bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Partial Oxidation of Methane over CaO Decorated TiO2 Nanocatalyst for Syngas Production in a Fixed Bed Reactor
Authors: Khoja Asif Hussain , Javed Ahad Hussain , Naqvi Salman Raza , Shakir Sehar , Ud Din Israf , Arshad Zafar , Rashid Umer , Qazi Umair Yaqub , Naeem Nida
Published: September 2022

Syngas is a valuable entity for downstream liquid fuel production and chemical industries. The efficient production of syngas via catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CPOM) is an important process. In this study, partial oxidation of methane (POM) was carried out using CaO decorated TiO2 catalysts. The catalysts were synthesized employing the sol-gel method, while the decoration of TiO2 with CaO was achieved in an aqueous solution by wetness impregnation method. The prepared catalysts were characterized by employing XRD, Raman, TG-DTG, and SEM-EDX for structural and morphological analysis. On testing for POM, at 750 °C the catalysts demonstrate excellent CH4 conversion of 83.6 and 79.5% for 2% and 3% CaO loaded TiO2, respectively. While the average H2/CO ratio for both 2% and 3% CaO loaded TiO2, 2.25 and 2.28, respectively, remained slightly above the theoretical value (H2/CO = 2.0) of POM. The improved POM performance is attributed to the optimally loaded CaO on the TiO2 surface that promotes the reaction where TiO2 support ensure less agglomerated particles, resulting into a fine distribution of the active catalytic sites.
Low Temperature Ozonation of Acetone by Transition Metals Derived Catalysts: Activity and Sulfur/Water Resistance
Authors: Liu Peixi , Chen Lichun , Tang Hairong , Shao Jiaming , Lin Fawei , He Yong , Zhu Yanqun , Wang Zhihua
Published: September 2022

Different transition metals (Cr/Fe/Mn/Co) derived catalysts supported on γ-Al2O3 were prepared by the isovolumetric impregnation method for catalytic ozonation of acetone (C3H6O), and their catalytic activities under industrial complex conditions were investigated. Among them, CrOx/γ-Al2O3 catalyst with Cr loading of 1.5%, abbreviated as Cr1.5%, achieved the best activity, benefitting from its larger surface area, larger proportion of Cr6+/Cr, more chemically desorbed oxygen species Oβ, appropriate acidity, and superiority of low-temperature reducibility. Simulated industrial conditions were used to investigate the applicability of Cr1.5% catalysts for catalytic ozonation of acetone. Results illustrated that the optimum temperature range was 120–140 °C, with molar ratio O3/C3H6O > 6. Different C3H6O initial concentrations had less effect over the activity of Cr1.5% catalysts, with little residual ozone, confirming the applicability of Cr1.5% catalysts in industrial application. The effects of sulfur/water vapor on catalytic activity were also investigated, and satisfactory resistance to sulfur or water vapor individually was obtained. Finally, in-situ DRIFTS measurement was carried out, to explore and illustrate mechanisms of acetone catalytic ozonation pathways and sulfur/water poisoning.
A Review of Sulfate Radical-Based and Singlet Oxygen-Based Advanced Oxidation Technologies: Recent Advances and Prospects
Authors: Li Zhendong , Sun Yanmei , Liu Dongfang , Yi Malan , Chang Fang , Li Huiting , Du Yunyi
Published: September 2022

In recent years, advanced oxidation process (AOPs) based on sulfate radical (SO4●−) and singlet oxygen (1O2) has attracted a lot of attention because of its characteristics of rapid reaction, efficient treatment, safety and stability, and easy operation. SO4●− and 1O2 mainly comes from the activation reaction of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) or persulfate (PS), which represent the oxidation reactions involving radicals and non-radicals, respectively. The degradation effects of target pollutants will be different due to the type of oxidant, reaction system, activation methods, operating conditions, and other factors. In this paper, according to the characteristics of PMS and PS, the activation methods and mechanisms in these oxidation processes, respectively dominated by SO4●− and 1O2, are systematically introduced. The research progress of PMS and PS activation for the degradation of organic pollutants in recent years is reviewed, and the existing problems and future research directions are pointed out. It is expected to provide ideas for further research and practical application of advanced oxidation processes dominated by SO4●− and 1O2.
Rational Engineering of 3α-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase/Carbonyl Reductase for a Biomimetic Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Cofactor
Authors: Chen Yan-Liang , Chou Yun-Hao , Hsieh Chia-Lin , Chiou Shean-Jaw , Wang Tzu-Pin , Hwang Chi-Ching
Published: September 2022

Enzymes are powerful biological catalysts for natural substrates but they have low catalytic efficiency for non-natural substrates. Protein engineering can be used to optimize enzymes for catalysis and stability. 3α-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/carbonyl reductase (3α-HSD/CR) catalyzes the oxidoreduction reaction of NAD+ with androsterone. Based on the structure and catalytic mechanism, we mutated the residues of T11, I13, D41, A70, and I112 and they interacted with different portions of NAD+ to switch cofactor specificity to biomimetic cofactor nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN+). Compared to wild-type 3α-HSD/CR, the catalytic efficiency of these mutants for NAD+ decreased significantly except for the T11 mutants but changed slightly for NMN+ except for the A70K mutant. The A70K mutant increased the catalytic efficiency for NMN+ by 8.7-fold, concomitant with a significant decrease in NAD+ by 1.4 × 104-fold, resulting in 9.6 × 104-fold cofactor specificity switch toward NMN+ over NAD+. Meanwhile, the I112K variant increased the thermal stability and changed to a three-state transition from a two-state transition of thermal unfolding of wild-type 3α-HSD/CR by differential scanning fluorimetry. Molecular docking analysis indicated that mutations on these residues affect the position and conformation of the docked NAD+ and NMN+, thereby affecting their activity. A70K variant sterically blocks the binding with NAD+, restores the H-bonding interactions of catalytic residues of Y155 and K159 with NMN+, and enhances the catalytic efficiency for NMN+.
Loss of Homeostatic Microglia Signature in Prion Diseases
Authors: Wang Yue , Hartmann Kristin , Thies Edda , Mohammadi Behnam , Altmeppen Hermann , Sepulveda-Falla Diego , Glatzel Markus , Krasemann Susanne
Published: September 2022

Prion diseases are neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and animals. They are always fatal and, to date, no treatment exists. The hallmark of prion disease pathophysiology is the misfolding of an endogenous protein, the cellular prion protein (PrPC), into its disease-associated isoform PrPSc. Besides the aggregation and deposition of misfolded PrPSc, prion diseases are characterized by spongiform lesions and the activation of astrocytes and microglia. Microglia are the innate immune cells of the brain. Activated microglia and astrocytes represent a common pathological feature in neurodegenerative disorders. The role of activated microglia has already been studied in prion disease mouse models; however, it is still not fully clear how they contribute to disease progression. Moreover, the role of microglia in human prion diseases has not been thoroughly investigated thus far, and specific molecular pathways are still undetermined. Here, we review the current knowledge on the different roles of microglia in prion pathophysiology. We discuss microglia markers that are also dysregulated in other neurodegenerative diseases including microglia homeostasis markers. Data on murine and human brain tissues show that microglia are highly dysregulated in prion diseases. We highlight here that the loss of homeostatic markers may especially stand out.
Could Endogenous Glucocorticoids Influence SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity?
Authors: Hardy Eugenio , Fernandez-Patron Carlos
Published: September 2022

Endogenous glucocorticoids and their synthetic analogues, such as dexamethasone, stimulate receptor-mediated signal transduction mechanisms on target cells. Some of these mechanisms result in beneficial outcomes whereas others are deleterious in the settings of pathogen infections and immunological disorders. Here, we review recent studies by several groups, including our group, showing that glucocorticoids can directly interact with protein components on SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. We postulate an antiviral defence mechanism by which endogenous glucocorticoids (e.g., cortisol produced in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection) can bind to multiple sites on SARS-CoV-2 surface protein, Spike, inducing conformational alterations in Spike subunit 1 (S1) that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 interaction with the host SARS-CoV-2 receptor, ACE2. We suggest that glucocorticoids-mediated inhibition of S1 interaction with ACE2 may, consequently, affect SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. Further, glucocorticoids interactions with Spike could protect against a broad spectrum of coronaviruses and their variants that utilize Spike for infection of the host. These notions may be useful for the design of new antivirals for coronavirus diseases.
Sensitive Determination of Moxifloxacin HCl in Pharmaceuticals or Human Plasma Using Luminescence or Eye Vision
Authors: Khairy Gasser M. , Abd El-Naby Zaitona A. , Elgindy Alaa M. A. , Duerkop Axel , Abdel Hameed Eman A.
Published: September 2022

A new probe based on the complex of 1,2 dihydro-2-oxoquinoloine-4-carboxylic acid (DOCA) as a ligand with Europium (III) ion was developed for the quantitation of Moxifloxacin HCl (Moxi.HCl) in pharmaceuticals and human plasma using a luminescence method. The metal to ligand ratio of the complex is 1:2 as determined by a Job plot. The determination of Moxi.HCl is based on static quenching of the luminescence of the probe upon coordination of Moxi.HCl. The negative value for ΔG proves that this reaction is spontaneous. The calibration curve was constructed based on a Stern–Volmer equation and the quantitation range was 0.05–80 µg mL−1. This is low enough to determine the drug in blood plasma, even hours after administration, which is not feasible with the methods published so far. The LOD was 15 ng mL−1. The accuracy of the method was demonstrated by good recoveries of spiking experiments in tablets, ophthalmic eyedrops and human blood plasma, where the mean recovery was 99% with RSDs below 5%. The method was validated by closely matching concentrations of the drug found in all these real samples by HPLC. Additionally, Moxi.HCl can be assessed semi-quantitatively by eye vision upon excitation with a UV lamp at 365 nm by a gradual color shift from red to blue with increasing concentrations of Moxi.HCl.
The Feasibility and Acceptability of Resilience Coaching for Adolescent Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Single-Arm Pilot Trial
Authors: Gmuca Sabrina , Weiss Pamela F. , McGill Mackenzie , Xiao Rui , Ward Michaela , Nelson Maria , Sherry David D. , Cronholm Peter F. , Gerber Jeffrey S. , Palermo Tonya M. , Young Jami F. , Rosenberg Abby R.
Published: September 2022

Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM) is a well-established resilience coaching program for youth with chronic illness. It is a one-on-one intervention targeting skills in stress management, goal-setting, cognitive reframing, and meaning-making. We aimed to (i) assess the feasibility and acceptability of PRISM and (ii) explore PRISM’s impact on clinical outcomes among youth with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP). This was a single-arm pilot trial of PRISM for youth with CMP aged 12–17 years. Patients completed patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) pre- and post- intervention; patients and caregivers provided qualitative feedback. Twenty-seven patients were enrolled (63% enrollment rate); 82% percent were female. The patients’ median age was 16 years (IQR: 13–16). The intervention completion rate was 81% (n = 22). The mean satisfaction for PRISM overall was 4.3 (SD 0.9), while the mean acceptability of the intervention measure (AIM) was 4.4 (SD 0.89). Participants reported improved resilience (2.2 [SD 5.1]), functional disability (−3.5 [IQR: −6.0, 1.0]), and psychological distress (−1.0 [−5.0, 2.0]) from baseline to immediately post-treatment; pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and global health were similar at both time points. Feedback was positive and suggested that a group component may be helpful. PRISM is feasible and acceptable among youth with CMP. Exploratory analyses suggest improvements in clinically relevant outcomes, warranting further investigation.
The Effects of Rudeness on NICU Medical Teams Studied by a New Tool for the Assessment of Decision-Making Group Dynamics
Authors: Riskin Yarden , Riskin Arieh , Zaitoon Hussein , Habib Clair , Blanche Einav , Gover Ayala , Mintz Alex
Published: September 2022

Background: Group decision-making can be placed on a continuum of group dynamics, between Groupthink and Polythink. Objective: To present a new assessment tool for the characterization of medical teams’ decision-making group dynamics, and test it to study the effects of exposure to rudeness on various types of group dynamics. Methods: Three judges who watched videotapes of critical care simulations evaluated 24 neonatal intensive care unit teams’ decision-making processes. Teams were rated using the new assessment tool, especially designed for this quantitative study, based on items adapted from symptoms of Polythink and Groupthink. Results: Measures of reliability, inter-rater agreement and internal consistency, were reasonably good. Confirmatory factor analysis refined the tool and verified that the symptoms in each category (Polythink or Groupthink) of the refined 14 items’ assessment tool were indeed measures of the construct. The average General Score was in the range of the balanced dynamic on the continuum, and without tendency towards one of the extremities (Groupthink or Polythink). No significant effect of exposure to rudeness on group dynamics was found. Conclusions: This is a first attempt at using quantitative methods to evaluate decision-making group dynamics in medicine, by adapting symptoms of Groupthink and Polythink as items in a structured assessment tool. It suggests a new approach to understanding decision-making processes of medical teams. The assessment tool seems to be a promising, feasible and reasonably reliable research tool to be further studied in medicine and other disciplines engaged in decision-making.
SYT1-Associated Neurodevelopmental Disorder: A Narrative Review
Authors: Riggs Edith , Shakkour Zaynab , Anderson Christopher L. , Carney Paul R.
Published: September 2022

Synaptic dysregulations often result in damaging effects on the central nervous system, resulting in a wide range of brain and neurodevelopment disorders that are caused by mutations disrupting synaptic proteins. SYT1, an identified synaptotagmin protein, plays an essential role in mediating the release of calcium-triggered neurotransmitters (NT) involved in regular synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Considering the significant role of SYT1 in the physiology of synaptic neurotransmission, dysfunction and degeneration of this protein can result in a severe neurological impairment. Genetic variants lead to a newly discovered rare disorder, known as SYT1-associated neurodevelopment disorder. In this review, we will discuss in depth the function of SYT1 in synapse and the underlying molecular mechanisms. We will highlight the genetic basis of SYT1-associated neurodevelopmental disorder along with known phenotypes, with possible interventions and direction of research.
Maternal Emotional Intelligence and the Provision of Child Motor Affordances
Authors: Valadi Saeed , Gabbard Carl , Sadrolsadati Saeedeh Sadat , Elyasi Marzieh
Published: September 2022

Background: Mothers are not only the axis of an ecological subsystem for their children but are also capable of creating a significant emotional and psychological environment through constant and direct interaction. This leads to interactions and emotional connections with the children, supportive behaviors, and a long-term commitment to their upbringing and development. Aims: This study examined the relationship between maternal emotional intelligence (EI) and demographics on the availability of motor affordances in the home environment that are conducive to their child’s motor development. Methods: Mothers (N = 451) and homes of children aged 18–42 months were assessed using the Persian version of Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development-Self-Report (AHEMD-SR) and the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. In addition, mothers’ physical activity (PA) experience and demographic data were collected. Results: Analyses indicated significant correlations between mothers’ education, level of PA, and income with EI and motor affordances. Conclusions: EI, PA experience, and select mother demographics were important to the availability of motor affordances in the home. One could also speculate, based on previous research, that such provision may affect the future motor development of the child. Future research should include a younger and more diverse population.
Analysis of the Physical-Mechanical Properties of the Zinc Phosphate Layer Deposited on a Nodular Cast Iron Substrate
Authors: Nejneru Carmen , Burduhos-Nergis Diana-Petronela , Axinte Mihai , Perju Manuela Cristina , Bejinariu Costica
Published: September 2022

The rotors of submersible wastewater pumps, generally made of nodular graphite cast iron, are subjected to complex processes of corrosive erosion during operation. To improve the characteristics of erosion resistance by impact with solid particles in the corrosive environment of wastewater, cast iron was subjected to a chemical phosphating treatment. In the paper, the scratch test behaviour of nodular cast iron and phosphate nodular cast iron is analysed comparatively, studying the behaviour of the deposited layer and its adhesion to the substrate. The nanoindentation characteristics of nodular cast iron and phosphate nodular cast iron were also studied. It was observed that the deposited layer is not compact, but when pressed, it does not crack and does not detach from the substrate; it is impregnated in the substrate in the metal matrix, but not on the area with carbon nodules. The SEM micrographs show that the deposited phosphate layer is relatively porous and can change the behaviour of the liquid flow moving on the surface of the rotor due to its hydrophilic behaviour; this also allows the formation of a boundary layer that adheres to the surface of the rotor and protects it from the impacts of microparticles driven by the liquid stream.
Theoretical Investigation on the Selective Hydroxyl Radical–Induced Decolorization of Methylene-Blue-Dyed Polymer Films
Authors: Temeeprasertkij Pasika , Iwaoka Michio , Iwamori Satoru
Published: September 2022

On the basis of the decolorization caused by the reaction of active oxygen species (AOSs) with methylene blue (MB), our group recently developed colorimetric indicators for hydroxyl radical (OH radical) by embedding MB in polymer thin films made of water-soluble pullulan or sodium alginate. In the present work, to elucidate the reason for the selective decolorization induced by the OH radical compared with other AOSs, such as ozone (O3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), density-functional-theory calculations were performed at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level for these AOSs and MB and its complexes with pullulan or sodium alginate model molecules. A frontier orbital analysis revealed that the π orbital of MB tends to delocalize on the whole molecule upon complexing with pullulan and sodium alginate, while the energy level is lower than the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels of O3 and H2O2 but higher than the singly occupied molecular orbital level of the OH radical. The results support the observation that only the OH radical, as the strongest oxidant, can react with MB in the polymer matrices. The selective decolorization of MB-dyed polymer films by the OH radical is due to not only the steric hindrance in the polymer matrix but also the perturbation of the π orbital of MB through the interaction with the polymer molecules.
Effects of Quenching Medium on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of High Chromium Cast Iron
Authors: Li Yi , Zhu Peng-Xiao , Tang Cai , Sun Zhi
Published: September 2022

The cooling properties of different cooling mediums were studied and heat treatment of high chromium cast iron was carried out by different cooling mediums. The results showed that the maximum cooling rate, cooling rate at 300 °C and the quenching liquid cooling capacity of water at 20 °C was 193.6 °C/s, 88.6 °C/s and 2431.1, respectively. With the increase in PAG concentration, the maximum cooling rate and the cooling rate at 300 °C of the coolant decreased. The microstructure of high chromium cast iron treated by water cooling, 10% PAG coolant and 20% coolant was white carbide + tempered martensite + retained austenite, and its impact toughness and fracture toughness were gradually improved. The water-cooled high chromium cast iron had the highest Rockwell hardness of 66.2 HRC, good wear resistance of 0.6103 g and the greatest friction coefficient of 0.4233, the high chromium cast iron treated with 10% PAG had the best wear resistance of 0.5715 and the lowest friction coefficient 0.4182, the high chromium cast iron treated with 20% PAG had the lowest Rockwell hardness 58.1 HRC and the worst wear resistance 0.8213 g.
Enhanced Broadband Metamaterial Absorber Using Plasmonic Nanorods and Muti-Dielectric Layers Based on ZnO Substrate in the Frequency Range from 100 GHz to 1000 GHz
Authors: Emara Ahmed , Yousef Amr , ElZein Basma , Jabbour Ghassan , Elrashidi Ali
Published: September 2022

A broadband thin film plasmonic metamaterial absorber nanostructure that operates in the frequency range from 100 GHz to 1000 GHz is introduced and analyzed in this paper. The structure consists of three layers: a 200 nm thick gold layer that represents the ground plate (back reflector), a dielectric substrate, and an array of metallic nanorods. A parametric study is conducted to optimize the structure based on its absorption property using different materials, gold (Au), aluminum (Al), and combined Au, and Al for the nanorods. The effect of different dielectric substrates on the absorption is examined using silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and a combination of these three materials. This was followed by the analysis of the effect of the distribution of Al, and Au nanorods and their dimensions on the absorption. The zinc oxide (ZnO) layer is added as a substrate on top of the Au layer to enhance the absorption in the microwave range. The optimized structure achieved more than 80% absorption in the ranges 100–280 GHz, 530–740 GHz and 800–1000 GHz. The minimum optimized absorption is more than 65% in the range 100 GHz to 1000 GHz.
Cocrystals and Drug–Drug Cocrystals of Anticancer Drugs: A Perception towards Screening Techniques, Preparation, and Enhancement of Drug Properties
Authors: Kara Divya Dhatri , Rathnanand Mahalaxmi
Published: September 2022

The most favored approach for drug administration is the oral route. Several anticancer drugs come under this category and mostly lack solubility and oral bioavailability, which are the most common causes of inadequate clinical efficiency. Enhancing oral absorption of anticancer drugs with low aqueous solubility and drug impermeability is currently an effective area of research. Many scientists have looked into pharmaceutical cocrystals as a way to improve the physicochemical properties of several anticancer drugs. Benefits of pharmaceutical cocrystals over other solid forms may include improved solubility, bioavailability, and a reduced susceptibility for phase transition. Cocrystal strategy also stands as a green synthesis tool by using very limited organic solvents during its formulation. Having so many advantages, to date, the reported cocrystals and drug–drug cocrystals of anticancer drugs are limited. Here we review the pharmaceutical cocrystals and drug–drug cocrystals of the anticancer drugs reported in the last decade and their future in imaging, and also shed light on the opportunities and challenges for the development of anticancer drug cocrystals.
Correction: Go et al. Diagnostic Accuracy of Biomarkers for Early-Onset Neonatal Bacterial Infections: Evaluation of Serum Procalcitonin Reference Curves. Diagnostics 2020, 10, 839
Authors: Go Hidetoshi , Nagano Nobuhiko , Katayama Daichi , Akimoto Takuya , Imaizumi Takayuki , Aoki Ryoji , Hijikata Midori , Seimiya Ayako , Kato Ryota , Okahashi Aya , Morioka Ichiro
Published: September 2022

In the original publication [...]
Assessing Putative Markers of Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells: From Colonoscopy to Gene Expression Profiling
Authors: Harbiyeli Irina Florina Cherciu , Burtea Daniela Elena , Ivan Elena Tatiana , Streață Ioana , Nicoli Elena Raluca , Uscatu Daniel , Șerbănescu Mircea-Sebastian , Ioana Mihai , Vilmann Peter , Săftoiu Adrian
Published: September 2022

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are proposed to be involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation, growth, and metastasis. The aim of our pilot study was to assess possible correlations between the clinicopathological characteristics of CRC patients and CSCs gene expression patterns, in order to provide insight into new methods for patient stratification and targeted therapeutic strategies. Our study involved 60 CRC patients, and the following three specific CSC genes were targeted: PROM1/CD133, ALCAM/CD166 and HCAM /CD44. Data are presented as relative mRNA expression of target genes to GAPDH. The expression of total CD133 and CD166 was assessed in paired samples of CRC tumors and adjacent tissue, while CD44 was assessed in similar samples. The qRT-PCR analysis detected all three targeted genes to different extents, in both normal and tumor tissue. In nine cases (15.69%), total CD133 had a higher expression in tumor tissue, whilst in 28 cases (47.06%) the expression was higher in non-malignant peritumor tissue. The total CD166 expression was increased in tumor tissue compared with paired non-invaded peritumor samples in eight cases (13.73%), whilst in eight cases (13.73%) the expression was higher in non-malignant peritumor tissue. Total CD44 expression was higher in tumor tissue compared with paired non-invaded peritumor samples in 47 cases (78.95%). In the remaining cases the difference between paired samples was biologically insignificant. In conclusion, our study suggests that qRT-PCR is feasible in assessing the gene expression profiles of CSCs from CRC, and a promising pathway to be followed for determining how often a person needs screening by colonoscopy and at which age to start. This could improve CRC diagnosis and early patient stratification, and open the way for new oncologic treatment development.
Assessment of Biochemical Parameters of the Oral Fluid before and after Using Office Teeth Whitening Systems
Authors: Ryskina Elena A. , Gilmiyarova Frida N. , Magsumova Oksana A. , Postnikov Mikhail A. , Lobaeva Tatiana A. , Zhdanov Dmitry D.
Published: September 2022

One of the most important functions of the oral fluid is to maintain oral homeostasis. In-office teeth whitening systems are able to change the mineral metabolism and the activity of a number of enzymes in the oral fluid, but there are conflicting data in publications about this. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of Opalescense Boost, ZOOM Advance POWER, and ZOOM Phillips White Speed, which contain different percentages of hydrogen peroxide, on the performance of oral fluid. After the procedure of whitening teeth with the studied in-office systems, the concentration of calcium in the oral fluid increased, and the activity of alkaline phosphatase decreased. Calcium levels returned to baseline values after 30 days, and alkaline phosphatase activity returned after 14 days. There was no significant difference in the changes in calcium concentration and alkaline phosphatase activity between different tooth whitening systems. Chemical teeth whitening with the Opalescense Boost system caused the largest change in the activity of superoxide dismutase in the oral fluid compared to the ZOOM Advance POWER and ZOOM Phillips White Speed photocatalytic teeth whitening systems. An increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase by +75.5% was shown immediately after the procedure of teeth whitening with the Opalescense Boost system, which indicated an increase in the power of antioxidant defense mechanisms. To assess the effectiveness and safety of using various whitening systems, it is possible to study the dynamics of the activity of superoxide dismutase, which reflects the processes of antioxidant protection of the oral cavity.
Disentanglement Dynamics in Nonequilibrium Environments
Authors: Chen Mingli , Chen Haonan , Han Tao , Cai Xiangji
Published: September 2022

We theoretically study the non-Markovian disentanglement dynamics of a two-qubit system coupled to nonequilibrium environments with nonstationary and non-Markovian random telegraph noise statistical properties. The reduced density matrix of the two-qubit system can be expressed as the Kraus representation in terms of the tensor products of the single qubit Kraus operators. We derive the relation between the entanglement and nonlocality of the two-qubit system which are both closely associated with the decoherence function. We identify the threshold values of the decoherence function to ensure the existences of the concurrence and nonlocal quantum correlations for an arbitrary evolution time when the two-qubit system is initially prepared in the composite Bell states and the Werner states, respectively. It is shown that the environmental nonequilibrium feature can suppress the disentanglement dynamics and reduce the entanglement revivals in non-Markovian dynamics regime. In addition, the environmental nonequilibrium feature can enhance the nonlocality of the two-qubit system. Moreover, the entanglement sudden death and rebirth phenomena and the transition between quantum and classical nonlocalities closely depend on the parameters of the initial states and the environmental parameters in nonequilibrium environments.
The Enhancement in Optical Characteristics of Nano-Antenna Arrays through Addition of Inverse Active Core–Shell Nanoparticles in the Array Element
Authors: Hayat Qaisar , Geng Junping , Ren Chaofan , Zhou Han , Wang Kun , Rahman Atta Ur , Yang Silei , Lu Jingzheng , Liang Xianling , He Chong , Jin Ronghong
Published: September 2022

We demonstrate analytically the technique and arrangement of nanoparticle antenna arrays with the enhancement of optical characteristics at an optical frequency regime. The optical characteristics of the array are enhanced by introducing an inverse active spherical coated nanoparticle (I-CNP). This inverse active spherical coated nanoparticle is designed and combined with already demonstrated active CNPs. Consequently, three types of active CNPs and their inverse-based plasmonic nano-antenna array configurations have been designed and studied: two CNP configurations, two inverse CNP (I-CNP) configurations and a CNP with an I-CNP configuration in the presence of passive elements. Detailed near-field analysis contains an E-field, radiated power, scattering and absorption examination, whereas far-field analysis includes gain and pattern investigation. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation results in CST depict the benefits of a CNP with an I-CNP array configuration in the presence of passive elements over the other two in terms of both near-field and far-field characteristics, at closer inter-element distances because of coupling avoidance with possession of a dipolar pattern.
An Adaptive Group of Density Outlier Removal Filter: Snow Particle Removal from LiDAR Data
Authors: Le Minh-Hai , Cheng Ching-Hwa , Liu Don-Gey , Nguyen Thanh-Tuan
Published: September 2022

Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) is an important technology integrated into self-driving cars to enhance the reliability of these systems. Even with some advantages over cameras, it is still limited under extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain, fog, or snow. Traditional methods such as Radius Outlier Removal (ROR) and Statistical Outlier Removal (SOR) are limited in their ability to detect snow points in LiDAR point clouds. This paper proposes an Adaptive Group of Density Outlier Removal (AGDOR) filter that can remove snow particles more effectively in raw LiDAR point clouds, with verification on the Winter Adverse Driving Dataset (WADS). In our proposed method, an intensity threshold combined with a proposed outlier removal filter was employed. Outstanding performance was obtained, with higher accuracy up to 96% and processing speed of 0.51 s per frame in our result. In particular, our filter outperforms the state-of-the-art filter by achieving a 16.32% higher Precision at the same accuracy. However, our method archive is lower in recall than the state-of-the-art method. This clearly indicates that AGDOR retains a significant amount of object points from LiDAR. The results suggest that our filter would be useful for snow removal under harsh weathers for autonomous driving systems.
Performance Evaluation of Stateful Firewall-Enabled SDN with Flow-Based Scheduling for Distributed Controllers
Authors: P. Senthil , Kavin Balasubramanian Prabhu , Srividhya S. R. , V. Ramachandran , C. Kavitha , Lai Wen-Cheng
Published: September 2022

Software-defined networking (SDN) is a network approach achieved by decoupling of the control and data planes. The control plane is logically centralized and the data plane is distributed across the network elements. The real-time network is in need of the incorporation of distributed controllers to maintain distributed state information of the traffic flows. Software-based solutions aid distributed SDN controllers to handle fluctuating network traffic and the controller’s configurations are dynamically programmed in real time. In this study, SDN controllers were programmed with a stateful firewall application to provide firewall functionalities without the support of committed hardware. A stateful firewall filtered traffic based on the complete context of incoming packets; it continuously evaluated the entire context of traffic flows, looking for network entry rather than specific traffic flows. In addition, a flow-based scheduling module was implemented in the distributed controllers to improve network scalability. A network cluster was configured with three distributed controllers and we experimented with three independent network topologies. The performance of the proposed network model was evaluated by measuring and analyzing metrics such as network throughput (kbps), delay (ms) and network overhead (pkt/ms) for various combinations of controllers and topologies. The results of the analysis were determined using the mininet emulator. The findings of the performance evaluation indicate that the distributed SDN controllers performs better than a centralized controller. When comparing distributed SDN with two controllers and distributed SDN with three controllers the overall network throughput is increased by 64%, the delay is decreased by 43% and network overhead is reduced by 39%.
Understanding Frailty: Probabilistic Causality between Components and Their Relationship with Death through a Bayesian Network and Evidence Propagation
Authors: Ramírez-Aldana Ricardo , Gomez-Verjan Juan Carlos , García-Peña Carmen , Gutiérrez-Robledo Luis Miguel , Parra-Rodríguez Lorena
Published: September 2022

Identifying relationships between components of an index helps to gain a better understanding of the condition they define. The Frailty Index (FI) measures the global health of individuals and can be used to predict outcomes as mortality. Previously, we modelled the relationship between the FI components (deficits) and death through an undirected graphical model and a social network analysis framework. Here, we model the FI components and death through an averaged Bayesian network obtained through a structural learning process and resampling, in order to understand how the FI components and death are causally related. We identified that components are not similarly related between them and that deficits are related according to their type. Two deficits were the most relevant in terms of their connections, and two others were directly associated with death. We obtained the strength of the relationships in order to identify the most plausible, identifying clusters of deficits. Finally, we propagated evidence and studied how FI components predict mortality, obtaining a correct assignation of almost 74% and a true positive rate (TPR) of 56%. Values were obtained after changing the model threshold (via Youden’s Index maximization) whose possible values are represented in a Receiving Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve (TPR vs. 1-True Negative Rate). The greater number of deficits included for the evidence, the best performances; nevertheless, the FI does not seem to be quite efficient to correctly differentiate between dead and living people.
Does the Volatility of Oil Price Affect the Structure of Employment? The Role of Exchange Rate Regime and Energy Import Dependency
Authors: Adamczyk Piotr
Published: September 2022

The volatility of oil price as a key energy resource for modern economies has a significant impact on the macroeconomic situation. In addition to affecting aggregated production, consumption, employment and inflation, oil shocks can affect the economy in a more nuanced way. One consequence of the turmoil in the oil market may be a shift in the employment structure between the tradable and non-tradable sectors, which we investigate in this paper. The aim of this study is to test how oil price volatility affects the structure of employment in Central and Eastern European countries. Our main hypothesis is that oil price volatility causes a temporal employment reallocation between tradable and non-tradable sectors. To verify this assumption, we created Interacted Panel VAR (IPVAR), which showed that the shocks of oil price volatility affect the employment structure and this impact is conditioned by the level of dependence on energy imports and the exchange rate regime. The constructed impulse response functions showed that, in general, oil price volatility causes a temporal fall in relative employment in the manufacturing (tradable) sector. For periods of an above-average import of energy, the exchange rate regime does not matter for the response of the structure of employment. Inversely, when countries are less dependent on imports of energy, the exchange rate regime matters for shock absorption—for floats, oil price shocks cause a temporal fall in relative employment in manufacturing, whereas for pegs, there is a slight relative increase in employment in manufacturing.
Research Progress on Recoil Analysis and Control Technology of Deepwater Drilling Risers
Authors: Wang Yanbin , Luan Tian , Gao Deli , Wang Jinduo
Published: September 2022

The deepwater drilling riser is a very important and vulnerable connection between an offshore platform and subsea wellhead. Under some certain complex marine environment and operating conditions, the offshore platform may drift beyond the safe limitations or be driven away rapidly. In order to protect the safety of the platform, personnel and equipment, it is necessary to implement the emergency disconnection of the drilling riser. Since the riser is stretched under a normal connection, the riser will perform a recoil response under the combined effect of elastic potential energy and drilling fluid (mud) discharge frictional resistance after the emergency disconnection. There are complex mechanical mechanisms, influencing factors and difficult safety control problems in the recoil control process. Therefore, effectively controlling the recoil response of the deepwater drilling riser after emergency release has become one of the technical difficulties faced by deepwater drilling. The drilling mud discharge frictional resistance and tensioning force are important factors affecting the recoil response. It is necessary to develop a more general dynamic recoil model for the riser that considers the actual conditions of drilling mud discharge, floating platform motion and nonlinear tensioner factors. This paper introduces the research progress on the recoil analysis and control technology of the deepwater drilling riser, including the discharge, mechanical analysis model, the top tensioner system and control method of the recoil response, which provides a reference for future research on recoil response analyses and design of deepwater drilling risers.
Method and a Device for Testing the Friction Force in Precision Pairs of Injection Apparatus of the Self-Ignition Engines
Authors: Monieta Jan
Published: September 2022

This article reviews the state of the knowledge and technology in the field of friction-loss measurements in internal combustion piston engines. The dependencies that describe the loss of energy in combustion engines and injection apparatus are presented. Currently, very little can be found in the literature on the study of frictional forces in injection apparatus, but mainly in the piston–cylinder group, so this work significantly fills that gap. The aim of this article is to construct a device and to develop a method for assessing the technical state of injector nozzles to minimize friction losses in internal combustion engines at the stages of evaluation, design, production and operation. This article presents a stand for determining the maximum friction forces due to gravity loading by water-jet control. This article also presents test results on the maximum friction force between a needle and a body of injector nozzles in piston combustion engines on a designed and purpose-built stand outside of the combustion engine. Various designs and injector nozzles are made from various types of alloy steel for marine and automotive piston internal combustion engines fueled with distillation or residual fuels, and are tested. The research concerned conventional elements for the injection apparatus as well as electronically controlled subsystems. Precision pairs of injection equipment are selected for the tests: new ones are employed after the storage period and operated in natural conditions. The elements dismantled from the internal combustion engines are tested in the presence of fuel or calibration oil of similar properties. The maximum static frictional forces under the hydrostatic loading are measured, alongside the parameters for the dynamic movement of the nozzle needles from bodies of the injector nozzle as time, speed, acceleration and dynamic force. The influence of the angular position of the needle in relation to the bodies of the precision pairs conventional internal combustion engines, the diametral clearance between the nozzle body and needle, and the surface conditions on the values of the maximum friction force are also presented. Errors in shape and position result in the uniqueness of the friction force at the mutual angular position of the needle in relation to the nozzle body, and the decrease in diametral clearance and deterioration of the surface state increase the friction losses. A model was elaborated of the influence of various factors on the value of the maximum friction force.
Assessment of Energy Efficiency Measures in Food Cold Supply Chains: A Dairy Industry Case Study
Authors: Marchi Beatrice , Bettoni Laura , Zanoni Simone
Published: September 2022

The quality of human nutrition has acquired significant improvements thanks to the opportunity to store food in suitable temperature conditions. Refrigeration has allowed the slowing of chemical and biological degradation and hence the waste of foodstuff, but at the same time increases energy consumption. These effects impact the environment and the sustainability performance of the cold chain, and drive consumers’ choices. The stakeholders of the chain are, therefore, constantly looking for improvement actions to reduce environmental impacts. This paper aims to provide a methodology for prioritizing and assessing the energy efficiency measures for cold chains in terms of quality losses and specific energy consumption, distinguishing between technological, maintenance, and managerial opportunities. This analysis is based on the cold supply chain tool, developed under the H2020 project ICCEE (“Improving Cold Chain Energy Efficiency”) which focuses on a holistic approach, not looking only at the individual stages of the cold chain. Furthermore, an economic evaluation has been proposed considering cost savings and the investment needed.
Electric Mobility Emission Reduction Policies: A Multi-Objective Optimization Assessment Approach
Authors: Soukhov Anastasia , Foda Ahmed , Mohamed Moataz
Published: September 2022

The passenger transportation sector is notoriously sticky to decarbonize because it is interlinked with urban form, individual choice, and economic growth. As the urgency to respond to climate change increases and the transport sector disproportionally increases its contributions to global GHG emissions, there is a need for a more meaningful and transparent application of tools to cost GHG emission reduction. This study presents a multi-objective integer optimization (MIO) model to support the costing and GHG reduction estimation of electric mobility road passenger transportation policies. The model considers both cost and GHG emission minimization under resource constraints and background changes in policy interventions within interval ranges for the province of Ontario’s (Canada) in year 2030. All Pareto optimal solutions are included but results that indicate the optimal policy allocation for two discrete targets are discussed in detail; one scenario where $3 billion spending over ten years is the target and another scenario where the target is 40% GHG reduction in year 2030 (relative to 2005 levels). The MIO approach offers an out-of-the-box solution to support the GHG-reducing decision-making process at all levels of government by implementing optimal policy combinations to achieve GHG emission reductions under a target GHG emission reduction target and/or budget.
Intensification of Bioethanol Production from Different Lignocellulosic Biomasses, Induced by Various Pretreatment Methods: An Updated Review
Authors: El Hage Maria , Rajha Hiba N. , Maache-Rezzoug Zoulikha , Koubaa Mohamed , Louka Nicolas
Published: September 2022

While world energy demand has certainly decreased with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the need has been significantly on the rise since 2021, all as the world’s fossil fuel resources are depleting; it is widely accepted that these resources emit greenhouse gases (GHG), which are the leading cause for the climate crisis. The main contributors to global warming are manufacturing, energy, and agriculture. The agricultural sector is composed of diversified and potential mobilizable sources of waste which can become an attractive alternative to fossil fuels for energy production, and thus sequester and use carbon. Therefore, a paradigm shift towards more sustainable energy alternatives, efficient waste management, and new technologies is necessary. One good solution is the energetic valorization of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) which can also originate from agricultural wastes. The biomass consists of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, which are sources of fermentable sugars that can be used for bioethanol production. However, the recovery of sugars requires the pretreatment of LCB before enzymatic hydrolysis, due to its inaccessible molecular structure. Different pretreatment technologies, including acid and alkaline pretreatments for selected biomasses (such as hemp, rice straw, corn straw, sugarcane bagasse, and wheat straw) are discussed and compared. Therefore, this review highlights the potential of agricultural waste as a renewable resource for energy production.