bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Compact and Wideband Dashboard Antenna for Vehicular LTE/5G Wireless Communications
Authors: Michel Andrea , Singh Rajesh Kumar , Nepa Paolo
Published: June 2022

A wideband, low-profile, 3D automotive antenna for Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and 5G applications is presented in this paper. Different from other cellular antennas typically placed under the shark-fin cover or inside a car’s plastic spoiler, the proposed antenna is designed to be integrated inside the vehicle’s dashboard. The 35.5 × 40 × 45 mm3 antenna is compact, lightweight and robust. At the same time, this antenna is capable of operating from 670 up to 5000 MHz, covering the entire LTE/5G band (overall fractional bandwidth of 198%). A shunt stub was introduced between the monopole and ground plane to achieve a low LTE band and provide mechanical robustness for the proposed structure. Simulated performance in terms of reflection coefficient, radiation pattern and realized gain is described, showing a good agreement with the measurement results. Specifically, the antenna has a gain higher than −1 dBi at the low-frequency band (i.e., below 1 GHz) and higher than 3 dBi at the upper-frequency band (i.e., above 1.7 GHz). As per requirements, the ground plane size and layout can be properly chosen to fit the antenna into the available volume as well as to optimize the antenna’s performance.
Factors Influencing Students’ Continuous Intentions for Using Micro-Lectures in the Post-COVID-19 Period: A Modification of the UTAUT-2 Approach
Authors: Wijaya Tommy Tanu , Weinhandl Robert
Published: June 2022

Micro-lectures, i.e., short learning videos on a specific aspect of a topic, have become one of the most effective technology-based learning media approaches and were widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the post-pandemic era starting from early 2022, as K-12 students have been allowed to resume going to school, it is necessary to evaluate students’ intentions to continuously use micro-lectures for learning mathematics. Therefore, this study aims to explore attitudes and continuous intentions of students towards the utilization of micro-lectures. To investigate students’ intentions of using micro-lectures, we utilized the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT-2). Data were collected from 321 junior high school students (14–17 years old) in Bandung, Indonesia, who used online classes and micro-lectures to learn mathematics during the pandemic. A structural equation model was also used to analyze the independent (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating condition, hedonic motivation, and habit) and dependent (attitude and continuous intention) variables. Furthermore, online questionnaires were used to obtain data on students’ attitudes and continuous intention to utilize micro-lectures in the post-COVID-19 era. The results suggested that effort expectancy (EE) and hedonic motivation (HM) had a significant effect on attitudes, whose correlation with habit also influenced the continuous intention during this post-pandemic period. Despite these results, the habit variable was found to be the factor most influencing continuous intention. These results provide information to teachers, schools, and the government to continuously increase the use of micro-lectures based on improving student learning performances in the post-pandemic era.
Effect of Color Temperature and Illuminance on Psychology, Physiology, and Productivity: An Experimental Study
Authors: Chen Ruijun , Tsai Meng-Chun , Tsay Yaw-Shyan
Published: June 2022

In this study, we investigated the impact of the lighting environment on psychological perception, physiology, and productivity and then designed lighting control strategies based on the experimental results. The research was conducted in a smart lighting laboratory, and 67 subjects were tested in different illuminances and correlated color temperatures (CCTs). During the experiment, the physiological data of subjects were continuously recorded, while the psychology and productivity results were evaluated by questionnaires and working tests, respectively. The experimental results found that both illuminance and CCT could significantly influence the feeling of comfort and relaxation of the subjects. Warm CCT and higher illuminance (3000 K–590 lux) made subjects feel more comfortable. Productivity reached its maximum value with illuminance above 500 lux and equivalent melanopic lux (EML) higher than 150. The brain-wave and heart-rate changes did not have a close relationship with either illuminance or CCT, but the heart rate slightly increased in the adjustable lighting mode. Regardless of the initial value setting, the subjects preferred intermediate CCT (4200 K) and bright illumination (500 lux) after self-adjustment. Finally, we proposed three comprehensive lighting control strategies based on psychology, productivity, circadian rhythm, and energy-saving.
Logistics and Costs of Agricultural Residues for Cellulosic Ethanol Production
Authors: Becerra-Pérez Luis Armando , Rincón Luis , Posada-Duque John A.
Published: June 2022

There is global pressure to make advanced biofuels profitable. For cellulosic ethanol, three aspects remain as bottlenecks: collection of feedstocks, pretreatment methods, and enzyme production. In this paper, the first aspect is investigated, by addressing the main challenges for the logistics of agricultural residues. A logistic supply chain of corn stover collection and utilization for cellulosic ethanol production in Mexico is proposed, and a cost structure is designed for its estimation. By applying a value chain methodology, seven links and a set of three minimum selling prices (MSPs) of agricultural residues were determined. Furthermore, the harvest index (HI), crop residue index (CRI), nutrient substitution by extraction of agricultural residues, and harvest costs of corn stover were also calculated for a case study. The main results were a HI of 0.45, a CRI of 1.21, and nutrient substitution potential of 7 kg N, 2.2 kg P2O5, and 12.2 kg K2O per ton of corn stover. The set of the three estimated MSPs for corn stover was: $28.49 USD/ton (for delivery to the biorefinery’s gate), $31.15 USD/ton (for delivery and storage), and $48.14 USD/ton (for delivery, storage, and nutrient replenishment). Given the impact of the feedstock cost on the profitability of cellulosic ethanol, knowing details of the logistical information and its costs is critical to advancing the field of biofuels in Mexico. We also found that only 20% of farmers currently sell their residues; however, 65% of farmers would be willing to do so, a significant percentage for cellulosic ethanol production.
Comparative Thermal and Demagnetization Analysis of the PM Machines with Neodymium and Ferrite Magnets
Authors: Dobzhanskyi Oleksandr , Grebenikov Viktor , Gouws Rupert , Gamaliia Rostyslav , Hossain Eklas
Published: June 2022

This paper provides computer analysis and experiential investigation of the permanent magnet machines with neodymium and ferrite permanent magnets to discuss the feasibility of utilizing induction machines-oriented equipment for PM machine production. For this purpose, the machines are obtained by replacing the squirrel-cage rotor of the induction motor with the flux-focusing (tangential) and surface-mounted (radial) permanent magnet rotors. Electromechanical parameters of the machines as electromagnetic torque and output power are discussed and compared. The temperatures of the neodymium and ferrite magnets are also calculated at rated current, and short circuit scenarios and the performance of two different cooling systems in minimizing the temperature effect on the machines are investigated. Furthermore, the demagnetization of permanent magnets at various load conditions is also studied. Finally, the results of the computer modeling are validated by the physical prototypes of the machines. The characteristics of the electrical machines under study were calculated using the Simcenter MagNet and Simcenter MotorSolve software packages.
Thermoeconomic Optimization Design of the ORC System Installed on a Light-Duty Vehicle for Waste Heat Recovery from Exhaust Heat
Authors: Wu Xialai , Zhang Ning , Xie Lei , Ci Wenyan , Chen Junghui , Lu Shan
Published: June 2022

The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) has been widely studied to recover waste heat from internal combustion engines in commercial on-road vehicles. To achieve a cost-effective ORC, a trade-off between factors such as costs, power outputs, back pressure, and weight needs to be carefully worked out. However, the trade-off is still a huge challenge in engine waste heat recovery. In this study, a thermoeconomic optimization study of a vehicle-mounted ORC unit is proposed to recover waste heat from various exhaust gas conditions of a light-duty vehicle. The optimization is carried out for four organic working fluids with different critical temperatures, respectively. Under the investigated working fluids, the lower specific investment cost (SIC) and higher mean net output power (MEOP) of ORC can be achieved using the organic working fluid with higher critical temperature. The maximum mean net output power is obtained by taking RC490 as working fluid and the payback period (PB) is 3.01 years when the petrol is EUR 1.5 per liter. The proposed strategy is compared with a thermodynamic optimization method with MEOP as an optimized objective. It shows that the proposed strategy reached SIC results more economically. The importance of taking the ORC weight and the back pressure caused by ORC installation into consideration during the preliminary design phase is highlighted.
Opportunities for Using Analytical Hierarchy Process in Green Building Optimization
Authors: Elshafei Ghada , Katunský Dušan , Zeleňáková Martina , Negm Abdelazim
Published: June 2022

The adoption of green building technology has become significant for ensuring sustainable development; it has become the main step to a sustainable future. The designs for green buildings include finding a balance between comfortable home construction and a sustainable environment. Moreover, the application of emerging technology is also used to supplement existing methods in the development of greener buildings to preserve a sustainable built environment. The main problem of this research is how to tackle the environmental parameters balance based on new techniques that are being used for green building optimization. To mitigate the cumulative effect of the constructed climate on human wellbeing and the regular ecosystem, the most popular goals for green buildings should be planned. This can be achieved by efficient use of natural resources such as energy, water, and other resources and minimizing waste. This will contribute to the security of occupant health, enhancement of work performance, emissions control, and improvement of the environment. In the construction of green buildings, several criteria that may contradict, interrelated indistinct and of qualitative and/or quantitative environment are broadened to utilize. This paper provides a detailed state of the art analysis on improving existing practices in green architecture/building using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) techniques to tackle the environmental balancing values based on optimal strategies and designs by green solutions to help make the best possible option from numerous options.
Ultra-Short-Term Wind Speed Forecasting Using the Hybrid Model of Subseries Reconstruction and Broad Learning System
Authors: Pang Ming , Zhang Lei , Zhang Yajun , Zhou Ao , Dou Jianming , Deng Zhepeng
Published: June 2022

The traditional decomposition–combination wind speed forecasting model has high complexity and a long calculation time. As a result, an ultra-short-term wind speed hybrid forecasting model based on a broad learning system (BLS) that combines improved variational mode decomposition (EPSO-VMD, EVMD) and subseries reconstruction (SR) is proposed in this work. The values of K and α in the EVMD are determined by minimum mean envelope entropy (MMEE) and enhanced particle swarm optimization (EPSO), and EVMD is used to decompose the original wind speed data. SR is applied to recombine the subseries obtained by EVMD to improve the forecasting efficiency. The sample entropy (SE) is used to quantify the subseries’ complexity, and they are then adaptively divided into high-entropy and low-entropy subseries. Adjacent high-entropy subseries of approximate entropy values are merged to obtain a new group of reconstructed high-entropy subseries, while the low-entropy subseries merge into a new subseries as well. Then, the forecasting results of the reconstructed high- and low-entropy subseries are calculated via the BLS and ARIMA models. Numerical simulation results show that the proposed method is more effective than traditional methods.
Sedimentary Basin Water and Energy Storage: A Low Environmental Impact Option for the Bananal Basin
Authors: Hunt Julian David , Nascimento Andreas , Guzman Oldrich Joel Romero , Furtado Gilton Carlos de Andrade , ten Caten Carla Schwengber , Tomé Fernanda Munari Caputo , Leal Filho Walter , Đurin Bojan , Lopes Maurício , Wada Yoshihide
Published: June 2022

Groundwater storage is an important water management solution that is overlooked by several countries worldwide. This paper evaluates the potential for storing water in the Bananal sedimentary basin and proposes the construction of canals to reduce sediment obstructions in the river flow and harmful flood events. This would allow for better control of the water level. The water stored in the sedimentary basin can be used as a climate change adaptation measure to ensure that the level of the flood plain is maintained high during a drought or low during an intense flood event. Additionally, the flood plain will function as a water reservoir, regulate the river flow downstream from the flood plain, and enhance hydropower generation. A significantly smaller reservoir area is expected to store water, as the water will be stored as groundwater in the sedimentary basin. Results show that the Bananal basin has the potential to store up to 49 km3 of water, which can add up to 11.7 TWh of energy storage to the Brazilian energy matrix for a CAPEX energy storage cost of 0.095 USD/kWh. This is an interesting solution for the Araguaia basin and several other basins worldwide.
Carbon-Neutral Cellular Network Operation Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Kim Hojin , So Jaewoo , Kim Hongseok
Published: June 2022

With the exponential growth of traffic demand, ultra-dense networks have been proposed to cope with such demand. However, the increase of the network density causes more power use, and carbon neutrality becomes an important concept to decrease the emission and production of carbon. In cellular networks, emission and production can be directly related to power consumption. In this paper, we aim to achieve carbon neutrality, as well as maximize network capacity with given power constraints. We assume that base stations have their own renewable energy sources to generate power. For carbon neutrality, we control the power consumption for base stations by adjusting the transmission power and switching off base stations to balance the generated power. Given such power constraints, our goal is to maximize the network capacity or the rate achievable for the users. To this end, we carefully design the objective function and then propose an efficient Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm to maximize the objective. A simulation is conducted to validate the benefits of the proposed method. Extensive simulations show that the proposed method can achieve carbon neutrality and provide a better rate than other baseline schemes. Specifically, up to a 63% gain in the reward value was observed in the DDPG algorithm compared to other baseline schemes.
Numerical Investigation of the Pre-Chamber and Nozzle Design in the Gasoline Engine of an Agricultural Tractor
Authors: Zheng Bowen , Zhou Quan , Song Zhenghe , Mao Enrong , Luo Zhenhao , Shao Xuedong , Liu Yuxi , Li Wenjie
Published: June 2022

With the rapid development of agriculture in China today, the demand for agricultural machinery is rapidly increasing. A large amount of exhaust gas emissions poses a severe threat to the environment. To better promote engine fuel and air mixing, enhance engine performance, and achieve low emissions, we conducted a numerical study of the pre-chamber and nozzle design in a gasoline engine for an agricultural tractor by using the G-equation method in Converge CFD software. The relevant optimization of the three model parameters in the G-equation was performed using the improved particle swarm algorithm (PSO). The model parameters after optimization by the PSO algorithm were: a1=0.77, b1=2.0, b3=1.0. It was confirmed that the predicted engine performance was enhanced greatly with the pre-chamber system. More importantly, the results reveal that the volume and area ratios of the pre-chamber played a crucial role in the performance of the pre-chamber. Through a series of parametric studies on the pre-chamber and main chamber characteristics, we can identify the best sets of volume and area ratios based on the combustion reaction progress, the turbulent mixing profiles, and the exhaust gas emission. The turbulent maximum strength and the exhaust gas concentration of nitrogen oxides can differ by 13 and 18 times, respectively. In practical design, we recommend the optimization of the concerned metrics with the findings in the paper.
Oak Decline Syndrome in Korean Forests: History, Biology, and Prospects for Korean Oak Wilt
Authors: Choi Won Il , Lee Dong-Hyeon , Jung Jong Bin , Park Young-Seuk
Published: June 2022

Oak decline syndrome has been observed in South Korea and Japan and variously referred to as Korean oak wilt (KOW) and Japanese oak wilt (JOW). We reviewed aspects of the historical occurrence of KOW, disease cycle, and its potential causes. KOW has been seen principally in Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb.). The first occurrence of KOW was in 2004 in Seongnam, South Korea. KOW is associated with the fungus Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae, which is vectored by the ambrosia beetle Platypus koryoensis. In addition, it has been suggested that yeasts have evolved a symbiotic relationship with the vector without antagonism for the pathogenic fungus. The number of trees in Korea killed by KOW increased to about 331,000 in 2011, but then decreased to about 157,000 in 2019. We hypothesized that trees infected by R. quercus-mongolicae accumulate phenolic compounds in the sapwood and the vector (P. koryoensis) beetles then avoid these trees. Therefore, the number of hosts available for the beetle after a KOW outbreak decrease due to accumulation of phenolic compounds in the wood, although most oak trees survive outbreaks. Therefore, P. koryoensis beetles move longer distances after outbreaks to find susceptible host trees. Novel occurrence of KOW in Korea may be due to either (1) an increase in tree age (size) in Korean oak stands, for which the beetle has a known preference or (2) climate change, which may be increasing the number of weakened or stressed trees, for which P. koryoensis also shows a preference.
Changes in the Abundance of Monoterpenes from Breathable Air of a Mediterranean Conifer Forest: When Is the Best Time for a Human Healthy Leisure Activity?
Authors: Sancho-Knapik Domingo , Gil-Pelegrín Eustaquio , Ferrio Juan Pedro , Alonso-Forn David , Martín-Sánchez Rubén , Santos Silva José Víctor dos , Imanishi Junichi , Peguero-Pina José Javier , Sanz María Ángeles
Published: June 2022

The exposure to monoterpenes emitted by plants to the air might provide human health benefits during forest-based leisure activities. However, forests, especially Mediterranean ones, lack studies to relate forest production and the emission of monoterpenes, considering potential human forest exposure. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the variation in the abundance of monoterpenes in the human breathable air under the canopy of a Mediterranean conifer forest, evaluating the influence of different factors. For this purpose, from March to November 2018, we monitored the abundance of monoterpenes in the air at nose height, leaf development, air temperature and soil water potential in a mountain Mediterranean forest of Pinus pinaster located in Sierra de Albarracín (Teruel, Spain). We detected six monoterpenes, with α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene being the three most abundant. Temperature was the main environmental factor driving the abundance of monoterpenes in air, with a maxima of abundance found during summer. Leaf development in spring decreased the abundance, while after a drought period, the abundance increased. Thus, people enjoying forest-based activities in Mediterranean conifer areas would be more exposed to air monoterpenes when the temperature increases during the period after leaf development, as long as the trees are not severely water-stressed. If that is the case, the abundance of monoterpenes in the air would increase after the drought period.
Textural and Functional Properties of Skimmed and Whole Milk Fermented by Novel Lactiplantibacillus plantarum AG10 Strain Isolated from Silage
Authors: Nikitina Elena , Petrova Tatyana , Vafina Adel , Ezhkova Asya , Nait Yahia Monyr , Kayumov Airat
Published: June 2022

Milk fermentation by lactic acid bacteria both enhances its nutritional value and provides probiotic strains to correct the intestinal microflora. Here, we show the comparative analysis of milk fermented with the new strain, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum AG10, isolated from silage and the industrial strain Lactobacillus delbrukii subs. bulgaricus. While the milk acidification during fermentation with L. plantarum AG10 was lower compared with L. bulgaricus, milk fermented with L. plantarum AG10 after a 14-day storage period retained a high level of viable cells and was characterized by an increased content of exopolysaccharides and higher viscosity. The increased EPS production led to clot formation with higher density on microphotographs and increased firmness and cohesiveness of the product compared with L. bulgaricus-fermented milk. Furthermore, the L. plantarum AG10-fermented milk exhibited increased radical-scavenging activity assuming lower fat oxidation during storage. Taken together, these data suggest that L. plantarum AG10 seems to be a promising starter culture for dairy products with lowered levels of lactic acid, which is important for people with increased gastric acid formation.
Rheological Properties of Goat Milk Coagulation as Affected by Rennet Concentration, pH and Temperature
Authors: Hovjecki Marina , Miloradovic Zorana , Barukčić Irena , Blažić Marijana , Miocinovic Jelena
Published: June 2022

Various factors affect rennet coagulation and consequently cheese yield, but the subject of research has been mainly the cow milk. For the purpose of goat cheese production optimization, this paper investigated the influence of enzyme concentration (0.01–0.054 g/L), pH (6.5–6.1) and temperature (27–35 °C) on rennet coagulation of goat milk. Coagulation time (RCT), aggregation rate (AR), and gel firmness (G’60 and GF), were measured by oscillatory rheometry. The decrease in rennet concentration extended RCT. At lower rennet concentrations, a lower AR was recorded, which ranged from 0.02 Pa/s to 0.05 Pa/s. The decrease in pH from 6.5 to 6.1 caused a two times shorter RCT, and a two times faster AR. There was no effect of pH on the firmness of the rennet gel. The increase in coagulation temperature from 27 °C to 35 °C reduced the RCT of pasteurized milk from 12.6 min to 8.6 min, and caused a linear increase in the AR, but did not significantly affect the firmness of the gel. The present study revealed that the optimization of the rennet coagulation process could be directed towards pH lowering, or temperature increase, since they accelerate the process, but do not alter the examined gel firmness parameters.
Transcriptional Biomarkers and Immunohistochemistry for Detection of Illicit Dexamethasone Administration in Veal Calves
Authors: Benedetto Alessandro , Biasibetti Elena , Robotti Elisa , Marengo Emilio , Audino Valentina , Bozzetta Elena , Pezzolato Marzia
Published: June 2022

Corticosteroids such as Dexamethasone (DEX) are commonly licensed for therapy in meat animals due to their known pharmacological properties. However, their misuse aimed to achieve anabolic effects is often found by National Residues Control Plans. The setup of a complementary “biomarker based” methods to unveil such illicit practices is encouraged by current European legislation. In this study, the combined use of molecular and histological quantitative techniques was applied on formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) muscle samples to assess the effects of illicit DEX treatment on veal calves. A PCR array, including 28 transcriptional biomarkers related to DEX exposure, was combined with a histochemical analysis of muscle fiber. An analysis based on unsupervised (PCA) and supervised (PLS-DA and Kohonen’s SOM) methods, was applied in order to define multivariate models able to classify animals suspected of illicit treatment by DEX. According to the conventional univariate approach, a not-significant reduction in type I fibres was recorded in the DEX-treated group, and only 12 out of 28 targeted genes maintained their expected differential expression, confirming the technical limitations of a quantitative analysis on FFPE samples. However, the multivariate models developed highlighted the possibility to establish complementary screening strategies, particularly when based on transcriptional biomarkers characterised by low expression profiles.
Inhibitory Mechanism of Advanced Glycation End-Product Formation by Avenanthramides Derived from Oats through Scavenging the Intermediates
Authors: Zhu Pei , Zhang Ying , Zhang Dianwei , Han Luxuan , Liu Huilin , Sun Baoguo
Published: June 2022

As a special polyphenolic compound in oats, the physiological function of oat avenanthramides (AVAs) drives a variety of biological activities, and plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of common chronic diseases. In this study, the optimum extraction conditions and structural identification of AVAs from oats was studied. The inhibitory effect of AVAs from oats on advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in a glucose–casein simulation system was evaluated, and this revealed dose-dependent inhibitory effects. The trapping capacity of AVAs to the α-dicarbonyl compounds of AGE intermediate products was determined by HPLC–MS/MS, and the results indicate that AVA 2c, AVA 2p, and AVA 2f exhibited the ability to capture α-dicarbonyl compounds. More importantly, AVA 2f was found to be more efficient than AVA 2p at inhibiting superoxide anion radical (O2−), hydroxyl radical (OH), and singlet oxygen (1O2) radical generation, which may be the main reason that AVA 2f was more efficient than AVA 2p in AGE inhibition. Thus, this research presents a promising application of AVAs from oats in inhibiting the food-borne AGEs formed in food processing.
Comparison of the Effects of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural in Milk Powder Matrix and Standard Water on Oxidative Stress System of Zebrafish
Authors: Hou Yingyu , Zhang Xinyue , Liu Xixia , Wu Qin , Hou Jianjun , Su Ping , Guo Qian
Published: June 2022

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and furfural (FF) are products of the maillard reaction (MR) in milk powder and their safety is controversial. The concentration changes of 5-HMF and FF after a period of cold storage were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Then, we compared the toxicity effects of 5-HMF (2, 20, or 200 μM) in milk powder matrix and standard water on the oxidative stress system of zebrafish embryos. The results showed that the concentration of 5-HMF was stable, and the concentration of FF degraded over time. 5-HMF-exposed zebrafish embryos had a LC50 value of 961 μM for 120 h. High-concentration of 5-HMF exposure resulted in developmental toxicity and induced oxidative stress. 5-HMF exposure resulted in low expression of gstr gene at 200 μM in both matrices. Moreover, sod, cat, gstr, and gpxla genes were differentially highly expressed in other groups or showed no significant difference. Residual levels in all groups were well below the exposed dose, with a maximum value of only 0.4‰. These results provided a theoretical basis for understanding the effects of 5-HMF exposure in milk powder matrix on the oxidative stress system and suggested that the presence of 5-HMF in our daily consumption of milk powder does not produce significant toxic effects and need not be overstressed.
Development, Characterization and Incorporation of Alginate-Plant Protein Covered Liposomes Containing Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea L.) Extract into Candies
Authors: Šeremet Danijela , Štefančić Martina , Petrović Predrag , Kuzmić Sunčica , Doroci Shefkije , Mandura Jarić Ana , Vojvodić Cebin Aleksandra , Pjanović Rada , Komes Draženka
Published: June 2022

Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea L.) has been known as a medicinal plant in folk medicine for generations and, as a member of the Lamiaceae family, is characterized with a high content of rosmarinic acid. The aim of the present study was to formulate delivery systems containing bioactive compounds from ground ivy in encapsulated form and incorporated into candies. Liposomes were examined as the encapsulation systems that were additionally coated with an alginate–plant protein gel to reduce leakage of the incorporated material. Bioactive characterization of the ground ivy extract showed a high content of total phenolics (1186.20 mg GAE/L) and rosmarinic acid (46.04 mg/L). The formulation of liposomes with the high encapsulation efficiency of rosmarinic acid (97.64%), with at least a double bilayer and with polydisperse particle size distribution was achieved. Alginate microparticles reinforced with rice proteins provided the highest encapsulation efficiency for rosmarinic acid (78.16%) and were therefore used for the successful coating of liposomes, as confirmed by FT-IR analysis. Coating liposomes with alginate–rice protein gel provided prolonged controlled release of rosmarinic acid during simulated gastro-intestinal digestion, and the same was noted when they were incorporated into candies.
Protein Preparations as Ingredients for the Enrichment of Non-Fermented Milks
Authors: Kiełczewska Katarzyna , Dąbrowska Aneta , Bielecka Marika Magdalena , Dec Bogdan , Baranowska Maria , Ziajka Justyna , Zhennai Yang , Żulewska Justyna
Published: June 2022

Milk enriched with functional ingredients of milk proteins delivers health and nutritional benefits, and it can be particularly recommended to consumers with increased protein requirements. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of casein and serum protein preparations obtained by membrane filtration in the laboratory as additives to non-fermented milks, as compared with commercial protein, preparations (whey protein isolate or concentrate and casein concentrate). The addition of protein preparations increased the pH, viscosity and heat stability of non-fermented milks. Milks enriched with whey proteins were characterized by a higher content of valine and isoleucine and a lower content of leucine, lysine and arginine. Addition of casein or whey protein concentrate decreased the phosphorus content and increased the calcium content of milk, but only in the products enriched with casein or whey protein concentrate. Color saturation was higher in products fortified with protein preparations obtained in the laboratory and commercial whey protein concentrate. Milk enriched with whey protein isolate, followed by milk serum protein concentrate, received the highest scores in the sensory evaluation. The presented results make a valuable contribution to the production of milks enriched with various protein fractions. The study proposes the possibility of production of protein preparations and milks enhanced with protein preparations, which can be implemented in industrial dairy plants.
On the Semi-Local Convergence of a Noor–Waseem-like Method for Nonlinear Equations
Authors: Argyros Ioannis K. , Jaiswal Jai Prakash , Saxena Akanksha , Argyros Michael I.
Published: June 2022

The significant feature of this paper is that the semi-local convergence of high order methods for solving nonlinear equations defined on abstract spaces has not been studied extensively as done for the local convergence by a plethora of authors which is certainly a more interesting case. A process is developed based on majorizing sequences and the notion of restricted Lipschitz condition to provide a semi-local convergence analysis for the third convergent order Noor–Waseem method. Due to the generality of our technique, it can be used on other high order methods. The convergence analysis is enhanced. Numerical applications complete are used to test the convergence criteria.
Stationary Response of a Kind of Nonlinear Stochastic Systems with Variable Mass and Fractional Derivative Damping
Authors: Zhang Shuo , Liu Lu , Wang Chunhua
Published: June 2022

Viscoelasticity and variable mass are common phenomena in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), and could be described by a fractional derivative damping and a stochastic process, respectively. To study the dynamic influence cased by the viscoelasticity and variable mass, stationary response of a kind of nonlinear stochastic systems with stochastic variable-mass and fractional derivative, damping is investigated in this paper. Firstly, an approximately equivalent system of the studied nonlinear stochastic system is presented according to the Taylor expansion technique. Then, based on stochastic averaging of energy envelope, the corresponding Fokker–Plank–Kolmogorov (FPK) equation is deduced, which gives an approximated analytical solution of stationary response. Finally, a nonlinear oscillator with variable mass and fractional derivative damping is proposed in numerical simulations. The approximated analytical solution is compared with Monte Carlo numerical solution, which could verify the effectiveness of the obtained results.
Advances of Stimulus-Responsive Hydrogels for Bone Defects Repair in Tissue Engineering
Authors: Chang Shuai , Wang Shaobo , Liu Zhongjun , Wang Xing
Published: June 2022

Bone defects, as one of the most urgent problems in the orthopedic clinic, have attracted much attention from the biomedical community and society. Hydrogels have been widely used in the biomedical field for tissue engineering research because of their excellent hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and degradability. Stimulus-responsive hydrogels, as a new type of smart biomaterial, have more advantages in sensing external physical (light, temperature, pressure, electric field, magnetic field, etc.), chemical (pH, redox reaction, ions, etc.), biochemical (glucose, enzymes, etc.) and other different stimuli. They can respond to stimuli such as the characteristics of the 3D shape and solid–liquid phase state, and exhibit special properties (injection ability, self-repair, shape memory, etc.), thus becoming an ideal material to provide cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, and achieve precise bone defect repair. This review is focused on the classification, design concepts, and research progress of stimulus-responsive hydrogels based on different types of external environmental stimuli, aiming at introducing new ideas and methods for repairing complex bone defects.
Unravelling the Supramolecular Driving Forces in the Formation of CO2-Responsive Pseudopeptidic Low-Molecular-Weight Hydrogelators
Authors: Esteve Ferran , Villanueva-Antolí Alexis , Altava Belén , García-Verdugo Eduardo , Luis Santiago V.
Published: June 2022

A new family of C2-symmetric pseudopeptides with a high functional density for supramolecular interactions has been synthetized through the attachment of four amino acid subunits to a diamino aliphatic spacer. The resulting open-chain compounds present remarkable properties as low-molecular-weight hydrogelators. The self-assembled 3D networks were characterized by SEM analyses, observing regular nanofibres with 80–100 nm diameters. Spectroscopic and molecular modelling experiments revealed the presence of strong synergic effects between the H-bonding and π–π interactions, with the best results obtained for the homoleptic tetra-pseudopeptide derived from l-Phe. In addition, these bioinspired hydrogels possessed pH- and CO2-responsive sol–gel transitions. The formation of ammonium carbamate derivatives in the presence of carbon dioxide led to a detrimental change in its adequate self-assembly. CO2 desorption temperatures of ca. 70 °C were assigned to the thermodynamically favoured recovery of the supramolecular gel.
Regimes beyond the One-Drop Rule: New Models of Multiracial Identity
Authors: Iverson Sarah , Morning Ann , Saperstein Aliya , Xu Janet
Published: June 2022

The racial classification of mixed-race people has often been presumed to follow hypo- or hyperdescent rules, where they were assigned to either their lower- or higher-status monoracial ancestor group. This simple framework, however, does not capture actual patterns of self-identification in contemporary societies with multiple racialized groups and numerous mixed-race combinations. Elaborating on previous concepts of multiracial classification regimes, we argue that two other theoretical models must be incorporated to describe and understand mixed-race identification today. One is “co-descent”, where multiracial individuals need not align with one single race or another, but rather be identified with or demonstrate characteristics that are a blend of their parental or ancestral races. The other is the “dominance” framework, a modern extension of the “one-drop” notion that posits that monoracial ancestries fall along a spectrum where some—the “supercessive”—are more likely to dominate mixed-race categorization, and others—the “recessive”—are likely to be dominated. Drawing on the Pew Research Center’s 2015 Survey of Multiracial Adults, we find declining evidence of hypo- and hyperdescent at work in the United States today, some support for a dominance structure that upends conventional expectations about a Black one-drop rule, and a rising regime of co-descent. In addition, we explore how regimes of mixed-race classification vary by racial ancestry combination, gender, generation of multiraciality, and the time period in which multiracial respondents or their mixed-race ancestors were born. These findings show that younger, first-generation multiracial Americans, especially those of partial Asian or Hispanic descent, have left hypo- and hyperdescent regimes behind—unlike other young people today whose mixed-race ancestry stems from further back in their family tree.
Integrated Analysis of Tissue-Specific Gene Expression in Diabetes by Tensor Decomposition Can Identify Possible Associated Diseases
Authors: Taguchi Y-H. , Turki Turki
Published: June 2022

In the field of gene expression analysis, methods of integrating multiple gene expression profiles are still being developed and the existing methods have scope for improvement. The previously proposed tensor decomposition-based unsupervised feature extraction method was improved by introducing standard deviation optimization. The improved method was applied to perform an integrated analysis of three tissue-specific gene expression profiles (namely, adipose, muscle, and liver) for diabetes mellitus, and the results showed that it can detect diseases that are associated with diabetes (e.g., neurodegenerative diseases) but that cannot be predicted by individual tissue expression analyses using state-of-the-art methods. Although the selected genes differed from those identified by the individual tissue analyses, the selected genes are known to be expressed in all three tissues. Thus, compared with individual tissue analyses, an integrated analysis can provide more in-depth data and identify additional factors, namely, the association with other diseases.
Psychosis in Parkinson’s Disease: A Lesson from Genetics
Authors: Angelopoulou Efthalia , Bougea Anastasia , Papageorgiou Sokratis G. , Villa Chiara
Published: June 2022

Psychosis in Parkinson’s disease (PDP) represents a common and debilitating condition that complicates Parkinson’s disease (PD), mainly in the later stages. The spectrum of psychotic symptoms are heterogeneous, ranging from minor phenomena of mild illusions, passage hallucinations and sense of presence to severe psychosis consisting of visual hallucinations (and rarely, auditory and tactile or gustatory) and paranoid delusions. PDP is associated with increased caregiver stress, poorer quality of life for patients and carers, reduced survival and risk of institutionalization with a significant burden on the healthcare system. Although several risk factors for PDP development have been identified, such as aging, sleep disturbances, long history of PD, cognitive impairment, depression and visual disorders, the pathophysiology of psychosis in PD is complex and still insufficiently clarified. Additionally, several drugs used to treat PD can aggravate or even precipitate PDP. Herein, we reviewed and critically analyzed recent studies exploring the genetic architecture of psychosis in PD in order to further understand the pathophysiology of PDP, the risk factors as well as the most suitable therapeutic strategies.
Synthetic Lethality Targeting Polθ
Authors: Drzewiecka Małgorzata , Barszczewska-Pietraszek Gabriela , Czarny Piotr , Skorski Tomasz , Śliwiński Tomasz
Published: June 2022

Research studies regarding synthetic lethality (SL) in human cells are primarily motivated by the potential of this phenomenon to be an effective, but at the same time, safe to the patient’s anti-cancer chemotherapy. Among the factors that are targets for the induction of the synthetic lethality effect, those involved in DNA repair seem to be the most relevant. Specifically, when mutation in one of the canonical DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways occurs, which is a frequent event in cancer cells, the alternative pathways may be a promising target for the elimination of abnormal cells. Currently, inhibiting RAD52 and/or PARP1 in the tumor cells that are deficient in the canonical repair pathways has been the potential target for inducing the effect of synthetic lethality. Unfortunately, the development of resistance to commonly used PARP1 inhibitors (PARPi) represents the greatest obstacle to working out a successful treatment protocol. DNA polymerase theta (Polθ), encoded by the POLQ gene, plays a key role in an alternative DSB repair pathway—theta-mediated end joining (TMEJ). Thus, it is a promising target in the treatment of tumors harboring deficiencies in homologous recombination repair (HRR), where its inhibition can induce SL. In this review, the authors discuss the current state of knowledge on Polθ as a potential target for synthetic lethality-based anticancer therapies.
Genome-Wide Analysis of the GDSL Genes in Pecan (Carya illinoensis K. Koch): Phylogeny, Structure, Promoter Cis-Elements, Co-Expression Networks, and Response to Salt Stresses
Authors: Jiao Yun , Zhang Jianhong , Pan Cunde
Published: June 2022

The Gly-Asp-Ser-Leu (GDSL)-lipase family is a large subfamily of lipolytic enzymes that plays an important role in plant growth and defense against environmental stress. However, little is known about their function in pecans (Carya illinoensis K. Koch). In this study, 87 CilGDSLs were identified and divided into 2 groups and 12 subgroups using phylogenetic analysis; members of the same sub-branch had conserved gene structure and motif composition. The majority of the genes had four introns and were composed of an α-helix and a β-strand. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that these genes were localized in the extracellular matrix, chloroplasts, cytoplasm, nucleus, vacuole, and endoplasmic reticulum, and were validated by transient expression in tobacco mesophyll cells. Furthermore, the analysis of the promoter cis-elements for the CilGDSLs revealed the presence of plant anaerobic induction regulatory, abscisic acid response, light response elements, jasmonic acid (JA) response elements, etc. The qRT-PCR analysis results in “Pawnee” with salt treatment showed that the CilGDSL42.93 (leaf) and CilGDSL39.88 (root) were highly expressed in different tissues. After salt stress treatment, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) analysis revealed the presence of a total of ten GDSL proteins. Moreover, the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) showed that one set of co-expressed genes (module), primarily CilGDSL41.11, CilGDSL39.49, CilGDSL34.85, and CilGDSL41.01, was significantly associated with salt stress in leaf. In short, some of them were shown to be involved in plant defense against salt stress in this study.
Deformation of the European Plate (58-0 Ma): Evidence from Calcite Twinning Strains
Authors: Craddock John P. , Ring Uwe , Pfiffner O. Adrian
Published: June 2022

We present a data set of calcite twinning strain results (n = 209 samples; 9919 measured calcite twins) from the internal Alpine nappes northwestward across the Alps and Alpine foreland to the older extensional margin along the Atlantic coast in Ireland. Along the coast of Northern Ireland, Cretaceous chalks and Tertiary basalts are cross-cut by calcite veins and offset by calcite-filled normal and strike-slip faults. Both Irish sample suites (n = 16 with four U-Pb vein calcite ages between 70–42 Ma) record a sub-horizontal SW-NE shortening strain with vertical extension and no strain overprint. This sub-horizontal shortening is parallel to the margin of the opening of the Atlantic Ocean (~58 Ma), and this penetrative fabric is only observed ~100 km inboard of the margin to the southeast. The younger, collisional Alpine orogen (~40 Ma) imparted a stress–strain regime dominated by SE-NW sub-horizontal shortening ~1200 km northwest from the Alps preserved in Mesozoic limestones and calcite veins (n = 32) in France, Germany and Britain. This layer-parallel shortening strain (−3.4%, 5% negative expected values) is preserved across the foreland in the plane of Alpine thrust shortening (SE-NW) along with numerous outcrop-scale contractional structures (i.e., folds, thrust faults). Calcite veins were observed in the Alpine foreland in numerous orientations and include both a SE-NW layer-parallel shortening fabric (n = 11) and a sub-vertical NE-SW vein-parallel shortening fabric (n = 4). Alpine foreland strains are compared with twinning strains from the frontal Jura Mountains (n = 9; layer-parallel shortening), the Molasse basin (n = 26; layer-parallel and layer-normal shortening), Pre-Alp nappes (n = 39; layer-parallel and layer-normal shortening), Helvetic and Penninic nappes (Penninic klippe; n = 46; layer-parallel and layer-normal shortening plus four striated U-Pb calcite vein ages ~24 Ma) and calcsilicates from the internal Tauern window (n = 4; layer-normal shortening). We provide a chronology of the stress–strain history of the European plate from 58 Ma through the Alpine orogen.