bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of pomegranate extract on anthropometric indices, serum lipids, glycemic indicators, and blood pressure in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized double‐blind clinical trial
Authors: Goodarzi Reza , Jafarirad Sima , Mohammadtaghvaei Narges , Dastoorpoor Maryam , Alavinejad Pejman 
Published: September 2021

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease. The beneficial effects of pomegranate have been shown on insulin resistance and obesity, which are linked to NAFLD pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of pomegranate extract in patients with NAFLD. Forty‐four NAFLD patients were randomly assigned to receive two pomegranate extract tablets or placebo for 12 weeks. Anthropometric measurements, serum lipids, glycemic indicators, and blood pressure were assessed at baseline and the end of the study. Pomegranate was associated with a reduction in the total cholesterol (p ˂ .001), triglyceride (p ˂ .001), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C)‐to‐high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) ratio (p ˂ .003), fasting blood sugar (p ˂ .001), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (p = .02), diastolic blood pressure (p = .04), weight (p ˂ .001), body mass index (p ˂ .001), and waist circumference (p = .002), as compared to placebo. A significant increase was observed in serum HDL‐C (p ˂ .001) after intervention with the pomegranate extract. However, no significant difference was shown between the two groups in serum insulin and LDL‐C. The pomegranate extract supplement could be used as a complementary therapy along with existing therapies to improve glycemic indicators, serum lipids, anthropometric indices, and blood pressure in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver.
Efficient Synthesis of Chromeno[4,3,2‐de] [1,6]naphthyridine Derivatives via Pseudo Four‐Component Reaction
Authors: Gan Jianbo , Luo Naili , Wu Chengjun , Wan Xinyi , Wang Cunde 
Published: September 2021

AbstractA novel approach to the synthesis of substituted 5‐amino‐4‐cyanochromeno[4,3,2‐de][1,6]naphthyridine‐1‐carboxylates from a wide range of substituted 2‐hydroxybenzaldehydes with alkyl 3‐oxo‐3‐substituted propanoates and malononitrile was investigated via propionic acid‐promoted cascade Knoevenagel condensation/Michael addition/intramolecularly nucleophilic addition accompanied by oxidative aromatization. This procedure provided a highly efficient and facile route to functionalized chromenonaphthyridines from readily available substrates under mild reaction conditions.
Copper Metallogel as Potential Drug Carrier for Anti‐Inflammatory Drugs
Authors: Choudhary Priyanka , Gaur Ruchi , Rambabu Darsi , Dhir Abhimanew , Gupta Ankush , Pooja  
Published: September 2021

AbstractCopper based Metal‐Organic Gels (MOGs) were evaluated for their efficiency as drug carrier for four anti‐inflammatory drugs viz. 5‐Fluorouracil (5FU), Phenidone (PN), Ibuprofen (IBP) and Cisplatin (CP). Copper(II)‐benzene tricarboxylic acid (CuBTC) was used as a precursor for the loading and releasing of these drugs. The distinctive porous nature of the gel provided the high loading efficiency for these anti‐inflammatory drugs. Among all the drugs evaluated, CuBTC@5FU exhibited maximum drug loading (88.1 %) and releasing (95 %) efficiency at physiological pH 5.2, which was attributed to the strong hydrogen bonding interactions between CuBTC and fluoride of 5FU.
“Water‐in‐Sugar” Electrolytes Enable Ultrafast and Stable Electrochemical Naked Proton Storage
Authors: Su Zhen , Chen Junbo , Ren Wenhao , Guo Haocheng , Jia Chen , Yin Songyan , Ho Junming , Zhao Chuan 
Published: September 2021

AbstractProton is an ideal charge carrier for rechargeable batteries due to its small ionic radius, ultrafast diffusion kinetics and wide availability. However, in commonly used acid electrolytes, the co‐interaction of polarized water and proton (namely hydronium) with electrode materials often causes electrode structural distortions. The hydronium adsorption on electrode surfaces also facilitates hydrogen evolution as an unwanted side reaction. Here, a “water‐in‐sugar” electrolyte with high concentration of glucose dissolved in acid to enable the naked proton intercalation, as well as an extended 3.9 V working potential window, is shown. A glucose‐derived organic thin film is formed on electrode surface upon cycling. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the significant decrease of free water in bulk electrolytes, while density functional theory calculations indicate that glucose preferentially binds to the electrode surface which can inhibit water adsorption. The scarcity of free water and the protective organic film work in synergy to suppress water interactions with the electrode surface, which enables the naked proton (de)intercalation. The “water‐in‐sugar” electrolyte significantly enhances a MoO3 electrode for stable cycling over 100 000 times. This facile electrolyte approach opens new avenues to aqueous electrochemistry and energy storage devices.
In Situ Characterization for Boosting Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction
Authors: Cao Xueying , Tan Dongxing , Wulan Bari , Hui K.S. , Hui K.N. , Zhang Jintao 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide into organic fuels and feedstocks is a fascinating method to implement the sustainable carbon cycle. Thus, a rational design of advanced electrocatalysts and a deep understanding of reaction mechanisms are crucial for the complex reactions of carbon dioxide reduction with multiple electron transfer. In situ and operando techniques with real‐time monitoring are important to obtain deep insight into the electrocatalytic reaction to reveal the dynamic evolution of electrocatalysts’ structure and composition under experimental conditions. In this paper, the reaction pathways for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) in the generation of various products (e.g., C1 and C2) via the proposed mechanisms are introduced. Moreover, recent advances in the development and applications of in situ and operando characterization techniques, from the basic working principles and in situ cell structure to detailed applications are discussed. Suggestions and future directions of in situ/operando analysis are also addressed.
Two‐Dimensional Red Phosphorus Nanosheets: Morphology Tuning and Electrochemical Sensing of Aromatic Amines
Authors: Liu Lingbo , Shen Jian , Wu Kangbing , Yang Nianjun 
Published: September 2021

AbstractSynthesis of 2D materials with different morphologies is of significance to reveal their morphology‐dependent properties and further explore their morphology‐dependent applications. This work reports the synthesis of 2D red phosphorus nanosheets (RPNSs) with different thicknesses by means of a phosphorus‐amine method together with regulated electrophilicity of the solution. With graphene as the support, the RPNSs produced in 0.01 m HCl feature a unique 2D nanostructure, uniform distribution, and excellent electrochemical performance. Originating from the reacted characteristics between phosphorus and amine, the interaction of aniline with the RPNSs is clarified theoretically and experimentally by means of density functional theory, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and voltammetry. A covalent bond is confirmed to be formed during the deprotonation of aniline and its binding energy reaches −2.31 eV. Stemming from such an adsorption process, different aromatic amines (e.g., p‐nitroaniline, p‐phenylenediamine) are sensitively and selectively monitored on the RPNSs. Consequently, this work provides a new way to clarify morphology‐dependent properties and applications of novel 2D materials.
Model checking C++ programs
Authors: Monteiro Felipe R. , Gadelha Mikhail R. , Cordeiro Lucas C. 
Published: September 2021

SummaryIn the last three decades, memory safety issues in system programming languages such as C or C++ have been one of the most significant sources of security vulnerabilities. However, there exist only a few attempts with limited success to cope with the complexity of C++ program verification. We describe and evaluate a novel verification approach based on bounded model checking (BMC) and satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) to verify C++ programs. Our verification approach analyses bounded C++ programs by encoding into SMT various sophisticated features that the C++ programming language offers, such as templates, inheritance, polymorphism, exception handling, and the Standard Template Libraries. We formalize these features within our formal verification framework using a decidable fragment of first‐order logic and then show how state‐of‐the‐art SMT solvers can efficiently handle that. We implemented our verification approach on top of ESBMC. We compare ESBMC to LLBMC and DIVINE, which are state‐of‐the‐art verifiers to check C++ programs directly from the LLVM bitcode. Experimental results show that ESBMC can handle a wide range of C++ programs, presenting a higher number of correct verification results. Additionally, ESBMC has been applied to a commercial C++ application in the telecommunication domain and successfully detected arithmetic‐overflow errors, which could potentially lead to security vulnerabilities.
Characterization of evolutionarily distinct rice BAHD‐Acyltransferases provides insight into their plausible role in rice susceptibility to Rhizoctonia solani
Authors: Kumar Gulshan , Kumar Pankaj , Kapoor Ritu , Lore Jagjeet Singh , Bhatia Dharminder , Kumar Arun 
Published: September 2021

AbstractPlants produce diverse secondary metabolites in response to different environmental cues including pathogens. The modification of secondary metabolites, including acylation, modulates their biological activity, stability, transport, and localization. A plant‐specific BAHD‐acyltransferase (BAHD‐AT) gene family members catalyze the acylation of secondary metabolites. Here we characterized the rice (Oryza sativa L.) BAHD‐ATs at the genome‐wide level and endeavor to define their plausible role in the tolerance against Rhizoctonia solani AG1‐IA. We identified a total of 85 rice OsBAHD‐AT genes and classified them into five canonical clades based on their phylogenetic relationship with characterized BAHD‐ATs from other plant species. The time‐course RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) analysis of OsBAHD‐AT genes and qualitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) validation showed higher expression in sheath blight susceptible rice genotype. Furthermore, the DNA methylation analysis revealed higher hypomethylation of OsBAHD‐AT genes that corresponds to their higher expression in susceptible rice genotype, indicating epigenetic regulation of OsBAHD‐AT genes in response to R. solani AG1‐IA inoculation. The results shown here indicate that BAHD‐ATs may have a negative role in rice tolerance against R. solani AG1‐IA possibly mediated through the brassinosteroid (BR) signaling pathway. Altogether, the present analysis suggests the putative functions of several OsBAHD‐AT genes, which will provide a blueprint for their functional characterization and to understand the rice–R. solani AG1‐IA interaction.
Intra‐ and inter‐breed variation in immune response to acute and sub‐chronic Salmonella infection and commercial immune‐stimulant in two‐layer breeds
Authors: Khatab Shymaa A. , Hemeda Shabaan A. , El‐Nahas Abeer F. , Abd El Naby Walaa S.H. , Hassan Sabry , Alorabi Jamal A. , Dawood Mahmoud A.O. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractSalmonella is one of the most hazardous diseases in poultry farms. Markedly, the application of active immunostimulants is illustrated as potential protective agents against infection in poultry farms. Thus, this work aimed to explore inter‐ and intra‐breed variation in response to acute and subchronic Salmonella enteritidis infection in two‐layer breeds (one commercial [Hy‐line strain] and another native [Fayoumi breed]). Besides exploring the possible protective effect of a commercial immune modulator (STIMULAN) on the two breeds during the acute infection. The ELISA antibody titer in sub‐chronic infections and the expression analysis of some selected genes (IL‐1β, LITAF, TGF‐β, HSP90 and HSP70) are used as the clinical signs for acute infections to assess the possible protective role of a commercial immunomodulator (STIMULAN). Five groups were used during the acute experiment: G1—control; G2a—susceptible; G2b—resistant birds, G3—which received STIMULAN and G4—which received the infection + STIMULAN. The groups with sub‐chronic infections include G1 (control), G2 (high antibody titer) and G3 (low antibody titer). The gene expressions among the susceptible birds during acute infection of both breeds are nearly similar. They only differ in the expression of HSP90 in the Fayoumi breed. However, the resistant birds vary in their gene expression profile. The effect of STIMULAN as a feed additive in non‐infected birds was an up‐regulation of LITAF, TGF‐β, HSP90 in Fayoumi. Moreover, a powerful stimulatory role was observed when both breeds were infected. Both breeds were asymptomatic during the sub‐chronic infection. Although, the increased expression of inflammatory‐related genes in the Hy‐line was considered as an indication of infection persistence. Fayoumi is capable of immune clearance for this infection. Thus, the Fayoumi breed is more resistant to acute Salmonella infection. HSP90 plays a vital role in its resistance. We recommend the use of STIMULAN as an immunomodulator during Salmonella infection.
Carbothermal synthesis of micron‐sized, uniform, spherical silicon carbide (SiC) particles
Authors: Feller Tanja , Rosenfeldt Sabine , Retsch Markus 
Published: September 2021

AbstractSilicon carbide (SiC) particles are exciting structures because of their hardness, chemical inertness, and dielectric properties. In particular, their absorption/emission properties in the mid‐infrared range render them suitable structures for ambient temperature thermal emitters. However, the synthesis of uniform, spherical structures is still challenging. Here, we present a robust synthesis procedure based on carbothermal reduction of silica precursor particles. With an isotropic shrinkage of ∼30 %, the spherical particle shape and uniformity are retained. Furthermore, we outline the influence of the gas atmosphere during the carbothermal treatment and demonstrate the successful conversion to SiC by electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermal and optical analysis.
Evaluation of social compatibility in an all‐male group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) by means of social network analysis
Authors: Orient Ester , Guillén‐Salazar Federico 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe study here presented provides preliminary data regarding social compatibility of an all‐male group of five chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), assessed by means of a social network analysis (SNA). The study was conducted at the Fundació Mona (Girona, Spain), where data on social behavior were collected in two consecutive 2‐week periods using continuous focal animal sampling for a total of 72 h of observation. Our results show the study group is socially compatible: males showed high levels of affiliative behaviors (grooming) and low levels of aggressive behaviors (displacement, display, physical aggression, supplantation). In addition, these results remained stable during the two study periods. Likewise, the most central individuals in the affiliative and aggressive networks were identified, showing slight variations depending on the period of the study. Therefore, the information obtained suggests that placing male chimpanzees in all‐male groups could be a potential option for the management of surplus males. The results also provide support regarding the positive contribution of social assessment to the management of captive primate groups. In this regard, SNA seems to be a useful tool to evaluate the groups’ social behavior and to identify its key individuals. In addition, these results allow us to draw up a set of recommendations before the formation of an all‐male group, but also to assess their compatibility once groups have been formed. As a whole, the results of this study could improve the management of endangered species like chimpanzees.
Ergebnisse
Authors: Galle Marco 
Published: September 2021

ZusammenfassungSchule und Unterricht erfahren seit einigen Jahren einen – teils radikalen – Gestaltwandel. Die in dieser Arbeit untersuchten Schulen des perLen-Forschungsprojekts zeichnen sich durch eine verstärkte, an den individuellen Bedürfnissen und Voraussetzungen der Schülerinnen und Schüler ausgerichtete Unterrichts- und Lernorganisation aus. Es lassen sich vermehrt Phasen des selbstständigen und eigenverantwortlichen Lernens beobachten, dies sowohl bezüglich des fachlichen als auch verstärkt hinsichtlich des überfachlichen (personalen, sozialen, methodischen) Kompetenzerwerbs (u. a. Stebler et al., 2018).
Ultra-light dark matter
Authors: Ferreira Elisa G. M. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractUltra-light dark matter is a class of dark matter models (DM), where DM is composed by bosons with masses ranging from $$10^{-24}\, \mathrm {eV}< m < \mathrm {eV}$$

10

-
24

eV
<
m
<
eV

. These models have been receiving a lot of attention in the past few years given their interesting property of forming a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) or a superfluid on galactic scales. BEC and superfluidity are some of the most striking quantum mechanical phenomena that manifest on macroscopic scales, and upon condensation, the particles behave as a single coherent state, described by the wavefunction of the condensate. The idea is that condensation takes place inside galaxies while outside, on large scales, it recovers the successes of $$\varLambda $$
Λ
CDM. This wave nature of DM on galactic scales that arise upon condensation can address some of the curiosities of the behaviour of DM on small-scales. There are many models in the literature that describe a DM component that condenses in galaxies. In this review, we are going to describe those models, and classify them into three classes, according to the different non-linear evolution and structures they form in galaxies: the fuzzy dark matter (FDM), the self-interacting fuzzy dark matter (SIFDM), and the DM superfluid. Each of these classes comprises many models, each presenting a similar phenomenology in galaxies. They also include some microscopic models like the axions and axion-like particles. To understand and describe this phenomenology in galaxies, we are going to review the phenomena of BEC and superfluidity that arise in condensed matter physics, and apply this knowledge to DM. We describe how ULDM can potentially reconcile the cold DM picture with the small-scale behaviour. These models present a rich phenomenology that is manifest in different astrophysical consequences. We review here the astrophysical and cosmological tests used to constrain those models, together with new and future observations that promise to test these models in different regimes. For the case of the FDM class, the mass where this model has an interesting phenomenology on small-scales $$ \sim 10^{-22}\, \mathrm {eV}$$

∼

10

-
22

eV

, is strongly challenged by current observations. The parameter space for the other two classes remains weakly constrained. We finalize by showing some predictions that are a consequence of the wave nature of this component, like the creation of vortices and interference patterns, that could represent a smoking gun in the search of these rich and interesting alternative class of DM models.
Age-Related Declines in Lower Limb Muscle Function are Similar in Power and Endurance Athletes of Both Sexes: A Longitudinal Study of Master Athletes
Authors: Ireland Alex , Mittag Uwe , Degens Hans , Felsenberg Dieter , Heinonen Ari , Koltai Erika , Korhonen Marko T. , McPhee Jamie S. , Mekjavic Igor , Pisot Rado , Rawer Rainer , Radak Zsolt , Simunic Bostjan , Suominen Harri , Rittweger Jörn 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe age-related decline in muscle function, particularly muscle power, is associated with increased risk of important clinical outcomes. Physical activity is an important determinant of muscle function, and different types of physical activity e.g. power-based versus endurance-based exercise appear to have differential effects on muscle power. Cross-sectional studies suggest that participation in power-based exercise is associated with greater muscle power across adulthood but this has not been investigated longitudinally. We recruited eighty-nine male and female power and endurance master athletes (sprint and distance runners respectively, baseline age 35–90y). Using jumping mechanography, we measured lower limb muscle function during a vertical jump including at least two testing sessions longitudinally over 4.5 ± 2.4y. We examined effects of time, discipline (power/endurance) and sex in addition to two- and three-way interactions using linear mixed-effects models. Peak relative power, relative force and jump height, but not Esslingen Fitness Index (indicating peak power relative to sex and age-matched reference data) declined with time. Peak power, force, height and EFI were greater in power than endurance athletes. There were no sex, discipline or sex*discipline interactions with time for any variable, suggesting that changes were similar over time for athletes of both sexes and disciplines. Advantages in lower limb muscle function in power athletes were maintained with time, in line with previous cross-sectional studies. These results suggest that improvements in lower limb function in less active older individuals following power-based training persist with continued adherence, although this requires further investigation in interventional studies.
Direct visualization of local activities of long DNA strands via image–time correlation
Authors: Kang Kyongok , Ma Yue , Sadakane Koichiro 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBacteriophages with long DNA genomes are of interest due to their diverse mutations dependent on environmental factors. By lowering the ionic strength of a hydrophobic (PPh4Cl) antagonistic salt (at 1 mM), single long T4 DNA strand fluctuations were clearly observed, while condensed states of T4 DNA globules were formed above 5–10 mM salt. These long DNA strands were treated with fluorescently labeled probes, for which photo bleaching is often unavoidable over a short time of measurement. In addition, long (few tens of $$\upmu m$$

μ
m

) length scales are required to have larger fields of view for better sampling, with shorter temporal resolutions. Thus, an optimization between length and time is crucial to obtain useful information. To facilitate the challenge of detecting large biomacromolecules, we here introduce an effective method of live image data analysis for direct visualization and quantification of local thermal fluctuations. The motions of various conformations for the motile long DNA strands were examined for the single- and multi-T4 DNA strands. We find that the unique correlation functions exhibit a relatively high-frequency oscillatory behavior superimposed on the overall slower decay of the correlation function with a splitting of amplitudes deriving from local activities of the long DNA strands. This work shows not only the usefulness of an image–time correlation for analyzing large biomacromolecules, but also provides insight into the effects of a hydrophobic antagonistic salt on active T4 bacteriophage long DNA strands, including thermal translocations in their electrostatic interactions.