bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climate and Sea Level Controls on the Spatial Heterogeneity of Mid-Holocene Vegetation in the North China Plain
Authors: Xie Mingxia , Xu Qinmian , Li Yuecong , Du Tianyu , Fan Baoshuo , Zhang Wensheng , Li Bing
Published: November 2022

Understanding the response of regional vegetation succession to climate changes and human activities in the Middle Holocene can help predict the trajectory of future vegetation changes. The North China Plain, modulated by the East Asian monsoon, is sensitive to global climate changes. However, its vegetation type and distribution during the Middle Holocene are still unclear. Based on the comprehensive analysis of 155 samples for pollen and grain sizes as well as other environmental proxies from the LD03 drill core, vegetation was reconstructed quantitatively using the REVEALS model during the period of 8.4–5.5 cal ka BP. (1) Compared to the pollen percentage, the coverage of Pinus (13.5%) decreased most significantly, while the coverage of Quercus increased significantly (51.3%). The proportion of Ephedra (11.9%) increased. A large area of temperate deciduous broad-leaved forests mainly with deciduous Quercus developed in the eastern coastal plain of Hebei from 8.0 ka BP to 5.5 ka BP. (2) During 7.4–7.1 ka BP, the proportion of broadleaved trees decreased significantly, while herbaceous plants such as Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae increased. Vegetation components such as Quercus and Pinus and Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae were sensitive to marine transgression. (3) The vegetation distribution during the Middle Holocene in the eastern and western regions of Hebei was mainly as follows: There was a large area of Pinus in the Taihang Mountains in western Hebei, whereas grasslands mainly composed of Asteraceae and Poaceae (reeds) developed in the floodplain of central Hebei. Coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests or temperate deciduous broad-leaved forests developed in the eastern coastal plain of Hebei. The possible mechanisms of vegetation heterogeneity are sea level rise and the enhanced monsoon precipitation.
Integrated Multi-Level Assessment of Ecosystem Services (ES): The Case of the Casal del Marmo Agricultural Park Area in Rome (Italy)
Authors: Marino Davide , Mazzocchi Giampiero , Pellegrino Davide , Barucci Veridiana
Published: November 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the ES assessment within a “place-based policy-mix model” for urban planning testing and integrating three ES assessment methodologies: (1) mapping and assessment, (2) expert-based evaluation and (3) social perception. The results indicate that (1) mapping assessment provides higher values to the regulating ecosystem services, (2) expert-based evaluation provides slightly lower values to the regulating ecosystem services and (3) social perception highlights the importance of cultural ES but tends to underestimate other ecosystem functions. These three methodologies translate into sectorial and nondialoguing policies for which decisions are made on partial and nonintegrated information. In order to design integrated policies with a view to the sustainability of the local food system, our results indicate that the planning of urban and peri-urban agricultural areas should rely on tools capable of integrating both spatial mapping methods and human-based assessment methodologies.
Interconnectedness of Ecosystem Services Potential with Land Use/Land Cover Change Dynamics in Western Uganda
Authors: Kusiima Samuel Kaheesi , Egeru Anthony , Namaalwa Justine , Byakagaba Patrick , Mfitumukiza David , Mukwaya Paul , Mensah Sylvanus , Asiimwe Robert
Published: November 2022

Understanding the evolution of land use/land cover change (LULCC) and how it shapes current and future ecosystem services (ES) supply potential remains critical in sustainable natural resource management. Community perception of historic LULCC was reconciled with previous study via remote sensing/geographical information systems using recall data in the Budongo–Bugoma landscape in Uganda. Then, a CA-Markovian prediction model of a LULC situation in 2040 under business as usual (BAU) and forest restoration scenarios was constructed. Additionally, we assessed the perceived proximate and underlying drivers of LULCC, and how LULCC shapes ecosystem services potential using household surveys. The perceived LULCC trend for the past three decades (1990–2020) corresponded with previous studies showing grassland, bushland, tropical high forest, and wetland cover declined greatly, while subsistence farmland, commercial farmland, and built-up areas had a great increment. The predicted LULC under (i) the business as usual scenario showed a continued decline of natural LULC while anthropogenic LULC increased greatly, tending to cover half of the landscape area; (ii) forest restoration under different levels showed an improvement of forest cover and other native LULC classes with a decline in mostly subsistence farmland. The proximate drivers were in three principal components (soil infertility, subsistence farming, drought; infrastructural development, commercial farming, overstocking of livestock, pest and disease challenges; tree planting), while underlying drivers were in two principal components (technology adoption, corruption of environment stewards, policy implementation gaps; cultural gaps). Food and cash crops were perceived to be the most important ecosystem services in the landscape. Generally, the landscape ES supply potential was dwindling and predicted to continue with a similar trend under BAU, despite the increment in ES contribution of subsistence and commercial farmland. Forest restoration would slightly improve the landscape ES potential but would cause a decline in subsistence farmland, which would result in either a threat to food/livelihood security or a livelihood shift. We recommend combined interventions that seek to achieve a progressive frontier that achieves development needs and priorities based on national need such as food security through local level production with recognition for sustainable availability of ecosystem services.
Consistent Changes in Land-Use/Land-Cover in Semi-Arid Areas: Implications on Ecosystem Service Delivery and Adaptation in the Limpopo Basin, Botswana
Authors: Mugari Ephias , Masundire Hillary
Published: November 2022

Ecosystems in semi-arid areas remain essential to securing livelihoods and aiding climate change adaptation. However, land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) is the leading driver of biodiversity, ecosystem services, habitat, and ecosystem loss in most rural areas of developing countries. We evaluated LULCC in the Bobirwa sub-district of Botswana between 1995 and 2015. We employed the supervised classification’s maximum likelihood algorithm on the 1995, 2005, and 2016 Landsat images to establish the implications of LULCC on the delivery of provisioning ecosystem services (ES) and ecosystem-based adaptation in the Limpopo Basin part of Botswana. Five major LULC classes—vegetation, cropland, bare land, built-up areas, and water bodies—were identified in the sub-district. The decline in vegetation by 50.67 km2/year between 1995 and 2016 was characterized by an increase in croplands (34.02 km2/year). These changes were attributed to the growing human population that induced farming households to expand croplands. Government programs also encouraged agricultural expansions by offering free inputs and compensating smallholder farmers for land preparation. Higher agricultural yields remained critically low while the loss of vegetated areas to croplands threatened biodiversity, habitats, and the sustainability of provisioning ES through impaired ecosystem functions. There is an urgent need to arrest all unnecessary agricultural expansions and enhance agricultural productivity from current land parcels. The government and other relevant stakeholders also need to strengthen the ecosystem management capacities of local communities and support them to develop and implement biodiversity-based village action plans. Engaging communities through participatory, biodiversity-based action planning promotes biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of ecosystem resources.
Protected Areas and Tourism Resources: Toward Sustainable Management
Authors: Blanco-Cerradelo Lidia , Diéguez-Castrillón M. Isabel , Fraiz-Brea José Antonio , Gueimonde-Canto Ana
Published: November 2022

The protection of natural spaces is a practice that is widely used by governments or nongovernmental organizations seeking to preserve the scenic beauty of landscapes and their natural resources in spaces that stand out for their natural and cultural value and have not been heavily impacted by human activity. Proper tourism management of these spaces can promote the economic, social, and environmental development of a territory and its local communities. The objective of this paper is to examine the role of resources in the performance of protected area tourism destinations from a sustainability perspective. The information provided by the managers of 102 protected spaces in Spain (national parks, nature parks, and biosphere reserves) is analyzed. The results provide relevant information about managing resources to strengthen the sustainable performance of these spaces. The findings indicate that different types of resources affect different dimensions of sustainable performance; for instance, natural resources affect the local quality of life and the area’s sustainability, certain created resources can unite and foster local communities and support environmental sustainability, and some supporting resources can attract tourists.
Comparison of Presentation and Prognosis of Takayasu Arteritis with or without Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack—A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Misra Durga Prasanna , Rathore Upendra , Mishra Prabhaker , Singh Kritika , Thakare Darpan R. , Behera Manas Ranjan , Jain Neeraj , Ora Manish , Bhadauria Dharmendra Singh , Gambhir Sanjay , Kumar Sudeep , Agarwal Vikas
Published: November 2022

Takayasu arteritis (TAK) could cause a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in young individuals due to inflammatory vascular occlusion or intracerebral hemorrhage. We compared the clinical presentation, angiographic features, longitudinal patterns of disease activity, medical treatments, and survival in 34 TAK patients with stroke/TIA and 157 without stroke/TIA from a single-center retrospective cohort. TAK patients with stroke/TIA were older (p = 0.044) with a greater proportion of males (p = 0.022), more frequent vision loss (odds ratio (OR) for stroke/TIA vs. without stroke TIA 5.21, 95% CI 1.42–19.14), and less frequent pulse or blood pressure inequality (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.19–0.96) than TAK patients without stroke/TIA. Hata’s angiographic type IIa was more common in TAK patients with stroke/TIA (OR 11.00, 95%CI 2.60–46.58) and type V in TAK patients without stroke/TIA (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.12–0.58). Cyclophosphamide was used more often in TAK patients with stroke/TIA (p = 0.018). Disease activity at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months of follow-up was mostly similar for both groups. Risk of mortality was similar in TAK patients with or without stroke/TIA (hazard ratio unadjusted 0.76, 95% CI 0.15–3.99; adjusted for gender, age of disease onset, delay to diagnosis, baseline disease activity, and the number of conventional or biologic/targeted synthetic immunosuppressants used 1.38, 95% CI 0.19–10.20) even after propensity score-matched analyses. Stroke or TIA does not appear to affect survival in TAK patients adversely.
Chitosan: An Autocidal Molecule of Plant Pathogenic Fungus
Authors: Debnath Debanjana , Samal Ipsita , Mohapatra Chinmayee , Routray Snehasish , Kesawat Mahipal Singh , Labanya Rini
Published: November 2022

The rise in the world’s food demand with the increasing population threatens the existence of civilization with two equally valuable concerns: increase in global food production and sustainability in the ecosystem. Furthermore, biotic and abiotic stresses are adversely affecting agricultural production. Among them, losses caused by insect pests and pathogens have been shown to be more destructive to agricultural production. However, for winning the battle against the abundance of insect pests and pathogens and their nature of resistance development, the team of researchers is searching for an alternative way to minimize losses caused by them. Chitosan, a natural biopolymer, coupled with a proper application method and effective dose could be an integral part of sustainable alternatives in the safer agricultural sector. In this review, we have integrated the insight knowledge of chitin-chitosan interaction, successful and efficient use of chitosan, recommended and practical methods of use with well-defined doses, and last but not least the dual but contrast mode of action of the chitosan in hosts and as well as in pathogens.
Application of Solid-State Fermentation for the Improving of Extruded Corn Dry-Milling By-Products and Their Protein Functional Properties
Authors: Zadeike Daiva , Gaizauskaite Zydrune , Svazas Mantas , Gruzauskas Romas , Gruzauskas Valentas , Damasius Jonas , Juodeikiene Grazina
Published: November 2022

In this study, the effect of solid-state fermentation (SSF) with Lactobacillus sakei MI401 and Pediococcus acidilactici PA-2 strains on functional properties of extruded (130 °C; 25 rpm) corn-milling by-products (CMB) and their albumin, globulin, and prolamin fractions was evaluated in order to produce stabilized and functionalized food/feed stock. Extrusion resulted in a considerable reduction of microbial contamination of CMB by five log cycles, increased damaged starch, water-absorption capacity, and lowered protein and fat contents by 12.4% and 37%, respectively. The application of SSF for the extruded CMB have been shown to improve the water absorption, foaming, and emulsifying capacity of albumins and globulins and also increased the digestibility and free radical scavenging activity of prolamins. The essential amino acid content (EAA) in CMB and antioxidant activity of prolamins was lowered after extrusion but significantly increased after SSF. The combination of the abovementioned treatments can be confirmed as a prospective functionalization of CMB, capable of potentially enhancing its safety and improving nutritional, biochemical, and technological properties of proteins.
Contribution of Lactobacilli on Intestinal Mucosal Barrier and Diseases: Perspectives and Challenges of Lactobacillus casei
Authors: Qin Da , Ma Yixuan , Wang Yanhong , Hou Xilin , Yu Liyun
Published: November 2022

The intestine barrier, the front line of normal body defense, relies on its structural integrity, microbial composition and barrier immunity. The intestinal mucosal surface is continuously exposed to a complex and dynamic community of microorganisms. Although it occupies a relatively small proportion of the intestinal microbiota, Lactobacilli has been discovered to have a significant impact on the intestine tract in previous studies. It is undeniable that some Lactobacillus strains present probiotic properties through maintaining the micro-ecological balance via different mechanisms, such as mucosal barrier function and barrier immunity, to prevent infection and even to solve some neurology issues by microbiota–gut–brain/liver/lung axis communication. Notably, not only living cells but also Lactobacillus derivatives (postbiotics: soluble secreted products and para-probiotics: cell structural components) may exert antipathogenic effects and beneficial functions for the gut mucosal barrier. However, substantial research on specific effects, safety and action mechanisms in vivo should be done. In clinical application of humans and animals, there are still doubts about the precise evaluation of Lactobacilli’s safety, therapeutic effect, dosage and other aspects. Therefore, we provide an overview of central issues on the impacts of Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) and their products on the intestinal mucosal barrier and some diseases and highlight the urgent need for further studies.
The Current Situation and Future Direction of Nanoparticles Lubricant Additives in China
Authors: Han Kun , Zhang Yujuan , Song Ningning , Yu Laigui , Zhang Pingyu , Zhang Zhijun , Qian Lei , Zhang Shengmao
Published: November 2022

Nanoparticles as lubricant additives demonstrate powerful friction reduction and antiwear properties and are potential alternatives to traditional additives in line with green and environmentally friendly requirements. However, the vast majority of currently available research focuses on the tribological properties of various nanoparticles in base oils at laboratory, which has a large gap with their application in engineering. To cope with the rapid economic and industrial development in China, there is a need to improve the tribological properties of nanoparticles. This paper highlights the current status and development trend of nanoparticles as lubricant additives in China. The factors influencing the tribological properties of nanoparticles, such as their composition, particle size and morphology, as well as the base stocks and their combination with other additives, are summarized. Furthermore, the research progress in the lubrication mechanism of nanoparticles is discussed, and the issues concerning the application of nanoparticles as lubricant additives as well as their future directions are discussed. This review is expected to provide an impetus to guide the design of high-performance, fully formulated lubricant systems containing nanoparticles as the lubricant additive.
A Connective Framework for Social Collaborative Robotic System
Authors: Islam Syed Osama Bin , Lughmani Waqas Akbar
Published: November 2022

Social intelligence in robotics appeared quite recently in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. It is becoming increasingly evident that social and interaction skills are essentially required in any application where robots need to interact with humans. While the workspaces have transformed into fully shared spaces for performing collaborative tasks, human–robot collaboration (HRC) poses many challenges to the nature of interactions and social behavior among the collaborators. The complex dynamic environment coupled with uncertainty, anomaly, and threats raises questions about the safety and security of the cyber-physical production system (CPPS) in which HRC is involved. Interactions in the social sphere include both physical and psychological safety issues. In this work, we proposed a connective framework that can quickly respond to changing physical and psychological safety state of a CPPS. The first layer executes the production plan and monitors the changes through sensors. The second layer evaluates the situations in terms of their severity as anxiety by applying a quantification method that obtains support from a knowledge base. The third layer responds to the situations through the optimal allocation of resources. The fourth layer decides on the actions to mitigate the anxiety through the allocated resources suggested by the optimization layer. Experimental validation of the proposed method was performed on industrial case studies involving HRC. The results demonstrated that the proposed method improves the decision-making of a CPPS experiencing complex situations, ensures physical safety, and effectively enhances the productivity of the human–robot team by leveraging psychological comfort.
An End-to-End Real-Time Lightweight Network for the Joint Segmentation of Optic Disc and Optic Cup on Fundus Images
Authors: Liu Zhijie , Chen Yuanqiong , Xiang Xiaohua , Li Zhan , Liao Bolin , Li Jianfeng
Published: November 2022

Glaucoma is the second-most-blinding eye disease in the world and accurate segmentation of the optic disc (OD) and optic cup (OC) is essential for the diagnosis of glaucoma. To solve the problems of poor real-time performance, high algorithm complexity, and large memory consumption of fundus segmentation algorithms, a lightweight segmentation algorithm, GlauNet, based on convolutional neural networks, is proposed. The algorithm designs an efficient feature-extraction network and proposes a multiscale boundary fusion (MBF) module, which greatly improves the segmentation efficiency of the algorithm while ensuring segmentation accuracy. Experiments show that the algorithm achieves Dice scores of 0.9701/0.8959, 0.9650/0.8621, and 0.9594/0.8795 on three publicly available datasets—Drishti-GS, RIM-ONE-r3, and REFUGE-train—for both the optic disc and the optic cup. The number of model parameters is only 0.8 M, and it only takes 13 ms to infer an 800 × 800 fundus image on a GTX 3070 GPU.
Z-Symmetric Manifolds Admitting Schouten Tensor
Authors: Ali Mohabbat , Haseeb Abdul , Mofarreh Fatemah , Vasiulla Mohd
Published: November 2022

The paper deals with the study of Z-symmetric manifolds (ZS)n admitting certain cases of Schouten tensor (specifically: Ricci-recurrent, cyclic parallel, Codazzi type and covariantly constant), and investigate some geometric and physical properties of the manifold. Moreover, we also study (ZS)4 spacetimes admitting Codazzi type Schouten tensor. Finally, we construct an example of (ZS)4 to verify our result.
Design and Motion Characteristics of Active–Passive Composite Suspension Actuator
Authors: Chen Hao , Gong Mingde , Zhao Dingxuan , Zhang Wei , Liu Wenbin , Zhang Yue
Published: November 2022

The suspension system needs both an active mode and passive mode when the emergency rescue vehicle is running on a complex road. Therefore, an active–passive composite suspension actuator (APCSA) is designed in this paper. Firstly, combined with computational fluid dynamics theory and dynamic mesh technology, the complete fluid domain of the original passive suspension actuator (PSA) is simulated. Secondly, in accordance with the simulation results and in consideration of the working conditions of the active suspension of the emergency rescue vehicle, the APCSA is designed, and its flow field characteristics are studied. Finally, test results show that the maximum recovery damping force/compression damping force of the APCSA is 2428.98 N/−1470.29 N, which is 53.5%/50.4% lower than that of the original PSA. Hence, the dynamic response capability of the actuator is effectively improved, which lays a foundation for improving the ride comfort and handling stability of emergency rescue vehicles on complex roads.
Four-Parameter Guessing Model and Related Item Response Models
Authors: Robitzsch Alexander
Published: November 2022

Guessing effects frequently occur in testing data in educational or psychological applications. Different item response models have been proposed to handle guessing effects in dichotomous test items. However, it has been pointed out in the literature that the often employed three-parameter logistic model poses implausible assumptions regarding the guessing process. The four-parameter guessing model has been proposed as an alternative to circumvent these conceptual issues. In this article, the four-parameter guessing model is compared with alternative item response models for handling guessing effects through a simulation study and an empirical example. It turns out that model selection for item response models should be rather based on the AIC than the BIC. However, the RMSD item fit statistic used with typical cutoff values was found to be ineffective in detecting misspecified item response models. Furthermore, sufficiently large sample sizes are required for sufficiently precise item parameter estimation. Moreover, it is argued that the criterion of the statistical model fit should not be the sole criterion of model choice. The item response model used in operational practice should be valid with respect to the meaning of the ability variable and the underlying model assumptions. In this sense, the four-parameter guessing model could be the model of choice in educational large-scale assessment studies.
Multidisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity as Current Trends in Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Pathology
Authors: Vrinceanu Daniela , Sarafoleanu Codrut , Kalcioglu Mahmut Tayyar , Neagos Adriana
Published: November 2022

The specialty of otorhinolaryngology and cervicofacial surgery has experienced accelerated development in recent decades through the development of the techniques and technologies involved [...]
Effects of Photobiomodulation in Patients Presenting with Reticular Pseudodrusen: A Retrospective Observational Case Series Study
Authors: Le Hoang Mai , Mehanna Carl-Joe , De Rosa Irene , Miere Alexandra , Souied Eric
Published: November 2022

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of photobiomodulation on drusen regression with patients presenting with reticular pseudodrusen (RPD). Materials and Methods: This study is a retrospective observational case series study including patients presenting with RPD who underwent treatment by photobiomodulation. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination and multimodal imaging prior to treatment, including spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Eyes were treated two times per week for six consecutive weeks. Best corrected-visual acuity (BVCA) was measured prior and after treatment for all patients. The number of RPD on the SD-OCT scans centered on the macula and stages of RPD was noted at baseline and 6 months after the first treatment session. Results: Five eyes of five patients were included in the study. Mean BCVA did not change 6 months after treatment compared to baseline. Mean number of RPD per eye was 112.60 +/− 48.33 RPD at baseline and 111.6 +/− 49.29 in the same area 6 months after treatment. Changes in RPD distribution according to RPD classification were observed before and after treatment with photobiomodulation. Changes in distribution mostly concerned stages 1 and 3 RPD: Total number of stage 1 RPD was 289 and increased to 324 after treatment. Total number of stage 3 RPD was 97 at baseline and decreased to 67 6 months after treatment. Percentage of stage 1 RPD increased from 46% to 56% after treatment. Percentage of stage 3 RPD decreased from 20% to 13% after treatment. Conclusions: Changes in RPD distribution were observed before and after treatment with photobiomodulation. The number of stage 3 reticular pseudodrusen decreased while number of stage 1 reticular pseudodrusen increased after treatment.
Ginger Loaded Polyethylene Oxide Electrospun Nanomembrane: Rheological and Antimicrobial Attributes
Authors: Javaid Anum , Jalalah Mohammed , Safdar Rimsha , Khaliq Zubair , Qadir Muhammad Bilal , Zulfiqar Sumra , Ahmad Adnan , Satti Aamir Naseem , Ali Aiman , Faisal M. , Alsareii S. A. , Harraz Farid A.
Published: November 2022

Synthetic antibiotics have captured the market in recent years, but the side effects of these products are life-threatening. In recent times, researchers have focused their research on natural-based products such as natural herbal oils, which are eco-friendly, biocompatible, biodegradable, and antibacterial. In this study, polyethylene oxide (PEO) and aqueous ginger extract (GE) were electrospun to produce novel antibacterial nanomembrane sheets as a function of PEO and GE concentrations. A GE average particle size of 91.16 nm was achieved with an extensive filtration process, inferring their incorporation in the PEO nanofibres. The presence of the GE was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) through peaks of phenol and aromatic groups. The viscoelastic properties of PEO/GE solutions were analysed in terms of PEO and GE concentrations. Increasing PEO and GE concentrations increased the solution’s viscosity. The dynamic viscosity of 3% was not changed with increasing shear rate, indicating Newtonian fluid behaviour. The dynamic viscosity of 4 and 5 wt% PEO/GE solutions containing 10% GE increased exponentially compared to 3 wt%. In addition, the shear thinning behaviour was observed over a frequency range of 0.05 to 100 rad/s. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis also specified an increase in the nanofibre’s diameter with increasing PEO concentration, while SEM images displayed smooth morphology with beadless nanofibres at different PEO/GE concentrations. In addition, PEO/GE nanomembranes inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, as presented by qualitative antibacterial results. The extent of PEO/GE nanomembrane’s antibacterial activity was further investigated by the agar dilution method, which inhibited the 98.79% Staphylococcus aureus population at 30% GE concentration.
Chloride Ion-Selective Electrode with Solid-Contact Based on Polyaniline Nanofibers and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposite
Authors: Pietrzak Karolina , Morawska Klaudia , Malinowski Szymon , Wardak Cecylia
Published: November 2022

Use of the nanocomposite of chloride-doped polyaniline nanofibers and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (PANINFs-Cl:MWCNTs) for construction of ion-selective electrodes with solid-contact sensitive to chloride ions has been described. Many types of electrodes were tested, differing in the quantitative and qualitative composition of the layer placed between the electrode material and the ion-selective membrane. Initial tests were carried out, including tests of electrical properties of intermediate solid-contact layers. The obtained ion-selective electrodes had a theoretical slope of the electrode characteristic curve (−61.3 mV dec−1), a wide range of linearity (5 × 10−6–1 × 10−1 mol L−1) and good potential stability resistant to changing measurement conditions (redox potential, light, oxygen). The chloride contents in the tap, mineral and river water samples were successfully determined using the electrodes.
Plant Polyphenol Pyrogallol and Polyamine-Based Co-Deposition for High-Efficiency Nanofiltration Membrane Preparation towards Inorganic Salt Removal
Authors: Wu Jiawen , Li Zhiwen , Zhou Qingfeng , Chigwidi Mercy , Jiao Yang , Xu Yanchao , Lin Hongjun
Published: November 2022

The co-deposition between polyphenols and amines has been demonstrated in order to prepare positively charged nanofiltration (NF) membranes for multivalent cation rejection in recent years; however, the low reactivities of the involved polyphenols usually cause a long co-deposition time and unsatisfactory rejection. Herein, a novel plant polyphenol (PG) was co-deposited with tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) in a much shorter time period to prepare positively charged NF with high multivalent cation rejection membranes. The performance of the co-deposition membranes can be easily controlled by adjusting the mass ratio of PG and TEPA, reaction time, and pH value of the buffer solution. The optimal membrane, prepared under a polyphenol and polyamine mass ratio of 1:1, coating time of 2 h, and pH value of 8.0, shows a decent pure water permeability of 8.43 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 while maintaining a superior 96.24% MgCl2 rejection. More importantly, the universality of this method was corroborated by employing other amines with different molecular weights in the co-deposition. This work provides new insights for the preparation of high-performance positively charged NF membranes.
A New Sensing Material Based on Tetraaza/SBA15 for Rapid Detection of Copper(II) Ion in Water
Authors: Yuhana-Ariffin Eda , Sulaiman Siti Syahraini , Abdul Kadir Jilani Noraisyah , Nokarajoo Devika , Abdul Razak Nurul Hidayah , Derawi Darfizzi , Hasbullah Siti Aishah
Published: November 2022

A novel rapid and sensitive optical sensor for Cu2+ ion detection based on 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-7,14-dienium dibromide (TL) immobilized on Santa Barbara Amorphous (SBA-15) has been successfully developed. The inner and outer space of SBA15 allowed a high capacity of TL compound to immobilize onto it. FESEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy) analysis was performed to confirm the morphology of TL-SBA15, while FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) was utilized to confirm the interaction of TL–SBA15. A binding study of TL compound towards Cu2+ ion was performed via UV-vis solution study and binding titration. The stoichiometric binding ratio and binding constant value Kb of TL towards Cu2+ ion was 1:1 and 2.33 × 103 M−1, respectively. The optical reflectance sensor based on the TL compound is selective to Cu2+ ion and demonstrated a linear response over a Cu2+ ion concentration range of 1 × 10−7 M to 2 × 10−5 M, with a detection limit (LOD) of 1.02 × 10−7 M (R2 = 0.99) and fast response time of < 1 min. It showed high reproducibility, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) obtained at 0.47%. This optical sensor is reusable up to five consecutive times on Cu2+ ion by using 0.1 M EDTA with a pH of 6 as a regeneration solution, with a reversibility RSD value of 0.79%. The developed optical sensor provides a rapid and sensitive tool for Cu2+ ion detection in teabag samples, and the results align with those obtained by the ICP-MS standard method.
Electrochemical and Electroconductive Behavior of Silk Fibroin Electrospun Membrane Coated with Gold or Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Agudelo Wilson , Montoya Yuliet , Garcia-Garcia Alejandra , Restrepo-Osorio Adriana , Bustamante John
Published: November 2022

The surface modification of materials obtained from natural polymers, such as silk fibroin with metal nanoparticles that exhibit intrinsic electrical characteristics, allows the obtaining of biocomposite materials capable of favoring the propagation and conduction of electrical impulses, acting as communicating structures in electrically isolated areas. On that basis, this investigation determined the electrochemical and electroconductive behavior through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of a silk fibroin electrospun membrane from silk fibrous waste functionalized with gold or silver nanoparticles synthetized by green chemical reduction methodologies. Based on the results obtained, we found that silk fibroin from silk fibrous waste (SFw) favored the formation of gold (AuNPs-SFw) and silver (AgNPs-SFw) nanoparticles, acting as a reducing agent and surfactant, forming a micellar structure around the individual nanoparticle. Moreover, different electrospinning conditions influenced the morphological properties of the fibers, in the presence or absence of beads and the amount of sample collected. Furthermore, treated SFw electrospun membranes, functionalized with AuNPs-SFw or AgNPS-SFw, allowed the conduction of electrical stimuli, acting as stimulators and modulators of electric current.
Electrospun Nanofiber/Textile Supported Composite Membranes with Improved Mechanical Performance for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Jalalah Mohammed , Ahmad Adnan , Saleem Asad , Qadir Muhammad , Khaliq Zubair , Khan Muhammad , Nazir Ahsan , Faisal M. , Alsaiari Mabkhoot , Irfan Muhammad , Alsareii Saeed , Harraz Farid
Published: November 2022

Textile-supported nanocomposite as a scaffold has been extensively used in the medical field, mainly to give support to weak or harmed tissues. However, there are some challenges in fabricating the nanofiber/textile composite, i.e., suitable porous structure with defined pore size, less skin contact area, biocompatibility, and availability of degradable materials. Herein, polyamide-6 (PA) nanofibers were synthesized using needleless electrospinning with the toothed wheel as a spinneret. The electrospinning process was optimized using different process and solution parameters. In the next phase, optimized PA nanofiber membranes of optimum fiber diameter with uniform distribution and thickness were used in making nanofiber membrane–textile composite. Different textile fabrics (woven, non-woven, knitted) were developed. The optimized nanofiber membranes were combined with non-woven, woven, and knitted fabrics to make fabric-supported nanocomposite. The nanofiber/fabric composites were compared with available market woven and knitted meshes for mechanical properties, morphology, structure, and chemical interaction analysis. It was found that the tear strength of the nanofiber/woven composite was three times higher than market woven mesh, and the nanofiber/knitted composite was 2.5 times higher than market knitted mesh. The developed composite structures with woven and knitted fabric exhibited improved bursting strength (613.1 and 751.1 Kpa), tensile strength (195.76 and 227.85 N), and puncture resistance (68.76 and 57.47 N), respectively, than market available meshes. All these properties showed that PA nanofibers/textile structures could be utilized as a composite with multifunctional properties.
Review of the Upper Bound Method for Application to Metal Forming Processes
Authors: Alexandrov Sergei , Rynkovskaya Marina
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we review the upper bound method in plasticity with special reference to metal forming processes. We focus on the method itself, solution methods, and restrictions of the upper bound method. Particular upper bound solutions are not considered. The upper bound theorem is formulated using the work function, which is different from conventional proofs. This approach allows for a unified formulation for several types of rigid plastic materials. The solution methods include upper bound elemental techniques, streamline-based methods, and singular solutions. The major restrictions are related to stationary processes and friction laws.
Industrial X-ray Image Analysis with Deep Neural Networks Robust to Unexpected Input Data
Authors: Lindgren Erik , Zach Christopher
Published: November 2022

X-ray inspection is often an essential part of quality control within quality critical manufacturing industries. Within such industries, X-ray image interpretation is resource intensive and typically conducted by humans. An increased level of automatization would be preferable, and recent advances in artificial intelligence (e.g., deep learning) have been proposed as solutions. However, typically, such solutions are overconfident when subjected to new data far from the training data, so-called out-of-distribution (OOD) data; we claim that safe automatic interpretation of industrial X-ray images, as part of quality control of critical products, requires a robust confidence estimation with respect to OOD data. We explored if such a confidence estimation, an OOD detector, can be achieved by explicit modeling of the training data distribution, and the accepted images. For this, we derived an autoencoder model trained unsupervised on a public dataset with X-ray images of metal fusion welds and synthetic data. We explicitly demonstrate the dangers with a conventional supervised learning-based approach and compare it to the OOD detector. We achieve true positive rates of around 90% at false positive rates of around 0.1% on samples similar to the training data and correctly detect some example OOD data.
The Discovery of Potential SARS-CoV-2 Natural Inhibitors among 4924 African Metabolites Targeting the Papain-like Protease: A Multi-Phase In Silico Approach
Authors: Elkaeed Eslam B. , Khalifa Mohamed M. , Alsfouk Bshra A. , Alsfouk Aisha A. , El-Attar Abdul-Aziz M. M. , Eissa Ibrahim H. , Metwaly Ahmed M.
Published: November 2022

Four compounds, hippacine, 4,2′-dihydroxy-4′-methoxychalcone, 2′,5′-dihydroxy-4-methoxychalcone, and wighteone, were selected from 4924 African natural metabolites as potential inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro, PDB ID: 3E9S). A multi-phased in silico approach was employed to select the most similar metabolites to the co-crystallized ligand (TTT) of the PLpro through molecular fingerprints and structural similarity studies. Followingly, to examine the binding of the selected metabolites with the PLpro (molecular docking. Further, to confirm this binding through molecular dynamics simulations. Finally, in silico ADMET and toxicity studies were carried out to prefer the most convenient compounds and their drug-likeness. The obtained results could be a weapon in the battle against COVID-19 via more in vitro and in vivo studies.
Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Diet: A SWOC Analysis
Authors: Nuwaylati Dena , Eldakhakhny Basmah , Bima Abdulhadi , Sakr Hussein , Elsamanoudy Ayman
Published: November 2022

Insulin resistance (IR) plays a role in the pathogenesis of many diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet that arose in the 1920s as an effective treatment for seizure control. Since then, the KD has been studied as a therapeutic approach for various IR-related disorders with successful results. To date, the use of the KD is still debatable regarding its safety. Some studies have acknowledged its usefulness, while others do not recommend its long-term implementation. In this review, we applied a SWOC (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges) analysis that revealed the positive, constructive strengths of the KD, its potential complications, different conditions that can make used for it, and the challenges faced by both physicians and subjects throughout a KD. This SWOC analysis showed that the KD works on the pathophysiological mechanism of IR-related disorders such as chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial stress. Furthermore, the implementation of the KD as a potential adjuvant therapy for many diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome, and pain management was proven. On the other hand, the short and long-term possible undesirable KD-related effects, including nutritional deficiencies, growth retardation and nephrolithiasis, should be considered and strictly monitored. Conclusively, this review provides a context for decision-makers, physicians, researchers, and the general population to focus on this dietary intervention in preventing and treating diseases. Moreover, it draws the attention of scientists and physicians towards the opportunities and challenges associated with the KD that requires attention before KD initiation.
A Numerical Investigation on Hydrothermal Performance of Micro Channel Heat Sink with Periodic Spatial Modification on Sidewalls
Authors: Kumari Nikita , Alam Tabish , Ali Masood Ashraf , Yadav Anil Singh , Gupta Naveen Kumar , Siddiqui Md Irfanul Haque , Dobrotă Dan , Rotaru Ionela Magdalena , Sharma Abhishek
Published: November 2022

Electronic gadgets have been designed to incorporating very small components such as microcontrollers, electronic chips, transistors, microprocessors, etc. These components are exceptionally heat sensitive and can be wrecked if heat is not released. As a result, the thermal control of such components is critical to their optimum performance and extended life. The use of a microchannel heat sink (MCHS) has shown promising solutions to remove the excess heat. In this paper, we have proposed a novel design of MCHS and investigated it numerically. Four different surface modifications on the sidewall of the passage, namely, extended triangular surface (ETS), extended circular surface (ECS), triangular groove surface (TGS), and the circular groove surface (CGS) in the passage of the microchannel have been exploited in the Reynolds number of 100–900. In the presence of geometrical modification, the cooling capacities have been enhanced. The results show that the Nusselt numbers of ETS-MCHS, ECS-MCHS, TGS-MCHS, and CGS-MCHS are increased by 4.30, 3.61, 1.62, and 1.41 times in comparison to the Nusselt number of MCHS with smooth passage, while the friction factor values are increased by 7.33, 6.03, 2.74, and 1.68 times, respectively. In addition, the thermohydraulic performance parameter (THPP) has been evaluated and discussed. The fact that MCHS have THPP values greater than unity demonstrates that the passage’s geometries are a practical means of achieving effective thermal management.
Numerical Simulations of the Effect of the Asymmetrical Bending of the Hindwings of a Hovering C. buqueti Bamboo Weevil with Respect to the Aerodynamic Characteristics
Authors: Li Xin
Published: November 2022

The airfoil structure and folding pattern of the hindwings of a beetle provide new transformation paths for improvements in the aerodynamic performance and structural optimization of flapping-wing flying robots. However, the explanation for the aerodynamic mechanism of the asymmetrical bending of a real beetle’s hindwings under aerodynamic loads originating from the ventral and dorsal sides is unclear. To address this gap in our understanding, a computational investigation into the aerodynamic characteristics of the flight ability of C. buqueti and the large folding ratio of their hindwings when hovering is carried out in this article. A three-dimensional (3D) pressure-based SST k-ω turbulence model with a biomimetic structure was used for the detailed analysis, and a refined polyhedral mesh was used for the simulations. The results show that the fluid around the hindwings forms a vortex ring consisting of a leading-edge vortex (LEV), wing-tip vortex (TV) and trailing-edge vortex (TEV). Approximately 61% of the total lift is generated during the downstroke, which may be closely related to the asymmetric bending of the hindwings when they are subjected to pressure load.
The Effect of the Gallbladder Environment during Chronic Infection on Salmonella Persister Cell Formation
Authors: González Juan F. , Hitt Regan , Laipply Baileigh , Gunn John S.
Published: November 2022

Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi). Around 3–5% of individuals infected become chronic carriers, with the gallbladder (GB) as the predominant site of persistence. Gallstones (GS) aid in the development and maintenance of GB carriage, serving as a substrate to which Salmonellae attach and form a biofilm. This biofilm matrix protects bacteria from the host immune system and environmental stress. This shielded environment is an ideal place for the development of persister cells, a transient phenotype of a subset of cells within a population that allows survival after antibiotic treatment. Persisters can also arise in response to harsh environments such as the GB. Here we investigate if GB conditions affect the number of persisters in a Salmonella population. To simulate the chronic GB environment, we cultured biofilms in cholesterol-coated 96-well plates in the presence of ox or human bile. We then treated planktonic or biofilm Salmonella cultures with high concentrations of different antibiotics. This study suggests that biofilms provide a niche for persister cells, but GB conditions either play no role or have a negative influence on persister formation, especially after kanamycin treatment. The antibiotic target was important, as antimicrobials directed against DNA replication or the cell wall had no effect on persister cell formation. Interestingly, repeated treatment with ciprofloxacin increased the percentage of S. Typhimurium persisters in a biofilm, but this increase was abolished by GB conditions. On the other hand, repeated ciprofloxacin treatment of S. Typhi biofilms in GB conditions slightly increased the fraction of persisters. Thus, while the harsh conditions in the GB would be thought to give rise to increased persisters, therefore contributing to the development of chronic carriage, these data suggest persister cell formation is dampened in this environment.