bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mitochondria-Targeted Delivery of Camptothecin Based on HPMA Copolymer for Metastasis Suppression
Authors: Yi Xiaoli , Yan Yue , Shen Xinran , Li Lian , Huang Yuan
Published: July 2022

Poor anti-metastasis effects and side-effects remain a challenge for the clinical application of camptothecin (CPT). Mitochondria can be a promising target for the treatment of metastatic tumors due to their vital roles in providing energy supply, upregulating pro-metastatic factors, and controlling cell-death signaling. Thus, selectively delivering CPT to mitochondria appears to be a feasible way of improving the anti-metastasis effect and reducing adverse effects. Here, we established a 2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DEA)-modified N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer–CPT conjugate (P-DEA-CPT) to mediate the mitochondrial accumulation of CPT. The mitochondria-targeted P-DEA-CPT could overcome multiple barriers by quickly internalizing into 4T1 cells, then escaping from lysosome, and sufficiently accumulating in mitochondria. Subsequently, P-DEA-CPT greatly damaged mitochondrial function, leading to the reactive oxide species (ROS) elevation, energy depletion, apoptosis amplification, and tumor metastasis suppression. Consequently, P-DEA-CPT successfully inhibited both primary tumor growth and distant metastasis in vivo. Furthermore, our studies revealed that the mechanism underlying the anti-metastasis capacity of P-DEA-CPT was partially via downregulation of various pro-metastatic proteins, such as hypoxia induction factor-1α (HIF-1α), matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This study provided the proof of concept that escorting CPT to mitochondria via a mitochondrial targeting strategy could be a promising approach for anti-metastasis treatment.
Optical Imaging Visualizes a Homogeneous and Horizontal Band-Like Biodistribution of Large- and Small-Size Hydrophilic Compounds Delivered by Ablative Fractional Laser
Authors: Christensen Rikke Louise , Ortner Vinzent Kevin , Haedersdal Merete , Olesen Uffe Høgh
Published: July 2022

The skin barrier generally limits the topical delivery of hydrophilic molecules. Ablative fractional laser (AFL) facilitates cutaneous drug uptake of smaller hydrophilic compounds in several studies. In this imaging-based study, we aim to investigate the cutaneous biodistribution of two different-sized hydrophilic compounds delivered by an ablative fractional CO2 laser at minimally invasive settings. Intact or CO2 AFL-pretreated (2.5 mJ/mb and 5% density) ex vivo porcine skin was topically applied with a large or small hydrophilic compound (fluorescence labeled antibody nivolumab (150,000 g/mol, n = 4) or ATTO 647N (746 g/mol, n = 3)). Samples were incubated for 20 h in a Franz cell setup, whereafter optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to assess laser channel depth, and ex vivo confocal microscopy (EVCM) was used to assess epidermal thickness and cutaneous biodistribution of nivolumab and ATTO 647N. With an EVCM-assessed median epidermal thickness of 70.3 µm and OCT-assessed ablation depth of 31.9 µm, minimally invasive settings enabled shallow penetration into the mid-epidermis. The AFL-assisted uptake of the antibody nivolumab and the smaller compound ATTO 647N showed a similar homogenous and horizontal band-like biodistribution pattern that reached mid-dermis. No uptake of nivolumab or ATTO 647N was observed in intact skin. In conclusion, AFL-induced mid-epidermal laser channels facilitates the cutaneous delivery of two hydrophilic compounds that are distributed in a similar homogeneous and horizontal band-like pattern, irrespective of their molecular size.
Developing Oligo Probes for Chromosomes Identification in Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
Authors: Romanov Dmitry V. , Karlov Gennady I. , Divashuk Mikhail G.
Published: July 2022

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L., 2n = 20) is a valuable crop that is successfully used as a food, technical and medicinal crop. It is a dioecious plant with an XX\XY sex determination system. Some chromosomes of C. sativa have almost the same lengths and centromeric indexes. Cytogenetic markers help to distinguish similar plant chromosomes, including sex chromosomes, which is important for the breeding process. Two repeats (CS-1 and CS-237) were used to develop labeled oligo-probes for rapid and low-cost oligo-FISH. These oligos can be recommended for use as cytological markers to distinguish sex chromosomes (X and Y) and somatic chromosome pairs 3, 6, and 8 by rapid oligo-FISH in a short time.
Dermal Penetration Studies of Potential Phenolic Compounds Ex Vivo and Their Antioxidant Activity In Vitro
Authors: Butkeviciute Aurita , Ramanauskiene Kristina , Kurapkiene Vaida , Janulis Valdimaras
Published: July 2022

Phenolic compounds with miscellaneous biological activities are an interesting component in dermatology and cosmetology practices. The aim of our study was to determine the phenolic compounds released from emulsion, emulgel, gel, ointment, and oleogel formulations penetration into human skin layers, both the epidermis and dermis, and estimate their antioxidant activity. The ex vivo penetration study was performed using Bronaugh type flow-through diffusion cells. Penetration studies revealed that, within 24 h, the chlorogenic acid released from the oleogel penetrated into skin layers to a depth of 2.0 ± 0.1 µg/mL in the epidermis and 1.5 ± 0.07 µg/mL in the dermis. The oleogel-released complex of phenolic compounds penetrating into epidermis showed the strongest DPPH free radical scavenging activity (281.8 ± 14.1 µM TE/L). The study estimated a strong positive correlation (r = 0.729) between the amount of quercetin penetrated into epidermis and the antioxidant activity detected in the epidermis extract. Plant based phenolic compounds demonstrated antioxidant activity and showed great permeability properties through the skin.
Gb_ANR-47 Enhances the Resistance of Gossypium barbadense to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (FOV) by Regulating the Content of Proanthocyanidins
Authors: Su Xuening , Zhao Jieyin , Gao Wenju , Zu Qianli , Chen Quanjia , Li Chunping , Qu Yanying
Published: July 2022

Anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) is an important regulator of flavonoid metabolism, and proanthocyanidins, the secondary metabolites of flavonoids, play an important role in the response of plants to pathogenic stress. Therefore, in this study, the expression analysis of the ANR gene family of Gossypium barbadense after inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (FOV) was performed at different time points. It was found that Gb_ANR-47 showed significant differences in the disease-resistant cultivar 06-146 and the susceptible cultivar Xinhai 14, as well as in the highest root expression. It was found that the expression of Gb_ANR-47 in the resistant cultivar was significantly higher than that in the susceptible cultivar by MeJA and SA, and different amounts of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and salicylic acid (SA) response elements were found in the promoter region of Gb_ANR-47. After silencing GbANR-47 in 06-146 material by VIGS technology, its resistance to FOV decreased significantly. The disease severity index (DSI) was significantly increased, and the anthocyanin content was significantly decreased in silenced plants, compared to controls. Our findings suggest that GbANR-47 is a positive regulator of FOV resistance in Gossypium barbadense. The research results provide an important theoretical basis for in-depth analysis of the molecular mechanism of GbANR-47 and improving the anti-FOV of Gossypium barbadense.
A Viral Suppressor of RNA Silencing May Be Targeting a Plant Defence Pathway Involving Fibrillarin
Authors: Pérez-Cañamás Miryam , Taliansky Michael , Hernández Carmen
Published: July 2022

To establish productive infections, viruses must be able both to subdue the host metabolism for their own benefit and to counteract host defences. This frequently results in the establishment of viral–host protein–protein interactions that may have either proviral or antiviral functions. The study of such interactions is essential for understanding the virus–host interplay. Plant viruses with RNA genomes are typically translated, replicated, and encapsidated in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Despite this, a significant array of their encoded proteins has been reported to enter the nucleus, often showing high accumulation at subnuclear structures such as the nucleolus and/or Cajal bodies. However, the biological significance of such a distribution pattern is frequently unknown. Here, we explored whether the nucleolar/Cajal body localization of protein p37 of Pelargonium line pattern virus (PLPV, genus Pelarspovirus, family Tombusviridae), might be related to potential interactions with the nucleolar/Cajal body marker proteins, fibrillarin and coilin. The results revealed that p37, which has a dual role as coat protein and as suppressor of RNA silencing, a major antiviral system in plants, is able to associate with these cellular factors. Analysis of (wildtype and/or mutant) PLPV accumulation in plants with up- or downregulated levels of fibrillarin or coilin have suggested that the former might be involved in an as yet unknown antiviral pathway, which may be targeted by p37. The results suggest that the growing number of functions uncovered for fibrillarin can be wider and may prompt future investigations to unveil the plant antiviral responses in which this key nucleolar component may take part.
Defense Responses and Metabolic Changes Involving Phenylpropanoid Pathway and PR Genes in Squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) following Cucumber mosaic virus Infection
Authors: Abdelkhalek Ahmed , Király Lóránt , Al-Mansori Al-Naji A. , Younes Hosny A. , Zeid Ahmed , Elsharkawy Mohsen Mohamed , Behiry Said I.
Published: July 2022

The current study focuses on the effects of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) infection on phytochemical changes and pathogenesis- and phenylpropanoid pathway-associated gene activities in squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) plants during a time course of 2 to 12 days post inoculation (dpi). The identity of the CMV isolate was confirmed by DAS-ELISA, TEM, and coat protein gene sequence. The CMV infection initially boosts and then suppresses transcript levels of the defense-related genes PR-1, PR-2, PAL, HQT, and CHS during the investigated time course compared to controls. The expression profile during the time-course study indicated that early, transient induction of PR-1 occurs during CMV infection, while CMV induced the expression of PR-2 in systemically infected squash tissues at all time points and suppressed the expression of PAL and HQT at 8-12 dpi. CHS transcript levels fluctuated between up- and down-regulation, but by 12 dpi, CHS expression reached its peak. The HPLC and GC–MS analyses of CMV-infected squash extracts revealed that different phenolic, flavonoid, and fatty acid compounds could be induced or suppressed upon CMV infection. In particular, CMV could suppress the synthesis of most phenolic compounds, specifically chlorogenic acid, possibly leading to the virus’s rapid spread.
The Effects of LED Light Spectra and Intensities on Plant Growth
Authors: Cavallaro Valeria , Muleo Rosario
Published: July 2022

Light is an electromagnetic radiation that occurs in a narrow range of over an extremely wide range of wavelengths, from gamma rays with wavelengths to radio waves measured in meters [...]
Efficient Assessment and Large-Scale Conservation of Intra-Varietal Diversity of Ancient Grapevine Varieties: Case Study Portugal
Authors: Gonçalves Elsa , Martins Antero
Published: July 2022

There are thousands of ancient grapevine varieties in Europe, each one having a high level of intra-varietal diversity with regard to important economic traits (yield, soluble solids content, acidity, anthocyanins, and others). However, this potential has become exposed to a process of genetic erosion since the middle of the last century. The main objective of this work is to present experimental strategies for conservation and utilization of intra-varietal diversity. A concrete example is given about the actions performed in Portugal since 1978. Two main approaches for the conservation of intra-varietal diversity were performed: (1) strict conservation (in pots and in the field without experimental design) for future generations; and (2) conservation and, simultaneously, evaluation of the intra-varietal variability for selection to fulfil the immediate needs of the grape and wine sector (in the field with experimental design). More than 30,000 accessions of Portuguese autochthonous varieties are conserved. Using the theory of mixed models, intra-varietal diversity of the yield was found for the 59 varieties studied. The conservation and the evaluation of the intra-varietal diversity for quantitative traits will allow to extract high economic value, as well as to ensure its utilization to meet the objectives of the vine and wine sector.
Use of Under-Vine Living Mulches to Control Noxious Weeds in Irrigated Mediterranean Vineyards
Authors: Guerra Jose G. , Cabello Félix , Fernández-Quintanilla César , Peña José Manuel , Dorado José
Published: July 2022

This article assesses the use of under-vine living mulches in Mediterranean vineyards characterized by limited water resources, one of the reasons why this agronomic practice is currently unusual in these environments. The aim of the study was to test whether the use of this alternative method in Mediterranean vineyards could suppress noxious weeds without hindering optimal vineyard development. For this purpose, four native species were selected as living mulches: Festuca ovina, Pilosella officinarum, Plantago coronopus, and Plantago lanceolata. The variables measured during three years in two different experimental farms were: (a) living mulch cover, as a possible predictor of weed suppression success; (b) weed density and weed biomass, with special attention to noxious weed species; and (c) pruning weights, measured in the last year to analyze the cumulative effect of the treatments on the grapevine vegetative growth. Our results revealed that living mulches with high cover rates (average over 70%) also showed weed suppression of up to 95%, significantly controlling the occurrence of noxious weeds such as Erigeron canadensis. No significant effect of the different treatments on vine vegetative growth was found, although further studies would be necessary. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that under-vine living mulches could be an efficient and environmentally friendly method for weed control in Mediterranean vineyards where irrigation is available.
Synthesis of Gentamicin-Immobilized Agar with Improved Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Hou Tingting , Wen Xin , Xie Lici , Gu Qixiang , Li Chengpeng
Published: July 2022

To develop agar derivatives with good antibacterial activity and decreased gelling and melting temperatures, two agar–gentamycin conjugates with 9.20% and 12.68% gentamicin immobilized were fabricated by oxidation, Schiff base and reduction reaction, and characterized by a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and an elemental analyzer. It was found that the modifications changed the intermolecular interactions, leading to decreased gelling and melting temperatures for the oxidized agar and slightly increased gelling and melting temperatures for agar–gentamycin conjugates. Further studies of antimicrobial properties showed that the two agar–gentamycin conjugates possessed good antibacterial activity, which was positively correlated with the dosage and the immobilization rate of gentamicin. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of agar–gentamycin conjugates with higher immobilization rates of gentamicin against Escherichia coli were 39.1 μg/mL and 156.2 μg/mL, respectively, and the MICs and MBCs against Staphylococcus aureus were 19.5 μg/mL and 78.1 μg/mL, respectively. A biofilm test indicated that certain concentrations of agar–gentamycin conjugate could effectively inhibit the biofilm formation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In summary, agar–gentamycin conjugates possess good antibacterial activities and may be applied as a new kind of antibacterial material.
Polymer-Solvent Interactions in Modified Starches Pastes–Electrokinetic, Dynamic Light Scattering, Rheological and Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Approach
Authors: Makowska Agnieszka , Dwiecki Krzysztof , Kubiak Piotr , Baranowska Hanna Maria , Lewandowicz Grażyna
Published: July 2022

Starch paste is a very complex dispersion that cannot be clearly classified as a solution, colloid or suspension and many factors affects its properties. As these ambiguities constitute a barrier to technological development, the aim of this study was to investigate the interaction of starch macromolecules with water by analysing the results of rheological properties, low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF NMR), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and ζ potential analyses. Starch pastes with a concentration of 1%, prepared with distilled water and buffered to pH values of 2.5, 7.0 and 9.5 were analysed. It was proved that the pH buffering substantially decreased the values of consistency index but the pH value itself was not significant. LF NMR studies indicated that the dissolution of starch in water resulted in a reduction in spin-lattice as well as spin-spin relaxation times. Moreover, changes in relaxation times followed the patterns observed in rheological studies. Electrokinetic and DLS analyses showed that potential values are primarily influenced by the properties of the starches themselves and, to a lesser extent, by the environmental conditions. The conducted research also showed complementarity and, to some extent, substitutability of the applied research methods as well as exclusion chromatography (a method not used in this work).
The Preparation of Anti-Ultraviolet Composite Films Based on Fish Gelatin and Sodium Alginate Incorporated with Mycosporine-like Amino Acids
Authors: Gan Jing , Guan Chenxia , Zhang Xiaoyu , Sun Lirong , Zhang Qinling , Pan Shihui , Zhang Qian , Chen Hao
Published: July 2022

Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are ultraviolet-absorbing compounds and have antioxidant functions. In this paper, MAAs were added into fish gelatin/sodium alginate films as an anti-ultraviolet additive. The effects of 0–5% MAAs (w/w, MAAs/fish gelatin) on the physical properties, antioxidant properties, antibacterial properties and anti-ultraviolet properties of fish gelatin/sodium alginate films were investigated. The results suggest that the content of the MAAs influenced the mechanical properties. The water content, swelling and water vapor permeability of the films were not altered with the addition of MAAs. In addition, the composite films showed effective antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity. The incorporation of MAAs significantly improved the DPPH radical scavenging activity of the films from 35.77% to 46.61%. Moreover, the block ultraviolet rays’ ability was also greatly improved when the film mixed with the MAAs and when the value of the light transmission was 0.6% at 350 nm. Compared with the pure composite film, the growth of E. coli covered by the composite film with 3.75% and 5% MAAs exhibited the best survival rate. These results reveal that MAAs are a good film-forming substrate, and MAAs have good potential to prepare anti-ultraviolet active films and antioxidant active films for applications. Overall, this project provides a theoretical basis for the study of active composite films with anti-ultraviolet activities, and it provides new ideas for the application of MAAs.
Piezoresistive Properties of 3D-Printed Polylactic Acid (PLA) Nanocomposites
Authors: Hashemi Sanatgar Razieh , Cayla Aurélie , Guan Jinping , Chen Guoqiang , Nierstrasz Vincent , Campagne Christine
Published: July 2022

An increasing interest is focused on the application of 3D printing for sensor manufacturing. Using 3D printing technology offers a new approach to the fabrication of sensors that are both geometrically and functionally complex. This work presents the analysis of the 3D-printed thermoplastic nanocomposites compress under the applied force. The response for the corresponding resistance changes versus applied load is obtained to evaluate the effectiveness of the printed layer as a pressure/force sensor. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) and high-structured carbon black (Ketjenblack) (KB) in the polylactic acid (PLA) matrix were extruded to develop 3D-printable filaments. The electrical and piezoresistive behaviors of the created 3D-printed layers were investigated. The percolation threshold of MWNT and KB 3D-printed layers are 1 wt.% and 4 wt.%, respectively. The PLA/1 wt.% MWNT 3D-printed layers with 1 mm thickness exhibit a negative pressure coefficient (NPC) characterized by a decrease of about one decade in resistance with increasing compressive loadings up to 18 N with a maximum strain up to about 16%. In the cyclic mode with a 1 N/min force rate, the PLA/1 wt.% MWNT 3D-printed layers showed good performance with the piezoresistive coefficient or gauge factor (G) of 7.6 obtained with the amplitude of the piezoresistive response (Ar) of about -0.8. KB composites could not show stable piezoresistive responses in a cyclic mode. However, under high force rate compression, the PLA/4 wt.% KB 3D-printed layers led to responses of large sensitivity (Ar = −0.90) and were exempt from noise with a high value of G = 47.6 in the first cycle, which is a highly efficient piezoresistive behavior.
Ring-Opening Polymerization of L-Lactide Catalyzed by Potassium-Based Complexes: Mechanistic Studies
Authors: Rentero Christian , Damián Jesús , Medel Asier , Fernández-Millán María , Rusconi Yolanda , Talarico Giovanni , Cuenca Tomás , Sessini Valentina , Mosquera Marta E. G.
Published: July 2022

Two non-toxic potassium compounds, 1 and 2, with a commercial oximate ligand have been prepared and fully spectroscopically characterized. Their activity as catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) process of LLA has been studied, showing that they are extremely active and able to polymerize the monomer in a few minutes. For derivative 2, the presence of a crown ether in the potassium coordination sphere affects the nuclearity of the compound and consequently its solubility, with both aspects having an influence in the polymerization process. Detailed studies of the polymerization mechanism have been performed, and an unusual anionic mechanism was observed in absence of a co-initiator. Indeed, the monomer deprotonation generates a lactide enolate, which initiates the polymerization propagation. On the contrary, when a 1:1 ratio of cat:BnOH is used, a mixture of mechanisms is observed, the anionic mechanism and the activated monomer one, while from a cat:BnOH ratio of 1:2 and over, only the activated monomer mechanism is observed.
Recent Progresses in Adsorption Mechanism, Architectures, Electrode Materials and Applications for Advanced Electrosorption System: A Review
Authors: Cheng Youliang , Shi Jiayu , Zhang Qingling , Fang Changqing , Chen Jing , Li Fengjuan
Published: July 2022

As an advanced strategy for water treatment, electrosorb technology has attracted extensive attention in the fields of seawater desalination and water pollution treatment due to the advantages of low consumption, environmental protection, simplicity and easy regeneration. In this work, the related adsorption mechanism, primary architectures, electrode materials, and applications of different electrosorption systems were reviewed. In addition, the developments for advanced electrosorb technology were also summarized and prospected.
Hot Lithography Vat Photopolymerisation 3D Printing: Vat Temperature vs. Mixture Design
Authors: Sameni Farzaneh , Ozkan Basar , Zarezadeh Hanifeh , Karmel Sarah , Engstrøm Daniel S. , Sabet Ehsan
Published: July 2022

In the vat photopolymerisation 3D printing technique, the properties of the printed parts are highly dependent on the degree of conversion of the monomers. The mechanisms and advantages of vat photopolymerisation at elevated temperatures, or so called “hot lithography”, were investigated in this paper. Two types of photoresins, commercially used as highly accurate castable resins, with different structural and diluent monomers, were employed in this study. Samples were printed at 25 °C, 40 °C, and 55 °C. The results show that hot lithography can significantly enhance the mechanical and dimensional properties of the printed parts and is more effective when there is a diluent with a network Tg close to the print temperature. When processed at 55 °C, Mixture A, which contains a diluent with a network Tg = 53 °C, was more readily impacted by heat compared to Mixture B, whose diluent had a network Tg = 105. As a result, a higher degree of conversion, followed by an increased Tg of the diluents, and improvements in the tensile strength and dimensional stability of the printed parts were observed, which enhanced the outcomes of the prints for the intended application in investment casting of complex components used in the aero and energy sectors. In conclusion, the effectiveness of the hot lithography process is contained by a correlation between the process temperature and the characteristics of the monomers in the mixture.
Insights into the Design of Polyurethane Dressings Suitable for the Stages of Skin Wound-Healing: A Systematic Review
Authors: Morales-González Maria , Díaz Luis Eduardo , Dominguez-Paz Carlos , Valero Manuel F.
Published: July 2022

Dressings made with polyurethanes have been found to exhibit good and varied biological properties that make them good candidates for this application. However, as has been seen, the wound-healing process is complex, which includes four different stages. So far, the design and evaluation of polyurethane for wound dressing has focused on achieving good properties (mechanical, physicochemical, and biological), but each of them separates from the others or even directed at only one of the stages of skin wound-healing. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to explore the applications of polyurethanes in wound dressings and to determine whether could be designed to cover more than one stage of skin wound-healing. The PRISMA guidelines were followed. The current research in this field does not consider each stage separately, and the design of polyurethane dressings is focused on covering all the stages of wound healing with a single material but is necessary to replace polyurethanes in short periods of time. Additionally, little emphasis is placed on the hemostasis stage and further characterization of polyurethanes is still needed to correlate mechanical and physicochemical properties with biological properties at each stage of the wound-healing. Current research demonstrates an effort to characterize the materials physiochemically and mechanically, but in terms of their biological properties, most of the literature is based on the performance of histological tests of explants morphologically probing the compromised tissues, which give an indication of the potential use of polyurethanes in the generation of wound-healing dressings.
Investigating the Bond Strength of FRP Rebars in Concrete under High Temperature Using Gene-Expression Programming Model
Authors: Amin Muhammad Nasir , Iqbal Mudassir , Althoey Fadi , Khan Kaffayatullah , Faraz Muhammad Iftikhar , Qadir Muhammad Ghulam , Alabdullah Anas Abdulalim , Ajwad Ali
Published: July 2022

In recent times, the use of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) has increased in reinforcing concrete structures. The bond strength of FRP rebars is one of the most significant parameters for characterising the overall efficacy of the concrete structures reinforced with FRP. However, in cases of elevated temperature, the bond of FRP-reinforced concrete can deteriorate depending on a number of factors, including the type of FRP bars used, its diameter, surface form, anchorage length, concrete strength, and cover thickness. Hence, accurate quantification of FRP rebars in concrete is of paramount importance, especially at high temperatures. In this study, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based genetic-expression programming (GEP) method was used to predict the bond strength of FRP rebars in concrete at high temperatures. In order to predict the bond strength, we used failure mode temperature, fibre type, bar surface, bar diameter, anchorage length, compressive strength, and cover-to-diameter ratio as input parameters. The experimental dataset of 146 tests at various elevated temperatures were established for training and validating the model. A total of 70% of the data was used for training the model and remaining 30% was used for validation. Various statistical indices such as correlation coefficient (R), the mean absolute error (MAE), and the root-mean-square error (RMSE) were used to assess the predictive veracity of the GEP model. After the trials, the optimum hyperparameters were 150, 8, and 4 as number of chromosomes, head size and number of genes, respectively. Different genetic factors, such as the number of chromosomes, the size of the head, and the number of genes, were evaluated in eleven separate trials. The results as obtained from the rigorous statistical analysis and parametric study show that the developed GEP model is robust and can predict the bond strength of FRP rebars in concrete under high temperature with reasonable accuracy (i.e., R, RMSE and MAE 0.941, 2.087, and 1.620, and 0.935, 2.370, and 2.046, respectively, for training and validation). More importantly, based on the FRP properties, the model has been translated into traceable mathematical formulation for easy calculations.
An Environmentally-Friendly Three-Dimensional Computer-Aided Verification Technique for Plastic Parts
Authors: Kuo Chil-Chyuan , He Zong-Yan , Lee Chil-Xian
Published: July 2022

Plastic components play a significant role in conserving and saving energy. Plastic products provide some advantages over metal, including reducing part weight, manufacturing costs, and waste, and increasing corrosion resistance. Environmental sustainability is one of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Currently, the non-contact computer-aided verification method is frequently employed in the plastic industry due to its high measurement efficiency compared with the conventional contact measuring method. In this study, we proposed an innovative, green three-dimensional (3D) optical inspection technology, which can perform precise 3D optical inspection without spraying anything on the component surface. We carried out the feasibility experiments using two plastic parts with complex geometric shapes under eight different proposed measurement strategies that can be adjusted according to the software interface. We studied and analyzed the differences in 3D optical inspection for building an empirical technical database. Our aim in this study is to propose a technical database for 3D optical measurements of an object without spraying anything to the component’s surface. We found that the research results fulfilled the requirements of the SDGs. Our research results have industrial applicability and practical value because the dimensional average error of the two plastic parts has been controlled at approximately 3 µm and 4.7 µm.
Evaluating Indoor Carbon Dioxide Concentration and Ventilation Rate of Research Student Offices in Chinese Universities: A Case Study
Authors: Fan Guangtao , Chang Haoran , Sang Chenkai , Chen Yibo , Ning Baisong , Liu Changhai
Published: July 2022

This work provides a case study on the indoor environment and ventilation rate of naturally ventilated research student rooms in Chinese universities. In the measured room, air temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration were monitored during the heating period for 4 weeks. The number of indoor occupants, occupied time of the room and window/door-opening cases were simultaneously recorded. Results showed the research student room was occupied for an average of 12.0 h each day. Due to a large indoor and outdoor temperature difference during the heating season, and occupants’ adaption to indoor environment, indoor occupants seldom open windows/doors for ventilation. Air exchange of the room only by air infiltration cannot meet the ventilation requirement. As a result, an average of 77.6% of measured CO2 data each day exceeded 1000 ppm during occupied time. In fact, according to CO2 data, it was observed that window/door opening could effectively decrease indoor CO2 concentration. Therefore, intermittent window/door opening or CO2-based demand-controlled ventilation facilities were suggested for improving indoor air quality of such rooms. Additionally, special attention should be paid to other possible outdoor pollution.
Design of a Laboratory Test Equipment for Measuring and Testing Mobile Energy Means with Simulation of Operating Conditions
Authors: Hujo Ľubomír , Nosian Jozef , Borowski Sylwester , Markiewicz-Patalon Marietta , Tomić Milan , Kožuch Peter
Published: July 2022

The presented article deals with the design of equipment for measuring and testing hydrostatic transducers. The presented design of the device is used for measuring and testing hydrostatic transducers in laboratory conditions, especially hydraulic pumps. This shortens the testing time, with a reduction in economic costs for testing the elements of the hydraulic circuit or testing the properties of pumps and hydraulic fluids. By simulating the operating conditions occurring in practice, it is possible to verify and evaluate the parameters of mobile energy means used in hydraulic mechanisms. The designed laboratory equipment is used for measuring and testing hydrostatic transducers and properties of hydraulic fluids. A verification measurement of the flow of the hydrostatic transducer was performed on the proposed laboratory equipment. The output of the measurements is a confirmation of the functionality of the designed equipment. The results of the verification measurement were compared with the data obtained during the simulations in the computer program FluidSIM 5. The output of the measurements is a confirmation of the functionality of the designed equipment. When comparing the results of the verification measurement of the flow on the laboratory equipment with the data given by the manufacturer of the transducer, we recorded a decrease in flow of 5.1% at a speed of 250 rpm in comparison. At 500 rpm we recorded an increase in flow of 2.38% and at 750 rpm there was an increase of 4.15% compared to the data from the manufacturer. The results of the verification measurements were also compared with the simulation in the computer program FluidSIM 5. The flow data obtained by the simulation showed higher values than in the verification measurement. Specifically, at 250 rpm it was an increase of 3.21%, at 500 rpm by 0.39%, and at 750 rpm by 3.14%.
Dehydration and Rehydration Kinetics Modeling in the Phytochemical, Aroma, and Antioxidant Capacity of Tree Tomato Fruit Dried with Microwaves and Freeze Driers: A Comparative Study
Authors: Ndisanze Marc Antoine , Koca Ilkay
Published: July 2022

In the present study, we investigated and compared the effect of microwaves and freeze-drying methods on the dehydration and rehydration kinetics in the phenolic, anthocyanin, aroma profiles, and antioxidant properties of tree tomato fruit (Solanum betaceum). The tree tomatoes were dried using microwaves at 350 W, 500 W, and 650 W, and then freeze-dried. The obtained drying curves were processed to find the most suitable mathematical modeling among the different moisture ratio expressions. Total phenolics, total anthocyanins, total flavonoids total carotenoids, vitamin C, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were tested. Using High performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), phenolic and anthocyanin compound profiles were identified. The aroma profile was analyzed using gas chromatography-MS. The Midilli model, among others, precisely describes the dehydration methodology of all used drying methods with the coefficient of determination R2 = 0.99. On the other hand, the Weibull model precisely describes the rehydration process of the used drying methods (R2 = 0.99). Physical changes (color, shrinkage) were also studied. The freeze-dried tree tomatoes had a high number of phenolic compounds with 3.94 ± 0.26 mg GAE/g and total carotenoid compounds with 0.48 ± 0.04 µg/g. Epicathechin was the most abundant compound among the tested phenolics, followed by Cathechin. The Pelargonidin-3-glucoside was the most abundant anthocyanin whereas in freeze-dried tree tomatoes, 1.22 ± 0.01 mg/g. Fifty-four aroma compounds were detected and quantified. Among others, Eucalyptol was one of the most abundant aroma compounds analyzed in dried tree tomato fruit. Freeze-dried tree tomatoes retained most of the antioxidant and flavor compounds analyzed.
Multi-Objective Optimization of a Crude Oil Hydrotreating Process with a Crude Distillation Unit Based on Bootstrap Aggregated Neural Network Models
Authors: Muhsin Wissam , Zhang Jie
Published: July 2022

This paper presents the multi-objective optimization of a crude oil hydrotreating (HDT) process with a crude atmospheric distillation unit using data-driven models based on bootstrap aggregated neural networks. Hydrotreating of the whole crude oil has economic benefit compared to the conventional hydrotreating of individual oil products. In order to overcome the difficulty in developing accurate mechanistic models and the computational burden of utilizing such models in optimization, bootstrap aggregated neural networks are utilized to develop reliable data-driven models for this process. Reliable optimal process operating conditions are derived by solving a multi-objective optimization problem incorporating minimization of the widths of model prediction confidence bounds as additional objectives. The multi-objective optimization problem is solved using the goal-attainment method. The proposed method is demonstrated on the HDT of crude oil with crude distillation unit simulated using Aspen HYSYS. Validation of the optimization results using Aspen HYSYS simulation demonstrates that the proposed technique is effective.
Research on Rolling Bearing Fault Diagnosis Method Based on Generative Adversarial and Transfer Learning
Authors: Pei Xin , Su Shaohui , Jiang Linbei , Chu Changyong , Gong Lei , Yuan Yiming
Published: July 2022

The diagnosis of rolling bearing faults has become an increasingly popular research topic in recent years. However, many studies have been conducted based on sufficient training data. In the real industrial scene, there are some problems in bearing fault diagnosis, including the imbalanced ratio of normal and failure data and the amount of unlabeled data being far more than the amount of marked data. This paper presents a rolling bearing fault diagnosis method suitable for different working conditions based on simulating the real industrial scene. Firstly, the dataset is divided into the source and target domains, and the signals are transformed into pictures by continuous wavelet transform. Secondly, Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Nets-Gradient Penalty (WGAN-GP) is used to generate false sample images; then, the source domain and target domain data are input into the migration learning network with Resnet50 as the backbone for processing to extract similar features. Multi-Kernel Maximum mean discrepancies (MK-MMD) are used to reduce the edge distribution difference between the data of the source domain and the target domain. Based on Case Western Reserve University′s dataset, the feasibility of the proposed method is verified by experiments. The experimental results show that the average fault diagnosis accuracy can reach 96.58%.
Deep Learning Model for Prediction of Diffusion in Defect Substances
Authors: AlArfaj Abeer Abdulaziz , Mahmoud Hanan Ahmed Hosni
Published: July 2022

Actual diffusion activity function is an important metric utilized to describe the diffusion activities of a vacancy defect substance. In this paper, we propose a deep learning three-dimensional convolutional CNN model (D3-CNN). A 3D convolution has its kernel slides in three dimensions as opposed to two dimensions with 2D convolutions. 3D convolution is more suitable for three-dimensional data. We also propose an amplification learning technique to predict the actual diffusion activity of a vacancy defect substance, which is impacted by the geometrical parameters of the defect substance and the vacancy distribution function. In this model, the geometric parameters of a three-dimensional constructed vacancy defect substance are generated. The 3D dataset is obtained by the atoms diffusion defect (ADD) simulation model. The geometric parameters of the 3D vacancy defect substance are computed by the proposed amplification technique. The 3D geometric parameters and the diffusion activity values are applied to a deep learning model for training. The actual diffusion activity values of a substance with a vacancy size ranging from size 0.52 mm to 0.61 mm are used for training, and the actual diffusion activity values of substance vacancy of size between 0.41 and 1.01 are classified by the three-dimensional network. The model can realize high speed and accuracy for the actual diffusion activity value. The mean relative absolute errors between the D3-CNN and the ADD models are 0.028–7.85% with a vacancy size of 0.41 to 0.81. For a usual sample with a vacancy of size equal to 0.6, the CPU computation load required by our model is 14.2 × 10−2 h, while the time required is 15.16 h for the ADD model. These results indicate that our proposed deep learning model has a strong learning capability and can function as an influential model to classify the diffusion activity of compound vacancy defect substances.
Not Tourists, but Pilgrims: Defining and Defending Modern Pilgrimage in a Late Imperial Russian Periodical
Authors: Solovieva Olga
Published: July 2022

For a historian of religion, Christian pilgrimage offers a perfect example of how religious ideals and practices are reimagined and transformed in response to the changing historical and cultural context. This dynamic displays itself in a particularly interesting way in modernity, with its advent of mass communication and transportation, as well as other economic and socio-political changes. This article discusses some of the resultant changes in the practice of and perspectives on pilgrimage in late-nineteenth-century Russia as seen through the lens of a popular religious journal of the era, Russian Pilgrim. As the first commercial mass publication devoted solely to this subject, Russian Pilgrim was highly instrumental not only in providing its readers with information about pilgrimage places, practices, and travel procedures, but also in shaping their perceptions of what constituted a good pilgrimage. The paper includes close reading of selected materials from the journal, as well as an accompanying analysis of the debates on the value and meaning of modern mass pilgrimage reflected in these examples.
A Faithful Journey: Following a Married Couple’s Religious Trajectory over the Adult Lifespan
Authors: Bullik Ramona
Published: July 2022

This article addresses the question of how religious narrative identity and subjective religiosity change over the course of 15 years. The cases portrayed are deconverts who have changed their religious affiliations multiple times. It was carved out what led to their deconversion and what remains as a core of their faith after they have turned away from organized religion for good. Interviews were conducted at three time points and were analyzed using content analysis. It became clear that the needs and expectations of the two individuals differ highly, as well as the reasons for turning away from a religious community; yet, what could be identified as a common core in this joint faithful journey is their need to live their religiosity, now in a private setting.
Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Using an Attention Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Yuan Yanxin , Luo Ying , Ni Jiacheng , Zhang Qun
Published: July 2022

The traditional inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging uses matched filtering and pulse accumulation methods. When improving the resolution and real-time performance, there are some problems, such as the high sampling rate and large amount of data. Although the compressed sensing (CS) method can realize high-resolution imaging with small sampling data, the sparse reconstruction algorithm has high computational complexity and is time-consuming. The imaging result is limited by the model and sparsity hypothesis. We propose a novel CS-ISAR imaging method using an attention generative adversarial network (AGAN). The generator of AGAN is a modified U-net consisting of both spatial and channel-wise attention. The trained generator can learn the imaging operation from down-sampling data to high-resolution ISAR images. Simulations and measured data experiments are given to validate the advantage of the proposed method.
Spatiotemporal Pattern Analysis of Land Use Functions in Contiguous Coastal Cities Based on Long-Term Time Series Remote Sensing Data: A Case Study of Bohai Sea Region, China
Authors: Ye Yuxuan , Wang Yafei , Liao Jinfeng , Chen Jiezhi , Zou Yangfan , Liu Yuan , Feng Chunye
Published: July 2022

The long-term accumulated remote sensing data and the emerging cloud-based geospatial processing platform Google Earth Engine (GEE) enable the mining of the spatiotemporal pattern of land-use (LU) functional changes in the contiguous area of large coastal cities. This study proposes a spatiotemporal pattern mining technique for land use function in a large area, which consists of two parts: (1) long-term time series land cover mapping based on the random forest (RF) classification algorithm in the GEE platform and a pixel-by-pixel temporal consistency correction, and (2) spatiotemporal pattern mining based on the constructed spatial temporal cubes (STCs). Specifically, for each LU functional series, we constructed the STC and applied change point detection, time series clustering, and emerging hot spot analysis to mine the spatiotemporal change patterns of LU functions. The study shows that (1) the construction land in the Bohai Sea region from 1990 to 2020 expanded significantly, with the development intensity increasing from 2.08% to 9.77%, having formed a contiguous area of large cities; at the same time, the arable land area decreased significantly, from 57.94% to 47.83%; (2) the emerged construction land experienced three periods: fluctuation, rise, and decline, with 2004 and 2014 being the change points during the period; and (3), the spatial and temporal pattern of the expansion of construction land shows a spatial gradient change in the scale and rate of expansion along the central cities and major axes. This study demonstrates the potential of using long-term time series remote sensing data towards cognizing the generation mechanisms of contiguous coastal big cities.