bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Terahertz Metamaterial Absorber Based on Ni–Mn–Sn Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloy Films
Authors: Liu Rui , Wang Xiaochuan , Zhu Jiachen , Tian Xiaohua , Zhao Wenbin , Tan Changlong , Zhang Kun
Published: June 2023

Terahertz absorbers have been extensively investigated by researchers due to their applications in thermophotovoltaic energy conversion and sensors, but a key factor limiting their development is the lack of vital and versatile materials. Ferromagnetic shape memory alloys (FSMAs) offer a novel remedy for tunable metamaterials due to their brilliant recovery of deformation, remote control, and transient response. In this study, we propose a tunable absorber based on magnetic field tuning, consisting of Ni–Mn–Sn ferro-magnetic shape memory alloy films in fractal geometry and optically excited Si plates. Numerical analysis shows that the proposed absorber has an absorbance bandwidth of 1.129 THz above 90% between 1.950 THz and 3.079 THz. The absorber geometry can be regulated by an external magnetic field, allowing dynamic switching between broadband and narrowband absorption modes, the latter showing an ultra-narrow bandwidth and a high-quality factor Q of ~25.8. The proposed terahertz absorber has several advantages over current state-of-the-art bifunctional absorbers, including its ultra-thin structure of 10.39 μm and an additional switching function. The absorption can be continuously tuned from 90% to 5% when the light-excited silicon plate is transferred from the insulator state to the metal state. This study presents a promising alternative strategy for developing actively regulated and versatile terahertz-integrated devices.
A Review on Oxygen-Deficient Titanium Oxide for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production
Authors: Chen Yan , Fu Xiuli , Peng Zhijian
Published: June 2023

Photocatalytic technology based on the specific band structure of semiconductors offers a promising way to solve the urgent energy and environmental issues in modern society. In particular, hydrogen production from water splitting over semiconductor photocatalysts attracts great attention owing to the clean source and application of energy, which highly depends on the performance of photocatalysts. Among the various photocatalysts, TiO2 has been intensively investigated and used extensively due to its outstanding photocatalytic activity, high chemical stability, non-toxicity, and low cost. However, pure TiO2 has a wide band gap of approximately 3.2 eV, which limits its photocatalytic activity for water splitting to generate hydrogen only under ultraviolet light, excluding most of the inexhaustible sunlight for human beings. Fortunately, the band gap of semiconductors can be manipulated, in which introducing oxygen defects is one of the most effective measures to narrow the band gap of titanium oxides. This review considers the fundamentals of photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production over TiO2, discusses the latest progress in this field, and summarizes the various methods and strategies to induce oxygen defects in TiO2 crystals. Then, the next section outlines the modification approaches of oxygen-deficient titanium oxide (TiO2−δ) to further improve its photocatalytic performance. Finally, a brief summary and outlook of the studies on TiO2−δ photocatalysts for water splitting to produce hydrogen are presented.
Performance Analysis of an Aperture-Coupled THz Antenna for Diagnosing Breast Cancer
Authors: Gupta Anupma , Kumar Vipan , Garg Dinesh , Alsharif Mohammed H. , Jahid Abu
Published: June 2023

The most important technique for exposing early-stage breast cancer is terahertz imaging. It aids in lowering the number of breast cancer-related fatalities and enhancing the quality of life. An essential component of developing the THz imaging system for high-quality photos is choosing the right sensor. In this article, a wideband antenna for microwave imaging of breast tissue with an operating frequency of 30 GHz (107 GHz to 137 GHz) is constructed and analyzed. An aperture-coupled antenna with an optimized ground aperture is proposed and analyzed, which made it possible to obtain better and consistent impedance matching in the wideband spectrum. The variation of backscattered signal energy in body tissue is assessed with healthy breast tissue and in the presence of malignant cells. A significant difference in energy scattering is observed for both situations. The suggested antenna’s linear and stable time domain characteristics make it an appropriate component for THz imaging technology.
Comparison of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites and Cytotoxicity of Extracts from Inonotus obliquus Isolates from Different Host Species
Authors: Sułkowska-Ziaja Katarzyna , Robak Justyna , Szczepkowski Andrzej , Gunia-Krzyżak Agnieszka , Popiół Justyna , Piotrowska Joanna , Rospond Bartłomiej , Szewczyk Agnieszka , Kała Katarzyna , Muszyńska Bożena
Published: June 2023

Inonotus obliquus, a wood-decaying mushroom, has been used as a health-promoting supplement and nutraceutical for centuries. It is a source of bioactive compounds accumulated in both the conks (pseudosclerotia/sclerotia) and the biomass obtained in vitro. This study aimed to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the bioelements and selected metabolites produced in mycelial cultures obtained from different host species. The mycochemical potential of mycelial cultures isolated from pseudosclerotia grown in Betula pendula, Alnus glutinosa, and Carpinus betulus was compared. Parent cultures were obtained in two types of medium (malt extract agar substrates without and with birch wood). Experimental cultures were developed in 2 L bioreactors for 10 days. The content of bioelements was determined using FAAS and FAES methods. Organic compounds were estimated using the RP–HPLC–DAD method. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was evaluated in human keratinocytes HaCaT, human skin fibroblasts BJ, human liver cancer HepG2, human melanoma A375, and mouse melanoma B16-F10. The extracts showed the presence of bioelements: sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, manganese, iron, and copper; phenolic acids: p-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, p-coumaric, and protocatechuic; sterols: lanosterol, ergosterol, ergosterol peroxide; triterpene compounds: betulin, betulinic acid, inotodiol; indole compounds: L-tryptophan, tryptamine, 5-methyltryptamine, melatonin. The content of bioactive substances in the biomass was dependent on both the origin of the host species of the fungus isolate and the type of culture medium. Based on the results of this study, mycelial cultures can be proposed as a potential source of bioactive compounds and are promising naturally derived cytotoxic agents.
Not So Similar: Different Ways of Nb(V) and Ta(V) Catecholate Complexation
Authors: Abramov Pavel A. , Sokolov Maxim N.
Published: June 2023

The reactions between catechol (H2cat) and niobium(V) or tantalum(V) precursors in basic aqueous solutions lead to the formation of catecholate complexes of different natures. The following complexes were isolated and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD): (1) (NH4)3[NbO(cat)3]∙4H2O; (2) K2[Nb(cat)3(Hcat)]·2H2cat·2H2O; (3) Cs3[NbO(cat)3]·H2O; (4) (NH4)4[Ta2O(cat)6]·3H2O; (5) Cs2[Ta(cat)3(Hcat)]·H2cat; (6) Cs4[Ta2O(cat)6]·7H2O. The isolated crystalline products were characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), FTIR, and TGA. The structural features of these complexes, such as {Ta2O} unit geometry, Cs-π interactions, and crystal packing effects, are discussed.
Assessment of the Porous Structure and Surface Chemistry of Activated Biocarbons Used for Methylene Blue Adsorption
Authors: Charmas Barbara , Zięzio Magdalena , Jedynak Katarzyna
Published: June 2023

In the presented research, activated carbons from wheat bran were obtained as a result of pyrolysis and physical activation (CO2 or/and steam). In addition, the obtained materials were subjected to additional modification with superheated steam using the microwave radiation as an energy source. The detailed materials characterization was performed using low-temperature nitrogen adsorption/desorption, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis (TG), Boehm’s titration, point of zero charge (pHpzc), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FT-IR/ATR methods. Moreover, the sorption capacity towards methylene blue (MB) was determined. The activated carbons were characterized with a well-developed surface and pore structure (SBET = 339.6–594.0 m2/g; Vp = 0.157–0.356 cm3/g). Activation in the presence of steam and additional modification with microwave radiation resulted in much better development of the porous structure (SBET = 600.4 m2/g; Vp = 0.380 cm3/g). The materials were shown to possess amorphous structure and thermal stability up to the temperatures of ~450–500 °C. They have good adsorption capacity towards MB varying from 150 mg/g to 241 mg/g depending on activation manner. The adsorption can be described by the pseudo-second order model (R2 = 0.99) and fitted to the Langmuir isotherm.
The Upconversion Luminescence of Ca3Sc2Si3O12:Yb3+,Er3+ and Its Application in Thermometry
Authors: Hong Junyu , Liu Feilong , Dramićanin Miroslav D. , Zhou Lei , Wu Mingmei
Published: June 2023

To develop novel luminescent materials for optical temperature measurement, a series of Yb3+- and Er3+-doped Ca3Sc2Si3O12 (CSS) upconversion (UC) phosphors were synthesized by the sol–gel combustion method. The crystal structure, phase purity, and element distribution of the samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The detailed study of the photoluminescence emission spectra of the samples shows that the addition of Yb3+ can greatly enhance the emission of Er3+ by effective energy transfer. The prepared Yb3+ and Er3+ co-doped CSS phosphors exhibit green emission bands near 522 and 555 nm and red emission bands near 658 nm, which correspond to the 2H11/2→4I15/2, 4S3/2→4I15/2, and 4F9/2→4I15/2 transitions of Er3+, respectively. The temperature-dependent behavior of the CSS:0.2Yb3+,0.02Er3+ sample was carefully studied by the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) technique. The results indicate the excellent sensitivity of the sample, with a maximum absolute sensitivity of 0.67% K−1 at 500 K and a relative sensitivity of 1.34% K−1 at 300 K. We demonstrate here that the temperature measurement performance of FIR technology using the CSS:Yb3+,Er3+ phosphor is not inferior to that of infrared thermal imaging thermometers. Therefore, CSS:Yb3+,Er3+ phosphors have great potential applications in the field of optical thermometry.
Metabolomic Analysis of Vitamin E Supplement Use in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial
Authors: Lim Jungeun , Hong Hyokyoung G. , Weinstein Stephanie J. , Playdon Mary C. , Cross Amanda J. , Stolzenberg-Solomon Rachael , Freedman Neal D. , Huang Jiaqi , Albanes Demetrius
Published: June 2023

The effects of vitamin E supplementation on cancer and other chronic diseases are not clear. We compared the serum metabolomic profile of differing vitamin E dosages in order to re-examine the previously observed changes in a novel C22 lactone sulfate compound, androgenic steroids, and other metabolites. A total of 3409 women and men previously selected for metabolomics studies in the PLCO Cancer Screening Trial were included in this investigation. Serum metabolites were profiled using ultrahigh-performance liquid and gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Seventy known metabolites including C22 lactone sulfate and androgens were significantly associated with vitamin E supplementation. In the sex-stratified analysis, 10 cofactors and vitamins (e.g., alpha-CEHC sulfate and alpha-CEHC glucuronide), two carbohydrates (glyceric and oxalic acids), and one lipid (glycocholenate sulfate) were significantly associated with vitamin E dose in both males and females (FDR-adjusted p-value < 0.01). However, the inverse association between C22 lactone sulfate and daily vitamin E supplementation was evident in females only, as were two androgenic steroids, 5-androstenediol and androsterone glucuronide. Our study provides evidence of distinct steroid hormone pathway responses based on vitamin E dosages. Further studies are needed to gain biological insights into vitamin E biochemical effects relevant to cancer and other chronic diseases.
Predation of Cyclopoid Copepods on the Theronts of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis: Shedding Light on Biocontrol of White Spot Disease
Authors: Cao Ze-Yi , Xi Bing-Wen , Zhou Qing-Jie , Chen Kai , Xie Jun
Published: June 2023

White spot disease, caused by the parasitic ciliate Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, is a significant threat to the freshwater fish farming industry worldwide, resulting in massive mortality and economic losses. Eliminating the free-swimming theronts from the culture environment is considered crucial for the control of I. multifiliis infection. It is well-documented that planktonic ciliates are valuable food resources for macro-zooplankton in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we developed a fluorescence labeling method for alive theronts and found that cyclopoid copepods Thermocyclops taihokuensis, Mesocyclops spp., Macrocyclops sp., and Paracyclopina sp. present predation on the theronts in co-culture experiments. Laboratory challenge tests further confirmed that the presence of zooplankton in the culture water body significantly reduced the infection of I. multifiliis in goldfish (p < 0.01). Results from this study revealed that cyclopoid copepods have the potential to be used as biological control agents against white spot disease in aquaculture.
The Importance of Measuring SARS-CoV-2-Specific T-Cell Responses in an Ongoing Pandemic
Authors: Petrone Linda , Sette Alessandro , de Vries Rory D. , Goletti Delia
Published: June 2023

Neutralizing antibodies are considered a correlate of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19, although they are not the only contributing factor to immunity: T-cell responses are considered important in protecting against severe COVID-19 and contributing to the success of vaccination effort. T-cell responses after vaccination largely mirror those of natural infection in magnitude and functional capacity, but not in breadth, as T-cells induced by vaccination exclusively target the surface spike glycoprotein. T-cell responses offer a long-lived line of defense and, unlike humoral responses, largely retain reactivity against the SARS-CoV-2 variants. Given the increasingly recognized role of T-cell responses in protection against severe COVID-19, the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and the potential implementation of novel vaccines, it becomes imperative to continuously monitor T-cell responses. In addition to “classical” T-cell assays requiring the isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, simple whole-blood-based interferon-γ release assays have a potential role in routine T-cell response monitoring. These assays could be particularly useful for immunocompromised people and other clinically vulnerable populations, where interactions between cellular and humoral immunity are complex. As we continue to live alongside COVID-19, the importance of considering immunity as a whole, incorporating both humoral and cellular responses, is crucial.
MALDI-TOF MS-Based KPC Direct Detection from Patients’ Positive Blood Culture Bottles, Short-Term Cultures, and Colonies at the Hospital
Authors: Costa Agustina , Figueroa-Espinosa Roque , Martínez Jerson A. , Fernández-Canigia Liliana , Maldonado María I. , Bergese Silvina A. , Schneider Ana E. , Vay Carlos , Rodriguez Carlos H. , Nastro Marcela , Gutkind Gabriel O. , Di Conza José A.
Published: June 2023

Carbapenemase resistance in Enterobacterales is a global public health problem and rapid and effective methods for detecting these resistance mechanisms are needed urgently. Our aim was to evaluate the performance of a MALDI-TOF MS-based “Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase” (KPC) detection protocol from patients’ positive blood cultures, short-term cultures, and colonies in healthcare settings. Bacterial identification and KPC detection were achieved after protein extraction with organic solvents and target spot loading with suitable organic matrices. The confirmation of KPC production was performed using susceptibility tests and blaKPC amplification using PCR and sequencing. The KPC direct detection (KPC peak at approximately 28.681 Da) from patients’ positive blood cultures, short-term cultures, and colonies, once bacterial identification was achieved, showed an overall sensibility and specificity of 100% (CI95: [95%, 100%] and CI95: [99%, 100%], respectively). The concordance between hospital routine bacterial identification protocol and identification using this new methodology from the same extract used for KPC detection was ≥92%. This study represents the pioneering effort to directly detect KPC using MALDI-TOF MS technology, conducted on patient-derived samples obtained from hospitals for validation purposes, in a multi-resistance global context that requires concrete actions to preserve the available therapeutic options and reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance markers.
Curcumin Stereoisomer, Cis-Trans Curcumin, as a Novel Ligand to A1 and A3 Adenosine Receptors
Authors: Hamilton Luke J. , Pattabiraman Mahesh , Zhong Haizhen A. , Walker Michaela , Vaughn Hilary , Chandra Surabhi
Published: June 2023

Adenosine receptors (ARs) are being explored to generate non-opioid pain therapeutics. Vanilloid compounds, curcumin, capsaicin, and vanillin possess antinociceptive properties through their interactions with the transient receptor potential channel family. However, their binding with adenosine receptors has not been well studied. The hypothesis in this study was that a vanilloid compound, cis-trans curcumin (CTCUR), binds to each of the two Gi-linked AR subtypes (A1AR and A3AR). CTCUR was synthesized from curcumin (CUR) using the cavitand-mediated photoisomerization technique. The cell lines transfected with the specific receptor (A1AR or A3AR) were treated with CTCUR or CUR and the binding was analyzed using competitive assays, confocal microscopy, and docking. The binding assays and molecular docking indicated that CTCUR had Ki values of 306 nM (A1AR) and 400 nM (A3AR). These values suggest that CTCUR is selective for Gi-linked ARs (A1AR or A3AR) over Gs-linked ARs (A2AAR or A2BAR), based on our previous published research. In addition, the docking showed that CTCUR binds to the toggle switch domain of ARs. Curcumin (CUR) did not exhibit binding at any of these receptors. In summary, CTCUR and other modifications of CUR can be developed as novel therapeutic ligands for the Gi-linked ARs (A1AR and A3AR) involved with pain and cancer.
Drug Repurposing for Targeting Myeloid-Derived Suppressor-Cell-Generated Immunosuppression in Ovarian Cancer: A Literature Review of Potential Candidates
Authors: Berckmans Yani , Hoffert Yannick , Vankerckhoven Ann , Dreesen Erwin , Coosemans An
Published: June 2023

The lethality of patients with ovarian cancer (OC) remains high. Current treatment strategies often do not lead to the desired outcome due to the development of therapy resistance, resulting in high relapse rates. Additionally, clinical trials testing immunotherapy against OC have failed to reach significant results to date. The OC tumor microenvironment and specifically myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are known to generate immunosuppression and inhibit the anti-tumor immune response following immunotherapy treatment. Our review aims to characterize potential candidate treatments to target MDSC in OC through drug-repurposing. A literature search identified repurposable compounds with evidence of their suppressing the effect of MDSC. A total of seventeen compounds were withheld, of which four were considered the most promising. Lurbinectedin, metformin, celecoxib, and 5-azacytidine have reported preclinical effects on MDSC and clinical evidence in OC. They have all been approved for a different indication, characterizing them as the most promising candidates for repurposing to treat patients with OC.
Advanced Numerical Methods for Graphene Simulation with Equivalent Boundary Conditions: A Review
Authors: Gong Yansheng , Liu Na
Published: June 2023

Since the discovery of graphene, due to its excellent optical, thermal, mechanical and electrical properties, it has a broad application prospect in energy, materials, biomedicine, electromagnetism and other fields. A great quantity of researches on the physical mechanism of graphene has been applied to engineering in electromagnetism and optics. To study the properties of graphene, different kinds of numerical methods such as the mixed finite element method (Mixed FEM), the mixed spectral element method (Mixed SEM), Method of Auxiliary Sources (MAS), discontinuous Galerkin time-domain method (DGTD) and interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin time domain (IPDG) have been developed for simulating the electromagnetic field effects of graphene and equivalent boundary conditions such as impedance transmission boundary condition (ITBC), surface current boundary condition (SCBC), impedance matrix boundary condition (IMBC) and surface impedance boundary condition (SIBC) have been employed to replace graphene in the computational domain. In this work, the numerical methods with equivalent boundary conditions are reviewed, and some examples are provided to illustrate their applicability.
Self-Pilot Tone Based Adaptive Threshold RZ-OOK Decision for Free-Space Optical Communications
Authors: Lv Peng-Fei , Hong Yan-Qing
Published: June 2023

This paper studies a novel self-pilot tone based adaptive threshold return-to-zero on-off keying (RZ-OOK) decision for free-space optical (FSO) communications. RZ-OOK has the characteristics of impulse series in the spectrum. Therefore, these impulses can be utilized as the pilot tones of the transmitted signal to convey the channel state information (CSI) of FSO links. Then, the CSI signal is extracted using a local oscillator (LO) with the frequencies of the impulse series and low pass filter. Finally, the adaptive threshold decision (ATD) is realized by assigning optimized weight factors into the extracted CSI signal. The proposed adaptive threshold RZ-OOK decision was studied in simulation under various pulse durations of RZ-OOK signal and frequencies of LO. Simulation results demonstrated that RZ-OOK with the proposed impulse tone-extracted CSI signal under optimized weight factor performs close to the conventional ATD under precise CSI knowledge.
Development of a Raman Temperature LiDAR with Low Energy and Small Aperture by Parameter Optimization
Authors: Xu Bingqing , Yang Honglong , Xian Jinhong , Xu Wenjing , Han Yuli , Chen Chong , Gong Yu , Sun Dongsong , Wang Xuan
Published: June 2023

The range of detection and accuracy of currently available Raman temperature LiDAR systems are primarily improved by increasing the energy or the aperture of the receiving telescope. However, this does not lead to a corresponding linear increase in the distance of detection and accuracy of the system. In this paper, the authors construct a simulation model and optimize its parameters to develop a Raman temperature LiDAR with low energy and a small aperture that has a maximum distance of detection of over 5 km during the day and over 10 km at night. The profile of the atmospheric temperature obtained through field tests was in good agreement with the results of a radiosonde. The maximum correlation between the Raman temperature LiDAR and the radiosonde was 0.94 at night and 0.81 during the day. The results showed that the proposed Raman temperature LiDAR, with low energy and a small aperture, can provide reliable data on the temperature in the troposphere throughout the day.
Best Procedures for Leaf and Stem Water Potential Measurements in Grapevine: Cultivar and Water Status Matter
Authors: Tomasella Martina , Calderan Alberto , Mihelčič Alenka , Petruzzellis Francesco , Braidotti Riccardo , Natale Sara , Lisjak Klemen , Sivilotti Paolo , Nardini Andrea
Published: June 2023

The pressure chamber is the most used tool for plant water status monitoring. However, species/cultivar and seasonal effects on protocols for reliable water potential determination have not been properly tested. In four grapevine cultivars and two times of the season (early season, Es; late season, Ls, under moderate drought), we assessed the maximum sample storage time before leaf water potential (Ψleaf) measurements and the minimum equilibration time for stem water potential (Ψstem) determination, taking 24 h leaf cover as control. In ‘Pinot gris’, Ψleaf already decreased after 1 h leaf storage in both campaigns, dropping by 0.4/0.5 MPa after 3 h, while in ‘Refosk’, it decreased by 0.1 MPa after 1 and 2 h in Es and Ls, respectively. In ‘Merlot’ and ‘Merlot Kanthus’, even 3 h storage did not affect Ψleaf. In Es, the minimum Ψstem equilibration was 1 h for ‘Refošk’ and 10 min for ‘Pinot gris’ and ‘Merlot’. In Ls, ‘Merlot Kanthus’ required more than 2 h equilibration, while 1 h to 10 min was sufficient for the other cultivars. The observed cultivar and seasonal differences indicate that the proposed tests should be routinely performed prior to experiments to define ad hoc procedures for water status determination.
Hydrogen Sulfide Alleviates Cadmium Stress by Enhancing Photosynthetic Efficiency and Regulating Sugar Metabolism in Wheat Seedlings
Authors: Zheng Xiang , Zhang Bei , Pan Ni , Cheng Xue , Lu Wei
Published: June 2023

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays prominent multifunctional roles in the mediation of various physiological processes and stress responses to plants. In this study, hydroponic experiments were carried out to explore the effects of NaHS pretreatment on the growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under 50 μM cadmium (Cd). Compared with Cd treatment alone, 50 μM NaHS pretreatment increased the plant height, soluble sugar content of shoots and roots, and dry weight of shoots and roots under Cd stress, while the Cd concentration of shoots and roots was significantly reduced by 18.1% and 25.9%, respectively. Meanwhile, NaHS pretreatment protected the photosynthetic apparatus by increasing the net photosynthetic rate and PSII electron transportation rate of wheat leaves under Cd stress. NaHS pretreatment significantly increased the soluble sugar content to maintain the osmotic pressure balance of the leaf cells. The gene expression results associated with photosynthetic carbon assimilation and sucrose synthesis in wheat leaves suggested that the NaHS pretreatment significantly up-regulated the expression of TaRBCL, TaRBCS, and TaPRK, while it down-regulated the expression of TaFBA, TaSuSy, TaSAInv, and TaA/NInv. In summary, NaHS pretreatment improved the resistance of wheat seedlings under Cd stress by increasing the rate of photosynthesis and regulating the expression of genes related to sugar metabolism.
Bioactive Compounds Intake of the Brazilian Population According to Geographic Region
Authors: Carnauba Renata A. , Sarti Flavia M. , Hassimotto Neuza M. A. , Lajolo Franco M.
Published: June 2023

Studies have been conducted in order to estimate bioactive compound consumption across populations, with substantial disparities according to the origin of the cohort examined. In this sense, Brazil is a continental country with marked differences in food plant availability across geographic regions. We aimed to estimate the bioactive compound intake according to Brazilian geographic region, as well as to determine the major contributors. Data were obtained from the National Dietary Survey 2017–2018, a cross-sectional population-based study including data on the individual food intake of 46,164 subjects aged ≥10 years. The consumption of polyphenols (total and classes) was significantly higher in the South compared with other regions (p = 0.0001). Total carotenoid intake was higher in the Midwest, followed by the Southeast (p = 0.0001). Tea was the main supplier of total polyphenol intake in the South, whereas coffee contributed the most to total polyphenol intake in other Brazilian regions. Açaí, caja juice, mango and corn were important suppliers of carotenoid intake in the North and Northeast. Bioactive compound intake presented variations according to Brazilian region, and individuals living in the South, Midwest and Southeast may experience higher bioactive-dense diets. We highlight the potential of many food plants for sustained explorations to the development of marketable products, possibly increasing the bioactive compound intake.
Genome-Wide Identification of the PP2C Gene Family and Analyses with Their Expression Profiling in Response to Cold Stress in Wild Sugarcane
Authors: Huang Xing , Liang Yongsheng , Zhang Ronghua , Zhang Baoqing , Song Xiupeng , Liu Junxian , Lu Manman , Qin Zhenqiang , Li Dewei , Li Song , Li Yangrui
Published: June 2023

Type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs) represent a major group of protein phosphatases in plants, some of which have already been confirmed to play important roles in diverse plant processes. In this study, analyses of the phylogenetics, gene structure, protein domain, chromosome localization, and collinearity, as well as an identification of the expression profile, protein–protein interaction, and subcellular location, were carried out on the PP2C family in wild sugarcane (Saccharum spontaneum). The results showed that 145 PP2C proteins were classified into 13 clades. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that SsPP2Cs are evolutionarily closer to those of sorghum, and the number of SsPP2Cs is the highest. There were 124 pairs of SsPP2C genes expanding via segmental duplications. Half of the SsPP2C proteins were predicted to be localized in the chloroplast (73), with the next most common predicted localizations being in the cytoplasm (37) and nucleus (17). Analysis of the promoter revealed that SsPP2Cs might be photosensitive, responsive to abiotic stresses, and hormone-stimulated. A total of 27 SsPP2Cs showed cold-stress-induced expressions, and SsPP2C27 (Sspon.01G0007840-2D) and SsPP2C64 (Sspon.03G0002800-3D) were the potential hubs involved in ABA signal transduction. Our study presents a comprehensive analysis of the SsPP2C gene family, which can play a vital role in the further study of phosphatases in wild sugarcane. The results suggest that the PP2C family is evolutionarily conserved, and that it functions in various developmental processes in wild sugarcane.
Exploring the Anticancer Potential of Premna resinosa (Hochst.) Leaf Surface Extract: Discovering New Diterpenes as Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70) Binding Agents
Authors: Parisi Valentina , Donadio Giuliana , Bellone Maria Laura , Belaabed Soumia , Bader Ammar , Bisio Angela , Iobbi Valeria , Gazzillo Erica , Chini Maria Giovanna , Bifulco Giuseppe , Faraone Immacolata , Vassallo Antonio
Published: June 2023

Premna, a genus consisting of approximately 200 species, predominantly thrives in tropical and subtropical areas. Many of these species have been utilized in ethnopharmacology for diverse medicinal applications. In Saudi Arabia, Premna resinosa (Hochst.) Schauer (Lamiaceae) grows wildly, and its slightly viscid leaves are attributed to the production of leaf accession. In this study, we aimed to extract the surface accession from fresh leaves using dichloromethane to evaluate the anticancer potential. The plant exudate yielded two previously unknown labdane diterpenes, Premnaresone A and B, in addition to three already described congeners and four known flavonoids. The isolation process was accomplished using a combination of silica gel column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC, the structures of which were identified by NMR and HRESIMS analyses and a comparison with the literature data of associated compounds. Furthermore, we employed a density functional theory (DFT)/NMR approach to suggest the relative configuration of different compounds. Consequently, we investigated the possibility of developing new chaperone inhibitors by subjecting diterpenes 1–5 to a Surface Plasmon Resonance-screening, based on the knowledge that oridonin, a diterpene, interacts with Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70) 1A in cancer cells. Additionally, we studied the anti-proliferative activity of compounds 1–5 on human Jurkat (human T-cell lymphoma) and HeLa (epithelial carcinoma) cell lines, where diterpene 3 exhibited activity in Jurkat cell lines after 48 h, with an IC50 of 15.21 ± 1.0 µM. Molecular docking and dynamic simulations revealed a robust interaction between compound 3 and Hsp70 key residues.
The Sweet Potato K+ Transporter IbHAK11 Regulates K+ Deficiency and High Salinity Stress Tolerance by Maintaining Positive Ion Homeostasis
Authors: Zhu Hong , Guo Jiayu , Ma Tao , Liu Shuyan , Zhou Yuanyuan , Yang Xue , Li Qiyan , Yu Kaiyue , Wang Tongshuai , He Sixiang , Zhao Chunmei , Wang Jingshan , Sui Jiongming
Published: June 2023

The K+ transporter KT/HAK/KUP (K+ transporter/high-affinity K+/K+ uptake) family has a critical effect on K+ uptake and translocation in plants under different environmental conditions. However, the functional analysis of KT/HAK/KUP members in sweet potatoes is still limited. The present work reported the physiological activity of a new gene, IbHAK11, in the KT/HAK/KUP family in sweet potatoes. IbHAK11 expression increased significantly in the low K+-tolerant line compared with the low K+-sensitive line following treatment with low K+ concentrations. IbHAK11 upregulation promoted root growth in Arabidopsis under low K+ conditions. Under high saline stress, transgenic lines had superior growth and photosynthetic characteristics compared with the wild-type (WT). As for IbHAK11-overexpressing plants, activation of both the non-enzymatic and enzymatic reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging systems was observed. Therefore, IbHAK11-overexpressing plants had lower malondialdehyde (MDA) and ROS levels (including H2O2 and O2−) compared with WT under salt-induced stress. We also found that under both low K+ and high salinity conditions, overexpression of IbHAK11 enhanced K+ translocation from the root to the shoot and decreased Na+ absorption in Arabidopsis. Consequently, IbHAK11 positively regulated K+ deficiency and high salinity stresses by regulating K+ translocation and Na+ uptake, thus maintaining K+/Na+ homeostasis in plants.
Polyolefin Recyclates for Rigid Packaging Applications: The Influence of Input Stream Composition on Recyclate Quality
Authors: Mager Moritz , Berghofer Michael , Fischer Joerg
Published: June 2023

In order to shift to a circular plastics economy, high quality recyclates are required to effectively substitute virgin materials. Current approaches to empirically quantify the substitutability for recyclates are mainly limited by the abundance of virgin material grades along with a lack of adequate application-specific property profiles. In contrast, this work aims for a holistic analysis of the substitution potential of polyolefin recyclates intended for rigid packaging applications. This approach is fundamentally based on the classification of virgin polyolefins into different application-specific sub-groups with defined property windows derived from supplier data sheets, which allows for a generalization within one polymer type without neglecting the various available material grades. Moreover, the findings should provide valuable information for improvements of quality-defining process steps along the value chain of mechanical recycling. Therefore, it is of great importance to correlate the input stream composition of the investigated recyclates with the obtained qualities. The investigation of the substitution potential for selected recyclates clearly highlights the necessity of functional recycling for enhanced quality levels, which especially affects the sorting step in the recycling value chain. This work illustrates that a homogeneous waste stream directly correlates with a high substitution potential. Thus, the development of economically viable sorting strategies which take the functionality of plastic waste products into account must be targeted in future research. Furthermore, the development of detailed application-specific property windows in a joint effort with manufacturers should be pursued, as it allows for a meaningful empirical quantification of the substitutability for recyclates obtained from mechanical recycling.
Application of Ionic Liquid Crosslinked Hydrogel for Removing Heavy Metal Ions from Water: Different Concentration Ranges with Different Adsorption Mechanisms
Authors: Sun Jian , Jin Ziqi , Wang Jiyang , Wang Hong , Zhang Qian , Gao Huajing , Jin Zhaohui , Zhang Jianlin , Wang Zhiwei
Published: June 2023

Heavy metal wastewater poses a significant environmental challenge due to its harmful effect on organisms and difficult biodegradation. To address this issue, hydrogel has been used as a promising solution for the adsorption of heavy metal ions in water, offering advantages such as low cost, simple design, and environmental friendliness. In this study, we synthetized a novel poly-acrylamide/acrylic acid/vinyl imidazole bromide (PAM/AA/[Vim]Br2) hydrogel as an effective adsorbent for the removal of NiII, CuII, ZnII, and CrIII from water. The structure of the hydrogel was characterized by using techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). By exploring various parameters such as monomer ratio, neutralization degree, crosslinking agent addition amount, and initiator addition amount, the highest swelling ratio of the PAM/AA/[Vim]Br2 hydrogel reached 40,012%. One of the notable aspects of this study lay in the investigation of the adsorption behavior of the hydrogel towards heavy metal ions at different concentrations. The adsorption isotherm calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed distinct adsorption mechanisms. At low concentrations, the hydrogel exhibits a multilayer physical adsorption mechanism, with heavy metal ion removal rates exceeding 80%; while at high concentrations, it demonstrates a monolayer chemical adsorption mechanism, with heavy metal ion removal rates above 90%. This dual mechanism approach distinguishes our study from previous reports on the removal of heavy metal ions using hydrogels and shows good ion adsorption efficiency at both high and low concentrations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to explore the removal of heavy metal ions from water using hydrogels with such intriguing dual mechanisms. Overall, the utilization of the PAM/PAA/[Vim]Br2 hydrogel as an adsorbent for heavy metal ion removal presents a promising and innovative approach, contributing to the development of environmentally friendly solutions for heavy metal wastewater treatment.
Do the True Boiling-Point Distillation Yields of Crude Oil Blends Obey the Additive Blending Rule?
Authors: Stratiev Dicho , Shishkova Ivelina , Dinkov Rosen , Sotirov Sotir , Sotirova Evdokia , Atanassov Krassimir , Ribagin Simeon , Nikolova Radoslava , Veli Anife , Palichev Georgi , Stratiev Danail D.
Published: June 2023

Twelve crude oil blends prepared from seven individual crude oils and an imported atmospheric residue were characterized through a true boiling point (TBP) distillation analysis and their density. When comparing the measured TBP fraction yields with those estimated through the application of the additive blending rule, it was found that, for four crude oil blends, the additive blending rule was valid, while for the remaining eight crude oil blends, deviations of the measured TBP yields from the estimated ones were bigger than the TBP analysis’s repeatability limits. By the use of intercriteria analysis evaluation of the data for the deviation of the TBP yields from the additive blending rule and the molar excess volume of the crude oil blends, statistically meaningful relations between the delta TBP yields of light and heavy naphtha, as well as vacuum residue with the molar excess volume, were found. The higher the magnitude of the crude oil blend’s molar excess volume, the bigger the deviations of the TBP yields of naphtha and vacuum residue are. The bigger the deviation of the crude oil blend’s behavior from that of the regular solution, as quantified by the molar excess volume, the bigger the deviations of the TBP yields of naphtha and vacuum residue are.
Industrial Chemistry Reactions: Kinetics, Mass Transfer and Industrial Reactor Design (II)
Authors: Santacesaria Elio , Tesser Riccardo , Russo Vincenzo
Published: June 2023

Due to the success of the first edition of the Special Issue “Industrial Chemistry Reactions: Kinetics, Mass Transfer and Industrial Reactor Design” in terms of both the quantity and quality of the published papers, we thought it would be prudent to announce a second edition [...]
The Contribution of Women to Peace in the Middle East: The Experience of the Movement Women Wage Peace (WWP)
Authors: Bartolini De Angeli Elena Lea
Published: June 2023

In the context of the many movements with a strong female presence promoting peace in the Middle East, the movement Women Wage Peace (WWP) currently represents the largest and most impactful organization in the country. Founded in the aftermath of the 50-day Gaza War/Operation Protective Edge of 2014, Women Wage Peace has grown to 45,000 Israeli members, the most significant grassroots peace movement in Israel today. WWP’s theory of change refracts the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and its resolution, through a gendered lens. The movement is non-partisan and does not support any specific solution to the conflict. Instead, it empowers women from diverse communities to build trust across divides, leading to a unified demand for diplomatic negotiation, with full representation of women, to end the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. WWP enables very diverse women to unite with the aim of taking their own and their children’s futures into their own hands: women from the left, center, and right, young and old, from the center and periphery of the country, religious and secular, Jewish, Arab, Druze, and Bedouin. The movement continues to refine its non-hierarchical structure, distributing its work among thousands of volunteers who serve on regional and/or mission-specific teams, including Government Engagement, Foreign Affairs, Digital Communication, Special Projects, and Strategy.
SDNC-Repair: A Cooperative Data Repair Strategy Based on Erasure Code for Software-Defined Storage
Authors: Chen Ningjiang , Liu Weitao , Pu Wenjuan , Liu Yifei , Zhong Qingwei
Published: June 2023

Erasure-code-based storage systems suffer from problems such as long repair time and low I/O performance, resulting in high repair costs. For many years, researchers have focused on reducing the cost of repairing erasure-code-based storage systems. In this study, we discuss the demerits of node selecting, data transferring and data repair in erasure-code-based storage systems. Based on the network topology and node structure, we propose SDNC-Repair, a cooperative data repair strategy based on erasure code for SDS (Software Defined Storage), and describe its framework. Then, we propose a data source selection algorithm that senses the available network bandwidth between nodes and a data flow scheduling algorithm in SDNC-Repair. Additionally, we propose a data repair method based on node collaboration and data aggregation. Experiments illustrate that the proposed method has better repair performance under different data granularities. Compared to the conventional repair method, although the SDNC-Repair is more constrained by the cross-rack bandwidth, it improves system throughput effectively and significantly reduces data repair time in scenarios where multiple nodes fail and bandwidth is limited.
Relationship between the Central and Regional Pulse Wave Velocity in the Assessment of Arterial Stiffness Depending on Gender in the Geriatric Population
Authors: Jannasz Iwona , Sondej Tadeusz , Targowski Tomasz , Mańczak Małgorzata , Obiała Karolina , Dobrowolski Andrzej Piotr , Olszewski Robert
Published: June 2023

Artery stiffness is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The measurement of pulse wave velocity (PWV) between the carotid artery and the femoral artery (cfPWV) is considered the gold standard in the assessment of arterial stiffness. A relationship between cfPWV and regional PWV has not been established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of gender on arterial stiffness measured centrally and regionally in the geriatric population. The central PWV was assessed by a SphygmoCor XCEL, and the regional PWV was assessed by a new device through the photoplethysmographic measurement of multi-site arterial pulse wave velocity (MPPT). The study group included 118 patients (35 males and 83 females; mean age 77.2 ± 8.1 years). Men were characterized by statistically significantly higher values of cfPWV than women (cfPWV 10.52 m/s vs. 9.36 m/s; p = 0.001). In the measurement of regional PWV values using MPPT, no such relationship was found. Gender groups did not statistically differ in the distribution of atherosclerosis risk factors. cfPWV appears to be more accurate than regional PWV in assessing arterial stiffness in the geriatric population.
Channel State Information Based Indoor Fingerprinting Localization
Authors: Che Rongjie , Chen Honglong
Published: June 2023

Indoor localization is one of the key techniques for location-based services (LBSs), which play a significant role in applications in confined spaces, such as tunnels and mines. To achieve indoor localization in confined spaces, the channel state information (CSI) of WiFi can be selected as a feature to distinguish locations due to its fine-grained characteristics compared with the received signal strength (RSS). In this paper, two indoor localization approaches based on CSI fingerprinting were designed: amplitude-of-CSI-based indoor fingerprinting localization (AmpFi) and full-dimensional CSI-based indoor fingerprinting localization (FuFi). AmpFi adopts the amplitude of the CSI as the localization fingerprint in the offline phase, and in the online phase, the improved weighted K-nearest neighbor (IWKNN) is proposed to estimate the unknown locations. Based on AmpFi, FuFi is proposed, which considers all of the subcarriers in the MIMO system as the independent features and adopts the normalized amplitudes of the full-dimensional subcarriers as the fingerprint. AmpFi and FuFi were implemented on a commercial network interface card (NIC), where FuFi outperformed several other typical fingerprinting-based indoor localization approaches.
Validity and Reliability of a Load Cell Sensor-Based Device for Assessment of the Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull Test
Authors: Montoro-Bombú Raynier , Gomes Beatriz Branquinho , Santos Amândio , Rama Luis
Published: June 2023

In recent years, there has been an exponential increase in the number of devices developed to measure or estimate physical exercise. However, before these devices can be used in a practical and research environment, it is necessary to determine their validity and reliability. The purpose of this study is to test the validity and reliability of a load cell sensor-based device (LC) for measuring the peak force (PFr) and the rate of force development (RFD) during the isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) test, using a force plate (FP) as the gold standard. Forty-two undergraduate sport science students (male and female) participated in this study. In a single session, they performed three repetitions of the IMTP test, being tested simultaneously with an LC device and a Kistler force platform (FP). The PFr and RFD data were obtained from the force-time curve of the FP and compared with the LC data, provided automatically by the software of the device (Smart Traction device©). The mean difference between the results obtained by the LC device and the gold-standard equipment (FP) was not significantly different (p > 0.05), for both PFr and RFD, which suggests the validity of the ST results. Bland–Altman analysis showed a small mean difference in PFr = 1.69 N, upper bound = 47.88 N, and lower bound = −51.27 N. RFD showed that the mean difference was −5.27 N/s, upper limit = 44.36 N/s, and lower limit = −54.91 N/s. Our results suggest that the LC device can be used in the assessment of the isometric-mid-thigh-pull test as a valid and reliable tool. It is recommended that this device’s users consider these research results before putting the ST into clinical practice.