bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Canopy Gaps on Growth and Water Use Efficiency of Seedling of Vulnerable Species, Hopea sangal Korth
Authors: Siahaan Febrina Artauli , Soejono . , Arisoesilaningsih Endang
Published: July 2022

Aims: Hopea sangal Korth. is listed as vulnerable species and recently its remnant habitat was rediscovered in the degraded forest near the springs area in East Java. In the forest, the regeneration of the seedling and saplings understory is affected by the heterogeneity in environmental factors especially various light levels due to the canopy gaps. H. sangal is considered a shade-tolerant species, hence the establishment of the seedling in its natural habitat occurs under the closed canopy. This study aimed to understand the Water Use Efficiency (WUE) and Relative Growth Rate (RGR) of Hopea sangal Korth seedling grown in two different levels of tree canopy shades.

Study Design: This research was using a completely randomized design, with 9 replications.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in the Purwodadi Botanic Garden, East Java, between March – July.

Methodology: We used seedling of H. sangal collected from the field in Pasuruan which were planted in plastic pots and acclimatized to obtain seedling of a similar size. The microclimate was measured weekly using solarimetri and sling psychrometer at 08.00; 10:00; 12:00; 14:00 and 16:00. RGR was measured by harvesting the seedling and whole plant WUE was measured using the gravimetric method.

Results: We observed the light level during the periodic opening of the canopy gap was significantly different at a specific time (8-12 am), with the highest light intensity at 10.00 of 333.57 µmol photon m-2s-1. The canopy shades differences did not affect the WUE of seedling (P = 0.333), meanwhile, there was a significant difference in the seedling RGR (P = 0.025). The seedling that were grown under a higher gap and received higher light intensity periodically during a day had higher RGR than those under a closed canopy.  The WUE has a positive relationship with the RGR of seedling (R2 = 0.5; P < 0.05).

Conclusions: This study suggested that the H. sangal is one of the shade-tolerant species capable of responding to gap-opening sunlight. The study also showed RGR of the seedling positively correlated with the WUE of plants, indicating that the seedling could use the water supply efficiently to grow rapidly.
Response of Biofertilizer and Foliar Spray of Organic Amendments on Economics and Yield Attributes of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.)
Authors: Rabade Mayank , Singh Rajesh , Indu Thakur
Published: July 2022

Field experiment was conducted on cowpea during Kharif 2021 at (CRF) Crop Research   Farm, Department of Agronomy, Naini Agricultural Institute. SHUATS, Prayagraj  (U.P) India. The experiment entitled as “Response of biofertilizer and foliar spray of organic amendments on economics and yield attributes of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.)”, to    study treatments consisting of three kinds of biofertilizers viz.Rhizobium, PSB and Rhizobium + PSB and three types of organic amendments viz. Panchagavya, Jeevamrutha and Beejamrutha. Each of the nine treatments was replicated three times and laid out in a Randomized Block  Design with various treatment combinations. T1: Rhizobium 20 g + Panchagavya 3% foliar spray, T2: Rhizobium 20 g + Jeevamrutha 5% foliar spray,T3: Rhizobium 20 g + Beejamrutha 2% foliar spray ,T4: PSB 20 g + Panchagavya 3% foliar spray,T5: PSB 20 g + Jeevamrutha   5% foliar spray,T6: PSB 20 g + Beejamrutha 2% foliar spray, T7: Rhizobium + PSB 20g + Panchagavya 3% foliar spray,T8: Rhizobium + PSB 20g + Jeevamrutha 5% foliar   spray,T9: Rhizobium + PSB 20g + Beejamrutha 2% foliar spray. The results revealed that treatment 9 (Rhizobium + PSB 20g + Panchagavya 3% foliar spray) recorded maximum on no. of pods per plant (15.43), length of pod (19.53), seeds per pod (10.68), test weight (133.40), seed yield (1025.50), harvest index (41.74), and B:C ratio (2.42).It is concluded that seed treatment  with Rhizobium + PSB 20g + Panchagavya 3% foliar spray was found more productive and economical.
Integrated Zinc and Iron Management Practices for Enhancing Productivity and Flower Quality of Marigold
Authors: Jena Lasyamayee , Latha M. R. , Janaki P. , Ganga M. , Santhanakrishnan V. P.
Published: July 2022

An experiment was conducted at the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during 2021-2022 to evaluate the effect of zinc and iron on growth, quality, yield and biochemical trait of marigold cv. Local Orange. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design (CRD) with eight treatments and three replications. The eight treatments included an untreated control (T1) , 100% RDF (T2) , along with RDF soil application of FYM enriched ZnSO4 and FeSO4 @ 10 and 15 kg ha-1 respectively (T3), along with RDF soil application of FYM enriched ZnSO4 and FeSO4 @ 15 and 20 kg ha-1 respectively (T4), along with RDF soil application of FYM enriched ZnSO4 and FeSO4 @ 20 and 25 kg ha-1 respectively (T5), along with RDF foliar spray of ZnSO4 and FeSO4 each @ 0.5% (T6), along with RDF foliar spray of ZnSO4 and FeSO4 @ 0.5 and 1.0 % respectively (T7) , along with RDF foliar spray of 1.0 % liquid multi micronutrient (T8). The effect was assessed on growth, quality, yield and xanthophyll content in marigold flower. The results revealed that foliar application of ZnSO4 and FeSO4 each @ 0.5 % along with RDF at 20DAT and 35DAT recorded maximum plant growth, flower quality and flower yield. On xanthophyll content foliar application of 1.0 % liquid multi micronutrient along with RDF produced significant effect compared to control. The present study revealed that the integrated application of zinc and iron fertilizer significantly improved the growth, yield, quality of marigold crop. However both soil application and foliar spray of zinc and iron showing significant effect compared to control for better productivity and flower quality of marigold.
Human and Environmental Reservoirs of Intestinal Parasites in the City of Yaoundé, Cameroon: An Update in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Njieyap Laurelle Djieukap , Balifeli Bienvenu , Mvondo Narcisse , Siakam Joelle Tanguep , Fru Chi Tchampo , Ngano Albert Bayibeki , Okoa Nadege Amougou , Akono-Ntonga Patrick , Etang Josiane Désirée , Antonio-Nkondjio Christophe , Ndo Cyrille , Togouet Serge Hubert Zebaze , Njiokou Flobert , Dologuele Nicolas Félicien , Awono-Ambene Herman Parfait
Published: July 2022

Aims: Intestinal parasitic infections are persistent in Africa, and we questioned here whether prevention measures imposed by the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 could alleviate this threat in lowlands of the city of Yaoundé, Cameroon.  

Study Design: We monitored the trend of intestinal parasites in human and environmental samples from the seven subdivisions of the city of Yaounde, before (November-December 2019) and during (July-August 2020, November-December 2020) the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methodology: Parasitological analysis were performed to check for the presence of helminths and protozoans in stools from inhabitants as well as in water, soil and fresh vegetables, using standard Kato Katz and Formol Ether methods.The minimum effective sample size considered for the estimation of parasite richness, parasite infection and contamination indexeswas 30 for human and 30 for environmental samples (i.e. soils, water and vegetables) per location.

Results: Of the 19 parasite species identified in human and the environments, twelve were helminths and seven protozoans. The overall parasite species richness reached 16 in 2019 (12 helminths and 4 protozoans) and 19 in 2020 (12 helminths and 7 protozoans), with about 62.5-68.4% of species shared by human and environments. The parasite frequencies in human (21.03%) and water/soils (32.3%) in 2019 did not differ statistically with those of 2020 (14.6-20.3% and 10.8-35.4%, respectively). The contamination rate of vegetables (i.e. carrots, lettuce, basil, celery, etc.) has increased from 2019 (6.1-9.1%) to 2020 (9.1-24.2%), and was frequently due to roundworms, hookworms, Entamoeba and Cryptosporidium cysts. The findings suggest persistent risk associated with intestinal parasite irrespective to measures imposed by COVID-19 in study locations.

Conclusion: The current control approaches may therefore integrateecological epidemiology of the intestinal parasite infections as complementary strategy in African cities.
Advancing Students’ Educational Experiences with Interdisciplinary Service-Based Learning: Impacting Special Needs Community
Authors:   Grand Canyon University, Herrick Kays Stephanie , Love Pamela ,   Grand Canyon University
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this reflective practice paper is to describe the Special Olympics Arizona MedFest partnership with Grand Canyon University (GCU) and the impact this has on athletes, students, and volunteers. MedFest events provide free physicals to Special Olympics athletes in need. By utilization of principles of service-based interdisciplinary education, undergraduate, and graduate students from GCU’s College of Nursing and Healthcare Professions, had the opportunity to utilize skills learned in the classroom to make a positive impact on the community around them. This reflective practice paper will provide insights to the MedFest event, hurdles faced, recommendations for future MedFest events, and future research to occur.
The Importance of Social Justice Courses in Teacher Preparation Programs
Authors:   Grand Canyon University, Critchfield Meredith
Published: July 2022

The social justice perspective is become more popular in teacher preparation programs as a response to growing diversity in schools and to the perceived inadequacies of multicultural education. This alternative to multicultural education argues that teachers should be advocates for students and their communities, helping to address inequities in schools. This project sought to explore social justice education in more depth by examining two classes of pre-service teachers at a private Christian university in the Southwest United States. Students were asked to describe their expectations and experiences with social justice curriculum in a required social justice teacher education course. The analysis of the project’s results indicates that pre-service teachers at faith institutions must be given hands-on, practical opportunities to grapple with social justice and their faith in order to begin to understand how social justice might inform their future work as teachers.
Transferência de Tecnologia em Ambientes de Inovação Aberta: alguns impactos das fintechs no setor bancário
Authors: Magalhães Raisa Sousa de , Nour Alfredo Dib Abdoul , Santos Walter Rodrigo das Neves
Published: July 2022

As fintechs são startups que utilizam a tecnologia disruptiva no desenvolvimento de serviços financeiros com o propósito de criar soluções inovadoras. Trata-se de uma nova dinâmica que tem gerado impacto nas estratégias das instituições bancárias e não bancárias. O objetivo do presente estudo é identificar como são realizadas as transferências de tecnologias desenvolvidas entre fintechs e agentes do sistema financeiro no cenário brasileiro. Esta pesquisa é de natureza aplicada, de caráter exploratório, com triangulação no levantamento de dados, instrumentalizada com estudo de caso, levantamento bibliográfico e de contexto de modelo de negócio, com análise qualitativa. Com base nos resultados, foi possível identificar: i) utilização de transferência de tecnologia em ambientes de inovação aberta; ii) cocriação de produtos e serviços financeiros mais sofisticados e inovadores; iii) imersão de um grupo cada vez maior de empreendedores no desenvolvimento de produtos e serviços; e iv) novos entrantes.
LIMITAÇÃO DO AMOR PELA IMPOSIÇÃO DA MONOGAMIA NO PODER JUDICIÁRIO
Authors: Pinto Vieira Lara Bianca , Bianchini Juliana
Published: July 2022

Utilizando-se de um recorte nacional-histórico, o estudo pretende explicar como a monogamia, imposta pelo Estado, é resultado da reafirmação do patriarcado nas relações familiares, promovendo a subjugação da mulher e a reafirmação de papéis a serem exercidos por determinados corpos dentro de uma lógica de divisão sexual da sociedade. Procura demonstrar que a contínua obrigatoriedade de valores morais do sistema patriarcal possibilita a manutenção de uma lógica de relacionamentos excludente, que subjuga formas afetivas fora dos padrões de relacionamentos heterossexuais e adstritos à lógica colonial, fazendo com que a efetivação de direitos fundamentais seja tolhida. Para tanto, realiza análise do instituto da família no direito brasileiro, passando à discussão sobre a monogamia, para, por fim, discutir a necessidade de superação da intervenção estatal nas relações afetivas. O método utilizado foi o dialético, a partir da revisão bibliográfica.
Hollow Covalent Organic Framework with “Shell‐Confined” Environment for the Effective Removal of Anionic Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
Authors: Huang Junlong , Shi Yueru , Xu Jianqiao , Zheng Juan , Zhu Fang , Liu Xiaolong , Ouyang Gangfeng
Published: July 2022

The ubiquity of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has become an emerging challenge for modern water treatment and public health. The development of high‐performance adsorbents remains at the forefront of PFAS remediation. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with structural regularity and task‐specific functionality are promising candidates yet have not been fully explored. Herein, cystamine‐grafted hollow COF nanospheres (hollow Cys‐COF) are synthesized via the hard‐template method and functionalized by the thiol‐ene “click” reaction. The well‐defined hollow structure provides a specific “shell‐confined” environment, which ensures sufficient modification in a short period and retains the crystallinity of the original material, circumventing the dilemma between functionality and crystallinity in traditional post‐synthetic modification protocols. The as‐prepared hollow Cys‐COF is highly functionalized and shows remarkable removal performance to various anionic PFAS under environmentally relevant conditions. Twenty kinds of anionic PFAS containing carboxylic, sulfonic, and phosphoric individuals are removed by 90% within several minutes, and a column‐test further verified its superior performance under the dynamic situation. An integrated analysis from both experimental results and theoretical simulations provides a mechanistic illustration of how the morphology and functionality can jointly contribute to effective PFAS adsorption. These findings provide a multiscale understanding of high‐performance adsorbent design.
Bulk Thermodynamics Determines Surface Hydrogen Concentration in Membranes
Authors: Billeter Emanuel , Kazaz Selim , Borgschulte Andreas
Published: July 2022

The functioning of hydrogen selective metal membranes relies on the fine‐tuned interaction of their surfaces with the inner bulk. The link between hydrogen permeation and surface concentration is unveiled using a novel combination of thin film preparation and surface science analysis to probe and intentionally modify the surface properties of palladium vanadium composite membranes. The in situ preparation allows for observation of ultra‐clean hydrogenation and the quantification of the permeation as a function of temperature and pressure. The sub‐surface hydrogen concentration is determined by operando reflecting electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) and surface elemental characterization by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy under oxygen‐free conditions as a function of pressure and temperature, from which the surface hydrogen pressure‐composition isotherms are derived. The energy dependence of REELS reveals that the VHx layer exhibits a hydrogen concentration gradient. Modeling of the permeation behavior and surface hydrogen concentration yields activation energies in good agreement with similar hydrogen absorbing thin film systems for the overall process, the dissociation at the Pd surface, the diffusion in the membrane, and the dissociation at the V surface. The bulk thermodynamic properties of the metal hydride govern the desorption process.
Aluminum Bowties for Plasmonic‐Enhanced Infrared Sensing
Authors: Najem Melissa , Carcenac Franck , Taliercio Thierry , Gonzalez‐Posada Fernando
Published: July 2022

Plasmonic nanoantennas have earned outstanding credits for their powerful ability to couple light from free‐space into sub‐wavelength‐sized structures and to enhance the electric field confinement. One of the most appealing plasmonic applications is biosensing: to detect and identify many bio‐information of a molecule in a single test. Consequently, surface enhanced spectroscopy in a broad infrared (IR) range is required. In this article, a barcode‐like nanostructured surface of a metal‐insulator‐metal (MIM) platform serves as optical transducer with tunable localized surface resonances (LSPR). The conception, fabrication, and optical characterization of periodic arrays of aluminum bowties (Al‐BT) within a MIM structure compatible with Si‐technology are reported. LSPR positions are extended by controlling the side length of the tip‐to‐tip facing triangles. The reflectance measurements correlate extremely well to numerical simulations. The simulated electrical field confinement provides up to 103 of intensity relying on the tip‐to‐tip nanogap value. Surface‐enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) gives simultaneously spectral information on both far‐field behavior and near‐field enhancement of several vibrational lines of our trial molecule (vanillin) achieved with the barcode‐like Al‐BT. The analysis of Fano‐like profiles is concluded with SEIRA enhancement factors higher than 107 for frequency tuning ratios below 1 between the far‐field plasmonic resonances and the selected vanillin IR absorption lines.
Optical Manipulation of the Rashba Effect in Germanium Quantum Wells
Authors: Rossi Simone , Talamas Simola Enrico , Raimondo Marta , Acciarri Maurizio , Pedrini Jacopo , Balocchi Andrea , Marie Xavier , Isella Giovanni , Pezzoli Fabio
Published: July 2022

The Rashba effect in Ge/Si0.15Ge0.85 multiple quantum wells embedded in a p‐i‐n diode is studied through polarization and time‐resolved photoluminescence. In addition to a sizeable redshift arising from the quantum‐confined Stark effect, a threefold enhancement of the circular polarization degree of the direct transition is obtained by increasing the pump power over a 2 kW cm−2 range. This marked variation reflects an efficient modulation of the spin population and is further supported by dedicated investigations of the indirect gap transition. This study demonstrates a viable strategy to engineer the spin‐orbit Hamiltonian through contactless optical excitation and opens the way toward the electro‐optical manipulation of spins in quantum devices based on group‐IV heterostructures.
TMO‐Derived γ‐MnO2Nanosheets for Harmonic Soliton Molecule Pulses Generation
Authors: Li Xiaohui , Peng Jiajun , Qu Mengjia , Jiang Cheng , Xi Sunfan , Chen Enci , Hui Zhanqiang , Chen Xiaohan , Zhang Ziyang , Zhao Xiao‐Xia
Published: July 2022

The interaction of 2D materials with ultrashort laser excitation generates fiber soliton pulses with extreme nonlinear absorption characteristics, which are essential for generating ultrafast pulses. However, searching for suitable nanomaterials to achieve versatile photonic properties is difficult. Factors such as cost, manufacturing process complexity, optical response time, and nonlinear absorption effects make the balance between high performance and low cost a constant challenge, greatly hindering the research and development of ultrafast photonics technology. For fiber soliton pulse systems, γ‐MnO2, as a transition metal oxide (TMO), shows excellent potential among many candidate nanomaterials due to its rich narrow‐band optoelectronic microstructural features and nonlinear optical properties. In this work, this fundamental trade‐off is overcome and γ‐MnO2is investigated as a nonlinear optical material for multifunctional fiber soliton pulsed lasers. The outputs of conventional soliton pulses, 23rd order harmonic soliton‐molecule picosecond pulses, continuous and soliton pulse waves coexist in dual‐wavelength, and soliton rain pulses are obtained simultaneously, successfully achieving a technological breakthrough in nanophotonics and pulse dynamics. It is demonstrated that MnO2has a broad application prospect for generating nonlinear effects such as fiber optic soliton pulses, which provides an effective and rich theoretical support for developing ultrafast photonics of narrow‐band optoelectronic materials.
Carbon quantum dots improve the mechanical behavior of polyvinyl alcohol/polyethylene glycol hydrogel
Authors: Hu Feng , Lu Hailin , Xu Guangshen , Lv Leifeng , Chen Lu , Shao Zhonglei
Published: July 2022

As the wear and tear effects of artificial joints disturb patients after joint replacement, techniques of new lubrication materials or methods are constantly being investigated. Hydrothermal method was adopted to produce carbon quantum dots (CDs), and physically cross‐linked polyvinyl alcohol‐polyethylene glycol hydrogel (PVA‐PEG) to encapsulate CDs, which was evaluated as a lubricant for lubrication appraisal with their slow‐release solution. Results of the friction experiment showed that the addition of CDs changed the structure of the gel and promoted the tribological properties of the gel. The structural characterization results show that the CDs are successfully wrapped in gel. The network cross‐linked structure of the gel is improved due to the addition of CDs, which are shown by the results of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC). At the same time, CDs can influence the thermal stability and crystallinity of the gel as well as the degree of cross‐linking. These results of TGA and DSC suggest that the curled molecular chain will not be stretched during the gel cross‐linking process. After 2 h of self‐healing, the recovered gel did not break again under the pull of external force. All these contribute to the preparation and application of hydrogels which is worth looking forward to accelerate the development of polymer lubrication.
Interval observer‐based consensus control of discrete‐time multi‐agent systems under stealthy attacks
Authors: You Renyang , Xiang Guoliang , Guo Shenghui
Published: July 2022

In this paper, interval observer‐based consensus control is developed for multi‐agent systems with unknown input signals, sensor noises, and stealthy attack signals. Compared with the conventional robust observer, the interval observer has more relaxed preconditions for the systems, so the interval observer is more extensive. First, design an interval observer for each subsystem and linearly transform into a form that is easy to obtain the coefficient matrices of the interval observer. Then, based on the upper bound estimation of the observer, design a consensus control protocol, and the
technique is used to suppress the unknown input signals. Finally, a numerical simulation example is presented to illustrate the feasibility and correctness of the developed method.
Genomic and immune microenvironment profiling in a case of metastatic intrathyroid thymic carcinoma
Authors: Ishii Hiroki , Tsujikawa Takahiro , Oishi Naoki , Kinouchi Arisa , Sakamoto Kaname , Mitsuda Junichi , Ogi Hiroshi , Itoh Kyoko , Kondo Tetsuo , Hirano Shigeru , Sakurai Daiju
Published: July 2022

Metastatic intrathyroid thymic carcinoma (ITTC) is a rare cancer with no effective drugs for controlling. This case report has shown genomic and immune microenvironment profiles in metastatic ITTC and emphasized an immunosuppression via a PD‐1/PD‐L1 pathway, possibly strengthening the rationale for immune checkpoint blockade as a novel treatment.
Lung abscess caused by Rhodococcus equi in a patient with advanced retroviral disease
Authors: Chang Chee Yik , Ong Edmund L. C.
Published: July 2022

Rhodococcus equi is a Gram‐positive coccobacillus bacterium commonly found on dry surface soil of farming and livestock properties. This organism is a rare cause of subacute, necrotizing infection, and mostly causes cavitary pneumonia and lung abscess, especially in immunocompromised hosts with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
Fermentation Process Control and Optimization
Authors: Chai Wan Ying , Teo Kenneth Tze Kin , Tan Min Keng , Tham Heng Jin
Published: July 2022

Process control and optimization is important in ensuring a process in sustaining profitable income while maintaining the required quality. The fermentation process has attracted attention from food processing, pharmaceutical energy, and waste treatment industries due to its lower impact on the environment and lower operating cost than the conventional chemical process. However, its control and monitoring are relatively complex as living cell activity is not easily comprehended and highly nonlinear. Various control techniques applied in the fermentation process are reviewed, including a summary of the control objective, manipulated and controlled variables chosen, and their strengths and limitations in determining the optimal fermentation process.
Advances in the Transition Metal‐Free C—H Trifluoromethylation
Authors: Chen Demao , Jiang Jianwen , Wan Jie‐Ping
Published: July 2022

Comprehensive Summary

Trifluoromethyl group is one of the most frequently available and promising functional groups in pharmaceutical, agrochemical as well as material molecules. Developing synthetic methods for the synthesis of trifluoromethyl functionalized compounds by trifluoromethylation reactions occupies significant position in modern organic chemistry. On the other hand, as a typical tool of sustainable synthesis, transition metal‐free synthesis possesses unique advantages in atom economy, easy product purification as well as excellent eco‐tolerance. Consequently, transition metal‐free trifluoromethylation reactions constitute the most important approaches for accessing trifluoromethylated molecules. Herein, the advances in the transition metal‐free C—H trifluoromethylation reactions are reviewed for the first time. According to the updated state‐of‐art, both the catalytic reactions by conventional heating chemistry and the more sustainable photocatalysis are included, covering the trifluoromethylation reactions of C(sp3)–H bond, aromatic C(sp2)–H bond as well as the non‐aromatic C(sp2)–H bond in different substrates over the last five years (2017—2021).
Espin overexpression causes stereocilia defects and provides an anti‐capping effect on actin polymerization
Authors: Zheng Lili , Adam Stephen A. , García‐Anoveros Jaime , Mitchell Brian J. , Bartles James R.
Published: July 2022

Stereocilia are actin‐based projections of hair cells that are arranged in a step like array, in rows of increasing height, and that constitute the mechanosensory organelle used for the senses of hearing and balance. In order to function properly, stereocilia must attain precise sizes in different hair cell types and must coordinately form distinct rows with varying lengths. Espins are actin‐bundling proteins that have a well‐characterized role in stereocilia formation; loss of function mutations in Espin result in shorter stereocilia and deafness in the jerker mouse. Here we describe the generation of an Espin overexpressing transgenic mouse line that results in longer first row stereocilia and discoordination of second‐row stereocilia length. Furthermore, Espin overexpression results in the misregulation of other stereocilia factors including GNAI3, GPSM2, EPS8, WHRN, and MYO15A, revealing that GNAI3 and GPSM2 are dispensable for stereocilia overgrowth. Finally, using an in vitro actin polymerization assay we show that espin provides an anti‐capping function that requires both the G‐actin binding WH2 domain as well as either the C‐terminal F‐actin binding domain or the internal xAB actin‐binding domain. Our results provide a novel function for Espins at the barbed ends of actin filaments distinct from its previous known function of actin bundling that may account for their effects on stereocilia growth.
Coating Hollow Carbon Nitride Nanospheres with Porous WO3Shells to Construct Z‐Scheme Heterostructures for Efficient Photocatalytic Water Oxidation
Authors: Zheng Dandan , Chen Wenwen , Huang Zhongcheng , Wang Sibo
Published: July 2022

Three‐dimensional (3D) Z‐scheme WO3@HCNS hollow nanohybrids with intimate interfacial contacts are constructed by assembling porous WO3shells on the outer surface of hollow carbon nitride spheres (HCNS). The structure, morphology, optical/electric and electrocatalytic properties of the WO3@HCNS heterostructures are systematically studied, and their photocatalytic performance is evaluated by water oxidation to generate oxygen under visible light (λ>420 nm). The optimal WO3@HCNS composite exhibits a high oxygen evolution rate (OER) of 23 μmol h−1, which is about 20‐fold that of pristine HCNS (OER=1.2 μmol h−1). The superior performance of WO3@HCNS is mainly attributed to the unique Z‐scheme hollow heterostructures with strongly coupled interfaces, which powerfully promotes the separation and migration of charge carriers, and the shuttling of mass transportation. The work may inspire future works on fabrication of nanoscale hollow carbon nitride‐based Z‐schematic heterostructures with tailored shells and tight junctions as high‐efficiency platforms for photocatalytic H2O splitting.
Neurotoxicity Evaluation of Nanomaterials Using C. elegans: Survival, Locomotion Behaviors, and Oxidative Stress
Authors: Zheng Fuli , Chen Cheng , Aschner Michael
Published: July 2022

Nanomaterials are broadly used in a variety of industries and consumer products. However, studies have demonstrated that many nanomaterials, including metal‐containing nanoparticles and nanoplastics, have neurotoxic effects. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a widely used model organism with numerous advantages for research, including transparency, short life span, well‐characterized nervous system, complete connectome, available genome, and numerous genetic tools. C. elegans has been extensively used to assess the neurotoxicity of multiple chemicals via survival assays, behavioral tests, neuronal morphology studies, and various molecular and mechanistic analyses. However, detailed protocols describing general assays in C. elegans to examine the neurotoxic effects of nanomaterials are limited. Here, we describe protocols for assessing nanomaterial neurotoxicity in C. elegans. We describe the steps for exposure and subsequent evaluation of survival, locomotion behavior, and oxidative stress. Survival and locomotion behavior are measured in wild‐type N2 strains to assess acute neurotoxicity. Oxidative stress is used as an endpoint here since it is one of the most predominant and common changes induced by nanomaterials. VP596 nematodes, which express GFP upon activation of skn‐1 (the worm homolog of Nrf2), are evaluated for assays of oxidative stress in response to test nanomaterials. These assays can be readily used to quickly examine the neurotoxicity of nanomaterials in vivo, laying the foundation for mechanistic studies of nanomaterials and their impacts on health and physiology. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Exposure of C. elegans to nanomaterials

Basic Protocol 2: Survival assessment

Basic Protocol 3: Assessment of locomotion behavior

Basic Protocol 4: Analysis of oxidative stress
Massive bleeding from a duodenal ulcer in a child with influenza infection: A case report of endoscopic findings
Authors: Ishimoto Kenta , Yoshimaru Koichiro , Uchida Yasuyuki , Kajihara Keisuke , Obata Satoshi , Matsuura Toshiharu , Tajiri Tatsuro
Published: July 2022

Gastrointestinal bleeding or perforation following influenza infection is rare. We encountered a pediatric case of hemorrhagic duodenal ulcer following influenza A infection. The patient was a 1‐year and 4‐month‐old boy who was diagnosed with influenza A infection and treated with laninamivir octanoate. After inhalation, he had diarrhea, poor appetite, and melena. The next day, he had hematochezia and developed hemorrhagic shock. Contrast‐enhanced computed tomography showed extravasation in the descending part of the duodenum. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed spurting bleeding from a Dieulafoy's lesion on the oral side of the major papilla, and he underwent hemostasis by clipping. From the bulb to the descending part of the duodenum, the mucosa appeared atrophic with spotty redness on the circular folds and multiple and irregularly shaped erosions. Almost all mucosal lesions had healed by the eighth day, and he was monitored as an outpatient for more than one year without re‐bleeding. Intestinal ischemia, viral invasion, and drug reaction of laninamivir octanoate may be involved in duodenal mucosal injury. Acute duodenal ulcers may occur in children with influenza infection, especially young children.
Parents exposed to warming produce offspring lower in weight and condition
Authors: Spinks Rachel K. , Donelson Jennifer M. , Bonzi Lucrezia C. , Ravasi Timothy , Munday Philip L.
Published: July 2022

The parental environment can alter offspring phenotypes via the transfer of non‐genetic information. Parental effects may be viewed as an extension of (within‐generation) phenotypic plasticity. Smaller size, poorer physical condition, and skewed sex ratios are common responses of organisms to global warming, yet whether parental effects alleviate, exacerbate, or have no impact on these responses has not been widely tested. Further, the relative non‐genetic influence of mothers and fathers and ontogenetic timing of parental exposure to warming on offspring phenotypes is poorly understood. Here, we tested how maternal, paternal, and biparental exposure of a coral reef fish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus) to elevated temperature (+1.5°C) at different ontogenetic stages (development vs reproduction) influences offspring length, weight, condition, and sex. Fish were reared across two generations in present‐day and projected ocean warming in a full factorial design. As expected, offspring of parents exposed to present‐day control temperature that were reared in warmer water were shorter than their siblings reared in control temperature; however, within‐generation plasticity allowed maintenance of weight, resulting in a higher body condition. Parental exposure to warming, irrespective of ontogenetic timing and sex, resulted in decreased weight and condition in all offspring rearing temperatures. By contrast, offspring sex ratios were not strongly influenced by their rearing temperature or that of their parents. Together, our results reveal that phenotypic plasticity may help coral reef fishes maintain performance in a warm ocean within a generation, but could exacerbate the negative effects of warming between generations, regardless of when mothers and fathers are exposed to warming. Alternatively, the multigenerational impact on offspring weight and condition may be a necessary cost to adapt metabolism to increasing temperatures. This research highlights the importance of examining phenotypic plasticity within and between generations across a range of traits to accurately predict how organisms will respond to climate change.
The Batrachian Barf Bowl: An authentic research experience using ecological data from frog diets
Authors: Larson Joanna G. , Crowell Hayley L. , Walsh Lisa L. , Davis Rabosky Alison R.
Published: July 2022

Authentic research experiences (AREs) are a powerful strategy for inspiring and retaining students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. However, recent demand for virtual learning has emphasized the need for remote AREs that also foster a sense of community and interpersonal connections among participants. Here, we describe an ARE activity that leverages digitized diet data from natural history collections to provide students with collaborative research experience across any learning environment. Using magnified photographs of frog stomach contents collected in the Peruvian Amazon, we designed an open‐source “bowl game” competition that challenges students to identify, measure, and compare diet items across vouchered frog specimens (“Batrachian Barf Bowl”). To demonstrate learning outcomes, we ran this activity with 39 herpetology class students from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Michigan. We used pre‐ and post‐activity assessments to evaluate effectiveness, scientific accuracy of results, and impact on student well‐being. With minimal preparation and training in invertebrate identification, students were successful in identifying hundreds of frog diet items to taxonomic order, although accuracy varied among clades (global accuracy ~70%). While we found no difference in science identity, community, or self‐efficacy between the two institutions at either time point (pre‐ and post‐activity), we found that well‐being was significantly higher for both sets of students after the activity. Overall, this approach offers a model for combining active learning with museum collections to provide experiential research opportunities that highlight the power of scientific collaboration.
Living with a large predator: Assessing the root causes of Human–brown bear conflict and their spatial patterns in Lahaul valley, Himachal Pradesh
Authors: Kumar Vineet , Sharief Amira , Dutta Ritam , Mukherjee Tanoy , Joshi Bheem Dutt , Thakur Mukesh , Chandra Kailash , Adhikari Bhupendra Singh , Sharma Lalit Kumar
Published: July 2022

Brown bear‐mediated conflicts have caused immense economic loss to the local people living across the distribution range. In India, limited knowledge is available on the Himalayan brown bear (HBB), making human–brown bear conflict (HBC) mitigation more challenging. In this study, we studied HBC in the Lahaul valley using a semi‐structured questionnaire survey by interviewing 398 respondents from 37 villages. About 64.8% of respondents reported conflict in two major groups—crop damage (30.6%) and livestock depredations (6.2%), while 28% reported both. Conflict incidences were relatively high in summer and frequently occurred in areas closer to the forest (<500 m) and between the elevations range of 2700 m to 3000 m above sea level (asl). The dependency of locals on forest resources (70%) for their livelihood makes them vulnerable to HBC. The “upper lower” class respondents were most impacted among the various socioeconomic classes. Two of the four clusters were identified as HBC hot spots in Lahaul valley using SaTscan analysis. We also obtained high HBC in cluster II with a 14.35 km radius. We found that anthropogenic food provisioning for HBB, livestock grazing in bear habitats, and poor knowledge of animal behavior among the communities were the major causes of HBC. We suggest horticulture crop waste management, controlled and supervised grazing, ecotourism, the constitution of community watch groups, and others to mitigate HBC. We also recommend notifying a few HBB abundant sites in the valley as protected areas for the long‐term viability of the HBB in the landscape.
Thin NASICON Electrolyte to Realize High Energy Density Solid‐State Sodium Metal Battery
Authors: Oh Jin An Sam , Xu Xiaoyu , Zeng Zhihan , Wang Kexin , Tan Nicholas Yew Jin , Kok Eugene , Huang Jiemin , Lu Li
Published: July 2022

The solid‐state electrolyte in a solid‐state battery acts as an electrons' barrier and an ions' bridge between the two electrodes. As solid‐state electrolyte does not store the mobile ions, it is necessary to achieve a thin solid‐state electrolyte to reduce the internal resistance and enhance the energy density. In this work, a thin NASICON solid‐state electrolyte, with a stoichiometry of Na3Zr2Si2PO12, is fabricated by the tape‐casting method and its thickness can be easily controlled by the gap between substrate and scraper. The areal‐specific resistance and the flexural strength increase with the electrolyte thickness. A solid‐state sodium metal battery with 86 μm thick Na3Zr2Si2PO12 exhibits a reversible specific capacity of 73–78 mAh g−1 with a redox potential of 3.4 V at 0.2 C. This work presents the importance of electrolyte thickness to reduce internal resistance and achieve a high energy density for sodium batteries.
Heterostructured Mn3O4‐MnS Multi‐Shelled Hollow Spheres for Enhanced Polysulfide Regulation in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Qin Bin , Wang Qun , Yao Weiqi , Cai Yifei , Chen Yuhan , Wang Pengcheng , Zou Yongchun , Zheng Xiaohang , Cao Jian , Qi Junlei , Cai Wei
Published: July 2022

Constructing heterojunctions and hollow multi‐shelled structures can render materials with fascinating physicochemical properties, and have been regarded as two promising strategies to overcome the severe shuttling and sluggish kinetics of polysulfide in lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. However, a single strategy can only take limited effect. Modulating catalytic hosts with synergistic effects are urgently desired. Herein, Mn3O4‐MnS heterogeneous multi‐shelled hollow spheres are meticulously designed by controlled sulfuration of Mn2O3 hollow spheres, and then applied as advanced encapsulation hosts for Li–S batteries. Benefiting from the separated spatial confinement by hollow multi‐shelled structure, ample exposed active sites and built‐in electric field by heterogeneous interface, and synergistic effects between Mn3O4 (strong adsorption) and MnS (fast conversion) components, the assembled battery achieves prominent rate capability and decent cyclability (0.016% decay per cycle at 2 C, 1000 cycles). More crucially, satisfactory areal capacity reaches up to 7.1 mAh cm−2 even with high sulfur loading (8.0 mg cm−2) and lean electrolyte (E/S = 4.0 μL mg−1) conditions. This work will provide inspiration for the rational design of hollow multi‐shelled heterostructure for various electrocatalysis applications.
A Hydrogen Iron Flow Battery with High Current Density and Long Cyclability Enabled Through Circular Water Management
Authors: Yan Litao , Shao Yuyan , Wang Wei
Published: July 2022

The hydrogen‐iron (HyFe) flow cell has great potential for long‐duration energy storage by capitalizing on the advantages of both electrolyzers and flow batteries. However, its operation at high current density (high power) and over continuous cycling testing has yet to be demonstrated. In this paper, we discuss our design and demonstration of a water management strategy that supports high current and long cycling performance of a HyFe flow cell. Water molecules associated with the movement of protons from the iron electrode to the hydrogen electrode are sufficient to hydrate the membrane and electrode at a low current density of 100 mA cm−2 during the charge process. At higher charge current density, more aggressive measures must be taken to counter back‐diffusion driven by the acid concentration gradient between the iron and hydrogen electrodes. Our water management approach is based on water vapor feeding in the hydrogen electrode, and water evaporation in the iron electrode, thus enabling the high current density operation of 300 mA cm−2.
Alternative Methods for Item Parameter Estimation: From CTT to IRT
Authors: Guo Hongwen , Lu Ru , Johnson Matthew S. , McCaffrey Dan F.
Published: July 2022

It is desirable for an educational assessment to be constructed of items that can differentiate different performance levels of test takers, and thus it is important to estimate accurately the item discrimination parameters in either classical test theory or item response theory. It is particularly challenging to do so when the sample sizes are small. The current study reexamined the relationship between the biserial correlation coefficient and the discrimination parameter to investigate whether the biserial correlation coefficient estimator could be modified and whether biserial‐based estimators could be used as alternate estimates of the item discrimination indices. Results show that the modified and alternative approaches work slightly better under certain circumstances (e.g., for small sample sizes or shorter tests), assuming normality of the latent ability distribution. Applications of these alternative estimators are presented in item scaling and weighted differential item functioning analyses. Recommendations and limitations are discussed for practical use of these proposed methods.
RETRACTED: A lightweight access management scheme for the internet of things based smart applications
Authors: Saad Aldosary , Shalaby Ahmed , Mohamed Abdallah Abdulghaffar
Published: July 2022

The Internet of Things (IoT) houses a diverse range of applications and users, providing different services securely. Privacy and access management are the challenging processes in administering user‐end security measures. User management, density, and behavior levy a complicated security requirement. A lightweight access management scheme (LAMS) is projected in this article to address this issue. User access permissions and privacy are jointly handled by this scheme based on trust evaluation (TE) and access history. In this scheme, an interlinked relationship is constructed between the trust and access permission features in the IoT platform verified using the transfer learning paradigm. The previous TE is used for deciding the access delegation level for the current user application. In the privacy‐preserving process, amendable keys are used for securing the delegated access sessions alone. This key distribution is used for adapting varying session lengths, preventing privacy breaches. In this key generation and distribution, the elliptic curve cryptographic paradigm is used that adapts the session length and access permission relationship defined. The proposed scheme's performance is verified using 12.32% less access time, 7.16% less failure, 10.27% high sustainability, 11.98% less authentication time, and 10.47% less overhead for different session lengths. In addition to this, the method achieves 12.42% less access time, 8.4% less failure, 11.91% high sustainability, 10.9% less authentication time, and 10.34% less overhead for different users.
Double vitrification–warming cycles, coupled with blastocyst biopsy, impair live birth but do not affect neonatal outcomes
Authors: Li Xiaofang , Li Wei , Jia Hongran , Gao Yan’e , Shi Wenhao , Bai Haiyan
Published: July 2022

Objective

To identify whether the transfer of blastocysts that have been vitrified, thawed, biopsied, revitrified, and subsequently rethawed affects clinical outcome and neonatal outcome.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted in a single assisted reproduction technology center from September 2016 to March 2021. Women undergoing single frozen euploid blastocysts transfer were stratified into two groups based on number of vitrification‐thawing cycles: single vitrification coupled with single biopsy (group A, n = 177) and double vitrification coupled with single biopsy (group B, n = 30). Pregnancy and perinatal outcomes of the two groups were compared.

Results

Clinical pregnancy rates were similar between the two groups. Group B was associated with a lower chance of live birth when compared with group A by different multivariable analysis models (model 1: odds ratio, 0.42 [95% confidence interval, 0.18–0.97], P = 0.041; model 2: odds ratio, 0.38 [95% confidence interval, 0.16–0.92], P = 0.033). No major obstetrical complication was reported in the two groups and only one malformation live birth was reported in group A.

Conclusion

The procedure of double vitrification‐warming cycles, coupled with single biopsy, increases pregnancy loss and ultimately diminishes live birth but does not affect perinatal outcome. Future studies with a larger sample size would help to validate the results.