bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Mitogenome of Sedum plumbizincicola (Crassulaceae): Insights into RNA Editing, Lateral Gene Transfer, and Phylogenetic Implications
Authors: Ding Hengwu , Bi De , Zhang Sijia , Han Shiyun , Ye Yuanxin , Yi Ran , Yang Jianke , Liu Birong , Wu Longhua , Zhuo Renying , Kan Xianzhao
Published: November 2022

As the largest family within the order Saxifragales, Crassulaceae contains about 34 genera with 1400 species. Mitochondria play a critical role in cellular energy production. Since the first land plant mitogenome was reported in Arabidopsis, more than 400 mitogenomic sequences have been deposited in a public database. However, no entire mitogenome data have been available for species of Crassulaceae to date. To better understand the evolutionary history of the organelles of Crassulaceae, we sequenced and performed comprehensive analyses on the mitogenome of Sedum plumbizincicola. The master mitogenomic circle is 212,159 bp in length, including 31 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 14 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes. We further identified totally 508 RNA editing sites in PCGs, and demonstrated that the second codon positions of mitochondrial genes are most prone to RNA editing events. Notably, by neutrality plot analyses, we observed that the mitochondrial RNA editing events have large effects on the driving forces of plant evolution. Additionally, 4 MTPTs and 686 NUMTs were detected in the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of S. plumbizincicola, respectively. Additionally, we conducted further analyses on gene transfer, secondary structures of mitochondrial RNAs, and phylogenetic implications. Therefore, the findings presented here will be helpful for future investigations on plant mitogenomes.
Electrophysiology and Fluorescence Spectroscopy Approaches for Evaluating Gamete and Embryo Functionality in Animals and Humans
Authors: Boni Raffaele , Gallo Alessandra , Tosti Elisabetta
Published: November 2022

This review has examined two of the techniques most used by our research group for evaluating gamete and embryo functionality in animal species, ranging from marine invertebrates to humans. Electrophysiology has given access to fundamental information on some mechanisms underpinning the biology of reproduction. This technique demonstrates the involvement of ion channels in multiple physiological mechanisms, the achievement of homeostasis conditions, and the triggering of profound metabolic modifications, often functioning as amplification signals of cellular communication. Fluorescence spectrometry using fluorescent probes to mark specific cell structures allows detailed information to be obtained on the functional characteristics of the cell populations examined. The simple and rapid execution of this methodology allowed us to establish a panel helpful in elucidating functional features in living cells in a simultaneous and multi-parameter way in order to acquire overall drafting of gamete and embryo functionality.
3D Zero Poisson’s Ratio Honeycomb Structure for Morphing Wing Applications
Authors: Gong Xiaobo , Ren Chengwei , Sun Jian , Zhang Peiru , Du Lei , Xie Fang
Published: November 2022

Such as flying creatures, morphing aircraft can expand their aerodynamic flight envelopes by changing aerodynamic shapes, significantly improving the scope of application and flight efficiency. A novel 3D Zero Poisson’s Ratio (ZPR) honeycomb structure is designed to meet the flexible deformation requirements of morphing aircraft. The 3D ZPR honeycomb can deform in the three principal directions with smooth borders and isotropic. Analytical models related to the uniaxial and shear stiffnesses are derived using the Timoshenko beam model and validated using the quasi-static compression test. The Poisson’s ratio of the 3D ZPR honeycomb structure has an average value of 0.0038, proving the feasibility of the 3D ZPR concept. Some pneumatic muscle fibers are introduced into the system as flexible actuators to drive the active deformation of the 3D ZPR honeycomb. The active 3D ZPR honeycomb can contract by 14.4%, unidirectionally bend by 7.8°, and multi-directions bend under 0.4 Mpa pressure. Both ZPR properties and flexible morphing capabilities show the potential of this novel 3D ZPR configuration for morphing wings.
General Mathematical Model for Analysing the Bending Behaviour of Rectangular Concrete Beams with Steel, Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (FRP) and Hybrid FRP–Steel Reinforcements
Authors: Ouahmane Issam , Alaiji Rachid El , Sallaou Mohammed , Lasri Larbi
Published: November 2022

The design guidelines available in building codes for steel and fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforced concrete (RC) beams have been developed on the basis of empirical models. While these models are successfully used for practical purposes, they require continuous improvements with more experimental data. This paper aims to develop a general mathematical model derived from the intrinsic material properties of concrete and certain reinforcements to analyse the bending behaviour of reinforced concrete beams. The proposed model takes into account the effects of non-linearity and ductility on the real behaviour of concrete under compression as well as the concrete tension stiffening. The model focused on analysing the flexural behaviour of rectangular steel, FRP and hybrid FRP–steel RC beams, using the moment–curvature relationship. A general static equilibrium equation was developed and mathematically solved with precise methods to establish a moment–curvature relationship. The effective flexural stiffness (EFS) is therefore calculated by the slope of the moment–curvature diagram, and then the load–deflection response is immediately deduced according to the loading conditions. The present model results were compared with numerous test data reported by various researchers. The comparisons reveal a good accuracy for predicting the EFS and load–deflection response for either steel, FRP, and hybrid reinforced concrete beams, with an error average less than 10%.
Effects of Carboxyl Functionalized CNT on Electrochemical Behaviour of Polyluminol-CNT Composites
Authors: Bagchi Raunaq , Elshazly Mohamed , N’Diaye Jeanne , Yu Dian , Howe Jane Y. , Lian Keryn
Published: November 2022

The effect of carboxyl groups on the redox activity of polyluminol-carbon nanotube composites was studied. Carboxyl groups were selected due to their known contributions toward surface wettability and pseudocapacitance while often present on naturally derived low-cost porous carbons. Density functional theory (DFT) predicted energetically favoured bonding and a significantly reduced band gap between the luminol and carboxylated graphene relative to that of bare graphene, suggesting improved charge storage for carboxylated carbon substrates. The prediction was validated using bare carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carboxylated CNTs (COOH-CNTs) as the substrates for in situ chemical polymerized luminol (CpLum). Surface morphological studies showed a ca. 1.1 nm thick coating of CpLum on CNT (CpLum/CNT) and a ca. 1.3 nm on COOH-CNT (CpLum/COOH-CNT), while surface chemical analysis revealed ca. 10% nitrogen from CpLum on both CpLum/CNT and CpLum/COOH-CNT. However, with merely 4.4% of COOH functionalization, CpLum/COOH-CNT was able to store more charge (137.1 ± 17.1 C cm−3) relative to CpLum/CNT (86.1 ± 14.1 C cm−3) and had increased charge retention over 5000 cycles. The insights from these studies can be used to engineer the surface of carbons such as CNTs and ACs to improve the interfacial properties for redox active materials and composites.
Epidemiological and Clinical Profile of Pediatric Burns in the COVID-19 Era: The Experience of a Reference Center
Authors: Pelizzo Gloria , Lanfranchi Giulia , Pantaloni Marcello , Camporesi Anna , Tommasi Paola , Durante Eleonora , Costanzo Sara , Canonica Carlotta Maria Paola , Zoia Elena , Zuccotti Gianvincenzo , Ruotolopalmi Valeria , Donzelli Claudia , Tosi Giulia Lina , Calcaterra Valeria
Published: November 2022

Pediatric burns represent a significant public health problem. We analyzed the characteristics of pediatric burns in a reference center, in order to identify better strategies for prevention and care. Burn patients admitted to the pediatric departments of our hospital from January 2020 to June 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. Age, gender, the etiology of injuries, the total burn surface area (TBSA), the degree of burns, the length of hospital stay (LOS), concomitant SARS-CoV-2 infection, and burn surface microbial colonization were analyzed. Forty-seven patients were included in the analysis (M:F = 1:0.67). Most of the cases involved patients between 0 and 4 years of age (83%). Hot liquid burns accounted for 79% of cases, flame burns for 9%, thermal burns for 6%, scald burns for 4% and chemical burns for 2%. Mean TBSA was 14 ± 11%. A second-degree lesion was detected in 79% of patients and third-degree in 21%. Mean LOS was 17 days. No additional infection risks or major sequelae were reported in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Fifteen different species of bacteria plus C. parapsilosis were isolated, while no anaerobic microorganisms were detected. In the light of our experience, we recommend a carefully planned and proactive management strategy, always multidisciplinary, to ensure the best care for the burned child.
Interstitial Lung Disease in Children: “Specific Conditions of Undefined Etiology” Becoming Clearer
Authors: Presti Santiago , Parisi Giuseppe Fabio , Papale Maria , Gitto Eloisa , Manti Sara , Leonardi Salvatore
Published: November 2022

Background: Children’s interstitial lung disease (chILD) is a rare group of pediatric lung diseases affecting the lung interstitium diffusely. In this work, we focused our attention on a specific infant group of chILD, also known as “specific conditions of undefined aetiology”, including pulmonary interstitial glycogenosis (PIG) and neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI). Methods: PubMed was searched to conduct this narrative review. We searched for articles in English using the following keywords: (1) neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy; (2) NEHI; (3) pulmonary interstitial glycogenosis; (4) PIG; (5) chILD. Results: An increasing interest and insight into these two conditions have been reported. The updated literature suggests that it is possible to look at these disorders as a continuum of diseases, rather than two different entities, since they share a pulmonary dysmaturity. Conclusions: NEHI and PIG are featured by dysmaturity of airway development and consequent respiratory distress. Understanding the underlying pathogenic mechanisms would lead to identifying new targeted therapies to ameliorate the mortality and morbidity of these rare conditions.
Design, Synthesis, and Bioactivity of Novel Quinazolinone Scaffolds Containing Pyrazole Carbamide Derivatives as Antifungal Agents
Authors: Lei Zhiwei , Yao Jianmei , Liu Huifang , Bai Xianjin , Gao Xingsi , Pan Qiuyuan , Yang Wen
Published: November 2022

In this study, 32 novel quinazolinone-scaffold-containing pyrazole carbamide derivatives were designed and synthesized in a search for a novel fungicide against Rhizoctonia solani. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of 3-(difluoromethyl)-N-(2-((6,7-difluoro-4-oxoquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)methyl)phenyl)-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide (6a11) confirmed the structure of the target compounds. The in vitro antifungal activity of the target compounds against R. solani was evaluated at 100 µg/mL. The structure–activity relationship analysis results revealed that antifungal activity was highest when the substitution activity was at position 6. Moreover, the position and number of chlorine atoms directly affected the antifungal activity. Further in vitro bioassays revealed that 6a16 (EC50 = 9.06 mg/L) had excellent antifungal activity against R. solani that was higher than that of the commercial fungicide fluconazole (EC50 = 12.29 mg/L) but lower than that of bixafen (EC50 = 0.34 mg/L). Scanning electron microscopy), 7.33 (SEM) revealed that N-(2-((6,8-dichloro-4-oxoquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)methyl)phenyl)-3-(difluoromethyl)-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide (6a16) also affected the mycelial morphology. The findings revealed that molecular hybridization was an effective tool for designing antifungal candidates. Meanwhile, pyrazolecarbamide derivatives bearing a quinazolinone fragment exhibited potential antifungal activity against R. solani.
Utilization Trends of Novel Hormonal Agents in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer in Quebec
Authors: Hu Jason , Aprikian Armen G. , Saleh Ramy R. , Dragomir Alice
Published: November 2022

Background: The introduction of novel hormonal agents (NHAs) such as abiraterone acetate (ABI) and enzalutamide (ENZ) for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) was an important milestone given their survival benefits, tolerability, and ease of administration relative to taxane chemotherapies. This descriptive study sought to describe the utilization trends of ABI and ENZ in patients with mCRPC in the early years after their approval in the province of Quebec in Canada. Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort was extracted from Quebec public healthcare administrative databases. The cohort included first-time users of NHAs (ABI or ENZ) from 2011 to 2016. The primary analyses aimed to describe the overall temporal trends (2011–2016) of NHA initiators by chemotherapy status (chemotherapy-naïve versus post-chemotherapy), and prescribing specialty (medical oncology versus urology versus others). Results: The cohort comprised 2183 patients, with 1562 (72%) in the chemotherapy-naïve group and 621 (28%) in the post-chemotherapy group. While the majority of patients were post-chemotherapy NHA initiators in 2012, this proportion decreased over time and accounted for only 13% of NHA initiators by the end of 2016. Medical oncologists were the most frequent prescribers of NHAs (upwards of 60%) throughout 2012 but fell to 45% by the end of 2016. Conversely, the proportion of prescriptions by urologists increased from 22% in 2012 to 42% in 2016. Conclusion: Over time, there was an increasing proportion of (1) patients who initiated NHAs without prior chemotherapy treatment, (2) NHA prescribing by urologists, and (3) ENZ users. Taken together, this implies that the introduction of NHAs has altered the management of mCRPC and urologists quickly adopted NHAs into their practice.
Trajectory Tracking of UAVs Using Sigmoid Tracking Differentiator and Variable Gain Finite-Time Extended State Observer
Authors: Zhu Wenxing , Wang Lihui , Ren Yuan , Li Yong
Published: November 2022

The problem of quadrotor attitude and position control is considered in the presence of generally lumped disturbances: external disturbances and model uncertainty. The improved active disturbance rejection controller (ADRC) for quadrotor trajectory tracking is proposed for compensating the lumped disturbances. Firstly, the improved sigmoid tracking differentiator (ISTD), combining improved Sigmoid function and sliding mode terminal attractor is proposed, which can accelerate the global convergence rate and effectively reduce the chattering. Secondly, a novel variable gain finite-time extended state observer (VGFESO) approach is proposed to effectively estimate the lumped disturbances, while the observation errors are convergent to zero in finite time. Then, a super-twisting sliding model controller (STWSMC) is utilized for tracking control of the desired position and attitude. Finally, the convergence of VGFESO and the closed-loop stability of the control system are proved. The results show that the convergence time of the proposed control scheme is the shortest, and the integral absolute error of improved ADRC is reduced from 2.64 to 0.91. The anti-disturbance capability of the proposed controller is fully illustrated when compared with ADRC and robust adaptive nonsingular fast terminal sliding-mode controller (RANFTSMC).
Examining the Relationship between Phytoplankton Community Structure and Water Quality Measurements in Agricultural Waters: A Machine Learning Application
Authors: Smith Jaclyn E. , Wolny Jennifer L. , Hill Robert L. , Stocker Matthew D. , Pachepsky Yakov
Published: November 2022

Phytoplankton community composition has been utilized for water quality assessments of various freshwater sources, but studies are lacking on agricultural irrigation ponds. This work evaluated the performance of the random forest algorithm in estimating phytoplankton community structure from in situ water quality measurements at two agricultural ponds. Sampling was performed between 2017 and 2019 and measurements of three phytoplankton groups (green algae, diatoms, and cyanobacteria) and three sets of water quality parameters (physicochemical, organic constituents, and nutrients) were obtained to train and test mathematical models. Models predicting green algae populations had superior performance to the diatom and cyanobacteria models. Spatial models revealed that water in the ponds’ interior sections had lower root mean square errors (RMSEs) compared to nearshore waters. Furthermore, model performance did not change when input datasets were compounded. Models based on physicochemical parameters, which can be obtained in real time, outperformed models based on organic constituent and nutrient parameters. However, the use of nutrient parameters improved model performance when examining cyanobacteria data at the ordinal level. Overall, the random forest algorithm was useful for predicting major phytoplankton taxonomic groups in agricultural irrigation ponds, and this may help resource managers mitigate the use of cyanobacteria bloom-laden waters in agricultural applications.
Purification, Characterization, and Application of Alkaline Protease Enzyme from a Locally Isolated Bacillus cereus Strain
Authors: Ullah Najeeb , Rehman Mujaddad Ur , Sarwar Abid , Nadeem Muhammad , Nelofer Rubina , Shakir Hafiz Abdullah , Irfan Muhammad , Idrees Muhammad , Naz Sumaira , Nabi Ghulam , Shah Sana , Aziz Tariq , Alharbi Metab , Alshammari Abdulrahman , Alqahtani Faleh
Published: November 2022

Among the microbial enzymes protease and amylase are the most valuable enzymes which have been has diversified applications and used extensively because of their capabilities in the degradation of organic wastes, application in biofuels, agricultural, pharmaceuticals, chemical and biotechnological industries. The aim of the current research work was the purification, characterization and application of alkaline proteases extracted from Bacillus cereus AUST-7. Various concentrations of ammonium sulphate were applied for enzyme precipitation. Sephadex-G 100 was used in FPLC system for separation of protease from other proteins. SDS-PAGE was used to measure the molecular weight of required alkaline protease. Relative activities were determined against different pH, temperature, and incubation period to measure the enzymes activity. Stability of pH, temperature and various metal ions and inhibiter were also studied. Purified enzymes were applied on the goat skin to explore the dehairing efficacy. A 6.5 purification fold and 1163.50 U/mg of specific activity were obtained at 70% saturation and 35. 91 purification fold and 8902 U/mg of specific activity were observed after FPLC separation. The 35 kDa molecular size of protease enzyme was exhibited on the SDS-PAGE. The purified enzyme was stable at pH 10, temperature 55 °C and 35 min of incubation period. The purified enzyme was found to be stable at pH 8–11, thermo-stability at 50 °C and phenyl methyl sulphonyl fluoride (PMSF) and di-isopropyl fluorophosphates (DFP) inhibited the enzyme activity. The enzyme has good potential as dehairing agent in leather industries.
Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria Inoculants and Stage-Increased Storage Temperature on Silage Fermentation of Oat on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Authors: Li Lin , Zhao Hongwen , Gou Wenlong , Lu Guangrou , Xiao Bingxue , Chen Chao , Li Ping
Published: November 2022

Ensiling is a simple and effective method of alleviating a shortage of forage for ruminants. This study aimed to investigate the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants and stage-increased temperature on the fermentation characteristics and chemical composition of oat silage on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The silage was treated with local laboratory inoculant (I) and commercial inoculant (S) and stored at ambient temperature (<10 °C) or stage-increased (5, 10 and 15 days) temperatures of 10 °C and 15 °C for 60 days. The results showed that stage-increased storage temperature can improve silage fermentation. Compared with 10 °C, a stage-increased storage temperature of 15 °C effectively (p < 0.05) promoted the fermentation rate of silage by increasing the dominance of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, with higher lactic, acetic and propionic acid contents and a lower ammonia-N ratio of the total N and final pH value. Compared with S, treatment with I increased the water-soluble carbohydrate and lactic acid contents and decreased the ammonia-N ratio of the total N and final pH value. This work demonstrated that increasing the storage temperature in stages using a warming infrastructure facilitates the preservation of oat silage in cold regions, and the inoculation of lactic acid bacteria could advance silage fermentation on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.
Gallic Acid Reactive Extraction with and without 1-Octanol as Phase Modifier: Experimental and Modeling
Authors: Blaga Alexandra Cristina , Dragoi Elena Niculina , Munteanu Raluca Elena , Cascaval Dan , Galaction Anca Irina
Published: November 2022

Gallic acid (GA) is a naturally occurring phenolic acid that can be found in the leaves, roots, flowers, or stems of a wide variety of plant species. It has a broad range of uses in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The objective of this research is to investigate the GA reactive extraction process employing dichloromethane and n-heptane as solvents, 1-octanol as a phase-modifier, and Amberlite LA-2 as an amine extractant dissolved in the organic phase. The separation yield and distribution coefficient data were discussed, along with the analysis of the extraction conditions and the extraction mechanism. Dichloromethane employed as the solvent, 80 g/L Amberlite LA2 used as the extractant, and 10% phase modifier were determined to be the ideal conditions for the reactive extraction onto a biphasic organic-aqueous system. Statistical regression and artificial neural networks (ANNs) established with the differential evolution (DE) algorithm were also used to model and optimize the process.
The Effects of Two-Stage Fermented Feather Meal-Soybean Meal Product on Growth Performance, Blood Biochemistry, and Immunity of Nursery Pigs
Authors: Huang Hsien-Juang , Weng Bor-Chun , Lee Yueh-Sheng , Lin Cheng-Yung , Hsuuw Yan-Der , Chen Kuo-Lung
Published: November 2022

The keratinase-producing microbes can readily change the feather waste into more bioavailable peptides and amino acids. This study aimed to improve two-stage fermented feather meal-soybean meal product (TSFP) quality with five selected Bacillus strains and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y10, as well as investigate the effects of TSFP on growth performance, blood biochemistry, and immunity of nursery pigs. In trial 1, 100 hybrid piglets (Duroc x KHAPS) were randomly assigned to dietary supplementation of 5% fish meal or 5% TSFP prepared with 0, 32, 40, or 48 h in the first-stage fermentation. The results showed that the body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of fermented groups were significantly better than the unfermented group (p < 0.05) at weeks 0 to 3 and 0 to 5. The ADG of 32-hr and 48-hr TSFP groups were better than the unfermented group (p < 0.05) at weeks 3 to 5. In trial 2, 80 hybrid piglets (Duroc × KHAPS) were randomly assigned into 5% fish meal or different supplementation levels of TSFP (32-hr first-stage fermented time) at 0, 2.5, or 5%. The 5% TSFP group had better BW, ADG, FCR, and PEF than the 0% group (p < 0.05) at weeks 0 to 5. Furthermore, the ex vivo mitogen-induced lymphoblastogenesis, the interferon-γ production, the oxidative burst activity, and the IgG production of the 5% TSFP group were higher than the fish meal group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the first-stage fermentation time can be shortened from 48 h to 32 h using selected Bacillus strains in TSFP production when supplemented at 5% of the diet for nursery pigs shows the best growth performance and immunity.
Removal Ability of Bacillus licheniformis on Waxy Cuticle on Wheat Straw Surface
Authors: Luo Yanpeng , Ji Xingxiang , Liang Yi , Tian Zhongjian
Published: November 2022

The outermost surface of wheat straw (WS) is covered with hydrophobic lipophilic extracts and silica, which affects follow-up processes such as impregnation pretreatment of pulping and papermaking. In this study, a strain named Bacillus licheniformis (B. licheniformis) was screened from the black liquor of papermaking, which was used to explore the effect of its treatment on the waxy cuticle of WS. Scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) showed that the B. licheniformis had a certain destructive effect on the outer surface of WS and the content of Si on the outer surface decreased by 80%. The results of FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) displayed that the wax composition on the outer surface of WS decreased and the fiber structure inside appeared. The mechanical properties of paper demonstrated that the treated WS is still feasible in this field and the content of Si in the black liquor is reduced by 33%. Therefore, the WS treated by B. licheniformis can destroy the waxy cuticle on its outer surface and improve the wettability of WS. It provides a new idea to alleviate the “Si interference” problem of alkali recovery in WS traditional pulping and papermaking.
Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Bioplastics and Food Waste under Mesophilic and Thermophilic Conditions: Synergistic Effect and Biodegradation
Authors: Kang Jeong-Hee , Kang Sung-Won , Kim Weon-Jae , Kim Dong-Hoon , Im Seong-Won
Published: November 2022

To mitigate the various problems caused by using conventional plastics, bioplastic (BP) has emerged as a substitute for plastics. BP wastes after use are commonly treated using composting, causing many environmental problems. Anaerobic digestion (AD) has become prominent as an alternative method of producing renewable energy. The aim of this study was to estimate the methane production yield (MPY) of BPs (polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)) with mechanical pretreatment (particle size < 0.5 cm) and investigate the effect of co-digestion of BPs and food waste (FW). Batch experiments were conducted under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions at various mixing ratios (FW/PLA or PHA = 95:5 and 90:10 on a weight basis). During 20 d of digestion at temperatures of 37 and 55 °C, MPYs of PHA were 153.8–172.0 mL CH4/g chemical oxygen demand (COD), but that of PLA was significantly low (<25.6 mL CH4/g COD). Higher MPYs were attained at 55 °C than at 37 °C. The synergistic effects of FW addition on BP AD were observed at both temperatures, especially at 55 °C. By comparing theoretical (based on mono-digestion results) and actual (based on co-digestion results) MPYs, the synergistic effect of FW addition on MPY of co-digestion reached 8.5–26.6% and 12.7–25.5% for PLA- and PHA-fed tests, respectively. The biodegradation rates (on a volatile solids (VS) basis) of PLA and PHA were 6.0–13.7% and 49.1–52.3% and increased by 1.8–4.3 and 1.2–1.5 times in the PLA- and PHA-fed co-digestion tests, respectively. Co-digestion of FW might be a feasible treatment option for BPs combined with simple mechanical pretreatment.
Salmon Skin Acid-Soluble Collagen Produced by A Simplified Recovery Process: Yield, Compositions, and Molecular Characteristics
Authors: Nilsuwan Krisana , Patil Umesh , Tu Chuanhai , Zhang Bin , Benjakul Soottawat
Published: November 2022

Acid-soluble collagen (ASC) is generally extracted by acid solubilization, followed by precipitation and dialysis. Such a process is typically time consuming and tedious, especially for dialysis. A simplified recovery process based on water washing/centrifugation of collagen pellets to replace dialysis was successfully developed. An ASC pellet from salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) skin was obtained by salt precipitation (2.6 M). The pellet was washed with 50 volumes of distilled water (DW) and centrifuged for 0–3 cycles before lyophilization. As the washing cycles augmented, decreases (p < 0.05) in the NaCl content with a coincidental increase (p < 0.05) in the hydroxyproline content were attained. Similar protein patterns between all of the ASC samples, regardless of washing cycles, were noticeable. All of the ASCs were classified as type I collagen. FTIR spectra revealed that ASC possessed a triple helical structure with sufficient washing cycles. ASC washed with DW for three cycles (ASC-3C) was selected and characterized. ASC-3C showed high extraction yield (36.73%) and had high lightness. It exhibited high thermal stability (Tmax = 37 °C) and had an ordered phase structure. Glycine and imino acids were the dominant amino acids in ASC-3C. Therefore, a simplified recovery process could be adopted for ASC production, in which the shorter time was used without adverse effects toward ASC.
Sampling Error and Its Implication for Capture Fisheries Management in Ghana
Authors: Akinyemi Temiloluwa Jesutofunmi , Aheto Denis Worlanyo , Akpalu Wisdom
Published: November 2022

Capture fisheries in developing countries provide significant animal protein and directly supports the livelihoods of several communities. However, the misperception of biophysical dynamics owing to a lack of adequate scientific data has contributed to the suboptimal management in marine capture fisheries. This is because yield and catch potentials are sensitive to the quality of catch and effort data. Yet, studies on fisheries data collection practices in developing countries are hard to find. This study investigates the data collection methods utilized by fisheries technical officers within the four fishing regions of Ghana. We found that the officers employed data collection and sampling procedures which were not consistent with the technical guidelines curated by FAO. For example, 50 instead of 166 landing sites were sampled, while 290 instead of 372 canoes were sampled. We argue that such sampling errors could result in the over-capitalization of capture fish stocks and significant losses in resource rents.
Dental X-ray Identification System Based on Association Rules Extracted by k-Symbol Fractional Haar Functions
Authors: AlSheikh Mona Hmoud , Al-Saidi Nadia M. G. , Ibrahim Rabha W.
Published: November 2022

Several identification approaches have recently been employed in human identification systems for forensic purposes to decrease human efforts and to boost the accuracy of identification. Dental identification systems provide automated matching by searching photographic dental features to retrieve similar models. In this study, the problem of dental image identification was investigated by developing a novel dental identification scheme (DIS) utilizing a fractional wavelet feature extraction technique and rule mining with an Apriori procedure. The proposed approach extracts the most discriminating image features during the mining process to obtain strong association rules (ARs). The proposed approach is divided into two steps. The first stage is feature extraction using a wavelet transform based on a k-symbol fractional Haar filter (k-symbol FHF), while the second stage is the Apriori algorithm of AR mining, which is applied to find the frequent patterns in dental images. Each dental image’s created ARs are saved alongside the image in the rules database for use in the dental identification system’s recognition. The DIS method suggested in this study primarily enhances the Apriori-based dental identification system, which aims to address the drawbacks of dental rule mining.
Properties of Hadamard Fractional Integral and Its Application
Authors: Liu Weiwei , Liu Lishan
Published: November 2022

We begin by introducing some function spaces Lcp(R+),Xcp(J) made up of integrable functions with exponent or power weights defined on infinite intervals, and then we investigate the properties of Mellin convolution operators mapping on these spaces, next, we derive some new boundedness and continuity properties of Hadamard integral operators mapping on Xcp(J) and Xp(J). Based on this, we investigate a class of boundary value problems for Hadamard fractional differential equations with the integral boundary conditions and the disturbance parameters, and obtain uniqueness results for positive solutions to the boundary value problem under some weaker conditions.
Dynamical Analysis of a Novel Fractional-Order Chaotic System Based on Memcapacitor and Meminductor
Authors: Liu Xingce , Mou Jun , Wang Jue , Banerjee Santo , Li Peng
Published: November 2022

In this paper, a chaotic circuit based on a memcapacitor and meminductor is constructed, and its dynamic equation is obtained. Then, the mathematical model is obtained by normalization, and the system is decomposed and summed by an Adomian decomposition method (ADM) algorithm. So as to study the dynamic behavior in detail, not only the equilibrium stability of the system is analyzed, but also the dynamic characteristics are analyzed by means of a Bifurcation diagram and Lyapunov exponents (Les). By analyzing the dynamic behavior of the system, some special phenomena, such as the coexistence of attractor and state transition, are found in the system. In the end, the circuit implementation of the system is implemented on a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) platform. According to the numerical simulation results of the system, it is found that the system has abundant dynamical characteristics.
Silver-Doped TiO2-PDMS Nanocomposite as a Possible Coating for the Preservation of Serena Stone: Searching for Optimal Application Conditions
Authors: Ben Chobba Marwa , Weththimuni Maduka L. , Messaoud Mouna , Bouaziz Jamel , Salhi Rached , De Leo Filomena , Urzì Clara , Licchelli Maurizio
Published: November 2022

The main objective of this research is to determine the optimal application conditions of a newly synthesized multifunctional coating containing Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles when used as a possible protective agent for sandstone. Firstly, Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles with anatase structure, spherical shape and controllable sizes were prepared using the sol–gel method and characterized. The biocidal activity of Ag-doped TiO2 NPs was studied by comparing its performance to pure TiO2 NPs against two representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, under both visible irradiation and in the dark; then, the antimicrobial efficiency of two different concentrations of Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles (0.1–1 mol%) was evaluated against two phototrophic strains commonly isolated from deteriorated surfaces. Results showed that the photoactivation and photokilling activity of TiO2 were highly improved by doping with Ag. Next, prepared nanopowders were dispersed in a binder with different powder/PDMS ratios: (0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 1% w/v TiO2) and then applied in different amounts (2, 3 and 6 g/m2) on Serena stone specimens. Results revealed that the application of 2 g/m2 nanocomposite at powder/binder ratios equal to 1% w/v TiO2 provided a fine hydrophobic character for the stone material with acceptable chromatic variations.
Modeling of P-Loss Risk and Nutrition for Mango (Mangifera indica L.) in Sandy Calcareous Soils: A 4-Years Field Trial for Sustainable P Management
Authors: Wang Jiyue , Elbagory Mohssen , He Yingdui , Zhang Xu , Hui Yongyong , Eissa Mamdouh A. , Ding Zheli , El-Nahrawy Sahar , Omara Alaa El-Dein , Zoghdan Medhat G. , Kheir Ahmed M. S.
Published: November 2022

The continuous addition of phosphorus (P) fertilizers above plant requirements increases P loss risks, especially if such fertilization practices continue long-term. The current study aims to determine the threshold value of P in plants and soil, which achieves the maximum mango fruit yield without P loss risk. P fertilizer doses (0–240 g tree−1) were added to 12-year-old mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv Hindy planted in sandy soil for four consecutive years. Soil and plant samples were collected each year to estimate the critical p values by linear–linear, quadratic, and exponential models. The relationships between fruit yield and available soil P were positive and significant in all the mathematical models. Mango fruit yield is expected to reach its maximum value if the sandy calcareous soil contains an available P amount ranging between 10–12 mg kg−1 and increasing the soil available P above this level leads to negligible increases in the fruit yield. Increasing the available soil P above 20.3 mg kg−1 increases P-loss risk. P concentrations in blades and petioles of mango leaves can be arranged as follows: beginning of the flowering stage > the full blooming stage > beginning of the fruiting stage. The analysis of petioles of mango leaves in the beginning of the flowering stage significantly corelated with mango fruit yield and can be used in predicting the response of mango to P fertilization. The findings of the present investigation revealed that the critical P in mango petioles ranged between 2.34 and 3.53 g kg−1. The threshold of available soil P for maximum fruit yield is half of P loss risks. The combined analysis of soil and plants is a powerful diagnostic tool for P management in sandy degraded soil. The findings of the current study are a good tool in achieving the optimum utilization of P fertilizer resources in maximizing mango fruit yield and reducing the risks of environmental pollution that result from excessive fertilization doses.
Alleviation Mechanism of Melatonin in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under the Salt Stress Conditions
Authors: Dadasoglu Esin , Turan Metin , Ekinci Melek , Argin Sanem , Yildirim Ertan
Published: November 2022

Melatonin (MT) is considered to be a hormone involved in increasing tolerance in plants under stress. The effect of different doses (0, 50, and 100 µM) of MT on the growth, biochemical and physiological properties of chickpea under salt stress was investigated. Salt stress significantly suppressed the growth, leaf relative water content (LRWC), chlorophyll reading value (CRV), chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll. Salinity conditions also caused a decrease in macro- and micronutrients, while electrolyte leakage (EL), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and proline contents, catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities increased under salinity conditions. MT treatments increased plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight, plant height, stem diameter, LRWC, CRV, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, total carotene of chickpea seedlings under 75 and 150 mM NaCl compared to the non-MT treatment. Especially, 100 µM MT treatment under 75 and 150 mM salinity conditions reduced the H2O2 and MDA contents compared to the non-MT-treated plants. Moreover, exogenous MT increased the K+/Na+ and Ca+2/Na+ ratios under salt stress conditions. It could be concluded exogenous MT treatments alleviated the salt stress on chickpea by modulating physiological and biochemical properties. Especially 100 µM MT treatment can be suggested for decreasing the negative influence of salinity on chickpea seedlings.
Experimental and Simulation Study on Coproduction of Hydrogen and Carbon Nanomaterials by Catalytic Decomposition of Methane-Hydrogen Mixtures
Authors: Shelepova Ekaterina V. , Maksimova Tatyana A. , Bauman Yury I. , Mishakov Ilya V. , Vedyagin Aleksey A.
Published: November 2022

Among all hydrocarbons, the methane molecule contains the highest amount of hydrogen with respect to carbon. Therefore, the catalytic decomposition of methane is considered as an efficient approach to produce hydrogen along with nanostructured carbon product. On the other hand, the presence of hydrogen in the composition of the initial gas mixture is required for the stable operation of the catalyst. In present work, the experiments on the catalytic decomposition of methane–hydrogen mixture were performed in a flow-through quartz reactor equipped with McBain balances under atmospheric pressure. The catalyst NiO-CuO/Al2O3 was prepared by the mechanochemical activation technique. The maximum carbon yield of 34.9 g/gcat was obtained after 2 h of experiment at 610 °C. An excess of hydrogen in the reaction mixture provided the long-term activity of the nickel–copper catalyst. The durability tests ongoing for 6 h within a temperature range of 525–600 °C showed no noticeable deactivation of the catalyst. Two kinetic models, D1a and M1a, were proposed for the studied decomposition of the methane–hydrogen mixture over the nickel–copper catalyst. The kinetic constants for these models were determined by means of mathematical modelling.
Exploring Temporal Dynamics of River Discharge Using Univariate Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Recurrent Neural Network at East Branch of Delaware River
Authors: Mehedi Md Abdullah Al , Khosravi Marzieh , Yazdan Munshi Md Shafwat , Shabanian Hanieh
Published: November 2022

River flow prediction is a pivotal task in the field of water resource management during the era of rapid climate change. The highly dynamic and evolving nature of the climatic variables, e.g., precipitation, has a significant impact on the temporal distribution of the river discharge in recent days, making the discharge forecasting even more complicated for diversified water-related issues, e.g., flood prediction and irrigation planning. In order to predict the discharge, various physics-based numerical models are used using numerous hydrologic parameters. Extensive lab-based investigation and calibration are required to reduce the uncertainty involved in those parameters. However, in the age of data-driven predictions, several deep learning algorithms showed satisfactory performance in dealing with sequential data. In this research, Long Short-term Memory (LSTM) neural network regression model is trained using over 80 years of daily data to forecast the discharge time series up to seven days ahead of time. The performance of the model is found satisfactory through the comparison of the predicted data with the observed data, visualization of the distribution of the errors, and R2 value of 0.93 with one day lead time. Higher performance is achieved through the increase in the number of epochs and hyperparameter tuning. This model can be transferred to other locations with proper feature engineering and optimization to perform univariate predictive analysis and potentially be used to perform real-time river discharge prediction.
High-Speed Railway Bridge and Pile Foundation: A Review
Authors: Bachinilla Brian , Evangelista Ana , Siddhpura Milind , Haddad Assed N. , da Costa Bruno B. F.
Published: November 2022

High-speed railway is trending in developing countries for economic reasons, mobility in the aftermath of COVID-19, and environmental concerns. The high-speed railway operators continuously improve the operational speed to transport more passengers in less time. However, increasing the train loads at high speed might increase the dynamic loads of bridges and affect their pile foundation. A stiffer railway bridge is mandatory for high-speed train safety and passenger riding comfort. However, a flexible bridge is ideal for responding to earthquakes. Thus, these two objectives are conflicting. This review paper provides a bibliometric review aiming to determine the published studies by year and by country, and to visualize different research trends in cluster maps using the VOSviewer software, summarizing the published research for high-speed railway bridges starting from 1964. The review also extracted information from the latest studies by summarizing some essential objectives, useful methodologies, and notable findings that might be applicable to future studies. In conclusion, there is a need for further research to fill the knowledge gap in the study related to the soil–structure interaction phenomenon considering the performance-based seismic design of a high-speed railway bridge on a monopile foundation in the event of lateral spreading due to soil liquefaction.
The Added Value of a High CT Coronary Artery Calcium Score in the Management of Patients Presenting with Acute Chest Pain vs. Stable Chest Pain
Authors: Hitter Rafael , Orlev Amir , Amsalem Itshak , Levi Nir , Wolak Talya , Farkash Rivka , Bogot Naama , Glikson Michael , Wolak Arik
Published: November 2022

Background: Contrast computerized tomography (CT) scan is occasionally aborted due to a high coronary artery calcium score (CACS). For the same CACS in our clinical practice, we observed a higher occurrence of severe coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with acute chest pain (ACP) compared to patients with stable chest pain (SCP). Since it is known that ACP differs in many ways from SCP, the aim of this study was to compare the predictive value of a high CACS for the diagnosis of severe CAD between ACP and SCP patients. Methods: This single center observational retrospective study included consecutive patients who underwent cardiac CT for chest pain and were found to have a CACS of >200 Agatston units. Patients were divided into two groups, ACP and SCP. Severe CAD was defined as ≥70% stenosis on coronary CT angiography or invasive coronary angiography. Baseline characteristics and final diagnosis of severe CAD were compared. Results: The cohort included 220 patients, 106 with ACP and 114 with SCP. ACP patients had higher severe CAD rates (60.4% vs. 36.8%; p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis including cardiac risk factors, CACS > 400 au (OR = 2.34 95% CI [1.32–4.15]; p = 0.004) and ACP (OR = 2.54 95% CI [1.45–4.45]; p = 0.001) were independent predictors of severe CAD. The addition of the clinical setting of ACP added significant incremental predictive value for severe stenosis. Conclusion: A high CACS is more associated with severe CAD in patients presenting with ACP than SCP. The findings suggest that the CACS could impact the management of patients during the scan.