bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Terpenoid and Fatty Acid Profiling along with Anti‐Tyrosinase and Anti‐Urease Potentials of Scorzonera pygmaea Sibth. & Sm. an Endemic Plant of Turkey
Authors: Şahin Hasan , Boğa Mehmet , Sarı Aynur 
Published: December 2021

AbstractPetroleum ether (PE), chloroform (CH), ethyl acetate (EA) and butanol (BU) fractions were obtained from ethanol extracts of the roots (SPR) and the above ground (SPH) parts of S. pygmaea. PE fractions were evaluated by GC/MS for profiling the terpenoids and the fatty acids of the plant. 29 compounds in total including saturated (major palmitic acid), unsaturated (major linoleic acid) fatty acids and triterpenes were tentatively determined. Short‐term extraction methods might be preferred to avoid esterification of fatty acids. Phytochemical profiles of SPR‐PE and SPH‐PE were found to be similar to each other and to other few Scorzonera species reported previously. These results will contribute to the chemotaxonomic studies about the genus which is considered taxonomically complex genus. Activity studies were carried out using kojic acid (87.10 % inhibition) standard for tyrosinase and thiourea (95.83 % inhibition) standard for urease. SPR‐CH was determined as the most potent fraction with 55.94 % and 55.10 % inhibition of tyrosinase and urease, respectively at the same concentration of the standards (200 microgram/mL). These moderate results might be considered encouraging for more detailed studies to determine the active compounds and to evaluate the plant's potential in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries in terms of tyrosinase and urease inhibition.
Hydrodynamic Studies during Gas‐Solid Conveying in a Vertically Upward Converging Riser Tube‡
Authors: Ghosh Tanushree , Sarkar Jyotiprakas , Sadhukhan Anup Kumar , Barman Sanghamitra 
Published: December 2021

AbstractExperimental and theoretical investigations on hydrodynamics for gas‐solid particles flow were carried out in a vertical upward converging pneumatic conveying system. One‐dimensional mathematical modeling and simulation were done using the FORTRAN‐95 program. The influence of convergence geometry on the hydrodynamic parameters like particle velocity, gas‐particle slip velocity, pressure drop, and particle Reynolds number (Rep) along the riser were studied. Experiments were conducted using the dilute phase mode with three types of granular cereal seeds of different sizes. Some significant differences in all hydrodynamic parameter profiles along the riser were observed between converging and uniform risers. Enhancement of Rep in the converging riser implies a higher gas‐solid transfer coefficient.
Electrochemical Investigation of the Oxidation of Thiosulfate by 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane and Its Anion Radical
Authors: Alzubidi Anbrah E. , Bond Alan M. , Martin Lisandra L. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe oxidation of thiosulfate has been of interest for more than a century, including the famous oscillating iodine clock reaction. From a thermodynamic perspective, calculations based on the reversible potentials reveal that both neutral TCNQF40 (2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane) or its radical anion (TCNQF41−) can oxidize thiosulfate to tetrathionate to form TCNQF42−. The reaction of S2O32− with TCNQF40 in a 2:1 or greater concentration ratio occurs in a step‐wise fashion to initially (and rapidly) form S4O62− and TCNQF41− (reaction 1), followed by a slow step involving the oxidation of residual S2O32− by TCNQF41− to give more S4O62− and TCNQF42− (reaction 2). Thus, this reaction occurs in two, temporally well‐resolved, steps with dramatically different kinetics. If S2O32− and TCNQF41− are mixed in a 1 : 1 ratio, then S4O62− and TCNQF42− are formed quantitatively on the same (hours) timescale, as for the second (slow) step described above. There is no evidence of further oxidation of S4O62− to SO42−. A slight increase in the rate of reaction 2 was observed in the presence of Bu4NPF6 and attributed to ion‐pairing effects. Interestingly, during voltammetric experiments, if the Pt counter electrode is not separated from the reaction solution via a salt bridge, reaction 2 is catalyzed. The rates of reaction 2 have been studied over a wide range of conditions. Intriguingly, the mechanisms are dependent on whether S2O32− or TCNQF41− (much faster) are in excess. With S2O32− in excess, the rate of reaction is first‐order in both S2O32− and TCNQF41−. With TCNQF41− in excess, the reaction is more complicated with indications of Li+ catalysis through electrostatic shielding of the TCNQF41− and/or S2O32− reactants. The large difference in rate of reaction of TCNQF40/S2O32− (rapid) compared with TCNQF41−/S2O32− (sluggish) is in part attributable to the much larger driving force in the former case. All experimental studies were undertaken in the mixed solvent system, acetonitrile (MeCN) containing 5 % water, v/v (95 % MeCN : 5 % water) where all the reactants and products are soluble and stable. Voltammetric analysis using steady‐state (microdisc) or transient cyclic voltammetry (macrodisc) with electrolyte (Bu4NPF6) and UV‐visible spectrophotometry with or without electrolyte were used to monitor the time dependence and establish the identity of the products.
In Situ Synthesis of Fe−N Co‐doped Porous Carbon Nanospheres by Extended Stöber Method for Oxygen Reduction in Both Alkaline and Acidic Media
Authors: Qu Yongfang , Zhang Wei , Li Dahuan , Yang Hao , Xiao Yahui , Liu Yong 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe replacement of Pt/C catalysts with iron−nitrogen−carbon (Fe−N−C) nanomaterials in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is appealing for the large‐scale application of fuel cells. Herein, an extended Stöber method was used to in situ synthesize Fe−N co‐doped porous carbon spheres (Fe−N−Cs) with large surface areas and impressive ORR performance. Fe−N−Cs were synthesized using 3‐aminophenol as N precursor, ferrocenealdehyde (Fc−CHO) as Fe source and crosslinker, and Pluronic F127 as soft template. Among all prepared catalysts, Fe−N−Cs‐1.0 exhibits much enhanced ORR activities. The initial potential and half‐wave potential are 0.992 V, 0.873 V (vs. RHE) and 0.981 V, 0.871 V in alkaline and acidic media, respectively, which are higher than that of commercial Pt/C catalyst (0.986 V, 0.868 V and 0.979 V, 0.843 V). Meanwhile, the methanol tolerance and durability of Fe−N−Cs‐1.0 were far better than Pt/C. This work manifests the Fe−N−Cs electrocatalysts are expected to replace the commercial Pt/C catalyst in the area of ORR.
N‐Doped Activated Carbons from Polypyrrole – Effect of Steam Activation Conditions
Authors: Villora‐Picó Juan J. , Pastor‐Blas M. Mercedes , Sepúlveda‐Escribano Antonio 
Published: December 2021

AbstractPolypyrrole (PPy) has been prepared by oxidative polymerization of pyrrole and used as a raw material for the preparation of N‐doped activated carbons. Thus, PPy has been pyrolyzed at 900 °C and then activated with steam under different activation conditions (time and temperature). This has allowed for the preparation of activated carbons with different porosity development and nitrogen content, as well as distinctive distribution of nitrogen species. It has been observed that the presence of nitrogen functionalities favors water adsorption at low relative pressures but, at relative pressures higher than 0.5 it is determined by the porosity development.
Stable Room Temperature Thermoelectric Properties in a Supramolecular Assembly of an n‐Type Naphthalene‐diimide‐based Amphiphile
Authors: Mondal Bhargab P. , Mukherjee Anurag , Ghosh Suhrit , Datta Anuja 
Published: December 2021

AbstractOrganic thermoelectric materials (OTEs) are in huge demand for their flexibility and robustness in applications of internet‐of‐things, wearables, and health monitoring devices. While choices of p‐type OTEs are widespread, there is still lack of stable (in air) n‐type systems to pair. Naphthalene‐diimides (NDIs), due to the presence of the planar‐structured electron‐deficient aromatic ring offer promising electron‐deficient building blocks to construct air‐stable n‐type semiconducting devices. Herein, an amphiphile derivative (cNDI‐1) is reported for two‐dimensional supramolecular assembly, and consequently TE measurements are carried out in a fully calibrated and standardised custom‐built Seebeck (S) set‐up. Promising S values (ca. −237 μV/K in THF and ca. −195 μV/K in water) are measured with a TE power factor of ∼0.05×10−5 μW/mK2 in THF and ∼0.6×10−5 μW/mK2 in water at room temperature. The study opens up the possibility of exploring broad range of molecular design library for newer n‐type OTEs.
Reduction of side lobes in the entire azimuth plane in a planar elliptical array antenna
Authors: Misra Bitan , Mahanti Gautam Kumar , Panda Ganapati 
Published: December 2021

SummaryA novel synthesis method to reduce the maximum side lobe in the entire azimuth plane and for achieving a desired value of directivity of a concentric elliptical array antenna is addressed in this paper. Three well‐performing meta‐heuristic optimization algorithms, teaching learning‐based optimization (TLBO), symbiotic organism search (SOS), and quantum particle swarm optimization (QPSO), are employed to optimize the cost function and to obtain the desired radiation pattern. Different simulation‐based experiments are performed to obtain the best possible set of angular positions and the distribution of isotropic antennas across the ellipses by rigorously maintaining non‐overlapping constraints. The major benefit of the proposed design is the deprecation of interference in all phi planes. The statistical analysis of the simulation results demonstrate perceptible improvement compared with that of a uniformly spaced concentric elliptical array and hence show the efficiency of the proposed algorithms. In both simulation studies, the results obtained using TLBO, SOS, and QPSO are compared. Analysis of the results exhibits that for the stated objective, the TLBO‐ and SOS‐based side lobe reduction approach performs superior to QPSO method. Proposed multi‐objective research work could lead to reduce payload and can simultaneously achieve isoflux coverage in entire azimuth plane on the earth surface which can essentially be utilized in (Low Earth Orbit) LEO and (Geostationary Earth Orbit) GEO satellites applications.
Introduction of a PEGylated EPO conjugate as internal standard for EPO analysis in doping controls
Authors: Reihlen Phillipp , Blobel Mike , Weiß Patrick , Harth Judith , Wittmann Julia , Leenders Frank , Thevis Mario 
Published: December 2021

AbstractImmunopurification of doping control samples is a mandatory necessity in erythropoietin (EPO) analysis during a confirmation procedure; moreover, it has become common practice to also immunopurify samples for the initial testing procedure. Typically used materials (e.g., Stemcell purification plate and MAIIA purification kit) rely on anti‐EPO antibodies for purification. Also, the detection of EPO after electrophoretic separation and western blotting is based on a monoclonal anti‐EPO antibody, clone AE7A5, directed against a 26 amino acid sequence of the N‐terminal region of human EPO. While the electrophoretic separation and blot transfer efficiency can be monitored with reference standards and quality control samples, it is presently not possible to monitor the functionality of the entire sample preparation procedure. The reliance on antibodies for both purification and detection has complicated the implementation of an internal standard (ISTD). In this study, customized EPO‐polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugates were synthesized as potential ISTDs and assessed as to their compatibility with existing sample preparation procedures for urine and blood sample analysis using the most common immunopurification techniques. Moreover, probing for the impact of the ISTD on sodium N‐lauroylsarcosinate (“sarcosyl”) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SAR‐PAGE)‐based EPO analysis concerning potential interference with target analytes was conducted. The presented data demonstrate that a 12‐kDa PEG residue attached to human EPO represents a particularly useful construct to serve as ISTD for erythropoietin‐receptor agonist (ERA) analysis. The conjugate is applicable to both urine and blood testing using the commonly employed purification techniques, supporting and improving result interpretations especially concerning specimens where the natural abundance of human EPO is low.
Species compositions mediate biomass conservation: The case of lake fish communities
Authors: Arranz Ignasi , Fournier Bertrand , Lester Nigel P. , Shuter Brian J. , Peres‐Neto Pedro R. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractEnvironmental and geographical factors are known to influence the number, distribution, and combination of species that coexist within ecological communities. This, in turn, should influence ecosystem functions such as biomass conservation, or the ability of a community to sustain biomass from small to large organisms. We tested this hypothesis by assessing the role of environmental factors in determining how biomass is conserved in over 600 limnetic fish communities spread across a broad geographic gradient in Canada. Comprehensive and accurate information on water conditions and community characteristics such as taxonomy, abundance, biomass, and size distributions were used in our assessment. Results showed that species combinations emerge as one of the main predictors of biomass conservation among the effects of individual species and abiotic factors. Our study highlights the strong role that geographic patterns in the distribution of species can play in shaping key ecosystem functions, with consequences for ecosystem services such as the provision of harvestable fish biomass.
Are spontaneously fermented plant‐based foods potential sources of transferable antibiotic resistance genes?
Authors: Jasiak Kinga , Amund Daniel 
Published: December 2021

AbstractSpontaneously fermented plant‐based foods are highly valued for their unique organoleptic characteristics and presumed health benefits. However, because natural (spontaneous) fermentation does not involve the employment of starter cultures, the safety of spontaneously fermented plant‐based products is not easily controlled. This review examines the presence of antibiotic resistance determinants in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from plant‐based, naturally fermented foods. Phenotypic resistance to clinically relevant antibiotics has been widely observed in LAB from a variety of food types. The larger proportion of the resistance traits reported in this review can be considered intrinsic to LAB. However, some of the identified traits, especially resistance genes to tetracycline and erythromycin, have the potential for horizontal spread. Further molecular characterization is required to determine the genetic basis of detected resistance traits that have only been assessed using phenotypic methods. The implementation of novel safety measures in the production of spontaneously fermented plant‐based foods should be considered in the future.
The Development of Mitochondrial Gene Editing Tools and Their Possible Roles in Crop Improvement for Future Agriculture
Authors: Yang Jinghua , Yang Xiaodong , Su Tongbing , Hu Zhongyuan , Zhang Mingfang 
Published: December 2021

AbstractWe are living in the era of genome editing. Nowadays, targeted editing of the plant nuclear DNA is prevalent in basic biological research and crop improvement since its first establishment a decade ago. However, achieving the same accomplishment for the plant mitochondrial genome has long been deemed impossible. Recently, the pioneer studies on editing plant mitogenome have been done using the mitochondria‐targeted transcription activator‐like effector nucleases (mitoTALENs) in rice, rapeseed, and Arabidopsis. It is well documented that mitochondria play essential roles in plant development and stress tolerance, particularly, in cytoplasmic male sterility widely used in production of hybrids. The success of mitochondrial genome editing enables studying the fundamentals of mitochondrial genome. Furthermore, mitochondrial RNA editing (mostly by nuclear‐encoded pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins) in a sequence‐specific manner can simultaneously change the production of translatable mitochondrial mRNA. Moreover, direct editing of the nuclear‐encoding mitochondria‐targeted factors required for plant mitochondrial genome dynamics and recombination may facilitate genetic manipulation of plant mitochondria. Here, the present state of knowledge on editing the plant mitochondrial genome is reviewed.
Experiments and thermodynamic modelling on the blueschists in the Longmu Co‐Shuanghu Suture Zone, North Tibet: Estimation of the metamorphic conditions and implications for garnet stability in the subduction zone
Authors: Gong Neng , Che Xiao‐Chao , Yuan Guo‐Li , Wang Gen‐Hou , Tsunogae Toshiaki , Liu Zhi‐Bo 
Published: December 2021

The pressure–temperature (P‐T) path of blueschist is usually applied to understanding the evolution of the subducted oceanic crust. Garnet plays a key role in calculating the metamorphic conditions, but sometimes it is absent in the blueschists. Nevertheless, the high‐P experimental simulation may serve as a useful tool to constrain the P‐T conditions. In the middle of the Longmu Co‐Shuanghu Suture, North Tibet, blueschist blocks embedded in the marble were discovered, where garnet is abundant in the core but absent in the marble‐contacting margin. These two kinds of blueschist contain similar mineral assemblage (glaucophane, epidote, and phengite) and show comparable basaltic character. Pseudosection modelling was applied to the garnet‐bearing blueschist that calculated the peak metamorphic condition of ca. 1.9 GPa and 530°C. As for the garnet‐absent blueschist, experiments (1.2–2.3 GPa and 500–800°C) were performed on the designed mixture of 93 wt% basalt and 7 wt% calcite. The results show that the total Fe content in the glaucophane and barroisite is positively correlated with the pressure but not with temperature, which could be regarded as a geobarometer. Accordingly, the peak condition was constrained at 2.3 GPa and 500–600°C. Therefore, the equivalent metamorphic conditions of the blueschists indicate that the Palaeo‐Tethys oceanic crust subducted into at least 70 km. Furthermore, both the experiments and the T‐X (CaCO3) pseudosection, constructed based on basaltic lithology, support that the absence of garnet in the blueschist is predominantly caused by the mixing of calcite. In summary, this study provides a valid attempt in exploring metamorphic conditions by experiment simulation, and evaluates the profound influence of the interaction between the basaltic crust and overlying carbonate‐bearing sediments in the subduction zone.
Justice, Bioethics, and Covid‐19
Authors: Kaebnick Gregory E. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBoth articles in the November‐December 2021 issue of the Hastings Center Report reflect bioethics’ growing interest in questions of justice, or more generally, questions of how collective interests constrain individual interests. Hugh Desmond argues that human enhancement should be reconsidered in light of developments in the field of human evolution. Contemporary understandings in this area lead, he argues, to a new way of thinking about the ethics of enhancement—an approach that replaces personal autonomy with group benefit as the primary criterion for deciding what enhancements are acceptable. In the second article, Johannes Kniess considers the many attempts within bioethics to draw on John Rawls's work to discuss health care access and social determinants of health, and he comes across as moderately optimistic that Rawls's theory of justice has ongoing relevance.
Divided Loyalties: Fire and ICE
Authors: Appel Jacob M. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThis essay explores the challenges of dual loyalty in the emergency setting. The author, an emergency room psychiatrist, finds himself caring for a patient who has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for potential deportation under circumstances that the author finds unjust. He also recognizes that the patient's reported psychiatric symptoms are likely not of the nature or severity to justify a psychiatric admission that might forestall deportation. While the author has taught the subject of dual loyalty in medicine for many years, he struggles with the question of how to balance his duties to further his patient's welfare with his legal obligations to the state and the rule of law.
Considering People with Dementia and Their Caregivers in Covid‐19 Lockdowns
Authors: Viaña John Noel 
Published: December 2021

AbstractRecent outbreaks in Australia and the detection of more virulent SARS‐CoV‐2 strains suggest that Covid‐19 is not yet over. In July 2021, three states in Australia were in lockdown as a result of community transmission of the Delta variant. Despite being effective at mitigating outbreaks, lockdowns could have adverse effects on the elderly and people with dementia. This commentary reviews general lockdown and aged‐care lockdown policies in Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia and highlights how these could affect the well‐being of people with dementia and their caregivers. Drawing from literature on Covid‐19 and dementia, this commentary provides pragmatic recommendations on how to consider the well‐being of people with dementia and their care providers in Covid‐19 management policies.
In Service to Others: A New Evolutionary Perspective on Human Enhancement
Authors: Desmond Hugh 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIn enhancement ethics, evolutionary theory has been largely perceived as supporting liberal views on enhancement, in which decisions to enhance are predominantly regulated by the principle of individual autonomy. In this article, I critique this perception in light of recent scientific developments. Cultural evolutionary theory suggests a picture in which individual interests are entangled with community interests, and this undermines the applicability of the principle of autonomy. This is particularly relevant for enhancement ethics given how—I argue—decisions to enhance are often influenced by desires to increase social status. The service view on enhancement, based on principles of service and trust, offers, I propose, better guidance for the challenges of social living.
Regulating Gene Editing in the Wild: Building Regulatory Capacity to Incorporate Deliberative Democracy
Authors: Maschke Karen J. , Gusmano Michael K. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe release of genetically engineered organisms into the shared environment raises scientific, ethical, and societal issues. Using some form of democratic deliberation to provide the public with a voice on the policies that govern these technologies is important, but there has not been enough attention to how we should connect public deliberation to the existing regulatory process. Drawing on lessons from previous public deliberative efforts by U.S. federal agencies, we identify several practical issues that will need to be addressed if relevant federal agencies are to undertake public deliberative activities to inform decision‐making about gene editing in the wild. We argue that, while agencies may have institutional capacity to undertake public deliberative activities, there may not be sufficient political support for them to do so. Advocates of public deliberation need to make a stronger case to Congress about why federal agencies should be encouraged and supported to conduct public deliberations.