bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Weather Parameters and Fungicides Strategies on the Management of Root & Stem Rot in Sesame Caused by Macrophomina phaseolina
Authors: Mishra Shubham , Gupta Kailash Narayan , Kurmi Swarna , Vishwakarma Anand Kumar
Published: February 2025

Root & stem rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina is an important disease. It spreads through seed and soil residual materials. In India root & stem rot disease can induce 5-100% yield losses under epidemic condition. The effect of various weather parameters on the development of root & stem rot in sesame was investigated during Kharif 2023 and 2024. The various weather parameters viz., temperature (max), temperature (min), relative humidity (morning), relative humidity (evening), soil temperature, soil moisture, rainfall and rainy days under natural condition.  Two year data revealed that there is significant correlation between disease incidence and weather parameters. The weather parameters viz., temperature (minimum), relative humidity (evening), soil moisture, rainfall showed a significant negative correlation with disease incidence, while soil temperature showed a significant positive correlation during both years. Regression analysis revealed that all the weather parameters contributed 99.96% and 96.04% towards disease development during both years. Due to lack of resistance in sesame genotypes, disease is managed through fungicides. Management of root & stem rot disease in sesame was done under In vitro and In vivo conditions. Average pooled data analysis revealed that, seed treatment with Carbendazim 12% WP + Mancozeb 63% WP followed by two foliar application of Tebuconazole 50% WG + Trifloxystrobin 25% WG was found most effective in minimizing the disease incidence (20.49%) and per cent disease reduction over the control (59.51%) with yield 478.98 kg/ha and B:C ratio 1.69. The key benefit to use this fungicides against plant disease is that it provides both protective and curative activity, reduce risk of fungicide resistant development, it also offers broader spectrum of disease control, and it gives both quick action (trifloxystrobin) and extended protection (tebuconazole).
Influence of Organic Nutrient Sources and Hydrogel on Yield Attributes and Productivity of Mustard (Brassica juncea L.)
Authors: Yadav Vimal Prasad , Singh Akashdeep , Kumar Rakesh , Sharma Deepak , Dayma Jyotsana , Choudhary Lachha , Rana Bharat Bhushan
Published: February 2025

The experiment was conducted to study the effect of organic manures and hydrogel on growth and productivity of mustard during the rabi season of 2023-24 at Agronomy Research Farm of School of Agricultural Sciences, Nirwan University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized complete block design. There were two factors under the design viz., different organic manures and levels of hydrogel. The first factor had three organic manures viz., FYM @ 5 t/ha, vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha and poultry manure @ 1 t/ha. The different levels of hydrogel were no hydrogel (control), hydrogel @ 2.5 kg/ha and hydrogel @ 5 kg/ha. The growth and yield attributes as well as yield of mustard was significantly enhanced with the application of vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha though this treatment was found to be at par with poultry manures @ 1.0 t/ha. Further results showed that the application of hydrogel @ 5.0 kg/ha over hydrogel @ 2.5 kg/ha and control significantly enhanced the productivity of mustard crop in the semi-arid areas of Rajasthan. The present study highlights the influence of organic nutrient sources and hydrogel on yield attributes and productivity of mustard (Brassica juncea L.).
Fluoride in Groundwater of Chhattisgarh: A Comprehensive Review of Health Impacts on Humans, Mitigation Strategies and Sustainable Solutions
Authors: Jain Sanjay Kumar , Bargah Rohit Kumar , Markande Shashi Kumar , Tandon Sandeep Kumar , Yadav Suresh Kumar
Published: February 2025

Fluorosis is a slowly progressing and often neglected disease that poses great health challenges by gradually affecting the human body. Although fluoride toxicity is theoretically reversible, such slow progression leaves with few choices of cure for these side effects, making prevention crucial. Inequitable access to safe sources of drinking water has worsened the prevalence of dental fluorosis, especially in regions where the concentration of fluoride in water is high. This review discusses the association between fluoride exposure, dental fluorosis, and skeletal fluorosis, bringing together an elaborate study of the negative effects that fluoride has on the human body. Skeletal fluorosis is one of the conditions that have received much attention lately. It remains the central theme in this study, which provides information about the latest discoveries made on this condition, detailing its prevalence, health effects, and the course it takes. It also reviews the latest developments in the prevention of fluorosis: new and cheap fluoride removal technologies and mitigation techniques. The conclusions are meant to stimulate further studies on the treatments of fluorosis and on ways to provide clean drinking water inexpensively and sustainably. Fluoride contamination of water is driven by geochemical reactions and natural as well as anthropogenic activities. Although fluoride is necessary for health, quantities over 1.5 mg L⁻¹ are toxic, and prolonged exposure through water has severe health effects, including skeletal fluorosis and oxidative damage to vital organs such as kidneys, the brain, thyroid gland, and liver. The review shows the need of prevention and intervention while shedding light on the multifaceted impacts from fluoride toxicity. By focusing on fluoride pollution, the article aims at unravelling the burden on human health and global water security in safeguarding human lives.
A Comprehensive Analysis of Stability and Data Dependency for a Novel Jungck-type Iterative Algorithm
Authors: Kumar Kapil , Kumar Vivek , Singh Ranbir , Narwal Satish
Published: February 2025

This study introduces a novel Jungck-type iterative algorithm for approximating coincidence points under specific contractive conditions. The research demonstrates the algorithm's strong convergence, stability, and data dependency through rigorous theoretical analysis and numerical experiments. Results indicate that the proposed method achieves a significantly faster convergence rate compared to existing Jungck-type iterations. These findings have practical implications in fields such as optimization, economic modeling, and coupled differential equations, where iterative techniques are vital.
Data Augmentation Techniques Using Generative Adversarial Networks: Employing GANs to Create Synthetic Data for Enhancing Machine Learning Model Training
Authors: Singh Vedant
Published: February 2025

The capability of GANs to increase data size has been a revelation to people in the augmentation field.  It has saved machine learning algorithms with scarcity, imbalance, or poor data variation.  Unlike the previous approaches based on transformation techniques, GANs can learn complex patterns and generate realistic synthetic data, which have virtually never been possible for fields and applications.  In this paper, 12 new GAN-augmentation strategies are proposed and implemented.  These are image-to-image translation, text-to-image synthesis, style transfer, and domain adaptation.  These techniques prove that using GANs can enhance the quality of the data and models, balance the data, and maintain the confidentiality of the data while applying any of these techniques.  The use of GANs in generating new data to enrich data sets has proved promising, especially in specific fields like health, where medical images complement diagnostic models while respecting patients' rights to privacy.  It has also been used in image recognition when it creates diverse outputs to solve problems such as class imbalance, besides solving regular problems faced in natural language processing, including text-to-image synthesis.  Compared to previous approaches, GANs provide better and more complex solutions and fill the data with newcomers instead of transforming the given ones.  This capability leads to the creation of much more diverse datasets that can be closer to the real environment.  Nevertheless, there are some key issues of concern, such as computational cost, mode collapse, and, most notably, social impact issues, where GANs may be misused using deepfake technologies. The proposed techniques show great potential and are based on a new approach to using data augmentation to solve modern tasks. However, the lack of detailed experiments and decreased accuracy compared to machine learning algorithms emphasize the need for future research to confirm the efficiency of the proposed approach in various applications. Overcoming these limitations via solid architectures, appropriate measures of performance, and policies is crucial.  While GANs are still a relatively young type of AI technology, their enhancement and scaling can create significant opportunities for using these models in combination with other complex models, such as diffusion and reinforcement learning.
Seroprevalence of HIV with Hepatitis B and C Co-Infection in Patients at the Al Nadjma Multi-purpose Center Laboratory in N'Djamena, Chad
Authors: Zezerti Idriss Mamadou , Doutoum Abdelsalam Adoum , Nazal Alhadj Markhous , Kemoral Aristide , Ahmat Ahmat Mahamat , Ngare Mahamat Tahir , Zongo Chekna
Published: February 2025

Co-infection with hepatitis B and C is one of the major challenges in the management of HIV since access to antiretroviral drugs has improved in Africa. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence HIV/Hep B and C co-infection in patients treated at the Al Nadjma multi-purpose centre in N'Djamena, Chad. This prospective study was conducted from June 2023 to May 2024 on 3,430 patients seen at the laboratory of the Al Nadjma multi-purpose Center in N'Djamena for screening for both HIV and hepatitis B and C. HIV was detected by immuno-chromatography using specific kits. The detection of hepatitis B and C by detection of HBsAg and HCV AC was carried out by immunochromatography using specific kits. The mean age of the patients was 38 years, with extremes of 18 and 60 years. Males were predominant (71.2%), with a sex ratio (M/F) of 1.22. The most common age was 31 to 40 (38.48%). The prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C was 4.84%, 4.46% and 0.93% respectively. The prevalence of HIV/HBV, HIV/HCV and HIV/HBV/HCV co-infections was 4.17%, 0.79% and 0.09% respectively. This study shows that HIV and hepatitis B seroprevalence are high in N'Djamena. On the other hand, hepatitis C virus and HIV/HCV and HIV/HBV/HCV co-infections are relatively low compared with most of the data reported in other Sub-Saharan African countries. However, HIV/HBV co-infection could be considered a public health problem, requiring early diagnosis by organizing awareness and screening campaigns in the population, thus enabling better management of co-infected patients (HIV/HBV) by dual antiretroviral and anti-hepatitis B treatment.
Ort der Geschäftsleitung und Steuerhinterziehung durch Unterlassen
Authors: Schrepp Caroline , Töben Thomas
Published: February 2025

Der schillernde Begriff der faktischen Geschäftsführung steht seit einigen Jahren im Fokus steuerlicher Diskussion. Dieser Beitrag beleuchtet die aus der Zivilrechtsprechung stammende Rechtsfigur und zeigt ihre Verknüpfung zum steuerlichen Ort der Geschäftsleitung sowie zum Straftatbestand der Steuerhinterziehung durch Unterlassen auf. Die Aktualität der Thematik gibt Anlass, die Ausführungen der Verfasser in der Gedächtnisschrift für Andreas Musil, die den auch für diesen Beitrag passenden Titel „Steuerkritik“ trägt, an dieser Stelle erneut zu publizieren. Gleichzeitig werden gegen vermeintlich faktische Geschäftsführer strafrechtliche Ermittlungsverfahren eingeleitet mit dem Vorwurf, die deutschen Finanzbehörden pflichtwidrig über steuerlich erhebliche Tatsachen in Unkenntnis gelassen zu haben. Durch Nichtabgabe von Steuererklärungen hätten sie den Tatbestand der Steuerhinterziehung durch Unterlassen gem. § 370 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 AO erfüllt. Dabei wird vielfach verkannt, dass eine faktische Geschäftsführung an hohe Voraussetzungen geknüpft ist. Sie kommt im Steuerrecht nur höchst selten zum Tragen und stellt bei der Bestimmung des Ortes der Geschäftsleitung einer Gesellschaft bereits gesetzessystematisch einen eng umgrenzten Ausnahmefall dar. Im Rahmen der Steuerhinterziehung durch Unterlassen wird das Rechtsinstitut der faktischen Geschäftsführung darüber hinaus vom Verfügungsberechtigten i.S.d. § 35 AO verdrängt, der die Pflichten eines gesetzlichen Vertreters hat, soweit er sie rechtlich und tatsächlich erfüllen kann. - Zunächst folgt ein Überblick über die Gesetzessystematik zur Bestimmung des Ortes der Geschäftsleitung. Diese ist eng verknüpft mit den Betriebsstättendefinitionen des § 12 AO und geht auf eine langjährige Rechtsprechungsentwicklung zurück (II.). - Sodann wird das Rechtsinstitut der faktischen Geschäftsführung dargestellt und die unterschiedlichen Nuancierungen in der Rechtsprechung der Zivil- und Strafsenate des BGH sowie deren Bedeutung für die Rechtsprechung des BFH herausgearbeitet (III.). - Anschließend wird dargelegt, dass ein faktischer Geschäftsführer kein tauglicher Täter einer Steuerhinterziehung durch Unterlassen gem. § 370 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 AO sein kann (IV.). - Die Verfasser gelangen zu dem Ergebnis, dass der darauf basierende Steuerhinterziehungsvorwurf mit Art. 103 Abs. 2 GG unvereinbar ist und damit gegen den Grundsatz nulla poena sine lege verstößt (V.).
Spanish adaptation and validation of the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI)
Authors: Sánchez‐López María T. , Fernández‐Berrocal Pablo , Tagliabue Mariaelena , Megías‐Robles Alberto
Published: January 2024

The Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) is a widely used questionnaire that measures the tendency to drive dangerously on the road through three different types of behaviors: aggressive driving, risky driving, and experiencing negative emotions while driving. This study aimed to develop a Spanish version of the DDDI and verify the reliability and validity of this questionnaire in the Spanish population. A community sample of 2174 Spanish participants (51.1% male; age range: 18–79 years) completed the 28‐item Spanish version of the DDDI. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a three‐factor model fitted adequately to the data. Analysis of internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity showed that the Spanish adaptation of the DDDI had good psychometric properties and retains the theoretical consistency of the original scale. Gender and age differences were observed. The Spanish version of the DDDI can be considered a good instrument for assessing dangerous driving behavior, thus contributing to the cross‐cultural study of these types of behaviors and the possible development of intervention programs aimed at reducing road traffic accidents.
Improvements to a GLCM‐based machine‐learning approach for quantifying posterior capsule opacification
Authors: Liu Chang , Hu Ying , Chen Yan , Fang Jian , Liu Ruhan , Bi Lei , Tan Xunan , Sheng Bin , Wu Qiang
Published: January 2024

Background

Posterior capsular opacification (PCO) is a common complication following cataract surgery that leads to visual disturbances and decreased quality of vision. The aim of our study was to employ a machine‐learning methodology to characterize and validate enhancements applied to the grey‐level co‐occurrence matrix (GLCM) while assessing its validity in comparison to clinical evaluations for evaluating PCO.

Methods

One hundred patients diagnosed with age‐related cataracts who were scheduled for phacoemulsification surgery were included in the study. Following mydriasis, anterior segment photographs were captured using a high‐resolution photographic system. The GLCM was utilized as the feature extractor, and a supported vector machine as the regressor. Three variations, namely, GLCM, GLCM+C (+axial information), and GLCM+V (+regional voting), were analyzed. The reference value for regression was determined by averaging clinical scores obtained through subjective analysis. The relationships between the predicted PCO outcome scores and the ground truth were assessed using Pearson correlation analysis and a Bland–Altman plot, while agreement between them was assessed through the Bland–Altman plot.

Results

Relative to the ground truth, the GLCM, GLCM+C, and GLCM+V methods exhibited correlation coefficients of 0.706, 0.768, and 0.829, respectively. The relationship between the PCO score predicted by the GLCM+V method and the ground truth was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the GLCM+V method demonstrated competitive performance comparable to that of two experienced clinicians (r = 0.825, 0.843) and superior to that of two junior clinicians (r = 0.786, 0.756). Notably, a high level of agreement was observed between predictions and the ground truth, without significant evidence of proportional bias (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Overall, our findings suggest that a machine‐learning approach incorporating the GLCM, specifically the GLCM+V method, holds promise as an objective and reliable tool for assessing PCO progression. Further studies in larger patient cohorts are warranted to validate these findings and explore their potential clinical applications.
Up modulation of dose‐averaged linear energy transfer by simultaneous integrated boost in carbon‐ion radiotherapy for pancreatic carcinoma
Authors: Wang Weiwei , Sun Jiayao , Zhao Jingfang , Cheng Jingyi , Jiang Guo‐Liang , Wang Zheng
Published: January 2024

Background

Local recurrence in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) after carbon‐ion radiotherapy (CIRT) may partly attribute to low dose‐averaged linear energy transfer (LETd), despite high CIRT dose.

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the approaches to up‐modulate the CIRT LETd and to evaluate the corresponding oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) reduction.

Methods

10 LAPCs that had been irradiated by CIRT with 67.5 Gy (RBE) in 15 fractions were selected. Their original plans were taken as the control plan for the LETd and OER investigations. Our considerations for up‐modulating LETd were: (1) to deliver high doses to gross tumor volume core (GTVcore), while keeping dose constraints of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in tolerance; (2) to put more Bragg‐peak (BP) within the modulated targets; (3) to increase the BP density, high doses were necessary; (4) CIRT LETd could be effectively increased to small volumes; and (5) simultaneous integrated boost technique (SIB) could achieve the aforementioned tasks. The LETd and the corresponding OER distributions of each type of SIB plan were evaluated.

Results

We delivered up to 100 Gy (RBE) to GTVcore using SIB. The mean LETd of GTV increased significantly by 21.3% from 47.8 to 58.0 keV/μm (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the mean OER of GTVcore decreased by 6.6%, from 1.51 to 1.41 (p < 0.05). The GI LETdS in all modulated plans were not more than those in the original plans.

Conclusions

SIB could effectively increase CIRT LETd to LAPC, thus producing reduced OER, which may effectively overcome the radioresistance of LAPCs.
The Influence of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Properties of Selective Laser Melting CuCrZr Alloy
Authors: Wang Qingjuan , Song Jiale , Wang Wen , Zhang Yufeng , Wang Kuaishe , Du Zhongze
Published: January 2024

The effects of different heat treatment processes on the properties of selective laser melting (SLM) CuCrZr alloy are investigated toenhance its overall performance. Solution treatment (ST) results in recrystallized grains, leading to an increase in electrical conductivity to 45.36% IACS and a decrease in tensile strength to 221.8 MPa compared to SLM CuCrZr alloys.  Solution aging treatment (SAT) further improves the conductivity to 83.12% IACS and the tensile strength to 335.6 MPa. The optimal combination of electrical conductivity (72.82% IACS) and tensile strength (611.3 MPa) is achieved through direct aging treatment (DAH) at 480 °C for 2 h. With increasing aging temperature and time, the electrical conductivity initially increases rapidly and then plateaues, while the tensile strength exhibits an initial increase followed by a decrease. The proportion of precipitated phase gradually increases with longer aging time. Coherent precipitation occurs between the phase and the matrix at 480 °C for 120 min, while at 480 °C for 360 min, both face‐centered cubic and body‐centered cubic precipitates coexist with an incoherent relationship with the matrix. Overall, DAH proves effective in enhancing the properties of SLM CuCrZr alloy, with precipitation strengthening serving as the primary mechanism for improving its performance.
Theoretical Investigation of Cyanographene and Cyanographite for Potential Sodium‐Ion Battery
Authors: Suzuki Hajime , Takahashi Keisuke
Published: January 2024

Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) draw much attention as alternative charge carrier to lithium because of their abundance and cost‐effectiveness. However, SIBs are limited by their low capacity to achieve comparable loadings in graphite. Herein, cyanographene and cyanographite are proposed as materials exhibiting superior storage capacity, facilitating sodium ionization. First‐principle calculations are performed to evaluate the sodium adsorption and diffusion of cyanographene and cyanographite. In the calculation, it is shown that sodium atoms diffuse with relatively low activation energy over cyanographene and cyanographite. It is found out that cyanographene and cyanographite have greater sodium‐storage capacity than graphite. The high sodium mobility and large sodium‐storage capacity demonstrate that cyanographene and cyanographite are a promising anode material for SIBs.
Photoresponsive Ru Metalloprodrug Assemblies: Red‐Light‐Controlled Self‐Delivery Systems for Enhanced Anticancer Phototherapy
Authors: Zeng Xiaolong , Zhang Zongwei , Huang Yun‐Shuai , Fan Jiangli , Peng Xiaojun , Wu Si , Sun Wen
Published: January 2024

Small‐molecule ruthenium (Ru) complexes exhibit limitations in terms of nonspecific delivery, rapid metabolism, and low tumor accumulation. Their delivery can be improved through physical encapsulation into nanocarriers via hydrophobic forces, metallophilic interactions, or π–π stacking interactions. However, delivering Ru complexes for efficient therapy is substantially hindered by potential leakage of drugs, low drug‐loading capacity, or batch‐to‐batch variations. Moreover, current metalloprodrug‐based self‐delivery systems necessitate supramolecular interactions, which are unsuitable for Ru complexes because of their octahedral structures. Herein, two self‐assembled molecular Ru drugs, Ru‐3XOEG and Ru‐PEG, are reported. Ru‐3XOEG involves a three‐arm dendritic oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG), while Ru‐PEG involves a linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain. Furthermore, these drugs contain an anticancer Ru moiety and a planar pyrene moiety to render hydrophobic forces and π–π stacking supramolecular interactions. Ru‐3XOEG self‐assembles into large compound micelles. Ru‐PEG self‐assembles into vesicles. These Ru‐containing self‐delivered systems exhibit well‐defined structures, high Ru loading contents, and long circulation in blood without external nanocarriers. Red light irradiation induces the release of Ru‐H2O anticancer agents and the generation of 1O2 to inhibit tumor growth. The presented design of self‐assembled molecular Ru complexes opens avenues for the concept of self‐delivered metalloprodrugs.
Smart Bactericidal Capsules Based on Cationic Luminescent Nanoclusters for Controllable Treatment of Drug‐Resistant Bacterial Infection
Authors: Li Yixiao , Wang Tianyi , Zhang Jiaxin , Sukhorukov Gleb B. , Zhang Lianbing , Xue Yumeng , Shang Li
Published: January 2024

Effective treatment of drug‐resistant bacteria infected wound has been a longstanding challenge for healthcare systems. In particular, the development of novel strategies for controllable delivery and smart release of antimicrobial agents is greatly demanded. Herein, the design of biodegradable microcapsules carrying bactericidal gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) as an attractive platform for the effective treatment of drug‐resistant bacteria infective wounds is reported. AuNC capsules are fabricated via the well‐controlled layer‐by‐layer strategy, which possess intrinsic near‐infrared fluorescence and good biocompatibility. Importantly, these AuNC capsules exhibit strong, specific antibacterial activity toward both S. aureus and methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Further mechanistic studies by fluorescence confocal imaging and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry reveal that these AuNC capsules will be degraded in the S. aureus environment rather than E. coli, which then controllably release the loaded cationic AuNCs to exert antibacterial effect. Consequently, these AuNC capsules show remarkable therapeutic effect for the MRSA infected wound on a mouse model, and intrinsic fluorescence property of AuNC capsules enables in situ visualization of wound dressings. This study suggests the great potential of microcapsule‐based platform as smart carriers of bactericidal agents for the effective treatment of drug‐resistant bacterial infection as well as other therapeutic purposes.
Sustainable and Rapid Water Purification at the Confined Hydrogel Interface
Authors: Chen Min , Jiang Jun , Guan Weixin , Zhang Zhijian , Zhang Xin , Shi Wenxiong , Lin Ligang , Zhao Kongyin , Yu Guihua
Published: January 2024

Emerging organic contaminants in water matrices have challenged ecosystems and human health safety. Persulfate‐based advanced oxidation processes (PS‐AOPs) have attracted much attention as they address potential water purification challenges. However, overcoming the mass transfer constraint and the catalyst's inherent site agglomeration in the heterogeneous system remains urgent. Herein, the abundant metal‐anchored loading (≈6–8 g m−2) of alginate hydrogel membranes coupled with cross‐flow mode as an efficient strategy for water purification applications is proposed. The organic flux of the confined hydrogel interfaces sharply enlarges with the reduction of the thickness of the boundary layer via the pressure field. The normalized property of the system displays a remarkable organic (sulfonamides) elimination rate of 4.87 × 104 mg min−1 mol−1. Furthermore, due to the fast reaction time (<1 min), cross‐flow mode only reaches a meager energy cost (≈2.21 Wh m−3) under the pressure drive field. It is anticipated that this finding provides insight into the novel design with ultrafast organic removal performance and low techno‐economic cost (i.e., energy operation cost, material, and reagent cost) for the field of water purification under various PS‐AOPs challenging scenarios.
Current‐Controllable and Reversible Multi‐Resistance‐State Based on Domain Wall Number Transition in 2D Ferromagnet Fe3GeTe2
Authors: Yang Chendi , Huang Yalei , Pei Ke , Long Xiumin , Yang Liting , Luo Yongming , Lai Yuxiang , Zhang Jincang , Cao Guixin , Che Renchao
Published: January 2024

Controlling the multi‐state switching is significantly essential for the extensive utilization of 2D ferromagnet in magnetic racetrack memories, topological devices, and neuromorphic computing devices. The development of all‐electric functional nanodevices with multi‐state switching and a rapid reset remains challenging. Herein, to imitate the potentiation and depression process of biological synapses, a full‐current strategy is unprecedently established by the controllable resistance‐state switching originating from the spin configuration rearrangement by domain wall number modulation in Fe3GeTe2. In particular, a strong correlation is uncovered in the reduction of domain wall number with the corresponding resistance decreasing by in‐situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. Interestingly, the magnetic state is reversed instantly to the multi‐domain wall state under a single pulse current with a higher amplitude, attributed to the rapid thermal demagnetization by simulation. Based on the neuromorphic computing system with full‐current‐driven artificial Fe3GeTe2 synapses with multi‐state switching, a high accuracy of ≈91% is achieved in the handwriting image recognition pattern. The results identify 2D ferromagnet as an intriguing candidate for future advanced neuromorphic spintronics.
Improving nutrition through blended finance and impact investing in small and medium enterprises in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Lybbert Travis J. , Nordhagen Stella , Vosti Stephen A. , Neufeld Lynnette M.
Published: January 2024

Persistent malnutrition and food insecurity in sub‐Saharan Africa demand creative experimentation beyond conventional financing and interventions. Impact investing merits consideration. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) shape diets and health outcomes in Africa and may present an investment opportunity. The Nutritious Food Financing Facility (N3F) aims to harness blended impact investing for improved nutrition. We describe this novel approach to enhancing food environments using as a model the N3F, which provides financial and technical support to SMEs to increase the availability and affordability of more nutritious foods in domestic food environments. We consider both the opportunities and challenges of this approach.
Analytical and biological validation of a noninvasive measurement of glucocorticoid metabolites in feces of Geoffroy's spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi)
Authors: Damm Juliane , Aureli Filippo , Rangel‐Negrín Ariadna , Barradas‐Moctezuma Miriam , Dias Pedro A. D.
Published: January 2024

We report on an analytical and biological validation of a commercial cortisol enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to measure glucocorticoids (GC) in feces of Geoffroy's spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). Validation of endocrinological methods for each sample matrix and study species is crucial to establish that the methods produce reliable results. For the analytical validation of the EIA, we assessed parallelism, accuracy, and precision. We carried out a biological validation based on three well‐studied GC patterns with the following predictions: (1) increased fecal GC metabolite (fGCM) concentrations after veterinary intervention; (2) increased fGCM concentrations during early morning hours; and (3) higher fGCM concentrations during gestation than in other female reproductive states. For the first prediction, we sampled feces of two zoo‐housed females 2 days before, the day of, and 2 days after a veterinary intervention. For the second prediction, we analyzed 284 fecal samples collected from 12 wild males using a linear mixed model (LMM). For the third prediction, we analyzed 269 fecal samples of eight wild females using an LMM. Analytical validation revealed that the EIA showed parallelism, was accurate, and precise within each assay. However, there was elevated variation in between‐assay precision. The biological validation supported all predictions: (1) the two zoo‐housed females showed a substantial increase in fGCM concentrations 2.5 and 11 h after veterinary intervention; (2) there was a negative effect of sample collection time on fGCM concentrations (i.e., higher concentrations during early morning); (3) gestating females had significantly higher fGCM concentrations than lactating females. Thus, we analytically validated the commercial EIA and, despite between‐assay variation, we were able to find three biologically relevant GC signals in captive and wild settings, and in males and females. We are therefore confident that the method can be used to noninvasively address behavioral endocrinology questions in Geoffroy's spider monkeys.
Photoactivatable Engineering of CRISPR/Cas9‐Inducible DNAzyme Probe for In Situ Imaging of Nuclear Zinc Ions
Authors: Liu Ran , Jiang Difei , Yun Yangfang , Feng Zhe , Zheng Fenfen , Xiang Yu , Fan Huanhuan , Zhang Jingjing
Published: January 2024

DNAzyme‐based fluorescent probes for imaging metal ions in living cells have received much attention recently. However, employing in situ metal ions imaging within subcellular organelles, such as nucleus, remains a significant challenge. We developed a three‐stranded DNAzyme probe (TSDP) that contained a 20‐base‐pair (20‐bp) recognition site of a CRISPR/Cas9, which blocks the DNAzyme activity. When Cas9, with its specialized nuclear localization function, forms an active complex with sgRNA within the cell nucleus, it cleaves the TSDP at the recognition site, resulting in the in situ formation of catalytic DNAzyme structure. With this design, the CRISPR/Cas9‐inducible imaging of nuclear Zn2+ is demonstrated in living cells. Moreover, the superiority of CRISPR‐DNAzyme for spatiotemporal control imaging was demonstrated by integrating it with photoactivation strategy and Boolean logic gate for dynamic monitoring nuclear Zn2+ in both HeLa cells and mice. Collectively, this conceptual design expands the DNAzyme toolbox for visualizing nuclear metal ions and thus provides new analytical methods for nuclear metal‐associated biology.
Tracking the Impact of Koch‐Carbonylated Organics During the Zeolite ZSM‐5 Catalyzed Methanol‐to‐Hydrocarbons Process
Authors: Zhou Hexun , Gong Xuan , Abou‐Hamad Edy , Ye Yiru , Zhang Xin , Ma Pandong , Gascon Jorge , Chowdhury Abhishek Dutta
Published: January 2024

A methanol‐based economy offers an efficient solution to current energy transition challenges, where the zeolite‐catalyzed methanol‐to‐hydrocarbons (MTH) process would be a key enabler in yielding synthetic fuels/chemicals from renewable sources. Despite its original discovery over half a century ago over the zeolite ZSM‐5, the practical application of this process in a CO2‐neutral scenario has faced several obstacles. One prominent challenge has been the intricate mechanistic complexities inherent in the MTH process over the zeolite ZSM‐5, impeding its widespread adoption. This work takes a significant step forward by providing critical insights that bridge the gap in our understanding of the MTH process. It accomplishes this by connecting the (Koch‐carbonylation‐led) direct and dual cycle mechanisms, which operate during the early and steady‐state phases of MTH catalysis, respectively. To unravel these mechanistic intricacies, we have performed catalytic and operando (i.e., UV/Vis coupled with an online mass spectrometer) and solid‐state NMR spectroscopic‐based investigations on the MTH process, involving co‐feeding methanol and acetone (cf. a key Koch‐carbonylated species), including selective isotope‐labeling studies. Our iterative research approach revealed that (Koch−)carbonyl group selectively promotes the side‐chain mechanism within the arene cycle of the dual cycle mechanism, impacting the preferential formation of BTX fraction (i.e., benzene‐toluene‐xylene) primarily.
2,2′‐Tethered Binaphthyl‐Embedded One‐Handed Helical Ladder Polymers: Impact of the Tether Length on Helical Geometry and Chiroptical Property
Authors: Ikai Tomoyuki , Mishima Namiki , Matsumoto Takehiro , Miyoshi Sayaka , Oki Kosuke , Yashima Eiji
Published: January 2024

Synthetic breakthroughs diversify the molecules and polymers available to chemists. We now report the first successful synthesis of a series of optically‐pure 2,2′‐tethered binaphthyl‐embedded helical ladder polymers based on quantitative and chemoselective ladderization by the modified alkyne benzannulations using the 4‐alkoxy‐2,6‐dimethylphenylethynyl group as the alkyne source, inaccessible by the conventional approach lacking the 2,6‐dimethyl substituents. Due to the defect‐free helix formation, the circular dichroism signal increased by more than 6 times the previously reported value. The resulting helical secondary structure can be fine‐tuned by controlling the binaphthyl dihedral angle in the repeating unit with variations in the 2,2′‐alkylenedioxy tethering groups by one carbon atom at a time. The optimization of the helical ladder structures led to a strong circularly polarized luminescence with a high fluorescence quantum yield (28 %) and luminescence dissymmetry factor (2.6×10−3).
Operando imaging in electrocatalysis: insights into microstructural materials design
Authors: Fan Lei , Chen Shurui , Zhang Weidong , Liu Yong , Chen Yan , Mao Xianwen
Published: January 2024

Electrocatalysis plays a pivotal role in renewable energy conversion and associated chemical production, enabling a variety of emerging sustainability technologies with societal impacts. Achieving marked improvement in electrocatalytic performance relies on a deep understanding of catalyst microstructures and catalytic mechanisms, with a particular emphasis on the detailed, spatiotemporally resolved characterizations of the underlying fundamental electrocatalytic processes. This fundamental need drives the development of operando imaging techniques, which improve the ability to detect dynamic structural changes in electrocatalysts and establish clear structure‐performance relationships for morphologically complex, hierarchically structured catalytic materials. This review aims to highlight significant advancements in the application of operando imaging techniques to develop a deeper understanding of important heterogeneous electrocatalytic reactions critical for emerging sustainability technologies. We summarize the up‐to‐date key mechanistic insights regarding these reactions achieved through a range of operando imaging techniques, including electron microscopies, X‐ray imaging techniques, scanning probe microscopies, and optical microscopies. We conclude by pointing out emerging directions and future prospects within the field of operando imaging in electrocatalysis.
A comparison of strategies for selecting auxiliary variables for multiple imputation
Authors: Mainzer Rheanna M. , Nguyen Cattram D. , Carlin John B. , Moreno‐Betancur Margarita , White Ian R. , Lee Katherine J.
Published: January 2024

Multiple imputation (MI) is a popular method for handling missing data. Auxiliary variables can be added to the imputation model(s) to improve MI estimates. However, the choice of which auxiliary variables to include is not always straightforward. Several data‐driven auxiliary variable selection strategies have been proposed, but there has been limited evaluation of their performance. Using a simulation study we evaluated the performance of eight auxiliary variable selection strategies: (1, 2) two versions of selection based on correlations in the observed data; (3) selection using hypothesis tests of the “missing completely at random” assumption; (4) replacing auxiliary variables with their principal components; (5, 6) forward and forward stepwise selection; (7) forward selection based on the estimated fraction of missing information; and (8) selection via the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). A complete case analysis and an MI analysis using all auxiliary variables (the “full model”) were included for comparison. We also applied all strategies to a motivating case study. The full model outperformed all auxiliary variable selection strategies in the simulation study, with the LASSO strategy the best performing auxiliary variable selection strategy overall. All MI analysis strategies that we were able to apply to the case study led to similar estimates, although computational time was substantially reduced when variable selection was employed. This study provides further support for adopting an inclusive auxiliary variable strategy where possible. Auxiliary variable selection using the LASSO may be a promising alternative when the full model fails or is too burdensome.
Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Effects of Zingiberaceae Oils: A Natural Solution for Oral Health
Authors: Amil Muhammad Amirul , Rahman Syarifah Nur Syed Abdul , Yap Lee Fah , Razak Fathilah Abdul , Bakri Marina Mohd , Salem Lamis S. O. , Lim Xiu Yi , Reduan Nur Athirah , Sim Kae Shin
Published: January 2024

Essential oils have been recognised for their potential benefits in oral care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial and antiproliferative activity of essential oils derived from four Zingiberaceae species. A combination of GC/MS and GC‐FID was employed to analyse these essential oils. The results showed that β‐myrcene (79.77 %) followed by ethyl‐cinnamate (40.14 %), β‐curcumene (34.90 %), and alloaromadendrene (25.15 %) as the primary constituents of Curcuma mangga, Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Kaempferia galanga and Curcuma aeruginosa, respectively. The Zingiberaceae oils were tested for their antibacterial activity against oral bacteria using the disc diffusion test. Curcuma xanthorrhiza oil showed the largest inhibition zones against Streptococcus mitis (19.50±2.22 mm) and Streptococcus sanguinis (15.04±3.05 mm). Similarly, Curcuma mangga oil exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans (12.55±0.45 mm) and mixed oral bacteria (15.03±3.82 mm). Furthermore, the MTT viability assay revealed moderate inhibitory activity of these essential oils against H103 and ORL‐204 oral cancer cells. The study findings demonstrate that Curcuma xanthorrhiza and Curcuma mangga essential oils have potent antibacterial properties, suggesting their potential use as natural alternatives to synthetic antibacterial agents in oral care products. However, further investigations are necessary to fully explore their therapeutic applications.
Targeting PI3K/p‐Akt/eNOS, Nrf2/HO‐1, and NF‐κB/p53 signaling pathways by angiotensin 1–7 protects against liver injury induced by ischemia–reperfusion in rats
Authors: Ali Fatma Farrag , Mohammed Mostafa Mourad , Hussein Youssef , Ibrahim Manar Fouli Gaber
Published: January 2024

The liver is an important organ, and hepatic ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury is a frequent pathophysiological process that can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Thus, our study aimed to investigate the effect of targeting PI3K/p‐Akt/eNOS (phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/phospho‐protein kinase B/endothelial nitric oxide synthase), Nrf2/HO‐1 (nuclear factor‐erythroid 2‐related factor‐2/heme oxygenase‐1), and NF‐κB/p53 (nuclear factor‐κB/tumor protein 53) signaling pathways by using angiotensin (1–7) [ang‐(1–7)] against hepatic injury induced by IR. Thirty‐two male rats were included in sham group, ang‐(1–7)‐treated group, hepatic IR group, and hepatic IR group treated with ang‐(1–7). The levels of hepatic ang‐(1–7), angiotensin II (Ang II), angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), HO‐1, malondialdehyde (MDA), PI3K, and p‐Akt were assessed. The expressions of eNOS and B‐cell leukemia/lymphoma‐2 (BCL‐2) in the liver were determined. Histological assessment and immunohistochemical expression of NF‐κB, p53, and Nrf2 were carried out. The levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) in serum were estimated. Results showed that administration of ang‐(1–7) to hepatic IR rats led to significant amelioration of hepatic damage through a histological evaluation that was associated with significant upregulation of the expressions of PI3K/p‐Akt/eNOS and Nrf2/HO‐1 with downregulation of NF‐κB/p53 signaling pathways. In conclusion, PI3K/p‐Akt/eNOS and Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling pathways are involved in the protective effects of ang‐(1–7) against hepatic damage induced by IR. Therefore, ang‐(1–7) can be used to prevent hepatic IR, which occurs in certain conditions such as liver transplantation, hemorrhagic shock, and severe infection.
Simulation and Optimization of Biohydrogen Production from Biomass Feed via Anaerobic Digestion
Authors: Budhraja Neeraj , Pal Amit , Mishra Radhey Shyam
Published: January 2024

Biomass energy is a renewable energy source that is carbon‐neutral, versatile, and can never go extinct. In the current study, a simulation model of an anaerobic digester with parameters such as pretreatment temperature (PTT), hydraulic retention time (HRT), and feed‐to‐water (F/W) ratio was developed and a design of experiment was created. The results showed that the higher hemicellulose content in sugarcane bagasse (SB) gave a decent H2 yield (13–23 %). The significance sequence was PTT > F/W > HRT. The optimal values were HRT of 15–16 d; F/W of 1.5 (SB), 1.26 [rice straw (RS)], and 0.5 [sawdust (SD)]; and PTT of 63.3 (SB), 68.8 (RS), and 75 °C (SD). The optimal H2 yield was 19.80 (SB), 20.94 (RS), and 21.41 % (SD). Therefore, the present simulation and optimization showed concrete results to raise H2 yield.
Opportunities and Challenges of Phosphorus‐based Anodes for Practical Battery Application
Authors: She Jiaxuan , Jin Hongchang , Ji Hengxing
Published: January 2024

Phosphorus‐based anode materials have attracted considerable attention due to their high theoretical capacity, safe operational potential, and favorable redox chemistry for diverse alkali metal‐ion storage applications. Their excellent performance in lithium storage makes them promising candidates for fast‐charging batteries. However, challenges such as complex redox reactions, substantial volume expansion during lithiation, vulnerability to oxidation, and the lack of a mature mass production process hinder their further development. Current research predominantly focuses on establishing multilevel nanostructures or robust solid electrolyte interphases (SEI) to mitigate volume expansion. Nonetheless, a consensus within the academic community on the maximum degree of volume expansion for practical electrode application in cells is yet to be established. Furthermore, investigations into the kinetics of redox reactions, side reactions in the presence of air or electrolyte, and mass production processes for phosphorus‐based anodes are relatively limited. This comprehensive review meticulously examines these challenges, providing nuanced insights. Additionally, the review offers perspectives on potential advancements in phosphorus‐based anode development, contributing to the ongoing discourse on the future trajectory of research in this domain.
Production of gasohol by azeotropic distillation
Authors: Avilés‐Martínez Adriana , Patiño‐Herrera Rosalba , Cruz‐Valdez Jesús Alonso , Contreras‐Zarazúa Gabriel , Rodríguez‐Olalde Nancy Eloísa , Castro‐Montoya Agustín Jaime
Published: January 2024

A new azeotropic distillation process is presented to produce gasohol in an adequate concentration of bioethanol and isooctane, which emulates the properties of gasoline ready to use in conventional combustion engines. Since the mixing step is eliminated, there are significant economic savings which imply a competitive price of bioethanol. A comparison is provided with the traditional bioethanol dehydration process, extractive distillation. Both processes were simultaneously designed and optimized with differential evolution with a Tabu list algorithm (DETL) in order to reduce the total annual cost (TAC). Results showed that when obtaining E10 biofuel, a blend of up to 10% ethanol and 90% unleaded isooctane, via azeotropic distillation, over 40% of the TAC is saved compared to obtaining pure alcohol dehydrating through extractive distillation. Moreover, the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions results in an average of 27%.