bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between Dietary Inflammatory Index and Postpartum Depression in Exclusively Breastfeeding Women
Authors: Zou Hanshuang , Sun Minghui , Liu Yan , Xi Yue , Xiang Caihong , Yong Cuiting , Liang Jiajing , Huo Jiaqi , Lin Qian , Deng Jing
Published: November 2022

(1) Background: Research has shown that chronic inflammation can increase the risk of depression. The dietary inflammatory index (DII) is a novel measure of dietary inflammation, which has been used to investigate the relationship between diet and mental disorders in adults. However, little research has been conducted to establish an association between dietary inflammation (as measured by DII) and postpartum depression (PPD) in exclusively breastfeeding women. (2) Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 293 women who were exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months or less were enrolled. The DII scores were evaluated using semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ), and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to measure depression levels of breastfeeding mothers during the six months following delivery. The participants were classified by tertiles, and the possibility of DII being associated with PPD was assessed by binary regression analysis. (3) Results: The average DII score was 2.32 ± 1.08, which ranged from −1.66 to 4.19. The rate of depression was 60.1%. Adjusted for potential risk factors such as age, educational level, occupational level, number of babies, number of caregivers, social support level, and sleep quality, the results showed that the lowest DII score was associated with a lower risk of PPD than the highest score (OR tertile Q1 vs. 3 = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.93, p = 0.030). (4) Conclusions: In exclusive breastfeeding women, the inflammatory potential of dietary intake seems to be related to depression. Interventions to improve diet quality might consider including a dietary component that aims to lower chronic systemic inflammation to prevent PPD. However, the relationship between DII and PPD among Chinese women remains to be demonstrated in a larger population.
Association between Depression, Anxiety Symptoms and Gut Microbiota in Chinese Elderly with Functional Constipation
Authors: Liang Jiajing , Zhao Yueming , Xi Yue , Xiang Caihong , Yong Cuiting , Huo Jiaqi , Zou Hanshuang , Hou Yanmei , Pan Yunfeng , Wu Minchan , Xie Qingqing , Lin Qian
Published: November 2022

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between anxiety, depression, and gut microbiota in elderly patients with FC. Methods: in this cross-sectional study, a total of 198 elderly participants (85 male and 113 female) aged over 60 years were recruited. The study was conducted in Changsha city, China. The participants completed an online questionnaire, including The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), The Patient Assessment of Symptoms (PAC-SYM), and The Patient Assessment of Quality of Life (PAC-QoL). We selected the 16S rDNA V3 + V4 region as the amplification region and sequenced the gut microbiota using the Illumina Novaseq PE250 high-throughput sequencing platform. Results: in total, 30.3% of patients with constipation had depression, while 21.3% had anxiety. The relative abundance of intestinal microbiota in the normal group was higher than that in the anxiety and depression group. According to LEfSe analysis, the relative abundance of g_Peptoniphilus and g_Geobacter in the people without depression and anxiety was higher. The relative abundance of g_Pseudoramibacter-Eubacterium and g_Candidatus-Solibacter in the depression group was lower, and the relative abundance of g_Bacteroides and g_Paraprevotella, g_Cc_115 in the anxiety group was higher. In addition, according to the correlation analysis, g_Aquicella and g_Limnohabitans were negatively correlated with constipation symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Conclusions: this study found that gut microbiota composition may be associated with a higher incidence of anxiety and depression in patients with FC, thus providing insight into the mechanisms that ameliorate mood disorders in patients with FC.
Echinococcus multilocularis and Other Taeniid Metacestodes of Muskrats in Luxembourg: Prevalence, Risk Factors, Parasite Reproduction, and Genetic Diversity
Authors: Martini Matilde , Dumendiak Sonja , Gagliardo Anna , Ragazzini Francesco , La Rosa Letizia , Giunchi Dimitri , Thielen Frank , Romig Thomas , Massolo Alessandro , Wassermann Marion
Published: November 2022

Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) are competent intermediate hosts for Echinococcus multilocularis, are frequently infected with this zoonotic cestode, and have even been proposed as a target species to monitor endemicity levels of this parasite. However, their contribution to maintaining the parasitic lifecycle is still unclear. To obtain data on infection frequency and reproductive potential, 280 muskrats from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg were examined for cestode larvae in the years 2013–2017. Based on morphological and molecular identification, Echinococcus multilocularis was found at a prevalence of 14.6%. Other metacestodes were Hydatigera kamiyai, with a prevalence of 45.7%, Taenia martis with 8.9%, Taenia polyacantha with 5.0%, and Versteria mustelae, which was found in 0.7% of all muskrats. More than 80% of E. multilocularis-infected muskrats contained fertile metacestodes with a mean number of >300,000 (and up to 1,609,816) protoscoleces, which is by far the highest reproductive potential known from any intermediate host species in Europe. Temporal analysis of E. multilocularis prevalence within the study period (and in comparison with earlier data) strongly indicates a robust increase in the studied area. Host age seemed to be an important risk factor for infection, as well as co-infections with Hydatigera kamiyai. A preference for the right medial lobe of the liver as the location of E. multilocularis metacestode was observed. Intraspecific genetic variation among 89 discrete E. multilocularis metacestodes was non-existent based on 300–1590 bp sections of cox1. This is a stark contrast to H. kamiyai, of which nine haplotypes were found on a short 318 bp section of cox1, resulting in genetic diversity in the small country of Luxembourg at a similar level than previously reported from large stretches of Europe and northern Asia.
Numerical Modeling of Particle Dynamics Inside a Dry Powder Inhaler
Authors: Šušteršič Tijana , Bodić Aleksandar , Ignjatović Jelisaveta , Cvijić Sandra , Ibrić Svetlana , Filipović Nenad
Published: November 2022

The development of novel dry powders for dry powder inhalers (DPIs) requires the in vitro assessment of DPI aerodynamic performance. As a potential complementary method, in silico numerical simulations can provide additional information about the mechanisms that guide the particles and their behavior inside DPIs. The aim of this study was to apply computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) coupled with a discrete phase model (DPM) to describe the forces and particle trajectories inside the RS01® as a model DPI device. The methodology included standard fluid flow equations but also additional equations for the particle sticking mechanism, as well as particle behavior after contacting the DPI wall surface, including the particle detachment process. The results show that the coefficient of restitution between the particle and the impact surface does not have a high impact on the results, meaning that all tested combinations gave similar output efficiencies and particle behaviors. No sliding or rolling mechanisms were observed for the particle detachment process, meaning that simple bouncing off or deposition particle behavior is present inside DPIs. The developed methodology can serve as a basis for the additional understanding of the particles’ behavior inside DPIs, which is not possible using only in vitro experiments; this implies the possibility of increasing the efficiency of DPIs.
The Chemo-Sensitizing Effect of Doxorubicin of Apple Extract-Enriched Triterpenic Complex on Human Colon Adenocarcinoma and Human Glioblastoma Cell Lines
Authors: Braciuliene Aurita , Janulis Valdimaras , Petrikaite Vilma
Published: November 2022

Cancer cells’ resistance to anticancer drugs represents a major clinical problem and the most important failure of treatment. Combination chemotherapy is more effective than monotherapy due to additive or synergistic effects. The aim of our research was to assess the effects of the combinations of apple extract’s triterpenic compounds, individual triterpenic acids, and doxorubicin (DOX) on human colon adenocarcinoma (HT-29) and human glioblastoma (U-87) cell lines in 2D and 3D cultures. The effect of the combination of apple extracts, the triterpenic standards, and DOX against HT-29 and U-87 cell viability was tested by the MTT and spheroid growth assays. Cell line HT-29 was more sensitive to DOX when incubated with all tested apple extracts than DOX alone. Cell line HT-29 was the most strongly sensitive to DOX when it was treated with 5 µM oleanolic acid (change of EC50 = −64.6% ± 4.4%) and with 5 µM ursolic acid (change of EC50 = −61.9% ± 8.8%) in 2D culture. Meanwhile, cell line U-87 was the most strongly sensitive to DOX when treated with 2 µM betulinic acid (change of EC50 = −45.1% ± 4.5%) in 2D culture. The combination of apple extract (E3) and DOX reduced the viability of HT-29 spheroids the most (spheroid viability reduced from −19.9% to −10.9%, compared to spheroids treated with DOX alone). Our study in 2D and 3D cultures showed that combining apple extract’s triterpenic complexes or individual triterpenic acids with DOX may sensitize chemotherapeutic drugs and increase the cytotoxicity effects in HT-29 and U-87 cell lines.
On a Different Vision of Kerr Law in Nonlinear Optical Waveguide Theory
Authors: Smirnov Yury , Tikhov Stanislav , Valovik Dmitry
Published: November 2022

This paper focuses on electromagnetic transverse-electric wave propagation in a planar shielded waveguide filled with nonlinear medium. Instead of using the standard local Kerr (cubic) nonlinearity, we suggest a (nonlocal) modification of this law. In comparison with the standard formula, this modification does not produce infinitely many nonperturbative guided modes. In this research, we present the dispersion equation for propagation constants, eigenwaves and propagation constants via explicit formulas. The found results are compared with the ones relating to the corresponding linear problem and the nonlinear one with the classical Kerr’s law. Numerical results are also presented and discussed.
Identification and Functional Analysis of Long Non-Coding RNA (lncRNA) in Response to Seed Aging in Rice
Authors: Zhang Yixin , Fan Fan , Zhang Qunjie , Luo Yongjian , Liu Qinjian , Gao Jiadong , Liu Jun , Chen Guanghui , Zhang Haiqing
Published: November 2022

Many lncRNAs have been shown to play a vital role in aging processes. However, how lncRNAs regulate seed aging remains unknown. In this study, we performed whole transcriptome strand-specific RNA sequencing of samples from rice embryos, analyzed the differences in expression of rice seed lncRNAs before and after artificial aging treatment (AAT), and systematically screened 6002 rice lncRNAs. During the AAT period, the expression levels of most lncRNAs (454) were downregulated and only four were upregulated among the 458 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs). Cis- or trans-regulated target genes of the four upregulated lncRNAs were mainly related to base repair, while 454 downregulated lncRNAs were related to plant–pathogen interaction, plant hormones, energy metabolism, and secondary metabolism. The pathways of DEL target genes were similar with those of differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs). A competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network composed of 34 lncRNAs, 24 microRNAs (miRNA), and 161 mRNAs was obtained. The cDNA sequence of lncRNA LNC_037529 was obtained by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) cloning with a total length of 1325 bp, a conserved 5′ end, and a non-conserved 3′ end. Together, our findings indicate that genome-wide selection for lncRNA downregulation was an important mechanism for rice seed aging. LncRNAs can be used as markers of seed aging in rice. These findings provide a future path to decipher the underlying mechanism associated with lncRNAs in seed aging.
Metabolites Facilitating Adaptation of Desert Cyanobacteria to Extremely Arid Environments
Authors: Dabravolski Siarhei A. , Isayenkov Stanislav V.
Published: November 2022

Desert is one of the harshest environments on the planet, characterized by exposure to daily fluctuations of extreme conditions (such as high temperature, low nitrogen, low water, high salt, etc.). However, some cyanobacteria are able to live and flourish in such conditions, form communities, and facilitate survival of other organisms. Therefore, to ensure survival, desert cyanobacteria must develop sophisticated and comprehensive adaptation strategies to enhance their tolerance to multiple simultaneous stresses. In this review, we discuss the metabolic pathways used by desert cyanobacteria to adapt to extreme arid conditions. In particular, we focus on the extracellular polysaccharides and compatible solutes biosynthesis pathways and their evolution and special features. We also discuss the role of desert cyanobacteria in the improvement of soil properties and their ecological and environmental impact on soil communities. Finally, we summarize recent achievements in the application of desert cyanobacteria to prevent soil erosion and desertification.
A Modeled High-Density Fed-Batch Culture Improves Biomass Growth and β-Glucans Accumulation in Microchloropsis salina
Authors: Ocaranza Darío , Balic Iván , Bruna Tamara , Moreno Ignacio , Díaz Oscar , Moreno Adrián A. , Caro Nelson
Published: November 2022

Algae and microalgae are used as a source of different biomolecules, such as lipids and carbohydrates. Among carbohydrates, polysaccharides, such as β-glucans, are important for their application as antioxidants, antisepsis, and immunomodulators. In the present work, the β-glucans production potential of Microchloropsis salina was assessed using two different culture conditions: a high-density batch and a modeled high-density fed-batch. From the biochemical parameters determined from these two cultures conditions, it was possible to establish that the modeled high-density fed-batch culture improves the biomass growth. It was possible to obtain a biomass productivity equal to 8.00 × 10−2 ± 2.00 × 10−3 g/(L × day), while the batch condition reached 5.13 × 10−2 ± 4.00 × 10−4 g/(L × day). The same phenomenon was observed when analyzing the β-glucans accumulation, reaching volumetric productivity equal to 5.96 × 10−3 ± 2.00 × 10−4 g of product/(L × day) against the 4.10 × 10−3 ± 2.00 × 10−4 g of product/(L × day) obtained in batch conditions. These data establish a baseline condition to optimize and significantly increase β-glucan productivity, as well as biomass, adding a new and productive source of this polymer, and integrating its use in potential applications in the human and animal nutraceutical industry.
Vertical Greening Systems: A Critical Comparison of Do-It-Yourself Designs
Authors: Dominici Laura , Comino Elena , Torpy Fraser , Irga Peter
Published: November 2022

Due to the increasing shortage of space in urban areas, vertical greening systems (VGSs) are becoming increasingly popular as a means to provide increased urban greening using building façades. VGSs are usually installed and managed by experts due to technical complexity, however the role of local communities is becoming increasingly important through Do-It-Yourself (DIY) practices. This study aims to explore low-cost VGSs and provide design suggestions and maintenance indications to encourage the expanded use of in situ small-scale VGSs. Firstly, an exploratory review of VGS designs proposed in the scientific literature, and by commercial and community-based solutions was conducted taking DIY potential into account to define eight basic design models categorized through six structural criteria. Then, seven community garden groups were interviewed to inform a critical comparison of the eight design models. Data collected was synthesized to develop a star rating system, thus providing a quick comparative tool. The star rating system shows the performance of five relevant DIY design parameters for each VGS model. The current research may assist in the accessibility of green technologies and facilitate community-scale implementation of DIY vertical greening.
Polyacrylonitrile-b-Polystyrene Block Copolymer-Derived Hierarchical Porous Carbon Materials for Supercapacitor
Authors: Álvarez-Gómez Ainhoa , Yuan Jiayin , Fernández-Blázquez Juan P. , San-Miguel Verónica , Serrano María B.
Published: November 2022

The use of block copolymers as a sacrificial template has been demonstrated to be a powerful method for obtaining porous carbons as electrode materials in energy storage devices. In this work, a block copolymer of polystyrene and polyacrylonitrile (PS−b−PAN) has been used as a precursor to produce fibers by electrospinning and powdered carbons, showing high carbon yield (~50%) due to a low sacrificial block content (fPS ≈ 0.16). Both materials have been compared structurally (in addition to comparing their electrochemical behavior). The porous carbon fibers showed superior pore formation capability and exhibited a hierarchical porous structure, with small and large mesopores and a relatively high surface area (~492 m2/g) with a considerable quantity of O/N surface content, which translates into outstanding electrochemical performance with excellent cycle stability (close to 100% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles) and high capacitance value (254 F/g measured at 1 A/g).
Rational Design of a Polyurethane Foam
Authors: Wright Harry Charles , Cameron Duncan Drummond , Ryan Anthony John
Published: November 2022

Polyurethane (PU) foams are exceptionally versatile due to the nature of PU bond formation and the large variety of polymeric backbones and formulation components such as catalysts and surfactants. This versatility introduces a challenge, namely a near unlimited number of variables for formulating foams. In addition to this, PU foam development requires expert knowledge, not only in polyurethane chemistry but also in the art of evaluating the resulting foams. In this work, we demonstrate that a rational experimental design framework in conjunction with a design of experiments (DoE) approach reduces both the number of experiments required to understand the formulation space and reduces the need for tacit knowledge from a PU expert. We focus on an in-depth example where a catalyst and two surfactants of a known formulation are set as factors and foam physical properties are set as responses. An iterative DoE approach is used to generate a set of foams with substantially different cell morphology and hydrodynamic behaviour. We demonstrate that with 23 screening formulations and 16 final formulations, foam physical properties can be modelled from catalyst and surfactant loadings. This approach also allows for the exploration of relationships between the cell morphology of PU foam and its hydrodynamic behaviour.
Mechanical Behavior of Laminated Glass Polymer Interlayer Subjected to Environmental Effects
Authors: Knight Jonathan T. , El-Sisi Alaa A. , Elbelbisi Ahmed H. , Newberry Michael , Salim Hani A.
Published: November 2022

It is known that weathering action has a significant impact on polymer interlayer materials, and previous studies have evaluated certain aspects of weathering such as temperature, humidity, and UV radiation. In this paper, the environmental effect on the mechanical properties of the virgin and cured/processed polymer interlayer materials will be studied. Three polymer interlayer materials were focused, i.e., Polyvinyl butyral (PVB), Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and Ionomer (SG), due to their industrial interest. Testing setups were designed to apply the environmental effects and perform mechanical testing on the polymeric materials. Four environmental effects were studied, including water submersion (E1), constant high temperature (E2), cyclic temperature with low relative humidity (E3), cyclic temperature, and relative humidity (E4). After the exposure of these materials to these environmental effects, the samples were prepared and mechanically tested. Uniaxial tests were performed under static and high strain rates (around 45−1). It was found that under dynamic load, the properties of EVA such as the strength, maximum strain, and the toughness were not significantly affected by the environmental effects. SG5000 properties were significantly affected.
Selection of Conditions in PVB Polymer Dissolution Process for Laminated Glass Recycling Applications
Authors: Królikowski Marek , Żach Piotr , Kalestyński Maciej
Published: November 2022

Polyvinyl(butyral) (PVB) post-production waste collected from the windshields of end-of-life vehicles and post-consumer building laminated glass are valuable polymeric materials that can be reused. Every year, large amounts of PVB waste are still being buried in landfills owing to a lack of appropriate recycling techniques. Before reuse, PVB should be thoroughly cleaned of solid contaminants such as glass dust, fused heating wires, and other waste polymers, metals, and ceramics. This can be done by polymer dissolution and filtration. In this study, we propose the purification of PVB from contamination by dissolving the post-consumer polymeric materials into single and binary organic solvents. As part of the experimental work, measurements and optimization of the dissolution time of PVB were performed. PVB dissolves faster when a binary solvent (2-propanol + ethyl acetate) than pure 2-propanol is used. From the point of view of the practical application of PVB solutions, measurements of density and dynamic viscosity as a function of PVB concentration and temperature were performed. The PVB solutions obtained in this work can be widely used as glues for glass, ceramics, metal, impregnating, and insulating materials or as paint additives that are entirely transparent for visible light and to block UV rays.
Protein Adsorption Performance of a Novel Functionalized Cellulose-Based Polymer
Authors: Gago Diana , Corvo Marta C. , Chagas Ricardo , Ferreira Luísa M. , Coelhoso Isabel
Published: November 2022

Dicarboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC) was synthesized and tested for protein adsorption. The prepared polymer was characterized by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) to confirm the functionalization of cellulose. This work shows that protein adsorption onto DCMC is charge dependent. The polymer adsorbs positively charged proteins, cytochrome C and lysozyme, with adsorption capacities of 851 and 571 mg g−1, respectively. In both experiments, the adsorption process follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The adsorption kinetics by DCMC is well described by the pseudo second-order model, and adsorption equilibrium was reached within 90 min. Moreover, DCMC was successfully reused for five consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles, without compromising the removal efficiency (98–99%).
4-Amino-TEMPO-Immobilized Polymer Monolith: Preparations, and Recycling Performance of Catalyst for Alcohol Oxidation
Authors: Imoto Tomoki , Matsumoto Hikaru , Nonaka Seiya , Shichijo Keita , Nagao Masanori , Shimakoshi Hisashi , Hoshino Yu , Miura Yoshiko
Published: November 2022

Continuous flow reactors with immobilized catalysts are in great demand in various industries, to achieve easy separation, regeneration, and recycling of catalysts from products. Oxidation of alcohols with 4-amino-TEMPO-immobilized monolith catalyst was investigated in batch and continuous flow systems. The polymer monoliths were prepared by polymerization-induced phase separation using styrene derivatives, and 4-amino-TEMPO was immobilized on the polymer monolith with a flow reaction. The prepared 4-amino-TEMPO-immobilized monoliths showed high permeability, due to their high porosity. In batch oxidation, the reaction rate of 4-amino-TEMPO-immobilized monolith varied with stirring. In flow oxidation, the eluent permeated without clogging, and efficient flow oxidation was possible with residence times of 2–8 min. In the recycling test of the flow oxidation reaction, the catalyst could be used at least six times without catalyst deactivation.
High Throughput Fabrication of Flexible Top-Driven Sensing Probe
Authors: Li Fei , Liu Xi , Wang Wensheng , Xu Haoyan , Song Wenlong , Sun Zhuangzhi
Published: November 2022

In this work, considering the current status of conservative and complicated traditional thrombosis treatment methods, a kind of flexible intelligent probe (FIP) with a top-driven sensing strategy is proposed to realize the expected function of thrombosis accurate localization in a liquid flow environment. After throughput fabrication, we find that the FIP has excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. Notable, our FIP with the principle of piezo-resistive sensing has a quasi-linear sensitivity (approx. 0.325 L per minute) to flow sensing in the low flow velocity range (0–1 L per minute). Via the well-designed magnetically driven method, our FIP has a maximum deflection output force of 443.264 mN, a maximum deflection angle of 43°, and a maximum axial force of 54.176 mN. We demonstrate that the FIP is capable of completing the specified command actions relatively accurately and has a good response to real-time sensing feedback performance, which has broad application prospects in thrombus localization detection.
Recent Advances in Graphene-Based Nanocomposites for Ammonia Detection
Authors: M. Hizam Sara Maira , Al-Dhahebi Adel Mohammed , Mohamed Saheed Mohamed Shuaib
Published: November 2022

The increasing demand to mitigate the alarming effects of the emission of ammonia (NH3) on human health and the environment has highlighted the growing attention to the design of reliable and effective sensing technologies using novel materials and unique nanocomposites with tunable functionalities. Among the state-of-the-art ammonia detection materials, graphene-based polymeric nanocomposites have gained significant attention. Despite the ever-increasing number of publications on graphene-based polymeric nanocomposites for ammonia detection, various understandings and information regarding the process, mechanisms, and new material components have not been fully explored. Therefore, this review summarises the recent progress of graphene-based polymeric nanocomposites for ammonia detection. A comprehensive discussion is provided on the various gas sensor designs, including chemiresistive, Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM), and Field-Effect Transistor (FET), as well as gas sensors utilising the graphene-based polymer nanocomposites, in addition to highlighting the pros and cons of graphene to enhance the performance of gas sensors. Moreover, the various techniques used to fabricate graphene-based nanocomposites and the numerous polymer electrolytes (e.g., conductive polymeric electrolytes), the ion transport models, and the fabrication and detection mechanisms of ammonia are critically addressed. Finally, a brief outlook on the significant progress, future opportunities, and challenges of graphene-based polymer nanocomposites for the application of ammonia detection are presented.
Enhanced Functional Properties of Bioplastic Films Using Lignin Nanoparticles from Oil Palm-Processing Residue
Authors: Rizal Samsul , Alfatah Tata , Abdul Khalil H. P. S. , Yahya Esam Bashir , Abdullah C. K. , Mistar Eka Marya , Ikramullah Ikramullah , Kurniawan Rudi , Bairwan R. D.
Published: November 2022

The development of bioplastic materials that are biobased and/or degradable is commonly presented as an alleviating alternative, offering sustainable and eco-friendly properties over conventional petroleum-derived plastics. However, the hydrophobicity, water barrier, and antimicrobial properties of bioplastics have hindered their utilization in packaging applications. In this study, lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) with a purification process were used in different loadings as enhancements in a Kappaphycus alvarezii matrix to reduce the hydrophilic nature and improve antibacterial properties of the matrix and compared with unpurified LNPs. The influence of the incorporation of LNPs on functional properties of bioplastic films, such as morphology, surface roughness, structure, hydrophobicity, water barrier, antimicrobial, and biodegradability, was studied and found to be remarkably enhanced. Bioplastic film containing 5% purified LNPs showed the optimum enhancement in almost all of the ultimate performances. The enhancement is related to strong interfacial interaction between the LNPs and matrix, resulting in high compatibility of films. Bioplastic films could have additional advantages and provide breakthroughs in packaging materials for a wide range of applications.
Effects of Lipase and Xylanase Pretreatment on the Structure and Pulping Properties of Wheat Straw
Authors: Jia Qianqian , Chen Jiachuan , Yang Guihua , Liu Kefeng , Wang Yueying , Zhang Kai
Published: November 2022

Based on the reduction of environmental pollution, a biological enzyme assisted alkali-oxygen pulping method was explored to improve the delignification efficiency and fiber accessibility of wheat straw and improve the properties of wheat straw pulp. In this paper, lipase and xylanase were used to pretreat wheat straw and the effects of different enzyme types and enzyme dosage on the microstructure and pulp properties of wheat straw were investigated and experimented. The results showed that the lipase can remove fat and wax on the surface of wheat straw, while xylanase degraded the hemicellulose components, such as xylan, of wheat straw fiber, destroyed the structure of the lignin-carbohydrate complex, increasing lignin removal as a result and enhancing the impregnating, diffusion and penetration of alkali. Compared with wheat straw without enzyme pretreatment, the skeleton of wheat straw pretreated by enzyme became looser, the internal cavity appeared and the wall cavity became thin and transparent. The fines decreased obviously and the length of fibers increased. After combined pretreatment with lipase (15 U·g−1) and xylanase (15 U·g−1), the pulping performance of wheat straw was improved and the tensile index (97.37 N·m·g−1), brightness (40.9% ISO) and yield (58.10%) of the pulp increased by 12.9%, 19.9% and 9.9%, respectively. It can be seen that enzyme pretreatment is a green and effective approach to improving the alkali-oxygen pulping performance of wheat straw.
Study on the Grayscale Characteristics of Borehole Images of Progressive Failure of Coal Bodies with Different Moisture Contents
Authors: Pan Hongyu , Ji Bing , Ji Xiang , Zhang Lei , Wang Kang , Wang Haotian , Zhang Tianjun
Published: November 2022

The failure process of a coal body around a borehole has progressive characteristics. Image characteristics can visually characterize the stress and failure characteristics of the coal body around a borehole during progressive failure. To investigate the effect of the moisture content on the progressive failure of the coal body around the borehole, an image test system for the deformation and fracture of coal rock was used, and progressive failure tests of coal body specimens with different moisture content conditions around boreholes were performed. We acquired images of the deformation field during the entire process of specimen failure. Based on the grayscale image theory, the variation in the grayscale characteristic parameters of the progressive failure process was analyzed. The results show that throughout the progressive failure of coal bodies with different moisture contents around a borehole, the main specimen failure can be divided into six stages: compression density, elastic deformation, crack initiation and stable extension, crack nonstable extension, post-peak softening, and post-peak failure. With increasing moisture content, the σcd/σf values of the 20%- and 40%-moisture-content specimens were 5.1% and 11.3% lower than those of the dry specimens, respectively, and the maximum uniaxial compressive strength σf was 5.1% and 17.4% lower than those of the dry specimens, respectively. The number of cracks that developed decreased. The grayscale histogram had a reduced grayscale peak at each stage, and the surface distortion diminished. The declining grayscale mean curve indicates a lagging development of stress concentration zones. The declining grayscale entropy curve indicates that macroscopic cracks form. The rising grayscale standard deviation curve indicates the delayed development of strain localization zones and weakening of specimen damage. The study explains the deformation and failure characteristics of the coal body around the borehole and the variation in grayness.
Remaining Useful Life Prediction of Gear Pump Based on Deep Sparse Autoencoders and Multilayer Bidirectional Long–Short–Term Memory Network
Authors: Zhang Peiyao , Jiang Wanlu , Shi Xiaodong , Zhang Shuqing
Published: November 2022

Prediction of remaining useful life is crucial for mechanical equipment operation and maintenance. It ensures safe equipment operation, reduces maintenance costs and economic losses, and promotes development. Most of the remaining useful life prediction studies focus on bearings, gearboxes, and engines; however, research on hydraulic pumps remains limited. This study focuses on gear pumps that are commonly used in the hydraulic field and develops a practical method of predicting remaining useful life. The deep sparse autoencoder is used to extract multi–dimensional features. Subsequently, the feature vectors are inputted to the support vector data description to calculate the machine degradation degree at the corresponding time and obtain the health indicator curve of the machine’s life cycle. In building the health state degradation curve, data are processed in an unsupervised manner to avoid the influence of artificial feature selection on the test. The method is validated on the public bearing and self–collected gear pump datasets. The results are better than those of the comparative algorithms: (1) commonly used time–frequency characteristics with principal component analysis and (2) deep sparse autoencoder with self–organizing mapping. Next, the multilayer bidirectional long–short–term memory network is trained as a prediction model using the gear pump health indicator curves obtained previously and applied to the test data. Finally, the proposed method is compared with two others of the same type and the evaluation indexes are calculated based on the prediction results of the three algorithms. From the evaluation indexes, the mean absolute error of the proposed method is reduced by 2.53, and the normalized mean squared error is reduced by 0.36. This result indicates that the prediction results of the method for the remaining useful life of the gear pump are closer to the actual situation.
Removal Efficiency of Heavy Metals Such as Lead and Cadmium by Different Substrates in Constructed Wetlands
Authors: Fu Guangyi , Zhou Shuang , Zhao Yuanyuan , Li Zhihui , Xu Youze , Guo Zhaohui
Published: November 2022

In order to find an efficient and economical wetland substrate to treat mine wastewater containing various heavy metals, and effectively realize the resource utilization of water treatment residuals, in this paper, the treatment efficiency of mine wastewater containing various heavy metals was investigated using unburned ceramsite prepared from water treatment residuals (UCWTR) and clay ceramsite. The continuous dynamic test results showed that the removal rate of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, and Fe can reach more than 98.5% after the UCWTR-based CWs runs for 56 days, and its concentration was 30.05%, 24.85%, 20.82%, 14.63%, and 7.91% lower than that of the clay ceramsite-based CWs, respectively. SEM, XPS, and FT-IR showed that the characteristic peaks of two ceramsites were basically similar. The ceramsite undergoes ion exchange, coordination complexation, and chelation reaction with Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, and Fe under the action of the gel of internal groups -OH, C=O, Al-OH, Si-Fe-O and C-S-H. Compared with clay ceramsite, the ion exchange reaction and chelation reaction of -OH effect and the coordination reaction of C=O effect of carboxyl group in UCWTR were enhanced. In conclusion, using UCWTR as a CWs substrate can effectively enhance the adsorption capacity of heavy metals, providing a scientific basis for the application of UCWTR-based CWs in mine wastewater treatment.
The Iconographic Type of the Coronation of the Virgin in the Renaissance Italian Painting in the Light of the Medieval Theology
Authors: Salvador-González José María
Published: November 2022

This article highlights the artistic and conceptual relevance of the iconographic type of the Coronation of Mary in Italy during the Late Middle Ages and Early Modernity. We have analyzed 14 Italian Renaissance paintings, aiming to discover the possible doctrinal sources that inspire them. From a conceptual perspective, we have specified that the iconography of The Coronation of the Virgin in Italy is directly inspired by the comments of some Church Fathers and medieval theologians and hymnographers. From the formal perspective, we discover that three different iconographyc types complement each other as progressively more complex variants of a similar basic structure.
Financial Technical Indicator and Algorithmic Trading Strategy Based on Machine Learning and Alternative Data
Authors: Frattini Andrea , Bianchini Ilaria , Garzonio Alessio , Mercuri Lorenzo
Published: November 2022

The aim of this paper is to introduce a two-step trading algorithm, named TI-SiSS. In the first step, using some technical analysis indicators and the two NLP-based metrics (namely Sentiment and Popularity) provided by FinScience and based on relevant news spread on social media, we construct a new index, named Trend Indicator. We exploit two well-known supervised machine learning methods for the newly introduced index: Extreme Gradient Boosting and Light Gradient Boosting Machine. The Trend Indicator, computed for each stock in our dataset, is able to distinguish three trend directions (upward/neutral/downward). Combining the Trend Indicator with other technical analysis indexes, we determine automated rules for buy/sell signals. We test our procedure on a dataset composed of 527 stocks belonging to American and European markets adequately discussed in the news.
Rainfall Induced Shallow Landslide Temporal Probability Modelling and Early Warning Research in Mountains Areas: A Case Study of Qin-Ba Mountains, Western China
Authors: Song Yufei , Fan Wen , Yu Ningyu , Cao Yanbo , Jiang Chengcheng , Chai Xiaoqing , Nan Yalin
Published: November 2022

The rainfall-induced landslide early warning model (LEWM) is an important means to mitigate property loss and casualties, but the conventional discriminant matrix-based LEWM (DLEWM) leaves room for subjectivity and limits warning accuracy. Additionally, it is important to employ appropriate indicators to evaluate warning model performance. In this study, a new method for calculating the spatiotemporal probability of rainfall-induced landslides based on a Bayesian approach is proposed, and a probabilistic-based LEWM (PLEWM) at the regional scale is developed. The method involves four steps: landslide spatial probability modeling, landslide temporal probability modeling, coupling of spatial and temporal probability models, and the conversion method from the spatiotemporal probability index to warning levels. Each step follows the law of probability and is tested with real data. At the same time, we propose the idea of using economic indicators to evaluate the performance of the multilevel LEWM and reflect its significant and unique aspects. The proposed PLEWM and the conventional DLEWM are used to conduct simulate warnings for the study area day-by-day in the rainy season (July-September) from 2016 to 2020. The results show that the areas of the 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-level warning zones issued by the PLEWM account for 60.23%, 45.99%, and 43.98% of those of the DLEWM, respectively. The investment in issuing warning information and the losses caused by landslides account for 54.54% and 59.06% of those of the DLEWM, respectively. Moreover, under extreme rainfall conditions, the correct warning rate of the PLEWM is much higher than that of the DLEWM.
Climatological Drought Monitoring in Switzerland Using EUMETSAT SAF Satellite Data
Authors: Rassl Annkatrin , Michel Dominik , Hirschi Martin , Duguay-Tetzlaff Anke , Seneviratne Sonia I.
Published: November 2022

Climatological drought monitoring in Switzerland relies heavily on station-based precipitation and temperature data. Due to the high spatial variability and complexity of droughts, it is important to complement station-based drought indices with gridded information and to couple multiple drought indicators within the monitoring system. Here, long-term satellite-based drought parameters from the EUMETSAT SAF network are analyzed in terms of dry anomalies within their climatology’s, namely ASCAT soil water index (SWI), CM SAF land surface temperature (LST), complemented with NOAA vegetation data, and LSA SAF Meteosat evapotranspiration data. The upcoming EUMETSAT SAF climate data records on land surface temperature and evapotranspiration will cover for the first time the WMO climatological 30-year reference period. This study is the first study investigating the potential of those long-term data records for climate monitoring of droughts in Europe. The satellite datasets are compared with the standardized precipitation index (SPI), soil moisture observations from the SwissSMEX measurement network, with a modelled soil moisture index (SMI) based on observations, and with evapotranspiration measurements, focusing on the temporal dynamics of the anomalies. For vegetation and surface temperature, the dry years of 2003, 2015, and 2018 are clearly visible in the satellite data. CM SAF LSTs show strong anomalies at the beginning of the drought period. The comparison of in situ and modelled soil moisture and evapotranspiration measurements with the satellite parameters shows strong agreement in terms of anomalies. The SWI indicates high anomaly correlations of 0.56 to 0.83 with measurements and 0.63 to 0.76 with the SMI at grassland sites. The Meteosat evapotranspiration data strongly agree with the measurements, with anomaly correlations of 0.63 and 0.67 for potential and actual evapotranspiration, respectively. Due to the prevailing humid climate conditions at the considered sites, evapotranspiration anomalies during the investigated dry periods were mostly positive and thus not water limited, but were also a driver for soil moisture drought. The results indicate that EUMETSAT SAF satellite data can well complement the station-based drought monitoring in Switzerland with spatial information.
Initial Drift Correction and Spectral Calibration of MarSCoDe Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy on the Zhurong Rover
Authors: Jia Liangchen , Liu Xiangfeng , Xu Weiming , Xu Xuesen , Li Luning , Cui Zhicheng , Liu Ziyi , Shu Rong
Published: November 2022

The Mars Surface Composition Detector (MarSCoDe) carried by the Zhurong rover of China’s Tianwen-1 mission uses Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) to detect and analyze the material composition on Martian surfaces. As one extraterrestrial remote LIBS system, it is necessary to adopt effective and reliable preprocessing methods to correct the spectral drift caused by the changes in environmental conditions, to ensure the analysis accuracy of LIBS scientific data. This paper focuses on the initial spectral drift correction and estimates the accuracy of on-board wavelength calibration on the LIBS calibration target measured by the MarSCoDe LIBS. There may be two cases during the instrument launch and landing, as well as the long-term operation: (a) the initial wavelength calibration relationship can still apply to the on-board LIBS measurement; and (b) the initial wavelength calibration relationship has been changed, and a new on-board calibration is needed to establish the current relationship. An approach of matching based on global iterative registration (MGR) is presented in respect to case (a). It is also compared with the approach of particle swarm optimization (PSO) for case (b). Furthermore, their accuracy is estimated with the comparison to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) database. The experimental results show that the proposed approach can effectively correct the drift of the on-board LIBS spectrum. The the root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the internal accord accuracy for three channels is 0.292, 0.223 and 0.247 pixels, respectively, compared with the corrected Ti-alloy spectrum and the NIST database, and the RMSE of the external accord accuracy is 0.232, 0.316 and 0.229 pixels, respectively, for other samples. The overall correction accuracy of the three channels is better than one-third of the sampling interval.
Security in V2I Communications: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Marcillo Pablo , Tamayo-Urgilés Diego , Valdivieso Caraguay Ángel Leonardo , Hernández-Álvarez Myriam
Published: November 2022

Recently, the number of vehicles equipped with wireless connections has increased considerably. The impact of that growth in areas such as telecommunications, infotainment, and automatic driving is enormous. More and more drivers want to be part of a vehicular network, despite the implications or risks that, for instance, the openness of wireless communications, its dynamic topology, and its considerable size may bring. Undoubtedly, this trend is because of the benefits the vehicular network can offer. Generally, a vehicular network has two modes of communication (V2I and V2V). The advantage of V2I over V2V is roadside units’ high computational and transmission power, which assures the functioning of early warning and driving guidance services. This paper aims to discover the principal vulnerabilities and challenges in V2I communications, the tools and methods to mitigate those vulnerabilities, the evaluation metrics to measure the effectiveness of those tools and methods, and based on those metrics, the methods or tools that provide the best results. Researchers have identified the non-resistance to attacks, the regular updating and exposure of keys, and the high dependence on certification authorities as main vulnerabilities. Thus, the authors found schemes resistant to attacks, authentication schemes, privacy protection models, and intrusion detection and prevention systems. Of the solutions for providing security analyzed in this review, the authors determined that most of them use metrics such as computational cost and communication overhead to measure their performance. Additionally, they determined that the solutions that use emerging technologies such as fog/edge/cloud computing present better results than the rest. Finally, they established that the principal challenge in V2I communication is to protect and dispose of a safe and reliable communication channel to avoid adversaries taking control of the medium.