bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Production and Preservation Ability of Four Varieties of Onions (Allium cepa L., Alliaceae) in Korhogo, Northern Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Koulotioloma Soro , Ysidor Konan N’Guessan , Zadjéhi Koffi Eric-Blanchard , Martial Yao Saraka Didier , Nafan Diarrassouba , Mohamed Cissé
Published: November 2024

Aims: The study was investigated the ability of producing and preserving fresh onion bulbs from various varieties to fit sustainable onion culture in Ivorian agroclimatic conditions.
Study Design: Four onion varieties, namely Dayo, Safari, Red Star and Red Jewel, were cultivated, and their fresh bulbs harvested and stored for the investigation of both physical and environmental parameters during the storage.
Place and Duration of Study: The onion culture and the physical and environmental measures were carried out from the experimental field and at the laboratory of Peleforo GON COULIBALY University, Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire, over a period from December 2021 to September 2022.
Methodology: Onion bulbs of different varieties were cultivated on the experimental site. Thus, 10 kg of onion fresh bulbs per variety were collected in bags and stored in the store under ambient conditions, and then environmental (temperature and humidity) and physical (sprouting, rotting and loss rate, physiological weight loss and dry matter) parameters were determined at 30 days intervals stages for four months storage period. The statistical processing consisted of the comparison of means according to the ANOVA test, the study of correlation between parameters and the multivariate PCA analysis.
Results: The production yield varies between 17.16 and 23.69 t/Ha with the best production rates observed from Red Jewel and Red Star varieties. The average temperature was recorded between 26°C and 27.9°C while the average humidity increases from 77% (June) to 85% (September). Red Star and Red Jewel varieties assumed the highest bulbs loss rates with respective values of 81.58% and 90.38%, while Dayo and Safari varieties displayed losses of 19.88% and 14.29% over the four months storage. Sprouting represents the main causes of the losses of both red onion varieties. Furthermore, the weight loss and the dry matter vary according to the onion variety and the storage duration. After 4 months storage, the physiological weight loss of preserved onion bulbs remains minimal for Dayo and Safari varieties, while it’s more significant from red onions reaching 14.83% for Red Jewel. The dry matter content of the onion bulbs decreases with the storage during with Dayo and Safari provided higher values.
Conclusion: The red onion varieties Red Jewel and Red Star display more production potential for onion bulbs. But Dayo and Safari onion bulbs seem to have good preservation abilities compared to the red varieties under the storage conditions studied.
Assessment of Different Organic Manures on Yield of Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica Plenck.) cv. KTS-1 under Bundelkhand Climatic Condition
Authors: Dushyant  , Singh Harpal , Kumar Vinit , Abhishek  , Pateriya Aakash , Yadav Sanjeev , Karishma Km Ku
Published: November 2024

Aims: The organic content in manure helps soil retain moisture, increases gas exchange, and introduces beneficial bacteria, loosens clayey soil, promoting root growth. Soil with a higher organic content is more resistant to erosion and produces superior crops. Using organic manure decreases farming's environmental impact. Unlike synthetic fertilizers, it recycles waste materials, nourishes the soil, and nurtures crops.
Methods: This experiment was carried out during Rabi 2023-24 at the Organic Research farm Kargunwan ji, Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Bundelkhand University Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh). Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italicaPlenck.) cv. KTS-1  was sown under randomized block design (RBD) with 11 treatment viz., Control, Vermicompost 100%, Cow litter 100%, Pressmud 100%, Vermicompost 75%, Cow litter 75%, Pressmud 75%, Vermicompost 50%+Cow litter 50%, Cow litter 50%+Press mud 50%, Pressmud 50%+Vermi 50%, Pressmud 33%+Cow litter 33%+Vermi 33% with 3 replication accommodating spacing (60 × 45) cm2,plot size  (2.4 × 1.8) m = 4.32 m2 with total gross experimental area of (23.5 x 9.6) m = 225.06 m2.
Results: Results shows thatat harvest, treatment T10 took to the minimum curd initiation at 53.10 days, compared to the control plot at 68.07 days. Similarly, days to 50% curd initiation and maturity were also shorter in T10, at 67.03 days and 80.13 days, respectively, while the control plot took (78.03 and 96.13) days. Ttreatment T10 produced the largest curd diameter (14.78 cm) and weight (321.03 g), significantly surpassing the control plot (6.37) cm diameter and (138.43) g weight. Overall, T10 yielded (321.03) q/ha, markedly higher than the control plot (138.43) q/ha, demonstrating significant improvements in broccoli yield and quality.
Conclusion: The results clearly revealed that the application of organic treatments, particularly T10 (Pressmud 33% + Cow litter 3% + Vermi 33%), significantly enhanced the yield and quality of broccoli. This treatment resulted in faster curd initiation and maturity, larger curd diameter, and increased curd weight compared to the control plot. The findings indicate that the strategic use of organic manure can optimize broccoli production, suggesting a viable approach for improving crop outcomes in sustainable agriculture.
Effect of Different Levels of Nitrogen and Potassium on Yield and Quality of Potato
Authors: Kumar Sumant , Singh A. P. , Solankey S. S. , Das Shiv Nath , Kumar Satish , Choudhary Shiv Kumar , Sinha Anuradha , Ravi Abhishek Kumar , Tiwari Divya , Ojha M.D.
Published: November 2024

The research experiment was carried out at Nalanda College of Horticulture, Noorsarai during 2021-22 to find out the effect of different levels of nitrogen and potassium on the growth and yield of potatoes. Findings of research showed that among the individual nitrogen and potassium levels, N5 and K4 performed better in respect of, the number of tubers per plant (7.85 and 6.80), average tuber weight (62.28 g and 67.27 g), tuber weight per plant (656.71 g and 473.45 g), tuber yield (270.95 q/ha and 216.73 q/ha), the diameter of tuber (5.21 cm and 3.98 cm), vitamin C content in tuber (14.15 mg/100gm and 11.89 mg/100gm), fresh weight (63.68 and 109.79), dry weight (12.89 and 22.12), moisture content of fresh tuber (76.09 and 91.07). In the case of interaction effect of N×K, the treatment of N5×K4 pronounced significantly to the number of tubers per plant (11.44), single tuber weight (110.19 g), plant tuber weight (962.00 g), tuber yield (360 q/ha), diameter of tuber (8.10 cm), vitamin C content in tuber (18.50 mg/100 g), fresh weight (109.79 g), dry weight (22.12 g), moisture content of fresh tuber (91.07 g). Potato var. Kufri Lima yielded the maximum (360.76 q/ha) in the interaction of N5×K4 when applied with 160 kg/ha nitrogen and 120 kg/ha potassium.
Analysis of the Impact of Low Tunnel Technology on Farm Income of Bottle Gourd Growers in the Bikaner District of Rajasthan, India
Authors: Yadav Priyanka , Yogi Vikram , Kumar Vijender , Yadav Lal Chand , Yadav Narendra
Published: November 2024

A field survey was conducted on farmers of Bikaner district to analyze of impact of low tunnel technology on farm income of bottle gourd growers with low tunnel technology and open field in Bikaner district. A total of 60 farmers was selected randomly i.e. 30 farmers with low tunnel technology and 30 farmers without low tunnel technology. The primary data was collected from the selected cultivators using the personal interview method. A partial budgeting technique was used for the impact of low tunnel technology. Partial Budgeting was used to calculate the economic impact of a single technology adoption. The result showed that the total operational cost in low tunnel technology is ₹ 123783.23 per ha and in open field total operational cost is ₹ 80883.23 per ha. In low tunnel technology 27.66 percent cost incurred in human labour followed by seed cost with 10.94 percent, while in open field it was 25.56 percent and 13.85 percent respectively. The gross return in low tunnel technology was ₹ 350000.00 per ha, in the open field ₹ 160000.00 per ha, the net return in low tunnel technology was ₹ 226216.77 per ha and ₹ 79116.77 per ha in the open field. The benefit-cost ratio of low tunnel bottle gourd production was 2.82 and in the open field, it was 1.97. In low tunnel technology, the added cost is ₹ 26822.26 per ha and the added return is ₹ 190000.00 per ha. In low tunnel technology bottle gourd production average yield is 250 Qt per ha and in open field average yield is 200 Qt per ha.
Price Behavior Of Basic Necessities In The City Of Lubumbashi: Auto-Regressive Vector Modelling Of Purchasing Power
Authors: Mukubaganyi David
Published: November 2024

Cet article s’est proposé d’analyser l’impact de l’inflation sur les prix des produits de première nécessité. Partant d’un petit survol théorique sur l’inflation et quelques considérations empiriques, dans notre étude les données retenues ont étés tirées des différentes sources des données sur l’économie congolaise, entre autres : la division économique du Haut-Katanga pour les prix des divers produits retenus, d’une part et la Banque Centrale du Congo à travers le bulletin d’information statistique à ce qui concerne le taux de change indicatif, d’autre part. Après analyse des donnés il ressort que une hausse des prix des produits pétroliers qui sont souvent importés augmentés la demande de devise étrangère pour payer ces importations. Cela exerce une pression à la baisse de la valeur de la monnaie nationale et entraîne une dépréciation. En conséquence, le taux de change augmente, indiquant une dépréciation de la monnaie. Cette augmentation des prix des produits pétroliers se traduit également par une inflation importée, ce qui affaiblit la confiance dans la monnaie locale et exacerbe les pressions sur le taux de change. D’où le choc pétrolier se répercuter sur le prix des biens importés et sur la structure des prix des biens de première nécessité
Perception Of Parents Of Childrens With Autism Spectrum Disorder On Their Social Quality Of Life: A Case Of Langata Constituency, Nairobi- Kenya
Authors: Richard Oryema , Pinto Hubert , Kimuru Peter
Published: November 2024

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that presents individuals with difficulties in various domains, including social interaction, communication, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests (Maenner et al., 2023). This study focused on parents' perception of children with autism on their social QoL in Langata constituency, Nairobi. This study further addressed the following objectives: the perception of parents of children with autism on QoL, the influence education level and gender have on QoL of parents of children with autism. The study had a sample size of 100 participants. This study employed a descriptive survey research design. The theoretical framework used was an elaboration likelihood model. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 23 and the summary was presented in tables. Result indicated that 49. 4% (n = 48) of the participants were within low social QoL, 41.3% (n = 40) of the participants were in moderate social quality of life, while 9.3% (n = 9) of the participants were high in social quality of life. The study recommends support group, a reliable support system as well as advocacy and awareness made a collective responsibility in the communities to prevent all odds that parents of children with autism may face.
Orçamento Público E Agendas Transversais: Uma Revisão Integrativa Sobre Sustentabilidade, Interdependências Setoriais E Inclusão
Authors: Silva Ednaldo Ferreira E , Silva Alexandre Souza Da , Teixeira Aroldo Rabelo , Souza Shaianne Macedo Fontes Rosa De , Oliveira Tiago Luz
Published: November 2024

Background: A transparência no orçamento público tornou-se fundamental para responder a demandas cada vez mais complexas da sociedade, como sustentabilidade, inclusão social e equidade de gênero. Governos em diferentes esferas têm incorporado agendas transversais para integrar políticas setoriais e otimizar o uso de recursos públicos. Este estudo realiza uma revisão integrativa da literatura sobre a implementação de agendas transversais no orçamento público, com foco nas dimensões de sustentabilidade, interdependência setorial e inclusão. Materials and Methods: A pesquisa foi conduzida com base em uma revisão bibliográfica na base Web of Science, utilizando os termos "public budget" e "multi-sectoral policies", resultando em 15 artigos relevantes. Results: Os resultados indicam que, apesar dos avanços, a adoção de políticas intersetoriais enfrenta barreiras significativas, como a necessidade de uma governança adaptativa e a flexibilidade orçamentária para responder a crises. A integração de áreas como saúde, educação e meio ambiente tem se mostrado eficaz em promover o desenvolvimento sustentável, embora desafios de alinhamento entre objetivos fiscais e sociais ainda existam. Conclusion: Conclui-se que a adoção de agendas transversais no orçamento público demanda um esforço contínuo em direção a estruturas de governança robustas e processos orçamentários flexíveis. A coordenação intersetorial, aliada à inovação em políticas públicas, pode transformar o orçamento em um agente de mudança social, promovendo maior confiança nas instituições e assegurando o uso responsável dos recursos para o desenvolvimento sustentável
Characteristics Of Minh Huong People Living In Vietnam There Are Chinese People In Southeast Asia Countries
Authors: Hau Le Van
Published: November 2024

Minh Huong is the name of a part of the Chinese ethnic group in the Southern region - Vietnam. The Ming Huong people originated from the Ming Dynasty - China. When the Qing Dynasty replaced the Ming Dynasty, the political system was disrupted, forcing them to go into exile to live in Vietnam. The Southern region - Vietnam at that time, since the Vietnamese King Nguyen allowed people to explore around 1690, including the Minh Huong people. Through the process of living, between the Chinese Minh Huong people and the Vietnamese people, there has been a hybridization of marriage and family customs that has been maintained until today. In this article, the researcher wants to clarify the characteristics of the Minh Huong ethnic group in terms of economics, social culture, politics and some Minh Huong people, also known as Chinese people in Vietnam and some countries in Southeast Asia From there, we can see that they work together to improve a new land in Vietnam to become more prosperous, creating a multi-ethnic cultural community. They live in harmony with each other, with their characteristics being always liberal, hospitable and peace-loving
Design, Fabrication and Performance Analysis of a Mixed Mode Solar Dryer for Black Soldier Fly Larvae
Authors: Moywaywa Ben Asiago , Njeru George Njagi , Kerosi Job Mochengo
Published: November 2024

The use of black soldier fly (BSF) for organic waste conversion and as an alternative source of animal feeds is sustainable and gaining momentum. The flies are easy to rear and the larvae is a rich source of crude protein, fatty acids, amino acids and vitamins that are important components in poultry, pig and fish feed. Prior to processing, the larvae must be dried up. This research is focused on the design, fabrication and performance analysis of a mixed mode solar dryer for black soldier fly (BSF) larvae. The mixed mode solar dyer constitutes two main parts: solar collector, and drying chamber with three trays was fabricate for the purpose and used. A sample containing 750g of BSF larvae were immobilized and dried to a constant mass of 302 g on the dryer. The maximum drying temperature attained during the drying process was 61oC, which corresponds to the highest intensity of solar radiation (833W/𝑚ଶ ) recorded at the experiment site 12.00 noon. The highest efficiency of the solar collector was 57.58% at 12.00 pm while the lowest collector efficiency was 33.9 % at 9:00 am
Study Of Optimum Parameters In Enhancing The Performance Of VCR Engine Using Taguchi Method
Authors: Naik B. Sunderlal , Mehdi Dr. S. Nawazish , Reddy Dr. M. Chandra Sekhar
Published: November 2024

Biofuels are in present days are known commonly to the peoples which is considered to be as alternative fuel to the various types of engines in automobile sectors. The commonly used engine is variable compression ratio engine which is available in market. The fuel type is diesel. Moreover, to run the engine using alternative fuel has made challenging to researcher in present scenario, due to depletion of traditional fuel i.e. fossil fuel. In the present work biofuel namely turmeric leaf oil (TLO) with various percentages of blends is used in VCR engine along with traditional fuel to evaluate the performance based on their output parameters like brake thermal efficiency and volumetric efficiency and their emissions from the exhaust. The blend with various percentages like B70 (i.e. 70% diesel and 30% turmeric leaf oil), B60 (i.e. 60% diesel and 40% TLO) and B50 (i.e. 50% diesel and 50% of TLO) were considered in the present work. As the type of engine is variable compression ratio, therefore three compression ratios are considering i.e. 17.5:1, 18.5:1 and 19.5:1, by maintain constant speed rate of 1500rpm in the current work. The finding reveals that 19.5:1 compression and B70 has performed better when compared with other ratios and blends. The performance is determined based on the load applied on the VCR engine
Smart Materials And Their Applications In Aerospace Engineering
Authors: Mehra Mehaan
Published: November 2024

The dual imperatives of improving performance and guaranteeing safety while maximizing efficiency are driving the aerospace industry's continuous innovation. Smart materials have become a ground-breaking option as the need for cutting-edge technology grows. Real-time adaptability to changing operating circumstances is made possible by these materials' exceptional capacity to react dynamically to external stimuli including temperature, stress, electric forces, and magnetic fields. This study explores the many kinds of smart materials and looks at how they work, including magnetorheological fluids, electrostrictive polymers, shape memory alloys (SMAs), and piezoelectric materials. The conversation also covers the wide range of uses for these materials in aerospace engineering, from vibration control and thermal management to adaptable structures and structural health monitoring. The aircraft industry can significantly increase performance, reduce weight, and improve safety by utilizing the multipurpose qualities of smart materials. This study also discusses the difficulties in incorporating smart materials into current systems, highlighting the necessity of continued research and development to realize their full potential. The study concludes that smart materials, which have the potential to completely transform aircraft design and operation, are not only a fad but rather an essential part of the aerospace engineering landscape of the future
Adult ADHD with SUD: Red flags for abused stimulants, PTSD
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: October 2018

Stimulant medications are often the basis of the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, but when adults who have substance use disorders (SUDs) present with this disorder and ask for stimulants, there can be many questions about the proper treatment. James Berry, M.D., presenting at the Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders in September, believes that ADHD in adults who also misuse substances is characterized by attachment disorder. Berry, whose presentation was supported by the New England chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, explained that in early childhood, a bond forms with parent figures, which is the basis for both future connections with others and for a healthy internal state, he said. “Failure to achieve this can lead to issues of trust, inability to self‐soothe, chronic anxiety and stress,” he said.
Combination of Electrochemical Noise and Acoustic Emission for Analysis of the Pitting Corrosion Behavior of an Austenitic Stainless Cast Steel
Authors: Kietov Volodymyr , Mandel Marcel , Krüger Lutz
Published: October 2018

The pitting corrosion behavior of a high alloy cast steel is analyzed in a sodium chloride solution by combination of the electrochemical noise technique and the acoustic emission (AE) method. Four corrosion states are identified on the steel surface after the 70 h noise measurement test. The simultaneously monitored AE exhibits two types of acoustic signals. The first type of AE events is attributed to the local passive oxide breakdown and the pit initiation process and the second type of AE events is related to the subsequent associated hydrogen gas bubble evolution.
Independent of EPR Effect: A Smart Delivery Nanosystem for Tracking and Treatment of Nonvascularized Intra‐Abdominal Metastases
Authors: Zhao Lingzhi , Yuan Wei , Li Junyao , Yang Liqiang , Su Yaoquan , Peng Juanjuan , Chen Rui , Tham Huijun Phoebe , Chen Hongzhong , Lim Wei Qi , Xiang Huijing , Xing Pengyao , Li Fuyou , Zhao Yanli
Published: October 2018

Nanoparticle‐based delivery systems (NDS) have impacted the field of cancer therapy on account of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect that promotes passive accumulation in tumors through the tumor vasculature after intravenous (IV) administration. However, transplanted tumor xenografts on animal models used to justify the feasibility of EPR effect are quite different from clinical tumors in many aspects, a fact that becomes an impediment for NDS to succeed clinical trials. Particularly, early‐stage tumor metastases are usually nonvascularized and incapable of conforming the EPR effect after IV injection. Therefore, it is necessary to develop smart NDS to deliver drugs in an EPR‐independent route. Herein, an NDS‐based treatment approach for intra‐abdominal metastases from ovarian carcinoma is reported. Instead of IV injection, intraperitoneal (IP) injection was employed to directly apply the NDS to the metastatic lesions. The NDS was tailor‐made with targeting groups to actively target the tumor nidus and redox‐responsive drug release to reduce systematic toxicity. Comparing with IV administration, the IP injected NDS could be enriched in metastatic tumor more efficiently, leading to superior therapeutic outcome in vivo. This study provides a successful protocol of EPR‐independent NDS‐based cancer treatment, which may facilitate the clinical translation of nanoparticle‐based cancer therapeutics.
A Self‐Sacrificing Dual‐Template Strategy to Heteroatom‐Enriched Porous Carbon Nanosheets with High Pyridinic‐N and Pyrrolic‐N Content for Oxygen Reduction Reaction and Sodium Storage
Authors: Wang Shuguang , Qin Jinwen , Zheng Lirong , Guo Donglei , Cao Minhua
Published: October 2018

Controllable synthesis of 2D carbon nanosheets with high heteroatom‐doping level, large specific surface area, and hierarchically pore structure is difficult and desired. In this work, a novel and simple self‐sacrificing in situ formed dual‐template strategy is first developed to synthesize N/S codoped hierarchically porous carbon nanosheets. The in‐situ formed g‐C3N4 and amorphous ZnO act as self‐sacrificing templates on account of their thermal decomposition and evaporation at higher temperature. The N/S codoped hierarchically porous carbon nanosheets simultaneously possess high heteroatom‐doping level (N: 10.51 wt%; S: 1.71 wt%), large specific surface area (904.63 m2 g−1), and abundant hierarchically porous structure. Particularly, this material possesses a high content of pyridinic‐N and pyrrolic‐N configuration (65.66%). These unique structure advantages of N/S codoped hierarchically porous carbon nanosheets contribute to high oxygen reduction electrocatalytic activity in both basic and acidic environments. Additionally, as the anode material for sodium‐ion batteries, the material also displays a high reversible capacity of 270.1 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 and high stability (160.1 mAh g−1 after 2000 cycles at 1000 mA g−1 with a capacity retention of 82.3%). These results indicate a great potential of the material in energy conversion and storage applications.
Design of Paired Pouch Motors for Robotic Applications
Authors: Oh Namsoo , Park Yeong Jae , Lee Seongbok , Lee Haneol , Rodrigue Hugo
Published: October 2018

The performance of soft linear actuators will determine the capabilities of future soft robots, and any actuator that can produce larger deformations and forces with a low weight and using lower pressures could potentially become ubiquitous in the field. In this work, the design of paired pouch motors that can produce a maximum contraction ratio of 41.9% and of 31% with a 10 kg payload is presented. The design of higher‐order pairings of pouch motors is demonstrated to produce even larger deformations, and this basic concept is also applied to serial pneumatic artificial muscles to produce a contraction ratio as high as 51.78%. This concept can be applied to other soft actuators that produce a lateral expansion to produce a longitudinal contraction. Paired pouch motors are also applied to a jointed soft robotic arm where a single pouch motor is sufficient to produce a joint deformation of 120° at a pressure of 100 kPa with a tip payload of 300 g. Paired pouch motors have a combination of characteristics including ease of manufacturing, low weight, and low cost paired with good actuation performance that could make it one of the leading actuator design in the field of soft robotics.
In Situ Activating Strategy to Significantly Boost Oxygen Electrocatalysis of Commercial Carbon Cloth for Flexible and Rechargeable Zn‐Air Batteries
Authors: Zhao Zhe , Yuan Zhongke , Fang Zhengsong , Jian Junhua , Li Jing , Yang Meijia , Mo Chunshao , Zhang You , Hu Xuanhe , Li Ping , Wang Shuangyin , Hong Wei , Zheng Zhikun , Ouyang Gangfeng , Chen Xudong , Yu Dingshan
Published: October 2018

An in situ strategy to simultaneously boost oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution (ORR/OER) activities of commercial carbon textiles is reported and the direct use of such ubiquitous raw material as low‐cost, efficient, robust, self‐supporting, and bifunctional air electrodes in rechargeable Zn‐air batteries is demonstrated. This strategy not only furnishes carbon textiles with a large surface area and hierarchical meso‐microporosity, but also enables efficient dual‐doping of N and S into carbon skeletons while retaining high conductivity and stable monolithic structures. Thus, although original carbon textile has rather poor catalytic activity, the activated textiles without loading other active materials yield effective ORR/OER bifunctionality and stability with a much lower reversible overpotential (0.87 V) than those of Pt/C (1.10 V) and RuO2 (1.02 V) and many reported metal‐free bifunctional catalysts. Importantly, they can concurrently function as current collectors and as ORR/OER catalysts for rechargeable aqueous and flexible solid‐state Zn‐air batteries, showing excellent cell performance, long lifetime, and high flexibility.
From a Natural Polymer to Relevant NAG‐NAM Precursors
Authors: Carvalho Luísa C. R. , Queda Fausto , Almeida Cátia V. , Filipe Sérgio R. , Marques M. Manuel B.
Published: October 2018

Herein we report a novel and atom‐economical route towards an advanced intermediate of a synthetically challenging disaccharide of N‐acetylglucosamine (NAG)‐N‐acetylmuramic (NAM) disaccharide units, linked via [NAG‐(β‐1,4)‐NAM] linkage, the basic carbohydrate skeleton of the bacterial peptidoglycan. A simple synthetic scheme was developed in which a fully protected chitobiose, obtained on a gram scale from chitin, was converted into an advanced precursor of NAG‐NAM in 5 steps. The intermediate prepared was obtained from Chitin, a naturally abundant polymer, taking advantage of the chitobiose β‐1,4 glycosidic bond, which avoids a difficult step for the disaccharide assembly. This intermediate constitutes of a versatile scaffold that allows further derivatization, with impact in the glycobiology field.
Intramolecular Charge Transfer Controls Switching Between Room Temperature Phosphorescence and Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence
Authors: Chen Chengjian , Huang Rongjuan , Batsanov Andrei S. , Pander Piotr , Hsu Yu‐Ting , Chi Zhenguo , Dias Fernando B. , Bryce Martin R.
Published: October 2018

Chemical modification of phenothiazine‐benzophenone derivatives tunes the emission behavior from triplet states by selecting the geometry of the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state. A fundamental principle of planar ICT (PICT) and twisted ICT (TICT) is demonstrated to obtain selectively either room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) or thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), respectively. Time‐resolved spectroscopy and time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) investigations on polymorphic single crystals demonstrate the roles of PICT and TICT states in the underlying photophysics. This has resulted in a RTP molecule OPM, where the triplet states contribute with 89 % of the luminescence, and an isomeric TADF molecule OMP, where the triplet states contribute with 95 % of the luminescence.
A Solid‐Phase Approach to Accessing Bisthioether‐Stapled Peptides Resulting in a Potent Inhibitor of PRC2 Catalytic Activity
Authors: Zhang Gan , Barragan Flavia , Wilson Khadija , Levy Nissim , Herskovits Adam , Sapozhnikov Milana , Rodríguez Yoel , Kelmendi Leutrim , Alkasimi Haleem , Korsmo Hunter , Chowdhury Maisha , Gerona‐Navarro Guillermo
Published: October 2018

Stapled peptides have emerged as a new class of therapeutics to effectively target intractable protein–protein interactions. Thus, efficient and versatile methods granting easy access to this class of compounds and expanding the scope(s) of the currently available ones are of great interest. Now, a solid phase approach is described for the synthesis of bisthioether stapled peptides with multiple architectures, including single‐turn, double‐turn, and double‐stapled macrocycles. This method allows for ligation with all‐hydrocarbon linkers of various lengths, avoiding the use of unnatural amino acids and expensive catalysts, and affords cyclopeptides with remarkable resistance to proteolytic degradation. The potential of this procedure is demonstrated by applying it to generate a stapled peptide that shows potent in vitro inhibition of methyltransferase activity of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) of proteins.
Transition‐Metal‐Free [4+3]‐Cycloaddition of ortho‐Quinone Methides and Isomünchnones: Catalytic and Diastereoselective Assembly of Oxa‐bridged Oxazocine Scaffolds
Authors: Lam Heather , Qureshi Zafar , Wegmann Marcus , Lautens Mark
Published: October 2018

Cycloadditions are powerful processes to synthesize complex polycyclic scaffolds. Herein, we disclose a [4+3]‐cycloaddition between an in situ generated ortho‐quinone methide and an isomünchnone to yield oxa‐bridged oxazocine cores, generating N2 and H2O as the sole by‐products. Using only catalytic amounts of camphorsulfonic acid, it is possible to generate both reactive intermediates in one step, eliminating the need for rhodium catalysts generally employed for isomünchnone formation. Spectroscopic data and X‐ray crystallography indicate the formation of the syn diastereomer, with the main side‐product arising from a hydrate participating in a competing [4+2]‐cycloaddition pathway.
Predicting Monomers for Use in Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly
Authors: Foster Jeffrey C. , Varlas Spyridon , Couturaud Benoit , Jones Joseph R. , Keogh Robert , Mathers Robert T. , O'Reilly Rachel K.
Published: October 2018

We report an in silico method to predict monomers suitable for use in polymerization‐induced self‐assembly (PISA). By calculating the dependence of LogPoct /surface area (SA) on the length of the growing polymer chain, the change in hydrophobicity during polymerization was determined. This allowed for evaluation of the capability of a monomer to polymerize to form self‐assembled structures during chain extension. Using this method, we identified five new monomers for use in aqueous PISA via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and confirmed that these all successfully underwent PISA to produce nanostructures of various morphologies. The results obtained using this method correlated well with and predicted the differences in morphology obtained from the PISA of block copolymers of similar molecular weight but different chemical structures. Thus, we propose this method can be utilized for the discovery of new monomers for PISA and also the prediction of their self‐assembly behavior.
Graphene Oxide: Carbocatalyst or Reagent?
Authors: Presolski Stanislav , Pumera Martin
Published: October 2018

Metal‐free heterogeneous carbon‐based materials have the potential to facilitate a wide range of organic transformations in an economical and environmentally‐friendly manner. However, the mechanism of their action is often obfuscated by their ill‐defined nature, so careful analysis of the reaction products is essential before they can be labelled “catalysts” in accordance with the IUPAC definition. We present here our findings on the archetypal “carbocatalytic” conversion of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde, in which graphene oxide is reduced and a major side product, dibenzyl ether, is also formed. Thus, our work reclassifies graphene oxide as a reagent and presents an important step in the proper evaluation of reactions in the nascent field of carbocatalysis.
Field data and worldwide literature review reveal that alien crayfish mitigate the predation impact of the American bullfrog on native amphibians
Authors: Bissattini Alessandra Maria , Buono Vincenzo , Vignoli Leonardo
Published: October 2018

Biological invasion studies have focused mostly on the competition and predation impact of invaders on native species; however, introduced species frequently interact with each other and, contrary to the ‘invasional meltdown theory’, such interactions may have non‐interactive effects on native fauna.

Here, the effects of the interaction between American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) and decapod crayfish on native amphibians have been investigated. Introduced American bullfrog populations were studied at two sites in central Italy (Rome, Latium), with their selection based on the presence or absence of the alienProcambarus clarkii. The pattern emerging from the fieldwork was then verified by a worldwide literature review on the trophic niche of the American bullfrog.

Both field surveys and global diet analysis showed that the abundance of native amphibians in the American bullfrog diet was reduced when introduced crayfish occurred in both native and non‐native ranges. Thus, an alternative invasion model can be proposed in which the occurrence of one invader (P. clarkii) may reduce the negative effect of an alien predator (L. catesbeianus) on native species.

The present findings suggest that the removal of invaders may not always be the best solution for protecting native prey, especially when alien species are interspersed with other introduced species. In such cases, multispecies operations, sequenced appropriately or undertaken simultaneously, would be preferable. Moreover, the identification of mechanisms facilitating the coexistence of native species with invaders can offer important management options.
Discovery of buried historical structures in the Kaveri–Kollidam interfluve, southern India
Authors: Ramkumar Mu. , Kumaraswamy K. , Balasubramani K. , Abdul Rahaman S. , Jegankumar R. , Kumara Ganesh U. , Manikandan E. , Balasundareshwaran A. , Prithiviraj G. , Ayyanthurai R. , Santosh M. , Nagarajan R. , Siddiqui N.A. , Mathew M.J. , Menier D. , Ramachandran C. , Sathyaseelan M. , Sivakumar P.
Published: October 2018

The Srirangam interfluve, formed between the Kaveri and Kollidam Rivers in southern India, has been a religious and cultural human settlement for over 2000 years of recorded history. It contains thousands of ancient, yet in use, man‐made structures. Owing to its geographic location, and episodic catastrophic floods from the Kaveri and Kollidam Rivers, the region has been inundated frequently leading to the burial of many smaller structures. Thematic maps of geomorphology, vegetation index, land use, digital elevation model, slope, etc., have been generated through multi‐temporal remote sensing satellite images. A compilation of historic (stone inscriptions, temple documents) and literature data followed by detailed survey of the region using vertical electrical sounding (VES) and ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) through 200 and 400 MHz shielded antennas has led to the discovery of several buried manmade structures at various depths ranging from 0.54 to 3.55 m below ground level (b.g.l.) that were known only in the literature, hearsay and folklore. The VES, GPR and field surveys delineated four major soil/sediment horizons below the ground surface. Sedimentological characteristics of a massive river sand bed found overlying a weathered zone suggest deposition during a major catastrophic flood. The occurrence of flood deposits burying historic structures especially adjoining the regional tectonic structure indicate episodically active climatic and tectonic processes that played a significant role in the burial of ancient‐historic land surface and manmade structures that were under desolation after invasion and desecration by war‐lords of yore. This study demonstrates the potential of combining traditional knowledge and modern technologies to gain insights to locate historic/archaeological sites and discover buried structures.
IrO2 and Pt Doped Mesoporous SnO2 Nanospheres as Efficient Electrocatalysts for the Facile OER and HER
Authors: Bhanja Piyali , Mohanty Bishnupad , Patra Astam K. , Ghosh Soumen , Jena Bikash Kumar , Bhaumik Asim
Published: October 2018

Electrocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen evolutions via water splitting are very demanding in the context of renewable energy and sustainable environment. We first report the synthesis of wormhole‐like mesoporous tin oxide (MTO‐S) by using sodium lauroyl sarcosinate as structure directing agent under hydrothermal reaction conditions followed by calcination and loading with IrO2 or Pt nanoparticles at its surface by simple wet‐chemical methods. These IrO2 and Pt‐loaded SnO2 nanomaterials are thoroughly characterized by small and wide‐angle powder XRD, nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis, FTIR, XPS spectroscopy, UHR‐TEM, FE‐SEM, TG/DTA and NH3‐TPD analysis. The electrochemical water splitting measurements of the IrO2 and Pt doped mesoporous SnO2 nanostructured materials suggested fine dispersion of these metal/metal oxide nanoparticles at the mesopore surface and facile electron hopping could enhance the rate of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity of IrO2@MTO‐S and Pt@MTO‐S nanocomposites, respectively. As a result, the IrO2@MTO‐S modified electrode exhibits unprecedented OER activity with a very low overpotential of 240 mV at 10 mA cm−2, which is lower than the state‐of‐the‐art catalyst IrO2/C (360 mV) and other reported catalysis. Pt@MTO‐S also exhibit excellent HER activity with an ultralow overpotential of 73 mV at 10 mA cm−2. These findings may uncover new opportunities for IrO2@MTO‐S and Pt@MTO‐S as OER and HER electrocatalysts for future water electrolysis.
Localized NiS2 Quantum Dots on g‐C3N4 Nanosheets for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production from Water
Authors: Xue Fei , Liu Maochang , Cheng Cheng , Deng Junkai , Shi Jinwen
Published: October 2018

Developing high‐efficiency yet low‐cost photocatalyst for solar hydrogen production by avoiding the use of noble metals has received adequate interest but remains a great challenge to date. This work reports a seed‐mediated hydrothermal approach for the synthesis of NiS2 quantum dots (QDs) anchored two‐dimensional graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) nanosheets. This hybrid shows superior performance toward photocatalytic H2 evolution from water. The highest H2 evolution rate reaches 4.841 μmol h−1, with an apparent quantum efficiency of 2 % at 425 nm, which is even much higher than that of Pt‐modified g‐C3N4 photocatalyst (2.865 μmol h−1). Moreover, the composite presents good stability without notable activity decay after several cycled tests. It is found that NiS2 QDs are essential for this improvement. These small nanoclusters not only benefit rapid and vectorial diffusion of photogenerated electrons from g‐C3N4 to NiS2, but also promote H2 evolution by decreasing the thermodynamic overpotential for proton reduction. This work thus marks an important step toward designing good‐performance and low‐cost photocatalytic materials for solar H2 conversion.
P,Se‐Codoped MoS2 Nanosheets as Accelerated Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Zhu Ting , Ding Jiabao , Shao Qi , Qian Yong , Huang Xiaoqing
Published: October 2018

As the half reaction of water splitting, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a prospective way to generate clean fuel of hydrogen. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), as a member of the transition‐metal dichalcogenides, has attracted much research attention since its potential HER activity is predicted to be even comparable to Pt. However, the HER activity of MoS2 is still far from desirable, owing to the high resistance and limited intrinsic active sites. Herein, we have successfully engineered MoS2 by doping P and Se to regulate the electron density. The optimized P,Se‐MoS2/CNTs exhibit a low overpotential of 110 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 49 mV dec−1, much better than P‐MoS2/CNTs, Se‐MoS2/CNTs, MoS2/CNTs, and closing to commercial Pt/C. The P,Se‐MoS2/CNTs also display excellent electrochemical stability over 15 days. Raman, XPS and surface valence band spectra confirm that P and Se codoping modulate the electron densities of the catalytic sites, which can largely improve the HER activity.
Probing the origin of dihydrofolate reductase inhibition via proteochemometric modeling
Authors: Hariri Safoura , Ghasemi Jahan B. , Shirini Farhad , Rasti Behnam
Published: October 2018

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an essential enzyme in the folate metabolism pathway and an important target of antineoplastic, antimicrobial, antiprotozoal, and antiinflammatory drugs. Despite the clinical effectiveness of current antifolate treatments, new drugs are needed to be designed due to developing resistance of this enzyme through multiple‐site mutagenesis. Understanding the factors affecting the ligand binding selectivity profiles among DHFR families is critical for the design of novel potent and selective inhibitors, with the least side effects, against DHFR of pathogens. Hybrid scaffolds containing pyrimidine ring are effective in DHFR inhibition. In this study, using proteochemometric (PCM) modeling, we designed and evaluated new potent pyrimidine scaffold‐based inhibitors via 3‐dimensional alignment‐free GRid‐INdependent Descriptors (GRIND), VolSurf molecular, and sequence‐based (z‐scale) descriptors to provide ligand and receptor descriptors, respectively. Validation and robustness of the model were confirmed by venetian blinds cross‐validation and Y‐scrambling approaches, respectively. Applicability domain (AD) analysis was performed to estimate the likelihood of reliable prediction for compounds. To show the applicability of the PCM model, new ligands were designed using structural data retrieved from this model. Inhibitory activities of the designs were then predicted, and selectivity ratio profiles were investigated. Finally, potent and highly selective inhibitors were identified regarding the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, followed by evaluating the ADMET parameters of the ligands.
Hierarchical MFI Zeolites with a Single‐Crystalline Sponge‐Like Mesostructure
Authors: Zhang Yunjuan , Luo Peng , Xu Hao , Han Lu , Wu Peng , Sun Huai , Che Shunai
Published: October 2018

Single‐crystalline sponge‐like MFI mesoporous zeolites (SSMZs) have been synthesized by using bolaform surfactants with an axial chiral binaphthyl core in the hydrophobic tail and triquaternary ammonium head groups, as bifunctional organic structure‐directing agents (OSDAs). By changing the length of alkyl chain between a triquaternary ammonium head group and a binaphthyl group from 4 to 10 carbons, SSMZs with high specific surface area (382–434 m2 g−1), abundant micropore‐mesopore connectivity, and uniform mesopore diameter (4–10 nm) were obtained. OSDAs with an alkyl chain length of 11 and 12 carbons led to the formation of nanorod‐constructed mesoporous MFI zeolites. A geometrical matching between the cylindrical arrangement of the binaphthyl groups and the zeolitic framework is speculated to be the key factor for the formation of mesoporous zeolites. The SSMZ zeolites, with abundant mesopores beneficial for the diffusion of reactants, exhibited significantly higher catalytic efficiencies than those of the conventional ZSM‐5 with a microcrystal morphology (≈1.5 μm).
Luminescent Ultralong Microfibers Prepared through Supramolecular Self‐Assembly of Lanthanide Ions and Thymidine in Water
Authors: Ma Qianmin , Li Feng , Tang Jianpu , Meng Ke , Xu Xihan , Yang Dayong
Published: October 2018

Luminescent materials are of great interest in many fields, such as fluorescent sensing and medical imaging. Here, the construction of lanthanide‐based luminescent ultralong microfibers through supramolecular self‐assembly (SSA) is reported. Nucleosides (thymidine in particular), the building blocks of nucleic acids, were used as new ligands to mediate the formation of luminescent microfibers in water. The length of microfibers from thymidine–lanthanide ion (Eu and Tb) SSA was on the centimeter scale. Notably, the microfibers exhibited strong luminescence because the lanthanide ions had been chelated, sensitized and effectively protected by thymidine molecules in water. Only when the stoichiometric ratio of lanthanide ion to thymidine was 1:3 and the pH of the solution was 7, are luminescent microfibers formed. Other nucleosides, such as adenosine, cytidine, and guanosine, could not form microfibers with the lanthanide ions. This work opens a new avenue for constructing nucleoside–lanthanide SSA architectures, which hold great potential in biological and optical related applications.
Influence of inter‐particle collisions and agglomeration on cyclone performance and collection efficiency
Authors: Sgrott Oscar Lino , Sommerfeld Martin
Published: October 2018

For further improving the understanding of particle separation in gas cyclones including the effect of agglomeration, numerical calculations based on the coupled Euler/Lagrange approach were conducted using an open source CFD code. The gas phase was simulated by LES (large eddy simulations) combined with a dynamic Smagorinsky sub‐grid‐scale (SGS) model for resolving the highly anisotropic turbulence structure. Two‐way coupling (i.e., the influence of the particles on the fluid flow field) was accounted for in the momentum equations as well as in the SGS turbulence. Solid particle agglomeration was modelled on the basis of the stochastic inter‐particle collision model.1 In that respect, it is also important to consider the effect of particle dispersion by SGS turbulence and wall roughness in particle‐wall collisions,2 which eventually will also modify inter‐particle collisions and agglomeration. For describing the agglomeration phenomenon, two different approaches were tested. The first one, the so‐called sphere model, considers that the agglomerate diameter is calculated from the sum of the volume of the involved primary particles (volume equivalent diameter). In the second approach, the agglomeration history model3 allows the calculation of the agglomerate porosity, which is used to calculate a more suitable hydrodynamic diameter and, therefore, allows a better prediction of the motion of newly formed agglomerates. The effect of inter‐particle collision and agglomeration on the performance of a cyclone was analyzed in a hypothetical study considering a high efficiency Stairmand cyclone.