bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of public sector accounting reform on corruption: Causal evidence from subnational Indonesia
Authors: Lewis Blane D. , Hendrawan Adrianus
Published: October 2020

It is widely believed that the adoption of quality public sector accounting practices can assist in reducing corruption. In theory, accounting reform, especially the shift from cash‐to accrual‐based methods, leads to the production of much improved financial information, which ultimately can be used by citizens to hold government more accountable and limit corruption. Empirical evidence from cross‐country analyses appears to support the theoretical predictions. We investigate the impact of accounting practices on corruption among districts in Indonesia. We use external financial audits to measure the adoption of reforms and the number of corruption case court convictions as our proxy for corruption. We estimate Poisson regression models using instrumental variable techniques to identify the causal effects of adopting accrual‐based accounting procedures on corruption. We show that the employment of improved accounting methods is strongly associated with declining corruption. However, after accommodating the endogeneity of accounting practices, we determine that reform adoption has no effect on corruption.
Finite element analysis of hybrid 3D orthogonal woven composite subjected to ballistic impact with multi‐scale modeling
Authors: Dewangan Mithilesh Kumar , Panigrahi S. K.
Published: October 2020

The present study deals with the finite element analysis (FEA) of hybrid 3D orthogonal woven composite (3DOWC) subjected to ballistic impact by a conical‐cylindrical projectile. The present simulation incorporates the micro‐meso‐macro transition approach is used for developing the intricate design of the target plate. The glass fibers are used for Warp and Weft direction, and Kevlar fibers are considered for the z‐direction binder yarns. The model is approved by utilizing 2D weave design, which has been examined by impacting the conical‐cylindrical projectile and compared with the available literature. Furthermore, the ballistic analysis is extended for the Hybrid 3DOWC, where the effect of residual velocity and energy absorptions are studied. The study highlights that z‐direction fibers have not much influence on energy absorption for both the hybrid and unhybridized 3DOWC. Furthermore, the influence of hybridization will subside with the increased velocities.
Melt extrusion and blow molding parts‐per‐million POSS interspersed the macromolecular network and simultaneously enhanced thermomechanical and barrier properties of polyolefin films
Authors: Romo‐Uribe Angel , Lichtenhan Joseph D.
Published: October 2020

There has been the expectation that polymers filled with small concentrations of nanosized particles will exhibit superior thermomechanical properties. We demonstrate that dispersing parts‐per‐million (ppm) polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanochemicals by melt extrusion with polyolefins increased the tensile Young's modulus, yield stress, and toughness of blow molded and extruded films without penalizing extensibility, which is common to polymers reinforced with nano/microparticles. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the key to mechanical reinforcement is the spatial distribution of POSS at ca. single nanocage thus enabling interspersion of the macromolecular network. The thermal stability, water contact angle, and oxygen transmission of the films were also enhanced enabling a single component food package capable to keep food without decay for two weeks. The physical properties are improved when the nanoparticle size  is about the size of the virtual tube diameter dt, that is, /dt ≈ 1. The enhancement of physical properties by placing the nanoparticle in the free space of the molecular network is a new paradigm in engineering polymer nanocomposites and opens opportunities for recyclable single component packaging films and tunable lightweight engineering and biomimetic materials.
Registration of ‘Scorpio’ hard red winter wheat
Authors: Carter A.H. , Balow K.A. , Shelton G.B. , Burke A.B. , Hagemeyer K.E. , Stowe A. , Worapong J. , Higginbotham R.W. , Chen X.M. , Engle D.A. , Murray T.D. , Morris C.F.
Published: October 2020

Recent changes in the environment and crop management practices of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States have challenged the development of successful hard red winter (HRW) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars for the >500‐mm annual precipitation zones of the eastern part of the state of Washington. The use of N fertilizer and an increase in no‐till production practices have led to decreases in soil pH that can be toxic to wheat, especially in soils derived from previously forested land. The objective of this research was to develop a HRW wheat cultivar that combined tolerance to low‐pH soils with other important traits such as high yield, high grain volume weight, high grain protein concentration, acceptable end‐use quality, winterhardiness, and stripe rust resistance. ‘Scorpio’ (Reg. no. CV‐1169, PI 693629) HRW wheat was developed and released in March 2019 by the Agricultural Research Center of Washington State University. Scorpio was tested under the experimental designations HRW11064‐1‐DH‐1‐4 and WA8268. Scorpio is a semi‐dwarf cultivar adapted to the high‐rainfall wheat production regions of Washington. Scorpio is tolerant to low‐pH soils, has high‐temperature adult‐plant resistance to stripe rust, and has a midseason heading date, high grain volume weight, high grain protein concentration, and high grain yield. Scorpio has end‐use quality properties comparable to those of ‘LCS Jet’, ‘Keldin’, and ‘Whetstone’, which are acceptable for both domestic and export markets.
1,2,3‐Triazoles by Click Chemistry Using Azido Esters as a Precursor
Authors: Kumari Dimple , Banerjee Shaibal
Published: October 2020

This paper describes synthesis and characterization of new di, tetra, and hexa‐1,2,3‐triazoles by Click chemistry using synthesized azido esters as one of the precursors. The synthesized triazoles were subjected to detailed characterizations by FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C‐NMR, and HRMS. Thermal stability was also performed by using DSC and TGA.
Synaptic Characteristics of an Ultrathin Hexagonal Boron Nitride (h‐BN) Diffusive Memristor
Authors: Dastgeer Ghulam , Abbas Haider , Kim Duk Young , Eom Jonghwa , Choi Changhwan
Published: October 2020

A nano‐sized two‐terminal memristor exhibiting volatile threshold switching (TS) is a promising candidate for the emulation of biological synaptic functions to realize efficient neuromorphic computing systems. The Ca2+ dynamics play a vital role in generating a temporal response for neural functions by changing the synaptic weight of biological synapses. Herein, a thinnest synaptic device is fabricated demonstrating drift dynamics of Ag+ migration through the exfoliated h‐BN sheets, which emulates neuromorphic computing operations. The TS characteristics with a large ION/OFF up to ≈105 lead to bio‐synaptic applications, including short‐term and long‐term memory. The experimental realization of the synaptic behavior is demonstrated with paired‐pulse facilitation (PPF), spike‐rate‐dependent plasticity (SRDP), and transition from short‐term plasticity (STP) to long‐term plasticity (LTP). The transition from STP to LTP in this synaptic device verifies the Atkinson and Shiffrin psychological model of human brain learning experimentally. The input pulses with different spike‐times are used to replicate the synaptic functionalities. The two‐terminal diffusive memristors constructed with thin sheets of 2D‐flexible h‐BN resistive materials may lead to flexible neuromorphic devices for biological applications.
A pentamethoxylated flavone from Glycosmis ovoidea promotes apoptosis through the intrinsic pathway and inhibits migration of MCF‐7 breast cancer cells
Authors: Anaya‐Eugenio Gerardo D. , Blanco Carcache Peter J. , Ninh Tran Ngoc , Ren Yulin , Soejarto Djaja D. , Kinghorn A. Douglas
Published: October 2020

The rare flavone 5,3′‐dihydroxy‐3,6,7,8,4′‐pentamethoxyflavone (PMF) has been isolated from several plant species, and its cytotoxic activity has been reported against many types of cancer cells. In this study, PMF was purified from Glycomis ovoidea collected in Vietnam, and its antiproliferative effects and underlying mechanism of action were investigated against MCF‐7 cells. PMF inhibited growth in MCF‐7 > MCF‐10A > MDA‐MB‐231 cells after 72 hr treatment, with IC50 values of 1.5, 1.9, and 8.6 μg/ml, respectively. Further experiments conducted with this compound in MCF‐7 cells, showed the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species overproduction, upregulation of BAX, cytochrome c, caspase‐3 and PARP‐1 and down‐regulation of BCL‐2 proteins as well as an increase in caspase‐3/‐7 activity, suggesting induction of the apoptotic intrinsic pathway. Furthermore, PMF increased cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase, which correlated with increments in the p53 and p21 levels. Additionally, MCF‐7 cell migration was inhibited, which could be related to NF‐κB p65 downregulation. Finally, PMF did not show toxicity in vivo in a zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. In conclusion, PMF induces cell death in MCF‐7 cells through regulation of the BCL‐2 protein family and may be proposed as a lead as a potential alternative for breast cancer therapy.
Validation of dried blood spot sampling for determining trophic positions of Arctic char using nitrogen stable isotope analyses of amino acids
Authors: Barst Benjamin D. , Muir Derek C.G. , O'Brien Diane M. , Wooller Matthew J.
Published: October 2020

Rationale

Dried blood spots (DBSs) are gaining popularity for biomarker analyses in ecological research due to their advantages for use in field‐based research and in remote settings; however, many DBS biomarkers remain unvalidated. We validated the application of compound‐specific stable nitrogen isotope analyses of amino acids (CSIA‐AAs) to field‐prepared DBSs for determining trophic positions of wild‐caught Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus).

Methods

Whole blood and muscle from Arctic char were collected, and DBSs were created in the field. We measured the stable nitrogen isotope ratios (expressed as δ15N values) of the amino acids glutamic acid (Glu) and phenylalanine (Phe) isolated from Arctic char samples using CSIA‐AAs. We then compared amino acid δ15N values from DBSs and the other sample types (whole blood and muscle) from the same specimens. We calculated and compared trophic position estimates generated from whole blood, DBSs, and muscle.

Results

The δ15N values of Glu and Phe, as well as trophic position estimates from DBSs, were highly correlated with δ15N values and estimates from both whole blood and muscle. The DBS amino acid δ15N values and trophic position estimates agreed well with those from whole blood. Although mean differences between amino acid δ15N values from DBSs and muscle were noted, the offsets were small and resulted in a 0.2 mean difference between trophic position estimates for DBSs and muscle.

Conclusions

We demonstrate that the application of CSIA‐AAs to field‐prepared DBSs of Arctic char generates similar trophic position estimates to those from whole blood and muscle. We suggest that DBSs could be developed as a minimally invasive sampling technique to study feeding ecology of wild fish and perhaps other organisms of interest.
Information search methods and financial decisions
Authors: Bonaparte Yosef , Fabozzi Frank J. , Koslowsky David
Published: October 2020

We investigate whether financial decisions by households are influenced by information search method. The analysis examines Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) data containing more than 20 information search methods used by households for saving and investment decisions. We classify investors into categories (informal, professional, and comprehensive) based on information search method. We use the 2016 SCF data for our main results; we also use the 1998 SCF to examine the effects of geography and changes in information search over time. We find that information search method influences financial decisions about stock market participation, trading, diversification, risk‐taking, and home bias.
New fixed‐time synchronization control of discontinuous inertial neural networks via indefinite Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional method
Authors: Kong Fanchao , Zhu Quanxin
Published: October 2020

The purpose of this article is to investigate the existence of periodic solutions and fixed‐time synchronization (FTS) of a class of discontinuous inertial neural networks (DINNs) with time‐varying delays. Due to the existence of the discontinuities, first, by using a generalized variable transformation, the original DINNs are transformed into a first‐order differential system. By using the differential inclusions theory and the set‐valued version of the Mawhin coincidence theorem, a new delay‐dependent criterion is derived to ensure the existence of periodic solutions. Furthermore, by designing some effective discontinuous control strategies and by constructing indefinite Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional (LKF), algebraic criteria are derived to guarantee the FTS for the drive‐response system. The settling time is explicitly estimated. In comparison with the related results on INNs, it is the first time to study the existence result of the DINNs and the Lyapunov approaches applied to investigate the FTS are entirely different. Finally, the correctness of the main results is verified via numerical examples.
Copula modeling of receiver operating characteristic and predictiveness curves
Authors: Escarela Gabriel , Rodríguez Carlos Erwin , Núñez‐Antonio Gabriel
Published: October 2020

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and predictiveness curves are graphical tools to study the discriminative and predictive power of a continuous‐valued marker in a binary outcome. In this paper, a copula‐based construction of the joint density of the marker and the outcome is developed for plotting and analyzing both curves. The methodology only requires a copula function, the marginal distribution of the marker, and the prevalence rate for the model to be characterized. The adoption of the Gaussian copula and the customization of the margin for the marker are proposed for such characterization. The computation of both curves is numerically more feasible than methods that attempt to obtain one curve in terms of the other. Estimation is carried out using maximum likelihood and resampling‐based methods. Randomized quantile residuals from each conditional distribution are employed for both assessing the adequacy of the model and identifying outliers. The performance of the estimators of both curves and their underlying quantities is evaluated in simulation studies that assume different dependence structures and sample sizes. The methods are illustrated with an analysis of the level of progesterone receptor gene expression for the diagnosis and prediction of estrogen receptor‐positive breast cancer.
Exploratory assessment of treatment‐dependent random‐effects distribution using gradient functions
Authors: Imai Takumi , Tanaka Shiro , Kawakami Koji
Published: October 2020

In analyzing repeated measurements from randomized controlled trials with mixed‐effects models, it is important to carefully examine the conventional normality assumption regarding the random‐effects distribution and its dependence on treatment allocation in order to avoid biased estimation and correctly interpret the estimated random‐effects distribution. In this article, we propose the use of a gradient function method in modeling with the different random‐effects distributions depending on the treatment allocation. This method can be effective for considering in advance whether a proper fit requires a model that allows dependence of the random‐effects distribution on covariates, or for finding the subpopulations in the random effects.
Organic Luminophores Exhibiting Bimodal Emissions of Fluorescence and Room‐Temperature Phosphorescence for Versatile Applications
Authors: Zhuo Chaozheng , Ouyang Mi , Li Chengjian , Zhang Yujian , Cao Feng , Pan Guoxiang , Lv Chunyan , Zhang Xia , Sun Jingwei
Published: October 2020

Organic luminophores exhibiting both fluorescence and phosphorescence at room temperature are attractive but rare, due to the limited design strategies of room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) molecules. Here, the construction of electron donor‐acceptor‐donor (D−A−D) structure, which can afford multiple and powerful intermolecular interactions and electronic communications, is proposed as an effective method to achieve RTP. Two compounds NBCM and PBCM were designed with different electron withdrawing groups. Both exhibit efficient RTP with long lifetimes of 558 and 482 ms, as well as switchable luminescence from cyan or white to yellow, respectively. The stronger charge transfer effect and better crystallization capacity of NBCM are account for its superior RTP performance in relative to PBCM. Besides, the incorporation of pyridine endows NBCM with a special response to trifluoroacetate acid and a reversible on/off conversion of emissions. These features of NBCM pave the way to its promising applications in antifake security, encryption, fingerprint imaging and sensors.
Synthesis and Ecotoxicological Studies of Ionic Compounds Based on Tolperisone, Diphenhydramine and Trimecaine
Authors: Giner Beatriz , Mergenbayeva Saule , Lomba Laura , Rafikova Khadichachan , Dauletbakov Anuar , Belyankova Yelizaveta , Seilkhanov Tulegen , Zazybin Alexey
Published: October 2020

Ionic compounds have been of global interest since stepping into a mature field of research. The aim of this study was to synthesize novel and known ionic compounds via the N‐alkylation process and fully characterize them by elemental analysis and infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Investigation of the influence of the alkyl chain length and the charge of the cation on the ecotoxicity of 11 new and known ionic compounds based on tolperisone, diphenhydramine and trimecaine was investigated with the use of luminescence inhibition assay. To give information about the ecotoxicity of these new ionic compounds, the acute toxicity dataset of each compound was determined using Aliivibrio fischeri bacteria as a biomodel. According to the obtained results, the studied compounds could be considered non‐harmful to Aliivibrio fischeri. A quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) study was carried out with the aim of modelling the observed behaviour and providing a prediction basis for ecotoxicity towards Aliivibrio fischeri.
Piperidinium‐Based Deep Eutectic Solvents: Efficient and Sustainable Eco‐Friendly Medium for One‐Pot N‐Heterocycles Synthesis
Authors: Ali Shujaat , Al‐Rashida Mariya , Younus Hafiza Amna , Moin Syed Tarique , Hameed Abdul
Published: October 2020

There is a significant use of different kinds of hazardous materials, solvents, and catalysts in laboratories and industries for the production of different useful products. All over the globe millions of pharmaceutical industries are working for production of different kinds of drugs/compounds, consequently there is a need to limit (or replace) the use of such materials so as to reduce the environmental and health issues. In this regard, one of the strategies is to replace traditional obnoxious solvents and chemicals with different kinds of green solvents, green materials, and green catalysts. The Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES) has no or significantly less harmful effect as compared to conventional solvents. In this study we developed one‐pot synthetic strategies for synthesis of different N‐heterocyclic scaffolds such as indoles, 1,4‐dihydropyridine, acridine, and quinoline in piperidinium bromide and fluoride‐based DES; these solvents have good characteristics as multicomponent reaction media, and as a catalytic solvent to give good product yield in short interval of time.
Enhanced Adsorption Desulfurization Performance over CuCeY Zeolites Prepared by Low‐Temperature Calcination under H2 Atmosphere
Authors: Mo Zhousheng , Wang Sihua , Hui Yu , Kong Weijie , Zhai Peng , Wang Huan , Zu Yun , Qin Yucai , Song Lijuan
Published: October 2020

In order to optimize the location and valence state of metal ions in the Y‐type zeolite, the bimetallic (cerium and copper) modified NaY (CuCeY) zeolites with different Cu/Ce ratios were prepared by calcination at 180 °C under H2 atmosphere. Their adsorptive capacity and selectivity for thiophene were preliminarily explored. Furthermore, the CuCeY zeolites were characterized by various techniques for explaining their adsorption behaviors. The obtained results show that the breakthrough adsorption sulfur capacity (Q) of CuCeY zeolites from model oil contains thiophene (TMO) shows a volcanic tendency with the increase of Cu ion contents in zeolites. This is because more metal ions, especially Cu+ ions, are distributed to the supercages of Y zeolites. When 1‐hexene coexists with thiophene in model oil (TOMO), the Q of CuCeY zeolites increase firstly and then remain almost unchanged as Cu ion contents in zeolites increases. It is related to competitive adsorption, alkylation and oligomerization of thiophene and 1‐hexene. When benzene coexists with thiophene in model oil (TAMO), the Q of CuCeY zeolites are linear with Cu ion contents in zeolites. This is possible because the competitive adsorption between olefins and sulfur compounds on Cu ions or weak Brönsted(B) acid centers are stronger than that between aromatics and sulfur compounds on the same adsorption sites. It′s worth mentioning that the Q values of CuCeY zeolites are larger than that of bimetallic modified CuCeY zeolites and that of most of monometallic modified Y zeolites reported in the references.
Construction of Unique Polycyclic 3, 4‐Fused Indoles via Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Domino Annulations**
Authors: Raji Reddy Chada , Sathish Puppala , Mallesh Kathe , Lakshmi Prapurna Y.
Published: October 2020

A novel and efficient domino annulation for the construction of unrevealed polycyclic 3, 4‐fused indoles involving rhodium(III)‐catalyzed alkyne insertion followed by aza‐Michael addition is presented. A variety of N‐(pivaloyloxy)arylamides and N‐(pivaloyloxy)‐1H‐indole‐1‐carboxamides were utilized in this annulation with 4‐alkynyl‐3‐alkenyl indoles.
The First Example of 3 d‐4 f‐Heterometallic Carboxylate Complex Containing Phosphine Ligand
Authors: Nikolaevskii Stanislav A. , Yambulatov Dmitriy S. , Voronina Julia K. , Melnikov Stanislav N. , Babeshkin Konstantin A. , Efimov Nikolay N. , Goloveshkin Alexander S. , Kiskin Mikhail A. , Sidorov Aleksey A. , Eremenko Igor L.
Published: October 2020

The interaction of heterometallic compounds [Co2La(Piv)6(NO3)(MeCN)2] (1) and [Co2La(Piv)6(NO3)(Py)2] (2) (Piv‐pivalate, Py‐pyridine) with triphenylphosphine was studied. It was shown that labile terminal molecules of MeCN in complex 1 were substituted by triphenylphosphine that led to the formation of complex [Co2La(Piv)6(NO3)(Ph3P)2] (3), whereas compound 2 in similar conditions did not undergo ligand substitution reaction. Molecular structure of compound 3 was determined by means single crystal X‐ray diffraction. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of 3 was simulated with a model which implied only zero‐field splitting of Co(II) ions. It was found that ZFS parameters (D) for Co(II) ions in 3 were close to D value in 1. The field‐induced slow magnetic relaxation was observed for compound 3 on the result of magnetic susceptibility measurements in alternating current magnetic field.
Two Pyridine‐Based Fluorescent Probes for Sensing pH
Authors: Sun Jinyu , Wei Chunying
Published: October 2020

Two pyridine‐based isomeric fluorescent probes, 3‐(4‐dimethylamino‐phenyl)‐2‐pyridin‐3‐yl‐acrylonitrile (1) and 3‐(4‐dimethylamino‐phenyl)‐2‐pyridin‐4‐yl‐acrylonitrile (2), were successfully designed, synthesized and characterized with NMR, LC‐MS and HRMS methods. Both probes are pH‐reversible, showing an excellent selectivity toward H+ than other coexisting metal ions. They display good linear response within the extreme‐acidity range of 1.85–2.75 with the pKa of 2.28 for 1, and that of 2.65–4.17 with the pKa of 3.15 for 2, respectively. The probe 2 has the ratiometric fluorescence emission (I513nm/I570nm) characteristics and could be used as a sensor of acidity. The color of 2 is changed from yellow to pink, allowing colorimetric detection of pH by the naked eyes. In addition, both 1 and 2 could be used for monitoring pH in Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells under the extremely acidic conditions.
Effects of Phosphorylation Duration on the Jute Extracted Cellulose Nanofibrils Using Ultra‐sonication
Authors: Kayes Patoary Mohammed , Zaarour Bilal , Rashedul Islam Syed , Liu Lifang
Published: October 2020

The pretreatment process for the extraction of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) has been attracting the awareness of researchers. However, toxicity, complicated multistep procedures, and the use of costly chemicals are still some problems for chemical modification of cellulose fibers during the CNFs production. In this work, the phosphorylation reaction is introduced to pretreat jute fibers to extract CNFs with tiny diameter, and then the physicochemical properties of the obtained CNFs are analyzed. Experimental results exhibit that the phosphorylation process can affect the overall defibrillation process and the structure as well as properties of the involved products. This study also reports that the phosphorylation efficiency can be influenced by the existence of water, absence of urea, high temperature, and reaction duration. Even at a low degree of substitution, the phosphorylated CNFs exhibit better thermal stability and higher residual char compared to raw jute at 700 °C.
Structural Advantage Induced by Zinc Gluconate: Hierarchically Porous Carbon with In‐Situ Growth Iron‐Inside Carbon Nanotubes for Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: He Li‐Juan , Zhong Jia‐Qiang , Liu Yu‐Min , Zhou Zi‐Jian , Yang Wei‐hua
Published: October 2020

High performance of Fe‐N−C electrocatalysts with excellent activity and durability are the most promising alternatives to replace the costly Pt‐based catalysts to catalyze the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics at present. Herein, a zinc gluconate engaged strategy was reported to prepare iron‐inside carbon nanotube Fe‐N−C composites (Fe‐CNTs/NC), in which the zinc could be volatile in the process of high‐temperature pyrolysis and promoted in situ grown the iron‐inside carbon nanotubes in porous carbon matrix. The Fe‐CNTs/NC catalyst, benefiting from the hierarchical porous structure and abundant active sites, exhibits superior electrocatalytic performance (half‐wave potential of 0.838 V) and stability (9.31 % decay after a 20 000 s continuous test) in alkaline media compared to commercial Pt/C (half‐wave potential of 0.824 V and 13.15 % of stability decay rate under the same conditions). This study provides novel insights into the construction of carbon materials with dispersed active sites and hierarchically porous structure for electrocatalytic applications.
Exploring The Effect of Precursors of Polymeric Carbon Nitride Nanosheets on their Photo and Electrocatalytic Applications
Authors: Mary Xavier Marilyn , Mohanapriya S. , Divya K. S. , Adarsh Nayarassery N. , Radhakrishnan Nair P. , Mathew Suresh
Published: October 2020

In the present study, we have performed a case study to understand the ability of bulk polymeric carbon nitride (P‐CN) derived from various precursors such as urea, melamine, and dicyandiamide namely UCN, MCN and, DCN respectively via thermal condensation process and also their corresponding thermally exfoliated nanosheets such as TE_UCN, TE_MCN, and TE_DCN. Compared with the bulk P‐CN, all the thermally exfoliated samples retained higher surface area and shows superior photogenerated charge carrier transfer and separation. Among the thermally exfoliated P‐CN nanosheets, TE_UCN gives highly porous nanosheets with a specific surface area of 179 m2/g, and large band gap (3.01 eV). Despite its poor electronic band structure, the large surface area of TE_UCN has contributed more to the excellent photogenerated charge carrier separation, which resulted in their highest photocatalytic property against the degradation of an organic dye rhodamine B(RhB) under natural sunlight. The electrochemical experiments on all the three samples of nanosheets of P‐CN revealed that TE_UCN is the best electrode material for supercapacitors. TE_UCN displays excellent capacitance properties in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte with a specific capacitance of 128.7 Fg−1. Finally, the electrocatalytic activity investigation of the samples of P‐CN nanosheets revealed that TE_DCN has more catalytic activity towards HER. This study demonstrates that texture, electrochemical capacitance, electro and photcatalytic properties of nanosheets of P‐CN can be improved by the judicial choice of the precursor molecules.
Detection of Sudan I in Foods by a MOF‐5/MWCNT Modified Electrode
Authors: Li Xueyan , Sun Xiuxiu , Li Maoguo
Published: October 2020

Sudan I (1‐Phenylazo‐2‐naphthol) is often found in food samples. However, Sudan I could be metabolized to possible carcinogenic amines in the liver, stomach intestine, and human skin. Hence, it is of crucial importance to develop efficient methods for the quantification of trace Sudan I in foodstuffs. Here, we developed a sensitive electrochemical method for detection of Sudan I using MOF‐5 decorated Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MOF‐5/MWCNTs) modified electrode. The electrochemical behaviour of different modified electrodes toward Sudan I have been studied in detail. The results indicated that MOF‐5/MWCNTs composite‐modified electrode has a higher electrocatalytic activity towards Sudan I. Under the optimal conditions, the modified electrode showed a wide linear current response in the concentration range of 0.05‐50 μM, with a detection limit of 0.0318 μM (S/N=3). As a proof of concept, the proposed method was used for detecting Sudan I in ketchup and Chilli powder with satisfactory results.
Rh(III)‐Catalyzed C2‐Alkylation of Indoles with Maleimides at Low Catalyst Loadings
Authors: Liu Shuang‐Liang , Liang Huihui , Yang Haoran , Gao Lijun , Zhou Liming , Fang Shaoming , Song Mao‐Ping
Published: October 2020

The Rh(III)‐catalyzed C2‐alkylation of indoles with maleimides is disclosed under additive‐free conditions by employing pyridine as a removable directing group. This protocol features low catalyst loadings, simple reaction conditions and good functional group tolerance. In addition to various indoles and maleimides, arenes, pyrroles, maleates as well as ethyl acrylates are applicable substrates.
Water‐Splitting Based and Related Therapeutic Effects: Evolving Concepts, Progress, and Perspectives
Authors: Cui Xiao , Zhao Qi , Huang Zhongming , Xiao Yafang , Wan Yingpeng , Li Shengliang , Lee Chun‐Sing
Published: October 2020

Water‐splitting has been extensively studied especially for energy applications. It is often not paid with enough attention for biomedical applications. In fact, several innovative breakthroughs have been achieved in the past few years by employing water‐splitting for treating cancer and other diseases. Interestingly, among these important works, only two reports have mentioned the term “water‐splitting.” For this reason, the importance of water‐splitting for biomedical applications is significantly underestimated. This progress work is written with the aims to explain and summarize how the principle of water‐splitting is employed to achieve therapeutic results not offered by conventional approaches. It is expected that this progress report will not only explain the importance of water‐splitting to scientists in the biomedical fields, it should also draw attention from scientists working on energy applications of water‐splitting.
Metal Halide Perovskite@Metal‐Organic Framework Hybrids: Synthesis, Design, Properties, and Applications
Authors: Yadav Surendra K. , Grandhi G. Krishnamurthy , Dubal Deepak P. , de Mello John C. , Otyepka Michal , Zbořil Radek , Fischer Roland A. , Jayaramulu Kolleboyina
Published: October 2020

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have excellent optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications because of their cost‐effectiveness, tunable emission, high photoluminescence quantum yields, and excellent charge carrier properties. However, the potential applications of the entire MHP family are facing a major challenge arising from its weak resistance to moisture, polar solvents, temperature, and light exposure. A viable strategy to enhance the stability of MHPs could lie in their incorporation into a porous template. Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have outstanding properties, with a unique network of ordered/functional pores, which render them promising for functioning as such a template, accommodating a wide range of MHPs to the nanosized region, alongside minimizing particle aggregation and enhancing the stability of the entrapped species. This review highlights recent advances in design strategies, synthesis, characterization, and properties of various hybrids of MOFs with MHPs. Particular attention is paid to a critical review of the emergence of MHP@MOF for comprehensive studies of next‐generation materials for various technological applications including sensors, photocatalysis, encryption/decryption, light‐emitting diodes, and solar cells. Finally, by summarizing the state‐of‐the‐art, some promising future applications of reported hybrids are proposed. Considering the inherent correlation and synergic functionalities of MHPs and MOFs, further advancement; new functional materials; and applications can be achieved through designing MHP@MOF hybrids.
Validating UTF‐8 in less than one instruction per byte
Authors: Keiser John , Lemire Daniel
Published: October 2020

The majority of text is stored in UTF‐8, which must be validated on ingestion. We present the lookupalgorithm, which outperforms UTF‐8 validation routines used in many libraries and languages by more than 10 times using commonly available single‐instruction‐multiple‐data instructions. To ensure reproducibility, our work is freely available as open source software.
The impact of differentSaccharomyces cerevisiaestrains on microbial composition and quality of Chinese rice wine fermentations
Authors: Zheng Helong , Wei Ping , Zhang Guoqing , Xu Wen , Li Yudong
Published: October 2020

Chinese rice wine (CRW) is a popular fermented product in China, with complicated microbial composition and flavour compounds. To reveal the effects of different strains ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae(N85 and XZ11) on the microbial composition in the process of brewing, metagenomic sequencing approaches were carried out to explore the dynamic changes of bacteria and fungi. Furthermore, the volatile compounds and organic acids in CRW were identified by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS‐SPME)/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) at the end of the brewing. Our results indicated that differentS.cerevisiaestrains could influence microbial compositions and especially affected the growth ofLactobacillus brevisandPantoea ananatis. The changes in the microbial community structure contributed to the remarkable difference in the content of lactic acid, esters, alcohols, and aldehydes. Moreover, functional network analysis provided insights into the biological correlations between microbial species and metabolic pathways, that is,Lactobacillusgenus had negative effects on metabolic activities. This study expands the idea of improving the quality of CRW by controlling the microbiome.
Diaspora Policies, Consular Services and Social Protection for Hungarian Citizens Abroad
Authors: Kovács Eszter
Published: October 2020

This chapter presents Hungary’s policies for nationals abroad. First, it discusses the different types of Hungarian diaspora groups (including the Hungarian national minorities in Hungary’s neighbouring countries) and their relation with the homeland. Second, the chapter introduces the general institutional framework by which Hungarian authorities interact with ethnic kin communities and nationals abroad, as well as the engagement policies with this population abroad outside of the area of social protection. Third, it offers an overview of the policies, programmes and services offered by the home country authorities to respond to the social protection needs of nationals abroad. The chapter argues that Hungarian policies for nationals and ethnic kin communities abroad primarily focus on culturally and politically engaging this population and on strengthening their national identity, while the effects of these policies in terms of social protection are less characteristic. The current Government’s policies emphasize national survival and interest, and since Hungarian groups abroad have an important role in this agenda, the homeland’s focus on the diaspora’s identity and attachment to Hungary logically follows from the government’s nationalistic goals.
Diaspora Policies, Consular Services and Social Protection for Luxembourgish Citizens Abroad
Authors: Perrin Nathalie
Published: October 2020

This chapter provides an overview of the diaspora policy infrastructure and spells out the initiatives developed by the Luxembourgish authorities to support their nationals living abroad. It also highlights the specificity of Luxembourg as a country with the highest proportion of its workforce commuting from and to neighboring countries. This chapter therefore argues that social protection policies developed by the Luxembourg authorities for Luxembourgish nationals abroad are partly shaped by this specific form of mobility.
Introduction: Civilians, Lunacy and the First World War
Authors: Hilton Claire
Published: October 2020

Britain declared war against Germany on 4 August 1914. For the next four years military priorities over-rode those of civilians. The entire population faced hardships, but for people designated “pauper lunatics” in public asylums, life became very harsh. At the beginning of the war, the asylums were a story of good intentions gone awry, “vast warehouses for the chronically insane and demented,” the failed dreams of social reformers and psychiatrists. A substantial historiography exists on “shell shock”, the syndrome of mental disorder suffered by war-traumatised soldiers. By contrast, the historiography of First World War civilian asylums and their patients is meagre. This book tells the story of four asylums to the north of London at a time of national turmoil, when intense austerity, deprivation and competing priorities affected those within them.
Patients and Their Daily Life
Authors: Hilton Claire
Published: October 2020

This chapter includes many aspects of patients’ personal care and wellbeing, including the provision of basic amenities; interactions between patients, staff and the outside world; and the work which patients undertook and the rewards they received. Ensuring patients’ personal dignity and providing appropriate employment, social diversions and as much freedom as possible was known to help alleviate their distress, lessen untoward behaviours and enhance wellbeing. However, some asylums ignored advice from idealistic psychiatrists about good practice. Knowing what needed to be done but failing to do it, was negligence of a particularly distressing kind. Although some patients’ relatives and friends had no concerns about standards of care, others feared repercussions on the patient should they complain. Staff and patients who spoke up about the deficits, usually did so after leaving the asylum.
Accidents, Injuries, Escapes and Suicides
Authors: Hilton Claire
Published: October 2020

This chapter aims to bring together components of asylum life—the law, the leadership, staff, patients and public—to create a broad picture about what happened when things went wrong: accidents, injuries, escapes and suicides. There are drawbacks, in that much of the material is necessarily anecdotal with inconsistencies and contradictions. However, cases provide enough evidence to identify repeated patterns of attitudes, behaviours and decision making, from which conclusions can be drawn. The Board of Control indicated that it knew about asylum rough handling, but it did little to try to remedy the situation. Despite their rhetoric of good intentions, the asylum leadership frequently rationalised or denied maltreatment, thus failing to secure the most humane conditions for patients.
Conclusion
Authors: Amelung Nina , Granja Rafaela , Machado Helena
Published: October 2020

The concluding chapter reviews and compares the modes of biobordering at the EU level and in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and the UK with a particular focus on the transnational exchange of DNA data within the Prüm system. This analysis reveals the multiplicity of heterogeneous biobordering regimes that enact different visions of Europe and nationhood and that have implications for de facto hidden integration and disintegration processes in the EU. ‘European integration’ is believed to be achievable by the harmonization of scientific and technical procedures in different countries. However, the mandatory elements of the Prüm Decisions were politically enforced without taking into consideration the significant differences between EU countries. Thus, hidden disintegration comes as a contingency regarding operational and organizational traditions, legislation, the nature of the criminal justice system, and national variations around the human and economic resources to invest in forensic DNA databases and DNA profiling technologies. The conclusion ends with a proposal of a typology systematizing biobordering dynamics derived from the empirical case studies.
Probing new physics scenarios of muon g − 2 via J/ψ decay at BESIII
Authors: Cvetič Gorazd , Kim C. S. , Lee Donghun , Sahoo Dibyakrupa
Published: October 2020

Abstract

The disagreement between the standard model prediction and the experimental measurement of muon anomalous magnetic moment can be alleviated by invoking an additional particle which is either a vector boson (X1) or a scalar (X0). This new particle, with the mass mX ≲ 2mμ, can be searched for in the decay J/ψ → μ−μ+X, where X is missing. Our numerical study shows that the search is quite feasible at the BESIII experiment in the parameter space allowed by muon g − 2 measurements.
Effective field theory for non-relativistic hydrodynamics
Authors: Jain Akash
Published: October 2020

Abstract

We write down a Schwinger-Keldysh effective field theory for non-relativistic (Galilean) hydrodynamics. We use the null background construction to covariantly couple Galilean field theories to a set of background sources. In this language, Galilean hydrodynamics gets recast as relativistic hydrodynamics formulated on a one dimension higher spacetime admitting a null Killing vector. This allows us to import the existing field theoretic techniques for relativistic hydrodynamics into the Galilean setting, with minor modifications to include the additional background vector field. We use this formulation to work out an interacting field theory describing stochastic fluctuations of energy, momentum, and density modes around thermal equilibrium. We also present a translation of our results to the more conventional Newton-Cartan language, and discuss how the same can be derived via a non-relativistic limit of the effective field theory for relativistic hydrodynamics.
Signal versus background interference in $$ {H}^{+}\to t\overline{b} $$ signals for MSSM benchmark scenarios
Authors: Arhrib Abdesslam , Azevedo Duarte , Benbrik Rachid , Harouiz Hicham , Moretti Stefano , Patrick Riley , Santos Rui
Published: October 2020

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate sizeable interference effects between a heavy charged Higgs boson signal produced dominantly via $$ gg\to t\overline{b}{H}^{-} $$
gg
→
t

b
¯

H
−

(+ c.c.) followed by the decay $$ {H}^{-}\to b\overline{t} $$

H
−

→
b

t
¯

(+ c.c.) and the irreducible background given by $$ pp\to t\overline{t}b\overline{b} $$
pp
→
t

t
¯

b

b
¯

topologies at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We show that it may be possible that such effects could spoil current H± searches where signal and background are normally treated separately. The reason for this is that a heavy charged Higgs boson can have a large total width, in turn enabling such interferences, altogether leading to potentially very significant alterations, both at the inclusive and exclusive level, of the yield induced by the signal alone. This therefore implies that currently established LHC searches for such wide charged Higgs bosons might require modifications. We show such effects quantitatively using two different benchmark configurations of the minimal realisation of Supersymmetry, wherein such H± states naturally exist. However, on the basis of the limited computing resources available, we are unable to always bring the statistical error down to a level where all such interference effects are unequivocal, so that we advocate dedicated experimental analyses to confirm this with higher statistics data samples.
A Proliferation-Inducing Ligand Regulation in Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils by Panax ginseng
Authors: Ratajczak-Wrona Wioletta , Wawrusiewicz-Kurylonek Natalia , Garley Marzena , Kretowski Adam Jacek , Jablonska Ewa
Published: October 2020

A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily that was first identified as a factor favoring tumorigenesis. APRIL is important fitness and survival factors for B cells and plasma cells in the periphery. Considering this, as well as the quantitative predominance of neutrophils among the peripheral blood leukocytes, we carried out the first study assessing the influence of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling pathway on APRIL expression in these cells. Furthermore, as the Rb1 ginsenoside is known to exhibit multiple pharmacological activities, we verified if the saponin is capable of modulating the process. The present study shows that TGF-β increased the expression of APRIL and the level of phospho-p38, phospho-Akt(T308), and phospho-Akt(S473) in the cytoplasmic fraction, as well as the expression of Fra1, c-Fos, and c-Jun in the nuclear fraction, of neutrophils. However, exposure of these cells to Rb1 reduced the expression and level of the investigated proteins. No changes were found in the expression of APRIL and the level of p-p38 in the cytoplasmic fraction of neutrophils following the application of Rb1 alone, as well as in the neutrophils incubated first with Rb1 and then with TGF-β, whereas a higher level of phosphorylation was observed for Akt and PI3 kinases in the cells. Moreover, a higher expression of all the studied transcription factors was observed in the nuclear fraction of neutrophils. Based on the observed changes, it may be assumed that the expression of APRIL molecule in TGF-β-induced neutrophils and its regulation by Rb1 are associated with PI3K/AKT signaling pathways and transcription factors Fra-1, Fra-2, c-Jun, and c-Fos. Rb1 appears to be a favorable factor that may be potentially used in the modulation of tumor-promoting APRIL expression.