bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biosynthesis of Ag‐CuO Nanocomposites: Efficient Catalyst for the Synthesis of Schiff Bases, Photodegradation of Congo Red Dye and Their Cytotoxicity Evaluation on MCF‐7 Cell Line
Authors: Saini Kirti , Gupta Komal , Shekhawat Kundan Singh , Tripathi Balram , Jhankal Krishna , Mathur Jaya 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTAmid growing environmental concerns and the need for a sustainable future, green synthetic methodologies are gaining popularity for their simplicity and nontoxicity. In pursuit of the eco‐friendly synthesis of nanomaterials, the study reports an innovative synthesis of Ag‐CuO nanocomposites via the coprecipitation method utilizing Citrus limetta fruit juice extract as the bioreductant and stabilizing agent. The morphological and structural characteristics of the fabricated nanocomposites were evaluated by ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analyses. The nanocomposites were crystalline with particle sizes ranging from 15 to 24 nm and exhibited spherical and rod‐like shapes. The band gap value and specific surface area of the nanocomposites were found to be 1.5 eV and 25.50 m2/g, respectively. The photoluminescence (PL) analysis and electrochemical studies revealed significant charge separation and effective charge migration behaviour of the nanocomposites, respectively. The nanocomposites effectively catalysed the synthesis of Schiff bases from aryl aldehydes and aromatic amines at room temperature and without solvents. The reactions proceeded in a brief time with excellent product yields, and the nanocatalyst retained its activity for five consecutive cycles. The nanocomposites also efficiently catalysed the photodegradation of Congo red dye under visible light. A significant degradation of 94.33% was attained in 55 min, and the nanocatalyst maintained its efficacy over four consecutive reaction cycles. Moreover, the nanocomposites exhibited notable anticancer properties against the MCF‐7 (human breast) cell line, demonstrating a remarkable cytotoxicity rate of 87.79%. The findings highlight the efficacy of the biosynthesized nanocomposites in catalysis, environmental remediation and biological applications.
Multicolor Electrochemiluminescence of Binary Microcrystals of Iridium and Ruthenium Complexes
Authors: Ding Chun‐Yun , Zhong Yu‐Wu 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWe here report the multicolor electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of binary microcrystals prepared from a blue‐emissive iridium complex 1 and an orange‐emissive ruthenium complex 2. These materials display a plate‐like morphology with high crystallinity, as demonstrated by microscopic and powder X‐ray diffraction analyses. Under light excitation, these microcrystals exhibit gradient emission color changes as a result of the efficient energy transfer between two complexes. When modified on glass carbon electrodes, these microcrystals exhibit tunable ECLs with varied emission colors including sky‐blue, white, orange, and red, depending on the doping ratio of complex 2 and the applied potential. Furthermore, organic amines with different molecular sizes are used as the co‐reactant to examine their influences on the ECL efficiency of the porous microcrystals of 1. The analysis on the luminance and RGB values of ECL suggests the existence of energy transfer in the generation of multicolor ECLs in these binary crystals.
Association mechanism of bicalutamide and human serum albumin for potential clinical implications
Authors: Wang Yan , Liu Peng , Zhang Jianzhong , Wen Shuangshuang 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe binding mechanism of molecular interaction between bicalutamide and human serum albumin (HSA) in a pH 7.4 phosphate buffer was studied using various spectroscopic techniques in combination with molecular modeling. Fluorescence data revealed that the fluorescence quenching of HSA by bicalutamide was a static quenching procedure. The binding constants and number of binding sites were evaluated at different temperatures. The thermodynamic parameters, ΔH and ΔS, were calculated to be 4.30 × 104 J·mol−1 and 245 J·mol−1·K−1, respectively, suggesting that the binding of bicalutamide to HSA was driven mainly by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds. The displacement studies indicated neither Sudlow's site I nor II but subdomain IB as the main binding site for bicalutamide on HSA. The binding distance between bicalutamide and HSA was determined to be 3.54 nm based on the Förster theory. Analysis of circular dichroism, synchronous, and 3D fluorescence spectra demonstrated that HSA conformation was slightly altered in the presence of bicalutamide.
P‐doped carbon dot nano‐probe for inner filter effect–based determination of sarecycline in pharmaceutical dosage form and human plasma
Authors: Elshenawy Eman A. , Yassin Mohamed G. , Marie Aya A. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBased on novel phosphorus‐doped carbon dots (PCDs), a simple, quick, and accurate fluorescence probe for sarecycline (SAR) determination has been created. The PCDs were prepared in just five minutes using green, straightforward one‐step microwave pyrolysis. To create the PCD probe, sodium phosphate monobasic was utilized as a phosphorus dopant and citric acid as a carbon supply. The proposed synthesis method was energy efficient and yielded CDs with a narrow particle size distribution. Based on inner‐filter effect mechanism, the generated PCDs were used as nano‐probe for SAR determination. The fluorescence quenching intensity showed a strong linear relationship with SAR concentration in the 3–90‐μM range with a detection limit of 0.88 μM. Because there is no surface alteration of the CDs or creation of a covalent bond between SAR and PCDs, the developed approach is quick, easy, inexpensive, and requires less time. The new probe's enhanced sensitivity, broad linear range, and acceptable selectivity made it suitable for SAR measurement in pharmaceutical formulations and spiked human plasma. Most importantly, the Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI) and Analytical GREEnness (AGREE) assessments showed that the suggested method was environmentally friendly.
Current Status of Amine Dehydrogenases: From Active Site Architecture to Diverse Applications Across a Broad Substrate Spectrum
Authors: Tseliou Vasilis , Masman Marcelo F. , Knaus Tanja , Mutti Francesco G. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAmine dehydrogenases (AmDHs) are NAD(P)H‐dependent oxidoreductases that catalyze the reductive amination between carbonyl compounds and ammonia as the amine donor yielding valuable amines, typically with excellent enantioselectivity. While nature has provided enzymes with inherent AmDH activities, protein engineering techniques allowed researchers to expand the toolbox of available AmDHs, extend their substrate scope, improve their catalytic activities and stability under synthetically relevant conditions and even enable new reactivity concepts. The biocatalytic synthesis of amines using AmDHs has matured to a point where hundreds of aldehydes or ketones, of varying steric demands and bearing diverse functional groups, can be efficiently transformed. This review offers an overview of the available AmDHs and their substrate spectrum, covering from structural and evolutionary analyses to diverse methods employing these enzymes. Depending on the catalytic activities of other enzymes as reaction partners, AmDHs were applied in kinetic resolution (KR) and deracemization processes, cascade reactions for the amination of alcohols and alkenes or for the synthesis of amines and amino alcohols featuring multiple stereogenic centers. Moreover, the synthetic potential of AmDHs in novel pathways, such as the synthesis of secondary amines or alcohols, presents exciting opportunities for expanding their catalytic repertoire.
Enantioselective Construction of Planar‐Chiral Molecules by Catalytic Asymmetric Late‐Stage Functionalizations
Authors: Zhao Yu‐Hang , Zhu Deng , Chen Zhi‐Min 
Published: September 2024

AbstractPlanar chirality, as one of the most important manifestations of chirality, is frequently employed to constrain three‐dimensional chiral configurations. Recent advancements in the study of planar chirality by chemists have opened up innovative possibilities for designing new catalysts, developing novel drugs, and creating new optical materials. However, the flexible ansa chains present a challenge during the synthesis process of these unique planar‐chiral macrocycles, hindering chemists from achieving high enantioselectivity. In this mini review, we primarily introduce the catalytic asymmetric synthesis methods that have been reported for late‐stage functionalization of planar macrocycles to generate planar chirality. Additionally, we present several recent examples of catalytic enantioselective synthesis of mechanically planar‐chiral rotaxanes through late‐stage functionalization methods. The sources of stereoselectivity are also discussed in this mini review. We aim to inform more researchers about this field and attract chemists to engage in this important and scientifically significant area of research.
Zn(II)‐Curcumin Complexes‐Based Anticancer Agents
Authors: Mondal Rajdeep , Keerthana Muthukumar , Pandurangan Nanjan , Shanmugaraju Sankarasekaran 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThere is a great deal of research interest in the design of alternative metallodrugs to Pt(II)‐derivatives for cancer treatment. The low solubility of such drugs in biological mediums leading to poor bioavailability is the major hurdle of several metal‐based anticancer agents. These issues have recently been addressed by designing bio‐active ligands based on metal‐containing anticancer agents. Conjugating with bioactive ligands has significantly improved the bioavailability of the metallodrugs and their cancer cell targeting ability. One such naturally available bioactive ligand is curcumin. Until recently, several curcumin‐based anticancer metallodrugs have been developed and successfully demonstrated for their anticancer studies. In this article, we aim to highlight, the synthesis, structure, and anticancer properties of various Zn(II)‐curcumin‐based coordination complexes. The effect of introducing different functional groups, targeting ligands, and photo‐active ligands on the anticancer potential of such complexes has been mentioned in detail. The current status and future perspective on curcumin‐based metallodrugs for cancer treatment have also been stated.
Bifunctional Electrocatalyst Enhanced Synergistically by MoS2/Ni3S2 Heterojunctions and Au Nanoparticles for Large‐Current‐Density Overall Water Splitting
Authors: Liu Peizhi , Peng Dechuan , Zhang Bin , Hao Bing , Shen Yongqing , Song Yanhui , Liang Haojie , Zhao Min , Zhang Haixia , Xu Bingshe , Guo Junjie 
Published: September 2024

AbstractDeveloping transition metal based overall water splitting (OWS) electrocatalysts with high efficiency, low‐cost, large current density, and long‐term stability is crucial for industrial electrolysis of water, but remains a major challenge. In this study, a hierarchical electrocatalyst with MoS2/Ni3S2 heterojunctions and a tiny amount of Au nanoparticles grown on nickel foam (MoS2/Ni3S2‐Au@NF) has been developed by a one‐step hydrothermal method. The heterojunctions and Au nanoparticle decoration induce the electron‐rich interfaces in the catalyst, which facilitate the synergistic adsorption of both OER and HER intermediates. As a result, MoS2/Ni3S2‐Au@NF possesses an excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic performance in 1 M KOH with low HER overpotential (78 mV@10 mA cm−2, 253 mV@500 mA cm−2), low OER overpotential (261 mV@50 mA cm−2, 435 mV@500 mA cm−2), and outstanding cyclical stability and continuous stability, which are superior than typical benchmarks of Pt/C and RuO2. An electrolyzer assembled with the self‐supported MoS2/Ni3S2‐Au@NF electrode also displays excellent OWS activity and stability with a current density beyond 100 mA cm−2. This experiment is responding a potential alternative non‐precious metal electrocatalyst for OWS at industrial settings, and thus promotes the real‐world application of hydrogen energy conversions.
A Facile, Transfection‐Free Approach to siRNA Delivery in In Vitro 3D Spheroid Models
Authors: Riching Andrew S. , Malloy Allyson , Anderson Emily M. , Sheard Jonathan , Mikkonen Piia , van Brabant Smith Anja , Strezoska Zaklina , Levenga Josien 
Published: September 2024

AbstractCell culture has long been essential for preclinical modeling of human development and disease. However, conventional two‐dimensional (2D) cell culture fails to faithfully model the complexity found in vivo, and novel drug candidates that show promising results in 2D models often do not translate to the clinic. More recently, three‐dimensional (3D) cell culture models have gained popularity owing to their greater physiological relevance to in vivo biology. In particular, 3D spheroid models are becoming widely used due to their ability to mimic solid tumors, both in architecture and gradation of nutrients distributed from the outer, proliferative layers into the inner, quiescent layers of cells. Similar to in vivo tumors, cell lines grown in 3D spheroid models tend to be more resistant to antitumor drug treatments than their 2D cultured counterparts, though distinct signaling pathways and gene targets conferring this resistance have yet to be fully explored. RNA interference (RNAi) is an effective tool to elucidate gene function and discover novel druggable targets in 2D models; however, only a few studies have successfully performed RNAi in complex 3D models to date. Here, we demonstrate efficient RNAi‐mediated knockdown using “transfection‐free” Dharmacon Accell siRNAs in three spheroid culture models, in the presence or absence of the extracellular matrix. This methodology has the potential to be scaled up for complex arrayed screening experiments, which may aid in the identification of novel druggable targets with greater clinical relevance than those identified in 2D experiments. © 2024 Dharmacon, Inc. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol 1: Generation of 3D spheroids in matrix‐free ULA platesAlternate Protocol 1: Generation of Matrigel matrix–embedded 3D spheroidsAlternate Protocol 2: Generation of GrowDex hydrogel–embedded 3D spheroidsBasic Protocol 2: Delivery of siRNA and collection of matrix‐free 3D spheroidsAlternate Protocol 3: Delivery of siRNA and collection of matrix‐embedded spheroidsBasic Protocol 3: RNA and protein extraction from spheroids for characterization of gene knockdown
Applied Crop Production Research Across the Canadian Prairies
Authors: Strydhorst Sheri 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThere is world‐class government and academic research conducted throughout the Canadian Prairies. To adapt government and academic research to local growing environments, there is a broad network of organizations across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba that conduct applied research and demonstrations. This article provides an overview of the provincial networks and highlights one organization from each province to showcase the value of applied research that is being conducted across western Canada.
Impairments in knowledge of social norms in presymptomatic, prodromal, and symptomatic frontotemporal dementia
Authors: de Boer Liset , van den Berg Esther , Poos Jackie M. , Klop Willeke , Giannini Lucia A. A. , De Houwer Julie F. H. , Seelaar Harro , Jiskoot Lize C. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractINTRODUCTIONWe aimed to assess the knowledge of social norms in patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) with the Dutch version of the Social Norms Questionnaire (SNQ‐NL).METHODSThe SNQ‐NL was administered in 34 patients with bvFTD, 20 prodromal mutation carriers, 76 presymptomatic mutation carriers, and 56 controls. Group differences and correlations with other neuropsychological tests and gray matter volume were examined.RESULTSPatients with bvFTD had lower total SNQ‐NL scores and more over‐adherence errors than presymptomatic mutation carriers and controls (P < 0.001). SNQ‐NL performance correlated with tests for executive functioning and social cognition, and with gray matter volume in bilateral frontal and unilateral temporal regions.DISCUSSIONThe SNQ‐NL can identify impairments in knowledge of social norms in bvFTD, highlighting its significance in clinical diagnosis and upcoming clinical trials. The SNQ‐NL currently fails to differentiate presymptomatic mutation carriers from controls; to this end, larger sample sizes from larger cohorts and longitudinal follow‐up are warranted.Highlights
The Dutch version of the Social Norms Questionnaire (SNQ‐NL) is able to detect impairment in social cognition in symptomatic bvFTD patients.
A trend towards a lower performance in prodromal mutation carriers was found.
Performance on the SNQ‐NL is related to other measures of social cognition, executive functioning, and language.
Lower SNQ‐NL performance is related to gray matter volume loss in bilateral frontal and temporal regions.
The SNQ‐NL provides insight into the underlying cause of deficits in social cognition in bvFTD.
Microbial DNA extraction method for avian feces and preen oil from diverse species
Authors: Russell Austin C. , Kenna Margaret A. , Huynh Alex Van , Rice Amber M. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAs DNA sequencing technology continues to rapidly improve, studies investigating the microbial communities of host organisms (i.e., microbiota) are becoming not only more popular but also more financially accessible. Across many taxa, microbiomes can have important impacts on organismal health and fitness. To evaluate the microbial community composition of a particular microbiome, microbial DNA must be successfully extracted. Fecal samples are often easy to collect and are a good source of gut microbial DNA. Additionally, interest in the avian preen gland microbiome is rapidly growing, due to the importance of preen oil for many aspects of avian life. Microbial DNA extractions from avian fecal and preen oil samples present multiple challenges, however. Here, we describe a modified PrepMan Ultra Sample Preparation Reagent microbial DNA extraction method that is less expensive than other commonly used methodologies and is highly effective for both fecal and preen oil samples collected from a broad range of avian species. We expect our method will facilitate microbial DNA extractions from multiple avian microbiome reservoirs, which have previously proved difficult and expensive. Our method therefore increases the feasibility of future studies of avian host microbiomes.
Between‐year weather differences and long‐term environmental trends both contribute to observed vegetation changes in a plot resurvey study
Authors: Erdős László , Ónodi Gábor , Ho Khanh Vu , Tanács Eszter , Akinyi Rabuogi Quinter , Török Péter , Tölgyesi Csaba , Bátori Zoltán , Kröel‐Dulay György 
Published: September 2024

AbstractRepeated surveys of vegetation plots offer a viable tool to detect fine‐scale responses of vegetation to environmental changes. In this study, our aim was to explore how the species composition and species richness of dry grasslands changed over a period of 17 years, how these changes relate to environmental changes and how the presence of spring ephemerals, which may react to short‐term weather fluctuations rather than long‐term climatic trends, may influence the results. A total of 95 plots was surveyed in 2005 and resurveyed in 2022 in dry grasslands of the Kiskunság Sand Ridge (Hungary, Eastern Central Europe), where there has been a significant increase in mean annual temperature during the last decades, while no trends in precipitation can be identified. Db‐RDA was performed to reveal compositional changes. The changes in environmental conditions and naturalness state were assessed using ecological and naturalness indicator values. We also compared per‐plot richness of all species, native species and non‐native species of the old and the new relevés. All analyses were repeated after removing all spring ephemerals. We found clear temporal changes in species composition. Mean temperature indicator values increased, while mean soil moisture indicator values decreased during the 17 years. Also, decreasing per‐plot richness was detected both for all species and for native species, while mean naturalness increased. After the removal of spring ephemerals, the compositional changes were less obvious although still significant. The increase in the temperature indicator values remained significant even without the spring ephemerals. However, the decrease in the moisture indicator values, the decrease in the number of all species and native species, as well as the increase in naturalness indicator values disappeared when spring ephemerals were excluded from the analyses. Our study demonstrates that between‐year weather differences and long‐term environmental trends both contribute to observed vegetation changes.
You are what you eat – The influence of polyphagic and monophagic diet on the flight performance of bees
Authors: Krüger Jula‐Klarissa , Buchholz Sascha , Schmitt Sophie , Blankenhaus Katharina , Pernat Nadja , Ott David , Hollens‐Kuhr Hilke 
Published: September 2024

AbstractMovement performance of insects is an important measure of physiological fitness and is likely affected by novel stressors associated with global change. Reduced fitness can lead to smaller foraging areas and thus to decreasing abundance, diversity and nutritional quality, which could weaken insect populations and contribute to global insect decline. Here, we combined two different methods: An experimental semi‐field design applying treatments in outdoor flight cages and a follow‐up experiment conducted in the laboratory, in which different parameters of movement performance, such as (a) velocity, (b) duration and (c) distance of an insect's flight can be quantified. We kept colonies of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris under contrasting nutritional conditions and measured treatment effects on the movement performance of individuals. Monophagously fed bumblebees showed reduced movement performance than polyphagously fed bumblebees. In particular, they stopped more frequently during flight, flew shorter distances and showed less often flight duration of 20 min. Our results suggest that nutritional deficiency due to a monophagic diet leads to reduced flight performance, which can have dramatic negative consequences for bees. Reduced flight performance may result in decreased availability of host plants, which may negatively affect stress resistance of bees and brood provisioning, facilitating extinction of insects. Although food of great nutritional value is an important compensator for the negative effects of different novel stressor, such as pesticides, it is not much known how to compensate for the effects of nutritional stress, especially in landscapes dominated by monocultures. However, our experimental approach with semi‐field and laboratory components has high potential for further studies investigating the impact of different stressors on the physiological fitness of insects but also body mass, or reproductive success and to find factors that may mitigate or even overcome the negative effect of stressors on insects.