Petrographic and Molecular Characterization of Organic-Rich Mudstones with Petroleum Generative Potential from The Lower Triassic Montney Formation, Western Canada.

The Triassic Montney Formation hosts major oil and gas resources in Western Canada. Despite significant historical development of these resources, the origin of its hydrocarbons remains unclear, partly due to limited evidence of primary organic matter within the formation. Most of the hydrocarbons in the Triassic Montney Formation are trapped in low-permeability siltstone facies.

Oxidation-induced ambiphilicity triggers N-N bond formation and dinitrogen release in octahedral terminal molybdenum(v) nitrido complexes.

Coupling of octahedral, terminal d molybdenum(v) nitrido complexes supported by a dianionic pentadentate ligand N-N bond formation to give μ-dinitrogen complexes was found to be thermodynamically feasible but faces significant kinetic barriers. However, upon oxidation, a kinetically favored nucleophilic/electrophilic N-N bond forming mechanism was enabled to give monocationic μ-dinitrogen dimers. Computational and experimental evidence for this "oxidation-induced ambiphilic nitrido coupling" mechanism is presented.

Identification of ligand linkage vectors for the development of p300/CBP degraders.

To develop new degrader molecules from an existing protein ligand a linkage vector must be identified and then joined with a suitable E3 ligase without disrupting binding to the respective targets. This is typically achieved through empirically evaluating the degradation efficacy of a series of synthetic degraders. Our strategy for determining optimal linkage sites utilises biotinylated protein ligands, linked potential conjugation sites of an inhibitor to confirm whether target protein is maintained after forming a conjugate.

Promoting photocatalytic CO reduction through facile electronic modification of N-annulated perylene diimide rhenium bipyridine dyads.

The development of CO conversion catalysts has become paramount in the effort to close the carbon loop. Herein, we report the synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic CO reduction performance for a series of N-annulated perylene diimide (NPDI) tethered Re(bpy) supramolecular dyads [Re(bpy-C2-NPDI-R)], where R = -H, -Br, -CN, -NO, -OPh, -NH, or pyrrolidine (-NR). The optoelectronic properties of these Re(bpy-C2-NPDI-R) dyads were heavily influenced by the nature of the R-group, resulting in significant differences in photocatalytic CO reduction performance.

Validation of a magnetic resonance imaging based method to study passive knee laxity: An in-situ study.

Knee laxity can be described as an increased anterior tibial translation (ATT) or decreased stiffness of the tibiofemoral joint under an applied force. Küpper et al. (2013, 2016) and Westover et al.

Direct metal-carbon bonding in symmetric bis(C-H) agostic nickel(i) complexes.

Agostic interactions are examples of σ-type interactions, typically resulting from interactions between C-H σ-bonds with empty transition metal d orbitals. Such interactions often reflect the first step in transition metal-catalysed C-H activation processes and thus are of critical importance in understanding and controlling σ bond activation chemistries. Herein, we report on the unusual electronic structure of linear electron-rich d Ni(i) complexes with symmetric bis(C-H) agostic interactions.

Activation of ammonia and hydrazine by electron rich Fe(ii) complexes supported by a dianionic pentadentate ligand platform through a common terminal Fe(iii) amido intermediate.

We report the use of electron rich iron complexes supported by a dianionic diborate pentadentate ligand system, , for the coordination and activation of ammonia (NH) and hydrazine (NHNH). For ammonia, coordination to neutral (BPzPy)Fe(ii) or cationic [(BPzPy)Fe(iii)] platforms leads to well characterized ammine complexes from which hydrogen atoms or protons can be removed to generate, fleetingly, a proposed (BPzPy)Fe(iii)-NH complex (). DFT computations suggest a high degree of spin density on the amido ligand, giving it significant aminyl radical character.

H/D exchange under mild conditions in arenes and unactivated alkanes with CD and DO using rigid, electron-rich iridium PCP pincer complexes.

The synthesis and characterization of an iridium polyhydride complex () supported by an electron-rich PCP framework is described. This complex readily loses molecular hydrogen allowing for rapid room temperature hydrogen isotope exchange (HIE) at the hydridic positions and the α-C-H site of the ligand with deuterated solvents such as benzene-d, toluene-d and THF-d. The removal of 1-2 equivalents of molecular H forms unsaturated iridium carbene trihydride () or monohydride () compounds that are able to create further unsaturation by reversibly transferring a hydride to the ligand carbene carbon.

The effects of inorganic phosphate on contractile function of slow skeletal muscle fibres are length-dependent.

Muscle operates across a wide range of sarcomere lengths. Inorganic phosphate (P) diminishes force output of striated muscle, with greater influence at short relative to long sarcomere lengths in fast skeletal and cardiac muscle fibres. The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature regarding the length-dependent effects of P on contractile function of slow skeletal muscle fibres.

A stable TiO-graphene nanocomposite anode with high rate capability for lithium-ion batteries.

A rapid microwave hydrothermal process is adopted for the synthesis of titanium dioxide and reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites as high-performance anode materials for Li-ion batteries. With the assistance of hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent, graphene oxide was reduced while TiO nanoparticles were grown on the nanosheets to obtain the nanocomposite material. The morphology of the nanocomposite obtained consisted of TiO particles with a size of ∼100 nm, uniformly distributed on the reduced graphene oxide nanosheets.

Nonlinear ion drift-diffusion memristance description of TiO RRAM devices.

The nature and direction of the hysteresis in memristive devices is critical to device operation and performance and the ability to realise their potential in neuromorphic applications. TiO is a prototypical memristive device material and is known to show hysteresis loops with both clockwise switching and counter-clockwise switching and in many instances evidence of negative differential resistance (NDR) behaviour. Here we study the electrical response of a device composed of a single nanowire channel Au-Ti/TiO/Ti-Au both in air and under vacuum and simulate the - characteristics in each case using the Schottky barrier and an ohmic-like transport memristive model which capture nonlinear diffusion and migration of ions within the wire.

A brief contraction has complex effects on summation of twitch pairs in human adductor pollicis.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? How do contraction-induced reductions in twitch duration, without changes in twitch force, affect summation of twitch pairs into higher force contractions in skeletal muscle? What is the main finding and its importance? Abbreviating twitch duration with a brief contraction resulted in enhanced summation of fully fused twitch pairs, but impaired summation in partially fused twitch pairs even after accounting for the differences in relaxation of the first twitch. An inherent mechanism which enhances relaxation without sacrificing force generation in forceful contractions would benefit cyclic muscle activities, such as locomotion.

Abstract: During electrically evoked contractions of skeletal muscle, the interplay between twitch duration and the time between electrical stimuli (inter-pulse interval, IPI) determines how effectively twitch forces summate into high force contractions.

Co-crystallization of antibacterials with inorganic salts: paving the way to activity enhancement.

Co-crystallization of the antibacterial agents proflavine and methyl viologen with the inorganic salts CuCl, CuCl and AgNO results in enhanced antimicrobial activity with respect to the separate components.

Electrolyte selection for supercapacitive devices: a critical review.

Electrolytes are one of the vital constituents of electrochemical energy storage devices and their physical and chemical properties play an important role in these devices' performance, including capacity, power density, rate performance, cyclability and safety. This article reviews the current state of understanding of the electrode-electrolyte interaction in supercapacitors and battery-supercapacitor hybrid devices. The article discusses factors that affect the overall performance of the devices such as the ionic conductivity, mobility, diffusion coefficient, radius of bare and hydrated spheres, ion solvation, viscosity, dielectric constant, electrochemical stability, thermal stability and dispersion interaction.

A combined experimental and density functional theory study of metformin oxy-cracking for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment.

Pharmaceutical compounds are emerging contaminants that have been detected in surface water across the world. Because conventional wastewater treatment plants are not designed to treat such pollutants, new technologies are needed to degrade and oxidize such contaminants. The newly developed oxy-cracking process was utilized to treat the antidiabetic drug, metformin.

Correction: Noble metal supported hexagonal boron nitride for the oxygen reduction reaction: a DFT study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/C8NA00059J.].

Noble metal supported hexagonal boron nitride for the oxygen reduction reaction: a DFT study.

Discovering active, stable and cost-effective catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is of utmost interest for commercialization of fuel cells. Scarce and expensive noble metals such as Pt and Pd are the state-of-the-art active ORR catalysts but suffer from low stability against CO poisoning. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a particularly attractive material due to its low cost and stability; however, it suffers from intrinsic low activity toward the ORR in the pristine form as a result of its inherently low conductivity with a large band gap of ∼5.

Fluorescent polycatecholamine nanostructures as a versatile probe for multiphase systems.

Shape and size controlled nanostructures are critical for nanotechnology and have versatile applications in understanding interfacial phenomena of various multi-phase systems. Facile synthesis of fluorescent nanostructures remains a challenge from conventional precursors. In this study, bio-inspired catecholamines, dopamine (DA), epinephrine (EP) and levodopa (LDA), were used as precursors and fluorescent nanostructures were synthesized a simple one pot method in a water-alcohol mixture under alkaline conditions.

Surface modification of carbon nanotubes with copper oxide nanoparticles for heat transfer enhancement of nanofluids.

Over the last few years, nanoparticles have been used as thermal enhancement agents in many heat transfer based fluids to improve the thermal conductivity of the fluids. Recently, many experiments have been carried out to prepare different types of nanofluids (NFs) showing a tremendous increase in thermal conductivity of the base fluids with the addition of a small amount of nanoparticles. However, little experimental work has been proposed to calculate the flow behaviour and heat transfer of nanofluids and the exact mechanism for the increase in effective thermal conductivity in heat exchangers.

Maternal cortisol stimulates neurogenesis and affects larval behaviour in zebrafish.

Excess glucocorticoid transferred from stressed mother to the embryo affects developing vertebrate offspring, but the underlying programming events are unclear. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that increased zygotic glucocorticoid deposition, mimicking a maternal stress scenario, modifies early brain development and larval behaviour in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Cortisol was microinjected into the yolk at one cell-stage, to mimic maternal transfer, and the larvae [96 hours post-fertilization (hpf)] displayed increased activity in light and a reduction in thigmotaxis, a behavioural model for anxiety, suggesting an increased propensity for boldness.

Packed column supercritical fluid chromatography using stainless steel particles and water as a stationary phase.

Stainless steel (SS) particles were demonstrated as a novel useful support for a water stationary phase in packed column supercritical fluid chromatography using a CO2 mobile phase. Separations employed flame ionization detection, and the system was operated over a range of temperatures and pressures. Retention times reproduced well with RSD values of 2.

Pollinators visit related plant species across 29 plant-pollinator networks.

Understanding the evolution of specialization in host plant use by pollinators is often complicated by variability in the ecological context of specialization. Flowering communities offer their pollinators varying numbers and proportions of floral resources, and the uniformity observed in these floral resources is, to some degree, due to shared ancestry. Here, we find that pollinators visit related plant species more so than expected by chance throughout 29 plant-pollinator networks of varying sizes, with "clade specialization" increasing with community size.

Developmental topographical disorientation and decreased hippocampal functional connectivity.

Developmental topographical disorientation (DTD) is a newly discovered cognitive disorder in which individuals experience a lifelong history of getting lost in both novel and familiar surroundings. Recent studies have shown that such a selective orientation defect relies primarily on the inability of the individuals to form cognitive maps, i.e.

Molecular strategies to achieve selective conductance in NaK channel variants.

A recent crystallization of several ion channels has provided strong impetus for efforts aimed at understanding the different strategies employed by nature for selective ion transport. In this work, we used two variants of the selectivity filter of NaK channel to explore molecular mechanisms that give rise to K(+)-selectivity. We computed one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) potentials of mean force (PMFs) for ion permeation across the channel.

Produced water treatment by micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration.

A water treatment approach combining ultrafiltration (UF) and micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) techniques was used for the removal of organic contaminants in field produced water samples from Canada and the United States. Free oil droplets and suspended solids were separated by initial UF treatments while MEUF was necessary for the removal of dissolved organics. It was shown that the amphiphilic characteristics of some organics commonly existing in produced water contributed to lowering the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the surfactant employed.