bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Organic Manure Substitution Increases Yield and Phosphorus Use Efficiency in a Double-Rice System by Altering Soil Phosphorus Uptake and Apparent Balance
Authors: Hayatu Nafiu Garba , Liu Yiren , Zhang Shuxiang , Huang Jing , Han Tianfu , Khan Muhammad Numan , Daba Nano Alemu , Noma Samaila Sani , Lv Zhenzhen , Hou Hongqian , Lan Xianjin , Ji Jianhua , Zhang Huimin
Published: May 2023

The excessive use of chemical phosphorus (P) fertilizer can lower grain yield and P use efficiency (PUE) by aggravating soil acidity. Substituting organic manure for chemical fertilizer can alleviate the problem, although the long-term effect of organic manure incorporation is unknown. We conceptualized that substituting organic manure for chemical fertilizer may result in higher crop yields and PUE. Therefore, the impact of long-term fertilizer treatments: (i) CK (control), (ii) PK (phosphorus and potassium fertilizer), (iii) NP (nitrogen and P fertilizer), (iv) NK fertilizer, (v) NPK fertilizer, and (vi) NPKM (30% NPK fertilizer plus 70% manure) on rice yield, PUE, P uptake, and apparent balance (APB) was investigated. The results showed that rice yield under different fertilizer treatments ranged from 6.2 to 11.8 t ha−1 (1984–1995), 7.9 to 12.7 t ha−1 (1996–2007), and 6.6 to 12.8 t ha−1 (2008–2018). The rice yield under NPKM was greatly improved compared to other treatments, except with that of NPK (1984–1995). Soil organic carbon (SOC), available P and phosphorus activation coefficient (PAC) under NPKM were significantly higher than other treatments during 1984–2018. Soil pH (1984–2018) was greatly higher under CK and NPKM than under other treatments. Soil total P under PK, NP, NPK, and NPKM was significantly higher than under CK and NK (1984–2018). Compared to other treatments, P uptake was significantly higher under NPKM, except with that of NPK (1984–1995 and 2008–2018). The average PUE (1984–2018) was 10.7, 20.2, 36.1, and 44.2 kg kg−1 under PK, NP, NPK, and NPKM, respectively. The APB under NPKM was significantly lower as compared to PK, NP, and NPK treatments. Therefore, we conclude that in addition to improving soil organic carbon, cations inputs from organic manure can be a factor for the increase in soil pH, making organic manure substitution for chemical fertilizer a more efficient strategy for increasing PUE and crop yield.
Antibiotic Resistance in the Apennine Wolf (Canis lupus italicus): Implications for Wildlife and Human Health
Authors: Smoglica Camilla , Angelucci Simone , Di Tana Fabrizia , Antonucci Antonio , Marsilio Fulvio , Di Francesco Cristina Esmeralda
Published: May 2023

The Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus) is a subspecies of gray wolf that is widespread throughout Italy. Due to hunting and habitat loss, their population declined dramatically in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but conservation efforts improved to restore the species to an estimated population of 3300 individuals. The presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Apennine Wolf may pose a risk to its health and survival, as well as the health of other animals in its environment. In this study, we investigated the antibiotic resistance profiles of bacteria collected from Apennine wolves admitted to the Wildlife Research Center of Maiella National Park (Italy) in 2022. A total of 12 bacteria collected from four wolves were isolated and tested for susceptibility to antibiotics used in veterinary medicine and to critically important antibiotics for human health by means of the Vitek 2 system. All isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic, and six bacteria were multidrug resistant to critically important antibiotics (third-generation cephalosporins, carbapenems and fluoroquinolones). The results of this pilot study have allowed for the characterization of resistant profiles in Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and other bacterial species not previously reported in Apennine wolves. Our findings provide important insights into antibiotic resistance in wildlife and its potential implications for the conservation of biodiversity and public health.
Insect Antimicrobial Peptides: Advancements, Enhancements and New Challenges
Authors: Dho Matteo , Candian Valentina , Tedeschi Rosemarie
Published: May 2023

Several insects are known as vectors of a wide range of animal and human pathogens causing various diseases. However, they are also a source of different substances, such as the Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs), which can be employed in the development of natural bioactive compounds for medical, veterinary and agricultural applications. It is well known that AMP activity, in contrast to most classical antibiotics, does not lead to the development of natural bacterial resistance, or at least the frequency of resistance is considered to be low. Therefore, there is a strong interest in assessing the efficacy of the various peptides known to date, identifying new compounds and evaluating possible solutions in order to increase their production. Moreover, implementing AMP modulation in insect rearing could preserve insect health in large-scale production. This review describes the current knowledge on insect AMPs, presenting the validated ones for the different insect orders. A brief description of their mechanism of action is reported with focus on proposed applications. The possible effects of insect diet on AMP translation and synthesis have been discussed.
Uncovering Insights for New Car Recommendations with Sequence Pattern Mining on Mobile Applications
Authors: Liu Hsiu-Wen , Wu Jei-Zheng , Wang Ying-Hsuan
Published: May 2023

This study employs sequential pattern mining to analyze browsing behaviors and aid mobile app service providers in effectively promoting and recommending new products. We collected browsing history data from 66,004 mobile app users for new car info in Taiwan, totaling 1,263,614 records over two months. By utilizing sequence pattern mining, we identified frequent browsing sequences on the app that can indicate subsequence product interests and suggest new items to potential customers. The proposed method can improve the user experience for mobile app users and facilitate the development of the potential market for advertising. The study highlights the effectiveness of sequence pattern mining in recommending new products to car app users, benefiting small app vendors, improving user experience, and informing product development decisions in the automobile industry. Furthermore, the findings emphasize the importance of considering the sequential relationships between events or items in pattern mining, particularly in mobile app development. In conclusion, the proposed approach offers a cost-effective solution for small app vendors to recommend new products and improve the overall user experience, providing valuable insights for the automobile industry.
Coordination of Multiple Flexible Resources Considering Virtual Power Plants and Emergency Frequency Control
Authors: Xue Jingrun , Cao Yongji , Shi Xiaohan , Zhang Zhen , Ma Ruicong , Zhang Jian
Published: May 2023

High-voltage direct current (HVDC) blocking disturbance leads to large power losses in the receiving-end power grid, and the event-driven emergency frequency control (EFC) is an important measure to prevent large frequency deviation. By aggregating controllable distributed energy resources (DERs) on the demand side, a virtual power plant (VPP) could quickly reduce its power and can be a new fast response resource for EFC. Considering both the VPP and the traditional control resources, this paper proposes an optimized EFC strategy coordinating multiple resources for the receiving-end power grid with multi-infeed HVDC. The approximate aggregation model of the VPP response process is constructed, based on which the EFC strategy, aiming at minimizing the total control cost while meeting constraints on rotor angle stability and frequency deviation security, is proposed. The electromechanical transient simulation combined with particle swarm optimization (PSO) is utilized to solve the model, and parallel computation is utilized to accelerate the solving process. The effectiveness of the proposed EFC strategy is verified by a provincial receiving-end power grid with multi-infeed HVDC. The detailed simulation results show that VPP could dramatically reduce the control cost of EFC while maintaining the same stability margin.
Efficient Dissemination of Safety Messages in Vehicle Ad Hoc Network Environments
Authors: Lim Jongtae , Pyun Dowoong , Choi Dojin , Bok Kyoungsoo , Yoo Jaesoo
Published: May 2023

The number of people owning vehicles has been steadily growing, resulting in increased numbers of vehicles on the roads, making roads more congested, and increasing the risk of accidents. In addition, heavy rain, snow, and fog have increased due to abnormal weather caused by global warming. These bad weather conditions can also affect the safety of vehicles and drivers. The need to disseminate safety messages on the social Internet of Vehicles due to these problems has been steadily increasing. In this paper, we propose an efficient safety message dissemination scheme that focuses on urban environments with high vehicle density and mobility to address these problems. The proposed scheme reduces packet loss by considering frequent cluster departures and subscriptions through an efficient cluster management technique. In a vehicle-to-vehicle environment, the dissemination of safety messages is divided into intracluster and intercluster emergencies, as well as a general safety message dissemination technique. In a vehicle-to-infrastructure environment, the proposed scheme reduces the number of processing requests and duplicate messages made to roadside units (RSUs) through a request operation process for each vehicle and an RSU scheduling technique. We conducted several performance evaluations of message packet loss and the number of RSU processing requests to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed scheme.
Prediction of Metabolic Flux Distribution by Flux Sampling: As a Case Study, Acetate Production from Glucose in Escherichia coli
Authors: Kuriya Yuki , Murata Masahiro , Yamamoto Masaki , Watanabe Naoki , Araki Michihiro
Published: May 2023

Omics data was acquired, and the development and research of metabolic simulation and analysis methods using them were also actively carried out. However, it was a laborious task to acquire such data each time the medium composition, culture conditions, and target organism changed. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to extract and estimate important variables and necessary numbers for predicting metabolic flux distribution as the state of cell metabolism by flux sampling using a genome-scale metabolic model (GSM) and its analysis. Acetic acid production from glucose in Escherichia coli with GSM iJO1366 was used as a case study. Flux sampling obtained by OptGP using 1000 pattern constraints on substrate, product, and growth fluxes produced a wider sample than the default case. The analysis also suggested that the fluxes of iron ions, O2, CO2, and NH4+, were important for predicting the metabolic flux distribution. Additionally, the comparison with the literature value of 13C-MFA using CO2 emission flux as an example of an important flux suggested that the important flux obtained by this method was valid for the prediction of flux distribution. In this way, the method of this research was useful for extracting variables that were important for predicting flux distribution, and as a result, the possibility of contributing to the reduction of measurement variables in experiments was suggested.
Electrochemical Sensitivity Improvement by the Cooperation between Pt and Ru for Total Antioxidant Evaluation in Natural Extracts
Authors: Diniz Gustavo Carvalho , Pinheiro Gomes Vinicius Tribuzi Rodrigues , de Assis Marcelo , Alejandro Figueroa Santiago José , Ferreira Torquato Igor , de Freitas Borges Luiz Gustavo , Aguilar Vitorino Hector , de Lima Roberto Batista , Suller Garcia Marco Aurélio , de Araujo Rodrigues Isaíde
Published: May 2023

Herein, a straightforward electrochemical method was used to evaluate the total phenolic antioxidant capacity in natural extracts prepared from pomegranate, hibiscus, and pitaya. In light of this, the well-known electrochemical index (EI), a screening protocol for natural antioxidant properties evaluation, was determined using differential pulse voltammetry. Initially considering rutin and catechin as standards, we found that the system’s sensitivity greatly increased by using platinum (Pt) and platinum/ruthenium (Pt/Ru) nanoparticles (NPs) immobilized on Vulcan XC-72 to modify screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs). When such modifications were applied to natural fruit/plant extracts, their electrochemical ability proved highly superior to the bare SPCE, even considering a very small amount of materials for electrode preparation. However, with an optimized ratio, the bimetallic counterpart was more sensitive to detection. When the pomegranate extract was used, for example, EI values of 52.51 ± 6.00 and 104.79 ± 6.89 µA/V were obtained using Pt and Pt/Ru (with an optimized ratio) electrocatalysts, showing the remarkable sensitivity increase obtained in our bimetallic protocol. Thus, based on physicochemical and electrochemical characterizations, we found that the ruthenium content was essential for the achievements. In due course, XPS analysis suggested that the Pt2+/Pt0 species ratio could have improved the system’s sensitivity, which significantly changed when ruthenium was used in the material.
‘Nice to Meet You Again’: When Heutagogy Met Blended Learning in Teacher Education, Post-Pandemic Era
Authors: Chamo Nurit , Biberman-Shalev Liat , Broza Orit
Published: May 2023

Heutagogy and blended learning (BL) are core concepts in the educational discourse post-COVID-19. Conducting a mixed-methods study, we investigate meeting points between heutagogy principles and BL in the context of curricular change in the academic timetable of teacher education college, where pre-COVID most courses have been taught face-to-face (F2F). At present, teacher educators and students meet F2F for three weeks, followed by a week of remote learning, combining synchronous and asynchronous pedagogies. Data have been collected by a closed-ended questionnaire and two focus groups, involving altogether 76 lecturers and 553 students. Findings indicate that heutagogy has been applied in all facets of BL, rather than only with online or digital technological components. This study explores a bottom-up growth of heutagogy expressions in BL at three meeting points. When the core facets of heutagogy principles have been identified, there has been a predominance of the students’ agency and life-long learners, together with facets such as a non-linear learning and capability development that have been underrepresented. This study contributes to the research field of heutagogy in teacher education as it identifies the meaning and the way a structural change in the curriculum can constitute an accelerator and catalyst when implementing heutagogy in practice.
An Expert System for Ranking and Matching Electric Vehicles to Customer Specifications and Requirements
Authors: Hadad Yossi , Keren Baruch , Alberg Dima
Published: May 2023

Electric vehicles (EVs) have become popular in the last decade because of their advantages compared to conventional vehicles. The market offers dozens of EV models in a large range of prices, performances, and specifications. This paper presents an expert system we developed to support sellers and customers in choosing an EV that matches the customers’ specifications. The system enables ranking-specific EVs according to the customers’ specifications and counting the number of mismatches. The paper analyzes a database of 53 different EVs, each with 22 different characteristics, enabling customers to choose the EV that best suits their most important specifications. Based on the customer’s requirements and the principle of fuzzy sets, the system assigns a matching value to each criterion. These matching values are the input matrix for the TOPSIS procedure that ranks all the EVs according to their matching scores for a specific customer. The applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated for one customer with specific preferred EV requirements. A Python code of this method is also available herein.
Analysis on Fermentation Quality, Chemical Composition and Bacterial Communities of Corn Straw and Soybean Straw Mixed Silage
Authors: Zhang Zhifei , Zhao Kailing , Yang Shuli , Min Li , Tong Xiong , Chen Weidong , Li Dagang
Published: May 2023

In this study, the effects of mixed silage on the fermentation quality, chemical composition and bacterial communities of corn straw and soybean straw were assessed. Corn straws, soybean straws or a mixture of corn straws and soybean straws in a 1:1 mass ratio were uniformly mixed and processed using the same method to produce bagged silage weighing 50 kg per bag. At days 0, 14 and 60 of the fermentation process, the nutritional composition and fermentation quality indicators of each group were measured. A complete factorial design to assess the effect of the ensiling time, types of fermented straw (treatment group) and their interactions on the assessed parameters was performed. In addition, metabolomics sequencing and microbial community analysis were performed on the samples on the 60th day of fermentation. Compared with the corn straw group and the soybean straw group, the silage fermentation quality of the corn straw–soybean straw group is better, which is reflected in higher crude protein rate (p < 0.05), higher lactic acid content (p < 0.05) and lower ammonia nitrogen content (p < 0.05). The combined analysis of differential microbial taxa (species level) and differential metabolites revealed a positive correlation between certain bacterial species, such as manihotivorans, brevis and zeae, and significantly downregulated metabolites, such as pyrocatechol and N-benzoyltyramine. Similarly, positive correlations were observed between certain bacterial species, such as dublinensis, marcescens and agglomerans, and upregulated metabolites, such as D-xylonic acid and neochlorogenic acid. These findings suggest that the key microbial–metabolite pathways identified are responsible for the good fermentation quality observed during mixed fermentation of corn straw and soybean straw at a 1:1 mass ratio.
Diabetic Foot Assessment and Care: Barriers and Facilitators in a Cross-Sectional Study in Bangalore, India
Authors: B. G. Sudha , V. Umadevi , Shivaram Joshi Manisha , Belehalli Pavan , M. A. Shekar , H. C. Chaluvanarayana , Sikkandar Mohamed Yacin , Brioschi Marcos Leal
Published: May 2023

(1) Background: This cross-sectional study aims to highlight the assessment and foot care practices in an advanced clinical setting, the clinical characteristics of the patients, and to understand the barriers and facilitators for effective foot care from the perspectives of healthcare practices, resources, and patients’ socioeconomic and cultural practices, and other aspects in terms of new technologies for effective foot care such as infrared thermography. (2) Methods: Clinical test data from 158 diabetic patients and a questionnaire to assess the foot care education retention rate were collected at the Karnataka Institute of Endocrinology and Research (KIER) facility. (3) Results: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) were found in 6% of the examined individuals. Male patients were more likely to have diabetes complications, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.18 (CI = 0.49–2.84). Other diabetes problems raised the likelihood of DFUs by OR 5 (CI = 1.40–17.77). The constraints include socioeconomic position, employment conditions, religious customs, time and cost, and medication non-adherence. The attitude of podiatrists and nurses, diabetic foot education, and awareness protocols and amenities at the facility were all facilitators. (4) Conclusions: Most diabetic foot complications might be avoided with foot care education, regular foot assessments as the standard of treatment, and self-care as a preventive/therapeutic strategy.
Telemedicine Support for Primary Care Providers versus Usual Care in Patients with Heart Failure: Protocol of a Pragmatic Cluster Randomised Trial within the Brazilian Heart Insufficiency with Telemedicine (BRAHIT) Study
Authors: Graever Leonardo , Issa Aurora Felice Castro , Fonseca Viviane Belidio Pinheiro da , Melo Marcelo Machado , Silva Gabriel Pesce de Castro da , Nóbrega Isabel Cristina Pacheco da , Savassi Leonardo Cançado Monteiro , Dias Mariana Borges , Gomes Maria Kátia , Lapa e Silva Jose Roberto , Guimarães Raphael Mendonça , Seródio Renato Cony , Frølich Anne , Gudbergsen Henrik , Jakobsen Janus Christian , Dominguez Helena
Published: May 2023

Heart failure is a prevalent condition and a frequent cause of hospital readmissions and poor quality of life. Teleconsultation support from cardiologists to primary care physicians managing patients with heart failure may improve care, but the effect on patient-relevant outcomes is unclear. We aim to evaluate whether collaboration through a novel teleconsultation platform in the Brazilian Heart Insufficiency with Telemedicine (BRAHIT) project, tested on a previous feasibility study, can improve patient-relevant outcomes. We will conduct a parallel-group, two-arm, cluster-randomised superiority trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio, with primary care practices from Rio de Janeiro as clusters. Physicians from the intervention group practices will receive teleconsultation support from a cardiologist to assist patients discharged from hospitals after admission for heart failure. In contrast, physicians from the control group practices will perform usual care. We will include 10 patients per each of the 80 enrolled practices (n = 800). The primary outcome will be a composite of mortality and hospital admissions after six months. Secondary outcomes will be adverse events, symptoms frequency, quality of life, and primary care physicians’ compliance with treatment guidelines. We hypothesise that teleconsulting support will improve patient outcomes.
Therapeutic Effects of microRNAs on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhu Yuezhi , Tan Jen Kit , Wong Sok Kuan , Goon Jo Aan
Published: May 2023

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a global health problem that affects people even at young ages due to unhealthy lifestyles. Without intervention, NAFLD will develop into nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and eventually liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although lifestyle interventions are therapeutic, effective implementation remains challenging. In the efforts to establish effective treatment for NAFLD/NASH, microRNA (miRNA)-based therapies began to evolve in the last decade. Therefore, this systematic review aims to summarize current knowledge on the promising miRNA-based approaches in NAFLD/NASH therapies. A current systematic evaluation and a meta-analysis were conducted according to the PRISMA statement. In addition, a comprehensive exploration of PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus databases was conducted to perform article searches. A total of 56 different miRNAs were reported as potential therapeutic agents in these studies. miRNA-34a antagonist/inhibitor was found to be the most studied variant (n = 7), and it significantly improved the hepatic total cholesterol, total triglyceride, Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), and Alanine Transaminase (ALT) levels based on a meta-analysis. The biological processes mediated by these miRNAs involved hepatic fat accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis. miRNAs have shown enormous therapeutic potential in the management of NAFLD/NASH, wherein miRNA-34a antagonist has been found to be an exceptional potential agent for the treatment of NAFLD/NASH.
Functional Materials for Fabrication of Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cells: Ink Formulation and Its Effect on Solar Cell Performance
Authors: Pourjafari Dena , García-Peña Nidia G. , Padrón-Hernández Wendy Y. , Peralta-Domínguez Diecenia , Castro-Chong Alejandra María , Nabil Mahmoud , Avilés-Betanzos Roberto C. , Oskam Gerko
Published: May 2023

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have rapidly developed into one of the most attractive photovoltaic technologies, exceeding power conversion efficiencies of 25% and as the most promising technology to complement silicon-based solar cells. Among different types of PSCs, carbon-based, hole-conductor-free PSCs (C-PSCs), in particular, are seen as a viable candidate for commercialization due to the high stability, ease of fabrication, and low cost. This review examines strategies to increase charge separation, extraction, and transport properties in C-PSCs to improve the power conversion efficiency. These strategies include the use of new or modified electron transport materials, hole transport layers, and carbon electrodes. Additionally, the working principles of various printing techniques for the fabrication of C-PSCs are presented, as well as the most remarkable results obtained from each technique for small-scale devices. Finally, the manufacture of perovskite solar modules using scalable deposition techniques is discussed.
A Context-Sensitive Alternative to Hick’s Law of Choice Reaction Times: A Mathematical and Computational Unification of Conceptual Complexity and Choice Behavior
Authors: Vigo Ronaldo , Doan Charles A. , Wimsatt Jay , Ross Cody B.
Published: May 2023

Hick’s law describes the time that individuals take to make a preference decision when presented with a set of possible choices. Basically speaking, the law states that decision time is a logarithmic function of the number of choices when the choices are equiprobable. However, the evidence examined here suggests that this, and a variant of the law for non-equiprobable choices based on Shannon entropy, are not effective at predicting decision reaction times involving structured sets of alternatives. The purpose of this report is to communicate a theoretical alternative to Hick’s law that is derived from a mathematical law of invariance for conceptual behavior at the heart of Generalized Invariance Structure Theory (Vigo, 2013, 2015). We argue that such an alternative accounts more precisely for decision reaction times on structured sets. Furthermore, we argue that Hick’s law is a special case of this more general law of choice reaction times for categories with zero degree of invariance.
Correction: del Pozo Gonzalez et al. Mathematical Modeling and Thermal Control of a 1.5 kW Reversible Solid Oxide Stack for 24/7 Hydrogen Plants. Mathematics 2023, 11, 366
Authors: del Pozo Gonzalez Hector , Torrell Marc , Bernadet Lucile , Bianchi Fernando D. , Trilla Lluís , Tarancón Albert , Domínguez-García Jose Luis
Published: May 2023

In the original publication [...]
Effect of Silica Content on Iron Ore Sintering
Authors: Liu Jie , Jiang Wenzheng , Cheng De , Zhong Qiang , Liu Chen , Jiang Yi , Zhu Jianwei , Zhang Hui , Xu Libing , Ma Xianguo
Published: May 2023

During the iron ore sintering process, its SiO2 content considerably affects the sinter quality. In this study, the effect of SiO2 content on iron ore sintering indexes was studied, with mineral composition and microstructure analyses. It was shown that the strength and reducibility of sintering products improved when SiO2 content increased. The sinter yield and tumbler index increased from 69.57% and 58.67% to 74.02% and 62.32%, respectively, with SiO2 content increasing from 3.92% to 5.12%. Moreover, the reduction disintegration index (RDI+3.15) increased from 66.50% to 68.28%. There was a quadratic function relationship between SiO2 content (x) and RDI+3.15 (y): y = −0.4841x2 + 5.8932x + 50.8189. Maintaining the SiO2 content in the range of 4.52% to 5.12% would promote the formation of compound calcium ferrite (SFCA) and silicate as the main binding phase which determined the quality of sintering products.
Occurrence Form of Potassium Vapor in Sinter and Its Effect on Reduction Degradation Indexes
Authors: Ju Jiantao , Wang Huayong , Xing Xiangdong , Liu Manbo , Zhao Guiqing , Jiang Xintai
Published: May 2023

In this study, potassium vapor was prepared by using potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and activated carbon (C) reagents to simulate the actual situation of adsorbing potassium vapor from the sinter in the blast furnace. The potassium-rich sinter was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS). The effects of potassium vapor content on the enrichment ratio, adsorption rate, and low-temperature reduction degradation index (RDI+3.15mm) of sinter have been studied. The results show that with the increase of potassium vapor content, the enrichment ratio of potassium in the sinter increases, and the adsorption rate of potassium in the sinter increases first and then decreases, which was opposite to the trend of the low-temperature reductive degradation index of the sinter. When the potassium vapor content was increased by 50 times, the enrichment ratio and low-temperature reduction powder of the sinter are the highest, which were 2576% and 85.3%, respectively, and the adsorption rate of the sinter was the lowest, which is 51.5%. Meanwhile, potassium vapor changes from physical adsorption K2CO3 to chemical adsorption KFeO2 as the potassium vapor content increases. In addition, the transformation of the occurrence form of potassium vapor in the sinter during the rising process has also been clarified.
Antibiotic Management of Uncomplicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in the Real World
Authors: Valladales-Restrepo Luis Fernando , Aristizábal-Carmona Brayan Stiven , Giraldo-Correa Jaime Andrés , Acevedo-Medina Luis Felipe , Valencia-Sánchez Laura , Acevedo-López Doménica Tatiana , Gaviria-Mendoza Andrés , Machado-Duque Manuel Enrique , Machado-Alba Jorge Enrique
Published: May 2023

Background: Skin and soft tissue infections are one of the main causes of consultations worldwide. The objective was to determine the treatment of a group of patients with uncomplicated skin and soft tissue infections in Colombia. Methods: Follow-up study of a cohort of patients with skin infections who were treated in the Colombian Health System. Sociodemographic, clinical and pharmacological variables were identified. Treatments were evaluated using clinical practice guidelines for skin infections. Results: A total of 400 patients were analyzed. They had a median age of 38.0 years and 52.3% were men. The most commonly used antibiotics were cephalexin (39.0%), dicloxacillin (28.0%) and clindamycin (18.0%). A total of 49.8% of the subjects received inappropriate antibiotics, especially those with purulent infections (82.0%). Being cared for in an outpatient clinic (OR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.06–4.12), presenting pain (OR: 3.72; 95% CI: 1.41–9.78) and having a purulent infection (OR: 25.71; 95% CI: 14.52–45.52) were associated with a higher probability of receiving inappropriate antibiotics. Conclusions: Half of patients with uncomplicated skin and soft tissue infections were treated with antibiotics that were not recommended by clinical practice guidelines. This inappropriate use of antibiotics occurred in the vast majority of patients with purulent infections because the antimicrobials used had no effect on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Microbial Influence on the Mobility of +3 Actinides from a Salt-Based Nuclear Waste Repository
Authors: Swanson Julie , Navarrette Adrianne , Knox Jandi , Kim Hannah , Stanley Floyd
Published: May 2023

Biologically enhanced transport of radionuclides is one of several processes that can affect the performance of a nuclear waste repository. In this work, several microbial isolates from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) were tested for their influence on the concentration of neodymium, as an analog for +3 actinides, in simple sodium chloride solutions and in anoxic WIPP brines. Batch sorption experiments were carried out over a period of 4–5 weeks. In many cases, the effect on neodymium in solution was immediate and extensive and assumed to be due to surface complexation. However, over time, the continued loss of Nd from the solution was more likely due to biologically induced precipitation and/or mineralization and possible entrapment in extracellular polymeric substances. The results showed no correlation between organism type and the extent of its influence on neodymium in solution. However, a correlation was observed between different test matrices (simple NaCl versus high-magnesium brine versus high-NaCl brine). Further experiments were conducted to test these matrix effects, and the results showed a significant effect of magnesium concentration on the ability of microorganisms to remove Nd from solution. Possible mechanisms include cation competition and the alteration of cell surface structures. This suggests that the aqueous chemistry of the WIPP environs could play a larger role in the final disposition of +3 actinides than the microbiology.
In Vitro Characterization and Antiviral Susceptibility of Ophidian Serpentoviruses
Authors: Tillis Steven B. , Holt Camille , Havens Spencer , Logan Tracey D. , Julander Justin G. , Ossiboff Robert J.
Published: May 2023

Ophidian serpentoviruses, positive-sense RNA viruses in the order Nidovirales, are important infectious agents of both captive and free-ranging reptiles. Although the clinical significance of these viruses can be variable, some serpentoviruses are pathogenic and potentially fatal in captive snakes. While serpentoviral diversity and disease potential are well documented, little is known about the fundamental properties of these viruses, including their potential host ranges, kinetics of growth, environmental stability, and susceptibility to common disinfectants and viricides. To address this, three serpentoviruses were isolated in culture from three unique PCR-positive python species: Ball python (Python regius), green tree python (Morelia viridis), and Stimson’s python (Antaresia stimsoni). A median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) was established to characterize viral stability, growth, and susceptibility. All isolates showed an environmental stability of 10–12 days at room temperature (20 °C). While all three viruses produced variable peak titers on three different cell lines when incubated at 32 °C, none of the viruses detectably replicated at 35 °C. All viruses demonstrated a wide susceptibility to sanitizers, with 10% bleach, 2% chlorhexidine, and 70% ethanol inactivating the virus in one minute and 7% peroxide and a quaternary ammonium solution within three minutes. Of seven tested antiviral agents, remdesivir, ribavirin, and NITD-008, showed potent antiviral activity against the three viruses. Finally, the three isolates successfully infected 32 unique tissue culture cell lines representing different diverse reptile taxa and select mammals and birds as detected by epifluorescent immunostaining. This study represents the first characterization of in vitro properties of growth, stability, host range, and inactivation for a serpentovirus. The reported results provide the basis for procedures to mitigate the spread of serpentoviruses in captive snake colonies as well as identify potential non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic treatment options for ophidian serpentoviral infections.
Efficient Regulation of Polysulfides by Anatase/Bronze TiO2 Heterostructure/Polypyrrole Composites for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Liu Jing , Liu Yong , Li Tengfei , Liang Longlong , Wen Sifan , Zhang Yue , Liu Guilong , Ren Fengzhang , Wang Guangxin
Published: May 2023

Despite having ultra-high theoretical specific capacity and theoretical energy density, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries suffer from their low Coulombic efficiency and poor lifespan, and the commercial application of Li-S batteries is seriously hampered by the severe “shuttle effect” of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and the large volume expansion ratio of the sulfur electrode during cycling. Designing functional hosts for sulfur cathodes is one of the most effective ways to immobilize the LiPSs and improve the electrochemical performance of a Li-S battery. In this work, a polypyrrole (PPy)-coated anatase/bronze TiO2 (TAB) heterostructure was successfully prepared and used as a sulfur host. Results showed that the porous TAB could physically adsorb and chemically interact with LiPSs during charging and discharging processes, inhibiting the LiPSs’ shuttle effect, and the TAB’s heterostructure and PPy conductive layer are conducive to the rapid transport of Li+ and improve the conductivity of the electrode. By benefitting from these merits, Li-S batteries with TAB@S/PPy electrodes could deliver a high initial capacity of 1250.4 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and show an excellent cycling stability (the average capacity decay rate was 0.042% per cycle after 1000 cycles at 1 C). This work brings a new idea for the design of functional sulfur cathodes for high-performance Li-S battery.
Potent Antifungal Functions of a Living Modified Organism Protein, CP4-EPSPS, against Pathogenic Fungal Cells
Authors: Park Seong-Cheol , Lim Hye Song , Mun Seong-Eun , Jung Young Jun , Yoon A-Mi , Son Hyosuk , Kim Chul Min , Choo Young-Kug , Lee Jung Ro
Published: May 2023

Various proteins introduced into living modified organism (LMO) crops function in plant defense mechanisms against target insect pests or herbicides. This study analyzed the antifungal effects of an introduced LMO protein, 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) from Agrobacterium sp. strain CP4 (CP4-EPSPS). Pure recombinant CP4-EPSPS protein, expressed in Escherichia coli, inhibited the growth of human and plant fungal pathogens (Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Fusarium solani, F. graminearum, and Trichoderma virens), at minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) that ranged from 62.5 to 250 µg/mL. It inhibited fungal spore germination as well as cell proliferation on C. gloeosporioides. Rhodamine-labeled CP4-EPSPS accumulated on the fungal cell wall and within intracellular cytosol. In addition, the protein induced uptake of SYTOX Green into cells, but not into intracellular mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), indicating that its antifungal action was due to inducing the permeability of the fungal cell wall. Its antifungal action showed cell surface damage, as observed from fungal cell morphology. This study provided information on the effects of the LMO protein, EPSPS, on fungal growth.
Olive Oil Benefits from Sesame Oil Blending While Extra Virgin Olive Oil Resists Oxidation during Deep Frying
Authors: Ioannou Evangelia T. , Gliatis Konstantinos S. , Zoidis Evangelos , Georgiou Constantinos A.
Published: May 2023

Fresh potatoes were deep-fried in olive oil (OO), extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and their blends with 5%, 10%, and 20% v/v sesame oil (SO). This is the first report on the use of sesame oil as a natural source of antioxidants during olive oil deep frying. The oil was evaluated for anisidine value (AV), free fatty acids (FFAs), extinction coefficient (K232 and K270), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and total phenols (TPs) until the total polar compounds (TPCs) reached 25%. Sesame lignan transformations were monitored through reversed-phase HPLC. While the TPCs in olive oils increased at a steady rate, the addition of 5%, 10%, and 20% v/v SO delayed TPCs’ formation for 1, 2, and 3 h, respectively. The addition of 5%, 10%, and 20% v/v SO increased the olive oil frying time by 1.5 h, 3.5 h, and 2.5 h, respectively. The addition of SO to OO reduced the secondary oxidation products’ formation rate. The AV for EVOO was lower than OO and all tested blends, even those with EVOO. EVOO was more resistant to oxidation than OO, as measured by the TPCs and TEAC, while the frying time rose from 21.5 to 25.25 h when EVOO replaced OO. The increase in frying time for OO but not for EVOO, after SO addition, points to a niche market for EVOO in deep frying.
Dioscorea esculenta Intake with Resistance Training Improves Muscle Quantity and Quality in Healthy Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Iemitsu Keiko , Fujie Shumpei , Uchida Masataka , Inoue Kenichiro , Shinohara Yasushi , Iemitsu Motoyuki
Published: May 2023

Resistance training and Dioscorea esculenta intake have a positive effect on muscle. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether 12-week Dioscorea esculenta intake combined with resistance exercise more effectively improves muscle quantity, quality, and cardiometabolic parameters in healthy middle-aged and older adults. This study is a double-blind trial with 66 volunteers (21 males/45 females; age 53 ± 5 years; body weight 61 ± 11 kg; BMI 24 ± 4 kg) who were randomly divided into four groups: sedentary-control with placebo (Sed and PL) or Dioscorea (Sed and Dio) and resistance training with placebo (RT and PL) or Dioscorea (RT and Dio). Resistance training sessions using elastic bands were performed 3 days/week for a 12-week period. Dioscorea esculenta tablets were ingested at 2000 mg/day once per day. The RT and Dio group showed greater improvements in the femoris muscle’s thickness, echo intensity for the rectus femoris (index of muscle quality), and the five times sit-to-stand test compared to that of the Sed and PL group; the echo intensity in the RT and Dio group further improved compared to those in the Sed and Dio, and RT and PL groups (p < 0.05). The circulating levels of C1q (a potential biomarker of muscle fibrosis) in the RT and Dio group were significantly lower than those in the Sed and PL, and Sed and Dio groups (p < 0.05). Chronic Dioscorea esculenta intake combined with low-intensity resistance exercise may more effectively improve muscle quantity and quality indices in healthy middle-aged and older adults.
Comparative MS- and NMR-Based Metabolome Mapping of Egyptian Red and White Squill Bulbs F. Liliaceae and in Relation to Their Cytotoxic Effect
Authors: Khattab Omar M. , El-Kersh Dina M. , Khalifa Shaden A. M. , Yosri Nermeen , El-Seedi Hesham R. , Farag Mohamed A.
Published: May 2023

Urginea maritima L. (squill) species is widely spread at the Mediterranean region as two main varieties, i.e., white squill (WS) and red squill (RS), that are recognized for several health potentials. The major secondary metabolite classes of the squill are cardiac glycosides, mainly, bufadienolides, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Herein, a multiplex MS and NMR metabolomics approach targeting secondary and aroma compounds in WS and RS was employed for varieties classification. Solid-phase micro extraction-gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (SPME-GC/MS), ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS), as well as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) provided fingerprinting and structural confirmation of the major metabolites for both types of the squill. For comparison of the different platforms’ classification potential, multivariate data analysis was employed. While Bufadienolides, viz. “hydroxy-scilliglaucosidin-O-rhamnoside, desacetylscillirosidin-O-rhamnoside and bufotalidin-O-hexoside” as well as oxylipids, were enriched in WS, flavonoids, i.e., dihydro-kaempferol-O-hexoside and its aglycon, taxifolin derivative, were predominant in RS. A cytotoxicity screening against three cancer cell lines, including breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), lung (A-549), and ovarian (SKOV-3) cell lines was conducted. Results revealed that WS was more effective on A-549 and SKOV-3 cell lines (WS IC50 0.11 and 0.4 µg/mL, respectively) owing to its abundance of bufadienolides, while RS recorded IC50 (MCF7 cell line) 0.17 µg/mL since is is rich inflavonoids.
Probabilistic Wildfire Segmentation Using Supervised Deep Generative Model from Satellite Imagery
Authors: Akbari Asanjan Ata , Memarzadeh Milad , Lott Paul Aaron , Rieffel Eleanor , Grabbe Shon
Published: May 2023

Wildfires are one of the major disasters among many and are responsible for more than 6 million acres burned in the United States alone every year. Accurate, insightful, and timely wildfire detection is needed to help authorities mitigate and prevent further destruction. Uncertainty quantification is always a crucial part of the detection of natural disasters, such as wildfires, and modeling products can be misinterpreted without proper uncertainty quantification. In this study, we propose a supervised deep generative machine-learning model that generates stochastic wildfire detection, allowing fast and comprehensive uncertainty quantification for individual and collective events. In the proposed approach, we also aim to address the patchy and discontinuous Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) wildfire product by training the proposed model with MODIS raw and combined bands to detect fire. This approach allows us to generate diverse but plausible segmentations to represent the disagreements regarding the delineation of wildfire boundaries by subject matter experts. The proposed approach generates stochastic segmentation via two model streams in which one learns meaningful stochastic latent distributions, and the other learns the visual features. Two model branches join eventually to become a supervised stochastic image-to-image wildfire detection model. The model is compared to two baseline stochastic machine-learning models: (1) with permanent dropout in training and test phases and (2) with Stochastic ReLU activations. The visual and statistical metrics demonstrate better agreements between the ground truth and the proposed model segmentations. Furthermore, we used multiple scenarios to evaluate the model comprehension, and the proposed Probabilistic U-Net model demonstrates a better understanding of the underlying physical dynamics of wildfires compared to the baselines.
Investigation of Unwanted Oscillations of Electrically Modulated Magnetoelectric Cantilever Sensors
Authors: Schmalz Julius , Spetzler Elizaveta , McCord Jeffrey , Gerken Martina
Published: May 2023

Magnetoelectric thin-film cantilevers consisting of strain-coupled magnetostrictive and piezoelectric layers are promising candidates for magnetic field measurements in biomedical applications. In this study, we investigate magnetoelectric cantilevers that are electrically excited and operated in a special mechanical mode with resonance frequencies above 500 kHz. In this particular mode, the cantilever bends in the short axis, forming a distinctive U-shape and exhibiting high-quality factors and a promising limit of detection of 70pT/Hz1/2 at 10 Hz. Despite this U mode, the sensors show a superimposed mechanical oscillation along the long axis. The induced local mechanical strain in the magnetostrictive layer results in magnetic domain activity. Due to this, the mechanical oscillation may cause additional magnetic noise, deteriorating the limit of detection of such sensors. We compare finite element method simulations with measurements of magnetoelectric cantilevers in order to understand the presence of oscillations. From this, we identify strategies for eliminating the external effects that affect sensor operation. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of different design parameters, in particular the cantilever length, material parameters and the type of clamping, on the amplitude of the undesired superimposed oscillations. We propose design guidelines to minimize the unwanted oscillations.