bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Insights into the Mechanism of a Covalently Linked Organic Dye–Cobaloxime Catalyst System for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Fuel Devices
Authors: Pati Palas Baran , Zhang Lei , Philippe Bertrand , Fernández‐Terán Ricardo , Ahmadi Sareh , Tian Lei , Rensmo Håkan , Hammarström Leif , Tian Haining 
Published: March 2017

AbstractA covalently linked organic dye–cobaloxime catalyst system based on mesoporous NiO is synthesized by a facile click reaction for mechanistic studies and application in a dye‐sensitized solar fuel device. The system is systematically investigated by photoelectrochemical measurements, density functional theory, time‐resolved fluorescence, transient absorption spectroscopy, and photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that irradiation of the dye–catalyst on NiO leads to ultrafast hole injection into NiO from the excited dye, followed by a fast electron transfer process to reduce the catalyst. Moreover, the dye adopts different structures with different excited state energies, and excitation energy transfer occurs between neighboring molecules on the semiconductor surface. The photoelectrochemical experiments also show hydrogen production by this system. The axial chloride ligands of the catalyst are released during photocatalysis to create the active sites for proton reduction. A working mechanism of the dye–catalyst system on the photocathode is proposed on the basis of this study.
Flow Pickering Emulsion Interfaces Enhance Catalysis Efficiency and Selectivity for Cyclization of Citronellal
Authors: Chen Huan , Zou Houbing , Hao Yajuan , Yang Hengquan 
Published: March 2017

AbstractCyclization of citronellal is a necessary intermediate step to produce the important flavor chemical (−)‐menthol. Here, a continuous‐flow Pickering emulsion (FPE) strategy for selective cyclization of citronellal to (−)‐isopulegol by using water droplets hosting a heteropolyacid (HPA) catalyst to fill a column reactor is demonstrated. Owing to the large liquid–liquid interface and the excellent confinement ability of droplets toward HPA, the FPE system exhibited a much higher catalysis efficiency than its batch counterpart (2–5‐fold) and an excellent durability (two months). Moreover, a remarkably enhanced selectivity was observed from 34.8 % for batch reactions to 64 % for the FPE reactions. It was found that the water droplet size and the flow rate significantly impact the catalysis selectivity and efficiency. This study not only represents an unprecedented and sustainable process for the selective cyclization of citronellal but also demonstrates a new flow‐interface catalysis effect that can be useful for designing innovative catalysis systems in the future.
Efficient and Stable Vacuum‐Free‐Processed Perovskite Solar Cells Enabled by a Robust Solution‐Processed Hole Transport Layer
Authors: Chang Chih‐Yu , Tsai Bo‐Chou , Hsiao Yu‐Cheng 
Published: March 2017

AbstractHere, efficient and stable vacuum‐free processed perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are demonstrated by employing solutionprocessed molybdenum tris‐[1‐(trifluoroethanoyl)‐2‐(trifluoromethyl)ethane‐1,2‐dithiolene] (Mo(tfd‐COCF3)3)‐doped poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) film as hole transport layer (HTL). Our results indicate that the incorporation of Mo(tfd‐COCF3)3 dopant can induce p‐doping through charge transfer from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level of the PEDOT host to the electron affinity of Mo(tfd‐COCF3)3, leading to an increase in conductivity by more than three orders of magnitude. With this newly developed p‐doped film as HTL in planar heterojunction PSCs, a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 18.47 % can be achieved, which exceeds that of the device with commonly used HTL 2,2′,7,7′‐tetrakis(N,N‐di‐p‐methoxyphenyl‐amine)9,9′‐spirobifluorene (spiro‐OMeTAD). Taking the advantage of the high conductivity of this doped film, a prominent PCE as high as 15.58 % is also demonstrated even when a large HTL thickness of 220 nm is used. Importantly, the high quality film of this HTL is capable of acting as an effective passivation layer to keep the underlying perovskite layer intact during solution‐processed Ag‐nanoparticles layer deposition. The resulting vacuum‐free PSCs deliver an impressive PCE of 14.81 %, which represents the highest performance ever reported for vacuum‐free PSCs. Furthermore, the resulting devices show good ambient stability without encapsulation.
Structural Reversibility and Nickel Particle stability in Lanthanum Iron Nickel Perovskite‐Type Catalysts
Authors: Steiger Patrick , Delmelle Renaud , Foppiano Debora , Holzer Lorenz , Heel Andre , Nachtegaal Maarten , Kröcher Oliver , Ferri Davide 
Published: March 2017

AbstractPerovskite‐type oxides have shown the ability to reversibly segregate precious metals from their structure. This reversible segregation behavior was explored for a commonly used catalyst metal, Ni, to prevent Ni sintering, which is observed on most catalyst support materials. Temperature‐programmed reduction, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and catalytic activity tests were used to follow the extent of reversible Ni segregation. LaFe1−xNixO3±δ (0≤x≤0.2) was synthesized using a citrate‐based solution process. After reduction at 600 °C, metallic Ni particles were displayed on the perovskite surfaces, which were active towards the hydrogenation of CO2. The overall Ni reducibility was proportional to the Ni content and increased from 35 % for x=0.05 to 50 % for x=0.2. Furthermore, Ni could be reincorporated reversibly into the perovskite lattice during reoxidation at 650 °C. This could be exploited for catalyst regeneration under conditions under which impregnated materials such as Ni/LaFeO3±δ and Ni/Al2O3 suffer from sintering.
Ethanol concentration in 56 refillable electronic cigarettes liquid formulations determined by headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (HS‐GC‐FID)
Authors: Poklis Justin L. , Wolf Carl E. , Peace Michelle R. 
Published: March 2017

Personal battery‐powered vaporizers or electronic cigarettes were developed as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. The modern electronic cigarettes were patented in 2004 by Hon Lik in China. In May 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) imposed regulatory statutes on e‐cigarettes and their liquid formulations (e‐liquids); prior to that, they were unregulated. E‐liquids are typically composed of propylene glycol and/or glycerin, flavouring component(s), and active ingredient(s), such as nicotine. Fifty‐six commercially available e‐liquids, purchased from various sources, contained a variety of flavours and active ingredients. A headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (HS‐GC‐FID) method was used to analyze these e‐liquids for volatiles content. Only one of the e‐liquids listed ethanol as a component. The chromatographic separation of volatiles was performed on a Restek BAC‐1 column. A linear calibration was generated for ethanol with limits of detection and quantification (LOD/LOQ) of 0.05 mg/mL. Ethanol concentrations in the 56 e‐liquids ranged from none detected to 206 mg/mL. The ethanol determined in these products may have been used in flavourants or a solvent; the reason for inclusion cannot be fully ascertained. The implications of vaporizing ethanol as an e‐liquid component are unknown. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of a dried blood spot HPLC‐PDA method for the analysis of linezolid and ciprofloxacin in hospital‐acquired pneumonia patients
Authors: Ferrone Vincenzo , Carlucci Maura , Cotellese Roberto , Raimondi Paolo , Cichella Annadomenica , Di Marco Lorenzo , Genovese Salvatore , Carlucci Giuseppe 
Published: March 2017

This study developed a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method involving dried blood spotting (DBS) as a sampling method for the therapeutic drug monitoring of antimicrobial combination therapy with linezolid and ciprofloxacin. DBS for standards, quality control samples, and patient samples was excised and then extracted using a mixture of methanol/water/formic acid 80:20:0.1 (v/v/v), respectively. Linezolid (LZD) and ciprofloxacin (CPR) were measured by HPLC using a Kinetex EVO C18 (100 × 4.6 mm I.D. 2.6 μm particle size). Mobile phase consisted of 10 mM ammonium acetate (A) and a mixture of acetonitrile and methanol (B), both containing 0.1% triethylamine, in gradient elution. Detection was carried out at 251 nm for linezolid (LZD) and 277 for ciprofloxacin (CPR). Ulifloxacin was used as an internal standard. The internal standard, LZD, and CPR were eluted in 7.90, 7.18, and 8.89 min, respectively. Total run‐time was 20 min. Calibration curves were constructed in the range of 0.05–30 μg/mL for LZD and 0.02–10 μg/mL for CPR, respectively. The intra‐ and inter‐day precision (RSD values) did not exceed 9.43%, the intra‐ and inter‐day accuracy (accuracy %) ranged between 96.2 and 106.2%. Haematocrit (Hct) effects were investigated to obtain a linear correlation between haematocrit values and volume of blood. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Activity‐specific metabolic rates for diving, transiting, and resting at sea can be estimated from time–activity budgets in free‐ranging marine mammals
Authors: Jeanniard‐du‐Dot Tiphaine , Trites Andrew W. , Arnould John P. Y. , Speakman John R. , Guinet Christophe 
Published: March 2017

AbstractTime and energy are the two most important currencies in animal bioenergetics. How much time animals spend engaged in different activities with specific energetic costs ultimately defines their likelihood of surviving and successfully reproducing. However, it is extremely difficult to determine the energetic costs of independent activities for free‐ranging animals. In this study, we developed a new method to calculate activity‐specific metabolic rates, and applied it to female fur seals. We attached biologgers (that recorded GPS locations, depth profiles, and triaxial acceleration) to 12 northern (Callorhinus ursinus) and 13 Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella), and used a hierarchical decision tree algorithm to determine time allocation between diving, transiting, resting, and performing slow movements at the surface (grooming, etc.). We concomitantly measured the total energy expenditure using the doubly‐labelled water method. We used a general least‐square model to establish the relationship between time–activity budgets and the total energy spent by each individual during their foraging trip to predict activity‐specific metabolic rates. Results show that both species allocated similar time to diving (~29%), transiting to and from their foraging grounds (~26–30%), and resting (~8–11%). However, Antarctic fur seals spent significantly more time grooming and moving slowly at the surface than northern fur seals (36% vs. 29%). Diving was the most expensive activity (~30 MJ/day if done non‐stop for 24 hr), followed by transiting at the surface (~21 MJ/day). Interestingly, metabolic rates were similar between species while on land or while slowly moving at the surface (~13 MJ/day). Overall, the average field metabolic rate was ~20 MJ/day (for all activities combined). The method we developed to calculate activity‐specific metabolic rates can be applied to terrestrial and marine species to determine the energetic costs of daily activities, as well as to predict the energetic consequences for animals forced to change their time allocations in response to environmental shifts.
Anthropogenic noise changes arthropod abundances
Authors: Bunkley Jessie P. , McClure Christopher J. W. , Kawahara Akito Y. , Francis Clinton D. , Barber Jesse R. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractAnthropogenic noise is a widespread and growing form of sensory pollution associated with the expansion of human infrastructure. One specific source of constant and intense noise is that produced by compressors used for the extraction and transportation of natural gas. Terrestrial arthropods play a central role in many ecosystems, and given that numerous species rely upon airborne sounds and substrate‐borne vibrations in their life histories, we predicted that increased background sound levels or the presence of compressor noise would influence their distributions. In the second largest natural gas field in the United States (San Juan Basin, New Mexico, USA), we assessed differences in the abundances of terrestrial arthropod families and community structure as a function of compressor noise and background sound level. Using pitfall traps, we simultaneously sampled five sites adjacent to well pads that possessed operating compressors, and five alternate, quieter well pad sites that lacked compressors, but were otherwise similar. We found a negative association between sites with compressor noise or higher levels of background sound and the abundance of five arthropod families and one genus, a positive relationship between loud sites and the abundance of one family, and no relationship between noise level or compressor presence and abundance for six families and two genera. Despite these changes, we found no evidence of community turnover as a function of background sound level or site type (compressor and noncompressor). Our results indicate that anthropogenic noise differentially affects the abundances of some arthropod families. These preliminary findings point to a need to determine the direct and indirect mechanisms driving these observed responses. Given the diverse and important ecological functions provided by arthropods, changes in abundances could have ecological implications. Therefore, we recommend the consideration of arthropods in the environmental assessment of noise‐producing infrastructure.
Coexistence trend contingent to Mediterranean oaks with different leaf habits
Authors: Di Paola Arianna , Paquette Alain , Trabucco Antonio , Mereu Simone , Valentini Riccardo , Paparella Francesco 
Published: March 2017

AbstractIn a previous work we developed a mathematical model to explain the co‐occurrence of evergreen and deciduous oak groups in the Mediterranean region, regarded as one of the distinctive features of Mediterranean biodiversity. The mathematical analysis showed that a stabilizing mechanism resulting from niche difference (i.e. different water use and water stress tolerance) between groups allows their coexistence at intermediate values of suitable soil water content. A simple formal derivation of the model expresses this hypothesis in a testable form linked uniquely to the actual evapotranspiration of forests community. In the present work we ascertain whether this simplified conclusion possesses some degree of explanatory power by comparing available data on oaks distributions and remotely sensed evapotranspiration (MODIS product) in a large‐scale survey embracing the western Mediterranean area. Our findings confirmed the basic assumptions of model addressed on large scale, but also revealed asymmetric responses to water use and water stress tolerance between evergreen and deciduous oaks that should be taken into account to increase the understating of species interactions and, ultimately, improve the modeling capacity to explain co‐occurrence.
Energy‐compatible and spectrum‐compatible (ECSC) ground motion simulation using wavelet packets
Authors: Huang Duruo , Wang Gang 
Published: March 2017

SummaryA stochastic ground‐motion simulation and modification technique is developed to generate energy‐compatible and spectrum‐compatible (ECSC) synthetic motions through wavelet packet characterization and modification in both frequency and time domains. The ECSC method significantly advances traditional spectral matching approaches, because it generates ground motions that not only match the target spectral accelerations, but also match Arias intensity build‐up and significant durations. The great similarity between the ECSC simulated motions and the actual recorded motions is demonstrated through one‐to‐one comparison of a variety of intensity measures. Extensive numerical simulations were also performed to validate the performance of the ECSC ground motions through nonlinear analyses of elasto‐plastic oscillators. The ECSC method can be easily implemented in the generalized conditional intensity measure framework by directly simulating a set of motions following a targeted distribution of multiple intensity measures. Therefore, the ECSC method has great potential to be used in performance‐based earthquake design and analysis. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of mobile phone short message service on maternal health in south‐west Nigeria
Authors: Omole Oluwatosin , Ijadunola Macellina Y. , Olotu Ezeomu , Omotoso Olorunfemi , Bello Bamidele , Awoniran Olalekan , Phillips Abimbola , Fatusi Adesegun 
Published: March 2017

SummaryBackgroundThe maternal mortality ratio in Nigeria is estimated to be about 814 per 100,000 live births, and deliveries taken outside a health facility have been implicated as a major factor for this high number. Mobile phones interventions are continually being explored in the health field but its usefulness in maternal health in Nigeria has not been widely explored.ObjectiveTo determine the impact of SMS (text messages) on maternal health behaviour in Ife‐Ijesa zone of Osun State, Nigeria.MethodsWe conducted an experimental study involving 2 groups of pregnant women and sent text messages to both groups. The control group was sent general health messages while the intervention group was sent specific pregnancy related messages and both groups were followed up till 6 weeks after delivery.ResultsAn increase in facility delivery rates among both groups, between the index pregnancy and their last pregnancies, were recorded for both groups with a higher percentage increase recorded in the intervention group (29%) compared with the control group 13%. Crude and adjusted linear regression coefficients were done to estimate the effect of the intervention on the change in proportion of deliveries in health facilities. After adjusting for other variables, the difference obtained was a significant value of 14% (regression coefficient = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.08–0.20, P value = .005). Most participants in the intervention group (96.6%) expressed support for the use of text message for maternal health promotion.ConclusionThe SMS‐based intervention has a positive effect on facility delivery, and mothers welcome its use in pregnancy.
Comparative study of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of commercial Jeffamines® and polyethylenimine in CHO‐K1 cells
Authors: Castan Leniher , José da Silva Cristiano , Ferreira Molina Eduardo , Alves dos Santos Raquel 
Published: March 2017

AbstractJeffamines® are a family of polymers containing primary amine groups attached to the extremities of polyether backbone which can be used as biomaterials. They have been used in combination with polyethylenimine (PEI) to improve biocompatibility in drug and gene delivery systems. Despite these facts, very few studies have been done on cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of pure Jeffamines® or compared with PEI. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of Jeffamines® and PEI in CHO‐K1 cells. Specifically, polypropylene oxide 2000 (PPO 2000, Jeffamine® D series), polyethylene oxide 1900 (PEO 1900, Jeffamine® ED series), branched 25 kDa PEI, and linear 20 kDa PEI were evaluated at different concentrations. Cell viability and proliferation were assessed by 2,3‐bis‐(2‐methoxy‐4‐nitro‐5‐sulfophenyl)−2H‐tetrazolium‐5‐carboxanilide (XTT) and 5‐bromo‐2'‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) assays, respectively. Genotoxicity was evaluated using single cell gel electrophoresis assay and the cytokinesis‐blocked micronucleus assay. PPO 2000 was the most cytotoxic Jeffamine®, whereas PEO 1900 did not caused significant cell death at any tested concentration. Branched PEI was more cytotoxic than linear PEI (LPEI) and both were more cytotoxic than Jeffamines®. Only PPO 2000 induced DNA damage when evaluated in comet assay probably due to its cytotoxicity. PPO 2000, PEO 1900, and PEI did not increase the frequency of micronuclei when tested at sub‐cytotoxic concentrations. This work provides new insights about biocompatibility of Jeffamines® and PEI and suggests the genotoxicological safety for further investigations of PEO 1900 in drug and gene delivery systems. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 742–750, 2018.
Muramyl Dipeptide, a Shared Structural Motif of Peptidoglycans, Is a Novel Inducer of Bone Formation through Induction of Runx2
Authors: Park Ok-Jin , Kim Jiseon , Yang Jihyun , Yun Cheol-Heui , Han Seung Hyun 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACT

Peptidoglycan fragments released from gut microbiota can be delivered to the bone marrow and affect bone metabolism. We investigated the regulation of bone metabolism by muramyl dipeptide (MDP), which is a shared structural unit of peptidoglycans. Increased bone and mineral density by enhanced bone formation were observed in mice administered with MDP. Remarkably, pretreatment or posttreatment with MDP alleviated bone loss in RANKL-induced osteoporosis mouse models. MDP directly augmented osteoblast differentiation and bone-forming gene expression by Runx2 activation. Despite no direct effect, MDP indirectly attenuated osteoclast differentiation through downregulation of the RANKL/osteoprotegerin (OPG) ratio. MDP increased the expression of the MDP receptor, Nod2, and MDP-induced bone formation and osteoblast activation did not occur during Nod2 deficiency. Other Nod2 ligands also increased bone formation through the induction of Runx2, as MDP did. In conclusion, we suggest that MDP is a novel inducer of bone formation that could potentially be a new therapeutic molecule to protect against osteoporosis. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.