bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Driving Factors of Landscape Pattern in a Typical Hilly Area in Southern China: A Case Study of Yujiang District, Jiangxi Province
Authors: Zhang Jiajia , Zhao Xiaomin , Guo Jiaxin , Zhao Yanru , Huang Xinyi , Long Miao
Published: March 2023

As the most intuitive manifestation of land use/land cover change, the spatio-temporal evolution of landscape patterns has significant implications for optimizing regional landscape pattern and land use management. Based on multi-period remote sensing data, we selected an optimal scale (570 m) and used the geographic detector model to analyze the spatio-temporal changes in the landscape pattern of a typical hilly area (Yujiang District, Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province) in southern China. The results showed that from 2009 to 2018, the area of urban land, other construction land, rural residential land, and cultivated land expanded by 33.27%, 21.23%, 19.42%, and 1.07%, respectively. In contrast, the area of grassland, forest land, and water area shrank by 18.18%, 5.41%, and 2.19%, respectively, over the past 10 years. At the landscape level, the patch shape became more complex over time, with increased landscape fragmentation and diversity. At the class level, cultivated land, forest land, and grassland tended to be fragmented, whereas rural residential land exhibited an aggregation tendency. Slope gradient, gross regional product, and distance from major highways had a strong ability to explain the spatial differences in landscape pattern change. The results of this study enable a dynamic understanding of landscape pattern evolution in typical hilly areas in southern China and provide a reference for landscape pattern optimization in similar geomorphic settings.
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Heat Stress Response Genes by Fire Stimulation in Michelia macclurei Dandy
Authors: Wei Shujing , Song Zhao , Luo Sisheng , Zhong Yingxia , Zhou Yufei , Lu Ruisen
Published: March 2023

Heat stress due to external heat sources such as fire is an ecological problem for plants. When forest plants suffer from fire, high temperatures cause an array of morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes, which affect growth and development. Michelia macclurei Dandy is an evergreen broad-leaved tree species with the characteristics of fast growth, strong adaptability, and good fire-resistance. Some studies have improved the understanding of how fire behavior affects physiology, function and mortality, but the extreme heat response genes and mechanisms need improved understanding. In this study, we conducted a fire experiment (slight and severe) and RNA-Seq in M. macclure. The de novo assembly obtained 104,052 unigenes, and 48.46% were annotated in at least one public database. Specifically, 4458 and 4810 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in slight and severe fire treatment groups, respectively. In two treatment groups, 612 unigenes were differentially expressed, which were enriched in ‘oxidoreductase activity’ in the molecular function (MF) category of Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, suggesting the core role of oxidoreductase activity in response to extremely high temperatures in M. macclurei. In KEGG enrichment analysis of DEGs, the ‘plant hormone signal transduction’ is overrepresented, suggesting that this process plays an important role during heat response in M. macclurei. In the pathways of cytokinine and salicylic acid, some vital DEGs were enriched, which were related to cell division, shoot initiation, and disease resistance, and the potential interactions during heat stress were discussed. Moreover, the DEGs linked to heat stress response were identified, including heat shock factors, stress enhanced protein, signal transduction, photosystem, and major transcription factors. The qRT-PCR examination of various tissues, expression dynamics, and treatments revealed that the genes coding for the heat shock protein HSF30, stress enhanced protein, and photosystem I reaction center subunit II exhibited particularities in leaf tissue. Genes coding for heat shock proteins displayed a distinct expression pattern between fire treatment and conventional heat stress, which could signify the distinctive function of HSPs and the mechanism of heat responses. Altogether, these may interact to respond to fire stress through alterations in cellular processes, signaling transduction, and the synthesis and degradation of response proteins in M. macclurei. The results of this study provide a crucial transcriptional profile influenced by heat stress in M. macclurei, and could be of great use to explore the fire prevention mechanisms of fire-resistant tree species.
Identifying the Landscape Security Pattern in Karst Rocky Desertification Area Based on Ecosystem Services and Ecological Sensitivity: A Case Study of Guanling County, Guizhou Province
Authors: Ying Bin , Liu Ting , Ke Li , Xiong Kangning , Li Sensen , Sun Ruonan , Zhu Feihu
Published: March 2023

Ecological environmental security in karst areas is an issue of global concern. Identifying the ecological landscape security pattern (ELSP) is key to promoting environmental protection and alleviating the land development and utilization impacts. Ecological sources (ESs) and ecological corridors (ECs) are important bases for constructing an ELSP. We used five influencing factors (land use type, digital elevation model (DEM), rocky desertification degree, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and slope) to obtain the distribution of the importance and sensitivity values of ecosystem services in Guanling County, Guizhou Province. The probability of the connectivity index (PC) was calculated, and the ES was extracted by combining the importance of ecosystem services, ecological sensitivity, and landscape connectivity. According to the topographic and geomorphological characteristics of Guanling County, seven indicators of elevation, slope, landscape type, degree of stone desertification, distance from rivers, distance from settlements, and distance from roads were selected as resistance factors for the outward expansion of the ESs to calculate the comprehensive resistance surface of Guanling County. Based on the gravity model, an interaction matrix between 10 ESs was constructed, and the magnitude of the interaction forces between the source sites was quantitatively evaluated to distinguish the important ECs and general ECs. The study showed that the total length of the ECs in Guanling County was 509.78 km, and the core area of Guanling County was large, accounting for 65.73% of the ecological landscape area. By assessing the importance of ecosystem services, ecological sensitivity, and landscape connectivity, 10 ES and 45 EC were obtained based on ArcGIS10.8, which constituted the landscape security pattern of Guanling County by ESs and ECs. Suggestions were proposed for a planning layout that will benefit the ecological restoration of Guanling County and environmental protection of the karst region according to the study area characteristics.
Optimized Plant Diversity and Carbon Storage for Priority Protection Areas in China
Authors: Tang Chaohe , Dong Yuran , Mao Lingfeng
Published: March 2023

Biodiversity and carbon storage are two key ecosystem functions that are crucial to protect and maintain ecosystem balance. However, there is often little overlap between hotspots for these two different conservation purposes. Additionally, it is not well understood how these different spatial metrics affect these functions in protected ecosystems in China. Here, we explored the relationships between plant diversity metrics and carbon storage by using a large vascular plant distribution dataset, as well as soil fragile organic carbon and biomass carbon datasets in specific spatial areas across China. We also defined priority protection areas (PPAs) using a conservation prioritization method, where 30% of the study areas displayed the highest combined conservation value in carbon storage and plant species richness (SR), phylogenetic diversity (PD), phylogenetic endemism (PE) and evolutionary distinctness (ED). Our results indicated that the correlations between biodiversity metrics and carbon storage were very weak in spatial relationship. However, by including both of these functions in conservation targets, the PPAs could account for more than 95% of the species and evolutionary diversity (PD, ED), and stored large amounts of carbon. Additionally, we broadly divided the PPAs into win–win, high plant diversity, and high carbon areas based on the overlap of biodiversity and carbon storage hotspots. Altogether, our results highlight the importance of understanding and optimizing conservation efforts for different ecosystem functions in different PPAs. Ultimately, this work establishes an urgent need to expand protection in these areas to support mutual biodiversity and carbon storage beneficial solutions.
Coarse Woody Debris and Carbon Stocks in Pine Forests after 50 Years of Recovery from Harvesting in Northeastern California
Authors: Zhang Jianwei , Page-Dumroese Deborah S. , Jurgensen Martin F. , Busse Matt , Mattson Kim G.
Published: March 2023

The long-term effects of harvesting on stand carbon (C) pools were assessed in a dry, interior pine-dominated forest at the Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest in northeastern California. Six 8-hectacre plots, established in 1938–1943, were treated as either an uncut control or a heavy-cut harvest (three-quarters of the stand volume removed). Response variables included C pools in overstory tree and shrub, coarse woody debris (CWD), forest floor, mineral soil (to 30 cm depth), cubicle brown root fragments of wood, fine roots, and ectomycorrhizal root tips. CWD was further classified as intact wood or more highly decayed brown rot or white rot types. CWD nutrient stocks (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and soil N content were also measured. In 1992, 50 years after harvest, total ecosystem C was 188 and 204 Mg C ha−1 in the harvest and control treatments or 8% lower (p = 0.02) in the harvest stands. There were changes in the distributions of C pools between the treatments. After 50 years of recovery, most C pools showed statistically non-significant and essentially no change in C pool size from harvests. Notable reductions in C with harvests were declines of 43% in CWD including standing snags (p = 0.09) and a decline of 9% of live tree C (p = 0.35). Increases in C pools after harvest were in a 3-fold build-up of fragmented brown cubicle rot (p = 0.26) and an 11% increase in soil C (p = 0.19). We observed strong evidence of C transfers from CWD to soil C pools with two- to three-fold higher soil C and N concentrations beneath CWD compared to other cover types, and lower CWD pools associated with elevated cubicle brown rot are elevated soil C in the harvests. Our results showed that while harvest effects were subtle after 50 years of regrowth, CWD may play an important role in storing and transferring ecosystem C to soils during recovery from harvesting in these dry, eastside pine forests of California. This poses a tradeoff for managers to choose between keeping CWD for its contribution to C sequestration and its removal as the hazardous fuels.
Soil C, N, P, K and Enzymes Stoichiometry of an Endangered Tree Species, Parashorea chinensis of Different Stand Ages Unveiled Soil Nutrient Limitation Factors
Authors: Li Wannian , Ali Izhar , Han Xiaomei , Ullah Saif , Yang Mei
Published: March 2023

Parashorea chinensis is an endemic tree species in China and an endangered species of the Dipterocarpaceae family. This study contributes to the understanding of soil fertility management during the relocation and conservation of P. chinensis and the restoration of its natural communities by doing an ecological chemometric investigation of the factors limiting soil nutrients in P. chinensis plantations. To investigate the variation in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil nutrients, microbial biomass, and extracellular enzyme activities, we chose pure plantation stands of 6 ages in the subtropics and calculated stoichiometric ratios. The results show that (1) soil pH is strongly acidic (pH < 4.6) and is less influenced by the stand age, and the soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) content limit soil microorganisms at all stand ages; (2) the availability of soil N, P, and K elements is an essential factor driving P limitation in the growth of P. chinensis and its soil microbes; (3) stand age has a significant effect on the soil C/N, C/P, N/P, C/K, N/K, and P/K, the stoichiometry of microbial biomass C, N, and P, and the stoichiometry of C, N, and P acquisition enzyme activity. Soil microbial biomass C, N, and P stoichiometry are more sensitive indicators of nutrient limitations than the stoichiometry of enzyme activity and nutrient content; and (4) there was a significant correlation between microbial biomass C, N, and P stoichiometry and soil C/P and N/P, as well as a highly significant (p < 0.01) correlation between the stoichiometry of the enzyme activity and Vector L and Vector A. In conclusion, the plantations of P. chinensis in this study area were established on acidic phosphorus-poor soil, and the ecological stoichiometry of the soil reveals nutrient limitations and its variation with the stand age. P availability plays a key role in the growth of P. chinensis and in improving the rhizosphere microbial community. Therefore, soil effectiveness should be dynamically assessed during the cultivation and relocation conservation of P. chinensis, and a soluble P fertilizer should be supplemental over time in the trees’ root distribution area.
Constructing a Forest Color Palette and the Effects of the Color Patch Index on Human Eye Recognition Accuracy
Authors: Han Wenjing , Zhang Chang , Wang Cheng , Yin Luqin
Published: March 2023

As the first visual element, color is the most attractive in the forest landscape. There are various kinds of forest colors; however, the human eye’s ability to recognize them is limited. In order to combine color composition and human eye recognition ability to quantify forest colors more appropriately and to improve the ornamental effect of forest color landscapes more precisely, we have constructed a forest color palette using k-means clustering based on the color information of 986 forest images from 40 national forest parks in China. The differences in color recognition accuracy and sensitivity among populations and colors were analyzed. The effect of forest color patch indices on color identification accuracy for interior and distant forest landscapes was also explored. The results were as follows: (1) forest color could be divided into eight color families—orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue, purple, and red. (2) For humans, the recognition accuracy was highest for green and lowest for blue-green. (3) For interior forest landscapes, the mean area proportion and fractal dimension of the color patches showed significant positive effects on color recognition accuracy, whereas the number and density of color patches showed significant negative effects. For distant forest landscapes, the density and Shannon’s diversity index of the color patches showed significant positive effects for color recognition accuracy, whereas the number, edge density, division index, and cohesion of the color patches showed significant negative effects. We thus suggest that it is necessary to increase the complexity of the color patch shape when creating interior forest landscapes and to focus on the diversity and balance of color matching when creating distant forest landscapes. In future studies, the collection pathways for forest images should be expanded, and color information extraction algorithms that incorporate human perception should be selected. This will improve the data available for forest color studies and enable the construction of a more accurate forest color palette.
Camellia oleifera Shell Biochar as a Robust Adsorbent for Aqueous Mercury Removal
Authors: Chen Fenglin , Ma Nianfang , Peng Guo , Xu Weiting , Zhang Yanlei , Meng Fei , Huang Qinghua , Hu Biao , Wang Qingfu , Guo Xinhong , Cheng Peng , Jiang Liqun
Published: March 2023

Camellia oleifera fruit shell (COS) is an agricultural waste product generated in large quantities by the seed oil extraction industry. Due to its hierarchical thickness structure, COS shows huge potential in constructing porous carbon materials after thermal chemical modification. Herein, a series of COS biochars were synthesized by a carbonization-activation process and achieved excellent mercury removal performance in an aqueous environment. High-temperature carbonization was found to facilitate lignin removal and porosity generation, while retaining hydroxyl and carbonyl groups available for mercury adsorption. A volume of micropores of 594 × 10−3 cm−3/g with average pore diameter of 1.7 nm was achieved in activated COS biochar. At 550 °C, an adsorption capacity of 57.6 mg/g was realized in 1 mg/L Hg2+ solution under different pH environments. This work provides an alternative adsorbent for removing hazardous materials using sustainable bioresources.
Kinetic Study of Anaerobic Digestion of Compost Leachate from Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste
Authors: Limonti Carlo , Curcio Giulia Maria , Siciliano Alessio , Le Pera Adolfo , Demirer Goksel N.
Published: March 2023

The anaerobic digestion (AD) of compost leachate has been scarcely investigated and, to the best of our knowledge, no previous work has analyzed the kinetics of the process in completely stirred tank reactors (CSTR). To overcome this lack of knowledge, the present work aimed to deepen the study of the AD of compost leachate in CSTR and to identify the kinetics that can represent the process evolution under different operating conditions. In this regard, an experimental investigation was carried out on a laboratory anaerobic pilot plant that worked in semi-continuous mode under mesophilic conditions. After the start-up phase, the digester was fed with organic loading rates (OLR) between 4 and 30 gCOD/Ld. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal ranged between 80 and 85% for OLR values up to 20 gCOD/Ld and, then, it was observed as 54% at 30 gCOD/Ld. The deterioration of process performance was caused by an excessive generation of volatile fatty acids leading to a decrease of methane production yield from 0.32–0.36 LCH4/gCODremoved at 20 gCOD/Ld, to 0.23–0.26 LCH4/gCODremoved at 30 gCOD/Ld. Using kinetic analysis, the Monod model was shown to be quite accurate in modelling the trends of COD degradation rates for OLR values up to 20 gCOD/Ld. On the other hand, a better fit was achieved with the Haldane model at 30 gCOD/Ld. The conducted modelling allowed to identify the kinetic parameters for each model. The detected results could help in the management and design of the digesters for the treatment of compost leachate.
Isolation and Characterization of Lignocellulolytic Bacteria from Municipal Solid Waste Landfill for Identification of Potential Hydrolytic Enzyme
Authors: Chukwuma Ogechukwu Bose , Rafatullah Mohd , Kapoor Riti Thapar , Tajarudin Husnul Azan , Ismail Norli , Siddiqui Masoom Raza , Alam Mahboob
Published: March 2023

The utilization of lignocellulose biomass as an alternative source of renewable energy production via green technology is becoming important, and is in line with sustainable development goal initiatives. Lignocellulolytic bacteria, such as Bacillus spp., can break down biomass by producing hydrolytic enzymes, which are crucial in the successful conversion of biomass or lignocellulosic material into renewable energy. This information gave rise to this study, where municipal solid waste sediments of a sanitary municipal solid waste landfill were sampled and screened, and lignocellulolytic bacteria were isolated and characterized. Samples were taken from four different locations at the Pulau Burung landfill site in Malaysia. Lignin and starch were used as sources of carbon to identify potential bacteria that exhibit multi-enzymatic activity. The growth rate and doubling time of bacterial isolates in lignin and starch were taken as the criteria for selection. Eleven bacterial isolates were screened for cellulase activity using iodine and Congo red dyes. The cellulase activity of these isolates ranged from 0.8 to 1.7 U/mL. We carried out 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify the phyla of the selected bacterial isolates. Phylogenetic analysis was also conducted based on the 16S rRNA sequences of the bacterial isolates and related Bacillus species, and a tree was generated using the Neighbor-Joining method. In this study, Bacillus proteolyticus, Bacillus Sanguinis, Bacillus spizizenii, Bacillus paramycoides, Bacillus paranthracis and Neobacillus fumarioli were identified as promising bacteria capable of expressing lignocellulolytic enzymes and degrading the lignocellulosic biomass present in municipal solid waste.
New Online Monitoring Approaches to Describe and Understand the Kinetics of Acetaldehyde Concentration during Wine Alcoholic Fermentation: Access to Production Balances
Authors: Guittin Charlie , Maçna Faïza , Picou Christian , Perez Marc , Barreau Adeline , Poitou Xavier , Sablayrolles Jean-Marie , Mouret Jean-Roch , Farines Vincent
Published: March 2023

The compound acetaldehyde has complex synthesis kinetics since it accumulates during the growth phase and is consumed by yeast during the stationary phase, as well as evaporating (low boiling point) throughout the process. One recurrent question about this molecule is: can temperature both increase and decrease the consumption of the molecule by yeast or does it only promote its evaporation? Therefore, the main objective of this study was to describe and analyze the evolution of acetaldehyde and shed light on the effect of temperature, the main parameter that impacts fermentation kinetics and the dynamics of acetaldehyde synthesis. Thanks to new online monitoring approaches, anisothermal temperature management and associated mathematical methods, complete acetaldehyde production balances during fermentation made it possible to dissociate biological consumption from physical evaporation. From a biological point of view, the high fermentation temperatures led to important production of acetaldehyde at the end of the growth phase but also allowed better consumption of the molecule by yeast. Physical evaporation was more important at high temperatures, reinforcing the final decrease in acetaldehyde concentration. Thanks to the use of production balances, it was possible to determine that the decrease in acetaldehyde concentration during the stationary phase was mainly due to yeast consumption, which was explained by the metabolic links found between acetaldehyde and markers of metabolism, such as organic acids.
Metabolome Analysis of the Effects of Sake Lees on Adipocyte Differentiation and Lipid Accumulation
Authors: Motono Yuki , Nishiumi Shin , Yoshida Masaru , Takaoka Motoko
Published: March 2023

Obesity, along with hypertension and hyperlipidemia, is one of the leading factors of metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of diabetes. However, controlling obesity is a global challenge. Sake lees, or Japanese rice wine lees, is a by-product of sake fermentation and has been consumed in Japan for a long time. Sake lees contains an abundance of amino acids, peptides, dietary fiber, and micronutrients, which make it highly nutritional. Additionally, sake lees has been reported to have multiple interesting effects when ingested and may aid in combating obesity. In this study, we investigated the effects of sake lees materials on preadipocyte differentiation and fat accumulation in preadipocyte cells (3T3-L1) and analyzed it with a metabolome analysis. We found that compared to the control group, lipid accumulation was suppressed by 80.9% when the 100 °C extract of indigestible sake lees component (ISLCs) was added to 1 mg/mL. Additionally, the metabolome analysis revealed various other differences between the control group and the group treated with ISLCs, especially in amino acids concentrations. Based on the above findings, we demonstrate that ISLCs affect the amino acid metabolic pathways, which in turn affect differentiation and lipid accumulation in adipocytes. Therefore, we suggest that sake lees may aid in combating obesity and addressing metabolic syndromes, both of which can be considered as global issues. The limitation of this research is sake lee is a general non-direct edible raw material and it is difficult to add as a regular diet.
Research on Spaceborne Target Detection Based on Yolov5 and Image Compression
Authors: Shi Qi , Wang Daheng , Chen Wen , Yu Jinpei , Zhou Weiting , Zou Jun , Liu Guangzu
Published: March 2023

Satellite image compression technology plays an important role in the development of space science. As optical sensors on satellites become more sophisticated, high-resolution and high-fidelity satellite images will occupy more storage. This raises the required transmission bandwidth and transmission rate in the satellite–ground data transmission system. In order to reduce the pressure from image transmission on the data transmission system, a spaceborne target detection system based on Yolov5 and a satellite image compression transmission system is proposed in this paper. It can reduce the pressure on the data transmission system by detecting the object of interest and deciding whether to transmit. An improved Yolov5 network is proposed to detect the small target on the high-resolution satellite image. Simulation results show that the improved Yolov5 network proposed in this paper can detect specific targets in real satellite images, including aircraft, ships, etc. At the same time, image compression has little effect on target detection, so detection complexity can be effectively reduced and detection speed can be improved by detecting the compressed images.
Side Effects of Human Drug Use: An Overview of the Consequences of Eels’ Exposure to Cocaine
Authors: Rosati Luigi , Caputo Ivana , Lionetti Lillà , Fontes Mayana Karoline , Pereira Camilo Dias Seabra , Capaldo Anna
Published: March 2023

The widespread use of drugs is a global problem which affects not only humans but also the environment around them, as research is showing the presence of these substances in different environmental matrices, like air, water, and soil. Above all, due to the remarkable pharmacological properties of drugs, it is discovered that organisms accidentally exposed to them, as aquatic organisms, undergo behavioral and physiological changes that can compromise their health, survival, and reproduction ability. In addition to this, we must consider the ability of some drugs to accumulate within these organisms, thus entering the food chain, and the possible interactions that drugs in water can establish with each other and with other possible pollutants, making the final effects on exposed organisms unpredictable. This article is an overview of the effects of one of these drugs, cocaine, one of the drugs commonly found in the aquatic environment, on European eel, an endangered species and known biomonitor of aquatic contamination.
Flow Boiling Heat Transfer Performance and Boiling Phenomena on Various Straight Fin Configurations
Authors: Pranoto Indro , Rahman Muhammad Aulia , Wicaksana Cahya Dhika , Wibisono Alan Eksi , Fauzun  , Widyatama Arif
Published: March 2023

The trend of miniaturisation in recent decades has led to the development of compact electronic devices. The reduction in the required dimension leads to the exponential rise in the heat flux dissipated from such a system. A proper thermal management system is necessary to keep the temperature of a computer chip’s junction within acceptable limits and maintain its performance. Flow boiling modification using straight fins in microchannels has proven to be an effective passive enhancement of the cooling system. The core interest of this research is figuring out the optimal configuration of the fin shapes and configurations. Hence, it is crucial to gain a comprehensive understanding of the flow boiling phenomenon to establish a more general approach. In this study, the boiling heat transfer performance of fin microchannels with various shapes and dimensions is investigated experimentally. The study has shown that the choice of fin geometry has a significant impact on the thermal performance of a heat transfer system. Specifically, the results indicate that a rectangular cross-section fin performs better than a trapezoidal one with the same fin gap. The rectangular cross-section fin exhibits the highest heat transfer coefficient of 5066.84 W/m2∙K, outperforming the trapezoidal fin in terms of heat transfer capability. As the hydraulic diameter reduces, the thermal boundary layer becomes denser, providing a more distributed saturated region. This leads to the increase in the heat transfer coefficient up to 22.5% and 17.1% for rectangular and trapezoidal fins, respectively. Additionally, the efficiency analysis shows that, albeit increasing the mass flux and reducing the gap increase the average cooling performance, but the pressure drop jumps up to 48%, reducing the efficiency of the heat removal system.
Age-at-Death Estimation: Accuracy and Reliability of Common Age-Reporting Strategies in Forensic Anthropology
Authors: Bailey Christine , Vidoli Giovanna
Published: March 2023

Forensic anthropologists build a biological profile—consisting of sex, age, population affinity, and stature estimates—to assist medicolegal stakeholders in the identification of unknown human skeletal remains. While adult age-at-death estimations can narrow the pool of potential individuals, a lack of standards, best practices, and consensus among anthropologists for method selection and the production of a final age estimate present significant challenges. The purpose of this research is to identify age-reporting strategies that provide the most accurate and reliable (i.e., low inaccuracy and low bias) adult age-at-death estimates when evaluated considering the total sample, age cohort (20–39; 40–59; 60–79), and sex. Age-reporting strategies in this study were derived from six age-at-death estimation methods and tested on 58 adult individuals (31 males, 27 females) from the UTK Donated Skeletal Collection. An experienced-based estimation strategy was also assessed. A paired-samples t-test was used to determine whether there was a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) between the mean estimated age and the actual age for all age-reporting strategies. Results show that the most accurate and reliable age-reporting strategy varied if the sample was evaluated as a whole, by age, or by sex. While none of the age-reporting strategies evaluated in this study were consistently the most accurate and reliable for all of the sample categories, the experience-based approach performed well for each group.
Esophageal Food Impaction and Foreign Object Ingestion in Gastrointestinal Tract: A Review of Clinical and Endoscopic Management
Authors: Negoita Livia Marieta , Ghenea Catalin Stefan , Constantinescu Gabriel , Sandru Vasile , Stan-Ilie Madalina , Plotogea Oana-Mihaela , Shamim Umar , Dumbrava Bogdan Florin , Mihaila Mariana
Published: March 2023

Foreign bodies in the digestive tract represent a frequent pathology for the emergency service. Foreign bodies are represented by impacted food bolus or voluntarily and involuntarily swallowed objects. Involuntary swallowing of objects occurs most frequently in children, especially between six months and three years of age. Food impaction is mostly encountered among adults with different pathologies. For the removal of swallowed foreign bodies, digestive endoscopy is the gold standard method, being successful in over 95% of cases without significant complications. For the endoscopic management of foreign bodies, it is crucial to be aware of the indications, devices, techniques and patient preparation in order to achieve successful and safe removal from the digestive tract. Recommendations in this article are based on a review of the literature and extensive personal experience.
Network-Based and Machine-Learning Approaches Identify Diagnostic and Prognostic Models for EMT-Type Gastric Tumors
Authors: Sadeghi Mehdi , Karimi Mohammad Reza , Karimi Amir Hossein , Ghorbanpour Farshbaf Nafiseh , Barzegar Abolfazl , Schmitz Ulf
Published: March 2023

The microsatellite stable/epithelial-mesenchymal transition (MSS/EMT) subtype of gastric cancer represents a highly aggressive class of tumors associated with low rates of survival and considerably high probabilities of recurrence. In the era of precision medicine, the accurate and prompt diagnosis of tumors of this subtype is of vital importance. In this study, we used Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to identify a differentially expressed co-expression module of mRNAs in EMT-type gastric tumors. Using network analysis and linear discriminant analysis, we identified mRNA motifs and microRNA-based models with strong prognostic and diagnostic relevance: three models comprised of (i) the microRNAs miR-199a-5p and miR-141-3p, (ii) EVC/EVC2/GLI3, and (iii) PDE2A/GUCY1A1/GUCY1B1 gene expression profiles distinguish EMT-type tumors from other gastric tumors with high accuracy (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC) = 0.995, AUC = 0.9742, and AUC = 0.9717; respectively). Additionally, the DMD/ITGA1/CAV1 motif was identified as the top motif with consistent relevance to prognosis (hazard ratio > 3). Molecular functions of the members of the identified models highlight the central roles of MAPK, Hh, and cGMP/cAMP signaling in the pathology of the EMT subtype of gastric cancer and underscore their potential utility in precision therapeutic approaches.
Evaluating the Effects of Cryopreservation on the Viability and Gene Expression of Porcine-Ear-Skin Fibroblasts
Authors: Cao Jiacheng , Xie Yingyu , Wang Jing , Huang Yongjie , Zhang Xiaohan , Xiao Tianfang , Fang Shaoming
Published: March 2023

Owing to the inherent heterogeneity and plasticity of fibroblasts, they are considered as the conventional biological resources for basic and clinical medical research. Thus, it is essential to generate knowledge about the establishment of fibroblast cultures and the effects of cryopreservation processes on their biological characteristics. Since the pig (Sus scrofa) possesses numerous genetic, physiological, and anatomical similarities with humans, porcine fibroblasts are naturally regarded as useful analogues of human fibroblasts. Nonetheless, less attention has been given to the alterations in viability and gene expression of cryopreserved porcine fibroblasts. In this study, we aimed to obtain fibroblasts from porcine ear skin and evaluate the effects of cryopreservation on the cell survival, proliferation, and gene expression profiles of the fibroblasts by trypan-blue-staining assay, Cell Counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, and RNA-sequencing analysis, respectively. Our results suggested that morphologically stable fibroblast cultures can be constructed from pig-ear skin. The post-thaw survival rate of the cryopreserved fibroblasts at 0 h and 24 h was over 90%. The proliferative activity of the cryopreserved fibroblasts was similar to that of the non-cryopreserved fibroblasts after 7 days of in vitro culture, which suggested that cryopreservation did not influence the viability. The RNA-sequencing analysis indicated that this should be attributed to the 867 differentially expressed genes (DGEs) identified, which are involved in molecular process related to cell recovery and survival after cryo-stimulation. In addition, eight important DEGs BMP2, GDF15, EREG, AREG, HBEGF, LIF, IL-6, and HOX-7 could potentially be applied to improve the efficiency of fibroblast cryopreservation, but comprehensive and systematic studies on understanding the underlying mechanisms responsible for their modulatory roles are urgently needed.
Comprehensive Analysis of Calcium Sensor Families, CBL and CIPK, in Aeluropus littoralis and Their Expression Profile in Response to Salinity
Authors: Arab Mozhdeh , Najafi Zarrini Hamid , Nematzadeh Ghorbanali , Heidari Parviz , Hashemipetroudi Seyyed , Kuhlmann Markus
Published: March 2023

Plants have acquired sets of highly regulated and complex signaling pathways to respond to unfavorable environmental conditions during evolution. Calcium signaling, as a vital mechanism, enables plants to respond to external stimuli, including abiotic and biotic stresses, and coordinate the basic processes of growth and development. In the present study, two calcium sensor families, CBL and CIPK, were investigated in a halophyte plant, Aeluropus littoralis, with a comprehensive analysis. Here, six AlCBL genes, and twenty AlCIPK genes were studied. The analysis of the gene structure and conserved motifs, as well as physicochemical properties, showed that these genes are highly conserved during evolution. The expression levels of AlCBL genes and AlCIPK genes were evaluated under salt stress in leaf and root tissue. Based on the real-time RT-PCR results, the AlCIPK gene family had a higher variation in mRNA abundance than the AlCBL gene family. AlCIPK genes were found to have a higher abundance in leaves than in roots. The results suggest that the correlation between AlCBL genes and AlCIPK is tissue-specific, and different correlations can be expected in leaves and roots. Based on these correlations, AlCIPK3.1–AlCBL4.1 and AlCIPK1.2–AlCBL4.4 can be co-expressed in the root tissue, while AlCBL10 has the potential to be co-expressed with AlCIPK5, AlCIPK26, and AlCIPK12.3 in the leaf tissue. Our findings reveal valuable information on the structure and function of calcium sensor families in A. littoralis, a halophyte plant, that can be used in future research on the biological function of CBLs and CIPKs on salt stress resistance.
The Gouty Kidney: A Reappraisal
Authors: Bardin Thomas , Letavernier Emmanuel , Correas Jean-Michel
Published: March 2023

This review re-examines the role of crystal deposition in the kidney in view of recent clinical and experimental findings. The involvement of the renal system in gout seems frequent. Indeed, recent studies showed that approximately 25% of patients with gout experience renal failure, defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. The pathophysiology is complex and involves several factors, their respective roles being difficult to dissect. The role of crystal deposition in the kidney was the first suspected, and the concept of gouty microcrystalline nephropathy, also called gouty nephropathy, has been popular, supported by early autopsy studies demonstrating uric acid and urate crystal deposition in the renal medulla of patients with gout, together with features of tubulointerstitial nephritis. Crystal deposition was first considered an important source of renal involvement in gout. After the introduction of urate-lowering drugs and the performance of kidney biopsies, which mainly involved the renal cortex and did not reveal much crystal deposition but rather vascular changes, this concept has been criticized and even dismissed. Thereafter, kidney involvement in gout was considered mainly vascular, related to hypertension and associated comorbidities and later to hyperuricemia. The toxic effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is also an important factor. Modern imaging, especially renal ultrasonography, allows for atraumatic exploration of the kidney and has revealed hyperechogenicity of the renal medulla, suggesting crystalline deposits, in approximately one-third of patients with tophaceous gout. Experimental models of gouty nephropathy have recently demonstrated the pathogenic role of microcrystal deposition in the collecting ducts and parenchyma of the renal medulla. Taken together, these recent findings lead to the re-examination of the pathogenic role of crystal deposition in the renal medulla and testing the effect of urate-lowering drugs on renal features of gouty patients with evidence of renal crystal deposition.
Genome-Wide Identification of the Sweet Orange bZIP Gene Family and Analysis of Their Expression in Response to Infection by Penicillium digitatum
Authors: Han Peichen , Yin Tuo , Xi Dengxian , Yang Xiuyao , Zhang Mengjie , Zhu Ling , Zhang Hanyao , Liu Xiaozhen
Published: March 2023

(1) Background: The sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is the most widely cultivated and productive citrus fruit in the world, with considerable economic value and good prospects for development. However, post-harvest storage and transport of the fruit are often affected by infestation by Penicillium species, leading to many losses. (2) Methods: In this study, the family of bZIP genes from the whole genome of sweet orange was identified and analyzed in detail in terms of gene structure, physicochemical properties, protein structure, conserved structural domains, chromosomal positioning, and promoter analysis using bioinformatic analysis, in addition to an analysis of the expression patterns of the fruit following Penicillium infection. (3) Results: In this study, 50 CsbZIP genes were identified from the sweet orange genome. In silico analysis showed that Cs_ont_3g005140 was presumably localized in the chloroplasts, while the rest of the family members were located in the nucleus. Phylogenetic trees of grape, apple, Arabidopsis, and sweet orange were constructed on the basis of evolutionary relationships and divided into 16 subfamilies. Conserved motif analysis showed that all CsbZIP family genes encode proteins containing the highly conserved Motif 1. Promoter prediction analysis showed the chromosomal positioning, and the covariance analysis showed that the 50 CsbZIPs were unevenly distributed on nine chromosomes, with 10 pairs of duplicated genes. In the analysis of expression patterns, 11 of the 50 CsbZIP genes were not expressed, 12 were upregulated, 27 were downregulated, and five of the upregulated genes were highly expressed. (4) Conclusions: In this study, two CsbZIP members were each closely related to two Arabidopsis thaliana genes associated with salt stress. The functions of the replicated and re-differentiated CsbZIP homologs (Cs_ont_1g027160 and Cs_ont_8g020880) divergee further, with one responding to inoculation by Penicillium and the other not doing so. Five genes associated with sweet orange in response to Penicillium infestation were initially screened (Cs_ont_3g000400, Cs_ont_3g003210, Cs_ont_5g007090, Cs_ont_5g011180, Cs_ont_8g020880). This study provides some theoretical basis for subsequent research into the response mechanism of sweet orange bZIP transcription factors under biotic stresses.
Mechanisms Underlying the C3–CAM Photosynthetic Shift in Facultative CAM Plants
Authors: Qiu Shuo , Xia Ke , Yang Yanni , Wu Qiaofen , Zhao Zhiguo
Published: March 2023

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), one of three kinds of photosynthesis, is a water-use efficient adaptation to an arid environment. CAM is characterized by CO2 uptake via open stomata during the nighttime and refixation CO2 via the Calvin cycle during the daytime. Facultative CAM plants can shift the photosynthesis from C3 to CAM and exhibit greater plasticity in CAM expression under different environments. Though leaf thickness is an important anatomical feature of CAM plants, there may be no anatomical feature changes during the C3–CAM transition for all facultative CAM plants. The shift from C3 photosynthesis to CAM in facultative CAM plants is accompanied by significant changes in physiology including stomata opening, CO2 gas exchange and organic acid fluxes; the activities of many decarboxylating enzymes increase during the shift from C3 to CAM; the molecular changes occur during the photosynthesis C3–CAM shift involved DNA hypermethylation, transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional regulation and protein level regulation. Recently, omics approaches were used to discover more proceedings underling the C3–CAM transition. However, there are few reviews on the mechanisms involved in this photosynthetic shift in facultative CAM plants. In this paper, we summarize the progress in the comparative analysis of anatomical, physiological, metabolic and molecular properties of facultative CAM plants between C3 and CAM photosynthesis. Facultative CAM plants also show the potential for sustainable food crop and biomass production. We also discuss the implications of the photosynthesis transition from C3 to CAM on horticultural crops and address future directions for research.
Technologies and Innovative Methods for Precision Viticulture: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Ferro Massimo Vincenzo , Catania Pietro
Published: March 2023

The potential of precision viticulture has been highlighted since the first studies performed in the context of viticulture, but especially in the last decade there have been excellent results have been achieved in terms of innovation and simple application. The deployment of new sensors for vineyard monitoring is set to increase in the coming years, enabling large amounts of information to be obtained. However, the large number of sensors developed and the great amount of data that can be collected are not always easy to manage, as it requires cross-sectoral expertise. The preliminary section of the review presents the scenario of precision viticulture, highlighting its potential and possible applications. This review illustrates the types of sensors and their operating principles. Remote platforms such as satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and proximal platforms are also presented. Some supervised and unsupervised algorithms used for object-based image segmentation and classification (OBIA) are then discussed, as well as a description of some vegetation indices (VI) used in viticulture. Photogrammetric algorithms for 3D canopy modelling using dense point clouds are illustrated. Finally, some machine learning and deep learning algorithms are illustrated for processing and interpreting big data to understand the vineyard agronomic and physiological status. This review shows that to perform accurate vineyard surveys and evaluations, it is important to select the appropriate sensor or platform, so the algorithms used in post-processing depend on the type of data collected. Several aspects discussed are fundamental to the understanding and implementation of vineyard variability monitoring techniques. However, it is evident that in the future, artificial intelligence and new equipment will become increasingly relevant for the detection and management of spatial variability through an autonomous approach.
Promoting Water Efficiency in a Municipal Market Building: A Case Study
Authors: Antão-Geraldes Ana M. , Pinto Matheus , Afonso Maria João , Albuquerque António , Calheiros Cristina Sousa Coutinho , Silva Flora
Published: March 2023

This study aimed to determine the water demand of a Municipal Market building to propose water use efficiency measures. The flushing cisterns have the highest water consumption (63.15%), followed by washbasins, restaurant and coffee shop taps, and hairdresser’s showerhead (31.64%). Therefore, the implementation of two main categories of solutions: reducing water consumption through the adoption of efficient devices and installing a rainwater harvesting system (RWHS) when drinking water quality is not required, was evaluated. These solutions were organized in four distinct scenarios: (1) Flushing cistern replacement by dual-flush ones; (2) washbasins, restaurant, coffee shop taps, and hairdresser showerhead replacement; (3) scenario 1 combined to a RWHS for recharging the replaced flushing cisterns and (4) combining scenarios 3 and 4. Under scenarios 1, 2, 3, and 4, the expected water consumption reduction was 28.36%, 17.06%, 57.36%, and 74.41%, respectively. As a result, the annual water bill reduction was €3835.81 (scenario 1), €2307.07 (scenario 2), €7757.65 (scenario 3), and €10,064.73 (scenario 4). Furthermore, to ensure the harvested rainwater attains the required standard for recharge flushing cisterns, it is advisable to dispose of the first-flush rainwater collected after a long dry period.