bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Interface Defects on the Harmonic Currents in Distribution Cable Accessories under Damp Conditions
Authors: Hu Ran , Sun Weixin , Lu Xu , Tang Feng , Xu Zhifeng , Tian Jie , Zhang Daning , Li Guochang
Published: August 2023

Dampness is one of the most important factors leading to the degradation of the insulation performance of cable accessories; it may easily lead to interface defects of composite insulation. In this paper, an electromagnetic field defect model of the cable composite insulation interface is established, and the effects of the defect degree and the defect type on the magnetic flux and the harmonic current are studied. The results show that the magnetic field is uniformly distributed with a decreasing trend when the cable is in good condition, and the grounding current has no obvious harmonic component. For different defects, the magnetic field changes at the defect location are notably different; for water droplets and the water film, the magnetic field distortion is obvious at the location of the defect and sheath, and for water tree defects, the distortion of the magnetic field is significant. In addition, the degree of distortion caused by the same defect at different positions is also different, and the magnetic field contrast is not obvious at different degrees of moisture exposure. The distortion of the grounding current caused by the water tree is higher than that of the water droplet and the water film, and the characteristics of the harmonic components of the grounding current caused by different defects have obvious distinctions. The type of cable defect can be judged by the proportion of harmonic components. This work can be used as a reference for the assessment of the cable insulation defect status.
Interface Leakage Theory of Mechanical Seals Considering Microscopic Forces
Authors: Zheng Wei , Sun Jianjun , Ma Chenbo , Yu Qiuping
Published: August 2023

The fluid flow in the small pore throat is a nonlinear flow, and the microscopic force between the fluid and the wall cannot be ignored. However, the previously established theories about the leakage between sealing interfaces have not considered the influence of microscopic forces. Based on contact mechanics and percolation theory, the void characteristics of the sealing interface were clarified, and the influence of microscopic force on fluid flow in porous medium was analyzed. Combined with the capillary force, the concept of a critical void radius between the mechanical seal interfaces is proposed. The fluid flow resistance model and leakage rate calculation equation of the sealing interface considering the van der Waals force are established, and the leakage judgment criterion of the sealing interface is provided. Through numerical calculation and experiments, the effect of microscopic force is verified in terms of the fluid flow law and macroscopic leakage rate. The results show that van der Waals forces have an important influence on the fluid flow between the sealing interfaces. As the microchannel size decreases, the van der Waals forces between solid and liquid increase, and the influence of these van der Waals forces on the fluid flow between the sealing interfaces cannot be ignored. The calculation model of the sealing interface leakage rate proposed in this paper shows little difference with the results of the Persson model, and is in good agreement with the experimental results; the maximum relative error is 8.7%, the minimum relative error is only 3.8%.
Preparation of ILe@Cu@MOF Catalyst and Its Application in Biodiesel Catalysis
Authors: Hao Yinan , Wang Yan , Ren Zhiyuan , Shen Hongxia , Sheng Jian , Zhang Kai , Wang Jingwen , Wang Ximing
Published: August 2023

Heterogeneous catalysts play a dual role in transesterification due to their advantages of being separable and reusable. In recent years, heterogeneous catalysts derived from renewable resources have received more attention. In this paper, the production of biodiesel from Xanthoceras sorbifolia bunge oil via transesterification was studied under the action of an ILe@Cu@MOF catalyst. Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Thermogravimetric (TG) and other characterization methods were used to characterize the microstructure and thermal stability of the catalyst and further study the ILe@Cu@MOF catalyst for the preparation of biodiesel from Xanthoceras sorbifolia bunge oil. The results show that the surface of the ILe@Cu@MOF catalyst is attached with a sheet-like structure of isoleucine (ILe), which mainly contains Cu, O, C and N elements. The specific surface area is 19.687 m2/g, and the average pore size is 31.74 nm, which belongs to mesoporous material. The pyrolysis temperature of ILe@Cu@MOF reached 360 °C, indicating that the grafting of ILe had a protective effect on Cu@MOF and increased the pyrolysis temperature of Cu@MOF. At the same time, the water contact angle increased from 86° to 121°, and the material was hydrophobic. The optimum conditions for the preparation of biodiesel were as follows: the amount of catalyst was 3 wt%, the molar ratio of methanol to oil was 35:1, the reaction temperature was 50 °C, and the reaction time was 4 h. At this time, the biodiesel yield was up to 82.85%. Moreover, after five cycles of ILe@Cu@MOF, the yield still reached 73.4%. GC–MS and MNR studies showed that the quality of biodiesel after catalysis was higher. The prepared catalyst can make biodiesel products more sustainable, environmentally friendly and economical, and can provide future prospects for the energy utilization of renewable resources.
Electric and Magnetic Fields Effects in Vertically Coupled GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs Conical Quantum Dots
Authors: López Aristizábal Ana María , Mora Rey Fernanda , Morales Álvaro Luis , Vinasco Juan A. , Duque Carlos Alberto
Published: August 2023

Vertically coupled quantum dots have emerged as promising structures for various applications such as single photon sources, entangled quantum pairs, quantum computation, and quantum cryptography. We start with a structure composed of two vertically coupled GaAs conical quantum dots surrounded by AlxGa1−x, and the effects of the applied electric and magnetic fields on the energies are evaluated using the finite element method. In addition, the effects are evaluated by including the presence of a shallow-donor impurity. The electron binding energy behavior is analyzed, and the effects on the photoionization cross-section are studied. Calculations are carried out in the effective mass and parabolic conduction band approximations. Our results show a notable dependence on the electric and magnetic fields applied to the photoionization cross-section. In general, it has been observed that both the electric and magnetic fields are useful parameters for inducing blueshifts of the resonant photoionization cross-section structure, which is accompanied by a drop in its magnitude.
Bioacoustic Monitoring Reveals the Calling Activity of an Endangered Mountaintop Frog (Philoria kundagungan) in Response to Environmental Conditions
Authors: Bolitho Liam , Newell David , Hines Harry
Published: August 2023

Amphibians are the most endangered class of vertebrate on Earth. Knowledge of their ecology is crucial to their conservation; however, many species have received scant attention from researchers, particularly in regions that are difficult to access or when traditional monitoring methods are impractical. In recent years, technological advancements in environmental audio collection techniques and signal detection algorithms (i.e., call recognition) have created a new set of tools for examining the ecology of amphibians. This study utilises these recent technological advancements to examine the calling phenology of a poorly known Australian mountain frog (Philoria kundagungan). Audio recordings and meteorological data were collected from six localities across the species range, with recordings made every hour for ten minutes between July 2016 and March 2018. We developed an audio recognition algorithm that detected over 1.8 million P. kundagungan calls in 8760 h of audio recordings with a true positive rate of 95%. Our results suggest that calling activity was driven by substrate temperature and precipitation, which has potential consequences for the species as the climate warms and seasonal precipitation patterns shift under climate change. With this detailed knowledge of P. kundagungan calling phenology, this difficult-to-find species will now be more reliably detected, removing a barrier that has hindered efforts to study and conserve this species.
Interpretable Machine Learning for Personalized Medical Recommendations: A LIME-Based Approach
Authors: Wu Yuanyuan , Zhang Linfei , Bhatti Uzair Aslam , Huang Mengxing
Published: August 2023

Chronic diseases are increasingly major threats to older persons, seriously affecting their physical health and well-being. Hospitals have accumulated a wealth of health-related data, including patients’ test reports, treatment histories, and diagnostic records, to better understand patients’ health, safety, and disease progression. Extracting relevant information from this data enables physicians to provide personalized patient-treatment recommendations. While collaborative filtering techniques and classical algorithms such as naive Bayes, logistic regression, and decision trees have had notable success in health-recommendation systems, most current systems primarily inform users of their likely preferences without providing explanations. This paper proposes an approach of deep learning with a local interpretable model–agnostic explanations (LIME)-based interpretable recommendation system to solve this problem. Specifically, we apply the proposed approach to two chronic diseases common in older adults: heart disease and diabetes. After data preprocessing, we use six deep-learning algorithms to form interpretations. In the heart-disease data set, the actual model recommendation of multi-layer perceptron and gradient-boosting algorithm differs from the local model’s recommendation of LIME, which can be used as its approximate prediction. From the feature importance of these two algorithms, it can be seen that the CholCheck, GenHith, and HighBP features are the most important for predicting heart disease. In the diabetes data set, the actual model predictions of the multi-layer perceptron and logistic-regression algorithm were little different from the local model’s prediction of LIME, which can be used as its approximate recommendation. Moreover, from the feature importance of the two algorithms, it can be seen that the three features of glucose, BMI, and age were the most important for predicting heart disease. Next, LIME is used to determine the importance of each feature that affected the results of the calculated model. Subsequently, we present the contribution coefficients of these features to the final recommendation. By analyzing the impact of different patient characteristics on the recommendations, our proposed system elucidates the underlying reasons behind these recommendations and enhances patient trust. This approach has important implications for medical recommendation systems and encourages informed decision-making in healthcare.
Home versus Clinic Blood Pressure Monitoring: Evaluating Applicability in Hypertension Management via Telemedicine
Authors: Al-Anazi Ali F. , Gul Rahim , Al-Harbi Fahad T. , Al-Radhi Sulaiman A. , Al-Harbi Hamood , Altaher Altigani , Al-Harbi Mohammed M. , Al-Rashidi Fahad O. , Al-Haweeri Omer S. , Al-Mutairi Fakhri M. , Al-Riyaee Afyaa A. , Al-Hotan Fai M. , Al-Radhi Alulu A. , Al Shehri Hamdan M. , Alharbi Mohammed S. , ALGhasab Naif Saad
Published: August 2023

Hypertension is a significant public health concern in Saudi Arabia, affecting 28.6% of the population. Despite the availability of effective treatments, optimal blood pressure control is not always achieved, highlighting the need for effective management strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of home, compared to clinic, blood pressure measurements for managing hypertension in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. The study included 85 adults undergoing antihypertensive treatment. Home blood pressure measurements were obtained during the day and the evening using automated oscillometric sphygmomanometers, whereas clinic measurements were taken during clinic hours. Home blood pressure readings were significantly lower than clinic blood pressure readings, with mean differences of 20.4 mmHg and 4.1 mmHg for systolic and diastolic blood pressures, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the clinic systolic and diastolic blood pressures (r = 0.549, p < 0.001) and a weak correlation between the daytime home and clinic systolic blood pressures (r = 0.218, p < 0.05). This study provides insight into the applicability of home blood pressure monitoring, which may aid in the development of more effective hypertension management strategies, particularly the use of morning home blood pressure monitoring to aid treatment decisions through telehealth medicine.
On Laws of Thought—A Quantum-like Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Xin Lizhi , Xin Kevin , Xin Houwen
Published: August 2023

Incorporating insights from quantum theory, we propose a machine learning-based decision-making model, including a logic tree and a value tree; a genetic programming algorithm is applied to optimize both the logic tree and value tree. The logic tree and value tree together depict the entire decision-making process of a decision-maker. We applied this framework to the financial market, and a “machine economist” is developed to study a time series of the Dow Jones index. The “machine economist” will obtain a set of optimized strategies to maximize profits, and discover the efficient market hypothesis (random walk).
Overlapping Coalition Formation Game via Multi-Objective Optimization for Crowdsensing Task Allocation
Authors: Fu Yanming , Liu Xiao , Han Weigeng , Lu Shenglin , Chen Jiayuan , Tang Tianbing
Published: August 2023

With the rapid development of sensor technology and mobile services, the service model of mobile crowd sensing (MCS) has emerged. In this model, user groups perceive data through carried mobile terminal devices, thereby completing large-scale and distributed tasks. Task allocation is an important link in MCS, but the interests of task publishers, users, and platforms often conflict. Therefore, to improve the performance of MCS task allocation, this study proposes a repeated overlapping coalition formation game MCS task allocation scheme based on multiple-objective particle swarm optimization (ROCG-MOPSO). The overlapping coalition formation (OCF) game model is used to describe the resource allocation relationship between users and tasks, and design two game strategies, allowing users to form overlapping coalitions for different sensing tasks. Multi-objective optimization, on the other hand, is a strategy that considers multiple interests simultaneously in optimization problems. Therefore, we use the multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm to adjust the parameters of the OCF to better balance the interests of task publishers, users, and platforms and thus obtain a more optimal task allocation scheme. To verify the effectiveness of ROCG-MOPSO, we conduct experiments on a dataset and compare the results with the schemes in the related literature. The experimental results show that our ROCG-MOPSO performs superiorly on key performance indicators such as average user revenue, platform revenue, task completion rate, and user average surplus resources.
Data-Driven Estimation of Time-Varying Stochastic Effects on Building Heat Consumption Related to Human Interactions
Authors: Rasmussen Christoffer , Lassen Niels , Bacher Peder , Dokka Tor Helge , Madsen Henrik
Published: August 2023

Within the field of statistical modelling and data-driven characterisation of buildings’ energy performance, the focus is typically on parameter estimation of the building envelope and the energy systems. Less focus has been put on the stochastic human effect on energy consumption. We propose a new method for estimating the thermal building properties while, in parallel, estimating time-varying effects caused by the humans’ interactions with the building. We do that by combining a smooth, non-linear formulation of the energy signature method known from the literature with a hidden state formulated as a random walk to describe the human interactions with the building. The method is demonstrated on data obtained from autumn 2019 to late spring 2021 from a 900 m2 newly built school building located south of Oslo, Norway. The demonstration case has shown that the model accuracy increases and the model bias decrease when cross-validated. The estimated hidden state has also been shown to resemble the estimated combined mechanical and natural ventilation pattern controlled by the building users and operational staff. These human interactions have increased the total heat loss expressed in kilowatts per kelvin by around 50% over the course of one year from before the COVID-19 pandemic to after its outbreak.
Trends in Brazil’s Forestry Education: Overview of the Forest Engineering Programs
Authors: Hakamada Rodrigo , Frosini de Barros Ferraz Silvio , Moré Mattos Eduardo , Sulbarán-Rangel Belkis
Published: August 2023

Our study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of forestry programs in Brazil, including a comparative analysis with other countries while considering geographical factors. Over the past 25 years, the number of forestry programs in Brazil has increased from 43 to 75, leading to a rise in the annual number of graduates from 850 to 1500. Nevertheless, our findings reveal that only 60% of the available vacancies at universities are filled. On average, each institution enrolls 169 students (from 40 to 360 students per program). We also observed that, on average, each program employs 13 professors with a background in forest engineering (from 4 to 33). The results show that, among the professors from the ten oldest programs in the country, 78% had no prior professional experience outside academia, and 48% remained affiliated with the same university where they completed their undergraduate or graduate studies. There is a concerning and significant decline in the number of applicants for forestry programs, representing a strategic risk for the country. We identified a direct relationship between the number of programs, the population size, and the country’s total forest cover area when comparing Brazil with 12 other countries.
Diversity of Endomycorrhizal Fungi in Argan Forest Stands: Implications for the Success of Reforestation Programs
Authors: Ganoudi Matike , Ouallal Imane , El Mekkaoui Abdelali , Mounir Majid , Ibriz Mohammed , Iraqi Driss
Published: August 2023

Over the last few decades, argan trees (Argania spinosa L.) skeels have faced harsh ecological conditions and anthropogenic pressure, leading to a dramatic decline in surface and density of cultivation. Nowadays, most techniques used to regenerate argan trees have failed. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are root symbionts that increase plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses during transplantation. The exploration of these symbiotic fungi from different soils of argan stands is the starting point for the selection and production of high-performance organisms adapted to the reforestation sites. The objective of this study is to investigate the composition of the AMF community associated with the argan tree rhizosphere. Forty adult argan trees were sampled in eight forest sites representative of the distribution and genetic diversity of argan forest stands. Five sub-samples of rhizospheric soil were taken around each tree. Our results revealed the presence of different AMF structures (i.e., hyphae, vesicles/and arbuscules) in root samples. Based on morphological characterization, six genera of AMF spores were identified with a dominance of the genera Septoglomus (34%). In addition, soil organic matter and phosphorus concentrations showed a highly significant correlation with AMF spore density. The chi-square test showed a highly significant dependence of the distribution of genera on the site conditions of forest stands. These AMF could be tested and used during the inoculation of argan seedlings in forest nurseries for the success of restoration and reforestation programs, as well as for the development and sustainable improvement of this agroforestry system.
Effects of High and Low Aerotechnogenic Emissions of Heavy Metals on Wild Plants
Authors: Lyanguzova Irina , Katjutin Paul
Published: August 2023

This article presents the results of research on the influence of polymetallic-dust aerial emissions on the pollution levels in the soil and plants by heavy metals, which have been under the impact of the “Severonickel” smelter complex on the Kola peninsula (Russia) for more than 40 years. Research using soil and plant indicators was carried out at monitoring plots in the years 1980–1999 (with high aerotechnogenic emissions) and 2000–2019 (with low aerotechnogenic emissions). The organic horizon (forest litter) of the Al-Fe-humus podzol, assimilation organs of Vaccinium myrtillus L., V. vitis-idaea L., V. uliginosum L., Empetrum hermaphroditum Hagerup, and Pinus sylvestris L. as well as tree rings of Scots pine were used for bioindication research. The content of heavy metals was determined using the AAS method. During these time periods, the emissions of polymetallic dust decreased 3.5 fold, while the level of forest litter contamination with heavy metals in the buffer and impact zones increased by 2–5 times, resulting in increased phytotoxicity of the soil and reduced habitat quality for forest plants. At present, the content of Ni and Cu in the leaves (needles) of the plant indicators in the impact zone has decreased by 3–8 times compared with 1980–1999 but their elevated levels pose a potential health risk. The decrease in atmospheric emissions of pollutants led to a 1.5-fold increase in the width of the annual rings of pine trunks in the impact zone, which may indicate the beginning of the recovery of pine-trunk-wood productivity.
Intercropping Peanut under Forests Can Reduce Soil N2O Emissions in Karst Desertification Control
Authors: Hu Tinghui , Xiong Kangning , Wang Jun
Published: August 2023

In the process of vegetation restoration for karst desertification management, the lack of scientific and rational intercropping technology and the blind application of large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer have made the soil the main source of atmospheric N2O in this region. How soil N2O emissions vary under different intercropping modes is a scientific question worthy of study. This study took a three-year-old loquat (Eribotrya japonica L.) artificial forest in the karst plateau canyon as the experimental site and designed loquat intercropping with peanut, corn, and sweet potato (Ipomoeabatatas (L.) Lam.) as well as non-intercropping to analyze the differences in soil physicochemical properties and greenhouse gas emissions under different intercropping patterns. The results showed that intercropping with peanut significantly increased loquat yield, soil moisture, temperature, SOC, MBC, TN, and MBN content. The emissions of N2O and CO2were mainly positively correlated with soil moisture and temperature, while CH4 showed a negative correlation with soil moisture and soil temperature. The soil absorbed CH4 in the control of karst desertification. Karst area soils exhibited higher N2O emissions. Intercropping patterns significantly influenced soil N2O emissions, with N2O-N cumulative emissions ranging from 5.28 to 8.13 kg·hm−2 under different intercropping conditions. The lowest N2O-N cumulative emissions were observed for peanut intercropped under the forest. The peak N2O emission occurred in April 2022, which may be attributed to the higher rainfall and soil moisture during that month. Intercropping peanut with loquat significantly reduced the global warming potential. Therefore, intercropping peanut in young forests can improve soil water and fertilizer conditions, reduce soil N2O emissions and global warming potential, and serve as a nitrogen fixation and emission reduction technique suitable for karst desertification areas.
Evaluating the Bioremediation Capacity of the Polychaete Perinereis gualpensis (Jeldes, 1963) for Atlantic Salmon Aquaculture Sludge
Authors: Gómez Silvia , Lara Gabriele , Hurtado Carlos Felipe , Espinoza Alvarado René , Gutiérrez Jayro , Huechucoy José Carlos , Valenzuela-Olea Guillermo , Turner Alice
Published: August 2023

The potential of polychaetes for the bioremediation of aquaculture sludge gained more attention in recent years. These organisms can reduce organic matter and nutrients contained in the sludge of several aquaculture species, improving the sustainability of these activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the removal performance of Perinereis gualpensis (Jeldes, 1963) being fed with aquaculture sludge produced by a recirculating system cultivating Atlantic salmon. The experiment involved adding different amounts of sludge (10% and 20% with respect to total substrate) at a density of 300 organisms m−2 during 30 days. A treatment without sludge served as a control, using natural substrate. The highest removal rate of total organic matter (TOM) (23.95 ± 13.19 g m−2 day−1) was achieved by P. gualpensis with 20% sludge addition, a reduction of about 36% compared to the total amount added at the beginning of the trials. The organisms fed with aquaculture sludge presented higher nitrogen (8–9%) and carbon (40–43%) contents, with a maximum organic carbon assimilation of 32% in relation to the total content in the sludge. The high survival (88–95%) and positive growth rates (0.28% day−1) achieved by P. gualpensis indicated that this species can be sustained with salmon sludge as the only source of food. These results indicate that P. gualpensis is a promising candidate for removing nutrients from salmon effluents. Moreover, the protein contents achieved by the organisms (52–58%) meet the dietary protein requirements of several aquaculture species. Further research is needed to determine the maximum bioremediation capacity of this species and to evaluate the lipid content and fatty acid profiles of P. gualpensis to determine its potential application in aquaculture feed.
Characterization of Nano-SiO2/Zein Film Prepared Using Ultrasonic Treatment and the Ability of the Prepared Film to Resist Different Storage Environments
Authors: Ren Xiaofeng , Wang Junxia , Rashid Arif , Hou Ting , Ma Haile , Liang Qiufang
Published: August 2023

This study has developed, ultrasound-assisted, a novel food packaging film (U-zein/SiO2) for food packaging applications. Incorporating an optimal concentration of 18 mg/mL of nano-SiO2 and subjecting the film to 10 min of ultrasonic treatment resulted in a remarkable increase of 32.89% in elongation at break and 55.86% in tensile strength. In addition, the incorporation of nano-SiO2 effectively reduces the water content and solubility of the composite film, resulting in improved water/oxygen barrier properties. These physiochemical properties were further improved with the application of ultrasound. The analysis of attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electronic microscope demonstrated that the ultrasound treatment improved the hydrogen bonds, improved thermal stability, molecular arrangement, structure stability, and intermolecular compatibility of the composite film, resulting in enhanced physio-mechanical properties of the film. In addition, the ultrasound treatment led to a smoother film surface and reduced the pores on the film’s cross-section. Moreover, the U-zein/SiO2 film exhibited excellent mechanical and water/oxygen barrier properties in different storage environments over a period of 30 days. These results offer sound theoretical support for the practical application of the prepared preservative film.
Radio Frequency Treatment of Food: A Review on Pasteurization and Disinfestation
Authors: Bermudez-Aguirre Daniela , Niemira Brendan A.
Published: August 2023

Radio frequency (RF) is a novel technology with several food processing and preservation applications. It is based on the volumetric heating generated from the product’s dielectric properties. The dielectric properties of each material are unique and a function of several factors (i.e., temperature, moisture content). This review presents a list of dielectric properties of several foods and describes the use of RF as an innovative technology for the food industry. This paper includes several examples of pasteurization, fungi inactivation, and disinfestation in selected food products. The aim of this review is to present the potential applications of RF in pasteurization and disinfestation and research needs that should be addressed. RF has been successfully applied in the inactivation of pathogens such as Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli in low- and high-moisture food. The disinfestation of crops is possible using RF because of selective heating. This process inactivates the insects first because of the different dielectric properties between the pests and the food. The products’ final quality can be considerably better than conventional thermal processes. The processing time is reduced compared to traditional heating, and thermal damage to the food is minimized. The main drawback of the technology is the lack of uniform heating, mainly when the product is surrounded by a packaging material with different dielectric properties from the food.
Optimization of the Heat-Drying Conditions of Drone Pupae by Response Surface Methodology (RSM)
Authors: Baek SeungHee , Mae Agapito Sheryl , Nam InSik
Published: August 2023

Recent research has been conducted on various types of pre-processing methods for insects, including freeze-drying, microwave drying, hot air heat drying, and non-heat drying. This study aimed to identify the factors that have the greatest impact on heat drying conditions and establish the optimal heat drying conditions for drone pupae (Apis melifera L.) using response surface methodology (RSM) to minimize quality changes. Drone pupae were treated under various conditions, including blanching time (53–187 s) (X1), drying temperatures (41.6–58.4 °C) (X2), and drying time (266–434 min) (X3). The effect of these treatments on response variables, including the color parameter (WI, YI, BI, △E, and BD), AV, and TB of the dried drone pupae, was evaluated using a central composite design. The whole design consisted of 20 experimental points carried out in random order, which included eight factorial points, six center points, and six axial points. The optimal drying conditions for drone pupae were determined to be a blanching time of 58 s, a drying temperature of 56.7 °C, and a drying time of 298 min. The response variables were most affected by drying temperature and drying time and to a lesser extent by blanching time. The processed drone pupae using the optimized drying conditions resulted in the color parameters (WI, BI, YI, ΔE, and BD) being found to be 66.67, 21.33, 26.27, 31.27 and 0.13, respectively. And TB (log CFU/g) and AV (mg/g) values were found to be 3.12 and 4.33, respectively. The estimated and actual values for dried drone pupae showed no significant difference (p < 0.05). Comparing the physicochemical and microbiological properties of freeze-dried and optimal heat-dried drone pupae, the L and b value as well as PV were significantly lower in the heat-dried samples, while no significant difference was observed in the a value and AV (p < 0.05). Our study suggests that the model we developed can be applied to the large-scale production of drying conditions for use in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
Fair Allocation in Crowd-Sourced Systems
Authors: Assif Mishal , Kennedy William , Saniee Iraj
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we address the problem of fair sharing of the total value of a crowd-sourced network system between major participants (founders) and minor participants (crowd) using cooperative game theory. We use the framework of a Shapley allocation which is regarded as a fundamental method of computing the fair share of all participants in a cooperative game when the values of all possible coalitions could be quantified. To quantify the value of all coalitions, we define a class of value functions for crowd-sourced systems which capture the contributions of the founders and the crowd plausibly and derive closed-form expressions for Shapley allocations to both. These value functions are defined for different scenarios, such as the presence of oligopolies or geographic spread of the crowd, taking network effects, including Metcalfe’s law, into account. A key result we obtain is that under quite general conditions, the crowd participants are collectively owed a share between 12 and 23 of the total value of the crowd-sourced system. We close with an empirical analysis demonstrating the consistency of our results with the compensation offered to the crowd participants in some public internet content sharing companies.
QbD Design, Formulation, Optimization and Evaluation of Trans-Tympanic Reverse Gelatination Gel of Norfloxacin: Investigating Gene-Gene Interactions to Enhance Therapeutic Efficacy
Authors: Budhori Amit , Tiwari Abhishek , Tiwari Varsha , Sharma Ajay , Kumar Manish , Gautam Girendra , Virmani Tarun , Kumar Girish , Alhalmi Abdulsalam , Noman Omar Mohammed , Hasson Sidgi , Mothana Ramzi A.
Published: August 2023

Traditional otic drug delivery methods lack controlled release capabilities, making reverse gelatination gels a promising alternative. Reverse gelatination gels are colloidal systems that transition from a sol to a gel phase at the target site, providing controlled drug release over an extended period. Thermosensitive norfloxacin reverse gelatination gels were developed using a Quality by Design (QbD)-based optimization approach. The formulations were evaluated for their in vitro release profile, rheological behavior, visual appearance, pH, gelling time, and sol–gel transition temperature. The results show that the gelation temperatures of the formulations ranged from 33 to 37 °C, with gelling durations between 35 and 90 s. The drug content in the formulations was uniform, with entrapment efficiency ranging from 55% to 95%. Among the formulations, F10 exhibited the most favorable properties and was selected for a stability study lasting 60 days. Ex-vivo release data demonstrate that the F10 formulation achieved 95.6percentage of drug release at 360 min. This study successfully developed thermosensitive norfloxacin reverse gelatination gels using a QbD-based optimization approach. The selected formulation, F10, exhibited desirable properties in terms of gelling temperature, drug content, and release profile. These gels hold potential for the controlled delivery of norfloxacin in the treatment of ear infections.
Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Insecticide-Resistant Aedes aegypti from Puerto Rico Reveals Insecticide-Specific Patterns of Gene Expression
Authors: Derilus Dieunel , Impoinvil Lucy Mackenzie , Muturi Ephantus J. , McAllister Janet , Kenney Joan , Massey Steven E. , Hemme Ryan , Kothera Linda , Lenhart Audrey
Published: August 2023

Aedes aegypti transmits major arboviruses of public health importance, including dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. The use of insecticides represents the cornerstone of vector control; however, insecticide resistance in Ae. aegypti has become widespread. Understanding the molecular basis of insecticide resistance in this species is crucial to design effective resistance management strategies. Here, we applied Illumina RNA-Seq to study the gene expression patterns associated with resistance to three widely used insecticides (malathion, alphacypermethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin) in Ae. aegypti populations from two sites (Manatí and Isabela) in Puerto Rico (PR). Cytochrome P450s were the most overexpressed detoxification genes across all resistant phenotypes. Some detoxification genes (CYP6Z7, CYP28A5, CYP9J2, CYP6Z6, CYP6BB2, CYP6M9, and two CYP9F2 orthologs) were commonly overexpressed in mosquitoes that survived exposure to all three insecticides (independent of geographical origin) while others including CYP6BY1 (malathion), GSTD1 (alpha-cypermethrin), CYP4H29 and GSTE6 (lambda-cyhalothrin) were uniquely overexpressed in mosquitoes that survived exposure to specific insecticides. The gene ontology (GO) terms associated with monooxygenase, iron binding, and passive transmembrane transporter activities were significantly enriched in four out of six resistant vs. susceptible comparisons while serine protease activity was elevated in all insecticide-resistant groups relative to the susceptible strain. Interestingly, cuticular-related protein genes (chinase and chitin) were predominantly downregulated, which was also confirmed in the functional enrichment analysis. This RNA-Seq analysis presents a detailed picture of the candidate detoxification genes and other pathways that are potentially associated with pyrethroid and organophosphate resistance in Ae. aegypti populations from PR. These results could inform development of novel molecular tools for detection of resistance-associated gene expression in this important arbovirus vector and guide the design and implementation of resistance management strategies.
Advanced Skeletal Ossification Is Associated with Genetic Variants in Chronologically Young Beef Heifers
Authors: Shira Katie A. , Murdoch Brenda M. , Davenport Kimberly M. , Becker Gabrielle M. , Xie Shangqian , Colacchio Antonetta M. , Bass Phillip D. , Colle Michael J. , Murdoch Gordon K.
Published: August 2023

Osteogenesis is a developmental process critical for structural support and the establishment of a dynamic reservoir for calcium and phosphorus. Changes in livestock breeding over the past 100 years have resulted in earlier bone development and increased physical size of cattle. Advanced skeletal maturity is now commonly observed at harvest, with heifers displaying more mature bone than is expected at 30 months of age (MOA). We surmise that selection for growth traits and earlier reproductive maturity resulted in co-selection for accelerated skeletal ossification. This study examines the relationship of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 793 beef heifers under 30 MOA with USDA-graded skeletal maturity phenotypes (A-, B-, C- skeletal maturity). Further, the estrogen content of FDA-approved hormonal implants provided to heifers prior to harvest was evaluated in association with the identified SNPs and maturities. Association tests were performed, and the impact of the implants were evaluated as covariates against genotypes using a logistic regression model. SNPs from the ESR1, ALPL, PPARGC1B, SORCS1 genes, and SNPs near KLF14, ANKRD61, USP42, H1C1, OVCA2, microRNA mir-29a were determined to be associated with the advanced skeletal ossification phenotype in heifers. Higher dosage estrogen implants increased skeletal maturity in heifers with certain SNP genotypes.
Geophysical Subsoil Characterization and Modeling Using Cluster Analysis for Seismic Microzonation Purposes
Authors: Capizzi Patrizia , Martorana Raffaele
Published: August 2023

In the municipality of Enna, 80 HVSR measurements were performed, and some of these were combined with MASW seismic measurements, which made it possible to constrain the data inversion and obtain significant shear wave velocity models. A reconstruction of the depth of the seismic bedrock was performed for the whole territory, showing different depths for the higher and lower areas, as evidenced also by the Vseq parameter map. The frequency peaks identified in the H/V curve were analyzed through a cluster analysis algorithm to evaluate similarities that allow these peaks to be divided according to their stratigraphic origin. A non-hierarchical analysis algorithm modified in such a way as to avoid any a priori choice that could influence the partition has been used. The cluster analysis made it possible to divide the frequency peaks into five groupings, each of which was then associated with a seismic discontinuity, according to the geological contacts expected in the subsoil. Finally, the inversion of the data made it possible to reconstruct the geometries of these geological contact surfaces and to reconstruct a 3D model of the subsoil, which agrees well with the surface geology of the area.
Nurse Mentoring: A Scoping Review
Authors: Mínguez Moreno Inmaculada , González de la Cuesta Delia , Barrado Narvión María Jesús , Arnaldos Esteban Marta , González Cantalejo Mar
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Mentoring programs minimize stress and anxiety in recent graduates and in newly recruited nurses, guiding their careers and enabling them to retain their skills and correctly care for patients. The objective of this scoping review is to explore and summarize the existing literature on mentoring models and programs in the clinical nursing context. Methods: The databases searched include PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, Cuiden, Scielo, MEDES, OpenGrey, Trove and MedNar. Published and unpublished studies worldwide that included nurse mentoring programs in a clinical context, in public and private systems and primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare settings, and articles published in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, were included. Nurse students and training specialists were excluded. The papers were screened by two independent reviewers. In cases of discrepancy, a third reviewer made the decision. Results: Eleven studies were included. Most of them were conducted in the USA. A wide range of nurse mentoring programs were identified with highly variable characteristics. The duration of the programs and the evaluation systems were different, but the expected results matched. Conclusions: Mentoring programs need more in-depth and extensive study. In spite of their differences, they all lead to improvements for nurses, patients and organizations. A gender influence was found in our results, which could be studied in future research.
Paint and Coloring Materials from the Brazilian Amazon Forest: Beyond Urucum and Jenipapo
Authors: Puglieri Thiago Sevilhano , Maccarelli Laura
Published: August 2023

The Brazilian Legal Amazon region is divided into at least 155 ethnic groups and has the largest concentration of Indigenous people globally. It represents one of the most extraordinary levels of human, cultural, and artistic diversity, but its material culture is one of the least well-studied. This is especially true in technical art history and conservation science, largely due to (1) the limited international awareness of the richness of materials and techniques used by these Indigenous people and (2) the limitations of knowledge access for many scientists to literature usually published in Portuguese within social sciences and humanities. One result is that these arts are marginalized within technical art history, conservation, and conservation science. To address this knowledge gap, the authors explore 70 materials—among them pigments, dyes, binding media, and varnishes—used for paint production and coloring processes, including syntheses. The authors facilitate research possibilities within technical art history, conservation, and conservation science by presenting data from historical texts from the 18th and 19th centuries and more recent scientific literature. The work aims to build a more global, inclusive, and decentralized vision of art history and to create a more pluralistic narrative of Indigenous art history from South America.
3D Data Integration for Web Fruition of Underground Archaeological Sites: A Web Navigation System for the Hypogeum of Crispia salvia (Marsala, Italy)
Authors: Aricò Manuela , La Guardia Marcello , Lo Brutto Mauro
Published: August 2023

The diffuse data fruition of archaeological hypogeum sites still represents a challenge due to their limited accessibility and their preservation and maintenance issues. This implies that the fruition of these peculiar archaeological sites is often possible through digital reconstructions and interactive web navigation systems. The survey methodologies based on terrestrial laser scanning and photogrammetry allow making accurate and detailed digital reconstructions of these sites that are useful for virtual fruition purposes. In addition, many different systems can be used for remote web navigation and fruition. This work presents a possible solution for the virtual fruition of archaeological hypogea with a multiscale 3D web navigation system based on WebGL open-source technology. The system has been implemented for the Roman hypogeum of Crispia salvia, located in Marsala (southern Italy). The hypogeum belongs to the Archaeological Park of Lilibeo-Marsala and is considered one of the most important archaeological discoveries in this area for its extraordinary frescoes. Public accessibility of this site is limited because it is located outside the boundaries of the Archaeological Park, in the modern town, and covered by a residential building. In this case, the web navigation system adds an important contribution due to the limited real accessibility to the site. This work shows the framework for the construction of the web navigation system, where 3D surveys, digital reconstructions, 3D modeling, and web development are integrated. The choice of using an open-source technology for the web navigation system limits the costs of the process, and, at the same time, grants the web dissemination of site information.
High Prevalence of Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance among ESBL/AmpC-Producing Enterobacterales from Free-Living Birds in Poland
Authors: Furmanek-Blaszk Beata , Sektas Marian , Rybak Bartosz
Published: August 2023

In this study, we investigated the occurrence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) in extended-spectrum β-lactamase- (ESBL) and/or AmpC-type β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales isolates from free-living birds in Poland. The prevalence of the qnrB19 gene was 63%, and the distribution of isolates in terms of bacterial species was as follows: 67% (22/33) corresponded to Escherichia coli, 83% (5/6) to Rahnella aquatilis, 44% (4/9) to Enterobacter cloacae and 33% (1/3) to Klebsiella pneumoniae. The qnrB19 gene was also found in a single isolate of Citrobacter freundii. The molecular characteristics of qnrB19-positive isolates pointed to extended-spectrum beta lactamase CTX-M as the most prevalent one (89%) followed by TEM (47%), AmpC (37%) and SHV (16%). This study demonstrates the widespread occurrence of PMQR-positive and ESBL/AmpC-producing Enterobacterales isolates in fecal samples from wild birds. In this work, plasmid pAM1 isolated from Escherichia coli strain SN25556 was completely sequenced. This plasmid is 3191 nucleotides long and carries the qnrB19 gene, which mediates decreased susceptibility to quinolones. It shares extensive homology with other previously described small qnrB19-harboring plasmids. The nucleotide sequence of pAM1 showed a variable region flanked by an oriT locus and a Xer recombination site. The presence of a putative recombination site was detected, suggesting that interplasmid recombination events might have played a role in the development of pAM1. Our results highlight the broad geographical spread of ColE-type Qnr resistance plasmids in clinical and environmental isolates of Enterobacterales. As expected from the results of phenotypic susceptibility testing, no resistance genes other than qnrB19 were identified.