bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preparation and characterization of acetylated starch mediated silver nanoparticles: The effect of solution ratio and time-varying exposure
Authors: Tarmizi Zatil Izzah , Burhanuddin Muhammad Fahmi Burhan , Shahrul Mohd , Mokhtar Mohamad Aizad Mohd , Zhe Justin Chan , Taib Siti Husnaa Mohd , Sukri Siti Nur Amalina 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Plastic packaging is widely used in food industry to protect and maintain food freshness. However, plastic packaging also contributes to solid waste problem and can become the contamination area of microbial activities which in turn affecting the shelf-life of the food product and may causing food-borne illness towards consumer. Thus, the demands on biodegradable polymer as plastic packaging has grown widely especially among the food industry. The employment of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can improve physical properties of biopolymer as well as promoting antimicrobial properties on the plastic packaging. The aim of this study is to synthesize of AgNPs by utilising acetylated starch (AS) as reducing agent with different parameters via microwave irradiation method. The effect of different ratio of acetylated starch and microwave time-varying exposure is evaluated. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized via UV-VIS spectroscopy (UV-VIS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis. The absorbance peak emerges at 420nm on UV-VIS shows that silver nanoparticles is successfully produced. 15 minutes microwave time exposure and 1:1 ratio is identified as the optimum condition to produce silver nanoparticles. The peak emerges on FTIR spectra shows the involvement of starch in reduction process in synthesizing AgNPs. The XRD results shows the amorphous structure of starch and crystalline peak of silver appear in 2Θ regions 37.4°, 43.4°, 63.1° and 75.7°. In conclusion, the significant outcome from the study is the AgNPs were successfully synthesized via microwave irradiation method and be a function of time varying exposure and acetylated starch ratio.
Evaluation of physically modified kenaf core adsorbent for carbon dioxide adsorptive study
Authors: Nurhidayah A , Zaini N , Zulhaziman M , Salleh M , Zulbadli N , Mohamad Noor Ashikin , Ezaty S N , Shafie N S , Sahri Dzulkarnain Mohd , Mohd Najib Siti Sarah Aliah 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
This paper evaluates on the capability of kenaf core (Hibiscus CannabinusL.) material as the proposed solid adsorbent for CO2 adsorption study via physical treatment modification. The proposed physical treatment was successfully conducted by undergoing two stages of carbonization and activation treatment to improve the pore development structure of the material. The carbonized kenaf core (CKC) was prepared by carbonizing the raw kenaf core (RKC) at 800°C with constant nitrogen flow for 5 hours. Activation process took placed by impregnating KOH in the furnace with alternately switching to CO2 up to 800C for 2 hours. The morphological and structural characterization studies were conducted using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The CO2 adsorption process was carried in the gravimetric analyzer by varying the effect of bed pressure and gas flowrate. This study revealed that the AKC has the highest CO2 adsorption capacity of 1.70 mmol/g (1 bar) and 2.85 mmol/g (30 bar). Based on the morphology, AKC demonstrated better small micropore development that helps in providing a larger adsorption site; hence attributes to the higher CO2 adsorption capacity. This study contributes to the development of knowledge on enhancing the CO2 adsorption on the physically-modified kenaf core material that would be used as an alternative material for CO2 adsorbent.
Environmental impact hotspots of an integrated wet anaerobic digestion through life cycle assessment for food waste management
Authors: Abu R , Aziz M A A , Hassan C H C , Noor Z Z , Jalil R A 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Wet anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the most widely implemented systems that valorize food waste (FW) for biogas production. Despite the undeniable AD benefits, the environmental impact of AD could differ depending on the biogas systems used. This article examines the hotspots on environmental impact of FW management such as global warming and ozone depletion based on integrated wet AD by utilizing a life cycle assessment approach. The integrated wet AD scenario in this study is a technology that combines wet AD, aerobic windrow composting and a landfill. The scenario modelling was accomplished by applying GaBi v6.0 software with 1 ton of pre-treated FW as a functional unit, and the analysis was based on the ReCiPe (H) v1.07 characterization technique. At the midpoint level, it was observed that the integrated wet AD presented the most significant environmental impact in terms of ionizing radiation (1.4×100 kg U235-eq), followed by water depletion (1.11×103 m3-eq), global warming (6.27×102 kg CO2-eq), fossil depletion (2.18×102 kg oil-eq) and human toxicity (2.89×101 kg 1,4-DB-eq). The disadvantages of the integrated wet AD in global warming were associated with CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions from the energy used for process treatment and fossil fuels during transportation, primarily in landfill activities, followed by wet AD and aerobic windrow composting stages. Regarding single-score indicators, integrated wet AD presented the most resource damaging impact (3.50×103 Pt), mainly due to fossil depletion. This study emphasizes the necessity of reducing the life cycle consequences related to CH4, N2O and NH3 emissions throughout the decomposition process in integrated wet AD, particularly landfill activities.
Enhancing proton conductivity on polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane doped acid
Authors: Daud Nur Anati Bazilah 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
This study provides various condition for acid doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane which giving the best proton conductivity result with respect to the High Temperature-Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (HT-PEMFC). A highly phosphonated polymer membrane based on acid-base complex membrane system was introduced where phytic acid (PyA) was chosen as an acid doping instead of phosphoric acid (PA) due to its properties of having high phosphate group content and ability to participate in H bonding interactions with the functionalities in PBI matrix. By introducing this PBI/phytic acid membrane helped to overcome the issues arise from PBI/PA membrane system especially on acid leaching problem. In this study, a simple and cost effective technique on porous PBI membrane fabrication and acid doping condition were employed to search an optimum acid-doping level and to further improve the stability and durability of the membrane.
A short review on Ni-based catalyst supporter for carbon monoxide (CO) methanation process
Authors: Hatta A.H. , Jalil A.A. , Hassan N.S. , Hamid M.Y.S. , Rahman A.F.A. , Aziz M.A.H. 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Since the discovery of methane synthesis by the interaction between carbon oxide and hydrogen by Sabatier and Senderens in 1902, the methanation reaction has been extensively established and is frequently utilized in chemical manufacturing, comprising the elimination of trace quantities of CO from feed gas containing a rich amount of hydrogen, refining of the reformate gas for fuel cells, and production of new energy sources, which is synthetic natural gas (SNG). It is feasible for SNG to be carried and distributed using the present pipeline infrastructure, which is favourable from a cost-effectiveness standpoint. Since CO methanation is highly exothermic, the development of exceedingly effective catalysts with promising activity in the CO methanation process is essential to address this problem. Because of their economical price and high catalytic performance, nickel-based catalysts have been extensively studied as CO methanation catalysts. Coke deposition and Ni sintering invariably occur on Ni-based catalysts, and these catalysts also have inadequate low-temperature activity and stabilities. So, the advancement of exceedingly effective nickel-based catalysts with outstanding low-temperature catalytic capabilities has emerged as the primary research attention as well as a significant technical encounter in this sector. This brief overview covers recent developments for a supporter for extremely efficient nickel-based catalysts for CO methanation.
A simple and scalable 3D printing methodology for generating aligned and extended human and murine skeletal muscle tissues
Authors: Cakal Selgin D , Radeke Carmen , Alcala Juan F , Ellman Ditte G , Butdayev Sarkhan , Andersen Ditte C , Calloe Kirstine , Lind Johan U 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Preclinical biomedical and pharmaceutical research on disease causes, drug targets, and side effects increasingly relies on in vitro models of human tissue. 3D printing offers unique opportunities for generating models of superior physiological accuracy, as well as for automating their fabrication. Towards these goals, we here describe a simple and scalable methodology for generating physiologically relevant models of skeletal muscle. Our approach relies on dual-material micro-extrusion of two types of gelatin hydrogel into patterned soft substrates with locally alternating stiffness. We identify minimally complex patterns capable of guiding the large-scale self-assembly of aligned, extended, and contractile human and murine skeletal myotubes. Interestingly, we find high-resolution patterning is not required, as even patterns with feature sizes of several hundred micrometers is sufficient. Consequently, the procedure is rapid and compatible with any low-cost extrusion-based 3D printer. The generated myotubes easily span several millimeters, and various myotube patterns can be generated in a predictable and reproducible manner. The compliant nature and adjustable thickness of the hydrogel substrates, serves to enable extended culture of contractile myotubes. The method is further readily compatible with standard cell-culturing platforms as well as commercially available electrodes for electrically induced exercise and monitoring of the myotubes.
Correlation of theophylline levels in rat exhaled breath and lung tissue after its intravenous injection
Authors: Matsushima Miyoko , Tanihata Souma , Kusakabe Junpei , Okahira Momoha , Ito Hiroshi , Yamamoto Atsushi , Yamamoto Masanori , Yamamoto Ryohei , Kawabe Tsutomu 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
It is important to know the drug level in the target tissue to determine its dose. Some methods rely on blood levels of a drug to estimate its concentration in the tissues, which can be inaccurate. We thought that drug levels in exhaled breath aerosol (EBA) to give a more accurate value of the level of a test drug in the lung. Rats were intravenously injected with the bronchodilator theophylline and exhaled breath was collected up to 10–20 min after administration. Immediately after breath collection, lung, liver, kidney, and blood were collected and the pharmacokinetics were examined using these samples. Awake free-moving rats were used to efficiently collect exhaled breath from rats with low tidal volume. The amount of exhaled breath of rats was estimated by the amount of exhaled water vapor, and the drug concentration in exhaled breath sample was expressed by the amount of water vapor as the denominator. By using the active sampling method in which the adsorbent is sucked by a pump, theophylline in rat exhaled breath could be measured accurately. When the correlation of theophylline concentration in each sample was examined, a high correlation (r
2 = 0.74) was found only in exhaled breath and lung tissue. EBA was considered better than blood in pharmacokinetic analysis of lung tissue.
Review on long afterglow nanophosphors, their mechanism and its application in round-the-clock working photocatalysis
Authors: Bidwai Dipti , Kumar Sahu Niroj , Dhoble S J , Mahajan Ashutosh , Haranath D , Swati G 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Semiconductor assisted photocatalysis is one of the most efficient methods for the degradation of complex organic dyes. A major limiting factor of semiconductor assisted photocatalysis is the requirement of a continuous source of light to perform a redox reaction. One of the upcoming solutions is photon energy-storing long afterglow/persistent phosphors. They are an unusual kind of rechargeable, photon energy capturing/trapping phosphors that can trap charge carriers (electrons/holes) in their meta-stable energy levels, thereby resulting in persistent luminescence. Persistence luminescence from such materials can range from minutes to hours. The coupling of long afterglow phosphors (LAP) with the conventional semiconductor is a promising way to support the photocatalytic process even in dark. In addition, dissimilar band structures of LAPs and semiconductor results in formation of heterojunction which further suppresses the recombination of charge. Such an encouraging idea of LAP for round-the-clock working photocatalytic system is in its premature stage; which is required to be investigated fully. Thus, we present a state-of-art review on the potential materials for assisting round-the-clock photocatalysis, trapping-detrapping mechanism in LAP materials, fabrication strategies and their associated characterization tools. Review also covers LAP materials and their photocatalytic mechanism briefly.
Electrical property and phase transition analysis of KNN-based lead-free ferroelectric films
Authors: Li Teng , Dai Song , Xu Liqiang , Liu Yiwen , Zhuo Hao , Wang Ke , Wang Haifeng , Chen Feng 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
The electrical properties, phase construction, thermal stability and phase transition behavior are investigated in 0.95(K0.49Na0.49Li0.02)(Ta0.2Nb0.8)O3–0.05BaZrO3 with 2 wt% MnO2 (KNNLT-BZM) lead-free epitaxial ferroelectric film on LaNiO3 (LNO)-coated SrTiO3 (STO) (001) substrate. The x-ray diffraction results show that a mixed orthorhombic (O) and tetragonal (T) phase is obtained in KNNLT-BZM film. The MnO2 doping can effectively suppress its leakage current, which greatly improves the electrical performance featured by a lower leakage value of 8 × 10–11 A cm−2, a twice remnant polarization of 44.7 μC cm−2, and frequency-dependent ferroelectricity between 50 Hz and 10 kHz. Strikingly, the KNNLT-BZM film maintained ferroelectric nature up to 200 °C, and exhibit a phase transition from O + T mixed phase to T phase (T
Mix-T) at 300 °C with a high Curie temperature above 440 °C. These results suggest great application potentials of KNN-based films in lead-free micro-electronic devices.
Second-order fear conditioning involves formation of competing stimulus-danger and stimulus-safety associations
Authors: Fam Justine , Chieng Billy , Westbrook R Frederick , Laurent Vincent , Holmes Nathan M 
Published: April 2022

AbstractHow do animals process experiences that provide contradictory information? The present study addressed this question using second-order fear conditioning in rats. In second-order conditioning, rats are conditioned to fear a stimulus, S1, through its pairings with foot-shock (stage 1); and some days later, a second stimulus, S2, through its pairings with the already-conditioned S1 (stage 2). However, as foot-shock is never presented during conditioning to S2, we hypothesized that S2 simultaneously encodes 2 contradictory associations: one that drives fear to S2 (S2-danger) and another that reflects the absence of the expected unconditioned stimulus and partially masks that fear (e.g. S2-safety). We tested this hypothesis by manipulating the substrates of danger and safety learning in the brain (using a chemogenetic approach) and assessing the consequences for second-order fear to S2. Critically, silencing activity in the basolateral amygdala (important for danger learning) reduced fear to S2, whereas silencing activity in the infralimbic cortex (important for safety learning) enhanced fear to S2. These bidirectional changes are consistent with our hypothesis that second-order fear conditioning involves the formation of competing S2-danger and S2-safety associations. More generally, they show that a single set of experiences can produce contradictory associations and that the brain resolves the contradiction by encoding these associations in distinct brain regions.
Distinct but cooperating brain networks supporting semantic cognition
Authors: Jung JeYoung , Lambon Ralph Matthew A 
Published: April 2022

AbstractSemantic cognition is a complex multifaceted brain function involving multiple processes including sensory, semantic, and domain-general cognitive systems. However, it remains unclear how these systems cooperate with each other to achieve effective semantic cognition. Here, we used independent component analysis (ICA) to investigate the functional brain networks that support semantic cognition. We used a semantic judgment task and a pattern-matching control task, each with 2 levels of difficulty, to disentangle task-specific networks from domain-general networks. ICA revealed 2 task-specific networks (the left-lateralized semantic network [SN] and a bilateral, extended semantic network [ESN]) and domain-general networks including the frontoparietal network (FPN) and default mode network (DMN). SN was coupled with the ESN and FPN but decoupled from the DMN, whereas the ESN was synchronized with the FPN alone and did not show a decoupling with the DMN. The degree of decoupling between the SN and DMN was associated with semantic task performance, with the strongest decoupling for the poorest performing participants. Our findings suggest that human higher cognition is achieved by the multiple brain networks, serving distinct and shared cognitive functions depending on task demands, and that the neural dynamics between these networks may be crucial for efficient semantic cognition.
Unsuspected Clonal Spread of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Causing Bloodstream Infections in Hospitalized Adults Detected Using Whole Genome Sequencing
Authors: Talbot Brooke M , Jacko Natasia F , Petit Robert A , Pegues David A , Shumaker Margot J , Read Timothy D , David Michael Z 
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Background
Though detection of transmission clusters of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections is a priority for infection control personnel in hospitals, the transmission dynamics of MRSA among hospitalized patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) has not been thoroughly studied. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of MRSA isolates for surveillance is valuable for detecting outbreaks in hospitals, but the bioinformatic approaches used are diverse and difficult to compare.

Methods
We combined short-read WGS with genotypic, phenotypic, and epidemiological characteristics of 106 MRSA BSI isolates collected for routine microbiological diagnosis from inpatients in 2 hospitals over 12 months. Clinical data and hospitalization history were abstracted from electronic medical records. We compared 3 genome sequence alignment strategies to assess similarity in cluster ascertainment. We conducted logistic regression to measure the probability of predicting prior hospital overlap between clustered patient isolates by the genetic distance of their isolates.

Results
While the 3 alignment approaches detected similar results, they showed some variation. A gene family–based alignment pipeline was most consistent across MRSA clonal complexes. We identified 9 unique clusters of closely related BSI isolates. Most BSIs were healthcare associated and community onset. Our logistic model showed that with 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, the likelihood that any 2 patients in a cluster had overlapped in a hospital was 50%.

Conclusions
Multiple clusters of closely related MRSA isolates can be identified using WGS among strains cultured from BSI in 2 hospitals. Genomic clustering of these infections suggests that transmission resulted from a mix of community spread and healthcare exposures long before BSI diagnosis.
Financialised capitalism and the subordination of emerging capitalist economies
Authors: Bonizzi Bruno , Kaltenbrunner Annina , Powell Jeff 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
The variegated experiences of financialisation in Emerging Capitalist Economies (ECEs) require a theory of global structural transformation in which these appearances can be located. Such a transformation can be found in the substantive advancement of the internationalisation of the circuits of capital, marking the passage into a new stage of financialised capitalism. In this new stage, finance has taken the concrete form of a US dollar market-based system, while production is carried out through global production networks. The confluence of these new realities has impacted both the size and the nature of the transfer of value from subordinate regions. An increasing share of this transferred value is captured by finance, both as reward for services rendered and as opportunities for expropriation have proliferated. In financialised capitalism, ECEs are cast in a subordinate position in relation to the extraction, realisation, and ‘storage’ of value, and the agency of their public and private agents is severely constrained.
Induction immunosuppression and outcome in kidney transplant recipients with early COVID-19 after transplantation
Authors: Toapanta Néstor , Jiménez Sara , Molina-Gómez María , Maruri-Kareaga Naroa , Llinàs-Mallol Laura , Villanego Florentino , Facundo Carme , Rodríguez-Ferrero Marisa , Montero Nuria , Vázquez-Sanchez Teresa , Gutiérrez-Dalmau Alex , Beneyto Isabel , Franco Antonio , Hernández-Vicente Ana , Pérez-Tamajon M Lourdes , Martin Paloma , Ramos-Verde Ana María , Castañeda Zaira , Bestard Oriol , Moreso Francesc 
Published: April 2022

Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in kidney transplant recipients has a high risk of complications and mortality, especially in older recipients diagnosed during the early period after transplantation. Management of immunosuppression has been challenging during the pandemic. We investigated the impact of induction immunosuppression, either basiliximab or thymoglobulin, on the clinical evolution of kidney transplant recipients developing COVID-19 during the early period after transplantation. We included kidney transplant recipients with ˂6 months with a functioning graft diagnosed with COVID-19 from the initial pandemic outbreak (March 2020) until 31 July 2021 from different Spanish centres participating in a nationwide registry. A total of 127 patients from 17 Spanish centres developed COVID-19 during the first 6 months after transplantation; 73 (57.5%) received basiliximab and 54 (42.5%) thymoglobulin. Demographics were not different between groups but patients receiving thymoglobulin were more sensitized [calculated panel reactive antibodies (cPRAs) 32.7 ± 40.8% versus 5.6 ± 18.5%] and were more frequently retransplants (30% versus 4%). Recipients ˃65 years of age treated with thymoglobulin showed the highest rate of acute respiratory distress syndrome [64.7% versus 37.1% for older recipients receiving thymoglobulin and basiliximab (P &lt; .05), respectively, and 23.7% and 18.9% for young recipients receiving basiliximab and thymoglobulin (P &gt; .05)], respectively, and the poorest survival [mortality rate 64.7% and 42.9% for older recipients treated with thymoglobulin and basiliximab, respectively (P &lt; .05) and 8.1% and 10.5% for young recipients treated with thymoglobulin and basiliximab (P &gt; .05), respectively]. Older recipients treated with thymoglobulin showed the poorest survival in the Cox regression model adjusted for comorbidities. Thus thymoglobulin should be used with caution in older recipients during the present pandemic era.