bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of WRAP5 Peptide Complexes for Targeted Drug/Gene Co-Delivery toward Glioblastoma Therapy
Authors: Neves Ana Raquel , Albuquerque Tânia , Faria Rúben , Gonçalves Ana M. , Santos Cecília , Vivès Eric , Boisguérin Prisca , Passarinha Luís A. , Sousa Ângela , Costa Diana
Published: October 2022

Despite the great progress over the past few decades in both the diagnosis and treatment of a great variety of human cancers, glioblastoma remains the most lethal brain tumor. In recent years, cancer gene therapy focused on non-viral vectors which emerged as a promising approach to glioblastoma treatment. Transferrin (Tf) easily penetrates brain cells of the blood–brain barrier, and its receptor is highly expressed in this barrier and glioblastoma cells. Therefore, the development of delivery systems containing Tf appears as a reliable strategy to improve their brain cells targeting ability and cellular uptake. In this work, a cell-penetrating peptide (WRAP5), bearing a Tf-targeting sequence, has been exploited to condense tumor suppressor p53-encoding plasmid DNA (pDNA) for the development of nanocomplexes. To increase the functionality of developed nanocomplexes, the drug Temozolomide (TMZ) was also incorporated into the formulations. The physicochemical properties of peptide/pDNA complexes were revealed to be dependent on the nitrogen to phosphate groups ratio and can be optimized to promote efficient cellular internalization. A confocal microscopy study showed the capacity of developed complexes for efficient glioblastoma cell transfection and consequent pDNA delivery into the nucleus, where efficient gene expression took place, followed by p53 protein production. Of promise, these peptide/pDNA complexes induced a significant decrease in the viability of glioblastoma cells. The set of data reported significantly support further in vitro research to evaluate the therapeutic potential of developed complexes against glioblastoma.
Liposomes Loaded with Amaranth Unsaponifiable Matter and Soybean Lunasin Prevented Melanoma Tumor Development Overexpressing Caspase-3 in an In Vivo Model
Authors: Castañeda-Reyes Erick Damian , Perea-Flores María de Jesús , Dávila-Ortiz Gloria , Gonzalez de Mejia Elvira
Published: October 2022

The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of liposomes loaded with soybean lunasin and amaranth unsaponifiable matter (UM + LunLip) as a source of squalene in the prevention of melanoma skin cancer in an allograft mice model. Tumors were induced by transplanting melanoma B16-F10 cells into the mice. The most effective treatments were those including UM + LunLip, with no difference between the lunasin concentrations (15 or 30 mg/kg body weight); however, these treatments were statistically different from the tumor-bearing untreated control (G3) (p < 0.05). The groups treated with topical application showed significant inhibition (68%, p < 0.05) compared to G3. The groups treated with subcutaneous injections showed significant inhibition (up to 99%, p < 0.05) in G3. During tumor development, UM + LunLip treatments under-expressed Ki-67 (0.2-fold compared to G3), glycogen synthase kinase-3β (0.1-fold compared to G3), and overexpressed caspase-3 (30-fold compared to G3). In addition, larger tumors showed larger necrotic areas (38% with respect to the total tumor) (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, the UM + LunLip treatment was effective when applied either subcutaneously or topically in the melanoma tumor-developing groups, as it slowed down cell proliferation and activated apoptosis.
Heterocyclic Compounds as Hsp90 Inhibitors: A Perspective on Anticancer Applications
Authors: Ardestani Mina , Khorsandi Zahra , Keshavarzipour Fariba , Iravani Siavash , Sadeghi-Aliabadi Hojjat , Varma Rajender S.
Published: October 2022

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) have garnered special attention in cancer therapy as molecular chaperones with regulatory/mediatory effects on folding, maintenance/stability, maturation, and conformation of proteins as well as their effects on prevention of protein aggregation. Hsp90 ensures the stability of various client proteins needed for the growth of cells or the survival of tumor cells; therefore, they are overexpressed in tumor cells and play key roles in carcinogenesis. Accordingly, Hsp90 inhibitors are recognized as attractive therapeutic agents for investigations pertaining to tumor suppression. Natural Hsp90 inhibitors comprising geldanamycin (GM), reclaimed analogs of GM including 17-AAG and DMAG, and radicicol, a natural macrocyclic antifungal, are among the first potent Hsp90 inhibitors. Herein, recently synthesized heterocyclic compounds recognized as potent Hsp90 inhibitors are reviewed along with the anticancer effects of heterocyclic compounds, comprising purine, pyrazole, triazine, quinolines, coumarin, and isoxazoles molecules.
Besifloxacin Nanocrystal: Towards an Innovative Ophthalmic Preparation
Authors: Jesus José Izo Santana da Silva de , Lourenço Felipe Rebello , Ishida Kelly , Barreto Thayná Lopes , Avino Valdir Carlos , Neto Edson dos Santos , Bou-Chacra Nádia Araci
Published: October 2022

Bacterial conjunctivitis significantly impacts public health, including more than one-third of eye diseases reported worldwide. It is an infection caused by various aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and is highly contagious. Therefore, it has a high incidence of bacterial resistance to the antibiotics commonly used for treatment. Among the most recent antibiotics, besifloxacin is a fourth-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic indicated exclusively for topical ophthalmic use. Due to its importance in treating bacterial conjunctivitis and its low solubility in water, limiting its efficacy, a nanotechnology-based drug delivery preparation was developed to overcome this hurdle. Besifloxacin nanocrystals were prepared by small-scale wet milling and response surface methodology, using Povacoat® as a stabilizer. The particle’s average hydrodynamic diameter (Z-ave) was approximately 550 nm (17 times smaller than raw material), with a polydispersity index (PdI) of less than 0.2. The saturation solubility increased about two times compared to the raw material, making it possible to increase the dissolution rate of this drug substance, potentially improving its bioavailability and safety. The optimized preparation was stable under an accelerated stability study (90 days). The Z-ave, PZ, PdI, and content did not alter significantly during this period. Furthermore, the 0.6% m/m besifloxacin nanocrystals at the maximum dose and the Povacoat® stabilizer did not show toxicity in Galleria mellonella larvae. The innovative ophthalmic preparation minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 0.0960 µg/mL and 1.60 µg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively, confirming in vitro efficacy. Therefore, besifloxacin nanocrystals revealed the potential for reduced dosing of the drug substance, with a minor occurrence of adverse effects and greater patient adherence to treatment.
Unexpected Stability of a Prodrug to Enzymatic Hydrolysis within a Hydrated HPMC Matrix Tablet
Authors: Hanley Sarah , Brown Jonathan , Timmins Peter , Davies Catrin , Dennis Andrew
Published: October 2022

The uptake of alkaline phosphate present in dissolution medium into a hydrating hydroxypropyl methylcellulose matrix tablet and that its activity was retained therein was demonstrated. This presents a risk to the stability of prodrugs that are substrates of this enzyme such as phosphonooxymethyl derivative prodrugs. It was found that fostemsavir, a phosphonooxymethyl derivative prodrug being developed for the treatment of HIV-1 infection, was unexpectedly resistant to hydrolysis within a hydrated HPMC matrix when subjected to drug release testing in media containing alkaline phosphatase. Studies indicated that this was not due to microenvironmental pH effects, osmolality effects or effective phosphate concentration effects associated with the presence of the prodrug. That the prodrug and not its parent could affect enzyme activity in a concentration dependent manner, and that another phosphate ester prodrug fosphenytoin did not inhibit alkaline phosphatase activity within a hydrated HPMC matrix suggested that the unexpected stability of the HIV-1 therapy prodrug may be associated with the ability of the phosphate group-containing compound itself to inhibit the enzyme at the concentrations it exists at in the hydrated dosage form and so enables the development of the compound in this type of dosage form.
Bioengineered Carboxymethylcellulose–Peptide Hybrid Nanozyme Cascade for Targeted Intracellular Biocatalytic–Magnetothermal Therapy of Brain Cancer Cells
Authors: Mansur Alexandra A. P. , Carvalho Sandhra M. , Oliveira Luiz Carlos A. , Souza-Fagundes Elaine Maria , Lobato Zelia I. P. , Leite Maria F. , Mansur Herman S.
Published: October 2022

Glioblastoma remains the most lethal form of brain cancer, where hybrid nanomaterials biofunctionalized with polysaccharide peptides offer disruptive strategies relying on passive/active targeting and multimodal therapy for killing cancer cells. Thus, in this research, we report for the first time the rational design and synthesis of novel hybrid colloidal nanostructures composed of gold nanoparticles stabilized by trisodium citrate (AuNP@TSC) as the oxidase-like nanozyme, coupled with cobalt-doped superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles stabilized by carboxymethylcellulose ligands (Co-MION@CMC) as the peroxidase-like nanozyme. They formed inorganic–inorganic dual-nanozyme systems functionalized by a carboxymethylcellulose biopolymer organic shell, which can trigger a biocatalytic cascade reaction in the cancer tumor microenvironment for the combination of magnetothermal–chemodynamic therapy. These nanoassemblies were produced through a green aqueous process under mild conditions and chemically biofunctionalized with integrin-targeting peptide (iRDG), creating bioengineered nanocarriers. The results demonstrated that the oxidase-like nanozyme (AuNP) was produced with a crystalline face-centered cubic nanostructure, spherical morphology (diameter = 16 ± 3 nm), zeta potential (ZP) of −50 ± 5 mV, and hydrodynamic diameter (DH) of 15 ± 1 nm. The peroxide-like nanostructure (POD, Co-MION@CMC) contained an inorganic crystalline core of magnetite and had a uniform spherical shape (2R = 7 ± 1 nm) which, summed to the contribution of the CMC shell, rendered a hydrodynamic diameter of 45 ± 4 nm and a negative surface charge (ZP = −41 ± 5 mV). Upon coupling both nanozymes, water-dispersible colloidal supramolecular vesicle-like organic–inorganic nanostructures were produced (AuNP//Co-MION@CMC, ZP = −45 ± 4 mV and DH = 28 ± 3 nm). They confirmed dual-nanozyme cascade biocatalytic activity targeted by polymer–peptide conjugates (AuNP//Co-MION@CMC_iRGD, ZP = −29 ± 3 mV and DH = 60 ± 4 nm) to kill brain cancer cells (i.e., bioenergy “starvation” by glucose deprivation and oxidative stress through reactive oxygen species generation), which was boosted by the magneto-hyperthermotherapy effect when submitted to the alternating magnetic field (i.e., induced local thermal stress by “nanoheaters”). This groundwork offers a wide avenue of opportunities to develop innovative theranostic nanoplatforms with multiple integrated functionalities for fighting cancer and reducing the harsh side effects of conventional chemotherapy.
Chlorin e6 Phospholipid Delivery System Featuring APN/CD13 Targeting Peptides: Cell Death Pathways, Cell Localization, In Vivo Biodistribution
Authors: Tereshkina Yulia A. , Kostryukova Lyubov V. , Tikhonova Elena G. , Khudoklinova Yulia Yu. , Orlova Nadezhda A. , Gisina Alisa M. , Morozevich Galina E. , Melnikov Pavel A. , Pokrovsky Vadim S.
Published: October 2022

We have previously designed a phospholipid delivery system for chlorin e6 to increase the efficacy of photodynamic therapy involving a second-generation photosensitizer. Further research into the matter led to double modification of the obtained nanoparticles with ligands exhibiting targeting and cell-penetrating effects: an NGR-containing peptide and heptaarginine (R7), respectively. This study investigated the cell death pathway on HT-1080 tumor cells after treatment with the proposed compositions: the chlorin e6 phospholipid composition and the two-peptide chlorin e6 phospholipid composition. It was demonstrated that most of the cells died by apoptosis. Colocalization analysis of chlorin e6 in the phospholipid composition with two peptides showed mitochondria are one of the targets of the photosensitizer. An HT-1080 tumor-bearing mouse model was used to evaluate the biodistribution of the drug in tumor, liver, and kidney tissues after administration of the study compositions in comparison with free chlorin e6. The photosensitizer mostly accumulated in the tumor tissue of mice administered the phospholipid compositions, and accumulation was increased 2-fold with the peptide-containing composition and approximately 1.5-fold with the unenhanced composition, as compared with free chlorin e6. The enhancement of the chlorin e6 phospholipid composition with targeting and cell-penetrating peptides was found to be effective both in vitro and in vivo.
Broccoli Sprouts and Their Influence on Thyroid Function in Different In Vitro and In Vivo Models
Authors: Paśko Paweł , Zagrodzki Paweł , Okoń Krzysztof , Prochownik Ewelina , Krośniak Mirosław , Galanty Agnieszka
Published: October 2022

Broccoli sprouts are a super vegetable; however, they have possible negative effects on thyroid function, which is especially important for patients with hypothyroidism. As the data on this issue are scarce, this study aimed to determine the safety and possible beneficial effect of broccoli sprouts both in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro model comprised the evaluation of the impact of broccoli sprouts on normal and neoplastic thyroid cells and the determination of their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant (IL-6, TNF-alpha, NO, and SOD) potential in macrophages. The in vivo model concerned the histopathological analysis of thyroid glands in healthy rats and rats with hypothyroidism (induced by iodine deficiency or sulfadimethoxine ingestion) fed with broccoli sprouts. The results of our study indicated that broccoli sprouts decreased the viability of thyroid cancer cells and prevented inflammation. The results also confirmed the satisfactory safety profile of the sprouts, both in vitro and in vivo; however, a further in-depth evaluation of this problem is still needed. Information on the influence of brassica vegetables on thyroid function is of great importance in terms of public health, particularly when taking into account that the risk of iodine deficiency, hypothyroidism, and thyroid cancer in the global population is still increasing.
Integrative Transcriptomic and Phytohormonal Analyses Provide Insights into the Cold Injury Recovery Mechanisms of Tea Leaves
Authors: Ni Zhi-Qi , Jin Jing , Ye Ying , Luo Wen-Wen , Zheng Ya-Nan , Tong Zheng-Kun , Lv Yi-Qing , Ye Jian-Hui , Wu Liang-Yu
Published: October 2022

Tea plant is susceptible to low temperature, while the cold injury recovery mechanisms of tea leaves are still unclear. Windbreak has an effective and gradient range of protecting tea plants. Tea plants with increasing cold damage degree have varying recovery status accordingly, which are the ideal objects for investigating the cold injury recovery mechanisms of tea leaves. Here, we investigated the transcriptome and phytohormone profiles of tea leaves with different cold injury degrees in recovery (adjacent to the windbreak), and the levels of chlorophylls, malondialdehyde, major phytohormones as well as the activities of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were also measured. The results showed the content of total chlorophylls and the activity of POD in mature tea leaves gradually decreased with the distance to windbreak, while SOD showed the opposite. The major phytohormones were highly accumulated in the moderately cold-injured tea leaves. The biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA) was enhanced in the moderate cold damaged tea leaves, suggesting that ABA plays an important role in the cold response and resistance of tea plants. The transcriptomic result showed that the samples in different rows were well discriminated, and the pathways of plant-pathogen interaction and flavonoid biosynthesis were enriched based on KEGG analysis. WRKY, GRAS and NAC were the top classes of transcription factors differentially expressed in the different cold-injured tea leaves. Thus, windbreak is effective to protect adjacent tea plants from cold wave, and phytohormones importantly participate in the cold injury recovery of tea leaves.
Plant Cell Wall Plasticity under Stress Situations
Authors: García-Angulo Penélope , Largo-Gosens Asier
Published: October 2022

This Special Issue, entitled “Plant Cell Wall Plasticity under Stress Situations”, is a compilation of five articles, whose authors deepen our understanding of the roles of different cell wall components under biotic and abiotic stress [...]
Evolutionary Aspects of Hypericin Productivity and Endogenous Phytohormone Pools Evidenced in Hypericum Species In Vitro Culture Model
Authors: Danova Kalina , Motyka Vaclav , Trendafilova Antoaneta , Dobrev Petre I. , Ivanova Viktorya , Aneva Ina
Published: October 2022

Shoot cultures of hypericin non-producing H. calycinum L. (primitive Ascyreia section), hypericin-producing H. perforatum L., H. tetrapterum Fries (section Hypericum) and H. richeri Vill. (the evolutionarily most advanced section Drosocarpium in our study) were developed and investigated for their growth, development, hypericin content and endogenous phytohormone levels. Hypericins in wild-growing H. richeri significantly exceeded those in H. perforatum and H. tetrapterum. H. richeri also had the highest hypericin productivity in vitro in medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/L N6-benzyladenine and 0.1 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid and H. tetrapterum—the lowest one in all media modifications. In shoot culture conditions, the evolutionarily oldest H. calycinum had the highest content of salicylic acid and total jasmonates in some of its treatments, as well as dominance of the storage form of abscisic acid (ABA-glucose ester) and lowest cytokinin ribosides and cytokinin O-glucosides as compared with the other three species. In addition, the evolutionarily youngest H. richeri was characterized by the highest total amount of cytokinin ribosides. Thus, both evolutionary development and the hypericin production capacity seemed to interact closely with the physiological parameters of the plant organism, such as endogenous phytohormones, leading to the possible hypothesis that hypericin productivity may have arisen in the evolution of Hypericum as a means to adapt to environmental changes.
A New Biocontrol Tool to Fight Potato Late Blight Based on Willaertia magna C2c Maky Lysate
Authors: Troussieux Sandrine , Gilgen Annabelle , Souche Jean-Luc
Published: October 2022

Potato late blight (PLB) is one of the most destructive disease affecting potatoes. Late blight control relies almost exclusively on the use of chemical pesticides, including copper products, which are efficient but controversial due to their environmental toxicity. Societal pressure and the quest for more sustainable agriculture reinforce the need for natural plant protection products. To respond to this demand, we tested the lysate of the amoeba Willaertia magna C2c Maky on PLB. This active substance exhibits plant protection properties against grape downy mildew thanks to a dual mode of action (plant elicitor and antifungal direct effect). We hypothesized that this active substance might also have an effect against other diseases caused by oomycetes on other crops, such as potato. In vitro, in planta, and in-field studies were conducted. The collected data demonstrate that the lysate of the amoeba Willaertia magna C2c Maky is able to elicit potato defenses, and direct fungicidal activity against Phytophtora infestans was observed. Proof of efficacy was first obtained in greenhouse, with up to 80% disease reduction, and confirmed in field trials. Formulated products provided up to 77% protection in field in the case of low infestation (28%) and up to 49% protection when the untreated plants were 100% destroyed. Willaertia magna C2c Maky was also able to significantly increase yield by up to 30% in field trials.
Preparation and Characterization of Electrospun PAN-CuCl2 Composite Nanofiber Membranes with a Special Net Structure for High-Performance Air Filters
Authors: Hu Shiqian , Zheng Zida , Tian Ye , Zhang Huihong , Wang Mao , Yu Zhongwei , Zhang Xiaowei
Published: October 2022

The growing issue of particulate matter (PM) air pollution has given rise to extensive research into the development of high-performance air filters recently. As the core of air filters, various types of electrospun nanofiber membranes have been fabricated and developed. With the novel poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN)-CuCl2 composite nanofiber membranes as the filter membranes, we demonstrate the high PM removal efficiency exceeding 99% and can last a long service time. The nanoscale morphological characteristics of nanofiber membranes were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and mercury intrusion porosimeter. It is found that they appear to have a special net structure at specific CuCl2 concentrations, which substantially improves PM removal efficiency. We anticipate the PAN-CuCl2 composite nanofiber membranes will be expected to effectively solve some pressing problems in air filtration.
Synthesis, Curing Behaviors and Properties of a Bio-Based Trifunctional Epoxy Silicone Modified Epoxy Thermosets
Authors: Qian Dan , Zhou Jiahai , Zheng Jieyuan , Cao Jun , Wan Jintao , Fan Hong
Published: October 2022

Tremendous effort has been focused on improving the toughness of epoxy, but the common approaches diminish the mechanical properties. In this work, a new silicone-modified trifunctional epoxy monomer SITEUP is synthesized from the hydrosilylation transformation of eugenol epoxy (EPEU) and tris-(dimethylsiloxy)phenylsilane. The chemical structures and curing kinetics of SITEUP are investigated based on 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, MADLI-TOF-MS, and DSC analyses. SITEUP is introduced into DGEBA/IPDA systems as a functional modifier in varied loadings for toughening the resulting epoxy thermosets. The impact strength of the modified epoxy thermosets containing 20% SITEUP is 84% higher than that of the pristine epoxy thermoset and also maintains high flexural strength. Further morphology study reveals that the plastic deformation caused by siloxane segments is the key factor accounting for the enhanced toughness of the finalized epoxy thermosets. Si-O-Si segments incorporated into the thermosetting network could absorb more energy by increasing the mobility of polymer chains under external stress and led to improved thermal stability and damping characteristics. In addition, SITEUP is able to decrease the surface tension and increase the hydrophobic properties of the resultant epoxy materials.
SAXS Investigation of the Effect of Freeze/Thaw Cycles on the Nanostructure of Nafion® Membranes
Authors: Mensharapov Ruslan , Ivanova Nataliya , Spasov Dmitry , Grigoriev Sergey , Fateev Vladimir
Published: October 2022

In this study, we performed small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to investigate the structure of Nafion® membranes. The effect of freeze/thaw (F/T) cycles (from ambient temperature down to −40 °C) on the membrane nanostructure was considered for the first time. The SAXS measurements were taken for different samples: a commercial Nafion® 212 membrane swollen in water and methanol solution, and a water-swollen silica-modified membrane. The membrane structure parameters were obtained from the measured SAXS profiles using a model-dependent approach. It is shown that the average radius of water channels (Rwc) decreases during F/T cycles due to changes in the membrane structure as a result of ice formation in the pore volume after freezing. The use of water-methanol solution (methanol content of 20 vol.%) for the membrane soaking prevents changes in the membrane structure during F/T cycles compared to the water-swollen membrane. Modification of the membrane surface with silica (SiO2 content of 20 wt.%) led to a redistribution of water in the membrane volume and resulted in a decrease in Rwc. However, Rwc for the modified membrane did not decrease with the increasing number of F/T cycles due to the involvement of SiO2 in the sorption of membrane water and, therefore, the prevention of ice formation.
Effect of Activator and Outgoing Ligand Nature on the Catalytic Behavior of Bis(phenoxy-imine) Ti(IV) Complexes in the Polymerization of Ethylene and Its Copolymerization with Higher Olefins
Authors: Gagieva Svetlana Ch. , Magomedov Kasim F. , Tuskaev Vladislav A. , Bogdanov Vyacheslav S. , Kurmaev Dmitrii A. , Golubev Evgenii K. , Denisov Gleb L. , Nikiforova Galina G. , Evseeva Maria D. , Saracheno Daniele , Buzin Mikhail I. , Dzhevakov Pavel B. , Privalov Viktor I. , Bulychev Boris M.
Published: October 2022

A series of bis(phenoxy-imine) (FI) titanium(IV) and zirconium(IV) complexes have been synthesized. The effect of the nature of the activator (MAO, combinations EtnAlCl3-n + Bu2Mg and iBu3Al + [Ph3C]+[B(C6F5)4]−) on the catalytic activity and properties of the resulting polymers was studied. It was found that Ti-Fi complexes, despite the nature of the outgoing ligands (Cl or iPrO) in the presence of Al/Mg activators, effectively catalyze the polymerization of ethylene (with the formation of UHMWPE); copolymerization of ethylene with 1-octene (with the formation of ultra-high molecular weight copolymers); and the ternary copolymerization of ethylene, propylene and 5-vinyl-2-norbornene (with the formation of polyolefin elastomers). It has been shown that Zr-FI complexes are not activated by these Al/Mg compositions. The resulting UHMWPE can be processed by a solventless method into high-strength and high-modulus oriented films; however, their mechanical characteristics do not exceed those obtained using MAO.
Synthesis of Polylactic Acid Oligomers for Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobials
Authors: Bao Qi , Zhang Ziheng , Yu Baocheng , Sun Huize , Leung Polly Hang-mei , Tao Xiaoming
Published: October 2022

Infectious microbial diseases are a major public health hazard, calling for more innovative antimicrobials. Herein, polylactic acid (PLA) oligomers have been explored and reported as a bio-safe and eco-friendly functional antimicrobial agent against pathogens, such as viruses (H1N1, H3N2, and SARS-CoV-2), bacteria (E. coli, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, MRSA), and fungi (C. albicans). The PLA oligomers were prepared by direct catalyst-free condensation polymerization of l-lactic acid monomers and characterized by FT-IR and 1H-NMR. The antiviral results demonstrate that PLA oligomers possess robust (inhibiting rate > 99%) and rapid (<20 min) antiviral activity against two pandemic ssRNA viruses, including influenza A virus (IAV) and coronavirus (CoV). Furthermore, the PLA oligomers exhibit high antibacterial activities against both Gram negative (G−) and Gram positive (G+) bacteria. The PLA oligomers also perform efficiently in killing a large amount of C. albicans as high as 105 cfu/mL down to zero at the concentration of 10 mg/mL. Thus, the broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity endowed the PLA oligomers with a promising biocidal option, except antibiotics in a wide range of applications, such as medical textiles, food preservation, water disinfection, and personal hygiene, in light of their unique biodegradability and biocompatibility.
Influence of PVB Interlayer Mechanical Properties on Laminated Glass Elements Design in Dependence of Real Time-Temperature Changes
Authors: Galić Josip , Stepinac Lucija , Bošnjak Antonia , Zovko Ivana
Published: October 2022

Most used laminated glass is composed of float glass plies bonded together with a viscoelastic Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) interlayer. The shear stiffness of the polymeric interlayer is the key factor in the behavior of laminated glass. Structural engineers in the past were designing laminated glass regardless of the shear coupling of the plies. This approach with a high level of reliability led to expensive laminated glass structures due to insufficient knowledge of foil properties. Most of the current standards suggest methods that consider the shear coupling of the plies. This paper presents the experimental data from a static loading test performed on a laminated glass panel exposed to changing temperatures. The deformations were observed for 48 h. The measured results were compared with the known analytical design approaches and in addition with the finite element modeling (FEM) analysis in the available software for laminated glass design. A simplified design approach that simulates foil behavior in dependence on load duration and temperature change was adopted in this study. Design approaches that use effective thickness calculations are used with the Young and shear relaxation modulus provided by the foil producer. The imprecision of the Eurocode standards for glass design, and the propensity to change the approach to the calculation by introducing more precise parameters were expounded. The results when combining the time-temperature superposition (TTS) and the Wölfel–Bennison approach were found to be in very good agreement with the FEM analysis of 3D solid elements in Abaqus and measured data.
Evaluation of the Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of 150 GHz Athermal AWG Module with Metal Temperature Compensation Board
Authors: Yun Kwang-Su , Yu Chong-Hee , Lim Kwon-Seob , Kim Wan-Chun , Kim Su-Yong , Jeon Insu
Published: October 2022

We have developed a 17-channel (150 GHz-spacing) athermal arrayed waveguide grating (AAWG), which has a wider operation range than that of the existing AWGs, by designing a metal structure assembly that reduces the temperature dependence of the wavelength. For an operation temperature range from −40 °C to 85 °C, the center wavelengths of all channels had a wavelength stability of ±0.04 nm and the insertion loss variation was less than ±0.78 dB. The accelerated life test showed that the predicted service life was expected to be more than 41.7 years.
Social Justice and Inclusive Education in Holy Cross Education in Bangladesh: The Case of Notre Dame College
Authors: Farid Md Shaikh
Published: October 2022

This paper examines how Holy Cross missionaries in Bangladesh have interpreted the Catholic Church’s teachings on social justice and inclusive education and have implemented its recommendations at Notre Dame College. The Catholic Church’s documents on education provide direction, purpose, and rationale for Catholics across the globe. These documents advocate Catholic educators toward social justice in education by making education available, accessible, and affordable to all. This leads to the question of how Holy Cross adopts social justice and inclusive education at its elite educational institutions such as NDC, which charges high tuition and enrolls mostly urban meritorious students. The paper is based primarily on a combination of the examination of written documents and fieldwork involving interviews with Holy Cross personnel. The study reveals that the Catholic concept of social justice, social teachings and inclusive education are applied partially at NDC. As recommended by the Catholic Church, Holy Cross educators have taken different educational programs and social projects—both formal and non-formal—to serve the poor and underprivileged at Notre Dame College. However, as the admission policy of the college is based on the results of previous examinations, there is very little scope for the poor and underprivileged groups to get admitted to the college. Furthermore, the institution fails to include children with special educational needs because there are no special opportunities at the college for students with special educational needs.
Modelling Hazard for Tailings Dam Failures at Copper Mines in Global Supply Chains
Authors: Nungesser Sören Lars , Pauliuk Stefan
Published: October 2022

The global mining industry generates several billion tons of waste every year. Much of it is stored in liquid form, known as tailings, in large impoundments. Recent dam failures at tailing ponds with catastrophic outcomes have raised public concern, such that industry initiatives and investors are beginning to address the problem. So far, a lack of publicly available data makes an independent and comprehensive risk assessment challenging. We introduce a simple and transparent hazard indicator built from environmental proxy variables and screen a global sample of 112 copper mines for natural hazards regarding tailings dams. In a second step, material footprints of copper for the European Union and five major economies are estimated and compared using a Multi-Regional Input–Output model, shedding light on the regions of origin. Finally, hazard scores are linked to regional copper footprints to identify hotspots in supply chains of final consumption. The most hazardous mines are located in Chile and Peru including some of the world’s largest copper producers. China and the US have the largest copper ore footprints and per capita values in the US were 25 times larger than in India. The United States’ and European footprints are satisfied by domestic extraction to about 66 and 40 percent respectively. Copper from Poland contributes around 19 and 28 percent to supply chains of German and European final demand respectively and, as a consequence, Poland constitutes the main hazard hotspot for Europe’s copper supply chain.
Predicting Habitat Properties Using Remote Sensing Data: Soil pH and Moisture, and Ground Vegetation Cover
Authors: Haugen Hanne , Devineau Olivier , Heggenes Jan , Østbye Kjartan , Linløkken Arne
Published: October 2022

Remote sensing data comprise a valuable information source for many ecological landscape studies that may be under-utilized because of an overwhelming amount of processing methods and derived variables. These complexities, combined with a scarcity of quality control studies, make the selection of appropriate remote sensed variables challenging. Quality control studies are necessary to evaluate the predictive power of remote sensing data and also to develop parsimonious models underpinned by functional variables, i.e., cause rather than solely correlation. Cause-based models yield superior model transferability across different landscapes and ecological settings. We propose two basic guidelines for conducting such quality control studies that increase transferability and predictive power. The first is to favor predictors that are causally related to the response. The second is to include additional variables controlling variation in the property of interest and testing for optimum processing method and/or scale. Here, we evaluated these principles in predicting ground vegetation cover, soil moisture and pH under challenging conditions with forest canopies hindering direct remote sensing of the ground. Our model using lidar data combined with natural resource maps explained most of the observed variation in soil pH and moisture, and somewhat less variation of ground vegetation cover. Soil pH was best predicted by topographic position, sediment type and site index (R2 = 0.90). Soil moisture was best predicted by topographic position, radiation load, sediment type and site index (R2 = 0.83). The best model for predicting ground vegetation cover was a combination of lidar-based estimates for light availability below canopy and forest type, including an interaction between these two variables (R2 = 0.65).
Estimating 3D Green Volume and Aboveground Biomass of Urban Forest Trees by UAV-Lidar
Authors: Zhou Lv , Li Xuejian , Zhang Bo , Xuan Jie , Gong Yulin , Tan Cheng , Huang Huaguo , Du Huaqiang
Published: October 2022

Three dimensional (3D) green volume is an important tree factor used in forest surveys as a prerequisite for estimating aboveground biomass (AGB). In this study, we developed a method for accurately calculating the 3D green volume of single trees from unmanned aerial vehicle laser scanner (ULS) data, using a voxel coupling convex hull by slices algorithm, and compared the results using voxel coupling convex hull by slices algorithm with traditional 3D green volume algorithms (3D convex hull, 3D concave hull (alpha shape), convex hull by slices, voxel and voxel coupling convex hull by slices algorithms) to estimate AGB. Our results showed the following: (1) The voxel coupling convex hull by slices algorithm can accurately estimate the 3D green volume of a single ginkgo tree (RMSE = 11.17 m3); (2) Point cloud density can significantly affect the extraction of 3D green volume; (3) The addition of the 3D green volume parameter can significantly improve the accuracy of the model to estimate AGB, where the highest accuracy was obtained by the voxel coupling convex hull by slices algorithm (CV-R2 = 0.85, RMSE = 11.29 kg, and nRMSE = 15.12%). These results indicate that the voxel coupling convex hull by slices algorithms can more effectively calculate the 3D green volume of a single tree from ULS data. Moreover, our study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the use of ULS 3D green volume for AGB estimation and could significantly improve the estimation accuracy of AGB.
Route Plans for UAV Aerial Surveys according to Different DEMs in Complex Mountainous Surroundings: A Case Study in the Zheduoshan Mountains, China
Authors: Du Qingsong , Li Guoyu , Zhou Yu , Chen Dun , Chai Mingtang , Qi Shunshun , Cao Yapeng , Tang Liyun , Jia Hailiang
Published: October 2022

Accurate and error-free digital elevation model (DEM) data are a basic guarantee for the safe flight of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during surveys in the wild, especially in moun-tainous areas with large topographic undulations. Existing free and open-source DEM data gen-erally cover large areas, with relatively high spatial resolutions (~90, 30, and even 12.5 m), but they do not have the advantage of timeliness and cannot accurately reflect current and up-to-date topographical information in the survey area. UAV pre-scanning missions can provide highly accurate and recent terrain data as a reference for UAV route planning and ensure security for subsequent aerial survey missions; however, they are time consuming. In addition, being limited to the electric charge of the UAV, pre-scanning increases the human, financial, and time consumption of field missions, and it is not applicable for field aerial survey missions in reality, unless otherwise specified, especially in harsh environments. In this paper, we used interferometric synthetic aper-ture radar (InSAR) technology to process Sentinel-1a data to obtain the DEMs of the survey area, which were used for route planning, and other free and open-source DEMs were also used for flightline plans. The digital surface models (DSMs) were obtained from the structure of the UAV pre-scan mission images, applying structure for motion (SfM) technology as the elevation reference. Comparing the errors between the InSAR-derived DEMs and the four open-source DEMs based on the reference DSM to analyze the practicability of flight route planning, the results showed that among the four DEMs, the SRTM DEM with a spatial resolution of 30 m performed best, which was considered as the first reference for UAV route plans when the survey area in complex mountainous regions is covered with a poor or inoperative network. The InSAR-derived DEMs from the Sentinel-1 images have great potential value for UAV flight planning, with a large perpendicular baseline and short temporal baseline. This work quantitatively analyzed the errors among the different DEMs and provided a discussion regarding UAV flightline plans based on external DEMs. This can not only effectively reduce the manpower, materials, and time consumption of field operations, improving the efficiency of UAV survey tasks, but it also broadens the use of InSAR technology. Furthermore, with the launch of high-resolution SAR satellites, InSAR-derived DEMs with high spatial and temporal resolutions provide an optimistic and credible strategy for UAV route planning with small errors.
Empirical Examinations of Whether Rural Population Decline Improves the Rural Eco-Environmental Quality in a Chinese Context
Authors: Liu Zhen
Published: October 2022

Rural population has continually declined in response to the rapid urbanization process occurring in China, and the related negative socioeconomic impacts on rural development have attracted considerable attention from scholars. Currently, few studies have investigated the eco-environmental impact of rural population decline. By employing remote-sensing data, including land-use and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data, this study proposed a method based on the eco-environmental quality index (EQI) to measure the changes in the rural eco-environmental quality (REQ) at the prefectural level from 2000 to 2020. Then, we examined the impacts of rural population decline on REQ variations. We found that (1) most of the research units experienced continuous rural population decline during the research period, with the rural population density declining more than 25% from 2010 to 2020 in approximately half of the research units; (2) the REQ improved in most of the units, especially in the western region, but there were still many units that experienced a decline in the REQ, which were primarily concentrated in the coastal and central regions; (3) rural population decline improved the REQ, but its impacts varied regionally; and (4) rural population density, natural factors, and eco-environmental protection programs had significant influences on REQ variations. These findings may provide a reference for sustainable-development policies in rural China and other developing countries.
Global Emergency System Based on WPAN and LPWAN Hybrid Networks
Authors: Pérez Eduardo , Parada Raúl , Monzo Carlos
Published: October 2022

There are multiple methods of communication for the transmission of every type of alarm. In the case of emergency systems, they are usually controlled by private companies that work as bridges between the source and the receiver of an emergency. Furthermore, it is necessary to use an independent communication system for each building, requiring human vigilance, leading to an increase in infrastructure and service costs as well as response time. This paper proposes a hybrid network by combining both wireless personal access network (WPAN) and low power wide access network (LPWAN) communication for the complete development of a communication architecture oriented to an emergency system. The main aim of this work is to provide a global emergency system that is focused on fire detection but is also suitable for other critical events, with low energy consumption, a wide communication range covering up to 50 km, and a low cost of service and infrastructure. This proposal reduces the total energy consumption of the system with respect to typical fire detection systems.
A Deep Residual Neural Network for Image Reconstruction in Biomedical 3D Magnetic Induction Tomography
Authors: Hofmann Anna , Klein Martin , Rueter Dirk , Sauer Andreas
Published: October 2022

In recent years, it has become increasingly popular to solve inverse problems of various tomography methods with deep learning techniques. Here, a deep residual neural network (ResNet) is introduced to reconstruct the conductivity distribution of a biomedical, voluminous body in magnetic induction tomography (MIT). MIT is a relatively new, contactless and noninvasive tomography method. However, the ill-conditioned inverse problem of MIT is challenging to solve, especially for voluminous bodies with conductivities in the range of biological tissue. The proposed ResNet can reconstruct up to two cuboid perturbation objects with conductivities of 0.0 and 1.0 S/m in the whole voluminous body, even in the difficult-to-detect centre. The dataset used for training and testing contained simulated signals of cuboid perturbation objects with randomised lengths and positions. Furthermore, special care went into avoiding the inverse crime while creating the dataset. The calculated metrics showed good results over the test dataset, with an average correlation coefficient of 0.87 and mean squared error of 0.001. Robustness was tested on three special test cases containing unknown shapes, conductivities and a real measurement that showed error results well within the margin of the metrics of the test dataset. This indicates that a good approximation of the inverse function in MIT for up to two perturbation objects was achieved and the inverse crime was avoided.
A Novel Load Balancing Scheme for Satellite IoT Networks Based on Spatial–Temporal Distribution of Users and Advanced Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Lin Wenliang , Dong Zewen , Wang Ke , Wang Dongdong , Deng Yaohua , Liao Yicheng , Liu Yang , Wan Da , Xu Bingyu , Wu Genan
Published: October 2022

Satellite IoT networks (S-IoT-N), which have been a hot issue regarding the next generation of communication, are quite important for the coming era of digital twins and the metaverse because of their performance in sensing and monitoring anywhere, anytime, and anyway, in more dimensions. However, this will cause communication links to face greater traffic loads. Satellite internet networks (SIN) are considered the most possible evolution road, possessing characteristics of many satellites, such as low earth orbit (LEO), the Ku/Ka frequency, and a high data rate. Existing research on load balancing schemes for satellite networks cannot solve the problems of low efficiency under conditions of extremely non-uniform distribution of users (DoU) and dynamic density variances. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel load balancing scheme of adjacent beams for S-IoT-N based on the modeling of spatial–temporal DoU and advanced GA. In our scheme, the PDF of the DoU in the direction of movement of the SSP’s trajectory was modeled first, which provided a multi-directional constraint for the non-uniform distribution of users in S-IoT-N. Fully considering the prior periodicity of satellite movement and the similarity of DoU in different areas, we proposed an adaptive inheritance iteration to optimize the crossover factor and mutation factor for GA for the first time. Based on the proposed improved GA, we obtained the optimal scheme of load balancing under the conditions of the adaptation from the local balancing scheme to global balancing, and a selection of Ser-Beams to access. Finally, the simulations show that the proposed method can improve the average throughput by 3% under specific conditions and improve processing efficiency by 30% on average.