bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estudo e análise das principais e alternativas oleaginosas para produção de biodiesel: uma revisão integrativa
Authors: Santos Lucicleitor Oliveira , Melo Grazielma Ferreira de , Laurentino João Victor Alves
Published: April 2022

O Brasil é um dos países que mais produz oleaginosas nas suas safras, esse fator, faz com que o país seja um dos maiores produtores de biodiesel no mundo, além disso, é importante salientar que o país possui oleaginosas tanto comuns quanto alternativas a produção de biodiesel, o que pode diversificar os materiais utilizados para produzir o biocombustível, além disso, o uso do biodiesel constitui um vetor favorável na mitigação de danos ambientais, já que componentes que utilizam o biodiesel emitem particulados com poucas quantidades de enxofre e redução na emissões de CO2. O objetivo desse trabalho foi fazer uma revisão integrativa acerca das principais e alternativas oleaginosas para a produção de biodiesel no país, avaliando literaturas no que se refere a diversidade das oleaginosas, as características de cada planta e os parâmetros físico-químicos estudados. Os resultados obtidos levaram em conta dois parâmetros principais, que foram o índice de acidez e a viscosidade cinemática a 40ºC, os dados da revisão integrativa permitiram comprovar que o biodiesel que estava de acordo com todos os parâmetros estabelecidos pela ANP era o biodiesel de girassol, outro parâmetro importante também nas análises do biodiesel é a estabilidade a oxidação, o biodiesel de girassol também foi melhorado quanto a esse parâmetro, sendo assim, o biodiesel de girassol mostrou-se como o mais eficaz na produção de biodiesel.
Isotermas de adsorção de ivermectina em carvão ativado funcionalizado com grafeno
Authors: Possebon Eduardo , Vieira Marcelo Fernandes
Published: April 2022

A ivermectina é um Contaminante Emergente de destaque e seu consumo apresentou um crescimento de 557% no Brasil em 2020. Foi estudado um método de remoção do contaminante por adsorção utilizando um carvão ativado funcionalizado com grafeno. As isotermas encontradas denotam um processo favorável e o modelo que melhor descreveu os dados foi o de Freundlich, concordando com os resultados de outras pesquisas com carvões similares.
Hardware-enabled security :
Authors: Bartock Michael , Souppaya Murugiah , Savino Ryan , Knoll Tim , Shetty Uttam , Cherfaoui Mourad , Yeluri Raghu , Malhotra Akash , Banks Don , Jordan Michael , Pendarakis Dimitrios , Rao J R , Romness Peter , Scarfone Karen
Published: April 2022

In today's cloud data centers and edge computing, attack surfaces have shifted and, in some cases, significantly increased. At the same time, hacking has become industrialized, and most security control implementations are not coherent or consistent. The foundation of any data center or edge computing security strategy should be securing the platform on which data and workloads will be executed and accessed. The physical platform represents the first layer for any layered security approach and provides the initial protections to help ensure that higher-layer security controls can be trusted. This report explains hardware-enabled security techniques and technologies that can improve platform security and data protection for cloud data centers and edge computing.
Hardware-enabled security :
Authors: Bartock Michael , Souppaya Murugiah , Xia Haidong , Yeluri Raghu , Shetty Uttam , Lum Brandon , Sabath Mariusz , Singh Harmeet , Youssef Alaa , Steinder Gosia , Cao Yu , Ramanathan Jayashree
Published: April 2022

In today's cloud data centers and edge computing, attack surfaces have significantly increased, cyber attacks are industrialized, and most security control implementations are not coherent or consistent. The foundation of any data center or edge computing security strategy should be securing the platform on which data and workloads will be executed and accessed. The physical platform represents the foundation for any layered security approach and provides the initial protections to help ensure that higher-layer security controls can be trusted. This report explains an approach based on hardware-enabled security techniques and technologies for safeguarding container deployments in multi-tenant cloud environments. It also describes a prototype implementation of the approach intended to be a blueprint or template for the general security community.
Review of selected esthetical and economical landscape valorisation methods and assessments
Authors: Młodzianowska-Synowiec Maria
Published: April 2022

Human activities have brought major changes to landscape, as a result of the expansion of settlements, and other activities. The need to valorise the landscape for the requirements of current and future activities results from the more and more limited space, which in itself becomes an important resource, which should be properly valorised and then shaped. The literature presents a wide variety of landscape valorisation and assessment methods used for various aspects of economic or scientific purposes. However, there is no universal method. This review article summarises selected diverse methods used for valorisation, assessment and economic valuation of the landscape.
Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion: A South African experience
Authors:   SAEndovascular, Kuils River Netcare Hospital, Kuils River, Cape Town, South Africa, Dippenaar A P , Saaiman J A ,   SAEndovascular, Kuils River Netcare Hospital, Kuils River, Cape Town, South Africa, Brink P A ,   Kuils River Netcare Hospital, Kuils River, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa, Heradien M J ,   SAEndovascular, Kuils River Netcare Hospital, Kuils River, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa, van der Bijl P ,   SAEndovascular, Kuils River Netcare Hospital, Kuils River, Cape Town, South Africa
Published: April 2022

Background. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with all-cause mortality, heart failure and non-fatal stroke, and thromboprophylaxis is traditionally provided with oral anticoagulants (OACs). Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with a dedicated device is an alternative approach to thromboprophylaxis in patients with AF who are: (i) intolerant to OACs (e.g. life-threatening haemorrhage); (ii) non-adherent to OACs; or (iii) at a high bleeding risk with OACs. Non-inferiority of LAAO compared with OACs was demonstrated in e.g. the WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage System for Embolic Protection in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation (PROTECT AF) trial. Only very limited data are available on percutaneous LAAO in South Africa (SA), and no local outcome data have been reported. Objectives. To compare the safety and efficacy outcomes of an SA percutaneous LAAO programme with larger international series. Methods. All patients undergoing percutaneous LAAO from 2013 to 2020 at a single centre (SAEndovascular, Kuils River Netcare Hospital, SA) were included from an ongoing registry. Survival analysis was performed with the Kaplan-Meier method. Results. Of 101 LAAO recipients (mean (standard deviation) age 77 (10) years, 64% male) analysed, 90 (90%) had permanent AF, 1 (1%) persistent AF and 9 (9%) paroxysmal AF. The most common indication for LAAO was previous severe bleeding (n=23; 23%). The mean device size was 23 (3) mm and the procedural success rate was 98%. After a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 21 (5 - 41) months, 6 patients (6%) experienced stroke or all-cause mortality. Four patients (4%) had a life-threatening procedural complication (tamponade n=2 (2%) and device embolisation n=2 (2%)). These outcomes are comparable to large international series, e.g. PROTECT AF. Conclusions. The safety and efficacy outcomes of an SA percutaneous LAAO programme were comparable to large international series. A successful percutaneous LAAO programme is feasible in a southern African context
MEDITERRANEAN DIET IN THE WESTERN BALKANS
Authors: EL BILALI Hamid , CARDONE Gianluigi , BOTTALICO Francesco , OTTOMANO PALMISANO Giovanni , ACQUAFREDDA Antonia , CAPONE Roberto
Published: April 2022

The Mediterranean diet is considered an example of sustainable diets and an intangible cultural heritage of the whole humanity. However, attention to the Mediterranean diet changes from a country to another even within the Euro- Mediterranean region. In this context, this paper analyses the state of research on the Mediterranean diet in the Western Balkans (viz. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia). In particular, it explores whether and how environmental, economic, sociocultural, and nutrition-health aspects related to the sustainability of the Mediterranean diet are addressed. A search performed in June 2021 on the Web of Science returned 68 documents, and 41 of them were included in the systematic review. Most of the selected documents deal with Croatia, especially island regions, and focus on health-nutrition aspects while other sustainability dimensions are generally overlooked. The scholarly literature shows that higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced risk of obesity, different noncommunicable diseases (e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, metabolic syndrome) as well as mental illnesses. However, it also highlights a decrease in the Mediterranean diet adherence even in Mediterranean/Adriatic territories. Interestingly, some recent studies showed a shift towards the Mediterranean diet during the COVID-19 lockdown even among adolescents. The analysis suggests the need to adopt a holistic approach in studies on the Mediterranean diet to better understand the relationships between the sustainability dimensions and operationalize its contribution to the transformation of food systems and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Mediterranean region.
INFLUENCE OF BLUE AND RED LEDs ON DEVELOPMENT AND NUTRITIVE VALUE OF PERILLA FRUTESCENS (L.) CULTIVATED IN CLIMATE CHAMBERS
Authors: GRABOVAC Nikolina , H. BÖHME Michael
Published: April 2022

In this study influence of supplemental blue and red LED lighting on growth, nutrient solution uptake and concentration of secondary metabolites was investigated. Perilla plants were cultivated in climate chambers, where main light was provided by fluorescent tubes with PPFD between 123-177 μmolm-2s-1. Additionally, blue and red LEDs were used, providing 11 μmolm-2s-1 or 12 μmolm-2s-1, respectively. Temperature was set on 24/19°C (day/night), relative air humidity on 64/56% (day/night), and day length was 16 hours. Results showed that small portion of supplemental blue light (~9%) increased fresh mass (FM), dry mass (DM), and nutrient solution uptake (NSU) up to 50.33%, 10.85% or 31.80%, respectively. Supplemental red light (~6%) increased nutrient solution uptake up to 23.56%, while fresh and dry mass were higher than control, but without statistical significance. Regarding nutritive value of Perilla, supplemental blue light significantly increased carotenoid concentration (Car) (+13.37%), but polyphenols (PP), anthocyanins (Anth) and flavonoid (Fl) concentrations did not differ from the control. In treatment with supplemental red light, only flavonoid concentration was significantly increased (+14.34%). Use of supplemental blue or red LEDs in closed systems with controlled conditions increase or tends to increase plants fresh mass, dry mass, nutrient solution uptake rate, as well as concentration of some secondary metabolites.
PASTORALISM AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION
Authors: EL BILALI Hamid , BOTTALICO Francesco , OTTOMANO PALMISANO Giovanni , CARDONE Gianluigi , ACQUAFREDDA Antonia , CAPONE Roberto
Published: April 2022

Pastoralism has a long tradition in the Mediterranean region. However, there is little evidence about its contribution to sustainable development in the region. Therefore, this review analyses the state of research on the multifaceted relations between pastoralism and sustainable development in the Mediterranean with a particular reference to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It draws upon a systematic review of all documents indexed in the Web of Science by June 2021. The analysis of the scholarly literature suggests that (i) there is a divide with most studies performed in Northern Mediterranean countries; (ii) no article has investigated the contribution of pastoralism to the implementation of the sustainable development agendas (MDGs and SDGs) in the Mediterranean; and (iii) most of the selected articles deal with environmental sustainability (cf. biodiversity, land use, land degradation, deforestation) while social, cultural and economic aspects are generally overlooked. The ongoing processes of intensification, specialisation and modernisation of pastoral systems do not only jeopardise the provision of various ecosystem services, but also put at risk the preservation and sustainability of traditional pastoral systems. Such modernisation also leads to the erosion of pastoral culture and the abandonment of some traditional systems such as sylvo-pastoralism and mobile pastoralism. Sustainable development of pastoralism in the Mediterranean implies improving the livelihoods and living conditions of pastoralists while preserving their unique cultural heritage and social capital and ensuring the continued provision of ecosystem systems. Such development pathway should be guided by and aligned with the SDGs.
QUALITY OF TABLE EGGS OF WHITE AND BROWN SHELL
Authors: PERIĆ Lidija , ĐUKIĆ STOJČIĆ Mirjana , SPIRIDONOVIĆ Sava
Published: April 2022

Since the white shell eggs are present in the domestic market, it is necessary to examine their quality in order for consumers to be adequately informed, especially because they have certain prejudices against white shell eggs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of genotype (brown or white layers) on the table eggs quality after storage of 28 days. Total of 60 eggs from two strains of laying hens (Hisex brown and Hisex white) were sampled and the first set of 15 eggs were examined first day after laying. The second set of 15 eggs per strain was stored in a refrigerator (4°C) and examined after storage period of 28 days. The following egg quality parameters were evaluated: egg weight, shell breaking force, albumen height, Haugh units (HU) and yolk color. The results showed no significant differences in egg quality parameters between white and brown shell eggs neither in fresh eggs nor after storage. However, in both strains the storage significantly affected the albumen height (6.34 vs. 5.46 mm in brown eggs; 6.74 vs. 5.64 mm in white eggs) and HU (76.87 vs.70.40 in brown eggs; 79.11 vs. 71.44 in white eggs). pH values of albumen were not significantly affected by storage (9.14 vs.9.35 in brown eggs; 9.37 vs. 9.42 in white eggs). The results suggest that the albumen height and the HU significantly decreased during storage in both white and brown shell eggs.
ATTITUDES OF FARMERS FROM THE AREAS WITH NATURAL CONSTRAINTS TOWARD AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
Authors: PAPIĆ Ružica , BOGDANOV Natalija
Published: April 2022

Farmers and rural areas, especially those with natural constraints, face a number of challenges, such as lower yields, difficult access to markets, depopulation and devastation of the rural environment. Agricultural policy in Serbia does not provide a special measure for farmers in these areas which is opposite to the practice in the European Union. Nevertheless, farmers in Serbia can benefit from measures that have a specific treatment for farms located in the areas with natural constraints. The aim of this paper is to examine the attitudes of the farmers in the areas with natural constraints toward agricultural and rural development support in Serbia. Data collection was organized using a stratified simple random sampling and it included 371 farms. Face-to-face interviews were conducted during July-August 2018 in the mountainous area of East and South Serbia. The questionnaire contained information about socio-economic characteristics of the farms, attitudes on agricultural and rural policy and future plans. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistic method (measures of central tendency and variability). The results indicate that almost all farmers use direct payments and have enough information and experience to apply for this support. On the other hand, the research reveals a low level of application of rural development support especially for measures aimed at the improvement of the quality of life and diversification of the farm income, as well as measures for environmental improvement. Results provide information for policymakers that can be useful for creating more efficient rural development support aimed at farmers in the areas with natural constraints.
EVALUATION OF POLYPHENOL EXTRACTION FROM APPLE POMACE
Authors: GONELIMALI Faraja Deo , SZABÓ-NÓTIN Beatrix , SZALÓKIDORKÓ Lilla , RIBÁRSZKI Ákos , MÁTÉ Mónika
Published: April 2022

Food industry is searching for natural additives because consumers demand natural, safe and environmentally sound food additives. The use of different plant extracts such as grape pomace and cranberry extracts which have antimicrobial effect in food preservation has gained an increasing interest. In the latest years many researches deal with investigation of the antimicrobial effect of apple pomace extracts. Apple pomace, a residue from apple juice production, contains high amount of polyphenols which are known to have antioxidant effect. Apple pomace is a by-product of the apple juice and cider processing industry and represents about 20–35% of the original fruits. It can be used for value-added products, because it is rich in pectin, fibre, macro and micro elements and antioxidants mainly, polyphenols. Previous studies indicate that the apple pomace has high phenolic content and antioxidant activity and thus can be regarded as a valuable source of antioxidants and bioactive compounds. The contents of phenolic compounds vary greatly among different varieties of apples. Moreover, apple peels contain higher concentration of phenolic compounds compared to flesh. Conventional production of apple juice results in a juice with poor phenolic content and with only 3–10% of the antioxidant activity of the fruits that they are produced from. Thus, leaving huge amount of the phenolic compounds in the pomace. Because of this, studying extraction method for extracting high amount of polyphenol from the pomace is important. In this paper apple pomace was dried with different drying method (atmospheric and vacuum ovens, 80° C and 60°C). Extraction was performed using distilled water as solvent, and the extracts were evaluated by the colour, water soluble sugars, total polyphenol content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity.
SILAGE YIELD AND PROTEIN CONTENT OF FORAGE LEGUMES INTERCROPPING WITH CEREALS IN TWO SPATIAL ARRANGEMENTS
Authors: GENNATOS Konstantinos , LAZARIDOU Theano B.
Published: April 2022

Intercropping of most annual legumes with winter cereals is a very common practice for forage production in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different spatial arrangements of intercropping cereals with forage legumes on silage yield and protein content. The completely randomized design was applied with three replications. Particularly, common vetch and forage pea were used as forage legumes, and barley, and triticale were used as cereals, which were grown individually as well as intercropped with each other in mixed rows in a sowing ratio 65:35 or in alternate rows. The plants were harvested when the legumes were at the end of the flowering period and were separated by hand to determine the weight of fresh matter for each species. Samples of 100 g of hay from each experimental plot were used to calculate the dry matter and to determine the total N and subsequently the total protein content using the Kjeldahl method. In most cases differences were found between the treatments concerning the dry matter and the protein content. Regarding the fresh weight the mixtures triticale+common vetch (alternate rows), barley + common vetch (alternate rows) and barley+ forage pea (alternate rows) showed the higher yield. The forage pea gave the higher yield among the nonocrops. Regarding the dry weight the mixtures barley+ forage pea (alternate rows) and triticale+ common vetch (alternate rows) showed the higher yield. Additionally, significant differences were recorded between the examined genotypes in grain yield. The barley intercropped with forage pea (mixed rows) gave the higher yield. Regarding the grain yield of legumes, common vetch intercropped with barley (alternate rows) and forage pea intercropped with barley (both cases) gave the higher yield. In all cases the forage yield (weight of dry matter) was higher in separated lines compared to mixed lines. However, concerning the grain yield the mixed rows were probably more productive.
ACCESS TO PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS OF RURAL POPULATION IN RUSSIA
Authors: VYALSHINA Anna , BLINOVA Tatiana , PETROV Nikita
Published: April 2022

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the problems of accessibility of primary health care and quality health services for rural residents are exacerbated. The purpose of the article is to conduct comparative studies of the access to public health services of rural medical posts (RMPs), polyclinics, specialized medical facilities for different groups of the rural population of Russia. The results of the studies showed that the majority of rural residents living in small remote settlements request medical assistance at the RMPs. Among those who requested medical assistance, 70.7% were over 45 years old, and 43.9% were pensioners. Most of them have low requirements for medical assistance. They are primarily interested in the services provided for free. Younger rural residents (35.2% under the age of 45 years) request medical assistance at polyclinics, 47.8% of them are self-employed, and about 71.1% are low-income groups. The main reasons for applying for paid medical care, they call the lack of specialists in public institutions. Visitors to specialized centers have the highest requirements for the quality of medical services received. The maximum share belongs to young people (24.4% of people aged 16-30 and 20.3% aged 31-45), about 60.5% have jobs, 40.6% have incomes higher than the subsistence level. They are more likely than others to seek paid medical services. The main reason for choosing commercial institutions is the belief that paid medical services are of better quality. The construction of multidimensional distributions was performed using the statistical processing package STATISTICA Advanced for Windows 10.0.
HUMIC ACIDS COMPOSITION OF ARABLE SOD-PODZOLIC SOIL AFTER LONG-TERM APPLICATION OF TRADITIONAL AND UNCONVENTIONAL ORGANIC FERTILIZERS
Authors: ZAVYALOVA Nina E. , VASBIEVA Marina T.
Published: April 2022

The elemental composition and structure of humic acids (HA) of arable sodpodzolic soil (Eutric Albic Retisols (Abruptic, Loamic, Cutanic) was studied inPerm Agricultural Research Institute – division of PFRC. Application of traditional and unconventional organic fertilizers was fulfilled in long-term stationary experiment. The carbon content in HA of sod-podzolic soil varied from 30.7 to 34.6; hydrogen – 28.9-35.5, oxygen – 21.1-27.9, nitrogen – 1.9-2.2%. The Н/С ratio for all treatments was >1, the structure of the supramolecular associations of humic acids is predominantly aliphatic. Long-term use of manure, sewage sludge (SS) and their combination with mineral fertilizers led to the enrichment of humic acids with nitrogen. The maximum degree of HA oxidation was observed with the use of cattle manure. The FTIR spectra of humic acids had absorption bands of carboxyl, hydroxyl, methyl, methylene, methoxyl and other groups in a wide wavelength range. At 1720 cm-1, an absorption band was recorded, which had a high intensity in the control variant and was due to oscillations of the >C=O group of carboxylic acids. With an increase in the load of the anthropogenic factor on the soil (application of organic and mineral fertilizers), a decrease in its intensity is observed. The structure of supramolecular HA aggregates of the control variant, with the introduction of NPK and unconventional organic fertilizer – SS, is characterized by a higher content of aromatic fragments, as evidenced by a clear existence of the absorption band at 1628 cm–1. Cattle manure application promoted the formation of humic acids with a branched aliphatic structure.
Four Shades of Gray
Authors: Rowberry Simon Peter
Published: April 2022

This first book-length analysis of Amazon's Kindle explores the platform's technological, bibliographical, and social impact on publishing.

Four Shades of Gray offers the first book-length analysis of Amazon's Kindle and its impact on publishing. Simon Peter Rowberry recounts how Amazon built the infrastructure for a new generation of digital publications, then considers the consequences of having a single company control the direction of the publishing industry. Exploring the platform from the perspectives of technology, texts, and uses, he shows how the Kindle challenges traditional notions of platforms as discrete entities. He argues that Amazon's influence extends beyond “disruptive technology” to embed itself in all aspects of the publishing trade; yet despite industry pushback, he says, the Kindle has had a positive influence on publishing.

Rowberry documents the first decade of the Kindle with case studies of Kindle Popular Highlights, an account of the digitization of books published after 1922, and a discussion of how Amazon's patent filings reflect a shift in priorities. Rowberry argues that while it was initially convenient for the book trade to outsource ebook development to Amazon, doing so has had adverse consequences for publishers in the mid- and long term, limiting opportunities for developing an inclusive and forward-thinking digital platform. While it has forced publishers to embrace digital forms, the Kindle has also empowered some previously marginalized readerships. Although it is still too early to judge the long-term impact of ebooks compared with that of the older technologies of clay tablets, the printing press, and offset printing, the shockwaves of the Kindle continue to shape publishing.
Quantifying chromosomal instability from intratumoral karyotype diversity using agent-based modeling and Bayesian inference
Authors: Lynch Andrew R , Arp Nicholas L , Zhou Amber S , Weaver Beth A , Burkard Mark E
Published: April 2022

Chromosomal instability (CIN)—persistent chromosome gain or loss through abnormal mitotic segregation—is a hallmark of cancer that drives aneuploidy. Intrinsic chromosome mis-segregation rate, a measure of CIN, can inform prognosis and is a promising biomarker for response to anti-microtubule agents. However, existing methodologies to measure this rate are labor intensive, indirect, and confounded by selection against aneuploid cells, which reduces observable diversity. We developed a framework to measure CIN, accounting for karyotype selection, using simulations with various levels of CIN and models of selection. To identify the model parameters that best fit karyotype data from single-cell sequencing, we used approximate Bayesian computation to infer mis-segregation rates and karyotype selection. Experimental validation confirmed the extensive chromosome mis-segregation rates caused by the chemotherapy paclitaxel (18.5 ± 0.5/division). Extending this approach to clinical samples revealed that inferred rates fell within direct observations of cancer cell lines. This work provides the necessary framework to quantify CIN in human tumors and develop it as a predictive biomarker.
Listeria monocytogenes requires cellular respiration for NAD+ regeneration and pathogenesis
Authors: Rivera-Lugo Rafael , Deng David , Anaya-Sanchez Andrea , Tejedor-Sanz Sara , Tang Eugene , Reyes Ruiz Valeria M , Smith Hans B , Titov Denis V , Sauer John-Demian , Skaar Eric P , Ajo-Franklin Caroline M , Portnoy Daniel A , Light Samuel H
Published: April 2022

Cellular respiration is essential for multiple bacterial pathogens and a validated antibiotic target. In addition to driving oxidative phosphorylation, bacterial respiration has a variety of ancillary functions that obscure its contribution to pathogenesis. We find here that the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes encodes two respiratory pathways which are partially functionally redundant and indispensable for pathogenesis. Loss of respiration decreased NAD+ regeneration, but this could be specifically reversed by heterologous expression of a water-forming NADH oxidase (NOX). NOX expression fully rescued intracellular growth defects and increased L. monocytogenes loads >1000-fold in a mouse infection model. Consistent with NAD+ regeneration maintaining L. monocytogenes viability and enabling immune evasion, a respiration-deficient strain exhibited elevated bacteriolysis within the host cytosol and NOX expression rescued this phenotype. These studies show that NAD+ regeneration represents a major role of L. monocytogenes respiration and highlight the nuanced relationship between bacterial metabolism, physiology, and pathogenesis.
An Archaea-specific c-type cytochrome maturation machinery is crucial for methanogenesis in Methanosarcina acetivorans
Authors: Gupta Dinesh , Shalvarjian Katie E , Nayak Dipti D
Published: April 2022

c-Type cytochromes (cyt c) are proteins that undergo post-translational modification to covalently bind heme, which allows them to facilitate redox reactions in electron transport chains across all domains of life. Genomic evidence suggests that cyt c are involved in electron transfer processes among the Archaea, especially in members that produce or consume the potent greenhouse gas methane. However, neither the maturation machinery for cyt c in Archaea nor their role in methane metabolism has ever been functionally characterized. Here, we have used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing tools to map a distinct pathway for cyt c biogenesis in the model methanogenic archaeon Methanosarcina acetivorans, and have also identified substrate-specific functional roles for cyt c during methanogenesis. Although the cyt c maturation machinery from M. acetivorans is universally conserved in the Archaea, our evolutionary analyses indicate that different clades of Archaea acquired this machinery through multiple independent horizontal gene transfer events from different groups of Bacteria. Overall, we demonstrate the convergent evolution of a novel Archaea-specific cyt c maturation machinery and its physiological role during methanogenesis, a process which contributes substantially to global methane emissions.
Soft and hard skills identification: insights from IT job advertisements in the CIS region
Authors: Ternikov Andrei
Published: April 2022

Labor market transformations significantly affect the sphere of information technologies (IT) introducing new instruments, architectures, and frameworks. Employers operate with new knowledge domains which demand specific competencies from workers including combinations of both technical (“hard”) and non-technical (“soft”) skills. The educational system is now required to provide the alumni with up-to-date skill sets covering the latest labor market trends. However, there is a big concern about the self-adaptation of educational programs for meeting the companies’ needs. Accordingly, frequent changes in job position requirements call for the tool for in-time categorization of vacancies and skills extraction. This study aims to show the demand for skills in the IT sphere in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region and discover the mapping between required skill sets and job occupations. The proposed methodology for skills identification uses natural language processing, hierarchical clustering, and association mining techniques. The results reveal explicit information about the combinations of “soft” and “hard” skills required for different professional groups. These findings provide valuable insights for supporting educational organizations, human resource (HR) specialists, and state labor authorities in the renewal of existing knowledge about skill sets for IT professionals. In addition, the provided methodology for labor market monitoring has a high potential to ensure effective matching of employees.
Does size matter? An analysis of the niche width and vulnerability to climate change of fourteen species of the genus Crotalus from North America
Authors: Becerra-López Jorge Luis , Cruz-Elizalde Raciel , Ramírez-Bautista Aurelio , Magno-Benítez Itzel , Ballesteros-Barrera Claudia , Alvarado-Díaz Javier , Bryson Jr Robert W. , Hernández-Salinas Uriel , Díaz-Marín César A. , Berriozabal-Islas Christian , Fraire-Galindo Karen , Tello-Ruiz Juan , Czaja Alexander , Torres-Delgado María Guadalupe
Published: April 2022

The niche comprises the set of abiotic and biotic environmental conditions in which a species can live. Consequently, those species that present broader niches are expected to be more tolerant to changes in climatic variations than those species that present reduced niches. In this study, we estimate the amplitude of the climatic niche of fourteen species of rattlesnakes of the genus Crotalus to evaluate whether those species that present broader niches are less susceptible to the loss of climatically suitable zones due to the projected climate change for the time period 2021–2040. Our results suggest that for the species under study, the breadth of the niche is not a factor that determines their vulnerability to climatic variations. However, 71.4% of the species will experience increasingly inadequate habitat conditions, mainly due to the increase in temperature and the contribution that this variable has in the creation of climatically suitable zones for most of these species.
Geochemical characteristics of strontium isotopes in a coastal watershed: implications for anthropogenic influenced chemical weathering and export flux
Authors: Zhang Shitong , Han Guilin , Zeng Jie
Published: April 2022

Coastal watershed are essential in transporting dissolved loads from terrestrial biogeochemical process of surface environment to the adjacent oceans. The solute chemistry of coastal river water contains significant information about environmental processes under the impact of both natural lithology and anthropogenic pressure. In this study, strontium (Sr) isotopes and water chemistry data of the Jiulongjiang (JLJ) river water were analyzed in detail to trace the contribution of bedrock weathering, and quantify Sr flux to the East China Sea (ECS). The dissolved Sr contents ranged 0.07–0.90 μmol L−1 and greatly fluctuated where tributaries encountered, and 87Sr/86Sr values relatively fluctuated between 0.7140 and 0.7514. Silicate weathering was identified to be the predominant contribution of riverine dissolved loads. Strontium flux to the ocean in dry season was estimated to be 689.2 tons per year, implying an essential influence on oceanic strontium evolution. In accordance with forward model, the silicate weathering rate and CO2 consumption rate were 55.7 tons km−2 per year and 16.9 × 105 mol km−2 per year, respectively, slightly higher than world average. Considering anthropogenic impacts alongside the river, the integrated effect of lower runoff and longer retention time of river water in dry season may aggravate weathering processes. Although CO2 sink by silicate weathering in JLJ seems less than the sink in world’s central reservoirs, it should still be taken into consideration for coastal carbon budget. These findings highlight the use of geochemical characteristics of strontium and its isotopes in identifying weathering process and output flux to the ocean, which provides basic data for sustainable coastal water resource management.
Antimicrobial Synthetic and Natural Polymeric Nanofibers as Wound Dressing: A Review
Authors: Parham Shokoh , Kharazi Anousheh Zargar , Bakhsheshi-Rad Hamid Reza , Kharaziha Mahshid , Ismail Ahmad Fauzi , Sharif Safian , Razzaghi Mahmood , RamaKrishna Seeram , Berto Filippo
Published: April 2022

Since ancient times, wound dressings have experienced many significant improvements. Evolution began using natural materials to merely cover wounds and advanced to used innovative techniques that can be customized to perform different impressive functions. Recent wound dressings, which are made of electrospun polymers, contain different active compounds, such as antimicrobial agents, that aid in wound healing and prevent dehydration and infection. The mentioned issues may influence the healing process, leading even to serious health risks for the patients. As a result, scientists are now working on novel wound bandages with improved antimicrobial properties. Electrospun polymeric nanofibers, because of their structural similarities to normal skin's extracellular matrix (ECM), bactericidal activity, and appropriateness to distribute bioactive molecules to the wound location, are regarded as good resources for enhancing skin regeneration and controlling wound infection. Herein, the latest findings on approaches for producing antimicrobial polymeric nanofibers using electrospinning and related processes are discussed. Recent advances in antibacterial biopolymeric nanofibers incorporating antimicrobial nanoparticles (silver, zinc oxide, copper oxide, etc.) are discussed. This review paper may raise significant issues, encourage additional research, and offer important insight into the potential area of antibacterial polymeric fibers.
Ultralow Thermal Conductivity of Highly Dense ZrW2O8 Ceramics with Negative Thermal Expansion
Authors: Tanusilp Sora-at , Kumagai Masaya , Ohishi Yuji , Furusawa Hideki , Suwabe Motoomi , Kurosaki Ken
Published: April 2022

ZrW2O8 is known as a negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) material. In contrast, the studies of other properties than the CTE of ZrW2O8, such as thermal conductivity and mechanical properties, are limited. Herein, a highly dense bulk sample (%T.D. > 95%) of ZrW2O8 from very fine powder (D50 0.3 μm) with a crystalline size of 31 nm using a spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique is synthesized. It is revealed that ZrW2O8 exhibits the lowest level of thermal conductivity among various oxides in a wide temperature range from 300 to 823 K. Furthermore, various physical properties such as a peculiar CTE, elastic constant, and Grüneisen parameter are reported. Owing to its exceptional thermal properties, ZrW2O8 is expected to be used in various thermal management areas.
Flexible Self‐Powered Photoelectrochemical Photodetector with Ultrahigh Detectivity, Ultraviolet/Visible Reject Ratio, Stability, and a Quasi‐Invisible Functionality Based on Lift‐Off Vertical (Al,Ga)N Nanowires
Authors: Jiang Min , Zhang Jianya , Yang Wenxian , Wu Dongmin , Zhao Yukun , Wu Yuanyuan , Zhou Min , Lu Shulong
Published: April 2022

Flexible self‐powered ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) with an invisible functionality are essential but challenging to be fabricated for the applications of next‐generation optoelectronic devices. In this work, a flexible photoelectrochemical (PEC) (Al,Ga)N PD with three excellent characteristics, which are the ultrahigh UV/visible reject ratio, ultrahigh detectivity, and transmissivity, is proposed and demonstrated successfully. By numerical simulations, it is also found that the cross‐sectional absorption area should be a nonignorable factor affecting the photogenerated current under bending states. After continuous long‐time working or preserving, the PD performance can keep quite stable. Thanks to the pretty thin bending section of GaN connecting layer, the piezoelectric charges generated by stress are proposed to have only a limited effect in the energy band and photocurrent density. Therefore, when bending or twisting the PD at a high degree for many times, both the stable on‐off switching characteristics and photocurrent densities can still be achieved. With the demonstrated ultrahigh detectivity and stability of flexibility, this PD would enable a broad range of optoelectronic applications, including omnidirectional UV detection and wearable intelligent sensors.
Solid‐State Fluorescence of Excited‐State Cation–Anion Intermolecular Proton Transfer in 2‐(2‐Hydroxypyridyl)benzothiazole
Authors: Takahashi Keigo , Sambe Kohei , Kasahara Yotaro , Takeda Takashi , Hoshino Norihisa , Sakai Ken‐ichi , Akutagawa Tomoyuki
Published: April 2022

A basic pyridyl unit is introduced to the excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) of 2‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole fluorescent molecule, forming 2‐(2‐hydroxypyridyl)benzothiazole (1). The formation of the proton‐transferred H1+•X− salts is confirmed in X− = Cl−, Br−, BF4−, and CF3COO− (trifluoroacetate, TFA−) wherein the highly acidic HX species are easily transferred to the pyridyl unit of 1. Normal ESIPT fluorescence is observed in H1+•BF4− crystals as the ESIPT active intramolecular O−H•••N= hydrogen‐bonding conformation (Stokes shift ≈ 8500 cm−1). In contrast, the H1+•Cl−, H1−•Br−, and H1+•TFA− salts exhibit an ESIPT inert structure without any intramolecular O−H•••N= hydrogen‐bonding structure (Stokes shift ≈ 9500 cm−1), which could not be sufficiently explained by normal ESIPT fluorescence. The excited‐state monoprotonated H1+ exhibits an intermolecular cation–anion proton transfer from N−H+•••X− to N•••HX, which transforms the cationic H1+ to neutral 1, and exhibits intense green fluorescence with a large Stokes shift.
Evidence of a 2D Electron Gas in a Single‐Unit‐Cell of Anatase TiO2 (001)
Authors: Troglia Alessandro , Bigi Chiara , Vobornik Ivana , Fujii Jun , Knez Daniel , Ciancio Regina , Dražić Goran , Fuchs Marius , Sante Domenico Di , Sangiovanni Giorgio , Rossi Giorgio , Orgiani Pasquale , Panaccione Giancarlo
Published: April 2022

The formation and the evolution of electronic metallic states localized at the surface, commonly termed 2D electron gas (2DEG), represents a peculiar phenomenon occurring at the surface and interface of many transition metal oxides (TMO). Among TMO, titanium dioxide (TiO2), particularly in its anatase polymorph, stands as a prototypical system for the development of novel applications related to renewable energy, devices and sensors, where understanding the carrier dynamics is of utmost importance. In this study, angle‐resolved photo‐electron spectroscopy (ARPES) and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) are used, supported by density functional theory (DFT), to follow the formation and the evolution of the 2DEG in TiO2 thin films. Unlike other TMO systems, it is revealed that, once the anatase fingerprint is present, the 2DEG in TiO2 is robust and stable down to a single‐unit‐cell, and that the electron filling of the 2DEG increases with thickness and eventually saturates. These results prove that no critical thickness triggers the occurrence of the 2DEG in anatase TiO2 and give insight in formation mechanism of electronic states at the surface of TMO.
Strain‐Induced Large Anomalous Nernst Effect in Polycrystalline Co2MnGa/AlN Multilayers
Authors: Wang Jian , Lau Yong‐Chang , Zhou Weinan , Seki Takeshi , Sakuraba Yuya , Kubota Takahide , Ito Keita , Takanashi Koki
Published: April 2022

The anomalous Nernst effect (ANE), one of the thermoelectric effects in a magnet, is recently attracting growing interest with its potential for the next generation high‐efficiency energy‐harvesting applications. However, the reported thermoelectric conversion efficiencies with ANE are small compared to those with Seebeck effect, which hampers its practical application. Unlike the intensive effort of seeking novel materials with large intrinsic ANE, here a new pathway is proposed to enhance the ANE by exploiting the strain induced in a multilayer structure. A large anomalous Nernst coefficient of 4.9 µV K−1 is achieved for a polycrystalline Co2MnGa/AlN multilayer film deposited on an amorphous substrate, which is larger than 3.8 µV K−1 for a polycrystalline Co2MnGa single layer film. The enhanced ANE is attributed to the effect of interfacial strain on the Seebeck coefficient, which is barely discussed yet. Since the AlN layer is available on any substrate materials, even on a flexible polyimide substrate large ANE is successfully achieved for the Co2MnGa/AlN stack. The findings and demonstration have opened a way to develop the ANE‐based potential applications.
Two‐scale continuum model for simulation of acid fracturing in carbonate reservoirs with two main mineral components
Authors: Su Xuhang , Qi Ning , Shi Xiangke , Yang Xiao , Deng Dawei , Li Xiaqing
Published: April 2022

To investigate the morphological changes of acid‐etched fractures during acid fracturing in carbonate reservoirs with different mineral compositions, this article develops acid fracturing mathematical models and numerical simulation methods for pore type carbonate reservoirs based on the classic two‐scale continuum model. Practically, these morphological changes of fractures are quantified by characterizing the porosity variation, and different acid‐rock reaction models are built for dolomite and calcite. Compared with physical simulation, the models proposed in the study are accurate in simulating the acid‐etched fracture morphological evolution during acid fracturing. Moreover, efforts are made to evaluate numerical simulation results of acid fracturing in reservoirs with different mineral contents under conditions of different acid pump rates and concentrations. It is recommended to apply higher pump rates and lower acid‐rock reaction rates in reservoirs with higher calcite contents, while lower pump rates and higher acid‐rock reaction rates are recommended for reservoirs with higher dolomite contents.
Automatic data‐driven stoichiometry identification and kinetic modeling framework for homogeneous organic reactions
Authors: Xing Yafeng , Dong Yachao , Goergakis Christos , Zhuang Yu , Zhang Lei , Du Jian , Meng Qingwei
Published: April 2022

Data‐driven and knowledge‐driven methods are two approaches used in studying reaction kinetics. This article proposes a hybrid‐modeling framework for homogeneous synthesis reactions, which combines the advantages of high level of automation in the data‐driven approach and improved accuracy in the knowledge‐driven approach. A constrained enumeration method is proposed to generate possible candidate stoichiometries, and dynamic response surface methodology, target factor analysis, and mass balance are used together for identifying stoichiometries one‐by‐one, without the necessity of an expert‐generated candidate list. Then, the previously screened stoichiometries are formed into different groups that represent candidate reaction systems, and the group (or groups) with the greatest likelihood will be identified, based on kinetic fitting and reaction dynamic criteria. This framework has been demonstrated by several examples of different reaction systems. The true reaction stoichiometries are all correctly identified, and the accurate kinetic models are obtained, showing satisfactory performance of the proposed method.