bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent Advances in the Detection of Indoor Fungi
Authors: Magyar Donát
Published: September 2023

According to reviews carried out by numerous studies from different geographic areas and by several scientific bodies, including the WHO [...]
Nor-24-homoscalaranes, Neutrophilic Inflammatory Mediators from the Marine Sponge Lendenfeldia sp.
Authors: Peng Bo-Rong , Zheng Li-Guo , Chen Lo-Yun , El-Shazly Mohamed , Hwang Tsong-Long , Su Jui-Hsin , Lee Mei-Hsien , Lai Kuei-Hung , Sung Ping-Jyun
Published: September 2023

The marine sponge Lendenfeldia sp., collected from the Southern waters of Taiwan, was subjected to chemical composition screening, resulting in the isolation of four new 24-homoscalarane compounds, namely lendenfeldaranes R–U (1–4). The structures and relative stereochemistry of the new metabolites 1–4 were assigned based on NMR studies. The absolute configurations of compounds 1–4 were determined by comparing the calculated and experimental values of specific optical rotation. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the isolated compounds were assayed using superoxide anion generation and elastase release assays. These assays are used to determine neutrophilic inflammatory responses of respiratory burst and degranulation. Compounds 2 and 4 inhibited superoxide anion generation by human neutrophils in response to formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine/cytochalasin B (fMLP/CB) with IC50: 3.98–4.46 μM. Compounds 2 and 4 inhibited fMLP/CB-induced elastase release, with IC50 values ranging from 4.73 to 5.24 μM. These findings suggested that these new 24-homoscalarane compounds possess unique structures and potential anti-inflammatory activity.
Development of Novel Micellar-Enhanced High-Throughput Microwell Spectrofluorimetric Method for Quantification of Lorlatinib: Application to In Vitro Drug Release and Analysis of Urine Samples
Authors: Al-Hossaini Abdullah M. , Darwish Hany W. , Bakheit Ahmed H. , Darwish Ibrahim A.
Published: September 2023

Lorlatinib (LOR) is a third-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an approval for the use of LOR as a first therapeutic intervention for individuals diagnosed with ALK-positive metastatic and advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The present study outlines, for the first time, the development and validation of an innovative microwell-based spectrofluorimetric (MW-SFL) method for the quantification of LOR. The proposed method involved the enhancement of the weak native fluorescence of LOR by its micellization into the sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) micelles. The procedures of the method were conducted in white opaque plates with 96 microwells, and the enhanced fluorescence signals were measured by a fluorescence plate reader at 405 nm after excitation at 310 nm. The measured relative fluorescence intensity (RFI) had a linear relationship with LOR concentrations in the range of 60–1600 ng mL−1. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were found to be 19 and 56 ng mL−1, respectively. The method’s accuracy and precision were assessed using a recovery study; the recovery values ranged from 99.98% to 101.40%, accompanied by relative standard deviation (RSD) values of 0.42% to 1.59%. The proposed MW-SFL method combined the advantages of the intrinsically high sensitivity of the spectrofluorimetric measurement and the excellent throughput of the microwell-based approach. The results proved the method is effective in the determination of LOR in its pharmaceutical tablets, tablet dissolution testing, as well as in spiked urine with a high degree of precision and accuracy. The MW-SFL method is notable for its simple procedures and utilization of water as a solvent, as well as minimal quantities of sample solutions. These features align with its ecofriendly approach to green chemistry principles. These advantages gave the proposed MW-SFL method a high potential value for the determination of LOR in clinical and quality control laboratories.
Synthesis and Biological Studies of Benzo[b]furan Derivatives: A Review from 2011 to 2022
Authors: Arce-Ramos Lizeth , Castillo Juan-Carlos , Becerra Diana
Published: September 2023

The importance of the benzo[b]furan motif becomes evident in the remarkable results of numerous biological investigations, establishing its potential as a robust therapeutic option. This review presents an overview of the synthesis of and exhaustive biological studies conducted on benzo[b]furan derivatives from 2011 to 2022, accentuating their exceptional promise as anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal agents. Initially, the discussion focuses on chemical synthesis, molecular docking simulations, and both in vitro and in vivo studies. Additionally, we provide an analysis of the intricate interplay between structure and activity, thereby facilitating comparisons and profoundly emphasizing the applications of the benzo[b]furan motif within the realms of drug discovery and medicinal chemistry.
Effects of Climate Change and Fencing on Forage Nutrition Quality of Alpine Grasslands in the Northern Tibet
Authors: Zhang Guangyu , Dai Erfu , Dawaqiongda  , Luobu  , Fu Gang
Published: September 2023

How climate change and fencing will affect forage nutrition quality of alpine grasslands is still unknown in the Northern Tibet. Here, we reported the effects of climate change and fencing on forage nutrition quality (i.e., CP: crude protein, ADF: acid detergent fiber, NDF: neutral detergent fiber, Ash: crude ash, EE: ether extract and DTS: dissolvable total sugar) in alpine grasslands across the Northern Tibet based on a transect survey dataset from 2018. Over the whole survey transect, fencing reduced the NDF content by 5.15% and the EE content by 15.79%, but did not affect forage nutrition quality (R2 = 0.04, p = 0.389). Air temperature and precipitation explained 24% and 8% of variation in the CP content under the fencing conditions, respectively. Precipitation explained 22% of variation in the NDF content under the fencing conditions. The CP content decreased and increased exponentially with increasing air temperature under the fencing and grazing conditions, respectively. The NDF content showed logarithmic and negative relationships with precipitation under the fencing and grazing conditions (−8.45 vs. −6.68lnNDF). The response of the CP content to fencing showed negative relationships with temperature and the response of AGB to fencing, but showed a positive relationship with precipitation. The CP and DTS contents showed negative relationships with AGB under the fencing and grazing conditions. In contrast, the ADF content showed a positive relationship with AGB. The response of AGB, SR and community composition to fencing explained 11%, 56% and 35% of variation in the response of forage nutrition quality to fencing, respectively. Therefore, climate change may not always have adverse effects on forage nutrition quality, whereas fencing may not always have favorable effects on forage nutrition quality. Fencing and climate change can have an interactive effect on forage nutrition quality. Fencing can alter the temperature and precipitation sensitivities of forage nutrition quality. In colder and wetter regions, the forage nutrition quality may be more responsive to fencing. There may be a trade-off between forage nutrition quality and quantity. Compared to the change in AGB caused by fencing, the changes in species α-diversity and community composition caused by fencing can have greater effects on the response of forage nutrition quality to fencing. Local climate conditions and the trade-offs between forage nutrition quality and biomass should be considered when evaluating the effects of fencing on the restoration of degraded grassland plants.
Do Silicon and Salicylic Acid Attenuate Water Deficit Damage in Talisia esculenta Radlk Seedlings?
Authors: Figueiredo Vanda Maria de Aquino , Scalon Silvana de Paula Quintão , Santos Cleberton Correia , Linné Jéssica Aline , Silverio Juliana Milene , Cerqueira Wállas Matos , de Almeida João Lucas da Costa Santos
Published: September 2023

Water deficit is one of the factors that most influence plant growth and yield. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of silicon and salicylic acid application and water deficit on the growth and photosynthetic and osmoregulatory metabolism of Talisia esculenta Radlk. seedlings and their recovery potential after the resumption of irrigation. Six treatments were performed: irrigation, irrigation suspension, irrigation suspension + silicon at 0.5 g L−1, irrigation suspension + silicon at 1.0 g L−1, irrigation suspension + salicylic acid at 50 mg L−1, and irrigation suspension + salicylic acid at 100 mg L−1. The evaluations were carried out at the beginning of the experiment, at 10 and 15 days after irrigation suspension, when the seedlings showed a photosynthetic rate close to zero, and at recovery. The plants were subjected to water restriction for up to 15 days, then re-irrigated until the recovery point, which was monitored based on the photosynthetic rate. Silicon application attenuated the harmful effects of water deficit on gas exchange and initial fluorescence, promoted proline accumulation in the leaf and root, and provided higher seedling quality. Salicylic acid application contributed to the maintenance of the relative water content of leaves during the water deficit period. Silicon and salicylic acid applications can attenuate the harmful effects of water stress, with silicon being the most effective agent in maintaining its growth and metabolism.
Adult Diaphorina citri Biocontrol Using Hirsutella citriformis Strains and Gum Formulations
Authors: Cantú-Bernal Servando H. , Gomez-Flores Ricardo , Flores-Villarreal Rosa A. , Orozco-Flores Alonso A. , Romo-Sáenz César I. , Montesinos-Matías Roberto , Mellín-Rosas Marco A. , Sánchez-González Jorge A. , Pérez-González Orquídea , Tamez-Guerra Patricia
Published: September 2023

Hirsutella citriformis Speare is the only entomopathogenic fungus that has been applied to control the hemipteran Diaphorina citri Kuwayama. However, the use of available commercial products under field conditions is limited due to conidia’s shelf life and short environmental persistence. We have previously reported the citrus psyllid D. citri adults’ biocontrol potential using H. citriformis strains. The aim of the present study was to evaluate different formulations based on H. citriformis (OP-Hir-3, OP-Hir-10, and OP-Hir-12 strains) conidia and gums as additives to improve D. citri adults’ biocontrol, under laboratory, greenhouse, and field conditions, using Hirsutella gums as conidia stabilizers to improve their viability under environmental drought conditions and as insecticide. Laboratory bioassay results showed that the highest (p < 0.05) D. citri mortality was achieved using FOP-Hir-10GH (63.5%), followed by the Hirsutella gum control (42.2%). Under greenhouse conditions, adults’ mortality reached up to 84.6% with FOP-Hir-12 and 49.0% with Hirsutella gum. In addition, we applied H. citriformis formulations under field conditions in a commercial citrus grove located in Tecomán, Colima, México, at 21.5 °C and 73.3% relative humidity (RH) in March and 25.7 °C and 72.5% RH in October 2022 and observed 67.3% and 94.0% mortality of D. citri adults, respectively. Hirsutella gum alone showed significant insecticidal activity against D. citri adults. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that Hirsutella gum functioned as additive to H. citriformis conidia formulations, improving D. citri adults’ mortality and showing potential for this pest biocontrol in citrus orchards.
Non-Isothermal Simulation and Safety Analysis of Twin-Screw Extrusion Process for Synthetizing Glycidyl Azide Polymer-Based Energetic Thermoplastic Elastomer
Authors: Yuan Junming , Liu Yan , Wang Jinying , Qu Yuan , Sun Hu , Qin Yue , Wang Nan
Published: September 2023

In order to study the temperature variation and flow characteristics in the twin-screw reactive extrusion process of synthetizing glycidyl azide polymer-based energetic thermoplastic elastomer (GAP-ETPE), a non-isothermal simulation and a safety analysis were carried out. Firstly, based on the synthesis principle of GAP-ETPE, a mechanical sensitivity test, viscosity test and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of GAP-ETPE were carried out. Secondly, a three-dimensional physical model of the intermeshing co-rotating conveying element was established by Gambit. A three-dimensional non-isothermal numerical simulation of the conveying and kneading elements was carried out using FLUENT 19.0 software. The temperature, pressure and shear stress field of conveying and kneading elements with different staggered angles were analyzed and compared. The results show that the maximum temperature of the kneading element is always slightly higher than that of the conveying element at the same rotational speed, but the average temperature in the flow channel is always slightly higher than that of the kneading element. The inlet and outlet pressure difference of the kneading elements with a 90° offset angle is the smallest and the safety is the highest. The shear stress in the flow channel of the conveying element is higher than that of the kneading element as a whole, but the shear stress near the outlet of the 90° kneading element is higher than that in the flow channel of the conveying element. Among the kneading elements, the 90° kneading element has the strongest dispersing and mixing ability, followed by the 60° and 45° kneading elements. According to the thermal and physical parameters of the material, the ignition response time is approximately 6 s, which provides a theoretical guide for the safety design of the GAP-ETPE twin-screw extruder.
Washable and Flexible Screen-Printed Ag/AgCl Electrode on Textiles for ECG Monitoring
Authors: Tu Huating , Li Xiaoou , Lin Xiangde , Lang Chenhong , Gao Yang
Published: September 2023

Electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes are important sensors for detecting heart disease whose performance determines the validity and accuracy of the collected original ECG signals. Due to the large drawbacks (e.g., allergy, shelf life) of traditional commercial gel electrodes, textile electrodes receive widespread attention for their excellent comfortability and breathability. This work demonstrated a dry electrode for ECG monitoring fabricated by screen printing silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) conductive ink on ordinary polyester fabric. The results show that the screen-printed textile electrodes have good and stable electrical and electrochemical properties and excellent ECG signal acquisition performance. Furthermore, the resistance of the screen-printed textile electrode is maintained within 0.5 Ω/cm after 5000 bending cycles or 20 washing and drying cycles, exhibiting excellent flexibility and durability. This research provides favorable support for the design and preparation of flexible and wearable electrophysiological sensing platforms.
Encapsulation of Methanotrophs within a Polymeric Matrix Containing Copper- and Iron-Based Nanoparticles to Enhance Methanol Production from a Simulated Biogas
Authors: Patel Sanjay K. S. , Gupta Rahul K. , Kim In-Won , Lee Jung-Kul
Published: September 2023

The production of renewable energy or biochemicals is gaining more attention to minimize the emissions of greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide for sustainable development. In the present study, the influence of copper (Cu)- and iron (Fe)-based nanoparticles (NPs), such as Cu, Fe3O4, and CuFe2O4, was evaluated during the growth of methanotrophs for inoculum preparation and on the development of a polymeric-matrix-based encapsulation system to enhance methanol production from simulated biogas (CH4 and CO2). The use of simulated biogas feed and the presence of NP-derived inoculums produce a remarkable enhancement in methanol production up to 149% and 167% for Methyloferula stellata and Methylocystis bryophila free-cells-based bioconversion, respectively, compared with the use of pure CH4 as a control feed during the growth stage. Furthermore, these methanotrophs encapsulated within a polymeric matrix and NPs-based systems exhibited high methanol production of up to 156%, with a maximum methanol accumulation of 12.8 mmol/L over free cells. Furthermore, after encapsulation, the methanotrophs improved the stability of residual methanol production and retained up to 62.5-fold higher production potential than free cells under repeated batch reusability of 10 cycles. In the presence of CH4 vectors, methanol production by M. bryophila improved up to 16.4 mmol/L and retained 20% higher recycling stability for methanol production in paraffin oil. These findings suggest that Cu and Fe NPs can be beneficially employed with a polymeric matrix to encapsulate methanotrophs and improve methanol production.
Benzylfentanyl as a Surrogate Template for Fentanyl-Selective Imprinted Polymers
Authors: Hasan Md. Ragib , Spivak David A.
Published: September 2023

The illicit use of fentanyl has led to hundreds of thousands of opioid-related deaths worldwide. Therefore, the detection of fentanyl by law enforcement and recreational users is of utmost importance. However, current detection methods are expensive, time-consuming, require special storage conditions, and necessitate complex instrumentation that is generally unportable and requires skilled personnel to operate. An alternative approach would be using molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as the recognition component of a handheld sensor, testing strip, or color-based assay. In this work, a molecularly imprinted polymer was constructed using the functional monomer methacrylic acid (MAA) and the cross-linking monomer ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), with benzylfentanyl (Bfen) as the template. The use of benzylfentanyl is advantageous because it closely mimics fentanyl’s structure but does not cause any physiological narcotic effects. Important studies herein determined the optimum ratio of the template/functional monomer, with subsequent evaluations of selectivity of the MIP for the template and fentanyl versus the commonly encountered narcotics such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. The data obtained from the HPLC analysis showed that the Bfen-MIP was successful in selectively binding the template and actual fentanyl, better than other common narcotics.
Enhancing Dental Cement Bond Strength with Autofocus-Laser-Cutter-Generated Grooves on Polyetheretherketone Surfaces
Authors: Peng Tzu-Yu , Ma Tien-Li , Lee I-Ta , Wu Sheng-Han , Mine Yuichi , Lin Chia-Cheng
Published: September 2023

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is widely used in dentistry owing to its exceptional properties, including its natural appearance; however, existing surface treatment methods for bonding PEEK have limitations. Autofocus laser cutters, known for their precise engraving and cutting capabilities, offer potential for surface treatment of PEEK; thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the creation of laser groove structures on PEEK to enhance its bonding capability with dental resin cement. A dental computer-aided design and manufacturing system was used to fabricate PEEK samples, and three groove patterns (circle, line, and grid) were generated on PEEK surfaces, with air-abrasion used as the control group. The surface characteristics, cell viability, and bond strength were evaluated, and the data were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey’s tests (α = 0.05). Laser-treated PEEK exhibited a uniform texture with a groove depth of approximately 39.4 µm, hydrophobic properties with a contact angle exceeding 90°, a surface roughness of 7.3–12.4 µm, consistent topography, and comparable cell viability compared with untreated PEEK. Despite a decrease in bond strength after thermal cycling, no significant intergroup differences were observed, except for the line-shaped laser pattern. These findings indicate that the autofocus laser cutter effectively enhances the surface characteristics of PEEK by creating a uniform texture and grooves, showing promise in improving bonding properties, even considering the impact of thermal cycling effects.
Optimization and Efficiency Enhancement of Modified Polymer Solar Cells
Authors: Khan Muhammad Raheel , Jarząbek Bożena
Published: September 2023

In this study, an organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell with a spiro OMeTAD as a hole transport layer (HTL) and a PDINO as an electron transport layer (ETL) was simulated through the one-dimensional solar capacitance simulator (SCAPS-1D) software to examine the performance of this type of organic polymer thin-film solar cell. As an active layer, a blend of polymer donor PBDB-T and non-fullerene acceptor ITIC-OE was used. Numerical simulation was performed by varying the thickness of the HTL and the active layer. Firstly, the HTL layer thickness was optimized to 50 nm; after that, the active-layer thickness was varied up to 80 nm. The results of these simulations demonstrated that the HTL thickness has rather little impact on efficiency while the active-layer thickness improves efficiency significantly. The temperature effect on the performance of the solar cells was considered by simulations performed for temperatures from 300 to 400 K; the efficiency of the solar cell decreased with increasing temperature. Generally, polymer films are usually full of traps and defects; the density of the defect (Nt) value was also introduced to the simulation, and it was confirmed that with the increase in defect density (Nt), the efficiency of the solar cell decreases. After thickness, temperature and defect density optimization, a reflective coating was also applied to the cell. It turned out that by introducing the reflective coating to the back side of the solar cell, the efficiency increased by 2.5%. Additionally, the positive effects of HTL and ETL doping on the efficiency of this type of solar cells were demonstrated.
Anti-Fouling Properties of Phosphonium Ionic Liquid Coatings in the Marine Environment
Authors: Baiju Sajith Kaniyadan , Martin Brent James , Fredericks Rayleen , Raghavan Harikrishnan , De Silva Karnika , Cowan Matthew Greig
Published: September 2023

Biofouling is the buildup of marine organisms on a submerged material. This research tests the efficacy of phosphonium ion gels comprising phosphonium monomers ([P444VB][AOT] and [P888VB][AOT]) and free ionic liquid ([P4448][AOT], [P88814][AOT]) (10 to 50 wt%), varying copper(II) oxide biocide concentrations (0 to 2 wt%), and the docusate anion [AOT]− for added hydrophobicity. The efficacy of these formulations was tested using a seachest simulator protected from light and tidal currents in New Zealand coastal waters over the summer and autumn periods. Anti-fouling performance was correlated with the hydrophobicity of the surface (water contact angle: 14–131°) and biocide concentration. Formulations with higher hydrophobicity (i.e., less free ionic liquid and longer alkyl chain substituents) displayed superior anti-fouling performance. The presence of the copper(II) biocide negatively affected anti-fouling performance via significant increases to hydrophilicity. No correlation was observed between antimicrobial activity and anti-fouling performance. Overall, phosphonium ion gels show potential for combining anti-fouling and foul release properties.
Design and Research of a Field Bus Control System Laboratory for Metal Mining, Beneficiation and Metallurgy
Authors: Wang Siyuan , Lei Jiugang , Hu Shan , Tang Guxiu , Chen Zhen , Yang Weiwei , Liu Yufeng , Zhang Guofan
Published: September 2023

Fieldbus control systems play a pivotal role in industries such as mining, beneficiation, and metallurgy, facilitating precise process control. However, diverse process conditions and applications often lead to challenges during system implementation. The prevalence of process control projects underscores the need for dedicated control system laboratories to address these problems. Our research delves into the complexities of process control systems, focusing on mainstream brands such as Siemens, Rockwell, and Emerson, involving analysis of network architectures, software, and hardware configurations. Through rigorous testing of real equipment systems, we uncover prevalent issues in practical control system applications. These findings guide the resolution of technical challenges faced in project control, concurrently enhancing the design and debugging prowess of engineering professionals. We also anticipate the trajectory of intelligent manufacturing, embracing collaborative manufacturing aspects in networked environments. This research establishs a robust foundation for the forthcoming generation of control network technologies specific to metal mining, beneficiation, and metallurgy.
Fast Prediction of the Temperature Field Surrounding a Hot Oil Pipe Using the POD-BP Model
Authors: Yan Feng , Jiao Kaituo , Nie Chaofei , Han Dongxu , Li Qifu , Chen Yujie
Published: September 2023

The heat transfer assessment of a buried hot oil pipe is essential for the economical and safe transportation of the pipeline, where the basis is to determine the temperature field surrounding the pipe quickly. This work proposes a novel method to efficiently predict the temperature field surrounding a hot oil pipe, which combines the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method and the backpropagation (BP) neural network, named the POD-BP model. Specifically, the BP neural network is used to establish the mapping relationship between spectrum coefficients and the preset parameters of the sample. Compared with the classical POD reduced-order model, the POD-BP model avoids solving the system of reduced-order governing equations with spectrum coefficients as variables, thus improving the prediction speed. Another advantage is that it is easy to implement and does not require tremendous mathematical derivation of reduced-order governing equations. The POD-BP model is then used to predict the temperature field surrounding the hot oil pipe, and the sample matrix is obtained from the numerical results using the finite volume method (FVM). In validation cases, both steady and unsteady states are investigated, and multiple boundary conditions, thermal properties, and even geometry parameters (different buried depths and pipe diameters) are tested. The mean errors of steady and unsteady cases are 0.845~3.052% and 0.133~1.439%, respectively. Appealingly, almost no time, around 0.008 s, is consumed in predicting unsteady situations using the proposed POD-BP model, while the FVM requires a computational time of 70 s.
Comparative Study of Rhodamine B Treatment: Assessing of Efficiency Processes and Ecotoxicity of By-Products
Authors: Chadelaud Thomas , Zeghioud Hicham , Reynoso de la Garza Alonso , Fuerte Omar , Benítez-Rico Adriana , Revel Messika , Chávez-Miyauchi Tomás E. , Djelal Hayet
Published: September 2023

In this work, a comparative study between two processes was performed—biodegradation and photocatalysis, as an advanced oxidation process—to discover which one is more efficient to degrade Rhodamine B, a synthetic dye widely used in the textile and food industries. The advantage of this study is that it correlates treatment efficiency with the ecotoxicity of the by-products resulting from the treatments. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been difficult to use activated sludge because of the risk factor of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, biodegradation tests were conducted with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in this study. For the photocatalysis assays, TiO2 doped with 5 per cent Cerium was used as a catalyst under UV light irradiation. S. cerevisiae cannot reduce RhB by biodegradation. However, a 13 per cent biosorption was observed with an uptake capacity of 4.2 mg g−1 dry matter of S. cerevisiae cultivated in the presence of 5 mg L−1 of RhB after 150 min. At a 5 mg L−1 of RhB concentration, the 6 h photocatalysis treatment led to 55% color removal and 8.6% COT reduction. The biodegradability of the photocatalyzed solution increased since the BOD5/COD ratio raised from 0.10 to 0.42. In the presence of glucose as a source of carbon, yeast can grow on the by-products generated by photocatalysis. The phytotoxicity of RhB in solution was measured using the germination index (GI) of watercress seeds. The GI decreases by 75% for an RhB solution of 100 mg L−1 compared to the control sample. The by-products of the photocatalytic treatment, using crustaceans Daphnia magna and conducted with solutions of Rhodamine B, induced a decrease of 24% in the GI. Lethality test. After 3 or 6 h of treatment, no increase in immobilization or mortality of D. magna was observed compared to the negative control.
A Perspective on the Prospect of Pickering Emulsion in Reservoir Conformance Control with Insight into the Influential Parameters and Characterization Techniques
Authors: Yousufi Muhammad Mohsin , Dzulkarnain Iskandar bin , Elhaj Mysara Eissa Mohyaldinn , Ahmed Shehzad
Published: September 2023

In reservoir conformance control, polymer gels and foams are majorly used; however, they have drawbacks such as inducing formation damage, having weaker shear resistance, requiring a higher pumping rate, and limited penetration depth. Emulsions are a potential alternative that can address these issues, but they are not widely used. Current surfactant-based emulsions require high emulsifier concentrations for stability and often rely on multiple additives to address various factors, which makes the surfactant synthesis and utilization of emulsions quite challenging. However, Pickering emulsions, which utilize solid particles for emulsion stabilization, have emerged as a promising solution for reservoir conformance control. Compared to conventional polymer gels and foams, Pickering emulsions offer superior shear resistance, deeper penetration, and reduced formation damage. This review provides an overview of recent developments in the utilization of Pickering emulsions for conformance control, highlighting important parameters and characteristics that must be considered during the design and deployment of a Pickering emulsion for water shut-off operation. This review also sheds light on current challenges and provides recommendations for future development of the particle-stabilized colloid system.
Rice Water—More a Source of Nutrition Elements or Toxic Arsenic? Multi-Element Analysis of Home-Made (Natural) Rice Water and Commercialized Rice-Based Products Using (HG)-ICP OES
Authors: Welna Maja , Szymczycha-Madeja Anna , Pohl Pawel
Published: September 2023

Although rice is a well-known source of nutrients, it unfortunately accumulates As the most compared to other cereal plants. Due to the growing interest in rice-based cosmetics, the aim of the work was the multi-element analysis of various home-made (natural) rice waters and commercialized ready-to-use rice-based cosmetics for skin/hair. The total concentrations of Al, As Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in raw rice and rice products were determined using inductively coupled optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) after wet sample decomposition in the presence of concentrated HNO3. In the case of As, the hydride generation (HG) technique was used as a sample introduction system to the ICP OES instrument. Five different procedures, including washing/rinsing, soaking, boiling, and fermentation steps, and three rice types, i.e., white, brow, and jasmine, were used for this purpose. The effects of the water temperature, the contact time of rice grains with water, and the type of rice on the water-soluble concentrations of elements were examined and compared. A significant difference in the solubility of elements was observed depending on the type of rice, with the lowest percentage of extraction noted for brown rice. The best option was soaking unwashed rice grains in a six-fold excess of cold water for 30 min. The selection criterion was to preserve the highest content of essential elements (Ca (0.76–1.2 mg kg−1), Cu (9.2–43 ng k−1), Fe (0.096–0.30 mg kg−1), Mg (6.9–11 mg kg−1), Mn (0.16–10.32 mg kg−1), and Zn (0.083–0.25 mg kg−1)) with reduced to a minimum As level, i.e., <5 ng g−1 (2.8–4.8 ng g−1), making this water safe for consumption. In contrast, regularly drinking water after boiling or soaking rice grains in hot water carries the risk of consuming an excessive amount of this element due to As content exceeding the permissible value, i.e., 10 ppb. Finally, these home-made products were compared with commercialized cosmetics for skin/hair, with satisfactory results.
Evaluation of Hydrogen Addition on Combustion and Emission Characteristics of Dual-Fuel Diesel Engines with Different Compression Ratios
Authors: Wang Su , Li Youchang , Lv Junshuai , Liu Zhonghang , Gao Sheng , Hu Jingyi , Zhang Jian , Zhong Weihuang , Zhao Ziheng
Published: September 2023

In this paper, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was established and verified on the basis of experimental results, and then the effect of hydrogenation addition on combustion and emission characteristics of a diesel–hydrogen dual-fuel engine fueled with hydrogenation addition (0%, 5%, and 10%) under different hydrogenation energy shares (HESs) and compression ratios (CRs) were investigated using CONVERGE3.0 software. And, this work assumed that the hydrogen and air were premixed uniformly. The correctness of the simulation model was verified by experimental data. The values of HES are in the range of 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%. And, the values of CR are in the range of 14, 16, 18, and 20. The results of this study showed that the addition of hydrogen to diesel fuel has a significant effect on the combustion characteristics and the emission characteristics of diesel engines. When the HES was 15%, the in-cylinder pressure increased by 10.54%. The in-cylinder temperature increased by 15.11%. When the CR was 20, the in-cylinder pressure and the in-cylinder temperature increased by 66.10% and 13.09%, respectively. In all cases, HC, CO, CO2, and soot emissions decreased as the HES increased. But, NOx emission increased.
Active Steering Controller for Driven Independently Rotating Wheelset Vehicles Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Lu Zhenggang , Wei Juyao , Wang Zehan
Published: September 2023

This paper proposes an active steering controller for Driven Independently Rotating Wheelset (DIRW) vehicles based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL). For the two-axle railway vehicles equipped with Independently Rotating Wheelsets (IRWs), each wheel connected to a wheel-side motor, the Ape-X DDPG controller, an enhanced version of the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm, is adopted. Incorporating Distributed Prioritized Experience Replay (DPER), Ape-X DDPG trains neural network function approximators to obtain a data-driven DIRW active steering controller. This controller is utilized to control the input torque of each wheel, aiming to improve the steering capability of IRWs. Simulation results indicate that compared to the existing model-based H∞ control algorithm and data-driven DDPG control algorithm, the Ape-X DDPG active steering controller demonstrates better curving steering performance and centering ability in straight tracks across different running conditions and significantly reduces wheel–rail wear. To validate the proposed algorithm’s efficacy in real vehicles, a 1:5 scale model of the DIRW vehicle and its digital twin dynamic model were designed and manufactured. The proposed control algorithm was deployed on the scale vehicle and subjected to active steering control experiments on a scaled track. The experimental results reveal that under the active steering control of the Ape-X DDPG controller, the steering performance of the DIRW scale model on both straight and curved tracks is significantly enhanced.
RMX/PIccc: An Extended Person–Item Map and a Unified IRT Output for eRm, psychotools, ltm, mirt, and TAM
Authors: Kabic Milica , Alexandrowicz Rainer W.
Published: September 2023

A constituting feature of item response models is that item and person parameters share a latent scale and are therefore comparable. The Person–Item Map is a useful graphical tool to visualize the alignment of the two parameter sets. However, the “classical” variant has some shortcomings, which are overcome by the new RMX package (Rasch models—eXtended). The package provides the RMX::plotPIccc() function, which creates an extended version of the classical PI Map, termed “PIccc”. It juxtaposes the person parameter distribution to various item-related functions, like category and item characteristic curves and category, item, and test information curves. The function supports many item response models and processes the return objects of five major R packages for IRT analysis. It returns the used parameters in a unified form, thus allowing for their further processing. The R package RMX is freely available at osf.io/n9c5r.
Evaluating the Effect of Planned Missing Designs in Structural Equation Model Fit Measures
Authors: Vicente Paula C. R.
Published: September 2023

In a planned missing design, the nonresponses occur according to the researcher’s will, with the goal of increasing data quality and avoiding overly extensive questionnaires. When adjusting a structural equation model to the data, there are different criteria to evaluate how the theoretical model fits the observed data, with the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR), comparative fit index (CFI) and Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) being the most common. Here, I explore the effect of the nonresponses due to a specific planned missing design—the three-form design—on the mentioned fit indices when adjusting a structural equation model. A simulation study was conducted with correctly specified model and one model with misspecified correlation between factors. The CFI, TLI and SRMR indices are affected by the nonresponses, particularly with small samples, low factor loadings and numerous observed variables. The existence of nonresponses when considering misspecified models causes unacceptable values for all the four fit indexes under analysis, namely when a strong correlation between factors is considered. The results shown here were performed with the simsem package in R and the full information maximum-likelihood method was used for handling missing data during model fitting.
Scientific Excellence and Publication Patterns: The Winning Applicants of the Bolyai János Research Scholarship in Hungary in 2021
Authors: Sasvári Péter , Kaiser Tamás , Várföldi Krisztián , Fási Csaba
Published: September 2023

The following paper examines some of the publishing habits observed among the winning applicants of the Bolyai János Research Scholarship. As an academic support programme, the Bolyai Research Scholarship forms a bridge between scholars with the title of doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) and the young generation of researchers with an academic degree. The winning applicants in 2021 were researchers under the age of 45, cooperating with international co-authors, having highly cited publications and showing a continuous publication history of 15 years on average. The scholarship holders come primarily from research centres and universities. The paper argues that the achievements of scholarship holders follow the international patterns of academic excellence and publication as well as the requirements for international cooperation and publishing mainly in open access journals. In doing so, they prefer journals under the umbrella of Elsevier for performing their publication activities; however, there has been a significant increase in those publishing in MDPI journals, recently. The results show that one-third of the applicants had published before and a fifth of them had published in one of the journals of MDPI two months after announcing the list of the winning applicants. At the same time, differences in publication traditions and award systems reveal marked differences in publication strategies and evaluation criteria across fields of science. Based on this, the descriptive statistics presented in this paper contribute to our understanding of the conscious career planning of young scholars in line with international standards.
An Erasmian Jewish Convert in 16th Century Vienna? Christian Concord and Jewish Sources in the Work of Paulus Weidner
Authors: Roche Clarisse
Published: September 2023

This article aims to shed new light on the work of the humanist and Jewish convert Paulus Weidner (1522–1585) by focusing on his use of postbiblical Jewish sources to defend, illustrate, and spread a non-confessional Christian faith both among Jews and among the divided Christians of the Habsburg Monarchy. As such, Weidner was a major figure of the Christian via media promoted at the Habsburg court in Vienna around the mid-16th century. Yet, he retained, at the same time, a profound originality, for his contribution was largely based on the Mishnah. Indeed, Weidner not only proposed Christian interpretations of the Talmud, which he argued could lead to Christian faith but also claimed that the Pirkei Avot could serve as a source of Christian ethics and, as such, ought be added to the Biblical and classical heritage promoted and revered by scholars of his time.
The Ambiguity of the Quest for Mastership of the World: The Concept of Ustāḏiyyat al-ʿĀlam in the Doctrine of the Muslim Brotherhood
Authors: Lavie Limor
Published: September 2023

This article examines the idea of ustāḏiyyat al-ʿālam (mastership of the world), in the political thought of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). Ustāḏiyyat al-ʿālam was formulated by the movements’ founder, Ḥasan al-Bannā, as the ultimate goal of the MB, the last of a gradual seven-stage plan to Islamize the individual, the family, society, the government, and the state, and restore the caliphate. In an attempt to unpack this abstract concept, this article offers a contextualized reading of its use in the foundational tracts of the MB general guides, and in pertinent commentaries on some of these tracts. We point to an inherent ambiguity in the concept, which intertwines ideational and active elements of domination, ranging between the homiletical task of propagating Islam to the world and striving to rule the world. Within the MB, ustāḏiyyat al-ʿālam is found to serve alternately as a privileged status of the Islamic nation, a duty, a mechanism of power legitimation, and as a source of motivation in times of despair, while utilized in anti-MB campaigns to discredit the MB and curb its internationalization.
A Simple Method of Coupled Merging and Downscaling for Multi-Source Daily Precipitation Data
Authors: Zhao Na , Chen Kainan
Published: September 2023

High accuracy and a high spatiotemporal resolution of precipitation are essential for the hydrological, ecological, and environmental fields. However, the existing daily gridded precipitation datasets, such as remote sensing products, are limited both by the coarse resolution and the low accuracy. Despite considerable efforts having been invested in downscaling or merging, a method of coupled and simultaneously downscaling and merging multiple datasets is currently lacking, which limits the wide application of individual popular satellite precipitation products. For the first time, in this study, we propose a simple coupled merging and downscaling (CMD) method for simultaneously obtaining multiple high-resolution and high-accuracy daily precipitation datasets. A pixel-repeated decomposition method was first proposed, and the random forest (RF) method was then applied to merge multiple daily precipitation datasets. The individual downscaled dataset was obtained by multiplying the result of merging by an explanatory rate obtained by RF. The results showed that the CMD method exhibited significantly better performance compared with the original datasets, with the mean absolute error (MAE) improving by up to 50%, the majority of the values of bias ranging between −1 mm and 1 mm, and the majority of the Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE) values being greater than 0.7. CMD was more accurate than the widely used dataset, Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP), with a 43% reduction in the MAE and a 245% improvement in the KGE. In addition, the long-term estimation suggested that the proposed method exhibits stable good performance over time.
Research on Climate Change in Qinghai Lake Basin Based on WRF and CMIP6
Authors: Luo Zhuoran , Liu Jiahong , Zhang Shanghong , Shao Weiwei , Zhang Li
Published: September 2023

Climate change directly affects water resources by changing temperature and precipitation and the responses of inland basins on plateaus to climate change show a certain pattern. To systematically evaluate the changing facts and evolution trend of temperature and precipitation in the Qinghai Lake Basin, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) was used to simulate the spatial distribution of temperature and precipitation in typical periods of the current year based on the observations of hydrological and meteorological stations. Based on the output results of different climate models in CMIP6, the temporal changing trends of temperature and precipitation were predicted. The results showed that precipitation and runoff significantly increased compared to the past, and the lake level first decreased and then increased. In August 2020, the temperature and precipitation near the lake were higher than those in the other areas of the basin. In the future, temperature and precipitation will increase under the influence of different forcing scenarios with the temperature change being more significant. A close combination of observations and simulations will provide quantitative spatiotemporal data and technical support for future climate change adaptability research in the Qinghai Lake Basin.
Estimation of the Uncertainties Introduced in Thermal Map Mosaic: A Case of Study with PIX4D Mapper Software
Authors: Caputo Teresa , Bellucci Sessa Eliana , Marotta Enrica , Caputo Antonio , Belviso Pasquale , Avvisati Gala , Peluso Rosario , Carandente Antonio
Published: September 2023

The aim of this study is to analyse problems related to thermal mapping obtained from thermal data acquired from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) equipped with thermal cameras. We focused on an accurate analysis of uncertainties introduced by the PIX4D Mapper software version 4.4.12 used to obtain the surface temperature maps of thermal images acquired using the UAS. To achieve this aim, we used artificial thermal references during the surveys, as well as natural hot targets, i.e., thermal anomalies in the Pisciarelli hydrothermal system in Campi Flegrei caldera (CFc). Artificial thermal targets, expressly created and designed for this goal, are a prototype here called “developed thermal target” (DTT) created by the drone laboratory at Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia—Osservatorio Vesuviano (INGV-OV). We show the results obtained through three surveys, and during the last two, thermal targets were positioned on land at different flight heights of the UAS. Different heights were also necessary to test the spatial resolution of the DTT with the used thermal camera as well as possible temperature differences between the raw images acquired via UAS with the thermal mapping obtained from the PIX4D Mapper software. In this work, we estimate the uncertainty that may be introduced by the mosaic procedure, and furthermore we find an attenuation of the measured temperatures introduced by the different distances between the thermal anomaly and sensor. These results appear to be of great importance for the subsequent calibration phase of the thermal maps, especially in cases where these methodologies are applied for the purposes of monitoring volcanic/geothermal areas.