bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A mixed‐dimensional model for direct current simulations in the presence of a thin high‐resistivity liner
Authors: Fumagalli Alessio , Panzeri Lorenzo , Formaggia Luca , Scotti Anna , Arosio Diego 
Published: December 2023

SummaryIn this work, we present a mixed‐dimensional mathematical model to obtain the electric potential and current density in direct current simulations when a thin liner is included in the modelled domain. The liner is used in landfill management to prevent leakage of leachate from the waste body into the underground and is made of a highly‐impermeable high‐resistivity plastic material. The electrodes and the liner have diameters and thickness, respectively, that are much smaller than their other dimensions, thus their numerical simulation might be too costly in an equi‐dimensional setting. Our approach is to approximate them as objects of lower dimension and derive the corresponding equations. The obtained mixed‐dimensional model is validated against laboratory experiments of increasing complexity to show the reliability of the proposed mathematical model. Our tests also show that configurations with current and voltage electrodes on either sides of the liner confining the landfill may be effective in detecting damages of the membrane.
Clinical, economic, and health‐related quality of life outcomes in patients with overweight or obesity in the United States: 2016–2018
Authors: MacEwan Joanna P. , Chiu Kevin , Ahmad Nadia N. , Sacks Naomi , Shinde Shraddha , Poon Jiat Ling , Kan Hong 
Published: December 2023

AbstractObjectivesThis study aimed to estimate clinical, economic (including productivity), and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes and associated individual characteristics among adults with overweight (OW) or obesity in the United States.MethodsThis study included adult respondents with body mass index (BMI) ≥18.5 kg/m2 in the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and 2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Respondents were classified according to BMI. Individual characteristics were described by BMI categories. Multivariable regression models estimated the association between BMI categories and outcomes, adjusting for individual characteristics.ResultsNearly three‐quarters (73.7%) of NHANES participants were OW or obese. Relative to Normal weight (NW), respondents with Class 3 obesity had more obesity‐related complications (2.07 vs. 4.62, p < 0.001). Higher BMI was associated with significantly lower HRQoL, lower productivity, and higher healthcare expenditures as well as more frequent weight loss attempts in the previous 12 months. Weight loss surgery and prescription anti‐obesity medications (AOMs) were used only by a very small proportion of individuals. Despite frequent weight loss attempts, most respondents did not achieve clinically meaningful weight loss.ConclusionsAdults with OW or obesity experienced worse clinical, economic and HRQoL outcomes than those with NW. Better use of evidence‐based obesity treatments, including prescription AOMs, should be considered to achieve more clinically meaningful weight reduction and improved outcomes in individuals with OW or obesity.
Production of flower‐shaped nanobiocatalysts from green tea and investigation of their peroxidase mimicking activity on the polymerization of phenol derivatives
Authors: Kalayci Berkant , Kaplan Naime , Dadi Seyma , Ocsoy Ismail , Gokturk Ersen 
Published: December 2023

AbstractEnzyme catalyzed reactions are known to be environmental friendly and easy method for many applications. However, utilization of enzymes in a variety of reactions is strictly limited due to their high cost, instability in aqueous solutions, denaturation in organic solvents and high temperatures. For this reason, it is important to discover new generation catalyst systems indicating enzyme‐like catalytic activity. Here, we report hybrid organic–inorganic flower‐shaped green tea‐Cu2+ nanobiocatalyst synthesized from green tea extract as an organic component and copper (II) ions (Cu2+) as inorganic component. The effect of the peroxidase‐mimicking activity of green tea‐Cu2+ nanobiocatalyst was investigated on the polymerization of phenol and derivatives (guaiacol and salicylic acid) through Fenton‐like reaction mechanism. Obtained successful outcomes showed that the synthesized nanobiocatalyst showed very high catalytic activity upon polymerization of phenol and guaiacol. The slight solubility of salicylic acid in water limited to achieve its polymerization under‐performed reaction conditions. The yields and molecular weights of the obtained polymers were found to be quite high. While free peroxidase enzymes like horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme loses its catalytic activity at 60°C and above temperatures, green tea‐Cu2+ nanobiocatalyst exhibited very high catalytic activity upon polymerization reactions even at 60°C reaction temperature. This outcome provides significant advantages in some reactions requiring high temperatures. In order to understand the origin of the catalytic activity of the green tea‐Cu2+ nanoflowers, similar biocatalysts were also synthesized from caffeine and catechin alkaloids which are the active components of green tea. Caffeine‐Cu2+ and catechine‐Cu2+ nanobiocatalysts also exhibited quite high catalytic activity toward polymerization of phenol and derivatives. We suggest that green tea‐Cu2+ and similar types of nanobiocatalysts may expand their utilization in polymer chemistry as promising catalytic agents for radicalic polymerizations.
Microbial community and chemical composition of cigar tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) leaves altered by tobacco wildfire disease
Authors: Si Hongyang , Cui Bing , Liu Fang , Zhao Mingqin 
Published: December 2023

AbstractTobacco wildfire disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci is one of the most destructive foliar bacterial diseases occurring worldwide. However, the effect of wildfire disease on cigar tobacco leaves has not been clarified in detail. In this study, the differences in microbiota and chemical factors between wildfire disease‐infected leaves and healthy leaves were characterized using high‐throughput Illumina sequencing and a continuous‐flow analytical system, respectively. The results demonstrated significant alterations in the structure of the phyllosphere microbial community in response to wildfire disease, and the infection of P. syringae pv. tabaci led to a decrease in bacterial richness and diversity. Furthermore, the content of nicotine, protein, total nitrogen, and Cl− in diseased leaves significantly increased by 47.86%, 17.46%, 20.08%, and 72.77% in comparison to healthy leaves, while the levels of total sugar and reducing sugar decreased by 59.59% and 70.0%, respectively. Notably, the wildfire disease had little effect on the content of starch and K+. Redundancy analysis revealed that Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Cladosporium, and Wallemia displayed positive correlations with nicotine, protein, total nitrogen, Cl− and K+ contents, while Pantoea, Erwinia, Sphingomonas, Terrisporobacter, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Sampaiozyma, and Didymella displayed positive correlations with total sugar and reducing sugar contents. Brevibacterium, Brachybacterium, and Janibacter were found to be enriched in diseased leaves, suggesting their potential role in disease suppression. Co‐occurrence network analysis indicated that positive correlations were prevalent in microbial networks, and the bacterial network of healthy tobacco leaves exhibited greater complexity compared to diseased tobacco leaves. This study revealed the impact of wildfire disease on the microbial community and chemical compositions of tobacco leaves and provides new insights for the biological control of tobacco wildfire disease.
Mechanism of a novel antibacterial polymeric film with freshness‐retentive and hygiene‐keeping functions
Authors: Hong Yen Ying , Shijo Anjali Madhavan , Narita Junichi 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe growing concerns surrounding food loss and waste, coupled with the amplified need for effective antimicrobial technologies due to the COVID‐19 pandemic have highlighted the significance of antimicrobial solutions. This study introduces novel polymer‐based antibacterial films to address such challenges by combining antibacterial properties with durability. Using stearyldiethanolamine (C18DEA) as the active ingredient, the polyethylene‐based (PE) film is designed to prevent bacterial growth on its surface. The present study investigated the antibacterial mechanism, durability, and effectiveness of the films against representative gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacterial strains. The films developed in this study demonstrated notable durability against high water temperatures and harsh light exposure for preserving its antibacterial function on the tested bacteria from both representative groups. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of bacteria in contact with film surface revealed damages to cellular structure leading to cell lysis even at the lower tested concentration of 800 ppm C18DEA in the film. Our proposed bactericidal mechanism suggests the alkyl chain of C18DEA disrupts bacterial cell membranes, leading to irreversible damage and cell death. Overall, the films hold significant promise for diverse applications, including extended shelf life for perishable foods and enhanced hygiene management, driven by their durability and potent antimicrobial effects.Highlights
Mechanism of action of a PE film with C18DEA as active ingredient was studied.
Broad‐spectrum bactericidal effect on gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria.
Films demonstrated resistance to high water temperatures and light exposure.
Study highlights the films' application in hygiene, safety, and food preservation.
Characterization of well‐defined PHEMA‐based bottlebrushes with controlled chain length and grafting density
Authors: Doi Naoki , Yamauchi Yukinori , Sasai Yasushi , Yuda Naohiro , Kuzuya Masayuki , Kondo Shin‐ichi 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBottlebrushes with controlled horizontal‐ and vertical‐axis scales, which have a high density of graft chains on their main chains, are useful as a nanomaterial. The properties of bottlebrushes depend on the polymer‐type, ‐chain length, and grafting density. We fabricate well‐defined bottlebrushes based on poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) using the grafting from method. Macroinitiators with different compositions of an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator group are prepared, and two bottlebrushes are consequently synthesized by ATRP of HEMA with the macroinitiator: a concentrated bottlebrush with graft chains on the repeating units and a semi‐dilute bottlebrush with graft chains on approximately 10%. The hydrodynamic and gyration radii of the concentrated‐ and semi‐dilute bottlebrushes are Rh = 9.2 nm (Rg = 24.9 nm) and Rh = 69.1 nm (Rg = 130 nm), respectively. The shape factors (Rg/Rh) of these bottlebrushes indicate both solid‐rods. The virial coefficient of semi‐dilute bottlebrush, calculated from static light scattering measurements, is higher than that of concentrated bottlebrush, owing to the flexibility and solvation structure. The grafting density play a more prominent role than the graft‐chain length in the excluded volume effect of the bottlebrush. These results provide useful insights for the construction of polymethacrylate‐based bottlebrushes with specific hydrodynamic properties.
Transcription factor B‐H2 regulates CYP9J34 expression conveying deltamethrin resistance in Culex pipiens pallens
Authors: Du Jiajia , Yin Haitao , Li Jinze , Zhang Wenxing , Ding Guangshuo , Zhou Dan , Sun Yan , Shen Bo 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBACKGROUNDMosquitoes are vectors of various diseases, posing significant health threats worldwide. Chemical pesticides, particularly pyrethroids like deltamethrin, are commonly used for mosquito control, but the emergence of resistant mosquito populations has become a concern. In the deltamethrin‐resistant (DR) strain of Culex pipiens pallens, the highly expressed cytochrome P450 9 J34 (CYP9J34) gene is believed to play a role in resistance, yet the underlying mechanism remains unclear.RESULTSQuantitative polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription (qRT–PCR) analysis revealed that the expression of CYP9J34 was 14.6‐fold higher in DR strains than in deltamethrin‐susceptible (DS) strains. The recombinant production of CYP9J34 protein of Cx. pipiens pallens showed that the protein could directly metabolize deltamethrin, yielding the major metabolite 4′‐OH deltamethrin. Through dual luciferase reporter assays and RNA interference, the transcription factor homeobox protein B‐H2‐like (B‐H2) was identified to modulate the expression of the CYP9J34 gene, contributing to mosquito resistance to deltamethrin.CONCLUSIONSOur findings demonstrate that the CYP9J34 protein could directly degrade deltamethrin, and the transcription factor B‐H2 could regulate CYP9J34 expression, influencing the resistance of mosquitoes to deltamethrin. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Quantitative CT measures of pulmonary vascular volume distribution in pulmonary hypertension associated with COPD: Association with clinical characteristics and outcomes
Authors: Cajigas Hector R. , Lavon Ben , Harmsen William , Muchmore Patrick , Costa Joana , Mussche Charles , Pulsipher Sydney , De Backer Jan 
Published: December 2023

AbstractTo determine whether quantitative computed tomography (qCT)‐derived metrics of pulmonary vascular volume distribution could distinguish chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subjects with associated pulmonary hypertension (PH) from those without and to characterize associations of these measurements with clinical and physiological characteristics and outcomes. We collected retrospective CT, pulmonary hemodynamic, clinical, and outcomes data from subjects with COPD and right‐heart catheterization‐confirmed PH (PH‐COPD) and control subjects with COPD but without PH. We measured the volumes of pulmonary vessels < 5 and >10 mm2 in cross‐sectional area as a percentage of total pulmonary vascular volume (qCT‐derived volume of pulmonary vessels < 5 mm2 in cross‐sectional area as a volume fraction of total pulmonary blood volume [BV5%] and qCT‐derived volume of pulmonary vessels > 10 mm2 in cross‐sectional area [BV10] as a volume fraction of total pulmonary blood volume [BV10%], respectively) using Functional Respiratory Imaging (FRI), an automated qCT platform, and compared them between PH and control arms and between subjects with mild‐moderate PH and those with severe disease. Correlations of hemodynamics with pulmonary function and associations with survival were tested. Forty‐five PH‐COPD and 42 control subjects were studied. BV5% was lower in PH subjects (32.2% vs. 37.7%, p = 0.003), and BV10% was higher (50.2% vs. 43.5, p = 0.001). Subjects with severe PH did not differ from those with mild‐moderate PH in qCT. Pulmonary vascular volumes were not associated with pulmonary function. BV10 was associated with mean pulmonary artery pressure (r = 0.3, p = 0.05). Associations with survival were observed for BV5% (hazard ratio 0.63, p = 0.02) and BV10% (hazard ratio 1.43, p = 0.03) in the PH‐COPD arm, but not for controls. qCT‐derived measures of pulmonary vascular volume may have diagnostic and prognostic significance in PH‐COPD and should be investigated further as screening and risk stratification tools
Calibration of an expeditious terramechanics model using a higher‐fidelity model, Bayesian inference, and a virtual bevameter test
Authors: Hu Wei , Li Pei , Unjhawala Huzaifa Mustafa , Serban Radu , Negrut Dan 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe soil contact model (SCM) is widely used in practice for off‐road wheeled vehicle mobility studies when simulation speed is important and highly accurate results are not a main concern. In practice, the SCM parameters are obtained via a bevameter test, which requires a complex apparatus and experimental procedure. Here, we advance the idea of running a virtual bevameter test using a high‐fidelity terramechanics simulation. The latter employs the “continuous representation model” (CRM), which regards the deformable terrain as an elasto‐plastic continuum that is spatially discretized using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method. The approach embraced is as follows: a virtual bevameter test is run in simulation using CRM terrain to generate “ground truth” data; in a Bayesian framework, this data is subsequently used to calibrate the SCM terrain. We show that (i) the resulting SCM terrain, while leading to fast terramechanics simulations, serves as a good proxy for the more complex CRM terrain; and (ii) the SCM‐over‐CRM simulation speedup is roughly one order of magnitude. These conclusions are reached in conjunction with two tests: a single wheel test, and a full rover simulation. The SCM and CRM simulations are run in the open‐source software Chrono. The calibration is performed using PyMC, which is a Python package that interactively communicates with Chrono to calibrate SCM. The models and scripts used in this contribution are available as open source for unfettered use and distribution in a public repository.
Evaluating the impact of agricultural production efficiency on sustainable development goals in coffee‐producing countries in Africa
Authors: Yang Chih‐Yu , Wang Chung‐Ching , Lu Ching‐Cheng , Chiu Yung‐ho , Chiu Shih‐Yung 
Published: December 2023

AbstractClimate change has directly impacted coffee‐producing regions in Africa. This study uses the two stage Dynamic Network Directional Distance Function (DN‐DDF) and Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) methods to evaluate the efficiency and productivity changes of agricultural production and sustainable development in 19 African coffee‐producing countries from 2014 to 2018. According to the empirical results, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Liberia, Uganda, and Zambia have the highest overall efficiency. This study has three main contributions: (1) using a two‐stage model to evaluate the impact of agricultural production efficiency on sustainable development efficiency, (2) using a dynamic model with forest area as a cross‐period variable to reflect the real‐world phenomenon of coffee relying on forest mixed planting, and (3) objectively evaluating the impact of extreme weather on agricultural production by using rainfall as an exogenous variable to address previous research shortcomings. The results of this study can promote the improvement of agricultural production efficiency in African coffee‐producing countries and provide important reference value for sustainable development goals.
Sustainable tourist behavior: A systematic literature review and research agenda
Authors: Li Jiawei , Coca‐Stefaniak J. Andres , Nguyen Thi Hong Hai , Morrison Alastair M. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSustainable tourist behavior is a rapidly growing field within sustainable tourism. This study contributes to this emerging body of knowledge through a systematic literature review combining bibliometric and qualitative analysis of 331 publications. Key themes in sustainable tourist behavior research, including intended and actual behaviors, were identified with scholarly debates in this field discussed critically. Sustainability topics widely studied in other disciplines have been overlooked from a tourist behavior perspective, including waste classification and recycling, as well as applications of sustainable design to the management of the visitor economy. Additionally, this analysis revealed imbalances in sustainable development practice and research related to the visitor economy and gaps in theory development. This study builds on these findings and discusses an agenda for future research in sustainable tourist behavior. The findings contribute to shaping the conceptualization of sustainable tourist behavior, recognizing its dynamic nature, providing an overview of theories and antecedents, and underscoring the significance of considering diverse factors in future research. They also suggest that decision‐makers in tourism should prioritize understanding tourist sustainable behavior through market segmentation, incorporate design and technology into sustainable initiatives, and align strategies with the specific needs and requirements of tourists for effective and sustainable tourism development.
Self‐Healing Polybutadienes Formed through Sigmatropic Rearrangement and Stratified H‐Bonding for Use in Polymer‐Bonded Explosives
Authors: S Gayathri , Srinivas Chinthalapalli , KP Vijayalakshmi , S Bhuvaneswari , Reshmi Sasidharakurup 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe accomplishment of self‐healing polybutadienes (PB) is decisive for multitude of aerospace applications. We here present the first‐time report on a self‐healing PB derived from a blend of allyloxy end functionalized PB elicited through intramolecular thermally activated sigmatropic Claisen rearrangement coupled with stratified hydrogen bonding for use in polymer bonded explosives (PBX). Heteronuclear Single Quantum Correlation (HSQC), Heteronuclear Multiple Bond Coherence (HMBC), Total Correlation Spectroscopy (TOCSY) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) Spectroscopy were utilized to confirm the mechanistic aspects of the rearrangement for the proposed application. The mechanism of self‐healing is further elucidated using density functional theory (DFT) computations and confirmed through Raman spectroscopy. The biphasic polymer network architecture is disclosed through two glass transitions at −54 °C and 15–25 °C, as confirmed by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The polymer exhibited healing efficiency of 85 % suitable for adhesive or coating applications. Self‐healing in bonding formulations of insensitive polymer bonded explosives was also expedited which exhibited a healing efficiency of 49–54 %.
Organic Ionic Liquid Grafted Nano‐CeO2: A Highly Efficient Photocatalyst for Hydroxylation of Benzene and Reduction of Cr (VI)
Authors: Chakraborty Debarati , Kalita Juri , Bharali Linkon , Sankar Dhar Siddhartha 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAn ionic liquid, namely imidazolium sulfonic acid chloride (ISAC) has been electrostatically grafted over cerium oxide nanoparticles to produce a nanocomposite, nano‐CeO2‐IL. The as‐prepared composite was characterized by various analytical techniques such as XRD, FT‐IR, SEM, TEM, XPS, BET, UV‐DRS, PL, and TGA to confirm the grafting of ISAC over CeO2 NPs. The photocatalytic process is regarded as the method of choice for the elimination of air pollutants because of its great efficiency and relatively benign working conditions. According to UV‐DRS spectra, its optical gap is 2.07 eV, which is appropriate for the visible light spectrum. The composite was investigated as a visible‐light‐driven photocatalyst for hydroxylation of benzene to phenol and heavy metal Cr (VI) reduction. Moreover, the scavenger experiments confirmed the detection of ⋅OH radicals which played a crucial role in the photocatalytic experiments. Within 60 minutes, 98.5 % of benzene was converted to phenol with 82.7 % selectivity in addition to 93.63 % Cr (VI) reduction within 30 mins. The photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) follows a first‐order model with a rate constant of 0.027 min−1. The remarkably high photocatalytic performance of the catalyst may be ascribed to the synergistic interaction between the nano‐CeO2 catalyst and ionic liquid.