bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Parental Support and the Students’ Opinions in Active Finnish Physical Education Homework
Authors: Kääpä Mari , Palomäki Sanna , Fedewa Alicia , Valleala Ulla Maija , Hirvensalo Mirja
Published: September 2022

Prior research indicates that adolescent boys are often more active than girls, implying a need for special attention to increase the physical activity levels of adolescent girls. Adolescents are at an age where they are especially susceptible to environmental and social influences but still have a limited amount of autonomy over their own behaviors. The effective physical activity programs implemented at this age may benefit health into adulthood. The fact that adolescents’ physical activity is influenced by many factors indicates that to achieve any behavioral change, interventions must target several levels across the socio-ecological model. During childhood, the family is the primary factor in socializing and shaping engagement in physical activity. This study is part of the Physical Education (PE) Homework Study project which was implemented in a midsized secondary school in the middle of Finland from 2016 to 2020. The goal was to develop one easily approachable way to prevent the decreasing physical activity of adolescent girls. This was done by increasing physical activity times of adolescent girls outside of the school by giving them active PE assignments. The aim was also to explore students’ and their parents’ perceptions of physically active physical education homework. In this part of the study, there were 43 interviews: 38 student interviews and 5 interviews with parents. The analysis process followed the qualitative content analysis (QCA) strategy by Schreirer. In this study, we combined the views of students and parents, and obtained a broad picture of the PE homework assignments given at school but completed at home. According to students and parents, PE homework assignments should be diverse, interesting, and challenging, they should also be provided at flexible schedules outside of school hours with family support. Physical education homework could be a potential approach to influence the physical activity of the student population by involving school curriculum and families.
Antibiotic Resistance during COVID-19: A Systematic Review
Authors: Sulayyim Hadi Jaber Al , Ismail Rohani , Hamid Abdullah Al , Ghafar Noraini Abdul
Published: September 2022

One of the public health issues faced worldwide is antibiotic resistance (AR). During the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, AR has increased. Since some studies have stated AR has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and others have stated otherwise, this study aimed to explore this impact. Seven databases—PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CINAHL—were searched using related keywords to identify studies relevant to AR during COVID-19 published from December 2019 to May 2022, according to PRISMA guidelines. Twenty-three studies were included in this review, and the evidence showed that AR has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most commonly reported resistant Gram-negative bacteria was Acinetobacterbaumannii, followed by Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A. baumannii and K. pneumonia were highly resistant to tested antibiotics compared with E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Moreover, K. pneumonia showed high resistance to colistin. Commonly reported Gram-positive bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium. The resistance of E. faecium to ampicillin, erythromycin, and Ciprofloxacin was high. Self-antibiotic medication, empirical antibiotic administration, and antibiotics prescribed by general practitioners were the risk factors of high levels of AR during COVID-19. Antibiotics’ prescription should be strictly implemented, relying on the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) and guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) or Ministry of Health (MOH).
Potential Transformation of Contaminated Areas into Public Parks: Evidence from São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: dos Santos Camila Vitorino , Ribeiro Helena
Published: September 2022

Waste-contaminated areas have been reused and requalified environmentally across the globe, aiming to reintegrate them into urban dynamics with new functions such as public parks. This practice has attracted the attention of public health and environmental control agencies due to the scarcity of free areas and vacant spaces for creation of green areas, and d the need for more sustainable planning guidelines in large cities. The present work aimed to study processes of requalification of waste-contaminated areas for transformation in parks, using as study two cases located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Method: Documentary research in environmental agencies, literature review and field visit. Results: In the two cases the process of requalification was unequal, with emphasis on three aspects: the actors involved in the case, the role of civil society and the action of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the State of São Paulo. Thus, it becomes evident that successful cases of waste-contaminated areas in the city of São Paulo are linked to the direct support of these aspects complemented with the private sector. Furthermore, a consensus is necessary among the public authorities regarding the laws of contaminated areas versus environmental damage full repair in the process of requalification.
Nine-Year Trends in Prevention of Thromboembolic Complications in Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Treated with NOACs
Authors: Bielecka Bernadetta , Gorczyca-Głowacka Iwona , Wożakowska-Kapłon Beata
Published: September 2022

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common disease in elderly patients and thromboembolic complication prophylaxis significantly improves the prognosis in these patients. The study assessed the frequency of individual non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) use among patients ≥75 years and attempted to identify factors predisposing to their prescription. Methods: The data of patients with non-valvular AF hospitalized in the reference cardiology center between 2011 and 2019 were analyzed. Results: Out of 1443 analyzed patients, 329 (22.8%) received apixaban, 618 (42.8%) dabigatran, and 496 (34.4%) rivaroxaban. The entire population mean age was 82.3 ± 5 years, and 57.9% were females. Independent predictors of apixaban use were age, and bleeding history. Hospitalization for the implantation/reimplantation of a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) reduced the chance of apixaban use. Hypertension was a predictor of dabigatran prescription. The chance of using dabigatran decreased with age. Hypertension and bleeding history decreased the chance of rivaroxaban application. Conclusions: In hospitalized AF patients ≥75 years, dabigatran was the most frequently used NOAC. Age, comorbidities and bleeding risk determined the selection of individual NOACs.
Spatial Distribution, Potential Sources, and Health Risk of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Surface Soils under Different Land-Use Covers of Shanxi Province, North China
Authors: Ji Li , Li Wenwen , Li Yuan , He Qiusheng , Bi Yonghong , Zhang Minghua , Zhang Guixiang , Wang Xinming
Published: September 2022

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread in the environment and pose a serious threat to the soil ecosystem. In order to better understand the health risks for residents exposed to PAH-contaminated soil, 173 surface soil samples were collected in Shanxi Province, China, to detect the levels of 16 priority PAHs. The spatial distribution patterns of PAHs were explored using interpolation and spatial clustering analysis, and the probable sources of soil PAHs were identified for different land-use covers. The results indicate that the soil Σ16 PAH concentration ranged from 22.12 to 1337.82 ng g−1, with a mean of 224.21 ng g−1. The soils were weakly to moderately contaminated by high molecular weight PAHs (3–5 ring) and the Taiyuan–Linfen Basin was the most polluted areas. In addition, the concentration of soil PAHs on construction land was higher than that on other land-use covers. Key sources of soil PAHs were related to industrial activities dominated by coal burning, coking, and heavy traffic. Based on the exposure risk assessment of PAHs, more than 10% of the area was revealed to be likely to suffer from high carcinogenic risks for children. The study maps the high-risk distribution of soil PAHs in Shanxi Province and provides PAH pollution reduction strategies for policy makers to prevent adverse health risks to residents.
Potential Health Risk of Aluminum in Four Camellia sinensis Cultivars and Its Content as a Function of Leaf Position
Authors: Yang Huijuan , Chen Yan , Shido Jennifer M. , Hamasaki Randall T. , Iwaoka Wayne T. , Nakamoto Stuart T. , Wang Haiyan , Li Qing X.
Published: September 2022

Tea plants can accumulate aluminum (Al) in their leaves to a greater extent than most other edible plants. Few studies, however, address the Al concentration in leaves at different positions, which is important information for tea quality control. Leaves from four different cultivars of Camellia sinensis L. grown in Hawaii were analyzed for Al concentrations at 10 different leaf positions. Each cultivar was harvested in the winter and summer to determine seasonal variations of Al concentrations in the leaves. The results showed that Al concentrations in the winter leaves were an average of 1.2-fold higher than those in the summer leaves, although the seasonal variations were not statistically significant. The total Al concentration of successively lower leaves showed an exponential increase (R2 ≥ 0.900) for all four cultivars in the summer season, whereas those of the winter leaves fit a bi-phase linear regression (R2 ≥ 0.968). The regression of the Al concentrations against the top-5 leaf positions in the winter season fit one linear regression, while that against leaf positions 6–11 fit another linear regression. The average Al concentrations between the third leaf and the shoot plus first two leaves increased approximately 2.7-fold and 1.9-fold for all cultivars in the winter and summer months, respectively. The Al concentrations in the rest of the leaves increased approximately 1.5-fold in a sequential order. The target hazard quotient being between 1.69 × 10−2 and 5.06 × 10−1 in the tea leaf samples of the four cultivars in Hawaii were all less than 1, suggesting negligible health risks for consumers. The results of this study may be useful for directing harvest practices and estimating tea quality.
Weight Gain during and after Pregnancy in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus―A Preliminary Study
Authors: Ćwiek Dorota , Lubkowska Anna , Zimny Małgorzata , Szymoniak Katarzyna , Sipak-Szmigiel Olimpia
Published: September 2022

Appropriate gestational weight gain (GWG) favors fewer complications related to pregnancy, delivery, puerperium, and the condition of the fetus and newborn baby. The aim of this study was to evaluate weight gain in women during and after pregnancy, including both women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Materials and methods: The study involved 42 singleton pregnant women diagnosed with GDM between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy. The control group consisted of 28 nondiabetic women with a singleton pregnancy. The pre-pregnancy BMI, intra-pregnancy weight gain, and postpartum body weight were assessed in the participants. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the values of intra-pregnancy weight gain. Only diabetic women who were also overweight or obese had a significantly higher percentage of weight gain during pregnancy. The analysis of the percentage of weight gain during the entire pregnancy showed differences only in the group of women with pre-pregnancy BMI over 30. Conclusions: There were no significant differences in total pregnancy or mid-pregnancy weight gain between women with and without GDM. Most of the women had too high or too low total-pregnancy and mid-pregnancy weight gain. Therefore it is necessary to control GWG and educate pregnant women about it.
Mortality in Recreational Mountain-Biking in the Austrian Alps: A Retrospective Study over 16 Years
Authors: Pocecco Elena , Wafa Hamed , Burtscher Johannes , Paal Peter , Plattner Peter , Posch Markus , Ruedl Gerhard
Published: September 2022

Despite recreational mountain-biking’s growing popularity worldwide, the literature on mortality in this leisure sporting activity is scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the characteristics of fatal accidents as well as resulting dead victims during recreational mountain-biking in the Austrian Alps over the past 16 years. For this purpose, a retrospective study based on Austrian institutional documentation from 2006 to 2021 was conducted. In total, 97 fatalities (1 woman) with a mean age of 55.6 ± 13.9 years were recorded by the Austrian Alpine Police. Of those, 54.6% died due to a non-traumatic (mostly cardio-vascular) and 41.2% due to a traumatic event. Mountain-bikers fatally accidented for non-traumatic reasons frequently belonged to older age classes (p = 0.05) and mostly (73.6%) died during the ascent, whereas traumatic events mainly (70.0%) happened during the descent (p < 0.001). Throughout the examined period, the absolute number of fatalities slightly increased, whereas the mortality index (proportion of deaths/accidented victims) did not (mean value: 1.34 ± 0.56%). Factors such as male sex in general, above average age and uphill riding for non-traumatic accidents, as well as downhill riding for traumatic events, seem to be associated with fatalities during recreational mountain-biking in the Austrian Alps. These results should be considered for future preventive strategies in recreational mountain-biking.
The Mixed Impact of Environmental Regulations and External Financing Constraints on Green Technological Innovation of Enterprise
Authors: Wang Mingyue , Zhou Junbi , Xia Xiaojin , Wang Zitong
Published: September 2022

Green technological innovation is an important force for high-quality economic development and high-level ecological environment protection. Environmental regulation and market financing are important factors affecting enterprise green technological innovation, while the relationship between environmental regulation and enterprise green technological innovation is most likely to be nonlinear. Additionally, this impact may be moderated by market financing. Based on the data of 2278 manufacturing enterprises in China, this article intends to empirically test the nonlinear relationship between environmental regulation and enterprise green technological innovation. Green technological innovation is divided into green process innovation and green product innovation. Based on this, the analysis of the heterogeneous impact of environmental regulations on different types of green technology innovation is implemented. Moreover, the moderating effect of external financing constraints on the relationship between environmental regulation and green technological innovation is further discussed. It shows that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and enterprise green technological innovation. This conclusion will not change due to the types of green technological innovation, while the impact of environmental regulation on enterprise green product innovation is greater than that of green process innovation. In addition, external financing constraints will reduce the impact of environmental regulation on enterprise green technological innovation. The research conclusions have certain reference value for deepening the understanding of green technological innovation and optimizing the relationship between government and market.
Fetal Programming of the Endocrine Pancreas: Impact of a Maternal Low-Protein Diet on Gene Expression in the Perinatal Rat Pancreas
Authors: Winkel Louise , Rasmussen Morten , Larsen Louise , Dalgaard Louise T. , Nielsen Jens H.
Published: September 2022

In rats, the time of birth is characterized by a transient rise in beta cell replication, as well as beta cell neogenesis and the functional maturation of the endocrine pancreas. However, the knowledge of the gene expression during this period of beta cell expansion is incomplete. The aim was to characterize the perinatal rat pancreas transcriptome and to identify regulatory pathways differentially regulated at the whole organ level in the offspring of mothers fed a regular control diet (CO) and of mothers fed a low-protein diet (LP). We performed mRNA expression profiling via the microarray analysis of total rat pancreas samples at embryonic day (E) 20 and postnatal days (P) 0 and 2. In the CO group, pancreas metabolic pathways related to sterol and lipid metabolism were highly enriched, whereas the LP diet induced changes in transcripts involved in RNA transcription and gene regulation, as well as cell migration and apoptosis. Moreover, a number of individual transcripts were markedly upregulated at P0 in the CO pancreas: growth arrest specific 6 (Gas6), legumain (Lgmn), Ets variant gene 5 (Etv5), alpha-fetoprotein (Afp), dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (Dusp6), and angiopoietin-like 4 (Angptl4). The LP diet induced the downregulation of a large number of transcripts, including neurogenin 3 (Neurog3), Etv5, Gas6, Dusp6, signaling transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3), growth hormone receptor (Ghr), prolactin receptor (Prlr), and Gas6 receptor (AXL receptor tyrosine kinase; Axl), whereas upregulated transcripts were related to inflammatory responses and cell motility. We identified differentially regulated genes and transcriptional networks in the perinatal pancreas. These data revealed marked adaptations of exocrine and endocrine in the pancreas to the low-protein diet, and the data can contribute to identifying novel regulators of beta cell mass expansion and functional maturation and may provide a valuable tool in the generation of fully functional beta cells from stem cells to be used in replacement therapy.
OSM/OSMR and Interleukin 6 Family Cytokines in Physiological and Pathological Condition
Authors: Lantieri Francesca , Bachetti Tiziana
Published: September 2022

Oncostatin M (OSM) is a member of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) family of cytokines and can bind two different receptors, Leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) and Oncostatin M receptor (OSMR), through a complex containing the common glycoprotein 130 (gp130) subunit [...]
The Role of Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 4 in the Characterization of Atrial Fibrillation and the Prediction of Outcomes after Catheter Ablation
Authors: López-Canoa José Nicolás , Couselo-Seijas Marinela , González-Ferrero Teba , Almengló Cristina , Álvarez Ezequiel , González-Maestro Adrián , González-Melchor Laila , Martínez-Sande José Luis , García-Seara Javier , Fernández-López Jesús , Kreidieh Bahij , González-Babarro Eva , González-Juanatey José Ramón , Eiras Sonia , Rodríguez-Mañero Moisés
Published: September 2022

Aims: The utility of biomarkers in characterizing atrial cardiomyopathy is unclear. We aim to test the ability of biomarkers of fibrosis (galectin-3 (Gal-3)) and adiposity (fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) and leptin) to predict: (1) the presence of low-voltage areas (LVA) in the electroanatomic voltage mapping; and (2) the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Methods: Patients referred for PVI were enrolled. Areas of bipolar voltage < 0.5 mV were considered as LVA. An aggregate score incorporating AF pattern (paroxysmal, persistent and long-standing persistent) and peripheral levels of FABP4 (>20 ng/mL) was developed. Results: 299 patients were included. AF was paroxysmal in 100 (33%), persistent in 130 (43%) and long-standing persistent in 69 (23%). Multivariable analysis revealed age, left atrium area, and the proposed score as independent predictors of LVA. During a mean follow-up period of 972 ± 451 days, freedom from AF recurrence was 63%. The score incorporating AF pattern and FABP4 levels accurately predicted freedom from AF recurrence, stratifying risk into ranges from 28% (score of 1) to 68% (score of 3). Cox regression models identified the score including AF pattern + FABP4 as the best model for AF recurrence (hazard ratio 2.32; 95% CI, 1.19 to 4.5; p = 0.014). Conclusions: Traditional clinical classification of atrial cardiomyopathy may be improved by markers of adiposity (FABP4). The combination allows better prediction of the presence of LVA and AF recurrence post-PVI. Gal-3 provided no added predictive value.
Zero-Shot Topic Labeling for Hazard Classification
Authors: Rondinelli Andrea , Bongiovanni Lorenzo , Basile Valerio
Published: September 2022

Topic classification is the task of mapping text onto a set of meaningful labels known beforehand. This scenario is very common both in academia and industry whenever there is the need of categorizing a big corpus of documents according to set custom labels. The standard supervised approach, however, requires thousands of documents to be manually labelled, and additional effort every time the label taxonomy changes. To obviate these downsides, we investigated the application of a zero-shot approach to topic classification. In this setting, a subset of these topics, or even all of them, is not seen at training time, challenging the model to classify corresponding examples using additional information. We first show how zero-shot classification can perform the topic-classification task without any supervision. Secondly, we build a novel hazard-detection dataset by manually selecting tweets gathered by LINKS Foundation for this task, where we demonstrate the effectivenes of our cost-free method on a real-world problem. The idea is to leverage a pre-trained text-embedder (MPNet) to map both text and topics into the same semantic vector space where they can be compared. We demonstrate that these semantic spaces are better aligned when their dimension is reduced, keeping only the most useful information. We investigated three different dimensionality reduction techniques, namely, linear projection, autoencoding and PCA. Using the macro F1-score as the standard metric, it was found that PCA is the best performing technique, recording improvements for each dataset in comparison with the performance on the baseline.
Phylogenomic Analyses of the Tenthredinoidea Support the Familial Rank of Athaliidae (Insecta, Tenthredinoidea)
Authors: Niu Gengyun , Budak Mahir , Korkmaz Ertan Mahir , Doğan Özgül , Nel André , Wan Siying , Cai Chenyang , Jouault Corentin , Li Min , Wei Meicai
Published: September 2022

The systematic status of the genus Athalia and related genera is a perennial controversy in sawfly taxonomy. Several authors have hypothesized that the placement of Athalia within the Tenthredinidae is artificial, but no studies have focused on this topic. If the hypothesis that Athalia does not belong to Tenthredinidae can be supported, the taxonomic framework of Tenthredinoidea needs revision. We present a comprehensive phylogenomic study of Tenthredinoidae, focusing on the positions of Athalia and related genera by sampling 80 representatives mainly of the Tenthredinoidea, including Heptamelinae and Blasticotomidae. Our phylogenetic reconstructions based on nuclear genes and mitochondrial (mt) sequences support Athalia and related genera as a distinct clade sister to Tenthredinidae + (Cimbicidae + Diprionidae). A comparison of symphytan mitochondrial genomes reveals an innovative gene rearrangement pattern in Athaliidae, in which Dentathalia demonstrates a more ancestral pattern than Athalia and Hypsathalia. The lineage specificity of mt rRNA secondary structures also provides sufficient support to consider Athaliidae as a separate family. In summary, the phylogeny and genomic structural changes unanimously support the taxonomic treatment of Athaliidae as a family and the re-establishment of Dentathalia as a valid genus.
App-Based Rehabilitation in Back Pain, a Systematic Review
Authors: Stark Claire , Cunningham John , Turner Peter , Johnson Michael A. , Bäcker Henrik C.
Published: September 2022

Smartphones and their associated applications are used frequently by patients and clinicians alike. Despite the technology being widely accessible, their use to aid in rehabilitation is yet to be adopted. The SARS CoV-2 pandemic has presented an opportunity to expedite their integration given the difficulty patients currently have in accessing healthcare. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic literature review on the use of smartphone rehabilitation applications compared to standard physiotherapy for back pain. We conducted a search of Medline/Pubmed and google databases using the search terms [APP] AND [[Orthopaedic] OR [Neurosurgery]], following the PRISMA guidelines. All prospective studies investigating rehabilitation applications for back pain or following spine surgery were included. A total of nine studies met the inclusion criteria which investigated 7636 patients, of which 92.4% were allocated to the interventional group (n = 7055/7636) with a follow up of 4 weeks to 6 months. All except one study reported on patients experiencing back pain on average for 19.6 ± 11.6 months. The VAS-pain score was presented in all studies without significance between the interventional and control group (p = 0.399 before and p = 0.277 after intervention). Only one research group found significantly higher improvement in PROMs for the application group, whereas the remaining showed similar results compared to the control group. Using application-based rehabilitation programs provides an easily accessible alternative or substitute to traditional physiotherapy for patients with back pain. Given that smartphones are so prevalent in activities in our daily lives, this will enhance and improve rehabilitation if patients are self-dedicated and compliant.
Antimicrobial Biosynthetic Potential and Phylogenetic Analysis of Culturable Bacteria Associated with the Sponge Ophlitaspongia sp. from the Yellow Sea, China
Authors: Chen Lei , Wang Xue-Ning , Bi Hong-Yu , Wang Guang-Yu
Published: September 2022

Sponge-derived bacteria are considered to be a promising source of novel drugs, owing to their abundant secondary metabolites that have diverse biological activities. In this study, we explored the antimicrobial biosynthetic potential and phylogenetics of culturable bacteria associated with the sponge Ophlitaspongia sp. from the Yellow Sea, China. Using culture-dependent methods, we obtained 151 bacterial strains, which were then analysed for their antimicrobial activities against seven indicator strains. The results indicate that 94 (62.3%) of the 151 isolated strains exhibited antimicrobial activities and inhibited at least one of the indicator strains. Fifty-two strains were selected for further phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, as well as for the presence of polyketide synthase (PKS) and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes. These 52 strains belonged to 20 genera from 18 families in 4 phyla, including Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Five strains with PKS genes and ten strains with NRPS genes were detected. Among them, two strains contained both PKS and NRPS genes. Notoacmeibacter sp. strain HMA008 (class Alphaproteobacteria) exhibited potent antimicrobial activity; thus, whole genome sequencing methods were used to analyse its secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. The genome of HMA008 contained 12 biosynthetic gene clusters that potentially encode secondary metabolites belonging to compound classes such as non-ribosomal peptides, prodigiosin, terpene, β-lactones, and siderophore, among others. This study indicates that the sponge Ophlitaspongia sp. harbours diverse bacterial strains with antimicrobial properties and may serve as a potential source of bioactive compounds.
Determining the Dose–Response Curve of Exoelectrogens: A Microscale Microbial Fuel Cell Biosensor for Water Toxicity Monitoring
Authors: Fei Sitao , Ren Hao
Published: September 2022

Nowadays, the development of real-time water quality monitoring sensors is critical. However, traditional water monitoring technologies, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), liquid chromatography, mass spectroscopy, luminescence screening, surface plasma resonance (SPR), and analysis of living bioindicators, are either time consuming or require expensive equipment and special laboratories. Because of the low cost, self-sustainability, direct current output and real-time response, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been implemented as biosensors for water toxicity monitoring. In this paper, we report a microscale MFC biosensor to study the dose–response curve of exoelectrogen to toxic compounds in water. The microscale MFC biosensor has an anode chamber volume of 200 μL, which requires less sample consumption for water toxicity monitoring compared with macroscale or mesoscale MFC biosensors. For the first time, the MFC biosensor is exposed to a large formaldehyde concentration range of more than 3 orders of magnitudes, from a low concentration of 1 × 10−6 g/L to a high concentration of 3 × 10−3 g/L in water, while prior studies investigated limited formaldehyde concentration ranges, such as a small concentration range of 1 × 10−4 g/L to 2 × 10−3 g/L or only one high concentration of 0.1 g/L. As a result, for the first time, a sigmoid dose–response relationship of normalized dose–response versus formaldehyde concentration in water is observed, in agreement with traditional toxicology dose–response curve obtained by other measurement techniques. The biosensor has potential applications in determining dose–response curves for toxic compounds and detecting toxic compounds in water.
High Rate Deposition of Piezoelectric AlScN Films by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering from AlSc Alloy Targets on Large Area
Authors: Barth Stephan , Schreiber Tom , Cornelius Steffen , Zywitzki Olaf , Modes Thomas , Bartzsch Hagen
Published: September 2022

This paper reports on the deposition and characterization of piezoelectric AlXSc1-XN (further: AlScN) films on Si substrates using AlSc alloy targets with 30 at.% Sc. Films were deposited on a Ø200 mm area with deposition rates of 200 nm/min using a reactive magnetron sputtering process with a unipolar–bipolar hybrid pulse mode of FEP. The homogeneity of film composition, structural properties and piezoelectric properties were investigated depending on process parameters, especially the pulse mode of powering in unipolar–bipolar hybrid pulse mode operation. Characterization methods include energy-dispersive spectrometry of X-ray (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and double-beam laser interferometry (DBLI). The film composition was Al0.695Sc0.295N. The films showed good homogeneity of film structure with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of AlScN(002) rocking curves at 2.2 ± 0.1° over the whole coating area when deposited with higher share of unipolar pulse mode during film growth. For a higher share of bipolar pulse mode, the films showed a much larger c-lattice parameter in the center of the coating area, indicating high in-plane compressive stress in the films. Rocking curve FWHM also showed similar values of 1.5° at the center to 3° at outer edge. The piezoelectric characterization method revealed homogenous d33,f of 11–12 pm/V for films deposited at a high share of unipolar pulse mode and distribution of 7–10 pm/V for a lower share of unipolar pulse mode. The films exhibited ferroelectric switching behavior with coercive fields of around 3–3.5 MV/cm and polarization of 80–120 µC/cm².
The Precision Analysis of Cutting Edge Preparation on CBN Cutting Inserts Using Rotary Ultrasonic Machining
Authors: Kuruc Marcel , Vopát Tomáš , Moravčíková Jana , Milde Ján
Published: September 2022

This paper is focused on the issue of preparing the cutting edge microgeometry of cutting inserts made of cubic boron nitride (CBN). The aim of this research was to investigate the possibilities of rotary ultrasonic machining (RUM) for preparing asymmetric cutting edge microgeometries of various shapes (chamfers, circular, and elliptical rounding and their combinations) on a CBN cutting tool. In this article, a new type of advanced cutting edge preparation method is presented. CBN is relatively resistant to the most often used (abrasive) methods of cutting-edge preparation, due to its very high hardness (which is a prerequisite property for machining difficult-to-cut materials). Such hard materials could be processed using advanced manufacturing methods, and rotary ultrasonic machining (RUM) is one such method. Experiments have shown that RUM can be used for machining CBN. However, high hardness is not the only challenge here. For cutting edge preparation, it is necessary to achieve an adequate accuracy of size and dimensions. The presented paper analyzes the suitability of the RUM process for processing CBN inserts. The results of the experiment showed that this method can be used for preparing asymmetric cutting edge microgeometries with various shapes.
Simulation of a Miniature Linear Ion Trap with Half-Round Rod Electrodes
Authors: Lu Xichi , Yeow John T. W. , Jiang Gongyu , Xiao Yu , Yao Rujiao , Zhang Qi , Song Jiacheng , Yao Jinyuan
Published: September 2022

The miniaturization of ion trap mass analyzers is an important direction in the development of mass spectrometers. In this work, we proposed two models of miniaturized HreLIT with a field radius of about 2 mm based on the existing research on conventional HreLIT and other ion traps, one with ions ejection slits on one pair of electrodes only (2-slit model) and the other with the same slits on all electrodes (4-slit model). The relationship of mass resolution with r/rx and the “stretch” distance of electrodes in the ejection direction is investigated by theoretical simulations. Trends of electric fields inside the ion traps were discussed as well. The comparable maximum resolution is observed at r/rx = 2/1.4 in both models, but stretching simulations revealed that the peak resolution of the 2-slit model was higher than that of the other model by about 8%. The highest value of 517 was obtained when stretching 1.1 mm. Furthermore, the resolution of ions with m/z = 119 could exceed 1000 when the scan rate was reduced to 800 Th/s. The mass spectrometry capability of miniature HreLIT has been confirmed theoretically, and it laid the foundation for the subsequent fabrication with MEMS technology.
Morphological Features and Spectral Comparisons of Diamonds from Three Kimberlite Belts in Mengyin, China
Authors: Zhang Chao-Fan , Liu Fei , Lv Qing , Wang Yun , Yang Jing-Sui
Published: September 2022

Striking differences in potentiality of diamond mineralization are shown in the three kimberlite belts of Changmazhuang, Xiyu and Poli in Mengyin, Shandong Province. Previous studies of diamonds have focused on the Changmazhuang belt; however, genesis of diamonds from the other two belts, as well as comparative studies on diamonds from the three belts, are relatively scarce. In this paper, the morphological and spectral features of 44 diamonds ranging from 0.03 mg to 16.46 mg in weight from the three belts are investigated systematically by microscopic observation, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The results show that the formation temperature is 1118–1251 °C for Changmazhuang diamonds, 1091–1167 °C for Xiyu diamonds, and 1132–1172 °C for Poli diamonds. Diamonds in the three belts exhibit uniform pre–kimberlite surface features of multiple serrate, triangular laminae and small trigons, suggesting a similar condition of diamond destructive metasomatism caused by carbonatitic and silicate-carbonatitic melts. However, Poli diamonds probably suffered from a silicate component-enriched carbonatitic melt in the deep mantle. Nitrogen contents (0–539 ppm) of diamonds from the three belts have a slight impact on their morphological features.
Nanocomposites of Titanium Dioxide and Peripherally Substituted Phthalocyanines for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Sulfamethoxazole
Authors: Musial Joanna , Belet Artium , Mlynarczyk Dariusz T. , Kryjewski Michal , Goslinski Tomasz , Lambert Stéphanie D. , Poelman Dirk , Stanisz Beata J.
Published: September 2022

Phthalocyanines (Pcs) are often used in photosensitization of titanium(IV) oxide, a commonly employed photocatalyst, as such an approach holds the promise of obtaining highly stable and efficient visible light-harvesting materials. Herein, we report on the preparation, characterization and photoactivity of a series of composites based on TiO2 and peripherally modified metallophthalocyanines: either tetrasulfonated or 4,4′,4′′,4′′′-tetraazaphthalocyanines, with either copper(II), nickel(II) or zinc(II) as the central metal ion. Physicochemical characterization was performed using UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, hydrodynamic particle-size analysis, surface-area analysis using N2 adsorption-desorption measurements and thermogravimetry combined with differential scanning calorimetry. The band-gap energy values were lower for the composites with peripherally modified phthalocyanines than for the commercial TiO2 P25 or the unsubstituted zinc(II) phthalocyanine-grafted TiO2. TG–DSC results confirmed that the chemical deposition, used for the preparation of Pc/TiO2 composites, is a simple and efficient method for TiO2 surface modification, as all the Pc load was successfully grafted on TiO2. The photocatalytic potential of the Pc/TiO2 materials was assessed in the photocatalytic removal of sulfamethoxazole—a commonly used antibacterial drug of emerging ecological concern. To compare the activity of the materials in different conditions, photodegradation tests were conducted both in water and in an organic medium.
Structural and Transport Properties of E-Beam Sintered Lanthanide Tungstates and Tungstates-Molybdates
Authors: Sadykov Vladislav , Bespalko Yuliya , Sadovskaya Ekaterina , Krieger Tamara , Belyaev Vladimir , Eremeev Nikita , Mikhailenko Mikhail , Bryazgin Alexander , Korobeynikov Mikhail , Ulihin Artem , Uvarov Nikolai
Published: September 2022

Lanthanide tungstates and molybdates are promising materials for hydrogen separation membranes due to their high protonic conductivity. A promising approach to fabricating ceramics based on these materials is radiation thermal sintering. The current work aims at studying the effect of radiation thermal sintering on the structural morphological and transport properties of (Nd,Ln)5.5(W,Mo)O11.25–δ as promising materials for hydrogen separation membranes. The defect fluorite structure was shown to be preserved during radiation thermal sintering at 1100 °C. The presence of protons in hydrated samples was confirmed by TGA. According to four-electrode studies and the isotope exchange of oxygen with C18O2, the samples demonstrate a high proton conductivity and oxygen mobility. Residual porosity (up to 29%) observed for these samples can be dealt with during membrane preparation by adding sintering aids and/or metal alloys nanoparticles. Hence, sintering by e-beams can be applied to the manufacturing of hydrogen separation membranes based on these materials.
Vanadium-Doped FeBP Microsphere Croissant for Significantly Enhanced Bi-Functional HER and OER Electrocatalyst
Authors: Burse Shalmali , Kulkarni Rakesh , Mandavkar Rutuja , Habib Md Ahasan , Lin Shusen , Chung Young-Uk , Jeong Jae-Hun , Lee Jihoon
Published: September 2022

Ultra-fine hydrogen produced by electrochemical water splitting without carbon emission is a high-density energy carrier, which could gradually substitute the usage of traditional fossil fuels. The development of high-performance electrocatalysts at affordable costs is one of the major research priorities in order to achieve the large-scale implementation of a green hydrogen supply chain. In this work, the development of a vanadium-doped FeBP (V-FeBP) microsphere croissant (MSC) electrocatalyst is demonstrated to exhibit efficient bi-functional water splitting for the first time. The FeBP MSC electrode is synthesized by a hydrothermal approach along with the systematic control of growth parameters such as precursor concentration, reaction duration, reaction temperature and post-annealing, etc. Then, the heteroatom doping of vanadium is performed on the best FeBP MSC by a simple soaking approach. The best optimized V-FeBP MSC demonstrates the low HER and OER overpotentials of 52 and 180 mV at 50 mA/cm2 in 1 M KOH in a three-electrode system. In addition, the two-electrode system, i.e., V-FeBP || V-FeBP, demonstrates a comparable water-splitting performance to the benchmark electrodes of Pt/C || RuO2 in 1 M KOH. Similarly, exceptional performance is also observed in natural sea water. The 3D MSC flower-like structure provides a very high surface area that favors rapid mass/electron-transport pathways, which improves the electrocatalytic activity. Further, the V-FeBP electrode is examined in different pH solutions and in terms of its stability under industrial operational conditions at 60 °C in 6 M KOH, and it shows excellent stability.
Haskap Berry Leaves (Lonicera caerulea L.)—The Favorable Potential of Medical Use
Authors: Sip Szymon , Sip Anna , Szulc Piotr , Cielecka-Piontek Judyta
Published: September 2022

The presented research evaluates the medical use potential of Lonicera caerulea leaves, which are waste plants in cultivating berries. The study’s screening activity included the leaves of five varieties of Lonicera caerulea: Atut, Duet, Wojtek, Zojka, and Jugana. The microbiological analysis confirmed the safety of using Lonicera caerulea leaves without significant stabilization. Lonicera caerulea leaves standardization was carried out based on the results of the chromatographic analysis, and it showed differences in the contents of active compounds (loganic, chlorogenic and caffeic acids, and rutin), which are attributed to biological activity. For the Lonicera caerulea leaves varieties tested, the differences in the content of total polyphenol content, chlorophylls, and carotenoids were also confirmed. The screening of biological activity of five Lonicera caerulea leaf varieties was carried out concerning the possibility of inhibiting the activity of α-glucosidase, lipase, and hyaluronidase as well, and the antioxidant potential was determined. The defined profile of the biological activity of Lonicera caerulea leaves makes it possible to indicate this raw material as an essential material supporting the prevention and treatment of type II diabetes. However, this research showed that tested enzymes were strongly inhibited by the variety Jugana. The health-promoting potential of Lonicera caerulea leaves was correlated with the highest chlorogenic acid and rutin content in the variety Jugana.
The Mediating Effects of Food Content Watching Motivation on the between Watching Time and Nutrition Quotient of Adolescents in Seoul, Korea
Authors: Kim Da-Mee , Kim Bo-Mi , Kim Kyung-Hee
Published: September 2022

Food-related content varies widely and is increasingly popular. Using various media, teenagers can easily access food content, which could affect they eating habits. This study was conducted to confirm the effects of watching motivation on the relationship between food content watching time and eating habits among adolescents in Seoul, Korea. Exactly 806 participants were surveyed about their food content watching status, including watching time and watching motivation. The Nutrition Quotient for adolescents (NQ-A) questionnaire was used to confirm eating habits. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to classify watching motivation’s subfactors. A parallel multimedia model was used to analyze the effect of watching motivation on the relationship between food content watching time and eating habits. As a result of this study, following the factor analysis, watching motivation was classified into information acquisition, emotional satisfaction, and enjoyment. The influence of food content watching time on NQ-A scores through information acquisition motivation was positively significant, whereas that through emotional satisfaction motivation was negatively significant. Enjoyment motivation did not indirectly affect the relationship between food content watching time and NQ-A scores. Hence, attention should be paid to these mediating factors when analyzing the relationship between watching food-related content and eating habits. Developing and distributing content that meets viewing motivations should help improve adolescents’ eating habits.
Inhibition of α-Glucosidase and Pancreatic Lipase Properties of Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) Havil. (Kratom) Leaves
Authors: Limcharoen Thanchanok , Pouyfung Phisit , Ngamdokmai Ngamrayu , Prasopthum Aruna , Ahmad Aktsar Roskiana , Wisdawati Wisdawati , Prugsakij Woraanong , Warinhomhoun Sakan
Published: September 2022

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) Havil.) has been used to reduce blood sugar and lipid profiles in traditional medicine, and mitragynine is a major constituent in kratom leaves. Previous data on the blood sugar and lipid-altering effects of kratom are limited. In this study, phytochemical analyses of mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, quercetin, and rutin were performed in kratom extracts. The effects on α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase activities were investigated in kratom extracts and mitragynine. The LC-MS/MS analysis showed that the mitragynine, quercetin, and rutin contents from kratom extracts were different. The ethanol extract exhibited the highest total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total alkaloid content (TAC). Additionally, compared to methanol and aqueous extracts, the ethanol extract showed the strongest inhibition activity against α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. Compared with the anti-diabetic agent acarbose, mitragynine showed the most potent α-glucosidase inhibition, with less potent activity of pancreatic lipase inhibition. Analysis of α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase kinetics revealed that mitragynine inhibited noncompetitive and competitive effects, respectively. Combining mitragynine with acarbose resulted in a synergistic interaction with α-glucosidase inhibition. These results have established the potential of mitragynine from kratom as a herbal supplement for the treatment and prevention of diabetes mellitus.
Anti-Inflammatory Diets in Fertility: An Evidence Review
Authors: Alesi Simon , Villani Anthony , Mantzioris Evangeline , Takele Wubet Worku , Cowan Stephanie , Moran Lisa J. , Mousa Aya
Published: September 2022

Infertility is a global health concern affecting 48 million couples and 186 million individuals worldwide. Infertility creates a significant economic and social burden for couples who wish to conceive and has been associated with suboptimal lifestyle factors, including poor diet and physical inactivity. Modifying preconception nutrition to better adhere with Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) is a non-invasive and potentially effective means for improving fertility outcomes. While several dietary patterns have been associated with fertility outcomes, the mechanistic links between diet and infertility remain unclear. A key mechanism outlined in the literature relates to the adverse effects of inflammation on fertility, potentially contributing to irregular menstrual cyclicity, implantation failure, and other negative reproductive sequelae. Therefore, dietary interventions which act to reduce inflammation may improve fertility outcomes. This review consistently shows that adherence to anti-inflammatory diets such as the Mediterranean diet (specifically, increased intake of monounsaturated and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, flavonoids, and reduced intake of red and processed meat) improves fertility, assisted reproductive technology (ART) success, and sperm quality in men. Therefore, integration of anti-inflammatory dietary patterns as low-risk adjunctive fertility treatments may improve fertility partially or fully and reduce the need for prolonged or intensive pharmacological or surgical interventions.