bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcription Profile and Pathway Analysis of the Endocannabinoid Receptor Inverse Agonist AM630 in the Core and Infiltrative Boundary of Human Glioblastoma Cells
Authors: Williams Gareth , Chambers David , Rahman Ruman , Molina-Holgado Francisco
Published: March 2022

Background: We have previously reported that the endocannabinoid receptor inverse agonist AM630 is a potent inhibitor of isocitrade dehydrogenase-1 wild-type glioblastoma (GBM) core tumour cell proliferation. To uncover the mechanism behind the anti-tumour effects we have performed a transcriptional analysis of AM630 activity both in the tumour core cells (U87) and the invasive margin cells (GIN-8), the latter representing a better proxy of post-surgical residual disease. Results: The core and invasive margin cells exhibited markedly different gene expression profiles and only the core cells had high expression of a potential AM630 target, the CB1 receptor. Both cell types had moderate expression of the HTR2B serotonin receptor, a reported AM630 target. We found that the AM630 driven transcriptional response was substantially higher in the central cells than in the invasive margin cells, with the former driving the up regulation of immune response and the down regulation of cell cycle and metastatic pathways and correlating with transcriptional responses driven by established anti-neoplastics as well as serotonin receptor antagonists. Conclusion: Our results highlight the different gene sets involved in the core and invasive margin cell lines derived from GBM and an associated marked difference in responsiveness to AM630. Our findings identify AM630 as an anti-neoplastic drug in the context of the core cells, showing a high correlation with the activity of known antiproliferative drugs. However, we reveal a key set of similarities between the two cell lines that may inform therapeutic intervention.
Micro- and Nanosecond Pulses Used in Doxorubicin Electrochemotherapy in Human Breast and Colon Cancer Cells with Drug Resistance
Authors: Rembiałkowska Nina , Novickij Vitalij , Baczyńska Dagmara , Dubińska-Magiera Magda , Saczko Jolanta , Rudno-Rudzińska Julia , Maciejewska Magdalena , Kulbacka Julita
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: Pulsed electric field (PEF) techniques are commonly used to support the delivery of various molecules. A PEF seems a promising method for low permeability drugs or when cells demonstrate therapy resistance and the cell membrane becomes an impermeable barrier. (2) Methods: In this study, we have used doxorubicin-resistant and sensitive models of human breast cancer (MCF-7/DX, MCF-7/WT) and colon cancer cells (LoVo, LoVoDX). The study aimed to investigate the susceptibility of the cells to doxorubicin (DOX) and electric fields in the 20–900 ns pulse duration range. The viability assay was utilized to evaluate the PEF protocols’ efficacy. Cell confluency and reduced glutathione were measured after PEF protocols. (3) Results: The obtained results showed that PEFs significantly supported doxorubicin delivery and cytotoxicity after 48 and 72 h. The 60 kV/cm ultrashort pulses × 20 ns × 400 had the most significant cytotoxic anticancer effect. The increase in DOX concentration provokes a decrease in cell viability, affected cell confluency, and reduced GSSH when combined with the ESOPE (European Standard Operating Procedures of Electrochemotherapy) protocol. Additionally, reactive oxygen species after PEF and PEF-DOX were detected. (4) Conclusions: Ultrashort electric pulses with low DOX content or ESOPE with higher DOX content seem the most promising in colon and breast cancer treatment.
Molecular Simulations and Drug Discovery of Adenosine Receptors
Authors: Wang Jinan , Bhattarai Apurba , Do Hung N. , Akhter Sana , Miao Yinglong
Published: March 2022

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest family of human membrane proteins. Four subtypes of adenosine receptors (ARs), the A1AR, A2AAR, A2BAR and A3AR, each with a unique pharmacological profile and distribution within the tissues in the human body, mediate many physiological functions and serve as critical drug targets for treating numerous human diseases including cancer, neuropathic pain, cardiac ischemia, stroke and diabetes. The A1AR and A3AR preferentially couple to the Gi/o proteins, while the A2AAR and A2BAR prefer coupling to the Gs proteins. Adenosine receptors were the first subclass of GPCRs that had experimental structures determined in complex with distinct G proteins. Here, we will review recent studies in molecular simulations and computer-aided drug discovery of the adenosine receptors and also highlight their future research opportunities.
Tea Seed Kaempferol Triglycoside Attenuates LPS-Induced Systemic Inflammation and Ameliorates Cognitive Impairments in a Mouse Model
Authors: Yeh Tsung-Ming , Chang Ching-Dong , Liu Shyh-Shyan , Chang Chi-I , Shih Wen-Ling
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: The current research intended to obtain functional compounds from agricultural by-products. A functional tea seed flavonoid, kaempferol-3-O-[2-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-6-O-α-L-rhanmopyranosyl]-β-d-glucopyranoside (KXRG), was isolated from tea seed dregs. We further determined its chemical structure and evaluated the protective effects of KXRG against local and systemic inflammation in vivo; (2) Methods: First, cytotoxicity and proinflammatory cytokine release were examined in a cell-culture system. The biological activities of KXRG were investigated in a mouse model of ear edema, and from inflammatory damage to organs as demonstrated by histologic examination, in addition to brain function evaluation using the Y-maze test. Serum biochemical analysis and western blotting were utilized to explore the related cellular factors; (3) Results: KXRG inhibited IL-6 in RAW264.7 cells at a non-toxic concentration. Further experiments confirmed that KXRG exerted a stronger effect than indomethacin in terms of the prevention of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA)-induced ear inflammation in a mouse model. KXRG feeding significantly prevented LPS-induced small intestine, liver, and kidney inflammatory damage, as demonstrated by histologic examination. KXRG also significantly improved LPS-induced cognitive impairments. Serum biochemical analysis showed that KXRG elevated antioxidant capacity and reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Western blotting revealed that KXRG reduced the COX-2 expression induced by LPS in mouse tissues; (4) Conclusions: KXRG can be purified from agricultural waste, and hence it is inexpensive, with large amounts of raw materials available. Thus, KXRG has strong potential for further development as a wide-use anti-systemic inflammation drug to prevent human disease.
Discovery of Leptulipin, a New Anticancer Protein from theIranian Scorpion, Hemiscorpius lepturus
Authors: Rezaei Ali , Asgari Saeme , Komijani Samira , Sadat Seyedeh Narjes , Sabatier Jean-Marc , Nasrabadi Davood , Pooshang Bagheri Kamran , Shahbazzadeh Delavar , Akbari Eidgahi Mohammad Reza , De Waard Michel , Mirzahoseini Hasan
Published: March 2022

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. Unfortunately, the present anticancer chemotherapeutics display high cytotoxicity. Accordingly, the discovery of new anticancer agents with lower side effects is highly necessitated. This study aimed to discover an anticancer compound from Hemiscorpius lepturus scorpion venom. Bioactivity-guided chromatography was performed to isolate an active compound against colon and breast cancer cell lines. 2D electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF were performed to identify the molecule. A partial protein sequence was obtained by mass spectrometry, while the full-length was deciphered using a cDNA library of the venom gland by bioinformatics analyses and was designated as leptulipin. The gene was cloned in pET-26b, expressed, and purified. The anticancer effect and mechanism action of leptulipin were evaluated by MTT, apoptosis, and cell cycle assays, as well as by gene expression analysis of apoptosis-related genes. The treated cells displayed inhibition of cell proliferation, altered morphology, DNA fragmentation, and cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, the treated cells showed a decrease in BCL-2 expression and an increase in Bax and Caspase 9 genes. In this study, we discovered a new anticancer protein from H. lepturus scorpion venom. Leptulipin showed significant anticancer activity against breast and colon cancer cell lines.
Effect of Different Carbohydrate Intakes within 24 Hours after Glycogen Depletion on Muscle Glycogen Recovery in Japanese Endurance Athletes
Authors: Namma-Motonaga Keiko , Kondo Emi , Osawa Takuya , Shiose Keisuke , Kamei Akiko , Taguchi Motoko , Takahashi Hideyuki
Published: March 2022

Daily muscle glycogen recovery after training is important for athletes. Few studies have reported a continuous change in muscle glycogen for 24 h. We aimed to investigate the changes in carbohydrate intake amount on muscle glycogen recovery for 24 h after exercise using 13C-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C-MRS). In this randomized crossover study, eight male participants underwent prolonged high-intensity exercise, and then consumed one of the three carbohydrate meals (5 g/kg body mass (BM)/d, 7 g/kg BM/d, or 10 g/kg BM/d). Glycogen content of thigh muscle was measured using 13C-MRS before, immediately after, and 4 h, 12 h and 24 h after exercise. Muscle glycogen concentration decreased to 29.9 ± 15.9% by exercise. Muscle glycogen recovery 4–12 h after exercise for the 5 g/kg group was significantly lower compared to those for 7 g/kg and 10 g/kg groups (p < 0.05). Muscle glycogen concentration after 24 h recovered to the pre-exercise levels for 7 g/kg and 10 g/kg groups; however, there was a significant difference for the 5 g/kg group (p < 0.05). These results suggest that carbohydrate intake of 5 g/kg BM/d is insufficient for Japanese athletes to recover muscle glycogen stores 24 h after completing a long-term high-intensity exercise.
Ketogenic Diet and Cardiac Substrate Metabolism
Authors: Luong Thien Vinh , Abild Caroline Bruun , Bangshaab Maj , Gormsen Lars Christian , Søndergaard Esben
Published: March 2022

The ketogenic diet (KD) entails a high intake of fat, moderate intake of protein, and a very limited intake of carbohydrates. Ketogenic dieting has been proposed as an effective intervention for type 2 diabetes and obesity since glycemic control is improved and sustained weight loss can be achieved. Interestingly, hyperketonemia is also associated with beneficial cardiovascular effects, possibly caused by improved cardiac energetics and reduced oxygen use. Therefore, the KD has the potential to both treat and prevent cardiovascular disease. However, the KD has some adverse effects that could counteract the beneficial cardiovascular properties. Of these, hyperlipidemia with elevation of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels are the most important. In addition, poor diet adherence and lack of knowledge regarding long-term effects may also reduce the broader applicability of the KD. The objective of this narrative review is to provide insights into the KD and its effects on myocardial ketone body utilization and, consequently, cardiovascular health.
Association between Serum Triglycerides and Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) among U.S. Males: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2003–2010
Authors: Wei Chengcheng , Tian Liang , Jia Bo , Wang Miao , Xiong Ming , Hu Bo , Deng Changqi , Hou Yaxin , Hou Teng , Yang Xiong , Chen Zhaohui
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: Increasing evidence indicates that lipid metabolism may influence the concentration of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). However, the association between triglycerides and PSA remains unclear and complicated. Hence, we evaluated the correlation between triglycerides and PSA based on the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. (2) Methods: A total of 2910 participants out of 41,156 participants fit into our study after conducting the screening from the 2003 to 2010 NHANES survey. Serum triglycerides were the independent variable of our study, and PSA was the dependent variable; (3) Results: In our study, the average age of chosen participants was 59.7 years (±12.7). After adjusting for covariates, the result indicated that for each additional unit of serum triglyceride (mg/dL), the PSA concentrations were reduced by 0.0043 ng/mL (−0.0082, −0.0005) with a statistical difference. Furthermore, we used machine learning of the XGBoost model to determine the relative importance of selected variables as well as constructed a smooth curve based on the fully adjusted model to investigate the possible linear relationship between the triglyceride and PSA concentrations. (4) Conclusions: The serum triglyceride is independently and negatively correlated with PSA among American males, which may make it hard to detect asymptomatic prostate cancer and diagnose at an advance stage with higher triglycerides due to detection bias.
Correlates of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy Intake in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Olsen Mette F. , Kjøller-Svarre Maria S. , Møller Grith , Katzenstein Terese L. , Nielsen Bibi U. , Pressler Tacjana , Lewis Jack I. , Mathiesen Inger H. , Mølgaard Christian , Faurholt-Jepsen Daniel
Published: March 2022

Most people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) develop pancreatic insufficiency and are treated with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). We aimed to describe the use of PERT and assess the correlates of PERT dose in adult pwCF. In a cross-sectional study at the Copenhagen CF Centre, the participants reported PERT intake, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and the use of concomitant treatments. Demographic and clinical characteristics were extracted from the Danish CF Registry. We used linear regression to assess the correlates of PERT dose per kg bodyweight (U-lipase/kg). We included 120 pwCF with a median age of 32.9 years, 46% women and 72% F508delta homozygote. The PERT dose ranged from 0 to 6160 U-lipase/kg per main meal (mean 1828; SD 1115). The PERT dose was associated with participants’ sex (men vs. women: 661; 95% CI: 302; 1020 U-lipase/kg), age (−16; 95% CI: −31; −1 U-lipase/kg per year) and weight (−45; 95% CI: −58; −31 U-lipase/kg per kg). Having less frequent constipation and being lung transplanted were also associated with a higher PERT dose. A third of participants did not take PERT for snacks, and this was associated with the frequency of diarrhoea. These findings indicate that PERT intake may be improved to reduce GI symptoms.
Industrial Implementation of Aluminum Trihydrate-Fiber Composition for Fire Resistance and Mechanical Properties in Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Roofs
Authors: Zainudin Mohammad , Diharjo Kuncoro , Kaavessina Mujtahid , Setyanto Djoko , Ubaidillah Ubaidillah
Published: March 2022

It is difficult to obtain suitable fire resistance and mechanical properties for glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) roof material in industrial applications. Although some efforts to improve the fire resistance properties of GFRP have been carried out, in practice this sometimes degrades the mechanical properties. Therefore, the base materials, such as filler and reinforcing fiber, must be appropriately combined to simultaneously improve both fire resistance and mechanical properties. The present study examines improvements in GFRP roof material by investigating the effect of aluminium trihydrate (ATH) as a filler and the combination of a chopped strand mat (CSM) with woven roving (WR) and stitched mat (STM) fibers as the reinforcement in a composite GFRP roof structure. The roof samples were prepared following industrial machine standards using the specified materials. The mechanical properties of GFRP were evaluated using tensile, flexural and impact tests, following ASTM D638, ASTM D790 and ASTM D256 standards, respectively. The fire properties were examined through fire tests following the ASTM D635 standard. The results show that the GFRP roof composed of CSM/WR fibers had a 40% higher tensile strength (103.5 MPa) compared with the GFRP roof without CSM fibers (73.8 MPa). The flexural strength of the GFRP roof with CSM/WR fibers was also 57% higher than the roof without fibers, with a ratio of 315.61 MPa to 201 MPa. With the use of CSM/WR fibers, the fire resistance also increased by 23%, resulting in a ratio of 4.31 mm/min to 5.32 mm/min. These results demonstrate that the combination of CSM/WR fibers as a reinforcement would be an excellent option for producing an improved GFRP roof with better industrial properties, especially when producing improved GFRP roofs using a continuous lamination machine.
Chitosan Containing Nano Zn-Organic Framework: Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Activity
Authors: Gouda Mohamed , Ibrahim Hairul-Islam Mohamed , Negm Amr
Published: March 2022

A biologically active agent based on a Zn-1,3,5-benzen tricarboxylic acid (Zn-BTC) framework incorporated into a chitosan (CS) biopolymer (Zn-BTC@CS) was successfully synthesized using a microwave irradiation technique. The synthesized Zn-BTC@CS was characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the obtained data indicated a highly smooth surface morphology of the synthesized Zn-BTC and no morphological changes when the Zn-BTC covered the CS. In addition, the particle size diameter varied from 20 to 40 nm. XRD displayed a well-maintained Zn-BTC structure, and the crystal structure of Zn-BTC was not distorted by the composition of Zn-BTC and chitosan in the nanocomposite. Data from BET analysis revealed that the specific surface area of the Zn-BTC was reduced from 995.15 m2/g to 15.16 m2/g after coating with chitosan. The pore size distribution and pore volume of the Zn-BTC, Zn-BTC@CS were centered at 37.26 nm and at 22.5 nm, respectively. Zn-BTC@CS exhibited anticancer efficacy against lung and colon cancer cell lines. Zn-BTC@CS inhibited the proliferation of A549 and DLD-1 cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 values of 13.2 and 19.8 µg/mL for the colon and lung cancer cell lines, respectively. Zn-BTC@CS stimulated the apoptotic process through up-regulating P53 expression and down-regulating Bcl-2 expression. Moreover, Zn-BTC@CS induced in vitro DNA fragmentation in both cancer cell lines with significantly different affinity by 66% (A549) and 20% (DLD-1) versus 52% reduction by Cisplatin. Zn-BTC@CS (IC50) exhibited anti-invasive activity and dramatically inhibited the migration of lung and colon cancer cell lines. This study provides evidence that Zn-BTC@CS targets the essential proteins involved in proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis. Thus, Zn-BTC@CS has chemotherapeutic potential for inhibiting lung and colon cancer viability and growth.
Cycle and Self-Supervised Consistency Training for Adapting Semantic Segmentation of Aerial Images
Authors: Gao Han , Zhao Yang , Guo Peng , Sun Zihao , Chen Xiuwan , Tang Yunwei
Published: March 2022

Semantic segmentation is a critical problem for many remote sensing (RS) image applications. Benefiting from large-scale pixel-level labeled data and the continuous evolution of deep neural network architectures, the performance of semantic segmentation approaches has been constantly improved. However, deploying a well-trained model on unseen and diverse testing environments remains a major challenge: a large gap between data distributions in train and test domains results in severe performance loss, while manual dense labeling is costly and not scalable. To this end, we proposed an unsupervised domain adaptation framework for RS image semantic segmentation that is both practical and effective. The framework is supported by the consistency principle, including the cycle consistency in the input space and self-supervised consistency in the training stage. Specifically, we introduce cycle-consistent generative adversarial networks to reduce the discrepancy between source and target distributions by translating one into the other. The translated source data then drive a pipeline of supervised semantic segmentation model training. We enforce consistency of model predictions across target image transformations in order to provide self-supervision for the unlabeled target data. Experiments and extensive ablation studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach on two challenging benchmarks, on which we achieve up to 9.95% and 7.53% improvements in accuracy over the state-of-the-art methods, respectively.
Coastal Topo-Bathymetry from a Single-Pass Satellite Video: Insights in Space-Videos for Coastal Monitoring at Duck Beach (NC, USA)
Authors: Almar Rafael , Bergsma Erwin W. J. , Brodie Katherine L. , Bak Andrew Spicer , Artigues Stephanie , Lemai-Chenevier Solange , Cesbron Guillaume , Delvit Jean-Marc
Published: March 2022

At the interface between land and sea, the shoreface of sandy coasts extends from the dune (up to tens of meters above the sea level) to below the depth of the closure (often tens of meters below sea level). This is a crucial zone to monitor in order to reduce the uncertainty associated with forecasting the impact of storms and climate change on the coastal zone. At the same time, monitoring the dynamic interface between land and sea presents a traditional challenge for both in situ and remote sensing techniques. Here, we show the potential of using a video from a metric optical satellite sensor to estimate the emerged topography and submerged bathymetry over a single-pass. A short sequence (21 s, 10 Hz) of satellite-images was acquired with the Jilin-1/07 satellite covering the area in the vicinity of the Field Research Facility (FRF) at Duck (North Carolina, USA). The FRF site is regularly monitored with traditional surveys. From a few satellite images, the topography is reconstructed using stereo-photogrammetry techniques, while the bathymetry is inversed using incident waves through time-series spatio-temporal correlation techniques. Finally, the topography and bathymetry are merged into a seamless coastal digital elevation model (DEM). The satellite estimate shows a good agreement with the in situ survey with 0.8 m error for the topography and 0.5 m for the bathymetry. Overall, the largest discrepancy (more than 2 m) is obtained at the foreshore land–water interface due to the inherent problems of both satellite methods. A sensitivity analysis shows that using a temporal approach becomes beneficial over a spatial approach when the duration goes beyond a wave period. A satellite-based video with a duration of typically tens of seconds is beneficial for the bathymetry estimation and is also a prerequisite for stereo-based topography with large base-over-height ratio (characterizes the view angle of the satellite). Recommendations are given for future missions to improve coastal zone optical monitoring with the following settings: matricial sensors (potentially in push-frame setting) of ∼100 km2 scenes worldwide; up to a monthly revisit to capture seasonal to inter-annual evolution; (sub)meter resolution (i.e., much less than a wavelength) and burst of images with frame rate >1 Hz over tens of seconds (more than a wave period).
Impact of Extreme Climate on the NDVI of Different Steppe Areas in Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: Chen Kuan , Ge Genbatu , Bao Gang , Bai Liga , Tong Siqin , Bao Yuhai , Chao Luomeng
Published: March 2022

The frequency of extreme climate events has increased resulting in major changes to vegetation in arid and semi-arid areas. We selected 12 extreme climate indices and used trend analysis and multiple linear regression models to analyze extreme climate trends in steppe areas of Inner Mongolia and their impact on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). From 1998 to 2017, the NDVI of the Inner Mongolia steppe increased overall; however, there was a small area of decrease. Extreme climate indices related to warming exhibited increasing trends, particularly in the desert steppe. Although the extreme precipitation index did not change significantly overall, it increased in the northeastern and southwestern regions of the study area and decreased in the central region. The established model showed that the extreme climate explained the highest NDVI variation in desert steppe (R2 = 0.413), followed by typical steppe (R2 = 0.229), and meadow steppe (R2 = 0.109). In desert steppe, TX90P (warm days index) had the greatest impact; in typical steppe, R10 (number of heavy precipitation days index) had the greatest impact; in meadow steppe, R95P (very wet days index) had the greatest impact. This study offered new insights into dynamic vegetation changes in steppe areas of Inner Mongolia and provided a scientific basis for implementing environmental protection strategies.
Injection of High Chlorophyll-a Waters by a Branch of Kuroshio Current into the Nutrient-Poor North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
Authors: Chow Chun-Hoe , Lin Yi-Chen , Cheah Wee , Tai Jen-Hua
Published: March 2022

An unusual eastward flow was observed branching out from the Kuroshio Current near the island of Taiwan in the western North Pacific in during the period June–July 2010. The branch meandered eastward approximately 21°N, carrying high chlorophyll-a (Chla) waters for over 1000 km from 125°E into the nutrient-poor North Pacific subtropical gyre (NPSG). The branch was warmer and fresher than the surrounding waters, with temperature–salinity properties resembling those of Kuroshio Current. Thus, we called it the eastward cross-shore Kuroshio branch (ECKB). Injecting fresher waters far into the central NPSG, the ECKB flowed at a mean surface speed of 0.5 m per second, as shown in satellite altimeters, a Lagrangian drifter, and the Japan-Meteorological-Agency (JMA) 137°E-meridian cruise transect. The mechanism of the ECKB was linked to a surface cyclonic wind anomaly to the north at approximately 22–24°N. The cyclonic wind anomaly cooled the ocean surface beneath it via Ekman suction and then enhanced the subtropical front to its south at approximately 21°N near the Kuroshio Current. The strengthened subtropical front subsequently induced an eastward flow that bifurcated from the main stream of the northward-flowing Kuroshio Current.
A Complete YOLO-Based Ship Detection Method for Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing Images under Complex Backgrounds
Authors: Li Liyuan , Jiang Linyi , Zhang Jingwen , Wang Siqi , Chen Fansheng
Published: March 2022

The automatic ship detection method for thermal infrared remote sensing images (TIRSIs) is of great significance due to its broad applicability in maritime security, port management, and target searching, especially at night. Most ship detection algorithms utilize manual features to detect visible image blocks which are accurately cut, and they are limited by illumination, clouds, and atmospheric strong waves in practical applications. In this paper, a complete YOLO-based ship detection method (CYSDM) for TIRSIs under complex backgrounds is proposed. In addition, thermal infrared ship datasets were made using the SDGSAT-1 thermal imaging system. First, in order to avoid the loss of texture characteristics during large-scale deep convolution, the TIRSIs with the resolution of 30 m were up-sampled to 10 m via bicubic interpolation method. Then, complete ships with similar characteristics were selected and marked in the middle of the river, the bay, and the sea. To enrich the datasets, the gray value stretching module was also added. Finally, the improved YOLOv5 s model was used to detect the ship candidate area quickly. To reduce intra-class variation, the 4.23–7.53 aspect ratios of ships were manually selected during labeling, and 8–10.5 μm ship datasets were constructed. Test results show that the precision of the CYSDM is 98.68%, which is 9.07% higher than that of the YOLOv5s algorithm. CYSDM provides an effective reference for large-scale, all-day ship detection.
Passive Millimeter-Wave Imaging for Burns Diagnostics under Dressing Materials
Authors: Owda Amani Yousef
Published: March 2022

This paper presents a feasibility study of using a passive millimeter-wave imaging (PMMWI) system to assess burn wounds and the potential for monitoring the healing process under dressing materials, without their painful removal. Experimental images obtained from ex vivo porcine skin samples indicate that a ThruVision passive imager operating over the band 232–268 GHz can be used for diagnosing burns and for potentially monitoring the healing under dressing materials. Experimental images show that single and multiple burns are observed throughout dressing materials. As the interaction of millimeter-wave (MMW) radiation with the human body is almost exclusively with the skin, the major outcomes of the research are that PMMWI is capable of discriminating burn-damaged skin from unburned skin, and these measurements can be made through bandages without the imager making any physical contact with the skin or the bandage. This highlights the opportunity that the healing of burn wounds can be assessed and monitored without the removal of dressing materials. The key innovation in this work is in detecting single and multiple burns under dressing materials in noncontact with the skin and without exposing the skin to any type of manmade radiation (i.e., passive sensing technology). These images represent the first demonstration of burns wound under dressing materials using a passive sensing imager.
Next-Generation Payment System for Device-to-Device Content and Processing Sharing
Authors: Kihtir Fatih , Yazici Mehmet Akif , Oztoprak Kasim , Alpaslan Ferda Nur
Published: March 2022

Recent developments in telecommunication world have allowed customers to share the storage and processing capabilities of their devices by providing services through fast and reliable connections. This evolution, however, requires building an incentive system to encourage information exchange in future telecommunication networks. In this study, we propose a mechanism to share bandwidth and processing resources among subscribers using smart contracts and a blockchain-based incentive mechanism, which is used to encourage subscribers to share their resources. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method through two use cases: (i) exchanging multimedia data and (ii) CPU sharing. We propose a universal user-to-user and user-to-operator payment system, named TelCash, which provides a solution for current roaming problems and establishes trust in X2X communications. TelCash has a great potential in solving the charges of roaming and reputation management (reliance) problems in telecommunications sector. We also show, by using a simulation study, that encouraging D2D communication leads to a significant increase in content quality, and there is a threshold after which downloading from base station is dramatically cut down and can be kept as low as 10%.
The Conservation and Restoration of Riparian Forests along Caribbean Riverbanks Using Legume Trees
Authors: Mira Eléonore , Rousteau Alain , Tournebize Régis , Labbouz Lucie , Robert Marie , Evette André
Published: March 2022

In the actual context of global change and biodiversity depletion, soil bioengineering represents an important tool for riparian ecosystem restoration and species conservation. Various techniques have already been implemented, but their adaptation still must be carried out in Caribbean Islands biodiversity hotspots, where suitable species remains unknown. Nitrogen-fixing legumes are particularly relevant for ecological restoration and the diversity of native Caribbean legume trees is promising in the search for suitable species for soil bioengineering. We hypothesized that Caribbean legume tree species present a growth performance and set of biotechnical traits compatible with their use in soil bioengineering. We selected five native legume trees, adapted to riparian environments, in different ecosystems (swamp forest, evergreen seasonal forest, rainforest) based on their ecology, resistance to disturbance and seed production characteristics. We measured root traits relevant for soil bioengineering on nursery grown 3-month-old seedlings. Despite their differences in sensitivity to herbivory and in growth strategies, the selected species have a high potential for use in soil bioengineering, with high seed production, high germination rates—from 88 to 100%—, and 100% survival rates, and are therefore compatible with large scale plant material production. We provided practical guidance tools for their integration into soil bioengineering techniques.
European Green Deal: Threats Assessment for Agri-Food Exporting Countries to the EU
Authors: Faichuk Oleksandr , Voliak Lesia , Hutsol Taras , Glowacki Szymon , Pantsyr Yuriy , Slobodian Sergii , Szeląg-Sikora Anna , Gródek-Szostak Zofia
Published: March 2022

This article is devoted to assessing and substantiating the threats for countries/exporters of agricultural products to the EU under conditions of the European Green Deal. The revealed comparative advantages index (RCA), comparison method, correlation and regression analysis, and taxonomic method have been applied. According to the RCA index the main causes for the relatively significant volume of agri-food exports by some countries to the EU have been identified; using the comparison method it was found that among the leading countries by agricultural products export to the EU, many states do not meet the European Green Deal target criteria for agriculture. Correlation and regression analysis has revealed that among the chosen factors only the volume of fertilisers use per cropland has direct and strong influence on CO2eq emissions; by a taxonomic method the threats value for the leading agri-food exporters to the EU has been calculated. The major agri-food exporters to the EU under conditions of the European Green Deal targets till 2030 have a high threat regarding reduction of their supply to the Member States in the case of a possible Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism or the introduction of other import restriction mechanisms in future. The results of the study can be used by the government and other executive bodies of the analysed countries to make adequate and rapid decisions to avoid the threats of possible agri-food exports reduction to the EU under the further European Green Deal implementation.
Are Physically Active Breaks in School-Aged Children Performed Outdoors? A Systematic Review
Authors: Petrigna Luca , Roggio Federico , Trovato Bruno , Zanghì Marta , Musumeci Giuseppe
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: Children spend an ever-increasing amount of time performing sedentary behaviors, and an important part of their daily life is at school. Learning in an outdoor environment improves children’s physical activity levels, and their cognitive and social spheres. Furthermore, physically active breaks are a solution to reduce sedentary behaviors and improve well-being and academic performance. The study evaluated the published literature on physically active breaks during school hours and explored (a) if the interventions were proposed in an outdoor context and (b) the outcomes of these interventions. (2) Methods: This review collected 31,559 articles from different electronic databases. After the screening, the results were analyzed narratively. (3) Results: 41 studies have been included in the analysis. As reported by the results, most of the interventions took place in the classroom, and only three studies were performed outside. A common aspect of all studies is the feasibility of active breaks, assessing positive outcomes. (4) Conclusions: Physically active outdoor breaks are poorly adopted, highlighting the necessity for deeper study on this topic. Although the protocols considered present differences, generally breaks increase physical activity levels, present positive learning outcomes, and improve social well-being. Furthermore, they are sustainable in terms of time, cost, and effort of the teacher.
Stock Assessment of Four Dominant Shark Bycatch Species in Bottom Trawl Fisheries in the Northern South China Sea
Authors: Xu Youwei , Dai Xiaojie , Huang Zirong , Sun Mingshuai , Chen Zuozhi , Zhang Kui
Published: March 2022

Sharks occupy an important ecological niche in marine ecosystems. As top predators, they can restrict and control the behavior, numbers and composition of other species through downward effects, and play an essential role in ecosystem stability. Shark fishery data are limited, and for most Chondrichthyes species there is no formal fishery resource assessment at a global level. In this study, we applied the length-based Bayesian biomass (LBB) estimation method to assess the stock status of four common shark bycatch species of which more than 100 samples were collected in coastal waters of the northern South China Sea. Estimates of the length of 50% of individuals captured by gear/the length at first capture that maximized the catch and biomass (Lc/Lc_opt) of a species ranged from 0.49 to 1.4; the draughtsboard shark Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis had the highest value, and the shortnose dogfish Squalus brevirostris had the lowest. Estimates of the collected biomass/biomass of the maximum sustainable yield (B/BMSY) ranged from 0.86 to 1.9. Both C. sarawakensis and the spadenose shark Scoliodon laticaudus were fully exploited, while the spatulasnout catshark Apristurus platyrhynchus and S. brevirostris were in good condition. To verify the stability of the LBB, length frequency data for the most common species S. laticaudus were divided into different size-class intervals; simulations revealed estimated parameters based on these to be insensitive to differences in intervals, except for the smallest (10 mm), which did not affect evaluation results. These results can be used to provide a scientific basis on which shark fisheries in this region can be managed and prior parameters for related resource assessment methods can be determined.
Combined Electrocoagulation and Physicochemical Treatment of Cork Boiling Wastewater
Authors: Vicente Carolina , Silva João R. , Santos Andreia D. , Quinta-Ferreira Rosa M. , Castro Luis M.
Published: March 2022

Cork boiling wastewater (CBW) is a highly polluted and difficult to treat effluent resultant from the cork manufacturing industry. This study aims to evaluate a new, reliable, efficient, and sustainable process to treat this effluent. This paper tested electrocoagulation as a pre- and post-treatment to improve the already existing physicochemical treatment in a cork production facility in Portugal. In the physicochemical procedures (PC), the addition of different volumes of coagulant (ferric chloride (III) 40% w/w), neutralizer (sodium hydroxide, 32% w/w), and flocculant (polyacrylamide, 0.2 g/L) were evaluated. Electrocoagulation (EC) was performed in a bench-scale reactor, using aluminum and stainless-steel electrodes. For EC, different initial pH, current density, and current tension values were tested. When electrocoagulation was used as a post-treatment, better performances were achieved. However, treatment costs were increased significantly. Coagulation/flocculation offers a viable and cheap treatment, achieving removal efficiencies of 88.2%, 81.0%, 76.9%, and 94.2% for total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD), total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), and soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD), respectively. With a PC-EC combination, it is possible to achieve removal efficiencies of 92.4%, 88.0%, 91.4%, and 91.4% for tCOD, TC, TN, and sCOD, respectively. The increased TN removal efficiency can translate into great benefits for certain discharge conditions and should be taken into consideration for improving the sustainability of cork industry. On the other hand, when EC is used as a pre-treatment, there are no benefits either in terms of treatment performance or operating costs.
Estimating the Total Volume of Running Water Bodies Using Geographic Information System (GIS): A Case Study of Peshawar Basin (Pakistan)
Authors: Ahmad Naveed , Khan Sikandar , Ehsan Muhsan , Rehman Fayaz Ur , Al-Shuhail Abdullatif
Published: March 2022

The main objective of this study is to estimate the changes in land use and land cover in the Peshawar basin, Pakistan, from 2000 to 2020. This will greatly improve the selection of areas designated as the agricultural, industrial, and/or urban sectors of the region and will help in overcoming future problems. With the help of an advanced geographic information system (GIS), land-use and topographic changes were identified. Based on data of the 20 years from 2000 to 2020, the total runoff volume in the Peshawar basin from 2000 to 2010 was calculated to be 13.9 km3 and from 2010 to 2020 was 19.4 km3. This volume estimation will assist in quantifying the total infiltration rate. We inferred that the built-up area increased the most from 2010 to 2020 as compared to other classes. Results showed that from 2000 to 2020, there was a significant increase in urbanization and a significant decrease in vegetation. This study will help the farmer community and environmentalists to manage range land, agricultural land, populations, and water bodies.
Climate Change and the Diversification of Green Social Capital in the International Political Economy of the Middle East and North Africa: A Review Article
Authors: Saidin Mohd Irwan Syazli , O’Neill Jodie
Published: March 2022

This article critically reviews the idea of economic diversification of green social capital in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through renewable and sustainable energy projects that strive to tackle climate change and alleviate the negative consequences of human interaction in the ecological system. The western dominance and monopolisation of natural resources has caused an unlevel playing field for development, economic advancement and climate change in the region through the imbalance of power in the oil market. The reliance on oil could affect the development in the region with long-term financial recession due to heavy reliance on the resource. These challenges posit a question for the Middle East: (1) how can the region adopt a transition to a diverse economic framework that is less reliant on oil, and (2) since the phenomenon of climate change does not discriminate its adverse effects on the global community, including the aspect of international political economy in the region, in what ways are the MENA nations planning to stimulate sustainable economic development via green social capital? Our review for these issues is based on a qualitative approach and is methodologically centred upon selected case studies and document analysis of literature on economic diversification and sustainable ecological innovations via green social capital enterprises in the MENA region. We argue that green social capital, as opposed to traditional capitalism, has positive effects in the MENA region such as creating new job opportunities, boosting the economy and developing knowledge on climate change. The green social capital approach is viewed to continue to have positive results in the region through investment, the collaboration between the public sector and private enterprises and creating innovative ideas. Green social capital is not perfect by any means, but the method is diverse from traditional capitalism which can benefit the population in the global south, particularly in the MENA region.
Blockchain-Centered Educational Program Embodies and Advances 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Choi Eunsun , Choi Youngmi , Park Namje
Published: March 2022

Education is the foundation of basic human rights and the peace of mankind as well as the pursuit of sustainable development. In this article, we have developed a blockchain-centered educational program contributing to Goal 4, Quality Education, among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Education for SD (ESD). The education program featured herein consisted of three lessons in total and has been developed to accommodate gamification techniques. We implemented the education program on 704 elementary school students in Korea for three years from 2019 to 2021. The effectiveness of the education program was primarily analyzed by paired t-test and technical statistics analysis. In a pre-and post-education survey, digital literary, literacy, and numeracy were all significantly improved, with satisfaction level rated at 3.91 out of 5 points. We hope that the blockchain-themed education program proposed herein will provide implications for the promotion of inclusive and equitable quality education.
Stability of the Equation of q-Wright Affine Functions in Non-Archimedean (n,β)-Banach Spaces
Authors: El-Hady El-Sayed , El-Fassi Iz-iddine
Published: March 2022

In this article, we employ a version of some fixed point theory (FPT) to obtain stability results for the symmetric functional equation (FE) of q-Wright affine functions in non-Archimedean (n,β)-Banach spaces (nArch(n,β)-BS). Furthermore, we give some interesting consequences of our results. In this way, we generalize several earlier outcomes.
Total and Partial Shear Viscosity in Heavy-Ion Collisions at Energies of BES, FAIR and NICA
Authors: Teslyk Maksym , Bravina Larisa , Zabrodin Evgeny
Published: March 2022

We calculated the shear viscosity of hot and dense nuclear matter produced in a symmetric system of central gold–gold collisions at energies of BES RHIC, FAIR and NICA. For calculations of the collisions, the transport model UrQMD was employed. The shear viscosity was obtained within the Green–Kubo formalism. The hadron resonance gas model was used to determine temperature and chemical potentials of baryon charge and strangeness out of microscopic model calculations. In contrast to our previous works, we determined the partial viscosity of the main hadron species, such as nucleons, pions, kaons and Lambdas, via the nucleon–nucleon, pion–pion and so forth, correlators. A decrease in the beam energy from Elab=40 to 10 AGeV leads a to rise in baryon shear viscosity accompanied by a drop in the shear viscosity of mesons. The ratio of total shear viscosity to entropy density also decreases.
Stability Switching Curves and Hopf Bifurcation of a Fractional Predator–Prey System with Two Nonidentical Delays
Authors: Li Shuangfei , Zhu Yingxian , Dai Yunxian , Lin Yiping
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we propose and analyze a three-dimensional fractional predator–prey system with two nonidentical delays. By choosing two delays as the bifurcation parameter, we first calculate the stability switching curves in the delay plane. By judging the direction of the characteristic root across the imaginary axis in stability switching curves, we obtain that the stability of the system changes when two delays cross the stability switching curves, and then, the system appears to have bifurcating periodic solutions near the positive equilibrium, which implies that the trajectory of the system is the axial symmetry. Secondly, we obtain the conditions for the existence of Hopf bifurcation. Finally, we give one example to verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis. In particular, the geometric stability switch criteria are applied to the stability analysis of the fractional differential predator–prey system with two delays for the first time.
Applications of Laguerre Polynomials on a New Family of Bi-Prestarlike Functions
Authors: Kareem Wanas Abbas , Alb Lupaş Alina
Published: March 2022

In this article, we establish the bounds for the initial Taylor–Maclaurin coefficients |a2| and |a3| for a new family GΣ(δ,ξ,λ;h) of holormorphic and bi-univalent functions which involve the prestarlike functions. Furthermore, for the family functions GΣ(δ,ξ,λ;h) we investigate the Fekete–Szegö type inequality, special cases and consequences.