bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Solid-state Thermoelectric Characteristics of NiII, FeII, CoII, and CuII Borohydrides
Authors: Arafa Isam M. , Shatnawi Mazin Y. , Obeidallah Yousef N. , Hijazi Ahmed K. , Yousef Yaser A . 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Four transition metal borohydrides (MTBHs, MT = Ni, Fe, Co, and Cu) were prepared by sonicating a mixture of the desired MT salt with excess NaBH4 in a nonaqueous DMF/CH3OH media. The process afforded bimetallic (Ni-BH4), trimetallic (Fe-BH4, Co-BH4), and mixed-valence (Cu-H, Cu-BH4) amorphous, ferromagnetic nanoparticles as identified by thermal, ATR-IR, X-Ray diffraction, and magnetic susceptibility techniques. The electrical conductivity (σ) of cold-pressed discs of these MTBHs shows a nonlinear increase while their thermal conductivity (κ) decreases in the temperature range of 303 ≤ T ≤ 373 K. The thermal energy transport occurs through phonon lattice dynamics rather than electronic. The σ/κ ratio shows a nonlinear steep increase from 9.4 to 270 KV-2 in Ni-BH4, while a moderate-weak increase is observed for Fe-BH4, Co-BH4, and Cu-BH4. Accordingly, the corresponding thermoelectric (TE) parameters S, PF, ZT, and η were evaluated. All TE data shows that the bimetallic Ni-BH4 (S, 80 μVK-1; PF, 259 μWm-1K-2; ZT 0.64; η, 2.56%) is a better TE semiconductor than the other three MT-BHs investigated in this study. Our findings show that Ni-BH4 is a promising candidate to exploit low-temperature waste heat from body heat, sunshine, and small domestic devices for small-scale TE applications.
Socio-Economic Differences Control Species Composition of Urban Gardens in a Metropolitan Area of Argentina
Authors: SPESCHA VERONICA , ARÁOZ EZEQUIEL 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Human population is becoming increasingly more urbanized, and in that context private gardens contribute to biodiversity and to access to ecosystem services in cities. The urbanized landscape reflects social, economic and cultural differences of the population, which affect the patterns of urban biodiversity. Socioeconomic level is one of the main factors that spatially structure cities, for which it likely influences several attributes of gardens. In this study we characterized urban vegetation diversity in 50 private gardens of an urban agglomerate of Argentina, Gran San Miguel de Tucumán. We aimed to determine which variables control ecological attributes of gardens. We used socioeconomic indicators obtained from the 2010 Nacional Population and Households Census, and data obtained through a survey to garden owners. Our study suggests that species composition of gardens responds to socioeconomic conditions, which might be linked to the exchange of species as the main method to obtain plants and to strengthen social bonds by belonging to a similar socioeconomic level rather than neighborhood or geographic distance. Based on our analyses, gardens in areas with higher socioeconomic level were larger. Species richness and socioeconomic level of gardens were not significantly associated, and species diversity was related to garden age, with older gardens being more diverse.
Transcriptional regulatory networks mediated by abnormal m6A modifications in tumor development
Authors: Qu Wenzheng , Li Xuekun 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the common modifications of transcripts that is regulated by related proteins including writers, readers and erasers. Abnormal m6A modification plays an important role in the process of tumor development. Current approaches for tumor m6A RNA methylation, based on sequencing data from public databases, focus on the comparison of m6A modification regulator expression by RNA-seq data.
Results

We obtained MeRIP-seq and corresponding RNA-seq data from GEO database to compare and analyze the distributional characteristics of m6A in different types of tumor samples, the differences in m6A modification enrichment, and the regulatory role in gene transcriptional expression level. We found that the enrichment of m6A modification was enhanced in IMPA and GBM tumor samples, but was decreased in METTL3 knockdown tumor cells. Combined with clinical data from the TCGA database, we found that the high expression of DUSP7 significantly affected the overall survival of AML patients and was involved in tumor development through the PIK3R2 protein and MAPK signaling pathways.
Conclusion

Abnormal m6A modification enrichment in tumor samples leads to dysregulation in the expression of cancer-related genes.
Generation Mechanism and Evolution of Five-state Meshing Behavior of a Spur Gear System Considering Gear-tooth Time-varying Contact Characteristics
Authors: Jian-Fei Shi , Gou Xiang-feng , Zhu Ling-yun 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Teeth disengaging or back-side teeth meshing induced by backlash reduces the transmission quality and dynamic performance of gear systems, and accurate interpretation of multi-state meshing behavior can provide guidance for structural optimization and performance evaluation. Therefore, the multi-state meshing behavior of the gear system is elaborated. A new nonlinear dynamic model of a spur gear system with five-state meshing behavior is proposed based on time-varying backlash and contact ratio. The time-varying meshing stiffness and time-varying backlash considering the elastic contact of gear teeth, gear temperature rise and lubrication are included in the model. The five-state meshing behavior is clearly characterized by constructing five Poincaré maps, and its generation mechanism is studied using dynamic meshing force time history, teeth relative displacement time history and phase portrait. The bifurcation and evolution of five-state meshing behavior are analyzed under the effects of load factor, meshing frequency and error coefficient. The results show that the mutation in the direction of dynamic meshing force leads to teeth disengaging and back-side single or double teeth contact, forming multi-state meshing behavior. Bifurcation caused by parameter changes greatly affects the evolution of five-state meshing behavior, particularly grazing bifurcation can decrease the number of teeth disengagement. Chaotic behavior or trajectory expansion inspires multi-state meshing vibration of the system. Previous gear system models could not reveal these phenomena due to ignoring the multi-state meshing behavior.
Morphological Influence of Precursor Composition Characteristics During Ceramic Membrane Fabrication
Authors: Chakraborty Sushma , Uppaluri Ramagopal , Das Chandan 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
In this work, the influence of inorganic low-cost precursor compositions (viz. kaolin, feldspar, saw dust, sodium metasilicate and boric acid) has been investigated on the morphological characteristics (such as average pore size and porosity) of the ceramic membranes that were fabricated using dry compaction method and saw dust as the pore forming agent. In order to do so, kaolin to feldspar ratio has been varied from 0.48 – 2.05 and binder composition has been varied from 10 – 15 wt.%. For an inorganic precursor formulation of kaolin 38.77 wt.%, feldspar 23.03 wt.%, saw dust 8.19 wt.%, sodium metasilicate 15 wt.% and boric acid 15 wt.%, the sub-micron range low-cost ceramic membranes (95.8 nm average pore size and 13.95% porosity) have been achieved as a key novelty. With minor variations in the precursor composition, the microfiltration membranes could be converted to ultrafiltration membranes without undergoing any complex surface reactions or polymeric coatings. An empirical model has been as well developed to quantify the variation of dependent variables on the membrane characteristics.
Single Versus Multiple Doses of Tocilizumab in Critically Ill Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Two-center, Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sulaiman Khalid Al , Juhani Ohoud Al , Salah Khalid Bin , Koryem Ghazwa , Eljaaly Khalid , Essa Mohammed Al , Kharbosh Abdullah , Harbi Feras Al , Abuzaid Maram , Bilal Sarah Al , Magthali Alaa , Alsohemi Samia , Alshabasy Adel , Albossiry Hyatham , Abodeif Mohammed , Vishwakarma Ramesh 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Background: In COVID-19 patients, increased IL-6 levels have been associated with poor disease prognosis. The use of tocilizumab shown to be effective in treating COVID-19 with varying success. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of using a single dose of tocilizumab compared with multiple doses in critically ill COVID-19 patients.Methods:This study is a two-center, retrospective cohort, in which patients who received tocilizumab and were admitted to the ICU at two tertiary hospitals from March 1st, 2020, until January 31st, 2021were included. Patients were divided into two groups based on the number of doses of tocilizumab they received. Furthermore, we gathered additional data from the patients, such as but not limited to demographic data, vital signs, and laboratory markers. Multivariable logistic and generalized linear regression were used. We considered a P value of < 0.05 statistically significant. Results: Two hundred sixty-one patients were included in this study; 72.4% received a single dose of tocilizumab, while the rest (27.6%) had received multiple doses. Most of the patients were male, with an average age of 59.2. After adjusting for possible confounders, the ICU mortality within 30 days (OR 0.83; 95% CI, 0.33-2.08 p = 0.69) and in-hospital mortality (OR 0.64; 95% CI, 0.26-1.60 p = 0.35) were not significantly different between the two groups. On the flip side, patients who received multiple doses of tocilizumab have higher odds of secondary infection compared with a single dose (OR 3.06; 95% CI, 1.18-7.89 p = 0.02).Conclusion: Multiple doses of tocilizumab were not associated with a statistically significant difference in ICU and hospital mortality in critically ill patients infected with COVID-19. In contrast, it was associated with higher odds of secondary infections compared to a single dose.
Preparation and optimization of Starch/Poly vinyl alcohol/ ZnO nanocomposite films applicable for food packaging
Authors: Yari Saeed , Mohammadi-Rovshandeh Jamshid , Shahrousvand Mohsen 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Pollution and destruction of the environment due to the accumulation of non-degradable plastics are some of the most important concerns in the world. A significant amount of this waste is related to the polymers used in food packaging. Therefore, in recent years, experts in the food industry have been looking for suitable biodegradable alternatives to synthetic polymers. Preparing biocompatible and biodegradable films based on starch is a good choice. In this study, various factors affecting films of starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/ containing ZnO nanoparticles such as the amount of starch, PVA, glycerol, and ZnO were evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM). Film formation, mechanical properties, swelling, solubility, and water vapor permeability (WVP) were selected as responses of RSM. The results showed that hydrogen bonding interactions between polyvinyl alcohol and starch improved the film formation. The effect of glycerol and PVA content on the mechanical strength was contrary to each other. As the amount of PVA increased, the tensile strength first decreased and then increased. The value of WVP was for all Runs from 0 to 6.77 × 10− 8 gm− 1s− 1Pa− 1. Finally, films with high film formation, maximum tensile strength, and high elongation at break, minimum solubility, permeability, and swelling were optimized.
Space Oddity: Musical Syntax is Mapped onto Visual Space
Authors: Maimon Neta Batya , Lamy Dominique , Eitan Zohar 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Musicians ubiquitously apply spatial metaphors when describing the stability hierarchy established by tonal syntax: stable tones are considered spatially central and, as gravitational foci, spatially lower. We investigated whether listeners, musicians and non-musicians, indeed associate tonal relationships with visuospatial dimensions, including spatial height, centrality, laterality, and size, and whether such mappings are consistent with tonal discourse. We examined explicit and implicit associations. In the explicit paradigm, participants heard a tonality-establishing prime followed by a probe tone and coupled each probe with a subjectively appropriate location on a two-dimensional grid (Exp. 1) or with one of 7 circles differing in size (Exp. 4). The implicit paradigm used a version of the Implicit Association Test to examine associations of tonal stability with vertical position (Exp. 2), lateral position (Exp. 3) and object size (Exp. 5). Tonal stability was indeed as- sociated with perceived physical space: the spatial distances between the locations associated with different scale-degrees significantly correlated with the tonal stability differences between these scale degrees. However, inconsistently with the hypotheses implied by musical discourse, stable tones were associated with leftward and higher spatial positions, relative to unstable tones, rather than with central and lower spatial positions. We speculate that these mappings are influenced by emotion, embodying the “good is up” metaphor, and by the spatial structure of music keyboards. Taken together, results suggest that abstract syntactical relationships may consistently map onto concrete perceptual dimensions across modalities, demonstrating a new type of cross-modal cor- respondence and a hitherto under-researched connotative function of musical structure.
Social and endogenous motivations in the emergence of canonical babbling in infants at low and high risk for autism
Authors: Long Helen , Ramsay Gordon , Bowman Dale D , Burkhardt-Reed Megan M , Oller D. Kimbrough 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
There is a growing body of research emphasizing the role of social and endogenous motivations in human development. The present study evaluated canonical babbling across the second-half year of life using all-day recordings of 98 children with typical or elevated likelihoods of autism i.e., at “low risk” or “high risk”, respectively. Canonical babbling ratios (CBRs) were calculated from human coding along with Likert-scale ratings on vocal turn taking and vocal play in each segment. We observed no main effect of risk on CBRs. CBRs were significantly elevated during high vocal play. High turn taking yielded a weaker significant effect. We conclude that both social and endogenous motivations may drive infants’ tendencies to produce their most advanced vocal forms.
Elevated salinity and water table drawdown significantly affect greenhouse gas emissions in soils from contrasting land-use practices in the prairie pothole region
Authors: Shahariar Shayeb , Farrell Richard , Soolanayakanahally Raju , Bedard-Haughn Angela 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Land-use practices can alter shallow groundwater and salinity, further impacting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly in the hydrologically dynamic riparian zones of wetlands. Emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O were estimated in soil cores collected from two prairie pothole region (PPR) sites with three adjacent land-use practices (i.e., annual crop = AC, pasture = PA, and short rotation willow = SRW) and treated with declining water table depths (2 to 26 cm), and salinity (S0 = control, S1 = 6 mS cm− 1, and S2 = 12 mS cm− 1) in a microcosm experiment. Land-use practices significantly (p < 0.001) affected GHG emissions in soils from both sites in the order of PA > AC = SRW. Compared to the control, emissions of CO2 and CH4 were significantly lower under higher salinity treatments (i.e., S1 and S2), while N2O was significantly higher (p < 0.05). Emissions under declining groundwater table depths were significantly (p < 0.001) variable and specific to each gas, indicating the impacts of shifted soil moisture regime. Overall, the CO2 and CH4 emissions increased up to week four and then decreased with declining water table depths, whereas N2O emission increased up to a maximum at week six. The soils from SRW had considerably lower global warming potential compared to AC and PA. Groundwater salinity in soils from contrasting land-use in the PPR has significant impacts on GHG emissions with potential for crucial climate feedback; however, the magnitude and direction of the impacts depend on hydrology.
Effects of varying group sizes on performance, body defects, and productivity in broiler chickens
Authors: Sarıca Musa , Karakoç Koray , Erensoy Kadir 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
This study aimed to determine the changes in the performance, welfare, and productivity level of broiler chickens reared at various group sizes and non-grouped (single flock) under intensive field conditions. Two treatments were tested as a concept in all trials. In the GF (grouped flock) house, the grouping was applied at 6000 (GF 1 or large GF), 4000 (GF 2 or medium GF), and 3000 (GF 3 or small GF) broilers in the first, second and third trials, respectively, without changing the stocking density. In the SF (single flock) house, classical intensive rearing was applied without grouping the whole 20000 broilers during each of 3 trials (SF 1, 2, and 3). The results showed that large and medium GF chickens had higher BW than SFs at slaughter age. In SF 2 chickens, only HB level was significantly higher in the second trial (1.39 vs. 1.17). In the third trial, the FPD, HB, and BB scores of SF 3 chickens were higher when compared to small GFs at 1.85 to 1.41, 1.48 to 1.22, and 2.27 to 1.89, respectively. Chickens reared in GFs had more BW, FI, and better FCR and EPEF values when compared to SF chickens. BW, FI, and EPEF were observed to be lower—while FCR was higher—when SF chickens were compared to GFs. Upon considering the EPEF value along with welfare parameters, it has been observed that rearing chickens in groups of 3000 may increase productivity by up to 54.8% according to intensive conditions.
Wafer-Scale Single-Crystal Monolayer Graphene Grown Directly on Insulating Substrates
Authors: Li Junzhu , Chen Mingguang , Samad Abdus , Dong Haocong , Ray Avijeet , Zhang Junwei , Jiang Xiaochuan , Schwingenschlogl Udo , Domke Jari , Chen Cailing , Han Yu , Fritz Torsten , Tian Bo , Zhang Xixiang 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Currently, the direct synthesis of inch-scale single-crystal graphene on insulating substrates is limited by the lack of metal catalysis, suitable crystallization conditions, and self-limiting growth mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the direct growth of adlayer-free ultra-flat wafer-scale single-crystal monolayer graphene on insulating substrates by the multi-cycle plasma-etching-assisted chemical vapor deposition (MPE-CVD) method. Firstly, an angstrom-scale growth nanochamber was created by fabricating single-crystal Cu(111) foils on Al2O3(0001) substrates. Graphene was then directly synthesized at the interface between Cu(111) and Al2O3(0001) by MPE-CVD. After growth, the Cu(111) foil was detached using a liquid-nitrogen-assisted separation method, and the ultra-high-quality single-crystal graphene film was experimentally achieved on Al2O3(0001). This work breaks the bottleneck in the direct synthesis of single-crystal monolayer graphene on insulating substrates and paves the way for next-generation carbon-based atomic electronics and semiconductor nanodevices.
Disinfection properties of the tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate in the presence of calcium ions
Authors: Xu Zhen , Liu Xuanqi , Feng Cuimin , Zhu Shu , Li Ying , Guo Ziyu , Chen Xinyi 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
The antibacterial properties of tea polyphenols make them suitable for drinking water disinfection, but it is necessary to clarify the influence of metal ions on the sterilization efficacy. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was selected as a representative tea polyphenol, and the effects of calcium ion (Ca2+) concentration on its disinfection properties in Escherichia coli cultures were investigated. Changes in bacterial growth and structures were detected. The presence of low concentration Ca2+ (1–5 mM) inhibited the disinfection effect of EGCG but higher concentrations (6–10 mM) enhanced its effects. As Ca2+ concentration increased, the proportion of damaged bacteria also increased (15–43%). The presence of Ca2+ lessened the damaging effects of EGCG on the surface structures of E. coli but may have facilitated the entry of EGCG into the bacteria, enhancing its antibacterial efficacy. Tea polyphenols may be useful additives for the disinfection of groundwater and other raw waters containing calcium ions.
Efficiency of Cyperus alternifolius, Typha latifolia, and Juncus inflexus in the removal of nitrate from surface water
Authors: Ghamary E. , Mohajeri J. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Nitrate is one of the most toxic and pathogenic substances in drinking water. Nitrate levels have increased significantly in groundwater and surface water because of the high usage of nitrogenous fertilizers, which have lethal effects on human health. Therefore, the removal of this toxic material from surface water is absolutely essential. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the efficiency of three aquatic plant species, called Cyperus alternifolius, Typha latifolia, and Juncus inflexus, in the removal of nitrate from surface water. This experiment has been carried out in the laboratory scale using a hydroponics method. To do this, the water samples containing nitrate were collected and evaluated before and after the treatment to see the effects of these three plants on both the nitrate removal and the pH variation of water. The results show that all the plants can remove excessive levels of nitrate from the surface water. The comparison of the results has revealed that T. latifolia plant has higher ability to remove nitrate from water than C. alternifolius and J. inflexus. It was observed that the nitrate removal efficiency of T. latifolia was 95%, J. inflexus was 85%, and C. alternifolius was 70% after 10 days. Moreover, it was observed that the pH values of the treated water have been affected by these plants. The results of this study can be employed for further improvement of surface water quality, thereby lowering water purification time and costs as well as decreasing the nitrate-related diseases significantly.
Hydrochemical evolution of pore water in riverbed sedimentation zone during riverbank infiltration
Authors: Lu Shuai , Li Shenjie , Liu Zhining , Gao Xinyue , Zhang Lihua , Sun Chao 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
The riverbed sedimentation zone is an important zone of hydrochemistry, and the biogeochemical action in this zone has a significant impact on groundwater quality. As the main area where hydrochemistry occurs, studying the law of hydrochemical evolution within 1 m below the riverbed is of great significance for understanding the migration and removal of river pollutants. In this study, a combination of onsite monitoring and indoor experiments was used to analyze the variation characteristics of the hydrochemical composition of pore water during riverbank infiltration, as well as the main hydrochemical effects and influencing factors. The results show that in the process of river water infiltration, a series of redox reactions occur in the riverbed sedimentation zone, and there are differences in different infiltration depths. From 0 to 20 cm below the riverbed, strong respiration and denitrification mainly occurred. Reductive dissolution of manganese minerals mainly occurred from 20 to 60 cm, and reductive dissolution of iron minerals mainly occurred from 60 to 90 cm. River water level, dissolved organic carbon content and microbial activity had varying degrees of influence on these redox effects. The recharge of river water infiltration ensures the exploitation amount of the pumping wells, but it also leads to the increase of some components in groundwater, and the extracted water cannot be directly drunk.