bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Stabilizing Low‐Valence Single Atoms by Constructing Metalloid Tungsten Carbide Supports for Efficient Hydrogen Oxidation and Evolution
Authors: Wang Luqi , Xu Zipeng , Kuo Chun‐Han , Peng Jian , Hu Feng , Li Linlin , Chen Han‐Yi , Wang Jiazhao , Peng Shengjie 
Published: September 2023

AbstractDesigning novel single‐atom catalysts (SACs) supports to modulate the electronic structure is crucial to optimize the catalytic activity, but rather challenging. Herein, a general strategy is proposed to utilize the metalloid properties of supports to trap and stabilize single‐atoms with low‐valence states. A series of single‐atoms supported on the surface of tungsten carbide (M‐WCx, M=Ru, Ir, Pd) are rationally developed through a facile pyrolysis method. Benefiting from the metalloid properties of WCx, the single‐atoms exhibit weak coordination with surface W and C atoms, resulting in the formation of low‐valence active centers similar to metals. The unique metal‐metal interaction effectively stabilizes the low‐valence single atoms on the WCx surface and improves the electronic orbital energy level distribution of the active sites. As expected, the representative Ru‐WCx exhibits superior mass activities of 7.84 and 62.52 A mgRu−1 for the hydrogen oxidation and evolution reactions (HOR/HER), respectively. In‐depth mechanistic analysis demonstrates that an ideal dual‐sites cooperative mechanism achieves a suitable adsorption balance of Had and OHad, resulting in an energetically favorable Volmer step. This work offers new guidance for the precise construction of highly active SACs.
Fractionated and purified hybrid poplar lignins as a polyol replacement in rigid polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foams
Authors: Henry Christián , Tindall Graham , Thies Mark C. , Nejad Mojgan 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThis study introduces fractionated lignin as an innovative component in the formulation of rigid polyurethane/polyisocyanurate (PUR/PIR) foams. Low‐density PUR/PIR rigid foams were prepared by replacing 80% of the petrochemical‐based polyol with a hybrid poplar (HP) lignin, recovered via alkaline pretreatment, and also with a fraction of this lignin, isolated via the Aqueous Lignin Purification with Hot Agents (ALPHA) process. The as‐recovered HP and ALPHA‐fractionated HP lignins were characterized to determine hydroxyl content, molecular weight (Mw) distribution, and pH. Both lignin‐based foams met minimum standard requirements in terms of closed cell content, compression strength, and thermal conductivity. Notably, the foams made with ALPHA‐based lignin outperformed the as‐recovered lignin‐based foams in all measured foam properties. Moreover, the ALPHA‐based foam had comparable performance to the control foam (without lignin) except for density and even surpassed the control foam in closed cell content and compressive strength. This investigation of the molecular properties of lignin suggests that significant reductions in lignin average molecular weight and polydispersity (PDI) can positively impact the properties of lignin‐based rigid foams.
Accessible approach of fabricating pH‐responsive nanofibrous membranes with photothermal effect as antibacterial wound dressings
Authors: Chen Xuefei , Wang Yi , Zhang Qianqian , Meng Jie , Pan Tiandi , Xu Huaizhong , Du Lei , Yang Xiaohua 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe synergistic antibacterial effect of photothermal and drug treatments is a promising therapeutic method for treating the persistent bacterial infection of chronic wounds. In this study, we used electrospinning to fabricate functionalized poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) nanofiber membranes as antibacterial wound dressings after incorporating tannic acid (TA) and ferric ion (Fe3+). The abilities of pH‐responsive controlled release TA and the photothermal effect of the membrane were obtained by introducing the TA/Fe3+ complexes. Additionally, the membrane had a defined nanofibrous network structure, excellent mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, and water uptake ability. While the controlled release of TA endowed the membrane with high antibacterial properties at different pH values, the antibacterial ratio was further enhanced by approximately 10% under the photothermal synergistic effect. These results indicate that the PCL/TA/Fe3+ nanofiber membranes could be regarded as an ideal candidate for treating bacterial infection of chronic wounds.
Neuronal scaling in the olfactory system of bats
Authors: Eiting Thomas P. , Smith Timothy D. , Forger Nancy G. , Dumont Elizabeth R. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractComparative studies are a common way to address large‐scale questions in sensory biology. For studies that investigate olfactory abilities, the most commonly used metric is olfactory bulb size. However, recent work has called into question the broad‐scale use of olfactory bulb size. In this paper, we use three neuroanatomical measures with a more mechanistic link to olfactory function (number of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), number of mitral cells (MCs), and number of glomeruli) to ask how species with different diets may differ with respect to olfactory ability. We use phyllostomid bats as our study system because behavioral and physiological work has shown that fruit‐ and nectar‐feeding phyllostomids rely on odors for detecting, localizing, and assessing potential foods, while insect‐eating species do not. Therefore, we predicted that fruit‐ and nectar‐feeding bats would have larger numbers of these three neuroanatomical measures than insect‐eating species. In general, our results supported the predictions. We found that fruit‐eaters had greater numbers of OSNs and glomeruli than insect‐eaters, but we found no difference between groups in number of MCs. We also examined the allometric relationship between the three neuroanatomical variables and olfactory bulb volume, and we found isometry in all cases. These findings lend support to the notion that neuroanatomical measures can offer valuable insights into comparative olfactory abilities, and suggest that the size of the olfactory bulb may be an informative parameter to use at the whole‐organism level.
Through the fingers: Use of plastinated anatomical specimens for visually impaired students
Authors: de Lima Paola , Silva Renata Souza e , Guedert Denis Guilherme , Mesquita Érica Silva , Ramos Vitória Sousa , Firmiano Bárbara da Paixão Xavier , Nunes Cavalcanti Carlos Victor , Domingos Ingrid Lorane de Sousa , Silva Paulo Goberlânio de Barros , Gondim Delane Viana , Vale Mariana Lima 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe plastination technique produces non‐toxic human tissues, ensuring their safe handling in educational settings. This investigation aimed to understand if visually impaired students profit from the use of plastinated anatomical specimens in learning the anatomy of the nervous system. For this purpose, their learning performance was compared to sighted and blindfolded students recruited from three primary schools in Fortaleza city, in the state of Ceará. Initially, a questionnaire was applied before carrying out the pedagogical practice, followed by an anatomy lecture with practical components with the use of plastinated anatomical specimens and synthetic anatomical models of the nervous system. After these steps, the students answered the questionnaire previously applied. Our results showed that the tactile perception of the visually impaired participants was significantly more developed compared to sighted (p < 0.001) and the blindfolded (p < 0.0001) students. The average of correct answers in the reapplied questionnaire was higher in the groups that used plastinated specimens (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the use of plastinated specimens has proven to be an effective tool in promoting a better understanding of anatomical structures, mainly for students with or without visual impairments, making it a valuable asset in anatomy teaching.
Modulating Bidirectional Catalytic Activity Through a RuNi Nanoalloy on Facile Candle Soot Carbon Towards Efficient Lithium‐CO2Mars Batteries
Authors: Chourasia Ankit Kumar , Naik Keerti M. , Sharma Chandra S. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractLithium‐CO2 batteries have been at the forefront of reducing CO2 emissions and addressing the present energy crisis. As the Martian atmosphere is 95 % CO2, this battery technology is ideal as a stand‐alone energy storage device on the planet. However, challenges such as low reversibility, high charging voltages, and poor cycling life restrict its practicability. The current study addresses these by increasing the reversibility of the active reaction sites on the cathode via a synergistic interaction between the RuNi nanoparticle catalyst and candle soot carbon (CSC). This helps the system achieve a full discharge capacity of 15207 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 200 mA g−1 with 99.3 % coulombic efficiency and an efficient cycling life of over 100 cycles at a higher current density of 500 mA g−1 for a limited capacity of 500 mAh g−1. Further, combining ex‐situ physical characterizations and density functional theory helps understand the underlying mechanism for improving the bidirectional CO2 reduction and evolution activities during discharging and charging. The study, thus using a bimetallic catalyst and carbon, provides an approach for a single solution towards addressing the dual challenges of regulating CO2 emissions on Earth and providing a constant energy source on Mars.
Modulatory effects of point‐mutated IL‐32θ (A94V) on tumor progression in triple‐negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Park Hyo‐Min , Park Jae‐Young , Kim Na‐Yeon , Kim Jinju , Pham Thu‐Huyen , Hong Jin Tae , Yoon Do‐Young 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBreast cancer is a frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of death among women worldwide. Tumor‐associated macrophages stimulate cytokines and chemokines, which induce angiogenesis, metastasis, proliferation, and tumor‐infiltrating immune cells. Although interleukin‐32 (IL‐32) has been implicated in the development and modulation of several cancers, its function in breast cancer remains elusive. Mutation of interleukin‐32θ (IL‐32θ) in the tissues of patients with breast cancer was detected by Sanger sequencing. RT‐qPCR was used to detect the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and mediators. The secreted proteins were detected using respective enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. Evaluation of the inhibitory effect of mutant IL‐32θ on proliferation, migration, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cell cycle arrest in breast cancer cells was conducted using MTS assays, migration assays, and Western blotting. A point mutation (281C>T, Ala94Val) was detected in IL‐32θ in both breast tumors and adjacent normal tissues, which suppressed the expression of pro‐inflammatory factors, EMT factors, and cell cycle related factors. Mutated IL‐32θ inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors by regulating the NF‐κB pathway. Furthermore, mutated IL‐32θ suppressed EMT markers and cell cycle related factors through the FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway. It was inferred that mutated IL‐32θ modulates breast cancer progression. Mutated IL‐32θ (A94V) inhibited inflammation, EMT, and proliferation in breast cancer by regulating the NF‐κB (p65/p50) and FAK‐PI3K‐GSK3 pathways.
Application and evaluation of nine‐grid thinking model in biochemistry teaching
Authors: Huang Yan , Pei Jinhong , Wang Junmei , Li Xueqing , Li Yuna 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBiochemistry is an important professional course to undergraduates majoring in rehabilitation therapy in medical colleges and universities. To deepen students' understanding of the taught content, enhance their application ability and cultivate their high‐level thinking ability, we investigated the effect of integration of the nine‐grid thinking model into the teaching process. With the inline and divergence of relevant knowledge as the guiding ideology, students' understanding of knowledge points was deepened through thinking visualization. According to the questionnaire survey, 75% of the students believed that the application of the nine‐grid thinking model was an effective teaching method for improving the efficiency of teaching and enhancing the teaching effect. In addition, a team of four students from the investigated class were granted by the 2021 Shanxi University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program and awarded RMB 6000 as a research fund (20210563). According to them, the application of the nine‐grid thinking model in teaching is of great significance for cultivating students' higher‐order thinking ability. The findings of this study might provide a new, effective approach to college course teaching.
Achieving the circular economy through environmental policies: Packaging strategies for more sustainable business models in the wine industry
Authors: Mura Rita , Vicentini Francesca , Botti Ludovico Maria , Chiriacò Maria Vincenza 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe environmental and economic benefits of adopting a circular economy (CE) approach could be significant for firms. The CE and packaging constitute a fundamental binomial for our economy, yet there are still few studies of the advantages for food value chains, especially in the wine sector. Therefore, in this paper, we address this research gap by measuring the environmental and economic performance of a circular business model (CBM) adopting the wine industry as a reference. We apply a combination of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methods to a small Italian winemaking firm, which implements a circular strategy through the take‐back and refurbishment of wine packaging components. Results show that by implementing this sustainable and CBM, a firm can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 8 to 90% and save from 6 to 63% of its economic costs.
Accomplishing sustainable performance through leaders' competencies, green entrepreneurial orientation, and innovation in an emerging economy: Moderating role of institutional support
Authors: Ishaq Muhammad Ishtiaq , Sarwar Huma , Aftab Junaid , Franzoni Simona , Raza Ali 
Published: September 2023

AbstractImplementing sustainable initiatives requires a competent leader who can sense the importance of entrepreneurial opportunities to outperform their competitors using interpersonal and sustainable skills. Considering this, current research seeks the underlying role of green entrepreneurial orientation (GEO) and green innovation (GI) between leaders' competencies and sustainable performance in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) of an emerging economy. This paper also examines institutional support as a moderator between GI and sustainable performance. The data from 329 SMEs using multi‐respondent and time‐lagged strategies were collected and analyzed using “structural equation modeling.” The results demonstrate that leaders' competencies significantly predicted GEO and GI, while GI strongly influences economic performance. Additionally, the association between GI and sustainable performance is strengthened by institutional support. Theoretically, this study empirically tested that leaders' sustainable competencies can lead to GI and sustainable performance. For practitioners, this study proposes that institutional support is an important factor that should be properly exploited for better social, environmental, and economic performance.
SIRT2 inhibitor SirReal2 enhances anti‐tumor effects of PI3K/mTOR inhibitor VS‐5584 on acute myeloid leukemia cells
Authors: Luo Yiming , Zhao Haijun , Zhu Jingtao , Zhang Liyi , Zha Jie , Zhang Li , Ding Yi , Jian Xinyi , Xia Junjie , Xu Bing , Qi Zhongquan 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly aggressive form of cancer that is frequently diagnosed in adults and small molecule inhibitors have gained significant attention as a potential treatment option for AML.MethodsThe up‐regulated genes in AML were identified through bioinformatics analysis. Potential candidate agents were selected through pharmacogenomics analysis. Proteomic experiments were conducted to determine the molecular mechanism after inhibitor treatment. To evaluate drug synergy, both cellular functional experiments and an AML mouse model were used.ResultsThrough bioinformatics analysis, we conducted a screening for genes that are highly expressed in AML, which led to the identification of nine small‐molecule inhibitors. Among these inhibitors, the PI3K/mTOR inhibitor VS‐5584 demonstrated significant effectiveness in inhibiting AML cell proliferation at low concentrations. Further testing revealed that VS‐5584 induced apoptosis and cycle arrest of AML cells in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Proteomics analysis showed significant changes in protein expression profiles of AML cells after VS‐5584 treatment, with 287 proteins being down‐regulated and 71 proteins being up‐regulated. The proteins that exhibited differential expression were primarily involved in regulating the cell cycle and apoptosis, as determined by GO analysis. Additionally, KEGG analysis indicated that the administration of VS‐5584 predominantly affected the P53 and SIRT2 signaling pathways. The use of SIRT2 inhibitor SirReal2 alongside VS‐5584 caused a significant reduction in the half‐maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of VS‐5584 on AML cells. In vivo, experiments suggested that VS‐5584 combined with SirReal2 suppressed tumor growth in the subcutaneous model and extended the survival rate of mice injected with tumor cells via tail vein.ConclusionsTaken together, the PI3K/mTOR inhibitor VS‐5584 was effective in suppressing AML cell proliferation. PI3K/mTOR inhibitor combined with SIRT2 inhibitor exhibited a synergistic inhibitory effect on AML cells. Our findings offer promising therapeutic strategies and drug candidates for the treatment of AML.
Sulfone/Carbonyl‐Based Donor‐Acceptor Fluorescent Dyes: Synthesis, Structures, Photophysical Properties and Cell Imaging
Authors: Na Weidan , An Lei , Wu Qiong , Cai Keying , Ou Changjin , Zhuang Wenchang 
Published: September 2023

AbstractElectron‐accepting units play vital roles in constructing donor‐acceptor (D‐A) conjugated organic optoelectronic materials; the electronic structures and functions of the acceptors need to be carefully unveiled to controllably tailor the optoelectronic properties. We have synthesized two D‐A conjugated organic fluorophores, TPA‐SO and TPA‐CO, with similar molecular skeletons based on sulfone‐ or carbonyl‐containing polycyclic aromatic acceptors. Both TPA‐SO and TPA‐CO display obvious solvent polarity‐dependent photophysical properties and large Stokes shift of over 100 nm for strong intramolecular charge transfer processes. Experimental evidence indicates that the sulfone group in TPA‐SO merely serves as a strong electron‐withdrawing unit. TPA‐SO shows yellowish‐green emission with a peak at 542 nm and an absolute photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 98 % in solution, whereas the carbonyl group in TPA‐CO can act as both an electron‐withdrawing unit and spin transition convertor, so TPA‐CO displays red emission with a low absolute PLQY of 0.32 % in solution. Impressively, upon going from solution to aggregate state, TPA‐SO nanoparticles keep a high PLQY of 9.5 % and moderate biocompatibility, thus they are good nano‐agents for cellular fluorescence imaging. The results reveal that the inherent acceptor characteristic acts as a crucial effect in the photophysical properties and applications of the organic fluorophores.
Two‐Dimensional Living Supramolecular Polymerization: Improvement in Edge Roughness of Supramolecular Nanosheets by Using a Dummy Monomer
Authors: Jin Zhehui , Sasaki Norihiko , Kishida Natsuki , Takeuchi Masayuki , Wakayama Yutaka , Sugiyasu Kazunori 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSupramolecular polymers are formed through nucleation (i. e., initiation) and polymerization processes, and kinetic control over the nucleation process has recently led to the realization of living supramolecular polymerization. Changing the viewpoint, herein we focus on controlling the polymerization process, which we expect to pave the way to further developments in controlled supramolecular polymerization. In our previous study, two‐dimensional living supramolecular polymerization was used to produce supramolecular nanosheets with a controlled area; however, these had rough edges. In this study, the growth of the nanosheets was controlled by using a ‘dummy’ monomer to produce supramolecular nanosheets with smoothed edges.
Improving cancer prediction using feature selection in spark environment
Authors: Longkumer Imtisenla , Hussain Mazumder Dilwar 
Published: September 2023

AbstractCancer prediction from microarray‐based gene expression data has been subject to much research in recent years. Because of its vast number of features and relatively smaller sample sizes, feature selection becomes necessary for improving classification performance. Additionally, the characteristics of this malignant condition may often vary, providing a significant amount of data that requires additional time and resources to process. This research work proposes an Apache Spark‐based feature selection for microarray cancer classification. The first aim is to select only the optimal and necessary features obtained by the feature selector(information gain [IG] and correlation‐based feature selection [CFS]). Secondly, employ a distributed framework and observe the efficiency of the different feature selectors for classification. Finally, we evaluated our approach in terms of accuracy, precision, recall and ROC (AUC) using three classifiers: support vector machine (SVM), naive Bayes (NB), and decision tree (DT). The results reveal that the NB classifier outperformed in all the cases with IG as a feature selector.
Refugees and asylum seekers who have experienced trauma: Thematic synthesis of therapeutic boundary considerations
Authors: Davoren Niamh , McEleney Alice , Corcoran Santhi , Tierney Phelim , Fortune Dónal G. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractObjectiveTherapeutic boundaries are limits to appropriate behaviours within a therapist–client relationship (e.g. related to accepting gifts, self‐disclosures, therapist neutrality and advocacy). Therapeutic boundary considerations are fundamental in the care of refugees and asylum seekers. Research on the experiences of therapists navigating such boundaries is sparse and warrants further exploration. The aim of this qualitative systematic review was to thematically synthesise literature regarding therapists' (psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors) experiences of implementing flexible therapeutic boundaries with refugee and asylum seeker clients and determine how such applications have been helpful for therapeutic interventions.MethodSix databases were searched. Following full‐text screening, 21 papers were included in the analysis. Boundary theory underpinned the analysis.ResultsThree major themes were developed: (i) Changes to Therapeutic Practice & Therapeutic Intervention, (ii) Re‐Conceptualisation of Therapy as ‘Clinical Political’ and Re‐Conceptualisation of Therapist Identity and (iii) Careful Monitoring of Personal Boundaries—Not becoming ‘Hardened’ or ‘Haunted’. Papers described how, when used in a reflective, considerate way, flexible therapeutic boundaries can strengthen the therapist–client alliance and positively impact therapeutic interventions. Many therapists acknowledged making conscious efforts to re‐conceptualise therapeutic work with refugee and asylum seeker clients from advocacy standpoints. However, systemic constraints, and lack of guidance, made this difficult to navigate and contributed to therapist burn‐out.ConclusionsBoundary considerations manifested as interpersonal, structural and cultural changes to practice. These have implications for clinical practice and developing guidelines on boundary practices with refugees and asylum seekers. Future research should explore promoting therapist well‐being and training needs for therapists supporting this population.