bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Higher Protein Intake in Patients with Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation
Authors: Huang Shih-Wei , Lin Horng-Chyuan , Chou Yu-Feng , Lin Ting-Yu , Lo Chun-Yu , Huang Hung-Yu , Fang Yueh-Fu , Hsieh Meng-Heng , Lin Shu-Min , Lo Yu-Lun , Hsieh Meng-Jer , Kao Kuo-Chin , Lin Chun-Yu , Huang Chung-Chi
Published: October 2022

Prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) is associated with poor outcomes and a high economic cost. The association between protein intake and PMV has rarely been investigated in previous studies. This study aimed to investigate the impact of protein intake on weaning from mechanical ventilation. Patients with the PMV (mechanical ventilation ≥6 h/day for ≥21 days) at our hospital between December 2020 and April 2022 were included in this study. Demographic data, nutrition records, laboratory data, weaning conditions, and survival data were retrieved from the patient’s electronic medical records. A total of 172 patients were eligible for analysis. The patients were divided into two groups: weaning success (n = 109) and weaning failure (n = 63). Patients with daily protein intake greater than 1.2 g/kg/day had significant shorter median days of ventilator use than those with less daily protein intake (36.5 vs. 114 days, respectively, p < 0.0001). Daily protein intake ≥1.065 g/kg/day (odds ratio: 4.97, p = 0.033), daily protein intake ≥1.2 g/kg/day (odds ratio: 89.07, p = 0.001), improvement of serum albumin (odds ratio: 3.68, p = 0.027), and BMI (odds ratio: 1.235, p = 0.014) were independent predictor for successful weaning. The serum creatinine level in the 4th week remained similar in patients with daily protein intake either >1.065 g/kg/day or >1.2 g/kg/day (p = 0.5219 and p = 0.7796, respectively). Higher protein intake may have benefits in weaning in patients with PMV and had no negative impact on renal function.
In Vitro Assessment of Berberine against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis in Goldfish
Authors: Huang Ke , Hu Guangran , Wang Runqiu , Zeng Qingwen , Li Wenxiang , Zou Hong , Wu Shangong , Wang Guitang , Li Ming
Published: October 2022

Ichthyophthirius multifiliis is a pathogenic ciliate parasite, which infects almost all freshwater teleost fish and leads to significant economic losses. The present study aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity of berberine to the free-living stages of I. multifiliis, that is, theronts and tomonts. Our results indicated that 99.30% of I. multifiliis theronts were killed by a concentration of 15 mg/L berberine during the 4 h exposure time, while berberine had no effect on protomonts. Nevertheless, berberine at a concentration of 5 mg/L could effectively reduce the release of theronts from tomonts treated for 4 h. Additionally, according to the transmission electron microscopy results, berberine at 15 mg/L could strongly change the shape of protomonts, destroy their organelles, and significantly decrease the number of ribosomes. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of berberine for goldfish at 96 h was 528.44 mg/L, which was almost 67 times the median effective concentration (EC50) of berberine for killing theronts (7.86 mg/L). The results demonstrated that berberine could be an effective and safe potential parasiticide for killing I. multifiliis.
Unlicensed Molnupiravir is an Effective Rescue Treatment Following Failure of Unlicensed GS-441524-like Therapy for Cats with Suspected Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Authors: Roy Meagan , Jacque Nicole , Novicoff Wendy , Li Emma , Negash Rosa , Evans Samantha J. M.
Published: October 2022

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a complex and historically fatal disease, though recent advances in antiviral therapy have uncovered potential treatments. A newer therapeutic option, unlicensed molnupiravir, is being used as a first-line therapy for suspect FIP and as a rescue therapy to treat cats who have persistent or relapsed clinical signs of FIP after GS-441524 and/or GC376 therapy. Using owner-reported data, treatment protocols for 30 cats were documented. The 26 cats treated with unlicensed molnupiravir as a rescue therapy were treated with an average starting dosage of 12.8 mg/kg and an average ending dosage of 14.7 mg/kg twice daily for a median of 12 weeks (IQR = 10–15). In total, 24 of 26 cats were still living disease-free at the time of writing. One cat was euthanized after completing treatment due to a prolonged seizure, and the other cat underwent retreatment for relapsed clinical signs. Few adverse effects were reported, with the most notable—folded ears (1), broken whiskers (1), and severe leukopenia (1)—seen at dosages above 23 mg/kg twice daily. This study provides a proof of principle for the use of molnupiravir in cats and supports the need for future studies to further evaluate molnupiravir as a potentially safe and effective therapy for FIP.
High Rates of Detection and Molecular Characterization of Porcine Adenovirus Serotype 5 (Porcine mastadenovirus C) from Diarrheic Pigs
Authors: Gainor Kerry , Fortuna Yussaira Castillo , Alakkaparambil Angeline Steny , González Wendy , Malik Yashpal Singh , Ghosh Souvik
Published: October 2022

Since the first report on isolation of porcine adenovirus serotype 5 (PAdV-5, species Porcine mastadenovirus C (PAdV-C)) from pigs with respiratory illness in Japan in 1987, PAdV-5 have been detected in a few fecal samples from healthy pigs and in some environmental samples. To date, only a single PAdV-5 strain (isolate HNF-70 from 1987) has been analyzed for the complete genome. We report here high detection rates of PAdV-5 (25.74%, 26/101 fecal samples) in diarrheic pigs at 3 different farms in the Caribbean country of Dominican Republic. After a long gap, the complete deduced amino acid sequences of the DNA-dependent DNA polymerase (pol) and hexon of two PAdV-5 strains (GES7 and Z11) were determined, revealing >99% sequence identities between PAdV-5 strains (HNF-70, GES7 and Z11) detected in different parts of the world and during different time periods (1987, and 2020–2021). By phylogenetic analysis, the putative hexon and pol of HNF-70, GES7 and Z11 exhibited similar clustering patterns, with the PAdV-5 strains forming a tight cluster near ruminant AdVs, distinct from the species PAdV-A and -B. GES7 and Z11 retained the various conserved features present in the putative pol and major late promoter region of HNF-70. Considering the paucity of data on current epidemiological status and genetic diversity of PAdV in porcine populations, our findings warrant similar studies on PAdV-5 and other PAdVs in clinically ill and healthy pigs. To our knowledge, this is the first report on detection and molecular characterization of PAdV-5 (PAdV-C) from diarrheic pigs.
Human Neurocysticercosis: An Overview
Authors: Del Brutto Oscar H.
Published: October 2022

Human cysticercosis is caused by ingestion of T. solium eggs from taenia carriers. Neurocysticercosis (NCC), defined as the infection of the CNS and the meninges by the larval stage of Taenia solium, is the most common helminthic infection of the CNS worldwide. Parasites may lodge in brain parenchyma, subarachnoid space, ventricular system, or spinal cord, causing pathological changes that account for the pleomorphism of this disease. Seizures/epilepsy are the most common clinical manifestation, but other patients present with headache, focal deficits, intracranial hypertension, or cognitive decline. Accurate diagnosis of NCC is possible after interpretation of clinical data together with findings of neuroimaging studies and results of immunological tests. However, neuroimaging studies are fundamental for diagnosis because immunological test and clinical manifestations only provide circumstantial evidence of NCC. The introduction of cysticidal drugs changed the prognosis of most NCC patients. These drugs have been shown to reduce the burden of infection and to improve the clinical course of the disease in many patients. Efforts should be directed to eradicate the disease through the implementation of control programs against all the steps in the life cycle of T. solium, including carriers of the adult tapeworm, infected pigs, and eggs in the environment.
Inflammatory Response in Caco-2 Cells Stimulated with Anisakis Messengers of Pathogenicity
Authors: Bellini Ilaria , Scribano Daniela , Sarshar Meysam , Ambrosi Cecilia , Pizzarelli Antonella , Palamara Anna Teresa , D’Amelio Stefano , Cavallero Serena
Published: October 2022

Background: Anisakis spp. third-stage larvae (L3) are the causative agents of human zoonosis called anisakiasis. The accidental ingestion of L3 can cause acute and chronic inflammation at the gastric, intestinal, or ectopic levels. Despite its relevance in public health, studies on pathogenetic mechanisms and parasite-human interplay are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the human inflammatory response to different Anisakis vehicles of pathogenicity. Methods: Human colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells were exposed to Anisakis L3 (the initial contact with the host), extracellular vesicles (EVs, Anisakis–host communication), and crude extract (CE, the larval dying). The protein quantity and gene expression of two pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8) were investigated using an ELISA test (6 h and 24 h) and a qReal-Time PCR (1 h, 6 h, and 24 h), respectively. Results: The L3 and EVs induced a downregulation in both the Il-6 and Il-8 gene expression and protein quantity. On the contrary, the CE stimulated IL-6 gene expression and its protein release, not affecting IL-8. Conclusions: The Caco-2 cells seemed to not react to the exposure to the L3 and EVs, suggesting a parasite’s immunomodulating action to remain alive in an inhospitable niche. Conversely, the dying larva (CE) could induce strong activation of the immune strategy of the host that, in vivo, would lead to parasite expulsion, eosinophilia, and/or granuloma formation.
Ginkgo biloba Extract Stimulates Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes
Authors: Thomaz Fernanda Malanconi , de Jesus Simão Jussara , da Silva Viviane Simões , Machado Meira Maria Forcelini , Oyama Lila Missae , Ribeiro Eliane Beraldi , Alonso Vale Maria Isabel Cardoso , Telles Monica Marques
Published: October 2022

Smaller adipocytes are related to the reversal of metabolic disorders, suggesting that molecules that can act in the adipogenesis pathway are of great interest. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) in modulating the differentiation in preadipocytes. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were differentiated for 7 days into adipocytes without (control group) and with GbE at 1.0 mg/mL. Lipid content and gene expression were analyzed on day 7 (D7) by Oil Red O staining and PCR Array Gene Expression. Western blotting analysis of the key adipogenesis markers was evaluated during the differentiation process at days 3 (D3), 5 (D5), and 7 (D7). GbE increased lipid content and raised the gene expression of the main adipogenesis markers. Key proteins of the differentiation process were modulated by GbE, since C/EBPβ levels were decreased, while C/EBPα levels were increased at D7. Regarding the mature adipocytes’ markers, GbE enhanced the levels of both FABP4 at D5, and perilipin at D3 and D5. In summary, the present findings showed that GbE modulated the adipogenesis pathway suggesting that the treatment could accelerate the preadipocyte maturation, stimulating the expression of mature adipocyte proteins earlier than expected.
Spironolactone Utilization among Patients with Reduced and Preserved Ejection Fraction Heart Failure
Authors: Eworuke Efe , Cosgrove Austin , Her Qoua Liang , Lyons Jennifer G. , Martin Dave , Adimadhyam Sruthi
Published: October 2022

Background: Spironolactone is a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist indicated for the management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). In a previous clinical trial, spironolactone significantly lowered the incidence of heart failure (HF) hospitalizations among HF patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Real world utilization of spironolactone in HFrEF and HFpEF is unknown. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from FDA’s Sentinel System. We identified patients with HFrEF or HFpEF using diagnosis and procedure codes from a previously validated algorithm. We required patients to be continuously enrolled in the 183 days prior to HF diagnosis. Follow-up started on the day of HF diagnosis and ended at the earliest occurrence of a spironolactone dispensing, disenrollment, death, or end of data. We calculated the proportion of spironolactone utilization, and for those initiating treatment, we estimated the dose and duration of the first continuous treatment episode. Results: Among 2,009,529 HFrEF patients, 57.8% were male, and mean age was 73.8 ± 12.1 years. Among 9,257,514 HFpEF patients, 42.7% were male, and mean age was 73.0 ± 12.1 years. The proportion of spironolactone utilization following HFrEF diagnosis was 20.7% versus 7.6% after HFpEF. The median time (days) to initiation of spironolactone after HFrEF diagnosis was 90 (IQR: 19–385) versus 286 (IQR: 57–851) after HFpEF diagnosis. The median duration (days) of first treatment episode in HFrEF patients was 120 (IQR: 44–321) and 114 (IQR: 32–301) for HFpEF patients. The median dose was similar (25 mg/day) for both HF cohorts. Conclusion: Findings of low real-world utilization of spironolactone from our large, geographically, and demographically diverse multi-site study in the US are consistent with reports from smaller studies in the literature. Similar spironolactone dosing and duration were observed in both the HFpEF and HFrEF cohorts. Future research characterizing spironolactone treated and untreated HFpEF cohorts will be needed to identify treatment gaps.
Surface Curvature Sensor Based on Intracavity Sensing of Fiber Ring Laser
Authors: Yi Liang , Xue Zhifei , Ding Yiyun , Wang Min , Guo Zekang , Shi Jia
Published: October 2022

The measurement of surface curvature is of great significance in aerospace, structural health monitoring, energy batteries, etc. In this paper, a fiber-optic surface curvature sensor, based on intracavity sensing of fiber ring laser (FRL), is experimentally demonstrated. A no-core fiber- based filter performs as the sensing head of the FRL sensor. The response between the curvature of the NCF and the output wavelength of the FRL was investigated. In the measurement of curvature, the sensor system showed a narrow 3-dB bandwidth of 0.08 nm, with a high signal-to-noise ratio of about 60 dB. The curvature sensitivities were measured as −0.348 nm/m−1 within 0.2 m−1, and −3.185 nm/m−1 from 0.2 m−1 to 0.475 m−1. The performance of the surface curvature sensor was characterized by parameters, including output stability, temperature cross-sensitivity, and detection limit.
Sesame as an Alternative Host Plant to Establish and Retain Predatory Mirids in Open-Field Tomatoes
Authors: Castillo Jose , Roda Amy , Qureshi Jawwad , Pérez-Hedo Meritxell , Urbaneja Alberto , Stansly Philip
Published: October 2022

The silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and the South America tomato pinworm (Tuta absoluta) are two of the most destructive pests of tomato. Open-field tomato production frequently relies on chemical treatments, which has been shown to lead to pesticide resistance. The integration of biological control using predatory mirid bugs is an effective alternative method for managing these pests. However, methods to establish and maintain populations of zoophytophagous mirids are not adequately described. We explored the potential use of two mirids naturally occurring in Florida, Nesidiocoris tenuis and Macrolophus praeclarus. We conducted 6 field experiments over 4 consecutive years to develop a strategy to maintain the mirids. Pre-plant inoculation of tomato plants did not lead to their establishment, likely due to the low prevalence of prey. We explored the use of sesame (Sesamum indicum) to retain the mirids. Intercropping sesame maintained the populations of N. tenuis throughout the duration of the crop. Macrolophus praeclarus never established in any of the open-field experiments. Nesidiocoris tenuis damage was minimal (<1 necrotic ring/plant) and mirid damage was reduced in the presence of sesame. Our results show that intercropping sesame may provide a means to utilize mirids to manage B. tabaci, an established pest, and provide options to tomato growers should T. absoluta invade USA.
Trehalose-Induced Regulations in Nutrient Status and Secondary Metabolites of Drought-Stressed Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Plants
Authors: Kosar Firdos , Alshallash Khalid S. , Akram Nudrat Aisha , Sadiq Muhammad , Ashraf Muhammad , Alkhalifah Dalal Hussien M. , Abdel Latef Arafat Abdel Hamed , Elkelish Amr
Published: October 2022

Trehalose regulates key physio-biochemical parameters, antioxidants, and the yield of plants exposed to a dry environment. A study was conducted to assess the regulatory roles of exogenously applied trehalose in drought-stressed sunflower plants. Two cultivars of sunflowers (Hysun 33 and FH 598) were subjected to drought stress (60% field capacity) and varying (0, 10, 20, and 30 mM) concentrations of trehalose. The data indicated that water stress significantly reduced the shoot length, root length, total soluble proteins, shoot Ca2+, root P, relative water content (RWC), and achene yield per plant. The foliar spray of trehalose was effective at improving plant growth, RWC, total soluble proteins, total soluble sugars, the activities of enzymatic antioxidants, Ca2+ (shoot and root), root K+, and the yield attributes. Exogenously supplemented trehalose considerably suppressed relative membrane permeability (RMP), but did not alter ascorbic acid, malondialdehyde, the total phenolics, shoot K+, or P (shoot and root) in both sunflower cultivars. The cv. Hysun 33 had better ascorbic acid, total soluble sugars, non-reducing sugars, shoot P, and root P than the other cultivar, whereas cv. FH 598 was relatively better at regulating RMP, malondialdehyde, peroxidase, and root Ca2+ concentration. Overall, exogenously supplemented trehalose, particularly at 10 mM, was effective at improving the physiochemical parameters and yield of sunflower plants under stress conditions. Therefore, a better performance of sunflower cv. Hysun 33 under drought stress can be suggested as a trehalose-induced enhancement of yield and oxidative defense potential.
The Amount of the Rare Sugar Tagatose on Tomato Leaves Decreases after Spray Application under Greenhouse Conditions
Authors: Chahed Abdessalem , Nesler Andrea , Esmaeel Qassim , Barka Essaid Ait , Perazzolli Michele
Published: October 2022

Tagatose is a rare sugar that suppresses plant diseases, such as late blight of tomato, caused by Phytophthora infestans. Tagatose can be metabolized by some microorganisms and no information is available on its persistence on tomato leaves. The aim of this study was to assess the persistence of tagatose on tomato leaves under commercial greenhouse conditions. The amount of tagatose on tomato leaves and the inhibitory activity against P. infestans decreased seven days after spray application in the absence of rain wash-off. Potential tagatose-degrading bacteria were isolated from tomato leaves, and they belonged to Acinetobacter sp., Bacillus sp., Comamonas sp., Enterobacter sp., Methylobacterium sp., Microbacterium sp., Pantoea sp., Plantibacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., Ralstonia sp., Rhodococcus sp., Sphingobium sp., and Sphingomonas sp. Thus, indigenous phyllosphere microorganisms could partially metabolize tagatose laid on plant leaves after spray application, reducing the persistence of this fungal inhibitor on tomato leaves.
Cyclodextrins Increase Triterpene Production in Solanum lycopersicum Cell Cultures by Activating Biosynthetic Genes
Authors: Sabater-Jara Ana Belén , Marín-Marín María Jesús , Almagro Lorena , Pedreño María Angeles
Published: October 2022

In this work, Solanum lycopersicum cv. Micro-Tom suspension-cultured cells were used to analyze the effect of different elicitors including β-cyclodextrins (CD), methyl jasmonate (MJ), β-glucan (Glu) and 3-hexenol (Hex) separately and the combined treatments of CD + MJ, CD + glu and CD + Hex on triterpene compound production after 24, 72 and 96 h. Moreover, we studied the changes induced by elicitors in the expression of key biosynthetic genes to elucidate the regulation of the triterpene biosynthetic pathway. The relative abundance of the triterpene compounds identified in the extracellular medium after elicitation (squalene, fucosterol, avenasterol, β-sitosterol, cycloartenol and taraxasterol) was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and the expression level of genes in treated-cells was analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results showed that, in CD-treated cells (CD, CD + MJ, CD + Glu, CD + Hex), specialized metabolites were accumulated mainly in the extracellular medium after 72 h of elicitation. Moreover, qRT-PCR analysis revealed that the highest triterpene levels in CD-treated cells (CD, CD + MJ, CD + Glu, CD + Hex) were highly correlated with the expression of cycloartenol synthase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase and squalene epoxidase genes at 24 h of treatment, whereas the expression of sterol methyltransferase was increased at 72 h. According to our findings, CD acts as a true elicitor of triterpene biosynthesis and can promote the release of bioactive compounds from the tomato cells into the extracellular medium. The results obtained provide new insights into the regulation of the triterpene metabolic pathway, which might be useful for implementing metabolic engineering techniques in tomato.
The Use of PGPB to Promote Plant Hydroponic Growth
Authors: Stegelmeier Ashley A. , Rose Danielle M. , Joris Benjamin R. , Glick Bernard R.
Published: October 2022

Improvements to the world’s food supply chain are needed to ensure sufficient food is produced to meet increasing population demands. Growing food in soilless hydroponic systems constitutes a promising strategy, as this method utilizes significantly less water than conventional agriculture, can be situated in urban areas, and can be stacked vertically to increase yields per acre. However, further research is needed to optimize crop yields in these systems. One method to increase hydroponic plant yields involves adding plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) into these systems. PGPB are organisms that can significantly increase crop yields via a wide range of mechanisms, including stress reduction, increases in nutrient uptake, plant hormone modulation, and biocontrol. The aim of this review is to provide critical information for researchers on the current state of the use of PGPB in hydroponics so that meaningful advances can be made. An overview of the history and types of hydroponic systems is provided, followed by an overview of known PGPB mechanisms. Finally, examples of PGPB research that has been conducted in hydroponic systems are described. Amalgamating the current state of knowledge should ensure that future experiments can be designed to effectively transition results from the lab to the farm/producer, and the consumer.
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Normal Maize Germplasm Collected in South Sudan Revealed by SSR Markers
Authors: Mathiang Emmanuel Andrea , Sa Kyu Jin , Park Hyeon , Kim Yeon Joon , Lee Ju Kyong
Published: October 2022

Maize is one of the leading global cereals, and in South Sudan maize cultivation occurs in nearly all of the country’s agro-ecological zones. Despite its widespread cultivation, farmers in South Sudan depend on undeveloped varieties, which results in very low yields in the field. In the current study, 27 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to investigate genetic diversity and population structures among 37 landrace maize accessions collected from farmers’ fields in South Sudan. In total, 200 alleles were revealed with an average of 7.4 alleles per locus and a range from 3.0 to 13.0 alleles per locus. The observed heterozygosity values ranged from 0.06 to 0.91 with an average of 0.35. High polymorphic information content (PIC) values were identified with a mean of 0.69, which indicates the informativeness of the chosen SSR loci. Genetic structure analysis revealed a moderate genetic differentiation among the maize populations with a fixation index of 0.16, while there was very high genetic differentiation within the groups of populations of three regions with a mean fixation index (F) of 0.37. An unweighted pair group method with an arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram clustered the 37 maize accessions into three groups with 43% genetic similarity. The clustering pattern of the maize accessions was moderately consistent with their collection area. The findings of this study will provide maize breeders with a better understanding of maize diversification as well as a reserve of genetic resources for use in the selection of advantageous and useful resources for the development of maize varieties in South Sudan.
Effect of Salinity and Silicon Doses on Onion Post-Harvest Quality and Shelf Life
Authors: Venâncio Jefferson Bittencourt , Dias Nildo da Silva , Medeiros José Francismar de , Morais Patrícia Lígia Dantas de , Nascimento Clístenes Williams Araújo do , Sousa Neto Osvaldo Nogueira de , Andrade Luciara Maria de , Pereira Kleane Targino Oliveira , Peixoto Tayd Dayvison Custódio , Rocha Josinaldo Lopes Araújo , Ferreira Neto Miguel , Sá Francisco Vanies da Silva
Published: October 2022

Salt stress during pre-harvest limits the shelf life and post-harvest quality of produce; however, silicon nutrition can mitigate salt stress in plants. Thus, we evaluated the effects of salinity and fertilization with Si, in pre-harvest, on the morpho-physiological characteristics of onion bulbs during shelf life. The experiment was set up in randomized complete blocks, with treatments arranged in split-split plots. The plots had four levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (0.65, 1.7, 2.8, and 4.1 dS m−1). The subplots had five fertilization levels with Si (0, 41.6, 83.2, 124.8, and 166.4 kg ha−1). The sub-sub plots had four shelf times (0, 20, 40, and 60 days after harvest). Irrigation water salinity and shelf time reduced firmness and increased the mass loss of onion bulbs during shelf life. Salt stress reduced the contents of sugars and total soluble solids of onion bulbs during storage; however, Si supply improved the contents of these variables. Salinity, Si supply, and shelf time increased the concentrations of pyruvic and ascorbic acids in onion bulbs during shelf life. Si doses between 121.8 and 127.0 kg ha−1 attenuated the impacts caused by moderate salinity, increasing the synthesis of metabolites and prolonging the onion bulbs’ shelf life.
Characterization, Properties and Mixing Mechanism of Rubber Asphalt Colloid for Sustainable Infrastructure
Authors: Zhang Lu , Zhang Chuanping , Zhang Zhen , Wang Hanbing , Wang Shifeng
Published: October 2022

Rubber asphalt has always been considered to have the most potential for the disposal of waste tires as sustainable infrastructure. However, the covalently cross-linked tire rubber presents an extreme challenge in reusing waste rubbers in roads. Rubberized asphalt with finely dispersed or colloidal structure has been regarded as a potential binder used as road material because of the improved properties in terms of storage stability, easy processing and high content of incorporation. However, the mixing mechanism between the finely dispersed rubber on micro-nano scale with asphalt is still not clear, which restricts its further development as value-added material. Devulcanized rubber (DR) was introduced to improve the compatibility between asphalt and rubber. The basic chemicals of DR and asphalt were introduced based on their structures. Furthermore, the interactions between DR and asphalt were discussed according to the functional elements at different levels, and the concept of DR as “the fifth component” of asphalt was put forward. Finally, high performance, environmental and economic effects and applications of devulcanized-rubber-modified asphalt (DRMA) were discussed. The review is expected to provide a guide for the wide application of DRMA, which is still restricted by poor compatibility and bad stability during processing, storage and recycling.
Influence of Compounding Parameters on the Tensile Properties and Fibre Dispersion of Injection-Moulded Polylactic Acid and Thermomechanical Pulp Fibre Biocomposites
Authors: Zarna Chiara , Rodríguez-Fabià Sandra , Echtermeyer Andreas T. , Chinga-Carrasco Gary
Published: October 2022

Thermomechanical pulp (TMP) fibres can serve as renewable, cost-efficient and lightweight reinforcement for thermoplastic polymers such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA). The reinforcing ability of TMP fibres can be reduced due to various factors, e.g., insufficient dispersion of the fibres in the matrix material, fibre shortening under processing and poor surface interaction between fibres and matrix. A two-level factorial design was created and PLA together with TMP fibres and an industrial and recyclable side stream were processed in a twin-screw microcompounder accordingly. From the obtained biocomposites, dogbone specimens were injection-moulded. These specimens were tensile tested, and the compounding parameters statistically evaluated. Additionally, the analysis included the melt flow index (MFI), a dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and three-dimensional X-ray micro tomography (X-μCT). The assessment provided insight into the microstructure that could affect the mechanical performance of the biocomposites. The temperature turned out to be the major influence factor on tensile strength and elongation, while no significant difference was quantified for the tensile modulus. A temperature of 180 °C, screw speed of 50 rpm and compounding time of 1 min turned out to be the optimal settings.
Evolution of Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in an M-Shaped Jumper and the Resultant Flow-Induced Vibration Response
Authors: Zhu Hongjun , Hu Youning , Tang Tang , Ji Chunning , Zhou Tongming
Published: October 2022

The vibration excited by gas-liquid multiphase flow endangers the structural instability and fatigue life of subsea jumpers due to the cyclic behavior. In this paper, the multiphase flow-induced vibration (MFIV) of an M-shaped jumper is numerically investigated using a two-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI) approach. The effect of gas-liquid ratios (β) ranging from 1:1 to 1:5 is examined with a fixed flow velocity of 3 m/s, and the influence of mixture velocity (vm) in the range 2–6 m/s is evaluated with a gas-liquid ratio of 1:1. The numerical results reveal the detailed flow evolution of the gas-liquid mixture along the jumper. With inflow of slugs, the pattern successively experiences the slug flow, wavy flow, imperfect annular flow, stratified flow, churn flow, wavy flow and imperfect annular flow in the pipe segments when β = 1:1 and vm = 3 m/s. This development of mixture flow is significantly altered by changing either the gas-liquid ratio or the mixture velocity. In comparison with the flow evolution in a stationary jumper, the pattern in each pipe segment is not been substantially changed due to the limited response amplitude of order of 10−3D (D is the outer diameter of the jumper). Due to the complex flow evolution, the pressure acting on the six bends of the jumper fluctuate in multiple frequencies. Nevertheless, the dominant fluctuation frequency is approximately equal to the inflow slug frequency. Moreover, the inflow slug frequency also dominates the in-plane response of the jumper. Both the in-plane and out-of-plane responses of the jumper exhibit spatial-temporal variation characteristics. The most vigorous oscillation occurs at the midspan of the jumper. As β is reduced, the out-of-plane response of the jumper midspan is suppressed while the in-plane response is enhanced. In contrast, both the in-plane and out-of-plane oscillations of the jumper midspan are amplified with the increase of vm.
Effect of Surface Modification by Oxygen-Enriched Chemicals on the Surface Properties of Pine Bark Biochars
Authors: Kasera Nitesh , Augoustides Victoria , Kolar Praveen , Hall Steven G. , Vicente Billie
Published: October 2022

Sustainable waste utilization techniques are needed to combat the environmental and economic challenges faced worldwide due to the rising population. Biochars, due to their unique surface properties, offer opportunities to modify their surface to prepare application-specific materials. The aim of this research is to study the effects of biochar surface modification by oxidizing chemicals on biochar properties. Pine bark biochar was modified with sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, and ammonium persulfate. The resulting biochars’ pH, pH at the point of zero charges, and concentration of acidic and basic sites were determined using laboratory experimentation. Instrumental techniques, such as infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, were also obtained for all biochar samples. X-ray photoelectron spectra showed that oxygen content increased to 44.5%, 42.2%, 33.8%, 30.5%, and 14.6% from 13.4% for sulfuric acid, ozone, nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and ammonium persulfate, respectively. The pH at the point of zero charges was negatively correlated with the difference in concentration of acidic and basic sites in biochar samples, as well as the summation of peak components representing C=O double bonds and carboxylic groups. The results suggest that designer biochars can be prepared by understanding the interaction of oxygenated chemicals with biochar surfaces.
The Scientific Productivity of Collective Subjects Based on the Time-Weighted PageRank Method with Citation Intensity
Authors: Kuchansky Alexander , Biloshchytskyi Andrii , Andrashko Yurii , Biloshchytska Svitlana , Faizullin Adil
Published: October 2022

This study aims to estimate the scientific productivity of collective subjects. The objective is to build a method for evaluating scientific productivity through calculation, including for new collective subjects with a small citation network—the paper proposes the Time-Weighted PageRank method with citation intensity (TWPR-CI). The Citation Network Dataset (ver. 13) has been analyzed to verify the method. The dataset includes more than 5 million scientific publications and 48 million citations. Four classes of collective subjects (more than 27,000 collective subjects in total) were established. For each class, scientific productivity estimates from 2000 to 2021 were calculated using the PageRank, Time-Weighted PageRank, and TWPR-CI methods. It is shown that the advantage of the TWPR-CI method is the higher sensitivity of the scientific productivity estimates for new collective subjects on average during the first ten years of observation. At the same time, the assessment of scientific productivity for other collective subjects according to this method is stable. However, the small citation network of the new collective subjects prevents the adequate assessment of scientific productivity during the first years of its operation. Therefore, the TWPR-CI method can be used to assess the scientific productivity of collective subjects, in particular the productivity of new ones.
Assessment of the Energetical and Biological Characteristics of Municipal Solid Waste from One of the Largest Landfills in Kazakhstan
Authors: Abilmagzhanov Arlan Z. , Ivanov Nikolay S. , Kholkin Oleg S. , Adelbaev Iskander E.
Published: October 2022

Solid waste management is one of the main problems in large cities. The determination of the quantitative and qualitative composition of municipal solid waste is necessary for proper planning in the processing of such waste. This article presents the results of studies of the morphological composition, physico-chemical parameters and energetical potential of municipal solid waste (MSW) from the landfill of the city of Shymkent. Waste samples were taken from 10 different points of the landfill. The volume–mass parameters of the samples and their average density were determined. The combined waste samples mainly consisted of food waste, paper and cardboard, polymers and plastic, glass, metal, textiles, wood, leather, bones and rubber. Most of the waste, more than 30%, contains plastic products. The moisture of the combustible fraction of the samples is low and varies from 0.3% to 2.3%. The average ash content of the combustible fraction of the samples was determined and its average value is 18.4%. The yield of the volatile substances was determined and the average value per dry state is 78.7%. To determine the energetical potential of municipal solid waste, the gross calorific value was determined and the net calorific value was calculated, the average value of which is 24.15 MJ/kg. This shows the possibility of using solid waste as an energy source.
Was a Confessional Agreement in Early Modern Europe Possible? On the Role of the Sandomir Consensus in the European Debates
Authors: Ptaszyński Maciej
Published: October 2022

The purpose of this article is to present the continuity of irenic thought in early modern times using the example of a confessional agreement concluded in 1570 in Poland, called the Sandomir Consensus (Consensus of Sandomierz). The initiators and authors of the document were Calvinists at the time, but the document’s theologians soon attributed it to the post-Hussite community of the Bohemian Brethren. Here, the point of departure is the 1605 publication of the history of the Bohemian Brethren in Heidelberg, with an appendix containing the Consensus. The article explains the meandering origins of this historical interpretation: its roots in confessional polemics, as well as its legacy, to prove that irenicism was not a marginal or apolitical movement but actively contributed to shaping modern attitudes toward religion.
Young People and the Process of Secularisation in Contemporary Greek Society
Authors: Sakellariou Alexandros
Published: October 2022

During the last twenty years, a significant shift has taken place in Greek society. On the one hand, the religious context has been altered due to the arrival of immigrants and refugees with different religious backgrounds. On the other hand, young people seem to distance themselves from religion and the Orthodox Church in various ways. With the above in mind, this article will try to answer a number of questions: Are young people in contemporary Greek society religious? What do they think about the role of the Orthodox Church? How do they value the Church’s public discourse on issues such as immigration, gender equality, and homosexuality? Where do they stand on state–Church relations? How close are they to the Orthodox Church? Based on theoretical discussions about secularisation, secularism, and the post-secular, this article builds upon quantitative and qualitative research on young people from 17 to 35 years of age. The main argument is that young people seem to gradually move away from religion and the Orthodox Church, while in some cases, religion becomes a private matter; this indicates that there seems to be a process of secularisation underway, although further research is needed.
How Buddhist Religious Care Is Incorporated for End-of-Life Stroke Patients Receiving Palliative Care at Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Revisiting Constructivist Grounded Theory
Authors: Mamom Jinpitcha , Daovisan Hanvedes
Published: October 2022

Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic has involved unprecedented health challenges, impacting not only the receipt of palliative care, but also that of religious care. The present article aimed to explore how Buddhist religious care is incorporated for end-of-life stroke patients receiving palliative care at home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. A constructivist grounded theory (CGT) was utilised with theoretical sampling of 30 respondents in the Angthong, Ayutthaya, and Pratumthani provinces, central Thailand, from June 2020 to March 2022. Online in-depth interviews were video-recorded and transcribed, using written memos and constant comparative methods. Data transcripts were analysed using open, axial, selective coding, categorising, and themes. Our CGT study identified five themes of Buddhist religious care incorporated for end-of-life stroke patients receiving palliative care at home, namely Buddhist therapies, religious beliefs, religious life satisfaction, religious mental care, and religious needs. The implications of Buddhist religious care being incorporated for end-of-life stroke patients receiving home palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed.
Trajectory Control of An Articulated Robot Based on Direct Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Tsai Chia-Hao , Lin Jun-Ji , Hsieh Teng-Feng , Yen Jia-Yush
Published: October 2022

Reinforcement Learning (RL) is gaining much research attention because it allows the system to learn from interacting with the environment. Yet, with all these successful applications, the application of RL in direct joint torque control without the help of an underlining dynamic model is not reported in the literature. This study presents a split network structure that enables successful training of RL to learn the direct torque control for trajectory following a six-axis articulated robot without prior knowledge of the dynamic robot model. The training took a very long time to converge. However, we were able to show the successful control of four different trajectories without needing an accurate dynamics model and complex inverse kinematics computation. To show the RL-based control’s effectiveness, we also compare the RL control with the Model Predictive Control (MPC), another popular trajectory control method. Our results show that while the MPC achieves smoother and more accurate control, it does not automatically treat the singularity. In addition, it requires complex inverse dynamics calculations. On the other hand, the RL controller instinctively avoided the violent action around the singularities.
Assessment of Fire Regimes and Post-Fire Evolution of Burned Areas with the Dynamic Time Warping Method on Time Series of Satellite Images—Setting the Methodological Framework in the Peloponnese, Greece
Authors: Koutsias Nikos , Karamitsou Anastasia , Nioti Foula , Coutelieris Frank
Published: October 2022

Forest fires are considered to be an important part of numerous terrestrial ecosystems and vegetation types, being also a significant factor of ecosystem disruption. In this sense, fires play an important role in the structure and function of the ecosystems. Biomes are characterized by a specific type of fire regime, which is a synergy of the climate conditions and the characteristics of the vegetation types dominating each biome. The assessment of burned areas and the identification of the fire regimes can be implemented with freely available low- to high-resolution satellite data as those of Landsat and Sentinel-2. Moreover, the biomes are characterized by the phenology, a useful component for vegetation monitoring, especially when time series of satellite images are used. Both the identification of fire regime by reconstructing the fire history and the monitoring of the post-fire evolution of burned areas were studied with remote sensing methods. Specifically, the present paper is a pilot study implemented in a Mediterranean biome, aimed at establishing the methodological framework to (i) define fire regimes, (ii) characterize the phenological pattern of the vegetation (pre-fire situation) of the fire-affected areas, and (iii) compare the phenology of the recovered fire-affected areas with the corresponding one of the pre-fire situation. At the global level, based on MODIS fire perimeters, we found that fires are occurring at 70% in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands, followed by fires at tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests by 7% and by fires at deserts and xeric shrublands by 6.5%.
Structure-Preserving Random Noise Attenuation Method for Seismic Data Based on a Flexible Attention CNN
Authors: Li Wenda , Wu Tianqi , Liu Hong
Published: October 2022

The noise attenuation of seismic data is an indispensable part of seismic data processing, directly impacting the following inversion and imaging. This paper focuses on two bottlenecks in the AI-based denoising method of seismic data: the destruction of structural information of seismic data and the inferior generalizability. We propose a flexible attention-CNN (FACNN) and realized the denoising work of seismic data. This paper’s main work and advantages were concentrated on the following three aspects: (i) We propose attention gates (AGs), which progressively suppressed features in irrelevant background parts and improved the denoising performance. (ii) We added a noise level map M as an additional channel, making a single CNN model expected to inherit the flexibility of handling noise models with different parameters, even spatially variant noises. (iii) We propose a mixed loss function based on MS_SSIM to improve the performance of FACNN further. Adding the noise level map can improve the network’s generalization ability, and adding the attention structure with the mixed loss function can better protect the structural information of the seismic data. The numerical tests showed that our method has better generalization and can better protect the details of seismic events.
Diurnal Variations in Different Precipitation Duration Events over the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration
Authors: Yao Rui , Zhang Shuliang , Sun Peng , Bian Yaojin , Yang Qiqi , Guan Zongkui , Zhang Yaru
Published: October 2022

Studying the characteristics of precipitation diurnal variation is beneficial for understanding precipitation formation and underlying mechanisms. In this study, using hourly rain gauge data from 108 stations in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA) from 1980–2021, the diurnal variations of the precipitation amount (PA), precipitation frequency (PF), precipitation duration (PD), and precipitation intensity (PI) were analyzed. The effects of elevation, distance of the station from the east coastline, and urbanization on the characteristics of different precipitation duration events were determined. The results indicated that (1) the spatial distributions of PA, PD, and PF were similar in short-duration (SD), long-duration (LD), and ultra-long-duration (ULD), with high values in the south and low values in the north. Most of PA, PD, and PF showed an increasing trend after breakpoint in LD and ULD, but precipitation characteristics in SD showed a decreasing trend before and after breakpoint; (2) the diurnal cycles of PA presented two comparable peaks in the late afternoon and early morning, which occurred SD and ULD precipitation events, respectively. A single peak in the late afternoon (15:00 local solar time [LST]) occurred during the diurnal cycle of PI. The start and peak times occurred mainly in the afternoon for SD and LD. In contrast, the peak time of ULD mainly occurred in the early morning, accounting for 63% of the stations. The start and peak times of LD and ULD occurred in the early morning mainly along the Yangtze River; (3) from the plains to the mountains, the diurnal peaks of PA and PI had gradual variations from noon to afternoon. In addition, dominant diurnal peak values of PA and PI, which are affected by the distance from the east coast, were observed in the early morning in ULD. The effect of urbanization on the difference between urban and rural areas changed from negative to positive after 2000. In addition, urbanization had a significant impact on SD. After 2000, the increase of PA in urban areas was mainly due to the obvious increase of PD and PF in SD, while the increasing trend of LD and ULD in urban areas was smaller than that in rural areas.