bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correction: Silveira et al. Bond Strength between Different Zirconia-Based Ceramics and Resin Cement before and after Aging. Coatings 2022, 12, 1601
Authors: Silveira Marcos Paulo Motta , Ramos Nathália de Carvalho , Lopes Guilherme da Rocha Scalzer , Tribst João Paulo Mendes , Bottino Marco Antonio
Published: March 2023

In the original publication [...]
Synthesis, Scrutiny, and Applications of Bio-Adsorbents from Cockle Shell Waste for the Adsorption of Pb and Cd in Aqueous Solution
Authors: Panpho Phakakorn , Vittayakorn Naratip , Sumang Rattiphorn
Published: March 2023

Heavy metals in wastewater represent one of the most serious concerns around the world. They cause significant harm to human health. Cockle shells have been considered a source of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), but their shells are disposed of as waste that pollutes the coastal environment. CaCO3 has attracted considerable attention as an adsorbent for heavy metals. To ensure the meaningful use of cockle shell (CS) waste and achieve a zero-waste production system, in this study, CaCO3 powder was synthesized from CS. It was characterized using XRD, TA/DTA, FESEM, and AAS. The XRD results illustrated that partial phase changes occur from aragonite (natural shell) to calcite (CaCO3), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), and calcium oxide (CaO) during heating. The calcined CS presented excellent adsorption performance for Pb and Cd. The Pb removal efficiency scores were about 97%, 96%, and 99% and the Cd removal efficiency scores were 100%, 98%, and 99% in a shorter time for calcined CS at 700 °C, 900 °C, and 950 °C, respectively. The results of this study show that the calcium carbonate from CS is an effective and low-cost adsorbent for the adsorption of Pb and Cd in aqueous solution.
Effects of Natural Land Cover, Anthropogenic Disturbance, Space, and Climate on Oribatid Mite Communities in Canada’s Oil Sands Region
Authors: Lumley Lisa M. , Azeria Ermias T. , Giacobbo Victoria A. , Cobb Tyler P.
Published: March 2023

Soil contains a diverse fauna and microflora that are vital for maintaining healthy soils and their various ecosystem services. Oribatid mites are typically highly abundant arthropods in the soil and are used as indicators for environmental monitoring. The aim of this study was to determine oribatid mite community response to natural land cover, anthropogenic disturbance, space, and climate in the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada. Our results found that oribatid mite total abundance was significantly reduced by mining, cultivation, and well sites. Species richness was significantly reduced by mining and cultivation. Shannon’s diversity index was significantly higher for all natural land cover types, seismic lines, and forest harvest. Additionally, species diversity was lower under the relative influence of energy-related soft linear disturbances than for naturally vegetated sites and forest harvesting, and was lowered further by anthropogenic disturbances with more impact on soil integrity (cultivation, mines, urban/industrial, road/trail verges, well sites). Abundance, richness, and diversity also increased with increased frost free period and with eastward longitude. Mite community composition included a notable composition difference between lowland habitats and upland forest types, and between natural land cover and intense anthropogenic disturbance types (e.g., mines, cultivation). Our study highlighted oribatid mite communities’ response to natural land cover, anthropogenic disturbance and spatial–climatic factors assessed over broad spatial scales and the potential utility of oribatid mites as ecosystem health indicators under multiple ecological drivers.
Analysis of Fungal Diversity before and after Discoloration of Rubberwood in Xishuangbanna
Authors: Yang Susu , Wu Xiaolong , Liu Lin , Yan Yan , Qiu Jian , Qin Lei
Published: March 2023

The discoloration problem of rubber wood caused by the discoloration fungi has caused the degradation of rubber wood and greatly reduced its economic value, and the prevention and control of rubber wood discoloration have become the top priority of basic research on rubber wood protection and modification. To determine the fungal community diversity and dominant groups before and after discoloration of rubber wood, nine rubber wood samples were subjected to ITS sequencing using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the detected fungal communities comprised 5 phyla, 18 classes, 58 orders, 137 families, 218 genera, and 297 species. Discoloration of rubber wood is not caused by a single species, with the dominant genera for discolored rubber wood being Huntiella, Ceratocystis, and Acremonium and for undiscolored rubber wood, Phomopsis. Furthermore, the diversity, uniformity of species distribution, and richness of discolored rubber wood were found to be higher than those of undiscolored rubber wood. In conclusion, understanding the change trends in the structure of these fungal communities is essential for studying the biological control of rubberwood discoloration.
An Overview of In Vitro Assays of 64Cu-, 68Ga-, 125I-, and 99mTc-Labelled Radiopharmaceuticals Using Radiometric Counters in the Era of Radiotheranostics
Authors: Benfante Viviana , Stefano Alessandro , Ali Muhammad , Laudicella Riccardo , Arancio Walter , Cucchiara Antonino , Caruso Fabio , Cammarata Francesco Paolo , Coronnello Claudia , Russo Giorgio , Miele Monica , Vieni Alessandra , Tuttolomondo Antonino , Yezzi Anthony , Comelli Albert
Published: March 2023

Radionuclides are unstable isotopes that mainly emit alpha (α), beta (β) or gamma (γ) radiation through radiation decay. Therefore, they are used in the biomedical field to label biomolecules or drugs for diagnostic imaging applications, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and/or single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). A growing field of research is the development of new radiopharmaceuticals for use in cancer treatments. Preclinical studies are the gold standard for translational research. Specifically, in vitro radiopharmaceutical studies are based on the use of radiopharmaceuticals directly on cells. To date, radiometric β- and γ-counters are the only tools able to assess a preclinical in vitro assay with the aim of estimating uptake, retention, and release parameters, including time- and dose-dependent cytotoxicity and kinetic parameters. This review has been designed for researchers, such as biologists and biotechnologists, who would like to approach the radiobiology field and conduct in vitro assays for cellular radioactivity evaluations using radiometric counters. To demonstrate the importance of in vitro radiopharmaceutical assays using radiometric counters with a view to radiogenomics, many studies based on 64Cu-, 68Ga-, 125I-, and 99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals have been revised and summarized in this manuscript.
Computational Intelligence-Based Disease Severity Identification: A Review of Multidisciplinary Domains
Authors: Bhakar Suman , Sinwar Deepak , Pradhan Nitesh , Dhaka Vijaypal Singh , Cherrez-Ojeda Ivan , Parveen Amna , Hassan Muhammad Umair
Published: March 2023

Disease severity identification using computational intelligence-based approaches is gaining popularity nowadays. Artificial intelligence and deep-learning-assisted approaches are proving to be significant in the rapid and accurate diagnosis of several diseases. In addition to disease identification, these approaches have the potential to identify the severity of a disease. The problem of disease severity identification can be considered multi-class classification, where the class labels are the severity levels of the disease. Plenty of computational intelligence-based solutions have been presented by researchers for severity identification. This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent approaches for identifying disease severity levels using computational intelligence-based approaches. We followed the PRISMA guidelines and compiled several works related to the severity identification of multidisciplinary diseases of the last decade from well-known publishers, such as MDPI, Springer, IEEE, Elsevier, etc. This article is devoted toward the severity identification of two main diseases, viz. Parkinson’s Disease and Diabetic Retinopathy. However, severity identification of a few other diseases, such as COVID-19, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, tuberculosis, sepsis, sleep apnea, psychosis, traumatic brain injury, breast cancer, knee osteoarthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease, was also briefly covered. Each work has been carefully examined against its methodology, dataset used, and the type of disease on several performance metrics, accuracy, specificity, etc. In addition to this, we also presented a few public repositories that can be utilized to conduct research on disease severity identification. We hope that this review not only acts as a compendium but also provides insights to the researchers working on disease severity identification using computational intelligence-based approaches.
Automated Error Labeling in Radiation Oncology via Statistical Natural Language Processing
Authors: Ganguly Indrila , Buhrman Graham , Kline Ed , Mun Seong K. , Sengupta Srijan
Published: March 2023

A report published in 2000 from the Institute of Medicine revealed that medical errors were a leading cause of patient deaths, and urged the development of error detection and reporting systems. The field of radiation oncology is particularly vulnerable to these errors due to its highly complex process workflow, the large number of interactions among various systems, devices, and medical personnel, as well as the extensive preparation and treatment delivery steps. Natural language processing (NLP)-aided statistical algorithms have the potential to significantly improve the discovery and reporting of these medical errors by relieving human reporters of the burden of event type categorization and creating an automated, streamlined system for error incidents. In this paper, we demonstrate text-classification models developed with clinical data from a full service radiation oncology center (test center) that can predict the broad level and first level category of an error given a free-text description of the error. All but one of the resulting models had an excellent performance as quantified by several metrics. The results also suggest that more development and more extensive training data would further improve future results.
Accurate Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease Using Lightweight Deep Learning Model on MRI Data
Authors: El-Latif Ahmed A. Abd , Chelloug Samia Allaoua , Alabdulhafith Maali , Hammad Mohamed
Published: March 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive impairment and aberrant protein deposition in the brain. Therefore, the early detection of AD is crucial for the development of effective treatments and interventions, as the disease is more responsive to treatment in its early stages. It is worth mentioning that deep learning techniques have been successfully applied in recent years to a wide range of medical imaging tasks, including the detection of AD. These techniques have the ability to automatically learn and extract features from large datasets, making them well suited for the analysis of complex medical images. In this paper, we propose an improved lightweight deep learning model for the accurate detection of AD from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. Our proposed model achieves high detection performance without the need for deeper layers and eliminates the use of traditional methods such as feature extraction and classification by combining them all into one stage. Furthermore, our proposed method consists of only seven layers, making the system less complex than other previous deep models and less time-consuming to process. We evaluate our proposed model using a publicly available Kaggle dataset, which contains a large number of records in a small dataset size of only 36 Megabytes. Our model achieved an overall accuracy of 99.22% for binary classification and 95.93% for multi-classification tasks, which outperformed other previous models. Our study is the first to combine all methods used in the publicly available Kaggle dataset for AD detection, enabling researchers to work on a dataset with new challenges. Our findings show the effectiveness of our lightweight deep learning framework to achieve high accuracy in the classification of AD.
The Impact of In-Classroom Non-Digital Game-Based Learning Activities on Students Transitioning to Higher Education
Authors: Balakrishna Chitra
Published: March 2023

The initial phase of learning at a university has a bearing on students’ long-term academic development and plays a crucial role in enabling them to successfully transition to higher education. While higher education institutes have long been struggling to address the challenge of student retention and student success, the new generation of learners (millennials and Generation Z) entering universities have brought in further complexity. This study explores the impact of in-classroom, non-digital game-based learning techniques on the academic performance, classroom engagement, and peer interaction among the first-year university students studying computing qualification. The study aimed to deduce how the overall enhanced learning experience of these students enables them to integrate into the new learning environment in the university, thereby helping them to successfully transition to higher education. Data for this study were taken from among the first-year computing students across two consecutive years of study (N = 251). The results corroborated the findings from previous studies and highlighted how academic performance, classroom engagement, and peer interaction considerably enhance students’ academic integration. The study concludes with a discussion of the limitations and implications for practice and future research.
HTC-Grasp: A Hybrid Transformer-CNN Architecture for Robotic Grasp Detection
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Zhu Jianwei , Sun Xueying , Liu Mingmin
Published: March 2023

Accurately detecting suitable grasp areas for unknown objects through visual information remains a challenging task. Drawing inspiration from the success of the Vision Transformer in vision detection, the hybrid Transformer-CNN architecture for robotic grasp detection, known as HTC-Grasp, is developed to improve the accuracy of grasping unknown objects. The architecture employs an external attention-based hierarchical Transformer as an encoder to effectively capture global context and correlation features across the entire dataset. Furthermore, a channel-wise attention-based CNN decoder is presented to adaptively adjust the weight of the channels in the approach, resulting in more efficient feature aggregation. The proposed method is validated on the Cornell and the Jacquard dataset, achieving an image-wise detection accuracy of 98.3% and 95.8% on each dataset, respectively. Additionally, the object-wise detection accuracy of 96.9% and 92.4% on the same datasets are achieved based on this method. A physical experiment is also performed using the Elite 6Dof robot, with a grasping accuracy rate of 93.3%, demonstrating the proposed method’s ability to grasp unknown objects in real scenarios. The results of this study indicate that the proposed method outperforms other state-of-the-art methods.
Review on Key Technologies and Development of Magnetic Coupling Resonant-Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer for Unmanned Ground Vehicles
Authors: Xu Feifan , Wei Shuguang , Yuan Dong , Li Jiaqi
Published: March 2023

With the fast development of magnetic coupling resonant-dynamic wireless power transfer (MCR-DWPT), it is more likely that high-efficiency wireless charging between unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) will be practically realized, especially in desolate places that are far away from a city center or charging depot and always experiencing large load fluctuations, varying operating conditions, and complex working targets. Based on this, the wireless charging of UGVs demands higher reliability and efficiency. This paper reviews the MCR-DWPT system of UGVs, and the basic structure and key technologies are introduced. Then, the key technologies, which include the coupling device design, compensation topology design, and system control strategy, are discussed in detail. After that, by considering the current research, the main challenges of the MCR-DWPT of UGVs are investigated and its developing prospects are explored.
Near-Field Imaging of Dielectric Components Using an Array of Microwave Sensors
Authors: Gao Yuki , Ravan Maryam , Amineh Reza K.
Published: March 2023

Microwave imaging is a high-resolution, noninvasive, and noncontact method for detecting hidden defects, cracks, and objects with applications for testing nonmetallic components such as printed circuit boards, biomedical diagnosis, aerospace components inspection, etc. In this paper, an array of microwave sensors designed based on complementary split ring resonators (CSRR) are used to evaluate the hidden features in dielectric media with applications in nondestructive testing and biomedical diagnosis. In this array, each element resonates at a different frequency in the range of 1 GHz to 10 GHz. Even though the operating frequencies are not that high, the acquisition of evanescent waves in extreme proximity to the imaged object and processing them using near-field holographic imaging allows for obtaining high-resolution images. The performance of the proposed method is demonstrated through simulation and experimental results.
Machine Learning and AI Technologies for Smart Wearables
Authors: Seng Kah Phooi , Ang Li-Minn , Peter Eno , Mmonyi Anthony
Published: March 2023

The recent progress in computational, communications, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, and the widespread availability of smartphones together with the growing trends in multimedia data and edge computation devices have led to new models and paradigms for wearable devices. This paper presents a comprehensive survey and classification of smart wearables and research prototypes using machine learning and AI technologies. The paper aims to survey these new paradigms for machine learning and AI for wearables from various technological perspectives which have emerged, including: (1) smart wearables empowered by machine learning and AI; (2) data collection architectures and information processing models for AI smart wearables; and (3) applications for AI smart wearables. The review covers a wide range of enabling technologies for AI and machine learning for wearables and research prototypes. The main findings of the review are that there are significant technical challenges for AI smart wearables in networking and communication aspects such as issues for routing and communication overheads, information processing and computational aspects such as issues for computational complexity and storage, and algorithmic and application-dependent aspects such as training and inference. The paper concludes with some future directions in the smart wearable market and potential research.
Gain Enhancement of Microstrip Patch Array Antennas Using Two Metallic Plates for 24 GHz Radar Applications
Authors: Yeo Junho , Lee Jong-Ig
Published: March 2023

In this paper, a method of enhancing gain in a microstrip patch array antenna using two metallic plates for 24 GHz radar applications is presented. A 4 × 1 linear microstrip square patch array antenna covering the 24.0 to 24.25 GHz frequency range and using a shunt-connected series feed network with a tapered power distribution was first designed with a measured maximum gain of 9.8 dBi and dimensions of 30 mm × 12 mm. Two metallic plates were appended along the array axis of the antenna to double the gain in the 4 × 1 array antenna. Effects on performance from varying the tilting angle and length of the metallic plates, such as the input reflection coefficient, the radiation patterns, and gain, were investigated through simulation. Gain enhancement in the 4 × 1 patch array antenna with metallic plates was highest when the tilting angle was around 70∘, and gain kept increasing as the length of the metallic plates increased. A prototype of the 4 × 1 patch array antenna was fabricated with plates at a tilting angle of 70∘, a length of 50 mm, and a measured maximum gain of 16.8 dBi. Therefore, a gain enhancement of about 7 dB was achieved by adding the metallic plates along the array axis of the 4 × 1 patch array antenna.
Gesture Vocabularies for Hand Gestures for Controlling Air Conditioners in Home and Vehicle Environments
Authors: Alyamani Hasan J.
Published: March 2023

With the growing prevalence of modern technologies as part of everyday life, mid-air gestures have become a promising input method in the field of human–computer interaction. This paper analyses the gestures of actual users to define a preliminary gesture vocabulary for home air conditioning (AC) systems and suggests a gesture vocabulary for controlling the AC that applies to both home and vehicle environments. In this study, a user elicitation experiment was conducted. A total of 36 participants were filmed while employing their preferred hand gestures to manipulate a home air conditioning system. Comparisons were drawn between our proposed gesture vocabulary (HomeG) and a previously proposed gesture vocabulary which was designed to identify the preferred hand gestures for in-vehicle air conditioners. The findings indicate that HomeG successfully identifies and describes the employed gestures in detail. To gain a gesture taxonomy that is suitable for manipulating the AC at home and in a vehicle, some modifications were applied to HomeG based on suggestions from other studies. The modified gesture vocabulary (CrossG) can identify the gestures of our study, although CrossG has a less detailed gesture pattern. Our results will help designers to understand user preferences and behaviour prior to designing and implementing a gesture-based user interface.
Influence of Spacers and Skid Sizes on Heat Treatment of Large Forgings within an Industrial Electric Furnace
Authors: Mirzaei Sajad , Bohlooli Arkhazloo Nima , Bazdidi-Tehrani Farzad , Morin Jean-Benoit , Loucif Abdelhalim , Jahazi Mohammad
Published: March 2023

The influence of stacking patterns, through the different spacer and skid sizes, on the transient temperature distribution uniformity of large-size forgings in a 112-m3 electrical heat treatment furnace was investigated by conducting CFD simulations and real-scale experimental validation. A 3D CFD model of the electrical furnace was generated, including a heat-treating chamber, axial flow fans, large size blocks, skids, and spacers. Real-scale temperature measurements on instrumented test blocks during the heat treatment process were carried out to validate the CFD simulations. Results indicated that the CFD model was capable enough to determine the transient temperature evolution of the blocks with a maximum average deviation of about 6.62% compared to the experimental measurements. It was found that significant temperature non-uniformities of up to 379 K on the surfaces of the blocks due to the non-optimum stacking pattern were experienced by the blocks. Such non-uniformities could be reduced between 24% to 32% if well-adapted spacer and skid sizes were used in the stacking configurations. Based on simulation results and experimental validation work, optimum spacer and skid sizes for uniform temperature distribution were proposed for different stacking patterns.
Disturbance Caused by Animal Logging to Soil Physicochemical and Biological Features in Oak Coppices: A Case-Study in Central Italy
Authors: Latterini Francesco , Venanzi Rachele , Stefanoni Walter , Picchio Rodolfo
Published: March 2023

Firewood extraction by mule forwarding is still common in oak coppices in Central and Southern Italy. This is due to the scarce presence of aerial extraction systems such as cable yarders. Considering the importance of forest soil for all ecosystem services, the evaluation of the disturbance that a given extraction system has on the forest soil is a fundamental aspect in the framework of sustainable forest management. Therefore, this study was developed to assess the disturbance caused to the physicochemical and biological features of soil and to coppice after mule logging according to the standards of silvicultural treatment, as well as the recovery time needed after the logging intervention. Four cutting blocks located in Central Italy represented the study area, one cutting block represented the unharvested control, while the others were logged 3 years (CB-2019), 8 years (CB-2014) and 10 years (CB-2012) prior to the field surveys. In each harvested cutting block the soil was subdivided into disturbed soil (DIST—mule trails) and low disturbance soil (LD—area within the harvested cutting block not affected by mule passage). This experimental design assessed the disturbance caused by logging operations by mules (DIST soil) and the silvicultural treatment (LD soil) to soil physicochemical (bulk density, penetration resistance, shear resistance, and soil organic matter) and biological properties (soil microarthropod community evaluated with the QBS-ar index). The results revealed a significant disturbance in the mule trails for all the investigated variables. The disturbance was particularly strong for the QBS-ar index, with values which were lower than half of those of the control area. Furthermore, no recovery process was evident even after 10 years from the logging interventions. Instead, values of the various parameters became worse with time after harvesting. On the other hand, no marked disturbance was revealed in LD soil, except for a significant decrease in soil organic matter. Although this is a preliminary evaluation that needs to be confirmed with further study, this trial suggested that mule logging cannot be considered a fully low-impact approach to forest operations and that studies with a longer time span after harvesting are needed to assess the recovery process in the mule trails.
Land-Use Types Regulate Se:Cd Ratios of Natural Seleniferous Soil Derived from Different Parent Materials in Subtropical Hilly Areas
Authors: Sun Chunxia , Rong Qinlei , Guo Xi , Guo Jiaxin , Chen Yi , Chang Yihua , Chen Jie , Zhang Qin , Zhou Chunhuo , Cai Haisheng , Zhao Xiaomin
Published: March 2023

As natural selenium (Se)-rich soil in China is generally characterized by a high geological background of cadmium (Cd), the safe utilization of such seleniferous soil remains a challenge. The accumulating evidence shows that the threshold value of the Se:Cd ratio is a determinant of regulating Cd accumulation in plants. However, the factors modulating the soil’s Se:Cd ratio in selenium-enriched regions are not well understood. Here, a comprehensive study aimed at quantitatively analyzing the effects of land-use types, parent-material types, and soil properties on the distribution and influencing factors of Se, Cd, and the Se:Cd ratios. According to land use and parent-material types, 77 soil samples were collected in Yuanzhou District, a typical naturally seleniferous area in the subtropical hilly area. The results suggested that, compared with quaternary red clays (qrc), the Se content of soils derived from river and lake sediments (rls) and weathered acidic crystalline rocks (wacr) decreased by 5.81%–19.75%, while the weathered quartzite (wq)-derived soils was increased significantly. The soil Cd content in an orchard was significantly reduced compared with that in a paddy field. A redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that SOM, Total K, and Total P significantly affected the changes in Se and Cd contents. In addition, the land-use type had the most significant effect on the Se:Cd ratio, with a regression coefficient of −0.6999 analyzed by the binary logistic regression model (p < 0.05). Furthermore, pH and Total K were the critical soil properties in controlling the Se:Cd ratio. The study indicated that the Se:Cd ratio in natural selenium-rich soil was mainly regulated by land-use types. Therefore, it is a feasible measure to regulate the Se:Cd ratio by using agronomic practices, mainly regulating soil pH, for the safe utilization of selenium-rich soil with a high Cd background.
Genetic Differentiation of Budburst Timing in Fagus crenata Populations along a Spatial Gradient in Late Frost Timing in the Hakkoda Mountains, Northern Japan
Authors: Sugimoto Saki , Ishida Kiyoshi
Published: March 2023

We studied the genetic differentiation in budburst timing among Fagus crenata populations along spatial gradients in late frost timing in the Hakkoda Mountains, northern Japan, by focusing on last fatal frost day and topography. For budburst timing, we analyzed interpopulation variations in habitats, genetic variations in a nursery, and the relationships between these variations and environmental conditions in the habitats. Analyses of interpopulation variation showed that the day and the temperature sum of budburst positively correlated with the last fatal frost day in the habitats. Analyses of genetic variation showed significant genetic variations among provenances and families for both traits. For all provenances, the heritability for these traits were 0.7–0.8. The genetic variations were significantly associated with variations in the last fatal frost day among the provenances, suggesting that natural selection due to late fatal frost causes genetic differentiation in the traits along the spatial gradient in late frost timing. These results demonstrate that late frost is a key factor driving genetic differentiation of leaf-out phenology within a regional tree population.
The Process and Challenges of Resident-Led Reconstruction in a Mountain Community Damaged by the Northern Kyushu Torrential Rain Disaster: A Case Study of the Hiraenoki Community, Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
Authors: Harada Yoshio , Ichinose Ai , Owake Tatsuya , Asahiro Kazuo , Sato Noriko , Fujiwara Takahiro
Published: March 2023

Frequent torrential rainfall disasters have occurred worldwide in recent years. In Japan, the Northern Kyushu Torrential Rainfall disaster in July 2017 caused extensive damage to Fukuoka and Oita prefectures and significantly impacted local landscapes, from which residents derive pride and identity and, hence, are of the utmost importance. Local communities in Japan are also at risk of extinction due to progressive depopulation. This study discusses community revitalization through landscape creation and related challenges based on the case of the Hiraenoki Community affected by the Northern Kyushu Torrential Rainfall disaster. We conducted long-term participant observations over two years and semi-structured interviews with all households in the community. We found that the landscape project revitalized local pride and involved numerous people outside the community, including the prefectural extension center, university, and Non-Profit Organization (NPO), and provided them with an opportunity to connect. On the other hand, our investigation also revealed the danger of obscuring the original purpose of reconstruction activities because of collaboration with outsiders. This case study elucidates the possibilities and challenges of resident-led reconstruction activities in communities that are facing depopulation and aging problems and are working with organizations within and outside the community.
Lactic Acid Bacteria in the Production of Traditional Fermented Foods and Beverages of Latin America
Authors: Carboni Angela D. , Martins Gonçalo N. , Gómez-Zavaglia Andrea , Castilho Paula C.
Published: March 2023

Traditional fermented foods are inherent to the human diet and represent an important part of the culture of each country. The fermentation process has been traditionally used as a method of food preservation. It allows modifying the technological, sensory, and nutritional attributes of raw ingredients. Latin America has a vast history with these products, but they are not always known worldwide. One of the most used microorganisms in fermented foods is lactic acid bacteria. This review aims to provide insight into the main attributes, benefits, and nutritional characteristics of traditional fermented foods and beverages from Latin America made with lactic acid bacteria. A bibliography analysis of the general aspects of fermented products from this region was carried out, focusing on the foods and beverages (with and without alcohol), their representation in native communities, nutritional value and effect on health, as well as the risk of their consumption. It is concluded that traditional fermented products of Latin America are usually prepared with specific ingredients of the region (such as cassava and corn), and that the lactic acid bacteria present in these foods are not always identifiable due to the inherent variability of artisanal production. The bacteria observed include Lacticaseibacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Lactobacillus, Limosilactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Streptococcus, and Weisella, among others.
Roles of Process Parameters on the Ricinoleic Acid Production from Castor Oil by Aspergillus flavus BU22S
Authors: Singh Shikha , Sharma Sumit , Sarma Saurabh Jyoti , Brar Satinder Kaur
Published: March 2023

Ricinoleic acid is a biobased green chemical industrially produced from castor oil. Microbial conversion is a cleaner and greener approach to ricinoleic acid production from castor oil. These processes should be further optimized for a better yield of the product. Aspergillus flavus BU22S was used to convert castor oil into ricinoleic acid. The strain was isolated and identified by molecular biological techniques. It was found to be effective in the biotransformation of castor oil. The ricinoleic acid production and dry cell weight of the fungus were studied as functions of time. In this study, to increase the yield of ricinoleic acid and decrease the oil loss, which microorganisms utilizes in biomass production, response surface methodology (RSM) has been used for process optimization. The central composite design was used to optimize the predictor variables such as oil concentration (% w/v), glucose concentration (% w/v), and calcium chloride concentration (% w/v) to increase the overall yield of ricinoleic acid. A quadratic model was found to be the best fit to predict the responses of the experimental results. The model suggested that the concentrations of oil, glucose, and calcium chloride should be lower in order to increase the ricinoleic acid yield and minimize the oil loss. The bench scale studies of optimized conditions from RSM were also conducted. The yield of ricinoleic acid in batch and fed-batch culture studies was also compared. The yield of the ricinoleic acid in batch culture was 21.67 g/kg of total oil. The yield of ricinoleic acid in fed-batch culture in the absence of an external air supply was 46.77 g/kg of total oil. In this case, the oil loss was also reduced to only 12%.
Convective Density Current Circulations That Modulated Meso-γ Surface Winds near the Yarnell Hill Fire
Authors: Kaplan Michael L. , Karim S. M. Shajedul , Wiles Jackson T. , James Curtis N. , Lin Yuh-Lang , Riley Justin
Published: March 2023

On 30 June 2013, 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots firefighters were killed fighting a wildfire near Yarnell in the mountains of Central Arizona. They succumbed when the wildfire, driven by erratic winds, blocked their escape route and overran their location. A previous study is extended to simulate and analyze the downscale organization of convective circulations that redirected the wildfire, which started from the scale of the Rossby Wave Breaking over North America to a convective gust front that redirected the wildfire, trapping the firefighters. Five stages are found: Stage I, the initial deep prolonged gust front; Stage II, a front-to-rear jet and its ascending motions that organized high-based convection; Stage III, high-based dry microburst-induced downdrafts organized initially by ascending flow in Stage II that transported mass and entropy to the surface; Stage IV; multiple meso-γ-scale high centers and confluence zones formed that encompassed the firefighters’ location, which established a favorable environment leading to Stage V, canyon-scale circulations formed surrounding the fire. The atmosphere thus transitioned from supporting a deep and long-lived convective density current to elevated dry microbursts with mass and wind outflow into a canyon, redirecting the ongoing wildfire.
Innovative Processing Technologies for Developing Functional Ingredients and Food Products with Health Benefits from Grains
Authors: Martínez-Villaluenga Cristina , Peñas Elena
Published: March 2023

Grains are dry seeds belonging to diverse crops, including cereals, pseudocereals and pulses [...]
Development and Innovation in Cooked Ham Produced in Spain
Authors: Arenas Cristian B. , García-Béjar Beatriz , Santos Ana , Soriano Almudena
Published: March 2023

The production of cooked ham has been gaining popularity in recent years in Spain. In general, the production process carried out by the companies remains traditional, and different production methods are therefore being sought to innovate and improve the quality of the product. This is either through pig crossbreeding, varying additives and ingredients, improving some stages of the production process, or providing nutritional and health claims that are useful to guiding the purchasing decision of consumers. Obviously, this series of changes must be subject to Spanish and European regulations in order to be marketed inside and outside the country.
Hydrodynamic Simulations of a Relativistic Jet Interacting with the Intracluster Medium: Application to Cygnus A
Authors: ZuHone John A. , Nulsen Paul E. J. , Tseng Po-Hsun , Schive Hsi-Yu , Jones Tom W.
Published: March 2023

The Fanaroff–Riley Class II radio galaxy Cygnus A hosts jets that produce radio emission, X-ray cavities, cocoon shocks, and X-ray hotspots, where the jet interacts with the ICM. Surrounding one hotspot is a peculiar “hole” feature, which appears as a deficit in X-ray emission. We used relativistic hydrodynamic simulations of a collimated jet interacting with an inclined interface between lobe and cluster plasma to model the basic processes that may lead to such a feature. We found that the jet reflects off of the interface into a broad, turbulent flow back out into the lobe, which is dominated by gas stripped from the interface at first and from the intracluster medium itself at later times. We produced simple models of X-ray emission from the ICM, the hotspot, and the reflected jet to show that a hole of emission surrounding the hotspot as seen in Cygnus A may be produced by Doppler de-boosting of the emission from the reflected jet, as seen by an observer with a sight line nearly along the axis of the outgoing material.
DNA Polymerase Delta Exhibits Altered Catalytic Properties on Lysine Acetylation
Authors: Njeri Catherine , Pepenella Sharon , Battapadi Tripthi , Bambara Robert A. , Balakrishnan Lata
Published: March 2023

DNA polymerase delta is the primary polymerase that is involved in undamaged nuclear lagging strand DNA replication. Our mass-spectroscopic analysis has revealed that the human DNA polymerase δ is acetylated on subunits p125, p68, and p12. Using substrates that simulate Okazaki fragment intermediates, we studied alterations in the catalytic properties of acetylated polymerase and compared it to the unmodified form. The current data show that the acetylated form of human pol δ displays a higher polymerization activity compared to the unmodified form of the enzyme. Additionally, acetylation enhances the ability of the polymerase to resolve complex structures such as G-quadruplexes and other secondary structures that might be present on the template strand. More importantly, the ability of pol δ to displace a downstream DNA fragment is enhanced upon acetylation. Our current results suggest that acetylation has a profound effect on the activity of pol δ and supports the hypothesis that acetylation may promote higher-fidelity DNA replication.
Comparison of Hemodynamic and Cerebral Oxygenation Responses during Exercise between Normal-Weight and Overweight Men
Authors: Wang Szu-Hui , Lin Hui-Ling , Huang Chung-Chi , Chen Yen-Huey
Published: March 2023

Obesity has negative impacts on cardiovascular function and may increase cerebrovascular complications during exercise. We compared hemodynamic and cerebral oxygen changes during high-intensity exercise between overweight (OW) and normal-weight (NW) individuals. Eighteen NW and fourteen OW male individuals performed high-intensity (70% of peak oxygen uptake, VO2peak) cycling exercises for 30 min. Hemodynamics were measured using a bioelectrical impedance device, and cerebral oxygenation status was measured using a near-infrared spectrophotometer during and after exercise. The VO2peak of NW individuals was significantly higher than that of OW individuals (41.3 ± 5.7 vs. 30.0 ± 5.0 mL/min/kg, respectively; p < 0.05). During the 30 min exercise, both groups exhibited an increase in oxygenated hemoglobin (O2Hb) (p < 0.001), deoxygenated hemoglobin (p < 0.001), and cardiac output with increasing time. Post-exercise, cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance were significantly higher in the OW group than in the NW group (p < 0.05). The O2Hb in the NW group was significantly higher at post-exercise times of 20 min (13.9 ± 7.0 μmol/L) and 30 min (12.3 ± 8.7 μmol/L) than that in the OW group (1.0 ± 13.1 μmol/L and 0.6 ± 10.0 μmol/L, respectively; p = 0.024 vs. 0.023, respectively). OW participants demonstrated lower cerebral oxygenation and higher vascular resistance in the post-exercise phase than non-OW subjects. These physiological responses should be considered while engaging OW and obese individuals in vigorous exercise.
Underuse of Gastric Cancer Screening Services among Koreans with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Chuck Kumban Walter , Hong Seri , Lee Yunhwan
Published: March 2023

We aimed to compare the gastric cancer screening rates between participants with diabetes and those without diabetes in the Korean population. The data of 4284 participants from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2019 were used. Cancer-free people aged ≥40 years were included, and cancer screening rates in diabetes and non-diabetes participants were analyzed. Baseline characteristics and screening rates were calculated using weighted frequencies and multivariable regression at a 95% confidence interval in both groups. Screening for gastric cancer was significantly lower (odd ratio [OR]: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.64–0.95) in patients with diabetes than in those without diabetes. The odds of performing the recommended gastric cancer screening were also lower (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.58–0.90) in participants with diabetes than in those without diabetes. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, the multivariable logistics regression analysis also showed lower odds for gastric cancer screening participation in diabetic patients than in non-diabetes participants. Conclusively, people with diabetes were less likely to have ever had or been recommended screening compared with those without diabetes. Greater efforts need to be made by health specialists to increase the awareness and the need of long-term preventive care including gastric cancer screening in high-risk groups.
Production of German Picture Postcards at the Western Front 1915–1916 as Exemplified by the Imagery of the Church Bell of Marquillies (Département du Nord, France)
Authors: Spennemann Dirk H. R.
Published: March 2023

During World War I the soldiers’ life at and behind the frontline was captured by personal photography. While heavily regulated and censored on the allied side, conditions were more relaxed for German soldiers, and for German officers, in particular. Drawing on a large sample set of images of the same subject matter, a French church bell with a patriotic, anti-German inscription, this paper surveys the private production of picture postcards by German soldiers. Initially photographed by a range of individuals, some images were eventually produced as printed lithographed postcards by regional German publishers. The processes and limitations of the personal versus commercial production of picture postcards are discussed.
Evaluation of Green Solvents’ Applicability for Chromatic Reintegration of Polychrome Artworks
Authors: Macchia Andrea , Zaratti Camilla , Biribicchi Chiara , Colasanti Irene Angela , Barbaccia Francesca Irene , Favero Gabriele
Published: March 2023

Organic solvents are commonly used in restoration treatments, including chromatic reintegration on polychrome artworks. They are often toxic, and their vapors have a high impact on the environment and restorers, possibly causing pathological conditions. Therefore, this study aims at defining a new green solvent that can be used for chromatic reintegration, maintaining the volatility and the desired physical–chemical properties. The dispersion forces value (Fd) of ethyl lactate was taken as reference for a comparison with the proposed solvents, since it was found to be the most used solvent for the dilution of Maimeri Restoration Colors (MRC) and Gamblin Conservation Colors (GCC). Based on the Teas fractional parameters, six solutions based on acetals and ethanol have been proposed and tested. They were mixed with both MRC and GCC, and applied on prepared canvases. The difference between the backgrounds made with reference solvent and the one made with the proposed alternatives was evaluated through spectrocolorimetric measurements. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR) was performed on the applied layers to evaluate the presence of residual solvent inside them, while the volatility of the solvents was assessed by performing gravimetric analysis. The study showed that acetals, acetals’ blends, and acetals–ethanol mixtures represent suitable alternatives for the dilution of Gamblin Conservation Color and Maimeri Restoration Colors.
Archaeometric Analysis of Encrustations Adhering to Pietra Ollare Fragments from the Medieval Village of Nogara
Authors: Monaco Dario , Saggioro Fabio , Marrocchino Elena , Vaccaro Carmela , Marchesini Marco
Published: March 2023

The aim of this study was to analyze a set of pietra ollare fragments that presented burnt encrustations to further understand the use of pietra ollare vessels during the Middle Ages. The fragments were obtained from Nogara (Vr) and date to the 9th–10th centuries CE. To obtain a variety of data, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and pollen analyses were performed. The SEM-EDS enabled the microscopic observation and the understanding of the chemical composition of the encrustations; the pollen analysis was performed to find possible pollen trapped in the encrustations. The pollen was scarce, but notable specimens were found. The results SEM-EDS analysis provided data possibly linked to meat preparation. Further analysis will be conducted to deepen our understanding of the use of the pietra ollare in cooking practices. These results are relevant because they match other data that have emerged from the excavations at Nogara (archeozoological and paleobotanical) and because the use of this kind of vessel remains poorly studied.