bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of and Public Health Emergency Responses to COVID-19 and H1N1 Outbreaks: A Case-Comparison Study
Authors: Wang Qian , Zhang Tiantian , Zhu Huanhuan , Wang Ying , Liu Xin , Bai Ge , Dai Ruiming , Zhou Ping , Luo Li
Published: June 2020

Background: Recently, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has already spread rapidly as a global pandemic, just like the H1N1 swine influenza in 2009. Evidences have indicated that the efficiency of emergency response was considered crucial to curb the spread of the emerging infectious disease. However, studies of COVID-19 on this topic are relatively few. Methods: A qualitative comparative study was conducted to compare the timeline of emergency responses to H1N1 (2009) and COVID-19, by using a set of six key time nodes selected from international literature. Besides, we also explored the spread speed and peak time of COVID-19 and H1N1 swine influenza by comparing the confirmed cases in the same time interval. Results: The government’s entire emergency responses to the epidemic, H1N1 swine influenza (2009) completed in 28 days, and COVID-19 (2019) completed in 46 days. Emergency responses speed for H1N1 was 18 days faster. As for the epidemic spread speed, the peak time of H1N1 came about 4 weeks later than that of COVID-19, and the H1N1 curve in America was flatter than COVID-19 in China within the first four months after the disease emerged. Conclusions: The speed of the emergency responses to H1N1 was faster than COVID-19, which might be an important influential factor for slowing down the arrival of the peak time at the beginning of the epidemic. Although COVID-19 in China is coming to an end, the government should improve the public health emergency system, in order to control the spread of the epidemic and lessen the adverse social effects in possible future outbreaks.
Bottom-Up Kinetic Chain in Drop Landing among University Athletes with Normal Dynamic Knee Valgus
Authors: Jamaludin Nazatul Izzati , Sahabuddin Farhah Nadhirah Aiman , Raja Ahmad Najib Raja Khairul Mustaqim , Shamshul Bahari Muhamad Lutfi Hanif , Shaharudin Shazlin
Published: June 2020

The study investigated the influence of ankle strength and its range of motion (ROM) on knee kinematics during drop landing. Fifteen male and fifteen female university athletes with a normal range of dynamic knee valgus (DKV) (knee frontal plane projection angle: men = 3° to 8°, females = 7° to 13°) were recruited. They performed drop landing at height 30 cm and 45 cm with three-dimensional motion capture and analysis. Knee angles were compared at specific landing phases. Isokinetic ankle strength was tested at 60°/s angular velocity while the weight-bearing lunge test was conducted to evaluate ankle ROM. For males, strength for both plantarflexors and dorsiflexors were associated with knee kinematics at both heights (30 cm: r = −0.50, p = 0.03; 45 cm: r = −0.45, p = 0.05) during maximum vertical ground reaction force (MVGRF) phase. For females, ankle invertor strength and knee kinematics were associated at both 30cm (r = 0.53; p = 0.02,) and 45 cm landing heights (r = 0.49, p = 0.03), while plantarflexor strength and knee kinematics showed a significant association during initial contact (r = 0.70, p < 0.01) and MVGRF (r = 0.55, p = 0.02) phases at height 30 cm only. Male and female athletes with normal range of DKV showed a significant relationship between ankle strength and knee kinematics at specific landing phases. These relationships varied with increased landing height.
Understanding Public Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour
Authors: Yuen Kum Fai , Chua Grace , Wang Xueqin , Ma Fei , Li Kevin X.
Published: June 2020

Public acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is vital for a society to reap their intended benefits such as reduced traffic accidents, land usage, congestion and environmental pollution. The purpose of this paper is to use the theory of planned behaviour to pinpoint and examine the components affecting public acceptance of AVs. A model consisting of a network of hypothesised relationships is introduced. Thereafter, 526 residents in Seoul, Korea, were given a survey created for this research. Subsequently, to evaluate the collected information and estimate the model, structural equation modelling was adopted. The outcomes show individuals’ mindset on AVs, subjective customs, and behavioural influence directly influencing the acceptance of AVs. Furthermore, cognitive and emotive factors, namely comparative advantage, compatibility, complexity and hedonic motivation indirectly influence the acceptance of AVs via mindset and behavioural manipulation. Based on analysing the cumulative effect, attitude emerged with the strongest effect on public acceptance of autonomous vehicles. After this is, in decreasing order of influence, behavioural control, relative advantage, subjective norms, compatibility, hedonic motivation and complexity. The findings of this study implicate the prioritisation and allocation of resources, and policies relating to marketing, education, subsidisation and infrastructure development to better public acceptance of AVs.
Antibiotics Act with vB_AbaP_AGC01 Phage against Acinetobacter baumannii in Human Heat-Inactivated Plasma Blood and Galleria mellonella Models
Authors: Grygorcewicz Bartłomiej , Roszak Marta , Golec Piotr , Śleboda-Taront Daria , Łubowska Natalia , Górska Martyna , Jursa-Kulesza Joanna , Rakoczy Rafał , Wojciuk Bartosz , Dołęgowska Barbara
Published: June 2020

Increasing multidrug resistance has led to renewed interest in phage-based therapy. A combination of the bacteriophages and antibiotics presents a promising approach enhancing the phage therapy effectiveness. First, phage candidates for therapy should be deeply characterized. Here we characterize the bacteriophage vB_AbaP_AGC01 that poses antibacterial activity against clinical Acinetobacter baumannii strains. Moreover, besides genomic and phenotypic analysis our study aims to analyze phage–antibiotic combination effectiveness with the use of ex vivo and in vivo models. The phage AGC01 efficiently adsorbs to A. baumannii cells and possesses a bacteriolytic lifecycle resulting in high production of progeny phages (317 ± 20 PFU × cell−1). The broad host range (50.27%, 93 out of 185 strains) against A. baumannii isolates and the inability of AGC01 to infect other bacterial species show its high specificity. Genomic analysis revealed a high similarity of the AGC01 genome sequence with that of the Friunavirus genus from a subfamily of Autographivirinae. The AGC01 is able to significantly reduce the A. baumannii cell count in a human heat-inactivated plasma blood model (HIP-B), both alone and in combination with antibiotics (gentamicin (GEN), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and meropenem (MER)). The synergistic action was observed when a combination of phage treatment with CIP or MER was used. The antimicrobial activity of AGC01 and phage-antibiotic combinations was confirmed using an in vivo larva model. This study shows the greatest increase in survival of G. mellonella larvae when the combination of phage (MOI = 1) and MER was used, which increased larval survival from 35% to 77%. Hence, AGC01 represents a novel candidate for phage therapy. Additionally, our study suggests that phages and antibiotics can act synergistically for greater antimicrobial effect when used as combination therapy.
Angiopoietins, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors and Secretory Phospholipase A2 in Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Heart Failure
Authors: Varricchi Gilda , Loffredo Stefania , Bencivenga Leonardo , Ferrara Anne Lise , Gambino Giuseppina , Ferrara Nicola , de Paulis Amato , Marone Gianni , Rengo Giuseppe
Published: June 2020

Heart failure (HF) is a growing public health burden, with high prevalence and mortality rates. In contrast to ischemic heart failure (IHF), the diagnosis of non-ischemic heart failure (NIHF) is established in the absence of coronary artery disease. Angiopoietins (ANGPTs), vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) and secretory phospholipases A2 (sPLA2s) are proinflammatory mediators and key regulators of endothelial cells. In the present manuscript, we analyze the plasma concentrations of angiogenic (ANGPT1, ANGPT2, VEGF-A) and lymphangiogenic (VEGF-C, VEGF-D) factors and the plasma activity of sPLA2 in patients with IHF and NIHF compared to healthy controls. The concentrations of ANGPT1, ANGPT2 and their ratio significantly differed between HF patients and healthy controls. Similarly, plasma levels of VEGF-D and sPLA2 activity were higher in HF as compared to controls. Concentrations of ANGPT2 and the ANGPT2/ANGPT1 ratio (an index of vascular permeability) were increased in NIHF patients. VEGF-A and VEGF-C concentrations did not differ among the three examined groups. Interestingly, VEGF-D was selectively increased in IFH patients compared to controls. Plasma activity of sPLA2 was increased in IHF and NIHF patients compared to controls. Our results indicate that several regulators of vascular permeability and smoldering inflammation are specifically altered in IHF and NIHF patients. Studies involving larger cohorts of these patients will be necessary to demonstrate the clinical implications of our findings.
The Effect of Aggregate Shape on the Properties of Concretes with Silica Fume
Authors: Strzałkowski Jarosław , Garbalińska Halina
Published: June 2020

The paper examines the impact of aggregate shape on the compressive strength and thermal properties of concretes with silica fume based on two different aggregates: natural round gravel aggregate and crushed basalt aggregate. Compressive strength and thermal properties of individual concretes were determined during the first year of specimens curing. Additionally, porosity tests were conducted using mercury intrusion porosimetry and optical porosimetry. Mercury porosimetry tests showed that the use of silica fume led to a decrease in the content of pores of size smaller than 0.15 µm compared to the reference concretes without the addition of silica fume. However, tests carried out on crushed basalt-based concrete showed the presence of numerous additional pores with diameters ranging from 0.05 to 300 μm. In case of natural round gravel aggregate-based concrete, the addition of silica fume brought about an increase in its compressive strength. In turn, basalt-based concrete exhibited notably lower compressive strength values due to significantly higher porosity within the range of more than 70 μm. In basalt concrete, the obtained λ values are much lower than in concretes with normal gravel aggregate. In addition, the specific porosity structure had its impact on the process of drying of specimens of each group which occurred at a significantly faster rate in the basalt-based concrete. In conclusion, it can be stated that the use of crushed basalt aggregate causes a significant aeration of concrete, even despite the use of silica fume. As a result, the concrete based on crushed aggregate is characterized by a definitely lower compressive strength, but also better thermal insulation properties compared to analogous concrete made on natural round gravel aggregate.
Metal Oxides
Authors: Grilli Maria Luisa
Published: June 2020

Oxide materials in bulk and thin film form, and metal oxide nanostructures exhibit a great variety of functional properties which make them ideal for applications in solar cells, gas sensors, optoelectronic devices, passive optics, catalysis, corrosion protection, environmental protection, etc. [...]
Tumor Tissue-Specific Biomarkers of Colorectal Cancer by Anatomic Location and Stage
Authors: Cai Yuping , Rattray Nicholas J. W. , Zhang Qian , Mironova Varvara , Santos-Neto Alvaro , Muca Engjel , Vollmar Ana K. Rosen , Hsu Kuo-Shun , Rattray Zahra , Cross Justin R. , Zhang Yawei , Paty Philip B. , Khan Sajid A. , Johnson Caroline H.
Published: June 2020

The progress in the discovery and validation of metabolite biomarkers for the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been hampered by the lack of reproducibility between study cohorts. The majority of discovery-phase biomarker studies have used patient blood samples to identify disease-related metabolites, but this pre-validation phase is confounded by non-specific disease influences on the metabolome. We therefore propose that metabolite biomarker discovery would have greater success and higher reproducibility for CRC if the discovery phase was conducted in tumor tissues, to find metabolites that have higher specificity to the metabolic consequences of the disease, that are then validated in blood samples. This would thereby eliminate any non-tumor and/or body response effects to the disease. In this study, we performed comprehensive untargeted metabolomics analyses on normal (adjacent) colon and tumor tissues from CRC patients, revealing tumor tissue-specific biomarkers (n = 39/group). We identified 28 highly discriminatory tumor tissue metabolite biomarkers of CRC by orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and univariate analyses (VIP > 1.5, p < 0.05). A stepwise selection procedure was used to identify nine metabolites that were the most predictive of CRC with areas under the curve (AUCs) of >0.96, using various models. We further identified five biomarkers that were specific to the anatomic location of tumors in the colon (n = 236). The combination of these five metabolites (S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, formylmethionine, fucose 1-phosphate, lactate, and phenylalanine) demonstrated high differentiative capability for left- and right-sided colon cancers at stage I by internal cross-validation (AUC = 0.804, 95% confidence interval, CI 0.670–0.940). This study thus revealed nine discriminatory biomarkers of CRC that are now poised for external validation in a future independent cohort of samples. We also discovered a discrete metabolic signature to determine the anatomic location of the tumor at the earliest stage, thus potentially providing clinicians a means to identify individuals that could be triaged for additional screening regimens.
Investigating the Electrochemical Interaction of a Thiol Collector with Chalcopyrite and Galena in the Presence of a Mixed Microbial Community
Authors: Mhonde Ngoni , Smart Mariette , Corin Kirsten , Schreithofer Nora
Published: June 2020

High microbial cell counts have been recorded in sewage waters employed as process water in mineral beneficiation plants across the world. The presence of these microbes can negatively impact flotation performance through mineral passivation, although some microbes improve flotation performance as investigated in various bio-flotation studies. The current study aims to understand the electrochemical behaviour of minerals in the presence of a sodium ethyl xanthate (SEX) collector and microbes originating from a sulphide ore processing plant in South Africa. The electrochemical response was correlated to observe flotation performance. Mixed potential measurements were conducted in parallel to microflotation tests, to assess the hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity induced on sulphide minerals adapted to microbe-laden synthetic plant water. Sulphide minerals’ mixed potentials and interactions of SEX with sulphide minerals were dramatically reduced in the presence of the mixed microbial community (MMC). The observations were correlated with poor flotation efficacy noted in microflotation tests. These fundamental results shed light on how the adsorption of thiol collectors on sulphide minerals is adversely affected by microbes, prompting a discussion on flotation process monitoring when mineral beneficiation is conducted using microbe-laden water.
Esters of Glucose-2-Phosphate: Occurrence and Chemistry
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Li Si-Zhe , Ahmar Mohammed , Soulère Laurent , Queneau Yves
Published: June 2020

Phosphodiesters of glucose-2-phosphate (G2P) are found only in few natural compounds such as agrocinopine D and agrocin 84. Agrocinopine D is a G2P phosphodiester produced by plants infected by Agrobacterium fabrum C58 and recognized by the bacterial periplasmic binding protein AccA for being transported into the bacteria before cleavage by the phosphodiesterase AccF, releasing G2P, which promotes virulence by binding the repressor protein AccR. The G2P amide agrocin 84 is a natural antibiotic produced by the non-pathogenic Agrobacterium radiobacter K84 strain used as a biocontrol agent by competing with Agrobacterium fabrum C58. G2P esters are also found in irregular glycogen structures. The rare glucopyranosyl-2-phophoryl moiety found in agrocin 84 is the key structural signature enabling its action as a natural antibiotic. Likewise, G2P and G2P esters can also dupe the Agrobacterium agrocinopine catabolism cascade. Such observations illustrate the importance of G2P esters on which we have recently focused our interest. After a brief review of the reported phosphorylation coupling methods and the choice of carbohydrate building blocks used in G2P chemistry, a flexible access to glucose-2-phosphate esters using the phosphoramidite route is proposed.
Drying Induced Impact on Composition and Oil Quality of Rosemary Herb, Rosmarinus Officinalis Linn
Authors: Mohammed Hamdoon A. , Al-Omar Mohsen S. , Mohammed Salman A. A. , Aly Mohamed S. A. , Alsuqub Abdulmalik N. A. , Khan Riaz A.
Published: June 2020

The natural drying of Rosmarinus officinalis Linn. herbs severely affects its volatile oil quality and yields, which is reported here for the first time. The oils obtained through hydrodistillation from fresh, one, two, and three-weeks dried herbs were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) and gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC-FID), and the yields were 198 ± 3.45, 168.7 ± 5.11, and 97.8 ± 1.27 mg, respectively, as compared to the internal referral standard of 327 ± 5.91 mg yield of the one-week dried herbs’ oil. Camphor, the major constituent, significantly depleted from 20.96% to 13.84%, while bornyl acetate yields increased from 1.42% to 12.46% (p values < 0.0001) in three-weeks drying, reflecting the redox processes undergoing within the oil during drying. Several constituents (25) were found in one-week dried herbs’ oil as compared to the fresh, two-, and three-weeks oils, which consisted of 23, 19, and 14 constituents, respectively, leading to the recommendation of the one-week drying of the herb for maximum oil yield. The DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl) reactivity was highest for the two- and three-weeks dried herb-based oils, followed by the one-week dried- and fresh-herb-based oils (p < 0.0001), again indicating major chemical changes during herbs’ dryings, affecting the free-radical scavenging capacity of these batches of oils obtained after different drying times.
Plasma-Based Proteomics Profiling of Patients with Hyperthyroidism after Antithyroid Treatment
Authors: Masood Afshan , Benabdelkamel Hicham , Ekhzaimy Aishah A. , Alfadda Assim A.
Published: June 2020

Thyroid hormones critically modulate body homeostasis and haemostasis by regulating energy and metabolism. Previous studies have focused on individual pathways or proteins that are affected by increases in thyroid hormone levels, while an overall plasma proteomic signature of this increased level is lacking. Herein, an integrated untargeted proteomic approach with network analysis was used to identify changes in circulating proteins in the plasma proteome between hyperthyroid and euthyroid states. Plasma from 10 age-matched subjects at baseline (hyperthyroid) and post treatment with carbimazole (euthyroid) was compared by difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). A total of 20 proteins were identified with significant difference in abundance (analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, p ≤ 0.05; fold-change ≥ 1.5) between the two states (12 increased and 8 decreased in abundance in the hyperthyroid state). Twelve protein spots corresponding to ten unique proteins were significantly more abundant in the hyperthyroid state compared with the euthyroid state. These increased proteins were haptoglobin (HP), hemopexin (HPX), clusterin (CLU), apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1), alpha-1-B glycoprotein (A1BG), fibrinogen gamma chain (FGG), Ig alpha-1 chain C region (IGHA1), complement C6 (C6), leucine rich alpha 2 glycoprotein (LRG1), and carboxypeptidase N catalytic chain (CPN1). Eight protein spots corresponding to six unique proteins were significantly decreased in abundance in the hyperthyroid samples compared with euthyroid samples. These decreased proteins were apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1), inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4 (ITIH4), plasminogen (PLG), alpha-1 antitrypsin (SERPINA1), fibrinogen beta chain (FGB), and complement C1r subcomponent (C1R). The differentially abundant proteins were investigated by ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). The network pathway identified related to infectious disease, inflammatory disease, organismal injury and abnormalities, and the connectivity map focused around two central nodes, namely the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. The plasma proteome of patients with hyperthyroidism revealed differences in the abundance of proteins involved in acute phase response signaling, and development of a hypercoagulable and hypofibrinolytic state. Our findings enhance our existing knowledge of the altered proteins and associated biochemical pathways in hyperthyroidism.
Synthesis and Spectroscopic Analysis of Piperine- and Piperlongumine-Inspired Natural Product Scaffolds and Their Molecular Docking with IL-1β and NF-κB Proteins
Authors: Zazeri Gabriel , Povinelli Ana Paula R. , Le Duff Cécile S. , Tang Bridget , Cornelio Marinonio L. , Jones Alan M.
Published: June 2020

Inspired by the remarkable bioactivities exhibited by the natural products, piperine and piperlongumine, we synthesised eight natural product-inspired analogues to further investigate their structures. For the first time, we confirmed the structure of the key cyclised dihydropyrazolecarbothioamide piperine analogues including the use of two-dimensional (2D) 15N-based spectroscopy nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Prior investigations demonstrated promising results from these scaffolds for the inhibition of inflammatory response via downregulation of the IL-1β and NF-κB pathway. However, the molecular interaction of these molecules with their protein targets remains unknown. Ab initio calculations revealed the electronic density function map of the molecules, showing the effects of structural modification in the electronic structure. Finally, molecular interactions between the synthesized molecules and the proteins IL-1β and NF-κB were achieved. Docking results showed that all the analogues interact in the DNA binding site of NF-κB with higher affinity compared to the natural products and, with the exception of 9a and 9b, have higher affinity than the natural products for the binding site of IL-1β. Specificity for the molecular recognition of 3a, 3c and 9b with IL-1β through cation–π interactions was determined. These results revealed 3a, 3c, 4a, 4c and 10 as the most promising molecules to be evaluated as IL-1β and NF-κB inhibitors.
Seeded Growth Synthesis of Zirconia@Gold Particles in Aqueous Solution
Authors: Dahl Gregor Thomas , Krueger Jan-Dominik , Döring Sebastian , Weller Horst , Vossmeyer Tobias
Published: June 2020

Metal-ceramic composite particles are of increasing interest due to their potential applications in photonic metamaterials as well as next-generation catalysts. The zirconia-gold system has received little attention due to the lack of controllable preparation methods. Well-known methods for the deposition of gold nanoshells on silica spheres, however, should be adaptable for similar zirconia-based materials. Here, we present a novel synthetic approach to the well-controlled deposition of gold on the surface of sol-gel derived zirconia mesoparticles by a stepwise method involving the immobilization of gold nanoparticles and repeated seeded-growth steps. We show that the immobilization efficiency is strongly enhanced by acidification with hydrochloric acid and additional employment of aminomethylphosphonic acid as coupling agent. The optimum conditions are identified and the subsequent incremental growth by seeded reduction of gold is demonstrated. The results shed light on the parameters governing the preparation of zirconia@gold composite particles and our synthetic approach provides a promising tool for future developments in complex nanomaterials design.
Unconventional Applications of Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors
Authors: Polakovic Tomas , Armstrong Whitney , Karapetrov Goran , Meziani Zein-Eddine , Novosad Valentine
Published: June 2020

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors are becoming a dominant technology in quantum optics and quantum communication, primarily because of their low timing jitter and capability to detect individual low-energy photons with high quantum efficiencies. However, other desirable characteristics, such as high detection rates, operation in cryogenic and high magnetic field environments, or high-efficiency detection of charged particles, are underrepresented in literature, potentially leading to a lack of interest in other fields that might benefit from this technology. We review the progress in use of superconducting nanowire technology in photon and particle detection outside of the usual areas of physics, with emphasis on the potential use in ongoing and future experiments in nuclear and high energy physics.
Recovery of Neodymium (III) from Aqueous Phase by Chitosan-Manganese-Ferrite Magnetic Beads
Authors: Durán Sergio Valverde , Lapo Byron , Meneses Miguel , Sastre Ana María
Published: June 2020

Neodymium is a key rare-earth element applied to modern devices. The purpose of this study is the development of a hybrid biomaterial based on chitosan (CS) and manganese ferrite (MF) for the recovery of Nd(III) ions from the aqueous phase. The preparation of the beads was performed in two stages; first, MF particles were obtained by the assessment of three temperatures during the co-precipitation synthesis, and the best nano-MF crystallites were incorporated into CS to obtain the hybrid composite material (CS-MF). The materials were characterized by FTIR, XRD, magnetization measurements, and SEM-EDX. The adsorption experiments included pH study, equilibrium study, kinetics study, and sorption–desorption reusability tests. The results showed that for MF synthesis, 60 °C is an appropriate temperature to obtain MF crystals of ~30 nm with suitable magnetic properties. The final magnetic CS-MF beads perform maximum adsorption at pH 4 with a maximum adsorption capacity of 44.29 mg/g. Moreover, the material can be used for up to four adsorption–desorption cycles. The incorporation of MF improves the sorption capacity of the neat chitosan. Additionally, the magnetic properties enable its easy separation from aqueous solutions for further use. The material obtained represents an enhanced magnetic hybrid adsorbent that can be applied to recover Nd(III) from aqueous solutions.
Enhanced Supercapacitive Performance of Higher-Ordered 3D-Hierarchical Structures of Hydrothermally Obtained ZnCo2O4 for Energy Storage Devices
Authors: Rajasekhara Reddy Gutturu , Siva Kumar Nadavala , Deva Prasad Raju Borelli , Shanmugam Gnanendra , Al-Ghurabi Ebrahim H. , Asif Mohammad
Published: June 2020

The demand for eco-friendly renewable energy resources as energy storage and management devices is increased due to their high-power density and fast charge/discharge capacity. Recently, supercapacitors have fascinated due to their fast charge–discharge capability and high-power density along with safety. Herein, the authors present the synthesis of 3D-hierarchical peony-like ZnCo2O4 structures with 2D-nanoflakes by a hydrothermal method using polyvinylpyrrolidone. The reaction time was modified to obtain two samples (ZCO-6h and ZCO-12h) and the rest of the synthesis conditions were the same. The synthesized structures were systematically studied through various techniques: their crystalline characteristics were studied through XRD analysis, their morphologies were inspected through SEM and TEM, and the elemental distribution and oxidation states were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). ZCO-12h sample has a larger surface area (55.40 m2·g−1) and pore size (24.69 nm) than ZCO-6h, enabling high-speed transport of ions and electrons. The ZCO-12h electrode showed a high-specific capacitance of 421.05 F·g−1 (31.52 C·g−1) at 1 A·g−1 and excellent cycle performance as measured by electrochemical analysis. Moreover, the morphologic characteristics of the prepared hierarchical materials contributed significantly to the improvement of specific capacitance. The excellent capacitive outcomes recommend the 3D-ZnCo2O4 hierarchical peony-like structures composed of 2D-nanoflakes as promising materials for supercapacitors with high-performance.
Transcriptome Analysis of High-NUE (T29) and Low-NUE (T13) Genotypes Identified Different Responsive Patterns Involved in Nitrogen Stress in Ramie (Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich)
Authors: Tan Longtao , Gao Gang , Yu Chunming , Zhu Aiguo , Chen Ping , Chen Kunmei , Chen Jikang , Xiong Heping
Published: June 2020

Nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) has significant impacts on plant growth and development. NUE in plants differs substantially in physiological resilience to nitrogen stress; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying enhanced resilience of high-NUE plants to nitrogen deficiency remains unclear. We compared transcriptome-wide gene expression between high-NUE and low-NUE ramie (Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich) genotypes under nitrogen (N)-deficient and normal conditions to identify the transcriptomic expression patterns that contribute to ramie resilience to nitrogen deficiency. Two ramie genotypes with contrasting NUE were used in the study, including T29 (NUE = 46.01%) and T13 (NUE = 15.81%). Our results showed that high-NUE genotypes had higher gene expression under the control condition across 94 genes, including frontloaded genes such as GDSL esterase and lipase, gibberellin, UDP-glycosyltransferase, and omega-6 fatty acid desaturase. Seventeen stress-tolerance genes showed lower expression levels and varied little in response to N-deficiency stress in high-NUE genotypes. In contrast, 170 genes were upregulated under N deficiency in high-NUE genotypes but downregulated in low-NUE genotypes compared with the controls. Furthermore, we identified the potential key genes that enable ramie to maintain physiological resilience under N-deficiency stress, and categorized these genes into three groups based on the transcriptome and their expression patterns. The transcriptomic and clustering analysis of these nitrogen-utilization-related genes could provide insight to better understand the mechanism of linking among the three gene classes that enhance resilience in high-NUE ramie genotypes.
A Non-Invasive Analysis of Seed Vigor by Infrared Thermography
Authors: Liu Liya , Wang Zhongsi , Li Jing , Zhang Xi , Wang Ruohan
Published: June 2020

This paper establishes robust regression models for fast and efficient estimation of seed vigor based on high-resolution infrared thermography. High seed quality is of great significance for agricultural and silvicultural purposes, and seed vigor is a crucial agent of seed quality. In this study, we used the non-invasive technology of infrared thermal imaging to analyze seed vigor of Ulmus pumila L. and Oryza sativa L. Temperatures of young age and aged seeds during thermal decay were monitored over time. We found that the thermal decay dynamics of U. pumila seeds were highly differential among seeds with differential vigor. Furthermore, a regression model was developed to estimate seed vigor based on its thermal decay dynamics. Similarly, a close relationship was also found between thermal decay processes and seed vigor in O. sativa. These results suggest that infrared thermography can be widely applied in non-invasive examination of seed vigor and allows fast and efficient seed screening for agricultural and silvicultural purposes in the future.
Reduction of Biofouling of a Microfiltration Membrane Using Amide Functionalities—Hydrophilization without Changes in Morphology
Authors: Breite Daniel , Went Marco , Prager Andrea , Kühnert Mathias , Schulze Agnes
Published: June 2020

A major goal of membrane science is the improvement of the membrane performance and the reduction of fouling effects, which occur during most aqueous filtration applications. Increasing the surface hydrophilicity can improve the membrane performance (in case of aqueous media) and decelerates membrane fouling. In this study, a PES microfiltration membrane (14,600 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) was hydrophilized using a hydrophilic surface coating based on amide functionalities, converting the hydrophobic membrane surface (water contact angle, WCA: ~90°) into an extremely hydrophilic one (WCA: ~30°). The amide layer was created by first immobilizing piperazine to the membrane surface via electron beam irradiation. Subsequently, a reaction with 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl trichloride (TMC) was applied to generate an amide structure. The presented approach resulted in a hydrophilic membrane surface, while maintaining permeance of the membrane without pore blocking. All membranes were investigated regarding their permeance, porosity, average pore size, morphology (SEM), chemical composition (XPS), and wettability. Soxhlet extraction was carried out to demonstrate the stability of the applied coating. The improvement of the modified membranes was demonstrated using dead-end filtration of algae solutions. After three fouling cycles, about 60% of the initial permeance remain for the modified membranes, while only ~25% remain for the reference.
A Flexible Inference Machine for Global Alignment of Wall Openings
Authors: Li Jiaqiang , Xiong Biao , Qin Rongjun , Gruen Armin
Published: June 2020

Openings such as windows and doors are essential components of architectural wall surfaces. It is still a challenge to reconstruct them robustly from unstructured 3D point clouds because of occlusions, noises and non-uniformly distributed points. Current research primarily focuses on meliorating the robustness of detection and pays little attention to the geometric correctness. To improve the reconstruction quality, assumptions on the opening layout are usually applied as rules to support the reconstruction algorithm. The commonly used assumptions, such as the strict grid and symmetry pattern, however, are not suitable in many cases. In this paper, we propose a novel approach, named an inference machine, to identify and use flexible rules in wall opening modelling. Our method first detects and models openings through a data-driven method and then refines the opening boundaries by global and flexible rules. The key is to identify the global flexible rules from the detected openings, composed by various combinations of alignments. As our method is oblivious of the type of architectural layout, it can be applied to both interior wall surfaces and exterior building facades. We demonstrate the flexibility of our approach in both outdoor and indoor scenes with a variety of opening layouts. The qualitative and quantitative evaluation results indicate the potential of the approach to be a general method in opening detection and modelling. However, this data-driven method suffers from the existence of occlusions and non-planar wall surfaces.
Thermal Remote Sensing from UAVs: A Review on Methods in Coastal Cliffs Prone to Landslides
Authors: Melis Maria , Da Pelo Stefania , Erbì Ivan , Loche Marco , Deiana Giacomo , Demurtas Valentino , Meloni Mattia , Dessì Francesco , Funedda Antonio , Scaioni Marco , Scaringi Gianvito
Published: June 2020

Coastal retreat is a non-recoverable phenomenon that—together with a relevant proneness to landslides—has economic, social and environmental impacts. Quantitative data on geological and geomorphologic features of such areas can help to predict and quantify the phenomena and to propose mitigation measures to reduce their impact. Coastal areas are often inaccessible for sampling and in situ surveys, in particular where steeply sloping cliffs are present. Uses and capability of infrared thermography (IRT) were reviewed, highlighting its suitability in geological and landslides hazard applications. Thanks to the high resolution of the cameras on the market, unmanned aerial vehicle-based IRT allows to acquire large amounts of data from inaccessible steep cliffs. Coupled structure-from-motion photogrammetry and coregistration of data can improve accuracy of IRT data. According to the strengths recognized in the reviewed literature, a three-step methodological approach to produce IRTs was proposed.
Determining Soil Hydraulic Properties Using Infiltrometer Techniques: An Assessment of Temporal Variability in a Long-Term Experiment under Minimum- and No-Tillage Soil Management
Authors: Castellini Mirko , Vonella Alessandro Vittorio , Ventrella Domenico , Rinaldi Michele , Baiamonte Giorgio
Published: June 2020

Conservation agriculture is increasingly accepted by farmers, but the modeling studies on agro-environmental processes that characterize these agricultural systems require accurate information on the temporal variability of the soil’s main physical and hydraulic properties. Therefore, specific investigations carried out in long-term experiments can increase our knowledge on the pros and cons of different measurement techniques. In this work, the simplified falling head (SFH) technique and the Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer (BEST) procedure were applied to investigate the temporal variability of some main soil physical and hydraulic properties, including bulk density (BD), field saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs), macroporosity (Pmac), air capacity (AC), plant available water capacity (PAWC), and relative field capacity (RFC). For this purpose, a long-term experiment was selected, and the experimental information obtained was used to verify the long-term impact (fifteen years) determined by two alternative forms of soil management, minimum tillage (MT) and no tillage (NT), for the cultivation of durum wheat. The main results of the comparison between MT and NT showed: (i) A comparable temporal variability in Kfs values when SFH was considered, given that in 75% of considered cases, the same result (i.e., significant or not significant) was obtained; (ii) a comparable temporal variability in Kfs values under MT (but not under NT) when both SFH and BEST were used, as a result of a possible Kfs,SFH overestimation under NT; (iii) differences in Kfs estimations by a factor of 6 or 7 (Kfs,SFH > Kfs,BEST) when comparable soil conditions (moisture and soil density) were considered; (iv) a comparable temporal variability when other soil indicators (BD, Pmac, AC, PAWC, and RFC) were simultaneously considered. After about fifteen years of field experiments characterized by continuous soil management and conducted with the methodological rigor typical of experimental farms, the SFH- and BEST-derived experimental information showed a substantial equivalence between MT and NT for the fine-textured soil investigated.
The Hybrid Spatialities of Post-Industrial Beijing: Communism, Neoliberalism, and Brownfield Redevelopment
Authors: Wang Nyuying , Golubchikov Oleg , Chen Wei , Liu Zhigao
Published: June 2020

While the redevelopment of urban brownfield sites in China has received much attention, the role of political ideology in this process is usually downplayed or sidelined to a set of stylized assumptions. This paper invites giving a greater analytical focus to the evolving and nonorthodox nature of China’s politico-ideological model as a factor shaping urban change and redevelopment. The paper provides an analytical framework integrating multi-level and evolutionary perspectives while exploring the experiences of the formation and post-industrial redevelopment of brownfield sites in Beijing. The analysis demonstrates that neoliberal economic policies and the communist political doctrine are co-constitutive in the production of China’s post-industrial urban space. This produces a sense of spatial hybridity that combines and co-embeds what may be assumed to be mutually exclusive.
Changes in Sustainability Priorities in Organisations due to the COVID-19 Outbreak: Averting Environmental Rebound Effects on Society
Authors: Barreiro-Gen Maria , Lozano Rodrigo , Zafar Afnan
Published: June 2020

The COVID-19 outbreak has affected societies and organisations in an unprecedented way. This has resulted in negative impacts to economic and social issues, but it is a “blessing in disguise” for environmental issues. This paper analyses how the outbreak has affected organisations’ sustainability priorities. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, such priorities were on the economic dimension followed by the environmental and social dimensions. A survey was sent to 11,657 organisations to analyse such changes, with a 5.60% response rate. The results show that for organisations, the main priority is now on the social dimension, followed by the economic one; however, the environmental dimension has suffered a negative impact in prioritisation, regardless of organisation type, country where they are based, organisation size, or the time they have been working on sustainability. We are currently facing an environmental conundrum, where air quality has improved and pollution has decreased in societies, but organisations are starting to neglect such environmental issues. The COVID-19 outbreak is an opportunity for organisations to better contribute to sustainability by ensuring that the efforts that have been undertaken in the last three decades are not forgotten, and that societies and organisations are better coupled to face such crises and avert rebound effects.
Kane’s Formalism Used to the Vibration Analysis of a Wind Water Pump
Authors: Mitu Gabriel Leonard , Chircan Eliza , Scutaru Maria Luminita , Vlase Sorin
Published: June 2020

The paper uses Kane’s formalism to study two degrees of freedom (DOF) mechanisms with elastic elements = employed in a wind water pump. This formalism represents an alternative, in our opinion, that is simpler and more economical to Lagrange’s equation, used mainly by researchers in this type of application. In the problems where the finite element method (FEM) is applied, Kane’s equations were not used at all. The automated computation causes it to be reconsidered in the case of mechanical systems with a high DOF. Analyzing the planar transmission mechanism, these equations were applied for the study of an elastic element. An analysis was then made of the results obtained for this type of water pump. The matrices coefficients of the obtained equations were symmetric or skew-symmetric.
Potent and Selective Activity against Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) of Thymelaea hirsuta Extracts
Authors: Sanna Giuseppina , Madeddu Silvia , Murgia Giuseppe , Serreli Gabriele , Begala Michela , Caboni Pierluigi , Incani Alessandra , Franci Gianluigi , Galdiero Marilena , Giliberti Gabriele
Published: June 2020

Historically, natural products have been the most successful source of inspiration for the development of new drugs. Members of the Thymelaeaceae family have been of interest owing to their excellent medicinal value. Given the successful history of natural product-based drug discovery, extracts from the aerial parts of Thymelaea hirsuta were evaluated for their potential anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) activity. Ethyl acetate extracts from leaves (71B) and branches (72B) of Thymelaea hirsuta showed potent and selective activity against HIV-1 wt (EC50 = 0.8 µg/mL) at non-cytotoxic concentrations (CC50 > 100 µg/mL). They proved to be active against HIV-1 variants carrying clinically relevant NNRTI and NRTI mutations at low concentration (0.3–4 µg/mL range) and against the M-tropic strain HIV-1 BaL. The 72B extract, chosen as a lead, was not able to inhibit the RT and protease enzymatic functions. Furthermore, it was not virucidal, since exposure of HIV to high concentration did not affect virus infectivity. The pre-clinical safety profile of this extract showed no adverse effect on the growth of Lactobacilli, and non-toxic concentration of the extract did not influence the Caco-2 epithelial cells monolayer integrity. Additionally, extract 72B prevented syncytia formation at low concentration (0.4 µg/mL). The potent inhibitory effect on the syncytia formation in co-cultures showed that 72B inhibits an early event in the replication cycle of HIV. All of these findings prompt us to carry on new studies on Thymelaea hirsuta extracts.
Resilience in advanced cancer caregiving
Authors: Opsomer Sophie , De Lepeleire Jan , Lauwerier Emelien , Pype Peter
Published: June 2020

Background

Family caregivers of advanced cancer patients are at risk for developing mental disorders. Despite this risk, the majority seem to adapt well, and throughout the caregiving period, their trajectory is characterised by healthy functioning. However, GPs struggle with making timely assessments of caregivers at risk for mental dysfunction, since they often fail to seek medical help for themselves and the appropriate research about resilience in cancer caregivers is scarce. Moreover, research is hampered by the lack of a universal definition or theoretical framework.

Aim

To propose a comprehensive definition and framework for further research in family caregiving for advanced cancer patients.

Method

Inspired by the hermeneutic methodology, reviews and concept analyses on resilience following a potentially traumatic event were searched and analysed. Conforming to the hermeneutic methodology, article collection from PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycInfo was followed by analysis and was stopped when saturation was reached. Elements consistently arising from the definitions of resilience were listed and the theoretical frameworks were compared.

Results

The APA definition: ‘resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma or threats’ and Bonanno’s framework ‘temporal elements of resilience’ are proposed.

Conclusion

There is a need for studies on resilience in caregivers of advanced cancer patients. Resilience is context-dependent, hence, study results cannot be transferred as such from one clinical situation to another. Furthermore, conceptual ambiguities hinder the interpretation and comparison of study results. For further research on resilience in caregivers of advanced cancer patients, we suggest the APA definition of resilience and Bonanno’s framework.