bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of Process Parameters on the Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol in Oilfield Produced Wastewater using ZnO/Fe2O3 Nanocomposites.
Authors: Haiqi Omer Al , Nour Abdurahman Hamid , Bargaa Rushdi , Ayodele Bamidele Victor 
Published: February 2020

The upstream processing of crude oil is often associated with the presence of phenolic compounds when not properly treated could result in adverse effects on human health. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of process parameters on the photocatalytic degradation of phenol. The ZnO/Fe2O3 nanocomposite photocatalyst was prepared by sol-gel method and characterized using various instrument techniques. The characterized ZnO/Fe2O3 nanocomposite displayed suitable physicochemical properties for the photocatalytic reaction. The ZnO/Fe2O3 nanocomposite was employed for the phenol degradation in a cylindrical batch reactor under solar radiation. The photocatalytic runs show that calcination temperature of the ZnO/Fe2O3 nanocomposite, catalyst loading, initial phenol concentration and pH of the wastewater significantly influence the photocatalytic degradation of phenol. After 180 min of solar radiation, the highest phenol degradation of 92.7% was obtained using the ZnO/Fe2O3 photocatalyst calcined at 400 ºC. This study has demonstrated that phenol degradation is significantly influenced by parameters such as calcination temperature of the ZnO/Fe2O3 nanocomposite, catalyst loading, initial phenol concentration and pH of the wastewater resulting in highest phenol degradation using the ZnO/Fe2O3 nanocomposite calcined at 400 ºC, initial phenol concentration of 0.5 mg/L, catalyst loading of 3 mg/L and pH of 3. Copyright © 2020 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Design, Characterization and Application of The SCMNPs@PC/VB1-Zn as A Green and Recyclable Biocatalyst for Synthesis of Pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole and 4H-benzo-[b]-pyran Derivatives
Authors: Hou Fang , Zheng Wei , Yousefi Nasser 
Published: February 2020

Eco-friendly and reusable solid acid catalysts (SCMNPs@PC/VB1-Zn) were identified as one of the most effective basic catalysts for the composition of a pot, three-component pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles. Methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-5(4H)-one, benzaldehyde and malononitrile in high yield at 80 °C. SCMNPs@ PC/VB1-Zn reports the simple and efficient catalysis of a three-component pot reaction of dimedone, aldehydes, and malononitrile to 4H-benzo-[b]-pyran derivatives. This magnetic nanocatalyst can be recycled more than 6 times without dramatically reducing performance with respect to reaction time and efficiency. Copyright © 2020 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
One-pot Selective Conversion of Biomass-derived Furfural into Cyclopentanone/Cyclopentanol over TiO2 Supported Bimetallic Ni-M (M = Co, Fe) Catalysts
Authors: Astuti Maria Dewi , Kristina Ditya , Rodiansono Rodiansono , Mujiyanti Dwi Rasy 
Published: February 2020

One-pot selective conversion of biomass-derived furfural (FFald) into cyclopentanone (CPO) or cyclopentanol (CPL) using bimetallic nickel-based supported on TiO2 (denoted as Ni-M(3.0)/TiO2; M = Co and Fe; 3.0 is Ni/M molar ratio) have been investigated. Catalysts were synthesized via a hydrothermal method at 150 °C for 24 h, followed by H2 reduction at 450 °C for 1.5 h. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the formation of Ni-Co alloy phase at 2θ = 44.2° for Ni-Co(3.0)/TiO2 and Ni-Fe alloy at 2θ = 44.1° for Ni-Fe(3.0)/TiO2. The amount of acid sites was measured by using ammonia-temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD). Ni-Co(3.0)/TiO2 has three NH3 desorption peaks at 180 °C, 353 °C, and 569 °C with acid site amounts of 1.30 µmol.g-1, 1.0 µmol.g-1, and 2.0 µmol.g-1, respectively. On the other hand, Ni-Fe(3.0)/TiO2 consisted of NH3 desorption peaks at 214 °C and 626 °C with acid site amounts of 3.3 µmol.g-1and 2.0 µmol.g-1, respectively. Both Ni-Co(3.0)/TiO2 and Ni-Fe(3.0)/TiO2 catalysts were found to be active for the selective hydrogenation of FFald to furfuryl alcohol (FFalc) at low temperature of 110 °C, H2 3.0 MPa, 3 h with FFalc selectivity of 81.1% and 82.9%, respectively. High yields of CPO (27.2%) and CPL (41.0%) were achieved upon Ni-Fe(3.0)/TiO2 when the reaction temperature was increased to 170 °C, 3.0 MPa of H2, and a reaction time of 6 h. The yield of CPO+CPL on the reused catalyst decreased slightly after the second reaction run, but the activity was maintained for at least three consecutive runs. Copyright © 2020 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Activity and Stability of Immobilized Lipase for Utilization in Transesterification of Waste Cooking Oil
Authors: Gusniah Azianna , Veny Harumi , Hamzah Fazlena 
Published: February 2020

Biodiesel is fatty acid methyl ester that commonly derived from vegetable oils and animal fats that can be produced through enzymatic transesterification using lipase. In this study, three different types of lipase were used, which are Lipase Immobilized Pseudomonas cepacia, PcL, Thermomyces lanuginosus, TLIM, and Candida Antarctica A (recombinant from Aspergillus oryzae), CALA. These lipases were compared based on their activity at different pH (6-10), temperature (30-50 °C), activation energy, and amount of lipase loading for hydrolysis of p-NPA into n-NP. The result indicates that among the lipase used in the study, CALA is the preferable biocatalyst in the hydrolysis of p-NPA due to the minimum energy required and higher enzymatic activity at 20 mg of enzyme loading. PcL and CALA used in the study gave the optimum activity at pH 9 except for TLIM at pH 8 and the optimum temperature at 40 °C. The kinetic data obtained for CALA in this reaction were Km = 57.412 mM and Vm = 70 µM/min. This finding shows that CALA is beneficial biocatalysts for the transesterification process to obtain a higher product with lower activation energy. Copyright © 2020 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Optimization of Oxidative Desulfurization Reaction with Fe2O3 Catalyst Supported on Graphene Using Box-Behnken Experimental Method
Authors: Alwan Hameed Hussein , Ali Ammar Ali , Makki Hasan F. 
Published: February 2020

In this study, the catalyst activity of Fe2O3 supported on Graphene for Iraqi gas oil oxidation desulfurization (ODS) by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was investigated. The prepared catalyst was synthesized by wet impregnation for ferric nitrate as a Fe2O3 precursor while Graphene represented as catalyst support. The synthesized catalyst was characterized by XRD, FTIR, and EDS analysis. The experiments were designed according to three-level for three variables by Box-Behnken experimental design; Stirring time, catalyst dosage and temperature while the sulfur removal efficiency acts as experiment response. Catalyst activity was studied by ODS reaction for Iraqi gas oil (sulfur content 9400 ppm) at temperature range (40-60 ºC), stirring time (160-240 minutes) and catalyst dosage (0.5-2.5 g), the results show maximum sulfur removal efficiency 90% at stirring time, catalyst dosage and temperature 240 min, 1.5 g, and 60 ºC, respectively. ANOVA analysis shows the important effect of each independent variable on sulfur removal efficiency (response) as following influential order; stirring time, reaction temperature and catalyst dosage. Kinetics calculation showed that the ODS reaction obeys pseudo first-order reaction with reaction rate constant equal 1.0837, 1.5893, and 2.5053 at temperature 40, 50, and 60 ºC, respectively, while activation energy equal 36.26 kJ/mol. Copyright © 2020 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Kinetics and Thermodynamics Study of Ultrasound-Assisted Depolymerization of k-Carrageenan in Acidic Solution
Authors: Ratnawati Ratnawati , Indriyani Nita 
Published: February 2020

K-carrageenan is a natural polymer with high molecular weight ranging from 100 to 1000 kDa. The oligocarrageenan with low molecular weight is widely used in biomedical application. The aim of this work was to depolymerize k-carrageenan in an acidic solution with the assistance of ultrasound irradiation. The ultrasonication was conducted at various pH (3 and 6), temperatures (30-60 °C), and depolymerization time (0-24 minutes). The results show that the depolymerization reaction follows pseudo-first-order kinetic model with reaction rate constant of 1.856×10-7 to 2.138×10-6 s-1. The reaction rate constant increases at higher temperature and lower pH. The Q10-temperature coefficients of the depolymerization are 1.25 and 1.51 for pH 6 and 3, respectively. The enthalpy of activation (ΔH‡) and the Gibbs energy of activation (ΔG‡) are positive, while the entropy of activation (ΔS‡) is negative, indicating that the activation step of the ultrasound-assisted depolymerization of k-carrageenan is endothermic, non-spontaneous, and the molecules at the transition state is more ordered than at the ground state. The ΔH‡ and the ΔS‡ are not affected by temperature, while the ΔG‡ is a weak function of temperature. The ΔH‡ and ΔS‡ become smaller at higher pH, while the ΔG‡ increases with the increase of pH. The kinetics and thermodynamics analysis show that the ultrasound-assisted depolymerization of k-carrageenan in acidic solution is possibly through three mechanisms, i.e. bond cleavage due to cavitational effect of microbubbles, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide, as well as proton. Copyright © 2020 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Effects of downsizing care on the children and staff in a medical institution for disabled children after it was rebuilt
Authors: Suzuki Kenji , Yamawaki Hiroki 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThis study clarifies the impact of changes in the physical environment and the introduction of downsizing care in a medical institution for disabled children. The targeted facility was surveyed for over three years through behavioral observation, before and after it was rebuilt. Additionally, a questionnaire survey was conducted with the staff. The results show that: (1) the staff and two groups of children (self‐moving difficulty and self‐movable groups) often spent time in different places initially, but gradually spent more time in the same place, especially within a common space; (2) the postures of the children gradually diversified and became more relaxed in the new facility; (3) the postures of the staff rarely changed except in the common spaces where they became more relaxed; (4) as the staff spent considerable time in the same place as the children, they felt that the frequency of staying close to and interacting with the children and noticing their changes had increased; and (5) the increase in the number and size of seating areas was appreciated by and impacted the children and staff; however, the staff did not appreciate the entire seating area and the spaces nearby.
Receptor Adaptation Mechanisms
Authors: Shieh Bih‐Hwa , Gurevich Eugenia V , Gurevich Vsevolod V 
Published: February 2020

Abstract

Receptor adaptation mechanisms involve homeostatic regulation of the transmembrane receptors to maintain an optimal signalling response. Short‐term regulation of GPCRs is achieved when ligand‐/drug‐activated receptors become phosphorylated by GRKs, which reduces the G‐protein interaction. Phosphorylation of GPCRs also enhances the association with arrestins that block the G‐protein coupling, activate MAPK signalling and lead to internalisation of receptors. Internalised GPCRs may be recycled following dephosphorylation or degraded in the lysosome following ubiquitination. Prolonged drug treatments lead to desensitised receptors that require higher drug doses to achieve desirable responses, which may exacerbate adverse effects in nontarget tissues as the same receptor may be less desensitised. Long‐term regulation of receptors may be accomplished at the transcriptional and/or translational level to maintain receptor density.

Key Concepts

Receptors are temporally and spatially regulated in order to optimally transduce extracellular signals to modulate intracellular activities.

There are three major classes of receptors including G‐protein‐coupled receptors, or GPCRs, ligand‐gated ion channels and growth factor receptors.

Activated GPCRs elicit the canonical signalling by coupling to the heterotrimeric G‐proteins and may also activate other signalling pathways.

Short‐term regulation of GPCRs is achieved first by GRK phosphorylation of the activated receptor, followed by the interaction with arrestin that blunts the G‐protein coupling (homologous desensitisation).

Inactive GPCRs may be phosphorylated to reduce the G‐protein coupling following activation of a different GPCR that couples to the same G‐protein (heterologous desensitisation).

Arrestins scaffold activated GPCRs to orchestrate the arrestin‐dependent signalling and to trigger receptor internalisation.

Internalised GPCRs may be recycled following dephosphorylation and re‐inserted into the plasma membrane, or ubiquitinated and degraded in the lysosome.

Biased ligands for GPCRs are developed to preferentially activate either the G‐protein or the arrestin‐dependent signalling pathway as each contributes to distinct physiological responses.

GPCRs become desensitised following repeated pharmacological treatments, and desensitised GPCRs are less responsive to drugs/agonists.

Long‐term regulation of receptors may be accomplished at the transcriptional and/or the translational levels.
Olfaction
Authors: East Brett S , Wilson Donald A 
Published: February 2020

Abstract

Olfaction, the ability to recognise and discriminate myriad airborne molecules with great accuracy and sensitivity, is one of the most remarkable, but least understood senses. It permits continuous monitoring of the surroundings for small volatile molecules, including chemical signals that identify territories, food, predators and mates; thus, olfaction plays a key role in survival and adaptation in the animal world. Recent work suggests that in mammals, odour perception begins through volatile molecules binding to a subset of several hundred G‐protein‐coupled receptors on the olfactory sensory neurons in the nose. The identity of the odorant is encoded by a spatiotemporal pattern of activity within the first central relay, the olfactory bulb. The olfactory cortex then functions as a combinatorial array that allows recognition of those odorant‐specific patterns and forms synthetic odour percepts. This pattern recognition process is experience‐dependent, and thus odour discrimination and perception can be affected by a variety of memory and cognitive disorders.

Key Concepts

Odorous stimuli are transduced by olfactory sensory neurons through a large family of G‐protein‐coupled receptors, with individual sensory neurons expressing a single type of receptor.

Olfactory sensory neurons project axons directly into the mammalian forebrain targeting the olfactory bulb and are continually replaced throughout life.

Odorant identity is initially encoded by odour‐specific spatiotemporal patterns of activity in the olfactory bulb which emerges due to highly specific sensory neuron axonal projections.

In contrast to other sensory systems, the direct projection to the primary olfactory cortex does not pass through the thalamus, although there is an olfactory thalamocortical pathway.

Encoding of odour quality in the piriform cortex is performed by populations of highly distributed neurons, with no known odour‐specific spatial topography.

Information about internal state, emotion, expectation and past experience can influence odour processing as early as the first central synapse, and odour learning can influence processing through the entire olfactory pathway.

Given that most natural odours are mixtures of many volatile components, odour perception is based on an experience‐dependent combinatorial process resulting in the perception of synthetic odour objects.

Odour habituation is a central phenomenon involving changes in the strength of connections between specific neurons within the olfactory bulb and cortex.

Through extensive interaction with other sensory systems, olfaction plays a critical role in the perception of flavour and food perception.

Impairment in olfactory perception is a prevalent problem which is associated with a wide variety of neurological disorders.
Food Allergy
Authors: Harrison Faye C , Giovannini Mattia , Kalaichandran Amitha , Santos Alexandra F 
Published: February 2020

AbstractFood allergy has recently become more common. There is no curative treatment for food allergy and management relies on allergen avoidance and emergency treatment of accidental allergic reactions. Food allergy can have a significant impact on the lives of patients and their families and an accurate diagnosis is, therefore, of utmost importance. A food allergy‐focused clinical history, together with evidence of allergen‐specific IgE, can be enough to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of food allergy; however, in the equivocal cases, exposure to the allergen in a controlled environment in hospital, called oral food challenge (OFC), is required. New tests are being developed to reduce the number of patients that need OFCs. Allergen‐specific immunotherapy has shown to reduce patients' sensitivity to the allergen but the majority of treated patients still remain food allergic. In the absence of a definitive treatment, prevention of food allergy is key.Key ConceptsFood allergy prevalence is increasing, affecting about 7% of children and 2% of adults, with cow's milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, sesame, fish and shellfish constituting more than 90% of food allergies in children.Risk factors for food allergy are atopic eczema, family history of atopic diseases, black or Asian ethnicity, less diverse diet, low serum vitamin D and filaggrin loss‐of‐function mutations.The diagnosis of food allergy is usually based on a combination of clinical history and evidence of allergen‐specific IgE, with oral food challenges being reserved for the equivocal cases.There is no curative treatment for food allergy; management consists of allergen avoidance and emergency treatment plan for accidental allergic reactions.Allergenic foods should be introduced in the diet at the time of weaning. Early peanut consumption in the first year of life can prevent the development of peanut allergy at school age.
Single‐Cell Transcriptomics
Authors: Ballouz Sara 
Published: February 2020

Abstract

Single‐cell transcriptomics is an emerging field with a variety of applications, from revealing tissue heterogeneity and cell identity to deepening our understanding of complex biological systems. Single‐cell RNA‐sequencing assays the transcriptome of individual cells, allowing for a refined resolution of transcription compared to the averaged profiles from bulk RNA‐sequencing. Advances in the technology have resulted in a surplus of protocols, computational methods and studies. Multiple experimental approaches to isolate and sequence single cells provide many levels of coverage and throughput, allowing for the growth of computational pipelines and methods to assess and analyse this plethora. These advances will allow for the transcriptional documentation of all cells and cell types, which brings forth yet unknown opportunities for understanding all cellular life.

Key Concepts

Single‐cell transcriptomics has revolutionised the field of functional genomics, allowing for the evaluation of the transcriptome at cellular resolution.

Novel technologies have made it simple to sequence 1000s–10 000s of cells at a time.

Computational methods continue to advance in order to analyse and integrate the millions of cell samples.

Cellular temporal resolutions, rather than bulk averages, have allowed for lineage tracing to study development and differentiation, the discovery of subpopulations and rare cell types to assess tissue heterogeneity, with particular applications to disease.

Technical and biological noise still remains a major challenge, along with computational scalability and costs.

Integration of transcriptional information along with genomic, epigenomic and spatial data at the single‐cell level will expand our understanding further.
Nutritional and Nutraceutical Value of Vegetable Crops as Affected by Biostimulants Application
Authors: Cocetta Giacomo , Ferrante Antonio 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBiostimulants are formulated products of biological origin that are used in agriculture to improve plant productivity, produce quality and tolerance to certain stresses. The interest in this new heterogeneous class of compounds is increasing also due to the lower environmental impact of biostimulants in comparison to synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. In addition, the application of biostimulants can improve the health‐related properties of some plant‐derived foods, by stimulating the accumulation of secondary metabolites and phytonutrients in various organs. The heterogenicity of formulations composition and the difficulty to identify the exact mode and mechanisms of action of these products represent a challenge for the process of rationalisation of this sector. For these reasons, the number of researches and experimentations on biostimulants in increasing as well as the level of knowledge in this field.Key ConceptsThe use of biostimulants in agriculture is increasing due to the need of low impact and more sustainable agricultural management approaches.The rationalisation of the biostimulants sector is a key aspect to be addressed in the next few years.The positive effect of biostimulants is related to their capacity to improve the yield and quality of produce.The consumers' awareness toward nutraceutical and nutritional quality attributes of vegetable crops is increasing.The recent rise in scientific literature related to this topic suggests that biostimulants could play a relevant role in enhancing the nutritional and health‐related characteristics of plant‐derived food.