bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Cytotoxicity, and Larvicidal Activities of Selected Synthetic Bis-Chalcones
Authors: Kuttithodi Aswathi Moothakoottil , Nikhitha Divakaran , Jacob Jisha , Narayanankutty Arunaksharan , Mathews Manoj , Olatunji Opeyemi Joshua , Rajagopal Rajakrishnan , Alfarhan Ahmed , Barcelo Damia
Published: November 2022

Plants are known to have numerous phytochemicals and other secondary metabolites with numerous pharmacological and biological properties. Among the various compounds, polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, alkaloids, and terpenoids are the predominant ones that have been explored for their biological potential. Among these, chalcones and bis-chalcones are less explored for their biological potential under in vitro experiments, cell culture models, and animal studies. In the present study, we evaluated six synthetic bis-chalcones that were different in terms of their aromatic cores, functional group substitution, and position of substitutions. The results indicated a strong antioxidant property in terms of DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging potentials and ferric-reducing properties. In addition, compounds 1, 2, and 4 exhibited strong antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enteritidis. The disc diffusion assay values were indicative of the antibacterial properties of these compounds. Overall, the study indicated the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the compounds. Our preliminary studies point to the potential of this class of compounds for further in vivo investigation.
Development of Ion Character Property Relationship (IC-PR) for Removal of 13-Metal Ions by Employing a Novel Green Adsorbent Aerva javanica
Authors: Batool Fozia , Irfan Ali , Al-Hussain Sami A. , Al-Farraj Eida S. , Iqbal Shahid , Akbar Jamshed , Noreen Sobia , Akhtar Taslim , Iqbal Tunzeel , Zaki Magdi E. A.
Published: November 2022

The novel Aerva javanica absorbent was applied for the removal of thirteen selected metal ions from a distilled water solution of each metal by the batch adsorption method. The optimization remediation parameters of the metal ions for the batch adsorption approach were developed, which were the initial concentrations (60 ppm), contact time (60 min) and pH (7). The basic properties of metal ion affected the adsorption results; therefore, 21 properties of metal ions were selected, which are called “descriptors”. The most significant descriptors were selected that were vital for the adsorption results, such as covalent index, polarizability and ion charge. The developed model equation by the descriptors provided more than 80% accuracy in the predicted results. Furthermore, Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption models were also applied on the results. Constants of the Freundlich and Langmuir models were also used for model generation, and the results revealed the importance of a covalent index for the removal phenomenon of metal ions. The current study provided a suitable Ion Character Property Relationship (IC-PR) for the removal of metal ions, and future predictions can be achieved on the proposed adsorbent with significant accuracy. The ecofriendly and cost effective Aerva javanica absorbent in the batch experimental model of the current study predicted that this novel absorbent can be used for the removal of a wide spectrum of heavy metal ions from different sources of waste waters.
Liquid-Crystalline Order in the Phosphorus-Containing DenDrimers
Authors: Furer Victor , Vandyukov Alexandr , Majoral Jean-Pierre , Caminade Anne-Marie , Kovalenko Valery
Published: November 2022

The structure of phosphorus-containing dendrimers has been studied by IR spectroscopy and optical polarization microscopy. The repeating units of dendrimer molecules are mesogens. This property arises from the conjugation of the aromatic ring and the hydrazone group. An analysis of the IR spectra showed that, with an increase in the generation number, the width of the stretching vibration bands ν(PN) and ν(PO) increases. Difficulties in packing molecules of higher generations cause conformational diversity. The shape of the dendrimer molecules was determined by analyzing the increments of dipole moments. Additionally, the modeling of the stacking of repeating links was performed. The spherical model of molecules does not satisfy the experimental dipole moments of the dendrimers. The flat disk model is more suitable for explaining step changes in dipole moments. The liquid-crystalline ordering of dendrimers under the action of applied pressure was found. With simultaneous heating and uniaxial compression, optical anisotropy appears in dendrimers. It is associated with the formation of liquid-crystalline order. However, a thermodynamically stable liquid-crystalline phase is not formed in this case. Dendrimers most likely have disk-shaped molecules.
Colloidal Synthesis, Characterization, and Photoconductivity of Quasi-Layered CuCrS2 Nanosheets
Authors: Sanchez Rodriguez Jose J. , Nunez Leon Andrea N. , Abbasi Jabeen , Shinde Pravin S. , Fedin Igor , Gupta Arunava
Published: November 2022

The current need to accelerate the adoption of photovoltaic (PV) systems has increased the need to explore new nanomaterials that can harvest and convert solar energy into electricity. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are good candidates because of their tunable physical and chemical properties. CuCrS2 has shown good electrical and thermoelectrical properties; however, its optical and photoconductivity properties remain unexplored. In this study, we synthesized CuCrS2 nanosheets with average dimensions of 43.6 ± 6.7 nm in length and 25.6 ± 4.1 nm in width using a heat-up synthesis approach and fabricated films by the spray-coating method to probe their photoresponse. This method yielded CuCrS2 nanosheets with an optical bandgap of ~1.21 eV. The fabricated film had an average thickness of ~570 nm, exhibiting a net current conversion efficiency of ~11.3%. These results demonstrate the potential use of CuCrS2 as an absorber layer in solar cells.
Preparation and Characterization of Fibrous Alumina and Zirconia Toughened Alumina Ceramics with Gradient Porosity
Authors: Bódis Eszter , Molnár Kolos , Móczó János , Károly Zoltán
Published: November 2022

This paper investigated a synthesis process for highly porous Al2O3, Y-ZTA, and Ce-ZTA ceramic nanocomposites with gradient microstructure and improved mechanical properties. Ceramic nanofibres were synthesized as the starting material. The gradient microstructure was developed during spark plasma sintering using an asymmetric graphite arrangement that generated significant temperature differences (80–100 °C) between the opposite sides of the samples. Structural and mechanical properties of the fibrous ceramic composites were investigated. The effect of the temperature gradient on properties was also discussed. While the asymmetric configuration resulted in a gradient porosity, reference samples fabricated in standard graphite configuration were uniformly porous. The gradient structure and the ZrO2 addition led to improved hardness and compression strength of the sintered samples. However, the opposite sides of the samples exhibited considerable variations in both microstructure and in terms of properties. The upper part of the Ce-ZTA ceramic showed a highly porous structure with 18.2 GPa hardness, while the opposite side was highly densified with 23.0 GPa hardness. Compressive strength was 46.1 MPa and 52.1 MPa for Y-ZTA and Ce-ZTA sintered at 1300 °C, respectively, despite their high porosity. The research provided a promising approach to prepare highly porous ZTA composites with high strength for a wide range of applications.
Magneto-Optical Spectroscopy of Short Spin Waves by All-Dielectric Metasurface
Authors: Ignatyeva Daria O. , Belotelov Vladimir I.
Published: November 2022

The optical method of spin dynamics measurements via the detection of various magneto-optical effects is widely used nowadays. Besides it being a convenient method to achieve time-resolved measurements, its spatial resolution in the lateral direction is limited by a diffraction limit for the probe light. We propose a novel approach utilizing a Mie-resonance-based all-dielectric metasurface that allows for the extraction of a signal of a single submicron-wavelength spin wave from the wide spin precession spectra. This approach is based on the possibility of designing a metasurface that possesses nonuniform magneto-optical sensitivity to the different nanoscale regions of the smooth magnetic film due to the excitation of the Mie modes. The metasurface is tuned to be unsensitive to the long-wavelength spin precession, which is achieved by the optical resonance-caused zeroing of the magneto-optical effect for uniform magnetization in the vicinity of the resonance. At the same time, such a Mie-supporting metasurface exhibits selective sensitivity to a narrow range of short wavelengths equal to its period.
Toxicity Assessment of [177Lu]Lu−iFAP/iPSMA Nanoparticles Prepared under GMP-Compliant Radiopharmaceutical Processes
Authors: Hernández-Jiménez Tania , Cruz-Nova Pedro , Ancira-Cortez Alejandra , Gibbens-Bandala Brenda , Lara-Almazán Nancy , Ocampo-García Blanca , Santos-Cuevas Clara , Morales-Avila Enrique , Ferro-Flores Guillermina
Published: November 2022

The fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is heavily expressed in fibroblasts associated with the tumor microenvironment, while the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is expressed in the neovasculature of malignant angiogenic processes. Previously, we reported that [177Lu]lutetium sesquioxide-iFAP/iPSMA nanoparticles ([177Lu]Lu−iFAP/iPSMA) inhibit HCT116 tumor progression in mice. Understanding the toxicity of [177Lu]Lu−iFAP/iPSMA in healthy tissues, as well as at the tissue and cellular level in pathological settings, is essential to demonstrate the nanosystem safety for treating patients. It is equally important to demonstrate that [177Lu]Lu−iFAP/iPSMA can be prepared under good manufacturing practices (GMP) with reproducible pharmaceutical-grade quality characteristics. This research aimed to prepare [177Lu]Lu−iFAP/iPSMA under GMP-compliant radiopharmaceutical processes and evaluate its toxicity in cell cultures and murine biological systems under pathological environments. [177Lu]Lu2O3 nanoparticles were formulated as radiocolloidal solutions with FAP and PSMA inhibitor ligands (iFAP and iPSMA), sodium citrate, and gelatin, followed by heating at 121 °C (103-kPa pressure) for 15 min. Three consecutive batches were manufactured. The final product was analyzed according to conventional pharmacopeial methods. The Lu content in the formulations was determined by X-ray fluorescence. [177Lu]Lu−iFAP/iPSMA performance in cancer cells was evaluated in vitro by immunofluorescence. Histopathological toxicity in healthy and tumor tissues was assessed in HCT116 tumor-bearing mice. Immunohistochemical assays were performed to corroborate FAP and PSMA tumor expression. Acute genotoxicity was evaluated using the micronuclei assay. The results showed that the batches manufactured under GMP conditions were reproducible. Radiocolloidal solutions were sterile and free of bacterial endotoxins, with radionuclidic and radiochemical purity greater than 99%. The lutetium content was 0.10 ± 0.02 mg/mL (0.9 GBq/mg). Significant inhibition of cell proliferation in vitro and in tumors was observed due to the accumulation of nanoparticles in the fibroblasts (FAP+) and neovasculature (PSMA+) of the tumor microenvironment. No histopathological damage was detected in healthy tissues. The data obtained in this research provide new evidence on the selective toxicity to malignant tumors and the absence of histological changes in healthy tissues after intravenous injection of [177Lu]Lu−iFAP/iPSMA in mammalian hosts. The easy preparation under GMP conditions and the toxicity features provide the added value needed for [177Lu]Lu−iFAP/iPSMA clinical translation.
Pd3Co1 Alloy Nanocluster on the MWCNT Catalyst for Efficient Formic Acid Electro-Oxidation
Authors: Yang Pingping , Zhang Li , Wei Xuejiao , Dong Shiming , Ouyang Yuejun
Published: November 2022

In this study, the Pd3Co1 alloy nanocluster from a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCTN) catalyst was fabricated in deep eutectic solvents (DESs) (referred to Pd3Co1/CNTs). The catalyst shows a better mass activity towards the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR) (2410.1 mA mgPd−1), a better anti-CO toxicity (0.36 V) than Pd/CNTs and commercial Pd/C. The improved performance of Pd3Co1/CNTs is attributed to appropriate Co doping, which changed the electronic state around the Pd atom, lowered the d-band of Pd, formed a new Pd-Co bond act at the active sites, affected the adsorption of the toxic intermediates and weakened the dissolution of Pd; moreover, with the assistance of DES, the obtained ultrafine Pd3Co1 nanoalloy exposes more active sites to enhance the dehydrogenation process of the FAOR. The study shows a new way to construct a high-performance Pd-alloy catalyst for the direct formic acid fuel cell.
Diet and Nutrients Intakes during Infancy and Childhood in Relation to Early Puberty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Tang Jingyi , Xue Peng , Huang Xiaoxia , Lin Cuilan , Liu Shijian
Published: November 2022

The onset of puberty has become earlier over the decades, and nutrients and diet are related to the timing of puberty onset. Hence, we aimed to investigate the association between diet or nutrients in infancy, childhood and early puberty. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library were searched systematically up to 15 April 2022. The pooled relative risks (RRs) or regression coefficients (beta) were estimated using the random-effect model or fixed-effect model according to the heterogeneity between studies. Twenty-two articles on diet or nutrients in childhood and six about breastfeeding in infancy were included. The prolonged breastfeeding duration in infancy could reduce the risk of early menarche (beta 0.31, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.60, p = 0.045). The high intake of yogurt was associated with a 35% reduction in the risk of earlier menarche (RR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.89, p = 0.008). Girls with severe food insecurity experienced later menarche (RR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.98, p = 0.027). Conversely, due to the high intake of protein, the risk of early menarche increased by 8% (RR 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.16, p = 0.016). High intake of yogurt, longer duration of breastfeeding, and food insecurity decreased the possibility of earlier menarche, while high intake of protein increased that risk. As a modifiable factor, diet and nutrients in infancy and childhood provide new insights into the future prevention of early puberty.
The Multidimension of Malnutrition among School Children in a Rural Area, South Africa: A Mixed Methods Approach
Authors: Modjadji Perpetua , Madiba Sphiwe
Published: November 2022

To address childhood malnutrition, the use of multifaceted methodologies, such as mixed methods research, is required to inform effective and contextual interventions. However, this remains limited in studying malnutrition among school children in a South African context, notwithstanding its persistence. We adopted a convergent parallel mixed methods design to best understand the magnitude of malnutrition through multilevel influences in a rural area. A quantitative survey determined the magnitude of malnutrition and associated factors among school children and their mothers (n = 508), parallel to a qualitative study, which explored mothers’ insights into the influences of child growth and nutrition in interviews using seven focus group discussions. Mixed methods integration was achieved through convergence of the quantitative constructs developed from measured variables for malnutrition and related factors with ten emergent qualitative themes using a joint display analysis to compare the findings and generate meta-inferences. Qualitative themes on food unavailability and affordability, poor feeding beliefs and practices, and decision to purchase foods were consistent with the quantified poor socio-demographic status of mothers. Furthermore, the qualitative data explained the high prevalence of undernutrition among children but did not corroborate the high estimated households’ food security in the quantitative survey. The misperceptions of mothers on child growth agreed with limited food knowledge as well as lack of knowledge on child growth gathered during the survey. Moreover, mothers believed that their children were growing well despite the high presence of childhood undernutrition. Mothers further overrated the effectiveness of school feeding programmes in providing healthy food to children as compared to their household food. They reported high incidence of food allergies, diarrhea, and vomiting caused by food consumed at school which resulted in children not eating certain foods. This might have impacted on the nutritional status of children since mothers depended on the school feeding program to provide food for their children. The ambiguity of cultural influences in relation to child growth was evident and substantiated during qualitative interview. Mixed methods integration offered a better understanding of malnutrition from empirical findings on interrelated factors at child, maternal, household, and school levels. This study points to a need for multilevel, informed, and contextual multidimensional interventions to contribute towards addressing childhood malnutrition in South Africa.
Comment on Sah et al. Monkeypox and Its Possible Sexual Transmission: Where Are We Now with Its Evidence? Pathogens 2022, 11, 924
Authors: Vera Milagros Nilda , Sanca Kely , Leon Segundo Ramos
Published: November 2022

After an exhaustive reading of the article “Monkeypox and Its Possible Sexual Transmission: Where Are We Now with Its Evidence?” by Ranjit Sah et al. [...]
Light- and Redox-Responsive Block Copolymers of mPEG-SS-ONBMA as a Smart Drug Delivery Carrier for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Lo Yu-Lun , Fang Yao-Hsing , Chiu Yen-Ju , Chang Chia-Yu , Lee Chih-Hsien , Liao Zi-Xian , Wang Li-Fang
Published: November 2022

The development of stimuli-responsive polymeric micelles for targeted drug delivery has attracted much research interest in improving therapeutic outcomes. This study designs copolymers responsive to ultraviolet (UV) light and glutathione (GSH). A disulfide linkage is positioned between a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether (mPEG) and a hydrophobic o-nitrobenzyl methacrylate (ONBMA) to yield amphiphilic copolymers termed mPEG-SS-pONBMA. Three copolymers with different ONBMA lengths are synthesized and formulated into micelles. An increase in particle size and a decrease in critical micelle concentration go together with increasing ONBMA lengths. The ONB cleavage from mPEG-SS-pONBMA-formed micelles results in the transformation of hydrophobic cores into hydrophilic ones, accelerating drug release from the micelles. Obvious changes in morphology and molecular weight of micelles upon combinational treatments account for the dual-stimuli responsive property. Enhancement of a cell-killing effect is clearly observed in doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded micelles containing disulfide bonds compared with those containing dicarbon bonds upon UV light irradiation. Collectedly, the dual-stimuli-responsive mPEG-SS-pONBMA micelle is a better drug delivery carrier than the single-stimuli-responsive mPEG-CC-pONBMA micelle. After HT1080 cells were treated with the DOX-loaded micelles, the high expression levels of RIP-1 and MLKL indicate that the mechanism involved in cell death is mainly via the DOX-induced necroptosis pathway.
3D Bioprinting Using Hydrogels: Cell Inks and Tissue Engineering Applications
Authors: Dell Annika C. , Wagner Grayson , Own Jason , Geibel John P.
Published: November 2022

3D bioprinting is transforming tissue engineering in medicine by providing novel methods that are precise and highly customizable to create biological tissues. The selection of a “cell ink”, a printable formulation, is an integral part of adapting 3D bioprinting processes to allow for process optimization and customization related to the target tissue. Bioprinting hydrogels allows for tailorable material, physical, chemical, and biological properties of the cell ink and is suited for biomedical applications. Hydrogel-based cell ink formulations are a promising option for the variety of techniques with which bioprinting can be achieved. In this review, we will examine some of the current hydrogel-based cell inks used in bioprinting, as well as their use in current and proposed future bioprinting methods. We will highlight some of the biological applications and discuss the development of new hydrogels and methods that can incorporate the completed print into the tissue or organ of interest.
Suárez’ Minimal Realism of Artifacts
Authors: Åkerlund Erik
Published: November 2022

The article places Francisco Suárez (1548–1617) and his position on the ontological status of artifacts against the Medieval philosophical background. It is concluded that Suárez is an artifact realist. However, Suárez’ realism concerning artifacts is of a minimalist kind. Inscribing himself into the realist tradition, Suárez affirms that an artifact has an “artificial form”, a ‘forma artificialis’. However, this form is not a thing in its own right, but rather has the status of a mode. Further, the artificial form is not a mode of substance, but rather of quantity. Hence, Suárez can rightly be called a minimal realist concerning artifacts. In an additional section, the role of the exemplar in the production of an artifact is explored. Suárez counts the exemplar among the efficient causes, and so, the exemplar in the mind of the artisan is one of many efficient causes that together produce and determine the artifact.
Speckle Noise-Free Interconnective Holographic Projection
Authors: Jeon Hosung , Hahn Joonku
Published: November 2022

Generally, speckle noise is regarded as unavoidable in holographic projection, and it results from unexpected high spatial frequency components of diffracted light at the sharp edge of pixel openings in a spatial light modulator. Speckle noise typically reduces image contrast and degrades the image quality of the holographic projection. In this study, we propose a novel holographic optical interconnection method free of speckle noise in holographic projection. This optical interconnection is achieved by using a holographic optical element (HOE). The HOE is designed to reconstruct Gaussian beams with low divergence. These Gaussian beams become points which form target images at desired depths. Since the Gaussian beam from the HOE does not share the same position with other Gaussian beams, there is no interference at the projection image. Therefore, the image is composed of the points from the Gaussian beams and there is no reason for unexpected high spatial frequency noise to appear on the image. In this paper, we fabricate the HOE, produced with our specially manufactured hologram printer, where the directions of two Gaussian beams with low divergence are controlled by goniometers. We experimentally demonstrated a speckle noise-free interconnective holographic projection. Two images are successfully formed at different depths by optically connecting two points in pairs.
Hybrid Superconducting/Magnetic Multifunctional Devices in Two-Dimensional Systems
Authors: Perez de Lara David
Published: November 2022

The emergence of unexpected properties in two-dimensional materials, interfaces, and nanostructured materials opens an exciting framework for exploring new devices and applications. Recent advances in materials design and the nano structurization of novel, low-dimensional materials, surfaces, and interfaces offer a novel playground to design efficient multifunctional materials-based devices. Low-dimensional materials exhibit peculiarities in their electronic, magnetic, and optical properties, changing with respect to the bulk when they are layered down to a single layer, in addition to their high tunability. Their crystal structure and chemical bonds lead to inherent unique mechanical properties. The fabrication of van der Waals heterostructures by stacking materials with different properties, the better control of interfaces, and the tunability of the physical properties by mechanical strain, and chemical and electronic doping allow for the exploration of multifunctional devices with superconducting, magnetic, and optical properties and unprecedented degrees of freedom in terms of fabrication and tunability.
Thermotropic Optical Response of Silicone–Paraffin Flexible Blends
Authors: Fredi Giulia , Favaro Matteo , Da Ros Damiano , Pegoretti Alessandro , Dorigato Andrea
Published: November 2022

Organic phase change materials, e.g., paraffins, are attracting increasing attention in thermal energy storage (TES) and thermal management applications. However, they also manifest interesting optical properties such as thermotropism, as they can switch from optically opaque to transparent reversibly and promptly at the melting temperature. This work aims at exploiting this feature to produce flexible silicone-based blends with thermotropic properties for applications in glazed windows or thermal sensors. Blends are produced by adding paraffin (Tm = 44 °C, up to 10 phr) to a silicone bicomponent mixture, and, for the first time, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is also added to promote paraffin dispersion and avoid its exudation. CTAB is proven effective in preventing paraffin exudation both in the solid and in the liquid state when added in a fraction above 3 phr with respect to paraffin. Rheological results show that paraffin decreases the complex viscosity, but neither paraffin nor CTAB modifies the curing behavior of silicone, which indicates uniform processability across the investigated compositions. On the other hand, paraffin causes a decrease in the stress and strain at break at 60 °C, and this effect is amplified by CTAB, which acts as a defect and stress concentrator. Conversely, at room temperature, solid paraffin only slightly impairs the mechanical properties, while CTAB increases both the elastic modulus and tensile strength, as also highlighted with ANOVA. Finally, optical transmittance results suggest that the maximum transmittance difference below and above the melting temperature (65–70 percentage points) is reached for paraffin amounts of 3 to 5 phr and a CTAB amount of max. 0.15 phr.
Amphiphilic Molecular Brushes with Regular Polydimethylsiloxane Backbone and Poly-2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline Side Chains. 3. Influence of Grafting Density on Behavior in Organic and Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Rodchenko Serafim , Kurlykin Mikhail , Tenkovtsev Andrey , Milenin Sergey , Sokolova Maria , Yakimansky Alexander , Filippov Alexander
Published: November 2022

Regular and irregular molecular brushes with polydimethylsiloxane backbone and poly-2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline side chains have been synthesized. Prepared samples differed strongly in the side chain grafting density, namely, in the ratio of the lengths of spacer between the grafting points and the side chains. The hydrodynamic properties and molecular conformation of the synthesized grafted copolymers and their behavior in aqueous solutions on heating were studied by the methods of molecular hydrodynamics and optics. It was found that the regularity and the grafting density do not affect the molecular shape of the studied samples of molecular brushes in the selective solvent. On the contrary, the grafting density is one of the most important factors determining the thermoresponsivity of grafted copolymers. It was shown that in analyzing self-organization and LCST values in aqueous solutions of poly-2-isopropyl-2-oxazolines with complex architecture, many factors should be considered. First is the molar fraction of the hydrophobic fragment and the intramolecular density. It was found that molar mass is not a factor that greatly affects the phase transition temperature of poly-2-isopropyl-2-oxazolines solutions at a passage from one molecular architecture to another.
Impact of the Polymer Backbone Structure on the Separation Properties of New Stationary Phases Based on Tricyclononenes
Authors: Kanatieva Anastasiia Yu. , Alentiev Dmitry A. , Shiryaeva Valeria E. , Korolev Alexander A. , Kurganov Alexander A.
Published: November 2022

The main purpose of this paper is to compare the chromatographic properties of capillary columns prepared with polymers with different backbone structures and to demonstrate the possibility of polymer differentiation via inverse gas chromatography. With the use of addition and metathesis types of polymerization of tricyclononenes, two new stationary phases were prepared. The metathesis polymer contained double bonds in the polymeric backbone while the backbone of the addition polymer was fully saturated and relatively mobile. A comparison of the separation and adsorption properties of new phases with conventional gas chromatography (GC) stationary phases clearly indicated their non-polar characteristics. However, the difference in the polymer structure appeared to have very little effect on the stationary phase separation properties, so other parameters were used for polymer characterization. The thermodynamic parameters of the sorption of alkanes and aromatic compounds in both polymeric stationary phases were also very similar; however, the entropy of sorption for hydrocarbons with seven or more carbon atoms was different for the two polymers. An evaluation of the specific surface energy of the stationary phases also allowed us to discriminate the two stationary phases.
Role of Polymers in Microfluidic Devices
Authors: Damiati Laila A. , El-Yaagoubi Marwa , Damiati Safa A. , Kodzius Rimantas , Sefat Farshid , Damiati Samar
Published: November 2022

Polymers are sustainable and renewable materials that are in high demand due to their excellent properties. Natural and synthetic polymers with high flexibility, good biocompatibility, good degradation rate, and stiffness are widely used for various applications, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and microfluidic chip fabrication. Indeed, recent advances in microfluidic technology allow the fabrication of polymeric matrix to construct microfluidic scaffolds for tissue engineering and to set up a well-controlled microenvironment for manipulating fluids and particles. In this review, polymers as materials for the fabrication of microfluidic chips have been highlighted. Successful models exploiting polymers in microfluidic devices to generate uniform particles as drug vehicles or artificial cells have been also discussed. Additionally, using polymers as bioink for 3D printing or as a matrix to functionalize the sensing surface in microfluidic devices has also been mentioned. The rapid progress made in the combination of polymers and microfluidics presents a low-cost, reproducible, and scalable approach for a promising future in the manufacturing of biomimetic scaffolds for tissue engineering.
Production of Trehalose from Maltose by Whole Cells of Permeabilized Recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum
Authors: Man Zaiwei , Cui Huihui , Li Jin , Cai Zhiqiang , Guo Jing
Published: November 2022

Trehalose (α-D-glucopyranosyl-1,1-α-D-glucopyranoside) is a stable and nonreducing disaccharide; can be used as sweetener, stabilizer, and humectant; and has many applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Trehalose production from maltose catalyzed by trehalose synthase (TreS) is simple and economically feasible for industrial-scale application. Reducing the cost and enhancing the efficiency of TreS synthesis and the conversion of maltose to trehalose is critical for trehalose production. In this study, the homologous TreS was constitutively overexpressed in Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13032 by removing the repressor gene lacIq fragment in the plasmid, and TreS expression could be exempt from the inducer addition and induction process. For cell permeabilization, Triton X-100 was used as a permeabilization agent, and the treatment time was 3 h. In the conversion system, the permeabilized cells of recombinant C. glutamicum were used as biocatalysts, 300 g/L maltose was used as a substrate, and 173.7 g/L trehalose was produced within 12 h under 30 °C and pH 7.0 conditions. In addition, the whole-cell biocatalysts showed promising reusability. This study provides a safe, convenient, practical, and low-cost pathway for the production of trehalose.
Evaluation of Construction and Demolition Waste Management in Kuwait
Authors: Almusawi Mohammed Baqer Hasan , Karim Ahmad Tarmizi Bin Abd , Ethaib Saleem
Published: November 2022

This research aimed to evaluate Kuwait’s current construction and demolition waste (C&D waste) situation by focusing on C&D waste generation and management issues. This work also investigated the causes and factors affecting C&D waste to understand the actual waste management activities and proposed strategies to minimize the waste generated at the local level. This study estimated C&D waste generation rates based on data collected from five construction projects and two demolition projects in Kuwait. In addition, a questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate the causes of C&D waste generation. The results showed that the average C&D waste quantities generated by construction activities were 49.5 kg/m2 for public/commercial building projects and 35 kg/m2 for residential projects. At the same time, public/commercial construction, residential construction, and demolition works generated 1.480 ton/m2, 0.0495 ton/m2, and 0.035 ton/m2, respectively. The average composition of C&D waste from the construction sector was 35.4% concrete waste, followed by 19.2% tiles/blocks, and 14.2% metals, with the remainder being other materials. Meanwhile, the demolition waste was composed of 70% concrete and cement waste and 20% metals. The results showed that 54% of the projects disposed of their C&D waste directly in the landfills. The leading causes of C&D waste generation were reworks due to changes in specifications, poor material quality, improper material handling, and improper site management. Strategic C&D waste management practices are necessary for sustainable natural resource management and conservation of the environment.
The Contribution of the Non-Muslim Teacher to the Ideal Identity of the Islamic Primary School
Authors: Budak Bahaeddin
Published: November 2022

In 2021, more than one million Muslims lived in the Netherlands, corresponding to approximately 5% of the total population. From the start of the first Islamic schools in the Netherlands in 1988, Islamic schools employed mostly non-Muslim teachers. How the identity of an Islamic school should be put into practice in the plural Dutch context is a regularly recurring topic of discussion. Many researchers and board members assume that the ideal identity of the Islamic school cannot be formed with non-Muslim teachers. They suppose that the ideal identity can only be shaped with Muslim staff. This article describes, on the basis of qualitative research among three non-Muslim teachers, how they can contribute to the development of the ideal identity of Islamic primary schools. This research shows that the contribution that non-Muslim teachers make to the ideal identity of the Islamic school can be very important. The presence of the non-Muslim teacher gives the pupils the opportunity to learn about religious diversity. The school becomes a training ground for dialogue and respectful interaction with each other. The results of this research are not only relevant for Islamic schools, but also, schools of other denominations can revise their view of the ideal identity and staff with a different worldview than the board of the school.
Study of the Spatiotemporal Variability of Oceanographic Parameters and Their Relationship to Holothuria Species Abundance in a Marine Protected Area of the Mediterranean Using Satellite Imagery
Authors: Christou Panteleimon , Domenikiotis Christos , Neofitou Nikos , Vafidis Dimitris
Published: November 2022

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are designated to protect marine ecosystems and, among other things, to monitor climate variability, which in turn affects aquatic species. The aim of this study is to examine the contribution of remotely sensed data as an indication of Holothuria abundance, by investigating the spatiotemporal variability of physicochemical parameters. The study area is in the National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades, which is included in the NATURA 2000 network. Firstly, the abundance of Holothuria species was measured by scuba diving. At the same time, depth profiles of five physicochemical parameters (temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and Chl-a) were recorded by CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth), a primary instrument used to determine the essential physical and chemicals properties of seawater column profiles in the coastal zone. The physicochemical variables examined are the most common environmental parameters with the highest impact on growth, reproduction, productivity and survival rate of sea cucumber species, affecting the availability of food sources. Analysis of this data allows us to identify parameters which are essential for their existence. The analysis showed that only temperature and Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) could be useful for identifying the abundance. These two parameters are readily available from satellite data. Additionally, particulate organic carbon (POC) is essential for Holothuria’s existence. Consequently, a time series of satellite data products from Terra/MODIS sensor were utilized from 2000 to 2020 for sea surface temperature (SST), Chl-a and POC. The monthly temporal trend shows that the abundance could be justified in areas where the Holothuria presence has been established. Monthly spatiotemporal analysis shows that SST, Chl-a and POC availability, could be an indication of the differences in abundance recorded.
Two-Stage UA-GAN for Precipitation Nowcasting
Authors: Xu Liujia , Niu Dan , Zhang Tianbao , Chen Pengju , Chen Xunlai , Li Yinghao
Published: November 2022

Short-term rainfall prediction by radar echo map extrapolation has been a very hot area of research in recent years, which is also an area worth studying owing to its importance for precipitation disaster prevention. Existing methods have some shortcomings. In terms of image indicators, the predicted images are not clear enough and lack small-scale details, while in terms of precipitation accuracy indicators, the prediction is not accurate enough. In this paper, we proposed a two-stage model (two-stage UA-GAN) to achieve more accurate prediction echo images with more details. For the first stage, we used the Trajectory Gated Recurrent Unit (TrajGRU) model to carry out a pre-prediction, which proved to have a good ability to capture spatiotemporal movement of rain field. In the second stage, we proposed a spatiotemporal attention enhanced Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) model with a U-Net structure and a new deep residual attention module in order to carry out the refinement and improvement of the first-stage prediction. Experimental results showed that our model outperforms the optical-flow based method Real-Time Optical Flow by Variational Methods for Echoes of Radar (ROVER), and some well-known Recurrent Neural Network (RNN)-based models (TrajGRU, PredRNN++, ConvGRU, Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (ConvLSTM)) in terms of both image detail indexes and precipitation accuracy indexes, and is visible to the naked eye to have better accuracy and more details.
Mapping Soil Erosion Dynamics (1990–2020) in the Pearl River Basin
Authors: Mu Xiaolin , Qiu Junliang , Cao Bowen , Cai Shirong , Niu Kunlong , Yang Xiankun
Published: November 2022

Healthy soil is the key foundation of the world’s agriculture and an essential resource to ensure the world’s food security. Soil erosion is one of the serious forms of soil degradation and a major threat to sustainable terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we utilized a continuous Landsat satellite image dataset to map soil erosion changes (1990–2020) based on the RUSLE model across the Pearl River Basin. The study results indicated that: (1) The multi-year area-specific soil erosion average in the Pearl River Basin is approximately 538.95 t/(km2·a) with an annual soil loss of approximately 353 million tons; (2) The overall soil erosion displayed a decreasing trend over the past 30 years with an annual decreasing rate of −13.44(±1.53) t/(km2·a); (3) Soil erosion, dominated by low- and moderate-level erosion, primarily occurred in the tributary basin of Xijiang River, especially in the areas with slopes > 15°, low vegetation coverage, or poorly managed forests; (4) the NDVI and land cover were the dominant factors regulating soil erosion dynamics versus the insignificant role of precipitation played in the erosion procedure. The study results are valuable for soil erosion management and water conservation in the Pearl River Basin.
Rainfall Forecast Using Machine Learning with High Spatiotemporal Satellite Imagery Every 10 Minutes
Authors: Simanjuntak Febryanto , Jamaluddin Ilham , Lin Tang-Huang , Siahaan Hary Aprianto Wijaya , Chen Ying-Nong
Published: November 2022

Increasing the accuracy of rainfall forecasts is crucial as an effort to prevent hydrometeorological disasters. Weather changes that can occur suddenly and in a local scope make fast and precise weather forecasts increasingly difficult to inform. Additionally, the results of the numerical weather model used by the Indonesia Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics are only able to predict the rainfall with a temporal resolution of 1–3 h and cannot yet address the need for rainfall information with high spatial and temporal resolution. Therefore, this study aims to provide the rainfall forecast in high spatiotemporal resolution using Himawari-8 and GPM IMERG (Global Precipitation Measurement: The Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals) data. The multivariate LSTM (long short-term memory) forecasting is employed to predict the cloud brightness temperature by using the selected Himawari-8 bands as the input and training data. For the rain rate regression, we used the random forest technique to identify the rainfall and non-rainfall pixels from GPM IMERG data as the input in advance. The results of the rainfall forecast showed low values of mean error and root mean square error of 0.71 and 1.54 mm/3 h, respectively, compared to the observation data, indicating that the proposed study may help meteorological stations provide the weather information for aviation purposes.
Complementarity Characteristics of Actual and Potential Evapotranspiration and Spatiotemporal Changes in Evapotranspiration Drought Index over Ningxia in the Upper Reaches of the Yellow River in China
Authors: Liu Huihui , Song Dongdong , Kong Jinling , Mu Zengguang , Wang Xixuan , Jiang Yizhu , Zhang Jingya
Published: November 2022

Based on energy balance theory, using Theil–Sen median trend analysis and the Mann–Kendall test, this research studied the applicability of the complementary theory of evapotranspiration (ET) over Ningxia in the Upper Reaches of the Yellow River with MOD16 ET product and the measured data of meteorological stations, based on which ET drought index (EDI) was proposed for the first time. Moreover, the usability of EDI was also verified and its influencing factors were analyzed. The results revealed that there was a complementary relationship between AET and PET in 91.1% of the area in Ningxia, including strictly complementary and asymmetrically complementary relationships in 69.2% and 21.9% of the total area, respectively. EDI ranged from 0 to 1 and was useful to accurately reflect the degree of drought of the study area on the annual and monthly scales. From 2001 to 2020, the average annual EDI was 0.66, and the smallest monthly EDI was in January and the largest was in May. EDI of different time scales had different influencing factors. Precipitation was the most influencing factor of annual EDI, but the influencing factors of monthly EDI was different over time. However, surface non-precipitation water replenishment, such as irrigation, had great impact both on annual EDI and monthly EDI. The application scope of the theory of ET complementarity was extended to the study area for the first time, and EDI was proposed and applied, which will provide a theoretical basis and empirical reference for drought research based on ET data in arid and semi-arid areas.
Numerical Simulation of the Diurnal Cycle of a Precipitation System during KWAJEX by 2D and 3D Cloud-Resolving Models
Authors: Xu Huiyan , Song Yu , Hu Tangao , Wang Jiapeng , Zhang Dengrong
Published: November 2022

Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cloud-resolving model (CRM) results from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Kwajalein Experiment (KWAJEX) were applied to analyze the diurnal cycle of cloud development in the tropics. Cloud development is intimately associated with the growth of secondary circulation, which can be analyzed in the budget of perturbation kinetic energy (PKE). The ice and liquid water path (IWP+LWP) is a fundamental parameter for estimating clouds, with the analyzed results suggesting that (1) the ice and liquid water path (IWP+LWP) and PKE values attained in convective regions were higher during the nighttime than during the daytime and that the maxima of IWP+LWP and PKE occurred at midnight in the lower troposphere in the 3D model run, and that (2) the IWP+LWP and PKE values in stratiform regions were much higher in the afternoon than in the morning, while the maxima of IWP+LWP and PKE occurred in the afternoon in the middle troposphere in the 2D model run. Further analysis demonstrated that both the high IWP+LWP and PKE values in the lower troposphere at midnight were mainly associated with the warm–humid lower troposphere in convective regions. However, those in the middle troposphere in the afternoon were primarily linked to the dry–cold upper troposphere and moist–warm lower troposphere in stratiform regions. The results further revealed that (1) both IWP+LWP and PKE exhibited shorter time scales in the 2D model runs than in the 3D model runs and that (2) the maximum IWP+LWP values occurred in the afternoon in the 2D model runs and at midnight in the 3D model runs.
Hyperspectral Video Target Tracking Based on Deep Features with Spectral Matching Reduction and Adaptive Scale 3D Hog Features
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Zhu Xuguang , Zhao Dong , Arun Pattathal V. , Zhou Huixin , Qian Kun , Hu Jianling
Published: November 2022

Hyperspectral video target tracking is generally challenging when the scale of the target varies. In this paper, a novel algorithm is proposed to address the challenges prevalent in the existing hyperspectral video target tracking approaches. The proposed approach employs deep features along with spectral matching reduction and adaptive-scale 3D hog features to track the objects even when the scale is varying. Spectral matching reduction is adopted to estimate the spectral curve of the selected target region using a weighted combination of the global and local spectral curves. In addition to the deep features, adaptive-scale 3D hog features are extracted using cube-level features at three different scales. The four weak response maps thus obtained are then combined using adaptive weights to yield a strong response map. Finally, the region proposal module is utilized to estimate the target box. The proposed strategies make the approach robust against scale variations of the target. A comparative study on different hyperspectral video sequences illustrate the superior performance of the proposed algorithm as compared to the state-of-the-art approaches.