bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pregnancy- and Birth-Related Experiences among Postpartum Women during the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Multinational European Study
Authors: Araya Robin A. , Tauqeer Fatima , Ceulemans Michael , Gerbier Eva , Maisonneuve Emeline , Passier Anneke , Oliver Alison , Panchaud Alice , Lupattelli Angela , Nordeng Hedvig
Published: February 2023

The objective of this study was to describe pregnancy- and birth-related experiences of postpartum women during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and their association with mental health outcomes. An online questionnaire was distributed in five European countries (Belgium, The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, UK) between June and August 2021. Participants were recruited though social media platforms including pregnancy- and motherhood-related websites, pregnancy fora, and apps. Postpartum women were asked eleven specific questions about pregnancy- and birth-related changes and the presence of support during delivery. The Edinburgh Depression Scale was used to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms. Covariates included sociodemographics, health and reproductive characteristics, and COVID-19 status. Associations were estimated with logistic regression. The study included 1730 postpartum women. Frequent changes included the exclusion of the partner from pregnancy care appointments (83.2%), changed prenatal care settings (64.4%), and cancellation of hospital information visits (42.7%). Few women, however, were without support apart from medical staff during delivery (1.4%). The number of pregnancy- and birth-related changes was associated with each woman’s mental health status, as well as the type of change. Experiencing changes related to delivery and cancellation or reduction of prenatal examination was associated with a doubling in the odds of symptoms of major depression and anxiety postpartum. These findings highlight the importance of ensuring adequate maternity care for women’s mental health postpartum, as well as during a pandemic.
Surfactant and Block Copolymer Nanostructures: From Design and Development to Nanomedicine Preclinical Studies
Authors: Kontogiannis Orestis , Selianitis Dimitrios , Lagopati Nefeli , Pippa Natassa , Pispas Stergios , Gazouli Maria
Published: February 2023

The medical application of nanotechnology in the field of drug delivery has so far exhibited many efforts in treating simple to extremely complicated and life-threatening human conditions, with multiple products already existing in the market. A plethora of innovative drug delivery carriers, using polymers, surfactants and the combination of the above, have been developed and tested pre-clinically, offering great advantages in terms of targeted drug delivery, low toxicity and immune system activation, cellular biomimicry and enhanced pharmacokinetic properties. Furthermore, such artificial systems can be tailor-made with respect to each therapeutic protocol and disease type falling under the scope of personalized medicine. The simultaneous delivery of multiple therapeutic entities of different nature, such as genes and drugs, can be achieved, while novel technologies can offer systems with multiple modalities often combining therapy with diagnosis. In this review, we present prominent, innovative and state-of-the-art scientific efforts on the applications of surfactant-based, polymer-based, and mixed surfactant-polymer nanoparticle drug formulations intended for use in the medical field and in drug delivery. The materials used, formulation steps, nature, properties, physicochemical characteristics, characterization techniques and pharmacokinetic behavior of those systems, are presented extensively in the length of this work. The material presented is focused on research projects that are currently in the developmental, pre-clinical stage.
Targeting Siderophore-Mediated Iron Uptake in M. abscessus: A New Strategy to Limit the Virulence of Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria
Authors: Mori Matteo , Stelitano Giovanni , Cazzaniga Giulia , Gelain Arianna , Tresoldi Andrea , Cocorullo Mario , Roversi Martina , Chiarelli Laurent R. , Tomaiuolo Martina , Delre Pietro , Mangiatordi Giuseppe F. , Griego Anna , Rizzello Loris , Cassetta Alberto , Covaceuszach Sonia , Villa Stefania , Meneghetti Fiorella
Published: February 2023

Targeting pathogenic mechanisms, rather than essential processes, represents a very attractive approach for the development of new antimycobacterial drugs. In this context, iron acquisition routes have recently emerged as potentially druggable pathways. However, the importance of siderophore biosynthesis in the virulence and pathogenicity of M. abscessus (Mab) is still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the Salicylate Synthase (SaS) of Mab as an innovative molecular target for the development of inhibitors of siderophore production. Notably, Mab-SaS does not have any counterpart in human cells, making it an interesting candidate for drug discovery. Starting from the analysis of the binding of a series of furan-based derivatives, previously identified by our group as inhibitors of MbtI from M. tuberculosis (Mtb), we successfully selected the lead compound 1, exhibiting a strong activity against Mab-SaS (IC50 ≈ 5 µM). Computational studies characterized the key interactions between 1 and the enzyme, highlighting the important roles of Y387, G421, and K207, the latter being one of the residues involved in the first step of the catalytic reaction. These results support the hypothesis that 5-phenylfuran-2-carboxylic acids are also a promising class of Mab-SaS inhibitors, paving the way for the optimization and rational design of more potent derivatives.
Nanoparticles for Drug and Gene Delivery in Pediatric Brain Tumors’ Cancer Stem Cells: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives
Authors: Abballe Luana , Spinello Zaira , Antonacci Celeste , Coppola Lucia , Miele Ermanno , Catanzaro Giuseppina , Miele Evelina
Published: February 2023

Primary malignant brain tumors are the most common solid neoplasm in childhood. Despite recent advances, many children affected by aggressive or metastatic brain tumors still present poor prognosis, therefore the development of more effective therapies is urgent. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been discovered and isolated in both pediatric and adult patients with brain tumors (e.g., medulloblastoma, gliomas and ependymoma). CSCs are a small clonal population of cancer cells responsible for brain tumor initiation, maintenance and progression, displaying resistance to conventional anticancer therapies. CSCs are characterized by a specific repertoire of surface markers and intracellular specific pathways. These unique features of CSCs biology offer the opportunity to build therapeutic approaches to specifically target these cells in the complex tumor bulk. Treatment of pediatric brain tumors with classical chemotherapeutic regimen poses challenges both for tumor location and for the presence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Lastly, the application of chemotherapy to a developing brain is followed by long-term sequelae, especially on cognitive abilities. Novel avenues are emerging in the therapeutic panorama taking advantage of nanomedicine. In this review we will summarize nanoparticle-based approaches and the efficacy that NPs have intrinsically demonstrated and how they are also decorated by biomolecules. Furthermore, we propose novel cargoes together with recent advances in nanoparticle design/synthesis with the final aim to specifically target the insidious CSCs population in the tumor bulk.
The Contest of Nanoparticles: Searching for the Most Effective Topical Delivery of Corticosteroids
Authors: Kalvodová Aneta , Dvořáková Kristýna , Petrová Eliška , Michniak-Kohn Bozena B. , Zbytovská Jarmila
Published: February 2023

Owing to their complicated pathophysiology, the treatment of skin diseases necessitates a complex approach. Conventional treatment using topical corticosteroids often results in low effectiveness and the incidence of local or even systemic side effects. Nanoformulation of potent anti-inflammatory drugs has been selected as an optimal strategy for enhanced topical delivery of corticosteroids. In order to assess the efficiency of various nanoformulations, we formulated hydrocortisone (HC) and hydrocortisone-17-butyrate (HCB) into three different systems: lipid nanocapsules (LNC), polymeric nanoparticles (PNP), and ethosomes (ETZ). The systems were characterized using dynamic light scattering for their particle size and uniformity and the morphology of nanoparticles was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The nanosystems were tested using ex vivo full thickness porcine and human skin for the delivery of HC and HCB. The skin penetration was observed by confocal microscopy of fluorescently labelled nanosystems. ETZ were proposed as the most effective delivery system for both transdermal and dermal drug targeting but were also found to have a profound effect on the skin barrier with limited restoration. LNC and PNP were found to have significant effects in the dermal delivery of the actives with only minimal transdermal penetration, especially in case of HCB administration.
Angular and Orbital Angular Momenta in the Tight Focus of a Circularly Polarized Optical Vortex
Authors: Kotlyar Victor V. , Kovalev Alexey A. , Telegin Alexey M.
Published: February 2023

Based on the Richards-Wolf (RW) formalism, we obtain two different exact expressions for the angular momentum (AM) density of light in the focus of an optical vortex with a topological charge n and right circular polarization. One expression for the AM density is derived as the cross product of the position vector and the Poynting vector and has a nonzero value in the focus for an arbitrary integer n. Another expression for the AM density is equal to a sum of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) and the spin angular momentum (SAM) and, in the focus of a considered light field, is equal to zero at n = −1. These expressions are not equal at each point in space, but their 3D integrals are equal. Thus, we derive exact expressions for the AM, SAM and OAM densities in the focus of an optical vortex with right circular polarization and demonstrate that the identity for the densities AM = SAM + OAM is not valid. In addition, we show that the expressions for the strength vectors of the electric and magnetic field near the tight focus, obtained on the basis of the RW formalism, are exact solutions of Maxwell’s equations. Thus, the RW theory exactly describes the behavior of light near the tight focus in free space.
Effects of Mycotoxin Fumagillin, Mevastatin, Radicicol, and Wortmannin on Photosynthesis of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Shi Jiale , Jiang Mengyun , Wang He , Luo Zhi , Guo Yanjing , Chen Ying , Zhao Xiaoxi , Qiang Sheng , Strasser Reto Jörg , Kalaji Hazem M. , Chen Shiguo
Published: February 2023

Mycotoxins are one of the most important sources for the discovery of new pesticides and drugs because of their chemical structural diversity and fascinating bioactivity as well as unique novel targets. Here, the effects of four mycotoxins, fumagillin, mevastatin, radicicol, and wortmannin, on photosynthesis were investigated to identify their precise sites of action on the photosynthetic apparatus of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Our results showed that these four mycotoxins have multiple targets, acting mainly on photosystem II (PSII). Their mode of action is similar to that of diuron, inhibiting electron flow beyond the primary quinone electron acceptor (QA) by binding to the secondary quinone electron acceptor (QB) site of the D1 protein, thereby affecting photosynthesis. The results of PSII oxygen evolution rate and chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence imaging suggested that fumagillin strongly inhibited overall PSII activity; the other three toxins also exhibited a negative influence at the high concentration. Chl a fluorescence kinetics and the JIP test showed that the inhibition of electron transport beyond QA was the most significant feature of the four mycotoxins. Fumagillin decreased the rate of O2 evolution by interrupting electron transfer on the PSII acceptor side, and had multiple negative effects on the primary photochemical reaction and PSII antenna size. Mevastatin caused a decrease in photosynthetic activity, mainly due to the inhibition of electron transport. Both radicicol and wortmannin decreased photosynthetic efficiency, mainly by inhibiting the electron transport efficiency of the PSII acceptor side and the activity of the PSII reaction centers. In addition, radicicol reduced the primary photochemical reaction efficiency and antenna size. The simulated molecular model of the four mycotoxins’ binding to C. reinhardtii D1 protein indicated that the residue D1-Phe265 is their common site at the QB site. This is a novel target site different from those of commercial PSII herbicides. Thus, the interesting effects of the four mycotoxins on PSII suggested that they provide new ideas for the design of novel and efficient herbicide molecules.
High Temperature Alters Phenology, Seed Development and Yield in Three Rice Varieties
Authors: Sanwong Pranee , Sanitchon Jirawat , Dongsansuk Anoma , Jothityangkoon Darunee
Published: February 2023

Rice is an important and main staple food crop. Rice in Thailand grows in both the on- and off-seasons. The problem of growing rice in the off-season is that it is dry and the temperature tends to be high. To evaluate the effects of high temperatures on their phenology, yield and seed quality, three rice varieties were cultivated off-season in 2018 and 2019. Rice plants were grown in cement pots on planting date I (PDI; off-season; mid-January) and planting date II (PDII; late off-season; beginning of February). The results showed that rice plants were exposed to higher temperatures in 2019 (than 2018), as indicated by a higher accumulated growing degree day (AGDD). The high AGDD affected the phenology of the rice by shortening the duration of its development from sowing to physiological maturity (PM) from 106.8 DAS in 2018 to 86.0 DAS in 2019. The high AGDD shortened the development duration of the embryo and endosperm, resulting in reductions in the size and growth rates of the embryo and endosperm, and eventually reduced the yield and the yield components. Moreover, the high AGDD reduced the seed quality, as indicated by a decline in the seedling growth rate (SGR) and an increase in chalkiness. Among the varieties, the high temperature in 2019 caused the smallest phenological shift in Chai Nat 1 (CN1), while the shift was largest in Pathum Thani 1 (PTT1). In addition, CN1 exhibited a significantly higher total seed weight/panicle, 1000-seed weight and percentage of filled seed/pot than SP1 and PPT1. It was suggested that CN1 could be described as heat tolerant, and PTT1 as heat sensitive. It was also suggested that farmers should select appropriate rice varieties to grow in the off-season due to the risk of a high-temperature-induced reduction in the seed yield and quality.
Comparison of Serological and Molecular Methods for Detection of Spiroplasma citri in Moroccan Citrus-Growing Areas
Authors: Sagouti Tourya , Rhallabi Naima , Polizzi Giancarlo , Tahiri Abdessalem , Belabess Zineb , Barka Essaid Ait , Lahlali Rachid
Published: February 2023

Spiroplasma citri, a helical motile, wall-less, and cultivable microorganism of the class Mollicutes, is the agent of the citrus stubborn disease. There is currently a lack of data about the presence of this pathogen in Moroccan citrus orchards. This study aims to validate serological and molecular methods for routine S. citri diagnosis in Moroccan citrus groves. To provide an update on the present status of the outbreak of the pathogen in Moroccan citrus orchards, a survey of S. citri was conducted in the main citrus-growing regions of Morocco. A total of 575 leaf samples were collected from citrus trees with symptoms attributable to S. citri infection. Samples were collected during 2020 and 2021 from 23 citrus orchards. The presence of S. citri was tested in all samples using the double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA). Using this method, 57 samples were found to be infected with S. citri, 41 samples had doubtful results, and the remaining samples were negative. To corroborate the results of the DAS-ELISA test, 148 samples were chosen for additional molecular testing using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR (qPCR) based on specific primer pairs targeting three different genes (putative adhesion-like gene P58, putative adhesion gene P89, and spiralin gene). Using primers that target the putative adhesion-like gene P58, S. citri was detected by conventional and real-time PCR amplification from plant tissue with differing degrees of specificity. The results allowed us to determine the incidence of S. citri in all Moroccan citrus orchards, with a wide range of positive samples varying from 6.5% to 78%, and to show that molecular tests, particularly real-time PCR assays that target the putative adhesion-like gene P58, are the most sensitive for making an accurate diagnosis of S. citri. Indeed, the real-time PCR with P58-targeting primers yielded positive results from all positive and doubtful ELISA samples as well as some negative samples, with an OD value close to 1.5× times healthy samples, thus demonstrating a high sensibility of this technique.
Overview of Repressive miRNA Regulation by Short Tandem Target Mimic (STTM): Applications and Impact on Plant Biology
Authors: Othman Syed Muhammad Iqbal Syed , Mustaffa Arif Faisal , Che-Othman M. Hafiz , Samad Abdul Fatah A. , Goh Hoe-Han , Zainal Zamri , Ismail Ismanizan
Published: February 2023

The application of miRNA mimic technology for silencing mature miRNA began in 2007. This technique originated from the discovery of the INDUCED BY PHOSPHATE STARVATION 1 (IPS1) gene, which was found to be a competitive mimic that prevents the cleavage of the targeted mRNA by miRNA inhibition at the post-transcriptional level. To date, various studies have been conducted to understand the molecular mimic mechanism and to improve the efficiency of this technology. As a result, several mimic tools have been developed: target mimicry (TM), short tandem target mimic (STTM), and molecular sponges (SPs). STTM is the most-developed tool due to its stability and effectiveness in decoying miRNA. This review discusses the application of STTM technology on the loss-of-function studies of miRNA and members from diverse plant species. A modified STTM approach for studying the function of miRNA with spatial–temporal expression under the control of specific promoters is further explored. STTM technology will enhance our understanding of the miRNA activity in plant-tissue-specific development and stress responses for applications in improving plant traits via miRNA regulation.
Understanding the Active Mechanisms of Plant (Sesuvium portulacastrum L.) against Heavy Metal Toxicity
Authors: Alsherif Emad A. , Yaghoubi Khanghahi Mohammad , Crecchio Carmine , Korany Shereen Magdy , Sobrinho Renato Lustosa , AbdElgawad Hamada
Published: February 2023

Through metabolic analysis, the present research seeks to reveal the defense mechanisms activated by a heavy metals-resistant plant, Sesuvium portulacastrum L. In this regard, shifting metabolisms in this plant were investigated in different heavy metals-contaminated experimental sites, which were 50, 100, 500, 1000, and 5000 m away from a man-fabricated sewage dumping lake, with a wide range of pollutant concentrations. Heavy metals contaminations in contaminated soil and their impact on mineral composition and microbial population were also investigated. The significant findings to emerge from this research were the modifications of nitrogen and carbon metabolisms in plant tissues to cope with heavy metal toxicity. Increased plant amylase enzymes activity in contaminated soils increased starch degradation to soluble sugars as a mechanism to mitigate stress impact. Furthermore, increased activity of sucrose phosphate synthase in contaminated plants led to more accumulation of sucrose. Moreover, no change in the content of sucrose hydrolyzing enzymes (vacuolar invertase and cytosolic invertase) in the contaminated sites can suggest the translocation of sucrose from shoot to root under stress. Similarly, although this study demonstrated a high level of malate in plants exposed to stress, caution must be applied in suggesting a strong link between organic acids and the activation of defense mechanisms in plants, since other key organic acids were not affected by stress. Therefore, activation of other defense mechanisms, especially antioxidant defense molecules including alpha and beta tocopherols, showed a greater role in protecting plants from heavy metals stress. Moreover, the increment in the content of some amino acids (e.g., glycine, alanine, glutamate, arginine, and ornithine) in plants under metal toxicity can be attributed to a high level of stress tolerance. Moreover, strategies in the excitation of the synthesis of the unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and palmitoleic) were involved in enhancing stress tolerance, which was unexpectedly associated with an increase in the accumulation of palmitic and stearic (saturated fatty acids). Taken together, it can be concluded that these multiple mechanisms were involved in the response to stress which may be cooperative and complementary with each other in inducing resistance to the plants.
Gene Profiling of the Ascorbate Oxidase Family Genes under Osmotic and Cold Stress Reveals the Role of AnAO5 in Cold Adaptation in Ammopiptanthus nanus
Authors: Zhu Ming , Liu Qi , Liu Fuyu , Zheng Lamei , Bing Jie , Zhou Yijun , Gao Fei
Published: February 2023

The uplift of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau has led to a drastic change in the climate in Central Asia, from warm and rainy, to dry and less rainfall. Ammopiptanthus nanus, a rare evergreen broad-leaved shrub distributed in the temperate desert region of Central Asia, has survived the drastic climate change in Central Asia caused by the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Ascorbate oxidase (AO) regulates the redox status of the apoplast by catalyzing the oxidation of ascorbate acid to dehydroascorbic acid, and plays a key role in the adaptation of plants to environmental changes. Analyzing the evolution, environmental response, and biological functions of the AO family of A. nanus is helpful for understanding how plant genome evolution responds to climate change in Central Asia. A total of 16 AOs were identified in A. nanus, all of which contained the ascorbate oxidase domain, most of which contained transmembrane domain, and many were predicted to be localized in the apoplast. Segmental duplication and tandem duplication are the main factors driving the gene amplification of the AO gene family in A. nanus. Gene expression analysis based on transcriptome data and fluorescence quantitative PCR, as well as enzyme activity measurements, showed that the expression levels of AO genes and total enzyme activity decreased under short-term osmotic stress and low-temperature stress, but the expression of some AO genes (AnAO5, AnAO13, and AnAO16) and total enzyme activity increased under 7 days of cold stress. AnAO5 and AnAO11 are targeted by miR4415. Further functional studies on AnAO5 showed that AnAO5 protein was localized in the apoplast. The expression of AnAO5 in yeast cells and the transient expression in tobacco enhanced the tolerance of yeast and tobacco to low-temperature stress, and the overexpression of AnAO5 enhanced the tolerance of Arabidopsis seedlings to cold stress. Our research provides important data for understanding the role of AOs in plant adaptation to environmental change.
ADH Gene Cloning and Identification of Flooding-Responsive Genes in Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich
Authors: Zhang Rui , Xuan Lei , Ni Longjie , Yang Ying , Zhang Ya , Wang Zhiquan , Yin Yunlong , Hua Jianfeng
Published: February 2023

As a flooding-tolerant tree species, Taxodium distichum has been utilized in afforestation projects and proven to have important value in flooding areas. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which participates in ethanol fermentation, is essential for tolerance to the anaerobic conditions caused by flooding. In a comprehensive analysis of the ADH gene family in T. distichum, TdADHs were cloned on the basis of whole-genome sequencing, and then bioinformatic analysis, subcellular localization, and gene expression level analysis under flooding were conducted. The results show that the putative protein sequences of 15 cloned genes contained seven TdADHs and eight TdADH-like genes (one Class III ADH included) that were divided into five clades. All the sequences had an ADH_N domain, and except for TdADH-likeE2, all the other genes had an ADH_zinc_N domain. Moreover, the TdADHs in clades A, B, C, and D had a similar motif composition. Additionally, the number of TdADH amino acids ranged from 277 to 403, with an average of 370.13. Subcellular localization showed that, except for TdADH-likeD3, which was not expressed in the nucleus, the other genes were predominantly expressed in both the nucleus and cytosol. TdADH-likeC2 was significantly upregulated in all three organs (roots, stems, and leaves), and TdADHA3 was also highly upregulated under 24 h flooding treatment; the two genes might play key roles in ethanol fermentation and flooding tolerance. These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of TdADHs and could provide a foundation for the molecular breeding of T. distichum and current research on the molecular mechanisms driving flooding tolerance.
QTL Analysis Reveals Conserved and Differential Genetic Regulation of Maize Lateral Angles above the Ear
Authors: Zhu Yanbin , Song Bo , Guo Yanling , Wang Baobao , Xu Changcheng , Zhu Hongyu , E Lizhu , Lai Jinsheng , Song Weibin , Zhao Haiming
Published: February 2023

Improving the density tolerance and planting density has great importance for increasing maize production. The key to promoting high density planting is breeding maize with a compact canopy architecture, which is mainly influenced by the angles of the leaves and tassel branches above the ear. It is still unclear whether the leaf angles of different stem nodes and tassel branches are controlled by similar genetic regulatory mechanisms, which limits the ability to breed for density-tolerant maize. Here, we developed a population with 571 double haploid lines derived from inbred lines, PHBA6 and Chang7-2, showing significant differences in canopy architecture. Phenotypic and QTL analyses revealed that the genetic regulation mechanism was largely similar for closely adjacent leaves above the ears. In contrast, the regulation mechanisms specifying the angles of distant leaves and the angles of leaves vs. tassel branches are largely different. The liguless1 gene was identified as a candidate gene for QTLs co-regulating the angles of different leaves and the tassel branch, consistent with its known roles in regulating plant architecture. Our findings can be used to develop strategies for the improvement of leaf and tassel architecture through the introduction of trait-specific or pleiotropic genes, thus benefiting the breeding of maize with increased density tolerance in the future.
Effects of Co-Inoculating Saccharomyces spp. with Bradyrhizobium japonicum on Atmospheric Nitrogen Fixation in Soybeans (Glycine max (L.))
Authors: Zveushe Obey Kudakwashe , de Dios Victor Resco , Zhang Hengxing , Zeng Fang , Liu Siqin , Shen Songrong , Kang Qianlin , Zhang Yazhen , Huang Miao , Sarfaraz Ahmed , Prajapati Matina , Zhou Lei , Zhang Wei , Han Ying , Dong Faqin
Published: February 2023

Crop production encounters challenges due to the dearth of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), while excessive chemical fertilizer use causes environmental hazards. The use of N-fixing microbes and P-solubilizing microbes (PSMs) can be a sustainable strategy to overcome these problems. Here, we conducted a greenhouse pot experiment following a completely randomized blocked design to elucidate the influence of co-inoculating N-fixing bacteria (Bradyrhizobium japonicum) and PSMs (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces exiguus) on atmospheric N2-fixation, growth, and yield. The results indicate a significant influence of interaction on Indole-3-acetic acid production, P solubilization, seedling germination, and growth. It was also found that atmospheric N2-fixation, nodule number per plant, nodule dry weight, straw, and root dry weight per plant at different growth stages were significantly increased under dual inoculation treatments relative to single inoculation or no inoculation treatment. Increased seed yield and N and P accumulation were also noticed under co-inoculation treatments. Soil available N was highest under sole bacterial inoculation and lowest under the control treatment, while soil available P was highest under co-inoculation treatments and lowest under the control treatment. We demonstrated that the co-inoculation of N-fixing bacteria and PSMs enhances P bioavailability and atmospheric N2-fixation in soybeans leading to improved soil fertility, raising crop yields, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Enhancement in Power Conversion Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells by Reduced Non-Radiative Recombination Using a Brij C10-Mixed PEDOT:PSS Hole Transport Layer
Authors: Jung Sehyun , Choi Seungsun , Shin Woojin , Oh Hyesung , Oh Jaewon , Ryu Mee-Yi , Kim Wonsik , Park Soohyung , Lee Hyunbok
Published: February 2023

Interface properties between charge transport and perovskite light-absorbing layers have a significant impact on the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is a polyelectrolyte composite that is widely used as a hole transport layer (HTL) to facilitate hole transport from a perovskite layer to an anode. However, PEDOT:PSS must be modified using a functional additive because PSCs with a pristine PEDOT:PSS HTL do not exhibit a high PCE. Herein, we demonstrate an increase in the PCE of PSCs with a polyethylene glycol hexadecyl ether (Brij C10)-mixed PEDOT:PSS HTL. Photoelectron spectroscopy results show that the Brij C10 content becomes significantly high in the HTL surface composition with an increase in the Brij C10 concentration (0–5 wt%). The enhanced PSC performance, e.g., a PCE increase from 8.05 to 11.40%, is attributed to the reduction in non-radiative recombination at the interface between PEDOT:PSS and perovskite by the insulating Brij C10. These results indicate that the suppression of interface recombination is essential for attaining a high PCE for PSCs.
Effects of Heat Treatment on Color, Dimensional Stability, Hygroscopicity and Chemical Structure of Afrormosia and Newtonia Wood: A Comparative Study of Air and Palm Oil Medium
Authors: Bessala Lionnel Frederique Bidzanga , Gao Jingjing , He Zhengbin , Wang Zhenyu , Yi Songlin
Published: February 2023

In recent years, China is increasingly dependent on imported wood. Afrormosia and Newtonia are some of the imported species with good utilization potential. However, both of them also have problems with poor dimensional stability. In order to make better use of these two types of wood, the influence of heat treatment under air and palm oil conditions on the color, dimensional stability, and hygroscopicity of Afrormosia and Newtonia was investigated. The Afrormosia and Newtonia wood samples were heated in air or palm oil medium for two hours at 160 °C, 180 °C and 200 °C, respectively. Then, the color, weight changes, swelling, moisture absorption and chemical structure were evaluated for each case. As results, the heat treatments with air or palm oil increased the dark color of Newtonia and Afrormosia wood and this increase was proportional to the treatment temperature. The tangential and radial swelling coefficient for air heat treatment of Afrormosia wood at 200 °C were, respectively, reduced by 24.59% and 19.58%, while this reduction for Newtonia was 21.32% and 14.80%. The heat treatment in palm oil further improved the stability and hygroscopicity of the wood, showing that the Afrormosia samples treated by palm oil at 200 °C underwent a decrease of its tangential and radial swelling coefficient, respectively, by 49.34% and 45.88%, whereas the tangential and radial swelling coefficient of Newtonia treated under the same conditions were reduced by 42.85% and 33.63%, respectively. The heat treatments of Afrormosia and Newtonia samples under air at 200 °C diminished the water absorption by 21.67% and 22.12%. The water absorption of Afrormosia and Newtonia heat-treated under palm oil at 200 °C was reduced, respectively, by 39.40% and 37.49%. Moreover, the FTIR analysis showed the decrease of hydroxyl groups in proportion to the wood treatment temperature.
Infection of Vascular Prostheses: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Costa Davide , Andreucci Michele , Ielapi Nicola , Serraino Giuseppe Filiberto , Mastroroberto Pasquale , Bracale Umberto Marcello , Serra Raffaele
Published: February 2023

Vascular graft or endograft infection (VGEI) is a complex disease that complicates vascular-surgery and endovascular-surgery procedures and determines high morbidity and mortality. This review article provides the most updated general evidence on the pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of VGEI. Several microorganisms are involved in VGEI development, but the most frequent one, responsible for over 75% of infections, is Staphylococcus aureus. Specific clinical, surgical, radiologic, and laboratory criteria are pivotal for the diagnosis of VGEI. Surgery and antimicrobial therapy are cornerstones in treatment for most patients with VGEI. For patients unfit for surgery, alternative treatment is available to improve the clinical course of VGEI.
Evolving 3D-Printing Strategies for Structural and Cosmetic Components in Upper Limb Prosthesis
Authors: Manero Albert , Sparkman John , Dombrowski Matt , Smith Peter , Senthil Pavan , Smith Spencer , Rivera Viviana , Chi Albert
Published: February 2023

The evolution of prosthetic limbs continues to develop, with novel manufacturing techniques being evaluated, including additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D-printing, holds promise for enabling personalized and tailored medical device options. The requirements for personalized medicine, coupled with the limitations of small-batch manufacturing, have made the technique viable for exploration. In this manuscript, an approach is presented for incorporating additive manufacturing for prostheses, both as a final part and in applications as an intermediate manufacturing step. As a result, through the use of these methods a multi-gesture capable electromyographic prosthesis was designed and manufactured, currently being evaluated in clinical trials for pediatric patients. This paper explored the results of this unique method of applying additive manufacturing techniques, and assessed how the blend of different manufacturing techniques improved performance and reduced device weight. Creating unique and aesthetic cosmetic coverings for the device was achieved through using additive manufacturing as an intermediate manufacturing component and, then, applying thermoforming. Cosmesis components saw a 33% reduction in weight from this change in manufacturing. The approach is explored to blend multiple manufacturing techniques to create cosmesis components and structural components for the prosthesis. The techniques serve the design intent to reduce reported challenges with upper limb prosthesis devices and to encourage device retention. Recommendations for manufacturing strategies are discussed, including the limitations.
Evaluation of the Linkages between Ecosystem Services and Land Use/Land Cover Changes in Matenchose Watershed, Rift Valley Basin, Ethiopia
Authors: Mathewos Markos , Aga Alemu O.
Published: February 2023

The global ecosystem services that are essential to sustaining life on the planet have been disrupted by different anthropogenic activities. This study’s objective is to examine how ecosystem services vary with changes in land use and land cover (LULC) across 29 years at the Matenchose watershed. Landsat images for 1991 (TM), 2003 (ETM+), and 2020 (OLI-8) were used for the categorization of LULC. To evaluate the changes in ecosystems service valuations (ESVs) as a result of LULC changes in combination with ArcGIS, the value transfer valuation approach was utilized. Farmlands, towns, and bare land exhibited growing trends among the five major LULC classes, but forest and grassland showed declining trends. From 1991 to 2020, ESVs decreased by a total of US $157.24 million due to the LULC modifications. In terms of ESV functions, provisional services (US $89.23 million) and cultural services (US $69.36 million) made up the majority of the loss of ESV. Overall, the reduction of ESV showed the environment is degrading because of existing LULC changes, this calls for immediate sustainable land management intervention by responsible actors. To attain sustainable development goals regarding food and life on the land, it is imperative to reverse the loss of ecosystem services.
The Legacy of Blood Atonement? Gauging Mormon Support for the Death Penalty
Authors: Bartkowski John P. , Kohler Janelle , Hoffmann John P.
Published: February 2023

American support for the death penalty has declined over time, but conservative religious groups have exhibited more favorable attitudes toward this practice than their mainline religious and secular peers. Scholars have generally overlooked Latter-day Saint (LDS, Mormon) support for capital punishment. However, this faith tradition is a case worthy of careful examination. Historically, LDS leadership was supportive of the death penalty, which was congruent with their teachings on blood atonement, i.e., theological rationales for capital punishment as a just response to murder. However, Mormon leaders have more recently adopted a neutral position toward the death penalty. To what degree might changing social attitudes and flagging LDS leader endorsements of the death penalty have contributed to diminished grassroots Mormon support for capital punishment? This study uses data from the General Social Survey to test three hypotheses: (1) those with an LDS affiliation will exhibit greater support for the death penalty when compared with their non-Mormon peers, including other religious conservatives; (2) LDS support for the death penalty will diminish over time; and (3) LDS support for capital punishment will be bolstered by frequent Mormon worship service attendance. Using cross-tabulations, logistic regression, and time series analyses, the results indicate support for all three hypotheses. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Islamist Civilizationism in Malaysia
Authors: Shukri Syaza
Published: February 2023

Malaysia is known to have a diverse population across the racial and religious spectrums. However, a majority of the population identifies as Malays, and, thus, legally, as Muslims too. Although the development of the Malay identity had begun immediately after World War II, the stark division between Muslims and non-Muslims came out of the 1971 New Economic Policy that prioritized the Malay population in the name of reducing poverty and stabilizing the country. With the Malay-nationalist party United Malay National Organization (UMNO) being in power for six decades, the position of the Malays became undisputed. At the same time, international and domestic development such as the Islamic revival of the 1970s, the Global War on Terror and the splitting of Malay votes in the 2000s further pushed UMNO and, later, the Islamist PAS to redefine Malay identity as part of the larger Muslim ummah under the framework of ‘civilizational populism’. By conflating ethnicity and religion, Islamist and Malay nationalist parties together with their leaders used populist discourses to ensure the people’s continued support, even at the expense of non-Muslim Malaysian citizens. Using process tracing, this article shows that civilizationism is effective to unite the majority Muslim population in a divided country such as Malaysia when policies in place failed to engender unity. As a result, Malay-Muslims sought a community beyond its borders, and with the rise of Islamist politics around the world, it has become much easier for the Malay-Muslims to highlight the plight of Muslims over that of their own co-nationalists for the benefit of domestic politics.
Comparison of Expert Assessment of Geosites with Tourist Preferences, Case Study: Sub-Tatra Region (Southern Poland, Northern Slovakia)
Authors: Chrobak-Žuffová Anna
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this research was to compare the geotouristic potential of the Sub-Tatra Region, expressed in the values of expert assessment of geosites, against the preferences of tourists coming to the area. Tourist preferences were evaluated by a survey in which tourists assessed the attractiveness of the types of geosites that can be admired in the area. The expert valorizations showed high and very high indices for most of the analyzed geosites. The highest of these assessment values show particularly high geotourism values for three geosites: the travertine hill with Spiš castle, the limestone hill with Orava castle and the travertine dome in Gánovce. A comparison of these results against average tourist preferences shows a moderate correlation (r = 0.4). Geosites of low and medium value according to expert assessments are rarely selected as the destination for equipment-intensive tourism. The sites with the highest combined valorization coefficients, i.e., hills with castle ruins, are of moderate interest to the surveyed group of respondents. The largest difference is in the assessment of the cave, waterfall and viewpoint geosites, where there is a great interest among tourist respondents, but the expert assessment index is low or moderate.
Virtual UR5 Robot for Online Learning of Inverse Kinematics and Independent Joint Control Validated with FSM Position Control
Authors: Arenas-Rosales Filemon , Martell-Chavez Fernando , Sanchez-Chavez Irma Y. , Paredes-Orta Carlos A.
Published: February 2023

Virtual remote laboratories have already been successfully implemented in educational centers for practical learning of mechatronics and robotic systems. This article presents the development of a virtual articulated UR-type robot, designed as an educational tool that is suitable for programming and evaluating both the inverse kinematics control of the robot and the independent control of the robot joints. The 3D model of the virtual robot was developed in the Blender V2.79 software and uses the Modbus TCP industrial communication protocol for the communication to an external controller implemented in CoDeSys V3.5 software. The developed system allows the students to generate and test their own control algorithm for the robot joints with the visualization of the achieved performance in 3D and real time. Tailored control systems can be compared on the virtual robot. In this study, a novel technique for the joint position control based on an FSM is proposed and verified with the virtual UR5 robots to prove that the developed system is a suitable platform to teach and learn the inverse kinematics control and independent joint control of the UR5 robotic arm.
The Deep Atmospheric Composition of Jupiter from Thermochemical Calculations Based on Galileo and Juno Data
Authors: Rensen Frank , Miguel  Yamila , Zilinskas Mantas , Louca Amy , Woitke Peter , Helling Christiane , Herbort Oliver
Published: February 2023

The deep atmosphere of Jupiter is obscured beneath thick clouds. This causes direct observations to be difficult, and thermochemical equilibrium models fill in the observational gaps. This research uses Galileo and Juno data together with the Gibbs free energy minimization code GGchem to update the gas phase and condensation equilibrium chemistry of the deep atmosphere of Jupiter down to 1000 bars. Specifically, the Galileo data provides helium abundances and, with the incorporated Juno data, we use new enrichment values for oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and sulphur. The temperature profile in Jupiter’s deep atmosphere is obtained following recent interior model calculations that fit the gravitational harmonics measured by Juno. Following this approach, we produced pressure–mixing ratio plots for H, He, C, N, O, Na, Mg, Si, P, S and K that give a complete chemical model of all species occurring to abundances down to a 10−20 mixing ratio. The influence of the increased elemental abundances can be directly seen in the concentration of the dominant carriers for each element: the mixing ratio of NH3 increased by a factor of 1.55 as compared with the previous literature, N2 by 5.89, H2O by 1.78, CH4 by 2.82 and H2S by 2.69. We investigate the influence of water enrichment values observed by Juno on these models and find that no liquid water clouds form at the oxygen enrichment measured by Galileo, EH2O = 0.47, while they do form at higher water abundance as measured by Juno. We update the mixing ratios of important gas phase species, such as NH3, H2O, CO, CH4 and H2S, and find that new gas phase species, such as CN−, (NaCN)2, S2O and K+, and new condensates, namely H3PO4 (s), LiCl (s), KCl (s), NaCl (s), NaF (s), MgO (s), Fe (s) and MnS (s), form in the atmosphere.
Remote Sensing Image Change Detection Based on Deep Multi-Scale Multi-Attention Siamese Transformer Network
Authors: Zhang Mengxuan , Liu Zhao , Feng Jie , Liu Long , Jiao Licheng
Published: February 2023

Change detection is a technique that can observe changes in the surface of the earth dynamically. It is one of the most significant tasks in remote sensing image processing. In the past few years, with the ability of extracting rich deep image features, the deep learning techniques have gained popularity in the field of change detection. In order to obtain obvious image change information, the attention mechanism is added in the decoder and output stage in many deep learning-based methods. Many of these approaches neglect to upgrade the ability of the encoders and the feature extractors to extract the representational features. To resolve this problem, this study proposes a deep multi-scale multi-attention siamese transformer network. A special contextual attention module combining a convolution and self-attention module is introduced into the siamese feature extractor to enhance the global representation ability. A lightly efficient channel attention block is added in the siamese feature extractor to obtain the information interaction among different channels. Furthermore, a multi-scale feature fusion module is proposed to fuse the features from different stages of the siamese feature extractor, and it can detect objects of different sizes and irregularities. To increase the accuracy of the proposed approach, the transformer module is utilized to model the long-range context in two-phase images. The experimental results on the LEVIR-CD and the CCD datasets show the effectiveness of the proposed network.