bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anodic Polymerization of Phenylphenols in Methyl Isobutyl Ketone and Mesityl Oxide: Incorporation of a Cavitand into the Layers Formed for Sensing Phenols in Organic Media
Authors: Kiss László , Nagymihály Zoltán , Szabó Péter , Kollár László , Kunsági-Máté Sándor
Published: August 2022

The electropolymerization of three phenylphenol isomers was studied in methyl isobutyl ketone and mesityl oxide, and the remarkable differences highlighted the importance of the carbon–carbon double bond in mesityl oxide. In the case of each substrate, a brownish deposit formed during the electrooxidation. The obvious difference between the polymers formed from the two solvents was recognized via voltammetric signal enhancement of 4-methoxyphenol and 4-chlorophenol, and it was only observed in the case of mesityl oxide. The experiments highlighted that incorporation of a cavitand with biphenyl groups on the upper rim of the polymers of phenylphenols improved the results to a small extent. The cavitand was, itself, electroactive without any fouling effect. As 2-phenylphenol is by far the cheapest of the three isomers, a cavitand was incorporated into its polymer, which was exploited to solve analytical problems while mesityl oxide was used as solvent. Useful quantifications were achieved in organic solvents; however, it failed under aqueous conditions due to the high hydrophobicity of the deposit. Application of differential pulse voltammetry for 4-methoxyphenol and 4-chlorophenol gave detection limits of 9.28 and 50.8 μM in acetonitrile, respectively. This procedure resulted in the immobilization of cavitand derivatives onto the electrode’s surface, and the layer formed offered selective sensing of phenols by electrochemical methods.
7-Hydroxyflavone Alleviates Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats by Regulating Inflammation
Authors: Zhang Qunhui , Peng Yanfeng , Liu Jiangyu , Yang Yongjing , Hu Zhangjie , Zhou Yi , Ma Jing , Zhang Dejun
Published: August 2022

Inflammation is the primary pathological process of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI). 7-Hydroxyflavone (HF), a natural flavonoid with a variety of bioactivities, plays a crucial role in various biological processes. However, its cardioprotective effects and the underlying mechanisms of MI/RI have not been investigated. This study aimed to explore whether pretreatment with HF could attenuate MI/RI-induced inflammation in rats and investigate its potential mechanisms. The results showed that pretreatment with HF could significantly improve the anatomic data and electrocardiograph parameters, reduce the myocardial infarct size, decrease markers of myocardial injury (aspartate transaminase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and cardiac troponin I), inhibit inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), suppress oxidative stress, and recover the architecture of the cardiomyocytes. The cardioprotective effect of HF was connected with the regulation of the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway. What is more, molecular docking was carried out to prove that HF could be stably combined with p38, ERK1/2, JNK, and NF-κB. In summary, this is a novel study demonstrating the cardioprotective effects of HF against MI/RI in vivo. Consequently, these results demonstrate that HF can be considered a promising potential therapy for MI/RI.
Function of Molybdenum Insertases
Authors: Kruse Tobias
Published: August 2022

For most organisms molybdenum is essential for life as it is found in the active site of various vitally important molybdenum dependent enzymes (Mo-enzymes). Here, molybdenum is bound to a pterin derivative called molybdopterin (MPT), thus forming the molybdenum cofactor (Moco). Synthesis of Moco involves the consecutive action of numerous enzymatic reaction steps, whereby molybdenum insertases (Mo-insertases) catalyze the final maturation step, i.e., the metal insertion reaction yielding Moco. This final maturation step is subdivided into two partial reactions, each catalyzed by a distinctive Mo-insertase domain. Initially, MPT is adenylylated by the Mo-insertase G-domain, yielding MPT-AMP which is used as substrate by the E-domain. This domain catalyzes the insertion of molybdate into the MPT dithiolene moiety, leading to the formation of Moco-AMP. Finally, the Moco-AMP phosphoanhydride bond is cleaved by the E-domain to liberate Moco from its synthesizing enzyme. Thus formed, Moco is physiologically active and may be incorporated into the different Mo-enzymes or bind to carrier proteins instead.
Synthesis of Bio-Inspired 1,3-Diarylpropene Derivatives via Heck Cross-Coupling and Cytotoxic Evaluation on Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Tan Aik Sian , Singh Jaymeer , Rezali Nurul Syafiqah , Muhamad Musthahimah , Nik Mohamed Kamal Nik Nur Syazni , Six Yvan , Azmi Mohamad Nurul
Published: August 2022

The Heck cross-coupling reaction is a well-established chemical tool for the synthesis of unsaturated compounds by formation of a new C-C bond. In this study, 1,3-diarylpropene derivatives, designed as structural analogues of stilbenoids and dihydrostilbenoids, were synthesised by the palladium-catalysed reactions of 2-amidoiodobenzene derivatives with either estragole or eugenol. The products were obtained with high (E) stereoselectivity but as two regioisomers. The ratios of isomers were found to be dependent on the nature of the allylbenzene partner and were rationalised by electronic effects exercising a determining influence in the β-hydride elimination step. In addition, the cytotoxic effects of all the Heck reaction products were evaluated against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells, with unpromising results. Among all, compound 7d exhibited weak cytotoxic activity towards MCF-7 cell lines with IC50 values of 47.92 µM in comparison with tamoxifen and was considered to have general toxicity (SI value < 2).
Target-Guided Isolation of Progenitors of 1,1,6-Trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (TDN) from Riesling Wine by High-Performance Countercurrent Chromatography
Authors: Gök Recep , Selhorst Pia , Kiene Mats , Noske Theresa , Ziegler Michael , Fischer Ulrich , Winterhalter Peter
Published: August 2022

High-performance countercurrent chromatography (HPCCC) was used for the target-guided isolation of precursors of 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (TDN) from Riesling wine. In separated HPCCC fractions of an Amberlite® XAD®-2 extract obtained from a German Riesling, TDN-generating fractions were identified by the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the progenitors at pH 3.0 and subsequent HS-GC-MS/MS analysis. The presence of multiple TDN-generating precursors in Riesling wine could be confirmed. From polar HPCCC fractions (11–13 and 14–16), 3,4-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydro-β-ionone 3-O-rutinoside and 3,4-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydro-β-ionone 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside were isolated as major TDN-precursors at a sufficient amount for structure elucidation by NMR spectroscopic studies. In the medium polar HPCCC factions (27–35), enzymatic hydrolysis liberated the aglycones 3-hydroxy-β-ionone and 3-hydroxy-TDN in minor amounts. In further less polar TDN-generation fractions (36–44 and 45–50), glycosidic progenitors were absent; instead, a minor TDN formation most likely from non-conjugated constituents was observed.
CO2 Adsorption Study of Potassium-Based Activation of Carbon Spheres
Authors: Pełech Iwona , Staciwa Piotr , Sibera Daniel , Pełech Robert , Sobczuk Konrad S. , Kayalar Gulsen Yagmur , Narkiewicz Urszula , Cormia Robert
Published: August 2022

The adsorption properties of microporous spherical carbon materials obtained from the resorcinol-formaldehyde resin, treated in a solvothermal reactor heated with microwaves and then subjected to carbonization, are presented. The potassium-based activation of carbon spheres was carried out in two ways: solution-based and solid-based methods. The effect of various factors, such as chemical agent selection, chemical activating agent content, and the temperature or time of activation, was investigated. The influence of microwave treatment on the adsorption properties was also investigated and described. The adsorption performance of carbon spheres was evaluated in detail by examining CO2 adsorption from the gas phase.
Analysis of 5G Channel Access for Collaboration with TSN Concluding at a 5G Scheduling Mechanism
Authors: Krummacker Dennis , Veith Benedikt , Fischer Christoph , Schotten Hans Dieter
Published: August 2022

As 5G enters the application field of industrial communications, compatibility with technologies of wired deterministic communications such as Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) needs to be considered during the standardization process. While consideration of underlying integration architectures and basic resource mapping are already part of the standard, necessary traffic forwarding schemes are currently planned to be deployed in additional interfaces located at the edge of a 5G System. This analysis highlights the extent to which internal 5G mechanisms can be used to execute the traffic forwarding of TSN streams according to the requirements of the TSN control plane. It concludes with the recognition that a static prioritization of logical channels is not appropriate for the treatment of TSN streams over the 5G air interface. A novel prioritization mechanism of logical data channels is derived, which enables the execution of TSN-compliant traffic shaping over 5G RAN. Subsequently, a proof of concept is implemented and simulated for evaluation.
Anatomical Variations of the Median Nerve: A Cadaveric Study
Authors: Encarnacion Manuel , Nurmukhametov Renat , Barrientos Rossi Evelyn , Melchenko Dmitry , Goncharov Evgeniy , Bernard Edwin , Huerta Jose Mogorron , Uhl Jean Francois , Efe Ibrahim E. , Montemurro Nicola , Ramirez Issael
Published: August 2022

Objectives: Variations in the morphological anatomy of the median nerve such as formation, distribution, and communication have been well documented. All these variations should be taken into account when practicing any surgical approach for the treatment of injuries affecting the median nerve. Furthermore, they are of the utmost importance for interpretation of the clinical presentation. Methods: The objective of this investigation was to determine the anatomical variations in the formation of the median nerve in cadavers at the Forensic Pathology department in Central Clinical Hospital of the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation between January 2022 and April 2022. A descriptive, cross-sectional, and prospective information source study was conducted on 42 anatomical bodies (corpses) and 84 brachial plexuses. Results: After analyzing the results obtained in this investigation, we concluded that the median nerve presented variation in its formation in 22.6% of the investigated cases. These variations were more common in males (81.8%) than females (18.2%). The anatomical variation was unilateral in 7.1% and bilateral in 19% of all anatomical bodies examined. Conclusions: The median nerve presented a great number of variations in its formation in roughly 23% of the anatomical bodies, with male being the predominant gender. Furthermore, the most frequent region of formation was the axillary region (92.9%). For clinicians, it is important to remember these variations during surgical procedures in this area and during brachial plexus block.
Co-Microencapsulation of Anthocyanins from Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas L.) Fruits and Lactic Acid Bacteria into Antioxidant and Anti-Proliferative Derivative Powders
Authors: Enache Iuliana Maria , Vasile Mihaela Aida , Crăciunescu Oana , Prelipcean Ana Maria , Oancea Anca , Enachi Elena , Barbu Viorica Vasilica , Stănciuc Nicoleta , Vizireanu Camelia
Published: August 2022

Driven by the modern lifestyle, the consumers are interested in healthier and balanced diets, including both probiotics and natural antioxidants. The beneficial health effects of probiotics are mainly due to their capacity of modulating the human intestinal microbiota, although achieving at least a 6 log of viable cells at the targeted site is still challenging. Therefore, in this study, an attempt to improve the bioaccessibility of Lacticaseibacillus casei (L. casei) 431® through a co-microencapsulation by complex coacervation and freeze-drying, using an extract from Cornelian cherry and two biopolymeric matrices, whey protein isolates and casein (WPI-CN) and inulin (WPI-I), was studied. The powders showed a comparable anthocyanin content of around 32.00 mg cyanidin-3-rutinoside (C3R)/g dry matter (DM) and a microbial load of about 10 Log CFU/g DM. A high stability of the lactic acid bacteria was assessed throughout 90 days of storage, whereas the anthocyanins’ degradation during storage followed a first order kinetic model, allowing the estimation of a half-time of 66.88 ± 1.67 days for WPI-CN and 83.60 ± 2.46 days for WPI-I. The in vitro digestion showed a high stability of anthocyanins in the simulated gastric juice, whereas the release in the simulated intestinal juice was favored in the variant with inulin (up to 38%). The use of casein permitted to obtain finer spherosomes, with smaller diameters, whereas a double encapsulation was obvious in both variants, thus explaining the high resistance in the gastric environment. The anti-proliferative effect against the human colon cancer cell line (HT-29) was also demonstrated. No cytotoxicity has been found for the concentrations between 1 and 25 μg/mL for the WPI-I variant, whereas a cell proliferation effect was observed at low concentrations of 1–5 μg/mL.
Berberine in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease—A Review
Authors: Koperska Anna , Wesołek Agnieszka , Moszak Małgorzata , Szulińska Monika
Published: August 2022

The incidence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has been rapidly increasing during the last decade. It is a relevant health problem that affects 25% of the general population. NAFLD involves an extensive array of clinical conditions. So far, no approved pharmacological therapy for NAFLD has been developed. Multiple bioactive compounds have been proposed to treat NAFLD. One of the most promising is Berberine (BBR). Its pleiotropic effect positively impacts various cardiometabolic aspects. In this review, we summarize NAFLD, its metabolic and cardiovascular complications, the hepatoprotective effects of BBR due to its broad spectrum of pharmacological effects, and the potential role of BBR in NAFLD therapy. BBR ameliorates NAFLD by affecting numerous abnormalities. It inhibits lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis, improves insulin resistance and lipid profile, and modulates gut microbiota. The exact mechanism underlying these effects is not yet entirely explained. A growing amount of evidence confirming the positive effects of BBR on multiple metabolic pathways, such as lipids and glucose metabolism, energy homeostasis, or gut microbiota modulation, allows us to speculate about the importance of this natural bioactive substance for NAFLD therapy.
Morphogenesis Dynamics in Leishmania Differentiation
Authors: Dandugudumula Ramu , Fischer-Weinberger Renana , Zilberstein Dan
Published: August 2022

Leishmania, the causative agent of leishmaniasis, is an obligatory intracellular parasite that cycles between phagolysosome of mammalian macrophages, where it resides as round intracellular amastigotes, and the midgut of female sandflies, where it resides as extracellular elongated promastigotes. This protozoan parasite cytoskeleton is composed of stable and abundant subpellicular microtubules (SPMT). This study aims to determine the kinetics of developmental morphogenesis and assess whether microtubules remodelling is involved in this process. Using image-streaming technology, we observed that rounding of promastigotes during differentiation into amastigotes was initiated promptly after exposure to the differentiation signal. Stabilizing microtubules with taxol sped rounding, but later killed differentiating parasites if taxol was not removed. Microtubule destabilizers such as vinblastine had no effect on the rate of rounding, nor on the viability of differentiating parasites. In the reverse process, elongation is initiated after a delay of 7.5 and completed 72 h after exposure to the amastigote to the promastigote differentiation signal. During the delay, parasites became highly sensitive to treatment with microtubule destabilizers. The addition of vinblastine during the first 7.5 h halted differentiation and killed parasites. Between 8 and 24 h, parasites gradually became resistant to vinblastine and, in parallel, started to elongate. In contrast, taxol had no effect on parasite elongation, nor on the viability of these cells. In a parallel study, we showed that the Leishmania-specific protein kinase A (PKA) holoenzyme containing the LdPKAR3-C3 complex is essential for promastigote elongation. Mutant promastigotes lacking either of these proteins are round, but maintain their flagella. Here, we observed that during differentiation into amastigotes, these mutants round at the same rate as the wild type, but never exceed the WT density of round amastigotes. In the reverse process, these mutants undergo the same initial delay and then elongate at the same rate as the WT. They stop elongating when they reach 20% of elongated cells in mature promastigotes. Our analysis indicates that while promastigote rounding into amastigotes did not require microtubule remodelling, morphogenesis of round amastigotes into elongated promastigotes required microtubule rearrangement before elongation was initiated. This is the first study that investigates the dynamics of microtubules during parasite development.
Exploring the Underlying Mechanism of Ren-Shen-Bai-Du Powder for Treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking
Authors: Jin Ni , Liu Yao , Xiong Peiyu , Zhang Yiyi , Mo Jingwen , Huang Xiushen , Zhou Yi
Published: August 2022

Ren-Shen-Bai-Du Powder (RSBDP) is currently used for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy in China. However, its potential mechanism against IBD remains unknown. In this study, we initially identified potential targets of RSBDP against IBD through network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking. Afterwards, the DSS-induced colitis mice model was employed to assess the effects of RSBDP. The results of network pharmacology indicated that a total of 39 main active ingredients in RSBDP generated 309 pairs of drug-ingredient and ingredient-target correspondences through 115 highly relevant targets of IBD. The primary ingredients (quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, naringenin, and sitosterol) exerted functions through multiple targets that include CYP1B1, CA4/7, and ESR1/2, etc. GO functional enrichment analysis revealed that the targets related to IBD were significantly enriched in the oxidation-reduction process, protein binding, and cytosol. Per the KEGG pathway analysis, pathways in cancer, adherens junction, and nitrogen metabolism were pivotal in the RSBDP’s treatment of IBD. Additionally, molecular docking demonstrated that a set of active ingredients and their targets displayed good bonding capabilities (e.g., kaempferol and AhR with combined energy < 5 kcal/mol). For the animal experiment, oral RSBDP promoted weight recovery, reduced intestinal inflammation, and decreased serum IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8 concentrations in the DSS + RSBDP group. Meanwhile, oral RSBDP significantly up-regulated the mRNA levels of CA7, CPY1B1, and PTPN11; in particular, the expression level of CYP1B1 in the DSS + RSBDP group was up-regulated by as high as 9-fold compared to the DSS group. Western blot results indicated that the protein levels of AKR1C1, PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, and Bcl-2 were significantly down-regulated, and Bax was significantly up-regulated in the DSS + RSBDP group. Compared to the DSS and control groups, the Bax/Bcl-2 value in the DSS + RSBDP group increased 4-fold and 8-fold, respectively, which suggested that oral RSBDP promotes apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells. In short, this study established quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, naringenin, and sitosterol as the primary key active ingredients of RSBDP that exert synergistic therapeutic effects against IBD through modulating the AhR/CYP1B1 and AKR1C1/PI3K/AKT pathways.
Novel 2,6,9-Trisubstituted Purines as Potent CDK Inhibitors Alleviating Trastuzumab-Resistance of HER2-Positive Breast Cancers
Authors: Kuchukulla Ratnakar Reddy , Hwang Injeoung , Park Sang Won , Moon Sojeong , Kim Suhn Hyung , Kim Sumin , Chung Hwan Won , Ji Mi-Jung , Park Hyun-Mee , Kong Gu , Hur Wooyoung
Published: August 2022

HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer is defined by HER2 oncogene amplification on chromosome 17q12 and accounts for 15–20% population of breast-cancer patients. Therapeutic anti-HER2 antibody such as trastuzumab is used as the first-line therapy for HER2-positive breast cancers. However, more than 50% of the patients respond poorly to trastuzumab, illustrating that novel therapy is warranted to overcome the resistance. We previously reported that in the majority of HER2+ breast-cancer patients, CDK12 is co-amplified on 17q12 and involved in developing tumors and trastuzumab resistance, proposing CDK12 as a potential drug target for HER2+ breast cancers. Here, we designed and synthesized novel 2,6,9-trisubstituted purines as potent CDK12 inhibitors showing strong, equipotent antiproliferative activity against trastuzumab-sensitive HER2+ SK-Br3 cells and trastuzumab-resistant HER2+ HCC1954 cells (GI50 values < 50 nM) both of which express a high level of CDK12. Two potent analogue 30d and 30e at 40, 200 nM greatly downregulated the levels of cyclinK and Pol II p-CTD (Ser2), as well as the expression of CDK12 downstream genes (IRS1 and WNT1) in a dose-dependent manner. We also observed structure-property relationship for a subset of potent analogues, and found that 30e is highly stable in liver microsomes with lack of CYP inhibition. In addition, 30d exhibited a synergy with trastuzumab in the both cells, suggesting that our inhibitors could be applied to alleviate trastuzumab-resistance of HER2+ breast cancers and escalate the efficacy of trastuzumab as well. Our study may provide insight into developing a novel therapy for HER2+ breast cancers.
The Development and Implementation of Airflow Visualization Studies (“Smoke” Studies) as a Training Tool in Aseptic Hospital Compounding Facilities
Authors: Borgonje Paula E. , Wibier Lisa , Noordman Patrick , Woerdenbag Herman J. , Gareb Bahez
Published: August 2022

In the compounding facilities of hospital pharmacies, extemporaneous preparations for parenteral administration are produced using aseptic handling. The designated environment for this practice is a clean area, such as a laminar airflow (LAF) cabinet placed in a classified cleanroom complying with good manufacturing practices (GMP) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14644-1 guidelines. The European GMP Annex 1 (Revision 2020) and United States Pharmacopeia (USP) <797> monograph state that airflow visualization studies (“smoke” studies) should be performed to substantiate the cleanroom and LAF cabinet performance and their qualification status. Even though smoke studies are required by these guidelines, current literature does not describe detailed practical protocols and acceptance criteria. The objective of this study was to develop and implement a practical smoke study protocol to ensure compliance with aseptic handling guidelines in hospital pharmacies. First, a literature search was performed to collect information about smoke study protocols and acceptance criteria. Subsequently, a smoke study protocol was developed for a downflow and crossflow LAF cabinet as well as for grade C/B cleanroom areas. As a proof of concept, the smoke study protocol for the downflow LAF cabinet was executed in the at-rest and in-operation states. Video recordings of the smoke studies were analyzed to assess the performance of the cabinet. Finally, the video recordings obtained from the smoke studies were used in a training program for hospital pharmacy operators, which showed that smoke studies might aid in operators’ aseptic handling awareness. To the best of our knowledge, the present study provides for the first time a practical approach for the development of smoke study protocols in a hospital pharmacy setting and shows potential for training operators, process optimization, and continuous quality improvement.
Getting Real: Ockham on the Human Contribution to the Nature and Production of Artifacts
Authors: Pelletier Jenny
Published: August 2022

Given his known predilection for ontological parsimony, Ockham’s ontology of artifacts is unsurprisingly reductionist: artifacts are nothing over and above their existing and appropriately ordered parts. However, the case of artifacts is notable in that they are real objects that human artisans produce by bringing about a real change: they spatially rearrange existing natural thing(s) or their parts for the sake of some end. This article argues that the human contribution to the nature and production of artifacts is two-fold: (1) the artisan’s cognitive grasp of her expertise and her decision to deploy that expertise are the two efficient causes necessary to explain the existence of an artifact, and (2) the purpose that the artisan had in mind when she decided to make an artifact fixes the function(s) of the artifact such that an artisan’s purpose is the final cause necessary to explain what an artifact is. Artifacts indeed exist, owing what they are and that they are to intelligent and volitional human activity, which Ockham never denies. The article submits that a myopic focus on Ockham’s indisputable reductionism does not exhaust what is metaphysically interesting and relevant about artifacts.
Optimization of the Distance between Cylindrical Light Distributors Used for Interstitial Light Delivery in Biological Tissues
Authors: Gregor Aurélien , Sase Shohei , Wagnieres Georges
Published: August 2022

Cylindrical light diffusers (CLDs) are often employed for the treatment of large tumors by interstitial photodynamic therapy (iPDT) and photoimmunotherapy (PIT), which involves careful treatment planning to maximize therapeutic dose coverage while minimizing the number of CLDs used. There is, however, a lack of general guidelines regarding optimal positioning of CLDs, in particular when they are inserted in parallel to treat head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the CLD-CLD distances maximizing the necrosis for different geometries of CLD positions and shed light on the influence of different optical parameters on this distance, in particular when HNSCCs are treated by interstitial PIT with cetuximab–IR700 using up to seven CLDs. To that end, Monte-Carlo simulations of the light propagation around CLDs inserted perpendicularly in a semi-infinite tumor were performed to determine the volume receiving a fluence larger than a therapeutic threshold. An optimization algorithm was then used to calculate and maximize the necrosed tumor volumes. Tumor optical properties were derived from published data. Our findings suggest that optimal CLD positioning maximizing the volume of necrosed tumor during interstitial PIT for typical HNSCC optical properties corresponds to a CLD-CLD distance between 11.5- and 13-mm. Variations of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients have the greatest influence on CLD placements, while tissue anisotropy factor, CLD insertion geometry, CLD length, and the angular dependence of the radiance emitted by the CLDs have minimal influence. At first approximation the influence of these optical parameters on optimal CLD-CLD distance are independent. Our data also suggests it is possible to derive new treatment plans using knowledge of previous treatment plans.
Mitochondrial Effects, DNA Damage, and Antioxidant Enzyme Activity in Cryopreserved Human Sperm Samples: A Pilot Study
Authors: Pinto-Pinho Patrícia , Arantes-Rodrigues Regina , Gaivão Isabel , Peixoto Francisco , Gomes Zélia , Brito Miguel , Moutinho Osvaldo , Colaço Bruno , Pinto-Leite Rosário
Published: August 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a vapor freezing protocol on antioxidant enzyme activity (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR)), sperm with active mitochondria, DNA damage, and spermatic parameters. Twenty-six semen samples from men undergoing infertility investigation were cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen (LN) vapors and plunged into LN, with (method A) and without (method B) a commercial sperm freezing medium (SFM) and inherent removal with a sperm preparation medium (SPM). Most parameters were assessed before and after freezing, except for SOD and GR activity, which were only assessed after freezing. Although method A promoted better results than method B, the percentage of spermatozoa with active mitochondria, motility, vitality, and normal morphology decreased significantly. DNA damage (determined by comet assay) increased similarly with both methods, but the percentage of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA (by TUNEL assay) remained similar to fresh values when method A was applied. GR activity was higher and SOD activity lower with method A. The addition of SFM coupled with the sperm wash with SPM seems essential to preserve the quality of most of the analyzed spermatic parameters and active mitochondria. The detrimental effects promoted by freezing were shown to depend on the quality of the fresh semen, according to correlation coefficients. Interestingly, thawed samples of both methods shared similar DNA damage. These results highlight the need to find more effective protocols, especially for the freezing of low-quality semen samples.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal Fungi and Changes in Primary and Secondary Metabolites
Authors: Amani Machiani Mostafa , Javanmard Abdollah , Habibi Machiani Reyhaneh , Sadeghpour Amir
Published: August 2022

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are able to synthesize a diverse group of secondary metabolites (SMs) such as terpenoids or terpenes, steroids, phenolics, and alkaloids with a broad range of therapeutic and pharmacological potentials. Extensive use of MAPs in various industries makes it important to re-evaluate their research, development, production, and use. In intensive agricultural systems, increasing plant productivity is highly dependent on the application of chemical inputs. Extreme use of chemical or synthetic fertilizers, especially higher doses of N fertilization, decrease the yield of bioactive compounds in MAPs. The plant–soil microbial interaction is an eco-friendly strategy to decrease the demand of chemical fertilizers. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), belongs to phylum Glomeromycota, can form mutualistic symbiotic associations with more than 80% of plant species. The AMF–plant symbiotic association, in addition to increasing nutrient and water uptake, reprograms the metabolic pathways of plants and changes the concentration of primary and secondary metabolites of medicinal and aromatic plants. The major findings reported that inoculation of AMF with MAPs enhanced secondary metabolites directly by increasing nutrient and water uptake and also improving photosynthesis capacity or indirectly by stimulating SMs’ biosynthetic pathways through changes in phytohormonal concentrations and production of signaling molecules. Overall, the AMF-MAPs symbiotic association can be used as new eco-friendly technologies in sustainable agricultural systems for improving the quantity and quality of MAPs.
The Role of Moringa Leaf Extract as a Plant Biostimulant in Improving the Quality of Agricultural Products
Authors: Yuniati Nita , Kusumiyati Kusumiyati , Mubarok Syariful , Nurhadi Bambang
Published: August 2022

Ensuring high-quality agricultural products has become important in agriculture since society’s standard of living has risen. Meanwhile, Moringa oleifera L. leaf extract (MLE) has been used as a plant biostimulant to improve product quality. The effectiveness of MLE is associated with its beneficial components, consisting of nutrients, phytohormones, secondary metabolites, amino acids, and bioactive compounds. Previous studies have been carried out to find the effects of MLE application on the quality of different crops, including basil, kale, spinach, maize, radish, brinjal, pepper, tomato, grape, strawberry, and more. The results are generally positive concerning physical, nutritional, and chemical qualities. This review comprises recent findings regarding MLE application as a plant biostimulant to increase quality attributes, with its underlying mechanism.
Optimization of the Sustainable Distribution Supply Chain Using the Lean Value Stream Mapping 4.0 Tool: A Case Study of the Automotive Wiring Industry
Authors: Kihel Yousra El , Kihel Ali El , Embarki Soufiane
Published: August 2022

The transformation to Supply Chain (SC) 4.0 promises new opportunities for companies to gain competitiveness. The Lean Value Stream Mapping (VSM) tool allows the supervision of all the processes of the entire SC, from which we can identify the different types of waste that hinder the competitiveness of the SC. Following the existing problems detected with the help of a diagnostic, we will propose a new process design by integrating 4.0 technologies to modernize the company. For our case study, we treat the multinational SC of Automotive Wiring Equipment Morocco, where we will focus on the downstream part of the SC composed of the warehouse and the different stages of road and sea transport until the final delivery in Austria. Then, we will consider the opportunities offered by each country in terms of logistics competitiveness. In this research work, we will show how Lean VSM4.0 will contribute to sustainable development by integrating the three pillars economic, environmental, and social. With the Lean VSM 4.0 tool, all logistic processes will be visualized, from which improvements could be obtained, especially the optimization of the lead-time, the cost, the energy consumed, and the follow-up of the products during the whole SC while reducing accidents.
FinTech Development and Regulatory Scrutiny: A Contradiction? The Case of Latvia
Authors: Rupeika-Apoga Ramona , Wendt Stefan
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine whether FinTech companies believe that the growing dependence on regulation represents a potential risk for their development. In 2021, we conducted a survey among Latvian FinTech companies to ascertain their attitude toward regulatory scrutiny. We received 31 responses, representing a 33% response rate. The responses show that regulation is still one of the most pressing issues for FinTech companies, even though it is not necessarily regulation per se that causes concerns, but the lack of a regulatory framework that would be suitable for the special situation of the FinTech sector. However, regulation is now regarded as less problematic than it was in a previous survey in 2019, when respondents saw regulation as the most pressing issue. Moreover, the FinTech industry anticipates better support from the regulator, such as more realistic sandbox approaches and a willingness to consider new business models. According to the survey responses, the UK, Estonian, and Lithuanian regulators can serve as inspiration in this regard. Latvian FinTech companies expect regulators to be more flexible and open in their communication. This study is intended to advance regulatory reform by aiding the understanding of the requirements of fast-evolving FinTech companies.
Does the Adaptive Market Hypothesis Reconcile the Behavioral Finance and the Efficient Market Hypothesis?
Authors: Noreen Umara , Shafique Attayah , Ayub Usman , Saeed Syed Kashif
Published: August 2022

This study aims to test the adaptive market hypothesis by using the myopic behavior of investors as a new proxy. The data have been taken from New York Stock Exchange from December 1994 to December 2020. Following this collection of data, the companies’ stock prices were distributed into six different portfolios based on size, investment, a book-to-market value, and operating profit. Ordinal logistic regression was used to calculate the probability of recovery of losses after experiencing a decline in the market. As part of the robustness analysis, this study replaces the Sharpe ratio with a Lower Partial Moment ratio. Most of the results for the Sharpe ratio and Lower Partial Moment ratio are similar. During 1995–1999, 2002–2006, and 2010–2020, the investors have not shown myopic behavior towards losses, but from 2000–2001 and 2007–2009 the investors exhibited myopic characteristics. Furthermore, as investors move between myopic and non-myopic loss aversion, the study reports that the US market is both efficient and inefficient at various points in time, following the adaptive market hypothesis. Thus, such a finding could act as a basis for future investment models by adapting traditional models or by building and contributing to the development of new ones.
A Short-Term Forecasting Method of Inter-Frequency Clock Bias for GPS Block IIF Satellites
Authors: Yue Caiya , Dang Yamin , Xue Shuqiang , Wang Hu , Gu Shouzhou , Xu Changhui
Published: August 2022

The time-varying biases within carrier phase observations are integrated into satellite clock offset parameters for precise clock estimation. Consequently, when the precise satellite clock bias is applied to the third frequency observation for precise point positioning (PPP), a new type of inter-frequency clock bias (IFCB) with satellite dependence should be noticed. If the IFCB is estimated together with the receiver coordinates, tropospheric wet delay, ambiguity and other parameters, it will increase the computational burden and lead to more time consumption. In order to solve this problem, the IFCB of GPS Block IIF satellites were estimated using 162 global uniformly distributed Multi-GNSS Experiment (MGEX) stations. By analyzing the time-varying characteristic of each satellite IFCB and combining the lag characteristics of the final ephemeris products, a modeling method of short-term IFCB prediction based on the epoch-by-epoch sliding Pearson autocorrelation function is proposed. The feasibility of this method was verified through the Student’s t-distribution, comparison with the measured IFCB, the posteriori residual of the third frequency carrier phase and the kinematic/static PPP solutions. The results showed that since the IFCB period was not a complete 24 h, the difference in the IFCBs time series on different days was increasingly significant with the passage of lag time, and the correlation constantly decreased. The peak-to-peak amplitudes of the IFCB difference reached 1.13, 3.44, 6.86 and 11.25 cm when the lag time was 1, 9, 19 and 29 days, respectively. In addition, based on the lag characteristic of final precise ephemerides released by the International GNSS Service (IGS) analysis centers, the prediction accuracy of the IFCB was evaluated with a time lag of 7 days. The root mean square of the posteriori residuals at the third-frequency observation decreased by approximately 51.3% compared to that without considering for IFCB correction. The triple-frequency uncombined PPP in the horizontal and vertical directions improved by approximately 33.2% and 17.2% for the static PPP solutions and 50.2% and 39.7% for the kinematic PPP solutions, respectively. In general, the accuracy and convergence time of the triple-frequency uncombined PPP were equivalently improved when the predicted IFCB and the measured IFCB were used.
An Artificial Neural Network for Lightning Prediction Based on Atmospheric Electric Field Observations
Authors: Bao Riyang , Zhang Yaping , Ma Benedict J. , Zhang Zhuoyu , He Zhenghao
Published: August 2022

Measuring the atmospheric electric field is of crucial importance for studying the discharge phenomena of thunderstorm clouds. If one is used to indicate the occurrence of a lightning event and zero to indicate the non-occurrence of the event, then a binary classification problem needs to be solved. Based on the established database of weather samples, we designed a lightning prediction system using deep learning techniques. First, the features of time-series data from multiple electric field measurement sites are extracted by a sparse auto encoder (SAE) to construct a visual picture, and a binary prediction of whether lightning occurs at a specific time interval is obtained based on the improved ResNet50. Then, the central location of lightning flashes is located based on the extracted features using a multilayer perceptron (MLP) model. The performance of the method yields satisfactory results with 88.2% accuracy, 92.2% precision rate, 81.5% recall rate, and 86.4% F1-score for weather samples, which is a significant improvement over traditional methods. Multiple spatial localization results for several minutes before and after can be used to know the specific area where lightning is likely to occur. All the above methods passed the reliability and robustness tests, and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the model in lightning short-time proximity warning.
Automated Detection of Retrogressive Thaw Slumps in the High Arctic Using High-Resolution Satellite Imagery
Authors: Witharana Chandi , Udawalpola Mahendra R. , Liljedahl Anna K. , Jones Melissa K. Ward , Jones Benjamin M. , Hasan Amit , Joshi Durga , Manos Elias
Published: August 2022

Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTS) are considered one of the most dynamic permafrost disturbance features in the Arctic. Sub-meter resolution multispectral imagery acquired by very high spatial resolution (VHSR) commercial satellite sensors offer unique capacities in capturing the morphological dynamics of RTSs. The central goal of this study is to develop a deep learning convolutional neural net (CNN) model (a UNet-based workflow) to automatically detect and characterize RTSs from VHSR imagery. We aimed to understand: (1) the optimal combination of input image tile size (array size) and the CNN network input size (resizing factor/spatial resolution) and (2) the interoperability of the trained UNet models across heterogeneous study sites based on a limited set of training samples. Hand annotation of RTS samples, CNN model training and testing, and interoperability analyses were based on two study areas from high-Arctic Canada: (1) Banks Island and (2) Axel Heiberg Island and Ellesmere Island. Our experimental results revealed the potential impact of image tile size and the resizing factor on the detection accuracies of the UNet model. The results from the model transferability analysis elucidate the effects on the UNet model due the variability (e.g., shape, color, and texture) associated with the RTS training samples. Overall, study findings highlight several key factors that we should consider when operationalizing CNN-based RTS mapping over large geographical extents.
Oceanic Kármán Vortex Streets in the Luzon Strait in the Lee of Didicas Island from Multiple Satellite Missions
Authors: Liu Fenfen , Liu Yiting , Tang Shilin , Li Qiqing
Published: August 2022

The oceanic Kármán vortex street is an important hydrokinetic phenomenon caused by the unsteady separation of sea currents in the wake of an obstacle. This study quantitatively analyzed the characteristics of the small-scale vortex street of Didicas Island in the Luzon Strait based on multimission satellite data. Five groups of vortex streets were captured, and each group was observed by two satellite images within one hour. Based on the displacement and change in the vortex street within one hour, we found that the formation time of a single vortex is longer than 40 min. The vortex propagation speed behind the island is approximately 0.98 m s−1 (ranging from 0.66–1.22 m s−1). The incoming velocity was calculated using the vortex propagation speed and the aspect ratio based on a vortex propagation model, which ranges from 0.72 to 1.47 m s−1 The incoming speed is 1.6–2.3 times the geostrophic speed extracted from AVISO data, implying that the contribution of non-geostrophic flow to the total flow field is comparable to that of geostrophic flow in this region.
The Influence of Dynamic Solar Oblateness on Tracking Data Analysis from Past and Future Mercury Missions
Authors: van der Zwaard Rens , Dirkx Dominic
Published: August 2022

When the BepiColombo spacecraft arrives at Mercury in late 2025, it will be able to measure the orbit of the planet with unprecedented accuracy, allowing for more accurate measurements of the perihelion advance of the planet, as predicted by the Theory of General Relativity (GR). A similar effect is produced by the gravitational oblateness of the Sun through the zonal coefficient J2⊙. The gravitational field of the Sun has been hard to determine despite centuries of observations, causing great uncertainties in experiments on GR. Recent publications in heliophysics suggest that J2⊙ is not a constant, but a dynamic value that varies with solar magnetic activity. The aim of this paper is to analyse what the effect is of suggested higher-order effects of the solar gravitational field on experiments of the perihelion advance of Mercury as predicted by GR. The orbit of Mercury and observations of the MESSENGER and BepiColombo spacecraft are simulated, and parameters corresponding to gravitational theory, as well as the oblateness J2⊙ including a time-variable component are estimated using a least-squares approach. The result of the estimation is that the amplitude of a periodic component can be found with an uncertainty of 3.7×10−11, equal to 0.017% the value of J2⊙. From analysis of published experiments that used MESSENGER tracking data, it can already be deduced that the amplitude of the periodic variation cannot be higher than 5% of the value of J2⊙. It is also found that if a periodic component exists with an amplitude greater than 0.04% the value of J2⊙ and it is not considered, it can lead to errors in the experiments of GR using BepiColombo data to the point that results falsely confirm or contradict the Theory of General Relativity.
Modeling Evapotranspiration at Larger Temporal Scales: Effects of Temporal Aggregation and Data Gaps
Authors: Athira K. V. , Eswar R. , Boulet Gilles , Nigam Rahul , Bhattacharya Bimal K.
Published: August 2022

Evapotranspiration (ET) at weekly and monthly time scales is often needed for various applications. When using remote sensing (RS)-based models, this can be achieved either by averaging all the required input variables to the intended time scale and simulating ET using models (input aggregation), or by estimating daily ET from the models and averaging to weekly or monthly ET (output aggregation). It is not clear if both these aggregation approaches yield the same outcome when using RS-based models for the estimation of ET. Another issue in obtaining ET at longer time scales is the lack of enough satellite observations to estimate ET with reasonable accuracy. This study aimed to compare the input and output aggregation approaches to obtain ET at weekly and monthly time scales using three RS ET models, namely, Priestley–Taylor Jet Propulsion Lab (PT-JPL), Soil Plant Atmosphere and Remote Sensing Evapotranspiration (SPARSE), and Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC) models. The study was conducted using in situ data over six sites of different agro-climatic conditions in India, Tunisia, and France. The results indicate that the input aggregation provided relatively better results for monthly and weekly ET values than the output aggregation, having a lower RMSE (1–40%). Further, it was found that at least seven to eight satellite observations per month are required to obtain reliable ET estimate when using RS-based models.