bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global warming-related response after bacterial challenge in Astroides calycularis, a Mediterranean thermophilic coral
Authors: Bisanti L. , La Corte C. , Dara M. , Bertini F. , Parisi M. G. , Chemello R. , Cammarata M. , Parrinello D.
Published: April 2024

A worldwide increase in the prevalence of coral diseases and mortality has been linked to ocean warming due to changes in coral-associated bacterial communities, pathogen virulence, and immune system function. In the Mediterranean basin, the worrying upward temperature trend has already caused recurrent mass mortality events in recent decades. To evaluate how elevated seawater temperatures affect the immune response of a thermophilic coral species, colonies of Astroides calycularis were exposed to environmental (23 °C) or elevated (28 °C) temperatures, and subsequently challenged with bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Using immunolabeling with specific antibodies, we detected the production of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), molecules involved in coral immune responses, and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) activity, involved in general responses to thermal stress. A histological approach allowed us to characterize the tissue sites of activation (epithelium and/or gastroderm) under different experimental conditions. The activity patterns of the examined markers after 6 h of LPS stimulation revealed an up-modulation at environmental temperature. Under warmer conditions plus LPS-challenge, TLR4-NF-kB activation was almost completely suppressed, while constituent elevated values were recorded under thermal stress only. An HSP70 up-regulation appeared in both treatments at elevated temperature, with a significantly higher activation in LPS-challenge colonies. Such an approach is useful for further understanding the molecular pathogen-defense mechanisms in corals in order to disentangle the complex interactive effects on the health of these ecologically relevant organisms related to global climate change.
An easily attachable measurement system of joystick angle in a power wheelchair using IMUs for maneuvering logger
Authors: Liu Yi , Suzurikawa Jun
Published: April 2024

Monitoring joystick operations in power wheelchairs (PWCs) is promising for investigating user-wheelchair interaction and providing quantitative measures to assess the user’s driving performance. In this paper, an add-on measurement system, Power Wheelchair Maneuvering Logger (PWhML), is developed to provide an easy-to-implement and cost-effective solution for monitoring the user’s joystick operations in PWCs. The proposed system uses two compact inertial measurement units (IMUs), which are respectively attached to the joystick and wheelchair armrest for movement sensing. A coordinate transformation-based method is proposed to estimate the joystick operating angles using the acceleration data measured by the attached IMUs. The accuracy of the proposed method was thoroughly evaluated under different conditions. The evaluation trials in a stationary PWC reported a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.59° in the forward/backward direction and 0.64° in the leftward/rightward direction, validating the established geometry model for coordinate transformation. The subsequent driving experiments on outdoor test courses demonstrated the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method in various terrain conditions (MAE of less than 3°). A clustering analysis based on the t-distributed stochastic neighborhood embedding method correctly categorized different driving activities using the joystick operating angles measured by PWhML. These results indicate that integrating the developed PWhML into PWCs can facilitate a quantitative measurement of the user’s driving behavior, providing valuable insights to identify careless operation patterns and help PWC users to improve driving performance.
Single-B cell analysis correlates high-lactate secretion with stress and increased apoptosis
Authors: Bucheli Olivia T. M. , Rodrigues Daniela , Portmann Kevin , Linder Aline , Thoma Marina , Halin Cornelia , Eyer Klaus
Published: April 2024

While cellular metabolism was proposed to be a driving factor of the activation and differentiation of B cells and the function of the resulting antibody-secreting cells (ASCs), the study of correlations between cellular metabolism and functionalities has been difficult due to the absence of technologies enabling the parallel measurement. Herein, we performed single-cell transcriptomics and introduced a direct concurrent functional and metabolic flux quantitation of individual murine B cells. Our transcriptomic data identified lactate metabolism as dynamic in ASCs, but antibody secretion did not correlate with lactate secretion rates (LSRs). Instead, our study of all splenic B cells during an immune response linked increased lactate metabolism with acidic intracellular pH and the upregulation of apoptosis. T cell-dependent responses increased LSRs, and added TLR4 agonists affected the magnitude and boosted LSRhigh B cells in vivo, while resulting in only a few immunoglobulin-G secreting cells (IgG-SCs). Therefore, our observations indicated that LSRhigh cells were not differentiating into IgG-SCs, and were rather removed due to apoptosis.
Integrated optimization of scheduling for unmanned follow-me cars on airport surface
Authors: Yuan Dezhou , Zhu Xinping , Zou Yajun , Zhao Qing
Published: April 2024

To promote the application of automated vehicles in large airports, in this study, we present an integrated optimization method for scheduling Unmanned follow-me cars. The scheduling process is divided into three phases: Dispatch, Guidance, and Recycle. For the Dispatch phase, we establish a vehicle assignment model, to allocate the vehicle resource equitably. For the Guidance phase, we offer an quantitative way, to measure the spacing between Unmanned follow-me car and aircraft. To optimize the efficiency of airport operation in the three phases and ensure safety, the collaborative planning model, and the conflict prediction model are established. An improved grey wolf optimization algorithm is adopted to enhance the convergence speed and generalization performance. A case study at Ezhou Huahu Airport in China demonstrates the effectiveness of the methods. The results show that the model of collaborative planning can make the balance of path selection, Unmanned follow-me car’s working time, and departure sequence. The convergence speed of the improved algorithm has been increased by 18.75%. The inequity index of vehicle assignment is only 0.015731, and the spatiotemporal distribution of conflicts is influenced by the airport’s surface layout.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of longissimus dorsi muscle reveal potential genes affecting meat trait in Chinese indigenous Xiang pig
Authors: Wang Wei , Wang Dan , Zhang Xinyi , Liu Xiaoli , Niu Xi , Li Sheng , Huang Shihui , Ran Xueqin , Wang Jiafu
Published: April 2024

In this study, we compared the transcriptome of longissimus dorsi muscle between Guizhou Xiang pigs (XP) and Western commercial Large White pigs (LW), which show diffirent meat quality between them. In terms of meat quality traits, the pH 45 min, color score, backfat thickness, and intramuscular fat (IMF) content were higher in Xiang pigs than in Large White pigs (P < 0.01), while the drip loss, lean meat percentage, shear force, and longissimus dorsi muscle area of Xiang pigs were lower than that of Large White pigs (P < 0.01). Nutrients such as monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), total amino acids (TAA), delicious amino acids (DAA) and essential amino acids (EAA) in Xiang pigs were higher than that in Large White pigs, and the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) of Xiang pigs was significantly lower than Large White pigs (P < 0.01). Transcriptome analysis identified 163 up-regulated genes and 88 genes down-regulated in Xiang pigs longissimus dorsi muscle. Combined with the correlation analysis and quantitative trait locis (QTLs) affecting meat quality, a total of 227 DEGs were screened to be significantly associated with meat quality values. Enrichment analysis indicated that numerous members of genes were gathered in muscle development, adipogenesis, amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and synthesis. Of those, 29 genes were identified to be hub genes that might be related with the meat quality of Xiang pig, such as MYOD1, ACTB, ASNS, FOXO1, ARG2, SLC2A4, PLIN2, and SCD. Thus, we screened and identified the potential functional genes for the formation of meat quality in Xiang pigs, which provides a corresponding theoretical basis for the study of the molecular regulatory mechanism of pork quality and the improvement of pork quality.
Post-fire stabilization of thaw-affected permafrost terrain in northern Alaska
Authors: Jones Benjamin M. , Kanevskiy Mikhail Z. , Shur Yuri , Gaglioti Benjamin V. , Jorgenson M. Torre , Ward Jones Melissa K. , Veremeeva Alexandra , Miller Eric A. , Jandt Randi
Published: April 2024

In 2007, the Anaktuvuk River fire burned more than 1000 km2 of arctic tundra in northern Alaska, ~ 50% of which occurred in an area with ice-rich syngenetic permafrost (Yedoma). By 2014, widespread degradation of ice wedges was apparent in the Yedoma region. In a 50 km2 area, thaw subsidence was detected across 15% of the land area in repeat airborne LiDAR data acquired in 2009 and 2014. Updating observations with a 2021 airborne LiDAR dataset show that additional thaw subsidence was detected in < 1% of the study area, indicating stabilization of the thaw-affected permafrost terrain. Ground temperature measurements between 2010 and 2015 indicated that the number of near-surface soil thawing-degree-days at the burn site were 3 × greater than at an unburned control site, but by 2022 the number was reduced to 1.3 × greater. Mean annual ground temperature of the near-surface permafrost increased by 0.33 °C/yr in the burn site up to 7-years post-fire, but then cooled by 0.15 °C/yr in the subsequent eight years, while temperatures at the control site remained relatively stable. Permafrost cores collected from ice-wedge troughs (n = 41) and polygon centers (n = 8) revealed the presence of a thaw unconformity, that in most cases was overlain by a recovered permafrost layer that averaged 14.2 cm and 18.3 cm, respectively. Taken together, our observations highlight that the initial degradation of ice-rich permafrost following the Anaktuvuk River tundra fire has been followed by a period of thaw cessation, permafrost aggradation, and terrain stabilization.
Design, synthesis, biological assessment and molecular modeling studies of novel imidazothiazole-thiazolidinone hybrids as potential anticancer and anti-inflammatory agents
Authors: Kamboj Payal , Anjali  , Imtiyaz Khalid , Rizvi Moshahid A. , Nath Virendra , Kumar Vipin , Husain Asif , Amir Mohd.
Published: April 2024

A new series of imidazothiazole derivatives bearing thiazolidinone moiety (4a-g and 5a-d) were designed, synthesized and evaluated for potential epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase inhibition, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity, cardiomyopathy toxicity and hepatotoxicity. Compound 4c inhibited EGFR kinase at a concentration of 18.35 ± 1.25 µM, whereas standard drug erlotinib showed IC50 value of 06.12 ± 0.92 µM. The molecular docking, dynamics simulation and MM-GBSA binding energy calculations revealed strong interaction of compound 4c with binding site of EGFR. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their anticancer activity by MTT assay against three human cancer cell lines A549 (Lung), MCF-7 (Breast), HCT116 (Colon), one normal human embryonic kidney cell line HEK293 and also for their EGFR kinase inhibitory activity. Few compounds of the series (4a, 4b, 4c) showed promising growth inhibition against all the tested cancer cell lines and against EGFR kinase. Among these, compound 4c was found to be most active and displayed IC50 value of 10.74 ± 0.40, 18.73 ± 0.88 against cancer cell lines A549 and MCF7 respectively whereas it showed an IC50 value of 96.38 ± 1.79 against HEK293 cell line indicating lesser cytotoxicity for healthy cell. Compounds 4a, 4b and 4c were also examined for their apoptosis inducing potential through AO/EB dual staining assay and it was observed that their antiproliferative activity against A549 cells is mediated via induction of apoptosis. Cardiomyopathy studies showed normal cardiomyocytes with no marked sign of pyknotic nucleus of compounds 4b and 4c. Hepatotoxicity studies of compounds 4b and 4c also showed normal architecture of hepatocytes. Compounds 4a-g and 5a-d were also evaluated for their in-vitro anti-inflammatory activity by protein albumin denaturation assay. Among the tested compounds 4a-d and 5a-b showed promising activity and were selected for in-vivo inflammatory activity against carrageenan rat paw edema test. Among these compounds, 4b was found to be most active in the series showing 84.94% inhibition, whereas the standard drug diclofenac sodium showed 84.57% inhibition. Compound 4b also showed low ulcerogenic potential and lipid peroxidation. Thus, compounds 4c and 4b could be a promising lead compounds for developing anticancer and anti-inflammatory agents with low toxicity and selectivity.
Experimental study to compare the strength of concrete with different amounts of polypropylene fibers at high temperatures
Authors: Wang Yanhui , Nejati Faezeh , Edalatpanah S. A. , Goudarzi Karim Ramin
Published: April 2024

It is widely known that adding fibers to concrete improves the properties of concrete, which has a brittle behavior. Although concrete has high compressive strength but poor tensile strength, this has led researchers to offer a variety of ways to deal with this weakness. The use of fibers is one of the methods used to enhance concrete behavior. Fire is one of the most important cases in structures; if the temperature is high or its duration is long, it will cause serious damage to the structure. The present study is an experimental study in which different concrete samples with different amounts of polypropylene fibers and different cement content are exposed once at a normal temperature of 25 °C and again at high temperatures, including 250 °C and 500 °C. The effect of temperature on the compressive and tensile strengths of concrete containing 0.5%, 1.5%, and 2% polypropylene fibres and with cement contents of 200 kg/m3, 260 kg/m3, and 320 kg/m3. The compressive and tensile strength was evaluated at curing 28 days of strength. The results showed a severe strength loss for all concretes after exposure to 500 °C. The relative compressive strengths of concretes containing PP fibers were higher than those of concretes without PP fibers. The tensile strength of concrete was more sensitive to high temperatures than the compressive strength. Based on the test results, it can be concluded that adding 2% PP fibers can significantly promote the residual mechanical properties of concrete during heating. The compressive strength at 25 °C with 2% PP fibres decreases by 43% with cement contents of 200 kg/m3 and 64% with cement contents of 260 kg/m3, and 37% with cement contents of 320 kg/m3, respectively. Also, the compressive strength at 500 °C with 2% PP fibres decreases by 61% with 200 kg/m3, 59% with 260 kg/m3, and 42% with cement contents of 320 kg/m3, respectively.
Cas9-directed long-read sequencing to resolve optical genome mapping findings in leukemia diagnostics
Authors: de Boer Eddy N. , Vroom Vincent , Scheper Arjen J. , Johansson Lennart F. , Bosscher Laura , Rietema Nettie , Commandeur-Jan Sabrina Z. , Knoers Nine V. A. M. , Sikkema-Raddatz Birgit , van den Berg Eva , van Diemen Cleo C.
Published: April 2024

Leukemias are genetically heterogeneous and diagnostics therefore includes various standard-of-care (SOC) techniques, including karyotyping, SNP-array and FISH. Optical genome mapping (OGM) may replace these as it detects different types of structural aberrations simultaneously and additionally detects much smaller aberrations (500 bp vs 5–10 Mb with karyotyping). However, its resolution may still be too low to define clinical relevance of aberrations when they are located between two OGM labels or when labels are not distinct enough. Here, we test the potential of Cas9-directed long-read sequencing (LRS) as an additional technique to resolve such potentially relevant new findings. From an internal Bionano implementation study we selected ten OGM calls that could not be validated with SOC methods. Per variant we designed crRNAs for Cas9 enrichment, prepared libraries and sequenced them on a MinION/GridION device. We could confirm all aberrations and, importantly, the actual breakpoints of the OGM calls were located between 0.2 and 5.5 kb of the OGM-estimated breakpoints, confirming the high reliability of OGM. Furthermore, we show examples of redefinition of aberrations between labels that enable judgment of clinical relevance. Our results suggest that Cas9-directed LRS can be a relevant and flexible secondary technique in diagnostic workflows including OGM.
Early life factors and oral microbial signatures define the risk of caries in a Swedish cohort of preschool children
Authors: Eriksen Carsten , Boustedt Katarina , Sonne Si Brask , Dahlgren Jovanna , Kristiansen Karsten , Twetman Svante , Brix Susanne , Roswall Josefine
Published: April 2024

The oral cavity harbors complex communities comprising bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. The oral microbiota is establish at birth and develops further during childhood, with early life factors such as birth mode, feeding practices, and oral hygiene, reported to influence this development and the susceptibility to caries. We here analyzed the oral bacterial composition in saliva of 260 Swedish children at two, three and five years of age using 16S rRNA gene profiling to examine its relation to environmental factors and caries development at five years of age. We were able to assign the salivary bacterial community in each child at each time point to one of seven distinct clusters. We observed an individual dynamic in the development of the oral microbiota related to early life factors, such as being first born, born by C-section, maternal perinatal antibiotics use, with a distinct transition between three and five years of age. Different bacterial signatures depending on age were related to increased caries risk, while Peptococcus consistently linked to reduced risk of caries development.
The association between body mass index and osteoporosis in a Taiwanese population: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study
Authors: Chiu Chao-Tse , Lee Jia-In , Lu Cheng-Chang , Huang Shu-Pin , Chen Szu-Chia , Geng Jiun-Hung
Published: April 2024

This study investigates the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and osteoporosis utilizing data from the Taiwan Biobank. Initially, a comprehensive analysis of 119,009 participants enrolled from 2008 to 2019 was conducted to assess the association between BMI and osteoporosis prevalence. Subsequently, a longitudinal cohort of 24,507 participants, initially free from osteoporosis, underwent regular follow-ups every 2–4 years to analyze the risk of osteoporosis development, which was a subset of the main cohort. Participants were categorized into four BMI groups: underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 24 kg/m2), overweight (24 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 27 kg/m2), and obese groups (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2). A T-score ≤ − 2.5 standard deviations below that of a young adult was defined as osteoporosis. Overall, 556 (14.1%), 5332 (9.1%), 2600 (8.1%) and 1620 (6.7%) of the participants in the underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese groups, respectively, had osteoporosis. A higher prevalence of osteoporosis was noted in the underweight group compared with the normal weight group (odds ratio [OR], 2.20; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.99 to 2.43; p value < 0.001) in multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, in the longitudinal cohort during a mean follow-up of 47 months, incident osteoporosis was found in 61 (9%), 881 (7.2%), 401 (5.8%) and 213 (4.6%) participants in the underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese groups, respectively. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that the risk of incident osteoporosis was higher in the underweight group than in the normal weight group (hazard ratio [HR], 1.63; 95% CI 1.26 to 2.12; p value < 0.001). Our results suggest that BMI is associated with both the prevalence and the incidence of osteoporosis. In addition, underweight is an independent risk factor for developing osteoporosis. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining normal weight for optimal bone health.
Biochemical analysis of Hyalomma dromedarii salivary glands and gut tissues using SR-FTIR micro-spectroscopy
Authors: Hendawy Seham H. M. , Alzan Heba F. , Abdel-Ghany Hoda S. M. , Suarez Carlos E. , Kamel Gihan
Published: April 2024

Ticks are obligatory voracious blood feeders infesting diverse vertebrate hosts, that have a crucial role in the transmission of diverse pathogens that threaten human and animal health. The continuous emergence of tick-borne diseases due to combined worldwide climatic changes, human activities, and acaricide-resistant tick strains, necessitates the development of novel ameliorative tick control strategies such as vaccines. The synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared micro-spectroscopy (SR-FTIR) is a bioanalytical microprobe capable of exploring the molecular chemistry within microstructures at a cellular or subcellular level and is considered as a nondestructive analytical approach for biological specimens. In this study, SR-FTIR analysis was able to explore a qualitative and semi-quantitative biochemical composition of gut and salivary glands of Hyalomma dromedarii (H. dromedarii) tick detecting differences in the biochemical composition of both tissues. A notable observation regarding Amide I secondary structure protein profile was the higher ratio of aggregated strands in salivary gland and beta turns in gut tissues. Regarding the lipid profile, there was a higher intensity of lipid regions in gut tissue when compared to salivary glands. This detailed information on the biochemical compositions of tick tissues could assist in selecting vaccine and/or control candidates. Altogether, these findings confirmed SR-FTIR spectroscopy as a tool for detecting differences in the biochemical composition of H. dromedarii salivary glands and gut tissues. This approach could potentially be extended to the analysis of other ticks that are vectors of important diseases such as babesiosis and theileriosis.
Self-supervised learning for human activity recognition using 700,000 person-days of wearable data
Authors: Yuan Hang , Chan Shing , Creagh Andrew P. , Tong Catherine , Acquah Aidan , Clifton David A. , Doherty Aiden
Published: April 2024

Accurate physical activity monitoring is essential to understand the impact of physical activity on one’s physical health and overall well-being. However, advances in human activity recognition algorithms have been constrained by the limited availability of large labelled datasets. This study aims to leverage recent advances in self-supervised learning to exploit the large-scale UK Biobank accelerometer dataset—a 700,000 person-days unlabelled dataset—in order to build models with vastly improved generalisability and accuracy. Our resulting models consistently outperform strong baselines across eight benchmark datasets, with an F1 relative improvement of 2.5–130.9% (median 24.4%). More importantly, in contrast to previous reports, our results generalise across external datasets, cohorts, living environments, and sensor devices. Our open-sourced pre-trained models will be valuable in domains with limited labelled data or where good sampling coverage (across devices, populations, and activities) is hard to achieve.
RORγt inverse agonist TF-S14 inhibits Th17 cytokines and prolongs skin allograft survival in sensitized mice
Authors: Fouda Ahmed , Maallah Mohamed Taoubane , Kouyoumdjian Araz , Negi Sarita , Paraskevas Steven , Tchervenkov Jean
Published: April 2024

Chronic antibody mediated rejection (AMR) is the major cause of solid organ graft rejection. Th17 contributes to AMR through the secretion of IL17A, IL21 and IL22. These cytokines promote neutrophilic infiltration, B cell proliferation and donor specific antibodies (DSAs) production. In the current study we investigated the role of Th17 in transplant sensitization. Additionally, we investigated the therapeutic potential of novel inverse agonists of the retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) in the treatment of skin allograft rejection in sensitized mice. Our results show that RORγt inverse agonists reduce cytokine production in human Th17 cells in vitro. In mice, we demonstrate that the RORγt inverse agonist TF-S14 reduces Th17 signature cytokines in vitro and in vivo and leads to blocking neutrophilic infiltration to skin allografts, inhibition of the B-cell differentiation, and the reduction of de novo IgG3 DSAs production. Finally, we show that TF-S14 prolongs the survival of a total mismatch grafts in sensitized mice. In conclusion, RORγt inverse agonists offer a therapeutic intervention through a novel mechanism to treat rejection in highly sensitized patients.
Epidermal retinol dehydrogenases cyclically regulate stem cell markers and clock genes and influence hair composition
Authors: Goggans Kelli R. , Belyaeva Olga V. , Klyuyeva Alla V. , Studdard Jacob , Slay Aja , Newman Regina B. , VanBuren Christine A. , Everts Helen B. , Kedishvili Natalia Y.
Published: April 2024

The hair follicle (HF) is a self-renewing adult miniorgan that undergoes drastic metabolic and morphological changes during precisely timed cyclic organogenesis. The HF cycle is known to be regulated by steroid hormones, growth factors and circadian clock genes. Recent data also suggest a role for a vitamin A derivative, all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), the activating ligand of transcription factors, retinoic acid receptors, in the regulation of the HF cycle. Here we demonstrate that ATRA signaling cycles during HF regeneration and this pattern is disrupted by genetic deletion of epidermal retinol dehydrogenases 2 (RDHE2, SDR16C5) and RDHE2-similar (RDHE2S, SDR16C6) that catalyze the rate-limiting step in ATRA biosynthesis. Deletion of RDHEs results in accelerated anagen to catagen and telogen to anagen transitions, altered HF composition, reduced levels of HF stem cell markers, and dysregulated circadian clock gene expression, suggesting a broad role of RDHEs in coordinating multiple signaling pathways.
Simple and convenient preconcentration procedure for the isotopic analysis of uranium in seawater
Authors: Abe Minami , Seko Noriaki , Hoshina Hiroyuki , Wada Shigeki , Yamasaki Shinya , Sueki Keisuke , Sakaguchi Aya
Published: April 2024

Amidoxime adsorbent was synthesised by graft polymerisation. The adsorbent was efficient for collection of U in seawater for both the adsorption and desorption steps, thus affording a new strategy for measurement of U isotopes.
Green chemistry: advancing planetary phosphorus sustainability through the synergy of graphene oxide modified with magnetic nanoparticles (M@GO) for extracting tertiary effluent phosphorus in sewage treatment plants
Authors: Muñoz-Garcia Andrea , Montoro-Leal Pablo , López Guerrero María del Mar , Vereda-Alonso Carlos , Vereda Alonso Elisa
Published: April 2024

The M@GO sorbent is easily separated from wastewater by a magnetic field.
High-efficiency removal of Cd(ii) and As(iii) from irrigation water using a S–Fe–C composite: performance and mechanisms
Authors: Liang Zihao , Liang Yanpeng , Lin Hua , Lu Yuxi , Li Huawei , Zhang Jie , Zeng Honghu , Chen Gongning
Published: April 2024

SFC showcased exceptional Cd(ii) and As(iii) removal capacities of 405 mg g−1 and 349 mg g−1, respectively, while preserving magnetic recovery properties after repeated adsorption cycles, making it an environmentally sustainable functional material.
Recent advances in vacuum- and laser-based fabrication processes for solar water-splitting cells
Authors: Kwon Jinhyeong , Ko Seonmi , Kim Hyeonwoo , Park Hyo Jin , Lee Changwook , Yeo Junyeob
Published: April 2024

This review examines recent manufacturing technologies of solar water-splitting cells. It covered vacuum-based manufacturing, highlighting recent advances in laser-based processes and discussing their innovative potential and future perspectives.
Investigation on the coordination between methylpyridine additives and the [Cu(dmp)2]2+/+ redox couple and its improvement towards the stability of the dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Nguyen Vinh Son , Kannankutty Kala , Chen Yu-Hsuan , Wang Ding-Cheng , Yeh Chen-Yu , Wei Tzu-Chien
Published: April 2024

The position of the methyl group in methylpyridine derivatives plays an important role in the copper(ii) coordination mechanism and their electrochemical properties relate to the regeneration process of [Cu(dmp)2]2+ at the counter electrode/electrolyte interfaces.
Enhanced electromagnetic absorption properties of the double-layer Ti3C2Tx MXene absorber with orthogonal microstructures
Authors: Ning Yuanhao , Yang Shuang , Sun Xianxian , Wang Shasha , Liang Lei , Cheng Yuanjing , Yuan Ye , Li Yibin
Published: April 2024

A double-layer MXene absorber with orthogonal microstructures was designed unidirectional freeze-casting method, which yielded favorable electromagnetic wave absorption properties by tuning the thickness ratio of the parallel ends when the parallel sample was used as an impedance matching layer.
Microbially-mediated aerobic oxidation of trace element-bearing pyrite in neutral-pH sandstone aquifer sediments
Authors: Haas Lisa , Ginder-Vogel Matthew , Zambito James J. , Hart David , Roden Eric E.
Published: April 2024

Disseminated pyrite grains in sandstone aquifer sediments are subject to microbially-accelerated reaction with dissolved oxygen, leading to more rapid decline in pH and release of trace elements to solution compared to abiotic reaction pathways.
Influence of proline and hydroxyproline as antimicrobial and anticancer peptide components on the silver(i) ion activity: structural and biological evaluation with a new theoretical and experimental SAR approach
Authors: Kuzderová Gabriela , Sovová Simona , Rendošová Michaela , Gyepes Róbert , Sabolová Danica , Kožárová Ivona , Balážová Ľudmila , Vilková Mária , Kello Martin , Liška Alan , Vargová Zuzana
Published: April 2024

Silver(i) complexes show antibacterial and cytotoxic activity and in ovo experiments predict their safe use for local or intravenous applications. Fluorescence quenching experiments and lipophilicity indicate suitable bioavailability.
Polaron-induced changes in moiré exciton propagation in twisted van der Waals heterostructures
Authors: Knorr Willy , Brem Samuel , Meneghini Giuseppe , Malic Ermin
Published: April 2024

Based on a microscopic theory, we investigate polaron-induced changes in the exciton transport in TMD heterostructures. We demonstrate that polaron formation and the associated enhancement of the exciton mass lead to a significant band flattening.
Removal of Cr(vi) in wastewater by Fe–Mn oxide loaded sludge biochar
Authors: Yu Chaoyang , Yang Jinyan
Published: April 2024

Sludge biochar loaded with Fe–Mn oxides (FMBC) was prepared and employed to remove Cr(vi) from wastewater.
Cobalt-doped zinc oxide based memristors with nociceptor characteristics for bio-inspired technology
Authors: Rehman Naveed Ur , Ullah Aziz , Mahmood Muhammad Adil , Rahman Nasir , Sohail Mohammad , Iqbal Shahid , Juraev Nizomiddin , Althubeiti Khaled , Al Otaibi Sattam , Khan Rajwali
Published: April 2024

Co–ZnO based memristors for Biological tactile receptor.
All-photonic kinase inhibitors: light-controlled release-and-report inhibition
Authors: Fleming Cassandra L. , Benitez-Martin Carlos , Bernson Elin , Xu Yongjin , Kristenson Linnea , Inghardt Tord , Lundbäck Thomas , Thorén Fredrik B. , Grøtli Morten , Andréasson Joakim
Published: April 2024

An all-photonic method is described, in which (i) the release of an active kinase inhibitor is controlled externally with light; and (ii) fluorescence is employed to report both the release and binding of the inhibitor to its corresponding target.
Constructing vacancy-rich metal phosphates by the spatial effect of ionic oligomers for enhanced OER activity
Authors: Zhao Yida , He Xinyu , Ma Xiaoming , Guo Zhengxi , Qi Menghui , Liu Zhaoming , Tang Ruikang
Published: April 2024

By rationally selecting ionic oligomers as building blocks, sub-nano-sized gaps can be constructed in the solid structure of catalysts. This can overcome the inherent limitations associated with vacancy formation of the traditional nucleation pathway.
Multiple‐missile fixed‐time integrated guidance and control design with multi‐stage interconnected observers under impact angle and input saturation constraints
Authors: Zhang Dingye , Yu Hang , Dai Keren , Yi Wenjun , Zhang He , Lei Zhiming
Published: April 2024

In this paper, a novel three‐dimensional fixed‐time integrated guidance and control (IGC) scheme with multi‐stage interconnected observers is proposed for cooperative attacks using multiple missiles against a maneuvering target under impact angle and input saturation constraints. External disturbances, modeling errors, and aerodynamic parameter variations are considered as system uncertainties and a three‐channel fully coupled IGC model for multiple missiles is established. The IGC system is designed optimally based on fixed‐time stability theory, sliding mode control, and the backstepping technique. Three inter‐cascaded fixed‐time disturbance observers based on an improved super‐twisting algorithm are designed to estimate and compensate for system uncertainties. Second‐order command filters are used to constrain virtual control signals, and additional filtering error subsystems are introduced to compensate for the tracking errors of filters. System stability and uniformly ultimately fixed‐time boundedness of all states are proven using the Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, the limits of the acceleration components of the maneuvering target perpendicular to the line of sight direction are derived. The effectiveness of the designed IGC scheme and the ability of multi‐stage interconnected observers to sense disturbances with each other are verified through simulations.
Improved input‐to‐state stability criteria for time‐varying switched singular systems
Authors: Lu Junjie , Li Yongqi , Wang Shijie , She Zhikun
Published: April 2024

This paper is dedicated to proposing improved input‐to‐state stability (ISS) criteria for a class of continuous‐time time‐varying switched singular systems (CTSSS) under slow/fast/slow‐fast switching signals. Specifically, for a CTSSS with time‐varying singular matrices, the authors start with an improved sufficient condition for verifying its ISS under slow switching signals based on the average dwell time method and a relaxed multiple Lyapunov function. Then, considering several or all subsystems may destroy the overall ISS, relaxed sufficient conditions are presented to ensure the ISS of the CTSSS under fast switching signals and slow‐fast switching signals, respectively. Note that the improvement of the proposed ISS criteria is embodied in the derivative of the required multiple Lyapunov functions along with the state trajectories of CTSSS can be positive or negative. Finally, three numerical examples are provided to illustrate the feasibility of the obtained results.
Deep learning cigarette defect detection method based on saliency feature guidance
Authors: Wang Xiaoming , Chen Liyan , Wu Lei , Yang Longfei , Liu Benxue , Yang Zhen
Published: April 2024

Cigarette defect detection is important in industrial production. Existing methods extract features for defect detection manually or using deep learning. However, due to the small size of cigarette defects, these methods are unable to effectively extract discriminative features, limiting detection performance. Hence, a deep learning‐based method called significant feature‐guided cigarette defect detection (SFGCD) is proposed, which combines saliency feature extraction methods with deep learning to enhance feature representation and improve detection. First, edge saliency features are extracted using the proposed target gradient saliency feature extraction (GSFE) strategy. Then, a dense multi‐level feature fusion network is designed to combine the original features with the saliency features obtained from the target gradient saliency feature extraction strategy. This network enriches feature representation and improves detection by fusing original and saliency features at different levels and scales. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a higher accuracy of 0.02 mean average precision (MAP) value and a detection speed of 5 frames per second (FPS) on the authors' own labeled cigarette defect dataset compared to existing state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Construction of computer visual dataset for autonomous driving in sand‐dust weather
Authors: Zhongwei Hua
Published: April 2024

With the wide application of vision‐based autonomous driving and mobile robots, the impact of frequent sand‐dust weather on computer vision applications in landlocked countries during spring and autumn has also attracted more and more attention. Although there has been a lot of research on sand‐dust image enhancement, no research has been conducted on how to improve the positioning accuracy of vision‐based autonomous driving or mobile robots in sand‐dust environments, especially because there is currently a lack of dataset to evaluate visual positioning in sand‐dust weather. Therefore, a complete set of visual positioning dataset construction methods in sand‐dust weather is proposed to fill the gap in the evaluation dataset of application fields such as autonomous driving or mobile robot attitude estimation in sand‐dust weather. At the same time, this method is also suitable for the construction of visual positioning dataset under haze and other similar weather. In addition, this paper further demonstrates to readers how to use the converted dust visual positioning dataset to conduct positioning evaluation experiment of automatic driving in sand‐dust weather.
Rheological properties of starch-milk-based dessert creams with sunflower, almond and hazelnut tahini
Authors: Dzhivoderova-Zarcheva Mina , Ivanova Stanislava , Nikovska Kremena
Published: April 2024

The influence of the type and quantity of added tahini in the composition of starch-milk dessert cream on the rheological and thixotropic properties was analyzed. Three types (sunflower, almond and hazelnut) and quantity (3, 6 and 12%) of tahini were used. After the analysis, it was found that the cream with 3% almond tahini had the highest viscosity, and the cream with 12% almond tahini had the lowest viscosity. All samples showed a non-Newtonian character, which is mainly due to the starch in their composition. In terms of thixotropic properties, the cream with 12% almond tahini showed the highest resistance, and the cream with 3% sunflower tahini showed the lowest resistance. The obtained results could be used when implementing similar types of products in food production.
Analysis of the technical feasibility of ecological bricks based on PET plastic and bottle glass for the reduction of solid waste pollution in a metropolis
Authors: Arguedas Jessica , Eyzaguirre Carlos
Published: April 2024

Contamination by non-biodegradable solid waste is worrying, mainly due to PET and glass waste, because they are used for single use such as bottles or containers. In addition, global production in 2021 of these materials was 139 million tons and 23.4 million tons, respectively. Therefore, the objective of this research is to develop an efficient design of bricks composed of cement, PET plastic and glass, evaluating both their physical properties and their mechanical properties to reduce said waste. For this, 4 mixtures based on cement, sand and glass were designed with proportions of 1:2:0.5 and 1:2:1. In addition, 5% and 10% PET were incorporated into these proportions. It should be noted that the PET was ground to a size of 0.2 cm and the glass was ground to a size of 2 cm. The tests carried out show that the 1:2:0.5 dosage with 10% PET is the most efficient, since it obtained a compressive strength of 77.99 kg/cm2 after 28 days. Therefore, it exceeds the minimum value of 70 kg/cm2 after 28 days to be classified as type II brick according to the masonry standard E.070. Likewise, said unit complied with the warping, dimensional variation and absorption tests required by the aforementioned standard.
Positive effects for Russian manufacturing enterprises from the expansion of ecosystem interactions within international digital platforms
Authors: Ilkevich S.V.
Published: April 2024

The purpose of this study is to consider new opportunities and positive effects for Russian industrial enterprises from the use of international digital platforms to expand ecosystem interaction. Currently, this issue is unexplored, but it seems almost inevitable that its importance will increase in the coming years due to the expansion of opportunities for internationalization of the business of industrial companies through global platforms. Based on a comprehensive theoretical review and interviews with a focus group of 14 representatives of Russian companies responsible for business development, digitalization and internationalization, the study suggests a comprehensive list of positive effects for Russian enterprises from the expansion of ecosystem interactions within the framework of international digital platform models. A separate important aspect of consideration in this study is approaches to overcoming the problem of monopoly power in digital platforms and ensuring a productive balance of interests of all participants and stakeholders. By analogy with how it happened in the e-commerce sector, one can assume an increase in monopolistic behavior and an imbalance of interests of participants on digital production platforms that unite many manufacturing enterprises. An analysis of some approaches to identifying and solving this problem is proposed.
Study of the structure of graphene oxide obtained by oxidation of intercalated graphite compound by Raman light scattering method
Authors: Efimova O.S. , Nikitin A.P. , Panina L.V. , Ismagilov Z.P.
Published: April 2024

This work shows the strategy of GO synthesis from intercalated graphite compound, rotation of the synthesis conditions was carried out, and the starting material and synthesis products were characterized in detail by a complex of physical and chemical methods: scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and high-temperature catalytic oxidation. It was found by Raman spectroscopy that the initial IGC sample is a graphite structure with a low content of defects in graphene layers. Oxidation of this sample leads to a gradual increase in the measure of disordered carbon framework. One of the reasons for this is a decrease in the size of graphite-like crystallites with subsequent reorientation in the space of graphene layers. It has been established by a complex of physicochemical methods of research that the oxidation of IGC graphite with increasing oxidation time leads to an increase in the defectivity of the initial carbon framework due to a decrease in the linear size of carbon crystallites. When a certain reaction time is reached, the initial structure of the sample changes, and there is a partial reorientation of the crushed graphite-like fragments with a simultaneous increase in the number of defects.
Investigation of stresses and deformation forces in energy-intensive pressing processes with backflow of metal
Authors: Gurulev Dmitrii , Levin Yuriy , Rogachev Stanislav , Vodovatov Vladislav
Published: April 2024

Although a large number of studies have been carried out to optimize the processes of pressing metals and alloys, the recommendations for industrial use are ambiguous and cannot be extended to the entire product range. To a special extent, this applies to hollow products such as cups with a flange for the manufacture of which, the most rational and economical (but at the same time very energy-intensive) is the process of pressing with the reverse expiration of metal on hot-stamping presses (CHSP). Therefore, the relevance of theoretical studies of the stress-strain state of metal remains in relation to the manufacture of products of this type by reverse pressing (“reverse extrusion”) in order to find the most effective technological schemes of deformation, providing a significant reduction in energy intensity with minimal labor costs and allowing the use of universal forging and pressing equipment.
Research on ways to improve the environmental situation while optimizing the management of urban parking space
Authors: Shvetsov Alexey
Published: April 2024

This paper explores options for improving the environmental situation when optimizing the management of urban parking space. During the work, the distance traveled by drivers when searching for parking in the central part of cities was analyzed. Data on the length of the distance traveled was obtained by interviewing drivers. The survey was conducted after completing a task to find parking in the central part of cities at a certain time of day (08.00-09.00, 12.00-14.00, 17.00-19.00). The data obtained reflect the indicator regarding the distance traveled by drivers when searching for parking in the central part of cities. The data obtained make it possible to estimate the amount of environmental load arising from vehicle traffic in the central part of cities when searching for free parking spaces. These studies can be used in the development of programs for optimizing the management of urban parking space, as well as environmental studies aimed at stabilizing the environmental situation in modern cities.
Developing a diversification strategy logistics services
Authors: Guzenko Natalia , Bekbergeneva Dina
Published: April 2024

In the context of global economic instability, the effects of pandemic constraints and current geopolitical challenges, the competitiveness of transport companies, especially in the rail transport sector, is imbalanced. The search for new solutions in response to the transformation of the transport market, shaped by the trend of general economic and geopolitical processes, lies in the implementation of a diversification strategy. This fact makes it relevant to review the strategic and integrated solutions of domestic freight transport operators, and in particular the need to adapt to current market realities, logistics services, the possibility of using resource spillover tools by optimising structural transformations in the service sector. These factors have had a predetermining influence on the essence of diversification for a concentrated division of logistics and transport services, the identification of customer demand levels and the development of a comprehensive marketing strategy to market specific transport products. The main purpose of this article is to identify a set of factors that have identifying the range of logistics tools and elements of marketing communications in the expansion of transport services, identifying the level of their quantitative and qualitative indicators, while based on modern tools of digital technology and modern advances in technology and innovation.