bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A prognostic model for hepatitis B acute‐on‐chronic liver failure patients treated using a plasma exchange‐centered liver support system
Authors: Xie Zhongyang , Violetta Laurencia , Chen Ermei , Huang Kaizhou , Wu Daxian , Xu Xiaowei , Ouyang Xiaoxi , Zhao Yalei , Li Lanjuan
Published: November 2019

Aim

To determine the prognostic risk factors of patients with hepatitis B virus related acute‐on‐chronic liver failure (HBV‐ACLF) treated with plasma exchange (PE)‐based artificial liver support system (ALSS), and create a prognostic predictive model.

Methods

A total of 304 HBV‐ACLF patients who received PE‐based ALSS were retrospectively analyzed. Potential prognostic factors on admission associated with survival were investigated. Of note, 101 additional patients were analyzed to validate the performance of the prognostic models.

Results

According to 28‐day survival, a total of 207 patients who survived and 97 non‐survivors were identified in the derivation group. Overall, 268 (88.2%) ACLF cases were caused by reactivation of HBV. Cox proportional hazards regression model revealed that age, total bilirubin, ln (alpha‐fetoprotein [AFP]), encephalopathy (HE) score, sodium level, and international normalized ratio (INR) were independent risk factors of short‐term prognosis. We built a model named ALSS‐prognosis model (APM) to predict the 28‐day survival of HBV‐ACLF patients with ALSS; the model APM showed potentially better predictive performance for both the derivation and validation groups than MELD, MELD‐Na, and CLIF‐C ACLF score.

Conclusions

Low AFP was found to be an independent risk factor for high mortality in HBV‐ACLF patients treated with PE‐based ALSS. We generated a new model containing AFP, namely APM, which showed potentially better prediction performance than MELD, MELD‐Na, and CLIF‐C ACLF score for short‐term outcomes, and could aid physicians in making optimal therapeutic decisions.
A review: applications of ion transport in micro‐nanofluidic systems based on ion concentration polarization
Authors: Han Wenbo , Chen Xueye
Published: November 2019

Lab‐on‐a‐chip has been used widely in rapid, high‐throughput and low‐consumption analysis of samples in biochemistry. The ion concentration polarization (ICP) produced by ion‐selective transport of nanochannels provides a novel solution for problems in ultra‐low concentration sample detection, systems biology and desalination. This paper reviews the applications of ion transport based on the principle of ICP in micro‐nanofluidic systems. First, the fundamental governing equations of ICP are described. Then, the applications of nano‐electrokinetic ion enrichment and ion current rectification (ICR) are introduced. Nano‐electrokinetic ion enrichment is used mainly in the fields of molecular enrichment, ultra‐low concentration sample detection and seawater desalination. ICR is applied mainly to the sensitive detection of analytical substances such as proteins, nucleic acids and small molecules. The application of ion transport based on ICP principle is summarized and the possible directions worthy of further research are proposed. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Accessory glands of male reproductive system in Pseudochorthippus parallelus parallelus (Zetterstedt, 1821) (Orthoptera: Acrididae): A light and electron microscopic study
Authors: Polat Irmak , Amutkan Mutlu Damla , Suludere Zekiye
Published: November 2019

The accessory glands of male reproductive system in insects play a significant role in the reproduction process by protecting sperm in spermatheca, preventing female to accept other males after mating and stimulating oviposition. The number, structure, and arrangement of the tubules of accessory glands can change from species to species. In this study, the accessory glands belonging the male reproductive system in Pseudochorthippus parallelus parallelus (Zetterstedt, 1821) (Orthoptera, Acrididae) were examined with stereomicroscope, light microscope, scanning (SEM), and transmission (TEM) electron microscopes at Gazi University, Faculty of Science in 2017–2019. P. parallelus parallelus is a widespread species that is located at the extending areas from Italy to the Northern Europe and also in Turkey. The accessory glands of P. parallelus parallelus’ male reproductive system are composed of about 10 tubules. The tubules can be classified into two groups according to the thickness of their muscle tissues. Both groups have single layered epithelial cells with mitochondria, well‐developed endoplasmic reticulum, spherical nucleus with electron dense chromatin, secretory vesicles and multivesicular bodies in their cytoplasm. In addition, apocrine type secretion is seen in epithelial cells.
Genetic testing preferences and intentions in patients with clinically diagnosed familial hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Wand Hannah , Sturm Amy C. , Erby Lori , Kindt Iris , Klein William M.P.
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common Mendelian disorder characterized by elevated LDL cholesterol levels, which if untreated can cause premature heart disease. Less than 10% of cases in the United States are diagnosed. This study investigates decision‐making factors associated with intentions to have FH genetic testing among patients clinically diagnosed with FH.

Methods

Fifty‐three clinically diagnosed adults with FH and no genetic testing were recruited through the FH Foundation and lipid clinics. Participants completed a survey containing items capturing various reasons to engage in genetic testing.

Results

Exploratory factor analysis of survey items identified three factors: (a) aversion to FH genetic information, (b) curiosity regarding medical/family history, (c) and psychological reassurance. Psychological reassurance was, in turn, the only significant predictor of genetic testing intentions. The positive effect of reassurance on genetic testing intention was moderated by aversion such that individuals who were low in reassurance were more inclined to decline testing if aversion was high.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that clinically diagnosed patients’ decisions about FH genetic testing are driven principally by psychological reassurance, particularly when low in aversion to FH genetic information.
Transaldolase haploinsufficiency in subjects with acetaminophen‐induced liver failure
Authors: Oaks Zachary , Jimah John , Grossman Craig C. , Beckford Miguel , Kelly Ryan , Banerjee Sanjay , Niland Brian , Miklossy Gabriella , Kuloglu Zarife , Kansu Aydan , Lee William , Szonyi Laszlo , Banki Katalin , Perl Andras
Published: November 2019

Transaldolase (TAL) is an enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) that generates NADPH for protection against oxidative stress. While deficiency of other PPP enzymes, such as transketolase (TKT), are incompatible with mammalian cell survival, mice lacking TAL are viable and develop progressive liver disease attributed to oxidative stress. Mice with homozygous or heterozygous TAL deficiency are predisposed to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and acetaminophen (APAP)‐induced liver failure. Both mice and humans with complete TAL deficiency accumulate sedoheptulose 7‐phosphate (S7P). Previous human studies relied on screening patients with S7P accumulation, thus excluding potentially pathogenic haploinsufficiency. Of note, mice with TAL haploinsufficiency are also predisposed to HCC and APAP‐induced liver failure which are preventable with oral N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) administration. Based on TALDO1 DNA sequencing, we detected functional TAL deficiency due to novel, heterozygous variations in two of 94 healthy adults and four of 27 subjects with APAP‐induced liver failure (P = .022). The functional consequences of these variations were individually validated by site‐directed mutagenesis of normal cDNA and loss of activity by recombinant enzyme. All four patients with TAL haplo‐insufficiency with APAP‐induced liver failure were successfully treated with NAC. We also document two novel variations in two of 15 children with previously unexplained liver cirrhosis. Examination of the National Center for Biotechnology Information databases revealed 274 coding region variations have been documented in 1125 TALDO1 sequences relative to 25 variations in 2870 TKT sequences (P < .0001). These findings suggest an unexpected prevalence and variety of genetic changes in human TALDO1 with relevance for liver injury that may be preventable by treatment with NAC.
Respiratory viruses in individuals with a high frequency of animal exposure in southern and highland Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Tu Thi Kha , Ngo Tue Tri , Tran Phuc My , Pham Tam Thi Thanh , Vu Hang Thi Ty , Nguyen Ny Thi Han , Thwaites Guy , Virtala Anna‐Maija K. , Vapalahti Olli , Baker Stephen , Le Van Tan
Published: November 2019

Active surveillance for zoonotic respiratory viruses is essential to inform the development of appropriate interventions and outbreak responses. Here we target individuals with a high frequency of animal exposure in Vietnam. Three‐year community‐based surveillance was conducted in Vietnam during 2013‐2016. We enrolled a total of 581 individuals (animal‐raising farmers, slaughterers, animal‐health workers, and rat traders), and utilized reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction to detect 15 common respiratory viruses in pooled nasal‐throat swabs collected at baseline or acute respiratory disease episodes. A respiratory virus was detected in 7.9% (58 of 732) of baseline samples, and 17.7% (136 of 770) of disease episode samples (P < .001), with enteroviruses (EVs), rhinoviruses and influenza A virus being the predominant viruses detected. There were temporal and spatial fluctuations in the frequencies of the detected viruses over the study period, for example, EVs and influenza A viruses were more often detected during rainy seasons. We reported the detection of common respiratory viruses in individuals with a high frequency of animal exposure in Vietnam, an emerging infectious disease hotspot. The results show the value of baseline/control sampling in delineating the causative relationships and have revealed important insights into the ecological aspects of EVs, rhinoviruses and influenza A and their contributions to the burden posed by respiratory infections in Vietnam.
Platelet activation during chronic hepatitis B infection exacerbates liver inflammation and promotes fibrosis
Authors: Jiang Qirong , Mao Richeng , Wu Jingwen , Chang Lin , Zhu Haoxiang , Zhang Ge , Ding Zhongren , Zhang Jiming
Published: November 2019

Recurrent hepatitis activity during chronic hepatitis B virus infection results in fibrosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma. It is still unclear what causes acute exacerbation. As platelets have recently been identified as a significant role in inflammation, we here investigated the role of platelets in mediating liver damage in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Platelet aggregation testing and flow cytometry were carried out to evaluate platelet activation status in 121 patients chronically infected with hepatitis B across different phases of the condition. The correlation between platelet aggregation rate and liver inflammation or liver fibrosis index was evaluated. To investigate the genesis of platelet activation, several serum cytokines were also assessed by MILLIPLEX microsphere‐based multiplex cytokine assay. Active hepatitis patients showed a higher aggregation rate than others. Levels of CD62p, a marker of platelet activation, were also increased in this group of patients. Positive correlations between platelet aggregation rate and liver inflammation or liver fibrosis were also noted, indicating a significant role of platelet in the progression of liver disease. The level of tumor necrosis factor‐alpha, which is known to trigger platelet activation, was markedly higher in the active hepatitis group (P < .005). Based on the findings in our study, platelet activation plays a vital role in the progression of chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Antiplatelet therapy may provide a new means of hepatitis B infection treatment.
Phycocyanin Ameliorates Radiation‐Induced Acute Intestinal Toxicity by Regulating the Effect of the Gut Microbiota on the TLR4/Myd88/NF‐κB Pathway
Authors: Lu Lina , Li Wenjun , Sun Chao , Kang Shuhe , Li Jia , Luo Xingping , Su Qiong , Liu Bin , Qin Song
Published: November 2019

Background

Radiation‐induced gastrointestinal syndrome, including nausea, diarrhea, and dehydration, contributes to morbidity and mortality after medical or industrial radiation exposure, which seriously affects patient quality of life after treatment. No safe and effective radiation countermeasure has been approved for clinical therapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of phycocyanin (PC) against radiation‐induced acute intestinal injury.

Materials and Methods

C57BL/6 mice were orally administered 50 mg/kg PC once per day for 1 month before exposure to total‐abdominal x‐ray irradiation at a single dose of 12 Gy. The effects of PC on intestinal histopathology and integrity, gut microbiota, lipopolysaccharides (LPS), inflammatory cytokines, and Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (Myd88)/nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) signaling were evaluated.

Results

Severe histopathological damage, such as intestinal mucosal epithelial cell apoptosis, necrosis, and nuclear rupture, was most clearly observed 24 hours after total‐abdominal x‐ray irradiation. Intestinal integrity was damaged by irradiation, which manifested in reduced levels of the tight‐junction proteins Claudin‐1, Occludin, and zonula occludens‐1(ZO‐1). PC pretreatment significantly ameliorated radiation‐induced intestinal injury. PC also modulated the gut microbiota composition, increasing the proportion of beneficial bacteria and decreasing that of harmful bacteria, which in turn lowered LPS levels and suppressed TLR4/Myd88/NF‐κB pathway activation. Finally, levels of corresponding inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin‐6, were also downregulated.

Conclusion

PC protects against mouse intestinal injury from high‐dose radiation by regulating the effect of the gut microbiota on the TLR4/Myd88/NF‐κB pathway, suggesting PC as a promising natural radiation countermeasure.
Root colonization by heavy metal resistant Enterobacter and its influence on metal induced oxidative stress on Cajanus cajan
Authors: Sharma Rakesh K , Barot Kavita , Archana Gayatri
Published: November 2019

BACKGROUND

Heavy metal resistant bacterium Enterobacter sp. C1D was evaluated for cadmium (Cd) mediated exopolysaccharide production, biofilm formation and legume root colonization ability under Cd stress to alleviate metal induced stress.

RESULTS

The plant was sensitive to Cd (IC50 3–4 μg mL−1), whereas the bacterium showed high Cd tolerance (MIC99 120 μg mL−1). Confocal laser scanning microscopy of the Cajanus cajan roots showed heavy loads of green fluorescence protein labelled Enterobacter sp. C1D on the surface of plant root, specifically at the point of root hair/lateral root formation along with cortex, even under metal stress. The root colonizing ability of Enterobacter sp. C1D was not affected by the presence of Rhizobium and the bacteria could be observed after 30 days of incubation in soil. Various plant growth parameters, antioxidant metabolites and oxidative stress indicator were significantly influenced by bacterial treatment, which, overall, reduced the adverse effect of Cd.

CONCLUSION

Heavy metal tolerant bacteria may be a good choice for the development of biofertilizers and may work well with the native soil microbes such as Rhizobium under the metal polluted soil. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Comparative laboratory efficacy of novel botanical extracts againstTribolium castaneum
Authors: Mangang Irengbam Barun , Tiwari Abhinav , Rajamani Meenatchi , Manickam Loganathan
Published: November 2019

BACKGROUND

Citrus sinensis,Allium sativum,Ocimum basilicum,Mentha spicata,Curcuma longa,Carica papaya,Andrographis paniculata,Azadirachta indica,Cymbopogon citratusandAcorus calamuswere compared in the form of extracts of chloroform, hexane and aqueous media for their effectiveness in repellingTribolium castaneum. Filter paper of 9 cm in diameter was cut into halves. Using a micro‐pipette, each extract was applied to one half of the filter paper. The volume applied was kept constant at 0.6 mL per 30 cm2. The filter paper was dried and reattached leaving a 0.5 cm gap between, in a Petri‐plate. Ten adults ofT. castaneumwere introduced and the repellency was observed after 30, 60 and 180 min.

RESULTS

The aqueous extract ofC. papayaexhibited the highest repellency (82–97%) followed by that of garlic bulbs (aqueous extract) with 86.67% repellency. Further, gunny bags were sprayed separately using bottle sprayers with the two most effective extracts at a constant volume of 42 mL per 575 cm2. These treated gunny bags were compared with malathion‐treated gunny bags in the insect management unit. The observations were taken after 2, 8 and 24 h. Papaya leaf extract‐treated gunny bags showed relative repellent activity similar to that of malathion‐treated gunny bags after 24 h of treatment. Thus, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of aqueous extract of papaya leaves was performed.

CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded that extract of papaya leaves containing 2‐methoxy‐4‐vinylphenol (8.47% peak area) can be used as a repellent biopesticide. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Agrometeorological models to forecast açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) yield in the Eastern Amazon
Authors: da Silva Cabral de Moraes José Reinaldo , Souza Rolim Glauco de , Martorano Lucieta Guerreiro , de Oliveira Aparecido Lucas Eduardo , Padilha de Oliveira Maria do Socorro , de Farias Neto João Tome
Published: November 2019

BACKGROUND

The increasing demand in Brazil and the world for products derived from the açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea Mart) has generated changes in its production process, principally due to the necessity of maintaining yield in situations of seasonality and climate fluctuation. The objective of this study was to estimate açaí fruit yield in irrigated system (IRRS) and rainfed system or unirrigated (RAINF) using agrometeorological models in response to climate conditions in the eastern Amazon. Modeling was done using multiple linear regression using the ‘stepwise forward’ method of variable selection. Monthly air temperature (T) values, solar radiation (SR), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), precipitation + irrigation (P + I), and potential evapotranspiration (PET) in six phenological phases were correlated with yield. The thermal necessity value was calculated through the sum of accumulated degree days (ADD) up to the formation of fruit bunch, as well as the time necessary for initial leaf development, using a base temperature of 10 °C.

RESULTS

The most important meteorological variables were T, SR, and VPD for IRRS, and for RAINF water stress had the greatest effect. The accuracy of the agrometeorological models, using maximum values for mean absolute percent error (MAPE), was 0.01 in the IRRS and 1.12 in the RAINF.

CONCLUSION

Using these models yield was predicted approximately 6 to 9 months before the harvest, in April, May, November, and December in the IRRS, and January, May, June, August, September, and November for the RAINF. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Relative Importance of Vital Rates to Population Dynamics of Wood Ducks
Authors: Hepp Gary R. , Gitzen Robert A. , Kennamer Robert A.
Published: November 2019

The wood duck (Aix sponsa) is a common and important cavity‐nesting duck in North America; however, we know very little about how changes in vital rates influence population growth rate (λ). We used estimates of fertility and survival of female wood ducks from our nest‐box studies in South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia, USA, to create a stage‐based matrix population model. We conducted perturbation analyses and ranked elasticity values to examine the relative importance of 17 component vital rates to λ. Female survival is influenced by nest success, so we recognized this female heterogeneity in our analyses. Four vital rates showed the greatest importance to λ. Analytic elasticities were greatest for breeding season and nonbreeding season survival of females that nested successfully, followed by nest success and female recruitment to the breeding population. Differences in female quality were important to λ. Next, we used process variation of vital rates and conducted life‐stage simulation analyses (LSA) followed by variance decomposition to determine the amount of variation in λ explained by each vital rate. Female recruitment to the breeding population explained 57.7% of the variation in λ followed by nest success (11.4%), and breeding and nonbreeding season survival of females that nested successfully (9.3% and 9.4%, respectively). Together these 4 vital rates explained 88% of the variation in λ. Mean asymptotic population growth rate (λ = 0.80 ± 0.08 [SD]) from LSA revealed a declining population. Recruitment of females hatched from nest boxes was insufficient to sustain the nest‐box population. However, including yearling (SY) females that were produced outside of nest boxes (i.e., immigrants) increased recruitment rates 1.5 to 2 times more than when only SY females recruited from nest boxes were included. Future research that examines how emigration and immigration interact with survival and reproduction to influence local population dynamics of wood ducks will be important for identifying the value of nest‐box programs to wood duck conservation and management. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.
Multicriteria decision making for sustainable development: A systematic review
Authors: Kandakoglu Ahmet , Frini Anissa , Ben Amor Sarah
Published: November 2019

Making decisions by integrating social and environmental concerns beyond the financial dimension involves complex decision‐making processes in which innovative approaches and best practices need to be implemented. Recently, the literature on decision‐making related to sustainable development has grown rapidly, and multiple criteria decision making or analysis (MCDM/A) methods appear to be the most widely used approaches. The general objective of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the literature on the use of MCDM/A in a sustainable development context. We carefully analysed 343 papers dealing with decision‐making in sustainable development contexts published in the last 7 years (2010‐2017) using MCDM/A methods. Descriptive statistics were provided to highlight the main trends and gaps in the literature, and future research avenues were presented. The results show that although sustainable development strives to achieve a balance between the short and the long term, most articles surveyed did not investigate either the long‐term perspective related to sustainable development or the unforeseen events that could impact future project evaluations. Indeed, the need for temporal MCDM/A methods under uncertainty emerges as an important research challenge. In addition, results show that the social dimension was the most frequently ignored dimension. In future research, decision‐making processes should closely investigate social well‐being and encourage the participation of stakeholders (including the communities affected). Finally, the recent research on sustainability is relatively easy to implement but may not lead to the desired outcome. Future research needs to develop methods that promote sustainability without being overly difficult to implement in practice.
Review of a nurse consultant’s role: Identifying the contribution made to people living with and beyond cancer
Authors: Taylor Claire , Wiseman Theresa
Published: November 2019

Aim

To evaluate a new nurse consultant (NC) role, four specific objectives were set including examining the NC’s contribution to the local implementation over a 30‐month time period of the Recovery Package and assessing changes at a patient/professional/system level.

Methods

An evaluative process was agreed using Donabedian's (2005) model for measuring the quality of care provided. It focused on the NC’s contribution to the Trust's LWBC agenda including a review of Recovery Package metrics, analysis of the NC template recording activity across different domains, 360‐degree feedback and personal reflections.

Results

The evaluation demonstrated the NC’s influence on individual patient care with an increase in three of the four Recovery Package metrics to the Trust; improvements in delivery of services and a higher level of participation in activities aimed at raising awareness to LWBC at a regional and national level. Broader influences of this role were also evident.
Mechanical properties of wollastonite reinforced thermoplastic composites: A review
Authors: Chan Jia X. , Wong Joon F. , Hassan Azman , Mohamad Zurina , Othman Norhayani
Published: November 2019

Wollastonite is a functional filler that has great potential to be used in thermoplastic composites, replacing more expensive reinforcement such as glass fiber. Wollastonite‐reinforced polymer composite materials have attracted the attentions from research field and industries due to their biocompatibility and reinforcing ability in polymers. Due to the relatively high aspect ratio and hardness, wollastonite is able to improve the tensile and flexural strength of polymer composites. Many researches have been conducted to determine various properties of wollastonite reinforced polymer composites such as mechanical, flammability, thermal, and tribological properties in order to explore their potential in various applications. This review will focus on mechanical properties of wollastonite reinforced thermoplastic composites. Overall, it can be concluded that the properties of wollastonite‐filled polymer composites are the function of filler content, adhesion interactions of wollastonite particles with polymer matrix, size and shape of wollastonite particles. Further research and development are needed to widen its application, and these include the use of nano‐size wollastonite which can be produced synthetically as functional filler in thermoplastics.
Hyperspectral assessment of plant responses to multi‐stress environments: Prospects for managing protected agrosystems
Authors: Cotrozzi Lorenzo , Couture John J.
Published: November 2019

Societal Impact Statement

Advancements in our ability to rapidly detect plant responses to stress are necessary to improve crop management practices and meet the global challenge of food security. Using optical approaches to detect plant stress before symptoms become apparent has great potential, but these approaches lack testing in multiple‐stress environments and fail to fully exploit the data collected. Using hyperspectral data from lettuce, we show that optical measurements can provide growers with important stress‐related information to inform crop management practices. We suggest that integrating this technology into protected agrosystems, such as greenhouses, could greatly improve crop quality and yield.

Summary

Tools to detect and predict stress pre‐visually are essential to optimally manage agrosystems. Here, we investigated the capability of reflectance spectroscopy to characterize responses of asymptomatic crop leaves under multi‐stress conditions.

Full range (350–2,500 nm) reflectance measurements and traditional plant stress responses were collected on lettuce leaves under the combination of different supplemental light types and intensities, fertilization and salinity. Partial least‐squares discriminate analysis and regression modeling and spectral indices were employed to characterize plant responses to multiple stress conditions, both alone and in combination.

Spectral profiles (400–800 nm + 1,900–2,200 nm) of individuals grown under variable environments were statistically different (p < .05) for multiple combinations. Partial least‐squares discriminate analysis accurately classified the different single stressors well (accuracy: 0.76–0.91), but generated moderate accuracies (0.63–0.65) for two‐stress combinations, and low accuracy (0.33) for higher order stress combinations. Osmotic potential, and chlorophyll and phenol concentrations were well predicted by spectral data (validation R2: 0.70–0.84). Higher lettuce yield and quality was found under sodium light at high intensity (850 µmol m−2 s−1 photosynthetic active radiation), with high fertilization (150 ppm N) and no salinity.

Our findings highlight the utility and limitations of vegetation spectroscopy in a protected agrosystem. We suggest that integration of vegetation spectroscopy into intelligent and automated greenhouses and other protected systems could enhance management efficiency, as well as crop quality and yield.
Antifungal activity of metyltetraprole against the existing QoI‐resistant isolates of various plant pathogenic fungi
Authors: Matsuzaki Yuichi , Kiguchi So , Suemoto Haruka , Iwahashi Fukumatsu
Published: November 2019

BACKGROUND

Metyltetraprole is a novel quinol oxidation site of Complex III inhibitor (QoI) fungicide that inhibits mitochondrial electron transport at the Qo site of the cytochrome bc1 complex. Previous reports have demonstrated that it is also active against the QoI‐resistant (QoI‐R) isolates of Zymoseptoria tritici and Pyrenophora teres with the mutations G143A and F129L in their cytochrome b gene, respectively. Further studies on cross‐resistance between metyltetraprole and existing QoIs were performed using an increased number of isolates of Z. tritici, P. teres, Ramularia collo‐cygni, Pyrenophora tritici‐repentis, and several other plant pathogenic fungi.

RESULTS

Differences in the EC50 values between the wild‐type and QoI‐R isolates with the mutations G143A or F129L were always smaller for metyltetraprole compared to those for the existing QoIs, and they were never greater than five in terms of resistance factor. The 2‐year field experiments showed that the metyltetraprole treatment did not increase the percentage of QoI‐R isolates likely to harbor the G143A mutation in a Z. tritici population.

CONCLUSION

The unique behavior of metyltetraprole against the existing QoI‐R isolates was confirmed for all tested pathogen species. Our results provide important information to establish a fungicide resistance management strategy using metyltetraprole in combination or alternation with other fungicides. © 2019 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
High‐Performance Polymer Photodetector Using the Non‐Thermal‐and‐Non‐Ultraviolet–Ozone‐Treated SnO2 Interfacial Layer
Authors: Deng Rui , Yan Chao , Deng Yadan , Hu Yufeng , Deng Zhenbo , Cui Qiuhong , Lou Zhidong , Hou Yanbing , Teng Feng
Published: November 2019

In organic or perovskite photovoltaic‐type devices, to improve device performance, the thermal and ultraviolet–ozone (UVO) treatments are usually critical for the metal oxide film fabrication by removing the interfacial layer induced defects. However, the defects might play the opposite role in photoconductive photodetectors, where the defect‐induced photogenerated charge accumulation can lead to a tunneling current. Herein, a high‐performance solution‐processed broadband organic photodetector (OPD) in the visible wavelength is realized and characterized by introducing the non‐thermal‐and‐non‐UVO‐treated SnO2 nanoparticle film between the indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and the active layer of the poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT):phenyl‐C61‐butyric‐acid‐methyl‐ester (PC61BM) blend. The untreated SnO2 nanoparticle layer can efficiently block the external charge injection, which considerably reduces the dark current density. Under illumination, the photogenerated charges are accumulated at the interface between the SnO2 layer and the active layer, and thus contribute a tunneling injection, resulting in a significantly high photocurrent. Therefore, the OPD shows a high performance in every figure of merit: external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 1430%, responsivity of 6.97 A W−1, detectivity of 2.29 × 1013 Jones, and −3 dB bandwidth of 2.8 MHz. The solution‐processed high‐performance photodetectors without thermal and UVO treatments are highly compatible with low cost, flexible, and large‐area electronics.
CuTe2Cl Monolayer: An Unexplored 2D Hybrid Structure with the Coexistence of Remarkable Charge Separation and Visible Light Absorption
Authors: Zhou Yungang , He Junjie
Published: November 2019

2D crystals with the coexistence of remarkable charge separation and visible light absorption are interesting for photovoltaic applications. Herein, a new 2D hybrid structure, namely, CuTe2Cl monolayer, with the coexistence of remarkable charge separation and visible light absorption, is determined. It is found that it is feasible to extract the CuTe2Cl monolayer from its bulk counterpart. The CuTe2Cl monolayer is viewed as a combination of the gyroidal CuCl and Te2 chains. The CuTe2Cl monolayer is dynamically and thermally stable. Interestingly, the charge distribution of the valence band maximum (VBM) locates mainly in the region of the CuCl chain, whereas the charge distribution of the conduction band minimum (CBM) locates mainly in the region of the Te2 chain, which implies a capability of remarkable charge separation in the CuTe2Cl monolayer. Moreover, it is also observed that the CuTe2Cl monolayer can exhibit strong absorption in the visible light region. Feasible obtainment, a stable structure, remarkable charge separation, and visible light absorption render the CuTe2Cl monolayer a promising 2D structure for photovoltaic applications.
Mechanistic insight into the rhodium(III)‐catalyzed ortho‐selective coupling of diverse arenes with 4‐acyl‐1‐sulfonyltriazoles: A computational study
Authors: Wu Weirong , Liu Yue , Hu Jiayi , Xiong Jiageng , Hou Hua
Published: November 2019

A mechanistic study of the Cp*Rh(III)‐catalyzed annulative coupling of benzimidates with 4‐acyl‐1‐sulfonyltriazoles by CH activation was performed using density functional M06 method. It was demonstrated that the active catalyst during the coupling process should be the cation [Cp*Rh(OAc)]+ rather than the neutral Cp*Rh(OAc)2 and Zn(OAc)2 as proposed previously by the experimenters. A novel energetically feasible reaction pathway has been revealed theoretically in details. The acetic acid‐mediated cyclization process was confirmed to be the rate‐limiting step with an overall barrier of 24.3 kcal/mol, excluding any importance of the CH cleavage mechanism as supported by the kinetic isotope effect experiments. The major factors responsible for the preferred regioselectivity of N‐pyrimidinylinoles with 4‐acetyl‐1‐sulfonyltriazoles were discussed.
Secure distributed optimal frequency regulation of power grid with time‐varying voltages under cyberattack
Authors: Weng Shengxuan , Yue Dong , Dou Chunxia
Published: November 2019

The distributed optimal frequency regulation of power grid containing plenty of distributed renewable energy resources is highly dependent on the communication network. However, the utilization of a communication network makes the power grid vulnerable to cyberattacks, which could deteriorate the control performance and even cause the failure of a control task. To address this problem, this paper investigates the secure distributed optimal frequency regulation of power grid under cyberattack. The stealthy deceptive cyberattack model is constructed, and its perniciousness on optimal frequency regulation is analyzed. A novel type of secure distributed optimal frequency regulation is developed by introducing a secure‐based communication network to improve the resilience against cyberattack. It is proved theoretically that the secure regulation can restore the frequency deviation of each area to zero and minimize the total generation cost to retain the economic efficiency even under cyberattack. Simulation result shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Peaks of transportation CO2 emissions of 119 countries for sustainable development: Results from carbon Kuznets curve
Authors: Zhang Yu , Chen Xi , Wu Ya , Shuai Chenyang , Shen Liyin , Ye Gui
Published: November 2019

Transportation has significantly boomed energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Understanding and forecasting the dynamic statuses of transportation CO2 emissions is a necessary step before making strategies to decrease CO2 emissions. Carbon Kuznets curve (CKC) hypothesis has been frequently validated properly to present the changing statuses of CO2 emissions in the literature. This study tests the CKC hypothesis using the data recording the CO2 emissions of transportation sectors of 119 countries over the period of 1995–2014, then turning points (TPs) are calculated for the countries where CKC hypothesis is turned out supported. Based on the CKC models, this study identifies different types of TPs, i.e. TP of carbon intensity (TPCI), TP of per capita CO2 emissions (TPPC), and TP of total CO2 emissions (TPTC) of the countries whose data support the CKC hypothesis. According to the earliness of the turning years (TYs) (TYCI, TYPC and TYTC) – the years when CO2 emissions peak – of individual countries, this study identified a step‐wise decoupling strategy for different countries, i.e. (1) first to reach the TPCI, (2) then to reach the TPPC, and (3) finally to reach the TPTC. As a result, the CKC hypothesis was supported by the data of 58 countries, among which, there are still seven countries having not reached any of the three TPs, 23 countries have reached the first‐step TP (TPCI), 9 countries have reached the second‐step TP (TPPC), and 19 countries have reached the third‐step TP (TPTC).
Fluorene‐Functionalized, Dendrimer‐Modified SBA‐15: Detection of Iron(III) and Mercury (II) in Aqueous Media and Logic Gate Studies
Authors: Jafari Maryam , Amiri Ahmad , Badiei Alireza , Shayesteh Alireza
Published: November 2019

A novel silica‐based fluorescent sensor, (S‐DPP), was prepared via grafting of dimethyl 3,3′‐(propylazanediyl)(1Z,1′Z)‐bis(N‐(9H‐fluoren‐2‐yl)propanimidate) (DPP), onto the pore walls of SBA‐15 channels. DPP was prepared by growing of dendrimer (G= 0.5) onto the amino functionalized surface of SBA‐15, followed by anchoring of 2‐aminflourene via imine condensation. Synthesized materials were characterized using FT‐IR, PXRD, SEM, TEM, BET and TGA techniques. Fluorescence properties of the sensor were investigated in aqueous solution towards various metal ions. The signal quenching of sensor at λ=380 nm is based on complex formation between the S‐DPP and Fe3+ or Hg2+ ions, leading to the inhibition of reverse intramolecular charge transitions at the probe and appearance of new transitions at Mn+—S‐DPP complex. Furthermore, the limit of detection of both ions were calculated as 2.4 × 10−8 M and 6.3 × 10−8 M, respectively. A reversibility in fluorescence behavior of the probe was found in the presence of Cl−, and was demonstrated a circuit logic system with the Fe3+, Hg2+ and Cl− ions. Finally, density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) computational studies were performed in order to obtain a detailed electronic description of the quenching mechanism by Hg2+ and Fe3+ as well as studying the structure and bonding in the complexes.
A Rapid Response/Recovery Ribbon‐like Hydroxyapatite Humidity Sensor with Loose Spatial Structure
Authors: Gu Yuwei , Li Ziheng , Sun Mingxu , Wu Shuang , Wang Xinchen
Published: November 2019

A rapid response/recovery ribbon‐like hydroxyapatite (HAp) humidity sensor with loose spatial structure has been fabricated in this work. The HAp film was prepared on polyethylene terephthalate‐indium tin oxide (PET‐ITO) interdigital substrate by electrochemical deposition method. The HAp film was characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR techniques. Electrochemically deposited HAp has a preferred orientation in a‐plane, which exposes a great many of hydroxyl groups. The HAp has a flat ribbon‐like microstructure that effectively captures and detects water molecules. The gap of the interdigital electrode was filled with long ribbon‐like HAp to form a loose spatial structure which facilitates water molecules adsorption and desorption. The HAp humidity sensor showed high sensitivity, low hysteresis and good linearity. In particular, HAp sensor has a short response time of 0.9 s and recovery time of 5.6 s. Besides, the humidity sensing mechanism of HAp sensor was also investigated in detail.
Facile Room‐Temperature Synthesis of Novel Porous Three‐Component Hybrid Covalent Organic Polymers and Their Applications towards Sulfadiazine Adsorption
Authors: Zhang Fang‐Yuan , Hong Mei , Liu Zhi , Yu Hai‐Yang , Qin Chuan‐Yu , Liu Bing‐Bing , Li Yang‐Xue
Published: November 2019

Since the environmental pollution posed by widely used sulfonamide antibiotics has been reported in natural aquatic system, designing novel adsorbents with excellent behaviors for adsorptive removal of sulfonamide antibiotics becomes a critical challenge in remediation management. Herein, two three‐component hybrid covalent organic polymers were successfully developed through a facile room‐temperature solution‐suspension method based on dynamic covalent Schiff‐base chemistry and used to remove a typical sulfonamide antibiotic [sulfadiazine (SDZ)] from aqueous solution. The 1,3,5‐triformylphloroglucinol (TFP) and benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarbohydrazide (BTCH) reacted with benzidine (BD) (JLUE‐COP‐26) and exhibited a good adsorption capacity for SDZ, followed by the reaction of TFP, BTCH and p‐phenylenediamine (PDA) (JLUE‐COP‐25). Moreover, the adsorption data of SDZ by two JLUE‐COPs were analyzed to be pseudo‐second‐order kinetic representable and Langmuir adsorption model fitted. In addition, the possible underlying mechanisms were proposed as a combination of porous feature, electrostatic force, hydrophobic interaction, π‐π stacking and hydrogen bonding interaction.
Synthesis, Structure, and Magnetic Properties of a Three‐Dimensional Cobalt Carboxylate Metal‐Organic Framework
Authors: Tian Xiqiang , Dong Yanping
Published: November 2019

Under hydrothermal condition, a new three‐dimensional (3D) cobalt carboxylate metal‐organic framework Co3(H2O)L1.5(H2O)3 (H4L=1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxylic acid) (1) has been successfully synthesized. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X‐ray diffraction, and magnetic measurement for 1 were presented. 1 shows a new 3D framework with a 4,8‐connected {416.612}{44.62}2 topology. Crystal data for 1 are as follows: hexagonal cell; space group P6/m, with a=12.612(5) Å, b=12.612(5) Å, c=9.978(5)(3) Å, a;=90°, β=90°, and γ=120°; volume V=1374.5(15) Å3; and Z=2. The static magnetic behavior of 1 was conducted. The corresponding structural and magnetic parameters have been discussed in detail.
Coumarin and Hydroxyl Decorated Viscosity Sensitive Triphenylamine Derivatives: Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, Viscosity Sensitivity, TD‐DFT, and NLO Properties
Authors: Bhalekar Sulochana B. , Kothavale Shantaram , Sekar Nagaiyan
Published: November 2019

Three novel hydroxyl substituted and triphenylamine sidearm coumarin decorated molecules were prepared to examine the effect of adjacent hydroxyl substituent as well as coumarin units on the photophysical linear and nonlinear optical properties. Both hydroxyl function adjacent to the phenyl ring and extra coumarin unit is attributed to the red shifted absorption (435‐487 nm) and emission (496‐578 nm) compared to the plain triphenylamine based coumarin derivatives. Positive solvatochromism around 70 nm was observed in solvents with different polarity polarities and it is reinforced by solvent polarity plots and multilinear regression study. Very high viscosity induced emission enhancement (5.7 – 8.2 fold) was observed for in ethanol/polyethylene glycol‐400 system, highlighting their capability to act as efficient fluorescent molecular rotors (FMRs). The nonlinear optical properties were investigated by solvatochromism as well as a computational method using B3LYP 6–311++G (d, p) basis set. All these compounds exhibited large magnitudes of first order (65‐208x10 −30e.s.u) and second order (560‐2120x10 −36e.s.u) hyperpolarizability.
Designing of Ferromagnetic 3D Hierarchical Core‐Shell Fe3O4@NiO/Co3O4 Microspheres Derived from a MOF Precursor: As an Efficient Catalyst for C‐P Cross Coupling Reaction
Authors: Mohammadinezhad Arezou , Akhlaghinia Batool
Published: November 2019

Herein, we report the synthesis of a 3D hierarchical heterostructure microsphere through a facile solvothermal and hydrothermal method followed by an annealing treatment. The obtained ternary core‐shell nanostructured was comprehensively characterized by means of variety techniques including FT‐IR, XRD, BET, TEM, FE‐SEM, EDX, EDX‐mapping, VSM and ICP‐OES. It was found that this hierarchical nanostructured could promote the C−P cross coupling reaction of a large library of functional substrates. Benefiting from the unique hierarchical architecture and the synergistic effect among multiple components resulted from the coexistence of micro‐, meso‐ and macropores as well as its small nano‐crystallite size (20‐71 nm), this novel catalyst revealed superior catalytic performance in the C−P cross coupling reaction. More importantly, the ferromagnetic behavior of 3D hierarchical core‐shell Fe3O4@NiO/Co3O4 microspheres is responsible for easy separation from the reaction mixture using an external magnetic field and its long term‐durability under reaction conditions even after nine consecutive recycle runs.
Almond Shell‐Derived Carbons under Low‐Temperature Activation with Ultra‐High Surface Area and Superior Performance for Supercapacitors
Authors: Guo Yu , Zhang Lifeng , Liu Yi , Guo Shouwu
Published: November 2019

Nitrogen containing almond shell‐derived porous carbons (ACs) have been synthesized by adding sodium amide (NaNH2) as activator in calcination process. The optimized carbon material is denoted as AC‐4‐550 (mass ratio of NaNH2/C equals 4 and activation temperature is 550 °C). AC‐4‐550 possesses a high specific surface area of 3249.68 m2 g−1 and total pore volume of 1.85 cm3 g−1 with approximately a half proportion of micropores. Theoretically, the heteroatoms generate pseudocapacitance and wettability, the high specific surface area provides more active adsorption sites for ions, the micropores reduce the thickness of electrical double layer to enhance capacitance and the mesopores speed up the ion transmission. In a three‐electrode supercapacitor in 6 M KOH aqueous electrolyte, the specific capacitance reached to 440.29 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, even 240.00 F g−1 at 50 A g−1. And after 10 000 cycles, AC‐4‐550 retains 92% capacitance at 10 A g−1. Furthermore, the high energy density (129.40 W h kg−1 at a power density of 900 W Kg−1) in a symmetrical coin‐cell capacitor using ionic liquid electrolyte demonstrates the possible applications in practical situation.
Vertically MoS2 on Reduced Graphene Oxide with Superior Durability for Quasi‐solid‐state Supercapacitor
Authors: Li Huijun , Jiang Nianjun , Deng Qianwen , Wang Xiaomin
Published: November 2019

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a two‐dimensional layer structure with high edge energy state, resulting in high chemical activity. It can be widely used in the supercapacitors. Herein, a novel conductive architectures of MoS2/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets was immobilized on carbon cloth (CC) via hydrothermal method. The MoS2/rGO nanosheets are uniformly grown on CC, which can provide a higher specific surface area and increase additional active sites. The intimate contact between nanostructured MoS2/rGO and active CC is in favor of maintaining the stability of structure. As a result, MoS2/rGO as a supercapacitor electrode material shows high specific capacitance of 331 F g−1 at 0.75 A g−1 and excellent cycling stability with a specific capacitance retention of 110.7% after 15000 cycles. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor is assembled and the device shows a high energy density of 29.2 Wh kg−1 and a high power density of 4517.7 W kg−1. These results indicate that MoS2/rGO as an electrode material has an important application potential in supercapacitors.