bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enjoying the Heat? Co-Creation of Stakeholder Benefits and Sustainable Energy Development within Projects in the Geothermal Sector
Authors: Cook David , Karlsdóttir Ingibjörg , Minelgaite Inga
Published: January 2022

Analysis of the sustainability implications of the geothermal industry has tended to take a high-level or systemic overview of national performance rather than deeper, stakeholder-focused investigations. This study seeks to begin to fill this gap in the literature, investigating the following research question: how do projects in the Icelandic geothermal energy sector create co-benefits with stakeholders and reflect the integration of sustainable energy development (SED)? The focus of the analysis is identifying the stakeholders, what the sustainability benefits co-created with stakeholders are, and when in the projects’ life-cycle do these occur. Based on eleven semi-structured interviews with project managers in Iceland’s geothermal industry, the study identifies an array of stakeholders in the sector, including national and municipal governments, public sector institutions, businesses, the public, employees, and landowners. The sustainability co-benefits of Iceland’s geothermal power projects are broad and cut across all six aspects of SED and multiple phases of the project life-cycle. Although the sustainability benefits are apparent, trade-offs are reported between pursuing an economically efficient energy system and nature conservation. This relates to unsustainable utilization of the resources and the environmental externalities of power production and consumption. Efforts to mitigate these effects are ongoing, and further pursuit of SED is likely in Iceland given its recognition within the nation’s new energy policy and to meet ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets in the government’s climate action plan. These are prominent issues in other nations seeking to decarbonize energy systems through increased utilization of geothermal resources.
Comparative and Sensitivity Analysis of Numerical Methods for the Discretization of Opaque Structures and Parameters of Glass Components for EN ISO 52016-1
Authors: Summa Serena , Remia Giada , Di Perna Costanzo
Published: January 2022

The EN ISO 52016-1:2017 standard introduced a new methodology for the hourly calculation of energy needs that allows the study of the dynamic energy performance of buildings. In this study, a comparative analysis was carried out between two heat transfer models for opaque building elements: the one described in the new standard EN ISO 52016-1:2017 (Annex B) and that proposed by the Italian national annex (Annex A). The analysis, carried out on 1854 cases, showed better results for the heating period than for the cooling period, with a lower Root-Mean-Square Error and Coefficient of Variation of the Root-Mean-Square Error for the model proposed by the Italian National Annex. Increasing the performance of the building by decreasing the solar transmission coefficient of the glazed surfaces leads to a worse Root-Mean-Square Error of about 11%. In addition, a sensitivity analysis of the thermo-physical parameters of the opaque building components was carried out and an alternative method for the calculation of the solar transmission coefficient was evaluated. The latter was able to improve the Root-Mean-Square Error of summer solar gains by 46.7% compared to the method proposed by the standard.
CO2 Capture and Crystallization of ATH Using Sodium Aluminate Solution in a Bubble Column Scrubber
Authors: Chen Pao-Chi , Zhuo Shiun-Huang , Jhuang Jyun-Hong
Published: January 2022

In this work, sodium aluminate alkaline solution was used to capture CO2 in a continuous bubble column scrubber and aluminum tri-hydrate (ATH) precipitates were produced. As the sodium carbonate could be recycled after the filtrated solution was crystallized by evaporation, a novel CO2 capture process was developed successfully. There were five experimental operation variables, including solution flow rate (A), concentration of the solution (B), gas flow rate (C), CO2 gas concentration (D), and liquid temperature (E), with four levels to each variable. The influence of each variable on absorption efficiency (EF), absorption rate (RA), absorption factor (φ), mass transfer coefficient (KGa), and precipitation rate (RP) in a steady state was explored in this study. The Taguchi experimental design was adopted, and 16 experiments were performed; as the optimum operating conditions found in Taguchi analysis required further verification, there were a total of 21 experiments in the end. According to S/N analysis, the overall order of importance was D > A = B > C > E, meaning D (CO2 concentration) was most important and E (liquid temperature) was least important. In addition, the result also showed that the Rp was 1.25–2.0 times higher than the RA. The obtained powder was mainly ATH according to XRD analysis, with the crystal size ranging between 8.14 and 27.97 nm. However, the BET analysis showed its particle size range being 17.6–283.7 nm, indicating agglomeration for primary particles. The SEM analysis showed that there were flower-like, irregular, urchin-like, elongated, and amorphous particles. The solutions from five groups of optimum conditions were used to recycle the sodium carbonate experiments. After evaporation and crystallization of the filtrated solutions, the energy loading was found to be 1.70–2.56 GJ/t-solvent, illustrating the superiorities of low energy consumption. The precipitated powders were verified to be sodium carbonate by FTIR, which is a valuable constituent.
The Effects of Nano-Additives Added to Diesel-Biodiesel Fuel Blends on Combustion and Emission Characteristics of Diesel Engine: A Review
Authors: Lv Junshuai , Wang Su , Meng Beibei
Published: January 2022

How to improve the combustion efficiency and reduce harmful emissions has been a hot research topic in the engine field and related disciplines. Researchers have found that nano-additives to diesel-biodiesel fuel blends have achieved significant results. Many research results and both current and previous studies on nanoparticles have shown that nano-additives play an essential role in improving the performance of internal combustion engines and reducing the emission of harmful substances. This paper summarizes the recent research progress of nanoparticles as additives for diesel-biodiesel fuel blends. Firstly, the excellent properties of nanoparticles are described in detail, and the preparation methods are summarized and discussed. Secondly, the effects of several commonly used nanoparticles as diesel-biodiesel fuel blends on combustion performance and harmful substances emissions in terms of combustion thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption, CO, UHC and NOx, are reviewed. Finally, the effects of nano-additives on internal combustion engines, the environment and human health are discussed. The work carried out in this paper can effectively contribute to the application of nanomaterials in the fuel field. Based on our work, the researchers can efficiently select suitable nano-additives that enable internal combustion engines to achieve efficient combustion and low-emission characteristics.
Mutual Diffusion of Model Acceptor/Donor Bilayers under Solvent Vapor Annealing as a Novel Route for Organic Solar Cell Fabrication
Authors: Dąbczyński Paweł , Wójtowicz Gabriela , Rysz Jakub
Published: January 2022

The fabrication of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells (OSCs) is primarily based on a phase demixing during solution deposition. This spontaneous process is triggered when, as a result of a decrease in the solvent concentration, interactions between donor and acceptor molecules begin to dominate. Herein, we present that interdiffusion of the same molecules is possible when a bilayers of donors and acceptors are exposed to solvent vapor. Poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT), and poly[N-9′-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thienyl-2′,1′,3′-benzothiadiazole) (PCDTBT) were used as donors and two types of fullerene derivatives were used as acceptors: phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC60BM) and phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM), Secondary ion mass spectrometry depth profiling revealed that the interpenetration of donors and acceptors induced by solvent vapor annealing was dependent on solvent vapor and component compatibility. Exposure to chloroform vapor resulted in a complete intermixing of both components. The mutual mixing increased efficiency of inverted solar cells prepared by solvent vapor annealing of model donor/acceptor bilayers. These results provide a new means for mixing incompatible components for the fabrication of organic solar cells.
Study on Thermophysical Properties of Arc Plasma for Melting Magnesium Oxide Crystals at Atmospheric Pressure
Authors: Chi Zhongyuan , Zhang Weijun , Yang Qiangda
Published: January 2022

The thermodynamic and transport properties of magnesium oxide crystal arc plasma have been researched under local thermodynamic equilibrium in this paper. The pure CO2 plasma in the arc initiation stage and Mg-CO mixtures plasma in the stable melting stage were selected. The parameter-variation method combined with Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm (PVM-LMA) is used to solve the plasma equilibrium compositions model established by mass action law from higher to lower temperature in sequence. Taking Mg50%-CO50% plasma as an example, the plasma number density of 7500 K is calculated according to 8000 K. The results show that the PVM-LMA algorithm has the advantages of fast and high precision. The comparisons to the results of pure CO2 in previous literature are displayed and our work shows better agreement with theirs. The results of Mg-CO mixtures indicate that the chemical properties of Mg atoms are more active and easier to ionize, which can effectively improve the electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of plasma and reduce its viscosity.
Assessment of Fish Abundance, Biodiversity and Movement Periodicity Changes in a Large River over a 20-Year Period
Authors: Benitez Jean-Philippe , Dierckx Arnaud , Rimbaud Gilles , Nzau Matondo Billy , Renardy Séverine , Rollin Xavier , Gillet Alain , Dumonceau Frédéric , Poncin Pascal , Philippart Jean-Claude , Ovidio Michaël
Published: January 2022

A river is an ecosystem where fish fauna represents an important structural element. To re-establish connectivity, it is imperative to allow movement between functional habitats. Due to the hydromorphological complexity of large anthropized rivers and the lack of study techniques that can be used in such environments, relevant data with regard to fish ecology are scarce. On the River Meuse, Belgium, at a point 323 km upstream from the North Sea, the Lixhe hydroelectric dam is equipped with two fishways. Both were continuously monitored using capture traps for 20 consecutive years (from 1999 to 2018), representing 4151 monitoring events. The objectives of the present study were to describe the overall abundance and movement indicators of mainly holobiotic potamodromous fish species and to analyse their temporal evolution. We captured 388,631 individuals (n = 35 fish species) during the 20 years of fishway monitoring; 22.7% were adults (>75% of which were cyprinids), and 83.3% juveniles (>90% cyprinids). From 1999 to 2018, the results showed a drastic reduction in yearly captures for some native species as well as the apparent emergence of non-native (e.g., Silurus glanis) and reintroduced species (e.g., Salmo salar). The annual capture periodicities associated with environmental factors were clearly defined and were mostly related to the spring spawning migration of the adult stage. This long-term monitoring demonstrated how the fishways are used by the whole fish community and allowed a better understanding of their movement ecology in a large lowland anthropized river. The appearance of non-native species and the drastic decline in abundance of some common and widespread European fish should prompt river managers to adopt conservation measures.
Structural Selectivity of PAH Removal Processes in Soil, and the Effect of Metal Co-Contaminants
Authors: Deary Michael E. , Ekumankama Chinedu C. , Cummings Stephen P.
Published: January 2022

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) form a convenient structural series of molecules with which to examine the selectivity exerted on their removal by soil microbiota. It is known that there is an inverse relationship between PAH molecular size and degradation rates in soil. In this paper, we look at how the magnitude of the slope for this relationship, m, can be used as an indicator of the effect of metal co-contaminants on degradation rates across a range of PAH molecular weights. The analysis utilises data collected from our previous microcosm study (Deary, M.E.; Ekumankama, C.C.; Cummings, S.P. Development of a novel kinetic model for the analysis of PAH biodegradation in the presence of lead and cadmium co-contaminants. Journal of Hazard Materials 2016, 307, 240–252) in which we followed the degradation of the 16 US EPA PAHs over 40 weeks in soil microcosms taken from a high organic matter content woodland soil. The soil was amended with a PAH mixture (total concentration of 2166 mg kg−1) and with a range of metal co-contaminant concentrations (lead, up to 782 mg kg−1; cadmium up to 620 mg kg−1; and mercury up to 1150 mg kg−1). It was found that the magnitude of m increases in relation to the applied concentration of metal co-contaminant, indicating a more adverse effect on microbial communities that participate in the removal of higher molecular weight PAHs. We conclude that m is a useful parameter by which we might measure the differential effects of environmental contaminants on the PAH removal. Such information will be useful in planning and implementing remediation strategies.
Origin, Persistence, and Vulnerability to Climate Changes of Podocarpus Populations in Central African Mountains
Authors: Migliore Jérémy , Lézine Anne-Marie , Veuille Michel , Achoundong Gaston , Tchiengué Barthélémy , Boom Arthur F. , Monthe Franck K. , Bouka Gaël U. D. , Omondi Stephen F. , Wagura Lawrence , Gonçalves Francisco Maiato P. , Stévart Tariq , Farminhão João N. M. , Hardy Olivier J.
Published: January 2022

Background and objectives—Podocarpus latifolius (synonym of P. milanjianus) is a key tree representative of Afromontane forests where it is highly threatened by climate and land-use changes. While large populations occur in East Africa, only a few isolated and usually small populations remain in western Central Africa (Cameroon to Angola). Studying the evolutionary history of such relictual populations can thus be relevant to understand their resilience under changing environments. Materials and Methods—we developed nine polymorphic nuclear microsatellites (nSSRs) to estimate genetic variability, (historical) gene flow, and demographic changes among natural populations from Central to East Africa. Results—despite the extended distribution range of P. latifolius, a strong isolation-by-distance pattern emerges at the intra-population scale, indicating low seed and pollen dispersal capacities. Central African populations display a lower genetic diversity (He = 0.34 to 0.61) and are more differentiated from each other (FST = 0.28) than are East African populations (He = 0.65 to 0.71; FST = 0.10), suggesting high genetic drift in the Central African populations. Spatial genetic structure reveals past connections between East and West Africa but also a gene flow barrier across the equator in western Central Africa. Demographic modelling anchors the history of current lineages in the Pleistocene and supports a strong demographic decline in most western populations during the last glacial period. By contrast, no signature of demographic change was detected in East African populations. Conclusions—in Cameroon, our results exclude a recent (re)colonization from one source population of all mountain ranges, but rather indicate long-term persistence of populations in each mountain with fluctuating sizes. A higher impact of genetic drift and further loss of diversity can be expected by survival through climatically unfavorable periods in such small refugial populations. Tracking the Quaternary legacy of podocarp populations is thus essential for their conservation since there is a temporal gap between environment crises and an ecological/genetic answer at the population level.
The Framework of Cross-Domain and Model Adversarial Attack against Deepfake
Authors: Qiu Haoxuan , Du Yanhui , Lu Tianliang
Published: January 2022

To protect images from the tampering of deepfake, adversarial examples can be made to replace the original images by distorting the output of the deepfake model and disrupting its work. Current studies lack generalizability in that they simply focus on the adversarial examples generated by a model in a domain. To improve the generalization of adversarial examples and produce better attack effects on each domain of multiple deepfake models, this paper proposes a framework of Cross-Domain and Model Adversarial Attack (CDMAA). Firstly, CDMAA uniformly weights the loss function of each domain and calculates the cross-domain gradient. Then, inspired by the multiple gradient descent algorithm (MGDA), CDMAA integrates the cross-domain gradients of each model to obtain the cross-domain perturbation vector, which is used to optimize the adversarial example. Finally, we propose a penalty-based gradient regularization method to pre-process the cross-domain gradients to improve the success rate of attacks. CDMAA experiments on four mainstream deepfake models showed that the adversarial examples generated from CDMAA have the generalizability of attacking multiple models and multiple domains simultaneously. Ablation experiments were conducted to compare the CDMAA components with the methods used in existing studies and verify the superiority of CDMAA.
Research on Progress of Blockchain Consensus Algorithm: A Review on Recent Progress of Blockchain Consensus Algorithms
Authors: Xiong Huanliang , Chen Muxi , Wu Canghai , Zhao Yingding , Yi Wenlong
Published: January 2022

Blockchain technology can solve the problem of trust in the open network in a decentralized way. It has broad application prospects and has attracted extensive attention from academia and industry. The blockchain consensus algorithm ensures that the nodes in the chain reach consensus in the complex network environment, and the node status ultimately remains the same. The consensus algorithm is one of the core technologies of blockchain and plays a pivotal role in the research of blockchain technology. This article gives the basic concepts of the blockchain, summarizes the key technologies of the blockchain, especially focuses on the research of the blockchain consensus algorithm, expounds the general principles of the consensus process, and classifies the mainstream consensus algorithms. Then, focusing on the improvement of consensus algorithm performance, it reviews the research progress of consensus algorithms in detail, analyzes and compares the characteristics, suitable scenarios, and possible shortcomings of different consensus algorithms, and based on this, studies the future development trend of consensus algorithms for reference.
Stable Isotope Analysis of Food Web Structure and the Contribution of Carbon Sources in the Sea Adjacent to the Miaodao Archipelago (China)
Authors: Zhao Yongsong , Yang Tao , Shan Xiujuan , Jin Xianshi , Teng Guangliang , Wei Chao
Published: January 2022

The littoral zones around archipelagos are highly productive coastal habitats that serve as biodiversity hotspots and provide valuable ecosystem services that are different from those of the pelagic and profundal zones. The littoral zone has complex basal carbon sources from different primary producers and is an important ocean–land transition area. Macroalgae are the main primary producers of the littoral zone, but their carbon contribution to consumers is rarely studied. Basal carbon sources determine the structure of the food web. In order to determine the contribution of basal carbon sources and the food web structure of the littoral zone, we used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope techniques and a Bayesian mixing model to study the autumn benthic food web in the sea adjacent to the Miaodao Archipelago. The potential carbon sources of the benthic food web biota in the sea adjacent to the Miaodao Archipelago in autumn are mainly algae (including phytoplankton and macroalgae) and SOM, but the contribution of POM is low. Macroalgae may play a more important role in the littoral zone benthic food webs. Although there are certain uncertainties in the model results, invertebrates and fish have obvious differences in their use of carbon sources. The trophic importance of different primary producers varies with functional feeding groups, and the resource utilization of different functional feeding groups may have certain spatial characteristics.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Fishes in 2021
Authors:   Fishes Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Chemical Composition Analysis and Antioxidant Activity of Coffea robusta Monofloral Honeys from Vietnam
Authors: Trinh Nguyen Thi Nu , Tuan Nguyen Ngoc , Thang Tran Dinh , Kuo Ping-Chung , Thanh Nguyen Ba , Tam Le Nhat , Tuoi Le Hong , Nguyen Trang H. D. , Vu Danh C. , Ho Thi L. , Anh Le Ngoc , Thuy Nguyen Thi Thu
Published: January 2022

Monofloral honey samples (Coffea robusta) from Vietnam were determined for their chemical compositions. This is the first report on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of coffee honey from Vietnam. These samples were characterized by their high contents of total and reducing sugars, total phenolic contents, and total flavonoid contents. The contents of seven phenolic acids (PAs) were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and analyzed with the assistance of principle component analysis (PCA) to differentiate the honey samples into groups. The hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) (0.048–2.933 mg/kg) and free acid contents (20.326–31.163 meq/kg) of coffee honey were lower in Nepal, which reflected the freshness of the honey when conducting this survey. The coffee honey had total sugar and reducing sugar contents 831.711 g/kg and 697.903 g/kg, respectively. The high level of total phenolic (0.642 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (0.0341 mg GE/g) contents of coffee honey contributed to their antioxidant activity of this honey sample. Among the coffee honey tested, the IC50 of DPPH radical-scavenging activities value was 1.134–17.031 mg/mL, while the IC50 of ABTS radical-scavenging activities value was 115.381–213.769 mg/mL. The phenolic acids composition analysis displayed that gallic acid appeared in high concentrations in all studied honey samples, ranging from 0.037–1.015 mg/kg, and ferulic acid content ranged from 0.193 to 0.276 mg/kg. The content of trigonelline and caffeine in coffee honey samples ranged from 0.314–2.399 mg/kg and 8.946–37.977 mg/kg. The data in this article highlight the relevance of coffee honey as a healthy substance.
Comparisons of Soybean and Wheat; in the Focus on the Nutritional Aspects and Acute Appetite Sensation
Authors: Maeta Akihiro , Katsukawa Masahiro , Hayase Yaeko , Takahashi Kyoko
Published: January 2022

Soybean flour is often used as a gluten-free ingredient. We aimed to compare the nutrients and the difference in satiety of soybean and wheat after ingestion. We measured the amounts of polyphenol and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and examined the acute appetite sensation after the ingestion of soybean powder and bread powder. Japanese women were enrolled in the meal tests. Participants were provided with 18 g of bread or soybean powder, 180 g of yogurt, and 285 mL of bottled water. Subjective satiety (hunger, appetite, satiety, and stomach fullness) was measured using a visual analog scale 120 min after sample ingestion. The polyphenol content and ORAC were 2- and 12-folds higher, respectively, in soybean powder than in bread flour. In the meal tests, the area under the curve (AUC) of satiety 60–120 min after ingestion (n = 44) was significantly higher for soybean powder than bread powder. The AUCs of hunger and appetite 60–120 min after ingestion were significantly lower for soybean powder than bread powder. The effect sizes of hunger and appetite by soybean powder were 0.341 and 0.424, respectively. Thus, these results suggest that soybean is a healthy food and soybeans maintain satiety and suppress hunger more than bread flour.
Effect of Grass Carp Scale Collagen Peptide FTGML on cAMP-PI3K/Akt and MAPK Signaling Pathways in B16F10 Melanoma Cells and Correlation between Anti-Melanin and Antioxidant Properties
Authors: Hu Zizi , Sha Xiaomei , Zhang Lu , Huang Sheng , Tu Zongcai
Published: January 2022

Peptide Phe-Thr-Gly-Met-Leu (FTGML) is a bioactive oligopeptide with tyrosinase inhibitory activity derived from gelatin hydrolysate of grass carp scales. Previous studies have shown that FTGML addition can effectively inhibit mushroom tyrosinase activity in vitro, and also has some effect on the inhibition of melanogenesis in zebrafish in vivo, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. In this study, we used FTGML to treat B16F10 melanoma cells, and found a significant inhibition of tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis. Interestingly, the treatment showed a strong correlation between antioxidant activity and anti-melanin, which was associated with FTGML reducing the involvement of reactive oxygen species in melanin synthesis. Furthermore, FTGML reduced melanogenesis in B16F10 cells by downregulating the cAMP-PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways (p38 and JNK). These results suggested that FTGML can reduce melanin production in mouse B16F10 melanoma cells through multiple pathways.
Zizania latifolia Cell Wall Polysaccharide Metabolism and Changes of Related Enzyme Activities during Postharvest Storage
Authors: Huang Jing , Wu Weijie , Fang Xiangjun , Chen Hangjun , Han Yanchao , Niu Ben , Gao Haiyan
Published: January 2022

The metabolism of polysaccharides in the Zizania latifolia cell wall helps maintain the postharvest quality during storage. Fresh Z. latifolia was stored at 4 °C and 25 °C to evaluate the hardness, cell wall polysaccharide composition, cell wall structure, active ingredients, and cell wall metabolism-related enzyme activities. The results showed that hardness declined concomitantly with an increase in water-soluble pectin content during storage, as well as with a decrease in propectin and cellulose contents. Correlation analysis showed that lower activities of cell wall-degrading enzymes, such as polygalacturonase, cellulase, and β-galactosidase in Z. latifolia stored at 4 °C, were associated with lighter fiberization and greater hardness, compared with those stored at 25 °C. Additionally, the results of infrared spectroscopy showed that texture softening may be attributed to a decrease in the degree of esterification of water-soluble polysaccharides at 25 °C compared to that at 4 °C.
Characterization and In Vitro Fecal Microbiota Regulatory Activity of a Low-Molecular-Weight Exopolysaccharide Produced by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NMGL2
Authors: Yao Mengke , Zhang Min , Lai Tiantian , Yang Zhennai
Published: January 2022

The exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NMGL2 isolated from traditional fermented dairy cheese was purified chromatographically with DEAE-Sepharose and Sepharose CL-6B columns. The purified EPS was characterized by various physicochemical methods and in vitro fecal microbiota regulation assay. The results showed that the EPS had a relatively low molecular weight of 3.03 × 104 Da, and it had a relatively high degradation temperature of 245 °C as determined by differential scanning calorimetry. Observation of the EPS by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy revealed a highly branched and tangled fibrous network microstructure with many hollow microtubules and spherical particles. Structural study by 1H NMR spectroscopy suggested that the EPS contained a tetrasaccharide repeating unit with monosaccharide components of β-galactose (4.6%), α-glucose (20.6%), and α-mannose (74.8%). The EPS was highly resistant to hydrolysis of simulated human saliva, gastric, and intestinal juices. Moreover, the EPS beneficially affected the composition and diversity of the fecal microbiota, e.g., increasing the relative abundance of Firmicutes and inhibiting that of Proteobacteria. The results of this study indicated significant bioactivity of this novel low-molecular-weight EPS produced by Lpb. plantarum NMGL2, which could serve as a bioactive agent for potential applications in the food and health care industry.
Improving the Nutritional, Structural, and Sensory Properties of Gluten-Free Bread with Different Species of Microalgae
Authors: Qazi Muhammad Waqas , de Sousa Inês Gonçalves , Nunes Maria Cristiana , Raymundo Anabela
Published: January 2022

Microalgae are an enormous source of nutrients that can be utilized to enrich common food of inherently low nutritional value, such as gluten-free (GF) bread. Addition of the algae species: Tetraselmis chuii (Tc), Chlorella vulgaris (Cv), and Nannochloropsis gaditana (Ng) biomass led to a significant increase in proteins, lipids, minerals (Ca, Mg, K, P, S, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn), and antioxidant activity. Although, a compromise on dough rheology and consequential sensory properties was observed. To address this, ethanol treatment of the biomass was necessary to eliminate pigments and odor compounds, which resulted in the bread receiving a similar score as the control during sensory trials. Ethanol treatment also resulted in increased dough strength depicted by creep/recovery tests. Due to the stronger dough structure, more air bubbles were trapped in the dough resulting in softer breads (23–65%) of high volume (12–27%) vs. the native algae biomass bread. Breads baked with Ng and Cv resulted in higher protein-enrichment than the Tc, while Tc enrichment led to an elevated mineral content, especially the Ca, which was six times higher than the other algae species. Overall, Ng, in combination with ethanol treatment, yielded a highly nutritious bread of improved technological and sensory properties, indicating that this species might be a candidate for functional GF bread development.
Influence of Different Light Sources on the Biochemical Composition of Arthrospira spp. Grown in Model Systems
Authors: Milia Massimo , Corrias Francesco , Addis Piero , Chini Zitelli Graziella , Cicchi Bernardo , Torzillo Giuseppe , Andreotti Valeria , Angioni Alberto
Published: January 2022

Arthrospira platensis and Arthrospira maxima are prokaryotic microalgae commercially marketed as spirulina. The pigments extracted from these algae are widely used for cosmetic and nutraceutical applications. This work aimed to evaluate the influence of three light-emitting lamps (white, orange and blue) on the growth and biomass composition of two strains of A. platensis (M2 and M2M) and one of A. maxima. The obtained data show strain- and light-dependent responses of the microalgae. In addition, white and orange lights led to a similar overall effect by increasing the levels of chlorophyll a and carotenoids. However, exposure to orange light resulted in the highest dry weight (5973.3 mg L−1 in M2M), whereas white light stimulated an increase in the carbohydrate fraction (up to 42.36 g 100 g−1 in A. maxima). Conversely, blue light led to a constant increase in the concentration of phycocyanin (14 g 100 g−1 in A. maxima) and a higher content of proteins in all strains. These results provide important environmental information for modulating the growth of different spirulina strains, which can be used to address the synthesis of biochemical compounds of strategic importance for the development of new nutraceutical foods.
A Hybrid XGBoost-MLP Model for Credit Risk Assessment on Digital Supply Chain Finance
Authors: Li Yixuan , Stasinakis Charalampos , Yeo Wee Meng
Published: January 2022

Supply Chain Finance (SCF) has gradually taken on digital characteristics with the rapid development of electronic information technology. Business audit information has become more abundant and complex, which has increased the efficiency and increased the potential risk of commercial banks, with credit risk being the biggest risk they face. Therefore, credit risk assessment based on the application of digital SCF is of great importance to commercial banks’ financial decisions. This paper uses a hybrid Extreme Gradient Boosting Multi-Layer Perceptron (XGBoost-MLP) model to assess the credit risk of Digital SCF (DSCF). In this paper, 1357 observations from 85 Chinese-listed SMEs over the period 2016–2019 are selected as the empirical sample, and the important features of credit risk assessment in DSCF are automatically selected through the feature selection of the XGBoost model in the first stage, then followed by credit risk assessment through the MLP in the second stage. Based on the empirical results, we find that the XGBoost-MLP model has good performance in credit risk assessment, where XGBoost feature selection is important for the credit risk assessment model. From the perspective of DSCF, the results show that the inclusion of digital features improves the accuracy of credit risk assessment in SCF.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Galaxies in 2021
Authors:   Galaxies Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
On the Evolution of the Hubble Constant with the SNe Ia Pantheon Sample and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations: A Feasibility Study for GRB-Cosmology in 2030
Authors: Dainotti Maria Giovanna , De Simone Biagio , Schiavone Tiziano , Montani Giovanni , Rinaldi Enrico , Lambiase Gaetano , Bogdan Malgorzata , Ugale Sahil
Published: January 2022

The difference from 4 to 6 σ in the Hubble constant (H0) between the values observed with the local (Cepheids and Supernovae Ia, SNe Ia) and the high-z probes (Cosmic Microwave Background obtained by the Planck data) still challenges the astrophysics and cosmology community. Previous analysis has shown that there is an evolution in the Hubble constant that scales as f(z)=H0/(1+z)η, where H0 is H0(z=0) and η is the evolutionary parameter. Here, we investigate if this evolution still holds by using the SNe Ia gathered in the Pantheon sample and the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations. We assume H0=70kms−1Mpc−1 as the local value and divide the Pantheon into three bins ordered in increasing values of redshift. Similar to our previous analysis but varying two cosmological parameters contemporaneously (H0, Ω0m in the ΛCDM model and H0, wa in the w0waCDM model), for each bin we implement a Markov-Chain Monte Carlo analysis (MCMC) obtaining the value of H0 assuming Gaussian priors to restrict the parameters spaces to values we expect from our prior knowledge of the current cosmological models and to avoid phantom Dark Energy models with w<−1. Subsequently, the values of H0 are fitted with the model f(z). Our results show that a decreasing trend with η∼10−2 is still visible in this sample. The η coefficient reaches zero in 2.0 σ for the ΛCDM model up to 5.8 σ for w0waCDM model. This trend, if not due to statistical fluctuations, could be explained through a hidden astrophysical bias, such as the effect of stretch evolution, or it requires new theoretical models, a possible proposition is the modified gravity theories, f(R). This analysis is meant to further cast light on the evolution of H0 and it does not specifically focus on constraining the other parameters. This work is also a preparatory to understand how the combined probes still show an evolution of the H0 by redshift and what is the current status of simulations on GRB cosmology to obtain the uncertainties on the Ω0m comparable with the ones achieved through SNe Ia.
Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers: Does Gelling Agent Really Matter?
Authors: d’Angelo Ivana , Provenzano Romina , Florio Ettore , Pagliuca Chiara , Mantova Giuseppe , Scaglione Elena , Vitiello Mariateresa , Colicchio Roberta , Salvatore Paola , Ungaro Francesca , Quaglia Fabiana , Miro Agnese
Published: January 2022

Hand hygiene, social distancing, and face covering are considered the first protection against Coronavirus spreading. The high demand during the COVID-19 emergency has driven a frenetic production and marketing of hand sanitizer gels. Nevertheless, the effect of the gelling agent and its amount on the effectiveness of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHSs) needs to be clarified. We presented a systematic study on the effect of the characteristics and concentration of the most employed excipients on the properties and antimicrobial activity of ABHSs. Three different gelling agents, carbopol, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), and hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), at four different concentrations were used to prepare ABHSs. Viscosity, spreadability, delivery from commercial dispensers, evaporation rate, rubbing time, and hand distribution of the ABHSs were then explored. Biocidal activity of selected ABHSs was evaluated in vitro on ATCC and clinical strains. The studied ABHS can be considered bioactive and comfortable. Nevertheless, the cellulose polymers and ethanol interactions led to a slight but significant reduction in the biocidal activity compared with carbopol-based formulations. Our results underline the importance of the gelling agent properties and support the choice of carbopol as one of the best thickener agents in ABHS formulations.
CRL4Cdt2 Ubiquitin Ligase, A Genome Caretaker Controlled by Cdt2 Binding to PCNA and DNA
Authors: Mazian Muadz Ahmad , Yamanishi Kumpei , Rahman Mohd Zulhilmi Abdul , Ganasen Menega , Nishitani Hideo
Published: January 2022

The ubiquitin ligase CRL4Cdt2 plays a vital role in preserving genomic integrity by regulating essential proteins during S phase and after DNA damage. Deregulation of CRL4Cdt2 during the cell cycle can cause DNA re-replication, which correlates with malignant transformation and tumor growth. CRL4Cdt2 regulates a broad spectrum of cell cycle substrates for ubiquitination and proteolysis, including Cdc10-dependent transcript 1 or Chromatin licensing and DNA replication factor 1 (Cdt1), histone H4K20 mono-methyltransferase (Set8) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 (p21), which regulate DNA replication. However, the mechanism it operates via its substrate receptor, Cdc10-dependent transcript 2 (Cdt2), is not fully understood. This review describes the essential features of the N-terminal and C-terminal parts of Cdt2 that regulate CRL4 ubiquitination activity, including the substrate recognition domain, intrinsically disordered region (IDR), phosphorylation sites, the PCNA-interacting protein-box (PIP) box motif and the DNA binding domain. Drugs targeting these specific domains of Cdt2 could have potential for the treatment of cancer.
BRCA1/2 Mutations in Vietnamese Patients with Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome
Authors: Le Trong-Nhan N. , Tran Van-Khanh , Nguyen Thu-Thuy , Vo Nam S. , Hoang Tham H. , Vo Hoang-Long , Nguyen Thanh-Hai T. , Nguyen Phuoc-Dung , Nguyen Viet-Tien , Ta Thanh-Van , Tran Huy-Thinh
Published: January 2022

(1) Background: Individuals with BRCA1/2 gene mutations are at increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The prevalence of BRCA1/2 mutations varies by race and ethnicity, and the prevalence and the risks associated with most BRCA1/2 mutations has not been unknown in the Vietnamese population. We herein screen the entire BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes for breast and ovarian cancer patients with a family history of breast cancer and ovarian cancer, thereby, suggesting a risk score associated with carrier status and history for aiding personalized treatment; (2) Methods: Between December 2017 and December 2019, Vietnamese patients who had a pathological diagnosis of breast and epithelial ovarian cancer were followed up, prospectively, after treatment from two large institutions in Vietnam. Blood samples from 33 Vietnamese patients with hereditary breast and ovarian cancers (HBOC) syndrome were collected and analyzed using Next Generation Sequencing; (3) Results: Eleven types of mutations in both BRCA1 (in nine patients) and BRCA2 (in three patients) were detected, two of which (BRCA1:p.Tyr1666Ter and BRCA2:p.Ser1341Ter) have not been previously documented in the literature. Seven out of 19 patient’s relatives had BRCA1/2 gene mutations. All selected patients were counselled about the likelihood of cancer rising and prophylactic screening and procedures. The study established a risk score associated with the cohorts based on carrier status and family history; (4) Conclusions: Our findings suggested the implications for the planning of a screening programme for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes testing in breast and ovarian cancer patients and genetic screening in their relatives. BRCA1/2 mutation carriers without cancer should have early and regular cancer screening, and prophylactic measures. This study could be beneficial for a diverse group in a large population-specific cohort, related to HBOC Syndrome.
Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of Pharmacy Students towards Pharmacogenomics and Genetics: An Observational Study from King Saud University
Authors: Arafah Azher , Rehman Muneeb U. , Syed Wajid , Babelghaith Salmeen D. , Alwhaibi Abdulrahman , Al Arifi Mohamed N.
Published: January 2022

Pharmacists are considered among the most accessible healthcare workers in fundamental positions to implement new clinical initiatives, such as pharmacogenomics services. The scope of pharmacogenomics in improving health outcomes and the quality of health care is well-known. Implementation of such initiatives requires adequate knowledge, perception, and positive attitudes among pharmacists. A study was conducted on pharmacy students at King Saud University in Riyadh to analyze their attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions concerning pharmacogenomics to explore the feasibility of establishing full-time pharmacogenomics instruction and services. A cross-sectional study was carried out in one of the significant pharmacy schools of Saudi Arabia, using a simple questionnaire-based survey in pharmacy students pursuing Bpharm and PharmD courses to obtain preliminary information about pharmacogenomics among the surveyed population. The study’s secondary objective was to determine the perceived belief about pharmacogenomics implementation in clinical practice. Out of the total of 552 participants, 41.8% correctly defined pharmacogenomics and 81.3% understood that genetic change could lead to adverse reactions. More than half of the participants agreed that the FDA recommends pharmacogenomics testing for certain drugs. The knowledge about a year of use of pharmacogenomics in clinical practice was found to be very low; only 15.2% could correctly answer. Only 60% of students agreed on pharmacogenomics testing for selecting the therapy with the most negligible adverse effects. Due to the limited knowledge about and understanding of pharmacogenomics, there is a lack of interest among pharmacy students in implementing pharmacogenomics testing in clinical practice. Our study highlights the need for improving pharmacy students’ knowledge about pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenetics so that the implementation of pharmacogenomics testing in clinical practice will become easier. There is a need to introduce an up-to-date curriculum for pharmacy courses other pharmacogenomics-based health education programs in Saudi Arabia.
Molecularly Guided Drug Repurposing for Cholangiocarcinoma: An Integrative Bioinformatic Approach
Authors: Venkatraman Simran , Balasubramanian Brinda , Pongchaikul Pisut , Tohtong Rutaiwan , Chutipongtanate Somchai
Published: January 2022

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) has a complex immune microenvironment architecture, thus possessing challenges in its characterization and treatment. This study aimed to repurpose FDA-approved drugs for cholangiocarcinoma by transcriptomic-driven bioinformatic approach. Methods: Cox-proportional univariate regression was applied to 3017 immune-related genes known a priori to identify a list of mortality-associated genes, so-called immune-oncogenic gene signature, in CCA tumor-derived RNA-seq profiles of two independent cohorts. Unsupervised clustering stratified CCA tumors into two groups according to the immune-oncogenic gene signature expression, which then confirmed its clinical relevance by Kaplan–Meier curve. Molecularly guided drug repurposing was performed by an integrative connectivity map-prioritized drug-gene network analysis. Results: The immune-oncogenic gene signature consists of 26 mortality-associated immune-related genes. Patients with high-expression signature had a poorer overall survival (log-rank p < 0.001), while gene enrichment analysis revealed cell-cycle checkpoint regulation and inflammatory-immune response signaling pathways affected this high-risk group. The integrative drug-gene network identified eight FDA-approved drugs as promising candidates, including Dasatinib a multi-kinase inhibitor currently investigated for advanced CCA with isocitrate-dehydrogenase mutations. Conclusion: This study proposes the use of the immune-oncogenic gene signature to identify high-risk CCA patients. Future preclinical and clinical studies are required to elucidate the therapeutic efficacy of the molecularly guided drugs as the adjunct therapy, aiming to improve the survival outcome.
Therapeutic Metabolic Reprograming Using microRNAs: From Cancer to HIV Infection
Authors: Gibson Mark S. , Noronha-Estima Cláudia , Gama-Carvalho Margarida
Published: January 2022

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators of cellular processes, including metabolism. Attempts to use miRNAs as therapeutic agents are being explored in several areas, including the control of cancer progression. Recent evidence suggests fine tuning miRNA activity to reprogram tumor cell metabolism has enormous potential as an alternative treatment option. Indeed, cancer growth is known to be linked to profound metabolic changes. Likewise, the emerging field of immunometabolism is leading to a refined understanding of how immune cell proliferation and function is governed by glucose homeostasis. Different immune cell types are now known to have unique metabolic signatures that switch in response to a changing environment. T-cell subsets exhibit distinct metabolic profiles which underlie their alternative differentiation and phenotypic functions. Recent evidence shows that the susceptibility of CD4+ T-cells to HIV infection is intimately linked to their metabolic activity, with many of the metabolic features of HIV-1-infected cells resembling those found in tumor cells. In this review, we discuss the use of miRNA modulation to achieve metabolic reprogramming for cancer therapy and explore the idea that the same approach may serve as an effective mechanism to restrict HIV replication and eliminate infected cells.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Healthcare in 2021
Authors:   Healthcare Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Colorectal and Prostate Cancer Screening in a Large U.S. Health System
Authors: Kelkar Amar H. , Zhao Jing , Wang Shu , Cogle Christopher R.
Published: January 2022

During the first year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, prevention measures included quarantining and facility closures. Because cancer screening is dependent on interventions in facilities, the extent of the COVID-19 impact on screening was questioned. A claims registry from a large health system was queried for colorectal and prostate cancer screening. A screening gap and screening loss ratio were calculated by comparing 2020 screening to historical reference years. All cancer screenings decreased in the first four months of the pandemic. Colorectal cancer screening returned to baseline in the latter six months of 2020. Prostate cancer screening exceeded baseline in the latter six months, but with a lesser gain than previous years. Populations disproportionately affected by decreased cancer screening included men and black people. To catch-up after the initial deficit in screening, it is estimated that the rate of colorectal cancer screening needs to increase by 50%.