bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Analytical Formulation of the Magnetic Field Generated by Halbach Permanent Magnet Arrays
Authors: Di Gerlando Antonino , Negri Simone , Ricca Claudio
Published: October 2023

This paper presents an analytical study of the air-gap magnetic field of a surface permanent magnet (SPM) linear, slot-less machine with a Halbach PM configuration, under the no-load condition. While other analytical formulations of the magnetic field generated by PMs are available, they exhibit some drawbacks, such as only providing a Fourier series, or being suitable to determine magnetic field average values, but not local magnetic field distributions. On the contrary, the proposed approach allows the determination of a unique, closed-form formulation for the slot-less machine air-gap field. This is obtained starting from the complex expression of the magnetic field of a conductor, inside the air gap, between two parallel smooth iron surfaces, obtained by means of the method of images. The magnetic field due to an infinitesimal conductor belonging to a current sheet is then integrated along a segment, providing the expression of the magnetic field due to the corresponding linear current density distribution, for current sheets perpendicular or parallel to the iron surfaces. Any Halbach PM segment disposition can, hence, be obtained via a suitable combination of field distributions generated by couples of current sheets with perpendicular and parallel orientation. Lastly, the no-load magnetic field expression with a Halbach array of PMs is retrieved. The proposed analytical model provides an accurate representation of the magnetic field distribution produced by any Halbach array, with an arbitrary number of segments and orientations. Additionally, the results obtained from the proposed analytical expressions are compared with FEM simulations realized by commercial software, and show an excellent agreement.
Multipath Routing Scheme for Optimum Data Transmission in Dense Internet of Things
Authors: Ateya Abdelhamied A. , Bushelenkov Sergey , Muthanna Ammar , Paramonov Alexander , Koucheryavy Andrey , Allaoua Chelloug Samia , Abd El-Latif Ahmed A.
Published: October 2023

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging technology that has recently gained significant interest, especially with the dramatic increase in connected devices. However, IoT networks are not yet standardized, and the design of such networks faces many challenges, including scalability, flexibility, reliability, and availability of such networks. Routing is among the significant problems facing IoT network design because of the dramatic increase in connected devices and the network requirements regarding availability, reliability, latency, and flexibility. To this end, this work investigates deploying a multipath routing scheme for dense IoT networks. The proposed method selects a group of routes from all available routes to forward data at a maximum rate. The choice of data transmission routes is a complex problem for which numerical optimization methods can be used. A novel method for selecting the optimum group of routes and coefficients of traffic distribution along them is proposed. The proposed method is implemented using dynamic programming. The proposed method outperforms the traditional route selection methods, e.g., random route selection, especially for dense IoT networks. The model significantly reduced the number of intermediate nodes involved in routing paths over dense IoT networks by 34%. Moreover, it effectively demonstrated a significant decrease of 52% in communication overhead and 40% in data delivery time in dense IoT networks compared to traditional models.
Exhaled Nitric Oxide and Olfactory Dysfunction in Patients with Asthma: Association with Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Oda Takashi , Iwamoto Hiroshi , Takeno Sachio , Kawasumi Tomohiro , Takemoto Kota , Nishida Manabu , Chikuie Nobuyuki , Horibe Yuichiro , Yamaguchi Kakuhiro , Sakamoto Shinjiro , Higaki Naoko , Taruya Takayuki , Horimasu Yasushi , Masuda Takeshi , Hamamoto Takao , Nakashima Taku , Ishino Takashi , Ueda Tsutomu , Fujitaka Kazunori , Hamada Hironobu , Hattori Noboru
Published: October 2023

Objectives: Olfactory dysfunction is a clinical sign that is important to detect with coexistent upper airway comorbidities in patients with asthma. This study aimed to investigate the etiology of olfactory dysfunction in patients with asthma and the relationship between fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels. Materials and Methods: This study included 47 asthma patients who were evaluated for olfactory dysfunction at Hiroshima University Hospital between 2012 and 2020. The etiologies of olfactory dysfunction were evaluated, and they were classified according to the FeNO levels of patients with asthma. Results: Olfactory dysfunction was observed in 30 patients with asthma, with chronic rhinosinusitis (77%) being the most prevalent etiology. Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS) was the most prevalent etiology of olfactory dysfunction in asthma patients with high FeNO levels (≥25 ppb), while non-eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (NCRS) was the most prevalent etiology in asthma patients with low FeNO levels (<25 ppb). Additionally, the prevalence of ECRS was significantly higher in asthma patients with olfactory dysfunction and high FeNO levels (74%) than in those with either high FeNO levels or olfactory dysfunction and those with low FeNO levels and no olfactory dysfunction (12% and 9%, respectively). Conclusions: We found that ECRS was the predominant cause of olfactory dysfunction in patients with high FeNO levels, while NCRS was more common in those with low FeNO levels. The present study showed that both ECRS and NCRS are common etiologies of olfactory dysfunction in patients with asthma. Additionally, this study supports the link between upper and lower airway inflammation in patients with asthma complicated with olfactory dysfunction.
A Novel Approach for Identifying Nanoplastics by Assessing Deformation Behavior with Scanning Electron Microscopy
Authors: Stine Jared S. , Aziere Nicolas , Harper Bryan J. , Harper Stacey L.
Published: October 2023

As plastic production continues to increase globally, plastic waste accumulates and degrades into smaller plastic particles. Through chemical and biological processes, nanoscale plastic particles (nanoplastics) are formed and are expected to exist in quantities of several orders of magnitude greater than those found for microplastics. Due to their small size and low mass, nanoplastics remain challenging to detect in the environment using most standard analytical methods. The goal of this research is to adapt existing tools to address the analytical challenges posed by the identification of nanoplastics. Given the unique and well-documented properties of anthropogenic plastics, we hypothesized that nanoplastics could be differentiated by polymer type using spatiotemporal deformation data collected through irradiation with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We selected polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to capture a range of thermodynamic properties and molecular structures encompassed by commercially available plastics. Pristine samples of each polymer type were chosen and individually milled to generate micro and nanoscale particles for SEM analysis. To test the hypothesis that polymers could be differentiated from other constituents in complex samples, the polymers were compared against proxy materials common in environmental media, i.e., algae, kaolinite clay, and nanocellulose. Samples for SEM analysis were prepared uncoated to enable observation of polymer deformation under set electron beam parameters. For each sample type, particles approximately 1 µm in diameter were chosen, and videos of particle deformation were recorded and studied. Blinded samples were also prepared with mixtures of the aforementioned materials to test the viability of this method for identifying near-nanoscale plastic particles in environmental media. Based on the evidence collected, deformation patterns between plastic particles and particles present in common environmental media show significant differences. A computer vision algorithm was also developed and tested against manual measurements to improve the usefulness and efficiency of this method further.
Fast-Evolving Alignment Sites Are Highly Informative for Reconstructions of Deep Tree of Life Phylogenies
Authors: Rangel L. Thibério , Fournier Gregory P.
Published: October 2023

The trimming of fast-evolving sites, often known as “slow–fast” analysis, is broadly used in microbial phylogenetic reconstruction under the assumption that fast-evolving sites do not retain an accurate phylogenetic signal due to substitution saturation. Therefore, removing sites that have experienced multiple substitutions would improve the signal-to-noise ratio in phylogenetic analyses, with the remaining slower-evolving sites preserving a more reliable record of evolutionary relationships. Here, we show that, contrary to this assumption, even the fastest-evolving sites present in the conserved proteins often used in Tree of Life studies contain reliable and valuable phylogenetic information, and that the trimming of such sites can negatively impact the accuracy of phylogenetic reconstruction. Simulated alignments modeled after ribosomal protein datasets used in Tree of Life studies consistently show that slow-evolving sites are less likely to recover true bipartitions than even the fastest-evolving sites. Furthermore, site-specific substitution rates are positively correlated with the frequency of accurately recovered short-branched bipartitions, as slowly evolving sites are less likely to have experienced substitutions along these intervals. Using published Tree of Life sequence alignment datasets, we also show that both slow- and fast-evolving sites contain similarly inconsistent phylogenetic signals, and that, for fast-evolving sites, this inconsistency can be attributed to poor alignment quality. Furthermore, trimming fast sites, slow sites, or both is shown to have a substantial impact on phylogenetic reconstruction across multiple evolutionary models. This is perhaps most evident in the resulting placements of the Eukarya and Asgardarchaeota groups, which are especially sensitive to the implementation of different trimming schemes.
Alginate Microsponges as a Scaffold for Delivery of a Therapeutic Peptide against Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Ariaudo Daniela , Cavalieri Francesca , Rinaldi Antonio , Aguilera Ana , Lopez Matilde , Perez Hilda Garay , Felipe Ariel , del Carmen Dominguez Maria , Ruiz Odalys , Martinez Gillian , Venanzi Mariano
Published: October 2023

The quest for biocompatible drug-delivery devices that could be able to open new administration routes is at the frontier of biomedical research. In this contribution, porous polysaccharide-based microsponges based on crosslinked alginate polymers were developed and characterized by optical spectroscopy and nanoscopic microscopy techniques. We show that macropores with a size distribution ranging from 50 to 120 nm enabled efficient loading and delivery of a therapeutic peptide (CIGB814), presently under a phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Alginate microsponges showed 80% loading capacity and sustained peptide release over a few hours through a diffusional mechanism favored by partial erosion of the polymer scaffold. The edible and biocompatible nature of alginate polymers open promising perspectives for developing a new generation of polysaccharide-based carriers for the controlled delivery of peptide drugs, exploiting alternative routes with respect to intravenous administration.
Cooking up Change: DEIB Principles as Key Ingredients in Nutrition and Culinary Medicine Education
Authors: Ring Melinda , Ai David , Maker-Clark Geeta , Sarazen Raeanne
Published: October 2023

The integration of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) principles into healthcare education is essential to ensure culturally sensitive and equitable healthcare delivery. In the domain of nutrition, food, and health, these principles are particularly vital, as diet and food choices are strongly linked to cultural identities and socioeconomic conditions. Despite a growth of DEIB initiatives in undergraduate and graduate medical education, there is a significant gap regarding guidelines for implementing DEIB principles in education around nutrition and food, including that for dietitians, allied health and medical professionals. A literature review was conducted, analyzing peer-reviewed articles and current practices in academic medical education to understand DEIB in nutrition, food, and health. The outcome was the creation of a three-tiered checklist titled “Checklist for Culturally Competent Education in Nutrition”. It serves as a roadmap to cultivate culturally competent, equitable, and inclusive healthcare professionals that emphasizes avoiding bias, enhancing awareness, and building practical skills for DEIB implementation around nutrition.
Dietary Patterns in Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period and the Relationship with Maternal Weight up to One Year after Pregnancy Complicated by Gestational Diabetes
Authors: Dias Letícia Machado , Schmidt Maria Inês , Vigo Álvaro , Drehmer Michele
Published: October 2023

This multicentric cohort study aimed to describe changes in dietary patterns during pregnancy and postpartum and the association with BMI variation at six and twelve months postpartum in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Between 2014 and 2018, we enrolled women with GDM in prenatal clinics of the Brazilian National Health System and followed them for one year postpartum. The dietary patterns during pregnancy and the postpartum period were obtained by factorial analysis. The relationship between these patterns and variation in postpartum BMI was evaluated by Poisson regression with robust variance adjusted for confounders. We identified three dietary patterns in 584 women, two healthy (generally healthy and Dash type), which were associated with less weight gain (RR 0.77 CI 95% 0.62–0.96 and RR 0.71 CI 95% 0.57–0.88, respectively). The high-risk pattern (based on ultra-processed, high-calorie foods and sweetened drinks) was associated with weight gain (RR 1.31 CI 95% 1.07–1.61 and RR 1.26 CI 95% 1.01–1.59) in six and twelve months postpartum, respectively. Although the participants learned about healthy dieting during pregnancy, dietary habits worsened from pregnancy to postpartum, especially, with lower consumption of fruits and dairy and higher consumption of sweetened beverages, with consequent weight gain postpartum. Postpartum support is needed to prevent weight gain and obesity.
Dys-R Questionnaire: A Novel Screening Tool for Dysbiosis Linked to Impaired Gut Microbiota Richness
Authors: Balmant Bianca Depieri , Fonseca Danielle Cristina , Rocha Ilanna Marques , Callado Letícia , Torrinhas Raquel Susana Matos de Miranda , Waitzberg Dan Linetzky
Published: October 2023

Practical and affordable tools to screen intestinal dysbiosis are needed to support clinical decision making. Our study aimed to design a new subjective screening tool for the risk of intestinal dysbiosis from a previously described nonvalidated questionnaire (DYS/FQM) and based on subjective and objective data. A total of 219 individuals comprised the chronic diseases (CD; n = 167) and healthy control (HC; 52 subjects) groups. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, body composition, lifestyle, past history, intestinal health, and dietary data were collected. The gut microbiota (GM) profile was assessed from fecal samples using the 16S rRNA sequencing. Scores for the new tool (Dys-R Questionnaire) were assigned using discrete optimization techniques. The association between Dys-R scores and dysbiosis risk was assessed through correlation, simple linear models, sensitivity, specificity, as well as positive and negative predictive values. We found significant differences in the Chao1 Index between CD and HC groups (adjusted p-value = 0.029), highlighting lower GM richness as the primary marker for intestinal dysbiosis. DYS/FQM showed poor performance in identifying poor GM richness. Dys-R exhibited a 42% sensitivity, 82% specificity, 79% positive predictive value (PPV), and 55% negative predictive value (NPV) to identify poor GM richness. The new Dys-R questionnaire showed good performance in ruling out dysbiosis.
Edible and Medicinal Progress of Cryptotympana atrata (Fabricius) in China
Authors: Xie Xingcheng , Guo Han , Liu Juan , Wang Junbao , Li Huihui , Deng Zhongyuan
Published: October 2023

As an important resource insect, the Cryptotympana atrata is widely distributed in the eastern and central parts of China. The cicada slough is one of the traditional crude drugs in East Asia, and the main component is polysaccharide, which has the functions of anti-convulsion, relieving asthma and improving lipid metabolism. The parasitoid fungus Cordyceps cicadae, which grows inside the cicada nymphs and forms the fruiting bodies on the surface of the host’s carcass, is also known as the “cicada flower” in China. The Cordyceps cicadae is another old, traditional Chinese medicine, which has been used as a tonic and medicine to nourish and regulate human immunity for centuries. For the further development and utilization of the golden cicada, this paper summarized the C. atrata from the aspects of their biological characteristics, distribution area, life cycle, history of edible and medicinal use, edible methods and nutritional compositions; emphatically introduced the edible and potential medicinal value of the C. atrata; and specifically expounded the research progress of its application. As one popular insect food, the prospects for the development of C. atrata have also been put forward, especially in artificial breeding technology, food safety risk assessment and medicinal value utilization.
Protocols for Oral Health Management of Paediatric Patients with Inherited Bleeding Disorders: A Narrative Review
Authors: Raikuna Ashleigh F. V. , Prabhu Neeta
Published: October 2023

Introduction: The provision of dental care for paediatric patients with inherited bleeding disorders (IBD) can present a challenging scenario for dentists. Although patients with a low bleeding risk can safely receive preventive procedures in the community, many dentists lack confidence when treating this cohort. Consequently, most patients with IBD are seen in hospital dental clinics. There is currently no protocol for shared delivery of primary dental care for paediatric patients with IBD in Australia. Aim: To provide a narrative review of the protocols for oral health management of paediatric patients with inherited bleeding disorders. Materials and methods: An electronic search of four databases relating to the oral health management and outcomes of paediatric patients with IBD was conducted. Results: Thirty-eight papers were included in this review. Several patient and clinician factors in accessing and providing dental care for paediatric patients with IBD were identified. IBD specific considerations for the provision of safe dental care were discussed relating to elective and emergency dental management principles. There was a paucity of paediatric specific protocols for dental management of children with IBD, with only one paediatric specific shared care protocol identified in this review. Conclusions: This review has highlighted the need for further exploration into patient and clinician related barriers and enabling factors in accessing and providing primary dental care for paediatric patients with IBD. The development of a shared model of care between community and hospital dental clinics may improve both clinician and patient experiences in providing and accessing safe dental care.
Current State of Human Gene Therapy: Approved Products and Vectors
Authors: Shchaslyvyi Aladdin Y. , Antonenko Svitlana V. , Tesliuk Maksym G. , Telegeev Gennadiy D.
Published: October 2023

In the realm of gene therapy, a pivotal moment arrived with Paul Berg’s groundbreaking identification of the first recombinant DNA in 1972. This achievement set the stage for future breakthroughs. Conditions once considered undefeatable, like melanoma, pancreatic cancer, and a host of other ailments, are now being addressed at their root cause—the genetic level. Presently, the gene therapy landscape stands adorned with 22 approved in vivo and ex vivo products, including IMLYGIC, LUXTURNA, Zolgensma, Spinraza, Patisiran, and many more. In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into a rich assortment of 16 drugs, from siRNA, miRNA, and CRISPR/Cas9 to DNA aptamers and TRAIL/APO2L, as well as 46 carriers, from AAV, AdV, LNPs, and exosomes to naked mRNA, sonoporation, and magnetofection. The article also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each product and vector type, as well as the current challenges faced in the practical use of gene therapy and its future potential.
Site-Specific Structural Changes in Long-Term-Stressed Monoclonal Antibody Revealed with DEPC Covalent-Labeling and Quantitative Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Gaikwad Manasi , Richter Florian , Götz Rabea , Dörrbaum Aline , Schumacher Lena , Tonillo Jason , Frech Christian , Kellner Roland , Hopf Carsten
Published: October 2023

Studies of structural changes in mAbs under forced stress and storage conditions are essential for the recognition of degradation hotspots, which can be further remodeled to improve the stability of the respective protein. Herein, we used diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC)-based covalent labeling mass spectrometry (CL-MS) to assess structural changes in a model mAb (SILuMAb). Structural changes in the heat-stressed mAb samples were confirmed at specific amino acid positions from the DEPC label mass seen in the fragment ion mass spectrum. The degree of structural change was also quantified by increased or decreased DEPC labeling at specific sites; an increase or decrease indicated an unfolded or aggregated state of the mAb, respectively. Strikingly, for heat-stressed SILuMAb samples, an aggregation-prone area was identified in the CDR region. In the case of longterm stress, the structural consequences for SILuMAb samples stored for up to two years at 2–8 °C were studied with SEC-UV and DEPC-based CL-MS. While SEC-UV analysis only indicated fragmentation of SILuMAb, DEPC-based CL-MS analysis further pinpointed the finding to structural disturbances of disulfide bonds at specific cysteines. This emphasized the utility of DEPC CL-MS for studying disulfide rearrangement. Taken together, our data suggests that DEPC CL-MS can complement more technically challenging methods in the evaluation of the structural stability of mAbs.
Matrix-Mediated Delivery of Silver Nanoparticles for Prevention of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation in Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Yathavan Bhuvanesh , Chhibber Tanya , Steinhauff Douglas , Pulsipher Abigail , Alt Jeremiah A. , Ghandehari Hamidreza , Jafari Paris
Published: October 2023

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a chronic health condition affecting the sinonasal cavity. CRS-associated mucosal inflammation leads to sinonasal epithelial cell death and epithelial cell barrier disruption, which may result in recurrent bacterial infections and biofilm formation. For patients who fail medical management and elect endoscopic sinus surgery for disease control, bacterial biofilm formation is particularly detrimental, as it reduces the efficacy of surgical intervention. Effective treatments that prevent biofilm formation in post-operative patients in CRS are currently limited. To address this unmet need, we report the controlled release of silver nanoparticles (AgNps) with silk-elastinlike protein-based polymers (SELPs) to prevent bacterial biofilm formation in CRS. This polymeric network is liquid at room temperature and forms a hydrogel at body temperature, and is hence, capable of conforming to the sinonasal cavity upon administration. SELP hydrogels demonstrated sustained AgNp and silver ion release for the studied period of three days, potent in vitro antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (**** p < 0.0001) and Staphylococcus aureus (**** p < 0.0001), two of the most commonly virulent bacterial strains observed in patients with post-operative CRS, and high cytocompatibility with human nasal epithelial cells. Antibacterial controlled release platform shows promise for treating patients suffering from prolonged sinonasal cavity infections due to biofilms.
The Impact of Inflammation on the In Vivo Activity of the Renal Transporters OAT1/3 in Pregnant Women Diagnosed with Acute Pyelonephritis
Authors: Benzi Jhohann Richard de Lima , Melli Patrícia Pereira dos Santos , Duarte Geraldo , Unadkat Jashvant D. , Lanchote Vera Lucia
Published: October 2023

Inflammation can regulate hepatic drug metabolism enzymes and transporters. The impact of inflammation on renal drug transporters remains to be elucidated. We aimed to quantify the effect of inflammation (caused by acute pyelonephritis) on the in vivo activity of renal OAT1/3, using the probe drug furosemide. Pregnant women (second or third trimester) received a single oral dose of furosemide 40 mg during acute pyelonephritis (Phase 1; n = 7) and after its resolution (Phase 2; n = 7; by treatment with intravenous cefuroxime 750 mg TID for 3–7 days), separated by 10 to 14 days. The IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, MCP-1, and C-reactive protein plasma concentrations were higher in Phase I vs. Phase II. The pregnant women had a lower geometric mean [CV%] furosemide CLsecretion (3.9 [43.4] vs. 6.7 [43.8] L/h) and formation clearance to the glucuronide (1.1 [85.9] vs. 2.3 [64.1] L/h) in Phase 1 vs. Phase 2. Inflammation reduced the in vivo activity of renal OAT1/3 (mediating furosemide CLsecretion) and UGT1A9/1A1 (mediating the formation of furosemide glucuronide) by approximately 40% and 54%, respectively, presumably by elevating the plasma cytokine concentrations. The dosing regimens of narrow therapeutic window OAT drug substrates may need to be adjusted during inflammatory conditions.
Canopy Structure, Light Intensity, Temperature and Photosynthetic Performance of Winter Wheat under Different Irrigation Conditions
Authors: Zhang Meng , Chen Weiwei , Jing Maoya , Gao Yanmei , Wang Zhimin
Published: October 2023

A high-quality canopy architecture is central to obtaining high crop yields. A field experiment was carried out at the Wuqiao Experimental Station from 2015 to 2019 under four irrigation schemes (W0, no irrigation after sowing; W1, 75 mm irrigation at jointing stage; W2, 75 mm irrigation at jointing and anthesis stages, respectively; W3, 75 mm irrigation at tillering, jointing and anthesis stages, respectively) to investigate the canopy structure, canopy apparent photosynthesis (CAP), canopy temperature (CT), yield and water use efficiency (WUE). The results showed that increasing irrigation times improved the leaf area index (LAI), non-leaf area index (NLAI) and light interception (LI) of the spike and total canopy but decreased the canopy temperature (CT) after anthesis. The CAP in the W3 treatment was consistently lower than that in the W1 treatment, suggesting lower effective utilization of light energy under the W3 treatment. Increasing irrigation times improved wheat yield, but the W2 treatment had no significant difference in yield compared to the W3 treatment. In addition, the W1 and W2 treatments had higher WUEs. The CT, organ temperature and LI were closely positively associated with each other, but they were all strongly negatively related to the yield. Overall, the W2 treatment was the best irrigation scheme for constructing a reasonable canopy architecture for winter wheat, obtaining more efficient water use and yield in the North China Plain (NCP). CT and organ temperature can be used as proxy parameters to estimate the canopy structure.
Trends in Seed Priming Research in the Past 30 Years Based on Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Tian Yu , Gama-Arachchige Nalin Suranjith , Zhao Ming
Published: October 2023

Seed priming (SP) treatments are widely used in agriculture and restoration to improve seed germination and seedling vigor. Although there exists a considerable amount of scientific literature on SP, it has seldom undergone visual and quantitative analyses. To gain insights into the patterns observed in SP research over the last three decades, we conducted a bibliometric analysis using the Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCI-E) database, aiming to minimize the similarity score in plagiarism detection. This analysis offers a thorough examination of yearly publications, temporal patterns in keyword usage, the top-performing journals, authors, institutions, and countries within the field of SP. Our research findings suggest a steady annual increase of 10.59% in the volume of SP publications, accompanied by a significant upward trajectory in the average citations received per paper annually. According to the analysis of keywords, it was found that “priming” and “germination” emerged as the most frequently used terms in the field of SP research. Seed Science and Technology ranked first among the top journals, and Plant Physiology had greater influence in the field of SP in terms of number of citations. The majority of the top 10 productive institutions were situated in developing countries. In addition, these nations exhibited the highest volume of published works and citations. Our analysis revealed a shift in research focus within the field of SP over the past three decades, transitioning from agricultural science to encompass plant science and environmental science. With the growing recognition of SP’s research across different disciplines, there exist abundant prospects for international and interdisciplinary partnerships, collaborative organizations, and progress in this field.
Effects of Short-Term Exposure of Chloramine-T Solution on the Characteristics of Light-Cured and Chemical-Cured Adhesives
Authors: Liu Yunqing , Sakaguchi Norihito , Iijima Masahiro , Islam Md Refat Readul , Zhang Jiayuan , Islam Rafiqul , Yamauti Monica , Sano Hidehiko , Tomokiyo Atsushi
Published: October 2023

This study evaluated the effect of a 0.5% chloramine T solution on a chemical-cured universal adhesive by comparing the light-cured, one-step, self-etch adhesive for the bonding performance, mechanical properties, and resin–dentin interfacial characteristics. Caries-free human molars were randomly assigned into eight groups based on the bonding systems employed (Bond Force II, BF and Bondmer Lightless, BL), the immersion solutions used before bonding (0.5% chloramine T solution and distilled water), and the immersion durations (5 and 60 min). Microtensile bond strength (μTBS), nanoleakage evaluation, and nanoindentation tests were performed, and the surface morphology of the resin–dentin interface was examined using a focus ion beam/scanning ion microscopy system. Immersion in chloramine-T for 5 min significantly decreased the μTBS of Bondmer Lightless (from 22.62 to 12.87 MPa) compared with that in distilled water. Moreover, there was also a decreasing trend after immersing in chloramine-T for 60 min (from 19.11 to 13.93 MPa). Chloramine T was found to have no effect on the hardness, elastic modulus, or morphological characteristics of the ion-beam milled resin–dentin interfacial surfaces in the tested adhesives, suggesting that chloramine T might reduce the bond strength by interfering with the interaction and the sealing between the adhesive resin and dentin in the chemical-cured universal adhesive, albeit without affecting the mechanical properties.
Utilization of Torrefied and Non-Torrefied Short Rotation Willow in Wood–Plastic Composites
Authors: Pečnik Jaka Gašper , Zouari Mariem , Schwarzkopf Matthew , DeVallance David B.
Published: October 2023

The torrefaction process is widely used in the energy field, but the characteristics of the torrefied wood also have positive effects on the production of wood plastic composites. In this study, short-rotation shrub willow was torrefied at 225 and 300 °C and incorporated into polypropylene composites filled with changing levels of weight percent (wt%) of non-torrefied and torrefied (5, 15, 25, and 40 wt%) wood. Nine different formulations were extruded for mechanical, thermal, and water absorption properties. The tensile properties of composites were not affected by any level of torrefaction, while higher flexure properties were in favor of lower wt% of torrefied wood. The slowest rate of thermal degradation was confirmed for the highest wt% of torrefied wood with a torrefaction temperature of 300 °C. In contrast, the presence of torrefied wood in composites did not show a difference in crystallization or melting temperatures. The most noticeable contribution of torrefaction temperature and wt% was found for water-absorbing properties, where the higher torrefaction temperature and largest wt% of torrefied wood in the composite resulted in decreased water uptake.
Synthesis of L-Ornithine- and L-Glutamine-Linked PLGAs as Biodegradable Polymers
Authors: Taşkor Önel Gülce
Published: October 2023

L-ornithine and L-glutamine are amino acids used for ammonia and nitrogen transport in the human body. Novel biodegradable synthetic poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) derivatives were synthesized via conjugation with L-ornithine or L-glutamine, which were selected due to their biological importance. L-ornithine or L-glutamine was integrated into a PLGA polymer with EDC coupling reactions as a structure developer after the synthesis of PLGA via the polycondensation and ring-opening polymerization of lactide and glycolide. The chemical, thermal, and degradation property–structure relationships of PLGA, PLGA-L-ornithine, and PLGA-L-glutamine were identified. The conjugation between PLGA and the amino acid was confirmed through observation of an increase in the number of carbonyl carbons in the range of 170–160 ppm in the 13C NMR spectrum and the signal of the amide carbonyl vibration at about 1698 cm−1 in the FTIR spectrum. The developed PLGA-L-ornithine and PLGA-L-glutamine derivatives were thermally stable and energetic materials. In addition, PLGA-L-ornithine and PLGA-L-glutamine, with their unique hydrophilic properties, had faster degradation times than PLGA in terms of surface-type erosion, which covers their requirements. L-ornithine- and L-glutamine-linked PLGAs are potential candidates for development into biodegradable PLGA-derived biopolymers that can be used as raw materials for biomaterials.
The Potential of Collagen Treatment for Comorbid Diseases
Authors: Wang Hsiuying
Published: October 2023

Collagen, the most abundant protein in our bodies, plays a crucial role in maintaining the structural integrity of various tissues and organs. Beyond its involvement in skin elasticity and joint health, emerging research suggests that collagen may significantly impact the treatment of complex diseases, particularly those associated with tissue damage and inflammation. The versatile functions of collagen, including skin regeneration, improving joint health, and increasing bone strength, make it potentially useful in treating different diseases. To the best of my knowledge, the strategy of using collagen to treat comorbid diseases has not been widely studied. This paper aims to explore the potential of collagen in treating comorbid diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, psoriatic arthritis, sarcopenia, gastroesophageal reflux, periodontitis, skin aging, and diabetes mellitus. Collagen-based therapies have shown promise in managing comorbidities due to their versatile properties. The multifaceted nature of collagen positions it as a promising candidate for treating complex diseases and addressing comorbid conditions. Its roles in wound healing, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular health, and gastrointestinal conditions highlight the diverse therapeutic applications of collagen in the context of comorbidity management.
Research on the Mechanism and Control Strategy of Microbubble Cleaning Sludge
Authors: Liu Bing , Zhao Haitao , Li Changjiang , Guan Heng , Wang Fengde
Published: October 2023

Microbubble cleaning technology has the characteristics of environmental protection and low energy consumption and has been initially applied in the field of oil sludge cleaning. For the controllability of microbubbles in the cleaning process, this paper adopted the numerical simulation method to quantitatively study the growth and collapse mechanism of bubbles in the cleaning process, the influence law of flow field, and parameter changes on the dynamic behavior of bubbles from the perspective of micro-dynamics. It was found that the dynamic characteristics of the flow field around the bubble in the free field show a symmetrical distribution, while the motion of the fluid near the wall is blocked by the wall, and the flow field between the bubble and the wall becomes irregular. It was also found that the large amplitude pressure changes in microbubbles produced a “plastic hinge” alternating impact on the wall, the bubble collapse, and wall pulsation pressure change are mainly controlled by the driving pressure. The liquid temperature mainly affects the dynamic characteristics of the bubble by causing a change in the viscosity of the medium. Under the condition of Pd = 0.1 MPa and γ = 1.5, when the liquid viscosity decreases from 0.110 to 0.00314 Pa·s, the maximum pressure affected by the first bubble collapse increases from 200.71 to 317.74 Kpa. Compared with the bubble distribution, the impact of increasing the number of bubbles on the wall is more significant. Under the condition of γ = 1 and Pd = 0.1 MPa, compared with the single bubble, the pulse pressure of nine bubbles’ collapse on the wall increases by 100 KPa. The research results can provide technical support for the development of microbubble cleaning technology.
High Heels as Hammers: Hannah Arendt’s Critique of Carl Schmitt’s Political Theological Analogy
Authors: Isseroff Judah
Published: October 2023

Carl Schmitt and Hannah Arendt have been read together in several studies in previous years. They make an intriguing pair because Arendt appears to share a good deal of Schmitt’s diagnosis concerning the modern crisis of legitimacy, while also departing radically from his political conclusions. This article frames the Arendt–Schmitt encounter, real or imagined, in terms of the role of analogy in the discourse of political theology. Schmitt’s political theology relies on what he calls a “systematic analogy”. Arendt, meanwhile, levies a devastating critique of all conceptual analogies between theology and politics. The article shows that this difference between Schmitt and Arendt is undergirded by a fundamental theological dispute. Schmitt’s concept of sovereignty depends on the possibility that human beings can become God. Arendt’s contrasting account of freedom is structured by a fundamental disanalogy between humans and God. The article gestures to the idea that this dispute may be something of a basic difference between Christianity and Judaism.
Ecosystem Evapotranspiration Partitioning and Its Spatial–Temporal Variation Based on Eddy Covariance Observation and Machine Learning Method
Authors: Lu Linjun , Zhang Danwen , Zhang Jie , Zhang Jiahua , Zhang Sha , Bai Yun , Yang Shanshan
Published: October 2023

Partitioning evapotranspiration (ET) into vegetation transpiration (T) and soil evaporation (E) is challenging, but it is key to improving the understanding of plant water use and changes in terrestrial ecosystems. Considering that the transpiration of vegetation at night is minimal and can be negligible, we established a machine learning model (i.e., extreme gradient boosting algorithm (XGBoost)) for soil evaporation estimation based on night-time evapotranspiration observation data from eddy covariance towers, remote sensing data, and meteorological reanalysis data. Daytime T was consequently calculated as the difference between the total evapotranspiration and predicted daytime soil evaporation. The soil evaporation estimation model was validated based on the remaining night-time ET data (i.e., model test dataset), the non-growing season ET data of the natural ecosystem, and ET data during the fallow periods of croplands. The validation results showed that XGBoost had a better performance in E estimation, with the average overall accuracy of NSE 0.657, R 0.806, and RMSE 11.344 W/m2. The average annual T/ET of the examined ten ecosystems was 0.50 ± 0.08, with the highest value in deciduous broadleaf forests (0.68 ± 0.11), followed by mixed forests (0.61 ± 0.04), and the lowest in croplands (0.40 ± 0.08). We further examined the impact of the leaf area index (LAI) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) on the variation in T/ET. Overall, at the interannual scale, LAI contributed 28% to the T/ET variation, while VPD had a small (5%) influence. On a seasonal scale, LAI also exerted a stronger impact (1~90%) on T/ET compared to VPD (1~77%). Our study suggests that the XGBoost machine learning model has good performance in ET partitioning, and this method is mainly data-driven without prior knowledge, which may provide a simple and valuable method in global ET partitioning and T/ET estimation.
Structural Health Monitoring of Chemical Storage Tanks with Application of PZT Sensors
Authors: Dziendzikowski Michal , Kozera Paulina , Kowalczyk Kamil , Dydek Kamil , Kurkowska Milena , Krawczyk Zuzanna D. , Gorbacz Szczepan , Boczkowska Anna
Published: October 2023

Chemical pressure storage tanks are containers designed to store fluids at high pressures, i.e., their internal pressure is higher than the atmospheric pressure. They can come in various shapes and sizes, and may be fabricated from a variety of materials. As aggressive chemical agents stored under elevated pressures can cause significant damage to both people and the environment, it is essential to develop systems for the early damage detection and the monitoring of structural integrity of such vessels. The development of early damage detection and condition monitoring systems could also help to reduce the maintenance costs associated with periodic inspections of the structure and unforeseen operational breaks due to unmonitored damage development. It could also reduce the related environmental burden. In this paper, we consider a hybrid material composed of glass-fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRPs) and a polyethylene (PE) layer that is suitable for pressurized chemical storage tank manufacturing. GFRPs are used for the outer layer of the tank structure and provides the dominant part of the construction stiffness, while the PE layer is used for protection against the stored chemical medium. The considered damage scenarios include simulated cracks and an erosion of the inner PE layer, as these can be early signs of structural damage leading to the leakage of hazardous liquids, which could compromise safety and, possibly, harm the environment. For damage detection, PZT sensors were selected due to their widely recognized applicability for the purpose of structural health monitoring. For sensor installation, it was assumed that only the outer GFRP layer was available as otherwise sensors could be affected by the stored chemical agent. The main focus of this paper is to verify whether elastic waves excited by PZT sensors, which are installed on the outer GFRP layer, can penetrate the GFRP and PE interface and can be used to detect damage occurring in the inner PE layer. The efficiency of different signal characteristics used for structure evaluation is compared for various frequencies and durations of the excitation signal as well as feasibility of PZT sensor application for passive acquisition of acoustic emission signals is verified.
Study of the Precise Determination of Pipeline Geometries Using UAV Scanning Compared to Terrestrial Scanning, Aerial Scanning and UAV Photogrammetry
Authors: Lenda Grzegorz , Borowiec Natalia , Marmol Urszula
Published: October 2023

Transmission pipelines belong to technical infrastructure, the condition of which is subject to periodic monitoring. The research was to verify whether aerial measurement methods, especially UAV laser scanning, could determine the geometric shape of pipelines with a precision similar to that of terrestrial scanning, adopted as a reference method. The test object was a section of a district heating pipeline with two types of surfaces: matte and glossy. The pipeline was measured using four methods: terrestrial scanning, airborne scanning, UAV scanning and the structure from motion method. Then, based on the reference terrestrial scanning data, pipeline models were created, with which all methods were compared. The comparison made it possible to find that only the UAV scanning yielded results consistent with those of the terrestrial scanning for all the pipes. The differences usually did not exceed 10 mm, sometimes reaching 20 mm. The structure from motion method yielded unstable results. For the old, matte pipes, the results were similar to those of the UAV scan; however, for the new, shiny pipes, the differences were up to 60 mm.
Proposal of a Token-Based Node Selection Mechanism for Node Distribution of Mobility IoT Blockchain Nodes
Authors: Kim Jinsu , Choi Eunsun , Kim Byung-Gyu , Park Namje
Published: October 2023

Various elements, such as evolutions in IoT services resulting from sensoring by vehicle parts and advances in small communication technology devices, have significantly impacted the mass spread of mobility services that are provided to users in need of limited resources. In particular, business models are progressing away from one-off costs towards longer-term costs, as represented by shared services utilizing kick-boards or bicycles and subscription services for vehicle software. Advances in shared mobility services, as described, are calling for solutions that can enhance the reliability of data aggregated by users leveraging mobility services in the next-generation mobility areas. However, the mining process to renew status ensures continued network communication, and block creation demands high performance in the public block chain. Therefore, easing the mining process for state updates in public blockchains is a way to alleviate the high-performance process requirements of public blockchains. The proposed mechanism assigns token-based block creation authority instead of the mining method, which provides block creation authority to nodes that provide many resources. Blocks are created only by a group of participants with tokens, and after creation, tokens are updated and delivered to new nodes to form a new token group. Additionally, tokens are updated in each block after their initial creation, making it difficult to disguise the tokens and preventing resource-centered centralization.