bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quercetin, Main Active Ingredient of Moutan Cortex, Alleviates Chronic Orofacial Pain via Block of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
Authors: Liu Zhanli , Shan Zhiming , Yang Haoyi , Xing Yanmei , Guo Weijie , Cheng Jing , Jiang Yuanxu , Cai Song , Wu Chaoran , Liu Jessica Aijia , Cheung Chi Wai , Pan Yunping
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND:

Chronic orofacial pain (COP) therapy is challenging, as current medical treatments are extremely lacking. Moutan Cortex (MC) is a traditional Chinese medicine herb widely used for chronic inflammatory diseases. However, the mechanism behind MC in COP therapy has not been well-established. The purpose of this study was to identify the active ingredients of MC and their specific underlying mechanisms in COP treatment.

METHODS:

In this study, the main active ingredients and compound-target network of MC in COP therapy were identified through network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received oral mucosa lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection to induce COP. Pain behaviors were evaluated by orofacial mechanical nociceptive assessment after intraganglionar injection. In vitro inflammatory cytokines in LPS-pretreated human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) and rat primary cultural trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons were quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Schrödinger software was used to verify the molecular docking of quercetin and critical targets. Whole-cell recording electrophysiology was used to evaluate the effect of quercetin on voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channel in rat TG neurons.

RESULTS:

The assembled compound-target network consisted of 4 compounds and 46 targets. As 1 of the active components of MC correlated with most related targets, quercetin alleviated mechanical allodynia in LPS-induced rat model of COP (mechanical allodynia threshold median [interquartile range (IQR) 0.5 hours after drug administration: vehicle 1.3 [0.6–2.0] g vs quercetin 7.0 [6.0–8.5] g, P = .002). Gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that immune response and membrane functions play essential roles in MC-COP therapy. Five of the related targets were identified as core targets by protein-protein interaction analysis. Quercetin exerted an analgesic effect, possibly through blocking Nav channel in TG sensory neurons (peak current density median [IQR]: LPS −850.2 [−983.6 to −660.7] mV vs LPS + quercetin −589.6 [−711.0 to −147.8] mV, P = .006) while downregulating the expression level of proinflammatory cytokines-FOS (normalized messenger RNA [mRNA] level mean ± standard error of mean [SEM]: LPS [2. 22 ± 0.33] vs LPS + quercetin [1. 33 ± 0.14], P = .034) and TNF-α (normalized mRNA level mean ± SEM: LPS [8. 93 ± 0.78] vs LPS + quercetin [3. 77 ± 0.49], P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Identifying Nav as the molecular target of quercetin clarifies the analgesic mechanism of MC, and provides ideas for the development of novel selective and efficient chronic pain relievers.
Anesthetic Mechanisms: Synergistic Interactions With Lipid Rafts and Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels
Authors: Krogman William L. , Woodard Thomas , McKay Robert S.F.
Published: November 2023

Despite successfully utilizing anesthetics for over 150 years, the mechanism of action remains relatively unknown. Recent studies have shown promising results, but due to the complex interactions between anesthetics and their targets, there remains a clear need for further mechanistic research. We know that lipophilicity is directly connected to anesthetic potency since lipid solubility relates to anesthetic partition into the membrane. However, clinically relevant concentrations of anesthetics do not significantly affect lipid bilayers but continue to influence various molecular targets. Lipid rafts are derived from liquid-ordered phases of the plasma membrane that contain increased concentrations of cholesterol and sphingomyelin and act as staging platforms for membrane proteins, including ion channels. Although anesthetics do not perturb membranes at clinically relevant concentrations, they have recently been shown to target lipid rafts. In this review, we summarize current research on how different types of anesthetics—local, inhalational, and intravenous—bind and affect both lipid rafts and voltage-gated sodium channels, one of their major targets, and how those effects synergize to cause anesthesia and analgesia. Local anesthetics block voltage-gated sodium channel pores while also disrupting lipid packing in ordered membranes. Inhalational anesthetics bind to the channel pore and the voltage-sensing domain while causing an increase in the number, size, and diameter of lipid rafts. Intravenous anesthetics bind to the channel primarily at the voltage-sensing domain and the selectivity filter, while causing lipid raft perturbation. These changes in lipid nanodomain structure possibly give proteins access to substrates that have translocated as a result of these structural alterations, resulting in lipid-driven anesthesia. Overall, anesthetics can impact channel activity either through direct interaction with the channel, indirectly through the lipid raft, or both. Together, these result in decreased sodium ion flux into the cell, disrupting action potentials and producing anesthetic effects. However, more research is needed to elucidate the indirect mechanisms associated with channel disruption through the lipid raft, as not much is known about anionic lipid products and their influence over voltage-gated sodium channels. Anesthetics’ effect on S-palmitoylation, a promising mechanism for direct and indirect influence over voltage-gated sodium channels, is another auspicious avenue of research. Understanding the mechanisms of different types of anesthetics will allow anesthesiologists greater flexibility and more specificity when treating patients.
Alfred Washington Adson: Perspectives on Intracranial Neurosurgery and the Responsibilities of the Neurosurgeon
Authors: Nguyen Brandon A. , Parikh Parth P. , Nguyen Andrew , Singh Rohin , Stonnington Henry O. , Bendok Bernard R. , Quinones-Hinojosa Alfredo , Spinner Robert J. , Meyer Fredric B. , Bydon Mohamad
Published: November 2023

In a period when the budding field of neurosurgery was believed to have little promise, Dr Alfred Washington Adson founded and led the first neurosurgical department at Mayo Clinic. He was not without reservations—surgical intervention for neurological conditions was rarely pursued because of poor outcomes and high complication rates, and Dr Adson acknowledged his early concerns about the future of neurosurgery in his memoirs. However, his education, mentorship, his training, and his first neurosurgical cases helped to shape the impact he ultimately had on the field and his legacy as a neurosurgeon. Dr Adson trained with several renowned Mayo general surgeons, notably his mentor Dr Emil Beckman, whose desire for operative precision shaped Dr Adson's drive to develop his own skills as a surgeon. Two years into his residency, he became the youngest staff surgeon and was tasked with managing the neurosurgical cases at Mayo. The five neurosurgical cases overseen by Dr Adson in the next year illuminated the opportunity for neurosurgery to drastically improve the lives of patients. Dr Adson, given the option of continuing as either a general surgeon or a neurosurgeon, ultimately chose to pursue neurosurgery. This article seeks to provide a historical perspective on the neurosurgeon Dr Alfred Washington Adson using primary and secondary accounts from the Mayo archives, highlighting his contributions to the early understanding of intracranial pathology and how his early experiences as a trainee developed into a personal passion for self-improvement, education, and advocacy for health care in America.
Two modes of gene regulation by TFL1 mediate its dual function in flowering time and shoot determinacy of Arabidopsis
Authors: Cerise Martina , da Silveira Falavigna Vítor , Rodríguez-Maroto Gabriel , Signol Antoine , Severing Edouard , Gao He , van Driel Annabel , Vincent Coral , Wilkens Sandra , Iacobini Francesca Romana , Formosa-Jordan Pau , Pajoro Alice , Coupland George
Published: November 2023

Plant organ primordia develop successively at the shoot apical meristem (SAM). In Arabidopsis, primordia formed early in development differentiate into vegetative leaves, whereas those formed later generate inflorescence branches and flowers. TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1), a negative regulator of transcription, acts in the SAM to delay flowering and to maintain inflorescence meristem indeterminacy. We used confocal microscopy, time-resolved transcript profiling and reverse genetics to elucidate this dual role of TFL1. We found that TFL1 accumulates dynamically in the SAM reflecting its dual function. Moreover, TFL1 represses two major sets of genes. One set includes genes that promote flowering, expression of which increases earlier in tfl1 mutants. The other set is spatially misexpressed in tfl1 inflorescence meristems. The misexpression of these two gene sets in tfl1 mutants depends upon FD transcription factor, with which TFL1 interacts. Furthermore, the MADS-box gene SEPALLATA 4, which is upregulated in tfl1, contributes both to the floral transition and shoot determinacy defects of tfl1 mutants. Thus, we delineate the dual function of TFL1 in shoot development in terms of its dynamic spatial distribution and different modes of gene repression.
SUMOylation regulates Lem2 function in centromere clustering and silencing
Authors: Strachan Joanna , Leidecker Orsolya , Spanos Christos , Le Coz Clementine , Chapman Elliott , Arsenijevic Ana , Zhang Haidao , Zhao Ning , Spoel Steven H. , Bayne Elizabeth H.
Published: November 2023

Regulation by the small modifier SUMO is heavily dependent on spatial control of enzymes that mediate the attachment and removal of SUMO on substrate proteins. Here, we show that in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, delocalisation of the SUMO protease Ulp1 from the nuclear envelope results in centromeric defects that can be attributed to hyper-SUMOylation at the nuclear periphery. Unexpectedly, we find that although this localised hyper-SUMOylation impairs centromeric silencing, it can also enhance centromere clustering. Moreover, both effects are at least partially dependent on SUMOylation of the inner nuclear membrane protein Lem2. Lem2 has previously been implicated in diverse biological processes, including the promotion of both centromere clustering and silencing, but how these distinct activities are coordinated was unclear; our observations suggest a model whereby SUMOylation serves as a regulatory switch, modulating Lem2 interactions with competing partner proteins to balance its roles in alternative pathways. Our findings also reveal a previously unappreciated role for SUMOylation in promoting centromere clustering.
On the Classification of the Animal Kingdom.1
Authors: Huxley
Published: November 2023

Linnæus defines the objector classification as follows:— “Methodus, anima scientiæ, indigitat, primo intuitu, quodcunque corpus naturale, ut hoc corpus dicat pro-prium suum nomen, et hoc nomen quæcumque de nominato corpore beneficio seculi innotuere, ut sic in summa confusione reruin apparenti, summus conspiciatur Naturæ ordo.” (Systerna Naturæ, ed. 12, p. 13.)
Are human brain organoids cloned human individuals? An ethical analysis
Authors: Kataoka Masanori , Ota Koji , Savulescu Julian , Sawai Tsutomu
Published: November 2023

In recent years, there has been much ethical debate about human brain organoid research. However, the possibility that human brain organoids might be human individuals has not been examined. This is an important issue because if human brain organoids are human individuals, then the creation of human brain organoids could be a form of human reproductive cloning. We examine the implications of two mainstream bioethical views on the nature of human individuals for human brain organoids: (1) Functional Integration Theory, the view that the capacity to integrate vital functions is the criterion for human individuality, and (2) Mental State Theory, the view that some mental capacity is the criterion for human individuality. We find that under either theory of human individuality, human brain organoids could be human individuals in the future. According to a version of Functional Integration Theory that locates the integrative function in the human brainstem (Brainstem Theory), a well-developed human brainstem organoid can be a human individual. Further, on Mental State Theory, a human brain organoid with certain mental capacities can be a human individual. Our results, combined with the ban on human reproductive cloning, may provide some reasons to be more cautious in human brain organoid research. Alternatively, in light of the progress in human brain organoid research, it may be necessary to reconsider the ethics and laws surrounding human reproductive cloning. This research paves the way for the first time to examine the question of great ethical importance whether human brain organoids can be human individuals, and encourages further consideration.
Imigranci z Azji Południowo-Wschodniej w polityce zagranicznej Tajwanu
Authors: Targosz Tobiasz
Published: November 2023

SOUTHEAST ASIAN IMMIGRANTS IN TAIWANESE FOREIGN POLICYThis article, through the analysis of the situation of permanent and labor immigrants in Taiwan, will try to show the different facets of Taiwanese foreign policy aimed at the Southeast Asian region. Announced by President Tsai Ingwen, the so-called New Southward Policy focuses on talent cultivation and industrial, commercial, cultural, educational and tourism exchanges. Its direct consequence is the exponentially increasing number of ASEAN nationals on the island, who come to Taiwan lured by the high standard of living and opportunities for high wages. From the perspective of the Taiwanese government, a special role is played by the second generation of immigrants from Southeast Asia, who are presented in popular discourse as the future of an island plagued by typical problems of developed countries such as low birth rates and gentrification.
Produção científica sobre o Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar: o estado da arte
Authors: José Maria Eduarda Ribeiro , Azevedo Ana Beatriz Coelho , Quadros Jhenifer Paiva , Bandoni Daniel Henrique , Canella Daniela Silva
Published: November 2023

Introdução: O Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE) é um dos maiores programas direcionados aos escolares no mundo e vem sendo estudado ao longo do tempo.Objetivo: Mapear, sistematizar e avaliar a produção científica sobre o PNAE.Métodos: Realizou-se uma revisão cienciométrica da literatura. A busca foi feita nas bases Pubmed e Lilacs, utilizando descritores relacionados a alimentação escolar e políticas públicas de alimentação. Foram levantados estudos empíricos sobre o PNAE, abrangendo diferentes objetos e sujeitos. Foram consultadas as referências dos artigos selecionados, a fim de identificar outros trabalhos relevantes. Os artigos foram sistematicamente revisados e avaliados segundo oito variáveis analíticas. Foi realizada a síntese narrativa dos estudos selecionados para a revisão.Resultados: Do total de artigos localizados (3.131 não duplicados), 105 foram elegíveis e 17 foram identificados nas listas de referências, totalizando 122 artigos incluídos na revisão. Os artigos foram majoritariamente estudos conduzidos nas regiões Sudeste (27,8%) e Sul (25,4%) e publicados a partir de 2010 (74,6%). Os principais objetos de estudos foram avaliação de cardápio (26,2%) e gestão e funcionamento do programa (17,5%), com abordagem observacional (90,2%) e utilizando método quantitativo de análise de dados (67,2%).Conclusão: A produção científica relacionada ao PNAE é recente, concentrada em estudos observacionais e com limitada abrangência temática. Não foram encontrados trabalhos de âmbito nacional representativos da população atendida pelo PNAE, tampouco estudos que avaliassem o impacto do programa sobre aspectos como hábitos alimentares e rendimento escolar.
Papiloma vírus Humano-HPV: Prevenção e Vacinação
Authors: Pereira Izete Soares da Silva Dantas , Farias Cynthia Rachel Galvão
Published: November 2023

O Projeto de Extensão Papiloma Vírus Humano-HPV: Prevenção e Vacinação teve como objetivo proporcionar a interação entre estudantes de medicina e crianças e adolescentes, através da partilha de informações sobre o HPV. A metodologia consistiu em Rodas de Conversa sobre HPV, sua relação com câncer de colo do útero, vacinação, prevenção das IST’s e gravidez precoce. As ações foram realizadas em escolas municipais e privadas do município de Mossoró/ RN. A experiência propiciou a oportunidade de alunos e acadêmicos vivenciarem a Educação em Saúde, através do compartilhamento de saberes, pelo processo de ensino-aprendizagem consolidando conceitos do HPV, sua prevenção e vacinação. As ações repercutiram na postura dos acadêmicos enquanto futuros profissionais, cientes de seu dever de sujeitos na produção do cuidado e da Educação em Saúde. Espera-se que crianças, adolescentes e acadêmicos, sensibilizados com a temática, possam se constituir agentes multiplicadores de conhecimento, capazes de contribuir com o fomento do diálogo corresponsável entre pais, escola e alunos, promovendo o autocuidado e o exercício da cidadania.Palavras-chave: Papiloma Vírus Humano (HPV), Prevenção Primária, Cobertura Vacinal. Educação em Saúde.
A agroecologia no contexto da pandemia de Covid-19: contribuições para a segurança alimentar e nutricional
Authors: Padrão Susana Moreira
Published: November 2023

Esse ensaio busca refletir sobre o potencial da agricultura agroecológica, no contexto da crise sanitária provocada pela pandemia da Covid-19 e suas prováveis consequências econômicas e sociais. Exibe indicadores econômicos e sociais sobre aumento do desemprego e da pobreza, nesse cenário, sugerindo que a desigualdade social deve recrudescer, com impacto imediato no aumento da insegurança alimentar e da fome. Experiências como a da Feira Agroecológica na UERJ, de hortas coletivas e comunitárias em favelas e de quintais produtivos indicam que é possível implementar ações que atendam à população mais vulnerável. A agroecologia e a agricultura urbana contribuem de forma efetiva para a promoção da segurança alimentar e nutricional e da saúde, visando o direito humano à alimentação adequada e o envolvimento da população no cultivo de alimentos de base agroecológica, em busca de autonomia alimentar.
Amor, sexo e parto: um relato de uma experiência inovador acerca da sexualidade feminina durante o parto
Authors: Martins Elaine Lutz , Zveiter Marcele , Martins Maricato Vidal Larissa , Coelho Claudino Maria Eduarda , Dos Santos Franco Cintya , Correa Karkour Diana Caroline , Garcia Pacheco de Lima Ariane , Augusto da Silva Belidio Louzada Matheus , Gomes Neves Paula Ingridy , De Carvalho Torres Denise
Published: November 2023

Relatar a experiência e os significados da vivência em ações extensionistas acerca da associação do parto com a sexualidade feminina. Realizou-se dois eventos abordando a temática “amor, sexo e parto”, em ambiente virtual aberto, com abrangência nacional, envolvendo o público geral e estudantes de graduação, da Faculdade de Enfermagem da UERJ. Participaram um total de 60 pessoas. O ponto de partida da reflexão foi o parto vaginal como um evento sexual e primitivo e as barreiras sociais e culturais, responsáveis pela sacralização da maternidade, incluído o parto. Após os eventos, observou-se uma ressignificação dos significados acerca da sexualidade durante o parto. Antes o processo de parto e nascimento eram compreendidos e romantizados como um evento isolado e livre de sexualidade, agora considera-se como comportamentos naturais e inerentes à fisiologia feminina. Portanto, embora haja uma complexidade na discussão sobre a sexualidade feminina durante o parto, o desenvolvimento de ações extensionistas contribuiu para a disseminação de conhecimento e na formação de profissionais de saúde com visões mais amplas e integrais sobre a sexualidade feminina.
Seguimento solar fotovoltaico Um protótipo construído com material reutilizável Photovoltaic solar tracking on - A prototype built with reusable material
Authors: Brandão Leo Zamboti , Souza Yan Ambrosio , Bracco Mirian Enriqueta
Published: November 2023

Visando um melhor aproveitamento da energia solar, construímos um protótipo solar fotovoltaico inteligente. Este protótipo contém uma placa solar fotovoltaica, a qual permite fazer a conversão da energia solar em energia elétrica. Um mecanismo mecânico segue o sol, isto é um seguimento solar inteligente.A construção deste dispositivo, que podemos chamar de Girassol Solar, tem como objetivo principal, mostrar como a energia absorvida aumenta quando comparado ao dispositivo fixo. E assim poder divulgar as fontes de energia renováveis, especificamente a energia solar fotovoltaica, a qual tem alto crescimento no Brasil e no mundo.  Acreditamos que a divulgação científica para a população em geral é de extrema importância para observar as vantagens e desvantagens do uso de esta energia.
UERJ EM PAUTA: A TV Uerj como ferramenta de divulgação e popularização da produção acadêmica
Authors: Farias Letícia Aires de , Avelar Michele Silva de , Andrade Cassia Ferreira , Wanderley Sonia Maria de Almeida I.
Published: November 2023

O presente trabalho busca relatar as experiências adquiridas por bolsistas, docentes e servidores da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, na criação do Programa “UERJ em Pauta”. Sua produção é realizada pela TV Uerj, do Centro de Tecnologia Educacional (CTE), e é amplamente difundida pelo site institucional, pelas mídias sociais e em televisores, posicionados nos corredores da Universidade. Como proposta, visa a cobertura jornalística e a divulgação de notícias do cotidiano da UERJ, trazendo eventos culturais, palestras e outras atividades, e assim, permite um espaço de socialização entre o corpo docente, discente, servidores e comunidade externa, aproximando a Universidade e a sociedade. Até março de 2023, o programa contabiliza um acervo de 158 edições, e mais de 73 mil visualizações, esses dados nos mostram o alcance das produções desenvolvidas por uma webtv universitária que têm um papel importante na divulgação e popularização da produção acadêmica, levando-as para outros espaços e sujeitos sociais que não os acadêmicos. Para além dos números de acesso e visualização, o CTE se torna um lugar de múltiplos aprendizados, ampliando esses processos e formando os bolsistas que participam da produção dos programas, contribuindo para que se tornem profissionais altamente qualificados para o mercado de trabalho.
O PROGRESSO DA JUSTIÇA DIGITAL NO BRASIL: DA URNA ELETRÔNICA AO PROGRAMA 4.0
Authors: Bragança Fernanda
Published: November 2023

Este estudo tem o objetivo de aprofundar sobre a consolidação de uma justiça digital no Brasil e sistematizar as principais medidas adotadas pelo Judiciário. A primeira parte do artigo trata do período desde a implantação da urna eletrônica até o processo judicial eletrônico, enquanto a segunda destaca sobre o Programa 4.0. Mais recentemente, as iniciativas se alinham ao escopo de ampliar o acesso à justiça digital, automatizar tarefas, aperfeiçoar os bancos de dados judiciários e potencializar a resolução consensual dos conflitos.
COMO E PORQUE TESES SEMANTICAMENTE CONGELADAS NÃO SÃO PRECEDENTES: APORTES A PARTIR DO COMMON LAW
Authors: LUNELLI GUILHERME , Abboud Georges
Published: November 2023

O presente artigo se presta a analisar as principais características do manejo de precedentes próprias do common law, para então confronta-las com a praxe brasileira de lida com o, assim chamado, Direito Jurisprudencial. Tem por objetivo detectar semelhanças e diferenças entre o trato com a jurisprudência no Brasil e no common law. Para tanto, esmiúça quatro características fulcrais dessa família jurídica: (i) o caráter hermenêutico do trato com precedentes; (ii) a razão pela qual um precedente é vinculante; (iii) a compreensão do que é e como se extrai o elemento vinculante de um precedente; (iv) quem decide o que é e o que não é um precedente. A partir disso, é demonstrado que o modo como lidamos com os “precedentes brasileiros” muito diverge do que ocorre no common law, sendo uma tendência o congelamento de teses em verbetes, que acabam se descolando do caso e fundamentos que lhe deram origem. Ao final, pois, conclui-se que o método de trabalho com “precedentes” no Brasil é muito distinto daquele desenvolvido no common law, trazendo consigo enormes riscos hermenêuticos.
Highly Selective NO2 Sensors Based on Electrolytically Exfoliated Graphene/Flame-made WO3 Composite Films
Authors:   Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Sutam Sarunya ,   Graduate School, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand, Inyawilert Kanittha ,   Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand,   Office of Research Administration, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Punginsang Matawee ,   Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand,   Office of Research Administration, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Siriwalai Mameaseng ,   Ph.D. Program in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (International Program/Interdisciplinary), Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand,   Center of Excellence in Materials Science and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Wisitsoraat Anurat ,   National Security and Dual-Use Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Klong Luang, Phathum Thani 12120, Thailand, Tuantranont Adisorn ,   National Security and Dual-Use Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Klong Luang, Phathum Thani 12120, Thailand, Liewhiran Chaikarn ,   Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand,   Ph.D. Program in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (International Program/Interdisciplinary), Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand,   Center of Excellence in Materials Science and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Published: November 2023

Gas sensors based on flame-synthesized WO3 nanoparticles loaded with 0.2-5 wt% electrochemically exfoliated graphene were evaluated for NO2 detection at ppb levels. The characterizations by X-Ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, electron microscopy and Raman spectrometry verified that multi-layer graphene sheets were well dispersed within spheroidal WO3 nanoparticles. Sensing layers fabricated with different graphene loading levels were tested towards 50-5000 ppb NO2 with varying operating temperatures from 100 to 350 °C in dry air. From the test results, the graphene-loaded WO3 nanoparticles with the optimal graphene content of 2 wt% exhibited the highest sensor response of ~ 5061 to 5000 ppb NO2 at the optimum working temperature of 150 °C. Furthermore, the sensor based on graphene/WO3 composites displayed high NO2 selectivity against various environmental gases and volatile organic compounds at 150 °C. The mechanistic roles of graphene on NO2 gas-sensing performances were described based on reactive ohmic M-S heterointerfaces. Therefore, the combination of electrochemically exfoliated graphene and flame-made WO3 nanoparticles could be an attractive mean to achieve highly sensitive and selective NO2 sensors.
Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil using Heterogeneous CaO/Zn Catalyst: Yield and Reusability Performance
Authors:   Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Humanities, Management and Science, University Putra Malaysia, Bintulu Sarawak Campus, 97008 Bintulu, Sarawak, Ali Nur Afiqah , Khairuddin Nozieana ,   Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Humanities, Management and Science, University Putra Malaysia, Bintulu Sarawak Campus, 97008 Bintulu, Sarawak
Published: November 2023

Biodiesel is a r enewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic fuel derived from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled cooking oils. Biodiesel can be used as a direct replacement for diesel in diesel engines with minimal or no modification, and it has several advantages over conventional diesel. Eggshells, on the other hand, are composed mainly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), a valuable resource for various industrial and agricultural applications. Improper disposal of eggshells can cause environmental pollution and discarding of eggshells in landfills takes up valuable space and emits potent greenhouse gases such as methane. The current study focuses on biodiesel production from waste cooking oil (WCO) using heterogeneous catalysts from eggshells impregnated with Zinc (Zn) metal. The transesterification process can produce biodiesel using WCO in the presence of a catalyst. The free fatty acid (FFA) of WCO is 0.45 mg KOH/g lower, enabling the transesterification process. The CaCO3 present in the eggshell will be converted into calcium oxide (CaO) after calcination. SEM analysis showed the catalyst’s morphology (CaO and CaO/Zn) changes after undergoing calcination and zinc impregnation processes. In this study, eggshells were utilized as a potential solid catalyst for biodiesel synthesis through transesterification. The reusability of the catalyst was also investigated. The reused catalyst produced an average yield of 65%.
Mutual Coupling Compensation-based Nonuniform Fourier Transform Technique for Accurate and Efficient Pattern Evaluation and its Application to Synthesis of Aperiodic Arrays
Authors: Peng Fan , Liao Cheng , Cheng You-Feng , Feng Ju , Wang Si-Du
Published: November 2023

A rapid solution for evaluating the radiation pattern of aperiodic arrays, taking into account mutual coupling, is presented in this paper. The evaluation is achieved by eliminating the anisotropy of the active element pattern of the array through the use of the mutual coupling compensation matrix (MCCM) technique, in conjunction with the non-uniform fast Fourier transform (NuFFT). In order to eliminate the impact of mutual coupling on array pattern calculation, the MCCM is utilized to convert the active element pattern (AEP) of each element into a shared uniform term and make the NuFFT technique suitable for the array pattern calculation. The proposed solution is validated by evaluating the radiation pattern of a 64-element planar aperiodic array. In addition, the proposed solution is integrated into the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to realize a pattern synthesis method. Two synthesized patterns, including a pencil beam with low sidelobe level and a flat-top beam pattern, are executed to validate. Compared with several reported methods, the proposed method can improve the synthesis efficiency and maintain good accuracy simultaneously.
Planar Antenna Design on the Characteristics of Moore Fractal-based High Impedance Surface
Authors: Gupta Akash K. , Chowdary Paladuga S. R. , Krishna Mandhapati V.
Published: November 2023

This work presents a planar antenna with a rectangular shape designed over a Moore curve fractal-shaped High Impedance Surface (HIS). The Moore fractal geometries are space-filling curves and are useful for multiband applications. The Moore curve-shaped fractal HIS is simulated up to three iterations, and performance is examined. The proposed antenna has multiband operation within the S-band, C-band, and lower X-band frequency of operation. The antenna has a peak gain of 5.08 dB, 4.69 dB, and 5.07 dB with a Moore curve fractal HIS, with iterations 1, 2, and 3 used as the ground plane. The antenna has been analyzed regarding the reflection coefficient, radiation pattern, 3-D polar plots, and surface current distribution. With Moore curve iteration 1, a shaped HIS provides a maximum bandwidth of 740 MHz with the center frequency of 10.95 GHz, 1.24 GHz with the center frequency of 10.57 GHz, and 1.09 GHz with the center frequency of 12.5 GHz with the second and third iterations, respectively.
Unified Formulation for Evaluation and Visualization of Electric and Magnetic Fields Inside Waveguides and Cavities
Authors: Hasan Zahid , Elsherbeni Atef
Published: November 2023

The output of this research is an interactive software package developed to enhance and expedite the design of waveguides and cavity resonators through the computation and visualization of the electric and magnetic field distribution. The software features a user-friendly interface through which users can select one of seven different configurations and specify parameters of their design, such as structure dimensions, transverse electric or magnetic mode, mode numbers, operating frequency, number of points of any of the field components along the x, y, and z axis for rectangular structures, and any 2D plane angles between 0∘ to 360∘ for cylindrical structures. Both transverse and longitudinal field components can be visualized in vector, color contour or both. The software makes it easy for users to see how the changes of physical dimensions and operating frequency affect the field distribution. Moreover, the user interface allows users to select how visualizations of the field distribution are generated and displayed. Field distributions can be displayed as static images or video animations using appropriate sequencing of computed field values at different plane cuts. The software provides all necessary warning messages for invalid input parameters. Mathematical expressions of the field components used in this software were derived from the classical solution of the wave equations using the separation of variables technique in cartesian coordinates for rectangular configurations and cylindrical coordinates for all other configurations. Results obtained using this software were validated against values found in the literature for similar types of problems, and results show perfect agreement.
Sapamochanam (The Curse Liberation), A Kathakali Play by Sadanam Harikumar
Authors: By Produced , Sreelakshmi VM , Mohan Lakshmi
Published: November 2023

Abstract: This play is a new interpretation of Urvashi and Arjuna from the epic Mahabharata . Immortal Urvashi of heaven was the life partner of mortal emperor Pururavas of earth, Arjuna’s fortieth ancestor. The story is that Urvashi, assigned to be an eternal virgin who was denied motherhood, experiences the bliss of motherhood because of Arjuna. Indra, Arjuna’s father, has brought him to heaven so that he might annihilate Indra’s enemies. Urvashi, who has fallen in love with Arjuna, approaches him for love but is rejected by Arjuna. Urvashi curses Arjuna to become a eunuch. Arjuna, who has realized that Urvashi was Pururavas’ wife, tells her in despair that she is no different from his biological mother Kunti and his stepmother Indrani, Indra’s wife. Urvashi’s dormant motherhood bursts forth as she hears this. At the end of the story, Urvashi embraces Arjuna with maternal love, lays him on her lap, and sings a lullaby. Arjuna and Urvashi are the protagonists of this play. The other characters include Urvashi’s two friends and two nymphs who appear in the interlude.
“One Opera, Two Nationalisms”: Negotiating Hong Kong Identity and Chinese Nationalism in Cantonese Opera
Authors: Tse Priscilla
Published: November 2023

Abstract: While scholarly attention on nationalism of recent Hong Kong sheds light mostly on social movements, social media, and cinema, the performative role of yueju (Cantonese opera), as a Chinese vernacular theatre, in post-1997 Hong Kong is often neglected. This case study examines how different ideologies, political consciousness, and cultural ideals come into conflict and are mediated within the Cantonese opera circle since the 2014 Umbrella Movement. By investigating both the top-down and bottom-up approaches of propaganda as well as the potential of performing the opera as pro-democracy activism, this essay interrogates the dynamics between the hegemonic Chinese nationalism and the rising political consciousness of seeing Hong Kong as a separate entity.
The Manang Generation and the Radical Origins of the Pinay Identity
Authors: Salinas Stacey Anne Baterina
Published: November 2023

Abstract: As colonial subjects and pensionadas (students under American jurisdiction) during the American Occupation Era, Progressive-Era-Filipinas used their western education to craft a vision for the modern woman-citizen, the “New Filipina,” producing an emerging transpacific p/feminist agenda demanding both sovereignty and suffrage. Filipinas immigrating to America in the 1920s–1930s confronted similar patriarchal barriers within Filipina/o American communities while working alongside their husbands along the rural Central Coast. To secure the survival of their families, homes, and cultural heritage, pinays (Filipina Americans) employed methods of community organizing, club work, and care work, echoing the feminist politicking of the pensionada generation before. Both pensionadas and pinays interpreted Filipina labor (as cultural and maternal care work) as a means of resisting colonial and cultural patriarchies, thus helping their communities survive and thrive to this day.
A Tale of Two Texts–––A New Philological Investigation of Dunhuang Manuscript P.2526
Authors: Chen Zhinan
Published: November 2023

Abstract: In 1911 a Dunhuang manuscript fragment, later known as P.2526, was made available to Chinese scholars via microfilm. Since then, generations of scholars have made forays into the study of the hypothetical original text of P.2526 and the context of its composition. This endeavor, however, seems to be a lost cause. As Albert Dien points out, when one identification is rejected, without any direct evidence, it would be equally problematic to assign another title to the fragment. In this paper, I study P.2526 as a Tang artifact in the form in which it has come down to us, without trying to recover an earlier form of the text. This New Philology-inspired perspective shifts the focus from the unknown and often hypothesized ancestral text of the manuscript to something concrete and approachable—the manuscript itself. Paleographical, codicological, and text-critical examinations of the manuscript uncover the life cycle of this one manuscript as a tale of two texts, each representing a distinct intellectual and socio-textual tradition, preserved in this single physical form for over a thousand years. P.2526 recto documents a portion of a leishu compilation, of value to the cultural elite of the center of the Tang empire in the late seventh and early eighth centuries. It is preserved only owing to the common practice in the Dunhuang area of reusing paper fragments due to the scarcity of paper since the second half of the eight century. P.2526 verso, entirely ignored in the previous studies of the manuscript, is a Buddhist liturgical text, produced and used locally in Dunhuang at the periphery of the Tang empire. It is the materiality of the manuscript P.2526, as a physical object, that ties together these two distinct and unrelated texts and presents itself as one tale.
Robust point light source calibration method for near-field photometric stereo using feature points selection
Authors: Ma Long , Liu Xu , Liu Yuzhe , Pei Xin , Guo Shengwei
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we present a robust method for
nonisotropic point light
source calibration through feature points selection. By analyzing the
relationship between the observed surface and its
image intensity under
near-field lighting, the
feature points selection
method is first developed to effectively address the noisy
observations and improve calibration robustness.
Afterward, to enhance
efficiency and accuracy of the calibration, a cost function of l
p
-norm is established based on the
above relationship, and an improved Newton method-based iteration
process is applied to calculate the light source parameters. The
simulations demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of
achieving robust calibration results with the estimation error less
than 2.7 mm and 0.8°, even though the image intensities are
corrupted by Gaussian white noise with standard deviation up to 0.4.
The experimental validation is performed using a self-designed
photometric stereo system, where the calibration of point light
sources is conducted, and measurements are taken on a standard sphere
and compressor blade based on the obtained calibration results, which
demonstrates the effectiveness of what we believe to be a new
method.
Quantitative analysis of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy based on machine learning and a generative data enhancement technique
Authors: Zhao Wei , Ai Xianyun , Zhao Hui
Published: November 2023

This paper proposes a data enhancement technique to generate expanded datasets for machine learning by developing an X-ray fluorescence spectra simulator based on the physical process. The simulator consists of several modules, including the excitation source, the interaction process, and the detection system. The spectra generated by the simulator are subject to dimension reduction through feature selection and feature extraction algorithms, and then serve as the input for the XGBoost (extreme gradient boosting) model. Six elements of metal samples with various content ranges were selected as the research target. The results showed that for simulated data, the R2 value for elements with concentrations ranging from 0% to 100% is greater than 95%, and for elements with concentrations of <0.3%, the R2 value is greater than 85%. The experimental data were predicted by the model trained by the simulated spectra. Therefore, this approach provides reliable results for practical application and can supply additional datasets to obtain reasonable prediction results for machine learning with inadequate reference materials.
Automatic marker-based alignment method for a nano-resolution full-field transmission X-ray microscope
Authors: Zhou Chenpeng , Wang Yan , Wang Shanfeng , Zhang Jin , Fu Tianyu , Huang Wanxia , Zhang Kai , Yuan Qingxi
Published: November 2023

Driven by the development of X-ray optics, the spatial resolution of the full-field transmission X-ray microscope (TXM) has reached tens of nanometers and plays an important role in promoting the development of biomedicine and materials science. However, due to the thermal drift and the radial/axial motion error of the rotation stage, TXM computed tomography (CT) data are often associated with random image jitter errors along the horizontal and vertical directions during CT measurement. A nano-resolution 3D structure information reconstruction is almost impossible without a prior appropriate alignment process. To solve this problem, a fully automatic gold particle marker-based alignment approach without human intervention was proposed in this study. It can automatically detect, isolate, and register gold particles for projection image alignment with high efficiency and accuracy, facilitating a high-quality tomographic reconstruction. Simulated and experimental results confirmed the reliability and robustness of this method.
Sub-diffraction metalens for generating longitudinal bifoci and optical needles
Authors: Wu Zhixiang , Li Xinyu , Zou Yiyang , Deng Hu , Xiong Liang , Shang Liping
Published: November 2023

Lenses are a fundamental component of optical systems. Bifoci and optical needle devices have excellent application potential in many optical systems. Conventional lenses are limited by their diffraction limits, and the spot size has a considerable influence on the resolution of optical and microscopic images. Optical super-oscillation is a novel technique, to the best of our knowledge, for far-field sub-diffraction focusing. In this study, we proposed a binary-amplitude super-oscillatory lens (SOL) approach for generating bifoci and optical needles (ON), and it was based on the angular spectrum method (ASM) and a binary-particle-swarm optimization (BPSO) algorithm. We reported a class of binary-amplitude-based Bifoci- and ON-SOLs that generated sub-diffraction bifoci and optical needles. Sub-diffraction bifoci with a transverse range of 0.401λ−0.522λ were recorded for a work wavelength of λ=632.8nm. The generated optical needle had a sub-diffraction length of 4.122λ, and the super-oscillation region was 2.083λ long. This provides potential applications for further super-resolution imaging, optical communication, and precision manufacturing.
Staging classification of omicron variant SARS-CoV-2 infection based on dual-spectrometer LIBS (DS-LIBS) combined with machine learning
Authors: Wang Weiliang , Shi Shengqun , Liu Yuanchao , Hou Zehai , Qi Jianwei , Guo Lianbo
Published: November 2023

Effective differentiation of the infection stages of omicron can provide significant assistance in transmission control and treatment strategies. The combination of LIBS serum detection and machine learning methods, as a novel disease auxiliary diagnostic approach, has a high potential for rapid and accurate staging classification of Omicron infection. However, conventional single-spectrometer LIBS serum detection methods focus on detecting the spectra of major elements, while trace elements are more closely related to the progression of COVID-19. Here, we proposed a rapid analytical method with dual-spectrometer LIBS (DS-LIBS) assisted with machine learning to classify different infection stages of omicron. The DS-LIBS, including a broadband spectrometer and a narrowband spectrometer, enables synchronous collection of major and trace elemental spectra in serum, respectively. By employing the RF machine learning models, the classification accuracy using the spectra data collected from DS-LIBS can reach 0.92, compared to 0.84 and 0.73 when using spectra data collected from single-spectrometer LIBS. This significant improvement in classification accuracy highlights the efficacy of the DS-LIBS approach. Then, the performance of four different models, SVM, RF, IGBT, and ETree, is compared. ETree demonstrates the best, with cross-validation and test set accuracies of 0.94 and 0.93, respectively. Additionally, it achieves classification accuracies of 1.00, 0.92, 0.92, and 0.89 for the four stages B1-acute, B1-post, B2, and B3. Overall, the results demonstrate that DS-LIBS combined with the ETree machine learning model enables effective staging classification of omicron infection.
Biphoton routing in few-emitter chiral waveguide quantum electrodynamics ladders
Authors: Berndsen Tiberius , Mirza Imran M.
Published: November 2023

We study the problem of two-photon routing in waveguide QED ladders where a few two-level quantum emitters (QEs) are simultaneously coupled with two chiral waveguides. We analyze the routing probability in two regimes, namely, under a purely plane wave approximation (scattering case) and in the presence of photon-photon bound state formation. Within the scattering case, we examine the two-photon routing in the presence of up to five QEs, considering two possibilities separately: ideal-symmetric coupling and the critical coupling scenario. We examine the photon routing up to the two QEs for the bound state situation and compare the photon redirection efficiency with the corresponding scattering case. Our findings show the potential of utilizing chiral light-matter interactions in multi-photon and multi-emitter-based quantum networking protocols where interlinking among spatially distant nodes is required.