bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Public Perception of Radio Surveillance in the Distribution of COVID-19 Palliatives to Smallholder Farmers in Nigeria
Authors: Ternenge Kusugh , Sabo Kente Josiah
Published: October 2022

This study was carried out to examine surveillance responsibility of the radio in the distribution of the COVID-19 palliatives to smallholder farmers in Nigeria. The study, most specifically, sought to: find out particular COVID-19 palliatives that the radio was involved in monitoring their distribution to smallholder farmers in Nigeria; determine various ways through which the radio was involved in monitoring the distribution of the COVID-19 palliatives to smallholder farmers in Nigeria; examine the extent to which the radio is involved in monitoring the distribution of such palliatives for farmers’ accessibility in Nigeria; ascertain the influence of the radio’s surveillance role on farmers’ knowledge of accessing the COVID-19 palliatives in Nigeria. The methodology adopted in the study was the survey which questionnaire was used as the research instrument for data collection. The data collected in the study was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that monitoring fertilizer distribution to smallholder farmers was the major surveillance role played by the radio while monitoring the distribution of improved seeds, finance, soft loans, agriculture mechanization services, and agric technology services to farmers were other surveillance responsibilities of the radio in distribution of the Covid-19 palliatives to farmers in Nigeria. The study also identified breaking news as format predominantly used on the radio in reporting the Covid-19 palliatives. Majority of the smallholder farmers (86%) expressed their dissatisfaction with the extent to which radio was involved in monitoring distribution of their Covid-19 palliatives in the country. As a result, only a small proportion of them (13.7%) have significant knowledge of how to access the COVID-19 palliatives in the country. The study concluded that although radio still remains a medium for the dissemination of agricultural information its impact in monitoring the distribution of the Covid-19 palliatives is not significantly felt among smallholder farmers in Nigeria. Hence, an urgent need for the radio to be more observant and critical in sufficiently addressing all aspects of farmers’ information needs in the country.
Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy (Art) among Pregnant Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Okigwe Imo State, Nigeria
Authors: Uloeme E. C. , Caleb Nwaogwugwu Joel , Nwankwo Victor C. , Nosiri C. I.
Published: October 2022

The antiretroviral medication (ART) compliance of expectant HIV/AIDS patients in Nigeria's Okigwe Imo state was investigated in this study. In particular, the study established the prevalence of HIV among expectant mothers in Okigwe Imo State, Nigeria, identified the behavioral and demographic factors associated with ART adherence, and looked at the obstacles to ART use among expectant mothers in Okigwe Imo State, Nigeria. The study adopted the AIDS risk reduction model by Catania  and Coates, (1990), the pathway of survival model theory by Mosley and Chen (1984) and the health belief model by Rosenstock et al (1950). From the responses obtained and analysed, the findings revealed that the extent of the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women in Okigwe Imo State, Nigeria is low. Also, the findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between demography and ART adherence among pregnant women in Okigwe Imo State, Nigeria. The findings further revealed that there is a significant relationship between behaviour and ART adherence among pregnant women in Okigwe Imo State, Nigeria. The study therefore recommends that PMTCT services should be accessible to every pregnant woman attending antenatal care, either onsite or through a referral to a nearby clinic, to improve coverage. When it comes to locating PMTCT facilities, using a geographic information system can help eliminate inequity and enhance accessibility within states.
The Development and Perception of Trainee Teachers towards Smartphone Based Free Fall Measurement Kit Using Arduino
Authors: Mokhdzir Syahmina , Nawi Mohd Norzaidi Mat
Published: October 2022

Free fall motion is one of the topics that is always considered challenging for Physics Students. The lack of teaching aids concerning this topic is also why students are less exposed to the free fall concept. Thus, this study aims to develop a Free Fall Kit as a teaching aid for the Physics Form Four under the subtopic Free Fall Movement. This kit is developed using an Arduino microcontroller where the result of gravitational acceleration will be displayed on the smartphone through the Bluetooth module. This study also aims to test the trainee teacher’s perceptions of majoring in physics at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris towards the Free Fall Kit. The validity study was conducted with three experts among the physics lecturers at the Sultan Idris University of Education. These validity data were analyzed using the Percentage of Consent. The validity value obtained showed a high value where the total percentage of validity agreement from the three experts was 98.3% for face validity and 93.3% for content validity. This study uses a descriptive method to assess the instrument reliability and respondents perceptions of the developed kits. The data obtained showed that Cronbach’s Alpha value is 0.97, while an average mean score is 3.82 and an average standard deviation value is 0.28, indicating that the level of reliability and perception is at a high level of agreement among the respondents. In conclusion, the Free Fall Kit has a good perception among trainee teachers at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris and has achieved the objectives of this research. The implication is that the Free Fall Kit can be an alternative teaching aid for teachers to teach the subtopic of free fall motion to determine the value of gravitational acceleration.
Assessment of Biologically Active Components and Nutritional Contents of Seed Kernels of Opioro and Julie Mango Varieties: A Right Step for Drug Discovery
Authors: Nwachukwu K. C. , Ugbogu O. C. , Nwachukwu N. C.
Published: October 2022

This study was aimed at investigating the biologically active compounds and nutritional compositions in the seed kernels of Opioro and Julie varieties with medicinal qualities. The seed kernels were milled, dissolved in methanol and concentrated with rotary evaporator. The chemical compounds in these extracts were analyzed with Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry while the mineral and proximate compounds were assessed with the methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Both Opioro and Julie did not contain similar chemical compounds. A total of 22 chemical compounds were obtained from Opioro while only 13 compounds were discovered in Julie. Five bioactive compounds from Opioro namely cholest-5-en-3-ol, (3.alpha.) (31.63%), 2-Pyridinamine, N-(4,5-dihydro-5-methyl-2-thiazolyl)-3-methyl- (14.74%), 2-Methyl-7-phenylindole (6.96%), benzo[h]quinoline, 2,4-dimethyl (6.61%) and 7-Methyl -2-phenyl-1H-indole (4.27%) were abundant. In Julie, only Octadecanoic acid, 6-Octadecenoic acid, 1, 2, 3-Benzenetriol and n-Hexadecanoic acid were plentiful with the highest peak percentage of 39.76%, 16.05% and 5.41% respectively. The protein, fibre, moisture and ash contents from Opioro and Julie were not significantly different but, the carbohydrates varied (P<0.05) between 71.36±0.37% and 70.22±0.44% and fats varied (P<0.05) between 7.20±0.48% and 9.21±0.31% respectively. Phosphorus (1610.00±14.00 ppm), calcium (4595.00±7.07 ppm), and magnesium (1984.50±21.92 ppm) were high in Julie while zinc (18.197±0.25), copper (14.960±0.09), iron (319.615±2.28) and manganese (337.940±5.80) were more in Opioro than Julie. The seed kernels of Opioro and Julie have abundant bioactive compounds with medicinal properties. The essential mineral elements and rich proximate compounds in both extracts are potentially required and can be capable of improving the health and nutritional conditions of both humans and animals.
Separate Ratio Estimator Using Calibration Approach for the Population mean in Stratified Random Sampling
Authors: Khare B. B. , Singh Sachin , Mishra Manish
Published: October 2022

In this paper we investigate the problem of estimation of finite population mean using auxiliary information. The aim of this paper is to modify a separate ratio estimator by using calibration approach for the population mean using stratified random sampling. We use the calibration approach to improve the precision of estimate of the population parameter by incorporating auxiliary information. We use the chi-square distance function to minimize the distance between the original design weight and the new design weight. We use two constraints called calibration equations to find the new calibration weights. We use the Taylor’s linearization technique to find the approximate mean square (MSE) of the proposed estimator up to the first degree of approximation. We conduct a simulation study to assess the efficiency of the proposed calibration estimator based on an artificially generated data set. An empirical study has also been conducted to judge the merits of the proposed estimator, which shows that the proposed estimator performs better than the proposed estimator [9] and the usual separate ratio estimator.
A Simulation Study Using a Mixed Model Framework to Analyze the Impact of Sample Size and Variability on Type I Error
Authors: Gu Xiaoxue , Doetkott Curt , Magel Rhonda
Published: October 2022

Aims: This simulation study was conducted to check the validity of a MIXED model’s statistical inference when violating the underlying assumptions – normality of random errors when there are unbalanced group sizes and inequality of variance of errors [Scheffe, 1959].

Study Design: Monte Carlo Simulation Study.

Place and Duration of Study: North Dakota State University 2020-2021.

Methodology: Repeated measures designs (or longitudinal studies) are commonly seen in many research fields, especially in pharmaceutical clinical trials, agricultural research, and psychology. PROC MIXED (SAS Inc.) is a well-known standard tool for analyzing repeated measures data nowadays. The MIXED procedure is based on the standard linear MIXED model, which estimates parameters by maximizing the restricted likelihood. The usual assumption for a standard linear MIXED model is normality. However, the character of data in the real world may be non- smoothed, or non-symmetric, or having heavy tails. We estimate the Type I error rates in different combinations of settings and compare them with the stated Type I error.

Conclusion: The main results in this study show us that the MIXED model is reasonably robust to modest violations of the normal distribution. However, when a small sample size associated with a treatment was combined with the effects of that treatment having a large variance, a severe inflation problem on Type I error rates could occur when using the MIXED model procedure. When the Type I errors were found to be inflated, the Group= option was found to often help with this problem. A Sub-Sampling procedure was also found to help with this problem.
Dairy Cattle Mechanized Farming Equipment Applications and Future Development Trends
Authors: Cai Peifang , Dong Rong
Published: October 2022

With the rapid development of China's dairy industry and the continuous increase in the number of dairy cows, mechanized dairy farming equipment has been widely used. Therefore, mechanized dairy farming equipment in China has entered a new stage of development. From the current development of the dairy farming industry, mechanized farming has made outstanding contributions to improving the output of a single cow, ensuring the production safety of milk products, and improving the level of feeding management technology. Therefore, the implementation of mechanized dairy farming is the key to the development of China's dairy industry, and the R & D of standardization, finalization, serialization, and the complete set is also its future development direction. Dairy equipment is the basis of large-scale dairy farming, this paper briefly analyzes the development of feeding equipment, milking equipment, feed processing equipment, manure collection equipment, etc., and outlines the advanced and applicable characteristics of some products. The research in this paper provides a reference for the improvement and application of related products, effectively promoting the mechanized development of China's cattle industry and meeting the increasing consumer demand of residents.
Alteration of Pulmonary Venous Flow Doppler Post Transcatheter Closure of Atrial Septal Defect
Authors: Gobran Sara Mohamed Ahmed , El-Saied Ayman Mohamed , El-Shedoudy Sahar Abd Allah , Maria Dina A.
Published: October 2022

Background: Atrial septal defect is a common congenital heart anomaly results in hemodynamically significant right ventriclular volume overload and an increase in the pulmonary venous flow.

Aim: Evaluate changes of pulmonary venous flow parameters after transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defect.

Patients and Methods: 50 patients with atrial septal defect aged from 3.5 to 31 years were included in the study. Pulmonary venous flow Doppler and right ventricular function were evaluated before and after successful transcatheter closure by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography.

Results: The defect size ranged from 15 to 37mm with a mean (24.96 ±7.52), Normal systolic and diastolic waves of pulmonary venous flow Doppler were replaced by a continuous antegrade wave (mean 60±13.6 cm/s) in all atrial septal defect patients. Post-closure, the normal pulmonary venous flow pattern was regained, two separate waves, with a significant decrease in mean peak Systolic wave velocity (44.54±8.12 cm/sec vs 69.61±12.37, P=0.000), the mean peak Diastolic Wave velocity (55.85±9.81 cm/sec vs 72.65±10.38, P=0.000) and a significant increase in the mean peak atrial reversal wave velocity (28.75±4.63cm/sec vs 21.18±3.64, P=0.000). In multivariate regression analysis, significant predictors of haemodynamic significant ASD were ASD size,(odds ratio 1.508, P=0.007, 95% CI 1.153,2.671) and ASD/IAS ratio (odds ratio 2.313, P=0.001, 95% CI 1.064,3.104).

Conclusions: Atrial septal defect patients have characteristic pulmonary venous flow pattern: continuous antegrade wave with systolic predominance and decrease in atrial reversal wave, which return to normal after closure. These changes could be helpful echocardiographic tool in prediction of successful closure of the defect.
Fire Risk Evaluation for Petroleum Products Handling Facilities in Niger Delta Region, Nigeria
Authors: Jia Njideka , Nwaogazie Ify L. , Mmom Prince
Published: October 2022

This study is an evaluation of the level of fire and explosion risks in petroleum handling facilities in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was employed using Stratified & Purposive sampling techniques for data collection. A Standard checklist of 17 compliance specifications of Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) was adopted and a walk-through survey was carried out in 118 identified facilities in 3 urban locations: Eket, Port Harcourt and Warri, respectively. Inferential and descriptive statistics were analysed using XLSTAT version 17,and the level of risk calculated as the product of the likelihood of the hazard occurring and its consequence (Severity). The level of Risk was then rated on a 5x5 Risk Assessment Matrix. The result obtained revealed that 95.37% of the 118 stations sampled rated from Medium to High Risk. This calls for a great concern and urgent need for intervention. It is therefore recommended that Facility owners should demonstrate more seriousness to safety policies; provide adequate safety measures to safeguard their facilities and engage qualified Safety officers to carry out Facility specific Fire and explosion risk assessments and manage their safety concerns.
A Study on Farmer Perception on the Incorporation of Cotton Stubbles to Control the Pink Boll Worm Incidence
Authors: Kumar K. Ravi , Kumar J. Hemantha , Madhushekar B. R. , Chaitanya V. , Suneetha W. Jessie , Phanisri P. S. M. , Nagaraju D. , Reddy R. Uma , Prasad J. V.
Published: October 2022

Incorporation of cotton stubbles into the soil after harvesting will help in reducing the pink boll worm incidence. The present study was conducted with an aim to determine the effectiveness and usefulness of incorporation of cotton stubbles into the soil by the farmers. A total of 120 respondents were randomly selected in Khammam district and interviewed using a structured questionnaire during the year 2020-21. Ex-post facto research design was employed for the present study. The study revealed that, majority of the cotton farmers (59.17 per cent) had low level of perception followed by medium and high perception 23.33 and 17.50 percent respectively on incorporation of cotton stubbles for management of PBW. Further among the 120 respondents, 68 respondents opined that increase in yields per acre increased after stubble incorporation where the incorporated stubbles acted as manure to the crop and 52 respondents opined that there was no increase in yield per acre. 75.83 percent of the respondents suggested non-availability of the implement as the major constraint followed by 72.50 percent of the respondents opined that shredder is used once in the crop period and will remain idle for the major part of the season as is the second most major constraint.
Character Association Studies for Kernel Yield and Its Attributing Traits in Maize
Authors: Keerthana D. , Haritha T. , Kumar I. Sudhir , Ramesh D.
Published: October 2022

Correlation coefficient measures the strength of the relationship between independent traits on the dependent trait like yield, that helps breeder in selection for yield enhancement. In this view, the present experiment was carried out to assess the correlation coefficient and path analysis using twelve quantitative traits. Eleven lines, four testers and their 44 crosses along with five checks were evaluated in simple lattice design during rabi 2021-22. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among entries for all the characters under study, suggested the presence of substantial amount of genetic variability. Correlation studies specifies that plant height, ear placement height, ear length, ear girth, kernel rows per ear, number of kernels per row, 100-kernel weight exhibited significant positive association with kernel yield and among themselves at genotypic and phenotypic levels, signifying the importance of these traits during selection. Path analysis revealed that highest positive direct effects on kernel yield was exhibited by ear girth, number of kernels per row and days to 50% tasseling. As a result, the current study could aid in the reliable selection of parental lines based on these traits, as well as the development of high yielding varieties for future breeding programs.
Spatial Variability of Soil Properties under Different Land Use Systems in Wokha District of Nagaland, India
Authors: Ray Sanjay Kumar , Chatterjee Dibyendu , Deka Bidyut  C. , Kamble Kalpana H. , Mishra V. K.
Published: October 2022

The shifting cultivation practice is the predominant land use system of Nagaland, India, and Wokha district in particular. In general, there are four different forms of land use: forest, shifting cultivation, cultivated fallow, and wet terrace rice cultivation. In the Wokha district, a study was conducted in the year 2015 to evaluate the variability in soil characteristics among four different land use systems and to map their spatial distribution. A total of 381 soil samples were collected and tested for six soil fertility parameters; clay, pH, soil organic carbon, available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). The results showed that all of the soils were very acidic in nature; however the mean value of soil pH was substantially higher in the shifting cultivation system. Soil organic carbon concentrations ranged from high to very high across all land use systems. Average soil organic carbon content was highest in the forest, followed by cultivated fallow, shifting, and wet terrace rice cultivation (WTRC) systems, whereas available N content was very low to low. The P concentration of the soil was very low in the WTRC system and low in the other systems. Soil K concentration was high in shifting (361.95 kg/ha), cultivated fallow (312.4 kg/ha), forest (309.73 kg/ha), and low in WTRC (166.975 kg/ha) land use systems. Available N, P and K deficiency was found in 93.8%, 72.2%, and 32.9% of soil samples, respectively. Soil organic carbon correlated positively with K and significantly positively with N. Soil pH correlated negatively with clay content and positively but non-significantly with P. The generated maps might be used to assist farmers in identifying the expected nutrient levels in their areas and encourage them to change their crop management practices to improve crop yield and profitability. Due to soil acidity, higher SOC, lower N and P, and higher potassium content, suitable acid loving crops, higher N and phosphorus fertilization, and some commercially advantageous potassium responsive crops may be encouraged in farming practices.
Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy – A Review
Authors: Laila Tarafdar Runa , Ahmed Sheikh Salahuddin
Published: October 2022

High blood pressure is a common medical problem faced during pregnancy. Hypertensive diseases in pregnancy are one of the major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The compendious update of the various literature related to hypertension in pregnancy is presented in this review. The classification of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, their definitions, the current treatment guidelines, objectives of treatment and the potential risks of various hypertensive diseases of pregnancy has been reviewed. The recent advance in this field has been summarized. There are some changes in the diagnostic criteria and measurement of the severity of preeclampsia which has also been summarized. The short and long-term consequences of preeclampsia have been highlighted. We hope that this comprehensive discussion will stimulate the flourishing research in the field and facilitate clinicians to identify women at risk and thereby undertake more effective treatment of those affected individuals.
Evaluation of the Effect of Low Level Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Stable Vitiligo
Authors: Mostafa Hadeer M. , Hawary Esraa E. El , Gheida Shereen F. , Kassem Elham M.
Published: October 2022

Background: Vitiligo is a chronic cutaneous disease characterized by hypo- or depigmented patches that leave psychological impact on the patients. New treatment modalities have been developed to shorten the duration of treatment of vitiligo with fewer side effects.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the treatment of stable vitiligo.

Patients and Methods: The study included 20 stable vitiligo patients with overall symmetrical lesions. For each patient, one site was treated with LLLT & NB-UVB twice weekly for 3 month.

Results: There was statistically significant improvement in the re-pigmentation, 25% of patients showed excellent improvement, 40% of patients showed good improvement, 20% of patients showed moderate improvement, 10% of patients showed poor improvement and 5% of patients showed no improvement after 3 months therapy. Side effects were minimal and transient in both sides.

Conclusion: LLLT in combination with NB-UVB therapy could be considered as safe and tolerable technique for treatment of vitiligo. Longer follow up is needed.
Chitotriosidase is a biomarker for adult‐onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia
Authors: Hayer Stefanie N. , Santhanakumaran Vidiyaah , Böhringer Judith , Schöls Ludger
Published: October 2022

Adult‐onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP) leads to rapidly progressive dementia and is caused by mutations in the gene CSF1R. Neurodegeneration is driven by dysfunction of microglia, the predominant cell type expressing CSF1R in the brain. We assessed chitotriosidase, an enzyme secreted by microglia, in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with ALSP. Chitotriosidase activity was highly increased in cerebrospinal fluid of patients and correlated inversely with disease duration. Of interest, presymptomatic CSF1R mutation carriers did not show elevated chitotriosidase levels. This makes chitotriosidase a promising new biomarker of disease activity for this rare disease.
Recent experience and performance during a critical in‐flight event
Authors: Wiggins Mark W. , Yuris Nadya , Molesworth Brett R. C.
Published: October 2022

The aim of this study was to test, amongst less experienced pilots, the relationship between the recency of flight experience and performance during a critical in‐flight event. It was hypothesised that, in response to an engine failure, recent flight experience would be associated with a superior level of aircraft control, decreased cognitive load, and a successful landing at an alternate destination. Pilots completed a simulated flight during which an engine failure occurred. The weather conditions and proximity to the alternate were designed to enable a power‐off landing. The results revealed a relationship between recent flight experience and landing at the alternate, although no relationship was evident with aircraft control. Objective, rather than subjective levels of cognitive load tended to covary with landing successfully at the alternate. The outcomes provide support for the role of recent flight experience in enabling successful responses to critical in‐flight events, particularly amongst less experienced pilots.
Elucidating the Origination of Annealing‐Induced Hardening in an Equiatomic Medium‐Entropy Alloy
Authors: Ge Penghua , Gan Kefu , Yan Dingshun , Wu Pengfei , Wu Weisong , Li Zhiming
Published: October 2022

FeCoNi‐based medium‐entropy alloys (MEAs) have attracted lots of attention owing to their potential for achieving excellent mechanical and soft magnetic properties. Herein, an anomalous low‐temperature annealing‐induced hardening behavior in a prototyping equiatomic FeCoNi MEA subjected to severe cold‐rolling deformation is reported. The hardening upon annealing at 300–500 °C is confirmed by both microhardness measurements and tensile tests. Microstructural characterization via transmission Kikuchi diffraction suggests that hardening is correlated with the annealing‐modified nanosubgrained structure. More specifically, the distribution heterogeneities of shear bands and nanosubgrains are reduced upon annealing, which can relieve the strain localization during plastic yielding. Nanoindentation maps further verify that the rearrangement of nanosubgrains upon annealing relieves the severe heterogeneity of nanohardness distribution, ensuring higher macroscopic strength and hardness. Herein, the novel annealing‐induced hardening phenomenon in FeCoNi MEA is rationalized, which can serve as a guideline for optimizing the thermomechanical treatment strategies of this alloy family to obtain enhanced mechanical properties.
Spatially Resolved Polarization Manipulation of Ferroelectricity in Twisted hBN
Authors: Lv Ming , Sun Xinzuo , Chen Yan , Taniguchi Takashi , Watanabe Kenji , Wu Menghao , Wang Jianlu , Xue Jiamin
Published: October 2022

Robust room‐temperature interfacial ferroelectricity has been formed in the 2D limit by simply twisting two atomic layers of non‐ferroelectric hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). A thorough understanding of this newly discovered ferroelectric system is required. Here, twisted hBN is used as a tunneling junction and it is studied at the nanometer scale using conductive atomic force microscopy. Three properties unique to this system are discovered. First, the polarization dependence of the tunneling resistance contrasts with the conventional theory. Second, the ferroelectric domains can be controlled using mechanical stress, highlighting the original meaning of the emergent “slidetronics”. Third, ferroelectric hysteresis is highly spatially dependent. The hysteresis is symmetric at the domain walls. A few nanometers away, the hysteresis shifts completely to the positive or negative side, depending on the original polarization. These findings reveal the unconventional ferroelectricity in this 2D system.
Reversal of Anomalous Hall Effect and Octahedral Tilting in SrRuO3 Thin Films via Hydrogen Spillover
Authors: Han Hyeon , Zhou Hua , Guillemard Charles , Valvidares Manuel , Sharma Arpit , Li Yan , Sharma Ankit K. , Kostanovskiy Ilya , Ernst Arthur , Parkin Stuart S. P.
Published: October 2022

The perovskite SrRuO3 (SRO) is a strongly correlated oxide whose physical and structural properties are strongly intertwined. Notably, SRO is an itinerant ferromagnet that exhibits a large anomalous Hall effect (AHE) whose sign can be readily modified. Here, a hydrogen spillover method is used to tailor the properties of SRO thin films via hydrogen incorporation. It is found that the magnetization and Curie temperature of the films are strongly reduced and, at the same time, the structure evolves from an orthorhombic to a tetragonal phase as the hydrogen content is increased up to ≈0.9 H per SRO formula unit. The structural phase transition is shown, via in situ crystal truncation rod measurements, to be related to tilting of the RuO6 octahedral units. The significant changes observed in magnetization are shown, via density functional theory (DFT), to be a consequence of shifts in the Fermi level. The reported findings provide new insights into the physical properties of SRO via tailoring its lattice symmetry and emergent physical phenomena via the hydrogen spillover technique.
Hyperelastic Kevlar Nanofiber Aerogels as Robust Thermal Switches for Smart Thermal Management
Authors: Hu Peiying , Wang Jing , Zhang Peigen , Wu Fushuo , Cheng Yingying , Wang Jin , Sun ZhengMing
Published: October 2022

Aerogels, the lightest artificial solid materials characterized by low density and thermal conductivity, high porosity, and large specific surface area, have attracted increasing interest. Aerogels exhibit single‐mode thermal insulation properties regardless of the surrounding temperature. In this study, hyperelastic Kevlar nanofiber aerogels (HEKAs) are designed and fabricated by a slow‐proton‐release‐modulating gelation and thermoinduced crosslinking strategy. The method does not use crosslinking agents and endows the ultralow‐density (4.7 mg cm−3) HEKAs with low thermal conductivity (0.029 W m−1 K−1), high porosity (99.75%), high thermal stability (550 °C), and increased compression resilience (80%) and fatigue resistance. Proofs of the concept of the HEKAs acting as on–off thermal switches are demonstrated through experiments and simulations. The thermal switches exhibit a rapid thermal response speed of 0.73 °C s−1, high heat flux of 2044 J m−2 s−1, and switching ratio of 7.5. Heat dissipation can be reversibly switched on/off more than fifty times owing to the hyperelasticity and fatigue resistance of the HEKAs. This study suggests a route to fulfill the hyperelasticity of highly porous aerogels and to tailor heat flux on‐demand.
16S rRNA gene‐based identification and plant growth‐promoting potential of cultivable endophytic bacteria
Authors: Raimi Adekunle , Adeleke Rasheed
Published: October 2022

Endophytic bacteria play essential roles in plant growth and fitness through nitrogen fixation, nutrient solubilization, and phytohormone production. However, the plant growth‐promoting (PGP) potential of endophytic microorganisms inhabiting vegetables is underexplored. Thus, this study investigated the endophytic bacteria of vegetable crops for their PGP properties using the culture‐dependent technique. Recovered isolates were identified by sequencing the partial 16S rRNA gene using Sanger sequencing. The isolated endophytic bacteria belonged to 15 genera and 39 different species.Bacillus, Enterobacter, Pantoea, andPseudomonaswere the predominant genera and had high phosphate solubilization and siderophore production potential. The isolates differentially produced indole‐3‐acetic acid and ammonium in the range 0.14–44.48 μg mL–1and 0.77–93.24 mg L–1, respectively.Pseudomonas azotoformans, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, andSerratia liquefaciensshowed a high level of siderophore production, which was not significantly (p > 0.05) different across the plant and organ types. More than 21% of endophytes could produce gelatinase, protease, amylase, and cellulase, contributing to their diverse ecosystem functions. Bacterial density and species composition varied across the vegetable species, organs, and farm locations but were higher in the stems compared with other organs. However, the vegetable organ had no significant (p > 0.05) influence on the bacterial population density, except for the interaction of plant species and organs. Overall, this study provides basic knowledge about the cultivable endophytic bacterial community of vegetables and reveals diverse endophytic bacteria useful in bioinoculant formulations for improving crop productivity.
Identification of the reaction network for the synthesis of adipic acid using machine learning coupling with target factor analysis
Authors: Wei Hui‐Long , Ouyang Bo , Zhu Li‐Tao , Su Yuan‐Hai , Luo Zheng‐Hong
Published: October 2022

This study investigated the reaction network of the oxidation of cyclohexanone with nitric acid through machine learning (ML) model coupling with target factor analysis (TFA). Experiments for the synthesis of adipic acid (AA) were carefully designed and carried out in a microreactor system. An artificial neural network (ANN) model was applied and optimized by training on experimental data. To assess the established ANN model, a comparison between the predicted concentrations of the products and those calculated with the power law kinetic model was implemented. TFA was then performed on both the experimental data and the data simulated by ANN for identifying the candidate reactions and finding out the temperature boundaries. Based on the identification results of the reaction network, the kinetic characteristics of this oxidation process under various operational conditions were further researched through the incremental approach and simultaneous approach.
Designing polysulfides adsorption‐conversion on g‐C3N4‐based separator via doping heteroatoms boron and phosphorus toward high‐performance lithium‐sulfur batteries
Authors: Sun Yajie , Huang Wenzhi , Li Junhao , Pan Jiajie , Nan Haoxiong , Dong Huafeng , Shi Kaixiang , Liu Quanbing
Published: October 2022

The notorious “shuttle effect” of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) has suppressed the large‐scale commercial application of lithium‐sulfur batteries (LSBs). Also, the intrinsic advantages including inhibiting the shuttling‐circulation and promoting the conversion of LiPSs, on the separator are deemed as stimulating blocks on the exploitation of LSBs. Herein, guided by theoretical calculations, we have designed doping‐heteroatoms boron (B) and phosphorus (P) on graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4), to suppress the “shuttle effect” of LiPSs and improve the battery cycling performance. Theoretical calculations show strong chemical bonding between Li atom and N substance of g‐C3N4, and corroborates synergistic mechanism of electron transfer and van der Waals interaction. The high adsorption energies with doping B/P atoms enable LiPSs adsorption on the separators inhibiting shuttle loss. As expected, the experiment data also demonstrate that superior electrochemical performance are achieved by utilizing B‐doped g‐C3N4 (BCN) separator. Incorporating the B‐doped g–C3N4 (BCN) separator in LSBs delivered an initial specific capacity of 1050 mAh g−1 at 1 C and 920 mAh g−1 at 2 C. Notably, it achieved a decay rate of 0.08% and 0.1% at 1 and 2 C, respectively, after 500 cycles. This study furthers our understanding of B/P doping separator enhancement and restraining LiPSs shuttling loss for an improved LSBs performance.
Retrospective evaluation of clinical and molecular data of 148 cases of esophageal atresia
Authors: Ranza Emmanuelle , Le Gouez Morgane , Guimier Anne , Dunlop Naziha Khen , Beaudoin Sylvie , Malan Valérie , Michot Caroline , Baujat Geneviève , Rio Marlène , Cormier‐Daire Valérie , Abadie Véronique , Sarnacki Sabine , Delacourt Christophe , Lyonnet Stanislas , Attié‐Bitach Tania , Pingault Véronique , Rousseau Véronique , Amiel Jeanne
Published: October 2022

Developmental abnormalities provide a unique opportunity to seek for the molecular mechanisms underlying human organogenesis. Esophageal development remains incompletely understood and elucidating causes for esophageal atresia (EA) in humans would contribute to achieve a better comprehension. Prenatal detection, syndromic classification, molecular diagnosis, and prognostic factors in EA are challenging. Some syndromes have been described to frequently include EA, such as CHARGE, EFTUD2‐mandibulofacial dysostosis, Feingold syndrome, trisomy 18, and Fanconi anemia. However, no molecular diagnosis is made in most cases, including frequent associations, such as Vertebral‐Anal‐Cardiac‐Tracheo‐Esophageal‐Renal‐Limb defects (VACTERL). This study evaluates the clinical and genetic test results of 139 neonates and 9 fetuses followed‐up at the Necker‐Enfants Malades Hospital over a 10‐years period. Overall, 52 cases were isolated EA (35%), and 96 were associated with other anomalies (65%). The latter group is divided into three subgroups: EA with a known genomic cause (9/148, 6%); EA with Vertebral‐Anal‐Cardiac‐Tracheo‐Esophageal‐Renal‐Limb defects (VACTERL) or VACTERL/Oculo‐Auriculo‐Vertebral Dysplasia (VACTERL/OAV) (22/148, 14%); EA with associated malformations including congenital heart defects, duodenal atresia, and diaphragmatic hernia without known associations or syndromes yet described (65/148, 44%). Altogether, the molecular diagnostic rate remains very low and may underlie frequent non‐Mendelian genetic models.
Anticipatory banking of samples enables diagnosis of adenylosuccinase deficiency following molecular autopsy in an infant with vacuolating leukoencephalopathy
Authors: Sitaram Spatikha , Banka Hetalika C. , Vassallo Grace , Pavaine Julija , Fairclough Adele , Wright Ronnie , Fairbanks Lynette , Bierau Jörgen , Bowden Lydia , Schwahn Bernd , Horman Alistair , Banka Siddharth
Published: October 2022

Adenylosuccinase deficiency is a rare inborn error of metabolism. We present a newborn who died at 52 days of age with clinical features suggestive of severe epileptic encephalopathy and leukodystrophy of unknown cause. Post‐mortem examination showed an unusual vacuolar appearance of the brain. A molecular autopsy performed via singleton clinical exome analysis revealed a known pathogenic and a variant of uncertain significance in ADSL that encodes adenylosuccinase. Tests on previously stored plasma samples showed elevated succinyladenosine and succinylaminoimidazole carboxamide riboside levels. Adenylosuccinase activity in stored fibroblasts was only ~5% of control confirming the diagnosis of adenylosuccinase deficiency in the child. The parents opted for a chorionic villus biopsy in a subsequent pregnancy and had a child unaffected by adenylosuccinase deficiency. This report adds vacuolating leukodystrophy as a novel feature of adenylosuccinase deficiency and shows the power of biochemical investigations directed by genomic studies to achieve accurate diagnosis. Importantly, this case demonstrates the importance of anticipatory banking of biological samples for reverse biochemical phenotyping in individuals with undiagnosed disorders who may not survive.
Muscle spasms as presenting feature of Nivelon‐Nivelon‐Mabile syndrome
Authors: Saini Neelam , Das Bhowmik Aneek , Yareeda Sireesha , Venkatapuram Vijayasree , Jabeen Shaik Afshan , Tallapaka Karthik , Dalal Ashwin , Aggarwal Shagun
Published: October 2022

Hedgehog acyltransferase gene (HHAT)‐associated Nivelon‐Nivelon‐Mabile syndrome (NNMS) is a rare genetic disorder of multiple system involvement with microcephaly, central nervous system malformations, skeletal dysplasia, and 46,XY sex reversal. Other variable and inconsistent features reported in this disorder are muscle spasms, facial dysmorphism, prenatal onset growth restriction, microphthalmia, and holoprosencephaly. This is the sixth postnatal reported patient with biallelic variants in HHAT gene, who presented with microcephaly, short stature, muscle hypertrophy, muscle spasms, and facial dysmorphism. The most prominent and presenting finding in this patient were muscle hypertrophy and muscle spasms which had a clinical response to phenytoin and acetazolamide treatment. Our report emphasizes the phenotypic variability of NNMS and further reiterates muscle spasms as an important clinical manifestation of this extremely rare condition.
A multicenter study to evaluate pain characteristics in osteogenesis imperfecta
Authors: Rodriguez Celin Mercedes , Kruger Karen M. , Caudill Angela , Murali Chaya N. , Nagamani Sandesh C. S. ,   Members of the Brittle Bone Disorders Consortium (BBDC), Smith Peter A. , Harris Gerald F.
Published: October 2022

The objective was to describe pain characteristics and treatments used in individuals with varying severity of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and investigate pain‐associated variables. This work was derived from a multicenter, longitudinal, observational, natural history study of OI conducted at 12 clinical sites of the NIH Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network's Brittle Bone Disorders Consortium. Children and adults with a clinical, biochemical, or molecular diagnosis of OI were enrolled in the study. We did a cross‐sectional analysis of chronic pain prevalence, characteristics, and treatments used for pain relief and longitudinal analysis to find the predictors of chronic pain. We included 861 individuals with OI, in 41.8% chronic pain was present, with similar frequency across OI types. Back pain was the most frequent location. Nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs followed by bisphosphonates were the most common treatment used. Participants with chronic pain missed more days from school or work/year and performed worse in all mobility metrics than participants without chronic pain. The variables more significantly associated with chronic pain were age, sex, positive history of rodding surgery, scoliosis, other medical problems, assistive devices, lower standardized height, and higher body mass index. The predictors of chronic pain for all OI types were age, use of a wheelchair, and the number of fractures/year. Chronic pain is prevalent in OI across all OI types, affects mobility, and interferes with participation. Multiple covariates were associated with chronic pain.
Copper‐Catalyzed Simultaneous Installation of Boryl and Carbonyl Functionalities to Unsaturated Hydrocarbons
Authors: Fujihara Tetsuaki
Published: October 2022

Cu‐catalyzed borylative functionalization of unsaturated hydrocarbons is an effective method for synthesizing various organoboron compounds under mild reaction conditions. In particular, installing carbonyl functionalities such as acyl, formyl, and carboxy groups is interesting because of the essential role of these functionalities in organic synthesis. This review focuses on the installation of boryl and carbonyl functionalities in unsaturated hydrocarbons using Cu catalysts. First, formylation and acylation reactions using formate esters, acyl halides, or acid anhydrides are addressed. Second, the simultaneous incorporation of a boryl group and a carboxy group using carbon dioxide as the electrophile is summarized. Third, the borocyanation of unsaturated hydrocarbons using electrophilic cyanation reagents is described.
Design and Synthesis of Amino Acid Derivatives via Diethyl Acetadimalonate and Late‐Stage Modification by Chemical Methods
Authors: Kotha Sambasivarao , Gaikwad Vidyasagar , Chaurasia Usha Nandan
Published: October 2022

We report various unusual amino acid derivatives containing heterocycles and heteroatoms (S, O, N) via diethyl acetadimalonate as a glycine equivalent and carried out further chemical transformations to modify these unusual amino acid derivatives. Sulfur‐containing halo and alkene derivatives are prepared, and these substrates are further modified by Suzuki‐Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction, cross metathesis sequence and selective formation of sulfoxide and sulfone derivatives. We also report oxazole‐containing amino acid derivative by using TosMIC.
Highly Efficient and Ultralong Afterglow Emission with Anti‐Thermal Quenching from CsCdCl3 : Mn Perovskite Single Crystals
Authors: Tang Zhe , Liu Runze , Chen Junsheng , Zheng Daoyuan , Zhou Panwang , Liu Siping , Bai Tianxin , Zheng Kaibo , Han Keli , Yang Bin
Published: October 2022

Triplet exciton‐based long‐lived phosphorescence is severely limited by the thermal quenching at high temperature. Herein, we propose a novel strategy based on the energy transfer from triplet self‐trapped excitons to Mn2+ dopants in solution‐processed perovskite CsCdCl3. It is found the Mn2+ doped hexagonal phase CsCdCl3 could simultaneously exhibit high emission efficiency (81.5 %) and long afterglow duration time (150 s). Besides, the afterglow emission exhibits anti‐thermal quenching from 300 to 400 K. In‐depth charge‐carrier dynamics studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculation provide unambiguous evidence that carrier detrapping from trap states (mainly induced by Cl vacancy) to localized emission centers ([MnCl6]4−) is responsible for the afterglow emission with anti‐thermal quenching. Enlightened by the present results, we demonstrate the application of the developed materials for optical storage and logic operation applications.
The Covalent Functionalization of Surface‐Supported Graphene: An Update
Authors: Wetzl Cecilia , Silvestri Alessandro , Garrido Marina , Hou Hui‐Lei , Criado Alejandro , Prato Maurizio
Published: October 2022

In the last decade, the use of graphene supported on solid surfaces has broadened its scope and applications, and graphene has acquire a promising role as a major component of high‐performance electronic devices. In this context, the chemical modification of graphene has become essential. In particular, covalent modification offers key benefits, including controllability, stability, and the facility to be integrated into manufacturing operations. In this Review, we critically comment on the latest advances in the covalent modification of supported graphene on substrates. We analyze the different chemical modifications with special attention to radical reactions. In this context, we review the latest achievements in reactivity control, tailoring electronic properties, and introducing active functionalities. Finally, we extended our analysis to other emerging 2D materials supported on surfaces, such as transition metal dichalcogenides, transition metal oxides, and elemental analogs of graphene.
Electrosynthetic C−O Bond Activation in Alcohols and Alcohol Derivatives
Authors: Villo Piret , Shatskiy Andrey , Kärkäs Markus D. , Lundberg Helena
Published: October 2022

Alcohols and their derivatives are ubiquitous and versatile motifs in organic synthesis. Deoxygenative transformations of these compounds are often challenging due to the thermodynamic penalty associated with the cleavage of the C−O bond. However, electrochemically driven redox events have been shown to facilitate the C−O bond cleavage in alcohols and their derivatives either through direct electron transfer or through the use of electron transfer mediators and electroactive catalysts. Herein, a comprehensive overview of preparative electrochemically mediated protocols for C−O bond activation and functionalization is detailed, including direct and indirect electrosynthetic methods, as well as photoelectrochemical strategies.