bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Highly Dispersed Ni Nanoclusters Spontaneously Formed on Hydrogen Boride Sheets
Authors: Noguchi Natsumi , Ito Shin-ichi , Hikichi Miwa , Cho Yohei , Goto Kazuho , Kubo Atsushi , Matsuda Iwao , Fujita Takeshi , Miyauchi Masahiro , Kondo Takahiro
Published: November 2022

Hydrogen boride (HB) sheets are two-dimensional materials comprising a negatively charged hexagonal boron network and positively charged hydrogen atoms with a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1. Herein, we report the spontaneous formation of highly dispersed Ni nanoclusters on HB sheets. The spontaneous reduction reaction of Ni ions by the HB sheets was monitored by in-situ measurements with an ultraviolet-visible spectrometer. Acetonitrile solutions of Ni complexes and acetonitrile dispersions of the HB sheets were mixed in several molar ratios (the HB:Ni molar ratio was varied from 100:0.5 to 100:20), and the changes in the absorbance were measured over time. In all cases, the results suggest that Ni metal clusters grow on the HB sheets, considering the increase in absorbance with time. The absorbance peak position shifts to the higher wavelength as the Ni ion concentration increases. Transmission electron microscopy images of the post-reaction products indicate the formation of Ni nanoclusters, with sizes of a few nanometers, on the HB sheets, regardless of the preparation conditions. These highly dispersed Ni nanoclusters supported on HB sheets will be used for catalytic and plasmonic applications and as hydrogen storage materials.
Akt/mTOR Targeting Activity of Resveratrol Derivatives in Non-Small Lung Cancer
Authors: Innets Bhurichaya , Thongsom Sunisa , Petsri Korrakod , Racha Satapat , Yokoya Masashi , Moriue Sohsuke , Chaotham Chatchai , Chanvorachote Pithi
Published: November 2022

The Akt-mTOR signal is important for the survival and proliferation of cancer cells and has become an interesting drug target. In this study, five resveratrol derivatives were evaluated for anticancer activity and Akt/mTOR targeting activity in non-small lung cancer cell lines. The effects of resveratrol derivatives on cell proliferation were assessed by 2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, nucleus staining, and colony formation assay. Furthermore, the effect of resveratrol derivatives on proliferation-related protein expression was analyzed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. For the structure–activity relationship (SAR), results reveal that two derivatives of resveratrol which are 4,4′-(ethane-1,2-diyl) bis(2-methoxyphenol) (RD2) and the 4-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenethyl)-2-methoxyphenol (RD3) had very similar structures but exerted different cytotoxicity. The IC50 of RD2 and RD3 were 108.6 ± 10.82 and more than 200 µM in the A549 cell line and 103.5 ± 6.08 and more than 200 µM in H23 cells, respectively. RD2 inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis when compared with the control, while RD3 caused minimal effects. Cells treated with RD2 exhibited apoptotic nuclei in a concomitant with the reduction of cellular p-Akt and p-mTOR. RD3 had minimal effects on such proteins. According to these results, molecular docking analysis revealed a high-affinity interaction between RD2 and an Akt molecule at the ATP-binding and the allosteric sites, indicating this RD2 as a potential Akt inhibitor. This study provides useful information of resveratrol derivatives RD2 for treating lung cancer via Akt/mTOR inhibition.
The Microalga Skeletonema marinoi Induces Apoptosis and DNA Damage in K562 Cell Line by Modulating NADPH Oxidase
Authors: Ciarcia Roberto , Longobardi Consiglia , Ferrara Gianmarco , Montagnaro Serena , Andretta Emanuela , Pagnini Francesco , Florio Salvatore , Maruccio Lucianna , Lauritano Chiara , Damiano Sara
Published: November 2022

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disease that activates multiple signaling pathways, causing cells to produce higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases (NOXs) are a major generator of ROS in leukemia, and marine natural products have shown promising activities for the treatment of hematopoietic malignancies. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the marine microalga Skeletonema marinoi (S.M.), a ubiquitous diatom that forms massive blooms in the oceans, on the human leukemia cell line K562. The effects of S.M. extract on cell viability, production of ROS, nitric oxide (NO), and apoptosis were examined. In this preliminary work, S.M. was able to decrease cell viability (p < 0.05) and increase apoptosis levels (p < 0.05) in K562 cells after 48 h of treatment. In addition, the levels of NOX, NO, and malondialdehyde (MDA) were reduced in K562-treated cells (p < 0.05), whereas the levels of SOD, CAT, and GPx increased during treatment (p < 0.05). Finally, analyzing Bax and Bcl-2 expression, we found a significant increase in the proapoptotic protein Bax and a sustained decrease in the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 (p < 0.05) in the K562-treated cells.
Quantitative Determination of Diosmin in Tablets by Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Pielorz Sonia , Węglińska Magdalena , Mazurek Sylwester , Szostak Roman
Published: November 2022

Diosmin is widely used in the treatment of chronic venous diseases and hemorrhoids. Based on Raman and infrared reflection spectra of powdered tablets in the mid- and near-infrared regions and results of reference high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis, partial least squares models that enable fast and reliable quantification of the studied active ingredient in tablets, without the need for extraction, were elaborated. Eight commercial preparations containing diosmin in the 66–92% (w/w) range were analyzed. In order to assess and compare the quality of the developed chemometric models, the relative standard errors of prediction for calibration and validation sets were calculated. We found these errors to be in the 1.0–2.4% range for the three spectroscopic techniques used. Diosmin content in the analyzed preparations was obtained with recoveries in the 99.5–100.5% range.
Computational Bioprospecting Guggulsterone against ADP Ribose Phosphatase of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Kciuk Mateusz , Mujwar Somdutt , Rani Isha , Munjal Kavita , Gielecińska Adrianna , Kontek Renata , Shah Kamal
Published: November 2022

Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the disease a as global public health hazard on 11 March 2020. Currently, there are no adequate measures to combat viral infections, including COVID-19, and the medication guidelines for the management of COVID-19 are dependent on previous findings from SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV research. Natural products have achieved widespread acceptance around the world as a means of enhancing healthcare and disease prevention. Plants are a potential source of antiviral factors such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, and others. Some of these agents exhibit a broad spectrum of antiviral activity. This study aimed to screen herbal leads for possible inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 ADP Ribose Phosphatase enzyme (ARP). Guggulsterone was found to be highly stabilized within the active site of the viral ARP enzyme by molecular dynamic simulation with very little fluctuation throughout the simulation timeframe of 100 ns. Thus, guggulsterone can be further used to develop a safe and competent medication for evolving therapy against SARS-CoV-2 in post-preclinical and clinical trials.
Catalytic RNA Oligomers Formed by Co-Oligomerization of a Pair of Bimolecular RNase P Ribozymes
Authors: Siddika Mst. Ayesha , Yamada Takahiro , Aoyama Risako , Hidaka Kumi , Sugiyama Hiroshi , Endo Masayuki , Matsumura Shigeyoshi , Ikawa Yoshiya
Published: November 2022

Naturally occurring ribozymes with a modular architecture are promising platforms for construction of RNA nanostructures because modular redesign enables their oligomerization. The resulting RNA nanostructures can exhibit the catalytic function of the parent ribozyme in an assembly dependent manner. In this study, we designed and constructed open-form oligomers of a bimolecular form of an RNase P ribozyme. The ribozyme oligomers were analyzed biochemically and by atomic force microscopy (AFM).
Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation of Rosavin, Salidroside, and p-Tyrosol in Artic Root Products via TLC-Screening, HPLC-DAD, and NMR Spectroscopy
Authors: Nikolaichuk Hanna , Studziński Marek , Stankevič Marek , Choma Irena M.
Published: November 2022

Artic root is a well-known plant adaptogen with multipotential pharmacological properties. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC)—screening followed by diode-array high-performance liquid chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy proved to be a reliable and convenient method for the simultaneous determination of the quality of various herbal raw materials and supplements. This combination allowed for comparing and differentiating arctic root samples as well as defining their authenticity. The study provided information on the chemical and biological properties of the seven chosen samples as well as qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the quality markers: rosavin, salidroside, and p-tyrosol. The absence of rosavin, salidroside, and p-tyrosol in three samples was detected using TLC screening and confirmed by HPLC-DAD and NMR. The paper highlighted the importance of quality control and strict regulation for herbal medicine supplements and preparations.
Physical Movement Habit Formation in Sedentary Office Workers: Protocol Paper
Authors: Jenkins Kailas , Buchan Jena , Rhodes Ryan E. , Hamilton Kyra
Published: November 2022

Engaging in physical movement has a number of mental and physical health benefits, and yet 45% of Australia’s population do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. The current study aims to develop an online habit-based intervention designed to reduce sedentary behavior within the workplace, using environmental cues to instigate simple behavioral changes. Participants in this study will include full time office workers who self-report as having a highly sedentary job and work from either a commercial office, home office, or a mixture of both. Participants will complete a habit-based intervention over a four-week period designed to reduce sedentary behavior by increasing habitual responses to simple physical movement behaviors cued by their environment. Analysis will involve mixed methods ANOVAs to test the efficacy of the intervention. A successful intervention will show a reduction in sedentary behavior as a response to habitual simple physical movement behaviors.
Narrative Visualization with Augmented Reality
Authors: Marques Ana Beatriz , Branco Vasco , Costa Rui
Published: November 2022

The following study addresses, from a design perspective, narrative visualization using augmented reality (AR) in real physical spaces, and specifically in spaces with no semantic relation with the represented data. We intend to identify the aspects augmented reality adds, as narrative possibilities, to data visualization. Particularly, we seek to identify the aspects augmented reality introduces regarding the three dimensions of narrative visualization—view, focus and sequence. For this purpose, we adopted a comparative analysis of a set of fifty case studies, specifically, narrative visualizations using augmented reality from a journalistic scope, where narrative is a key feature. Despite the strong explanatory character that characterizes the set of analyzed cases, which sometimes limits the user’s agency, there is a strong interactive factor. It was found that augmented reality can expand the narrative possibilities in the three dimensions mentioned—view, focus and sequence—but especially regarding visual strategies where simulation plays an essential role. As a visual strategy, simulation can provide the context for communication or be the object of communication itself, as a replica.
Biofumigation for the Management of Fusarium graminearum in a Wheat-Maize Rotation
Authors: Ashiq Samina , Edwards Simon , Watson Andrew , Back Matthew
Published: November 2022

Fusarium graminearum is the most important causal agent of head blight in wheat, and stalk and ear rot in maize. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of incorporation of Brassicaceae cover crops on Fusarium graminearum in a wheat-maize rotation. Five species belonging to Brassicaceae (Brassica juncea, Eruca sativa, Raphanus sativus, B. carinata, B. oleracea var. caulorapa L.) were used in the field experiment to investigate their potential to suppress F. graminearum inoculum in soil, disease incidence in maize and to reduce subsequent mycotoxin contamination in maize. Brassica juncea was found to contain the highest glucosinolate concentration in shoots (31 µmol g−1). Severity of ear rot and stalk rot in maize was not significantly reduced in the amended plots. Incorporation of R. sativus ‘Terranova’ significantly decreased the amount of F. graminearum DNA by 58% compared with the cultivated fallow treatment, however the DNA concentration was not significantly different to fallow uncultivated. Fusarium graminearum DNA and deoxynivalenol in maize was 50% lower after incorporation of B. oleracea var. caulorapa L. compared to after fallow treatment but the difference was not significant. The brassica crops used in the present field experiment were not effective in suppressing F. graminearum, therefore further studies to optimise the current approach are recommended.
Cardiovascular Adverse Events Associated with Monoclonal Antibody Products in Patients with COVID-19
Authors: Zou Jingrui , Jing Fuyuan
Published: November 2022

Little is known about cardiovascular safety profiles for monoclonal antibody products that received the FDA Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19. In this study, data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System from the first quarter of 2020 to the second quarter of 2022 were used to investigate cardiovascular safety signals associated with seven monoclonal antibody products (casirivimab + imdevimab, bamlanivimab, bamlanivimab + etesevimab, sotrovimab, tocilizumab, bebtelovimab, tixagevimab + cilgavimab) in COVID-19 patients. Disproportionality analyses were conducted using reporting odds ratio and information component to identify safety signals. About 10% of adverse events in COVID-19 patients were cardiovascular adverse events. Four monoclonal antibody products (casirivimab + imdevimab, bamlanivimab, bamlanivimab + etesevimab, and bebtelovimab) were associated with higher reporting of hypertension. Tocilizumab was associated with higher reporting of cardiac failure and embolic and thrombotic event. Casirivimab + imdevimab and bamlanivimab were also associated with higher reporting of ischemic heart disease. No cardiovascular safety signals were identified for sotrovimab and tixagevimab + cilgavimab. The results indicate differential cardiovascular safety profiles in monoclonal antibodies. Careful monitoring of cardiovascular events may be considered for certain COVID-19 patients at risk when they are treated with monoclonal antibodies.
Evaluation of Point-of-Care Testing in Pharmacy to Inform Policy Writing by the New Brunswick College of Pharmacists
Authors: Hutchings Lauren , Shiamptanis Anastasia
Published: November 2022

Pharmacy practice continues to advance, allowing professionals to contribute further to patient care and the healthcare system. Pharmacists are authorized to perform point-of-care testing (POCT) in seven out of ten Canadian provinces. In considering the potential for enhanced clinical decision-making with the opportunity to gain patient data at the site of care, the New Brunswick College of Pharmacists (NBCP) proceeded to draft regulatory amendments and a policy to enable POCT scope in New Brunswick. Policy writing is a core function of Provincial Regulatory Authorities in Canada as the process determines principles that direct pharmacy practice. Each province has a differing scope of practice and method for developing documents. This paper highlights the approach, analysis, and findings of the NBCP pursuant to drafting a POCT policy. The policy development process included a literature search and environmental scan of the ten Canadian provincial regulatory authorities along with other countries. The findings highlighted in this paper describe the use of POCT, quality assurance, regulatory framework, educational opportunities, and the role of pharmacy technicians in relation to POCT in a pharmacy setting. The approach NBCP took to engage professionals and decisions on the direction of the policy are described. As point-of-care services continue to expand in pharmacies, the insights by the NBCP can be utilized by other regulatory bodies or pharmacy professionals who are implementing or enhancing POCT policies or procedures within their organizations.
Photonic Integrated Circuit for Optical Phase Control of 1 × 4 Terahertz Phased Arrays
Authors: Lu Peng , Haddad Thomas , Tebart Jonas , Roeloffzen Chris , Stöhr Andreas
Published: November 2022

In this manuscript, we report on a 1 × 4 optical beam forming network (OBFN) chip using optical phase shifters (OPSs) based on thermo-optically controlled optical ring resonators (ORRs) for 1D beam steering at 0.3 THz. The 1 × 4 OBFN chip consists of four OPSs and is fabricated using TriPleX technology. Each of the four OPSs is realized by two cascaded identical ORRs, to reach a phase shift of 2π. To allow transfer of the optical phase shift to the THz domain by optical heterodyning in high-frequency 1.55 µm modified uni-travelling carrier photodiodes, the ORRs are designed such that one carrier of the optical heterodyne signal is at the ORR’s resonance frequency, whereas the second optical heterodyne signal is at its off-resonance. By adjusting the resonance frequencies of the two ORRs in each OPS synchronously, a relative phase variation between two optical heterodyne carriers of up to 2π with a tuning efficiency of 0.058 W/π, is experimentally demonstrated. Due to the dispersive power transmission loss of the ORRs, phase tuning leads to a power variation of the optical heterodyne-generated signals up to 3.8 dB, which is experimentally characterized at 0.295 THz. It is shown numerically that this power variation only has a minor impact on the steering performance of a 1 × 4 phased array. The determined beam direction deviation and maximum absolute radiation power change are smaller than 1° and 2 dB, respectively. By sweeping the phase difference between two adjacent THz antennas in the 1 × 4 phased array, from −120° to 120°, a beam steering range of ~62° is demonstrated numerically at 0.295 THz.
Capturing the Motion of Laser Pulse in Photoresist Mixture with Compressed Ultrafast Photography
Authors: Liu Xinyue , Xu Bin , Du Zihao , Ding Yi , Hu Yi , Zhan Xiaojiang , Liao Shengbin , Xi Jiangtao
Published: November 2022

Imaging the interaction between the laser pulse and photoresist mixture on the ultrafast time scale can track the path of the light pulse and reveal the procedure of the microstructure machining. However, most existing imaging technologies suffer from problems such as requiring multiple repeated shots or a limited time resolution. To overcome these problems, we propose to capture the motion of laser pulses in a photoresist mixture by using compressed ultrafast photography (CUP). In this method, we can recover the motion process of non-repeatable events with a single shot at the time-resolution of about 1.54×1011 fps, where the depth of the imaging sequence reaches hundreds of frames. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we estimate the speed of the laser pulse in a photoresist mixture and evaluate the similarity between the image captured by a streak camera and our reconstructed ultrafast sequence; the results validate the reliability of our proposed method.
Use of a RT-qPCR Method to Estimate Mycorrhization Intensity and Symbiosis Vitality in Grapevine Plants Inoculated with Rhizophagus irregularis
Authors: Duret Morgane , Zhan Xi , Belval Lorène , Le Jeune Christine , Hussenet Réjane , Laloue Hélène , Bertsch Christophe , Chong Julie , Deglène-Benbrahim Laurence , Valat Laure
Published: November 2022

Assessing the mycorrhization level in plant roots is essential to study the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on plant physiological responses. Common methods used to quantify the mycorrhization of roots are based on microscopic visualization of stained fungal structures within the cortical cells. While this method is readily accessible, it remains time-consuming and does not allow checking of the symbiosis vitality. The aim of this work is thus to develop an efficient method for assessing the intensity and vitality of mycorrhiza associated with grapevine through gene expression analyses by RT-qPCR. To this end, grapevine plants were inoculated with the AMF Rhizophagus irregularis (Ri). The relationship between mycorrhization level, assessed by microscopy, and expression of several fungus and grapevine genes involved in the symbiosis was investigated. In AMF-inoculated plants, transcript amounts of fungal constitutively-expressed genes Ri18S, RiTEF1α and RiαTub were significantly correlated to mycorrhization intensity, particularly Ri18S. Grapevine (VvPht1.1 and VvPht1.2) and AMF (GintPT, Ri14-3-3 and RiCRN1) genes, known to be specifically expressed during the mycorrhizal process, were significantly correlated to arbuscular level in the whole root system determined by microscopy. The best correlations were obtained with GintPT on the fungal side and VvPht1.2 on the plant side. Despite some minor discrepancies between microscopic and molecular techniques, the monitoring of Ri18S, GintPT and VvPht1.2 gene expression could be a rapid, robust and reliable method to evaluate the level of mycorrhization and to assess the vitality of AMF. It appears particularly useful to identify AMF-inoculated plants with very low colonization level, or with non-active fungal structures. Moreover, it can be implemented simultaneously with the expression analysis of other genes of interest, saving time compared to microscopic analyses.
A Multiscale Lightweight and Efficient Model Based on YOLOv7: Applied to Citrus Orchard
Authors: Chen Junyang , Liu Hui , Zhang Yating , Zhang Daike , Ouyang Hongkun , Chen Xiaoyan
Published: November 2022

With the gradual increase in the annual production of citrus, the efficiency of human labor has become the bottleneck limiting production. To achieve an unmanned citrus picking technology, the detection accuracy, prediction speed, and lightweight deployment of the model are important issues. Traditional object detection methods often fail to achieve balanced effects in all aspects. Therefore, an improved YOLOv7 network model is proposed, which introduces a small object detection layer, lightweight convolution, and a CBAM (Convolutional Block Attention Module) attention mechanism to achieve multi-scale feature extraction and fusion and reduce the number of parameters of the model. The performance of the model was tested on the test set of citrus fruit. The average accuracy (mAP@0.5) reached 97.29%, the average prediction time was 69.38 ms, and the number of parameters and computation costs were reduced by 11.21 M and 28.71 G compared with the original YOLOv7. At the same time, the Citrus-YOLOv7 model’s results show that it performs better compared with the current state-of-the-art network models. Therefore, the proposed Citrus-YOLOv7 model can contribute to solving the problem of citrus detection.
Changes in Metabolic Profile of Rice Leaves Induced by Humic Acids
Authors: Canellas Natália Aguiar , Olivares Fábio Lopes , da Silva Rakiely Martins , Canellas Luciano Pasqualoto
Published: November 2022

The use of humic substances in agriculture as a biostimulant emerged as one of the promising methods to promote sustainable production. Different molecular, biochemical, and physiological processes are triggered, resulting in nutrient efficiency use and protection against abiotic stress. Understanding plant changes promoted by humic substances is essential for innovative and tailored biostimulation technologies. Cell metabolites are the final target of the response chain, and the metabolomic approach can be helpful in unveiling pathways related to plant response. This study aimed to evaluate a global metabolic alteration of rice leaves induced by humic acids (HA) applied in a hydroponics system. Using 1H NMR and GC-TOF/MS analysis, we observed a significant decrease in all main metabolites classes in leaves treated with HA, including lipids, organic acids, amino acids, and carbohydrates. Metabolites in higher concentrations in HA-treated plants are candidates as markers of HA bioactivity, including amino acids, intermediates of tricarboxylic acid cycle, and lipids, and aromatic compounds related to plant-stress response.
Novel Cognitions in Allelopathy: Implications from the “Horizontal Natural Product Transfer”
Authors: Lewerenz Laura , Abouzeid Sara , Yahyazadeh Mahdi , Hijazin Tahani , Selmar Dirk
Published: November 2022

Whereas the translocation of allelochemicals between plants is well established, a related general transfer of genuine specialized metabolites has not been considered so far. The elucidation of the so-called “Horizontal Natural Product Transfer” revealed that alkaloids, such as nicotine and pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are leached out from decomposing alkaloid-containing plants (donor plants), are indeed taken up by the roots of plants growing in the vicinity (acceptor plants). Further studies demonstrated that phenolic compounds, such as coumarins or stilbenes, are also taken up by acceptor plants. Contemporary analyses from co-cultivation experiments outlined that natural products are not exclusively transferred from dead and rotting donor plant materials, but also from vital plants. In analogy to xenobiotics, the imported specialized metabolites might also be modified within the acceptor plants. As known from the uptake of xenobiotics, the import of specialized metabolites is also generally due to a simple diffusion of the substances across the biomembranes and does not require a carrier. The uptake depends in stricto sensu on the physicochemical properties of the certain compound. This article presents a current overview of the phenomenon of “Horizontal Natural Product Transfer” and discusses its relevance for our understanding of allelopathic interactions. The knowledge that specialized metabolites might in general be readily translocated from one plant into others should significantly contribute to our understanding of plant–plant interactions and—in particular—to the evolution of typical allelopathic effects, such as inhibition of growth and germination of potential competitors.
Western Spruce Budworm Effects on Forest Resilience
Authors: Polinko Adam D. , Rapp Marguerite A. , Sánchez Meador Andrew J. , Graves Andrew D. , Ryerson Daniel E. , Waring Kristen M.
Published: November 2022

Western spruce budworm (Choristoneura freemani Razowski) is the most destructive defoliator of forests in the western US. Forests in northern New Mexico experienced high levels of WSBW-caused defoliation and subsequent mortality between the 1980s and 2010s. The effects of severe western spruce budworm outbreaks on stand dynamics in the US Southwest are still relatively unknown, but understanding the impacts is important to the management and resilience of these forests. To begin addressing this knowledge gap, we conducted a study along two gradients: an elevational gradient from mixed-conifer to spruce-fir forests and a gradient of WSBW-caused defoliation intensity. We recorded overstory and understory stand conditions (size structure, species composition, damaging agents). Western spruce budworm was the primary damaging agent of host trees in all stands andcaused host tree mortality across all size classes, particularly in spruce-fir stands. Results indicate an unsustainable level of mortality in spruce-fir stands and a transition towards non-host species in mixed-conifer stands. Low levels of regeneration coupled with high overstory mortality rates indicate a potential lack of resilience in spruce-fir stands, whereas resilience to future western spruce budworm defoliation events may have increased in mixed-conifer stands affected by these outbreaks.
Nutritional and Pharmaceutical Applications of Under-Explored Knottin Peptide-Rich Phytomedicines
Authors: Attah Francis Alfred , Lawal Bilqis Abiola , Yusuf Abdulmalik Babatunde , Adedeji Oluwakorede Joshua , Folahan Joy Temiloluwa , Akhigbe Kelvin Oluwafemi , Roy Tithi , Lawal Azeemat Adeola , Ogah Ngozi Blessing , Olorundare Olufunke Esan , Chamcheu Jean Christopher
Published: November 2022

Phytomedicines reportedly rich in cystine knot peptides (Knottins) are found in several global diets, food/herbal supplements and functional foods. However, their knottin peptide content has largely been unexplored, notably for their emerging dual potentials at both the food and medicine space. The nutritional roles, biological targets and mechanism(s) of activity of these knotted peptides are largely unknown. Meanwhile, knottins have recently been unveiled as emerging peptide therapeutics and nutraceuticals of primary choice due to their broad spectrum of bioactivity, hyper stability, selective toxicity, impressive selectivity for biomolecular targets, and their bioengineering applications. In addition to their potential dietary benefits, some knottins have displayed desirable limited toxicity to human erythrocytes. In an effort to appraise what has been accomplished, unveil knowledge gaps and explore the future prospects of knottins, an elaborate review of the nutritional and pharmaceutical application of phytomedicines rich in knottins was carried out. Herein, we provide comprehensive data on common dietary and therapeutic knottins, the majority of which are poorly investigated in many food-grade phytomedicines used in different cultures and localities. Findings from this review should stimulate scientific interest to unveil novel dietary knottins and knottin-rich nutraceutical peptide drug candidates/leads with potential for future clinical application.
Multi-Environment and Multi-Year Bayesian Analysis Approach in Coffee canephora
Authors: Covre André Monzoli , da Silva Flavia Alves , Oliosi Gleison , Correa Caio Cezar Guedes , Viana Alexandre Pio , Partelli Fabio Luiz
Published: November 2022

This work aimed to use the Bayesian approach to discriminate 43 genotypes of Coffea canephora cv. Conilon, which were cultivated in two producing regions to identify the most stable and productive genotypes. The experiment was a randomized block design with three replications and seven plants per plot, carried out in the south of Bahia and the north of Espírito Santo, environments with different climatic conditions, and evaluated during four harvests. The proposed Bayesian methodology was implemented in R language, using the MCMCglmm package. This approach made it possible to find great genetic divergence between the materials, and detect significant effects for both genotype, environment, and year, but the hyper-parametrized models (block effect) presented problems of singularity and convergence. It was also possible to detect a few differences between crops within the same environment. With a model with lower residual, it was possible to recommend the most productive genotypes for both environments: LB1, AD1, Peneirão, Z21, and P2.
Doubling the Space-Time Yield of a Pilot Biogas Reactor with Swine Manure and Cereal Residues by a Closed Loop Feedback Control Based on an Automated Fuzzy Logic Control System
Authors: Scherer Paul , Schreiber Anja , Arthur Richard , Antonczyk Sebastian , Vollmer Gerhard-Rainer
Published: November 2022

The anaerobic digestion of swine manure was performed for more than 2 years in a biogas pilot plant with cereal residues as a mono-input, either by a simple intermittent substrate feeding or by feeding with an automated “autopilot” system under the direction of a Fuzzy logic control (FLC) system, working with a closed-loop feedback control. The pilot plant of the University of Applied Sciences in Nordhausen consisted of a 2.5 m3 dosage tank, a 2.5 m3 digestate tank, and a 1 m3 biogas reactor. Only three control parameters were used for FLC: pH, methane %, and the specific gas production rate (GPR) related to the organic loading rate (OLR), that is GPR/OLR m3 biogas/(kgVS d), vs = volatile solids. The specific GPR was referred to the OLR of the last feeding every 8 h in terms of kgVS/(m3 d). In test period I without an FLC system, a safe process with just an OLR of 4 kgVS/(m3 d) was reached, followed by an overloading and reactor disturbance at ≤6.3 kgVS/(m3 d) as indicated by acidification with volatile fatty acids up to 25,000 mg/L. However, test period II (585 trial days) with an integrated FLC system allowed a safe OLR up to 11 kgVS/(m3 d). Apparently, the microbes themselves directed the speed of substrate feeding by the dynamics of their substrate turnover and by the closed loop feedback control, while the three FLC parameters prevented acidification. Therefore, the application of FLC enabled a doubling of the throughput for a biogas reactor in the same time with a ‘turbo speed’. The concomitant hydraulic residence time (HRT) of only 10 days reduced the stirring and heating costs. The usage of an FLC system should open the door for networked biogas production to enable flexible biogas production on demand.
Influence of Encapsulation Parameters on the Retention of Polyphenols in Blackthorn Flower Extract
Authors: Gaćina Nikolina , Elez Garofulić Ivona , Zorić Zoran , Pedisić Sandra , Dragović-Uzelac Verica
Published: November 2022

In order to utilize the benefits of blackthorn flower polyphenols and provide their stabilization during processing and storage, and to facilitate their application in functional food products, this study aimed to evaluate the encapsulation parameters during the spray-drying process of blackthorn flower extract. The effect of the type of wall material (maltodextrin (MD) and its mixtures with gum arabic (GA) and inulin (IN)), its ratio to extract dry matter (0.5, 1, and 2) and drying temperature (120, 150, and 180 °C) on the concentration of different polyphenolic groups was studied. While the lowest applied amount of wall material at the lowest drying temperature enabled efficient encapsulation of all polyphenolic groups, the type of wall material applied caused significant differences in retention. The highest concentrations of both phenolic acids and flavonoids were achieved with the addition of 25% of GA in MD. Unlike the addition of GA, mixtures of MD with IN did not show a positive effect on the retention of polyphenols. Selected encapsulation parameters ensured the high retention of total phenolics, namely 87.87% of the content determined in the liquid extract prior to spray drying, thereby providing a polyphenol-rich product with great potential for application in functional food and the nutraceutical industry.
Sustainable Operations of Last Mile Logistics Based on Machine Learning Processes
Authors: Oršič Jerko , Jereb Borut , Obrecht Matevž
Published: November 2022

The last-mile logistics is regarded as one of the least efficient, most expensive, and polluting part of the entire supply chain and has a significant impact and consequences on sustainable delivery operations. The leading business model in e-commerce called Attended Home Delivery is the most expensive and demanding when a short delivery window is mutually agreed upon with the customer, decreasing possible optimizing flexibility. On the other hand, last-mile logistics is changing as decisions should be made in real time. This paper is focused on the proposed solution of sustainability opportunities in Attended Home Delivery, where we use a new approach to achieve more sustainable deliveries with machine learning forecasts based on real-time data, different dynamic route planning algorithms, tracking logistics events, fleet capacities and other relevant data. The developed model proposes to influence customers to choose a more sustainable delivery time window with important sustainability benefits based on machine learning to predict accurate time windows with real-time data influence. At the same time, better utilization of vehicles, less congestion, and fewer failures at home delivery are achieved. More sustainable routes are selected in the preplanning process due to predicted traffic or other circumstances. Increasing time slots from 2 to 4 h makes it possible to improve travel distance by about 5.5% and decrease cost by 11% if we assume that only 20% of customers agree to larger time slots.
Adoption of Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines across Journals
Authors: Patarčić Inga , Stojanovski Jadranka
Published: November 2022

Journal policies continuously evolve to enable knowledge sharing and support reproducible science. However, that change happens within a certain framework. Eight modular standards with three levels of increasing stringency make Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) guidelines which can be used to evaluate to what extent and with which stringency journals promote open science. Guidelines define standards for data citation, transparency of data, material, code and design and analysis, replication, plan and study pre-registration, and two effective interventions: “Registered reports” and “Open science badges”, and levels of adoption summed up across standards define journal’s TOP Factor. In this paper, we analysed the status of adoption of TOP guidelines across two thousand journals reported in the TOP Factor metrics. We show that the majority of the journals’ policies align with at least one of the TOP’s standards, most likely “Data citation” (70%) followed by “Data transparency” (19%). Two-thirds of adoptions of TOP standard are of the stringency Level 1 (less stringent), whereas only 9% is of the stringency Level 3. Adoption of TOP standards differs across science disciplines and multidisciplinary journals (N = 1505) and journals from social sciences (N = 1077) show the greatest number of adoptions. Improvement of the measures that journals take to implement open science practices could be done: (1) discipline-specific, (2) journals that have not yet adopted TOP guidelines could do so, (3) the stringency of adoptions could be increased.
Mapping Area Changes of Glacial Lakes Using Stacks of Optical Satellite Images
Authors: Bazilova Varvara , Kääb Andreas
Published: November 2022

Glacial lakes are an important and dynamic component of terrestrial meltwater storage, responding to climate change and glacier retreat. Although there is evidence of rapid worldwide growth of glacial lakes, changes in frequency and magnitude of glacier lake outbursts under climatic changes are not yet understood. This study proposes and discusses a method framework for regional-scale mapping of glacial lakes and area change detection using large time-series of optical satellite images and the cloud processing tool Google Earth Engine in a semi-automatic way. The methods are presented for two temporal scales, from the 2-week Landsat revisit period to annual resolution. The proposed methods show how constructing an annual composite of pixel values such as minimum or maximum values can help to overcome typical problems associated with water mapping from optical satellite data such as clouds, or terrain and cloud shadows. For annual-resolution glacial lake mapping, our method set only involves two different band ratios based on multispectral satellite images. The study demonstrates how the proposed method framework can be applied to detect rapid lake area changes and to produce a complete regional-scale glacial lake inventory, using the Greater Caucasus as example.
Representation Learning with a Variational Autoencoder for Predicting Nitrogen Requirement in Rice
Authors: Iatrou Miltiadis , Karydas Christos , Tseni Xanthi , Mourelatos Spiros
Published: November 2022

The scope of this research was to provide rice growers with optimal N-rate recommendations through precision agriculture applications. To achieve this goal, a prediction rice yield model was constructed, based on soil data, remote sensing data (optical and radar), climatic data, and farming practices. The dataset was collected from a rice crop surface of 89.2 ha cultivated continuously for a 5-year period and was analyzed with machine learning (ML) systems. A variational autoencoder (VAE) for reconstructing the input data of the prediction model was applied, resulting in MAE of 0.6 tn/ha, with an average yield for the study fields and period measured at 9.6 tn/ha. VAE learns the original input data representation and transforms them in a latent feature space, so that the anomalies and the discrepancies of the data are reduced. The reconstructed data by VAE provided a more sophisticated and detailed ML model, improving our knowledge about the various correlations between soil, N management parameters, and yield. Both optical and radar imagery and the climatic data were found to be of high importance for the model, as indicated by the application of XAI (explainable artificial intelligence) techniques. The new model was applied in the 2022 rice cultivation in the study fields, resulting in an average yield increase of 4.32% compared to the 5 previous years of experimentation.
A Noise De-Correlation Based Sun Glint Correction Method and Its Effect on Shallow Bathymetry Inversion
Authors: Cui Aijun , Zhang Jingyu , Ma Yi , Zhang Xi
Published: November 2022

Sun glint on the sea surface is the unavoidable noise in optical remote sensing images. Water depth retrieval based on optical remote sensing images is vulnerable to sun glint contamination. Different sun glint correction methods and their possible effects on improving the accuracy of optical remote sensing water depth inversion are worth adequately discussing. Considering the problem that traditional sun glint correction methods are not well applied in shallow or turbid water areas, this paper proposes a sun glint correction method based on noise de-correlation (ND-SGC) which is not affected by the essential characteristics of the water body itself and does not require any auxiliary data. In this paper, we analyze the spectral fidelity of remote sensing images by using ND-SGC method and traditional methods for sun glint correction, and compare the accuracy of bathymetry inversion in different water depth cases and between sun glint pixels and sun glint-free pixels. The experimental results indicated that: (1) the ND-SGC method gives different penalty weights to sun glint pixels and sun glint-free pixels, which meaningfully improves the bathymetric inversion accuracy of sun glint pixels and maintains the bathymetric inversion accuracy of sun glint-free pixels, and is applicable to any water depth range; (2) the ND-SGC method improves bathymetric inversion accuracy in the extremely shallow water region (0–2 m) and shallow water region (2–11 m), while the conventional method suppresses bathymetric inversion accuracy in these two water depth ranges; (3) the ND-SGC method maintains the inversion accuracy of the sun glint-free pixels, while the traditional Hedley method and Goodman method increase the mean relative error (MRE) of these pixels by a maximum of 6.7% and 8.8%, respectively; (4) the ND-SGC method preserves the inherent spectral information of the remote sensing image well, while the spectral fidelity index of the images corrected by traditional methods shows a certain degree of distortion of the image’s spectrum.
Fusion of Remote Sensing, Magnetometric, and Geological Data to Identify Polymetallic Mineral Potential Zones in Chakchak Region, Yazd, Iran
Authors: Aali Ali Akbar , Shirazy Adel , Shirazi Aref , Pour Amin Beiranvand , Hezarkhani Ardeshir , Maghsoudi Abbas , Hashim Mazlan , Khakmardan Shayan
Published: November 2022

Exploration geologists are urged to develop new, robust, and low-cost approaches to identify high potential zones related to underground/unexplored mineral deposits because of increased depletion of ore deposits and high consumption of basic metal production industries. Fusing remote sensing, geophysical and geological data has great capability to provide a complete range of prerequisite data to accomplish this purpose. This investigation fuses remote sensing data, such as Sentinel-2 and Landsat 7, aerial magnetic geophysical data, and geological data for identifying polymetallic mineralization potential zones in the Chakchak region, Yazd province, Iran. Hydrothermal alteration mineral zones and surface and deep intrusive masses, hidden faults and lineaments, and lithological units were detected using remote sensing, aerial magnetic, and geological data, respectively. The exploratory/information layers were fused using fuzzy logic modeling and the multi-class index overlap method. Subsequently, mineral potential maps were generated for the study area. Some high potential zones of polymetallic mineralization were identified and verified through a detailed field campaign and drilling programs in the Chakchak region. In conclusion, the fusion of remote sensing, geophysical, and geological data using fuzzy logic modeling and the multi-class index overlap method is a robust, reliable, and low-cost approach for mining companies to explore the frontier areas with identical geologic conditions that are alleged to indicate polymetallic mineralization potential.
Assessments of the Above-Ocean Atmospheric CO2 Detection Capability of the GAS Instrument Onboard the Next-Generation FengYun-3H Satellite
Authors: Chen Su , Chen Peng , Ding Lei , Pan Delu
Published: November 2022

The next-generation FengYun-3H satellite carrying a greenhouse gas absorption spectrometer (GAS) is planned for launch by 2024 with a strengthened ability to help researchers understand the global carbon cycle. However, assessments of the atmospheric CO2-detection capabilities of GAS are still incomplete, mainly in the following aspects: previous studies on the spectral range of GAS instruments often used the weak absorption band of CO2 molecules (1.61 μm); research on the measurement accuracies of different atmospheric environments above oceans is lacking; and most studies considered land surfaces as the bottom boundaries. Here, we simulated high spectral CO2 absorption spectra in both the strong and weak bands (2.06 and 1.61 μm) while considering the effects of different instrumental (spectral resolution and sampling rate) and environmental (wind speed, visibility, and rough sea surface) parameters. This is the first atmospheric CO2 absorption spectrum study to consider rough-sea-surface effects. The preliminary results show that the root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute difference (MAD) values of the atmospheric CO2 transmittance spectra of GAS are 0.031 and 0.011, respectively, in the 1.61 μm band and 0.05 and 0.033 in the 2.06 μm band, revealing that GAS is competitive among similar CO2 instruments. This study provides a design reference for next-generation GAS instruments and contributes to spectral data CO2 processing in the above-sea atmosphere.
Theoretical Analysis of the Refractometric Sensitivity of a Coated Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator for Gas Sensing Applications
Authors: Ristić Davor , Zhivotkov Daniil , Thekke Thalakkal Snigdha , Romanova Elena , Ivanda Mile
Published: November 2022

We present a theoretical analysis of the refractometric sensitivity of a spherical microresonator coated with a porous sensing layer performed for different whispering gallery modes. The effective refractive index of the modes is also calculated. The calculations are also made for a system which has an additional high-refractive index layer sandwiched between the microsphere and the porous sensing layer. The results of the calculation are discussed in regards to the applicability of the studied systems for gas sensor construction.