bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aptamer Molecular Beacon Sensor for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Ochratoxin A
Authors: Yu Hao , Zhao Qiang
Published: November 2022

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a carcinogenic fungal secondary metabolite which causes wide contamination in a variety of food stuffs and environments and has a high risk to human health. Developing a rapid and sensitive method for OTA detection is highly demanded in food safety, environment monitoring, and quality control. Here, we report a simple molecular aptamer beacon (MAB) sensor for rapid OTA detection. The anti-OTA aptamer has a fluorescein (FAM) labeled at the 5′ end and a black hole quencher (BHQ1) labeled at the 3′ end. The specific binding of OTA induced a conformational transition of the aptamer from a random coil to a duplex–quadruplex structure, which brought FAM and BHQ1 into spatial proximity causing fluorescence quenching. Under the optimized conditions, this aptamer sensor enabled OTA detection in a wide dynamic concentration range from 3.9 nM to 500 nM, and the detection limit was about 3.9 nM OTA. This method was selective for OTA detection and allowed to detect OTA spiked in diluted liquor and corn flour extraction samples, showing the capability for OTA analysis in practical applications.
Tannin in Ruminant Nutrition: Review
Authors: Besharati Maghsoud , Maggiolino Aristide , Palangi Valiollah , Kaya Adem , Jabbar Muhammad , Eseceli Hüseyin , De Palo Pasquale , Lorenzo Jose M.
Published: November 2022

Tannins are polyphenols characterized by different molecular weights that plants are able to synthetize during their secondary metabolism. Macromolecules (proteins, structural carbohydrates and starch) can link tannins and their digestion can decrease. Tannins can be classified into two groups: hydrolysable tannins and condensed tannins. Tannins are polyphenols, which can directly or indirectly affect intake and digestion. Their ability to bind molecules and form complexes depends on the structure of polyphenols and on the macromolecule involved. Tannins have long been known to be an “anti-nutritional agent” in monogastric and poultry animals. Using good tannins’ proper application protocols helped the researchers observe positive effects on the intestinal microbial ecosystem, gut health, and animal production. Plant tannins are used as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics, and many factors have been described by researchers which contribute to the variability in their efficiencies. The objective of this study was to review the literature about tannins, their effects and use in ruminant nutrition.
Highly Effective Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitters Based on Symmetry and Asymmetry Nicotinonitrile Derivatives
Authors: Choi Min Gyeong , Lee Chan Hee , Adachi Chihaya , Lee Sae Youn
Published: November 2022

In this study, we developed two thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters, ICzCN and ICzCYP, to apply to organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). These emitters involve indolocarbazole (ICz) donor units and nicotinonitrile acceptor units with a twisted donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) structure for small singlet (S1) and triplet (T1) state energy gap (ΔEST) to enable efficient exciton transfer from the T1 to the S1 state. Depending on the position of the cyano-substituent, ICzCN has a symmetric structure by introducing donor units at the 3,5-position of isonicotinonitrile, and ICzCYP has an asymmetric structure by introducing donor units at the 2,6-position of nicotinonitrile. These emitters have different properties, such as the maximum luminance (Lmax) value. The Lmax of ICzCN reached over 10000 cd m−2. The external quantum efficiency (ηext) was 14.8% for ICzCN and 14.9% for ICzCYP, and both achieved a low turn-on voltage (Von) of less than 3.4 eV.
Facile Synthesis of Some Coumarin Derivatives and Their Cytotoxicity through VEGFR2 and Topoisomerase II Inhibition
Authors: Gomaa Mohamed S. , Ali Ibrahim A. I. , El Enany Gaber , El Ashry El Sayed H. , El Rayes Samir M. , Fathalla Walid , Ahmed Abdulghany H. A. , Abubshait Samar A. , Abubshait Haya A. , Nafie Mohamed S.
Published: November 2022

Novel semisynthetic coumarin derivatives were synthesized to be developed as chemotherapeutic anticancer agents through topoisomerase II, VEGFR2 inhibition that leads to apoptotic cancer cell death. The coumarin amino acids and dipeptides derivatives were prepared by the reaction of coumarin-3-carboxylic acid with amino acid methyl esters following the N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) method and 1-hydroxy-benzotriazole (HOBt), as coupling reagents. The synthesized compounds were screened towards VEGFR2, and topoisomerase IIα proteins to highlight their binding affinities and virtual mechanism of binding. Interestingly, compounds 4k (Tyr) and 6c (β-Ala-L-Met) shared the activity towards the three proteins by forming the same interactions with the key amino acids, such as the co-crystallized ligands. Both compounds 4k and 6c exhibited potent cytotoxic activities against MCF-7 cells with IC50 values of 4.98 and 5.85 µM, respectively causing cell death by 97.82 and 97.35%, respectively. Validating the molecular docking studies, both compounds demonstrated promising VEGFR-2 inhibition with IC50 values of 23.6 and 34.2 µM, compared to Sorafenib (30 µM) and topoisomerase-II inhibition with IC50 values of 4.1 and 8.6 µM compared to Doxorubicin (9.65 µM). Hence, these two promising compounds could be further tested as effective and selective target-oriented active agents against cancer.
Boron Trifluoride Etherate Promoted Regioselective 3-Acylation of Indoles with Anhydrides
Authors: Zheng Yunyun , Li Jiuling , Wei Kai
Published: November 2022

An efficient, high-yielding and scalable procedure for the regioselective 3-acylation of indoles with anhydrides promoted by boron trifluoride etherate under mild conditions was reported. This novel protocol provided a simple way to prepare 3-(benzofuran-2-yl) indole in three steps.
Design, Synthesis, Characterization, and Molluscicidal Activity Screening of New Nicotinonitrile Derivatives against Land Snails, M. cartusiana
Authors: Maaroof Hend M. A. , Albogami Bander , Abou-Elkhair Reham A. I. , Hassan Abdalla E. A. , Al-Akhrasy Fatma I. , El-Massry Salem A. A. , Fayad Eman , Ahmed Hamzah H. , Zaki Islam
Published: November 2022

A new series of nicotinonitrile derivatives 2–7 was designed and synthesized from the starting material (E)-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (1) to assess their molluscicidal activity. The newly synthesized nicotinonitrile compounds 2–7 were characterized based on FTIR, 1H-NMR, and 13C-APT NMR spectra as well as elemental microanalyses. The target compounds 2–7 were screened for their toxicity effect against M. cartusiana land snails and were compared to Acetamiprid as a reference compound. The results demonstrated that the nicotinonitrile-2-thiolate salts 4a and 4b had good mortality compared with that of Acetamiprid. The results of the in vivo effect of the prepared nicotinonitrile molecules 2, 4a, and 4b on biochemical parameters, including AChE, ALT, AST, and TSP, indicated a reduction in the level of AChE and TSP as well as an increase in the concentration of transaminases (ALT and AST). A histopathological study of the digestive gland sections of the M. cartusiana land snails was carried out. The nicotinonitrile-2-thiolate salts 4a,b showed vacuolization, causing the digestive gland to lose its function. It could be concluded that the water-soluble nicotinonitrile-2-thiolate salts 4a,b could be adequate molluscicidal molecules against M. cartusiana land snails.
Physicochemical Properties and Functional Characteristics of Ecologically Extracted Shrimp Chitosans with Different Organic Acids during Demineralization Step
Authors: El-araby Abir , El Ghadraoui Lahsen , Errachidi Faouzi
Published: November 2022

The current study aims to develop eco-friendly and economical chitosans with a wide range of applications using organic acids for shrimp shells demineralization. Chitosan samples were extracted from shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) shells and the demineralization step was performed with three organic acids (citric, acetic, and lactic) and two mineral acids (hydrochloric and sulfuric). The chitosans were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chitosans’ physicochemical properties were also determined. The characteristic bands and functional groups of the chitosans were identified by FTIR spectra. The chitosans’ crystallinity order was as follows: ChHCl > ChCitric > ChH2SO4 > ChLactic > ChAcetic. The chitosans’ morphological characteristics revealed a smooth surface and fibrous structures with pores. Chitosans extracted by organic acids showed the highest extraction yields. ChHCl and ChCitric had higher degrees of deacetylation values; 83.67% and 81.47%, respectively. The solubility was proportional to the degree of deacetylation. Furthermore, ChH2SO4 and ChCitric had lower molecular weight values; 149 kDa and 183 kDa, respectively. Organic acids are as effective as mineral acids for shrimp shells demineralization. The developed process opens up possibilities to produce chitin and chitosan in a more eco-friendly way and at a lower cost in many industrial sectors.
Steric and Electronic Effects in N-Heterocyclic Carbene Gold(III) Complexes: An Experimental and Computational Study
Authors: Rosero-Mafla Miguel A. , Zapata-Rivera Jhon , Gimeno M. Concepción , Visbal Renso
Published: November 2022

A series of neutral acridine-based gold(III)-NHC complexes containing the pentafluorophenyl (–C6F5) group were synthesized. All of the complexes were fully characterized by analytical techniques. The square planar geometry around the gold center was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis for complexes 1 (Trichloro [1-methyl-3-(9-acridine)imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(III)) and 2 (Chloro-bis(pentafluorophenyl)[1-methyl-3-(9-acridine)imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(III)). In both cases, the acridine rings play a key role in the crystal packing of the solid structures by mean of π–π stacking interactions, with centroid–centroid and interplanar distances being similar to those found in other previously reported acridine-based Au(I)-NHC complexes. A different reactivity when using a bulkier N-heterocyclic carbene ligand such as 1,3-bis-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2-imidazolidinylidene (SIPr) was observed. While the use of the acridine-based NHC ligand led to the expected organometallic gold(III) species, the steric hindrance of the bulky SIPr ligand led to the formation of the corresponding imidazolinium cation stabilized by the tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)aurate(III) [Au(C6F5)4]− anion. Computational experiments were carried out in order to figure out the ground state electronic structure and the binding formation energy of the complexes and, therefore, to explain the observed reactivity.
PLGA-Lipid Hybrid Nanoparticles for Overcoming Paclitaxel Tolerance in Anoikis-Resistant Lung Cancer Cells
Authors: Pramual Sasivimon , Lirdprapamongkol Kriengsak , Atjanasuppat Korakot , Chaisuriya Papada , Niamsiri Nuttawee , Svasti Jisnuson
Published: November 2022

Drug resistance and metastasis are two major obstacles to cancer chemotherapy. During metastasis, cancer cells can survive as floating cells in the blood or lymphatic circulatory system, due to the acquisition of resistance to anoikis—a programmed cell death activated by loss of extracellular matrix attachment. The anoikis-resistant lung cancer cells also develop drug resistance. In this study, paclitaxel-encapsulated PLGA-lipid hybrid nanoparticles (PLHNPs) were formulated by nanoprecipitation combined with self-assembly. The paclitaxel-PLHNPs had an average particle size of 103.0 ± 1.6 nm and a zeta potential value of −52.9 mV with the monodisperse distribution. Cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles was evaluated in A549 human lung cancer cells cultivated as floating cells under non-adherent conditions, compared with A549 attached cells. The floating cells exhibited anoikis resistance as shown by a lack of caspase-3 activation, in contrast to floating normal epithelial cells. Paclitaxel tolerance was evident in floating cells which had an IC50 value of 418.56 nM, compared to an IC50 value of 7.88 nM for attached cells. Paclitaxel-PLHNPs significantly reduced the IC50 values in both attached cells (IC50 value of 0.11 nM, 71.6-fold decrease) and floating cells (IC50 value of 1.13 nM, 370.4-fold decrease). This report demonstrated the potential of PLHNPs to improve the efficacy of the chemotherapeutic drug paclitaxel, for eradicating anoikis-resistant lung cancer cells during metastasis.
Advances in the Understanding of Two-Pore Domain TASK Potassium Channels and Their Potential as Therapeutic Targets
Authors: Fan Xueming , Lu Yongzhi , Du Guizhi , Liu Jin
Published: November 2022

TWIK-related acid-sensitive K+ (TASK) channels, including TASK-1, TASK-3, and TASK-5, are important members of the two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channel family. TASK-5 is not functionally expressed in the recombinant system. TASK channels are very sensitive to changes in extracellular pH and are active during all membrane potential periods. They are similar to other K2P channels in that they can create and use background-leaked potassium currents to stabilize resting membrane conductance and repolarize the action potential of excitable cells. TASK channels are expressed in both the nervous system and peripheral tissues, including excitable and non-excitable cells, and are widely engaged in pathophysiological phenomena, such as respiratory stimulation, pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmia, aldosterone secretion, cancers, anesthesia, neurological disorders, glucose homeostasis, and visual sensitivity. Therefore, they are important targets for innovative drug development. In this review, we emphasized the recent advances in our understanding of the biophysical properties, gating profiles, and biological roles of TASK channels. Given the different localization ranges and biologically relevant functions of TASK-1 and TASK-3 channels, the development of compounds that selectively target TASK-1 and TASK-3 channels is also summarized based on data reported in the literature.
Transverse Anderson Localization Enhancement for Low-Filling-Rate Glass–Air Disordered Fibers by Optimizing the Diameter of Air Holes
Authors: Zhao Jiajia , Zhao Yali , He Changbang , Zhang Jinshuai , Mao Yiyu , Cai Wangyang , Luo Haimei
Published: November 2022

We demonstrate a method to enhance the transverse Anderson localization (TAL) effect of the glass–air disordered optical fiber (G-DOF) by adjusting the number and diameter of air holes. This method does not need to enlarge the air-filling fraction of G-DOF, leading to the mitigation of fabrication complexity. By choosing the appropriate diameter and number of air holes, the average localized beam radius of G-DOF with the highest air-filling fraction of 30% can be successfully reduced by 18%. Moreover, the proposed method is always functional for the situations of the air-filling fraction lower than 50%. We also identify that, under the same air-filling fraction, a larger number of air holes in the G-DOF leads to the smaller standard deviation of the corresponding localized beam radius, indicating a stable fiber structure. The results will provide new guidance on the G-DOF design.
Hand-Held Optoacoustic System for the Localization of Mid-Depth Blood Vessels
Authors: Or Zohar , Levi Ahiad R. , Hazan Yoav , Rosenthal Amir
Published: November 2022

The ability to rapidly locate blood vessels in patients is important in many clinical applications, e.g., in catheterization procedures. Optical techniques, including visual inspection, generally suffer from a reduced performance at depths below 1 mm, while ultrasound and optoacoustic tomography are better suited to a typical depth on the scale of 1 cm and require an additional spacer between the tissue and transducer in order to image the superficial structures at the focus plane. For this work, we developed a hand-held optoacoustic probe, designed for localizing blood vessels from the contact point down to a depth of 1 cm, without the use of a spacer. The probe employs a flat lens-free ultrasound array, enabling a largely depth-independent response down to a depth of 1 cm, at the expense of low elevational resolution. Specifically, while in lens-based probes, the acoustic signals from outside the focal region suffer from distortion, in our probe, only the amplitude of the signal varies with depth, thus leading to an imaging quality that is largely depth-independent in the imaged region. To facilitate miniaturization, dark-field illumination is used, whereby light scattering from the tissue is exploited to homogenize the sensitivity field.
Wavelength-Independent Correlation Detection of Aberrations Based on a Single Spatial Light Modulator
Authors: Stsepuro Nikita , Kovalev Michael , Zlokazov Evgenii , Kudryashov Sergey
Published: November 2022

The cumulative achievements in the fields of science and technology have allowed us to substantially approach the solution of the phase problem in optics. Among all phasometric methods, single-beam methods are the most promising, since they are more variable and versatile. Single-beam methods are based either on the analysis of the intensity distribution, as is conducted by interferometers and wavefront sensors, or on the transformation of the phase into an intensity distribution due to spatial filtering, as is conducted by holographic methods. However, all these methods have the problem of working with polychromatic radiation and require spectral filters to process such radiation. This paper presents a new approach to the synthesis of Fourier holograms used in holographic wavefront sensors that make it possible to create achromatic elements and work with white light without the use of additional filters. The approach was numerically and experimentally verified.
Deformation Measurement of a SS304 Stainless Steel Sheet Using Digital Image Correlation Method
Authors: Jain Appurva , Mishra Abhishek , Tiwari Vikrant , Singh Gurminder , Singh Ravinder Pal , Singh Sunpreet
Published: November 2022

The digital image correlation (DIC) method is widely used in deformation measurements as it has the advantages of being a non-contact, high precision method that provides full field measurements, and requires simple experimental equipment. Traditionally, the grayscale speckle patterns captured by a monochromatic camera are used in the DIC method. With the growing development of consumer color cameras, there is great potential for developing color information in the DIC method. This paper proposes a displacement- and stress–strain-invariant DIC deformation measurement method based on the integer-pixel matching approach for speckle patterns during a tension test. For the integer-pixel matching stage, the load and displacement and stress–strain-invariant histories feature is used to estimate the initial value of the deformation parameters. In addition, this paper proposes a reverse retrieve strategy, instead of a forward search, to reduce the search time. Experiments show that the proposed DIC deformation measurement approach is not only capable of displacement invariance measurement, with robustness and high efficiency, but also that the average accuracy of the stress–strain result can reach 0.1%.
Polystyrene-Based Single-Ion Conducting Polymer Electrolyte for Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Voropaeva Daria , Novikova Svetlana , Trofimenko Nikolay , Yaroslavtsev Andrey
Published: November 2022

Lithium metal batteries are one of the more promising replacements for lithium-ion batteries owing to their ability to reach high energy densities. The main problem limiting their commercial application is the formation of dendrites, which significantly reduces their durability and renders the batteries unsafe. In the present work, we used a single-ion conducting gel polymer electrolyte based on a poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)-block-polystyrene (SEBS) block copolymer, which was functionalized with benzenesulfonylimide anions and plasticized by a mixture of ethylene carbonate and dimethylacetamide (SSEBS-Ph-EC-DMA), with a solvent uptake of 160% (~12 solvent molecules per one functional group of the membrane). The SSEBS-Ph-EC-DMA electrolyte exhibits an ionic conductivity of 0.6 mSm∙cm−1 at 25 °C and appears to be a cationic conductor (TLi+ = 0.72). SSEBS-Ph-EC-DMA is electrochemically stable up to 4.1 V. Symmetrical Li|Li cells; further, with regard to SSEBS-Ph-EC-DMA membrane electrolytes, it showed a good performance (~0.10 V at first cycles and <0.23 V after 700 h of cycling at ±0.1 mA∙cm−2 and ±0.05 mAh∙cm−2). The LiFePO4|SSEBS-Ph-EC-DMA|Li battery showed discharge capacity values of 100 mAh∙g−1 and a 100% Coulomb efficiency, at a cycling rate of 0.1C.
Leaching Behavior of the Main Metals from Copper Anode Slime during the Pretreatment Stage of the Kaldor Furnace Smelting Process
Authors: Zeng Hong , Liu Fupeng , Zhou Songlin , Liao Chunfa , Chen Feixiong , Zeng Yanliang
Published: November 2022

The Kaldor furnace smelting process is currently the mainstream process for treating copper anode slime, but the existence of copper, tellurium and other impurities has adverse effects on the recovery of gold and silver during the Kaldor furnace smelting stage. Therefore, it is necessary to pretreat the copper anode slime to remove these impurities before Kaldor furnace reduction smelting. However, the current pretreatment process of copper anode slime generally has the problem of low removal efficiency of copper and tellurium, and little research on the occurrence state of main metals in copper anode slime. Therefore, this study quantitatively determined the phase composition of Cu, Te, Pb, Bi, As, Sb, Se, Ag and Au, and hydrogen peroxide was introduced to enhance the leaching of impurities. The leaching behavior of each metal in copper anode slime was investigated in detail. The results demonstrate that Cu and Te in the copper anode slime mainly exist in the form of CuO and CuSO4 and Te and AuTe2, respectively. More than 99% of the Cu and 97% of the Te were leached out using 250 g/L H2SO4 and 28.8 g/L H2O2 with a leaching pressure of 0.8 MPa at 150 °C for 2 h, while the leaching of Au and Ag was both < 0.03%. The removal of Cu and Te and the enrichment of precious metals were achieved. This study provides a rich theoretical reference for the optimization of the Kaldor furnace process.
Nature-Derived Compounds as Potential Bioactive Leads against CDK9-Induced Cancer: Computational and Network Pharmacology Approaches
Authors: Saikat Abu Saim Mohammad , Al-Khafaji Khattab , Akter Hafeza , Choi Jong-Gu , Hasan Mahbub , Lee Sang-Suk
Published: November 2022

Given the importance of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) in the maintenance of cell development, gene transcription, and other essential biological operations, CDK blockers have been generated to manage a variety of disorders resulting from CDK irregularities. Furthermore, CDK9 has a crucial role in transcription by regulating short-lived anti-apoptotic genes necessary for cancer cell persistence. Addressing CDK9 with blockers has consequently emerged as a promising treatment for cancer. This study scrutinizes the effectiveness of nature-derived compounds (geniposidic acid, quercetin, geniposide, curcumin, and withanolide C) against CDK9 through computational approaches. A molecular docking study was performed after preparing the protein and the ligands. The selected blockers of the CDK9 exerted reliable binding affinities (−8.114 kcal/mol to −13.908 kcal/mol) against the selected protein, resulting in promising candidates compared to the co-crystallized ligand (LCI). The binding affinity of geniposidic acid (−13.908 kcal/mol) to CDK9 is higher than quercetin (−10.775 kcal/mol), geniposide (−9.969 kcal/mol), curcumin (−9.898 kcal/mol), withanolide C (−8.114 kcal/mol), and the co-crystallized ligand LCI (−11.425 kcal/mol). Therefore, geniposidic acid is a promising inhibitor of CDK9. Moreover, the molecular dynamics studies assessed the structure–function relationships and protein–ligand interactions. The network pharmacology study for the selected ligands demonstrated the auspicious compound–target–pathway signaling pathways vital in developing tumor, tumor cell growth, differentiation, and promoting tumor cell progression. Moreover, this study concluded by analyzing the computational approaches the natural-derived compounds that have potential interacting activities against CDK9 and, therefore, can be considered promising candidates for CKD9-induced cancer. To substantiate this study’s outcomes, in vivo research is recommended.
Music Generation System for Adversarial Training Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Min Jun , Liu Zhaoqi , Wang Lei , Li Dongyang , Zhang Maoqing , Huang Yantai
Published: November 2022

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the application of this new technology to music generation has attracted more attention and achieved gratifying results. This study proposes a method for combining the transformer deep-learning model with generative adversarial networks (GANs) to explore a more competitive music generation algorithm. The idea of text generation in natural language processing (NLP) was used for reference, and a unique loss function was designed for the model. The training process solves the problem of a nondifferentiable gradient in generating music. Compared with the problem that LSTM cannot deal with long sequence music, the model based on transformer and GANs can extract the relationship in the notes of long sequence music samples and learn the rules of music composition well. At the same time, the optimized transformer and GANs model has obvious advantages in the complexity of the system and the accuracy of generating notes.
Comprehensive Review of Hydrothermal Pretreatment Parameters Affecting Fermentation and Anaerobic Digestion of Municipal Sludge
Authors: Kakar Farokh Laqa , Tadesse Frew , Elbeshbishy Elsayed
Published: November 2022

Municipal solid waste treatment and disposal have become one of the major concerns in waste management due to the excessive production of waste and higher levels of pollution. To address these challenges and protect the environment in sustainable ways, the hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) technique coupled with anaerobic digestion (AD) becomes a preferred alternative technology that can be used for municipal solid waste stabilization and the production of renewable energy. However, the impact of HTP parameters such as temperature, retention time, pH, and solid content on the fermentation of TWAS is yet to be well studied and analyzed. Hence this study was conducted to review the effect of hydrothermal pretreatment of thickened waste-activated sludge (TWAS) on fermentation and anaerobic digestion processes. Many studies reported that fermentation of TWAS at pretreatment temperature ranges from 160 °C to 180 °C resulted in a 50% increase in volatile fatty acid (VFA) yields compared to no pretreatment. However, for the AD process, HTP in the range of 175 °C to 200 °C with a 30–60 min retention time was considered the optimal condition for higher biogas production, with 30% increase in biodegradability and greater than 55% increase in biogas production. Even though there is a direct relationship between increased HTP temperature and the hydrolysis of TWAS, a pretreatment temperature range beyond 200 °C alters the biogas production. The solid content (SC) of sludge plays a crucial role in HTP, where in practice up to 16% SC has been utilized for HTP. Further, a combined alkaline-HTP enhances the process performance.
New Multi-Leg Converter for DC Microgrid with Two Duty Cycles
Authors: Sagar Bhaskar Mahajan , Almakhles Dhafer
Published: November 2022

In recent times, important contributions and the incorporation of renewable sources, such as photovoltaic, fuel cells, etc., are the main reasons for the popularity of DC microgrids. Integrating renewable sources into the microgrid requires high-voltage, high-efficiency DC-to-DC converters. Without modification, traditional converters are not suitable for achieving the required voltage in microgrid applications, due to the requirement for a large duty cycle, inductor resistance, voltage rating of switches, reverse recovery of the diode, high current rating inductors, etc. Various converters based on the circuitry of voltage multipliers, switched inductors/capacitors, coupled inductors, transformers, etc., have been proposed in the literature and have their drawbacks. In this paper, to realize significant voltage gain with two duty cycle controls, a new multi-leg (ML) converter is recommended as a solution for use in DC microgrids. The converter is designed by incorporating multiple legs into the boost converter. The implications of the proposed converter are reduced device voltage stress, small inductors and capacitors, two-duty cycle control, triple mode operation, single-stage conversion, etc. The proposed converter’s power circuits, mode of operation, and design equations of the converter are presented. The non-ideal model of the proposed converter is discussed, and efficiency is analyzed. The effect of unequal insurance on the operation of the converter is discussed. Comparative studies of converters are provided to draw attention to the benefits of the converter. The results of the experiments are shown to prove that the analysis and performance of the converter are correct. The discontinuous mode of operation and unequal inductance case of the converter are studied with the help of a simulation model.
Estimation of Water Vapor Density in Adiabatic Mixing of Cryogenic Gas and Moist Air
Authors: Shao Xiangyu , Deng Quanwei , Jiang Min , Chen Qiang
Published: November 2022

Concentration distribution is essential for the emergency disposal of cryogenic fuel leakage. In the dispersion process of cryogenic gas, its concentration is greatly influenced by the atmospheric water vapor. The authors have presented an adiabatic mixing model to derive the concentration of the cryogenic gas, in which the value of water vapor density is obtained by referring to the NIST database continuously. However, it is difficult to achieve fast system response times for real-time monitoring systems when calling NIST. Thus, a simple algebraic model of water vapor density with high calculation efficiency is necessary. Based on the detection of temperature and the solution of water vapor partial pressure, a calculation model was developed. For a given initial ambient temperature and relative humidity, the dew point could be solved by Qian’s correlation. By temperature comparisons of the mixture cloud, dew point, and triple point, the water vapor partial pressure can be calculated by the Goff–Gratch formulation. Then, the water vapor density during the temperature declining process can be derived via EOS. The results show that the model has high estimation accuracy, and has a close mean deviationof 0.08%to the IAPWS 95 of 0.03%. The increase in the computation efficiency was confirmed as +67% under nine testing points. The model facilitates the engineering utilization of the adiabatic mixing model for cryogenic fuel leakage monitoring.
Long Non-Coding RNA Expression Profile Alteration Induced by Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in HepG2 Cells
Authors: Shi Jiaqi , Zhang Yi , Ma Ying , Chen Zhangjian , Jia Guang
Published: November 2022

The liver is considered the major target organ affected by oral exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), but the mechanism of hepatotoxicity is not fully understood. This study investigated the effect of TiO2 NPs on the expression profile of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in hepatocytes and tried to understand the potential mechanism of hepatotoxicity through bioinformatics analysis. The human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) were treated with TiO2 NPs at doses of 0–200 μg/mL for 48 h and then RNA sequencing was implemented. The differential lncRNAs between the control and TiO2 NPs-treated groups were screened, then the lncRNA–mRNA network and enrichment pathways were analyzed via multivariate statistics. As a result, 46,759 lncRNAs were identified and 129 differential lncRNAs were screened out. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that the targeted mRNAs of those differential lncRNAs were enriched in the Hedgehog signaling pathway, Vasopressin-regulated water reabsorption, and Glutamatergic synapse. Moreover, two lncRNA–mRNA networks, including lncRNA NONHSAT256380.1-JRK and lncRNA NONHSAT173563.1-SMIM22, were verified by mRNA detection. This study demonstrated that an alteration in the lncRNA expression profile could be induced by TiO2 NPs and epigenetics may play an important role in the mechanism of hepatotoxicity.
Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) Exposure in Smallholder Dairy Cattle in Tanzania
Authors: Bwatota Shedrack Festo , Shirima Gabriel Mkilema , Hernandez-Castro Luis E. , Bronsvoort Barend Mark de Clare , Wheelhouse Nick , Mengele Isaac Joseph , Motto Shabani Kiyabo , Komwihangilo Daniel Mushumbusi , Lyatuu Eliamoni , Cook Elizabeth Anne Jessie
Published: November 2022

Q fever is a zoonotic disease, resulting from infection with Coxiella burnetii. Infection in cattle can cause abortion and infertility, however, there is little epidemiological information regarding the disease in dairy cattle in Tanzania. Between July 2019 and October 2020, a serosurvey was conducted in six high dairy producing regions of Tanzania. Cattle sera were tested for antibodies to C. burnetii using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A mixed effect logistic regression model identified risk factors associated with C. burnetii seropositivity. A total of 79 out of 2049 dairy cattle tested positive with an overall seroprevalence of 3.9% (95% CI 3.06–4.78) across the six regions with the highest seroprevalence in Tanga region (8.21%, 95% CI 6.0–10.89). Risk factors associated with seropositivity included: extensive feeding management (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.25–3.77), and low precipitation below 1000 mm (OR 2.76, 95% 1.37–7.21). The disease seroprevalence is relatively low in the high dairy cattle producing regions of Tanzania. Due to the zoonotic potential of the disease, future efforts should employ a “One Health” approach to understand the epidemiology, and for interdisciplinary control to reduce the impacts on animal and human health.
caso João Alberto
Authors: De Oliveira Barbosa Jeniffer , Morais Xavier Manassés
Published: November 2022

Ancorado na Análise Dialógica do Discurso, doravante ADD, este artigo apresenta uma análise de enunciados concretos de manchetes jornalísticas e do gênero comentário on-line em circulação na rede social Instagram e engendrados a partir de um evento específico, a saber: o caso João Alberto - homem negro morto no mercado Carrefour em novembro de 2020 na cidade de Porto Alegre. Diante do apresentado, nosso objetivo com este estudo é investigar a produção de sentidos nas interações discursivas estabelecidas em páginas jornalísticas no Instagram no tocante às manchetes sobre o caso João Alberto e aos comentários on-line advindos delas. Para tanto, intentando alcançar nosso desígnio, pautamo-nos teoricamente nos pressupostos de Bakhtin (2016; 2015; 2003), Fiorin (2008) Volóchinov (2019), dentre outros. Baseados nesse aporte, realizou-se uma pesquisa de cunho qualitativo (BORTONI-RICARDO, 2008), de base netnográfica (NOVELI 2010; KOZINETS, 2010), uma vez que buscou-se interpretar fenômenos situados em um ambiente on-line. Os resultados dessa pesquisa apontam que o Instagram, enquanto espaço sociocomunicativo, abaliza uma pluralidade de projetos de dizeres sobre o caso João Alberto que se encontram condicionados à filiação verboideológica dos sujeitos discursivos.
uso de poemas brasileiros no ensino de PLE
Authors: Viol Gabriela
Published: November 2022

Considerando a importância do uso de diferentes gêneros textuais no ensino de Português Língua Estrangeira (PLE), este trabalho focalizou a utilização de um gênero literário pouco presente nos materiais contemporâneos de ensino de nossa língua e cultura: o poema. As abordagens e os métodos de ensino de línguas estrangeiras, muitas vezes engessados, devem se flexibilizar e se abrir para a inserção desse gênero no processo de ensino-aprendizagem, pois sua especificidade de forma e conteúdo pode ser um insumo relevante para o desenvolvimento do aprendizado da língua e da cultura alvo pelo aluno estrangeiro. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi demonstrar como alguns poemas podem ser utilizados para trabalhar questões culturais brasileiras de forma crítica e contextualizada. Para isso, selecionamos, na internet, um corpus formado por poemas escritos por autores brasileiros sobre diferentes visões de Brasil no decorrer dos anos. Em seguida, analisamos sua configuração, com especial atenção para seu conteúdo, refletimos como poderiam ser abordados e trabalhados em sala de aula de PLE para promover uma aproximação entre a realidade do estudante estrangeiro e a realidade brasileira. Com as nossas reflexões e pesquisas, percebemos a importância da criação de um material sensível aos alunos e que complemente o livro didático. Além disso, concluímos que os poemas são ricos materiais para trabalhar a partir de uma perspectiva intercultural e para promover um letramento crítico, em que o aluno tem um papel agentivo em seu ensino.
Cenografias do trabalho docente no manual do professor de língua portuguesa
Authors: Rodrigues da Trindade Rosinélio
Published: November 2022

Este artigo busca compreender as cenografias do trabalho docente no manual do professor (MDP) e o ethos didático, por ele em evidência, nas propostas pedagógicas apresentadas como condição de êxito do dia a dia da sala de aula. O enfoque oportuniza uma abordagem iconotextual discursivamente constituída na materialidade visual e textual do MDP alinhado às perspectivas teóricas e metodológicas da Análise do discurso francesa, a partir das contribuições de Dominique Maingueneau (2020; 2015; 2013), especificamente no que concerne as noções de cenografia e ethos discursivo. O objeto de estudo são os MDP do 6º e 9º ano da coleção Português linguagens de William Roberto Cereja e Tereza Cochar Magalhães, 5ª edição reformulada, ano 2009, aprovada no edital do PNLD 2011, que chamou atenção pelo grande número de adesões nas escolas urbanas do município de Cametá-Pará, A pesquisa mostra que o MDP, assim como o livro didático direcionado ao aluno, são instrumentos de apoio pedagógico que exercem forte influência sobre o dia a dia escolar do professor e que por isso, precisa reafirmar constantemente seu caráter pedagógico nesse contexto pela aderência de um ethos didático de referência.
Avaliação escolar em tempos de pandemia: possibilidades e incontingências
Authors: Luczkiewicz da Silva Natália
Published: November 2022

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo verificar como os professores de Língua Portuguesa estão realizando o processo avaliativo de seus alunos, nesse cenário de aulas remotas, ocasionadas em decorrência da pandemia da COVID-19. A pesquisa é de cunho qualitativo, cujo principal instrumento de coleta de dados foi o questionário elaborado pelas pesquisadoras. O corpus da pesquisa é composto pela resposta de um questionário composto por treze perguntas que se dividem em objetivas e subjetivas, aplicadas a três professoras, de Língua Portuguesa, que atuam na rede pública de ensino básico, na cidade de Bom Conselho – Pernambuco. Os aportes teóricos utilizados foram Bortoni-Ricardo (2008), Sant´anna (2014), Sordi e Ludke (2009), Luckesi (2005), entre outros. A partir da análise dos dados, observamos que as três professoras que participaram da pesquisa mostraram-se preocupadas em como avaliar os seus alunos de modo que não os prejudicassem. Observamos, pois, que mesmo diante de todos os desafios enfrentados pelas professoras e pelos alunos, as docentes mostraram-se satisfeitas em relação a sua forma de atuação e ao aproveitamento estudantil, conscientes de que a avaliação se dá através de um processo contínuo, não apenas como forma de medir o conhecimento de outrem.
An Intertextual Reading of the Politics of storytelling in The Edible Woman, Surfacing, The Handmaid’s Tale and Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
Authors: D’antonio Carla Scarano
Published: November 2022

My article explores how Margaret Atwood deconstructs dichotomous visions of women and proposes a reconstruction of women’s identity in the dominant socio political context, suggesting alternative aesthetic systems. This implies self-knowledge and acceptance of both the good and the bad side of their identity; the acknowledgement of this reality is required in order to survive. This acknowledgement engages the readers in a process of critical thinking about the world that surrounds them, that is, a world of language, though the story also refers to a ‘real’ world where things have happened and might occur again. Atwood’s technique of both referring to a physical world and revisiting myths, fairy tales and literary classics gives space to a rethinking of the rules and roles of the dominant society. At the same time, it questions the readers’ position in this world as well as power relations in society.
Invisible Gender Inequality in Rural China: Exploring the Reasons for Son Preference and Daughter Preference
Authors: Zhang Huimin
Published: November 2022

Son preference seems to be disappearing in the current discursive environment, replaced by the emergence of daughter preference in social communication. Different from previous studies of son preference in China that focus on quantitative data, this paper is based on an ethnographic study of a remote rural village in Shanxi Province, China. Through the use of participant observation, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews, the paper concludes that patriarchal systems persist, and son preference develops dynamically. Among others, the author concludes that (1) the patriarchal system is a necessary foundation for the existence of son preference, (2) the concealment of son preference is an aftereffect of gender reproductive selection and a major variable of marital stress, and (3) daughter preference is a variant of traditional gender expectations.
Boosting human Insight by Cooperative AI: Foundations of Shannon-Neumann Logic
Authors: Siregar Edouard
Published: November 2022

We present the logical foundation of an artificial intelligence (AI) capable of dealing with complex dynamic challenges, that would be very hard to handled using traditional approaches (e.g. predicate logic and deep learning). The AI is based on a cooperative questioning game, to boost insight. Insight gains are measured by information, probability, uncertainty (Shannon), as well as utility (von Neumann). The framework is a two-person cooperative iterated Q&A game, in which both players (human, AI agent) benefit (positive-sum): the human player gains insight and the AI player learns to improve its suggestions. Generally speaking, valuable insight is typically gained by asking ’good’ questions about the ’right’ topic, at the ’appropriate’ time and place: by posing insightful questions. In this study, we propose a logical and mathematical framework, for the meanings of ’good, right, appropriate’, within clearly-defined classes of human intentions.
Analisis Efektivitas Belanja Modal pada Dinas PU Bina Marga dan Cipta Karya Balai Pengelolaan Jalan Wilayah Magelang
Authors: Rahayu Widiya Sri , Bharata Risma Wira
Published: November 2022

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui tingkat efektivitas belanja modal pada Balai Pengelolaan Jalan Wilayah Magelang bulan Januari – Desember 2019. Manfaat penelitian ini yaitu agar DPU Bina Marga dan Cipta Karya Balai Pengelolaan Jalan Wilayah Magelang dapat lebih mengefektifkan belanja modal ditahun selanjutnya. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini menggunakan penelitian kuanlitatif deskriptif dan data penelitian ini menggunakan sumber data sekunder. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa tingkat efektivitas belanja modal pada Balai Pengelolaan Jalan bulan Januari sampai bulan Oktober tidak efektif tetapi mengalami kenaikan Setiap bulannya. Pada bulan November yaitu 60,2% mengalami kenaikan yang drastis menjadikan tingkat keefektivitas menjadi cukup efektif dan pada bulan Desember 99,9 % yang dikatakan sangat efektif.
Integrasi E-procurement Pada Aplikasi SAP Krakatau Bandar Samudera Mengunakan Service Oriented Architecture
Authors: Megayanti Anita , Hendriyati Penny
Published: November 2022

Eprocurement adalah sistem procurement berbasis web yang merupakan bagian dari sistem logistik dimulai dari e-registrasi vendor, Pengelolaan  purchase requistion hingga proses draft purchase order. E-procurement ini berjalan dibawah sistem logistik, dimana sistem logistik berada pada aplikasi SAP karakatau Bandara samudera. Melihat hal tersebut maka dibutuhkan pengintegrasian antara sistem eprocurement dengan aplikasi SAP agar saling berkomunikasi dalam pertukaran data. Dalam proses integrasi eprocurement dan aplikasi SAP maka peneliti menggunakan metode service oriented architecture (SOA) yang bertujuan untuk mengotomasikan proses bisnis yang berhubungan dengan procurement / pengadaan. Metode SOA merupakan salah satu cara perancangan aplikasi dengan mengunakan komponen sistem yang ada dilakukan dengan cara permasalahan terbagi menjadi beberapa service serta berfungsi mengintegrasikan sistem yang berbeda tetapi lebih mudah beradaptasi dengan perubahan environment, selain itu juga lebih efektif dan efesien. SOA ini diterapkan karena eprocurement berbasis web sedangkan aplikasi SAP berbasis desktop sehingga memudahkan dalam pertukaran data yang memiliki perbedaan platform.
Kemajuan Teknologi Modern untuk Kemanusiaan dan Memastikan Desain dengan Memanfaatkan Sumber Tradisional
Authors: Harriguna Taqwa , Wahyuningsih Tri
Published: November 2022

Ada kepentingan mendesak di dunia Muslim untuk berpartisipasi pada aktivitas yang lebih luas pemikiran religius mengenai prinsip teknologi modern dalam rancangan menanggapi tantangan yang diangkat oleh paradigma teknologi terbaru. Dampak dan penggunaan tentang pemahaman teknologi modern tidak mampu dibatasi . Hal ini jauh kian meresap sebab itu mengkondisikan ide, menciptakan sasaran dan hasrat kita. Demi mengukur teknologi modern dari dalam kerangka etika Islam dan merancang paradigma Islam, hal ini sangat penting dengan cara memandang kritis intelektual, spiritual, sosial, moral, dan lingkungan dari dunia teknologi pascamodernisme kontemporer. Untuk wawasan holistik dan peningkatan teknologi yang bermoral ketabahan beserta kepatutan praktis untuk menanggapi persoalan kontemporer(kontemporer) dihasilkan oleh teknologi yang miskin secara spiritual dan moral. Maqasid al-syari’ah menyediakan sumber yang berfaedah. Muslim harus meninjau kembali gagasan-gagasan tradisional mereka mengenai kemaslahatan / kebaikan (ma?la?ah) dan memanfaatkan etika-agama yang mendasar ini. Rancangan pengembangan teknologi yang berfaedah oleh umat manusia, karena teknologi modern diresapi melalui konsepsinya sendiri tentang kehidupan yang baik. Problematika dalam konteks Islam adalah bagaimana kebutuhan manusia (ma?la?ah) dalam diskusi religio legal dapat berhadapan dengan himpunan nilai teknologi. Ahli hukum Muslim, kapan menilai teknologi modern, kerap kali memanfaatkan pepatah yang mendeskripsikan optimis prediksi teknologi tatkala mencapai kesuksesan manusia. Hal ini mengakibatkan kebanyakan mereka menafsirkan kemaslahatan manusia (ma?la?ah) dalam rangka teknologi dan mengeluarkan fatwa. Hal ini membuat mereka menerima pendekatan partikularistik terhadap dampak dari teknologi modern tanpa memikirkan efek yang mungkin ditimbulkan oleh teknologi modern kehidupan Muslim. Pada artikel ini dikemukakan bahwa filosofi-kritis yang kontekstual pertimbangan teknologi modern menggambarkan salah satu prasyarat untuk mendefinisikan apa mewujudkan kepentingan manusiawi yang kredibel (ma?la?ah). Ini dapat dilakukan serta memperluas ruang lingkup tujuan Islam (maqashid al-syari’ah) untuk menyisipkan kritis ceramah. Ini mengaitkan tindakan hermeneutik rangkap selang (waktu) Islam konsepsi kebaikan manusia (ma?la?ah) dan persepsi kontekstual aksiologis masalah selama model perkembangan teknologi.