bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Thermal Model for Processing Data from Undergarment Sensors in Automatic Control of Actively Heated Clothing
Authors: Tylman Wojciech , Kotas Rafał , Kamiński Marek , Woźniak Sebastian , Dąbrowska Anna
Published: December 2021

Despite its recent growth in popularity, actively heated clothing still lacks the ability to cope with demanding user scenarios. As many of these deficiencies stem from an absence of automatic control, the authors propose a novel approach using a set of sensors embedded in the clothing to provide data about thermal comfort. Available sensors suffer from a lack of accuracy, as for practical reasons, they cannot be attached to the skin, whose temperature is usually used as a comfort indicator. To determine the magnitude of the problem, the authors conducted experiments, and a thermal model was proposed based on experimental findings; the output from the model was compared with the experimental reference data for three different upper body undergarments. The overall accuracy was found to be good: in most cases, the difference between the computed and reference skin temperatures did not exceed 0.5 °C. Furthermore, the model does not rely on unrealistic assumptions regarding the availability of parameters or measurement data. Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to create a thermal model that, when used for input data processing, allows undergarment temperature to be converted to skin temperature, allowing for automatic control of heating insets.
Digitalization of Work and Human Resources Processes as a Way to Create a Sustainable and Ethical Organization
Authors: Kuzior Aleksandra , Kettler Karolina , Rąb Łukasz
Published: December 2021

Remote and hybrid working models and accelerated digitalization of the human resources processes were introduced in most organizations worldwide as a consequence of the COVD-19 pandemic. This digital revolution at the workplace was forced by extraordinary circumstances, thus its impact had not been anticipated before. This motivated the authors to study the new work reality. The research was based on a hypothesis that the digitalization of work and the human resources processes, approaches organizations to the sustainable development ideal. Sustainability is here understood as maintaining a balance between economic, environmental, and social factors. The authors analyzed the impact between the digital processes and the way of working on the following areas: CO2 emissions, creating plastic waste, saving energy, creating a gender-diverse and inclusive workplace. To verify the hypothesis, the authors used their own original and desk research. The original research was conducted within a Berlin-based tech startup between March 2020 and August 2021. Additionally, the authors ran surveys among international startups and scale-ups. Based on their findings the authors concluded that there can be a positive correlation between digitalization and increased organizational sustainability. This result is significant not only for the human resources specialists but can indicate a direction for a general business strategy.
Advanced Wastewater Treatment and Biomass Energy
Authors: Cydzik-Kwiatkowska Agnieszka
Published: December 2021

This Special Issue titled “Advanced Wastewater Treatment and Biomass Energy” aims to compile the latest research and challenges in the field of wastewater treatment and energy production to reduce the impact of human activities on the environment [...]
Sugar Beet Pulp in the Context of Developing the Concept of Circular Bioeconomy
Authors: Ptak Michał , Skowrońska Agnieszka , Pińkowska Hanna , Krzywonos Małgorzata
Published: December 2021

The primary objective of this paper is to identify the possibilities of using sugar beet pulp as feedstock to produce a variety of added-value products. Such an application of the sugar production byproducts contributes to implementing circular bio-economy, which is a source of many economic, social, and environmental benefits. Specific objectives of this paper are: (1) Presenting the concept and meaning of circular bio-economy. (2) Characterizing properties of the sugar beet pulp from the perspective of using them as feedstock. (3) Determining the volume of production of the sugar beet pulp and the current methods of using them. (4) Determining the methods of obtaining attractive bioproducts and renewable energy from sugar beet pulp. Special attention was given to the amount of sugar beet pulp produced in Polish sugar refineries. Poland is among the European countries in which the volume of produced sugar is especially high. Therefore, the problem of appropriate waste management in the Polish sugar industry gains significant importance. The conducted literature review demonstrated that sugar beet pulp might be used as a feedstock in the production of many bio-products produced using a variety of methods.
Heat Transfer Limitations in Supercritical Water Gasification
Authors: Gutiérrez Ortiz Francisco Javier Gutiérrez , López-Guirao Francisco , Jiménez-Espadafor Francisco José , Benjumea José Manuel
Published: December 2021

Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) is a promising technology for the valorization of wet biomass with a high-water content, which has attracted increasing interest. Many experimental studies have been carried out using conventional heating equipment at lab scale, where researchers try to obtain insight into the process. However, heat transfer from the energy source to the fluid stream entering the reactor may be ineffective, so slow heating occurs that produces a series of undesirable reactions, especially char formation and tar formation. This paper reviews the limitations due to different factors affecting heat transfer, such as low Reynolds numbers or laminar flow regimes, unknown real fluid temperature as this is usually measured on the tubing surface, the strong change in physical properties of water from subcritical to supercritical that boosts a deterioration in heat transfer, and the insufficient mixing, among others. In addition, some troubleshooting and new perspectives in the design of efficient and effective devices are described and proposed to enhance heat transfer, which is an essential aspect in the experimental studies of SCWG to move it forward to a larger scale.
The Determination of the Methane Content of Coal Seams Based on Drill Cutting and Core Samples from Coal Mine Roadway
Authors: Szlązak Nikodem , Korzec Marek , Piergies Kazimierz
Published: December 2021

The determination of methane content of coal seams is conducted in hard coal mines in order to assess the state of methane hazard but also to evaluate gas resources in the deposit. In the world’s mining industry, natural gas content in coal determination is usually based on direct methods. It remains the basic method in Poland as well. An important element in the determination procedure is the gas loss that occurs while collecting a sample for testing in underground conditions. In the method developed by the authors, which is a Polish standard, based on taking a sample in the form of drill cuttings, this loss was established at a level of 12%. Among researchers dealing with the methane content of coal, there are doubts related to the procedures adopted for coal sampling and the time which passes from taking a sample to enclosing it in a sealed container. Therefore, the studies were designed to evaluate the degree of degassing of the sample taken in the form of drill cuttings according to the standard procedure and in the form of the drill core from a coal mine roadway. The results show that the determinations made for the core coincide with the determinations made for the drill cutting samples, with the loss of gas taken into account.
Involvement in Renewable Energy in the Organization of the IR 4.0 Era Based on the Maturity of Socially Responsible Strategic Partnership with Customers—An Example of the Food Industry
Authors: Adamik Anna , Liczmańska-Kopcewicz Katarzyna , Pypłacz Paula , Wiśniewska Agnieszka
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this study is to explain the determinants of the process of investing in renewable energy sources (RES) from the perspective of enterprises, with particular emphasis on the strength of their orientation on such strategic issues as sustainable development, orientation towards innovation, as well as the level of maturity of their partnership with the client. The research method was carried out on a sample of 157 industrial enterprises in the food industry. The research process was conducted with the consideration of making these decisions dependent on the strength of companies’ commitment to several strategic issues: sustainable development, innovation orientation, and the maturity of their partnership with the customer. The results of the data analysis collected during the quantitative research show a strong correlation between the level of openness of the organization of the IR 4.0 era to RES and (a) orientation towards sustainable development, (b) orientation towards intelligence, and (c) maturity of strategic partnering with customers.
A Novel ILP Formulation for PCB Maintenance Considering Electrical Measurements and Aging Factors: A “Right to Repair” Approach
Authors: Karagiannopoulos Panagiotis S. , Manousakis Nikolaos M. , Psomopoulos Constantinos S.
Published: December 2021

The design of longer-lasting products, such as domestic electric appliances, is a key-stone approach of the circular economy to reduce the use of non-reusable materials and the number of wastes to be managed at the end of the product’s life as well as to extend it. The manufacturing of modern electric appliances includes the incorporation of printed circuit boards (PCBs). PCBs provide mechanical support and electrically connect electrical or electronic components using conductive trackpads and other features etched from one or more sheet layers of copper laminated onto and/or between sheet layers of a non-conductive substrate. This paper proposes a PCB maintenance framework, fully compliant with the “Right to Repair” concept, considering the impact of their aging failures based on measurements made on them, as well as the repair and replacement costs of their components. Herein, we present an algorithm that assesses the problem of handling the repair and replacement cost corresponding to specific failures while ensuring that the total cost of repair does not exceed a predefined value. This is achieved through an integer linear programming (ILP) formulation which maximizes the benefit to the life expectancy, Li, of an appliance, constrained by a customer’s limited budget. The proposed methodology is tested with different PCBs and considers different types of appliances. More specifically, two cases concerning PCBs of washing and dishwasher machines are studied to examine the dependency of the solutions on the aging rate of their various components. The simulation results show that considering a medium budget, after 3 years, we can achieve a health benefit of 92.4% for a washing machine’s PCB, while for a dishwasher’s PCB, the health benefit drops to 86.3%.
Optimization of a Mobile Energy Storage Network
Authors: Monteiro Luiz Eduardo Cotta , Repolho Hugo Miguel Varela , Calili Rodrigo Flora , Louzada Daniel Ramos , Teixeira Rafael Saadi Dantas , Vieira Rodrigo Santos
Published: December 2021

This paper introduces the mobile battery network for electronic devices through powerbanks in a city, and proposes an optimization model to find the optimum site and set-up of the network considering costumers demand, logistics components, the batteries degradation, and terminal’s charger regime. To this end, a series of degradation tests were carried out on lithium-ion batteries, in four different charger regimes, in which the battery voltage amplitude and the charging electric current were varied. The results of these tests were incorporated into the optimization model as the depreciation rate and charge time over battery life. The mathematical modeling innovates by including new components designed specifically for this new problem: battery availability according to charging time; different types of customer service; objective function modeling that includes the logistical costs of battery relocation, terminal maintenance, and battery depreciation. The results indicate that the network performance using batteries in the fastest charging configuration tends to have a positive impact on their efficiency and profitability. The model can be used as a reference for other applications that require recharge points that enable the use of mobile batteries, such as electric scooters, electric bicycles, and drones, among others.
Mitragyna speciosa Korth Leaves Supplementation on Feed Utilization, Rumen Fermentation Efficiency, Microbial Population, and Methane Production In Vitro
Authors: Phesatcha Kampanat , Phesatcha Burarat , Wanapat Metha , Cherdthong Anusorn
Published: December 2021

The objective of the research was to evaluate the different levels of Mitragyna speciosa Korth leaves powder (MSLP) added to rations with 60:40 or 40:60 roughage to a concentrate (R:C ratio) on in vitro nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation characteristics, microbial population, and methane (CH4) production. The treatments were arranged according to a 2 × 8 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. The two factors contain the R:C ratio (60:40 and 40:60) and the levels of MSLP addition (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7% of the total substrate). There was no interaction between the R:C ratio and MSLP supplementation on gas production kinetics, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and microbial populations. The gas production rate constant for the insoluble fraction (c) was increased by the R:C ratio at (40:60), whilst there was no difference obtained among treatments for cumulative gas production, whilst the gas production rate constant for the insoluble fraction (c) was increased by the R:C ratio at 40:60. The concentration of NH3-N was influenced by the R:C ratio and MSLP addition both at 4 and 8 h after incubation. In vitro dry matter degradability (IVDMD) and organic matter degradability (IVOMD) were significantly improved by the R:C ratio and supplementation of MSLP at 12 h. Increasing the R:C ratio and MSLP concentrations increased total volatile fatty acid (VFA) and propionic acid (C3) concentrations while decreasing acetic acid (C2) and butyric acid (C4) concentrations; thus, the C2:C3 ratio was reduced. MSLP addition reduced protozoa and methanogen populations (p < 0.05). The calculated CH4 production was decreased (p < 0.05) by the R:C ratios at 40:60 and supplementation of MSLP. Finally, the addition of MSLP as a phytonutrient may improve nutrient degradability and rumen fermentation properties while decreasing protozoa, methanogen population, and CH4 production.
Exploitation of Yeasts with Probiotic Traits for Kefir Production: Effectiveness of the Microbial Consortium
Authors: Agarbati Alice , Ciani Maurizio , Canonico Laura , Galli Edoardo , Comitini Francesca
Published: December 2021

Kefir is a fermented milk made by beneficial lactic acid bacteria and yeasts inoculated as grains or free cultures. In this work, five yeast strains with probiotic aptitudes belonging to Candida zeylanoides, Yarrowia lipolytica, Kluyveromyces lactis, and Debaryomyces hansenii species were assessed in a defined consortium, in co-culture with a commercial strain of Lactobacillus casei, in order to evaluate the yeasts’ fermentation performance during kefir production, using different milks. The concentration of each yeast was modulated to obtain a stable consortium that was not negatively affected by the bacteria. Furthermore, all yeasts remained viable for five weeks at 4 °C, reaching about 8.00 Log CFU in 150 mL of kefir, a volume corresponding to a pot of a commercial product. The yeasts consortium showed a suitable fermentation performance in all milks, conferring peculiar and distinctive analytical and aromatic properties to the kefirs, confirmed by a pleasant taste. Overall, the panel test revealed that the cow’s and sheep’s kefir were more appreciated than the others; this evaluation was supported by a distinctive fermentation by-products’ content that positively influences the final aroma, conferring to the kefir exalted taste and complexity. These results allow us to propose the yeasts consortium as a versatile and promising multistarter candidate able to affect industrial kefir with both recognizable organoleptic properties and probiotic aptitudes.
Key Points’ Location in Infrared Images of the Human Body Based on Mscf-ResNet
Authors: Ge Shengguo , Rum Siti Nurulain Mohd
Published: December 2021

The human body generates infrared radiation through the thermal movement of molecules. Based on this phenomenon, infrared images of the human body are often used for monitoring and tracking. Among them, key point location on infrared images of the human body is an important technology in medical infrared image processing. However, the fuzzy edges, poor detail resolution, and uneven brightness distribution of the infrared image of the human body cause great difficulties in positioning. Therefore, how to improve the positioning accuracy of key points in human infrared images has become the main research direction. In this study, a multi-scale convolution fusion deep residual network (Mscf-ResNet) model is proposed for human body infrared image positioning. This model is based on the traditional ResNet, changing the single-scale convolution to multi-scale and fusing the information of different receptive fields, so that the extracted features are more abundant and the degradation problem, caused by the excessively deep network, is avoided. The experiments show that our proposed method has higher key point positioning accuracy than other methods. At the same time, because the network structure of this paper is too deep, there are too many parameters and a large volume of calculations. Therefore, a more lightweight network model is the direction of future research.
Improved Classification of Blockchain Transactions Using Feature Engineering and Ensemble Learning
Authors: Jatoth Chandrashekar , Jain Rishabh , Fiore Ugo , Chatharasupalli Subrahmanyam
Published: December 2021

Although the blockchain technology is gaining a widespread adoption across multiple sectors, its most popular application is in cryptocurrency. The decentralized and anonymous nature of transactions in a cryptocurrency blockchain has attracted a multitude of participants, and now significant amounts of money are being exchanged by the day. This raises the need of analyzing the blockchain to discover information related to the nature of participants in transactions. This study focuses on the identification for risky and non-risky blocks in a blockchain. In this paper, the proposed approach is to use ensemble learning with or without feature selection using correlation-based feature selection. Ensemble learning yielded good results in the experiments, but class-wise analysis reveals that ensemble learning with feature selection improves even further. After training Machine Learning classifiers on the dataset, we observe an improvement in accuracy of 2–3% and in F-score of 7–8%.
Xylitol and Maltitol Improve the Rheological Property of Kappa-Carrageenan
Authors: Huang Min , Mao Yihan , Mao Yuzhu , Yang Hongshun
Published: December 2021

To further extend the use of κ-carrageenan (κ-C) in real food systems (such as beverages), the understanding of gelation properties of κ-C with the presence of food ingredients is critical. The effects of xylitol and maltitol (up to 30 wt %) on the rheological and structural properties of κ-C were inspected by means of rheometer and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). With the addition of xylitol, the gelation temperature increased from 44.1 to 57.3 °C, while the gelation temperature increased from 44.1 to 61.4 °C in maltitol systems. With the increasing concentration of both xylitol and maltitol, the values of fractal dimension df and complex modulus G* of κ-C increased, while the relaxation exponent n decreased from 0.87 to 0.39 of xylitol and 0.87 to 0.78 of maltitol, respectively. These indicated that the gel networks of aqueous κ-C were improved by the addition of xylitol and maltitol. The FTIR results showed that the interaction between κ-C and these polyols contributed to the increase of hydrogen bonds. The effects of maltitol on κ-C were stronger than those of xylitol because of more equatorial-OH bonds in maltitol. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the gelation processes of κ-C/polyols systems.
Textural, Sensory and Volatile Compounds Analyses in Formulations of Sausages Analogue Elaborated with Edible Mushrooms and Soy Protein Isolate as Meat Substitute
Authors: Yuan Xinyue , Jiang Wei , Zhang Dianwei , Liu Huilin , Sun Baoguo
Published: December 2021

In this study, edible mushroom and soybean protein isolate (SPI) were used to prepare a fibrous meat analogue using thermos-extrusion and the extruded mushroom-based meat analogue as meat replacer was further developed with different formulations in fabricating sausage analogues. The effect of water content (35%, 70% and 100%), three types of edible mushroom (Lentinus edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus, Coprinus comatus and a mixture of equal proportions) and their amounts (from 15% to 100%) on the physicochemical and structural profiles were studied. The results showed that the extruded mushroom-based meat analogue prepared from Coprinus comatus (15% addition) and SPI with a water content of 35% exhibited close textural profiles to real beef. Furthermore, a texture profile analysis (TPA) combined with a principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to compare and assess the textural traits of the sausage analogues with similar commercial products. The characterization and comparison of the flavor profile of post-processing mushroom-based meat sausage analogues (MMSA) were performed using headspace-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 64 volatile compounds were identified, and the content in dried-processing treatment was significantly higher than for steamed-processing, which indicated that the natural fermentation process contributed to the increase in aroma substances in the non-animal sourced sausage. This study developed a feasible method to fabricate a meat replacement and to create high added-value products, which offer an opportunity for developing non-animal products with satisfactory sensory properties and flavor profiles.
A Review on the Structure and Anti-Diabetic (Type 2) Functions of β-Glucans
Authors: Wan Yujun , Xu Xiaojuan , Gilbert Robert G. , Sullivan Mitchell A.
Published: December 2021

Type 2 diabetes, a long-term chronic metabolic disease, causes severe and increasing economic and health problems globally. There is growing evidence that β-glucans can function as bioactive macromolecules that help control type 2 diabetes with minimal side effects. However, conflicting conclusions about the antidiabetic activities of β-glucans have been published, potentially resulting from incomplete understanding of their precise structural characteristics. This review aims to increase clarity on the structure–function relationships of β-glucans in treating type 2 diabetes by examining detailed structural and conformational features of naturally derived β-glucans, as well as both chemical and instrumental methods used in their characterization, and their underlying anti-diabetic mechanisms. This may help to uncover additional structure and function relationships and to expand applications of β-glucans.
Different Effects of Vitamin C-Based Supplements on the Advance of Linseed Oil Component Oxidation and Lipolysis during In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion
Authors: Nieva-Echevarría Bárbara , Goicoechea Encarnación , Sopelana Patricia , Guillén María D.
Published: December 2021

Although widely consumed, dietary supplements based on Vitamin C contain high doses of this compound, whose impact on lipid oxidation during digestion needs to be addressed. Therefore, the effect of seven commercial supplements and of pure l-ascorbic acid and ascorbyl palmitate on linseed oil during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion was tackled. The advance of lipid oxidation was studied through the generation of oxidation compounds, the degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acyl chains and of gamma-tocopherol, by employing Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Supplements containing exclusively l-ascorbic acid enhanced the advance of linseed oil oxidation during digestion. This was evidenced by increased formation of linolenic-derived conjugated hydroxy-dienes and alkanals and by the generation of conjugated keto-dienes and reactive alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes, such as 4,5-epoxy-2-alkenals; moreover, gamma-tocopherol was completely degraded. Conversely, supplements composed of mixtures of ascorbic acid/salt with citric acid and carotenes, and of ascorbyl palmitate, protected linseed oil against oxidation and reduced gamma-tocopherol degradation. The study through Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry of the volatile compounds of the digests corroborated these findings. Furthermore, a decreased lipid bioaccessibility was noticed in the presence of the highest dose of l-ascorbic acid. Both the chemical form of Vitamin C and the presence of other ingredients in dietary supplements have shown to be of great relevance regarding oxidation and hydrolysis reactions occurring during lipid digestion.
Characterization of the Inclusion Complexes of Isothiocyanates with γ-Cyclodextrin for Improvement of Antibacterial Activities against Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Liu Jianan , Wu Hongyan , Ao Xinying , Hao Hongshun , Bi Jingran , Hou Hongman , Zhang Gongliang
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study was to develop inclusions formed by γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) and three isothiocyanates (ITCs), including benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC), phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), and 3-methylthiopropyl isothiocyanate (MTPITC) to improve their controlled release for the inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). These inclusion complexes were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared, thermogravimetry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), providing appropriate evidence to confirm the formation of inclusion complexes. Preliminary evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the different inclusion complexes, carried out in vitro by agar diffusion, showed that such activity lasted 5–7 days longer in γ-CD-BITC, in comparison with γ-CD-PEITC and γ-CD-MTPITC. The biofilm formation was less in S. aureus treated with γ-CD-BITC than that of BITC by using crystal violet quantification assay and SEM. The expression of virulence genes, including sarA, agr, cp5D, cp8F, clf, nuc, and spa, showed sustained downregulation in S. aureus treated with γ-CD-BITC for 24 h by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Moreover, the growth of S. aureus in cooked chicken breast treated with γ-CD-BITC and BITC was predicted by the Gompertz model. The lag time of γ-CD-BITC was 1.3–2.4 times longer than that of BITC, and correlation coefficient (R2) of the secondary models was 0.94–0.99, respectively. These results suggest that BITC has a more durable antibacterial effect against S. aureus after encapsulation by γ-CD.
Effects of Salt Treatment Time on the Metabolites, Microbial Composition, and Quality Characteristics of the Soy Sauce Moromi Extract
Authors: Lee Sun , Kim Dong-Shin , Son Yejin , Le Huong-Giang , Jo Seung Wha , Lee Jungmi , Song Yeji , Kim Hyun-Jin
Published: December 2021

Salt is one of the most important factors for fermented foods, but the effect of salt treatment time on the quality of fermented foods has rarely been studied. In this study, the effect of different salt treatment times (0, 48, and 96 h) after the start of fermentation on the quality of the soy sauce moromi extract (SSME) was investigated. As the salt treatment time was delayed, the population of Aspergillus oryzae, Lactobacillaceae, and Enterococcaecea in SSME increased, whereas the population of Staphylococcaceae and Bacillaceae decreased, leading to changes in the enzymatic activity and metabolite profiles. In particular, the contents of amino acids, peptides, volatile compounds, acidic compounds, sugars, and secondary metabolites were significantly affected by the salt treatment time, resulting in changes in the sensory quality and appearance of SSME. The correlation data showed that metabolites, bacterial population, and sensory parameters had strong positive or negative correlations with each other. Moreover, based on metabolomics analysis, the salt treatment-time-related SSME metabolomic pathway was proposed. Although further studies are needed to elucidate the salt treatment mechanism in fermented foods, our data can be useful to better understand the effect of salt treatment time on the quality of fermented foods.
Existence Results for Hilfer Fractional Differential Equations with Variable Coefficient
Authors: Li Fang , Wang Chenglong , Wang Huiwen
Published: December 2021

The aim of this paper is to establish the existence and uniqueness results for differential equations of Hilfer-type fractional order with variable coefficient. Firstly, we establish the equivalent Volterra integral equation to an initial value problem for a class of nonlinear fractional differential equations involving Hilfer fractional derivative. Secondly, we obtain the existence and uniqueness results for a class of Hilfer fractional differential equations with variable coefficient. We verify our results by providing two examples.
Numerical Study of Colliding Winds in Massive Stars
Authors: Kashi Amit , Michaelis Amir
Published: December 2021

We run a numerical experiment ejecting stellar winds in a very massive binary system measuring the properties of the resulting colliding wind structure and accreted mass onto the companion under different conditions. Colliding massive binaries interact and create a colliding wind structure with a shape that depends on the momentum ratio, orbital motion, distance between the stars, and other factors. We run simulations of a static LBV-WR binary and in each simulation abruptly varying the mass loss rate of the LBV from the fiducial value. The modified wind front propagates and interacts with the previous colliding wind structure, and modifies its shape. We calculate the emitted X-ray from the interaction and investigate the proprieties of the new shape. We derive the mass accretion rate onto the secondary, and find that it depends on the momentum ratio of the winds. We then add orbital velocity that reduces the mass accretion rate, a similar behaviour as the analytical estimates based on modified Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton. Creating a large set of simulations like those presented here can allow constraining parameters for specific colliding wind binaries and derive their stellar parameters and orbital solution.
Effect of Alkaline Earth Metal on AZrOx (A = Mg, Sr, Ba) Memory Application
Authors: Lee Ke-Jing , Wang Yeong-Her
Published: December 2021

Zr can be stabilized by the element selected, such as Mg-stabilized Zr (MSZ), thus providing MSZ thin films with potentially wide applications and outstanding properties. This work employed the element from alkaline earth metal stabilized Zr to investigate the electrical properties of sol–gel AZrOx (A = alkaline earth metal; Mg, Sr, Ba) as dielectric layer in metal-insulator–metal resistive random-access memory devices. In addition, the Hume–Rothery rule was used to calculate the different atomic radii of elements. The results show that the hydrolyzed particles, surface roughness, and density of oxygen vacancy decreased with decreased difference in atomic radius between Zr and alkaline earth metal. The MgZrOx (MZO) thin film has fewer particles, smoother surface, and less density of oxygen vacancy than the SrZrOx (SZO) and BaZrOx (BZO) thin films, leading to the lower high resistance state (HRS) current and higher ON/OFF ratio. Thus, a suitable element selection for the sol–gel AZrOx memory devices is helpful for reducing the HRS current and improving the ON/OFF ratio. These results were obtained possibly because Mg has a similar atomic radius as Zr and the MgOx-stabilized ZrOx.
Degradable 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate/Gelatin/Alginate Hydrogels Infused by Nanocolloidal Graphene Oxide as Promising Drug Delivery and Scaffolding Biomaterials
Authors: Babić Radić Marija M. , Filipović Vuk V. , Vukomanović Marija , Nikodinović Runić Jasmina , Tomić Simonida Lj.
Published: December 2021

The design and evaluation of novel 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate/gelatin/alginate/graphene oxide hydrogels as innovative scaffolding biomaterials, which concurrently are the suitable drug delivery carrier, was proposed. The hydrogels were prepared by the adapted porogen leaching method; this is also the first time this method has been used to incorporate nanocolloidal graphene oxide through the hydrogel and simultaneously form porous structures. The effects of a material’s composition on its chemical, morphological, mechanical, and swelling properties, as well as on cell viability and in vitro degradation, were assessed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), measurements of Young’s modulus, gravimetric method and MTT test, respectively. The engineered hydrogels show good swelling capacity, fully hydrophilic surfaces, tunable porosity (from 56 to 76%) and mechanical properties (from 1.69 to 4.78 MPa), curcumin entrapment efficiency above 99% and excellent curcumin release performances. In vitro cytotoxicity on healthy human fibroblast (MRC5 cells) by MTT test reveal that the materials are nontoxic and biocompatible, proposing novel hydrogels for in vivo clinical evaluation to optimize tissue regeneration treatments by coupling the hydrogels with cells and different active agents to create material/biofactor hybrids with new levels of biofunctionality.
Fabrication and Characterization of Xanthan Gum-cl-poly(acrylamide-co-alginic acid) Hydrogel for Adsorption of Cadmium Ions from Aqueous Medium
Authors: Sharma Gaurav , Kumar Amit , Ghfar Ayman A. , García-Peñas Alberto , Naushad Mu. , Stadler Florian J.
Published: December 2021

The present research demonstrates the facile fabrication of xanthan gum-cl-poly(acrylamide-co-alginic acid) (XG-cl-poly(AAm-co-AA)) hydrogel by employing microwave-assisted copolymerization. Simultaneous copolymerization of acrylamide (AAm) and alginic acid (AA) onto xanthan gum (XG) was carried out. Different samples were fabricated by changing the concentrations of AAm and AA. A sample with maximum swelling percentage was chosen for adsorption experiments. The structural and functional characteristics of synthesized hydrogel were elucidated using diverse characterization tools. Adsorption performance of XG-cl-poly(AAm-co-AA) hydrogel was investigated for the removal of noxious cadmium (Cd(II)) ions using batch adsorption from the aqueous system, various reaction parameters optimized include pH, contact time, temperature, and concentration of Cd(II) ions and temperature. The maximum adsorption was achieved at optimal pH 7, contact time 180 min, temperature 35 °C and cadmium ion centration of 10 mg·L−1. The XG-cl-poly(AAm-co-AA) hydrogel unveiled a very high adsorption potential, and its adsorption capacities considered based on the Langmuir isotherm for Cd(II) ions was 125 mg·g−1 at 35 °C. The Cd(II) ions adsorption data fitted nicely to the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-first-order model. The reusability investigation demonstrated that hydrogel retained its adsorption capacity even after several uses without significant loss.
Development of Antibacterial and Antifouling Innovative and Eco-Sustainable Sol–Gel Based Materials: From Marine Areas Protection to Healthcare Applications
Authors: Ielo Ileana , Giacobello Fausta , Castellano Angela , Sfameni Silvia , Rando Giulia , Plutino Maria Rosaria
Published: December 2021

Bacterial colonization of surfaces is the leading cause of deterioration and contaminations. Fouling and bacterial settlement led to damaged coatings, allowing microorganisms to fracture and reach the inner section. Therefore, effective treatment of surface damaged material is helpful to detach bio-settlement from the surface and prevent deterioration. Moreover, surface coatings can withdraw biofouling and bacterial colonization due to inherent biomaterial characteristics, such as superhydrophobicity, avoiding bacterial resistance. Fouling was a past problem, yet its untargeted toxicity led to critical environmental concerns, and its use became forbidden. As a response, research shifted focus approaching a biocompatible alternative such as exciting developments in antifouling and antibacterial solutions and assessing their antifouling and antibacterial performance and practical feasibility. This review introduces state-of-the-art antifouling and antibacterial materials and solutions for several applications. In particular, this paper focuses on antibacterial and antifouling agents for concrete and cultural heritage conservation, antifouling sol–gel-based coatings for filtration membrane technology, and marine protection and textile materials for biomedicine. In addition, this review discusses the innovative synthesis technologies of antibacterial and antifouling solutions and the consequent socio-economic implications. The synthesis and the related physico-chemical characteristics of each solution are discussed. In addition, several characterization techniques and different parameters that influence the surface finishing coatings deposition were also described.
Transcriptomic Analysis of the Pistacia vera (L.) Fruits Enable the Identification of Genes and Hormone-Related Gene Linked to Inflorescence Bud Abscission
Authors: Benny Jubina , Giovino Antonio , Marra Francesco Paolo , Balan Bipin , Martinelli Federico , Caruso Tiziano , Marchese Annalisa
Published: December 2021

Pistacia vera (L.) is an alternate bearing species. The tree produces axillary inflorescence buds every year. Still, they abscise in “ON” overloaded shoots, causing a limited production in the following “OFF” year, causing a significant and unfavorable production fluctuation. In this work, we carried out de novo discovery and transcriptomic analysis in fruits of “ON” and “OFF” shoots of the cultivar Bianca. We also investigated whether the fruit signaling pathway and hormone biosynthesis directly or indirectly linked to the premature fall of the inflorescence buds causing alternate bearing. We identified 1536 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in fruits of “ON” vs. “OFF” shoots, which are involved primarily in sugar metabolism, plant hormone pathways and transcription factors. The premature bud abscission linked to the phenomenon is attributable to a lack of nutrients (primarily sugar) and the possible competition between the same branches’ sinks (fruits vs. inflorescence buds). Hormone pathways are involved as a response to signals degradation and remobilization of carbon and nutrients due to the strengthening of the developing embryos. Genes of the secondary metabolism and transcription factors are also involved in tailoring the individual branches response to the nutritional stress and sink competition. Crosstalk among sugar and various hormone-related genes, e.g., ethylene, auxin, ABA and cytokinin, were determined. The discovery of putative biomarkers like callose synthase 5, trehalose-6-phosphate synthase, NAD(P)-linked oxidoreductase and MIOX2, Jasmonate, and salicylic acid-related genes can help to design precision farming practices to mitigate the alternate bearing phenomenon to increase farming profitability. The aim of the analysis is to provide insight into the gene expression profiling of the fate of “ON” and “OFF” fruits associated with the alternate bearing in the pistachio.
Genome-Wide Identification of Key Components of RNA Silencing in Two Phaseolus vulgaris Genotypes of Contrasting Origin and Their Expression Analyses in Response to Fungal Infection
Authors: Alvarez-Diaz Juan C. , Richard Manon M. S. , Thareau Vincent , Teano Gianluca , Paysant-Le-Roux Christine , Rigaill Guillem , Pflieger Stéphanie , Gratias Ariane , Geffroy Valérie
Published: December 2021

RNA silencing serves key roles in a multitude of cellular processes, including development, stress responses, metabolism, and maintenance of genome integrity. Dicer, Argonaute (AGO), double-stranded RNA binding (DRB) proteins, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDR), and DNA-dependent RNA polymerases known as Pol IV and Pol V form core components to trigger RNA silencing. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is an important staple crop worldwide. In this study, we aimed to unravel the components of the RNA-guided silencing pathway in this non-model plant, taking advantage of the availability of two genome assemblies of Andean and Meso-American origin. We identified six PvDCLs, thirteen PvAGOs, 10 PvDRBs, 5 PvRDRs, in both genotypes, suggesting no recent gene amplification or deletion after the gene pool separation. In addition, we identified one PvNRPD1 and one PvNRPE1 encoding the largest subunits of Pol IV and Pol V, respectively. These genes were categorized into subgroups based on phylogenetic analyses. Comprehensive analyses of gene structure, genomic localization, and similarity among these genes were performed. Their expression patterns were investigated by means of expression models in different organs using online data and quantitative RT-PCR after pathogen infection. Several of the candidate genes were up-regulated after infection with the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum.
Identifying Cancer Subtypes Using a Residual Graph Convolution Model on a Sample Similarity Network
Authors: Dai Wei , Yue Wenhao , Peng Wei , Fu Xiaodong , Liu Li , Liu Lijun
Published: December 2021

Cancer subtype classification helps us to understand the pathogenesis of cancer and develop new cancer drugs, treatment from which patients would benefit most. Most previous studies detect cancer subtypes by extracting features from individual samples, ignoring their associations with others. We believe that the interactions of cancer samples can help identify cancer subtypes. This work proposes a cancer subtype classification method based on a residual graph convolutional network and a sample similarity network. First, we constructed a sample similarity network regarding cancer gene co-expression patterns. Then, the gene expression profiles of cancer samples as initial features and the sample similarity network were passed into a two-layer graph convolutional network (GCN) model. We introduced the initial features to the GCN model to avoid over-smoothing during the training process. Finally, the classification of cancer subtypes was obtained through a softmax activation function. Our model was applied to breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA), glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and lung cancer (LUNG) datasets. The accuracy values of our model reached 82.58%, 85.13% and 79.18% for BRCA, GBM and LUNG, respectively, which outperformed the existing methods. The survival analysis of our results proves the significant clinical features of the cancer subtypes identified by our model. Moreover, we can leverage our model to detect the essential genes enriched in gene ontology (GO) terms and the biological pathways related to a cancer subtype.
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Differentially Expressed Genes That Regulate Biosynthesis of the Active Compounds with Methyl Jasmonate in Rosemary Suspension Cells
Authors: Yao Deheng , Zhang Zihao , Chen Yukun , Lin Yuling , Xu Xuhan , Lai Zhongxiong
Published: December 2021

To study the effects of Methyl jasmonates (MeJA) on rosemary suspension cells, the antioxidant enzymes’ change of activities under different concentrations of MeJA, including 0 (CK), 10 (M10), 50 (M50) and 100 μM MeJA (M100). The results demonstrated that MeJA treatments increased the activities of phenylalanine ammonla-lyase (PAL), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and reduced the contents of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA), thus accelerating the ROS scavenging. Comparative transcriptome analysis of different concentrations of MeJA showed that a total of 7836, 6797 and 8310 genes were differentially expressed in the comparisons of CKvsM10, CKvsM50, CKvsM100, respectively. The analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showed phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, vitamin B6, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism-related genes were significantly enriched. The transcripts of flavonoid and terpenoid metabolism pathways and plant hormone signal transduction, especially the jasmonic acid (JA) signal-related genes, were differentially expressed in CKvsM50 and CKvsM100 comparisons. In addition, the transcription factors (TFs), e.g., MYC2, DELLA, MYB111 played a key role in rosemary suspension cells under MeJA treatments. qRT-PCR of eleven DEGs showed a high correlation between the RNA-seq and the qRT-PCR result. Taken together, MeJA alleviated peroxidative damage of the rosemary suspension cells in a wide concentration range via concentration-dependent differential expression patterns. This study provided a transcriptome sequence resource responding to MeJA and a valuable resource for the genetic and genomic studies of the active compounds engineering in rosemary.
Osteocytic Pericellular Matrix (PCM): Accelerated Degradation under In Vivo Loading and Unloading Conditions Using a Novel Imaging Approach
Authors: Pei Shaopeng , Wang Shubo , Martinez Jerahme R. , Parajuli Ashutosh , Kirn-Safran Catherine B. , Farach-Carson Mary C. , Lu X. Lucas , Wang Liyun
Published: December 2021

The proteoglycan-containing pericellular matrix (PCM) controls both the biophysical and biochemical microenvironment of osteocytes, which are the most abundant cells embedded and dispersed in bones. As a molecular sieve, osteocytic PCMs not only regulate mass transport to and from osteocytes but also act as sensors of external mechanical environments. The turnover of osteocytic PCM remains largely unknown due to technical challenges. Here, we report a novel imaging technique based on metabolic labeling and “click-chemistry,” which labels de novo PCM as “halos” surrounding osteocytes in vitro and in vivo. We then tested the method and showed different labeling patterns in young vs. old bones. Further “pulse-chase” experiments revealed dramatic difference in the “half-life” of PCM of cultured osteocytes (~70 h) and that of osteocytes in vivo (~75 d). When mice were subjected to either 3-week hindlimb unloading or 7-week tibial loading (5.1 N, 4 Hz, 3 d/week), PCM half-life was shortened (~20 d) and degradation accelerated. Matrix metallopeptidase MMP-14 was elevated in mechanically loaded osteocytes, which may contribute to PCM degradation. This study provides a detailed procedure that enables semi-quantitative study of the osteocytic PCM remodeling in vivo and in vitro.