bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Backyard evolutionary biology: Investigating local flowers brings learning to life
Authors: Ahuja Abha
Published: January 2021

Inquiry‐based learning allows students to actively engage in and appreciate the process of science. As college courses transition to online instruction in response to COVID‐19, incorporating inquiry‐based learning is all the more essential for student engagement. However, with the cancelation of in‐person laboratory courses, implementing inquiry can prove challenging for instructors. Here, I describe a case that exemplifies a strategy for inquiry‐based learning and can be adapted for use in various course modalities, from traditional face‐to‐face laboratory courses to asynchronous and synchronous online courses. I detail an assignment where students explore the developmental basis of morphological evolution. Flowers offer an excellent example to address this concept and are easy for students to access and describe. Students research local flowering plants, collect and dissect flower specimens to determine their whorl patterns, and generate hypotheses to explain the developmental genetic basis of the patterns identified. This task allows students to apply their scientific thinking skills, conduct guided exploration in nature, and connect their understanding of the developmental basis of evolutionary change to everyday life. Incorporating inquiry using readily available, tangible, tractable real‐world examples represents a pragmatic and effective model that can be applied in a variety of disciplines during and beyond COVID‐19.
Synthesis of Isatin‐Hydrazones from 3‐Diazo Oxindoles and Sulfoxonium Ylides under Catalyst‐ and Additive‐Free Conditions
Authors: Tian Yu , Zhang Zunting , Wang Tao
Published: January 2021

A facile synthesis of isatin‐hydrazones from 3‐diazo oxindoles and sulfoxonium ylides under catalyst‐ and additive‐free conditions is described. A plausible reaction pathway is proposed for the transformation, in which diazo compounds play as electrophiles to react with nucleophilic sulfoxonium ylides. The reaction mechanism is supported by the experimental evidence.
Investigation of isomerization of dexibuprofen in a ball mill using chiral capillary electrophoresis
Authors: Urlaub Jonas , Kaiser Reinhard P. , Scherf‐Clavel Oliver , Bolm Carsten , Holzgrabe Ulrike
Published: January 2021

Besides the racemate, the S‐enantiomer of ibuprofen (Ibu) is used for the treatment of inflammation and pain. Since the configurational stability of S‐Ibu in solid state is of interest, it was studied by means of ball milling experiments. For the evaluation of the enantiomeric composition, a chiral CE method was developed and validated according to the ICH guideline Q2(R1). The addition of Mg2+, Ca2+, or Zn2+ ions to the background electrolyte (BGE) was found to improve Ibu enantioresolution. Chiral separation of Ibu enantiomers was achieved on a 60.2 cm (50.0 cm effective length) x 75 μm fused‐silica capillary using a background electrolyte (BGE) composed of 50 mM sodium acetate, 10 mM magnesium acetate tetrahydrate, and 35 mM heptakis‐(2,3,6‐tri‐O‐methyl)‐β‐cyclodextrin (TM‐β‐CD) as chiral selector. The quantification of R‐Ibu in the mixture was performed using the normalization procedure. Linearity was evaluated in the range of 0.68–5.49% R‐Ibu (R2 = 0.999), recovery was found to range between 97 and 103%, the RSD of intra‐ and interday precision below 2.5%, and the limit of quantification for R‐ in S‐Ibu was calculated to be 0.21% (extrapolated) and 0.15% (dilution of racemic ibuprofen), respectively. Isomerization of S‐Ibu was observed under basic conditions by applying long milling times and high milling frequencies.
Effect of anode interfacial modification on the performance of laminated flexible ITO‐free organic solar cells
Authors: Lin Zesen , Guan Wei , Cai Wanzhu , Wang Le , Wang Xiaojing , He Zhicai , Hou Lintao
Published: January 2021

Lamination technique is one of the most promising and effective approaches to produce flexible organic solar cells (OSCs), with the combination of high throughput and simultaneous encapsulation. In this study, flexible ITO‐free OSCs were successfully fabricated by lamination technique under the optimized temperature and pressure. It is found that the introduction of hole interface layer of PEDOT:MoO3 helps to improve both the film hydrophobicity and the carrier extraction. A high efficiency improvement of about 30% is obtained in the interface‐modified laminating flexible ITO‐free OSCs compared to the conventional laminated device. This work illustrates that anode interface engineering has a significant effect on the improvement of performance of roll‐to‐roll laminated and self‐encapsulated OSCs.
Estimation of effective bulk composition—critical appraisal and a scanning electron microscope based approach
Authors: Sharma Jeev Jatan , Naik Aditya , Pant Naresh , Arora Devsamridhi , Pandey Mayuri , Singh Preeti
Published: January 2021

Pseudosections generated using the correctly estimated effective bulk composition (EBC), that is, the bulk of the closed metamorphic system that stays in chemical equilibrium are crucial in deciphering the PT history of a metamorphic terrain. A variety of tools are used by metamorphic petrologists to calculate the effective bulk of a sample, such as XRF bulk data, average bulk using point count analysis, and using X‐ray maps areal analysis, each with its own limitations. In this work, we demonstrate a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) based method to generate EBC, by analysing multiple grids of a thin section using area spectrum analysis tool and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) acquisition function of electron microscopes. The pseudosections generated using EBC estimated by SEM based method are tested over two pelitic granulites of east Antarctic shield and a medium‐grade metapelite from North Delhi Fold Belt of the Indian shield. The results are validated through thermobarometric estimations and are compared with pseudosections produced by using other bulk determination methods, such as XRF data and average bulk combining modal percentage with the mineral compositions. We propose that this method of calculating EBC is better compared to the other methods, as it allows the user to define the localized bulk of a particular domain, besides being a simpler and faster approach than other commonly used methods.
Has the current account broken up with its fundamentals in Central and Eastern Europe?
Authors: Coleman Simeon , Cuestas Juan Carlos
Published: January 2021

Substantial capital outflows across Europe following the 2007/8 Global Financial Crisis and 2010 European Sovereign Debt crisis raise concerns regarding potential capital outflows from the economies of Central and Eastern European countries. To shed light on country‐level factors that can mitigate crisis and potential capital outflows across these countries, this article investigates which factors have influenced the evolution of their current accounts. Our analyses, using dynamic ordinary least squares, suggest that the long‐run determinants of the current account have indeed changed over time, and threshold cointegrated estimates also confirm that, for each country, the parameters are dependent on thresholds for certain variables and there is significant heterogeneity across the countries. Our overall results are robust to complementary analyses, such as threshold estimation approach. We comment on some possible implications of these differences.
Does the quality of country‐level governance have an impact on corporate environmental disclosure? Evidence fromGulf Cooperation Councilcountries
Authors: Gerged Ali Meftah , Beddewela Eshani S. , Cowton Christopher J.
Published: January 2021

Despite the growth in corporate environmental disclosure (CED) across the world, there remains considerable heterogeneity in the extent to which firms disclose their environmental impacts. To better understand these changes and variations, we identify possible macro‐level determinants of CED. Drawing on institutional theory, we examine the influence of country‐level governance (CLG) upon CED amongst the non‐financial sectors in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Descriptive findings obtained using a cross‐country sample of 500 firm‐year observations suggest that CED is still in its infancy in the region. Nevertheless, the data confirm an increasing trend in environmental information published in GCC companies' annual reports, but with notable differences between countries. Using measures derived from the World Governance Index (WGI), we examine the extent to which three CLG factors – voice and accountability (VA), government effectiveness (GE) and control of corruption (CC) – explain the patterns observed. We employ a panel data approach with various robustness checks and find that the association of VA with CED is insignificant or significantly positive, depending on the statistical method used, whereas GE is positively related to CED, and CC is – contrary to our expectation – negatively associated with CED. Our study contributes to the literature by providing a picture of CED in the GCC region and adding to the understanding of macro‐level determinants of CED. Suggestions for future research and for policy and practice are also provided.
Study of linkages between productivity, export, and outward foreign direct investment: An empirical perspective of Indian manufacturing industries
Authors: Tripathy Prajukta , Behera Pragyanrani , Mishra Bikash Ranjan
Published: January 2021

This study examines the nexus among productivity, export, and flow of outward FDI among 23 categories of two‐digit Indian manufacturing industries during the period of 2008–2016. For the empirical purpose, this study employs a panel ARDL‐PMG method for cointegration and VECM Granger causality tests. We segregate 23 manufacturing industries into high, medium, and low productive groups based on their productivity performance, which is estimated by Levinsohn‐Petrin (2003) productivity procedure. We find that the long‐run and short‐run relationship among these three variables varies across three groups. Further, there is a long‐run and strong causality exists among the three core variables in all three categories irrespective of their variance in productivity performances. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive and unified industrial policy in line with trade and FDI as the choice variables are well‐connected in the long‐run.
High‐speed volumetric imaging in vivo based on structured illumination microscopy with interleaved reconstruction
Authors: Shi Ruheng , Li Yuting , Kong Lingjie
Published: January 2021

Wide‐field fluorescence microscopy (WFFM) is widely adopted in biomedical studies, due to its high imaging speed over large field‐of‐views. However, WFFM is susceptible to out‐of‐focus background. To overcome this problem, structured illumination microscopy (SIM) was proposed as a wide‐field, optical‐sectioning technique, which needs multiple raw images for image reconstruction and thus has a lower imaging speed. Here we propose SIM with interleaved reconstruction, to make SIM of lossless speed. We apply this method in volumetric imaging of neural network dynamics in brains of zebrafish larva in vivo.
Evaluating and Strengthening the Evidence for Nutritional Bone Research: Ready to Break New Ground?
Authors: Lewis Joshua R , Voortman Trudy , Ioannidis John PA
Published: January 2021

A healthy diet is essential to attain genetically determined peak bone mass and maintain optimal skeletal health across the adult lifespan. Despite the importance of nutrition for bone health, many of the nutritional requirements of the skeleton across the lifespan remain underexplored, poorly understood, or controversial. With increasingly aging populations, combined with rapidly changing diets and lifestyles globally, one anticipates large increases in the prevalence of osteoporosis and incidence of osteoporotic fractures. Robust, transparent, and reproducible nutrition research is a cornerstone for developing reliable public health recommendations to prevent osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures. However, nutrition research is often criticized or ignored by healthcare professionals due to the overemphasis of weak science, conflicting, confusing or implausible findings, industry interests, common misconceptions, and strong opinions. Conversely, spurious research findings are often overemphasized or misconstrued by the media or prominent figures especially via social media, potentially leading to confusion and a lack of trust by the general public. Recently, reforms of the broader discipline of nutrition science have been suggested and promoted, leading to new tools and recommendations to attempt to address these issues. In this perspective, we provide a brief overview of what has been achieved in the field on nutrition and bone health, focusing on osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures. We discuss what we view as some of the challenges, including inherent difficulties in assessing diet and its change, disentangling complex interactions between dietary components and between diet and other factors, selection of bone-related outcomes for nutrition studies, obtaining evidence with more unbiased designs, and perhaps most importantly, ensuring the trust of the public and healthcare professionals. This perspective also provides specific recommendations and highlights new developments and future opportunities for scientists studying nutrition and bone health. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Clinical Benefit‐Risk Assessment of Nivolumab 240 mg Every 2 Weeks in Chinese Patients With Advanced and Metastatic Solid Tumors
Authors: Sheng Jennifer , Zhang Jason , Baudelet Christine , Roy Amit
Published: January 2021

Nivolumab 240 mg every 2 weeks is approved in China by the National Medical Product Agency for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and gastric cancer, based on population pharmacokinetic (PPK) analyses and benefit‐risk assessment of safety/efficacy in solid tumors, including Chinese and global populations. The aim of this assessment was to investigate exposure and risk for adverse events (AEs) with flat dosing compared with weight‐based dosing. Nivolumab 240‐mg and 3‐mg/kg every‐2‐week exposures in Chinese patients were simulated using PPK modeling, and AEs in Chinese and pooled global populations were compared by dosing regimen, exposure, and weight. The 10‐mg/kg every‐2‐week regimen was included because it is known to be well tolerated. Predicted nivolumab exposure in Chinese patients receiving 240 mg every 2 weeks was ∼25% higher versus 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks, but ∼60% lower versus 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Grade 3/4 AE incidence in Chinese patients receiving nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks was similar with 240‐mg every‐2‐week dosing and with patients from global populations treated with 3 or 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. There was no trend toward increased AE incidence with high versus low nivolumab exposure or in global patients of varying body weight receiving 3 or 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Objective response rates were similar in Chinese and global patients with squamous and nonsquamous NSCLC. Results showed that benefit‐risk profiles with nivolumab 240 mg every 2 weeks were similar to those of the 3‐mg/kg every‐2‐week regimen in Chinese patients and global populations, providing an alternative treatment option to Chinese patients.
Evaluation of diagnostic radiology acumen between 2 groups of clinical dental students
Authors: Mupparapu Mel , DeLaura Taylor L. , Dimitrova Boryana L. , Lo Angela D. , Singer Steven R.
Published: January 2021

Purpose

To evaluate and distinguish if an additional year of clinical experience increases the cognitive ability of dental students to accurately assess and interpret dental radiographs.

Methods

Radiological acuity was assessed between two groups of clinical dental students at Penn Dental Medicine (PDM). Group 1 was composed of 147 third‐year dental students (D3), group 2 was composed of 145 fourth‐year dental students (D4). A 65‐question test comprising the length and breadth of radiographic anatomy and pathology was administered to both D3 and D4 students. The test was designed to test the participants' knowledge of radiographic technique, anatomy, and differential diagnosis. The null hypothesis was that there would be no significant differences between the two groups.

Results

STATA 15 software (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX, USA) was used to statistically analyze the findings. Although, the mean correct score for group 1 was higher (60/65) than group 2 (59/65), there was no statistically significant difference between the performance of the groups. On average, group 1 outperformed the clinically more experienced group 2 on an individual question basis. The average overall number of correctly answered items compared to incorrectly answered items reflected this difference.

Conclusion(s)

An additional year of clinical dental education does not appear to correlate with any higher radiographic acumen. This may be due to tapering exposure to unique pathology and findings, as more routine findings are encountered daily and classroom instruction during the fourth year of dental school is limited. Early incorporation of new radiographic education tools that are clinically oriented may be one method to increase retention of knowledge accumulated in the initial didactic years of dental education.
Social protest photography and public history: “Whose streets? Our streets!”: New York City, 1980–2000
Authors: Carroll Tamar W.
Published: January 2021

“Whose streets? Our streets!,” a traveling exhibition that debuted at the Bronx Documentary Center in January 2017, brings together the work of 37 independent photographers who covered protests in New York City between 1980 and 2000. Collectively, they chronicle social justice struggles related to race relations and police brutality; war and the environment; HIV/AIDS and queer activism; abortion rights, feminism, and the culture wars; and housing, education, and labor. The exhibition and companion multimedia website demonstrate the role that photographers, activists, and ordinary people play in enacting democratic social change. They also highlight social protest photography as an important source for doing public history.
Soil is the best testifier of the diachronous dawn of the Anthropocene
Authors: Certini Giacomo , Scalenghe Riccardo
Published: January 2021

Humans act at worldwide scale as a growing geomorphic agent since mid‐Holocene (8,200–4,200 y BP) through the pervasive impacts of domestication, deforestation, agriculture, urbanization, and mining. The concept of Anthropocene has been introduced exactly to indicate the timespan in which humans have joined with other natural forces in impacting the outermost shell of the planet and the biosphere. Soils, which are the Earth's skin, are sensitive archives of any major human‐induced local to global change. Especially when buried, soils can permanently preserve the primordial traces of a significant impact of man on the environment, which occurred at different times and rates in different areas. As a result, we assert that the oldest “anthropogenic” soils from all around the world collectively are an appropriate marker for the diachronous dawn of an early Anthropocene.
Single and Multi‐Mode Directional Lasing from Arrays of Dielectric Nanoresonators
Authors: Azzam Shaimaa I. , Chaudhuri Krishnakali , Lagutchev Alexei , Jacob Zubin , Kim Young L. , Shalaev Vladimir M. , Boltasseva Alexandra , Kildishev Alexander V.
Published: January 2021

The strong electric and magnetic resonances in dielectric subwavelength structures have enabled unique opportunities for efficient manipulation of light–matter interactions. Besides, the dramatic enhancement of nonlinear light–matter interactions near so‐called bound states in the continuum (BICs) has recently attracted enormous attention due to potential advancements. However, the experimental realizations and the applications of high‐Q factor resonances in dielectric resonances in the visible have thus far been considerably limited. In this work, the interplay of electric and magnetic dipoles in arrays of dielectric nanoresonators is explored. The experimental realization of high‐Q factor resonances in the visible through the collective diffractive coupling of electric and magnetic dipoles is reported. It is also shown that coupling the Rayleigh anomaly of the array with the dipoles of the individual nanoresonators can result in the formation of different types of BICs. The resonances in the visible regime is utilized to achieve lasing action at room temperature with high spatial directionality and low threshold. Finally, multi‐mode, directional lasing is experimentally demonstrated and the BIC‐assisted lasing mode engineering in arrays of dielectric nanoresonators is studied. It is believed that the results enable a new range of applications in flat photonics through realizing on‐chip controllable single and multi‐wavelength micro‐lasers.
Control of Cell‐Substrate Binding Related to Cell Proliferation Cycle Status Using a Cytocompatible Phospholipid Polymer Bearing Phenylboronic Acid Groups
Authors: Ishihara Kazuhiko , Abe Masashi , Fukazawa Kyoko , Konno Tomohiro
Published: January 2021

To provide high‐quality cellular raw materials for cell engineering and pharmaceutical engineering, a polymer substrate is prepared for cell separation focusing on the cell proliferation cycle. There are many types of sugar chains on cell membranes, which function as signaling molecules to control interactions with the exterior of the cell; their abundance changes during the cell‐proliferation cycle. In this study, a phenylboronic acid group, which has affinity for sugar chains, is introduced into a polymer containing a phosphorylcholine group that does not induce cell activation. On the surface of this polymer, human promyelocytic leukemia cells can adhere. The adhesion rate is increased by pretreating the substrate with an alkaline solution. Moreover, cell adhesion is dependent on the sugar additive in the culture medium. Therefore, cell adhesion is governed by reactions between the sugar chain on the cell membrane and the phenylboronic acid groups on the substrate. It is revealed that the adhesion rate changes depending on the expression level of sugar chains related to the cell‐proliferation cycle. Based on this, it may be proposed a cell proliferation cycle‐specific separation process using the polymer substrate based on cell adhesion depending on sugar chain density.
Regeneration of Cellulose from a Switchable Ionic Liquid: Toward More Sustainable Cellulose Fibers
Authors: Kirchberg Anja , Meier Michael A. R.
Published: January 2021

A CO2 switchable solvent system is investigated to find an environmentally friendlier way to produce man‐made cellulose fibers. Cellulose solutions with concentrations from 2 wt% to 8 wt%, based on derivative and non‐derivative dissolution approaches, are investigated. Three different switchable solvent systems are tested. After accessing the stability of the produced cellulose solutions, their regeneration is investigated using different alcoholic coagulation media. In order to find a suitable coagulation medium and stable cellulose solution, a dissolution–regeneration cycle is investigated, while trying to minimize the amount of waste by recovering the employed solvents. The process is optimized and the resulting fibers are characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy, optical microscopy, as well as scanning electron microscopy.
Effect of Molecular Weight of Methylphenylsiloxy‐Containing Vinyl‐Functionalized Terpolysiloxanes on Their UV‐Activated Crosslinking by Hydrosilylation and Mechanical Properties of Crosslinked Elastomers
Authors: Ault Charles A. , Beach James , Mann Shane , Wan Xianmei , Zlatanic Alisa , Patterson Steven , Messman Jamie M. , Dvornic Petar R.
Published: January 2021

Effects of molecular weight of methylphenyl‐containing vinylsiloxy‐functionalized terpolysiloxanes on their UV‐activated crosslinking by hydrosilylation at room temperature in air, shelf life stability of “all‐in‐one” pastes prepared from them for additive manufacturing, and mechanical properties of the resulting crosslinked elastomers, are investigated. It is found that while rheology of pastes containing base polymers, trimethylsilylated silica fillers, and thixotropic additives is not significantly affected by the base polymer molecular weight but is dominated by the filler concentration, the pastes based on higher molecular weight polymers exhibit faster crosslinking (corresponding to higher catalyst turnover numbers) and their crosslinked elastomers show transient strain‐induced crystallization. The latter appears in networks from terpolymers with degrees of polymerization (DP) of 240 and above (corresponding to about one half of the critical polydimethylsiloxane chain length for entanglement formation of DP = 460), within the temperature range of −80 to −30 °C, characteristic for polydimethylsiloxane melting transition. It is believed that this is the first time an observation of this chain length effect is reported for polysiloxane elastomers and that the properties reported herein can be expected to have major implications on the application potential of these polymers in both additive manufacturing and performance of their elastomers at sub‐ambient temperatures.
Pride and precision: Personalizing care in diagnostic neurology laboratories
Authors: Walker Francis O. , Cartwright Michael S.
Published: January 2021

See article on pages 661–667 in this issue.
Pattern of muscle strength improvement after intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in multifocal motor neuropathy
Authors: Bakers Jaap N.E. , van Eijk Ruben P.A. , van den Berg Leonard H. , Visser‐Meily Johanna M. A. , Beelen Anita
Published: January 2021

Introduction

In multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN), knowledge about the pattern of treatment response in a wide spectrum of muscle groups, distal as well as proximal, after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) initiation is lacking.

Methods

Hand‐held dynamometry data of 11 upper and lower limb muscles, from 47 patients with MMN was reviewed. Linear mixed models were used to determine the treatment response after IVIg initiation and its relationship with initial muscle weakness.

Results

All muscle groups showed a positive treatment response after IVIg initiation. Changes in SD scores ranged from +0.1 to +0.95. A strong association between weakness at baseline and the magnitude of the treatment response was found.

Discussion

Improved muscle strength in response to IVIg appears not only in distal, but to a similar degree also in proximal muscle groups in MMN, with the largest response in muscle groups that show the greatest initial weakness.
General cancer screening practices among adult survivors of retinoblastoma: Results from the Retinoblastoma Survivor Study
Authors: Chou Joanne F. , Ford Jennifer S. , Kleinerman Ruth A. , Abramson David H. , Francis Jasmine H. , Sklar Charles A. , Oeffinger Kevin C. , Robison Leslie L. , Dunkel Ira J. , Friedman Danielle Novetsky
Published: January 2021

We assessed breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening practices in adult retinoblastoma (Rb) survivors and non‐Rb controls. We found that most Rb survivors adhered to general population cancer screening recommendations. Rates did not differ among Rb survivors and non‐Rb controls, or among survivors by laterality, even though bilateral survivors reported higher levels of concern about future health and cancer risk. Older age, being overweight/obese, and lack of recent contact with medical personnel were independently associated with decreased utilization of Pap smear among female Rb survivors. Future studies are warranted to determine whether these associations might provide an opportunity for intervention.
Modeling of the anisotropic thermal conductivity of fabrics embedded in a thermoplastic matrix system
Authors: Längauer Manuel , Brunnthaller Franz , Zitzenbacher Gernot , Burgstaller Christoph , Hochenauer Christoph
Published: January 2021

Processing of thermoplastic composites is increasingly gaining importance due to their excellent mechanical properties combined with their recycling‐feasibility. However, distinguishing anisotropic thermal properties of these materials make process simulation challenging. This work deals with an alternative way of analytical modeling of the anisotropic thermal conductivity of fabrics embedded in a thermoplastic matrix, as in the case of sheets for thermoforming applications, in which heating times are often process limiting. By creation of a unit cell and applying heat flux balances, the thermal conductivity in the fiber direction and in the transversal direction can be calculated. The transversal direction is the most important factor for the addressed thermoforming applications. The proposed model is then successfully validated through Hot Disk measurements of glass fiber reinforced polyamide sheets. Furthermore, authentication is reached by the comparison to measured thermal conductivity values from another study. Hence, it can be shown that the model proves to be more accurate than existing analytical models.
Cleavage rules of mass spectrometry fragments and rapid identification of chemical components of Radix Paeoniae Alba using UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS
Authors: Yang Shenshen , Zhang Xinyue , Dong Yaqian , Sun Guijiang , Jiang Aili , Li Yubo
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Radix Paeoniae Alba (RPA) presents several pharmacological effects, including analgesia, liver protection, and toxicity reduction. RPA consists mostly of monoterpenes and their glycosides, tannins, flavonoids, and organic acids, with monoterpenes being the main active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Objective

To establish an effective method for rapid classification and identification of the main monoterpenes, flavonoids, and organic acids in RPA.

Methods

We used ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS) and data post‐processing technology to rapidly classify and identify the monoterpenoids, flavonoids, and organic acids in RPA. We also summarised the diagnostic product ions and neutral losses of monoterpenoids, flavonoids, and organic acids in RPA reported in the literature.

Results

We identified 24 components, namely 18 monoterpenoids, one flavonoid, and five organic acids.

Conclusion

In this study, we analysed the chemically active pharmaceutical ingredients and assessed the quality of RPA. In addition, we demonstrated that UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS can be used to qualitatively classify and identify the variety of chemical components of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) to a certain extent. Moreover, we confirmed that mass spectrometry can be used to identify the components of TCMs.
Mechanical characterization and modeling stress relaxation behavior of acrylic–polyurethane‐based graft‐interpenetrating polymer networks
Authors: Alizadeh Nima , Celestine Asha‐Dee N. , Auad Maria L. , Agrawal Vinamra
Published: January 2021

The stress relaxation behavior of acrylic–polyurethane (PU)‐based graft‐interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) was characterized via dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and modeled using finite element method (FEM) analysis. Stress relaxation of glassy IPN specimens was experimentally studied under flexural testing, while rubbery IPN specimens were tested in tension. The effects of varying the styrene content in the acrylic copolymer phase, compatibility of the two phases in IPNs, and changing the concentration of acrylic copolymer and PU were studied. A higher percentage of styrene content resulted in higher homogeneity of IPN specimens, and decrease in initial modulus for acrylic copolymer specimens. Additionally, glassy IPN specimens with 90% styrene shows resistance to relaxation as high as acrylic copolymer samples. Experimental results were used to develop a numerical model to study stress relaxation response of specimens. While polymer systems have been studied computationally, numerical modeling of IPN systems is still in its infancy. A three‐dimensional FEM model was developed using the Generalized Maxwell model and four‐term Prony series constants, which were extracted from the stress relaxation experiments. With four terms in the Prony series, a good match was observed between experimental observations and results from the FEM model.
Influence of green extraction process of nano fibrillated cellulose using subcritical water/CO2 on its properties and development of its bio composite
Authors: Purkayastha Srijita , Saha Sampa , Ghosh Anup K.
Published: January 2021

The study proposes a new green extraction method of producing nano fibrillated cellulose (NFC) from softwood pulp (SWP) by using subcritical water/CO2. Subcritical water/CO2 led to a controlled hydrolysis of SWP and the treated SWP was fibrillated by sonication to produce NFC. Effect of process parameters (time, temperature, and pressure) on the crystallinity and thermal properties of NFC was studied to optimize the process conditions for controlled hydrolysis. The influence of the extraction process on the properties of prepared NFC was studied. Nanocellulosic materials were characterized by using field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, and thermo gravimetric analysis. The NFC obtained at optimum process conditions (100 bar, 145°C, and 30 min) showed significantly high crystallinity (66%) and high yield (75–80%) compared to the NFC prepared by conventional mechanical grinding method. The present method of producing NFC uses water and pressurized CO2, and therefore, eliminate use of acids and chemicals. Plasticized poly vinyl alcohol (p‐PVA) based nano composite with NFC shows significant improvement in thermal stability (36%), tensile strength (77%) with reduced water vapor transmission rate as compared to virgin p‐PVA indicating their potential as nanofiller for making bio composites.
‘Gallagher’ and ‘Iba’ hard red winter wheat: Half‐sibs inseparable by yield gain, separable by producer preference
Authors: Marburger David A. , Silva Amanda de Oliveira , Hunger Robert M. , Edwards Jeffrey T. , Van der Laan Liza , Blakey Adrienne M. , Kan C‐C. , Garland‐Campbell K.A. , Bowden Robert L. , Yan Liuling , Tilley Michael , Chen Ming‐Shun , Chen Yuanhong Richard , Bai Guihua , Jin Yue , Kolmer James A. , Seabourn Bradford W. , Rassi Guadalupe Davila‐El , Rayas‐Duarte Patricia , Kerr Robert M. , Carver Brett F.
Published: January 2021

Cornerstone cultivars earn their status as much by their genetic fortitude and successive progeny as by their own visibility. ‘Duster’ hard red winter (HRW) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) established a foundation of yield potential, pest resistance, and baking quality on which two half‐sib progenies named ‘Gallagher’ (Reg. no. CV‐1177, PI 667569) and ‘Iba’ (Reg. no. CV‐1178, PI 667570) were released by the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station in 2012 and subsequently assumed significant commercial hectares in the U.S. southern plains. Our objectives were to characterize and compare Gallagher and Iba with their parent Duster for a wide array of agronomic, end‐use quality, and wheat sensitivity traits. Bulked descendants of sister F4:5 lines, Gallagher and Iba were tested as experimental lines OK07214 and OK07209, respectively. In one breeding cycle, they showed an 8% yield gain in grain‐only environments, with 10–17% increases in kernel weight, divergent wheat protein responses, unidirectional responses in total fructan content, and wide bidirectional responses in flour levels of immunotoxic gluten epitopes. Both cultivars remain excellent sources of yield potential and functionality, yet their ultimate adoption histories did not align with institutional expectations at the time of release. This retrospective analysis provides a non‐abstract reminder worthwhile for any agent of wheat improvement: wheat producers may exercise cultivar choice on seemingly modest characteristics but with yield‐equivalent precedence.
Granular Polymeric Carbon Nitride with Carbon Vacancies for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Zhang Ping , Wu Li-Jun , Pan Wei-Guo , Wei Zeng-Zhi , Liang Xing-Yuan , Guo Rui-Tang
Published: January 2021

Considering the high charge recombination rate, low optical adsorption intensity and limited active sites greatly constrict the solar‐to‐chemical conversion efficiency of polymer carbon nitride. Herein, a facile approach is reported to produce defected polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) with abundant granular bulks with fractured boundaries by thermal reduction treatment in CO atmosphere. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over defected PCN exhibits a rate of 3281.2 μmol g−1 h−1, 3.5 times higher than the pristine, which is most possibly ascribed to the following factors. The unique defected and porous structure not only provides higher specific surface area, more exposed active edges, abundant charge separation sites, and active centers for hydrogen generation but also is beneficial to rapid mass and charge transfer, interior diffusing of incident light, and shortening carrier transport length, thus enhancing the optical adsorption and accelerating the photocatalytic reaction kinetics. Furthermore, the electron delocalization at carbon vacancies sites on one hand facilitates the separation rate of electron–hole pairs and prolonged the carrier lifetime; on the other hand, the electronic polarization caused by C atoms loss helps increasing the affinity between catalyst and substrate reactant. Moreover, the higher electron donor density and lower conduction band minimum (CBM) potential further enhance the reduction capacity for H2 evolution.
Effect of Compression Reduction on Deformation of CaO–CaS–Al2O3–MgO Inclusions in Solid and Semi‐Solid Steel
Authors: Wang Yi , Zhang Lifeng , Ren Ying , Li Zushu , Slater Carl , Peng Kaiyu , Liu Fenggang , Zhao Yanyu
Published: January 2021

Plain strain deformation is performed on solid steel samples at 1473 K and semi‐solid samples at 1743 K. The deformation of inclusions under the reductions of 10%, 20%, and 30% is studied. In the solid steel, the average aspect ratio of inclusions increases from 1.23 in the original slab to 2.07, 2.23, and 2.30 under the reduction of 10%, 20%, and 30%. The deformation of inclusions in the semi‐solid steel, which is much smaller than that in the solid steel, is hardly influenced by the reduction. Inclusion deformation is explained by the difference of hardness between the inclusion phase and the steel matrix. Though inclusions in steel samples deformed at 1473 K are a little harder than those in steel samples deformed at 1743 K due to the thicker CaS shell formed by the transformation of inclusion composition. Stress–strain curves indicate that the semi‐solid steel matrix at is much softer. In the semi‐solid steel at 1743 K, the soft steel matrix deforms more than inclusions, leading, in turn, to a smaller deformation of inclusions.
Syphilis: the great mimic
Authors: Brightman Christopher
Published: January 2021

Cases of syphilis are rising in England and Wales. The infection is a great mimic of other diseases, so diagnosis requires serological testing and expert interpretation.
Supplementation of overripe pulp extract and green peel extract or powder of banana fruit peel (musa. cavendish) to diets of neonatal dairy calves: Effects on haematological, immunological and performance characteristics
Authors: Keivani Rad Nafiseh , Mohri Mehrdad , Seifi Hesam A. , Haghparast Alireza
Published: January 2021

The present study investigated the effects of overripe pulp and green peel extract and powder of banana fruit (Musa. cavendish) on haematological, biochemical, immunological, health, and performance of Holstein dairy calves. In all, 40 newborn calves were randomly divided into four groups of 10 animals. In the control group, animals received no banana meal. In group 1, calves were supplemented with 2 g (dry matter)/kg body weight/day of overripe banana pulp extract. The calves in group 2 were supplemented with 1 g (dry matter) of overripe banana pulp extract/kg body weight/day and 1 g (dry matter) of green banana peel extract/kg body weight/day. The animals in group 3 were supplemented with 2 g/kg body weight/day of green banana peel powder. The feeding period of calves on the tested supplements was 5 days. Blood samples and other evaluations were taken on day 0 (at birth, before supplementation) and on days 7, 15 and 30. Just a trend towards better average daily weight gain was seen in groups 2 and 3 than others (p = 0.073). Significant group and sampling time interactions were seen for the quantities of RBC (group 1 was lower than other groups at day 30), MCV (group 3 was lower than other groups at day 30) and MCH (group 1 was higher than other groups at day 30) (p < 0.05). A trend towards significance in values of IgG (group 1 was lower than other groups at days 15 and 30) and bilirubin (higher values at day 7 in groups 1 and 2 than control, higher amounts at days 15 and 30 in groups 3 and 2 than control, respectively) was also observed. In conclusion, banana supplementation in neonatal calves had beneficial effects on the values of RBC, MCV, MCH, bilirubin, IgG and average daily weight gain in dairy calves.
Widespread severe myodegeneration in a compound heterozygote female dog with dystrophin deficiency
Authors: Fortin Jessica S. , Hakim Chady H. , Korte Scott , Yang N. Nora , Fitzgerald Scott D. , Johnson Gayle C. , Smith Bruce F. , Duan Dongsheng
Published: January 2021

The University of Missouri (MU) has established a colony of dystrophin‐deficient dogs with a mixed breed background to mirror the variable pathologic effects of dystrophinopathies between persons of a given kindred to further the understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of the variable phenotype; thus to facilitate discovery of an effective therapeutic strategy. Herein we report the phenotype and genotype of a normal‐appearing 10‐month‐old colony female that died suddenly. At necropsy examination, there were reduced skeletal and laryngeal muscle volume and mild dilatation of the oesophagus. Microscopic findings consisted of extensive degeneration and regeneration of the axial skeletal, tongue, oesophageal, and laryngeal muscles that were characterized by considerable central nucleation, individual fibre mineralization and interstitial fibrosis. The myocardial findings were limited to infiltration of adipose cells in the interstitium. The female dog was a compound heterozygote with one X chromosome carrying a point mutation in intron 6 of the dystrophin gene and the other X chromosome carrying a repetitive element insertion in intron 13 of the dystrophin gene. Although the direct cause of death was uncertain, it might likely be due to sudden cardiac death as has been seen in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. This case demonstrated dystrophinopathy in female dogs that have no ameliorating normal X chromosome.
Quasi-Jacobi forms, elliptic genera and strings in four dimensions
Authors: Lee Seung-Joo , Lerche Wolfgang , Lockhart Guglielmo , Weigand Timo
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We investigate the interplay between the enumerative geometry of Calabi-Yau fourfolds with fluxes and the modularity of elliptic genera in four-dimensional string theories. We argue that certain contributions to the elliptic genus are given by derivatives of modular or quasi-modular forms, which may encode BPS invariants of Calabi-Yau or non-Calabi-Yau threefolds that are embedded in the given fourfold. As a result, the elliptic genus is only a quasi-Jacobi form, rather than a modular or quasi-modular one in the usual sense. This manifests itself as a holomorphic anomaly of the spectral flow symmetry, and in an elliptic holomorphic anomaly equation that maps between different flux sectors. We support our general considerations by a detailed study of examples, including non-critical strings in four dimensions.

For the critical heterotic string, we explain how anomaly cancellation is restored due to the properties of the derivative sector. Essentially, while the modular sector of the elliptic genus takes care of anomaly cancellation involving the universal B-field, the quasi-Jacobi one accounts for additional B-fields that can be present.

Thus once again, diverse mathematical ingredients, namely here the algebraic geometry of fourfolds, relative Gromow-Witten theory pertaining to flux backgrounds, and the modular properties of (quasi-)Jacobi forms, conspire in an intriguing manner precisely as required by stringy consistency.
Sterile neutrinos and the global reactor antineutrino dataset
Authors: Berryman Jeffrey M. , Huber Patrick
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We present results from global fits to the available reactor antineutrino dataset, as of Fall 2019, to determine the global preference for a fourth, sterile neutrino. We have separately considered experiments that measure the integrated inverse-beta decay (IBD) rate from those that measure the energy spectrum of IBD events at one or more locations. The evidence that we infer from rate measurements varies between ≲ 3σand negligible depending on the reactor antineutrino flux model employed. Moreover, we find that spectral ratios ostensibly imply ≳ 3σevidence, consistent with previous work, though these measurements are known to be plagued by issues related to statistical interpretation; these results should therefore be viewed cautiously. The software used is the newly developed GLoBESfit tool set which is based on the publicly available GLoBES framework and will be released as open-source software.
Critical islands
Authors: Krishnan Chethan
Published: January 2021

Abstract

We discuss a doubly-holographic prescription for black holes in braneworlds with a vanishing cosmological constant. It involves calculating Ryu-Takayanagi surfaces in AdS black funnel spacetimes attached to braneworld black holes in the critical Randall- Sundrum II model. Critical braneworlds have the virtue of having massless gravitons. Our approach should be useful when the braneworld is a cosmological black hole interacting with deconfined, large-N matter. In higher dimensions, explicit funnel metrics will have to be constructed numerically — but based on the general structure of the geometry, we present a natural guess for where one might find the semi-classical island. In a 3-dimensional example where a toy analytic black funnel is known, we can check our guess by direct calculation. We argue that this resolves a version of the information paradox in these braneworld systems, by finding strong evidence for “cosmological islands”. Comoving Ryu-Takayanagi surfaces and associated UV cut-offs on the brane, play natural roles.