bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STUDY OF THE SURVIVAL OF BACILLUS CEREUS IN LOW-ACID CANNED VEGETABLES
Authors: YEGOROVA Zinaida , NIKITENKO Anastasia
Published: October 2021

The species B. cereus is widely distributed in food products and is often the cause of food poisoning. Therefore, data on the ability of this microorganism to develop in low-acid canned products are of scientific and practical interest. The aim of the study was to determine the survival of B. cereus in low-acid canned vegetables stored at different temperatures. The objects of the study were industrial samples of aseptic canned carrot puree (pH = 5.11, aw = 0.912) and sliced beets sterilized in vacuumized polymer bags (pH = 5.43, aw = 0.887). The B. cereus 11778 strain was used. The listed products were contaminated daily culture of the test-strain, with a concentration of 104–105 CFU/ml, and incubated at 6 and 30°C for 26 days. Sampling of products was carried out every 3 days to identify viable microorganisms. The generally accepted methods of experimental microbiology were used. It was found that in the canned “Beet sliced” B. cereus died after 10 days of storing the product at a temperature of 30°C. At a storage temperature of the contaminated product equal to 6°C, the test-microorganism did not die during the whole experiment and was detected in the amount of tens CFU in 1 ml of the product. In aseptic canned carrot puree, regardless of the storage temperature, B. cereus remained viable throughout the experiment, i. e. 26 days. The approximation of the obtained numerical values showed acceptable convergence of the curves with experimental data (R2 = 0.9186 ÷ 0.985). Microscopic examination of Gram-stained B. cereus 11778 preparations isolated from contaminated samples of canned products during the experiment showed abundant sporulation of the teststrain. The research results can be used to predict the activity of B. cereus in canned vegetable products under various environmental conditions.
SUPPLY OF NPK ELEMENTS THROUGH PRECIPITATION AND THROUGHFALL IN A COPPICE OF GREEN OAK IN THE EAST OF ALGERIA
Authors: BENHIZIA Toufik , OUDJEHIH Bachir , LEBBAL Salim
Published: October 2021

Nutrient provisions through precipitation and throughfall represent major factor of the sustainability of the forest ecosystem. Nevertheless, data related to this aspect are non-existent in Algeria. Precipitation and throughfall volumes and their contributions in NPK elements were evaluated between 2012 and 2013, in a green oak coppice at Marconna in Aurès (eastern Algeria). Precipitation volumes were evaluated by the placement of 10 containers in a bare soil. To quantify the throughfall, four containers were installed under the canopy of each tree among 25 selected trees. Water samples taken from previously rinsed plastic bottles with distilled water were kept away from light and transported to the laboratory for volume estimation and chemical analysis, as quickly as possible. After rapid filtration, samples became ready for NPK analysis. Various devices and chemicals were used for the measurements of NPK elements in the laboratory. Kjeldahl's method, colorimetry and flame photometry were used for quantifying total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium respectively. The results showed that annual rainfall amounts varied between 223,9 and 289,6 mm, whereas the annual throughfall was 127,1 mm for 2012 and 189,8 mm for 2013.Besides, the annual quantities of N, P and K returned to the soil by the rainfall ranged from 5,05 to 7,62 kg/ ha/year. However, the throughfall results showed that the coppice accumulated amounts of N, P and K elements varying between 4,08 and 5,47 kg / ha / year. On average, nitrogen was the most provided element. It represented 47,07%.
GENOME-WIDE DISTRIBUTION OF AUTOZYGOSITY ISLANDS IN SLOVAK WARMBLOOD HORSE
Authors: MORAVČÍKOVÁ Nina , KASARDA Radovan , HALO Marko , KADLEČÍK Ondrej , TRAKOVICKÁ Anna , LEHOCKÁ Kristína , OLŠANSKÁ Barbora , CANDRÁK Juraj
Published: October 2021

The objective of this study was to estimate the distribution of autozygosity islands represented by homozygous segments (ROHs) in the genome of the Slovak Warmblood horse. The Slovak Warmblood is a very efficient breed with the excellent characteristics of a sport horse. The study included 37 animals that were genotyped by GGP Equine70k chip (71,947 SNPs). Only animals (36) and autosomal SNPs (62,439) with call rate >90% and minor allele frequency >1% were included in subsequent analyses. The homozygous segments were defined as stretches with minimum 15 consecutive homozygous SNPs of >500 kb with minimum density 1 SNP per 100 kb and maximum gap between markers of 1,000 kb. The heterozygous or missing calls were not accepted. The analysis indicated in total of 8,501 autozygosity islands in the genome of the Slovak Warmblood horse. The majority of identified segments (85.42%) were most likely derived from the remote ancestors in the past. Only 0.15% of detected segments resulted from the recent selection events affecting the genetic structure of studied population. The proportion of segments varied across chromosomes. The major fraction of autosome residing in ROH was found on ECA1 (8.30%), while ECA31 showed the lowest ROH coverage. The scan for overlapping homozygous segments shared by more than 50 % of animals demonstrated that the ECA6 autosome may be under strong selection pressure. Inside those selection signals, several genes were identified including them associated with immunity and reproduction.
The concept of “political design”: content and key approaches
Authors: Gorbachev Mikhail Valer'evich
Published: October 2021

Design is one of the most popular instruments for administration of policy in different fields and spheres. This is reinforced by creation, implementation, and support of numerous political projects of the local, regional, national, and global levels. At the same time, design and fulfillment of various political projects is complicated by the absence of sound understanding of the content and main approaches towards the key concept of project activity — “political design”. The modern social-humanistic scientific literature has formed explicit approaches towards understanding the stages of political design, the actors of project activity in the political sphere, resources of political design, criteria for the effective implementation of political projects, classification of political projects. However, the very concept of “political design” remains polemical. Its content is saturated with different meanings, which subsequently complicates the study of other aspects and vectors of project activity in the political sphere. This article aims to summarize the main approaches towards elucidation of the concept of “political design”, outline its key parameters, and formulate the relevant definition. Methodological framework for this article is comprised of the theoretical principles of the project approach towards interpretation of politics. The author provides the original definition of the concept of “political design”, systematizes the main approaches towards explanation of its structure and content, offers the socio-technological assessment of the key parameters of modern political projects, and develops additional grounds for their classification. The article identifies and compares the procedural, administrative, pragmatic, organizational, sociocultural, historical, and innovative models of project activity in politics, describes their heuristic capabilities and conceptual boundaries. The author also develops the criteria for assessing the quality of project activities in politics, and correlates them with the basic models of modern political design.
On the ability of visual representation of ideas and verbal contents
Authors: Rozin Vadim Markovich
Published: October 2021

Using the examples of displayed works of art, painting and music, this article discusses the ability of visual representation of ideas and verbal contents. The author compares two stages in the development of art: the early XX century with the popular were popular ideas of cosmism and the advent of the new world; and the present time characterized by pessimism due to the crisis of modernism. Analysis is conducted on the examples of artworks characteristic of each stage. The author dwells on why in the beginning of the XX century the artists were able visually create a complex verbal content and ideas, while at the present day it is quite challenging. The article determines two techniques of visualization of verbal contents ‒ works with the conceptual verbal explanations, which still do not allow to organically synthesize visual and verbal-conceptual planes; and complex work on conceptualization of verbal narratives. As the case for clarification of the second method, the author chooses the theatrical-musical-dance action projected and implemented by the psychologist Aida Aylamazyan, and offers the analysis of this technique as promising for solution of the problem of visual representation of ideas and verbal contents. The author believes that solution of such tasks requires creating the concept of artistic reality of the intended work, taking into account available visual means, potential audience, and personal aesthetic attitudes.
How We Give Now
Authors: Bernholz Lucy
Published: October 2021

From Go Fund Me to philanthropy: the everyday ways that we can give our money, our time, and even our data to help our communities and seek justice.

In How We Give Now, Lucy Bernholz shows that philanthropy is more than writing a check and claiming a tax deduction. For most of us—the non-wealthy givers—philanthropy can be a way of living our values and fully participating in society. We give in all kinds of ways—shopping at certain businesses, canvassing for candidates, donating money, and making conscious choices with our retirement funds. We give our cash, our time, and even our data to make the world a better place. Bernholz takes readers on a tour of the often-overlooked worlds of participatory philanthropy, learning from a diverse group of forty resourceful givers.

Donating our digitized personal data is an emerging form of philanthropy, and Bernholz describes safe, equitable, and effective ways of doing so—giving genetic data for medical research through a nonprofit genetics organization rather than a commercial one, for example, or contributing photographs to an online archive like the Densho Digital Repository, which documents America's internment of 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent. Bernholz tells us to “follow the money,” however, when we're asked to “add a dollar” to our total at the cash register, or when we buy a charity-branded product; it's more effective to give directly than to give while shopping.

Giving is a form of participation. Philanthropy by the rest of us—across geographies and cultural traditions—begins with and builds on active commitment to our communities.
Game Wizards
Authors: Peterson Jon
Published: October 2021

The story of the arcane table-top game that became a pop culture phenomenon and the long-running legal battle waged by its cocreators.

When Dungeons & Dragons was first released to a small hobby community, it hardly seemed destined for mainstream success—and yet this arcane tabletop role-playing game became an unlikely pop culture phenomenon. In Game Wizards, Jon Peterson chronicles the rise of Dungeons & Dragons from hobbyist pastime to mass-market sensation, from the initial collaboration to the later feud of its creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. As the game's fiftieth anniversary approaches, Peterson—a noted authority on role-playing games—explains how D&D and its creators navigated their successes, setbacks, and controversies.

Peterson describes Gygax and Arneson's first meeting and their work toward the 1974 release of the game; the founding of TSR and its growth as a company; and Arneson's acrimonious departure and subsequent challenges to TSR. He recounts the “Satanic Panic” accusations that D&D was sacrilegious and dangerous, and how they made the game famous. And he chronicles TSR's reckless expansion and near-fatal corporate infighting, which culminated with the company in debt and overextended and the end of Gygax's losing battle to retain control over TSR and D&D.

With Game Wizards, Peterson restores historical particulars long obscured by competing narratives spun by the one-time partners. That record amply demonstrates how the turbulent experience of creating something as momentous as Dungeons & Dragons can make people remember things a bit differently from the way they actually happened.
A bacterial membrane sculpting protein with BAR domain-like activity
Authors: Phillips Daniel A , Zacharoff Lori A , Hampton Cheri M , Chong Grace W , Malanoski Anthony P , Metskas Lauren Ann , Xu Shuai , Bird Lina J , Eddie Brian J , Miklos Aleksandr E , Jensen Grant J , Drummy Lawrence F , El-Naggar Mohamed Y , Glaven Sarah M
Published: October 2021

Bin/Amphiphysin/RVS (BAR) domain proteins belong to a superfamily of coiled-coil proteins influencing membrane curvature in eukaryotes and are associated with vesicle biogenesis, vesicle-mediated protein trafficking, and intracellular signaling. Here, we report a bacterial protein with BAR domain-like activity, BdpA, from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, known to produce redox-active membrane vesicles and micrometer-scale outer membrane extensions (OMEs). BdpA is required for uniform size distribution of membrane vesicles and influences scaffolding of OMEs into a consistent diameter and curvature. Cryo-TEM reveals that a strain lacking BdpA produces lobed, disordered OMEs rather than membrane tubules or narrow chains produced by the wild-type strain. Overexpression of BdpA promotes OME formation during planktonic growth of S. oneidensis where they are not typically observed. Heterologous expression results in OME production in Marinobacter atlanticus and Escherichia coli. Based on the ability of BdpA to alter membrane architecture in vivo, we propose that BdpA and its homologs comprise a newly identified class of bacterial BAR domain-like proteins.
Simplifying the development of portable, scalable, and reproducible workflows
Authors: Piccolo Stephen R , Ence Zachary E , Anderson Elizabeth C , Chang Jeffrey T , Bild Andrea H
Published: October 2021

Command-line software plays a critical role in biology research. However, processes for installing and executing software differ widely. The Common Workflow Language (CWL) is a community standard that addresses this problem. Using CWL, tool developers can formally describe a tool’s inputs, outputs, and other execution details. CWL documents can include instructions for executing tools inside software containers. Accordingly, CWL tools are portable—they can be executed on diverse computers—including personal workstations, high-performance clusters, or the cloud. CWL also supports workflows, which describe dependencies among tools and using outputs from one tool as inputs to others. To date, CWL has been used primarily for batch processing of large datasets, especially in genomics. But it can also be used for analytical steps of a study. This article explains key concepts about CWL and software containers and provides examples for using CWL in biology research. CWL documents are text-based, so they can be created manually, without computer programming. However, ensuring that these documents conform to the CWL specification may prevent some users from adopting it. To address this gap, we created ToolJig, a Web application that enables researchers to create CWL documents interactively. ToolJig validates information provided by the user to ensure it is complete and valid. After creating a CWL tool or workflow, the user can create ‘input-object’ files, which store values for a particular invocation of a tool or workflow. In addition, ToolJig provides examples of how to execute the tool or workflow via a workflow engine. ToolJig and our examples are available at https://github.com/srp33/ToolJig.
Coparentalidad en Construcción: Entendiendo como las Parejas se Coordinan con la Llegada del Primer Hijo/a
Authors:   Universidad Alberto Hurtado (Chile), Pérez Cortés Francisca , Ruiz Celis Rocío ,   Universidad Alberto Hurtado (Chile), Morales Rodriguez Loreto ,   Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Published: October 2021

En Chile, como en la mayoría de las sociedades, la parentalidad ha estado principalmente a cargo de las mujeres y no existen muchos estudios acerca de cómo las parejas manejan la llegada de su primer bebé. Objetivo: El siguiente estudio busca describir los principales procesos involucrados en la construcción de la coparentalidad durante la transición a la parentalidad en parejas heterosexuales. Método: Siete parejas fueron entrevistadas durante el embarazo y el postparto. Las transcripciones se analizaron siguiendo los lineamientos del análisis temático. Resultados: la mayoría de las parejas no planificaron su embarazo, razón por la que se vivió con altos montos de ambivalencia. Los roles al interior de la pareja se distribuyeron de manera tradicional desde el embarazo. Los conflictos entre los miembros de la pareja de evadían o naturalizaban, atribuyéndolos a los cambios hormonales y a las demandas del bebé, existiendo poco espacio para la reflexión y la discusión. Conclusión: el principal desafío para las parejas es pasar de un estilo relacional reactivo a uno preventivo en el que la parentalidad y la coparentalidad se pueda planificar y co-construir.
Factors Shaping the Evolution of EarlyHomo
Authors: Schroeder Lauren
Published: October 2021

The origin of the genusHomois marked by a period of widespread morphological diversity across eastern and southern Africa. While the evolution of earlyHomois recognised as a significant evolutionary juncture, this extensive variability makes it difficult to delimit a clear boundary between the australopiths andHomo, with the transition between the two reflecting a continuum, rather than a distinct transformation. This is also highlighted by disputes related to the most likely ancestor ofHomo. Moreover, the period is marked by large‐scale climatic and environmental fluctuations, which have, in the past, been used to generate correlative adaptive hypotheses for the emergence of our genus. However, recent studies of fine‐scale palaeoenvironmental patterns, and applications of quantitative genetics theory to the fossil record, have identified a more complex picture of multiple lineages, habitat fragmentation and the influence of multiple evolutionary processes that defines the evolution of early members of our genus.

Key Concepts

The transition to the genusHomotook place along a morphological continuum between 2 and 3 million years ago.

Variability across the earliestHomofossil specimens is extensive, temporally, geographically and morphologically.

The period marking the early evolution ofHomois characterised by extreme climatic and environmental oscillations.

There is no consensus as to the most likely ancestral species of the genusHomo.

Emerging research suggests that the diversification ofHomowas multifaceted and included a range of evolutionary processes and multiple lineages.
Cell‐Friendly Isolation and pH‐Sensitive Controllable Release of Circulating Tumor Cells by Fe3O4@CaCO3 Nanoplatform
Authors: Wang Peng , Xue Junli , Wu Shengming , Pei Yanbai , Xu Lehua , Wang Yilong
Published: October 2021

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been recognized as significant research target for cancer prognosis and metastasis mechanism. Efficient and all‐subpopulations‐covered isolation and facile release of CTCs with good viability are pivotal for profound mechanism research and molecular profiling. However, integrated nanoplatform with these two functions is yet to be elucidated. Among existing release techniques including physical, biological, and chemical methods, acid responsive release of CTCs attracts intensive interests due to its straightforward and easily accessible feature. However, extra acidic substance seems indispensable so far, which poses potential hazard to the rare and susceptible CTCs. To address this challenge, polyelectrolyte functionalized CaCO3 coated magnetic nanocrystal clusters are developed as the nanoplatform for multi‐subpopulations isolation and pH‐sensitive release of CTCs. Only buffer solution components are needed rather than other acidic substance to provide mild acidic environment with pH value of 6.5, facilitate highly efficient release. Moreover, the bioefficacy of CTC capture and mild condition recovery is not compromised by formation of protein corona on the cell‐friendly nanoplatform. This nanoplatform exhibits good performance in both mimic blood samples and cancer patients’ clinical samples.
Scalable, Membrane‐Based Microfluidic Passive Cross‐Flow Platform for Monodispersed, Water‐in‐Water Microdroplet Production
Authors: Thompson Shyan , Hwang Dae Kun
Published: October 2021

The generation of water‐in‐water droplets has recently received great attention for its applicability in biological applications over traditional oil‐water droplet systems because of their high biocompatibility. An aqueous two‐phase system (ATPS), aqueous mixture of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran (DEX), has an ultra‐low interfacial tension which makes monodispersed droplet formation challenging. Recent passive methods in microfluidics with flow‐focusing configurations overcome this challenge, but they suffer either from polydispersity, narrow droplet size range, or low throughput. Successful droplet formation in such passive methods occurs in jetting flow regimes with low continuous phase flowrates, Qc < 1 μL min‐1. Gravity‐driven hydrostatic or highly precise pressure flow control has been used to apply constant, low flowrates that conventional syringe pumps struggle to emulate. Here, a new passive cross‐flow configuration is introduced to generate monodispersed ATPS droplets. The microfluidic device developed by the authors is membrane‐integrated with constant flowrate syringe pumps. Additionally, the membrane with three uniform pores enables this device to operate as a parallel system capable of three controlled droplet formations simultaneously, with a wide range of monodispersed droplet diameters from ≈17 to 90 μm (coefficient of variation, CV ≤ 5%) and from ≈90 to 180 μm (CV ≤ 10%).
Building Ni9S8/MoS2 Nanosheets Decorated NiMoO4 Nanorods Heterostructure for Enhanced Water Splitting
Authors: Chen Lu , Deng Zhiping , Chen Zhi , Wang Xiaolei
Published: October 2021

Designing economic and efficient electrocatalysts for both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is desired to produce green hydrogen through electrochemical water splitting. Herein, a Ni9S8/MoS2 decorated NiMoO4 nanorod heterostructure (Ni9S8/MoS2@NiMoO4) is successfully developed via a facile hydrothermal process followed by a direct sulfurization. The resulting hierarchical nanoarchitecture with outer Ni9S8/MoS2 nanosheets shell on the inner NiMoO4 core supplies affordable active sites and plentiful charge transportation channels in continuous heterointerfaces. Accordingly, the Ni9S8/MoS2@NiMoO4 only needs low overpotentials of 190 and 360 mV to enable 10 mA cm−2 current density for HER and OER in alkaline solution, respectively. This work provides a rational strategy for designing electrocatalysts with high efficiency for water splitting, enlightening the road of developing low‐cost bifunctional materials in energy conversion area.
Surface Plasmons in Silicon Nanowires
Authors: Borgh Giovanni , Bongiorno Corrado , La Magna Antonino , Mannino Giovanni , Patanè Salvatore , Adam Jost , Puglisi Rosaria Anna
Published: October 2021

Plasmon resonances (PRs) in metallic nanostructures have been extensively studied, whereas reports on PR in silicon nanowires (Si NWs) are very few, partial, and they refer to structures larger than 100 nm. Discrete resonances in Si NWs with core sizes as small as 30 nm at high resolution are observed. They are attributed to plasmonic resonances identifying two groups, the traveling waves, exhibiting discrete modes along the NW length for several orders of harmonics, and the localized waves, generated by transverse oscillations along the NW diameter, observing them to the best of our knowledge for the first time in silicon NWs (SiNWs) of every size. The experimental findings are coupled to modeling, confirming the data and adding further insights into the Si NW's embedding medium role. A plasmon‐induced resonant cavity in Si NWs opens markets in material processing, photodetectors, and novel plasmon‐based nano‐optics, thanks to the intense optical energy delivery below the diffraction limit and the addition of the exceptional integration capacity of silicon.
Single‐Step Tabletop Fabrication for Low‐Attenuation Terahertz Special Optical Fibers
Authors: Islam Md. Saiful , Sultana Jakeya , Osório Jonas H. , Dinovitser Alex , Ng Brian W-H. , Benabid Fetah , Ebendorff-Heidepriem Heike , Abbott Derek , Cordeiro Cristiano M. B.
Published: October 2021

Amid the search for efficient terahertz transmission and gas sensing, all‐polymer terahertz waveguides attract significant interest due to their compactness and capability for providing environmentally robust systems. The high loss within metals and dielectrics in the terahertz range makes it challenging to build a low loss, mechanically stable, and broadband terahertz waveguides. In this context, hollow waveguides made of Zeonex are promising for attaining low transmission loss in the terahertz range. Herein, a microstructured hollow hexagonal‐core fiber (HCF) is investigated, which exhibits low loss, near‐zero dispersion, wide operating bandwidth, and is suitable as a gas sensor. Notably, HCF fabrication is carried out by exploiting an efficient single‐step extrusion method—by a standard filament extruder and a puller; hence the production cost is low compared with conventional extrusion methods. This introduces a novel way of fabricating complex and low‐loss terahertz fibers. The experiments demonstrate that an HCF can achieve remarkably low attenuation and near‐zero flattened dispersion as compared with any other terahertz fibers. The resulting HCFs are easy to handle and have high thermal and chemical stability. These results bring significant advancements for terahertz fiber fabrication, low‐loss ultrafast short‐distance terahertz transmission, and sensing in the terahertz spectral domain.
Propulsion Mechanisms of Light‐Driven Plasmonic Colloidal Micromotors
Authors: Frueh Johannes , Rutkowski Sven , Si Tieyan , Gai Meiyu , Gao Changyong , Tverdokhlebov Sergei I. , Qiu Guangyu , Schmitt Jean , He Qiang , Ren Yu-Xuan , Wang Jing
Published: October 2021

Colloidal micromotors are important candidates for a wide spectrum of applications, ranging from medicine to environmental remediation. Thus far, the propulsion force determination has been obtained from the colloidal motor motion speed and surrounding viscosity via the Stokes drag. Herein, a precise force measurement method and detailed analysis of the fundamental propulsion mechanisms of colloidal Janus micromotors propelled by thermophoretic and steam bubble force vectors, revealing findings uninvestigated to date, are presented. Optical tweezers provide fast and high‐precision force measurements in all three orthogonal dimensions simultaneously. Colloidal Janus micromotors are compared with isotropic hot Brownian reference microparticles, which have no defined force vector that propels them perpendicular to the direction of the laser beam. Janus micromotors display a defined laser power intensity‐dependent thermophoretic propulsion, as well as bubble force‐based propulsion, after surpassing the threshold value for the water boiling. The steam bubble propulsion force vector and the thermophorethic force vectors sum up for the Janus micromotor propulsion direction. On the contrary, the bubble force counteracts photophoretic force in propagation direction of light. Moreover, the thermal‐based reduction of viscosity around the Janus colloidal motor contributes significantly to its speed and guidance abilities.
Tungsten Ditelluride: Synthesis, Structure, and Magnetoresistance Property
Authors: Cao Mingxing , Wang Zhihong , Ma Liwen , Zhang Liwen , Wang Man , Liu Yangsi , He Jian , Xi Xiaoli
Published: October 2021

Tungsten ditelluride (WTe2) is arising as an attractive material in magnetoresistance (MR) properties filed. The magnetoresistance properties of WTe2 makes it an ideal material for its magnetoresistive heads of computer and magnetic sensor device applications. So far, people have developed various controlled synthesis methods to produce large‐quantity uniform flat WTe2 crystals. Nevertheless, none of the methods are sustainable, some methods use reducing gases, and some use very long heat preservation, and the process is very complicated. Here, a mild and fast self‐flux method is described for WTe2 synthesis that can avoid producing reducing gases. After conducting structural and physical tests, it is found that annealing time is critical for WTe2 structure formation. Long annealing time improves the crystallinity of WTe2 and makes its texture more obvious, increasing the conductivity of WTe2. Therefore, it will lead to the anomalous nonsaturating positive magnetoresistance with different field dependent behaviors, reaching the ultrastrong magnetoresistive value of 1040% at 5 K and 14 T. The results provide a sustainable approach for uniform WTe2 crystal synthesis, which will benefit the large‐quantity production of WTe2 magnetoresistive materials.
Two‐stage Regioselective Access to Non‐symmetric 3,5‐Diarylisoxazoles: Synthesis of Combretastatin A‐4 analogues
Authors: Karetnikov Georgy L. , Skvortsov Dmitry A. , Lopatukhina Elena V. , Nikolaeva Svetlana N. , Bondarenko Oksana B.
Published: October 2021

A new two‐stage regioselective access to non‐symmetric 3,5‐diarylisoxazoles starting from readily available 2‐aryl‐1,1‐dibromocyclopropanes is developed. The strategy based on the nitrosation/Suzuki arylation sequence ensures good yields of the products and a wide scope of substituents in both aryl rings. Using this strategy, a panel of combretastatin A‐4 (CA‐4) analogues presented by 3,5‐diarylisoxazole structural motif was synthesized and evaluated for their biological activity
A DNA‐Encoded FRET Biosensor for Visualizing the Tension across Paxillin in Living Cells upon Shear Stress
Authors: Shao Shuai , Deng Sha , Jiang Qingyun , Zhang Hangyu , Zhang Zhengyao , Li Na , Cong Fengyu , Tiihonen Timo , Liu Bo
Published: October 2021

Paxillin is a potential participant in direct intracellular force transmission, which is considered as the foundation of cells sensing and responding to the extracellular environment. However, the detection of tension across paxillin has not been achieved due to lacking microsized tools. Herein, a paxillin tension sensor (PaxTs) based on the Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) technique was constructed. PaxTs can be expressed and assembled to FA sites spontaneously to visualize the tension across paxillin with FRET efficiency of ∼62.4 % in living cells. The tension across paxillin was found to decrease upon shear stress, in which the membrane fluidity and contractility of actin acted as cushions. It is observed that paxillin participates in the pathway of cell membrane‐cytoskeleton‐FAs for force transmission upon mechanical force in real time visualization, which provides a promising new method to investigate the direct intracellular force transmission in biology and technology.
Cell‐Free Multi‐Enzyme Synthesis and Purification of Uridine Diphosphate Galactose
Authors: Mahour Reza , Lee Ju Weon , Grimpe Pia , Boecker Simon , Grote Valerian , Klamt Steffen , Seidel‐Morgenstern Andreas , Rexer Thomas F. T. , Reichl Udo
Published: October 2021

High costs and low availability of UDP‐galactose hampers the enzymatic synthesis of valuable oligosaccharides such as human milk oligosaccharides. Here, we report the development of a platform for the scalable, biocatalytic synthesis and purification of UDP‐galactose. UDP‐galactose was produced with a titer of 48 mM (27.2 g/L) in a small‐scale batch process (200 μL) within 24 h using 0.02 genzyme/gproduct. Through in‐situ ATP regeneration, the amount of ATP (0.6 mM) supplemented was around 240‐fold lower than the stoichiometric equivalent required to achieve the final product yield. Chromatographic purification using porous graphic carbon adsorbent yielded UDP‐galactose with a purity of 92 %. The synthesis was transferred to 1 L preparative scale production in a stirred tank bioreactor. To further reduce the synthesis costs here, the supernatant of cell lysates was used bypassing expensive purification of enzymes. Here, 23.4 g/L UDP‐galactose were produced within 23 h with a synthesis yield of 71 % and a biocatalyst load of 0.05 gtotal_protein/gproduct. The costs for substrates per gram of UDP‐galactose synthesized were around 0.26 €/g.
Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol to 1,3‐Propanediol: Are Spatial and Electronic Configuration of “Metal‐Solid Acid” Interface Key for Active and Durable Catalysts?
Authors: Zhang Dongpei , Zhang Quanxing , Zhou Ziqi , Li Ze , Meng Kexin , Fang Tianqi , You Zhenchao , Zhang Guangyu , Yin Bin , Shen Jian , Yang Chaohe , Yan Wenjuan , Jin Xin
Published: October 2021

Catalytic conversion of glycerol to 1,3‐propanediol represents a most promising synthetic route for various specialty products in plastics, pharmaceuticals and textile industries. How to enhance chemoselectivity of 1,3‐propanediol over other co‐products still remains a grand challenge in this area in the past two decades. While particle size, metal‐support and surface acidity have been extensively investigated for catalyst development in literature, fundamental studies on spatial and electronic configuration of “metal‐solid acid” interfacial catalysts for tunable activity and selectivity are yet to be established in this field. In this context, interfacial steric hindrance and electronic transfer effect is critical for tunable activity and selectivity for metal catalysts. Therefore, in this review article, we have conducted a comprehensive and critical discussion on how steric hindrance and electronic coupling at metal‐acid interfaces affect catalytic activation of internal −OH group in glycerol molecule. Selected highlights on the mechanistic investigation for ex‐situ and in‐situ formed Brønsted acidity over Pt‐WOx and Ir−ReOx catalysts, have been discussed with experimental and computational details. The outcome of this review will provide important insights on controllable manipulation of spatial and electronic structures for selective hydrogenation reactions with broader industrial applications.
Working Mechanisms and Structure Engineering of Renewable Biomass‐Derived Materials for Advanced Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries: A Review
Authors: Tian Xiaohui , Yan Chenzheng , Kang Junbao , Yang Xiaoya , Li Quanxiang , Yan Jing , Deng Nanping , Cheng Bowen , Kang Weimin
Published: October 2021

Lithium‐sulfur (Li−S) batteries have attracted attention in the field of energy storage due to their high energy density and theoretical capacity. However, there are still some obstacles to achieve commercial applications such as large volume expansion of sulfur, low electrical conductivity, the growth of lithium dendrites, and the polysulfide shuttle effect. Through continuous research on Li−S batteries, renewable biomass materials have been discovered by scholars and scientists due to their sustainable development, low cost, and extensive sources. The results showed that renewable biomass‐derived carbons had outstanding advantages such as high specific surface area and large pore volume, as well as inherent heteroatom doping after being applied to Li−S batteries, which had a significant effect on improving the electrochemical performance. This Review summarizes the research progress of Li−S batteries in renewable biomass materials in recent years, starting from three aspects: biomass carbon‐sulfur composite cathodes, biomass modified separators, and biomass independent flexible carbon interlayers. Firstly, the Review summarizes its physical barrier and adsorption mechanism (the effect of various porous structures), chemical reaction and adsorption mechanism, catalysis and conversion mechanism. Then, it classifies materials based on the source of renewable biomass as well as elaborating and analyzing the structures, mechanism, and performance among them. Finally, the Review summarized the shortages in this field, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced. The authors hope that this Review will have a certain reference value for the development of various biomasses for high performance Li−S batteries, and will inspire more scholars to devote themselves to the research of biomass materials for Li−S batteries.
Hematite as an Electrocatalytic Marker for the Study of Archaeological Ceramic Clay bodies: A VIMP and SECM Study**
Authors: Doménech‐Carbó Antonio , Giannuzzi Michele , Mangone Annarosa , Giannossa Lorena Carla , Di Turo Francesca , Cofini Elena , Doménech‐Carbó María Teresa
Published: October 2021

The electrocatalytic effect exerted by hematite, a ubiquitous component of clay bodies, on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) can be used to acquire information on archaeological ceramics. The solid‐state voltammetric response of different hematite and ochre specimens, accompanied by SECM analysis in contact with 0.10 M HCl aqueous solution, is described. In air‐saturated solutions, catalytic effects on the ORR and OER are accompanied by Fe(III)/Fe(II) and Fe(IV)/Fe(III) redox reactions. Such processes are conditioned by a variety of factors, the hydroxylation degree of the mineral surfaces being particularly influential, and exhibit significant variations upon heating the specimens between 300 and 900 °C. Voltammetric measurements carried out on a set of archaeological samples of Apulian red‐figured pottery dated back within 5th and 4th centuries BCE permit to obtain site‐characteristic voltammetric profiles.
Au(I)‐Catalyzed 6‐endo‐dig Cyclizations of Aromatic 1,5‐Enynes to 2‐(Naphthalen‐2‐yl)anilines Leading to Divergent Syntheses of Benzo[α]carbazole, Benzo[c,h]cinnoline and Dibenzo[i]phenanthridine Derivatives
Authors: Fu Jiayue , Li Bingbing , Wang Xiugui , Liang Qida , Peng Xiaoshi , Yang Lu , Wan Tao , Wang Xinxiu , Lin Bin , Cheng Maosheng , Liu Yongxiang
Published: October 2021

Comprehensive Summary

A gold(I)‐catalyzed 6‐endo‐dig cyclization of aromatic 1,5‐enynes was developed to synthesize 2‐(naphthalen‐2‐yl)anilines. The functional group tolerance of this cyclization was examined systematically and a possible mechanism was proposed. The derivatization of 2‐(naphthalen‐2‐yl)aniline was carried out to facile access to benzo[α]carbazole, benzo[c,h]cinnoline and dibenzo[i]phenanthridine derivatives in a divergent way.
Crystal Engineering of Supramolecular 1,4‐Benzene Bisamides by Side‐Chain Modification – Towards Tuneable Anisotropic Morphologies and Surfaces
Authors: van der Zwan Kasper P. , Steinlein Christoph , Kreger Klaus , Schmidt Hans‐Werner , Senker Jürgen
Published: October 2021

Benzene bisamides are promising building blocks for supramolecular nano‐objects. Their functionality depends on morphology and surface properties. However, a direct link between surface properties and molecular structure itself is missing for this material class. Here, we investigate this interplay for two series of 1,4‐benzene bisamides with symmetric and asymmetric peripheral substitution. We elucidated the crystal structures, determined the nano‐object morphologies and derived the wetting behaviour of the preferentially exposed surfaces. The crystal structures were solved by combining single‐crystal and powder X‐ray diffraction, solid‐state NMR spectroscopy and computational modelling. Bulky side groups, here t‐butyl groups, serve as a structure‐directing motif into a packing pattern, which favours the formation of thin platelets. The use of slim peripheral groups on both sides, in our case linear perfluorinated, alkyl chains, self‐assemble the benzene bisamides into a second packing pattern which leads to ribbon‐like nano‐objects. For both packing types, the preferentially exposed surfaces consist of the ends of the peripheral groups. Asymmetric substitution with bulky and slim groups leads to an ordered alternating arrangement of the groups exposed to the surface. This allows the hydrophobicity of the surfaces to be gradually altered. We thus identified two leitmotifs for molecular packings of benzene bisamides providing the missing link between the molecular structure, the anisotropic morphologies and adjustable surface properties of the supramolecular nano‐objects.
Laser Induced Thermal Effect on the Polymerization Behavior in Upconversion Particle Assisted Near‐Infrared Photopolymerization
Authors: Hu Peng , Xu Hang , Pan Yue , Sang Xinxin , Liu Ren
Published: October 2021

Laser induced thermal effect is inevitable in upconversion particle assisted near‐infrared polymerization (UCAP). Herein, the influence of thermal effects on the polymerization behavior are investigated. The effects of up‐conversion particles content and NIR laser intensity on the polymerization rate and surface oxygen inhibition were systematically investigated, and the temperature evolution and complex viscosity changes in the polymerization system during the polymerization process were also monitored. In addition, polymerization experiments conducted on a controlled temperature platform were used to study the effect of NIR heating on the polymerization behavior. The results show that the near‐infrared thermal effect promotes the polymerization reaction, but also causes severe oxygen inhibition which has an adverse effect on polymerization. Finally, NIR curing materials with enhanced mechanical properties than those of conventional UV curing materials were obtained.
The Quest for the Right Trade‐Off for an Efficient Photoclick Monitoring Reaction
Authors: Benassi Alessandra , Pirota Valentina , Doria Filippo , Freccero Mauro
Published: October 2021

Photoinduced cycloaddition of 2,5‐diaryltetrazoles with alkenes, to produce 2,5‐diarylpyrazolines, has been widely exploited as orthogonal ligation for bio‐labeling and cross‐linking. This reaction is particularly interesting and useful, as it combines mild activation conditions to the generation of a fluorescent product. However, it suffers from two major drawbacks, as under physiological conditions hydration by‐products are formed and the fluorescent quantum yield of the emitting pyrazoline is often reduced in water. In this work, we have thoroughly investigated both the photoreactivity of a small library of water soluble tetrazoles and the optical properties of the resulting pyrazolines, to optimize both chemical selectivity (cycloaddition vs hydration) and photo‐physical efficiency. Electron‐withdrawing (A) and electron‐donating (D) substituents tune pyrazoline reaction yields and their fluorescence quantum yields in opposite directions. The combination of two D‐substituents on the tetrazoles ensures quantitative pyrazoline formation with low emission. On the contrary, two A‐substituents afforded very emitting pyrazolines in low chemical yield. We have identified the water‐soluble tetrazole T7 as the best compromise, able to afford a highly fluorescent pyrazoline, in high yields.
How Do Oxygen Vacancies Influence the Catalytic Performance of Two‐Dimensional Nb2O5 in Lithium‐ and Sodium‐Oxygen Batteries?
Authors: Li Jia‐Hui , Yu Yang‐Xin
Published: October 2021

Alkali metal‐oxygen batteries possess a higher specific capacity than alkali‐ion batteries and stand out as the most competitive next‐generation energy source. The core reaction mechanism of the battery is mainly the formation of alkali metal oxide during the discharge process and the decomposition of these oxides during the charge process. A large number of researchers have devoted themselves to seeking promising catalysts for the reaction. Two‐dimensional Nb2O5 was discovered to be a highly potential catalyst that can promote the reaction of alkali‐metal‐oxygen batteries, but few studies focus on it. In this study, the catalytic performance of both pristine Nb2O5 and oxygen‐deficiency modified Nb2O5 was investigated. Furthermore, the effect of oxygen defects on catalytic performance was analyzed from multiple angles, namely, the reaction mechanism, d‐band center theory, and the diffusion behavior of alkali metals. The exploration revealed the microscopic mechanism of oxygen deficiency affecting the alkali‐metal battery reaction and provided a theoretical basis for quantitatively changing the d‐band center of the catalyst through oxygen deficiency to ultimately change the performance of the catalyst.
DACOR: A distributed ACO‐based routing protocol for mitigating the hot spot problem in fog‐enabled WSN architecture
Authors: Moussa Noureddine , El Belrhiti El Alaoui Abdelbaki
Published: October 2021

Ant colony optimization (ACO) and unequal clustering algorithms in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) prove their efficiency in protracting the network lifetime. However, the existing ACO and unequal clustering algorithms, respectively, do not consider jointly energy efficiency and reliability and focus only on some normal parameters to adjust the cluster radius, then neglecting the cluster head (CH) neighborhood information as it is wise to reduce the cluster radius when there are more neighbor CHs in order to balance the load and energy consumption. To resolve these problems, we propose a fault‐tolerant distributed ACO‐based routing (DACOR) protocol for mitigating the hot spot problem in fog‐enabled WSN architecture. To improve the performance of the network, we propose a multiple fog nodes (FNs) and unequal clustering‐based network model. The proposed model is energy efficient as it avoids repetitive clustering and affects CHs to FNs based on distance. Also, unlike the existing works which use either single FN/sink‐based unequal clustering or multiple FNs/sinks to mitigate hot spot problem, we propose to distribute unequal clustering to multiple FNs (partitions). Additionally, we formulate a different rule to calculate the cluster radius based on significant parameters ensuring energy efficiency and balancing. To route data from source to destination, we devise a new probabilistic formula which considers not only energy efficiency but also reliability. The performance of the proposed DACOR protocol has been investigated under different scenarios through simulations. The results show that the proposed DACOR protocol outperforms the existing protocols in terms of various main metrics.
Nitrogen addition, rather than altered precipitation, stimulates nitrous oxide emissions in an alpine steppe
Authors: Yang Yang , Xiao Yuanming , Li Changbin , Wang Bo , Gao Yongheng , Zhou Guoying
Published: October 2021

Anthropogenic‐driven global change, including changes in atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and precipitation patterns, is dramatically altering N cycling in soil. How long‐term N deposition, precipitation changes, and their interaction influence nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions remains unknown, especially in the alpine steppes of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP). To fill this knowledge gap, a platform of N addition (10 g m−2 year−1) and altered precipitation (±50% precipitation) experiments was established in an alpine steppe of the QTP in 2013. Long‐term N addition significantly increased N2O emissions. However, neither long‐term alterations in precipitation nor the co‐occurrence of N addition and altered precipitation significantly affected N2O emissions. These unexpected findings indicate that N2O emissions are particularly susceptible to N deposition in the alpine steppes. Our results further indicated that both biotic and abiotic properties had significant effects on N2O emissions. N2O emissions occurred mainly due to nitrification, which was dominated by ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria, rather than ammonia‐oxidizing archaea. Furthermore, the alterations in belowground biomass and soil temperature induced by N addition modulated N2O emissions. Overall, this study provides pivotal insights to aid the prediction of future responses of N2O emissions to long‐term N deposition and precipitation changes in alpine ecosystems. The underlying microbial pathway and key predictors of N2O emissions identified in this study may also be used for future global‐scale model studies.