bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Clinical Translation of Cancer Using Nanoinformatics
Authors: Soltani Madjid , Moradi Kashkooli Farshad , Souri Mohammad , Zare Harofte Samaneh , Harati Tina , Khadem Atefeh , Haeri Pour Mohammad , Raahemifar Kaamran
Published: May 2021

Application of drugs in high doses has been required due to the limitations of no specificity, short circulation half-lives, as well as low bioavailability and solubility. Higher toxicity is the result of high dosage administration of drug molecules that increase the side effects of the drugs. Recently, nanomedicine, that is the utilization of nanotechnology in healthcare with clinical applications, has made many advancements in the areas of cancer diagnosis and therapy. To overcome the challenge of patient-specificity as well as time- and dose-dependency of drug administration, artificial intelligence (AI) can be significantly beneficial for optimization of nanomedicine and combinatorial nanotherapy. AI has become a tool for researchers to manage complicated and big data, ranging from achieving complementary results to routine statistical analyses. AI enhances the prediction precision of treatment impact in cancer patients and specify estimation outcomes. Application of AI in nanotechnology leads to a new field of study, i.e., nanoinformatics. Besides, AI can be coupled with nanorobots, as an emerging technology, to develop targeted drug delivery systems. Furthermore, by the advancements in the nanomedicine field, AI-based combination therapy can facilitate the understanding of diagnosis and therapy of the cancer patients. The main objectives of this review are to discuss the current developments, possibilities, and future visions in naoinformatics, for providing more effective treatment for cancer patients.
Green Chemistry and Environmental Processes
Authors: Carabineiro Sónia A. C. , Morales-Torres Sergio , Maldonado-Hódar Francisco J.
Published: May 2021

This Special Issue was designed based on two complementary principles, both aimed at developing environmentally friendly production processes, in which catalysis plays a leading role [...]
Recent Advances in Organometallic Chemistry and Catalysis
Authors: Cadierno Victorio
Published: May 2021

The use of organometallic compounds in organic chemistry is one of the cornerstones of the modern synthetic methodology for the activation and generation of new bonds in a molecule [...]
Role of Glycans on Key Cell Surface Receptors That Regulate Cell Proliferation and Cell Death
Authors: Gao Yin , Luan Xue , Melamed Jacob , Brockhausen Inka
Published: May 2021

Cells undergo proliferation and apoptosis, migration and differentiation via a number of cell surface receptors, most of which are heavily glycosylated. This review discusses receptor glycosylation and the known roles of glycans on the functions of receptors expressed in diverse cell types. We included growth factor receptors that have an intracellular tyrosine kinase domain, growth factor receptors that have a serine/threonine kinase domain, and cell-death-inducing receptors. N- and O-glycans have a wide range of functions including roles in receptor conformation, ligand binding, oligomerization, and activation of signaling cascades. A better understanding of these functions will enable control of cell survival and cell death in diseases such as cancer and in immune responses.
Transcription Factor β-Catenin Plays a Key Role in Fluid Flow Shear Stress-Mediated Glomerular Injury in Solitary Kidney
Authors: Srivastava Tarak , Heruth Daniel P. , Duncan R. Scott , Rezaiekhaligh Mohammad H. , Garola Robert E. , Priya Lakshmi , Zhou Jianping , Boinpelly Varun C. , Novak Jan , Ali Mohammed Farhan , Joshi Trupti , Alon Uri S. , Jiang Yuexu , McCarthy Ellen T. , Savin Virginia J. , Sharma Ram , Johnson Mark L. , Sharma Mukut
Published: May 2021

Increased fluid flow shear stress (FFSS) in solitary kidney alters podocyte function in vivo. FFSS-treated cultured podocytes show upregulated AKT-GSK3β-β-catenin signaling. The present study was undertaken to confirm (i) the activation of β-catenin signaling in podocytes in vivo using unilaterally nephrectomized (UNX) TOPGAL mice with the β-galactosidase reporter gene for β-catenin activation, (ii) β-catenin translocation in FFSS-treated mouse podocytes, and (iii) β-catenin signaling using publicly available data from UNX mice. The UNX of TOPGAL mice resulted in glomerular hypertrophy and increased the mesangial matrix consistent with hemodynamic adaptation. Uninephrectomized TOPGAL mice showed an increased β-galactosidase expression at 4 weeks but not at 12 weeks, as assessed using immunofluorescence microscopy (p < 0.001 at 4 weeks; p = 0.16 at 12 weeks) and X-gal staining (p = 0.008 at 4 weeks; p = 0.65 at 12 weeks). Immunofluorescence microscopy showed a significant increase in phospho-β-catenin (Ser552, p = 0.005) at 4 weeks but not at 12 weeks (p = 0.935) following UNX, and the levels of phospho-β-catenin (Ser675) did not change. In vitro FFSS caused a sustained increase in the nuclear translocation of phospho-β-catenin (Ser552) but not phospho-β-catenin (Ser675) in podocytes. The bioinformatic analysis of the GEO dataset, #GSE53996, also identified β-catenin as a key upstream regulator. We conclude that transcription factor β-catenin mediates FFSS-induced podocyte (glomerular) injury in solitary kidney.
Bivariate Modelling of a Teleconnection Index and Extreme Rainfall in a Small North Atlantic Island
Authors: Espinosa Luis Angel , Portela Maria Manuela , Pontes Filho João Dehon , Zelenakova Martina
Published: May 2021

This paper explores practical applications of bivariate modelling via copulas of two likely dependent random variables, i.e., of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) coupled with extreme rainfall on the small island of Madeira, Portugal. Madeira, due to its small size (∼740 km2), very pronounced mountain landscape, and location in the North Atlantic, experiences a wide range of rainfall regimes, or microclimates, which hamper the analyses of extreme rainfall. Previous studies showed that the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on extreme rainfall is at its largest in the North Atlantic sector, with the likelihood of increased rainfall events from December through February, particularly during negative NAO phases. Thus, a copula-based approach was adopted for teleconnection, aiming at assigning return periods of daily values of an NAO index (NAOI) coupled with extreme daily rainfalls—for the period from December 1967 to February 2017—at six representative rain gauges of the island. The results show that (i) bivariate copulas describing the dependence characteristics of the underlying joint distributions may provide useful analytical expressions of the return periods of the coupled previous NAOI and extreme rainfall and (ii) that recent years show signs of increasing climate variability with more anomalous daily negative NAOI along with higher extreme rainfall events. These findings highlight the importance of multivariate modelling for teleconnections of prominent patterns of climate variability, such as the NAO, to extreme rainfall in North Atlantic regions, especially in small islands that are highly vulnerable to the effects of abrupt climate variability.
Slice Function Placement Impact on the Performance of URLLC with Multi-Connectivity
Authors: Chagdali Abdellatif , Elayoubi Salah Eddine , Masucci Antonia Maria
Published: May 2021

Network slicing has emerged as a promising technical solution to ensure the coexistence of various 5G services. While the 5G architecture evolution for supporting slicing has been exhaustively studied, the architectural option impacts on RAN resource allocation efficiency remain unclear. This article fills a gap in this area by evaluating the impact of architecture choices on the quality of service of different services in the new 5G ecosystem, focusing on ultra-reliable low-latency communication applications. We propose architectural options based on the placement of the entities responsible for implementing these functions. We then assess their impact on the radio resource allocation flexibility when slices span two radio access technologies with redundant coverage. Our numerical experiments showed that the slice management function placement plays a pivotal role in choosing an adequate radio resource allocation scheme for URLLC slices.
Design, Preparation, and Characterization of Effective Dermal and Transdermal Lipid Nanoparticles: A Review
Authors: Khater Dima , Nsairat Hamdi , Odeh Fadwa , Saleh Mais , Jaber Areej , Alshaer Walhan , Al Bawab Abeer , Mubarak Mohammad S.
Published: May 2021

Limited permeability through the stratum corneum (SC) is a major obstacle for numerous skin care products. One promising approach is to use lipid nanoparticles as they not only facilitate penetration across skin but also avoid the drawbacks of conventional skin formulations. This review focuses on solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanostructured lipid nanocarriers (NLCs), and nanoemulsions (NEs) developed for topical and transdermal delivery of active compounds. A special emphasis in this review is placed on composition, preparation, modifications, structure and characterization, mechanism of penetration, and recent application of these nanoparticles. The presented data demonstrate the potential of these nanoparticles for dermal and transdermal delivery.
Surface Enhanced Infrared Absorption Studies of SiO2–TiO2–Ag Nanofibers: Effect of Silver Electrodeposition Time on the Amplification of Signals
Authors: Cabello-Ribota Blanca Selenis , Farías Rurik , Reyes-López Simón Yobanny
Published: May 2021

Surface Enhanced on Infrared Absorption (SEIRAS) and Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) are nondestructive analytic techniques used to detect low concentrations and recognize the fingerprints of molecules. The recognition of the absorption from samples by conventional infrared spectroscopy (IR) via Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) is difficult for molecules with a low signal strength. However, developed structures with SERS and SEIRAS effect present problems such as high cost, low stability, and low compatibility. Research into new media to obtain greater amplification is largely based on the creation of nanoscale structures with symmetrical arrangements and reproducible distances, resulting in aggregates of nanoparticles that help generate hot spots which are active for amplification. The sol-gel and electrospinning method for the obtention of ceramics provides an alternative means by which to produce said substrates. Fibers of nanometric scale provide an increase of surface area which allows more contact to occur with analytes. Consequently, in this study, a silica-titania-silver nanostructured support that amplifies signal intensity for Raman and infrared spectroscopy was developed. The silica-titania support was developed by sol-gel and electrospinning techniques, and the as spun fibers were treated at 800 °C. Then, the ceramic fibrous membrane was placed on conductive indium tin oxide plastic to be doped with silver using an electroplating technique, varying the silver nitrate concentration (5, 10 and 20 mM), as well as electrodeposition times (1, 2, 5 and 10 min), with a constant voltage (1 V). Twelve different supports were obtained that showed amplification. The enhancement of infrared signals from pyridine and crystal violet molecules adsorbed on silica-titania-silver (SiO2–TiO2–Ag) nanofibers was studied in situ by Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The highest amplification was obtained by the support doped at 10 min in a 10 mM concentration, with an amplification factor of 2.74 in the band localized at 3301 cm−1. In Raman spectroscopy, the highest amplification factor was 27.03, on the support doped for 5 min at a concentration of 5 mM.
Synthesis and Characterization of Some New Coumarin Derivatives as Probable Breast Anticancer MCF-7 Drugs
Authors: Gaber Ahmed , Alsanie Walaa F. , Alhomrani Majid , Alamri Abdulhakeem S. , El-Deen Ibrahim M. , Refat Moamen S.
Published: May 2021

This study aimed to synthesize quinolinone derivatives and investigate their cytotoxic activity. The compound 1-azacoumarin-3-carboxylic acid (2-oxo-1H-quinoline-3-carboxylic acid) was obtained via the cyclocondensation of 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde with diethyl malonate in base catalyst to give ethyl coumarin-3-carboxylate, followed by the ammonolysis of ester (ethyl coumarin-3-carboxylate) with ammonia in the presence of anhydrous potassium carbonate. Treatment of 2-oxo-1H-quinoline-3-carboxylic acid with acetic anhydride, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid and methyl 5-phenyl-2-cyano-2,4-pentadienoate under different conditions led to the formation of 1 (substituted) aza coumarin-3-carboxylic acids (1-N-(acetyl)-azacoumarin-3-carboxylic acid, 1-N-(2-Formyl-1-phenyl) vinyl-azacoumarin-3-carboxylic acids, 1-N-[2-(Hydroxy) carbonyl-1-(Phenyl) vinyl]-azacoumarin-3-carboxylic acid and 1-N-(4-Cyano-5-methoxy-5-oxo-1-Phenylpenta-1,3-diene-1-y)-azacoumarin-3-carboxylic 284 acid), respectively. The structures of synthesized 1-(substituted) azacoumarin-3-carboxylic acids were confirmed based on spectroscopic methods (IR and NMR), along with elemental analyses. Interestingly compound 6 demonstrated probable impacts as an anti-cancer drug against the MCF-7 cell line. The mechanism of action was assessed using a flow cytometric assay. The outcomes revealed that compound 6 could arrest the cell cycle at G2/M phase and pre-G1 apoptosis.
Traits to Differentiate Lineages and Subspecies of Aegilops tauschii, the D Genome Progenitor Species of Bread Wheat
Authors: Mahjoob Mazin Mahjoob Mohamed , Chen Tai-Shen , Gorafi Yasir Serag Alnor , Yamasaki Yuji , Kamal Nasrein Mohamed , Abdelrahman Mostafa , Iwata Hiroyoshi , Matsuoka Yoshihiro , Tahir Izzat Sidahmed Ali , Tsujimoto Hisashi
Published: May 2021

Aegilops tauschii Coss., the D genome donor of hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), is the most promising resource used to broaden the genetic diversity of wheat. Taxonomical studies have classified Ae. tauschii into two subspecies, ssp. tauschii and ssp. strangulata. However, molecular analysis revealed three distantly related lineages, TauL1, TauL2 and TauL3. TauL1 and TauL3 includes the only ssp. tauschii, whereas TauL2 includes both subspecies. This study aimed to clarify the phylogeny of Ae. tauschii and to find the traits that can differentiate between TauL1, TauL2 and TauL3, or between ssp. tauschii and ssp. strangulata. We studied the genetic and morpho-physiological diversity in 293 accessions of Ae. tauschii, covering the entire range of the species. A total of 5880 high-quality SNPs derived from DArTseq were used for phylogenetic cluster analyses. As a result, we observed wide morpho-physiological variation in each lineage and subspecies. Despite this variation, no key traits can discriminate lineages or subspecies though some traits were significantly different. Of 124 accessions previously lacking the passport data, 66 were allocated to TauL1, 57 to TauL2, and one to TauL3.
Automated Detection of Pancreatic Cystic Lesions on CT Using Deep Learning
Authors: Abel Lorraine , Wasserthal Jakob , Weikert Thomas , Sauter Alexander W. , Nesic Ivan , Obradovic Marko , Yang Shan , Manneck Sebastian , Glessgen Carl , Ospel Johanna M. , Stieltjes Bram , Boll Daniel T. , Friebe Björn
Published: May 2021

Pancreatic cystic lesions (PCL) are a frequent and underreported incidental finding on CT scans and can transform into neoplasms with devastating consequences. We developed and evaluated an algorithm based on a two-step nnU-Net architecture for automated detection of PCL on CTs. A total of 543 cysts on 221 abdominal CTs were manually segmented in 3D by a radiology resident in consensus with a board-certified radiologist specialized in abdominal radiology. This information was used to train a two-step nnU-Net for detection with the performance assessed depending on lesions’ volume and location in comparison to three human readers of varying experience. Mean sensitivity was 78.8 ± 0.1%. The sensitivity was highest for large lesions with 87.8% for cysts ≥220 mm3 and for lesions in the distal pancreas with up to 96.2%. The number of false-positive detections for cysts ≥220 mm3 was 0.1 per case. The algorithm’s performance was comparable to human readers. To conclude, automated detection of PCL on CTs is feasible. The proposed model could serve radiologists as a second reading tool. All imaging data and code used in this study are freely available online.
Bilateral Retinal Vein Occlusion-Simulated Coats’ Disease
Authors: Hua Rui , Zhang Meixia
Published: May 2021

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a differential diagnosis for Coats’ disease due to retinal arterial Leber’s aneurysms. Occasionally, RVO shows a Coats-like appearance. The differential diagnosis between Coats’ disease and RVO is essential for clinical therapy, especially for those obsolete RVOs with collateral vessels and without retinal hemorrhage. In this case report, we describe and discuss the imaging characteristics of bilateral RVO-simulated Coats’ disease with tortuous retinal arterioles and its prognosis after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, which will be beneficial for its definite diagnosis and aid further investigation.
Quantumness Measures for a System of Two Qubits Interacting with a Field in the Presence of the Time-Dependent Interaction and Kerr Medium
Authors: Abdel-Khalek Sayed , Berrada Kamal , Khalil Eied M. , Obada Abdel-Shafy F. , Reda Esraa , Eleuch Hichem
Published: May 2021

In this work, we introduce the standard Tavis-Cummings model to describe two-qubit system interacting with a single-mode field associated to power-law (PL) potentials. We explore the effect of the time-dependent interaction and the Kerr-like medium. We solve the Schrödinger equation to obtain the density operator that allows us to investigate the dynamical behaviour of some quantumness measures, such as von Neumann entropy, negativity and Mandel’s parameter. We provide how these entanglement measures depend on the system parameters, which paves the way towards better control of entanglement generation in two-qubit systems. We find that the enhancement and preservation of the atoms-field entanglement and atom-atom entanglement can be achieved by a proper choice of the initial parameters of the field in the absence and presence of the time-dependent interaction and Kerr medium. We examine the photons distribution of the field and determine the situations for which the field exhibits super-poissonian, poissonian or sub-poissonian distribution.
Factor Structure and Validation of the 12-Item Korean Version of the General Health Questionnaire in a Sample of Early Childhood Teachers
Authors: Lee Boram , Kim Yang-Eun
Published: May 2021

The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) is designed to detect a diagnosable psychiatric disorder and has demonstrated positive psychometric properties in adult populations. Despite these findings, the psychometric properties of the GHQ-12 have hardly been examined with regard to early childhood teachers. This study purposed to examine the factor structure of the GHQ-12 and to assess its psychometric properties vis-à-vis a sample of Korean early childhood teachers. An aggregate of 252 participants completed the Korean version of the GHQ-12 in tandem with other psychiatric measures, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The resulting data were subjected to confirmatory factor analyses to compare the goodness-of-fit of the previously proposed models of the GHQ-12. The three-factor model comprising anhedonia/sleep disturbance, social performance and loss of confidence was found by the goodness-of-fit indices to excellently fit our study sample. The average variance extracted and all factor loadings exceeded the recommended threshold of 0.50; hence, convergent validity was established. The criterion posited by Fornell and Larcker verified the discriminant validity. The instrument evidenced superior reliability evinced by its adequate internal consistency and composite reliability. This evidence allows the assertion that the GHQ-12 may be deployed as a screening tool for the evaluation of general symptoms of psychiatric disorders in Korean early childhood teachers.
Research and Development of the Oxy-Fuel Combustion Power Cycles with CO2 Recirculation
Authors: Rogalev Andrey , Rogalev Nikolay , Kindra Vladimir , Komarov Ivan , Zlyvko Olga
Published: May 2021

The transition to oxy-fuel combustion power cycles is a prospective way to decrease carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere from the energy sector. To identify which technology has the highest efficiency and the lowest emission level, a thermodynamic analysis of the semiclosed oxy-fuel combustion combined cycle (SCOC-CC), the E-MATIANT cycle, and the Allam cycle was carried out. The modeling methodology has been described in detail, including the approaches to defining the working fluid properties, the mathematical models of the air separation unit, and the cooled gas turbine cycles’ calculation algorithms. The gas turbine inlet parameters were optimized using the developed modeling methodology for the three oxy-fuel combustion power cycles with CO2 recirculation in the inlet temperature at a range of 1000 to 1700 °C. The effect of the coolant flow precooling was evaluated. It was found that a decrease in the coolant temperature could lead to an increase of the net efficiency up to 3.2% for the SCOC-CC cycle and up to 0.8% for the E-MATIANT cycle. The final comparison showed that the Allam cycle’s net efficiency is 5.6% higher compared to the SCOC-CC cycle, and 11.5% higher compared with the E-MATIANT cycle.
Syngas Production via CO2 Reforming of Methane over SrNiO3 and CeNiO3 Perovskites
Authors: Ahmad Naushad , Alharthi Fahad , Alam Manawwer , Wahab Rizwan , Manoharadas Salim , Alrayes Basel
Published: May 2021

The development of a transition-metal-based catalyst with concomitant high activity and stability due to its distinguishing characteristics, yielding an abundance of active sites, is considered to be the bottleneck for the dry reforming of methane (DRM). This work presents the catalytic activity and durability of SrNiO3 and CeNiO3 perovskites for syngas production via DRM. CeNiO3 exhibits a higher specific surface area, pore volume, number of reducible species, and nickel dispersion when compared to SrNiO3. The catalytic activity results demonstrate higher CH4 (54.3%) and CO2 (64.8%) conversions for CeNiO3, compared to 22% (CH4 conversion) and 34.7% (CO2 conversion) for SrNiO3. The decrease in catalytic activity after replacing cerium with strontium is attributed to a decrease in specific surface area and pore volume, and nickel active sites covered with strontium carbonate. The stability results reveal the deactivation of both the catalysts (SrNiO3 and CeNiO3) but SrNiO3 showed more deactivation than CeNiO3, as demonstrated by deactivation factors. The catalyst deactivation is mainly attributed to carbon deposition and these findings are verified by characterizing the spent catalysts.
Mathematical Modeling of the Dynamics of Linear Electrical Systems with Parallel Calculations
Authors: Cieślik Sławomir
Published: May 2021

The dynamics of power systems is often analyzed using real-time simulators. The basic requirements of these simulators are the speed of obtaining the results and their accuracy. Known algorithms (backward Euler or trapezoidal rule) used in real-time simulations force the integration time step to be reduced to obtain the appropriate accuracy, which extends the time of obtaining the results. The acceleration of obtaining the results is achieved by using parallel calculations. The paper presents an algorithm for mathematical modeling of the dynamics of linear electrical systems, which works stably with a relatively large integration time step and with accuracy much better than other algorithms widely described in the literature. The algorithm takes into account the possibility of using parallel calculations. The proposed algorithm combines the advantages of known methods used in the analysis of electrical circuits, such as nodal analysis, multi-terminal electrical component theory, and transient states analysis methods. However, the main advantage over other algorithms is the use of the method based on average voltages in the integration step (AVIS method). The attention was focused on the presentation of the scientifically acceptable general principle offered to mathematical modeling of dynamics of linear electrical systems with parallel computations. However, the evidence of its effective application in the analysis of the dynamics of electric power and electromechanical systems was indicated in the works carried out by the team of authors from the Institute of Electrical Engineering UTP University of Science and Technology in Bydgoszcz (Poland).
Temporal Patternization of Power Signatures for Appliance Classification in NILM
Authors: Kim Hwan , Lim Sungsu
Published: May 2021

Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) techniques are effective for managing energy and for addressing imbalances between the energy demand and supply. Various studies based on deep learning have reported the classification of appliances from aggregated power signals. In this paper, we propose a novel approach called a temporal bar graph, which patternizes the operational status of the appliances and time in order to extract the inherent features from the aggregated power signals for efficient load identification. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, a temporal bar graph was applied to the total power and tested on three state-of-the-art deep learning techniques that previously exhibited superior performance in image classification tasks—namely, Extreme Inception (Xception), Very Deep One Dimensional CNN (VDOCNN), and Concatenate-DenseNet121. The UK Domestic Appliance-Level Electricity (UK-DALE) and Tracebase datasets were used for our experiments. The results of the five-appliance case demonstrated that the accuracy and F1-score increased by 19.55% and 21.43%, respectively, on VDOCNN, and by 33.22% and 35.71%, respectively, on Xception. A performance comparison with the state-of-the-art deep learning methods and image-based spectrogram approach was conducted.
Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production by Screen-Printed Copper Oxide Electrodes
Authors: Gondolini Angela , Sangiorgi Nicola , Sangiorgi Alex , Sanson Alessandra
Published: May 2021

In this work, copper oxides-based photocathodes for photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) were produced for the first time by screen printing. A total 7 × 10−3 g/m2 glycerine trioleate was found as optimum deflocculant amount to assure stable and homogeneous inks, based on CuO nano-powder. The inks were formulated considering different binder amounts and deposited producing films with homogenous thickness, microstructure, and roughness. The as-produced films were thermally treated to obtain Cu2O- and Cu2O/CuO-based electrodes. The increased porosity obtained by adding higher amounts of binder in the ink positively affected the electron transfer from the surface of the electrode to the electrolyte, thus increasing the corresponding photocurrent values. Moreover, the Cu2O/CuO system showed a higher charge carrier and photocurrent density than the Cu2O-based one. The mixed Cu2O/CuO films allowed the most significant hydrogen production, especially in slightly acid reaction conditions.
The Carbon-Neutral Energy Consumption and Emission Volatility: The Causality Analysis of ASEAN Region
Authors: Wu Shu , Alharthi Majed , Yin Weihua , Abbas Qaiser , Shah Adnan Noor , ur Rahman Saeed , Khan Jamal
Published: May 2021

The use of renewable energy sources and carbon emissions has been debated from various perspectives throughout recent decades. However, the causal relationship between green energy sources and carbon emissions volatility has received limited attention. This study aims to close a knowledge gap in this area. The current study analyzes the renewable energy sources (wind, hydro, and geothermal) and carbon emissions of four ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines) between 2000 and 2019. The present study combined Chudik and Pesaran’s (2015) newly developed Dynamic Common Correlated Effects (DCCE) with cutting-edge investigation tools such as first- and second-generation unit root tests; CS-dependence; Variance inflation factor test for multicollinearity; and Pedroni, Kao, and Wester Lund tests of co-integration. The Granger causality test is also used to check the short-term and long-term causal effects within the renewable energy sources and green energy sources, and carbon volatility. According to the empirical results, green energy sources make a positive and vital contribution to reducing carbon emissions growth in the above-noted ASEAN economies. Furthermore, short- and long-run causality runs from green energy sources to carbon emission volatility in the region. A significant causality relationship has also been observed within the green energy sources of ASEAN.
The Impact of Oil Price on Transition toward Renewable Energy Consumption? Evidence from Russia
Authors: Karacan Rıdvan , Mukhtarov Shahriyar , Barış İsmail , İşleyen Aykut , Yardımcı Mehmet Emin
Published: May 2021

This research investigates the impact of oil price, income and carbon dioxide emissions on renewable energy consumption in Russia for the data period from 1990 to 2015, using the Vector Error Correction Models and the Canonical Cointegrating Regression method. This article is the only study conducting individual time-series analysis that emphasizes the effect of oil price on renewable energy consumption in the case of Russia. The results of empirical analysis conclude that oil price affects renewable energy consumption negatively. The negative oil price effects on renewable energy use can be interpreted as a sign of issue that stems from higher oil prices and slows the transition from conventional to renewable energy sources. Additionally, we found that there is a positive and statistically significant influence of real GDP per capita as a proxy of income on renewable energy consumption, whereas the carbon dioxide emissions have a negative and statistically insignificant influence on renewable energy consumption. Considering these empirical results, Russia, which has a significant share in energy production in the world, should focus on the use of renewable energy in order to maintain this superiority and its sustainability. The findings of this paper may be useful to policymakers and may help to contribute to existing literature for future research in the case of oil-exporting countries.
Off-Design Dynamic Performance Analysis of a Solar Aided Coal-Fired Power Plant
Authors: Kumar Vinod , Duan Liqiang
Published: May 2021

Coal consumption and CO2 emissions are the major concerns of the 21st century. Solar aided (coal-fired) power generation (SAPG) is paid more and more attention globally, due to the lesser coal rate and initial cost than the original coal-fired power plant and CSP technology respectively. In this paper, the off-design dynamic performance simulation model of a solar aided coal-fired power plant is established. A 330 MW subcritical coal-fired power plant is taken as a case study. On a typical day, three various collector area solar fields are integrated into the coal-fired power plant. By introducing the solar heat, the variations of system performances are analyzed at design load, 75% load, and 50% load. Analyzed parameters with the change of DNI include the thermal oil mass flow rate, the mass flow rate of feed water heated by the solar energy, steam extraction mass flow rate, coal consumption, and the plant thermal efficiency. The research results show that, as DNI increases over a day, the coal saving rate will also increase, the maximum coal saving rate reaches up to 5%, and plant thermal efficiency reaches 40%. It is analyzed that the SAPG system gives the best performance at a lower load and a large aperture area.
The Ecology of Fine Roots across Forest Biomes
Authors: Di Iorio Antonino , Sorgonà Agostino
Published: May 2021

Fine root-soil interactions fundamentally affect the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle and thereby ecosystem feedbacks to climate change [...]
Effects of Underlay on Hill-Slope Surface Runoff Process of Cupressus funebris Endl. Plantations in Southwestern China
Authors: Wu Bingchen , Qi Shi
Published: May 2021

Clarifying the impact of underlay (i.e., the combination of near-surface vegetation and surface micro-topography) on the surface runoff process would provide a significant theoretical basis for the adjustment of vegetation patterns and the control of soil erosion on steep slopes in mountainous areas of southwestern China. In the current study, the runoff process under different rainfall characteristics was observed based on 10 natural runoff plots, and the correlation between the spatial pattern of cypress (Cupressus funebris), micro-topography, and runoff characteristic parameters was tested using the Pearson correlation coefficient method. The coupling effects of the spatial pattern of cypress and micro-topography on surface runoff also were analyzed using the Response Surface Method (RSM). The results showed that (1) under the conditions of long-duration moderate rainfall or long-duration rainstorm, topographic relief, surface roughness, runoff path density, contagion index of cypress, and stand density of cypress were the main reasons for the difference in the peak flow of each runoff plot, while under the condition of the short-duration rainstorm, the factors previously mentioned were no longer the dominant factors; (2) under the conditions of long-duration heavy rainfall or long-duration rainstorm, the common laws reflected by the response of the peak flow to the composite index of the spatial pattern of cypress and micro-topography were that (1) when the composite index of the spatial pattern of cypress (V) was below 21 and the composite index of micro-topography (U) was below 10.5, the peak flow would not be significantly affected; (2) when U > 10.5, increasing the composite index of the spatial pattern of cypress within a certain range would promote peak flow; (3) when U < 7.5 and V > 18, the increase of V value could significantly reduce the peak flow, and on this basis, adjusting the V value to 41, the reduction rate of peak flow could reach 84%.
Short-Rotation Coppice Managed According to Ecological Guidelines—What Are the Benefits for Phytodiversity?
Authors: Zitzmann Felix , Rode Michael
Published: May 2021

In recent years, the impact of short-rotation coppice (SRC) on biodiversity has been a regular subject of research and ecological guidelines have been developed to make biomass cultivation on SRC more compatible with biodiversity concerns. However, since these guidelines are only implemented voluntarily by farmers, there are barely any SRC that are managed according to ecological guidelines. Consequently, knowledge about their importance for farmland biodiversity and about the impact of different measures for increasing biodiversity remains scarce. Therefore, three experimental SRC, which are managed according to ecological guidelines and thus include stands of different tree species (varieties of poplar (Populus) and willow (Salix), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), silver birch (Betula pendula)) and different growth-stages within the same site, were investigated with regard to their importance as habitat for vascular plants. Species numbers and species composition were compared with the following habitat types: afforestations (AFO), young (HE-Y) and old hedges (HE-O), field margins (FM) and arable land (AL). Furthermore, different stand types (i.e., stands with different tree species and growth-stages, headlands, clearings) within these SRC were surveyed and compared. Species numbers of SRC were similar to HE-Y, AFO and FM and significantly higher than in AL and HE-O. The composition of plant communities in SRC differed considerably from the other farmland habitats, especially from AL, HE-O and FM. Within the SRC, most stand types had similar species numbers. Only the non-harvested poplar stands were particularly species-poor. Harvesting led to increased species numbers. This increase was significant for the poplar stands but only moderate for the willow stands. With regard to their species composition, the different stand types differed considerably in many cases. We conclude that SRC, which are managed according to ecological guidelines, can be an additional measure to promote phytodiversity in agricultural landscapes as they contain relatively high species numbers (of mainly common and adaptable species) and support distinct plant communities that differ from other farmland habitats. Therefore, measures such as the cultivation of different tree species or sectional harvesting could be offered as agri-environmental schemes to further increase the ecological sustainability of biomass production on SRC.
Ca and Mg Concentrations in Spices and Growth of Commonly Sporulated and Non-Sporulated Food-Borne Microorganisms According to Marketing Systems
Authors: García-Galdeano José María , Villalón-Mir Marina , Medina-Martínez José , Fonseca-Moor-Davie Sofía María , Zamora-Bustillos Jessandra Gabriela , Vázquez-Foronda Lydia María , Agil Ahmad , Navarro-Alarcón Miguel
Published: May 2021

Ca and Mg levels were determined in five spices according to marketing system (in bulk or commercialized in glass or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers) and correlated with microbial growth of commonly sporulated (Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus) and non-sporulated (Listeria monocytogenes, psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria, and yeasts and molds) food-borne pathogens present in them, when they were previously added to the microbial culture media. The basil had the highest mean Ca and Mg level and showed the highest microbial growth in the food-borne pathogenic microorganisms studied (p < 0.001). For Ca, the lowest levels were measured in cloves (p < 0.001), which had the lowest capacity for microbial contamination. Ca and Mg contents in spices correlated linear and positively (p < 0.05). Ca concentrations weakly and positively correlated (p < 0.05) with microbial counts for almost all studied microorganisms, and Mg levels for B. cereus, C. perfringens, and mesophilic bacteria (p < 0.05), possibly acting as a growing factor for some sporulated and non-sporulated foodborne pathogens. These relationships are especially significant when PET vs. glass was used as a packaging material for spices.
Alimentary and Pharmaceutical Approach to Natural Antimicrobials against Clostridioides difficile Gastrointestinal Infection
Authors: Tortajada-Girbés Miguel , Rivas Alejandro , Hernández Manuel , González Ana , Ferrús Maria A. , Pina-Pérez Maria C.
Published: May 2021

Incidence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) has been increasing in recent decades due to different factors, namely (i) extended use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, (ii) transmission within asymptomatic and susceptible patients, and (iii) unbalanced gastrointestinal microbiome and collateral diseases that favor C. difficile gastrointestinal domination and toxin production. Although antibiotic therapies have resulted in successful control of CDI in the last 20 years, the development of novel strategies is urged in order to combat the capability of C. difficile to generate and acquire resistance to conventional treatments and its consequent proliferation. In this regard, vegetable and marine bioactives have emerged as alternative and effective molecules to fight against this concerning pathogen. The present review examines the effectiveness of natural antimicrobials from vegetable and algae origin that have been used experimentally in in vitro and in vivo settings to prevent and combat CDI. The aim of the present work is to contribute to accurately describe the prospective use of emerging antimicrobials as future nutraceuticals and preventive therapies, namely (i) as dietary supplement to prevent CDI and reduce CDI recurrence by means of microbiota modulation and (ii) administering them complementarily to other treatments requiring antibiotics to prevent C. difficile gut invasion and infection progression.
Background, Applications and Issues of the Experimental Designs for Mixture in the Food Sector
Authors: Squeo Giacomo , De Angelis Davide , Leardi Riccardo , Summo Carmine , Caponio Francesco
Published: May 2021

Background: Mixtures play a key role in Food Science and Technology. For studying them, rational approaches should be used. In detail, the experimental designs for mixtures are useful tools for studying the effects of ingredients/components in formulations. Results: Food Science and Technology is the fourth category among the total records considered in this review. The applications span from food formulation to the composition of modified atmosphere, shelf-life improvement and bioactives extraction. However, the majority of the studies regards few products and ingredients. Simplex-lattice and simplex-centroid designs are the most common used, although some optimal designs, such as the D-optimal, have also interesting applications. Finally, some issues are highlighted, which basically regard the interpretation of the models coefficients and the lack of model validation. Conclusion: In the last decade, mixture designs have been fairly used in the field of Food Science and Technology. Modeling the response(s) allows researchers to achieve a global knowledge of the system under study within the defined experimental domain. However, the majority of application has regarded limited classes of products, and thus an increase in the spectrum of applications is desired.
Secondary Metabolites in Edible Species: Looking beyond Nutritional Value
Authors: Seca Ana M. L. , Trendafilova Antoaneta
Published: May 2021

Secondary metabolites are organic molecules of low molecular weight, biosynthesized by any living being using a wide range of biosynthetic pathways, known as secondary metabolism [...]
Nutritional Status and the Critically Ill Patient: Gut Microbiota and Immuno-Nutrition in I.C.U. at the Time of SARS-COV 2 Pandemic
Authors: Scarpellini Emidio , Scarcella Laura , Romanelli Giorgio , Basilico Martina , Lattanzi Emiliano , Rasetti Carlo , Abenavoli Ludovico , Santori Pierangelo
Published: May 2021

Background: Gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem of bacteria, viruses, archaea, protozoa and yeasts in our intestine. It has several functions, including maintaining human body equilibrium. Microbial “dysbiosis” can be responsible for outbreak of local and systemic infections, especially in critically ill patients. Methods: to build a narrative review, we performed a Pubmed, Medline and EMBASE search for English language papers, reviews, meta-analyses, case series and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) by keywords and their associations: critically ill patient; nutrition; gut microbiota; probiotics; gut virome; SARS-COV 2. Results: Over the antibiotic-based “selective decontamination”, potentially responsible for drug-resistant microorganisms development, there is growing interest of scientists and the pharmaceutical industry for pre-, probiotics and their associations as safe and reliable remedies restoring gut microbial “eubiosis”. Very first encouraging evidences link different gut microbiota profiles with SARS-COV 2 disease stage and gravity. Thus, there is frame for a probiotic therapeutic approach of COVID-19. Conclusions: gut microbiota remodulation seems to be a promising and safe therapeutic approach to prevent local and systemic multi-resistant bug infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) patients. This approach deserves more and more attention at the time of SARS-COV 2 pandemic.
Tumor-Associated Macrophage Promotes the Survival of Cancer Cells upon Docetaxel Chemotherapy via the CSF1/CSF1R–CXCL12/CXCR4 Axis in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Guan Wei , Li Fan , Zhao Zhenyu , Zhang Zongbiao , Hu Junhui , Zhang Yan
Published: May 2021

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is an advanced stage of prostate cancer that can progress rapidly even in patients treated with castration. Previously, we found that tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) can be recruited by CSF-1 secreted by docetaxel-treated prostate cancer cells and promote the survival of cancer cells in response to chemotherapy. The inhibition of CSF-1R can impede this effect and significantly prolong survival in xenograft mice. However, the actual mechanism of how TAM improves cancer cell survival still remains elusive and controversial. Here, for the first time, we found that the enhanced survival of cancer cells achieved by TAM was mainly mediated by CXCR4 activation from the increased secretion of CXCL12 from CSF-1 activated TAM. This finding helps to clarify the mechanism of chemoresistance for second-line chemotherapy using docetaxel, facilitating the development of novel drugs to overcome immune tolerance in castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Heat Stress Pre-Exposure May Differentially Modulate Plant Defense to Powdery Mildew in a Resistant and Susceptible Barley Genotype
Authors: Schwarczinger Ildikó , Kolozsváriné Nagy Judit , Király Lóránt , Mészáros Klára , Bányai Judit , Kunos Viola , Fodor József , Künstler András
Published: May 2021

Heat stress negatively affects barley production and under elevated temperatures defense responses to powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei, Bgh) are altered. Previous research has analyzed the effects of short-term (30 s to 2 h) heat stress, however, few data are available on the influence of long-term exposure to heat on powdery mildew infections. We simultaneously assessed the effects of short and long term heat pre-exposure on resistance/susceptibility of barley to Bgh, evaluating powdery mildew infection by analyzing symptoms and Bgh biomass with RT-qPCR in barley plants pre-exposed to high temperatures (28 and 35 °C from 30 s to 5 days). Plant defense gene expression after heat stress pre-exposure and inoculation was also monitored. Our results show that prolonged heat stress (24, 48 and 120 h) further enhanced Bgh susceptibility in a susceptible barley line (MvHV118-17), while a resistant line (MvHV07-17) retained its pathogen resistance. Furthermore, prolonged heat stress significantly repressed the expression of several defense-related genes (BAX inhibitor-1, Pathogenesis related-1b and Respiratory burst oxidase homologue F2) in both resistant and susceptible barley lines. Remarkably, heat-suppressed defense gene expression returned to normal levels only in MvHV07-17, a possible reason why this barley line retains Bgh resistance even at high temperatures.