bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strategies for Achieving Corporate Sustainability through Effective Financial Advisory in the U.S. Market
Authors: Amole Oluwatomilayo , Ojo Omotunde
Published: January 2025

Aim: To explore how financial advisory can promote corporate sustainability in the United States (U.S) market, incorporating sustainable business practices into financial goals.
Study Design: A review of the financial advisory strategies to attain corporate sustainability in the U.S., with focus on literature from 2019 to 2024.
Methodology: The research was based on a systematic literature review, examining sources from databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, SSRN, and Business Source Complete. The selected articles will discuss corporate sustainability, financial advisory strategies, and the U.S. market context.
Results: The review identifies 25 key studies that outline the role of financial advisors in corporate sustainability. The studies explain the use of sustainability-oriented financial products, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) metrics, and long-term risk mitigation strategies in advising businesses. Tailored advisory solutions to corporate goals and industry regulations were found to considerably improve sustainability efforts while maintaining financial performance.
Conclusions: Effective financial advisory practices have allowed U.S. corporations to navigate the complexities of sustainable development without compromising profitability. Indeed, these promising outcomes will require further research about their long-term effects and general economic implications.
The Influence of Hemoglobin Variants on Plasmodium falciparum Parasite Density
Authors: MOUSTAPHA Lamine MAHAMAN , YANSAMBOU Mahamadou SEYNI , AMADOU Ibrahim Halilou , ADJIVON Anaëlle Deus-Maël Gloria Obubé , SOULEYMANE Adoum Fils , IBRAHIM Maman Laminou , MAHAMADOU Doutchi
Published: January 2025

Malaria and sickle cell disease are public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. We study the influence of hemoglobin type on parasite density in suspected sickle cell malaria patients in Maradi (Niger). This was a descriptive study with retrospective data collection between 2012 and 2023. Electrophoresis methods were used to determine the hemoglobin type and thick smear for the parasite density. This study included 875 participants with a sex ratio of 1.06 and a mean age of 14.25 years (range: 2 months to 80 years). Thick smear analysis of all participants revealed 52.91% positive, and the arithmetic mean of 242 p/uL (40 p/uL - 2600 p/uL). The most prevalent hemoglobin types were hemoglobin A (66.17%), following with hemoglobin S (29.14%) and hemoglobin C (3.66%). The geometric mean of the parasite density applied to the hemoglobin type shows that hemoglobin C (289.65 p/uL) and hemoglobin S (291.39 p/uL) stand out as being the highest. These results show that the differences in parasite density between hemoglobin A, hemoglobin S and hemoglobin C are statistically significant (p= 2.28x10-59). Regression analysis showed that hemoglobin C had a significant positive influence (p=0.029) on parasite density. The hemoglobin A2, hemoglobin F and hemoglobin S, did not have a statistically significant impact on parasite density. According to this study, person with predominant hemoglobin S and hemoglobin C have highest parasitemia than patients with predominant hemoglobin A type. It’s necessary to conduct others studies to determine the mechanism by how hemoglobin type affects parasite density in malaria.
Comparison of Some Estimation Methods of Missing Data in Hidden Markov Model
Authors: Dairo Oluwatoyin , Oyeyemi Sheriffdeen Taiwo , O.T Arowolo,
Published: January 2025

This study compares four methods, Mean Imputation (MI), Median Imputation (MDI), Linear Interpolation (LI), and Kalman Filter Algorithm (KAL), for estimating missing values in time series data using Hidden Markov Models (HMM). The evaluation is based on accuracy measures: Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). The findings reveal that KAL outperforms other methods across all sample sizes under linear trend structures. On the other hand, MDI performs best under quadratic and exponential trend structures. HMMs were applied to the estimated series with MDI and KAL and compared with actual series models. The Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) values of the models for series with 12% missingness show minimal divergence from those of the actual series. This study underscores the importance of selecting suitable estimation methods tailored to specific trend structures in time series analysis.
Floristic Inventory of the Ngoltongo Botanical Garden at Sindia, Mbour Department, Senegal
Authors: K Diatta , W Diatta , AI Mbaye , A Sarr , SIM Dieng , A Gueye , AD Fall
Published: January 2025

Background: The intertropical plant world has undergone and continues to undergo major destruction and/or transformation, both in terms of ‘ecosystems’ and their components. The demographic explosion on a global scale has accentuated these new spatial modifications, by encouraging the emergence of threats: fires, slash-and-burn agriculture, savannah fires; animal introductions, plant species introductions, anthropic actions, etc. Ex situ conservation is sometimes the only chance of survival for threatened species.
Aim: The aim of the work carried out was to make a floristic inventory of the Ngoltongo botanical garden in Sindia,
Results: The inventory of the ngoltongo botanical garden shows a relatively diverse flora with 220 species in 161 genera and 58 families. In order of importance, the Fabacaeae, Arecaeae, Apocynaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Poaceae are the best represented. The other families, which are less well represented (0.41% each), nevertheless contribute to the diversity of the flora, particularly the monospecific families (Asparagaceae, Cyperaceae, Musaceae, etc.).
We have noted that some families are relatively abundant in terms of the number of species: in the Dicotyledonous class, these are the Fabacaeae Apocynaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae and Rutaceae groups, with a total of 71 species. In the class of Monocotyledons, the Arecaeae are in the lead with 18 species, followed by the Poaceae with 9 species. In addition, certain genera are relatively well represented, including Asparagaceae (8 species),  Euphorbia (7 species), and Ficus (5 species).
Conclusion: The Ngoltongo Botanical Garden appears to be a site of high biodiversity due to the diversity of species planted in a relatively large area. If it is to succeed in its conservation, education and scientific research missions, it is therefore important to consider : its protection against bush fires and the anthropics actions, labelling the feet of all plants and the construction of a seed bank to enable exchanges with other botanical gardens.
Genetic Analysis of Combining Ability and Gene Action in Diallel Crosses of Chickpea Genotypes (Cicer arietinum L.)
Authors: Quatadath Syed Mohd , Gaur S. C. , Tiwari G. C. , Singh Sumit Kumar , Singh Kaushal
Published: January 2025

The study was conducted to examined the combining ability (GCA and SCA) and genetic variability in chickpea across 56 treatments comprising of 10 parental lines, 45 F1 hybrids developed using a diallel mating design and a check variety Radha. Conducted at the Research Farm of Baba Raghav Das P. G.  College, Deoria during the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 rabi seasons, the experiment employed a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed significant GCA and SCA contributions for traits like Days to 50% Flowering, Days to Maturity, and Plant Height, indicating a blend of additive and non-additive genetic effects. GCA analysis identified ICC 1205 and GNG-1958 as promising parents for early flowering and plant architecture, while SCA results highlighted hybrids such as JG 24 × IPC 18-131 for high pod production and yield potential. These insights aid breeders in optimizing chickpea traits for improved productivity, balancing genetic components to meet diverse agricultural objectives.
Impactos da Incubadora do Tecnolago na Formação do Ecossistema de Inovação em Tucuruí, Pará, Brasil
Authors: Felix Junior Romero Carrilho , Lima Celson Pantoja
Published: January 2025

As Incubadoras de Empresas têm sido objeto de estudos nos últimos anos em razão de sua estrutura prestar apoio ao empreendedorismo inovador e de facilitar a criação e o desenvolvimento de empresas para atividades voltadas para a inovação. A Incubadora do Parque Tecnolago, desde 2019, contribui com a promoção da inovação na região de Tucuruí, PA. Por isso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar o funcionamento e alguns impactos que a incubadora acarretou ao ecossistema de inovação local. Para tanto, a metodologia considera a pesquisa bibliográfica, documental, exploratória e descritiva. Desse modo, em relação à abordagem do problema, a pesquisa é caracterizada como qualitativa, cuja coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de pesquisa de campo com entrevista semiestruturada. Assim, esta pesquisa possibilita uma melhor compreensão das dinâmicas de funcionamento da Incubadora de Empresas do Parque Tecnolago e lança um olhar sobre o seu papel no ecossistema. Como contribuição gerencial, há necessidade de melhorias na infraestrutura física e tecnológica. Na perspectiva acadêmica, o estudo sintetiza e organiza o conhecimento e identifica a lacuna existente na literatura sobre formação de ecossistemas de inovação na Amazônia, permitindo acesso à informação para pesquisadores, profissionais e interessados em geral.
ABORTO E (IN)COERÊNCIA DA (DES)CRIMINALIZAÇÃO NO ORDENAMENTO CONSTITUCIONAL BRASILEIRO
Authors: Labres Carine
Published: January 2025

O artigo parte de técnica de revisão bibliográfica, pesquisa qualitativa e utiliza-se de método hipotético-dedutivo com finalidade examinar a temática do aborto, sob perspectiva da moralidade e do valor da dignidade humana, indagando se a criminalização da conduta ainda se legitima nos tempos atuais. Perquire-se sobre a existência de obrigação moral e/ou jurídica imposta à mulher para levar a termo a gestação e suas consequências; aponta-se a decisão judicial que se traduziria justa e equitativa frente ao ordenamento constitucional brasileiro, repisando as teorias de Herbert Hart e de Ronald Dworkin. Além disso, reflete-se sobre os limites do Estado Democrático de Direito na tutela da inviolabilidade da vida humana, abordando a função social dos Poderes Constituídos em temáticas polêmicas, como a do aborto. Por fim, enfatiza-se a importância do protagonismo feminino para ruptura de paradigmas sociais, conquistas legislativas e jurisprudenciais, dimensionando o impacto sobre a realidade jurídico-social brasileira.
Bulk Hydrostatic Properties of Binary Liquid Alloys
Authors: Sebak Dr. Sebilal , Prasad Dr. Ranjan , Choudhary Dr. Umashanker
Published: January 2025

The energetic and ground state structures of the elemental metals combined with density- functional
theory and the local density approximation now able not only the computation of the cohesive energy of the
elemental metals but also the particular symmetry of the ground-state lattice Previously it has been shown that a
model based on the electron gas explains the trends in the cohesive energies of the elemental metals. In this paper we show that a simple extension of this uniform electron gas model also explains the trends in the elastic constants of the simple and transition metals and binary alloys at different concentration
Germanic languages
Authors: Wolfe Brendan N.
Published: January 2022

The Germanic languages, descended from Proto‐Indo‐European, were widely spoken in antiquity and attested in onomastic and epigraphic evidence and, later, in prose, especially the fourth‐century Gothic translation of the Bible. Their phonology (including the famous Grimm's law), morphology, and syntax can be reconstructed to varying extents.
Animals, Sacred
Authors: Ikram Salima
Published: January 2022

Ancient Egyptian deities had totemic animals. Particularly in the Late Period, it was believed that one specific animal of the species associated with a particular god would host the spirit of the god and thus be a manifestation of that deity on earth. This animal was identified by its special markings. During its lifetime it was revered, and upon its death it was mummified and interred with ceremony in an elaborate sepulcher.
Aquae Sextiae
Authors: Owens Edwin J.
Published: January 2022

Aquae Sextiae Salluviorum (mod. Aix‐en‐Provence, France) was reputedly the earliest Roman foundation in Transalpine (later Narbonese) Gaul. It was the site of Marius’ victory over the German tribes of the Teutones and Ambrones in 102bceand in the imperial period became one of the most important cities of the region and, eventually, capital of the province of Narbonensis Secunda.
Histria, Romania
Authors: Owens E. J.
Published: January 2022

Histria (Istros) was the first Greek colony on the west coast of the Black Sea. It grew rapidly and became one of the most important and prosperous Greek cities in the region; and it remained prosperous into the late Roman period. It was sacked on several occasions. There was progressive silting of the coastline from the Hellenistic period onward, and the city was eventually cut off from the sea. After almost fourteen hundred years of continuous occupation, the city was abandoned in the early seventh centuryce,after attacks by Avars and Slavs.
Greek Language in the Roman Empire
Authors: Arzt‐Grabner Peter
Published: January 2022

The Greek language continued to play an important role in the Roman Empire, especially in the eastern provinces. In Italy and Rome, Greek was widely adopted and appreciated as a language of education and culture until late antiquity.
Retina‐Inspired Self‐Powered Artificial Optoelectronic Synapses with Selective Detection in Organic Asymmetric Heterojunctions
Authors: Hao Ziqian , Wang Hengyuan , Jiang Sai , Qian Jun , Xu Xin , Li Yating , Pei Mengjiao , Zhang Bowen , Guo Jianhang , Zhao Huijuan , Chen Jiaming , Tong Yunfang , Wang Jianpu , Wang Xinran , Shi Yi , Li Yun
Published: January 2022

The retina, the most crucial unit of the human visual perception system, combines sensing with wavelength selectivity and signal preprocessing. Incorporating energy conversion into these superior neurobiological features to generate core visual signals directly from incoming light under various conditions is essential for artificial optoelectronic synapses to emulate biological processing in the real retina. Herein, self‐powered optoelectronic synapses that can selectively detect and preprocess the ultraviolet (UV) light are presented, which benefit from high‐quality organic asymmetric heterojunctions with ultrathin molecular semiconducting crystalline films, intrinsic heterogeneous interfaces, and typical photovoltaic properties. These devices exhibit diverse synaptic behaviors, such as excitatory postsynaptic current, paired‐pulse facilitation, and high‐pass filtering characteristics, which successfully reproduce the unique connectivity among sensory neurons. These zero‐power optical‐sensing synaptic operations further facilitate a demonstration of image sharpening. Additionally, the charge transfer at the heterojunction interface can be modulated by tuning the gate voltage to achieve multispectral sensing ranging from the UV to near‐infrared region. Therefore, this work sheds new light on more advanced retinomorphic visual systems in the post‐Moore era.
Intelligent SERS Navigation System Guiding Brain Tumor Surgery by Intraoperatively Delineating the Metabolic Acidosis
Authors: Jin Ziyi , Yue Qi , Duan Wenjia , Sui An , Zhao Botao , Deng Yinhui , Zhai Yuting , Zhang Yuwen , Sun Tao , Zhang Guang‐Ping , Han Limei , Mao Ying , Yu Jinhua , Zhang Xiao‐Yong , Li Cong
Published: January 2022

Surgeons face challenges in intraoperatively defining margin of brain tumors due to its infiltrative nature. Extracellular acidosis caused by metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells is a reliable marker for tumor infiltrative regions. Although the acidic margin‐guided surgery shows promise in improving surgical prognosis, its clinical transition is delayed by having the exogenous probes approved by the drug supervision authority. Here, an intelligent surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) navigation system delineating glioma acidic margins without administration of exogenous probes is reported. With assistance of this system, the metabolites at the tumor cutting edges can be nondestructively transferred within a water droplet to a SERS chip with pH sensitivity. Homemade deep learning model automatically processes the Raman spectra collected from the SERS chip and delineates the pH map of tumor resection bed with increased speed. Acidity correlated cancer cell density and proliferation level are demonstrated in tumor cutting edges of animal models and excised tissues from glioma patients. The overall survival of animal models post the SERS system guided surgery is significantly increased in comparison to the conventional strategy used in clinical practice. This SERS system holds the promise in accelerating clinical transition of acidic margin‐guided surgery for solid tumors with infiltrative nature.
Benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]difuran Based Polymer Donor for High‐Efficiency (>16%) and Stable Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Li Xiaoming , Duan Xiaopeng , Liang Zezhou , Yan Lihe , Yang Yinuo , Qiao Jiawei , Hao Xiaotao , Zhang Chen , Zhang Jie , Li Yan , Huang Fei , Sun Yanming
Published: January 2022

Molecular design of polymer donors is of vital importance for obtaining high‐performance organic solar cells (OSCs). At present, much of the important progress in power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) achieved for OSCs has been associated with the benzodithiophene (BDT)‐based polymers, while the highest PCE of benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]difuran (BDF) polymer‐based OSCs only reaches 14.0%. Here, a polymer donor named PBDF‐NS is designed and synthesized by using naphthalene‐substituted benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]difuran as the electron‐sufficient units and fluorinated benzotriazole (BTz) as the electron‐deficient units. PBDF‐NS possesses a low‐lying HOMO level of −5.44 eV and a wide bandgap of 1.87 eV. When using LC301 as the acceptor, PBDF‐NS‐based OSC exhibits an excellent PCE of 15.24%. Moreover, the ternary and all‐polymer devices based on PBDF‐NS both achieve a higher PCE over 16%, which represents the highest efficiency values reported for BDF polymer‐based OSCs in the literature thus far. Meanwhile, the binary and ternary devices all display excellent storage and light‐soaking stabilities. The results demonstrate that by rational molecular design, BDF‐based copolymers can be comparable to or even surpass the performance of BDT‐based counterparts and also show great potential for realizing high‐efficiency all‐polymer solar cells.
Analyzing and visualizing morphological features using machine learning techniques and non‐big data: A case study of macaque mandibles
Authors: Morita Takashi , Ito Tsuyoshi , Koda Hiroki , Wakamori Hikaru , Nishimura Takeshi
Published: January 2022

Objectives

Morphometrics has played essential roles in the comprehension of biological variation and the evolution of morphological phenotypes. This approach usually imposes strict requirements on data, such as rigid alignment of subjects, and the collection and manual preprocessing of data meeting these requirements are often time consuming. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is developing and it potentially reduces this load, but they usually presuppose the availability of “big data” for successful learning, beyond the empirically plausible amount in biological studies. Here, we propose a deep learning‐based analysis of three‐dimensional data.

Materials and Methods

We built a deep learning‐based analysis of three‐dimensional morphological data that does not require strict alignment or an implausible sample size. We benchmarked the proposed method by case studying sex classification of macaques, referring to computed tomography scans of their mandible.

Results

The model learned from just 139 mandible specimens of Japanese macaques and successfully generalized the learned classification to previously unseen specimens of the same species and even other species of macaques. Moreover, we visualized those characteristic regions in the data that the model used during sex classification and showed that they were consistent with the criteria used by human experts.

Discussion

Our analysis does not require rigidly aligned data, so can effectively use data collected in previous studies with different focus/aims. This proposed AI method can potentially help researchers to discover new morphological features of different species and other biological groups. Implementation of this proposed AI system will be available to other researchers for further investigation.
Relationship between in‐hospital mortality and abdominal angiography among patients with blunt liver injuries: a propensity score‐matching from a nationwide trauma registry of Japan
Authors: Ishida Kenichiro , Katayama Yusuke , Kitamura Tetsuhisa , Hirose Tomoya , Ojima Masahiro , Nakao Shunichiro , Tachino Jotaro , Umemura Yutaka , Kiguchi Takeyuki , Matsuyama Tasuku , Noda Tomohiro , Kiyohara Kosuke , Shimazu Takeshi , Ohnishi Mitsuo
Published: January 2022

Aim

To assess relationships between abdominal angiography and outcomes in adults with blunt liver injuries.

Methods

A retrospective observational study carried out from January 2004 to December 2018. Adult blunt‐trauma patients with AAST grade Ⅲ–Ⅴ were analyzed with in‐hospital mortality as the primary outcome using propensity‐score‐(PS) matching to seek associations with abdominal angiography findings.

Results

A total of 1,821 patients were included, of which 854 had available abdominal angiography data (AA+) and 967 did not (AA−). From these, 562 patients were selected from each group by propensity score matching. In‐hospital mortality was found to be lower in the AA+ than in the AA− group (15.1% [87/562] versus 25.4% [143/562]; odds ratio 0.544, 95% confidence interval 0.398–0.739).

Conclusion

Abdominal angiography is shown to be of benefit for adult patients with blunt liver injury in terms of their lower in‐hospital mortality.
Auxiliary Mode Mediated Coherent and Complex Couplings in a Cavity Magnonic System
Authors: Hu Ming‐Wen , Yu Weichao , Wang Yi‐Pu
Published: January 2022

Coherent and dissipative couplings are discovered in hybrid systems, which are frequently shown as the level repulsion and level attraction between the coupled modes, respectively. The coherent coupling can come from the direct dipole–dipole interaction or resonance‐mediated virtual photon exchange. The dissipative coupling originates from the bath‐induced cooperative damping effect. The interplay between these two couplings gives rise to complex coupling, contributing to novel phenomena and applications. In this work, it is studied how coherent and complex couplings can be readily realized and manipulated in a three‐mode cavity magnonic system. The three‐mode system consists of a two‐port cavity, a yttrium iron garnet (YIG) sphere (magnon mode), and a split‐ring resonator (auxiliary mode). A tunable split‐ring resonator mediates the coupling between the cavity mode and magnon mode. The coupling effect is theoretically analyzed by solving the steady‐state equation combined with numerical simulation. By adjusting several system parameters, the coherent and complex couplings mediated by the auxiliary mode are revealed. The study paves the way toward exploiting resonance‐ and dissipation‐induced couplings in hybrid systems.
Ein übersehener Reaktionsweg bei 1,3‐dipolaren Cycloadditionen von Diazoalkanen mit Enaminen
Authors: Li Le , Mayer Peter , Stephenson David S. , Ofial Armin R. , Mayer Robert J. , Mayr Herbert
Published: January 2022

Methyldiazoacetat reagiert mit 1‐(N‐Pyrrolidino)‐cycloalkenen sowohl zu Produkten aus 1,3‐dipolaren Cycloadditionen als auch aus Azokupplungen. Die Kinetik und der Mechanismus dieser Reaktionen wurden durch NMR‐Spektroskopie und DFT‐Rechnungen untersucht. Die beiden orthogonalen π‐Systeme in 1,3‐Dipolen vom Propargyl‐Allenyl Typ ermöglichen zwei getrennte Reaktionswege für (3+2)‐Cycloadditionen. Der üblicherweise betrachtete konzertierte Reaktionsweg wird durch die Wechselwirkung des Enamin‐HOMOs mit dem niedrigsten unbesetzten Orbital des Heteropropargylanion‐Fragments (LUMO+1) von Methyldiazoacetat, erklärt. Wir zeigen nun, dass HOMO/LUMO(π*N=N)‐Wechselwirkungen zwischen Enaminen und Methyldiazoacetat bisher nicht beachtete Reaktionswege stufenweiser Cycloadditionen über zwitterionische Intermediate ermöglichen. Nach DFT‐Rechnungen sind deren Barrieren in CHCl3 um 40 kJ mol−1 niedriger als für den konzertierten Reaktionsweg.
An Overlooked Pathway in 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloadditions of Diazoalkanes with Enamines
Authors: Li Le , Mayer Peter , Stephenson David S. , Ofial Armin R. , Mayer Robert J. , Mayr Herbert
Published: January 2022

Methyl diazoacetate reacts with 1‐(N‐pyrrolidino)cycloalkenes to give products of 1,3‐dipolar cycloadditions and azo couplings. The kinetics and mechanisms of these reactions were investigated by NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Orthogonal π‐systems in the 1,3‐dipoles of the propargyl‐allenyl type allow for two separate reaction pathways for the (3+2)‐cycloadditions. The commonly considered concerted pathway is rationalized by the interaction of the enamine HOMO with LUMO+1, the lowest unoccupied orbital of the heteropropargyl anion fragment of methyl diazoacetate. We show that HOMO/LUMO(π*N=N) interactions between enamines and methyl diazoacetate open a previously unrecognized reaction path for stepwise cycloadditions through zwitterionic intermediates with barriers approximately 40 kJ mol−1 lower in energy in CHCl3 (DFT calculations) than for the concerted path.
Polyurethane/multi‐walled carbon nanotube electrospun composite membrane for oil/water separation
Authors: Juraij Kandiyil , Chingakham Chinglenthoiba , Manaf Olongal , Sagitha Paroly , Suni Vasudevan , Sajith Vandana , Sujith Athiyanathil
Published: January 2022

Superoleophilic and high‐strength electrospun membranes are promising materials for oil/water separation applications. Here we report the fabrication of a mechanically robust, hydrophobic polyurethane/multi‐walled carbon nanotube (PU/MWCNT) electrospun composite membrane for gravity‐driven oil/water separation. Various electrospun composite membranes with different MWCNT loadings were developed. Spinning parameters such as polymer concentration, solvent ratio, applied voltage, flow rate, and working distance were systematically optimized. The incorporation of MWCNT has increased the thermal stability, hydrophobicity, mechanical properties, and dye adsorption capacity of the PU membrane. The optimized composite fibrous membrane (PU/0.2‐MWCNT) exhibited a percentage elongation of 502%. All the PU/MWCNT composite membranes were found to be superoleophilic in nature. The optimized composite membrane showed the highest oil sorption capacity and lab‐scale oil flux of 14.21–24.07 gg−1 and 425.44 Lm−2 h−1, respectively. In the oil sorption process, all electrospun membranes were fitted to a pseudo second‐order kinetic model. Furthermore, electrospun composite membranes could adsorb toxic dye (Methylene blue) from the oil–water mixture. The PU/MWCNT composite membrane could be a potential candidate for oil/water separation applications.
Influence of co‐neutralization by sodium and zinc on the ethylene ionomer structure and properties
Authors: Nagayama Kei , Morris Barry A. , Matsuba Go , Nakata Kazuyuki
Published: January 2022

This study investigates the properties and structure of poly(ethylene‐co‐methacrylic acid) (EMAA) ionomers co‐neutralized by zinc and sodium, and compares them with ionomers neutralized by a single metal: zinc (EMAA‐Zn) and sodium (EMAA‐Na). The bending stiffness and the degree of crystallization for the co‐neutralized ionomer (Na:Zn = ~1:1 on a molar basis) gives 16.5% and 9.8% increase compared to the simple average of their single cation counterparts. Such unusual properties are seen in mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties and water uptake rate in this study. Infrared spectra of the co‐neutralized ionomer shows changes at the carboxylate antisymmetric stretching band, which correspond to the formation of carboxylates bridging zinc and sodium ions. X‐ray scattering identified that the number density of ionic multiplets for the co‐neutralized ionomers are equivalent to EMAA‐Na and ~ 1.7 times higher than EMAA‐Zn. The fraction of side groups forming ionic multiplets, β, in co‐neutralized ionomers were 0.7–0.8, close to EMAA‐Na (1.0) and higher than EMAA‐Zn (0.3), indicating that sodium promote zinc to form ionic multiplets. The synergistic properties induced by co‐neutralization are ascribed not only to a formation of new ionic multiplets where both cations are included but also to the change in the number density of ionic multiplets.
Assessing detergent‐mediated virus inactivation, protein stability, and impurity clearance in biologics downstream processes
Authors: Feroz Hasin , Chennamsetty Naresh , Byers Sara , Holstein Melissa , Li Zheng J. , Ghose Sanchayita
Published: January 2022

Detergent‐mediated virus inactivation (VI) provides a valuable orthogonal strategy for viral clearance in mammalian processes, in particular for next‐generation continuous manufacturing. Furthermore, there exists an industry‐wide need to replace the conventionally employed detergent Triton X‐100 with eco‐friendly alternatives. However, given Triton X‐100 has been the gold standard for VI due its minimal impact on protein stability and high inactivation efficacy, inactivation by other eco‐friendly detergents and its impact on protein stability is not well understood. In this study, the sugar‐based detergent commonly used in membrane protein purification, n‐dodecyl‐β‐
d‐maltoside was found to be a promising alternative for VI. We investigated a panel of detergents to compare the relative VI efficacy, impact on therapeutic quality attributes, and clearance of the VI agent and other impurities through subsequent chromatographic steps. Detergent‐mediated inactivation and protein stability showed comparable trends to low pH inactivation. Using experimental and modeling data, we found detergent‐mediated product aggregation and its kinetics to be driven by extrinsic factors such as detergent and protein concentration. Detergent‐mediated aggregation was also impacted by an initial aggregation level as well as intrinsic factors such as the protein sequence and detergent hydrophobicity, and critical micelle concentration. Knowledge gained here on factors driving product stability and VI provides valuable insight to design, standardize, and optimize conditions (concentration and duration of inactivation) for screening of detergent‐mediated VI.
Dissipation and gas chromatographic method for the determination of profenofos residues in/on green pea and cucumber
Authors: Wani Ashraf A. , Dar Alamgir A. , Jan Ishrat , Mukhtar Malik , Sofi Khurshid A. , Hassan G. I. , Sofi Javid A.
Published: January 2022

Herein we report a novel, accurate and cost‐effective gas chromatography method for the determination of average deposits of profenofos on green pea and cucumber following good agricultural practices. Additionally the risk assessment, dissipation and waiting period for profenofos were determined. The average initial deposits (2 h after spraying) of profenofos in/on green pea and cucumber were 3.41 and 3.62 mg kg−1 respectively following two applications at a 10 day interval of profenofos 50EC formulation. Profenofos residues on both of the substrates were below the detection limit of 0.05 mg kg−1 after 20 days at the recommended dosage. For risk assessment studies, the 20th day will be safe for consumers for consumption of green peas. The gas chromatography method was validated according to the SANTE guidelines using the various analytical parameters: linearity, accuracy, detection and quantification limits. The developed method is simple, selective and repeatable and can be extended for profenofos‐based standardization of pesticide formulations for green pea/cucumber and their use as pesticides.
A fibrin targeted molecular imaging evaluation of microvascular no‐reflow in acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Chen Xi , Wang Jing , Ge Liang , Lu Gang , Wan Hailin , Jiang Yeqing , Yao Zhenwei , Deng Gang , Zhang Xiaolong
Published: January 2022

Objective

To investigate the relationship between fibrin deposition and “no‐reflow” within microcirculation after thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Materials and methods

Experiments were approved by the institutional animal care and use committee. An experimental AIS model was induced in C57BL/6 mice by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) via the photothrombotic method. Mice were randomly assigned to non‐thrombolytic or thrombolytic treated groups (n = 12 per group). The modified Neurological Severity Score and Fast Beam Balance Test were performed by a researcher blinded to the treatment method. MRI was utilized to evaluate all of the mice. An FXIIIa‐targeted probe was applied to detect fibrin deposition in acute ischemic brain regions by fluorescence imaging. Necrosis and pathological changes of brain tissue were estimated via Hematoxylin and eosin staining while fibrin deposition was observed by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Thrombolytic therapy improved AIS clinical symptoms. The infarct area of non‐thrombolytic treated mice was significantly greater than that of the thrombolytic treated mice (p < .0001). Fluorescent imaging indicated fibrin deposition in ischemic brain tissue in both groups, with less fibrin in non‐thrombolytic treated mice than thrombolytic treated mice, though the difference was not significant. Brain cells with abnormal morphology, necrosis, and liquefication were observed in the infarcted area for both groups. Clotted red blood cells (RBCs) and fibrin build‐up in capillaries were found near the ischemic area in both non‐thrombolytic and thrombolytic treated groups of mice.

Conclusion

Fibrin deposition and stacked RBCs contribute to microcirculation no‐reflow in AIS after thrombolytic therapy.
Climate change commitment, credit risk and the country's environmental performance: Empirical evidence from a sample of international banks
Authors: Birindelli Giuliana , Bonanno Graziella , Dell'Atti Stefano , Iannuzzi Antonia Patrizia
Published: January 2022

This paper analyses whether banks with a greater commitment to climate change issues, proxied by the climate change score from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), experience an impact on their credit risk and whether this relationship is moderated by the environmental performance of the country where the bank is located. For these purposes, a panel data analysis is carried out on a large sample of international listed banks over the period 2011–2019. Our findings suggest that the commitment to climate issues lowers the risk level of bank loans when banks have a medium‐high level of attention to these issues. The country location of the bank does play a key role: In countries with better environmental performance, credit risk reduction takes place at lower levels of climate change commitment. This study provides important implications for the actions that bank managers, regulators and practitioners can enact.
Cleanliness and prejudice in times of pandemic
Authors: Passini Stefano , Speltini Giuseppina
Published: January 2022

The COVID‐19 pandemic has led to restrictions in our contact with others and the introduction of social distancing barriers. These rules can enhance the psychological mechanisms resulting from fear of contamination and may lead to exacerbating prejudiced attitudes towards certain social groups seen as possible carriers of infection. Fear of infection and ideas about cleanliness and dirtiness have indeed historically and culturally influenced the way we interact with other people, both on an inter‐personal and inter‐group level. The aim of the present research is to analyse whether the concern about COVID‐19 is linked to prejudices towards other social groups and whether this relationship is mediated by individual representations of cleanliness. Results on 251 Italian citizens showed that concerns about COVID‐19 are positively related to prejudicial attitudes towards immigrants and that such a relation is indeed mediated by so‐called cultural representations of cleanliness. Specifically, the so‐called cultural representations of hygiene—by which people and groups are categorized as being more or less civilized on the basis of their cleaning practices—was a significant mediator. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.
Undescribed Anti‐Inflammatory Thalysiaketides from Marine Sponge Clathria (Thalysias) vulpina (Lamarck, 1814)
Authors: Francis Prima , Chakraborty Kajal
Published: January 2022

Two undescribed polyketide‐type compounds, thalysiaketide A and thalysiaketide B were isolated from a sponge of marine origin Clathria (Thalysias) vulpina (Lamarck, 1814). Thalysiaketide A exhibited significantly greater inhibitory potential against inflammatory 5‐lipoxygenase (IC50 0.87 mM) and cyclooxygense‐2 (IC50 0.93 mM) compared to those displayed by its thalysiaketide B analog (IC50≥1.05 mM). The 5‐lipoxygenase inhibitory activity of thalysiaketide A was considerably superior to ibuprofen (standard, IC50>4 mM). Higher degree of polar belongings (topological polar surface area 93.06) in conjunction with relatively lower docking parameters of thalysiaketide A with the aminoacyl residues of cyclooxygense‐2 and 5‐lipoxygenase (docking score −12.99 and −12.27 kcal/mol, respectively) recognized its prospective anti‐inflammatory potential.
Interaction of membrane‐embedded cytochrome b‐complexes with quinols: Classical Q‐cycle and murburn model
Authors: Manoj Kelath Murali , Gideon Daniel Andrew , Jaeken Laurent
Published: January 2022

We recently proposed a diffusible reactive (oxygen) species (DRS/DROS) based function for cytochrome b complexes (CBC) and quinones (Q)/quinols (QH2) in the murburn model of bioenergetics. This proposal is in direct conflict with the classical purview of Q‐cycle. Via extensive analyses of the structure‐function correlations of membrane‐quinones/quinols and proteins, we present qualitative and quantitative arguments to infer that the classical model cannot explain the energetics, kinetics, mechanism and probabilistic considerations. Therefore, it is proposed that Q‐cycle is neither necessary nor feasible at CBCs. In contrast, we substantiate that the murburn model explains: (a) crucial structural data of CBCs, (b) why quinones/quinols are utilized in bioenergetic membranes, (c) how trans‐membrane potential is generated owing to effective charge separation at CBCs, (d) mobility data of O2, DRS, Q/QH2, and (e) utility of other reaction/membrane components. Further, the murburn model also accommodates the absence of quinones in anaerobic Archaea, wherein methanophenazines are prevalent. The work mandates that the textbooks and research agendas are refreshed to reflect the new perception.

Significance

The current article must be seen as a critical and detailed analysis of the role and working mechanism of quinone (Q) /quinols (QH2) in bioenergetic membranes. In the classical model, QH2 are perceived as highly mobile electron‐transport agents that bind and donate electrons to cytochrome b complexes (CBCs), using sophisticated electronic circuitries, in order to recycle Q and pump protons. The classical perception sees radicals (such as Q*‐, O2*‐, etc., also called diffusible reactive species, DRS) as wasteful or toxic (patho) physiological manifestations. It is highlighted herein that QH2 has low mobility and matrix has little protons to pump. New insights from the structural analyses of diverse CBCs and quinols, in conjunction with murburn reaction thermodynamics suggest that the electrons from substrates/quinols are effectively utilized via DRS. This perception fits into a much broader analysis of 1 and 2 electron transfers in overall redox metabolism, as recently brought out by the murburn model, wherein DRS are considered obligatory ingredients of physiology. Thus, the findings mandate a reorientation in the pertinent research field.
Case report of Osteopoikilosis in patient with psoriatic arthritis
Authors: Cherif Ines , Maatallah Kaouther , Ferjani Hanene , Triki Wafa , Ben Nessib Dorra , Kaffel Dhia , Hamdi Wafa
Published: January 2022

Osteopoikilosis (OPK) is one of the rare genetic musculoskeletal, non‐inflammatory disorders that we should increase awareness toward. We report a case of a patient diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis with incidental imaging findings of lesions suggestive of osteopoikilosis.
Structural and Electronic Properties of Boranes Containing Boron‐Chalcogen Multiple Bonds and Stabilized by Amido Imidazoline‐2‐imine Ligands
Authors: Martínez Juan Pablo , Trzaskowski Bartosz
Published: January 2022

The stabilization of elusive monomeric species containing multiple boron‐chalcogen bonds has motivated the investigation of sophisticated ligand systems in the past few years. Recently, a series of neutral, Lewis acid‐free chalcogenboranes were prepared by incorporation of an amido imidazoline‐2‐imine as the supporting ligand (Frank et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 4633), resulting in well‐defined molecular entities with pronounced multiple bond character, B=X (X=O, S, Se, Te). In view of the potential use of N‐heterocyclic boranes (NHB=X) as ligands in catalysis and fine chemistry, we evaluated in this work the bonding properties of the new B=X compounds based on a π‐backdonation model. The electronic properties of systems in question were modulated via systematic modifications of the NHB ring with respect to ligand variation, saturation, size, and heteroatom substitutions. Investigations into the B=X bond length and order, calculated by means of density functional theory methods, reveal enhanced B=X bonding properties for NHB rings with high electron delocalization in the NHB ring and bearing electron‐withdrawing substituents; a fact that was also confirmed by computational assessment of electron interactions of the B=X species with a dicarbonyl manganese complex. We expect that the analysis will contribute to the rational optimization of existing ligands as well as the development of new moieties, which would further allow for exploration of new boron chemistry.
Synthesis, Reactivity and Structural Properties of Trifluoromethylphosphoranides
Authors: Shyshkov Oleg O. , Kolomeitsev Alexander A. , Hoge Berthold , Lork Enno , Haupt Axel , Keßler Mira , Röschenthaler Gerd‐Volker
Published: January 2022

Phosphoranides are interesting hypervalent species which serve as model compounds for intermediates or transition states in nucleophilic substitution reactions at trivalent phosphorus substrates. Herein, the syntheses and properties of stable trifluoromethylphosphoranide salts are reported. [K(18‐crown‐6)][P(CF3)4], [K(18‐crown‐6)][P(CF3)3F], and [NMe4][P(CF3)2F2] were obtained by treatment of trivalent precursors with sources of CF3− or F− units. These [P(CF3)4‐nFn]− (n=0–2) salts exhibit fluorinating (n=1–2) or trifluoromethylating (n=0) properties, which is disclosed by studying their reactivity towards selected electrophiles. The solid‐state structures of [K(18‐crown‐6)][P(CF3)4] and [K(18‐crown‐6)][P(CF3)3F] are ascertained by single crystal X‐ray crystallography. The dynamics of these compounds are investigated by variable temperature NMR spectroscopy.
Proposed RPL routing protocol in the IoT applications
Authors: Hadaya Nariman Najeeb , Alabady Salah Abdulghani
Published: January 2022

Routing protocol for low‐power and lossy networks (RPL) is a proactive routing protocol that automates the path development process using objective functions (OFs). The IETF defines two types of RPL objective functions, minimum rank with hysteresis objective function (MRHOF) and OF0. OF0 is based on the minimum hop count metric while the MRHOF is based on the expected transmission count (ETX) metric. Because of the single metric, both MRHOF and OF0 will suffer from long hops when selecting the routs to the sink, and select inefficient routes maybe paths contain nodes with small residual energy, which may cause consume the nod's energy faster than other nodes. The other problem of RPL is unbalanced chosen by parents that make bottleneck nodes that cause more network delay and high packet loss ratio because of the high congestion nodes, especially the nodes that locate near the sink node. In this article, we proposed an improvement RPL objective function that considers three metrics (load, residual energy, and ETX metrics) instead of one metric, to solve the MRHOF problems. The performance of the proposed protocol shows the enhancement in the RPL performance in terms of PDR, total energy consumption, and many other parameters.
Naloxone: The opioid overdose reversal medicine
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: January 2022

The life of anyone who has overdosed on an opioid can be saved, dramatically and immediately, by the administration of naloxone — trade name Narcan. Because of this, and because of the widespread availability of illicit fentanyl, which is responsible for most of the opioid overdoses, the federal government is promoting more naloxone availability.
A novel expandable intersection‐ring architecture supporting optical network units' discretionary peer‐to‐peer communication in metro‐access network
Authors: Guo Yaqin , Gan Chaoqin , Zhan Nianfei
Published: January 2022

Direct communication between optical network units (ONUs) provides the opportunity to reduce substantial latency among two communicating ONUs, which is very significant for next generation optical networks. In this paper, an expandable intersection‐ring architecture to support direct communication among ONUs is proposed. By adopting two tunable fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), direct peer‐to‐peer communication of ONUs can be achieved. By utilizing the cyclic routing property of arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), upstream/downstream communication together with direct communication among ONUs can be carried out simultaneously. By adopting intersection‐ring topology, any two adjacent flexible expansion nodes (FENs) on the main ring can be used as intersections to extend a new subring, the scale of the network can be enhanced greatly. Meanwhile, not only the protection of multiple fiber faults can be realized, but also the fault protection of key nodes can be performed. By using a strategy of transmitting signals separately from the top and the bottom branches of the ring, communication efficiency can be improved, transmission latency can be reduced, and fault isolation can be achieved effectively. By the simulation experiment, the effectiveness of the proposed network is demonstrated.