bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Probing Nanoscale Schottky Barrier Characteristics at WSe2/Graphene Heterostructures via Electrostatic Doping
Authors: Richheimer Filipe , Vincent Tom , Catanzaro Alessandro , Huáng Nathaniel J. , Baker Mark A. , Dorey Robert A. , Giusca Cristina E. , Castro Fernando A. , Kazakova Olga , Wood Sebastian
Published: March 2022

The adoption of 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) based optoelectronic devices is limited by Fermi level pinning effects and consequent large contact resistances upon contacting TMDs with bulk metal electrodes. A potential solution for near‐ideal Schottky–Mott behavior and concomitant Schottky barrier height control is proposed by contacting TMDs and (semi‐)metals in van der Waals heterostructures. However, measurement approaches to directly assess interface parameters relevant to the Schottky–Mott rule on a local scale are still lacking. In the present work, a heterostructure of monolayer tungsten diselenide (WSe2) with monolayer graphene (1LG) and bilayer graphene (2LG) is investigated on a bottom‐gate substrate. Kelvin probe force microscopy and tip‐enhanced photoluminescence measurements at different electrostatic doping induced Fermi levels in graphene enable decoupling and quantification of contributions from the interface dipole and electrode work function. These are used to locally probe Schottky barrier characteristics with below 32 nm lateral resolution, demonstrating that the WSe2/1LG junction operates at the Schottky–Mott limit (S ≈ 1). At the WSe2/2LG junction, a reduction of the interface dipole is directly related to changes in excitonic emission properties. These are attributed to charge transfer modulation across the interface, critical for obtaining high‐performance transfer characteristics in transistors and related devices.
Latent vector autoregressive modeling and feature analysis of high dimensional and noisy data from dynamic systems
Authors: Qin S. Joe
Published: March 2022

In this article, a novel latent vector autoregressive (LaVAR) modeling algorithm with a canonical correlation analysis (CCA) objective is proposed to estimate a fully‐interacting reduced‐dimensional dynamic model. This algorithm is an advancement of the dynamic inner canonical correlation analysis (DiCCA) algorithm, which builds univariate latent autoregressive models that are noninteracting. The dynamic latent variable scores of the proposed algorithm are guaranteed to be orthogonal with a descending order of predictability, retaining the properties of DiCCA. Further, the LaVAR‐CCA algorithm solves multiple latent variables simultaneously with a statistical interpretation of the profile likelihood. The Lorenz oscillator with noisy measurements and an application case study on an industrial dataset are used to illustrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm. The reduced‐dimensional latent dynamic model has numerous potential applications for prediction, feature analysis, and diagnosis of systems with rich measurements.
Artificial Multisensory Neurons with Fused Haptic and Temperature Perception for Multimodal In‐Sensor Computing
Authors: Duan Qingxi , Zhang Teng , Liu Chang , Yuan Rui , Li Ge , Jun Tiw Pek , Yang Ke , Ge Chen , Yang Yuchao , Huang Ru
Published: March 2022

The human receives and transmits various information from the outside world through different sensory systems. The sensory neurons integrate various sensory inputs into a synthetical perception to monitor complex environments, and this fundamentally determines the way how we perceive the world. Developing multifunctional artificial sensory elements that can integrate multisensory perception plays a vital role in future intelligent perception systems, whereas prior spiking neurons reported can only handle single‐mode physical signals. Herein, a bioinspired haptic‐temperature fusion spiking neuron based upon a serial connection of piezoresistive sensor and VO2 volatile memristor is presented. The artificial sensory neuron is capable of detecting and encoding pressure and temperature inputs based on the voltage dividing effect and the intrinsic thermal sensitivity of metal–insulator transition in VO2. Recognition of Braille characters is achieved through multiple piezoresistive sensors, taking advantage of the spatial integration capabilities of such spiking neurons. Notably, the traditionally separate haptic and temperature signals can be fused physically in the sensory neuron when synchronizing the two sensory cues, which is able to recognize multimodal haptic/temperature patterns. The artificial multisensory neuron thus provides a promising approach toward e‐skin, neurorobotics, and human–machine interaction technologies. A preprint version of the article can be found at: https://www.authorea.com/doi/full/10.22541/au.164668806.60849882.
Efficient Recycling of Catalyst‐Solvent Couples from Lewis Acid‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Reactions in Water
Authors: Kitanosono Taku , Lu Fangqiu , Masuda Koichiro , Yamashita Yasuhiro , Kobayashi Shu
Published: March 2022

Bioinspired supramolecular architectures were used to compartmentalize highly charged aqua scandium ions into chiral hydrophobic scaffolds for Lewis acid‐catalyzed asymmetric reactions. Recycling without significant loss in catalytic performance is a formidable task, especially for Lewis acid‐catalyzed reactions. This is because Lewis basic impurities derived from starting materials, products, and water are highly competitive ligands for both substrate binding and metal complexation, thus poisoning the Lewis acids and leading to their leaching. Even when basic aniline is used, the architecture allowed for effective suppression of Sc3+ leaching and for reuse of solvent‐catalyst couples in asymmetric ring‐opening reactions without deactivation. Application to asymmetric thia‐Michael addition and hydroxymethylation was also demonstrated. The successful recycling in highly Lewis basic environments underpins the exceptionally high robustness of the chiral Lewis acid catalyst.
Development and in vitro characterization of capecitabine loaded biopolymeric vehicle for the treatment of colon cancer
Authors: Hazra Ahana , Sanyal Dwipanjan , De Arnab , Chatterjee Sohini , Chattopadhyay Krishnananda , Samanta Amalesh
Published: March 2022

The present study aims at developing and characterizing gum odina ‐ sodium alginate based microsphere as a carrier for capecitabine. Microspheres with varying concentration of polymers (gum odina and sodium alginate) were formulated using calcium chloride as a cross‐linker by ionotropic gelation technique. The formulated microspheres were optimized by entrapment efficiency, drug yield, particle size, swelling index, and in vitro drug release study. The optimized microsphere (F6) was characterized in terms of SEM, AFM, FTIR, XRD, degradation study, moisture content study, and antioxidant activity. The F6 was spherical in shape with a mean diameter of 568.33 ± 45.76 μm and drug entrapment efficiency of 45.91 ± 2.94%. In vitro dissolution study of optimized formulation exhibited negligible released in 0.1 N HCl (pH 1.2) and followed by 100% release in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) within 24 h. In vitro cytotoxicity assay (MTT) of formulation F6 on HT29 human colon cancer cell line indicated inhibition of the proliferation of tumor cell over a longer period of time. The overall experiment indicated that capecitabine loaded natural polymers based formulated microsphere could be a promising approach for the prevention of colon cancer.
Cosmological constraints on bulk viscous f(Q,T) gravity
Authors: Sokoliuk Oleksii , Baransky Alexander
Published: March 2022

In the General Theory of Relativity (GR) gravitational interactions are described by the scalar Ricci curvature. But there exists another class of modified gravity theories equivalent to GR, described by the torsion tensor or non‐metricity scalar. One of such theories, investigated in this paper is gravity, built from the arbitrary function of non‐metricity scalar non‐minimally coupled to the trace of stress‐energy tensor. Current work is aimed on the linear gravity, where and are free MOG parameters to be varied. As well, we assume that the fluid is bulk‐viscous with pressure and the bulk viscosity parameter . From the modified Einstein Field Equations (EFE's) we obtain the Hubble parameter analytically and constrain free parameters of the model through the MCMC sampling of 57 recent Hubble parameter observations. We found that computed Hubble rate for our model from MCMC sampling converges with the observational data at the confidence level. To examine the current accelerated expansion rate of the universe in details we use the statefinder diagnostics. Besides, to distinguish CDM and our model we use analysis.
A further study of relations between motor impairment and social communication, cognitive, language, functional impairments, and repetitive behavior severity in children with ASD using the SPARK study dataset
Authors: Bhat Anjana N. , Boulton Aaron J. , Tulsky David S.
Published: March 2022

Motor impairments are pervasive and persistent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) throughout childhood and adolescence. Based on recent studies examining motor impairments in children with ASD between 5 and 15 years (i.e., SPARK study sample), 87–88% of this population is at‐risk for a motor impairment, these problems persisted until 15 years, and related to their core (social communication skills and repetitive behaviors [RBs]) and comorbid (language, cognitive, and functional) impairments. Persistent motor impairments extending into adolescence/adulthood could negatively impact their independent daily living skills, physical fitness/activity levels, and physical/mental health. While multiple studies have examined relations between motor dimensions and core/comorbid impairments in young children with ASD, few studies have examined such relations in school‐age children/adolescents with ASD. This paper conducts a further multidimensional study of which motor domains (i.e., gross‐motor including visuo‐motor or multilimb coordination/planning, fine motor [FM] or general coordination [GC] skills) best distinguish subgroups of school‐age children/adolescents with ASD and help predict core and comorbid impairments after accounting for age and sex. Visuomotor, FM and certain GC skills were better at explaining variations in/predicting social communication impairments whereas FM skills were slightly better at explaining variations in/predicting RB severity. Multilimb coordination/planning and FM skills explained variations in/predicted cognitive delays whereas visuomotor and FM skills explained variations in and better predicted language delays. All three motor dimensions explained variations in/predicted functional delays. This study provides further evidence for inclusion of motor impairments within the ASD definition (criteria or specifiers).

Lay Summary

Gross‐motor skills were related to social communication and functional delays of children with ASD (visuomotor skills related to language delays and multilimb coordination/planning skills related to cognitive delays). Fine‐motor skills were related to repetitive behavior severity, language, cognitive, and functional delays in ASD. Diagnosticians should recommend systematic motor screening, further evaluations, and treatments for children at‐risk for and diagnosed with ASD. Motor advocacy and enhanced public/clinical community awareness is needed to fulfill the unmet motor needs of children with ASD.
Tunneling the barriers of blockchain technology in remanufacturing for achieving sustainable development goals: A circular manufacturing perspective
Authors: Govindan Kannan
Published: March 2022

As a concern with manufacturing industries, circular economy (CE) practices—often labeled “circular manufacturing (CM)”—are industrial tasks through which several circular economy principles have been integrated. Among these circular manufacturing strategies, “3R” (recycle, refurbish/remanufacture, and reuse/redistribute) is the key strategy that assists the manufacturing industry with closing the loop for sustainability. An effective inclusion and management of 3R lead a firm to a greater likelihood of successfully integrating CE and CM. In recent years, remanufacturing has gained greater prominence, especially with the emergence of technology, including cyber‐physical systems. These technologies assist the remanufacturing firm with efficient take‐back systems through tracking. However, data transferred through these technologies among value chain partners in remanufacturing are not reliable. Due to the lack of trust and transparency, value chain partners are hesitant to participate in remanufacturing supply chains. To address the limitation of technologies in remanufacturing, blockchain has been introduced to secure the data. Despite the advantages of blockchain technology, practitioners face difficulties in integrating these blockchain technologies into the remanufacturing context. Several earlier studies addressed the challenges of implementing blockchain, but no earlier studies have specifically examined remanufacturing industries, which are entirely different from forward supply chain industries. Concerning the fact, this study identifies the barriers that exist with the implementation of blockchain technology in the application of the remanufacturing sector. A framework has been proposed and validated in a Danish automotive parts remanufacturing company. Multi‐criteria decision‐making method has been used to identify the effective and most influential barriers among common barriers. Results reveal that “scaling of technology” (B6) is the key barrier of BCT implementation in remanufacturing context. This study concludes with useful discussions based on the results along with the recommendations to eradicate those influential barriers and their respective impacts on SDGs (SDG4, SDG8, SDG9, and SDG17). Finally, this study sheds light on future enhancements on the integration of blockchain technology in remanufacturing to reap several benefits of circular manufacturing.
The nexus between environmental and financial performance: Evidence from gulf cooperative council banks
Authors: Hasan Rashedul , Miah Mohammad Dulal , Hassan M. Kabir
Published: March 2022

The paper examines the impact of banks environmental performance on their financial and market performance. We collect data from 56 gulf cooperative council (GCC) banks for the period 2010–2019. We apply ordinary least square (OLS), fixed effect, and generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation techniques and show that GCC banks' environmental performance negatively affects their accounting performance. The results, however, exhibit no significant impact of banks' environmental performance on market performance. Moreover, conventional banks have better environmental performance than their Islamic counterparts. Our results are consistent across different estimation techniques after controlling for endogeneity issues. The findings of the study are novel and offer important policy implications for management, regulatory authority, and environmental activists.
Fabrication of bone‐derived decellularized extracellular matrix/ceramic‐based biocomposites and their osteo/odontogenic differentiation ability for dentin regeneration
Authors: Kim Dongyun , Lee Hyeongjin , Lee Geum‐Hwa , Hoang The‐Hiep , Kim Hyung‐Ryong , Kim Geun Hyung
Published: March 2022

The goal of this study was to fabricate bioactive cell‐laden biocomposites supplemented with bone‐derived decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) with calcium phosphate ceramic, and to assess the effect of the biocomponents on the osteogenic and odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). By evaluating the rheological properties and selecting printing parameters, mechanically stable cell‐laden 3D biocomposites with high initial cell‐viability (>90%) and reasonable printability (≈0.9) were manufactured. The cytotoxicity of the biocomposites was evaluated via MTT assay and nuclei/F‐actin fluorescent analyses, while the osteo/odontogenic differentiation of the hDPSCs was assessed using histological and immunofluorescent analyses and various gene expressions. Alkaline phosphate activity and alizarin red staining results indicate that the dECM‐based biocomposites exhibit significantly higher osteogenic activities, including calcification, compared to the collagen‐based biocomposites. Furthermore, immunofluorescence images and gene expressions demonstrated upregulation of dentin matrix acidic phosphoprotein‐1 and dentin sialophosphoprotein in the dECM‐based biocomposites, indicating acceleration of the odontogenic differentiation of hDPSCs in the printed biocomposites. The hDPSC‐laden biocomposite was implanted into the subcutaneous region of mice, and the biocomposite afforded clear induction of osteo/odontogenic ectopic hard tissue formation 8 weeks post‐transplantation. From these results, we suggest that the hDPSC‐laden biocomposite is a promising biomaterial for dental tissue engineering.
The immune modulation effects of gemcitabine plus cisplatin induction chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Li Xiao‐Min , Zhang Xiao‐Min , Li Jun‐Yan , Jiang Ning , Chen Lei , Tang Ling‐Long , Mao Yan‐Ping , Li Wen‐Fei , Zhou Guan‐Qun , Li Ying‐Qin , Liu Na , Zhang Yuan , Ma Jun
Published: March 2022

Background

Studies are trying to add immunotherapy to gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP) induction chemotherapy, the standard therapy, in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with locoregionally advanced disease. However, how the immune system responds to GP remains unknown.

Method

We examined the dynamic changes of circulating immune cells and plasma cytokines in NPC patients administered with GP.

Result

After GP administration, immunosuppressive myeloid cells, including CD11b+CD14+ monocytes, CD33+ myeloid cells, CD33+CD11+ myeloid cells, total MDSCs (CD33+CD11+HLA‐DR−/low), monocytic MDSCs, and granulocytic MDSCs decreased significantly. The regulatory T cells and B cells, two important suppressive lymphocyte subpopulations, also decreased. On the other hand, the levels of CD3+ T cells, total B cells, central memory CD4+ T cells, and pro‐inflammatory cytokines (including Interleukin [IL]‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐2, IL‐5, and IL‐8) increased significantly after GP administration. Besides, GP chemotherapy did not weaken the cytotoxic activity and proliferative capacity of T cells.

Conclusion

Our results showed the immune modulation effect of GP induction chemotherapy in locoregionally advanced NPC, providing a solid basis for its combination with immunotherapy.
Expanding access to international education: The case of North Carolina community colleges
Authors: Whatley Melissa , LaVenture Suzanne
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of US community college international education programs along with specific examples that can be implemented at community colleges wishing to establish similar offerings. This article explores especially how community colleges incorporate international education into the fabric of their institutions, providing access to global opportunities to students and members of the communities they serve. We focus our analysis on recent survey data, collected from 42 of North Carolina's 58 community colleges. These data provide insight into how community colleges are expanding educational opportunities and providing access to the multiple populations that they serve. Key international opportunities offered to students at community colleges include on‐campus international events, study abroad, internationalized curricula, North Carolina's Scholars of Global Distinction Program, and international student services. This article closes with specific recommendations for community college leaders aiming to establish or grow international programming on their campuses.
Websites that support guided pathways partnerships
Authors: Patel Hezal , Brosnan Marianne J.
Published: March 2022

The authors examine trends in how successful guided pathways colleges communicate transfer options to 4‐year institutions via their institutional websites so that students—the ultimate benefactors of guided pathways initiatives—can discover and pursue the transfer partnership pathways. Institutions in the two states included in this review were selected based on nationally recognized exemplary practices and commitment to student success and outcomes. Three dimensions were explored in this website content analysis: How easy is it to find information (accessibility)? How is the information organized (presentation)? What relevant content is communicated (information)? The authors found that exemplary pathways institutions place pathways information prominently on their websites’ home page, use similar language to describe pathways information and in multiple places on the website, and provide a connection to supportive transfer resources. The authors present the conclusions, discuss implications drawn from this study, and provide recommendations for practice.
N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes Carrying Weakly Coordinating Anions
Authors: Ho Luong Phong , Tamm Matthias
Published: March 2022

In this Concept article we provide a brief overview of the design and preparation of N‐heterocyclic carbenes carrying weakly coordinating anions (WCA‐NHCs). The anionic charge in these ligand systems is located on an exocyclic group, for example, B(C6F5)3, tethered to the backbone of the imidazole ring, thus resembling a weakly coordinating moiety. With the general guiding principle behind the application of WCA‐NHCs being the conversion of otherwise cationic NHC complexes into their overall neutral congeners, numerous transition metal as well as main group element complexes were isolated during the last decade, which are summarized herein.
Cellulose Nanocrystal‐supported Pd‐Co Bimetallic Catalyst for Selective Hydrogenation of 3‐Nitrostyrene
Authors: Li Xiaobing , Zhu Xuhai , Ren Zhiwen , Si Xiaoqin , Lu Rui , Lu Fang
Published: March 2022

Herein, we prepared an even‐dispersed bimetallic Pd−Co nanoparticles supported on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) matrix (denoted as Pd−Co/CNC‐x; x is the added Co/Pd molar ratio during the preparation) for selective hydrogenation of 3‐nitrostyrene (NS). The optimized Pd−Co/CNC‐2.5 catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity with TOF value of 2570 h−1 and 94.1% selectivity of 3‐ethylnitrobenzene (ENB) in methanol under 3 bar H2 at 50 °C. The reaction pathway revealed that the Pd−Co/CNC‐2.5 catalyst exhibited the high priority on the C=C bonds hydrogenation, while the 3‐ethylaniline (EA) was the over‐hydrogenation product from NS via ENB. The structure‐activity relationship study demonstrated that the synergistic effect of Pd−Co in Pd−Co/CNC‐2.5 played a crucial role in the hydrogenation of NS. Moreover, compared to the monometallic Pd/CNC catalyst, the kinetic analysis revealed a relative lower reaction barrier of CNC supported Pd−Co nanoparticles. This exploration will provide a guidance for the catalyst construction in the selective hydrogenation of the unsaturated C=C bonds.
Pharmacokinetics of Daprodustat and Metabolites in Individuals with Normal and Impaired Hepatic Function
Authors: Mahar Kelly M. , Shaddinger Bonnie C. , Ramanjineyulu Bandi , Andrews Susan , Caltabiano Stephen , Lindsay Alistair C. , Cobitz Alexander R.
Published: March 2022

Daprodustat is a hypoxia‐inducible factor‐prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor in development for treatment of anemia of chronic kidney disease. We evaluated the role of hepatic impairment on daprodustat pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and tolerability. Participants with mild (Child‐Pugh Class A, score 5‒6) and moderate (Child‐Pugh Class B, score 7‒9) hepatic impairment and matched healthy controls were administered single 6‐mg doses of daprodustat. Exposure parameters were determined for daprodustat and its six metabolites. Comparisons resulted in 1.5‐ and 2.0‐fold higher daprodustat Cmax and area under the curve (AUC) exposures in participants with mild and moderate hepatic impairment, respectively, versus controls; Cmax in mild hepatic impairment was comparable to controls. Similarly, aligned with parent drug, unbound daprodustat Cmax and AUC exposures increased 1.6‐ to 2.3‐fold in hepatic‐impaired participants versus controls, and metabolite exposures were 1.2‐ to 2.0‐fold higher in participants with hepatic impairment. Erythropoeitin (EPO) baseline‐corrected AUC exposures were between 0.3‐fold lower and 2.2‐fold higher in matched controls versus hepatic‐impaired participants. No serious or study drug‐related adverse events were reported. Daprodustat exposure was increased in participants with moderate and mild hepatic impairment compared with matched controls; however, no meaningful differences in EPO were observed and no new safety concerns were identified (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03223337).
SAVE‐AS: Accelerating convergence in network traffic prediction through adaptive optimized variational mode decomposition and an integrated extreme learning machine
Authors: Shi Jinmei , Leau Yu‐Beng , Li Kun
Published: March 2022

Nonlinearity and nonstationary data affect the prediction accuracy of network traffic. A practical solution is to use an integrated modeling method based on time‐series decomposition and an extreme learning machine (ELM). The original network traffic data series are decomposed in this paper using variational mode decomposition (VMD), and then each subdata series is subjected to phase space reconstruction (PSR). Finally, ELM trains a model for predicting network traffic. We used scalable artificial bee colony (SABC) algorithms to optimize parameter selection throughout the modeling process. However, several processes, such as VMD decomposition, PSR, and ELM training, will be repeated during iterative model optimization, resulting in a significant increase in computational complexity. This article proposes an adaptive selection mechanism for decomposing time series, which named is SABC‐VMD‐ELM prediction method with an adaptive selection (SAVE‐AS) method. From gray correlation degree and approximate entropy, an adaptive selection operator is constructed that can adaptively select the number of data sets after VMD optimization decomposition. The ELM model is trained using several subdata sequences that satisfy the conditions rather than all subdata sequences to minimize computational complexity in modeling. Two publicly available data sets of Mackey–Glass and Lorenz chaotic time series were used; in addition, actual network traffic data from the MAWI Working Group's WIDE Backbone was simulated. It is demonstrated that the prediction model can reduce computational complexity and accelerate convergence speed while maintaining the model's predictive accuracy. In three data sets, training time was reduced by 25.25%, 23.87%, and 41.36%, respectively.
Highest densities of mountain hares (Lepus timidus) associated with ecologically restored bog but not grouse moorland management
Authors: Bedson Carlos P. E. , Wheeler Philip M. , Reid Neil , Harris Wilson Edwin , Mallon David , Caporn Simon , Preziosi Richard
Published: March 2022

Over the last 20 years, ecological restoration of degraded habitats has become common in conservation practice. Mountain hares (Lepus timidus scoticus) were surveyed during 2017–2021 using 830 km of line transects in the Peak District National Park, England. Historically degraded bog areas were previously reported having low hare numbers. Following bog restoration, we found hare densities of 32.6 individuals km−2, notably higher than neighboring degraded (unrestored) bog with 24.4 hares km−2. Hare density on restored peatland was 2.7 times higher than on bogs managed for grouse shooting at 12.2 hares km−2and 3.3 times higher than on heather moorland managed for grouse shooting at 10.0 hares km−2. Yearly estimates varied most on habitats managed for grouse, perhaps indicative of the impact of habitat management, for example, heather burning and/or possible hare culling to control potential tick‐borne louping ill virus in gamebirds. Acid grassland used for sheep farming had a similar density to grouse moorland at 11.8 hares km−2. Unmanaged dwarf shrub heath had the lowest density at 4.8 hares km−2. Hare populations are characterized by significant yearly fluctuations, those in the study area increasing by 60% between 2017 and 2018 before declining byca. 15% by 2020 and remaining stable to 2021. During an earlier survey in 2002, total abundance throughout the Peak District National Park was estimated at 3361 (95% CI: 2431–4612) hares. The present study estimated 3562 (2291–5624) hares suggesting a stable population over the last two decades despite fluctuations likely influenced by weather and anthropogenic factors. Mountain hares in the Peak District favored bog habitats and were associated with restored peatland habitat. Wildlife management should be cognizant of hare density variation between habitats, which may have implications for local extinction risk.
Age‐specific, population‐level pedigree of wild black bears provides insights into reproduction, paternity, and maternal effects on offspring apparent survival
Authors: Reynolds‐Hogland Melissa J. , Ramsey Alan B. , Muench Carly , Pilgrim Kristine L. , Engkjer Cory , Ramsey Philip W.
Published: March 2022

Wildlife pedigrees provide insights into ecological and evolutionary processes. DNA obtained from noninvasively collected hair is often used to determine individual identities for pedigrees and other genetic analyses. However, detection rates associated with some noninvasive DNA studies can be relatively low, and genetic data do not provide information on individual birth year. Supplementing hair DNA stations with video cameras should increase the individual detection rate, assuming accurate identification of individuals via video data. Video data can also provide birth year information for individuals captured as young of the year, which can enrich population‐level pedigrees. We placed video cameras at hair stations and combined genetic and video data to reconstruct an age‐specific, population‐level pedigree of wild black bears during 2010–2020. Combining individual birth year with mother–offspring relatedness, we also estimated litter size, interlitter interval, primiparity, and fecundity. We used the Cormack‐Jolly‐Seber model in Program Mark to evaluate the effect of maternal identity on offspring apparent survival. We compared model rankings of apparent survival and parameter estimates based on combined genetic and video data with those based on only genetic data. We observed 42 mother–offspring relationships. Of these, 21 (50%) would not have been detected had we used hair DNA alone. Moreover, video data allowed for the cub and yearling age classes to be determined. Mean annual fecundity was 0.42 (95% CI: 0.27, 0.56). Maternal identity influenced offspring apparent survival, where offspring of one mother experienced significantly lower apparent survival (0.39; SE = 0.15) than that of offspring of four other mothers (0.89–1.00; SE = 0.00–0.06). We video‐documented cub abandonment by the mother whose offspring experienced low apparent survival, indicating individual behaviors (e.g., maternal care) may scale up to affect population‐level parameters (e.g., cub survival). Our findings provide insights into evolutionary processes and are broadly relevant to wildlife ecology and conservation.
Long‐term cattle grazing shifts the ecological state of forest soils
Authors: Proesmans Willem , Andrews Christopher , Gray Alan , Griffiths Rob , Keith Aidan , Nielsen Uffe N. , Spurgeon David , Pywell Richard , Emmett Bridget , Vanbergen Adam J.
Published: March 2022

Cattle grazing profoundly affects abiotic and biotic characteristics of ecosystems. While most research has been performed on grasslands, the effect of large managed ungulates on forest ecosystems has largely been neglected. Compared to a baseline seminatural state, we investigated how long‐term cattle grazing of birch forest patches affected the abiotic state and the ecological community (microbes and invertebrates) of the soil subsystem. Grazing strongly modified the soil abiotic environment by increasing phosphorus content, pH, and bulk density, while reducing the C:N ratio. The reduced C:N ratio was strongly associated with a lower microbial biomass, mainly caused by a reduction of fungal biomass. This was linked to a decrease in fungivorous nematode abundance and the nematode channel index, indicating a relative uplift in the importance of the bacterial energy‐channel in the nematode assemblages. Cattle grazing highly modified invertebrate community composition producing distinct assemblages from the seminatural situation. Richness and abundance of microarthropods was consistently reduced by grazing (excepting collembolan richness) and grazing‐associated changes in soil pH, Olsen P, and reduced soil pore volume (bulk density) limiting niche space and refuge from physical disturbance. Anecic earthworm species predominated in grazed patches, but were absent from ungrazed forest, and may benefit from manure inputs, while their deep vertical burrowing behavior protects them from physical disturbance. Perturbation of birch forest habitat by long‐term ungulate grazing profoundly modified soil biodiversity, either directly through increased physical disturbance and manure input or indirectly by modifying soil abiotic conditions. Comparative analyses revealed the ecosystem engineering potential of large ungulate grazers in forest systems through major shifts in the composition and structure of microbial and invertebrate assemblages, including the potential for reduced energy flow through the fungal decomposition pathway. The precise consequences for species trophic interactions and biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships remain to be established, however.
Exploring trait–performance relationships of tree seedlings along experimentally manipulated light and water gradients
Authors: Li Yuanzhi , Jiang Yuan , Zhao Kangning , Chen Yang , Wei Wei , Shipley Bill , Chu Chengjin
Published: March 2022

A foundational assumption of trait‐based ecology is that individual performances should be predicted by its functional traits. However, the trait–performance relationships reported in literature were typically weak, probably due to the ignorance of interactions between traits and environments, intraspecific trait variability, and hard traits (directly linked to physiological processes of interest). We conducted an experiment of planting 900 seedlings of six tree species separately (one seedling per pot) along experimentally manipulated light and water gradients, monitored their survival and growth, and measured their morphological, photosynthetic, and hydraulic traits. Most trait–performance relationships depended on the environments, either marginally changing (weak trait × environment interaction) or even reversing (strong trait × environment interaction) along light or water gradients in our experiment. Such trait × environment interactions were more likely to be detected in growth models using individual‐level traits than models using species mean traits, but seedling growth was not better modeled with individual‐level traits than species mean traits. Additionally, none of the hard traits (photosynthetic and hydraulic traits) were better predictors than soft traits (morphological traits) modeling seedling growth and survival along light and water gradients. Our study highlights the necessities of considering trait × environment interactions when predicting response of plants to changing environments. The benefits of using individual‐level traits or hard traits to predict plant performance might be reduced or even canceled if their measurement errors are not well controlled.
Clinical characteristics and frailty status in heart failure with preserved vs. reduced ejection fraction
Authors: Hamada Tomoyuki , Kubo Toru , Kawai Kazuya , Nakaoka Yoko , Yabe Toshikazu , Furuno Takashi , Yamada Eisuke , Kitaoka Hiroaki ,   Kochi YOSACOI study
Published: March 2022

Aims

The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical characteristics, including frailty status, of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in comparison with those in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in a super‐aged region of Japan.

Methods and results

Of the 1061 Japanese patients enrolled in the Kochi YOSACOI study, a multicentre registry, we divided 645 patients (median age of 81 years [interquartile range, 72–87 years]; women, 49.1%) into two groups, HFpEF patients (61.2%) and HFrEF patients (38.8%). Physical frailty was diagnosed on the basis of the Japanese version of Cardiovascular Health (J‐CHS) Study criteria. Patients for whom left ventricular ejection fraction data were not available (n = 19), patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (n = 172), and patients who were not assessed by the J‐CHS criteria (n = 225) were excluded. The median ages of the HFpEF and HFrEF patients were 84 and 76 years, respectively. The proportion of patients with HFpEF gradually increased with advance of age. The proportion of patients with three or more comorbidities was larger in HFpEF patients than in HFrEF patients (77.9% vs. 65.6%, P = 0.003). Handgrip strength was significantly lower in HFpEF patients than in HFrEF patients for both men (P < 0.001) and women (P = 0.041). Comfortable 5 m walking speed was significantly slower in HFpEF patients than in HFrEF patients (P < 0.001). The proportions of patients with physical frailty were 55.2% in HFpEF patients and 46.8% in HFrEF patients, and the proportion was significantly higher in HFpEF patients (P = 0.043). In multivariate analysis, physical frailty was associated with advanced age [odds ratio (OR), 1.030; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.010–1.050; P = 0.023] and low albumin level (OR, 0.334; 95% CI, 0.192–0.582; P < 0.001) in HFpEF patients, and physical frailty was associated with women (OR, 2.150; 95% CI, 1.030–4.500; P = 0.042) and anaemia (OR, 2.840; 95% CI, 1.300–6.230; P = 0.003) in HFrEF patients.

Conclusions

In a super‐aged population of HF patients in Japan, HFpEF patients are more likely to be frail/have a high frailty status compared with HFrEF patients. The results suggested that physical frailty is associated with extracardiac factors in both HFpEF patients and HFrEF patients.
Transient Absorption Spectra of Metal‐Free and Transition‐Metal 5,10,15,20‐Tetraferrocene Porphyrins: Influence of the Central Metal Ion, Solvent Polarity, and the Axial Ferrocene Ligand
Authors: Schrage Briana R. , Ermilov Eugeny , Nemykin Victor N.
Published: March 2022

The transient absorption spectra of the series of diamagnetic H2TFcP, ZnTFcP, PdTFcP, and FcInTFcP compounds (TFcP(2‐)=5,10,15,20‐tetraferroceneporphyrin dianion) were investigated in polar (DMF) and non‐polar (toluene) solvents using excitation at 650 nm. The formation and the deactivation of the charge‐separated (Fc+‐Porphyrin−.) state were observed in all cases. The lifetime of the charge‐separated state is nearly constant for all compounds (∼20 ps) and independent of the nature of the central ion and solvent. The formation of the triplet state in all the complexes was not observed. The third, minor long‐lived (160–480 ps) component was observed in polar DMF solvent. This component was tentatively assigned to the porphyrin species that are weakly bound to the carbonyl oxygen in DMF. DFT and TDDFT calculations on the ground state, excited state, and triplet state of the target compounds were in agreement with the experimental data.
Salting‐Out Approach (SOAP) for the Synthesis of Nickel‐Based Coordination Polymer Nanorods from a Dicyanamide Ionic Liquid
Authors: McKenzie Ruel , Knoll Andrew , Wang Bojie , Jadhav Sainath , Walker Robert , Spirrison Ashley
Published: March 2022

1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium dicyanamide (emim dca) was able to form Ni‐based coordination polymers where dca served as the bridging ligand with the postulate that emim was secondarily coordinated in the pores of the framework. Formation of the coordination polymer (CP) was accomplished by using a salting‐out approach (SOAP) with a saturated solution of lithium chloride (LiCl) as a mineralizer. The CP was thermo‐oxidatively stable up to 400 °C and displayed a nanorod‐like morphology. The rod‐like structures tended to stack in bundles. The microstructure of the Ni emim dca CP bore similarity to the rutile‐related framework of Ni(dca)2. However, the Ni emim dca CP was chemically distinguishable from Ni(dca)2 because of the presence of emim. Though the Ni emim dca CP was thermally stable below 400 °C, there appeared to be a thermal activation of the compound, likely through the nitrile groups. The activation of the nitrile groups is an indicator of potential reactivity of the CP.
Conjugation of Carbohydrates with Quinolines: A Powerful Synthetic Tool
Authors: Simonetti Sebastián O. , Kaufman Teodoro S. , Larghi Enrique L.
Published: March 2022

A detailed revision on natural and synthetic glycosylated quinolines, spanning the last 20 years, is presented. Exhaustive descriptions about the state of the art of the synthesis and relevant applications of these glyco‐heterocycles are provided. In addition, an account of the natural products containing this motif and their associated bioactivity data are also outlined. For the sake of consistency, quinolones are also covered as well as hybrid compounds, embodied with linkers between the heterocyclic ring and the carbohydrate fragment.
Consecutive Three‐Component Synthesis of Phenothiazine‐Based Merocyanines – Bayesian Optimization, Electronic properties, and DSSC Characteristics**
Authors: Stephan Marvin , Stute Birgit , von Lieres Eric , Müller Thomas J. J.
Published: March 2022

A consecutive three‐component Heck‐Knoevenagel synthesis of phenothiazinyl merocyanines was developed by statistical design of experiments (DoE) and Bayesian optimization furnishing nine red orange dyes starting from heteroaryl halides, acrolein and ethyl cyanoacetate. Besides scrutinizing the electronic properties of these merocyanines by cyclic voltammetry, absorption and emission spectroscopy, and (TD)DFT calculations their saponified carboxylic acids were employed in dye‐sensitized solar cell (DSSC) experiments showing promising solar cell performances with relative efficiencies of up to 93 % compared to the standard ruthenium dye N3.
Photo‐electrochromic salt composed by viologen cation and diarylethene anion derivatives
Authors: Cruz Hugo , Jordão Noemi , Santiago Sara , Gago Sandra , Villabona Marc , Hernando Jordi , Guirado Gonzalo , Branco Luís C.
Published: March 2022

A multi‐responsive photo and electrochromic salt based on a viologen derivative ([(C10)2Bpy]2+) as organic cation combined with diarylethene anion ([DTE]2−) is synthesized and characterized for the first time. The coloration of this functional salt can be modulated by light and electricity according to further applications. Photochemical determination of the quantum yields in solution for the ring‐opening and closure of [(C10)2Bpy][DTE‐COO] ionic liquid have been determined. The electrochemical and electrochromism performance have been also studied in order to evaluate the reduction of bipyridinium cation as well as the oxidation of the DTE anion in its open and closed forms. The possibility of individually addressing the redox state of the anion and cation is seen as a very attractive approach to designing photo‐electrochromic devices.
Investigating the electrowetting of silver‐based gas‐diffusion electrodes during oxygen reduction reaction with electrochemical and optical methods
Authors: Bienen Fabian , Paulisch Melanie C. , Mager Thorben , Osiewacz Jens , Nazari Manigah , Osenberg Markus , Ellendorff Barbara , Turek Thomas , Nieken Ulrich , Manke Ingo , Friedrich K. Andreas
Published: March 2022

Porous gas‐diffusion electrodes (GDEs) are widely used in electrochemical applications where a gaseous reactant is converted to a target product. Important applications for silver‐based GDEs are the chlor‐alkali and the CO2 electrolysis processes in which silver catalyzes the oxygen‐ or carbon dioxide reduction reaction. The wetting of the porous GDEs is of utmost importance for the achieved performance of the electrode: a completely dry electrode will result in low current densities due to the reduced active surface area while on the other hand, a completely flooded electrode will deteriorate the access of the gaseous reactant. Therefore, we investigated silver‐based GDEs for the oxygen reduction reaction with different amounts of the hydrophobic agent polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and analyzed the potential‐induced wetting behavior (electrowetting). The electrolyte breakthrough was recorded by a digital microscope and subsequently evaluated via imaging analysis of the observed breached electrolyte droplets. In order to characterize the wetting state during transition to the steady‐state, we applied electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements and retrieved the double‐layer capacitance. Our results indicate that a higher overvoltage facilitates the breakthrough of electrolytes through the gas‐diffusion electrode. Surprisingly, a faster breakthrough of electrolyte was observed for electrodes with higher PTFE content. Porometry measurements revealed that the GDE with low PTFE content has a monomodal pore size distribution, whereas electrodes with higher PTFE amount exhibit a bimodal pore size distribution. In GDEs with monomodal pore size distribution the time in which the double layer capacitance is leveling off correlates with the breakthrough time of the electrolyte. In summary, we emphasize that the wetting of GDEs is a complex interplay of the applied potential, electrode composition, and resulting porous structure which requires further advanced measurements and analysis considering the parameters affecting the wetting behavior as a whole.
Effects of SiNxrefractive index and SiO2thickness on polarization‐type potential‐induced degradation in front‐emitter n‐type crystalline‐silicon photovoltaic cell modules
Authors: Yamaguchi Seira , Nakamura Kyotaro , Semba Taeko , Ohdaira Keisuke , Marumoto Kazuhiro , Ohshita Yoshio , Masuda Atsushi
Published: March 2022

This study investigated how the SiNxrefractive index (RI) and SiO2thickness,dox, of stacked SiNx/SiO2passivation layers of the front p+emitters of n‐type crystalline‐silicon (c‐Si) photovoltaic (PV) cells affect their polarization‐type potential‐induced degradation (PID) behaviors. We prepared six n‐type c‐Si PV cells with an RI of 2.0 or 2.2 and withdoxof 9, 2, or 1 nm. Then PV modules fabricated from the cells were subjected to PID tests during which a bias of −1000 V was applied to cells with respect to the front cover glass surface. Fordoxof 9 or 2 nm, rapid polarization‐type PID was observed, irrespective of the RI. However, fordoxof 1 nm, the RI markedly affected the degradation behavior, and cells with an RI of 2.2 showed no degradation. These findings are attributable to carrier transport between the high RI (Si‐rich) SiNxand the c‐Si substrates, which can readily occur only when the SiO2layer is sufficiently thin for electrons to tunnel through the SiO2layer. These results are important for elucidating polarization‐type PID mechanisms and for developing preventive measures against polarization‐type PID.