bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental Investigation on the Combined Blowing Control of a Hybrid Wing Body Aircraft
Authors: Pan Jiaxin , Wang Wanbo , Qin Chen , Wang Xunnian , Sun Qixiang , Zhang Xin
Published: June 2023

Combined blowing was performed on a Hybrid Wing Body (HWB) aircraft through wind tunnel testing at a Reynolds number of 1.75 × 106. The full cycle of separation and reattachment under the control of combined blowing was implemented using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and the mechanism of combined blowing inhibiting separation was analyzed. The aerodynamic characteristics of the baseline and the independent effects of the blown deflected trailing edge (TE), blown leading edge (LE), and combined blowing on the TE and LE were investigated. The results clearly show that combined blowing can inhibit the development of cross-flow, reduce the accumulation of a boundary layer at the tip, and inhibit the flow separation effect. The effect of using seamless simple flaps alone to increase the lift is limited; blowing control is required to enhance the lift further. Applying the blown deflected TE can improve the lift linear segment, so that 30° flap achieves the lift gain of 40° flap without control, while the drag coefficient is approximately 0.02 smaller, but the stall gradually advances. Using the blown LE can significantly increase the stall angle from 12° to 18°. However, the lift linear segment remains unaffected. In particular, combined blowing can achieve the control effect of improving the lift linear segment, delaying stall, and decreasing drag. Moreover, the maximum lift coefficient is approximately 0.19, and the lift-to-drag ratio increment in the control state with a 30° flap deflection angle is above 2.2 in the angle of attack range of 4° to 12° compared to the uncontrolled state with a 40° flap deflection angle.
Towards Intricate Stand Structure: A Novel Individual Tree Segmentation Method for ALS Point Cloud Based on Extreme Offset Deep Learning
Authors: Zhang Yizhuo , Liu Hantao , Liu Xingyu , Yu Huiling
Published: June 2023

Due to the complex structure of high-canopy-density forests, the traditional individual tree segmentation (ITS) algorithms based on ALS point cloud, which set segmentation threshold manually, is difficult to adequately cover a variety of complex situations, so the ITS accuracy is unsatisfactory. In this paper, a top-down segmentation strategy is adopted to propose an adaptive segmentation method based on extreme offset deep learning, and the ITS set aggregation strategy based on gradient change criterion is designed for the over-segmentation generated by random offset, and the precise ITS is realized. Firstly, the segmentation sub-plot is set as 25 m × 25 m, the regional point cloud and its treetop are marked, and the offset network is trained. Secondly, the extreme offset network is designed to carry out spatial transformation of the original point cloud, and each point is offset to the position near the treetop to obtain the offset point cloud with a high density at the treetop, which enhances the discrimination among individual trees. Thirdly, the self-adaptive mean shift algorithm based on average neighboring distance is designed to divide and mark the offset point cloud. Fourthly, the offset point cloud, after clustering, is mapped back to the original space to complete the preliminary segmentation. Finally, according to the gradient change among different canopies, the ITS aggregation method is designed to aggregate adjacent canopies with a gentle gradient change. In order to investigate the universality of the proposed method on different stand structures, two coniferous forest plots (U1, U2) in the Blue Ridge area of Washington, USA, and two mixed forest plots (G1, G2) in Bretten, Germany, are selected in the experiment. The learning rate of the deep network is set as 0.001, the sampled point number of the sub-plot is 900, the transformer dimension is 512 × 512, the neighboring search number of points is 16, and the number of up-sampling blocks is 3. Experimental results show that in mixed forests (G1, G2) with complex structures, the F-score of the proposed method reaches 0.89, which is about 4% and 7% higher than the classical SHDR and improved DK, respectively. In high-canopy-density areas (U2, G2), the F-score of the proposed method reaches 0.89, which is about 3% and 4% higher than the SHDR and improved DK, respectively. The results show that the proposed method has high universality and accuracy, even in a complex stand environment with high canopy density.
Cardiovascular Complications of Pan-Cancer Therapies: The Need for Cardio-Oncology
Authors: Chen Mengjia , Xue Jianing , Wang Maoling , Yang Junyao , Chen Ting
Published: June 2023

It is more likely that a long-term survivor will have both cardiovascular disease and cancer on account of the progress in cancer therapy. Cardiotoxicity is a well-recognized and highly concerning adverse effect of cancer therapies. This side effect can manifest in a proportion of cancer patients and may lead to the discontinuation of potentially life-saving anticancer treatment regimens. Consequently, this discontinuation may adversely affect the patient’s survival prognosis. There are various underlying mechanisms by which each anticancer treatment affects the cardiovascular system. Similarly, the incidence of cardiovascular events varies with different protocols for malignant tumors. In the future, comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment and clinical monitoring should be considered for cancer treatments. Baseline cardiovascular evaluation risk should be emphasized prior to initiating clinical therapy in patients. Additionally, we highlight that there is a need for cardio-oncology to avoid or prevent cardiovascular side effects. Cardio-oncology service is based on identifying cardiotoxicity, developing strategies to reduce these toxicities, and minimizing long-term cardiotoxic effects.
CAR T-Cell Therapy for Cancer: Latest Updates and Challenges, with a Focus on B-Lymphoid Malignancies and Selected Solid Tumours
Authors: Tang Hiu Kwan Carolyn , Wang Bo , Tan Hui Xian , Sarwar Muhammad Adeel , Baraka Bahaaeldin , Shafiq Tahir , Rao Ankit R.
Published: June 2023

Although exponential progress in treating advanced malignancy has been made in the modern era with immune checkpoint blockade, survival outcomes remain suboptimal. Cellular immunotherapy, such as chimeric antigen receptor T cells, has the potential to improve this. CAR T cells combine the antigen specificity of a monoclonal antibody with the cytotoxic ‘power’ of T-lymphocytes through expression of a transgene encoding the scFv domain, CD3 activation molecule, and co-stimulatory domains. Although, very rarely, fatal cytokine-release syndrome may occur, CAR T-cell therapy gives patients with refractory CD19-positive B-lymphoid malignancies an important further therapeutic option. However, low-level expression of epithelial tumour-associated-antigens on non-malignant cells makes the application of CAR T-cell technology to common solid cancers challenging, as does the potentially limited ability of CAR T cells to traffic outside the blood/lymphoid microenvironment into metastatic lesions. Despite this, in advanced neuroblastoma refractory to standard therapy, 60% long-term overall survival and an objective response in 63% was achieved with anti GD2-specific CAR T cells.
Use of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to Improve the Critical Strain-Annealing (CSA) Method for Producing Large Crystals: Application to A1050 Commercially Pure Aluminum
Authors: Haddadi Halim , Tran Hoang-Son , Franciosi Patrick
Published: June 2023

The aim of this work is to present an efficient procedure for growing large metallic single crystals that associates a classical growth technique (namely, the critical strain-annealing—CSA—method) with advanced methods of accurate full-field strain measurements based on digital image correlation (DIC) technique and of sample geometry design using finite element analysis. Measuring the critical plastic strains with an accuracy better than 0.1% resulted in a significantly improved construction of the recrystallization diagram. Applying this “DIC-assisted CSA method” to an A1050 commercially pure aluminum allowed obtaining in less than two days (26 h to 30 h) large multi-crystal samples with a half dozen of large grains. Their length between 35 mm and 100 mm was in full agreement with the obtained recrystallization diagram.
Ancilla-Assisted Generation of Photons from Vacuum via Time-Modulation of Extracavity Qubit
Authors: de Paula Marcos V. S. , Sinesio William W. T. , Dodonov Alexandre V.
Published: June 2023

We propose a scheme for the generation of photons from a vacuum via time-modulation of a quantum system indirectly coupled to the cavity field through some ancilla quantum subsystem. We consider the simplest case when the modulation is applied to an artificial two-level atom (we call ‘t-qubit’, that can be located even outside the cavity), while the ancilla is a stationary qubit coupled via the dipole interaction both to the cavity and t-qubit. We find that tripartite entangled states with a small number of photons can be generated from the system ground state under resonant modulations, even when the t-qubit is far detuned from both the ancilla and the cavity, provided its bare and modulation frequencies are properly adjusted. We attest our approximate analytic results by numeric simulations and show that photon generation from vacuum persists in the presence of common dissipation mechanisms.
Partial Photoluminescence Imaging for Inspection of Photovoltaic Cells: Artificial LED Excitation and Sunlight Excitation
Authors: Redondo Plaza Alberto , Ngungu Victor Ndeti , Gallardo Saavedra Sara , Morales Aragonés José Ignacio , Alonso Gómez Víctor , Obregón Lilian Johanna , Hernández Callejo Luis
Published: June 2023

Photovoltaic power is a crucial renewable energy source that has the potential to enhance a city’s sustainability. However, in order to identify the various issues that may occur during the lifespan of a photovoltaic module, solar module inspection techniques are crucial. One valuable technique that is commonly used is luminescence, which captures silicon emissions. This article focuses on a specific luminescence technique called partial photoluminescence. This technique involves illuminating a specific portion of the solar cell surface and recording the luminescence emission generated in the remaining area. This method has been trialed in a laboratory environment, utilizing infrared LEDs as the excitation source. An analysis of the main parameters that affect the technique is provided, where pictures have been taken under varying exposure times ranging from 50 ms to 400 ms, irradiance levels ranging from 200 W/m2 to 1000 W/m2, and a percentage of illuminated cells ranging from 10% to 40%. Furthermore, the experimental device has been modified to generate images utilizing sunlight as the excitation source. Several pictures of damaged cells were taken under an irradiance range of 340 W/m2 to 470 W/m2. The quality of the partial photoluminescence images is comparable to conventional electroluminescence images, but longer exposure times are required.
Insights into Induction Heating Processes for Polymeric Materials: An Overview of the Mechanisms and Current Applications
Authors: Mariani Alberto , Malucelli Giulio
Published: June 2023

In polymer systems, induction heating (IH) is the physical outcome that results from the exposure of selected polymer composites embedding electrically-conductive and/or ferromagnetic fillers to an alternating electromagnetic field (frequency range: from kHz to MHz). The interaction of the applied electromagnetic field with the material accounts for the creation of magnetic polarization effects (i.e., magnetic hysteresis losses) and/or eddy currents (i.e., Joule losses, upon the formation of closed electrical loops), which, in turn, cause the heating up of the material itself. The heat involved can be exploited for different uses, ranging from the curing of thermosetting systems, the welding of thermoplastics, and the processing of temperature-sensitive materials (through selective IH) up to the activation of special effects in polymer systems (such as self-healing and shape-memory effects). This review aims at summarizing the current state-of-the-art of IH processes for polymers, providing readers with the current limitations and challenges, and further discussing some possible developments for the following years.
Experimental Analysis of Bio-Inspired Vortex Generators on a Blade with S822 Airfoil
Authors: Parra Hector G. , Ceron Hernan D. , Gomez William , Gaona Elvis E.
Published: June 2023

Vortex generators are used in aircraft wings and wind turbine blades. These devices allow them to maintain a stable turbulent behavior in the wind wake. Vortex generators, or VGs, improve the transition from laminar to turbulent boundary layer regime, avoiding abrupt shedding. HAWT wind turbines have high rotational velocity. Currently, HAWT turbines are being redesigned with fixed vortex generators, achieving higher energy production. This paper presents a wind tunnel analysis of a fixed-wire blade with S822 airfoil and active VGs bio-inspired by the flight-stabilizing feathers of the peregrine falcon. Vibrations measured on the blade show a reduction in intensity at wind velocities close to 15 m/s. The measured wake velocities show fluctuations at higher tunnel wind velocities. An FFT spectral analysis of the wind wake velocities showed differences between the spectral components. When activating the VGs in oscillation at a constant frequency, a reduction of the vibrations on the blade was observed for wind velocities around 20 m/s.
Characteristics Associated with Young Adults’ Intentions to Engage with Anti-Vaping Instagram Posts
Authors: Liu Jessica , Lee Donghee N. , Stevens Elise M.
Published: June 2023

The purpose of this study was to identify behavioral and sociodemographic factors associated with intentions to engage with anti-vaping Instagram posts among a young adult population. This study proposes the following research questions: (1) Does e-cigarette use status influence intentions to engage with anti-vaping Instagram posts?, and (2) How are e-cigarette use and social media use associated? We recruited a convenience sample of young adults (N = 459; aged 18–30 years) in July of 2022 into an online experimental study from Prolific. Participants saw five image-based Instagram posts about the health harms of using e-cigarettes. Participants were then asked about their intentions to engage (“Comment on”, “Reshare”, “DM/Send this to a friend”, “Like”, and/or “Take a screenshot of”) with the posts. We used logistic regression to run adjusted models for each engagement outcome, which included fixed effects for sociodemographics, tobacco use, and social media/internet use. For the sum of the engagement outcome, we used Poisson regression. Total number of social media sites used was associated with intentions to “Like” the posts (p = 0.025) and the overall engagement score (p = 0.019), respectively. Daily internet use was associated with intentions to “Comment on” (p = 0.016) and “Like” (p = 0.019) the posts. Young adults who reported past 30-day e-cigarette use had higher odds of using Twitter (p = 0.013) and TikTok (p < 0.001), and a higher total number of social media sites used (p = 0.046), compared to young adults who reported never use e-cigarettes. The initial evidence from our exploratory research using a convenience sample suggests that social media campaigns about the harms of e-cigarette use may be an effective way to engage younger audiences, a generation that frequents social media. Efforts to disseminate social media campaigns should consider launching on multiple platforms, such as Twitter and TikTok, and consider e-cigarette use status when posting.
Modulation of Dietary Choline Uptake in a Mouse Model of Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency
Authors: Gaudioso Ángel , Moreno-Huguet Pilar , Casas Josefina , Schuchman Edward H. , Ledesma María Dolores
Published: June 2023

Acid sphingomyelinase deficiency (ASMD) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the gene-encoding acid sphingomyelinase (ASM). ASMD impacts peripheral organs in all patients, including the liver and spleen. The infantile and chronic neurovisceral forms of the disease also lead to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration for which there is no effective treatment. Cellular accumulation of sphingomyelin (SM) is a pathological hallmark in all tissues. SM is the only sphingolipid comprised of a phosphocholine group linked to ceramide. Choline is an essential nutrient that must be obtained from the diet and its deficiency promotes fatty liver disease in a process dependent on ASM activity. We thus hypothesized that choline deprivation could reduce SM production and have beneficial effects in ASMD. Using acid sphingomyelinase knock-out (ASMko) mice, which mimic neurovisceral ASMD, we have assessed the safety of a choline-free diet and its effects on liver and brain pathological features such as altered sphingolipid and glycerophospholipid composition, inflammation and neurodegeneration. We found that the choline-free diet was safe in our experimental conditions and reduced activation of macrophages and microglia in the liver and brain, respectively. However, there was no significant impact on sphingolipid levels and neurodegeneration was not prevented, arguing against the potential of this nutritional strategy to assist in the management of neurovisceral ASMD patients.
Plant Growth Promotion Using Bacillus cereus
Authors: Kulkova Iryna , Dobrzyński Jakub , Kowalczyk Paweł , Bełżecki Grzegorz , Kramkowski Karol
Published: June 2023

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) appear to be a sensible competitor to conventional fertilization, including mineral fertilizers and chemical plant protection products. Undoubtedly, one of the most interesting bacteria exhibiting plant-stimulating traits is, more widely known as a pathogen, Bacillus cereus. To date, several environmentally safe strains of B. cereus have been isolated and described, including B. cereus WSE01, MEN8, YL6, SA1, ALT1, ERBP, GGBSTD1, AK1, AR156, C1L, and T4S. These strains have been studied under growth chamber, greenhouse, and field conditions and have shown many significant traits, including indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase production or phosphate solubilization, which allows direct plant growth promotion. It includes an increase in biometrics traits, chemical element content (e.g., N, P, and K), and biologically active substances content or activity, e.g., antioxidant enzymes and total soluble sugar. Hence, B. cereus has supported the growth of plant species such as soybean, maize, rice, and wheat. Importantly, some B. cereus strains can also promote plant growth under abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, and heavy metal pollution. In addition, B. cereus strains produced extracellular enzymes and antibiotic lipopeptides or triggered induced systemic resistance, which allows indirect stimulation of plant growth. As far as biocontrol is concerned, these PGPB can suppress the development of agriculturally important phytopathogens, including bacterial phytopathogens (e.g., Pseudomonas syringae, Pectobacterium carotovorum, and Ralstonia solanacearum), fungal phytopathogens (e.g., Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea, and Rhizoctonia solani), and other phytopathogenic organisms (e.g., Meloidogyne incognita (Nematoda) and Plasmodiophora brassicae (Protozoa)). In conclusion, it should be noted that there are still few studies on the effectiveness of B. cereus under field conditions, particularly, there is a lack of comprehensive analyses comparing the PGP effects of B. cereus and mineral fertilizers, which should be reduced in favor of decreasing the use of mineral fertilizers. It is also worth mentioning that there are still very few studies on the impact of B. cereus on the indigenous microbiota and its persistence after application to soil. Further studies would help to understand the interactions between B. cereus and indigenous microbiota, subsequently contributing to increasing its effectiveness in promoting plant growth.
Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside as a Nutrigenomic Factor in Type 2 Diabetes and Its Prominent Impact on Health
Authors: Bartel Iga , Koszarska Magdalena , Strzałkowska Nina , Tzvetkov Nikolay T. , Wang Dongdong , Horbańczuk Jarosław O. , Wierzbicka Agnieszka , Atanasov Atanas G. , Jóźwik Artur
Published: June 2023

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) accounts for a global health problem. It is a complex disease as a result of the combination of environmental as well as genetic factors. Morbidity is still increasing across the world. One of the possibilities for the prevention and mitigation of the negative consequences of type 2 diabetes is a nutritional diet rich in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols. This review is focused on cyanidin-3-O-glucosidase (C3G), which belongs to the anthocyanins subclass, and its anti-diabetic properties. There are numerous pieces of evidence that C3G exerts positive effects on diabetic parameters, including in vitro and in vivo studies. It is involved in alleviating inflammation, reducing blood glucose, controlling postprandial hyperglycemia, and gene expression related to the development of T2D. C3G is one of the beneficial polyphenolic compounds that may help to overcome the public health problems associated with T2D.
Cm-p5 Peptide Dimers Inhibit Biofilms of Candida albicans Clinical Isolates, C. parapsilosis and Fluconazole-Resistant Mutants of C. auris
Authors: Amann Valerie , Kissmann Ann-Kathrin , Mildenberger Vanessa , Krebs Imke , Perez-Erviti Julio A. , Martell-Huguet Ernesto M. , Otero-Gonzalez Anselmo J. , Morales-Vicente Fidel , Rodríguez-Castaño Gina P. , Firacative Carolina , Rodríguez Armando , Ständker Ludger , Weil Tanja , Spellerberg Barbara , Stenger Steffen , Rosenau Frank
Published: June 2023

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a promising class of therapeutic biomolecules that show antimicrobial activity against a broad range of microorganisms, including life-threatening pathogens. In contrast to classic AMPs with membrane-disrupting activities, new peptides with a specific anti-biofilm effect are gaining in importance since biofilms could be the most important way of life, especially for pathogens, as the interaction with host tissues is crucial for the full development of their virulence in the event of infection. Therefore, in a previous study, two synthetic dimeric derivatives (parallel Dimer 1 and antiparallel Dimer 2) of the AMP Cm-p5 showed specific inhibition of the formation of Candida auris biofilms. Here we show that these derivatives are also dose-dependently effective against de novo biofilms that are formed by the widespread pathogenic yeasts C. albicans and C. parapsilosis. Moreover, the activity of the peptides was demonstrated even against two fluconazole-resistant strains of C. auris.
RCD1 Promotes Salt Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis by Repressing ANAC017 Activity
Authors: Tao Jinyuan , Wu Feiyan , Wen Haoming , Liu Xiaoqin , Luo Weigui , Gao Lei , Jiang Zhonghao , Mo Beixin , Chen Xuemei , Kong Wenwen , Yu Yu
Published: June 2023

Plants have evolved diverse strategies to accommodate saline environments. More insights into the knowledge of salt stress regulatory pathways will benefit crop breeding. RADICAL-INDUCED CELL DEATH 1 (RCD1) was previously identified as an essential player in salt stress response. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we unraveled that Arabidopsis NAC domain-containing protein 17 (ANAC017) acts downstream of RCD1 in salt stress response, and its ER-to-nucleus transport is triggered by high salinity. Genetic and biochemical evidence showed that RCD1 interacts with transmembrane motif-truncated ANAC017 in the nucleus and represses its transcriptional activity. Transcriptome analysis revealed that genes associated with oxidation reduction process and response to salt stress are similarly dysregulated in loss-of-function rcd1 and gain-of-function anac017-2 mutants. In addition, we found that ANAC017 plays a negative role in salt stress response by impairing the superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity. Taken together, our study uncovered that RCD1 promotes salt stress response and maintains ROS homeostasis by inhibiting ANAC017 activity.
Calcium Handling Remodeling Underlies Impaired Sympathetic Stress Response in Ventricular Myocardium from Cacna1c Haploinsufficient Rats
Authors: Fender Hauke , Walter Kim , Kiper Aytug K. , Plačkić Jelena , Kisko Theresa M. , Braun Moria D. , Schwarting Rainer K. W. , Rohrbach Susanne , Wöhr Markus , Decher Niels , Kockskämper Jens
Published: June 2023

CACNA1C encodes the pore-forming α1C subunit of the L-type Ca2+ channel, Cav1.2. Mutations and polymorphisms of the gene are associated with neuropsychiatric and cardiac disease. Haploinsufficient Cacna1c+/− rats represent a recently developed model with a behavioral phenotype, but its cardiac phenotype is unknown. Here, we unraveled the cardiac phenotype of Cacna1c+/− rats with a main focus on cellular Ca2+ handling mechanisms. Under basal conditions, isolated ventricular Cacna1c+/− myocytes exhibited unaltered L-type Ca2+ current, Ca2+ transients (CaTs), sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ load, fractional release, and sarcomere shortenings. However, immunoblotting of left ventricular (LV) tissue revealed reduced expression of Cav1.2, increased expression of SERCA2a and NCX, and augmented phosphorylation of RyR2 (at S2808) in Cacna1c+/− rats. The β-adrenergic agonist isoprenaline increased amplitude and accelerated decay of CaTs and sarcomere shortenings in both Cacna1c+/− and WT myocytes. However, the isoprenaline effect on CaT amplitude and fractional shortening (but not CaT decay) was impaired in Cacna1c+/− myocytes exhibiting both reduced potency and efficacy. Moreover, sarcolemmal Ca2+ influx and fractional SR Ca2+ release after treatment with isoprenaline were smaller in Cacna1c+/− than in WT myocytes. In Langendorff-perfused hearts, the isoprenaline-induced increase in RyR2 phosphorylation at S2808 and S2814 was attenuated in Cacna1c+/− compared to WT hearts. Despite unaltered CaTs and sarcomere shortenings, Cacna1c+/− myocytes display remodeling of Ca2+ handling proteins under basal conditions. Mimicking sympathetic stress with isoprenaline unmasks an impaired ability to stimulate Ca2+ influx, SR Ca2+ release, and CaTs caused, in part, by reduced phosphorylation reserve of RyR2 in Cacna1c+/− cardiomyocytes.
Determination of the Oxygen Content in the LiF–NaF–KF Melt
Authors: Maslennikova Anna A. , Mushnikov Peter N. , Dub Alexey V. , Tkacheva Olga Yu. , Zaikov Yury P. , Liu Ya-Lan , Shi Wei-Qun
Published: June 2023

The present paper is dedicated to the quantitative determination of oxygen-containing impurities in the LiF–NaF–KF eutectic using electrochemical (cyclic and square-wave voltammetry) and reduction melting methods. The LiF–NaF–KF melt was analyzed before and after purifying electrolysis. The amount of oxygen-containing impurities removed from the salt during purification was determined. It was found that after electrolysis, the concentration of oxygen-containing impurities decreased by 7 times. The results obtained via electrochemical techniques and reduction melting were well-correlated, which made it possible to evaluate the quality of the LiF–NaF–KF F melt. To verify the analysis conditions, mechanical mixtures of LiF–NaF–KF containing Li2O were analyzed using the reduction melting method. The oxygen concentration in the mixtures varied from 0.672 to 2.554 wt. %. Based on the analysis results, the dependence approximated by the straight line was obtained. These data may be used to draw calibration curves and to further develop the procedure of oxygen analysis of fluoride melts.
Estimating Compressive Strength of Concrete Using Neural Electromagnetic Field Optimization
Authors: Akbarzadeh Mohammad , Ghafourian Hossein , Anvari Arsalan , Pourhanasa Ramin , Nehdi Moncef
Published: June 2023

Concrete compressive strength (CCS) is among the most important mechanical characteristics of this widely used material. This study develops a novel integrative method for efficient prediction of CCS. The suggested method is an artificial neural network (ANN) favorably tuned by electromagnetic field optimization (EFO). The EFO simulates a physics-based strategy, which in this work is employed to find the best contribution of the concrete parameters (i.e., cement (C), blast furnace slag (SBF), fly ash (FA1), water (W), superplasticizer (SP), coarse aggregate (AC), fine aggregate (FA2), and the age of testing (AT)) to the CCS. The same effort is carried out by three benchmark optimizers, namely the water cycle algorithm (WCA), sine cosine algorithm (SCA), and cuttlefish optimization algorithm (CFOA) to be compared with the EFO. The results show that hybridizing the ANN using the mentioned algorithms led to reliable approaches for predicting the CCS. However, comparative analysis indicates that there are appreciable distinctions between the prediction capacity of the ANNs created by the EFO and WCA vs. the SCA and CFOA. For example, the mean absolute error calculated for the testing phase of the ANN-WCA, ANN-SCA, ANN-CFOA, and ANN-EFO was 5.8363, 7.8248, 7.6538, and 5.6236, respectively. Moreover, the EFO was considerably faster than the other strategies. In short, the ANN-EFO is a highly efficient hybrid model, and can be recommended for the early prediction of the CCS. A user-friendly explainable and explicit predictive formula is also derived for the convenient estimation of the CCS.
Transition in Interfacial Failure Mechanism of Resistance Spot Welds during Tensile–Shear Loading: Role of Fusion Zone Hardness
Authors: Nadimi Nima , Pouranvari Majid
Published: June 2023

The failure of resistance spot welds through the fusion zone along the sheet/sheet interface (i.e., interfacial failure) is critical for automotive crashworthiness. This paper investigates the effect of fusion zone hardness on the interfacial failure behavior of resistance spot welds during the tensile–shear test. AISI 1040 medium carbon steel, producing a high level of hardness mismatch during resistance spot welding, was selected as the base metal. By ex situ tempering heat treatment, various levels of fusion zone hardness are achieved in the welds with constant fusion zone size. It is shown that the interfacial failure of the spot welds is a competition between ductile shear failure and rapid crack propagation. It is found that there is a critical fusion zone hardness beyond which the interfacial failure mechanism transitions from ductile shear failure to rapid crack propagation. In welds with high fusion zone hardness, the mechanism of interfacial failure is rapid crack growth, and fusion zone fracture toughness is the governing factor for the interfacial failure load. Conversely, in welds with low FZ hardness, the mechanism of interfacial failure is a ductile shear failure, and fusion zone hardness would be the governing factor for the interfacial failure load.
Pyrene-Containing Polyamines as Fluorescent Receptors for Recognition of PFOA in Aqueous Media
Authors: Simonini Steiner Yschtar Tecla , Romano Giammarco Maria , Massai Lara , Lippi Martina , Paoli Paola , Rossi Patrizia , Savastano Matteo , Bencini Andrea
Published: June 2023

The globally widespread perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a concerning environmental contaminant, with a possible toxic long-term effects on the environment and human health The development of sensible, rapid, and low-cost detection systems is a current change in modern environmental chemistry. In this context, two triamine-based chemosensors, L1 and L2, containing a fluorescent pyrene unit, and their Zn(II) complexes are proposed as fluorescent probes for the detection of PFOA in aqueous media. Binding studies carried out by means of fluorescence and NMR titrations highlight that protonated forms of the receptors can interact with the carboxylate group of PFOA, thanks to salt bridge formation with the ammonium groups of the aliphatic chain. This interaction induces a decrease in the fluorescence emission of pyrene at neutral and slightly acidic pH values. Similarly, emission quenching has also been observed upon coordination of PFOA by the Zn(II) complexes of the receptors. These results evidence that simple polyamine-based molecular receptors can be employed for the optical recognition of harmful pollutant molecules, such as PFOA, in aqueous media.
Mentha longifolia Essential Oil and Pulegone in Edible Coatings of Alginate and Chitosan: Effects on Pathogenic Bacteria in Lactic Cheese
Authors: Shahdadi Fatemeh , Faryabi Maliheh , Khan Haroon , Sardoei Ali Salehi , Fazeli-Nasab Bahman , Goh Bey Hing , Goh Khang Wen , Tan Ching Siang
Published: June 2023

Mentha longifolia is a valuable medicinal and aromatic plant that belongs to Lamiaceae family. This study looked at the antibacterial effects of M. longifolia essential oil and pulegone in edible coatings made of chitosan and alginate on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli in cheese. For this purpose, first fresh mint plant was collected from the cold region of Jiroft in Kerman province. Plant samples were dried in the shade at ambient temperature, and essential oil was prepared using Clevenger. The essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography using mass spectrometric (GC/MS) detection. The major composition of M. longifolia oil was pulegone (26.07%), piperitone oxide (19.72%), and piperitone (11.88%). The results showed that adding M. longifolia essential oils and pulegone to edible coatings significantly reduced the growth of bacteria during storage. The bacterial population decreased by increasing the concentration of chitosan, M. longifolia, and pulegone in edible coatings. When the effects of pulegone and M. longifolia essential oils on bacteria were compared, it was found that pulegone had a stronger effect on bacterial population reduction. Coating treatments showed more antibacterial activity on E. coli than other bacteria. In general, the results of this research showed that alginate and chitosan coatings along with M. longifolia essential oil and its active ingredient pulegone had antibacterial effects against S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, and E. coli in cheese.
Synthesis of Small Libraries of Natural Products: Part II: Identification of a New Natural Product from the Essential Oil of Pleurospermum austriacum (L.) Hoffm. (Apiaceae)
Authors: Radulović Niko S. , Mladenović Marko Z. , Dekić Milan S. , Boylan Fabio
Published: June 2023

Herein, comprehensive data of NMR, MS, IR, and gas chromatography (RI) obtained by GC-MS on commonly used capillary columns of different polarity (non-polar DB-5MS and polar HP-Innowax) of a series of esters of all constitutional isomers of hexanoic acid with a homologous series of ω-phenylalkan-1-ols (phenylmethanol, 2-phenylethanol, 3-phenylpropan-1-ol, 4-phenylbutan-1-ol, and 5-phenylpentan-1-ol) and phenol, in total 48 chemical entities, were collected. The created synthetic library allowed the identification of a new constituent of the P. austriacum essential oil (3-phenylpropyl 2-methylpentanoate). The accumulated spectral and chromatographical data, as well as the established correlation between RI values and structures of regioisomeric hexanoates, provide (phyto)chemists with a tool that will make future identification of related natural compounds a straightforward task.
Yingyangbao Reduced Anemia among Infants and Young Children Aged 6–23 Months When Delivered through a Large-Scale Nutrition Improvement Program for Children in Poor Areas in China from 2015 to 2020
Authors: Wang Lijuan , Huo Junsheng , Wei Yanli , Tang Yanbin , Sun Jing , Huang Jian
Published: June 2023

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of intervention with Yingyangbao (YYB) on hemoglobin (Hb) and anemia status among infants and young children (IYC) aged 6–23 months (mo) through a large-scale Nutrition Improvement Program for Children in Poor Areas (NIPCPA) in China from 2015 to 2020. Five rounds of cross-sectional surveys were conducted using a stratified and multi-stage probability proportional to size sampling of IYC in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Multivariable regression analyses were fitted to determine the effectiveness of the YYB intervention on Hb and anemia, respectively. A total of 36,325, 40,027, 43,831, 44,375 and 46,050 IYC aged 6–23 mo were included, and the prevalence of anemia was 29.7%, 26.9%, 24.1%, 21.2% and 18.1% in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Compared with the results in 2015, the Hb concentrations significantly improved and anemia prevalence significantly decreased among IYC in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 (p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that higher YYB consumption was significantly associated with the increment in Hb concentration and reduction in anemia stratified by age group (p < 0.001). The most significant increment in Hb concentration of 2.189 mg/L and the most significant reduction in odds of anemia were observed among IYC aged 12–17 mo who consumed 270 to 359 sachets of YYB (OR: 0.671; 95% CI: 0.627, 0.719; p < 0.001). This study suggests that YYB intervention is a successful public health strategy for reducing the risk of anemia among IYC when delivered through a large-scale NIPCPA in China. It is necessary to continue to advance the program and increase the adherence of YYB.
Reduction-Responsive Chitosan-Based Injectable Hydrogels for Enhanced Anticancer Therapy
Authors: Vu Trung Thang , Yadav Sonyabapu , Reddy Obireddy Sreekanth , Jo Sung-Han , Joo Soo-Bin , Kim Byeong Kook , Park Eun Ju , Park Sang-Hyug , Lim Kwon Taek
Published: June 2023

Selective delivery of anticancer drug molecules to the tumor site enhances local drug dosages, which leads to the death of cancer cells while simultaneously minimizing the negative effects of chemotherapy on other tissues, thereby improving the patient’s quality of life. To address this need, we developed reduction-responsive chitosan-based injectable hydrogels via the inverse electron demand Diels–Alder reaction between tetrazine groups of disulfide-based cross-linkers and norbornene groups of chitosan derivatives, which were applied to the controlled delivery of doxorubicin (DOX). The swelling ratio, gelation time (90–500 s), mechanical strength (G’~350–850 Pa), network morphology, and drug-loading efficiency (≥92%) of developed hydrogels were investigated. The in vitro release studies of the DOX-loaded hydrogels were performed at pH 7.4 and 5.0 with and without DTT (10 mM). The biocompatibility of pure hydrogel and the in vitro anticancer activity of DOX-loaded hydrogels were demonstrated via MTT assay on HEK-293 and HT-29 cancer cell lines, respectively.
Effects of Customized 3D-Printed Insoles in Patients with Foot-Related Musculoskeletal Ailments—A Survey-Based Study
Authors: Shaikh Salman , Jamdade Bhakti , Chanda Arnab
Published: June 2023

The prevalence of individuals with flat feet and high arches is very high (between 15% to 37%), which can often lead to other orthopedic complications. Three-dimensional-printed insoles are being studied and validated for their effects in correcting these highly prevalent foot disorders. Highly customizable parameters while printing the insole allows for precise correction of foot biomechanics. In this study, 200 patients suffering from various foot-related problems and joint pain were given 3d-printed insoles (designed using plantar pressure systems and clinical practitioner’s assessment) to use in their footwear. Tested activities included standing, walking, running, sports, and gym workout. Customization of insoles included custom density, heel cup, heel rise, medial arch height, and lateral wedge. Based on the patient history, additional podiatry elements were provided for patients with diabetes. Each insole was designed as per the insole profile of the shoe with a comfortable fit. These insoles were found to be effective in alleviating pain for more than 90% of the patients and provided a longer life cycle with effective orthotic correction (for >16 months of daily use). This paper presents the post-use effects (6–18 months) of custom 3D-printed insoles.
Tree Species Classification in UAV Remote Sensing Images Based on Super-Resolution Reconstruction and Deep Learning
Authors: Huang Yingkang , Wen Xiaorong , Gao Yuanyun , Zhang Yanli , Lin Guozhong
Published: June 2023

We studied the use of self-attention mechanism networks (SAN) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for forest tree species classification using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing imagery in Dongtai Forest Farm, Jiangsu Province, China. We trained and validated representative CNN models, such as ResNet and ConvNeXt, as well as the SAN model, which incorporates Transformer models such as Swin Transformer and Vision Transformer (ViT). Our goal was to compare and evaluate the performance and accuracy of these networks when used in parallel. Due to various factors, such as noise, motion blur, and atmospheric scattering, the quality of low-altitude aerial images may be compromised, resulting in indistinct tree crown edges and deficient texture. To address these issues, we adopted Real-ESRGAN technology for image super-resolution reconstruction. Our results showed that the image dataset after reconstruction improved classification accuracy for both the CNN and Transformer models. The final classification accuracies, validated by ResNet, ConvNeXt, ViT, and Swin Transformer, were 96.71%, 98.70%, 97.88%, and 98.59%, respectively, with corresponding improvements of 1.39%, 1.53%, 0.47%, and 1.18%. Our study highlights the potential benefits of Transformer and CNN for forest tree species classification and the importance of addressing the image quality degradation issues in low-altitude aerial images.
Predictive Mapping of Mediterranean Seagrasses-Exploring the Influence of Seafloor Light and Wave Energy on Their Fine-Scale Spatial Variability
Authors: Fakiris Elias , Giannakopoulos Vasileios , Leftheriotis Georgios , Dimas Athanassios , Papatheodorou George
Published: June 2023

Seagrasses are flowering plants, adapted to marine environments, that are highly diverse in the Mediterranean Sea and provide a variety of ecosystem services. It is commonly recognized that light availability sets the lower limit of seagrass bathymetric distribution, while the upper limit depends on the level of bottom disturbance by currents and waves. In this work, detailed distribution of seagrass, obtained through geoacoustic habitat mapping and optical ground truthing, is correlated to wave energy and light on the seafloor of the Marine Protected Area of Laganas Bay, Zakynthos Island, Greece, where the seagrasses Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa form extensive meadows. Mean wave energy on the seafloor was estimated through wave propagation modeling, while the photosynthetically active radiation through open-access satellite-derived light parameters, reduced to the seafloor using the detailed acquired bathymetry. A significant correlation of seagrass distribution with wave energy and light was made clear, allowing for performing fine-scale predictive seagrass mapping using a random forest classifier. The predicted distributions exhibited >80% overall accuracy for P. oceanica and >90% for C. nodosa, indicating that fine-scale seagrass predictive mapping in the Mediterranean can be performed robustly through bottom wave energy and light, especially when detailed bathymetric data exist to allow for accurate estimations.
Trade-Off and Synergy Relationships and Spatial Bundle Analysis of Ecosystem Services in the Qilian Mountains
Authors: Wang Yipeng , Cheng Hongyi , Wang Naiang , Huang Chufang , Zhang Kaili , Qiao Bin , Wang Yuanyuan , Wen Penghui
Published: June 2023

Significant heterogeneity has been observed among different ecosystem services (ES). Understanding the trade-offs and synergies among ES and delineating ecological functional zones is crucial for formulating regional management policies that improve human well-being and sustainably develop and maintain ecosystems. In this study, we used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) and Carnegie–Ames–Stanford Approach (CASA) models to evaluate the spatial distribution patterns of nine ES (food supply, raw material supply, water resource supply, water connotation, climate regulation, soil conservation, water purification, habitat quality, and entertainment tourism) in the Qilian Mountains from 2000 to 2018. We also investigated the trade-offs and synergistic relationships among ES through Spearman correlation analysis, identified ES hotspots through exploratory spatial data analysis, and identified ES bundles (ESB) using K-means clustering. Our results revealed that water purification and habitat quality remained relatively stable, while food supply, raw material supply, water resource supply, water conservation, climate regulation, soil conservation, and entertainment tourism increased by 1038.83 Yuan·ha−1, 448.21 Yuan·ha−1, 55.45 mm, 7.80 mm, 0.60 tc·ha−1, 40.01 t·ha−1 and 4.82, respectively. High-value areas for water resource supply were mainly concentrated in the high-altitude mountainous area, whereas high-value areas for soil conservation were found in the western and eastern parts of the study area. The low-value areas of water purification were primarily located in the east, while the remaining six services were highly distributed in the east and were less common in the west. Correlation analysis showed that water resource supply, water conservation, and soil conservation exhibited a synergistic relationship in the Qilian Mountains. Moreover, food supply, raw material supply, climate regulation, habitat quality, and entertainment tourism showed synergistic relationships. However, there were trade-offs between food supply and water purification as well as water resource supply, and habitat quality showed a tradeoff with water resource supply, water conservation, and soil conservation. We identified four ESB. The food supply bundle consisted mainly of farmland ecosystems, while the windbreak and sand fixation and ecological coordination bundles were dominant in the Qilian Mountains. Notably, the area of the water conservation bundle increased significantly. Our comprehensive findings on ES and ESB can provide a theoretical foundation for the formulation of ecological management policies and the sustainable development of ecosystems in the Qilian Mountains.