bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Photophysics and Tunable Reverse Saturable Absorption of Bis-Tridentate Iridium(III) Complexes via Modification on Diimine Ligand
Authors: Li Guochang , Jiang Zhao , Tang Meng , Jiang Xiaoli , Tu Houfu , Zhu Senqiang , Liu Rui , Zhu Hongjun
Published: January 2023

Five novel bis-tridentate Ir(III) complexes (Ir-1–Ir-5) incorporating versatile N^N^C ligands and a N^C^N ligand (1,3-di(2-pyridyl)-4,6-dimethylbenzene) were synthesized. With the combination of experimental and theoretical methods, their steady and transient state characteristics were researched scientifically. The UV-visible absorption spectra show that the broadband charge transfer absorbance of those bis-tridentate Ir(III) complexes can reach 550 nm, all of these complexes reveal the long-lasting phosphorescent emission. Because the excited-state absorption is more powerful than the ground-state absorption, a sturdy reverse saturable absorption (RSA) process can ensue in the visible and near-infrared regions when the complexes are exposed to a 532 nm laser. Therefore, the optical power limiting (OPL) effect follows the trend: Ir-5 > Ir-4 ≈ Ir-3 > Ir-2 > Ir-1. Generally speaking, the expansion of π-conjugation and the introduction of electron donating/withdrawing groups on the N^N^C ligand could effectively elevate the OPL effect. Therefore, these octahedral bis-tridentate Ir(III) complexes might be exploited as potential OPL materials.
Rapid Determination of Nitrate Nitrogen Isotope in Water Using Fourier Transform Infrared Attenuated Total Reflectance Spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) Coupled with Deconvolution Algorithm
Authors: Wu Ke , Ma Fei , Wei Cuilan , Gan Fangqun , Du Changwen
Published: January 2023

Nitrate is a prominent pollutant in water bodies around the world. The isotopes in nitrate provide an effective approach to trace the sources and transformations of nitrate in water bodies. However, determination of isotopic composition by conventional analytical techniques is time-consuming, laborious, and expensive, and alternative methods are urgently needed. In this study, the rapid determination of 15NO3− in water bodies using Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) coupled with a deconvolution algorithm and a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was explored. The results indicated that the characteristic peaks of 14NO3−/15NO3− mixtures with varied 14N/15N ratios were observed, and the proportion of 15NO3− was negatively correlated with the wavenumber of absorption peaks. The PLSR models for nitrate prediction of 14NO3−/15NO3− mixtures with different proportions were established based on deconvoluted spectra, which exhibited good performance with the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) values of more than 2.0 and the correlation coefficients (R2) of more than 0.84. Overall, the spectra pretreatment by the deconvolution algorithm dramatically improved the prediction models. Therefore, FTIR-ATR combined with deconvolution and PLSR provided a rapid, simple, and affordable method for determination of 15NO3− content in water bodies, which would facilitate and enhance the study of nitrate sources and water environment quality management.
Biological Properties, Phenolic Profile, and Botanical Aspect of Nigella sativa L. and Nigella damascena L. Seeds: A Comparative Study
Authors: Benazzouz-Smail Leila , Achat Sabiha , Brahmi Fatiha , Bachir-Bey Mostapha , Arab Radia , Lorenzo José Manuel , Benbouriche Aicha , Boudiab Kahina , Hauchard Didier , Boulekbache Lila , Madani Khodir
Published: January 2023

The use of Nigella seeds in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic fields is common, since the iniquity and the virtues of these plants are directly related to their characteristic phytochemical composition. This investigation focused on the comparative study of the botanical aspect, phenolic profile, and in vitro and in vivo biological activities of Nigella sativa L. (NS) and Nigella damascena L. (ND) seeds. The macro- and micro-morphological properties of these seeds were studied, and the key dissimilarities between them were clearly illustrated. The phytochemical contents and phenolic profiles were determined, and the in vitro antioxidant activity was assessed using four methods. The in vivo antioxidant and biochemical parameters of the blood of supplemented mice were determined. The results of the macro- and micro-structure analysis revealed differences between the two plants. Here, ND is characterized by higher phytochemical contents and the best antioxidant activities. The HPLC analysis indicated the presence of nine compounds, namely seven phenolic acids, particularly hydroxybenzoic and caffeic acids, and two flavonoids. The administration of ND extract to mice for 21 days at a concentration of 500 mg/kg allowed a substantial amelioration of plasma antioxidant properties. In addition, the extracts ameliorate blood parameters (cholesterol, triglycerides, glycemia, and urea). Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of extracts demonstrated their effects on Staphylococcus and Aspergillus. Nigella seeds, in particular ND, expressed considerable in vitro antioxidant properties and demonstrated significant amelioration of mice blood properties. Consequently, these species can serve as a valuable source of compounds with various applications.
Facile Synthesis of PdO.TiO2 Nanocomposite for Photoelectrochemical Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Altaf Amna , Sohail Manzar , Nafady Ayman , Siddique Rashid G. , Shah Syed Shoaib Ahmad , Najam Tayyaba
Published: January 2023

The rapid depletion of fossil fuels and environmental pollution has motivated scientists to cultivate renewable and green energy sources. The hydrogen economy is an emerging replacement for fossil fuels, and photocatalytic water splitting is a suitable strategy to produce clean hydrogen fuel. Herein, the photocatalyst (PdO.TiO2) is introduced as an accelerated photoelectrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The catalyst showed significant improvement in the current density magnitude from 0.89 (dark) to 4.27 mA/cm2 (light) during OER at 0.5 V applied potential. The as-synthesized material exhibits a Tafel slope of 170 mVdec−1 and efficiency of 0.25% at 0.93 V. The overall outcomes associated with the photocatalytic activity of PdO.TiO2 demonstrated that the catalyst is highly efficient, thereby encouraging researchers to explore more related catalysts for promoting facile OER.
Can DFT Calculations Provide Useful Information for SERS Applications?
Authors: Muniz-Miranda Maurizio , Muniz-Miranda Francesco , Menziani Maria Cristina , Pedone Alfonso
Published: January 2023

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations allow us to reproduce the SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) spectra of molecules adsorbed on nanostructured metal surfaces and extract the most information this spectroscopy is potentially able to provide. The latter point mainly concerns the anchoring mechanism and the bond strength between molecule and metal as well as the structural and electronic modifications of the adsorbed molecule. These findings are of fundamental importance for the application of this spectroscopic technique. This review presents and discusses some SERS–DFT studies carried out in Italy as a collaboration between the universities of Modena and Reggio-Emilia and of Florence, giving an overview of the information that we can extract with a combination of experimental SERS spectra and DFT modeling. In addition, a selection of the most recent studies and advancements on the DFT approach to SERS spectroscopy is reported with commentary.
Drug Repurposing to Inhibit Histamine N-Methyl Transferase
Authors: Jiménez Elvia Mera , Żołek Teresa , Hernández Perez Paola Gabriela , Miranda Ruvalcaba Rene , Nicolás-Vázquez María Inés , Hernández-Rodríguez Maricarmen
Published: January 2023

Lower activity of the histaminergic system is associated with neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Thus, the enhancement of histaminergic neurotransmission by inhibition of histamine N-methyl transferase (HNMT), which degrades histamine, appears as an important approach. For this purpose, rigid and flexible molecular docking studies of 185 FDA-approved drugs with the HNMT enzyme were carried out to select two compounds to perform molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to evaluate the binding free energies and stability of the enzyme–drug complexes. Finally, an HNMT inhibition assay was performed to corroborate their effect towards HNMT. Molecular docking studies with HNMT allowed the selection of dihydroergotamine and vilazodone since these molecules showed the lowest Gibbs free energy values. Analysis of the binding mode of vilazodone showed interactions with the binding pocket of HNMT with Glu28, Gln143, and Asn283. In contrast, dihydroergotamine binds to the HNMT active site in a different location, apparently because it is overall the more rigid ligand compared to flexible vilazodone. HNMT inhibitory activity for dihydroergotamine and vilazodone was corroborated (IC50 = 72.89 μM and 45.01 μM, respectively) by in vitro assays. Drug repurposing of HNMT was achieved by employing computational studies.
Development of in-House Synthesis and Quality Control of [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-I&S
Authors: Plhak Elisabeth , Pichler Christopher , Gößnitzer Edith , Aigner Reingard M. , Kvaternik Herbert
Published: January 2023

Many radioactive PSMA inhibitory substances have already been developed for PET diagnostics and therapy of prostate cancer. Because PET radionuclides and instrumentation may not be available, technetium-99 m labelled tracers can be considered as a diagnostic alternative. A suitable tracer is [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-I&S, primarily developed for radio-guided surgery, which has been identified for diagnostics of prostate cancer. However, there is no commercial kit approved for the preparation of [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-I&S on the market. This work presents an automated process for the synthesis of [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-I&S concerning good manufacturing practice (GMP). We used a Scintomics GRP 4 V module, with the SCC software package for programming sequences for this development. The optimum reaction conditions were evaluated in preliminary experiments. The pH of the reaction solution was found to be crucial for the radiochemical yield and radiochemical purity. The validation of [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-I&S (n = 3) achieved a stable radiochemical yield of 58.7 ± 1.5% and stable radiochemical purities of 93.0 ± 0.3%. The amount of free [99mTc]TcO4− in the solution and reduced hydrolysed [99mTc]TcO2 was <2%. Our automated preparation of [99mTc]Tc-PSMA-I&S has shown reliability and applicability in the clinical setting.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Findings in COVID-19 Associated Encephalitis
Authors: Tanwar Manoj , Singhal Aparna , Alizadeh Mohammadreza , Sotoudeh Houman
Published: January 2023

We conducted this study to investigate the scope of the MRI neuroimaging manifestations in COVID-19-associated encephalitis. From January 2020 to September 2021, patients with clinical diagnosis of COVID-19-associated encephalitis, as well as concomitant abnormal imaging findings on brain MRI, were included. Two board-certified neuro-radiologists reviewed these selected brain MR images, and further discerned the abnormal imaging findings. 39 patients with the clinical diagnosis of encephalitis as well as abnormal MRI findings were included. Most (87%) of these patients were managed in ICU, and 79% had to be intubated-ventilated. 15 (38%) patients died from the disease, while the rest were discharged from the hospital. On MRI, FLAIR hyperintensities in the insular cortex were the most common finding, seen in 38% of the patients. Micro-hemorrhages on the SWI images were equally common, also seen in 38% patients. FLAIR hyperintensities in the medial temporal lobes were seen in 30%, while FLAIR hyperintensities in the posterior fossa were evident in 20%. FLAIR hyperintensities in basal ganglia and thalami were seen in 15%. Confluent FLAIR hyperintensities in deep and periventricular white matter, not explained by microvascular angiopathy, were detected in 7% of cases. Cortical-based FLAIR hyperintensities in 7%, and FLAIR hyperintensity in the splenium of the corpus callosum in 7% of patients. Finally, isolated FLAIR hyperintensity around the third ventricle was noted in 2% of patients.
Effect of Time-Restricted Eating and Resistance Training on High-Speed Strength and Body Composition
Authors: Correia Joana M. , Santos Paulo D. G. , Pezarat-Correia Pedro , Minderico Cláudia S. , Infante Jorge , Mendonca Goncalo V.
Published: January 2023

This study examined the effects of four weeks of resistance training combined with time-restricted eating (TRE) vs. habitual diet on fat and fat-free mass as well as maximum and explosive force production in healthy, trained participants (18 males, aged 23.7 ± 2.6 years). The order of dieting was randomized and counterbalanced, and the participants served as their own controls. TRE involved an 8-h eating window and non-TRE involved a habitual meal pattern. Participants completed performance strength tests and body composition scans at baseline and post-intervention. The participants followed a structured training routine during each dietary intervention (four sets of maximum repetitions at 85% 1RM in five dynamic exercises, three times/week). Both interventions elicited deceases in fat mass (p < 0.05) but not in fat-free mass. After training (controlling for baseline values as covariates), non-TRE was compatible with better lower body jump performance than TRE (p < 0.05). Conversely, training with TRE elicited higher values in terms of peak force and dynamic strength index at the level of the upper body (p < 0.05). Thus, it can be concluded that there were no differences in fat mass and fat-free mass changes between interventions in already trained young males. Additionally, while the combination of TRE and resistance training might be beneficial for individuals focusing on developing high-speed strength performance at the upper body level, this is not applicable to those focusing on training the lower body.
Roles of Two F-Box Proteins: FBXL14 in the Periosteum and FBXW2 at Elastic Fibers
Authors: Akiyama Mari
Published: January 2023

I previously reported that F-box/leucine-rich repeat protein 14 (FBXL14) expressed in periosteum-derived cells, and F-box and WD-40 domain-containing protein 2 (FBXW2) in the periosteum form a fiber-like structure. Here, two culture medium conditions, that is, media with and without ascorbic acid, were compared during explant culture. In the absence of ascorbic acid, the expression patterns of osteocalcin, FBXW2, and elastin were compared using fluorescent immunostaining during weeks 3–5. By observing the periosteum, cambium layer and bone, I demonstrated FBXL14 expression in micro-vessels and bone lacuna. Fluorescent immunostaining revealed that, without ascorbic acid, the FBXL14 layer was thin. Conversely, in the presence of ascorbic acid, FBXL14 formed a thick membrane-like structure inside the periosteum, and the multilayer of periosteum-derived cells (PDCs) was strong. The expression patterns of osteocalcin and FBXW2 were similar. Elastin retained its fiber structure for up to five weeks. Although osteocalcin and FBXW2 were expressed in regions similar to elastin, they could not retain their fiber structures. In conclusion, FBXL14 appears to play a role in preparing a native scaffold for forming a multilayered sheet of PDCs inside the periosteum. FBXW2 and osteocalcin appear to separate from elastic fibers during calcification.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Orthopedic Patients in Different Latitudes—First Study Comparing German and Greek Populations
Authors: Mamilos Andreas , Matzaroglou Charalambos , Maier Gerrit S. , Zawy Alsofy Samer , Drees Philipp , Kafchitsas Konstantinos
Published: January 2023

Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in calcium metabolism and bone mineralization. Sufficient vitamin D levels are important for the health and functionality of the musculoskeletal system. Hypovitaminosis D is a phenomenon affecting orthopedic patients worldwide. This study researched whether most orthopedic patients in two different cities of different countries had hypovitaminosis D, whether there was a correlation between sunshine hours and vitamin D serum levels, and whether hours of sunshine alone were enough to achieve vitamin D sufficiency among orthopedic patients regardless of their activities. The vitamin D serum levels of 500 orthopedic patients in Regensburg and 500 in Patras were assessed, in addition to their medical histories. The mean sunshine hours throughout the year were also calculated. Both the German and Greek groups showed hypovitaminosis D. Older patients were more affected. Although there were more hours of sunshine in Greece, Greek orthopedic patients also showed hypovitaminosis D. Hypovitaminosis D affects orthopedic patients independent of their latitude. Supplementation of vitamin D may be considered among orthopedic patients to achieve sufficient levels in serum. Sufficient vitamin D levels may be helpful for the treatment of orthopedic patients, reduce the negative effects of operations or postoperational settings.
A Mechanistic Pharmacodynamic Modeling Framework for the Assessment and Optimization of Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs)
Authors: Haid Robin , Reichel Andreas
Published: January 2023

The field of targeted protein degradation is growing exponentially. Yet, there is an unmet need for pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models that provide mechanistic insights, while also being practically useful in a drug discovery setting. Therefore, we have developed a comprehensive modeling framework which can be applied to experimental data from routine projects to: (1) assess PROTACs based on accurate degradation metrics, (2) guide compound optimization of the most critical parameters, and (3) link degradation to downstream pharmacodynamic effects. The presented framework contains a number of first-time features: (1) a mechanistic model to fit the hook effect in the PROTAC concentration-degradation profile, (2) quantification of the role of target occupancy in the PROTAC mechanism of action and (3) deconvolution of the effects of target degradation and target inhibition by PROTACs on the overall pharmacodynamic response. To illustrate applicability and to build confidence, we have employed these three models to analyze exemplary data on various compounds from different projects and targets. The presented framework allows researchers to tailor their experimental work and to arrive at a better understanding of their results, ultimately leading to more successful PROTAC discovery. While the focus here lies on in vitro pharmacology experiments, key implications for in vivo studies are also discussed.
The Effect of Elasticity of Gelatin Nanoparticles on the Interaction with Macrophages
Authors: Yildirim Metin , Weiss Agnes-Valencia , Schneider Marc
Published: January 2023

Gelatin is a biocompatible, biodegradable, cheap, and nontoxic material, which is already used for pharmaceutical applications. Nanoparticles from gelatin (GNPs) are considered a promising delivery system for hydrophilic and macromolecular drugs. Mechanical properties of particles are recognized as an important parameter affecting drug carrier interaction with biological systems. GNPs offer the preparation of particles with different stiffness. GNPs were loaded with Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled 150 kDa dextran (FITC-dextran) yielding also different elastic properties. GNPs were visualized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and force–distance curves from the center of the particles were evaluated for Young’s modulus calculation. The prepared GNPs have Young’s moduli from 4.12 MPa for soft to 9.8 MPa for stiff particles. Furthermore, cytokine release (IL-6 and TNF-α), cell viability, and cell uptake were determined on macrophage cell lines from mouse (RAW 264.7) and human (dTHP-1 cells, differentiated human monocytic THP-1 cells) origin for soft and stiff GNPs. Both particle types showed good cell compatibility and did not induce IL-6 and TNF-α release from RAW 264.7 and dTHP-1 cells. Stiffer GNPs were internalized into cells faster and to a larger extent.
Enhanced Synaptic Properties in Biocompatible Casein Electrolyte via Microwave-Assisted Efficient Solution Synthesis
Authors: Kim Hwi-Su , Park Hamin , Cho Won-Ju
Published: January 2023

In this study, we fabricated an electric double-layer transistor (EDLT), a synaptic device, by preparing a casein biopolymer electrolyte solution using an efficient microwave-assisted synthesis to replace the conventional heating (heat stirrer) synthesis. Microwave irradiation (MWI) is more efficient in transferring energy to materials than heat stirrer, which significantly reduces the preparation time for casein electrolytes. The capacitance–frequency characteristics of metal–insulator–metal configurations applying the casein electrolyte prepared through MWI or a heat stirrer were measured. The capacitance of the MWI synthetic casein was 3.58 μF/cm2 at 1 Hz, which was higher than that of the heat stirrer (1.78 μF/cm2), confirming a stronger EDL gating effect. Electrolyte-gated EDLTs using two different casein electrolytes as gate-insulating films were fabricated. The MWI synthetic casein exhibited superior EDLT electrical characteristics compared to the heat stirrer. Meanwhile, essential synaptic functions, including excitatory post-synaptic current, paired-pulse facilitation, signal filtering, and potentiation/depression, were successfully demonstrated in both EDLTs. However, MWI synthetic casein electrolyte-gated EDLT showed higher synaptic facilitation than the heat stirrer. Furthermore, we performed an MNIST handwritten-digit-recognition task using a multilayer artificial neural network and MWI synthetic casein EDLT achieved a higher recognition rate of 91.24%. The results suggest that microwave-assisted casein solution synthesis is an effective method for realizing biocompatible neuromorphic systems.
Ecological Drought Condition Index to Monitor Vegetation Response to Meteorological Drought in Korean Peninsula
Authors: Won Jeongeun , Kim Sangdan
Published: January 2023

Droughts caused by meteorological factors such as a long-term lack of precipitation can propagate into several types of drought through the hydrological cycle. Among them, a phenomenon in which drought has a significant impact on the ecosystem can be defined as an ecological drought. In this study, the Ecological Drought Condition Index-Vegetation (EDCI-veg) was newly proposed to quantitatively evaluate and monitor the effects of meteorological drought on vegetation. A copula-based bivariate joint probability distribution between vegetation information and drought information was constructed, and EDCI-veg was derived from the joint probability model. Through the proposed EDCI-veg, it was possible to quantitatively estimate how much the vegetation condition was affected by the drought, and to identify the timing of the occurrence of the vegetation drought and the severity of the vegetation drought. In addition, as a result of examining the applicability of the proposed EDCI-veg by comparing past meteorological drought events with the corresponding vegetation conditions, it was found that EDCI-veg can reasonably monitor vegetation drought. It has been shown that the newly proposed EDCI-veg in this study can provide useful information on the ecological drought condition that changes with time. On the other hand, the ecological drought analysis based on the type of land cover showed that the response of vegetation to meteorological drought was different depending on the land cover. In particular, it was revealed that the vegetation inhabiting the forest has a relatively high resistance to meteorological drought.
An Effective Framework for Deep-Learning-Enhanced Quantitative Microwave Imaging and Its Potential for Medical Applications
Authors: Yago Ruiz Álvaro , Cavagnaro Marta , Crocco Lorenzo
Published: January 2023

Microwave imaging is emerging as an alternative modality to conventional medical diagnostics technologies. However, its adoption is hindered by the intrinsic difficulties faced in the solution of the underlying inverse scattering problem, namely non-linearity and ill-posedness. In this paper, an innovative approach for a reliable and automated solution of the inverse scattering problem is presented, which combines a qualitative imaging technique and deep learning in a two-step framework. In the first step, the orthogonality sampling method is employed to process measurements of the scattered field into an image, which explicitly provides an estimate of the targets shapes and implicitly encodes information in their contrast values. In the second step, the images obtained in the previous step are fed into a neural network (U-Net), whose duty is retrieving the exact shape of the target and its contrast value. This task is cast as an image segmentation one, where each pixel is classified into a discrete set of permittivity values within a given range. The use of a reduced number of possible permittivities facilitates the training stage by limiting its scope. The approach was tested with synthetic data and validated with experimental data taken from the Fresnel database to allow a fair comparison with the literature. Finally, its potential for biomedical imaging is demonstrated with a numerical example related to microwave brain stroke diagnosis.
Split-Ring Resonator Based Sensor for the Detection of Amino Acids in Liquids
Authors: Dehning Kirsten J. , Hitzemann Moritz , Gossmann Alexander , Zimmermann Stefan
Published: January 2023

Amino acids belong to the most important compounds for life. They are structural components of proteins and required for growth and maintenance of cells. Essential amino acids cannot be produced by the organism and must be ingested through the nutrition. Therefore, the detection of amino acids is of great interest when analyzing cell culture media and nutrition. In this work, we present a split-ring resonator as a simple but sensitive detector for amino acids. Split-ring resonators are RLC resonant circuits with a split capacitance and thus a resonance frequency that depends on the electromagnetic properties of a liquid sample at the split capacitance. Here, the split capacitance is an interdigital structure for highest sensitivity and covered with a fluidic channel for flow through experiments. First measurements with a vector network analyzer show detection limits in the range from 105 µM for glutamic acid to 1564 µM for isoleucine, depending on the electromagnetic properties of the tested amino acids. With an envelope detector for continuous recording of the resonance frequency, the split-ring resonator can be used in ion chromatography. At a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min, it reaches limits of detection of 485 µM for aspartic acid and 956 µM for lysine.
A Novel Fluorescent Sensor Based on Aptamer and qPCR for Determination of Glyphosate in Tap Water
Authors: Shao Yong , Tian Run , Duan Jiaqi , Wang Miao , Cao Jing , Cao Zhen , Li Guangyue , Jin Fen , Abd El-Aty A. M. , She Yongxin
Published: January 2023

Glyphosate (GLYP) is a broad-spectrum, nonselective, organic phosphine postemergence herbicide registered for many food and nonfood fields. Herein, we developed a biosensor (Mbs@dsDNA) based on carboxylated modified magnetic beads incubated with NH2-polyA and then hybridized with polyT-glyphosate aptamer and complementary DNA. Afterwards, a quantitative detection method based on qPCR was established. When the glyphosate aptamer on Mbs@dsDNA specifically recognizes glyphosate, complementary DNA is released and then enters the qPCR signal amplification process. The linear range of the method was 0.6 μmol/L–30 mmol/L and the detection limit was set at 0.6 μmol/L. The recoveries in tap water ranged from 103.4 to 104.9% and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were <1%. The aptamer proposed in this study has good potential for recognizing glyphosate. The detection method combined with qPCR might have good application prospects in detecting and supervising other pesticide residues.
Bibliometric Analysis and Key Messages of Monkeypox Research (2003–2022)
Authors: Yu Weijie , Zhang Xiaowen , Du Meijiao , Dong Yue , Liu Lin , Rong Hongguo , Liu Jianping
Published: January 2023

Objective: At the global level, a multi-country outbreak of monkeypox has attracted global attention. The purpose of this study is to explore the growing contribution of global research on monkeypox. Methods: Publications related to monkeypox were retrieved from PubMed and Web of Science. Bibliometric analyses were conducted by VOSviewer and CiteSpace software to generate network maps, evaluate hot topics in the field, and identify cooperation patterns between different authors and countries. Results: A total of 1822 publications were retrieved to reflect the global overall monkeypox research output, including clinical trials, systematic reviews, case reports, and laboratory studies. The most productive country and institution were respectively the United States and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—USA (CDC). The top three authors with the highest number of publications were all from the CDC. Research hotspots included some monkeypox-related diseases, such as smallpox and vaccinia, and the prevention and treatment of monkeypox diseases, such as antiviral drugs and smallpox vaccines. Research fronts included real-time PCR, immune evasion, animal models, and monkeypox outbreak countries (Democratic Republic of Congo and others). Conclusions: Research on monkeypox is mainly carried out from the aspects of its source, transmission route, virus prevalence, and prevention and control measures. Controlling monkeypox is a global responsibility, and the future research into monkeypox control methods is suggested to focus on more than vaccines.
A Systematic Literature Review on Local Sustainability Assessment Processes for Infrastructure Development Projects in Africa
Authors: Koppa Etheldreder Trecia , Musonda Innocent , Zulu Sambo Lyson
Published: January 2023

Reviews on sustainability assessment research have shown that Africa is lagging in this research area. As a result, few African countries have local sustainability assessment processes for infrastructure development. Considering the vital role of infrastructure to Africa’s development, the identification of only a few countries with local sustainability assessment processes raises questions on the overall state of sustainability assessment in the continent. To date, there is no study that gives a definite account of which African countries have local sustainability assessment processes for infrastructure. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review to identify and analyze local sustainability assessment process for infrastructure development in an African country. Using PRISMA to guide the review process, the study showed that six processes have been created for infrastructure development in Africa. The African countries with these processes are Egypt (three), Nigeria (one), Malawi and Kenya (one) and South Africa (one). The results showed that the sustainability assessment process correspond to most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets with social and economic considerations taking the lead in the processes created for energy and transport infrastructure development projects, whereas the sustainability assessment processes created for water supply, waste and communications infrastructure development projects have a balance of social, economic and environmental sustainability considerations. The review has revealed a need to create energy, transport and water supply infrastructure sustainability assessment processes that address current sustainability concerns such as climate change, social justice, equity, fairness and equality.
Energy Use Efficiency and Carbon Footprint of Greenhouse Hydroponic Cultivation Using Public Grid and PVs as Energy Providers
Authors: Liantas Georgios , Chatzigeorgiou Ioanna , Ravani Maria , Koukounaras Athanasios , Ntinas Georgios K.
Published: January 2023

As the greenhouse cultivation industry considers new ways to reduce energy demand and increase sustainable production, the global energy crisis constitutes a major issue. In this paper, two different energy sources for heating and cooling the root zone area of baby leafy vegetables grown in hydroponic tanks by resistors and chillers, respectively, were compared in order to fully cover power demand. The energy needs in the first case were met by the public electricity grid, while in the second case, the energy needs were covered by a photovoltaic system. The greenhouse was equipped with photovoltaic panels, an inverter, a charge controller and a storage system. The target-value of the root zone temperature was 22 °C. Data on solar radiation, root zone temperature, air temperature and humidity from the indoor and outdoor space of the greenhouse were recorded, and the energy production and carbon footprint for different seasons of the year were evaluated along with the crop yield. The results showed that the energy provided by solar panels was able to cover 58.0%, 83.3% and 9.6% of the energy for heating or cooling the root zone area during the spring, summer and winter periods, respectively. Regarding the carbon footprint of the energy used between the two systems, the system with the PV had a substantially lower value, which was calculated at 1.6 kg CO2-eq kg−1, compared to 49.9 kg CO2-eq kg−1 for the system with PPG for the whole year.
Biological Response of Invasive Parthenium Weed to Elevated Concentration of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Soil Salinity
Authors: Saravanane Pasoubady , Bajwa Ali Ahsan , Djanaguiraman Maduraimuthu , Adkins Steve W.
Published: January 2023

Climate change elements including elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and soil salinity significantly impact weed biology and management. In this study, we evaluated the performance of a highly invasive plant species, parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) grown at various soil salinity levels (ranging from 0 to 16 dS m−1) at two CO2 concentrations (ambient: 400 ppm and elevated: 700 ppm). The CO2 concentration and soil salinity individually affected various early growth attributes of parthenium weed. The interaction between CO2 and salinity was significant for chlorophyll index, stem dry weight and phenolics content. Parthenium weed plants grew taller (13%), achieved greater leaf area (28%) and produced more dry weight (24%) when raised under elevated as compared with the ambient CO2. Soil salinity had a dose-dependent, negative effect on various growth attributes, chlorophyll index, relative water content and phenolics content. Even the modest levels of salinity (4.2 to 4.6 dS m−1) caused 50% reduction in dry weights of leaves, roots and whole plants. Sodium ion (Na+) concentration peaked at the highest salinity level (16 dS m−1) as compared with the lower salinity levels (0 to 12 dS m−1). Overall, salinity had a negative effect on different growth variables but elevated CO2 improved growth and phenolics content regardless of the salt stress regime. Hence, parthenium weed could benefit from future atmospheric CO2 concentration and may invade some salt-affected areas.
Feasibility Study of China’s Carbon Tax System under the Carbon Neutrality Target—Based on the CGE Model
Authors: Gao Xiaoyan , Zhang Yuhao
Published: January 2023

In order to cope with the climate problem of global warming and respond to the call of the United Nations to reduce carbon emissions, China has put the goals of carbon peaking in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060 forward and has promoted the transformation and upgrading of the economic development mode and the green, low-carbon development path. In international practice, various countries have widely adopted the carbon trading market and tax policy as effective carbon emission reduction mechanisms and tools. In 2012, China implemented a carbon trading pilot project and established a national unified carbon trading market in 2021 based on accumulated experience, but the carbon tax has not yet been introduced. According to the international carbon tax practice and the current situation in China, the introduction of the carbon tax is conducive to the establishment of a sound carbon emission reduction system and the promotion of green and low-carbon development from the macro-control level. In this paper, we analyzed the necessity and theoretical research of carbon tax policy in China and explored the feasibility of a carbon tax in China by combining the internationally advanced carbon tax practice. By establishing a CGE model at the carbon-tax level and using the social accounting matrix (SAM) as the database, we simulated the impact of implementing carbon tax policies under different carbon tax prices on China’s environmental and economic benefits and whether the double-dividend effect of a carbon tax can be effectively realized. The results show that the carbon tax will help reduce carbon emissions and significantly affect carbon reduction. However, in the short term, it has a negative effect on economic development. Accordingly, it is suggested that a scientific carbon tax system should be established according to national conditions, and a carbon tax should be introduced at a lower carbon tax price. The carbon tax should be supplemented by carbon tax subsidies to ensure effective carbon emission reduction so as to alleviate the inhibiting effect on economic development. At the same time, the compound carbon emission reduction mechanism of carbon trading and tax should be improved to lay the institutional foundation for the early realization of the carbon neutrality target.
Legume Grains as an Alternative to Soybean Meal in the Diet of Intensively Reared Dairy Ewes
Authors: Vouraki Sotiria , Papanikolopoulou Vasiliki , Irakli Maria , Parissi Zoi , Abraham Eleni M. , Arsenos Georgios
Published: January 2023

Grain legumes are feedstuffs with high nutritional value that could replace soybean in dairy sheep nutrition. This could be beneficial in terms of economic efficiency and environmental sustainability. However, research regarding their potential effects on animal performance is scarce. The objective was to assess milk production and body condition score (BCS) of intensively reared dairy ewes after replacing soybean meal with a mixture of lupin, pea, vetch, and faba bean in their ration. A total of 40 Chios dairy ewes were randomly selected. They were allocated in two (n = 20) groups C and T; both were fed same amounts of Lucerne hay and wheat straw as well as a concentrate feed that was formulated with either inclusion of soybean meal for Group C or a mixture of legumes for Group T. Both feeds had equal energy and protein contents. Data collection was performed every 15 days for a 60-day period (a total of five measurements). In each measurement, ewe BCS was assessed, milk yield was recorded electronically, and individual milk samples were collected to assess chemical composition (fat, protein, lactose, and solids-non-fat content); energy corrected milk yield and milk components yield were calculated. Moreover, feed refusals from each group were weighed to calculate feed intake. Average individual daily concentrate feed intake was lower in Group T compared to C. Nutritional management did not significantly affect (p > 0.05) milk production and BCS. An exception was the last measurement where ewes in Group T had significantly (p < 0.05) higher milk protein, lactose and SNF yield, and lactose content. Results suggest that the studied legumes could replace soybean without compromising productivity of intensively reared dairy ewes.
The Impact and Mechanism of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Corporate Financing: Evidence from Listed Companies in China
Authors: Liao Lianggui , Wang Chan , Wen Hong-Xing , Nie Pu-Yan , Huang Ying
Published: January 2023

The unexpected emergence of COVID-19 has placed businesses throughout the globe under considerable financial hardship, and financial constraints are a significant barrier to business expansion, particularly in developing countries with insufficient credit markets. Using yearly data for Chinese listed businesses from 367 cities, we examine the impact of COVID-19 on financial restrictions and the corresponding mechanisms of action by using a difference-in-differences (DID) methodology. We discover that COVID-19 leads to a significant increase of 0.117 in the KZ index of listed firms, i.e., an increase in financing constraints, and this result is consistent with various robustness tests. We also show that COVID-19 considerably lowers a company’s capacity to obtain external financing by increasing debt costs and deterring commercial credit. The pandemic significantly reduced the company’s commercial credit by 0.008 and increased debt costs by 0.2%. Moreover, the data demonstrate variation across industries, business ownership, and firm scale. Our findings indicate that decreasing information asymmetries facilitate successful adaptation to and recovery from external shocks. Our analysis suggests that governments should promulgate policies that are conducive to corporate financing to help companies maintain development during the outbreak of the epidemic and ensure economic sustainability.
A Bibliometric Analysis on Tourism Sustainable Competitiveness Research
Authors: Soh Ann-Ni , Puah Chin-Hong , Arip Mohammad Affendy
Published: January 2023

The present bibliometric review of research intends to document and synthesize research trends in the domain of sustainable competitiveness over the past decade. Through bibliographical analysis of 1259 Scopus-indexed documents, the literature published from 2010 to 2020 has been identified. Publication output analysis, citation analysis, journal analysis, geographical distribution analysis, and co-occurrence keywords network analysis are utilised in this study to identify the trending research and future direction of this specific field of study using VOSviewer software and Harzing’s Publish and Perish software. Findings revealed that the literature on both sustainability and competitiveness solely is in its growth stage. The most productive countries in this domain are the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. In the retrieved documents, the sustainable competitiveness indeed plays a pivotal part in the evolution of the tourism field and laid a solid foundation for future research. As this paper provides an understanding on the possible mutual reinforcing relationship between two concepts, a stronger linkage on sustainable competitiveness that may catalyse tourism development can offer reference for future research through in-depth analysis.
The Heterogeneous Effects of Central and Local Subsidies on Firms’ Innovation
Authors: Yao Bo , Qiao Fangbin
Published: January 2023

Four decades of rapid economic growth have enabled the Chinese government to dedicate more resources to research and development. China is the world’s second largest spender on food and agricultural research in terms of absolute expenditures and the largest investor on a purchasing power parity basis. Using a unique panel dataset collected in 2019 in China’s seed company and fixed effect models, this study analyzes the heterogeneous effects of central subsidies and local subsidies. Specifically, this study first tests whether government subsidies have a positive impact on firms’ innovation. Then, this study answers whether the impact of local subsidies differs from that of central subsidies. The estimation results show that the central subsidies positively contribute to firm’s innovation, while the impact of local subsidies on firms’ innovation has not been confirmed. Further analysis shows that local subsidies positively affect firms’ economic performance. That is, rather than focusing on research capacity, local governments are more concerned about firms’ current economic performance due to the performance-based promotion scheme in China. Based on this study, local governments should implement similar methods to those of the central government in research project funding and criteria for selecting research projects to promote firms’ innovation.
On the Galactic Halos Rotation by Planck Data
Authors: Tahir Noraiz , De Paolis Francesco , Qadir Asghar , Nucita Achille A.
Published: January 2023

As galactic halos are not directly visible, there are many ambiguities regarding their composition and rotational velocity. Though most of the dark matter is non-baryonic, some fraction is, and it can be used to trace the halo rotation. Asymmetries in the CMB towards M31 had been seen in the Planck data and ascribed to the rotational Doppler shift of the M31 halo. Subsequently, the same methods were used in the direction of five other galaxies belonging to the Local Group, namely M33, M81, M82, NGC 5128, and NGC 4594. It had been proved that there could be stable clouds of gas and dust in thermal equilibrium with the CMB at 2.7 K, which had been called “virial clouds”. In this paper, adopting this scenerio, an attempt is made to constrain the fraction of dust grains and gas molecules in the clouds.
Gait Phase Classification of Lower Limb Exoskeleton Based on a Compound Network Model
Authors: Xia Yuxuan , Li Jiaqian , Yang Dong , Wei Wei
Published: January 2023

The classification of lower limb gait phase is very important for the control of exoskeleton robots. In order to enable the exoskeleton to determine gait phase and provide appropriate assistance to the wearer, we propose a compound network based on CNN-BiLSTM. The method uses data from inertial measurement units placed on the leg and pressure sensor arrays placed on the sole as inputs to the model. The convolutional neural network (CNN) is used to obtain the local key features of gait data, and then the bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network is used to extract the serialized gait phase information from the local key features to obtain the high-level feature expression. Finally, the seven phases of both feet were obtained through the classification of the softmax layer. We designed a gait acquisition system and collected the gait data from seven subjects at varying walking speeds. In the test set, the highest gait phase classification accuracy can reach 95.09%. We compared the proposed model with the long short-term memory (LSTM) network and gated recurrent unit (GRU) network. The experimental results show that the average accuracy of CNN-BiLSTM network from seven subjects is 0.417% higher than that of the LSTM network and 0.596% higher than that of the GRU network. Therefore, the ability of the CNN-BiLSTM network to classify gait phases can be applied in designing exoskeleton controllers that can better assist for different gait phases correctly to assist the wearer to walk.
Soliton Waves with the (3+1)-Dimensional Kadomtsev–Petviashvili–Boussinesq Equation in Water Wave Dynamics
Authors: Ozisik Muslum , Secer Aydin , Bayram Mustafa
Published: January 2023

We examined the (3+1)-dimensional Kadomtsev–Petviashvili–Boussinesq (KP-B) equation, which arises not only in fluid dynamics, superfluids, physics, and plasma physics but also in the construction of connections between the hydrodynamic and optical model fields. Moreover, unlike the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation (KPE), the KP-B equation allows the modeling of waves traveling in both directions and does not require the zero-mass assumption, which is necessary for many scientific applications. Considering these properties enables researchers to obtain more precise results in many physics and engineering applications, especially in research on the dynamics of water waves. We used the modified extended tanh function method (METFM) and Kudryashov’s method, which are easily applicable, do not require further mathematical manipulations, and give effective results to investigate the physical properties of the KP-B equation and its soliton solutions. As the output of the work, we obtained some new singular soliton solutions to the governed equation and simulated them with 3D and 2D graphs for the reader to understand clearly. These results and graphs describe the single and singular soliton properties of the (3+1)-dimensional KP-B equation that have not been studied and presented in the literature before, and the methods can also help in obtaining the solution to the evolution equations and understanding wave propagation in water wave dynamics.