bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case report of recurring pneumonia due to unusual foreign body aspiration in the airway
Authors: Rodríguez Hidalgo Luis Alejandro , Concepción-Urteaga Luis Alberto , Hilario-Vargas Julio , Cornejo-Portella Jorge Luis , Ruiz-Caballero Diana Cecilia , Rojas-Vergara Deysi Leslie
Published: April 2021

Foreign body aspiration is a rare but life-threatening event. Most accidental aspiration events occur in children. In adults, it can represent up to 25% of cases. Bronchoscopy remains the gold standard for diagnosing and treating foreign body aspiration from the lower respiratory tract. A 63-year-old female smoker with a history of chronic alcoholism and exposure to pyrotechnic smoke presented a productive cough, with whitish expectoration, dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain on the right side. On chest X-ray, she presented opacity in 2/3 of the right hemithorax. Computed axial tomography revealed consolidation with an air bronchogram on the right hemithorax, cylindrical bronchiectasis, ground glass pattern and centrilobular nodules. Bronchoscopic examination revealed a foreign body covered with granulation tissue in the right segmental bronchus (B6). The granulation tissue was integrated into the foreign body. In a second attempt, the foreign body could be removed, which was of bone consistency, seemingly a bird bone, confirmed by pathological anatomy results. After further questioning, the patient reported that two years before, she had choked when eating chicken. She had a cough and an episode of hemoptysis, but she chose not to ask for medical advice.
Antibiotics for acute uncomplicated diverticulitis in hospitalized patients
Authors: Araya-Quezada Cristóbal , Torres-Bavestrello Lídice , Gómez-Barbieri Gustavo , Zárate-Castillo Alejandro
Published: April 2021

Introduction Acute diverticulitis is one of the complications of diverticular disease. Nowadays, there is a paradigm shift regarding the use of antibiotics to manage acute uncomplicated diverticulitis in hospitalized patients, with controversial information about it. Methods A search was done in Epistemonikos, the most comprehensive health-related systematic review database, maintained by screening multiple information sources including MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, among others. Data were extracted from the identified systematic reviews, data from primary studies were analyzed, which in this work considered only randomized clinical trials, a meta-analysis was done, and a summary table of results was created using GRADE methodology. Results and conclusions Eleven systematic reviews were identified that included seven primary studies in total, of which two were randomized control trials. We concluded that the use of antibiotics in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis could slightly increase complications and result in a minor or no difference in the risk of recurrence and need for urgent surgery. However, the certainty of the evidence is low. Regarding hospital stay and readmission, it was not possible to evaluate the effect due to a low certainty of evidence.
Structural changes in Russia's industry: The current situation and forecast
Authors: Belkin Yuri , Ryzhakova Alla , Sedova Nadezhda , Shishkin Anatoly
Published: April 2021

Purpose: The objective of this paper is to analyze the dynamics of change in industrial production in Russia from 2008 to 2019 across a set of indicators characterizing structural changes in industry, specifically its extractive, manufacturing, and production and distribution of electricity, gas, and water sectors. Design/Methodology/Approach: The work provides a forecast of output in the three sectors of industry using methods such as Holt's method and factor analysis, with structural shifts projected using the methods of Szalai, Ryabtsev, Gatev, and Kazinets. Findings: The empirical results show further changes in the structure of industrial production in the Russian Federation and an increase in manufacturing production at the same time due to a decrease in production by the type of activity "Mining". Practical Implications: Investors who plan to invest in the Russian Federation should bear in mind that investments in manufacturing production are advisable. Originality/value: To initiate progressive structural changes, the development and qualitative transformation of the structure of the manufacturing industry is necessary
Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor: A Process Design for Interesterification of Macauba (Acrocomia aculeata) palm oil
Authors: Valério Pedro , Araujo Isabella Fonseca , Bosch Neto Juan Canellas , Celayeta Jesus Maria Frias , Cren Erika Cristina
Published: April 2021

Other than the edible oils extracted from the Acrocomia aculeata fruit, there is a growing interest in the palm to generate other high value-added products. Relatively high amounts of carotenoids (up to 378 mg kg-1) have been found in the esculent oils mechanically obtained from the fruit mesocarp. From industrial application perspectives, several processes have been proposed to modify native vegetable oils to yield high functional properties of structured lipids. For interesterified products, the thermal effects of industrial reactors are crucial in reaction mechanisms. The present study has taken into account previously estimated kinetic parameters for the overall disappearances of all-trans β-carotene in the Acrocomia aculeata oil (ko= 2.6 x 10-4 min-1; Ea = 105.0003 kJ mol-1; ΔH = 9.8 x 104 J kg-1) to develop a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) kinetic treatment that obeys first-order kinetics. A system of ordinary dierential equations - mass and energy balances - was solved by the 4th order Runge-Kutta method (GNU Octave software). Under research conditions related to interesterification processing (2 h; 393.15 K), the initial concentration of carotenoids (around 11%) showed no significant decrease. Overall, realistic processing effects and conditions have been assessed, integrating results and knowledge, improving prospects of Acrocomia aculeata as a promising source of high-quality raw material, for producing functional ingredients and food with nutraceutical properties.
In vitro proteasome processing of neo-splicetopes does not predict their presentation in vivo
Authors: Willimsky Gerald , Beier Christin , Immisch Lena , Papafotiou George , Scheuplein Vivian , Goede Andrean , Holzhütter Hermann-Georg , Blankenstein Thomas , Kloetzel Peter M
Published: April 2021

Proteasome-catalyzed peptide splicing (PCPS) of cancer-driving antigens could generate attractive neoepitopes to be targeted by T cell receptor (TCR)-based adoptive T cell therapy. Based on a spliced peptide prediction algorithm, TCRs were generated against putative KRASG12V- and RAC2P29L-derived neo-splicetopes with high HLA-A*02:01 binding affinity. TCRs generated in mice with a diverse human TCR repertoire specifically recognized the respective target peptides with high efficacy. However, we failed to detect any neo-splicetope-specific T cell response when testing the in vivo neo-splicetope generation and obtained no experimental evidence that the putative KRASG12V- and RAC2P29L-derived neo-splicetopes were naturally processed and presented. Furthermore, only the putative RAC2P29L-derived neo-splicetopes was generated by in vitro PCPS. The experiments pose severe questions on the notion that available algorithms or the in vitro PCPS reaction reliably simulate in vivo splicing and argue against the general applicability of an algorithm-driven ‘reverse immunology’ pipeline for the identification of cancer-specific neo-splicetopes.
Accurately predicting heat transfer performance of ground-coupled heat pump system using improved autoregressive model
Authors: Zhuang Zhaoyi , Zhai Xinliang , Ben Xianye , Wang Bin , Yuan Dijia
Published: April 2021

Nowadays, ground-coupled heat pump system (GCHP) becomes one of the most energy-efficient systems in heating, cooling and hot water supply. However, it remains challenging to accurately predict thermal energy conversion, and the numerical calculation methods are too complicated. First, according to seasonality, this paper analyzes four variables, including the power consumption of heat pump, the power consumption of system, the ratios of the heating capacity (or the refrigerating capacity) of heat pump to the operating powers of heat pump and to the total system, respectively. Then, heat transfer performance of GCHP by historical data and working parameters is predicted by using random forests algorithm based on autoregressive model and introducing working parameters. Finally, we conduct experiments on 360-months (30-years) data generated by GCHP software. Among them, the first 300 months of data are used for training the model, and the last 60 months of data are used for prediction. Benefitting from the working condition inputs it contained, our model achieves lower Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) than Exponential Smoothing (ES), Autoregressive Model (AR), Autoregressive Moving Average Model (ARMA) and Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average Model (ARIMA) without working condition inputs.
Characteristics of craniofacial morphology and factors affecting them in patients with isolated cleft palate
Authors: Tsuji Kyoko , Haruyama Naoto , Nomura Shunsuke , Murata Naohisa , Yoshizaki Keigo , Mitsuyasu Takeshi , Nakano Hiroyuki , Nakamura Seiji , Mori Yoshihide , Takahashi Ichiro
Published: April 2021

Background

Myriad maxillo-mandibular occlusal relationships are observed in patients with isolated cleft palate (ICP), unlike in patients with other cleft types, such as cleft lip and palate.

Objectives

This study aimed to categorise the characteristics of craniofacial morphology in patients with ICP, and investigate the clinical factors affecting these categorised morphological characteristics.

Methods

Thirty-six girls with ICP (age (mean ± SD): 5.36 ± 0.36 years) underwent cephalometric measurement. Their craniofacial morphology was categorised using cluster analysis. Profilograms were created and superimposed onto the standard Japanese profilograms to visualise the morphological characteristics of each group (cluster). The mean values and variations in the linear and angular measurements of each group were compared with the Japanese standards and statistically analysed using Dunnett’s test after the analysis of variance. Fisher’s exact test was used to analyse the differences between the cleft types (cleft in the hard and/or soft palate) and skills of the operating surgeons in the groups.

Results

Cluster analysis of craniofacial morphologies in patients with ICP resulted in the formation of three categories: the first cluster exhibited a relatively harmonious anteroposterior relationship between the maxilla and the mandible (22.2%); the second cluster exhibited crossbite owing to a significantly smaller maxilla (33.3%); and the third cluster exhibited a smaller mandible with posterior rotation showing skeletal class II malocclusion (44.4%). Differences in cleft types and surgeons were not associated with the distribution of patients in each cluster.

Conclusions

Patients with ICP exhibited characteristic morphological patterns, such as bimaxillary retrusion or severe mandibular retrusion, besides the anterior crossbite frequently found in patients with cleft lip and palate . Understanding the typical morphological characteristics could enable better diagnostic categorisation of patients with ICP, which may eventually improve orthodontic treatment planning.
Naturally-occurring tooth wear, tooth fracture, and cranial injuries in large carnivores from Zambia
Authors: Van Valkenburgh Blaire , White Paula A.
Published: April 2021

Determining the incidence and causes of craniodental damage in wild carnivores is often constrained by limited access to specimens with associated ecological data, such as prey type and abundance. We assessed dental condition and cranial injuries in lion, leopard, and spotted hyena in relation to prey and predator populations in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley, where large prey are more abundant and lion and leopard more numerous, and the Greater Kafue Ecosystem, where smaller prey species are more prevalent and lion and leopard less common. In Luangwa, lions had significantly higher rates of tooth fracture, and blunt trauma injuries attributable to prey-handling, compared to Kafue lions. In contrast, leopards in both regions had similar rates of tooth wear and breakage. Overall, lions showed a significantly higher tooth fracture rate than leopards on a per tooth basis. Spotted hyenas had the highest rates of tooth wear and fracture among all three carnivores, and greatly exceeded previously recorded rates based on historical samples. Despite larger numbers of lion and leopard in Luangwa, there was no difference in incidence of intraspecific injuries between regions. These results are consistent with a greater abundance of large prey species, especially buffalo, in the diets of Luangwa lions, and previous work showing a reliance on smaller prey species in Kafue throughout the large carnivore guild.
Women's Participation in Labor Force in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): A Review of Determinants and Impacts
Authors: Guli Victoria Matatio Elia , Geda Nigatu Regassa
Published: April 2021

Background: In the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in women's participation in gainful employment in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This scooping review has primarily aimed at assessing the key determinants and effects of women's involvement in the labor force in SSA.

Methods: The authors did the review based on 19 articles selected from PubMed and goggle search. The selection considered only those published in the last 15 years, conducted based on large sample from Sub-Saharan African countries, and those exclusively related to women’s Labor Force Participation (LFP). More than 80% of the reviewed studies (16 of the 19) employed a cross-sectional study design with quantitative approaches.

Results: The review witnessed that women's labor force participation in SSA is determined by various individual, household, and community characteristics. Women with lower fertility, living in poor economic condition (low wealth quantiles), and those with above primary education were more likely to participate in gainful employment. Other demographic factors explaining why some women participate in the labor force more often than others include women's age, marital status, number of under-five children, household size, and headship. Among the community variables, living in areas with better infrastructure (transport and communication) increased the likelihood of women’s participation in gainful employment. Nearly all studies showed significant positive impacts of women's labor force participation on several domains of women's life and household well-being, such as on women's nutrition, childcare, and health service utilization.

Conclusion: The review implies that despite concerns about some adverse impacts of women's participation in gainful employment (such as on childcare), most of the studies indicated positive effects of LFP on women's and children's health, nutrition, and overall household well-being in SSA.
Assessment of Cereal Self-sufficiency and Food Balance Projection in Afghanistan
Authors: Samim Sayed Alim , Hu Zhiquan , Yu Wen , Amini Sayed Younus , Eliw Moataz
Published: April 2021

Aims: Afghanistan is overwhelmed with food insecurity, thus severe food shortages in which a large percentage of the population lacks reliable access to food supplies. Cereals such as wheat, rice, and maize play a vital role in the country's food security due to their importance in terms of consumption and production quantity. This paper estimates cereal self-sufficiency and then makes a food balance forecast of the three major food crops - wheat, rice, and maize - cultivated in Afghanistan over six-decades (1979 – 2030).

Methodology: Descriptive statistics, ARIMA model, and coarse metric technique were employed to analyze the data from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), United States Department of Agriculture PSD Database (USDA), and United Nations World Population Division databases to determine cereal self-sufficiency and food balance forecast.

Results Econometric analysis demonstrated that (1) Afghanistan is not yet self-sufficient in meeting grain consumption. (2) The production and consumption ratio declined from 0.9 to 0.55 from 1979 to 2030. (3) The gap of theoretical food imbalance will increase, and by the year 2030, cereal production will likely be sufficient for only 49.8 percentage of inhabitants, leaving a high shortage equivalent to the amount required by 24.4 million people. (4) Per capita cereal production will possibly decrease from 120.8 kg to 95.4 kg per person between 2018 and 2030.

Conclusion: By evaluating the quantitative food balance and the growing population change, this study presents an analysis of the emerging threat to Afghanistan's food security. Therefore, we recommended that the Afghanistan government should increase the size of public agricultural expenditure, improve the level of agriculture infrastructure, increase the cultivation area of cereals, and continue to introduce policy to achieve higher yield.
Benzene Ring Knitting Achieved by Ambient‐Temperature Dehalogenation via Mechanochemical Ullmann‐Type Reductive Coupling
Authors: Chen Hao , Fan Juntian , Fu Yuqing , Do‐Thanh Chi‐Linh , Suo Xian , Wang Tao , Popovs Ilja , Jiang De‐en , Yuan Yating , Yang Zhenzhen , Dai Sheng
Published: April 2021

The current approaches capable of affording conjugated porous networks (CPNs) still rely on solution‐based coupling reactions promoted by noble metal complexes or Lewis acids, on‐surface polymerization conducted in ultrahigh‐vacuum environment at very high temperatures (>200 °C), or mechanochemical Scholl‐type reactions limited to electron‐rich substrates. To develop simple and scalable approaches capable of making CPNs under neat and ambient conditions, herein, a novel and complementary method to the current oxidative Scholl coupling processes is demonstrated to afford CPNs via direct aromatic ring knitting promoted by mechanochemical Ullmann‐type reactions. The key to this strategy lies in the dehalogenation of aromatic halides in the presence of Mg involving the formation of Grignard reagent intermediates. Products (Ph‐CPN‐1) obtained via direct CC bond formation between 1,2,4,5‐tetrabromobenzene (TBB) monomer feature high surface areas together with mesoporous architecture. The versatility of this approach is confirmed by the successful construction of various CPNs via knitting of the corresponding aromatic rings (e.g., pyrene and triphenylene), and even highly crystalline graphite product was obtained. The CPNs exhibit good electrochemical performance as the anode material in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). This approach expands the frontiers of CPN synthesis and provides new opportunities to their scalable applications.
Separating Physically Distinct Mechanisms in Complex Infrared Plasmonic Nanostructures via Machine Learning Enhanced Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy
Authors: Kalinin Sergei V. , Roccapriore Kevin M. , Cho Shin Hum , Milliron Delia J. , Vasudevan Rama , Ziatdinov Maxim , Hachtel Jordan A.
Published: April 2021

Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) enables direct exploration of plasmonic phenomena at the nanometer level. To isolate individual plasmon modes, linear unmixing methods can be used to separate different physical mechanisms, but in larger and more complex systems the interpretability of the components becomes uncertain. Here, infrared plasmonic resonances in self‐assembled heterogeneous monolayer films of doped‐semiconductor nanoparticles are examined beyond linear unmixing techniques, and both supervised and unsupervised machine‐learning‐based analyses of hyperspectral EELS datasets are demonstrated. In the supervised approach, a human operator labels a small number of pixels in the hyperspectral dataset corresponding to features of interest which are then propagated across the entire dataset. In the unsupervised approach, non‐linear autoencoders are used to create a highly‐reduced latent‐space representation of the dataset, within which insight into the relevant physics can be gleaned from straightforward distance metrics that do not depend on operator input and bias. The advantage of these approaches is that the labeling separates physical mechanisms without altering the data, enabling robust analyses of the influence of heterogeneities in mesoscale complex systems.
Enantioselective Hydrative para‐Dearomatization of Sulfonanilides by an Indanol‐based Chiral Organoiodine Catalyst
Authors: Shimazaki Yuto , Wata Chisato , Hashimoto Takuya , Maruoka Keiji
Published: April 2021

We report herein the development of an enantioselective oxidative para‐dearomatization of sulfonanilides with water by use of an indanol‐based chiral organoiodine catalyst, originally developed in our group. This reaction proceeds efficiently by the use of N‐mesyl‐protected anilines as substrates, giving functionalized p‐quinol imines in good yields and moderate to high enantioselectivities.
Robust Gold Nanocluster Protected with Amidinates for Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction
Authors: Yuan Shang‐Fu , He Rui‐Lin , Han Xu‐Shuang , Wang Jia‐Qi , Guan Zong‐Jie , Wang Quan‐Ming
Published: April 2021

The first all‐amidinate‐protected gold nanocluster [Au28(Ph−form)12](OTf)2 (Ph‐form=N,N′‐diphenylformamidinate) (Au28) has been synthesized and structurally resolved. Single crystal X‐ray diffraction reveals that Au28 has a compact Au4@Au24 tetrahedral core–shell structure of T symmetry, which is fully protected by 12 bridging formamidinate ligands. This cluster is quite robust as indicated by the fact that it can stay intact in solution at 80 °C for 6 d. It exhibits excellent catalytic performance for the electroreduction of CO2 with 96.5 % Faradaic efficiency (FE) at −0.57 V and a maximum TOF of 1731 h−1 at −0.87 V. Its superior stability is also manifested in the fact that the supported catalyst Au28/CNTs maintains stable potentials at ca. −0.69 V for 40 h with FE(CO)s>91 %. A superatomic electron configuration of 1S21P62S21D4 has been clarified by DFT computations, and the strong gold–ligand binding and geometric shell closure account for the superior stability of Au28.
Cooperation between a T Domain and a Minimal C‐Terminal Docking Domain to Enable Specific Assembly in a Multiprotein NRPS
Authors: Watzel Jonas , Duchardt‐Ferner Elke , Sarawi Sepas , Bode Helge B. , Wöhnert Jens
Published: April 2021

Non‐ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) produce natural products from amino acid building blocks. They often consist of multiple polypeptide chains which assemble in a specific linear order via specialized N‐ and C‐terminal docking domains (N/CDDs). Typically, docking domains function independently from other domains in NRPS assembly. Thus, docking domain replacements enable the assembly of “designer” NRPS from proteins that normally do not interact. The multiprotein “peptide‐antimicrobial‐Xenorhabdus” (PAX) peptide‐producing PaxS NRPS is assembled from the three proteins PaxA, PaxB and PaxC. Herein, we show that the small CDD of PaxA cooperates with its preceding thiolation (T1) domain to bind the NDD of PaxB with very high affinity, establishing a structural and thermodynamical basis for this unprecedented docking interaction, and we test its functional importance in vivo in a truncated PaxS assembly line. Similar docking interactions are apparently present in other NRPS systems.
Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) interaction with fish farms in the Gulf of Ambracia, western Greece
Authors: Andrés Carmen , Cardona Luis , Gonzalvo Joan
Published: April 2021

Marine aquaculture, and its fast‐growing development, has the potential for wider environmental, ecosystem, and biodiversity impacts. This study assesses the impact of fish farming on a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population within the Gulf of Ambracia (western Greece) between 2007 and 2018. Two different study areas were defined in order to investigate differences on occurrence, abundance, behaviour, and seasonal fluctuations between them: a ‘control area’, in the north‐western side of the Gulf; and a ‘fish farm area’, in the south west, where the highest density of fish farm cages is found.

A total of 169 daily surveys were dedicated to the control area and 74 days were dedicated to the fish farm area, yielding 104 and 37 sightings, respectively. Both the probability of detecting dolphins (U = 6,763.000, P = 0.002) and the group sizes (U = 578.000, P < 0.001) were smaller around fish farms.

Seasonality analyses were restricted to 2007–2008, as this was the period with year‐round effort. Results revealed that dolphins were more frequently seen around fish farms in the winter (Kruskal–Wallis test, P = 0.036).

From the 40 identified individuals that were re‐sighted at least 10 times during the study period, 21 used the fish farm area less than expected according to sampling effort, and 10 of them were never observed in that area (binomial test, P < 0.05).

The results revealed an impact of fish farms on the distribution of bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Ambracia. This information should be taken into consideration when defining ecosystem‐based management measures within the management plan, which is currently in preparation for this Natura 2000 site.
Gender Differences in the Disclosure of Sexual Abuse in Chilean Adolescents
Authors: Guerra Cristóbal , Arredondo Valeria , Saavedra Carolina , Pinto‐Cortez Cristián , Benguria Alejandro , Orrego Angélica
Published: April 2021

Child sexual abuse is a frequent phenomenon in Chile, but it is not often disclosed by its victims. The lack of disclosure is more common in the male population, presumably owing to cultural factors. The objective of this study was to deepen understanding of child sexual abuse disclosure in the Chilean population, focusing particularly on the role of gender. The study combined data extraction from the internal database of child sexual abuse specialist care centres with a small number of in‐depth interviews. In the initial quantitative phase, data on 210 adolescents between ten and 18 years of age were reviewed, and in the qualitative phase, ten young people between 18 and 20 years participated; all the participants had suffered sexual abuse. The results of the quantitative phase show that boys actively disclose less frequently than girls. The results of the qualitative analysis revealed some obstacles to disclosure both in boys and in girls (guilt and shame, or the lack of family support), but they suggested that the disclosure process would be particularly difficult for boys owing to cultural factors (e.g. questioning the masculinity of male victims and the feminisation of sexual abuse). The discussion addresses the implications of these results for promoting disclosure in adolescents of both genders.

‘Child sexual abuse is a frequent phenomenon in Chile, but it is not often disclosed by its victims’

Key Practitioner Messages

In Chile, disclosure of sexual abuse is difficult for male and female adolescents owing to guilt and shame, or the lack of family support.

In macho cultures, male adolescents would have greater difficulty with disclosure given the associated stigmatisation and gender stereotypes.

All practitioners who work with children and adolescents in Chile should be attentive to the gender factors that hinder the disclosure of sexual abuse in male and female adolescents.
Breaking the Passivation: Sodium Borohydride Synthesis by Reacting Hydrated Borax with Aluminum
Authors: Zhu Yongyang , Zhong Hao , Wang Hui , Ouyang Liuzhang , Liu Jiangwen , Huang Zhenguo , Zhu Min
Published: April 2021

A significant obstacle in the large‐scale applications of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) for hydrogen storage is its high cost. Herein, we report a new method to synthesize NaBH4 by ball milling hydrated sodium tetraborate (Na2B4O7 ⋅ 10H2O) with low‐cost Al or Al88Si12, instead of Na, Mg or Ca. An effective strategy is developed to facilitate mass transfer during the reaction by introducing NaH to enable the formation of NaAlO2 instead of dense Al2O3 on Al surface, and by using Si as a milling additive to prevent agglomeration and also break up passivation layers. Another advantage of this process is that hydrogen in Na2B4O7 ⋅ 10H2O serves as a hydrogen source for NaBH4 generation. Considering the low cost of the starting materials and simplicity in operation, our studies demonstrate the potential of producing NaBH4 in a more economical way than the commercial process.
CoOx@Co‐NC Catalyst with Dual Active Centers for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution: Breaking Trade‐Off of Particle Size and Metal Loading
Authors: Yu Yalin , Gu Jiayu , Peng Chen , Xia Yun , Tan Ling , Chen Jian , Jiang Fang , Chen Huan
Published: April 2021

Increasing the metal loading and downsizing the metal particle size are two effective ways to boost the electrochemical performance of catalysts. However, it is difficult to simultaneously increase the metal loading and reduce the particle size since isolated individual atoms are easy to aggregate into nanoparticles when increasing the metal loading. To tackle this contradiction, we report a bottom‐up ligand‐mediated strategy to facilely prepare ultrafine CoOx nanoclusters anchored on a Co‐N‐containing carbon matrix (CoOx@Co‐NC). The co‐exist of N and O atoms prevent Co atoms agglomerating into large particles and allowing the formation of ultrafine dispersed Co species with large Co loading (up to 20 wt.%). Since the relationship between ultrasmall size and large metal loading is well balanced, the CoOx nanoclusters have no inhibitory effect, but facilitate the catalytic performance of Co‐N4 sites during OER process. Consequently, due to the synergistic effect of ultrafine CoOx nanoclusters and Co‐N4 macrocycles, the as‐synthesized CoOx@Co‐NC exhibit promising OER activity (η10=370 mV, Tafel plot=40 mV/dec), bettering than that of benchmark RuO2 (η10=411 mV, Tafel plot=72 mV/dec). This ligand‐mediated strategy to synthesize carbonaceous materials containing dual active centers with large metal loading is promising for developing active and stable catalysts for electrocatalytic applications.
Self‐supporting Atmosphere‐Assisted Synthesis of 1D Mo2C‐based Catalyst for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Chen Mengying , Yang Dongrui , Wu Shifan , Zhou Jiabei , Zhou Dali , Liu Can
Published: April 2021

One‐dimensional materials exhibit fascinating properties in electrocatalytic applications but their fabrication faces the challenge of tedious and complicated operations. We have developed a bottom‐up strategy to construct a 1D metal carbide catalyst (Mo2C@NC) consisting of ultrafine Mo2C nanoparticles embedded within nitrogen‐doped carbon layers by simply calcining a mixture of ammonium molybdate, urea and melamine. Experimental results and thermodynamic calculations demonstrate that the retainable pyrolysis‐generated self‐supporting atmosphere plays a crucial role in the crystalline phase and morphology of materials. When functioned as an electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the achieved Mo2C@NC presents an excellent catalytic activity as well as outstanding stability. This work could shed fresh light onto the facile synthesis of effective HER catalysts with 1D nanostructure.
Take your Positions and Shine: Effects of Positioning Aggregation‐Induced Emission Luminophores within Sequence‐Defined Macromolecules
Authors: Pasch Peter , Killa Matthias , Junghans Hauke Lukas , Schmidt Melanie , Schmidt Stephan , Voskuhl Jens , Hartmann Laura
Published: April 2021

A luminophore with aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) is employed for the conjugation onto supramolecular ligands to allow for detection of ligand binding. Supramolecular ligands are based on the combination of sequence‐defined oligo(amidoamine) scaffolds and guanidiniocarbonyl‐pyrrole (GCP) as binding motif. We hypothesize that AIE properties are strongly affected by positioning of the luminophore within the ligand scaffold. Therefore, we systematically investigate the effects placing the AIE luminophore at different positions within the overall construct, for example, in the main or side chain of the olig(amidoamine). Indeed, we can show that the position within the ligand structure strongly affects AIE, both for the ligand itself as well as when applying the ligand for the detection of different biological and synthetic polyanions.
Influence of Luminescent Nanomaterials on Plant Growth and Development
Authors: Yu Jingbo , Yu Han , Li Linlin , Ni Xiuzhen , Song Kai , Wang Lei
Published: April 2021

As an emerging research hotspot in nanotechnology, luminescent nanomaterials (LNMs) have attracted much attention due to their unique properties. Meanwhile, their potential release into the environment has also been investigated by researchers. Plants, as an essential part of the ecosystem, are the starting point of bioaccumulation. Thus, to understand the interaction between LNMs and plants would be one of the critical aspects of risk assessment. Currently, there are still very few reports in this field, where a potential guidance is urgently necessary. Bearing this in mind, herein, based on our own research experience, we summarize the effects of four typical kinds of LNMs (quantum dots, carbon dots, upconversion nanoparticles, and metal nanoclusters) on plant growth and development, including the transport of materials in plants and their toxicity to plants, as well as the according experimental techniques. Finally, the current challenges and prospects are pointed out, thereby hoping to provide a timely fundamental guidance for future research.
Synthesis of Sn‐MCM‐41 at Low Temperature: Effect of the Synthesis Parameters on the Structural, Textural, and Catalytic Properties
Authors: Lorenti Juliana P. , Scolari Eduardo , Finger Pedro H. , Plass Winfried , Gallo Jean Marcel R.
Published: April 2021

Sn containing MCM‐41 has gained attention for catalytic applications due to the recent popularization of the Sn‐Beta Zeolite as a water‐compatible Lewis acid catalyst. In the synthesis of Sn containing MCM‐41 at high temperature, it has been shown that the silica source, the type of base, and the temperature can affect the structural, textural, and catalytic properties. Herein, a sustainable synthesis of Sn‐MCM‐41 at low temperatures (25 to 75 °C) and using the low (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB)/SiO2 molar ratio of 0.11 is proposed. It is also studied the effect of the synthesis temperature, reaction pH, nature of the base, and Sn loading in the structural, textural, and catalytic properties of Sn‐MCM‐41. Sn‐MCM‐41 synthesized with NH4OH as base presented XRD patterns typical for the MCM‐41 structures, while the synthesis using tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) led to porous materials with a low periodicity of the pores. Using both NH4OH or TMAOH as hydroxides allowed the introduction of Sn in the silica framework, although the materials prepared with TMAOH displayed a higher contribution of pentacoordinated and extraframework Sn. All the Sn‐MCM‐41 prepared in this work were active in converting glucose into fructose, showing performance superior to Sn‐MCM‐41 prepared at high temperature.
Chromosome numbers of some annual Veronica (Plantaginaceae) with report of V. tenuissima from flora of Iran
Authors: Doostmohammadi Moslem , Mirtadzadini Mansour , Bordbar Firouzeh
Published: April 2021

Somatic chromosome numbers of 20 accessions belonging to 10 species of Veronica are counted from Iran. Chromosome numbers of three species are reported for the first time (V. intercedens 2n=2x=14, V. macropoda 2n=2x=14 and V. tenuissima 2n=4x=28) and hitherto unknown ploidy levels are also reported in V. biloba (6x) and V. capillipes (6x). Chromosome count in V. intercedens suggests a basic chromosome number of x=7 for V. subsect. Cardiocarpae. It was realized that polyploidy (sometimes with variable ploidy levels) is very common among members of V. subgen. pocilla which was assumed to be a major factor responsible for different ecological tolerances, allowing these species to inhabit harsh environments and in some cases even invade new habitats beyond their native ranges. Failing to detect diploid specimens, particularly of V. campylopoda, led us to the conclusion that diploid ancestors of some of these polyploid races are either already most likely gone extinct or restricted to some small refuge areas. Veronica tenuissima is also reported from Iran based on materials from south‐east of country. Photographs of living plants and distribution map of V. tenuissima are provided and its conservation status is estimated.
Forty years of the Journal of Futures Markets: A bibliometric overview
Authors: Baker H. Kent , Kumar Satish , Pandey Nitesh
Published: April 2021

This study uses bibliometrics to present a retrospective on the Journal of Futures Markets (JFM) on its 40th anniversary. The Journal's annual number of publications and citations grew substantially, with US‐affiliated authors being the dominant contributors. Authorship analysis reveals an increase in collaboration and diversity among JFM authors. Bibliographic coupling analysis reveals that the Journal's main themes include commodities, volatility, trading, hedging, arbitrage and pricing, forecasting volatility, and credit default swaps. Its primary citation drivers are article age, article length, number of authors, FT100 affiliation, and references.
Circular RNAs: Novel potential regulators in embryogenesis, female infertility, and pregnancy‐related diseases
Authors: Gao Qinyu , Wang Tianjuan , Pan Linxin , Qian Cheng , Wang Juan , Xin Qiong , Liu Yajing , Zhang Zhiguo , Xu Yuping , He Xiaojin , Cao Yunxia
Published: April 2021

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are endogenous noncoding RNAs with unique cyclic structures. Although they were previously considered as nonfunctional transcription byproducts, numerous studies have demonstrated that circRNAs regulate gene transcription and expression via different mechanisms. Reproductive health influences the quality of life and affects offspring propagation in women. CircRNAs have been found to modify pregnancy‐related diseases, gynecologic cancers, polycystic ovary syndrome, aging, gamete, and embryo development. It's promising for circRNAs to be the novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets for multiple reproductive diseases. With the widespread application of assisted reproduction technology (ART), it has been revealed that circRNA identification contributes to estimating the quality of gametes and embryos, reflecting the success rate of ART. CRISPR‐Cas9 gene editing technology has enabled the discovery of new roles of circRNAs. So far, the roles of circRNAs in the reproductive system remain poorly defined. In this review, we describe the classification and functions of circRNAs in embryogenesis and the female reproductive system diseases, revealing potential roles of circRNAs physiologically and pathologically. In so‐doing, we provide ideas for developing circRNA‐based therapeutic treatment and clinical application of various female reproductive system diseases.
Phytoplankton biomass, dissolved organic matter, and temperature drive respiration in whole lake nutrient additions
Authors: Pace Michael L. , Buelo Cal D. , Carpenter Stephen R.
Published: April 2021

Lake respiration is supported by a mixture of autochthonous and allochthonous resources, but the relative significance and interaction of these sources are uncertain across gradients of primary production and organic matter inputs. We manipulated autochthonous resources by adding inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus to two lakes during three summers and monitored a third reference lake. Allochthonous resources were measured as fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM). In the reference and two experimental lakes, daily estimates of respiration were made from continuously deployed oxygen sensors. Daily mean values of temperature and FDOM were determined from high‐frequency measurements along with daily measures of chlorophyll a, an index of phytoplankton biomass. We analyzed time series of respiration and tested models that used combinations of the independent variables chlorophyll, FDOM, and temperature. The best models included all three of the independent variables. Respiration increased twofold over the temperature range of 14.5–28.6°C. Respiration increased in association with phytoplankton blooms caused by the nutrient additions, but did not track blooms closely, because of large day‐to‐day variability. Respiration varied positively with FDOM that was primarily allochthonous and differed among lakes and years. We did not detect an interaction between chlorophyll and FDOM despite the large number of observations and range of chlorophyll and FDOM. Hydrologic, climatic, and land use changes are altering temperature and inputs of nutrients and organic matter to lakes. Our results indicate that these changes may lead to linear responses in ecosystem processes like respiration for the wide range of inputs represented in this study.
Dynamic Tannic Acid Hydrogel with Self‐Healing and pH Sensitivity for Controlled Release
Authors: Li Peihong , Sui Yanlong , Dai Xueyan , Fang Qiangsheng , Sima Haofei , Zhang Chunling
Published: April 2021

Dynamic hydrogels constructed with dynamic chemical bonds often have mechanical strength and self‐healing properties. In this paper, tannic acid is combined with lysine‐containing F127 through Schiff base. A series of FLaT hydrogels cross‐linked by hydrogen bonds and dynamic chemical bonds is prepared, and the influence of Schiff base amount on the performance is discussed. The FLaT hydrogel exhibits reversible sol–gel transition, self‐healing, injectability, and pH sensitivity. Increasing the amount of Schiff base can improve the strength, stability, and self‐healing ability of the hydrogel. Owing to their low cytotoxicity, linear release pattern, and pH‐controlled release rate, the FLaT hydrogels show potential use in drug delivery systems for cancer treatment.
Sulforaphane inhibits PRMT5 and MEP50 function to suppress the mesothelioma cancer cell phenotype
Authors: Ezeka Geraldine , Adhikary Gautam , Kandasamy Sivaveera , Friedberg Joseph S. , Eckert Richard L.
Published: April 2021

Mesothelioma is a highly aggressive cancer of the mesothelial lining that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Surgical resection followed by chemotherapy is the current treatment strategy, but this is marginally successful and leads to drug‐resistant disease. We are interested in factors that maintain the aggressive mesothelioma cancer phenotype as therapy targets. Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) functions in concert with the methylosome protein 50 (MEP50) cofactor to catalyze symmetric dimethylation of key arginine resides in histones 3 and 4 which modifies the chromatin environment to alter tumor suppressor and oncogene expression and enhance cancer cell survival. Our studies show that PRMT5 or MEP50 loss reduces H4R3me2s formation and that this is associated with reduced cancer cell spheroid formation, invasion, and migration. Treatment with sulforaphane (SFN), a diet‐derived anticancer agent, reduces PRMT5/MEP50 level and H4R3me2s formation and suppresses the cancer phenotype. We further show that SFN treatment reduces PRMT5 and MEP50 levels and that this reduction is required for SFN suppression of the cancer phenotype. SFN treatment also reduces tumor formation which is associated with reduced PRMT5/MEP50 expression and activity. These findings suggest that SFN may be a useful mesothelioma treatment agent that operates, at least in part, via suppression of PRMT5/MEP50 function.
Increased Accumulation of α‐Synuclein in Inflamed Appendices of Parkinson's Disease Patients
Authors: Chen Yuhua , Wu Wei , Zhao Shuli , Lv Xinyi , Hu Ji , Han Chao , Wang Guoping , Wang Shicun , Bo Pan , Zhang Juan , Gui Wei , Tang Qiqiang , Liu Qiang , Zhu Shu , Yu Feng
Published: April 2021

Background

The accumulation of α‐synuclein (α‐Syn) aggregates that leads to the onset of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been postulated to begin in the gastrointestinal tract. The normal human appendix contains pathogenic forms of α‐Syn, and appendectomy has been reported to affect the incidence of PD.

Objective

This study investigated appendix abnormality in patients with PD.

Methods

We assessed appendix morphology in 100 patients with PD and 50 control subjects by multislice spiral computed tomography. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients with PD with diseased appendices, which was confirmed in seven patients by histopathological analysis.

Results

Chronic appendicitis‐like lesions were detected in 53% of patients with PD, but these were not associated with the duration of motor symptoms. Appendicitis‐like lesions, impaired olfaction, and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder were risk factors for PD. The following clinical symptoms could be used to identify patients with PD with appendicitis‐like lesions: first motor symptoms were bradykinesia/rigidity, onset of motor symptoms in the central axis or left limb, prodromal constipation, high ratio of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III score to symptom duration, low Montreal Cognitive Assessment score, and high Epworth Sleepiness Scale score. The seven patients with PD who were diagnosed with chronic appendicitis underwent appendectomy, and histopathological analysis revealed structural changes associated with chronic appendicitis and α‐Syn aggregation.

Conclusions

These results indicate an association between chronic appendicitis‐like lesions and PD, and suggest that α‐Syn accumulation in the diseased appendix occurs in PD. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Coordination driven layer‐by‐layer deposition technology used for fabrication of flame retardant polyamide 66 fabric
Authors: Liu Wei , Shi Rui , Zhang Zejiang , Yan Mingqiang , Chen Xiaosui , Chen Yuyan
Published: April 2021

Phytic acid (IP6) as the major phosphorus‐containing component of certain plants, such as cereal, oil plant, and bean possesses strong capability of coordinating with metal ion to form complex salt. In this study, low concentration IP6 was utilized in combination with Al3+ ion to in situ form insoluble Al3+‐IP6 complex salt on the surface of the fabric through coordination driven layer‐by‐layer deposition technology without high temperature cure step, which is an attempt to provide a facile bio‐based flame retardant finishing to polyamide (PA) 66 fabric. Surface structure of the treated PA fabric has been analyzed via ATR‐FTIR and SEM characterization. Effect of BLs' number on the flame retardancy and burning behavior of the treated sample has been examined by the limiting oxygen index (LOI) test, the vertical burning test, microcalorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results show that 20LBL PA fabric has the highest LOI value, highest residual char yield, and lowest THR value in all the samples and no melt dripping behavior could be detected during combustion of 20LBL PA fabric. Moreover, the insolubility of Al3+‐IP6 salt from the surface could promote the durability of the treated fabric after laundering procedure using water single. This is the first time to use coordination driven layer‐by‐layer deposition technology in the fabric's flame retardant finishing.