bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Key Role of Tin (Sn) in Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ti2SnC (M2AX) Thin Nanocrystalline Films and Powdered Polycrystalline Samples
Authors: Bakardjieva Snejana , Plocek Jiří , Ismagulov Bauyrzhan , Kupčík Jaroslav , Vacík Jiří , Ceccio Giovanni , Lavrentiev Vasily , Němeček Jiří , Michna Štefan , Klie Robert
Published: January 2022

Layered ternary Ti2SnC carbides have attracted significant attention because of their advantage as a M2AX phase to bridge the gap between properties of metals and ceramics. In this study, Ti2SnC materials were synthesized by two different methods—an unconventional low-energy ion facility (LEIF) based on Ar+ ion beam sputtering of the Ti, Sn, and C targets and sintering of a compressed mixture consisting of Ti, Sn, and C elemental powders up to 1250 °C. The Ti2SnC nanocrystalline thin films obtained by LEIF were irradiated by Ar+ ions with an energy of 30 keV to the fluence of 1.1015 cm−2 in order to examine their irradiation-induced resistivity. Quantitative structural analysis obtained by Cs-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) confirmed transition from ternary Ti2SnC to binary Ti0.98C carbide due to irradiation-induced β-Sn surface segregation. The nanoindentation of Ti2SnC thin nanocrystalline films and Ti2SnC polycrystalline powders shows that irradiation did not affect significantly their mechanical properties when concerning their hardness (H) and Young’s modulus (E). We highlighted the importance of the HAADF-STEM techniques to track atomic pathways clarifying the behavior of Sn atoms at the proximity of irradiation-induced nanoscale defects in Ti2SnC thin films.
Crystallographic Anisotropy Dependence of Interfacial Sliding Phenomenon in a Cu(16)/Nb(16) ARB (Accumulated Rolling Bonding) Nanolaminate
Authors: Sahay Rahul , Budiman Arief S. , Aziz Izzat , Navarro Etienne , Escoubas Stéphanie , Cornelius Thomas W. , Gunawan Fergyanto E. , Harito Christian , Lee Pooi See , Thomas Olivier , Raghavan Nagarajan
Published: January 2022

Nanolaminates are extensively studied due to their unique properties, such as impact resistance, high fracture toughness, high strength, and resistance to radiation damage. Varieties of nanolaminates are being fabricated to achieve high strength and fracture toughness. In this study, one such nanolaminate fabricated through accumulative roll bonding (Cu(16)/Nb(16) ARB nanolaminate, where 16 nm is the layer thickness) was used as a test material. Cu(16)/Nb(16) ARB nanolaminate exhibits crystallographic anisotropy due to the existence of distinct interfaces along the rolling direction (RD) and the transverse direction (TD). Nanoindentation was executed using a Berkovich tip, with the main axis oriented either along TD or RD of the Cu(16)/Nb(16) ARB nanolaminate. Subsequently, height profiles were obtained along the main axis of the Berkovich indent for both TD and RD using scanning probe microscopy (SPM), which was later used to estimate the pile-up along the RD and TD. The RD exhibited more pile-up than the TD due to the anisotropy of the Cu(16)/Nb(16) ARB interface and the material plasticity along the TD and RD. An axisymmetric 2D finite element analysis (FEA) was also performed to compare/validate nanoindentation data, such as load vs. displacement curves and pile-up. The FEA simulated load vs. displacement curves matched relatively well with the experimentally generated load–displacement curves, while qualitative agreement was found between the simulated pile-up data and the experimentally obtained pile-up data. The authors believe that pile-up characterization during indentation is of great importance to documenting anisotropy in nanolaminates.
Effects of an Optimized Aged Garlic Extract on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Moderate Hypercholesterolemic Subjects: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Sustainedand Controlled Study
Authors: Valls Rosa M. , Companys Judit , Calderón-Pérez Lorena , Salamanca Patricia , Pla-Pagà Laura , Sandoval-Ramírez Berner Andrée , Bueno Antonio , Puzo Jose , Crescenti Anna , Bas Josep M. del , Caimari Antoni , Salamanca Aurora , Espinel Alberto E. , Pedret Anna , Arola Lluís , Solà Rosa
Published: January 2022

The consumption of aged black garlic (ABG) has been related to improvements in several cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. However, the extent of the beneficial effects depends on the garlic aging process and the amount and type of chemical compounds accumulated. The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of daily intake of a well-characterized ABG extract with a standardized S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC) yield in combination with dietary recommendations regarding CVD risk factors in individuals with moderate hypercholesterolemia. Sixty-seven hypercholesterolemic individuals with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels ≥115 mg/dL were randomized in a crossover, double-blind, sustained, and controlled intervention study. The participants consumed 250 mg (1.25 mg SAC)/tablet/day ABG or a placebo for 6 weeks, with 3 weeks of washout. Blood and pulse pressure and other CVD risk biomarkers were determined at the beginning and end of each intervention. At 6 weeks, ABG extract reduced diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (mean (95% CI) −5.85 (−10.5; −1.3) mm Hg) compared to the placebo, particularly in men with a DBP > 75 mm Hg. The consumption of an improved ABG extract with 1.25 mg of SAC decreased DBP, particularly in men with moderate hypercholesterolemia. The potential beneficial effects of ABG may contribute to obtaining an optimal DBP.
Dietary Copper Intake and Risk of Stroke in Adults: A Case-Control Study Based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2018
Authors: Yang Lixiang , Chen Xun , Cheng Huilin , Zhang Lihua
Published: January 2022

The association between dietary copper intake and the risk of stroke is unknown. We included a total of 10,550 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2018. Two 24-h dietary recalls and a standard questionnaire were used to determine copper intake and stroke, respectively. We used logistic regression models to estimate the associations between dietary copper intake and the risk of stroke. The nearest-neighbor propensity score matching (PSM) with a ratio of 1:2 was used to reduce selection bias. The non-linear relationship was explored with restricted cubic splines (RCS). The correlation between copper intake and baseline characteristics was detected by the Pearson correlation coefficient. The median dietary copper intake was 1.072 mg/day (IQR = 1.42–0.799). Approximately 3.8% (399) of the participants had a history of stroke. A multivariate logistic regression analysis before and after matching showed that subjects in the higher quartile had significantly lower odds of stroke compared with subjects in the first quartile of copper intake. A stratified analysis showed that copper intake was a significant protective factor for women, individuals <65 years old, individuals with hypertension, individuals who smoke, and diabetic stroke patients. The RCS models showed an L-shaped nonlinear relationship (p for nonlinear < 0.001) between copper intake and stroke. Our results suggested that increased dietary copper intake was associated with a lower risk of stroke.
Influence of Consumption of Two Peruvian Cocoa Populations on Mucosal and Systemic Immune Response in an Allergic Asthma Rat Model
Authors: Périz Marta , Rodríguez-Lagunas Maria J. , Pérez-Cano Francisco J. , Best Ivan , Pastor-Soplin Santiago , Castell Margarida , Massot-Cladera Malén
Published: January 2022

Different cocoa populations have demonstrated a protective role in a rat model of allergic asthma by attenuating the immunoglobulin (Ig) E synthesis and partially protecting against anaphylactic response. The aim of this study was to ascertain the effect of diets containing two native Peruvian cocoa populations (“Amazonas Peru” or APC, and “Criollo de Montaña” or CMC) and an ordinary cocoa (OC) on the bronchial compartment and the systemic and mucosal immune system in the same rat model of allergic asthma. Among other variables, cells and IgA content in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum anti-allergen antibody response were analyzed. The three cocoa populations prevented the increase of the serum specific IgG1 (T helper 2 isotype). The three cocoa diets decreased asthma-induced granulocyte increase in the BALF, which was mainly due to the reduction in the proportion of eosinophils. Moreover, both the OC and CMC diets were able to prevent the leukocyte infiltration caused by asthma induction in both the trachea and nasal cavity and decreased the IgA in both fecal and BALF samples. Overall, these results highlight the potential of different cocoa populations in the prevention of allergic asthma.
Dairy Product Consumption in Relation to Incident Prediabetes and Longitudinal Insulin Resistance in the Rotterdam Study
Authors: Slurink Isabel A. L. , Voortman Trudy , Ochoa-Rosales Carolina , Ahmadizar Fariba , Kavousi Maryam , Kupper Nina , Smeets Tom , Soedamah-Muthu Sabita S.
Published: January 2022

Evidence suggests neutral or moderately beneficial effects of dairy intake on type 2 diabetes mellitus risk. Nevertheless, evidence on associations with early phases of type 2 diabetes remains inconsistent. We aimed to examine associations between dairy-type intake with prediabetes risk and longitudinal insulin resistance. The analytic sample consisted of 6770 participants (aged 62 ± 4 years, 59% female) free of (pre-)diabetes at baseline from the prospective population-based Rotterdam Study. Dairy intake was measured at baseline using food frequency questionnaires. Data on prediabetes (fasting blood glucose 6.1–6.9 mmol/L or non-fasting 7.7–11.1 mmol/L) and the longitudinal homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were available from 1993–2015. Associations with these outcomes were analyzed with dairy intake in quartiles (Q4 vs. Q1) and continuous using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models and linear mixed models. During a mean follow-up of 11.3 ± 4.8 years, 1139 incident prediabetes cases were documented (18.8%). In models adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle and dietary factors, a higher intake of high-fat yogurt was associated with lower prediabetes risk (HRQ4vsQ1 0.70, 95% CI 0.54–0.91 and HRserving/day 0.67, 0.51–0.89). In addition, a higher intake of high-fat milk was associated with lower prediabetes risk (HRQ4vsQ1 0.81, 0.67–0.97, HRserving/day 0.88, 0.79–0.99). Associations were found for low-fat dairy, low-fat milk and total cheese with a higher prediabetes risk (HRserving/day ranging from 1.05–1.07, not significant in quartiles). Associations with longitudinal HOMA-IR were similar to prediabetes for high-fat yogurt, low-fat dairy and low-fat milk. Fermented dairy, low-fat yogurt, high-fat cheese, cream and ice cream were not associated with the outcomes. In conclusion, a higher intake of high-fat yogurt was associated with a lower prediabetes risk and lower longitudinal insulin resistance. Additionally, high-fat milk was associated with a lower prediabetes risk. Some low-fat dairy types were inconsistently associated with these outcomes. Studies are needed to confirm associations and to examine the influence of confounding by population characteristics.
Tannat Grape Skin: A Feasible Ingredient for the Formulation of Snacks with Potential for Reducing the Risk of Diabetes
Authors: Fernández-Fernández Adriana Maite , Dellacassa Eduardo , Nardin Tiziana , Larcher Roberto , Ibañez Cecilia , Terán Dahiana , Gámbaro Adriana , Medrano-Fernandez Alejandra , del Castillo María Dolores
Published: January 2022

In the present work the feasibility of Tannat grape skin (TGS) as a functional ingredient in the formulation of two snacks (yogurt and biscuits) was studied. The research provided novel information on the effects of the food matrix and digestion process, under simulated human oral gastrointestinal conditions, in the bioaccessibility of TGS bioactive compounds composing of the snacks with health promoting properties (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic). TGS polyphenolic profile was analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) finding mainly flavonoids, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins, which may exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and carbohydrase inhibition capacities. TGS digest showed antioxidant and antidiabetic potential compared to the undigested sample (p < 0.05). Yogurt and biscuits with TGS were developed with the nutrition claims “no-added sugars” and “source of fiber” and were digested in vitro to evaluate the bioaccessibility of compounds with health promoting properties after food processing and digestion. After in vitro simulation of digestion, bioactive properties were enhanced for control and TGS snacks which may be attributed to the formation/release of compounds with health-promoting properties. Biscuits showed significant increase in ABTS antioxidant capacity and yogurt showed increased α-glucosidase inhibition capacity by the addition of TGS (p < 0.05). Polyphenols from TGS and bioactive peptides from snacks which may be released during digestion might be responsible for the observed bioactivities. Consumer’s acceptance of TGS yogurt and biscuits showed scores of 6.3 and 5.1 (scale 1–9), respectively, showing TGS yogurt had higher overall acceptance. Sensory profile assessed by check-all-that-apply + just-about-right (CATA+JAR) showed most of the attributes were evaluated as “just about right”, supporting good food quality. The developed yogurt presented adequate shelf-life parameters for 28 days. TGS yogurt with higher acceptability showed reduced ROS formation (p < 0.05) induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (1 mM) in CCD-18Co colon cells and RAW264.7 macrophages when pre-treated with concentrations 500–1000 and 100–500 µg/mL of the digests, respectively. Moreover, TGS yogurt digest pre-treatment reduced nitric oxide (NO) production (p < 0.05) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages, showing anti-inflammatory potential. Bioactive peptides generated during lactic fermentation and digestion process may be contributors to intracellular effects. In conclusion, yogurt and biscuits with Tannat grape skin addition were obtained with nutrition claims “no-added sugars” and “source of fiber” with the potential to modulate key biochemical events associated with diabetes pathogenesis.
Evaluation of an Ionic Calcium Fiber Supplement and Its Impact on Bone Health Preservation in a Dietary Calcium Deficiency Mice Model
Authors: Herrera-Rodríguez Sara Elisa , García-Márquez Eristeo , Padilla-Camberos Eduardo , Espinosa-Andrews Hugo
Published: January 2022

Ionic calcium can help in the prevention of the process of osseous decalcification. This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical properties and toxic effects of ionic calcium-fiber supplement (ICa+) and its impact on bone health preservation in mice C57/BL6 fed a calcium-deficient diet. Physicochemical properties include FTIR, apparent calcium solubility estimated by the calcium ratio obtained by ionization chromatography and atomic absorption. In vitro genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of the ICa+ were assessed. Twenty-five 7-week-old C57/BL6 mice were fed calcium-free diet (CFD) or CFD plus CaCO3 (1.33 mg Ca) or CFD plus ICa+ (1.33–6.66 mg Ca) for six weeks. After that, bone mass and microstructure parameters were assessed. Histological staining was performed to determine calcium deposits. ICa+ (100%) exhibited an apparent calcium solubility higher than CaCO3 (12.3%). ICa+ showed no cytotoxic and genotoxic in vitro activities. Histomorphometry analysis showed that the ICa+ treated group displayed a higher trabecular number than the trabecular space. Also, the ratio BV/TV was increased compared with all treatments. Ionic calcium-fiber supplementation prevents bone deterioration compared to mice fed a calcium-deficient diet.
Microwave-Assisted Synchronous Nanogold Synthesis Reinforced by Kenaf Seed and Decoding Their Biocompatibility and Anticancer Activity
Authors: Adnan Md. , Oh Ki-Kwang , Husen Azamal , Wang Myeong-Hyeon , Alle Madhusudhan , Cho Dong-Ha
Published: January 2022

The combination of green-nanotechnology and biology may contribute to anticancer therapy. In this regard, using gold nanoparticles (GNPs) as therapeutic molecules can be a promising strategy. Herein, we proposed a novel biocompatible nanogold constructed by simply microwave-heating (MWI) Au3+ ions and kenaf seed (KS) extract within a minute. The phytoconstituents of KS extract have been utilized for safe synthesis of gold nanoparticles (KS@GNPs). The biogenic KS@GNPs were characterized by UV-vis Spectra, TEM, HR-TEM, XRD, FTIR, DLS, EDX, and SEAD techniques. The legitimacy and toxicity concern of KS@GNPs were tested against RAW 264.7 and NIH3T3 cell lines. The anticancer efficacy was verified using LN-229 cells. The pathways of KS@GNPs synthesis were optimized by varying the KS concentration (λmax 528 nm), gold salt amount (λmax 524 nm), and MWI times (λmax 522 nm). TEM displayed spherical shape and narrow size distribution (5–19.5 nm) of KS@GNPs, whereas DLS recorded Z-average size of 121.7 d·nm with a zeta potential of −33.7 mV. XRD and SAED ring patterns confirmed the high crystallinity and crystalline face centered cubic structure of gold. FTIR explored OH functional group involved in Au3+ ions reduction followed by GNPs stabilization. KS@GNPs exposure to RAW 264.7 and NIH3T3 cell lines did not induce toxicity while dose-dependent overt cell toxicity and reduced cell viability (26.6%) was observed in LN-229 cells. Moreover, the IC50 (18.79 µg/mL) treatment to cancer cell triggered cellular damages, excessive ROS generation, and apoptosis. Overall, this research exploits a sustainable method of KS@GNPs synthesis and their anticancer therapy.
Advances in Electrospun Nerve Guidance Conduits for Engineering Neural Regeneration
Authors: Behtaj Sanaz , Ekberg Jenny A. K. , St John James A.
Published: January 2022

Injuries to the peripheral nervous system result in devastating consequences with loss of motor and sensory function and lifelong impairments. Current treatments have largely relied on surgical procedures, including nerve autografts to repair damaged nerves. Despite improvements to the surgical procedures over the years, the clinical success of nerve autografts is limited by fundamental issues, such as low functionality and mismatching between the damaged and donor nerves. While peripheral nerves can regenerate to some extent, the resultant outcomes are often disappointing, particularly for serious injuries, and the ongoing loss of function due to poor nerve regeneration is a serious public health problem worldwide. Thus, a successful therapeutic modality to bring functional recovery is urgently needed. With advances in three-dimensional cell culturing, nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) have emerged as a promising strategy for improving functional outcomes. Therefore, they offer a potential therapeutic alternative to nerve autografts. NGCs are tubular biostructures to bridge nerve injury sites via orienting axonal growth in an organized fashion as well as supplying a supportively appropriate microenvironment. Comprehensive NGC creation requires fundamental considerations of various aspects, including structure design, extracellular matrix components and cell composition. With these considerations, the production of an NGC that mimics the endogenous extracellular matrix structure can enhance neuron–NGC interactions and thereby promote regeneration and restoration of function in the target area. The use of electrospun fibrous substrates has a high potential to replicate the native extracellular matrix structure. With recent advances in electrospinning, it is now possible to generate numerous different biomimetic features within the NGCs. This review explores the use of electrospinning for the regeneration of the nervous system and discusses the main requirements, challenges and advances in developing and applying the electrospun NGC in the clinical practice of nerve injuries.
Phosphorus Fertilizers Enhance the Phytoextraction of Cadmium through Solanum nigrum L.
Authors: Maqbool Arosha , Rizwan Muhammad , Yasmeen Tahira , Arif Muhammad Saleem , Hussain Afzal , Mansha Asim , Ali Shafaqat , Alshaya Huda , Okla Mohammad K.
Published: January 2022

Cadmium (Cd) toxicity strongly influences plants growth and seed germination in crop plants. This pot trial had aimed evaluate the benefits of two different kinds of phosphorus (P)-fertilizer in the phytoremediation of Cd by Solanum nigrum L. The current pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the role of P-fertilizers in phytoremediation of Cd by Solanum nigrum L. Single superphosphate (SSP) contain 7 to 9% P and Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) contain 46% P had been applied in single and combine form in soil with different ratios (0:0, 100:0, 0:100, 50:50%) accompanied by diverse Cd levels (0, 25, 50 mg kg−1). Three weeks seeding were transferred into pots, and plants had been harvested afterward seventy days of growth in the pots. Significantly inhibited plant growth was observed in shoots and roots of Cd contaminated plants. Cadmium stress had stimulated oxidative stress in subjected plants. However, supplementation of P-fertilizers in an optimum manner significantly increased plant biomass along with enhancing antioxidants enzymatic activities and inhibiting oxidative stress. Maximum plant-growth had been noted in SSP + DAP supplemented plants in contrast to single SSP, DAP supplemented plants. Higher Cd concentrations observed in SSP + DAP supplemented plants over single treatment. It has been concluded that combination of SSP + DAP might be a better option to improve growth as well as uptake capacity of Solanum nigrum L. under Cd stress. However, a field study is recommended for detailed future investigations.
Analysis of Global Gene Expression in Maize (Zea mays) Vegetative and Reproductive Tissues That Differ in Accumulation of Starch and Sucrose
Authors: López-González Cristal , Juárez-Colunga Sheila , Trachsel Samuel , Marsch-Martínez Nayelli , Gillmor C. , Tiessen Axel
Published: January 2022

Carbon allocation between vegetative and reproductive tissues impacts cereal grain production. Despite great agricultural importance, sink–source relationships have not been fully characterized at the early reproductive stages in maize. Here, we quantify the accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates and patterns of gene expression in the top internode of the stem and the female inflorescence of maize at the onset of grain filling (reproductive stage R1). Top internode stem and female inflorescence tissues of the Puma maize inbred line were collected at reproductive stage R1 (without pollination) and non-structural carbohydrates were quantified by spectrophotometry. The female inflorescence accumulated starch at higher levels than the top internode of the stem. Global mRNA transcript levels were then evaluated in both tissues by RNA sequencing. Gene expression analysis identified 491 genes differentially expressed between the female inflorescence and the top stem internode. Gene ontology classification of differentially expressed genes showed enrichment for sucrose synthesis, the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, and transmembrane transporters. Our results suggest that sugar transporters play a key role in sugar partitioning in the maize stem and reveal previously uncharacterized differences between the female inflorescence and the top internode of the stem at early reproductive stages.
Addition of Medicinal Plants Increases Antioxidant Activity, Color, and Anthocyanin Stability of Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) Functional Beverages
Authors: Teneva Desislava , Pencheva Daniela , Petrova Ani , Ognyanov Manol , Georgiev Yordan , Denev Petko
Published: January 2022

The present study investigates the effect of the addition of medicinal plants, such as lady’s mantle, lavender, rosehip, and meadowsweet, on the chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and color intensity of ready-to-drink aronia nectar during pasteurization and long-term storage. Pasteurization caused a significant decrease in anthocyanin content of aronia nectar, which reduced to 20% of the initial value after four months of storage. Herbs provided different protection to aronia anthocyanins that degraded more slowly during the four-month storage compared to pasteurized control without herbs. The addition of medicinal plants enriched aronia nectar with phenolic compounds and increased its antioxidant activity by up to 52% in meadowsweet-aronia nectar. Moreover, it was accompanied by a color intensity magnification due to co-pigmentation of aronia anthocyanins and herbal phenolics. In contrast to anthocyanins, which constantly degraded during the whole period, color intensity began to stabilize after 30 days, demonstrating that co-pigmentation was progressively established during the time and rosehip provided the best stabilization of aronia nectar color. Current research demonstrates for the first time that medicinal plants such as lady’s mantle, rosehip, and especially meadowsweet can be used to increase antioxidant activity, color, and anthocyanin stability of black chokeberry functional beverages.
Biotechnological Advances in Pharmacognosy and In Vitro Manipulation of Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb.
Authors: Ahmad Anees , Ahmad Naseem , Anis Mohammad , Faisal Mohammad , Alatar Abdulrahman A. , Abdel-Salam Eslam M. , Meena Ram Pratap , Sivanesan Iyyakkannu
Published: January 2022

Trees are vital resources for economic, environmental, and industrial growth, supporting human life directly or indirectly through a wide variety of therapeutic compounds, commodities, and ecological services. Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. (Fabaceae) is one of the most valuable multipurpose forest trees in India and Sri Lanka, as it is cultivated for quality wood as well as pharmaceutically bioactive compounds, especially from the stem bark and heartwood. However, propagation of the tree in natural conditions is difficult due to the low percentage of seed germination coupled with overexploitation of this species for its excellent multipurpose properties. This overexploitation has ultimately led to the inclusion of P. marsupium on the list of endangered plant species. However, recent developments in plant biotechnology may offer a solution to the overuse of such valuable species if such advances are accompanied by technology transfer in the developing world. Specifically, techniques in micropropagation, genetic manipulation, DNA barcoding, drug extraction, delivery, and targeting as well as standardization, are of substantial concern. To date, there are no comprehensive and detailed reviews of P. marsupium in terms of biotechnological research developments, specifically pharmacognosy, pharmacology, tissue culture, authentication of genuine species, and basic gene transfer studies. Thus, the present review attempts to present a comprehensive overview of the biotechnological studies centered on this species and some of the recent novel approaches for its genetic improvement.
A Review on the Modeling of the Elastic Modulus and Yield Stress of Polymers and Polymer Nanocomposites: Effect of Temperature, Loading Rate and Porosity
Authors: Alasfar Reema H. , Ahzi Said , Barth Nicolas , Kochkodan Viktor , Khraisheh Marwan , Koç Muammer
Published: January 2022

Porous polymer-based nanocomposites have been used for various applications due to their advantages, including multi-functionalities, easy and known manufacturability, and low cost. Understanding of their mechanical properties has become essential to expand the nanocomposites’ applications and efficiency, including service-life, resistance to different loads, and reliability. In this review paper, the focus is on the modeling of the mechanical properties of porous polymer-based nanocomposites, including the effects of loading rates, operational temperatures, and the material’s porosity. First, modeling of the elastic modulus and yield stress for glassy polymers and polymer reinforced by nanofillers are addressed. Then, modeling of porosity effects on these properties for polymers are reviewed, especially via the use of the well-known power-law approach linking porosity to elastic modulus and/or stress. Studies related to extending the mechanical modeling to account for porosity effects on the elastic modulus and yield stress of polymers and polymer-nanocomposites are discussed. Finally, a brief review of the implementation of this modeling into 3D computational methods to predict the large elastic-viscoplastic deformation response of glassy polymers is presented. In addition to the modeling part, the experimental techniques to measure the elastic modulus and the yield stress are discussed, and applications of polymers and polymer composites as membranes for water treatment and scaffolds for bone tissue engineering are addressed. Some modeling results and validation from different studies are presented as well.
New Methodology for Evaluating Surface Quality of Experimental Aerodynamic Models Manufactured by Polymer Jetting Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Udroiu Razvan
Published: January 2022

The additive manufacturing (AM) applications have attracted a great deal of interest with regard to experimental aerodynamic studies. There is a need for a universal roughness scale that characterizes different materials used in aerodynamic research. The main purpose of this paper is identification of the potential of a material jetting AM process to produce accurate aerodynamic surfaces. A new methodology to evaluate the roughness of aerodynamic profiles (airfoils) was proposed. A very short-span wing artifact for preliminary tests and a long-span wing model were proposed for design of experiments. Different artifacts orientations were analyzed, maintaining the same surface quality on the upper and lower surface of the wing. A translucent polymeric resin was used for samples manufacturing by polymer jetting (PolyJet) technology. The effects of main factors on the surface roughness of the wing were investigated using the statistical design of experiments. Three interest locations, meaning the leading-edge, central, and trailing-edge zones, on the upper and lower surfaces of the airfoil were considered. The best results were obtained for a sample oriented at XY on the build platform, in matte finish type, with a mean Ra roughness in the range of 2 to 3.5 μm. Microscopy studies were performed to analyze and characterize the surfaces of the wing samples on their different zones.
Defining Religion: Durkheim and Weber Compared
Authors: Launay Robert
Published: January 2022

Emile Durkheim began The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life with an injunction: “In order to identify the simplest and most primitive religion that observation can make known to us, we must first define what is properly understood as a religion”. Almost simultaneously, Max Weber would begin the long section on the sociology of religion in his unfinished work Economy and Society by insisting, “To define ‘religion’, to say what it is, is not possible at the start of a presentation such as this. Definition can be attempted, if at all, only at the conclusion of the study” (1978, p. 399). Durkheim’s insistence and Weber’s reticence are equally surprising. By and large, Durkheim’s writings are relatively sparing of definitions. He did not generally bother to define words that were already in common currency. “Religion” is unquestionably the most notable counterexample. On the other hand, Weber was far more scrupulous—one might even say obsessive—about defining terms that were not specifically his own, including “capitalism”, “class”, and “bureaucracy” to select only a few examples. Durkheim’s long disquisition on the definition of “religion” was as radically atypical of his modus operandi as was Weber’s avoidance. The question of religion’s definition provides a fruitful window into their opposing analyses of non-European societies as a means of characterizing European modernity, ways that derive in important respects from early modern depictions of “savages” and “Orientals”.
SII-Net: Spatial Information Integration Network for Small Target Detection in SAR Images
Authors: Su Nan , He Jiayue , Yan Yiming , Zhao Chunhui , Xing Xiangwei
Published: January 2022

Ship detection based on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images has made a breakthrough in recent years. However, small ships, which may be regarded as speckle noise, pose enormous challenges to the accurate detection of SAR images. In order to enhance the detection performance of small ships in SAR images, a novel detection method named a spatial information integration network (SII-Net) is proposed in this paper. First, a channel-location attention mechanism (CLAM) module which extracts position information along with two spatial directions is proposed to enhance the detection ability of the backbone network. Second, a high-level features enhancement module (HLEM) is customized to reduce the loss of small target location information in high-level features via using multiple pooling layers. Third, in the feature fusion stage, a refined branch is presented to distinguish the location information between the target and the surrounding region by highlighting the feature representation of the target. The public datasets LS-SSDD-v1.0, SSDD and SAR-Ship-Dataset are used to conduct ship detection tests. Extensive experiments show that the SII-Net outperforms state-of-the-art small target detectors and achieves the highest detection accuracy, especially when the target size is less than 30 pixels by 30 pixels.
Traffic Anomaly Prediction System Using Predictive Network
Authors: Riaz Waqar , Gao Chenqiang , Azeem Abdullah , Saifullah  , Bux Jamshaid , Ullah Asif
Published: January 2022

Anomaly anticipation in traffic scenarios is one of the primary challenges in action recognition. It is believed that greater accuracy can be obtained by the use of semantic details and motion information along with the input frames. Most state-of-the art models extract semantic details and pre-defined optical flow from RGB frames and combine them using deep neural networks. Many previous models failed to extract motion information from pre-processed optical flow. Our study shows that optical flow provides better detection of objects in video streaming, which is an essential feature in further accident prediction. Additional to this issue, we propose a model that utilizes the recurrent neural network which instantaneously propagates predictive coding errors across layers and time steps. By assessing over time the representations from the pre-trained action recognition model from a given video, the use of pre-processed optical flows as input is redundant. Based on the final predictive score, we show the effectiveness of our proposed model on three different types of anomaly classes as Speeding Vehicle, Vehicle Accident, and Close Merging Vehicle from the state-of-the-art KITTI, D2City and HTA datasets.
Depth to Diameter Analysis on Small Simple Craters at the Lunar South Pole—Possible Implications for Ice Harboring
Authors: Marco Figuera Ramiro , Riedel Christian , Rossi Angelo Pio , Unnithan Vikram
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we present a study comparing the depth to diameter (d/D) ratio of small simple craters (200–1000 m) of an area between −88.5° to −90° latitude at the lunar south pole containing Permanent Shadowed Regions (PSRs) versus craters without PSRs. As PSRs can reach temperatures of 110 K and are capable of harboring volatiles, especially water ice, we analyzed the relationship of depth versus diameter ratios and its possible implications for harboring water ice. Variations in the d/D ratios can also be caused by other processes such as degradation, isostatic adjustment, or differences in surface properties. The conducted d/D ratio analysis suggests that a differentiation between craters containing PSRs versus craters without PSRs occurs. Thus, a possible direct relation between d/D ratio, PSRs, and water ice harboring might exist. Our results suggest that differences in the target’s surface properties may explain the obtained results. The resulting d/D ratios of craters with PSRs can help to select target areas for future In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) missions.
Using Structure-from-Motion Photogrammetry to Improve Roughness Estimates for Headwater Dryland Streams in the Pilbara, Western Australia
Authors: Flatley Alissa , Rutherfurd Ian , Sims Alexander
Published: January 2022

There are numerous situations where engineers and managers need to estimate flow resistance (roughness) in natural channels. Most estimates of roughness in small streams come from humid areas. Ephemeral streams in arid and semi-arid areas have different morphology and vegetation that leads to different roughness characteristics, but roughness in this class of stream has seldom been studied. A lack of high-resolution spatial data hinders our understanding of channel form and vegetation composition. High resolution structure-from-motion (SfM)-derived point clouds allow us to estimate channel boundary roughness and quantify the influence of vegetation during bankfull flows. These point clouds show individual plants at centimetre accuracy. Firstly, a semi-supervised machine learning procedure called CANUPO was used to identify and map key geomorphic features within a series of natural channels in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Secondly, we described the variation within these reaches and the contribution of geomorphic forms and vegetation to the overall in-channel roughness. Channel types are divided into five reach types based on presence and absence of geomorphic forms: bedrock; alluvial single channel (≥cobble or sand dominated); alluvial multithread; composed of either nascent barforms or more established; stable alluvial islands. Using this reach classification as a guide, we present estimates of Manning’s roughness within these channels drawing on an examination of 650 cross sections. The contribution of in-channel vegetation toward increasing channel roughness was investigated at bankfull flow conditions for a subset of reaches. Roughness within these channels is highly variable and established in-channel vegetation can provide between a 35–55% increase in total channel roughness across all channel types. This contribution is likely higher in shallow flows and identifies the importance of integrating vegetation and geomorphic features into restorative practices for these headwater channels. These results also guide Manning’s selection for these semi-arid river systems and contribute to the vegetation-roughness literature within a relatively understudied region.
A Comparative Analysis of Human Behavior Prediction Approaches in Intelligent Environments
Authors: Almeida Aitor , Bermejo Unai , Bilbao Aritz , Azkune Gorka , Aguilera Unai , Emaldi Mikel , Dornaika Fadi , Arganda-Carreras Ignacio
Published: January 2022

Behavior modeling has multiple applications in the intelligent environment domain. It has been used in different tasks, such as the stratification of different pathologies, prediction of the user actions and activities, or modeling the energy usage. Specifically, behavior prediction can be used to forecast the future evolution of the users and to identify those behaviors that deviate from the expected conduct. In this paper, we propose the use of embeddings to represent the user actions, and study and compare several behavior prediction approaches. We test multiple model (LSTM, CNNs, GCNs, and transformers) architectures to ascertain the best approach to using embeddings for behavior modeling and also evaluate multiple embedding retrofitting approaches. To do so, we use the Kasteren dataset for intelligent environments, which is one of the most widely used datasets in the areas of activity recognition and behavior modeling.
Enabling WLAN and WPAN Coexistence via Cross-Technology Communication
Authors: Kim Seungku
Published: January 2022

In the limited frequency spectrum shared by various wireless communication technologies, cross-technology interference is an important factor which determines communication performance. A variety of coexistence methods to reduce the impact of this interference have been studied, but most of them cannot explicitly coordinate the shared spectrum and are not practical. This paper presents an explicit coexistence mechanism using cross-technology communication among heterogeneous wireless technologies. This mimics “carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance” (CSMA/CA) via bidirectional cross-technology communication, which is called CTC-CSMA/CA. It allows communication between heterogeneous wireless technologies in order to achieve CSMA/CA. This accurately assigns required channel resources by directly sending and receiving feedback. CTC-CSMA/CA is a highly compatible technology because it does not require any modification to the IEEE 802.11 standard or any extra hardware. In addition, Zigbee can operate with a low duty cycle by synchronizing it to a periodic Wi-Fi beacon. We implemented CTC-CSMA/CA using a commodity Wi-Fi access point and a commercial Zigbee platform. Our experiments showed that the channels are coordinated more accurately by our method, which significantly improves Zigbee throughput, than by conventional schemes. We expect the proposed scheme to be an important application case in designing future cross-technology communication.
A Hierarchical Spatial-Temporal Embedding Method Based on Enhanced Trajectory Features for Ship Type Classification
Authors: Sun Tao , Xu Yongjun , Zhang Zhao , Wu Lin , Wang Fei
Published: January 2022

Ship type classification is an essential task in maritime navigation domains, contributing to shipping monitoring, analysis, and forecasting. Presently, with the development of ship positioning and monitoring systems, many ship trajectory acquisitions make it possible to classify ships according to their movement pattern. Existing methods of ship classification based on trajectory include classical sequence analysis and deep learning methods. However, the real ship trajectories are unevenly distributed in geographical space, which leads to many problems in inferring the ship movement mode on the original ship trajectory. This paper proposes a hierarchical spatial-temporal embedding method based on enhanced trajectory features for ship type classification. We first preprocess the trajectory and combine the port information to transform the original ship trajectory into the moored records of ships, removing the unevenly distributed points in the trajectory data and enhancing key points’ semantic information. Then, we propose a Hierarchical Spatial-Temporal Embedding Method (Hi-STEM) for ship classification. Hi-STEM maps moored records in the original geographical space into the feature space and can efficiently find the classification plane in the feature space. Experiments are conducted on real-world datasets and compared with several existing methods. The result shows that our approach has high accuracy in ship classification on ship moored records. We make the source code and datasets publicly available.
Assessing Versatility of a Generic End-to-End Platform for IoT Ecosystem Applications
Authors: Berta Riccardo , Bellotti Francesco , De Gloria Alessandro , Lazzaroni Luca
Published: January 2022

Availability of efficient development tools for data-rich IoT applications is becoming ever more important. Such tools should support cross-platform deployment and seamless and effective applicability in a variety of domains. In this view, we assessed the versatility of an edge-to-cloud system featuring Measurify, a framework for managing smart things. The framework exposes to developers a set of measurement-oriented resources that can be used in different contexts. The tool has been assessed in the development of end-to-end IoT applications in six Electronic and Information Technologies Engineering BSc theses that have highlighted the potential of such a system, both from a didactic and a professional point of view. The main design abstractions of the system (i.e., generic sensor configuration, simple language with chainable operations for processing data on the edge, seamless WiFi/GSM communication) allowed developers to be productive and focus on the application requirements and the high-level design choices needed to define the edge system (microcontroller and its sensors), avoiding the large set-up times necessary to start a solution from scratch. The experience also highlighted some usability issues that will be addressed in an upcoming release of the system.
Colorimetric and Electrochemical Screening for Early Detection of Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Retinopathy—Application of Sensor Arrays and Machine Learning
Authors: Faura Georgina , Boix-Lemonche Gerard , Holmeide Anne Kristin , Verkauskiene Rasa , Volke Vallo , Sokolovska Jelizaveta , Petrovski Goran
Published: January 2022

In this review, a selection of works on the sensing of biomarkers related to diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are presented, with the scope of helping and encouraging researchers to design sensor-array machine-learning (ML)-supported devices for robust, fast, and cost-effective early detection of these devastating diseases. First, we highlight the social relevance of developing systematic screening programs for such diseases and how sensor-arrays and ML approaches could ease their early diagnosis. Then, we present diverse works related to the colorimetric and electrochemical sensing of biomarkers related to DM and DR with non-invasive sampling (e.g., urine, saliva, breath, tears, and sweat samples), with a special mention to some already-existing sensor arrays and ML approaches. We finally highlight the great potential of the latter approaches for the fast and reliable early diagnosis of DM and DR.
Enhancing Crop Yield Prediction Utilizing Machine Learning on Satellite-Based Vegetation Health Indices
Authors: Pham Hoa Thi , Awange Joseph , Kuhn Michael , Nguyen Binh Van , Bui Luyen K.
Published: January 2022

Accurate crop yield forecasting is essential in the food industry’s decision-making process, where vegetation condition index (VCI) and thermal condition index (TCI) coupled with machine learning (ML) algorithms play crucial roles. The drawback, however, is that a one-fits-all prediction model is often employed over an entire region without considering subregional VCI and TCI’s spatial variability resulting from environmental and climatic factors. Furthermore, when using nonlinear ML, redundant VCI/TCI data present additional challenges that adversely affect the models’ output. This study proposes a framework that (i) employs higher-order spatial independent component analysis (sICA), and (ii), exploits a combination of the principal component analysis (PCA) and ML (i.e., PCA-ML combination) to deal with the two challenges in order to enhance crop yield prediction accuracy. The proposed framework consolidates common VCI/TCI spatial variability into their respective subregions, using Vietnam as an example. Compared to the one-fits-all approach, subregional rice yield forecasting models over Vietnam improved by an average level of 20% up to 60%. PCA-ML combination outperformed ML-only by an average of 18.5% up to 45%. The framework generates rice yield predictions 1 to 2 months ahead of the harvest with an average of 5% error, displaying its reliability.