bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lignocellulose-Based Superabsorbent Polymer Gel Crosslinked with Magnesium Aluminum Silicate for Highly Removal of Zn (II) from Aqueous Solution
Authors: An Yuhong , Zhang Wanqi , Liu Hui , Zhong Yuan , Hu Zichu , Shao Yali , Chen Zhangjing , Ren Yukun , Wang Boyun , Wang Sunguo , Zhang Xiaotao , Wang Ximing
Published: December 2021

Lignocellulose (LCE) was ultrasonically treated and intercalated into magnesium aluminum silicate (MOT) clay to prepare a nano-lignocellulose magnesium aluminum silicate polymer gel (nano-LCE-MOT) for the removal of Zn (II) from aqueous solution. The product was characterised using nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm measurements, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The conditions for the adsorption of Zn (II) on nano-LCE-MOT were screened, and adsorption kinetics and isotherm model analysis were carried out to explore the adsorption mechanism and achieve the optimal adsorption of Zn (II). Optimal adsorption was achieved at an initial Zn (II) concentration of 800 mg/L at 60 °C in 160 min at a pH of 4.52. The adsorption kinetics were explored using a pseudo-second-order model, with the isotherm adsorption equilibrium found to conform to the Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the nano-LCE-MOT polymer gel toward Zn (II) is 513.48 mg/g. The materials with adsorbed Zn (II) were desorbed using different media, with HCl found to be the most ideal medium to desorb Zn (II). The optimal desorption of Zn (II) was achieved in 0.08 mol/L HCl solution at 65 °C in 60 min. Under these conditions, Zn (II) was almost completely desorbed from the adsorbents, with the adsorption effect after cycling being slightly different from that of the initial adsorption.
What We Are Learning from COVID-19 for Respiratory Protection: Contemporary and Emerging Issues
Authors: Li Rui , Zhang Mengying , Wu Yulin , Tang Peixin , Sun Gang , Wang Liwen , Mandal Sumit , Wang Lizhi , Lang James , Passalacqua Alberto , Subramaniam Shankar , Song Guowen
Published: December 2021

Infectious respiratory diseases such as the current COVID-19 have caused public health crises and interfered with social activity. Given the complexity of these novel infectious diseases, their dynamic nature, along with rapid changes in social and occupational environments, technology, and means of interpersonal interaction, respiratory protective devices (RPDs) play a crucial role in controlling infection, particularly for viruses like SARS-CoV-2 that have a high transmission rate, strong viability, multiple infection routes and mechanisms, and emerging new variants that could reduce the efficacy of existing vaccines. Evidence of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmissions further highlights the importance of a universal adoption of RPDs. RPDs have substantially improved over the past 100 years due to advances in technology, materials, and medical knowledge. However, several issues still need to be addressed such as engineering performance, comfort, testing standards, compliance monitoring, and regulations, especially considering the recent emergence of pathogens with novel transmission characteristics. In this review, we summarize existing knowledge and understanding on respiratory infectious diseases and their protection, discuss the emerging issues that influence the resulting protective and comfort performance of the RPDs, and provide insights in the identified knowledge gaps and future directions with diverse perspectives.
Extraction and Characterization of Natural Cellulosic Fiber from Pandanus amaryllifolius Leaves
Authors: Diyana Z. N. , Jumaidin R. , Selamat M. Z. , Alamjuri R. H. , Md Yusof Fahmi Asyadi
Published: December 2021

Pandanus amaryllifolius is a member of Pandanaceae family and is abundant in south-east Asian countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and India. In this study, Pandanus amaryllifolius fibres were extracted via a water retting extraction process and were investigated as potential fibre reinforcement in polymer composite. Several tests were carried out to investigate the characterization of Pandanus amaryllifolius fibre such as chemical composition analysis which revealed Pandanus amaryllifolius fibre’s cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content of 48.79%, 19.95% and 18.64% respectively. Material functional groups were analysed by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis confirming the presence of cellulose and amorphous substances in the fibre. The morphology of extracted Pandanus amaryllifolius fibre was studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Further mechanical behaviour of fibre was investigated using a single fibre test with 5 kN cell load and tensile strength was found to be 45.61 ± 16.09 MPa for an average fibre diameter of 368.57 ± 50.47 μm. Meanwhile, moisture content analysis indicated a 6.00% moisture absorption rate of Pandanus amaryllifolius fibre. The thermogravimetric analysis justified the thermal stability of Pandanus amaryllifolius fibre up to 210 °C, which is within polymerization process temperature conditions. Overall, the finding shows that Pandanus amaryllifolius fibre may be used as alternative reinforcement particularly for a bio-based polymer matrix.
Dynamic Mechanical Fatigue Behavior of Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Using a Gas Pressure-Loaded Blister
Authors: Lim Jun Hyun , Hou Jian , Lee Chang Hyun
Published: December 2021

This study reports on an innovative press-loaded blister hybrid system equipped with gas-chromatography (PBS-GC) that is designed to evaluate the mechanical fatigue of two representative types of commercial Nafion membranes under relevant PEMFC operating conditions (e.g., simultaneously controlling temperature and humidity). The influences of various applied pressures (50 kPa, 100 kPa, etc.) and blistering gas types (hydrogen, oxygen, etc.) on the mechanical resistance loss are systematically investigated. The results evidently indicate that hydrogen gas is a more effective blistering gas for inducing dynamic mechanical losses of PEM. The changes in proton conductivity are also measured before and after hydrogen gas pressure-loaded blistering. After performing the mechanical aging test, a decrease in proton conductivity was confirmed, which was also interpreted using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis. Finally, an accelerated dynamic mechanical aging test is performed using the homemade PBS-GC system, where the hydrogen permeability rate increases significantly when the membrane is pressure-loaded blistering for 10 min, suggesting notable mechanical fatigue of the PEM. In summary, this PBS-GC system developed in-house clearly demonstrates its capability of screening and characterizing various membrane candidates in a relatively short period of time (<1.5 h at 50 kPa versus 200 h).
Membrane Separation of Gaseous Hydrocarbons by Semicrystalline Multiblock Copolymers: Role of Cohesive Energy Density and Crystallites of the Polyether Block
Authors: Rahman Md. Mushfequr
Published: December 2021

The energy-efficient separation of hydrocarbons is critically important for petrochemical industries. As polymeric membranes are ideal candidates for such separation, it is essential to explore the fundamental relationships between the hydrocarbon permeation mechanism and the physical properties of the polymers. In this study, the permeation mechanisms of methane, ethane, ethene, propane, propene and n-butane through three commercial multiblock copolymers PEBAX 2533, PolyActive1500PEGT77PBT23 and PolyActive4000PEGT77PBT23 are thoroughly investigated at 33 °C. This study aims to investigate the influence of cohesive energy density and crystallites of the polyether block of multiblock copolymers on hydrocarbon separation. The hydrocarbon separation behavior of the polymers is explained based on the solution–diffusion model, which is commonly accepted for gas permeation through nonporous polymeric membrane materials.
Impacts of Blended Bombyx mori Silk Fibroin and Recombinant Spider Silk Fibroin Hydrogels on Cell Growth
Authors: Laomeephol Chavee , Vasuratna Apichai , Ratanavaraporn Juthamas , Kanokpanont Sorada , Luckanagul Jittima Amie , Humenik Martin , Scheibel Thomas , Damrongsakkul Siriporn
Published: December 2021

Binary-blended hydrogels fabricated from Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) and recombinant spider silk protein eADF4(C16) were developed and investigated concerning gelation and cellular interactions in vitro. With an increasing concentration of eADF4(C16), the gelation time of SF was shortened from typically one week to less than 48 h depending on the blending ratio. The biological tests with primary cells and two cell lines revealed that the cells cannot adhere and preferably formed cell aggregates on eADF4(C16) hydrogels, due to the polyanionic properties of eADF4(C16). Mixing SF in the blends ameliorated the cellular activities, as the proliferation of L929 fibroblasts and SaOS-2 osteoblast-like cells increased with an increase of SF content. The blended SF:eADF4(C16) hydrogels attained the advantages as well as overcame the limitations of each individual material, underlining the utilization of the hydrogels in several biomedical applications.
Isolation and Characterization of Nanocrystalline Cellulose Isolated from Pineapple Crown Leaf Fiber Agricultural Wastes Using Acid Hydrolysis
Authors: Fitriani Fitriani , Aprilia Sri , Arahman Nasrul , Bilad Muhammad Roil , Amin Amri , Huda Nurul , Roslan Jumardi
Published: December 2021

Pineapple crown leaf fiber (PCLF) is one of the major biomass wastes from pineapple processing plants. It consists mostly of carbohydrate polymers, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. It can be further processed to form a more valuable and widely used nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). This study investigates the effect of hydrolysis time on the properties of the produced NCC. The acid hydrolysis was conducted using 1 M of sulfuric acid at hydrolysis times of 1–3 h. The resulting NCCs were then characterized by their morphology, functional groups, crystallinity, thermal stability, elemental composition, and production yield. The results show that the NCC products had a rod-like particle structure and possessed a strong cellulose crystalline structure typically found in agricultural fiber-based cellulose. The highest NCC yield was obtained at 79.37% for one hour of hydrolysis. This NCC also displayed a higher decomposition temperature of 176.98 °C. The overall findings suggest that PCLF-derived NCC has attractive properties for a variety of applications.
Hybrid Nanoparticles for Haloperidol Encapsulation: Quid Est Optimum?
Authors: Filippov Sergey K. , Khusnutdinov Ramil R. , Inham Wali , Liu Chang , Nikitin Dmitry O. , Semina Irina I. , Garvey Christopher J. , Nasibullin Shamil F. , Khutoryanskiy Vitaliy V. , Zhang Hongbo , Moustafine Rouslan I.
Published: December 2021

The choice of drug delivery carrier is of paramount importance for the fate of a drug in a human body. In this study, we have prepared the hybrid nanoparticles composed of FDA-approved Eudragit L100-55 copolymer and polymeric surfactant Brij98 to load haloperidol—an antipsychotic hydrophobic drug used to treat schizophrenia and many other disorders. This platform shows good drug-loading efficiency and stability in comparison to the widely applied platforms of mesoporous silica (MSN) and a metal–organic framework (MOF). ZIF8, a biocompatible MOF, failed to encapsulate haloperidol, whereas MSN only showed limited encapsulation ability. Isothermal titration calorimetry showed that haloperidol has low binding with the surface of ZIF8 and MSN in comparison to Eudragit L100-55/Brij98, thus elucidating the striking difference in haloperidol loading. With further optimization, the haloperidol loading efficiency could reach up to 40% in the hybrid Eudragit L100-55/Brij98 nanoparticles with high stability over several months. Differential scanning calorimetry studies indicate that the encapsulated haloperidol stays in an amorphous state inside the Eudragit L100-55/Brij98 nanoparticles. Using a catalepsy and open field animal tests, we proved the prolongation of haloperidol release in vivo, resulting in later onset of action compared to the free drug.
Effect of Nanoencapsulated Alginate-Synbiotic on Gut Microflora Balance, Immunity, and Growth Performance of Growing Rabbits
Authors: Hashem Nesrein M. , Hosny Nourhan S. , El-Desoky Nagwa I. , Shehata Mohamed G.
Published: December 2021

A synbiotic comprising Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast (SCY) and Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MOLE) has been encapsulated using nanotechnology. This duo is used as a dietary supplement for growing rabbits. Physicochemical analyses, in vitro antimicrobial activity, and gastrointestinal system evaluation were used to evaluate the quality of the nanofabricated synbiotic. The in vivo study was conducted using 40-day-old male growing rabbits (n = 16 rabbits/group) to evaluate the effect of the nanofabricated synbiotic on the health and growth performance of examined rabbits. Rabbits were equally allocated into four groups; (a) NCS, which received a basal diet supplemented with a noncapsulated 11 × 1012 CFU SCY + 0.15 g MOLE/kg diet, (b) LCS: those receiving a nanoencapsulated 5.5 × 1012 CFU SCY + 0.075 g MOLE/kg diet, (c) HCS: those receiving an 11 × 1012 CFU SCY + 0.15 g MOLE/kg diet, and (d) CON: those receiving a basal diet without treatment (control). The treatments continued from day 40 to day 89 of age. During the experimental period, growth performance variables, including body weight (BW), feed consumption, BW gain, and feed conversion ratio were recorded weekly. Blood samples were collected on day 40 of age and immediately before the start of the treatments to confirm the homogeneity of rabbits among groups. On day 89 of age, blood samples, intestinal, and cecal samples were individually collected from eight randomly selected rabbits. The size and polydispersity index of the nanofabricated synbiotic were 51.38 nm and 0.177, respectively. Results revealed that the encapsulation process significantly improved yeast survival through the gastrointestinal tract, specifically in stomach acidic conditions, and significantly increased in vitro inhibitory activities against tested pathogens. Furthermore, treatments had no negative effects on hematobiochemical variables but significantly improved levels of blood plasma, total protein, and insulin-like growth factor-l. Compared to the CON, NCS, and LCS treatments, the HCS treatment increased the amount of intestinal and cecal yeast cells (p < 0.05) and Lactobacillus bacteria (p < 0.05) and decreased number of Salmonella (p < 0.05) and Coliform (p = 0.08) bacteria. Likewise, both LCS and HCS significantly improved the small intestine and cecum lengths compared to CON and NCS. The HCS treatment also significantly improved BW gain and feed conversion compared to CON treatment, whereas the NCS and LCS treatments showed intermediate values. Conclusively, the nanoencapsulation process improved the biological efficiency of the innovative synbiotic used in this study. A high dose of encapsulated synbiotic balanced the gut microflora, resulting in the growth of rabbits during the fattening period.
Strippable Polymeric Nanocomposites Comprising “Green” Chelates, for the Removal of Heavy Metals and Radionuclides
Authors: Toader Gabriela , Pulpea Daniela , Rotariu Traian , Diacon Aurel , Rusen Edina , Moldovan Andreea , Podaru Alice , Ginghină Raluca , Alexe Florentina , Iorga Ovidiu , Bajenaru Sorina Aurora , Ungureanu Mihai , Dîrloman Florin , Pulpea Bogdan , Leonat Lucia
Published: December 2021

The issue of heavy metal and radionuclide contamination is still causing a great deal of concern worldwide for environmental protection and industrial sites remediation. Various techniques have been developed for surface decontamination aiming for high decontamination factors (DF) and minimal environmental impact, but strippable polymeric nanocomposite coatings are some of the best candidates in this area. In this study, novel strippable coatings for heavy metal and radionuclides decontamination were developed based on the film-forming ability of polyvinyl alcohol, with the remarkable metal retention capacity of bentonite nanoclay, together with the chelating ability of sodium alginate and with “new-generation” “green” complexing agents: iminodisuccinic acid (IDS) and 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTC). These environmentally friendly water-based decontamination solutions are capable of generating strippable polymeric films with optimized mechanical and thermal properties while exhibiting high decontamination efficiency (DF ≈ 95–98% for heavy metals tested on glass surface and DF ≈ 91–97% for radionuclides 241Am, 90Sr-Y and 137Cs on metal, painted metal, plastic, and glass surfaces).
Lignosulphonates as an Alternative to Non-Renewable Binders in Wood-Based Materials
Authors: Gonçalves Sofia , Ferra João , Paiva Nádia , Martins Jorge , Carvalho Luísa H. , Magalhães Fernão D.
Published: December 2021

Lignin is a widely abundant renewable source of phenolic compounds. Despite the growing interest on using it as a substitute for its petroleum-based counterparts, only 1 to 2% of the global lignin production is used for obtaining value-added products. Lignosulphonates (LS), derived from the sulphite pulping process, account for 90% of the total market of commercial lignin. The most successful industrial attempts to use lignin for wood adhesives are based on using this polymer as a partial substitute in phenol-formaldehyde or urea-formaldehyde resins. Alternatively, formaldehyde-free adhesives with lignin and lignosulphonates have also been developed with promising results. However, the low number of reactive sites available in lignin’s aromatic ring and high polydispersity have hindered its application in resin synthesis. Currently, finding suitable crosslinkers for LS and decreasing the long pressing time associated with lignin adhesives remains a challenge. Thus, several methods have been proposed to improve the reactivity of lignin molecules. In this paper, techniques to extract, characterize, as well as improve the reactivity of LS are addressed. The most recent advances in the application of LS in wood adhesives, with and without combination with formaldehyde, are also reviewed.
Advances in Functional Biopolymer-Based Nanocomposites for Active Food Packaging Applications
Authors: Basavegowda Nagaraj , Baek Kwang-Hyun
Published: December 2021

Polymeric nanocomposites have received significant attention in both scientific and industrial research in recent years. The demand for new methods of food preservation to ensure high-quality, healthy foods with an extended shelf life has increased. Packaging, a crucial feature of the food industry, plays a vital role in satisfying this demand. Polymeric nanocomposites exhibit remarkably improved packaging properties, including barrier properties, oxygen impermeability, solvent resistance, moisture permeability, thermal stability, and antimicrobial characteristics. Bio-based polymers have drawn considerable interest to mitigate the influence and application of petroleum-derived polymeric materials and related environmental concerns. The integration of nanotechnology in food packaging systems has shown promise for enhancing the quality and shelf life of food. This article provides a general overview of bio-based polymeric nanocomposites comprising polymer matrices and inorganic nanoparticles, and describes their classification, fabrication, properties, and applications for active food packaging systems with future perspectives.
Advanced Hydrogels for Cartilage Tissue Engineering: Recent Progress and Future Directions
Authors: Hafezi Mahshid , Nouri Khorasani Saied , Zare Mohadeseh , Esmaeely Neisiany Rasoul , Davoodi Pooya
Published: December 2021

Cartilage is a tension- and load-bearing tissue and has a limited capacity for intrinsic self-healing. While microfracture and arthroplasty are the conventional methods for cartilage repair, these methods are unable to completely heal the damaged tissue. The need to overcome the restrictions of these therapies for cartilage regeneration has expanded the field of cartilage tissue engineering (CTE), in which novel engineering and biological approaches are introduced to accelerate the development of new biomimetic cartilage to replace the injured tissue. Until now, a wide range of hydrogels and cell sources have been employed for CTE to either recapitulate microenvironmental cues during a new tissue growth or to compel the recovery of cartilaginous structures via manipulating biochemical and biomechanical properties of the original tissue. Towards modifying current cartilage treatments, advanced hydrogels have been designed and synthesized in recent years to improve network crosslinking and self-recovery of implanted scaffolds after damage in vivo. This review focused on the recent advances in CTE, especially self-healing hydrogels. The article firstly presents the cartilage tissue, its defects, and treatments. Subsequently, introduces CTE and summarizes the polymeric hydrogels and their advances. Furthermore, characterizations, the advantages, and disadvantages of advanced hydrogels such as multi-materials, IPNs, nanomaterials, and supramolecular are discussed. Afterward, the self-healing hydrogels in CTE, mechanisms, and the physical and chemical methods for the synthesis of such hydrogels for improving the reformation of CTE are introduced. The article then briefly describes the fabrication methods in CTE. Finally, this review presents a conclusion of prevalent challenges and future outlooks for self-healing hydrogels in CTE applications.
An Improved C0 FE Model for the Sandwich Lattice Composite Panel
Authors: Hong Junqing , Shen Chunyan , Liu Weiqing , Fang Hai , Yang Laiyun
Published: December 2021

Combining the improved C0 plate element using high-order zigzag theories and the beam element degenerated from the plate element, a type of analysis model for the sandwich lattice composite panel was developed. Compared with the actual test results including the mid-span deflections and the surface sheet normal stresses, the outstanding of that method was presented through numeric calculation. The results showed that the model has great potential to become an excellent and highly efficient analysis and design tool for sandwich lattice composite panel to avoid the conventional three-dimension hybrid element model, which usually may lead to the complex program establishment, and the coupling degrees of freedom among the different types of elements.
Effect of Glass Fiber Hybridization on the Durability in Salt-Fog Environment of Pinned Flax Composites
Authors: Fiore Vincenzo , Calabrese Luigi
Published: December 2021

The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the effect of the hybridization with external layers of glass fibers on the durability of flax fiber reinforced composites in severe aging conditions. To this scope, full glass, full flax and hybrid glass–flax pinned laminates were exposed to a salt-fog environment for up to 60 days. Double-lap pinned joint tests were performed to assess the pin-hole joints performances at varying the laminate stacking sequence. In order to better discriminate the relationship between the mechanical behavior and the fracture mechanisms of joints at increasing the aging time, different geometries (i.e., by varying both the hole diameter D and the free edge distance from the center of the hole E) were investigated after 0 (i.e., unaged samples), 30 and 60 days of salt-fog exposition. It was shown that the hybridization positively affects the mechanical performance as well as the stability of pinned composites: i.e., improvements in both strength and durability against the salt-fog environment were evidenced. Indeed, the hybrid laminate exhibited a reduction in the bearing strength of about 20% after 60 days of aging, despite to full flax laminate, for which a total reduction in the bearing strength of 29% was observed. Finally, a simplified joint failure map was assessed, which clusters the main failure mechanisms observed for pinned composites at varying aging conditions, thus assisting the joining design of flax–glass hybrid laminates.
Deep Insight into the Influences of the Intrinsic Properties of Dielectric Elastomer on the Energy-Harvesting Performance of the Dielectric Elastomer Generator
Authors: Jiang Yingjie , Li Yujia , Yang Haibo , Ning Nanying , Tian Ming , Zhang Liqun
Published: December 2021

The dielectric elastomer (DE) generator (DEG), which can convert mechanical energy to electrical energy, has attracted considerable attention in the last decade. Currently, the energy-harvesting performances of the DEG still require improvement. One major reason is that the mechanical and electrical properties of DE materials are not well coordinated. To provide guidance for producing high-performance DE materials for the DEG, the relationship between the intrinsic properties of DE materials and the energy-harvesting performances of the DEG must be revealed. In this study, a simplified but validated electromechanical model based on an actual circuit is developed to study the relationship between the intrinsic properties of DE materials and the energy-harvesting performance. Experimental verification of the model is performed, and the results indicate the validity of the proposed model, which can well predict the energy-harvesting performances. The influences of six intrinsic properties of DE materials on energy-harvesting performances is systematically studied. The results indicate that a high breakdown field strength, low conductivity and high elasticity of DE materials are the prerequisites for obtaining high energy density and conversion efficiency. DE materials with high elongation at break, high permittivity and moderate modulus can further improve the energy density and conversion efficiency of the DEG. The ratio of permittivity and the modulus of the DE should be tailored to be moderate to optimize conversion efficiency (η) of the DEG because using DE with high permittivity but extremely low modulus may lead to a reduction in η due to the occurrence of premature “loss of tension”.
Design of Promising Green Cation-Exchange-Membranes-Based Sulfonated PVA and Doped with Nano Sulfated Zirconia for Direct Borohydride Fuel Cells
Authors: Gouda Marwa H. , Elessawy Noha A. , Al-Hussain Sami A. , Toghan Arafat
Published: December 2021

The direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC) is a low-temperature fuel cell that requires the development of affordable price and efficient proton exchange membranes for commercial purposes. In this context, super-acidic sulfated zirconia (SO4ZrO2) was embedded into a cheap and environmentally friendly binary polymer blend, developed from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and iota carrageenan (IC). The percentage of SO4ZrO2 ranged between 1 and 7.5 wt.% in the polymeric matrix. The study findings revealed that the composite membranes’ physicochemical features improved by adding increasing amounts of SO4ZrO2. In addition, there was a decrease in the permeability and swelling ratio of the borohydride membranes as the SO4ZrO2 weight% increased. Interestingly, the power density increased to 76 mW cm−2 at 150 mA cm−2, with 7.5 wt.% SO4ZrO2, which is very close to that of Nafion117 (91 mW cm−2). This apparent selectivity, combined with the low cost of the eco-friendly fabricated membranes, points out that DBFC has promising future applications.
Design of Hybrid Polymeric-Lipid Nanoparticles Using Curcumin as a Model: Preparation, Characterization, and In Vitro Evaluation of Demethoxycurcumin and Bisdemethoxycurcumin-Loaded Nanoparticles
Authors: Wilhelm Romero Krissia , Quirós María Isabel , Vargas Huertas Felipe , Vega-Baudrit José Roberto , Navarro-Hoyos Mirtha , Araya-Sibaja Andrea Mariela
Published: December 2021

Polymeric lipid hybrid nanoparticles (PLHNs) are the new generation of drug delivery systems that has emerged as a combination of a polymeric core and lipid shell. We designed and optimized a simple method for the preparation of Pluronic F-127-based PLHNs able to load separately demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bisdemethoycurcumin (BDM). CUR was used as a model compound due to its greater availability from turmeric and its structure similarity with DMC and BDM. The developed method produced DMC and BDM-loaded PLHNs with a size average of 75.55 ± 0.51 and 15.13 ± 0.014 nm for DMC and BDM, respectively. An FT-IR analysis confirmed the encapsulation and TEM images showed their spherical shape. Both formulations achieved an encapsulation efficiency ≥ 92% and an exhibited significantly increased release from the PLHN compared with free compounds in water. The antioxidant activity was enhanced as well, in agreement with the improvement in water dissolution; obtaining IC50 values of 12.74 ± 0.09 and 16.03 ± 0.55 for DMC and BDM-loaded PLHNs, respectively, while free curcuminoids exhibited considerably lower antioxidant values in an aqueous solution. Hence, the optimized PHLN synthesis method using CUR as a model and then successfully applied to obtain DMC and BDM-loaded PLHNs can be extended to curcuminoids and molecules with a similar backbone structure to improve their bioactivities.
Construction of KB@ZIF-8/PP Composite Separator for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance
Authors: Ma Bingyi , Zhang Xin , Deng Xiaoqian , Huang Sheng , Xiao Min , Wang Shuanjin , Han Dongmei , Meng Yuezhong
Published: December 2021

Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) have attracted wide attention, but the shuttle effect of polysulfide hinders their further practical application. Herein, we develop a new strategy to construct a Ketjen black@zeolite imidazole framework-8/polypropylene composite separator. Such a separator consists of Ketjen black (KB), zeolite imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) and polypropylene (PP) with a low coating load of 0.06 mg cm−2 and is denoted as KB@ZIF-8/PP. KB@ZIF-8/PP can absorb polysulfides because of the Lewis acid-base interaction between ZIF-8 and polysulfides. This interaction can reduce the dissolution of polysulfides and suppress the shuttle effect, thereby enhancing the electrochemical performance of the battery. When tested at a current density of 0.1 C, an LSB with a KB@ZIF-8/PP separator exhibits low polarization and achieves a high initial capacity of 1235.6 mAh/g and a high capacity retention rate of 59.27% after 100 cycles.
From Impulse to Action—Noah (2014) and Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) as Secular Bible Epics
Authors: Magerstädt Sylvie
Published: December 2021

Several large-scale Bible epics have been produced in the decade after the revival of epic cinema at the turn of the millennium. Yet, while many biblical films of this period were primarily aimed at religious audiences, Darren Aronofsky’s Noah (2014) and Ridley Scott’s Exodus:Gods and Kings (2014) stand out due to their broader epic appeal and religious skepticism. Using Gilles Deleuze’s concepts of the impulse-image and the action-image as framework, this article analyses some of the nuances and complexities of both films. It argues that although both films offer scale and spectacle consistent with older biblical epics, the portrayal of their lead characters as a man determined on destruction (Noah) and religious skeptic and warrior (Exodus) differentiates them from traditional biblical cinema. Additionally, comparing both films helps articulate nuances within Deleuze’s movement-image that are often overlooked. Having proclaimed that modern cinema brings with it a crisis of truth that challenges the certainties of classic American cinema and its clear ideas on morality and belief, Deleuze ultimately calls for a leap of faith to reinstate the possibility of action. The article concludes that Noah and Exodus offer us a bit of both—spiritual uncertainty and a return of classic epic cinema.
To Heaven through Hell: Are There Cognitive Foundations for Purgatory? Evidence from Islamic Cultures
Authors: Al-Issa Riyad Salim , Krauss Steven Eric , Roslan Samsilah , Abdullah Haslinda
Published: December 2021

The purgatory doctrine, which has played a vital role in Christian culture, states that most believers must experience afterlife punishment in order to be cleansed of their sins before entering Heaven. Traditional Islamic theology rejects the notion of purgatory (Al-Motahher) through the Balance doctrine (Mizan), which states that if the good deeds performed during a Muslim’s life outweigh their bad deeds, the person will enter heaven without suffering or punishment. This study hypothesizes that folk intuitions and cognitive biases (tendency to proportionality) explain, in part, the emergence and spread of the purgatory doctrine in the Islamic world. Drawing on a cognitive science of religion lens, the current study examines this hypothesis in an Islamic cultural context. Quantitative surveys (three studies) conducted in Jordan (n = 605, and n = 239) and Malaysia (n = 303) indicate that the doctrine of purgatory is prevalent (36% in Jordan and 69% in Malaysia) despite its contradiction with the Balance doctrine as defined by Islamic theology. To our knowledge, this is the first study documenting the phenomenon of theological incorrectness in Muslim afterlife beliefs by using empirical research. Implementation of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Ethics in Classical Hindu Philosophy: Provinces of Consequence, Agency, and Value in the Bhagavad Gītā and Other Epic and Śāstric Texts
Authors: Frazier Jessica
Published: December 2021

The idea of a univocal property of ‘goodness’ is not clearly found in classical Sanskrit sources; instead, a common ethical strategy was to clarify the ontological nature of the self or world in such a way that ethical implications naturally flow from the adjustment in our thinking. This article gives a synoptic reading of sources that treat features of ethics—dispositions, agents, causal systems of effect, and even values themselves—as emergent phenomena grounded in complex, shifting, porous configurations. One conclusion of this was that what ‘goodness’ entails varies according to the scope and context of our concern. Firstly, we examine how the Bhagavad Gītā fashions a utilitarianism that assumes no universal intrinsically valuable goal or Good, but aims only to sustain the world as a prerequisite for choice. Recognising that this pushes problems of identifying the Good onto the individual; secondly, we look at accounts of malleable personhood in the Caraka Saṃhitā and Book 12 of the Mahābhārata. Finally, the aesthetic theory of the Nāṭya Śāstra hints at a context-constituted conception of value itself, reminding us that evaluative emotions are themselves complex, curate-able, and can expand beyond egoism to encompass interpersonal concerns. Together these sources show aspects of an ethical worldview for which each case is a nexus in a larger ethical fabric. Each tries to pry us away from our most personal concerns, so we can reach beyond the ego to do what is of value for a wider province of which we are a part.
The Validity of Prayer Importance Scale (PIS)
Authors: Tatala Małgorzata , Wojtasiński Marcin
Published: December 2021

Prayer is a central element of religiosity but research has focused primarily on distinguishing its types and analyzing its functional aspect. A particularly important issue is the subjective evaluation of prayer importance, which so far has not been reflected in the form of an independent psychometric tool. This is why the goal of the presented study was to develop Prayer Importance Scale (PIS) based on Tatala’s definition of the concept. Two studies were conducted to verify reliability and validity of the tool. The proposed model was found to fit the data well. Correlations of PIS with basic parameters of religiosity: religious awareness, religious feelings, religious decisions, bond with a fellowship of believers, religious practices, religious morality, religious experience and forms of profession of faith were found to be significant. PIS can be a quick method providing information on the degree of religiosity and be used in participant selection in research studies.
The Liturgical Usage of Translated Gregorian Chant in the Korean Catholic Church
Authors: Cho Eun Young , Wong Hayoung , Geem Zong Woo
Published: December 2021

For centuries, Gregorian chant has served as a monophonic song written for the religious services of the Roman Catholic Church, but Korean Catholics first encountered this chant in the early nineteenth century. Korean Catholics ultimately became more attracted to the Korean translations of these chants, as opposed to the original Latin versions. This article introduces some issues related to the language translation of Gregorian chant, especially for chants performed in Holy Week. The issues include discrepancies in the number of syllables, shifts in melismatic emphasis, difficult diction in vocalization, briefer singing parts because of space limitations, challenging melodic lines, and translation losses from neumes to modern notes.
“Like a Vibration Cascading through the Body”: Energy-Like Somatic Experiences Reported by Western Buddhist Meditators
Authors: Cooper David J. , Lindahl Jared R. , Palitsky Roman , Britton Willoughby B.
Published: December 2021

There are numerous historical and textual references to energy-like somatic experiences (ELSEs) from religious traditions, and even a few psychological studies that have documented related phenomena. However, ELSEs remain an understudied effect of meditation in contemporary research. Based upon narratives from a large qualitative sample of Buddhist meditators in the West reporting meditation-related challenges, this paper offers a unique glimpse into how ELSEs play out in the lives of contemporary meditation practitioners and meditation experts. Departing from studies presuming a “kundalini awakening” framework, this paper presents a broader scope for understanding ELSEs by describing the metaphors practitioners used when speaking about them; the trajectories and impacts of ELSEs, including the factors that were reported as influencing their nature or trajectory; the various ways in which they were interpreted and appraised by practitioners, teachers, and specialists, such as doctors and therapists; and how practitioners responded to them or managed them with particular remedies. Deciding how to interpret and manage ELSEs entailed recruiting frameworks from within and/or beyond the meditator’s specific Buddhist lineage.
One or None? Truth and Self-Transformation for Śaṅkara and Kamalaśīla
Authors: Fiordalis David Vincent
Published: December 2021

This article explores how two influential 8th-century Indian philosophers, Śaṅkara and Kamalaśīla, treat the threefold scheme of learning, reasoning, and meditation in their spiritual path philosophies. They have differing institutional and ontological commitments: the former, who helped establish Advaita Vedānta as the religious philosophy of an elite Hindu monastic tradition, affirms an unchanging “self” (ātman) identical to the “world-essence” (brahman); the latter, who played a significant role in the development of Buddhist monasticism in Tibet, denies both self and essence. Yet, they share a concern with questions of truth and the means by which someone could gain access to it, such as what, if anything, meditation contributes to knowledge and its acquisition. By exploring their answers to this and related questions, including how discursive and conceptual practices like learning, reasoning, and meditation could generate nonconceptual knowledge or knowledge of the nonconceptual, this essay shows the difficulty of separating “philosophical” problems of truth from those related to self-transformation or “spirituality,” as Michel Foucault defines the terms. It also reassesses, as a framework for comparison, the well-known contrast between “gradual” and “sudden” approaches to the achievement of liberating knowledge and highlights them as tensions we still struggle to resolve today.
The Function of Ritualized Acts of Memory Making after Death in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Værland Inger Emilie , Johansen Anne Beth Gilja , Lavik Marta Høyland
Published: December 2021

(1) Background: Some infants die shortly after birth, leaving both parents and nurses in grief. In the specific setting where the data were collected, the bereaved parents receive a scrapbook made by the nursing staff in the NICU, and a box made by a local parent support group. Making a scrapbook and a box when an infant dies in the NICU can be regarded as ritualized acts. The aim of this study is to explore the functions of these ritualized acts of making a scrapbook and memory box when an infant dies in the NICU. (2) Methods: Focus group interviews were performed with experienced nurses in the NICU, and with members of a parent support group. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. (3) Three main themes were constructed: “Making memories”, “showing evidence of the infant’s life and of the parenthood”, and “controlling chaos”. (4) Conclusions: Through the ritualized acts of making scrapbooks and boxes, nurses and members of the parent support group collect and create memories and ascribe the infant with personhood, and the parents with the status of parenthood. In addition, the ritualizing functions to construct meaning, repair loss, relieve sorrow, and offer a sense of closure for the makers of these items.
Validation of the Polish Version of the Brief Measure of Perceived Divine Engagement and Disengagement in Response to Prayer (PDED)
Authors: Szcześniak Małgorzata , Falewicz Adam , Kroplewski Zdzisław , Myszak Urszula , Borkowska Hanna , Czaprowska Anna , Świątek Maria A. , Strochalska Klaudia , Świątek Agata H. , Bukalski Sławomir
Published: December 2021

Divine engagement applies to a positive relationship with God in which people feel that God is close to them and answers their prayers. Divine disengagement pertains to an unsteady connection and a sense of God’s absence. Although several questionnaires consider the concerns of the human experience of prayer, only one deals precisely with the subject of the human perception of divine engagement and disengagement in response to one’s prayer. The main goals of the present research were to: (1) determine the latent structure of the Brief Measure of Perceived Divine Engagement and Disengagement in Response to Prayer (PDED) in a sample set; (2) test whether the factor structure indicated by EFA matches the data and provides an equivalent goodness-of-fit index to Exline’s model; and (3) confirm that perceived divine engagement and disengagement are correlated with religious meaning, gratitude to God, and dimensions of religious centrality. The results show that the proposed two-factor structure of the eight-item version of the PDED is a suitable and reliable solution of the original PDED (Study 1). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) revealed a good fit of the data to the model in both the second and third studies. Both dimensions of the PDED correlated significantly with all of the subscales of the RMS, GGQ–6, and CRS–15. The Polish version of the PDED demonstrated very good psychometric properties.
The Value of Belongingness in Relation to Religious Belief, Institutionalized Religion, Moral Judgement and Solidarity
Authors: Pospíšil Jiří , Macháčková Pavla
Published: December 2021

Although religious belief represents the main reason people belong or do not belong to a specific church or religious society, it is not always the only reason, and increasingly there are other factors that affect this belonging. These factors include the attitude toward institutionalized religion, and a preference for the value of belongingness plays an important role as well. Both of these factors are also influenced by the wider context of personal attitudes to morality and solidarity. In our research, we assumed that the value of belongingness is a cornerstone that, in specific ways, binds all the other mentioned factors, and is likewise related to religious belief. To confirm this assumption, we conducted research using a widespread cross-sectional survey. In total, we received data from 5175 respondents (2204 men, 2957 women, and 16 of another gender). The data were collected in the Czech Republic, which can be considered a country with a wide spectrum of different religious beliefs. All hypothetical assumptions were confirmed as statistically significant, and the analysis of the inner structure of these relationships showed their complexity. Because of the high complexity of the examined phenomena, only the main findings are discussed in this paper. Our conclusions confirm the increasing number of people for whom belonging is more important or takes precedence over religious belief. These conclusions led us to several recommendations for religious institutions or societies.
Continuity and Change in Orthodox Christianity in Contemporary Russia: Enduring Legacies and New Developments in the Making
Authors: Koellner Tobias , Benovska Milena
Published: December 2021

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in two cities of European Russia, this article analyzes continuity and changes in Orthodox Christianity. In so doing, we emphasize property restitution, the renovation of sacred sites, and the importance of religious education in public schools and parishes. Based on that ethnographic material, we address three related research topics. First, we would like to discuss the importance of Orthodox Christianity for contemporary Russia. Second, we aim to show that an understanding of the Russian Orthodox Church as a national church underscores the local and internal differences as well as the complexities of everyday interactions. Finally, we address the notion of postsocialism and discuss its limits and potentials for the analysis of contemporary Russia.
An Overview of Muslim Spiritual Parenting
Authors: Bensaid Benaouda
Published: December 2021

Muslim life on the individual, family, and community levels continues to revolve around fundamental spiritual principles, themes, and values with corresponding meanings that impact purpose of life and even lifestyle. Muslim parents pursue ways and means to nurture their children’s spirituality, strengthen their moral resilience, and shape their identity as effective members of society. This theoretical study explores Islamic insights into spiritual parenting, addressing questions around what defines spiritual parenting and constitutes its core tenets, characteristics and approaches, and principles and guidelines used by Muslims to raise spiritual children. This study identifies a rich Islamic conceptualization and theoretical approach to holistic spiritual parenting that engages with modernity and allows room for adaptation, creativity, and intercultural experience. Further empirical research is needed to shed light on the current dynamics of Muslim spiritual parenting, parents’ struggles, accommodations, adaptations, as well as caregiver resistance in practices of spiritual parenting, which would help us better understand the needs and challenges facing Muslim families today and further enrich our understanding of comparative and cross-cultural parenting in multicultural societies.
Deciphering the Shi Jun Sarcophagus Using Sogdian Religious Beliefs, Tales, and Hymns
Authors: Huang Bing
Published: December 2021

The discovery of the Northern Zhou (557–581AD) tomb of Shi Jun (494–579 CE) presents us with spectacular visual information about the Sogdians in medieval China, which was previously available to us only through written sources. The iconography-heavy sarcophagus in the tomb is an important vehicle for understanding the practices of religious (and everyday) life in the Sino-Sogdian community. The imagery on the Shi Jun sarcophagus reveals a mix of religious beliefs that existed among migrants in the premodern Eurasian world. Due to the absence of a dominant religion associated with Sino-Sogdian funerals, the iconography of the sarcophagus cannot be interpreted within an orthodox theological framework. Instead, it is possible that more syncretistic, indigenous, and regionally based folklore, tales, and hymns, in combination with a diversity of religious beliefs, might explain the sarcophagus’s enigmatic imagery, since the social order and religious order are often mutually reinforcing.