bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of antimicrobial peptide OaBac5mini and its bactericidal mechanism against Escherichia coli
Authors: Shen Shanshan , Sun Yawei , Ren Fei , Blair Jessica M. A. , Siasat Pauline , Fan Shuaiqi , Hu Jianhe , He Junping
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play an important role in defending against the attack of pathogenic microorganisms. Among them, the proline-rich antibacterial peptides (PrAMPs) have been attracting close attention due to their simple structure, strong antibacterial activity, and low cell toxicity. OaBac5mini is an active fragment of the sheep-derived OaBac5 belonging to the PrAMPs family.

Methods

In this study, the antibacterial activity of OaBac5mini was investigated by testing the MICs against different stains of E. coli and S. aureus as well as the time-kill curve. The bactericidal mechanism was explored by determining the effect of OaBac5mini on the cell membrane. The stability and biosafety were also evaluated.

Results

The susceptibility test demonstrated that OaBac5mini showed potent antibacterial activity against the multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli isolates. It is noticeable that the absence of inner membrane protein SbmA in E. coli ATCC 25922 caused the MIC of OaBac5mini to increase 4-fold, implying OaBac5mini can enter into the cytoplasm via SbmA and plays its antibacterial activity. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of OaBac5mini against E. coli ATCC 25922 was not remarkably affected by the serum salts except for CaCl2 at a physiological concentration, pH, temperature, repeated freeze-thawing and proteases (trypsin < 20 μg/mL, pepsin or proteinase K). Time-kill curve analysis showed OaBac5mini at the concentration of 200 μg/mL (8 × MICs) could effectively kill E. coli ATCC 25922 after co-incubation for 12 h. In addition, OaBac5mini was not hemolytic against rabbit red blood cells and also was not cytotoxic to porcine small intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2). Bioinformatic analysis indicated that OaBac5mini is a linear peptide with 8 net positive charges. Furthermore, OaBac5mini significantly increased the outer membrane permeability and impaired the inner membrane integrity and ultrastructure of E. coli ATCC25922.

Conclusion

OaBac5mini is a stable and potent PrAMP that kills E. coli by two different modes of action - inhibiting intracellular target(s) and damaging cell membrane.
Survey on Mission Planning of Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Authors: Song Jia , Zhao Kai , Liu Yang
Published: February 2023

The task assignment issue and the path planning problem of Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Multi-UAV) are collectively referred to as the Mission Planning Problem (MPP). This review article provides an update on the progress of the MPP on Multi-UAV. Focusing on the burning issue of task assignment, this paper focuses on the comparison of the characteristics of the mathematical programming method, heuristic algorithm, negotiation algorithm and neural networks. According to different constraints, trajectory planning can be divided into 2 dimension coverage, 3 dimension cooperation, and 4 dimension space-time cooperation. Combined with typical research, common collaborative guidance methods are introduced, and the key development direction of this field is prospected. The article shows that, although the MPP has been extensively studied, ongoing research is required. In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to the timeliness of the task assignment, the information coupling exists in MPP, and the problems caused by multiple constraints of Multi-UAV and environmental uncertainty.
Precise Recommendation Method of Suitable Planting Areas of Maize Varieties Based on Knowledge Graph
Authors: Zou Yidong , Pan Shouhui , Yang Feng , Zhang Dongfeng , Han Yanyun , Zhao Xiangyu , Wang Kaiyi , Zhao Chunjiang
Published: February 2023

The rapid increase in the number of new maize varieties and the intensification of market competition have raised the need to precisely promote new maize varieties to suitable planting areas and fully exploit the variety potential and win the market competition. This paper proposes a precise recommendation method for suitable planting areas of maize varieties based on a knowledge graph. The meteorology knowledge graph of maize ecological regions is constructed at county-scale and a RippleNet recommendation model is used to mine the potential spatial correlation of maize variety suitability in different meteorological environments. The county-scale precise recommendation for suitable planting areas is then realized. In total, 331 maize varieties and agricultural meteorological data of 59 experimental areas in the Huang-Huai-Hai ecological region are used for model training and testing (accuracy 76.3%). Through experimental comparison, the recommendation accuracy of this method is 24.3% higher than that of six traditional machine learning methods, 11.2% higher than that of graph attention networks, and 5.8% higher than that of graph convolution neural networks. This study provides a data-driven solution for the precise recommendation and market positioning of maize varieties, enhances the scientificity of variety recommendation and helps to fully exploit their planting potential.
Research on UAV Remote Sensing Method of Mold Detection Suitable for Pericarp of Citri Reticulatae ‘Chachi’ Warehouses
Authors: Yan Guoqi , Qu Jialei , Li Wei , Chen Dongyi , Zhong Chumin , Luo Hao , Ou Guoliang , Mo Jiasi
Published: February 2023

Once the Pericarp of Citri Reticulata ‘Chachi’ (PCRC) develops mildew while in storage, the rapid spread of the flora after the occurrence of mold can cause huge losses. As such, inspecting whether the PCRC is moldy is important. In this paper, we propose an alternative inspection method, namely that of utilizing a small UAV with a camera to inspect the PCRC mildew in the top stacks under consideration. Specifically, we first address the light problem in the collected images with different lights via a multi-spectral method, and find that 625–740 nm of lighting has a significant effect on mildew. Second, we utilize the ultrared 1.4R-G method to extract the features of mildew with Otus binarization. We can see that the mold-free area is less than 95% in an image categorized as having mildew. The proposed mildew inspection method achieved 93.3% accuracy. Our method could send the inspection information to a control system, achieving rapid closed-loop automatic control and reducing the mildew-related loss.
The Effect of Digestate from Liquid Cow Manure on Spring Wheat Chlorophyll Content, Soil Properties, and Risk of Leaching
Authors: Pranckietienė Irena , Navickas Kęstutis , Venslauskas Kęstutis , Jodaugienė Darija , Buivydas Egidijus , Žalys Bronius , Vagusevičienė Ilona
Published: February 2023

Biogas production from manure and other organic matter, or combinations thereof, is part of the circular economy, and the use of the digestate from biogas production for plant nutrition and thus for soil fertility restoration and organic carbon (C) sequestration completes the circular economy cycle. The use of digestate from biogas production in agriculture is one of the sustainable ways to manage manure or organic waste, an alternative to conventional chemical fertilizers, and a means to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal. To this end, two two-factor pot experiments were carried out in 2019–2020. Factor A—1. Control (without fertilization), 2. Liquid cow manure 170 kg ha−1 N (N170), 3. Digested manure 170 kg ha−1 N (N170), 4. Digested manure 140 kg ha−1 N (N140), 5. Digested manure 110 kg ha−1 N (N110); Factor B—1. Plants not cultivated, 2. Plants cultivated. The experiments determined the effect of digestate on the changes in soil nitrate (NO3-N), ammonium (NH4-N) and mineral (NO3-N + NH4-N) nitrogen, and available phosphorus (P2O5) and potassium (K2O) in the soil without plants as well as with plants cultivated and evaluated the risk of migration of macronutrients into deeper soil layers. The results showed that the application of the highest allowed rates under the Nitrates Directive (N170) and N140 digestate is accompanied by the addition of high levels of ammonium (NH4-N) nitrogen, which alters the balance of ammonium (NH4-N) and nitrate (NO3-N) nitrogen in the soil, and the extent of their migration to the deeper layers. These results suggest that the application of digestate to agricultural land enhances the migration of nitrogen and, in phosphorus-rich soils, of phosphorus (PO4-P) compounds to deeper layers (>25 cm). In order to achieve environmental objectives, digestate rates should be based on the agrochemical properties of the soil and the needs of the plants and should not exceed 65% of the nitrogen needed by the plants from mineral fertilizers.
Higher Aluminum Tolerance of Lespedeza bicolor Relative to Lespedeza cuneata Is Associated with Saccharide Components of Root Tips
Authors: Sun Qing-Bin , Yin Chun-Qin , Zheng Han , Dong Xiao-Ying , Shen Ren-Fang , Zhao Xue-Qiang
Published: February 2023

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the primary factor limiting agricultural productivity in acid soils. The cell wall is mainly composed of saccharides and the first barrier for aluminum (Al) to enter plant root cells, but it is unknown whether and how root saccharide components are involved in regulating the Al tolerance of Lespedeza that is well adapted to acid soils. Here, we used Al-tolerant Lespedeza bicolor and Al-sensitive Lespedeza cuneata to examine the association of root saccharide components with Lespedeza Al tolerance through analyzing the saccharide changes of roots exposed to Al toxicity. Al-sensitive Lespedeza accumulated more Al and pectin but less hemicellulose in the root cell walls than Al-tolerant Lespedeza. Al treatment decreased the amounts of total sugar secreted from and within the roots of only Al-tolerant Lespedeza. Al treatment decreased the content of root monosaccharides including glucose and mannose in both Lespedeza species, but increased the xylose contents in only Al-sensitive Lespedeza. Taken together, less cell wall pectin rather than hemicellulose is responsible for less root Al accumulation, and Al-decreased root saccharide contents may enhance root organic-acid secretion to chelate toxic Al, both of which contribute to Lespedeza Al tolerance.
Insight into the Boron Toxicity Stress-Responsive Genes in Boron-Tolerant Triticum dicoccum Shoots Using RNA Sequencing
Authors: Khan Mohd. Kamran , Pandey Anamika , Hamurcu Mehmet , Rajpal Vijay Rani , Vyhnanek Tomas , Topal Ali , Raina Soom Nath , Gezgin Sait
Published: February 2023

Wheat production losses due to boron (B) toxicity can be reduced by breeding and growing modern wheat cultivars with a greater tolerance to high B. However, breeding of tolerant genotypes is possible by identifying B-tolerant wheat genetic resources and understanding their underlying molecular mechanism. Triticum dicoccum, despite being one of the oldest cultivated wheat species, mostly remained neglected and has been less explored for its potential towards abiotic stresses. In this study, for the first time, we report a B-toxicity-tolerant T. dicoccum genotype, PI94655, and its transcriptomic response towards high-B treatment (10 mM B) using RNA sequencing and RT-qPCR. More than 450 genes were significantly differentially expressed in the shoots of PI94655 under high B. A total 3237 novel genes and 12,206 novel transcripts were determined in the study. AP2-EREBP, MYB, and C3H were the families with the highest percentages of differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) under B toxicity. Interestingly, KEGG pathway photosynthesis–antenna proteins showed the most significant enrichment. The obtained results suggested potential candidate genes that can be focused on to improve wheat tolerance to high B in future breeding programs. These genes can be functionally characterized to elucidate their role in providing tolerance to high B.
Feral Kinetics and Cattle Research Within Planetary Boundaries
Authors: Brichet Nathalia , Brieghel Signe , Hastrup Frida
Published: February 2023

The increased attention drawn to the negative environmental impact of the cattle industry has fostered a host of market- and research-driven initiatives among relevant actors. While the identification of some of the most problematic environmental impacts of cattle is seemingly more or less unanimous, solutions are complex and might even point in opposite directions. Whereas one set of solutions seeks to further optimize sustainability pr. unit produced, e.g., by exploring and altering the relations between elements kinetically moving one another inside the cow’s rumen, this opinion points to different paths. While acknowledging the importance of possible technological interventions to optimize what occurs inside the rumen, we suggest that broader visions of the potential negative outcomes of further optimization are also needed. Accordingly, we raise two concerns regarding a focus on solving emissions through feedstuff development. First, we are concerned about whether the development of feed additives overshadows discussions about downscaling and, second, whether a narrow focus on reducing enteric gasses brackets other relations between cattle and landscapes. Our hesitations are rooted in a Danish context, where the agricultural sector—mainly a large-scale technologically driven livestock production—contributes significantly to the total emission of CO2 equivalents.
Neurofeedback Effects on EEG Connectivity among Children with Reading Disorders: I. Coherence
Authors: Albarrán-Cárdenas Lucero , Silva-Pereyra Juan , Martínez-Briones Benito Javier , Bosch-Bayard Jorge , Fernández Thalía
Published: February 2023

Electroencephalograms (EEGs) of children with reading disorders (RDs) are characterized by a higher theta and a lower alpha than those of typically developing children. Neurofeedback (NFB) may be helpful for treating learning disorders by reinforcing a reduction in the theta/alpha ratio. Several studies have suggested that NFB may lead to EEG power normalization and cognitive improvements. To further explore brain changes in isolated areas, the aim of this study was to explore the effects of an NFB protocol on functional connectivity (coherence) among children with RDs. Twenty children with an RD and an abnormally high theta/alpha ratio underwent 30 NFB sessions, and five children with the same characteristics received a sham NFB treatment. On average, the children in the NFB group showed an increase in reading accuracy and comprehension scores; their coherence diminished in the delta, theta, and beta bands and increased in the alpha band, primarily the theta intrahemispheric coherences of the left hemisphere, which is closely associated with reading. In contrast, children who received the sham NFB treatment did not show reading changes and had few changes in their coherence patterns. These preliminary results suggest that NFB can positively impact reading-related functions in the brain networks of children with RDs.
Characterization of Deformation of Bolts and Induced Stress Wave Propagation under Axial Tensile Stress
Authors: Li Chuanming , Gao Xiang , Feng Ruimin , Xia Xin , Qi Chao , Chen Xiao , Zhang Zhengrong , Bai Jiankui , Nie Bochao
Published: February 2023

The nondestructive testing technique used to evaluate the quality of bolt support by detecting the axial force is suitable for the bolt with a short construction time. For the bolt in the support state for a long time period, it may lead to the detection of small axial force only and ignore the fact that the bolt has entered the necking fracture stage, and thus fail to detect safety hazards in time. Three sets of parallel tests were conducted to solve the misjudgment of detection results due to the reduction of axial force when the bolt was in the necking fracture stage. Bolt deformation characteristics and stress wave propagation characteristics in bolts under axial tensile stress were studied by using the bolt tensile and stress wave detection test system which was modified and built independently. The results showed that (1) The diameter of the necking position decreases continuously during the tensioning process of the bolt and the rate of decrease increases abruptly during the necking fracture stage. (2) Due to the bolt stretching, the stress wave propagates in the bolt with different degrees of reflection and transmission, resulting in the attenuation of the stress wave energy; the energy attenuation ratio of the stress wave signal in the necking fracture stage reaches 35%, and the energy attenuation ratio increases exponentially as the necking continues to occur. (3) The frequency distribution of the stress wave signal during the bolt stretching process is from scattered to concentrated, the dominant frequency is gradually prominent and changes from low frequency to high frequency, the high-frequency signal is more sensitive to the cracks and necking of the bolt, and the dominant frequency is between 9500 and 10,000 Hz. (4) The average error of the stress wave method is 1.945% and the maximum and minimum values are 4.12% and 0.51%, respectively. The method is promising and provides a reference for the study of nondestructive testing of bolt stress waves in field support.
Unsupervised Deep Embedded Clustering for High-Dimensional Visual Features of Fashion Images
Authors: Malhi Umar Subhan , Zhou Junfeng , Yan Cairong , Rasool Abdur , Siddeeq Shahbaz , Du Ming
Published: February 2023

Fashion image clustering is the key to fashion retrieval, forecasting, and recommendation applications. Manual labeling-based clustering is both time-consuming and less accurate. Currently, popular methods for extracting features from data use deep learning techniques, such as a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). These methods can generate high-dimensional feature vectors, which are effective for image clustering. However, high dimensions can lead to the curse of dimensionality, which makes subsequent clustering difficult. The fashion images-oriented deep clustering method (FIDC) is proposed in this paper. This method uses CNN to generate a 4096-dimensional feature vector for each fashion image through migration learning, then performs dimensionality reduction through a deep-stacked auto-encoder model, and finally performs clustering on these low-dimensional vectors. High-dimensional vectors can represent images, and dimensionality reduction avoids the curse of dimensionality during clustering tasks. A particular point in the method is the joint learning and optimization of the dimensionality reduction process and the clustering task. The optimization process is performed using two algorithms: back-propagation and stochastic gradient descent. The experimental findings show that the proposed method, called FIDC, has achieved state-of-the-art performance.
Comparative Study of Ozonated Olive Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Effects on Oral Hygiene
Authors: Feier Ramona , Sireteanu Cucui Radu Mircea , Ratiu Ramona Flavia , Baciu Dana , Galea Carmen , Sachelarie Liliana , Nistor Claudia , Cocos Dorin , Hurjui Loredana Liliana , Cernei Eduard Radu
Published: February 2023

(1) Background: Currently, more and more studies reveal the fact that the use of ozonated oil in dentistry brings visible benefits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ozonated olive oil by evaluating daily index changes (2) Methods: The available products were used in this study: ozonized olive oil (Ozon Relive) and organic cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. At the start of the study, all mouthwashes are placed in the same type of containers and labeled with numbers from 1 to 20. The recommended dose is one teaspoon of oil, about 6 mL per day. (3) Results: Ozonated oil (Group 1) and olive oil (Group 2) groups showed statistically significant differences to oral indices (p < 0.001 in both). (4) Conclusions: The results suggested that ozonized olive oil can be fully included among the products able to assist in controlling the causative factors of gingivitis while reducing its clinical manifestations.
Seismic Periodic Noise Attenuation Based on Sparse Representation Using a Noise Dictionary
Authors: Sun Lixia , Qiu Xinming , Wang Yun , Wang Chao
Published: February 2023

Periodic noise is a well-known problem in seismic exploration, caused by power lines, pump jacks, engine operation, or other interferences. It contaminates seismic data and affects subsequent processing and interpretation. The conventional methods to attenuate periodic noise are notch filtering and some model-based methods. However, these methods either simultaneously attenuate noise and seismic events around the same frequencies, or need expensive computation time. In this work, a new method is proposed to attenuate periodic noise based on sparse representation. We use a noise dictionary to sparsely represent periodic noise. The noise dictionary is constructed based on ambient noise. An advantage of our method is that it can automatically suppress monochromatic periodic noise, multitoned periodic noise and even periodic noise with complex waveforms without pre-known noise frequencies. In addition, the method does not result in any notches in the spectrum. Synthetic and field examples demonstrate that our method can effectively subtract periodic noise from raw seismic data without damaging the useful seismic signal.
Mobile Charging Sequence Scheduling for Optimal Sensing Coverage in Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Networks
Authors: Li Jinglin , Jiang Chengpeng , Wang Jing , Xu Taian , Xiao Wendong
Published: February 2023

In wireless rechargeable sensor networks (WRSNs), a novel approach to energy replenishment is offered by the utilization of mobile chargers (MCs), which charge nodes via wireless energy transfer technology. However, previous research on mobile charging schemes has commonly prioritized charging efficiency as a performance index, neglecting the importance of quality of sensing coverage (QSC). As the network scale increases, the MC’s charging power becomes unable to meet the energy needs of all nodes, leading to a decline in network QSC when nodes’ energy is depleted. To solve this problem, we study the problem of mobile charging sequence scheduling for optimal network QSC (MSSQ) and propose an improved quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (IQPSO) algorithm. With the attraction of potential energy in quantum space, this algorithm will adaptively adjust the contraction expansion coefficient iteratively, leading to a global optimal solution for the mobile charging sequence. Extensive simulation results demonstrate the superiority of IQPSO over the widely used QPSO and Greedy algorithms in terms of network QSC, especially in large-scale networks.
Nodal Accuracy Improvement Technique for Linear Elements with Application to Adaptivity
Authors: Huang Zemin , Yuan Si , Xing Qinyan
Published: February 2023

In the finite element method, the conventional linear elements have long been precluded, due to their low accuracy of nodal displacements, from the analysis of super-convergence and adaptivity via the element energy projection (EEP) technique. To overcome this problem, in this paper, a nodal accuracy improvement technique is proposed for linear elements in 1D to 3D problems. In this method, a residual nodal load vector is derived with the conventional EEP solution, and a simple back-substitution process can generate the improved nodal displacements without changing the global stiffness matrix. Subsequently, an improved EEP scheme for linear elements is proposed based on the improved nodal displacements. Finally, by using the improved EEP solution as an error estimator, a two-phased adaptive algorithm is presented. Numerical examples show that the accuracy of nodal displacements is improved from the second-order convergence to the fourth-order convergence by using the nodal accuracy improvement technique, and the EEP solutions for element interior displacements are improved from the second-order convergence to the third-order convergence by using the improved EEP scheme. Therefore, the improved EEP scheme can be effectively used as an error estimator in adaptivity analysis for linear elements, which turns out to be efficient in general and even outperforms cubic elements for singularity problems.
Dynamic Simulation Model-Driven Fault Diagnosis Method for Bearing under Missing Fault-Type Samples
Authors: Ma Junqing , Jiang Xingxing , Han Baokun , Wang Jinrui , Zhang Zongzhen , Bao Huaiqian
Published: February 2023

Existing generative adversarial networks (GAN) have potential in data augmentation and in the intelligent fault diagnosis of bearings. However, most relevant studies only focus on the fault diagnosis of rotating machines with sufficient fault-type samples, and some rare fault-type samples may be missing in training in practical engineering. To address those deficiencies, this paper presents an intelligent fault diagnosis method based on the dynamic simulation model and Wasserstein generative adversarial network with gradient normalization (WGAN-GN). The dynamic simulation model of bearing faults is constructed to obtaining simulation signals to replace and complement the missing fault samples, which are combined with the measured signals as training data and then input into the proposed WGAN-GN model for expanding and enhancing the data. To test the effectiveness of the simulated samples, a fault classification model constructed by stacked autoencoders (SAE) is used to classify the enhanced dataset. According to the results, the proposed model performs well when used to diagnose faults under missing samples and is preferable to other methods.
Identification of Thermophilic Proteins Based on Sequence-Based Bidirectional Representations from Transformer-Embedding Features
Authors: Pei Hongdi , Li Jiayu , Ma Shuhan , Jiang Jici , Li Mingxin , Zou Quan , Lv Zhibin
Published: February 2023

Thermophilic proteins have great potential to be utilized as biocatalysts in biotechnology. Machine learning algorithms are gaining increasing use in identifying such enzymes, reducing or even eliminating the need for experimental studies. While most previously used machine learning methods were based on manually designed features, we developed BertThermo, a model using Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), as an automatic feature extraction tool. This method combines a variety of machine learning algorithms and feature engineering methods, while relying on single-feature encoding based on the protein sequence alone for model input. BertThermo achieved an accuracy of 96.97% and 97.51% in 5-fold cross-validation and in independent testing, respectively, identifying thermophilic proteins more reliably than any previously described predictive algorithm. Additionally, BertThermo was tested by a balanced dataset, an imbalanced dataset and a dataset with homology sequences, and the results show that BertThermo was with the best robustness as comparied with state-of-the-art methods. The source code of BertThermo is available.
The Effect of Sludge-Ash Granulates on the Content and Uptake of Heavy Metals by Winter Rape Seeds and Triticale
Authors: Możdżer Ewa , Gamrat Renata
Published: February 2023

Four granulates were prepared from waste, including lignite ash, industrial sludge, sawdust, ammonium nitrate and potassium salt (60% K2O). The produced granulates were chemically tested. They contained significant Ca and C organic contents and slightly less S, P, K and Mg. The concentration of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn did not exceed the applicable standards. Then, they were tested in a experiment with 2 plants: spring rape, Larissa cv., and spring triticale, Milikaro cv. The content of the tested heavy metals in rape seed and triticale grain largely depended on the chemical properties and the amount of components used to produce granulates. As a rule, a higher share of industrial sludge and a lower share of lignite ash (granulates II with industrial sludge 40% and IV with industrial sludge 50%) in the granulates increased the content of heavy metals in the test plants. Applying the 2nd and 3rd doses of granulates increased the contents of cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel, lead, and zinc. Increasing doses of granulates significantly increased the uptake of heavy metals by rape seed and triticale grain. Under the influence of applied fertilizer granulates, the content of heavy metals in rape seeds and triticale grain was significantly positively correlated with their uptake.
Bivariate Hazard Assessment of Combinations of Dry and Wet Conditions between Adjacent Seasons in a Climatic Transition Zone
Authors: Cheng Geer , Liu Tiejun , Wang Sinan , Bao Ligao , Fang Wei , Shang Jianan
Published: February 2023

Accumulated evidence reminds one that abrupt transitions between dry and wet spells, though attracting less attention, have harmful influences upon global continents as extensively investigated droughts and floods. This study attempts to incorporate dryness–wetness transitions into the current hazard assessment framework through bivariate frequency analysis and causal attribution from a teleconnection perspective. In the study, regional dry and wet conditions are monitored using the multivariate standardized drought index (MSDI) which facilitates the integrated evaluation of water deficits/surplus from a combined viewpoint of precipitation (largely denoting the received atmospheric water) and runoff (representing an important source of surface water). On such a basis, a copula-based method is subsequently utilized to calculate joint return periods of dryness–wetness combinations in three (i.e., moderate, severe and extreme) severity scenarios. The changing frequency of diverse dryness–wetness combinations is also estimated under a changing climate using a 25-year time window. Furthermore, the cross-wavelet transform is applied to attribute variations in dry and wet conditions to large-scale climate indices, which benefits the early warning of dryness–wetness combinations by providing predictive information. A case study conducted during 1952–2010 in the Huai River basin (HRB)—a typical climatic transition zone in China—shows that the HRB is subject to prolonged dryness with the highest frequency, followed by the abrupt transition from dryness to wetness. Spatially, abrupt dryness–wetness transitions are more likely to occur in the southern and central parts of the HRB than in the rest of the proportion. The past half-century has witnessed the dominantly higher frequency of occurrence of dryness–wetness combinations under three severity scenarios. In particular, the occurrence of the continued dry/wetness escalates more rapidly than transition events under climate change. Moreover, a preliminary attribution analysis discloses the link of the dry and wet conditions in the HRB with climate indices, such as the El Niño southern oscillation, the Pacific decadal oscillation and the Arctic oscillation, as well as sunspot activities. The results of the study enrich the current atlas of water-related hazards, which may benefit more effective hazard mitigation and adaptation.
Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell as an Alternative to the Internal Combustion Engine for Emission Reduction: A Review on the Effect of Gas Flow Channel Structures
Authors: Gong Mengjun , Zhang Xinyu , Chen Mengrong , Ren Yong
Published: February 2023

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are a new energy technology with great potential due to advantages such as high efficiency and no pollution. The structure of the gas flow channels has a profound impact on the overall performance of the fuel cell. Different flow channel geometries have their own advantages and disadvantages, and a good understanding of the influence of these structures on performance can provide a reference for the design and improvement of flow channel geometries in various application contexts. Numerical models can be used as a reasonable and reliable tool to evaluate the influence of operating and structural parameters on cell performance and service time by simulating the transport processes of substances and heat as well as electrochemical reactions inside the fuel cell and can be used for the optimisation of cell design. This paper reviews the recent models of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, summarises and analyses the effect of gas flow channels on fuel cells, and organises and concludes efficient design of flow channel structures to enhance PEMFC performance in terms of the cross-section shape, length, width, number of flow channels, and baffle position.
Comprehensive Analysis of Typhoon Nangka Based on the Satellite Data from the GPM, CloudSat and Himawari-8
Authors: Ma Xiaolin , Wang Ju , Huang Hong , Wang Xuezhong , Wang Zhen , Hu Banghui
Published: February 2023

A typhoon or hurricane is one of the most destructive high-impact weather events. In this study, the genesis and development processes of Typhoon Nangka (2015), which occurred over the Western Pacific in 2015, were investigated based on the comprehensive observation data from three satellites, i.e., the Himawari-8 satellite, the CloudSat satellite and the Global Precipitation Measurement mission satellite (GPM), focusing on the characteristics of typhoon structure, precipitation and cloud. The results (Results) show that during the developing stage of Typhoon Nangka, the cloud system was relatively complex and changed significantly, with large raindrops dominating the precipitation around the eyewall in the first quadrant, and the convection in the eyewall and outer rainband burst upward to 17 km. In addition, three features were obvious: stratiform precipitation was dominant in the inner rainband, both the precipitation type (stratiform or convective) and intensity were distributed unevenly in the outer rainband, and large water content was located in the warm layer of clouds. Moreover, the collision growth and breakup of water droplets tended to be stable. The precipitation in the typhoon eyewall, inner rainband and outer rainband was significantly different; stratiform precipitation mainly occurred in the inner rainband, while convective precipitation mainly appeared in the eyewall and outer rainband. The cloud system was distributed asymmetrically, and the upper-layer and lower-layer clouds were closely related, dominated by single-layer clouds. There were deep convective clouds in the eyewall, and cirrus clouds with the broadest range across the eyewall. The coverage range of cirrus clouds was close to the radius of the typhoon. There were stratocumulus, altostratus and cumulus in the low levels.
Interactions between Soil Moisture and Water Availability over the Inner Mongolia Section of the Yellow River Basin, China
Authors: Zhang Kaiwen , Zhang Qiang , Wang Gang , Li Tiantian , Song Jinbo , Wu Wenhuan , Singh Vijay P.
Published: February 2023

The ecological conservation and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin (YRB) has been declared as a major national strategy of China. Surface water availability (precipitation minus evapotranspiration, PME) poses challenges to the sustainability of ecosystems of the YRB. Noteworthy is that the Mongolian section of the YRB (IMYRB) is a critical ecological barrier in Northern China. Soil moisture (SM) changes are highly sensitive to PME and important for regional ecological security. However, SM vs. PME interactions and relevant mechanisms within the IMYRB are poorly understood. We found significant decreases in SM and PME over the east IMYRB (r = 0.7, p < 0.05). During the wet (July, August, and September) and dry (April, May, and June) seasons, as well as the whole year, decreased SM drives increased PME through land-atmosphere interactions over more than 90% of the IMYRB. Reduction in SM decreased evapotranspiration over more than 80% of the IMYRB, increased surface temperature across more than 79% of the IMYRB, boosted atmospheric vertical ascent over more than 75% of the IMYRB, and enhanced moisture convergence and PME. This study highlights the land-atmosphere interactions over the IMYRB, implicating basin-scale impacts of climatic changes on water resources.
Interaction of Metals, Menopause and COVID-19—A Review of the Literature
Authors: Męcik-Kronenberg Tomasz , Kuć Aleksandra , Kubik-Machura Daria , Kościelecka Klaudia , Radko Lidia
Published: February 2023

A growing number of reports point to the possible role of environmental factors in determining the age of onset of menopause. Specific metals, such as mercury, cadmium, arsenic and lead can lead to fertility disorders, to endocrine dysregulation, and in addition, their high blood concentrations correlate with the onset of menopause. Changing concentrations of hormones in the blood during this period of a woman’s life can also have an impact on SARS-CoV-2 infection, and excessively high or low levels of metals may also be an important predictor for the course of COVID-19. Postmenopausal women are exposed to greater risk of serum biochemical changes, and with the possibility of nutritional disturbances, particularly involving trace minerals, the risk of age-related diseases is very high during this period. These adverse changes in serum trace minerals should be taken into consideration for the early diagnosis and prevention of menopause-related diseases. Dietary supplementation may be necessary, especially where levels are significantly reduced. We performed a manual search of scientific articles cited in major electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Google Scholar) in November 2022 to identify studies relevant to the relationship between metals, COVID-19 and menopause. The effects of metals on the course of menopause is a broad topic and should certainly still be a subject of research, due to, among other things, continuing environmental pollution and the use of metals in many areas of life.
The Role of Non-Neuronal Acetylcholine in the Autoimmune Blistering Disease Pemphigus Vulgaris
Authors: Foulad Delila Pouldar , Cirillo Nicola , Grando Sergei A.
Published: February 2023

The importance of acetylcholine (ACh) in keratinocyte adhesion and acantholysis has been investigated over the last three decades, particularly in the pathophysiology of autoimmune blistering dermatoses. Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune blistering skin disease where autoantibody-mediated suprabasilar intraepidermal splitting causes flaccid blisters and non-healing erosions of the oral mucosa and sometimes also of the skin. Historically, acantholysis in PV was thought to be driven by anti-desmoglein (Dsg) antibodies. Herein, we describe the role of autoantibodies against keratinocyte muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, as well as the annexin-like molecule pemphaxin that also binds ACh, in the immunopathogenesis of PV. The identification of targets in this disease is important, as they may lead to novel diagnostic and therapeutic options in the future for this potentially deadly disease.
Effects of the Acetyltransferase p300 on Tumour Regulation from the Novel Perspective of Posttranslational Protein Modification
Authors: Zeng Qingmei , Wang Kun , Zhao Yongxiang , Ma Qingzhi , Chen Zhinan , Huang Wan
Published: February 2023

p300 acts as a transcription coactivator and an acetyltransferase that plays an important role in tumourigenesis and progression. In previous studies, it has been confirmed that p300 is an important regulator in regulating the evolution of malignant tumours and it also has extensive functions. From the perspective of non-posttranslational modification, it has been proven that p300 can participate in regulating many pathophysiological processes, such as activating oncogene transcription, promoting tumour cell growth, inducing apoptosis, regulating immune function and affecting embryo development. In recent years, p300 has been found to act as an acetyltransferase that catalyses a variety of protein modification types, such as acetylation, propanylation, butyylation, 2-hydroxyisobutyration, and lactylation. Under the catalysis of this acetyltransferase, it plays its crucial tumourigenic driving role in many malignant tumours. Therefore, the function of p300 acetyltransferase has gradually become a research hotspot. From a posttranslational modification perspective, p300 is involved in the activation of multiple transcription factors and additional processes that promote malignant biological behaviours, such as tumour cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as tumour cell apoptosis, drug resistance, and metabolism. Inhibitors of p300 have been developed and are expected to become novel anticancer drugs for several malignancies. We review the characteristics of the p300 protein and its functional role in tumour from the posttranslational modification perspective, as well as the current status of p300-related inhibitor research, with a view to gaining a comprehensive understanding of p300.
Photobiomodulation for Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Hafner Daša , Hrast Petra , Tomaževič Tanja , Jazbec Janez , Kavčič Marko
Published: February 2023

Oral mucositis (OM) is a common side effect in patients undergoing chemotherapy (CT), especially in children due to their rapid epithelial mitotic rate. It has been associated with a significant reduction in life quality since it leads to pain, an inadequate intake of nutrients, an increased risk of opportunistic infections, and interruptions of CT. Photobiomodulation (PMB) with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has shown faster healing, reduction in pain, and the reduced use of analgesic compared to placebo groups. The purpose of this review is to analyze and compare the existing clinical trials and identify their shortcomings in hope to make future research easier. Using MeSH terms and keywords, the Embase, Medline, and PubMed databases we searched for the period of the last 5 years. We identified a total of 15 clinical trials, with a total of 929 pediatric patients analyzed in this review. We compared different light sources and other laser technique characteristics used in clinical trials such as wavelength, energy and power density, spot size, irradiation time, PBM protocol, and OM evaluation. The main findings show inconsistent laser parameter quotations, differences in the PBM protocol along with a laser application technique, and a lack of clinical trials. Based on that, more studies with a high methodological quality should be conducted in order to provide a unified PBM protocol suitable for the pediatric population.
Combined Radiomodifying Effect of Fucoidan from the Brown Alga Saccharina cichorioides and Pacificusoside D from the Starfish Solaster pacificus in the Model of 3D Melanoma Cells
Authors: Malyarenko Olesya S. , Malyarenko Timofey V. , Usoltseva Roza V. , Kicha Alla A. , Ivanchina Natalia V. , Ermakova Svetlana P.
Published: February 2023

Cancer is one of the main causes of human mortality worldwide. Despite the advances in the diagnostics, surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, the search for more effective treatment regimens and drug combinations are relevant. This work aimed to assess the radiomodifying effect and molecular mechanism of action of fucoidan from the brown alga Saccharina cichorioides (ScF) and product of its autohydrolysis (ScF_AH) in combination with pacificusoside D from the starfish Solaster pacificus (SpD) on the model of viability and invasion of three-dimension (3D) human melanoma cells SK-MEL-2. The cytotoxicity of ScF (IC50 JB6 Cl41 > 800 µg/mL; IC50 SK-MEL-2 = 685.7 µg/mL), ScF_AH (IC50 JB6 Cl41/SK-MEL-2 > 800 µg/mL), SpD (IC50 JB6 Cl41 = 22 µM; IC50 SK-MEL-2 = 5.5 µM), and X-ray (ID50 JB6 Cl41 = 11.7 Gy; ID50 SK-MEL-2 = 6.7 Gy) was determined using MTS assay. The efficiency of two-component treatment of 3D SK-MEL-2 cells was revealed for ScF in combination with SpD or X-ray but not for the combination of fucoidan derivative ScF_AH with SpD or X-ray. The pre-treatment of spheroids with ScF, followed by cell irradiation with X-ray and treatment with SpD (three-component treatment) at low non-toxic concentrations, led to significant inhibition of the spheroids’ viability and invasion and appeared to be the most effective therapeutic scheme for SK-MEL-2 cells. The molecular mechanism of radiomodifying effect of ScF with SpD was associated with the activation of the initiator and effector caspases, which in turn caused the DNA degradation in SK-MEL-2 cells as determined by the Western blotting and DNA comet assays. Thus, the combination of fucoidan from brown algae and triterpene glycoside from starfish with radiotherapy might contribute to the development of highly effective method for melanoma therapy.
Effect of Quercetin Nanoparticles on Hepatic and Intestinal Enzymes and Stress-Related Genes in Nile Tilapia Fish Exposed to Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Farag Mayada R. , Abo-Al-Ela Haitham G. , Alagawany Mahmoud , Azzam Mahmoud M. , El-Saadony Mohamed T. , Rea Stefano , Di Cerbo Alessandro , Nouh Doaa S.
Published: February 2023

Recently, nanotechnology has become an important research field involved in the improvement of animals’ productivity, including aquaculture. In this field, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have gained interest as antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agents. On the other hand, their extensive use in other fields increased natural water pollution causing hazardous effects on aquatic organisms. Quercetin is a natural polyphenolic compound of many plants and vegetables, and it acts as a potent antioxidant and therapeutic agent in biological systems. The current study investigated the potential mitigative effect of quercetin nanoparticles (QNPs) against AgNPs-induced toxicity in Nile tilapia via investigating liver function markers, hepatic antioxidant status, apoptosis, and bioaccumulation of silver residues in hepatic tissue in addition to the whole-body chemical composition, hormonal assay, intestinal enzymes activity, and gut microbiota. Fish were grouped into: control fish, fish exposed to 1.98 mg L−1 AgNPs, fish that received 400 mg L−1 QNPs, and fish that received QNPs and AgNPs at the same concentrations. All groups were exposed for 60 days. The moisture and ash contents of the AgNP group were significantly higher than those of the other groups. In contrast, the crude lipid and protein decreased in the whole body. AgNPs significantly increased serum levels of ALT, AST, total cholesterol, and triglycerides and decreased glycogen and growth hormone (*** p < 0.001). The liver and intestinal enzymes’ activities were significantly inhibited (*** p < 0.001), while the oxidative damage liver enzymes, intestinal bacterial and Aeromonas counts, and Ag residues in the liver were significantly increased (*** p < 0.001, and * p < 0.05). AgNPs also significantly upregulated the expression of hepatic Hsp70, caspase3, and p53 genes (* p < 0.05). These findings indicate the oxidative and hepatotoxic effects of AgNPs. QNPs enhanced and restored physiological parameters and health status under normal conditions and after exposure to AgNPs.