theory adapted for modeling of the first order phase transitions in a polymer crystal from a ferroelectric β phase to a paraelectric conformationally disordered (condis) phase. Parameters of the free energy functional are calibrated through molecular dynamics simulations of poly(VDF‐co‐TrFE) perfect crystal. Random orientation and the scatter of the phase transition temperature for various crystallites in a real amorphous‐crystalline polymer are incorporated into the model. Comparison of the model prediction with experimental data shows good agreement for while the model overestimates the value of by approximately 2.5 times. We attribute this discrepancy to the presence of structural defects in real polymer crystallites, which reduces the entropy change under the phase transition compared to the perfect crystal simulated in our molecular dynamics approach. The theoretical limit of calculated by the model indicates that can be increased up to 3 times compared to the currently observed experimental value of .
Conditional survival does not improve over time in metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer patients undergoing docetaxel
Authors: Modonutti Daniele , Majdalany Sami E. , Butaney Mohit , Davis Matthew J. , Corsi Nicholas , Sood Akshay , Trinh Quoc‐Dien , Cole Alexander P. , Rogers Craig G. , Novara Giacomo , Abdollah Firas
Published: June 2023

Purpose

To investigate the conditional overall survival (OS) of metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients receiving docetaxel chemotherapy.

Methods

We used deidentified patient‐level data from the Prostate Cancer DREAM Challenge database and the control arm of the ENTHUSE 14 trial. We identified 2158 chemonaïve mCRPC patients undergoing docetaxel chemotherapy in the five randomized clinical trials. The 6‐month conditional OS was calculated at times 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months from randomization. Survival curves of each group were compared using the log‐rank test. Patients were then stratified into low‐ and high‐risk groups based on the median predicted value of our recently published nomogram predicting OS in mCRPC patients.

Results

Nearly half (45%) of the study population was aged between 65 and 74 years. Median interquartile range prostate‐specific antigen for the overall cohort was 83.2 (29.6–243) ng/mL, and 59% of patients had bone metastasis with or without lymph node involvement. The 6‐month conditional survival rates at 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months for the entire cohort were 93% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 92–94), 82% (95% CI: 81–84), 76% (95% CI: 73–78), 75% (95% CI: 71–78), and 71% (95% CI: 65–76). These rates were, respectively, 96% (95% CI: 95–97), 92% (95% CI: 90–93), 84% (95% CI: 81–87), 81% (95% CI: 77–85), and 79% (95% CI: 72–84) in the low‐risk group and 89% (95% CI: 87–91), 73% (95% CI: 70–76), 65% (95% CI: 60–69), 64% (95% CI: 58–70), and 58% (95% CI: 47–67) in the high‐risk group.

Conclusion

The conditional OS for patients undergoing docetaxel chemotherapy tends to plateau over time, with the main drop in conditional OS happening during the first year from initiating docetaxel treatment. That is the longer a patient survives, the more likely they are to survive further. This prognostic information could be a useful tool for a more accurate tailoring of both follow‐up and therapies.

Patient Summary

In this report, we looked at the future survival in months of patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer on chemotherapy who have already survived a certain period. We found that the longer time that a patient survives, the more likely they will continue to survive. We conclude that this information will help physicians tailor follow‐ups and treatments for patients for a more accurate personalized medicine.
p‐Aminobenzoic acid inhibits the growth of soybean pathogen Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines by altering outer membrane integrity
Authors: Jiang Yong‐Hui , Liu Ting , Shi Xin‐Chi , Herrera‐Balandrano Daniela D , Xu Mei‐Ting , Wang Su‐Yan , Laborda Pedro
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND

p‐Aminobenzoic acid (pABA) is an environmentally friendly bioactive metabolite synthesized by Lysobacter antibioticus. This compound showed an unusual antifungal mode of action based on cytokinesis inhibition. However, the potential antibacterial properties of pABA remain unexplored.

RESULTS

In this study, pABA showed antibacterial activity against Gram‐negative bacteria. This metabolite inhibited growth (EC50 = 4.02 mM), and reduced swimming motility, extracellular protease activity, and biofilm formation in the soybean pathogen Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines (Xag). Although pABA was previously reported to inhibit fungal cell division, no apparent effect was observed on Xag cell division genes. Instead, pABA reduced the expression of various membrane integrity‐related genes, such as cirA, czcA, czcB, emrE, and tolC. Consistently, scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that pABA caused major alternations in Xag morphology and blocked the formation of bacterial consortiums. In addition, pABA reduced the content and profile of outer membrane proteins and lipopolysaccharides in Xag, which may explain the observed effects. Preventive and curative applications of 10 mM pABA reduced Xag symptoms in soybean plants by 52.1% and 75.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The antibacterial properties of pABA were studied for the first time, revealing new insights into its potential application for the management of bacterial pathogens. Although pABA was previously reported to show an antifungal mode of action based on cytokinesis inhibition, this compound inhibited Xag growth by altering the outer membrane's integrity. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
A Computational Understanding of Electronic, Magnetic, Mechanical, Thermoelectric, and Thermodynamic Properties of Rhodium‐Based Full‐Heusler Alloys Rh2MnX (X = Sc, Ti, Zr)
Authors: Singh Joginder , Singh Astha , Alotaibi Nouf H. , Nazir Ghazanfar , Lal Chaman , Dar Sajad Ahmad
Published: June 2023

The present investigation has been carried to know the magnetic talent, mechanical strength, thermoelectric transport properties, and thermal results on Rh2MnX (X = Sc, Ti, Zr) full‐Heusler alloys. The structural investigation presents these alloys to be stable in 225 (Fm‐3m) cubic space group. Electronic results characterize these alloys as metallic in both spin channels. From elastic data results, these compounds are found to be mechanically stable in cubic space group. The mechanical study shows ductile nature for Rh2MnSc while it is brittle for Rh2MnTi and Rh2MnZr. The large value of bulk modulus for these compounds presents their stiffer resistance. The temperature‐dependent thermoelectric transport properties for these materials are calculated. The increasing nature of Ke/τ for all the three compounds presents their conducting nature. Increasing value of power factor with temperature advocates the use of these materials for high‐temperature thermoelectric devices. All the three materials present a large value of total magnetic moment greater than 4 μB and hence can contribute to advanced magnetic materials. The thermodynamic investigation is carried out using Gibbs2 program.
Probing the spin states of tetra‐coordinated iron(II) porphyrins by their vibrational and pre K‐edge x‐ray absorption spectra
Authors: Mukhopadhyaya Aritra , Sharma Munish , Oppeneer Peter M. , Ali Md. Ehesan
Published: June 2023

Tetra‐coordinated iron(II) porphyrins are observed in triplet (intermediate spin, IS) ground state with low‐lying quintet (high spin, HS) and singlet (low spin, LS) excited states. It is well known in the literature that the bond distances are dependent on the spin state such that the distances are larger for HS compared to the LS/IS states. This implies the existence of strong magneto‐structural correlations. Herein, the possibility to obtain the spin‐state information for a series of tetra‐coordinated square planar iron(II) porphyrin complexes have been explored by exploiting the magneto‐structural correlations obtained from first principle calculations. The spin‐state dependent nature of the chemical bonds and spin polarization on the N‐atoms play a crucial role in the vibrational dynamics of the central Fe‐atom. Theoretical nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) is adopted to investigate the vibrational dynamics and the Fe‐atom associated spectral peaks and their spin‐dependent features. We find that NRVS studies along with iron pre‐K‐edge x‐ray absorption analysis convincingly provide the information on the spin state, which could be utilized to identify the spin states without adopting any magnetic probes.
One‐stop‐shop: Lung cancer and pheochromocytoma diagnosed by robotic‐assisted bronchoscopy and EBUS scope on a single endoscopic event
Authors: Koratala Anoop , Chandra Nikitha C. , Yu Lee‐Mateus Alejandra , Abia‐Trujillo David , Hazelett Britney N. , Reisenauer Janani , Chadha Ryan , Fernandez‐Bussy Sebastian
Published: June 2023

Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer worldwide, therefore, early and prompt diagnosis is essential for better patient outcomes. It is known to have a high predilection for metastasis to the adrenal glands; however, two‐thirds of adrenal masses in patients with lung cancer will turn out to be benign, so timely detection is crucial. We present a case of a lung squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed by shape‐sensing robotic‐assisted bronchoscopy (ssRAB), negative mediastinal and hilar staging with endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA), and a pheochromocytoma diagnosed through endoscopic ultrasound with bronchoscope (EUS‐B) fine needle aspiration (FNA) all in the same endoscopic procedure.
Immunoinformatics applications in the development of therapeutic vaccines against human papillomavirus‐related infections and cervical cancer
Authors: Matos Alexandre Santos , Invenção Maria da Conceição Viana , Moura Ingrid Andrêssa de , Freitas Antonio Carlos de , Batista Marcus Vinicius de Aragão
Published: June 2023

The human papillomavirus (HPV) represents the most prevalent sexually transmitted infectious agent worldwide. HPV penetrates the epithelium through microlesions and establishes an infectious focus that can lead to the development of cervical cancer. Prophylactic HPV vaccines are available, but do not affect already‐established infections. Using in silico prediction tools is a promising strategy for identifying and selecting vaccine candidate T cell epitopes. An advantage of this strategy is that epitopes can be selected according to the degree of conservation within a group of antigenic proteins. This makes achieving comprehensive genotypic coverage possible with a small set of epitopes. Therefore, this paper revises the general characteristics of HPV biology and the current knowledge on developing therapeutic peptide vaccines against HPV‐related infections and cervical cancer.
Virus infection participates in the occurrence and development of human diseases through monoamine oxidase
Authors: Sun Yujie , Liu Wen , Luo Bing
Published: June 2023

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is a membrane‐bound mitochondrial enzyme that maintains the steady state of neurotransmitters and other biogenic amines in biological systems through catalytic oxidation and deamination. MAO dysfunction is closely related to human neurological and psychiatric diseases and cancers. However, little is known about the relationship between MAO and viral infections in humans. This review summarises current research on how viral infections participate in the occurrence and development of human diseases through MAO. The viruses discussed in this review include hepatitis C virus, dengue virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, human immunodeficiency virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Epstein‐Barr virus, and human papillomavirus. This review also describes the effects of MAO inhibitors such as phenelzine, clorgyline, selegiline, M‐30, and isatin on viral infectious diseases. This information will not only help us to better understand the role of MAO in the pathogenesis of viruses but will also provide new insights into the treatment and diagnosis of these viral diseases.
FastFusion: Deep stereo‐LiDAR fusion for real‐time high‐precision dense depth sensing
Authors: Meng Haitao , Li Changcai , Zhong Chonghao , Gu Jianfeng , Chen Gang , Knoll Alois
Published: June 2023

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and stereo cameras are two generally used solutions for perceiving 3D information. The complementary properties of these two sensor modalities motivate a fusion to derive practicable depth sensing toward real‐world applications. Promoted by deep neural network (DNN) techniques, recent works achieve superior performance on accuracy. However, the complex architecture and the sheer number of DNN parameters often lead to poor generalization capacity and non‐real‐time computing. In this paper, we present FastFusion, a three‐stage stereo‐LiDAR deep fusion scheme, which integrates the LiDAR priors into each step of classical stereo‐matching taxonomy, gaining high‐precision dense depth sensing in a real‐time manner. We integrate stereo‐LiDAR information by taking advantage of a compact binary neural network and utilize the proposed cross‐based LiDAR trust aggregation to further fuse the sparse LiDAR measurements in the back‐end of stereo matching. To align the photometrical of the input image and the depth of the estimation, we introduce a refinement network to guarantee consistency. More importantly, we present a graphic processing unit‐based acceleration framework for providing a low‐latency implementation of FastFusion, gaining both accuracy improvement and real‐time responsiveness. In the experiments, we demonstrate the effectiveness and practicability of FastFusion, which obtains a significant speedup over state‐of‐the‐art baselines while achieving comparable accuracy on depth sensing. The video demo for real‐time depth estimation of FastFusion on the real‐world driving scenario is available at https://youtu.be/nP7cls2BA8s.
Potential interference of organic acids and ferrous iron in the interpretation of Fe and Mn indicators of reduction in soil
Authors: Loffredo Joseph A. , Rabenhorst Martin C. , Stolt Mark H. , Amador Jose A.
Published: June 2023

Removal of manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) oxide coatings from indicators of reduction in soil (IRIS) is considered a function of microbial reduction of these elements under sufficiently reducing conditions, but there may be situations where removal is abiotic. We examined whether abiotic removal of Mn and Fe oxide coatings may be facilitated by organic acids and whether loss of Mn can take place via chemical reduction by ferrous iron (Fe2+) in vitro. Loss of color from Mn‐IRIS in citric acid solution was highest at 1 and 10 mM regardless of pH, with no loss observed at lower concentrations. Effects of citric acid on Fe‐IRIS were also limited to 1 and 10 mM, but color loss only occurred at pH 4.5 and the rate and extent of loss were lower than for Mn‐IRIS. Color loss from Mn‐IRIS in oxalic acid was highest at 1 and 10 mM and increased with decreasing pH. Effects of oxalic acid on loss of color from Fe‐IRIS were limited to 1 and 10 mM. Loss of color from Mn‐IRIS was limited to 10 mM salicylic acid and pH 4.5, with no effect on Fe‐IRIS regardless of concentration and pH. Only the two highest concentrations of Fe2+(50 and 100 mM) resulted in reduction of the Mn‐IRIS coating and subsequent deposition of an Fe oxide coating. Organic acids and pH have a differential effect on color loss from Mn‐ and Fe‐IRIS, with only high concentrations of organic acids at low pH possibly interfering with interpretation.
Fabrication, Characterization and Therapeutic Evaluation of Fluoxetine‐Dextran Nanoparticles
Authors: Naz Asia , Hashim Faiza , Ali Syed Abid , Badshah Munair
Published: June 2023

In recent times conventional dosage forms face a number of challenges, i. e., adverse effects, low absorption of drugs, and delivery at the targeted sites for desired therapeutic effect. In the current study, dextran‐fluoxetine nanoconjugates were prepared, characterized, and evaluated for therapeutic efficacy. Dextran was oxidized via aldehyde functional group subsequently conjugated with fluoxetine using Schiff based reaction. Characterization techniques like ultra‐violet spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed successful drug‐polymer conjugation. Nanoconjugates size and shape was assessed using dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy respectively, whereas thermo‐gravimetric analysis revealed the stability. Drug loading was found 21 %, whereas the drug release for 48 h showed 28 % release at pH=5 and 16 % at pH=7.4. Anticancer activity of the nanoparticles was assessed using HeLa cell lines and revealed 99.5 % cellular inhibition whereas cytotoxic assay was done using healthy cell line 3T3 showing 14.6 % cell inhibition. This study showed controlled release of drugs from the nanoparticles in the simulated conditions and has potential to reduce associated adverse effects. It is hypothesized that these nanoparticles may find application in anticancer drugs‐controlled release with reduced toxicities.
Synthesis of Ag−/Graphene Aerogel Composite for Removal of Methyl Orange
Authors: Xuan Trinh Truong Thi Phuong Nguyet , Mong Thy Lu Thi , That Buu Ton , Duy Hai Nguyen , An Hoang , Hoai Nam Nguyen Thanh , Hoang Lin Tong , Gia Phu Lam Dinh , Hien Le Viet , Minh Dat Nguyen , Thanh Phong Mai , Huu Hieu Nguyen
Published: June 2023

In this study, silver‐titanium dioxide/graphene aerogel (Ag−TiO2/GA−ATG) was synthesized via chemical reduction using ethylene diamine (EDA). The effects of reductant doses on the formation of the three‐dimensional structure and the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of ATG were evaluated with five different volumes (20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 μL), corresponding to the ATG1, ATG2, ATG3, and ATG4, respectively. The results showed that 40 μL of EDA was the suitable condition for the formation of ATG three‐dimensional structure. Characterizations revealed that ATG3 was successfully synthesized with distinctive peaks of Ag and TiO2 in the X‐ray diffraction patterns whilst scanning electron microscope and high resolution transmission electron microscope images showed a porous structure, silver nanoparticles and TiO2 with an average size of 10–25 nm were uniformly distributed on the graphene surface. Furthermore, ATG3 possessed the highest photocatalytic capability to deteriorate methyl orange with an efficiency of up to 99.53 % with a catalyst dose of 0.3 mg/mL, superior compared to those of TiO2 and TiO2/GA. The radicals scavenging experiments elucidated ⋅
to majorly contribute to the photodegradation process. Moreover, ATG3 showed high recyclability, which retains 80 % of yield even after 10 cycles. Those findings proved that ATG has high potential in the environmental remediation field.
Adsorption of Thorium (IV) from Aqueous Solution by Htpop Containing Active Imine
Authors: Xu Yufen , Peng Tianqiong , Liu Zengcheng , Wang Yanfei
Published: June 2023

Bis (diphenyl phosphate) imine (Htpop) was synthesized using a simple one‐step solvent method to remove thorium (IV) from aqueous solutions. The structure, functional group displacement, morphological differences, and elemental composition of the samples were analyzed using characterization techniques such as NMR, FTIR, SEM, EDS, and XPS. According to the batch experiment, when pH=4.0 and temperature was 298 K, the adsorption equilibrium can be reached within 40 min, and the adsorption capacity was 189.32 mg ⋅ g−1. The adsorption process conforms to the quasi‐second‐order kinetic model (R2=0.9959) and Langmuir model (R2=0.9971). Thermodynamic data (▵H0<0, ▵G0<0) indicate that the adsorption behavior of thorium (IV) in Htpop was spontaneous and exothermic.
Coal Fly Ash‐based P Zeolite‐anchored CuxO as an Efficient Catalyst for Heterogeneous Photo‐Fenton Degradation of Methylene Blue
Authors: Li Lei , Gan Simeng , Zhang Huabing , Sun Houxiang , Zhong Zicong
Published: June 2023

The environmental quality has been given more attention because of the potential hazards brought by urbanization and industrialization. Therefore, this study proposed a comprehensive utilization method for treating dye wastewater using solid waste. P zeolite was prepared using coal fly ash (CFA), and then anchored with CuxO as catalyst (CuxO/P) for heterogeneous Fenton‐like degradation of methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet irradiation (UV). Compared with P zeolite and CuO, the catalyst CuxO/P showed the highest degradation efficiency of MB in combination with H2O2and UV (98.3 %) after 90 min of reaction. This can be attributed to the involvement of copper component and the dispersion of P zeolite as the carrier. The MB degradation reaction was consistent with first‐order kinetics. The sum of the rate constant k in the CuxO/P+H2O2(0.0030 min−1) and CuxO/P+UV (0.0035 min−1) system is much lower than that in the CuxO/P+H2O2+UV system (0.0491 min−1), indicating a strong synergistic effect among CuxO/P, H2O2, and UV. Meanwhile, the catalyst CuxO/P with excellent stability and renewability presented a degradation efficiency of over 95 % in 5 cycles, exhibiting considerable application prospects in dye wastewater treatment. Furthermore, the most effectively radical was ⋅OH generated by catalytic H2O2. This work provided a new perspective for the reuse of coal fly ash. It would be one of the most efficient and comprehensive utilization ways to treat wastewater with solid waste.
Self‐Assembled Microactuators Using Chiral Liquid Crystal Elastomers
Authors: Lee Yoo Jin , Abdelrahman Mustafa K. , Kalairaj Manivannan Sivaperuman , Ware Taylor H.
Published: June 2023

Materials that undergo reversible changes in form typically require top‐down processing to program the microstructure of the material. As a result, it is difficult to program microscale, 3D shape‐morphing materials that undergo non‐uniaxial deformations. Here, a simple bottom‐up fabrication approach to prepare bending microactuators is described. Spontaneous self‐assembly of liquid crystal (LC) monomers with controlled chirality within 3D micromold results in a change in molecular orientation across thickness of the microstructure. As a result, heating induces bending in these microactuators. The concentration of chiral dopant is varied to adjust the chirality of the monomer mixture. Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) microactuators doped with 0.05 wt% of chiral dopant produce needle‐shaped actuators that bend from flat to an angle of 27.2 ± 11.3° at 180 °C. Higher concentrations of chiral dopant lead to actuators with reduced bending, and lower concentrations of chiral dopant lead to actuators with poorly controlled bending. Asymmetric molecular alignment inside 3D structure is confirmed by sectioning actuators. Arrays of microactuators that all bend in the same direction can be fabricated if symmetry of geometry of the microstructure is broken. It is envisioned that the new platform to synthesize microstructures can further be applied in soft robotics and biomedical devices.
Nucleic Acid Enzyme‐Activated CRISPR‐Cas12a With Circular CRISPR RNA for Biosensing
Authors: Wu Yunping , Chang Dingran , Chang Yangyang , Zhang Qiang , Liu Yi , Brennan John D. , Li Yingfu , Liu Meng
Published: June 2023

clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)‐Cas systems are increasingly used in biosensor development. However, directly translating recognition events for non‐nucleic acid targets by CRISPR into effective measurable signals represents an important ongoing challenge. Herein, it is hypothesized and confirmed that CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) in a circular topology efficiently render Cas12a incapable of both site‐specific double‐stranded DNA cutting and nonspecific single‐stranded DNA trans cleavage. Importantly, it is shown that nucleic acid enzymes (NAzymes) with RNA‐cleaving activity can linearize the circular crRNAs, activating CRISPR‐Cas12a functions. Using ligand‐responsive ribozymes and DNAzymes as molecular recognition elements, it is demonstrated that target‐triggered linearization of circular crRNAs offers great versatility for biosensing. This strategy is termed as “NAzyme‐Activated CRISPR‐Cas12a with Circular CRISPR RNA (NA3C).” Use of NA3C for clinical evaluation of urinary tract infections using an Escherichia coli‐responsive RNA‐cleaving DNAzyme to test 40 patient urine samples, providing a diagnostic sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 90%, is further demonstrated.
V4C3 MXene Immune Profiling and Modulation of T Cell‐Dendritic Cell Function and Interaction
Authors: Fusco Laura , Gazzi Arianna , Shuck Christopher E. , Orecchioni Marco , Ahmed Eiman I , Giro Linda , Zavan Barbara , Yilmazer Açelya , Ley Klaus , Bedognetti Davide , Gogotsi Yury , Delogu Lucia Gemma
Published: June 2023

Although vanadium‐based metallodrugs are recently explored for their effective anti‐inflammatory activity, they frequently cause undesired side effects. Among 2D nanomaterials, transition metal carbides (MXenes) have received substantial attention for their promise as biomedical platforms. It is hypothesized that vanadium immune properties can be extended to MXene compounds. Therefore, vanadium carbide MXene (V4C3) is synthetized, evaluating its biocompatibility and intrinsic immunomodulatory effects. By combining multiple experimental approaches in vitro and ex vivo on human primary immune cells, MXene effects on hemolysis, apoptosis, necrosis, activation, and cytokine production are investigated. Furthermore, V4C3 ability is demonstrated to inhibit T cell‐dendritic cell interactions, evaluating the modulation of CD40–CD40 ligand interaction, two key costimulatory molecules for immune activation. The material biocompatibility at the single‐cell level on 17 human immune cell subpopulations by single‐cell mass cytometry is confirmed. Finally, the molecular mechanism underlying V4C3 immune modulation is explored, demonstrating a MXene‐mediated downregulation of antigen presentation‐associated genes in primary human immune cells. The findings set the basis for further V4C3 investigation and application as a negative modulator of the immune response in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Wellposedness and regularity for linear Maxwell equations with surface current
Authors: Dörich Benjamin , Zerulla Konstantin
Published: June 2023

We study linear time-dependent Maxwell equations on a cuboid consisting of two homogeneous subcuboids. At the interface, we allow for nonzero surface charge density and surface current. This model is a first step towards a detailed mathematical analysis of the interaction of single-layer materials with electromagnetic fields. The main results of this paper provide several wellposedness and regularity statements for the solutions of the Maxwell system. To prove the statements, we employ extension arguments using interpolation theory, as well as semigroup theory and regularity theory for elliptic transmission problems.
Mode-II progressive fracture of sawn timber and timber-adhesive bond: experimental evaluation of end notched flexure (ENF) testing using DIC
Authors: Rahman Shaikh Atikur , Subhani Mahbube , Ashraf Mahmud
Published: June 2023

The end-notched flexure (ENF) testing technique has been used in this paper to investigate the Mode II fracture behaviour of sawn timber and timber-adhesive bonds. Mode-II strain energy release rates were obtained by using classical data reduction schemes based on actual crack lengths captured using digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The compliance-based beam method (CBBM), which does not require the actual crack length measurements, was also evaluated for its suitability for Mode-II fracture of timber. Utilizing forward shear slip measurement from DIC at every millimetre of crack length, a simple yet effective and innovative technique to identify crack tip opening and to monitor crack length has been proposed herein. Three different initial notch widths were used in the current study to examine their suitability in producing reliable crack initiation and consistent bond delamination in solid timber and glued timber. The strain energy release rates calculated from the actual crack and equivalent crack length values showed similar trends in fracture resistance curves, which are commonly known as R curves, but the initial strain energy release rate (GII0) and the critical strain energy rate (GIIC) obtained from the two methods showed some discrepancies. Equivalent crack method CBBM was found to be inadequate in determining a consistent initial strain energy release rate despite producing a stable and steady fracture energy after crack initiation. Experimental results showed that Mode-II timber-adhesive bond line fracture is relatively more brittle than timber fracture, and the average critical strain energy release rate of timber-adhesive bond (GIIc) was 14% greater than that of sawn timber. Based on experimental observations, specific test criteria for ENF testing of timber structures are proposed in this paper.