bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Species Diversity, Habitat Distribution, and Blood Meal Analysis of Haematophagous Dipterans Collected by CDC-UV Light Traps in the Dominican Republic
Authors: González Mikel Alexander , Bravo-Barriga Daniel , Rodríguez-Sosa María Altagracia , Rueda Juan , Frontera Eva , Alarcón-Elbal Pedro María
Published: June 2022

Haematophagous insects cause major economic losses by both direct damage and the transmission of pathogens. However, the biting Diptera species in the Caribbean region have been poorly documented. During 2021, CDC downdraft suction traps with UV light were employed to assess both the species occurrence and blood meal sources across three different habitats in the Dominican Republic. Eighteen species of mosquitoes (n = 274), six species of Culicoides (n = 803), two black fly species (n = 2), and one species of muscid fly (n = 25) were identified at species-level by morphology and/or molecular phylogenetic approaches based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). Engorged mosquito (n = 5) and Culicoides (n = 28) females showed host preferences derived exclusively from mammals (cows and pigs), except Culex species containing the blood of chickens. Our study provides new records of the Diptera Dominican catalogue (Culex salinarius for the Greater Antilles, Culicoides jamaicensis for Hispaniola, and Culicoides haitiensis and Culicoides borinqueni for the Dominican Republic), the first available COI DNA sequences of different Diptera in the GenBank, some pictures of diagnostic features of closely related specimens, spatial distribution across the habitats studied, and new insights on their feeding preferences in the Caribbean region.
Hybrid Polyelectrolyte Nanocomplexes for Non-Viral Gene Delivery with Favorable Efficacy and Safety Profile
Authors: Maiorano Gabriele , Guido Clara , Russo Annamaria , Giglio Andrea , Rizzello Loris , Testini Mariangela , Cortese Barbara , D’Amone Stefania , Gigli Giuseppe , Palamà Ilaria Elena
Published: June 2022

The development of nanovectors for precise gene therapy is increasingly focusing on avoiding uncontrolled inflammation while still being able to effectively act on the target sites. Herein, we explore the use of non-viral hybrid polyelectrolyte nanocomplexes (hPECs) for gene delivery, which display good transfection efficacy coupled with non-inflammatory properties. Monodisperse hPECs were produced through a layer-by-layer self-assembling of biocompatible and biodegradable polymers. The resulting nanocomplexes had an inner core characterized by an EGFP-encoding plasmid DNA (pDNA) complexed with linear polyethyleneimine or protamine (PEI or PRM) stabilized with lecithin and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and an outer layer consisting of medium-molecular-weight chitosan (CH) combined with tripolyphosphate (TPP). PEI- and PRM-hPECs were able to efficiently protect the genetic cargo from nucleases and to perform a stimuli-responsive release of pDNA overtime, thus guaranteeing optimal transfection efficiency. Importantly, hPECs revealed a highly cytocompatible and a non-inflammatory profile in vitro. These results were further supported by evidence of the weak and unspecific interactions of serum proteins with both hPECs, thus confirming the antifouling properties of their outer shell. Therefore, these hPECs represent promising candidates for the development of effective, safe nanotools for gene delivery.
Ultrasound-Responsive Liposomes for Targeted Drug Delivery Combined with Focused Ultrasound
Authors: Kim Yoon-Seok , Ko Min Jung , Moon Hyungwon , Sim Wonchul , Cho Ae Shin , Gil Gio , Kim Hyun Ryoung
Published: June 2022

Chemotherapeutic drugs are traditionally used for the treatment of cancer. However, chemodrugs generally induce side effects and decrease anticancer effects due to indiscriminate diffusion and poor drug delivery. To overcome these limitations of chemotherapy, in this study, ultrasound-responsive liposomes were fabricated and used as drug carriers for delivering the anticancer drug doxorubicin, which was able to induce cancer cell death. The ultrasound-sensitive liposome demonstrated a size distribution of 81.94 nm, and the entrapment efficiency of doxorubicin was 97.1 ± 1.44%. The release of doxorubicin under the ultrasound irradiation was 60% on continuous wave and 50% by optimizing the focused ultrasound conditions. In vivo fluorescence live imaging was used to visualize the doxorubicin release in the MDA-MB-231 xenografted mouse, and it was demonstrated that liposomal drugs were released in response to ultrasound irradiation of the tissue. The combination of ultrasound and liposomes suppressed tumor growth over 56% more than liposomes without ultrasound exposure and 98% more than the control group. In conclusion, this study provides a potential alternative for overcoming the previous limitations of chemotherapeutics.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Palbociclib and Its Correlation with Clinical Efficacy and Safety in Patients with Advanced Breast Cancer
Authors: Courlet Perrine , Cardoso Evelina , Bandiera Carole , Stravodimou Athina , Zurcher Jean-Philippe , Chtioui Haithem , Locatelli Isabella , Decosterd Laurent Arthur , Darnaud Léa , Blanchet Benoit , Alexandre Jérôme , Wagner Anna Dorothea , Zaman Khalil , Schneider Marie Paule , Guidi Monia , Csajka Chantal
Published: June 2022

Neutropenia is the most frequent dose-limiting toxicity reported in patients with metastatic breast cancer receiving palbociclib. The objective of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationships for toxicity (i.e., absolute neutrophil count, ANC) and efficacy (i.e., progression-free survival, PFS). A semi-mechanistic PK/PD model was used to predict neutrophils’ time course using a population approach (NONMEM). Influence of demographic and clinical characteristics was evaluated. Cox proportional hazards models were developed to evaluate the influence of palbociclib PK on PFS. A two-compartment model with first-order absorption and a lag time adequately described the 255 palbociclib concentrations provided by 44 patients. The effect of the co-administration of proton-pump inhibitors in fasting conditions increased palbociclib clearance by 56%. None of the tested covariates affected the PD parameters. Model-based simulations confirmed the concentration-dependent and non-cumulative properties of palbociclib-induced neutropenia, reversible after treatment withdrawal. The ANC nadir occurred approximately at day 24 of each cycle. Cox analyses revealed a trend for better PFS with increasing palbociclib exposure in older patients. By characterizing palbociclib-induced neutropenia, this model offers support to clinicians to rationally optimize treatment management through patient-individualized strategies.
High-Power, High-Efficiency Red Laser Diode Structures Grown on GaAs and GaAsP Metamorphic Superlattices
Authors: Ruder Steven , Earles Tom , Galstad Christian , Klaus Michael , Olson Don , Mawst Luke J.
Published: June 2022

Three types of GaAsP metamorphic buffer layers, including linearly graded, step graded, and metamorphic superlattices, were compared for the purposes of virtual substrates for red laser diode heterostructures. Laser diodes were fabricated on GaAs substrates and relaxed GaAsP metamorphic superlattice virtual substrates. A laser diode structure with a tensile-strained quantum well on a standard miscut GaAs substrate achieved TM-polarized emission at a 638 nm wavelength with 45% peak power conversion efficiency (PCE) at a 880 mW continuous wave (CW) output power with T0 = 77 K and T1 = 266 K. An analogous laser diode structure with a compressively strained quantum well on the metamorphic superlattice emitted TE-polarized 639 nm light with 35.5% peak PCE at 880 mW CW with T0 = 90 K and T1 = 300 K.
Gene Co-Expression Network Tools and Databases for Crop Improvement
Authors: Zainal-Abidin Rabiatul-Adawiah , Harun Sarahani , Vengatharajuloo Vinothienii , Tamizi Amin-Asyraf , Samsulrizal Nurul Hidayah
Published: June 2022

Transcriptomics has significantly grown as a functional genomics tool for understanding the expression of biological systems. The generated transcriptomics data can be utilised to produce a gene co-expression network that is one of the essential downstream omics data analyses. To date, several gene co-expression network databases that store correlation values, expression profiles, gene names and gene descriptions have been developed. Although these resources remain scattered across the Internet, such databases complement each other and support efficient growth in the functional genomics area. This review presents the features and the most recent gene co-expression network databases in crops and summarises the present status of the tools that are widely used for constructing the gene co-expression network. The highlights of gene co-expression network databases and the tools presented here will pave the way for a robust interpretation of biologically relevant information. With this effort, the researcher would be able to explore and utilise gene co-expression network databases for crops improvement.
Acaricidal Activity of Bufadienolides Isolated from Drimia pancration against Tetranychus urticae, and Structural Elucidation of Arenobufagin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside
Authors: Badalamenti Natale , Bruno Maurizio , Pavela Roman , Maggi Filippo , Marinelli Oliviero , Zeppa Laura , Benelli Giovanni , Canale Angelo
Published: June 2022

Chemical characterization of the bulbs of Drimia pancration was conducted to isolate four steroidal saponins (1–4). Earlier, we focused on the structural elucidation of compounds 1–3. Herein, by means of 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, Nuclear Overhauser Effects (NOE), and 2D-NMR spectra, the full stereochemical structure of 4 is reported, and all the 1H and 13C signals are assigned. Compounds 1–4 were tested for their acaricidal properties against the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae. Our results showed excellent activity of compound 1, with an LD50 (µg/cm2) of 0.29 and a LD90 (µg/cm2) of 0.96, whereas compounds 2, 3, and 4 showed moderate activity. Furthermore, the acaricidal and cytotoxic properties of the crude extract were also investigated. Of note, after 96 h of exposure, the acaricidal activity of compound 1 was higher than that of the positive control, hexythiazox. Indeed, for compound 1, LD50 and LD90 were 0.29 and 0.96 µg/cm2, respectively, while hexythiazox LD50(90) was 18.7 (132.5) µg/cm2. Additionally, D. pancration extract, after 72 h, induced a high cytotoxic effect in HaCaT and THP-1 cell lines, with an IC50 of 7.37 ± 0.5 µg/mL and 3.50 ± 0.15 µg/mL, respectively. Overall, D. pancration can be considered as a green source of novel acaricides effective against mites of agricultural importance, such as T. urticae, pending proper field validation and the assessment of non-target effects on other invertebrate species.
All Set before Flowering: A 16S Gene Amplicon-Based Analysis of the Root Microbiome Recruited by Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in Its Centre of Domestication
Authors: Medina-Paz Francisco , Herrera-Estrella Luis , Heil Martin
Published: June 2022

Plant roots recruit most prokaryotic members of their root microbiota from the locally available inoculum, but knowledge on the contribution of native microorganisms to the root microbiota of crops in native versus non-native areas remains scarce. We grew common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) at a field site in its centre of domestication to characterise rhizosphere and endosphere bacterial communities at the vegetative, flowering, and pod filling stage. 16S r RNA gene amplicon sequencing of ten samples yielded 9,401,757 reads, of which 8,344,070 were assigned to 17,352 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Rhizosphere communities were four times more diverse than in the endosphere and dominated by Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Crenarchaeota, and Proteobacteria (endosphere: 99% Proteobacteria). We also detected high abundances of Gemmatimonadetes (6%), Chloroflexi (4%), and the archaeal phylum Thaumarchaeota (Candidatus Nitrososphaera: 11.5%): taxa less frequently reported from common bean rhizosphere. Among 154 OTUs with different abundances between vegetative and flowering stage, we detected increased read numbers of Chryseobacterium in the endosphere and a 40-fold increase in the abundances of OTUs classified as Rhizobium and Aeromonas (equivalent to 1.5% and over 6% of all reads in the rhizosphere). Our results indicate that bean recruits specific taxa into its microbiome when growing ‘at home’.
Efficacy of Biorational Products for Managing Diseases of Tomato in Greenhouse Production
Authors: Esquivel-Cervantes Luis Fernando , Tlapal-Bolaños Bertha , Tovar-Pedraza Juan Manuel , Pérez-Hernández Oscar , Leyva-Mir Santos Gerardo , Camacho-Tapia Moisés
Published: June 2022

Gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), late blight (Phytophthora infestans), powdery mildew (Leveillula taurica), pith necrosis (Pseudomonas corrugata), and bacterial canker (Clavibacter michiganensis) are major diseases that affect tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in greenhouse production in Mexico. Management of these diseases depends heavily on chemical control, with up to 24 fungicide applications required in a single season to control fungal diseases, thus ensuring a harvestable crop. While disease chemical control is a mainstay practice in the region, its frequent use increases the production costs, likelihood of pathogen-resistance development, and negative environmental impact. Due to this, there is a need for alternative practices that minimize such effects and increase profits for tomato growers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of biorational products in the control of these diseases in greenhouse production. Four different treatments, including soil application of Bacillus spp. or B. subtilis and foliar application of Reynoutria sachalinensis, Melaleuca alternifolia, harpin αβ proteins, or bee honey were evaluated and compared to a conventional foliar management program (control) in a commercial production greenhouse in Central Mexico in 2016 and 2017. Disease incidence was measured at periodic intervals for six months and used to calculate the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). Overall, the analysis of the AUDPC showed that all treatments were more effective than the conventional program in controlling most of the examined diseases. The tested products were effective in reducing the intensity of powdery mildew and gray mold, but not that of bacterial canker, late blight, and pith necrosis. Application of these products constitutes a disease management alternative that represents cost-saving to tomato growers of about 2500 U.S. dollars per production cycle ha−1, in addition to having less negative impact on the environment. The products tested in this study have the potential to be incorporated in an integrated program for management of the examined diseases in tomato in this region.
Variation of Residual Sexuality Rates along Reproductive Development in Apomictic Tetraploids of Paspalum
Authors: Reutemann Anna Verena , Honfi Ana Isabel , Karunarathne Piyal , Eckers Fabiana , Hojsgaard Diego Hernan , Martínez Eric Javier
Published: June 2022

Most apomictic plants are facultative, maintaining the ability to reproduce sexually at different frequencies depending on the taxa, ploidy, and reproductive stage. In this context, Paspalum species are good model systems for studies evaluating the varying levels of apomixis expression. We aimed to identify, in apomictic tetraploid Paspalum species, the degree of apomixis and residual sexuality in three stages of reproductive development, and if their expression varies along them in order to predict their realized impact on the genetic diversity of future generations. Three main stages in the reproductive development (i.e., ovule, seed, and progeny) were studied in tetraploids from populations of P. cromyorhizon and P. maculosum. Mature ovules were studied using cytoembryological analysis, seeds by flow cytometry, and progeny tests with molecular markers. The expression of sexuality and apomixis was compared in each stage. We observed a decline in expression of sexual reproduction through the consecutive stages, jointly with an increase of apomixis expression. Both species showed at least one tetraploid plant capable of producing progeny by sexual means. These small rates of sexually originated progeny prove the ability of apomictic plants to produce low levels of genetic variation through rare events of sexuality. This study also demonstrates the importance of analyzing different reproductive stages in order to get a whole picture of the reproductive outcomes in plant evolution.
Integrative Taxonomy Reveals a New Species of the Genus Lejeunea (Marchantiophya: Lejeuneaceae) from Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Lee Gaik Ee , Bechteler Julia , Pócs Tamás , Schäfer-Verwimp Alfons , Tang Hung Yung , Chia Poh Wai
Published: June 2022

Prior to the advent of molecular work, the observable variation in vegetative reproduction has been used to classify Lejeunea into subgenera and sections. Thereby, the ability of developing caducous leaves was regarded as major factor. A reexamination of several Lejeunea specimens revealed that L. cocoes with caducous leaves shows considerable morphological differences with non-caducous leaved plants of L. cocoes. Phylogenetic analyses based on a three-marker dataset (rbcL, trnLF and the nuclear ribosomal ITS region) indicated two independent and robust lineages of the morpho-species L. cocoes. We consider both clades as two distinct species and therefore describe the new species, L. malaysiana for L. cocoes morpho-species with caducous leaves. Lejeunea malaysiana is characterized by its caducous leaves with ribbon-like and plantlet regenerants, strongly reduced leaf lobules, distant and deeply bilobed underleaves, long-keeled obovoid perianth, and autoicy and ranges from tropical Asia to the Pacific region.
Demonstration of Hybrid Effect in Single Fiber Pull-Out Tests for Glass/Cellulose-Reinforced Polypropylene with Different Fiber–Matrix Adhesions
Authors: Kahl Christian , Bagnucki Julius , Zarges Jan-Christoph
Published: June 2022

In hybrid fiber reinforcement, the combination of glass and regenerated cellulose fibers is a promising combination because the different properties of the fibers can be combined. The properties of the regenerated cellulose fiber in combination with the absorption of energy by fiber pull-outs can thus significantly increase the toughness of the composite in the event of failure, while the glass fiber significantly increases the stiffness and strength due to its properties. In this study, the interaction of the two fiber types in a composite is demonstrated by fiber pull-outs. For this purpose, the fibers are embedded in a PP matrix and simultaneously pulled out. Different bondings of the fiber by, e.g., coupling agent and/or a pretreatment of the regenerated cellulose fiber, were also investigated. The results show that each type of fiber has a characteristic force–deformation curve, and the hybrid reinforcement is a combination of both curves. The use of a coupling agent leads to an increase in the interfacial shear stress from 4.5 to 7.5 MPa. A treatment of the regenerated cellulose fiber by UV light further increases the interfacial shear stress to 11 MPa.
Collagen Membrane Derived from Fish Scales for Application in Bone Tissue Engineering
Authors: Chen Liang , Cheng Guoping , Meng Shu , Ding Yi
Published: June 2022

Guided tissue/bone regeneration (GTR/GBR) is currently the main treatment for alveolar bone regeneration. The commonly used barrier membranes in GTR/GBR are collagen membranes from mammals such as porcine or cattle. Fish collagen is being explored as a potential substitute for mammalian collagen due to its low cost, no zoonotic risk, and lack of religious constraints. Fish scale is a multi-layer natural collagen composite with high mechanical strength, but its biomedical application is limited due to the low denaturation temperature of fish collagen. In this study, a fish scale collagen membrane with a high denaturation temperature of 79.5 °C was prepared using an improved method based on preserving the basic shape of fish scales. The fish scale collagen membrane was mainly composed of type I collagen and hydroxyapatite, in which the weight ratios of water, organic matter, and inorganic matter were 20.7%, 56.9%, and 22.4%, respectively. Compared to the Bio-Gide® membrane (BG) commonly used in the GTR/GBR, fish scale collagen membrane showed good cytocompatibility and could promote late osteogenic differentiation of cells. In conclusion, the collagen membrane prepared from fish scales had good thermal stability, cytocompatibility, and osteogenic activity, which showed potential for bone tissue engineering applications.
Natural Additives Improving Polyurethane Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Sienkiewicz Natalia , Członka Sylwia
Published: June 2022

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in using polymers with antibacterial and antifungal properties; therefore, the present review is focused on the effect of natural compounds on the antibacterial and antifungal properties of polyurethane (PUR). This topic is important because materials and objects made with this polymer can be used as antibacterial and antifungal ones in places where hygiene and sterile conditions are particularly required (e.g., in healthcare, construction industries, cosmetology, pharmacology, or food industries) and thus can become another possibility in comparison to commonly used disinfectants, which mostly show high toxicity to the environment and the human health. The review presents the possibilities of using natural extracts as antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral additives, which, in contrast to the currently used antibiotics, have a much wider effect. Antibiotics fight bacterial infections by killing bacteria (bactericidal effect) or slowing and stopping their growth (bacteriostatic effect) and effect on different kinds of fungi, but they do not fight viruses; therefore, compounds of natural origin can find wide use as biocidal substances. Fungi grow in almost any environment, and they reproduce easily in dirt and wet spaces; thus, the development of antifungal PUR foams is focused on avoiding fungal infections and inhibiting growth. Polymers are susceptible to microorganism adhesion and, consequently, are treated and modified to inhibit fungal and bacterial growth. The ability of micro-organisms to grow on polyurethanes can cause human health problems during the use and storage of polymers, making it necessary to use additives that eliminate bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Evolutionary Game Analysis of Shared Manufacturing Quality Innovation Synergetic Behavior Considering a Subject’s Heterogeneous Emotions
Authors: Zhang Ziming , Wang Xinping , Su Chang , Sun Linhui
Published: June 2022

Shared manufacturing provides a new path for the transformation and development of the manufacturing industry, but challenges such as low quality and poor positivity for quality improvement limit the positive role of shared manufacturing. Considering the influences of heterogeneous emotions of subjects on quality decision making, the theory of rank-dependent expected utility (RDEU) and evolutionary game theory were integrated to establish an evolutionary game model of shared manufacturing quality innovation synergy with multi-agent participation and analyze how sentiment affects motivation for quality improvement. The study showed that: (1) emotions, an irrational factor, can significantly change the stable state of the evolution of the shared manufacturing quality innovation synergetic system by influencing the decision-making behavior of decision makers; (2) in terms of the specific microscopic influence mechanism, rationality is the key to ensuring that the behavioral decisions of decision makers do not enshrine large systemic deviations. (3) In terms of the mechanism of heterogeneous emotions, when one party is optimistic, the deepening of the other party’s pessimism tends to bring positive effects; when one party is pessimistic, the deepening of the other party’s optimism tends to bring negative effects. The main management insights are as follows: (1) correctly recognizing and treating heterogeneous emotions of decision makers and regulating the formation and role of heterogeneous emotions of decision makers; (2) appropriately creating an atmosphere of pessimistic emotions, and guiding shared manufacturing to pay attention to manufacturing quality innovation synergy; (3) appropriately releasing favorable information about quality innovation synergy, and continuously promoting high-quality development of shared manufacturing. This study broadens the path of quality improvement in shared manufacturing and the scope of application of emotion theory in a certain sense.
Extraction of Mathematical Correlations Applied in the Aerodynamic Separation of Solid Particles
Authors: Mosnegutu Emilian , Panainte-Lehadus Mirela , Nedeff Valentin , Tomozei Claudia , Barsan Narcis , Chitimus Dana , Jasinski Marcin
Published: June 2022

This article describes the methodology used to identify the mathematical equation that describes the correlations between the input and output parameters of an experiment. As a technological process, aerodynamic separation was chosen to represent the behavior of a solid particle within an ascending vertical airflow. The experimental data were used to identify two parameters, namely the average linear velocity and the angular velocity. The Table Curve 3D program was used to develop a mathematical equation describing the dependence between the input parameters (the shape and size of the solid particle, as well as the velocity of the airflow) and the monitored parameters. A pyramid-type analysis (following a filtering system, a general equation was determined from a large number of equations that characterize an experimental set mathematically) was designed in order to determine a single mathematical equation that describes the correlation between the input variables and those obtained as accurately as possible. The determination of the mathematical equation started with the number of equations generated by the Table Curve 3D program; then, the equations with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.85 were chosen; and finally, the common equations were identified. Respecting the working methodology, one equation was identified, which has for the average linear velocity, a correlation coefficient r2 of between 0.88–0.99 and 0.86–0.99 for the angular velocity.
Adsorbents Used for Microcystin Removal from Water Sources: Current Knowledge and Future Prospects
Authors: El Bouaidi Widad , Enaime Ghizlane , Loudiki Mohammed , Yaacoubi Abdelrani , Douma Mountasser , Ounas Abdelaziz , Lübken Manfred
Published: June 2022

The increasing occurrence of toxic cyanobacteria in water sources, driven by climate change and eutrophication, is of great concern worldwide today. Cyanobacterial blooms can negatively affect water bodies and generate harmful secondary metabolites, namely microcystins (MCs), which significantly impair water quality. Various adsorbents used for MC removal from water sources were assessed in this investigation. Activated carbon constitutes the most widely used adsorbent for treating contaminated waters due to its high affinity for adsorbing MCs. Alternative adsorbents have also been proposed and reported to provide higher efficiency, but the studies carried out so far in this regard are still insufficient. The mechanisms implicated in MC adsorption upon different adsorbents should be further detailed for a better optimization of the adsorption process. Certainly, adsorbent characteristics, water pH and temperature are the main factors influencing the adsorption of MCs. In this context, optimization studies must be performed considering the effectiveness, economic aspects associated with each adsorbent. This review provides guidelines for more practical field applications of the adsorption in the treatment of waters actually contaminated with MCs.
Skin-Beautifying Effects of Magnolol and Honokiol Glycosides
Authors: Sawabe Akiyoshi , Tanaka Ayato , Nomura Masato , Takeda Ryuji
Published: June 2022

Glycosides have been synthesized using the starting materials magnolol (1) and honokiol (4), isolated from the Japanese white-bark magnolia, and their anti-aging effects on the skin (skin-beautifying effects) have been examined. The advanced glycation end-product (AGE) inhibitory activity test (anti-glycation test) and glycation induction model test, using human-derived dermal fibroblasts, TIG-110 cells, have been conducted to evaluate the anti-aging effects. The synthesized glycoside compounds, 5,5′-di(prop-2-en-1-yl)[1,1′-biphenyl]-2-hydroxy-2′-glucopyranoside (3a), 5,5′-di(prop-2-en-1-yl)[1,1′-biphenyl]-2,2′-diglucopyranoside (3b), 3′,5-di(prop-2-en-1-yl)[1,1′-biphenyl]-4′-hydroxy-2-glucopyranoside (6a) and 3′,5-di(prop-2-en-1-yl)[1,1′-biphenyl]-2,4′-diglucopyranoside (6b), have shown significant anti-glycation activities of less than 0.10 mM in IC50. The glycation induction model test with the fibroblasts, TIG-110 cells, demonstrates that the aforementioned glycosides significantly inhibit the decrease in cell viability. These newly synthesized glycoside compounds are expected to be used as cosmetic ingredients, health foods, and pharmaceutical ingredients, which have inhibitory effects against AGE formation.
Intensification Insights from Chemical Looping Combustion Using Coal–Biomass Mixtures with Fe-Based Oxygen Carrier
Authors: Kevat Mayur D. , Banerjee Tamal
Published: June 2022

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a modern technology that enables the mitigation of the CO2 concentration without any expense of energy. Experimental evidence shows that combustion of coal/biomass in CLC technology leads to negative carbon emission by replacing the portion of coal with biomass. In the present work, CLC was simulated using a mixture of coal/biomass in CLC; using their different proportions resulted in enhanced CO and CO2 fractions in the fuel reactor. The carbon capture and oxide oxygen fraction were also found to increase with the enhancement of the fuel reactor’s temperature with different proportions of coal/biomass. Increases in the carbon capture efficiency and oxide oxygen fraction of up to 98.86% and ~98%, respectively, were observed within the experimental temperature range. The simulated results of various parameters were predicted and validated with the published experimental results. The stated parameters were also predicted as a function of the different rates of solid circulation and gasification agents. Higher coal char conversion was confirmed in the fuel reactor with the presence of higher biomass concentrations.
Separatist Presbyterianism in 20th Century Scotland
Authors: Morrison Angus
Published: June 2022

This essay aims to give an account of separatist Presbyterian denominations in the context of Christianity in Scotland in the 20th century. After a brief introduction, attention is first given to the circumstances in which the denominations concerned were birthed. A second section looks at their current place within the wider Scottish context. In the third section, further attention is paid to the two most recent, late 20th century, divisions, those of 1989 and 2000. Concluding reflections seek to view the scene, thus sketched, through a wider lens and to look to the future with a degree of hope for reconciliation and healing. This paper is indebted to the invaluable insights, particularly in regard to the content of its third section, of the Revd Archie McPhail. Sincere thanks are also due to the Revd Martin Keane, Principal Clerk of the United Free Church, and the Revd David Meredith, Mission Director of the Free Church of Scotland, for their gracious and helpful responses to specific queries about their respective denominations. Any errors of fact or judgement are of course those of the author. In writing on a subject as difficult—and painful—as this, one inevitably brings personal perspectives to bear. Those of this writer have inevitably been formed, at least in part, in the context of an unusual ecclesiastical journey within the territory of three denominations—the Free Presbyterian Church, the Associated Presbyterian Churches and the Church of Scotland. Personal involvement in the history and denominational transfers of recent decades, together with long service as a parish minister and experience as a former Moderator, lend to the paper its distinctive angle of approach.
Religion and Its Public Critics
Authors: Stenmark Mikael
Published: June 2022

To have the right and possibility to criticize religions in public life is crucial for developing a healthy liberal democratic society. However, this criticism could take many different forms with respect to who offers the criticism, on what grounds it is based, its aim, what the target of the criticism is, and whom the critics try to convince. In this article, I develop a theoretical framework we can use to distinguish and assess different forms of criticism, focusing primarily on secular criticism of religion. Furthermore, I argue that in performing such a meta-study of criticism, it is vital that we reflect more carefully on how to develop plausible ethics of criticism. Finally, by comparing public criticism and academic criticism, I show that such ethics must be developed in a way that is sensitive to discourse.
Pandemic and the Nature-Alienated Self
Authors: Hampton Alexander J. B.
Published: June 2022

This consideration of COVID-19 places the pandemic in the larger context of our present-day ontology and the environmentally destructive human–nature relationship that characterizes it, exploring it in three parts. First, it sets out the problematic conceptualization of nature in the modern social imaginary by focusing upon the self in terms of its sense of identity, agency and authority. Second, it sets out how the pandemic fundamentally disrupts these three facets of the self in terms of the fragilization of economic values, the notion of unique human agency, and the limitation of the authority of discursive reason. Finally, it concludes by outlining the opportunity for a renewed relationship with nature by proposing the recovery of the premodern concepts of metaphysical participation, teleology, and rational intuition. In doing so, the pandemic crisis is considered in the wider context of the ecological crisis of the modern age, and as an opportunity for rethinking our collective concept of nature, and the place of our selves within it.
Religion, Politics, and New Testament Theology: Contesting Relevance and a Constructed Category
Authors: Reardon Timothy W.
Published: June 2022

It has been suggested by some, since the time of William Wrede, that biblical theology should align itself with the scientific study of religion. More recently, these appeals have been linked to a concern for the relevance of the discipline within modern universities and amid a secular, Western world. However, the category “religion” is itself complicated, and the implications of its use are not innocent. This article investigates the socially constructed nature of religion and the political discourse that shapes it in order to assess how the appropriation of this constructed category pertains to the relevance of New Testament theology as a discipline in particular, as well as how this category has already shaped New Testament studies more generally. I suggest that, rather than aiding biblical theology’s relevance, this category obscures a larger discourse that has sought to order social and political space in the modern Western world and beyond and that relevance should be sought elsewhere, including in the dialogue on alternative conceptual constructs that center those stories and persons that have been traditionally marginalized.
The Liquidity Premium in China’s Corporate Bond Market: A Stochastic Liquidity Discount Approach
Authors: Min Xiaoping , Ji Min
Published: June 2022

China’s bond market has been ranked third globally; however, China’s corporate bonds are significantly less liquid than its stocks. Liquidity risk is an important component in China’s corporate bond spreads. In this paper, we propose a stochastic liquidity discount factor model to evaluate the liquidity risk premium and its term structure in China’s corporate bond market. The Monte Carlo simulation technique is used to quantify the impact on the liquidity premium of various liquidity factors: the liquidity level, liquidity volatility, liquidity shock, and the liquidity elasticity. Our findings conclude that the liquidity level is the most significant component of a liquidity premium. The impact on the liquidity premium of other liquidity factors is all conditional on the liquidity level. In addition, the impact of liquidity shocks and volatility is also subject to the market’s equilibrium mechanism. Further, the term of a bond affects the premium both directly and indirectly through its influence on a bond’s liquidity.
Extensions on the Hatzopoulos–Sagianou Multiple-Components Stochastic Mortality Model
Authors: Sagianou Aliki , Hatzopoulos Peter
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we present extensions of the Hatzopoulos–Sagianou (2020) (HS) multiple-component stochastic mortality model. Our aim is to thoroughly evaluate and stress test the HS model by deploying various link functions, using generalised linear models, and diverse distributions in the model’s estimation method. In this work, we differentiate the HS approach by modelling the number of deaths using the Binomial model commonly employed in the literature of mortality modelling. Given this, new HS extensions are derived using the off-the-shelf link functions, namely the complementary log–log, logit and probit, while we also reform the model by introducing a new form of link functions with a particular focus on the use of heavy-tailed distributions. The above-mentioned enhancements conclude to a new methodology for the HS model, and we prove that it is more suitable than those used in the literature to model the mortality dynamics. In this regard, our work offers an extensive experimental testbed to scrutinise the efficiency, explainability and capacity of the HS model extensions using both the off-the-shelf and the newly introduced form of link functions over datasets with different characteristics. The introduced HS extensions bring an improvement by approximately 16% to the model’s goodness-of-fit, while they uncover more fine-grained age clusters. In addition, we compare the performance of the HS extensions against other well-known mortality models, both under fitting and forecast modes. The results reflect the advantageous features of the HS extensions to deliver a highly informative structure and enable the attribution of an identified mortality trend to a unique age cluster. The above-mentioned improvements enable mortality analysts to perform an in-depth and more detailed investigation of mortality trends for specific age clusters and can contribute to the attempts of academia and industry to tackle the uncertainties and risks introduced by the increasing life expectancy.
Remote-Sensing Monitoring of Postfire Vegetation Dynamics in the Greater Hinggan Mountain Range Based on Long Time-Series Data: Analysis of the Effects of Six Topographic and Climatic Factors
Authors: Chen Xu , Chen Wei , Xu Min
Published: June 2022

The frequency of forest fires is increasing under global climate change, and forest fires can cause devastating disturbances to forest systems and varying degrees of recovery of forest ecosystems after a disaster. Due to the different intensity of forest fires and forest systems, and in particular the fact that forest ecological recovery is influenced by many topographical and climatic factors, the process of postfire vegetation recovery is unclear and must be studied in depth. In this study, the Greater Hinggan Mountain Range was taken as the study area. Based on the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat time-series images acquired from 2000 to 2018, this study used the spatiotemporal data fusion method to construct reflectance images of vegetation with a relatively consistent growth period to study the vegetation restoration after forest fires. The vegetation restoration was characterized by disturbance index (DI) values, which eliminated phenological influence. Six types of topography and climatic factors (elevation, aspect, slope; temperature, precipitation, and wind speed) were coupled with DI. Through single-factor analysis of variance and multiple comparison statistical methods, it was found that there was a significant relationship between the six factors and DI, which indicated those factors had a significant impact on the restoration of forest vegetation in burned areas. The results will be useful as a reference for future monitoring and management of forest resources.
Fast Approach for SAR Imaging of Ground-Based Moving Targets Based on Range Azimuth Joint Processing
Authors: Shu Yuxiang , Wan Jun , Li Dong , Chen Zhanye , Liu Hongqing
Published: June 2022

The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of a moving target may be out of focus, given the motions of a non-cooperative target. Doppler ambiguities, including the Doppler center blur and spectrum ambiguity, will easily appear due to the limitations of pulse repetition frequency, which causes difficulty in moving-target imaging. Therefore, a robust fast Doppler ambiguity approach for SAR imaging of a ground-based moving target using range azimuth joint processing (RAJP) is presented. Firstly, the use of RAJP, based on a two-dimensional cross-correlation function and linear range cell migration (LRCM) compensation function, is proposed to simultaneously obtain the first- and second-order phase parameters in the fast-time and azimuth-frequency domains. Then, a corresponding azimuth reference function is constructed to image the moving target. Additionally, a principal component analysis-based operation is introduced to solve the mismatch with the LRCM compensation function. The couplings between the range and azimuth and between the first- and second-order parameters can be simultaneously decoupled by the proposed RAJP operation, which simplifies the processing steps. The developed approach can simultaneously obtain the first- and second-order parameters in the fast-time and azimuth-frequency domains, which avoids the propagation error of parameter estimation caused by the stepwise processing operation. The proposed method is relatively fast, given the need for fewer processing steps. The presented approach is robust in terms of Doppler ambiguity and handles the blind speed sidelobe well. In this study, simulated and real data are processed to verify the proposed approach.
Video Anomaly Detection Based on Convolutional Recurrent AutoEncoder
Authors: Wang Bokun , Yang Caiqian
Published: June 2022

As an essential task in computer vision, video anomaly detection technology is used in video surveillance, scene understanding, road traffic analysis and other fields. However, the definition of anomaly, scene change and complex background present great challenges for video anomaly detection tasks. The insight that motivates this study is that the reconstruction error for normal samples would be lower since they are closer to the training data, while the anomalies could not be reconstructed well. In this paper, we proposed a Convolutional Recurrent AutoEncoder (CR-AE), which combines an attention-based Convolutional Long–Short-Term Memory (ConvLSTM) network and a Convolutional AutoEncoder. The ConvLSTM network and the Convolutional AutoEncoder could capture the irregularity of the temporal pattern and spatial irregularity, respectively. The attention mechanism was used to obtain the current output characteristics from the hidden state of each Covn-LSTM layer. Then, a convolutional decoder was utilized to reconstruct the input video clip and the testing video clip with higher reconstruction error, which were further judged to be anomalies. The proposed method was tested on two popular benchmarks (UCSD ped2 Dataset and Avenue Dataset), and the experimental results demonstrated that CR-AE achieved 95.6% and 73.1% frame-level AUC on two public datasets, respectively.
An Embedded Portable Lightweight Platform for Real-Time Early Smoke Detection
Authors: Liu Bowen , Sun Bingjian , Cheng Pengle , Huang Ying
Published: June 2022

The advances in developing more accurate and fast smoke detection algorithms increase the need for computation in smoke detection, which demands the involvement of personal computers or workstations. Better detection results require a more complex network structure of the smoke detection algorithms and higher hardware configuration, which disqualify them as lightweight portable smoke detection for high detection efficiency. To solve this challenge, this paper designs a lightweight portable remote smoke front-end perception platform based on the Raspberry Pi under Linux operating system. The platform has four modules including a source video input module, a target detection module, a display module, and an alarm module. The training images from the public data sets will be used to train a cascade classifier characterized by Local Binary Pattern (LBP) using the Adaboost algorithm in OpenCV. Then the classifier will be used to detect the smoke target in the following video stream and the detected results will be dynamically displayed in the display module in real-time. If smoke is detected, warning messages will be sent to users by the alarm module in the platform for real-time monitoring and warning on the scene. Case studies showed that the developed system platform has strong robustness under the test datasets with high detection accuracy. As the designed platform is portable without the involvement of a personal computer and can efficiently detect smoke in real-time, it provides a potential affordable lightweight smoke detection option for forest fire monitoring in practice.
Machine Learning Techniques Based on Primary User Emulation Detection in Mobile Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Muñoz Ernesto Cadena , Pedraza Luis Fernando , Hernández Cesar Augusto
Published: June 2022

Mobile cognitive radio networks (MCRNs) have arisen as an alternative mobile communication because of the spectrum scarcity in actual mobile technologies such as 4G and 5G networks. MCRN uses the spectral holes of a primary user (PU) to transmit its signals. It is essential to detect the use of a radio spectrum frequency, which is where the spectrum sensing is used to detect the PU presence and avoid interferences. In this part of cognitive radio, a third user can affect the network by making an attack called primary user emulation (PUE), which can mimic the PU signal and obtain access to the frequency. In this paper, we applied machine learning techniques to the classification process. A support vector machine (SVM), random forest, and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) were used to detect the PUE in simulation and emulation experiments implemented on a software-defined radio (SDR) testbed, showing that the SVM technique detected the PUE and increased the probability of detection by 8% above the energy detector in low values of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), being 5% above the KNN and random forest techniques in the experiments.