bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Provenance Analysis of the Ojén Nappe and Its Implication for the Geodynamic History (Alpujárride Complex, Betic Cordilleras, Spain)
Authors: Esteban José Julián , Cuevas Julia , Tubía José María
Published: April 2023

The Ojén nappe, an allochthonous unit that underlies the Ronda peridotites (Betic Cordilleras), is composed of Triassic marbles overlying a metapelitic sequence. In order to carry out an LA-ICP-MS U-Pb age determination and provenance analysis, detrital zircon grains from two quartzites interlayered within marbles and metapelites were extracted. The obtained results yield the youngest zircon population of 254 ± 3 Ma (Late Permian) with a mean Th/U ratio of 0.34 that supports both the Permian–Triassic age of the marble member and the felsic magma nature for zircon-bearing protoliths. The Permian zircons exhibit tight age peaks in three main populations of 292 ± 2 Ma, 278 ± 3 Ma, and 254 ± 3 Ma, in agreement with the main age populations reported from rhyolites and shallow crustal basaltic–andesite subalkaline rocks emplaced in transtensional Permian basins of the Variscan Orogen during the break-up of Pangea. Moreover, the analyzed detrital zircon grains yield age distributions with clear Tonian–Stenian (ca. 950–975 Ma), Ediacaran–Cryogenian (ca. 560–615 Ma), Ordovician (ca. 460–465 Ma), and Cisuralian peaks (ca. 280–290 Ma) and smoothed Mesoproterozoic peaks that point to a weak and residual Cadomian peri-Gondwanan terrane inheritance. The identified Middle Ordovician detrital zircon populations (460–465 Ma) strengthen the hypothesis that the Alborán domain would be located along the southern passive margin of the European Hunic superterrane.
The Role of H-Bonds in the Excited-State Properties of Multichromophoric Systems: Static and Dynamic Aspects
Authors: Fresch Elisa , Collini Elisabetta
Published: April 2023

Given their importance, hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) have been the subject of intense investigation since their discovery. Indeed, H-bonds play a fundamental role in determining the structure, the electronic properties, and the dynamics of complex systems, including biologically relevant materials such as DNA and proteins. While H-bonds have been largely investigated for systems in their electronic ground state, fewer studies have focused on how the presence of H-bonds could affect the static and dynamic properties of electronic excited states. This review presents an overview of the more relevant progress in studying the role of H-bond interactions in modulating excited-state features in multichromophoric biomimetic complex systems. The most promising spectroscopic techniques that can be used for investigating the H-bond effects in excited states and for characterizing the ultrafast processes associated with their dynamics are briefly summarized. Then, experimental insights into the modulation of the electronic properties resulting from the presence of H-bond interactions are provided, and the role of the H-bond in tuning the excited-state dynamics and the related photophysical processes is discussed.
Synthesis of Heteroaromatic Compounds
Authors: Sloop Joseph
Published: April 2023

The synthesis of heteroaromatic compounds has been the subject of intense investigation for well over a century [...]
The Flavonoid Rich Black Currant (Ribes nigrum) Ethanolic Gemmotherapy Extract Elicits Neuroprotective Effect by Preventing Microglial Body Swelling in Hippocampus and Reduces Serum TNF-α Level: Pilot Study
Authors: Téglás Tímea , Mihok Emőke , Cziáky Zoltán , Oláh Neli-Kinga , Nyakas Csaba , Máthé Endre
Published: April 2023

Many plant-derived flavonoids are known for their anti-neuroinflammatory and anti-neurodegenerative effects. The fruits and leaves of the black currant (BC, Ribes nigrum) contain these phytochemicals with therapeutic benefits. The current study presents a report on a standardized BC gemmotherapy extract (BC-GTE) that is prepared from fresh buds. It provides details about the phytoconstituent profile specific to the extract as well as the associated antioxidant and anti-neuroinflammatory properties. The reported BC-GTE was found to contain approximately 133 phytonutrients, making it unique in its composition. Furthermore, this is the first report to quantify the presence of significant flavonoids such as luteolin, quercetin, apigenin, and kaempferol. Drosophila melanogaster-based tests revealed no cytotoxic but nutritive effects. We also demonstrated that adult male Wistar rats, pretreated with the analyzed BC-GTE and assessed after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, did not show any apparent increase in body size in the microglial cells located in the hippocampal CA1 region, while in control experiments, the activation of microglia was evident. Moreover, no elevated levels of serum-specific TNF-α were observed under the LPS-induced neuroinflammatory condition. The analyzed BC-GTE’s specific flavonoid content, along with the experimental data based on an LPS-induced inflammatory model, suggest that it possesses anti-neuroinflammatory/neuroprotective properties. This indicates that the studied BC-GTE has the potential to be used as a GTE-based complementary therapeutic approach.
Dielectric Cavity-Insulator-Metal (DCIM) Metamaterial Absorber in Visible Range
Authors: Guo Tian-Long , Li Fangfang , Roussey Matthieu
Published: April 2023

For many years, metamaterial absorbers have received much attention in a wide range of application fields. There is an increasing need to search for new design approaches that fulfill more and more complex tasks. According to the specific application requirements, design strategy can vary from structure configurations to material selections. A new combination of a dielectric cavity array, dielectric spacer, and gold reflector as a metamaterial absorber is proposed and theoretically studied in this work. The complexity of the dielectric cavities leads to a more flexible optical response than traditional metamaterial absorbers. It gives a new dimension of freedom for a real three-dimensional metamaterial absorber design.
Prediction Model and Mechanism for Drying Shrinkage of High-Strength Lightweight Concrete with Graphene Oxide
Authors: Hong Xiaojiang , Lee Jin Chai , Ng Jing Lin , Abdulkareem Muyideen , Yusof Zeety Md , Li Qiansha , He Qian
Published: April 2023

The excellent performance of graphene oxide (GO) in terms of mechanical properties and durability has stimulated its application potential in high-strength lightweight concrete (HSLWC). However, more attention needs to be paid to the long-term drying shrinkage of HSLWC. This work aims to investigate the compressive strength and drying shrinkage behavior of HSLWC incorporating low GO content (0.00–0.05%), focusing on the prediction and mechanism of drying shrinkage. Results indicate the following: (1) GO can acceptably reduce slump and significantly increase specific strength by 18.6%. (2) Drying shrinkage increased by 8.6% with the addition of GO. A modified ACI209 model with a GO content factor was demonstrated to have high accuracy based on the comparison of typical prediction models. (3) GO not only refines the pores but also forms flower-like crystals, which results in the increased drying shrinkage of HSLWC. These findings provide support for the prevention of cracking in HSLWC.
The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Gene (CFTR) Is under Post-Transcriptional Control of microRNAs: Analysis of the Effects of agomiRNAs Mimicking miR-145-5p, miR-101-3p, and miR-335-5p
Authors: Papi Chiara , Gasparello Jessica , Zurlo Matteo , Cosenza Lucia Carmela , Gambari Roberto , Finotti Alessia
Published: April 2023

(1) Background: MicroRNAs are involved in the expression of the gene encoding the chloride channel CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator); the objective of this short report is to study the effects of the treatment of bronchial epithelial Calu-3 cells with molecules mimicking the activity of pre-miR-145-5p, pre-miR-335-5p, and pre-miR-101-3p, and to discuss possible translational applications of these molecules in pre-clinical studies focusing on the development of protocols of possible interest in therapy; (2) Methods: CFTR mRNA was quantified by Reverse Transcription quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). The production of the CFTR protein was assessed by Western blotting; (3) Results: The treatment of Calu-3 cells with agomiR-145-5p caused the highest inhibition of CFTR mRNA accumulation and CFTR production; (4) Conclusions: The treatment of target cells with the agomiR pre-miR-145-5p should be considered when CFTR gene expression should be inhibited in pathological conditions, such as polycystic kidney disease (PKD), some types of cancer, cholera, and SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Quality of Life in Teduglutide-Treated Patients with Short Bowel Syndrome Intestinal Failure—A Nested Matched Pair Real-World Study
Authors: Blüthner Elisabeth , Pape Ulrich-Frank , Tacke Frank , Greif Sophie
Published: April 2023

Background: Quality of life (QoL) data of chronic intestinal failure (cIF) patients treated with the GLP-2 analogue teduglutide are scarce. This study aims to analyze QoL changes over time in teduglutide-treated patients and compare the results to a matched non-treated cIF control group in a real-world setting. Methods: QoL data (SF-36 and SBS-QoLTM) were obtained from adult cIF patients being treated with teduglutide and compared to previously collected QoL data from a PNLiver trial (DRKS00010993), during which patients had been therapy naive. The dataset was then extended by a pairwise matched control group (non-teduglutide-treated PNLiver trial patients) and follow-up data from this group were collected accordingly. Results: Median teduglutide treatment duration and the follow-up period of controls were both 4.3 years. SBS-QoLTM subscales and the SBS-QoLTM sum score showed significant improvements over time in teduglutide-treated patients, as well as for the SF-36 physical and mental component summary scores (all p < 0.02), while non-treated patients showed no significant changes in any of the mentioned scores. Significant differences of QoL changes between treated and non-treated patients were seen for both SF-36 summary scores (p = 0.031 and 0.012). Conclusions: We herein demonstrate for the first time that QoL significantly improved during teduglutide treatment in SBS-cIF patients in a real-world setting compared to individually matched non-treated SBS-cIF patients, indicating relevant clinical benefits.
Dose–Response Efficacy and Mechanisms of Orally Administered Bifidobacterium breve CCFM683 on IMQ-Induced Psoriasis in Mice
Authors: Chen Xinqi , Chen Yang , Stanton Catherine , Ross Reynolds Paul , Zhao Jianxin , Chen Wei , Yang Bo
Published: April 2023

This study aimed to investigate the dose–response effect of Bifidobacterium breve CCFM683 on relieving psoriasis and its underlying patterns. Specifically, the expression of keratin 16, keratin 17, and involucrin were substantially decreased by administration of 109 CFU and 1010 CFU per day. Moreover, interleukin (IL)-17 and TNF-α levels were substantially decreased by 109 and 1010 CFU/day. Furthermore, the gut microbiota in mice treated with 109 or 1010 CFU/day was rebalanced by improving the diversity, regulating microbe interactions, increasing Lachnoclostridium, and decreasing Oscillibacter. Moreover, the concentrations of colonic bile acids were positively correlated with the effectiveness of the strain in relieving psoriasis. The gavage dose should be more than 108.42 CFU/day to improve psoriasis according to the dose–effect curve. In conclusion, CCFM683 supplementation alleviated psoriasis in a dose-dependent manner by recovering microbiota, promoting bile acid production, regulating the FXR/NF-κB pathway, diminishing proinflammatory cytokines, regulating keratinocytes, and maintaining the epidermal barrier function. These results may help guide probiotic product development and clinical trials in psoriasis.
Boosting HSA Vaccination with Jujube Powder Modulating Gut Microbiota Favorable for Arginine Metabolism
Authors: Zhuang Huiren , Yang Zhenghuan , Chen Tianhao , Jing Nan , Zhou Yalin , Jiang Guoqiang , Wang Yi , Wang Zhao , Liu Zheng
Published: April 2023

Whereas vaccination is established as one of the most effective and available methods against seasonal flu and holds high potential for many infectious diseases, immune response may differ among individuals and regions. In this study we examined the effects of gut microbiota on vaccination with human serum albumin (HSA) as the model vaccine in C57BL/6J mice. We observed that a two-week antibiotic cocktail (ABX) treatment hampered HSA-specific IgG1 in serum, whereas fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) restored the gut microbiota impaired by the ABX treatment and consequently increased the proportions of macrophages in the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs), plasma cells in the peripheral blood, and HSA-specific immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) in the serum. A week of daily application of jujube powder (800 mg/kg) to ABX-treated mice achieved a significantly higher HSA-specific IgG1 concentration in the serum compared with the ABX treatment group. Of particular note was that the administration of the jujube powder did not increase the myeloid cells, indicating a different mechanism of vaccination compared with FMT. More interestingly, daily pre-administration of jujube powder (800 mg/kg) to healthy mice one week ahead of vaccination boosted their immune response, as evidenced by the proportion of macrophages in the MLNs, B cells in the spleen, plasma cells and memory B cells in the peripheral blood, and HSA-specific IgG1 concentration in the serum. The 16S rRNA sequencing of gut microbiota revealed that the administration of jujube powder increased the abundance of Coriobacteriaceae associated with the metabolism of amino acids. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis suggested the altered microbiota is more favorable for arginine and proline metabolism, which may promote macrophages in the MLNs. These results indicate a high potential for boosting vaccination by manipulating gut microbiota with natural products.
Effectiveness of Positive Deviance Approach to Reduce Malnutrition among under Five Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Interventional Studies
Authors: Triatmaja Nining Tyas , Mahmudiono Trias , Mamun Abdullah Al , Abdullah Nurul Ashikin
Published: April 2023

The high malnutrition rate in children under five makes this problem one of the public health problems. Various efforts have been made to reduce malnutrition in children under five, one of which is the implementation of community programs with a positive deviance approach which is considered an effective way because the solution to the problem comes from the local community. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effect of interventions with a positive deviance approach to reducing under-five children’s malnutrition. Systematic searches were conducted using the following journal databases: Science Direct, Pubmed, Proquest, SAGE journal, Web of Science, and Scopus. The article was included if using an intervention design. Data analysis used Review Manager 5.4 software, random effect model, outcome mean of difference, and 95% confidence interval. There were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups on the length for age z-scores (LAZ), weight for age z-scores (WAZ), and weight for height z-scores (WHZ) indicators. There was an increase in LAZ, WAZ, and WHZ scores in the intervention group, with a greater z-score than in the control group. In conclusion, interventions with the positive deviance approach can be used as an alternative to improving the nutritional status of under-five children. However, further research is needed to determine the effective duration of interventions in improving the nutritional status of children.
The Effects of Different Modalities of an Acute Energy Deficit on Sleep and Next Morning Appetitive and Compensatory Behavior in Healthy Young Adults: The EDIES Protocol
Authors: Saidi Oussama , Chatain Cyril , Del Sordo Giovanna C. , Demaria Rémi , Lequin Ludivine , Rochette Emmanuelle , Larribaut Julie , Gruet Mathieu , Duché Pascale
Published: April 2023

Sleep is bi-directionally linked to energy balance. This crossover study design will evaluate the acute effect of a moderate energy deficit (500 kcal) induced by diet, exercise, or mixed (−250 kcal by diet and 250 kcal by exercise) on sleep and the next morning’s appetitive responses. The study sample comprises 24 healthy young adults. The experimental measurements will be conducted in a naturalistic, momentary manner and partly assessed by the participants. The participants will undergo a run-in period in order to stabilize their sleep schedules and provide them with training on the study protocol and measurements. Indirect calorimetry will be used to determine their resting metabolic rate and peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak). Then, they will take part in a control session (CTL), followed by three energy deficit sessions in random order: a diet-induced energy deficit session (DED), an exercise-induced energy deficit session (EED), and a mixed energy deficit session (MED). All experimental sessions will be separated by a one-week washout. The participants’ sleep will be monitored by ambulatory polysomnography, and the next morning’s appetitive response will be evaluated via ad libitum food intake, appetite sensations, and food reward, measured by a food liking and wanting computerized test.
Biophysical Parameters of Plasma-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Biomarkers of Bone Disturbances in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving an Individualized Nutrition Intervention
Authors: Coronado-Alvarado Carlos D. , Limon-Miro Ana Teresa , Mendivil-Alvarado Herminia , Lizardi-Mendoza Jaime , Carvajal-Millan Elizabeth , Méndez-Estrada Rosa Olivia , González-Ríos Humberto , Astiazaran-Garcia Humberto
Published: April 2023

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are implicated in several biological conditions, including bone metabolism disturbances in breast cancer patients (BCPs). These disorders hinder the adjustment of nutrition interventions due to changes in bone mineral density (BMD). The biophysical properties of EVs (e.g., size or electrostatic repulsion) affect their cellular uptake, however, their clinical relevance is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between the biophysical properties of the plasma-derived EVs and BMDs in BCPs who received an individualized nutrition intervention during the first six months of antineoplastic treatment. As part of the nutritional assessment before and after the intervention, body composition including bone densitometry and plasma samples were obtained. In 16 BCPs, EVs were isolated using ExoQuick® and their biophysical properties were analyzed using light-scattering techniques. We found that the average hydrodynamic diameter of large EVs was associated with femoral neck bone mineral content, lumbar spine BMD, and neoplasms’ molecular subtypes. These results provide evidence that EVs play a role in BCPs’ bone disorders and suggest that the biophysical properties of EVs may serve as potential nutritional biomarkers. Further studies are needed to evaluate EVs’ biophysical properties as potential nutritional biomarkers in a clinical context.
Nutritional Assessment and Nutrient Supplement in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Mizuno Masashi
Published: April 2023

Currently, aging is an important social problem globally [...]
Asialo-rhuEPO as a Potential Neuroprotectant for Ischemic Stroke Treatment
Authors: Kittur Farooqahmed S. , Hung Chiu-Yueh , Li P. Andy , Sane David C. , Xie Jiahua
Published: April 2023

Neuroprotective drugs to protect the brain against cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury are urgently needed. Mammalian cell-produced recombinant human erythropoietin (rhuEPOM) has been demonstrated to have excellent neuroprotective functions in preclinical studies, but its neuroprotective properties could not be consistently translated in clinical trials. The clinical failure of rhuEPOM was thought to be mainly due to its erythropoietic activity-associated side effects. To exploit its tissue-protective property, various EPO derivatives with tissue-protective function only have been developed. Among them, asialo-rhuEPO, lacking terminal sialic acid residues, was shown to be neuroprotective but non-erythropoietic. Asialo-rhuEPO can be prepared by enzymatic removal of sialic acid residues from rhuEPOM (asialo-rhuEPOE) or by expressing human EPO gene in glycoengineered transgenic plants (asialo-rhuEPOP). Both types of asialo-rhuEPO, like rhuEPOM, displayed excellent neuroprotective effects by regulating multiple cellular pathways in cerebral I/R animal models. In this review, we describe the structure and properties of EPO and asialo-rhuEPO, summarize the progress on neuroprotective studies of asialo-rhuEPO and rhuEPOM, discuss potential reasons for the clinical failure of rhuEPOM with acute ischemic stroke patients, and advocate future studies needed to develop asialo-rhuEPO as a multimodal neuroprotectant for ischemic stroke treatment.
An Updated Review on the Multifaceted Therapeutic Potential of Calendula officinalis L.
Authors: Shahane Kiran , Kshirsagar Madhuri , Tambe Srushti , Jain Divya , Rout Srutee , Ferreira Maria Karolina Martins , Mali Suraj , Amin Purnima , Srivastav Prem Prakash , Cruz Jorddy , Lima Rafael Rodrigues
Published: April 2023

Calendula officinalis Linn. (CO) is a popular medicinal plant from the plant kingdom’s Asteraceae family that has been used for millennia. This plant contains flavonoids, triterpenoids, glycosides, saponins, carotenoids, volatile oil, amino acids, steroids, sterols, and quinines. These chemical constituents confer multifaceted biological effects such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antihelminthic, antidiabetes, wound healing, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant activities. Additionally, it is employed in cases of certain burns and gastrointestinal, gynecological, ocular, and skin conditions. In this review, we have discussed recent research from the last five years on the therapeutic applications of CO and emphasized its myriad capabilities as a traditional medicine. We have also elucidated CO’s molecular mechanisms and recent clinical studies. Overall, this review intends to summarize, fill in the gaps in the existing research, and provide a wealth of possibilities for researchers working to validate traditional claims and advance the safe and effective use of CO in treating various ailments.
Wound Dressings Based on Sodium Alginate–Polyvinyl Alcohol–Moringa oleifera Extracts
Authors: Kamel Samir , Dacrory Sawsan , Hesemann Peter , Bettache Nadir , Ali Lamiaa M. A. , Postel Lou , Akl Engy M. , El-Sakhawy Mohamed
Published: April 2023

Biopolymers have significant pharmaceutical applications, and their blending has favorable characteristics for their pharmaceutical properties compared to the sole components. In this work, sodium alginate (SA) as a marine biopolymer was blended with poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA) to form SA/PVA scaffolds through the freeze–thawing technique. Additionally, polyphenolic compounds in Moringa oleifera leaves were extracted by different solvents, and it was found that extracts with 80% methanol had the highest antioxidant activity. Different concentrations (0.0–2.5%) of this extract were successfully immobilized in SA/PVA scaffolds during preparation. The characterization of the scaffolds was carried out via FT-IR, XRD, TG, and SEM. The pure and Moringa oleifera extract immobilized SA/PVA scaffolds (MOE/SA/PVA) showed high biocompatibility with human fibroblasts. Further, they showed excellent in vitro and in vivo wound healing capacity, with the best effect noted for the scaffold with high extract content (2.5%).
Box–Behnken Design of Experiments of Polycaprolactone Nanoparticles Loaded with Irinotecan Hydrochloride
Authors: Mahmoud Basant Salah , McConville Christopher
Published: April 2023

Background: The Box–Behnken design of experiments (BBD) is a statistical modelling technique that allows the determination of the significant factors in developing nanoparticles (NPs) using a limited number of runs. It also allows the prediction of the best levels of variables to obtain the desired characteristics (size, charge, and encapsulation efficiency) of the NPs. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the independent variables (amount of polymer and drug, and surfactant concentration) and their interaction on the characteristics of the irinotecan hydrochloride (IRH)-loaded polycaprolactone (PCL) NPs and to determine the most optimum conditions for producing the desired NPs. Methods: The development of the NPs was carried out by a double emulsion solvent evaporation technique with yield enhancement. The NPs data were fitted in Minitab software to obtain the best fit model. Results: By using BBD, the most optimum conditions for producing the smallest size, highest magnitude of charge, and highest EE% of PCL NPs were predicted to be achieved by using 61.02 mg PCL, 9 mg IRH, and 4.82% PVA, which would yield 203.01 nm, −15.81 mV, and 82.35% EE. Conclusion: The analysis by BBD highlighted that the model was a good fit to the data, confirming the suitability of the design of the experiments.
Influence of Molecular Structure and Physicochemical Properties of Immunosuppressive Drugs on Micelle Formulation Characteristics and Cutaneous Delivery
Authors: Quartier Julie , Lapteva Maria , Boulaguiem Younes , Guerrier Stéphane , Kalia Yogeshvar N.
Published: April 2023

The aim of this study was to investigate whether subtle differences in molecular properties affected polymeric micelle characteristics and their ability to deliver poorly water-soluble drugs into the skin. D-α-tocopherol-polyethylene glycol 1000 was used to prepare micelles containing ascomycin-derived immunosuppressants—sirolimus (SIR), pimecrolimus (PIM) and tacrolimus (TAC)—which have similar structures and physicochemical properties and have dermatological applications. Micelle formulations were prepared by thin-film hydration and extensively characterized. Cutaneous delivery and biodistribution were determined and compared. Sub-10 nm micelles were obtained for the three immunosuppressants with incorporation efficiencies >85%. However, differences were observed for drug loading, stability (at the highest concentration), and their in vitro release kinetics. These were attributed to differences in drug aqueous solubility and lipophilicity. Differences between the cutaneous biodistribution profiles and drug deposition in the different skin compartments pointed to the impact of differences in thermodynamic activity. Therefore, despite their structural similarities, SIR, TAC and PIM did not demonstrate the same behaviour either in the micelles or when applied to the skin. These outcomes indicate that polymeric micelles should be optimized even for closely related drug molecules and support the hypothesis that drugs are released from micelles prior to skin penetration.
A Synthetic Review of Various Dimensions of Non-Destructive Plant Stress Phenotyping
Authors: Ye Dapeng , Wu Libin , Li Xiaobin , Atoba Tolulope Opeyemi , Wu Wenhao , Weng Haiyong
Published: April 2023

Non-destructive plant stress phenotyping begins with traditional one-dimensional (1D) spectroscopy, followed by two-dimensional (2D) imaging, three-dimensional (3D) or even temporal-three-dimensional (T-3D), spectral-three-dimensional (S-3D), and temporal-spectral-three-dimensional (TS-3D) phenotyping, all of which are aimed at observing subtle changes in plants under stress. However, a comprehensive review that covers all these dimensional types of phenotyping, ordered in a spatial arrangement from 1D to 3D, as well as temporal and spectral dimensions, is lacking. In this review, we look back to the development of data-acquiring techniques for various dimensions of plant stress phenotyping (1D spectroscopy, 2D imaging, 3D phenotyping), as well as their corresponding data-analyzing pipelines (mathematical analysis, machine learning, or deep learning), and look forward to the trends and challenges of high-performance multi-dimension (integrated spatial, temporal, and spectral) phenotyping demands. We hope this article can serve as a reference for implementing various dimensions of non-destructive plant stress phenotyping.
Evaluation of Hot Pressing Processing by Physical Properties of Ecofriendly Composites Reinforced by Eucalyptus Sawdust and Chamotte Residues
Authors: de Oliveira Júnior Juvenil Nunes , Lopes Felipe Perissé Duarte , Simonassi Noan Tonini , Oliveira Michel Picanço , Gonçalves Fabricio Gomes , Vieira Carlos Maurício Fontes
Published: April 2023

The particleboard industry consumes large amounts of raw material, and this type of product consumption has been increasing over the last few years. The research for alternative raw materials becomes interesting, since most of the resources come from planted forests. In addition, the investigation of new raw materials must take into account environmentally correct solutions, such as the use of alternative natural fibers, use of agro-industrial residues, and resins of vegetable origin. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical properties of panels manufactured by hot pressing using eucalyptus sawdust, chamotte, and polyurethane resin based on castor oil as raw materials. Eight formulations were designed with variations of 0, 5, 10, and 15% of chamotte, and two variations of resin with 10% and 15% of volumetric fraction. Tests of gravimetric density, X-ray densitometry, moisture content, water absorption, thickness swelling, and scanning electron microscopy were carried out. Through the results it can be noticed that the incorporation of chamotte in the manufacture of the panels increased the water absorption and the swelling in thickness, around 100% and the use of 15% of resin decreased, more than 50%, the values of these properties. X-ray densitometry analyzes showed that the addition of chamotte alters the density profile of the panel. In addition, the panels manufactured with 15% resin were classified as P7, the most demanding type on EN 312:2010 standard.
Investigation on the Dynamics of a Flexible Multi-Body System of a Three-Cylinder Gasoline Engine Crankshaft
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Zheng Lu
Published: April 2023

Three-cylinder gasoline engines are increasingly favored by major automobile manufacturers due to their good fuel economy, low manufacturing cost and low fuel consumption. However, the inherent balance problem has an adverse effect on the vibration of the whole engine and even the comfort of the whole vehicle, which limits its application in high-end models. This paper studied the dynamics characteristic of the flexible multi-body system of the three-cylinder gasoline engine crankshaft. A dynamic simulation model of the flexible multi-body system of the three-cylinder gasoline engine crankshaft is established through the flexible treatment of the engine crankshaft. The kinematics and dynamics characteristics of each component of the crankshaft connecting rod system are obtained by analyzing the kinematics and dynamics characteristics of the engine shafting system. The relevant factors affecting the vibration of the engine crankshaft system are studied through the establishment of the analysis model of the torsional vibration of the engine crankshaft. This is of great significance to further improve and optimize the design of the three-cylinder gasoline engine.
Titanium(III) Oxide Doped with meta-Aminophenol Formaldehyde Magnetic Microspheres: Enhancing Dye Adsorption toward Methyl Violet
Authors: Radha Suriyan , Christygnanatheeba Paul , Nagaraj Karuppiah , Prasad Saradh , AlSalhi Mohamad Saleh , Kumar Jeyaraj Vinoth , Arunachalam Prabhakarn , Karuppiah Chelladurai
Published: April 2023

The demand to synthesize economical detoxification adsorbents of organic pollutants has been a thriving solicitude for most environmental research aspirants. Here, we synthesized a titanium(III) oxide doped with spherical shaped meta-aminophenol formaldehyde magnetic microspheres (Ti2O3/mAPF MMSs) by the polymerization method of Ti2O3 nanoparticles with formaldehyde and m-aminophenol. SEM analysis confirmed the synthesized material as crystalline in nature and had ~400–450 nm sized particles. The physical characterization of the Ti2O3/mAPF MMSs were quantitatively revealed by FTIR spectrum and PXRD in elaboration. The carboxylate frequency and the characteristic apex of the titanium–oxygen bond was found in the FTIR spectrum for Ti2O3/mAPF derived from Ti2O3. The PXRD patterns proved that the synthesized magnetic microspheres contained Ti2O3 nanoparticles. The experimental methods of TGA and DTA confirmed the thermal stability and its composition of Ti2O3/mAPF MMSs. The kinetic adsorption study for methyl violet was confirmed as first-order kinetics. The present study was to investigate the dye desorption of methyl violet from simulated water samples by using a titanium(III) oxide doped with meta-aminophenol formaldehyde magnetic microspheres in an adsorption process.
Bibliometric Analysis of Constructed Wetlands with Ornamental Flowering Plants: The Importance of Green Technology
Authors: Marín-Muñiz José Luis , Zitácuaro-Contreras Irma , Ortega-Pineda Gonzalo , Álvarez-Hernández Luis Manuel , Martínez-Aguilar Karina Elizabeth , López-Roldán Aarón , Zamora Sergio
Published: April 2023

The use of constructed wetlands (CWs) for wastewater treatment has earned high interest around the world. However, innovations to improve its removal efficiency and adoption have been suggested in the last decades. For instance, the use of ornamental flowering plants (OFP), which make wetland treatment systems more aesthetic and is an option for the production of commercial flowers while the water is cleansed. The objectives of this study were to identify through a bibliometric analysis (2000–2022) the main OFP that have been used in CWs and their functionality as phytoremediators (removal effects), as well as the authors, collaborations, main investigations, and the countries where such investigations have been carried out. To this respect, 10,254 studies on CWs were identified. The United States and China were the leading countries in the use of this eco-technology. Subsequently, regarding the use of OFP, the analysis revealed 92 studies on this matter in which Mexico has three researchers who lead the use of OFP in CWs (almost 40% of publications of CWs with OFP), where the main species studied include Canna hybrids, Zantedeschia aethiopica, Strelitzia reginae, Iris species, Spathiphyllum sp., and Anturium sp. These species may remove between 30–90% of pollutants of organic compounds, 30–70% of heavy metals and drugs, and about 99.9% of pathogens. Thus, this study may help researchers to identify OFP for new CWs design, and to know new future research directionsand collaboration approaches in this area using multipurpose alternatives like those of CWs with OFP. More research can still be carried out on the use of CWs with OFP in temperate climates, as well as evaluating the influence of different substrates and water flow on the growth of these plants.
Multi-Factor Coupling Analysis of Porous Leakage in Underwater Gas Pipelines
Authors: Ji Hong , Guo Jie , Zhang Gao , Yang Ke , Jiang Juncheng , Wang Yaxin , Xing Zhixiang , Bi Haipu
Published: April 2023

Natural gas pipeline leaks under the sea will have a significant negative effect on the marine ecosystem, result in significant financial losses, and possibly even harm marine floating objects. The VOF (Volume of Fluid) multi-phase flow model is used to numerically simulate and study the diffusion process of porous leakage in submarine gas pipelines. Experiments confirmed the model’s correctness and dependability. Based on this, the coupling effect and the porous effect of the leakage velocity, the size of the leaked pore, and water velocity of the natural gas pipelines on the diffusion of porous leakage in the submarine gas pipelines are analyzed with the test scheme designed by the orthogonal test method. The similarity principle is used to connect the leakage model with the actual application. The results show that three factors, namely, the leakage velocity, the size of leaked pore, and the water velocity, influence the shape of the air mass, the time when the gas reaches the sea surface, and the diffusion range. The size of the leakage hole and the leakage velocity have a substantial impact on the form of the air mass and the amount of time it takes for the gas to reach the sea surface, while the water velocity has no effect. Additionally, while there is essentially little impact from the leakage velocity, the size of the leaky pore and the water velocity have a significant impact on the diffusion range. Furthermore, the porous effect between leaky pores has a significant impact on the gas diffusion range. This study can serve as a guide for risk assessment and emergency decision-making regarding a submarine gas pipeline leak.
CEO Social Capital and the Value Relevance of Accounting Metrics
Authors: Luehlfing Michael S. , McCumber William R. , Qiu Huan
Published: April 2023

Equity investors value CEO social capital when pricing firm equity. When CEO social capital is high, the value relevance of the book value of equity declines, whereas the value relevance of earnings measures increases. Results are stronger for firms in high-tech industries where information asymmetries are higher. Social capital may be deconstructed into informational and reputational effects and we report that social capital is a meaningful determinant of value relevance in both scenarios. Results are robust to alternative variable definitions, controls and tests for endogeneity. The results strongly suggest that CEO social capital improves the information environment around firms, benefiting users of accounting metrics.
On the Robustness and Generalization Ability of Building Footprint Extraction on the Example of SegNet and Mask R-CNN
Authors: Sakeena Muntaha , Stumpe Eric , Despotovic Miroslav , Koch David , Zeppelzauer Matthias
Published: April 2023

Building footprint (BFP) extraction focuses on the precise pixel-wise segmentation of buildings from aerial photographs such as satellite images. BFP extraction is an essential task in remote sensing and represents the foundation for many higher-level analysis tasks, such as disaster management, monitoring of city development, etc. Building footprint extraction is challenging because buildings can have different sizes, shapes, and appearances both in the same region and in different regions of the world. In addition, effects, such as occlusions, shadows, and bad lighting, have to also be considered and compensated. A rich body of work for BFP extraction has been presented in the literature, and promising research results have been reported on benchmarking datasets. Despite the comprehensive work performed, it is still unclear how robust and generalizable state-of-the-art methods are to different regions, cities, settlement structures, and densities. The purpose of this study is to close this gap by investigating questions on the practical applicability of BFP extraction. In particular, we evaluate the robustness and generalizability of state-of-the-art methods as well as their transfer learning capabilities. Therefore, we investigate in detail two of the most popular deep learning architectures for BFP extraction (i.e., SegNet, an encoder–decoder-based architecture and Mask R-CNN, an object detection architecture) and evaluate them with respect to different aspects on a proprietary high-resolution satellite image dataset as well as on publicly available datasets. Results show that both networks generalize well to new data, new cities, and across cities from different continents. They both benefit from increased training data, especially when this data is from the same distribution (data source) or of comparable resolution. Transfer learning from a data source with different recording parameters is not always beneficial.
Multispectral Remote Sensing Monitoring of Soil Particle-Size Distribution in Arid and Semi-Arid Mining Areas in the Middle and Upper Reaches of the Yellow River Basin: A Case Study of Wuhai City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Authors: Li Quanzhi , Hu Zhenqi , Zhang Fan , Song Deyun , Liang Yusheng , Yu Yi
Published: April 2023

Particle size distribution is an important characteristic of reclaimed soil in arid and semi-arid mining areas in western China, which is important in the ecological environment protection and control of the Yellow River Basin. Large-scale coal resource mining disturbances have caused serious damage to the fragile ecological environment. The timely and accurate dynamic monitoring of mining area topsoil information has practical significance for ecological restoration and management evaluation. Investigating Wuhai City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, this study uses Landsat8 OLI multispectral images and measured soil sample particle size data to analyze soil spectral characteristics and establish a particle size content prediction model to retrieve the particle size distribution in the study area. The experimental results and analysis demonstrate that: (1) the 6SV (Second Simulation of the Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum Vector version) atmospheric correction model is more accurate than the FLAASH (Fast Line-of-sight Atmospheric Analysis of Hypercubes) model in arid and semi-arid areas with undulating terrain; (2) 0–40 cm is the optimum soil thickness for modeling and predicting particle size content in this study; and (3) the multi-band prediction model is more precise than the single-band prediction model. The multi-band model’s sequence of advantages and disadvantages is SVM (Support Vector Machine) > MLR (Multiple Linear Regression) > PLSR (Partial Least Squares Regression). Among them, the 6SV-SVM model has the highest precision, and the prediction precision R2 of the 3 particle sizes’ contents is above 0.95, which can effectively predict the soil particle-size distribution and provide effective data to support topsoil quality change monitoring in the mine land reclamation area.
A Dual-Polarization Information-Guided Network for SAR Ship Classification
Authors: Shao Zikang , Zhang Tianwen , Ke Xiao
Published: April 2023

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an advanced active microwave sensor widely used in marine surveillance. As part of typical marine surveillance missions, ship classification in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is a significant task for the remote sensing community. However, fully utilizing polarization information to enhance SAR ship classification remains an unresolved issue. Thus, we proposed a dual-polarization information-guided network (DPIG-Net) to solve it. DPIG-Net utilizes available dual-polarization information from the Sentinel-1 SAR satellite to adaptively guide feature extraction and feature fusion. We first designed a novel polarization channel cross-attention framework (PCCAF) to model the correlations of different polarization information for feature extraction. Then, we established a novel dilated residual dense learning framework (DRDLF) to refine the polarization characteristics for feature fusion. The results on the open OpenSARShip dataset indicated DPIG-Net’s state-of-the-art classification accuracy compared with eleven other competitive models, which showed the potential of DPIG-Net to promote effective and sufficient utilization of SAR polarization data in the future.
CapERA: Captioning Events in Aerial Videos
Authors: Bashmal Laila , Bazi Yakoub , Al Rahhal Mohamad Mahmoud , Zuair Mansour , Melgani Farid
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we introduce the CapERA dataset, which upgrades the Event Recognition in Aerial Videos (ERA) dataset to aerial video captioning. The newly proposed dataset aims to advance visual–language-understanding tasks for UAV videos by providing each video with diverse textual descriptions. To build the dataset, 2864 aerial videos are manually annotated with a caption that includes information such as the main event, object, place, action, numbers, and time. More captions are automatically generated from the manual annotation to take into account as much as possible the variation in describing the same video. Furthermore, we propose a captioning model for the CapERA dataset to provide benchmark results for UAV video captioning. The proposed model is based on the encoder–decoder paradigm with two configurations to encode the video. The first configuration encodes the video frames independently by an image encoder. Then, a temporal attention module is added on the top to consider the temporal dynamics between features derived from the video frames. In the second configuration, we directly encode the input video using a video encoder that employs factorized space–time attention to capture the dependencies within and between the frames. For generating captions, a language decoder is utilized to autoregressively produce the captions from the visual tokens. The experimental results under different evaluation criteria show the challenges of generating captions from aerial videos. We expect that the introduction of CapERA will open interesting new research avenues for integrating natural language processing (NLP) with UAV video understandings.
The Development of Dark Hyperspectral Absolute Calibration Model Using Extended Pseudo Invariant Calibration Sites at a Global Scale: Dark EPICS-Global
Authors: Karki Padam Bahadur , Kaewmanee Morakot , Leigh Larry , Pinto Cibele Teixeira
Published: April 2023

This research aimed to develop a novel dark hyperspectral absolute calibration (DAHAC) model using stable dark targets of “Global Cluster-36” (GC-36), one of the clusters from the “300 Class Global Classification”. The stable dark sites were identified from GC-36 called “Dark EPICS-Global” covering the surface types viz. dark rock, volcanic area, and dark sand. The Dark EPICS-Global shows a temporal variation of 0.02 unit reflectance. This work used the Landsat-8 (L8) Operational Land Imager (OLI), Sentinel-2A (S2A) Multispectral Instrument (MSI), and Earth Observing One (EO-1) Hyperion data for the DAHAC model development, where well-calibrated L8 and S2A were used as the reference sensors, while EO-1 Hyperion with a 10 nm spectral resolution was used as a hyperspectral library. The dark hyperspectral dataset (DaHD) was generated by combining the normalized hyperspectral profile of L8 and S2A for the DAHAC model development. The DAHAC model developed in this study takes into account the solar zenith and azimuth angles, as well as the view zenith and azimuth angles in Cartesian coordinates form. This model is capable of predicting TOA reflectance in all existing spectral bands of any sensor. The DAHAC model was then validated with the Landsat-7 (L7), Landsat-9 (L9), and Sentinel-2B (S2B) satellites from their launch dates to March 2022. These satellite sensors vary in terms of their spectral resolution, equatorial crossing time, spatial resolution, etc. The comparison between the DAHAC model and satellite measurements showed an accuracy within 0.01 unit reflectance across the overall spectral band. The proposed DAHAC model uncertainty level was determined using Monte Carlo simulation and found to be 0.04 and 0.05 unit reflectance for the VNIR and SWIR channels, respectively. The DAHAC model double ratio was used as a tool to perform the inter-comparison between two satellites. The sensor inter-comparison results for L8 and L9 showed a 2% difference and 1% for S2A and S2B across all spectral bands.