bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Can CO2 and Steam React in the Absence of Electrolysis at High Temperatures?
Authors: Zhou Song , Yan Xue , Liu Cheng , Qian Binbin , Zhe Liu Jefferson , Zhang Lian 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe fundamental question of whether CO2 can react with steam at high temperatures in the absence of electrolysis or high pressures is answered. These two gases are commonly co‐present as industrial wastes. Herein, a simple experiment by flowing CO2 and steam through a CaCl2 matrix at 500–1000 °C and atmospheric pressure was designed. Comprehensive characterizations and density functional theory calculations were conducted. Meanwhile, this study aims to recover HCl from CaCl2 via a low‐emission oxy‐pyrohydrolysis process. As confirmed, CO2 and steam interact strongly on the CaCl2 surface, leading to an explicit formation of CaCO3/CaO and a nearly complete release of HCl. This is mainly contributed to a halved energy required for the splitting of H2O, resulting from the formation of a bicarbonate‐like structure to replace Cl− out of CaCl2, an otherwise industrial waste, whilst an important dopant for carbon capture, utilization and storage, and medium for electrochemical synthesis.
Mechanistic Understanding of CaO‐Based Sorbents for High‐Temperature CO2 Capture: Advanced Characterization and Prospects
Authors: Krödel Maximilian , Landuyt Annelies , Abdala Paula M. , Müller Christoph R. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractCarbon dioxide capture and storage technologies are short to mid‐term solutions to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions. CaO‐based sorbents have emerged as a viable class of cost‐efficient CO2 sorbents for high temperature applications. Yet, CaO‐based sorbents are prone to deactivation over repeated CO2 capture and regeneration cycles. Various strategies have been proposed to improve their cyclic stability and rate of CO2 uptake including the addition of promoters and stabilizers (e. g., alkali metal salts and metal oxides), as well as nano‐structuring approaches. However, our fundamental understanding of the underlying mechanisms through which promoters or stabilizers affect the performance of the sorbents is limited. With the recent application of advanced characterization techniques, new insight into the structural and morphological changes that occur during CO2 uptake and regeneration has been obtained. This review summarizes recent advances that have improved our mechanistic understanding of CaO‐based CO2 sorbents with and without the addition of stabilizers and/or promoters, with a specific emphasis on the application of advanced characterization techniques.
Metformin‐Templated Nanoporous ZnO and Covalent Organic Framework Heterojunction Photoanode for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation
Authors: Chatterjee Sauvik , Bhanja Piyali , Ghosh Dibyendu , Kumar Praveen , Kanti Das Sabuj , Dalapati Sasanka , Bhaumik Asim 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPhotoelectrochemical water‐splitting offers unique opportunity in the utilization of abundant solar light energy and water resources to produce hydrogen (renewable energy) and oxygen (clean environment) in the presence of a semiconductor photoanode. Zinc oxide (ZnO), a wide bandgap semiconductor is found to crystallize predominantly in the hexagonal wurtzite phase. Herein, we first report a new crystalline triclinic phase of ZnO by using N‐rich antidiabetic drug metformin as a template via hydrothermal synthesis with self‐assembled nanorod‐like particle morphology. We have fabricated a heterojunction nanocomposite charge carrier photoanode by coupling this porous ZnO with a covalent organic framework, which displayed highly enhanced photocurrent density of 0.62 mA/cm2 at 0.2 V vs. RHE in photoelectrochemical water oxidation and excellent photon‐to‐current conversion efficiency at near‐neutral pH vis‐à‐vis bulk ZnO. This enhancement of the photocurrent for the porous ZnO/COF nanocomposite material over the corresponding bulk ZnO could be attributed to the visible light energy absorption by COF and subsequent efficient charge‐carrier mobility via porous ZnO surface.
Suppression of lncRNA MALAT1 by betulinic acid inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression by targeting IAPs via miR‐22‐3p
Authors: Chen Feiyu , Zhong Zhangfeng , Tan Hor Yue , Guo Wei , Zhang Cheng , Cheng Chien‐Shan , Wang Ning , Ren Junguo , Feng Yibin 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBetulinic acid (BA) is a natural product extracted from a broad range of medicinal and edible herbal plants. Previous studies showed that BA induces cell death in tumors derived from multiple tissues; however, the underlying mechanism remains obscure. The present study aimed to study the effects of BA on autophagy and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Human HCC cell lines and orthotopic HCC implanted mice were employed to examine the BA‐induced tumor suppression; RT2 long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) PCR array and database analysis were used to explore the possible mechanisms; validation of pathways was performed using siRNA and miRNA inhibitors. The results indicated that BA regulated autophagy and induced apoptosis in HCC. The degradation of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), the conversion of LC3‐I to LC3‐II, and p62 accumulation were enhanced by BA, thereby suggesting that the downregulation of IAPs and autophagic cell death are induced by BA. The addition of autophagy and lysosomal inhibitors indicated that BA induced autophagy‐independent apoptosis via degradation of IAPs. Moreover, RT2 lncRNA PCR array and database analysis suggested that BA downregulated the levels of lncRNA MALAT1, which is considered to be an oncogene. Further investigations demonstrated that lncRNA MALAT1 functioned as a ceRNA (competing endogenous RNA) to contribute to BA‐mediated degradation of IAPs by sponging miR‐22‐3p. Therefore, BA could be developed as a potential anticancer agent for HCC.
Progress and applications of mass cytometry in sketching immune landscapes
Authors: Zhang Ting , Warden Antony R. , Li Yiyang , Ding Xianting 
Published: October 2020

AbstractRecently emerged mass cytometry (cytometry by time‐of‐flight [CyTOF]) technology permits the identification and quantification of inherently diverse cellular systems, and the simultaneous measurement of functional attributes at the single‐cell resolution. By virtue of its multiplex ability with limited need for compensation, CyTOF has led a critical role in immunological research fields. Here, we present an overview of CyTOF, including the introduction of CyTOF principle and advantages that make it a standalone tool in deciphering immune mysteries. We then discuss the functional assays, introduce the bioinformatics to interpret the data yield via CyTOF, and depict the emerging clinical and research applications of CyTOF technology in sketching immune landscape in a wide variety of diseases.
Drivers of distributions and niches of North American cold‐adapted amphibians: evaluating both climate and land use
Authors: Seaborn Travis , Goldberg Caren S. , Crespi Erica J. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractSpecies distribution estimates are often used to understand the niche of a species; however, these are often based solely on climatic predictors. When the influences of biotic factors are ignored, erroneous inferences about range and niche may be made. We aimed to integrate climate data with a unique set of available land cover and land use data for the six cold‐adapted amphibians of North America (Ambystoma macrodactylum,Anaxyrus hemiophrys,Anaxyrus boreas,Pseudacris maculata,Rana sylvatica,Rana luteiventris) to determine the relative importance of climate and non‐climate drivers through the use of ecological niche models for present‐day range estimates. We compared climate‐only, land use‐only, and combination models of climate and land use, derived from two different model selection techniques, to determine which was most likely to drive current distributions of cold‐adapted amphibian species. Land use layers included land cover type, human population, vegetation type, ecoregion, and the overall human footprint. The most supported models included both climate and land use, with climate and human footprint variables having the highest permutation importance and percent contribution. Models that incorporated climate and land use data performed best as measured with AIC and AUC, although qualitatively most underestimated the northern range edge, implying potential sampling bias or locations of reduced habitat quality for these species in the northern area of the ranges. There were small differences in overall combination models dependent on the method of model selection. The overall effect sizes of landscape factors within the combination models were small except for one landscape feature: human footprint, which incorporated multiple aspects of anthropogenic change on the landscape, including human population density, travel access, and agricultural impact. This aspect of the landscape was just as important as climate, and counter to what we expected, the association was mostly positive, with a negative response only occurring at very high levels. This highlights the importance of moving beyond climate only species range estimates as land cover, specifically human impact, may be driving the patterns of species' ranges.
Seed quality and seed quantity in red maple depends on weather and individual tree characteristics
Authors: Goszka Abigail R. , Snell Rebecca S. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractUnder future climate change, plant species are expected to shift their ranges in response to increasing temperatures and altered precipitation patterns. As seeds represent the single opportunity for plants to move, it is critical to quantify the factors that influence reproduction. While total seed production is clearly important, seed quality is equally as critical and often overlooked. Thus, to quantify how environmental and tree‐level characteristics affect seed quality and quantity, the reproductive output of red maple (Acer rubrum) was measured along an elevation gradient in the Monongahela National Forest, WV. A variety of individual‐level characteristics were measured (e.g., DBH, canopy area, height, and tree cores were taken to quantify growth), and seed traps were placed under seed‐bearing trees to collect samaras and quantify total seed production. A random subsample of collected seeds from each tree was micro‐CT scanned to determine embryo volume, photographed for morphology measurements, and used for germination trials. The number of seeds produced was negatively affected by frost events during flowering, and stand density. The trees with the most seeds also showed reduced growth in recent years. Only 63% of scanned seeds showed embryo development, and of those seeds—only 23% germinated. The likelihood of embryo presence increased as growth rate decreased, while embryo size increased with tree height, smaller DBH, and in areas dominated by hemlock. Both larger embryo volume and larger overall seed size increased the likelihood of germination. The results highlight the importance of including seed quality in addition to seed quantity for a more complete representation of reproductive output.
Bcl‐xL expression following articular cartilage injury and its effects on the biological function of chondrocytes
Authors: Pan Zhengjun , Yin Hao , Wang Shuangli , Xiong Gaoxin , Yin Zongsheng 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the expression of B‐cell lymphoma‐extra large (Bcl‐xL) in cartilage tissues following articular cartilage injury and to determine its effects on the biological function of chondrocytes. A total of 25 necrotic cartilage tissue samples and 25 normal tissue samples were collected from patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis at our hospital from December 2015 to December 2018. The mRNA expression levels of Bcl‐xL, caspase‐3, and matrix metalloproteinase‐3 (MMP‐3) in the normal and necrotic tissues were examined via quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and their protein expression levels were detected via western blotting. The expression levels of Bcl‐xL, insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1), and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) were significantly lower but those of caspase‐3, MMP‐3, interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), and chemokine‐like factor 1 (CKLF1) levels were markedly higher in necrotic cartilage tissues than in normal tissues. Following cell transfection, the expression levels of Bcl‐xL, IGF‐1, and BMP were remarkably higher but those of caspase‐3, MMP‐3, IL‐1β, and CKLF1 were notably lower in the Si‐Bcl‐xL group than in the NC group. The Si‐Bcl‐xL group showed significantly lower cell growth and noticeably higher apoptosis rate than the NC group (normal control group). The expression of Bcl‐xL is reduced following articular cartilage injury, and this reduction promotes the proliferation and inhibits the apoptosis of chondrocytes. Therefore, Bcl‐xL could serve as a relevant molecular target in the clinical practice of osteoarthritis and other diseases causing cartilage damage.
Experimental investigation of the use of waste engine oil improved with manganese additive as fuel in a diesel power generator
Authors: Arabacı Emre , Orman Recep Çağrı 
Published: October 2020

AbstractToday, there is an effort to obtain energy from every possible source and waste to meet the oil demand. Waste engine oil is one of them. Although waste lubricating oils have an important economic potential, the environmental effect of these oils is much more important than their economic effect. In this study, various waste engine oil‐diesel mixture (0:100, 10:90, 20:80, and 30:70) and various fuel pressure conditions (195–255 bar) experiments were performed for various engine loads (3–12 Nm) in a DI diesel power generator. It was aimed to increase the potential of using waste engine oil as fuel by adding 16 μmol/L Mn additive to the waste engine oil. For the design of the experiment, 1/8 fractional factorial Taguchi method was applied and the relationship between engine load, waste engine oil, fuel injection pressure and Mn additive with experimental factors has been successfully determined with variance analysis. Using regression analysis, regression equations were obtained for exhaust temperature, specific fuel consumption, light absorption coefficient, and nitrogen oxides. Finally, although waste engine oil causes deterioration on engine performance and emissions, it has been determined that the use of waste engine oil as fuel can be improved thanks to the Mn additive.
Secure smart contracts for cloud‐based manufacturing using Ethereum blockchain
Authors: Kumar Ajay , Abhishek Kumar , Nerurkar Pranav , Ghalib Muhammad Rukunuddin , Shankar Achyut , Cheng Xiaochun 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPast international trade practices have been associated with opaque information flows that have hindered traceability and created hurdles in hassle‐free trade. Blockchain and allied technologies have been investigated as a panacea for the problems faced by the Cloud‐Based Manufacturing industry. However, previous literature has focused on limited aspects of a typical Cloud‐Based Manufacturing chain, such as monitoring assets and securing traceability, which is widely neglecting data integrity and data access. To overcome such drawbacks, the current paper proposes secure smart contracts based on the ERC20 interface in a permissioned blockchain with relevant processes and functions to obtain a holistic framework for securing Cloud‐Based Manufacturing operations. The efficacy of the proposed framework was demonstrated on the case study. It was found that critical loopholes in a current supply chain can be overcome using the proposed framework. Additionally, several outlines for future research are outlined.
The determination of lycopene Z‐isomer absorption coefficient on C30‐HPLC
Authors: Huang Jin , Hui Bodi 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBoth E‐ and Z‐isomers of lycopene are encountered in nature. Although they were separated on C30‐HPLC by the mobile phase consisting of CH3CN‐MeOH (A) and MTBE (B), the quantification of Z‐isomers cannot be archived at present because either their commercially available reference samples are currently lacking, or they are unstable. In this study, both the specific and molar absorption coefficients of 5, 9, and 13 Z‐isomers in the mobile phase were determined on the analytical C30‐HPLC‐PDA‐ELSD, and further verified on the preparative C30‐HPLC‐PDA. The specific and molar absorption coefficients of 5, 9, and 13 Z‐isomers were finally verified to be = 3,422 and εmol = 183,717, = 2,183 and εmol = 117,199, and = 1,119 and εmol = 60,076, respectively, in the mobile phase. With these determined coefficients, the quantifications of 5, 9, and 13 Z‐isomers were able to be archived on C30‐HPLC‐PDA with the mobile phase applied in this investigation.
The impact of Qodume Shirazi seed mucilage‐based edible coating containing lavender essential oil on the quality enhancement and shelf life improvement of fresh ostrich meat: An experimental and modeling study
Authors: Heydari Samaneh , Jooyandeh Hossein , Alizadeh Behbahani Behrooz , Noshad Mohammad 
Published: October 2020

AbstractToday, food consumers prefer to use the foods that contain natural preservatives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Qodume Shirazi seed mucilage (QSSM) and lavender essential oil (LO) on the preservation of ostrich meat during cold storage. The chemical compounds of LO were identified through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The ostrich meat samples were coated with the mucilage containing the essential oil at concentrations of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%, v/v. The control and the coated ostrich meat samples were kept at 4°C and analyzed for microbiological (total viable count, psychrotrophic count,Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus, coliforms, and fungi), physicochemical (moisture content, pH, texture, and color parameters), and sensorial (odor, color, and total acceptance) characteristics during 9 days of storage. GC/MS identified 12 compounds in the essential oil, among which linalool was the major one (43.3%). The lightness (L* value) and hardness of all the ostrich meat samples were reduced during the storage. From a microbiological point of view, the cold storage duration for the control and the coated sample without the essential oil was only 3 days, while for coated samples containing 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% essential oil, it was 3, 3, 6, and 9 days, respectively. The coated ostrich meat containing 2% LO had an appropriate quality with an expanded shelf life. The results showed that neural network with 10 neurons in the hidden layer had the lowest mean squared error and mean absolute error and the highest correlation coefficient for predicting the quality and microbial properties of the coated meat samples during storage.
Glial restricted precursor cells in central nervous system disorders: Current applications and future perspectives
Authors: Martins‐Macedo Joana , Lepore Angelo C. , Domingues Helena S. , Salgado António J. , Gomes Eduardo D. , Pinto Luísa 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe crosstalk between glial cells and neurons represents an exceptional feature for maintaining the normal function of the central nervous system (CNS). Increasing evidence has revealed the importance of glial progenitor cells in adult neurogenesis, reestablishment of cellular pools, neuroregeneration, and axonal (re)myelination. Several types of glial progenitors have been described, as well as their potentialities for recovering the CNS from certain traumas or pathologies. Among these precursors, glial‐restricted precursor cells (GRPs) are considered the earliest glial progenitors and exhibit tripotency for both Type I/II astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. GRPs have been derived from embryos and embryonic stem cells in animal models and have maintained their capacity for self‐renewal. Despite the relatively limited knowledge regarding the isolation, characterization, and function of these progenitors, GRPs are promising candidates for transplantation therapy and reestablishment/repair of CNS functions in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as in traumatic injuries. Herein, we review the definition, isolation, characterization and potentialities of GRPs as cell‐based therapies in different neurological conditions. We briefly discuss the implications of using GRPs in CNS regenerative medicine and their possible application in a clinical setting.Main PointsGRPs are progenitors present in the CNS with differentiation potential restricted to the glial lineage. These cells have been employed in the treatment of a myriad of neurodegenerative and traumatic pathologies, accompanied by promising results, herein reviewed.
Common and separable neural alterations in substance use disorders: A coordinate‐based meta‐analyses of functional neuroimaging studies in humans
Authors: Klugah‐Brown Benjamin , Di Xin , Zweerings Jana , Mathiak Klaus , Becker Benjamin , Biswal Bharat 
Published: October 2020

AbstractDelineating common and separable neural alterations in substance use disorders (SUD) is imperative to understand the neurobiological basis of the addictive process and to inform substance‐specific treatment strategies. Given numerous functional MRI (fMRI) studies in different SUDs, a meta‐analysis could provide an opportunity to determine robust shared and substance‐specific alterations. The present study employed a coordinate‐based meta‐analysis covering fMRI studies in individuals with addictive cocaine, cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine use. The primary meta‐analysis demonstrated common alterations in primary dorsal striatal, and frontal circuits engaged in reward/salience processing, habit formation, and executive control across different substances and task‐paradigms. Subsequent sub‐analyses revealed substance‐specific alterations in frontal and limbic regions, with marked frontal and insula‐thalamic alterations in alcohol and nicotine use disorders respectively. Examining task‐specific alterations across substances revealed pronounced frontal alterations during cognitive processes yet stronger striatal alterations during reward‐related processes. Finally, an exploratory meta‐analysis revealed that neurofunctional alterations in striatal and frontal reward processing regions can already be determined with a high probability in studies with subjects with comparably short durations of use. Together the findings emphasize the role of dysregulations in frontostriatal circuits and dissociable contributions of these systems in the domains of reward‐related and cognitive processes which may contribute to substance‐specific behavioral alterations.
Reverse payments, patent strength, and asymmetric information
Authors: Manganelli Anton‐Giulio 
Published: October 2020

AbstractReverse payments (pay‐for‐delay) are payments from an originator to a generic pharmaceutical producer to settle a potential litigation. In many jurisdictions, these payments are banned. This study shows that when the parties' investments are considered and the information about the patent strength is asymmetric, reverse payments increase both the possibility of generic entry and the litigation rate—both of which increase consumer surplus and do not necessarily delay generic entry. Reverse payments typically increase consumer surplus when the asymmetry between the parties is low, the competitiveness in the market is soft, and their size is small. Results suggest that a ban per se may be suboptimal.