bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying the Variation in the Geometries of the Outer Rims of Corolla Tubes of Vinca major L.
Authors: Wang Lin , Miao Qinyue , Niinemets Ülo , Gielis Johan , Shi Peijian
Published: August 2022

Many geometries of plant organs can be described by the Gielis equation, a polar coordinate equation extended from the superellipse equation, r=a|cosm4φ|n2+|1ksinm4φ|n3−1/n1. Here, r is the polar radius corresponding to the polar angle φ; m is a positive integer that determines the number of angles of the Gielis curve when φ ∈ [0 to 2π); and the rest of the symbols are parameters to be estimated. The pentagonal radial symmetry of calyxes and corolla tubes in top view is a common feature in the flowers of many eudicots. However, prior studies have not tested whether the Gielis equation can depict the shapes of corolla tubes. We sampled randomly 366 flowers of Vinca major L., among which 360 had five petals and pentagonal corolla tubes, and six had four petals and quadrangular corolla tubes. We extracted the planar coordinates of the outer rims of corolla tubes (in top view) (ORCTs), and then fitted the data with two simplified versions of the Gielis equation with k = 1 and m = 5: r=acos54φn2+sin54φn3−1/n1 (Model 1), and r=acos54φn2+sin54φn2−1/n1 (Model 2). The adjusted root mean square error (RMSEadj) was used to evaluate the goodness of fit of each model. In addition, to test whether ORCTs are radially symmetrical, we correlated the estimates of n2 and n3 in Model 1 on a log-log scale. The results validated the two simplified Gielis equations. The RMSEadj values for all corolla tubes were smaller than 0.05 for both models. The numerical values of n2 and n3 were demonstrated to be statistically equal based on the regression analysis, which suggested that the ORCTs of V. major are radially symmetrical. It suggests that Model 1 can be replaced by the simpler Model 2 for fitting the ORCT in this species. This work indicates that the pentagonal or quadrangular corolla tubes (in top view) can both be modeled by the Gielis equation and demonstrates that the pentagonal or quadrangular corolla tubes of plants tend to form radial symmetrical geometries during their development and growth.
Antioxidant and Anticancer Potential of Bioactive Compounds from Rhinacanthus nasutus Cell Suspension Culture
Authors: Songserm Pattralak , Klanrit Poramaporn , Klanrit Poramate , Phetcharaburanin Jutarop , Thanonkeo Pornthap , Apiraksakorn Jirawan , Phomphrai Khamphee , Klanrit Preekamol
Published: August 2022

The potential benefits of natural plant extracts have received attention in recent years, encouraging the development of natural products that effectively treat various diseases. This is the first report on establishing callus and cell suspension cultures of Rhinacanthus nasutus (L.) Kurz. A yellow friable callus was successfully induced from in vitro leaf explants on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 1 mg/L 1-naphthalene acetic acid. A selected friable callus line was used to establish the cell suspension culture with the same medium. The antioxidant assays showed that the leaf- and ethanolic-suspension-cultured cell (SCC) extracts exhibited high antioxidant potential. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity revealed by the MTT assay demonstrated potent antiproliferative effects against the oral cancer cell lines ORL-48 and ORL-136 in a dose-dependent manner. Several groups of compounds, including terpenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, quinones, and stilbenes, were identified by UHPLC–QToF–MS, with the same compounds detected in leaf and SCC extracts, including austroinulin, lucidenic acid, esculetin, embelin, and quercetin 3-(2″-p-hydroxybenzoyl-4″-p-coumarylrhamnoside). The present study suggests the value of further investigations for phytochemical production using R. nasutus cell suspension culture.
New Monocyclic Terpenoid Lactones from a Brown Algae Sargassum macrocarpum as Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
Authors: Kwon Jaeyoung , Lee Kyerim , Hwang Hoseong , Kim Seong-Hwan , Park Se Eun , Durai Prasannavenkatesh , Park Keunwan , Kim Hyung-Seop , Jang Dae Sik , Choi Jae Sue , Kwon Hak Cheol
Published: August 2022

Algae are unique natural products that can produce various types of biologically active compounds. The 70% ethanol extract of brown algae Sargassum macrocarpum collected from the East Sea of Korea inhibited human monoamine oxidases A and B enzymes (hMAO-A and hMAO-B) at a 50 μg/mL concentration. The bioassay-guided isolation was performed through solid-phase extraction and the Sepbox system followed by serial high-performance liquid chromatography on the reverse phase condition, resulting in the identification of two new monocyclic terpenoid lactones, sargassumins A and B (1 and 2). The planar structures of the compounds were determined by a combination of spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations were determined by the interpretation of circular dichroism data. Compound 1 exhibited mild hMAO-A inhibition (42.18 ± 2.68% at 200 μM) and docked computationally into the active site of hMAO-A (−8.48 kcal/mol). Although compound 2 could not be tested due to insufficient quantity, it docked better into hMAO-A (−9.72 kcal/mol). Therefore, the above results suggest that this type of monocyclic terpenoid lactone could be one of the potential lead compounds for the treatment of psychiatric or neurological diseases.
Discovery and Diagnosis of a New Sobemovirus Infecting Cyperus esculentus Showing Leaf Yellow Mosaic and Dwarfism Using Small-RNA High Throughput Sequencing
Authors: Rubio Luis , Guinot-Moreno Francisco J. J. , Sanz-López Carmen , Galipienso Luis
Published: August 2022

C. esculentus is a profitable crop in Valencia, Spain, but the emergence of a disease causing of leaf yellow mosaic, dwarfism, and a drastic decrease in tuber production has become a problem. The small-RNA high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of a diseased C. esculentus plant identified only one virus, which could be the causal agent of this disease. The amino-acid comparison with viral sequences from GenBank and phylogenetic analyses indicated that this was a new species of genus Sobemovirus, and the name Xufa yellow dwarf virus was proposed. Completion with Sanger sequencing yielded a contig of 3072 nt corresponding to about 75% of the typical genome of sobemoviruses, including ORFs 2a (polyprotein-containing protease, VPG, and other proteins), 2b (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase), and 3 (coat protein). The nucleotide sequence was used to develop fast and accurate methods for the detection and quantification of xufa yellow dwarf virus (XYDV) based on reverse transcription (RT) and DNA amplification. XYDV was detected in leaves and tubers and showed a high incidence in the field in both symptomatic (almost 100%) and asymptomatic (70%) plants, but its accumulation was much higher in symptomatic plants. The relevance of these results for disease control was discussed.
Antimicrobial Efficiency of Some Essential Oils in Antibiotic-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates
Authors: Van Luc Tran , Hagiu Ilinca , Popovici Adelina , Marinescu Florica , Gheorghe Irina , Curutiu Carmen , Ditu Lia Mara , Holban Alina-Maria , Sesan Tatiana Eugenia , Lazar Veronica
Published: August 2022

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a non-fermentative Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen, frequently encountered in difficult-to-treat hospital-acquired infections and also wastewaters. The natural resistance of this pathogen, together with the frequent occurrence of multidrug-resistant strains, make current antibiotic therapy inefficient in treating P. aeruginosa infections. Antibiotic therapy creates a huge pressure to select resistant strains in clinical settings but also in the environment, since high amounts of antibiotics are released in waters and soil. Essential oils (EOs) and plant-derived compounds are efficient, ecologic, and sustainable alternatives in the management of various diseases, including infections. In this study, we evaluated the antibacterial effects of four commercial essential oils, namely, tea tree, thyme, sage, and eucalyptus, on 36 P. aeruginosa strains isolated from hospital infections and wastewaters. Bacterial strains were characterized in terms of virulence and antimicrobial resistance. The results show that most strains expressed soluble pore toxin virulence factors such as lecithinase (89–100%) and lipase (72–86%). All P. aeruginosa strains were positive for alginate encoding gene and 94.44% for protease IV; most of the strains were exotoxin producers (i.e., 80.56% for the ExoS gene, 77.78% for the ExoT gene, while the ExoU gene was present in 38.98% of the strains). Phospholipase-encoding genes (plc) were identified in 91.67/86.11% of the cases (plcH/plcN genes). A high antibiotic resistance level was identified, most of the strains being resistant to cabapenems and cephalosporins. Cabapenem resistance was higher in hospital and hospital wastewater strains (55.56–100%) as compared to those in urban wastewater. The most frequently encountered encoding genes were for extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), namely, blaCTX-M (83.33% of the strains), blaSHV (80.56%), blaGES (52.78%), and blaVEB (13.89%), followed by carbapenemase-encoding genes (blaVIM, 8.33%). Statistical comparison of the EOs’ antimicrobial results showed that thyme gave the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum biofilm eradication concentrations (MBEC) in P. aeruginosa-resistant isolates, making this EO a competitive candidate for the development of efficient and ecologic antimicrobial alternatives.
Seed Traits Research Is on the Rise: A Bibliometric Analysis from 1991–2020
Authors: Liu Zhaogang , Zhao Ming , Lu Zhengkuan , Zhang Hongxiang
Published: August 2022

Seed traits (ST) influence seedling establishment, population dynamics, community composition and ecosystem function and reflect the adaptability of plants and the environmental conditions they experienced. There has been a historical and global accumulation of studies on ST, but with few pertaining to visual and quantitative analyses. To understand the trends in the field of ST research in the past 30 years, we conducted a bibliometric analysis based on the Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCI-E) database. The analysis provided annual publications, time trends for keywords, the most productive journals, authors, institutions and countries, and a comprehensive overview of the ST field. Our results showed that in the past 30 years, the number of publications in ST research has increased at an average annual growth rate of 9.1%, while the average number of citations per paper per year showed a rapid increase–slow increase–decrease trend. Keyword analysis showed that “germination” was the most popular research section. Crop Science ranked first among the top journals and Theoretical and Applied Genetics had greater influence in this area and more citations than other journals. The 10 most productive institutions were mostly located in the United States, China and Australia. Furthermore, the three countries also had the largest number of publications and citations. Our analysis showed that the research interests in ST have evolved from genetics and agricultural science to ecological research over the last thirty years; as more fields embrace ST research, there are opportunities for international and interdisciplinary collaborations, cooperative institutions and new advances in the field.
Effect of Water Uptake, Adhesion and Anti-Corrosion Performance for Silicone-Epoxy Coatings Treated with GLYMO on 2024 Al-Alloy
Authors: Yuan Xin , Du Yilin , Lin Zhihai , Liu Zhiqiang , Gu Lin
Published: August 2022

Water uptake, adhesion and corrosion performance of silicone-epoxy coating on 2024 Al-alloy treated with different GLYMO were systematically studied by gravimetry, electrochemical measurements, DSC, pull-off adhesion and salt spray tests. The results showed that GLYMO not only enhanced the cross-linking of the silicon-epoxy coating but also enhanced the bonding between the coating and the Al-alloy interface. This gives the coating better wet adhesion, less water absorption and improves the corrosion resistance of the coating. The micro-nano silane layer, preferentially between the coating and Al-alloy oxide layer, was validated by the model of the water concentration jump.
The Properties, Modification, and Application of Banana Starch
Authors: Marta Herlina , Cahyana Yana , Djali Mohamad , Pramafisi Giffary
Published: August 2022

Banana is a tropical fruit crop that is consumed at large, not only because of the quantity produced but also because it serves the calorific needs of millions of people. Banana is a potential source of high starch content (more than 60%). The application of starch for various purposes is dependent upon its structural, physicochemical, and functional properties. A native starch does not possess all required properties for specific use in the food product. To improve its application, starch can be modified physically, chemically, and enzymatically. Each of these modification methods provides different characteristics to the modified starch. This review aims to examine the chemical composition, granule morphology, crystallinity, pasting, thermal properties, and digestibility of banana starch, and discusses the various modifications and potential applications of banana starch in the food industry.
Synthesis Characterization and Highly Protective Efficiency of Tetraglycidyloxy Pentanal Epoxy Prepolymer as a Potential Corrosion Inhibitor for Mild Steel in 1 M HCl Medium
Authors: Hsissou Rachid , Lachhab Redouane , El Magri Anouar , Echihi Siham , Vanaei Hamid Reza , Galai Mouhsine , Ebn Touhami Mohamed , Rafik Mohamed
Published: August 2022

Anticorrosive protection efficiency of novel tetrafunctional epoxy prepolymer, namely 2,3,4,5-tetraglycidyloxy pentanal (TGP), for mild steel in 1 M HCl medium was assessed through potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), contact angle (CA), adsorption isotherm model, temperature effect and thermodynamic parameters. The synthesized TGP was characterized and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The inhibitory efficiencies found at lower concentration of the prepolymer TGP were85% (PDP) and 87.17% (EIS). PDP measurement illustrated that the TGP behaved as a mixed-type inhibitor in the realized solution. SEM and EDS analysis showeda significant decrease in the corrosion of the MS surface in the presence of the inhibitory prepolymer compared with the blank (1 M HCl). Langmuir adsorption isotherm is the most acceptable modelto describe the TGP epoxy prepolymer on the MS area.
Abstracts of the 2022 48th Annual NATAS Conference
Authors: Adams Tina , Schoch Karl F. , Pelczar Elizabeth , Xia Han , Hu Xiao , Reynaud Sara , Sauerbrunn Stephen
Published: August 2022

Following the successful first-ever virtual NATAS Conference in 2021, we now hope that you are all dreaming of traveling again and that the 2022 NATAS Conference is on your list. The venue will be the historic Case Western Reserve University (CSWU) campus in downtown Cleveland. We are looking forward to seeing you in person, beginning with a welcome reception on Monday, August 1st in the beautiful Havorka Auditorium along with our vendor exhibition. Then, the week will be full of concurrent lecture sessions plus the prestigious NATAS Short Course in thermal analysis. The room block will be at the Courtyard by Marriott University Circle at a rate of USD 165 per night. We thank them for their flexibility during the various stages of this pandemic.
The Mechanism of Anticorrosion Performance and Mechanical Property Differences between Seawater Sea-Sand and Freshwater River-Sand Ultra-High-Performance Polymer Cement Mortar (UHPC)
Authors: Li Tianyu , Sun Xin , Shi Fangying , Zhu Zheng , Wang Dezhi , Tian Huiwen , Liu Xiaoyan , Lian Xunhuan , Bao Tengfei , Hou Baorong
Published: August 2022

There are abundant sea-sand resources on the earth. Traditional sea-sand concrete faced various problems relating to insufficient anticorrosion ability. In this paper, artificial seawater, sea sand, industrial waste, steel fiber, and polycarboxylate superplasticizer were used to prepare ultra-high-performance polymer cement mortar (SSUHPC). At the same time, freshwater river-sand ultra-high-performance polymer cement mortar (FRUHPC) with the same mixing ratio was prepared for comparative study. The compressive strength of SSUHPC reached 162.1 MPa, while the that of FRUHPC reached 173.3 MPa, which was slightly higher. Meanwhile, SSUHPC showed excellent anticorrosion characteristics in terms of carbonization, frost resistance and chloride resistance, and especially for sulfate resistance. The composition of SSUHPC was separated into three parts: mortar, pore and steel fiber, and the performance difference mechanisms of SSUHPC and FRUHPC were investigated by X-ray computed tomography (X-CT), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The hydration degree of mortar in SSUHPC was higher, with higher content of CSH and CH, and its better optimized gel pore characteristics gave SSUHPC better corrosion resistance. The mechanical properties of SSUHPC were slightly poor due to the uneven dispersion of steel fibers and air pores, with an- air pore porosity of 1.52% (above 200 μm) that was twice that of FRUHPC (0.6%). In this paper, the mechanics and anticorrosion performance of ultra-high-performance polymer cement mortar prepared with seawater sea sand were comprehensively evaluated, and the mechanism of performance difference between SSUHPC and FRUHPC was revealed, conducive to the targeted improvement of sea sand concrete.
The Reinforcing Effect of Waste Polyester Fiber on Recycled Polyethylene
Authors: Su Jian , Jiang Zhiwei , Fang Changqing , Yang Mannan , Wu Linlin , Huang Zhigang
Published: August 2022

To improve the performance and application value of recycled plastics, filling modification has been widely used in waste plastic reinforcement. In this study, recycled polyethylene (RPE) was reinforced via extrusion blending using waste polyester fiber (WPF) from a waste silk wadding quilt as a reinforcer. The effects of the amount of WPF on the mechanical properties, the thermal stability of RPE and the microstructure of the RPE/WPF composite were studied. The result shows that extrusion blending can evenly disperse WPF in RPE matrix and that WPF can clearly improve the tensile strength, flexural modulus, storage modulus and thermal stability of RPE. The tensile strength and flexural modulus almost achieved the maximum when the addition of WPF was 20 wt%. The storage modulus under this condition is also higher than that of other samples. This study provides a cheap and effective reinforcement method for waste plastics as well as a new idea for the reuse of WPF, which is of great significance to the reuse of waste and environmental protection. However, how to enhance the interface adhesion between WPF and RPE to further improve the enhancement effect needs further research.
Chemical, Physical, and Mechanical Properties of Belangke Bamboo (Gigantochloa pruriens) and Its Application as a Reinforcing Material in Particleboard Manufacturing
Authors: Iswanto Apri Heri , Madyaratri Elvara Windra , Hutabarat Nicko Septuari , Zunaedi Eka Rahman , Darwis Atmawi , Hidayat Wahyu , Susilowati Arida , Adi Danang Sudarwoko , Lubis Muhammad Adly Rahandi , Sucipto Tito , Fatriasari Widya , Antov Petar , Savov Viktor , Hua Lee Seng
Published: August 2022

This study aimed to analyze the basic properties (chemical composition and physical and mechanical properties) of belangke bamboo (Gigantochloa pruriens) and its potential as a particleboard reinforcement material, aimed at increasing the mechanical properties of the boards. The chemical composition was determined by Fourier transform near infrared (NIR) analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The physical and mechanical properties of bamboo were evaluated following the Japanese standard JIS A 5908 (2003) and the ISO 22157:2004 standard, respectively. The results showed that this bamboo had average lignin, holocellulose, and alpha-cellulose content of 29.78%, 65.13%, and 41.48%, respectively, with a degree of crystallinity of 33.54%. The physical properties of bamboo, including specific gravity, inner and outer diameter shrinkage, and linear shrinkage, were 0.59%, 2.18%, 2.26%, and 0.18%, respectively. Meanwhile, bamboo’s mechanical properties, including compressive strength, shear strength, and tensile strength, were 42.19 MPa, 7.63 MPa, and 163.8 MPa, respectively. Markedly, the addition of belangke bamboo strands as a reinforcing material (surface coating) in particleboards significantly improved the mechanical properties of the boards, increasing the modulus of elasticity (MOE) and bending strength (MOR) values of the fabricated composites by 16 and 3 times.
Analysis of Polymeric Components in Particulate Matter Using Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Chae Eunji , Choi Sung-Seen
Published: August 2022

Particulate matters (PMs) such as PM10 and PM2.5 were collected at a bus stop and were analyzed using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to identify organic polymeric materials in them. The major pyrolysis products of the PM samples were isoprene, toluene, styrene, dipentene, and 1-alkenes. The pyrolysis products generated from the PM samples were identified using reference polymeric samples such as common rubbers (natural rubber, butadiene rubber, and styrene-butadiene rubber), common plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and poly(ethylene terephthalate)), plant-related components (bark, wood, and leaf), and bitumen. The major sources of the principal polymeric materials in the PM samples were found to be the abrasion of the tire tread and asphalt pavement, plant-related components, and lint from polyester fabric. The particles produced by the abrasion of the tire tread and asphalt pavement on the road were non-exhaustive sources, while the plant-related components and lint from polyester fabric were inflowed from the outside.
Functional Thermoresponsive Hydrogel Molecule to Material Design for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Pardeshi Sagar , Damiri Fouad , Zehravi Mehrukh , Joshi Rohit , Kapare Harshad , Prajapati Mahendra Kumar , Munot Neha , Berrada Mohammed , Giram Prabhanjan S. , Rojekar Satish , Ali Faraat , Rahman Md. Habibur , Barai Hasi Rani
Published: August 2022

Temperature-induced, rapid changes in the viscosity and reproducible 3-D structure formation makes thermos-sensitive hydrogels an ideal delivery system to act as a cell scaffold or a drug reservoir. Moreover, the hydrogels’ minimum invasiveness, high biocompatibility, and facile elimination from the body have gathered a lot of attention from researchers. This review article attempts to present a complete picture of the exhaustive arena, including the synthesis, mechanism, and biomedical applications of thermosensitive hydrogels. A special section on intellectual property and marketed products tries to shed some light on the commercial potential of thermosensitive hydrogels.
Acetylation Modification, Characterization, and Anticomplementary Activity of Polysaccharides from Rhododendron dauricum Leaves
Authors: Hu Zhengyu , Sun Jinfeng , Jin Long , Zong Tieqiang , Duan Yuanqi , Zhou Hongli , Zhou Wei , Li Gao
Published: August 2022

This study focuses on the acetylation modification of polysaccharides from Rhododendron dauricum leaves (RDPs) with a high degree of substitution (DS) and then discusses their characterization and biological activity. The optimum acetylation conditions of RDPs were optimized by response surface methodology, which were reaction time 3 h, reaction temperature 50 °C, and the liquid-solid ratio 16 mL/g. Under the optima schemes, two eco-friendly acetylated polysaccharides from R. dauricum leaves (AcRDP-1 with DS of 0.439 ± 0.025 and AcRDP-2 with DS of 0.445 ± 0.022) were prepared. The results of structural characterization showed that the AcRDP-1 (9.3525 × 103 kDa) and AcRDP-2 (4.7016 × 103 kDa) were composed of mannose, glucose, galactose, and arabinose with molar ratios of 1.00:5.01:1.17:0.15 and 1.00:4.47:2.39:0.88, respectively. Compared with unmodified polysaccharides, the arabinose content and molecular weight of the two acetylated polysaccharides decreased, and their triple helix conformation disappeared, and further improved their anticomplementary activity. The two acetylated polysaccharides showed stronger a complement inhibition effect than the positive drug by blocking C2, C3, C4, C5, C9, and factor B targets in the classical and alternative pathways. This research indicated that acetylation modification could effectively enhance the anticomplementary activity of RDPs, which is beneficial for the development and utilization of R. dauricum leaves.
An Improved Model for Five-Phase Induction Motor Based on Magnetic Noise Reduction Part I: Slot Opening Width
Authors: Chen Hansi , Zhao Jinghong , Xiong Yiyong , Luo Xiangyu , Zhang Qingfei
Published: August 2022

Based on the winding function considering the slot width and the air-gap permeability considering the slot opening width, the main radial electromagnetic force wave expressions of the induction motor are determined. The electromagnetic force-vibration prediction model of the induction motor is established. The natural frequency and acoustic radiation model of a finite-length cylindrical shell with two ends clamped is deduced. On this basis, an improved magnetic noise prediction model of cage induction motor is improved, which can calculate the combined effects of electromagnetic force on the axis and circumferential modes of the stator system. Aiming at two different noise reduction targets, an optimization method is proposed to reduce the overall electromagnetic noise of the motor without sacrificing efficiency and output torque. The feasibility of the model for electromagnetic noise prediction is verified by finite element simulation and experiments. For a 30/26 slots five-phase induction motor, low-noise analysis and optimization schemes of the opening width for two different targets are given. The results show that the larger slot opening scheme can also result in less magnetic noise for the right selection, which is contrary to the common design rule that recommends minimizing slot opening to reduce magnetic noise.
Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Growing Pigs Fed with Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae as Alternative Protein Source
Authors: Zhu Mingqiang , Liu Mingming , Yuan Boyu , Jin Xinxin , Zhang Xue , Xie Gaijie , Wang Zifan , Lv Yantao , Wang Wei , Huang Yanhua
Published: August 2022

Insects have been used as animal feed protein sources in livestock and poultry breeding, and their impact on pork quality needs to be studied. This experiment mainly explores the effect of adding black soldier flies to the feed on the growth performance and meat quality of pigs. All 24 weaned piglets were randomly divided into three groups, one group was given a normal diet as the control group (C), and the other two groups were supplemented with 4% (T1) and 8% (T2) black soldier flies as an alternative protein source, respectively. Pig growth performance and carcass traits were measured at the end of the 113-day experiment. After euthanizing the pigs, we used metabolomics to detect pig dorsal muscle and qPCR to detect gene expression in dorsal muscle and adipose tissue. For the average daily gain and backfat thickness, T2 group was significantly higher than T1 group and C group (p < 0.05). Intramuscular fat content was significantly elevated in the T1 and T2 groups (p < 0.05). The metabolomics results showed that there were significant differences in metabolites among the three groups (p < 0.05). The addition of black soldier flies could increase the content of some free amino acids, and the content of lipid metabolites also changed significantly (p < 0.05). The gene expression of type 1 muscle fibers in the T1 group and the PGC-1α gene expression in the T1 and T2 groups were significantly increased in the dorsal muscle (p < 0.05). The results of the present study showed that adding 4% black soldier fly instead of fish meal in the diet of growing pigs can significantly improve meat quality and supplementation of 8% black soldier flies has beneficial effects on growth performance of pigs.
Determination of Cetane Number from Fatty Acid Compositions and Structures of Biodiesel
Authors: Lin Cherng-Yuan , Wu Xin-En
Published: August 2022

Biodiesel, which possesses the dominant advantages of low emissions and environmental friendliness, is a competitive alternative fuel to petroleum-derived diesel. The cetane number, which indicates ignition delay characteristics, is considered the most significant fuel property of biodiesel. Determining the cetane number for biodiesel by general testing equipment is time-consuming and costly; hence, a simple and convenient predictive formula for the cetane number of biodiesel is a significant task to be carried out. A reliable and convenient predictive method for determining the cetane number is proposed in this study. The key parameters for the cetane number of biodiesel were first screened out. The analysis of multiple linear regressions using the available software SPSS for statistical analysis was carried out to obtain the regression coefficients of those key parameters and intercepts to establish the predictive model. Other available experimental data verified the validity of the proposed predictive equation. The determination coefficient of the formula reaches as high as 94.7%, and the standard error is 3.486. The key parameters, including the number of carbon atoms (NC), allylic position equivalent (APE), and double-bond equivalent (DBE), were more significant for influencing the cetane number of biodiesel. In addition, the increase of NC or the decrease of either APE or DBE results in the increase of the cetane number. Moreover, the present formula is found to obtain closer cetane numbers to those experimental data and features superior prediction capability.
Pyrolysis of High-Density Polyethylene Waste Plastic to Liquid Fuels—Modelling and Economic Analysis
Authors: Zein Sharif H. , Grogan Connor T. , Yansaneh Osman Y. , Putranto Aditya
Published: August 2022

Recycling of waste plastics has become vital due to the threat to the environment the huge piles of those wastes represent, with research revealing High-Density Polyethylene (HDPEs) as the most dominant waste plastics. Because of their dominance and significant environmental impact, this paper reports the economic potential of recycling HDPE waste plastic into liquid fuels via pyrolysis. A risk and benefit assessment are presented to highlight whether the process has reasonable potential prior to the analysis of its corresponding finances. Aspen HYSYS simulation models were used as the basis for the analysis. From this, preliminary cost estimations for the net present value (NPV) of the process, its economic viability, were determined. It is shown that 100 kg/h of waste is not financially sustainable. Retailing the fuel product at a competitive price of £60/barrel would ultimately bankrupt the business. This is a consequence of the extremely high production cost of £198.40/barrel inducing the complete absence of profitability. Furthermore, the operating expenditure is found to be the root cause of the consequential financial decline, totalling £1.46 million per annum. The two most detrimental expenditures for the production cost of the pyrolysis oils were the wages of the skilled operating labour and higher utility fees incurred by the extreme temperature conditions. In addition, an unrealistically optimistic sale price of £300/barrel was also applied to ascertain a positive economic incentive. Even with the increased retail price, the process’ profits are negligible and further highlight the detrimental effect of the undesirably high operational expenditures, once more signifying that the process should not commence in its current state. However, executing such a project in developing countries such as Sierra Leone, Senegal, or Kenya where utilities and manpower, among other operational components, are cheaper, is believed to complement the immense opportunity underlying pyrolysis oil production regarding production quantity and quality.
Flow Characteristics Study of High-Parameter Multi-Stage Sleeve Control Valve
Authors: Sun Yongguo , Wu Jinghang , Xu Jiao , Bai Xingyu
Published: August 2022

This study considers a multi-stage sleeve control valve with different opening degrees. The flow capacity of the numerical model is calculated using the actual working conditions of the control valve in a nuclear power plant as a baseline. A flow resistance test bench is then used to measure the flow capacity under each opening degree, and the flow characteristic curve is plotted to verify the accuracy of the numerical model. Based on CFX software simulations of different opening speeds, pressures, turbulent kinetic energy clouds, and set detection curves, analysis of the flow characteristics of the multi-stage sleeve valve with high parameters shows that, with an increase in the degree of opening, the valve speed will also increase. However, the speed at the socket orifice is slightly different, exhibiting a higher opening in the middle and lower openings on both sides. A maximum speed of 792.4 m/s is found in the 40% valve orifice. A maximum value of the turbulent kinetic energy of 1.4 × 10 4m2/s2 occurs in the throttle hole of the valve seat with an opening of 80%. The source of the aerodynamic noise is obtained in this study, which is of great significance to the decompression and noise reduction in multi-stage sleeve valves.
Study on Dust Suppression of Air Curtain Soft-Sealing System of Grab Ship Unloader
Authors: Zhang Hanzhong , Meng Wenjun
Published: August 2022

In order to suppress the irregular diffusion of dust in the unloading process of grab ship unloaders, an air curtain soft-sealing system was designed that can effectively block the air flow and restrict the diffusion of pollutants and reduce the average mass fraction of pollutants outside the air curtain plane by 70.02%. The grab unloading model was constructed using the Computational Fluid Dynamics–Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) coupling method, and the diffusion law of the gas–solid two-phase flow field of the falling bulk material was studied. Moreover, the motion trajectory and velocity distribution of the particle flow field and air flow field were obtained, as well as the maximum air flow field velocity of five planes above the hopper. The three-dimensional model of the air curtain jet was used and simplified, and the air curtain parameters were set based on the maximum air flow field velocity. The barrier performance of the air curtain under different air curtain jet modes, jet widths, jet velocities and induced wind velocities was simulated by the control variable method. The results show that selecting the appropriate jet widths and jet velocities can significantly reduce dust diffusion; under different jet modes, the order of influence was blow and suction, unilateral blowing and bilateral blowing; under a certain range of induced wind velocities, the air curtain had an obvious blocking effect. These results can provide a reference for the design and improvement of dust suppression of the air curtain soft-sealing system.
Biocompatibility Study of a Cu-Al-Ni Rod Obtained by Continuous Casting
Authors: Lazić Marko , Lazić Minja Miličić , Karišik Milica Jakšić , Lazarević Miloš , Jug Andraž , Anžel Ivan , Milašin Jelena
Published: August 2022

Cu-Al-Nishape memory alloys (SMAs) are widely known for their better properties in comparison to other SMAs (lower production costs, increased ductility, enhanced machinability, reduced liquidus temperature, and decreased hysteresis), but there is still controversy in terms of the biological properties of these materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate biofunctional performances of Cu-Al-Ni alloy produced by continuous casting. The micro-chemical analysis was investigated by SEM/EDX. Immersion tests performed for seven days were used to estimate the quantity of Cu, Al, and Ni ions released in neutral pH and slightly acidic artificial saliva. To assess the biocompatibility of the Cu-Al-Ni alloy samples, MTT assay on fibroblasts and dental pulp cells was performed in indirect and direct contact with samples after 1,3, and 7 days.The study revealed that continuous casting enables the primary fabrication of Cu-Al-Ni rods with a shape memory effect. Samples immersed in artificial saliva with 6.5 pH value showed no significant amounts of released ions, despite the high concentration of copper in the alloy. However, in the acidic environment, the suppression of Cu was 0.14 µg/cm2, Al 1.9 µg/cm2, and Ni 0.73 µg/cm2, and as expected, it was confirmed that Cu-Al-Ni alloy is not corrosion resistant in an acidic environment. In conclusion, this study showed that biocompatibility concerns are related only to materials with a high Cu content in acidic environments. Oppositely, small doses of Cu ions promote cell proliferation, which might be useful in further attempts to enrich different biomedical materials with copper.
Preoccupation with Devotional Songs and Spiritual Well-Being of Religious Individuals: The Mediating and Moderating Effects of Religiosity and Emotionally Adaptive Functions of Music
Authors: Park Alexander , Suh Kyung-Hyun
Published: August 2022

This study identified the relationship between preoccupation with devotional songs and spiritual well-being of religious individuals, and examined the mediating effect of intrinsic religiosity on preoccupation with devotional songs and spiritual well-being, moderated by the emotionally adaptive functions of music. The participants were 427 male and female Korean religious individuals. PROCESS Macro 3.5 Model 7 was used to analyze the moderated mediating effects. The results revealed that preoccupation with devotional songs was positively correlated with the emotionally adaptive functions of music, religiosity, and spiritual well-being, whereas emotionally adaptive functions of music were not significantly correlated with intrinsic religiosity. Intrinsic religiosity was positively correlated with spiritual well-being, whereas extrinsic social religiosity was not. In a moderated mediating model, there was a significant interaction effect of preoccupation with devotional songs and the emotionally adaptive functions of music; however, intrinsic religiosity could mediate the relationship between preoccupation with devotional songs and spiritual well-being, regardless of the level of emotionally adaptive functions of music. These findings suggest that, although there may be a slight difference depending on the level of use of emotionally adaptive functions of music, preoccupation with devotional songs can promote intrinsic religiosity and lead to the spiritual well-being of religious individuals.
A Modified Free-Will Defense: A Structural and Theistic Free-Will Defense as a Response to James Sterba
Authors: Balci Elif Nur
Published: August 2022

In his book Is a Good God Logically Possible?, James Sterba argues that the Plantingian free-will defense, which reconciles the existence of a good and omnipotent God with the existence of evil, is a failed argument when it comes to the terrible evils in the world. This study discusses that Sterba’s claim is invalid when Plantinga’s free-will defense is modified with a structural perspective. In order to reconcile the structural and inevitable possibility of evil with God’s moral imperatives, a structural free-will defense was complemented by an Islamic moral theology that Mu’tazila and its great scholar Qādi Abd al-Jabbar advanced. Such a modified free-will defense can show that the existence of all evil, including terrible ones, is still compatible with a good and omnipotent God.
Religious Experience in the First-Person Perspective: The Lived Body and Perception of Reality
Authors: Louchakova-Schwartz Olga
Published: August 2022

The first-person perspective, developed by Husserl for the scientific study of consciousness, consists of formal categories which can be used both for the analyses of consciousness as such and its concrete forms. Evidence (Evidenz), the central category in this approach, characterizes consciousness as knowledge. This paper presents the phenomenology of changes in perception and embodiment which lead to evidence for religious/spiritual experience (RE). Such change develops over time via contemplative practice, but also can be a part of spontaneous RE. Because of the presence of evidence, RE containing the change of perception are presentational (as distinct from appresentative). This temporally extended evidence concerns reality’s giving of itself, granted that the main distinction between religious and non-religious experience is in the kind of reality to which they refer: physical in the case of non-religious, and ‘ultimate’ in the case of religious experience. Involving flesh and the reversibility of the body, the change in such complex RE also entails the transmutation of emotion from negative to positive. I compare these findings with Husserl’s analysis of religious experience in HUA XVII, and argue that grounding religious experience in the preconceived idea of God, as Husserl does, limits RE to regressive forms which do not constitute knowledge. Such experiences remain teleologically directed at the world-horizon. By contrast, REs grounded in change of perception have a different teleology and do constitute knowledge.
Tajdid (Renewal) by Embodiment: Examining the Globalization of the First Mosque Open Day in Australian History
Authors: Yucel Salih
Published: August 2022

The concepts of tajdid (renewal) and mujaddid (renewer) in Islam are discussed mainly in scholarly works. Although all Muslim scholars agree on the necessity of tajdid, they differ regarding the scope of tajdid, who the mujaddids are, and their primary role. Most scholars agree that the primary duty of the mujaddid is to restore or lead to restore correct religious knowledge and practice and eradicate the errors from the past century. Renewal of correct religious practice can be local or global. This article first briefly discusses the notions of tajdid and mujaddid. Secondly, it examines the first “mosque open day” initiated by the Australian Intercultural Society (AIS) and Affinity Intercultural Foundation (AIF) in 2001 before the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US. A mosque open day gradually has become a common practice of most mosques in Australia and has been globalized by Muslim minorities worldwide. This paper examined about 240 pages of results via the Google search engine and 500 pages of results via the Yahoo search engine, and the AIS’s and AIF’s archives about mosque open days. This paper argues that the globalization of mosque open days can be considered a renewal of an Islamic tradition.
Eucalyptus Succession on Croplands in the Highlands of Northwestern Ethiopia: Economic Impact Analysis Using Farm Household Model
Authors: Tesfaw Amare , Alemu Dawit , Senbeta Feyera , Teferi Ermias
Published: August 2022

The northwestern highlands of Ethiopia are characterized by severe land degradation and apparently low agricultural productivity. This situation is continuously threatening the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who mainly sustain their living from the cultivation of annual crops. In recent years, however, smallholder farmers have started converting their croplands to plantations of Eucalyptus, a non-native tree species to Africa, for its rewarding economic contributions. In this study, we aggregated data from 388 smallholder Eucalyptus growers located in three agroecology zones (onwards called farm typologies). We measured the economic impact of Eucalyptus succession on croplands using a farm household model which is provided in the GAMS (General Algebraic Modeling System) platform. The results of the model varied between farm typologies and showed that households’ gross margins increased with a corresponding increase in the conversion of croplands. Results also showed that gross margins from plantations of Eucalyptus were higher than that of cultivation of food crops. Furthermore, evaluation of farm portfolios indicated a higher benefit-cost ratio (BCR) for the plantation of Eucalyptus. We concluded that the conversion of croplands in the study area is an incentive-driven process in a dynamic farming system, which strongly demands bringing policy-emanated livelihood alternatives. With this arena, the expansion of Eucalyptus is recommended for lands of terrain features, high marginality and low suitability for the cultivation of food crops and setting aside fertile arable lands. We generalized that an increase in Eucalyptus plantation pays off given the implementation of proper land resource management and the apparent impacts of Eucalyptus on biodiversity and cultural landscape is managed with sustainability perspectives. However, it demands collaborative policy efforts that can especially meet socioeconomic, environmental and public interests.
Reflectance Anisotropy from MODIS for Albedo Retrieval from a Single Directional Reflectance
Authors: Zhang Hu , Zhao Mengzhuo , Jiao Ziti , Lian Yi , Chen Lei , Cui Lei , Zhang Xiaoning , Liu Yan , Dong Yadong , Qian Da , Wang Yiting , Li Juan , Cui Tiejun
Published: August 2022

Surface reflectance anisotropy and insufficient multi-angular observations are the main challenges in albedo estimation from satellite observations. Numerous studies have been developed for albedo retrieval from a single directional reflectance by associating the anisotropy information extracted from coarse-resolution bidirectional-reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data. The contribution of land-cover type (LCT) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in distinguishing reflectance anisotropy in these methods remains controversial. This study first proposed an approach to extracting a priori BRDF (F) from the MODIS BRDF/albedo product by considering the distribution characteristics of the model parameters. LCT- and NDVI-based F were also extracted from the corresponding subset. Then, the F-based albedo was derived from simulated or satellite directional reflectance and the anisotropic information of F. Finally, the directional reflectance and F-based albedo were compared with the MODIS albedo or ground measurement, in order to show the ability of F to compensate for the effect of reflectance anisotropy in the albedo retrieval process. The method was fully validated by the global and time-series MODIS BRDF data. The results showed that reflectance anisotropy has an aggregated distribution pattern, and F can represent the reflectance anisotropy of most pixels within a tile. The improvement of LCT and NDVI only occurs when the tile contains a large area of vegetated and barren ground. With the exception of the hotspot and large viewing-zenith-angle area in the forward hemisphere, the F-based shortwave albedo has high consistency with the MODIS albedo product. A comparison with the ground measurements and MODIS albedo showed that the F-based albedo from a single directional reflectance generally achieves an absolute accuracy requirement, with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.027 and 0.036.