bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sustainable development through biomimicry: Enhancing circular economy practices for environmental sustainability
Authors: Eid Mohammad Al Haj , Al‐Abdallah Ghaith 
Published: April 2024

AbstractResponding to the urgent global need for sustainable development, this study investigates how biomimicry can be integrated with the circular economy to promote environmental sustainability. Through an extensive review of literature, existing research, and case studies, we critically examine the application of biomimicry principles in enhancing circular economy practices. Our methodology synthesises insights from across disciplines, employing a thematic and gap analyses to uncover prevalent trends and identify research deficits. Building on Janine Benyus' seminal biomimicry work, we introduce a novel framework derived from Life's Principles to evaluate the sustainability of circular economy efforts, focusing on their consistency with or deviation from biomimetic principles. Our research finds a significant correlation between the circular economy's emphasis on reducing waste and improving resource efficiency and biomimicry's focus on nature‐inspired sustainable design. We pinpoint “resource efficiency” and “eco‐friendly chemistry” as primary areas where circular economy measures reflect biomimetic ideals. However, our analysis also reveals a considerable gap in incorporating local socio‐economic factors into circular economy frameworks. This oversight highlights the necessity for in‐depth research into how circular economy initiatives can be tailored to enhance socio‐economic resilience and community well‐being. By underscoring these parallels and identifying key research opportunities, our article elucidates how biomimicry could drive more effective circular economy practices. We argue that future research should focus on bridging the identified gap by exploring how circular economy models can incorporate local socio‐economic considerations, thereby ensuring more impactful sustainability outcomes.
Direct Amide Formation via Carbamoylation of Aromatic Bromides using Heteropoly Acid and UV‐Light
Authors: Kim Myeonggeuk , Shen Liu‐lan , Jeong Jin Hyun 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe performed direct carbamoylation using heteropoly acid (HPA) photocatalysts with a Keggin structure under UV‐light. Carbamoyl radicals were generated via the decarboxylation of N,N‐disubstituted dimethyloxamic acid under these conditions. The HPA catalyst functioned as a photocatalyst when the dicarbonyl bond was broken, generating carbon dioxide. We found that disubstituted carbamoyl radicals readily coupled with aromatic bromides to generate diverse benzoic amides. In particular, using a homogeneous HPA photocatalyst improved the reaction's transmittance, which had been a problem of the existing heterogeneous photocatalyst. This reaction condition can be easily handled, mild, and safer than the traditional benzoic amide synthesis. This method can be scaled up efficiently, is eco‐friendly, and can be applied to producing active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Unraveling the Role of 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene Nanosheets in Cu‐Based Double Perovskite Active Layer for Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance
Authors: Dehingia Anurag , Das Ujjal , Gogoi Himadri Priya , Borgohain Karabi Kanchan , Patra Snigdha , Paul Bappi , Roy Asim 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAlthough the atmospheric stability of lead‐free inorganic double perovskite (DP) solar cells (PSCs) looks promising, their further development is hampered by inadequate film quality and non‐radiative carrier recombination at the interfaces. Herein, the incorporation of a newly developed intriguing class of 2D material Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets with the photo‐absorbing Cu2AgBiI6 (CABI) active layer of a fully inorganic solar cell is reported. The highly conductive Ti3C2Tx nanosheets work as a multi‐functional additive by tuning the band gap, reducing the non‐radiative carrier recombination, and inhibiting carrier accumulation. In addition, the presence of Ti3C2Tx MXene increases the surface free energy of the perovskite film, which elevates the energy barrier for nucleation and realizes a highly crystalline CABI perovskite film. Primarily, the MXene modification accelerates the charge extraction and transport at the interfaces of the active layer, utilizing energy level alignment with the charge transport layers. Consequently, the photo‐conversion efficiency (PCE) of the device with MXene is substantially enhanced to 1.50%. Moreover, the 2D Ti3C2Tx nanosheets increased the long‐term stability of the devices by retaining 70% of the initial PCE after 1680 h. With regard to relieving the severe carrier recombination at the interfaces, this work sets a new paradigm toward imminent solar energy conversion.
Atomically Dispersed Ru‐doped Ti4O7 Electrocatalysts for Chlorine Evolution Reaction with a Universal Activity
Authors: Lee Woonghee , Choung Seokhyun , Kim Seok , Hong Jiyun , Kim Doyeon , Tarpeh William A. , Han Jeong Woo , Cho Kangwoo 
Published: April 2024

AbstractChlorine has been supplied by the chlor‐alkali process that deploys dimensionally stable anodes (DSAs) for the electrochemical chlorine evolution reaction (ClER). The paramount bottlenecks have been ascribed to an intensive usage of precious elements and inevitable competition with the oxygen evolution reaction. Herein, a unique case of Ru2+‐O4 active motifs anchored on Magnéli Ti4O7 (Ru‐Ti4O7) via a straightforward wet impregnation and mild annealing is reported. The Ru‐Ti4O7 performs radically active ClER with minimal deployment of Ru (0.13 wt%), both in 5 m NaCl (pH 2.3) and 0.1 m NaCl (pH 6.5) electrolytes. Scanning electrochemical microscopy demonstrates superior ClER selectivity on Ru‐Ti4O7 compared to the DSA. Operando X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations reveal a universally active ClER (over a wide range of pH and [Cl−]), through a direct adsorption of Cl− on Ru2+‐O4 sites as the most plausible pathway, together with stabilized ClO* at low [Cl−] and high pH.
AEcroscopy: A Software–Hardware Framework Empowering Microscopy Toward Automated and Autonomous Experimentation
Authors: Liu Yongtao , Roccapriore Kevin , Checa Marti , Valleti Sai Mani , Yang Jan‐Chi , Jesse Stephen , Vasudevan Rama K. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractMicroscopy has been pivotal in improving the understanding of structure‐function relationships at the nanoscale and is by now ubiquitous in most characterization labs. However, traditional microscopy operations are still limited largely by a human‐centric click‐and‐go paradigm utilizing vendor‐provided software, which limits the scope, utility, efficiency, effectiveness, and at times reproducibility of microscopy experiments. Here, a coupled software–hardware platform is developed that consists of a software package termed AEcroscopy (short for Automated Experiments in Microscopy), along with a field‐programmable‐gate‐array device with LabView‐built customized acquisition scripts, which overcome these limitations and provide the necessary abstractions toward full automation of microscopy platforms. The platform works across multiple vendor devices on scanning probe microscopes and electron microscopes. It enables customized scan trajectories, processing functions that can be triggered locally or remotely on processing servers, user‐defined excitation waveforms, standardization of data models, and completely seamless operation through simple Python commands to enable a plethora of microscopy experiments to be performed in a reproducible, automated manner. This platform can be readily coupled with existing machine‐learning libraries and simulations, to provide automated decision‐making and active theory‐experiment optimization to turn microscopes from characterization tools to instruments capable of autonomous model refinement and physics discovery.
A systemic perspective to safety behaviour emergence in organizations: Evaluation of a game‐based simulation for improving safety communication behaviour
Authors: Atagbuzia Chukwudiebube , Ng Ean H. , Natarajan Ganapathy , Calvo‐Amodio Javier 
Published: April 2024

AbstractStruck‐by injuries are associated with negative health outcomes and increased costs caused by violent contact with an object, equipment or person; however, safety behaviours such as hazard identification and communication can reduce or eliminate accident occurrences. The current study applied a systemic perspective to analyse safety behaviour emergence within an organization's safety system. An organization's safety system is a purposeful human activity system (PHAS) because people come together to fulfil the purpose of reducing or eliminating accidents. In this study, a commercial kitchen is defined as a PHAS to guide the analysis and promotion of verbal safety communication behaviour. A game‐based simulation intervention was developed and evaluated to support the emergence of verbal safety communication behaviour within a commercial kitchen. Results showed that the game‐based simulation facilitated the emergence of verbal safety communication behaviour, thus validating the systemic approach used in this study.
Water‐Absorbent Biodegradable Aerogels Based on Potato, Cassava, Bean, and Maize Starches Applied in the Absorption of Chicken Exudate
Authors: Costa Diego Araujo da , Silva Francine Tavares da , Cruz Elder Pacheco da , Fonseca Laura Martins , Jansen Estefani Tavares , Oliveira Raquel Moreira , Souza Andressa Salies , Zavareze Elessandra da Rosa , Zambiazi Rui Carlos 
Published: April 2024

AbstractStarch aerogels are a clean‐label alternative to produced active packaging aimed at preserving food products. This study aims to produce water‐absorbent and reusable aerogels from different starches and investigates their properties according to the type of starch. The aerogels are produced using different starch concentrations and evaluated in terms of morphology, density, porosity, relative crystallinity, texture properties, water absorbent capacity, reusability as water absorbent, and water absorption rate. The aerogel is applied as an absorbent of chicken breast exudate. The starches’ amylose content is 28.2%, 27.4%, 45.4%, and 30.2% for the potato, cassava, bean, and maize starches, respectively. All aerogels display physical integrity and porous structures with low density and high porosity, and their relative crystallinity decreases compared to the starches. The texture properties show great elasticity. The aerogels present high water absorption capacity, ranging from 685% to 1714%. Potato and bean starch aerogels can be reused as water absorbents 12 times showing, after the first immersion, a stable water retention rate over the reusable period. The maize starch‐based aerogel is applied as an absorbent for chicken breast exudate, reaching 39% absorption, proving to be an excellent material for application as active food packaging for fresh food preservation.
Arsenic contamination of groundwater sources and a comparative study of its remediation by various conventional and recent approaches in Nepal
Authors: Rasaili Prithivi , Rai Summi , Sachin KM , Saha Bidyut , Bhattarai Ajaya 
Published: April 2024

AbstractGroundwater is a major source of drinking water for millions of people across the globe. Most of these sources are reported to contain elevated levels of arsenic. Human health and ecosystems are adversely affected by arsenic‐contaminated drinking water. So, arsenic‐contaminated groundwater has become a major global health concern. This paper reviews groundwater contamination sources and gives an outline of arsenic contamination in different places in Nepal. It also critically reviews the health hazards associated with arsenic poisoning. A comparative study has been made regarding different aspects of conventional and recent technologies, and the one that is the most suitable for remediation of contaminated water has been recommended.
Inhibition kinetics and mechanism of genistein against α‐glucosidase
Authors: Nga Vo Thi , Hao Hoang Minh 
Published: April 2024

AbstractSeveral studies have documented the effective inhibition of genistein, a component in soybeans against α‐glucosidase. However, the details of the inhibition mechanism and kinetics remain unfulfilled. Here, the authors aim to investigate the anti‐diabetic potential of genistein through IC50 value, fluorescence quenching and inhibition kinetics. Genistein was found to exhibit an inhibition activity on α‐glucosidase with an IC50 value of 7.79 ± 0.36 µm. Analysis of fluorescence spectra indicated that genistein quenched enzyme emission through a static mechanism with a bimolecular quenching constant, kq = 4.04 × 1013 m−1 s−1. In addition, it was found that genistein was bound to α‐glucosidase with a high affinity of binding constant, Ka = 3.38 × 105 m−1 and a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio (n = 1.06). In order to suggest a possible contact involved, 8‐anilino‐1‐naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) was added as an extrinsic fluorescence probe to enzyme solution and analyzed fluorescence spectra of the α‐glucosidase‐ANS complexes. When treated with genistein, fluorescence intensities of the complexes were reduced remarkably, indicating that genistein interacts with the enzyme via a hydrophobic domain. Finally, the inhibition constant and inhibition mode were studied by inhibition kinetics. The results revealed that genistein bound easily to α‐glucosidase with a Ki value of 25.61 × 10−6 m through a non‐competitive type.
In silico molecular docking and ADMET study of Isodon coetsa phytochemicals targeting TNF‐α in inflammation‐mediated diseases
Authors: Ha Nguyen Xuan , Le Cao Hong 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn inflammatory diseases, the expression of the target protein tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis and development of certain conditions, such as autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriatic arthritis. TNF‐α inhibitors have several limitations. Screening studies of plant‐derived compounds have shown promising results due to their lower incidence of side effects and reasonable cost. Therefore, this research focuses on identifying compounds isolated from Isodon coetsa, collected from previous studies, that exhibit inhibitory effects on TNF‐α through computational methods such as molecular docking and ADMET prediction. Among the compounds binding to the active site of TNF‐α, five diterpenoids, namely 2α,3α,24‐trihydroxy‐11α,12α‐epoxy‐urs‐20(30)‐en‐28,13β‐olide,2α,3α,24‐trihydroxy‐12,20(30)‐ursadien‐28‐oic acid, xerophilusin B, oridonin, and 15α‐hydroxy‐6,7‐seco‐1α,7:11α,6‐diolide‐ent‐kaur‐16‐en, exhibited higher binding affinity than the reference inhibitor SPD‐304. All the potential compounds predicted by ADME demonstrated favorable pharmacokinetic properties. Moreover, regarding the toxicity of the I. coetsa derived compounds, namely 2α,3α,24‐trihydroxy‐11α,12α‐epoxy‐urs‐20(30)‐en‐28,13β‐olide, xerophilusin B, and 15α‐hydroxy‐6,7‐seco‐1α,7:11α,6‐diolide‐ent‐kaur‐16‐en, they exhibited low toxicity and safety for oral administration. Hence, these compounds may serve as potential candidates to replace the inhibitor SPD‐304 as important therapeutic agents against TNF‐α in the future. The results obtained need to be further investigated through in‐depth in vitro and in vivo experiment studies.
Numerical simulation of the ferrohydrodynamics flow using an unconditionally stable second‐order scheme
Authors: Keram Aytura , Huang Pengzhan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn this paper, we design a decoupled, linear, unconditionally stable and fully discrete numerical scheme for a ferrohydrodynamics system with second‐order temporal accuracy. This scheme is based on a second‐order backward difference formula for time derivative terms and linearization extrapolation for nonlinear terms, which produces a series of decoupled linear equations and solves effectively this nonlinear and multiphysical coupled system. Meanwhile, we show that the scheme is unconditionally stable. Finally, some numerical experiments are provided to verify the theoretical finding and illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed scheme.
Bribery and Other Serious Investor Misconduct in Asian International Arbitration
Authors: Teramura Nobumichi , Nottage Luke , Jetin Bruno 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBribery and other serious illegal behaviour by foreign investors face wide condemnation in any society. Yet there remains a lack of consensus on the consequences of corruption and illegality affecting international investment, and especially in investment arbitration—a transnational procedure to resolve disputes between a foreign investor and a host state. A core issue is whether a foreign investor violating a host state's law should be awarded protection of its investment, as per its contract with the host state and/or the applicable investment or trade agreement between the home state and the host state. Some suggest such protection would be unnecessary, as the investor committed a crime in the host state, while others attempt to establish an equilibrium between the investor and the host state. Some others claim to protect investment, invoking the sanctity of promises made. This book explores Asian approaches towards the issue, setting it in the wider political economy and domestic law contexts. It also considers the extent to which significant states in Asia are or could become ‘rule makers’ rather than ‘rule takers’ regarding corruption and serious illegality in investor–state arbitration.
Corruption and Illegality in Asian Investment Disputes: Indonesia
Authors: Butt Simon , Crockett Antony , Lindsey Tim 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIndonesia is notorious for high levels of corruption. This has remained the case in spite of significant reforms made since the collapse of the Soeharto government in 1998. This chapter briefly introduces some of the key law reforms which have sought to address corruption in Indonesia as well as ongoing concerns regarding high levels of corruption in the judicial system, which is one of the factors leading investors in Indonesia to prefer arbitration for resolving disputes. The chapter then considers the legal framework for international commercial arbitration in Indonesia, particularly relating to enforcement of arbitration awards and recent changes to Indonesia's policy relating to investment treaties and investor–state dispute resolution. The chapter includes consideration of two investor–state arbitrations involving Indonesia which featured allegations of corruption.
Foreign Investment, Treaties, Arbitration and Corruption: Comparing Japan
Authors: Nottage Luke , Teramura Nobumichi 
Published: April 2024

AbstractJapan emerged from the 1980s as a leading net exporter of foreign direct investment, with very little corruption. Since 2001, it has accelerated ratifications of standalone bilateral investment treaties as well as investment chapters in free trade agreements. Almost all allow foreign investors from the home state to directly initiate investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS) arbitration against host states to get relief from violations of substantive treaty commitments. Japan’s investment treaty practice on corruption and illegality is intriguing. First, from around 2007, its treaties have often urged host states to take measures against corruption. This should help Japan’s outbound investors. Second, Japan’s treaties have been less consistent in expressly limiting their protections to foreign investments made in accordance with host state laws. This can again benefit Japanese outbound investors as claimants, as the absence of a legality provision renders more difficult defences from host states, which typically have more corruption than in Japan. Japan may adopt more and clearer legality provisions if subjected to more inbound ISDS arbitration claims and/or if claims by Japanese outbound investors are mostly against well-governed host states with little scope for corruption. Yet both types of claims remain few. The shift may therefore come more from other counterparty states pushing for such legality provisions and Japan agreeing in its future treaties to demonstrate its overall commitment to combatting corruption, and to preserve the legitimacy of the ISDS arbitration system.
The Effect of Corruption on Foreign Direct Investment at the Regional Level: A Positive or Negative Relationship?
Authors: Jetin Bruno , Saadaoui Jamel , Ratiarison Haingo 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis chapter looks at the effect of corruption on foreign direct investment (FDI) at the world and regional levels, with a focus on East, South and Southeast Asia. The academic literature is inconclusive because the nature of corruption can be different from one country to another and because various other factors can decide whether a foreign company will invest in a country or region despite a relatively high level of corruption. To shed light on the effect of corruption, the authors proceed to a paneleconometrics investigation that assesses the relationship between the stock of FDI and the‘control of corruption’, published by the World Bank, for a sample of 180 countries over the period 2002–2019. The‘control of corruption’ index combines 23 different assessments and surveys capturing perceptions of the extent to which public power is exercised for private gains. A low score means that the authorities do not fight corruption or are not effective in fighting it, and therefore corruption is high; and vice versa. The authors include two control variables (real GDP and secondary school enrolment) to better estimate the specific role of corruption. Their results show that at the world level, thecontrol of corruption is low and has a positive effect on FDI, which means that corruption is a stimulus to FDI, in line with Egger and Winner's findings. However, in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australiaand New Zealand, corruption has a ‘grabbing hand’ effect. In theEuropean Union, corruption is a helping hand. The authors’ results confirm the importance of a regional approach to the analysis of the effect of corruption on FDI.