bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying Landscape and Social Amenities as Ecosystem Services in Rapidly Changing Peri-Urban Landscape
Authors: Aziz Asad , Anwar Muhammad Mushahid , Majeed Muhammad , Fatima Sammer , Mehdi Syed Shajee , Mangrio Wali Muhammad , Elbouzidi Amine , Abdullah Muhammad , Shaukat Shadab , Zahid Nafeesa , Mahmoud Eman A. , Casini Ryan , Yessoufou Kowiyou , Elansary Hosam O.
Published: February 2023

The peri-urban landscape is a highly dynamic area between the urban zone and the rural belt. The heterogeneous natural landscape around the cities provides several ecosystem services, but progressive urbanization affects it and results in the loss of biodiversity, greenery, and related benefits. This study attempts to quantify the social amenities associated with ecosystem services in the peri-urban landscape of the Gujrat district, in Pakistan, by using the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) The results show that the peri-urban landscape provides amenities for the well-being of the community. Such amenities and the related recreational opportunities represent ecosystem services that are highly regarded by the residents, so much so that a significant willingness to pay can be associated with them. Therefore, this study highlights that natural areas and green areas’ landscapes must be taken into account when facing the social and economic necessity to provide for city expansion in developing countries, especially when aiming to achieve development in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. The ecosystem services and their evaluation are confirmed as indispensable tools for conservation and fortification of landscape development.
Classic Maya Settlement Systems Reveal Differential Land Use Patterns in the Upper Belize River Valley
Authors: Walden John P. , Hoggarth Julie A. , Ebert Claire E. , Fedick Scott L. , Biggie Michael , Meyer Brett , Shaw-Müller Kyle , Qiu Yijia , Ran Weiyu , Ellis Olivia P. , Watkins Tia B. , Davis J. Britt , Guerra Rafael A. , Helmke Christophe , Awe Jaime J.
Published: February 2023

Land use practices have had important implications for structuring household inequalities and broader political systems in the past. Our contribution examines settlement patterns in relation to political structure, household wealth, ecological productivity and agricultural techniques. Combining settlement pattern data with high–precision soils data, we examine the extent to which different trajectories of polity formation impact the settlement location and land use practices of intermediate elites and commoners. The Classic Maya (CE 250/300–900) polities of Baking Pot and Lower Dover in the Upper Belize River Valley serve as enlightening case studies because despite being situated near one another, the two centers emerged along very different trajectories. Whereas the polity of Baking Pot arose slowly, in tandem with surrounding demography, the neighboring polity of Lower Dover arose rapidly in the Late Classic period (CE 600–900) in an area which was already home to established local populations. Our analysis shows that while Baking Pot had substantial settlement clustering around its epicenter, populations at Lower Dover aggregated around secondary and tertiary centers farther away from the polity core. Analyses also demonstrate that most commoner and intermediate elite residences were situated on the most productive agricultural lands in the region, though some intermediate elite households were situated on hilltops or in border zones with marginal soil productivity for political and tactical reasons. Commoner households were situated on a range of productivity zones reflecting diverse land–use practices which had implications for household wealth. Our case study illustrates the importance of integrating land use practices into our reconstructions of ancient political hierarchies, especially in terms of understanding political strategies and household wealth.
Early Evidence That Soil Dryness Causes Widespread Decline in Grassland Productivity in China
Authors: He Panxing , Zeng Yiyan , Wang Ningfei , Han Zhiming , Meng Xiaoyu , Dong Tong , Ma Xiaoliang , Ma Shangqian , Ma Jun , Sun Zongjiu
Published: February 2023

The burning of fossil fuels by humans emits large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere and strongly affects the Earth’s carbon balance, with grassland ecosystems changing from weak carbon sinks that were previously close to equilibrium to core carbon sinks. Chinese grasslands are located in typical arid–semi-arid and semi-arid climatic regions, and drought events in the soil and atmosphere can have strong and irreversible consequences on the function and structure of Chinese grassland ecosystems. Based on this, we investigated the response of the gross primary production (GPP) of Chinese grasslands to land–atmosphere moisture constraints, using GPP data simulated through four terrestrial ecosystem models and introduced copula functions and Bayesian equations. The main results were as follows: (1) Soil moisture trends were not significant, and changes were dominated by interannual variability. The detrended warm-season SM correlated with GPP at 0.48 and 0.63 for the historical and future periods, respectively; thus, soil moisture is the critical water stress that regulates interannual variability in Chinese grassland GPP. (2) The positive correlation between shallow SM (0–50 cm) and GPP was higher (r = 0.62). Shallow-soil moisture is the main soil layer that constrains GPP, and the soil moisture decrease in shallow layers is much more likely to cause GPP decline in Chinese grasslands than that in deep-soil water. (3) The probability of GPP decline in Chinese grasslands caused by drought in shallow soils of 0–20 and 20–50 cm is 32.49% and 27.64%, respectively, which is much higher than the probability of GPP decline in deeper soils. In particular, soil drought was more detrimental to grassland GPP in Xinjiang and the Loess Plateau. (4) The probability of soil drought causing GPP decline was higher than that of atmospheric drought during the historical period (1.78–8.19%), but the probability of an atmospheric drought-induced GPP deficit increases significantly in the future and becomes a key factor inhibiting GPP accumulation in some regions (e.g., the Loess Plateau). Our study highlighted the response of grassland ecosystems after the occurrence of soil drought, especially for the shallow-soil-water indicator, which provides important theoretical references for grassland drought disaster emergency prevention and policy formulation.
Land Consolidation in Rural China: Historical Stages, Typical Modes, and Improvement Paths
Authors: Guo Yuanzhi , Wang Jieyong
Published: February 2023

Land consolidation is an important means to optimize land-use structure and improve the level of intensive and economical use of land, and it is also a critical measure to coordinate economic and social development and promote cultivated-land protection. Therefore, the scientific advancement of land consolidation is of great significance to comprehensively promote rural revitalization and build a modern agricultural power. In this study, we explore the history of rural China’s land consolidation since 1949 and divide it into five stages: start-up stage (1949–1977), exploration stage (1978–1997), rapid development stage (1998–2007), quality improvement stage (2008–2018) and comprehensive consolidation stage (2019 to present). In different stages, there are obvious differences in national policy orientation on land consolidation. The differences in organization and implementation entities determine that government-led land consolidation, enterprise-driven land consolidation and villager-initiated land consolidation are the three main modes of rural land consolidation in China. To overcome the problems existing in current rural development and boost rural and agricultural modernization, it is urgent to adhere to planning-led and ecological priorities, build a diversified input pattern, innovate the public participation mechanism and strengthen full-process supervision, scientifically promoting the whole-region comprehensive land consolidation in rural China.
Landscape Values in a Marina in Granada (Spain): Enhancing Landscape Management through Public Participation
Authors: Martín Ricardo , Yepes Víctor
Published: February 2023

Landscape values are related to the attributes that people assign to a perceived landscape. They reflect marina user perceptions, thus representing a feedback tool for marina managers to use to verify the degree of user satisfaction. This study focused on identifying and assessing a marina’s landscape values. We took Marina del Este (Granada, Spain) as a case study. We considered interviews and a questionnaire to devise methods to enhance the participation of stakeholders and users. First, the SWOT analysis from stakeholder interviews enabled us to collect management’s perceptions. Second, the survey gathered the marina’s landscape values, comprising 104 respondents from visitors and users. ANOVA and PCA methods were applied to check the suitability of the values. The results showed that the marina should be in keeping with an atmosphere of tranquility and well-being. Nevertheless, there was a need to improve values related to nautical tourism, such as hospitality and maintenance, dealing with the lack of space and an excess of urbanization in the surroundings. Marina managers should consider these outcomes and analyze the points of improvement to establish the causes of these disagreements and propose solutions for the established management model. The perception of stakeholders and users can enable more consensual policies with greater levels of acceptance and involvement.
Forest Governance in Nepal concerning Sustainable Community Forest Management and Red Panda Conservation
Authors: Cadman Timothy , Maraseni Tek , Koju Upama Ashish , Shrestha Anita , Karki Sikha
Published: February 2023

This paper investigates issues confronting forest management and sustainability, focusing on the governance of the community forest user group (CFUG) initiative in Nepal. The paper begins with a literature review to give a general overview of the historical and current situation of forest governance in Nepal. It explores the historical impacts of unsustainable logging in Nepal and the World Bank Report, which both investigated and explored avenues for improving the forest situation, including community forestry. The paper outlines the development of community forestry, the legislative, regulatory, and governance frameworks underpinning this unique system of community-driven forest management, and its relationship to sustainable forest management (SFM). SFM in turn has engendered a market for sustainably derived timber and labeling systems for ‘good’ wood. The paper continues by providing an analysis of stakeholder attitudes regarding the current forest governance situation in Nepal. Furthermore, it provides another small case study on how such standards might be applied in the local community context of protecting Nepal’s Red Panda while simultaneously delivering sustainable forest management and community development. It concludes with a discussion on the need for governance standards for forest management and community forestry in Nepal.
Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics of Minor Species in the Bulk: Questions to Raise with Respect to the Untargeted Analysis of Viral Proteins in Human Tissue
Authors: Aziz Shahid , Rasheed Faisal , Zahra Rabaab , König Simone
Published: February 2023

(1) Background: Untargeted mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analysis is highly amenable to automation. Software algorithms translate raw spectral data into protein information obtained by a comparison to sequence databases. However, the technology has limitations, especially for analytes measured at the limit of detection. In a protein expression study of human gastric biopsies, the question arose whether or not it is possible, as well as sensible, to search for viral proteins in addition to those from the human host. (2) Methods: Experimental data-independent MS data were analyzed using protein sequences for oncoviruses, and BLAST analyses were performed to elucidate the level of sequence homology to host proteins. (3) Results: About one hundred viral proteins were assigned, but there was also up to 43% sequence homology to human proteins. (4) Conclusions: There are at least two reasons why the matches to viral proteins should be used with care. First, it is not plausible that large amounts of viral proteins should be present in human gastric biopsies, so the spectral quality of the peptides derived from viral proteins is likely low. As a consequence, the number of false assignments is high. Second, homologous peptides found both in human and virus proteomes contribute to matching errors. Thus, though shotgun proteomics raw data can technically be analyzed using any database, meaningful results cannot be always expected and a sanity check must be performed. Both instrumentation and bioinformatic processing in MS-based proteomics are continuously improving at lowering the limit of detection even further. Nevertheless, data output should always be controlled in order to avoid the over-interpretation of results.
Right Ventricular Morphology and Function after Exercise Training in People with Systemic Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study
Authors: Anifanti Maria , Teloudi Andriana , Mitropoulos Alexandros , Syrakou Niki , Pagkopoulou Eleni , Triantafyllidou Eva , Boström Carina , Diederichsen Louise Pyndt , Cuomo Giovanna , Dimitroulas Theodoros , Klonizakis Markos , Kouidi Evangelia
Published: February 2023

Background: Vascular dysfunction and its concomitant multi-organ involvement, including cardiac involvement, affects prognosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. Regular exercise has demonstrated to be able to improve vascular function in SSc. However, the effects of an exercise program on the heart and specifically in right ventricular (RV) morphology and function in SSc have yet to be explored. The study aimed to examine whether a 3-month combined exercise program can affect RV morphology and function in SSc patients. Methods: Twenty-eight SSc patients were randomly allocated to either the exercise training (ET) or the control (CON) group. Baseline and follow-up assessments consisted of a cardiopulmonary exercise test along with both a conventional and a two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) focused on RV morphology and function. Following the baseline assessments, Group ET participated in a supervised combined exercise program for 12 weeks, while group CON received their usual care. Results: The ET group demonstrated increases in peak oxygen consumption by 25.1% (p < 0.001), global RV free wall longitudinal systolic strain by 6.69% (p < 0.03), RV free wall longitudinal systolic strain of the basal segment by 13.5% (p < 0.001), and global RV four-chamber longitudinal systolic strain by 6.76% (p < 0.03) following the exercise program. No differences were observed in group CON. Conclusions: Combined exercise improved cardiorespiratory efficiency and indices of RV systolic function, as assessed by the 2DSTE, in SSc patients.
Filamentous Fungi Infections: Yet Another Victim of COVID-19?
Authors: Cighir Anca , Mare Anca Delia , Cighir Teodora , Coșeriu Răzvan Lucian , Vintilă Camelia , Man Adrian
Published: February 2023

Filamentous fungi have always been a matter of concern in the medical field, but nowadays, due to an increase in the risk factors and the added infections with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, they are slowly but surely emerging as a dangerous health threat worldwide. Our study aims to estimate the incidence of mold infections in central Romania, as well as assess the impact the pandemic had on them while evaluating other parameters such as age, associated bacterial and fungal infections and comorbidities. Purulent discharge and respiratory secretion specimens were collected and analyzed over a period of 10 years. A total of 68 samples tested positive for molds, with an increased number of positive samples during the pandemic. The highest number of specimens came from the outpatient department, followed by medical wards, with the most common filamentous fungus being Aspergillus section Flavi. Associated diseases included affections of the respiratory system, followed by the cardiovascular system and people who suffered from a viral infection with SARS-CoV-2, and they were mostly present in seniors. The most common associated infections were with Staphylococcus aureus and Candida nonalbicans. A statistically significant correlation was found between the association of mold infection and SARS-CoV-2 and an increase in mortality.
Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Rutin: Evaluation of Kinetic Parameters and Anti-Proliferative, Mutagenic and Anti-Mutagenic Effects
Authors: Sobreiro Mariana Alves , Della Torre Adriana , de Araújo Maria Elisa Melo Branco , Canella Paula Renata Bueno Campos , de Carvalho João Ernesto , Carvalho Patrícia de Oliveira , Ruiz Ana Lucia Tasca Gois
Published: February 2023

The bioavailability of glucoside flavonoids is influenced by the nature of the sugar, glucosides being absorbed faster than rhamnoglucosides, for example. One strategy to enhance the bioavailability is enzymatic hydrolysis. In this study, some kinetic parameters of hesperidinase-mediated hydrolysis of rutin were evaluated using an UHPLC/QTOF-MSE analysis of the products of a bioconversion reaction. The resulting hydrolyzed rutins (after 4, 8 and 12 h of reaction) were submitted to anti-proliferative and Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus (CBMN) assays in CHO-K1 cells. In the hesperidinase-mediated hydrolysis, the final concentration of quercetin-3-O-glucoside (Q3G) was directly proportional to the rutin concentration and inversely proportional to the reaction time. At an anti-proliferative concentration (2.5 μg/mL), hydrolyzed rutin derivatives did not show a mutagenic effect, except for the sample with a higher content of Q3G (after 4 h of the enzymatic hydrolysis of rutin). Moreover, the higher Q3G content in hydrolyzed rutin protected the CHO-K1 cells 92% of the time against methyl methanesulfonate-induced mutagenic damage. These results suggested that the anti-mutagenic effect of hydrolyzed rutin might be related to antioxidant and cell death induction. Presenting a good lipophilicity/hydrophilicity ratio, together with antioxidant and anti-mutagenic activities, the hesperidinase-mediated hydrolyzed rutin seemed to be a promisor raw material for the development of food supplements.
Impact of Comorbidity of Bronchial Asthma and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on the Expression and Functional Activity of TLR2 and TLR4 Receptors
Authors: Radzyukevich Yaroslav V. , Kosyakova Ninel I. , Prokhorenko Isabella R.
Published: February 2023

Epidemiological data indicate the active progression of various forms of diabetes mellitus in patients with bronchial asthma (BA), but little is known about the mechanisms of comorbidity formation. TLR2 and TLR4 are involved in the progression of asthma and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). These receptors are involved in the inflammatory response to Gram(+) and Gram(−) bacteria, respectively, so changes in their expression may affect the predisposition of patients to bacteremia. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression and functional activity of toll-like receptor 2 and 4 (TLR2 and TLR4) on peripheral blood cells of patients with BA, T2DM, and BA + T2DM. The expression of TLR2 and TLR4 was analyzed by flow cytometry. Whole blood samples were incubated with lipopolysaccharides from E. coli (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid from S. pyogenes (LTA). The concentration of cytokines and soluble blood proteins was determined by ELISA. Patients with comorbid diseases showed a statistically significant increase in TLR2 expression on both monocytes and neutrophils compared with healthy donors and patients with BA. We found increased expression of TLR4 on the surface of blood monocytes from patients compared to donors. The activation of blood cells of patients and donors with LPS or LTA led to an increase in the expression of “fast” pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6). In patients with BA, the average production of TNF-α in response to endotoxin was two times higher than in other studied groups. The reactions of blood cells in patients with T2DM and BA + T2DM did not differ significantly. The expression and functional activity of TLR2 and TLR4 on the blood cells of patients with comorbid disease were similar to those only in patients with T2DM. The greatest increase in the synthesis of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α in response to LPS and LTA was observed in patients with BA, which can lead to an inadequate response to bacteremia.
Revisiting the Role of the CXCL13/CXCR5-Associated Immune Axis in Melanoma: Potential Implications for Anti-PD-1-Related Biomarker Research
Authors: Hoellwerth Magdalena , Koelblinger Peter , Lang Roland , Harrer Andrea
Published: February 2023

CXCL13 is a potent chemoattractant cytokine that promotes the migration of cells expressing its cognate receptor, CXCR5. Accordingly, T follicular helper cells and B cells migrate towards B cell follicles in lymph nodes, where the resulting spatial proximity promotes B cell/T cell interaction and antibody formation. Moreover, effector cells of the CXCL13/CXCR5-associated immune axis express PD-1, with corresponding circulating cells occurring in the blood. The formation of so-called ectopic or tertiary lymphoid structures, recently detected in different cancer types, represents an integral part of this axis, particularly in the context of its emerging role in anti-tumor defense. These aspects of the CXCL13/CXCR5-associated immune axis are highlighted in this review, which focuses on cutaneous malignant melanoma. Specifically, we elaborate on the role of this important immune axis as a possible ancillary target of immune checkpoint inhibition with anti-PD-1 antibodies in different therapeutic settings and as a potential source of predictive biomarkers regarding treatment efficacy.
Pharmacological Activities of Mogrol: Potential Phytochemical against Different Diseases
Authors: Jaiswal Varun , Lee Hae-Jeung
Published: February 2023

Recently, mogrol has emerged as an important therapeutic candidate with multiple potential pharmacological properties, including neuroprotective, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, antidiabetes, and exerting a protective effect on different organs such as the lungs, bone, brain, and colon. Pharmacokinetic studies also highlighted the potential of mogrol as a therapeutic. Studies were also conducted to design and synthesize the analogs of mogrol to achieve better activities against different diseases. The literature also highlighted the possible molecular mechanism behind pharmacological activities, which suggested the role of several important targets, including AMPK, TNF-α, and NF-κB. These important mogrol targets were verified in different studies, indicating the possible role of mogrol in other associated diseases. Still, the compilation of pharmacological properties, possible molecular mechanisms, and important targets of the mogrol is missing in the literature. The current study not only provides the compilation of information regarding pharmacological activities but also highlights the current gaps and suggests the precise direction for the development of mogrol as a therapeutic against different diseases.
Development of In Situ Product Recovery (ISPR) System Using Amberlite IRA67 for Enhanced Biosynthesis of Hyaluronic Acid by Streptococcus zooepidemicus
Authors: Abdullah Thaidi Nur Imanina , Mohamad Rosfarizan , Wasoh Helmi , Kapri Mohammad Rizal , Ghazali Ahmad Badruddin , Tan Joo Shun , Rios-Solis Leonardo , Halim Murni
Published: February 2023

High broth viscosity due to the accumulation of hyaluronic acid (HA) causes a limited yield of HA. It is a major problem of HA production using Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Extractive fermentation via in situ product recovery (ISPR) was utilized to enhance the HA production. Resins from Amberlite: IRA400 Cl; IRA900 Cl; IRA410 Cl; IRA402 Cl; and IRA67 were tested for the HA adsorption. IRA67 showed high adsorption capacity on HA. The study of the adsorption via a 2 L stirred tank bioreactor of S. zooepidemicus fermentation was investigated to elucidate the adsorption of HA onto IRA67 in dispersed and integrated internal column systems. The application of a dispersed IRA67 improved the HA production compared to the fermentation without resin addition by 1.37-fold. The HA production was further improved by 1.36-fold with an internal column (3.928 g/L) over that obtained with dispersed IRA67. The cultivation with an internal column shows the highest reduction of viscosity value after the addition of IRA67 resin: from 58.8 to 23.7 (mPa·s), suggesting the most effective ISPR of HA. The improved biosynthesis of HA indicated that an extractive fermentation by ISPR adsorption is effective and may streamline the HA purification.
(2R,6′R,E)-3′-(1-Aminoethylidene)-7-chloro-4,6-dimethoxy-6′-methyl-3H-spiro[benzofuran-2,1′-cyclohexane]-2′,3,4′-trione
Authors: Lichitsky Boris V. , Komogortsev Andrey N. , Melekhina Valeriya G.
Published: February 2023

A novel synthesis approach for griseofulvin derivatives was developed. The presented method is based on a two-stage process that includes preliminary acetylation of griseofulvic acid followed by condensation with ammonium acetate. The advantages of this protocol include readily available starting materials and a simple target product isolation procedure. The structure of the synthesized polycyclic compound was approved by 1H, 13C-NMR spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (ESI-HRMS), and X-ray diffraction.
A Survey on Evaluation Metrics for Machine Translation
Authors: Lee Seungjun , Lee Jungseob , Moon Hyeonseok , Park Chanjun , Seo Jaehyung , Eo Sugyeong , Koo Seonmin , Lim Heuiseok
Published: February 2023

The success of Transformer architecture has seen increased interest in machine translation (MT). The translation quality of neural network-based MT transcends that of translations derived using statistical methods. This growth in MT research has entailed the development of accurate automatic evaluation metrics that allow us to track the performance of MT. However, automatically evaluating and comparing MT systems is a challenging task. Several studies have shown that traditional metrics (e.g., BLEU, TER) show poor performance in capturing semantic similarity between MT outputs and human reference translations. To date, to improve performance, various evaluation metrics have been proposed using the Transformer architecture. However, a systematic and comprehensive literature review on these metrics is still missing. Therefore, it is necessary to survey the existing automatic evaluation metrics of MT to enable both established and new researchers to quickly understand the trend of MT evaluation over the past few years. In this survey, we present the trend of automatic evaluation metrics. To better understand the developments in the field, we provide the taxonomy of the automatic evaluation metrics. Then, we explain the key contributions and shortcomings of the metrics. In addition, we select the representative metrics from the taxonomy, and conduct experiments to analyze related problems. Finally, we discuss the limitation of the current automatic metric studies through the experimentation and our suggestions for further research to improve the automatic evaluation metrics.
A Multi-Dimensional Covert Transaction Recognition Scheme for Blockchain
Authors: Zhang Zijian , Wang Shuqi , Li Zhen , Gao Feng , Wang Huaqiang
Published: February 2023

Covert communication was widely studied in recent years in terms of keeping the communication of entities on the Internet secret from the point of view of information security. Due to the anonymity of accounts and the publicness of the ledger, blockchain is a natural and ideal channel for helping users establish covert communication channels. Senders can embed secret messages into certain fields in transactions, and receivers can extract those messages from the transactions without attracting the attention of other users. However, to the best of our knowledge, most existing works have aimed at designing blockchain-based covert communication schemes. Few studies concentrated on the recognition of transactions used for covert communication. In this paper, we first analyze convolutional neural network (CNN)-based and attention-based covert transaction recognition schemes, and we explore the deep relationship between the appropriate extraction of features and the embedded fields of covert transactions. We further propose a multi-dimensional covert transaction recognition (M-CTR) scheme. It can simultaneously support both one-dimensional and two-dimensional feature extraction to recognize covert transactions. The experimental results show that the precision and recall of the M-CTR in recognizing covert transactions outperformed those of existing covert communication schemes.
DDSG-GAN: Generative Adversarial Network with Dual Discriminators and Single Generator for Black-Box Attacks
Authors: Wang Fangwei , Ma Zerou , Zhang Xiaohan , Li Qingru , Wang Changguang
Published: February 2023

As one of the top ten security threats faced by artificial intelligence, the adversarial attack has caused scholars to think deeply from theory to practice. However, in the black-box attack scenario, how to raise the visual quality of an adversarial example (AE) and perform a more efficient query should be further explored. This study aims to use the architecture of GAN combined with the model-stealing attack to train surrogate models and generate high-quality AE. This study proposes an image AE generation method based on the generative adversarial networks with dual discriminators and a single generator (DDSG-GAN) and designs the corresponding loss function for each model. The generator can generate adversarial perturbation, and two discriminators constrain the perturbation, respectively, to ensure the visual quality and attack effect of the generated AE. We extensively experiment on MNIST, CIFAR10, and Tiny-ImageNet datasets. The experimental results illustrate that our method can effectively use query feedback to generate an AE, which significantly reduces the number of queries on the target model and can implement effective attacks.
The Effect of the Water Drinking Test on Ocular Parameters and Choroidal Thickness in Glaucoma Suspects
Authors: Kandarakis Stylianos A , Katsimpris Andreas , Kourti Persefoni , Psinakis Filippos , Karmiris Efthymios , Papakonstantinou Evangelia , Andreanos Konstantinos , Petrou Petros , Georgalas Ilias
Published: February 2023

Background and objectives: We aimed to evaluate the effects of the water drinking test (WDT) on several systemic and ocular parameters, including choroidal thickness, which was assessed through optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), in glaucoma suspects. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 eyes from 20 glaucoma suspects without any systemic or ocular diseases were included in this prospective observational study. All the participants undertook the WDT, which required the drinking of 1 L of table water in 5 min. The outcome measures included IOP, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), mean ocular perfusion pressure (MOPP), ocular pulse amplitude (OPA), and subfoveal and peripapillary choroidal thickness, which were assessed at baseline and at four 15 min intervals after the WDT. Generalized least squares models and mixed model analyses that take into account repeated measurements were used to assess the changes over time of these parameters. Results: All the ocular and systemic parameters showed statistically significant changes at all time points compared to baseline apart from choroidal thickness. The peak changes were an IOP of 20.1 mmHg versus 17.3 mmHg at 45 min, an SBP of 137.6 mmHg versus 125 mmHg at 30 min, a DBP of 95.9 mmHg versus 85.7 mmHg at 15 min, and an MOP of 53.51 mmHg versus 48.89 mmHg at 15 min. Conclusions: Despite elevations in IOP and significant changes in all the assessed systemic parameters, the WDT was not associated with changes in choroidal thickness in glaucoma suspects.
Comparison of Kinetic Models Applied for Transport Description in Polymer Inclusion Membranes
Authors: Szczepański Piotr
Published: February 2023

Five mathematical models for transport description in polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) were presented and compared via regression analysis. The applicability of the models was estimated through the examination of experimental data of Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Cu(II) ions transported by typical carriers. In four kinetic models, a change in the feed and stripping solution volume was taken into account. The goodness of fit was compared using the standard error of the regression, Akaike information criterion (AIC), Bayesian (Schwarz) information criterion (BIC), and Hannan–Quinn information criterion (HQC). The randomness distribution in the data was confirmed via a nonparametric runs test. Based on these quantities, appropriate models were selected.
Tribological, Corrosion, and Microstructural Features of Laser-Shock-Peened Steels
Authors: John Merbin , Ralls Alessandro M. , Kuruveri Udaya Bhat , Menezes Pradeep L.
Published: February 2023

The degradation due to high friction, wear, and corrosion of mechanical components for industrial applications has invoked substantial economic loss. In recent years, scientists and engineers have developed techniques to mitigate the issues associated with this deterioration potentially. Among these developed techniques, controlling the coefficient of friction (COF), wear rate, and corrosion using laser shock peening (LSP) is a preeminent and popular innovation. This paper aims to summarize the existing literature on the LSP of steels, discuss the current state-of-the-art LSP, and demonstrate the mechanisms that dictate the enhanced tribological and corrosion properties. More specifically, the influence of LSP on COF, wear rate, corrosion potential, surface hardening, and surface morphological changes on various materials used for aerospace, automotive, biomedical, nuclear, and chemical applications is explained. In addition, grain refinement and the gradient microstructure formation during LSP are discussed. Additionally, recent advances and applications of LSP are elucidated.
Erosion–Corrosion Behavior of 90/10 and 70/30 Copper–Nickel Tubes in 1 wt% NaCl Solution
Authors: Wu Lei , Ma Aili , Zhang Lianmin , Li Guangming , Hu Lingyue , Wang Zhengbin , Zheng Yugui
Published: February 2023

The erosion–corrosion behavior of 90/10 and 70/30 copper–nickel tubes was investigated by in situ electrochemical tests on a self-built loop apparatus and ex situ surface characterization. The corrosion product film that formed at 1.5 m/s for the 90/10 tube and at 0.5 m/s for the 70/30 tube showed the best corrosion resistance. For the 90/10 tube, a continuous film existed below 3 m/s and mainly inhibited a cathodic reaction. For the 70/30 tube, a continuous film existed in the range of 0.5–4.7 m/s and was more similar to typical passive film electrochemically, although it was cracked at 4–4.7 m/s. So, the “critical flow velocity” of the 90/10 tube was between 3 m/s and 4 m/s, and that of the 70/30 tube was beyond 4.7 m/s.
Improving Intermediate Temperature Plasticity of Co–Al–W–Base Superalloy: Based on Optimizing MC Carbides
Authors: Wang Hongwei , Wang Lei , Liu Yang , Song Xiu
Published: February 2023

The brittleness of the new Co–Al–W–base superalloys is said to be a fatal weakness for their application in the intermediate temperature range, especially for polycrystal Co–Al–W–base superalloys. MC carbide controlling is used to improve the intermediate temperature plasticity of the Co–Al–W–base superalloy in the present study. Both microstructure characterization and interrupted tensile tests were performed to investigate the mechanism of improving the plasticity of the superalloy by MC carbides at an intermediate temperature of 800 °C. The results show that the plasticity of the superalloy is mainly dependent on MC carbides. MC carbide breakers appear after yielding, which closely depends on the morphology and size of MC carbides. Based on the experimental and calculation results, it is found that the intermediate temperature plasticity of the superalloy can be guaranteed by controlling the critical mean size of MC carbides, and the desired mean size of MC carbides should be less than 47 μm.
Effects of Carbon Content on the Properties of Novel Nitrogen-Free Austenitic Stainless Steel with High Hardness Prepared via Metal Injection Molding
Authors: Luo Xin , Lou Jia , He Hao , Wu Chu , Huang Yuhang , Su Na , Li Shibo
Published: February 2023

A novel nitrogen-free austenitic stainless steel with a hardness of >200 HV was developed using metal injection molding (MIM), and the effects of graphite addition on the sintering behavior, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of heat-treated samples were investigated. The results show that a certain amount of graphite addition increases the relative density to >98%. In samples with the addition of 0–500 ppm graphite, large grain-boundary precipitates reduced corrosion resistance and ductility. In contrast, when graphite addition was increased to 750–1500 ppm, fine precipitates, which exhibited coherent lattice relationships with the matrix, were uniformly distributed within the grain and grain boundaries; this significantly improved the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. The tensile strength and elongation intervals were 546.94–608.62 MPa and 29.68–24.63%, respectively. To prevent overburning, samples with a graphite content higher than 3000 ppm were sintered at a lower temperature, resulting in a higher porosity and lower performance.
Influence of Ladle Exchange on Inclusions in Transition Slabs of Continuous Casting for Automotive Exposed Panel Steel
Authors: Ren Miaomiao , Zhi Jianjun , Fan Zhengjie , Wang Ruizhi , Chen Yanli , Yang Jian
Published: February 2023

In the present work, inclusion analyses were carried out for inclusions in the tundish samples and in the 28 m transition slabs produced during the ladle exchange of heats A and B. At the beginning of heat B steel casting, the 12th meter of the casting slabs was in the position of the mold meniscus. The number of densities of the inclusions containing TiN and the inclusions containing Al2O3+TiN increased significantly from the 12th meter to the 22nd meter, while the number densities of the inclusions containing Al2O3 markedly increased from the 13th meter to the 20th meter. Therefore, the length of the transition slabs whose cleanliness was seriously reduced was about 10 m starting from the beginning of heat B steel casting. It was deduced that the contamination of the transition slabs could be caused by the liquid steel exposure in the tundish, the inflow of ladle filling sand of the next heat, or the entrainment of the tundish flux due to the fluctuation of the tundish liquid level at the beginning of heat B steel casting.
The Influence of Small Additions of Alloying Elements on the Hot Ductility of AHSS Steels: A Critical Review Part 2
Authors: Mintz Barrie , Qaban Abdullah , Kang Shin Eon
Published: February 2023

In this paper, the influence of small additions of Cr, Mo, Cu, Ni, B, Ca, Zr, and Ce on the hot ductility of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) has been reviewed. Most of these small additions have a positive effect in improving hot ductility on straightening during continuous casting operations and should be considered when problems with cracking in continuous casting are encountered. In many of these cases, the reason for these generally small but important improvements in hot ductility is not known with certainty, but the segregation of these elements to the austenite grain boundaries, strengthening the bonding, is often suggested.
A Tribological Investigation of the Titanium Oxide and Calcium Phosphate Coating Electrochemical Deposited on Titanium
Authors: Santos Adriana , Teixeira Jean , Fonzar Carlos , Rangel Elidiane , Cruz Nilson , Lisboa-Filho Paulo Noronha
Published: February 2023

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys are widely used in biomedical applications due to their excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, they are a concern due to the possibility of cytotoxic effects coming from the degradation products. This degradation occurs by the combined action of corrosion and mechanical wear of these materials, which are released in the biological environment by the biomaterial implanted. The present article aims to investigate a new route to improve electrochemical and tribological performance with surface modification. Regarding the deposition of a protective layer on the surface, it consists of titanium oxide (TiO2) and calcium phosphate (CaP). Both coatings were performed by chronoamperometric methods with titanium oxidation at 1 V and calcium phosphate reduction at −1.5 V. The corrosion and tribocorrosion tests demonstrated the effective combination of TiO2 and CaP layer to protect the Ti substrate. Furthermore, this coating combination reduced corrosion degradation and mechanical wear in PBS, simulating a physiological environment. Additionally, it was observed that this combination of coating decreased the dissipated energy, and consequently, the wear decreased during sliding tests. All these findings indicate the protective behavior of the TiO2 and CaP layer during the tribocorrosion tests.
Breynia cernua: Chemical Profiling of Volatile Compounds in the Stem Extract and Its Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antiplasmodial and Anticancer Activity In Vitro and In Silico
Authors: Wiraswati Hesti Lina , Fauziah Nisa , Pradini Gita Widya , Kurnia Dikdik , Kodir Reza Abdul , Berbudi Afiat , Arimdayu Annisa Retno , Laelalugina Amila , Supandi  , Ma'ruf Ilma Fauziah
Published: February 2023

Breynia cernua has been used as an alternative medicine for wounds, smallpox, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. This plant is a potential source of new plant-derived drugs to cure numerous diseases for its multiple therapeutic functions. An in vitro study revealed that the methanol extract of B. cernua (stem) exhibits antioxidant activity according to DPPH and SOD methods, with IC50 values of 33 and 8.13 ppm, respectively. The extract also exerts antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with minimum bactericidal concentration of 1875 ppm. Further analysis revealed that the extract with a concentration of 1–2 ppm protects erythrocytes from the ring formation stage of Plasmodium falciparum, while the extract with a concentration of 1600 ppm induced apoptosis in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. GC–MS analysis showed 45 bioactive compounds consisting of cyclic, alkyl halide, organosulfur, and organoarsenic compounds. Virtual screening via a blind docking approach was conducted to analyze the binding affinity of each metabolite against various target proteins. The results unveiled that two compounds, namely, N-[β-hydroxy-β-[4-[1-adamantyl-6,8-dichloro]quinolyl]ethyl]piperidine and 1,3-phenylene, bis(3-phenylpropenoate), demonstrated the best binding score toward four tested proteins with a binding affinity varying from −8.3 to −10.8 kcal/mol. Site-specific docking analysis showed that the two compounds showed similar binding energy with native ligands. This finding indicated that the two phenolic compounds could be novel antioxidant, antibacterial, antiplasmodial, and anticancer drugs. A thorough analysis by monitoring drug likeness and pharmacokinetics revealed that almost all the identified compounds can be considered as drugs, and they have good solubility, oral bioavailability, and synthetic accessibility. Altogether, the in vitro and in silico analysis suggested that the extract of B. cernua (stem) contains various compounds that might be correlated with its bioactivities.
Chemical Characterization and Leishmanicidal Activity In Vitro and In Silico of Natural Products Obtained from Leaves of Vernonanthura brasiliana (L.) H. Rob (Asteraceae)
Authors: Fróes Yuri Nascimento , Araújo João Guilherme Nantes , Gonçalves Joyce Resende dos Santos , Oliveira Milena de Jesus Marinho Garcia de , Everton Gustavo Oliveira , Filho Victor Elias Mouchrek , Silva Maria Raimunda Chagas , Silva Luís Douglas Miranda , Silva Lucilene Amorim , Neto Lídio Gonçalves Lima , Oliveira Renata Mondêgo de , Torres Mylena Andréa Oliveira , Silva Luís Cláudio Nascimento da , Lopes Alberto Jorge Oliveira , Aliança Amanda Silva dos Santos , Rocha Cláudia Quintino da , Sousa Joicy Cortez de Sá
Published: February 2023

Vernonanthura brasiliana (L.) H. Rob is a medicinal plant used for the treatment of several infections. This study aimed to evaluate the antileishmanial activity of V. brasiliana leaves using in vitro and in silico approaches. The chemical composition of V. brasiliana leaf extract was determined through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The inhibitory activity against Leishmania amazonensis promastigote was evaluated by the MTT method. In silico analysis was performed using Lanosterol 14alpha-demethylase (CYP51) as the target. The toxicity analysis was performed in RAW 264.7 cells and Tenebrio molitor larvae. LC-MS revealed the presence of 14 compounds in V. brasiliana crude extract, including flavonoids, flavones, sesquiterpene lactones, and quinic acids. Eriodictol (ΔGbind = −9.0), luteolin (ΔGbind = −8.7), and apigenin (ΔGbind = −8.6) obtained greater strength of molecular interaction with lanosterol demethylase in the molecular docking study. The hexane fraction of V. brasiliana showed the best leishmanicidal activity against L. amazonensis in vitro (IC50 12.44 ± 0.875 µg·mL−1) and low cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells (CC50 314.89 µg·mL−1, SI = 25.30) and T. molitor larvae. However, the hexane fraction and Amphotericin-B had antagonistic interaction (FICI index ≥ 4.0). This study revealed that V. brasiliana and its metabolites are potential sources of lead compounds for drugs for leishmaniasis treatment.
Disequilibrium in the Thioredoxin Reductase-1/Thioredoxin-1 Redox Couple Is Associated with Increased T-Cell Apoptosis in Children with Autism
Authors: Alshehri Samiyah , Nadeem Ahmed , Ahmad Sheikh F. , Alqarni Sana S. , Al-Harbi Naif O. , Al-Ayadhi Laila Y. , Attia Sabry M. , Alqarni Saleh A. , Bakheet Saleh A.
Published: February 2023

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuropsychiatric childhood disorder that affects social skill and language development, and is characterized by persistent stereotypic behaviors, restricted social interests, and impaired language/social skills. ASD subjects have dysregulated immune responses due to impairment in inflammatory and antioxidant signaling in immune cells, such as T cells. Thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1) and thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) play a crucial role in the maintenance of redox equilibrium in several immune cells, including T cells. T-cell apoptosis plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases. However, it remains to be explored how the TrxR1/Trx1 redox couple affects T-cells apoptosis in ASD and typically developing control (TDC) groups. Therefore, this single-center cross-sectional study explored the expression/activity of TrxR1/Trx1, and Bcl2, 7-AAD/annexin V immunostaining in T cells of ASD (n = 25) and TDC (n = 22) groups. Further, effects of the LPS were determined on apoptosis in TDC and ASD T cells. Our data show that T cells have increased TrxR1 expression, while having decreased Trx1 expression in the ASD group. Further, TrxR enzymatic activity was also elevated in T cells of the ASD group. Furthermore, T cells of the ASD group had a decreased Bcl2 expression and an increased % of annexin V immunostaining. Treatment of T cells with LPS caused greater apoptosis in the ASD group than the TDC group, with same treatment. These data reveal that the redox couple TrxR1/Trx1 is dysregulated in T cells of ASD subjects, which is associated with decreased Bcl2 expression and increased apoptosis. This may lead to decreased survival of T cells in ASD subjects during chronic inflammation. Future studies should investigate environmental factors, such as gut dysbiosis and pollutants, that may cause abnormal immune responses in the T cells of ASD subjects due to chronic inflammation.