bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of CEO Turnover and Board Composition Reform on Improvements in the Internal Control Quality
Authors: Uemura Hiroshi
Published: June 2018

Several serious accounting scandals have occurred in Japan in recent years (e.g., Olympus); however, the government, regulators, and auditing standard setters have struggled to identify new directions for corporate governance in listed companies, such as standard setting to address risks of fraud in an audit or the adoption of new corporate governance codes. The validity and effectiveness of monitoring by outside directors have received criticism within such a context. Nevertheless, in 2015, accounting fraud at Toshiba was discovered, which surprisingly involved upper management; the outside directors had failed to detect and prevent this fraud. Again, the monitoring function of the Japanese board of directors and outside directors was viewed with suspicion. Thus, this study examines Japanese corporations that disclose significant deficiencies (SDs) in internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) and determines whether replacing the chief executive officer (CEO) and enhancing board members’ independence and financial expertise are followed by SD remediation. The results indicate that Japanese companies that disclose SDs in ICFR are more likely to replace their CEOs and enhance board independence. In addition, this study finds that although these actions do not affect SD remediation, upgrading the board’s accounting expertise does correlate positively with SD remediation. Moreover, if a company remediates a SD by increasing the number of accounting experts on the board, an increase in audit fees during the following term can be mitigated. These findings should be of interest to Japan’s regulators, auditing standard setters, and financial statement users when considering improvements in the quality of internal controls. In particular, these individuals must realize that the control environment is not improved in Japanese firms merely by replacing the CEO and increasing board independence, particularly because new CEOs encounter difficulties in changing the environment established by their predecessors.
Fiscal Marksmanship Ex-ante to Fiscal Rules in India: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Chakraborty Lekha S , Sinha Darshy
Published: June 2018

We analyse the fiscal marksmanship of the macro-fiscal variables, ex-ante to the formulation of fiscal rules in India. The fiscal marksmanship is the accuracy of budgetary forecasting. The fiscal rules have been legally mandated in India in the form of fiscal responsibility and budget management Act (FRBM Act) in 2003, with a criteria of fiscal-deficit threshold ratio of 3 per cent of GDP and also phasing out of revenue deficit. Using Theil’s inequality coefficient (U) based on the mean square prediction error, the paper estimates the magnitude of errors in the budgetary forecasts in India during the period ex-ante to fiscal rules, and also decomposed the errors into biasedness, unequal variation and random components to analyze the source of error. The proportion of error due to random variation has been significantly higher (which is beyond the control of the forecaster), while the errors due to bias has been negligible in the period prior to fiscal rules in India. The analysis related to efficiency of forecasts also showed that no significant improvement in forecasts over time prior to fiscal responsibility and budget management (FRBM) Act.
The Deleterious Effects of NCAA Division I Programs: A Comparison of the Current Activities of Student-Athletes of Two Different Division Schools Through the Prism of the Wellness Paradigm
Authors: Stamatis Andreas , Papadakis Zacharias
Published: June 2018

The majority of American student-athletes participate in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) programs. Those programs are categorized into three different Divisions, which demonstrate differences in athletic scholarship support, level of competition, and philosophy. Among them, Division III (DIII) institutions account for the highest percentage of schools who play collegiate sports, followed by Division I (DI). Recent events and evidence on depression and suicide, anxiety, disordered eating and eating disorders, and substance use and abuse have raised awareness on mental health difficulties in this specific population of young adults. The purpose of this study is to add to the current state of knowledge by investigating whether there are differences in the promotion of a wellness lifestyle between a DI and a DIII university. Using an online interview created by Côté, Ericcson, and Law (2005) all student athletes from both Rice University (DI) and State University of New York (SUNY) at Plattsburgh (DIII) were recruited via email. Sixty-three participated from Rice and 90 from SUNY Plattsburgh. The response rate was 17% and 29%, respectively. Descriptive statistics and parametric tests were used in data analysis. By comparing these two case studies, differences with statistical significance were found in the current activities of sleeping, socializing, school/career, and studying. These differences infer that a DIII school may be promoting a wellness lifestyle more than a DI school. Possible limitations are the use of unequal samples and self-reported data. Future research on comparing more cases of different Division schools is recommended.
Relaciones entre el conocimiento de la enseñanza y el conocimiento de las características del aprendizaje de las matemáticas: caso de una profesora de secundaria
Authors: Zakaryan Diana , Estrella Soledad , Espinoza-Vásquez Gonzalo , Morales Sergio , Olfos Raimundo , Flores-Medrano Eric , Carrillo José
Published: June 2018

El conocimiento del profesor es reconocido como un factor relevante de su desempeño profesional y para promover el aprendizaje de la matemática de sus alumnos. Este artículo profundiza en el conocimiento del profesor y estudia las relaciones entre subdominios del conocimiento didáctico del contenido del modelo Mathematics Teachers’ Specialized Knowledge. Se buscan relaciones entre el conocimiento de la enseñanza de las matemáticas y el conocimiento de las características del aprendizaje de las matemáticas de una profesora de secundaria en el contenido de semejanza de triángulos, a través de observaciones de aula y entrevista. Los resultados del estudio permiten vincular la investigación y la práctica del profesor, en tanto dan cuenta de las relaciones específicas entre subdominios y sus categorías, y cómo estas propician decisiones en el aula.
¿Qué investigación didáctica en el aula de física se publica en España? Una revisión crítica de la última década para el caso de educación secundaria
Authors: Manchón-Gordón Alejandro F. , García-Carmona Antonio
Published: June 2018

Se presenta un estudio exploratorio y descriptivo sobre la investigación didáctica publicada en España durante la última década relativa a la enseñanza de la física en educación secundaria. Al centrar la atención en aquellos estudios que analizan algún aspecto del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje en el aula, se obtiene que estos constituyen una minoría en el conjunto de la bibliografía consultada. Se encuentra también que la autoría de profesorado de secundaria en los estudios sobre didáctica de la física consultados es relativamente baja. Asimismo, en los estudios predomina un enfoque de la enseñanza de la física orientado por contenidos disciplinares que no sintonizan con los planteamientos basados en el desarrollo de competencias. Todo ello revela cierta distancia entre investigación y práctica en la enseñanza de la física.
Concepciones de alumnado de secundaria sobre energía. Una experiencia de Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos con globos aerostáticos
Authors: Domènech Casal Jordi
Published: June 2018

En esta investigación se describe la aplicación de una actividad de aprendizaje basado en proyectos en torno al concepto de energía en la que los alumnos estudian los cambios energéticos con el objeto de construir un globo aerostático. Se han analizado los aportes del alumnado antes y después de la actividad y se encuentra que los alumnos progresan de manera distinta en su capacidad para describir y usar modelos de energía para interpretar fenómenos.
Three-year (2014-2016) activity report of the Replantation Service for hand amputations in Poland
Authors: Zyluk Andrzej , Chrapusta Anna , Jabłecki Jerzy , Romanowski Leszek , Mazurek Tomasz
Published: June 2018

The paper summarizes 32 months (January 2014 - August 2016) of activity of the Replantation Service for hand amputation in Poland. Over this period a total of 568 cases of total and subtotal amputations as well as other complex injuries to the hand were referred. Of these, 354 referrals (62%) were accepted and 214 (38%) rejected. Among accepted, there were 167 total (47%) and 142 subtotal (40%) amputations; 45 patients (13%) had other severe hand injuries. Vast majority of the patients constituted males aged a mean of 39 years. The most common injury was amputation of several digits in one patient, and thumb amputation - a total of 229 cases (65%), followed by transmetacarpal and wrist amputations - 92 (30%) and forearm/arm amputations - 33 cases (9%). Replantation of amputated extremity was performed in 141 patients (40%), revascularization in 145 (41%) and in 29 (8%) primary repair of the complex injuries. In 27 cases (8%), a coverage of the tissue defects, and in 12 (3%) primary terminalization was performed. Survival rate was of 78% for replantation and revascularization. Comparing to the period 2010-2012, an increase in number of treated patients (of n=64 cases), in number of amputations (of 96 cases) and in number of amputated digits (of 88 cases) were noted. The activity report shows importance of Replantation Service, an informal structure, in saving limbs of severely mutilated patients.
FACTORS DETERMINING KAYAK TOURISM IN THE SILESIAN PROVINCE
Authors: Rafalska Beata , Cholewa Jarosław , Tomik Rajmund
Published: June 2018

Purpose. The aim of the study was to identify factors affecting kayak tourism and to try to assess their impact on the decision to choose this type of tourism in the Silesian Province. Method. The research involved a diagnostic survey method with the use of a survey questionnaire developed by the authors and based on literature. The research, in which the Silesian’s inhabitants dominated, consisted of in two national kayak rafting excursions. One of them was a traditional rafting race and took place during the summer, while the other was a recreational race and was held in winter. Findings. The research showed that the most important factor determining the demand for kayak tourism (both among women and men) was the purity of rivers, while cultural values were the least important. Research and conclusion limitations. The study included kayak tourists taking part in only the two above-mentioned national kayak rafting excursion; because it does not comprise of tourists taking part in kayak events or individual tourists (non-organized events), this limits the possibilities of inference and points to the need for further research. Practical implications: Further development of kayak tourism in the Silesian Province depends on the influence of individual demand factors. The work shows the direction of creating a tourist product that is kayaking. Originality: Despite rich literature on tourism demand, there is still a lack of literature references to kayak tourism. This topic is of particular importance in relation to the Silesian Province, which is most often associated with industrialized areas of high environmental degradation. Type of work: The paper presents the results of empirical research.
Review of the Book by Mariusz Sołtysik “Determinants and Models of Inter-Sector Tourism Policy in the Suburban Municipalities of Legnica and Wrocław”
Authors: Tomik Rajmund
Published: June 2018

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Intraoral odontogenic abscesses in patients of The Department of Oral Surgery at the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin: 7 years of observation
Authors: Trybek Grzegorz , Chamarczuk Agnieszka , Falkowska Joanna , Grzegorzewska Małgorzata , Preuss Olga , Aniko-Włodarczyk Magda
Published: June 2018

Introduction: Intraoral abscesses are mainly odontogenic abscesses which need ambulatory treatment, which often involves the extraction of the causal tooth.
This is a clinical analysis of occurrence and treatment of an odontogenic abscess in patients of The Department Oral Surgery at the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin treated between 2010-2016.
Material/Methods: The estimate made was based on medical records between the years 2010-2016. Research applied to 327 patients, comprising 183 males and 144 females. The age of the patients ranged from 3 to 87. In the data analysis the patients’ demographic data, treatment, location and causes of abscess were taken into account.
Results: The largest age group in which abscesses occurred was comprised of people between the ages of 21-30. Abscess occurrence was more common in males. The molar was the most common causal tooth in permanent as well as primary dentition. The most common abscess location was vestibule of the oral cavity.
Conclusions: Due to hygiene negligence, a large amount of odontogenic tissue inflammation and intraoral abscesses have been found to require surgical intervention despite widespread access to dental care. The most important in abscess treatment is surgical incision; pharmacotherapy should be additional treatment. The most common antibiotic used for inflammation treatment was clindamycin.
Microbial Evolutionary Medicine – from theory to clinical practice
Authors: Andersen Sandra Breum , Shapiro B. Jesse , Vandenbroucke-Grauls Christina , de Vos Marjon G.J.
Published: June 2018

Bacteria and other microbes play a crucial role in human health and disease. Medicine and clinical microbiology have traditionally attempted to identify the etiological agents that causes disease, and how to eliminate them. Yet this traditional paradigm is becoming inadequate for dealing with a changing disease landscape. Major challenges to human health are noncommunicable chronic diseases, often driven by altered immunity and inflammation, and persistent communicable infections whose agents harbor antibiotic resistance. It is increasingly recognized that microbe-microbe interactions, as well as human-microbe interactions are important. Here, we review the “Evolutionary Medicine” framework to study how microbial communities influence human health. This approach aims to predict and manipulate microbial influences on human health by integrating ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, bioinformatics and clinical expertise. We focus on the potential promise of evolutionary medicine to address three key challenges: 1) detecting microbial transmission; 2) predicting antimicrobial resistance; 3) understanding microbe-microbe and human-microbe interactions in health and disease, in the context of the microbiome.
NEON NIST data science evaluation challenge: methods and results of team Conor
Authors: McMahon Conor A
Published: June 2018

The NIST DSE Plant Identification challenge is a new periodic competition focused on improving and generalizing remote sensing processing methods for forest landscapes. To compete in the competition, I created a pipeline to perform three remote sensing tasks. First, a NDVI- and height-thresholded watershed segmentation was performed to identify individual tree crowns using LIDAR height measurements. Second, remote sensing data for segmented crowns was aligned with ground measurements by choosing the set of pairings which minimized error in position and in crown area as predicted by stem height. Third, species classification was performed by reducing the dataset's dimensionality through PCA and then constructing a set of maximum likelihood classifiers to estimate species likelihoods for each tree. Of the three algorithms, the classification routine exhibited the strongest relative performance, with the segmentation algorithm performing the least well.
Biosynthetic tailoring of existing ascaroside pheromones alters their biological function in C. elegans
Authors: Zhou Yue , Wang Yuting , Zhang Xinxing , Bhar Subhradeep , Jones Lipinski Rachel A , Han Jungsoo , Feng Likui , Butcher Rebecca A
Published: June 2018

Caenorhabditis elegans produces ascaroside pheromones to control its development and behavior. Even minor structural differences in the ascarosides have dramatic consequences for their biological activities. Here, we identify a mechanism that enables C. elegans to dynamically tailor the fatty-acid side chains of the indole-3-carbonyl (IC)-modified ascarosides it has produced. In response to starvation, C. elegans uses the peroxisomal acyl-CoA synthetase ACS-7 to activate the side chains of medium-chain IC-ascarosides for β-oxidation involving the acyl-CoA oxidases ACOX-1.1 and ACOX-3. This pathway rapidly converts a favorable ascaroside pheromone that induces aggregation to an unfavorable one that induces the stress-resistant dauer larval stage. Thus, the pathway allows the worm to respond to changing environmental conditions and alter its chemical message without having to synthesize new ascarosides de novo. We establish a new model for biosynthesis of the IC-ascarosides in which side-chain β-oxidation is critical for controlling the type of IC-ascarosides produced.
Striking circadian neuron diversity and cycling of Drosophila alternative splicing
Authors: Wang Qingqing , Abruzzi Katharine C , Rosbash Michael , Rio Donald C
Published: June 2018

Although alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS) significantly diversifies the neuronal proteome, the extent of AS is still unknown due in part to the large number of diverse cell types in the brain. To address this complexity issue, we used an annotation-free computational method to analyze and compare the AS profiles between small specific groups of Drosophila circadian neurons. The method, the Junction Usage Model (JUM), allows the comprehensive profiling of both known and novel AS events from specific RNA-seq libraries. The results show that many diverse and novel pre-mRNA isoforms are preferentially expressed in one class of clock neuron and also absent from the more standard Drosophila head RNA preparation. These AS events are enriched in potassium channels important for neuronal firing, and there are also cycling isoforms with no detectable underlying transcriptional oscillations. The results suggest massive AS regulation in the brain that is also likely important for circadian regulation.
Depleting Trim28 in adult mice is well tolerated and reduces levels of α-synuclein and tau
Authors: Rousseaux Maxime WC , Revelli Jean-Pierre , Vázquez-Vélez Gabriel E , Kim Ji-Yoen , Craigen Evelyn , Gonzales Kristyn , Beckinghausen Jaclyn , Zoghbi Huda Y
Published: June 2018

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease are late onset neurodegenerative diseases that will require therapy over decades to mitigate the effects of disease-driving proteins such tau and α-synuclein (α-Syn). Previously we found that TRIM28 regulates the levels and toxicity of α-Syn and tau (Rousseaux et al., 2016). However, it was not clear how TRIM28 regulates α-Syn and it was not known if its chronic inhibition later in life was safe. Here, we show that TRIM28 may regulate α-Syn and tau levels via SUMOylation, and that genetic suppression of Trim28 in adult mice is compatible with life. We were surprised to see that mice lacking Trim28 in adulthood do not exhibit behavioral or pathological phenotypes, and importantly, adult reduction of TRIM28 results in a decrease of α-Syn and tau levels. These results suggest that deleterious effects from TRIM28 depletion are limited to development and that its inhibition adulthood provides a potential path for modulating α-Syn and tau levels.
Cytotoxicity and antimicrobial action of selected phytochemicals against planktonic and sessileStreptococcus mutans
Authors: Ribeiro Marta , Malheiro Joana , Grenho Liliana , Fernandes Maria Helena , Simões Manuel
Published: June 2018

Background

Dental caries remains the most prevalent and costly oral infectious disease worldwide, encouraging the search for new and more effective antimicrobials. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the antimicrobial action of selected phytochemicals (eugenol, citronellol, sabinene hydrate, trans-cinnamaldehyde, terpineol and cinnamic acid) againstStreptococcus mutansin planktonic and biofilm states as well as the cytotoxicity of these compounds.

Methods

The antibacterial activity of the selected compounds was evaluated by the determination of the minimal bactericidal concentration. The resazurin assay was used to assess the metabolic activity of sessileS. mutans. The cytotoxicity was determined using a fibroblast cell line.

Results

Among the tested phytochemicals, citronellol, cinnamic acid and trans-cinnamaldehyde were the most effective against both planktonic and sessileS. mutans, an effect apparently related to their hydrophobic character. Additionally, these three compounds did not compromise fibroblasts cell viability.

Discussion

Citronellol, cinnamic acid and trans-cinnamaldehyde demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity and low cytotoxicity proposing their potential as a novel group of therapeutic compounds to control oral infectious diseases. Moreover, their effects are particularly relevant when benchmarked against eugenol, a phytochemical commonly used for prosthodontic applications in dentistry.
Bioheat transfer model of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation-induced temperature changes
Authors: Chen Luyao , Ke Ang , Zhang Peng , Gao Zhaolong , Zou Xuecheng , He Jiping
Published: June 2018

Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has been extensively studied due to its promising application in motor function restoration. Many previous studies have explored both the essential mechanism of action and the methods for determining optimal stimulation parameters. In contrast, the bioheat transfer analysis of tSCS therapy has not been investigated to the same extent, despite widely existing, and being of great significance in assuring a stable and thermally safe treatment. In this paper, we concentrated on the thermal effects of tSCS using a finite element-based method. By coupling the electric field and bioheat field, systematic finite element simulations were performed on a human spinal cord model to survey the influence of anatomical structures, blood perfusion, and stimulation parameters on temperature changes for the first time. The results show that tSCS-induced temperature rise mainly occurs in the skin and fat layers and varies due to individual differences. The current density distribution along with the interactions of multiple biothermal effects synthetically determines the thermal status of the whole spinal cord model. Smaller stimulation electrodes have a higher risk of thermal damage when compared with larger electrodes. Increasing the stimulation intensity will result in more joule heat accumulation, hence an increase in the temperature. Among all configurations in this study that simulated the clinical tSCS protocols, the temperature rise could reach up to 9.4 °C on the skin surface depending on the stimulation parameters and tissue blood perfusion.
Diversity, host-specificity and stability of sponge-associated fungal communities of co-occurring sponges
Authors: Nguyen Mary T.H.D. , Thomas Torsten
Published: June 2018

Fungi play a critical role in a range of ecosystems; however, their interactions and functions in marine hosts, and particular sponges, is poorly understood. Here we assess the fungal community composition of three co-occurring sponges (Cymbastela concentrica, Scopalina sp., Tedania anhelans) and the surrounding seawater over two time points to help elucidate host-specificity, stability and potential core members, which may shed light into the ecological function of fungi in sponges. The results showed that ITS-amplicon-based community profiling likely provides a more realistic assessment of fungal diversity in sponges than cultivation-dependent approaches. The sponges studied here were found to contain phylogenetically diverse fungi (eight fungal classes were observed), including members of the family Togniniaceae and the genus Acrostalagmus, that have so far not been reported to be cultured from sponges. Fungal communities within any given sponge species were found to be highly variable compared to bacterial communities, and influenced in structure by the community of the surrounding seawater, especially considering temporal variation. Nevertheless, the sponge species studied here contained a few “variable/core” fungi that appeared in multiple biological replicates and were enriched in their relative abundance compared to seawater communities. These fungi were the same or highly similar to fungal species detected in sponges around the world, which suggests a prevalence of horizontal transmission where selectivity and enrichment of some fungi occur for those that can survive and/or exploit the sponge environment. Our current sparse knowledge about sponge-associated fungi thus indicate that fungal communities may perhaps not play as an important ecological role in the sponge holobiont compared to bacterial or archaeal symbionts.
Studies on H2-Assisted Liquefied Petroleum Gas Reduction of NO over Ag/Al2O3 Catalyst
Authors: Singh Pratichi , Yadav Deepak , Thakur Pooja , Pandey Jitendra , Prasad Ram
Published: June 2018

Hydrocarbon-Selective catalytic reduction (HC-SCR) is one of the potential methods to remove NOx emissions from diesel engine, lean burn petrol engines and natural gas engines exhaust. Ag/Al2O3 is a good catalyst for HC-SCR of NOx under lean-burn conditions. Further, addition of small amount of H2 is effective for enhancing HC-SCR activity. This effect is unique to silver and to specific Ag/support combinations, namely, Ag/γ-Al2O3. Various HC reductants, such as: octane, decane, dodecane and propane, have been reported in the literatures. Only a single study on LPG as a reductant over Cu-ZSM catalyst was reported. There was no work reported on H2 assisted LPG over Ag/Al2O3 catalyst. Thus, this gap in the literature is filled with the present investigation of NO reduction over 2 wt.% Ag/Al2O3 catalyst using LPG reductant. The fresh and used catalyst was characterized by various techniques like low temperature N2-adsorption, XRD, XPS and SEM. There was practically no change in the characteristics of the fresh and used catalyst. Two different reductants of CO and LPG were compared for SCR of NO over the catalyst without and with H2-assisted. The experiments were performed in a fixed bed tubular flow reactor under the following conditions: 100mg catalyst; 0.13% NO, 2.5% LPG/CO, 1% H2, 10% O2, rest Ar; total flow rate 60 mL/min; temperature ambient 400 oC and pressure 1 atm. Around 100% conversion of NO was achieved using LPG reductant. Light off temperature of NO reduction significantly reduced by H2assisted LPG reductant. The maximum conversion of NO with CO was limited to 35.15% at temperature of 224 oC and above. Whereas, 97.79 % NO conversion was achieved at 365 oC with LPG reductant. While, the maximum conversions with H2-LPG and H2-CO reductants were 100 and 99.46% at 117 and 220 oC, respectively. Therefore, H2-LPG-SCR of NOx over 2 wt.% Ag/Al2O3 catalyst system can be used to get 100% reduction at low temperature.
Kinetic, Mechanistic, and Thermodynamic Studies for Oxidation of L-Alanine by Alkaline Sodium Periodate in Presence of Os(VIII) in its Nano Concentration Range as Homogenous Catalyst
Authors: Gupta Madhu , Srivastava Amrita , Srivastava Sheila
Published: June 2018

The kinetics and mechanism of homogenously Os(VIII) catalysed oxidation of L-alanine (L-ala) by alkaline sodium periodate in temperature range 30 to 45°C have been studied. The involvement of free radicals was observed in the reactions. The oxidation products were acetaldehyde and IO3-, identified by spot test and spectroscopic studies. The stoichiometry between [L-ala]: IO4- is 1:2. The reaction show negligible effect of mercuric acetate and ionic strength of medium. The experimental results show first order in oxidant [NaIO4] and negative effect of [OH-]. The order in [Os(VIII)] as well as L-alanine was unity. A mechanism involving the formation of complex between L-alanine and Os(VIII) was proposed. The reaction constants concerned in the different steps of mechanism were calculated at different temperature. The activation parameters for the slow step of mechanism were computed and discussed. The thermodynamic quantities were also calculated for the reaction.
Effects of Platinum and Palladium Metals on Ni/Mg1-xZrxO Catalysts in the CO2 Reforming of Methane
Authors: Al-Doghachi Faris Jasim Abdulridha
Published: June 2018

Nickel, palladium, and platinum catalysts (1 wt.% each) supported on MgO and MgZrO to prepare Pt,Pd,Ni/Mg1-xZrxO catalysts (where x = 0, 0.03, 0.07, and 0.15), were synthesized by using co-precipitation method with K2CO3 as the precipitant. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), H2-temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) were employed to observe the characteristics of the prepared catalysts. The Pt,Pd,Ni/Mg0.85Zr0.15O showed the best activity in dry reforming of methane (DRM) with 99 % and 91 % for CO2 and CH4 conversions, respectively and 1.28 for H2/CO ratio at temperature 900 °C and 1:1 of CH4:CO2 ratio. The stability of Pt,Pd,Ni/Mg0.85Zr0.15O catalyst in the presence and absence of low stream 1.25 % oxygen was investigated. Carbon formation and amount in spent catalysts were examined by TEM and TGA in the presence of stream oxygen. The results showed that the amount of carbon was suppressed and negligible coke formation (less than 3 %) was observed. Several effects were observed with ZrO2 use as a promoter in the catalyst. Firstly, the magnesia cubic phase stabilized. Secondly, thermal stability and support for basicity increased. Thirdly, carbon deposition and the reducibility of Ni2+, Pd2+, and Pt2+ ions decreased.
Thermal Degradation Kinetics of Capsaicin on Blanching-Brine-Calcium Pretreatment Red Chili Pepper Drying
Authors: Arifin Uma Fadzilia , Djaeni Mohamad
Published: June 2018

Post-harvest red chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens) has highly capsaicin as bioactive compound and moisture content. However, capsaicin is the responsible bioactive compound in chili for hot sensation that easy to degrade by partial oxidation caused introduction of heat in drying process. The objective of this research was to investigate kinetics of capsaicin degradation in the drying process under blanching-brine-calcium pretreatment and various temperatures. For this purposes, chili provided local farmer was pretreated using blanching-brine-calcium pretreatment. Afterward, they were dried at 40, 50, 60, and 70 oC for 8 hours. Degradation of capsaicin content was observed every 2 hours using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). Results showed kinetics of capsaicin degradation was categorized as second order reaction. At the same temperature and time, capsaicin retention of blanching-brine-calcium pretreated chili has highest value. The temperature dependence of the capsaicin degradation rate was analyzed using Arrhenius correlation. The activation energy for degradation rate of capsaicin during drying was around 45.10367 kJ/mol.K. It indicated the degradation rate increased as well as increased the temperature at the same time.
Selective Hydrogenation of Dodecanoic Acid to Dodecane-1-ol Catalyzed by Supported Bimetallic Ni-Sn Alloy
Authors: Rodiansono Rodiansono , Pratama Muhammad Iqbal , Astuti Maria Dewi , Abdullah Abdullah , Nugroho Agung , Susi Susi
Published: June 2018

Selective hydrogenation of dodecanoic acid over supported bimetallic Ni-Sn alloy catalysts into dodecane-1-ol is demonstrated. Bimetallic nickel-tin supported on titanium oxide (Ni-Sn(1.5)/TiO2) and gamma-alumina (Ni-Sn(1.5)/g-Al2O3); 1.5 = Ni/Sn molar ratio) were synthesized via hydrothermal method in a sealed-Teflon autoclave reactor at 150 oC for 24 h, then followed by reducing with hydrogen gas at 400 oC for 1.5 h. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by means of XRD, IC-AES, N2-adsorption (BET method), H2-chemisorption, and NH3-TPD. Bimetallic Ni-Sn(1.5)/TiO2 catalyst was found to be effective for hydrogenation of dodecanoic acid (>99 % conversion) to dodecane-1-ol (93% yield) at 160 oC, 30 bar H2, and 20 h and the highest dodecane-1-ol (97 % yield) was obtained at initial pressure of H2, 50 bar. An increase of reaction temperature slightly enhanced the degree of hydrodeoxygenation of dodecanoic acid to produce dodecane over both Ni-Sn(1.5)/TiO2 and Ni-Sn(1.5)/g-Al2O3 catalysts.
Enhanced BMP Signaling Alters Human β‐Cell Identity and Function
Authors: Dekker Esmée , Triñanes Javier , Muñoz Garcia Amadeo , de Graaf Natascha , de Koning Eelco , Carlotti Françoise
Published: November 2024

Inflammation contributes to the pathophysiology of diabetes. Identifying signaling pathways involved in pancreatic β‐cell failure and identity loss can give insight into novel potential treatment strategies to prevent the loss of functional β‐cell mass in diabetes. It is reported earlier that the immunosuppressive drug tacrolimus has a detrimental effect on human β‐cell identity and function by activating bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. Here it is hypothesized that enhanced BMP signaling plays a role in inflammation‐induced β‐cell failure. Single‐cell transcriptomics analyses of primary human islets reveal that IL‐1β+IFNγ and IFNα treatment activated BMP signaling in β‐cells. These findings are validated by qPCR. Furthermore, enhanced BMP signaling with recombinant BMP2 or 4 triggers a reduced expression of key β‐cell maturity genes, associated with increased ER stress, and impaired β‐cell function. Altogether, these results indicate that inflammation‐activated BMP signaling is detrimental to pancreatic β‐cells and that BMP‐signaling can be a target to preserve β‐cell identity and function in a pro‐inflammatory environment.
Bioinspired Ultra‐Stretchable and Highly Sensitive Structural Color Electronic Skins
Authors: Shang Yuanyuan , Huang Chao , Li Zhou , Du Xuemin
Published: November 2024

Organisms possess remarkably adaptive ability to complex environments. For example, chameleons can alter their skin color to adapt to varying environments, which has inspired significant advances in bioinspired soft electronic skins (E‐skins), and their wide applications in wearable sensors, intelligent robots, and health monitoring. However, current bioinspired E‐skins face challenges in ultra‐stretchability, high sensitivity, and long‐term stability owing to the intrinsic limitations associated with their mismatched interface between soft matrix and hard conductive fillers, hindering their practical applications. Here, it is reported that bioinspired structural color electronic skins (SC E‐skins) that consist of liquid metal particles (LMPs), periodical ordered colloidal crystal arrays, and ultra‐stretchable hydrogel, imparting synergistic and durable electrical–optical sensing capabilities. Such SC E‐skins demonstrate outstanding performances including superior flexibility (elongation at break > 1100%), high sensitivity (gauge factor = 3.26), fast synergetic electric–optical response time (≈100 ms), outstanding durability (over 1500 cycles), and high accuracy (R2 > 99.5%). These bioinspired SC E‐skins with excellent capability of converting mechanical signals into synergetic electrical–optical outputs hold great promise for smart wearable devices, affording a new horizon in developing advanced health monitoring technologies.
Flexible Thermoelectric BiSbTe/Carbon Paper/BiSbTe Sandwiches for Bimode Temperature‐Pressure Sensors
Authors: Shu Min , He Zhengxi , Zhu Junjie , Ji Yuru , Zhang Xuefei , Zhang Chuanrui , Chen Mengran , Zong Peng‐an
Published: November 2024

Bimode temperature‐pressure sensors hold significant promise in personal health monitoring, wearables and robotic signal detection. Traditional bimode sensors typically combine two independent sensors, leading to fabrication complexity. This study develops a bimode temperature‐pressure sensor by using a facile electrodeposition method to create sandwiched BiSbTe/Carbon Paper/BiSbTe thin films and stacking them to a vertical structure. It demonstrates high sensitivity for temperature sensing, capable of detecting temperature difference as low as 1 K, and a rapid response time of 0.92 s due to a vertical structure. Utilizing its thermoelectric mechanism, the sensor achieves self‐powered sensing for finger touch and respiration states. Furthermore, its island‐like contact surface ensures high sensitivity with an extremely fast response time of 0.17 s, by rapidly changing contact resistance under pressure, allowing it to detect various human behaviors, including body movements and micro‐expressions. Beyond its sensing capabilities, the film excels in flexibility, electromagnetic interference shielding, and stability, presenting significant potential for integration into self‐powered electronic skin systems for health monitoring, wearables, artificial intelligence, and other electronic skin applications.
Nano‐Patterned CuO Nanowire Nanogap Hydrogen Gas Sensor with Voids
Authors: Zhao Muqing , Nitta Ryosuke , Izawa Seiichiro , Yamaura Jun‐ichi , Majima Yutaka
Published: November 2024

Hydrogen (H2) is increasingly employed in industrial applications, such as developing hydrogen fuel cells for vehicles and power plants. However, H2 explodes at a concentration limit of 4%, necessitating the development of ultrasensitive hydrogen sensors capable of early‐stage detection of hydrogen leaks. In this study, nano‐patterned polycrystalline cupric oxide (CuO) nanowire array nanogap gas sensors with voids are fabricated using electron‐beam lithography and ex situ oxidization by annealing, which could detect 5 ppb H2 and show response and recovery times of less than 10 s without a baseline shift. Combining a pre‐H2 annealing process in Ar/H2 for Cu nanowires and a low‐rate oxidation process enhances the crystallinity of CuO nanowires, facilitating the preparation of polycrystalline CuO nanowires with voids, which is a significantly practical approach for the improvements of gas sensing properties. Response and recovery times of <10 s can be obtained for a gap separation of ≈30 nm. These improvements are discussed based on a high electric field of ≈1.3 MV cm−1. The relationship between the normalized response and H2 concentration is discussed based on the power law. This paper presents highly reliable and fast H2 sensors without a baseline shift to meet the demands of the hydrogen industry.
Luminous Fish‐Inspired Hydrogels with Underwater Long‐Lived Room Temperature Phosphorescence
Authors: Chen Panyi , Qie Haofei , Yang Xipeng , Ma Song , Wang Zhengrui , Li Ningyan , Deng Yifan , Bian Fengling , Lü Shaoyu
Published: November 2024

Some marine animals form long‐lived luminescence for predation, communication, camouflage, and anti‐predation. These marine animals demonstrate soft nature, sustainable glowing, and underwater emission, which are difficult to achieve in synthetic room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials. Inspired by these marine animals, here the study reports RTP hydrogels that show long‐lived phosphorescence (lifetime >500 ms and afterglow >10 s) in water. Exceptional underwater mechanical properties are simultaneously achieved, including tensile strength of 5.1 MPa, tensile strain of 452%, and toughness of 19.3 MJ m−3. The key to this achievement lies in the in situ phase separation microarchitecture formed between polyacrylamide (PAM) and its partial hydrolysates, which confines the motions of polymer chains and protects vulnerable triplet excitons from quenching of water. Such a strategy shows the merits of facile fabrication without laborious synthesis. In addition, these RTP hydrogels offer repeatable photoprinting and highly stability in water, providing a versatile platform for underwater applications of RTP materials, including information encryption and camouflage of marine animals.
3D Micro‐Nano Hierarchical Constructs Enabling Transmural Ingrowth of Adventitia Improves the “Fallout endothelialization” of Vascular Grafts
Authors: Fu Mingdi , Zhang Zheqian , Wang Yujiao , Zhang Wangqian , Yuan Pingping , Wang Xuqiao , Zhang Cun , Wu Wei
Published: November 2024

Improving transmural ingrowth of adventitia is believed to promote luminal endothelialization during host remodeling of the vascular graft. However, fabricating vascular grafts with opening microstructures favoring cell ingrowth and tunable mechanical strength warranting clinical safety remains challenging. In this study, an ultrathin nanofibrous lumen stented with a highly porous tube is fabricated to acquire a harmonious balance between mechanical stability and the requisite openness for effective cell recruitment. In vitro examination reveals clinically feasible mechanical bridging of the rabbit carotid artery, such vascular graft with 3D micro‐nano hierarchical structures (3D‐MnHCs) enable fast and sufficient cell ingrowth, including transmural angiogenesis and muscular remodeling by myofibroblasts. Harnessing an integrated spatial transcriptomics approach and angiogenesis inhibition experiments, unprecedented insights revealing the positive roles of vascularized adventitia on “Fallout” endothelialization are provided. To conclude, 3D‐MnHCs offer a“concept of proof” for balancing adequate cell ingrowth and clinically applicable strength and degrading rates, therefore introducing a novel perspective for small caliber arterial regeneration.
Synthetic Nanocapsules with Tailored Surface Chemistry for Lung‐Specific Protein Delivery and Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Zheng Qizhen , Yao Rui , Liu Ji , Luo Tianli , Ma Tianyu , Wang Ming
Published: November 2024

Efficient delivery of therapeutic proteins remains a major challenge in developing effective immunotherapies and treatments for genetic disorders due to the limited tissue targeting capability of native proteins. In this study, the design and synthesis of protein nanocapsules (NCs) that achieve lung‐specific delivery of therapeutic proteins are reported. These NCs are synthesized through a surface modification process that involves coating protein with functional monomers and cross‐linkers, followed by in situ polymerization to create a protective shell on the protein surface with tailored surface chemistry. This approach preserves protein integrity and significantly enhances delivery efficiency and tissue specificity. Notably, it is shown that protein@NC with guanidine‐rich surfaces exhibit exceptional lung‐targeting capabilities. This is likely attributed to the formation of a vitronectin‐rich protein corona, which facilitates receptor‐mediated endocytosis by lung cells. The platform effectively delivers various proteins, such as ovalbumin, to antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) in the lung, thereby enhancing antigen presentation and offering a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. These findings provide a significant advancement in tissue‐specific protein delivery and hold the potential for targeted cancer immunotherapy.
Construction of Somatostatin‐Based Multiphase “Core–Shell” Coacervates as Photodynamic Biomimetic Organelles
Authors: Sun Wenyu , Xiong Hongjie , Yin Jiajia , Yao Wenyan , Liu Xiaohui , Liu Liu , Wang Xuemei , Jiang Hui
Published: November 2024

Biomimetic coacervates have recently attracted great interest in biomedical fields, especially for drug delivery and as protocells. However, these membraneless structures are easily coalesced and poorly targetable, limiting their real biomedical applications. Here multiphase “core–shell” coacervate (CSC) constructed by dsDNA and somatostatin (SST), a 14‐mer cyclopeptide is designed. The CSC shows enhanced tumor targetability through SST binding to SST receptors on the tumor cells' surface. G4 quadruplex‐hemin complex can be embedded in the CSC by interaction with SST, as demonstrated by molecular simulation and isothermal titration calorimetry. The G4‐hemin embedded CSC can further recruit photosensitizers such as tetracarboxyphenyl porphyrin to form the CSC‐GHT composite for photodynamic therapy (PDT). As photodynamic biomimetic organelles, CSC‐GHT can convert oxygen to singlet oxygen (catalyzed by the catalase‐mimetic activity of G4‐hemin), resulting in enhanced PDT effect, which allows the inhibition of cellular migration in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Owing to high stability, targetability, and biosafety, the proposed CSC can recruit various cargos from small dyes to large biomacromolecules (up to 430 kDa), providing promising theranostic applications.
Lateral Phase Heterojunction for Perovskite Microoptoelectronics
Authors: Li Lei , Yan Haoming , Li Shunde , Xu Hongyu , Qu Duo , Hu An , Ma Li , Ji Yongqiang , Zhong Qixuan , Zhao Lichen , Xu Fan , Tu Yongguang , Song Tinglu , Wu Jiang , Li Menglin , Lu Changjun , Yang Xiaoyu , Zhong Haizheng , Gong Qihuang , Wang Xinqiang , Zhu Rui
Published: November 2024

Perovskite heterojunction engineering is the prerequisite but still a deficiency in the fabrication of micro‐optoelectronic devices, where the present top‐down or bottom‐up techniques mainly focus on preparing the vertical heterojunction stacks. Perovskite lateral heterojunction structures generally rely on epitaxial growth, which cannot meet the demands of mass production of micro‐devices. Here, a contact diffusion lithography technique is proposed to demonstrate a perovskite lateral phase heterojunction (LPH) polycrystalline film by ion‐driven local phase transition. Under the guidance of thermodynamic simulations, methylamine contact and migration collectively promote in situ formation of α‐phase formamidine‐based perovskite patterns surrounded by δ‐phase polymorphs. Spontaneous type‐I heterojunction alignment between α‐ and δ‐phases establishes energy funnels in the LPH film to facilitate carrier utilization and radiative recombination. The wide‐bandgap δ‐phase also serves as the coplanar isolator to achieve local anti‐leakage for device integration. Based on the bright and stable LPH pattern layer, the near‐infrared microscale perovskite light‐emitting diode (micro‐PeLED) with impressive device performance is achieved by following conventional device fabrication protocol. The proposed LPH enriches the perovskite heterojunction family, creates a new optoelectronic processing platform, and advances its versatile applications in micro‐optoelectronics and photonics.