bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Which inflammatory marker might be the best indicator for sacroiliitis?
Authors: Kalfaoglu Melike Elif , Cosgun Zeliha
Published: October 2023

This study aimed to investigate the potential of inflammatory markers, including platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte‐to‐monocyte ratio (LMR), and C‐reactive protein‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (CLR), in identifying sacroiliitis. Present retrospective study was conducted at the Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital, including patients diagnosed with sacroiliitis between August 2020 and March 2023. Control subjects with normal sacroiliac joints were also included. Sacroiliitis patients were further categorized into active and chronic sacroiliitis groups. Demographic data and laboratory characteristics, such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C‐reactive protein (CRP), and various blood parameters, were recorded. Inflammatory markers were calculated, including PLR, NLR, LMR, and CLR. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the study groups and evaluate the diagnostic performance of these markers. A total of 226 subjects, including 132 sacroiliitis patients and 94 control subjects, were included in the study. Serum CRP levels were significantly higher in sacroiliitis patients compared to the control group. NLR, PLR, and CLR values were elevated in sacroiliitis patients, while LMR was decreased. There were significant correlations between these markers and established inflammatory markers. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated moderate diagnostic performance for NLR, PLR, LMR and CLR in detecting sacroiliitis. Inflammatory markers, specifically NLR, PLR, LMR and CLR, showed significant differences between sacroiliitis patients and the control group. In addition PLR is useful in distinguishing active and chronic sacroiliitis. These markers, in conjunction with established inflammatory markers, may serve as supportive diagnostic tools for sacroiliitis.
Aspergillus oryzae α‐l‐rhamnosidase: Crystal structure and insight into the substrate specificity
Authors: Makabe Koki , Ishida Naoki , Kanezaki Nanako , Shiono Yoshihito , Koseki Takuya
Published: October 2023

The subsequent biochemical and structural investigations of the purified recombinant α‐l‐rhamnosidase from Aspergillus oryzae expressed in Pichia pastoris, designated as rAoRhaA, were performed. The specific activity of the rAoRhaA wild‐type was higher toward hesperidin and narirutin, where the l‐rhamnose residue was α‐1,6‐linked to β‐d‐glucoside, than toward neohesperidin and naringin with an α‐1,2‐linkage to β‐d‐glucoside. However, no activity was detected toward quercitrin, myricitrin, and epimedin C. rAoRhaA kinetic analysis indicated that Km values for neohesperidin, naringin, and rutin were lower compared to those for hesperidin and narirutin. kcat values for hesperidin and narirutin were higher than those for neohesperidin, naringin, and rutin. High catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) toward hesperidin and narirutin was a result of a considerably high kcat value, while Km values for hesperidin and narirutin were higher than those for naringin, neohesperidin, and rutin. The crystal structure of rAoRhaA revealed that the catalytic domain was represented by an (α/α)6‐barrel with the active site located in a deep cleft and two β‐sheet domains were also present in the N‐ and C‐terminal sites of the catalytic domain. Additionally, five asparagine‐attached N‐acetylglucosamine molecules were observed. The catalytic residues of AoRhaA were suggested to be Asp254 and Glu524, and their catalytic roles were confirmed by mutational studies of D254N and E524Q variants, which lost their activity completely. Notably, three aspartic acids (Asp117, Asp249, and Asp261) located at the catalytic pocket were replaced with asparagine. D117N variant showed reduced activity. D249N and D261N variants activities drastically decreased.
AmulticompartmentpopulationPKmodel to predict tenofovir and emtricitabine mucosal tissue concentrations forHIVprevention
Authors: Leung Erick , Cottrell Mackenzie L. , Sykes Craig , White Nicole , Kashuba Angela D. M. , Dumond Julie B.
Published: October 2023

A priori use of mathematical modeling and simulation to predict outcomes from incomplete adherence or reduced frequency dosing strategies may mitigate the risk of clinical trial failure with HIV pre‐exposure prophylaxis regimens. We developed a semi‐physiologic population pharmacokinetic model for two antiretrovirals and their active intracellular metabolites in three mucosal tissues using pharmacokinetic data from a phase I, dose‐ranging study. Healthy female volunteers were given a single oral dose of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (150, 300, or 600 mg) or emtricitabine (100, 200, or 400 mg). Simultaneous co‐modeling of all data was performed on a Linux cluster. A 16 compartment, bolus input, linear kinetic model best described the data, containing 986 observations in 23 individuals across three matrices and four analytes. Combined with a defined efficacious concentration target in mucosal tissues, this model can be used to optimize the dose and dosing frequency through Monte‐Carlo simulations.
The effect of cinnamon supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: An updated systematic review and dose‐response meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Moridpour Amir Hossein , Kavyani Zeynab , Khosravi Somaye , Farmani Elahe , Daneshvar Maziar , Musazadeh Vali , Faghfouri Amir Hossein
Published: October 2023

Although many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have revealed the benefits of cinnamon on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the effects of cinnamon supplementation on glycemic control in patients with T2DM are inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of this meta‐analysis of RCTs was to assess the effects of cinnamon supplementation in managing glycemic control in patients with T2DM. Scientific international databases including Scopus, Web of Sciences, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched till December 2022. For net changes in glycemic control, standard mean differences (SMDs) were calculated using random‐effects models. Findings from 24 RCTs revealed that cinnamon supplementation had a statistically significant reduction in fasting blood sugar (SMD: −1.32; 95% CI: −1.77, −0.87, p < 0.001), Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (SMD: ‐1.32; 95% CI: −1.77, −0.87, p < 0.001), and hemoglobin A1C (SMD: −0.67; 95% CI: −1.18, −0.15, p = 0.011) compared with the control group in patients with T2DM. Additionally, cinnamon did not change the serum levels of insulin (SMD: −0.17; 95% CI: −0.34, 0.01, p = 0.058) significantly. Our analysis indicated that glycemic control indicators are significantly decreased by cinnamon supplementation. Together, these findings support the notion that cinnamon supplementation might have clinical potential as an adjunct therapy for managing T2DM.
Event‐triggered distributed H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ secure control for nonholonomic agents with dead‐zone inputs under attacks on sensors and actuators
Authors: Tan Luy Nguyen
Published: October 2023

Distributed optimal control has been extensively investigated for nonholonomic mechanical agents (NMA). However, the existing methods have not yet taken into account vulnerabilities caused by malicious attacks on sensors and dead‐zone actuator links. The aim of this paper is therefore to propose a novel control scheme that not only achieves bounded ‐gain consensus performance and rejects dead‐zone disturbance but also mitigates the burden of communication resources and the effects of sensor and actuator attacks. Firstly, to estimate unmeasurable states and the unknown model of the attacks, event‐triggered (ET) observers are designed. Secondly, ET‐augmented control is proposed to transform Euler‐Lagrange dynamics into consensus tracking dynamics, from which the ET‐robust optimal control problem is formulated. Thirdly, the ET‐distributed secure control strategies are approximated synchronously via adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) and multi‐player differential game theory. Finally, a numerical example illustrates, on a networked multi‐robot system, the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Development of a user‐friendly automatic ground‐based imaging platform for precise estimation of plant phenotypes in field crops
Authors: Gatkal Narayan , Dhar Tushar , Prasad Athira , Prajwal Ranganath , Santosh  , Jyoti Bikram , Roul Ajay Kumar , Potdar Rahul , Mahore Aman , Parmar Bhupendra Singh , Vimalsinh Vala
Published: October 2023

Plant phenotyping is the science to quantify the quality, photosynthesis, development, growth, and biomass productivity of different crop plants. In the past, plant phenotyping employed methods such as grid count and regression models. However, the grid count method proved to be labor‐intensive and time‐consuming, while the regression model lacked accuracy in calculating leaf area. To address these challenges, a portable automatic platform was developed for precise ground‐based imaging of field plots. This platform consisted of a frame, an RGB camera, a stepper motor, a control board, and a battery. The RGB camera captured images, which were then processed using MATLAB software. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the results obtained from the grid count, regression model, and image processing techniques. The correlation coefficient (r) between the image processing technique and the regression model for sunflower was found to be 0.98 and 0.97, respectively, whereas for kidney bean it was 0.99 and 0.96, respectively. The minimum and maximum values for leaf area density (LAD) of all selected sunflower leaves were determined to be 0.132 and 0.714 m²/m³, respectively. For kidney bean leaves, the minimum and maximum mean LAD values were found to be 0.081 and 0.239 m²/m³, respectively. Ergonomic aspects of the developed automatic system were studied. The developed system had lower physiological parameters, such as working heart rate of 99 beats/min, work pulse of 18 beats/min, oxygen consumption of 786 mL/min, and energy consumption of 11.5 kJ/min compared to the grid count method. Thus, developed automatic ground‐based imaging system would significantly reduce physiological workload and associated hazards. Therefore, the developed method proved satisfactory in comparison to other techniques, offering a quick, efficient, and user‐friendly approach for determining plant phenotypes.
On the process of fine sediment infiltration into static gravel bed: A CFD–DEM modelling perspective
Authors: Jaiswal Atul , Bui Minh Duc , Rutschmann Peter
Published: October 2023

The gravel bed clogging, caused by infiltration and accumulation of fine sediment, degrades the river ecology. A proper understanding of the infiltration process, and underlying mechanism and causes, are necessary to take preventive measures. The process of fine sediment infiltration into static gravel bed is studied by distinguishing between bridging and percolation behaviours, as they affect the river ecology and physical processes occurring in the river system differently. However, several contradicting observations, concerning their occurrences, are reported. We employed the unresolved CFD–DEM method to simulate and investigate the infiltration process. The theoretical size ratios, corresponding to different geometrical configurations for a binary mixture of mono‐disperse spherical particles, representing bridging and percolation processes, are considered and simulated with and without flowing water effects. The effects of several turbulence models on the infiltration process are also studied. We found that fine sediment infiltration in fluvial deposits is mainly gravity‐dominated, supporting Cui's hypothesis that fine sediment infiltration through intra‐gravel flow is similar to fine sediment infiltration driven by gravity. In contrast to consensus in the field, our results demonstrate that the occurrences of different infiltration processes (bridging and percolation) seem to be independent of gravel bed thickness, rather depend only on the relative grain size distribution of fine sediment and gravel. However, a precise definition of a ‘thick enough’ gravel bed is necessary to distinguish between bridging and percolation behaviours. Here, we hypothesize a suitable gravel bed thickness, which might be regarded as a ‘thick enough’ gravel bed.
Recent Progress, Challenges, and Future Prospects in Solar H2 Evolution via Pure/Sea Water Splitting Using Nanocomposites as Photocatalysts under Solar Light
Authors: Jakhar Prakash , Sharma Shaily , Dhadda Surbhi , Sharma Himanshu
Published: October 2023

Photocatalytic pure/sea water splitting driven by solar light, emerges as the most promising strategy to address both the global energy crisis and environmental degradation. Research efforts have mainly resulted in the development of artificial photocatalytic solar hydrogen generation systems applicable to both freshwater and sea water. During long‐term testing, sea water demonstrated enhanced stability compared to pure water, offering experimental advantages in designing novel techniques aimed at reducing hydrogen generation costs, alleviating freshwater scarcity, and optimizing the utilization of natural water resources. Moreover, sea water splitting proves to be more effective in producing solar hydrogen due to the potential sacrificial action of salt ions, which promote hydrogen evolution within the photocatalytic system. This review comprehensively outlines the fundamental principles of photocatalytic H2 production, examines the efficiencies and recent progress in hydrogen generation, explores the challenges faced, and envisions the future prospects of enhancing hydrogen production efficiency and reactivity through photocatalytic pure/sea water splitting.
Simultaneous Quantification of Major Bio‐Active Diterpenoid Lactones and Flavonoids in Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F.) Nees: LC‐ESI‐MS/MS Method Validation and Uncertainty Determination
Authors: Gajbhiye Narendra , Makasana Jayanti , Geetha K. A. , Saha Ajoy , Raju Saravanan
Published: October 2023

Diterpenoid lactones and flavonoids are major bio‐active compounds of therapeutically important medicinal herb Andrographis paniculata (Burm.F.) Nees. The lack of a validated protocol for quality assurance of raw herbs is a significant issue for its wider use. A validated LC‐ESI‐MS/MS method developed using MRM mode for simultaneous determination of five diterpenoid lactones (andrographolide, neoandrographolide, andrograpanin, 14‐deoxy‐11,12‐didehydroandrographolide and andrographiside) along with two flavonoids (7‐O‐methylwogonin and apigenin). Chromatographic separation of seven analytes was achieved within 14 minutes in Alltima column (100×4.6 mm, 3 μm) using gradient elution. The developed method was accurate (97.77 to 101.17 %; recovery), precise (intra‐day and inter‐day %RSD of 0.22–2.19 and 1.01–3.68, respectively) and linear (R2 >0.99). To meet the regulatory obligation, uncertainty associated with the measurement was also evaluated by using different validation parameters. Developed method was successfully employed in analysing the analytes quality in different solvent extracts. Total diterpenoid lactones and flavonoids (DTLF) content was recorded highest in methanol extract (45.47 μg g−1) followed by ethanol (39.23 μg g−1) and lowermost content found in petroleum ether extract (0.38 μg g−1) in triplicate samples. Since the method is simple, rapid, sensitive, and accurate, it has potential role for quality evaluation of A. paniculata and its derived formulation.
N‐(4‐Chloromethylbenzyl)‐N, N‐dimethyldodecan‐1‐aminium Chloride: A Quaternary Ammonium Surfactant as Corrosion Inhibitor
Authors: Yaagoob Ibrahim Y. , Goni Lipiar K. M. O. , Verma Chandrabhan , Mazumder Mohammad A. J. , Ali Shaikh A.
Published: October 2023

This study used a quaternary surfactant, N‐(4‐Chloromethylbenzyl)‐N, N‐dimethyldodecan‐1‐aminium chloride (CMBDAC), as an excellent corrosion inhibitor of C1018 carbon steel (C1018 CS) in harsh 15 % HCl acidizing condition. CMBDAC was synthesized with an excellent yield and characterized by NMR, FTIR, and TGA. Gravimetric weight loss (WL), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) studies were employed to measure the efficacy of CMBDAC. At a relatively low concentration of 15 ppm, CMBDAC surpassed 90 % inhibition efficiency, with a maximum inhibition efficiency of 99.25 % being reached just for 50 ppm of CMBDAC. The inhibitor showed an efficacy of 96.16 % even at a temperature of 60 °C via the WL technique, showing potential to be used as a high‐temperature corrosion inhibitor. The adsorption isotherm study revealed that CMBDAC followed Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The Gibbs free energy of adsorption (
was calculated to be −40.43 kJ mol−1, indicating that CMBDAC was adsorbed via chemisorption. A very high value (1.68×105 L mol−1) of equilibrium constant (
) suggested very strong adsorption of the inhibitor. PDP study disclosed that CMBDAC acted as a mixed‐type inhibitor. SEM‐EDX study demonstrated the adsorption of CMBDAC on the C1018 surface. Different DFT‐optimized parameters have been discussed in detail to support the superb inhibitory action indicated by CMBDAC.
The Effect of Different Morphologies of Polyaniline on Its Catalytic Activity for the Thermal Decomposition of Ammonium Perchlorate
Authors: Ebrahimi Sajjad , Hosseini Mohammad Reza Nayeb , Mehrafarin Ali , Norouzi Mahdi
Published: October 2023

In this study, a novel strong green catalyst as a promising replacement for conventional transition metal oxides (TMOs) based burning rate modifiers was introduced. For this aim, the morphology of the nano‐porous polyaniline (NP‐PANi) was manipulated by changing its synthesis method, and the effect of that on the activity of the catalyst on the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) was investigated. To achieve this goal, NP‐PANi was synthesized by three different methods comprising: chemical, sonochemical, and electrochemical routes. The synthesized polymers were deeply characterized using FTIR, N2 adsorption‐desorption, FESEM, and EDAX analysis. From BET results, electro‐PANi has the highest surface area, highest pore volume, and the smallest pore size among others and, as expected revealed the best catalytic activity. It merged two peaks of AP decomposition into a drastically solo sharp peak revealed at low temperature (approximately 90 °C lower than) and increased the enthalpy of the reaction significantly by about 140 %. The obtained results can open a new window in the world of practical green burning rate modifiers for the energetic material industry.
Adsorptive Recovery of Heavy Metal Ions from Aquatic Systems Using Metal‐Organic Frameworks: A Perspective in the Sustainable Development of Nanomaterials
Authors: Selvam Abhyavartin , Parmar Prathu Raja , Bandyopadhyay Dipankar , Chakrabarti Sandip
Published: October 2023

Rapid industrialization in the developing countries has facilitated the unwanted mixing of wastes into the already depleting sources of potable, domestic and industrial water. In particular, the mixing of toxic heavy metal wastes into the aquatic resources have not only increased the scarcity of water at the different levels of usage but also hygiene of the ecosystem is further threatened by the presence of abysmal quality of aquatic environment around the living world. Thus, it has become quite imperative to mitigate such problems through the removal of such water contaminants at the sources before supplied for a specific purpose. In this direction, among the other available mass transfer techniques, specific and efficient adsorption of heavy metal species on the nanomaterials such as metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) are found to be a promising method of heavy metal ions recovery. This reports targets to provide a new perspective into heavy metal ions removal from wastewater as a rationale for sustainable nanomaterial engineering through the recycling of toxic metal species as precious precursors in the synthesis of nanomaterials. Decades of exploring materials sciences led to the generation of groundbreaking materials of nanoscale regime, which has advanced myriad avenues of science and technology, viz. electronic, energy, biomedical, environmental, agriculture applications, and more. In this regard, nanotechnology has had a global impact by several folds, which can be observed in all day‐to‐day facilities. This perspective aims to conceptualize a strategy of wastewater decontamination through the adsorptive retrieval of heavy metal species to be subsequently recycled in the design of smart nanomaterials.
Kinetics of Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Gallic Acid by Activated Glassy Carbon Electrode in Acidic Medium
Authors: Siddika Munira , Ahmed Jahir , Aoki Kentaro , Faisal M. , Algethami Jari S. , Harraz Farid A. , Nagao Yuki , Hasnat Mohammad A.
Published: October 2023

An electrochemically functionalized glassy carbon (GC) electrode was prepared to study Gallic acid (GA) oxidation reaction in an acidic medium. The functionalized GC electrode was found to enhanced GA oxidation reaction in acidic medium by lowering oxidation potential and increasing corresponding current in comparison to a pristine GC. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) methods were used to analyze functionalized GC surface. The development of electropositive C=O functional groups were assumed to enhance the catalytic process. The specific capacitance of the electrode was calculated to be 92.91 μF by analysing EIS. Kinetics of GA oxidation over activated GC was calculated from CVs data. By analysing concentration dependent CVs it was found that the electrode process followed mass transfer limited first order kinetics. The GA oxidation mechanism is potential‐dependent. For potentials above 0.42 V, the oxidation reaction involves the transfer of 2e− and 2H+ via a concerted mechanism, while at potentials below 0.42 V, the mechanism is stepwise. The reaction‘s standard rate constant (k°) was evaluated as 2.08×10−4 cm s−1.
Iron ions embedded in hexagonal mesoporous silica via a simple method: implementation in mild oxidation catalysis
Authors: Guemati Redouane , Rebilly Jean‐Noël , Fornasieri Giulia , Dragoe Diana , Biswas Subharanjan , Banse Frédéric , Bleuzen Anne
Published: October 2023

Mesoporous silica monoliths containing dispersed FeIII sites have been prepared following a direct and simple synthetic method. The iron‐containing materials are able to catalyze the epoxidation of cyclooctene by H2O2 under mild conditions. Textural and spectrophotometric analyses reveal that, when the thermal treatment temperature of the materials increases (from 500 °C to 1000 °C), the pore diameter of the silica matrix decreases while the formation of small oxo‐iron(III) clusters is promoted. Among the five materials obtained after treatment at 500, 700, 800, 900 or 1000 °C, the one prepared at 700 °C exhibits the best catalytic performances. This indicates that a compromise must be found between several parameters, such as the pore size (which decreases with calcination temperature) and the hydrophobicity of the channel surface (which is favored at higher temperature), for an optimal reactivity.
Tailoring C─N Containing Compounds into Carbon Nanomaterials with Tunable Morphologies for Electrocatalytic Applications
Authors: Wan Wenchao , Zhao Yonggui , Meng Jie , Allen Christopher S. , Zhou Ying , Patzke Greta R.
Published: October 2023

Carbon materials with unique sp2‐hybridization are extensively researched for catalytic applications due to their excellent conductivity and tunable physicochemical properties. However, the development of economic approaches to tailoring carbon materials into desired morphologies remains a challenge. Herein, a convenient “bottom‐up” strategy by pyrolysis of graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) (or other carbon/nitrogen (C, N)‐enriched compounds) together with selected metal salts and molecules is reported for the construction of different carbon‐based catalysts with tunable morphologies, including carbon nano‐balls, carbon nanotubes, nitrogen/sulfur (S, N) doped‐carbon nanosheets, and single‐atom catalysts, supported by carbon layers. The catalysts are systematically investigated through various microscopic, spectroscopic, and diffraction methods and they demonstrate promising and broad applications in electrocatalysis such as in the oxygen reduction reaction and water splitting. Mechanistic monitoring of the synthesis process through online thermogravimetric‐gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry measurements indicates that the release of C─N‐related moieties, such as dicyan, plays a key role in the growth of carbon products. This enables to successfully predict other widely available precursor compounds beyond g‐C3N4 such as caffeine, melamine, and urea. This work develops a novel and economic strategy to generate morphologically diverse carbon‐based catalysts and provides new, essential insights into the growth mechanism of carbon nanomaterials syntheses.
Simultaneous Detection of Citric Acid and Oxalic Acid Based on Dual Spectrum and Biomimetic Peroxidase for Urolithiasis Screening with a Fully Automatic Urine Analyzer
Authors: Sun Xianyou , Zhou Shuqi , Zhang Yanchi , Ma Chiyu , Hu Yanjie , Tian Shichao , Wang Xinyi , Kong Liubing , Huang Zhuoru , Liang Tao , Wan Hao , Wang Ping
Published: October 2023

Urolithiasis stands as a prevalent ailment within the urinary system, with hyperoxaluria and hypocitraturia being the most frequent manifestations characterized by excessive oxalic acid (OA) and deficient citric acid (CA) levels in urine. Detecting these compounds in urine quantitatively holds paramount importance for early urolithiasis screening. Existing methodologies fall short in achieving simultaneous and on‐site identification of OA and CA, posing challenges for accurate urolithiasis screening. Addressing this concern, the study successfully accomplishes the concurrent identification of OA and CA in urine through a combination of dual‐spectral analysis and biomimetic peroxidase utilization. Bovine serum albumin and dithiothreitol‐modified copper nanoclusters (BSA‐DTT‐CuNCs) are employed as biomimetic peroxidases, effectively mitigating interference and enabling the simultaneous determination of OA and CA. The quantification range spans from 0 to 12 mm for OA and 0.5 to 2.5 mm for CA, with detection limits of 0.18 and 0.11 mm, respectively. To facilitate swift and on‐location urine analysis, a fully automated urine analyzer (FAUA) is introduced that streamlines the process of biomarker pretreatment and identification within urine samples. Validation with real urine samples from urolithiasis patients demonstrates the method's diagnostic precision, highlighting the dual‐spectral technique and analyzer's promising role in urolithiasis screening.
Bidirectional Uptake, Transfer, and Transport of Dextran‐Based Nanoparticles in Plants for Multidimensional Enhancement of Pesticide Utilization
Authors: Xiong Qiuyu , Liang Wenlong , Shang Wenxuan , Xie Zhengang , Cheng Jingli , Yu Bin , Fang Yun , Sun Li , Zhao Jinhao
Published: October 2023

The development of effective multifunctional nano‐delivery approaches for pesticide absorption remains a challenge. Here, a dextran‐based pesticide delivery system (MBD) is constructed to deliver tebuconazole for multidimensionally enhancing its effective utilization on tomato plants. Spherical MBD nanoparticles are obtained through two‐step esterification of dextran, followed by tebuconazole loading using the Michael addition reaction. Confocal laser scanning microscopy shows that fluorescein isothiocyanate‐labeled MBD nanoparticles can be bidirectionally transported in tomato plants and a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe‐HPLC approach demonstrates the capacity to carry tebuconazole to plant tissues after 24 h of root uptake and foliar spray, respectively. Additionally, MBD nanoparticles could increase the retention of tebuconazole on tomato leaves by up to nearly 2.1 times compared with the tebuconazole technical material by measuring the tebuconazole content retained on the leaves. In vitro antifungal and pot experiments show that MBD nanoparticles improve the inhibitory effect of tebuconazole against botrytis cinerea by 58.4% and the protection against tomato gray molds by 74.9% compared with commercial suspensions. Furthermore, the MBD nanoparticles do not affect the healthy growth of tomato plants. These results underline the potential for the delivery system to provide a strategy for multidimensional enhancement of pesticide efficacy.
Ultrastretchable E‐Skin Based on Conductive Hydrogel Microfibers for Wearable Sensors
Authors: Wang Jinpeng , Qi Yongkang , Gui Yuhan , Wang Can , Wu Yikai , Yao Jiandong , Wang Jie
Published: October 2023

Conductive microfibers play a significant role in the flexibility, stretchability, and conductivity of electronic skin (e‐skin). Currently, the fabrication of conductive microfibers suffers from either time‐consuming and complex operations or is limited in complex fabrication environments. Thus, it presents a one‐step method to prepare conductive hydrogel microfibers based on microfluidics for the construction of ultrastretchable e‐skin. The microfibers are achieved with conductive MXene cores and hydrogel shells, which are solidified with the covalent cross‐linking between sodium alginate and calcium chloride, and mechanically enhanced by the complexation reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) and sodium hydroxide. The microfiber conductivities are tailorable by adjusting the flow rate and concentration of core and shell fluids, which is essential to more practical applications in complex scenarios. More importantly, patterned e‐skin based on conductive hydrogel microfibers can be constructed by combining microfluidics with 3D printing technology. Because of the great advantages in mechanical and electrical performance of the microfibers, the achieved e‐skin shows impressive stretching and sensitivity, which also demonstrate attractive application values in motion monitoring and gesture recognition. These characteristics indicate that the ultrastretchable e‐skin based on conductive hydrogel microfibers has great potential for applications in health monitoring, wearable devices, and smart medicine.
Reconfiguration, Welding, Reprogramming, and Complex Shape Transformation of An Optical Shape Memory Polymer Network Enabled by Patterned Secondary Crosslinking
Authors: Zhang Guoxian , Zhang Qing , Guo Zijian , Li Chunmei , Ge Feijie , Zhang Qiuyu
Published: October 2023

Stimuli‐triggered generation of complicated 3D shapes from 2D strips or plates without using sophisticated molds is desirable and achieving such 2D‐to‐3D shape transformation in combination with shape reconfiguration, welding, and reprogramming on a single material is very challenging. Here, a convenient and facile strategy using the solution of a disulfide‐containing diamine for patterned secondary crosslinking of an optical shape‐memory polymer network is developed to integrate the above performances. The dangling thiolectones attached to the backbones react with the diamine in the solution‐deposited region so that the secondary crosslinking may not only weld individual strips into assembled 3D shapes but also suppress the relaxation of the deformed polymer chains to different extents for shape reconfiguration or heating‐induced complex 3D deformations. In addition, as the dynamic disulfide bonds can be thermally activated to erase the initial programming information and the excessive thiolectones are available for subsequent patterned crosslinking, the material also allows shape reprogramming. Combining welding with patterning treatment, it is further demonstrated that a gripper can be assembled and photothermally controlled to readily grasp an object.
N‐Terminalized Ti3C2Tx MXene for Supercapacitor with Extraordinary Pseudocapacitance Performance
Authors: Hu Xuewen , Gong Ning , Zhang Qicheng , Chen Qiming , Xie Tianzhu , Liu Huibin , Li Yan , Li Yang , Peng Wenchao , Zhang Fengbao , Fan Xiaobin
Published: October 2023

MXenes have demonstrated significant potential in electrochemical energy storage, particularly in supercapacitors, owing to their exceptional properties. The surface terminal groups of MXene play a pivotal role in pseudocapacitive mechanism. Considering the hindered electrolyte ion transport caused by –F terminal groups and the limited ion binding sites associated with –O terminal groups, this study proposes a novel strategy of replacing –F with –N terminal groups. The modulated MXene‐N electrode, featuring a substantial number of –N terminal groups, demonstrates an exceptionally high gravimetric capacitance of 566 F g–1 (at a scan rate of 2 mV s–1) or 588 F g–1 (at a discharge rate of 1 A g–1) in 1 м H2SO4 electrolyte, and the potential window is significantly increased. Furthermore, subsequent spectra analysis and density functional theory calculations are employed to investigate the mechanism associated with –N terminal groups. This work exemplifies the significance of terminal modulation in the context of electrochemical energy storage.
Computational chemistry‐assisted design of hydrazine‐based fluorescent molecular rotor for viscosity sensors
Authors: Dong Miao , Wang Dazhuang , Yang Jinrong , Sun Pingping , Ding Weilu , Yang Jianxin , Yan Jinwu , Chi Weijie
Published: October 2023

Deep understanding of the fluorescence quenching mechanisms of probes plays a crucial role in developing their practical applications. The fluorescence quenching mechanism of hydrazine‐based fluorescence probes needs to be clarified up to the present. Herein, we designed and synthesized a new hydrazine‐based fluorescence probe (HA‐Na) based on the naphthalimide skeleton. We clarified the molecular origin of the non‐fluorescence of this probe with the aid of computational chemistry and spectroscopic analysis. We showed that the significant rotation of the hydrazine group in the excited state potential energy surface, which caused the complete charge separation, was responsible for the fluorescence quenching of the probe in an organic solvent. Once the rotation was prevented in an aggregative state or high‐viscosity solution, the fluorescence of the probe recovered. In other words, the fluorescence quenching mechanism of hydrazine‐based fluorescence probes was attributed to the formation of a twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state. More importantly, we demonstrated that this fluorescence molecular rotor could be used to monitor the autophagy process in living cells by detecting lysosomal viscosity changes during starvation. Altogether, this work provides an essential theoretical basis for the developing potential hydrazine‐based fluorescence molecular rotors.
Enhanced evolutionary automated program repair by finer‐granularity ingredients and better search algorithms
Authors: Wang Bo , Liu Guizhuang , Lin Youfang , Ren Shuang , Li Honghui , Zhang Dalin
Published: October 2023

Bug repair is time consuming and tedious, which hampers software maintenance. To alleviate the burden, automated program repair (APR) is proposed and has been fruitful in the last decade. Evolutionary repair is the seminal work of this field and proliferated a family of approaches. The performance of evolutionary repair approaches is affected by two main factors: (1) search space, which defines all possible patches, and (2) search algorithms, which navigate the space. Although recent approaches have achieved remarkable progress, the main challenges of the two factors still remain. On one hand, the different kinds of search space are very coarse for containing correct patches. On the other hand, the search process guided by genetic algorithms is inefficient in finding the correct patches in an appropriate time budget. In this paper, we propose MicroRepair, a new evolutionary repair approach to address the two challenges. Rather than finding statement‐level patches like existing genetic repair approaches, MicroRepair enlarges the search space by breaking the statements into finer‐granularity ingredients that consist of AST leaves. As the search space grows exponentially, the former search algorithms may become inefficient in navigating the larger space. We utilize the best multiobjective search algorithm selected from our empirical comparison of a set of search algorithms. At last, we find redundancies search in the existing genetic process, and we further design a history‐aware search strategy to accelerate the process.

We evaluated MicroRepair on 224 bugs of real‐world from the benchmark Defects4J and compared it with several state‐of‐the‐art repair approaches. The evaluation results show that MicroRepair correctly repaired 26 bugs with a precision of 62%, which significantly outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art evolutionary APR approaches in terms of precision. Moreover, the history‐aware search boosts the repair execution speed by 4% on average.
Binder‐Free Cnt Cathodes for Li‐O2 Batteries with More Than One Life
Authors: Su Zeliang , Temprano Israel , Folastre Nicolas , Vanpeene Victor , Villanova Julie , Gachot Gregory , Shevchenko Elena V. , Grey Clare P. , Franco Alejandro A. , Demortière Arnaud
Published: October 2023

Li‐O2 batteries (LOB) performance degradation ultimately occurs through the accumulation of discharge products and irreversible clogging of the porous electrode during the cycling. Electrode binder degradation in the presence of reduced oxygen species can result in additional coating of the conductive surface, exacerbating capacity fading. Herein, a facile method to fabricate free‐standing is established, binder‐free electrodes for LOBs in which multi‐wall carbon nanotubes form cross‐linked networks exhibiting high porosity, conductivity, and flexibility. These electrodes demonstrate high reproducibility upon cycling in LOBs. After cell death, efficient and inexpensive methods to wash away the accumulated discharge products are demonstrated, as reconditioning method. The second life usage of these electrodes is validated, without noticeable loss of performance. These findings aim to assist in the development of greener high energy density batteries while reducing manufacturing and recycling costs.
An A2B2O7‐Type High‐Entropy Oxide for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Photodetector with Excellent Long‐Term Stability
Authors: Wang Dan , Xu Yiguo , Zhang Han , Zhang Ye
Published: October 2023

Optoelectronics with excellent long‐term stability is meaningful for practical applications. Herein, for the first time, an A2B2O7 type high‐entropy oxide of (La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Gd0.2Bi0.2)2Ti2O7 (ATO) is synthesized and applied for photoelectrochemical photodetection. The lattice distortion, highly dispersed metal composition, and exposed active sites of ATO are beneficial for the fast separation and transmission of photogenerated electron/hole pairs, endowing ATO‐based devices with good photodetection performance. Both the density functional theory calculations and the nondegenerate transient absorption spectroscopy demonstrate the good optoelectronic properties of ATO. The systematic experimental studies reveal the tunable photodetection capability of ATO‐based photodetector (PD) in the visible region. A photocurrent of 772.00 nA cm−2 and a responsivity of 4.02 µA W−1 can be achieved as the PD in 1.0 m KOH with the bias potential of 0.6 V. Importantly, the robust and reproducible ON/OFF signals of the PD can be verified and there is only ≈5.00% attenuation in photocurrent even after 6 months, revealing the great potential of high‐ entropy oxides for practical applications.
Detection of Biomarkers through Functionalized Polymers
Authors: García‐Faustino Litzy L. , Morris Stephen M. , Elston Steve J. , Montelongo Yunuen
Published: October 2023

Over the past decade, there has been a rising interest in utilizing functionalized porous polymers for sensor applications. By incorporating functional groups into nanostructured materials like hydrogels, nanosheets, and nanopores, exciting new opportunities have emerged for biomarker detection. The ability of functionalized polymers to undergo physical changes and deformations makes them perfect for modulating optical signals. This chemical mechanism enables the creation of biocompatible sensors for in situ biomarker measurement. Here a comprehensive overview of the current publication trends is provided in functionalized polymers, encompassing functional groups that can induce measurable physical deformations. It explores various materials categorized based on their detection targets, which include proteins, carbohydrates, ions, and deoxyribonucleic acid. As such, this work serves as a valuable reference for the development of functionalized polymer‐based sensors.
Improving the behavior of concentrically braced frame braces using a flexural damper: Experimental and numerical study
Authors: Jeong Seong‐Hoon , Ghamari Ali , Jawdhari Akram
Published: October 2023

Although the concentrically braced frames (CBFs) systems have high lateral elastic stiffness and strength, they reflect a low seismic energy absorption capacity mainly due to their diagonal buckling under compressive loading. To overcome this problem, researchers have proposed metallic shear damper as the most popular due to its satisfactory performance and affordable cost. In this paper, an innovative metallic damper with a flexural mechanism is proposed to improve the behavior of CBF systems. It provides ease of fabrication and replacement after damage, competitive cost, and improved resistance to buckling of the CBF member. The performance of the damper was evaluated experimentally and numerically. Subsequently, two types of dampers, (a) made of rectangular flexural plates (RFP) and (b) made of I‐shaped flexural plates (IFP), were designed and evaluated. Experimental as well as numerical results indicated that both dampers provide stable and symmetrical hysteresis curves with a high energy absorption capacity. Results indicated that the IFP damper has greater stiffness (1.94–2.3 times) and ultimate strength (1.76 times) but a lower overstrength (66% less) and ductility (47% less) than the RFP damper. Moreover, design expressions were presented for the proposed damper and showed a good agreement with finite element results.
A Personal Account on Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms
Authors: Polaczek Justyna , Kieca Konrad , Oszajca Maria , Impert Olga , Katafias Anna , Chatterjee Debabrata , Ćoćić Dušan , Puchta Ralph , Stochel Grażyna , Hubbard Colin D. , van Eldik Rudi
Published: October 2023

The presented Review is focused on the latest research in the field of inorganic chemistry performed by the van Eldik group and his collaborators. The first part of the manuscript concentrates on the interaction of nitric oxide and its derivatives with biologically important compounds. We summarized mechanistic information on the interaction between model porphyrin systems (microperoxidase) and NO as well as the recent studies on the formation of nitrosylcobalamin (CblNO). The following sections cover the characterization of the Ru(II)/Ru(III) mixed‐valence ion‐pair complexes, including Ru(II)/Ru(III)(edta) complexes. The last part concerns the latest mechanistic information on the DFT techniques applications. Each section presents the most important results with the mechanistic interpretations.
On effective learning of English collocations: From perspectives of distributed practice and semantic restructuring
Authors: Yamagata Satoshi , Nakata Tatsuya , Rogers James
Published: October 2023

Knowledge of collocations facilitates second language (L2) learning by enhancing accuracy and fluency. However, acquiring L2 collocations is often challenging for learners. One factor contributing to this difficulty is incongruency between first and second languages (e.g., draw distinctions in English corresponds to do distinctions in Japanese). One possible solution is to facilitate semantic restructuring, where learners develop their understanding of L2 words' semantic possibilities. For the restructuring of semantic knowledge to occur, repeated exposure to multiple collocations containing the same node word may be necessary (e.g., draw attention, draw a conclusion). However, how to facilitate semantic restructuring through repeated exposure is still unknown. Particularly, to what extent temporal distribution (i.e., spacing) of multiple collocations affects learning is an important issue to be examined. Based on recent research on collocation learning, the present article argues that a combination of massing and spacing can promote L2 collocation learning from the viewpoint of semantic restructuring. It also discusses some practical implications for effective L2 collocation learning.
Review on emission reduction of VCR system using various nano‐refrigerants
Authors: Purusothaman Mani , Venkatesh A. Prasanna , Jotheeswaran S. , Ajith kumar Dhayalan
Published: October 2023

The focus of the study is the exploration of the possible efficacy and environmental advantages of nanofluids, including hybrid nanoparticles, concerning the effectiveness of the Vapor Compression Refrigeration System (VCRS). This necessitates a thorough assessment of the stability qualities, synthesis techniques, thermal conductivity, viscosity, and heat transfer efficiency of nanofluids. This research also aims to explore different Nano‐Refrigerant combinations that influence the Coefficient of Performance (COP). According to some research findings, the use of copper nanoparticles improved COP by 8.1%, while the use of alumina nanoparticles raised COP values as high as 6.71%. Moreover, studies have demonstrated that various hybrid nanoparticles like silver‐graphene oxide also greatly improve outcomes concerning amounts used, raising the system's overall performance capabilities. Finally, it can be said that there is a wide range of applications for these fluids because they can function cost‐effectively and environmentally friendly while significantly reducing energy consumption, acting as refrigerants or secondary fluid systems, and having a positive impact on performance when used in deployed VCRS configurations.
Ein neues hochgenaues und zuverlässiges Ionisationsvakuummeter
Authors: Jousten Karl
Published: October 2023

Ein neuartiges Ionisationsvakuummeter bietet eine Lösung für die bisher unzureichende Stabilität kommerziell erhältlicher Geräte und ermöglicht vorhersagbare Empfindlichkeiten. Dies wird durch eine geradlinige Führung der ionisierenden Elektronen auf ihrem Weg durch den Ionisationsraum ermöglicht. Das neue Hochvakuum‐messgerät ist für Anwendungen als Referenzmessgerät und in Prozessanlagen, bei denen hohe Reproduzierbarkeit gefordert ist, geeignet. Selbst ohne Kalibrierung bietet das Gerät eine Messunsicherheit von unter 5% und ist daher sowohl für Hersteller wie für Anwender auch kommerziell interessant.
Surface‐Inspection‐Pad (SIP)
Authors: Wahl Michael , Bock Wolfgang , Kopnarski Michael
Published: October 2023

Das Surface‐Inspection‐Pad, kurz SIP, bietet eine kostengünstige und ressourcenschonende Alternative zur Probennahme für eine vakuumgestützte Kontaminationskontrolle von Bauteiloberflächen. Die Analyse der Oberflächenchemie des Bauteils erfolgt dann durch die Analyse der SIP‐Oberfläche. Zur Analyse kann neben anderen Methoden insbesondere die oberflächensensitive Flugzeit‐Sekundärionen‐Massenspektrometrie (ToF‐SIMS) verwendet werden. Die zu untersuchenden Bauteile müssen somit nicht mehr aus dem Prozess entfernt und für die Analyse zerstört werden. Der Anwendende kann so enorme Kosten einsparen. Weiterhin können SIPs für die Kontaminationskontrolle in Schmierstoffkreisläufen und Flüssigkeiten eingesetzt werden. Silikonöl (PDMS) wird dabei in Flüssigkeiten bisher mit einer Nachweisgrenze von unter 10–6 (ppm) nachgewiesen.