bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A tale of three cities: climate heterogeneity
Authors: Gadea Rivas María Dolores , Gonzalo Jesús
Published: November 2021

Professor Dolado has developed much of his professional career in three cities: Zaragoza, Oxford and Madrid. This fact, together with the recent appearance of literature relating climate with human behavior, has inspired us to analyze a set of relevant climate change issues linked to these areas, particularly any possible heterogeneity. The novel methodology proposed in (Gadea Rivas and Gonzalo in J Econom 214:153–174, 2020a for analyzing a wide range of characteristics of the temperature distribution (converting them into time series objects), instead of focusing solely on the mean, allows us to carry out this analysis . Using this methodology, we can identify local warming patterns within the global warming phenomenon of different types and intensities. The results show that there is a clear warming process in the three areas. The two Spanish cities (Zaragoza and Madrid) have many similarities, but Oxford fits into a different type of warming category. The former are characterized by higher trends in the upper quantiles than in the lower, an increase in dispersion, acceleration and an “upper amplification” with respect to the mean. In Oxford, the type of climate change is different, displaying higher trends in the lower quantiles, a weak negative trend in dispersion, “lower amplification” and a more attenuated acceleration in recent decades. There is no doubt that a better knowledge of local warming heterogeneity is recommendable for the design of more effective mitigation policies. The influence of the climate on human behavior and, specifically, on Professor Dolado’s personality, takes us into lesser-known regions which are left for the reader to discern.
Higher-Order Networks
Authors: Bianconi Ginestra
Published: November 2021

Higher-order networks describe the many-body interactions of a large variety of complex systems, ranging from the the brain to collaboration networks. Simplicial complexes are generalized network structures which allow us to capture the combinatorial properties, the topology and the geometry of higher-order networks. Having been used extensively in quantum gravity to describe discrete or discretized space-time, simplicial complexes have only recently started becoming the representation of choice for capturing the underlying network topology and geometry of complex systems. This Element provides an in-depth introduction to the very hot topic of network theory, covering a wide range of subjects ranging from emergent hyperbolic geometry and topological data analysis to higher-order dynamics. This Elements aims to demonstrate that simplicial complexes provide a very general mathematical framework to reveal how higher-order dynamics depends on simplicial network topology and geometry.
So Long Solange? The PSPP Judgment of the German Constitutional Court and the Conflict between the German and the European ‘Popular Spirit’
Authors: HILPOLD Peter
Published: November 2021

The judgment by the German Constitutional Court (‘BVerfG’) of 5 May 2020 has caused a stir all over Europe. The relationship between the BVerfG and the European Court of Justice (‘ECJ’) has never been an easy one, especially after the Solange judgment of 1974. The Solange jurisprudence has, however, not only been synonymous with conflict and rivalry but also for dialogue and, eventually, mutual respect. With the PSPP judgment, this dialogue seemed to have found an end, while by the order of 29 April 2021 the BVerfG appears to have returned to a more conciliatory tone. Nonetheless, the disruption between Karlsruhe and Luxembourg persists.

In this article, the PSPP judgment will be examined in detail, presenting it as the last step of long, contorted jurisprudence. It will be shown that the rupture that occurred in May 2020 was technically unnecessary and rather the result of deep-rooted cultural conflict with a clear economic background. The legal reasoning on both sides—that of the BVerfG and that of the PSPP judgment's most outspoken critics—is problematic at best. While for the time being the BVerfG seems to have learnt the lesson from the conflict provoked by its own judgment, the underlying, substantive conflict is still unresolved.

It will be shown that this conflict can only be solved on a political level. Thereby, cultural pre-concepts will have to be overcome. Uncompromising reliance on a national ‘popular spirit’ (Volksgeist) will not offer a way out but neither will, for the time being, exclusive reference to a European Volksgeist ignoring Member State realities. The ‘weighing and balancing’ the BVerfG has missed in the previous Weiss ECJ preliminary ruling (again on the PSPP programme) will have to take place on a far broader scale.
Operational experiences, military role conceptions, and their influence on civil-military relations
Authors: Harig Christoph , Jenne Nicole , Ruffa Chiara
Published: November 2021

A considerable amount of research within security studies has explored the military's increasingly diverse and multifaceted tasks. However, this debate has been disconnected from the literature on civil-military relations to the effect that we still lack knowledge about how and why these operational tasks have consequences for the relations between the armed forces, civilian authorities, and society at large. In order to provide for a better understanding of these effects, this introduction to the Special Issue debates the concept of operational experiences to capture how the military's routine activities affect the equilibria, logics, and mechanisms of civil-military relations. The article then provides an overview of the Special Issue's six contributions, whose diverse and global perspectives shed light on different aspects of the relationship between military missions and the military's roles in society and politics. Among other factors, they highlight role conceptions – the military's shared views on the purpose of the institution – as crucial in shaping the dynamic relation between what the military does and what place it occupies within the state and society. The article concludes by describing potentially fruitful areas of future research.
The role of different lipid measures for incident hypertension during more than 12-year follow-up: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study
Authors: Hadaegh Amirreza , Akbarpour Samaneh , Tohidi Maryam , Barzegar Niloofar , Hosseinpour-Niazi Somayeh , Azizi Fereidoun , Hadaegh Farzad
Published: November 2021

The associations of different lipid measures and related indices with incident hypertension during a median follow-up of 12·89 years were examined. Fasting levels of total cholesterol (TC), TAG, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, and related indices (TC/HDL-cholesterol and TAG/HDL-cholesterol) were determined in 7335 Iranian adults (men = 3270) free of hypertension, aged 39·0 (sd 13·2) years. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression was applied and lipid parameters were considered either as categorical or continuous variables. During follow-up, 2413 (men = 1126) participants experienced hypertension. Using the first quartile as reference, significant trends were found between quartiles of TAG, HDL-cholesterol, TC/HDL-cholesterol and TAG/HDL-cholesterol in multivariate models; moreover considering these measures as continuous variables, a 1 sd increase in each of these parameters was significantly associated with the risk of incident hypertension; the corresponding hazard ratios and CI were 1·06 (95 % CI 1·02, 1·10), 0·94 (95 % CI 0·89, 0·98), 1·04 (95 % CI 1·01, 1·09) and 1·04 (95 % CI 1·01, 1·07), respectively. The associations between lipid measures and incident hypertension did not change after excluding lipid lowering drug users and those with type 2 diabetes mellitus and these associations were independent of the categories of baseline blood pressure (P for interaction > 0·08). These findings indicate that TAG, TAG/HDL-cholesterol and TC/HDL-cholesterol were independently associated with higher risk, while HDL-cholesterol was associated with lower risk of incident hypertension.
Parallel lives or interconnected histories? Anagarika Dharmapala and Muhammad Barkatullah's ‘world religioning’ in Japan
Authors: Siddiqui Samee
Published: November 2021

This article compares the ideas, connections, and projects of two South Asian figures who are generally studied separately: the Indian pan-Islamist Muhammad Barkatullah (1864–1927) and the Sinhalese Buddhist reformer Anagarika Dharmapala (1864–1934). In doing so, I argue that we can understand these two figures in a new light, by recognizing their mutual connections as well as the structural similarities in their thought. By focusing on their encounters and work in Japan, this article demonstrates how Japan—particularly after defeating Russia in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905—had become a significant site for inter-Asian conversations about world religions. Importantly, exploring the projects of Barkatullah and Dharmapala makes visible the fact that, from the late nineteenth century until the outbreak of the First World War, religion played a central role—alongside nationalism, race, and empire—in conversations about the possible futures of the international order.
Expanding Welfare State Borders: Trade Unions and the Introduction of Pro-Outsiders Social Policies in Italy and Argentina
Authors: NATILI MARCELLO , PURICELLI ANGELICA
Published: November 2021

This article investigates the drivers of trade union choices in the social policy arena in the age of austerity. Against the background of a political economy literature mostly emphasising trade union support for their stronger constituency – i.e. the ‘insiders’ – the article shows the existence of mechanisms potentially inducing trade unions to broaden their demands. Empirically, the study rests on an in-depth comparative analysis of the political process inducing the two largest trade unions in Argentina and Italy, the CGT and the CGIL, to support ‘pro-outsider’ social policy actively. Besides the comparison of two different geographical areas – though not so different in terms of original welfare state configuration – the main contribution of this article is outlining how the combination of dwindling organizational resources and growing competition from social movements and/or new radical unions leads traditionally insider-oriented unions to reach out to new constituencies and advocate expanded redistributive demands.
From replication to substantiation: A complexity theory perspective
Authors: Al-Hoorie Ali H. , Hiver Phil , Larsen-Freeman Diane , Lowie Wander
Published: November 2021

In contemporary methodological thinking, replication holds a central place. However, relatively little attention has been paid to replication in the context of complex dynamic systems theory (CDST), perhaps due to uncertainty regarding the epistemology–methodology match between these domains. In this paper, we explore the place of replication in relation to open systems and argue that three conditions must be in place for replication research to be effective: results interpretability, theoretical maturity, and terminological precision. We consider whether these conditions are part of the applied linguistics body of work, and then propose a more comprehensive framework centering on what we call substantiation research, only one aspect of which is replication. Using this framework, we discuss three approaches to dealing with replication from a CDST perspective theory. These approaches are moving from a representing to an intervening mindset, from a comprehensive theory to a mini-theory mindset, and from individual findings to a cumulative mindset.
EMOTION-LADEN TEXTS AND WORDS
Authors: Driver Meagan
Published: November 2021

This study takes a mixed-methods approach to explore the influence of emotion-laden (positive vs. negative vs. neutral) texts and words on vocabulary learning for Spanish heritage and foreign language learners. Participants (N = 121) were tasked with learning emotion-laden pseudowords embedded in three emotion-laden texts centered around themes of bilingualism, immigration, and identity. Form recognition, translation, and multiple-choice tests were designed to measure vocabulary recall and retention. Results from a mixed-effects modeling analysis showed that the neutral and negative emotion-laden texts predicted better vocabulary learning outcomes than the positive text for both HLLs and FLLs and that neutral words were learned best by all learners. Qualitative findings from open-ended questionnaires suggest emotional arousal as another influential affective factor in vocabulary learning for learners of diverse sociolinguistic backgrounds. Directions for future emotions research in SLA and pedagogical implications of socially relevant, emotion-laden material for vocabulary learning are discussed.
EQUINOCTIAL SUN AND ASTRONOMICAL ALIGNMENTS IN MESOAMERICAN ARCHITECTURE: FICTION AND FACT
Authors: Šprajc Ivan
Published: November 2021

Archaeoastronomical studies carried out during the last decades in Mesoamerica have demonstrated that civic and ceremonial buildings were largely oriented on astronomical grounds, mostly to sunrises and sunsets on certain dates, allowing the use of observational calendars that facilitated the scheduling of agricultural and related ritual activities. One of the deeply rooted but unfounded ideas is that many alignments recorded the Sun's positions at the equinoxes. By examining such proposals and analyzing their methodological flaws, I argue that they are not based on reliable and objectively selected alignment data, but rather derive from the preconceived significance attributed to the equinoxes. The most likely targets of the near-equinoctial orientations were the so-called quarter days, which occur two days after/before the spring/fall equinox and mark mid-points in time between the solstices. Considering that the astronomical alignments dominate extensive parts of the built environment, they must have played an important role in religion, worldview, and political ideology. Therefore, only a correct identification of their celestial referents, a prerequisite for any convincing interpretation of their meaning, underlying intents, and observational practices employed, can contribute to a proper understanding of some prominent aspects of architectural and urban planning in Mesoamerica.
Robustness study of bandpass NGD behavior of ring-stub microstrip circuit under temperature variation
Authors: Du Hongyu , Wan Fayu , Lalléchère Sébastien , Rahajandraibe Wenceslas , Ravelo Blaise
Published: November 2021

This paper explores an original study of bandpass (BP) negative group delay (NGD) robustness applied to the ring-stub passive circuit. The proof of concept (PoC) circuit is constituted by a ring associated with the open-end stub implemented in microstrip technology. An innovative experimental setup of a temperature room containing the NGD PoC connected to a vector network analyzer is described. Then, the electrothermal data of S-parameters are measured by varying the ambient or room temperature range from 20 to 60°C, i.e. 40°C maximal variation. The empirical results of the group delay (GD), transmission and reflection coefficient mappings versus the couple (temperature, frequency) highlight how the temperature affects the BP NGD responses. An innovative electrothermal calibration technique by taking into account the interconnection cable influence is developed. The electrothermal robustness analysis is carried out by variations of the NGD center frequency, cut-off frequencies and value in function of the temperature.
Addressing Unresolved Complex Mixture of I/SVOCs Emitted From Incomplete Combustion of Solid Fuels by Nontarget Analysis
Authors: Huo Yaoqiang , Guo Zihua , Liu Yuzhe , Wu Di , Ding Xiang , Zhao Zhijun , Wu Manman , Wang Lin , Feng Yanli , Chen Yingjun , Wang Shuxiao , Li Qing , Chen Jianmin
Published: November 2021

The major fraction of intermediate and semi‐volatility organic compounds (I/SVOCs) is still unresolved by traditional analyses, leaving large unresolved complex mixture (UCM) and limiting the estimation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). This study addressed the UCM by employing two‐dimensional gas chromatography−time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The ratios of UCM in I/SVOCs emitted from household burning of biomass and coal were reduced to 1.0 ± 0.3% and 2.1 ± 2.0%, respectively, and these levels are one order of magnitude less than those reported in previous studies. Phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and ketones made the major contribution to I/SVOCs emission factors (EFs) (65.9 ± 9.6%) for biomass burning, while amides, acids, and esters constituted the majority of EFs (56.5 ± 45.0%) for coal burning. Furthermore, SOA production can be predicted via the highly identified I/SVOCs compounds based on volatility distributions of each speciated species. These majority compounds contribute the predicted SOA production with 76.0 ± 12.7% and 82.0 ± 60.3% for biomass and coal burning, respectively. Underestimated SOA production with the ratio of 62.5 ± 25.2% to 80.9 ± 2.8% via previous Bins method has been well addressed. The obtained results suggest that the nontarget analysis can significantly improve the accuracy of I/SVOCs estimation and environmental impacts by addressing chemical components at the molecular level.
Multiplexed detection of respiratory pathogens with a portable analyzer in a “raw-sample-in and answer-out” manner
Authors: Li Nan , Shen Minjie , Liu Jiajia , Zhang Li , Wang Huili , Xu Youchun , Cheng Jing
Published: November 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged, rapidly spread and caused significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is an urgent public health need for rapid, sensitive, specific, and on-site diagnostic tests for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In this study, a fully integrated and portable analyzer was developed to detect SARS-CoV-2 from swab samples based on solid-phase nucleic acid extraction and reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). The swab can be directly inserted into a cassette for multiplexed detection of respiratory pathogens without pre-preparation. The overall detection process, including swab rinsing, magnetic bead-based nucleic acid extraction, and 8-plex real-time RT-LAMP, can be automatically performed in the cassette within 80 min. The functionality of the cassette was validated by detecting the presence of a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus and three other respiratory pathogens, i.e., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The limit of detection (LoD) for the SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus was 2.5 copies/μL with both primer sets (N gene and ORF1ab gene), and the three bacterial species were successfully detected with an LoD of 2.5 colony-forming units (CFU)/μL in 800 μL of swab rinse. Thus, the analyzer developed in this study has the potential to rapidly detect SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens on site in a “raw-sample-in and answer-out” manner.
Crash and disengagement data of autonomous vehicles on public roads in California
Authors: Sinha Amolika , Chand Sai , Vu Vincent , Chen Huang , Dixit Vinayak
Published: November 2021

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are being widely tested on public roads in several countries such as the USA, Canada, France, Germany, and Australia. For the transparent deployment of AVs in California, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (CA DMV) commissioned AV manufacturers to draft and publish reports on disengagements and crashes. These reports must be processed before any statistical analysis, which is cumbersome and time-consuming. Our dataset presents the processed disengagement data from 2014 to 2019, crash data till the 10th of March 2020 and supplementary road network and land-use data extracted from OpenStreetMap. Primary data are manually assessed and converted into an easily processed format. Our processed data will be advantageous to the research community and enable accelerated research in this domain. For example, the data can be utilised to discern trends in disengagement, observe the distribution of disengagement causes, and investigate the contributory factors of the crashes. Such investigations can subsequently improve the reporting protocols and make policies and laws for the smooth deployment of this disruptive technology.
Trade of economically and physically scarce virtual water in the global food network
Authors: Vallino Elena , Ridolfi Luca , Laio Francesco
Published: November 2021

The virtual water (VW) trade associated to food is composed by the quantity of water utilized for the production of the crops exchanged on the global market. In assessing a country’s water abundance or scarcity when entering the international VW trade, scholars consider only physical water availability, neglecting economic water scarcity, which indicates situations in which socio-economic obstacles impede the productive use of water. We weight the global VW trade associated to primary crops with a newly proposed composite water scarcity index (CWSI) that combines physical and economic water scarcity. 39% of VW volumes is exported from countries with a higher CWSI than the one of the destination country. Such unfair routes occur both from low- to high-income countries and among low- and middle-income countries themselves. High-income countries have a predominant role in import of CWSI-weighted VW, while low- and middle-income countries dominate among the largest CWSI-weighted VW exporters. For many of them economic water scarcity dominates over physical scarcity. The application of the CWSI elicits also a status change from net exporter to net importer for some wealthy countries and viceversa for some low- and middle-income countries. The application of CWSI allows one to quantify to what extent VW exchanges flow along environmentally and economically unfair routes, and it can inform the design of compensation policies.
Evaluation of selected IL6/STAT3 pathway molecules and miRNA expression in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Kiszałkiewicz J. M. , Majewski S. , Piotrowski W. J. , Górski P. , Pastuszak-Lewandoska D. , Migdalska-Sęk M. , Brzeziańska-Lasota E.
Published: November 2021

COPD has been regarded as a global epidemic due to an increase in pollution and tobacco exposure. Therefore, the study of molecular mechanism as the basis for modern therapy is important. The aim of the study was the assessment of gene expression levels, IL-6, IL-6ST, PIAS3, STAT3, and miRNAs, miRNA-1, miRNA-106b, miRNA-155, in patients with COPD. Induced sputum as well as PBMC were collected from 40 patients clinically verified according to the GOLD 2021 (A–D) classification and from the control group (n = 20). The levels of gene and miRNA expression were analysed by qPCR. In induced sputum IL6 was significantly down-regulated in COPD group compared with control (p = 0.0008), while IL6ST were up-regulated (p = 0.05). The results were also statistically significant for STAT3 (p = 0.04) and miRNA-155 (p = 0.03) with higher expression in the current smokers compared to ex-smokers. Higher expression levels for IL6ST (p = 0.03) in COPD patients with the exacerbation history compared to COPD patients without the exacerbation history were noted. Compared induced sputum and PB lymphocytes we observed higher expression of IL6 (p = 0.0003), STAT3 (p = 0.000001) miRNA-106b (p = 0.000069 and miRNA-155 (p = 0.000016) in induced sputum with lower expression of PIAS3 (p = 0.006), IL6ST (p = 0.002) and miRNA-1 (p = 0.001). Differences in gene expression levels of the IL-6/IL6ST/STAT3 pathway and miRNA depending on the smoking status and classification of patients according to GOLD suggest the importance of these genes in the pathogenesis of COPD and may indicate their potential utility in monitoring the course of the disease.
Heavy metal contamination in Peru: implications on children’s health
Authors: Piñeiro Xulia Fandiño , Ave Mauro T. , Mallah Narmeen , Caamaño-Isorna Francisco , Jiménez A. Nuria Guisández , Vieira Duarte Nuno , Bianchini Flaviano , Muñoz-Barús José Ignacio
Published: November 2021

Cerro de Pasco, Peru, has been excessively contaminated with heavy metals due to high mining activities in the region. We investigated the presence of chronic exposure to heavy metals in children living in Cerro de Pasco and its effect on health. Heavy metal concentrations were determined in hair samples collected from 78 children living in a region exposed to an open-pit mine (Paragsha region) and from other 16 children unexposed to mine activities (Carhuamayo region). Children exposed to the mine showed statistically significant higher concentration of aluminum, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, iron, lead, tin and thallium (p < 0.05) than control children. Hair samples collected from the same children in two occasions (2016 and 2018) showed that the exposure is chronic with higher levels of heavy metals observed in 2018. The concentration of heavy metals was higher in hair tip than in hair root samples. Heavy metals are associated with substantial higher risk of nosebleed (odds ratio, OR = 15.40), chronic colic (OR = 7.30), dermatologic alterations (OR = 6.16), mood alterations (OR = 7.07), presence of white lines on nails (OR = 12.10), reduced visual camp (OR = 3.97) and other symptoms (OR = 5.12). Chronic heavy metal exposure implies various negative consequences on children’s health. Preventive measures are crucial to protect children’s health.
Mindfulness augmentation for anxiety through concurrent use of transcranial direct current stimulation: a randomized double-blind study
Authors: Nishida Keiichiro , Morishima Yosuke , Pascual-Marqui Roberto D. , Minami Shota , Yamane Tomonari , Michikura Masahito , Ishikawa Hideki , Kinoshita Toshihiko
Published: November 2021

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have revealed the capability to augment various types of behavioural interventions. We aimed to augment the effects of mindfulness, suggested for reducing anxiety, with concurrent use of tDCS. We conducted a double-blind randomized study with 58 healthy individuals. We introduced treadmill walking for focused meditation and active or sham tDCS on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 20 min. We evaluated outcomes using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State Anxiety (STAI) before the intervention as well as immediately, 60 min, and 1 week after the intervention, and current density from electroencephalograms (EEG) before and after the intervention. The linear mixed-effect models demonstrated that STAI-state anxiety showed a significant interaction effect between 1 week after the intervention and tDCS groups. As for alpha-band EEG activity, the current density in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) was significantly reduced in the active compared with the sham stimulation group, and a significant correlation was seen between changes in STAI-trait anxiety and the current density of the rACC in the active stimulation group. Our study provided that despite this being a one-shot and short intervention, the reduction in anxiety lasts for one week, and EEG could potentially help predict its anxiolytic effect.
Socioeconomic variation of multimorbidity in Colombian older adults
Authors: Ballesteros Silvia Marcela , Moreno-Montoya José , Grooten Wilhelmus Johannes Andreas , Barrera-López Pedro , De la Hoz-Valle José A.
Published: November 2021

Multimorbidity (MM) prevalence among older adults is increasing worldwide. Variations regarding the socioeconomic characteristics of the individuals and their context have been described, mostly in high-income settings. However, further research is needed to understand the effect of the coexistence of infectious diseases along with socioeconomic factors regarding MM. This study aims to examine the variation of MM regarding infectious diseases mortality after adjusting for socioeconomic factors. A cross-sectional multilevel study with a nationally representative sample of 17,571 Colombian adults of 60 years of age or older was conducted. Individual socioeconomic, demographic, childhood and health related characteristics, as well as group level variables (multidimensional poverty index and infectious diseases mortality rate) were analyzed. A two-level stepwise structural equation model was used to simultaneously adjust for the individual and contextual effects. Multimorbidity prevalence was 62.3% (95% CI 61.7–62.9). In the multilevel adjusted models, age, female sex, having functional limitations, non-white ethnicity, high body mass index, higher income, physical inactivity and living in urban areas were associated with multimorbidity among the sample for this study. The median odds ratio for multidimensional poverty was 1.18 (1.16–1.19; p = 0.008) and for infectious diseases was 1.25 (1.22–1.28; p = 0.014). This paper demonstrates that MM varies regarding the mortality of infectious diseases and shows a strong association between MM and poverty in a low-middle income country. Differences in the factors involved in the etiology of multimorbidity are expected among wealthy and poor countries regarding availability and prioritization of health services.
A lysosomal targeted fluorescent probe based on coumarin for monitoring hydrazine in living cells with high performance
Authors: Jiang Jin-Hua , Zhang Zhi-Hao , Qu Jianbo , Wang Jian-Yong
Published: November 2021

A lysosomal targeted fluorescent probe based on coumarin for monitoring hydrazine (N2H4) in living cells was designed and synthesised. The novel fluorescent probe Cou-Lyso-N2H4, in response to N2H4, exhibited good selectivity, low cytotoxicity, and lysosomal localization, which could be suitable for studying the harmfulness of N2H4 in subcellular organelles during various physiological processes.
Isonitrile induced bioorthogonal activation of fluorophores and mutually orthogonal cleavage in live cells
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyang , Xu Hui , Li Jie , Su Dunyan , Mao Wuyu , Shen Guohua , Li Lin , Wu Haoxing
Published: November 2021

Tetrazine-caged fluorophores were activated by isonitrile, and employed for mutually orthogonal cleavage reactions realized simultaneously in live cells.
Specific detection of IMP-1 β-lactamase activity using a trans cephalosporin-based fluorogenic probe
Authors: Hu Liqiang , Liu Runqiu , Ma Zheng , Yu Tao , Li Ziyao , Zou Yingqiu , Yuan Chang , Chen Fangfang , Xie Hexin
Published: November 2021

A novel fluorogenic probe for the highly specific detection of IMP-1 β-lactamase activity has been developed.
Improvement of the thermal stability of bluish-cyan emitting phosphor Y2MgAl4SiO12:Eu2+ using substitution cations (Zn, Ca, Sr) for white LEDs
Authors: Yang Huifang , Li Panlai , Ye Zejun , Huo Xiaoxue , Wang Yu , Wu Qian , Wang Dawei , Zhao Jinxin , Wang Fenghe , Wang Zhijun
Published: November 2021

A series of bluish-cyan color adjustable phosphors Y2MgAl4SiO12:xEu2+(YMAS) and Y2(Mg1−y,My)Al4SiO12:Eu2+ (M = Zn, Ca, Sr) were synthesized by the solid-state method.
Nonradiative relaxation mechanisms of the elusive silole molecule
Authors: de Castro Araujo Valente Daniel , Borges Itamar , Cardozo Thiago Messias
Published: November 2021

The relaxation of excited-state silole was studied using XMS-CASPT2 and ADC(2) static and dynamic calculations, with ring puckering playing a major role.
Emerging impacts of ionic liquids on eco-environmental safety and human health
Authors: Wei Penghao , Pan Xiujiao , Chen Chien-Yuan , Li Hsin-Yi , Yan Xiliang , Li Chengjun , Chu Yen-Ho , Yan Bing
Published: November 2021

This review highlights the emerging impacts of ionic liquids on eco-environmental safety and human health, which will accelerate our understanding of the safety issues of ionic liquids and serve as a guideline for the design of the next generation of ionic liquids.
Recent developments in electrochemical investigations into iron carbonyl complexes relevant to the iron centres of hydrogenases
Authors: Xiao Zhiyin , Zhong Wei , Liu Xiaoming
Published: November 2021

Illustrations of, (a) sequential electron transfer, (b) electron transfer coupled with a chemical reaction (C), (c) two-electron transfer with potential inversion, and (d) catalytic reduction of proton via PCET mechanism.
Complexity of imine and amine Schiff-base tin(ii) complexes: drastic differences of amino and pyridyl side arms
Authors: Yimthachote Supajittra , Chumsaeng Phongnarin , Phomphrai Khamphee
Published: November 2021

A series of imine and amine Schiff-base tin(ii) complexes were synthesized. Complexes having dimethylamino side arm appears to be innocent while those having pyridyl side arm underwent unusual ligand dimerization.
A complementary characterisation technique for spin crossover materials; the application of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for future device applications
Authors: Craze Alexander R. , Marjo Christopher E. , Li Feng
Published: November 2021

X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) has emerged as a complementary technique for the analysis of spin-crossover in the surface layers of a material.
Two metal-free cyanurate crystals with a large optical birefringence resulting from the combination of π-conjugated units
Authors: Liu Xiaomeng , Kang Lei , Guo Ruixin , Lin Zheshuai
Published: November 2021

By combining the (HxC3N3O3)x−3 (x = 0–3) group with the (CN3H6)+ cation, two metal-free cyanurate birefringent crystals, GU(H2C3N3O3) and GU3(H2C3N3O3)3(H3C3N3O3), were obtained.
Enhanced Jahn–Teller distortion boosts molybdenum trioxide's superior lithium ion storage capability
Authors: Dai Henghan , Zhou Jinyuan , Qin Gang , Sun Gengzhi
Published: November 2021

A lattice distortion triggered methodviaJahn–Teller effect was developed to introduce amorphous phase into α-MoO3. The optimized product of HI-MoO3-36 h exhibited better lithium ion storage capability compared to crystalline α-MoO3.
Rationalizing the influence of α-cationic phospholes on π-catalysis
Authors: Cortés Iván , Cabrera-Trujillo Jorge Juan , Fernández Israel
Published: November 2021

The physical factors behind the experimentally observed high activity of gold(i)-catalysts having an α-cationic phosphole as a ligand have been computationally explored in detail.
A finely regulated quantum well structure in quasi-2D Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite solar cells with efficiency exceeding 20%
Authors: Liang Jianghu , Zhang Zhanfei , Xue Qi , Zheng Yiting , Wu Xueyun , Huang Ying , Wang Xin , Qin Chaochao , Chen Zhenhua , Chen Chun-Chao
Published: November 2021

A record power conversion efficiency of 20.1% is achieved for quasi-2D Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite solar cells. The quantum wells are reversely graded in the film, and the quantum confinement effect inside the film is significantly weakened.
Revealing the multiple cathodic and anodic involved charge storage mechanism in an FeSe2 cathode for aluminium-ion batteries by in situ magnetometry
Authors: Wang Huaizhi , Zhao Linyi , Zhang Hao , Liu Yongshuai , Yang Li , Li Fei , Liu Wenhao , Dong Xiaotong , Li Xiangkun , Li Zhaohui , Qi Xiaodong , Wu Langyuan , Xu Yunfei , Wang Yaqun , Wang Kuikui , Yang Huicong , Li Qiang , Yan Shishen , Zhang Xiaogang , Li Feng , Li Hongsen
Published: November 2021

Multiple cationic and anionic involved redox and spin-polarized surface capacitance are observed in FeSe2 aluminium ion batteries for the first time.
Lignin monomer conversion into biolubricant base oils
Authors: Ebikade Elvis Osamudiamhen , Sadula Sunitha , Liu Sibao , Vlachos Dionisios G.
Published: November 2021

Branched benzene lubricant and branched cyclic lubricant base oils were synthesized from lignin-derived monomers and aldehyde by hydroxyalkylation/alkylation and hydrodeoxygenation in high yields.
Constructing virus-like SiOx/CeO2/VOx nanozymes for 1064 nm light-triggered mild-temperature photothermal therapy and nanozyme catalytic therapy
Authors: Zhao Ruoxi , Zhang Rui , Feng Lili , Dong Yushan , Zhou Jialing , Qu Songnan , Gai Shili , Yang Dan , Ding He , Yang Piaoping
Published: November 2021

We prepared virus-like SCV-PEG with superior ability to enter cells. It showed POD-mimic catalytic activity and a mild-temperature PTT effect, and the produced VO2+ can bind HSP60 to promote PTT.
Polymeric nanostructures based on azobenzene and their biomedical applications: synthesis, self-assembly and stimuli-responsiveness
Authors: Zheng Mingxin , Yuan Jinying
Published: November 2021

This review summarizes the recent developments in the synthesis, self-assembly and application of azobenzene functionalized polymeric nanoparticles.
Metal-free regioselective nitration of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with tert-butyl nitrite
Authors: Li Yi-Na , Li Xue-Lin , Wu Jin-Bo , Jiang Hong , Liu Yunmei , Guo Yu , Zeng Yao-Fu , Wang Zhen
Published: November 2021

A metal-free regioselective nitration of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones at the C5 or C7 position has been established, which was distinct from the previous functionalization of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones.
AIE-active macromolecules: designs, performances, and applications
Authors: Zhang Fei , Xie Hui , Guo Bing , Zhu Caizhen , Xu Jian
Published: November 2021

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) macromolecules as emerging luminescent materials gained increasing attention owing to their good processability, high brightness, wide functionality, and smart responsiveness, with great potential in many fields.
Facile synthesis of PEGylated dendritic polyurethane as unimolecular micelles for ultrasound-triggered localized drug delivery
Authors: Chen Wei , Liu Peng
Published: November 2021

PEGylated dendritic polyurethane was designed via a facile one-pot method as unimolecular micelles for ultrasound-triggered localized drug delivery.
Cationic surfactant-directed structural control of NaCl crystals from evaporating sessile droplets
Authors: Dewangan Jayant K. , Basu Nandita , Chowdhury Mithun
Published: November 2021

Competitive surface adsorption of anionic counterions control the morphology during the evaporative crystallization of saline (NaCl) microdroplets containing a cationic surfactant (CTAB).
Photo-astrometric distances, extinctions, and astrophysical parameters for Gaia EDR3 stars brighter than G = 18.5
Authors: Anders F. , Khalatyan A. , Queiroz A. B. A. , Chiappini C. , Ardèvol J. , Casamiquela L. , Figueras F. , Jiménez-Arranz Ó. , Jordi C. , Monguió M. , Romero-Gómez M. , Altamirano D. , Antoja T. , Assaad R. , Cantat-Gaudin T. , Castro-Ginard A. , Enke H. , Girardi L. , Guiglion G. , Khan S. , Luri X. , Miglio A. , Minchev I. , Ramos P. , Santiago B. X. , Steinmetz M.
Published: November 2021

We present a catalogue of 362 million stellar parameters, distances, and extinctions derived from Gaia’s Early Data Release (EDR3) cross-matched with the photometric catalogues of Pan-STARRS1, SkyMapper, 2MASS, and AllWISE. The higher precision of the Gaia EDR3 data, combined with the broad wavelength coverage of the additional photometric surveys and the new stellar-density priors of the StarHorse code, allows us to substantially improve the accuracy and precision over previous photo-astrometric stellar-parameter estimates. At magnitude G = 14 (17), our typical precisions amount to 3% (15%) in distance, 0.13 mag (0.15 mag) in V-band extinction, and 140 K (180 K) in effective temperature. Our results are validated by comparisons with open clusters, as well as with asteroseismic and spectroscopic measurements, indicating systematic errors smaller than the nominal uncertainties for the vast majority of objects. We also provide distance- and extinction-corrected colour-magnitude diagrams, extinction maps, and extensive stellar density maps that reveal detailed substructures in the Milky Way and beyond. The new density maps now probe a much greater volume, extending to regions beyond the Galactic bar and to Local Group galaxies, with a larger total number density. We publish our results through an ADQL query interface (gaia.aip.de) as well as via tables containing approximations of the full posterior distributions. Our multi-wavelength approach and the deep magnitude limit render our results useful also beyond the next Gaia release, DR3.
The off-design modelling of a combined-cycle power plant
Authors: Naidu Rushavya , Fuls Wim
Published: November 2021

The objective of this project was to develop a model of a combined-cycle power plant in Flownex which can be solved in off-design conditions in order to compare it to plant data. The verification of this model will show that Flownex can be used to effectively and efficiently model a combined-cycle power plant. The process of development of the final Flownex model was achieved using various additional software. Initially, an analytical model was developed in Mathcad (software used for engineering calculations). Thereafter, a model was built in Virtual Plant, a thermodynamic modelling software for assessing plant performance. Finally, the Flownex model was designed. For the single, double, and triple pressure combined-cycle power plant systems, the analytical, Virtual Plant and Flownex models were compared. The results of all the models agreed closely with one another. The triple-pressure design and off-design Virtual Plant and Flownex models were also compared to plant data and it was concluded that Flownex was successful in modelling the design and offdesign conditions of a combined-cycle power plant.
High frequency guided wave ultrasound measurements using low-cost equipment
Authors: Loveday Philip
Published: November 2021

Guided wave ultrasound can be applied to inspect large volumes of structures from a single transducer location and is particularly effective in one-dimensional structures such as rods, pipes and rail. An application, which is of interest in South Africa, is the inspection rock bolts in the mining industry. The difficulty in inspecting embedded rods is that there is rapid attenuation of the signals with distance. While guided wave systems generally operate at low frequencies (20 kHz to 200 kHz), high frequency operation (1 MHz to 10 MHz) can offer some advantages when inspecting rock bolts. Guided wave ultrasound testing is complicated by multi-modal propagation and dispersion, which require the use of sophisticated excitation signals, which are not available in equipment designed for conventional ultrasonic testing. It was therefore necessary to develop a measurement setup and the approach taken was to use standard lab instruments wherever possible and to only purchase the items that are unique to this measurement, using the very limited budget available. The measurement setup was used to perform measurements on a rod and confirmed theoretical predictions. These measurements identified the frequencies where modes propagate with low attenuation and allow the attenuation to be quantified.
Identifiability of Tyre Force Contact Prediction from Deformation Measurements
Authors: Gast R.G. , Els P.S. , Kok S. , Wilke D.N. , Botha T.R.
Published: November 2021

The possibility of accurately inferring the external forces applied to a vehicle can directly contribute to better safety systems and thus lowers the chance of injury or loss of life. These external forces are applied to a vehicle through the tyres and are challenging to measure directly. Still, it is possible to measure acceleration, deformation, or strain on the inner surface of a tyre. These measurements are theorized to be strongly linked to the forces produced by the tyre. However, it is still unknown whether or not one can always identify external forces from internal measurements in this way. Research has mainly focused on obtaining estimates of tyre forces rather than establishing to what extent these tyre forces are identifiable. This paper investigates this by conducting a virtual experiment that simulates known external forces applied to the tyre and computes the strains and displacements inside the tyre. A virtual inverse simulation then recovers the external forces from either the deformation or strain computed on the inside of the tyre. The identifiability of the forces recovered by the virtual inverse simulation is investigated by adding artificial measurement noise and initial guess perturbations to quantify the variance in the identified forces.
Intercultural communication and success in business
Authors: Dubinko Svetlana Alekseevna , Klimova Irina Iosifovna , Dubinka-Hushcha Lizaveta Alehauna , Klimova Galina Vladimirovna
Published: November 2021

Effective business communication requires a certain degree of cross-cultural awareness and tolerance both on the ethnic and organizational levels. Communication patterns vary from culture to culture according to values, beliefs and traditional rules for interacting with others, which makes up a learned behavior. These deep-rooted factors lie inside cultural differences and change very slowly if ever as compared to those which are more likely to be on the surface, like food, tastes, art. The latter are more easily adopted or erased in today’s global economy. The purpose of the study is to show that the internal traits compose different layers of metaphoricity in the language and, if understated, may lead to complexities or failures in business communication. Based on the experience of working in an international environment, which is analyzed by many scientists, and on the results of the study performed it can be noted that cross-cultural awareness and tolerance imply a variety of intelligences beyond (IQ), including emotional, cultural, social, and collective types of intelligence.
Reserves of teaching staff's productivity growth based on lean technologies
Authors: Borisova Alena Alexandrovna , Vinichenko Victoria Alexandrovna , Spiridonova Ekaterina Vladimirovna , Kirichenko Elena Nikolaevna
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this study is to find and justify reserves for increasing the productivity of teachers on the example of the Novosibirsk State Technical University. Some of the methods presented in the paper are well-known and are of interest from a practical point of view. These include a survey, observation, experiment, and in-depth interview. Some methods are specific and are more often used by experts in the field of lean manufacturing. The key set of lean tools was the kaizen umbrella, which includes the philosophy of continuous improvement, the method of mapping the value stream, the “five why” method. Diagrams of various purposes are widely used in the article: Ishikawa, Pareto, spaghetti. The main problem solved in this paper is a large number of errors in syllabuses, a long time of their creation and excessive control. The hypothesis about the simultaneous elimination of these shortcomings by automating the process itself was tested. The experiment proved the validity of the hypothesis. The duration of the value creation process during the development of syllabuses was reduced by 15%, and the overall satisfaction of the participants in the process increased by 27.5%. The total savings of the working time fund amounted to 0.5 million man-hours across the entire university, accounting for almost 100 thousand syllabuses.