bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of Zooplankton along the Romanian Black Sea Coastline: Temporal Variation, Community Structure, and Environmental Drivers
Authors: Bișinicu Elena , Lazăr Luminița , Timofte Florin
Published: September 2023

Between 2013 and 2020, a total of 27 distinct zooplankton taxa, encompassing both holoplanktonic and meroplanktonic organisms spanning different classes and orders, were successfully identified along the Romanian Black Sea coastline. The seasonal dispersion patterns of these zooplankton taxa revealed a notable augmentation in species identification during the warmer periods, contrasting with reduced zooplankton diversity during the colder seasons. This phenomenon was underscored by the outcomes of SIMPER analysis, which highlighted that copepods, meroplankton, and cladocerans predominantly contributed to the community structure during warmer seasons. In contrast, during colder seasons, cladocerans were scarcely represented, and the density levels of copepods and meroplankton were diminished. From a quantitative perspective, the dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans, exhibited its highest density and biomass during the warm season, with a relatively lower representation during colder periods. The variation in the abundance of zooplankton was closely linked to changes in salinity and temperature, culminating in noticeable fluctuations, which were particularly evident during the cold season. During this period, the values of zooplankton abundance were notably lower compared to those observed in the warmer season. The comprehension of zooplankton dynamics stands as a critical facet for assessing biodiversity, monitoring ecosystem well-being, and guiding conservation endeavours.
A Review of Ixodid Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Associated with Lacerta spp. (Reptilia: Lacertidae) from the Caucasus and Adjacent Territory
Authors: Orlova Maria V. , Doronin Igor V. , Doronina Marina A. , Anisimov Nikolay V.
Published: September 2023

Based on a literature review, as well as on our own data, 14 ixodid tick species belonging to 5 genera were registered for the lizard hosts of the genus Lacerta (L. agilis, L. media, and L. strigata) in the Caucasus and the adjacent territories: Haemaphysalis sulcata, Haem. punctata, Haem. parva, Haem. caucasica, Haem. concinna, Haem. inermis, Ixodes ricinus, I. redikorzevi, Dermacentor marginatus, D. reticulatus, Hyalomma marginatum, Rhipicephalus bursa, Rh. rossicum, and Rh. turanicum. Tick species Haem. caucasica were recorded from Armenia for the first time. Our findings of Haem. punctata represent the first record of this species for Chechnya, Ingushetia (Russia), Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Most of the parasite species are associated with L. agilis (13) and L. strigata (12); L. media is a host of 6 tick species. Data on the infestation of Lacerta spp. by four tick species from our material (I. ricinus, Haem. punctata, Haem. caucasica, and Hyal. marginatum) are presented in the article. In addition, our article contains information on the range of infections associated with the above tick species. Castor bean tick I. ricinus (236 specimens), the most represented species in our collection, parasitizes all available terrestrial vertebrates including humans and can be vector of many various pathogens, so our study provides significant epidemiological information.
Feasibility of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer Patients with Axillary Conversion after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy—A Single-Tertiary Centre Experience and Review of the Literature
Authors: Lazar Alexandra Maria , Mutuleanu Mario-Demian , Spiridon Paula Monica , Bordea Cristian Ioan , Suta Tatiana Lucia , Blidaru Alexandru , Gherghe Mirela
Published: September 2023

(1) Introduction: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is widely used in breast cancer patients who undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), replacing axillary lymph node dissection. While commonly accepted for cN0 patients, its role in cN1/2 patients remains controversial. Our study aims to investigate the role of SLNB in BC patients who underwent prior NAC and compare our results to those of other studies presented in the literature. (2) Materials and methods: Our retrospective study included 102 breast cancer patients who received NAC before 99mTc-albumin Nanocolloid SLN mapping and SLNB was performed, completed or not with axillary dissection. A review based on the PRISMA statement was also carried out, encompassing 20 studies. (3) Results: The lymphoscintigraphy performed after the administration of NAC presented an identification rate (IR) of 93.13%. IR for SLNB was 94.11%, with a false-negative rate (FNR) of 7.4%. After a median follow-up of 31.3 months, we obtained a distant disease-free survival rate of 98%. The results obtained by other groups were similar to those of our study, presenting IR in the range 80.8–96.8%, with FNR varying from 0 to 22%. (4) Conclusions: on conclusion, SLNB can accurately determine the lymph node status, with an acceptable FNR and maintain its expected prognostic role with low recurrence rates, and our results are comparable to those obtained by other studies.
Simple Point-of-Care Nucleic Acid Amplification Test for Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Infection Diagnosis
Authors: Jee Hyunseul , Choi Minkyeong , Park In Su , Lee Junmin , Jang Woong Sik , Lim Chae Seung
Published: September 2023

After three years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the demand for developing field-deployable point-of-care (PoC) molecular diagnostic tests has increased. Although RT-qPCR is the molecular diagnostic gold standard and is accurate, it is not readily applied to point-of-care testing (POCT). Meanwhile, rapid diagnostic kits have the disadvantage of low sensitivity. Recently, rapid isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology has emerged as an alternative for rapid diagnosis. Here, we developed a rapid SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP)-lateral flow assay (LFA) kit. This kit includes a Chelex-100/boiling nucleic acid extraction device and a one-step amplification detection apparatus capable of performing the entire process, from RNA extraction to detection, and diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection within 40 min without contamination. The detection limits of the rapid SARS-CoV-2 RT-LAMP-LFA kit were 100 plaque-forming units (PFUs) mL−1 and 10−1 PFU mL−1 for RNA samples extracted using the Chelex-100/boiling nucleic acid extraction device and commercial AdvansureTM E3 system, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the rapid SARS-CoV-2 RT-LAMP-LFA kit were 97.8% and 100%, respectively. Our SARS-CoV-2 RT-LAMP-LFA kit exhibited high sensitivity and specificity within 40 min without requiring laboratory instruments, suggesting that the kit could be used as a rapid POC molecular diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2.
Eye Lens Radiation Dose to Nurses during Cardiac Interventional Radiology: An Initial Study
Authors: Yamada Ayumi , Haga Yoshihiro , Sota Masahiro , Abe Mitsuya , Kaga Yuji , Inaba Yohei , Suzuki Masatoshi , Tada Norio , Zuguchi Masayuki , Chida Koichi
Published: September 2023

Although interventional radiology (IVR) is preferred over surgical procedures because it is less invasive, it results in increased radiation exposure due to long fluoroscopy times and the need for frequent imaging. Nurses engaged in cardiac IVR receive the highest lens radiation doses among medical workers, after physicians. Hence, it is important to measure the lens exposure of IVR nurses accurately. Very few studies have evaluated IVR nurse lens doses using direct dosimeters. This study was conducted using direct eye dosimeters to determine the occupational eye dose of nurses engaged in cardiac IVR, and to identify simple and accurate methods to evaluate the lens dose received by nurses. Over 6 months, in a catheterization laboratory, we measured the occupational dose to the eyes (3 mm dose equivalent) and neck (0.07 mm dose equivalent) of nurses on the right and left sides. We investigated the relationship between lens and neck doses, and found a significant correlation. Hence, it may be possible to estimate the lens dose from the neck badge dose. We also evaluated the appropriate position (left or right) of eye dosimeters for IVR nurses. Although there was little difference between the mean doses to the right and left eyes, that to the right eye was slightly higher. In addition, we investigated whether it is possible to estimate doses received by IVR nurses from patient dose parameters. There were significant correlations between the measured doses to the neck and lens, and the patient dose parameters (fluoroscopy time and air kerma), implying that these parameters could be used to estimate the lens dose. However, it may be difficult to determine the lens dose of IVR nurses accurately from neck badges or patient dose parameters because of variation in the behaviors of nurses and the procedure type. Therefore, neck doses and patient dose parameters do not correlate well with the radiation eye doses of individual IVR nurses measured by personal eye dosimeters. For IVR nurses with higher eye doses, more accurate measurement of the radiation doses is required. We recommend that a lens dosimeter be worn near the eyes to measure the lens dose to IVR nurses accurately, especially those exposed to relatively high doses.
Observation of Anatomical Structures in the Human Larynx Using Micro-Computed Tomography with Lugol’s Solution Enhancement
Authors: Yi Kyu-Ho , Lee Siyun , Lee Ji-Hyun , Lee Hyung-Jin
Published: September 2023

Histological and naked-eye dissections are frequently used to investigate human anatomy. However, limitations of conventional methods include tissue damage and difficulty in observing structures, rendering findings limited. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) allows for a three-dimensional observation with whole-mount staining for contrast enhancement. A precise anatomical understanding of the larynx is essential for both the medical and surgical fields; however, the larynx is difficult to dissect because of its minuscule and complex structures. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the detailed anatomy of the larynx using micro-CT. The study was conducted on twelve specimens of cadavers using Lugol-based-contrast micro-CT. Using Lugol-micro-CT, relevant information on human structures was obtained. Consequently, we successfully employed the Lugol-micro-CT technique in the analysis of specific human soft tissue structures that are challenging to analyze using conventional methods.
A Review of Recent Advances in Brain Tumor Diagnosis Based on AI-Based Classification
Authors: Kaifi Reham
Published: September 2023

Uncontrolled and fast cell proliferation is the cause of brain tumors. Early cancer detection is vitally important to save many lives. Brain tumors can be divided into several categories depending on the kind, place of origin, pace of development, and stage of progression; as a result, tumor classification is crucial for targeted therapy. Brain tumor segmentation aims to delineate accurately the areas of brain tumors. A specialist with a thorough understanding of brain illnesses is needed to manually identify the proper type of brain tumor. Additionally, processing many images takes time and is tiresome. Therefore, automatic segmentation and classification techniques are required to speed up and enhance the diagnosis of brain tumors. Tumors can be quickly and safely detected by brain scans using imaging modalities, including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and others. Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have shown promise in developing algorithms that aid in automatic classification and segmentation utilizing various imaging modalities. The right segmentation method must be used to precisely classify patients with brain tumors to enhance diagnosis and treatment. This review describes multiple types of brain tumors, publicly accessible datasets, enhancement methods, segmentation, feature extraction, classification, machine learning techniques, deep learning, and learning through a transfer to study brain tumors. In this study, we attempted to synthesize brain cancer imaging modalities with automatically computer-assisted methodologies for brain cancer characterization in ML and DL frameworks. Finding the current problems with the engineering methodologies currently in use and predicting a future paradigm are other goals of this article.
A New Classification of the Morphology of Complete Ponticulus Posticus on Cone Beam Computed Tomography
Authors: Olszewski Raphael , Issa Julien , Odri Guillaume-Anthony
Published: September 2023

The objectives of this retrospective study were to measure the prevalence of complete ponticulus posticus (CPP), to propose a new classification based on two different shapes of CPP, to compare these shapes with age and gender, and to test two different methods of measurements of the diameters of CPP on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Material and methods: We used 2012 CBCT scans from Planmeca Promax 3D Mid and Romexis 5.1 software tools to measure the height and width of the CPP, and we measured the surface of the CPP using an ellipse tool. We classified the CPP into “thin” and “thick” shape. Results: the prevalence of CPP was 9.49% with 97 male and 94 female patients. The unilateral type was found in 131 patients, while the bilateral type was found in 60 patients. Intra-observer reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The ICC was 0.875 for height, 0.872 for width, and 0.885 for the ellipse area. Both methods present very good intra-observer reproducibility. The “thin” group tended to be older and significantly more related to female patients. The “thick” group was associated with younger male patients. Conclusions: the proposed classification of CPP may be used when reporting the CBCT large field of view. There is still a need to increase the knowledge on the atlas and on its main variant, such as complete PP.
Optimization of Full-Duplex UAV Secure Communication with the Aid of RIS
Authors: Lai Huan , Li Dongfen , Xu Fang , Wang Xiao , Ning Jin , Hu Yanmei , Duo Bin
Published: September 2023

Recently, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gained significant popularity and have been extensively utilized in wireless communications. Due to the susceptibility of wireless channels to eavesdropping, interference and other security attacks, UAV communication security faces serious challenges. Therefore, novel solutions need to be investigated for handling corresponding issues. Note that the UAV with full-duplex (FD) mode can actively improve spectral efficiency, and reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) can enable the intelligent control of signal reflection for improving transmission quality. Accordingly, the security of UAV communications may be considerably improved by combining the two techniques mentioned above. In this paper, we investigate the performance of secure communication in urban areas, assisted by a FD UAV and an RIS, where the UAV receives sensitive information from the ground users and sends jamming signals to the ground eavesdroppers. Particularly, we propose an approach to jointly optimize the user scheduling, user transmit power, UAV jamming power, RIS phase shift, and UAV trajectory for maximizing the worst-case secrecy rate. However, the non-convexity of the problem makes it difficult to solve. Combining alternating optimization (AO), slack variable techniques, successive convex approximation (SCA), and semi-definite relaxation (SDR), we propose an effective algorithm to obtain a suboptimal solution. According to the simulation results, in contrast to other benchmark schemes, we show that our proposed algorithm can significantly improve the overall secrecy rate.
Staff Perspectives: Defining the Types, Challenges and Lessons Learnt of University Peer Support for Student Mental Health and Wellbeing
Authors: Pointon-Haas Julia , Byrom Nicola , Foster Juliet , Hayes Chloe , Oates Jennifer
Published: September 2023

In university settings, peer support brings people together based on their student identity. Peer support has been advocated as an innovative intervention to aid student mental health and wellbeing as part of a whole university approach, especially post-pandemic when student support is critical. While the literature describes three types of university peer support for student mental health and wellbeing, peer-led support groups, peer mentoring, and peer learning, the sector lacks agreed definitions for these interventions. Formal reporting on peer support initiatives is rare, suggesting further types of peer support practice may exist. This qualitative study, comprising semi-structured interviews with 16 university staff members at 14 different institutions, aimed to generate comprehensive definitions of the types of peer support used in the sector through template analysis. The study also sought to understand the current practice, experiences, and challenges around implementing peer support interventions for undergraduate and postgraduate students’ mental health and wellbeing from the perspective of the staff who support and coordinate these programmes. Five types of peer support were identified and defined. In addition, the challenges of engagement, resource and capacity, and evaluation were highlighted. Finally, lessons learnt provided potential ways to address the challenges outlined and provided sector guidance for further developing peer support as part of a whole university approach to student mental health and wellbeing.
Guidelines for Supporting a Community of Inquiry through Graded Online Discussion Forums in Higher Education
Authors: Mudau Patience Kelebogile , Van den Berg Geesje
Published: September 2023

Graded online discussion forums allow students to interact with course content, peers, and instructors. These discussions have the potential to enhance students’ learning experiences significantly. By adding graded online discussions to an online structured Master’s program in Education, it was necessary to determine the value of these discussions and their contribution to creating an online community. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine how a community of inquiry could support graded online discussions. The study used the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework as its basis. A qualitative exploratory case study design was used, involving eleven purposefully selected participants who were enrolled for a structured master’s program in Education. Data were collected from two sources: feedback from students on their experiences of the online discussions, and the actual online discussions. The data were analyzed using the six-phase thematic analysis approach following a deductive approach. This study revealed that these discussions supported students’ learning and created an online learning community promoting social, cognitive, and teaching presences. These findings have implications for practice. Firstly, fostering social presence is essential for online discussions because it leads to increased engagement, motivation, a sense of belonging, and collaboration. Secondly, online discussions need to be designed with clear guidelines, structured questions, and discussion opportunities. Lastly, online discussions designed to promote cognitive presence challenge students, encourage debate, and assist them in gaining the needed knowledge and higher order thinking skills. Based on these findings, the unique contribution of this study is to provide guidelines for fostering discussion forum participation within the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework. The suggested guidelines can serve as a resource to facilitate effective graded discussion forums in higher education contexts.
Research on Tuning Control Technology for Wireless Power Transfer Systems for Concrete Embedded Sensors
Authors: Rong Cancan , Wu Zhousen , Yan Lihui , Chen Mengmeng , Yan Jiaan , Ren Gang , Xia Chenyang
Published: September 2023

Concrete embedded sensors play a very important role in structural health monitoring. However, the time of endurance of sensors remains a performance bottleneck and sensors need to be charged without damaging the structure as well. Wireless power transfer (WPT) technology is a promising approach to solving this problem. However, the electromagnetic characteristics of concrete medium can cause WPT systems to be untuned and can reduce the energy transmission efficiency of the system. In this paper, the induced medium loss and eddy current loss of a WPT system in concrete are calculated using analytical equations and finite element analysis method. The equivalent circuit model of a concrete–air transmedia WPT system is established according to the calculated losses and a composite tuning control technology is proposed based on the above analysis. In addition, the composite tuning control technology combines the advantages of frequency-modulation tuning and dynamic compensation tuning to ensure the overall resonance of the WPT system. The tuning control technology can ensure the whole resonance of the WPT system and make the natural resonant frequencies of primary and secondary sides consistent. The experimental results show that compared with the untuned control technology, the output power and efficiency of the tuned control system increased by 73% and 11.05%, respectively. The proposed tuning control technology provides direction for future charging of concrete-embedded sensors.
Verifiable and Searchable Symmetric Encryption Scheme Based on the Public Key Cryptosystem
Authors: Duan Gangqiang , Li Shuai
Published: September 2023

With the rapid development of Internet of Things technology and cloud computing technology, all industries need to outsource massive data to third-party clouds for storage in order to reduce storage and computing costs. Verifiable and dynamic searchable symmetric encryption is a very important cloud security technology, which supports the dynamic update of private data and allows users to perform search operations on the cloud server and verify the legitimacy of the returned results. Therefore, how to realize the dynamic search of encrypted cloud data and the effective verification of the results returned by the cloud server is a key problem to be solved. To solve this problem, we propose a verifiable dynamic encryption scheme (v-PADSSE) based on the public key cryptosystem. In order to achieve efficient and correct data updating, the scheme designs verification information (VI) for each keyword and constructs a verification list (VL) to store it. When dynamic update operations are performed on the cloud data, it is easy to quickly update the security index through obtaining the latest verification information in the VL. The safety and performance evaluation of the v-PADSSE scheme proved that the scheme is safe and effective.
Python Framework for Modular and Parametric SPICE Netlists Generation
Authors: Vinagrero Gutiérrez Sergio , Di Natale Giorgio , Vatajelu Elena-Ioana
Published: September 2023

Due to the complex specifications of current electronic systems, design decisions need to be explored automatically. However, the exploration process is a complex task given the plethora of design choices such as the selection of components, number of components, operating modes of each of the components, connections between the components and variety of ways in which the same functionality can be implemented. To tackle these issues, scripts are used to generate designs based on high-level abstract constructions. Still, this approach is usually ad hoc and platform dependent, making the whole procedure hardly reusable, scalable and versatile. We propose a generic, open-source framework tackling rapid design exploration for the generation of modular and parametric electronic designs that is able to work on any major simulator.
Miniaturized Dual-Band SIW-Based Bandpass Filters Using Open-Loop Ring Resonators
Authors: Pradhan Nrusingha Charan , Koziel Slawomir , Barik Rusan Kumar , Pietrenko-Dabrowska Anna , Karthikeyan Sholampettai Subramanian
Published: September 2023

This article presents two novel architectures of dual-band substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) bandpass filters (BPFs). Initially, two identical open-loop ring resonators (OLRRs) were coupled face-to-face on the top of the SIW cavity to realize a dual-band single-pole BPF. To obtain two-pole dual-band characteristics, two OLRRs resonant units were assembled horizontally within the top metal layer of the SIW, which is a technique used for the first time in the literature. For demonstration purposes, two types of SIW filters loaded with OLRRs were designed and fabricated. The proposed filters feature an extremely compact size, a low insertion loss, and good selectivity. The single- and two-pole filters have an overall size of 0.012λg2 and 0.041λg2, respectively. The simulated and measured circuit responses are in good agreement.
A Comprehensive Review on the Modelling and Significance of Stability Indices in Power System Instability Problems
Authors: Valuva Chandu , Chinnamuthu Subramani , Khurshaid Tahir , Kim Ki-Chai
Published: September 2023

Many technological advancements in the modern era have made actual use of electrical power and the constrained operating of power systems within stability limits. Some expeditious load variations and rising power demands initiate complications in voltage stability and can put stress on performance, leading to voltage instability. Voltage Stability Indices can be used to perform voltage stability assessment. This review evaluates various VSIs based on mathematical derivations, assumptions, critical values, and methodology. VSIs determine the maximum loadability, voltage collapse proximity, stability margin, weak areas, and contingency ranking. Stability indices can also specify the optimal placing and sizing of Distributed Generators. Thus, VSIs play a vital role in power system voltage stability. This review is a comprehensive survey of various indices and analyses their accuracy in determining the instability of power systems. Voltage stability is a crucial concern in operating a reliable power system, and the systematic evaluation of voltage stability is essential in a power system. This review considered and analyzed 34 indices from 138 articles from the literature for their significant performance in various power system stability problems. Of 33 indices, were 22 derived from transmission line parameters, referred to as line indices, and 12 from bus and line parameters, referred to as bus indices.
Power Output Enhancement of Straight-Bladed Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines with Surrounding Structures
Authors: Watanabe Koichi , Matsumoto Megumi , Nwe Thandar , Ohya Yuji , Karasudani Takashi , Uchida Takanori
Published: September 2023

Wind tunnel experiments were conducted by installing wind-acceleration structures on both sides of a straight-bladed vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) to improve the output performance of the turbine. In the case of Venturi-shape structures, a curved shape with a large outlet opening produced a higher power output than straight or brimmed Venturi shapes. More importantly, two simple flat plates installed upstream of the wind turbine achieved the highest power enhancement of 2.4 times the power of the bare wind turbine. From the analysis of the flow visualization results, the power enhancement was attributed to the increase in lift force on the blades in the upstream region due to the acceleration of the gap flow between the flat plates, and the decrease in drag force on the blades toward the upstream region due to stagnation of the flow behind the plates.
Harmonization Approach to Spatial and Social Techniques to Define Landscape Restoration Areas in a Colombian Andes Complex Landscape
Authors: Barrera-Causil Carlos , González-Montañez Jose
Published: September 2023

Landscape restoration activities must be conducted through a transdisciplinary process, integrating social, economic, environmental, and governance aspects. Combining visions from the natural and social sciences is a challenge in highly complex territories, where unique ecosystem characteristics, economic processes, stakeholders of diverse nature, and different normativity converge. The harmonization of multiple techniques, such as multicriteria spatial analysis, expert knowledge elicitation, and social mapping, allows for an approach to defining landscape restoration areas in complex regions. This paper employs multiple techniques to define ecosystem restoration areas in a complex Colombian Andes landscape, integrating ecological and social components for sustainable development. We observed that areas of high and very high feasibility for ecological restoration, encompassing 179.5 hectares (4.84% of the study area), are predominantly located near primary forests. Although some areas have a low feasibility for conservation processes, they should not be disregarded as they still require protection. Landowners prioritize watershed and soil restoration as the most important landscape restoration activity due to their interest in improving water-related ecosystem services. This proposal enables the identification of areas with a higher restoration potential at the property level, facilitating prioritization and investment allocation for future implementation.
Soil Microbial Community and Soil Abiotic Factors Are Linked to Microorganisms’ C:N:P Stoichiometry in Larix Plantations
Authors: Cai Mengke , Cheng Xiaoqin , Liu Li , Peng Xinhao , Shang Tianxiong , Han Hairong
Published: September 2023

Ecological stoichiometry is an essential tool to understand carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycles and nutrient limitations. Plantations are usually managed to maintain specific age structures, but the impact of such management on microbial biomass and stoichiometric ratios remains unclear. We compared the stand ages of four Larix principis-rupprechtti Mayr. Plantations that were 15 years old, (young plantation, Lar15), 24 years old, (middle aged plantation, Lar24), 40 years old, (near-mature plantation, Lar40), and 50 years old, (mature plantation, Lar50), respectively, to determine the main factors that drive differences in the C:N:P stoichiometry of microorganisms. We demonstrated that the temperature, moisture, and nutrient concentrations in surface soil increased significantly with forest age. The stoichiometric ratios of elements in soil and microorganisms reached their maxima in the Lar40 and Lar50 plantations. Additionally, forest stand ages had a great influence on the biomass of microbial communities. Moreover, soil microbial community and soil abiotic factors are closely related to soil microorganisms’ C:N:P stoichiometric ratios. Specifically, changes in the microbial biomass C:N (MBC:MBN) were primarily correlated with bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria (G+), temperature, NH4+-N, and moisture in soil. Shifts in G+, actinobacteria, soil temperature, and total phosphorus were primarily associated with variation in microbial biomass C:P (MBC:MBP). Alterations in microbial biomass N:P (MBN:MBP) were correlated with bacteria, NH4+-N, water content, Gram-negative bacteria, and soil temperature. Overall, these results suggest that microbial elemental stoichiometric ratios could be affected by stand age and emphasize the importance of microbial communities and soil abiotic factors in shifting this dynamic change process.
COVID-19 and Rural Households’ Environmental Incomes in Iran
Authors: Ghanbari Sajad , Smith-Hall Carsten , Jafari Mostafa , Eastin Ivan
Published: September 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted rural livelihoods in the Global South. Environmental products, such as medicinal plants and fodder harvested in forests and rangelands, are a major source of income in many rural communities. In this paper, we investigate environmental product-related income and economic responses to the COVID-19 pandemic using face-to-face interviews with randomly selected household heads (n = 384) in 26 villages in northwestern Iran. We found that the main impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were a decrease in income (reported by 72% of households), an increased health risk (48%), and persistent fear of infection by COVID-19 (45%). Household economies were found to be particularly reliant on animal husbandry (26% of total annual household income) and farming (26%). Environmental products contributed an average of 18% of total household income. Almost half of the households (45%) experienced lower livestock prices, a lack of buyers (49%), and a lockdown of animal markets (38%). Fodder (collected by 45% of households), medicinal plants (42%), and wild fruits (29%) were the most important environmental products harvested during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found a negative but not significant effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on total rural household income and that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a slight non-significant decrease in relative forest income. The negative impact on relative forest income resonates well with existing scholarship on livelihoods and negative shocks. It is noteworthy, however, that there is substantial scope for increasing environmental incomes and, thus, the potential of environmental products as a response option in the face of covariant shocks such as COVID-19.
Evaluation of Blockchain Networks’ Scalability Limitations in Low-Powered Internet of Things (IoT) Sensor Networks
Authors: Godewatte Arachchige Kithmini , Branch Philip , But Jason
Published: September 2023

With the development of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, industries such as healthcare have started using low-powered sensor-based devices. Because IoT devices are typically low-powered, they are susceptible to cyber intrusions. As an emerging information security solution, blockchain technology has considerable potential for protecting low-powered IoT end devices. Blockchain technology provides promising security features such as cryptography, hash functions, time stamps, and a distributed ledger function. Therefore, blockchain technology can be a robust security technology for securing IoT low-powered devices. However, the integration of blockchain and IoT technologies raises a number of research questions. Scalability is one of the most significant. Blockchain’ scalability of low-powered sensor networks needs to be evaluated to identify the practical application of both technologies in low-powered sensor networks. In this paper, we analyse the scalability limitations of three commonly used blockchain algorithms running on low-powered single-board computers communicating in a wireless sensor network. We assess the scalability limitations of three blockchain networks as we increase the number of nodes. Our analysis shows considerable scalability variations between three blockchain networks. The results indicate that some blockchain networks can have over 800 ms network latency and some blockchain networks may use a bandwidth over 1600 Kbps. This work will contribute to developing efficient blockchain-based IoT sensor networks.
Foraging Behavior Response of Small Mammals to Different Burn Severities
Authors: Morandini Marina , Mazzamuto Maria Vittoria , Koprowski John L.
Published: September 2023

Wildfires cause profound challenges for animals to overcome due to their reliance on vegetation. This study addresses the impact of three levels of forest burn severity (unburned, low, and high burn severity) on the foraging behavior of small mammals in the Pinaleño Mountains (AZ, USA) using the giving up density (GUD) experiment approach. Overall, burn severity affected the foraging behavior of small mammals that spent less time foraging in high burn severity patches. Vegetation characteristics influenced GUD differently based on the level of burn severity. Higher canopy cover was perceived as areas with a higher predation risk (higher GUD) in unburned and low burn severity patches, while cover provided by logs and shrubs decreased the GUD (increased foraging). This suggests a complicated interaction between horizontal (logs, grass, shrub cover) and vertical vegetation cover in relation to burn severity. Fires affected the foraging behavior of the small mammals but did not impact all species in the same way. Generalists, such as Peromyscus sp. and Tamias dorsalis, seemed to forage across all burn severities, while specialist species, such as tree squirrels, tended to avoid the high burn severity patches. Clarifying the complex impacts of fires on small mammals’ foraging behaviors contributes to our understanding of the intricate interactions, at micro-habitat levels, between vegetation structure and the behavioral responses of animals and it can help managers to plan actions to reduce the negative impacts of wildfires.
Reviewing the Source, Physiological Characteristics, and Aroma Production Mechanisms of Aroma-Producing Yeasts
Authors: Chen Li , Li Ke , Chen Huitai , Li Zongjun
Published: September 2023

Flavor is an essential element of food quality. Flavor can be improved by adding flavoring substances or via microbial fermentation to impart aroma. Aroma-producing yeasts are a group of microorganisms that can produce aroma compounds, providing a strong aroma to foods and thus playing a great role in the modern fermentation industry. The physiological characteristics of aroma-producing yeast, including alcohol tolerance, acid tolerance, and salt tolerance, are introduced in this article, beginning with their origins and biological properties. The main mechanism of aroma-producing yeast is then analyzed based on its physiological roles in the fermentation process. Functional enzymes such as proteases, lipases, and glycosidase are released by yeast during the fermentation process. Sugars, fats, and proteins in the environment can be degraded by these enzymes via pathways such as glycolysis, methoxylation, the Ehrlich pathway, and esterification, resulting in the production of various aromatic esters (such as ethyl acetate and ethyl caproate), alcohols (such as phenethyl alcohol), and terpenes (such as monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and squalene). Furthermore, yeast cells can serve as cell synthesis factories, wherein specific synthesis pathways can be introduced into cells using synthetic biology techniques to achieve high-throughput production. In addition, the applications of aroma yeast in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries are summarized, and the future development trends of aroma yeasts are discussed to provide a theoretical basis for their application in the food fermentation industry.
Establishing a Berry Sensory Evaluation Model Based on Machine Learning
Authors: Liu Minghao , Liu Minhua , Bai Lin , Shang Wei , Ren Runhan , Zhao Zhiyao , Sun Ying
Published: September 2023

In recent years, people’s quality of life has increased, and the requirements for fruits have also become higher; blueberries are particularly popular because of their rich nutrients. In the blueberry industry chain, sensory evaluation is an important link in determining the quality of blueberries. Therefore, to make a more objective scientific evaluation of blueberry quality and reduce the influence of human factors, on the basis of traditional sensory evaluation methods, machine learning is introduced to establish a support vector regression prediction model optimized by the particle swarm algorithm. Ten physical and chemical flavor indices of blueberries (such as catalase, flavonoids, and soluble solids) were used as input data, and sensory evaluation scores were used as output data. Three different predictive models were applied and compared: a particle swarm optimization support vector machine, a convolutional neural network, and a long short-term memory network model. To ensure reliability, the experiments with each of the three models were repeated 20 times, and the mean of each index was calculated. The experimental results showed that the root mean square error and mean absolute error of the particle swarm optimization support vector machine were 0.45 and 0.40, respectively; these values were lower than those of the convolutional neural network (0.96 and 0.78, respectively) and the long short-term memory network (1.22 and 0.97, respectively). Hence, these results highlighted the superiority of the proposed model when sample data are limited.
Curcumin-Loaded Bamboo Shoot Cellulose Nanofibers: Characterization and In Vitro Studies
Authors: Chang Yu , Wang Qi , Huang Juqing , Luo Xianliang , Huang Yajuan , Wu Yirui , Chen Peng , Zheng Yafeng
Published: September 2023

Given its high biological and pharmacological activities, curcumin (CUR) offers promising applications in functional foods. However, its low stability and bioavailability have greatly hindered its application in the food industry. The present study prepared cellulose nanofiber (CNF) from bamboo shoot processing byproducts and investigated its potential as a low-cost carrier. Our results showed that CUR was immobilized on CNF surfaces mainly through hydrogen bonding and eventually encapsulated in CNF matrices, forming a CNF–CUR complex with an encapsulation efficiency of 88.34% and a loading capacity of 67.95%. The CUR encapsulated in the complex showed improved stability after thermal and UV light treatments. Moreover, a slow and extended release pattern of CUR in a simulated gastrointestinal tract was observed, which could be appropriately described using the Korsmeyer–Peppas model. These results revealed that CNF is a promising protective carrier for the slow release of CUR, making it a better candidate for functional foods.
Comparative Analysis of Concurrent (CC), Mixed Flow (MX), and Combined Spray Drying Configurations on the Physicochemical Characteristics of Satsuma Mandarin (Citrus unshiu) Juice Powders
Authors: Cruz-Padilla Javier , Reyes Vondel , Cavender George , Chotiko Arranee , Gratzek James , Mis Solval Kevin
Published: September 2023

Satsuma mandarins are good sources of vitamin C and can be used as raw materials to produce novel plant-based food ingredients including satsuma mandarin juice powders (SJP). Food powders produced via spray drying often show thermal degradation due to the drying conditions and high drying air temperatures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of using different spray drying configurations, including concurrent (CC), mixed flow (MX), and combined (CC + MX), at two inlet air temperatures (160 and 180 °C) on the physicochemical properties of SJP. Remarkably, SJP produced using the CC spray drying configuration exhibited a higher vitamin C content (3.56–4.01 mg/g) and lower moisture levels (15.18–16.35 g/100 g) than powders produced via MX or CC + MX. The vitamin C content of MX and CC + MX powders ranged from 2.88 to 3.33 mg/g. Meanwhile, all SJP had water activity values below 0.19. Furthermore, MX powders displayed the largest mean particle sizes (D50) (8.69–8.83 µm), higher agglomeration, and a rapid dissolution. Despite these differences, all SJP variants exhibited consistent color, surface area, and pore volumes. Notably, powders dried at higher inlet air temperatures (180 °C) showed less vitamin C content and increased thermal damage when compared with powders dried at 160 °C inlet air temperature. This study demonstrated the feasibility of producing high-quality SJP with an extended shelf life. SJP can be used as a novel plant-based ingredient in different food applications.
Lévy Walks as a Universal Mechanism of Turbulence Nonlocality
Authors: Kukushkin Alexander B. , Kulichenko Andrei A.
Published: September 2023

The nonlocality (superdiffusion) of turbulence is expressed in the empiric Richardson t3 scaling law for the mean square of the mutual separation of a pair of particles in a fluid or gaseous medium. The development of the theory of nonlocality of various processes in physics and other sciences based on the concept of Lévy flights resulted in Shlesinger and colleagues’ about the possibility of describing the nonlocality of turbulence using a linear integro-differential equation with a slowly falling kernel. The approach developed by us made it possible to establish the closeness of the superdiffusion parameter of plasma density fluctuations moving across a strong magnetic field in a tokamak to the Richardson law. In this paper, we show the possibility of a universal description of the characteristics of nonlocality of transfer in a stochastic medium (including turbulence of gases and fluids) using the Biberman–Holstein approach to examine the transfer of excitation of a medium by photons, generalized in order to take into account the finiteness of the velocity of excitation carriers. This approach enables us to propose a scaling that generalizes Richardson’s t3 scaling law to the combined regime of Lévy flights and Lévy walks in fluids and gases.
Identification of Breast Cancer Metastasis Markers from Gene Expression Profiles Using Machine Learning Approaches
Authors: Jung Jinmyung , Yoo Sunyong
Published: September 2023

Cancer metastasis accounts for approximately 90% of cancer deaths, and elucidating markers in metastasis is the first step in its prevention. To characterize metastasis marker genes (MGs) of breast cancer, XGBoost models that classify metastasis status were trained with gene expression profiles from TCGA. Then, a metastasis score (MS) was assigned to each gene by calculating the inner product between the feature importance and the AUC performance of the models. As a result, 54, 202, and 357 genes with the highest MS were characterized as MGs by empirical p-value cutoffs of 0.001, 0.005, and 0.01, respectively. The three sets of MGs were compared with those from existing metastasis marker databases, which provided significant results in most comparisons (p-value < 0.05). They were also significantly enriched in biological processes associated with breast cancer metastasis. The three MGs, SPPL2C, KRT23, and RGS7, showed highly significant results (p-value < 0.01) in the survival analysis. The MGs that could not be identified by statistical analysis (e.g., GOLM1, ELAVL1, UBP1, and AZGP1), as well as the MGs with the highest MS (e.g., ZNF676, FAM163B, LDOC2, IRF1, and STK40), were verified via the literature. Additionally, we checked how close the MGs were to each other in the protein–protein interaction networks. We expect that the characterized markers will help understand and prevent breast cancer metastasis.
Editorial for the Special Issue “Genetics and Genomics of Gastrointestinal Cancers: From Prevention to Treatment”
Authors: Marabelli Monica , Bertario Lucio , Serrano Davide
Published: September 2023

According to the latest estimate from GLOBOCAN 2020, approximately 18 [...]
Genomics of Treatable Traits in Asthma
Authors: Espuela-Ortiz Antonio , Martin-Gonzalez Elena , Poza-Guedes Paloma , González-Pérez Ruperto , Herrera-Luis Esther
Published: September 2023

The astounding number of genetic variants revealed in the 15 years of genome-wide association studies of asthma has not kept pace with the goals of translational genomics. Moving asthma diagnosis from a nonspecific umbrella term to specific phenotypes/endotypes and related traits may provide insights into features that may be prevented or alleviated by therapeutical intervention. This review provides an overview of the different asthma endotypes and phenotypes and the genomic findings from asthma studies using patient stratification strategies and asthma-related traits. Asthma genomic research for treatable traits has uncovered novel and previously reported asthma loci, primarily through studies in Europeans. Novel genomic findings for asthma phenotypes and related traits may arise from multi-trait and specific phenotyping strategies in diverse populations.