bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of Radium Behavior in Contact With Calcium-Silicate-Hydrates
Authors: Kittnerová Jana , Drtinová Barbora , Štamberg Karel , Deissmann Guido , Lange Steve , Evans Nick
Published: August 2022

Radium-226 is an important radionuclide with respect to the long-term safety of repositories for low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes, as well as deep geological repositories for high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. To evaluate its mobility in the engineered barrier system of a repository, the sorption of radium on calcium-silicate-hydrates (CSH), which form the major hydration phases in cementitious materials, was studied. Radium sorption to CSH was found to be very fast, leading to steady-state between solid and liquid phase after less than four days. The dependency of the equilibrium distribution ratios on radium concentration, the calcium to silicon ratio in CSH, liquid to solid ratio, and temperature was investigated, and estimates of apparent activation energy, reaction enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs energy of the sorption process were derived. Radium sorption on CSH can be described by linear isotherms with Rd values mostly in the order of 104 L/kg. Radium sorption was found to be an exothermic and spontaneous reaction probably governed by chemical reaction rather than diffusion. As expected, the presence of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) at low concentrations led only to a small decrease in radium sorption, due to the strong competition of dissolved calcium for EDTA complexation. A comparison of the sorption behavior of various alkaline earth elements used as chemical analogs for radium confirmed the significant difference in the Rd values with sorption on CSH decreasing in the order Ra > Ba > Sr.
Influence of pH, salt ions, and binary mixtures of different molecular weights on the extensional rheology of polyethylene oxide
Authors: Xu Minghuan , Roig-Sanchez Soledad , Riseman Andrew , Frostad John M.
Published: August 2022

In the context of modifying the extensional rheology of agricultural sprays to improve retention of sprays on plants, here we characterize the extensional rheology of dilute solutions of polyethylene oxide (PEO). Specifically, we examine the influence of pH and ionic strength, which vary significantly among agricultural sprays, as well as binary mixtures of two different nominal molecular weights of the polymer additive. Because PEO is nonionic, common intuition would predict that varying the pH and/or adding salt ions would have a minimal or negligible effect. However, the results presented here show a significant, complex, nonmonotonic, and ion-specific trend that is systematically documented for the first time. The role of shear degradation when mixing the polymer solutions is ruled out, and the data suggest that specific ion-polymer interactions appear to be more likely than changes in the solvent quality for producing this unexpected trend. We discuss some possible mechanistic explanations for the trend and highlight the potential impacts on product formulation as well as the need for improved theory of polymer physics.
Survey of National Collegiate Athletic Association Athletic Trainers’ Administration of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Weight Certification Program
Authors: Konrath Samuel L. , Wagner Dale R.
Published: August 2022

Despite implementation in 1997, published research detailing the administration of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s minimum weight certification program is lacking. This survey aimed to determine how athletic trainers administer this program. Thirty-five of 77 (45.5% response rate) athletic trainers for National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I wrestling programs responded. Most (74.3%) had ≥5 years of experience measuring body composition, and nearly all (97.1%) used skinfold calipers. Caliper type varied, but everyone used the same measurement sites and procedure to estimate minimal weight. There appears to be consistency in the administration of minimal wrestling weight standards across National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I programs.
Trace metal stoichiometry of dissolved organic matter in the Amazon plume
Authors: Gledhill Martha , Hollister Adrienne , Seidel Michael , Zhu Kechen , Achterberg Eric P. , Dittmar Thorsten , Koschinsky Andrea
Published: August 2022

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a distinct component of Earth’s hydrosphere and provides a link between the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nutrients, and trace metals (TMs). Binding of TMs to DOM is thought to result in a TM pool with DOM-like biogeochemistry. Here, we determined elemental stoichiometries of aluminum, iron, copper, nickel, zinc, cobalt, and manganese associated with a fraction of the DOM pool isolated by solid-phase extraction at ambient pH (DOM
SPE-amb
) from the Amazon plume. We found that the rank order of TM stoichiometry within the DOM
SPE-amb
fraction was underpinned by the chemical periodicity of the TM. Furthermore, the removal of the TM
SPE-amb
pool at low salinity was related to the chemical hardness of the TM ion. Thus, the biogeochemistry of TMs bound to the DOM
SPE-amb
component in the Amazon plume was determined by the chemical nature of the TM and not by that of the DOM
SPE-amb
.
Spatial resolution of an integrated C4+CAM photosynthetic metabolism
Authors: Moreno-Villena Jose J. , Zhou Haoran , Gilman Ian S. , Tausta S. Lori , Cheung C. Y. Maurice , Edwards Erika J.
Published: August 2022

C4and CAM photosynthesis have repeatedly evolved in plants over the past 30 million years. Because both repurpose the same set of enzymes but differ in their spatial and temporal deployment, they have long been considered as distinct and incompatible adaptations.Portulacacontains multiple C4species that perform CAM when droughted. Spatially explicit analyses of gene expression reveal that C4and CAM systems are completely integrated inPortulaca oleracea, with CAM and C4carbon fixation occurring in the same cells and CAM-generated metabolites likely incorporated directly into the C4cycle. Flux balance analysis corroborates the gene expression findings and predicts an integrated C4+CAM system under drought. This first spatially explicit description of a C4+CAM photosynthetic metabolism presents a potential new blueprint for crop improvement.
Neonatal BCG vaccination is associated with a long-term DNA methylation signature in circulating monocytes
Authors: Bannister Samantha , Kim Bowon , Domínguez-Andrés Jorge , Kilic Gizem , Ansell Brendan R. E. , Neeland Melanie R. , Moorlag Simone J. C. F. M. , Matzaraki Vasiliki , Vlahos Amanda , Shepherd Rebecca , Germano Susie , Bahlo Melanie , Messina Nicole L. , Saffery Richard , Netea Mihai G. , Curtis Nigel , Novakovic Boris
Published: August 2022

Trained immunity describes the capacity of innate immune cells to develop heterologous memory in response to certain exogenous exposures. This phenomenon mediates, at least in part, the beneficial off-target effects of the BCG vaccine. Using an in vitro model of trained immunity, we show that BCG exposure induces a persistent change in active histone modifications, DNA methylation, transcription, and adenosine-to-inosine RNA modification in human monocytes. By profiling DNA methylation of circulating monocytes from infants in the MIS BAIR clinical trial, we identify a BCG-associated DNA methylation signature that persisted more than 12 months after neonatal BCG vaccination. Genes associated with this epigenetic signature are involved in viral response pathways, consistent with the reported off-target protection against viral infections in neonates, adults, and the elderly. Our findings indicate that the off-target effects of BCG in infants are accompanied by epigenetic remodeling of circulating monocytes that lasts more than 1 year.
Propagation-induced revival of entanglement in the angle-OAM bases
Authors: Bhattacharjee Abhinandan , Joshi Mritunjay K. , Karan Suman , Leach Jonathan , Jha Anand K.
Published: August 2022

Although the continuous-variable position-momentum entanglement of photon pairs produced by parametric down-conversion has applicability in several quantum information applications, it is not suitable for applications involving long-distance propagation. This is because entanglement in the position-momentum bases, as seen through Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR)–correlation measurements, decays very rapidly with photons propagating away from the source. In contrast, in this article, we show that in the continuous-variable bases of angle–orbital angular momentum (OAM), the entanglement, as seen through EPR-correlation measurements, exhibits a remarkably different behavior. As with the position-momentum bases, initially, the entanglement in the angle-OAM bases also decays with propagation, and after a few centimeters of propagation, there is no angle-OAM entanglement left. However, as the photons continue to travel further away from the source, the entanglement in the angle-OAM bases revives. We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate this behavior and show that angle-OAM entanglement revives even in the presence of strong turbulence.
Cryo-EM structures of human hepatitis B and woodchuck hepatitis virus small spherical subviral particles
Authors: Liu Haitao , Hong Xupeng , Xi Ji , Menne Stephan , Hu Jianming , Wang Joseph Che-Yen
Published: August 2022

The loss of detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is considered a functional cure in chronic hepatitis B. Naturally, HBsAg can be incorporated into the virion envelope or assembled into subviral particles (SVPs) with lipid from host cells. Until now, there has been no detailed structure of HBsAg, and the published SVP structures are controversial. Here, we report the first subnanometer-resolution structures of spherical SVP from hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the related woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) determined by cryo–electron microscopy in combination with AlphaFold2 prediction. Both structures showed unique rhombicuboctahedral symmetry with 24 protruding spikes comprising dimer of small HBsAg with four helical domains. The lipid moiety in the SVP is organized in a noncanonical lipid patch instead of a lipid bilayer, which can accommodate the exposed hydrophobic surface and modulate particle stability. Together, these findings advance our knowledge of viral membrane organization and the structures of HBV and WHV spherical SVPs.
Intermolecular charge transfer enhances the performance of molecular rectifiers
Authors: Sullivan Ryan P. , Morningstar John T. , Castellanos-Trejo Eduardo , Bradford Robert W. , Hofstetter Yvonne J. , Vaynzof Yana , Welker Mark E. , Jurchescu Oana D.
Published: August 2022

Molecular-scale diodes made from self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) could complement silicon-based technologies with smaller, cheaper, and more versatile devices. However, advancement of this emerging technology is limited by insufficient electronic performance exhibited by the molecular current rectifiers. We overcome this barrier by exploiting the charge-transfer state that results from co-assembling SAMs of molecules with strong electron donor and acceptor termini. We obtain a substantial enhancement in current rectification, which correlates with the degree of charge transfer, as confirmed by several complementary techniques. These findings provide a previously enexplored method for manipulating the properties of molecular electronic devices by exploiting donor/acceptor interactions. They also serve as a model test platform for the study of doping mechanisms in organic systems. Our devices have the potential for fast widespread adoption due to their low-cost processing and self-assembly onto silicon substrates, which could allow seamless integration with current technologies.
Cis interactions between CD2 and its ligands on T cells are required for T cell activation
Authors: Li Bin , Lu Yan , Zhong Ming-Chao , Qian Jin , Li Rui , Davidson Dominique , Tang Zhenghai , Zhu Kaiwen , Argenty Jérémy , de Peredo Anne Gonzalez , Malissen Bernard , Roncagalli Romain , Veillette André
Published: August 2022

CD2 is largely described to promote T cell activation when engaged by its ligands, CD48 in mice and CD58 in humans, that are present on antigen-presenting cells (APCs). However, both CD48 and CD58 are also expressed on T cells. By generating new knockout mouse strains lacking CD2 or CD48 in the C57BL/6 background, we determined that whereas CD2 was necessary on T cells for T cell activation, its ligand CD48 was not required on APCs. Rather, CD48 was also needed on T cells. One exception was during cytotoxicity, which required CD48 on T cells and APCs. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) studies in nonimmune cells provided evidence that cis interactions between CD2 and CD48 existed within individual cells. CD2-CD48 interactions on T cells enabled more robust T cell receptor (TCR) signals, including protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Using T cells from a CD2 knock-in mouse in which a tag was inserted at the carboxyl terminus of CD2, mass spectrometry analyses revealed that the role of CD2 in T cell activation correlated with its ability to interact with components of the TCR complex and the protein tyrosine kinase Lck. CD2-CD58 provided a similar function in human T cells. Thus, our data imply that T cell–intrinsic cis interactions of CD2 with its ligands are required for TCR signaling and T cell activation. Interactions with ligands on APCs contribute during cytotoxicity.
On Numerical Modeling of Fiber Deformation and Destruction under Impact Load
Authors: Petrov I. B. , Vasyukov A. V. , Beklemysheva K. A. , Onuchin E. S. , Tovarnova N. A.
Published: August 2022

The motion, deformation, and destruction of a thin fiber under the action of a transverse shock load are numerically simulated. The fiber is described by the equations of Rakhmatulin’s theory. The system of dynamic equations is solved using the finite-difference method. The parameters for the model can be obtained directly from impact loading experiments, so the dependence of the material properties on the strain rate can be taken into account. Numerical results for aramid fibers under impact load are presented. Loading modes with and without fiber breakage are considered. A direct comparison of the numerical and experimental data is presented. A good agreement between them is demonstrated. The resulting validated numerical model of a single fiber can further be used to describe a fabric material as a system of interacting fibers.
On Derivation of Equations of Electrodynamics and Gravitation from the Principle of Least Action, the Hamilton–Jacobi Method, and Cosmological Solutions
Authors: Vedenyapin V. V.
Published: August 2022

In classical texts, equations for fields are proposed without derivation of right-hand sides. Below, the right-hand sides of the Maxwell and Einstein equations are derived within the framework of the Vlasov–Maxwell–Einstein equations from a classical, but slightly more general principle of least action and Hamilton–Jacobi equations are used to obtain cosmological solutions.
Thermomechanical response of kaolin clay–concrete interface in the context of energy geostructures
Authors: Hashemi Amirhossein , Sutman Melis , Abuel-Naga Hossam
Published: August 2022

The analysis and design of energy geostructures are mainly characterised by the mechanical behaviour of the soil–structure interface in non-isothermal conditions. In this study, direct shear tests are conducted to investigate the shear behaviour of soil and soil–structure interface in the practical temperature range of energy geostructures (i.e., 8–45 °C). The interface in this study is formed of kaolin in contact with concrete specimens with different roughness. Tests are performed on normally consolidated and overconsolidated interfaces following the unloading/reloading paths to better understand the impact of thermal strain on the interface behaviour. The volumetric response of the interface is observed to be highly influenced by the thermal strains experienced during heating/cooling. The soil stress level and the most recent soil stress history are identified as the primary determinants of thermally induced changes in interface shear strength. For normally consolidated interfaces, the temperature increase led to higher adhesion and slightly lower friction angle, whereas higher adhesion and identical friction angles were found for tests conducted on cooled specimens. Temperature does not seem to affect the shear strength of overconsolidated interfaces. Finally, a conceptual understanding of the temperature effect on interface shear behaviour is provided by analysing data from the literature.
Deep desulfurization of alkylated oil by alumina adsorbents: characteristics and mechanism study
Authors: Li Hui , Wang Bingjie , Yang Hang , Lu Zhaojin , Liu Wenxia , Bai Zhishan
Published: August 2022

Deep desulfurization of alkylated oil is the primary problem that has long plagued the petroleum refining industry. In this study, alkaline alumina adsorbent microspheres were synthesized by carbonization–hot oil column pelletization method. The adsorption desulfurization performance of as-synthesized adsorbent and three commercial alumina-based adsorbents were systematically evaluated and compared. The results showed that alkaline alumina adsorbent had the optimal adsorption performance with a saturated adsorption capacity of 8.604 mg/g. Meanwhile, FTIR and sulfur speciation analysis indicated that the alkaline alumina adsorbent could deeply remove various sulfides (methyl mercaptan, dimethyl disulfide, hexacarbon sulfide, dibenzothiophene, etc.) from alkylated oil. Furthermore, the adsorption kinetics study manifested that the adsorption of sulfide was dominated by chemical adsorption, supplemented by physical adsorption, and accompanied by competitive adsorption among different sulfides. In addition, the regeneration experiment showed that nitrogen (90 °C) could realize the stable regeneration of the alkaline alumina adsorbent. To ensure stable regeneration performance in the industry, it is recommended that the alkaline alumina adsorbent be regenerated once with nitrogen at 90 °C. This study will provide theoretical support for the process optimization of deep desulfurization of alkylated oil and contribute to the high-quality production of clean fuels worldwide.
The efficiency of theCOIgene as a DNA barcode and an overview of Orthoptera (Caelifera and Ensifera) sequences in the BOLD System
Authors: Timm Vítor Falchi , Gonçalves Leonardo Tresoldi , Valente Vera Lúcia Da Silva , Deprá Maríndia
Published: August 2022

Orthoptera, among the oldest and most numerous insect lineages, is an excellent model for evolutionary studies but has numerous taxonomic problems. To mitigate these issues, the cytochrome  c oxidase subunit I ( COI), standardized with the DNA barcode for Metazoa, is increasingly used for specimen identification and species delimitation. We tested the performance of COI as a DNA barcode in Orthoptera, using two analyses based on intra- and inter-specific distances, barcode gap, and Probability of Correct Identification (PCI); and estimated species richness through Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) and Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP). We filtered all sequences of Orthoptera available in Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and used 11 605 COI sequences, covering 1 132 species, 226 genera, and 18 families. The overall average PCI was 73.86%. For 82.2% of genera, the barcode gap boxplots were classified as “good” or “intermediate”, indicating that COI can be effective as a DNA barcode in Orthoptera, although with varying efficiency depending on the need for more information. ABGD and ASAP inferred species richness similar to labels informed by BOLD for the suborders Caelifera and Ensifera. The representation of Orthoptera in the BOLD database and the results of these analyses are discussed.
Marsupial satellite DNA as faithful reflections of long-terminal repeat retroelement structure
Authors: Hayashi Sakura , Honda Yusuke , Kanesaki Etsuko , Koga Akihiko
Published: August 2022

Long terminal repeat (LTR) retroelements, including endogenous retroviruses, are one of the origins of satellite DNAs. However, the vast majority of satellite DNAs originating from LTR retroelements consists of parts of the element. In addition, they frequently contain sequences unrelated to that element. Here we report a novel marsupial satellite DNA (named walbRep) that contains, and consists solely of, the entire sequence of an LTR retroelement (the walb element). As is common with LTR retroelements, walb copies exhibit length variation. We focused on the abundance of copies of a specific length (2.7 kb) in the genome of the red-necked wallaby. Cloning and analyses of long genomic DNA fragments revealed a satellite DNA in which the LTR sequence (0.4 kb) and the sequence of the internal region of a nonautonomous walb copy (2.3 kb) were repeated alternately. The junctions between these two components exhibited the same end-to-end arrangements as those in the walb element. This satellite organization could be accounted for by a simple formation model that includes slippage during chromosome pairing followed by homologous recombination but does not invoke any other types of rearrangements. We discuss the possible reasons why satellite DNAs having such structures are rarely found in mammals.
Renormalization scheme dependence of $$\beta $$-functions in Lorentz-violating quantum field theory
Authors: Karki Sapan , Altschul Brett
Published: August 2022

Effective quantum field theories that allow for the possibility of Lorentz symmetry violation can sometimes also include redundancies of description in their Lagrangians. Explicit calculations in a Lorentz-violating generalization of Yukawa theory show that when this kind of redundancy exists, different renormalization schemes may lead to different expressions for the renormalization group $$\beta $$
β
-functions, even at only one-loop order. However, the renormalization group scaling of physically observable quantities appears not to share this kind of scheme dependence.
An In-depth Study of Java Deserialization Remote-Code Execution Exploits and Vulnerabilities
Authors: Sayar Imen , Bartel Alexandre , Bodden Eric , Le Traon Yves
Published: August 2022

Nowadays, an increasing number of applications use deserialization. This technique, based on rebuilding the instance of objects from serialized byte streams, can be dangerous since it can open the application to attacks such as
remote code execution (RCE)
if the data to deserialize is originating from an untrusted source. Deserialization vulnerabilities are so critical that they are in OWASP’s list of top 10 security risks for web applications. This is mainly caused by faults in the development process of applications and by flaws in their dependencies, i.e., flaws in the libraries used by these applications. No previous work has studied deserialization attacks in-depth: How are they performed? How are weaknesses introduced and patched? And for how long are vulnerabilities present in the codebase? To yield a deeper understanding of this important kind of vulnerability, we perform two main analyses: one on attack gadgets, i.e., exploitable pieces of code, present in Java libraries, and one on vulnerabilities present in Java applications. For the first analysis, we conduct an exploratory large-scale study by running 256515  experiments in which we vary the versions of libraries for each of the 19 publicly available exploits. Such attacks rely on a combination of
gadgets
present in one or multiple Java libraries. A gadget is a method which is using objects or fields that can be attacker-controlled. Our goal is to precisely identify library versions containing gadgets and to understand how gadgets have been introduced and how they have been patched. We observe that the modification of one innocent-looking detail in a class – such as making it
public
– can already introduce a gadget. Furthermore, we noticed that among the studied libraries, 37.5% are not patched, leaving gadgets available for future attacks.

For the second analysis, we manually analyze 104 deserialization vulnerabilities CVEs to understand how vulnerabilities are introduced and patched in real-life Java applications. Results indicate that the vulnerabilities are not always completely patched or that a workaround solution is proposed. With a workaround solution, applications are still vulnerable since the code itself is unchanged.
2-Dimensional Simulations of Pit Propagation and Multi-Pit Interactions
Authors: Nguyen Van Anh , Newman Roger C. , Laycock Nicholas J.
Published: August 2022

This work presents a reaction-transport model for pit propagation coupled with a phase field method to model the moving boundary at the corroding surface. This enables numerical simulations of the simultaneous propagation of multiple pits in close proximity to each other to study the interactions between pits under galvanostatic conditions, with limited applied currents. Results show the formation of lacy covers over pits in stainless steel, which is due to undercutting of the surrounding surface, and reveal the development of other complex morphologies arising from the interaction between neighboring pits; e.g., the growth of “pits within pits” and the evolution of “champion pits.” Such observations are due to the shrinkage of the total active surface to sustain the limited current as pits grow larger. The proposed model can be a valuable tool for studying the evolution of pit morphology in more realistic scenarios when multiple pit initiation sites are present.
Mitigating Re-Entrant Etch Profile Undercut in Au Etch with an Aqua Regia Variant
Authors: Ferguson Mark , Najah Mohamed , Banville Frédéric , Boucherit Mohamed , Miriyala Naresh , Renaud Jacques , Fréchette Luc , Boone François , Ecoffey Serge , Charlebois Serge A.
Published: August 2022

We investigate the re-entrant undercut profile resulting from Au wet etching for patterning micron range thick films using an aqua regia-based solution in comparison with an iodine-iodide-based commercial etchant. Our work discriminates between two undercutting mechanisms: galvanic acceleration of etch rate at the Au adhesion or barrier layer, and delamination-based undercutting. We tracked etch outcomes of feature size reduction from photoresist size, undercut Au in cross-section and lift-off of small (5–10 μm) features. Results indicate that galvanic undercutting is well-mitigated by the aqua regia solution compared to commercial etchant results. Good Au adhesion eliminates undercut for 500 nm-thick Au and mitigates it by ∼80% for 1 μm-thick Au. We discuss the electrochemical origin of this mitigated galvanic undercut.
Electrochemical Sensor Based on Au NPs@NiPc-Cu MOFs Modified Electrode for the Rapid Detection of Luteolin
Authors: Xu Wensi , He Xiansen , Li Xiaokun , Feng Suxiang
Published: August 2022

In this study, a novel electrochemical sensor was designed to detect luteolin (Lu) with the composite of gold nanoparticles and nickel phthalocyanine-based 2D conductive metal-organic frameworks (Au NPs@NiPc-Cu MOFs) for the first time. The NiPc-Cu MOFs exhibit excellent conductivity, large specific surface area, and porous structure, which can accelerate the mass transfer process of target molecules. To further improve the sensitivity of the sensing platform, Au NPs with outstanding conductivity were introduced to the surface of NiPc-Cu MOFs to prepare Au NPs@NiPc-Cu MOFs. The synergistic effect of NiPc-Cu MOFs and Au NPs endows the sensor with excellent electrocatalytic performance and outstanding sensitivity. Under optimal conditions, the electrochemical sensor has a wide linear range (0.1–40 μM). Moreover, the prepared sensor possesses good stability and anti-interference ability. This method does not require complicated sample pretreatment, simple operation, and short detection time, which can provide a new method for the rapid detection of Lu.
High Speed Atomic Force Microscope Observation of Polyethylene Glycol Adsorption on Au(100)
Authors: Esaki Rei , Yasuda Yohei , Kotani Norito , Matsushima Hisayoshi , Ueda Mikito
Published: August 2022

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) plays an important role as an inhibitor of the electrodeposition. In this study, we investigated the potential dependence of PEG (molecular weight: 3000) adsorption and desorption processes on the gold single crystal substrate. High speed atomic force microscope (HS-AFM) was applied for observing the dynamic behaviors of the nucleation and the growth of PEG adsorption. The in situ observation was conducted at the several potentials where the cyclic voltammogram measurement showed the broad peak of the reduction current. As the applied potential became more cathodic, the adsorption morphology changed from film-like, through the sphere, to the large irregular cluster. When the potential was switched to anodic potential, HS-AFM could show the dissolution process of PEG. Finally we demonstrated the effect of the tip force by modifying the feed-back circuit of AFM.
Recovery of Gold by Solvent Extraction and Direct Electrodeposition Using Phosphonium-Based Ionic Liquids
Authors: Matsumiya Masahiko , Kinoshita Ryoma , Sasaki Yuji
Published: August 2022

In this study, phosphonium-based ionic liquids (IL), i.e., triethyl-n-pentyl, triethyl-n-octyl, and triethyl-n-dodecyl phosphonium bis(trifluoromethyl-sulfonyl)amide, [P222X][NTf2], (X = 5, 8, and 12) were investigated for Au(III) extraction. The IL–Au complex was identified as [P2225][AuCl4] using UV–Vis–NIR and Raman spectroscopic analyses. Slope analyses with the concentration dependence of [P222X
+] confirmed the anion-exchange mechanism of Au(III) extraction by [P222X
+] (X = 5, 8, and 12). The enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy for Au(III) extraction were determined using thermodynamic analysis, indicating that lower temperatures had a positive effect on the Au(III) extraction. Electrochemical analysis revealed that extracted Au(III) can be reduced in two steps: (i) Au(III) + 2e− → Au(I), (ii) Au(I) + e− → Au(0)]. The diffusion coefficients of the extracted Au(III) species in [P222X][NTf2] (X = 5, 8, and 12) were evaluated from 323 to 373 K using semi-integral and semi-differential analyses. Because of the viscosity of the IL medium, the diffusion coefficient of the extracted Au(III) increases with increasing alkyl chain length. The 4f
7/2 spectrum based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the Au electrodeposits obtained after 10 cycles of continuous extraction and electrodeposition were in the metallic state.
Electrochemical Reduction of Cr (VI) Using a Graphene-Modified Stainless Steel Electrode
Authors: Chen Long , Liu Yubo , Zhang Shaohui
Published: August 2022

Electrochemical reduction using a metal-based electrode is a novel method for treatment of Cr (VI)-containing wastewater. However, the removal efficiency with a metal-based electrode is limited by the low conductivity and specific surface area. In this study, a stainless steel (SS) electrode modified with graphene was fabricated and used to reduce Cr (VI) in an electrochemical system. Under the optimal conditions (i.e., the graphene loading of 1.50 mg·cm−2, −0.7 V, pH 1.5 and the electrolyte concentration (Na2SO4) of 10 g·l−1), this composite electrode removed 99.7 ± 0.00% of Cr (VI) with an initial concentration of 10 mg·l−1 in 80 min Cr (VI) was removed by the following pathways: (1) under the additive electric field, Cr (VI) was mainly reduced into Cr (III) directly by accepting electrons, (2) Cr (VI) was reduced to Cr (III) by −OH of graphene, (3) −COOH on the surface of graphene underwent bonding with H+ thereby producing hydrogen bonding to adsorb Cr (VI). Meanwhile, COO− was produced via losing H+ to adsorb Cr (III).
One-Step Synthesis of TiN/C Nanocomposites for the Sensitive Determination of Ofloxacin
Authors: Wang Chensheng , Jing Huan , Li Weifeng , Long Yumei
Published: August 2022

Regulating the heterostructure of electrode materials has a great influence on electron migration and subsequent electrochemical reactions, which play a critical role in the sensing process. Herein, a facile method has been demonstrated to synthesize TiN/graphitic carbon (TiN/gC) nanocomposites by the in situ growth of TiN nanoparticles on C nanosheets. The formation of TiN/gC heterojunctions was evidenced by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This heterostructure can effectively facilitate electron transfer and increase the electrochemically active area, which improves the electrocatalytic performance. Interestingly, the TiN/gC-modified glassy carbon electrode (TiN-gC/GCE) exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity toward ofloxacin (OFLX) redox. With the change in the OFLX concentration, the electrochemical response of the sensor also changes. By using a differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) technique, the designed sensor showed a wide detection range: the DPV response was linearly dependent on the concentrations in the range of 0.05 – 1.0 and 1.0 – 100 μM. Moreover, TiN-gC/GCE demonstrated outstanding analytical performances in the quantitative OFLX assay, such as a high sensitivity of 2876 μA·mM−1·cm–2, low detection limit of 0.016 μM, good selectivity and stability. The proposed method was successfully applied for OFLX detection in eye drops and environmental water with satisfactory results.
Review–On Epitaxial Electrodeposition of Co, Cu, and Ru for Interconnect Applications
Authors: Barmak Katayun , Gusley Ryan R.
Published: August 2022

Epitaxial electrodeposition of Co, Cu and Ru is compared and contrasted. The seed layer for electrodeposition of all three metals was an epitaxial Ru(0001) film that was deposited at an elevated temperature onto a sapphire(0001) substrate and annealed post deposition. The epitaxial orientation relationship of the electrodeposited film and the seed layer, the epitaxial misfit strain, the role of symmetry of the seed layer versus the electrodepositing layer is addressed. In addition, the impact of underpotential deposition on film nucleation, and the growth morphology of the films is discussed. It is shown that epitaxial electrodeposition of metallic films to thicknesses of tens of nanometers is readily achievable.

This paper 1189 was presented during the 241st Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, May 29–June 2, 2022.
Chemical Variants of the Dicyanamide Anion, and a Landscape for Basic and Superbasic Ionic Liquids
Authors: Bhat M. H. , Edwards A. D. , Tucker T. G. , Davidowski S. K. , Amin S. A. , Thoms E. , Yarger J. L. , Richert R. , Angell C. A.
Published: August 2022

We describe the properties of three new aprotic ionic liquids (ILs) with irreducible cations and anions which are close relatives of the commonly used −N(CN)2 anion, namely −N(CHO)2 (diformylamide) and −N(CO)2(CH2)2 (succinimide), having pK
a values which are slightly more basic than the pK
a of OH− ions of aqueous solution chemistry. In addition to using the well-known N-butyl-N-methyl pyrrolidinium cation, P14
+, we report the use of the tetrabutylammonium cation, +N[CH3(CH2)3]4, in forming an ionic liquid with the diformylamide anion. The formation and purity of these ILs was assessed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The broadband dielectric spectra for all three ionic liquids were analyzed and the glass transition temperatures (T
g) estimated from the dielectric data matched well with those obtained from differential scanning calorimetry. The results demonstrate that pure aprotic ILs with high-pK
a equivalent anions can be obtained by metathesis reactions despite their low pK
a difference of 2 to 3. By contrast, protic analogues of these cation-anion pairs would fail to produce ILs, for which larger pK
a differences are required. These new aprotic ILs are glass-forming with T
g’s near 210 K and show DC-conductivities near 0.1 mS cm−1 at ambient temperatures.
Implications of Sm22α-Cre expression in keratinocytes and unanticipated inflammatory skin lesion in a model of atherosclerosis
Authors: Hu Mei , Hiroyasu Sho , Granville David J. , Kassiri Zamaneh
Published: August 2022

Although Sm22α-Cre is commonly used to target gene deletion in smooth muscle cells, Sm22α-derived Adam17 deletion resulted in unexpected severe skin lesions following high-fat diet feeding in a model of atherosclerosis. Adam17 deletion by a different SMC driver, Myh11-Cre, did not result in skin lesions in the same atherosclerosis model. Sm22α is highly expressed in keratinocytes, causing ectopic loss of ADAM17 in keratinocytes that caused significant epidermal lesions when combined with a high-fat diet.
Ethnopharmacological Survey, Mineral and Chemical Content, In Vitro Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Activities of Aqueous and Organic Extracts of Chamaerops humilis L. var. argentea Andre Leaves
Authors: Lachkar Nacima , Lamchouri Fatima , Toufik Hamid
Published: August 2022

Introduction. The present study is carried out for the first time on Chamaerops humilis L. var. argentea Andre from the region of Taza using an ethnopharmacological survey, an experimental study of the mineralogical and chemical compositions, and evaluations of the antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Methods. After conducting the ethnopharmacological survey, a mineralogical and phytochemical study involving the preparation of aqueous and organic extracts was done. Essential oils were also extracted by hydrodistillation. Subsequently, qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses were performed. In vitro evaluation of antioxidant activities was performed by five tests (H2O2, DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and RP) and antibacterial activities by the disc method and determination of MIC and MBC. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to visualize the different correlations. Results. The different parts of the plant are used for the treatment of digestive disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. In addition, the leaves are rich in mineral compounds, catechic tannins, flavonoids, and sterols. However, they have some traces of essential oils. The quantitative analysis revealed that the ethanolic macerated had a higher content of total polyphenols (100.27 ± 1.95 mg EAG/g E) and catechic tannins (52.11 ± 1.02 mg EC/g E). This extract had a strong antioxidant capacity (H2O2 (37.34 ± 0.55%), DPPH (IC50 = 31.18 ± 0.66 μg/ml), ABTS (108.28 ± 1.29 mg E AA/g E), FRAP (148.85 ± 0.43 mg E T/g E), and RP (10.86 ± 0.01 mg E AA/g E). The same extract had a bactericidal effect against Staphylococcus aureus. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that antioxidant activity was highly correlated with the chemical composition of C. humilis leaves; a high correlation was recorded between the total polyphenol content and ABTS (r = 0.9779), FRAP (r = 0.9644), DPPH (r = 0.9418), and PR (r = 0.9271) tests. In addition, cathectic tannins were highly correlated with the tests of DPPH (r = 0.9753) and ABTS (r = 0.8843). Flavonoids were similarly correlated with DPPH (r = 0.8897) and ABTS (r = 0.7599) tests. Conclusion. These results could justify the traditional use of the leaves of Chamaerops humilis in the region of Taza for the treatment of some diseases.
Effects of Nitrogen‐Doping or Alumina Films on Graphene as Anode Materials of Lithium‐Ion Batteries Verified by In Situ XRD
Authors: Chen Guang-Jhong , Ng K. Y. Simon , Lin Chuen-Chang
Published: August 2022

First, graphene is directly grown on nickel foil without additional catalysts by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Next, the graphene is modified by nitrogen‐doping, and alumina is deposited onto the graphene by magnetron sputtering. The charge‐specific capacity of N‐doped graphene is higher than that of graphene since 2 Theta of in situ XRD characteristic peaks for N‐doped graphene moves toward a lower angle (about 24) which is smaller than that (about 25) for graphene, and then the gap between graphene layers for N‐doped graphene is larger than that for graphene according to Bragg’s Law, and N‐doped graphene demonstrates the additional in situ XRD characteristic peak (LiC6) in comparison to graphene only with the in situ XRD characteristic peak (LiC12). Furthermore, because 2 Theta of in situ XRD characteristic peaks for Al2O3/graphene also moves toward a lower angle (about 24) and Al2O3/graphene also shows the additional in situ XRD characteristic peak (LiC6), the charge‐specific capacity of Al2O3/graphene is also higher than that of graphene.
Trajectories of Blood Pressure in Patients with Established Coronary Artery Disease over 20 years
Authors: Jankowski Piotr , Kozieł Paweł , Bilo Grzegorz , Pinkas Jarosław , Czarnecka Danuta , Kawecka-Jaszcz Kalina , Pająk Andrzej
Published: August 2022

Objective. To evaluate changes in blood pressure (BP) values in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) over 20 years (1997–2017). Materials and Methods. Consecutive patients aged <71 years and hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome or myocardial revascularization procedures were recruited and interviewed 6–18 months after their discharge from the hospital. BP was measured in 1997–1998, 1999–2000, 2006–2007, 2011–2013, and 2016–2017. The same five hospitals took part in the surveys at each time point. Results. We examined 412 patients in 1997–1998, 427 in 1999–2000, 422 in 2006–2007, 462 in 2011–2013, and 272 in 2016–2017. The proportion of patients with BP at the recommended goal was 49.2% in 1997–98, 44.5% in 1999–2000, 44.7% in 2006–07, 51.1% in 2011–13, and 58.8% in 2016–17 (

p
<
0.001

). Mean systolic and diastolic BP decreased significantly independent of age, sex, and education (systolic BP: 137.9 ± 21.4 mmHg in 1997–98, 139.5 ± 21.6 mmHg in 1999–2000, 136.1 ± 20.3 mmHg in 2006–07, 134.8 ± 22.0 mmHg in 2011–13, and 134.2 ± 18.6 mmHg in 2016–17,

p
<
0.001

; diastolic BP: 83.4 ± 11.0 mmHg in 1997–98, 84.8 ± 12.0 mmHg in 1999–2000, 85.2 ± 11.0 mmHg in 2006–07, 80.9 ± 12.5 mmHg in 2011–13, and 81.1 ± 10.4 mmHg in 2016–17;

p
<
0.001

). Conclusion. The analysis of five multicenter surveys provides evidence of a decrease in BP in patients with established CAD over two decades. This trend is independent of age, sex, and the education level of the patients.
A Lightweight Deep Learning-Based Approach for Jazz Music Generation in MIDI Format
Authors: Yadav Prasant Singh , Khan Shadab , Singh Yash Veer , Garg Puneet , Singh Ram Sewak
Published: August 2022

In today’s real-world, estimation of the level of difficulty of the musical is part of very meaningful musical learning. A musical learner cannot learn without a defined precise estimation. This problem is not very basic but it is complicated up to some extent because of the subjectivity of the contents and the scarcity of the data. In this paper, a lightweight model that generates original music content using deep learning along with generating music based on a specific genre is proposed. The paper discusses a lightweight deep learning-based approach for jazz music generation in MIDI format. In this work, the genre of music chosen is Jazz, and the songs selected are classical numbers composed by various artists. All the songs are in MIDI format and there might be differences in the pace or tone of the music. It is prudential to make sure that the chosen datasets that do not have these kinds of differences and are similar to the final output as desired. A model is trained to take in a part of a music file as input and should produce its continuation. The result generated should be similar to the dataset given as the input. Moreover, the proposed model also generates music using a particular instrument.
Effects of Staged Nursing Care on Neuroendoscopic Transsphenoidal Pituitary Adenoma Resection and Postoperative Complications
Authors: Fei Yaya , Zhang Jiajia , Gu Yudan
Published: August 2022

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine whether staged nursing had an impact on the outcome of neuroendoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary tumor resection and postoperative complications. Methods. As research participants, we chose 88 individuals with pituitary adenomas who were treated at our institution between February 2020 and November 2021; all patients received endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary adenoma excision. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: the routine group (n = 44) and the stage group (n = 44). Patients in the routine group received care according to the routine nursing mode, and patients in the stage group received care according to the stage nursing mode. The staged nursing interventions included preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative nursing. Postoperative recovery-related indicators such as the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and a self-rating depression scale (SDS), contentment, comfort, and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results. The postoperative recovery-related indexes of patients in the stage group were significantly lower than those in the routine group (

P
<
0.05

); the SAS and SDS scores in the stage group after treatment were significantly lower than those in the routine group (

P
<
0.05

); patients in the stage group were significantly more satisfied with their treatment after treatment than those in the routine group (

P
<
0.05

); patients in the stage group were significantly more comfortable after treatment than those in the routine group (

P
<
0.05

); a significantly lower incidence of postoperative complications was observed in the stage group compared to the routine group (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Patients with neuroendoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary tumor excision benefit greatly from staged nursing. The nursing approach may successfully assure the procedure’s smooth completion, boost patients’ postoperative recovery, and reduce patients’ worry, despair, and other unpleasant feelings. The nursing approach may successfully increase clinical satisfaction and comfort of patients by minimizing the likelihood of postoperative problems, and it is well-suited for practical use.
Evaluation of the Application Effect of Virtual Simulation Technology in Rural Garden Landscape Design
Authors: Tang Yuping , Xuan Yang , Zhu Xiaoyue
Published: August 2022

In order to improve the effect of rural garden landscape design, this paper combines virtual simulation technology to design rural garden landscape and evaluates its design effect. Moreover, this paper proposes an optical modulation system for the application of virtual simulation in rural garden landscape design. In addition, before the target is modulated, this paper converts the two-dimensional image on the detector target surface into a one-dimensional stretched modulation image so that the beam emitted by each object point is stretched and flattened on the detector target surface. Finally, this paper explores the influence of lens spacing and field of view on the modulation image of the target surface and the characteristics of projected intensity attenuation after modulation and designs a modulation model that optimizes attenuation. The research results show that the garden landscape design based on virtual reality technology proposed in this paper has a good effect and is of great significance to the effect of rural garden landscape design.