bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plotinus
Authors: Slaveva‐Griffin Svetla
Published: November 2021

Plotinus (205–270
ce
) was a Neoplatonic philosopher and the founder of Neoplatonism, the philosophical school which transformed ancient philosophy into medieval philosophy. He views the universe as an enclosed complete system which originates from the One, which is itself beyond existence, unfolds through Intellect and Soul into the realm of sense‐perception. He also defines the human being as a compound of immortal soul and mortal body in which the soul strives to reunite with its divine source through virtues, intellection, and nondiscursive contemplation. Plotinus's philosophy is in the foundation of the philosophy of Porphyry, Iamblichus, Proclus, the Alexandrian commentators, and the early Church Fathers.
Pratītyasamutpāda
Authors: Hayes Richard P.
Published: November 2021

Pratītyasamutpādais the Buddhist doctrine of causality, especially the causes and conditions that lead to discomfort or unhappiness (duḥkha). The principal goal of Buddhism being to avoid suffering, attention was given to what causes it and therefore to what must be eliminated or avoided to prevent it from continuing to arise. Different schools of Indian Buddhism had different accounts of what kinds of causes and conditions there are, but underlying those differences is the principle that whatever is conditioned is also impermanent and therefore incapable of providing lasting satisfaction.
Proclus
Authors: Baltzly Dirk
Published: November 2021

Proclus (412–485) regarded what we call metaphysics as a study of the divine causes. His commentaries on Plato were part of a program through which the aspiring Platonist was thought to be elevated and rendered like the gods.
Pseudo‐Dionysius
Authors: Corrigan Kevin , Harrington L. Michael
Published: November 2021

The works written under the name of Dionysius the Areopagite had a widespread influence on medieval thought, especially concerning the nature of union with God, the mediation of knowledge through higher beings, and the various kinds of name used for God.
Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans
Authors: Cornelli Gabriele
Published: November 2021

After a brief overview of the historiographical problems related to Pythagorean traditions and an examination of the main commentators on the history of the interactions between Pythagoreanism and its religious world, this entry will address the relation of Pythagoreanism with rituals and myths that convention brought together under the name of Orphism. Examining the theory of the immortal soul through the cycle of individual immortality, one central idea seems to clearly emerge: the idea that the soul may in some way become a divine being. This is probably the feature of Pythagoreanism most relevant to philosophy of religion.
Qurʾān
Authors: Lumbard Joseph E.B.
Published: November 2021

Arising as it did within the Near Eastern milieu of late antiquity, the Qurʾān placed religious diversity and the continuity of prophethood among its central themes, viewing all of humanity as beholden to a pretemporal covenant with God. When human beings break the covenant, messengers bring revelations that provide teachings, rites, and laws to renew and maintain it. Religions have different laws and practices, but their central creeds are the same, the oneness of God being the most central. The Qurʾān provides multiple arguments for the existence of God and critiques perceived misunderstandings of the Divine that arose within Judaism, Christianity, and pre‐Islamic Arabian traditions. All aspects of the unseen to which the pre‐Islamic Arabs ascribed multiple powers are related back to the one God, who is an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent creator. Angels are all pervasive; they fulfill multiple functions, always on behalf of and in service to God. Most evil stems from Satan, a fallen jinn who refused obedience to God and seeks to lead human beings astray. Death and resurrection are pervasive Qurʾānic themes and the Qurʾān provides extensive descriptions regarding the stages of resurrection and the nature of heaven and hell.
Ratnakīrti
Authors: McAllister Patrick
Published: November 2021

Ratnakīrti is the author of several philosophical texts that argue for epistemological and ontological positions supporting Buddhist religious beliefs. Active in the first half of the eleventh century, he was a teacher at Vikramaśīla, a large Buddhist monastic institute, and a contemporary of Jñānaśrīmitra, Ratnākaraśānti, and Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna (Atiśa). His texts give us a vivid impression of the philosophical debates between Buddhists and Brahmanic schools of thought current at the beginning of the last period in which Buddhism was a major religious force on the Indian subcontinent.
Reformed Epistemology
Authors: VanArragon Raymond J.
Published: November 2021

Reformed epistemology is a view according to which one can be justified in believing in God without evidence. It constitutes a rejection of evidentialism, which claims that beliefs must be based on propositional evidence in order to be justified, and of classical foundationalism, which implies that belief in God is not among beliefs that are exempt from the evidentialist requirement. Objections to Reformed epistemology include the contention that we in fact need evidence for belief in God in order to counter evidence that God does not exist, and the concern that Reformed epistemology opens the door to evidence‐free justification of belief in the Great Pumpkin, and of more harmful beliefs as well.
Reincarnation and Karma
Authors: Hayes Richard P.
Published: November 2021

Karma is the notion that willful actions have natural consequences, in that benevolent actions result in happiness and malevolent actions lead to unhappiness. Given that an agent is acting right up to the moment of death, there is bound to be at the moment of death a storehouse of actions the consequences of which have not yet occurred. Therefore, the doctrine of karma is usually accompanied by a doctrine of reincarnation or rebirth, the next birth being a vehicle for the consequences of the unripened karma of the previous birth. It was left to scholastics to explain in detail how the mechanism of karma worked. Some explained karma as belonging to matter, others as a property connected with an enduring soul or series of mental events.
Religious Experience
Authors: Kwan Kai‐man
Published: November 2021

This entry will first look at the concept and varieties of religious experience. Then it will evaluate the challenge of constructivism raised by Proudfoot's attribution theory of religious experience. It goes on to survey the prevalence of religious experience in the contemporary world, both in the West and in Asia (such as Chinese societies). The remainder of the entry is mainly devoted to the naturalistic explanation of religious experiences. The criteria for evaluating naturalistic explanations are spelled out, the neurological explanations of religious experience offered by Michael Persinger and Andrew Newberg are discussed, and the cognitive science of religion is also considered. The entry concludes with an evaluation of the epistemic implications of these naturalistic explanations of religious experiences for the veridicality of those experiences.
Religious Law
Authors: Davis Donald R.
Published: November 2021

Religious law encompasses longstanding traditions such as Jewish law, Canon law, Islamic law, Hindu law, and Buddhist law, as well as modern legal codifications for members of specific religious communities. This entry describes common features shared by most or all traditions of religious law including a class of semi‐autonomous experts, a focus on interpretation and transmission of the textual sources, and an emphasis on the rules for ordinary life.
Rowe, William L.
Authors: Jordan Jeffrey
Published: November 2021

William L. Rowe (1931–2015) was an American philosopher, and noted critic of the cosmological argument, and the preeminent proponent of the evidential argument from evil since David Hume.
Russell, Bertrand
Authors: Swanson Carolyn
Published: November 2021

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) was a notorious critic of religion in the early half of the twentieth century. He took Western religion to task on several fronts – even on its most basic notions of God and eternal souls. He aimed to expose religion not only as a source of fiction, but also as an institute of harm. Religion prompted a dangerous mindset, Russell contended, of forming belief without justification. And it was a cunning source of oppression – in its misplaced moral taboos and its mistrust of nonbelievers. Beneath his contempt of organized sects, however, Russell still admired certain values religion at least touted to have – in the general good and in universal love. And he saw great merit in preserving a religious sentiment, only stripped of all doctrine, dogma, and superstition.
Salvation/Soteriology in Christianity
Authors: Reasoner Paul
Published: November 2021

This entry will take up the following dimensions of salvation/soteriology: salvation from what, salvation to what, how salvation works, the scope of salvation, and will finally consider some disputed topics in soteriology.
Salvation/Soteriology in Islam
Authors: Kharazmi Zohreh Nosrat , Ghasemitari Zeinab
Published: November 2021

In Islamic doctrine, the ultimate objective, for which God created human beings, is achieving salvation. The holy Qurʾān and the Prophet's tradition (
sunnah
) are regarded as the primary sources, for Muslims of different denominations, for seeking guidance and inspiration. Through holding onto these sources, Muslims have the required means for defining salvation in concept, distinguishing its practical implications, and verifying the conditions of its achievement. This entry explores the meaning of salvation within the mainstream Islamic tradition and also takes a brief comparative view towards Islamic and Christian conceptions of salvation. It is argued that, in Islam, salvation is achieved by integrating faith with deeds which encompasses individual piety as well as social accountability. The prioritization of “Islam” over other religions, appreciation of other divine avenues, and their plethora of interpretations will be briefly considered. Our consideration of the Islamic approach towards salvation concludes with a discussion of the concept of repentance (
tawba
) as a way to regain lost salvation – a source of hope and refinement for sinners.
Salvation/Soteriology in Judaism
Authors: Dascalu Raphael
Published: November 2021

In the Hebrew Bible, the Divine is a source of personal and collective salvation from external threat. The individual and society receive recompense for their actions in this world. Collective redemption occurs in an eschatological context. Postbiblical Judaism develops ideas concerning the fate of the individual after death and in the messianic age, and emphasizes the expiatory power of repentance. Rabbinic sources generally assign felicity in the hereafter to one who studies Torah, performs the commandments, and lives a morally upright life. In the medieval period, both ethical and intellectualist soteriologies develop, placing the onus on the individual toattainimmortality of the soul. The kabbalistic tradition retains the old emphasis on Torah study and the fulfilment of the commandments, but now with an esotericist strain, a belief in reincarnation, and a view towards cosmic redemption. Modern Jewish thinkers adopted a range of traditionalist, moderately traditionalist, and anti‐traditionalist stances.
Schleiermacher, Friedrich
Authors: Vial Theodore
Published: November 2021

Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768–1834) is known as a theologian, but made many contributions to philosophy and philosophy of religion. His epistemology is Kantian, but (with Herder and Hamann) he plays a significant role in the linguistic and cultural turn in philosophy in the nineteenth century. He is rightly held to be one of the founding figures in modern hermeneutics. He produced the standard German translation of Plato's dialogues, and was an important political theorist of modern nation‐states.
Science and Religion
Authors: Davison Andrew Paul
Published: November 2021

Theological work on the natural sciences is frequently bound up with philosophical questions. In this entry, we first consider some of the recent history of such discussions, before working through a number of the main philosophical themes involved, under the headings of epistemology, aesthetics, ethics, and ontology. Turning to the dominant philosophical schools within recent academic work in science and religion, we survey analytic, continental, process and Thomist/Aristotelian/Platonic traditions. From within theology, we consider natural theology and divine action as significant areas of discussion, before turning to themes raised for philosophy of religion by biology (evolution and neuroscience) and physics (relativity, cosmology, and quantum mechanics), alongside Earth and planetary science, and chemistry.
Sextus Empiricus
Authors: Tsalla Eleni
Published: November 2021

Sextus Empiricus (c. 160–210ce) is the main resource on ancient Greek skepticism. He was an adherent of Pyrrhonian Skepticism, which attains tranquility by means of suspending judgment because of equipollence between opposing beliefs about things. Sextus places his inquiry into god (PHIII 2) or gods (MIX 13) at the beginning of his treatment of views on nature (physics) and qualifies the suspension of judgment about god(s) that the argument compilations aim to achieve by proclaiming adherence to religious traditions and norms. The combination of suspending judgment about gods with religious conformism appears at best paradoxical and at worst incoherent. However, Sextus's branding of skepticism as an active and ongoing psychological state makes religious participation the context within which one exercises one's skeptical ability on matters concerning god(s). While Sextus's influence has been extensive and diverse, his religious skepticism remains distinctive.
Sovereignty
Authors: Mann William E.
Published: November 2021

Theists regard God as the ultimate sovereign, but have disagreed philosophically about what God's domain includes, how God administers authority, and what legitimizes God's authority. A baseline assumption is that God is sovereign over all that exists because God created everything. A stronger version maintains that God sustains all things in their continuous existence. Stronger still is a view that maintains that “everything” includes such abstract objects as numbers and propositions. Theists have been attracted to the position that God's sovereignty flows from God's quasi‐parental love, a love that should be freely reciprocated.
Aggregation‐Induced Emission Luminogens with Photoresponsive Behaviors for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Wang Jiaqiang , Zhang Liyao , Li Zhen
Published: November 2021

Fluorescent biomedical materials can visualize subcellular structures and therapy processes in vivo. The aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) phenomenon helps suppress the quenching effect in the aggregated state suffered by conventional fluorescent materials, thereby contributing to design strategies for fluorescent biomedical materials. Photoresponsive biomedical materials have attracted attention because of the inherent advantages of light; i.e., remote control, high spatial and temporal resolution, and environmentally friendly characteristics, and their combination with AIE facilitates development of fluorescent molecules with efficient photochemical reactions upon light irradiation. In this review, organic compounds with AIE features for biomedical applications and design strategies for photoresponsive AIE luminogens (AIEgens) are first summarized briefly. Applications are then reviewed, with the employment of photoresponsive and AIE‐active molecules for photoactivation imaging, super‐resolution imaging, light‐induced drug delivery, photodynamic therapy with photochromic behavior, and bacterial targeting and killing being discussed at length. Finally, the future outlook for AIEgens is considered with the aim of stimulating innovative work for further development of this field.
In Vivo Sol–Gel Reaction of Tantalum Alkoxide for Endovascular Embolization
Authors: Ko Giho , Choi Jin Woo , Shin Kwangsoo , Kim Young Geon , Kang Taegyu , Kim Dokyoon , Lee Nohyun , Kim Hyo‐Cheol , Hyeon Taeghwan
Published: November 2021

Liquid embolic agents are considered the most promising for various embolization procedures because they enable deep penetration. For realizing effective procedures, the delivery of liquid embolic agents should be guided under X‐ray imaging systems and the solidification time should be optimized for the specific indication. The biocompatibility of embolic agents is also crucial because they remain in the vessel after embolization. In this study, new biocompatible embolic agents based on tantalum ethoxide is synthesized. Tantalum alkoxide liquid embolics (TALE) possess the radiopacity for fluoroscopy and can control the penetration depth by modifying the sol–gel kinetics. Furthermore, TALE can serve as drug carriers for synergistic treatment. Using these excellent characteristics, it is demonstrated that TALE agents can be used in various situations including the transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma and embolotherapy of massive bleeding from the femoral artery.
Engineering Electronic Band Structure of Binary Thermoelectric Nanocatalysts for Augmented Pyrocatalytic Tumor Nanotherapy
Authors: Wang Yachao , Dai Xinyue , Dong Caihong , Guo Weitao , Xu Ziwei , Chen Yu , Xiang Huijing , Zhang Ruifang
Published: November 2021

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as a distinct therapeutic modality owing to its noninvasiveness and spatiotemporal selectivity. However, heat‐shock proteins (HSPs) endow tumor cells with resistance to heat‐induced apoptosis, severely lowering the therapeutic efficacy of PTT. Here, a high‐performance pyroelectric nanocatalyst, Bi13S18I2 nanorods (NRs), with prominent pyroelectric conversion and photothermal conversion performance for augmented pyrocatalytic tumor nanotherapy, is developed. Canonical binary compounds are reconstructed by inserting a third biocompatible agent, thus facilitating the formation of Bi13S18I2 NRs with enhanced pyrocatalytic conversion efficiency. Under 808 nm laser irradiation, Bi13S18I2 NRs induce a conspicuous temperature elevation for photonic hyperthermia. In particular, Bi13S18I2 NRs harvest pyrocatalytic energy from the heating and cooling alterations to produce abundant reactive oxygen species, which results in the depletion of HSPs and hence the reduction of thermoresistance of tumor cells, thereby significantly augmenting the therapeutic efficacy of photothermal tumor hyperthermia. By synergizing the pyroelectric dynamic therapy with PTT, tumor suppression with a significant tumor inhibition rate of 97.2% is achieved after intravenous administration of Bi13S18I2 NRs and subsequent exposure to an 808 nm laser. This work opens an avenue for the design of high‐performance pyroelectric nanocatalysts by reconstructing canonical binary compounds for therapeutic applications in biocatalytic nanomedicine.
Reversible Manipulation of Photoconductivity Caused by Surface Oxygen Vacancies in Perovskite Stannates with Ultraviolet Light
Authors: Lee Yujeong , Yoon Daseob , Yu Sangbae , Sim Hyeji , Park Yunkyu , Nam Yeon‐Seo , Kim Ki‐Jeong , Choi Si‐Young , Kang Youngho , Son Junwoo
Published: November 2021

Programmable optoelectronic devices call for the reversible control of the photocarrier recombination process by in‐gap states in oxide semiconductors. However, previous approaches to produce oxygen vacancies as a source of in‐gap states in oxide semiconductors have hampered the reversible formation of oxygen vacancies and their related phenomena. Here, a new strategy to manipulate the 2D photoconductivity from perovskite stannates is demonstrated by exploiting spatially selective photochemical reaction under ultraviolet illumination at room temperature. Remarkably, the ideal trap‐free photocurrent of air‐illuminated BaSnO3 (≈200 pA) is reversibly switched into three orders of magnitude higher photocurrent of vacuum‐illuminated BaSnO3 (≈335 nA) with persistent photoconductivity depending on ambient oxygen pressure under illumination. Multiple characterizations elucidate that ultraviolet illumination of BaSnO3 under low oxygen pressure induces surface oxygen vacancies as a result of surface photolysis combined with the low oxygen‐diffusion coefficient of BaSnO3; the concentrated oxygen vacancies are likely to induce a two‐step transition of photocurrent response by changing the characteristics of in‐gap states from the shallow level to the deep level. These results suggest a novel strategy that uses light–matter interaction in a reversible and spatially confined way to manipulate functionalities related to surface defect states, for the emerging applications using newly discovered oxide semiconductors.
Porous MOF Microneedle Array Patch with Photothermal Responsive Nitric Oxide Delivery for Wound Healing
Authors: Yao Shun , Wang Yuetong , Chi Junjie , Yu Yunru , Zhao Yuanjin , Luo Yuan , Wang Yongan
Published: November 2021

Patches with the capacity of controllable delivering active molecules toward the wound bed to promote wound healing are expectant all along. Herein, a novel porous metal‐organic framework (MOF) microneedle (MN) patch enabling photothermal‐responsive nitric oxide (NO) delivery for promoting diabetic wound healing is presented. As the NO‐loadable copper‐benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxylate (HKUST‐1) MOF is encapsulated with graphene oxide (GO), the resultant NO@HKUST‐1@GO microparticles (NHGs) are imparted with the feature of near‐infrared ray (NIR) photothermal response, which facilitate the controlled release of NO molecules. When these NHGs are embedded in a porous PEGDA‐MN, the porous structure, larger specific surface area, and sufficient mechanical strength of the integrated MN could promote a more accurate and deeper delivery of NO molecules into the wound site. By applying the resultant NHG‐MN to the wound of a type I diabetic rat model, the authors demonstrate that it is capable of accelerating vascularization, tissue regeneration, and collagen deposition, indicating its bright prospect applied in wound healing and other therapeutic scenarios.
Generation of Oxyphosphonium Ions by Photoredox/Cobaloxime Catalysis for Scalable Amide and Peptide Synthesis in Batch and Continuous‐Flow
Authors: Su Junqi , Mo Jia‐Nan , Chen Xiangyang , Umanzor Alexander , Zhang Zheng , Houk Kendall N. , Zhao Jiannan
Published: November 2021

Phosphine‐mediated deoxygenative nucleophilic substitutions, such as the Mitsunobu reaction, are of great importance in organic synthesis. However, the conventional protocols require stoichiometric oxidants to trigger the formation of the oxyphosphonium intermediates for the subsequent nucleophilic additions. Through dual catalysis of photoredox and cobaloxime, we realized a radical strategy for the catalytic formation of acyloxyphosphonium ions that enables direct amidation. The deoxygenative protocol exhibits a broad scope and has been used in the late‐stage amidation of drug molecules. In addition to batch reactions, a continuous‐flow reactor was developed, enabling rapid peptide synthesis on gram scale. The successful assembly of a tetrapeptide on the solid support further demonstrated the versatility of this photocatalytic system. Moreover, experimental and computational studies are consistent with the hypothesis of acyloxyphosphonium ions being formed as the key intermediates.
Folding‐induced Fluorescence Enhancement in a Series of Merocyanine Hetero‐Folda‐Trimers
Authors: Schulz Alexander , Würthner Frank
Published: November 2021

Many dyes suffer from fast non‐radiative decay pathways, thereby showing only short‐lived excited states and weak photoluminescence. Here we show a pronounced fluorescence enhancement for a weakly fluorescent merocyanine (MC) dye by being co‐facially stacked to other dyes in hetero‐folda‐trimer architectures. By means of fluorescence spectroscopy (lifetime, quantum yield) the fluorescence enhancement was explained by the rigidification of the emitting chromophore in the defined foldamer architecture and the presence of a non‐forbidden lowest exciton state in H‐coupled hetero‐aggregates. This folding‐induced fluorescence enhancement (FIFE) for specific sequences of π‐stacked dyes points at a viable strategy toward improved fluorophores that relates to the approach used by nature in the green fluorescent protein (GFP).
Cyclodextrins with Multiple Pyrenyl Groups: An Approach to Organic Molecules Exhibiting Bright Excimer Circularly Polarized Luminescence
Authors: Shigemitsu Hajime , Kawakami Kosei , Nagata Yuuya , Kajiwara Rikuo , Yamada Shintaro , Mori Tadashi , Kida Toshiyuki
Published: November 2021

We report a simple and effective approach to organic molecules exhibiting bright circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) by combining a chiral cyclic molecular scaffold and multiple excimer‐enabling moieties. An α‐cyclodextrin (CyD) scaffold was modified with six pyrenyl groups to obtain pyrene–cyclodextrins (PCDs) in a one‐step synthesis from commercially available compounds. The PCDs exhibited high molar extinction coefficients (ϵ≈105 M−1 cm−1), polarized emission with a good dissymmetry factor (|glum|≈10−2), and quantum yield (Φf≈0.5). Owing to the excellent photophysical properties of the PCDs, the circularly polarized luminescence brightness (BCPL) reached 340 M−1 cm−1. Photophysical and chiroptical studies of the PCDs with only five pyrene units and with linkers of various lengths connecting the CyD with the pyrene units revealed that the formation of a pyrene excimer in a spatially crowded environment is crucial for CPL anisotropy. This study paves the way for the development of bright CPL organic molecules.
Highly Efficient Biobased Synthesis of Acrylic Acid
Authors: Hermens Johannes G. H. , Jensma Andries , Feringa Ben L.
Published: November 2021

Petrochemical based polymers, paints and coatings are cornerstones of modern industry but our future sustainable society demands greener processes and renewable feedstock materials. A challenge is to access platform monomers from biomass resources while integrating the principles of green chemistry in their chemical synthesis. We present a synthesis route starting from biomass‐derived furfural towards the commonly used monomers maleic anhydride and acrylic acid, implementing environmentally benign photooxygenation, aerobic oxidation and ethenolysis reactions. Maleic anhydride and acrylic acid, transformed into sodium acrylate, were isolated in yields of 85 % (2 steps) and 81 % (4 steps), respectively. With minimal waste and high atom efficiency, this biobased route provides a viable alternative to access key monomers.
Excited‐State Copper Catalysis for the Synthesis of Heterocycles
Authors: Banerjee Arghya , Sarkar Satavisha , Shah Jagrut A. , Frederiks Nicoline C. , Bazan‐Bergamino Emmanuel A. , Johnson Christopher J. , Ngai Ming‐Yu
Published: November 2021

Heterocycles are one of the largest groups of organic moieties with significant medicinal, chemical, and industrial applications. Herein, we report the discovery and development of visible‐light‐induced, synergistic excited‐state copper catalysis using a combination of Cu(IPr)I as a catalyst and rac‐BINAP as a ligand, which produces more than 10 distinct classes of heterocycles. The reaction tolerates a broad array of functional groups and complex molecular scaffolds, including derivatives of peptides, natural products, and marketed drugs. Preliminary mechanistic investigation suggests in situ generations of [Cu(BINAP)2]+ and [Cu(IPr)2]+ catalysts that work cooperatively under visible‐light irradiation to facilitate catalytic carbo‐aroylation of unactivated alkenes, affording a wide range of useful heterocycles.
Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Indole Diterpenes Paspalicine, Paspalinine, and Paspalinine‐13‐ene
Authors: Guo Lian‐Dong , Xu Zejun , Tong Rongbiao
Published: November 2021

Paspaline‐derived indole diterpenes (IDTs) are structurally complex mycotoxins with unique tremorgenic activity. Reported are asymmetric total syntheses of three paspaline‐derived IDTs paspalicine, paspalinine and paspalinine‐13‐ene. Our synthesis features a green Achmatowicz rearrangement/bicycloketalization for the efficient construction of FG rings (75 % yield) and a cascade ring‐closing metathesis of dienyne for highly regioselective formation of CD rings (72 % yield). Other highlights include four palladium‐mediated reactions (Stille, aza‐Wacker, Suzuki, and Heck) to forge the BE rings and the installation of two continuous all‐carbon quaternary stereocenters via reductive ring‐opening of cyclopropane and α‐methylation of the conjugate ester. Our new synthetic strategy is expected to be applicable to the chemical synthesis of other paspaline‐derived IDTs and will facilitate the bioactivity studies of these agriculturally and pharmacologically important IDTs.
Selective Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Aromatic Antioxidants Using Sequential Matrix‐Assisted Laser Desorption and Resonant Photoionisation
Authors: Sarretto Tassiani , Spotbeen Xander , Gevaert Thomas , Joniau Steven , Swinnen Johannes V. , Trevitt Adam J. , Ellis Shane R.
Published: November 2021

Matrix‐assisted laser/desorption ionisation‐mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI‐MSI) enables label‐free imaging of biomolecules in biological tissues. However, many molecules remain undetected due to their poor ionisation efficiencies. These poor ionisation efficiencies practically limit spatial resolution. Herein, we address this challenge for aromatic antioxidants by reporting an innovative approach involving sequential matrix‐assisted laser desorption and two‐photon ionisation of desorbed neutrals. It is shown that ion yields increase with reduced sampling areas obtained using sub‐threshold primarily laser fluence. This counterintuitive observation could arise from a reduction in radical/ion neutralisation reactions within the sparse plume and/or favorable molecular desorption under low fluence conditions. The utility of this approach is demonstrated for imaging tocopherols and ubiquinols in mouse brain and prostate cancer tissue. This can pave the way for improved sensitivity in MSI experiments at cellular and sub‐cellular resolutions.
Countercurrent chromatography isolation of 11′‐γ‐tocomonoenol from pumpkin seed oil with detection of novel minor tocochromanols
Authors: Kröpfl Alexander , Nemetz Nicole Jasmin , Goncalves Peca Andrea , Vetter Walter
Published: November 2021

A non‐refined, organic pumpkin seed oil (PSO) was chosen for the isolation and structure verification of the rare vitamin E compound γ‐tocomonoenol (γ‐T1). Initial measurements indicated the presence of ~0.4 mg γ‐T1 per 100 g PSO. Saponification of ~2 L of PSO, followed by repeated countercurrent chromatography (CCC) with the solvent system n‐hexane/benzotrifluoride/acetonitrile (v/v/v) and silica gel column chromatography enabled the isolation of 6.8 mg γ‐T1 with a purity of 96.0% according to gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. Structural analysis by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and GC/MS of the γ‐T1 isolate confirmed the presence of a double bond in C‐11′‐position (11′‐γ‐tocomonoenol). In addition, CCC fractionation enabled the detection of 18 different tocochromanols, many of which were reported for the first time in PSO. This unmatched variety included among others α‐/γ‐tocopherol, α‐/γ‐tocomonoenol, two α‐ and two γ‐tocodienol isomers, α‐/γ‐tocotrienol as well as the rare 11′‐β‐tocomonoenol (β‐T1) and δ‐T1. Three uncommon tocochromanols were also detected whose origins and structure remained unclear.
Knitted tube reinforced chitosan/β‐cyclodextrin composite ultrafiltration membrane for removing copper ions from water
Authors: Lu Qingchen , Li Nana , Tang Qian , Zhang Xiaoming , Zhang Fuyong , Bi Junquan
Published: November 2021

Industrial development has brought about serious water pollution problems, and the removal of heavy metals from water to obtain clean water is essential for human survival. Therefore, in this study, a knitted tube reinforced chitosan (CS)/β‐cyclodextrin (CD) composite ultrafiltration membrane was prepared for the removal of Cu2+ from water by a non‐solvent induced phase separation method, and the membrane forming property of CS was improved by using knitted tubes. The removal of Cu2+ by the composite ultrafiltration membrane followed the Langmuir isothermal model and the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic equation, mainly through the complexation between the amino group on CS and the hydroxyl group on β‐CD and Cu2+. Under static conditions, the removal rate of the prepared ultrafiltration membrane for Cu2+ was 97%, and the removal rate increased with the increase of pH and decreased with the increase of temperature. The removal of Cu2+ by the ultrafiltration membrane during filtration was 100% and the regeneration rate was over 95%. This study provided a practical basis for the separation membrane preparation of CS and provided a perspective for the removal of heavy metals by separation membranes.
The rare and enigmatic mayfly Prosopistoma pennigerum (Müller, 1785): Habitat characteristics, recent records from the Volga (Russia) and Vjosa (Albania) rivers, and a proposal for flagship species status
Authors: Schletterer Martin , Weiss Steven J. , Kuzovlev Vyacheslav V. , Vitecek Simon , Borgwardt Florian , Graf Wolfram
Published: November 2021

Nymphs of all 29 described Prosopistoma species share a conspicuous synapomorphy: a round mesonotal shield, the carapace. They occur in the Palaearctic (nine species), the Oriental (12 species) and the Afrotropic as well as Australian regions (six and two species, respectively). Relatively little is known about their ecology, but past and extant distribution patterns indicate an association with undisturbed conditions.

Prosopistoma pennigerum is a rare European mayfly with conspicuous nymphs. Formerly common in large rivers, it has been extirpated from central Europe over the last century.

This study evaluated general habitat characteristics and human pressures for historical and current records of this rare species. Prosopistoma pennigerum is currently known from only three European rivers, all with gravel substrates, naturally dynamic discharge regimes, summer‐warm water temperatures, and little human pressure.

This study showed that nymphs from the Vjosa and upper Volga rivers, two relatively natural watercourses 2,000 km apart, are morphologically indistinguishable, and show no variation across a ca. 600‐bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene.

Flagship species were first designated in the 1980s, when charismatic species with high habitat requirements such as the Bengal tiger or the giant panda, but also invertebrates are used to communicate conservation and protection needs. We propose that Europe's rarest mayfly P. pennigerum, with its unusual nymphs and remaining populations in naturally dynamic river courses, can serve as a flagship species promoting the preservation of ecological integrity in European rivers.
Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel morpholinated isatin–quinoline hybrids as potent anti‐breast cancer agents
Authors: Singh Atamjit , Kaur Harneetpal , Arora Saroj , Bedi Preet Mohinder Singh
Published: November 2021

Keeping in view the emerging need for potent and safer anti‐breast cancer agents as well as the pharmacological attributes of isatin, quinolone, and morpholine derivatives, novel hydrazine‐linked morpholinated isatin–quinoline hybrids were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as anti‐breast cancer agents. The synthesized hybrid compounds were preliminarily screened against two breast cancer cell lines (MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231). Almost all synthetics showed potent inhibitory potential against hormone‐positive MCF‐7 cells while being inactive against hormone‐negative MDA‐MB‐231 cells. Potent compounds were further evaluated against the L929 (noncancerous skin fibroblast) cell line and found to be highly selective for MCF‐7 cells over L929 cells. Cell cycle analysis confirmed that the most potent compound AS‐4 (MCF‐7: GI50 = 4.36 µM) causes mitotic arrest at the G2/M phase. Due to higher selectivity toward estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)‐dependent MCF‐7 cells, various binding interactions of AS‐4 with ERα are also streamlined, suggesting the capability of AS‐4 to completely block ERα. Overall, the study suggests that AS‐4 can act as a potential lead for further development of potent and safer anti‐breast cancer agents.
Identification of Shared and Asian‐Specific Loci for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Evidence for Roles of Type III Interferon Signaling and Lysosomal Function in the Disease: A Multi‐Ancestral Genome‐Wide Association Study
Authors: Wang Yong‐Fei , Wei Wei , Tangtanatakul Pattarin , Zheng Lichuan , Lei Yao , Lin Zhiming , Qian Chengmin , Qin Xiao , Hou Fei , Zhang Xinyu , Shao Li , Satproedprai Nusara , Mahasirimongkol Surakameth , Pisitkun Prapaporn , Song Qin , Lau Yu Lung , Zhang Yan , Hirankarn Nattiya , Yang Wanling
Published: November 2021

Objective

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypical autoimmune disease with differences in prevalence and severity among ancestral groups. This study was undertaken to identify novel genetic components, either shared by or distinct between Asian and European populations.

Methods

Both trans‐ancestral and ancestry‐specific meta‐analyses of genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) for SLE were performed, involving 30,604 participants of European, Chinese, or Thai origin. Using public epigenomic data and expression quantitative trait loci, fine‐mapping analyses were conducted to identify putative causal variants and genes for the newly identified loci. Performance of polygenic risk scores for the Thai cohort was evaluated by comparing different training data.

Results

A 1‐bp deletion upstream of IFNLR1 was found to be associated with SLE, with the risk allele correlated with increased expression of IFNLR1. This gene encodes interferon‐λ (IFNλ) receptor 1, providing evidence of a role of type III IFN signaling in SLE. An intronic variant in SLC29A3 was found to be associated with SLE in Asians only. The putative risk variant may modulate SLC29A3 expression in a monocyte‐specific manner. SLC29A3 encodes a lysosomal nucleoside transporter, and subsequent analyses suggested that reduced lysosomal function and phagocytosis might be the mechanism underlying this association. Ancestry‐shared loci in or near TAOK3, CHD9, CAMK1D, ATXN1, and TARBP1 and Asian‐specific loci close to PEX2, FCHSD2, and TMEM116 also reached the genome‐wide significant association with SLE. In addition, trans‐ancestral meta‐analysis was shown to be valuable in risk prediction for individuals without ancestry‐matched data.

Conclusion

In this study both shared and Asian‐specific loci for SLE were identified, and functional annotation provided evidence of the involvement of increased type III IFN signaling and reduced lysosomal function in SLE.
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma treatment with rituximab and high‐dose methylprednisolone, revisited
Authors: Vagos Mata Ana , Espada Eduardo , Alves Daniela , Polo Blanca , Costa Maria João , Lopes Conceição , F. Lacerda João , Raposo João
Published: November 2021

High‐dose methylprednisolone plus rituximab (R‐HDMP) is a useful treatment in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) patients unfit for chemo‐immunotherapy and has proven its utility on the treatment of CLL/SLL complicated by auto‐immune cytopenias. We performed a retrospective, single‐centre study, of CLL/SLL patients treated with R‐HDMP for 9 years. Thirty‐nine patients were included, median age at time of treatment was 77 years. Most patients had stage Rai III/IV and Binet C disease. Twenty‐eight patients had relapsed/refractory disease at time of treatment with a median of 1 previous line of therapy; 53.8% had prior exposure to fludarabine and 25% to rituximab. Grade 3–4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were recorded in 10.2% and 17.9% patients, respectively. While on treatment, 51.3% had documented infectious complications, but no other non‐haematological toxicities grades 3–4 were identified. Overall response rate was 64%. Median overall survival and progression‐free survival were 24 and 13 months, respectively. Twenty four patients relapsed and 16 received another line of treatment after R‐HDMP, with median time to next treatment of 13.5 months. Thirteen out of the 24 patients improved performance status and were subsequently considered fit for chemo‐immunotherapy. R‐HDMP is a valuable option for elderly and frail patients, with low risk of severe myelotoxicity and other severe adverse events. It was shown to work as a bridge to other lines of treatment, including chemo‐immunotherapy.
Self‐Assembling Properties and Recovery Effects on Damaged Skin Cells of Chemically Synthesized Mannosylerythritol Lipids
Authors: Kondo Takanori , Yasui Chihiro , Banno Taisuke , Asakura Kouichi , Fukuoka Tokuma , Ushimaru Kazunori , Koga Maito , Minamikawa Hiroyuki , Saika Azusa , Morita Tomotake , Takahashi Daisuke , Toshima Kazunobu
Published: November 2021

Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), which are one of the representative sugar‐based biosurfactants (BSs) produced by microorganisms, have attracted much attention in various fields in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) era. However, they are inseparable mixtures with respect to the chain length of the fatty acids. In this study, self‐assembling properties and structure‐activity relationship (SAR) studies of recovery effects on damaged skin cells using chemically synthesized MELs were investigated. It was revealed, for the first time, that synthetic and homogeneous MELs exhibited significant self‐assembling properties to form droplets or giant vesicles. In addition, a small difference in the length of the fatty acid chains of the MELs significantly affected their recovery effects on the damaged skin cells. MELs with medium or longer length alkyl chains exhibited much higher recovery effects than that of C18‐ceramide NP.
Suicidal cut‐throat wound during LSD intoxication
Authors: Bose Palash Kumar , Ray Debika , Biswas Prodip , Arafat S. M. Yasir
Published: November 2021

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent hallucinogenic drug affecting the mood and perception of an individual. Although LSD‐induced self‐inflicted cut‐throat wounds and self‐harm injuries are extremely rarely reported behaviors, some reports are coming out in recent days that may complicate the depiction of scenarios in forensic psychiatry settings.
Decomposition of overlapping peaks in X‐ray fluorescence using improved crow searching algorithm based on opposite learning
Authors: Zhao Xueliang , Sun Shicheng , Li Meijie , Zhang Jie , Li Kang , Pang Lili , Shi Yanxin , Chen Ying
Published: November 2021

To overcome the difficulties in overlapping peaks decomposition in X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrum of heavy metal Pb and As, an improved crow searching algorithm (CSA) (ICSA) method was proposed. Compared with the CSA, three main improvements were performed: the opposite learning (OL) mechanism was introduced to expand the diversity of population and the parameter TF was introduced to control the convergence, which could avoid falling into the local minimum during the initialization process. Furthermore, this method has made some adjustments on the global optimization strategy, which can make the convergence more stable. When using the ICSA to decompose the overlapping peaks, the resolution accuracy improved by 2.23%, and the mean square error is better than other four algorithms of the same type, showing the feasibility of ICSA in dealing with the overlapping peaks.
Chiral Ligands in Hypervalent Iodine Compounds: Synthesis and Structures of Binaphthyl‐Based λ3‐Iodanes
Authors: Zhang Huaiyuan , Cormanich Rodrigo A. , Wirth Thomas
Published: November 2021

Several novel binaphthyl‐based chiral hypervalent iodine(III) reagents have been prepared and structurally analysed. Various asymmetric oxidative reactions were applied to evaluate the reactivities and stereoselectivities of those reagents. Moderate to excellent yields were observed; however, very low stereoselectivities were obtained. NMR experiments indicated that these reagents are very easily hydrolysed in either chloroform or DMSO solvents leading to the limited stereoselectivities. It is concluded that the use of chiral ligands is an unsuccessful way to prepare efficient stereoselective iodine(III) reagents.
Starch nanoparticles as Pickering emulsifiers in miniemulsion polymerization of styrene
Authors: Glasing Joe , Cazotti Jaime C. , Fritz Alexander T. , Szych Lilian S. , Fakim Djalal , Smeets Niels M. B. , Cunningham Michael F.
Published: November 2021

Pickering miniemulsion polymerizations of styrene using octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) and dodecenyl succinic anhydride (DSA) modified starch nanoparticles (SNP) (~20–25 nm) were conducted. The effect of different degrees of substitution (DS), alkyl chain length, concentration of Pickering emulsifier (PE), and pH was correlated to the shelf‐life stability of the styrene Pickering miniemulsions and the particle size distribution (PSD). Interfacial tension values of aqueous dispersions of SNP‐OSA (DS = 0.11) and SNP‐DSA (DS = 0.14) against toluene as low as 14.7 and 11.0 mN/m, respectively, were observed. Average styrene droplet diameters in the miniemulsions (DV(sty)) ranged between 100–600 nm. 2,2′‐Azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and lauroyl peroxide (LPO) were employed as initiators and the effect of the water solubility on the resulting PSD and latex stability was investigated. The resulting polystyrene (PS) latex particles ranged between 70 and 550 nm in diameter. When AIBN was used as initiator, secondary nucleation was observed. The rate of polymerization and conversion of SNP‐OSA and SNP‐DSA stabilized Pickering miniemulsion polymerizations were compared. The SNP‐armoured PS particles were visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At low conversions (<40%), the resulting latexes were relatively uniform when modified SNP were used as PE along with small amounts of hexadecane as a hydrophobe. At higher conversion, however, coagulation occurred which was correlated to a side reaction in which the PS particles grafted together to form large coagulates.
Real‐time traffic anomaly detection based on Gaussian mixture model and hidden Markov model
Authors: Liang Guojun , U Kintak , Chen Jianbin , Jiang Zhiying
Published: November 2021

With the rapid development and wide application of visual sensor technology and image processing technology, the traffic anomaly events detection methods of intelligent transportation system (ITS) are being constantly updated. Traditional machine learning methods do not require high computing power but lack high accuracy, while deep learning methods provide high accuracy but demand of high computing power for edge computing hardware. To improve accuracy and real‐time performance of detecting abnormal traffic events in edge computing hardware, a novel traffic anomaly detection model was developed in the following steps. In the first moving object tracking stage, a hybrid model was designed by combining Gaussian mixture model (GMM) with hidden Markov model, and optimized the tracking accuracy of target trajectories in multiframe images from traffic surveillance video. In the second abnormal events classification stage, principal component analysis was applied to reduce the dimension of the trajectories features, and then the abnormal traffic behaviors were classified by K‐Nearest Neighbor. Experiments demonstrate that the model can achieve higher detection accuracy than GMM method as well as a faster detection speed than You only look once deep learning method in moving object tracking stage.