bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three new species and one new record of Torrenticolidae (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from Wuyishan with an updated key for Chinese fauna
Authors: Gu Xin-Yao , Jin Dao-Chao , Guo Jian-Jun
Published: April 2020

New data of Torrenticolidae Piersig, 1902 are presented in this paper from Wuyishan National Nature Reserve, P. R. China. Three new species, Torrenticola suptilisrostrum Gu & Guo sp. nov., Torrenticola spinextension Gu & Guo sp. nov. and Torrenticola wuyiensis Gu & Guo sp. nov. are described and illustrated in detail, and one new record for Chinese fauna is given, Torrenticola dentifera Wiles, 1991, which was originally described from Malaysia. In addition, an updated key is provided to all species of Torrenticolidae in China.
ACRL honors the 2020 award recipients: A recognition of professional development
Authors: Ollis Chase
Published: April 2020

ACRL is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2020 awards. Made possible by generous corporate support, the annual presentation of awards and grants enables ACRL to honor the very best in academic and research librarianship.
The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (in prison): Using the frames to teach incarcerated students
Authors: Balcer Clare Kuntz
Published: April 2020

As a sophomore at Goucher College—with a growing awareness of the connections between race, class, education, and incarceration in the United States—I decided to volunteer as a writing tutor with the Goucher Prison Education Partnership (GPEP). GPEP “provides men and women incarcerated in Maryland with the opportunity to pursue an excellent college education” in classes where “students are held to the rigorous academic standards for which Goucher is known.”
Maintaining Your Emotional Wellness During COVID-19
Authors: Logan Deirdre
Published: April 2020

The world is a little scary and stressful right now because the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted many people’s lives in one way or another. Being anxious during a time like this is completely normal, but the fear and uncertainty can have a negative impact on your mental health. Now more than ever taking care of your mental health is a priority. We here at the Implementation Science and Practice Advances Research Center (iSPARC) have seen many great resources and tips come out to help people support their mental health during this crisis. We’ve pointed out some of the ones we think are the most helpful and listed them below. The resources we got these tips from are also available at the end of this tip sheet.
Evolution of switchable aposematism: insights from individual-based simulations
Authors: Song Woncheol , Lee Sang-im , Jablonski Piotr G.
Published: April 2020

Some defended prey animals can switch on their normally hidden aposematic signals. This switching may occur in reaction to predators’ approach (pre-attack signals) or attack (post-attack signals). Switchable aposematism has been relatively poorly studied, but we can expect that it might bring a variety of benefits to an aposmetic organism. First, the switching could startle the predators (deimatism). Second, it could facilitate aversive learning. Third, it could minimize exposure or energetic expense, as the signal can be switched off. These potential benefits might offset costs of developing, maintaining and utilizing the switchable traits. Here we focused on the third benefit of switchability, the cost-saving aspect, and developed an individual-based computer simulation of predators and prey. In 88,128 model runs, we observed evolution of permanent, pre-attack, or post-attack aposematic signals of varying strength. We found that, in general, the pre-attack switchable aposematism may require moderate predator learning speed, high basal detectability, and moderate to high signal cost. On the other hand, the post-attack signals may arise under slow predator learning, low basal detectability and high signal cost. When predator population turnover is fast, it may lead to evolution of post-attack aposematic signals that are not conforming to the above tendency. We also suggest that a high switching cost may exert different selection pressure on the pre-attack than the post-attack switchable strategies. To our knowledge, these are the first theoretical attempts to systematically explore the evolution of switchable aposematism relative to permanent aposematism in defended prey. Our simulation model is capable of addressing additional questions beyond the scope of this article, and we open the simulation software, program manual and source code for free public use.
Influence of Season and Day Length on Production and Reproductive Traits and Egg Characteristics of the Guinea Fowl (Numida meleagris)
Authors: Okyere Korankye , Kagya-Agyemang James Kwame , Annor Serekye Yaw , Asabere-Ameyaw Akwasi , Kyere Clement Gyeabour
Published: April 2020

Aims: This study was conducted to determine the influence of season and day length on production traits, egg characteristics, fertility and hatchability of laying Guinea fowls (Numida meleagris).

Study Design: Factorial design was used for the study.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Poultry Unit of the Department of Animal Science Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, Mampong campus from September, 2015 to December, 2016.

Methodology: Four (4) hens and one (1) male per replicate and fifteen (15) per treatment were each subjected to 12 hours of artificial light and 12 hours of darkness (12L:12D), 14hours of artificial light and 10 hours of darkness (14L:10D), 16hours of artificial light and 8 hours of darkness (16L:8D) and 18hours of artificial light and 6 hours of darkness (18L:6D). Each group was replicated three times and reared in three seasons (Dry-December-March, Major rains-April-July and Minor rains-August-November) in a 3x4 factorial experiment. Data were analyzed using General Linear Model procedure of SAS.

Results: Results showed that egg weight, hen-day egg production and egg mass increased (P= .05) with increasing day length. Similar results were observed for yolk height, yolk weight and albumin height. Most production traits, egg characteristics, fertility and hatchability attained the highest (P= .05) value in the major rainy season.

Conclusion: It was concluded that day length of 14-16 hours is sufficient for improved laying performance and that breeding cycles should be planned to coincide with the major rainy season.
Determination of Iodide and Fluoride in Brassica Oleraceae Var. Acephale with Ion Selective Electrodes
Authors: Kalaycı Şükrü
Published: April 2020

Black dandelion is widely grown in the Black Sea region, consumption as food is quite high. There are many trace elements important in terms of nutritional value. Goitre disease, which is common in this region, is caused by iodide deficiency. Fluoride is of great importance for the health of the teeth. Therefore, in our study, we wanted to measure the iodide and fluoride found in the most consumed dandelions in this region with iodide and fluoride selective electrodes.

The black cabbage samples were dried to constant weighing. It was made soluble by wet burning method. Iodide and fluoride ions were determined by dilution. Our electrode consisting of ion exchange, PVC and plasticizer has a sensitivity of 59 mV to 10-5 - 10-1 M iodide. Our electrode, which is composed of calcium fluoride and less soluble silver salts, shows a sensitivity of 28 mV to 10-5 - 10-1 M fluoride. Iodide and fluoride measurements can be made with our electrodes which are not sensitive to any other anion and cation.
Standardization of Fermentation Time for Foxtail Millet to Black Gram
Authors: Harichandana P. , Suneetha W. Jessie , Kumari B. Anila , Tejashree M.
Published: April 2020

Fermentation is a household procedure used to preserve and produce diversified products enriched with bioactive components. Different combinations of instant or ready to use dosa mixes were prepared using foxtail millet, rice and pulses like black gram and green gram dals by fermenting at 37°C for 6, 12 and 18 hours depending upon the pulse used. The results revealed that 12 hours of fermentation was necessary to give best dosa for all combinations similar to control. The combination of 70% foxtail millet, 20% black gram and 10% green gram gave better results when compared with control and the percentage increase in appearance, texture, flavour and overall acceptance were 3.66%, 2.41%, 1.18% and 1.19% respectively with decrease in taste by 7.53% and no change in sourness for both samples.
Morphological Diversity of Muscovy Duck in Humid Zone of Nigeria
Authors: Ewuola Muslim K. , Akinyemi M. O. , Hassan W. A. , Folaniyi Bello Semiu
Published: April 2020

The study is aimed to assess live weight and some morphometric traits to serve as the basis for documentation and utilization in improvement programme of the locally-adapted ducks. This study observed five phenotypic characteristics and assessed live weight, and seven morphometric traits in 200 adult domestic ducks (105 drakes and 95 ducks) in the humid zone of Nigeria between February and August 2012. The observed characteristics were plumage colour, shank colour, eye colour, incidence and colour of caruncle. The seven morphometric traits included; body length, breast circumference, bill length, neck length, wing length, shank length, and foot length. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression coefficients. Plumage colour was predominantly pied (black/white) with a relative prevalence of 69.0%. Shank colour was mainly yellow with a relative proportion of 62.5%. About 62% of the study ducks were yellow-eyed; the remaining ones had black eyes (38%). One-half (50%) of the study sample had caruncle; the remaining half had no caruncle. Red caruncle was predominant with the relative prevalence of 58.5%. The mean live weights of drakes and ducks were 3.16±0.814 kg and 2.05±0.449 kg, respectively. Coefficients of the phenotypic correlation between live weight and morphometric traits both in ducks and drakes ranged from 0.914 to 0.987 (P<0.01). The correlation coefficients showed that body length had the strongest relationship with live weight followed by wing length (r = 0.987 and 0.984). Regression analysis showed that body length and wing length had the highest coefficients of determination (R2 = 0.974 and 0.969), indicating that they were the best predictors of live weight. Also, the sampled Muscovy ducks showed a substantial level of variation in live weight and some morphometric traits, thereby pointing to probable gainful selection efforts. The regression equations in this study could serve as useful practical tools by livestock farmers, researchers and rural development workers for weight estimation in the field and for selection purposes.
Hepatotoxic Effect of Port Harcourt Eliozu Landfill Leachate in Wistar Rats
Authors: Weleh I. I. , Georgewill O. A. , Barizoge L. C. , Dapper D. V.
Published: April 2020

Studies have reported deleterious effect of landfill leachate and their surrounding water sources around the world. None has been reported on the Port Harcourt (Eliozu) landfill. This therefore necessitates this study that evaluated the hepatotoxic effects of Port Harcourt (Eliozu) landfill in wistar rats. 25 wistar rats were grouped into five of five rats each. Group 1 served as the control and received 1 ml of commercial non-carbonated bottled water; Group 2 served as negative control and received 1 ml of water obtained from borehole about 1 km from the landfill; while Groups 3, 4 and 5 received 1 ml of 10% of leachate concentration, 1 ml of 50% of leachate concentration and 1 ml of 100% of leachate concentration respectively once daily for 90 days. After the treatment period, the rats were sacrificed and 5 ml of blood was collected via cardiac puncture. The blood samples were prepared and used for the determination of serum concentrations of liver enzymes. The rats were also dissected and the liver harvested for histochemical analysis using the periodic acid Schiff stain. Result showed the serum concentrations liver enzymes significantly increased in the rats exposed to the leachate and water from a nearby borehole. Also histochemistry examination showed a marked distortion of the hepatic cells and cirrhotic change in the test groups compared to control. This study therefore concludes that exposure to Port Harcourt Eliozu landfill leachate (PELL) may cause significant hepatotoxicity in rats.
The Prescribing Trends of Metronidazole in The Outpatient Setting
Authors: Ahmed Nehad J.
Published: April 2020

Aim: The aim of this study is to characterize the trends of metronidazole prescribing in outpatient setting in Alkharj.

Methodology: This is a retrospective study includes evaluating outpatient antibiotic prescriptions from 01-01-2018 till 31-12-2018 in a public hospital Alkharj. The data were collected and analyzed using excel software and the descriptive data were represented by frequencies and percentages.                             

Results: The majority of the metronidazole prescriptions were regular and only few prescriptions were urgent. The physicians who prescribed metronidazole were mainly residents who don’t have sufficient experience that may results in more inappropriate antibiotic prescribing patterns.

Conclusion: The excessive use of metronidazole in addition to its prescribing by resident may results in inappropriate prescribing pattern that may lead to increase the adverse effect which may lead to increase the rate of bacterial resistance. More efforts are needed, especially by applying antimicrobial stewardship program, to ensure that metronidazole is prescribed correctly.
Effect of Standardizing the Incision Line on Delayed Gastric Emptying After Laparoscopic Gastrectomy: A Retrospective Preliminary Analysis
Authors: Tsukada Tomoya , Kaji Masahide , Kinoshita Jun , Shimizu Koichi
Published: April 2020

Background

The use of totally laparoscopic surgery with Billroth-I reconstruction (delta-shaped anastomosis) has rapidly become widespread in recent years. However, we experienced delayed gastric emptying (DGE) in the early period after introduction of this technique. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports that mention the incision line when discussion prevention of DGE in distal gastrectomy. In the present study, we standardized the surgical techniques, including the gastric incision line, and compared the short-term results before and after standardization.

Methods

A total of 86 patients were enrolled in this study. Twenty-eight procedures were performed in the early period, 58 procedures were performed in the late period, and the 2 groups were compared retrospectively.

Results

The operation time decreased significantly after standardization from 288 to 224 minutes (P < 0.001). The median value of perioperative bleeding volume decreased from 22.5 to 12.5 mL (P = 0.060). There were no postoperative complications related to the site of anastomosis in either group. Five cases of DGE (17.8%) were noted in the early period, but only 2 cases (3.4%) were noted in the late period (P = 0.022).

Conclusions

Standardization of the incision line after laparoscopic gastrectomy resulted in a decrease in the incidence of DGE.
Phenotypic expansion of Bosch–Boonstra–Schaaf optic atrophy syndrome and further evidence for genotype–phenotype correlations
Authors: Rech Megan E. , McCarthy John M. , Chen Chun‐An , Edmond Jane C. , Shah Veeral S. , Bosch Daniëlle G. M. , Berry Gerard T. , Williams Linford , Madan‐Khetarpal Suneeta , Niyazov Dmitriy , Shaw‐Smith Charles , Kovar Erin M. , Lupo Philip J. , Schaaf Christian P.
Published: April 2020

Bosch–Boonstra–Schaaf Optic Atrophy Syndrome (BBSOAS) is an autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder caused by loss‐of‐function variants in NR2F1 and characterized by visual impairment, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. Here we report 18 new cases, provide additional clinical information for 9 previously reported individuals, and review an additional 27 published cases to present a total of 54 patients. Among these are 22 individuals with point mutations or in‐frame deletions in the DNA‐binding domain (DBD), and 32 individuals with other types of variants including whole‐gene deletions, nonsense and frameshift variants, and point mutations outside the DBD. We corroborate previously described clinical characteristics including developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder diagnoses/features thereof, cognitive/behavioral anomalies, hypotonia, feeding difficulties, abnormal brain MRI findings, and seizures. We also confirm a vision phenotype that includes optic nerve hypoplasia, optic atrophy, and cortical visual impairment. Additionally, we expand the vision phenotype to include alacrima and manifest latent nystagmus (fusional maldevelopment), and we broaden the behavioral phenotypic spectrum to include a love of music, an unusually good long‐term memory, sleep difficulties, a high pain tolerance, and touch sensitivity. Furthermore, we provide additional evidence for genotype–phenotype correlations, specifically supporting a more severe phenotype associated with DBD variants.
Characterization of Highly Coordinated Allylgermanes: Pivotal Players for Enhanced Nucleophilicity and Stereoselectivity
Authors: Minami Yohei , Nishida Kento , Konishi Akihito , Yasuda Makoto
Published: April 2020

Allylgermanes with a 4‐, 5‐, and 6‐coordinated germanium center were characterized by X‐ray crystallography. Cationic 6‐coordinated group 14 allylmetals, which were hitherto assumed to be a transition‐state structure of allylations, were successfully isolated. Forming high coordination states significantly enhanced the reactivity of the allylgermanes. In contrast to the 4‐coordinated allylgermanes with low reactivity, the highly coordinated species readily reacted with several aldehydes. Furthermore, the high coordination states exerted a significant effect on the E/Z selectivity of allylation depending on external additives. The coordination structure had a dramatic influence on the electronic and steric environments around the Ge center, enabling the geometrically controlled allylation of aldehydes.
Electroimmunodetection of cardiac C‐reactive protein for determining myocardial Injury
Authors: Gan Xiaoya , Gong Tao , Zheng Yin , Gopinath Subash C. B. , Zhao Ketong
Published: April 2020

C‐reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase reactant to be a marker of inflammation and has been correlated with the cardiac injury. An immunoassay was performed using anti‐human CRP antibody on an InterDigitated electrode (IDE) sensor to determine and specify CRP concentration for diagnosing the condition of myocardial inflammation. To promote the detection, gold nanoparticle (GNP) was seeded on the aminated‐IDE surface. Anti‐CRP was hitched on the GNP‐seeded surface and identified the abundance of CRP. The limit of quantification was found as 100 fM, and the higher current response was noticed by increasing CRP concentrations with the sensitivity at 1 pM. Furthermore, CRP‐spiked human serum did not interfere the determination of CRP and increased the current response, indicating suitability for a real‐life sample. Similarly, the control experiments with nonimmune antibody Troponin I are not showing the definite current responses, proving the selective identification of CRP. This method of diagnosing is needful to determine the cardiovascular injury at the right time.
Relationship between Sphk1/S1P and microRNAs in human cancers
Authors: Khoei Saeideh Gholamzadeh , Sadeghi Hamid , Samadi Pouria , Najafi Rezvan , Saidijam Massoud
Published: April 2020

Sphingosine kinases type 1 (SphK1) is a key enzyme in the phosphorylation of sphingosine to sphingosine 1‐phosphate (S1P). Different abnormalities in SphK1 functions may correspond with poor prognosis in various cancers. Additionally, upregulated SphK1/S1P could promote cancer cell proliferation, angiogenesis, mobility, invasion, and metastasis. MicroRNAs as conserved small noncoding RNAs play major roles in cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, etc. Their posttranscriptionally mechanisms could affect the development of cancer growth or tumorigenesis suppression. The growing number of studies has described that various microRNAs can be regulated by SphK1, and its expression level can also be regulated by microRNAs. In this review, the relationship of SphK1 and microRNA functions and their interaction in human malignancies have been discussed. Based on them novel treatment strategies can be introduced.
Gene expression studies of Saccharum spontaneum, a wild relative of sugarcane in response to salinity stress
Authors: Kasirajan Lakshmi , Valiyaparambth Rabisha , Velu Janani , Hari Haritha , Srinivasavedantham Vasantha , Athaiappan Selvi
Published: April 2020

The study is aimed to assess the morphological, physiological, and molecular responses of seven Saccharum spontaneum clones for salinity stress. These clones (IND‐07‐1462, IND‐07‐1465, IND‐07‐1470, IND‐07‐1471, IND 16–1761, IND 16–1762, and IND 16–1763) were subjected to salinity stress at two different concentrations of electrical conductivity 6 and 8 ds/m after 60 days of planting. All seven genotypes showed a decrease in relative water content and nitrate reductase activity with an increase in severity of salt stress. The effect was more pronounced in IND‐07‐1471, while IND‐16‐1762 exhibited only a minimum drop. Similarly we observed an increase in proline content and lipid peroxidation activity for the genotype IND‐07‐1471, while IND‐16‐1762 showed minimum increase. Molecular profiling of genes/transcription factors like salt overly sensitive, responsive to abscissic acid, dirigent, myeloblastosis, ethylene responsive factor associated with salinity stress tolerance showed 19‐, 18‐, 17‐, 10‐, and 9‐fold increased expression at 8 ds/m of salinity stress, respectively, in IND‐16‐1762 showed. Based on the evidences obtained from expression profiling, we have cloned the conserved regions of RAB and SOS1 genes. The domain of SOS and RAB was identified as a regulatory subunit of cAMP‐dependent protein kinases which is involved in a signaling pathway.
The effect of amino acid supplementation in an industrial Chinese Hamster Ovary process
Authors: Horvat Jernej , Narat Mojca , Spadiut Oliver
Published: April 2020

The main goal in biosimilar development is to increase Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) viability and productivity while maintaining product quality. Despite media and feed optimization during process development, depletion of amino acids still occurs. The aim of the work was to optimize an existing industrial fed batch process by preventing shortage of amino acids and to gather knowledge about CHO metabolism. Several process outputs were evaluated such as cell metabolism, cell viability, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) production, and product quality. First step was to develop and supplement an enriched feed containing depleted amino acids. Abundance of serine and glucose increased lactate production resulting in low viability and low productivity. In the next step, we developed an amino acid feed without serine to avoid the metabolic boost. Supplemented amino acids improved cell viability by 9%; however, mAb production did not increase significantly. In the final step, we limited glucose concentration (<5.55 mmol/L) in the cell culture to avoid the metabolic boost while supplementing an amino acid feed including serine. Data analysis showed that we were able to (a) replace depleted amino acids and avoid metabolic boost, (b) increase viability by 12%, (c) enhance mAb production by 0.5 g/L (total by approximately 10 g), and (d) extend the overall process time of an already developed bioprocess.
Single‐Molecule Study of Peptides with the Same Amino Acid Composition but Different Sequences by Using an Aerolysin Nanopore
Authors: Hu Fangzhou , Angelov Borislav , Li Shuang , Li Na , Lin Xubo , Zou Aihua
Published: April 2020

Nanopores are original sensors employed for highly sensitive peptides/proteins detection. Herein, we describe the use of an aerolysin nanopore to identify two similar model peptides, YEQYEQQDDDRQQQ (YEQ2Q3) and QDDDRQQQYEQYEQ (Q3YEQ2), with the same amino acid composition but different sequences. All‐atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that YEQ2Q3 possesses fewer hydrogen bonds and a more extended conformation than Q3YEQ2. These two peptides, which fold differently, exhibit obviously distinct mass‐independent current blockades with characteristic dwell times when entering the aerolysin nanopore. Typically, at +60 mV, the statistical dwell time of 0.630±0.018 ms for peptide Q3YEQ2 is four times longer than the value of 0.160±0.001 ms for peptide YEQ2Q3, and yet peptide YEQ2Q3 induces ∼1.9 % larger blockade current amplitude than peptide Q3YEQ2. The obtained results show the remarkable potential of aerolysin nanopore for peptides/proteins identification, characterization, sequencing and also demonstrate that the mass identification of nonuniformly charged peptides/proteins by using the nanopore technique could be complicated by their folded structure and complex analyte‐pore interaction.
Study on the effects of sugar alcohols and Angelica keiskei flour on cookie quality, antioxidant, and nutrition
Authors: Gong Shengxiang , Xu Bei , Gu Xinzhe , Li Wenhui , Yu Ying , Zhang Wei , Wang Zhengwu
Published: April 2020

Background and objectives

Low‐glycemic index (GI) functional foods have great industrial potential, as obesity has become an important global public health issue. In this study, the effects of replacing sucrose with maltitol, xylitol, and erythritol on the quality, antioxidant, and nutrition of Angelica keiskei cookies were investigated.

Findings

The color and textural parameters of cookies formulated with xylitol and erythritol were significantly (p < .05) different from those of the sucrose cookies, while the cookies made with maltitol showed the color, hardness, and brittleness values closest to the sucrose cookies. Additionally, the cookies formulated with the three sugar alcohols showed lower acid value and peroxide value than the sucrose control. The results of functional analyses showed that A. keiskei flour further enhanced the antioxidant activity and α‐amylase inhibitory activity of the maltitol cookies beyond that of maltitol alone. The maltitol A. keiskei cookies showed the lowest pGI of 53.9.

Conclusions

The cookie formulated with maltitol showed good quality and storability characteristics. Additionally, the incorporation of maltitol and A. keiskei flour in the cookie recipe significantly increased the antioxidant activity and α‐amylase inhibitory activity of the cookies and reduced their glycemic index.

Significance and novelty

Maltitol could be considered to be an acceptable sucrose substitute for developing A. keiskei cookies. Furthermore, maltitol and A. keiskei flour are considered to be appropriate ingredients for the development of low‐GI functional cookies.
Spontaneous, isolated, and gaze‐evoked ocular flutter: A rare case report
Authors: Vavougios George D. , Pelidou Sygkliti‐Henrietta , Mavromatis Thomas , Mandras Dimitrios , Ntoskas Triantafyllos
Published: April 2020

This case illustrates the need to correctly identify oscillopsia among cases of self‐reported dizziness, and ocular flutter itself as a presenting sign of potentially serious underlying disease. The neurologist should approach these patients in a systematic manner, in order to exclude concurrent or impending comorbidities such as neoplastic disease.
Insight into the Selective Conversion via a Steered Adsorption and Protonation from Tantalates‐based Solid Acid's Intrinsic Proton for Hydride‐transfer Reduction
Authors: Ma Yuxuan , He Dan , Le Shukun , Wang Chunyan , Wang Xiaojing
Published: April 2020

Brønsted solid acids have popularly been used as catalysts or supports for many hydrogenation reactions, while it is uncertain if their structural H species could significantly enhance velocity and reusability for these reactions. In this work, a series of tantalate‐supported silver catalysts Ag/MxH2–xTa2O6 (M=H, Li, Na, K, Sr) were prepared, along with abundant solid acid catalysts (Ag/Al2O3, Ag/SiO2−Al2O3, Ag/ZrO2−SO42−, and Ag/heteropolyacid). By assessing activity of a model reaction from p‐nitrophenol to the corresponding aniline together with an isotope comparative test (Ag/D2Ta2O6 and Ag/H2Ta2O6), a previously unknown route was uncovered, which involves that intrinsic proton H species of the Brønsted solid acid support directly participate in the formation of products. Meanwhile, Ag NPs could form an embedded distribution by exchanging with structural H species, responsible for the stabilization of catalytic active sites. The results reported here could give a deep understanding on proton chemistry of solid acids in construction of catalysts and/or supports in H‐participating reactions.
Optimization and control of vertical double wall dividing‐wall column for separating a quaternary system
Authors: Wang Honghai , Zhou Qi , Su Weiyi , Ji Pengyu , Wang Zhao , Li Chunli
Published: April 2020

In this paper, the new separation structure (VDWDWC) for separation of a quaternary system is proposed for the first time, which has lower energy consumption and higher separation efficiency than the traditional three‐column and Kaibel column. Sensitivity analysis and response surface optimization (RSM) are applied to the structural design and parameter optimization of VDWDWC. In addition, the dynamic control of VDWDWC is also investigated. Specifically, the performances of temperature‐composition cascade control (TC‐CC) with and without feed‐forward ratio control are compared and analyzed. The results suggested that the TC‐CC structure can achieve outstanding controllability for VDWDWC, when the feed flow rate and feed composition is disturbed. In particular, TC‐CC with feed‐forward ratio control has better dynamic response: the maximum deviation was reduced by 53.7%, and the settling times are significantly shortened, while the steady state deviation of product purity was slightly reduced.
In Situ Incorporation of Super‐Small Metallic High Capacity Nanoparticles and Mesoporous Structures for High‐Performance TiO2/SnO2/Sn/Carbon Nanohybrid Lithium‐Ion Battery Anodes
Authors: Wang Xiaoyan , Cheng Ya-Jun , Ji Qing , Liang Suzhe , Ma Liujia , Xu Zhuijun , Zuo Xiuxia , Meng Jian-Qiang , Zhu Jin , Müller-Buschbaum Peter , Xia Yonggao
Published: April 2020

TiO2 is a promising lithium‐ion battery anode due to its good operation safety enabled by its voltage profile. However, the intrinsically low electronic/ionic conductivity and moderate reversible capacity compromise its potential for practical applications. It is proposed in this work to incorporate super‐small sized metallic high capacity tin‐based nanoparticles into TiO2/carbon nanohybrids, coupled with in situ generation of mesoporous structures. Difunctional methacrylate resin monomers are used as the solvent and carbon source, followed by carbonization and hydrofluoric (HF) etching treatment. The precursors of TiO2, tin‐based component, and SiOx porogen agent are homogeneously integrated into the cross‐linking network at a molecular level. High reversible capacities, excellent rate capability, and good capacity retention are achieved simultaneously due to synergistic effects from the tin‐based component bearing high capacity and good electron conductivity, and mechanical buffer medium of the mesoporous structures. Reversible capacities of 452 mAh g−1 are achieved after 400 cycles at 200 mA g−1. High rate capacity of 131 mAh g−1 is maintained at 5 A g−1. The overall capacities are increased by more than 2 times compared with the capacities of the tin‐free TiO2/C and pristine TiO2/SnO2/Sn/SiOx/C nanohybrids.
Molybdenum Dichalcogenide Cathodes for Aluminum‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Divya Shalini , Johnston James H. , Nann Thomas
Published: April 2020

Many successful battery electrodes are based on 2D‐layered materials. Aluminum‐ion batteries are studied using molybdenum dichalcogenides: MoS2, MoSe2, and MoSSe as active cathode materials. The batteries show clear discharge voltage plateaus in the ranges 1.6–1.4 V for MoS2 and MoSe2, and 0.6–0.5 V for MoSSe. MoS2 and MoSe2 have similar crystal structures; interestingly, it is found that MoSe2 performed better than MoS2. MoSSe exhibits a higher specific capacity over MoS2 and MoSe2, but the energy density is lower than MoSe2 at a current rate of 40 mA g−1. MoSe2 cells record a discharge capacity of ≈110 mAh g−1 with an average potential in the range of 2.0–1.8 V and 1.5–0.8 V during discharge. The cells are stable at 100 mA g−1 for over 200 cycles with 90% coulombic efficiency.
On the Use of Carbon Nanotubes in Prototyping the High Energy Density Li‐ion Batteries
Authors: Napolskiy Filipp , Avdeev Mikhail , Yerdauletov Meir , Ivankov Oleksandr , Bocharova Svetlana , Ryzhenkova Serafima , Kaparova Balken , Mironovich Kirill , Burlyaev Dmitry , Krivchenko Victor
Published: April 2020

This article is devoted to the laboratory technology aspects of high areal capacity electrode (more than 5 mAh cm−2) fabrication using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as conductive additives and LiFePO4 as an active material. The influence of electrode slurry rheological properties and electrode composition on its areal (mAh cm−2), volumetric (mAh cm−3), and gravimetric (mAh g−1) capacity, and C‐rate performance has been studied. Using the small‐angle neutron scattering technique, it is shown that the CNT network embedded in the electrode layer provides greater wettability by an electrolyte compared with carbon black used as conductive additive. The practical applicability of the considered electrode technology is approved on a pouch cell prototype with a capacity of approximately 1.9 Ah and specific energy density of 150 Wh kg (cell)−1/295 Wh L (cell)−1.
Flexible Textile‐Based Self‐Driven Sensor Used for Human Motion Monitoring
Authors: Ma Zhihua , Wang Wei , Yu Dan
Published: April 2020

Flexible self‐driven sensors can respond to tiny vibrations such as sound waves, blood pressure, heartbeat, etc., and have attracted great attention for their promising applications in wearable devices, in which the electrical signals are triggered by mechanical strength and the coupling of triboelectric and electrostatic induction. Herein, flexible self‐driven sensors assembled with a chitosan (CS) film and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film selected as positive and negative triboelectric layers, respectively, are presented. Conductive fabrics function as electrodes, and polyurethane (PU) foams function as flexible substrates which have advantages of simple integrated structures, ease of manufacturing, and relatively low costs. Tests confirm that the sensor has outstanding flexibility, excellent response performance, and remarkable stability. It is used for real‐time monitoring of human movements, and is based on textiles, providing wearing comfort and is operated without any external power sources as the output voltage of about 30 V can support it. Owing to these advantages, it is believed that a new and convenient strategy to fabricate a novel sensor based on available materials used for human activity detecting and healthcare monitoring is achieved.
Steam Reforming of Tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene over Socketed Nickel Perovskite Catalysts with an Applied Electric Field
Authors: Gray Jake T. , Burnett Derek , Sundheim Matthew D. , Izzo John R. , Ha Su
Published: April 2020

The steam reforming of a complex hydrocarbon, tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (JP‐10), is investigated in strong electric fields using a modified coaxial capacitor reactor without bulk plasma generation over socketed Ni nanoparticle catalysts. Bulk plasma is suppressed in the reactor system by applying the fields as short‐duration, high‐frequency pulses (200 ns pulses of 3.0 kV at 50 kHz). Field strengths generated in this system are estimated using a reactive formic acid probe measurement and found to be on the order of 0.16 V nm−1 at the active site. Analysis of the JP‐10 reaction behavior by mass spectrometry shows that the applied high electric field decreases its reaction temperature, increases its hydrogen production rate, and enhances its catalyst lifetime. Although a complete model of this complex system is still lacking, a coarse thermodynamic analysis is provided which shows a strong linear dependence of the key reforming performances (e.g., JP‐10 conversion, water conversion, hydrogen yield, and hydrogen production rate) on field strength and direction.
Effect of Calcination and Reduction Temperatures on the Catalytic Activity of Ru/La0.5Ce0.5O1.75 for Ammonia Synthesis under Mild Conditions
Authors: Ogura Yuta , Asai Takahiro , Sato Katsutoshi , Miyahara Shin-ichiro , Toriyama Takaaki , Yamamoto Tomokazu , Matsumura Syo , Nagaoka Katsutoshi
Published: April 2020

Ammonia is a potential carrier of hydrogen as a zero‐emission fuel. Herein, the effects of calcination and reduction temperatures on the ammonia‐synthesis activity of Ru/La0.5Ce0.5O1.75 are investigated under mild synthesis conditions (≤400 °C, ≤3 MPa), which are the preferred conditions for the storage of hydrogen as an energy source. The highest catalytic activity is obtained after calcination of the support at 700 °C and reduction of the catalyst at 650 °C. Calcination using a higher temperature than that used for reduction results in the induction of a strong metal–support interaction (SMSI) effect. This high‐temperature calcination also provides heat resistance to the support, which prevents sintering of the primary support particles during reduction. Thus, calcination and reduction at temperatures higher than those normally used for the preparation of Ru catalysts provide a novel approach for obtaining supported highly dispersed Ru catalysts exhibiting the SMSI effect and high catalytic activities.
Tuning the hydrogen storage properties of TiFe clusters via Zr substitution
Authors: Kumar Vinit , Kumar Punit , Pati Subhasis , Sharma Pratibha , Takahashi Keisuke
Published: April 2020

Titanium‐Iron alloy is a well‐known material for hydrogen storage applications at room temperature. The limitations of TiFe alloy is its low hydrogen storage capacity, higher activation temperature, and pressure. In order to improve the hydrogen adsorption of TiFe alloy, TiFe clusters with Zr atom as a dopant are investigated using first‐principle calculations. The structure of the Zr‐substituted and unsubstituted clusters was optimized and it is found that the binding energy of the Zr‐substituted TiFe clusters is higher than TiFe clusters, thus, the doping Zr atom stabilizes the TiFe clusters. Hydrogen adsorption over Zr doped TiFe cluster is investigated, where, Zr is revealed to be an active site for hydrogen adsorption except Ti3Zr1Fe4cluster. Hence, Zr substitution stabilizes the TiFe clusters and hydrogen storage properties were tuned by the introduction of the Zr atom.
Toxicity of Different Zinc Oxide Nanomaterials at 3 Trophic Levels: Implications for Development of Low-Toxicity Antifouling Agents
Authors: Dobretsov Sergey , Sathe Priyanka , Bora Tanujjal , Barry Michael , Myint Myo Tay Zar , Abri Mohammed Al
Published: April 2020

Because zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials are used in antifouling and antibacterial solutions, understanding their toxic effects on different aquatic organisms is essential. In the present study, we evaluated the toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles of 10 to 30 nm (ZnONPI) and 80 to 200 nm (ZnONPII), ZnO nanorods (width 80 nm, height 1.7 µm) attached to the support substrate (glass, ZnONRG) and not attached (ZnONRS), as well as Zn2+ ions at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 100 mg/L. Toxicity was evaluated using the microalga Dunaliella salina, the brine shrimp Artemia salina, and the marine bacterium Bacillus cereus. The highest toxicity was observed for ZnONPs (median lethal concentration [LC50] ~15 mg/L) and Zn2+ ions (LC50 ~13 mg/L), whereas the lowest toxicity found for ZnO nanorods (ZnONRG LC50 ~60 mg/L; ZnONRS LC50 ~42 mg/L). The presence of the support substrate in case of ZnO nanorods reduced the associated toxicity to aquatic organisms. Smaller ZnONPs resulted in the highest Zn2+ ion dissolution among tested nanostructures. Different aquatic organisms responded differently to ZnO nanomaterials, with D. salina and B. cereus being more sensitive than A. salina. Toxicity of nanostructures increased with an increase of the dose and the time of exposure. Supported ZnO nanorods can be used as a low-toxicity alternative for future antimicrobial and antifouling applications. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1343–1354. © 2020 SETAC

Abstract

The effect of different zinc oxide nanomaterials on the survival of organisms at 3 trophic levels.
Evaluation of Residues in Hen Eggs After Exposure of Laying Hens to Water Containing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
Authors: Wilson Timothy B. , Stevenson Gavin , Crough Robert , de Araujo Jesuina , Fernando Nilhan , Anwar Arif , Scott Tyrone , Quinteros José A. , Scott Peter C. , Archer Michael J.G.
Published: April 2020

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used in aqueous film-forming foams used in firefighting, resulting in soil and groundwater contamination and leading to human exposure via animal products grown in contaminated areas. The present study reports the relationship between PFAS intake by hens and the PFAS concentrations in the edible parts of eggs. Laying hens were exposed via drinking water to different concentrations of 4 PFAS compounds (perfluorooctane sulfonate [PFOS], perfluorohexane sulfonate [PFHxS], perfluorooctanoic acid [PFOA], and perfluorohexanoic acid) over 61 d. Egg PFAS residues were assessed for a further 30 d after exposure ceased. The target concentrations of PFAS were 0, 0.3, 3, 30, and 300 µg/L for the treatment groups T1–T5, respectively; and PFAS residues were determined from the eggs collected every second day. There was a linear correlation between the PFAS concentrations in the drinking water of hens and those detected in the egg, which could be useful in estimating PFAS concentrations in the egg by measuring water concentrations. Exposure of hens to drinking water with PFAS concentrations below the Australian Government Department of Health limits (PFOS and PFHxS, 0.07 µg/L; PFOA, 0.56 µg/L), and with no other sources of PFAS exposure, is unlikely to result in egg PFAS concentrations that would exceed the 10% limit set by Food Standards Australia New Zealand for human consumption. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:735–743. © 2020 SETAC
Prediction of Soil Adsorption Coefficient in Pesticides Using Physicochemical Properties and Molecular Descriptors by Machine Learning Models
Authors: Kobayashi Yoshiyuki , Uchida Takumi , Yoshida Kenichi
Published: April 2020

The soil adsorption coefficient (KOC) plays an important role in environmental risk assessment of pesticide registration. Based on this risk assessment, applied and registered pesticides can be allowed in the European Union. Almost 1 yr is required to study and obtain the KOC value of a pesticide. Furthermore, acquiring the KOC requires a large cost. It is necessary to efficiently estimate the KOC value in the early stages of pesticide development. In the present study, the experimental values of physicochemical properties and molecular descriptors of chemical structures were collected to develop a quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) model, and the prediction performance of the model was evaluated. More specifically, we compared the accuracies of models based on a gradient boosting decision tree, multiple linear regression, and support vector machine. The experimental results suggest that it is possible to develop a QSPR model with high accuracy using both the molecular descriptors calculated from the structural formula and experimental values of physicochemical properties from open literature and databases. Comparing to the previously established models, we achieved high prediction accuracy, fitness, and robustness by only using freeware. Therefore, our developed QSPR models can be useful preliminary risk assessment in the early developmental stages of pesticides. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1451–1459. © 2020 SETAC

Abstract

The soil adsorption coefficient was predicted using physicochemical properties and molecular descriptors by machine learning models. EFSA = European Food Safety Authority; GBDT = gradient boosting decision tree; KOC = soil adsorption coefficient; MLR = multiple linear regression; SVM = support vector machine; USEPA = US Environmental Protection Agency.
Magnetohydrodynamics boundary layer flow and heat transfer in porous medium past an exponentially stretching sheet under the influence of radiation
Authors: Rajput Govind R. , Jadhav Bipin P. , Salunkhe S. N.
Published: April 2020

Buoyancy forces result from the cooling or heating of a continuous stretching sheet, which causes a change in the resulting flow and thermal fields, and hence the heat transfer behavior in the manufacturing process. The study of the thermal buoyancy induced in boundary layer flow is important due to its recent advances in the areas of nuclear energy, electronics, and space technology. In this perspective, the aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of the buoyancy parameter on the magnetohydrodynamics boundary layer flow over an exponentially stretched sheet in the presence of nonlinear thermal radiation and porous media. Using similarity transformation, the flow model of partial differential equations is transformed into a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The efficient fourth‐order Runge‐Kutta scheme with the shooting method is used to solve the reduced equations. The impact of various associated parameters on velocity and temperature profiles were analyzed and computed through graphs. The major outcome of the present study shows the enhancement in the velocity distribution with the increase in the buoyancy parameter. Also, the increase in thermal buoyancy and thermal radiation leads to an increase in fluid temperature. Moreover, it is worth to note that the fluid velocity declines with the augmentation of the magnetic parameter.
Modeling and validation of heat transfer in packed bed with internal heat generation
Authors: Kulkarni Niraj J. , Mandal Debapriya , Mathpati Channamallikarjun S. , Dalvi Vishwanath H.
Published: April 2020

Several researchers have modeled the heat transfer in a packed bed, heated externally, and determined its effective thermal conductivity (). But till date, very few researchers have studied the heat transfer of the pebble bed, where the heat is generated inside the bed; and the effective thermal conductivity of the packed bed with internal heat generation has not yet been reported. In the present work, heat generation inside the bed has been imitated by inductively heating randomly placed steel balls with lithium titanate () pebbles. The system has been modeled and validated with experimental results. The of the pebble bed is determined for various process conditions. A correlation has been developed to calculate the based on various process parameters such as pebble diameter, air flow rate, and induction temperature. The result presented in this study will be used for the design and scale‐up studies of future fusion reactors.