bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of Socio-demographic and Clinical Profile of Individuals with Deliberate Self-harm Attempt during COVID-19 Lockdown
Authors: Gopal NV Roopesh , Kumar SV Sathish
Published: November 2021

Introduction: Self-harm attempt is an important aspect in consultation liaison psychiatry. During lockdown due to the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many people underwent various stressors. Many individuals were referred to Psychiatry Out Patient Department (OPD) with a history of self- harm attempt. They were also aware of the travel restrictions and difficulty in reaching hospitals. So, it was necessary to understand the reasons for the self-harm attempt, especially during the lockdown. Aim: To study the socio-demographic and clinical profile of individuals with self-harm attempt during the lockdown. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was done during the COVID-19 lockdown period (last week of March 2020 till end of May 2020) in the Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Madikeri, Karnataka, India. A total of 52 subjects of self-harm attempt who were referred to the Department of Psychiatry for counseling and needed psychological help, on regular OPD days were recruited for the study after obtaining informed consent. Socio-demographic and clinical details like nature of self-harm attempt, method of attempt, number of attempts, reason for attempt, time of attempt, consumed alcohol prior to the attempt, how did they reach hospital, clinical depression, difficulty in reaching hospital due to lockdown, regret/remorse about the attempt were documented using the semi-structured proforma. The data was expressed as percentages and Chi-square test was applied. A p-value less than 0.001 were considered as significant. Results: Out of 52 subjects, 65.4% belonged to 21-40 years of age, 51.9% were females, 65.4% were married, 30.8% belonged to lower socio-economic status, 61.6% residing in a rural area, education below class 10 (73.07%), the predominant occupation was labourers and home maker. Poisoning was the common method and 25% had depression and needed medications. The interpersonal conflict was the common reason and had difficulties due to lockdown (5.7%). However, the findings were statistically not significant among males and females. Conclusion: Self-harm attempt was common in young married females in a rural area by poisoning, who reported depression, interpersonal conflict and economic difficulties during the lockdown.
Comparison of Light Emitting Diode Phototherapy vs Conventional Phototherapy for Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia: A Quasi-experimental Study
Authors: Mehta Charul , Gayatri K , Chaudhari Dhruvika G , Patel Bhavin , Bansal Shashank , Patel Jay
Published: November 2021

Introduction: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is one of the most common problem encountered during the neonatal period. Phototherapy is a widely accepted, cheap, non-invasive relatively safe and effective method of treatment for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Aim: To compare the efficacy of Light Emitting Diode (LED) phototherapy vs Conventional Phototherapy for treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in healthy term neonates. Materials and Methods: A quasi experimental study was conducted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Post-natal wards in a tertiary care hospital affiliated to Medical College and Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat from July 2018 to April 2019 with a sample size of 135 in each group. They were assessed clinically by Kramers method just before initiation of phototherapy, then using Transcutaneous Bilirubinometer (TCB) Total Serum Bilirubin (TSB) level was measured. Bilirubin assessment by these methods were done for every neonate before initiation of phototherapy and then again repeated after 24 and 48 hours of phototherapy. Data was collected and analysed in Microsoft (MS) excel Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 0.26. Chi-square test was used for comparison. Results: In the present study, 158 (58.51%) babies were male and 112 (41.48%) babies were female. Initially, LED was found to be better than Compact Fluorescent (CFL) conventional phototherapy on comparing the average fall in the serum bilirubin level from baseline during the first 24 hours however no such difference in the efficacy between the two light sources was seen after a period of 48 hours. Total 9 (6.66%) patients developed rebound hyperbilirubinemia after completion of conventional phototherapy whereas 14 (10.37%) developed rebound hyperbilirubinemia after completion of 48 hours of LED phototherapy. Conclusion: LED and conventional phototherapy were equally efficacious in managing non haemolytic hyperbilirubinemia in healthy term neonates.
CAMEL Rating System and Financial Performance of Islamic Banks in Kenya
Authors: Denje Grace Rehema , O. Olando Clement
Published: November 2021

Kenyan Islamic banks are facing a myriad of credit risk issues adversely affecting their financial performance. Importantly. CAMEL rating system has been identified as an effective approach when making credit risk management decisions. However, most of the research associating financial performance of Islamic banks has ignored issues arising in emerging market such as Kenya, a knowledge gaps this research locked. Quantitative approach was utilised while adopting correlational research design. The research had its target population as being the three (3) Islamic banks which had been operating in Kenya between the year 2012and 2020 where census was employed. The researcher compiled financial data from secondary data for between 2012 and 2020. Quantitative analysis approach was applied in the analysis to yield respective statistics; descriptive and inferential. The study concludes that; capital adequacy has a statistically significant positive, assets quality has a statistically significant negative, management efficiency has a statistically significant positive, earnings ability has a statistically significant positive, and liquidity has significant negative, effect on financial performance of Islamic banks in Kenya. Accordingly, CAMEL rating model is appropriate for assessing financial performance of Islamic bank in Kenya. The study recommends that the Kenyan Islamic bank, should employ the optimal investment strategy for capital adequacy determination, manage their assets, enhance their management efficiency capability, improve their earnings ability, and strictly adhere to recommended liquidity levels. The research recommends that Kenyan IBs should be employing CAMEL rating model on yearly basis to identify elements requiring special attention.
Evaluation and Characterization of High Yielding Cassava Mosaic Resistant Variety YTP2
Authors: Pugalendhi L. , Velmurugan M. , Kavitha P. S. , Kalarani M. K. , Senthil N. , Deivamani M. , Venkatachalam S. R.
Published: November 2021

The cassava variety YTP2 (Me 681) has been developed through selection from Thondamuthur type at Tapioca and Castor Research Station, TNAU, Yethapur. The performance of YTP2 in the Adaptive Research Trial (ART) and On Farm Trial (OFT) in the farmer’s field inferred that this new variety is well adapted to cassava growing districts of Tamil Nadu. In addition to the above, YTP2 was found to be resistant to cassava mosaic disease incidence (CMD). Plants are erect, medium growing and non-branching type and suitable for growing under irrigated and rainfed conditions. The internodal length is shorter and the leaf size is medium with sufficient canopy. The leaves of the plants droop down to reduce the transpiration loss which is more advantageous to overcome or escape from drought and heat stress during summer season. It is a dual purpose variety wherein the tubers contain high starch content which is much favourable for the manufacture of starch, sago and also suited for table purpose. The overall performance of this variety showed higher tuber yield (42.20 t ha-1) and starch content (28.40%) which is 15.94% and 18.20% increase over the check varieties YTP1 and H226 respectively. The results of DNA fingerprint data involving SSR markers (SSRY235, NS169 and NS928) showed that it is genetically distinct from the existing commercial varieties viz., YTP1, H226 and Sree Athulya.
Design, Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of some 3,6-Dimethlyquinoxaline-2-Hydrazone Derivatives
Authors: Taiwo F. O. , Obafemi C. A. , Akinpelu D. A. , Iyiola T. O.
Published: November 2021

Aims: This aims of this study was to continue the effort to synthesis new quinoxaline-based heterocycles and study its antibacterial properties.

Objective: This study was designed to reacts 3,6-dimethylquinoxaline-2-hydrazine with some substituted aromatic ketones and study their antibacterial properties on some locally and clinically isolated bacterial strains.

Materials and Methods: Five 3,6-dimethylquinoxaline-2-hydrazone derivatives were synthesized from the reactions of 3,6-dimethylquinoxaline-2-hydrazine with various substituted aromatic ketones. The products were then tested for their potential antibacterial properties.

Results: All the synthesized compounds were found to be active against all the bacterial strains investigated in this study. It was observed that the zones of inhibition observed for the synthesized compounds against the test organisms ranged between 15 mm and 38 mm. The MIC observed for the synthesized compounds ranged between 0.0313mg/mL and 0.125 mg/mL, while that of the standard antibiotic, streptomycin, varied between 0.0313 mg/mL and 0.500 mg/mL and those observed for tetracycline falls between 0.0313 mg/mL and 0.500 mg/mL. The minimum bactericidal concentrations exhibited by the synthesized compounds ranged between 0.0625 mg/mL and 0.250 mg/mL

Discussion and conclusion: The study concluded that all the compounds exhibited appreciable bactericidal effects against all the bacterial strains, which is an indication that such synthetic compounds possessed broad spectrum activities and such compounds could be useful in formulation of antibacterial compounds which could be used to mitigates infections caused by pathogens that are now developing resistance against the available antibiotics.
An Evaluation of Visual Perception Visual Memory Cognitive Functions and Emotional Status among Genders in Elderly Subjects
Authors: Ruhina A. , Sridevi G.
Published: November 2021

Background: Gender differences in visual memory and perception and cognitive test performance have been significantly influenced by factors like sex

Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate the gender differences in patterns of cognitive test performance and visual perception in healthy elderly individuals.

Methods: Cognitive functions and visual perception was analyzed using clock drawing test and picture identification test in 20 elderly men and women (10 each) and their emotional status was assessed using depression scale

Results: The results revealed that females had a better visual memory and depth perception compared to men and the value was statistically significant at p<0.05. Females performed better than men on tests of Picture identification and were better in phonemic verbal skills compared to male men and the value was statistically significant at p<0.05

Conclusion: The present study concluded an innovative finding that women were better in their performance related to visual depth perception and cognitive functions.
Constraints Faced by the Farmers in Practicing Coping Strategies towards Household Food Security during Flood
Authors: Haque M. E. , Islam M. N. , Islam M. R. , Haque M. M. , Majid M. A. , Tasnim J. , Rahman M. A. , Alam M. J. , Uddin M. Y. , Rahman K. M. , Rahman M. A.
Published: November 2021

A study was carried out at each of three flood affected reverine villages of three upazilas (small administrative unit) under Jamalpur district in Bangladesh during September, 2011 to May, 2012 to find out the constraints faced by farmers in practicing coping strategies towards household food security during flood. The qualitative information as obtained from the focus group discussion (FGD) and scored causal diagrams (SCDs) were used to supplement the quantitative data to add new information if necessary in descriptive manner. Priority of constraints are differ from one farmer to another due to cultivated land topography, involvement of family labour in cultivation processes, precautionary measures taken against flood, previous experience, prediction of flood damage etc. ‘Lack of appropriate agricultural rehabilitation program’, ‘improper and inadequate relief distributed by GO/NGO’, ‘high price of agricultural inputs’ and ‘lack of technical knowledge on flood’ were identified as major constraints being faced by farmers in practicing flood coping strategy towards household food security. Lack of flood resistance crop varieties, inadequate organizational (GO/NGO) relief in time, lack of credit, agricultural labour and quality seeds in time (after flood) were found major constraints by almost all categories of farmers for overcoming food crisis created by the whim of nature. Go and NGO can take necessary steps against this adverse situations.
MIKC
C
‐type MADS‐box Transcription Factors in Tomato Reproductive Development: An Overview of Their Role in Meristems, Flower, Fruit, and Flower Abscission Zone Development
Authors: Boumlik Rachid , Bendahmane Abdelhafid , Roldan Maria Victoria Gomez
Published: November 2021

MADS‐box transcription factors (TFs) play key roles in cellular and developmental processes in organisms ranging from yeast to humans and can be divided into type I and type II. Type II MADS‐box TFs are further classed into two subgroups MIKC
C
and MIKC*. In plants, MIKC
C
‐type TFs are well known for their role in the ABCDE model for floral organ identity specification in the model plant
Arabidopsis
and other flowering plant species. However, with the exception of
Arabidopsis
, very little is known about the function of these TFs in developmental processes in other flowering plant species. MIKC
C
‐type TFs have been reported as crucial regulators of flower organ identity, inflorescence architecture, flower abscission zone development and fruit maturation in the model plant tomato (
Solanum lycopersicum
). Here, we discuss current knowledge of MIKC
C
‐type TFs in tomato and provide detailed overview of their roles in reproductive developmental processes based on the available functional genetic, transcriptomic, protein–protein and protein–DNA interaction data.
Ustekinumab Safety in Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Gorodensky Jonah H. , Bernatsky Sasha , Afif Waqqas , Filion Kristian B. , Vinet Évelyne
Published: November 2021

Chronic inflammatory conditions, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, are prevalent among women of reproductive age; patients with active disease during pregnancy may be at an increased risk of adverse birth outcomes. For this reason, physicians are focused on approaches to controlling disease activity prior to and during pregnancy. The safety profile of many therapies used for these conditions has been relatively well established, though evidence on newer therapies is lacking. Ustekinumab is a relatively new interleukin‐12/23 inhibitor approved for IBD, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, whose safety in pregnancy is not yet fully understood. In this comprehensive review, we critically assess the available evidence on ustekinumab in pregnancy across animal studies and human case reports, case series, observational studies, and clinical practice guidelines. We show that, to date, studies have not identified an excess risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes among women exposed to ustekinumab in pregnancy, with few exposed pregnancies and potential for some bias. Clinical guidelines are conflicted regarding whether they recommend continuing or discontinuing ustekinumab, highlighting the paucity of data and need for more research on this issue.
Laser‐Directed Foaming of Hydroplastic Polyelectrolyte Films toward Tunable Structures and Programmable Routes
Authors: Zhang Da , Li Qing‐Shuang , Liang Zi‐Xuan , Chen Xia‐Chao , Hao Junran , Yao Juming , Lu Chun‐Xin , Zhou Yahong , Jiang Lei
Published: November 2021

Although many methods have been developed to create porous structures within polyelectrolyte films, it remains a challenge to conveniently define the spatial distribution of these structures. Herein, a simple, universal strategy with a high flexibility in programming porous regions throughout polyelectrolyte films is reported. This strategy is performed with the aid of laser scanning and the emergence of porous regions precisely tails after the moving path of laser beams. Quite different from previous strategies, the pore‐forming mechanism relies on laser‐triggered generation of gas to foam the films, which can be regulated by the content of photo‐sensitive groups, the intensity of laser beams, and the supramolecular interactions between polyelectrolyte chains. A prerequisite to succeed the foaming of polyelectrolyte films is to irradiate them under water, where the mobility of polyelectrolytes is activated to accommodate the pore formation within the films. Although many pore‐forming mechanisms involve aqueous systems, the porous structures here can be well preserved during drying procedures, which is hardly realized for conventional methods due to the formation of capillary pressure. The resulting polyelectrolyte films with patterned porosity can be quite useful in many fields, including but not limited to information display, surface wettability, and cell behavior manipulation.
Cu12Sb4S13 Quantum Dots/Few‐Layered Ti3C2 Nanosheets with Enhanced K+ Diffusion Dynamics for Efficient Potassium Ion Storage
Authors: Cao Yaping , Zhang Yelong , Chen Hui , Qin Shengyu , Zhang Lanying , Guo Shaojun , Yang Huai
Published: November 2021

Despite the high theoretical specific capacity of transition‐metal disulfides anode for potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs), their development has been greatly hindered by dramatic capacity fading and poor cycle life. Herein, the synthesis of the new composite of Cu12Sb4S13 quantum dots/few‐layered Ti3C2 nanosheets (CAS‐Ti3C2) as advanced anode for boosting the K ion storage is reported. It is found that as‐made CAS‐Ti3C2 show a strong synergistic effect between quantum dots and Ti3C2 nanosheets mainly caused by the formation of the Ti–S bond, which can not only shorten the diffusion path of K+ but also accommodate the serious volumetric variation during the discharge/charge process. As expected, this specially designed CAS‐Ti3C2 anode exhibits a superior reversible specific capacity of 496.7 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 200 cycles and 175.6 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 1.0 A g−1 even over 1800 cycles, preceding most of the reported transition‐metal disulfides quantum dots‐based anodes for PIBs. These comprehensive studies reveal that the excellent electrochemical property is attributed to the fast K+ diffusion kinetics and unique transformation and restorage mechanism between K+ with CAS‐Ti3C2 anode.
Lateral Flow Glyco‐Assays for the Rapid and Low‐Cost Detection of Lectins–Polymeric Linkers and Particle Engineering Are Essential for Selectivity and Performance
Authors: Baker Alexander N. , Muguruza Asier R. , Richards Sarah‐Jane , Georgiou Panagiotis G. , Goetz Stephen , Walker Marc , Dedola Simone , Field Robert A. , Gibson Matthew I.
Published: November 2021

Lateral flow immuno‐assays, such as the home pregnancy test, are rapid point‐of‐care diagnostics that use antibody‐coated nanoparticles to bind antigens/analytes (e.g., viruses, toxins or hormones). Ease of use, no need for centralized infrastructure and low‐cost, makes these devices appealing for rapid disease identification, especially in low‐resource environments. Here glycosylated polymer‐coated nanoparticles are demonstrated for the sensitive, label‐free detection of lectins in lateral flow and flow‐through. The systems introduced here use glycans, not antibodies, to provide recognition: a “lateral flow glyco‐assay,” providing unique biosensing opportunities. Glycans are installed onto polymer termini and immobilized onto gold nanoparticles, providing colloidal stability but crucially also introducing assay tunability and selectivity. Using soybean agglutinin and Ricinus communis agglutinin I (RCA120) as model analytes, the impact of polymer chain length and nanoparticle core size are evaluated, with chain length found to have a significant effect on signal generation—highlighting the need to control the macromolecular architecture to tune response. With optimized systems, lectins are detectable at subnanomolar concentrations, comparable to antibody‐based systems. Complete lateral flow devices are also assembled to show how these devices can be deployed in the “real world.” This work shows that glycan‐binding can be a valuable tool in rapid diagnostics.
Boosting Electric Double Layer Capacitance in Laser‐Induced Graphene‐Based Supercapacitors
Authors: Reina Marco , Scalia Alberto , Auxilia Giorgio , Fontana Marco , Bella Federico , Ferrero Sergio , Lamberti Andrea
Published: November 2021

Laser‐induced graphene (LIG) is under the spotlight as a promising material for flexible supercapacitors due to its simple processing and flexibility. However, the poor conductivity and the reduced surface area have prompted research to improve its performance, traditionally introducing a pseudocapacitive behavior. Herein an effective yet easy way is presented to dramatically improve the electric double layer capacitance of LIG electrodes for supercapacitor‐related applications without the occurrence of redox reactions. The strategy simply relies on the exploitation of an LIG network to trap and interconnect activated carbon (AC) particles. In order to optimize the infiltration of AC into LIG porosities, several strategies are tested, both varying the surface wettability of LIG and acting on the impregnation approach. Overall, the best compromise results in the combination of LIG N‐doping by nitric acid incubation with vacuum‐assisted infiltration of an AC‐slurry, allowing a two‐order of magnitude improvement in the specific capacitance up to 20 mF cm−2 in device configuration.
A Localized Planarization Strategy in Hole Mobility Modulation of Disordered Triphenylamine‐Based Organic Semiconductors
Authors: Zhang Zewei , Zhu Yanan , Wu Yuting , Zhao Chongguang , Meng Hong
Published: November 2021

Hole mobility plays a critical role in organic semiconductors, which is synergistically controlled by many factors closely interrelated to the molecular configuration, for example, the degree of molecular planarization. But at present, analysis from quantitative ab initio models to assess this correlation is lacking. Here, a series of triphenylamine‐based materials are designed and investigated to build a system with different levels of planarization. The key parameters in the Marcus equation are calculated with quantum and molecular mechanics methods and the hole mobilities are evaluated. Compared with non‐planar and fully planar molecules, localized planar molecules exhibit low reorganization energy, high transfer integral, and moderate energy disorder. Considering the conjugation and rigidity effects, a localized planarization strategy is demonstrated to design functional triphenylamine‐based materials by keeping a balance of the three factors above and enhanced hole mobilities are predicted. This strategy will shed light on mobility optimization and the applications of triphenylamine‐based materials.
Graphdiyne‐Induced Iron Vacancy for Efficient Nitrogen Conversion
Authors: Fang Yan , Xue Yurui , Hui Lan , Yu Huidi , Zhang Chao , Huang Bolong , Li Yuliang
Published: November 2021

An iron vacancy‐rich ferroferric oxide/graphdiyne heterostructure (IVR‐FO/GDY) is rationally designed and fabricated for high‐efficiency electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation to ammonia (ENFA). Experimental and theoretical results show that the GDY‐induced iron vacancies in IVR‐FO/GDY promote the electrocatalysis, and activate the local O sites to transfer electrons towards GDY to boost ENFA, resulting in promising electrocatalytic performances with a highest ammonia yield (YNH3) of 134.02 µg h−1 mgcat.−1 and Faradaic efficiency (FE) of up to 60.88%, as well as the high long‐term stability in neutral electrolytes. The cationic vacancy activation strategy proposed in this work has strong general and universal guiding significance to the design of new efficient electrocatalysts for various electrochemical energy conversion reactions. Such defect engineering may be used efficiently in electrocatalysis, leading to the development and progress of energy industry.
Late Transition Metal Doped MXenes Showing Superb Bifunctional Electrocatalytic Activities for Water Splitting via Distinctive Mechanistic Pathways
Authors: Anand Rohit , Nissimagoudar Arun S. , Umer Muhammad , Ha Miran , Zafari Mohammad , Umer Sohaib , Lee Geunsik , Kim Kwang S.
Published: November 2021

MXenes have been widely used as substrates of hybrid electrocatalysts for water splitting due to their stability and metallic properties. However, tuning MXenes towards superb hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction (HER/OER) activity has remained elusive. Using first‐principles calculations along with machine learning (ML) based descriptors, it is shown that late transition metal doping is able to significantly promote HER/OER activities. Both single‐atom adsorption onto a stable hollow site above the outer oxygen layer single‐atom catalyst 1 (SAC1), and single‐atom replacement at a sub‐surface metal layer (SAC2) are considered. An adsorbate evolving mechanism (AEM) is preferred for SAC1, while the increased M‐O bond covalency for SAC2 makes lattice oxygen mechanism (LOM) favored. It is found that a single Ni or Co atom embedded into MXenes provides a suitable number of electrons for optimal AEM and raises the O 2p band towards activated LOM. The stability and superb bifunctional catalytic capability of MXene combinations (Ni‐doped Sc3N2O2 and Ni‐doped Nb3C2O2) towards both HER and OER are demonstrated. The electronic and geometric descriptors used in the ML analysis work universally for classification of high‐performing HER/OER catalysts. This work provides a rational strategy for promoting bifunctional electrocatalytic activities based on low‐cost MXenes metals.
Heterojunction Engineering and Ideal Factor Optimization Toward Efficient MINP Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Wang Jiahao , Fu Shiqiang , Huang Like , Lu Yang , Liu Xiaohui , Zhang Jing , Hu Ziyang , Zhu Yuejin
Published: November 2021

The pursuit of high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and cost‐effective perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has spawned many innovative device structure designs. Compared with the traditional NIP type PSCs, electron transport layer (ETL) free PSCs have attracted growing attention due to their enormous potential in large area, low‐cost flexible application. However, there is still a lack of in‐depth understanding of the energy level arrangement indium tin oxide (ITO)/perovskite interface, resulting in poor device performance. Here, a metal/insulator/n‐type perovskite/p‐type spiro‐MeOTAD (MINP) structure is proposed to elaborate on the influence of the apparent work function and contact barrier change of the metal–semiconductor (MS) and metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) junction on the carrier transfer and collection. Common and easily available 5‐amino‐valeric acid is inserted into the ITO/perovskite interface to form an insulating dipole layer and to ensure quasi‐ohmic contact at the front interface. Consequently, the device changes from Schottky/PN cascade heterojunction type to a single PN heterojunction device with its ideal factor decreasing from 3.35 to 2.05. Accordingly, the champion device achieves 19.37% PCE with significantly increased Voc and FF compared to the pristine device. This work provides a facile and effective method to improve the application potential of novel ETL‐free PSCs.
Ultra‐Low Pt Loaded Porous Carbon Microparticles with Controlled Channel Structure for High‐Performance Fuel Cell Catalysts
Authors: Lee Young Jun , Kim Hee‐Eun , Lee Eoyoon , Lee Joonho , Shin Sangyong , Yun Hongseok , Kim Eun Ji , Jung Hanbit , Ham Hyung Chul , Kim Bumjoon J. , Lee Hyunjoo
Published: November 2021

Developing a highly efficient and durable proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) using a low amount of platinum is essential for minimizing the total cost. Herein, the development of high‐performance PEMFC catalysts is demonstrated using ultra‐low Pt loaded (1 wt%) porous carbon with controlled channel diameters (Dch = 13–63 nm), produced from block copolymer particles. The single cell based on the catalyst with the largest Dch of 63 nm yields an initial maximum power density of 1230 mW cm−2 and high durability showing 1120 mW cm−2 after 30 000 cycles under H2/O2 flow, which outperforms those of commercial Pt/C catalysts despite 1/20 Pt usage. Furthermore, the catalyst shows outstanding performance with 51 kW per gram of Pt (kW ) after 30 000 cycles in H2/air flow, which is the highest performance reported to date. The channel structure and large Dch of the porous particles are the keys to enhancing the power density by improving the proton and mass transport.
Anticancer activity and biomolecular interaction of Pt(II) complexes: Their synthesis, characterisation and DFT study
Authors: Mandal Saikat , Reddy B. Venkata P. , Mitra Ishani , Mukherjee Subhajit , Tarai Swarup Kumar , Bhaduri Rituparna , Pan Angana , Bose K. Jagadeesh C. , Ghosh Goutam Kr. , Moi Sankar Chandra
Published: November 2021

Cis‐[Pt (TEEDA)Cl2]; 1 (where TEEDA = N,N,N′‐triethylethylenediamine) was synthesised, and its SCXRD structure was determined. Complex 1 crystallises in the monoclinic space group I2/a; (z = 8) and unit cell parameters are a = 15.1919(4) Å; b = 9.6049(3) Å; c = 16.7825 Å; α = 90.00°; β = 94.784(3)° and γ = 90.00°. Complex 1 was hydrolysed to diaqua species cis‐[Pt (TEEDA)(H2O)2]2+; 2 L‐cysteine (L‐cys) and N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (N‐ac‐L‐cys) chelated complex cis‐[Pt (TEEDA)(L‐cys)]+ 3 and cis‐[Pt (TEEDA)(N‐ac‐L‐cys)] 4 were synthesised and characterised by spectroscopic methods. Kinetic study of substitution reactions of Complex 2 to Complexes 3 and 4 have been explored with the thiols L‐cys and N‐ac‐L‐cys, respectively. The theoretical study with density functional theory (DFT) has been considered to optimise the structures of Complexes 1–4 for HOMO–LUMO energy calculation, TD‐DFT simulation and natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis to support structural characterisation of the complexes. Various electronic properties, known as DFT‐based descriptors, have been calculated from frontier molecular orbital energies to correlate with the adduct formation aptitude of the complexes with DNA and BSA. The binding aptitude and binding mode of the complexes with DNA and BSA have been performed by UV‐Vis and spectrofluorometric titration methods. To observe the interaction of the complexes with CT‐DNA, gel electrophoresis experiment has been carried out. A molecular docking study of the complexes was performed with DNA and BSA. The anticancer activity and ROS generation of the complexes were investigated on different cancer cell lines and fibroblast cells with DCF‐DA using FITC filter.
Carbon quantum dots as a sensitive fluorescent probe for quantitation of pregabalin; application to real samples and content uniformity test
Authors: Abdel Hamid Mohamed A. , Mabrouk Mokhtar M. , Ahmed Hytham M. , Samy Bassant , Batakoushy Hany A.
Published: November 2021

A novel optical nano‐sensor for the detection of pregabalin (PG) in its pharmaceutical (Lyrica®) capsules and biological samples was reported. For the fabrication of highly fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDts), a simple green hydrothermal approach was described, and ascorbic acid (AA) was used as a carbon source. The obtained CQDts were confirmed by spectroscopic characterization such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. The synthesized CQDts were capped by alcohol to form yellow emitters, showing strong fluorescent emission at 524 nm, and excitation at 356 nm. The method is based on fluorescence quenching of CQDts in the presence of PG. The proposed analytical method was validated according to ICH guidelines. PG was successively assayed in the concentration range of 4.0 to 100 μg/ml). The detection and quantitation limits were 1.12 and 3.39 μg/ml, respectively. The proposed method could be used in both quality control and pharmacokinetic research for the studied drug.
Green and ecofriendly biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles using Urtica dioica (stinging nettle) leaf extract: Antimicrobial and anticancer activity
Authors: Hashem Amr H. , Salem Salem S.
Published: November 2021

Background/Goal/Aim

Plant extract is affordable and does not require any particular conditions; rapid production of nanoparticles using plants offers more advantages than other approaches. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have received much attention in the last decade due to SeNPs diverse and different applications. Herein, this study aimed to biosynthesize SeNPs using aqueous extract of Urtica dioica leaf through green and ecofriendly method. Moreover to fully characterize SeNPs using different techniques, and to evaluate it for antimicrobial activity as well as anticancer activity.

Main Methods and Major Results

SeNPs were biosynthesis using aqueous leaf extract of U. dioica (stinging nettle). The biosynthesized SeNPs were characterized using UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive electron spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermal‐gravimetric analysis (TGA). Antimicrobial and anticancer activities of biosynthesized SeNPs were assessed. Results illustrated that SeNPs exhibited promising antibacterial activity against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, as well as unicellular and multi‐cellular fungi. Moreover, minimal‐inhibitory concentration (MIC) of SeNPs against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus were 250, 31.25, and 500 μg mL−1, respectively, while were 62.5, 15.62, 31.25, and 7.81 μg mL−1 against Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus flavus, respectively. The cytotoxicity of SeNPs was performed on Vero normal‐cell line CCL‐81, where IC50 was 173.2 μg mL−1.

Conclusions and Implications

For the first time, aqueous stinging nettle leaf extract was utilized to biosynthesize SeNPs in a green method. SeNPs have outstanding antimicrobial‐activity against pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains. Moreover, SeNPs have promising anticancer activity against HepG2 cancerous cell line without cytotoxicity on Vero normal cell line. Finally, the biosynthesized SeNPs via aqueous extract of stinging nettle leaf exhibited potential antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer action, making them useful in the medical field.
Composite silver nanosurfaces of dipole and quadrupole surface plasmon resonances for fluorescence enhancements
Authors: Lee Daedu , Song Gyounghyun , Pang Yoonsoo
Published: November 2021

Composite silver colloidal films (SCFs) prepared with the binary mixtures of homogeneous silver nanoparticles of distinct particle size show strong fluorescence enhancements with 4‐dimethylamino‐4′‐nitrobiphenyl (DNBP). The small and large silver nanoparticles with an average diameter of 82 and 186 nm were chosen for the best spectral overlap between the dipole and quadrupole surface plasmon resonance bands of nanoparticles, respectively, and the emission band of DNBP. From the optimal fluorescence enhancements and strong changes of emission kinetics of DNBP, the composite SCFs of homogeneous silver nanoparticles can be applicable to the development of sensitive fluorescence probes for imaging and sensing purposes.
A ferret brain slice model of oxygen–glucose deprivation captures regional responses to perinatal injury and treatment associated with specific microglial phenotypes
Authors: Wood Thomas R. , Hildahl Kate , Helmbrecht Hawley , Corry Kylie A. , Moralejo Daniel H. , Kolnik Sarah E. , Prater Katherine E. , Juul Sandra E. , Nance Elizabeth
Published: November 2021

Organotypic brain slice models are an ideal technological platform to investigate therapeutic options for hypoxic‐ischemic (HI) brain injury, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. The brain exhibits regional differences in the response to HI injury in vivo. This can be modeled using organotypic brain slices, which maintain three‐dimensional regional structures and reflect the regional differences in injury response. Here, we developed an organotypic whole hemisphere (OWH) slice culture model of HI injury using the gyrencephalic ferret brain at a developmental stage equivalent to a full‐term human infant in order to better probe region‐specific cellular responses to injury. Each slice encompassed the cortex, corpus callosum, subcortical white matter, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and thalamus. Regional responses to treatment with either erythropoietin (Epo) or the ketone body acetoacetate (AcAc) were highly heterogenous. While both treatments suppressed global injury responses and oxidative stress, significant neuroprotection was only seen in a subset of regions, with others displaying no response or potential exacerbation of injury. Similar regional heterogeneity was seen in the morphology and response of microglia to injury and treatment, which mirrored those seen after injury in vivo. Within each region, machine‐learning‐based classification of microglia morphological shifts in response to injury predicted the neuroprotective response to each therapy, with different morphologies associated with different treatment responses. This suggests that the ferret OWH slice culture model provides a platform for examining regional responses to injury in the gyrencephalic brain, as well as for screening combinations of therapeutics to provide global neuroprotection after injury.
Natural Product Diversification by One‐Step Biocatalysis using Human P450 3A4
Authors: Fessner Nico D. , Grimm Christopher , Srdič Matic , Weber Hansjörg , Kroutil Wolfgang , Schwaneberg Ulrich , Glieder Anton
Published: November 2021

Efficient synthetic techniques for the diversification of natural products are incremental for drug discovery processes of the pharmaceutical industry because these complex bioactive compounds often require an adjustment of properties. Human liver P450 3A4, key player of the body's detoxification system and decisive factor of a drug's metabolic fate, is renowned for its broad substrate scope including many natural products. In this study, we investigated the synthetic potential of human P450 3A4 for the diversification of natural product classes and isolated the produced metabolites of six selected natural products at a preparative 100‐mg scale. Aided by efficient expression levels in P. pastoris, this whole‐cell biocatalyst was found to be highly effective at the intended job allowing the identification of a total of 31 authentic human metabolites, many of them for the first time. By revealing an unprecedented degree of diversification, this study extends the synthetic repertoire for efficient enzymatic natural product modification in a one‐step fashion and adds a completely new view to an old enzyme traditionally used for inhibition and toxicology studies.
Antiviral Peptides with in vivo Activity: Development and Modes of Action
Authors: Gao Bing , Zhao Dongdong , Li Lingmu , Cheng Zhigang , Guo Ye
Published: November 2021

The viral pandemic has resulted in a growing demand for antiviral drugs. The existing small‐molecule antiviral drugs are limited, due to their incidence of drug resistance and adverse side effects. As potential drugs, antiviral peptides have the benefits of high activity, high stability, and few side effects. Furthermore, the diversity of acquisition methods allows antiviral peptides to be quickly designed and yielded. The drug properties (such as high bioavailability and in vivo stability) of antiviral peptides can be improved by the developed modifications. Currently, two peptide antiviral drugs have been approved for the treatment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Many antiviral peptides have entered clinical trials for the treatment of diseases caused by viruses. In addition, new antiviral peptides are continuously being identified and validated against virus infections. Given the benefits of antiviral peptides, they will become major antiviral drugs to combat new outbreaks caused by unknown viruses in the future. This review provides an overview of recent developments in antiviral peptides with in vivo activity.
Framework Materials Based on Naphthalenediimide Derivatives Supported by Aromatic Carboxylic Acids for Application as Multifunctional Fluorescence Sensors
Authors: Wang Chen , Bai Feng Ying , You Zi Xin , Xing Yong Heng , Shi Zhan
Published: November 2021

In this work, based on the conjugated structure of the naphthalene ring system, four stable Cd‐NDI complexes {[Cd(NDI−A)0.5(H2O)(o‐BDC)]⋅H2O}n (1); {[Cd(NDI−A)(DMF)(m‐BDC)]⋅H2O}n (2); {[Cd(NDI−A)(HCOO)(p‐BDC)0.5]}n (3); {[Cd1.5(NDI−A)2(H2O)2(TIBTC)] ⋅ 2H2O}n (4) (NDI‐A=N,N’‐di(4‐pyridylacylamino)‐1,4,5,8‐naphthalenediimide; o‐H2BDC=phthalic acid; m‐H2BDC=iso‐phthalic acid; p‐H2BDC=p‐phthalic acid; H3TIBTC=2,4,6‐triiodo‐1,3,5‐benzene tricarboxylic acid) are designed and synthesized. The four Cd‐NDI complexes have good luminescence properties, and complexes 1–3 can selectively detect Cr2O72− and L‐Arginine in water. Complex 1 has the best ability to detect Cr2O72− with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.32 μM; complex 3 can be employed for the detection of L‐arginine with a LOD of 2.25 μM. Complex 1–3 may be useful for monitoring water quality and treating wastewater as a good fluorescence sensor. In addition, based on the specific detection species of C=N bonds by complexes 1–3, we take complex 3 as an example to conduct preliminary studies monitoring a Schiff base reaction in situ with fluorescence quenching. This provides a new method for monitoring organic reactions. Besides, we also have explored the ability of complex 4 to detect p‐nitroaniline. The results show that the complex 4 could selectively detect p‐nitroaniline with a LOD of 5.12 μM.
Scalable InkJet‐Based Additive Fabrication of Photocatalytic TiO2 Thin Films
Authors: Singh Veena , Lousada Cláudio M. , Jonsson Mats , Belova Liubov M.
Published: November 2021

Photocatalysts for water purification and energy production belong to the class of materials for which there is an urgent need for more environmentally friendly manufacturing. Here we report a high throughput method for inkjet printing of nanostructured photocatalytically active TiO2 films and a detailed analysis of their properties and photocatalytic performance. We show that the inkjet dispersion of TiO2 particles is highly reproducible which leads to a close to linear relation between the number of printed single layers and the thickness of the films. The films here obtained have uniform surfaces and the interfaces with the substrates are free from defects such as grain boundaries, ripples, or discontinuities. This contrasts with films obtained with the traditional doctor blade method. The inkjet printed films have higher photocatalytic performance than the doctor blade films which results in higher catalytic activity per mass of material used. Lifetime tests with wet and dry cycles show that the inkjet films subjected to 10 photocatalytic cycles of 100 minutes each have a loss of performance of only 7 %, while the films made via the doctor blade method have a performance loss of 66 %. These tests revealed additionally that the mechanical stability of the inkjet films is higher than that of the films manufactured via the traditional casting method. This set of results shows that inkjet printing can be an efficient method for the large‐scale production of TiO2 photocatalysts.
An Efficient Method for DNA Purification‐Free PCR from Plant Tissue
Authors: Jia Zhengnan , Han Xiaowei , Tsuda Kenichi
Published: November 2021

Amplification of genomic DNA fragments by PCR is necessary for plant molecular biology approaches such as genotyping. While this is a routine molecular technique in a modern laboratory, there are still significant hurdles when analyzing a large number of samples or collecting and storing samples while in the field. Because PCR amplification directly from plant tissue is often unsuccessful due to various inhibitors, genomic DNA purification is usually required, which involves laborious and time‐consuming procedures or costly materials, particularly when using commercial kits. These undermine scalability and use in less‐equipped settings. In addition, plant tissues and purified DNA need to be stored under proper conditions to avoid degradation. Here, we describe a low‐cost, high‐throughput PCR method to amplify genomic DNA fragments from plant tissue pounded to cellulose‐based filter paper without the need for DNA purification or special equipment for sample storage. In this protocol, a small punch of plant tissue is pounded to a commercially available or homemade DNA storage card and directly placed into a PCR mixture containing Tween‐20, a non‐ionic detergent, directly followed by PCR. We also describe the steps to prepare a homemade DNA storage card, which is easy to make and can be stored with plant tissue at room temperature for a long time without any special equipment, allowing us to test the same sample multiple times. We have used this method in at least eleven plant species, including arabidopsis, tomato, soybean, potato, cotton, and rice. Altogether, our method decreases labor and cost, thereby increasing throughput and making plant DNA‐based molecular diagnostic assays accessible to resource‐limited settings, including classrooms, and facilitating sample collection in the field. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Making a homemade cellulose‐based DNA storage card

Basic Protocol 2: Pounding plant tissue on a DNA storage card

Basic Protocol 3: DNA‐purification free PCR
Deep phenotyping of T cell populations under long‐term treatment of tacrolimus and rapamycin in patients receiving renal transplantations by mass cytometry
Authors: Li Yiyang , An Huimin , Shen Chuan , Wang Boqian , Zhang Ting , Hong Yifan , Jiang Hui , Zhou Peijun , Ding Xianting
Published: November 2021

Tacrolimus (FK506) and rapamycin (RAPA) are widely used to maintain long‐term immunosuppression after organ transplantation. However, the impact of accumulative drug administration on the recipients’ immune systems remains unclear. We investigated the impact of 3‐year FK506 or RAPA treatment after renal transplantation on the human immune systems. A discovery cohort of 30 patients was first recruited, and we discovered two distinctive T lineage suppressive regulatory patterns induced by chronic treatment of FK506 and RAPA. The increased percentage of senescent CD8+CD57+T lineages and less responsive T cell receptor (TCR) pathway in the FK506 group indicate better graft acceptance. Meanwhile, percentages of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and expression of CTLA‐4 were both up to two‐fold higher in the RAPA group, suggesting the inconsistent reactivation potential of the FK506 and RAPA groups when an anti‐tumour or anti‐infection immune response is concerned. Additionally, up‐regulation of phosphorylated signaling proteins in T lineages after in vitro CD3/CD28 stimulation suggested more sensitive TCR‐signaling pathways reserved in the RAPA group. An independent validation cohort of 100 renal transplantation patients was further investigated for the hypothesis that long‐term RAPA administration mitigates the development of tumours and infections during long‐term intake of immunosuppressants. Our results indicate that RAPA administration indeed results in less clinical oncogenesis and infection. The deep phenotyping of T‐cell lineages, as educated by the long‐term treatment of different immunosuppressants, provides new evidence for personalized precision medicine after renal transplantations.