bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Combining Antioxidants on the Oxidative Stability of Refined, Bleached and Deodorized Palm Olein during Continuous Deep Frying of Potato Chips
Authors: Hashem Hanafy A. , Farag Rabie S. , Naser Abdel-Alrahman , Mohamed Montaser A.
Published: March 2021

In this study, the effect of a novel antioxidants composite system based on a synergetic composite between Tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), Ascorbyl palmitate, citric acid, and Dimethicone have been evaluated against the classical common antioxidant system based on TBHQ at the highest permitted dose of 200 ppm during successive deep-frying cycles.  Also, the shelf life of fried food and its sensory performance and oil absorption content o fried food were comparatively studied. The Novel antioxidant composite system is a synergetic blend of an artificial antioxidant, TBHQ  and vitamin C  palmitate( Ascorbyl palmitate) as natural identical antioxidants, an effective sequestrant which is Citric acid and poly dimethyl siloxane as an anti-foaming system to obtain the highest oxidative stability impact during deep frying. The frying processes were carried at 180 ᴼC for sliced potato chips for 8 successive frying cycles.Sensory evaluation of the fried potato has been conducted under accelerated storage conditions to determine the effect of the oil oxidative stability on the shelf life of fried food. The oxidative degradation of the oil was evaluated by measuring different oxidation and degradation parameters for their respective peroxide value ( PV), free fatty acid( FFA %), the content of conjugated dienes, P-anisidine value,( p-A.V),  induction period (IP), and Lovibond color. The (%) of oil absorption in the potato chips was also measured. The sensory evaluation has been done for fried foods to evaluate the crunchiness and likability of obtained french fries. Results revealed that the jump in primary & secondary oxidation parameters as  PV and p- A.V.of palm olein after 8 successive frying cycles was very limited for the antioxidant composite system I  by only 1.842± 0.1 meq O2/ kg in PV and by 6.2315±0.45 for p-A.V. Same for FFA, the jump was limited for the antioxidant composite system I for only  0.084+/-0.005 as well. However, the final PV, FFA after the 8 frying cycles are still within the Codex and local Egyptian regulation limits the edible oil human usage. Same for other quality parameters like color jump was limited to 3.4 Red jumps on Lovi bond scale for composite I. Study proofed that palm olein fortified with 650 ppm of the antioxidant composite (I) consists of TBHQ, Ascorbyl palmitate, citric acid, and polydimethylsiloxane at the specified synergistic ratios gives outstanding stability to refined Palm olein during the successive deep frying up to 8 successive frying cycles. It also achieved less oil absorption for french fries by about 3.5% less than the same oil fortified with 200 ppm TBHQ, which is the highest permitted dose of this strong antioxidant. (P≤0.05). Furthermore, sensory evaluation of the fried potatoes has been improved with the novel antioxidant system compared to theclassical TBHQ system.
Chemical Composition and Preservation of Mnazi and Its Distillate (Pyuwa)
Authors: Kadere T. T.
Published: March 2021

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) is most well-known for the products of its fruit, such as coconut meat, coconut water, coconut milk, and coconut oil. Almost all edible products of the coconut come from the fruit, or “nut” portion of the plant. Some fruit products include desiccated coconut from the hard endosperm of the seed and toddy which, is produced by tapping the sap from inflorescence. Toddy can be boiled to produce coconut sugar (jaggery) or fermented to become an alcoholic beverage (Mnazi). This study explored the quality aspects and preservation of both Mnazi and its spirit (pyuwa) with an aim of providing a cheap alternative beverage for both low and middle income earners. The main volatile compounds that were found in both Mnazi and its spirit include propanol, isoamyl ethanol butanol and acetic acid. In Mnazi, the levels of the volatiles were far much less than 600 mg/l, which is considered the threshold value of acceptability in wine. The absence of methanol and fusel oils in fresh Mnazi makes it possible to compete effectively with beers and alcoholic drinks already in the market. However, its distillate (Pyuwa) cannot be recommended as safe alcohol drink unless further separation is done because of its high levels of fusel oils. The newly developed products: dry, medium dry and sweet brands were stable during the first 4 weeks after production. Assimilation of sucrose and fructose were faster than glucose, with fructose being the fastest.
Larvicidal Efficacy and GC-MS Analysis of Hyptis suaveolens Leaf Extracts against Anopheles Species
Authors: Dakum Y. D. , Amajoh C. N. , Ombugadu A. , Istifanus G. , Agwom F. , Joseph S. T. , Jwanse I. R. , Lapang P. M. , Kopdorah S. W. , Pam D. D.
Published: March 2021

Mosquitoes are the most important group of insects in terms of public health importance, which transmit serious human diseases. The continuous application of synthetic insecticides to control these mosquitoes causes development of resistance in vector species, and an adverse effect on environmental quality and non-target organisms including human health. Therefore, the use of active toxic agents from plant extracts as alternative mosquito control strategy cannot be over emphasized, as these are non-toxic, easily available at affordable prices, biodegradable and show target - specific activities against different species of vector mosquitoes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the larvicidal efficacy of the aqueous and methanol leaf extracts of H. suaveolens against the fourth instars larvae of Anopheles species. Standard WHO protocols was adopted for the larvicidal bioassay. Larvicidal activity was evaluated at concentrations of 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 mg/L. The larval mortality was observed after 24 and 48hours bioassay. The results are mean of three replicates and the mortalities recorded were subjected to chi-square test and probit analysis to determine median lethal concentrations (LC50). TheGC-MS analysis ofthe methanolic leaf extract of the plantrevealed the presence of twelve compounds on the chromatogram. Among the major compounds areOleic Acid (33.33%), Octadecanoic acid (13.52%), 1,3-Cyclohexadiene-1-methanol,alpha.,2,6,6-(10.42%), 1,3-Cyclopentanediol, trans (9.60%), n-Hexadecanoic acid (9.01%) and 4-Hepten-3-one, 4-methyl (7.0%).The phytochemical screening of the aqueous and methanol leaf extracts of the plant revealed the presence of Tannins, Terpenoids, Flavonoids, Steroids, Carbohydrates, Cardiac glycoside and resins. The LC50 values estimated were 316.22mg/Lfor methanol extract and 323.59 mg/L for aqueous extract. The differences between the two extracts were however not significantly different at P>0.05. The findings also revealed that mortality was concentration dependent and both extracts showed promising larvicidal activity against Anopheles species larvae. Therefore, the crude leaf extract of the plant is recommended to be used as alternative to synthetic larvicides and further research is needed to test the activity of the plant on non-target organisms.
Effect of Different Levels of Fertilizers on Productivity and Nutrient Dynamics of Browntop Millet
Authors: Anitha K. V. , Chikkaramappa T. , Basavaraja P. K. , Prakash N. B. , Murali K. , Boraiah B.
Published: March 2021

A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Baljigapade, Chikkaballapur taluk and district, which comes under the Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka during Kharif season 2018. The experimental plot in the field was laid out following a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with fourteen treatments and three replications. The treatments included two levels of N and P2O5 (20 and 30 kg ha-1) and three levels of K2O (10,20 and 30 kg ha-1). Farmyard manure was applied at the rate of 6.25 t ha-1 to all the treatments except absolute control. Results indicated that application of 30 kg N+30 kg P2O5+30 kg K2O ha-1 with Farm Yard Manure (FYM) increased the micronutrient availability in soil N (150.29 kg ha-1), P2O5 (17.60 kg ha-1), K2O (160.84 kg ha-1). Application of FYM @ 6.25 t ha-1+30 kg N+20 kg P2O5 +20 kg K2O ha-1 significantly increased growth, yield, macronutrient content and uptake by brown top millet grain and straw against absolute control. The grain yield of browntop millet was increased by 61.46 percent in T10 and 59.07 percent in T9 as compared to the absolute control.
Optimization of Fatty Acid Composition by of Cooking Oils Blending of Different Plant Oils
Authors: Farag Rabie S. , Hashem Hanafy A. , Naser Abdelrahman , Mohamed Montaser A.
Published: March 2021

Fats and oils are important carriers and protectors of liposoluble vitamins: A,D,E,K; Provitamins like carotenes & tocopherols and liposoluble nutraceutical products: Squalene, polyphenols, sterols etc. However, most of single oils do not have the correct balance to meet humans’ nutrition requirement. Some of the most well-known non healthier attributes of using single oils for cooking and other edible purpose are presence of an non balanced amount of Omega 6 (W6) or non-balanced amounts of saturated fatty acids (SFA) or Low content of omega 3 (W3), Excessive PUFA that affects the oil stability during drastic heat treatment in frying applications which yields an harmful oxidations products in oil. Also the UnbalancedW6/W3 content in cooking oil or foods containing fats and Unbalanced short-chain and long-chain FA etc. Unbalanced oil consumption regarding the omega 6: omega 3 ratio affects the health in many aspects as is proven by the scientific findings. Excessive omega 6 fatty acid in human diet promotes inflammation, reduce immunity, increases risk of heart diseases, risk of diabetes, allergy symptoms, hypertension risk, cancer risk, osteoporosis, depression risk and weaken memory.

In this study, different oils composites of vegetable oils were formulated from tropical oils and seed oils including palm oil fractions, Canola oil, corn, soybean oil, Sunflower seed oil, Olive oil, sesame oil, rice bran  oils, cotton seed oil and MCT rich oils . The selected oils are differing in their content of SFA, MUFA and PUFA fatty acids and in their n–3, n–6 and n–9 ratios. The fulfillment of smart balance requirements of FAO/WHO recommended that, approximately 30% of total energy intake (daily) should come from oils and fats. From that total, around 1/3 should be saturated, 1/3 monounsaturated and 1/3 polyunsaturated. It is important that the balance ofW6/W3 be near 2-5/1 has been targeted in these healthier cooking oils composites. Physio-chemical characterization of the blends during thermal treatment applications like frying has been studied. Results showed marked differences in the FAs composition balance between the different oils used for preparing the oil composites. The prepared blends achieve the optimum omega 6: omega 3 balances to prevent control the inflammations had n–6 to n– 3 FAs ratio which varied from 4.9:1 to 4.5:1. This review will help the edible oil producers and related food industry to find out the most economically viable oil blends for cooking purposes, with maximum nutrition as well as desirable physicochemical properties.
Porcelain Veneers vs Composite Resin Veneers: A Review
Authors: Sailo Jenny Lalmalsawmi , Bathla Natasha , Thakur Prarthana , Nagpal Archana , Gupta Rajeev , Duvedi Karan
Published: March 2021

The main concern for clinical dentistry is the rehabilitation of lost dental aesthetics. These days' people are more conscious of how they feel about their smiles and their effect on other people. Contemporarily based upon the patient's fascination, they are various procedures and material options to select. It is quite challenging for the dentist to satisfy the needs and keep within the patient's budget. The effect of preparation design and material type on the success of dental veneers is controversial. Usually, the clinician's preference decides the preparation geometry. Nevertheless, veneers with incisal coverage seem to have better aesthetic and more predictable outcomes, while having a chamfer finish line palatable seems to be unnecessary, and limiting the preparation to a butt-join finish line is more sensible. Composite veneers provide good aesthetic outcome and patient satisfaction; however, due to its physical properties and bonding strength compared to porcelain veneers, composite veneers tend to fail significantly faster than porcelain veneers. Therefore, veneers have to compare, reviewed, and discussed in details. This review literature discusses the essential parameters.
Antiplasmodial Activity of Seed Oil of Moringa oleifera (Lam.)
Authors: Oluyemi Dada, Ebenezer , Kayode Abdulahi, Sikiru
Published: March 2021

The study was carried out to determine the antiplasmodial activity of seed oil of Moringa oleifera extracted using n-hexane solvent.

Acute toxicity test was carried out on twelve albino mice grouped into 3 according to seed oil concentrations (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg respectively) with each group having four mice. Thirty-five mice were infected with Plasmodium berghei and the mice were randomized into five groups of seven mice each (groups A, B, C, D and E) for antiplasmodial activity. Group A - negative control (non-treated), group B - positive control (chloroquine treated); group C (800 mg/kg), group D (400 mg/kg) and group E (200 mg/kg) of seed oil of Moringa oleifera. All groups were left untreated until after five days when 0.2 mL treatment dose for each group was administered. Treatment was carried out in four days and left for another five days for post treatment effect.

The acute toxicity test showed that the seed oil of Moringa oleifera was safe and nontoxic to all mice. There was daily gradual reduction in PCV values; however group with the highest suppression of parasitemia had the highest PCV value after treatment. Group A as expected had the lowest PCV value of 22.23±1.98% which fell short of normal range (40 - 55%) and had its parasitemia load increased by 205% while in other groups, B, C, D and E the parasitemia had decreased by 100%, 97.02%, 90.48% and 67.65%respectively after treatment.

Overall, the seed oil of M. oleifera at high concentrations showed a competitive parasite inhibition activity when compared with the result obtained in positive control group; however, few deaths recorded during and after treatment called for further investigation to determine its suitability for the treatment of malaria.
Evaluation of Variance Components and Genetic Parameters in F1 Progenies of Coffea canephora Pierre x C. congensis Froehner
Authors: Ouattara Kouassi M. , Antoine Yapo A. , Simon-Pierre Nguetta A. , Pamela Okoma M. , Karine Gba Kossia M. , Hyacinthe Legnate N. , Jules Keli Z. , Sélastique Akaffou D.
Published: March 2021

The diploid species Coffea congensis is of interest in improving the organoleptic quality of                        C. canephora. F1 crosses of C. canephora x C. congensis named Congusta in 3 x 5 factorial design have been carried out. The work aimed to assess the genetic parameters in the hybrids in order to integrate them into the selection schemes under way in Côte d'Ivoire.  The experimental design was a randomized complete block design. Each cross was represented by a minimum of 29 plants and a maximum of 55 plants. The spacing used was 3 x 1.5 m. Male genotypes C. congensis brought little improvement in offspring regardless of their insignificant additive gene effect in the hybrids. Low heritabilities were found for vegetative vigor traits DICO, GAT and NPLA ranging from 0.13 to 0.23 in the narrow sense and from 0.18 to 0.32 in the broad sense. For production, the narrow sense heritabilities were stable during the first three years of harvest with values ​​between 0.23 and 0.25 whereas the broad sense heritability was irregular. The estimation GCA and SCA showed that all the traits except RCAR had ratio between both effects above 1. The study of correlations between traits showed insignificant correlations between production and vegetative traits, with coefficients below 0.30. However, The selection of 83 high-producing trees from 14 out of 15 studied families make it possible to create good vegetative trees linked to high yield.
Blood Electrolyte Levels in Male and Female Pitbull Dogs
Authors: Chuku L. C. , Chinaka N. C. , Emesiri E.
Published: March 2021

The study evaluates blood electrolytes in male and female pit bull dogs to ascertain their level of predominance in extracellular fluid. Blood samples were collected, processed and analyzed for electrolyte levels using standard protocol and absorbance reading taken by spectrophotometric method. Post statistical package for social science (SPSS) analysis indicates that mean serum electrolyte levels of male pit bull dogs were 179.2±66.79 mmol/l for sodium, 3.54±0.55 mmol/l for potassium, 43.72±2.72 mmol/l for bicarbonate, chloride was 116±12.81 mmol/l, phosphorus was 4.26±0.61, calcium and magnesium were 1.74±0.50 and 1.48±0.18 mmol/l respectively. The female pit bulls had a mean serum electrolyte level of 157.4±76.07 mmol/l for sodium, 5.12±1.23 mmol/l for potassium, 75.98±27.98 mmol/l for bicarbonate, chloride and phosphorus are 123.5±17.98 mmol/l and 4.06±0.95 mmol/l, calcium and magnesium were 1.56±0.16 and 1.70±0.39 mmol/l respectively. The result implies that serum concentration of sodium, bicarbonate, chloride, phosphorus and magnesium in both male and female pit bull dogs were significantly (p<0.05) higher than normal electrolyte range, while potassium and calcium levels were within range. The electrolyte imbalance could lead to impaired fluid level and electrolyte osmolarity resulting in neurological consequences such as seizure disorders, hypoparathyroidism, metabolic acidosis and alkalosis.
Ayushman Bharat: An Ethical Analysis of the World’s Biggest Health Scheme
Authors: Bhola Rajesh Kumar , Pradhan B. B.
Published: March 2021

An affordable health scheme has been always required by the Indian people. Even after passing74 years of Indian independence, quality healthcare has not been accessible to the Indian people. The data have shown out of the vast population of India only 25 percent of people are insured under the private and government insurance scheme. To overcome this problem Indian government has launched the Ayushman Bharat scheme on 25 December 2018 on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya. The Ayushman Bharat is the Hindi translation of “India blessed with long life”. This scheme is the biggest health care scheme in the world which covers the huge population of India and the covered population under this scheme is more than 100 million. The scheme has categories into the primary, secondary, and tertiary care domain to address the health-related problems of the people and the most important and fascinating feature of the scheme is that a beneficiary avails the facilities in government hospital along with private hospitals. The present study reviews different aspects of the scheme in relevance to the helath sector to provide better perpective towards Indian health care systems.
Review of Literature on Methodological Approaches of Assessing the Adoption of Enterprise Risk Management Practices
Authors: Abeyrathna S. P. G. M. , Priyadarshana A. J. M. , Priyashantha U. D. P.
Published: March 2021

This study intends to examine the previous researches on Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). On examining the previous researches, it is evident that both primary data based (using robust models) and secondary data based (using Dummy variables) approaches adopted by the previous researchers and those are taken into account and have been reviewed in this paper. In here, researchers have identified that most of the recent studies have used robust models in assessing the adoption of ERM practices, while earlier researchers used dummy variables in assessing ERM practices. Here, in some cases, there are some contradictories of results of the studies in two approaches. Based on the recommendations, conclusions of prior research, and the analysis of the available literature, it has been recommended to use robust models like COSO ERM framework, ISO 31000 etc. in case of assessing the adoption of ERM practices in future studies.
A Comparative Analysis of SIMC-PID with Other Conventional Techniques for Automobile Vehicle Air Conditioning System Control
Authors: Adebayo Isaiah , Aborisade David , Yinka Ogunkeyede
Published: March 2021

Decreasing the thermal increase inside vehicles and safeguarding suitable vehicular temperature levels may result in improved vehicle fuel economy, reliability and passenger comfort. However, getting suitable techniques to attain this has been a great challenge to the system engineers. Although, the use of conventional techniques have proffered a great insight in solving the problem of temperature control in air conditioning system,  however, they suffered from inefficient and non-lasting solution to the heat generated within the cabin walls. Thus, in this present paper, a Simple Internal Model Control based Proportional Integral Derivative (SIMC-PID) controller for automobile vehicle temperature is proposed. The SIMC method is based on the internal model control (IMC) theory and proposes a simple methodology for the tuning of the PI and PID industrial controllers. The suggested approach is compared with the conventional tuning methods such as Zeigler-Nichols, Cohen-Coon and Chien-Hrones-Reswick based on energy conservation and mass balance principles. Results obtained showed that the proposed SIMC-PID method could be of great significance in controlling the air-conditioning system temperature compared with the conventional tuning techniques.
Analysis of Implementation of Drugs Management Policy in Public & Private Hospitals in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Raymond Assani Ramazani , Raphael Lutula Ndjadi
Published: March 2021

Introduction: This study, which was conducted from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2018,           aims to assess the level of compliance with formal drug management standards at the Mangobo General Reference Hospital and the Kisangani Millennium Polyclinic and to verify which of                   the two medical structures successfully applies formal drug management standards more than the other.

Methods: The study involved 30 randomly selected subjects, 15 at the Mangobo General Reference Hospital and 15 at the Kisangani Millennium Polyclinic, as well as all the agents involved in drug management in these two hospitals in the Democratic Republic of Congo. For data collection, we used the questionnaire and comparative analysis.

Results: After analysis, we found that the formal standards of drug management would be impeccably respected at the Kisangani Millennium Polyclinic compared to the Mangobo General Reference Hospital. Furthermore, 87% of respondents confirmed the existence of the national list of essential and generic drugs at the Mangobo General Reference Hospital and 67% at the Kisangani Millennium Polyclinic. 73% of respondents confirmed the logistic cycle of control of drug supply at the Mangobo General Reference Hospital; 40% of the respondents confirmed that the managers of the Kisangani Millennium Polyclinic make greater use of the service criteria used to select medicines; finally, 73% of the managers use the monthly average calculation of the consumption of medicines to calculate the consumption of their medicines at the pharmacy of the Kisangani Millennium Polyclinic.
Strengthening Community Linkages: Basis for an Intervention Program
Authors: Basibas Aveliza T. , Fabiosa Allena R. , Aconga Maria May G. , Tentativa Jennelyn R.
Published: March 2021

Strengthening linkages and partnership in the basic education program is a remarkable development in today’s school. Indeed, problems and issues arising between the school, students, and parents are easily identified and ultimately solve. Strong collaborations of teachers and parents are of paramount importance to consider a lot of success to serve the needs of the growing number of youth aspiring to acquire quality education for their life. Identifying activities, programs and projects of the school-community linkages and knowing problems and difficulties between school and community is of great importance in going through the education development program in University of Eastern Philippines Laboratory High School UEP-PRM Campus Catubig, Northern Samar. This study was anchored on the theory developed by Epstein, et al. [1] at John Hopkins University, mentioning the six types of partnerships framework which is a useful model for analyzing and designing school-community-involvement programs. The main purpose of the study is to determine the extent of strengthening the school-community linkages-basis for intervention program in University of Eastern Philippines PRM Campus Catubig, Northern Samar.

A simple descriptive research method was used in this study. The full description of this study was premised to give a clear picture of the present status and condition of the statement of the problems under consideration using the inputs, process, and outputs strategy of the research. The main instrument of this study was patterned from Alcantara [2] survey questionnaire on identifying the programs and projects and in strengthening the school-community linkages as the basis for the intervention program of the school system. However, it was modified to suit the appropriateness of the instrument relative to the present study. Results of the respondents’ assessment were very significant in their perceptions that the activities and programs must be planned and coordinated by both school and the community in order to have a successful educational growth among the learners, as well as the community will be benefitted if the pupils will be all successful in their endeavors.

Based on the findings of the study, the status on the linkages between the school and community as perceived by the teachers and parents were “very effective”, the programs and projects of the school and community as assessed by the respondents to strengthen these programs,  there is a significant difference in the perceptions of programs and projects of the school and community linkages of the aforementioned variables, both school and community persons-in-charge must coordinate with each other by taking into consideration with the solutions offered, an intervention program was considered by the researcher as a proposed intervention plan offered relative to strengthen  school and community linkages.
Reversing Immunosuppression in Hypoxic and Immune‐Cold Tumors with Ultrathin Oxygen Self‐Supplementing Polymer Nanosheets under Near Infrared Light Irradiation
Authors: Jiang Wei , Wang Lei , Wang Qin , Zhou Han , Ma Yinchu , Dong Wang , Xu Hangxun , Wang Yucai
Published: March 2021

Solid tumors are characterized by a hypoxic and immunologically “cold” microenvironment that dramatically limits the therapeutic outcomes of immunotherapy. Thus, strategies and materials that are capable of reversing immunosuppression in immune‐cold tumors are highly desired. Herein, it is reported that oxygen (O2) self‐supplementing conjugated microporous polymer nanosheets can be utilized to elicit a robust antitumor T cell immune response in the hypoxic and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The ultrathin nanosheets can generate O2 through the water splitting reaction and produce massive reactive oxygen species (ROS) under near infrared light irradiation. Meanwhile, the unique photothermal property of the conjugated polymer nanosheets generates hyperthermia under irradiation. Consequently, they are able to maximize the immunogenic cell death (ICD) performance by inducing adequate damage‐related molecular patterns in hypoxic tumors. Other than fostering T cell infiltration by the elicited ICD, the loaded indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase in nanosheets can reverse the immunosuppression and empower ICD effect for efficient T cells priming. In vivo experiments conclusively prove that the designed polymer nanosheets exhibit great potential for tumor eradication, metastasis prevention, as well as long‐term survival. Such a photocatalytic platform opens up new paths for reversing immunosuppression in immune‐cold tumors and broadens the application of polymer‐based nanosheets for cancer therapy.
Bulk Passivation and Interfacial Passivation for Perovskite Solar Cells: Which One is More Effective?
Authors: Wang Jintao , Jin Guangyong , Zhen Qingzhu , He Chenyang , Duan Yu
Published: March 2021

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as promising candidates for photovoltaic applications because of their superior optoelectronic properties. The power conversion efficiency of 25.5% has been achieved at an astonishing speed from the debut of 3.8%. However, the notoriously poor stability stemming from the solution fabrication process and uncontrollable rapid crystallization limits the commercialization of PSCs. Thus defects are inevitable among the bulk films and interfaces. Herein, recent progress about defects passivation by additive strategy among the bulk film, are discussed. More importantly, the defects passivation strategy for perovskite/electron transport layer and perovskite/hole transport layer interfaces are summarized. Furthermore, how defects passivation and ion migration would affect the stability performance of the perovskite devices are elaborated. Finally, the current challenges for commercialization prospects of perovskite photovoltaic applications are discussed.
Quantifying the Absorption Onset in the Quantum Efficiency of Emerging Photovoltaic Devices
Authors: Almora Osbel , Cabrera Carlos I. , Garcia‐Cerrillo Jose , Kirchartz Thomas , Rau Uwe , Brabec Christoph J.
Published: March 2021

The external quantum efficiency (EQE), also known as incident‐photon‐to‐collected‐electron spectra are typically used to access the energy dependent photocurrent losses for photovoltaic devices. The integral over the EQE spectrum results in the theoretical short‐circuit current under a given incident illumination spectrum. Additionally, one can also estimate the photovoltaic bandgap energy (Eg) from the inflection point in the absorption threshold region. The latter has recently been implemented in the “Emerging PV reports,” where the highest power conversion efficiencies are listed for different application categories, as a function of Eg. Furthermore, the device performance is put into perspective thereby relating it to the corresponding theoretical limit in the Shockley–Queisser (SQ) model. Here, the evaluation of the EQE spectrum through the sigmoid function is discussed and proven to effectively report the Eg value and the sigmoid wavelength range λs, which quantifies the steepness of the absorption onset. It is also shown how EQE spectra with large λs indicate significant photovoltage losses and present the corresponding implications on the photocurrent SQ model. Similarly, the difference between the photovoltaic and optical bandgap is analyzed in terms of λs.
Novel root zone soil water retention improves production with half the water in arid sands
Authors: Aoda Mahdi I. , Smucker Alvin J. M. , Majeed Shatha S. , Mohammed Hussein A. , Al‐Sahaf Fadhel H. , Robertson G. Philip
Published: March 2021

Urbanization and industrial competition continue to reduce both farmland and available water for food production. Therefore, a new root zone soil water retention technology was modified to transform highly permeable soils into sustainable agriculture. This long‐term drought avoidance technology was tested in two arid regions of Iraq, an arid country with declining irrigation water supplies. Manually installed U‐shaped impermeable membrane troughs were compared with manually installed thin layers of partially decomposed organic matter. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicumL.) variety Dafnis (Syngenta Sweden) and spicy pepper (Capsicum solanaceaeL.) crops were spring planted at Najaf and Diyala field sites during a 2‐yr study. Soil water, temperature, and salinity were measured hourly, and compared to crop growth parameters, yields, and irrigation water use efficiency. Combined weights of four tomato and spicy pepper harvests were (P = .05) 15 and 25% greater on sand soils equipped with root zone soil water retaining technology (SWRT) membranes and required 61% less irrigation water than crops grown on locally practiced organic matter‐lined and no water retaining control soils. Spicy pepper production on SWRT membranes (P = .05) increased 30% with concomitant (P = .05) 125% greater irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) than organic matter‐layered and control soils at Diyala.
The constraints of racialization: How classification and valuation hinder scientific research on human variation
Authors: Lasisi Tina
Published: March 2021

Human biological variation has historically been studied through the lens of racialization. Despite a general shift away from the use of overt racial terminologies, the underlying racialized frameworks used to describe and understand human variation still remain. Even in relatively recent anthropological and biomedical work, we can observe clear manifestations of such racial thinking. This paper shows how classification and valuation are two specific processes which facilitate racialization and hinder attempts to move beyond such frameworks. The bias induced by classification distorts descriptions of phenotypic variation in a way that erroneously portrays European populations as more variable than others. Implicit valuation occurs in tandem with classification and produces narratives of superiority/inferiority for certain phenotypic variants without an objective biological basis. The bias of racialization is a persistent impediment stemming from the inheritance of scientific knowledge developed under explicitly racial paradigms. It is also an internalized cognitive distortion cultivated through socialization in a world where racialization is inescapable. Though undeniably challenging, this does not present an insurmountable barrier, and this bias can be mitigated through the critical evaluation of past work, the active inclusion of marginalized perspectives, and the direct confrontation of institutional structures enforcing racialized paradigms.
SARS‐CoV‐2 infection aggravates chronic comorbidities of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in mice
Authors: Ma Yuanwu , Lu Dan , Bao Linlin , Qu Yajin , Liu Jiangning , Qi Xiaolong , Yu Lei , Zhang Xu , Qi Feifei , Lv Qi , Liu Yunpeng , Shi Xudong , Sun Caixian , Li Jing , Wang Jie , Han Yunlin , Gao Kai , Dong Wei , Liu Ning , Gao Shan , Xue Jing , Wei Qiang , Pan Sidan , Gao Hong , Zhang Lianfeng , Qin Chuan
Published: March 2021

Background

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are top two chronic comorbidities that increase the severity and mortality of COVID‐19. However, how SARS‐CoV‐2 alters the progression of chronic diseases remain unclear.

Methods

We used adenovirus to deliver h‐ACE2 to lung to enable SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in mice. SARS‐CoV‐2’s impacts on pathogenesis of chronic diseases were studied through histopathological, virologic and molecular biology analysis.

Results

Pre‐existing CVDs resulted in viral invasion, ROS elevation and activation of apoptosis pathways contribute myocardial injury during SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Viral infection increased fasting blood glucose and reduced insulin response in DM model. Bone mineral density decreased shortly after infection, which associated with impaired PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling.

Conclusion

We established mouse models mimicked the complex pathological symptoms of COVID‐19 patients with chronic diseases. Pre‐existing diseases could impair the inflammatory responses to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, which further aggravated the pre‐existing diseases. This work provided valuable information to better understand the interplay between the primary diseases and SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.
Synthesis of Dimer Acid 2‐Ethylhexyl Esters and their Physicochemical Properties as Biolubricant Base Stock and their Potential as Additive in Commercial Base Oils
Authors: Isah Shehu , Zhang Jainwei , Biresaw Girma , Strahan Gary D. , Nunez Alberto , Wyatt Victor T. , Ngo Helen , Ozbay Gulnihal
Published: March 2021

Previously synthesized C36‐dimer acids (DA) have been esterified (97 ± 0.2% conversion at 120 °C for 72 hours) with 2‐ethylhexanol (2‐EH) to produce a new class of C52‐DA 2‐EH esters that have potential application in biolubricant formulations such as base oils and additives. Investigation of physicochemical and lubricant properties showed the bio‐based esters have good solubility in commercial base stocks such as polyalpha olefin (PAO‐6) (>20 w/w) and high‐oleic sunflower oil (HOSuO) (>20 w/w). The neat C52‐DA 2‐EH esters displayed a three‐ to eightfold higher kinematic viscosity and comparable viscosity index (VI = 134) as a commercial base stock, PAO‐6 (VI =137). Both C52‐DA 2‐EH esters, whose parent C36‐DA were synthesized with two different zeolite catalysts, were oxidatively stable above 176 °C. Blending C52‐DA 2‐EH esters in HOSuO improved the pour point (PP) of HOSuO from −18.8 to −21.0 °C at 1% w/w and the cloud point (CP) from −6.3 to −10.6 °C at 8% w/w of C52‐DA 2‐EH ester 1. A similar trend was observed for C52‐DA 2‐EH ester 2, indicating that the esters possess PP depressant (PPD) characteristics in HOSuO blends. Blending C52‐DA 2‐EH esters in PAO‐6 increased the VI of PAO‐6, which is an indication that the bio‐based esters were acting as VI improvers (VII). It was concluded that C52‐DA 2‐EH esters can be employed commercially as bio‐based base oils and as PPD and VII additives in lubricant formulations.
Reducing CO2 emissions and process cost in vinyl acetate/acetic acid/acetic anhydride ternary mixture via heat pumps with heat exchange network
Authors: Zhu Ming , Fan Xiaoqiang , Ma Jiangquan , Li Nan , Gao Xiaoxin
Published: March 2021

A systematic design and optimization method for vinyl acetate/acetic acid/acetic anhydride ternary system separation processes is proposed. Herein, four separation schemes including the conventional distillation, the inter‐column mechanical vapor recompression heat pump distillation (IMVRHP), the double mechanical vapor recompression heat pumps distillation (DMVRHPs), and DMVRHPs with heat exchange network (DMVRHPs‐HEN) are conducted. The optimal separation process is determined by minimizing the total annual cost (TAC) and CO2 emission. As a result, the three designed mechanical vapor recompression heat pump distillation (MVRHP) processes show better performance in all aspects than conventional distillation process. Specifically, the DMVRHPs‐HEN scheme saves 89.75% of the CO2 emission and 0.09% of the TAC compared with conventional distillation process. More important, the TACs of DMVRHPs‐HEN are decreased by 22.21% and 57.69% compared with those of conventional distillation process when the payback period is 5 and 8 years, respectively. This research is expected to provide theoretical guidance for the energy saving scheme of vinyl acetate/acetic acid/acetic anhydride ternary system.
Preparation and characterization of soy protein isolate/SiO2 nanocomposite films and their walnut oil microcapsules
Authors: Yang Zongling , Luo Lin , Fan Fangyu , Su Jingcheng , Zhou Chongyin , Kan Huan
Published: March 2021

In this study, nano‐SiO2/soy protein isolate composite film was prepared by casting method. The effects of (adding 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 9% w/w) nano‐SiO2 on the properties of the resulting blend films were investigated. Results showed that the addition of 5% nano‐SiO2 exhibited good barrier properties. The mechanical properties including tensile strength and elongation at break of the film with 7% nano‐SiO2 is increased by 82.6% and 31.49% correspondingly. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated that the melting temperature of the composite film is increased by 56.6°C compared with the pure film. The wall material modified by nano‐SiO2 (adding 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 9% w/w) was used for encapsulating walnut oil by spray drying. After accelerating oxidation test at 63°C for 12 days, we found that the encapsulation efficiency value of walnut oil microcapsules with 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 9% nano‐SiO2 decreased by 64.23%, 48%, 21%, 22%, 21.00%, and 31% respectively. The results suggested that the stability of the core material was improved by adding nano‐SiO2 to the wall material.
Circulating tumor cells detected with a microcavity array predict clinical outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Takahashi Kazuto , Ofuji Kazuya , Hiramatsu Katsushi , Nosaka Takuto , Naito Tatsushi , Matsuda Hidetaka , Endo Katsuya , Higuchi Masayuki , Ohtani Masahiro , Nemoto Tomoyuki , Nakamoto Yasunari
Published: March 2021

The present study aimed to establish a novel isolation strategy for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using a microcavity array (MCA) system and to evaluate the clinical significance of CTCs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We examined recovery rates of HCC cell lines spiked into whole blood in MCA assay. Circulating tumor cells were isolated from peripheral blood samples (3 mL) of 7 healthy donors (HD), 14 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), and 31 patients with HCC using the MCA system. Additionally, we investigated the mRNA expression of liver‐specific genes in isolated CTCs using qPCR. The recovery rates were 65.1% (HepG2), 76.7% (HuH7), and 99.0% (PLC/PRF/5). In HD and patients with LC and HCC, the CTC positivity rate (CTCs ≥10) and average CTC number were as follows: HD 0% and 0.1, LC 14.3% and 5.3, HCC 54.8% and 47.6, respectively. The CTC positivity rate in HCC was significantly higher than that in LC (p < 0.05). The number of CTCs was significantly higher in metastatic HCC (102.2 ± 160.6) than in localized HCC (8.2 ± 7.7) (p < 0.05). The expression of AFP, glypican‐3, EpCAM, and albumin (ALB) genes was detected in isolated CTCs. The positive CTCs (CTCs ≥10) significantly reduced the cumulative survival in patients with HCC (p = 0.025), especially in localized patients with HCC (p = 0.046). The newly developed MCA system has the potential to isolate CTCs from HCC with high sensitivity, and mRNA expression could be measured from CTCs. Identification of positive CTCs can help predict clinical outcome of patients with HCC. Thus, analysis of CTCs in patients with HCC may provide important information as a novel biomarker in disease progression.
Positive versus negative contact and refugees' intentions to migrate: The mediating role of perceived discrimination, life satisfaction and identification with the host society among Syrian refugees in Turkey
Authors: Özkan Zafer , Ergün Naif , Çakal Hüseyin
Published: March 2021

Most research on refugee integration focuses on attitudes toward refugees among the members of the host society. Consequently, little is known on refugees' intentions to return home or migrate to another country. The present research investigates whether positive and negative contact with Turks are related to Syrian refugees' migration decisions via perceived discrimination, identification with the host society, and life satisfaction. Using a sample of Syrian adults (N = 285), we found that positive contact with Turks was associated with reduced return intentions via perceived discrimination and identification with the host society and with reduced intentions to migrate from Turkey to the Western countries via life satisfaction. Negative contact was only associated with increased return intentions via perceived discrimination. This study underscores the role of intergroup contact to better understand migration decisions of refugees and potential underlying mechanisms to explain this association. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.
A review on Arthrobacter sp. lipase: A versatile biocatalyst for the kinetic resolution to access enantiomerically pure/enriched compounds
Authors: Gupta Pankaj , Chaubey Asha , Mahajan Neha , Anand Naveen
Published: March 2021

Over the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of reports related to Arthrobacter sp. lipase (ABL:MTCC No. 5125) catalyzed kinetic resolution performed in biphasic media. A strain displaying esterase/lipase activity and designated as ABL was isolated, during the course of a screening program at Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu. Considerable research has shown that reactions catalyzed by ABL are more selective than many commercial lipases. Since new applications of this lipase are emerging, there is a great need to provide all the relevant information exclusively. This review article is an attempt to cover all the relevant reports based on isolation, purification, immobilization, and application of ABL in the biopharmaceutical sector.
Drug responsiveness of leukemic cells detected in vitro at diagnosis correlates with therapy response and survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Kolesnikova Maria A. , Sen'kova Aleksandra V. , Pospelova Tatiana I. , Zenkova Marina A.
Published: March 2021

Background

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults, and chemotherapy remains the most commonly used treatment approach for this group of hematological disorders. Drug resistance is one of the predictors of unfavorable prognosis for leukemia patients.

Aim

The purpose of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis of the survival rate in AML patients according to age, tumor status, and chemotherapy regimen received and to analyze the therapy response of AML patients depending on the treatment received, initial responsiveness of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs measured in vitro at diagnosis and expression of immunological markers.

Methods

The survival of AML patients (n = 127) was analyzed using the Kaplan‐Meier method. Drug sensitivity of tumor cells of AML patients (n = 37) and the expression of immunological markers were evaluated by the WST test and flow cytometry, respectively. Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman's rank order correlation coefficient.

Results

We found the treatment regimen to be the defining factor in the patient survival rate. In addition, the initial responsiveness of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs measured in vitro at diagnosis correlated with the therapy response of AML: patients with high tumor cell sensitivity to particular cytotoxic drugs demonstrated a good response to treatment including these drugs, and patients with initial resistance of tumor cells to a particular chemotherapeutic agents and received it according to the clinical protocols demonstrated a poor response to antitumor therapy. Correlations of drug resistance in leukemic cells with the expression of immature and aberrant immunophenotype markers as established unfavorable prognostic factors confirm our assumption.

Conclusion

The evaluation of the responsiveness of tumor cells to chemotherapy in vitro at diagnosis can be a useful tool for predicting the response of leukemia patients to planned chemotherapy.