bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circular economy disclaimers: Rethinking property relations at the end of cheap nature
Authors: Isenhour Cindy , Berry Brieanne , Victor Erin
Published: January 2023

Converging environmental crises have inspired a movement to shift dominant economic forms away from linear “take-make-waste” models and toward more circular forms that reimagine discarded materials as valuable resources. With the coming “end of cheap nature”, this invitation to reimagine waste as something more than “the political other of capitalist value” is seen as both an environmental necessity and an opportunity for green growth. Less often discussed is that the circular economy, in its reconfiguration of value, also has the potential to reshape contemporary property relations and dismantle existing forms of circularity. In this paper, we explore potential shifts in property relations through an analysis of three strategies often imagined as key to facilitating the transition to circularity—extended producer responsibility, repair, and online resale. Each case synthesizes existing research, public discourse, and findings from a series of focus groups and interviews with circular economy professionals. While this research is preliminary and demands additional research, all three cases suggest caution given the possibility that some circular economy strategies can concentrate value and control of existing materials stocks, dispossess those most vulnerable, and alienate participants in existing reuse, recycling, and repair markets. Drawing on and adapting Luxemburg's concept of primitive accumulation, Tsing's ideas about salvage accumulation, Moore's work on commodity frontiers and recent research which encourages more attention to processes of commoning—we argue that without careful attention to relations of power and justice in conceptualizations of ownership and the collective actions necessary to transform our economic forms in common, transitions toward the circular economy have the potential to enclose the value of discards and exacerbate inequality.
Setting the geological scene for the origin of life and continuing open questions about its emergence
Authors: Westall Frances , Brack André , Fairén Alberto G. , Schulte Mitchell D.
Published: January 2023

The origin of life is one of the most fundamental questions of humanity. It has been and is still being addressed by a wide range of researchers from different fields, with different approaches and ideas as to how it came about. What is still incomplete is constrained information about the environment and the conditions reigning on the Hadean Earth, particularly on the inorganic ingredients available, and the stability and longevity of the various environments suggested as locations for the emergence of life, as well as on the kinetics and rates of the prebiotic steps leading to life. This contribution reviews our current understanding of the geological scene in which life originated on Earth, zooming in specifically on details regarding the environments and timescales available for prebiotic reactions, with the aim of providing experimenters with more specific constraints. Having set the scene, we evoke the still open questions about the origin of life: did life start organically or in mineralogical form? If organically, what was the origin of the organic constituents of life? What came first, metabolism or replication? What was the time-scale for the emergence of life? We conclude that the way forward for prebiotic chemistry is an approach merging geology and chemistry, i.e., far-from-equilibrium, wet-dry cycling (either subaerial exposure or dehydration through chelation to mineral surfaces) of organic reactions occurring repeatedly and iteratively at mineral surfaces under hydrothermal-like conditions.
The use of thymol, carvacrol and sorbic acid in microencapsules to control Salmonella Heidelberg, S. Minnesota and S. Typhimurium in broilers
Authors: Stingelin Giovani Marco , Scherer Ricardo Simões , Machado André Costa , Piva Andrea , Grilli Ester , Penha Filho Rafael Casarin
Published: January 2023

Introduction

The control of Salmonella spp. in poultry involves different biosecurity actions and lately has been complicated by the emergence of multidrug resistant serovars. The application of organic acids and essential oils has been used with different approaches due to the antibacterial properties as food preservatives. The use of these molecules in animal feed to control enteric pathogens is a major interest within the poultry industry.

Methods

The use of a blend containing nature-identical compounds of sorbic acid (25%), thymol (9.5%) and carvacrol (2.5%) microencapsulated in a lipid matrix, was investigated in the present work, for the control of three Salmonella serovars (S. ser. Typhimurium, S. ser. Heidelberg and S. ser. Minnesota). Commercial broilers were challenged at 3 or at 33 days of age. Groups SH-1, SM-1 and ST-1, received treatment in the feed, at 2 kg/ton from 1–21 days of age and at 1 kg/ton from 35–42 days of age (last week), while groups SH-2, SM-2 and ST-2, were treated only during the last week receiving 2 kg/ton. Each treated group had an untreated control group, that was challenged at the same moment with the respective serovar (groups PCH, PCM and PCT). The challenge strains were enumerated in liver and cecal contents, weekly after challenge, at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days-of-age.

Results and discussion

Significant reduction was noticed at 7 and 14 days of age in all groups that received treatment during the initial phase (p < 0.05). Moreover, the body weight was significantly higher at the last experimental day (p < 0.05) in chickens that received treatment at the initial and at the final growth stages.
Changes in the bacterial communities in chromium-contaminated soils
Authors: Zhu Yiran , Song Kaimin , Cheng Guodong , Xu Huiling , Wang Xiaozhou , Qi Changxi , Zhang Pu , Liu Yongxia , Liu Jianzhu
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Hexavalent chromium or Cr(VI) is essential to various industries, such as leather manufacturing and stainless steel production. Given that inevitable leakage from industries pollutes the soil and thereby affects the soil environment. Microbial communities could improve the quality of the soil. Abundant bacterial communities would significantly enhance the soil richness and resist external pressure, benefiting agriculture. But the pollution of heavy metal broke the balance and decrease the abundance of bacterial communities, which weak the self-adjust ability of soil. This study aimed to explore changes in the diversity of soil bacterial communities and to identify the influences of soil bacterial communities on enzymes in soil polluted by Cr(VI).

Methods

The target soils were sampled quickly and aseptically. Their chromium content was detected through inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and bacterial microbiome communities were explored through MiSeq high-throughput sequencing. Then, the content of nitrite reductase and catalases were investigated through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results

Chromium content in polluted soils was higher than that in the control soils at all depths. Sobs, Chao1, Ace, and Shannon diversity estimators in the control were higher, whereas Simpson's diversity estimators in the control soils were lower than those of contaminated samples at all depths. Contaminants affected the composition of the bacterial community. The soil microbial species were relatively single and inhomogeneous in the polluted soils. The bacterial phyla in polluted and controlled soils include Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Acidobacteria, which differ markedly in abundance.

Discussion

The results of these observations provide insights into the ecotoxicological effects of Cr(VI) exposure to soil microorganisms. To sum up these results are critical for evaluating the stabilized state of microbial community structures, contributing to the assessment of the potential risk of metal accumulation in soils.
Predictive role of neostromal CD10 expression in breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Olah Orsolya , Majlat Edit , Koszo Renata , Vereb Zoltan , Voros Andras
Published: January 2023

Background:The therapeutic strategy of invasive breast cancer is based on routine histopathological markers (estrogen-, progesterone receptor, HER2, Ki67) routinely evaluated in tumor cells. However, the assessment of cancer stroma could influence therapeutic strategies. Studies have shown that stromal expression of CD10, a zinc-dependent metalloproteinase, is associated with biological aggressiveness of the tumor. In the present retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate stromal CD10 expression and association between CD10 expression and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in invasive breast cancer.

Methods:CD10 immunohistochemistry was performed on core biopsies taken before the neoadjuvant therapy. Stromal CD10 expression was determined and compared with well-known predictive and prognostic tissue markers as well as with the following groups defined according to the degree of tumor response: no regression, partial regression, and complete regression.

Results:A total of 60 locally advanced invasive breast carcinomas of “no special type” were included. The proportion of CD10 positive tumors was significantly higher in the “no regression” group compared to “complete regression” group (p= 0.000). Stromal CD10 expression was found to be significantly associated with decrease in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. According to CD10 expression we did not find any difference in hormone receptor status, Ki67, tumor grade or neostromal area.

Conclusion:Our data suggest that CD10 expression can serve as a predictive marker of the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Therefore, its inclusion into the routine assessment of biopsies to tailor tumor-specific therapeutic strategies merits consideration.
Altered Organic Matter Chemical Functional Groups and Bacterial Community Composition Promote Crop Yield under Integrated Soil–Crop Management System
Authors: Li Qi , Kumar Amit , Song Zhenwei , Gao Qiang , Kuzyakov Yakov , Tian Jing , Zhang Fusuo
Published: January 2023

Sustainable agricultural production is essential to ensure an adequate food supply, and optimal farm management is critical to improve soil quality and the sustainability of agroecosystems. Integrated soil–crop management based on crop models and nutrient management designs has proven useful in increasing yields. However, studies on its effects on the chemical composition of soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial community composition, as well as their linkage with crop yield, are lacking. Here, we investigated the changes in SOC content, its chemical functional groups, and bacterial communities, as well as their association with crop yield under different farmland management based on four farmland management field trials over 12 years (i.e., FP: farmer practice; IP: improved farmer practice; HY: high-yield system; and ISSM: integrated soil–crop system management). The crop yield increased by 4.1–9.4% and SOC content increased by 15–87% in ISSM compared to other farmland management systems. The increased proportion of Methoxy C and O-alkyl C functional groups with a low ratio of Alkyl C/O-alkyl C, but high Aliphatic C/Aromatic C in ISSM hints toward slow SOC decomposition and high soil C quality. The relative abundances of r-strategists (e.g., Firmicutes, Myxobacteria, and Bacteroidetes) was highest under the ISSM. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed highly complex bacterial communities under ISSM, with greater positive links with labile SOC functional groups. The soil fertility index was the main factor fueling crop yields, as it increased with the relative abundance of r-strategists and SOC content. Our results indicated that crop yield advantages in ISSM were linked to the high C quality and shifts in bacterial composition toward r-strategists by mediating nutrient cycling and soil fertility, thereby contributing to sustainability in cropping systems.
Influence of Biochar and Animal Manures Application on Ammonia and Nitrate Concentrations in the Root and Shoot of Three Varieties of Turnips
Authors: Antonious George F. , Turley Eric T. , Gyawali Buddhi R. , Freeman Angel C.
Published: January 2023

Many investigators have focused on the impact of fertilizers on crop yield and ignored fertilizers impact on the plants composition. The impact of seven types of soil treatments (sewage sludge, horse manure, chicken manure, vermicompost, elemental organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer, and native soil) and similar seven treatments amended with biochar on the concentrations of NH3 and NO3 in the roots and shoots of three commercial varieties of turnips, Brassica rapa was investigated. The three varieties (Purple Top White Globe PTWG, Scarlet Queen Red SQR, and Tokyo Cross TC) varied in concentrations of NH3 and NO3 levels. High levels of NO3 in edible plants is associated with harmful effects on human health, due to the risk of creation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds. NO3 in SQR roots and shoots (edible greens) was greater than varieties PTWG and TC. The concentration of NH3 averaged 20.2, 12.8, and 8.9 µg g−1 fresh turnip roots, whereas NO3 values averaged 107.6, 64.1, and 62.9 µg g−1 fresh turnip roots in varieties SQR, PTWG, and TC, respectively. Regardless of soil amendment type, the concentration of NH3 in the shoots (44.0 µg g−1) was greater than the roots (15 µg g−1). On the contrary, NO3 was higher in the roots (89.4 µg g−1) compared to the shoots (67.6 µg g−1 fresh tissue). Overall, biochar added to vermicompost amended soil increased NH3 by 73% compared to vermicompost not amended with biochar. Regarding acceptable daily intake (ADI) for NO3, none of the three varieties analyzed constitute any NO3 adverse effects on normal human intake. Similarly, consuming turnips grown in any of the animal manures tested do not represent any hazardous issues.
Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxin B1 Detection in Laying Hens for Omega 3-Enriched Eggs Production
Authors: Bozzo Giancarlo , Pugliese Nicola , Samarelli Rossella , Schiavone Antonella , Dimuccio Michela Maria , Circella Elena , Bonerba Elisabetta , Ceci Edmondo , Camarda Antonio
Published: January 2023

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungal species that usually contaminate foods and feeds. Their lipophilic properties allow them to persist in the fat tissues of animals that ingest them, representing a risk for the consumers because of their toxicity and carcinogenicity. Apart from their toxicity to humans, there are species more susceptible to the mycotoxin actions, such as the avian ones. This report describes a case in a laying hen farm certified as antibiotic-free, where animals were fed with foodstuff with linseed added to obtain eggs enriched in omega-3 fat acids. In this case, the concurrent action of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A caused a significant decrease in production and an increase in mortality. At pathologic examinations, the animals showed severe kidney degeneration along with liver lesions. The ovary and oviduct were hypoplastic, and evident signs of anemia were observed. Aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A were detected by HPLC in foodstuff with the addition of linseed and in organs. This case wants to drive attention to the importance of a careful check of the feedstuff to be used in poultry farms with a quality-oriented production, in order to avoid contaminations that can harm both animal welfare and public health.
End-to-End Transformer-Based Models in Textual-Based NLP
Authors: Rahali Abir , Akhloufi Moulay A.
Published: January 2023

Transformer architectures are highly expressive because they use self-attention mechanisms to encode long-range dependencies in the input sequences. In this paper, we present a literature review on Transformer-based (TB) models, providing a detailed overview of each model in comparison to the Transformer’s standard architecture. This survey focuses on TB models used in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) for textual-based tasks. We begin with an overview of the fundamental concepts at the heart of the success of these models. Then, we classify them based on their architecture and training mode. We compare the advantages and disadvantages of popular techniques in terms of architectural design and experimental value. Finally, we discuss open research, directions, and potential future work to help solve current TB application challenges in NLP.
Effects of the Expressions and Variants of the CAST Gene on the Fatty Acid Composition of the Longissimus Thoracis Muscle of Grazing Sonid Sheep
Authors: Guo Xin , Li Terigele , Lu Datong , Yamada Takahisa , Li Xihe , Bao Siqin , Liu Jiasen , Borjigin Gerelt , Cang Ming , Tong Bin
Published: January 2023

Fatty acid (FA) composition has an important impact on the nutrition and flavor of meat, and on consumer health, and is receiving more attention in the sheep industry. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the expression levels of the CAST gene and the FA composition in the longissimus thoracis (LL) muscle, to identify novel variants of CAST, and to perform association analysis with the FA composition in grazing Sonid lambs. The correlation results showed that high expression levels of CAST are correlated with better FA compositions and classes in LL. For association studies, the results showed that c.1210C>T and c.1437G>A in LD-M, and c.2097C>T mutations are associated with some compositions and classes of FA in the LL of grazing Sonid sheep. Two missense c.646G>C (G216R) and c.1210C>T (R404C) mutations were predicted to influence the Calpain_inhib domains of CAST. Thus, the correlation results and associated mutations are expected to be genetic selection markers for the FA composition and meat quality of grazing Sonid lamb muscle and provide new insights into sheep meat quality traits influenced by the ovine CAST gene.
Antiparasitic Tannin-Rich Plants from the South of Europe for Grazing Livestock: A Review
Authors: Rodríguez-Hernández Pablo , Reyes-Palomo Carolina , Sanz-Fernández Santos , Rufino-Moya Pablo José , Zafra Rafael , Martínez-Moreno Francisco Javier , Rodríguez-Estévez Vicente , Díaz-Gaona Cipriano
Published: January 2023

Internal parasites are one of the main causes of health threats in livestock production, especially in extensive livestock farming. Despite the environmental toxic effects (loss of dung beetles, biodiversity, and other issues) and resistance phenomenon derived from their prolonged use, anti-parasitic chemical pharmaceuticals are frequently used, even in organic farming. Such a situation within the context of climate change requires urgent exploration of alternative compounds to solve these problems and apparent conflicts between organic farming objectives regarding the environment, public health, and animal health. This review is focused on some plants (Artemisia spp., Cichorium intybus L., Ericaceae family, Hedysarum coronarium L., Lotus spp., Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) that are well known for their antiparasitic effect, are voluntarily grazed and ingested, and can be spontaneously found or cultivated in southern Europe and other regions with a Mediterranean climate. The differences found between effectiveness, parasite species affected, in vitro/in vivo experiments, and active compounds are explored. A total of 87 papers where antiparasitic activity of those plants have been studied are included in this review; 75% studied the effect on ruminant parasites, where gastrointestinal nematodes were the parasite group most studied (70%), and these included natural (31%) and experimental (37%) infections.
Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Differences between Bos indicus and Bos taurus
Authors: Chen Xiaona , Duan Xinyu , Chong Qingqing , Li Chunqing , Xiao Heng , Chen Shanyuan
Published: January 2023

Disease risk is a persistent problem in domestic cattle farming, while economic traits are the main concern. This study aimed to reveal the epigenetic basis for differences between zebu (Bos indicus) and taurine cattle (Bos taurus) in disease, disease resistance, and economic traits, and provide a theoretical basis for the genetic improvement of domestic cattle. In this study, whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) was used to analyze the whole-genome methylation of spleen and liver samples from Yunnan zebu and Holstein cattle. In the genome-wide methylation pattern analysis, it was found that the methylation pattern of all samples was dominated by the CG type, which accounted for >94.9%. The DNA methylation levels of different functional regions and transcriptional elements in the CG background varied widely. However, the methylation levels of different samples in the same functional regions or transcriptional elements did not differ significantly. In addition, we identified a large number of differentially methylation region (DMR) in both the spleen and liver groups, of which 4713 and 4663 were annotated to functional elements, and most of them were annotated to the intronic and exonic regions of genes. GO and KEGG functional analysis of the same differentially methylation region (DMG) in the spleen and liver groups revealed that significantly enriched pathways were involved in neurological, disease, and growth functions. As a result of the results of DMR localization, we screened six genes (DNM3, INPP4B, PLD, PCYT1B, KCNN2, and SLIT3) that were tissue-specific candidates for economic traits, disease, and disease resistance in Yunnan zebu. In this study, DNA methylation was used to construct links between genotypes and phenotypes in domestic cattle, providing useful information for further screening of epigenetic molecular markers in zebu and taurine cattle.
Effect of Additives Inclusion in Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata L.) Diets on Growth, Enzyme Activity, Digestibility and Gut Histology Fed with Vegetable Meals
Authors: Vélez-Calabria Glenda , Tomás-Vidal Ana , Peñaranda David S. , Jover-Cerdá Miguel , Llorens Silvia Martínez
Published: January 2023

The fishmeal replacement by vegetable meals or other alternative sources, without affecting fish performance and productivity, is one of the principal challenges in aquaculture. The use of hydrolyzed porcine mucosa (HPM) and nucleotide (NT) concentrates, as feed additives in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) non-fishmeal diets was assessed in order to determine the possible effects on growth, feed efficiency, protein digestion, and gut histology when these were included in a plant-based diet (HPM 1% and 2%, P1 and P2; NT 250 and 500 ppm, N250 and N500), in comparison with two control diets, AA0 (100% plant-protein-based diet) and FM100 (100% fishmeal-protein-based diet). Diets were assayed in triplicate and the growth assay lasted 134 days. Results showed a significant improvement in all groups in terms of final weight and specific growth rate in comparison with the AA0 group. An improvement in the feed conversion ratio and the protein efficiency ratio was also observed when the additives were included in lower percentages (P1 and N250) compared to the FM100 group. Significant differences were found in hepatosomatic index, villi thickness, and goblet cells. Thus, the inclusion of NT and HPM was tested as beneficial for the improvement of efficiency of plant feed in seabream.
Specific Autoantibodies and Microvascular Damage Progression Assessed by Nailfold Videocapillaroscopy in Systemic Sclerosis: Are There Peculiar Associations? An Update
Authors: Hysa Elvis , Campitiello Rosanna , Sammorì Silvia , Gotelli Emanuele , Cere Andrea , Pesce Giampaola , Pizzorni Carmen , Paolino Sabrina , Sulli Alberto , Smith Vanessa , Cutolo Maurizio
Published: January 2023

Background: Specific autoantibodies and nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) findings are serum and morphological diagnostic hallmarks of systemic sclerosis (SSc) as well as useful biomarkers which stratify the microvascular progression and prognosis of patients. Methods: The aim of our narrative review is to provide an update and overview of the link between SSc-related autoantibodies, used in clinical practice, and microvascular damage, evaluated by NVC, by exploring the interaction between these players in published studies. A narrative review was conducted by searching relevant keywords related to this field in Pubmed, Medline and EULAR/ACR conference abstracts with a focus on the findings published in the last 5 years. Results: Our search yielded 13 clinical studies and 10 pre-clinical studies. Most of the clinical studies (8/13, 61.5%) reported a significant association between SSc-related autoantibodies and NVC patterns: more specifically anti-centromere autoantibodies (ACA) were associated more often with an “Early” NVC pattern, whereas anti-topoisomerase autoantibodies (ATA) more frequently showed an “Active” or “Late” NVC pattern. Five studies, instead, did not find a significant association between specific autoantibodies and NVC findings. Among the pre-clinical studies, SSc-related autoantibodies showed different mechanisms of damage towards both endothelial cells, fibroblasts and smooth muscle vascular cells. Conclusions: The clinical and laboratory evidence on SSc-related autoantibodies and microvascular damage shows that these players are interconnected. Further clinical and demographic factors (e.g., age, sex, disease duration, treatment and comorbidities) might play an additional role in the SSc-related microvascular injury whose progression appears to be complex and multifactorial.
A Post Hoc Analysis of Efficacy Data on Sarecycline in Hispanics with Acne from Two Phase 3, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials
Authors: Moore Angela Yen , Hurley Kara , Moore Stephen Andrew
Published: January 2023

Sarecycline is a novel, narrow-spectrum, third generation tetracycline class antibiotic approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne in patients ages nine and older. Recently, focus has increased on whether treatment responses differ in acne in skin of color. Here, we aimed to analyze the efficacy of using sarecycline in Hispanics. We report pooled post hoc analysis of efficacy data on sarecycline in Hispanics with acne from two phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, SC1401 and SC1402. Of 2002 patients in the pooled trials with moderate-to-severe acne, 26.9% were Hispanic. Facial inflammatory lesion counts decreased as early as week 3 by 26% (p = 0.0279), with continued reduction by 41% by week 6 (p = 0.0003), by 51% by week 9 (p < 0.0001), and by 55% by week 12 (p < 0.0001). Acne is the most common skin condition diagnosed in Hispanics, and this study illustrates a statistically significant reduction in acne in Hispanic patients with moderate-to-severe acne treated with oral sarecycline. Therefore, oral sarecycline shows promising results as a safe and effective treatment for acne in Hispanics.
Multi-View Multi-Attention Graph Neural Network for Traffic Flow Forecasting
Authors: Wu Fei , Zheng Changjiang , Zhang Chen , Ma Junze , Sun Kai
Published: January 2023

The key to intelligent traffic control and guidance lies in accurate prediction of traffic flow. Since traffic flow data is nonlinear, complex, and dynamic, in order to overcome these issues, graph neural network techniques are employed to address these challenges. For this reason, we propose a deep-learning architecture called AMGC-AT and apply it to a real passenger flow dataset of the Hangzhou metro for evaluation. Based on a priori knowledge, we set up multi-view graphs to express the static feature similarity of each station in the metro network, such as geographic location and zone function, which are then input to the multi-graph neural network with the goal of extracting and aggregating features in order to realize the complex spatial dependence of each station’s passenger flow. Furthermore, based on periodic features of historical traffic flows, we categorize the flow data into three time patterns. Specifically, we propose two different self-attention mechanisms to fuse high-order spatiotemporal features of traffic flow. The final step is to integrate the two modules and obtain the output results using a gated convolution and a fully connected neural network. The experimental results show that the proposed model has better performance than eight other baseline models at 10 min, 15 min and 30 min time intervals.
Toxicity of Different Chemical Components in Sun Cream Filters and Their Impact on Human Health: A Review
Authors: Santander Ballestín Sonia , Luesma Bartolomé María José
Published: January 2023

Some chemical components in sun cream filters have endocrine-disrupting activity or can be carcinogenic, neurotoxic, bioaccumulative, allergens, or be toxic for human reproduction. It is important that sunscreens have safety requirements. The objective of this work is to compare sun cream filters used in conventional commercial sunscreens and those that are considered natural products, especially focused on endocrine-disrupting effects. In order to achieve the above objective, the compositions of different conventional and natural sun cream filters were evaluated and compared, taking into account the presence of the different sun cream filters whose effects were evaluated on the website specialized in safety and cosmetics, Environmental Working Group (EWG), and in the Register of chemical substances and mixtures in the EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation. The currently available evidence of each sun cream filter and their degree of safety has been summarized. Several organic sun cream filters present a potential risk to health and the environment; however, inorganic sun cream filters such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (ZnO and TiO2) show a very low risk in humans as they are not absorbed through intact or damaged tissues. The legislation does not oblige manufacturers to specify the concentration of each substance, which provides qualitative but not quantitative information for the consumer.
Structure Control Using Bioderived Solvents in Electrochemical Metal-Organic Framework Synthesis
Authors: Bhindi Meha , Massengo Liam , Hammerton James , Derry Matthew J. , Worrall Stephen D.
Published: January 2023

Electrochemical synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has proven to possess many environmental advantages over traditional synthesis methods such as reduced energy use and shorter reaction times. However, the use of toxic, fossil fuel derived solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) presents a challenge to the environmental credentials of this method that has yet to be dealt with. Here, we investigate bioderived solvents, CyreneTM and γ-valerolactone (GVL), as an alternative for the synthesis of a range of MOFs via the anodic deposition method. The obtained MOF materials are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to confirm their identities and morphologies and for comparison with MOFs synthesized using the traditional DMF-based solvent systems. When using CyreneTM and GVL solvents, crystalline MOF materials were obtained of comparable quality to those afforded using DMF. However, in several cases, using CyreneTM or GVL led to the formation of less stable, higher porosity MOF structures than those obtained using DMF, indicating that the larger bio solvent molecules may also play a templating role during the synthesis. This study successfully demonstrates the first-time electrochemical synthesis of MOFs has been performed using bio solvents and has highlighted that the use of bio solvents can provide a route to obtaining lower density, higher porosity MOF phases than those obtained using traditional solvents.
Evaluation of Green Synthesis (Withania somnifera) of Selenium Nanoparticles to Reduce Sperm DNA Fragmentation Diabetic Mice Induced with Streptozotocin
Authors: Mohammed Ali Iman A. , AL-Ahmed Hazim Ismail , Ben Ahmed Ali
Published: January 2023

Given the promising good future of selenium nanoparticles in the modern field of health, selenium nanoparticles have played an important role in increasing sperm efficacy and antioxidant defense mechanisms. In the present study, we synthesized the selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) in a safe and harmless medical manner from the aqueous extract of Withania somnifera roots. The formation of Se NPs was confirmed using different techniques of spectroscopy. The results showed a broad absorption peak of up to 622 nm of wavelength. With clumps of NPs forming what looks like a porous structure, excellent uniform spherical shape of Se NPs and distribution behavior with the least aggregation, it appears as an average single particle size of around 22 nm. Secondly, we evaluated their potential improvement functions on the antioxidant enzyme and DNA damage of sperm induced by STZ-induced diabetes in mice. Additionally, antioxidant drugs and natural male cell therapy were also studied. Fifty male experimental mice with an average weight (23–30 kg) were divided into five groups and fed once daily with IP, streptozotocin, metformin, streptozotocin with Se NPs and later streptozotocin with Se NPs for 35 days. Se NPs treatment increased antioxidant enzyme activities and improved sperm quality in STZ-induced diabetic mice by stabilizing the level of reactive oxygen species. Green synthesis appears to be a safe method for producing selenium nanoparticles, and Se NPs are more beneficial than inorganic and organic selenium.
Deep Learning Mask Face Recognition with Annealing Mechanism
Authors: Cheng Wen-Chang , Hsiao Hung-Chou , Li Li-Hua
Published: January 2023

Face recognition (FR) has matured with deep learning, but due to the COVID-19 epidemic, people need to wear masks outside to reduce the risk of infection, making FR a challenge. This study uses the FaceNet approach combined with transfer learning using three different sizes of validated CNN architectures: InceptionResNetV2, InceptionV3, and MobileNetV2. With the addition of the cosine annealing (CA) mechanism, the optimizer can automatically adjust the learning rate (LR) during the model training process to improve the efficiency of the model in finding the best solution in the global domain. The mask face recognition (MFR) method is accomplished without increasing the computational complexity using existing methods. Experimentally, the three models of different sizes using the CA mechanism have a better performance than the fixed LR, step and exponential methods. The accuracy of the three models of different sizes using the CA mechanism can reach a practical level at about 93%.
Research on the Spatial and Temporal Differences in Public Response to Release-Type Communication to Stop Food Waste
Authors: Chen Feiyu , Gao Chenchen , Gu Xiao , Yue Ting
Published: January 2023

Release-type communication is a common way to guide the public to reduce food waste. It is of great significance to clarify the intervention effect of release-type communication on residents’ waste behavior and reveal the time evolution law of public response to reduce food waste. This study obtains 13,958 comments on food waste through big data mining and explores characteristics of public response to food waste behavior in different time and space from two dimensions of support intention and implementation intention. Through statistical analysis, empirical mode decomposition method, and cross-analysis, we find that: Public concern about release-type communication to stop food waste has experienced five stages: Incubation period, outbreak period, recession period, second outbreak period, and fading period. Overall, the support intention presents a down-up-down trend, the implementation intention rises and then descends, both appear inflection point in recession period. The trend term of empirical mode decomposition shows that the support intention goes down, the implementation intention goes up. Besides, the support intention and implementation intention of release-type communication to stop food waste are generally higher in western China. In particular, the support intention is significantly reduced in Beijing, Guangdong, and Fujian. The implementation intention is significantly increased in Shanghai, while it’s reduced notably in Shandong. This study provides important implications for guiding the public to reduce food waste, the government should formulate differentiated governance strategies to guide the public to reduce food waste according to the time change characteristics and spatial territorial differences of the public on release-type communication.
GEOBIA and Vegetation Indices in Extracting Olive Tree Canopies Based on Very High-Resolution UAV Multispectral Imagery
Authors: Šiljeg Ante , Marinović Rajko , Domazetović Fran , Jurišić Mladen , Marić Ivan , Panđa Lovre , Radočaj Dorijan , Milošević Rina
Published: January 2023

In recent decades, precision agriculture and geospatial technologies have made it possible to ensure sustainability in an olive-growing sector. The main goal of this study is the extraction of olive tree canopies by comparing two approaches, the first of which is related to geographic object-based analysis (GEOBIA), while the second one is based on the use of vegetation indices (VIs). The research area is a micro-location within the Lun olives garden, on the island of Pag. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a multispectral (MS) sensor was used for generating a very high-resolution (VHR) UAVMS model, while another mission was performed to create a VHR digital orthophoto (DOP). When implementing the GEOBIA approach in the extraction of the olive canopy, user-defined parameters and classification algorithms support vector machine (SVM), maximum likelihood classifier (MLC), and random trees classifier (RTC) were evaluated. The RTC algorithm achieved the highest overall accuracy (OA) of 0.7565 and kappa coefficient (KC) of 0.4615. The second approach included five different VIs models (NDVI, NDRE, GNDVI, MCARI2, and RDVI2) which are optimized using the proposed VITO (VI Threshold Optimizer) tool. The NDRE index model was selected as the most accurate one, according to the ROC accuracy measure with a result of 0.888 for the area under curve (AUC).
A Holistic Approach for Design and Assessment of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics Systems
Authors: Restrepo-Herrera David , Martinez Walter , Trejos-Grisales Luz Adriana , Restrepo-Cuestas Bonie Johana
Published: January 2023

This article addresses the application of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems through the analysis of a case study with different operating conditions and geospatial locations. The research is carried out with customer-made photovoltaic modules supported by computational aids. The results obtained from real-life BIPV installation are contrasted, simulated, and improved through different scenarios where aspects such as software deviation, shadowing influence, installed capacity, and project profitability are analyzed to establish viability pathways for BIPV projects. As a result, the most relevant factors to improve the technical and economic conditions of the BIPV system are the total capacity installed, the use of the available area, and the strategic location of the modules to avoid shading surfaces. In this way, this work addresses the analysis of BIPV systems through the assessment of a case study implemented in a real residential structure in Colombia. The proposed methodology includes simulations to evaluate the solar energy potential considering the elements in the neighborhood of the BIPV system and technical aspects, such as the wiring and power interface, an economical study to find the feasibility of the project, and an analysis of different operating scenarios. As a result, the most important factors that affect the operation of BIPV systems under Colombian weather conditions were identified: total installed capacity, use of the available area, and strategic location of the modules to avoid shading surfaces. Such factors can then be considered in the early stage of designing for future BIPV applications.
Privacy-Preserving Data Aggregation with Dynamic Billing in Fog-Based Smart Grid
Authors: Wang Huiyong , Gong Yunmei , Ding Yong , Tang Shijie , Wang Yujue
Published: January 2023

As the next-generation grid, the smart grid (SG) can significantly enhance the reliability, flexibility as well as efficiency of electricity services. To address latency and bandwidth issues during data analysis, there have been attempts to introduce fog computing (FC) in SG. However, fog computing-based smart grid (FCSG) face serious challenges in security and privacy. In this paper, we propose a privacy-preserving data aggregation scheme that supports dynamic billing and arbitration, named PPDB. Specifically, we design a four-layer data aggregation framework which uses fog nodes (FNs) to collect and aggregate electricity consumption data encrypted under the ElGamal cryptosystem and employ distributed decryption to achieve fine-grained access and bills generation based on real-time prices. In addition, we introduce a trusted third party to arbitrate disputed bills. Detailed security analysis proves that the proposed PPDB can guarantee the confidentiality, authentication and integrity of data. Compared with related schemes, the experimental results show that the communication overhead of our scheme is reduced by at least 38%, and the computational efficiency in the billing phase is improved by at least 40 times.
State of the Art of High-Flux Compton/Thomson X-rays Sources
Authors: Petrillo Vittoria , Drebot Illya , Ruijter Marcel , Samsam Sanae , Bacci Alberto , Curatolo Camilla , Opromolla Michele , Conti Marcello Rossetti , Rossi Andrea Renato , Serafini Luca
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we present the generalities of the Compton interaction process; we analyse the different paradigms of Inverse Compton Sources, implemented or in commissioning phase at various facilities, or proposed as future projects. We present an overview of the state of the art, with a discussion of the most demanding challenges.
Effect of Impeller Trimming on the Energy Efficiency of the Counter-Rotating Pumping Stage
Authors: Pavlenko Ivan , Kulikov Oleksandr , Ratushnyi Oleksandr , Ivanov Vitalii , Piteľ Ján , Kondus Vladyslav
Published: January 2023

Developing ways to increase centrifugal pumps’ pressure and power characteristics is a critical problem in up-to-date engineering. There are many ways to resolve it, but each has advantages and flaws. The presented article aimed to ensure higher energy efficiency indicators by using a counter-rotating pumping stage with trimming. During the research, the comprehensive approach was based on CFD modeling and the Moore–Penrose pseudoinverse approach for overestimated systems. According to the obtained data, pumps with a counter-rotating stage allowed the pressure head to be significantly increased compared with the standard design of the flow part. Notably, for pumping units CPS 180/1900 with a basic stage, the pressure head of 127 m was reached. However, when using a counter-rotating stage, the pressure head could be increased up to 270 m, which was 2.1 times higher. Therefore, to ensure unchanged characteristics when using centrifugal pumps with the counter-rotating stage, the weight and size indicators can be significantly reduced compared to the traditional design scheme. The proposed numerical and analytical approaches allow estimating the highest pressure and energy characteristics values.
Quality Assessment of Natural Juices and Consumer Preferences in the Range of Citrus Fruit Juices
Authors: Kowalska Małgorzata , Konopska Justyna , Feszterová Melánia , Zbikowska Anna , Kowalska Barbara
Published: January 2023

The purpose of the study was to analyse and update consumers’ changing preferences in the choice of citrus fruit juices and to evaluate the sensory and physicochemical characteristics of two kinds of juices: juice squeezed from raw fruit and a commercial juice indicated by respondents as best matching their preferences. The survey was conducted in the form of an online survey posted on app.ankieteo.pl. The survey was also sent via a link through social networks. A total of 862 people took part in the survey. Consumers are most likely to consume juices one to three times a week (28.3%). Orange juice was the most popular among respondents (52.4%). The main factors influencing decisions to purchase citrus fruit juices are the type of fruit from which the juice was made, the vitamin content and the product’s price. In choosing juices, respondents were also guided by favourable health qualities and the presence of minerals. From the physicochemical determinations of orange juices obtained from a juicer and squeezer and commercial juice “O”, it was found that the quality of commercial orange juice indicated by consumers in the survey is comparable to juices made with a squeezer or a juice.
The Current State and Future Potential of Microbial Control of Scarab Pests
Authors: Deans Carrie , Krischik Vera
Published: January 2023

Injury and control costs for the invasive scarab Japanese beetle (Family Scarabeidae, Popillla japonica) alone is estimated at $450 million per year in the U.S. Chemical controls are commonly used to control scarab pests, but concerns about human safety and negative impacts on beneficial and non-target organisms, such as pollinators, are increasingly driving the market towards less toxic and more environmentally friendly management options. Microbial entomopathogens are excellent candidates for biopesticides and biocontrol agents. Although microbial pesticides currently make up only 1–2% of the insecticide market, the discovery and development of new microbes are increasing. Microbial products are non-toxic to humans and most are species-specific, reducing non-target effects. While some are slow-acting, others provide rapid control and some can be as efficacious as chemical insecticides, particularly when used in combination. Another major advantage of microbial controls is that many can persist in the environment, and become biocontrol agents, providing long-term control and reducing costs. This article provides a summary of the microbial entomopathogens that are known to infect scarab beetle species including bacterial, fungal, viral, microsporidian, and protozoan taxa, as well as the existing formulations and their efficacy. Lesser-known microbial species are also discussed as potential future controls. We also discuss the development of new techniques for improving efficacy, such as genetic engineering, synergistic interactions, auto-dissemination strategies, and improved formulations.
Special Issue on Advanced Design and Manufacturing in Industry 4.0
Authors: Marannano Giuseppe , Giallanza Antonio
Published: January 2023

Industry 4 [...]
Heat Transfer Deterioration by the Copper Oxide Layer on Horizontal Subcooled Flow Boiling
Authors: Santiago Galicia Edgar , Kinjo Tomihiro , Som Onn Ouch , Saiwai Toshihiko , Takita Kenji , Orito Kenji , Enoki Koji
Published: January 2023

Water–copper is one of the most common combinations of working fluid and heating surface in high-performance cooling systems. Copper is usually selected for its high thermal conductivity and water for its high heat transfer coefficient, especially in the two-phase regime. However, copper tends to suffer oxidation in the presence of water and thus the heat flux performance is affected. In this research, an experimental investigation was conducted using a cooper bare surface as a heating surface under a constant mass flux of 600 kg·m−2·s−1 of deionized water at a subcooled inlet temperature ΔTsub of 70 K under atmospheric pressure conditions on a closed-loop. To confirm the heat transfer deterioration, the experiment was repeated thirteen times. On the flow boiling region after thirteen experiments, the results show an increase in the wall superheat ΔTsat of approximately 26% and a reduction in the heat flux of approximately 200 kW·m−2. On the other hand, the effect of oxidation on the single phase is almost marginal.