bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isolated Hf‐Isomorphously Substituted Zeolites for One‐Pot HMF Synthesis from Glucose
Authors: Srisuwanno Wanmai , Saenluang Kachaporn , Prasertsab Anittha , Salakhum Saros , Kidkhunthod Pinit , Namuangruk Supawadee , Wattanakit Chularat
Published: December 2022

The direct conversion of glucose to 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a crucial process in biorefinery. However, it still suffers from the rational design of highly efficient catalysts for one‐pot HMF production. Herein, the pioneering design of bifunctional hafnium (Hf)‐incorporated zeolites with fine‐tuned Brønsted/Lewis acidity and hierarchical features has been illustrated via one‐pot hydrothermally prepared protocols. Most importantly, the rationally designed catalyst presents the highly dispersed isolated Hf species located at the zeolite framework, which is close to the Brønsted acid site. The designed catalysts eventually reveal superb catalytic performances in glucose conversion (95.4 ± 1.1%) and HMF yield (63.2 ± 2.0%), as well as excellent catalytic stability, which are significantly improved compared to the well‐known tin‐beta zeolite. In addition, the catalytic activity and mechanistic studies of the Hf‐beta zeolite are confirmed by the density functional theory calculations.
Surface Bromination of Lithium‐Metal Anode for High Cyclic Efficiency
Authors: Yao Xiao , Wang Jin , Lin Shiru , Tao Chengzhou , Zhang Xuezhi , Wang Wei , Zhao Chengcheng , Wang Lina , Bao Junwei Lucas , Wang Yonggang , Liu Tianxi
Published: December 2022

Lithium‐metal batteries suffer from short cycle life and poor safety due to uncontrolled dendrite growth at Li anodes. An advanced solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) with homogeneous chemical composition and physical structure holds great promise to address the issues. Herein, a new surface bromination approach is proposed for stabilizing SEI of Li anode via a scalable dip‐coating method. A lithium bromide‐enriched SEI is readily created on Li metal from chemical passivation by bromooctane. In‐situ optical microscopy reveals the crucial role of LiBr in inhibiting dendritic Li growth. The mechanistic investigations suggest the crystal facet (111) of LiBr provides high adsorption energy and low diffusion barriers for Li+ ions. The incorporation of LiBr into SEI guarantees the stable cycling of Li irrespective of with ether or carbonate electrolytes, and the SEI is endurable at extremely low or high temperatures. The symmetric cell of the LiBr modified Li delivers a long lifespan of 2400 h with an overpotential less than 15 mV at 0.5 mA cm‐2, 1 mAh cm‐2. When paired with commercial cathodes, decent cycling retention and rate capability are available as well. This work demonstrates a feasible strategy for the development of stable Li‐metal batteries.
Phenyl‐Free Polynorbornenes for Potential Anion Exchange Ionomers for Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers
Authors: Leonard Daniel P. , Lehmann Michelle , Klein Jeffrey M. , Matanovic Ivana , Fujimoto Cy , Saito Tomonori , Kim Yu Seung
Published: December 2022

Ionomers in the catalyst layer play a critical role in the performance of fuel cells and electrolyzers. Phenyl adsorption on hydrogen oxidation catalysts and electrochemical oxidation of phenyl moieties on oxygen evolution catalysts are detrimental to the alkaline devices’ performance. Here the adsorption energy of phenyl‐containing ionomers is compared to provide the rationale for implementing phenyl‐free ionomers. Density functional theory calculations indicated that the norbornane fragment has minimal adsorption energy on Pt(111) due to the absence of aromatic π electrons. A soluble quaternized polynorbornene ionomer is prepared by vinyl addition polymerization, and it exhibits high performance in both fuel cells and electrolyzers, proving the advantage of the phenyl‐free structure. This study establishes the phenyl adsorption energy‐electrode performance relationship, highlighting the importance of material interactions between the catalysts and ionomers.
Soil moisture variability on golf course fairways across the United States: An opportunity for water conservation with precision irrigation
Authors: Straw Chase , Bolton Connor , Young Joseph , Hejl Reagan , Friell Joshua , Watkins Eric
Published: December 2022

Conventional golf course fairway irrigation relies on visual observation of the turfgrass, followed by secondary considerations of short‐term weather forecasts, which oftentimes lead to ‘blanket’ applications to an entire area. Precision irrigation may achieve water use reductions by irrigating only where, when, and in the amount needed. Technology can further enhance its application; for example, using global navigation satellite system (GNSS)‐equipped soil moisture sensors for creating fairway soil moisture maps to identify variability. However, research regarding soil moisture variability on fairways at golf courses that differ by climatic region and course characteristics is limited. The objective of this case study was to report fairway soil moisture variability findings from nine golf courses in eight states in the United States that completed a soil moisture mapping protocol during 2019–2022. Each course used a handheld GNSS‐equipped soil moisture device to collect georeferenced soil moisture (percentage volumetric water content [VWC]) data from seven to 14 of their fairways. Soil moisture variability was assessed through summary statistics, box and whisker plots, and spatial maps. The mean soil moisture on fairways across courses was 22.4–48.8% VWC, the range was 27.6–43.7% VWC, and the CV was 7.5–39.4%. Box and whisker plots and spatial maps of soil moisture aided in visualizing variability within and between fairways at all courses. Results suggest that golf course fairway soil moisture variability is inevitable regardless of climatic region and course characteristics, which further reiterates the need for advanced irrigation practices and technologies for water conservation via precision irrigation.
Water and nitrogen management influence on oil and protein concentration in maize
Authors: Hammad Hafiz Mohkum , Abbas Farhat , Ahmad Ashfaq , Farhad Wajid , Wilkerson Carol Jo , Hoogenboom Gerrit
Published: December 2022

The effects of water and nitrogen management on the oil and protein concentration of maize (Zea mays L.) grown in semiarid conditions are not well documented, although it is rather important for local consumers. The objectives of this study were, therefore, to determine the interaction between different nitrogen fertilizer rates and irrigation regimes on nitrogen uptake, and oil and protein content of maize grain. The importance of this study is to understand how the interaction of nitrogen and irrigation management affects the growth of maize and, thus, identify the best management practices to attain an optimal yield. A field experiment was conducted for 2 consecutive years in 2009 and 2010 using 5 nitrogen fertilizer rates, ranging from 100 to 300 kg N ha−1, and 3 levels of irrigation management, ranging from 375 to 525 mm ha−1, for a total of 15 treatments. The results showed that nitrogen accumulation in the maize plant linearly increased in applications up to 300 kg N ha−1 even under deficit irrigation (375 mm ha−1). For the application of 300 kg N ha−1 under optimum irrigation (525 mm ha−1), nitrogen accumulation in the plant's aboveground canopy was significantly increased (e.g., 145.7 and 144.3 kg ha−1 during 2009 and 2010, respectively) as compared to smaller N application rates. The combined nitrogen and irrigation regimes of 300 kg N ha−1 with 525 mm of irrigation resulted in the numerically maximum grain oil concentration, that is, 62 and 65 g kg−1 during 2009 and 2010, respectively, and protein concentration in grains, that is, 116 and 120 g kg−1 during 2009 and 2010, respectively. The regression analyses showed that the protein and oil concentrations of the grain are significantly and positively correlated with total nitrogen uptake. The nitrogen concentration in maize is driven by irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizer rates. Therefore, irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizers are the major inputs for not only improving maize grain yield but also maize grain quality.
Observational process data analytics using causal inference
Authors: Yang Shu , Bequette B. Wayne
Published: December 2022

Voluminous process data are available with the paradigm shift toward smart manufacturing. However, most historical data are observational, containing noncausal correlations due to confounders and mediators. Estimating causal effects from observational data remains a bottleneck in leveraging them for active applications such as optimization and control. This work aims to introduce a causal modeling framework for analyzing observational process data and extracting quantitative causal information. We demonstrate a real‐world application in steel manufacturing where causal inference is used to analyze observational production data and improve the steelmaking process. Additionally, we propose a novel formulation for identifying critical process parameters from observational data, where causal inference is combined with variance‐based methods to estimate corresponding risks of interventions to the manufacturing system. The proposed methods are compared with statistical ones to illustrate that causally interpreting statistical correlation leads to problematic results, while the provided workflow generates satisfactory strategies for process improvement.
Nickel‐Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation of Unactivated Aryl Alkenes with Hydrosilane as Hydrogen Source
Authors: Wang Haoran , Lu Lingyi , Xiong Biao , Ling Yong , Zeng Xiaobao , Qiu Xiaodong
Published: December 2022

A nickel‐catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of aryl alkenes has been developed using hydrosilane as the hydrogen source. Sterically hindered disubstituted or trisubstituted alkenes were employed to test the efficiency of this transformation. Mechanism studies showed that hydrogenation took place smoothly with more sterically‐hinderedtrans‐alkenes. While uncongestedcis‐alkenes could hardly convert to the alkanes but hydrosilylation products were generated instead. Moreover, certain amount of water was found to be a promotion for the protonation process and could partly serve as the hydrogen source. Not only for simple stilbenes, this easy handle protocol also showed tolerance for substrates involving other unsaturated groups as well as heterocycles.
Quantification of [18F]florbetaben amyloid‐PET imaging in a mixed memory clinic population: The ABIDE project
Authors: Collij Lyduine E. , Salvadó Gemma , de Wilde Arno , Altomare Daniele , Shekari Mahnaz , Gispert Juan Domingo , Bullich Santiago , Stephens Andrew , Barkhof Frederik , Scheltens Philip , Bouwman Femke , van der Flier Wiesje M.
Published: December 2022

Introduction

We investigated amyloid‐burden quantification in a mixed memory clinic population.

Methods

[18F]Florbetaben amyloid‐PET (positron emission tomography) scans of 348 patients were visually read and quantified using the Centiloid (CL) method. General linear models were used to assess CL differences across syndromic and etiological diagnosis. Linear mixed models were fitted to assess the predictive value of visual read (VR) and CL on longitudinal Mini‐Mental Status Examination (MMSE).

Results

CL was associated with syndromic (F = 4.42, p = 0.014) and etiological diagnosis (F = ‐12.66, p < 0.001), with Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients showing the highest amyloid burden (62.9 ± 27.5), followed by dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) (25.3 ± 35.5) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) (16.7 ± 24.5), and finally frontotemporal lobe degeneration (FTLD) (5.0 ± 17.22, t = –12.66, p < 0.001). CL remained predictive of etiological diagnosis (t =  –2.41, p = 0.017) within the VR+ population (N = 157). VR was not a significant predictor of MMSE (t = –1.53, p = 0.13) for the SCD population (N = 90), whereas CL was (t = ‐3.30, p = 0.001).

Discussion

The extent of amyloid pathology through quantification holds clinical value, potentially in the context of differential diagnosis as well as prognosis.
Investigation of the substituent effects on the oxidation of styrene derivatives by silica‐supported heterogeneous oxidovanadium(V) coordination compound
Authors: Heydari Neda , Bikas Rahman , Shaterian Maryam , Krawczyk Marta S. , Lis Tadeusz
Published: December 2022

Vanadium coordination compounds, [VO2L]·(CH3OH) (1a and 1b), were prepared from the reaction of tridentate hydrazone ligand, [HL=(E)‐4‐amino‐N′‐(1‐(pyridin‐2‐ylethylidene)benzohydrazide] with NH4VO3 and V2O5, respectively. These compounds were characterized by various analytical methods, and the structures of 1a and 1b were determined by single crystal X‐ray analysis which indicated that they have the same composition but crystallized in different unit cells and can be considered as polymorphs. The silica‐supported catalyst (Si‐VO2L) was obtained by immobilization of 1 on the surface of silica using propionyl chloride‐functionalized silica gel. Si‐VO2L was characterized by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, diffuse‐reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and was employed as heterogeneous catalyst in the oxidation of styrene derivatives, and aqueous H2O2 was used as the green oxidant. Si‐VO2L was recovered several times, and characterized by various analytical methods. The results indicated its high stability. The effects of parameters such as temperature, the ratio of reagents, and nature of solvent on selectivity and activity of Si‐VO2L were investigated. The results indicated that both of the steric and electronic effects of the substituents on the phenyl ring of styrene can affect the selectivity and activity of the products. Electron withdrawing groups decrease the activity of the substrate and electron donating groups increase the activity.
Synthesis and structural characterization of new group 12 metal ions coordination polymers built on sulfur‐based ligand and probing their high iodine adsorption efficiency in micro and bulk forms
Authors: Bahrani‐Pour Maryam , Beheshti Azizolla , Naseri Nadieh , Maleki Qasem , Mayer Peter , Abrahams Carmel T. , Centore Roberto
Published: December 2022

In this work, we have prepared two new sulfur CPs with group 12 transition metals, namely,[Zn (NCS)Cl(μ2‐L)]n(1)and[Hg (SCN)2(μ2‐L)]n(3).[Cd (NCS)Cl(μ2‐L)]n(2), which is isostructural with1, was synthesized for a comparison from our published work. These compounds have been characterized by FT‐IR, UV–Vis, powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), elemental analysis (CHNS), scanning electron microscopy (Fe‐SEM), TGA, BET, and single‐crystal X‐ray analysis for1and3. In the structure of all polymers, the bbit ligand [L = bbit = 1,1‐bis(3‐methyl‐4‐imidazoline‐2‐thion)butane] is bridged between metal centers by the anti‐anti‐anti conformation to form an infinite 1D zigzag chain. The considered polymers were used for the removal of a substantial amount of I2from cyclohexane solution. Despite the nonporous and low dimensional frameworks of title polymers, their maximum iodine adsorption capacities were notable and in order of 817.68, 906.48, and 911.08 mg/g for polymers1–3, respectively, with an extraordinary stability toward iodine. The capacity of micro‐sized structures was almost double as compared with their bulk ones.
Heuristic price theory: A model of pluralistic price evaluations
Authors: Thomas Manoj
Published: December 2022

Economic price theory assumes that consumers' responses to prices can be characterized by stable demand curves and price elasticities. The author posits that this assumption lacks descriptive validity because the demand curve is rather unstable; subtle changes in framing and contextual cues can change the demand curve. The article outlines heuristic price theory, which posits that price evaluations are pluralistic in nature. Each price evaluation entails several heuristic decision rules (or decision criteria) that are activated by conscious and unconscious evaluative responses to price and the contextual cues. The extant literature identifies six types of evaluative responses that influence these heuristic decision rules: the pain of paying, price comparisons, price–quality inferences, price negotiability judgments, price fairness judgments, and price–feature tradeoff. To predict how prices influence consumer behavior in a particular context, it is important to identify the heuristic decision rules being used in that context. This implies that managers and researchers, instead of focusing only on estimating price elasticities using stylized demand curves, should also study the heuristic decision rules that shoppers use to evaluate prices.
Recent Progress in High‐voltage Aqueous Zinc‐based Hybrid Redox Flow Batteries
Authors: Park Jihan , Kim Minsoo , Choi Jinyeong , Lee Soobeom , Kim Jueun , Han Duho , Jang Hyeokjun , Park Minjoon
Published: December 2022

The energy density of redox flow batteries (RFBs) is generally affected by the standard electrode potential and the solubility of the redox active species. These crucial factors are closely related to the solvent in which the active materials are dissolved. Aqueous RFBs have been widely studied due to their excellent reaction kinetics and high solubility of the redox couple in aqueous media. However, the low voltage of conventional aqueous RFBs has hindered them from being candidates for practical applications. Recently, high‐voltage aqueous RFBs are implemented based on the low negative potential of the Zn/[Zn(OH)4]2− reaction in an alkaline solution. Here, we review recent progress in the design of high energy density RFBs in both aqueous and non‐aqueous electrolytes, notably focusing on the Zn/MnO2 hybrid RFBs in detail. Furthermore, strategies for inhibiting zinc dendritic growth and stabilizing manganese redox couple in the RFBs system are discussed.
Recent Changes to NEPA Regulations, Part 1
Authors: Sibree Anne E.
Published: December 2022

Key Takeaways

An infrastructure project involves necessary layers of requirements, authorizations, and considerations that are managed by legislation such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The Council on Environmental Quality, which oversees federal implementation of NEPA, recently finalized Phase 1 of the latest round of revisions.

With a clear understanding of NEPA's rules and procedures, water utilities can better ensure the success of their projects.
Effects of Position and Quantity of the Cyano Group in Organic Electrode Materials on Electrochemical Performance
Authors: An Yongkang , Liu Yu , Xiong Fangyu , An Qinyou
Published: December 2022

Recently, organic cathodes have received wide attention as eco‐friendly and sustainable materials for aqueous Zn‐organic batteries. However, the low voltage limits its further development and the related optimization strategies are rarely reported. Herein, three HATN‐based cathode materials containing cyano groups (named O3CN, P3CN, and P6CN) are proposed to reveal the role of cyano groups. The number of cyano groups was positively correlated with the potential, and the position of cyano groups would affect the ion mobility through the steric effect. Furthermore, the cyano group also reduces the solubility of the materials in water, greatly improving the cycle stability under low current density. As a result, the average voltage increased from 0.48 V for HATN to 0.73 V for P6CN, and the capacity retained 88.2 % after 5000 cycles at 5 A g−1. This study provides a systematic reference for the improvement of the voltage of organic cathode materials in the future.
Synthesis and novel emission properties of Bi3+‐doped Ca2BO3Cl phosphor for plant cultivation
Authors: Khan Muhid S. , Mehare Manohar D. , Parauha Yatish R. , Dhale Shrikrishna A. , Dhoble Sanjay J.
Published: December 2022

In the present work, a series of Bi3+‐activated Ca2BO3Cl phosphors was synthesized using the conventional high‐temperature solid‐state reaction method. The crystal structure of the prepared sample was determined to be monoclinic with space group P21/c. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis demonstrated the surface morphology with aggregated particles and sizes in the nano range. The presence of vibrational features and their luminescence characteristics were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) techniques, respectively. At the 486 nm excitation wavelength, the PL spectrum revealed a sharp emission centred at 732 nm that was attributed to the 3P1→1S0 transition of Bi3+. The emission spectra exhibited the highest emission intensity at 0.5 mol% Bi3+ ion concentration, beyond this the emission intensity decreased due to the concentration quenching phenomenon attributed to multipolar interaction. The Commission Internationale de l'éclairage coordinates located at (0.7347, 0.2653) confirmed emission in the deep‐red region with a colour purity of 99.98%. The obtained outcomes suggested that the reported material may be a promising candidate as a red‐emitting phosphor for w‐LEDs and plant growth applications.
Application of a split‐Cre system for high‐capacity adenoviral vector amplification
Authors: Gonzalez‐Aparicio Manuela , Bunuales Maria , de Landazuri Iñaki Ortiz , Prieto Jesus , Hernandez‐Alcoceba Ruben
Published: December 2022

Background and Aims

High‐capacity adenoviral vectors (HC‐AdV) show extended DNA payload and stability of gene expression in vivo due to the absence of viral coding sequences. However, production requires methods to trans‐complement viral proteins, usually through Helper Viruses (HV). The Cre/loxP system is frequently employed to remove the packaging signal in HV genomes, in order to avoid their encapsidation. However, chronic exposure to the Cre recombinase in packaging cells is detrimental. We have applied the dimerizable Cre system to overcome this limitation.

Methods and Results

Cre was split in two fragments devoid of recombinase function (N‐terminal 244 and C‐terminal 99 amino‐acids). In one version of the system, interaction with both moieties was favored by rapamycin‐dependent heterodimerization domains (DiCre). Other version contained only Cre sequences (oCre). We generated packaging cells and HVs expressing the complementary fragments and studied their performance for HC‐AdV production. We found that both conformations avoided interference with the growth of packaging cells, and the oCre system was particularly suitable for HC‐AdV amplification.

Conclusions

The split‐Cre system improves the performance of packaging cells and can reduce the time and cost of HC‐AdV amplification up to 30% and 15%, respectively. This may contribute to the standardization of HC‐AdV production.
Capacitance spectroscopy enables real‐time monitoring of early cell death in mammalian cell culture
Authors: Wu Suyang , Ketcham Stephanie A , Corredor Claudia C. , Both Douglas , Drennen James K. , Anderson Carl A.
Published: December 2022

Background/Aims

Previous work developed a quantitative model using capacitance spectroscopy in an at‐line setup to predict the dying cell percentage measured from a flow cytometer. This work aimed to transfer the at‐line model to monitor lab‐scale bioreactors in real‐time, waiving the need for frequent sampling and enabling precise controls.

Methods and Results

Due to the difference between the at‐line and in‐line capacitance probes, direct application of the at‐line model resulted in poor accuracy and high prediction bias. A new model with a variable range and offering similar spectral shape across all probes was first constructed, improving prediction accuracy. Moreover, the global calibration method included the variance of different probes and scales in the model, reducing prediction bias. External parameter orthogonalization, a preprocessing method, also mitigated the interference from feeding, which further improved model performance. The root‐mean‐square error of prediction of the final model was 6.56% (8.42% of the prediction range) with an R2 of 92.4%.

Conclusion

The culture evolution trajectory predicted by the in‐line model captured the cell death and alarmed cell death onset earlier than the trypan blue exclusion test. Additionally, the incorporation of at‐line spectra following orthogonal design into the calibration set was shown to generate calibration models that are more robust than the calibration models constructed using the in‐line spectra only. This is advantageous, as at‐line spectral collection is easier, faster, and more material‐sparing than in‐line spectra collection.
Collagen scaffolds derived from bovine skin loaded withMSCoptimizedM1macrophages remodeling and chronic diabetic wounds healing
Authors: Liu Hengdeng , Yang Ronghua , Zhao Shixin , Zhou Fei , Liu Yiling , Zhou Ziheng , Chen Lei , Xie Julin
Published: December 2022

Owing to the persistent inflammatory microenvironment and unsubstantial dermal tissues, chronic diabetic wounds do not heal easily and their recurrence rate is high. Therefore, a dermal substitute that can induce rapid tissue regeneration and inhibit scar formation is urgently required to address this concern. In this study, we established biologically active dermal substitutes (BADS) by combining novel animal tissue‐derived collagen dermal‐replacement scaffolds (CDRS) and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) for the healing and recurrence treatments of chronic diabetic wounds. The collagen scaffolds derived from bovine skin (CBS) displayed good physicochemical properties and superior biocompatibility. CBS loaded with BMSCs (CBS‐MCSs) could inhibit M1 macrophage polarization in vitro. Decreased MMP‐9 and increased Col3 at the protein level were detected in CBS‐MSCs‐treated M1 macrophages, which may be attributed to the suppression of the TNF‐α/NF‐κB signaling pathway (downregulating phospho‐IKKα/β/total IKKα/β, phospho‐IκB/total IκB, and phospho‐NFκB/total NFκB) in M1 macrophages. Moreover, CBS‐MSCs could benefit the transformation of M1 (downregulating iNOS) to M2 (upregulating CD206) macrophages. Wound‐healing evaluations demonstrated that CBS‐MSCs regulated the polarization of macrophages and the balance of inflammatory factors (pro‐inflammatory: IL‐1β, TNF‐α, and MMP‐9; anti‐inflammatory: IL‐10 and TGF‐β3) in db/db mice. Furthermore, CBS‐MSCs facilitated the noncontractile and re‐epithelialized processes, granulation tissue regeneration, and neovascularization of chronic diabetic wounds. Thus, CBS‐MSCs have a potential value for clinical application in promoting the healing of chronic diabetic wounds and preventing the recurrence of ulcers.
Effects of grain storage time and storage temperature on flour quality parameters of “5 + 10” wheat cultivar and “2 + 12” wheat cultivar
Authors: Liu Hongfei , Zhang Yingquan , Don Clyde , Zhang Bo
Published: December 2022

Backgrounds and Objectives

Physicochemical changes that take place inside the wheat kernel during storage make the quality stable. Storage temperature will affect the different mechanisms of changes. The newly harvested “2 + 12” wheat cultivar (H4399) and “5 + 10” wheat cultivar (XM26) grains were stored under ambient temperature and 4°C for 120 days, respectively, and sampled for grinding every 30 days.

Findings

With the extension of storage time, the content of crude protein and glutenin macropolymer (GMP), Gʹ and G" of GMP gel, maximum resistance, and extensibility of both varieties increased to higher value and then decreased slightly. The higher value appeared at 90 or 120 days under ambient temperature, and at 30 or 60 days under 4°C, approximately 30–60 days earlier than under ambient temperature. During storage, the relative increasing of protein and GMP content, sedimentation index, G", tan δ, stability, maximum resistance, and extendibility of dough of “2 + 12” wheat cultivar (H4399) were bigger than “5 + 10” wheat cultivar (XM26). The relative increasing of Gʹ, water absorption, development time of dough were smaller than “5 + 10” wheat cultivar (XM26).

Conclusions

It is concluded that low‐temperature storage can accelerate protein aggregation in wheat grains and shorten the time to steady state. Increasing in GMP stiffness and dough development time is more sensitive to postharvest storage in a “5 + 10” wheat cultivar (XM26) versus a “2 + 12” wheat cultivar (H4399).

Significance and Novelty

The changes of protein physicochemical properties of different varieties under different storage conditions explained the main mechanism of protein aggregation during wheat storage.
Engineering a Medium‐chain Alcohol Dehydrogenase for Efficient Synthesis of (S)‐N−Boc‐3−pyrrolidinol by Adjusting the Conformational Dynamics of Loops
Authors: Ye Wenjie , Zhang Yuxin , Wang Yilin , Xie Jingwen , Liu Yan , Yang Lin , Wang Hualei , Wei Dongzhi
Published: December 2022

Loops typically allosterically communicate with active sites, and their conformational dynamics can affect the catalytic properties of enzymes. Herein, by manipulating the loop conformational dynamics via adjusting loop‐loop interactions, a medium‐chain alcohol dehydrogenase (Syn94) was engineered to enhance the activity without enantioselectivity reduction. Syn94, from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was identified, and it demonstrated good enantioselectivity (>99.9 % ee) for synthesizing (S)‐N−Boc‐3−pyrrolidinol ((S)‐Boc−PL), a key intermediate of darifenacin, but with low catalytic efficiency. To enhance its activity, three regions for loop‐loop interactions near the active pocket were identified for mutagenesis. After the iteration of two effective sites, the best mutant, S89T/P282R, with a 94.5‐fold enhancement in catalytic efficiency, was successfully obtained. By establishing a co‐expression system of S89T/P282R and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), up to 1.0 M (180.2 g/L) substrate could be completely reduced to (S)‐Boc−PL within 7 h, with 617 g/L/d space‐time‐yield. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the enhanced activity was related to the stabilization of two loops, D41‐V58 and W87‐T112.
Circularly polarized and total luminescence as probes of nucleation and growth in chiral nanocrystals
Authors: Schwartz Gal , Hananel Uri , Markovich Gil
Published: December 2022

Nucleation of crystals as well as their growth is difficult to study experimentally. We have recently demonstrated that chiral Eu3+‐doped terbium phosphate nanocrystals are an interesting system for studying nanocrystal formation mechanisms and chiral symmetry breaking, occurring during their formation, directed by chiral ligands, such as tartaric acid. In this paper, we show how simultaneous, in situ monitoring of both total emission intensity and circularly polarized luminescence magnitude and sign versus time during nanocrystal formation provides considerable information on the mechanisms of nanocrystal nucleation and growth. Specifically, we show that the presence of tartaric acid leads to the formation of chiral prenucleation clusters, which deterministically transform into nanocrystals of a specific handedness. Additionally, we demonstrate that both unseeded and seeded nanocrystal syntheses behave differently mechanistically and that the addition of seed nanocrystals catalyses both enantio‐specific (also called secondary nucleation) as well as nonspecific nucleation.
PROTOCOL: Exploring education to support vaccine confidence amongst healthcare and long‐term care staff amidst the COVID‐19 pandemic: A protocol for a living scoping review
Authors: Reed Anna C. , Murmann Maya , Ramzy Amy , Scott Mary , Skidmore Becky , Welch Vivian , Hsu Amy T.
Published: December 2022

Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of vaccines, varying levels of hesitancy were observed among healthcare and long‐term care workers, who were prioritized in the roll out of COVID‐19 vaccines due to their high risk of exposure to SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission. However, the evidence around the measurable impact of various educational interventions to improve vaccine confidence is limited. The proposed scoping review is intended to explore any emerging research and experiences of delivering educational interventions to improve COVID‐19 vaccine confidence among health and long‐term care workforces. We aim to identify characteristics of both informal and formal educational interventions delivered during the pandemic to support COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy. Using the guidance outlined by the Joanna Briggs Institute, we intend to search five databases including, Ovid MEDLINE and Web of Science, as well as grey literature. We will consider all study designs and reports in an effort to include a breadth of sources to ensure our review will capture preliminary evidence, as well as more exploratory experiences of COVID‐19 vaccine education delivery. Articles will be screened by three reviewers independently and the data will be charted, and results described narratively.
Novel predictive estimators using ranked set sampling
Authors: Bhushan Shashi , Kumar Anoop
Published: December 2022

This article suggests some novel logarithmic predictive estimators using ranked set sampling for the computation of population mean. The bias and mean square error of the proposed predictive estimators (PPEs) are determined up to the approximation of order one. The performance of the PPEs is examined regarding the contemporary existing predictive estimators (EPEs) utilizing simple random sampling (SRS) and ranked set sampling (RSS) and the efficiency conditions are obtained. Subsequently, a comprehensive computational examination is accomplished based on natural and artificially rendered symmetric and asymmetric populations to extend the theoretical results.
Instillation checking using long short‐term memories for ophthalmology patients
Authors: Ishigami Tomohiro , Isokawa Teijiro , Kamiura Naotake , Masumoto Hiroki , Tabuchi Hitoshi
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we propose a method of checking the eye lotion instillation for ophthalmology patients. Our method first estimates tilt angles of an eye dropper bottle from acceleration values measured by a triaxial sensor attached to the bottle. It next prepares data each of which is equal to a sequence of standardized tilt values, as data to be presented to a discrimination model. It employs either a long short‐term memory (LSTM for short) or a bidirectional long short‐term memory (B_LSTM for short) to construct the model. Once we present the data to be checked to our model, it produces a certainty degree indicating whether a patient corresponding to the presented data applies eye lotion at the time zone in which a sequence of the tilt values used to prepare the presented data was measured. The final judgement for the instillation depends on thresholding of the certainty degree. It is established, from experimental results using practical data, that adopting B_LSTM‐based models is useful in improving metric values compared to adopting LSTM‐based models, and that our models can cope well with the situation specified by the comparatively long time interval of measuring tilt values while some metric values slightly degrade.
Association rule‐based multilevel regression pricing and artificial neural networks based land selling price prediction based on market value
Authors: Krishnasamy Srinivasan , Rajiah Murugasan , SenthilKumar Krishna Kumari , Nagalingam Rajendiran Shanker
Published: December 2022

In Tamil Nadu, India, the guideline value (GV) of land for registration typically corresponds to the market price. After registration of land, Tamil Nadu's land registration office determines which areas have GVs that are lower or higher than the government‐fixed value, and depending on the area. Based on determination of price difference, each are GV is raised or lowered. In other countries expect India, different models, including the hedonic price model, quantile, and multivariate regression are used in the current GV fixation. These models have complex relationships with the many different variables that affect the GV of the land. In this article, novel optimized models for fixing land value according to utilitarian land ethics are proposed, including artificial neural networks (ANN) and associative rule‐based multilevel regression pricing models (AMLP). Increase the GV from the current GV in different percentages using the proposed ANN association rule mining method, and then optimize with spatial and infrastructure parameters from the GIS model builder for real‐time GV generation on the website. For real‐time GV generation on the website, the ANN model uses association rule mining and various neural network architectures. Buyer acceptance test validation of the live GV generation reveals 85% accuracy for the proposed model. The proposed models such as ANN and AMLP, prevent problems with GV fixation and boost revenue for the Indian government.
Optimally combined application of organic and chemical fertilizers increases grain yield and improves rhizosphere microecological properties in rice ratooning
Authors: Lin Manhong , Yang Songwei , Chen Hongfei , Letuma Puleng , Khan Muhammad Umar , Huang Jinwen , Shen Lihua , Lin Wenxiong
Published: December 2022

Field tests were conducted at experimental station of Chongluo, Nanping city, Fujian province, China in 2018–2019 to explore the action and physiological mechanism of organic nitrogen in rice ratooning under the configurations with different proportions of organic and inorganic nitrogen. The results showed that sole chemical fertilizer (CF) led to a significant decrease in soil nutrient availability, especially at late growth stage, and reduced grain yield of the main and ratooning crops compared with the optimal fertilizer configuration (GM2) in 30% organic nitrogen with 70% chemical nitrogen fertilizer in the premise of total application rate at 225 kg N/ha. Further studies have revealed that GM2 relative to CF treatment promoted to produce more productive panicles of the main crop and had carryover effect on the regeneration rate of ratooning rice due to national C13‐assimilates partitioning in rice–rhizosphere systems, which resulted in increased soil microbial diversity and soil fertility, thereby enhanced yields of the main and ratooning rice crops. These findings help to better understand the action and mechanism of the proper combined application of organic and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer via improving remobilization of 13C assimilates in rice–rhizosphere system, and ultimately increasing grain yield in rice ratooning.
The soursop (Annona muricata): Botany, horticulture, and utilization
Authors: Leal Freddy , Paull Robert E.
Published: December 2022

The South American soursop, guanabana or graviola fruit, was unknown to Europeans until the voyages of Christopher Columbus. The tree is now grown commercially and in home gardens throughout the tropics. The fruit is consumed as a fresh fruit and juice, and the frozen pulp is used in the preparation of ice creams, sherbets, and juices in many world markets. The juice is sometimes mixed with other fruit juices. The pulp is also used in the preparation of drinks, wines, cakes, mousses, gelatins, and puddings or consumed green as a vegetable. This review discusses the taxonomy and morphology of the soursop, cultivar collection, and their use in selection and breeding programs as progenitors for developing new varieties. The environmental requirements, cultural practices, and plant propagation methods for soursop are reviewed. Orchard management that includes planting density, plant nutrition, pest and disease occurrence and control, harvest methods, and yields are discussed. Future prospects are considered.
A comparative study on transmission performance of multi‐stage wireless power transfer systems using SPS compensation and LCC compensation
Authors: Li Jiangui , Wang Chen , Wang Longyang , Ding Yishuo , Yu Tianqi , Cheng Yuying
Published: December 2022

The new multi‐stage wireless power transfer (WPT) systems based on series–parallel–series (SPS) and inductor–capacitor–capacitor (LCC) compensations (SPS‐WPT and LCC‐WPT) are characterized by constant output current and high transmission efficiency. To obtain applicable conditions and performance differences of these two systems, their output characteristics have been studied by theoretical derivation and experimental verification. First, the equivalent models of double‐stage SPS‐WPT and LCC‐WPT systems have been built. Second, comparative analysis of two key compensation components that affect the output performance of the two systems has been completed. Third, the influence of each stage load and coupling conditions on the output performance of the two systems has been further analyzed and compared. Finally, output performance of the two systems has been tested and compared on a newly built experimental platform. Experimental results show that the output power and transmission efficiency of the SPS‐WPT system reach 180 W and 80.39% with offset of 20 mm, which is more suitable for high power applications with low and fixed coupling condition. In addition, the output power and transmission efficiency of the LCC‐WPT system reach 127 W and 85.92% with offset of 10 mm, which is more suitable for high efficiency applications at medium and variable coupling conditions.
Light controls alpine meadow community assembly during succession by affecting species recruitment from the seed bank
Authors: Ma Miaojun , Baskin Carol C. , Zhao Yunpeng , An Hang
Published: December 2022

Some research indicates that soil seed banks can promote species coexistence through storage effects. However, the seed bank mechanism that maintains plant assembly and its role in degraded grassland restoration are still not clear. We collected seed bank samples from early, mid and late secondary successional stages of an abandoned subalpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau, and samples from each stage were exposed to full (i.e., natural), mid, and low light treatments in the field to represent light availability at the bottom/understory (soil surface) of a plant community in the early, mid and late stages of succession, respectively. Species richness, seed density, species composition, and community weighted mean values (CWMs) of seed mass of the species whose seeds germinated in soil samples were evaluated. In response to the light treatments, species richness increased significantly with increased light only for the late successional stage, seed density increased significantly with increased light only in the early and mid successional stages, and seed mass decreased significantly with increased light only in the mid and late successional stages. Species composition differed significantly among the light treatments only in the late successional stage. For the successional series, species richness and seed mass of the species that germinated increased significantly with succession only under mid and full light treatments. Seed density decreased significantly with succession in each light treatment. Species composition differed significantly between the early‐ and late stage and between the mid and late stage in each light treatment. Both the abiotic (light) and biotic (seed mass) factors influence seed bank recruitment to the plant community. Regeneration of small‐seeded species in the seed bank was inhibited under low light in the late successional stage. The balance of stochastic and deterministic processes along a successional gradient was determined by regeneration from the seed bank depending on light intensity change. Differences in seed response to light intensity change largely determined plant community assembly. Our findings should help in the development of effective conservation and restoration strategies.
Spatial scale‐dependent dilution effects of biodiversity on plant diseases in grasslands
Authors: Liu Xiang , Xiao Yao , Lin Ziyuan , Wang Xingxing , Hu Kui , Liu Mu , Zhao Yimin , Qi Yanwen , Zhou Shurong
Published: December 2022

The rapid biodiversity losses of the Anthropocene have motivated ecologists to understand how biodiversity affects infectious diseases. Spatial scale is thought to moderate negative biodiversity–disease relationships (i.e., dilution effects) in zoonotic diseases, whereas evidence from plant communities for an effect of scale remains limited, especially at local scales where the mechanisms (e.g., encounter reduction) underlying dilution effects actually work. Here, we tested how spatial scale affects the direction and magnitude of biodiversity–disease relationships. We utilized a 10‐year‐old nitrogen addition experiment in a Tibetan alpine meadow, with 0, 5, 10, and 15 g/m2 nitrogen addition treatments. Within the treatment plots, we arranged a total of 216 quadrats (of either 0.125 × 0.125 m, 0.25 × 0.25 m or 0.5 × 0.5 m size) to test how the sample area affects the relationship between plant species richness and foliar fungal disease severity. We found that the dilution effects were stronger in the 0.125 × 0.125 m and 0.25 × 0.25 m quadrats, compared with 0.5 × 0.5 m quadrats. There was a significant interaction between species richness and nitrogen addition in the 0.125 × 0.125 m and 0.25 × 0.25 m quadrats, indicating that a dilution effect was more easily observed under higher levels of nitrogen addition. Based on multigroup structural equation models, we found that even accounting for the direct impact of nitrogen addition (i.e., “nitrogen‐disease hypothesis”), the dilution effect still worked at the 0.125 × 0.125 m scale. Overall, these findings suggest that spatial scale directly determines the occurrence of dilution effects, and can partly explain the observed variation in biodiversity–disease relationships in grasslands. Next‐generation frameworks for predicting infectious diseases under rapid biodiversity loss scenarios need to incorporate spatial information.
Excellent catalytic performance toward the hydrogen evolution reaction in topological semimetals
Authors: Wang Lirong , Yang Ying , Wang Jianhua , Liu Wei , Liu Ying , Gong Jialin , Liu Guodong , Wang Xiaotian , Cheng Zhenxiang , Zhang Xiaoming
Published: December 2022

Topological states of matter and their corresponding properties are classical research topics in condensed matter physics. Quite recently, the application of materials that feature these states has been extended to the field of electrochemical catalysis and become an emerging research topic that is receiving increasing interest. In particular, several recent experimental studies performed on topological semimetals have already revealed high catalytic performance toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), strongly promoting acceptance of the fresh concept of the topological catalyst. This emerging concept has experienced rapid developments in the last few years, but these developments have been rarely summarized. Herein, we offer a comprehensive review on the state‐of‐the‐art progress in developing topological catalysts for the HER process through topological semimetals such as Weyl semimetals, Dirac semimetals, nodal line semimetals, and so on. The course of development, the general research routes, and the fundamental mechanisms in topological catalysts are also systematically analyzed in this review.

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