bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green lignin‐based polyester nanofiltration membranes with ethanol and chlorine resistance
Authors: Zhan Shuo , Li Saisai , Zhan Xia , Li Jiding , Lei Jiandu , Wang Luying
Published: July 2021

As the main water treatment material, polymeric membranes inevitably suffer from membrane fouling. In this work, novel lignin‐based polyester composite nanofiltration membranes (NFM) with ethanol and chlorine resistance were fabricated via interfacial polymerization. Lignin alkali (LA), a green lignin derivative, typically treated as chemical waste in the paper industry, was employed as the aqueous monomer, trimesoyl chloride (TMC) is served as the organic monomer. The structure and separation properties of the lignin‐based NFM were studied, revealing that the dense polyester separation layer may show good performance for dye removal. The rejections of the optimized LA/TMC‐3 membrane with an excellent permeation flux of 13.9 kg m−2∙h−1 for rose Bengal sodium salt, brilliant blue, congo red, rhodamine B, MgSO4, and NaCl are 97.6%, 97.3%, 97.8%, 71.34%, 51.4%, and 31.8%, respectively. Moreover, the LA/TMC‐3 membrane also shows long‐term tolerance in ethanol and sodium hypochlorite solution; the rejection of LA/TMC‐3 to dye only decreases 8% after 8 days when immersed in alcohol, while the normalized rejection maintains 94% after 4000 ppm‐hours of continuous exposure to chlorine. This lignin‐based polyester membrane may broaden the sustainable utilization sphere of lignin derivatives, at that provide a referable direction for the development of membrane materials.
Serendipity in the city: User evaluations of urban recommender systems
Authors: Smets Annelien , Vannieuwenhuyze Jorre , Ballon Pieter
Published: July 2021

The contemporary city is increasingly being labeled as a smart city consisting of both physical and virtual spaces. This digital augmentation of urban life sets the scene for urban recommender systems to help citizens dealing with the abundance of digital information and corresponding choice overload, for example, by recommending the best place to have dinner based on your personal profile. There are, however, concerns that this kind of algorithmic filtering could lead to homogenization of urban experiences and a decline of social cohesion among citizens. To overcome this issue, scholars increasingly encourage the introduction of serendipity in all types of recommender systems. Nonetheless, it remains unclear how this can be achieved in practice. In this work, we study user evaluations of serendipity in urban recommender systems through a survey among 1,641 citizens. More specifically, we study which characteristics of recommended items contribute to serendipitous experiences and to what extent this increases user satisfaction and conversion. Our results align with findings in other application domains in the sense that there is a strong relation between the relevance and novelty of recommendations and the corresponding experienced serendipity. Moreover, serendipitous recommendations are found to increase the chance of users following up on these recommendations.
Copy theory
Authors: de Fremery Wayne , Buckland Michael K.
Published: July 2021

In information science, writing, printing, telecommunication, and digital computing have been central concerns because of their ability to distribute information. Overlooked is the obvious fact that these technologies fashion copies, and the theorizing of copies has been neglected. We may think a copy is the same as what it copies, but no two objects can really be the same. “The same” means similar enough as an acceptable substitute for some purpose. The differences between usefully similar things are also often important, in forensic analysis, for example, or inferential processes. Status as a copy is only one form of relationship between objects, but copies are so integral to information science that they demand a theory. Indeed, theorizing copies provides a basis for a more complete and unified view of information science.
Optimizing cluster selections for the replacement planning of water distribution systems
Authors: Chen Thomas Ying‐Jeh , Man Chung , Daly Craig Michael
Published: July 2021

Risk assessment is an effective tool for revealing criticalities across an entire water system. However, standard outputs that report risk at the individual pipe segment level can have limited use for decision support since utilities typically plan for the replacement of aggregated areas to minimize disruption and cost. This research presents a process for aggregating individual pipes into high‐risk clusters. Each cluster is a group of contiguous pipe which, when targeted, will reduce mobilization cost and community disruption. A graph search is first used to locate potential clusters, and then the optimal selection, which maximizes risk capture, is identified. An integer programming model is presented, and the process is implemented on a real system. Empirical trials suggest that the ability to prevent future breaks is not significantly reduced when prioritizing clusters rather than individual pipes. This shows that the proposed method can guide more cost‐efficient planning for pipe replacements.

Article Impact Statement

A method is presented to identify contiguous clusters of high‐risk individual pipes and optimize their selection for maximum risk reduction.
Multi‐omics profiling of a CHO cell culture system unravels the effect of culture pH on cell growth, antibody titer, and product quality
Authors: Lee Alison P. , Kok Yee Jiun , Lakshmanan Meiyappan , Leong Dawn , Zheng Lu , Lim Hsueh Lee , Chen Shuwen , Mak Shi Ya , Ang Kok Siong , Templeton Neil , Salim Taha , Wei Xiaona , Gifford Eric , Tan Andy Hee‐Meng , Bi Xuezhi , Ng Say Kong , Lee Dong‐Yup , Ling Wai Lam W. , Ho Ying Swan
Published: July 2021

A robust monoclonal antibody (mAb) bioprocess requires physiological parameters such as temperature, pH, or dissolved oxygen to be well‐controlled as even small variations in them could potentially impact the final product quality. For instance, pH substantially affects N‐glycosylation, protein aggregation, and charge variant profiles, as well as mAb productivity. However, relatively less is known about how pH jointly influences product quality and titer. In this study, we investigated the effect of pH on culture performance, product titer, and quality profiles by applying longitudinal multi‐omics profiling, including transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and glycomics, at three different culture pH set points. The subsequent systematic analysis of multi‐omics data showed that pH set points differentially regulated various intracellular pathways including intracellular vesicular trafficking, cell cycle, and apoptosis, thereby resulting in differences in specific productivity, product titer, and quality profiles. In addition, a time‐dependent variation in mAb N‐glycosylation profiles, independent of pH, was identified to be mainly due to the accumulation of mAb proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum disrupting cellular homeostasis over culture time. Overall, this multi‐omics‐based study provides an in‐depth understanding of the intracellular processes in mAb‐producing CHO cell line under varied pH conditions, and could serve as a baseline for enabling the quality optimization and control of mAb production.
The effects of regional trade integration and renewable energy transition on environmental quality: Evidence from South Asian neighbors
Authors: Murshed Muntasir , Ahmed Rizwan , Kumpamool Chamaiporn , Bassim Mohga , Elheddad Mohamed
Published: July 2021

Improving environmental quality across South Asia has become one of the utmost important policy agendas of the concerned governments. The susceptibility of the majority of the South Asian countries to multifaceted climate change adversities has motivated the need to identify the factors that can function to ensure environmental sustainability across South Asia. Although several studies have highlighted the importance of globalization and cleaner energy use in tackling the environmental degradaton issues of the South Asian countries, very little is known regarding the impacts of regional trade and renewable energy transition in this regard. Hence, this paper aims to scrutinize the effects of enhancing intra‐regional trade integration and undergoing renewable energy transition on per capita carbon dioxide emissions in the context of six South Asian nations between 1990 and 2016. The results from the recently developed cross‐sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag regression approach, accounting for cross‐sectional dependency and slope heterogeneity issues, reveal that facilitating trade among the South Asian neighbors reduces carbon emissions in both the short and long run. Moreover, enhancing the share of renewable energy in the aggregate energy consumption figures is also found to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in both the short and long run. Furthermore, both regional trade integration and renewable energy transition are found to jointly reduce carbon dioxide emissions in South Asia. The results also authenticate the existence of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis, while financial development and urbanization are found to boost carbon dioxide emissions only in the long run.
Scrub typhus in pregnancy presenting with permanent hearing loss: A case report
Authors: Tshering Sangay , Dorji Namkha , Dem Dago , Om Tandin
Published: July 2021

As clinicians, we need to be vigilant about these rare and atypical presentations given the endemic nature of scrub typhus in southern belt of the country. Timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment is the key aspect to prevent further complications.
A case report on using biofeedback for psychological assessment
Authors: Muramatsu Tomoko
Published: July 2021

A psychological assessment using biofeedback was performed for an adjustment disorder inpatient who showed less verbal and non‐verbal expressions, and experienced difficulty in receiving favorable results from treatment. The assessment revealed hidden problems behind the symptoms. She was subsequently discharged, after which no clinical intervention was required, including medication.
Recurrent hypoglycemia and a slowly rising hemidiaphragm: A case report
Authors: Simpson Vincent , McGovern Andrew
Published: July 2021

Non‐islet cell tumor hypoglycemia should be considered in unexplained recurrent non‐insulin‐dependent hypoglycemia. Where surgery is not possible steroids may be effective, even at low dose, at managing hypoglycaemia.
Oxygen Absorption in Electrocatalyst Layers Detected by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy
Authors: Moghaddam Mahdi , Peljo Pekka
Published: July 2021

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is able to track the local electrochemical activity of an electrolyte‐immersed substrate employing an ultra‐micro‐electrode (UME) in micrometer‐scale spatial resolution. In this study, SECM is employed to investigate the presence of oxygen in the electrocatalyst layers of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and electrolyzers. Approach curves on electrocatalyst layers with the tip potential set for oxygen reduction reveal that a significant amount of oxygen is absorbed in the catalyst layer. We confirm that the coexistence of Nafion ionomer and carbon black leads to oxygen confinement. It is suggested that this oxygen is confined within the hydrophobic parts of the self‐assembled Nafion on the graphitic surfaces of the carbon black.
Transition‐Metal‐Free C2‐Functionalization of Pyridines through Aryne Three‐Component Coupling
Authors: Guin Avishek , Bhattacharjee Subrata , Biju Akkattu T.
Published: July 2021

The direct C2‐functionalization of pyridines through a transition‐metal‐free protocol by using aryne multicomponent coupling is demonstrated. The reaction allowed a broad‐scope synthesis of C2‐substituted pyridine derivatives bearing the −CF3 group in good yields with α,α,α‐trifluoroacetophenones as the third component. Activated keto esters could also be employed as the third component in this formal 1,2‐di(hetero)arylation of ketones. Performing the reaction under dilute conditions inhibited the competing pyridine–aryne polymerization pathway. Nucleophilic attack by the initially generated pyridylidene intermediate on the carbonyl followed by an SNAr process resembling the Smiles rearrangement affords the desired products.
The effect of balneotherapy with natural mineral dissolved water on dry skin in atopic dermatitis: A phase IIa, nonrandomized, controlled study
Authors: Uchiyama Akihiko , Fujiwara Chisako , Inoue Yuta , Uchida Kazushi , Hiyama Miyabi , Itabashi Hideyuki , Motegi Sei‐ichiro
Published: July 2021

Objectives

It has been known that the use of moisturizers is useful in preventing the onset and maintaining remission of atopic dermatitis (AD). We recently focused on the moisturizing effect of natural mineral dissolved water and have conducted various studies. In this study, we investigated whether the bath treatment using natural mineral dissolved water can improve dry skin in AD patient in prospective nonblind, nonrandomized controlled study.

Methods

Thirteen adults with almost clear to moderate AD took bath therapy using tap water for 13 days, followed by bath therapy using natural mineral dissolved water for 13 days. Changes in the severity scoring, patient‐oriented eczema measure, pruritus numerical rating scale, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and hydration were evaluated at day1, 14 and 28.

Results

Tap water using bath treatment did not change the severity scoring and itch associated score, and it partially decrease TEWL when compared with baseline condition. Bath treatment using natural mineral dissolved water slightly decrease eczema area and severity index (EASI) score and significantly decrease TEWL with respect to baseline condition. Moreover, in relatively severe AD analysis, bath treatment with mineral dissolved water significantly decreased EASI and TEWL.

Conclusions

Based on these results, bathing with natural mineral dissolved water may be effective in improving the dry skin of atopic dermatitis. Further studies are needed to evaluate its effects more clearly.
Schluss mit Kompetenzen! Praxisnahe Bildung für die Pharmaindustrie 4.0
Authors: Daubenfeld Thorsten , Geis Bernd , Gros Leo
Published: July 2021

Die gegenwärtigen Veränderungen in der pharmazeutischen Industrie wirken sich auch auf die Anforderungsprofile von Hochschulabsolventinnen und ‐absolventen aus. In diesem Beitrag beschreiben die Autoren ihre Erfahrungen mit und Einsichten zu diesem Thema aus Sicht einer Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften und aus Sicht der Industrie. Bewusst provozierend hinterfragen sie die starke Betonung der Kompetenzorientierung und deren gegenwärtige Umsetzung in der Hochschullehre. Sie meinen, dass die Beschreibung von Modulen und Lernzielen dem für die Praxis unabdingbaren Fachwissen häufig zu wenig Raum gibt und stellen den Zweiklang aus Wissen und Können am Beispiel der Lehrphilosophie von Carl Remigius Fresenius (1818–1897) als Gegenpol dar. Am Beispiel der M.Sc. Executive Initiative wird die Notwendigkeit und konkrete Umsetzbarkeit der Verflechtung von Wissensvermittlung und anwendungsorientierter Lehre im Kontext der Pharmaindustrie 4.0 verdeutlicht.
Hydrogean Peroxide Inducible Acid‐Activatable Prodrug for Targeted Cancer Treatment
Authors: Liu Jun , Wang Jinhua , Si Shuang , Xu Jinyi , Xue Peng
Published: July 2021

Because some of the potentially most useful boronic acids are inherently unstable in blood plasma and exhibit poor selective retention in tumours, 2‐heterocyclic N‐methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA) boronates provide a stable, spacious and highly effective harbor for prodrug conjugates. Herein we report MIDA boronates in conjunction with naphthalene‐based fluorophores as suitable compounds for tumour diagnosis by virtue of their remarkable specificity and uniform benchtop stability. The shielding group was found to be effective at imparting stability under physiological conditions (pH 7.4), with rapid release of the drug upon exposure to the acidic microenvironment of the tumor. This approach significantly enhanced the efficiency of drug release and was found to exhibit fewer side effects, thus indicating its great potential for precision therapeutics.
A Patent Review on the Current Developments of Benzoxazoles in Drug Discovery
Authors: Wong Xi Khai , Yeong Keng Yoon
Published: July 2021

The benzoxazole moiety is widely found in various natural compounds, which are often found to be biologically active. Due to its versatile biological properties, benzoxazole has been incorporated as an essential pharmacophore and substructure in many medicinal compounds. In the past years, numerous benzoxazole derivatives have been synthesised and evaluated for their biological potential. The wide range in therapeutic potential of benzoxazole derivatives is related to the favourable interactions of the benzoxazole moiety with different protein targets. Herein we review the biological activities of benzoxazole derivatives patented within the past six years. Using the Lens database, granted patents issued from 2015 to 2020 were retrieved. The patented benzoxazole derivatives demonstrated excellent activity against various protein targets and diseases, with some reaching clinical trial stage. Pharmacological and medicinal aspects of patented benzoxazole derivatives are discussed. The recent development and drawbacks are also reviewed.
Retracted: Brain tumor segmentation and overall survival period prediction in glioblastoma multiforme using radiomic features
Authors: Das Suchismita , Bose Srijib , Nayak Gopal K. , Satapathy Suresh Chandra , Saxena Sanjay
Published: July 2021

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM or glioblastoma) is a fast‐growing glioma that are the most invasive type of glial tumors, rapidly growing and commonly spreading into nearby brain tissue. Due to its aggressive and fast growing nature, patients suffer from high grade glioma (GBM) survive very less time as compare to other tumors. Prediction of patient survival (OS) time helps the radiologist for better systematic treatment planning and clinical decision making. The OS rate depends on the tumor size, shape, and different imaging features of brain. In this study, the OS period prediction was performed using Random Forest, SVM, XgBoost, and LGBM taking radiomic features which represents fused deep features and hand crafted features of the tumor. Efficiency of the prediction depends on the tumor volume that is segmented from the different MRI modalities. Hence the whole tumor and its sub tumor are extracted from multi‐modal MR images using U‐Net++ deep model and stacked together for deep features extraction using convolutional neural networks. To increase the accuracy, the features are reduced using PCA and then this radiomic feature set was used for OS period prediction. Prediction performance was evaluated for both 2‐class and 3‐class survival groups. The experiment was performed on well‐known dataset BraTS 2017 and achieved a classification AUC value as 63% for 3‐class classification and 2‐class group using different classifier. Segmentation DOR is computed as 1269.29, 2033.99, and 648.00 for complete tumor, enhancing tumor, and necrotic tumor extraction, respectively. To achieve even more accuracy, bio inspired optimization methods GA and PSO are used on fused feature set. Finally, the method achieves the AUC score of 0.66 using fused feature+SVM+GA (3‐class group) and 0.70 using fused feature+SVM+PSO (2‐class group) which outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art.
Direct and ancillary benefits of ecosystem‐based fisheries management in forage fish fisheries
Authors: Sanchirico James N. , Essington Timothy E.
Published: July 2021

Natural resource management is evolving toward holistic, ecosystem‐based approaches to decision making. The ecosystem science underpinning these approaches needs to account for the complexity of multiple interacting components within and across coupled natural–human systems. In this research, we investigate the potential economic and ecological gains from adopting ecosystem‐based approaches for the sardine and anchovy fisheries off of the coast of California, USA. Research has shown that while predators in this system are likely substituting one forage species for another, the assemblage of sardine and anchovy can be a significant driver of predator populations. Currently, the harvest control rules for sardine and anchovy fisheries align more with traditional single species framework. We ask what are the economic and ecological gains when jointly determining the harvest control rules for both forage fish stocks and their predators relative to the status quo? What are the implications of synchronous and anti‐synchronous environmental recruitment variation between the anchovy and sardine stocks on optimal food‐web management? To investigate these questions, we develop an economic‐ecological model for sardine, anchovy, a harvested predator (halibut), and an endangered predator (Brown Pelican) that includes recruitment variability over time driven by changing environmental conditions. Utilizing large‐scale numerical optimal control methods, we investigate how the multiple variants of integrated management of sardine, anchovy, and halibut impact the overall economic condition of the fisheries and Brown Pelican populations over time. We find significant gains in moving to integrated catch control rules both in terms of the economic gains of the fished stocks, and in terms of the impacts on the Brown Pelican populations. We also compare the relative performance of current stylized catch control rules to optimal single species and optimal ecosystem‐based fisheries management (EBFM) across ecological and economic dimensions, where the former trade‐off considerable economic value for ecological goals. More generally, we demonstrate how EBFM approaches introduce and integrate additional management levers for policymakers to achieve non‐fishery objectives at lowest costs to the fishing sectors.
Effects of ecological environment and host genotype on the phyllosphere bacterial communities of cigar tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)
Authors: Xing Lei , Yang Jianlei , Jia Yuhong , Hu Xi , Liu Yi , Xu Heng , Yin Huaqun , Li Juan , Yi Zhenxie
Published: July 2021

Microorganisms of plant phyllosphere play an important role in plant health and productivity and are influenced by abiotic and biotic factors. In this study, we investigated the phyllosphere bacterial communities of three cigar tobacco varieties cultivated in Guangcun (GC) and Wuzhishan (WZS), Hainan, China. Metagenomic DNA was extracted from tobacco leaf samples and sequenced by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. Our results showed that bacterial communities of cigar tobacco phyllosphere in GC exhibited remarkably higher alpha diversity than that in WZS. There was slight effect of tobacco genotype variations on the alpha diversity in both cultivation sites, and beta diversity and structure of bacterial community were not influenced significantly by the cultivation sites and tobacco varieties. Statistical analyses of species diversity unraveled that the dominant species in bacterial communities of cigar tobacco phyllosphere among all these samples were phylogenetically affiliated to Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria. At the genus level, the most abundant microorganism was Limnobacter, followed by Brevundimonas, unidentified_Cyanobacteria, and Pseudomonas. Additionally, environmental conditions except for humidity were negatively correlated with the relative abundance of bacterial genera. Further analyses revealed that influence of site‐specific factors on tobacco bacterial community was relatively higher than genotype‐specific factors. In short, this study may contribute to the knowledge base of practical applications of bacterial inoculants for tobacco leaf production.
Impacts of a regional multiyear insect defoliation event on growing‐season runoff ratios and instantaneous streamflow characteristics
Authors: Smith‐Tripp Sarah , Griffith Alden , Pasquarella Valerie J. , Matthes Jaclyn Hatala
Published: July 2021

Repeated moderate severity forest disturbances can cause short‐ and long‐term shifts in ecosystem processes. Prior work has found that stand‐replacing disturbances (e.g., clear‐cutting) increase streamflow in temperate forests, but streamflow responses to repeated moderate severity disturbances are more equivocal. This study examined a moderate disturbance caused by an unexpected population irruption of the invasive insectLymantria dispar(common name: gypsy moth) in 2015–2017. This irruption resulted in defoliation that was locally severe in some areas but spatially heterogeneous at a regional scale.L.disparlarvae consume leaves during the summer growing season, which effectively reduces tree leaf area and associated evapotranspiration. Our regional approach in Southern New England, USA, used data from 83 US Geological Survey (USGS) stream gages to assess whether changes in growing‐season watershed runoff ratios and instantaneous streamflow characteristics during the 2015–2017 L.disparirruption were associated with satellite‐derived metrics of changes in forest condition (i.e., defoliation), compared to a 20‐year baseline streamflow period. We found a small, linear increase in growing‐season runoff ratio anomalies that was associated with defoliation intensity. The association between defoliation intensity and runoff ratio anomalies was magnified in less anthropogenically impacted reference watersheds. We also found that defoliation intensity was associated with larger volumes of high and medium instantaneous streamflows compared to baseline mean flow conditions. This study provided important insights into the impacts of moderate disturbance on ecohydrology in mesic temperate forests with a unique methodological approach that assessed the impacts of spatially heterogeneous and repeated moderate disturbance at a regional scale.
Land use, but not distance, drives fungal beta diversity
Authors: Marion Zachary H. , Orwin Kate H. , Wood Jamie R. , Holdaway Robert J. , Dickie Ian A.
Published: July 2021

Fungi are one of the most diverse taxonomic groups on the planet, but much of their diversity and community organization remains unknown, especially at local scales. Indeed, a consensus on how fungal communities change across spatial or temporal gradients—beta diversity—remains nascent. Here, we use a data set of plant‐associated fungal communities (leaf, root, and soil) across multiple land uses from a New Zealand–wide study to look at fungal community turnover at small spatial scales (<1 km). Using hierarchical Bayesian beta regressions and Hill‐number–based diversity profiles, we show that fungal communities are often markedly dissimilar at even small distances, regardless of land use. Moreover, diversity profile plots indicate that leaf, root, and soil‐associated communities show different patterns in the dominance or rarity of dissimilar species. Leaf‐associated communities differed from site to site in their low‐abundance species, whereas root‐associated communities differed between sites in the dominant species; soil‐associated communities were intermediate. Land‐use differences were largely driven by the lower turnover between high‐productivity grassland sites. Further, we discuss the implications and benefits of using diversity profile plots of turnover to draw inferences into the mechanisms of how communities are structured across spatial gradients.
Biological Investigations of Ru(II) Complexes with Diverse β‐Diketone Ligands
Authors: Ryan Raphael T. , Havrylyuk Dmytro , Stevens Kimberly C. , Moore L. Henry , Parkin Sean , Blackburn Jessica S. , Heidary David K. , Selegue John P. , Glazer Edith C.
Published: July 2021

The β‐diketone scaffold is a commonly used synthetic intermediate, and is a functional group found in natural products such as curcuminoids. This core structure can also act as a chelating ligand for a variety of metals. In order to assess the potential of this scaffold for medicinal inorganic chemistry, seven different κ2‐O,O’‐chelating ligands were used to construct Ru(II) complexes with polypyridyl co‐ligands, and their biological activity was evaluated. The complexes demonstrated promising structure‐dependent cytotoxicity. Three complexes maintained high activity in a tumor spheroid model, and all complexes demonstrated low in vivo toxicity in a zebrafish model. From this series, the best compound exhibited a ∼30‐fold window between cytotoxicity in a 3‐D tumor spheroid model and potential in vivo toxicity. These results suggest that κ2‐O,O’‐ligands can be incorporated into Ru(II)‐polypyridyl complexes to create favorable candidates for future drug development.
Cyclometallated Pt(II) Complexes Containing a Functionalized Bis‐Urea Alkynyl Ligand: Probing Aggregation Mediated by Hydrogen BondsversusPt⋅⋅⋅Pt and π−π Interactions
Authors: Basuyaux Gaëtan , Amar Anissa , Troufflard Claire , Boucekkine Abdou , Métivier Rémi , Raynal Matthieu , Moussa Jamal , Bouteiller Laurent , Amouri Hani
Published: July 2021

Neutral cyclometallated Pt(II) complexes [(C^Nt−Bu^Nt−Bu)Pt−R] (4–5) containing a bis‐urea alkynyl (R) ligand have been prepared and fully characterized. The dichotomous nature of4–5makes it difficult to anticipate which interactions (hydrogen bonds, π−π stacking and Pt⋅⋅⋅Pt) will dominate their assembly process. The aggregation properties of4–5were thus probed by multifarious analytical (UV/Vis, FT‐IR, NMR, MS, CD, emission) and computational (DFT, TD‐DFT) techniques. CD analyses of sergeants‐and‐soldiers type mixtures between4and an enantiopure Pt‐free monomer(S,S)‐3reveal that no amplification of supramolecular helicity occurs in this system. In fact, complex4acts as competitor or chain capper, likely through hydrogen bonding, of the homochiral assemblies formed by(S,S)‐3. In DMSO,1H NMR and DOSY analyses indicate that4and5form aggregates. Likewise, the aggregation is promoted by the addition of H2O as suggested by red shift of the lowest energy emission band, which might originate from a3MMLCT excited state. TD‐DFT calculations confirm that self‐aggregation occurs through Pt⋅⋅⋅Pt and π−π interactions yielding head‐to‐tail aggregates in DMSO and DMSO/H2O mixtures. Our study therefore suggests a (condition dependent) competitive rather than a cooperative mode of action of the different types of interactions present in aggregates of4–5.
Polydopamine‐modified MWCNTs‐glassy Carbon Electrode, a Selective Electrochemical Morphine Sensor
Authors: Sabeti M. , Ensafi Ali A. , Rezaei B.
Published: July 2021

An electrochemical sensor based on a glassy carbon electrode was prepared using f‐MWCNTs and polydopamine. Several techniques were used to investigate the surface features. Voltammetric techniques were used to evaluate the electrocatalyst efficiency, and it was used for morphine determination using differential pulse voltammetry. Different parameters affecting the method‘s sensitivity and selectivity were optimized. The linear dynamic range was 0.075–75.0 μM with a detection limit of 0.06 μM morphine. Also, the method‘s selectivity was tested, which was proved to be satisfactory. Finally, the sensor was successfully used for morphine determination in human plasma and urine samples with acceptable results.
Dynamic computer simulations of electrophoresis: 2010–2020
Authors: Thormann Wolfgang , Mosher Richard A.
Published: July 2021

The transport of components in liquid media under the influence of an applied electric field can be described with the continuity equation. It represents a nonlinear conservation law that is based upon the balance laws of continuous transport processes and can be solved in time and space numerically. This procedure is referred to as dynamic computer simulation. Since its inception four decades ago, the state of dynamic computer simulation software and its use has progressed significantly. Dynamic models are the most versatile tools to explore the fundamentals of electrokinetic separations and provide insights into the behavior of buffer systems and sample components of all electrophoretic separation methods, including moving boundary electrophoresis, CZE, CGE, ITP, IEF, EKC, ACE, and CEC. This article is a continuation of previous reviews (Electrophoresis 2009, 30, S16–S26 and Electrophoresis 2010, 31, 726–754) and summarizes the progress and achievements made during the 2010 to 2020 time period in which some of the existing dynamic simulators were extended and new simulation packages were developed. This review presents the basics and extensions of the three most used one‐dimensional simulators, provides a survey of new one‐dimensional simulators, outlines an overview of multi‐dimensional models, and mentions models that were briefly reported in the literature. A comprehensive discussion of simulation applications and achievements of the 2010 to 2020 time period is also included.
MoS2 and Ti3C2 Ensembles into TiO2 for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution: Dual‐Bonding Interactions and Capacitive Effect Trigger the Intrinsic Activities
Authors: Dan Meng , Li Junlian , Chen Cheng , Xiang Jianglai , Zhong Yunqian , Wu Fan , Wang Zepan , Liu Zhao-Qing , Zhou Ying
Published: July 2021

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution provides a sustainable and environmentally benign approach for large‐scale solar energy conversion. How to substantially trigger the photocatalytic efficiency of semiconductor catalysts is still a challenging issue. Here, the sandwich‐like hierarchical Ti3C2–TiO2–MoS2 (TM) composite is designed and synthesized by in situ growth of TiO2 and MoS2 nanosheets on MXene (Ti3C2) nanosheets. Consequently, the dual‐cocatalyst‐modified TiO2 photocatalyst can spark efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution (4.3 times higher than pristine TiO2) and maintain excellent stability (>30 h). Specifically, the enhancement of photocatalytic efficiency can be originated from the promoted charge separation and migration through TiOMo and COTi dual charge transfer channels and enriched reactive active sites for proton reduction. More importantly, the capacitive properties of MoS2 and Ti3C2 can retain the photogenerated electrons at a long‐lived charge‐separated state, further improving the activity and stability. The potential of earth‐abundant cocatalysts with capacitance effect to construct high‐efficiency and low‐cost photocatalysts is demonstrated.
Protective rules of natural antioxidants against gamma‐induced damage—A review
Authors: Jameel Qaswaa Y. , Mohammed Nameer K.
Published: July 2021

Phytochemicals accessible in food have demonstrated efficiency against impairment by gamma radiation. The review presented here is an attempt to show the pharmacological outline of the activity of the natural antioxidants and its primary action of molecular mechanism against the damage induced by gamma rays. This research focused on the results of the in vitro dosage of natural antioxidants relationship, and on the correlation of this information with the statistical variables. Moreover, it deliberated the natural compounds which could decrease the unwelcome impacts of gamma radiation and safeguard biological systems from radiation‐stimulated genotoxicity. The outcomes indicated that natural compounds can be utilized as an adjunct to orthodox radiotherapy and cultivate it as an effectual drug for the clinical administration of ailments.
Anti‐obesity activity of Heracleum moellendorffii root extracts in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes
Authors: Geum Na Gyeong , Son Ho Jun , Yeo Joo Ho , Yu Ju Hyeong , Choi Min Yeong , Lee Jae Won , Baek Jueng Kyu , Jeong Jin Boo
Published: July 2021

It has been reported that H. mollendorffii roots (HMR) have various pharmacological activities such as anti‐inflammatory activity and immunostimulatory activity. However, the anti‐obesity activity of HMR has not been studied. Thus, we evaluated in vitro anti‐obesity of HMR in mouse preadipocytes, 3T3‐L1 cells. HMR reduced the lipid accumulation and triglyceride (TG) contents in 3T3‐L1 cells. HMR inhibited the protein expressions such as CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein alpha (CEBPα), peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), perilipin‐1, adiponectin, fatty acid‐binding protein 4 (FABP4), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (ACC) related to the lipid accumulation of the mature adipocytes. In addition, HMR induced the proteasomal degradation of CEBPα related to the differentiation of the preadipocytes into the mature adipocytes by activating c‐Jun N‐terminal kinases (JNK) and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β). Based on the results of this study, HMR inhibited the differentiation of preadipocytes into mature adipocytes through the CEBPα degradation via JNK and GSK3β activation and subsequently blocked lipid accumulation of mature adipocytes through inhibiting lipid accumulation‐related proteins such as CEBPα, PPARγ, perilipin‐1, adiponectin, FABP4, FAS, and ACC.
IL‐17 signaling induces iNOS+ microglia activation in retinal vascular diseases
Authors: Zhou Tian , Liu Yan , Yang Ziqi , Ni Biyan , Zhu Xiaowei , Huang Zijing , Xu Huiyi , Feng Qiumin , Lin Xiaojing , He Chang , Liu Xialin
Published: July 2021

Activation of microglia and inflammation‐mediated vascular damages are suggested to play a decisive role in the pathogenesis of various retinopathies. The inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was required for activated microglia‐mediated injuries. However, the induction mechanism of microglia activation during retinal vascular diseases is still elusive. Here we showed that IL‐17 induced microglia activation with high expression of iNOS and promoted the development of retinal vascular diseases. IL‐17‐dependent activation of the STAT3‐iNOS pathway was essentially required for microglia activation, which promoted endothelial cell growth and accelerated vascular leakage and leukostasis via IL‐6 in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our data provide novel mechanistic insights on microglia activation‐mediated retinopathy, unveil the specific role of IL‐17 on microglia, and define novel therapeutic targets for treating retinal vascular diseases.
Refugee life making: (Re)Centering the refugee narrative through feminist refugee epistemology
Authors: Saelua Natasha , Yi Varaxy , Na Vanessa S. , Museus Samuel D.
Published: July 2021

Utilizing feminist refugee epistemology (FRE), this article explores the ways in which refugee youth and their parents engage their histories and enact their politics and desires as they negotiate their resettlement, education, and the pursuit of life in Colorado. Specifically, this article seeks to (re)center the researcher gaze from refugees as sites of trauma or as objects of rescue toward the everyday, intimate moments of life‐making. This study was conducted in partnership with a local community‐based organization focused on serving the local refugee population. Ten refugee youth, ages 13–17, and their parents (one parent for each student; N = 20) participated in semi‐structured interviews ranging from 45 to 60 minutes. Findings reveal how refugee mothers make life and, in doing so, support their children's educational pursuits. We consider the practical implications of this study to inform the creation of culturally responsive educational environments to support greater opportunities for these growing populations.
Interrogating Trauma: Hmong and Cambodian American identity and subjecthood
Authors: Kwan Yvonne Y.
Published: July 2021

In both popular media and scholarly studies, Southeast Asian Americans are often perceived as “unsuccessful” because of challenges associated with poverty, low educational attainment, and gang violence. While this argument can help debunk assumptions of the model minority myth, it also reifies deficiency—substituting one stereotype with another. This research interrogates the ethnic identity development of Hmong and Cambodian American college students in order to resist dominant narratives that employ statistics as a counter to the model minority myth. Hmong and Cambodian students are unique in that their experiences contribute to a larger theoretical intervention called “refugee subjecthood.” Contingent on individual‐ and family‐specific experiences, Hmong and Cambodian Americans develop unique identities—but, when those identities have a shared valence based upon commonalties of race, geography, or migration history, a subjecthood is produced. Refugee subjecthood is the phenomenon in which refugees collectively and individually create, enact, and challenge the subject positions in which they have been subjected to via social structures such as law and education. To better serve refugee students, higher education practitioners must better understand the complex and sometimes contradictory ways in which individual identities and collective subjecthood affect aspirations for and retention in higher education.
Survival impact of angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists in head and neck cancer
Authors: Stokes William A. , Molina Elizabeth , McDermott Jessica D. , Morgan Rustain L. , Bickett Thomas , Fakhoury Kareem R. , Amini Arya , Karam Sana D.
Published: July 2021

Background

Preclinical evidence suggests a link between the renin‐angiotensin system and oncogenesis. We aimed to explore the impact of angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) in head and neck cancer (HNC).

Methods

Over 5000 patients were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results‐Medicare linked dataset and categorized according to ACEi and ARB and diagnoses of chronic kidney disease (CKD) or hypertension (HTN). Overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) were compared using Cox multivariable regression (MVA), expressed as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).

Results

No significant MVA associations for OS or CSS were found for ACEi. Compared to patients with CKD/HTN taking ARB, those with CKD/HTN not taking ARB experienced worse OS (HR 1.28, 95%CI 1.09–1.51, p = 0.003) and CSS (HR 1.23, 95%CI 1.00–1.50, p = 0.050).

Conclusions

ARB usage is associated with improved OS and CSS among HNC patients with CKD or HTN.
Surgical interventions for management of benign parotid tumors: Systematic review and network meta‐analysis
Authors: Mashrah Mubarak Ahmed , Al‐Sharani Hesham Mohammed , Al‐Aroomi Maged Ali , Abdelrehem Ahmed , Aldhohrah Taghrid , Wang Liping
Published: July 2021

The impact of the extent of parotid surgery on postoperative complications has long been considered a topic of controversy. The aim of the current network meta‐analysis (NMA) is to answer the following questions: (1) Does the extent of surgical resection of benign parotid tumors increase the risk of postoperative complications? (2) What is the best surgical intervention for treatment of benign parotid tumors that can provide an acceptable balance between tumor recurrence rate and other postoperative complications? A comprehensive search on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane library was conducted to identify the eligible studies. The outcome was the incidence of tumor recurrence, facial nerve weakness (temporary [TFW] or permanent [PFP]), Frey's syndrome (FS), sialocele, and salivary fistula. The Bayesian network meta‐analysis (NMA) accompanied by a random effect model and 95% credible intervals (CrI) were calculated using the GeMTC R package. Forty‐four studies with a total of 7841 participants were included in the current NMA comparing five surgical interventions, namely enucleation, extracapsular dissection (ECD), partial superficial parotidectomy (PSP), superficial parotidectomy (SP), and total parotidectomy (TP). Enucleation showed the highest recurrence rate compared to ECD, SPS, SP, and TP. No statistical differences were observed concerning the recurrence rate when ECD, PSP, SP, and TP were compared together. There was an increased incidence of TFW and FS with the increase in the extent of parotid resection, while no significant difference was found when comparing enucleation with ECD and PSP. SP showed the highest incidence of PFP, and salivary fistula compared to ECD, PSP, and TP. The tumor recurrence rates in enucleation, ECD, PSP, SP, and TP were 14.3%, 3.6%, 3.7%, 2.8%, and 1.4%, respectively. The current NMA demonstrated that the risk of TFW and FS increases with the increase in the extent of parotid resection and that ECD and PSP can be considered the treatment of choice for benign parotid tumors, as both provide an acceptable balance between the incidence of tumor recurrence and facial nerve dysfunction.
Analytical estimation of energy dissipations: Viscous, Joulian, and Darcy of viscoelastic fluid flow phenomena over a deformable surface
Authors: Bhukta D. , Dash G. C. , Mishra S. R. , Jena S.
Published: July 2021

In this paper, analytical estimation of energy dissipations, such as viscous, Joulian, and Darcy dissipation of viscoelastic flow phenomena over a deformable surface has been presented. This supplement to the study of many transport processes, which occur in nature, and various experimental setups that are driven or modified by the composition of the various flow characteristics and material or phase constitution. These processes are very important and have received considerable attention in the literature. The estimation of dissipative energy in the process of transport energy is an important phenomenon to investigate. The present analysis is carried out on steady MHD viscoelastic liquid due to deformable domains. Moreover, the impact of internal heat sources and prescribed thermal conditions, such as surface temperature and heat flux, are carefully studied. Analytical solutions to governing equations are obtained with the help of Kummer's function. The solutions are presented graphically as well as in tables to estimate the energy losses and their effects on transport processes, which serve as the salient features of the current analysis. The outcomes serve as a guideline due to the process of transport properties as per the design requirements. Looking into the current scenario, dissipative heat energies have several applications in industries and technological processes, such as electric heaters, fuses, food processing, and several others.
Stochastische Zusammenhänge ausgewählter Beschaffenheitsparameter bei der Aufbereitung von Talsperrenwasser zu Trinkwasser
Authors: Kermer K. , Röske I.
Published: July 2021

Statistische Zusammenhänge zwischen den Gütekriterien CSV‐Mn, UV‐Transmission, ges, Kohlenstoff, Trübung und Plankton bei der Mehrschichtfiltration von weichem Talsperrenwasser sowie Fehlerquellen bei der Auswertung des Datenmaterials nach der Methode der linearen Regression werden behandelt.

Die Regressionsfunktionen und Korrelationskoeffizienten für Reinwasser sowie Roh‐ und Reinwasser werden für mehrere Versuchsreihen angegeben.
Ergebnisse der Trenduntersuchungen von Ostseefischen auf ihren Gehalt an DDT und seinen Metaboliten
Authors: Luckas B. , Wetzel H. , Rechlin O.
Published: July 2021

Die staatliche Überwachung des Verkehrs mit Lebensmitteln macht auch die Kontrolle der Ostseefische auf ihren Gehalt an Fremdstoffen erforderlich. Es wird über die Ergebnisse der Untersuchungen von Heringen, Sprotten, Hornfischen und Dorschlebern auf Rückstände von DDT und seinen Metaboliten DDE und DDD in den Jahren 1971 … 1977 berichtet.
Nitratbestimmung im Trinkwasser nach dem flow‐stream‐Prinzip mittels einer ionensensitiven Meßzelle
Authors: Tietz U. , Grünke U. , Krause I.
Published: July 2021

Beschrieben wird eine automatisierte Methode zur Bestimmung des Nitrats in Trinkwässern mittels einer ionensensitiven Meßzelle. Mit dem vorgestellten Verfahren können 80 Proben pro Stunde auf ihren Nitratgehalt im Konzentrationsbereich von 1,5 · 10–5 bis 1,0 · 10–3 Mol/l analysiert werden.

Der Aufbau der Automateneinheit, der Durchflußmeßzelle, sowie das Meßprinzip weiden erläutert.
Zur Charakterisierung suspendierter Wasserinhaltsstoffe. Teil 2: Erste Ergebnisse der praktischen Anwendung der Analysenmethoden
Authors: Schultz D.
Published: July 2021

Nachdem in Teil 1 (Schultz) die Bedeutung der Feststoffe für den Betrieb von Wasseraufbereitungsanlagen und Analysenmethoden zur Charakterisierung der Feststoffe diskutiert wurden, enthält Teil 2 die Ergebnisse von Untersuchungen an einem ausgewählten Vorfluter. Verschiedene Analysenmethoden werden getestet, miteinander verglichen und ihre Eignung zur Einschätzung des Leistungsverhaltens der Aufbereitungsanlagen überprüft.