bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of Distinct Clinical Phenotypes of Heterogeneous Mechanically Ventilated ICU Patients Using Cluster Analysis
Authors: Chen Xuanhui , Li Jiaxin , Liu Guangjian , Chen Xiujuan , Huang Shuai , Li Huixian , Liu Siyi , Li Dantong , Yang Huan , Zheng Haiqing , Hu Lianting , Kong Lingcong , Liu Huazhang , Bellou Abdelouahab , Lei Liming , Liang Huiying
Published: February 2023

This retrospective study aimed to derive the clinical phenotypes of ventilated ICU patients to predict the outcomes on the first day of ventilation. Clinical phenotypes were derived from the eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU) cohort via cluster analysis and were validated in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) cohort. Four clinical phenotypes were identified and compared in the eICU cohort (n = 15,256). Phenotype A (n = 3112) was associated with respiratory disease, had the lowest 28-day mortality (16%), and had a high extubation success rate (~80%). Phenotype B (n = 3335) was correlated with cardiovascular disease, had the second-highest 28-day mortality (28%), and had the lowest extubation success rate (69%). Phenotype C (n = 3868) was correlated with renal dysfunction, had the highest 28-day mortality (28%), and had the second-lowest extubation success rate (74%). Phenotype D (n = 4941) was associated with neurological and traumatic diseases, had the second-lowest 28-day mortality (22%), and had the highest extubation success rate (>80%). These findings were validated in the validation cohort (n = 10,813). Additionally, these phenotypes responded differently to ventilation strategies in terms of duration of treatment, but had no difference in mortality. The four clinical phenotypes unveiled the heterogeneity of ICU patients and helped to predict the 28-day mortality and the extubation success rate.
Novel WDR72 Mutations Causing Hypomaturation Amelogenesis Imperfecta
Authors: Kim Youn Jung , Zhang Hong , Lee Yejin , Seymen Figen , Koruyucu Mine , Kasimoglu Yelda , Simmer James P. , Hu Jan C.-C. , Kim Jung-Wook
Published: February 2023

Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) is a heterogeneous collection of hereditary enamel defects. The affected enamel can be classified as hypoplastic, hypomaturation, or hypocalcified in form. A better understanding of normal amelogenesis and improvements in our ability to diagnose AI through genetic testing can be realized through more complete knowledge of the genes and disease-causing variants that cause AI. In this study, mutational analysis was performed with whole exome sequencing (WES) to identify genetic etiology underlying the hypomaturation AI condition in affected families. Mutational analyses identified biallelic WDR72 mutations in four hypomaturation AI families. Novel mutations include a homozygous deletion and insertion mutation (NM_182758.4: c.2680_2699delinsACTATAGTT, p.(Ser894Thrfs*15)), compound heterozygous mutations (paternal c.2332dupA, p.(Met778Asnfs*4)) and (maternal c.1287_1289del, p.(Ile430del)) and a homozygous 3694 bp deletion that includes exon 14 (NG_017034.2:g.96472_100165del). A homozygous recurrent mutation variant (c.1467_1468delAT, p.(Val491Aspfs*8)) was also identified. Current ideas on WDR72 structure and function are discussed. These cases expand the mutational spectrum of WDR72 mutations causing hypomaturation AI and improve the possibility of genetic testing to accurately diagnose AI caused by WDR72 defects.
Regulation of Liver Glucose and Lipid Metabolism by Transcriptional Factors and Coactivators
Authors: Ramatchandirin Balamurugan , Pearah Alexia , He Ling
Published: February 2023

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) worldwide is on the rise and NAFLD is becoming the most common cause of chronic liver disease. In the USA, NAFLD affects over 30% of the population, with similar occurrence rates reported from Europe and Asia. This is due to the global increase in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) because patients with obesity and T2DM commonly have NAFLD, and patients with NAFLD are often obese and have T2DM with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia as well as hypertriglyceridemia. Excessive accumulation of triglycerides is a hallmark of NAFLD and NAFLD is now recognized as the liver disease component of metabolic syndrome. Liver glucose and lipid metabolisms are intertwined and carbon flux can be used to generate glucose or lipids; therefore, in this review we discuss the important transcription factors and coactivators that regulate glucose and lipid metabolism.
Semi-Active Vibration Control of Seat Suspension Equipped with a Variable Equivalent Inertance-Variable Damping Device
Authors: Luan Guangrui , Liu Pengfei , Ning Donghong , Liu Guijie , Du Haiping
Published: February 2023

The seat suspension has a significant influence on riding comfort in many practical applications, such as heavy duty vehicles, military vehicles, and high-speed crafts. This paper proposes a seat suspension equipped with a variable equivalent inertance-variable damping (VEI–VD) device and a novel semi-active vibration control strategy. The VEI–VD device can control its equivalent inertance and damping by controlling two external resistors in its electric circuit. Especially, the VEI part of the device can store and release vibration energy via the inside flywheel, which enables the seat suspension to have a four-quadrant controllable capability in the available force–velocity diagram, similar to an active system. First, the dynamic model of the VEI–VD device is built, and a prototype is developed and tested to identify the model parameters and verify its characteristics. Then, a semi-active vibration control method is proposed for the VEI–VD seat suspension. The control method uses a sliding mode controller to acquire the desired control force for reducing vibration; then, according to the desired force and system states, the VEI–VD device is tuned by a force-tracking scheme to generate a real force. In the numerical validation, the vibration transmissibility of VEI–VD seat suspension around its natural frequency is tested with different states. The effectiveness of force-tracking control strategies for different types of suspensions is verified. In the random excitation test, the root means square acceleration of the VEI–VD seat is reduced by 30.72% compared with a passive seat. The VEI–VD seat suspension shows great potential in applications.
Degree-Based Entropy of Some Classes of Networks
Authors: Nagarajan S. , Imran Muhammad , Kumar P. Mahesh , Pattabiraman K. , Ghani Muhammad Usman
Published: February 2023

A topological index is a number that is connected to a chemical composition in order to correlate a substance’s chemical makeup with different physical characteristics, chemical reactivity, or biological activity. It is common to model drugs and other chemical substances as different forms, trees, and graphs. Certain physico-chemical features of chemical substances correlate better with degree-based topological invariants. Predictions concerning the dynamics of the continuing pandemic may be made with the use of the graphic theoretical approaches given here. In Networks, the degree entropy of the epidemic and related trees was computed. It highlights the essay’s originality while also implying that this piece has improved upon prior literature-based realizations. In this paper, we study an important degree-based invariant known as the inverse sum indeg invariant for a variety of graphs of biological interest networks, including the corona product of some interesting classes of graphs and the pandemic tree network, curtain tree network, and Cayley tree network. We also examine the inverse sum indeg invariant features for the molecular graphs that represent the molecules in the bicyclic chemical graphs.
Modelling the Influence of Dynamic Social Processes on COVID-19 Infection Dynamics
Authors: Nyabadza Farai , Mushanyu Josiah , Mbogo Rachel , Muchatibaya Gift
Published: February 2023

Human behaviour was tipped as the mainstay in the control of further SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) spread, especially after the lifting of restrictions by many countries. Countries in which restrictions were lifted soon after the first wave had subsequent waves of COVID-19 infections. In this study, we develop a deterministic model for COVID-19 that includes dynamic non-pharmaceutical interventions known as social dynamics with the goal of simulating the effects of dynamic social processes. The model steady states are determined and their stabilities analysed. The model has a disease-free equilibrium point that is locally asymptotically stable if R0<1. The model exhibits a backward bifurcation, implying that reducing the reproduction number below one is not sufficient for the elimination of the disease. To ascertain the range of parameters that affect social dynamics, numerical simulations are conducted. The only wave in South Africa in which interventions were purely based on human behavior was the first wave. The model is thus fitted to COVID-19 data on the first wave in South Africa, and the findings given in this research have implications for the trajectory of the pandemic in the presence of evolving societal processes. The model presented has the potential to impact how social processes can be modelled in other infectious disease models.
Surface Treatment by Physical Irradiation for Antifouling, Chlorine-Resistant RO Membranes
Authors: Shalaby Marwa , Abdallah Heba , Wilken Ralph , Christoph Schmüser , Shaban Ahmed
Published: February 2023

Reverse osmosis (RO) membranes represent a strategic tool for the development of desalination and water treatment processes. Today’s global needs for clean water supplies show stressing circumstances to secure this supply, relying upon desalination and wastewater treatment and reuse, especially in Egypt and the Middle East. However, chlorine attack and fouling of polyamide layers, the active (selective) layers of RO membranes, are representing a great obstacle to seriously spreading the use of this technology. One promising way of fouling control and chlorine resistance is surface modification using grafting by plasma or vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation as a layer-by-layer assembly on polyamide membranes. Several studies have shown the effect of grafting by plasma using methacrylic acid (atmospheric pressure plasma) and showed that grafted coatings can improve PA membranes toward permeation compared with commercial ones with fouling behavior but not chlorine resistance. In this work, the techniques of layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly for previously prepared PA RO membranes (3T) using a mixed-base polymer of polysulfone and polyacrylonitrile in the presence of nanographene oxide (GO) without chemical grafting and with chemically grafted poly-methacrylic acid (3TG) were used. Membranes 3T, 3TG, a blank one (a base polymer membrane only was surface modified using VUV activation (AKT), and one with a grafted layer with polyethylene glycol (VUV-PEG) were prepared. These were then compared with polydimethylsiloxane (VUV-PDMS) and another surface modification with low-pressure plasma using acrylic acid (acryl) and hexadimethyl siloxane (GrowPLAS). The tested membranes were evaluated by short-term permeation and salt rejection experiments together with fouling behavior and chlorine resistance. A clear improvement of chlorine resistance and antifouling was observed for 3T membranes under plasma treatment, especially with the grafting with polyacrylic acid. Better antifouling and antichlorine behaviors were achieved with the vacuum UV treatment.
Agricultural Residues as Raw Materials for Pulp and Paper Production: Overview and Applications on Membrane Fabrication
Authors: Worku Limenew Abate , Bachheti Archana , Bachheti Rakesh Kumar , Rodrigues Reis Cristiano E. , Chandel Anuj Kumar
Published: February 2023

The need for pulp and paper has risen significantly due to exponential population growth, industrialization, and urbanization. Most paper manufacturing industries use wood fibers to meet pulp and paper requirements. The shortage of fibrous wood resources and increased deforestation are linked to the excessive dependence on wood for pulp and paper production. Therefore, non-wood substitutes, including corn stalks, sugarcane bagasse, wheat, and rice straw, cotton stalks, and others, may greatly alleviate the shortage of raw materials used to make pulp and paper. Non-woody raw materials can be pulped easily using soda/soda-AQ (anthraquinone), organosolv, and bio-pulping. The use of agricultural residues can also play a pivotal role in the development of polymeric membranes separating different molecular weight cut-off molecules from a variety of feedstocks in industries. These membranes range in applications from water purification to medicinal uses. Considering that some farmers still burn agricultural residues on the fields, resulting in significant air pollution and health issues, the use of agricultural residues in paper manufacturing can eventually help these producers to get better financial outcomes from the grown crop. This paper reviews the current trends in the technological pitch of pulp and paper production from agricultural residues using different pulping methods, with an insight into the application of membranes developed from lignocellulosic materials.
Effect of Deep Cryogenic Treatment on Wear Behavior of Cold Work Tool Steel
Authors: Essam Mahmoud A. , Shash Ahmed Y. , El-Fawakhry Mohamed Kamal , El-Kashif Emad , Megahed Hassan
Published: February 2023

Shock resisting cold work tool steel is one of the most applicable steels for several applications such as cutting sheets, chisels, hammers, etc. It has been categorized according to its characteristic properties into different categories as hot and cold work tool steel. This work aims to study the effects of conventional and deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) on shock-resistant cold work tool steel. In this study, three alloys were cast and prepared with different carbides forming elements such as vanadium (V) and niobium (Nb). The samples were quenched in water at 900 ℃ followed by a tempering treatment at 200 ℃  for 30 min. After quenching in water, the other samples were subjected to DCT at −196 ℃  for a 5-h soaking time, followed by tempering at 200 ℃  for 30 min. To study the wear behavior of the three heats, pin-on-disc tests were used, where the sliding speed was kept constant at a value of 0.5 m/s. The normal applied loads during the wear test were 50 N and 100 N. In order to understand the wear behavior, wear tracks were studied by scanning electron microscopy, coefficient of friction and weight loss were evaluated. The results showed that the lowest average coefficient of friction was achieved by a sample of steel 3 with quenching + DCT at a load of 100 N of load by value of 0.33. A sample of steel 3 at load 50 N achieved the lowest weight loss by using DCT plus tempering. On the other hand, a sample of steel 3 achieved the lowest weight loss at 100 N by using quenching + DCT.
Effect of Roller Axial Position and Thickness on a Twisted Angle in the Twist Rolling of Aluminum Alloy 1050 Sheet Metal
Authors: Kumar Avanish , Kajikawa Shohei , Makiyama Takahiro , Kuboki Takashi
Published: February 2023

This paper proposes a new rolling method called “twist rolling” that can continuously form a twisted shape by using taper rollers. The twisted shape of metal sheets is widely used in industrial products such as turbine blades and propellers. Such a shape is normally formed by casting or machining, but there are problems with low efficiency regarding the productivity and yield ratio. Forging processes have also been proposed, but they have problems with the surface property. The present study focuses on rolling to efficiently form a continuously twisted shape. The effect of the axial position of the taper rollers and skew angle on the average specific twisted angle were investigated by experiments and finite element analysis. The relationship between the thickness of sheet metal and the average specific twisted angle was also investigated. The average specific twisted angle decreased as the axial position increased. When the skew angle was smaller and the sheet metal thicker, the average specific twisted angle increased more. Twist rolling can form various twist angles by changing such parameters.
Study on the VCRplus Back-Up Roll Contour of 1500 mm CVC Mill
Authors: Wang Yuchao , Li Hongbo , Wei Bangshuo , Kong Ning , Liu Zhang , Liu Bo
Published: February 2023

The back-up rolls of hot strip mills wear considerably under the conditions of high temperature and heavy load, which affects the roll service period and the stability of strip profile control. Serious uneven wear, short service periods, and spalling problems occurred on conventional back-up rolls of upstream stand CVC mills in 1500 mm continuous hot rolling production lines. Through finite element simulations, the problems are determined to be caused by the configuration of a flat roll contour of the back-up roll and the CVC roll contour of the work roll, which leads to uneven contact pressure between the rolls. The wear distribution form is ‘anti-CVC’ shape, and there is peak contact pressure between the rolls on both sides of the roll body. In particular, the long-term negative shifting of CVC on site further increases the peak contact pressure between the rolls, resulting in uneven wear and spalling accident. Based on the design technology of VCR back-up roll contours with variable contact lengths, and considering the cooperation between the middle of the back-up roll and the CVC work roll contour, the roll contour of the back-up roll has been improved. The designed VCRplus roll contour was analyzed and evaluated by finite element simulation, including the distribution of contact pressure between rolls, the control effect of bending force, and the transverse stiffness of the roll gap. The simulation results show that the VCRplus roll contour can effectively improve the uneven distribution of contact pressure between the rolls, and effectively improve the control effect of bending force and the transverse stiffness of the roll gap. Industrial tests demonstrate that VCRplus back-up roll contours have the advantages of uniform back-up roll wear, enhanced self-sustaining of the roll contour, and further extension of the back-up roll service life. The roll contour has now stably been put into industrial production, and the rolling capacity during the back-up roll service period has been extended from 150,000,000 kg to 250,000,000 kg.
Advances in Schiff Base and Its Coating on Metal Biomaterials—A Review
Authors: Zhang Zhiqiang , Song Qingya , Jin Yubin , Feng Yashan , Li Jingan , Zhang Kun
Published: February 2023

In recent years, metal biomaterials have emerged one after another, and have many excellent properties, playing a great role in medicine. However, these coatings cannot meet the medical needs in every aspect. Schiff base is an important organic synthetic reagent and liquid crystal material in organic chemistry. It mainly refers to a class of organic compounds containing imine or azomethine characteristic groups (-RC=N-). It has important anti-tumor, anti-virus, antifungal and antibacterial activities. Based on the excellent properties of Schiff base, the coatings made of Schiff base can improve the bioactivity of materials, which have a good development prospect in medicine. In this paper, the preparation methods and properties of Schiff base and many advantages of Schiff base coatings are reviewed. The research on the modification of coatings or functional membranes by Schiff base and Schiff base reaction, as well as the extensive application of special Schiff base coatings in many fields such as anti-corrosion, antibacterial, flame retardant, etc., are carried out. Suggestions for further research on Schiff base coatings on metal biomaterials are put forward.
Role of Grain Size and Recrystallization Texture in the Corrosion Behavior of Pure Iron in Acidic Medium
Authors: Kar Satyakam , Yilmaz Aytac , Traka Konstantina , Sietsma Jilt , Gonzalez-Garcia Yaiza
Published: February 2023

This work investigates the role of grain size and recrystallization texture in the corrosion behavior of pure iron in 0.1 M sulfuric acid solution. Annealing heat treatment was applied to obtain samples with different average grain sizes (26, 53 and 87 µm). Optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction techniques were used to characterize the microstructure. The EBSD data analysis showed ferrite phase with no inclusions and very low geometrically necessary dislocation density, indicating strain-free grains constituting all samples. The crystallographic texture analysis of the samples revealed that the 26 µm grain size sample had a high volume fraction of {111} oriented grains parallel to the sample surface, while other samples exhibited nearly random crystallographic texture. The electrochemical results from potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed a decrease in corrosion resistance from 87 µm to 53 µm grain size sample and then an increase for the 26 µm grain size sample. This increase was attributed to the dominant effect of recrystallization texture on the corrosion behavior of the sample. The cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction kinetics was found to play a decisive role in the corrosion behavior of iron.
Impact of Laboratory-Adapted Intracellular Trypanosoma cruzi Strains on the Activity Profiles of Compounds with Anti-T. cruzi Activity
Authors: Sykes Melissa L. , Kennedy Emily K. , Avery Vicky M.
Published: February 2023

Chagas disease is caused by infection with the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease causes ~12,000 deaths annually and is one of the world’s 20 neglected tropical diseases, as defined by the World Health Organisation. The drug discovery pipeline for Chagas disease currently has few new clinical candidates, with high attrition rates an ongoing issue. To determine if the Trypanosoma cruzi strain utilised to assess in vitro compound activity impacts activity, a comparison of laboratory-adapted T. cruzi strains from differing geographical locations was undertaken for a selection of compounds with anti-T. cruzi activity. To minimise the possible effect of differences in experimental methodology, the same host cell and multiplicity of infection were utilised. To determine whether the compound exposure time influenced results, activity was determined following exposure for 48 and 72 h of incubation. To ascertain whether replication rates affected outcomes, comparative rates of replication of the T. cruzi strains were investigated, using the nucleoside analogue, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine. Minimal differences in the in vitro activity of compounds between strains were observed following 48 h incubation, whereas significant differences were observed following 72 h incubation, in particular for the cytochrome P450 inhibitors tested and the cell cycle inhibitor, camptothecin. Thus, the use of panels of laboratory adapted strains in vitro may be dependent on the speed of action that is prioritised. For the identification of fast-acting compounds, an initial shorter duration assay using a single strain may be used. A longer incubation to identify compound activity may alternatively require profiling of compounds against multiple T. cruzi strains.
Synthesis of 6-Alkynylated Purine-Containing DNA via On-Column Sonogashira Coupling and Investigation of Their Base-Pairing Properties
Authors: Okamura Hidenori , Trinh Giang Hoang , Dong Zhuoxin , Fan Wenjue , Nagatsugi Fumi
Published: February 2023

Synthetic unnatural base pairs have been proven to be attractive tools for the development of DNA-based biotechnology. Our group has very recently reported on alkynylated purine–pyridazine pairs, which exhibit selective and stable base-pairing via hydrogen bond formation between pseudo-nucleobases in the major groove of duplex DNA. In this study, we attempted to develop an on-column synthesis methodology of oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing alkynylated purine derivatives to systematically explore the relationship between the structure and the corresponding base-pairing ability. Through Sonogashira coupling of the ethynyl pseudo-nucleobases and CPG-bound ODNs containing 6-iodopurine, we have demonstrated the synthesis of the ODNs containing three NPu derivatives (NPu1, NPu2, NPu3) as well as three OPu derivatives (OPu1, OPu2, OPu3). The base-pairing properties of each alkynylated purine derivative revealed that the structures of pseudo-nucleobases influence the base pair stability and selectivity. Notably, we found that OPu1 bearing 2-pyrimidinone exhibits higher stability to the complementary NPz than the original OPu, thereby demonstrating the potential of the on-column strategy for convenient screening of the alkynylated purine derivatives with superior pairing ability.
In Vitro Cultures of Scutellaria brevibracteata subsp. subvelutina as a Source of Bioactive Phenolic Metabolites
Authors: Kwiecień Inga , Łukaszyk Aleksandra , Miceli Natalizia , Taviano Maria Fernanda , Davì Federica , Kędzia Elżbieta , Ekiert Halina
Published: February 2023

Some of the more than 350 Scutellaria species, such as S. baicalensis and S. lateriflora, have been used in traditional medicine and today play an important role in official phytotherapy. Other species have been less investigated, and their therapeutic potential is unknown. This is one of the few studies on Scutellaria brevibracteata subsp. subvelutina, and the first research of this species’ in vitro cultures. The aim of this study was to establish an in vitro culture and analyse its phytochemical profile and biological activity. In the methanolic extracts from biomass cultured on six solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium variants supplemented with different combinations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) in the range 0.5–3 mg/L analysed by HPLC, the presence of specific flavonoids (baicalein, baicalin, wogonin, wogonoside, scutellarin, chrysin), phenylpropanoid glycosides (verbascoside, isoverbascoside), and phenolic acids (p-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, ferulic, m-coumaric acids) was confirmed. The dominant metabolites were wogonoside and verbascoside with the highest content of 346 and 457 mg/100 g DW, respectively. Thus, the extract with the highest content of bioactive metabolites was selected for further research and subjected to evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial potential. The extract exhibited good free radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 0.92 ± 0.01 mg/mL) and moderate reducing power and chelating activity. The brine shrimp lethality bioassay proved its lack of biotoxicity. Antimicrobial activity was tested against sixteen strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The strongest growth inhibitory activity was observed against Trichophyton tonsurans.
Kinkéliba (Combretum micranthum) Leaf Extract Alleviates Skin Inflammation: In Vitro and In Vivo Study
Authors: Hu Shuting , Simon James E. , Wang Mingfu , Wu Yizhen , Huang Yumin , Wu Qingli
Published: February 2023

Kinkéliba (Combretum micranthum, Seh-Haw in Wolof) is a popular bush tea in West African countries. Although the kinkéliba plant’s leaves have been widely consumed for its nutritional and medicinal properties, its benefits on skin health potential have been practically untouched. In human epidermal primary keratinocytes, vitexin and isovitexin-rich kinkéliba extract treatment significantly (p < 0.001) enhanced up to 39.6% of the cell survival rate decreased by UV radiation irritation. The treatment of kinkéliba leaf extracts also reduced the production of UV-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 by 57.6% and 42.5%, respectively (p < 0.001), which cause skin redness and skin barrier dysfunction, as well as wrinkles and collagen degradation. The anti-inflammation efficacy of kinkéliba leaf extracts might involve significant inhibition on the levels of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) (−70.8%, p < 0.001) and nitrotyrosine (−56.9%, p < 0.05). Further topical applications of kinkéliba leaf extract gel were found to reduce sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)-induced skin inflammation: at D7, the skin trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin redness (a* value) were both reduced by 59.81% (p < 0.001) and 22.4% (p < 0.001), compared with D0. In vitro and in vivo data support a new topical application of the kinkéliba leaf as an effective active ingredient for the treatment of skin inflammation, as well as subsequent barrier dysfunction and inflammaging.
Editorial for Special Issue “Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Hybrid Structures for Sensors, Actuators and Smart Technologies”
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Sharmila M. , Nadagouda Mallikarjuna
Published: February 2023

Advanced materials related to sensing, actuation, catalysis, and other functionalities for interactive devices depend on surface interactions and quantum effects in solids [...]
Ecological Preferences and Diversity of Essential Oil Composition in Endangered Wild-Growing Populations of Sideritis sipylea Boiss. (Lamiaceae) of the East Aegean Islands (Greece): Evidencing Antioxidant Potential, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities
Authors: Mašković Pavle Z. , Stagiopoulou Rafaela , Miletić Nemanja , Krigas Nikos , Lazari Diamanto
Published: February 2023

Plants from the genus Sideritis (Lamiaceae) have been widely used in folk medicine for a long time and consequently are a focus of the scientific community. Despite this interest, explicit data about the essential oils (EOs) of the Endangered Sideritis sipylea have not been readily available to date. In this study, we investigated the ecological preferences of Greek S. sipylea and the chemical composition of the essential oils of wild-growing S. sipylea populations from two Greek islands (S1: Samos, S2: Lesvos); we explored concomitant associations with environmental factors; and we assessed their (i) antioxidant potential (two tests), (ii) antimicrobial activity against six microbial and two fungal strains, and (iii) cytotoxic effect in two human and one murine cell lines. We compiled an ecological profile in R based on all known Greek localities of S. sipylea, outlining for the first time its preferences regarding temperature (3.48 ± 1.53 °C to 30.70 ± 1.11 °C) and the precipitation regimes (5.92 ± 2.33 mm to 136 ± 11.43 mm) shaping its natural occurrence in the wild. The chemical analysis (42 compounds in total) confirmed the domination of monoterpene hydrocarbons in both samples (with quantitative and qualitative differences) and identified 12 new constituents reported in S. sipylea for the first time (e.g., Bicyclogermacrene and Cumacrene). Dominant compounds in S1 (39 constituents) were β-Myrcene (20.4%) followed by β-caryophyllene (11.8%), bicyclogermacrene (7.1%), β-pinene (6.3%), carvacrol (6.2%) and α-terpinene (6.1%), whereas in S2 (26 constituents) the main ones were α-pinene (37.3%), β-pinene (15.1%) and sabinene (12.1%), followed by β-caryophyllene (5.6%) and bicyclogermacrene (5.5%). The strong antioxidant capacity and cytotoxic activity of S. sipylea EOs are reported herein for the first time, while new insight is provided regarding their effect on bacterial and fungal strains (four ones originally tested herein). The biological activity analysis demonstrated variation among samples, with S2 being more potent than S1. Altogether, the results of the present study demonstrate the high biological potential of S. sipylea EOs with an interesting antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects and reveal associations of natural chemodiversity with climatic factors.
Cytogenetic and Biochemical Responses of Wheat Seeds to Proton Irradiation at the Bragg Peak
Authors: Oprica Lacramioara , Vochita Gabriela , Grigore Marius-Nicușor , Shvidkiy Sergey , Molokanov Alexander , Gherghel Daniela , Les Anda , Creanga Dorina
Published: February 2023

The present study aimed to evaluate the morphological, cytogenetic and biochemical changes in wheat seedlings as affected by seed exposure to a proton beam at the Bragg peak. The average energy of the proton beam was of 171 MeV at the entrance into the irradiator room while at the point of sample irradiation the beam energy was of 150 MeV, with the average value of the Linear Energy Transfer of 0.539 keV/μm and the dose rate of 0.55 Gy/min, the radiation doses being of the order of tens of Gy. Cytogenetic investigation has revealed the remarkable diminution of the mitotic index as linear dose-response curve as well as the spectacular linear increase of the aberration index. Analyzing some biometric parameters, it was found that neither dry matter nor water content of wheat seedlings was influenced by proton beam exposure. Studying the biochemical parameters related to the antioxidant defense system, we found that the irradiation caused the slight increasing tendency of peroxidase activity as well as the decreasing trend in the activity of superoxidedismutase in the seedlings grown from the irradiated seeds. The level of malonedialdehyde (MDA) and total polyphenols showed an increasing tendency in all seedling variants corresponding to irradiated seeds, compared to the control. We conclude that the irradiation clearly induced dose-response curves at the level of cytogenetic parameters together with relatively slight variation tendency of some biochemical parameters related to the antioxidant defense system while imperceptible changes could be noticed in the biometric parameters.
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) Landraces from Portugal and Mozambique
Authors: Guimarães Joana Bagoin , Nunes Cátia , Pereira Graça , Gomes Ana , Nhantumbo Nascimento , Cabrita Paula , Matos José , Simões Fernanda , Veloso Maria Manuela
Published: February 2023

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is currently a legume crop of minor importance in Europe but a highly relevant staple crop in Africa and the second most cultivated legume in Mozambique. In Portugal and Mozambique, cowpea’s phenotypic and genetic variation has been maintained locally by farmers in some areas. We used the molecular markers SSR, SilicoDArT and SNP to analyze the genetic diversity and population structure of 97 cowpea accessions, mainly from Portugal (Southern Europe) and Mozambique (Southern Africa). As far as we know, this is the first time that the genetic variation and the relationship between cowpea landraces collected in Portugal with those originated in Mozambique is reported. Despite the shared historical past, the Portuguese landraces did not share a common genetic background with those from Mozambique, and two different gene pools were revealed. Knowledge of the genetic structure of cowpea landraces offers an opportunity for individual selection within landraces adapted to particular eco-physiological conditions and suggests the existence of a valuable gene pool for exploitation in future Portugal-PALOP (Portuguese-speaking African countries) cowpea breeding programs.
Effects of Exponential N Application on Soil Exchangeable Base Cations and the Growth and Nutrient Contents of Clonal Chinese Fir Seedlings
Authors: Wang Renjie , Wang Yong , Zhang Zeyao , Pan Huibiao , Lan Liufeng , Huang Ronglin , Deng Xiaojun , Peng Yuanying
Published: February 2023

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient for plant function and growth and a key component of amino acids, which form the building blocks of plant proteins and enzymes. However, misuse and overuse of N can have many negative impacts on the ecosystem, such as reducing soil exchangeable base cations (BCs) and causing soil acidification. In this research, we evaluated clonal Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) seedlings grown with exponentially increasing N fertilization (0, 0.5, 1, 2 g N seedling−1) for a 100-day trial in a greenhouse. The growth of seedlings, their nutrient contents, and soil exchangeable cations were measured. We found that N addition significantly increased plant growth and N content but decreased phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) contents in plant seedlings. The high nitrogen (2 g N seedling−1) treated seedlings showed a negative effect on growth, indicating that excessive nitrogen application caused damage to the seedlings. Soil pH, soil exchangeable base cations (BCs), soil total exchangeable bases (TEB), soil cation exchange capacity (CEC), and soil base saturation (BS) significantly decreased following N application. Our results implied that exponential fertilization resulted in soil acidification and degradation of soil capacity for supplying nutrient cations to the soil solution for plant uptake. In addition, the analysis of plants and BCs revealed that Na+ is an important base cation for BCs and for plant growth in nitrogen-induced acidified soils. Our results provide scientific insights for nitrogen application in seedling cultivation in soils and for further studies on the relationship between BCs and plant growth to result in high-quality seedlings while minimizing fertilizer input and mitigating potential soil pollution.
Optimum Design for Inserted Tooth Slips Setting Process Based on the Furrow Effect
Authors: Wang Qixin , Kong Chunyan , Tang Ruihuan , Feng Wenrong , Li Yang , Yang Mingkun
Published: February 2023

This work established a finite element analysis (FEA) model of an inserted tooth-type slip assembly under bear setting load and axial load, calculated the differences between the inserted teeth of the sidetracking packer slip-formed furrow shapes on the casing face, and analyzed the setting reliability of the inserted tooth slip sidetracking packer. The orthogonal optimization analysis of the structural parameters of the sidetracking packer was carried out on the basis of the furrow effect. Finally, the setting experiment was conducted with the inserted tooth slip sidetracking packer developed to verify correctness of the FEA model and the simulation results. The results show that in the FEA and calculation of the setting process of the inserted tooth-type slip, it is not only necessary to consider the furrow friction coefficient, but also the effect of the ridge on the furrow friction coefficient. The corresponding furrow friction coefficient varies according to the different furrow effects occurring on the casing surface caused by the various types of teeth inserted on the packer slips. The furrow effect is related to the sharpness of the tooth tips of the slips. The sharper the tooth tips, the more obvious the furrow effect is. Under the dual effects of the furrow effect and the adhesion effect, the carbide teeth of the slip feed into the casing wall to produce a uniform and distinct indentation on the premise of meeting the inserted tooth strength to ensure a reliable setting and hanging the inserted tooth slip sidetracking packer. The optimal combination of slip parameters was obtained by taking the optimal bite depth uniformity as the objective function: slip tooth installation spacing L = 10 mm, slip tooth installation angle α = 80°, slip tooth diameter d = 10 mm, and slip wedge angle β = 6°. The standard deviation of bite depth uniformity of the optimized slip teeth is 74.45% lower than that before optimization. The research results of this paper basically meet the requirements of engineering applications.
Multi-Objective Bus Timetable Coordination Considering Travel Time Uncertainty
Authors: Dou Xueping , Li Tongfei
Published: February 2023

This paper proposes a timetable coordination method for transfer problems in a bus transit system. With a given bus network, a stochastic mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model has been formulated to obtain coordinated bus timetables with the objective of minimizing a weighted sum of the average value of total waiting time and its average absolute deviation value, allowing for random bus travel time. The vital decision variable is the terminal departure offset time of each target bus trip within a certain off-peak period. The robust MILP model can also be used to solve the first-bus transfer problem with the introduction of several new linear constraints. A solution method based on the Monte Carlo simulation has been developed to solve the MILP model. Numerical experiments have been conducted for different scenarios. The results indicate that bus timetables coordinated by the developed model are capable of substantially reducing waiting time for transfer and non-transfer passengers. In addition, the feasibility of simplifying a common sub-route into a single transfer stop in a timetable coordination problem has been explored based on numerical experiments.
Automatic Assessments of Parkinsonian Gait with Wearable Sensors for Human Assistive Systems
Authors: Han Yi , Liu Xiangzhi , Zhang Ning , Zhang Xiufeng , Zhang Bin , Wang Shuoyu , Liu Tao , Yi Jingang
Published: February 2023

The rehabilitation evaluation of Parkinson’s disease has always been the research focus of human assistive systems. It is a research hotspot to objectively and accurately evaluate the gait condition of Parkinson’s disease patients, thereby adjusting the actuators of the human–machine system and making rehabilitation robots better adapt to the recovery process of patients. The rehabilitation evaluation of Parkinson’s disease has always been the research focus of rehabilitation robots. It is a research hotspot to be able to objectively and accurately evaluate the recovery of Parkinson’s disease patients, thereby adjusting the driving module of the human–machine collaboration system in real time, so that rehabilitation robots can better adapt to the recovery process of Parkinson’s disease. The gait task in the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) is a widely accepted standard for assessing the gait impairments of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the assessments conducted by neurologists are always subjective and inaccurate, and the results are determined by the neurologists’ observation and clinical experience. Thus, in this study, we proposed a novel machine learning-based method of automatically assessing the gait task in UPDRS with wearable sensors as a more convenient and objective alternative means for PD gait assessment. In the design, twelve gait features, including three spatial–temporal features and nine kinematic features, were extracted and calculated from two shank-mounted IMUs. A novel nonlinear model is developed for calculating the score of gait task from the gait features. Twenty-five PD patients and twenty-eight healthy subjects were recruited for validating the proposed method. For comparison purpose, three traditional models, which have been used in previous studies, were also tested by the same dataset. In terms of percentages of participants, 84.9%, 73.6%, 73.6%, and 66.0% of the participants were accurately assigned into the true level with the proposed nonlinear model, the support vector machine model, the naive Bayes model, and the linear regression model, respectively, which indicates that the proposed method has a good performance on calculating the score of the UPDRS gait task and conformance with the rating done by neurologists.
Improved Spread Spectrum Aloha Protocol and Beam-Hopping Approach for Return Channel in Satellite Internet of Things
Authors: Gou Liang , Bian Dongming , Dong Baogui , Nie Yulei
Published: February 2023

This paper examines potential performances of the Spread Spectrum-based random access technique and proposes an Improved Spread Spectrum Aloha (ISSA) protocol for the return channel in satellite Internet of Things (IoT) based on the beam-hopping technique. The key design driver and detailed solution of ISSA protocol are presented in this work and it is shown that the proposed protocol achieves high throughput and low collision probability. To match user/traffic distribution, delay requirement and channel condition with beam allocation better, a low-complexity heuristic beam scheduling algorithm and a more effective Maximum-Weighted Clique (MWC) algorithm have been proposed. The heuristic algorithm considers the user/traffic distribution, inter-beam interference, and fairness primarily. However, the MWC algorithm gives considerations not only on above factors, but also on delay requirement and channel condition (path loss and rain attenuation) to maximize system capacity. The beam angle and interference avoidance threshold are proposed to measure the inter-beam interference, and the link propagation loss and rain attenuation are considered meanwhile in the channel condition. In the MWC algorithm, we construct an auxiliary graph to find the maximum-weighted clique and derive the weighting approach to be applied in different application scenarios. The performance evaluation of our ISSA protocol compared with the SSA protocol is presented, which achieves a gain of 16.7%. The simulation of the ISSA protocol combined with round robin, heuristic, and MWC beam scheduling for the return link in beam-hopping satellite IoTs is also provided. The results indicate that the throughput in nonuniform user distribution is much lower than in the uniform case without the beam scheduling algorithm. Through the application of the scheduling algorithm, the throughput performance can approach the uniform distribution. Finally, the degree of user satisfaction with different scheduling approaches is presented, which validates the effectiveness of heuristic and MWC algorithms.
The Actual Exactness of a Fast RMS Correction during Abrupt Voltage Change
Authors: Danin Zekharya , Amiel Ido , Miteva Neda , Averbukh Moshe
Published: February 2023

The requirement of RMS (voltage and current) measurements under a fraction of the AC period has become increasingly attractive in power systems. Some of these power applications are responsible for voltage stabilization in distribution lines when the voltage correction should be made in a short time, no more than one or two periods of the AC signal. Previously developed RMS correction applications must be validated in real-world situations characterized by an abrupt change (discontinuity) in voltage magnitude occurring even during a single AC period. Such circumstances can substantially influence the RMS estimation and, therefore, should be considered. This article suggests a mathematically based approach, validated in the laboratory, that improves the accuracy of a voltage RMS estimation for the appropriate measurement devices. It produces better results in cases where the RMS assessment should be done in a fraction of the AC period.
Study of Cationic Surfactants Raw Materials for COVID-19 Disinfecting Formulations by Potentiometric Surfactant Sensor
Authors: Sakač Nikola , Madunić-Čačić Dubravka , Marković Dean , Jozanović Marija
Published: February 2023

The behavior of a new 1,3-dioctadecyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium tetraphenylborate (DODI-TPB) surfactant sensor was studied in single and complex mixtures of technical grade QACs—benzalkonium chloride (BAC), N,N-didecyl-N,N-dimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), and N,N-dioctyl-N,N-dimethylammonium chloride (DOAC) usually used in COVID-19 disinfecting agents formulations. The results obtained with the new DODI-TPB sensor were in good agreement with data measured by a 1,3-dihexadecyl−1H-benzo[d]imidazol−3-ium-tetraphenylborate (DMI-TPB) surfactant sensor, as well as two-phase titration used as a reference method. The quantitative titrations of a two-component mixture of the cationic homologs (a) DDAC and DOAC; and (b) BAC and DOAC showed that the new DODI-TPB surfactant sensor can clearly distinguish two separate mixture components in a single potentiometric titration curve with two characteristic inflexion points. The consumption of SDS (used as a titrant) in the end-point 1 (EP 1) corresponded to the content of DDAC (or BAC), whereas the consumption in the end-point 2 (EP 2) corresponded to the total content of both cationic surfactants in the mixture. DOAC content in both mixtures can be calculated from the difference of the titrant used to achieve EP1 and EP2. The addition of nonionic surfactants resulted in the signal change decrease from 333.2 mV (1:0; no nonionic surfactant added) to 243.0 mV (1:10, w/w). The sensor was successfully tested in ten two-component COVID-19 disinfecting formulations.