bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Elevated Carbon Dioxide Exposure on Nutrition-Health Properties of Micro-Tom Tomatoes
Authors: Boufeldja Linda , Brandt Dennis , Guzman Caroline , Vitou Manon , Boudard Frederic , Morel Sylvie , Servent Adrien , Dhuique-Mayer Claudie , Ollier Léa , Duchamp Orianne , Portet Karine , Dubos Christian , Poucheret Patrick
Published: June 2022

(1) Background: The anthropogenically induced rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and associated climate change are considered a potential threat to human nutrition. Indeed, an elevated CO2 concentration was associated with significant alterations in macronutrient and micronutrient content in various dietary crops. (2) Method: In order to explore the impact of elevated CO2 on the nutritional-health properties of tomato, we used the dwarf tomato variety Micro-Tom plant model. Micro-Toms were grown in culture chambers under 400 ppm (ambient) or 900 ppm (elevated) carbon dioxide. Macronutrients, carotenoids, and mineral contents were analyzed. Biological anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities were assessed in vitro on activated macrophages. (3) Results: Micro-Tom exposure to 900 ppm carbon dioxide was associated with an increased carbohydrate content whereas protein, minerals, and total carotenoids content were decreased. These modifications of composition were associated with an altered bioactivity profile. Indeed, antioxidant anti-inflammatory potential were altered by 900 ppm CO2 exposure. (4) Conclusions: Taken together, our results suggest that (i) the Micro-Tom is a laboratory model of interest to study elevated CO2 effects on crops and (ii) exposure to 900 ppm CO2 led to the decrease of nutritional potential and an increase of health beneficial properties of tomatoes for human health.
High-Throughput Color Imaging Hg2+ Sensing via Amalgamation-Mediated Shape Transition of Concave Cube Au Nanoparticles
Authors: Zhu He , Xu Weizhen , Shan Min , Yang Tao , Lin Qinlu , Yu Kexue , Xing Yanxia , Yu Yang
Published: June 2022

Mercury, as one type of toxic heavy metal, represents a great threat to environmental and biological metabolic systems. Thus, reliable and sensitive quantitative detection of mercury levels is particularly meaningful for environmental protection and human health. We proposed a high-throughput single-particle color imaging strategy under dark-field microscopy (DFM) for mercury ions (Hg2+) detection by using individual concave cube Au nanoparticles as optical probes. In the presence of ascorbic acid (AA), Hg2+ was reduced to Hg which forms Au–Hg amalgamate with Au nanoparticles, altering their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images demonstrated that the concave cube Au nanoparticles were approaching to sphere upon increasing the concentration of Hg2+. The nanoparticles underwent an obvious color change from red to yellow, green, and finally blue under DFM due to the shape-evolution and LSPR changes. In addition, we demonstrated for the first time that the LSPR of Au–Hg amalgamated below 400 nm. Inspired by the above-mentioned results, single-particle color variations were digitalized by converting the color image into RGB channels to obtain (green+blue)/red intensity ratios [(G+B)/R]. The concentration-dependence change was quantified by statistically analyzing the (G+B)/R ratios of a large number of particles. A linear range from 10 to 2000 nM (R2 = 0.972) and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.857 nM were acquired. Furthermore, many other metal ions, like Cu2+, Cr3+, etc., did not interfere with Hg2+ detection. More importantly, Hg2+ content in industrial wastewater samples and in the inner regions of human HepG2 cells was determined, showing great potential for developing a single-particle color imaging sensor in complex biological samples using concave cube Au nanoparticles as optical probes.
Biosynthesis of Platinum Nanoparticles with Cordyceps Flower Extract: Characterization, Antioxidant Activity and Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Liu Ling , Jing Yun , Guo Ailing , Li Xiaojing , Li Qun , Liu Wukang , Zhang Xinshuai
Published: June 2022

The aim of this work is to develop a green route for platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) biosynthesized using Cordyceps flower extract and to evaluate their antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity. Different characterization techniques were utilized to characterize the biosynthetic PtNPs. The results showed that PtNPs were spherical particles covered with Cordyceps flower extract. The average particle size of PtNPs in Dynamic Light Scattering was 84.67 ± 5.28 nm, while that of PtNPs in Transmission Electron Microscope was 13.34 ± 4.06 nm. Antioxidant activity of PtNPs was evaluated by DPPH free radical scavenging ability test. The results showed that the antioxidant activity was positively correlated with the concentration of PtNPs, the DPPH scavenging efficiency of PtNPs (0.50–125.00 μg/mL) was 27.77–44.00%. In addition, the morphological changes of four kinds of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) exposed to PtNPs were observed by scanning electron microscope. The results showed that the antibacterial activity of PtNPs against Gram-negative bacteria was stronger than that of Gram-positive bacteria.
Effect of Silica Nanoparticles in Xanthan Gum Solutions: Evolution of Viscosity over Time
Authors: Buitrago-Rincon Dayan , Sadtler Véronique , Mercado Ronald , Roques-Carmes Thibault , Benyahia Lazhar , Durand Alain , Ferji Khalid , Marchal Philippe , Pedraza-Avella Julio , Lemaitre Cécile
Published: June 2022

The effect of silica nanoparticles (NP-SiO2) in xanthan gum (XG) solutions was investigated through the analysis of viscosity profiles. First, hydrocolloid XG solutions and hydrophilic NP-SiO2 suspensions were characterized individually through rheological measurements, with and without salt (NaCl). Then, nanofluids composed of XG and NP-SiO2 dispersed in water and brine were studied through two different aging tests. The addition of nanoparticles was shown to produce a slight effect on the viscosity of the fresh fluids (initial time), while a more remarkable effect was observed over time. In particular, it appears that the presence of NP-SiO2 stabilizes the polymer solution by maintaining its viscosity level in time, due to a delay in the movement of the molecule. Finally, characterization techniques such as confocal microscopy, capillary rheometry, and Zeta potential were implemented to analyze the XG/NP-SiO2 interaction. Intrinsic viscosity and relative viscosity were calculated to understand the molecular interactions. The presence of NP-SiO2 increases the hydrodynamic radius of the polymer, indicating attractive forces between these two components. Furthermore, dispersion of the nanoparticles in the polymeric solutions leads to aggregates of an average size smaller than 300 nm with a good colloidal stability due to the electrostatic attraction between XG and NP-SIO2. This study proves the existence of interactions between XG and NP-SiO2 in solution.
Power Spectrum and Connectivity Analysis in EEG Recording during Attention and Creativity Performance in Children
Authors: Mateos Diego M. , Krumm Gabriela , Arán Filippetti Vanessa , Gutierrez Marisel
Published: June 2022

The present research aims at examining the power spectrum and exploring functional brain connectivity/disconnectivity during concentration performance, as measured by the d2 test of attention and creativity as measured by the CREA test in typically developing children. To this end, we examined brain connectivity by using phase synchrony (i.e., phase locking index (PLI) over the EEG signals acquired by the Emotiv EPOC neuroheadset in 15 children aged 9- to 12-years. Besides, as a complement, a power spectrum analysis of the acquired signals was performed. Our results indicated that, during d2 Test performance there was an increase in global gamma phase synchronization and there was a global alpha and theta band desynchronization. Conversely, during CREA task, power spectrum analysis showed a significant increase in the delta, beta, theta, and gamma bands. Connectivity analysis revealed marked synchronization in theta, alpha, and gamma. These findings are consistent with other neuroscience research indicating that multiple brain mechanisms are indeed involved in creativity. In addition, these results have important implications for the assessment of attention functions and creativity in clinical and research settings, as well as for neurofeedback interventions in children with typical and atypical development.
Astragalus Shiitake—A Novel Functional Food with High Polysaccharide Content and Anti-Proliferative Activity in a Colorectal Carcinoma Cell Line
Authors: Tamang Bunu , Liang Qi , Balakrishnan Biju , Peng Su , Zhang Wei
Published: June 2022

The chemical and nutritional constituents of mushrooms can alter significantly when grown on different substrates. Based on this fact, an approach was made to cultivate a new type of mushroom, Hengshan Astragalus Shiitake, by growing Shiitake mushrooms on beds supplemented with the roots of an edible herbal plant, Astragalus membranaceus. In this study, three green extraction techniques, including microwave-enzyme assisted (MEA), ultrasound-enzyme assisted (UEA) and microwave-ultrasound-enzyme assisted (MUEA) extractions, were used to compare both the yield and antiproliferative activity of the polysaccharide-rich extracts (PREs) from HAS in human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT 116). Both HAS-A and HAS-B extracts contain significantly higher amounts of polysaccharides when compared to the control (Shiitake extract), regardless of the extraction methods. The PREs from HAS-B have significantly higher anti-proliferative activity in HCT 116 compared to the control when using the UEA extraction method. Our findings demonstrate that HAS-B can become a novel functional food with anti-proliferative activities and the optimization of UEA extraction would help to develop new active extract-based health products.
Selected Organizational and Managerial Aspects of Health and Nutrition Education of Various Types of Consumers of Spa Treatment Services in Poland
Authors: Woźniak-Holecka Joanna , Holecki Tomasz , Suchecki Kajetan , Jaruga-Sękowska Sylwia
Published: June 2022

Consumer education, including nutrition education, understood as a process based on scientific principles, is becoming a very effective element in influencing the health of the population in the modern world. This work is based on direct research carried out in 2016–2018 in the form of a questionnaire interview among patients—consumers of educational services in spa treatment facilities. The research sample was N = 1000 (600 people were tested with the use of PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview), and 400 people with the use of CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview)) and concerned a representative group of spa patients in Poland. In addition, as a supplement, a direct survey was conducted in the form of a Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview with managers of spa treatment facilities (N = 50). Consumers of spa treatment services differ from each other, and types can be distinguished based on their professional activity status and the type of entity that pays for their stay in the spa, and, using cluster analysis, the status of professional activity in relation to their education level. The nutritional education system is based on highly specialized medical personnel. At the same time, it does not use the available assessment tools based on proven monitoring and evaluation indicators. Health education, which also includes nutritional education, apart from disease prevention, is the basic tool for health promotion in spa treatment conditions, enabling the introduction of a permanent change in the patients’ lifestyles, the additional advantages of which are low costs and relatively high efficiency. In the course of the study, several useful patient profiles were also distinguished, thanks to which it is possible to select dedicated educational methods for selected groups of recipients.
Antioxidant and Antihyperglycemic Effects of Ephedra foeminea Aqueous Extract in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Hajleh Maha N. Abu , Khleifat Khaled M. , Alqaraleh Moath , Al-Hraishat Esra’a , Al-limoun Muhamad O. , Qaralleh Haitham , Al-Dujaili Emad A. S.
Published: June 2022

Background: Ephedra foeminea is known in Jordan as Alanda and traditionally. It is used to treat respiratory symptoms such as asthma and skin rashes as an infusion in boiling water. The purpose of this study was to determine the antidiabetic property of Ephedra foeminea aqueous extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods: The aqueous extract of Ephedra foeminea plant was used to determine the potential of its efficacy in the treatment of diabetes, and this extract was tested on diabetic rats as a model. The chemical composition of Ephedra foeminea aqueous extract was determined using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Antioxidant activity was assessed using two classical assays (ABTS and DPPH). Results: The most abundant compounds in the Ephedra foeminea extract were limonene (6.3%), kaempferol (6.2%), stearic acid (5.9%), β-sitosterol (5.5%), thiamine (4.1%), riboflavin (3.1%), naringenin (2.8%), kaempferol-3-rhamnoside (2.3%), quercetin (2.2%), and ferulic acid (2.0%). The antioxidant activity of Ephedra foeminea aqueous extract was remarkable, as evidenced by radical scavenging capacities of 12.28 mg Trolox/g in ABTS and 72.8 mg GAE/g in DPPH. In comparison to control, induced diabetic rats treated with Ephedra foeminea extract showed significant improvement in blood glucose levels, lipid profile, liver, and kidney functions. Interleukin 1 and glutathione peroxidase levels in the spleen, pancreas, kidney, and liver of induced diabetic rats treated with Ephedra foeminea extract were significantly lower than in untreated diabetic rats. Conclusions: Ephedra foeminea aqueous extract appears to protect diabetic rats against oxidative stress and improve blood parameters. In addition, it has antioxidant properties that might be very beneficial medicinally.
Analysis of a Pediatric Dental School Patient Population Revealed Increasing Trends of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Patients: Implications for Pediatric Dental Public Health and Access to Care
Authors: Mavi Jasnena , Kingsley Karl
Published: June 2022

Based upon the lack of current information regarding the pediatric patient population at UNLV-SDM, the overall goal of this project was to analyze the demographic characteristics of this population, indicators for socioeconomic status (SES), such as enrollment in Medicaid, and other barriers to healthcare access, such as non-English/non-Spanish languages spoken. Using an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved protocol, this analysis revealed the percentage of minority pediatric patients between 2010 and 2020 increased among African Americans, Asian Americans, and mixed or multiracial patients, while decreasing among Hispanics. Analysis of the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients and guardians found an overall increase in the number of non-English/non-Spanish languages spoken from n = 4 in 2010 to n = 21 in 2020 with no significant changes in Medicaid/CHIP enrollment identified between 2010 and 2020 (76.7%, 77.9%, p = 0.988). These data suggest the composition of the patient population has experienced significant shifts over time, with more patients of mixed racial backgrounds and increased numbers of Limited English Proficiency (non-English/non-Spanish foreign languages) spoken. These data may suggest there is an increased need for multilingual health materials, training, and translators for pediatric oral health within this population.
Homing of mRNA-Modified Endothelial Progenitor Cells to Inflamed Endothelium
Authors: Canjuga Denis , Steinle Heidrun , Mayer Jana , Uhde Ann-Kristin , Klein Gerd , Wendel Hans Peter , Schlensak Christian , Avci-Adali Meltem
Published: June 2022

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are one of the most important stem cells for the neovascularization of tissues damaged by ischemic diseases such as myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or critical limb ischemia. However, their low homing efficiency in the treatment of ischemic tissues limits their potential clinical applications. The use of synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) for cell engineering represents a novel and promising technology for the modulation of cell behavior and tissue regeneration. To improve the therapeutic potential of EPCs, in this study, murine EPCs were engineered with synthetic mRNAs encoding C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1) to increase the homing and migration efficiency of EPCs to inflamed endothelium. Flow cytometric measurements revealed that the transfection of EPCs with CXCR4 and PSGL-1 mRNA resulted in increased expressions of CXCR4 and PSGL-1 on the cell surface compared with the unmodified EPCs. The transfection of EPCs with mRNAs did not affect cell viability. CXCR4-mRNA-modified EPCs showed significantly higher migration potential than unmodified cells in a chemotactic migration assay. The binding strength of the EPCs to inflamed endothelium was determined with single-cell atomic force microscopy (AFM). This showed that the mRNA-modified EPCs required a three-fold higher detachment force to be released from the TNF-α-activated endothelium than unmodified EPCs. Furthermore, in a dynamic flow model, significantly increased binding of the mRNA-modified EPCs to inflamed endothelium was detected. This study showed that the engineering of EPCs with homing factors encoding synthetic mRNAs increases the homing and migration potentials of these stem cells to inflamed endothelium. Thus, this strategy represents a promising strategy to increase the therapeutic potential of EPCs for the treatment of ischemic tissues.
A Lightweight Semantic Segmentation Model of Wucai Seedlings Based on Attention Mechanism
Authors: Li Wen , Liu Chao , Chen Minhui , Zhu Dequan , Chen Xia , Liao Juan
Published: June 2022

Accurate wucai seedling segmentation is of great significance for growth detection, seedling location, and phenotype detection. To segment wucai seedlings accurately in a natural environment, this paper presents a lightweight segmentation model of wucai seedlings, where U-Net is used as the backbone network. Specifically, to improve the feature extraction ability of the model for wucai seedlings of different sizes, a multi-branch convolution block based on inception structure is proposed and used to design the encoder. In addition, the expectation “maximizationexpectation” maximization attention module is added to enhance the attention of the model to the segmentation object. In addition, because of the problem that a large number of parameters easily increase the difficulty of network training and computational cost, the depth-wise separable convolution is applied to replace the original convolution in the decoding stage to lighten the model. The experimental results show that the precision, recall, MIOU, and F1-score of the proposed model on the self-built wucai seedling dataset are 0.992, 0.973, 0.961, and 0.982, respectively, and the average recognition time of single frame image is 0.0066 s. Compared with several state-of-the-art models, the proposed model achieves better segmentation performance and has the characteristics of smaller-parameter scale and higher real-time performance. Therefore, the proposed model can achieve good segmentation effect for wucai seedlings in natural environment, which can provide important basis for target spraying, growth recognition, and other applications.
The Use of Real-Time PCR for the Pathogen Quantification in Breeding Winter Wheat Varieties Resistant to Eyespot
Authors: Palicová Jana , Matušinsky Pavel , Dumalasová Veronika , Hanzalová Alena , Svačinová Ivana , Chrpová Jana
Published: June 2022

The reaction of twenty-five winter wheat cultivars frequently grown in the Czech Republic to inoculation with Oculimacula yallundae and Oculimacula acuformis was evaluated in small plot trials from 2019 to 2021. The eyespot infection assessment was carried out visually using symptoms on stem bases and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The cultivars were also tested for the presence of the resistance gene Pch1 using the STS marker Xorw1. Statistical differences were found between cultivars and between years. The lowest mean level of eyespot infection (2019–2021) was visually observed in cultivar Annie, which possessed resistance gene Pch1, and in cultivar Julie. Cultivars Turandot and RGT Sacramento were the most susceptible to eyespot. The method qPCR was able to distinguish two eyespot pathogens. O. yallundae was detected in higher concentrations in inoculated plants compared with O. acuformis. The relationship between the eyespot symptoms and the pathogen’s DNA content in plant tissues followed a moderate linear regression only in 2021. The highest eyespot infection rate was in 2020 due to weather conditions suitable for the development of the disease.
Transcriptome Mining Provides Insights into Cell Wall Metabolism and Fiber Lignification in Agave tequilana Weber
Authors: Maceda-López Luis F. , Góngora-Castillo Elsa B. , Ibarra-Laclette Enrique , Morán-Velázquez Dalia C. , Girón Ramírez Amaranta , Bourdon Matthieu , Villalpando-Aguilar José L. , Toomer Gabriela , Tang John Z. , Azadi Parastoo , Santamaría Jorge M. , López-Rosas Itzel , López Mercedes G. , Simpson June , Alatorre-Cobos Fulgencio
Published: June 2022

Resilience of growing in arid and semiarid regions and a high capacity of accumulating sugar-rich biomass with low lignin percentages have placed Agave species as an emerging bioenergy crop. Although transcriptome sequencing of fiber-producing agave species has been explored, molecular bases that control wall cell biogenesis and metabolism in agave species are still poorly understood. Here, through RNAseq data mining, we reconstructed the cellulose biosynthesis pathway and the phenylpropanoid route producing lignin monomers in A. tequilana, and evaluated their expression patterns in silico and experimentally. Most of the orthologs retrieved showed differential expression levels when they were analyzed in different tissues with contrasting cellulose and lignin accumulation. Phylogenetic and structural motif analyses of putative CESA and CAD proteins allowed to identify those potentially involved with secondary cell wall formation. RT-qPCR assays revealed enhanced expression levels of AtqCAD5 and AtqCESA7 in parenchyma cells associated with extraxylary fibers, suggesting a mechanism of formation of sclerenchyma fibers in Agave similar to that reported for xylem cells in model eudicots. Overall, our results provide a framework for understanding molecular bases underlying cell wall biogenesis in Agave species studying mechanisms involving in leaf fiber development in monocots.
Genome-Wide Identification of MDH Family Genes and Their Association with Salt Tolerance in Rice
Authors: Zhang Yanhong , Wang Yulong , Sun Xingming , Yuan Jie , Zhao Zhiqiang , Gao Jie , Wen Xiaorong , Tang Fusen , Kang Mintai , Abliz Buhaliqem , Zhang Zhanying , Zhang Hongliang , Wang Fengbin , Li Zichao
Published: June 2022

Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) is widely present in nature and regulates plant growth and development, as well as playing essential roles, especially in abiotic stress responses. Nevertheless, there is no comprehensive knowledge to date on MDH family members in rice. In this study, a total of 12 MDH members in rice were identified through genome-wide analysis and divided into three groups on the basis of their phylogenetic relationship and protein-conserved motifs. Evolutionary analysis showed that MDH proteins from rice, maize and wheat shared a close phylogenetic relationship, and the MDH family was conserved in the long-term process of domestication. We identified two segmental duplication events involving four genes, which could be the major force driving the expansion of the OsMDH family. The expression profile, cis-regulatory elements and qRT-PCR results of these genes revealed that a few OsMDH showed high tissue specificity, almost all of which had stress response elements in the promoter region, and ten MDH members were significantly induced by salt stress. Through gene-based association analysis, we found a significant correlation between salt tolerance at the seedling stage and the genetic variation of OsMDH8.1 and OsMDH12.1. Additionally, we found that the polymorphism in the promoter region of OsMDH8.1 might be related to the salt tolerance of rice. This study aimed to provide valuable information on the functional study of the rice MDH gene family related to salt stress response and revealed that OsMDH8.1 might be an important gene for the cultivar improvement of salt tolerance in rice.
Funnel-Shaped Floating Vessel Oil Skimmer with Joule Heating Sorption Functionality
Authors: Herren Blake , Saha Mrinal C. , Altan M. Cengiz , Liu Yingtao
Published: June 2022

Floating vessel-type oil collecting devices based on sorbent materials present potential solutions to oil spill cleanup that require a massive amount of sorbent material and manual labor. Additionally, continuous oil extraction from these devices presents opportunities for highly energy-efficient oil skimmers that use gravity as the oil/water separation mechanism. Herein, a sorbent-based oil skimmer (SOS) is developed with a novel funnel-shaped sorbent and vessel design for efficient and continuous extraction of various oils from the water surface. A carbon black (CB) embedded polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sponge material is characterized and used as the sorbent in the SOS. The nanocomposite sponge formulation is optimized for high reusability, hydrophobicity, and rapid oil absorption. Joule heating functionality of the sponge is also explored to rapidly absorb highly viscous oils that are a significant challenge for oil spill cleanup. The optimized sponge material with the highest porosity and 15 wt% CB loading is tested in the SOS for large-scale oil spill extraction tests and shows effective cleaning of oil spilled on the water surface. The SOS demonstrates a high maximum extraction rate of 200 mL/min for gasoline and maintains a high extraction rate performance upon reuse when the sponge funnel is cleaned and dried.
Novel Zero Headspace Solid-Liquid Extraction for the Recovery of Polyphenolic Fractions from Grape Pomace
Authors: Orozco-Flores Laura , Salas Erika , González-Sánchez Guillermo , Chávez-Flores David , Ramírez-García Raúl , Rocha-Gutiérrez Beatriz , Peralta-Pérez María , Ballinas-Casarrubias María
Published: June 2022

Grape pomace (GP) is a good source of high-value compounds as up to 60% of grape polyphenols remain in it after wine-making. To overcome traditional membrane technologies’ d rawbacks, such as fouling, a novel Zero Head Space extraction (ZHE) procedure was developed. The reaction vessel comprised a filtration device with a nitrocellulose membrane. The separation was performed at 50 lb/in2 and 23 °C, with no headspace during the process. Water and methanol (both acidifie d) were evaluated as solvents during two extraction stages for the recovery and fractionation of polyphenols. Aqueous extract (AE) was mainly constituted by monomeric polyphenols while Methanol extract (ME) presented less soluble compounds, as well as a higher concentration of total anthocyanin content than AE. Additional methanolic (CE) and acetone (CAE) extractions of residual GP showed CE presented a similar profile to ME (at a lower concentration), indicating ZHE efficiency at extracting polyphenols in GP. CAE presented a non-resolved hump, characteristic of high proanthocyanidins’ polydispersity. ZHE rendered a monomeric fraction in ME (mean Degree of Polymerization, mDP of 1.38). Residual GP (cake) extractions demonstrated oligomeric polyphenol retention; mDP up to 3.05 when acetone was used. Fractionation of GP polyphenols was successfully established using a Zero Head space extractor.
Molybdenum Modified Sol–Gel Synthesized TiO2 for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Carbamazepine under UV Irradiation
Authors: Anucha Chukwuka Bethel , Bacaksiz Emin , Stathopoulos Vassilis N. , Pandis Pavlos K. , Argirusis Christos , Andreouli Constantina-Dia , Tatoudi Zoi , Altin Ilknur
Published: June 2022

Pharmaceutical CEC compounds are a potential threat to man, animals, and the environment. In this study, a sol–gel-derived TiO2 (SynTiO2) was produced and subsequently sonochemically doped with a 1.5 wt% Mo to obtain the final product (Mo (1.5 wt%)/SynTiO2). The as-prepared materials were characterized for phase structure, surface, and optical properties by XRD, TEM, N2 adsorption–desorption BET isotherm at 77 K, and PSD by BJH applications, FTIR, XPS, and UV-Vis measurements in DRS mode. Estimated average crystallite size, particle size, surface area, pore-volume, pore size, and energy bandgap were 16.10 nm, 24.55 nm, 43.30 m2/g, 0.07 cm3/g, 6.23 nm, and 3.05 eV, respectively, for Mo/SynTiO2. The same structural parameters were also estimated for the unmodified SynTiO2 with respective values of 14.24 nm, 16.02 nm, 133.87 m2/g, 0.08 cm3/g, 2.32 nm, and 3.3 eV. Structurally improved (Mo (1.5 wt%)/SynTiO2) achieved ≈100% carbamazepine (CBZ) degradation after 240 min UV irradiation under natural (unmodified) pH conditions. Effects of initial pH, catalyst dosage, initial pollutant concentration, chemical scavengers, contaminant ions, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and humic acid (HA) were also investigated and discussed. The chemical scavenger test was used to propose involved photocatalytic degradation process mechanism of CBZ.
Reduction of Sulfoxides in Multigram Scale, an Alternative to the Use of Chlorinated Solvents
Authors: Adarve-Cardona Laura , Gamba-Sánchez Diego
Published: June 2022

In this manuscript, we describe the use of ethyl vinyl ether/oxalyl chloride as the reducing mixture for sulfoxides. The reaction is based on the high electrophilic character of chlorosulfonium salts, formed in situ by the reaction of oxalyl chloride and the sulfoxide. Thereafter, the nucleophilic vinyl ether acts as a chlorine scavenger, affording the corresponding sulfide. The method is applicable on a big scale and may be applied to highly functionalized sulfoxides. Chromatographic purification is only needed in exceptional cases of unstable substrates, and the final sulfide or the corresponding salt is usually obtained after simple evaporation of volatiles. The sole contaminants of this method are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and small (five-carbon maximum) aldol products, which are formed during the reaction process.
Influence of Exogenous 28-Homobrassinolide Optimized Dosage and EDAH Application on Hormone Status, Grain Filling, and Maize Production
Authors: Hussain Mujahid , Wang Zhao , Mo You , Huang Guanmin , Kaousar Rehana , Tan Weiming
Published: June 2022

Exogenously applied phytohormones improve the endosperm cells and establish greater kernel sink capacity and grain filling, improving grain yield. In this study, 28-Homobrassinolide (HBR) dosages (20, 25, and 30 mg a. i. ha−1) were applied separately at the silking stage under controlled conditions, and EDAH (a mixture of ethephon and diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate) dosage of 90 g a. i. ha−1 was sprayed at the jointing stage to enhance the lodging resistance. Our objective was to investigate whether the application of HBR under controlled conditions or with EDAH could enhance the grain filling rate by regulating endogenous hormones. The results showed that HBR at the silking stage significantly increased endogenous hormones (ABA, IAA, Z+ZR), hampered leaf senescence, enhanced photosynthetic, improved dry matter accumulation in grains, and increased the grain-filling period, filling rate, and thousand-grains weight. Additionally, HBR 25 and 30 mg a. i. ha−1 increased the final yield by 9.9% and 19.5% compared to the control (CK) in 2020 and 14.1% and 18.95% in 2021, respectively. There was no significant difference between the results obtained from HBR-controlled and EDAH treatments at the jointing stage. Thus, we conclude that spraying HBR 25~30 mg a. i. ha−1 under controlled conditions may increase the grain yield under normal weather conditions. In adverse weather conditions and heavy wind, spraying EDAH 90 g a. i. ha−1 at the jointing stage and HBR 30 mg a. i. ha−1 at the silking stage can enhance maize production.
The Brethren in Scotland: A Historical Overview during the Long Twentieth-Century
Authors: Dickson Neil
Published: June 2022

The Brethren were pervasive in Lowland Scottish society during the twentieth century. At the beginning of the century in Scotland, they had spilt into three main sections: the Open Brethren, the Exclusive Brethren, and the Churches of God. Schism was a recurring feature in the last two sections, and this paper traces the history of the various secessions and offers an account of why they were prone to division. Using the sociological typologies of sect and denomination, this paper examines the relationship between the Brethren and Scottish culture and society, including social class, use of leisure, and withdrawal and engagement in the cultural and business worlds, noting commonalities and variegations across the various streams. The final sections examine the growth and decline of the various streams and the reasons for both.
“Prayer, after All, Is but Thinking towards God” Philosophical Theology and Private Prayer in the Spirituality of John Baillie
Authors: Gordon James M.
Published: June 2022

John Baillie was a leading Scottish theologian during the middle third of the 20th Century. A son of the manse and a staunch Presbyterian, his intellectual journey engaged the disciplines of philosophical and systematic theology. Following 15 years in North America he returned to Edinburgh as Professor of Divinity in 1934. In the decade 1929–1939 Baillie published several substantial books of theology and a volume of prayers. While his theology during this period was speculative and liberal, the prayers reveal a piety which is biblically rooted, Christ centered, and theologically robust. By comparing the prayers with his theological publications of the same period, this essay explores the spirituality of John Baillie by examining the conversation between his philosophical theology and personal piety, with a particular focus on The Place of Jesus Christ in Modern Christianity (1929), A Diary of Private Prayer (1936), and Our Knowledge of God (1939). Each book is placed in context, and Baillie’s spirituality in the prayers is shown to be significantly indebted to his particular intellectual and conceptual understanding of knowledge of God, human experience of God as mediated immediacy, and the central place of Jesus Christ in his Christian piety.
Using Econometric Models to Manage the Price Risk of Cocoa Beans: A Case from India
Authors: Kumar Kepulaje Abhaya , Spulbar Cristi , Pinto Prakash , Hawaldar Iqbal Thonse , Birau Ramona , Joisa Jyeshtaraja
Published: June 2022

This study aims at developing econometric models to manage the price risk of Dry and Wet Cocoa beans with the help of ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average) and VAR (Vector Auto Regressive). The monthly price of Cocoa beans is collected for the period starting from April 2009 to March 2020 from the office of CAMPCO Limited, Mangalore, and the ICE Cocoa futures price from the website of investing.com. The augmented dickey fuller test is used to test the stationarity of the series. The ACF and PACF correlograms are used to identify the tentative ARIMA model. Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Schwarz criterion (SBIC), Sigma square, and adjusted R2 are used to decide on the optional AR and MA terms for the models. Durbin–Watson statistics and correlograms of the residuals are used to decide on the model’s goodness of fit. Identified optimal models were ARIMA (1, 1, 0) for the Dry Cocoa beans price series and ARIMA (1, 1, 2) for the Wet Cocoa beans price series. The multivariate VAR (1) model found that the US and London Cocoa futures prices traded on the ICE platform will influence the price of Dry Cocoa in India. This study will be helpful to forecast the price of Cocoa beans to manage the price risk, precisely for Cocoa traders, Chocolate manufacturers, Cocoa growers, and the government for planning and decision-making purposes.
Optimal Dividends for a Two-Dimensional Risk Model with Simultaneous Ruin of Both Branches
Authors: Strietzel Philipp Lukas , Heinrich Henriette Elisabeth
Published: June 2022

We consider the optimal dividend problem in the so-called degenerate bivariate risk model under the assumption that the surplus of one branch may become negative. More specific, we solve the stochastic control problem of maximizing discounted dividends until simultaneous ruin of both branches of an insurance company by showing that the optimal value function satisfies a certain Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equation. Further, we prove that the optimal value function is the smallest viscosity solution of said HJB equation, satisfying certain growth conditions. Under some additional assumptions, we show that the optimal strategy lies within a certain subclass of all admissible strategies and reduce the two-dimensional control problem to a one-dimensional one. The results are illustrated by a numerical example and Monte Carlo simulated value functions.
Remote Sensing of Instantaneous Drought Stress at Canopy Level Using Sun-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Canopy Reflectance
Authors: De Cannière Simon , Vereecken Harry , Defourny Pierre , Jonard François
Published: June 2022

Climate change amplifies the intensity and occurrence of dry periods leading to drought stress in vegetation. For monitoring vegetation stresses, sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) observations are a potential game-changer, as the SIF emission is mechanistically coupled to photosynthetic activity. Yet, the benefit of SIF for drought stress monitoring is not yet understood. This paper analyses the impact of drought stress on canopy-scale SIF emission and surface reflectance over a lettuce and mustard stand with continuous field spectrometer measurements. Here, the SIF measurements are linked to the plant’s photosynthetic efficiency, whereas the surface reflectance can be used to monitor the canopy structure. The mustard canopy showed a reduction in the biochemical component of its SIF emission (the fluorescence emission efficiency at 760 nm—ϵ760) as a reaction to drought stress, whereas its structural component (the Fluorescence Correction Vegetation Index—FCVI) barely showed a reaction. The lettuce canopy showed both an increase in the variability of its surface reflectance at a sub-daily scale and a decrease in ϵ760 during a drought stress event. These reactions occurred simultaneously, suggesting that sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence and reflectance-based indices sensitive to the canopy structure provide complementary information. The intensity of these reactions depend on both the soil water availability and the atmospheric water demand. This paper highlights the potential for SIF from the upcoming FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) satellite to provide a unique insight on the plant’s water status. At the same time, data on the canopy reflectance with a sub-daily temporal resolution are a promising additional stress indicator for certain species.
Remote Sensing of Riparian Ecosystems
Authors: Rusnák Miloš , Goga Tomáš , Michaleje Lukáš , Šulc Michalková Monika , Máčka Zdeněk , Bertalan László , Kidová Anna
Published: June 2022

Riparian zones are dynamic ecosystems that form at the interface between the aquatic and terrestrial components of a landscape. They are shaped by complex interactions between the biophysical components of river systems, including hydrology, geomorphology, and vegetation. Remote sensing technology is a powerful tool useful for understanding riparian form, function, and change over time, as it allows for the continuous collection of geospatial data over large areas. This paper provides an overview of studies published from 1991 to 2021 that have used remote sensing techniques to map and understand the processes that shape riparian habitats and their ecological functions. In total, 257 articles were reviewed and organised into six main categories (physical channel properties; morphology and vegetation or field survey; canopy detection; application of vegetation and water indices; riparian vegetation; and fauna habitat assessment). The majority of studies used aerial RGB imagery for river reaches up to 100 km in length and Landsat satellite imagery for river reaches from 100 to 1000 km in length. During the recent decade, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have been widely used for low-cost monitoring and mapping of riverine and riparian environments. However, the transfer of RS data to managers and stakeholders for systematic monitoring as a source of decision making for and successful management of riparian zones remains one of the main challenges.
Joint Antenna Placement and Power Allocation for Target Detection in a Distributed MIMO Radar Network
Authors: Qi Cheng , Xie Junwei , Zhang Haowei
Published: June 2022

Radar network configuration and power allocation are of great importance in military applications, where the entire surveillance area needs to be searched under resource budget constraints. To pursue the joint antenna placement and power allocation (JAPPA) optimization, this paper develops a JAPPA strategy to improve target detection performance in a widely distributed multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radar network. First, the three variables of the problem are incorporated into the Neyman–Pearson (NP) detector by using the antenna placement optimization and the Lagrange power allocation method. Further, an improved iterative greedy dropping heuristic method based on a two-stage local search is proposed to solve the NP-hard issues of high-dimensional non-linear integer programming. Then, the sum of the weighted logarithmic likelihood ratio test (LRT) function is constructed as optimization criteria for the JAPPA approach. Numerical simulations and the theoretical analysis confirm the superiority of the proposed algorithm in terms of achieving effective overall detection performance.
An Open Data Approach for Estimating Vegetation Gross Primary Production at Fine Spatial Resolution
Authors: Lin Shangrong , Huang Xiaojuan , Zheng Yi , Zhang Xiao , Yuan Wenping
Published: June 2022

Accurate simulations of the spatial and temporal changes in vegetation gross primary production (GPP) play an important role in ecological studies. Previous studies highlighted large uncertainties in GPP datasets based on satellite data with coarse spatial resolutions (>500 m), and implied the need to produce high-spatial-resolution datasets. However, estimating fine spatial resolution GPP is time-consuming and requires an enormous amount of computing storage space. In this study, based on the Eddy Covariance-Light Use Efficiency (EC-LUE) model, we used Google Earth Engine (GEE) to develop a web application (EC-LUE APP) to generate 30-m-spatial-resolution GPP estimates within a region of interest. We examined the accuracy of the GPP estimates produced by the APP and compared them with observed GPP at 193 global eddy covariance sites. The results showed the good performance of the EC-LUE APP in reproducing the spatial and temporal variations in the GPP. The fine-spatial-resolution GPP product (GPPL) explained 64% of the GPP variations and had fewer uncertainties (root mean square error = 2.34 g C m−2 d−1) and bias (−0.09 g C m−2 d−1) than the coarse-spatial-resolution GPP products. In particular, the GPPL significantly improved the GPP estimations for cropland and dryland ecosystems. With this APP, users can easily obtain 30-m-spatial-resolution GPP at any given location and for any given year since 1984.
Hyperspectral Image Classification with a Multiscale Fusion-Evolution Graph Convolutional Network Based on a Feature-Spatial Attention Mechanism
Authors: Jing Haoyu , Wang Yuanyuan , Du Zhenhong , Zhang Feng
Published: June 2022

Convolutional neural network (CNN) has achieved excellent performance in the classification of hyperspectral images (HSI) due to its ability to extract spectral and spatial feature information. However, the conventional CNN model does not perform well in regions with irregular geometric appearances. The recently proposed graph convolutional network (GCN) has been successfully applied to the analysis of non-Euclidean data and is suitable for irregular image regions. However, conventional GCN has problems such as very high computational cost on HSI data and cannot make full use of information in the image spatial domain. To this end, this paper proposes a multi-scale fusion-evolution graph convolutional network based on the feature-spatial attention mechanism (MFEGCN-FSAM). Our model enables the graph to be automatically evolved during the graph convolution process to produce more accurate embedding features. We have established multiple local and global input graphs to utilize the multiscale spectral and spatial information of the image. In addition, this paper designs a feature-spatial attention module to extract important features and structural information from the graph. The experimental results on four typical datasets show that the MFEGCN-FSAM proposed in this paper has better performance than most existing HSI classification methods.
Fire Monitoring Algorithm and Its Application on the Geo-Kompsat-2A Geostationary Meteorological Satellite
Authors: Chen Jie , Zheng Wei , Wu Shuang , Liu Cheng , Yan Hua
Published: June 2022

Geo-Kompsat-2A (GK-2A) is the third new-generation geostationary meteorological satellite that orbits Asia and monitors China and its surrounding areas, following the Himawari-8 and Fengyun-4A satellites. The nadir point positioning and satellite channel parameters of the GK-2A are better than those of the Himawari-8 and FY-4A, which are more conducive to fire monitoring in China. In this study, a new fire detection algorithm is proposed based on GK-2A satellite data. That is, considering the large solar zenith angle correction for reflectance and the proportion information of background pixels in the existing spatial threshold method, fires under the different underlying surface types and solar radiation states can be automatically identified. Moreover, the accuracy of the Himawari-8 fire monitoring algorithm and the present algorithm of GK-2A is compared and analyzed through the ground truth fire spot data. The results show that compared with the original fire monitoring algorithm with fixed parameter thresholds, the brightness temperature difference of this algorithm is reduced by 0.55 K, and the correction coefficient is reduced by 0.6 times, the fire can be found earlier, and the monitoring sensitivity is improved. According to the practical fire case, the present fire monitoring algorithm of GK-2A has better monitoring accuracy than the fire monitoring algorithm of Himawari-8. The present fire monitoring algorithm of GK-2A can meet the fire monitoring requirements under different sun angles, different cloud cover ratios and vegetation ratios with good versatility.