bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermal Analysis of Metal-Organic Precursors for Functional Cu:ΝiOx Hole Transporting Layer in Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells: Role of Solution Combustion Chemistry in Cu:ΝiOx Thin Films Processing
Authors: Ioakeimidis Apostolos , Papadas Ioannis T. , Koutsouroubi Eirini D. , Armatas Gerasimos S. , Choulis Stelios A.
Published: November 2021

Low temperature solution combustion synthesis emerges as a facile method for the synthesis of functional metal oxides thin films for electronic applications. We study the solution combustion synthesis process of Cu:NiOx using different molar ratios (w/o, 0.1 and 1.5) of fuel acetylacetone (Acac) to oxidizer (Cu, Ni Nitrates) as a function of thermal annealing temperatures 150, 200, and 300 °C. The solution combustion synthesis process, in both thin films and bulk Cu:NiOx, is investigated. Thermal analysis studies using TGA and DTA reveal that the Cu:NiOx thin films show a more gradual mass loss while the bulk Cu:NiOx exhibits a distinct combustion process. The thin films can crystallize to Cu:NiOx at an annealing temperature of 300 °C, irrespective of the Acac/Oxidizer ratio, whereas lower annealing temperatures (150 and 200 °C) produce amorphous materials. A detail characterization study of solution combustion synthesized Cu:NiOx, including XPS, UV-Vis, AFM, and Contact angle measurements, is presented. Finally, 50 nm Cu:NiOx thin films are introduced as HTLs within the inverted perovskite solar cell device architecture. The Cu:NiOx HTL annealed at 150 and 200 °C provided PVSCs with limited functionality, whereas efficient triple-cation Cs0.04(MA0.17FA0.83)0.96 Pb(I0.83Br0.17)3-based PVSCs achieved for Cu:NiOx HTLs for annealing temperature of 300 °C.
Vitamin D Status and Risk of Cystic Fibrosis-Related Diabetes: A Retrospective Single Center Cohort Study
Authors: Peng Yiqing , Wu Malinda , Alvarez Jessica A. , Tangpricha Vin
Published: November 2021

Objective: Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) affects up to half of the people with cystic fibrosis (CF) by adulthood. CFRD is primarily caused by pancreatic dysfunction that leads to insufficient insulin release and/or insulin resistance. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in people with CF is associated with fat-soluble vitamin malabsorption, including vitamins A, D, E, and K. This study examined the relationship between vitamin D status, assessed by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), and the development of CF-related diabetes (CFRD) in adults with CF. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of adults seen at a single CF center. The data were extracted from the electronic medical records and the Emory Clinical Data Warehouse, a data repository of health information from patients seen at Emory Healthcare. We collected age, race, the first recorded serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration, body mass index (BMI), and onset of diabetes diagnosis. Log-rank (Mantel–Cox) tests were used to compare the relative risk of CFRD onset in the subjects with stratified vitamin D status and weight status. A sub-group analysis using chi-square tests assessed the independence between vitamin D deficiency and CFRD risk factors, including gender and CF mutation types (homozygous or heterozygous for F508del, or others). Unpaired t-tests were also used to compare the BMI values and serum 25(OH)D between the CF adults based on the CFRD development. Results: This study included 253 subjects with a mean age of 27.1 years (±9.0), a mean follow-up time period of 1917.1 (±1394.5) days, and a mean serum 25(OH)D concentration of 31.8 ng/mL (±14.0). The majority (52.6%) of the subjects developed CFRD during the study period. Vitamin D deficiency (defined as 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL) was present in 25.3% of the subjects. Close to two thirds (64.1%) of the subjects with vitamin D deficiency developed CFRD during the study. Vitamin D deficiency increased the risk of developing CFRD (chi-square, p = 0.03) during the course of the study. The time to the onset of CFRD stratified by vitamin D status was also significant (25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL vs. 25(OH)D ≥ 20 ng/mL) (95% CI: 1.2, 2.7, p < 0.0078). Conclusion: Our findings support the hypothesis that adults with CF and vitamin D deficiency are at a higher risk of developing CFRD and are at risk for earlier CFRD onset. The maintenance of a serum 25(OH)D concentration above 20 ng/mL may decrease the risk of progression to CFRD.
Radiotheranostic Agents Targeting Neuroblastoma: State-of-the-Art and Emerging Perspectives
Authors: Filippi Luca , Frantellizzi Viviana , Sidrak Marko Magdi Abdou , Gorica Joana , Scippa Stefano , Chiaravalloti Agostino , Schillaci Orazio , Bagni Oreste , De Vincentis Giuseppe
Published: November 2021

Neuroblastoma (NB) represents the most common extracranial tumor of childhood. Prognosis is quite variable, ranging from spontaneous regression to aggressive behavior with wide metastatization, high mortality, and limited therapeutic options. Radiotheranostics combines a radiopharmaceutical pair in a unique approach, suitable both for diagnosis and therapy. For many years, metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), labeled with 123I for imaging or 131I for therapy, has represented the main theranostic agent in NB, since up to 90% of NB incorporates the aforementioned radiopharmaceutical. In recent years, novel theranostic agents hold promise in moving the field of NB radiotheranostics forward. In particular, SarTATE, consisting of octreotate targeting somatostatin receptors, has been applied with encouraging results, with 64Cu-SARTATE being used for disease detection and with 67Cu-SARTATE being used for therapy. Furthermore, recent evidence has highlighted the potential of targeted alpha therapy (TAT) for treating cancer by virtue of alpha particles’ high ionizing density and high probability of killing cells along their track. On this path, 211At-astatobenzylguanidine (MABG) has been developed as a potential agent for TAT and is actually under evaluation in preclinical NB models. In this review, we performed a web-based and desktop literature research concerning radiotheranostic approaches in NB, covering both the radiopharmaceuticals already implemented in clinical practice (i.e.,123/1311-MIBG) and those still in a preliminary or preclinical phase.
Zoonotic Genotypes of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Wild Living Invasive and Native Carnivores in Poland
Authors: Perec-Matysiak Agnieszka , Leśniańska Kinga , Buńkowska-Gawlik Katarzyna , Merta Dorota , Popiołek Marcin , Hildebrand Joanna
Published: November 2021

Wild carnivores, both introduced and native species, are able to adapt well to peri-urban environments, facilitating cross-species pathogen transmission with domestic animals, and potentially humans. The role of wild living reservoir hosts cannot be ignored because of their known carriage of E. bieneusi zoonotic genotypes. In the past decades, populations of wild living carnivores, i.e., native, such as red foxes, and invasive, such as raccoon dogs and raccoons, have increased and adapted to synanthropic environments across Europe, including Poland. The knowledge concerning E. bieneusi genotype identification and distribution in wild carnivores is limited worldwide. A total of 322 individual fecal samples from six carnivore species, i.e., raccoon, raccoon dog, red fox, European badger, pine and beech martens, were collected and then analysed for the presence of E. bieneusi using the nested PCR method. Overall prevalence of the pathogen was estimated to be as high as 27.3%. The infection rates for E. bieneusi varied between the carnivore species, from 13.7% in beech martens to 40.4% in raccoon dogs. Based on sequence analysis of the ITS region of the rRNA gene marker, we detected five known genotypes of E. bieneusi in examined animals. In the invasive species, E. bieneusi NCF2 and D genotypes have been identified, whereas in the native ones, E. bieneusi NCF2, D, C, EbCar2 and Type IV genotypes were identified. All E. bieneusi genotypes recorded in this survey clustered in Group 1, showing their zoonotic potential. Our results provide the first description of the occurrence and genotypes of the microsporidian E. bieneusi in wild living population of raccoon dogs in Europe. Our findings are important for the study of pathogen epidemiology and emphasize the fact that the invasive and the native wild living carnivores, both widely distributed, should be considered more seriously as significant sources of zoonotic pathogens hazardous to domestic and farmed animals and humans.
Molecular Detection and Characterization of Giardia duodenalis in Farmed Pigs in Three Provinces of Southern China
Authors: Zou Yang , Yuan Xiao-Dan , Zhang Sheng-Ying , Zhang Hong-Yan , Chen Xiao-Qing
Published: November 2021

Giardia duodenalis is a flagellated zoonotic parasite that can infect various animals and humans, causing economic losses in husbandry and detriments to public health. Although it has been reported in pigs worldwide, there are few reports on the prevalence and assemblages of G. duodenalis infection in pigs in China. In this study, the 396 pig fecal samples were randomly collected from seven farms in Zhejiang, Guangdong and Yunnan provinces in southern China, and were examined by means of the nested PCR amplification of β-giardin (bg), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), and triose phosphate isomerase (tpi) for the detection of G. duodenalis. Overall, 21 fecal samples were positive for G. duodenalis, with a prevalence of 5.3%. Three risk factors are associated with G. duodenalis infection, namely, region, age and gender. Moreover, 13, six and two samples were successfully amplified at the bg, gdh and tpi gene loci, respectively. Three assemblages of G. duodenalis were identified, including assemblage E (n = 17), assemblage A (n = 3) and assemblage B (n = 1). Assemblage E was the dominating genotype and was distributed in three provinces. These assemblages of G. duodenalis have also been found in human beings, non-human primates, sheep, goats and cattle, which further reveals that farmed pigs pose a potential threat to public health.
Eudragit-Coated Sporopollenin Exine Microcapsules (SEMC) of Phoenix dactylifera L. of 5-Fluorouracil for Colon-Specific Drug Delivery
Authors: Raish Mohammad , Kalam Mohd Abul , Ahmad Ajaz , Shahid Mudassar , Ansari Mushtaq Ahmad , Ahad Abdul , Ali Raisuddin , Bin Jardan Yousef A. , Alshamsan Aws , Alkholief Musaed , Alkharfy Khalid M. , Abdelrahman Ibrahim Abdelsalam , Al-Jenoobi Fahad I.
Published: November 2021

In this study, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-loaded pollens of Phoenix dactylifera and their coating with ERS was done and evaluated for the colon-targeted delivery of 5-FU to treat colon cancer. Sporopollenin exine microcapsules (SEMC) from the pollens of Phoenix dactylifera were extracted by the reflux method and 5-FU into SEMC was encapsulated by the vacuum-assisted loading method. 5-FU loaded SEMC was coated with Eudragit® RS-100 (ERS) by the organic solvent-evaporation technique under vacuum to avoid the discharge of 5-FU in the stomach and small intestine. Morphological and physicochemical characterization of drug-loaded SEMC (coated/uncoated) was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR, XRD, and DSC. The encapsulation and drug loading were determined by the direct method, and an in vitro release study was performed in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids (SGF/SIF). The colon-specific delivery of 5-FU from the SEMC was assessed in terms of pharmacokinetics and gastrointestinal tract distribution after oral administration in rats. The successful encapsulation and loading of 5-FU into SEMC by a vacuum-assisted loading technique and its coating with ERS by a solvent-evaporation technique were achieved. SEM images of uncoated SEMC have shown porous structures, and coating with ERS reserved their morphology with a smooth surface and discrete microstructures and the 5% w/v ERS acetone solution. ERS-coated SEMC sustained the release of 5-FU until 24 h in SIF, while it was up to 12 h only from uncoated SEMC. The maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of 5-FU from uncoated SEMC was 102.82 μg/mL after 1 h, indicating a rapid release of 5-FU in the upper gastrointestinal tract. This concentration decreased quickly with a half-life of 4 h, AUC0-t was 264.1 μg/mL.h, and MRT0-inf was 5.2 h. The Cmax of 5-FU from ERS-coated SEMC was 19.47 μg/mL at 16 h. The Cmax of 5-FU in small intestines was 406.2 μg/g at 1 h from uncoated SEMC and 1271.5 μg/g at 12 h from coated SEMC. Conclusively, a 249.9-fold higher relative bioavailability of 5-FU was achieved with the ERS-coated SEMC in colon tissues than that from uncoated SEMC.
Pharmaceutical Applications of Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Emulsions for Micro-/Nanoparticle Formation
Authors: Park Heejun , Kim Jeong-Soo , Kim Sebin , Ha Eun-Sol , Kim Min-Soo , Hwang Sung-Joo
Published: November 2021

Micro-/nanoparticle formulations containing drugs with or without various biocompatible excipients are widely used in the pharmaceutical field to improve the physicochemical and clinical properties of the final drug product. Among the various micro-/nanoparticle production technologies, emulsion-based particle formation is the most widely used because of its unique advantages such as uniform generation of spherical small particles and higher encapsulation efficiency (EE). For this emulsion-based micro-/nanoparticle technology, one of the most important factors is the extraction efficiency associated with the fast removal of the organic solvent. In consideration of this, a technology called supercritical fluid extraction of emulsions (SFEE) that uses the unique mass transfer mechanism and solvent power of a supercritical fluid (SCF) has been proposed to overcome the shortcomings of several conventional technologies such as solvent evaporation, extraction, and spray drying. This review article presents the main aspects of SFEE technology for the preparation of micro-/nanoparticles by focusing on its pharmaceutical applications, which have been organized and classified according to several types of drug delivery systems and active pharmaceutical ingredients. It was definitely confirmed that SFEE can be applied in a variety of drugs from water-soluble to poorly water-soluble. In addition, it has advantages such as low organic solvent residual, high EE, desirable release control, better particle size control, and agglomeration prevention through efficient and fast solvent removal compared to conventional micro-/nanoparticle technologies. Therefore, this review will be a good resource for determining the applicability of SFEE to obtain better pharmaceutical quality when researchers in related fields want to select a suitable manufacturing process for preparing desired micro-/nanoparticle drug delivery systems containing their active material.
Past and Present Trends in the Development of the Pattern-Formation Theory: Domain Walls and Quasicrystals
Authors: Malomed Boris A.
Published: November 2021

A condensed review is presented for two basic topics in the theory of pattern formation in nonlinear dissipative media: (i) domain walls (DWs, alias grain boundaries), which appear as transient layers between different states occupying semi-infinite regions, and (ii) two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) quasiperiodic (QP) patterns, which are built as a superposition of plane–wave modes with incommensurate spatial periodicities. These topics are selected for the present review, dedicated to the 70th birthday of Professor Michael I. Tribelsky, due to the impact made on them by papers of Prof. Tribelsky and his coauthors. Although some findings revealed in those works may now seem “old”, they keep their significance as fundamentally important results in the theory of nonlinear DW and QP patterns. Adding to the findings revealed in the original papers by M.I. Tribelsky et al., the present review also reports several new analytical results, obtained as exact solutions to systems of coupled real Ginzburg–Landau (GL) equations. These are a new solution for symmetric DWs in the bimodal system including linear mixing between its components; a solution for a strongly asymmetric DWs in the case when the diffusion (second-derivative) term is present only in one GL equation; a solution for a system of three real GL equations, for the symmetric DW with a trapped bright soliton in the third component; and an exact solution for DWs between counter-propagating waves governed by the GL equations with group-velocity terms. The significance of the “old” and new results, collected in this review, is enhanced by the fact that the systems of coupled equations for two- and multicomponent order parameters, addressed in this review, apply equally well to modeling thermal convection, multimode light propagation in nonlinear optics, and binary Bose–Einstein condensates.
Phytochemical Composition, Anti-Inflammatory and ER Stress-Reducing Potential of Sambucus ebulus L. Fruit Extract
Authors: Tasinov Oskan , Dincheva Ivayla , Badjakov Ilian , Kiselova-Kaneva Yoana , Galunska Bistra , Nogueiras Ruben , Ivanova Diana
Published: November 2021

Sambucus ebulus L. (SE) fruits are used for their immunostimulation, hematopoietic and antiviral potential. Recently, we focused on analyzing the mechanism underlying SE fruit aqueous extract’s (FAE) immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory activities, with attention to its endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-reducing potential. J774A.1 macrophages were treated with SE FAE alone or in conditions of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) stimulation. Using GC–MS and LC–MS/MS, its phytochemical composition was analyzed. To measure transcription and protein levels, we used qPCR and Western blot, respectively. The prevailing phytochemicals in SE FAE were hydroxycinnamic acids, proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins. The content of some amino acids, organic acids, alcohols, fatty acids and esters were newly reported. Extracts exerted an immunostimulation potential by stimulating IL-6, TNFα, Ccl2, COX2 and iNOS transcription, without inducing ER stress. SE FAE suppressed the LPS-induced transcription of inflammation related genes (IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, Ccl2, Icam-1, Fabp4, COX2, iNOS, Noxo1, IL-1ra, Sirt-1) and reduced the protein levels of iNOS, peIF2α, ATF6α and CHOP. The effects were comparable to that of salicylic acid. SE suppresses LPS-stimulated inflammatory markers on the transcription and translation levels. Targeting ER stress is possibly another mechanism underlying its anti-inflammatory potential. These findings reveal the potential of SE fruits as a beneficial therapeutic of inflammation and ER stress-related pathological conditions.
Radical Scavenging Actions and Immunomodulatory Activity of Aronia melanocarpa Propylene Glycol Extracts
Authors: Bushmeleva Kseniya , Vyshtakalyuk Alexandra , Terenzhev Dmitriy , Belov Timur , Parfenov Andrey , Sharonova Natalia , Nikitin Evgeniy , Zobov Vladimir
Published: November 2021

Researchers are attracted to the wide-ranging, useful components in Aronia melanocarpa berries. They are searching for the most effective ways to extract the active substances that can enhance the body’s protective properties. The current study presents detailed information about the extracts from A. melanocarpa fruits frozen and dried under mild conditions and their chemical composition. In Wistar rats with induced immunosuppression, the effect of chokeberry fruit extracts on the leukocyte formula, phagocytic activity, and cytokine system was studied. It was shown that the A. melanocarpa frozen fruit extract contains more anthocyanins, sugars, and ascorbic acid, and has a more pronounced antioxidant activity determined by the ability to bind APPH-radicals. Moreover, the extract showed membrane-protective and cytoprotective properties against RPMI-1788 cell line. The extract from dried raw material shows a higher antioxidant activity due to the ability to bind DPPH-radicals. It was revealed that extracts from A. melanocarpa fruits promote rapid immune system recovery in rats, normalize the leukocyte count, and improve monocyte and neutrophil phagocytic indicators. Research on the cytokine profile revealed that the anti-inflammatory properties in A. melanocarpa extracts were more pronounced in dried extracts. For several cytokines, a normalization of quantity was noted.
β-Cyclocitral, a Master Regulator of Multiple Stress-Responsive Genes in Solanum lycopersicum L. Plants
Authors: Deshpande Shreyas , Purkar Vishwabandhu , Mitra Sirsha
Published: November 2021

β-cyclocitral (βCC), a major apocarotenoid of β-carotene, enhances plants’ defense against environmental stresses. However, the knowledge of βCC’s involvement in the complex stress-signaling network is limited. Here we demonstrate how βCC reprograms the transcriptional responses that enable Solanum lycopersicum L. (tomato) plants to endure a plethora of environmental stresses. Comparative transcriptome analysis of control and βCC-treated tomato plants was done by generating RNA sequences in the BGISEQ-500 platform. The trimmed sequences were mapped on the tomato reference genome that identifies 211 protein-coding differentially expressed genes. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis and their enrichment uncovered that only upregulated genes are attributed to the stress response. Moreover, 80% of the upregulated genes are functionally related to abiotic and biotic stresses. Co-functional analysis of stress-responsive genes revealed a network of 18 genes that code for heat shock proteins, transcription factors (TFs), and calcium-binding proteins. The upregulation of jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent TFs (MYC2, MYB44, ERFs) but not the JA biosynthetic genes is surprising. However, the upregulation of DREB3, an abscisic acid (ABA)-independent TF, validates the unaltered expression of ABA biosynthetic genes. We conclude that βCC treatment upregulates multiple stress-responsive genes without eliciting JA and ABA biosynthesis.
Modified Composite Based on Magnetite and Polyvinyl Alcohol: Synthesis, Characterization, and Degradation Studies of the Methyl Orange Dye from Synthetic Wastewater
Authors: Modrogan Cristina , Cǎprǎrescu Simona , Dǎncilǎ Annette Madelene , Orbuleț Oanamari Daniela , Grumezescu Alexandru Mihai , Purcar Violeta , Radițoiu Valentin , Fierascu Radu Claudiu
Published: November 2021

The goal of the present paper was to synthesize, characterize, and evaluate the performance of the modified composite based on magnetite (Fe3O4) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The obtained composite was used to degrade Methyl Orange dye from synthetic wastewater by a laboratory photocatalytic reactor. Various parameters of the photodegradation process were tested: composite dosage, amount of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and pH. The composite was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The degradation experiments indicated that the complete dye decolorization depended on the amount of H2O2. In addition, the H2O2 could accelerate Methyl Orange degradation to more highly oxidized intermediates in the presence of UV light (99.35%). The results suggested that the obtained modified composite could be used to treat wastewater containing various types of dyes.
Electrospun Poly(methyl methacrylate)/TiO2 Composites for Photocatalytic Water Treatment
Authors: Stoilova Olya , Manolova Nevena , Rashkov Iliya
Published: November 2021

Electrospinning was successfully used for the one-step fabrication of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) fibers loaded with an inorganic photocatalyst—titanium oxide (TiO2). By tuning the PMMA/TiO2 ratio and the electrospinning conditions (applied voltage, needle tip-to-collector distance, and flow rates), PMMA/TiO2 composites with selected organic/inorganic ratios, tailored designs, and targeted properties were obtained. The morphology of the electrospun composites was affected by the amount of TiO2 incorporated into the PMMA fibers. In addition, the inorganic photocatalyst had an impact on the wettability, thermal stability, and optical properties of the electrospun composites. In particular, the surface wettability of the composites was strongly influenced by UV light irradiation and from hydrophobic became superhydrophilic. Moreover, PMMA/TiO2 composites had enhanced tensile strength in comparison with those of bare PMMA mats. The electrospun PMMA/TiO2 composites showed excellent photocatalytic efficiency against the model organic pollutant—methylene blue—which is very promising for the future development of membranes that are highly efficacious for photocatalytic water treatment.
Electrospun Ultrafine Cationic Cellulose Fibers Produced from Sugarcane Bagasse for Potential Textile Applications
Authors: Ochica Larrota Andrés Felipe , Vera-Graziano Ricardo , López-Córdoba Alex , Gómez-Pachón Edwin Yesid
Published: November 2021

Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is an abundant by-product of sugar refining that can be utilized as a raw material for cellulose isolation for several industrial applications. Electrospinning has garnered attention in recent years because it allows the preparation of cellulosic materials with unique properties. In this study, cellulose was isolated from sugarcane bagasse and acetylated to fabricate fine acetate cellulose fibers through electrospinning. Subsequently, the electrospun fibers were deacetylated and cationized in order to produce functionalized materials with potential textile applications. The functional fibers were colored with an anionic dye (vinyl sulfone) with and without the presence of salt and were evaluated according to dye fixation, color attributes, morphological characteristics, and thermal stability. Cationic cellulose fibers that were dyed without added salt were found to be brighter and demonstrated better color fixation than those with added salt. In addition, morphological analysis performed using scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that cationized fibers dyed without added salt were better preserved at this stage. The cationic fiber also evidenced a high-temperature resistance, exhibiting a degradation temperature above 236 °C. The results suggest that cellulose fibers dyed in this manner can potentially be considered for use in textile applications due to their suitable dye fixation and tunable porosity (i.e., breathability).
Effect of Zirconia Nanofibers Structure Evolution on the Hardness and Young’s Modulus of Their Mats
Authors: Rodaev Vyacheslav V. , Tyurin Alexander I. , Razlivalova Svetlana S. , Korenkov Viktor V. , Golovin Yuri I.
Published: November 2021

Zirconia nanofiber mats containing filaments with the average diameter of less than 100 nm were fabricated. It is found that the hardness and Young’s modulus of the mats are sensitive to the microstructure, phase composition and average diameter of the zirconia nanofibers. The hardness and Young’s modulus of the prepared zirconia nanofiber mats vary from 0.86 to 1.67 MPa and from 133 to 362 MPa, respectively, wherein an increase in hardness is accompanied by the rise in Young’s modulus.
Usefulness of a Nanostructured Fibrin-Agarose Bone Substitute in a Model of Severely Critical Mandible Bone Defect
Authors: Martin-Piedra Miguel-Angel , Gironés-Camarasa Belén , España-López Antonio , Fernández-Valadés Gámez Ricardo , Blanco-Elices Cristina , Garzón Ingrid , Alaminos Miguel , Fernández-Valadés Ricardo
Published: November 2021

Critical defects of the mandibular bone are very difficult to manage with currently available materials and technology. In the present work, we generated acellular and cellular substitutes for human bone by tissue engineering using nanostructured fibrin-agarose biomaterials, with and without adipose-tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells differentiated to the osteogenic lineage using inductive media. Then, these substitutes were evaluated in an immunodeficient animal model of severely critical mandibular bone damage in order to assess the potential of the bioartificial tissues to enable bone regeneration. The results showed that the use of a cellular bone substitute was associated with a morpho-functional improvement of maxillofacial structures as compared to negative controls. Analysis of the defect site showed that none of the study groups fully succeeded in generating dense bone tissue at the regeneration area. However, the use of a cellular substitute was able to improve the density of the regenerated tissue (as determined via CT radiodensity) and form isolated islands of bone and cartilage. Histologically, the regenerated bone islands were comparable to control bone for alizarin red and versican staining, and superior to control bone for toluidine blue and osteocalcin in animals grafted with the cellular substitute. Although these results are preliminary, cellular fibrin-agarose bone substitutes show preliminary signs of usefulness in this animal model of severely critical mandibular bone defect.
Facial Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Using Chia Seeds Extract and Evaluation of Its Electrochemical Activity
Authors: Al-Qasmi Noha
Published: November 2021

In the current study, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were synthesized using chia seed extract in a simple, rapid, and eco-friendly manner for the first time. The synthesized CuO NPs were characterized using different analytical techniques. The images of field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that the CuO NPs were triangular and pyramid in structure, with a mean particle size of 61.5 nm. The absorption peak of the synthesized CuO NPs was measured using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and was recorded at a wavelength of 291 nm. The results of energy-dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed that the CuO NPs synthesized using chia seed extract yielded high-purity CuO NPs. Moreover, the X-ray diffraction analysis indicated the highly crystalline nature of the CuO NPs, and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that the CuO NPs were prepared successfully. Additionally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements revealed excellent electrocatalytic conductivity and fast electron transfer at the electrode/electrolyte interface of the synthesized CuO NP-modified glassy carbon electrode.
Closed-Cell Powder Metallurgical Aluminium Foams Reinforced with 3 vol.% SiC and 3 vol.% Graphite
Authors: Kováčik Jaroslav , Nosko Martin , Mináriková Natália , Simančík František , Jerz Jaroslav
Published: November 2021

Closed-cell aluminium foams (nominal composition: AlSi12Mg0.6Fe0.3) were prepared by the powder metallurgical route (using 0.4 wt.% TiH2 untreated powder as the foaming agent). Pure foams and foams with the addition of 3 vol.% graphite or SiC powder were prepared. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the prepared aluminium foams containing reinforcing particles were investigated at constant density and compared to those of the pure foam. Vibration measurements were performed to determine the damping properties and modulus of elasticity of the foams. Uniaxial compression tests were performed to determine the following mechanical properties: collapse stress, efficiency of energy absorption, plateau length and densification strain of the foams. All the foams behaved in a brittle manner during compression. Finally, the effect of admixed graphite and SiC powders on the properties of the investigated foam was evaluated, discussed and modelled. The addition of powders changed all investigated properties of the foams. Only the efficiency of energy absorption at constant density was almost identical.
Bioreactor Rhamnolipid Production Using Palm Oil Agricultural Refinery By-Products
Authors: Radzuan Mohd Nazren , Winterburn James , Banat Ibrahim
Published: November 2021

Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) are used by P. aeruginosa PAO1 to produce rhamnolipid biosurfactant. The process of fermentation producing of biosurfactant was structured in a 2 L bioreactor using 2% of PFAD and FAME as carbon sources in minimal medium and with a nitrogen concentration of 1 g L−1. Mass spectrometry results show the crude biosurfactant produced was predominantly monorhamnolipid (Rha-C10-C10) and dirhamnolipid (Rha-Rha-C10-C10) at 503 and 649 m/z value for both substrates. Maximum production of crude rhamnolipid for PFAD was 1.06 g L−1 whereas for FAME it was 2.1 g L−1, with a reduction in surface tension of Tris-HCl pH 8.0 solution to 28 mN m−1 and a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 26 mg L−1 measured for both products. Furthermore, the 24 h emulsification indexes in kerosene, hexadecane, sunflower oil, and rapeseed oil using 1 g L−1 of crude rhamnolipid were in the range 20–50%. Consequently, PFAD and FAME, by-products from the agricultural refining of palm oil, may result in a product that has a higher added-value, rhamnolipid biosurfactant, in the process of integrated biorefinery.
Character Strengths Beatitudes: A Secular Application of Ancient Wisdom to Appreciate Strengths for Spiritual Happiness and Spiritual Growth
Authors: Niemiec Ryan M.
Published: November 2021

A beatitude is a blessing. It is a form of appreciation that can be directed toward others or oneself. Theologically speaking, some frame the original beatitudes from The Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew as pertaining to “spiritual happiness”, and recent scholars have offered a compelling argument that they are a call to flourishing. The focus here involves the creation and description of 24 blessings, or beatitudes, using the lens of one of the foundational and most researched areas in the sciences of flourishing, well-being, and positive psychology, which is the science of character strengths. Recent research has framed the 24 universal character strengths as spiritual strengths, hence particularly aligned for secular and nonsecular contexts of spiritual blessings. Each of the 24 character strengths was created into a blessing using the structure of the original beatitudes—with an opening description of the personal quality or attribute that is blessed and a follow-up outcome or core benefit that arises from the expression of that quality. In this way, these character strength beatitudes or character strength blessings offer an opportunity to appreciate the best positive qualities of others. These blessings are framed as primarily a mechanism of appreciating the character strengths of others, resting theoretically in both the grounding path and the sanctification path, the two types of integration of character strengths and spirituality that researchers have proposed. They are discussed, secondarily, as applied to the individual, for self-understanding, insight, and growth. These two purposes are relevant to the deepening of the spiritual journey, providing support as individuals pursue meaning in life and/or the sacred as they go deeper within themselves, up and beyond themselves, and sideways and interconnected to others. Practical applications, based in science, are discussed and point to avenues by which these character strengths beatitudes might both foster the appreciating of others’ strengths and support one’s own spiritual happiness, spiritual coping, and spiritual growth.
Remote Sensing Image Scene Classification Based on Global Self-Attention Module
Authors: Li Qingwen , Yan Dongmei , Wu Wanrong
Published: November 2021

The complexity of scene images makes the research on remote-sensing image scene classification challenging. With the wide application of deep learning in recent years, many remote-sensing scene classification methods using a convolutional neural network (CNN) have emerged. Current CNN usually output global information by integrating the depth features extricated from the convolutional layer through the fully connected layer; however, the global information extracted is not comprehensive. This paper proposes an improved remote-sensing image scene classification method based on a global self-attention module to address this problem. The global information is derived from the depth characteristics extracted by the CNN. In order to better express the semantic information of the remote-sensing image, the multi-head self-attention module is introduced for global information augmentation. Meanwhile, the local perception unit is utilized to improve the self-attention module’s representation capabilities for local objects. The proposed method’s effectiveness is validated through comparative experiments with various training ratios and different scales on public datasets (UC Merced, AID, and NWPU-NESISC45). The precision of our proposed model is significantly improved compared to other methods for remote-sensing image scene classification.
A Google Earth Engine Application to Retrieve Long-Term Surface Temperature for Small Lakes. Case: San Pedro Lagoons, Chile
Authors: Pedreros-Guarda María , Abarca-del-Río Rodrigo , Escalona Karen , García Ignacio , Parra Óscar
Published: November 2021

Lake surface water temperature (LSWT) is a crucial water quality parameter that modulates many lake and reservoir processes. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor it from a long-term perspective. Over the last decades, many methods to retrieve LSWT fields from satellite imagery have been developed. This work aims to test, implement and automate six methods. These are performed in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, using 30 m spatial resolution images from Landsat 7 and 8 satellites for 2000–2020. Automated methods deliver long-term time series. Series are then calibrated with in situ data. Two-dimensional (2D) × time data fields are built on the lakes with the calibration, and a subsequent LSWT climatology is derived. Our study area is two urban lagoons with areas smaller than two (2) km2 of the city of San Pedro de la Paz, South-Central Chile. The six methods describe the seasonal variation of LSWT (Willmott’s index of agreement > 0.91, R2 > 0.67). The main difference between series is their bias. Thus, after a simple calibration, all series adequately describe the LSWT. We utilized the Pedro de la Paz lagoons to demonstrate the method’s utility. Our research demonstrates that these adjacent lagoons exhibit comparable LSWT spatial (15.5–17 ∘C) and temporal (7–25 ∘C) trends throughout the year. Differences in geographical pattern might result from the northern island’s heat impact and the existence of the Biobío river to the east. Our work represents an efficient alternative for obtaining LSWT in particular lakes and reservoirs, especially useful in medium and small-sized ones.
Harbor Aquaculture Area Extraction Aided with an Integration-Enhanced Gradient Descent Algorithm
Authors: Zhong Yafeng , Liao Siyuan , Yu Guo , Fu Dongyang , Huang Haoen
Published: November 2021

In this study, the harbor aquaculture area tested is Zhanjiang coast, and for the remote sensing data, we use images from the GaoFen-1 satellite. In order to achieve a superior extraction performance, we propose the use of an integration-enhanced gradient descent (IEGD) algorithm. The key idea of this algorithm is to add an integration gradient term on the basis of the gradient descent (GD) algorithm to obtain high-precision extraction of the harbor aquaculture area. To evaluate the extraction performance of the proposed IEGD algorithm, comparative experiments were performed using three supervised classification methods: the neural network method, the support vector machine method, and the maximum likelihood method. From the results extracted, we found that the overall accuracy and F-score of the proposed IEGD algorithm for the overall performance were 0.9538 and 0.9541, meaning that the IEGD algorithm outperformed the three comparison algorithms. Both the visualized and quantitative results demonstrate the high precision of the proposed IEGD algorithm aided with the CEM scheme for the harbor aquaculture area extraction. These results confirm the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed IEGD algorithm in harbor aquaculture area extraction from GF-1 satellite data. Added to that, the proposed IEGD algorithm can improve the extraction accuracy of large-scale images and be employed for the extraction of various aquaculture areas. Given that the IEGD algorithm is a type of supervised classification algorithm, it relies heavily on the spectral feature information of the aquaculture object. For this reason, if the spectral feature information of the region of interest is not selected properly, the extraction performance of the overall aquaculture area will be extremely reduced.
Characterizing Buoy Wind Speed Error in High Winds and Varying Sea State with ASCAT and ERA5
Authors: Wright Ethan E. , Bourassa Mark A. , Stoffelen Ad , Bidlot Jean-Raymond
Published: November 2021

Buoys provide key observations of wind speed over the ocean and are routinely used as a source of validation data for satellite wind products. However, the movement of buoys in high seas and the airflow over waves might cause inaccurate readings, raising concern when buoys are used as a source of wind speed comparison data. The relative accuracy of buoy winds is quantified through a triple collocation (TC) exercise comparing buoy winds to winds from ASCAT and ERA5. Differences between calibrated buoy winds and ASCAT are analyzed through separating the residuals by anemometer height and testing under high wind-wave and swell conditions. First, we converted buoy winds measured near 3, 4, and 5 m to stress-equivalent winds at 10 m (U10S). Buoy U10S from anemometers near 3 m compared notably lower than buoy U10S from anemometers near 4 and 5 m, illustrating the importance of buoy choice in comparisons with remote sensing data. Using TC calibration of buoy U10S to ASCAT in pure wind-wave conditions, we found that there was a small, but statistically significant difference between height adjusted buoy winds from buoys with 4 and 5 m anemometers compared to the same ASCAT wind speed ranges in high seas. However, this result does not follow conventional arguments for wave sheltering of buoy winds, whereby the lower anemometer height winds are distorted more than the higher anemometer height winds in high winds and high seas. We concluded that wave sheltering is not significantly affecting the winds from buoys between 4 and 5 m with high confidence for winds under 18 ms−1. Further differences between buoy U10S and ASCAT winds are observed in high swell conditions, motivating the need to consider the possible effects of sea state on ASCAT winds.
Remote Sensing Detecting of Yellow Leaf Disease of Arecanut Based on UAV Multisource Sensors
Authors: Lei Shuhan , Luo Jianbiao , Tao Xiaojun , Qiu Zixuan
Published: November 2021

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing technology can be used for fast and efficient monitoring of plant diseases and pests, but these techniques are qualitative expressions of plant diseases. However, the yellow leaf disease of arecanut in Hainan Province is similar to a plague, with an incidence rate of up to 90% in severely affected areas, and a qualitative expression is not conducive to the assessment of its severity and yield. Additionally, there exists a clear correlation between the damage caused by plant diseases and pests and the change in the living vegetation volume (LVV). However, the correlation between the severity of the yellow leaf disease of arecanut and LVV must be demonstrated through research. Therefore, this study aims to apply the multispectral data obtained by the UAV along with the high-resolution UAV remote sensing images to obtain five vegetation indexes such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), optimized soil adjusted vegetation index (OSAVI), leaf chlorophyll index (LCI), green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI), and normalized difference red edge (NDRE) index, and establish five algorithm models such as the back-propagation neural network (BPNN), decision tree, naïve Bayes, support vector machine (SVM), and k-nearest-neighbor classification to determine the severity of the yellow leaf disease of arecanut, which is expressed by the proportion of the yellowing area of a single areca crown (in percentage). The traditional qualitative expression of this disease is transformed into the quantitative expression of the yellow leaf disease of arecanut per plant. The results demonstrate that the classification accuracy of the test set of the BPNN algorithm and SVM algorithm is the highest, at 86.57% and 86.30%, respectively. Additionally, the UAV structure from motion technology is used to measure the LVV of a single areca tree and establish a model of the correlation between the LVV and the severity of the yellow leaf disease of arecanut. The results show that the relative root mean square error is between 34.763% and 39.324%. This study presents the novel quantitative expression of the severity of the yellow leaf disease of arecanut, along with the correlation between the LVV of areca and the severity of the yellow leaf disease of arecanut. Significant development is expected in the degree of integration of multispectral software and hardware, observation accuracy, and ease of use of UAVs owing to the rapid progress of spectral sensing technology and the image processing and analysis algorithms.
Applying State-of-the-Art Deep-Learning Methods to Classify Urban Cities of the Developing World
Authors: Rahman A. K. M. Mahbubur , Zaber Moinul , Cheng Qianwei , Nayem Abu Bakar Siddik , Sarker Anis , Paul Ovi , Shibasaki Ryosuke
Published: November 2021

This paper shows the efficacy of a novel urban categorization framework based on deep learning, and a novel categorization method customized for cities in the global south. The proposed categorization method assesses urban space broadly on two dimensions—the states of urbanization and the architectural form of the units observed. This paper shows how the sixteen sub-categories can be used by state-of-the-art deep learning modules (fully convolutional network FCN-8, U-Net, and DeepLabv3+) to categorize formal and informal urban areas in seven urban cities in the developing world—Dhaka, Nairobi, Jakarta, Guangzhou, Mumbai, Cairo, and Lima. Firstly, an expert visually annotated and categorized 50 × 50 km Google Earth images of the cities. Each urban space was divided into four socioeconomic categories: (1) highly informal area; (2) moderately informal area; (3) moderately formal area, and (4) highly formal area. Then, three models mentioned above were used to categorize urban spaces. Image encompassing 70% of the urban space was used to train the models, and the remaining 30% was used for testing and validation of each city. The DeepLabv3+ model can segment the test part with an average accuracy of 90.0% for Dhaka, 91.5% for Nairobi, 94.75% for Jakarta, 82.0% for Guangzhou city, 94.25% for Mumbai, 91.75% for Cairo, and 96.75% for Lima. These results are the best for the DeepLabv3+ model among all. Thus, DeepLabv3+ shows an overall high accuracy level for most of the measuring parameters for all cities, making it highly scalable, readily usable to understand the cities’ current conditions, forecast land use growth, and other computational modeling tasks. Therefore, the proposed categorization method is also suited for real-time socioeconomic comparative analysis among cities, making it an essential tool for the policymakers to plan future sustainable urban spaces.