bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Responses of soil organic carbon, aggregate diameters, and hydraulic properties to long‐term organic and conventional farming on a Vertisol in India
Authors: Schweizer Steffen A. , Graf‐Rosenfellner Markus , Bhat Nisar A. , Kayser Gilles , Sisodia Bhupendra S. , Kirchhof Gunnar , Zikeli Sabine , Cadisch Georg , Bhullar Gurbir S.
Published: February 2022

Organic matter management can improve soil structural properties. This is crucial for agricultural soils in tropical regions threatened by high rainfall intensities. Compared to conventional farming, organic farming is usually deemed to increase organic carbon and improve soil structural properties such as stability and permeability. However, how much, if any, buildup of organic carbon is possible or indeed occurring also depends on soil type and environmental factors. We compared the impact of seven years of organic farming (annually 13.6 t ha−1 of composted manure) with that of conventional practices (2 t ha−1 of farmyard manure with 150–170 kg N ha−1 of mineral fertilizers) on soil structural properties. The study was conducted on a Vertisol in India with a two‐year crop rotation of cotton soybean wheat. Despite large differences in organic amendment application, organic carbon was not significantly different at 9.6 mg C g−1 on average in the topsoil. However, the size distribution of water‐stable aggregates shifted toward more aggregates <137 μm in the organic systems. Cumulative water intake was lower compared to the conventional systems, leading to higher runoff and erosion. These changes might be related to the lower pH and higher exchangeable sodium in the organic systems. Our results indicate that higher application of organic amendments did not lead to higher soil organic carbon and associated improvement in soil structures properties compared to integrated fertilization in this study. Chemical properties may dominate soil aggregation retarding the uptake and integration of organic amendments for sustainable agricultural intensification in tropical, semiarid climates.
Galvanic vestibular‐evoked myogenic potentials in evaluating damaged sites of vestibular neuritis
Authors: Chang Chih‐Ming , Lo Wu‐Chia , Young Yi‐Ho , Liao Li‐Jen , Wu Po‐Hsuan , Cheng Ping‐Chia , Cheng Po‐Wen
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To test the possibility of pure otolithic organ deficits and validate the histopathological evidence of retrovestibular neural impairment in vestibular neuritis (VN), the authors adopted a topographic survey combining cervical vestibular‐evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) and ocular vestibular‐evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) using various stimulation modes and caloric tests.

Methods

Forty patients with VN were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent pure tone audiometry, acoustic cVEMP, galvanic cVEMP, vibratory oVEMP, galvanic oVEMP, and caloric tests. Different combinations of vestibular tests were further compared and analyzed.

Results

According to vestibular test results in affected VN ears, the proportion (10%) of pure saccular dysfunction was significantly less than that (52.5%) of saccular nerve deficit. The proportion (2.5%) of pure utricular dysfunction was significantly less than that (37.5%) of utricular nerve deficit. The percentage (82.5%) of VN involving the ampullar vestibulo‐ocular reflex (VOR) pathway was significantly higher than that (40%) involving the utriculo‐ocular reflex (UOR) pathway. The superior, inferior, and total VN percentages were 37.5%, 17.5%, and 45%, respectively. The proportion of inferior VN was significantly less than that of VN involving the superior vestibular nerve.

Conclusion

There were significantly fewer cases of pure otolithic organ dysfunction than vestibular nerve involvement in VN patients. The damage to the ampullar VOR pathway was more significant than that to the UOR pathway, and both pathways might be independent of each other. In addition, the incidence of isolated inferior VN was significantly less than that of VN involving the superior vestibular nerve.

Level of Evidence

Level 3.
Synthesis and Characterization of Partially Biobased Aromatic (Co)polycarbonates Containing Biphenylene Units and Pendant Pentadecyl Chains
Authors: Ichake Amol B. , Nagane Samadhan S. , Jadhav Uday A. , Torris Arun , Grau Etienne , Cramail Henri , Wadgaonkar Prakash P.
Published: February 2022

2‐Pentadecyl‐[1,1”‐biphenyl]‐4,4”‐diol (PBD) is synthesized starting from cashew nut shell liquid—a by‐product of cashew processing industry. A new series of partially biobased aromatic (co)polycarbonates possessing biphenylene units and pendant pentadecyl chains is synthesized by solution polycondensation of PBD or varying compositions of PBD and bisphenol‐A with triphosgene in dry dichloromethane. Inherent viscosities and number average molecular weights of (co)polycarbonates are in the range 0.51–1.24 dL g−1and 18 × 103– 43.4 × 103 g mol−1, respectively indicating the formation of reasonably high molecular weight polymers. Flexible, transparent, and free‐standing films of (co)polycarbonates can be cast from chloroform solution. (Co)polycarbonates are characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR),1H NMR,13C NMR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis.T10andTgvalues of (co)polycarbonates are in the range 417–433 and 8–147 °C, respectively. It is demonstrated that theTgvalues can be tuned by incorporation of appropriate mol% of PBD as a comonomer in Bisphenol‐A‐based copolycarbonates. The lowering of theTgvalues of (co)polycarbonates can be attributed primarily to the packing disruptive effect of flexible pentadecyl chains. Furthermore, the effect of incorporation of PBD as a comonomer on water contact angle values of (co)polycarbonates is evaluated.
Polyoxometalate‐Containing Supramolecular Gels
Authors: Li Bao , Xuan Luyun , Wu Lixin
Published: February 2022

Supramolecular gels are important soft materials with various applications, which are fabricated through hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, electrostatic interactions, or host–guest interactions. Introducing functional groups, especially inorganic components, is an efficient strategy to obtain gels with robust architecture and high performance. Polyoxometalates (POMs), as a class of negatively‐charged clusters, have defined structures and multiple interaction sites, resulting in their potential as building blocks for constructing POM‐containing supramolecular gels. The introduction of POMs into gels not only provides strong driving forces for the formation of gels due to the characteristics of charged cluster and oxygen‐rich surface, but also brings new properties sourcing from the unique electronic structures of POMs. Though many POM‐containing gels have been reported, a comprehensive review is still absent. Herein, the concept of POM‐containing gels is discussed, following with the design strategies and driving forces. To better understand the results in the literature, detailed examples, which are classified into several categories based on the types of organic components, are presented to illustrate the gelation process and gel structures. Moreover, applications of POM‐containing gels in energy chemistry, sustainable chemistry, and other aspects are also reviewed, as well as the future developments of this field.
Application of accelerated heteronuclear single quantum coherence experiments to the rapid quantification of monosaccharides and disaccharides in dairy products
Authors: Fels Lea , Bunzel Mirko
Published: February 2022

Monosaccharides and disaccharides are important dietary components, but if insufficiently metabolized by some population subgroups, they are also linked to disease patterns. Thus, the correct analytical identification, quantification, and labeling of these food components are crucial to inform and potentially protect consumers. Enzymatic assays and high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection are established methods for the quantification of monosaccharides and disaccharides that, however, require long measuring times (60–180 min). Accelerated methods for the identification and quantification of the nutritionally relevant monosaccharides and disaccharides d‐glucose, d‐galactose, d‐fructose, sucrose, lactose, and maltose were therefore developed. To realize this goal, the NMR experiments HSQC (heteronuclear single quantum coherence) and acceleration by sharing adjacent polarization (ASAP)‐HSQC were applied. Measurement times were reduced to 27 and 6 min, respectively, by optimizing the interscan delay and applying non‐uniform sampling. The optimized methods were used to quantify d‐glucose, d‐galactose, d‐fructose, sucrose, and lactose in various dairy products. Results of the HSQC and ASAP‐HSQC methods are equivalent to the results of the reference methods in terms of both precision and accuracy, demonstrating that these methods can be used to correctly analyze nutritionally relevant monosaccharides and disaccharides in short times.
Mark–Recapture Models Accurately Predict Growth Trajectories of Known-Age Muskellunge in Green Bay, Lake Michigan
Authors: Sheffer Robert J. , Hogler Steven R. , Isermann Daniel A.
Published: February 2022

Length-at-age data are commonly used to describe growth of fish, and obtaining these data typically involves estimating ages from calcified structures (e.g., fin spines or rays, otoliths, or cleithra). Verifying the accuracy of age and growth estimates for long-lived fish is often difficult because known-age fish are not available for all ages in a population. Mark–recapture methods offer nonlethal alternatives for estimating growth of fish that do not require age data. However, few studies have compared growth trajectories estimated from mark–recapture data with trajectories estimated using the standard von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) incorporating length-at-age data from known-age fish. We used a robust data set of Muskellunge Esox masquinongy sampled from Green Bay, Lake Michigan, during 1990–2018 to compare growth trajectories estimated from three mark–recapture models and a VBGF fitted to length-at-age data from known-age individuals. Growth trajectories estimated with mark–recapture models were similar to trajectories estimated with a VBGF using known-age fish. Our results suggest that using recapture of tagged fish provides a viable alternative for describing Muskellunge growth trajectories compared with using ages estimated from calcified structures, where incorrect age estimates represent an additional source of error.
Adatom Defect Induced Spin Polarization of Asymmetric Structures
Authors: Wang Jia , Liu Xuhui , Wang Chunxu , Zhang Wanyi , Qin Zhengkun
Published: February 2022

The spin polarization of carbon nanomaterials is crucial to design spintronic devices. In this paper, the first‐principles is used to study the electronic properties of two defect asymmetric structures, Cap‐(9, 0)‐Def [6, 6] and Cap‐(9, 0)‐Def [5, 6]. We found that the ground state of Cap‐(9, 0)‐Def [6, 6] is sextet and the ground state of Cap‐(9, 0)‐Def [5, 6] is quartet, and the former has a lower energy. In addition, compared with Cap‐(9, 0) CNTs, the C adatom on C30 causes spin polarization phenomenon and Cap‐(9, 0)‐Def [6, 6] has more spin electrons than Cap‐(9, 0)‐Def [5, 6] structure. Moreover, different adsorb defects reveal different electron accumulation. This finding shows that spin polarization of the asymmetric structure can be adjusted by introducing adatom defects.
A review of recent progress in improving the fracture toughness of epoxy‐based composites using carbonaceous nanofillers
Authors: Mousavi Seyed Rasoul , Estaji Sara , Paydayesh Azin , Arjmand Mohammad , Jafari Seyed Hassan , Nouranian Sasan , Khonakdar Hossein Ali
Published: February 2022

Epoxy resins (EPs) exhibit various extraordinary properties, including significant mechanical and thermal properties, low shrinkage, and high chemical resistance, opening a wide window of different applications such as adhesives, paints, coatings, etc. By contrast, EPs also have the undesirable behavior of being brittle and cannot sufficiently resist against the initiation and growth of cracks. Efforts are being made to enhance the toughening of EPs without sacrificing their other desirable properties. With the advent of nanotechnology, improving the toughening of EPs has gained momentum by incorporating different modified and unmodified nanofillers into these polymers. Since the discovery of carbonaceous nanofillers, especially carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene (Gr), significant progress has been made in the development of EP‐based composites incorporating these nanofillers and their hybrids. The current review presents research progress during the last six years on the toughening of EPs using CNTs, Gr, and CNT‐Gr hybrids. Special attention is given to the chemical functionalization of these nanofillers, which has been demonstrated over and over again to significantly affect nanofiller dispersion in the EP matrix and subsequently its fracture properties. Details on the various toughening mechanisms of EP‐based composites are further provided.
Eye problems in people with diabetes: more than just diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Kovacova Adriana , Shotliff Kevin
Published: February 2022

While diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy are leading causes of premature visual loss in people with diabetes, other retinal and non‐retinal pathology should be considered in the differential diagnosis. These include issues with both eye movement and vision, and can be split into: those which are extraocular, including orbital cellulitis and cranial nerve palsies; those in the anterior segment, including dry eyes, visual disturbances, superficial eye infections, anterior uveitis, cataracts and neovascularisation glaucoma; and those in the posterior segment of the eye, including endophthalmitis, diabetic papillopathy and ischaemic optic neuropathy. This article reviews each of these areas in respect to a person with diabetes, with the aim to highlight some of these conditions to health care staff who manage patients with diabetes. Awareness of conditions other than diabetic retinopathy should help with timely referral and treatment to limit visual disability, which can have a significant impact on daily living. Copyright © 2022 John Wiley & Sons.
Latest Advances and Developments to Detection of Micro‐ and Nanoplastics Using Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Vélez‐Escamilla Lydia Yerid , Contreras‐Torres Flavio F.
Published: February 2022

The increasing demand for single‐use plastic‐based products worldwide has generated immense waste during the last decade. This review aims to summarize the current developments of surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for detecting micro‐ and nanoplastics in a variety of samples and environments. Despite the SERS technique being very recent for this purpose, its robustness has already been discussed in a few analyses focused on well‐known pollutants such as phthalates, plasticizers, and xenobiotic contaminants from commercially available water bottles. Here, the latest advances, obstacles, and perspectives are reviewed using SERS detection as a robust alternative for analyzing complex samples containing nanoplastic particles present in daily consumer products such as wine and vegetables. Moreover, this paper describes different SERS substrates developed to overcome the limitations for identifying polymer particles at low concentrations. Factors contributing to the sensitivity of SERS substrates are discussed to show the advantages and limitations of this technique. The broader role of SERS as a tool in environmental research is currently explored from polluted air and aquatic environments, which can be relevant for other fields, such as clinical monitoring and nanotoxicology.
The stink bug Dichelops furcatus: a new pest of corn that emerges from soybean stubble
Authors: Jacobi Vanesa Gisela , Fernández Patricia Carina , Zavala Jorge Alberto
Published: February 2022

Over the last decades, Argentine and Brazilian farmers have adopted no‐tillage cultivation systems and multiple cropping, which have decreased the abundance of traditional pests, such as Nezara viridula, and favored the development of some stink bugs of secondary importance, like Dichelops furcatus, D. melacanthus and Euschistus heros. No‐till farming leaves the soil undisturbed, to mitigate erosion, and sufficient crop residue on the field, which is used by D. furcatus as a shelter under unfavorable conditions, and as a shelter against insecticides. Moreover, implementing multiple cropping systems increases crop rotation from soybean to corn, and places overwintering adults of D. furcatus in contact with corn seedlings in spring. Attacks of this stink bug species produce deformation and abortion of corn seedlings, resulting in up to 50% corn yield reduction. The increasing abundance of D. furcatus intensifies the damage on developing pods and seeds of soybean, becoming a primary pest of soybean, and a new pest of corn. Here we summarize the current knowledge about D. furcatus, its biology, life cycle, and geographical distribution pattern in South America. Additionally, we describe the general causes and consequences of D. furcatus as a new pest of corn that emerges from crop stubble. Then, we provide an overview of the chemical control, natural enemies, and possible agronomical practices to improve sustainable crop production methods to control this pest. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Colorado potato beetle exploits frass‐associated bacteria to suppress defense responses in potato plants
Authors: Gao Zhou , Ju Xueyang , Yang Mingyu , Xue Rongrong , Li Qing , Fu Kaiyun , Guo Wenchao , Tong Lu , Song Yuanyuan , Zeng Rensen , Wang Jie
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

Colorado potato beetle (CPB; Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is a destructive quarantine pest that develops broad physiological adaptations to potato plants. During feeding, CPB deposits a copious amount of wet frass onto the surface of leaves and stems that remains in place for long periods. Insect behaviors such as feeding, crawling and oviposition are able to mediate plant defenses. However, the specific role of CPB defecation‐associated cues in manipulating plant defenses remains unclear.

RESULTS

CPB larval frass significantly suppressed potato polyphenol oxidase activity and enhanced larval growth on treated potato plants. The incorporation of antibiotics into larval frass triggered higher jasmonic acid (JA)‐regulated defense responses in potato plants compared with antibiotic‐free frass. Four bacterial symbionts belonging to the genera Acinetobacter, Citrobacter, Enterobacter and Pantoea were isolated from larval frass and suppressed plant defenses. After reinoculation of these bacteria into axenic larvae, Acinetobacter and Citrobacter were found to be highly abundant in the frass, whereas Enterobacter and Pantoea were less abundant probably due to the negative effect of potato steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGA) such as α‐solanine. Furthermore, direct application of Acinetobacter and Citrobacter to wounded potato plants significantly inhibited the expression of genes associated with the JA‐mediated defense signaling pathway and SGA biosynthesis.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate that CPB exploits frass‐associated bacteria as a deceptive strategy of plant defense suppression, adding an interesting dimension to our understanding of how CPB successfully specializes on potato plants. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
SAMBA: A novel method for fast automatic model building in nonlinear mixed‐effects models
Authors: Prague Mélanie , Lavielle Marc
Published: February 2022

The success of correctly identifying all the components of a nonlinear mixed‐effects model is far from straightforward: it is a question of finding the best structural model, determining the type of relationship between covariates and individual parameters, detecting possible correlations between random effects, or also modeling residual errors. We present the Stochastic Approximation for Model Building Algorithm (SAMBA) procedure and show how this algorithm can be used to speed up this process of model building by identifying at each step how best to improve some of the model components. The principle of this algorithm basically consists in “learning something” about the “best model,” even when a “poor model” is used to fit the data. A comparison study of the SAMBA procedure with Stepwise Covariate Modeling (SCM) and COnditional Sampling use for Stepwise Approach (COSSAC) show similar performances on several real data examples but with a much reduced computing time. This algorithm is now implemented in Monolix and in the R packageRsmlx.
Fuzzy probability and α‐cut based‐fault tree analysis approach to evaluate the reliability and safety of complex engineering systems
Authors: Purba Julwan Hendry , Sony Tjahyani Damianus Toersiwi , Susila I Putu , Widodo Surip , Ekariansyah Andi Sofrany
Published: February 2022

Reliability and safety are very critical in complex engineering systems such as chemical and nuclear industries. Fault tree analysis (FTA) has been widely applied to evaluate the reliability and safety of complex engineering systems. This approach assumes that systems always have exact component failure probabilities. However, this assumption is not always true in real‐world applications. To deal with this, a number of scholars have integrated fuzzy approach into FTA of engineering systems whose component exact probabilities cannot be collected. Furthermore, simple fuzzy arithmetic operations on membership function have also been proposed to quantify Boolean gates for propagating uncertainties from basic event fuzzy probabilities into the top event fuzzy probabilities. In this study, fuzzy arithmetic operations on α‐cuts, as opposed to simple fuzzy arithmetic operations, are proposed. The significance of the α‐cut is that each α‐cut can uniquely represents each fuzzy probability. In order to verify the applicability of the proposed approach, the reliability of the long‐term cooling system of the Westinghouse AP1000 to mitigate a large break loss of coolant accident is evaluated and the results are compared to the reliability of the same system quantified by conventional FTA published in qualified scientific journals. The results of the benchmarking confirm that the proposed approach can be practicably implemented to estimate the reliability and safety of complex engineering systems whose basic event reliability are characterized by fuzzy probabilities. To be applied in other complex engineering systems, safety analysts have to concern for some steps, which are particularly developed for a specific application, such as failure possibility distribution and its corresponding fuzzy probability distribution and the selection of a defuzzification technique.
An HFM‐CREAM model for the assessment of human reliability and quantification
Authors: Lin Chuan , Xu Qi feng , Huang Yi fan
Published: February 2022

Human reliability analysis (HRA) is a proactive approach to model and evaluate systematic human errors and has been extensively implemented in various complicated systems. The assessment of human errors relies heavily on the knowledge and experience of experts in real‐world cases. Moreover, there are usually specific sorts of uncertainty while experts use linguistic labels to evaluate human failure events. In this context, this paper seeks to establish a new model based on the hesitant fuzzy matrix (HFM) and the cognitive reliability and error analysis method (CREAM) to conduct a quantitative analysis of human errors. This model handles the multiple crisp scores of the common performance conditions (CPCs) given by experts according to the context description in terms of CPCs, determines the weights of CPCs by the HFM, and elicits the human error probability (HEP) point estimation formula considering consequences based on the CREAM. Finally, the effectiveness and practicality of the presented HFM‐CREAM model are demonstrated through the emergency response analysis of the steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) in nuclear power plant.
Embodied cognition through participatory simulation and mathematical description: Supporting mechanistic reasoning and explanation
Authors: Weinberg Paul J. , Sorensen‐Weinberg Erika K.
Published: February 2022

Embodied cognition has been a useful means to support learning in science education. In this article, we describe a model of embodied cognition through analogical mapping that is supported through the participatory simulation and mathematical description of a link and pivot system. We look at the propensity for this model of embodied cognition to support student mechanistic reasoning. While these link and pivot systems provide students with immediate perceptual accessibility to their components, they do not provide perceptual accessibility to the way that forces are transmitted through them. In an afterschool STEM program, students engaged in a participatory simulation (the Rope Walk) of the link and pivot system that allowed them to simulate the parts and forces present. Then, students progressively re‐described these physical experiences as a mathematical system; they then described the simulation and mathematical system as the physical link and pivot system. In this study, this model of embodied cognition was validated through a microgenetic analysis of student talk and gesture during the first two instructional sessions as well as during pre‐ and post‐assessments. These data show that students were supported to construct analogical mappings between three analog conceptual domains: the participatory simulation (the Rope Walk), the physical system (link and pivot system), and the mathematical system (the mathematics of circles). In addition, students made gains on measures of mechanistic reasoning and explanation.
Metal‐Free Sequential Amidation and Intramolecular Csp2−H Direct Amination of Coumarin‐3‐carboxylic Acids under Ambient Conditions: Scope and Mechanistic Insights
Authors: Mandal Mullicka , Karmakar Indrajit , Chakrabarty Kuheli , Das Gourab Kanti , Brahmachari Goutam
Published: February 2022

A metal‐free sequential amidation and intramolecular direct Csp2−H amination of coumarin‐3‐carboxylic acids has been achieved under ambient conditions, resulting in a new series of biologically interesting chromenopyridopyrimidine‐derived polyfunctional heterocycles. The DFT study offers mechanistic insights into this transformation. The salient features of this efficient and practical method are operational simplicity, metal‐free synthesis, one‐pot sequential amidation and amination, mild reaction conditions, good to excellent yields, and gram‐scale synthetic applicability.
Virtual Screening of Antitumor Inhibitors Targeting BRD4 Based on Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Wu Keliang , Zhang Chenghua , He Bing , Li Huanxin , Tang Shan , Han Tao , Li Bingke
Published: February 2022

BRD4 is a hot antitumor target. In this study, three kinds of machine learning methods were used to establish classification models of BRD4 inhibitors, achieving satisfactory prediction performance. Through comparison, random forest model worked best, the parameters of which were also optimized. Then, the best random forest model was applied to perform virtual screening against ZINC database and a total of 89 potential compounds with BRD4 inhibitory activity were eventually identified. Further, seven molecules were chosen from the hits, and a docking calculation was carried out for each molecule, showing a strong interaction between ligand and BRD4. Subsequently, these molecules were evaluated by molecular dynamics simulations, all having certain binding stability. The results have proved the effectiveness of the developed models based on machine learning methods and the molecules filtered by virtual screening. These models not only can guide the practice for the molecular design and synthesis, but also can provide great possibility for the discoveries and final approvals of anti‐cancer drugs targeting BRD4.
Modulating the Local Coordination Environment of Single‐Atom Catalysts for Enhanced Catalytic Performance in Hydrogen/Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Tomboc Gracita M. , Kim Taekyung , Jung Sangmin , Yoon Hyo Jae , Lee Kwangyeol
Published: February 2022

Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) hold the promise of utilizing 100% of the participating atoms in a reaction as active catalytic sites, achieving a remarkable boost in catalytic efficiency. Thus, they present great potential for noble metal‐based electrochemical application systems, such as water electrolyzers and fuel cells. However, their practical applications are severely hindered by intrinsic complications, namely atom agglomeration and relocation, originating from the uncontrollably high surface energy of isolated single‐atoms (SAs) during postsynthetic treatment processes or catalytic reactions. Extensive efforts have been made to develop new methodologies for strengthening the interactions between SAs and supports, which could ensure the desired stability of the active catalytic sites and their full utilization by SACs. This review covers the recent progress in SACs development while emphasizing the association between the regulation of coordination environments (e.g., coordination atoms, numbers, sites, structures) and the electrocatalytic performance of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The crucial role of coordination chemistry in modifying the intrinsic properties of SACs and manipulating their metal‐loading, stability, and catalytic properties is elucidated. Finally, the future challenges of SACS development and the industrial outlook of this field are discussed.
Emerging 2D Materials for Electrocatalytic Applications: Synthesis, Multifaceted Nanostructures, and Catalytic Center Design
Authors: Wu Xizheng , Xiao Sutong , Long Yanping , Ma Tian , Shao Wenjie , Cao Sujiao , Xiang Xi , Ma Lang , Qiu Li , Cheng Chong , Zhao Changsheng
Published: February 2022

Currently, the development of advanced 2D nanomaterials has become an interdisciplinary subject with extensive studies due to their extraordinary physicochemical performances. Beyond graphene, the emerging 2D‐material‐derived electrocatalysts (2D‐ECs) have aroused great attention as one of the best candidates for heterogeneous electrocatalysis. The tunable physicochemical compositions and characteristics of 2D‐ECs enable rational structural engineering at the molecular/atomic levels to meet the requirements of different catalytic applications. Due to the lack of instructive and comprehensive reviews, here, the most recent advances in the nanostructure and catalytic center design and the corresponding structure–function relationships of emerging 2D‐ECs are systematically summarized. First, the synthetic pathways and state‐of‐the‐art strategies in the multifaceted structural engineering and catalytic center design of 2D‐ECs to promote their electrocatalytic activities, such as size and thickness, phase and strain engineering, heterojunctions, heteroatom doping, and defect engineering, are emphasized. Then, the representative applications of 2D‐ECs in electrocatalytic fields are depicted and summarized in detail. Finally, the current breakthroughs and primary challenges are highlighted and future directions to guide the perspectives for developing 2D‐ECs as highly efficient electrocatalytic nanoplatforms are clarified. This review provides a comprehensive understanding to engineer 2D‐ECs and may inspire many novel attempts and new catalytic applications across broad fields.
Preparation and Characterization of Bio‐based Nanocomposites Packaging Films Reinforced with Cellulose Nanofibers from Unripe Banana Peels
Authors: Ahmad Kashan , Din Zia‐ud , Ullah Hidayat , Ouyang Qin , Rani Sumayya , Jan Ibadullah , Alam Mukhtar , Rahman Ziaur , Kamal Tariq , Ali Saqib , Khan Sheraz Ahmad , Shahwar Durri , Gul Farhana , Ibrahim Muhammad , Nawaz Taufiq
Published: February 2022

An easy and simple approach is developed to fabricate nano‐composite packaging films from starch molecules reinforced with cellulose nanofibers derived from unripe from banana peel. Addition of 10g (w/w, dry starch basis) of cellulose nanofibers into the starch matrix results in improved mechanical and thermal stability of the nano‐composite films. The results show that addition of cellulose nanofibers into the starch matrix result in significant reduction in water solubility and water vapour permeability of the packaging films. The mechanical properties (elongation at break and tensile strength) of the films are improved significantly with incorporation of nano‐particles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy displays similar spectra for all tested samples due to the similar chemical nature of starch and cellulose. Similarly, differential scanning calorimetry analysis shows improved thermal stability of packaging films with the addition of nanofibers derived from banana peel cellulose. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy results show smooth surfaces and even distribution of particles and spaces in the matrix films as compared to the control. These results indicate the possible use of these packaging films in the food packaging industry thanks to their biocompatible, biodegradable, and non‐toxic characteristics and features.
Earthquake‐resistant subsystem stiffness demand estimate of frame–core tube structures with mass and stiffness nonuniformities
Authors: Lai Xiao , He Shuaishuai , He Zheng
Published: February 2022

To develop reasonable structural schemes of frame–core tube structures in the preliminary seismic design, a stiffness estimation of the main subsystems, that is, core tube, frame, and outrigger, is provided through the rocking model (RM) and flexural–shear coupled model (FSM). A nonuniform RM (RM‐MS) is proposed with the dual nonuniform distributions of mass and subsystem stiffness corresponding to those of the nonuniform FSM (FSM‐MS). The dynamic properties of the RM‐MS are semianalytically solved with the general solution for the free vibration of the nonuniform flexural beam and the rotational stiffness matrix of outriggers. The relation between the FSM‐MS and RM‐MS is established based on the first two vibration periods and nonlinear fitting and extended to present a subsystem stiffness estimation strategy with target maximum interstory drift ratios (IDRmax) and overturning moment distribution ratios (RM,B). The feasibility and effectiveness of the strategy are fully demonstrated by three cases with different targetRM,B. RM‐MS effectively controls structural lateral stiffness of FSM‐MS in advance. With the targetRM,Bbeyond the feasible range, it is necessary to adjust the first two vibration periods estimated by FSM‐MS. Compared with the axial rigidity of frame columns, the flexural rigidity of outriggers shows higher priority to increaseRM,B.
Chromosome‐specific KASP markers for detecting Amblyopyrum muticum segments in wheat introgression lines
Authors: Grewal Surbhi , Coombes Benedict , Joynson Ryan , Hall Anthony , Fellers John , Yang Cai‐yun , Scholefield Duncan , Ashling Stephen , Isaac Peter , King Ian P. , King Julie
Published: February 2022

Many wild‐relative species are being used in prebreeding programs to increase the genetic diversity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Genotyping tools such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)‐based arrays and molecular markers have been widely used to characterize wheat–wild relative introgression lines. However, due to the polyploid nature of the recipient wheat genome, it is difficult to develop SNP‐based Kompetitive allele‐specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) markers that are codominant to track the introgressions from the wild species. Previous attempts to develop KASP markers have involved both exome‐ and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐amplicon‐based sequencing of the wild species. But chromosome‐specific KASP assays have been hindered by homoeologous SNPs within the wheat genome. This study involved whole genome sequencing of the diploid wheat wild relative Amblyopyrum muticum (Boiss.) Eig and development of a de novo SNP discovery pipeline that generated ∼38,000 SNPs in unique wheat genome sequences. New assays were designed to increase the density of Am. muticum polymorphic KASP markers. With a goal of one marker per 60 Mbp, 335 new KASP assays were validated as diagnostic for Am. muticum in a wheat background. Together with assays validated in previous studies, 498 well distributed chromosome‐specific markers were used to recharacterize previously genotyped wheat–Am. muticum doubled haploid (DH) introgression lines. The chromosome‐specific nature of the KASP markers allowed clarification of which wheat chromosomes were involved with recombination events or substituted with Am. muticum chromosomes and the higher density of markers allowed detection of new small introgressions in these DH lines.
Relationship of fasting glucose and longitudinal Alzheimer's disease imaging markers
Authors: Honea Robyn A. , John Casey S. , Green Zachary D. , Kueck Paul J. , Taylor Matthew K. , Lepping Rebecca J. , Townley Ryan , Vidoni Eric D. , Burns Jeffery M. , Morris Jill K.
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Fasting glucose increases with age and is linked to modifiable Alzheimer's disease risk factors such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods

We leveraged available biospecimens and neuroimaging measures collected during the Alzheimer's Prevention Through Exercise (APEx) trial (n = 105) to examine the longitudinal relationship between change in blood glucose metabolism and change in regional cerebral amyloid deposition and gray and white matter (WM) neurodegeneration in older adults over 1 year of follow‐up.

Results

Individuals with improving fasting glucose (n = 61) exhibited less atrophy and regional amyloid accumulation compared to those whose fasting glucose worsened over 1 year (n = 44). Specifically, while individuals with increasing fasting glucose did not yet show cognitive decline, they did have regional atrophy in the hippocampus and inferior parietal cortex, and increased amyloid accumulation in the precuneus cortex. Signs of early dementia pathology occurred in the absence of significant group differences in insulin or body composition, and was not modified by apolipoprotein E ε4 carrier status.

Discussion

Dysregulation of glucose in late life may signal preclinical brain change prior to clinically relevant cognitive decline. Additional work is needed to determine whether treatments specifically targeting fasting glucose levels may impact change in brain structure or cerebral amyloid in older adults.
Diagnostic value of liver function tests and ultrasonography in dogs with suspected congenital portosystemic shunts
Authors: Devriendt Nausikaa , Serrano Gonçalo , Stock Emmelie , Paepe Dominique , de Rooster Hilde
Published: February 2022

Background

Diagnosing a congenital portosystemic shunt (cPSS) in dogs can be challenging. The current study aims to report diagnostic performance of fasting ammonia (FA), preprandial, postprandial and paired serum bile acids (SBA) and abdominal ultrasound (aUS) in dogs suspected of having a cPSS.

Methods

Medical records of dogs suspected of having a cPSS at initial presentation were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

In total, 192 dogs suspected of cPSS were included: a cPSS was confirmed in 147 dogs and excluded in 45 dogs. FA had the best combined sensitivity and specificity (77.4 and 93.3%, respectively) to diagnose cPSS. The sensitivity and negative predictive value were 100.0% for paired SBA, making paired SBA the best test to exclude cPSS in this population. Sensitivity and specificity of aUS were 80.8 and 90.0%, respectively.

Conclusions

In dogs with clinical signs compatible with cPSS, elevated FA is suggestive of cPSS, whereas normal paired SBA makes the presence of a cPSS unlikely. Although aUS is a useful tool to diagnose cPSS, additional imaging is required to visualize cPSS in almost 20% of cases. Furthermore, the localisation of cPSS can be misdiagnosed, especially in case of extrahepatic cPSS that do not insert into the prehepatic vena cava.
Revisiting rescattering contributions to $$ \overline{B} $$(s) → $$ {D}_{(s)}^{\left(\ast \right)}M $$ decays
Authors: Endo Motoi , Iguro Syuhei , Mishima Satoshi
Published: February 2022

Abstract

Motivated by the reported discrepancies between experimental data and Standard Model predictions for the branching ratios of the color-allowed decays $$ \overline{B} $$

B
¯

0 → D(*)+K− and $$ {\overline{B}}_s^0 $$

B
¯

s
0

→ $$ {D}_s^{\left(\ast \right)+}{\pi}^{-} $$

D
s

∗

+

π
−

, we study final-state rescattering effects on $$ \overline{B} $$

B
¯

(s) → $$ {D}_{(s)}^{\left(\ast \right)}P $$

D

s

∗

P
and $$ \overline{B} $$

B
¯

(s) → D(s)V, where P(V) is a light pseudoscalar (vector) meson. We consider quasi-elastic rescatterings in the framework of SU(3) and U(3) flavor symmetries, and find that the effects cannot explain the measured branching ratios of the color-allowed and color-suppressed decays simultaneously. We also perform global fits to the $$ \overline{B} $$

B
¯

(s) → $$ {D}_{(s)}^{\left(\ast \right)}P $$

D

s

∗

P
and $$ \overline{B} $$

B
¯

(s) → D(s)V data, allowing for new physics contributions to the Wilson coefficient a1 associated with the color-allowed tree amplitudes. It is shown that the fits prefer a downward shift of $$ \mathcal{O} $$
O
(10%) in a1 even in the presence of the quasi-elastic rescattering contributions.
Exact order of extreme $$L_p$$ discrepancy of infinite sequences in arbitrary dimension
Authors: Kritzinger Ralph , Pillichshammer Friedrich
Published: February 2022

We study the extreme $$L_p$$

L
p

discrepancy of infinite sequences in the d-dimensional unit cube, which uses arbitrary sub-intervals of the unit cube as test sets. This is in contrast to the classical star $$L_p$$

L
p

discrepancy, which uses exclusively intervals that are anchored in the origin as test sets. We show that for any dimension d and any $$p>1$$

p
>
1

, the extreme $$L_p$$

L
p

discrepancy of every infinite sequence in $$[0,1)^d$$

[
0
,
1
)

d

is at least of order of magnitude $$(\log N)^{d/2}$$

(
log
N
)

d
/
2

, where N is the number of considered initial terms of the sequence. For $$p \in (1,\infty )$$

p
∈
(
1
,
∞
)

, this order of magnitude is best possible.
A novel approach to calculating the kinetically derived maximum dose
Authors: Burgoon Lyle D. , Fuentes Claudio , Borgert Christopher J.
Published: February 2022

The kinetically derived maximal dose (KMD) provides a toxicologically relevant upper range for the determination of chemical safety. Here, we describe a new way of calculating the KMD that is based on sound Bayesian, theoretical, biochemical, and toxicokinetic principles, that avoids the problems of relying upon the area under the curve (AUC) approach that has often been used. Our new, mathematically rigorous approach is based on converting toxicokinetic data to the overall, or system-wide, Michaelis–Menten curve (which is the slope function for the toxicokinetic data) using Bayesian methods and using the “kneedle” algorithm to find the “knee” or “elbow”—the point at which there is diminishing returns in the velocity of the Michaelis–Menten curve (or acceleration of the toxicokinetic curve). Our work fundamentally reshapes the KMD methodology, placing it within the well-established Michaelis–Menten theoretical framework by defining the KMD as the point where the kinetic rate approximates the Michaelis–Menten asymptote at higher concentrations. By putting the KMD within the Michaelis–Menten framework, we leverage existing biochemical and pharmacological concepts such as “saturation” to establish the region where the KMD is likely to exist. The advantage of defining KMD as a region, rather than as an inflection point along the curve, is that a region reflects uncertainty and clarifies that there is no single point where the curve is expected to “break;” rather, there is a region where the curve begins to taper off as it approaches the asymptote (Vmax in the Michaelis–Menten equation).
Potentio-tunable FET sensor having a redox-polarizable single electrode for the implementation of a wearable, continuous multi-analyte monitoring device
Authors: Lefler Sharon , Ben-Shachar Berta , Masasa Hila , Schreiber David , Tamir Idan
Published: February 2022

The emerging field of wearable devices for monitoring bioanalytes calls for the miniaturization of biochemical sensors. The only commercially available electrochemical wearable monitoring medical devices for bioanalytes are the amperometric continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems. The use of such amperometric methods to monitor glucose levels requires a relatively large electrode surface area for sufficient redox species collection, allowing accurate measurements to be made. Consequently, miniaturization of such sensors bearing large electrodes is challenging. Furthermore, it is difficult to introduce and deploy more than one electrode–based sensor per device, thereby limiting the number of analytes that can be monitored in parallel. To address these limitations, we have employed a non-referenced, single polarizable electrode coupled to a fin-shaped field-effect transistor (Fin-FET). We have discovered that by passivating the FET area by a relatively thick oxide and/or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) polymer, leaving only the polarizable working electrode (WE) exposed, we can monitor redox analytes at the micromolar to millimolar concentration range. We attribute this effect to the WE polarization by the solution redox species. We have exploited the superior sensitivity of the adjacent silicon-based Fin-FET to detect changes in sensor electrode potentials induced by the redox species. Furthermore, we demonstrated the correlation between a specific analyte and the biasing WE potential on the accumulation/depletion of the coupled Fin-FET channel as manifested by the transistor source-drain current. Moreover, we utilized the analyte-electrode potential interaction, which is analyte-specific, to tune the specificity of the sensor towards an analyte of choice. In addition, we demonstrated the use of a single-electrode potentiometric sweep to assist in identifying the accumulation/depletion as a result of analyte-WE state. Collectively, the tiny potentio-tunable electrochemical sensor (PTEchem sensor) area is ~50 × 50 µm, and dedicated wireless transducer facilitates the use of this sensor for wearable continuous, multi-metabolite monitoring.

Graphical abstract
Vertex Deletion into Bipartite Permutation Graphs
Authors: Bożyk Łukasz , Derbisz Jan , Krawczyk Tomasz , Novotná Jana , Okrasa Karolina
Published: February 2022

A permutation graph can be defined as an intersection graph of segments whose endpoints lie on two parallel lines $$\ell _1$$

ℓ
1

and $$\ell _2$$

ℓ
2

, one on each. A bipartite permutation graph is a permutation graph which is bipartite. In this paper we study the parameterized complexity of the bipartite permutation vertex deletion problem, which asks, for a given n-vertex graph, whether we can remove at most k vertices to obtain a bipartite permutation graph. This problem is $$\mathsf {NP}$$
NP
-complete by the classical result of Lewis and Yannakakis [20]. We analyze the structure of the so-called almost bipartite permutation graphs which may contain holes (large induced cycles) in contrast to bipartite permutation graphs. We exploit the structural properties of the shortest hole in a such graph. We use it to obtain an algorithm for the bipartite permutation vertex deletion problem with running time $${\mathcal {O}}(9^k \cdot n^9)$$

O
(

9
k

·

n
9

)

, and also give a polynomial-time 9-approximation algorithm.