Reactive Ones Research Articles

A Reaction-Based Approach to Colorimetric Detection of Organic Analytes in Water Using a Chlorine-Containing Carbocyanine Dye and Hypochlorite

Water quality control employs techniques mostly targeting individual analytes; group detection is also practiced, but the choice of group methods is limited, which supports interest in developing such methods. We have examined the interaction of hypochlorite with a chlorine-containing heptamethine carbocyanine dye in the presence of 30 organic and inorganic model analytes that were found to induce diverse color changes in the system. The main supposed mechanisms are retardation of the dye oxidation with hypochlorite (presumably by scavenging chlorine radicals) and substitution of chlorine atom in the dye by the most nucleophilic analytes (amines, amino acids, proteins, DNA, phenol). The grass-green substitution product is more contrastingly visible against the dark-purple hypochlorite oxidation product of the dye than against the original emerald-green dye. The indicator reaction is monitored photographically for 10–40 min and the images are processed using principal component analysis (PCA) or linear discriminant analysis (LDA), allowing for data convolution for the complex color transitions. Nitrogen compounds are discriminated from the others, and more reactive analytes (tryptophan, cysteine, bovine serum albumin, and DNA) are detected in the presence of less reactive ones in natural water. The system is promising for the development of group assays for dissolved organic matter and the discrimination of water samples.

Framing the human rights curriculum in American social work education

ABSTRACT In this paper, the authors take the position that human rights are not a principal discipline of American social work. Rather, within the United States, social work is a profession that makes the fulfillment of human needs its principal focus. The authors offer methods to prepare social work students for rights-based practice, a product of their work in educating social work students in global human rights over the past decade and in undertaking research. The authors consider the importance of the Capability Approach as an overarching framework guiding human rights education in social work. Using the author’s experiences, review of key documents, and two approaches to human rights practice, proactive and reactive ones, to teach relevant content, the authors offer a framework guiding human rights education in American social work. By drawing from documents pertaining to the global human rights movement, the authors examine key ideas, practices, and institutions that constitute the human rights movement internationally. The authors conclude by identifying pedagogical approaches that can assist social work students in learning about human rights practice, theoretically and experientially, with an emphasis on preventing rights violations and on responding effectively during and after these violations occur.

Harnessing Cooperative Multivalency in Thioguanine for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)-Based Differentiation of Polyfunctional Analytes Differing by a Single Functional Group.

Small-molecule receptors are increasingly employed to probe various functional groups for (bio)chemical analysis. However, differentiation of polyfunctional analogs sharing multiple functional groups remains challenging for conventional mono- and bidentate receptors because their insufficient number of binding sites limits interactions with the least reactive yet property-determining functional group. Herein, we introduce 6-thioguanine (TG) as a supramolecular receptor for unique tridentate receptor-analyte complexation, achieving ≥97 % identification accuracy among 16 polyfunctional analogs across three classes: glycerol derivatives, disubstituted propane, and vicinal diols. Crucially, we demonstrate distinct spectral changes induced by the tridentate interaction between TG's three anchoring points and all the analyte's functional groups, even the least reactive ones. Notably, hydrogen bond (H-bond) networks formed in the TG-analyte complexes demonstrate additive effects in binding strength originating from good bond linearity, cooperativity, and resonance, thus strengthening complexation events and amplifying the differences in spectral changes induced among analytes. It also enhances spectral consistency by selectively forming a sole configuration that is stronger than the respective analyte-analyte interaction. Finally, we achieve 95.4 % accuracy for multiplex identification of a mixture consisting of multiple polyfunctional analogs. We envisage that extension to other multidentate non-covalent interactions enables the development of interference-free small molecule-based sensors for various (bio)chemical analysis applications.

Electron Nuclear Dynamics of H+ + C2H2 at ELab = 30, 200, and 450 eV.

We present a complete simplest-level electron nuclear dynamics (SLEND) investigation of H+ + C2H2 at collision energies ELab = 30, 200, and 450 eV. This reaction is relevant in astrophysics and provides a computationally feasible prototype for proton cancer therapy reactions. SLEND is a time-dependent, variational, direct, and nonadiabatic method that adopts a classical-mechanics description for the nuclei and a Thouless single-determinantal wave function for the electrons. We perform this study with our code PACE, which incorporates the One Electron Direct/Electron Repulsion Direct (OED/ERD) atomic integrals package developed by the Bartlett group. Current SLEND simulations with the 6-31G** basis set involves 2,646 trajectory calculations from 9 nonredundant, symmetry-inequivalent projectile-target orientations. For H+ + C2H2 at ELab = 30 eV, SLEND/6-31G** simulations predict one simple scattering process, and three reactive ones: C2H2 hydrogen substitution, C2H2 fragmentation into two CH moieties, and C2H2 fragmentation into CHC and H moieties, respectively. We reveal and analyze the mechanisms of these processes through computer animations; this valuable chemical information is inaccessible by experiments. The SLEND/6-31G** scattering angle functions exhibit primary and secondary rainbow scattering features that vary with the projectile-target orientations and collision energies. SLEND/6-31G** predicts 1-electron-transfer (1-ET) integral cross sections at ELab = 30, 200, and 450 eV in good agreement with their experimental counterparts. SLEND/6-31-G** predicts 1-ET differential cross sections (DCSs) at ELab = 30 eV that agree well with their experimental counterparts over all the measured scattering angles. In addition, SLEND/6-31G** predicts 0-ET DCSs at ELab = 30 eV that agree well with their experimental counterparts at low scattering angles, but less satisfactorily at higher ones. Remarkably, both the 0- and 1-ET DCSs from SLEND/6-31G** exhibit distinct primary rainbow scattering signatures in excellent agreement with their experimentally inferred counterparts. Furthermore, both SLEND/6-31G** and the experiment indicate that the primary rainbow scattering angles from the 0- and 1-ET DCSs are identical (an unusual fact in proton-molecule collisions). Through these rainbow scattering predictions, SLEND has also validated a procedure to extract primary rainbow angles from structureless DCSs. We analyze the obtained theoretical results in comparison with available experimental data and discuss forthcoming developments in the SLEND method.

Depopulation as a Long-term Policy Problem: From Dilemmas to Strategies

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The scientific objective of this article is to analyse strategies for urban decision-makers to address the dilemmas of depopulation. The theoretical framework for the article is the typology of long-term policy problem-solving dilemmas by Pot et al. (2022). THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The authors answer the question of how public administration officials are responding to the challenge of regional depopulation, what dilemmas they face in the process, and whether patterns can be detected in their preferred solutions. To answer these questions, the authors rely on qualitative research findings ‒ in-depth interviews (IDI) performed with mayors of Polish cities liable to depopulation and their direct subordinates. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: How policymakers navigate specific long-term challenges is contingent upon, inter alia, their resolution of the ensuing pivotal dilemmas. RESEARCH RESULTS: The strategies followed by municipalities are strongly affected by contextual factors inclusive of the monetary scenario, the character of the metropolis and its hyperlinks with other city centres, the connection with the government, or even the management style represented by means of the mayor. An aggregate of 3 styles seems to predominate, i.e. making an investment in targets, the responsive, and the reactive ones. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Two challenges, which we call meta-dilemmas, are particularly relevant for local government in Poland: the meta-dilemma of defining the functions of local government and the dilemma of agency. Resolving them determines the decision of policy when dealing with strategic dilemmas.

Harnessing Cooperative Multivalency in Thioguanine for SERS Differentiation of Polyfunctional Analytes Differing by Single Functional Group

Small‐molecule receptors are increasingly employed to probe various functional groups for (bio)chemical analysis. However, differentiation of polyfunctional analogs sharing multiple functional groups remains challenging for conventional mono‐ and bidentate receptors because their insufficient number of binding sites limits interactions with the least reactive yet property‐determining functional group. Herein, we introduce 6‐thioguanine (TG) as a supramolecular receptor for unique tridentate receptor‐analyte complexation,achieving ≥ 95% identification accuracy among 16 polyfunctional analogs across three scenarios: glycerol derivatives, disubstituted propanes, and vicinal diols. Crucially, we demonstrate distinct spectral changes induced by the tridentate interaction between TG’s three anchoring points and all the analyte’s functional groups, even the least reactive ones. Notably, H‐bond networks formed in the TG‐analyte complexes demonstrate additive effect in binding strength originating from good bond linearity, cooperativity, and resonance, thus strengthens complexation events and amplifies the differences in spectral changes induced among analytes. It also enhances spectral consistency by selectively form a sole configuration that is stronger than the respective analyte‐analyte interaction. Finally, we achieve 95.4% accuracy for multiplex identification of a mixture consisting of multiple polyfunctional analogs. We envisage that extension to other multidentate non‐covalent interactions enables the development of interference‐free small molecule‐based sensors for various (bio)chemical analysis applications.

Do green bond issuers walk the talk? Exploring the alignment between green bond issuance and subsequent green investment

Green bonds are increasingly important as they are closely linked to climate change. However, there is a paucity of empirical knowledge regarding the effectiveness of green bonds in stimulating issuers’ environmental engagement. Employing data of Chinese A-share listed firms during 2010–2021, we examine the impact of green bond issuance on corporate green investment. Our results show that green bonds are effective in supporting green investment, which persists even after a series of robustness tests. The above promotion effect predominantly originates from the supervision and resource effects of green bonds. Additional analysis reveals that repeated issuance of green bonds continues to positively impact green investment. When discussing the heterogeneous purposes of green bonds, we observe that only those issued for green governance purposes resulted in increased green investment. Subsequently, we distinguish the types of green investment, suggesting that green bonds encourage proactive green investment over reactive ones. Moreover, green bonds exert both the industry spillover effect and the performance increment effect. These findings not only provide valuable references for evaluating the effectiveness of green financing policies but also offer instructive implications for green bond issuers, investors, and regulators.

Differential effects of ocean warming and BDE-47 on mussels with various personalities

Marine warming and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) pollution are two of the most concerning environmental problems in recent years. However, the impact of their co-occurrence on marine bivalves and the tolerance of bivalves with different traits remain unknown. In this study, thick shell mussels Mytilus coruscus were divided into two personalities according to individual feeding and byssus growth. The reliability of the classification was validated by respiration, self-organization, and post-stress behavior. Then, the survival rate, hemolymph immunity, and digestive glands oxidase activity of classified mussels were evaluated after 21 days of compound exposure to warming and BDE-47. The results showed that mussels could be divided into proactive and reactive types consistently. Compared to reactive mussels, proactive mussels exhibited some traits, such as faster food recovery, more byssus growth, higher metabolic rate, and more efficient clustering. Both single or combined warming and BDE-47 exposure impacted the individual survival, hemolymph, and antioxidase of mussels. Notably, the negative impacts of BDE-47 were exacerbated by warming. Moreover, proactive mussels displayed better adaptability with higher survival rates along with less damage to hemolymph immunity and antioxidant ability compared to reactive ones when facing environmental challenges. This study highlights potential risks associated with the coexistence of marine warming and PBDEs pollution while demonstrating differential fitness among individuals with distinct personalities.

Rational Design of Fe-Based Layered Double Hydroxide for Water Oxidation: Molecular and Cationic Engineering

Nowadays, in the field of electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction, Fe-based LDHs stand out as one of the best oxygen evolution reactions (OER) electrocatalysts in alkaline conditions. In the attempt to improve the electrochemical performance of Fe-LDHs-based electrodes, many approaches have been reported.[1] Beyond these, interlayer space, Fe-clustering and covalent functionalization have been not explored, being the last two synthetic challenges within the field of LDHs.On the one hand, to explore the influence of interlayer space in the behaviour of Fe–LDHs as an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst, we develop a family of NiFe-LDHs with the same metal composition, morphology, and dimensions and different alkyl sulfate to reach extreme ranges of basal spacing (from 8 to 32 Å). Increasing the basal space of the LDH results in a higher electrochemical surface area and a reduction of the resistance related to the chemisorption of oxygen leading to better kinetic behaviour. Indeed, the Tafel slope for the NiFe–LDHs with the highest basal space studied is similar to that obtained for exfoliated NiFe nanosheets and shows better stability as a consequence of the tridimensional robustness of the hybrid material.[2]On the other hand, to shed light on the influence of Fe-clustering on the OER performance, firstly, we have selected MgFe-based LDHs phases as model systems. By optimization of a hydrothermal method based on triethanolamine different Fe-clustering degree has been achieved, and thanks to the diamagnetic behaviour of Mg, a simple magnetic characterisation allows us to identify the Fe-clustering degree. Nevertheless, both samples behave identically in terms of OER performance when glassy carbon electrodes are used. Surprisingly, striking differences arise when the samples are tested on nickel foam. Specifically, the sample exhibiting the lower Fe-clustering behaves as a better electrocatalyst with a reduction of the overpotential values of more than 50 mV to reach 100 mA/cm2, as a consequence of a favoured surface transformation of MgFe-LDHs phases into more reactive oxyhydroxide NiFe-based ones during the electrochemical tests. [3] To extend our study to NiFe-LDH, we have successfully synthesized high-clustering nanometric NiFe-LDHs using a scalable synthesis approach. This synthetic protocol has allowed us to obtain a significantly higher concentration of approximately 100 g/L of our materials, which is almost two orders of magnitude larger than current state-of-the-art synthetic methods. Importantly, the Fe-clustering of this scale-up NiFe-LDH results in improved electrochemical performance compared to traditionally synthesized NiFe-LDH/FeOOH across various current density ranges and different electrochemical setups, including rotatory disk electrode (RDE) and Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer (AEMWE), with testing conducted up to a current density of 3 A·cm-2. For instance, the overpotential at 2.5 A·cm-2 for the scale-up NiFe-LDHs is measured at 1.96 V, whereas the traditionally synthesized NiFe-LDH/FeOOH exhibit a higher overpotential of 2.18 V. [4]Last but not least, the covalent functionalization of LDHs has been explored to enhance their processability and stability as an electrocatalyst, for this, we develop for the first time the covalent functionalization of Fe-LDHs beyond silane-based molecules due to the reversible character of this bond in alkaline media. By a modified hydrothermal method from Kuroda et al. [5], the covalent functionalization of NiFe-LDHs with tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (Tris) was performed. The NiFe-Tris LDH were fully characterized to identify the structural differences with a bare LDH. At the same time, the stability of the covalent functionalization in basic media was proved. Interestingly, the Tris molecule anchored to LDHs increases the electrocatalytic stability in absence of binder material. Thus, after 40 hours of the OER, the overpotential increase is 37% lower in the NiFe@Tris than in the NiFe-Cl@bare. To check the origin of this overpotential decrease, ICP analysis of electrolytes pre-treated with acid after the stability test was performed. A reduction of 27% and 17% of Ni and Fe respectively is observed in the electrolyte for functionalized samples. Consequently, it is demonstrated that, regardless of the decomposition process (detachment or dissolution), the NiFe-LDH functionalized presents greater stability.[6]Overall, we demonstrated that the rational design of LDHs can enhance catalytic activity and stability for their use as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction.

Cybersecurity discussions in Stack Overflow: a developer-centred analysis of engagement and self-disclosure behaviour

Stack Overflow (SO) is a popular platform among developers seeking advice on various software-related topics, including privacy and security. As for many knowledge-sharing websites, the value of SO depends largely on users’ engagement, namely their willingness to answer, comment or post technical questions. Still, many of these questions (including cybersecurity-related ones) remain unanswered, putting the site’s relevance and reputation into jeopardy. Hence, it is important to understand users’ participation in privacy and security discussions to promote engagement and foster the exchange of such expertise. Objective: Based on prior findings on online social networks, this work elaborates on the interplay between users’ engagement and their privacy practices in SO. Particularly, it analyses developers’ self-disclosure behaviour regarding profile visibility and their involvement in discussions related to privacy and security. Method: We followed a mixed-methods approach by (i) analysing SO data from 1239 cybersecurity-tagged questions along with 7048 user profiles, and (ii) conducting an anonymous online survey (N=64). Results: About 33% of the questions we retrieved had no answer, whereas more than 50% had no accepted answer. We observed that proactive users tend to disclose significantly less information in their profiles than reactive and unengaged ones. However, no correlations were found between these engagement categories and privacy-related constructs such as perceived control or general privacy concerns. Implications: These findings contribute to (i) a better understanding of developers’ engagement towards privacy and security topics, and (ii) to shape strategies promoting the exchange of cybersecurity expertise in SO.

Internal alkali transport in recycling concrete and its impact on alkali-silica reaction

Recycling concrete (RC) produced with recycled aggregates (RA) obtained from demolished concrete structures bears the risk of an alkali-silica reaction (ASR). In this study, the interplay between aggregate reactivity and alkalis contributed by the cement and the RA is investigated. Three sets of concrete mixtures are produced using RA and natural aggregates, both reactive and non-reactive ones. Caesium either present in the RA or in the mixing water of the RC is used to trace the transport of alkalis and their incorporation in ASR products. The result shows that alkali released by RA can intensify ASR. On the other hand, ASR in RA with a low alkali content but reactive aggregate particles can be triggered by the alkali provided by the new cement paste of the RC. The highest risk of ASR in RC is caused by RA from a source concrete already affected by ASR.

Molecular and Cationic Engineering of Fe-Based Layered Double Hydroxides for Water Oxidation

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a class of anionic clays with a layered structure, that can be exfoliated giving place in 2D materials. Recently, these materials are attracting increasing attention from the point of view of their electrochemical performance towards energy storage and conversion applications. [1] In the field of electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction, Fe-based LDHs stand out as one of the best oxygen evolution reactions (OER) electrocatalysts in alkaline conditions. In the attempt to improve the electrochemical performance of Fe-LDHs-based electrodes, the effect of the microstructure, exfoliation, metal composition, crystallinity, doping, defect engineering and so on has been reported to increase the knowledge of electrochemical behavior and obtained better performances.[2] Beyond these well-studied parameters, interlayer space, Fe-clustering and covalent functionalization have been not explored, being the last two synthetic challenges within the field of LDHs.On the one hand, to explore the influence of interlayer space in the behaviour of Fe–LDHs as an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst, we develop a family of NiFe-LDHs with the same metal composition, morphology, and dimensions and different alkyl sulfate to reach extreme ranges of basal spacing (from 8 to 32 Å). Increasing the basal space of the LDH results in a higher electrochemical surface area and a reduction of the resistance related to the chemisorption of oxygen leading to better kinetic behaviour. Indeed, the Tafel slope for the NiFe–LDHs with the highest basal space studied is similar to that obtained for benchmark exfoliated NiFe nanosheets and shows better stability as a consequence of the tridimensional robustness of the hybrid material. However, an excessive increment of the interlayer space compromises the onset potential.[3]On the other hand, to shed light on the influence of Fe-clustering on this topic, firstly, we have selected MgFe-based LDHs phases as model systems to decipher whether the Fe-clustering exert an effect on the OER performance. By optimization of a hydrothermal method based on triethanolamine different Fe-clustering degree has been achieved, and thanks to the diamagnetic behaviour of Mg, a simple magnetic characterisation allows us to identify the Fe-clustering degree. Nevertheless, both samples behave identically in terms of OER performance when glassy carbon electrodes are used. Surprisingly, when the samples are tested on the most employed electrode, nickel foam, striking differences arise. Specifically, the sample exhibiting the lower Fe-clustering behaves as a better electrocatalyst with a reduction of the overpotential values of more than 50 mV to reach 100 mA/cm2, as a consequence of a favoured surface transformation of MgFe-LDHs phases into more reactive oxyhydroxide NiFe-based ones during the electrochemical tests.[4]Last but not least, the covalent functionalization of LDHs has been explored to enhance their processability and stability as an electrocatalyst, for this, we develop for the first time the covalent functionalization of Fe-LDHs beyond silane-based molecules due to the reversible character of this bond in alkaline media. By a modified hydrothermal method from Kuroda et al.,[5] the covalent functionalization of NiFe-LDHs with tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (Tris) was performed. The NiFe@Tris LDH were fully characterized using X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, magnetic measurement, XAS in order to identify the structural differences with a bare-LDH. At the same time, the stability of the covalent functionalization in basic media was proved. Interestingly, the Tris molecule anchored to LDHs increases the electrocatalytic stability in absence of binder material. Thus, after 40 hours of the OER, the overpotential increase is 37% lower in the NiFe@Tris than in the NiFe-Cl@bare. To check the origin of this overpotential decrease, ICP analysis of electrolytes pre-treated with acid after the stability test was performed. A reduction of 27% and 17% of Ni and Fe respectively is observed in the electrolyte for functionalized samples. Consequently, it is demonstrated that, regardless of the decomposition process (detachment or dissolution), the NiFe-LDH functionalized with the tripodal ligand Tris presents greater stability.[6]Overall, we demonstrated as molecular and cation engineering of LDHs can be used to enhance the electrochemical activity and increase the stability for their use as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction.

The role of socially responsible investors in environmental performance. An analysis of proactive and reactive practices

Society's concern for the environment requires a response from businesses. In recent years in Europe, several policies have been institutionally promoted to encourage socially responsible investments (SRI) at the corporate level, in terms of corporate environmental performance and disclosure, and at the level of capital markets. Investors are called to consider the environmental effects of their investments and can influence the environmental practices of companies. The research proposes that the volume, stability, and value of socially responsible investors (SRIs) could be determinant in companies' adoption of environmental measures.From a sample comprising 406 observations of European companies listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index during a period of economic stability from 2015 to 2019, the extent to which stable and significant SRI determines companies’ adoption of environmental practices, both reactive—leading to reduction of the environmental footprint and effect—and proactive—tending to achieve clean energy and the recovery of the environment is studied.The results show that the value and stability of SRI positively affects companies’ proactive environmental practices, while the volume of SRI is negatively related to reactive environmental practices. In addition, the volatility of SRI is positively related to reactive environmental practices.The impact of SRI on proactive and reactive environmental practices shows their decisive role in companies taking proactive measures. At a time when European companies are required to strengthen their environmental commitments, the promotion of institutional practices that stimulate the presence and stability of SRI can favour the development of proactive practices, as opposed to reactive ones that could be an indirect indicator of a company's environmental risk.

Personalized Medicine: Advanced Treatment Strategies to Revolutionize Healthcare.

Personalized medicine (PM) is about developing an individualized approach to each patient's illness. Understanding how a patient's genomic portfolio renders them prone to various diseases may be enhanced by discovering genetic, epigenetic, and medical evidence. Medical therapy that is safe and effective for specific individuals may be predicted using the PM approach, which is a complete expansion of an older methodology (One-Size-Fits-All). Patient's well-being and longevity may improve and costs are reduced if PM is used. Using existing biomarkers and early genome and epigenomic processes to better understand PM may lead to earlier diagnosis of the disease, including carcinogenesis. A key focus of the PM technique is preventative medicine, which emphasizes proactive actions rather than depending only on reactive ones. More intrusive procedures may be avoided or postponed using this technique, resulting in a higher quality of life and lower financial burdens for patients. End-of-life care costs are putting a strain on governmentfunded healthcare systems across the globe, notably in the United States. When used in conjunction with present treatments, PM may help them work better and lessen the disadvantages of just non-PM methods. Using genetic profiling, doctors may choose a drug based on a participant's genetic profile that minimizes unwanted side effects and ensures a better result while also being less costly than a 'trial-and-error' approach to sickness treatment. The less effective non- PM ('trial-and-error') strategy leads to drug toxicity, severe adverse effects, reactive treatment, and misdiagnosis. PM and proactive therapeutic regimens should be used more often to save costs and enhance overall well-being.

Assessment of climate change adaptation strategies in developing countries: the case of Burkina Faso

Purpose. The objective of the study is to assess the sustainability of adaptation strategies promoted by farmers in agroforestry systems in Burkina Faso through the sustainable development analysis guide (SDAG). For this purpose, primary data were collected by the survey method. One hundred and four (104) people were interviewed using a questionnaire. Secondary data were also used. Descriptive statistics and the Excel logical test were used to analyse the collected data.
 Results. The results show that in a context of climate variability, farmers mobilize several strategies such as: proactive, reactive and combined strategies. The adaptation strategy index shows that proactive strategies are strongly used, followed by combined proactive strategies, reactive strategies and silvicultural techniques. However, the first three strategies are used more by farmers. Moreover, the evaluation of the strategies used by farmers was based on the first three strategies. It was found that proactive and combined strategies are more sustainable than reactive ones, as farmers have difficulties in assessing the climate risks they face. Thus, the environmental component of sustainable development is strongly impacted by reactive strategies, which is reflected in the low weighting of respondents and experts.
 Scientific novelty. The novelty is the use of the sustainable development analysis guide, which allows the sustainability of farmers’ adaptation strategies to be assessed. The tool made it possible to compare the results of field survey and the opinions of experts (through a literature review) with dimensions of sustainable development (social, economic, environmental). Thus, for each dimension, variables and indicators were associated. Thanks to the tool, the results were achieved.
 Practical value. The advantage of this approach is that sustainability assessment can be done through empirical data (from surveys). This is important for developing countries such as Burkina Faso where assessments based on economic techniques are difficult, as the rural population is mostly illiterate.

Chemoselectivity change in catalytic hydrogenolysis enabling urea-reduction to formamide/amine over more reactive carbonyl compounds

The selective transformation of a less reactive carbonyl moiety in the presence of more reactive ones can realize straightforward and environmentally benign chemical processes. However, such a transformation is highly challenging because the reactivity of carbonyl compounds, one of the most important functionalities in organic chemistry, depends on the substituents on the carbon atom. Herein, we report an Ir catalyst for the selective hydrogenolysis of urea derivatives, which are the least reactive carbonyl compounds, affording formamides and amines. Although formamide, as well as ester, amide, and carbamate substituents, are considered to be more reactive than urea, the proposed Ir catalyst tolerated these carbonyl groups and reacted with urea in a highly chemoselective manner. The proposed chemo- and regioselective hydrogenolysis allows the development of a strategy for the chemical recycling of polyurea resins.

Serine metabolism during differentiation of human iPSC-derived astrocytes.

Astrocytes are essential players in development and functions, being particularly relevant as regulators of brain energy metabolism, ionic homeostasis, and synaptic transmission. They are also the major source of L-serine in the brain, which is synthesized from the glycolytic intermediate 3-phosphoglycerate through the phosphorylated pathway. L-serine is the precursor of the two main co-agonists of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, glycine and D-serine. Strikingly, dysfunctions in both L- and D-serine metabolism are associated with neurological and psychiatric disorders. Here, we exploited a differentiation protocol, based on the generation of human mature astrocytes from neural stem cells, and investigated the modification of the proteomic and metabolomic profile during the differentiation process. We show that differentiated astrocytes are more similar to mature rather than to reactive ones, and that axogenesis and pyrimidine metabolism increase up to 30 days along with the folate cycle and sphingolipid metabolism. Consistent with the proliferation and cellular maturation processes that are taking place, also the intracellular level of L-serine, glycine, threonine, L- and D-aspartate (which level is unexpectedly higher than that of D-serine) show the same biosynthetic time course. A significant utilization of L-serine from the medium is apparent while glycine is first consumed and then released with a peak at 30 days, parallel to its intracellular level. These results underline how metabolism changes during astrocytes differentiation, highlight that D-serine synthesis is restricted in differentiated astrocytes, and provide a valuable model for developing potential novel therapeutic approaches to address brain diseases, especially the ones related to serine metabolism alterations.

Precision Farming: Barriers of Variable Rate Technology Adoption in Italy

Research dealing with the adoption of various precision agriculture technologies has shown that guidance and recording tools are more widespread than reactive ones (such as variable rate technology), with much lower utilization rates in European case studies. This study aims to analyze the propensity to innovate variable rate technologies among young Italian farmers. A cluster analysis was carried out revealing four groups. The first two groups represent non-adopters who think technological innovation is very complex from a technical point of view, as well as not very accessible as capital-intensive technology. The third and fourth groups represent adopters. The third reports an early level of adoption, still considering the cost of access a major barrier to technology implementation. The fourth, on the other hand, shows a more intensive level and considers the lack of institutional support a major limitation. The cluster with the most intensive adoption is characterized by the youngest age group, the farms with the largest size, and a prevalence of female entrepreneurs. The need for management training in day-to-day business operations upon adoption is detected for all groups. This paper identified relevant drivers and barriers in characterizing the adopting farm of variable rate technologies. Results may offer insights to the policy maker to better calibrate support interventions.

Impact of Kidnapping for Ransom on Nigeria’s Image

Kidnapping is a long-standing global phenomenon, which is not unique to any continent or country. However, it has taken on a new dimension in the 21st century with the development of kidnapping for ransom. Kidnapping for ransom is now a lucrative business in many nations of the world, and has grown particularly worrisome in Nigeria, due to the country’s weak security system. It is in this regard that this article examines the impact of kidnapping for ransom on Nigeria’s image. The study explores the evolution of kidnapping in Nigeria, causes of kidnapping, effects of kidnapping on victims and its impact on Nigeria’s image. The study, which is qualitative in nature, discovers that Nigeria- a country that has long struggled with maintaining a positive image has allowed kidnapping to linger for too long. The paper posits that Nigeria has become insecure forboth locals and foreigners and this has consequently affected foreign direct investment, tourism and migration. The paper thus argues that if kidnapping for ransom is not adequately tackled, it will hinder the growth of the economy arising from the consequence of hampered image of the country in the comity of nations. It therefore concludes that there is a need for the government to take proactive measures rather than reactive ones towards this menace.

Photoinduced Base-Metal Catalyzed sp3-C-Si Bond Activation of Organosilanols to Generate sp3-Carbon-Centered Radicals

An activation paradigm for the sp3-C-Si bond of silanols via a visible-light photoinduced open-shell pathway has been developed with broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance. It proceeded through base metal catalyzed ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) and subsequent β-scission process. It is an example of catalytic sp3-C-Si bond cleavage of silanols. Under mild conditions, various alkyl radicals can be generated from functionalized alkyl-substituted silanols, including tertiary, secondary, and more reactive primary ones.