bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Characterization of Calcium Alginate-Based Microspheres Entrapped with TiO2 Nanoparticles and Cinnamon Essential Oil Targeting Clinical Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Zaineb Tayyaba , Uzair Bushra , Rizg Waleed Y. , Alharbi Waleed S. , Alkhalidi Hala M. , Hosny Khaled M. , Khan Barkat Ali , Bano Asma , Alissa Mohammed , Jamil Nazia
Published: December 2022

It is important to create new generations of materials that can destroy multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, which are a serious public health concern. This study focused on the biosynthesis of an essential oil entrapped in titanium dioxide (TiO2) calcium alginate-based microspheres. In this research, calcium alginate-based microspheres with entrapped TiO2 nanoparticles and cinnamon essential oil (CI-TiO2-MSs) were synthesized, using an aqueous extract of Nigella sativa seeds for TiO2 nanoparticle preparation, and the ionotropic gelation method for microsphere preparation. The microspheres obtained were spherical, uniformly sized, microporous, and rough surfaced, and they were fully loaded with cinnamon essential oil and TiO2 nanoparticles. The synthesized microspheres were analyzed for antibacterial activity against the clinical multidrug-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus. Disc diffusion and flow cytometry analysis revealed strong antibacterial activity by CI-TiO2-MSs. The synthesized CI-TiO2-MSs were characterized by the SEM/EDX, X-ray diffraction, and FTIR techniques. Results showed that the TiO2 nanoparticles were spherical and 99 to 150 nm in size, whereas the CI-TiO2-MSs were spherical and rough surfaced. Apoptosis analysis and SEM micrography revealed that the CI-TiO2-MSs had strong bactericidal activity against S. aureus. The in vitro antibacterial experiments proved that the encapsulated CI-TiO2-MSs had strong potential for use as a prolonged controlled release system against multidrug-resistant clinical S. aureus.
Novel Therapeutic Strategies in the Topical Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Pinto Lorenzo Maria , Chiricozzi Andrea , Calabrese Laura , Mannino Maria , Peris Ketty
Published: December 2022

Topical agents that are currently available for the treatment of atopic dermatitis may represent a valid approach in the management of mild or mild–moderate cases, whereas they are often supplemented with systemic therapies for handling more complex or unresponsive cases. The most used compounds include topical corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors, although their use might be burdened by side effects, poor response, and low patient compliance. Consequently, new innovative drugs with higher efficacy and safety both in the short and long term need to be integrated into clinical practice. A deeper understanding of the complex pathogenesis of the disease has led to identifying new therapeutic targets and to the development of innovative therapeutics. This narrative review aims to collect data on selected promising topical drugs that are in an advanced stage of development.
Exploring the Antimicrobial and Pharmacological Potential of NF22 as a Potent Inhibitor of E. coli DNA Gyrase: An In Vitro and In Silico Study
Authors: Munir Samman , Khurshid Mohsin , Ahmad Matloob , Ashfaq Usman Ali , Zaki Magdi E. A.
Published: December 2022

Toward the search for novel antimicrobial agents to control pathogenic E. coli-associated infections, a series of novel norfloxacin derivatives were screened for antimicrobial activities. The norfloxacin derivative, 1-ethyl-6-fluoro-7-(4-(2-(2-(3-hydroxybenzylidene)hydrazinyl)-2-oxoethyl)piperazin-1-yl)-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (NF22) demonstrated excellent antibacterial activities against E. coli ATCC 25922 (MIC = 0.0625 μg/mL) and MDR E. coli 1–3 (MIC = 1, 2 and 1 µg/mL). The time-kill kinetic studies have demonstrated that the NF22 was advantageous over norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin in killing the control and MDR E. coli strains. The checkerboard assay showed that NF22 in combination with tetracycline had a synergistic effect against the E. coli strains. The experimental findings are supported by molecular modeling studies on DNA gyrase, explaining the interactions involved for compound NF22, compared to norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Further, the compound was also evaluated for various pharmacokinetics (absorption, metabolism, distribution, toxicity and excretion) as well as drug-likeness properties. Our data have highlighted the potential of norfloxacin by restoring its efficacy against E. coli which could lead to the development of new antimicrobial agents.
Melatonin Mitigates Cisplatin-Induced Ovarian Dysfunction via Altering Steroidogenesis, Inflammation, Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress, and PTEN/PI3K/Akt/mTOR/AMPK Signaling Pathway in Female Rats
Authors: Al-Shahat Amal , Hulail Mohey A. E. , Soliman Nada M. M. , Khamis Tarek , Fericean Liana Mihaela , Arisha Ahmed Hamed , Moawad Rania S.
Published: December 2022

Ovarian damage and fertility impairment are major side effects of chemotherapy in pre-menopausal cancer patients. Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug. The present study was designed to assess the ameliorative effects of melatonin as an adjuvant for fertility preservation. Thirty-two adult female Wistar rats were divided randomly into four equal groups: Control, Melatonin, Cisplatin (CP) treated, and CP + Melatonin treated. The cisplatin-treated group showed decreased body and ovarian weights, decreased serum E2 and AMH, increased serum LH and FSH, reduced ovarian levels of SOD, CAT, GSH, and TAC, and increased ovarian MDA. The histopathological examination of the cisplatin-treated group showed deleterious changes within ovarian tissue in the form of damaged follicles and corpus luteum, hemorrhage, and inflammatory infiltrates with faint PAS reaction in zona pellucida, increased ovarian collagen deposition, and marked expression of caspase-3 immune reaction in granulosa and theca cells, stroma, and oocytes. Alongside, there was a significant downregulation in the mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzymes, IL10, AMPK, PI3K, AKT, mTOR, and PTEN, while TGF-β1, IL1β, IL6, TNF-α, NF-Kβ, P53, p38-MAPK, JNK, and FOXO3 mRNA expressions were upregulated in cisplatin-treated rats’ ovarian tissue. Coadministration of cisplatin-treated rats with melatonin reversed these changes significantly. In conclusion, melatonin’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic activities could modulate ovarian disturbances induced by cisplatin and preserve fertility.
Selenium Nanoparticles Can Influence the Immune Response Due to Interactions with Antibodies and Modulation of the Physiological State of Granulocytes
Authors: Khabatova Venera V. , Serov Dmitriy A. , Tikhonova Irina V. , Astashev Maxim E. , Nagaev Egor I. , Sarimov Ruslan M. , Matveyeva Tatiana A. , Simakin Alexander V. , Gudkov Sergey V.
Published: December 2022

Currently, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are considered potential immunomodulatory agents and as targets for activity modulation are granulocytes, which have the most abundant population of immune blood cells. The present study aims to evaluate the cytotoxic effect and its effect on the functional responses of granulocytes. In addition to the intrinsic activity of SeNPs, we studied the activity of the combination of SeNPs and IgG antibodies. Using laser ablation and fragmentation, we obtained nanoparticles with an average size of 100 nm and a rather narrow size evolution. The resulting nanoparticles do not show acute toxicity to primary cultures of fibroblasts and hepatocytes, epithelial-like cell line L-929 and granulocyte-like culture of HL-60 at a concentration of 109 NPs/mL. SeNPs at a concentration of 1010 NPs/mL reduced the viability of HL-60 cells by no more than 10% and did not affect the viability of the primary culture of mouse granulocytes, and did not have a genotoxic effect on progenitor cells. The addition of SeNPs can affect the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by mouse bone marrow granulocytes, modulate the proportion of granulocytes with calcium spikes and enhance fMLF-induced granulocytes degranulation. SeNPs can modulate the effect of IgG on the physiological responses of granulocytes. We studied the expression level of genes associated with inflammation and cell stress. SeNPs increase the expression of catalase, NF-κB, Xrcc5 and some others; antibodies enhance the effect of SeNPs, but IgG without SeNPs decreases the expression level of these genes. This fact can be explained by the interaction between SeNPs and IgG. It has been established that antibodies interact with SeNPs. We showed that antibodies bind to the surface of selenium nanoparticles and are present in aqueous solutions in a bound form from DLS methods, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, vibrational–rotational spectrometry, fluorescence spectrometry, and refractometry. At the same time, in a significant part of the antibodies, a partial change in the tertiary and secondary structure is observed. The data obtained will allow a better understanding of the principles of the interaction of immune cells with antibodies and SeNPs and, in the future, may serve to create a new generation of immunomodulators.
Advantageous Combinations of Nanoencapsulated Oregano Oil with Selected Antibiotics for Skin Treatment
Authors: Zaharieva Maya Margaritova , Kaleva Mila , Kroumov Alexander , Slavkova Marta , Benbassat Niko , Yoncheva Krassimira , Najdenski Hristo
Published: December 2022

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of combinations between encapsulated oregano oil and the most commonly applied antibiotics (ciprofloxacin or gentamicin) against skin infections. In particular, chitosan-alginate nanoparticles loaded with oregano oil and the selected antibiotics were included in methylcellulose hydrogels. Consistency, spreadability, pH of the hydrogel and in vitro release rate of the oil were considered appropriate for topical application. The combination of encapsulated oil and gentamicin in the hydrogel resulted in a synergistic effect against methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) Staphylococcus aureus strains. It was expressed in a fourfold reduction in the effective concentration of gentamicin and 98% inhibition of the bacterial metabolic activity. When ciprofloxacin was included in the combination instead of gentamicin, an additive effect with a two-fold decrease in the effective drug concentration and a 96% reduction in the bacterial metabolic activity were observed. Both combinations significantly inhibited the formation of MRSA biofilm by more than 90% when applied. In vivo application of the hydrogel containing the synergistic combination between the encapsulated oil and gentamicin did not induce irritation of the rabbit skin.
Amelioration of Brain Damage after Treatment with the Methanolic Extract of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in Mice
Authors: Choi Myeongjin , Lim Chiyeon , Lee Boo-Kyun , Cho Suin
Published: December 2022

Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (GR) is a traditional herbal medicine widely used in Asian countries. GR was the most frequently used medicine among stroke patients in Donguibogam, the most representative book in Korean medicine. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of the GR methanolic extract (GRex) on an ischemic stroke mice model. Ischemic stroke was induced by a 90 min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and GRex was administered to mice with oral gavage after reperfusion of MCA blood flow. The MCAO-induced edema and infarction volume was measured, and behavioral changes were evaluated by a novel object recognition test (NORT). Immunofluorescence stains and Western blotting identified underlying mechanisms of the protective effects of GRex. GRex post-treatment in mice with MCAO showed potent effects in reducing cerebral edema and infarction at 125 mg/kg but no effects when the dosage was much lower or higher than 125 mg/kg. GRex inhibited the decrease of spontaneous motor activity and novel object recognition functions. The neuroprotective effects of GRex on ischemic stroke were due to its regulation of inflammation-related neuronal cells, such as microglia and astrocytes.
Thermal Aging Properties of 500 kV AC and DC XLPE Cable Insulation Materials
Authors: Zhang Ling , Wang Zhaowei , Tian Jihuan , Meng Shaoxin , Zhou Yuanxiang
Published: December 2022

Despite similar material composition and insulation application, the alternating current (AC) cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) and direct current (DC) XLPE materials cannot replace each other due to different voltage forms. Herein, this work presents a systematical investigation into the effects of thermal aging on the material composition and properties of 500 kV-level commercial AC XLPE and DC XLPE materials. A higher content of antioxidants in the AC XLPE than in the DC XLPE was experimentally demonstrated via thermal analysis technologies, such as oxidation-induced time and oxidation-induced temperature. Retarded thermal oxidation and suppression of space charge effects were observed in thermally aged AC XLPE samples. On the other hand, the carbonyl index of DC XLPE dramatically rose when thermal aging was up to 168 h. The newly generated oxygen-containing groups provided deep trapping sites (~0.95 eV) for space charges and caused severe electric field distortion (120%) under −50 kV/mm at room temperature in the aged DC XLPE samples. For the unaged XLPE materials, the positive space charge packets were attributed to the residue crosslinking byproducts, even after being treated in vacuum at 70 °C for 24 h. Thus, it was reasoned that the DC XLPE material had a lower crosslinking degree to guarantee fewer crosslinking byproducts. This work offers a simple but accurate method for evaluating thermal oxidation resistance and space charge properties crucial for developing high-performance HVDC cable insulation materials.
Preparation and Modification of Porous Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) Cage Material Based on Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Authors: Zhang Hui , Duan Mingde , Qin Shikun , Zhang Zhuangya
Published: December 2022

To address the problems of the difficult processing and internal microstructure disorder of porous bearing cages, Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) porous self-lubricating bearing cage material was prepared based on a fused deposition molding (FDM) process, and the porous samples were heat-treated on this basis, the research was carried out around the synergistic design of the material preparation, microstructure, and tribological properties. The results show that the pore size of the PEEK porous material prepared by the FDM process meets the requirements of the porous bearing cage; the samples with higher porosity also have higher oil content, and all the samples show high oil retention. Under dry friction conditions, the higher the porosity of the porous material, the larger the friction coefficient, and the friction coefficients of each sample after heat treatment show the same pattern; under starved lubrication conditions, the friction coefficient of the porous PEEK material decreased significantly compared to the compact PEEK material, showing a better self-lubrication effect, and the porous samples reached the best self-lubrication effect after heat treatment. The optimal process parameters were 60% mass fraction of NaCl, 40% mass fraction of PEEK, and the applied heat treatment process.
Mass Customization of Polylactic Acid (PLA) Parts via a Hybrid Manufacturing Process
Authors: Gong Ke , Liu Handai , Huang Cheng , Jiang Qinyu , Xu Han , Cao Zhi , Fuenmayor Evert , Major Ian
Published: December 2022

Mass customization is the development of items tailored to specific customers, but produced at low unit cost in high-volume. In this context, hybrid manufacturing (HM) combines fused deposition modeling (FDM) and injection molding (IM) to fabricate a single personalized part with minimum manufacturing cost. In this technique, inserts with different physical features are first FDM-fabricated and then IM-overmolded. This study investigated the effect of hybrid FDM-IM production technology, FDM insert geometry on mechanical properties, and micro-structural evolution of Polylactic Acid (PLA) samples. The findings indicated a comparable tensile properties of FDM-IM samples (68.38 MPa) to IM batch (68.95 MPa), emphasizing the potential of HM in the manufacturing industry. Maximum tensile stress of FDM-IM specimens shows an upward trend due to the increased infill density of preforms. In addition, overmolding interface direction results in a big gap for the maximum tensile strengths between half-length series specimens (12.99 MPa to 19.09 MPa) and half-thickness series specimens (53.83 MPa to 59.92 MPa). Furthermore, four joint configurations resulted in different mechanical performances of finished specimens, in which the female cube sample exhibits the highest tensile stress (68.38 MPa), while the batch with male T joint shows a lower value in maximum tensile strength (59.51 MPa), exhibiting a similar tensile performance with the half-thickness 75% batch without joint configuration. This study lays the groundwork for using HM to produce bespoke and mechanically improved parts over FDM alone.
Graphene Nanoplatelets-Based Textured Polymeric Fibrous Fabrics for the Next-Generation Devices
Authors: Chiesa Enrica , Tottoli Erika Maria , Giglio Alessia , Conti Bice , Rosalia Mariella , Rizzi Laura Giorgia , Dorati Rossella , Genta Ida
Published: December 2022

Graphene is a 2D crystal composed of carbon atoms in a hexagonal arrangement. From their isolation, graphene nanoplatelets (nCD) have revolutionized material science due to their unique properties, and, nowadays, there are countless applications, including drug delivery, biosensors, energy storage, and tissue engineering. Within this work, nCD were combined with PLA, a widely used and clinically relevant thermoplastic polymer, to produce advanced composite texturized electrospun fabric for the next-generation devices. The electrospinning manufacturing process was set-up by virtue of a proper characterization of the composite raw material and its solution. From the morphological point of view, the nCD addition permitted the reduction of the fiber diameter while the texture allowed more aligned fibers. After that, mechanical features of fabrics were tested at RT and upon heating (40 °C, 69 °C), showing the reinforcement action of nCD mainly in the texturized mats at 40 °C. Finally, mats’ degradation in simulated physiological fluid was minimal up to 30 d, even if composite mats revealed excellent fluid-handling capability. Moreover, no toxic impurities and degradation products were pointed out during the incubation. This work gains insight on the effects of the combination of composite carbon-based material and texturized fibers to reach highly performing fabrics.
Template-Free Synthesis of Magnetic La-Mn-Fe Tri-Metal Oxide Nanofibers for Efficient Fluoride Remediation: Kinetics, Isotherms, Thermodynamics and Reusability
Authors: Jian Shaoju , Chen Yuhuang , Shi Fengshuo , Liu Yifei , Jiang Wenlong , Hu Jiapeng , Han Xiaoshuai , Jiang Shaohua , Yang Weisen
Published: December 2022

The occurrence of fluoride contamination in drinking water has gained substantial concern owing to its serious threat to human health. Traditional adsorbents have shortcomings such as low adsorption capacity and poor selectivity, so it is urgent to develop new adsorbents with high adsorption capacity, renewable and no secondary pollution. In this work, magnetic electrospun La-Mn-Fe tri-metal oxide nanofibers (LMF NFs) for fluoride recovery were developed via electrospinning and heat treatment, and its defluoridation property was evaluated in batch trials. Modern analytical tools (SEM, BET, XRD, FTIR) were adopted to characterize the properties of the optimized adsorbent, i.e., LMF11 NFs with a La:Mn molar ratio of 1:1. The surface area calculated via BET method and pHpzc assessed using pH drift method of LMF11 NFs were 55.81 m2 g−1 and 6.47, respectively. The results indicated that the adsorption amount was highly dependent on the pH of the solution, and reached the highest value at pH = 3. The kinetic behavior of defluoridation on LMF11 NFs was dominated by the PSO model with the highest fitted determination coefficients of 0.9999. Compared with the other three isotherm models, the Langmuir model described defluoridation characteristics well with larger correlation coefficients of 0.9997, 0.9990, 0.9987 and 0.9976 at 15 °C, 25 °C, 35 °C and 45 °C, respectively. The optimized LMF11 NFs exhibited superior monolayer defluoridation capacities for 173.30–199.60 mg F−/g at pH 3 at 15–45 °C according to the Langmuir isotherm model. A thermodynamic study proved that the defluoridation by LMF11 NFs is a spontaneous, endothermic along with entropy increase process. In addition, the LMF11 NFs still showed high defluoridation performance after three reused cycles. These findings unveil that the synthesized LMF11 NFs adsorbent is a good adsorbent for fluoride remediation from wastewater owing to its low cost, high defluoridation performance and easy operation.
Assessment of Physical/Mechanical Performance of Dental Resin Sealants Containing Sr-Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles and Calcium Phosphate
Authors: Panpisut Piyaphong , Praesuwatsilp Nannapat , Bawornworatham Phubet , Naruphontjirakul Parichart , Patntirapong Somying , Young Anne M.
Published: December 2022

The aim of this study was to assess the chemical/mechanical properties of ion-releasing dental sealants containing strontium-bioactive glass nanoparticles (Sr-BGNPs) and monocalcium phosphate monohydrate (MCPM). Two experimental sealants, TS1 (10 wt% Sr-BGNPs and 2 wt% MCPM) and TS2 (5 wt% Sr-BGNPs and 4 wt% MCPM), were prepared. Commercial controls were ClinproXT (CP) and BeautiSealant (BT). The monomer conversion (DC) was tested using ATR–FTIR (n = 5). The biaxial flexural strength (BFS) and modulus (BFM) were determined (n = 5) following 24 h and 7 days of immersion in water. The Vickers surface microhardness (SH) after 1 day in acetic acid (conc) versus water was tested (n = 5). The bulk and surface calcium phosphate precipitation in simulated body fluid was examined under SEM-EDX. The ion release at 4 weeks was analyzed using ICP-MS (n = 5). The DC after 40 s of light exposure of TS1 (43%) and TS2 (46%) was significantly lower than that of CP (58%) and BT (61%) (p < 0.05). The average BFS of TS1 (103 MPa), TS2 (123 MPa), and BT (94 MPa) were lower than that of CP (173 MPa). The average BFM and SH of TS1 (2.2 GPa, 19 VHN) and TS2 (2.0 GPa, 16 VHN) were higher than that of CP (1.6 GPa, 11 VHN) and BT (1.3 GPa, 12 VHN). TS1 showed higher Ca, P, and Sr release than TS2. Bulk calcium phosphate precipitation was detected on TS1 and TS2 suggesting some ion exchange. In conclusion, the DC of experimental sealants was lower than that of commercial materials, but their mechanical properties were within the acceptable ranges. The released ions may support remineralizing actions.
Flexible Thermoelectric Reduced Graphene Oxide/Ag2S/Methyl Cellulose Composite Film Prepared by Screen Printing Process
Authors: Wang Jianjun , Du Yong , Qin Jie , Wang Lei , Meng Qiufeng , Li Zhenyu , Shen Shirley Z.
Published: December 2022

As an organic−inorganic thermoelectric composite material, a flexible, reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/silver sulfide (Ag2S)/methyl cellulose (MC) film was fabricated by a two-step method. Firstly, a rGO/Ag2S composite powder was prepared by a chemical synthesis method, and then, the rGO/Ag2S/MC composite film was prepared by a combined screen printing and annealing treatment process. The rGO and rGO/Ag2S composite powders were evenly dispersed in the rGO/Ag2S/MC composite films. A power factor of 115 μW m−1 K−2 at 520 K was acquired for the rGO/Ag2S/MC composite film, which is ~958 times higher than the power factor at 360 K (0.12 μW m−1 K−2), mainly due to the significant increase in the electrical conductivity of the composite film from 0.006 S/cm to 210.18 S/cm as the test temperature raised from 360 K to 520 K. The as-prepared rGO/Ag2S/MC composite film has a good flexibility, which shows a huge potential for the application of flexible, wearable electronics.
Catholic Religious Practices Questionnaire (CRPQ): Construction and Analysis of Psychometric Properties
Authors: Krok Dariusz , Szcześniak Małgorzata , Falewicz Adam , Lekan Janusz
Published: December 2022

Members of the Catholic Church express their faith in a variety of manners, in general with a focus on liturgical and popular forms of piety. This article provided construction and initial validation for a brief questionnaire to measure Catholic religious practices. The authors used Sample 1 (n = 219) for exploratory factor analysis and Sample 2 (n = 181) for confirmatory factor analysis and to test the validity of a new scale. A model with two factors with five items each provided a good fit. The Catholic Religious Practices Questionnaire (CRPQ) consists of two subscales: official religiosity and folk practices. Both exhibit positive though varying correlations with the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS) and Multidimensional Prayer Inventory (MPI). The new questionnaire has been confirmed as a reliable and valid measure that takes into account the distinctive features of the Catholic religious tradition.
Women and the Exclusionary Practices of the Christ Apostolic Church Prayer Mountains in Selected Yoruba Cities of Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Gbadegesin Enoch Olujide , Adeyemi-Adejolu Elizabeth Ayoola
Published: December 2022

We argue that Christ Apostolic Church leaders used doctrines and rituals to exclude women from full participation in prayer mountain experience in the Yorùbá cities of southwestern Nigeria. We examine the underlying doctrinal reasons behind this practice. We analyze how ritual performance alters the status of participants on the prayer mountain. Finally, we address the question of any antecedent in the Christ Apostolic Church’s doctrine regarding the exclusion of women on the prayer mountain rituals. The field works that form the basis of this study took place between October 2011 and January 2015. We used participant-observation and oral interview methods on selected mountains in Southwestern Nigeria. We conclude that the leadership of Christ Apostolic Church must reexamine their doctrines to eliminate practices that exclude women from full and active participation in religious experience.
A Fractional Atmospheric Circulation System under the Influence of a Sliding Mode Controller
Authors: Premakumari Ramapura N. , Baishya Chandrali , Veeresha Pundikala , Akinyemi Lanre
Published: December 2022

The earth’s surface is heated by the large-scale movement of air known as atmospheric circulation, which works in conjunction with ocean circulation. More than 105 variables are involved in the complexity of the weather system. In this work, we analyze the dynamical behavior and chaos control of an atmospheric circulation model known as the Hadley circulation model, in the frame of Caputo and Caputo–Fabrizio fractional derivatives. The fundamental novelty of this paper is the application of the Caputo derivative with equal dimensionality to models that includes memory. A sliding mode controller (SMC) is developed to control chaos in this fractional-order atmospheric circulation system with uncertain dynamics. The proposed controller is applied to both commensurate and non-commensurate fractional-order systems. To demonstrate the intricacy of the models, we plot some graphs of various fractional orders with appropriate parameter values. We have observed the influence of thermal forcing on the dynamics of the system. The outcome of the analytical exercises is validated using numerical simulations.
Identifying Limits in Domestic Law Delivering Net Ecological Benefit: A New Zealand Example
Authors: Knight-Lenihan Stephen
Published: December 2022

Achieving a real net ecological benefit requires among other things legislative changes to existing environmental laws. New Zealand is one country undertaking such a review. The proposed new laws recognise a need to enhance the quality of the environment as a move away from minimising harm. As such, this appears to be a move toward a Positive Development (PD) approach to environmental management. However, as this paper concludes, the shift remains incomplete partly because while science is used to inform the creation of policies, plans, legislation and regulation, this is only achieved up to a point. That point is where the socio-economic norms and expectations prevent the on-going application of what is required by science to address observable and quantifiable ecological degradation. The understanding and application of ecological integrity is used as an example of how this can result in legislation apparently enabling significant change and a possible net ecological benefit but failing in effect to do so. The article concludes that legislative changes can better frame the problem of on-going ecological decline within the dominant paradigm, and as a result, it may deliver benefits, but these will not be net benefits in the Positive Development sense.
Identification of Time-Varying Parameters of Distributed Hydrological Model in Wei River Basin on Loess Plateau in the Changing Environment
Authors: Wu Haizhe , Liu Dengfeng , Hao Ming , Li Ruisha , Yang Qian , Ming Guanghui , Liu Hui
Published: December 2022

In the watershed hydrological model, the parameters represent the characteristics of the watershed. Usually, the parameters are assumed to be constant in the stable environment. However, in the changing environment, the parameters may change and the constant parameters would not represent the change of the characteristics of the runoff generation and routing in the watershed. The identification of the time-varying characteristics of the watershed hydrological model parameters will help to improve the performance of the simulation and prediction of hydrological models in changing environments. Based on the measured data at the ground stations in the Wei River Basin on the Loess Plateau in China, the temporal and spatial evolution of the ecohydrological and meteorological factors was analyzed, and the SWAT model was used to identify the relationship between the model parameters and the factors, such as precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, NDVI and the other environmental characterization factors of the river basin. The results showed that the annual precipitation in the basin showed a decreasing trend, and the annual potential evapotranspiration, the annual average temperature, the annual runoff and the annual average NDVI all showed an increasing trend. The model parameters fluctuated with time during the study period. The change of the soil evaporation compensation coefficient (ESCO) was similar with the annual potential evapotranspiration, and the model parameters all showed a certain correlation with the potential evaporation of the basin, which indicates that the changes of the hydrological model parameters in the upper reach of the Wei River are closely related to the changes of the basin potential evapotranspiration. Potential evapotranspiration is a characterization factor for dynamic changes of the hydrological model parameters in the upper reach of the Wei River.
Water Reservoirs in Plans to Improve Navigability of the Lower Section of the Vistula
Authors: Pieron Łukasz , Woś Krzysztof , Wrzosek Krzysztof
Published: December 2022

Retention reservoirs are one of the basic elements of water management. Multifunctional, they are used for flood protection, drought prevention and other purposes. Water reservoirs can also play a fundamental role in improving navigability on the lower section of the Vistula River from the Włocławek barrage to the mouth of the Gdansk Bay. Their implementation is a determinant for the possibility of restoring the economic role of the river in question. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine the current navigation conditions and the state of the regulatory buildings on the Lower Vistula. The investments necessary to achieve international parameters of the waterway were also determined, together with the calculation of financial benefits related to their implementation. This was possible based on the conducted bathymetric measurements, spatial analyses, economic calculations and queries of the obtained studies. It was established that fairway depths of 1.4 m are ensured for 180 days per year on average. On the other hand, the construction of five barrages (Siarzewo, Solec Kujawski, Chełmno, Grudziądz and Gniew) will make it possible to achieve at least a navigability class IV (international) on the section of the Vistula River waterway. In addition, the barrages will enable the retention of 1.2 billion m3 of water and will be associated with financial benefits such as shipping use, flood protection and counteracting the effects of drought. On this account, annual revenues may amount to approximately PLN 3.5 billion. This shows that the construction of the reservoirs is profitable, and the proposed solutions should be implemented in the context of sustainable water management and adaptation to climate change.
CO2 Addition and Semicontinuous Feed Regime in Shaded HRAP—Pathogen Removal Performance
Authors: Ruas Graziele , Lacerda Sarah Farias , Nantes Maria Alice , Serejo Mayara Leite , da Silva Gustavo Henrique Ribeiro , Boncz Marc Árpad
Published: December 2022

The influence of CO2 addition and feeding regime (continuous versus semicontinuous) on the removal of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) from three shaded high-rate algal ponds (HRAPs) treating raw sewage (RS) was studied. The three HRAPs were operated at an analogous hydraulic retention time (HRT) for 5 days and with shading of 50%. The CO2 addition and feeding regime had no statistically significant influence on the removal of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus sp., and Enterococcus faecalis, with 2.39–3.01, 2.07–2.31, 3.02–3.38, and 3.14–3.45 log units, respectively. However, the removal of E. coli decreased significantly with the feeding regime of 0.1 h d−1 and 2.23–3.29 log units. The productivity and the total suspended solids (TSS) removal efficiency were significantly improved with the semicontinuous feeding regime and CO2 addition. The highest productivity was obtained in the semicontinuous feeding regime, 5.93 g m2 d−1, while the TSS removal efficiency was similar between the semicontinuous feeding regime and CO2 addition (31–36%). The control of light intensity led to greater variability in the algal community, and was present in the three reactors, in different proportions, in the form of the microalgae Scenedesmus acutus, Scenedesmus obliquus, and Chlorella sp.
Analisis Potensi Wilayah Berbasis Komoditas Tanaman Pangan Serta Kontribusinya Terhadap Ekonomi Regional Kabupaten Sumedang
Authors: Qodariyah Ai Siti , K.S Karyana , Rosdiana Lilis Amaliah
Published: December 2022

This study aims to determine which food crop commodities have comparative and competitive advantages and the contribution of the food crop sub-sector to the regional economy of Sumedang Regency. The method used is a case method. The results of data analysis show the following: 1) rice commodity is a food commodity with competitive and comparative advantages in most sub-districts. 2) food crop commodities provide a high contribution to the regional economy of Sumedang Regency. Meanwhile, the labor elasticity shows inelastic because each rate of economic growth increases by 1% while the labor force is decreasing by 0.046%. Based on the research results, it is suggested that there should be activities to develop food commodity areas in basic and non-basic areas, so that the competitiveness of food commodities in these areas will increase
Pendapatan Dan Efisiensi Usaha Minapadi Dengan Ikan Mas (Cyprinus carpio) Pada System Tanam Jajar Legowo 4 (Suatu Kasus pada Kelompok Tani Margacinta Desa Margamerkar di Kecamatan Sumedang Selatan Kabupaten Sumedang)
Authors: Olivia Cindy , Daasipah Euis , Permana Nendah Siti
Published: December 2022

Ketersedian pangan terutama komiditas padi diantaranya dipengaruhi luas panen, produksi dan produktivitas lahan. Lebih jelasnya perkembangan luas panen, produksi dan produktivitas padi sawah di Indonesia harus diikuti meningkatnya penerapan teknologi. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui pendapatan dan efisiensi usahatani Minapadi dengan Ikan Mas. Unit analisisnya adalah petani Minapadi yang menanam MK 2017. Metode penelitian adalah Metode Survei dengan responden ditetapkan secara sensus. Persiapan terdiri dari kegiatan perbaikan pematang, pembuatan larikan, persemaian padi dan pengolahan lahan. Penanaman terdiri dari kegiatan penanaman padi dan ikan mas lokal yang berukuran 2â€“3 cm dengan kepadatan ikan 20.000/ hektar. Pemeliharaan terdiri dari kegiatan pengairan, penyiangan, pemupukan, pemberian pakan ikan dan pengendalian hama penyakit. Panen dan Pasca PanenÂ  yaitu kegiatan panen ikanÂ  setelah berukuran 5â€“8 Â cm atau saat padi berumur 45-55 hari. Pemasaran ikan mas tidak mengalami kesulitan baik untuk rumah tangga, atau usaha pembesaran juga sama halnya dengan pemasaran padi. Secara keseluruhan penggunaan teknologi pada usaha minapadi berupa penggunaan sarana produksi mendekati anjuran penyuluh di lapangan. Pendapatan usaha minapadi pada Legowo 4 di lahan sawahÂ  MT 2017 rata-rataÂ  sebesarÂ  sebesarÂ  Rp. 16.819.390 /hektar /musim. Berasal dariÂ  produksi padi sebanyak 6.813 Â kg dengan harga Rp 5.500 / kg dan dari penjualan ikan mas sebanyak 72 kgÂ  dengan harga Rp 30.000 / kg. Efisiensi usaha minapadi pada sistem legowo 4 sebesar 1,76 berasal dari penerimaan sebesar Rp. 39.085.909 dengan biaya total sebesar Rp. 22.266.519 berarti usaha minapadi pembesaran usaha ikan mas menguntungkan.
Changes in the Prevalence of Neovascular Glaucoma in Individuals Over Sixty-Five Years of Age During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: TOPTAN Müslüm
Published: December 2022

Amaç: Pandeminin farklı dönemlerinde 3. basamak bir hastaneye başvuran 65 yaş üstü neovasküler glokomlu olguların sayısında, GİB’ ı ve görme düzeylerindeki değişikliği incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır.
Materyal ve metod: Hastalar karantina öncesi (21 mart 2019 -10 haziran 2019), karantina dönemi (21 mart 2020 -10 haziran 2020), karantina sonrası (21 mart 2021 -10 haziran 2021) 65 yaş üstü neovasküler glokom tanılı hastalar olmak üzere 3 gruba ayrıldı. Yaş, cinsiyet, dahil olan göz(ler), etiyoloji, göz içi basıncı (GİB), en iyi düzeltilmiş görme keskinliği (EİDGK), uygulanan tedaviler karşılaştırıldı.
Bulgular: Karantina öncesi gruba göre karantina grubunda % 51.02, karantina sonrası grubunda % 14.29 oranında hasta sayısında azalma tespit ettik. Karantina döneminde uygulanan tedavi sayısı, karantina öncesi döneme göre % 51.85 azaldı (p=0.002). Karantina ve karantina sonrası dönem, karantina öncesi ile karşılaştırıldığında ortalama EİDGK seviyelerinde istatiksel anlamlı fark saptanmadı (p=0.078). Ancak ortalama GİB değerlerinde anlamlı fark tespit edildi (p<0.001)
Sonuç: 65 yaş üstü neovasküler glokomlu hastaların karantina sürecinde ve sonrasında hastaneye başvurularında azalma tespit edildi. Karantina sürecinden sonra tedavinin gecikmesine bağlı olarak görme düzeylerinde azalma, GİB seviyelerinde yükselme mevcut idi. İlerleyen dönemlerde kaçınılmaz olarak neovasküler glokomlu hasta ve cerrahi sayısında artış görülecektir.
Enhancing Personalized Book Recommender System
Authors: Usman Abdulgafar , Roko Abubakar , B. Muhammad Aminu , Almu Abba
Published: December 2022

Recommender systems (Rs) are widely used to provide recommendations for a collection of items or products that may be of interest to user or a group of users. Because of its superior performance, Content-Based Filtering (CBF) is one of the approaches that are commonly utilized in real-world Rs using Time-Frequency and Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) to calculate document similarities. However, it computes document similarity directly in the word-count space. We propose a user-based collaborative filtering (UBCF) method to solve the problem of limited in content analysis which leads to a low prediction rate for large vocabulary. In this study, we present an algorithm that utilises Euclidean distance similarity function, to solve the identified problem. The performance of the proposed scheme was evaluated against the benchmark scheme using different performance metrics. The proposed scheme was implemented and an experimentally tested by using the benchmark datasets (Amazon review datasets). The results revealed that, the proposed scheme achieved better performance than the existing recommender system in terms of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) which reduces the errors by 29% and also increase the Precision and Recall by 51.4%, and 55.8% respectively in the 1 million datasets.
INFECÇÃO PELO HELICOBACTER PYLORI: TRATAMENTO DE PACIENTES PORTADORES DE ÚLCERA PÉPTICA COM ASSOCIAÇÃO DE PANTOPRAZOL, CLARITROMICINA E AMOXICILINA
Authors: Leandro Sarmento da Silva Eduardo , Islene Holanda Moreira Carla , Braga Rolim Vieira Renata , Charllub Pereira Bezerra Yuri
Published: December 2022

A pesquisa tem por objetivo verificar a eficácia da associação de pantoprazol, claritromicina e amoxicilina na erradicação do Helicobacter pylori em pacientes portadores de úlcera péptica. Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa da literatura, que foi desenvolvida nas bases de dados indexadas na Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), Banco de Dados em Enfermagem (BDenf) e Sistema Online de Busca e Análise de Literatura Médica (MEDLINE). Para ser realizada a busca dos estudos selecionados para a presente pesquisa, foram aplicadas as palavras-chaves: Úlcera péptica; Diagnóstico; Helicobacter pylori; pantoprazol, claritromicina e amoxicilina. Salienta-se que foi utilizado o cruzamento mediante o descritor booleano and. Os critérios de inclusão foram: artigos completos disponíveis na íntegra, publicados entre os anos de 2017 e 2022, ou seja, com intervalo de tempo de 05 anos; artigos disponíveis nos idiomas português e inglês. Serão excluídos os artigos que se apresentarem em duplicata. Os resultados foram dispostos em tabelas, apresentando as seguintes variáveis: Título, Autor, Ano, Periódico, Objetivo, Metodologia e Resultados, e, posteriormente, divididos em categorias, sendo analisados mediante a literatura pertinente. Como o estudo trata-se de uma pesquisa realizada nas bases de dados de domínio público, não foi necessária a submissão do projeto ao Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa (CEP), porém foram seguidos todos os preceitos legais. Vale ressaltar que as taxas de resistência aos antibióticos estão aumentando mundialmente, portanto, escolha adequada do esquema terapêutico e orientações sobre a importância da adesão ao tratamento devem ser constantemente enfatizadas. A vacinação é a única estratégia que influenciaria, decisivamente, na prevalência e incidência mundiais do HP. A associação de pantoprazol, amoxicilina e claritromicina por 7 dias constitui alternativa eficaz e bem tolerada para a erradicação do H. pylori em portadores de úlcera péptica no Brasil. Espera-se colaborar para um melhor conhecimento das associação de pantoprazol, claritromicina e amoxicilina, na erradicação do Helicobacter pylori em pacientes portadores de úlcera péptica, oportunizando o seu uso correto e, consequentemente, aumentar a sua efetividade e segurança, comprovando o impacto da intervenção do Farmacêutico neste processo.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Úlcera péptica; Diagnóstico; Helicobacter pylori; pantoprazol, claritromicina e amoxicilina.
CYBER SECURITY IN INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS (ICS): A SURVEY OF ROWHAMMER VULNERABILITY
Authors: AYDIN Hakan , SERTBAŞ Ahmet
Published: December 2022

Increasing dependence on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and especially on the Internet in Industrial Control Systems (ICS) has made these systems the primary target of cyber-attacks. As ICS are extensively used in Critical Infrastructures (CI), this makes CI more vulnerable to cyber-attacks and their protection becomes an important issue. On the other hand, cyberattacks can exploit not only software but also physics; that is, they can target the fundamental physical aspects of computation. The newly discovered RowHammer (RH) fault injection attack is a serious vulnerability targeting hardware on reliability and security of DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). Studies on this vulnerability issue raise serious security concerns.  The purpose of this study was to overview the RH phenomenon in DRAMs and its possible security risks on ICSs and to discuss a few possible realistic RH attack scenarios for ICSs. The results of the study revealed that RH is a serious security threat to any computer-based system having DRAMs, and this also applies to ICS.
Quality Testing and Antioxidant Activity of Soap Contains Algae Extract Eucheuma spinosum
Authors: Salanti Juan Feren , Momuat Lidya Irma , Koleangan Harry S.J.
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to examine the quality and antioxidant activity of solid bath soap containing red algae extract E spinosum. Soap is made through a saponification reaction between a mixture of olive, palm and coconut oils (ratio 44:32:24%) with NaOH. In the saponification reaction, E. spinosum algae extract was added with 4 concentration formulations: 0, 0.050, 0.075, 0.1%. The soap produced is tested for it’s quality using the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 3532:2021 which includes water content, pH, total fat, insoluble ingredients in ethanol, free fatty acids, chloride content, and unsaponifiable fat. The antioxidant activity of soap was tested using the DPPH method. The quality test results of each solid bath soap formulation, namely water content, pH, insoluble material in ethanol, and chloride content have met the quality requirements of SNI 3532:2021, while the total fat, free fatty acid, and unsaturated fat have not met the quality requirements of SNI. The antioxidant activity expressed in IC50 of each soap formulation is 463.3647 g/mL for formula A, 248.8397 g/mL for formula B, 155.5369 g/mL for formula C, and 90.3402 g/mL for formula D. This study concluded that solid bath soap containing E. spinosum extract did not meet the quality of SNI 3532:2021 and had antioxidant activity.
Keywords: Antioxidant; Eucheuma spinosum; soap
Pengujian Kualitas dan Aktivitas Antioksidan dari Sabun Mandi Padat Mengandung Ekstrak Alga Eucheuma spinosum
ABSTRAK
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji kualitas dan aktivitas antioksidan dari sabun mandi padat mengandung ekstrak alga merah E spinosum. Sabun dibuat melalui reaksi saponifikasi antara campuran minyak zaitun, sawit dan kelapa (rasio 44:32:24%) dengan NaOH. Pada reaksi penyabunan tersebut ditambahkan ekstrak alga E. Spinosum dengan 4 formulasi konsentrasi: 0, 0,050, 0,075, 0,100%. Sabun mandi yang dihasilkan diuji kualitasnya berdasarkan Standar Nasional Indonesia (SNI) 3532:2021 yang meliputi kadar air, pH, total lemak, bahan tak larut dalam etanol, asam lemak bebas, kadar klorida, dan lemak tak tersabunkan. Aktivitas antioksidan dari sabun diuji dengan metode DPPH. Hasil uji kualitas dari tiap formulasi sabun mandi padat yaitu kadar air, pH, bahan tak larut dalam etanol, dan kadar klorida telah memenuhi syarat mutu SNI 3532:2021, sedangkan untuk total lemak, asam lemak bebas, dan lemak tak tesabunkan belum memenuhi syarat mutu SNI. Aktivitas antioksidan yang dinyatakan dalam IC50 dari tiap formulasi sabun mandi yaitu 463,3647 µg/mL untuk formula A, 248,8397 µg/mL formula B, 155,5369 µg/mL formula C, dan 90,3402 µg/mL untuk formula D. Penelitian ini m enyimpulkan bahwa sabun mandi padat mengandung ekstrak E. Spinosum belum memenuhi kualitas SNI 3532:2021 dan memiliki aktivitas antioksidan.
Kata kunci: Antioksidan; Eucheuma spinosum; sabun