bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Extract of Corydalis yanhusuo Prevents Morphine Tolerance and Dependence
Authors: Alhassen Lamees , Nuseir Khawla , Ha Allyssa , Phan Warren , Marmouzi Ilias , Shah Shalini , Civelli Olivier
Published: October 2021

The opioid epidemic was triggered by an overprescription of opioid analgesics. In the treatment of chronic pain, repeated opioid administrations are required which ultimately lead to tolerance, physical dependence, and addiction. A possible way to overcome this conundrum consists of a co-medication that maintains the analgesic benefits of opioids while preventing their adverse liabilities. YHS, the extract of the plant Corydalis yanhusuo, has been used as analgesic in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. More recently, it has been shown to promote analgesia in animal models of acute, inflammatory, and neuropathic pain. It acts, at least in part, by inhibiting the dopamine D2 receptor, suggesting that it may be advantageous to manage addiction. We first show that, in animals, YHS can increase the efficacy of morphine antinociceptive and, as such, decrease the need of the opioid. We then show that YHS, when coadministered with morphine, inhibits morphine tolerance, dependence, and addiction. Finally, we show that, in animals treated for several days with morphine, YHS can reverse morphine dependence and addiction. Together, these data indicate that YHS may be useful as a co-medication in morphine therapies to limit adverse morphine effects. Because YHS is readily available and safe, it may have an immediate positive impact to curb the opioid epidemic.
Engineered Bacteriophage as a Delivery Vehicle for Antibacterial Protein, SASP
Authors: Cass James , Barnard Anne , Fairhead Heather
Published: October 2021

The difficulties in developing novel classes of antibacterials is leading to a resurgence of interest in bacteriophages as therapeutic agents, and in particular engineered phages that can be optimally designed. Here, pre-clinical microbiology assessment is presented of a Staphylococcus aureus phage engineered to deliver a gene encoding an antibacterial small acid soluble spore protein (SASP) and further, rendered non-lytic to give product SASPject PT1.2. PT1.2 has been developed initially for nasal decolonisation of S. aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Time-kill curve assays were conducted with PT1.2 against a range of staphylococcal species, and serial passaging experiments were conducted to investigate the potential for resistance to develop. SASPject PT1.2 demonstrates activity against 100% of 225 geographically diverse S. aureus isolates, exquisite specificity for S. aureus, and a rapid speed of kill. The kinetics of S. aureus/PT1.2 interaction is examined together with demonstrating that PT1.2 activity is unaffected by the presence of human serum albumin. SASPject PT1.2 shows a low propensity for resistance to develop with no consistent shift in sensitivity in S. aureus cells passaged for up to 42 days. SASPject PT1.2 shows promise as a novel first-in-class antibacterial agent and demonstrates potential for the SASPject platform.
Somatostatin Analogue Therapy in MEN1-Related Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors from Evidence to Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review
Authors: La Salvia Anna , Sesti Franz , Grinzato Chiara , Mazzilli Rossella , Tarsitano Maria Grazia , Giannetta Elisa , Faggiano Antongiulio
Published: October 2021

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are relatively rare and complex tumors that can be sporadic or hereditary, as in the context of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) where patients display a 70% lifelong risk of developing a pancreatic NENs (pNENs). To date, specific personalized treatment for pNENs in patients with MEN1 are lacking. The aim of this study was to systematically analyze the efficacy and safety of somatostatin analogue (SSA) treatment in patients affected by MEN1-related pNENs. We performed a systematic review of the literature, searching for peer-reviewed articles on SSA (octreotide or lanreotide) treatment in MEN1 associated with pNENs. We selected 20 studies with a pooled population of 105 MEN1 patients with pNENs. Females were 58.5%, median age was 44 years (18–73). TNM stage at diagnosis was stage I–II in 84.8% and stage IV in 15.2%. The overall response rate (SD+PR+CR) was achieved in 88.3% of cases, with stable disease in 75.6% and objective response in 12.7% of patients. The safety profile was favorable with both SSA agents. SSAs appear to be an effective and safe treatment option for MEN1-related pNEN, either at localized or advanced stages.
Enhanced Detection of Desmoplasia by Targeted Delivery of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles to the Tumour-Specific Extracellular Matrix
Authors: Chopra Meenu , Wu Jiansha , Yeow Yen Ling , Winteringham Louise , Clemons Tristan D. , Saunders Martin , Kotamraju Venkata Ramana , Ganss Ruth , Feindel Kirk W. , Hamzah Juliana
Published: October 2021

Diagnostic imaging of aggressive cancer with a high stroma content may benefit from the use of imaging contrast agents targeted with peptides that have high binding affinity to the extracellular matrix (ECM). In this study, we report the use of superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (IO-NP) conjugated to a nonapeptide, CSGRRSSKC (CSG), which specifically binds to the laminin-nidogen-1 complex in tumours. We show that CSG-IO-NP accumulate in tumours, predominantly in the tumour ECM, following intravenous injection into a murine model of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (PNET). In contrast, a control untargeted IO-NP consistently show poor tumour uptake, and IO-NP conjugated to a pentapeptide. CREKA that bind fibrin clots in blood vessels show restricted uptake in the angiogenic vessels of the tumours. CSG-IO-NP show three-fold higher intratumoral accumulation compared to CREKA-IO-NP. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2-weighted scans and T2 relaxation times indicate significant uptake of CSG-IO-NP irrespective of tumour size, whereas the uptake of CREKA-IO-NP is only consistent in small tumours of less than 3 mm in diameter. Larger tumours with significantly reduced tumour blood vessels show a lack of CREKA-IO-NP uptake. Our data suggest CSG-IO-NP are particularly useful for detecting stroma in early and advanced solid tumours.
Investigation of the Freezing Phenomenon in Vials Using an Infrared Camera
Authors: Harguindeguy Maitê , Stratta Lorenzo , Fissore Davide , Pisano Roberto
Published: October 2021

The freezing phenomenon has a dramatic impact on the quality of freeze-dried products. Several freezing models applied to solutions in vials have been proposed to predict the resulting product morphology and describe heat transfer mechanisms. However, there is a lack of detailed experimental observations of the freezing phenomenon in vials in the literature. Thus, the present work offers new experimental observations of the freezing phenomenon in vials by infrared (IR) thermography. IR imaging allowed each vial’s whole axial temperature profile to be collected during freezing, providing significant insights into the process. Spontaneous nucleation and vacuum-induced surface freezing (VISF), as a controlled nucleation technique, are investigated. Batches having vials in direct contact with the shelf (exchanging heat mainly through conduction) as well as suspended (exchanging heat mainly through natural convection and radiation) were tested. The study used three solutions: sucrose 5%, mannitol 5%, and dextran 10%. SEM images coupled with an automated image segmentation technique were also performed to examine possible correlations between the freezing observations and the resulting pore size distributions. IR thermography was found to be a promising tool for experimentally predicting the resulting product morphology in-line.
Double-Frequency-Shift Acousto-Optic Modulator with Controllable Pulse Pair Frequency Difference
Authors: Wang Yuhe , Lian Yudong , Han Shiwei , Yu Yang , Qi Xuan , Bai Zhenxu , Wang Yulei , Lu Zhiwei
Published: October 2021

A scheme for controlling the frequency difference of output pulse pair with double frequency shift loops is proposed. The frequency shift system includes two loop elements of 20 and 200 MHz. The first one carries out a single selective positive frequency shift of 1–20 MHz, and the second one can satisfy a single fixed positive frequency shift of 200 MHz. The reverse cascade technology of two acousto-optic crystals is introduced to solve the limitation of the small frequency shift of crystal size. A multichannel synchronization signal completes the time domain control of each acousto-optic modulator. Finally, the frequency shift difference of the output pulse pair ranges of 0–2 GHz, and the frequency shift accuracy is 5 MHz.
Increase of Productivity and Neutralization of Pathological Processes in Plants of Grain and Fruit Crops with the Help of Aqueous Solutions Activated by Plasma of High-Frequency Glow Discharge
Authors: Danilejko Yuri K. , Belov Sergey V. , Egorov Alexey B. , Lukanin Vladimir I. , Sidorov Vladimir A. , Apasheva Lyubov M. , Dushkov Vladimir Y. , Budnik Mikhail I. , Belyakov Alexander M. , Kulik Konstantin N. , Validov Shamil , Yanykin Denis V. , Astashev Maxim E. , Sarimov Ruslan M. , Kalinichenko Valery P. , Glinushkin Alexey P. , Gudkov Sergey V.
Published: October 2021

In this work, we, for the first time, manufactured a plasma-chemical reactor operating at a frequency of 0.11 MHz. The reactor allows for the activation of large volumes of liquids in a short time. The physicochemical properties of activated liquids (concentration of hydrogen peroxide, nitrate anions, redox potential, electrical conductivity, pH, concentration of dissolved gases) are characterized in detail. Antifungal activity of aqueous solutions activated by a glow discharge has been investigated. It was shown that aqueous solutions activated by a glow discharge significantly reduce the degree of presence of phytopathogens and their effect on the germination of such seeds. Seeds of cereals (sorghum and barley) and fruit (strawberries) crops were studied. The greatest positive effect was found in the treatment of sorghum seeds. Moreover, laboratory tests have shown a significant increase in sorghum drought tolerance. The effectiveness of the use of glow-discharge-activated aqueous solutions was shown during a field experiment, which was set up in the saline semi-desert of the Northern Caspian region. Thus, the technology developed by us makes it possible to carry out the activation of aqueous solutions on an industrial scale. Water activated by a glow discharge exhibits antifungicidal activity and significantly accelerates the development of the grain and fruit crops we studied. In the case of sorghum culture, glow-discharge-activated water significantly increases drought resistance.
Influence of Silicon on Biocontrol Strategies to Manage Biotic Stress for Crop Protection, Performance, and Improvement
Authors: Verma Krishan K. , Song Xiu-Peng , Tian Dan-Dan , Guo Dao-Jun , Chen Zhong-Liang , Zhong Chang-Song , Nikpay Amin , Singh Munna , Rajput Vishnu D. , Singh Rupesh Kumar , Minkina Tatiana , Li Yang-Rui
Published: October 2021

Silicon (Si) has never been acknowledged as a vital nutrient though it confers a crucial role in a variety of plants. Si may usually be expressed more clearly in Si-accumulating plants subjected to biotic stress. It safeguards several plant species from disease. It is considered as a common element in the lithosphere of up to 30% of soils, with most minerals and rocks containing silicon, and is classified as a “significant non-essential” element for plants. Plant roots absorb Si, which is subsequently transferred to the aboveground parts through transpiration stream. The soluble Si in cytosol activates metabolic processes that create jasmonic acid and herbivore-induced organic compounds in plants to extend their defense against biotic stressors. The soluble Si in the plant tissues also attracts natural predators and parasitoids during pest infestation to boost biological control, and it acts as a natural insect repellent. However, so far scientists, policymakers, and farmers have paid little attention to its usage as a pesticide. The recent developments in the era of genomics and metabolomics have opened a new window of knowledge in designing molecular strategies integrated with the role of Si in stress mitigation in plants. Accordingly, the present review summarizes the current status of Si-mediated plant defense against insect, fungal, and bacterial attacks. It was noted that the Si-application quenches biotic stress on a long-term basis, which could be beneficial for ecologically integrated strategy instead of using pesticides in the near future for crop improvement and to enhance productivity.
Effect of Fire Frequency on the Flammability of Two Mediterranean Pines: Link with Needle Terpene Content
Authors: Romero Bastien , Ganteaume Anne
Published: October 2021

Flammability is a major factor involved in Mediterranean plant evolution that has led to the diversity of fire-related traits according to fire regimes and fire-adaptive strategies. With on-going climate change, new fire regimes are threatening plant species if they do not adapt or acclimate. Studying flammability and terpene content variation according to the different fire frequencies in the recent fire history represents a great challenge to anticipating the flammability of ecosystems in the near future. The flammability of shoots and litter as well as the needle terpene contents of two pine species with different fire adaptive strategies (Pinus halepensis and Pinus sylvestris) were measured according to two fire modalities (0 vs. 1–2 fire events over the last 60 years). Results showed that, regardless of the species and the fuel type, flammability was higher in populations having undergone at least one past fire event even when factors influencing flammability (e.g., structural traits and hydric content) were considered. The terpene content did not vary in P. sylvestris’ needles according to the fire modality, but that of sesqui- and diterpenes was higher in P. halepensis’ needles sampled in the “Fire” modality. In addition, associations made between flammability and terpene content using random forest analyses indicated that the terpene molecules differed between fire modalities for both species and fuel types. The same results were obtained with significant terpenes driving flammability as were highlighted in the PLS analyses, especially for P. halepensis for which enhanced shoot flammability in the “Fire” modality agreed with the adaptive strategy of this species to fire.
Properties of Particleboard from Oil Palm Biomasses Bonded with Citric Acid and Tapioca Starch
Authors: Zakaria Radiah , Bawon Paiman , Lee Seng Hua , Salim Sabiha , Lum Wei Chen , Al-Edrus Syeed Saifulazry Osman , Ibrahim Zawawi
Published: October 2021

The study investigated the effects of the addition of starch on the properties of oil palm biomass particleboard bonded with citric acid. Three kinds of oil palm biomasses were used in this study for the fabrication of particleboard, namely, oil palm frond (OPF), oil palm trunk (OPT), and empty fruit bunch (EFB) particles. Citric acid and tapioca starch at the mixing ratios of 100:0, 87.5:12.5, and 75:25 were prepared at a 60% solid content. A 30% resin content based on the oven-dried weight of the oil palm biomass particles was used. The sprayed particles were pre-dried at 80 °C for 12 h before being hot-pressed at 180 °C and 4 MPa pressure for 10 min. The physical and mechanical properties of the particleboard were evaluated. The mixtures of citric acid and tapioca starch were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Thermal stability of citric acid was reduced after the addition of tapioca starch. The addition of 12.5% tapioca starch improved the bending strength of the particleboard but increased the thickness swelling slightly. All UF-bonded particleboard exhibited significantly inferior performance than that of citric-acid-bonded particleboard. Citric-acid-bonded particleboard maintained its original shape after being subjected to a cyclic-aging treatment, while the UF-bonded particleboard disintegrated half way through the treatment. The performance of EFB particleboard was significantly inferior to its OPT and OPF counterparts.
Optimization of the Properties of Photocured Hydrogels for Use in Electrochemical Capacitors
Authors: Gajewski Piotr , Lewandowska Aneta , Szcześniak Katarzyna , Przesławski Grzegorz , Marcinkowska Agnieszka
Published: October 2021

In this work, hydrogel polymer electrolytes (HPEs) were obtained by the photopolymerization of a mixture of two monomers: Exothane 8 (Ex8) and 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate acid phosphate (HEMA-P) in an organic solvent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), which was replaced after polymerization with water, and then with the electrolyte. The ratio of monomers as well as the concentration of NMP was changed in the composition to study its influence on the properties of the HPE: conductivity (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, EIS) and mechanical properties (puncture resistance). Properties were optimized using a mathematical model to obtain a hydrogel with both good mechanical and conductive properties. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first publication that demonstrates the application of optimization methods for the preparation of HPE. Then, the hydrogel with optimal properties was tested as a separator in a two-electrode symmetric AC/AC pouch-cell. The cells were investigated by cyclic voltammetry galvanostatic charge/discharge with potential limitation and EIS. Good mechanical properties of HPE allowed for obtaining samples of smaller thickness while maintaining very good dimensional stability. Thus, the electrochemical capacitor (EC) resistance was reduced and their electrochemical properties improved. Moreover, photopolymerization kinetics in the solvent and in bulk by photo-DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) were performed. The great impact on the polymerization of HEMA-P and its mixtures (with Ex8 and NMP) have strong intermolecular interactions between reagents molecules (i.e., hydrogen bonds).
Experimental Investigation of Fabricated Graphene Nanoplates/Polystyrene Nanofibrous Membrane for DCMD
Authors: Abdullah Ahmad , Al-Qahatani Abdulaziz , Alquraish Mohammed , Baily Colin , El-Mofty Salah , El-Shazly Ahmed
Published: October 2021

In recent decades, the fabrication of composite membranes using nanoparticles has played a vital role in membrane distillation (MD) technique. It could make available membranes with superior characteristics as excellent candidates for MD technique. The most well-known obstacles regarding the MD method are the low productivity and high cost. Thus, fabricating membranes with superior properties is a significant challenge. In the current study, a composite membrane has been fabricated using 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 weight percent (wt.%) of graphene nanoparticles (GNPs) with polystyrene (PS) as a base polymer and characterized using SEM, FTIR, and contact angle. The characterization results prove the successful fabrication using electrospinning and the validity of the fabricated membranes to be applied to direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). In addition, a DCMD experimental setup has been designed to examine the performance of the fabricated membranes and compare the performance of blank PS with composite PS/GNPs membranes. The results show that all fabricated membranes produced an approximately similar average flux of about 10 kg/m2 h, while the highest GNPs wt.% showed the highest salt rejection. Accordingly, this composite membrane has been examined at different operating parameters and showed stable performance. Moreover, feed temperature and the rate of flow have a positive impact on the overall performance of the DCMD.
Effect of Rosin Modification on the Visual Characteristics of Round Bamboo Culm
Authors: Su Na , Fang Changhua , Zhou Hui , Tang Tong , Zhang Shuqin , Wang Xiaohuan , Fei Benhua
Published: October 2021

Rosin was used to treat round bamboo culm using the impregnation method. The quantitative color and gloss measurements combined with a qualitative eye tracking experiment were used to evaluate the effect of rosin treatment under different temperatures on the visual characteristics of the bamboo surface. Surface morphology analysis was also used to explore the mechanism of modification. The results showed that proper heating of the modified system was conducive to the formation of a continuous rosin film, which increased the gloss value. The maximum gloss value of 19.6 achieved at 50 °C was 122.7% higher than the gloss value of the control group. Heating decreased the brightness of the bamboo culm and changed the color from the green and yellow tones to red and blue. Additionally, at temperatures higher than 60 °C, the bamboo epidermal layer was damaged or shed, and stripes formed on the culm surface. The density of these stripes increased with an increase in treatment temperature. Eye movement experiment and subjective evaluation showed that high gloss would produce dazzling feeling, such as at 50 °C, while low gloss will appear dim, such as at 80 °C, while the gloss at 40 °C and 60 °C were appropriate. Additionally, the solid color surface below 60 °C had a large audience of about 73%, and the striped surface above 60 °C was preferred by 27% of the subjects.
Body-Temperature Programmable Soft-Shape Memory Hybrid Sponges for Comfort Fitting
Authors: Naveen Balasundaram Selvan , Naseem Azharuddin Bin Mohamed , Ng Catherine Jia Lin , Chan Jun Wei , Lee Rayner Zheng Xian , Teo Leonard Ee Tong , Wang Taoxi , Nripan Mathews , Huang Wei Min
Published: October 2021

Porous shape memory hybrids are fabricated with different matrix (silicone) hardness and different inclusion (polycaprolactone, PCL) ratios. They are characterized to obtain their mechanical response to cyclic loads (with/without pre-straining/programming) and their shape memory performances after body-temperature programming are investigated. These materials are lightweight due to their porous structures. Wetted hydrogels used in the fabrication process for creating pores are reusable and hence this process is eco-friendly. These porous shape memory hybrids exhibit the good shape memory effect of around 90% with higher inclusion (PCL) ratios, which is better than the solid versions reported in the literature. Hence, it is concluded that these materials have great potential to be used in, for instance, insoles and soles for comfort fitting, as demonstrated.
Progress in the Valorization of Fruit and Vegetable Wastes: Active Packaging, Biocomposites, By-Products, and Innovative Technologies Used for Bioactive Compound Extraction
Authors: Mohd Basri Mohd Salahuddin , Abdul Karim Shah Nor Nadiah , Sulaiman Alifdalino , Mohamed Amin Tawakkal Intan Syafinaz , Mohd Nor Mohd Zuhair , Ariffin Siti Hajar , Abdul Ghani Nur Hamizah , Mohd Salleh Faiqa Shazeaa
Published: October 2021

According to the Food Wastage Footprint and Climate Change Report, about 15% of all fruits and 25% of all vegetables are wasted at the base of the food production chain. The significant losses and wastes in the fresh and processing industries is becoming a serious environmental issue, mainly due to the microbial degradation impacts. There has been a recent surge in research and innovation related to food, packaging, and pharmaceutical applications to address these problems. The underutilized wastes (seed, skin, rind, and pomace) potentially present good sources of valuable bioactive compounds, including functional nutrients, amylopectin, phytochemicals, vitamins, enzymes, dietary fibers, and oils. Fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW) are rich in nutrients and extra nutritional compounds that contribute to the development of animal feed, bioactive ingredients, and ethanol production. In the development of active packaging films, pectin and other biopolymers are commonly used. In addition, the most recent research studies dealing with FVW have enhanced the physical, mechanical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of packaging and biocomposite systems. Innovative technologies that can be used for sensitive bioactive compound extraction and fortification will be crucial in valorizing FVW completely; thus, this article aims to report the progress made in terms of the valorization of FVW and to emphasize the applications of FVW in active packaging and biocomposites, their by-products, and the innovative technologies (both thermal and non-thermal) that can be used for bioactive compounds extraction.
Polystyrene-b-Poly(2-(Methoxyethoxy)ethyl Methacrylate) Polymerization by Different Controlled Polymerization Mechanisms
Authors: Nedeljkovic Dragutin
Published: October 2021

Functional polymers have been an important field of research in recent years. With the development of the controlled polymerization methods, block-copolymers of defined structures and properties could be obtained. In this paper, the possibility of the synthesis of the functional block-copolymer polystyrene-b-poly(2-(methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate) was tested. The target was to prepare the polymer of the number average molecular weight (Mn) of approximately 120 that would contain 20–40% of poly(2-(methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate) by mass and in which the polymer phases would be separated. The polymerization reactions were performed by three different mechanisms for the controlled polymerization—sequential anionic polymerization, atomic transfer radical polymerization and the combination of those two methods. In sequential anionic polymerization and in atomic transfer radical polymerization block-copolymers of the desired composition were obtained but with the Mn significantly lower than desired (up to 30). The polymerization of the block-copolymers of the higher Mn was unsuccessful, and the possible mechanisms for the unwanted side reactions are discussed. It is also concluded that combination of sequential anionic polymerization and atomic transfer radical polymerization is not suitable for this system as polystyrene macroinitiator cannot initiate the polymerization of poly(2-(methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate).
Polymer Networks for Enrichment of Calcium Ions
Authors: Heinze Marcus , Horn Christoph , Pospiech Doris , Boldt Regine , Kobsch Oliver , Eckstein Kathrin , Jehnichen Dieter , Voit Brigitte , Baudis Stefan , Liska Robert , Naumova Anna , Saalwächter Kay , Lendenmann Urs , Moszner Norbert
Published: October 2021

In this study, solvogels containing (2-((2-(ethoxycarbonyl)prop-2-en-1-yl)oxy)-ethyl) phosphonic acid (ECPA) and N,N′-diethyl-1,3-bis-(acrylamido)propane (BNEAA) as the crosslinker are synthesized by UV induced crosslinking photopolymerization in various solvents. The polymerization of the ECPA monomer is monitored by the conversion of double bonds with in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. The morphology of the networks is characterized by in situ photorheology, solid state NMR spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the dried gels. It is demonstrated that the storage modulus is not only determined by the crosslinker content in the gel, but also by the solvent used for preparation. The networks turn out to be porous structures with G′ being governed by a rigid, phase-separated polymer phase rather than by entropic elasticity. The external and internal pKa values of the poly(ECPA-co-BNEAA) gels were determined by titration with a specially designed method and compared to the calculated values. The polymer-immobilized phosphonic acid groups in the hydrogels induce buffering behavior into the system without using a dissolved buffer. The calcium accumulation in the gels is studied by means of a double diffusion cell filled with calcium ion-containing solutions. The successful accumulation of hydroxyapatite within the gels is shown by a combination of SEM, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS).
Oscillation of Gas Density in the Gas Filament Remained by a Streamer Discharge in Water
Authors: Wen Xiaoqiong , Zhou Yibing , Xue Xiaodong , Yang Yuantian
Published: October 2021

When a streamer discharge occurs in water, several luminous plasma filaments will be created in the water during the discharge. After the discharge, these plasma filaments turn into neutral gas phase and remain in water. The gas filament remained in water is a good object for studying the basic processes involved in the streamer propagation. We investigated the evolution of the gas filaments remained in water after a streamer discharge at different experimental conditions. We recorded eight successive images during one discharge pulse. The density of gas in the gas filament and the radius of the gas filament were measured from the obtained images. We found that the radius of the gas filament and the density of gas in the gas filament are almost not influenced by the impulse voltage within the range studied. While the conductivity of water has strong effect on the radius of the gas filament and the density of gas in the gas filament. The radius of the gas filament becomes thicker and expands faster as the conductivity of water becomes larger. The density of gas in the gas filament remained in water oscillates between 400 to 800 kg/m3 with an duration of ~10 μs during the expansion period of 4–39 μs after the HV pulse starts. Both the impulse voltage and the conductivity of water do not affect the oscillation duration of the density of gas in the gas filament.
Harnessing the Potential of Symbiotic Endophytic Fungi and Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria to Enhance Soil Quality in Saline Soils
Authors: Rouydel Zahra , Barin Mohsen , Rasouli-Sadaghiani Mir Hassan , Khezri Maryam , Vetukuri Ramesh Raju , Kushwaha Sandeep
Published: October 2021

Soil salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses limiting crop growth and production worldwide. Some microorganisms can improve the plants’ tolerance to salinity. For this purpose, a greenhouse experiment was performed to understand the influence of various microorganisms on soil biological indices and wheat growth under different saline conditions. The factors varied in the experiment were the microbial treatment (rhizobacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, endophytic fungus, and control) and salinity stress (0.5, 8, and 14 dS m−1). Rhizobacteria were isolated from saline soils, but the fungi were prepared from a microbial bank. Overall, ten isolates were purified, and three with promising growth-promoting properties were identified using phenotypic and molecular methods. The selected isolates belonged to the genera Pseudomonas (P. aeruginosa Ur83 and P. fluorescens Ur67) and Stenotrophomonas (S. maltophilia Ur52). Soil quality indices were found to decrease with increasing salinity, but inoculation with microorganisms alleviated this decline. Inoculation with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) increased basal respiration, substrate-induced respiration, microbial biomass carbon, acid and alkaline phosphatase activities, and carbon availability by factors of 1.37, 1.27, 1.83, 3.07, 1.29, and 1.11, respectively. These results show that inoculation with symbiotic microorganisms can improve agricultural soil quality under saline conditions and may thus be valuable in agriculture.
A Review on the Role of Amorphous Aluminum Compounds in Catalysis: Avenues of Investigation and Potential Application in Petrochemistry and Oil Refining
Authors: Mukhamed’yarova Aliya N. , Gareev Bulat I. , Nurgaliev Danis K. , Aliev Firdavs A. , Vakhin Alexey V.
Published: October 2021

Aluminum oxides and hydroxides are widely applied because of the great variety of their modifications. In particular, aluminum oxides and hydroxides are used in petrochemistry and oil refining. However, amorphous aluminum compounds have not been sufficiently studied due to the complexity of their synthesis and the problems encountered during their study. The study of amorphous aluminum compounds is hindered by the ambiguity of terminology. In this work, the structures of amorphous aluminum compounds prepared by different methods and the properties that determine their applications have been highlighted in detail. Amorphous aluminum compounds play both positive and negative roles in petrochemistry; however, in petroleum refining, amorphous compounds (without promoters and transition metal salts) demonstrate a promising catalytic performance in oil upgrading.
Is the Theory of Karman the Solution to the Problem of Evil? Some Thoughts from Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta
Authors: Freschi Elisa
Published: October 2021

Several scholars have discussed various versions of the theory of karman as offering a convincing solution to the problem of evil. Arthur Herman even thinks that the theory of karman is the ultimate theodicy (1976). Such scholars tend to imagine that a unitary theory of karman can be reconstructed as the backbone of most of Sanskrit philosophy of religion and ethics. In this article, I discuss the role of the theory of karman and the problem of evil in one of the schools of Sanskrit philosophy which is still alive and thriving, namely Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta. Is karman really the central key to theodicy in this school? Additionally, does the school’s theory of karman correspond to what Herman, Chadha, Trakakis, Sharma and others discuss?
Vegetation Greenness Variations and Response to Climate Change in the Arid and Semi-Arid Transition Zone of the Mongo-Lian Plateau during 1982–2015
Authors: Na Risu , Na Li , Du Haibo , He Hong S. , Shan Yin , Zong Shengwei , Huang Lirong , Yang Yue , Wu Zhengfang
Published: October 2021

Vegetation greenness dynamics in arid and semi-arid regions are sensitive to climate change, which is an important phenomenon in global climate change research. However, the driving mechanism, particularly for the longitudinal and latitudinal changes in vegetation greenness related to climate change, has been less studied and remains poorly understood in arid and semi-arid areas. In this study, we investigated changes in vegetation greenness and the vegetation greenness line (the mean growing season normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) = 0.1 contour line) and its response to climate change based on AVHRR-GIMMS NDVI3g and the fifth and latest global climate reanalysis dataset from 1982 to 2015 in the arid and semi-arid transition zone of the Mongolian Plateau (ASTZMP). The results showed that the mean growing season NDVI increased from the central west to east, northeast, and southeast in ASTZMP. The vegetation greenness line migrated to the desert during 1982–1994, to the grassland during 1994–2005, and then to the desert during 2005–2015. Vegetation greenness was positively correlated with precipitation and negatively correlated with temperature. The latitudinal variation of the vegetation greenness line was mainly affected by the combination of precipitation and temperature, while the longitudinal variation was mainly affected by precipitation. In summary, precipitation was a key climatic factor driving rapid changes in vegetation greenness during the growing season of the transition zone. These results can provide meaningful information for research on vegetation coverage changes in arid and semi-arid regions.
Superpixel-Based Regional-Scale Grassland Community Classification Using Genetic Programming with Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Images
Authors: Wu Zhenjiang , Zhang Jiahua , Deng Fan , Zhang Sha , Zhang Da , Xun Lan , Ji Mengfei , Feng Qian
Published: October 2021

Grasslands are one of the most important terrestrial ecosystems on the planet and have significant economic and ecological value. Accurate and rapid discrimination of grassland communities is critical to the conservation and utilization of grassland resources. Previous studies that explored grassland communities were mainly based on field surveys or airborne hyperspectral and high-resolution imagery. Limited by workload and cost, these methods are typically suitable for small areas. Spaceborne mid-resolution RS images (e.g., Sentinel, Landsat) have been widely used for large-scale vegetation observations owing to their large swath width. However, there still keep challenges in accurately distinguishing between different grassland communities using these images because of the strong spectral similarity of different communities and the suboptimal performance of models used for classification. To address this issue, this paper proposed a superpixel-based grassland community classification method using Genetic Programming (GP)-optimized classification model with Sentinel-2 multispectral bands, their derived vegetation indices (VIs) and textural features, and Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) bands and the derived textural features. The proposed method was evaluated in the Siziwang grassland of China. Our results showed that the addition of VIs and textures, as well as the use of GP-optimized classification models, can significantly contribute to distinguishing grassland communities, and the proposed approach classified the seven communities in Siziwang grassland with an overall accuracy of 84.21% and a kappa coefficient of 0.81. We concluded that the classification method proposed in this paper is capable of distinguishing grassland communities with high accuracy at a regional scale.
Long-Distance 3D Reconstructions Using Photogrammetry with Curiosity’s ChemCam Remote Micro-Imager in Gale Crater (Mars)
Authors: Caravaca Gwénaël , Le Mouélic Stéphane , Rapin William , Dromart Gilles , Gasnault Olivier , Fau Amaury , Newsom Horton E. , Mangold Nicolas , Le Deit Laetitia , Maurice Sylvestre , Wiens Roger C. , Lanza Nina L.
Published: October 2021

The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity landed in Gale crater (Mars) in August 2012. It has since been studying the lower part of the 5 km-high sedimentary pile that composes Gale’s central mound, Aeolis Mons. To assess the sedimentary record, the MSL team mainly uses a suite of imagers onboard the rover, providing various pixel sizes and fields of view from close to long-range observations. For this latter, we notably use the Remote Micro Imager (RMI), a subsystem of the ChemCam instrument that acts as 700 mm-focal length telescope, providing the smallest angular pixel size of the set of cameras on the Remote Sensing Mast. The RMI allows observations of remote outcrops up to a few kilometers away from the rover. As retrieving 3D information is critical to characterize the structures of the sedimentary deposits, we describe in this work an experiment aiming at computing for the first time with RMI Digital Outcrop Models of these distant outcrops. We show that Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry can successfully be applied to suitable sets of individual RMI frames to reconstruct the 3D shape and relief of these distant outcrops. These results show that a dedicated set of observations can be envisaged to characterize the most interesting geological features surrounding the rover.
Identifying Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Land Surface Albedo Using GF-1 WFV Data
Authors: Wang Zhe , Zhou Hongmin , Wan Huawei , Wang Qian , Fan Wenrui , Ma Wu , Wang Jindi
Published: October 2021

Land surface albedo (LSA) is an important parameter that affects surface–air interactions and controls the surface radiation energy budget. The spatial and temporal variation characteristics of LSA reflect land surface changes and further influence the local climate. Ganzhou District, which belongs to the middle of the Hexi Corridor, is a typical irrigated agricultural and desert area in Northwest China. The study of the interaction of LSA and the land surface is of great significance for understanding the land surface energy budget and for ground measurements. In this study, high spatial and temporal resolution GF-1 wide field view (WFV) data were used to explore the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of LSA in Ganzhou District. First, the surface albedo of Ganzhou District was estimated by the GF-1 WFV. Then, the estimated results were verified by the surface measured data, and the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of surface albedo from 2014 to 2018 were analyzed. The interaction between albedo and precipitation or temperature was analyzed based on precipitation and temperature data. The results show that the estimation of surface albedo based on GF-1 WFV data was of high accuracy, which can meet the accuracy requirements of spatial and temporal variation characteristic analysis of albedo. There are obvious geographic differences in the spatial distribution of surface albedo in Ganzhou, with the overall distribution characteristics being high in the north and low in the middle. The interannual variation in annual average surface albedo in Ganzhou shows a trend of slow fluctuations and gradual increases. The variation in annual albedo is characterized by “double peaks and a single valley”, with the peaks occurring from December to February at the end and beginning of the year, and the valley occurring from June to August. Surface albedo was negatively correlated with precipitation and temperature in most areas of Ganzhou.
Temporal Pattern Analysis of Cropland Phenology in Shandong Province of China Based on Two Long-Sequence Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Ren Shilong , An Shuai
Published: October 2021

Vegetation phenology dynamics have attracted worldwide attention due to its direct response to global climate change and the great influence on terrestrial carbon budgets and ecosystem productivity in the past several decades. However, most studies have focused on phenology investigation on natural vegetation, and only a few have explored phenology variation of cropland. In this study, taking the typical cropland in the Shandong province of China as the target, we analyzed the temporal pattern of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and phenology metrics (growing season start (SOS) and end (EOS)) derived from the Global Inventory Monitoring and Modeling System (GIMMS) 3-generation version 1 (1982–2015) and the Vegetation Index and Phenology (VIP) version 4 (1981–2016), and then investigated the influence of climate factors and Net Primary Production (NPP, only for EOS) on SOS/EOS. Results show a consistent seasonal profile and interannual variation trend of NDVI for the two products. Annual average NDVI has significantly increased since 1980s, and hugely augmentations of NDVI were detected from March to June for both NDVI products (p < 0.01), which indicates a consistent greening tendency of the study region. SOSs from both products are correlated well with the ground-observed wheat elongation and spike date and have significantly advanced since the 1980s, with almost the same changing rate (0.65/0.64 days yr-1, p < 0.01). EOS also exhibits an earlier but weak advancing trend. Due to the significant advance of SOS, the growing season duration has significantly lengthened. Spring precipitation has a relatively stronger influence on SOS than temperature and shortwave radiation, while a greater correlation coefficient was diagnosed between EOS and autumn temperature/shortwave radiation than precipitation/NDVI. Autumn NPP exhibits a nonlinear effect on EOS, which is first earlier and then later with the increase of autumn NPP. Overall, we highlight the similar capacity of the two NDVI products in characterizing the temporal patterns of cropland phenology.
Upscaling Evapotranspiration from a Single-Site to Satellite Pixel Scale
Authors: Li Xiang , Liu Shaomin , Yang Xiaofan , Ma Yanfei , He Xinlei , Xu Ziwei , Xu Tongren , Song Lisheng , Zhang Yuan , Hu Xiao , Ju Qian , Zhang Xiaodong
Published: October 2021

It is of great significance for the validation of remotely sensed evapotranspiration (ET) products to solve the spatial-scale mismatch between site observations and remote sensing estimations. To overcome this challenge, this paper proposes a comprehensive framework for obtaining the ground truth ET at the satellite pixel scale (1 × 1 km resolution in MODIS satellite imagery). The main idea of this framework is to first quantitatively evaluate the spatial heterogeneity of the land surface, then combine the eddy covariance (EC)-observed ET (ET_EC) to be able to compare and optimize the upscaling methods (among five data-driven and three mechanism-driven methods) through direct validation and cross-validation, and finally use the optimal method to obtain the ground truth ET at the satellite pixel scale. The results showed that the ET_EC was superior over homogeneous underlying surfaces with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.34 mm/d. Over moderately and highly heterogeneous underlying surfaces, the Gaussian process regression (GPR) method performed better (the RMSEs were 0.51 mm/d and 0.60 mm/d, respectively). Finally, an integrated method (namely, using the ET_EC for homogeneous surfaces and the GPR method for moderately and highly heterogeneous underlying surfaces) was proposed to obtain the ground truth ET over fifteen typical underlying surfaces in the Heihe River Basin. Furthermore, the uncertainty of ground truth ET was quantitatively evaluated. The results showed that the ground truth ET at the satellite pixel scale is relatively reliable with an uncertainty of 0.02–0.41 mm/d. The upscaling framework proposed in this paper can be used to obtain the ground truth ET at the satellite pixel scale and its uncertainty, and it has great potential to be applied in more regions around the globe for remotely sensed ET products’ validation.
Detecting High-Rise Buildings from Sentinel-2 Data Based on Deep Learning Method
Authors: Li Liwei , Zhu Jinming , Cheng Gang , Zhang Bing
Published: October 2021

High-rise buildings (HRBs) as a modern and visually distinctive land use play an important role in urbanization. Large-scale monitoring of HRBs is valuable in urban planning and environmental protection and so on. Due to the complex 3D structure and seasonal dynamic image features of HRBs, it is still challenging to monitor large-scale HRBs in a routine way. This paper extends our previous work on the use of the Fully Convolutional Networks (FCN) model to extract HRBs from Sentinel-2 data by studying the influence of seasonal and spatial factors on the performance of the FCN model. 16 Sentinel-2 subset images covering four diverse regions in four seasons were selected for training and validation. Our results indicate the performance of the FCN-based method at the extraction of HRBs from Sentinel-2 data fluctuates among seasons and regions. The seasonal change of accuracy is larger than that of the regional change. If an optimal season can be chosen to get a yearly best result, F1 score of detected HRBs can reach above 0.75 for all regions with most errors located on the boundary of HRBs. FCN model can be trained on seasonally and regionally combined samples to achieve similar or even better overall accuracy than that of the model trained on an optimal combination of season and region. Uncertainties exist on the boundary of detected results and may be relieved by revising the definition of HRBs in a more rigorous way. On the whole, the FCN based method can be largely effective at the extraction of HRBs from Sentinel-2 data in regions with a large diversity in culture, latitude, and landscape. Our results support the possibility to build a powerful FCN model on a larger size of training samples for operational monitoring HRBs at the regional level or even on a country scale.